Life with my newborn

                              Evelyn Rose is doing great!        19 days old

I am sleepy, but as far as I can tell Evelyn is a sweet and easy baby. She makes me smile. We are struggling with a little over eating and gas issue. I guess having to much milk is a problem that I shouldn't complain about. I am loving breast feeding. I love holding her, I love watching her make her happy milk faces, I love love love all of breastfeeding. I do however have fire hydrant nipples as my lactation consultant said. My milk comes out very fast. She chokes and over eats which causes stomach pains. We are working things out.


My mom, dad, and sister are coming to visit us this weekend. Ariving Friday Sept, 2nd and staying through labor day weekend. It will be my dad ( grandpa) and sister's ( aunt Vi) first visit. I am really really looking forward to their visit.

I am also starting to plan my trip to Nebraska to visit my grandpa and Dad's family. I am going to take Evelyn there to meet my grandfather. She was named after my grandmother and the love of my grandfathers life. I can't wait for him to meet her. I am really really looking forward to this trip in October.

Staying with the topic of visitors, I hope Sharron and Granny Darleen come to visit the week after labor day, and then Ben's brother's family are coming to Shreveport on Septermber 24th.

I'm going to go nap. Thanks for reading. I am blessed.

First week of the rest of our lives.

Our Baby Girl has arrived and she is perfect.

7 lbs 5 oz. 20 inches long. 

Ben and I are just amazed with her. She makes so many faces, so many dirty diapers, and she makes us very sleepy. At least she seams to be getting a lot of sleep.

Nursing is going great. I was worried that it wouldn't. She had almost reached her birth weight by her 5 day pediatrician visit. Her doctor actually told us we didn't have to come back for the week two visit because she was certain Evelyn was thriving. I visited with a lactation consultant on her one week birthday just to get pointers and have a professional check her latch, pallet, and such. She said she ate almost three ounces during our visit. Wow. It is such a rewarding bonding experience. In about another week I am going to start letting Ben feed her one bottle every evening so he can experience the bonding too. Plus it will help her slowly be ready for a baby sitters care. I don't know that I'll ever want to leave her side. :)

Ben's parents came for her first weekend of life, and my mom stayed until this morning. My mom was a super help while Evelyn and I adjusted to our new lives. She was basically our maid, and I am eternally grateful for her support, love, and house keeping. I love my mom! I am recovering from my C-Section very quickly. My doctor is a master, an artist, and I am grateful. 

Evelyn Rose is very squirmy. I knew she would be, but I thought it would be accompanied by fussiness. She is (so far) a really easy baby. She lays on the floor and plays alone quietly for an hour or more. That is if I can stand to put her down. She only crys when she is hungry. When she is hungry so has about a two minute limit. We had her in a bassinet near our bed for the first week, but have recently moved her to her crib. I find that we sleep better when We don't have to listen to her squirm and make baby noises. She is like a clock when it comes to feedings, and as i mentioned above when she wants her milk she wants it NOW. So most of my fears have faded. We have a monitor, but I don't think we need it. 

Today we started a new journey. We had our first supply of cloth diapers delivered to the house from Cotton Tails diaper service. http://www.louisianacottontails.com/  We are not certain how it will go, but we feel obligated to give it a try. I'll post later concerning our opinion on cloth. 

So basically as most of my friends and family predicted we are totally in love and loving our new roles as parents. Evelyn Rose is perfect. So I have pictures posted everywhere possible, but here are a few of my favorites. More can be viewed on my new flicker account. http://www.flickr.com/photos/warden_family/  

1 3/4 days left until Birhtday,

One day and 15 hours until I get to meet my baby. My mom is here in Shreveport helping me get ready. Ben's parents will arrive tomorrow afternoon. Because of the surgery, I only get to eat soup tomorrow for dinner. This is pretty much a huge bummer. I am really worried about being starving, nervous, and super anxious. These are all normal feelings I know, but they all mean I probably won't sleep much, and I really should be resting. I'm thankful already to have my mom here to keep me company, although I am still watching a lot of army wives. It is REALLY hot outside. Tomorrow hopefully will pass quickly, I am so nervous.

a few last pregnancy photos.

Our last movie, Planet of the Apes, before baby arrives.

It did not rain, and has been much hotter.



