Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Mama's Little Snugglebug!


I am so very sorry that I have neglected this blog....life just has become SO busy and without having internet always connected at home it's hard to just sit home and blog. If it was easy to do from my phone, I'd blog all the time! :) So hopefully this will catch everyone up on my life for the past 5 months! :)

I am soooo incredibly blessed to announce that I gave birth to our SON, Layton, on August 3rd. First I have to say, he is the most amazing baby and I could never have dreamed of a better son! I'm not just saying this either....I love him more than I ever thought I could possibly love...it's amazing the LOVE God gives you for your child...!!!! THANK YOU JESUS!!

SOOO..... by the middle to end of July I was pretty regularly having contractions and thinking it was the real thing. They would hurt, last a long time, but sadly after like 7 hours they would fizzle out...I felt like I would NEVER go into REAL labor.... My best friend Bethany drove up with her brother from OK as soon as we were sure it was getting close to that time...wont get too graphic there, but we WERE sure it'd be within a week or so! :) So I had a great time spending my last few pregnant days with her just walking the mall or doing whatever I could to bring on labor! :) On August, 2nd my husband took me out on a little date night, I think to get my mind off trying to get our baby to come! :) We went out for a nice dinner and then he gave me a Willow Tree he had bought of a husband and wife holding their baby...oh how I longed that could be us soon!!! Little did I know it'd be VERY soon! :) Around 11:45 that night contractions started....I knew they weren't real because everyone had told me...oh when it's the real thing, they wont hurt and they'll be 20 minutes apart....well mine were 5 min. apart and painful! SO I got in the tub thinking they would eventually stop. Around 12:15 I got out and told Aaron I was just in so much pain! He was actually a little upset because he said he needed sleep for the next day of work, it was a big day! LOL I told him I'd just go in the babys room then, because I couldn't lay down...so I went in there and sat for like a minute and came back to him saying how bad I hurt! :) So we got out my phone and started timing the contractions...they were 2-3 min. apart and stronger each time....oh boy did they hurt! I remember Aaron saying to me, "Think it's the real thing??" Then I thought no way! How could they possibly be real if they started so strong and close! So we called the doula, Noel, to just see what she thought. Of course....no answer, it WAS in the middle of the night....so I told Aaron I'd be fine....well that lasted 2 minutes...by then I was telling him to call the midwife! Still all at this time I was thinking they were fake but I just didn't know what to do, I was hurting so bad. So he called the midwife and guess what! No answer! :) Well this particular night we had Bethany's brother staying at our house so my next concern was him....I told Aaron to call his parents and have them come get him! :) Our room is very cramped and it just wasn't going so well pacing back and forth in there and I didn't want to go in the living room by him. Soo...they ANSWERED! and came right away! By this time Aaron knew it was the real thing but I still doubted. When Aaron's Mom came she assured Aaron it was real as well. By this time we had gotten ahold of both the midwife and Noel, and they were both on their way.

When the midwife came they asked what my pain level was and then pretty soon after had me start pushing. They filled up the pool for me in our living room so I could get in there to push. Oh that water felt SOOO good!!! Aaron's Mom was wonderful refilling it everytime with hot water for me. By this time my sisters had been called as well and were on their way and my friend Danyelle was coming to take pictures. We were going to have quite the housefull. :) Seeing that my contractions were coming on so quick I thought for sure my sisters would miss the birth, but I didn't care then, I just wanted that baby out. :)

Okay, I really need to condense this story, otherwise it'd be a book! :) I'll leave out a lot of in between stuff....after MANY hours of pain and pushing and jumping in and out of the pool, the decision was made to go to the hospital. My water had been broken for awhile now, I had pushed over 5 hours and I felt like dying. I had absolutely no energy, I couldn't eat or drink, had thrown up everything that was already in me and just was physically worn out. My sisters had made it by this time with hours to spare. Who knew it would take so long!

