Sunday, April 5, 2009
Deja Vu
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Hayven Zane Burgoon
This post is really overdue, so I do apologize! I have found that the only time in my life where I am a private person is when I have had my children. I like to take a little private time to welcome our new baby & get settled a bit as a family. So, without any further adieu, here's the scoop...
It all started last Monday, March 23rd, at 10:30pm. I had my doctors appointment that day & was at 3cm & about 60%. We set up my induction for the 30th (my due date was the 31st) but as many of you know, I was really reluctant this time to be induced. (I have no idea why, I just felt this baby wanted to come on his own.) And that is exactly what he did! So that night I went to bed & started having contractions. They progressively went from 20min to 5min apart throughout the night. I know this sounds crazy but I really didn't know if I was in labor or not so I never woke up Ben or called anyone. The contractions were getting more intense but I guess I had expected natural labor to be much more painful. I think it is because when I was induced with Rylan there were no breaks between contractions and with this baby I had breaks. So, I kept thinking I should maybe finish my bag packing, but then would decide I wasn't really in labor & I should sleep or I would be exhausted in the morning for no reason. I went to bed & of course I dozed here & there monitoring the contractions. Finally at about 4:30am I got up & thought, OK maybe this is it! So I went & got something to eat & told Ben I thought we might be going to the hospital in a few hours. But then the contractions still weren't that painful & so I went back to sleep. I remember between 4:30 & 6:30am having 3 really strong ones but the rest of the time I was conked out. So when I woke up at 7am and my contractions were 5 min apart I wasn't sure what to do. I still didn't think I was actually in labor. So I called my mom & told her they had been 5 min apart but they weren't that bad & I wasn't sure. She told me I was in labor & to call the doctor. Once again I thought I better eat! :) So I made myself some eggs & toast before waking up Ben & calling the doctor. OK, so by now I am starting to think I am in labor & that it is approaching the "too late" mark. Ben woke up at 7:30 & between then and 8:30 it was a race around the house, getting last minute things, getting the neighbor to come over to watch Rylan until my mom got there, getting a shower, etc...etc. We finally left about 8:30am (of course thinking about my stomach again, I grabbed a zip lock of honeydew I had cut up for the ride! We got 5 min down the road when a police officer pulled us over! At this point my contractions were 4min apart. I told him, "I hope you are here to give us an escort." ( imagine the traffic at 8:30am on a Tues) He was such a jerk, and long story short, I had to convince him I was not waiting for an ambulance & we had to go pronto! We arrived at the hospital at 9am. I felt like such a fool when they asked why I was there. By looking at me you would have no idea I was in labor. Like I said, it just wasn't the kind of pain or image I have ever thought of when a women is in labor. So, all the nurses were looking at me like, "Can we help you." I was like, Um...I think I am in labor." So they brought me into the same room where I had Rylan to check me, and I was at 5cm, so the nurse was like,"Ya, your not going anywhere." BTW-my water hadn't broken by this point, which maybe is why the pain was so tolerable, I don't know. Anyways, I labored for about an hour & a half and got my epidural when I was between 7-8cm dilated. I always wonder why I waited so long once I get it, but I would probably still wait again to tell you the truth. I have to be in severe pain to let them get near me with that thing. LOL So, that was at 10:30am. The nurse kept trying to break my water, but it was a no go. So I had to wait for my doctors lunch break to get things going anymore. Sometime between 10:30 and when the doctor came in my epidural started to go bye-bye! I didn't know what to do, and so I opted not to have a refresher. The doctor got there at 12:20 and broke my water, he said it would probably be about an hour & then I would be at 10cm and ready to go. About 10 min after he left the room, I told Ben he better call him back in. By this point, epidural was non-existent. The doctor rushed back in and I told him I wanted to go ahead and get that epidural again, he check me and said, "Ah, no...the only thing you are getting now is a baby!" I will spare you the details of the next 20min(how long the pushing went on) but let's just say, words can't describe that pain! At 12:54 we had a beautiful baby boy! He came out pale with the cord around his neck & not really breathing, but a few pumps of oxygen & he was good to go. They did take him for monitoring in the nursery for a half an hour but everything was fine. He weighed in at 7lbs exactly and 20inches long.
