the newborn month

As I think back to what's been going on the past month, I'm somewhat blank.  What a blur the 1st month of newborn'hood is! Let me try to recall from her 1st month....
Week 1:  Slept alot. Went 6 hours one night.  Yep, sleeping was about it for the 1st week. Your first bath at home went suprisingly good, you absolutely loved it (and still do at 5 weeks)!  Went to your first doctor appointment, where Nurse Cathy said "she has the most beautiful coloring" :) Yeah we know she is beautiful.  Much to our relief, you weighed in at 6.11 lbs. Mommy's milkin machines were working! Lots of visitors too.... Uncle Seth & Aunt Ryan, Uncle Peter & Aunt Julie, cousin Jack, and Great Grandma Duncan.  Your personal photographer (and perhaps future MIL) Lindsay McDaniel did a fabulous job on your newborn photos.  It was alot of work getting you to sleep but those 5 minutes of shooting the pictures on each setup were worth it!
Week 2:  We discovered you like to sleep on your back and lay on your side.  You appreciate your paci in when you are trying to fall asleep. And as you fall asleep you ALWAYS smile, get this grin and then a big smile. We had to move you into your room when you sleep at night because you sound like an 80 year old snoring man! Kelsey Jennings came by to see you but you snoozed away.  Still a perfect angel.... well except for when you flipped me off during your daily photo shoot!!
Week 3:  Uuummm let's just blame a growth spurt on your moodiness. You became a eating machine for a few days and were never quite content to fall asleep.  Aunt Allyson came to the rescue, flying in from CA to see you! She spent many hours over here helping mommy and playing with your brother, she is the best "mommy's helper" money can buy :)
Week 4:  Hello night sleeper! Please please stay around.... you have been sleeping 4-5 hours during the night.  It is glorious! Mommy and daddy have a routine down - mommy gets up in the middle of the night (2 or 3am) and daddy does the early morning shift.  You usually eat for mommy and fall right back asleep, as for daddy, well you normally like to chit chat with him after eating :)  You have grown out of newborn clothes, such a proud moment.  I feel like all this feeding and pumping has paid off! You have really plumped up.  Speaking of plumping up, you got a bit constipated over Memorial Day weekend. Not pooping for 24 hours and then explosions when you did.  Holy mustard blowout poop! It was S-I-C-K!! You love love to watch your brother.  You coo at him and grab for his face when he gets near you.  You really only do that with him, you chit chat with me but really grab at brother!

So perfect and beautiful!

already learning how to keep that paci in

For the first couple weeks, when brother would hold sister,
 he would demand a picture be taken, like that was
 what the purpose of holding her was!

Yes I get it, you don't like me dressing you up in headbands.

Sad you outgrew little sister onesie :(

And here we have it again, the "nervous lets get this picture taken
so I can put her down" face

I'm over this mom!!!

now, now... let's not already be lifting our skirt up lil miss!

Aunt Allyson!!!! ok not really an aunt per say, but pretty darn close to it

1st time in a dress!

GOTCHA brother bear!

look at Ben's face... such a toot!

Yay! Clap for 1 month bday! Woody, despite my best photo shoot set up efforts,
creepily made his way into the picture. hahaha

ppssshhh is this headband really necessary?!

momma and natalee... really going to try to get in
more pictures this time around.

Natalee is here!

Introducing the sweetest lil sweet pea on the planet...

Natalee Laine Forrest!

6lbs 5oz

20 inches long

4/24/12

Born on the dot at 2am

Here is Natalee's labor story.... pardon the lengthy novel....After an intense labor with Ben (not getting epidural until I was dilated to a 7 and thoughts of me dying coming to my head), I was all for getting induced with Natalee.  After checking in Monday night at 8pm, the pitocin was started around 9. I was dilated to a 1 at that point, almost a 2.  A hour later, along with intense contractions coming every 1-2 minutes, I was dilated to a 4 - CHA-CHING!  the magic number to get that epidural.  So by 10:15, I was on my way to numbness and back to relaxing.  The nurse had told me that I would start feeling pressure, feeling some what like I needed to go to the bathroom.  That started around 11:45.  Didn't hurt at all, just pressure that wasn't a familiar feeling. Nurses came in to check and I was a 5 and my water had broken.... by one of the nurses :)  Then of course flashbacks from Ben's delivery, Natalee's heart rate was dropping.  Out came the oxygen mask and me turning from side to side. 

yes I know, so attractive... but hey it's labor, it ain't pretty.
 Pretty sure I was texting or facebooking.

