I LOVE DAKOTA

I don't have but a second to post these pictures from weeks 2 and 3 of Dakota's life... but Jacob, Dakota and I are doing amazing. We LOVE her so much and she is such a blessing. Enjoy these photos. If we ever get internet and I don't have to run to the library to post pictures, you will get some more often.

The last two nights Dakota slept 6 hours straight. What a blessing!

Look how tall she is!!
Ready for a Ride!!
All Snuggled Up in her Bathrobe!!

She looks like a little bean. I could eat her up!
She loves laying on daddy's tummy and looking at him.
"My Daddy sure is Cute."
"I love my daddy!"
SO Cute.

My Heart Leaps for Joy...

When I look at my baby girl!!! Here are some more pictures of Dakota. We LOVE her so much. You can also read below for a very lengthy description of our first two weeks. Hopefully we will get better at posting once we get our schedule figured out...and hopefully one day we will get internet so I don't have to go to the library to post.

Dakota in her Cradle that her Papa made for her.
Dakota with her Vermont Teddy Bear from Aunt Patty. The first thing she got with her name on it!!
This is a funny face that she makes a lot. She sure looks confused and distraught but I can't help but laugh!
After bath time she loves being cuddled in her hooded towels. She gets the double chin from her daddy. :)
I'm so cute!

First of all, Thank you Carie for posting on my behalf when Dakota was born. It really helped get the news out and allowed me to share some pictures with everybody.

The first two weeks of Dakota’s life have been amazing. I am overjoyed with her and I cannot stop thanking God for the amazing blessing that He has given our family. Every time I look at her I want to praise Him and my heart beams at His graciousness in allowing me to be her mother.

I figured I would fill everybody in on the labor and delivery story so here goes…(excuse all grammatical mistakes as I am typing this like I talk).

Sunday, August 5th at about 3 in the morning I woke up feeling a little “crampy.” I slept off and on until 8 when the alarm went off to wake us for church. I told Jacob that I didn’t really feel up to going to Sunday school and that I would like to sleep a little longer. I can’t remember the last time that I skipped church because I didn’t feel well. He decided he would go work in the yard and told me if I felt up to going to church at 10:50 to let him know and he would come inside and get ready. I stayed in bed and realized that maybe I was having contractions. I grabbed a watch with a timer on it and started timing them for the next hour. They started at about 7 minutes apart at 8:30 and by the time an hour was up they were less than 6 minutes apart lasting about 45-50 seconds each. My doctor said to come in when they were 5 minutes apart. I went and told Jacob that I thought today was the day and that maybe we should consider getting ready for the hospital. We didn’t rush because I wasn’t in a lot of pain but I was definitely having consistent contractions and knew that if I was really in labor the contractions would get closer and stronger. I took a shower, shaved my legs, added a few extra things to our bags, packed Jacob some snacks, made Jacob shave (I told him he couldn’t be prickly when he met our baby for the first time), Jacob vacuumed and at around noon I decided it was definitely time to head to the hospital. I was at the point I had to stop whatever I was doing when a contraction came. We got there and they made Jacob wait in the waiting room while they took me to triage and asked me a lot of questions and began hooking me up to monitors to make sure I was really in labor. I was so thankful to hear the words from the nurse, “Today is Baby Day…let’s move you to your room.”

