Life is beautiful.

My first post of the decade.

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 21:58:00 +0000

This is kind of personal. it may get a little syrupy, so watch out. It started as a note to my wife. And then I thought that since some of you might have husbands or wives and might feel the same way, I'd pass it along. I don't own this story, anyway. Charles Boyer does.

Remember Charles Boyer? Suave, dapper, handsome, graceful. Lover of the most famous and beautiful ladies of the silver screen. That was on camera and in the fan magazines. In real life it was different.

There was only one woman. For forty-four years. His wife, Patricia. Friends said it was a lifelong love affair. They were no less lovers and friends and companions after forty-four years than after the first year.

Then Patricia developed cancer of the liver. And though the doctors told Charles, he could not bear to tell her. And so he sat by her bedside to provide hope and cheer. Day and night for six months. He could not change the inevitable. Nobody could. And Patricia died in his arms. Two days later Charles Boyer was also dead. By his own hand. He said he did not want to live without her. He said, "Her love was life to me."

This was no movie. As I said, it's the real story -- Charles Boyer's story.

It's not for me to pass judgment on how he handled his grief. But it is for me to say that I am touched and comforted in a strange way. Touched by the depth of love behind the apparent sham of Hollywood love life. Comforted to know that a man and a woman can love each other that much that long.

I don't know how I would handle my grief in similar circumstances. I pray I shall never have to stand in his shoes. (Here comes the personal part -- no apologies.) But there are moments when I look across the room -- amid the daily ordinariness of life -- and see the person I call my wife and friend and companion. And I understand why Charles Boyer did was he did. It really is possible to love someone that much. I know. I'm certain of it.

from All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum

40 weeks vs 1 week postpartum

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 07:16:00 +0000

Crazy to think that my little girl was born one week ago! I have to say though -- 1 week later, I'm thrilled that my legs and feet are finally loosing that terrible swollen look/feeling that they have had for so long! I got in the shower yesterday and was squealed with happiness about the fact that my legs are skinny again! :)

Also, here is my little lady at 1 week old..

The arrival of a new life is nothing short of a miracle.

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 06:35:00 +0000

With Brandon's parents having been here the last couple of days, and my family here now ... I've had the chance to get some extra sleep. Thus, I have some extra energy and want to make sure I journal about Aspen's birth before I forget. Despite the fact that I was in labor for 22 hours, so much of the day was a complete blur.

As I posted last weekend, I went into labor right around 9:00pm on Saturday, December 19th. My braxton-hicks contractions had, until that point, been pretty easy to handle. When three painful ones came right in a row, I knew something was up. However, we were in the middle of eating dinner and I knew Brandon would be entering labor land as soon as I told him that I was in labor, so I held off on telling him. He got an email from work about 15 minutes later that basically let him know he was going to need to work that night because his boss had broken something. When he told me this, I looked at him and said, "So I take it now isn't the best time to tell you that my contractions have gotten painful?" He instantly knew what that meant! :)

I labored at home until about 1:30am when we called the doctor to let her know that my contractions had reached the 5-1-1 pattern that is necessary to warrant a trip to the hospital. We walked the dog, finished dinner, etc before I made Brandon go to bed at 12:30 so he could get some sleep. We weren't sure how long I would be in early labor or how long it would take for my contractions to get to the point where they were five minutes apart, so I wanted to make sure he was going to get at least a little bit of rest. Of course, as soon as he went to bed, my contractions were 5 minutes apart for the next hour. haha

We finally left for the hospital around 1:45am or so and arrived just after 2am. They got us into our room (#569) and hooked me up to the monitors and whatnot to monitor my contractions and the baby's heartbeat. At this point, I was up to 2cm dilated (after having been at 1cm for the last 3 weeks). The contractions were becoming increasingly painful and closer together and while I wasn't overcome with pain, I was definitely having to work through them. By 5:30 I had made it to 4cm and decided that it was time for modern medicine to take over for me. Once the epidural kicked in, I was happy as a clam and able to get some sleep, which was fabulous! I thought maybe I wanted to go natural, but before we even left the house I knew I wasn't going to make it all the way through without any drugs. Labor contractions are NOT friendly and I do NOT have a high tolerance for pain!

