She's Here!

We are SO happy to announce the birth of our sweet baby girl, Makenzie Delaney Corey.  Yup, we changed her name - originally it was Chloe Rae, then Charlie Kenzie.  We had negative reactions to the name Charlie so we axed that shortly after her birth.  So much pressure to name a child!

Here are the details:  On Thursday, 8/19, I was having pretty painful contractions lasting a few minutes and every 30 minutes apart but I was refusing this was the start of it because I had been anticipating it for so long and I had conceded to the fact that our baby girl was going to go past her due date - based purely on the notion that we all thought she would be here a few weeks ago - so she was going to prove us wrong.  Brian actually asked me if I wanted to go have dessert at one of our favorite restaurants that night and I said no because I was quite the scene while trying to get through the contractions and didn't think I would make the employees and patrons of the restaurant very comfortable.  I opted instead for a pudding snack at 10pm and called it a night...or so I thought!  At 1:00, I woke up to a very painful contraction and again at 1:30 - then they sped up to 5 minutes apart.  I was waking Brian up with my groaning and breathing and I went downstairs to really time them and get a few things situated, just in case this was it.  Sure enough, it was time.  I went back upstairs and told Brian to get up because we had to go to the hospital. He asked me if I called L and D to make sure and shot him a really dirty look that spoke volumes and I said, I don't need to call them - this is it - GET UP!  He got the point :)  And we were off!  Got to the hospital at 3am and was put in triage while they monitored my contractions and did an exam.  The whole time I'm sure Brian thought this was a false alarm but they announced I was 4cm+ dilated and my contractions were 3-5 minutes apart, long in duration and consistent which means we were admitted and headed to our room - HA! told you Brian :)

The nurse asked me if I planned on having an epidural......well, I was going to try to hold off as long as possible and I had reached my breaking point - I told them YES!  They called in the anesthesiologist and he was set to be there within a few hours.  We were in our room, I was breathing through (with a few choice words of "crap" and "oh sh*t" thrown in for good measure) the contractions while Brian attempted to sleep on the couch in our room.  Fast forward to the epidural - it was a success and I was so thankful for modern medicine!!!  Things were going smoothly and then my blood pressure monitor was beeping.  I have very low blood pressure normally and I guess an epidural can make it even lower so they had to give me meds through my IV 3 separate times after my blood pressure was in the 40's over 60's-70's and had to wear the oxygen mask.  They said they will have to forgo the epidural route if I didn't get my BP elevated and thank goodness it did!  That was the only hiccup.  Got to 7cm and I stalled there for a few hours so they gave me pitocin to speed things up and broke my water.  My doctor said we should be having a baby by lunch time.  After they upped the pitocin a few times, I was checked and was fully dilated and effaced and we were ready to rock and roll!  I pushed with two contractions before my doctor made it in and pushed another two with her there.  Kenzie's head was out and she had the cutest little cry!  My doc commented on how babies rarely every cry with just the head out but ours did :)  Then came the rest of her!  I was crying, Brian was trying to take it all in (Jack took 3+ hours of pushing, so I didn't think he thought it would be so quick this time around) and our wonderful baby girl was placed in my arms - she was perfect :)  Instant love.  I held her for a few minutes and then they took her to take measurements and to get her APGAR's.  She was 6lbs. 14.9oz and 19 inches long.  APGAR's were 9 and 9 - good girl Kenzie!  SO thankful she stayed in my belly as long as she did!

I have been so anxious to see what our princess was going to look like and lo and behold she looks more like her mommy with medium brown hair and darker eyes.  She has such a sweet disposition, loves to cuddle and we could not have asked for a better baby!  We were able to go home the following day as I was recovering very well and Kenzie was a healthy baby.  We are very blessed!  While waiting to be discharged I indulged in a Starbucks from my lovely husband and just held our little girl with so much love in my heart.  To see Jack and Kenzie together is surreal and I am still in awe that I am a mommy of two!  Jack is still getting used to his sister but he is going to be a great big brother :)  The puppies love to sniff her and are her protectors.  Brian is, as always, the most wonderful father and an attentive husband, always making sure he does what he can to make things the best they can be.

We are so incredibly fortunate to welcome Kenzie into this world to such wonderful loved ones.  I often times want to pinch myself.....I wonder how I got this lucky.  My husband and kids are my world and I'm not sure what I did to deserve the happiness I experience on a daily basis.  Our family is now complete and my heart is so full of joy, love and hope for a wonderful future of laughter and many fantastic memories we are going to create for our family.  Thank you for taking this leg of the journey with us!

This was taken 2 days before Makenzie was born

5 minutes after this was taken, we finally met our baby girl

Welcome to the world Makenzie!!!!

Our almost 7 pounder

The day after, complete with a caramel macchiato :)

Our little family

24 hours after she was born, we get to go home!

