One eventful weekend!

We had a lovely weekend!  Starting off with a Kernels game Friday night!  Ellas first baseball game and our 2nd of the year.  We went with Michael's dad, sister, brother in law, and 2 nieces 1 nephew.  We got to be on the Mezzanine (sp?) and have all you can eat and drink!  The only time I really enjoy beer is at a baseball game :)  Got home by 9ish and Ella slept thru the night!!  She was EXHAUSTED! 

Saturday Michael had the day off and played in a softball tournament.  Ella and I went to their second game of the day.  It was fun!  It was a beautiful day and we love being outside!  Ella kept wanting to crawl all over the cement, rocks, and sand and eat every rock... luckily mommy was there so none actually made it to her mouth... we came home and left daddy to play some more and she took a big nap.. which meant I couldn't get much done.  We did go to hyvee with papa though. 

Saturday night I left baby girl and daddy to go to waterloo :)  haven't been there since like last summer!!  I can't believe how much it has changed and that its been 2 years since I graduated!  Miss Mattie was in town visiting so we met up at Kelseys house for the night!  We ate at Becks.. yummy.. got some movies and had some amazing frozen yogurt at some place I'd never heard of.  I got to play with Kels' puppies and itty bitty kitty .. loved it!! and seeing everyone was fun too!  This was the first night I wasn't there to put Ella to bed since shes had a bedtime... like 4-5months.  It was hard for me.. but she did great with daddy and daddy did great also.  And slept thru the night again!!! I got home at about 1215am... for some unknown reason I kept taking the wrong turn or missing my turns completely.. so a drive that should've been 45-50ish minutes was about 1.5hours...........

Sunday Ella and I hung out all day together and it was wonderful!  It also happened to be daddy/Michael's bday!!!  Happy birthday honey!  27.. phew hes old hehe...  he had to work however so it was mommy and ella.  He did have family dinner at night at his parents house.  His dad made beef stroganoff and better than sex cake delicious!!!!!  I had a HUGE piece.. I mean HUGE HUGE!  And I ate it all in like 5 minutes.  We got home at about 9 and Ella slept through the night again! yay!

The real excitement though happened on our way to dinner at his parents.... it was Ella and I and we were driving on the Marion by-pass and we turned onto east post rd and what happens?  a flipping deer runs into my car... literally ran into my car door... first accident with miss ella... scared me to death.  We were all ok.. well the deer didn't even make it off the road but the important ones are safe.  I couldn't believe it!  It was like... boom (I don't remember the noise).. then fur flying all over the car and on me (my window was down... and that I do remember).. then brakes and onto the shoulder... get out of my car with a slightly harder push than usual on my door.. and take out baby ella who was screaming bloody murder but as soon as I opened her door and she saw me she stopped pretty much.

There we have it... an eventful weekend to say the least... oh and sunday morning mattie got into an accident in cedar falls!  Someone failed to understand you can't do a U-Turn when there is a car driving right next to you.. she had to get a rental due to her car no longer drivable.. thank goodness mine still is.. I just have to get in on the passenger door..........

 It hit right by my tire and then proceeded to roll along side my car.. rather than go over or under it...

 See all that fur??  nothing compared to what came in my car...

We are good to go!! 

Hopefully the week will be just as fun as the weekend.. minus a deer dying..

Ella and Daddy

It all started when Ella was first born.. she had Michael wrapped around her tiny, yet long fingers from the start.  It has only increased as she has gotten older and bigger.. now her fingers have rolls!

A couple days ago.. maybe 5 days.  Something happened... 

Ella started to get very very unhappy whenever daddy had her and mommy wasn't around. And I mean very very unhappy.. I've said it before and I'll say it again... Ella doesn't whine or whimper when shes not happy.. she is either happy or not.. therefore.. shes either screaming at the top of her lungs or smiling!  So if daddy is holding her and playing and I run to the kitchen or bathroom or laundry or leave the house all I hear is her screaming and screaming!

I feel bad for Michael because I can tell it hurts him.  It especially hurt one evening when both dogs wanted to be by me too.  At first we thought it was just a bad day and then it was a long day and she didn't get to see mommy much due to work... but then it kept happening.. 

I felt really bad and I was getting irritated because then I had no break.. and you know.. everyone needs a break and all I wanted to do was shower or cook dinner!  Finally we figured out something that kinda worked.. we put her in her jumpy thing and would watch mommy cook while jumping with her jumping and daddy could be there watching and jumping too!  And mommy could even walk away for a few minutes while she jumped!  (Let me tell you.. jumping is hard work!  I was tired and sweating after jumping for like 10 minutes! phew!)

But it never lasted long.. :( 

And daddy still couldn't play with her without her being able to see me.....

this got old pretty fast.. don't get me wrong!  I love being with her... but man I cannot be with her every second of the day.. I get tired!

