Big Brother Asher

It has been beyond amazing to watch Asher with his new baby sister.  I cannot get over how sweet he has been and how much he loves her.  He talks to her in the highest, sweetest voice and is constantly telling her how much he loves her.  He loves to help change her diaper by getting the diaper, wipes and changing pad out.  He puts the changing pad away since I usually forget.  

Some of my favorite things he says are (and you have to picture it in the highest voice imaginable.)

"Hiiiii baby sister" every morning when he goes to check on her in her crib.

"Baby sister, it's me, Asher, your big brother.  I'm right here if you need anything."  Seriously.  He says that to her all the time and I die.

"This is Chelsea, your mom, and Marcus, your dad." Pointing to each of us.

He calls her "sweetie heart" and "Isla Sue." "I love you Isla Sue."

He takes her balls or toys for her to play with.  He kisses the back of her head and sometimes wants to hold her.  It has honestly been amazing to watch and has made me so happy to see how much he loves her.

Hospital Stay

I loved being at the hospital.  I felt so much better this time around after not having a c-section and I loved the time I got to spend with just Marcus and Isla.  My parents were so sweet to watch Asher for us which made it nice not to worry about him.

Basically Marcus and I sat around and stared at our beautiful little baby girl, took tons of pictures, and kept telling each other how amazing she was.

^^The nurses starting calling Isla the "little diva" because of her giant pink bow.  I already am feeling how fun it is to accessorize a little girl.

^^My mom brought Asher again the next day to see us and it was just so sweet.

^^We loved having visitors stop by to keep us company.

^^Tiny little thing, all ready to go home.  Saturday morning we were anxious to get home and get back to our new lives with our sweet little addition.

Isla Sue

Isla Sue Webb

born September 11, 2014

7:18 pm

6 pounds 15 ounces

20 inches long

My due date came and went on Sunday the 7th. I was fine that I went overdue, but it also worried me knowing that the longer I went the more likely I was to have to be induced or schedule a c-section. I had my membranes stripped on Tuesday, my friend rubbed some pressure points on my feet on Wednesday, I went to the zoo, and all of us rode our scooters around our neighborhood. I vacuumed and kind of felt like this was the night. I had felt that way before though, so I didn't mention it and we went to bed.

Around 1:00 I woke up having a contraction. Up until this point I had had a lot of pretty serious Braxton Hicks contractions but this was my first really painful one. I was a little surprised, a little excited, and then went back to sleep. By 1:30 I was having many more and they were painful enough that I wasn't able to go back to sleep. I started timing them and they were about 7-12 minutes apart. This lasted for several hours, so I woke Marcus and told him I though I was in the beginning part of labor. He said 'huh' and went back to sleep. In the morning he didn't remember I had even woken him. At 6:00 am I woke up with such an intense one that went into my back. I realized though that nearly 20 minutes had passed since my last contraction (which is why I had fallen asleep) and I worried things were stopping. For the next three hours I had horrible cramping and back labor but it was much less frequent. I called my mom and told her what was happening. I started crying because I thought I had been in labor but wasn't anymore. I told her I felt so sick and not at all like myself. She said she was coming out.  (It was now 9:00.)

By 10:30 the contractions were back to every five minutes and they were both in my back and front. They stayed every five minutes for another hour and Marcus said maybe we should go to the hospital. I told him he should just go to work and I would call him when it was time. I have no idea why but I was convinced it was going to stop or else it would be awhile before we should go to the hospital, and that Marcus should just go into work.  By noon they were about four minutes apart and lasting almost a minute each. I was in some serious pain but still wasn't sure when we were supposed to go to the hospital. My mom was telling us we needed to go, and I was in so much pain and knew the hospital was a little over 30 minutes away, so I told Marcus maybe we better go. He hurried and made the beds and I watered the pot on the front porch.

As we drove to the hospital I started crying.  Marcus asked what was wrong and I told him I was just so sad for Asher.  My whole pregnancy I never worried about how I could ever love another baby as much as Asher.  I knew I would love her just as much and I was really excited to have two babies to love.  But suddenly as I knew we were about to have our second baby, I just felt so sad for Asher, and for this time of our lives to be over, where he was our only baby and it was just us and him.  

^^Here we go.  40 weeks 4 days pregnant and just checked into the hospital.

We got to the hospital a little before 1:00. They monitored my contractions and said I was definitely having frequent strong contractions. She checked me after 20 minutes of monitoring me, and to my pleasant surprise said I was at a 6+. She paged my doctor, who happened to be at the hospital, who came right in to break my water. Breaking my water wasn't painful but it sure was weird.

I was really worried that the baby was posterior again (like Asher had been...and one of the reasons that resulted in a c section.) because of all of my back pain. The doctor told me she wasn't posterior but slightly turned, and once she broke my water she was able to slide right down into my pelvis facing the right direction. I felt such a huge relief.  I also mostly stopped feeling the back pain at that point.

