Looking for a good book???

Make sure to check out the most recent link I've added to my page (on the right hand side) you can preview the newest book coming out from The Miller Brothers! Chris and Allan are full of amazing talent and we are so lucky to have them at our church and even more lucky to be able to call them our great friends!! They've also written 2 other awesome books geared towards the younger crowd (see pictures below) Congratulations to you both on your 3rd book!! We can't wait for the book signing this Saturday and I wouldnt be surprised if this one shot to the top of the NY Times Bestseller list! Look out Tom Clancy and Stephen King...

the Miller Brothers are here to stay!!

I can even get your copy autographed!!
To read more about the book and for more bonus features go here!!

(PS: I had to eat a piece of shrimp (ick!) on a dare in order to be the inspiration for the girl on the cover of the Hunter Brown book! Whoo Hoo!! Thats my claim to fame!)

Wordless Wednesday!!

My Sleeping Beauty...
(Is it too early to have baby fever already??) hehe

Norahs first trip to the Dr...and the mall!!

(Our first trip to the mall together!)

When Jacob was born I waited 4 days before introducing him to his other house...aka "The Mall!" so it was only fair that Norah should get to visit her home away from home at 4 days old too! Here is a picture of our first of many mall outings!! I have been taking full advantage of Steven being home the last week. We've been going out as much as possible because I know that with 2 kids and no double stoller, things could get crazy!! Steven has been amazing! This morning for example, he got Jacob ready and made breakfast, he vaccumed the downstairs, did the laundry, made the bed, picked up the house and made sure Norah and I had everything we needed. He even cleaned up my mess and managed to get some good quality play time in with Jacob!! He is "Mr. Mom!" I am so thankful for his willingness to help out, he has no idea what it means to me!! On Friday, Stepheni stopped by with her son Brandon right about the same time Steves aunt and uncle came by to visit Norah, from Shelton about the same time my parents came by to drop off Jacob (and see Norah :) . Chris, Stevens brother stayed the night with us on Thursday which was nice because they guys got to play Guitar Hero all night while I blogged :) (Jacob stayed the night at my parents house) It was a nice peaceful evening and we were able to unpack and get things organized before Jacob came home!! My dad bought us a beautiful cake from the Cake Studio (at Freighthouse Square) thats where we got our wedding cake and still do this day is my favorite!! (See picture below) Also, check out the beautiful flowers given to my by Danielle, Renee and my parents. I wish I could keep them forever, for now, a picture will have to do. I have been so blessed with overwhelming support from my friends and family. I really cant express how much each and every phone call, text message, email and visit means to me!! I cant believe we have dinners being brought to our house for over the next 2 weeks!! Steven is one happy camper :) God has blessed me with some amazing friends. Period. We went to church yesterday and I was surprised when I was able to hear 80% of the sermon!! From there, we did our weekly grocery shopping and came home just in time for naps!! Today was Norahs first Drs appt! My dad came over to watch Jacob and that made our trip to the Dr a whole lot easier!! She went from weighing 8lbs 14oz at birth to dropping to 8lbs 7oz so when they weighed her today and she was at 9lbs 0.5oz the Dr was very pleased!! She asked what I was feeding her and I said cream :) She loves to eat eat eat...and eat! She grew 1/2 of an inch too, Norah is in the 90th percentile for height and weight and 60th percentile for head circumfrence. We were very happy! Norah has slept through the night since she was born which has been wonderful...often I will wake up and make sure she's still breathing!! I get so huge and sore I want to wake her up to feed her...lets just say I put Pamela Anderson to shame!! hehe. Jacob has been awesome with her...(so far) He really doesnt pay too much attention to her. Once in awhile he'll come up to her and point out her body parts and he's quite interested in her umbilical cord. I think it grosses him out :) he's never done anything to hurt her which is good..but I have noticed he wants to cuddle with me more. I wont complain. I love holding him! I never thought it would be so easy to love another little baby just as much as I loved Jacob but God makes the room in your heart and I can easily see how some women have these big families, children are a special gift from God and I feel so lucky to have been blessed with 2 healthy beautiful babies, I make sure to thank God every night for them and Steven for who I couldnt ask for as a better daddy to our kids!! I often wish they would stay newborns forever...but then I wouldnt have a shopping partner in crime!! :)Speaking of shopping...Stevens offered to watch Jacob while I take Norah to the Supermall...off we go!!