LOVE my babies!

Last Blog as a Family of 3 (6 if I include the dogs!)

So folks, made it to full term and we are SO happy, blessed and getting anxious to welcome our sweet Chloe into this world!  We are so thankful we have made it to this point - Brian is done with summer school (he got 2 A's, still a 4.0 - awesome job Sweetheart!!!) and I am enjoying spending quality time with my boys which I have missed over the past few months while on bed rest.  It truly is the little things that count.  Walking with Brian and Jack under a stormy sky, making blackberry pancakes for my family, or just running errands.  I am so incredibly grateful for my husband, son and daughter.  They are my world and I will spend the rest of my life trying to make them as happy as they make me.

I have a feeling that we'll meet our little Chloe sooner, rather than later.  My body is doing funky things - I feel as if it's warning me....with Jack my water broke and I had to be induced because I wasn't going into labor on my own so I don't know what it's like to go through the steps.  I am excited believe it or not!  I'm one of those crazy women that like the whole labor and birthing process (PLEASE baby girl, don't make mommy eat her words!!!).    It is such an amazing moment in life.  A miracle is taking place and it comes at a price - it hurts, it's not pretty and it's not easy but the reward is awesome!  Very soon, I'll get to hold our little girl in my arms.  A tiny person that is a product of my love for her daddy.  I mean seriously, how much more incredible does it get???  I plan on laboring as long as possible without an epidural but if and when I need one, I won't be ashamed to ask!  I am SO curious to know if Chloe will look like her brother or will I actually have a child that resembles me in the slightest :)?  Bottom line, of course, is a healthy baby - she can come out with green hair and as long as she's healthy, the green hair is good by me!

I am savoring every moment before Chloe gets here; I know it's not going to be a cake walk with a newborn and a 16 month-old.  Probably for the next 4-6 months, I can kiss a lot of the freedoms I take for granted goodbye.  Watching a television show uninterrupted, cooking a decent meal from scratch, a long shower and of course, precious sleep.  I have this scenario running through my head of trying to nurse Chloe and Jack is having a tantrum while the dogs are barking because someone unexpected rang the doorbell.  I know it will be fine and I can only imagine how parents with multiples manage, but I hope to do it and I will always remind myself that I am so blessed to be able to have children and each day with them is a gift - I will always try to be the best mommy I can be, my kids deserve the best and they need my love, patience and laughter.

I'll leave you with a picture of my boys on a lovely family day.....have I mentioned how much I love them?!  Brian is the best daddy and our Jack is growing up into such a cute kid - his personality is the BEST!

Halfway Through Summer....

Can't believe it is already the middle of July....time s flying by, yet moving at a snail's pace.  Things have been pretty uneventful lately, which is a good thing for the most part.  Brian has 3 weeks of summer school left, which means I won't have to deal with the F-bomb being dropped incessantly when he studies for math.  Jack is becoming a big boy which makes me happy and sad.  He is absolutely hilarious and is still as independent as can be.  He will occasionally hold our hand and can't get enough of being outdoors.  He is into hitting the dogs which he thinks is a game - great thing we have patient and gentle pups.....any suggestions on how to handle this???  He is too young for a time out and when we say NO!, he laughs at us.  He can also be loving to the dogs, it's just when he get riled up.  One day he'll love a certain food, the next day he hates it.  He still LOVES lights!  I think he would freak if he saw Disneyland's Mainstreet Electrical Parade!  One day, I was watching Chloe squirm in my belly and I had lifted my shirt up, exposing my tummy.  Jack became fascinated with my once inny, now outy belly button.  Then I showed him his and now the kid can't stop trying to lift my shirt to poke my belly button and randomly throughout the day, he will lift up his shirt and show you his.  Gosh, I love our boy!!!  It is so awesome seeing him grow up!

The pregnancy is going well and the bed rest is paying off....still dilated to 1.5cm and it's looking like we'll have a full-term baby :)  Even if she did come now, she will do well with a brief stay in the NICU so we are resting much easier.  Hospital bag is good to go and I have been nesting as gently as possible so pretty much everything is set up for when our princess comes home!  Just a few little things to get and we are set!  It's funny but I'm more excited than nervous.  Can't wait to know what our princess looks like and to introduce her to her big brother.  Jack is going to be a big brother!!!  I'm going to be a mommy of 2!  OMG!!!  How cool is that?!  I feel absolutely enormous right now and getting more uncomfortable by the minute but I wouldn't trade it for anything.  I am blessed and so thankful to be a mommy - it's the most fulfilling and fantastic job in the world.  I'll keep you all posted as the pregnancy progresses.....

Jack in the box!

34 weeks!