Natalee got content again but the mask remained on me.  So nurses left and suggested I take a nap because she wasn't coming until 6am or so..... nap, HA! That pressure continued to get worse, coming every 2-3 minutes, like contractions would be.  I was starting to get pretty nervous, the unknown results of this pressure had me freaked me out! All I envisioned was Natalee coming out and me not knowing... ridiculous huh?!  A hour later at 1am, nurse comes back in and I tell her it's pretty intense with the pressure. She checks me and says oh yeah  you are complete, 100% ready to go. I yelled "shut up, are you serious" -  I was shocked how quickly it went and relatively easy that was.  After getting prepped and getting hanging out in the stirrups for 30 minutes (so lovely labor and delivery is) - Dr. Goff arrived.  Let the pushing begin.... pushed for 10-15 minutes and Dr. Goff moved out of the chair and in came Dr. Forrest.  That's right, John delivered Natalee!! Dr. Goff asked if I wanted to touch Natalee's head and I instantly yelled NO WAY. totally grosses me out but my husband freaking pulled Natalee out! It was such a crazy feeling when she popped out, I said "wow what the... freak", I guess I felt cursing wasn't appropriate in such a intimate setting?! So out came Natalee into the world, screaming her lungs off.  One of the super sweet nurses grabbed our camera and started taking pictures for us when Dr. John took over.  As I'm delivering our child, I'm only thinking, OMG she better not be getting pictures of my who-ha in these pictures!!! Thankfully she did not and got some really good shots. When Natalee was placed on me, I thought there is no way this baby girl weighs 5 lbs, but she surpassed that and made it to the 6lb mark! yay!! She had more "meat" on her then big brother did.  As the doc was finishing up on me, I got to watch John in complete awe as they checked and weighed Natalee.  I think we were both on cloud 9 that our baby girl was here - safe and sound. It was like the weight of the world was lifted.  The constant worrying, the what if's played over and over in my mind were erased and Natalee was here, more perfect than I could ever imagine.  So there we were... just John, Natalee and I in the middle of the night.  The only people aware she made her arrival was Gesell (bc she is 2 hours back in CA) and my dad, because he loves his phone and loves his text messaging.  Complete opposite to Ben's delivery, where everyone was outside the room, but it being just us with Natalee was very nice and non-stressed. 

Fast-forward to a few hours later, Grandma and Grandpa Forrest came to see her.... followed by Noni, Papa, my cousin Kristi and her little boy and most important of all - big brother Beano! As suggested by our pediatrician, we had Natalee in the nursery when he came.  We waited for Ben to ask about Natalee... and waited, and waited.  In true Ben fashion, he was too busy to even remember why he was the hospital. I finally asked if he wanted to give Natalee the onesie he brought for her, he said "yeah sure where is she?" According to the nurse, it was the cutest thing when he saw Natalee, he was so excited and said "it's my sister".  That excitment hasn't faded yet.  He isn't all about her, but when he is, he is so sweet to her.  He has been acting out against us... frankly being a complete turd during these moments.... throwing his toys, yelling at us or ignoring us all together... whatever, we understand, someone is taking over your turf, it shall soon pass :)

We were both so excited to see each other!

This is what Natalee has been sleeping in

how to avoid talking about my sister, sure give me a wipey,
this window needs some washing.

No fool

Someone knows what's up.... And that someone is our 3 1/2 year old turkey lurkey! He has been quite attached to his mommy and on the whiney side.  And now, poor guy has been sicky the last week as the only child.  But that just means extra more attention for the star of the show. Last week after seeing pictures I had taken of him, I decided it was time to chop off the massive bob of curls.  It took me by surprise when the hairdressed immediately took the "shaver" to his head and went straight to buzzing it all off.  He looks so much older now and as always, so handsome!  He had a grand time hunting Easter eggs in the backyard and got to see the Bass Pro Easter Bunny.  "We go to Bass Pro to see the Easter bunny.... (pause) AND Santa Claus today!" Poor child is so confused on who actually lives at Bass Pro.  A few quotes to remember...