I need to say first, I was TOTALLY against a hospital birth....there was absolutely NO WAY I'd have my baby in the hospital, I was terrified of the idea even. Aaron and I had discussed it while I was pregnant and I just really wanted a water birth at home. But we prayed anyway saying, "Lord, we want this baby to be born where YOU would have..." We knew that if planned a home birth and He wanted us at a hospital He would make it happen. And He did...I was still SO against it though, so Aaron carried me to the car and his Mom drove us, Bethany and Aaron were in back and my sisters drove seperate. We raced to the hospital but I still continued to push in the car because I thought it'd be better to be born there than in that hospital! Man, was I stubborn!!
All I remember was getting to the ER and I was screaming and then wheeled me as fast as they could up to L&D and got me on the bed fast. It all went SO fast from there....20 minutes later, with the help of the doctor, my SON was born!! Here was my first reactions "A BOY??!?!? Look at his poor head! :( Aaron, look at his ears!! :( He is SO big, he's got to weigh 10 lbs!" It wasn't exactly the loving motherly response....He had been in the birthing canal SO long that his poor head was very coned shape and his ear was folded over and like stuck and they were HAIRY!!!! He didn't have hair on his back or anything just on his had and EARS! LOL The Dr. said not to worry it'd fall off, but let me tell you, it's still there!!! LOL I love it though! :)

After he was born I was still SO exhausted, the Dr. gave me a shot of pitocin to because he said my uterus was like flattened from pushing for sooo long, they had to start contractions back up to deliver the placenta. I was scared about all of that but it was a breeze! :) So after washing him off and weighing him they brought my son back to me. We named him Layton Russell, his middle name after Aaron's grandpa who he was VERY close to! A man I really wish I could have met! Layton weighed 8.1 and was 20 in. long.. not so big after all! I was counting on having a 10 lb baby! He looked IDENTICAL to his daddy when he was born!

Layton was born on a Wednesday and by Saturday we finally got to go home...it was one thing after another, but by Saturday we brought our healthy baby boy home. He had become very jaundice and we had to stay longer to have him under lights. That was soo hard for me, seeing him strapped into this little bed thing....I cried and cried.. :(

Saturday was wonderful though, our little family was FINALLY going home!!!! Layton had dropped to 7.11 I think when we left on Sat. so Monday they sent a home nurse to check on his counts and weigh him and stuff...she told us, don't be scared if he's lost weight, baby's usually take 2 weeks to regain birth weight....well not our little chunker! He was at 8.6 already!!! Then at his one week appt. he was at 8.12!!! He was growing SOOOO fast!

Okay so now I have to say this.... I'm really thankful that God had Layton born where HE wanted....I needed that! My fear wasn't right and my experience with a hospital birth was absolutely wonderful!! They all were SO nice and respectful of our wishes with vaccinating and different things. If anything, I'm scared of a home birth now. lol There are reasons why my home birth didn't go so well, I wont go into those here, but there were things that probably should have been done that weren't and they would have helped a lot! The Dr. did them once I got to the hospital and Layton was born right away. Anyway....all this to say, I loved my hospital birth and I'm glad that God is concerned with the little details in life!
No one warned me about this overwhelming joy that comes after having a baby....I didn't know that this love was even possible. I love my Mom, and I love my husband...a LOT, don't get me wrong, but there is something about having your own child....it seems like the first week everytime I'd rock him or nurse him I'd be crying tears of joy, soo thankful that God had given him to me. I wasn't prepared to love my child so much...that sounds silly I know, but seriously it is hands down THE.MOST.AMAZING.THING ever!!!!! Aaron and I could not be happier!!

So now 16 weeks later I am even more in love and have the most wonderful son in the world!! He is growing up too fast and is learning SO much!! He tries all the time to sit up on his own and can do it if I sit him up...he scoots everywhere on his back and just about roll over!!! Did I mention he isn't even 4 months yet!! ;) He smiles ALL the time and is starting to really giggle a lot too!!

The last two days he has seemed to just REALLY grow up, I can't exactly even pin point what it is, but he seems so much older to us.... he was so sweet yesterday we BOTH took a nap and we were laying in my bed and I was HOPING to stay asleep an hour or so, but no, my son wanted a little cat nap, so he woke me up not by squirming around or whining but by sticking his fingers in.my.mouth!!! LOL I opened my eyes to find him all smiley and bright eyed!! It was just so cute!!

Alright, I better get going, he is napping now and I have other things I need to get done! Trying to get my house very clean today so I can decorate for C.H.R.I.S.T.M.A.S. on Friday!! :) I've been waiting SOO long to do it! :) Knew I couldn't before thanksgiving! :)

Hope I didn't bore you all with my birth story, but I had to at least announce that he IS here!! And he's NOT a girl!! LOL Oh, and I have to say...I think I'll take all sons! I LOVE having a little BOY!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!

