2012 Reflection

As the year end approaches, it's always fun to look back and reflect. 2012 has been a great year for the Olson/Stuebing clan:

-We found out we were pregnant not long after the New Year!

-My brother Wayne got engaged in February! Him and Brooke are planning an August 2013 Wedding and our family couldn't be happier for them both.  Cody and I are very thankful to be gaining a sister like Brooke.  Mari is coming all the way from Japan to be here for their wedding too!

-Cody and I traveled to The Big Island of Hawaii with his parents in March when I was 7 weeks pregnant.  We celebrated Loren's birthday with a fishing trip.  When the 12 ft swells didn't make me sea sick Cody said, "Well, I guess we know we are having a boy!".

-My sister-in-law, Courtney moved to Texas for work.  Cody and I got to visit her on separate trips.  I went in April and he went in August. 8-9 Months later, she moved back to the Pacific Northwest!!!!!!! She now resides in Seattle and seems to really love it.  It's nice to have her close to home again.

-My brother Caleb graduated from The School of Dentistry at OHSU. That officially makes him the first Dentist in the family! He recently took a job opportunity in Bethel, Alaska.  Cody and I hope to make it up there to visit him sometime before his 2 year contract is up. Hopefully he is surviving the below freezing temperatures (earlier this month it was -25 degrees there! Yes there IS a NEGATIVE sign in front of that 25!).

-In June, Brooke received her degree in Respiratory Therapy. I was hoping her career would take her and Wayne up here to Portland but so far no luck there.

-We didn't do as much camping as we would have liked to but we enjoyed the few trips that we did make.

-Cody got his first deer since we have met.  I used to give him a hard time about all this "hunting" he does when really it just seemed like he did a lot of "camping"! When he came home with it and I cried, he explained to me that part of a man's duty is to provide and it's "not someones pet". I think he was beginning to blame me for his bad streak, so despite my animal loving heart, I guess it was a good thing.

-The birth of Mr. Hanley was the highlight of our year!  Everything about having Hanley has brought Cody and I so much closer- from the pregnancy to preparing the nursery to the delivery to parenthood. Words cannot express my love for Hanley and the joy it brings me to see Cody as a father. I have said it before but I think the 3 of us make one heck of a team.

-I have really enjoyed being at home with Hanley. I kind of thought I might go a little stir crazy but he has kept me busy for sure!!! There's no time or energy to have cabin fever with a newborn. I am making sure to cherish each moment I have with him before returning back to work. Maternity leave is truly a special time for Mommy and Baby to bond.

-Cody is taking some time off of work between Christmas and New Years. It has really been nice to spend quality family time for the Holidays.

This year has been a true blessing. I sure hope 2013 is just as good to us! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Weekend Rundown

This weekend the family gathered to celebrated Great Grandma's 95th Birthday. Great Grandma continues to amaze me with how much energy and life she still has in her! Hanley was such a good little boy for the party...I think he was putting on a show for all the Grandma's!

Hanley with his Great Great Grandma! Happy Birthday!

4 generations of Olson love! Grandma Tina with her first Great Grandchild!

Saturday night Cody and I got out for our first date night since Hanley's birth! At my request, we went out for sushi. I hadn't had sushi since we found out that we were pregnant. Dinner and drinks at Izumi's was the perfect way to spend the night together.  Our evening out really gave us some time to reconnect and Hanley enjoyed some special time with Grandma and Grandpa Olson.

Gettin' Out of the House

Hanley and I try to get out of the house at least once each day. Whether it's to run a quick errand or just go for a walk. I figure, if I need out of the house daily, Roxy does too. So, she joins us for walks and we try to mix in as much park time as possible too.  It's been kind of a challenge to walk with a stroller and a 100 pound dog with lots of energy! Seriously, the first time I took both Rox and Hanley out for a walk by myself, Roxy had to the Bob on 2 wheels on more than one occasion! I have had to be pretty stern with her to make it clear that she can't pull on the leash when she's excited and that the stroller will run her over if she's in the way.  Tough love I suppose but she is starting to get the hang of it which is making our walks more enjoyable.

This morning was chilly but we took advantage of the dry weather. We took Roxy to the park to play fetch then went for a nice long walk.

Girls Night Out, Boys Night In

The Crew: Dr June, Jamie, Me, Shaira, Autumn, Joanne, Tami

I kissed Mr. Hanley goodbye and left the house without a diaper bag Friday night to join my favorite work gals for our Christmas party! Wow, it felt weird.

I thought I would have a hard time leaving Hanley for the first time but Cody got stuck in traffic on the way home from work which meant by the time he got home, I had to literally run out the door. This probably ended up being a good thing because it didn't give me time to think about leaving my baby. 

Dr. June spoiled us for the night and everyone had a great time!! I feel so lucky to be a part of such a great team.