We are all doing very well so far. Hayven went straight to the breast while we were still in the delivery room. He latched right on from the get go & nursing him has been a breeze! My milk came in the day I came home from the hospital & we have already passed the engorgement phase & are doing great! I can't believe how much I love nursing! Rylan thinks it's the coolest thing & has tried to nurse Hayven with his own nipple several times now. Today he tried to pull up my shirt so he could "eat." I thought that was hilarious. He is a trip! He loves his little brother SO much. He helps us with everything & the hardest part has been keeping him from kissing him & holding him constantly. Hayven has been the best little baby too! I actually asked my mom if I should call the doctor because I thought something was wrong with him since he only eats, sleeps, & poops! He is so alert to our voices & has whipped his head around several times to see Ben or Rylan behind him. He also has the cutest expressions & smiles. We just adore him!
I have never felt so much love & happiness in all my life! It brings tears to my eyes when I think about being a mom to my two boys! I am so excited about it! I am so grateful to have such a wonderful husband too. He is the most amazing person to have by my side during labor! He is so thoughtful & caring and gives me so much peace. He has been working so hard and only got to spend a few days home with us. He is such an amazing father. I love watching him with our children, you can just feel the love he has for them and the love they have for him too. Watching him with our children is one of my favorite things in this world!
My mother was here for the last week & just went home today. She actually stayed with me in the hospital too so Ben could be home with Rylan. That was a HUGE deal since she had the worst place in the world to sleep! Thanks mom! We all love you! She was a BIG help & we are so grateful she was able to come. Ben's mom is coming in tomorrow & we are looking forward to having the extra hand since Ben is working.
Thanks everyone for the calls. I think everything this go-a-round has been so much easier for us just knowing the support we have had from family & friends. We love you all
and can't wait to introduce our new family member to the rest of the world! :)
Monday, March 16, 2009
And So It Grows...
We are so excited about the rapid growth of all the fruit and veggies we planted and can't wait to sink our teeth into them. As you can see it has been a lot of hard work for me...
So in my spare time I have been working on a blanket for Rylan. Odd, I know, that I wouldn't be working on a baby blanket for Hayven. But the thing is that Rylan has watched me make several baby blankets and he always thinks it is for him. Since I haven't ever made him one, I couldn't dare make one for another baby before making one for him. Plus little Hayven has and will be getting enough attention and I wanted something special for Rylan. So, justification made, here are some pics of it almost done( I still need to add the back & batting)...
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Blog...Blog...Blog...
"It's OK sweetheart"
Rylan has been calling Ben by his first name since he was about 18 months old.It is very ironic because Ben doesn't refer to his parents by mom or dad either. He calls his dad "JB" (John Burgoon) and his mom "Nicki B" (Nicki Burnett). Though Rylan mostly says daddy, he likes to use his first name when calling him in the store or when he is serious about something. When asked what daddy's name is he will tell you "Ben". So one day we decided to ask him what mommy's name was. First he said "mommy" but then we asked him what mommy's first name was and he said, "Honey!" Well, I have just thought this was the cutest thing ever and so I had never bothered to tell him my first name. Though I was sure he probably did know. More recently I figured I'd better start teaching him what it was in case of an emergency and sure enough...he knew. So I thought for sure I would be getting the "Faith" call more often now but to my surprise he came up with a whole other name for me all on his own. I hurt myself on something and he ran over to me and said, "It's OK sweetheart." So now if he wants me to see something he will say, "Come here sweetheart!" I just love that boy!!!
On Another Note...
I have been wanting to post about the wonderful shower/girls night that we had! Unfortunately I didn't get a ton of great pictures and so if anyone has some I would love to put them on here, let me know. Heather Menzie planned the party for us at the Olive Garden. It turned out so wonderful and I was so touched by how many people came to celebrate the up and coming birth of our newest family member Hayven! Thank you SOOOOO much to everyone who helped too, especially my mom and Heathers sister Stephanie for their contributions. I was so grateful for all of the gifts and to everyone who brought along diapers & wipes as well! Those are certainly going to come in handy! My favorite part of the night was being surrounded by such an amazing group of women. Some I have known a very long time and some just a short amount of time, but as I looked around the room I felt such a sisterhood with each and every person there. I feel so blessed to be associated with such an amazing group of girls! Thank you to everyone & I love you all!
I also wanted to mention how excited Rylan was when I came home with all of those gifts and had some for him too! That was extremely nice to have thought of him as well! Thank you!
Going Green...
