Welcome Eli David

Eli David was born on Wednesday April 27th.

On Monday Adam was getting over the stomach flu so I stayed home to take care of him. We had the best mommy and son day playing outside, going for a long walk and watching cartoons together. Then on Monday night I hit my breaking point. I had had a headache and tooth/jaw pain on my left side of my head wake me up and keep me up since Friday night (I couldn't sleep lying down and even with my head up it hurt). On Monday night the throbbing was the worst it had been and Tylenol was not working. So Tuesday morning Dave took me to urgent care for what we figured was a sinus infection. After getting the full work up for pre-eclampsia and yet another non-stress test the urgent care doctor told me she wasn't convinced that my pain was from a sinus infection. She did agree that a good nights sleep would probably help, so I went home with a prescription for Tylenol with codine and some antibiotics that I had to decide if I wanted to take.

I did get a good nights sleep on Tuesday night- thank goodness. I went to work on Wednesday in the morning and when I got home I really, really wanted to clean. It was like there was a list of things I wanted to do running through my head. I somehow convinced myself it would be ok and I should rest. So I rested and then got up a little before my doctors appointment and did a little straightening around the house. I really wasn't ready to go into labor, and I wanted another weekend, but somehow I new I wasn't going to get what I wanted. I called Dave to let him now I was on my way to get him, and I started to cry about not being ready and wishing I had threw our bags in the car and gone to kiss Adam at daycare.

My appointment was at 4:20. We were put in an exam room and I was sitting up on the table. Dave cracked a joke, I laughed and I felt my water break (and both my boys had mecomum in the water). It just kept spilling out everywhere, so he ran and got a nurse. Our doctor came in and said I was going to OB in the hospital and she would come check on me once she was done seeing other patients. I kept waiting for the contractions to pick up, but they weren't close or painful at all. I new something wasn't exactly right. And I was not really mentally prepared for the pain of childbirth.

My contractions were about 10 minutes a part and I was talking right through them, I barely felt them. But the thing that concerned me the most was every time I had a contraction I felt more fluid come out. When our doctor checked me she couldn't feel his head (and I was only about 1 cm dilated). She brought in the ultrasound machine and sure enough he was transverse again. Our little stinker still had enough room to move from head down to transverse and back again. Well it was either attempt a version with my water broken, or c-section. After she talked to some other doctors, c-section was the only option I was presented with. So Little Eli David was born via c-section at 7:56 PM.

I was awake during the c-section. I saw them take the little guy out and work on getting him to breath and then I heard his little cry. I just assumed it would sound familiar, something like Adam's infant cry. Eli's cry sounded so different and he looks like Eli and not like Adam at all. Even though I had a c-section I met Eli sooner than I met Adam and I think I'm healing faster than I did with Adam. So things are going very well.

Eli David Schwedler

April 27th, 2011

7:56 PM

7 pounds 6.5 ounces

20 inches long

14 inch head (wow we make babies with large heads)

Happy Easter (and test of the baby emergency response system)

Happy Easter! Baby wasn't born today, but we did start the day with a trip to the hospital. I woke up at 4 AM again this morning to tooth pain, except this time I couldn't seem to fall back asleep. So I went upstairs and did some computer stuff, around 5 AM I decided I was too hungry to go back to bed so I ate some cereal and half a donut. I went back downstairs and crawled in bed and a little while later my alarm went off. We were planning on going to the 7:30 service because Easter dinner for my dad's whole family was at our house this year. So I got up and showered and was lotioning my belly when I noticed that the baby's butt was sticking out of my belly. I pushed on him and he didn't move, so I pushed again and he didn't move. I immediately started panicking. The last time I really remembered baby moving was the night before when I was singing Twinkle Twinkle with Adam (which is such a cute little memory). Dave told me to lay down in the bed and he got me a tall glass of orange juice. We both put our hands on my belly and waited for him to start moving. After a few minutes and nothing we decided to call the OB line at the hospital. They told me to come in right away.

So by then it was 7 AM. We woke up Adam and fed him an awful (that's what Adam calls a waffle) and called Andy and Brooke. They came right over and we headed to the hospital. I thought I felt a couple flutters, but not real strong movements before we got to the hospital, so I was still worried. Once the nurse hooked us up to the monitors for a non-stress test baby boy started moving and kicking all over the place. It was wonderful to see our baby moving and his heart rate go up, exactly what should have been happening. So Dave and I relaxed and just enjoyed the first hour that we got to spend alone focusing on our second son.

Congratulations, everyone passed our test of the baby emergency response system! Next time will hopefully be the real deal.

We did host the whole family over for Easter Dinner. I think my nesting kicked in and demanded that I decorate for Easter. This means several craft projects with the little man and one really cute one for the little man.

While we were making butterflies for the kitchen cabinets Adam kept yelling, "daddy, daddy, look at my pretty butterfly!" Dave was loving it and Adam really had fun coloring the butterfly and then helping mommy glue them. He thought he was old enough to also cut them out, but after a quick google search by dad we decided 4 was a more appropriate age to introduce the scissors.

The Easter eggs were the same idea. I kept cutting out the eggs and Adam kept coloring them. Then we strung them together to make a garland.

I made these finger puppet bunnies out of felt for Adam's Easter Basket. I haven't decided if I'm going to add the face and tail. I ran out of time to finish them before Easter, but I like them half finished.

These flowers used a lot of hot glue, so Adam wasn't around for mommy only craft project. I just wanted something pretty to put in my awesome new vase from Clay Coyote.