We got to our room at about 2 something and the contractions were getting a lot closer and stronger. I was uncomfortable but not sure if I was really in need of an epidural yet. I told Jacob I was going to ask for it at 4 because I knew it could take about an hour from the time I requested it to get it administered and for it to kick in. Well, at 3:45 in the midst of a pretty strong contraction, my water broke. And boy did it break. I’ve heard of some people just having a trickle…mine was like an explosion…it didn’t hurt…it just felt like a water balloon busted between my legs (nice description, I know). Well, after that all went down…I was in A LOT of pain and told them I was going to need that epidural….NOW. They worked as quickly as they could but those last several contractions before I got the epidural were extremely painful and I was almost in tears. Once the epidural kicked in…I was on cloud 9. I couldn’t feel a thing and it was WONDERFUL. I would say to Jacob, “I think I might be having a contraction.” And he would look at the monitor and say, “Yea, that was a bad one.” And we would laugh that I couldn’t feel them. To all my pregnant friends out there…GET AN EPIDURAL! They are wonderful and it made for a great day for me and Jacob. We just watched t.v. and played a game of Yahtzee. Each hour they would check how I was dilating and things were moving pretty fast. Over a centimeter an hour which is great timing. At about 8pm the nurse checked me and I was 8 cm. At 9 I met the doctor for the first time (unfortunately since it was the weekend my doctor wasn’t on call) and she checked me and said, “Oh, she’s complete. I can see the head. It’s time to start pushing.” So they got everything prepped and we started pushing. I still couldn’t feel anything (not even any pressure) so I had no clue if my pushing was accomplishing anything. They kept saying I was doing a great job but quite honestly I didn’t feel like I was doing anything. At 9:38 I gave a push and her head was free and then one more and her whole little body came wiggling out. It was really quite amazing. Then I heard them say, “IT”S A GIRL.” And I wanted to cry with excitement and joy…instead I just smiled really big and watched Jacob cut the umbilical cord and then they let me see her and she was really, really cute and I was just ecstatic. She was having trouble breathing because she had mucus caught in her throat that she couldn’t cry out and they took her away from us to get oxygen. I wasn’t worried though because God’s hand has been on us since the day we conceived and I knew He would take care of her. Jacob wanted to be with her so he went and kept an eye on her while I got “fixed up” and they monitored me for the next hour. By about midnight I finally got moved to my room and got to hold my baby girl and feed her for the first time.

She didn’t sleep well that first night but that’s ok…I couldn’t really sleep either. The rest of the week went really fast with all of our family coming in town. My dad, Martha and Sally got here around lunchtime on Monday. We were home early afternoon on Tuesday. Lauren arrived on Tuesday night. Dad and Martha left on Wednesday around lunch. Brad and Chad arrived Thursday evening and Clarence arrived Friday evening. Brad, Chad and Lauren left Sunday morning and Sally and Clarence left on Monday. Now it’s just me and Dakota at home. Jacob went back to work on Monday. He was sad to leave her and told me he wasn’t ever going to leave her again but I guess he realized that somebody has to make the money to pay our bills.

Dakota and I had a good week by ourselves but are still have a lot adjusting to do. We haven't quite gotten on a schedule and I haven't been that productive. I guess we will in time get all of that figured out. I was able to get out of the house yesterday (Friday) and have lunch with my group at work for a birthday. I surprised them and it was great to see my friends. Dakota didn't make a peep while we enjoyed lunch.

So…that’s a breakdown of our first few weeks with Dakota Eileen. We all love her so much and she really is such a good baby. She doesn’t cry much (except for the night I had baked beans and they gave her a tummy ache). She is finally eating really well and I can tell she is beginning to plump up. The first several days were pretty difficult and stressful with feeding her but now she and I have it under control and she is doing great. Honestly, that was the hardest part…harder than labor or delivery. Feeling like you are failing at feeding your baby is really hard but I prayed a lot about it…and just like everything else throughout our pregnancy and labor and delivery…God has heard my prayers and been gracious to us. He never leaves us.

I better go now…not sure if any of you are still reading this far because it is quite the book. Thanks to EVERYBODY for all of your prayers and phone calls and gifts and and dinners and thanks to our family for taking time off work and driving out here and special thanks to Sally for cleaning our house and cooking meals. Please continue to pray for us as we try and get in a routine and figure out how to make the best use of our days. God is too Good!!!

And pretty soon Dakota's boyfriend will be here...so be praying for Carie and Chris as they finish up the last couple of weeks of pregnancy!!!

Thank Heavens For Little GIRLs!

That's right! Jacob and Trish are the very proud parents of a beautiful baby GIRL!

This is Trish's friend, Carie, acting as a guest author while the new mommy and daddy are a little preoccupied at the hospital with their new arrival :)

Dakota Eileen was born August 5th at 9:38 pm. She weighed in at 8 lbs of total cuteness and is 20 1/4 inches long with light brown hair. Mom, Dad and Baby are all doing really well and the new parents are just glowing with love and excitement! Trish just couldn't wait until she had internet access to share the exciting news and some pictures of the new love of their lives.