That said, Brandon and I were able to get some sleep from ~6am to 10am, at which point they checked me again and I hadn't made any progress. Dr. Murray broke my bag of waters and they put in a catheter -- both of which they were hoping would help the baby drop into position because she was still up pretty high. At some point my doctor came in and suggested that we start a small amount of pitocin to try and make my contractions strong enough to push the baby down into the birth canal. However, when they were monitoring them, they decided that the contractions were actually strong enough on their own so the pitocin wasn't going to be necessary. By 12:45 on Sunday afternoon, I had sped ahead to 8cm, Aspen had dropped, and I thought I'd be giving birth within a couple hours. Everything up until this point had gone ridiculously smooth so there was really no reason why Aspen would be stalled much longer. This, however, is not at all what happened.

The next 6 1/2 hours were the most excruciatingly painful 6 1/2 hours of my life. The epidural stopped working as well as it should, and no matter how much they turned it up, I was still feeling a lot of painful pressure in my pelvis. No matter how I moved around/laid/propped myself up/etc, the pain would not subside. The contractions were becoming increasingly painful -- peaking at an 8 or 9 on the pain scale and sometimes subsiding to a 2 or 3 for a few minutes after they turned up the epidural. The relief never stuck around though, and I quickly returned to the top of the pain scale during my contractions.

After seeing how much pain I was in and realizing that I had not made any progress since 12:45, my doctor started presenting us with the option of a c-section around 5:30. Aspen's heart rate was dipping during the contractions and although it happened more one side than the other, it was alarming enough to the doctors and nurses that they were constantly looking at the monitor to make sure things were going okay. Brandon and I both felt really strongly against having a c-section unless the baby was in distress or there was some other life or death reason for needing one ... but at this point, I was in so much pain and was completely exhausted and frustrated that nothing was happening. Through quite a few tears, I decided that a c-section was going to be my best bet to get the baby out.

As they prepped me, Brandon got dressed in scrubs and I continued to labor through my contractions without the help of my epidural. The anesthesiologist was down the hall giving an epidural to another woman and then on her way to my room to give me a spinal block before the c-section could begin. However, in the 5 minutes it took Brandon to change into scrubs, I started feeling the unmistakable urge to push. Prior to giving birth, I was unsure about this feeling that I was supposedly going to feel during labor ... but it was definitely there. The rest of the evening is kind of a blur, as I think my memory has blocked out some of the experience so I don't dwell too much on the incredible amount of pain I was in until Aspen was finally born.

Because I was feeling the urge to push, we decided that I would get another epidural instead of a spinal block and try to delivery vaginally. The doctor checked me and it turns out that I somehow managed to finally get to 10cm (talk about waiting until the last minute!). Of course, this is not a good time to try and get an epidural because it involved me having to sit up through my contractions (which hurt considerably more than laying down through them) while still continuing to hold my pushes back. They finally got the epidural in again, although I did not get any relief from it. At some point they took my temp, which peaked at 101.4, so I was told that I could push, but she didn't want me to have to push for long to keep me and the baby healthy.

When it finally came time to push, it hurt like hell. It was confirmed that Aspen was crooked, which is what was causing my progress to stop and go like it did. Her head was not in a good position to cause the dilation. Because of my fever and the fact that Aspen was crooked, Aspen was born with the assistance of forceps. I am really glad I have no idea what they look like, because I would probably have nightmares about them. They got my baby out safely though, so that is all that matters. The bad part about the forceps was that they caused Aspen to go from really far up the birth canal to crowning in a matter of one or two pushes, which meant that I was in an incredible amount of pain really quickly. Well, that's what I was later told anyway. All I remember was being in a lot of pain and being really focused on trying to push my baby out.

Aspen was born at 7:05pm. Unfortunately she had the cord wrapped loosely around her neck and was not breathing, so after the doctor cut the cord they had to whisk her away to resuscitate her and get her going. Thankfully it didn't take much and I got to hear her little cry shortly thereafter.

