Happy Spring!

Happy Spring everyone!!! I took the opportunity to play like a kid in the 6 inches of snow we got yesterday, and made my first snowman in years!!! I then had everyone go outside and get our picture taken with Aubrie's first snowman. It wasn't too chilly out, but the wind kept whipping around so we had to make it a quick photoshoot, then went back in to snuggle!

The snow must've gotten me into the mood for some home-cooking too.....I decided to whip up some good ole fashioned homemade chunky applesauce. YUM! Super delicious, and the house smelled so amazing!! I'm wishing we could bottle up scents for later like we can take pictures.....the smell of baking apples and warmed cinnamon filled the house for hours, and that wasn't long enough! MMmmmm......

Aubrie is busy learning new things each day--today she found her foot! She looked at it, got a concerned look on her face, then grabbed at it and preceded to make sure it passed inspection! So cute to watch her pick up on all these new things! She's also mastered the "fishy lip" face--had Kris and I laughing so hard this afternoon, which only egged her on to do it more and more! Ahh...I love that puckered up little face :)

Spring tomorrow??

I LoVE my days off!! I love being able to spend time with miss Aubrie and breathe in her yummy baby smell, and watch her learn and explore new things. She's got her two bottom teeth poking up just the tiniest bit and loves to make cute smacking noises. I think she's doing an impression of us, cuz we just can't kiss her enough! I try to get it on video but she's so random with it you just don't know when it's going to happen! She's also starting to prop herself up WAY HIGH on her hands when she's on her tummy--and almost scoots herself forward. She's moving herself around in odd ways these days---always in some weird, awkward position in her crib when naptime is up!
I took the opportunity today to take the peanut and get some shopping done for Sunday's baby shower...and popped by work with her to show her off (as I retrieved my peanut butter from my locker--can't live without PB & J these days!!) She got ooh'd and ahh'd over like you wouldn't believe! And its always about her huge blue eyes, wide two-toothed grin, and her teeny petite body (surprising since her parents are both way above average in most growth categories!!) So petite in fact that at 5 months she's still wearing a few items of 3 month clothing! That's ok....I love her littleness :)

Happy Spring tomorrow!!! You wouldn't know it was going to be Spring tomorrow....maybe yesterday with the sunshine and 65 degree temps--but not today with the blustery wind, dreary and depressing cloudy skies, and the chilly 37 degrees. Arizona would be nice about now. Actually I'd take AZ anytime of year except June-August....I'm getting anxious to take the baby on long walks in her new jogger stroller! And I'd love to get myself back into shape at the same time! someday...

Aubrie's Birthday: Part 2

Waiting...and waiting.....and waiting! After induction began we waited--watched movies--tried to nap--sipped some water--waited! The room was filled with the sound of the little one's heartbeat and the random blood pressure being taken, and Kris and I just hung out. Grandma Yurcek showed up and watched a movie with us, then gave into tiredness and finished the trek to our house to watch after Gizzy. That night was pretty uneventful--sleep was hard to come by, either from the hard as a rock, uncomfortable skinny bed, annoying and cramping contractions, or the excitement from knowing that it wouldn't be too long before our little one was presented to the world! At one point her heart rate skyrocketed and the nurse gave me a few bags of extra fluid to help calm her down (apparently she was excited too!). At 4am the cervadil was removed and I was given the chance to take a shower before the pitocin was started.

Pitocin was started around 5:30 a.m., and I returned to bed to wait some more. Grandma Yurcek returned, and it wasn't too long before things started happening. I had just started to try and rest some more when I felt and heard a weird popping noise, and lo and behold, water broke! No turning back now-- I was in it for the long haul at that point!!! My contractions immediately strengthened, lengthened, and I was not having fun! I begged for an epidural (wimp that I am) even though I was only dilated to 2cm. Luckily, the anesthesiologist HAPPENED to be on the floor at the moment, and nothing was more conveniant than that! Epidurals are magic, let me tell you. Wow....I loved it.

