Just some different pictures of our little lady!
Monday, August 19, 2013
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
World: Say hello to Rebecca Cole!
Welp, it happened. Our beautiful little lady arrived Saturday July 27th at 11:56 pm. She came weighing in at a whopping 8 lbs 13 oz and measured 21 inches long. It was one of the most painful yet fulfilling experiences of my life. For anybody who cares...here's a Reader's Digest version of how it all went down...
My mom flew in on the 25th and that evening, after having a delicious sandwich from Firehouse, I drank some caster oil in hopes to get things moving. Well, contractions started around midnight and I may have gone into serious labor if I would have done some walking. But, I didn't. So I was awake most of the night with mild contractions and then in the morning (when I DID start walking), they began to die down. Total bummer! So...caster oil round 2 came. Few hours later, contractions started up again. They were coming about every 4-5 minutes, but not quite hard enough yet. We were tired of waiting for things to happen though, so we headed into the hospital. I was only at 2 cm and they wouldn't break my water to get things going because there was still a little space between her head and the cervix and breaking the water could cause some problems, which obviously we didn't want. So the Doc gave me some pain medicine so I could get some sleep and sent me packing. Just in case anybody was wondering, it is now Friday evening (the 26th) which was my due date. So, Saturday morning comes and we start another round of walking. Around noon, my water broke. Now when I say my water broke, I mean it was the "I peed a little" kind of water breaking not the huge gush. So we call the doctor and they say to come in once contractions start up again or in 12 hours if no contractions have started. A few hours pass....nothing so of course, we start caster oil round 3. Yes...I drank that stuff 3 times (if we are going to be technical, I drank it 4 times because I threw it up the first try for round 2). Around 6:30, a little more "I peed a little" water breaking so I go on a walk and then some serious contractions start. So when I got home I took a shower and we headed to hospital! We got there around 8 and by then I was having serious contractions. They were getting way more intense and were mostly in my lower back...which was absolutely horrid. I hadn't really decided on pain medication yet, and when the nurses asked what I wanted to do I told them I wanted whatever would bring some relief the fastest. So within the next hour the epidural was administered and it was in just the nick of time because I was about ready to tell everybody where they could go. :) The baby's heart rate started to get a little low during contractions so they put me on oxygen to try and raise her heart rate, which worked. While checking me one time, the doctor accidentally broke the rest of my water. Around 11:40 I started pushing and about 15 minutes later our little lady was here! Which I was really happy about because I like 7/27 better than 7/28.
When they laid her on my chest right after birth, I remember just staring at her and thinking, "oh my gosh...that's my baby!" She was so beautiful and I realized at that moment that all the pain, frequent potty breaks, weight gain, and any other undesired things that happened to make that beautiful baby was worth it. A whole new kind of love was born and I felt a rush of gratitude that the Lord blessed us with such a wonderful miracle. We were discharged from the hospital Monday afternoon and have enjoyed being at home! We were lucky to have both Benn's mom and my mom there with us. My mom stayed through the end of the week and I have no idea what I would have done without all the love and support given.
Being a new mom is definitely challenging. I find myself facing fears that I've never faced before. I'm so worried about being the best mom for my little girl that I have to remind myself to cherish these moments with her. She is already 10 days old and I've realized that she will never be this little baby again. In a matter of months I won't be getting up in the middle of the night to take care of her and as wonderful as that sounds, I have a feeling that part of me will miss it. That might sound a little crazy, but sleeping through the night means she is getting growing up and she won't stop growing up. There is nothing I can do to stop it and some day I'll be going to visit her as her and her husband prepare to have their first baby. So I've decided to try to stop being so worried about how I'm doing and take time to enjoy this precious new baby I have because sooner than I know, she'll be all grown up!
Here are some pictures from the labor/delivery as well as the few days following. We attempted a little photo shoot so I put those up as well. ENJOY!
