Update and Pictures (finally)

Finally, an update. I finished my last final tonight and instead of taking care of other things I need to get done I decided to finally post some pictures. Warning, there are quite a few.

3 hours before we went to the hospital on October 13th.

My due date was Friday, October 16th, but at my checkup on Tuesday the 13th the doctor stripped my membranes. I also ate the "Pregnancy Pizza" on Monday from Trio Cafe, the combination of ingredients are supposed to induce labor (probably just made to give you the runs and labor is a side effect). So whether it was the pizza (which was very tasty) or the stripping I don't know.
After the doctor's appointment I started getting cramps and as the day went on the cramps just got longer and more regular. I was very confused because I hadn't really had any Braxton Hicks contractions before and the pain was different from what everyone told me labor pains would feel like. Also, Ethan was still moving around quite a bit. So, I called the hospital around 7:00pm and talked to a nurse. She told me that I should wait until contractions are 3-5 minutes apart or the pain is so bad I can't talk through them. She also told me that because I could feel the baby moving it probably wasn't real labor but that it might be a sign it would happen soon. During the next hour the pains kept getting worse and closer and closer together.
When we got to the hospital at 8:00, the contractions were 2-3 minutes apart. The nurse didn't know if they were going to keep me (I hadn't dilated further than I was at my appointment that morning, a 3, and the baby was still moving) and so I had to wait till a resident could come check me out (everyone had been called on emergencies so no one was available). They told me I had about an hour so I decided to walk around the hospital. We got down the hall just around the corner from my room and the contractions got 1 minute apart and very intense (I had to stop in every room to sit down on our way back until I finally decided to book it and practically jogged the last 45 feet).
Finally, at 9:30 they decided I was going to stay for sure (I wouldn't have left anyways). They put the monitors on my stomach to track the contractions and check the baby's heart beat. My contractions were so intense that they would go off the chart. Also, they had to keep moving the baby's monitor because he kept moving (he moved clear up until he was born).
Around 10:00 I decided I wanted an epidural because I just didn't have enough time to relax between contractions, and I was having a hard time being nice. Of course, the anesthesiologist had been called on an emergency and wouldn't be available for a while. Finally, around 11:30 he was available, but it took a while because he kept having to stop to wait for my contractions (he kept asking the nurse how far along I was because it seemed like it was too late) and while he had the needle in my back I had a huge contraction (off the chart again), but thankfully I was able to stay still. After the epidural had been put in place Sam and I took a nap (the anesthesiologist gave me an increased dose so I was feeling good).
Around 3:00am I woke up because I could feel the contractions pretty good and some intense pelvic pressure, but I was still able to sleep off an on until 6:00. For some reason only one side of me was getting the effects of the epidural, the nurses kept trying to tilt me back and forth to help redistribute the medicine but it didn't work, but it was okay because I only had to feel half a contraction. Finally I was to 10 and ready to go, but my water wouldn't break.
A resident broke my water sometime close to 7:00; it took her quite a while and she said that the sac was very tough. They had me start pushing, the doctor showed up, and Ethan was born at just about 8:00. The nurses told me that if I could stand it, not to push the button for the epidural so I could feel to push, so I didn't and I was able to feel almost everything to push. They kept trying to get me to relax and not push all the time when we were waiting for the doctor, but I wasn't about to prolong things so I just kept pushing.

The pictures of Ethan were supposed to be from birth to now, but instead they are now to birth (if you want to see him grow just scroll up from the bottom).

Ethan is snuggling his cousin Taylor. She has a baby brother about 3 weeks older than Ethan.

Meeting Grandma and Grandpa Gleason for the first time. Don't worry, he really does like them.

guy smiley

Ethan has been super smiley lately and we have loved it. More pictures and updates to come, all our pictures are on our other computer and I should be able to get to them in a couple of days.

He's Here!

Ethan was born on Wednesday, October 14th. He was 7 lbs 9 oz and 19 inches long. We are all doing good, tired, but good. More to come later!

Baby Room

The box the crib came in was huge! They told us at the store we would need a truck and they weren't joking.


I had no idea how one person could carry the box alone, but Sam wouldn't let me help him. At least he was nice enough to stop for a picture.


Just more proof that the box was huge (I'm 5'7"). We had to take out the pieces and carry them separately down stairs.

Out of the box and all put together.