When I got home, I realized how much I missed my little man. I was glad that he was still awake so I got to cuddle him and rock him to sleep.  Perfect way to end my night.

Thanks Honey for giving me an evening away.

Update!

I know it's been awhile! Forgive me, I have been a busy Mama!! So, let's get caught up...

-Just when I thought we were getting the hang of things, Cody went back to work.  Thankfully, that was the week of Thanksgiving so it was a short one. It was a good way to ease me into being home with Hanley by myself.

-By Tuesday of that week, I had an emotional breakdown.  I was tired and overwhelmed.  I distinctly remember at one point making myself a sandwich and taking 1 bite of it before Hanley started crying.  So, I sat my sandwich down on the coffee table, picked him up and started feeding him. Just then, Roxy started barking at the back door and the cat jumped up on the coffee table and started eating my lunch! Seriously?! No shower, and now no lunch, and soon to have pissed off neighbors from Roxy's barking...The day was not looking good for this Mama.

-My friend Katie called later that day with some great tips to get Hanley to sleep better.  Then she asked me if there was anything else that made me emotional.  I explained to her that I feel like the only time I am holding Hanley is when I am feeding him (It's easy to feel like a milk machine!).  If I want to get any rest or get anything done around the house, I have to put him down.  Her best advice was to rest when I need to rest, let the housework go, and take advantage of every moment with him. When I got off the phone with her, I immediately started folding laundry. Then I thought about what she said. So, I marched out to the living room and picked up my little man and cuddled the heck out of him. It didn't allow myself to feel guilty about not getting the laundry done and I loved every minute of just cuddling my sleepy boy.

-We went to Eugene for Thanksgiving. Everyone got to meet Hanley and of course we had 2 Thanksgiving dinners!! After feeling overwhelmed, it was really nice to be home and have lots of helping hands around.  Hanley did AWESOME on the drive to and from Eugene. He slept the whole way and didn't even make a peep. We learned quickly that he loves going for drives. Cody had a canopy installed on the truck prior to Thanksgiving. So, Roxy and the half of our house that we had to pack with us stayed dry! (Traveling with an infant is a whole different ball game).

Hanley and Uncle Wayne

-Civil War 2012 was a little rough but I am happy to announce Cody and I were still talking by the end of the day....barely.

-It's starting to look a lot like Christmas at the Olson's! I recently took down the fall decorations and put up the Christmas decorations, Cody put up the Christmas lights outside and we got our tree up and decorated.  This year hiking into the woods to get a tree wasn't really an option with Hanley.  So, we found a U-Pick, We-Cut tree farm in West Linn that worked perfect for us. 

-Hanley is seriously growing like a weed!!!! We got his newborn photo's back from Marissa Lynn Photography.  His photo's were taken the week of Thanksgiving and looking at them now, we feel like he has changed so much already. Seperate post on the photo session coming soon!

 

-Yesterday was a big day...Hanley got his first bottle and graduated from newborn diapers to size 1. I am not going to lie, I was emotional.  I feel like he's getting so big and time is flying by too fast.  Cody kind of laughed at me and said, "He's having a bottle, he's not going off to college."  Haha. I started pumping and we introduced the bottle in preparation for my ladies night with the gals from work for our office Christmas party. Each year Dr. June takes us girls bowling, then to Dosha Spa for massages and pedicures, then to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Chart House. So, while I am out with the gals, Cody and Hanley will have their first boys night together.

Overall, things seem to be settling down pretty well here at The Olson's!

Adjusting to Life with Baby

We have successfully survived our first week of parenthood!! The first couple of days were naturally spent trying to get the hang of things.

Kim stayed with us the first night home from the hospital.  She was so helpful with Hanley and taking care of things around the house.  I have known this for a long time now, but I definitely scored the jackpot when it comes to the in-laws!

We spent the whole first week enjoying home cooked meals made by Kim, Kramer and Rachael and our neighbors across the street. This was a huge help and made a world of a difference.

We had some ups and downs with the nursing but that seems to have worked itself out now and we are starting to see some sort of routine with Hanley's feeding/sleeping schedule. 

I am finally starting to get some sleep at night! Once we got the nursing down, I think Hanley was trying to play "catch up" and wanting to feed every hour throughout the night. Now he is going 2-3 hours between feedings at night. I have also finally allowed myself to actually catch some zzz's between his feedings. At first, I wouldn't let my body shut down at night because I was aware of every single noise he would make.  Now, I feel more relaxed and know when I lay him in his cradle, he is safe and sound which gives me some peace of mind.

Cody is so good with Hanley. Sometimes I think he is even better with him than I am. There's nothing like baby cuddles and watching my 2 boys together.