Don't those pictures just make your heart melt!! I hope they make hiking boots and backpacks in her size :)

Congratulations, Jacob and Trish!! We love you and are praying for you and your little Critterbug!

Finally 2cm!

I had an appointment this afternoon and I am finally 2cm and 50% effaced. That doesn't mean Critter is planning on popping out tonight but does mean that I'm moving in the right direction. I questioned my doctor if being induced on Wednesday was the best thing for me because I didn't want to be induced just because I am being impatient. She said that since I am a "smaller person married to a not so small person" she really didn't want me going much past my due date . That made me feel better about making the decision to be induced. If I do make it to Wednesday (which of course any day before that would be perfect too) I will be 4 days late. Just a little update for you.

Oh, and I scrubbed the bathroom today (no worries though I didn't use any harmful or smelly chemicals). Glad to see I did something productive! :)

Still a waitin'!

Well, today is my second day off of work and I'm up at the library using their internet. Yesterday I didn't do too much. Slept until 9:30. Ate. Got my car inspected (which took an hour of waiting). I was so afraid I was going to go in labor while I was stuck in the line and wouldn't be able to get out. Thought really hard about cleaning the house...so hard that I went and bought some cleaning supplies...then I got distracted when I got home and didn't really use them. Maybe today. Made a pork tenderloin in the crockpot. Went to Bible Study. That's about it.

An update on Critter though...next Wednesday, August 8th, I will be induced at 7:15am if he/she has not arrived yet. SO...there is an end and prize in sight!!! Can't wait. Although I really want him to come on his own so I can experience going into labor myself...I just don't want to him to be too late so next Wednesday it is. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow afternoon at 1:30 so I may know something more then. Tomorrow would be a good day for Critter to come because Jacob and I started dating on November 3, got married on January 3...just seems fitting to have our first baby on August 3. :) We'll see.

Keep praying for us!!

Critter's Nursery

I thought I'd post some pictures of Critter's nursery as it stands right now. I'm sure I'll continue to add little touches to it as I cater it to our little one's needs and personality. I can't wait for him/her to come and I can watch him sleep in his little crib and read books to him. Fun times are just around the corner!!

This is the very changing table that Critter's Mommy had her diapers changed on 25 years ago. We painted it black and added new knobs.

Jacob took all of these photos at the zoo for me. We had a good time at Hobby Lobby picking out the different mats for each of them. He's been so sweet and really helpful in getting the nursery together.

Critter's Dresser (it was also mine when I was little) and Toy Chest (it belong to Jacob when he was little).

All of those fun books just waiting to be read!!!!

Critter's Quilt which I still haven't finished. I just need to do a few touches on the actual quilting part and then the binding and I'll be done with it.

Still Preggo

No baby this weekend. I'm still pregnant. Tomorrow is my last day of work...yippeee!!!! Pray Critter will come soon...or that God will give me patience. I just want my little baby so bad!!

Snap, Crackle, Pop

I wanted to post these pictures from the 4th of July because they turned out really good. It's nice having a camera capable of capturing all of our fun times...and a photographer that knows how to use it! Way to go on these Jacob!

4th of July was interesting because it was probably the first 4th that we didn't go anywhere far off. We stayed home (Jacob actually worked so he could save a day of vacation for baby time). I worked around the house and then that evening we went to see fireworks with Chris and Carie in Germantown. They were really great and the weather was amazing. Note to self...Siler hates fireworks, we will never take him to see them again!!!

June 30th Shower

As mentioned previously, my Bible study girls and buddies from our old church threw me a baby shower brunch on June 30th. These are the pictures that I said I would post later.

Cute Diaper Cake that Kristen Made for me!! It's in Critter's Nursery now.

The Delicious Spread of Food we had. Mmmm...

Emily and Evelyne

Whitney, Emerson and Tracy. Tracy is expecting #2 on September 2.

Amanda and Melody. Amanda has one of the few boys of the group and Melody is expecting her second baby in early 2008. Her first baby, Cooper, went to live with Jesus after just 3 short days on this earth. She has been an amazing inspiration over the past year. Please be praying for her and her husband and that God will protect their baby and her pregnancy. You can read her blog...Melody's Blog.