From epidural on, I was in heaven. I got to nap a little bit, watched some Iowa vs. Wisconsin football action, napped some more, and waited in COMFORT! Gma and daddy went to lunch with me at 6 cm dilated, and returned 30 minutes later to the nurse setting up the room for delivery and me dilated to 10cm!! I was ready to push, but suddenly things stacked against me. First, my OB was in a C-section (which normally takes an hour start to finish), then there was another mommy-to-be who was at the same point as me, but her baby was distressed so she trumped. Luckily that epidural was so amazing....it felt like it was wearing off (but I hear that's what happens when you're ready to push). I got the OK for some practice pushes--after one practice push the OB was called to catch my baby! (Go Me!!) Two contractions later (and an unsettling gut reaction to some pain medication and me scrunching my body up in ways it hadn't scrunched in 8 months) AUBRIE ARRIVED!!!



Teeny, tiny, NOISY (cheesy!) Aubrie Kirsten Burclaw made her way into the world on Saturday, October 17th at 2:49 p.m. She weighed 7 lbs, 9 oz and was 19 inches long--my petite 'lil punkin!!

I LOVED EVERY LAST BABY BIT OF HER! :)

Aubrie's Birthday: Part I

I'm going to start this endeavor with Aubrie's first weekend on Earth....and what the heck, I'll throw in a little history every now and again :). I was pretty impatient to get things moving, ever since I hit the 35 week mark (what is deemed "term" in NICU lingo). I wasn't sleeping much, was very uncomfortable, my legs were swelling and I was exhausted all the time. Even more than all the complaints though, I just really wanted to meet this little human being that I grew for 8+ months....I wanted to know who she looked like, who she acted like, everything about her!

The week she was born my blood pressure started climbing a little bit. Nothing major, but definately higher than my baseline. I was also getting headaches, and seeing "sparklies" in my peripheral vision. I had a few days of work in a row, and my 37 week appt was that Friday, October 16th. I went into the morning appointment feeling pretty good...left my "sample" and hung out until my name was called. As I walked back to the room the nurse told me that my "sample tattled on me".....I apparently had spilled proteins (not good--signifies preeclampsia--a potentially life-threatening condition where blood pressure spikes and can cause severe neurological impairments, to which the only cure is delivery of the baby.) My blood pressure had jumped quite a bit as well. When the OB came into the room she stated the same thing, asked how I'd been feeling the previous week, especially concerned about the neuro symptoms of the "sparklies" and headaches. She told me I bought myself a trip to the hospital. I was taken aback. I felt ready for the baby, but as soon as she'd told me this......wow. It hit me that maybe I wasn't quite as ready as I thought.

I asked if I had time to go home and get my packed hospital bag, just in case THIS WAS IT. I did, but they were ready and waiting for me so I had to make it snappy. How do you make the last few minutes you spend with your puppy alone before he's a sibling "snappy"?! I felt badly that I was leaving him for the weekend... After making the appropriate calls to daddy, aunts and grandparents, I was on my way to be checked in.

They monitored my blood pressure and took more labs at the hospital...after an hour or so the OB came in for a chat. Basically, my labs had improved, as had my blood pressure....I was having contractions though, so she gave me one of the hardest choices I've ever had to make: Either go home on strict bedrest until baby was born, or induce labor. I was far enough to be considered term (or late pre-term at the least), and baby was looking great on monitors, and the ONLY cure for preeclampsia was delivery BUT.....I was afraid. Would I be making a poor decision and putting her life into jeopardy if she wasn't ready to meet the world yet? Was I being selfish by wanting to meet her sooner than she was expected? How could I feel confident about making this decision that could potentially be dangerous for both of us??? After a discussion with the OB I decided to go ahead and be induced--which she completely supported. Millions of emotions were running through me at that point. Excited, nervous, scared, happy, anxious......but mostly, excited!

I was wheeled back to Labor & Delivery, and everything fell into place quickly. Grandma Yurcek was on her way, Daddy was heading to the hospital to meet me, I was given my "last meal" and an IV was started, cervadil was place and VOILA---labor induction began at 4pm on Friday, October 16th!