Emotionally I am doing well. When I do get emotional, its a good emotional.  At one point I started to get teary eyed and when Cody asked what was wrong the only thing I could say was, "I just love him so much." It's so amazing how fast and how hard you fall in love with your own child.

Hanley and I had a Mother-Baby appointment yesterday.  He weighed in at a shocking 8lbs, 4 oz at 7 days old! Keep in mind, his birth weight was 7lbs, 13 oz.  He dropped 3 oz in the first 3 days of life but quickly made up for it! I think somebody is trying to live up to his Daddy's chunky baby days :o)

Hanley was born with darker hair and more of it than I thought he would have (Thank God, no beard though!).  His hair is already starting to lighten up (just like Cody's did as a baby) and it seems to have the slightest curl/wave to it. He might look like his Daddy but it's possible he got his Mama's hair (other than the fact that he already has Cody's hairline!). He has huge hands and feet...not sure where he got those from though!!! Cody calls him "Man Hands"...Haha!

Big Sister's, Roxy and Maxi, are still trying to adjust to life with Baby. Roxy seems to be doing better with the change than Maxi.  Roxy likes the extra snuggle time at night with Cody because she jumps into bed with him each time I get up to feed Hanley.  Maxi however, is feeling more neglected than ever.  She has tried crawling on top of Hanley while I am feeding him and has tried making me jealous by curling up on Cody's lap (which she has NEVER done before!).  I am sure with time, they will both be just fine.

Hanley's Arrival

We were scheduled to be induced the morning of Thursday, Nov 8th.  One hour before our appointment, Kaiser called us and said they didn't have a bed available and we needed to reschedule for later that day.  They were to call us by 10am to reschedule but we never received the phone call. I was already anxious about the induction so I called them at 11:15am to find out what was going on.  At that point they told us to come in at 1pm. So, Cody and I went for a morning walk and then we went out for a light lunch with my Mom and Kim prior to the induction.  I tried really hard to keep my mind off of it but I was still really emotional (A large part of me was really hoping that I went into labor naturally the night before the induction but clearly that didn't happen).

Once we made it to the hospital, I had my game face on.  It was time and I knew it.  I was ready to meet my little man and there wasn't anything I could do about the situation, this was just how it had to be. 

At 2pm, The midwife started my pitocin and inserted a cervical balloon to help dilate my cervix. The first day was uneventful. My contractions were too close together for them to up my pitocin so basically I was having a lot of unproductive contractions. We had great company with us: My Mom, my in-laws, Amie and Kramer. We killed time by playing games, watching TV and Amie even teaching me to crochet.  With no progress, we went to bed for the evening.

Friday morning at 7:30 am, I was itching to get things going and kept asking them to increase my pitocin.  The new nurse on shift was more aggressive and I appreciated it.  By 10:30 am on Friday, I had finally dilated to 3.5 cm and we were making progress with the pitocin levels.  By noon, my water spontaneously broke--That event is a whole story in itself!

Once my water broke, things started to pick up and my contractions rapidly began to increase in intensity.  Cody managed to help me through the painful contractions, keeping in mind all the tips and coping techniques we learned in baby class. Then back labor began...now that was a new level of pain.

We used the birthing tub twice.  The second time I was in it, I started to feel so much pressure and had the urge to push that the nurse wanted me to get out so the midwife could check me.  With the next contraction, I was already pushing.  This was at 9:15pm.

I pushed for over 4 hours when talk of emergency c-section began. They said Hanley was turned sunnyside up and I have a very narrow pelvic opening. Between the two, it was making things very difficult on Mommy and Baby. With each contraction, I was only able to push Hanley out enough to see the crown of his head and a little hair but when the contraction was over he was sucked right back in.  They were concerned with the amount of stress this was putting on Hanley and were keeping a close eye on his heart rate.

After 20 hours of early labor, 9 hours of active labor and over 4 hours of pushing with no pain meds, I was determined to get this kid out on my own before resulting to a c-section. So, I asked if they could use forceps or something first. They brought the Doctor in and she said she could use a vacuum suction but I still needed to get him down a little further in order for it to be effective.  She said she would give me 15 more minutes of pushing and see if we could make any progress.

When she came back, I had pushed him low enough to use the suction but there was a catch...she made it clear to us that she could only use it twice because of the amount of stress it would do to the baby.  After that, I would be going in for a c-section.  I continued to push a few more times while she prepped the vacuum and got things ready for the c-section as a back up. 

Cody cheered me on...We both knew these next two pushes had to count. My strength came from Cody's support, my belief that God was with us and my concern for Hanley's health-I knew I needed to do this for him.

With the help from the vacuum suction, I was able to fully get his head out in the two tries the Doctor gave me but she had to remove the suction.  She performed an episiotomy and let me continue to push 3 more times on my own.  On that third push, he shot out--head, shoulders and the rest followed.