Finally!  We figured it out!  We started giving her solid food.. brown rice.. late afternoon early evening.  We decided we'd just move up the time!  She's been eating between 330-5 now about 2Tbl of brown rice for maybe 2 days and she has been great.  So who knows!  

Maybe she just loves mommy more ;)

Has anyone had this issue or currently having it?  

Lastly... she tried apples today for breakfast!  And LOVED every bite!  A healthy breakfast of pureed gala apples and some diluted pear juice plus a little bottle.  Can you tell shes a little piggy?

Tomorrow we get her 6month pictures taken and the following Tuesday she gets more shots :(

Enjoy this wonderful day!!!

Holy 4 years!

Today is our anniversary!

We married on May 10, 2008... that's 4 years!!!!!  It has went by sooo fast!

So instead of describing the day we got married or something like that.. I want to write a thank you note to my husband and partly to myself.

Michael, thank you for being with me first of all.  My life wouldn't be the same without you.  Thank you for the time you've spent with me and the future time we have together.  Thank you for forgiving me when I'm grumpy.. and yes bitchy.. and yes hormonal.. and for saying things I don't mean in the heat of the moment.  I've always hoped I would find someone who could take what I give out without a thought.. and still fight back when you know I'm wrong.  It takes a strong person to put with me and I know it is because we love each other.  So thank you for all you have always done to take care of me and our family.  

First it was just you, me and the dog.... and we lived in that tiny house on Grande Ave... I still remember hearing fireworks or gunshots about every other night.. ALL YEAR LONG!  Or remember the time your car got stolen because you left the keys in it and left it unlocked?  How about the time Max jumped out the car window to chase a rabbit you pointed out to him?  My favorite is cuddling on the couch or the bed with Max curled up between us :)

Then there was you, me, the dog, and the little dog.... oh how I didn't enjoy Fresco encroaching on Max's territory.. meaning me.  The longer he stayed with us the more attached I became.  Now he is my dog.. little buddy.. he literally is a little fox dog.  We live in my childhood home.. in a much better neighborhood.. and yet there are still those damned fireworks.  Remember moving here?  It took more than 4 truckloads to just clean out the basement closet of my dads things.. phew!  Remember when I came home from UNI one night and you had tore up the ceramic kitchen floor?  How about when Fresco got out because the door was left open?  We found him thank god.. we were both scared I know.  My favorite is still cuddling in bed with you and Max on my side at the foot of the bed and Fresco curled up next to me :)

Now there is you, me, the dog, the little dog, and our daughter... oh how my heart just sings when I think of her!  She is literally the best thing that we have.. no offense puppies.  She is the only thing that can get me out of bed in the middle of the night.. the early morning.. and no napping during the day.  She is both of us.  The older she gets the more she looks like you.. but I think she is closer to my personality.  She has the sweetest personality with the biggest stubborn streak I've ever seen.  She will let EVERYONE know when she is upset.. and when she's happy.. you better believe you will be too!  Now we are still in my childhood home.. but with all the rooms being used for something!  Remember when we put her nursery together?  It used to be the 'junk room'.. we didn't have just a drawer.  Remember when we brought her home.. we were so worried about the puppies.  Remember each time we took her to the doctor and she ALWAYS had gained a lot of weight!  Remember when you finally convinced me to put her in her crib to sleep.. and then a week later convinced me to come sleep in bed instead of her floor?  My favorite thing is STILL cuddling, now on the couch, with you at one end, Ella in my arms on the other end, Max in the middle, and Fresco curled up next to me :)

Thank you Michael for giving me the life we have!  Happy Anniversary!

P.S. We got married the day before Mother's Day.. and now I get to spend my first Mother's Day as a mother!  Oh wow... that sounds kinda scary :)

One Simple Goal

Michael and I have one simple goal for Ella... at least for now... sleeping in a crib!

We get some grief from people for this but miss Ella.. sleeps in her battery operated swing!  She has since she was a week old!  She currently sleeps about 10hours a night in the swing.  Sometimes the swing is on and sometimes it is not... I love having her sleep in the swing because then she is in our room and I can wake up in the middle of the night and watch her sleep and make sure she's breathing. 

When we move her to her crib.. it'll be in another room!  Oh my.. how will I deal with that? We attempted it last night.. but at the last second I changed my mind. :(  I think I'll be making a bed on the floor in her room while I get used to it.

Why is it so hard?  Just thinking about it makes my chest tighten and my eyes well with tears...

I'll make it though.. maybe tonight it'll go better.

Look how little she looked... her first picture in the swing..

Goal for the week: Ella sleeping in her crib!