My mom flew in on the 25th and that evening, after having a delicious sandwich from Firehouse, I drank some caster oil in hopes to get things moving. Well, contractions started around midnight and I may have gone into serious labor if I would have done some walking. But, I didn't. So I was awake most of the night with mild contractions and then in the morning (when I DID start walking), they began to die down. Total bummer! So...caster oil round 2 came. Few hours later, contractions started up again. They were coming about every 4-5 minutes, but not quite hard enough yet. We were tired of waiting for things to happen though, so we headed into the hospital. I was only at 2 cm and they wouldn't break my water to get things going because there was still a little space between her head and the cervix and breaking the water could cause some problems, which obviously we didn't want. So the Doc gave me some pain medicine so I could get some sleep and sent me packing. Just in case anybody was wondering, it is now Friday evening (the 26th) which was my due date. So, Saturday morning comes and we start another round of walking. Around noon, my water broke. Now when I say my water broke, I mean it was the "I peed a little" kind of water breaking not the huge gush. So we call the doctor and they say to come in once contractions start up again or in 12 hours if no contractions have started. A few hours pass....nothing so of course, we start caster oil round 3. Yes...I drank that stuff 3 times (if we are going to be technical, I drank it 4 times because I threw it up the first try for round 2). Around 6:30, a little more "I peed a little" water breaking so I go on a walk and then some serious contractions start. So when I got home I took a shower and we headed to hospital! We got there around 8 and by then I was having serious contractions. They were getting way more intense and were mostly in my lower back...which was absolutely horrid. I hadn't really decided on pain medication yet, and when the nurses asked what I wanted to do I told them I wanted whatever would bring some relief the fastest. So within the next hour the epidural was administered and it was in just the nick of time because I was about ready to tell everybody where they could go. :) The baby's heart rate started to get a little low during contractions so they put me on oxygen to try and raise her heart rate, which worked. While checking me one time, the doctor accidentally broke the rest of my water. Around 11:40 I started pushing and about 15 minutes later our little lady was here! Which I was really happy about because I like 7/27 better than 7/28.
When they laid her on my chest right after birth, I remember just staring at her and thinking, "oh my gosh...that's my baby!" She was so beautiful and I realized at that moment that all the pain, frequent potty breaks, weight gain, and any other undesired things that happened to make that beautiful baby was worth it. A whole new kind of love was born and I felt a rush of gratitude that the Lord blessed us with such a wonderful miracle. We were discharged from the hospital Monday afternoon and have enjoyed being at home! We were lucky to have both Benn's mom and my mom there with us. My mom stayed through the end of the week and I have no idea what I would have done without all the love and support given.
Being a new mom is definitely challenging. I find myself facing fears that I've never faced before. I'm so worried about being the best mom for my little girl that I have to remind myself to cherish these moments with her. She is already 10 days old and I've realized that she will never be this little baby again. In a matter of months I won't be getting up in the middle of the night to take care of her and as wonderful as that sounds, I have a feeling that part of me will miss it. That might sound a little crazy, but sleeping through the night means she is getting growing up and she won't stop growing up. There is nothing I can do to stop it and some day I'll be going to visit her as her and her husband prepare to have their first baby. So I've decided to try to stop being so worried about how I'm doing and take time to enjoy this precious new baby I have because sooner than I know, she'll be all grown up!
Here are some pictures from the labor/delivery as well as the few days following. We attempted a little photo shoot so I put those up as well. ENJOY!
I think we did pretty good on our photo shoot :)
Benn and Rebecca just a few minutes after birth
Benn and Rebecca on day 2
Eyes wide open!
She did this with her little fingers one time while breast feeding
All strapped into her car seat for the very first time on our way home from the hospital. Not sure if she likes it...
Rebecca and I getting ready to head home!
My mom and I after the epidural...notice I'm smiling. :)
Right after the birth
Benn LOVES to hold her while she's sleeping
She has some great poses! This is after she ate one night.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Less than 2 weeks...and slightly terrified
So the other day as Benn and I are talking about how excited we are for our new little girl to almost be here, I realized that I am also slightly terrified. I mean...in so many ways I still feel like a kid myself and realizing that in a less than 2 weeks I will officially be a mom just seems so surreal. I find myself worrying if I have enough clothes and if I got the right kind of bottles and just so many other weird random things. Then I realized that the worrying will never go away. I will worry about this girl for the rest of my life. Obviously the worries I have will change as she grows and new children come into our family, but the worries will always be there. And that...ladies and gentleman, is terrifying to me!