After 5 hours and 8 minutes of pushing, at 2:23am on Saturday, November 10th Hanley James was born but wasn't breathing. 

They took him away and first cleared the meconium from his lungs and put him on oxygen for 4 minutes before we heard him cry for the first time. Because of his quick recovery, they said there shouldn't be any lasting effects from the difficult delivery.

I couldn't believe we did it!  Here he was, finally on my chest...such a handsome little boy. Happy, healthy and all ours.

Hanley James Olson, 7lbs 13 oz and 20.5 inches:

WE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!

I can't thank Cody enough for all his support during our journey.  He was there to encourage me the whole time and fully believed in me.  I truely don't believe I could have done it without all his love and support. I think he deserves the "Best Coach" award.  I am also beyond grateful for the wonderful care we recieved at Kaiser. The nurses, midewives and Doctors were amazing.  They gave it there all and we have one cute little guy to prove it. Also, a big thank you to eveyone who waited for HOURS in the waiting area just to welcome Hanley once he made his long, drawn out entrance into this world.  We are lucky to have such great friends and family.

So, now we start a new life as a family of 3...

Busted!

Maxi snuck into the closet and curled up into all of Hanley's freshly washed and folded blankets.  I couldn't bring myself to move her though.  After all, she only has 24 hours left of being the baby of the house :o)

41 Week Appointment

When we got home last night, we ate some dinner and tried to take our mind off the runaround we had just experienced at the hospital. What better way to take your mind of something than laugh your bum off watching Rob Dyrdek's show Ridiculousness!?

I slept okay and woke up feeling a little better after talking to my Mother-in-Law and a couple of very supportive friends.

It wasn't until we were in the waiting room for our 41 week appointment that I started to get emotional again.  As I tried to contain my tears, I told Cody I just didn't expect us to ever make it to this appointment.  I had such an easy pregnancy that I just assumed everything else would follow suite.

Once we met with our midwife, all my fears went away.  She supported our decision to go home last night 100% and said we were in extremely good hands with the midwife, Chris, who was on duty last night. 

After checking me, she said there has finally been some progress! Best news yet. Here's a little TMI but for the first time, I was progressed enough for her to strip my membranes. This progress literally occurred overnight because Chris tried doing it before sending us home last night but wasn't successful.

Now the bad news: An NST is only designed to tell you if the placenta is good for another 3 days. So, that means we would need to have another test done on Thursday morning before going in to be induced on Friday morning. Cody and I both decided we didn't want to go through the emotional stress of an NST again, so they moved our induction appointment up by one day. So, that means, if Hanley doesn't decide to come on his own before 7:30 am on Thursday morning, he will be forcefully evicted with doses of Misoprostol and Pitocin.

My friend Mindy sent this to me today and I thought it was pretty funny!

To be honest, I have come to terms with the idea of being induced if Hanley holds out until then.  I feel like we have safely held out as long as possible to try to let things happen naturally but if it doesn't happen by Thursday, my body clearly needs the push. Now..don't get me wrong, after today's news of even the slightest progress, I am still holding onto a little hope that things will occur on their own but if they don't, I am putting my full trust in God's plan.

Whirlwind

The placenta is an organ that grows inside the uterus during pregnancy that, through the umbilical cord, links the baby to the mother’s bloodstream in order to supply nutrients and oxygen to the growing fetus. Unlike any other organ in the human body, placentas have a temporary lifespan and exist only for the purpose of growing a baby. Dr's fear that women who carry past their due date have an "old" placenta which could mean it stops efficiently supplying the baby with the proper amount of nutrients and oxygen.

So yesterday, at 40 weeks and 6 days, we had an appointment for an NST (Non Stress Test) and Ultrasound. At this appointment they checked the babies heart rate and my fluid levels for any signs of an "old" placenta. 

Well, the appointment ended up being quite the whirlwind.

Our appointment was at 3:15pm.  I was hooked up to the monitoring system for 45 minutes.  During this time, I was pumping out contractions every 6-10 minutes. Baby's heart rate was just perfect until the VERY end of the testing.  One dip in his heart rate immediately after a contraction left the Dr.'s concerned so we were sent to Labor and Delivery (L&D) right away.

We had both cars with us, no car seat (the base's are installed in both cars but we don't keep the car seat actually in the car), no hospital bag, dinner prepped at home, and in no way mentally or emotionally ready to be emitted into the hospital.

Once we were checked into L&D, they hooked me up to the monitor for more testing.  This testing lasted almost 2 hours. My contractions continued and baby's heart rate was ideal throughout the entire session.

Our midwife was not on shift but another midwife (who we actually really liked) came in to discuss the results and options with us.

Results:

-The ultrasound showed that my fluid levels are ideal (low fluid levels would indicate an old placenta).

