Meeting Quinn

I can't believe our baby is 12 days old already!  We are over the moon for our sweet little Quinn.  The love we have for this little blessing is overwhelming to say the least.  Each day with her feels like such a gift and I am just soaking it all in.  Life with a newborn is a major adjustment but we are starting to get the hang of things a little bit more in this second week.  We have been blessed to have my Mom and Matt's mom around to help us out since Quinn came home from the hospital.  I can't stop replaying the whole experience over and over in my head :)

 This pic is from the night before my induction, which turned out to not really be an induction.  I started having contractions at midnight!  I knew it was the real thing this time (definitely felt more painful than the false labor pains I  had been experiencing the week before).  I figured I would just lay in my nice comfy bed instead of rushing to the hospital.  It would only be a few hours until I had to get up to be there at 4 am for our scheduled induction anyway! 

 The contractions started to intensify shortly after the midwife broke my water.  This picture was AFTER the epidural  (my sister very accurately said it feels like being in a tanning bed).  haha--Yes, I got the juice and I am NOT ashamed ;)  It would have been  looonggg day without it.  I spent most of the afternoon eating lemon jello and ice, resting, and hanging out with my Matt and my parents.

 Of course, my Dad was snooping around and looking at all of the equipment. hah

 At about 3:00 pm the doctor said I was fully dilated and ready to push.  We couldn't believe the moment had actually come...it took a little while before I actually started pushing though because apparently there was another patient who was also ready to push at the same time as me!  So, we waited patiently, and then after an hour and a half of pushing our healthy little girl made her way into the world at 5:35 pm!

 A full head of beautiful brown hair and a bright pink face!  We were in awe.

 Birth weight: 7 lbs. 13 oz.

Height: 20 "

 The night after Quinn's birth was a blur. I have never felt so physically exhausted, and I was also recovering from a small fever.  So, it was nice to get some rest and be able to spend some quality time with her when woke up early the next morning.  It's funny how you totally forget about yourself with a baby.  It was a challenge for me to just remember to put in my contacts!  I was SO distracted by everything else! 

 Proud Papa and GiGi

 Family of 3!

 Sweet daddy-daughter moment

 

 

 Lovely gifts from family :)

 You can never take too many pictures of your baby!

 

 Meeting Grandma and Grandpa McCauley via facetime.

 We made it home Sunday night.  I was definitely nervous about leaving the hospital...I wanted to take the nurses with us!  Luckily, we came home to a flowers, balloons, and a warm homemade meal by Gigi.  I was so relieved to have her there!  Plus, we were starving!  haha The first night at home was a blur.  We didn't get a lot of sleep with nursing and jumping at every little noise Quinn made.  You learn all of your baby's little noises very quickly, and now I can sleep soundly without constantly worrying about her throughout the night...or maybe I am just that tired..not sure hehe.  It's worth every minute of lost sleep though!  We love her so much!!!

Introducing Quinn Marie

She is finally here and we are totally in love!  Many more pictures to come :)

Quinn Marie

7 lbs. 13 oz.

20"

40+ weeks...it's not like the movies

The end is finally in sight!  It is definitely bittersweet.  Tomorrow I will be induced and we will finally get to meet our sweet little girl!  I am a little sad that this is the end of a phase in our lives.  But, I am also looking forward to all of the exciting phases ahead!  I think being 5 days overdue has also made me a little more excited to move on to the next phase :) I am so thankful that my parents were here this week to keep me distracted during the waiting game (shopping and pedicures have done the trick quite nicely!).  If there is one thing that I have learned this week it is that ultimately I have NO CONTROL over how or when the baby comes.  The Lord always knows what is best for me and I am learning to surrender to Him daily.  I guess it was good to get a head start on this lesson because I don't think it will end here!  Anyhow, stay tuned for a birth announcement and please keep us in your prayers over the next week!

 

To keep you entertained until I have time to update my blog again, here are pictures of the nursery!

 

My sister made this blanket to match our nursery :)  I love it!