The doctor encouraged me to get an epidural soon if I was going to get one, but I still wanted to stand and wait just a little longer. I stood and held onto Marcus through each contraction until finally I thought I was going to die. I told Marcus that and asked the nurse for an epidural. The anesthesiologist was in the OR so 40 minutes later I got my epidural. It was the same anesthesiologist as I had with Asher, and I had loved him then and loved him this time too. He was so great. As I got the epidural I cried silently and told Marcus I had waited too long. It was now 3:30.

They checked me and I was at an 8. An hour later my cute nurse, Cherysh, came back and said she thought I would be complete and ready to push at 5:00. She started preparing the room for a delivery.

Marcus and I couldn't believe how smoothly everything was going. Besides the epidural I didn't need any medications, my contractions were still coming strong and hard, and so far we just had our one nurse in with us.

At 5:00 she checked me and sure enough I was at a ten and ready to push. The baby was still really high up though, so she called my doctor to see if I should start pushing or wait and see if my contractions would push her lower.

She came back and said the doctor said to start pushing. She asked if I was feeling energetic. I wasn't. I felt happy, and so glad things were going so well, but I was tired and I was actually feeling so scared to push. Cherysh was amazing and told me exactly what to do. Pushing was strange as I couldn't feel much of anything at this point, but I was glad.  Marcus was incredible through all of this too, talking quietly in between contractions and keeping me positive but also being quiet and knowing just what I needed.

They told me I had a long way to go and would probably have to push for a couple of hours. It was a daunting thought but Marcus and the nurse were so great and things felt really calm and casual. I started pushing.  After the second contraction of this I wondered how I would do it.  It wasn't painful, but I was tired, and I really wanted my baby here.  I was grateful everything was going well though and felt bad for wishing it was over.

After an hour the nurse called my doctor. She was still doing paperwork and asked if she had a little more time. She told the nurse to get me all the way ready.

At 7:00 and after an hour and a half of pushing my doctor walked in. She immediately said wow, stop pushing! We don't want the baby to pop out.

I was surprised because I didn't know I was that close. I thought we still had awhile to go. The doctor suited up and two contractions later my perfect baby girl was here.

It truly was amazing. They placed this screaming little baby on my chest and I couldn't help but cry. I felt so relieved and so grateful that everything went so well and so smoothly. My baby was here, and there had been no complications or stress. It all just felt so perfect and I couldn't have been happier.

Marcus called my parents and they hurried and brought Asher out.  It was the sweetest moment to see Asher come running into the room, give me a big hug and and then look for his baby sister.  And now we are a family of four!

Cascade Springs

For Labor Day I wanted to go up to Cascade Springs and enjoy being outside and almost hiking, while not having to actually hike (since it is a paved path with some boardwalks).  Marcus let me sleep in, we got some things done around the house, Asher took a long nap, and we met my sister and her family at Waffle Luv.  When all of that was done it was almost 6:00 and we debated not going up the canyon at all.  We ended up going, and I was really glad we did.  It was beautiful, but I couldn't believe how cool it was up there.  The leaves were starting to change and it really felt like fall already.

^^Asher is so funny.  He just cannot pass up a bench without taking a little break.  

^^I just love seeing these two play together and how much Asher just loves his dad.

39 Weeks

Wow, I can't believe I am less than a week from my due date.  Time has flown by.

At 36 weeks I was measuring small, only about 34 weeks.  They did a nonstress test as well as an ultrasound to make sure everything was looking good.  Baby sister looks great, just a little on the small side.  They estimated she weighed 5 lbs 5 oz.

At 38 weeks I was measuring 35 weeks, so she is still supposedly on the small side.

But to anyone who has said I have looked small this pregnancy, I think it has finally caught up with me and I am feeling and looking much bigger.

I have been feeling pretty good, just really tired and minor aches and pains.  My ribs hurt when I lie down, so most nights I sleep with a heated up rice pack.  I get the occasional charlie horse in my calves while sleeping, but nothing like last pregnancy.

I think I finally feel ready for this little one to get here.  The last few nights I have had braxton hicks contractions throughout the night, and I think because of that, I've had lots and lots of dreams about going into labor.

I am really hoping to have a VBAC and avoid another c-section.  At the beginning of my pregnancy the doctor gave me about a 50% chance of that happening.  I was really discouraged as I felt I would do anything to avoid another c-section.  She has been more optimistic as I've gotten closer to my due date however.  I will need to go into labor on my own though this time for this to work...so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Asher-isms

I know I just did a post on Asher, but I had a few more thoughts that I want to remember.  I had a really, really thoughtful friend surprise me with these gorgeous pictures of Asher in his last few weeks of being an only child.  She really captured his personality and I love them so much.