Toodles!

(The cake my parents bought us!)

(The beautiful lillies from Danielle!)

(The adorable tag made by Renee)

(Beautiful flowers from my parents and Renee!)

* I cant go without thanking Carly for the wonderful food she brought us at the hospital, as well as Stepheni who took the amazing pictures of Norah as well as brought Steven Pita Pit for lunch, the wine and balloon from Suzie and Andy and the adorable outfit from Chris and Angela and last but not least Pam and Christy for arranging all of these wonderful meals! :) You all are the sweetest!!

Worlds Longest Birth Story....begins now!!

The Morning of the Induction....


Preface/Set-Up: After my c-section with Jacob, I was determined to try for a vbac (vaginal birth after ceserean) this time with Norah. I wanted to experience the instant connection with my baby. I wanted to feel her on my chest within seconds of birth and witness the little things like seeing her get weighed, measure her length, and be able to watch Steven cut her cord. None of this was an option with Jacobs birth. I felt alone in the recovery room while everyone else was admiring him and watching his first moments. With Jacob, I was able to dilate to a 10, after 32 long hours and push for 4 hours but because of the position of his head he wouldnt budge and therefore, resulted in a c-section. Although I wasnt considered an "ideal" candidate for a vbac I wasnt ruled out either and my Doctor was willing to let me go for it. Ideally, she would have liked for me to go into labor on my own for a higher success rate but thankfully she was still willing to induce me. (even when many Doctors wouldnt) can I tell you how much I loved my Doctor...seriously.

Induction Day: 41 weeks 5 daysWe went in at 7:30am which turned out to be one of the busiest days labor and delivery had seen in a long time. I heard they actually had to cancel a few inductions that morning because of the mayhem. Im so glad I wasnt one of them! My first check was at 9:00 am and I was at a 3. Which was a cm more than at last weeks appt. Because I was at a 3 already, my Dr decided to just go with the Pitocin because the foley catheter automatically falls out at a 3 and would have been pointless. So once I was hooked up to the Pitocin around 10ish we all just kinda waited. We walked the hallways and bounced on the birthing ball. I was determined to get out of bed this time and not stay in bed all labor like I did with Jacob. The walking and the birthing ball felt incredibly good and relieved a lot of pressure. One of my favorite shows, "The First 48" was having a marathon all day so thats what stayed on tv all afternoon :) hehe. My parents and Jacob came by for lunch and I was still feeling really good. When they left to take Jacob home for a nap the contractions slowly began to intensify and become more regular. I was checked at 3pm and was a 4. Although it seemed like little progress at the time, my Doctor was very pleased and remained hopeful things may start to progress a little faster. I was now considered in active labor. Stevens family stopped by that afternoon and thats when things were getting even stronger. Painful but still managable. Stevens family left to go to my parents house for dinner and hang out until they heard from us again. My great friends Morgan and Michelle stopped by with the kids and it was so nice to see them, right before that I was given Fentanyl to help take the edge off because I still wasnt ready for an epidural. I was feeling good...and hope I made sense when I was chatting with them :) Since the Fentanyl was so short lived I was able to get one more dose before the epidural. I actually considered laboring naturally...but then I realized my water hadnt been broken yet and I've often heard that one the water breaks, the contractions can get extreme. The thought of that scared me so I opted for the epidural. Because of the craziness that day my nurse convinced me to get the epidural sooner rather than later because of the chance we may have to wait for awhile as other moms were quicky requesting their drugs....and the amount of c-sections going on that day. (There were at least 7 done that day) Needless to say, my anesthesiologist was hot property. Ironically, it was her last day as she was going to be moving to Hawaii to continue working at a hospital down there, the staff threw her a luau and even I got a piece of her chocolate cake! After I got the epidural, my Doctor decided to go ahead and break my water in hopes of kicking it into gear. I was checked less than an hour later and was at a good 6. She told me she could easily strectch me to an 8 if she needed to. So we updated our parents and just continued to wait. Within an hour, I was checked again and officially at an 8. Made another call and told them they might want to start heading our direction. Assuming this was going to be like Jacobs delivery, no one was in a real hurry and thought we still had some time so they all cleaned up dinner and made a phone call or two and Stevens Mom and Dad dropped his brother off at our place to house sit while we were gone...and for the first time ever, my parents forgot the cell phone. My nurse began telling me about some pressure I would begin to feel that is not masked by the epidural. At that same time she said that, I began feeling pressure...not regularly but I now knew what she was talking about. Within 10 minutes it wasnt going away and she checked me. I was at a 9 and she had me do a "trial" push when resulted in me now at a 10.