 

                            

I have been living out of my hospital bag for over a week so that it was ready to go at anytime.  haha  No need to worry about that anymore!



 

Ready to POP!

Monday was my first day of maternity leave, and I am guessing that my students forgot that I wasn't coming back after the holiday break.  Hoping things are going well, but school is honestly the last thing on my mind!  I am ready to get this baby girl out!  We had an ultrasound two weeks ago, and everything looks good.  She looked pretty smooshed in there!  The tech said that she estimated her weight to be at 8 lbs.!  My doctor couldn't believe it and I'm pretty skeptical myself, but we shall see.  We could also see about an inch of hair on her head!  The appointment got us really excited to meet our little girl.  :)

I wasn't going to post a picture of me this far along, but I have been posting updates on my entire pregnancy so it didn't seem right to leave out the end!

So, what have I been doing to stay distracted?  Everything is pretty much done at this point and I am just taking each day as it comes.  The last thing that I really wanted to get done before the baby comes was to get our house cleaned and to get my toe nails painted pink :)  I have never had my house cleaned by someone else but I HIGHLY reccomend it to anyone at the end of their pregnancy.  Usually I enjoy cleaning but at the point it is physically too difficult to give our place a deep clean.  Also, I must add that I now get why my Mom always had us "clean" before the cleaning lady came.  They need to be able to clean underneath the clutter!  haha  I have also been doing lots of walking/streteching, sewing, running small errands, walking more, and trying to relax while I still can...the clock is ticking! 

As of yesterday's appointment, I am scheduled to be induced on the 18th!  Obviously, I hope I can go into labor naturally but I was aware the inductions are pretty common for first time moms.  My due date is tomorrow but I have a feeling we won't be meeting this little girl until next Friday.  She must be pretty cozy in there.  Luckily, my parents just go into town so they can keep me distracted until her arrival!  I'll keep you posted!

Welcome 2013

 

Happy New Year AND Happy 3 Year Anniversary to my hubby!  We have had a lot to celebrate lately!  We spent our New Year's Eve with dinner and a movie.  We were told by many to go to the movies (Parental Guidance-it's really cute!) before the baby comes because we won't do it for a while after her arrival.  It was a low key evening and the perfect way to celebrate.  We also pulled out our anniversary envelope where we write down what we did in the past year and what we hope for in the next.  I think one of the things on the top of both of our lists is to be "good parents."  :) Which leads me into my next story...

 

Last night we were sitting around and Matt said a few times, "Have you seen Beacon? (our cat)"  I kind of just ignored him, assuming Beacon must have been asleep on a chair somewhere.  Then, before we went off to bed Matt went outside to cover the grill and found Beacon on the patio chair outside!  He must have been there for a few hours--since dinner, we figured!  I felt so guilty!  What kind of pet owner am I?!  haha  I know its kind of funny and just another story to add to the many about our cat.  However, it started a small panic inside me. 

 

What happens if I am feeding or burping the baby wrong?  What if I swaddle her wrong, or she gets sick and I don't realize it soon enough?!  It really could go on FOREVER.  I became extremely aware last night of how miserable I could become if I allow worry and doubt to consume me everytime I have to make a mommy decision.  I am sure a lot of parents do live like that.  Worrying, obsessing, and trying to always be "super mom."  Well last night I gave up the idea of trying to be "super mom" before I even really had the chance to try.  Perfection is not going to happen and I am sure becoming a mom will be a very humbling experience (It kinda already is...I am reminded everytime I look down and see my puffy toes! haha).  I was reminded this morning, "to seek first his kingdom and righteousness (Matthew 6:33).  One of my resolutions for this year is to resist comparing myself to others and seek His kingdom FIRST.  I know that my heart will only be satisfied if I am obeying God's will for me, and that has nothing to do with what the world expects of me.  He is the boss and He will provide me with strength and wisdom I need for each day!

 

Happy New Year to you!  I hope you were able to take some time to be quiet and reflect as we enter 2013!