A day or so after having all of these realizations, Benn and I had interview with the Stake Presidency to renew our temple recommends. The man that did my interview couldn't help but notice my rather large belly (no surprise there!), so naturally we talked a little about the new baby. I mentioned some of the realizations that I had the previous day and he offered some wonderful council. As I left the Stake building, I felt such comfort and peace. I felt an over-whelming gratitude for a Heavenly Father that hears and understands my worries and fears. I realized how grateful I am for the ability and privilege to hold a recommend to the house of the Lord where I can go to find comfort and peace for all those fears and worries. I have the wonderful opportunity to spend time in that beautiful building and receive answers and guidance on so many different obstacles that I currently face and will face in the future. What a wonderful blessing in these terrifying times!
So while yes, I am terrified about this new chapter in our lives, I am also comforted. I'm comforted to know that I'm never alone. I have a wonderful husband, amazing family and friends, and a loving Heavenly Father who is aware of me. Who could ask for more?
A day or so after having all of these realizations, Benn and I had interview with the Stake Presidency to renew our temple recommends. The man that did my interview couldn't help but notice my rather large belly (no surprise there!), so naturally we talked a little about the new baby. I mentioned some of the realizations that I had the previous day and he offered some wonderful council. As I left the Stake building, I felt such comfort and peace. I felt an over-whelming gratitude for a Heavenly Father that hears and understands my worries and fears. I realized how grateful I am for the ability and privilege to hold a recommend to the house of the Lord where I can go to find comfort and peace for all those fears and worries. I have the wonderful opportunity to spend time in that beautiful building and receive answers and guidance on so many different obstacles that I currently face and will face in the future. What a wonderful blessing in these terrifying times!
So while yes, I am terrified about this new chapter in our lives, I am also comforted. I'm comforted to know that I'm never alone. I have a wonderful husband, amazing family and friends, and a loving Heavenly Father who is aware of me. Who could ask for more?
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
32 weeks and FAMILY!!
So...first...here is a 32 weeks picture! Can't believe we are already this far! In so many ways we feel ready for this little lady to come. And in many other ways, we are terrified! I was trying to go to sleep the other night (which isn't too hard except I swear the minute I fall asleep I wake up with an urge to pee AGAIN), and I thought to myself, "What if my water broke right now?" and I immediately started to panic. I started making a list of all the things that weren't ready yet and I was thinking about how I have talked about and read about what labor and delivery will be like but I realized how no matter all that, I'm still scared because I have never done this before. Unknowns just really aren't my bag...so anyway, looking forward to almost being done with school so I can get to work on my list of 'things to do before our little lady graces us with her presence'!
So the other pictures are of the adventures Benn and I had with my Mom, sister, and Grandma. They came to visit us for a few days and we had a blast with them! We went to Newport, RI to tour 2 of the Newport Mansions, which were awesome! On Sunday we took them to the Boston Temple and me (not thinking about taking pictures) wore my comfy clothes so while everybody else looks classy...i'm rocking pajama pants. :) Monday we walked about 7ish miles all around Boston with the Freedom Trail and ended for a small tour of Benn's school. Our tour guide was one hunk of man! :) (Hopefully everybody realized from that comment that Benn was our guide). It was so great to have family here! Only a little more than 7 weeks we will have one more reason for family and friends to come visit, so bring it on! We love having visitors!
So the other pictures are of the adventures Benn and I had with my Mom, sister, and Grandma. They came to visit us for a few days and we had a blast with them! We went to Newport, RI to tour 2 of the Newport Mansions, which were awesome! On Sunday we took them to the Boston Temple and me (not thinking about taking pictures) wore my comfy clothes so while everybody else looks classy...i'm rocking pajama pants. :) Monday we walked about 7ish miles all around Boston with the Freedom Trail and ended for a small tour of Benn's school. Our tour guide was one hunk of man! :) (Hopefully everybody realized from that comment that Benn was our guide). It was so great to have family here! Only a little more than 7 weeks we will have one more reason for family and friends to come visit, so bring it on! We love having visitors!
The next two pictures are of one of the Newport Mansions we went to. It was called 'The Elms'. Pretty crazy how fancy those houses are! Reminds me of Downton Abbey, so of course I loved it...
The Charles River
They loved the cobble stone roads!