This is the way cute bedding my mom gave me at the family shower.

Here's another shot of the crib with matching curtains. We have a rocking chair about the same color as the crib that I'm planning on putting underneath the window.

We were having a hard time deciding on what to do with all the baby clothes and stuff. But, we randomly went into Shopko one day and found this closet/organizer; it normally costs $140 but we hit a great sale and got it for $50. I would have preferred a darker color (closer to the color of the crib), but I'm okay with lighter wood since we got such a great deal.

He just doesn't understand

When Sam came inside after turning the sprinklers on he was so shocked by what I was eating that he had to take a picture. But he doesn't understand, this is not just a pregnancy craving, I used to have this all the time, just never when he was home because I knew he'd get grossed out.



What was I eating? Vanilla ice cream with peanut butter, jet puff, and raisins. The jet puff was a new add, but I thought it would be good and it was.

Sam was thoroughly grossed out by the raisins; to him I defiled ice cream, but I love it.

Dr Pepper

I absolutely love Dr Pepper, but you aren't supposed to have caffeine when you are pregnant so I gave it up. I have been dying for a Dr Pepper for over 7 months but haven't been able to find any of the caffeine free stuff but this Saturday when we came home there was a box of Caffeine Free Dr Pepper on our doorstep. It's not the diet stuff either, which (despite what anyone says) tastes different; it's all the Dr Pepper goodness without the caffeine and it tastes just the same! A couple in our ward found it when they were grocery shopping and got some for me. I was so excited when I saw it that I nearly cried (nearly, I was too busy trying to open the box and get a can out). This was seriously one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me! Thank you!

Baby Bump

I have had a few requests to post a picture of my pregnant stomach, so here you go. Don't mind the hair, it has been too hot to use a blow dryer, so most days it just gets to do whatever it wants.

It's a...

For anyone who doesn't know...we are having a boy! We have known for a while, I just haven't been into blogging. Anyways, we are way excited because we both secretly wanted our oldest to be a boy. I hadn't really felt one way or another about what I thought we were having but kind of wondered if it was a boy because the pregnancy has been pretty easy (besides for the whole not liking Cafe Rio thing).

The bookstore, what a ripoff!

I went to the university bookstore today to sell back my books and try to salvage some of the money I spent for them. This semester I spent $350 on books and the bookstore wanted to buy them back for $27. I was so shocked that I had to ask if that was a total. Then, to top it off, when I said that I would just keep them, the lady looked at me as if I had personally offended her. How rude!

We are in!

Wahoo! We are in! Actually we moved into the new house last Saturday, so thanks everyone for helping us move, it was a great birthday present. Pictures will be coming soon, I'm still trying to find things.

Big Announcements

We are buying a house!!! No, not this one, but close, just the Rose Park version. We are closing tomorrow and then will be moving as soon as possible (carrying things downstairs should be easier than it was going up).



And...we are having a BABY!!! Due: October 16th.

Mmm...Soup!

I have never made homemade soup before so this was big for me (but it turned out to be quite easy). Soup just sounded good and I found a recipe in my favorite cookbook "Fix-It and Enjoy-It" by Phyllis Pellman Good (same lady who does the Fix-It and Forget-It cookbooks for slow cookers) and despite not having gone grocery shopping for quite some time, I actually had all the ingredients (except for celery so I just left it out). But even without the celery it was very yummy.



I was in a hurry to get it finished before Sam left for work so I just moved things I was done with out of the way and now have a mess and yes, that is a Chinese food leftover box, but since I ate its contents for lunch it was serving as a small portable garbage.

Red Boots

These are the red boots Sam bought me for Christmas, I absolutely love them! I said I would post a picture, so here you go...

School started again on January 12th and because there haven't been any major assignments it is still fun and exciting. Although, I was quite frustrated today because I had a political science class that went right through the inauguration. Can you believe it? Of all classes, a class on politics didn't even cancel so we could watch the new president get sworn into office. Although, my acting class which starts at 10:45 (after the important part was over) was cancelled due to the inauguration. Oh well, I was still able to watch the whole thing online later. I must admit it was pretty exciting, however I wish the public was this excited for every new member of office.

Anyways, I just wanted to show off what I was able to do with the gift I received at the Gleason Christmas Party. Actually, I tried to go away with some light-up Santa slippers, but apparently Phil didn't want to paint his nails.