So Ben and I attended a gardening seminar a few weeks ago at the church. There were well over 50 people who attended. It was given by Paul Singleton & Evan Moore. It was such a great opportunity for us to learn about gardening and how to make a raised box garden. I have always loved working in the yard, but it has never been one of Ben's favorite things...AT ALL! So I have been super impressed with his enthusiasm to start a garden. Apparently his late grandfather Burgoon was an avid gardener so we are hoping maybe Ben inherited some of his green thumb. We planted
corn,cucumber,watermelon,cantaloupe,beans,onion,squash,broccoli,cilantro,chives,basil,rosemary,parsley, jalapenos, & tomatoes! We are very excited about this! Here is the garden in the works...
Monday, March 9, 2009
Family Photos Slideshow
(nathalyblalock@gmail.com)She did such a FANTASTIC job! We could not be happier with the way she was able to capture our family on film. Thank you SO much Nathaly for all of your hard work! Thank you to my mom too for having such a beautiful yard and a super green thumb! :)
Friday, February 13, 2009
Our Great Savings With Sprint
As many of you know, the current economic circumstances have really hit home for us, literally it has HIT our home. We have survived hurricanes without a single scratch, hailstorms without a single dent, and thunderstorms without a single fallen branch and yet the crashing of our economy has scratched our finances(many months completely), dented our personal pleasure funds indefinitely, and has certainly made it feel as though the branches are falling down around us! I am only hoping they might miraculously fall into a sturdy, liveable structure that we might be able to call our new home. Don't get me wrong though, as in any crises, Ben and I are teaming up to do anything and everything we can to pull our family through this difficult time. We have been presented with the inevitable question, "How can we lower our monthly bills." I have been pleasantly surprised as to how many companies have been willing to work with us and help us to accomplish this goal. To my greatest surprise came the phone call I made to our cell phone provider, Sprint. We currently have a family plan which includes 800 shared minutes, plus other features, for a total of $70.00 a month. I asked the woman with whom I was speaking if there was a cheaper plan available for us. She proceeded to tell me that the cheapest plan they currently have is for 700 shared minutes, plus other features, for a total of $69.99 a month. So for .01 cent less we could get 100 minutes less!!! I was completely floored and repeated what she had told me just to be sure I was understanding what she said. I said, "So, for the same price you are offering me 100 minutes less?" And her response was, "No, your current plan is $70.00 a month and this would be $69.99 a month." DUH.......HUH?!?! Now I know I am not the sharpest tool in the shed, the brightest bulb on the tree, and maybe even one can short of a six pack at times, but even I was baffled by this woman's incompetency! So being the thoughtful and patient pregnant woman that I am...I hung up on her! LOL
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
It's 2 a.m. and I'm thinking about popcorn & chocolate!?
I am a glorified 32 week pregnant woman! My waistband has grown, amongst other areas. My hormones are raging...Grrrrrrrr. And I sound much like a bulldog in my attempts to breathe. I could continue with the aches and pains of the third trimester but what has really overcome me in the last few weeks is an overwhelming feeling of anticipation and excitement. I thought for sure in the final months of my delivery countdown I would be in a fear stricken coma. Images of myself curled up in the fetal position cooing and crying seemed more realistic than this joyful jubilee that I am experiencing. And though the birds are chirping all around me and the sun is warmly reaching down to touch my cheeks from above, I still try to remind myself that things are NOT going to be perfect. Being given the gift/curse of OCD I found this little fact out the hard way after bringing home my precious bundle of joy, that we had worked so hard for, the first time. I had such a wonderful pregnancy with Rylan and was so very fortunate to have had a pleasant delivery experience as well. With this pregnancy being very similar, I can't help but wonder, "Is the 'Bringing Home Baby' blues my rightfully given hardship? And then, "Chirp...chirp...chirp." My little bird saves me from my inner id who is telling me to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. I remind myself that Rylan and I's circumstance was unusal and that things can be different this time. "MMM...the warm sun." The first year of Rylan's life consisted of (long story short):
6 months of painful screaming ( much different than a colic cry) due to a stomach virus and undiagnosed dairy allergy
Followed by:
4 months of dairy allergy discovered, mommy on Paxil, and no dairy for either of us for 2 more months
I must say the moment a mother falls in love with her child is different for everyone. Some it is at conception, some the first time they feel their baby move, and others it is the first time they hold their baby in their arms. For me it was the first time I was able to come out of "survival mode." When we both stopped crying, nobody was in pain anymore, and my baby could finally smile. I look back now and I swear it is much like reading somebody else's story because those days are such a blur to me and I'm not sure how we actually survived them. Having said that, to better explain my "fear stricken coma" envisions, I have a plan of action this go round which includes a month off of dairy PRIOR to 'Bringing Home Baby!' LOL I am also planning not to plan, and for me, this is a really big deal. I just realize now, I'm not super mom, and though I think many of my friends are, I just can't compare myself. I know that my house will fall apart and so will I when it does. I know I may not hop in my car and go anywhere for a few months out of pure anxiety. And I know that it will take a little while for me to adjust to having a baby again. But I also know that through my mothering trials I have become a much better person. I am aware of my strengths and weaknesses now more than ever and I am just trying my best to build or overcome them. I love being pregnant and I LOVE being a mother. I love the fact that I am able to be given this opportunity again and am so grateful to have a loving husband, a wonderful family, and precious friends to share it all with.
