Preschool and Gabriel

  Tyler had his first day of preschool.  He's going to preschool at Jump Up Gymnastics.  I really wanted him to go to preschool at my friends preschool, but the time just didn't work out for naptime for Isaac.  Brady was really mad at me since that's where he went to preschool and he wanted Tyler to go there too.  This preschool is three hours a day twice a week and they do 45 minutes of gymnastics during each class period.  Tyler's as excited about it as I am!

 

It was so nice only having one kid at home, really nice since he took a nap.  I had almost three hours of quiet.  It was amzing.  After preschool we picked up the rest of the kids from school.  You can see them running towards the car in the back window.  Tyler's been counting down the days until he got to go again.  He already loves it.  I'm so glad!

 

The other day when we were walking home from walking the kids to school, we passed some morning glory, the real flower kind, not the weed kind.  Tyler asked me if it honked in the morning.  A little perplexed, I said no.  He said, "Oh.  Only in Tinkerbell then."  I've never actually watched the movie.  Apparently the flowers honk in the morning.

We were outside one afternoon and he saw a man up the street.  The man was older and a quite a bit overweight.  He said to me, "Look at that fat man."  Then he paused for a second and asked, "Is that Uncle John?"  It was quite funny.  Uncle John is one of their favorite uncles because he wrestles and tickles them and usually throws them on the couch a few times.  Tyler also likes to "punch his belly."

Isaac has been picking up words like crazy.  He repeats all kinds of things.  Tyler loves to sit and tell him to say words like eyeball.  He laughs and laughs when he repeats them.  One of Isaac's more popular phrases is "dang it."  One day he was throwing a ball at the couch over and over.  Ever time he would say dang it.  I'm not sure what he was trying to do but it wasn't working out. 

We live pretty close to the train tracks so you can see the trains from our house.  The new commuter train, the Frontrunner has been doing a lot of practice runs.  Every time it goes by, the kids yell "Frontrunner!" and run outside to see it.  So now even Isaac says Frontrunner.  Of course it's much cuter when he says it.  It's more like "Funt-nunna."

One of my favorite things he says is "funny."  If you tickle him or he laughs at something, he'll sigh and say, "funny."  It's just too adorable.

Here's a couple more belly pictures to enjoy.  I'm 38 1/2 weeks in this picture.  Lance has just had too much Mountain Dew.

























Tyler's first day of preschool was Thursday and I was due Thursday so I was a little worried he'd be missing it. Fortunately Gabe decided to wait until Friday morning to make his appearance. I had contractions all day Thursday. They weren't labor contractions but they were stronger than Braxton Hicks so I figured we were getting close.  Around 10:30pm when I decided to go to bed since I'd been waiting all day for them to get serious and it wasn't happening, they got real.  Around 1:30 am they were about 5-6 minutes apart so I decided it was time to go to the hospital.  I always think I'm going to stay at home as long as possible, but then I get paranoid that I'll end up having a baby in my bathtub or something. 

I had Lance take one last belly picture.

 

This time around I really wanted to not have any drugs.   I had pitocin with two of my babies and it was awful.  (I was super tempted to get induced before September 1st just so this baby didn't miss the deadline for school.)  I didn't need pitocin for Isaac and labor was so much easier and better.  I didn't really want to get the epidural with Isaac, but Lance threatened he'd go out in the waiting room if I didn't.  So I gave in and got it before they broke my water since labor intensifies after that.  I'm not a fan of epidurals either.  It's great not feeling pain, but I hate being completely numb for so long.  With Brady I was incredibly numb.  I couldn't feel a thing or move my legs at all.  About the same with Tyler even though I told the anesthesiologist I didn't want to be so numb.  The one I had with Isaac was better.  Only one leg was completely numb, but I still couldn't feel pressure or anything but it wore off quicker.  My ideal epidural just wasn't happening. 

 

I'd heard about hypnobirthing before but hadn't ever looked into it, so I decided I'd look into it this time.  I wish it had a different name because everyone kind of looks at you like your crazy when you say "hypnobirthing."  It's more about self-relaxation then the traditional idea of hypnosis.  I didn't want an epidural but I didn't want to be screaming either.  Anyway, I borrowed the book from a friend and attended two classes with another friend when her husband couldn't go with her.  There was no way I could fit classes into Lance's schedule though.  There's a guided relaxation cd that comes with the book that I listened to almost every day.  The book is really a good book.  It talks about the history of birthing and how the idea of it being so incredibly painful has become a part of our culture when it doesn't have to be that way.  I won't go into the whole thing, but it's worth reading.

 

Anyway, when I got to the hospital I was at 5+ cm.  It seemed I was always just over whatever number, but not quite the next when the checked me.  The week before I was 2+.  That day at my appointment I had been 3+.  At 6am when they checked me I was 6+.  At 8am, I was 7+.  It was kind of funny.  Since I've had a c-section I have to be continually monitored, which is why I always think I'm going to stay home as long as possible.  Being on the monitors means I can't walk around as easily or get in the shower or tub.  The first nurse did say she could get the monitor thing that allows you to walk around, but never really seemed like she wanted to and didn't come back in until 6am.  Lance pretty much slept on the couch as much as he could.  I laid on the bed with my eyes closed most of the time.  I think I almost drifted off to sleep a couple of times before a contraction would bring my back to reality.  They were between 2-5 minutes apart and lasted between 30-60 seconds.  In the past I've always tried to fight the pain.  This time I had learned to just relax and let it be.  I did track and cross country in high school and a little running since then and I compared it to that.  I knew that if I was running up a hill, I could do it even when it hurt and eventually the pain goes away.  That really helped.  At 6am we got a new nurse.  She was really nice and helpful.    She'd had a baby without drugs as well.  She got the thing set up so I could walk around.  It was nice to walk around.  The contractions weren't as strong and it helped to let gravity do some work.