Yes I did buy this Easter Wreath pre made from Shopko, but when I put it on the door it fell and broke into five pieces. So I cut out a piece of foam board to put on the back of the wreath and lots of hot glue and ribbon to put it back together. Every time I see it hanging on my door it makes me smile!

It’s as easy as 1-2-3 to make Daddy proud

Tonight is a guest post by Daddy, otherwise known as Dave, Dad, Papa or Cheese...

So Daddy got to put Adam to bed tonight, while Mommy went for a walk at the gym (no family walk tonight due to the rain). After Daddy put Adam in his PJ's the next step in the bed time routine is to read 3 books while Adam sips his milk. Tonight, Daddy forgot the milk and needed to go get it, so he told Adam to go to the shelf and pick out 3 books and put them next to the chair. Daddy expected, as in the past, that when he returned there would be half the books from the shelf on the floor and none next to the chair. To his surprise he returned to the bedroom to find that Adam had two books neatly stacked next to the chair. Daddy thought close enough. But, Daddy was so amazed by the books by the chair that he failed to see his son was holding the third book in his hand ready for Daddy to start reading.

"Adam you brought Daddy 3 books! 1-2-3 what a good listener!" exclaimed Daddy as he welled up with pride.

"Yep" said Adam annoyed that Daddy hadn't started reading yet.

I Walk Brockway

Getting ready for a walk is kind of a chore now that the weather has decided to not be spring. Actually we've boycotted walks for several days now. Today we ventured out despite the cold wind because the sun was shinning. (There was actual snow on the ground when we woke up this morning- actual snow on April 20th)

I bundled up the boy and leashed the dog and all three of us were ready before Dave had made it to the entry way. Adam picked up Brockway's leash and said "I walk Brockway," and I said ok as we walked out the door. I figured either she'd behave or his grip on the leash wouldn't be that strong if she bolted. Well she behaved wonderfully. Adam walked her up and down the driveway with a loose leash while Dave got out the stroller. She walked right next to the stroller not tugging at all while Adam continued to hold onto the leash all by himself from the stroller halfway down the street.

In Little Brother news I had a doctors appointment today. I'm 1 cm dilated, but that's about it. Dr. K tried to strip my membranes, but she didn't think she was very successful. He's still head down and he must have dropped because a.) my hips are sore and b.) I measured 34 cm (last week I believe I was 36 cm). Heart rate was 145 and he seems healthy and happy in there. I'm only working half days due to my extreme exhaustion from poor sleep at night. My afternoon naps are fabulous and my energy level is up a little.

Uncle Matt Song

Adam just started singing "Matt, Matt, Matt, Matt," this morning. When I asked him if he was singing a song for uncle Matt he said yes.

Crazy Hair Day and We're not Talking about Bed Head

I thought it was strange that Adam's hat was in his bag instead of on his head when he was outside at daycare, but I figured out why really fast: Everyone at the bowling alley and Buffalo Wild Wings thought his hair was pretty cool. I just kept saying daycare did it. The girls had pink or red hair, so it could have been worse. Bonus it was already bath night!

Dinner Table Conversation

Adam: "Juice?"

Me: "No more juice, how about water?"

Adam: "No"

Me: "How about milk?"

Adam: "No, how about juice!"

And how are we supposed to keep from laughing?

37 Weeks

Welcome to my least favorite pregnancy symptoms:

-Itchy Belly

-Most of my maternity clothes don't fit

-Not sleeping through the night

-Exhaustion all the time

-Only being able to fit 1/2 meals in my stomach

-Peeing every hour



Ahh the joys of the final weeks of pregnancy (and I'm holding some of the best symptoms back because no one but Dave and my doctor really need to know).

Spring Has Arrived

Oh thank goodness Spring came and the snow has melted. We've been going for nightly walks and enjoying lots of time outside in the yard. Friday night Dad and Adam raked the yard while I took pictures. Yeah the pregnant gig is really hard.

36 Weeks

36 weeks down and 4 more to go. It's hard to believe I'm almost full term. I'm trying to enjoy every moment our little family of three has together. These last few weeks have felt like the calm before the storm. I feel more prepared and know what bringing a new born home means, but with Adam around this time I'm not sure what to expect.

Friday we put Adam in the stroller and walked to Squeaky's for dinner. The wind had a little bite to it, but it felt good to go for a long walk. Afterwards we watched the Twins opening game.

Yesterday we made a big last trip into the cities to run errands. We stopped at IKEA, Peapods (to buy baby #2 hippie crunchy diapers) and then we dropped Adam off at grandma and grandpa's house. We went to Costco to stock up on some groceries and then out to dinner with friends we haven't seen in a long time. It was so nice to be able to catch up over a long dinner with adult conversation. The whole way home Dave and I couldn't stop talking about how much fun we had and that we need to do that kind of stuff more often.

Today I think I'm nesting (cleaning & organizing) a little bit. When I started vacuuming Adam sprinted to his room and came out with his lawn mower that we pretend is a vacuum. He "helped" me vacuum almost half the room. Dave mopped the kitchen floor. After church I cleaned out our Tupperware cupboard and organized all of our bottles. Right now Adam is finally down for a nap and Dave is out grocery shopping. We're going to have steaks on the grill for dinner -mmmm.

Why I Don't Wash Windows

Yesterday I'd had enough and decided it was time to clean the windows. During breakfast this morning Adam and I talked all about a bird out in the tree. Of course, as soon as he was all done he ran to the window and started pointing outside. Brockway was standing right there licking anywhere the boys hands went. Now my windows need another cleaning!