(Almost 2 months old)



(15 weeks)

(almost 3 months)
(6 weeks old)
(on a walk with mommy)


(Aunt Besh aka Bethany came to visit- 14 weeks)(15 weeks)(sitting up on his own!)

(He L.O.V.E.S bath time!!!)

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Maternity Pictures!

While we were in MO last time, we had Stephen Schuknecht take our maternity pictures for us! He does and great job and is wonderful to work with! I'm not totally happy with them, but NOT because of him....I just look like I'm in tons of pain or something. I felt like I was smiling, but clearly I wasn't. Seriously people, I don't look like this always! :) I DO know how to smile! ;)

Here are some of the pictures from the day! :)






Monday, June 27, 2011

Less than 6 weeks left....

Just have a few pictures to post, but once again thought I'd update you all! We are getting SOOO excited to have this baby here! We started taking bets on what the gender will be, the weight and the date of birth! :) We'll see who gets the closest! For fun, leave a comment with your guess as well! :) I'm due the 6th, just so you don't have to do the math. Boy? Girl? July 27th or Aug. 11th? 6 lbs or 15 lbs? LOL (Let's hope not 15 lbs!!) :D

The nursery is JUST about all put together!! Crib is done, room is painted, just waiting to get the bedding washed and put on the mattress.

My sister threw me a baby shower a couple weeks ago in Missouri also, which was WONDERFUL!! Thank you Mandy! :) We got tons of nice things, we are so blessed! One of the things we got was a bassinet, so that is up as well and ready to be put in our room!! :) Can you tell we are excited?!

Okay here's the pics now! :)

30 weeks
34 weeks...getting HUGE! :)

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Growing Baby!

Well, I haven't been so faithful updating this blog lately but I have time now, so I am! :) Most of you are on facebook so have seen these pictures, but just in case some of my friends aren't, these are for you! :) Baby Schuler is doing wonderful!! Kicks ALL the time and even pops out ocasionally for me to grab it's foot or see it's arm or leg. (Can't quite tell the difference of some parts through my belly!) It's SOOOO neat though! I love feeling our baby move and kick!

According to my baby application on my phone, our baby is 15 inches long from head to toe and 2.2 lbs. It's amazing to think something that big is growing inside of me! We feel soo incredibly blessed that God chose to give us a little blessing! Sometime I will have to share our story how God did a miracle for us by bringing us our baby! :)

I'm starting this week to paint and get the nursery ready...I'm SO excited to get it done!! Lord willing it will be done soon! :)

Well here are the progressive pictures of our little blessing!
Ultrasound from like 14 weeks! I'm sure it looks MUCH different now! But we aren't having anymore. :) I still think our baby here looks soo cute!

(18 weeks)

(2 days short of 24 weeks)
(One day short of 27 weeks...and now I'm almost 28 weeks!)

Tuesday, March 01, 2011

6 months!

Today...sort of...marks 6 months since Aaron and I have been married! We say March 1st is, because there is no February 29th. It's funny though, yesterday, Feb. 28th, we celebrated one year since we started courting! We sure did things fast huh? :) The last year has been the most thrilling of my life though, I'd have to say! The Lord has definitely showed us both so much and taught us a ton! I'm soo thankful to Him for giving me such an awesome husband, he truly is the best! I could not have dreamed of a better man to marry! I was told so much that marriage is lots of work and fights and well good times too, but I was just really thinking, wow we are going to fight a TON! (Now, don't get me wrong, we DO get in arguments) but....the good times SOO out-weigh any bad time, so it's wonderful and those bad times are easily forgotten. :)
It's amazing also to think that in just six months we have gone from newlyweds to soon to be parents! For those of my blogger friends who don't know, YES, we are expecting! I am due Aug 6th, so that makes me 17 and 1/2 weeks today! The pregnancy has been wonderful, I'm just needing to learn to not worry so much about letting my stomach grow and stretch so much! This is a gift from God and I need to just be happy it's growing...right? :) I'll try!
Well, it's been forever since I've updated anyone, so I thought today was as good a day as any! I'll try to keep updated on here with growing pictures of our little one! Oh, and no we aren't finding out the gender....so we'll just have to surprise EVERYONE! :)

(12 weeks 5 days)

(14 weeks 4 days)


(17 weeks)