Pregnancy Tidbits

I'm on day 10 of bed rest and I'm already over it.  Of course I will do what I have to do to help Chloe stay in my belly as long as possible but man, it's hard.  A few weeks ago I would have loved to lounge on the couch and watch Food Network or take a long nap without being bothered.  Overrated!  I'd rather be out playing with Jack, having a picnic, people watching or even just a running errands.  I am VERY fortunate that my mom can take care of Jack while Brian is in summer school and I am out of commission but I would love to be the one hanging out with my little man.  I hate even complaining about the bed rest as it's for a darn good cause but I am human and I'll vent just this once :)

Some ramifications of bed rest I didn't expect:
- My joints are so sore
- I am so paranoid of blowing up as I have no physical activity now
- Seams on the sides of my clothes (including underwear) SUCK
- My arms are always falling asleep from keeping my head propped up
- It's not easy to read or be online while on my side
- I'm out of things to day dream about - never thought the day would come!
- I don't even take naps like I thought I would
- I still "get ready"; I refuse to look like the slob I feel

Now more about the pregnancy....I live for Sundays and Wednesdays.  Sundays are big because it's my weekly milestone when Chloe is that much further along.  So, yesterday I was officially 31 weeks :)  It's a big deal because at my last doctor's appointment, she stressed that if I wasn't 37 weeks when I went into labor, she would be forced to put me on a helicopter to Phoenix to deliver there.  Our hospital here can only handle full-term births and she said MAYBE at 36 and a half weeks the pediatrician MIGHT make an exception so every day counts.  And Wednesdays are my weekly doctor's appointments.  At my appointments now, my doctor checks for dilation and cervical length via a pelvic exam and ultrasound.  Every other week, I continue to get a fFN test, which I will get this week and it is a good indicator if there is a possibility of going into labor within a week of taking it, if positive.  Last week at my appointment I was holding steady at 1.5cm with  a cervical length of 2.5cm.  My doctor (Dr. Campuzano - she's awesome!) said she goes into "Oh Crap" mode when I get to 3cm in dilation before 37 weeks.  As a precaution, Dr. Campuzano wanted me to get corticosteroid shots to help mature Chloe's lungs in the event she is delivered prior to 37 weeks and I am also taking terbutaline to help curb my contractions.

On a good note, when I went to the Labor & Delivery triage center at Yavapai Regional Medical Center, I received a tour of the brand-new, three week old birthing center and it is BEAUTIFUL!  It's so lovely and everything is so new!  The rooms are HUGE and come complete with a fridge, pull-out sofa, a glider chair for nursing/rocking your baby, table and chairs, flat-screen TV with DVD player, enormous bathroom with a large walk-in shower and did I mention the rooms are HUGE?!  Yet another incentive to hold out to 37 weeks!

Looking forward to Wednesday :-)

What a Week!

I'll begin with my doctor's visit on Wednesday 6/9.......Went in like normal and this time I see the NP.  How have I been feeling?  Pretty good.  Any problems?  Nope.  Good!  Pelvic exam time and fFN test which helps to detect imminent labor in high risk patients.  So as she's checking for dilation I'm noticing she is spending a little too much time and sure enough she says I am 1 cm dilated and my cervix has shortened by 1cm since two weeks ago.  Um, not what I was expecting.  Okaayyyyy......As I'm trying to process that I'm only at 29.5 weeks, she orders an ultrasound to verify her findings.  Ultrasound went fine and it did verify that there has been cervical change.  Boo.  I leave with instructions to take it very easy and to come back in a week as I will now be on weekly visits.

Thursday was uneventful and Friday I head down to Tucson with my mom and Jack.  The 4 hour drive went by fairly quickly and Jack was awesome (thank you sooo much buddy!).  We check into our room at Westward Look (love it there!!!) and then we head off to Park Place mall where I worked for several years.  I start getting worn out and notice I am contracting a bit more than I normally would so my mom gets me a pedicure (Yay! Thanks mom!) and I rest a bit.  I met up with my high school history teacher Linda for a few minutes after we head back to the hotel and I was excited to get Jack in the pool :)  Yeah, no.  He hated it.  Cried loudly.  People began to stare.  Out of the pool we go.  Here's a pic of the unhappy camper after I took him out and we were on our way back to our room.....

