Baby makes four

What a difference 24 hours makes! Here is my lovely belly shot on Fathers Day. That night I went into the hospital to be induced at 39 weeks because the doctors were worried this baby was as big as Carter was. My ultrasound at 38 weeks estimated she was already 8 pounds, 8 oz.

When we checked into the hospital around eight, I was at a one but having a handful of contractions an hour. They gave me a drug to get my body prepped for labor, and the plan was to get to a three by morning so I could get started on pitocin. My plan was to go natural this time around, so the idea of being induced was less than exciting to me. 

The next morning I was a four! My doctor came in and broke my water which took me to a five. I had the best nurse who let my body go from there on its own - no pitocin! I progressed pretty fast after walking around the hospital patio. The pain was manageable and it felt really good to be able to walk around. When I got to an eight, I had a mini-meltdown as I realized I was really going through with this drug-free, and that I was going to be meeing my daughter soon. James said a quick prayer and I instantly felt prepared for whatever I had to do to get her here.

 My nurse left the room to go to the bathroom because she had a feeling I was getting close, so it was just James and me talking with my parents and sister in the room. I was instructed to walk around to keep the contractions stronger so I was standing in front of my family when all of a sudden I had a really intense contraction and I grabbed onto James. Panic started to creep in because I didn't know if I could do another contraction like that one. Not even a minute later and an even more intense contraction hit. Suddenly the urge to push swept over me like nothing I can even put into words. My dad sprinted out of the room yelling for a nurse, with my sister and mother not far behind. James tried to get me onto the bed before baby girl made her entrance onto the floor and all I could do was repeat 'I have to push, I have to push' over and over again. Nurses came running in yelling that the baby was crowing and not to push. My poor nurse came out of the bathroom bewildered and jokingly chastised me that she couldn't leave for two minutes without me getting into trouble. Luckily my doctor happened to be down the hall, so four minutes later I got the green light to push and after two pushes Kate was born. A completely different experience from Carter's birth! She weighed in at 7 pounds, 9 oz, which was almost two pounds lighter than they were anticipating. Although I was not thrilled at being induced, I was so greatful that she was healthy and that we got to meet her a week early!

We were able to spend 30 minutes meeting our precious baby girl before she went to the nursery. I moved into my new room and James stayed with Kate while she was weighed and measured. Our families met back up with us in our room and then James brought Kate in. Carter came in an hour or so later and was able to meet his new best buddy. It was love at first sight. The whole day was so wonderful and we had a great few days getting to know Kate in the hospital and trying to persuade her to put on enough weight to be able to come home with me. Her weight loss was just over the max amount they allow babies to go home, but I begged the nurses and promised that I would wake her up to nurse throughout the night and then take her into the pediatrican the next morning. It worked out and we were able to leave the hospital as a family and go home together. After a few days of suntanning, Kate kicked the jaundice and has been the most alert baby I have ever met.

Six weeks later was Kate's blessing day. She screamed throughout the entire blessing and Carter was upset he wasn't allowed to go with his sister up to the front of the chapel, so it was a little crazy but it was still beautiful. Please note Carter's crazy smile. He was a little hyped up that all of his family went to church with him that morning.

Since I have been a slacker with the updates, let's also put in a picture of Carter's birthday and his Halloween costume for good measure. I spy a dog in the window...

Kate has truly made our family feel more complete. Carter and Kate have a very special relationship already, and she is in love with James. We feel so blessed to be the parents of these two children. It is crazy most days, but there are so many precious moments that it makes it all worth it.

Hello Stranger!

Wow, I am really bad at updating this blog. I am working on it!

We just finished the crazy birthday season with two grandmas, Morgan, Nicole and my Dad turning one year older. Oh and my parents celebrated their 31 anniversary. Phew, what a crazy month!

Speaking of my Dad, Carter is slightly obsessed with his Pa-Pa. It is too bad they don't look more alike...

Carter's vocabulary exploded right after he turned two. He has always been a little chatter box, but now we can follow along a little better! He is a crazy two year old constantly testing his boundaries and exerting his independence, but he is still my loving and charming little boy who loves to make people laugh. We are enjoying this phase a lot, but by the time he goes to bed I am exhausted!

For those who have not heard, we are expecting a girl in June! We feel so blessed to become parents again and this pregnancy has been slightly challenging so June can't come fast enough. I am just as nervous this time around as I was with Carter. I feel like a first time mother again! My nesting instincts have gone into overdrive lately and I would love to take everything out of the house, clean it, and place it back into a perfectly organized home. We will see how far I get by June but we have some fun projects coming up so I am excited. I may even blog about them!