Brandon was absolutely amazing throughout all of this. He was the perfect coach and the perfect support. I cannot even imagine what it must have been like for him to watch me go through so much pain and not be able to fix it or make it better, but he was amazing. I absolutely could not have done it without him. He was my strength and my constant support and for that, I am beyond grateful. He breathed with me, held my hand, and encouraged me. Although I am always aware of how blessed I am to have married him, this experience totally cemented it for me. Giving birth was, without question, the hardest thing I have ever done. However, we now have a beautiful daughter to cuddle and love and while I can't say that I wouldn't change anything ... I can say that I am just grateful for my healthy baby girl. In the end, the fact that she is alive and healthy is what is most important. How she got here isn't as important. As the necklace that my mother in law bought me says, my family just grew by two feet. And honestly? My life will never be the same because of it.

4 days old!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 19:51:00 +0000

Aspen had her 4 day check up with our pediatrician today! She's healthy and well, and the doc thinks that her arm is going to be just fine. :) Her jaundice isn't serious enough to require treatment (hooray!), but we were advised to supplement my breastfeeding with formula when she doesn't seem satisfied after a feeding. She is down to 6lbs 12oz, so my hope is that she won't lose any more weight. However, the doctor was not concerned about the weight Aspen has currently lost, as long as she gains it back by her 2 week appointment.

The greatest joy of our lives

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 20:09:00 +0000

After 22 hours of labor, Aspen Elizabeth Trask made her debut into the world on December 20, 2009 at 7:05pm! She weighed 7lb 6oz and is 20 1/2 inches long. Did I mention that she is absolutely perfect? :)

I will post more pictures later, as well as more of an update ... but I wanted to make sure that I documented this momentous occasion. Brandon and I are well and happy, though totally and completely exhausted. Denali is still getting used to the idea of a baby and trying to figure out what to make of her. He's exhausted too. :) Regardless, we are blissfully in love with our little girl!

In about 15 minutes we'll be headed to L&D

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 09:14:00 +0000

I've been contracting at pretty regular intervals since ~9:00 last night (12/19). Talk about being prompt. This little lady of mine held out until almost the 11th hour, but decided she would start moving things along on her due date. She will likely be born today, 12/20, which (in my book) still counts. Brandon has been saying since the 6th or 7th month that he predicted +/- 2 days ... and sure enough, we'll be within that time frame.

Anyway, I'm blogging now to give me something to focus on besides the contractions, as they are coming every 4-5 minutes and I need something to do in between. Also, I want to make sure I keep up with Aspen's birth story so that there is something written down after she's born. The birth of my first baby is something I want to remember forever.

Around 9:00, Brandon and I were eating dinner and he got a call from his boss saying that he might need to do some work tonight. I had just had 3 painful contractions in a row, which was unusual because usually they are just uncomfortable ... not painful. They have also been pretty irregular up until this point, so 3 in a row was striking to me. I was going to wait until after dinner to tell him because I wanted to make sure he actually ate, but since his boss called, I figured I better share the news sooner rather than later.

After dinner we started timing the contractions, which were already 1 minute + long. They were between 5 and 10 minutes apart until about 12:30am this morning (12/20). That was almost an hour ago, so I am rapidly approaching the 5 minutes apart-1 minute long-1 hour pattern that is needed before we call the doctor and head to the hospital. The pain is awful. The in between time isn't too bad, just slightly uncomfortable. But the pain during the contractions is terrible. I'm not at all looking forward to the pain that is to come.

Brandon has been fabulous through this so far and I can't believe we are almost to the point where he is going to be a daddy. He is supposed to getting some sleep right now, but of course, I told him to go to bed about an hour ago ... so he isn't going to get very much before it's time to wake him up to go in. He already finished packing the bag though -- everything is in the car and ready to go. He even cleaned the kitchen! :) He's been nesting pretty hardcore lately; it's adorable. I think he nested enough for the both of us.

Alright ... well, as fun as this has been -- typing in between contractions -- it is time to go to the hospital and meet my little girl. :)

You better know that in the end, it's better to say too much than never to say what you need to say.

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 01:06:00 +0000

Today was my last day of work until February.
Tomorrow is my due date. That means I have officially been pregnant for 40 weeks.
It has been 8 1/2 months since we found out that we are having a baby. 8 1/2 months since we were blessed with the greatest surprise of our lives.
Any day between now and next Saturday could be my very last day being pregnant with Aspen.
Sometime between now and next Saturday, Brandon and I will become Mom and Dad.