The next two pictures are of where we ate lunch and got desert. We do love our Mike's Pastry! Having visitors gives us an excuse to eat there, as well as try out other new places.
Old North Church is behind us...just wanted to point that out because all I see when I look at this picture is the tacky sweater tied around my waist....ha!
My mom wanted to take a picture with our T passes and the Orange Line sign. :)
Just in case you can't figure it out...here are some pictures of the Boston Temple.
This is a lovely picture of me walking up a super steep hill to get to Bunker Hill...yes...once reaching the top I sat down for a few to catch my breath. I just can't walk like I used to.
So...now that you have seen all the fun that can be had in Boston, who else wants to come visit?! :)
Monday, April 1, 2013
24 weeks
Well, we've just about hit the 24 week mark and the dress I wore to Church on Easter showed off my belly quite nicely so...I had Benn snap a picture. So here it is!
It's weird to look at pictures with this belly poking out. Sometimes I forget that it sticks out like that so looking at pictures is really the only way to convince myself that yes that is what I look like, yes it's great, and yes...in less than 4 months Benn and I will be parents. It's seriously mind blowing at times.
My mom sent an "Idaho Baby Shower in a Box" which was so amazing! Benn hoarded all the presents and surprised me with them when two friends showed up Friday to give complementary 'oohs' and 'ahhs' to all the wonderful gifts friends and family had sent. So here are some pictures of the wonderful things we got! And just want to say thanks to all who put the effort forward. It's so amazing to know that we have people that loves us and remember us even though we are SO FAR AWAY! So thanks everybody, you're amazing.
Easter
It's Easter (or was yesterday)! What a wonderful thing to celebrate that our Savior lives. We had a wonderful church meeting and came home to celebrate the day with each other. Benn found a cool way to decorate eggs so we thought we would practice dying eggs. We thought it was pretty cool...
We decided to try some papers on there too - turned out pretty cool looking
TA DA! The finished eggs. Unfortunately the dye kinda came off when we tried to clean the shaving cream off so...next time we will try something different so we can keep more of the dye on. :)
After our egg dying, we ate a fabulous dinner of ham, overnight (funeral) potatoes, green beans, and rolls. We enjoyed getting to spend time with each other and reflecting on the amazing gift our Savior gave us. We topped the night off with some Easter candy that Benn's mom sent us. Happy Easter all!
Friday, March 15, 2013
BABY!
Well - haven't put this up yet, but Benn and I will be expecting a little baby girl July 26th! We are getting so excited! Just this past week I have started feeling the baby move and Benn has been able to feel it once. It has definitely been the coolest thing about being pregnant so far.
One thing that I have been feeling lately is just how blessed we are. It is very humbling to know that the Lord is going to trust us with one of his spirit children. It makes us want to be so much better than we are knowing that we will have a precious new life to be responsible for.
I remember my mom and other mom's talking about how having your own children changes your idea of what love is - that the love of a mother is one of those things that you can't explain but that you just have to experience. This past week I think I started to feel a little bit of what that is. I have this thing growing and moving inside me and there are so many things that I do or don't do to help keep it safe and growing healthy. It is so precious and I feel like I had a little glimpse what it's like to be a parent and love something so much that I will do anything to keep it safe and healthy. And on top of that, I haven't even seen or held it yet! I can only imagine how much stronger that love will be come July 26th.
One thing that I have been feeling lately is just how blessed we are. It is very humbling to know that the Lord is going to trust us with one of his spirit children. It makes us want to be so much better than we are knowing that we will have a precious new life to be responsible for.
I remember my mom and other mom's talking about how having your own children changes your idea of what love is - that the love of a mother is one of those things that you can't explain but that you just have to experience. This past week I think I started to feel a little bit of what that is. I have this thing growing and moving inside me and there are so many things that I do or don't do to help keep it safe and growing healthy. It is so precious and I feel like I had a little glimpse what it's like to be a parent and love something so much that I will do anything to keep it safe and healthy. And on top of that, I haven't even seen or held it yet! I can only imagine how much stronger that love will be come July 26th.
Here is an ultrasound picture from about 3 weeks ago at 18 weeks. :)
Me with a growing belly - at 21 weeks...over half way!! WOO HOO!
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