With that said...
It's time for me to go to bed
or at least lay down my weary head
though I may not actually get any sleep
I'll toss and turn as my sciatic nerve screams
I may even get up 3 or 4 times to pee
and then drink more water because I am so thirsty
turn on the light and do some Sudoku
or just lay there again making analagies out of food
Either way my pillow still calls
I hope you all enjoyed the popcorn
Goodnight to you all!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Christmas 2008
He also loved helping daddy put the lights up outside! Every time I turned around he was climbing up the ladder to get on the roof. We actually finally let him go up with Ben when we were all done. He thought that was the greatest thing ever! (Not sure what our neighbors thought though, especially since we took this picture with Ben hiding behind Rylan so it looks like there is just a 2 year old sitting on the roof with his crazy mom down below taking pictures!) Hey, we thought it was fun!
Many of our Christmas' past have been spent out of town so we were really looking forward to having a Christmas at home this year. Ben's sister Cora and her Husband Christian, who live in New Jersey, and also his sister Brittney and 7 month old son Cade, who live in North Carolina, all came to stay with us for a week. We had a ton of fun together! We went to the Zoo, park, and for one of our more thrilling activities, we went box sledding at the C54 canal. Rylan thought that was awesome and we have actually even taken him back since then to do it again. But here are some pictures from our box sledding...
Rylan and Daddy
Rylan pauses his sledding for a quick pose with mom
And then he's off again with Uncle Christian...
And back up again with Aunt Eva!
Part of the box sledding crew: "Papa" John Burgoon, Aunt Eva, Aunt Cora, Uncle
Christian, & Cousin Cade
Cousin Cade decided he needed to get in on the action too
Brittney, Cade, and Uncle Ben stop for a photo
Christmas day was more than wonderful! It was so much fun to play "Santa" the night before wrapping all of the gifts and putting together the big toys. We really felt for our parents though, we were all crosseyed by the time we were done and it took Ben, Christian, and Brittney to put together the kitchen we bought for Rylan. (Thanks guys!) Rylan was so excited when he woke up. When I asked him what he hoped Santa had brought him for Christmas he said, "A Polar bear!" Ironically his Aunt Cora & Uncle Christian had gotten him just that! We were very impressed with Rylan's gift opening skills which he mastered with his teeth! My mom and Grandmother came over to join us in the morning for the gift opening and so did Ben's dad and sister Eva. Rylan was such a good sport, I thought, loving every card, book, or toy that he received. And each one received his signature, "Wow" response! LOL
Here are a few pictures of Rylan with some presents he received...
His new Quad bike
He even let Cousin cade go for a quick ride, who I think equally enjoyed it
We also got him a new little baby doll of his own, which actually came from his Mimi who sent a gift card for him (thanks Mimi), so he could start getting used to the idea of being a big brother. He immediately named the baby "Cade" but has since started calling it "Hayven", which is his little brothers name. From the get go he has loved having this little doll and likes to take it everywhere!
Including to hide in his new tent that Grammie got him
We had a wonderful dinner at our house with all the traditional Christmas day sides and Turkey. The food was excellent and we had plenty of left overs for everyone to enjoy the next day. Overall, our Christmas was a very wonderful time. It was great having family here, and I got a little taste of what I might be in for with a new baby on the way!
Here I am practicing, and looking tired too...
Thanks to all of our family who were able to spend the holiday with us and make it such a wonderful time to remember. We love you all and are sure grateful to have you all in our lives!
Thank you to Santa too!