-Monitoring in the clinic showed one small dip in baby's heart rate which is something to be concerned about but the additional testing done at L&D showed no signs of distress or concerns.

Options:

-Go home and take the very small chance of the baby being at risk.

-Stay to be induced.

Her Professional Recommendation:

She said she has to recommend that I stay to be induced more so because of being at 41 weeks and less because of the testing results.  She said if there were several dips in his heart rate, she would be concerned but because it was only one small dip in the over 2.5 hours of testing, it wasn't really enough to be a major concern. She also said that of course nobody can predict what will happen to the baby once I leave their care, so she had to review all the risks we would be taking by going home that night.

 Our Decision:

She left the room so we could make our decision together.  The decision didn't come without tears on my part but ultimately we decided that we would go home.  Hanley's health is our #1 priority but at this point we don't feel that there are enough signs for concern. So, we made it home by 8:45pm last night.

We have an appointment today at noon with our midwife so we will make a plan of action from there. Until then, I am trying to stay calm and relaxed because I know that's what Hanley needs me to do.

So Close but So Far

Shortly after putting in our offer on our house, it being accepted and dealing with all the financing paperwork, I asked Cody, "So, at what point is the house really ours?" and he said, "Not until the keys are in our hands."

That's how I kind of feel about having a baby...

Until I am holding this boy in my arms, I don't feel like he's really mine. Cody said it perfectly the other night, "It's a weird feeling to feel so close to your baby but so far at the same time."

Last night we thought for sure we would end up in the hospital today.  I started having regular contractions around 7:30-8:00ish. Contractions lasted through the night and into the morning then suddenly stopped this afternoon.  Talk about a disappointment.

Hanley is really putting our patients to a test but everyone knows that the best things in life are worth waiting for...

Guilty as Charged

Oh where to start....

Here it is Friday and we still have no baby. This is one stubborn little boy if you ask me! I am starting to think he might be more like me than his Daddy. Cody's theory has always been "if you early, your on time and if your on time, your late."

Me...not so much :o)

Nobody has really ever accused me of being punctual, especially my hubby. If Cody tells me I need to be ready in an hour, we are lucky if we get out of the house in  1 1/2 hours. When Cody tried to have the DTR talk when we were dating...I told him to ask me again in a couple weeks. So, yes,  I do things on my own laid back schedule and I think I may have passed that trait onto Hanley!

Since I have been home most of the week, I have been trying to keep myself busy.  Walks with Roxy, cleaning the house, lunch with my friend Sarah, trips to the grocery store, went into work to get my teeth cleaned, and even got acupuncture to try to induce labor!

On Halloween, we got an outstanding number of trick or treaters..okay, not really.  4 total, if you include my two favorite trick or treaters:



Josie and Brooklyn always want to match and Halloween was no exception!


I think this weekend would be a great weekend to have a baby, so I am crossing my fingers for some action! Asking for everyone to send good vibes our way...

Week 40 Appt.

Today we had our 40 week appointment with our midwife. Baby's heartbeat sounds good, I measured in at 39.5 weeks and she estimates his current weight to be 8-8.5lbs. Oh, and I gained a pound.

After checking me, she said there has been some progress but not much.  I am about 75% effaced and Hanley has dropped from a -1 station to a +1 station.  No changes in dilation.

So...what next? Talk of induction began.

She said normally they recommend induction 7-10 days after your due date. So, I opted for 10 days, trying to give as much time possible for things to happen naturally. Prior to our induction date of Friday, Nov 9th we will have a stress test and ultrasound done next Monday and then our 41 week check up on Tuesday.

I am feeling a little bummed but I know a lot can happen in 10 days.  As for now, I think someone didn't get the memo...

Yesterday was my last day at work.  I am going to try to take advantage of this "me" time because I know I won't have it again for a long time to come!

Eviction Notice

Dear Hanley-

I have fulfilled my commitment of carrying you for 40 weeks so it's time I serve you with your eviction notice.

I have already fell so madly in love with you that I just can't stand to wait any longer to meet you.  Your Dad and Big Sister's feel the same so come soon little guy...

Love You,
Mama

39 Week Bust

Today we had our 39 week appointment and everything about it was a BUST. 

We were scheduled at 8:15am this morning to see our midwife.  We got at call at 7am, telling us she was out ill for the day and they needed to reschedule us with another provider.  So, they moved us to a 3:45pm appt. with an MD. 

The OB department is so big that it covers 2 wings of the medical office. We have always been seen on one side, but today since we were seeing another provider, we were on the opposite side.  First step after check in is the always dreaded weigh in. Today I weighed in 3lbs more than last week...Seriously?! Is that possible to gain 3 lbs in a week?!?!?! A small part of me (okay, maybe a large part of me) wanted to go the the other wing of the office and make sure our normal scale said the same thing!!!!