Labor: I knew I wanted my mom with me really bad so we began urgently calling her...and got no answer. My nurse predicted I had about 45 minutes to push and asked me what I would like to do. I decided to begin pushing because for sure it wouldnt take that long to get to the hospital from where they live. I started pushing and about 30 minutes into it my mom came into the room and had was shocked to see I was ready to go! She instantly started tearing up and we both realized that I was really doing it!! The whole time I used a mirror and am so glad I did. I was able to watch everything and my nurse did a great job keeping everything nice and "tidy" for me to see. It helped me focus on where to direct my pushing and as Norah inched her way down the canal, I could see more and more of her head which was also very motivating! The sheer determination of wanting to avoid the c-section gave me so much strength. Its amazing what your mind and body can do when you want something so badly. The hospital was so busy that night, that I didnt end up seeing my Doctor for the first time until my very last push! She had been in back to back c-sections. I didnt mind at all because I had the best nurse ever! She was amazing and basically delivered Norah! She helped me so much when it came down to pushing. So finally when Norahs head began to come out they had me stop and thats when I knew, I had succeeded! One last push and out she came!! It was the best feeling ever! (Im literally tearing up typing this because I am so happy) Norah weighed 8lbs 14oz and was 21" long. She was placed on my chest and felt so warm and gooey :) in a good way! It was instantly love at first sight. She came out and I was shocked to see her hair was much lighter than Jacobs was and when I saw her eyes for a few seconds, I noticed they were also much lighter. I am very curious to see if shes going to have Stevens features. Regardless, this was hands down, my biggest accomplishment and am so glad I never second guessed my decision. I felt at peace with it my entire pregnancy. Praise be to God as I know there were so many people praying for us...I am so blessed.

Recovery: When Norah came out I recieved a 3rd degree partial tear....I watched them sew up the whole thing and it was quite facinating. It took a lot longer than I thought for the repair, but I was able to watch everything that was going on with Norah including the cutting of the cord, her weight, her height, apgar tests and her eye treatments!! I was on cloud 9 and could have cared less what was going on down below. Steven was quite interested as well because he insisted on taking pictures of the placenta...he also snapped a few shots of me pushing my brains out too!! I told him he needs a job in photo journalism!! He was elated that he got to cut her cord and I was in awe at everything going on around me. The recovery has been so much easier (even with the tear!) than I thought. The nurses made sure I was current with the pain meds and just seeing her makes everything so worth it. I've been able to use the bathroom with no problem either...my other fear! I want to personally thank the makers of Tucks, Dermaplast, and whoever makes those big panties and the peri-bottle :) as they have been a wonderful new addition to our bathroom. Norah checked out perfectly at both of her Pediactric visits and all the tests have come back great! We're scheduled to take her to her first appt on Monday. She was born a professional breastfeeder which has been wonderful, except for the fact thats all she wants to do! I've turned into gumby but its such a small sacrifice for so little time I dont mind at all!! It just means my milk is due to come in at any time!

