The Science of Sleep

I definitely want to start blogging more and use it as a journal since I suck even more at hand writing a journal! I heard that you can print your blogs like in a book or something..? so hopefully someday I will find out how to do that.

Last night Hadley slept through the night! I don't think I've ever been so excited to wake up at 7 am! Ha ha. No, actually Jake woke me up cuz he was leaving for work and I realized she didn't wake up all night but she still didn't wake up all the way, ready to eat until like 8:30. I put her down at like 12:30 or 1. So that is a pretty good nights sleep. Just yesterday I said to Jake, "Isn't it weird that I haven't slept for more than a few hours at a time for over a month?" and then bam! that night I get like 6! Hadley is such a good girl! She's a good sleeper, a good eater and super cuddly! I love her to death! She was kinda sick last week. She just had a bit of a cold, stuffy nose mostly, and yesterday I think she might have had a tummy ache or something. But we got through it and I'm hoping this week will be a lot better since we are going out of town with the McMillan clan. Hopefully she will continue to sleep through the night too! I can't believe how fast she is growing! It's a good thing but I kinda want her to stay little too. I just know all the stages are gonna go so fast and I'm going to miss her being so small and cuddly!

My little sleepy head!

When she did wake up this morning she was very alert and happy and she was smiling at me. She has also just started smiling! She had some little ones but then she gave my grandma some big smiles and I was a little jealous. The next day she smiled at me though so it was ok. She tends to be happiest and smile the most in the mornings. It's the cutest thing! I really liked the smiles she would do when she was going to sleep but awake smiles are even better!

As mentioned before we are going out of town this week to Driggs Idaho with the McMillan clan. We are renting an 8 bedroom house that is supposed to be really nice. Jake's cousins went just a few weeks ago so that's where we got the idea. I have never been to Driggs but I guess it's pretty close to West Yellowstone and Jackson Hole. I'm excited to get away and I have never been to Jackson Hole. We are planning on going white water rafting and my lovely sister-in-law, Lacey, who is almost 8 months pregnant said she will watch the babe so we can go. What a sweetheart!

We were supposed to be going to Bear Lake this week but the Lindquist's cabin got double scheduled so we got booted. I'm pretty bummed about it. I love Bear Lake and I was really looking forward to playing in the water and getting a tan! I'm still hoping to get a little of both on this other, shorter trip but it just won't be the same as Bear Lake. We're coming back on the 24th and are going to a rodeo that night. My little 5 year old nephew, Jaron, is going to participate in the mutton bustin'. It'll be so fun to watch him.

Hadley is laying on my chest right now and is snoring up a storm! It's the cutest thing! I love when she cuddles up on my chest like this. It's my favorite way to hold her, and I think it's her favorite too.

I love how she curls up her little legs! They are so flexible!

** Most pictures on my page are done by one of my best friends, Chelsey Ott. She took maternity pics for me, which I probably wouldn't have done if she hadn't kept reminding me but I'm glad that I did, and pictures of Hadley. Chel is sooo talented and artistic!

Here are my favorite naked baby pics!

New Addition!

Hadley made it! She was born June 10th, just three days before her due date, at 5:21 am. It was a LONG night! She was 7 lbs 10 oz. and 20.5 inches long and she is the most beautiful baby I've ever seen (but I'm probably a little biased). I stuck to the plan and did it natural, although there was a time when I was like "Ah, I can't do this!" but my Aunt Penny (my doula) got there just in time and helped me breathe through a few contractions and try different positions and that helped so much! and I made everyone remind me why I wanted to do it natural and then after that I didn't think about it again. I'm so glad I did it, even though it was hard and I had to push for over four hours. The beginning went really fast, I was already dilated to a 5 and a half when I got there and was to a 10 just about three hours later (I kept asking "how much longer" but time is irrelevant when in labor, I had no idea how much time had passed and suddenly it was light outside and she still wasn't here and I was exhausted!). The last part was definitely the hardest. I just kept thinking, she's almost here, maybe after the next push. But then she would never come. I was so tired and kept thinking that I just wanted to curl up in my blankie and sleep, but afterward the adrenaline kicks in and I couldn't sleep the whole next day. It was a good thing that everyone came to visit that first day. Jake was tired but I was wide awake. I couldn't sleep even when I tried.

Here are the reasons I am so glad I stuck with the plan and did it natural...

Bonding- we got through it together

Empowerment- now I feel like I can do anything

Next time will probably be faster and easier than this one was

The experience- women have been doing it since the beginning of time, why couldn't I?

They say the recovery is better but I don't know since I haven't tried with the epidural

It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do and probably will ever have to do and now I have it behind me.

Coming Soon!

Well I've been wanting to start blogging for some time now but just have not gotten around to it. I really wanted to start it before the baby came, so here I am, finally starting a little more than a week before the due date. What can I say, I'm a master procrastinator!

I cannot believe that I am going to have a baby within the next couple weeks, hopefully one week. My in-laws are going on a pioneer trek that they are in charge of and have been planning for the past year. They will be gone the 10th through the 13th so are urging me to have her before they leave, or I will have to wait until they get back and I DO NOT want to do that! There is definitely a reason that women are pregnant for 9 months. I was terrified of giving birth and although I am still scared, I am getting to the point where I just want to get this over with so I can be skinny and comfortable and not get out of breath putting on my socks and shoes and most importantly I don't want to wait any longer to meet this wiggly little thing that has been living and growing in my womb! I think about it all the time!

Plus I am getting bored now that school is out, internships over, and I have been released from Young Women's. My last day of work is tomorrow and then I really won't know what to do with myself. It's going to be so weird for me not working! I have worked since I was 14 years old. It's going to be hard for me to get used to completely relying on Jake financially. He is such a good guy and is working so hard right now to make money for the babe and our little family. He has to help out at the sod farm because of his stake in it, and can't quit the gym because we have insurance through that job, plus he hasn't been released from his calling in Young Men's and he has to pick up dead bodies to pay our rent. I'm so worried he won't be able to spend enough time with Hadley and we are going to miss him so much!

We're just hoping this little one hurries and makes her appearance and that she is healthy and strong!