He is absolutely obsessed with chewing gum.  He likes "spicy gum" now and asks for it all day long.  He will chew the same piece of gum for hours and hours and hates to spit it out for meals or bedtime.  It is pretty funny.  He always liked bubble gum or fruity gum, but just after his birthday he decided he would eat mint gum.  He always tells everyone "I like spicy gum now.  Three year olds like spicy gum."

Also, he talks really clearly, but there are a few words that he says differently which are so funny.

 "queesa desa" - quesadilla

 "cute lover" - cucumber
"poota potty" - porta potty
"fetti" - confetti

And, his 3 year stats:

Weight: 29 lbs 3 oz (25 percentile)

Height: 35.8 inches (15 percentile)

Head: 19.8 (70 percentile)

Man I love this kid!

3 Years Old

3 years old. How has it been three years since you came into my life? You are my best little buddy and I can't imagine life without you. I know it's what everyone says, but you light up our days and make life really exciting for me and dad.

You love to talk these days. It is a constant talk talk talk with lots and lots of questions. You always ask why, and how, and when. You like to ask two sides of a question too-you'll say, 'Mom, where are we going?'  After I answer, you say, 'Mom, so where are we NOT going?' And you'll wait for me to go on and on, listing everywhere we aren't going.

You love to ask other people questions - you say, 'What food do you like?' And as soon as they've answered, you say 'What food do you NOT like?'

It is so cute the way you ask questions and then really sit and listen. You want to know how things work. Where we are going, what we are doing, who will be there. It is a constant stream of questions with you and I really really like it.

On our long drive to Lake Powell you were talking and talking and talking. Dad was getting tired of answering questions, and he turned to you and said, Asher why don't you just relax and stop talking for a little bit? (You had some books, toys and snacks for something to do.) You looked up, shocked, and with tears in your eyes said, 'But dad! I CAN'T stop talking!' We all laughed because it seems to be pretty true.

You just recently learned how to whisper. Which is really convenient, especially in church since even there you have a hard time keeping your cute little mouth shut.  You sit still pretty well and color, but you still ask questions and talk and talk.  Your whisper is adorable as you try really hard to talk quietly.

You have a really good memory. I can't believe the things you can remember.

You are still so sensitive and our little sweetie. You love to hold our hands or be held. Especially if we are in a new place or with new people.

You are really pretty good at expressing your emotions. When you get really sad and are crying you tell us you're just so sad. Sometimes you tell me you can't calm down. We try to be patient and talk to you about your feelings and what can help.

The other day dad took you potty. Marcus was trying to get you to do it yourself, pull down your pants and get on the toilet. You like for us to help. You looked up at dad and said 'dad, are you frustrated?' Marcus laughed and said no, and you said 'mom gets frustrated.' And it is true, there are times that are so frustrating, when you are stubborn and don't want to go potty or do things yourself.  You can get really mad about going potty and sometimes end up in time out before we try again. You don't like time out and get upset when you have to go, but you'll still walk over to the spot on the wall and sit or lie down and wait (sometimes quietly and sometimes not, but you wait) until the timer goes off. Then you always get a big hug and apologize for what you did. You always look so sweet, your big blue eyes, usually wet with tears as you say 'sorry' and listen to me tell you I love you. Then you always say 'I love you too' and we hug. You are so sweet and sensitive, I always pray that I am helping you understand how to be good and respectful without hurting you. I just love you so much.

You are so sweet and so excited to have a baby sister. You rub my tummy and say in the sweetest, highest voice, 'I love you baby sister!' Then you'll call her sweetheart and say how sweet she is and how much you love her. It pretty much melts me and I can't wait to see you with her.

You love being outside, love riding your bike and scooter and running around. You always want your friends to come out and play with you. You love to 'check on the garden' and ask multiple times to do so. You get so excited when there are vegetables to pick and always ask if we can eat any of the flowers.

You are just my little buddy and we go everywhere together. But you really, really love your dad. You get so excited when he gets home, always want him to play with you before work, put you to bed, and go play outside. You love the weekends when dad is home and sometimes cry when he has to leave. You are calmer and so sweet when dad is around. I love watching the two of you play together-whether it is Legos, trains, or out scootering through the neighborhood.

We love you so much little bug. I have been really savoring these last few months and weeks where it is just you and us. We know things are going to change, and it is going to be a fun change, but it will still be a change. These have been the best three years with you and I know we have so many more ahead.

Last night I laid next to you as I put you to bed. I turned to you and said, 'Asher, I'm so lucky to be your mama.' You looked at me, smiled, and said, 'Mama, I'm so lucky to be your...{long pause and the sweetest smile} boy.'

Melt me. I love you oh so much. Happy birthday sweet boy.