I just want to thank my Mom and Dad for taking Jacob all this week as well as Stevens parents and brother for driving so many hours to check in on your newest granddaughter :) I also want to thank Katie and Jason, Chris and Angela, Danielle and Terry, Morgan, Michelle, Dave and Michelle, Carly, Pam, Stepheni, Suzie and Andy and Jessica for taking time out of your day to come down and see us!! It was so nice to see familiar faces all day long!!

**For those of you even considering a vbac I cant say enough how glad I am that I did it. I had so many things against me for example: I had a large baby and I needed to be induced. But my induction still ended up being textbook. From start to finish I was only in labor for 6 hours and 35 minutes. The recovery from the tear is nothing compared to the healing of the c-section, and I healed quickly from that (I was at the mall at 4 days post pardum) Its helped in taking care of Jacob as well. He can sit on my lap and I can easily play on the floor with him. I have no driving restrictions and I was able to eat a full meal right after her birth. Besides a little tenderness when I sit for too long, I feel as though I never had a baby. My bleeding has stopped completely and generally feel great. I hope this helps some of you as I know there arent a lot of resources from women who have done it...and I know the extra support would have been great for me. If you have any further questions do not hesitate to email me at LuvBug12683@hotmail.com I'd be glad to expand on anything you have read :)
**Stay tuned for some professional pics coming soon!!


Here are a few to hold you over right now....

Wake-Up, Shower, Eat, Have a Baby!!

I can officially say this is my last "check in" ...unfortunatley, Norah has proven to be even more stubborn than Jacob was, and is deciding she doesnt want to leave her house any time soon. Therefore, we have our induction scheduled for sometime tomorrow. I am supposed to call between 5-6am and based on the number of beds available they will give me a time to come in. Since I was induced with Jacob, I have an idea of what to expect and unfortunatley that isnt as "comforting" as it may sound. I can only pray that since I've had more "pre labor" activity: contrations, mucus plug loss, and dilation...that maybe all we need is a little pitocin to kick things into gear!! My friend Morgan took me to lunch at The Rock last week and it was so delicious! I hadnt been there since my 1st trimester when I was still a little nauseous, needless to say, I've been missing out!! On Saturday, Stevens parents graciously offered to watch Jacob for the weekend while Steven and I attended Christy and Shauns 2nd annual Hick Party...yes a Hick Party :) creative huh! It came complete with tractor rides, wheelbarrel races, minature pony rides, sloppy joes and much much more! I will post some of my favorite pictures below.... we had a great time and I personally think Steven fit the role to a "t". Unfortunatley, there isnt much an overdue pregnant chick can wear thats "Hick" related...so I tried my best. And yes, the cat litter desserts were awesome!! Do you think I could get away with bringing those to a Church potluck? :) Sunday we picked Jacob up and spent the afternoon/evening with him...just eating up the last few hours of his "only child" status. Today we met Christia, Suzie, Laura, Jessica and Carly (with the babies) for yet another lunch at The Rock :) (yes, Im making up for lost time) twice in 3 days...maybe that explains the extra pounds I put on this weekend :) but this time we went walking afterwards at Bradley Lake park. I had such a wonderful time but am very sad to see Christia leave. Tomorrow morning her and her family will be heading out to the great state of Iowa in order for her husband to complete Medical School. I cant complain because I know we will have a great Doctor in Washington when they get back! But still, we all have babies around the same age so the selfishness in me wants her to stay so we can continue our weekly playdates :(Thank goodness for blogs/internet to keep us connected right?? Tonight we went to our favorite resturant (Sakuras) with our good friends Chris and Angela (and Truitt!) it was so nice being able to have "adult" conversations without interruptions! While we were there, we ran into my "bestie" Katie and her boyfriend Jason! I had no idea she was planning on going tonight and it was quite a pleasant surprise to see them! Whats even better...she manages Old Navy and picked up Jacob some new jeans!! I have been waiting forever for a new pair of jeans b/c all of his have holes or are too small! Thank you thank you Katie!! and also even better....Jason took care of our tab!!! We were definatley spoiled tonight and cant thank them enough for doing that for us!!