Birthdate August 11, 2011

Upcomming Birthday of our

little Evelyn Rose Warden

August 11, 2011-

a Leo , year of the Rabbit

After my doctors appointment this morning we have all decided that miss Evelyn Rose needs to be delivered by cesarean section.

The doctor has been examining me and watching carefully. He isn't too worried that there has not been signs of labor, (as these can come at different times and paces for all women), but Dr. Waterfallen is more concerned that my pelvis or passageway is just going to be too small for her to arrive vaginally. He's been examining it and watching Evelyn over the last few weeks and preparing me emotionaly that this could be a possibility. On tuesday we measured her weight at 7 lbs 3 oz. Today he said if I don't go into labor naturally sooner than next Thursday the 11th, he recomends a section. This will save hours and hours of stressfull labor for baby and me. My doctor has been delivering babies for longer than i've been alive. He went through the time after time that he has seen this scenario. He is confident that labor will either not be possible, or extreamly long, laborous, and stressfull on all involved resulting in a more than probably emergency secion anyway.

I am really really stirred up by this. I was really wanting a vaginal birth. I wanted the experience, the excitment, Ben's involvemnet, and didn't want to have surgery. I want to breastfeed and spend time with my baby as soon as possible. The surgery will make this a little harder. I am also suprisinly emotional about knowing the date of her arrival. Yesterday I was convinced that I wanted her out as soon as possible. Now knowing one week from today by 8:00 am I'm going to see my little girl sends me into some kind of panic. I am hoping that tomrrow brings back the excitement. I know in my heart that i'm ready for this, but when I look at a calander and then at her bassinet I am just really .......well I don't know, thrown back by the thought of having a baby so soon. Who knew nine months could sneak up on a person. lol.

On top of that, My Netflix isn't letting me watch my show. AHHHH! It says it is unavailable for instant streaming as I am on episode 26 of Army Wives. I should really read and take a nap anyway. Ben is going out to the shooting range this evening, so I don't have to cook or do anything. Evelyn is making me really uncomfortable. She is causing me to pee and pee and pee. She also is a huge fan of Yoga or something. She is pushing my stomach into a strange square position. Belly button is flat with buldges on each side it. It will be weird to not have her poking around in my stomach.

maybe something like this??

All complaining aside. I am happy she is big and apparently healthy. I am also happy that I will get to have her in my arms in less than a week. OH MY!

Time is passing. August is here!

I was starting to believe August would never arrive. Actually it's pretty ironic, because August is usually a dreaded month. August typically rings in the dreaded back to school bell. I however will not be returning to work as most of you know. I am waiting on my new career as a mom to start.  I go to the doctor tomorrow and will hopefully not here "no progress" again.  At last Tuesday's doctor appointment Ben and I were able to see Evelyn's pretty face during an ultrasound to check her position. She is flipped and ready. I have two full weeks left until due date, so I'm really trying to not get too anxious. August 15? When will it be her birthday? I love this bathing suit picture, but I don't know why it always uploads upside down.

 



Our okra plant has really really been fruitful lately. Here are some pictures of a meal we shared with some good friends this week. Baked chicken, fried okra, fried jalapenos, and salad.

 

 So other than swimming, gardening and cooking I have finished a few books. I am not completely done with the sleep book.  I have plans this week to finish sewing some cushions, paint with my neighbor, go to Southwood high to help a friend of mine with her baby while she gets her classroom ready. Hurray for baby practice.

 I've been as my facebook friends call it nesting. Really I think I'm addicted to the smell of this all natural cleaner. I have sprayed and wiped almost every surface in our house with it. I finally got the guest room as ready as it's going to get. We kinda use it as a storage room since we have NO closets. And the baby stuff piles up fast. Sheets are washed. The guts of the guest closet have been stuffed back into the space and the door hides all the mess. I also got "the stack o' papers" filed into their proper home in the file cabinet.

I keep telling Hank his little sister is going to arrive soon. I don't know what he thinks is happening, but he seems very calm for me. I know when we walk he lets me waddle without much complaint. I bought him about five stuffed animals from the dollar store last week, he was SOOO happy to have his own. He gets in trouble for trying to steal Evelyn's out of her room. This horse is one of his favorites. I love my first born furry child.

Thanks for reading!