Babies, Babies Everywhere!!!

Post-Doc

Well, I had my doctor's appointment at 1:00 today. Still 1cm dilated but other things seems to be moving in the right direction (Critter is good and low). So...we'll just wait and see. My doctor seems to think that he/she is around 7 lbs and will probably be around 7.5-8 lbs upon birth.

I took our car seat to be installed and inspected after my appointment. They have nurses at the hospital that will make sure you know what you are doing. It's pretty easy but I was glad to have somebody show me rather than try to figure out what in the world the directions were telling me to do. So now I am driving around with a Critter Carrier in my car :).

That's all for now. Only 4 days of work left!

Update...I am Indeed Still Pregnant

There seems to be some concern that since I fell off of the "blogosphere radar" and I quote my dear friend Danielle, that maybe something exciting has happened and some people are missing out. I have been somewhat busy at work and have been trying to reduce the amount of extra time I spend at the office so blogging has gotten the boot. I have lots to write about too. It's just going to have to wait.

Anyway, I just wanted everybody to know that I have not had Critterbug yet. We are now less than 2 weeks away from the due date. I have an appointment tomorrow where I should find something else out and possibly set up an induction in the event that he/she doesn't arrive on his/her own timing...just to get it on the schedule. I had an appointment last Wednesday in which I was 1 cm dilated and she was estimating Critter to be about 6.5lbs. My last day of work is a week from today. Crazy!!

I am SOOOOO ready to meet our newest bestest buddy. Please continue to keep us in your prayers and that the delivery will go wonderful and that Jacob won't get annoyed with my constant "ooo I hope Critter comes today" comments.

I'll try to give another update tomorrow after my appointment.

Showers of Showers

I am so thankful for all of the great things that people have done for us throughout the pregnancy. We have been so blessed by the outpouring of love and generosity. Some of the greatest fun has been having baby showers...and not just because of the great gifts but because of the time that we can fellowship with our friends. Here is a run-down of the baby showers over the last couple of weeks...Thanks to all who gave gifts and helped host these special events for us.

June 24th: The sweet ladies of our new church, Union Avenue Baptist, held a joint shower for Carie and I after service. These ladies get so excited about babies and even though many of them did not know us personally, they still had a desire to serve and give to us. Carie and I were both blown away by their extreme kindness. Pictures below.

June 28th: Jacob's work held an afternoon cake and ice cream shower for us. They all pitched in to give us a large gift certificate and our pack 'n' play. Jacob is so thankful to work with the people that he does. It was nice to meet the people that he spends everyday with...and you know, they aren't all nerds :).

June 30th: My girls from our old church threw a brunch for me. Some of us still get together for Bible study on Wednesday nights but the others I don't get to see too often. It's great when we can all get back together like we used to. Fortunately, Carie's shower is this weekend so we get to do it all over again. The girls (Carie, Whitney, Kristen and Tracy) did a safari theme since that is what we are doing our nursery in. It was adorable. Pictures to come later.

July 8th: The girls from work held a potluck shower for me this past Sunday. We had some delicious food and a great time. I am so thankful and blessed for the people I work with. Many of these girls do not have babies yet so I appreciate them reaching out to me and doing something a little different. I love it when I can get together with the people I work with, outside of work hours. Pictures to come later.

Belly Buddies

We had SO many gifts to open!!

Lots of yummy food. The tomato sandwiches were awesome. I can't believe I am saying that considering a year or so ago I wouldn't even eat tomatoes!!

Pregnant Friends. Carie, I'm so glad we have gotten to go through this together!!

Yay for my diaper genie. No smelly diapers in Critter's Room.

After all of these wonderful showers I think we are pretty much ready for Critterbug to come. The nursery is mostly done (although I'll continue to add little touches for the next couple of years I'm sure). We have our video camera, our car seat (thank you so much Martha) and our bags packed. Now we just need a baby :) I'm getting SOOOOOO excited and can't wait until the day comes. 3.5 weeks to go....I'll keep you updated.