When the Dr. measured me, she was like "Wow...you are all baby!" Then she felt around my stomach and continued to say, "and this is no 6lb baby you have in there-he's going to be a big boy!".  Yes, thanks for voicing one of my biggest fears. Since my Mom had all big babies, I have always worried that Hanley's going to be a big boy too.

Since I felt some contractions over the weekend, we both we hoping to hear that I have progressed well since our last appointment.  Instead after checking me, she just said, "You have a long way to go.  We really need this baby to drop more before we see any progress. So, we will see you at your 40 week appointment." Hmm...not exactly what we wanted to hear.  The longer this kid stays in there, the bigger he is going to be come delivery day!

So, the wait continues...

Hello Weekend!

Friday was a busy day at work for me. I had a bunch of things that needed to be taken care of before my maternity leave begins so I utilized every minute of the work day to really get things done! It felt great going into the weekend after such a productive day.  One little hiccup we had at work this week was that my replacement fell through last minute.  Now we are kind of scrambling to hire someone to work for us during my 4 month leave. I wanted this to be an easy transition for everyone in the office, especially since the end of the year is our busiest season. So, we are in desperate need of some excellent help!

Friday night was a rainy night.  I made zesty chicken and brown rice for dinner, which is one of my favorite P90X recipes, and we watched What to Expect When Your Expecting.  Good movie and very fitting for us in our last days of "expecting". It was nice to just have a relaxing evening at home with the hubby and my 2 favorite snugly gals!

Roxy has been especially needy lately.  I am not sure if it is the weather (rainy day blues?) or if she can sense the coming changes with the baby.  She won't leave our side when we are home with her and she has even been getting in between us whenever when we hug each other goodbye in the mornings or just get home from work.

Roxy was a little upset with Maxi being in her territory!

Maxi has been a little snugly lately too! She's has been dying to lay on my stomach but with it's huge bulge, it's impossible.  So, instead she results to sprawling wherever she can on my body.

At least one of us looks comfortable!

Enjoy the weekend everyone...unfortunately it looks like it's going to be a wet one.

Ready for Hanley!

Okay Baby....We are ready for you!!!



The "Little Boy" quilt was a shower gift from Great Great Grandma!

Mama's chair and Hanley's chair! The little rocking chair was actually mine when I was a kid.  My Grandma and Grandpa Robideau bought it when I was born.

 

 

I still need to fill the fly fishing frame with photos but I sure love it!

 

It might look like a lot of diapers, but I am sure we will blow through them!!

 

It's a small room, but we managed to get everything in there!

 

 

We still need to hang the fish net frame that is sitting on his dresser and I have a project I am working on that involves pictures of Great Grandpa Vince and Great Grandpa Robideau (which are the two wonderful men Mr. Hanley is named after--post on that later!). Otherwise, we are ready to become a family of 3!!!

38 Week Appointment

38 Week Appointment Stats:

1/2 cm dilated
60% effaced (thinning of the cervix)
-1 station (position of baby in relationship to the pelvis.  A -5 is a floating baby, 0 station is said to be engaged in the pelvis, and +5 is crowning).

After our midwife checked me she said, "Well, it doesn't mean a lot because you could be having that baby tonight or in 3 weeks!" So, the waiting game continues...

Weekly Happenings

-We completed baby class last Monday! Prior to signing up for birthing class, I had received mixed feedback from friends and family. Some felt it was extremely helpful, some felt like it was a waste of time and many people fell somewhere in between the spectrum. I personally feel like it was a well spent $70! I think what I gained the most from class was knowledge, techniques and the proper mindset for natural delivery. It made me feel more confident in my ability to achieve MY ideal delivery but put me at ease if things stray from my birth plan.

-Our hospital bag is packed!

-Hanley's car seat has been installed!

-Today, Cody and I spent the day working on another project for the nursery. After a quick trip to Joann Fabrics and Craft Warehouse, we got right to work! We are really happy with how it turned out! Now we just need to collect some more photos of the all the Olson and Stuebing men fishing! Someday, when Hanley is old enough to go fishing, we will add his photo's to the fish frame as well!

Cody installing the fish net to the back of the frame.

"Give a Man a Fish & He will Eat for a Day. Teach a Man to Fish & Feed Him for a Lifetime"


-There is still some work to be done in the nursery. By work, I mean some organization!!!!

-I will be 38 weeks on Tuesday.  I told Cody that he better keep his phone nearby for the next couple of weeks because...well....it could really be any day :o)

Maternity Leave

I can't believe how fast our October 30th due date is approaching.  The only thing I have really associated our due date with is finally meeting Hanley! Well, now that my maternity leave is really becoming a reality, it adds to the excitement!