I cannot believe how fast time has gone, and I cannot believe that I am so close to giving birth to my first baby. That God is entrusting me with another life and that this little baby whose heart literally beats within me now will soon be in my arms and in my care. It is such a surreal realization to know that within the next 7 days, my little girl will make her way into the world. I cannot wait to hold her in my arms and see this tiny being that has been crowding my organs and causing alienesque movements in my belly. More than that, however, I cannot wait to see Brandon holding her, falling in love with his daughter, and becoming a father. He is going to be amazing. There is no doubt in my mind that he already loves her and that he would do anything to protect her from danger. Watching him hold his daughter is going to be among the greatest joys of my life.

That being said, I am growing increasingly impatient. The waiting game is killing me! However, one of my (male) coworkers asked me if all pregnant ladies are this cheerful and patient at the end of their pregnancies today. I'll take that as a good sign! In reality, my pregnancy (despite the scare at the beginning) has been pretty smooth sailing and incredibly easy. Sure, I've got feet the size of Texas and ankles the size of Canada ... not to mention the belly that sticks out to the moon! But really, I haven't been terribly uncomfortable and my sleep is still pretty regular (and by regular, I mean I wake up every 1-2 hours ... but generally sleep pretty well). I haven't been overly emotional/hormonal (though I have certainly had my crazy days) and I actually like being pregnant. I wouldn't go as far as to say that I love being pregnant, but I certainly like it a lot! Now if only this little lady would take the hint and come out!

Dear Aspen,

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:56:00 +0000

You have officially been served your eviction notice. You absolutely must arrive before December 26th.

Love,

Mom and Dad

One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 02:17:00 +0000

With the arrival of our daughter fast approaching, I have been in the process of making meals to freeze so that we have food to eat after the baby comes. Many of the ladies at work are already planning on making dinners for us, which is really generous (and appreciated!). Also, my mom will be here for about a week and I'm sure she will cook for us, as well as when my whole family is visiting. Also, when Brandon's parents come to visit, I'm sure they will help with meal prep as well. That being said, however, there will be nights (and maybe even days -- we need lunch too!) that planning and cooking a meal with be the farthest thing from our minds. Not to mention the fact that I hear your energy level goes WAY down after waking up with a newborn every couple hours!

That being said, I feel really domestic when I make meals of which the sole purpose is to freeze. Last weekend I made a batch of taco soup and chili, and a double batch of pulled pork. I also left enough of each out so that Brandon and I could have some for lunch during the week last week. :) Today I have already made a double batch of ziti and a batch of enchiladas. The enchiladas would've made a double batch, but we're having the other half for dinner tonight. Yum! :) As soon as the chicken on the counter thaws a little bit more, I plan on cutting it up and freezing it with teriyaki glaze so that we can chop veggies one night and make stir fry out of it.

All in all, we have about a week's worth of food in the freezer right now and it's a good feeling to know that after the baby comes, we won't have to live completely off take out, delivery, and pre-packaged meals, regardless of how little energy we have. It's not hard to have Brandon stop at the store on his way home to pick up stuff for a salad or bread so that we have a side dish, nor is it hard for me to take something out of the freezer in the morning and then throw it in the oven or on the stove that evening. Not to mention the fact that having pre-made dinners will allow us to actually spend time together and for Brandon to spend time with the baby after he gets home!

Oh, and for the record ... the photo is not a photo of my freezer. :)

Our Saturday morning trip to Labor and Delivery

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 22:20:00 +0000

Brandon and I took a surprise trip to L&D this morning thinking that maybe my water had broken. Obviously, since I am posting, Aspen has not made her arrival into the world yet and I am not, in fact, in labor.

This story may be TMI and too gross for some -- so read at your own will. The joys of journaling in a public blog. :)

While I was in the shower this morning, I felt a small gush and when I got out I had two more. They were small, but they were definitely a change from what I normally feel and the discharge was definitely not urine. At this point I wasn't quite sure what to do so I went into the office and consulted my best friend: Google. haha Brandon must be so proud. Anyway, he happened to be at his desk and saw what I was googling and asked me if my water had broken. I responded by saying that I didn't know, but maybe. We decided to call the doctor and upon hearing back from her, we were told to head to the hospital to get checked ... just in case.