• At the dinner table, in a Beavis and Butthead laugh says "uuhhh Mommy your head is huge".  Does daddy have a big head too? "hahah no just you mommy!"
• Playing "running race" in backyard, as he wins the races turns around and says "you the loser mommy"
• At Easter dinner out of the blue says "we say darn it and not dammit"
• While on the potty going #2 says "Uuuuhh my poop is so warm and soft like warm sand" - That imaginative brain of yours!

Priceless!! Pondering life while shaving one evening

For sure looking like a big brother now

"OOOOooooo I see eggs!"

Ben, Daddy and Uncle Nate

Showing us his squatting muscles/dance moves

Had to capture the curls before they were nixed off

almost go time

It's time... baby time. 5 more days and ready or not, Natalee will be here.  Even though it's been quite the "fun" ride (NOT), I am so anxious to get this baby girl in my arms.  She has been teasing and teasing me with contractions and other non-appropriate blog pregnancy topics... so jokes on her, she is coming out soon! I have been in full nesting mood, near to the point of pure crazy.  I pee practically every hour in the night, where all this urine comes from in the middle night, I will never understand.  John says I snore. I don't believe him. Swelling has gone down a tad bit, not full cankles like in March.  Got one last doc appointment on Friday and then the party starts Monday night at 8pm!!! 

Last ultrasound

I can't believe we have reached the point where it's almost time to see Natalee face to face, not on a ultrasound screen :)  We have graduated from the high risk doctor and only going to my normal OB from here on out.  Last week at 35 weeks, ultrasound indicated Natalee weighed 5.1 lbs.  In theory, she should gain 1/2 lb each week until delivery.  That was NOT the case for Ben, so we'll see what she decides to do. (In case you don't remember, Ben weighed 5lbs 11oz at full term, actually a day late... but we believe that all relates to my gene disorder with the folic acid).

I've been experiencing full on contractions throughout this week (obviously non are consistent) and intense pain from her hitting my sciatic nerve. At my 36 week appointment yesterday, I was dilated to a 1...  still set to induce on April 23rd, which is little over 2 weeks away!!!!

Home Stretch

35 weeks in....
- - Swelling, oh the swelling. Hands, feet and ankles specifically. For sure did not happen with Ben, at least not this early on. Maybe it's this pesky thing called humidity... in March.... come on Oklahoma weather!
- - Heartburn pushed aside thanks to Prevacid
- - How much lower can this baby get?! So much different than Ben, who was all up in my ribs the last trimester
- - Craving every unhealthy food imaginable. I limit myself to a Dr. Pepper a day but honestly think I could chug them all day. Or eat the entire bag of mini oreo's.  So bizarre to me that I'm still loving chocolate milk. Pretty much every night at dinner I drink  1 or 2 large cups.
- - Little girl gets the hiccups each time after I eat and lets face it, that's alot these days, so these hiccups are getting really annoying.
- - total weight gained.... 30 lbs so far. 30 lbs was my goal for this pregnancy. failed!  I stopped going to the gym at 33 weeks, walking longer than  required is just too dang uncomfortable with her resting where she is.  I really think walking up until I did, has helped with the leg cramps, which there have been very few. 
- - Natalee is extremely active. But I'm okay with that, reassurance she is okay in there. Normally she doesn't wake up and start really moving until 8 or so (with me getting up at 5:30).  At 31 weeks, lil miss weighed in at 3.5 lbs.  She was so smushed in there, there were no good pictures snapped of her. She got an 8 out of 8 on the ultrasound testing, looking so healthy!
- - I'm still experiencing lots of braxton hicks.  If this was my 1st time around, I'd be freaking out with all these contractions, but thankfully (or not) I know what a REAL contraction feels like and it ain't these. 

hello there is a baby in my belly!

Sprinkle for Natalee

With this being my 2nd child but a girl.... my friends wanted to host a "sprinkle" for me and Natalee :) My friends did a wonderful job hosting as always!  I was completely blown away by all the love for this little girl and she isn't even here yet! It was so much fun to see our closest friends and family, we are VERY thankful to have each one in our lives. We ended the night at my aunt and uncles house, where Ben and Wyatt (my cousin's little boy) had a strong man contest seeing who could lift the playhouse box the longest. It was a fantastic Saturday!

Clothesline of the sweetest clothes for Natalee from the hostesses

My family!

Me and 3 of my very best friends!

Ben with his 2nd cousins... had to bribe him with a cupcake to get him to sit still, as usual...

Natalee is one lucky lil lady!