Other than that, we are just living our busy, crazy life and loving it.

Farm Day

As Carter gets older, we are realizing the importance of making memories. With a busy toddler, it is sometimes hard to pause and enjoy this age. With that in mind, and grandparents in tow, we made the 30 minute drive to a farm up the road.

Carter was beside himself with excitement over all the fun things to do and see. There was so much for a little one to take in, his little face had a smile plastered the entire time. The candy shop was no exception.

I'll have this one please!

If you know Carter, you know his love for animals. It may be thanks to his dogs at home, but this kid wants to play with any mammal he spots, and will often point them out before James and I even see them. This was his first experience with a cow however, and he wasn't sure he liked the size discrepancy. Good thing Dad was there to step in and help out!

Another discovery was the pocket in his shorts! He was so confused as to what it was, and then not so happy when he couldn't figure out how to get his arm out.

After the arm was retrieved from the pocket hostage, Cater went on to the job at hand, feeding as many animals lettuce as he could get to come to him. He was so brave and thought the animals were hilarious, even if he called them all "doggies" and then barked at them. Poor kid needs more play dates, I suspect he thinks he is a dog.

He even stole peaches from the trees in the orchard during a picture. Does that face look guilty? I didn't think so either. Good thing he is so cute.

It was a wonderful day with lots of sunshine and happy times. We will definitely be doing more of these days in the future.

Bedtime treat

After Carter came home from the hospital, time began to fly. He went from a tiny baby needing help even to support his head, to a running toddler in what seems like a moment. I often become nostalgic thinking back to when he would fall asleep on my chest, and his favorite place to be was in my arms. Now he is rarely still long enough to get get his diaper changed (and that is a Olympic feat itself) never mind cuddle with his momma.

The Mathews' bedtime routine is fairly structured, with the big event changing little man into his pj's. My job is usually to pin Carter down while James works faster than a NASCAR pit crew to get clothes on the little man before he manages to get out of my grasp. Imagine my surprise when in the middle of changing Carter, he set his head down on me and decided to stay and cuddle! Now it could have been a ploy to delay bedtime, but I am taking it as a sweet bedtime treat.

I love my little man and was so glad to soak up the moment while it lasted.

The Enforcer

Someone informed me they were not happy about my lack of blogging. He is pretty tough sometimes. So I promised I would be much better in the future and post more pictures of him since I am a very proud mom. That made him much happier.

We may be biased...

but we think Carter is stinking cute! This happy boy is almost ten months now and enjoying life to the fullest! He is constantly smiling and laughing. He is also enjoying his new found independence as he is an expert crawler and furniture walker. This kid is fast!

With all of the beautiful California weather, we have been doing a lot of weekend outings. Last week we went to Jalama Beach and Carter was in love. He is quiet the beach boy, three beach days in the first nine months of life!

Carter loves the sand, the people and the sound of the waves. He cannot get enough of it. It was hard containing him to the blanket and he did not mind being covered in sand. He even ate some, yum!

Speaking of things Carter loves, let me tell you about the pantry. Luckily the lowest shelf is my baking things because he has to pull everything out and throw it. He especially loves to play with the marshmallow bag, and he has an affinity for cake mixes. Luckily he is so cute, it is hard not to stop him while he is giggling and talking to the chocolate chips.

YIKES!!

Have I really not been online since December?! Facebook is sending me emails that I have 20-something friend requests and a ton of other things happen to my account since I have last been on. Guess we have been a little busy around here since I went back to work! April 15 can not come soon enough, and then work will be a lot less stressful and I can go back to having weekends again. But enough about that, lets talk Carter!

Little mister is almost six months old and is teething quite badly. Any day now I expect the pearly white to make its entrance. He is the expert tummy roller, but only to the left. We have been working on sitting lately, and his little muscles are developing great. He loves watching his dogs and listening to James speak Polish to him. Carter found his voice early on, and sings to us regularly. Oh and this kid lives to go outside. Even if he is in the middle of a meltdown, if we go outside, he is all smiles. He loves looking at trees, feeling the wind and touching flowers.

For the last month Carter has become aware of what food is, and he wants it! Good thing the Easter bunny brought rice cereal. One more week and he is all over that. We have a little water boy on our hands. He loves showers, baths, and especially our water bottles.

Our next adventure is Utah! The three of us are going to Park City May 1 thru May 8. We can't wait to see old friends, meet babies, and enjoy the time together.