Brandon went into a super focused state of mind and started putting everything in car, just in case we were actually in labor. While he did this, I finished getting dressed/brushing my teeth/etc. Since I had just gotten out of the shower, I was in no state to actually leave the house. He grabbed everything on our "to pack when we're leaving for the hospital" list, I ate a bowl of Cheerios (just in case!) and off we went about 20 minutes later.

When we got to the hospital, we went up to L&D. The doctor had already called them, so they knew I was coming. The nurses checked me in and explain the test they were going to do. They also hooked me up to the monitors to monitor the baby's heart rate and to measure my contractions. The results of the test were that no, my water had not broken ... but I was assured that it was good that I came in anyway as the story definitely fit with what it could be like. So darn! No baby! However, we were also told that our baby is textbook perfect, which is good to know. I've had such an easy pregnancy -- I've been really lucky in that regards. With any luck, the delivery will go just as smooth. :)

At one point the nurse was asking about my contractions, which I've been feeling more and more regularly over the last week and a half. Some are painful, some are just uncomfortable, and apparently I don't even feel some of them! The nurse was looking at the monitor and then turns to me and says, "Do you usually notice your contractions?" I told her that sometimes I do. She then says, "Have about the ones you've had since you came in?" This was obviously a trick question! haha Apparently I had a few contractions that went completely unnoticed in the short time I was being monitored!

Anyway, I thought I was going to make it all the way to the actual delivery without having any false alarms or trips to L&D ... but the doctor said to call if I had changes in discharge or if there was enough for a trickle down my leg (or both, in my case!) ... so I am still glad I called. I would rather go in and get sent home after finding out that it was not my water breaking than to have it break and risk infection to my baby.

All in all, we were in and out in about 30 minutes. The nurses were really nice and Brandon has now decided that we can have the baby because he knows what to do. :) Only 7-ish more days!

Single digits!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 02:46:00 +0000

I just wanted to point out that I am officially in the single digits! Only nine days until my due date! :)

Anticipation is the purest form of pleasure.

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 05:34:00 +0000

Well... no baby yet.

I always told myself that I wasn't going to be one of those pregnant women who started getting impatient before 40 weeks, but that is not happening. At our doctor appt last week, I was 1 cm dilated, which I know means nothing really ... as you can go into labor having had no prior progress at all. Yesterday, however, I was having contractions - some of which were relatively painful -that varied in duration ... and I have been having period-like cramps for the last 2-3 days as well. So I was hoping that today's appt would bring some progress with it. Instead, I found out that I am still 1 cm dilated.

Needless to say, I was a little disappointed when I left the doctor's office because I am ready for an outside baby. As much as I have enjoyed pregnancy, and as easy as my pregnancy has been, I am so ready to hold my daughter in my arms and love on her. On top of that, I'm ready for my shoes to fit, putting socks on to become an easy activity, to not wake up at 2am with heartburn, for my clothes to fit, and to start losing weight for the first time since March. Today, needless to say, I do not love being pregnant. :-P

My regular doctor is out on maternity leave, so I've been seeing her partners for the last month. Today's doctor asked what we had been told about inductions just in case we didn't have our baby by next Saturday. We told her that our doctor had communicated that if we did have to induce, it would happen within a week of my due date and that I would not go beyond 41 weeks. The doctor I saw today then told me that we would set up a date next week, just so it's in the books. She then asked how we felt about New Year's Eve? Umm.. she needs to check her math because December 31 is definitely TWELVE days after my due date. Yeah ... I'm not waiting an extra 12 days if I don't have to. I would love to be induced 2-3 days after my due date so that we can be home by Christmas, but I guess we will have to see what happens at my appt on Monday!

One of my coworkers told me that his wife decided it's a good thing that women get to the point where they are tired of being pregnant because it gives them the energy and ambition to push through labor and delivery, even though it's harder than anything we faced during pregnancy. His wife is probably right.