So my plans for maternity leave: My maternity leave officially starts October 29th (unless Mr. Hanley decides to come early). I am taking the first full month off completely, then the following 3 months, I will work a half day on Friday's only (and bring the baby with me to work). After that, I will be back full time and we are going to have to find childcare for Hanley.   I think this is a good set up because I will still be in the loop at work and be able to manage all the patient accounts during my leave. So, when I return to work full time, I won't be so overwhelmed.

I have been working since I was 16 years old and the thought of taking 4 months off of work pretty much blows my mind.  Now trust me, I am aware that this is going to be no vacation, thats for sure! I know sleep deprivation is going to consume me for the majority of my leave. I just hope that we develop a good routine at home before I go back full time.

Tomorrow I will be 37 weeks, which means full term! It's weird to think that it could really be any day now.  However, I think my Mom has bets on a early November baby.  I need him to hold out until after October 19th because I have things at work I can't wrap up until then...after that, I say it's game on and I hope to meet him BEFORE Halloween!!!!! I almost bought him a "My 1st Halloween" onsie but figured that might be jinxing myself!

Even as I have become more uncomfortable in the past few days, I really want to cherish these last weeks of my pregnancy.  Feeling him move is still as exciting to me now as it was in the beginning and that is what I think I will miss most!

A Better End and a Good Start

The end of last week ended up being a lot better than the beginning of the week and this week has been busy but good so far...

-A coworker of mine, decided Thursday that I needed my "going away gift" early. It was complete with a wine glass, my favorite wine (post baby beverage), sparkling cider (for now!), biscotti, chocolates, a fall decoration, and a picture frame for my desk. Thank you Joanne for being so darn thoughtful!

-Cody and I spent Friday together.  We took the dog the park, went out to lunch and went shopping for a rocking chair. Later that evening, we picked Jordan, Marissa and Bee up from the airport and got to catch up with them a little.  They enjoyed a much needed family vacation to Hawaii and of course Brooklyn just keeps getting more adorable each time I see her!

-Cody went hunting on Saturday.  He came home with a deer which was really hard for me to get excited about.  In fact, I was in tears.  I worked with human cadavers in college as part of my human anatomy curriculum but I couldn't handle seeing his deer in the back of the truck...

-We celebrated Kramer's birthday on Sunday! After the BBQ, I crashed.  I crawled into bed to take a little nap...Roxy and Maxi joined me. My quick nap gave me enough energy to decorate the house for fall!

-This week has been another busy baby-filled week so far full of baby class and our 36 week Dr.'s appointment.  Our midwife was out today so we saw an OBGYN. She did a quick ultrasound to confirm Hanley is head down and in an ideal birthing position. I also had to have the routine group B strep test.  As I sat there in my gown, waiting for the Dr., Cody said, "I feel really uncomfortable right now!" Haha...he better get used to it because in just a matter of weeks, things are going to get even more personal come D Day!

-I made a list of baby gear we still need and ordered a few things from Amazon including cradle sheets and pads, Bob car seat adapter and my diaper bag.  I plan on making a quick run to Babies R Us to pick up a few more things this weekend then we should be pretty much set.

Overall, things are going well. I am getting to the point where I am just ready to meet this little man!

Just the Two of Us!

We have been so busy lately that I feel like Cody and I haven't been able to spend much quality time together.  So, I told him earlier this week that I wanted to make sure we set aside some time this weekend to do something fun together (anything that didn't include working on any projects around the house or in the nursery!).

He called me at work the other day and said, "Hey, what do you think about me taking Friday off of work this week?" When I asked why he said, "Well, you have the day off and I thought you mentioned you wanted to spend some time together..." So, thats exactly what we are doing!  The housework and the remaining items that need to be organized in the nursery can wait. We are just going to have an "us" kind of day!

I love Cody for a lot of reasons but one of the things I love most is the fact that he lets his soft, thoughtful side shine through just when I need it the most. Indeed, I am a lucky lady.

J Bear

It's kind of been a rough week so far.  Work has been really busy this week which means I come home exhausted.  My back and ribs are increasingly becoming more uncomfortable, especially after a long day at work. I love baby class on Monday's but I hate rushing from the office, running home to let the dog out for literally 5 minutes (poor Roxy hates Monday's!) and scarfing down a sandwich to make it to class on time.

I came home from work yesterday just beat.  Cody asked what I wanted to do for dinner and I told him absolutely nothing, he was on his own.  I said, "I am not hungry and the minute I lay down on this couch, I am pretty sure your not going to be able to get me up for anything." I was right.  I plopped on the couch and didn't get up again until 8:30pm...thats when I headed straight for bed.