 Oh.. my last reason for not wanting her to be in the crib.. she'll pry not sleep for the night for a bit.. I really love having my sleep back!!!!  Oh my miss Ella Grace.. how much I do for you ;)

Health and Exercise

Today is the second day of no soda.. and it is hard.. headache all day.  Oh well, it is better to not have any!  I just thought I'd share some of my health and exercise goals.. plus a little surprise at the end!

Health - food

I am trying to eat healthy and have Michael eat healthy.  This includes buying some organic vegetables, fruits, meat, and eggs.  It is more expensive, but I think it is important!  I want Ella to be healthy and to learn that it is not good to eat anything anytime you want.  If you want to help yourself stay fit and have a longer life, then eating well is necessary!  Plus, it can help to lose weight.  Here is my goal: eat some sort of vegetable or fruit at least 2 times a day.  Once I get in the habit.. I'll increase it.  I'm also trying to get Michael to.

Exercise - blah

I hate exercising.. no that's not quite right.. I hate sweating!  I have since I was little.  In fact, do you remember those 1-mile runs we had to do in elementary and middle school??  Well, I was smart enough to get out doing those runs from 5-8th grade!  I don't remember how, but I did it!  Not because I couldn't run.. hey I played soccer... but because I HATE sweating!  Anyway.. I am soo close to my prepregnancy weight that I HAVE to do something to help me along.  So I now use the treadmill and take Ella on walks at least 3 times a week.  Plus I have been doing some 'ab' workouts.  I should start Pilates or Yoga again.. I enjoy those, but those require a set time how many times a week and that is just difficult with a baby.  So here is my goal: walk/treadmill 3 times a week and 'ab' workout 6 days a week... then my REAL goal: lose 20lbs.  Yes, yes it is more than I need to in order to be at my prepregnancy weight.. but hey I was trying to lose weight before I got pregnant.. haha that didn't work!  But this time I'm determined because I hate being at my current weight.  And really I don't really care about the 'number' but rather how I feel when I look in the mirror.. thats good at least right?



 Ok... surprise!  Ella started rolling over yesterday!  She went from her back to her belly!!  then she got mad because she hates being on her belly.. but not the point!  This picture was taken as soon as she rolled all the way!  Sticking her head up high!  Also.. look how well shes sitting up on her own.. she fell as soon as I took the pic though haha!

Ella's Arrival

Since many of my posts will most likely deal with Ella, I thought I'd describe how she arrived!  It isn't bad or gross.. its a simple time by time telling.  As a side note, I don't know why but I have this need to share her arrival with anyone that shows any interest in her... I wonder if this is every new moms need?

Monday, November 28

3:30pm - weekly doctors visit - 2.5cm dilated and 90% effaced

Tuesday, November 29

2:30am - wake up to pee and thought there was a lot!  oh no! is it my water??

3:30am - Michael wakes up because he sees me on my phone... gets a little upset due to the fact I've been having contractions ever 5-8 minutes for an hour and I didn't wake him up... I was just making sure it was real.

4:00am - arrive at hospital with HORRIBLE contractions... turns out I'm having "back labor" wonderful

4:20am - my water breaks.. guess that was just pee before!

6:30am - finally admitted to the hospital ... holy crap... just realized I'm not leaving til I have her...

7:00am - I get an epidural and don't even notice the needle!

7:10am - all sorts of people come running into the room... both Ella and mine's heart rates dropped...
               Ella's heart  rate = 40  My heart rate = 90/50

7:18am - both come back up after many movements, shots, and IV fluids... they gave me epinephrine and also something to stop my contractions so Ella could 'catch up'

8:00am - 3.5cm dilated and 100% effaced and heart rates stable

11:30am - 5cm dilated and everything looking good

1:30pm - starting pitocin because contractions never really picked back up after shot to stop them

4:00pm - max pitocin reached and still at 5cm and my epidural doesn't quite work well on one side :(

5:00pm - dr asks if I want to wait an hour or go have a c-section ... we have a c-section

5:51pm - Ella Grace Finley has arrived! She goes to Daddy while I get sewed up! She does go to the NICU for corio (infection of amniotic sac) ... she did not have it thank goodness!

Thursday, December 1

11:00am - Ella comes down from the NICU to stay with us for our last night in the hospital

Friday, December 2

3:30pm - discharged from the hospital!

As a side note: I did skip over the recovery of the c-section because I don't want to remember it :)  It was very painful and if we decide to have another baby.. I will do anything I can to not have another c-section.  And to people who are expecting and may have a c-section.. do not worry it's not that scary and it'll be over before you know it.  Lastly, they believe the reason our heart rates went down is because they didn't allow enough IV fluids in me before they gave me the epidural... meaning I was slightly dehydrated.  All is well!!