To be fair, I knew at the beginning of this week that there would be no baby until at least 39 weeks. I just felt it. However, after yesterday's bout of contractions I thought maybe my intuition was wrong. While week 38 is not yet over, I'm not holding my breath! The little lady will come when she is ready ... this I know. But her mama is ready any time she is! :)

If it wasn't 18 degrees out, you better believe I'd be trying to walk this baby out right now! Portland weather is crazy this year and we have had an incredibly cold and dry week. I'm happy that there is no snow though! It reminds me of Utah without the snow. While I'm not worried about our abilities to drive in the snow, nor am I worried about our cars handling the snow ... I do worry about other Oregonians who are not used to such weather. haha So needless to say, I'm happy that it's JUST been cold -- not snowy. :)

That being said, I am tired and it's almost 10:00, so I think I am going to call it a night. Have a fabulous night!

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 06:30:00 +0000

With Christmas rapidly approaching, we decided that we better get a move on in terms of decorating the house, so last weekend we picked out our tree, decorated, and put lights up outside. That being said, at 38 weeks pregnant, hiking through the woods or through a muddy u-cut lot were out of the question and we did the next best thing ... we bought our tree at Home Depot. Pre-cut and bound. It was the easiest Christmas tree we've ever gotten! That being said, next year we will definitely be bundling up our daughter (and perhaps our dog) and going somewhere where we can cut down our tree by ourselves! :)

Denali had to check out all the Christmas decorations.
And the tree.
And the lights. :)

Aspen's finished nursery!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 06:19:00 +0000

36 weeks, 5 days in Aspen's finished nursery! :) I went on my first official nesting spree last Thursday night and not only finished cleaning out/organizing the nursery, but I decorated and then cleaned out the office as well. If my feet hadn't been the size of Kentucky when I finished, I would've cleaned the kitchen too!
If there is one thing my daughter will have ... it's a lot of books. :)
The top picture is an actual ultrasound of Aspen at ~21 weeks. The bottom will soon be a picture of her. :)

I love Ikea for purchases like this one. Mobiles are horrendously overpriced, but I really wanted one. We found one that reminds me of Dr. Seuss for $7!

I learned how to crochet my last semester of college 3 years ago ... and finally finished it. That being said, this was supposed to be a blanket big enough to fit our queen size bed. Then I stopped working on it for a looonnngggg time and didn't pick it back up until I found out that we were having a baby. Once I found out we were having a girl, I decided this would be the perfect blanket for a baby girl and thus ... I finally finished on Thursday night and now Aspen has a blanket made "especially for her" from her momma. :)

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice.

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 05:58:00 +0000

For Thanksgiving this year, my family came to visit and made sure to spoil Brandon and me silly by doing all the cooking, paying for groceries, and leaving all the yummy leftovers in our fridge.
Since I was almost 37 weeks, Brandon and I figured it wasn't going to be a good idea (or a comfortable idea) to sit in the car for 4 1/2 hours each way ... just in case something happened and our little Christmas baby decided she wanted to be a Thanksgiving baby instead. Instead, we stayed home and hosted our first Thanksgiving! However, as aforementioned, my parents did all the cooking, which worked out really well in my favor as I have never never actually made a Thanksgiving meal! :)
My dad carved the turkey as he always do
Here is Tuxedo on Thanksgiving -- he was not quite convinced that coming to visit was a good idea. Denali tortures him every time they're together. In Denali's defense, however, he just wants to play and doesn't quite understand that Tux is not playing. Oh well! Our delicious Thanksgiving feast, sans some of the other items that had yet to make to the table (like the turkey!). Up until my momma bought her new table a while back, this was the only table I had ever eaten a Thanksgiving meal with my family on. Needless to say, Brandon and I have shared many meals around it in the 2 1/2 years we've been married and we have also enjoyed many nights with our friends and families around it as well. I am really excited to share meals with my daughter at this table.

Yes, I am getting sentimental about a dining room table, so what? ;)
Of course, I forgot that I wanted to take photos until after we had all eaten! Good thing I've got Aspen to hide the fact that I ate a ton! ;)
Here's my little boy. Thanksgiving was also his 1 year birthday! So happy birthday Denali! :)
My lovely sisters, Brandon, and me. Mom thought it would be a good idea to put her finger over the flash. :)
My fabulous husband and I on our last Thanksgiving as marrieds without kids. Next year, we'll need a kids table.