My Mom also called this week with horrible news, Jackson had unexpectedly passed away.  He was my cat in college.  I got him as a kitten the summer going into my Junior year.  He was a traveling cat and went everywhere with me.  I used to be able to tap on his carrier and he would run right in it.  If I went away for a weekend and he couldn't come with me, he got to go to Grandma and Grandpa's house.  He loved going to my Mom's house because he got to run around outside, climb trees, catch birds and mice, etc. It became apparent to me that he did much better at my parents house than he did locked up in my apartment.  So, when I moved to Portland, he stayed with my Mom and Dad.  It was really hard for me to leave him but he lived a great life with them.  RIP J Bear, I love you.

Getting Ready!

These past two weeks have been CRAZY!

We were in Eugene last weekend for a Baby Shower/BBQ. Cody wasn't so sure about the whole couples BBQ but I was glad it was something we got to experience together.  Thank you Kim and Karissa for everything!! I think everyone enjoyed themselves, the food was great (Thanks Loren!), we really lucked out with beautiful weather and came home with a truck full of wonderful gifts from everyone!

We went to our 2nd baby class last Monday which I am really enjoying (and learning lots!).

We had our 34 week check up appointment.  Things are still going good and I measured right on schedule this week.  Stepping on the scale is getting a little scary these days...Total weight gain to date: 27 lbs! Yikes.

I was feeling a little stressed about unpacking all the gifts from the BBQ and getting the house/nursery ready for the Baby Shower at our house this weekend.  My wonderful husband jumped right in and put together all the shelving we got, hung up a few things for me, and helped organized all the toys, blankets, etc. Thanks Honey! (Note: Nursery pics coming soon!)

My Mom came up on Friday and spent the weekend with us.  She was SOOO much help. I don't know what I would have done without her! We kicked Cody out of the house on Saturday so we could be productive around the house! My Mom took on a lot of chores around the house and helped wash and hang all Hanley's clothes. We snuck away for lunch together then got a little shopping in. By the time we got home, I was exhausted.  She insisted I lay down, kick up my feet and relax while she made dinner.  So, I pretty much have the best Mama out there!!!! Our friend Sarah wasn't going to be able to make it to the shower on Sunday so she stopped by Saturday evening and even stayed for dinner. Catching up with her was really a great way to finish off the day.

Jess and Amie went all out with the shower on Sunday.  They were so organized and had every little detailed worked out.  It was fun to have everyone over to check out the progress we have made on the nursery and for some poeple (including my Grandma and some of my Aunts) it was the first time they had ever even seen our house! Again, we were blessed with good weather and Mr. Hanley was spoiled for the second weekend in a row.

Since us ladies took over the house for the shower Cody and Kramer went scouting for deer with Roxy. She was so excited about going for an adventure in the woods that she didn't even mind her "hunting" outfit...

Today was a long day. A busy Monday at work + baby class = A long day.  I am looking forward to some low key evenings for the rest of the week!

Maternity Photo's

My blog post have become fewer and further in between.  Mostly it's because sitting is about the most uncomfortable position for me.  I sit all day at work and the last thing I want to do is sit at the computer when I get home. So, my evenings tend to be one of two ways 1) Productive around the house because I am up and moving around or 2) Unproductive because all I want to do is lay down. 

However, we got our maternity photos back from Marissa last week and I have been pretty excited to post them on the blog!  She did such a wonderful job with them and we couldn't be more thankful to have these photos to remember such a special time in our life.  So, thank you Marissa for using your talent to capture this moment in time for us!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Married to a Handyman

I mentioned recently that we ordered a couple things online for the nursery.  One of them was a wall decal but we had no intentions of actually putting it directly on the wall.  It arrived on Friday. Cody spent some time envisioning a plan (this involved the use of a set of children's blocks!). Once a plan was set, he made a quick trip to Home Depot then got to work in the garage Sunday morning.

Cody came up with the design and wood stain and I picked out the colors.  I chose colors from the curtains we hung in the nursery but Cody wasn't so sure about my color selection! And yes, I admit I too was a little concerned when we opened up the paint and I saw how bright it was! Two coats later and I think the colors came together really well.

I love being married to such a handy man (and a creative one too!). Now, I just can't wait to get it hung on the wall!

Every Boy Needs a Pair of These....

Patty dropped off a gift for Baby Hanley today at work.  It was so beautifully wrapped I almost didn't even want to open it....

I waited until Cody got home from work and we opened it together. Oh, my and am I glad we did!!!!!!!! The card read: "This is for Hanley when he's a little older. Every child needs this! Your in for a wonderful time."  -Patty and Marty

This is what we found inside....

Hanley's 1st pair of boots!

Cody worked late today and came home tired and grumpy after his long day at the office.  I didn't think there was much that could put a smile on his face...that was until we opened these up!! Thank you both for the most thoughtful gift! They couldn't be a more perfect fit for the little guy!!!!