 

I've seen my doctor for the last four of my pregnancies.  He's never delivered a single baby!  With Chloe, I ended up at the hospital in Provo (my water broke early, I was on hospital bed rest, she was breech, c-section) so I saw a different doctor.  Tyler was born on a Saturday and he wasn't on call.  Isaac was born on a Wednesday and if he's on call on the weekend, he takes Wednesdays off.  This time, he was there when I came in, so Lance got to meet him for the first time, but was off around 7am.  Anyway, the next doctor wanted to break my water since I was almost 8cm.  I was pretty hesitant since I knew that would intensify things, but since that usually means speed things up, I agreed.  

 

My nurse also showed us how to use some counter pressure by pushing against my knees with my knees bent.  I had Lance do that during contractions.   I think he liked knowing what do to help.  After about half an hour the nurse kept asking me if I felt like I was ready to push.  His heart rate dropped a couple of times during contractions, which I knew is fairly normal but is a reason for concern so they were anxious to get him out.  I didn't feel ready to push so they checked me and I was at 9+, of course.  They decided to just have me start pushing while the doctor had his hand up in my business to help get the cervix out of the way so his head could move down.  His head also wasn't quite in the right position so he was also trying to fix that.  That was pretty annoying to say the least.  Otherwise the pushing wasn't too bad.  There was some grunting, but no screaming.

I've had three episiotomies, so I pretty much planned on another as much as I hoped there wouldn't be one.  I was a little concerned about that, but my doctor had told me he would do some local anesthesia first if he needed to do one.  I've also heard crowning referred to as the "ring of fire" so I didn't imagine that to be too fun.  I really didn't think it was that bad.  It wasn't unimaginable pain like I had prepared myself to feel.  It was definitely uncomfortable, but didn't last long at all.  Even when the doctor did the episiotomy (with no local) it didn't hurt.  I'm not sure how to explain it.  When Gabe came out he had the cord around his neck one time.  They put him directly on my belly which was nice.  It was pretty amazing.  I was really hot right after he was born then I started getting shaky, which I always do.  Had I known he was going to be almost 9 lbs, I probably would not have been as determined to go without an epidural.  I thought he'd be closer 8 lbs even if he was a little over. 

  

 

 Gabe pooped all over everything, the blanket on my belly, the scale, the warmer. He made quite the mess. I was just glad he saved it for after he was born.  He was really calm and quiet.  He hardly cried at all. 

 

I would defintely do it again without an epidural and wish I'd had more without.  It was so nice to get up right away and move around.  I got to shower when I wanted to.  So far my recovery has been pretty easy.  That could be because it's my fifth though, and it defiinitely gets easier.

 

In this picture you can see his giant hands.  Usually newborns look like they have really long fingers.  He has giant palms.  His fingernails were super long too.  When I asked my nurse if they had finger nail clippers in the nursery she said no.  They can't cut their nails.  They can draw blood and give them shots but no fingernail clipping.

 

Gabriel Lance Pearson was born at 9:06 am and weighed 8 lbs 15 oz, 19 and 1/2 long.  Now half of our children are named after their dad.  Mia's middle name is Calen which is the letters in Lance's name rearranged.  Isaac's middle name is Vernon, which is Lance's middle name, as well as his dad's.  And now Gabe's middle name is Lance.  Lance is a very proud dad.  I couldn't decide on anything else I liked better.  It was Lance or no middle name.  So Lance it is.

 

 

Of course all of the kids are thrilled with him, especially Mia.

Brady loves holding him too.  He was really good with Isaac when he was born too.  It's nice having someone big enough to hold him without worrying too much.

 

Tyler was the sweetest and gave him a soft kiss on the head.  He was also the only one who would ever kiss or talk to my belly.  He was pretty excited about him.

 

You can see why I just keep having more kids.  They just keep turning out so cute.

Even Isaac held him for about a minute.  Then he was done.

 

Even though he's almost 9 lbs, he still seems tiny, except for his cheeks.  He has quite a bit of dark hair, but it doesn't compare to Isaac's hair.

 

He wasn't so happy about the car seat at first.

 

Then he just went to sleep.

 

My kids made some signs to welcome us home.

 

Everyone had to hold him after we got home for the hospital.  I love this picture.  Isaac wanted to see him too, but didn't want to be too close.

 

Still watching, not sure what to think.

 

I think I got a normal smile from Brady.  He usually ends up with the cheesiest grins for pictures. 

 

We came home Saturday which also was the same day as a family reunion for Lance's mom's side.  Everyone left for a couple of hours right after we got home.  That was nice.  Later, Aunt Lisa and Uncle John came over to see the baby.

 

John's playing with the maracas from the fish pond.  You can see why the kids like him.

 

Here's Chloe with another prize.

 

And here's a side shot of Gabe's cheeks.  They're very kissable.

 

So far he's been really quiet as long as someone's holding him.  I'm happy to do that as much as possible.  Today he's actually been asleep by himself on our bed for 2 1/2 hours.  I should be sitting around doing nothing, but instead I vacuumed and cleaned bathrooms.  I'll sit around and do nothing later when Tyler's at preschool and Isaac's taking a nap.