It kills you to see them grow up. But I guess it would kill you quicker if they didn't. ~Barbara Kingsolver

38 weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 05:56:00 +0000

Your pregnancy: 38 weeks

How your baby's growing:

Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

37 weeks -- full term!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 21:38:00 +0000

So we made it to the next big milestone -- full term! I can't believe it! And, of course, since I'm late posting, we have clearly made it to 38 weeks without a baby. She's in for the long haul, I think! According to our doctor at our appt last week, I'm 1cm dilated. It's not huge, but it's certainly better than nothing. We're not holding our breath though, as we know I could be walking around 1 cm dilated for another 3 weeks. It's crazy to think that within the next 3 weeks, I will definitely have a baby though! We won't go any farther out than 41 weeks before being induced, but hopefully little Aspen makes her appearance before that!

Your pregnancy: 37 weeks

How your baby's growing:

Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

Happy Thanksgiving!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 19:47:00 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving! :)

36 weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:48:00 +0000

Here we are at 36 1/2 weeks (the picture is me at 36w1d) ... feeling huge, but not quite ready for little Aspen to come yet. She needs to keep baking until at least 37 weeks so that she will be full term. :) That being said, I cannot believe how fast the time has gone by, nor can I believe that in less than a month, I'll be holding my little girl in my arms ... snuggling her and loving her. We'll be a family of four. It's so weird to think about. Brandon and I went to dinner tonight at a restaurant that we've eaten at a lot since we got married. He looked at me when we sat down and said, "You know ... this is probably the last time that we'll be eating here by ourselves," and he's right. Earlier today, I realized that December is next week -- December is the month that my daughter is supposed to be born in. December used to seem like it was eons away, but now it's next week.

Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans.

That being said, we had our first weekly check up on Monday. The doctor checked Aspen's position -- she's head down! Yay! I can't believe how big she is either! Geez! We haven't seen her on the ultrasound since our 20 week ultrasound, and she has grown so much! It was so amazing to see her though ... it always is. :) I don't know if we'll get to see her again before she's born, and I just have to say again ... seeing my little girl's heart beating inside me is one of the most magical things ever. To know that I literally grew her ... wow. That's a pretty cool thing if I don't say so myself. :)

Your pregnancy: 36 weeks

How your baby's growing:

Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

35 weeks ... only 35 more days!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 05:59:00 +0000

Today marks yet another pregnancy milestone ... I am officially 35 weeks pregnant and 35 days from my due date. Can you believe it? It is hard to believe that in roughly one month, Brandon and I will be holding a beautiful baby girl in our arms, loving her and doing our best to teach her right from wrong. It's exciting and absolutely terrifying all at the same time!

Your pregnancy: 35 weeks

How your baby's growing:

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Dear whatever sickness has entered my body,

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:47:00 +0000

Don't you know that I have not only received the seasonal flu shot, but the H1N1 flu shot as well? That means I am not supposed to get sick. (I know this isn't entirely true ... but it's nice to think about.) Also, dear sickness, Tuesdays are my most productive day at work and instead of having one day this week where I feel like I am actually making a difference in the lives of my students, you have left me to lay in bed all day ... completely miserable.

If you don't mind, I would like you to leave. Now.

Sincerely,
Sam, your ungracious host

Pictures of the nursery ... well, what's been done so far.

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:34:00 +0000

At 23, I finally learned how to sew. :)

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:01:00 +0000

Brandon and I decided to make our list trip to Medford before the baby's born over Halloween weekend. It was pretty productive if I don't say so myself!

We don't have any blankets big enough to swaddle Aspen and I knew that we would need a bunch. However, swaddling blankets also cost $25 each, which is really ridiculous for a blanket! I thought it would be fun to make them myself, except I also know that I don't know how to sew. Luckily, my mom is an expert and I figured it wouldn't be too hard for her to show me how to use her sewing machine so that I could hem some fabric and make them into blankets. :)

After I made the first swaddling blanket, I had to show Sarah how to use it to make a baby burrito. :) The bear in this picture was our pretend baby.
After swaddling the bear, Sarah thought it would be hilarious to see if we could swaddle each other. Soooo... we did. Obviously this was the best choice for a Saturday afternoon. :) Luckily my parents have a big bed, so the blankets that go on their bed are big almost big enough to effectively swaddle a full grown person. haha Sarah could just roll out of the blankets ... but it was more difficult for me since I have a protruding belly!
Since mom was teaching me how to sew, I got even more ambitious and decided to make some homemade baby legs. If you don't know what they are, baby legs are pretty much leg warmers for babies. They sell for $10+ depending on where you buy them and whether or not they're a knock off brand. They're like leggings, but supposedly make changing diapers a lot easier because you don't have to pull the pants down/off. We will see!