Carter, of course

I thought I would be so much better at posting while I was on maternity leave but I guess not! It is crazy to think that Carter is two months old now. He has changed so much already and it is so fun watching him discover the world around him. He loves to watch faces and lights and has started to roll over. Carter has also found his smile and he busts it out especially after being changed from a dirty diaper. At his seven week appointment, he weighed in at 11 pounds 3 oz and 22 3/4 inches long. He is out of newborn clothes which is sad and some of the three month clothes are getting short!
We have been battling baby acne for a while now but it seems to be getting better. He loves to take showers with James and get his hair washed in the sink. With all the hair he has, we need to wash it ever couple days but I guess beauty has it price! His eyebrows and sideburns are red and the rest of his hair is still brown with blond highlights. Who knows which color this kid will keep. So far the eye color is grey/blue but I hear that changes until they are a year so I guess we will have to wait and see on that one.

Check out the disco moves! The week before Thanksgiving he was blessed and it was such a special day. Carter looked angelic in his outfit from the Rejholecs and we were blessed with family who traveled here for the big day. Another big day is coming up for our family, my sister Nicole is getting married March 20! Carter is very excited to be getting a new uncle. Also, we are taking our first plane trip to Idaho next week for Nicole's graduation. Look out Idaho, here we come! I am nervous to be flying with a baby and have no idea how I am going to pack everything, like the car seat. Hopefully everything works out!

A week old already?

I can't believe it, but Carter is a week old already. We survived a week! There is a serious learning curve when it comes to all this stuff, but it has been such a growing experience and James and I have discovered what a great team we are. I really have a great husband who is very hands on and helpful whenever he can.

We have found that Carter has a stubborn personality, wonder where he gets that? If he is hungry, he want to eat NOW, and if he needs his diaper changed there is no quieting him until his toosh is clean. We are finally getting the hang of nursing which has made a world of difference for both of us.

He had his first doctor appointment on Monday and the doctor said he is a keeper! He also loved the 'surfer hair'. Carter has also gained an ounce since leaving the hospital so that helps me know he is getting enough to eat, a big relief. All in all, we are all doing great and learning how to survive on a couple hours of sleep at a time. Our families have been a huge help watching him so we can take a nap or a shower.

Milestones of the week: first hair washing (check out the curls!) and sleeping four hours straight!

He is here!

Carter Dean made his debut on October 14 at 2:21am after a long night of labor. He weighed in at 9lbs 7oz and is 21 inches long. We are so in love and learning how to take care of a newborn. He is already known for his awesome highlighted hair and being a cuddle baby. Lessons learned so far: the pacifier is your friend.

James is an awesome dad and Carter loves to lay on his chest. He goes back to work tomorrow and we both are dreading it. It is amazing how quickly this little man has become our entire lives.

Its a...

BOY! Looks like Cocoa and I are about to be out-numbered. We had our appointment yesterday and everything looks great. The baby is measuring perfectly and had no problems showing his stuff, so it looks like my little chat with him worked! The doctor even commented that the baby was incredibly co-operative. James was of course super excited, although he claims that if it was a girl he was okay with that too. In fact when the picture came onto the screen, and we could very easily tell what we were having, James yelled "YES!" with a Tiger Woods fist pump.

So we are now pouring over thousands of boy names and I am started to look into furniture for his room. I am getting bigger by the day, or at least it feels like it, and the baby has graduated from nudges to full on acrobatics. Right around 8pm, he wakes up and dances around for a couple of hours. James was able to feel the baby for the first time last week, which was fun to be able to share some of what I have been feeling for a couple of weeks now. Other than that we are busy and just waiting to meet this little guy.

Shy Baby?

Today was my 20 week appointment and it was a journal-worthy visit! We were only expecting to hear the heart beat, but after the doctor's assistant found out we couldn't get in to see the ultrasound doctor until next week, she offered to take a peek for us. After listening to the heart beat, and the baby was moving around all over the place, we all thought that the baby would be co-operative and show us what we wanted to see. Well guess who suddenly decided to be shy?! We saw everything from the face, the spine, the arms and legs, but that was it! Instead of helping me out and giving me a direction in my baby shopping, the baby mooned us, and that was it.

It is hard being disappointed since we got to see the little squirmer for 10 minutes kick and move, but COME ON! James, being the husband that he is, took me to dinner and Sees testers for dessert. Then I did some damage in the Macy's shoe department. This kid is already costing me!