And happy to be back in the room......munching on lettuce

The stinker did not go to sleep until 9:30!  His bedtime is no later than 7:30 so this was not okay with me but he was having such a great time in his new environment I had to give in and let him play :)

And this is fun time on the bed watching Sponge Bob early Saturday morning!  Too early, I might add :)

Started off the day with breakfast and off we were to my baby shower but had to make a Wal Mart stop first.  Yuck.  I dislike Wal Mart very much and could write a whole blog on the reasons why but not now......anywhoo, we get what we need and then I have to run back in to use the restroom.  I am contracting fairly frequently and start to pay more attention to them......to the nasty restroom I go and I lose my mucus plug - if you don't know what that is, Google it because I won't get into it on here.  Awesome.  Fantastic.  I slowly start to freak out.  All this should not be happening now - I'm  only 30 weeks!  I call the on-call OBGYN in Prescott and leave a message.  We head to the baby shower and I am trying to be calm.  So happy to see my friends and catch up with them.  They did such a great job of diffusing the situation and helping me relax somewhat - thank you!!!!  Jack was having a ball being surrounded by beautiful women, I had fun opening adorable pink gifts :)  I love my best friend Jen and my mom for making this day possible!

After not hearing from the on-call doc, decided to head to St. Joe's L&D before making the long drive back to Prescott after the shower.  I was monitored and did have contractions, was 1.5 cm dilated and they took another fFN test which came back negative so I was given the green light to head home with instructions to be on bed rest.  Yikes.  With a 14 month old????  No work????  I'll do it, but I won't like it.

We get back to Prescott and here we are.  My left side is constantly numb and a I already have a kink in my neck.  My mom is such an awesome help and Brian is a stressed out papa.  Anxiously awaiting my appointment on Wednesday and hoping to hear there have been no changes.  Fingers are crossed and I just pray Chloe stays in my belly for at least another 7 weeks.  Yavapai Regional Medical Center here in Prescott doesn't even have a NICU if we end up with a pre-term delivery, so we'd have to be transferred to a Phoenix hospital.  Stay put Chloe!!!!  As much as I am looking forward to meeting you, I can wait :)

Want to send a big thank you to friends and family that have called and connected via FB with your thoughts, prayers and well wishes.  They are very appreciated and it means so much to us to have an awesome support system.  We are beyond blessed with the most wonderful people in our lives!

These are a Few of My Favorite Things....

I have been meaning to document the things that Jack does that I love, so here we go!

~ He has recently learned learned to give kisses....he opens his mouth wide when we ask for one :-)


~ He is becoming more communicative with us and he understands so much; it's amazing!


~ When he doesn't want something he furiously waves his hand NO and wrinkles his nose


~ His fist word besides mumma (which goes for mom and dad) was duck


~ He is mastering running


~ He has this drawer we reserved for him in the kitchen where he likes to stash stuff


~ He loves playing with his furry brother - they chase each other around the house 


~ He loves the doggie sofa.  We say "run Fuss, run!" and he runs to the sofa and plops on it


~ When the dogs bark suddenly he says "AH!" just once


~ He has discovered the art of stepping on things 


~ We LOVE how much he loves his 'puppy' - the gray and white small stuffed dog he sleeps with


~ He mercilessly tests his limits


~ He is one independent little dude.  He will try to ditch us and do his thing at every opportunity


~ He likes to give Hi-5's


~ He grubs scrambled eggs like they are going out of style


~ He is obsessed with lights and we are constantly flickering lights on and off throughout the day


~ He likes to push the garage door opener to close it when we get home


~ He has THE cutest baby butt!  We love watching him waddle naked :-)


~ He loves playing with the cabinets in our bedroom - taking it's contents out and putting them back


I'm sure there is more but this are some of my favorites for now - LOVE our boy!

And here is a picture I took when we were in Flagstaff today - he is growing up too quickly!

A Little of This and That

To sum up the past few weeks......


We have survived a nasty bout of the stomach flu.  And man, oh man - it was nasty.  A trip to the ER and plenty of fluids and disinfecting later, we are in the clear - fingers crossed!

Mommy, stop taking pictures of me when I don't feel well!!!!!

Jack had his hair cut by Brian the Barber (aka Daddy) while I tried to hold the squirm worm down.  At first, Brian was pitching a fit after reviewing his work - he said Jack looked like and elf and was seriously upset.  I told him to calm down and he tweaked some spots, I added a little spray gel and the little bugger was stylin'!  Brian the Barber simmered down and we were amazed at how much older our little guy looked!  Off to the mall we went.....where Jack was entertained by a sign so we took it as a photo op :-)

And onto the pregnancy....still doin' good!  Chloe is growing well, I am feeling great and I passed the glucose test.  WooHoo!  I am now in the third trimester; very thankful to be here and hoping the next 13 weeks are smooth sailing.  I've got my waddle on and it's harder to feel cute - I just feel big and slow LOL!  Here's the latest pic of Little Miss Chloe - a pic of a pic but oh well....

And last but not least, I want to ask for positive thoughts and prayers to go out to our niece Gracie.  She is the strongest little girl I know and she has had a rough week to say the least.  Her parents (my sister and brother-in-law) are the best parents and fight so hard for their daughter but she needs all the prayers she can get right now as her medical condition is at a low point.  We love you Gracie and want you to feel better VERY soon!!!