Mom and Sarah helped. Well, Mom helped and Sarah watched and did weird things like tie socks around her head. haha
Sarah also used the scraps to make ankle warmers. Like I said, she was really helpful. :)
Here is one of the pairs after I completed them! The pattern was really easy to follow, though Mom definitely helped me out. She did the first pair and then I finished all the rest. I did, however, discover that I am NOT good at pinning things -- she had to do that for me so that we didn't end up with a bunch of pairs of baby legs with holes in them! haha
And the finished products ... 8 pairs of baby legs! They were really fun and easy to make. This is the website I used: http://everythingyourmamamade.com/2008/01/21/make-your-own-baby-leg-warmers/

I used women's crew socks, and I think they'll be fine for when she is a newborn ... but they aren't as long as I would like them to be. Tube socks are a little long, but I think it's better to just cut them to the length you need. It's okay though because it will give me an excuse to make more! :) They worked out to less than $1/pair since I bought 5 pairs of socks for $5 and then Sarah gave me 3 pairs of her socks that she never wears. :)
Here are the blankets I made. One of them is fleece and the other five are flannel. They were really easy to make too. For swaddling blankets, we were told we needed 1 1/4 yard x 1 1/4 yard squares of fabric ... then I just hemmed the sides. It was pretty easy. :) They were ~$3/each. So for ~$27, I made 8 pairs of leggings and 6 blankets! Like I said, it was a very productive Saturday. :) Not to mention the fact that I am pretty proud of myself for finally learning how to use a sewing machine!

Pumpkin Patch!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 04:29:00 +0000

In attempts to update on life as of late, this is a three week late post about our trip to the pumpkin patch and corn maze at Kruger Farms on Sauvie Island. We've been so busy that we didn't have a chance to go out there until the weekend before Halloween (and we still haven't cut open our pumpkins!!). It was, however, a gorgeous day so putting it off might have been a good choice. :)

The corn maze this year was in the shape of the Blazer's symbol, and we managed to find our way out in about 20 minutes the first time. We made sure to go through more than once though so that we could get our money's worth! It was a good thing we brought our boots though ... the maze was REALLY muddy! Brandon compared it to pig slop ... so that should give you some kind of indication about how muddy it was.
I think this is the first corn maze that Brandon and I have been to together -- who knew we had such an aptitude for it! :) We had a really good time and thankfully it wasn't raining.
After the corn maze we treked up to the pumpkin patch which seemed like a really good idea until I realized that we were going to have to carry three pumpkins back ... and I'm pregnant. haha However, there were a lot of people there so we didn't want to wait in the long line for the hay ride out there.
Brandon is really particular about his pumpkins -- they have to be perfectly round and the perfect color orange. It's cute. :) He muscled two of our three pumpkins (the heaverier two, I should add) back to the car too.
My pumpkin and me -- looks like I have another pumpkin smuggled under my shirt! haha
As I mentioned earlier, we still haven't carved our pumpkins. We went on a Saturday and this trip pretty much wore me out. Sunday was a lazy day and we never got around to carving them during the week. It's hard to get much done after work when we get home at 6 and I go to bed around 9. Halloween weekend we went to Medford and forgot the pumpkins at home, so we didn't carve them then either. Sooo ... needless to say ... we still have three pumpkins sitting at home waiting to be chopped up, boiled, and made into pumpkin bread! :)
Denali found out that he loves pumpkins. He actually thinks the pumpkins are strange ... but he loves the stems. This particular pumpkin doesn't have a stem at all anymore because the dog thought it would be a really good idea to eat the entire thing. :) He's so strange, but let's face it ... we already knew that. :)

34 weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 04:24:00 +0000

34 weeks

Your pregnancy: 34 week

How your baby's growing:

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.