Next Wed we have the appointment with the ultrasound doctor where we are hoping the kid will be less stubborn. If not, its grounded.

Guess whats coming around October 15th?

our baby...

Moose

The day before Thanksgiving, we picked up this guy as an early Christmas present to Cocoa. Meet Moose, a year old Chocolate lab. He is a total love-bug and Cocoa's new best friend. He can often times be found looking for food and trying to get into the pantry. He is a cuddlier and is working on putting on some weight. He is keeping us busy!

Guess who turned 27 today?

We are off to Utah!

Updates when we return!

Changes...

I have never been a fan of change. Not that I resist trying new things, or shaking life up a bit, but something can be said for the comfort of consistency. These last few weeks, our lives have taken a cue from mother nature. Just as the trees have started to change, and the nights getting cooler, our lives are morphing into something new, and I am trying to like it.

The first major change is that I gave notice of my resignation at work. Three weeks from now I will be done with this job forever. After many many months of too much stress, late hours, and other not so pleasant happenings, I finally quit. Probably one of the most crazy, scary things I have had to do as an adult. I am enjoying this transition phase and the freedom that comes with it.

With the end of one job, I begin preparing myself for the new one. I am excited, and feel so blessed to be able to say I found a job closer to home, with a family-like environment. I know that this job is an answer to many prayers. I will be able to do the kind of work that I studied in college, and they will pay half my gym membership!

The last major change is that James and I were released from our callings as Nursery leaders and set apart to new callings. James was called to be a Sunday School teacher for the 16-17 year old kids. Yesterday was his first week teaching and he is a natural teacher. My new calling is the Secretary for the Relief Society. I must say it is slightly overwhelming to be a part of the Presidency. I am the youngest woman in our ward's Relief Society, and yet they are entrusting me to more responsibility in a calling than I have ever had.

So now begins our new life. I am training my replacement, trying to figure out how to create the Relief Society calender, and nervously anticipating my new job. James is enjoying preparing lessons with a little bit more substance than the Nursery allowed him, and is being very patient with his slightly frazzled, but very happy wife.

Remember him?

A couple of weeks ago, I posted about James' cousin Mike Day making it to the Olympics. Well if you were watching, you might have noticed that he won silver!!! He was first in all of his heats and the time trial, and then medaled in the finals! Good job Mike, we are proud of you!

Mondays...

My lunch break today included:

• Talking on the phone to the hubs while walking past a homeless man asking for money. Instead of trying to lie to the man and tell him I have no money, I decide to ignore him. Apparently this did not go over well. Homeless man proceeds to laugh VERY loudly at me and shouts "Thanks a lot!"
• Walk past a car wash and almost eat it, in front of the entire car wash crew. Note to self: Your black flats don't have traction on wet sidewalks. Avoid wearing them when it rains next year.
• Finally sit down to eat lunch. While eating, eavesdrop on a couple sitting one table over debating whether one can tell the quality of a food establishment from the quality of napkins provided. I am still undecided on this one.
• Pull out my planner and plan out the next week, including grocery lists and cleaning schedules. Realize how nerdy I must look, but can't bring myself to put the planner away. My name is Danielle and I have a planning addiction.
• Start listening to a father and son talking near by. Notice that the son is scary looking due to his clothing and tattoos. The topics discussed included inflation, gas prices, the economy, politics and homeland security. Reprimand myself for finding this surprising. Hear son make comment that due to lack of security, he has been shopping for a handgun. Nothing too crazy like a rifle but something that will make him feel safe. I take this as my cue to leave quickly.
• Walk back to work and past homeless man again. He looks at me and then spits on the ground next to him. No words were said but I am pretty sure he knows I won with my silent treatment.

I swear I don't work in a scary town, apparently it was one of those days when all the crazies come out. My clumsy self included.

What in the world?

We just had a 5.4 earthquake. One of the reasons I love California. I am thinking the workday will pick up a little! You can read about it here:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/07/29/earthquake.ca/index.html

I work on the second floor of my building and we were moving quite a bit for a couple of seconds. I even got a bit seasick, or perhaps earthquake-sick?! It has been a while since I have felt an earthquake and it was as much fun as I remembered! Luckily no one was hurt and there was only minor damage at the epicenter down near LA.

I have heard people say that they would rather deal with tornadoes or hurricanes as opposed to earthquakes. I strongly disagree. It feels like you are sitting or standing on a water bed for a couple of seconds and then it is over. Plus I think Dorthy would agree with me that tornadoes are no fun.

Any friends from other states want to come visit?