Now, onto baby news...I went in this morning for another NST (Non-Stress Test) which she passed again so which allows us to continue with the induction tomorrow. I am so anxious to meet her and hold a newborn again! Like I've said before, I would love to see you all while Im there! (Tacoma General) nothing like seeing a familiar face in a not so familiar setting. And I may go stir crazy staring at the retro 80's looking wallpaper :) I will try and send text messages and or update the blog/myspace during the day...hopefully it wont take too long but we'll see...thank you everyone for all your thoughts and prayers as they mean SO much to us.


Next time you read this we'll be a family of 4....Eeekkkk!!!!!


Love, Keren

100% Edible...and delicious too!

Doesnt Steve look good!?!


Mom and Baby girls!!



Dance floor complete with DJ, Fog machine and lights!!

12 Reasons Why Im So Excited To Have a Little Girl!!!

#12- Diapers!!!


#11- 3 More Drawers of Diapers!!!


#10- Jackets and Sweaters...

(continued...)

#9- Some of her dresses...


#8- Norah's going home outfit...


#7- Her Outfits/Tops


#6- More Diapers!!!

(continued...)

#5- Bibs, Receiving Blankets and Washclothes...


#4-Toys....


#3- Some of her sleepers...


#2- Onesies and Rompers...


#1-Shoes, Shoes and Shoes!!

Norah's Eviction Notice: Date set- July 22

Well as you can tell, Im still here...and pregnant. :) Go figure! We had some good friends out of town on vacation this week so Im convinced she was waiting for them to get back!! I was given an ultrasound to make sure her fluid levels were where they are supposed to be and also given a NST (Non-Stress Test) which is very common in babies that are overdue. Its basically 2 monitors attached to my belly and it measures the strength of my contractions to Norah's heartrate. It was amazing to watch and hear. I had to do it for 20 minutes and she passed with flying colors!! (Thats my girl!!) My Dr likes to have them done every 4-5 days until she's born so Im scheduled to do another on Monday. It was amazing to hear her heartrate increase as I was contracting...what a peaceful sound!! I just watched the machine and started daydreaming about what shes going to look like and who's personality she's going to have...it was a nice 20 minutes of just reflection on this whole pregnancy. I thought my water broke this morning...unfortunatley I was wrong but she did test it to make sure. Oh well...thats the story of my life!! I am scheduled for an induction on Tuesday the 22nd. We are supposed to call that morning at 6am to find out what time we should "check in". On call for the first part of the day is a Dr I have not met before but from what I've heard, he's wonderful and funny and has a great personality. Im excited to meet him! That evening my Doctor is on call which Im really excited for!! I love her so much and am going to be very sad when I dont get to see her on these weekly visits anymore!! When we were talking today I was encouraged by the fact that shes more "tolerant" when it comes to inductions on vbacs shes more willing than other Doctors to let me labor longer as long as there's some sort of progress. I guess a lot of times Doctors are more "conservative" when it comes to how long we can labor (re: vbac inductions) she even mentioned that it can take up to 48 hours...I'll be as patient as I have to be as long as Norah remaines strong. Jacobs labor lasted 36 hours so whats 12 more?? (Joking!) Im hopeful that since Im already at a 2 that will help kick things into motion on Tuesday. When I was induced with Jacob I was at a 0 and it seemed to take forever to just get to the 2 marker. Prayer had been a very intrical part of my life these last few months and I just continue to put all of my trust in God because he is the ultimate physician and is in complete control. I know he wont put me in a situation that I cannot handle and I have an amazing sense of peace because of it. Faith is awesome!!
Until next time,
Keren

Making History...

Well I'm still here...and dont feel any different ... Im beginning to think I will be the 1st woman in history to be pregnant forever!! I called my Drs office to "confirm" an induction date and as the nurse read back the notes my Dr had writted it said "Keren may go up to 42 weeks, as long and patient and baby are doing fine" ...the nurse looked in the "books" and my name is not written down for the 18th..or 22nd...so Im assuming I could potentially go to the 24th (which would be 42 weeks exactly..) I should get some kind of reward for this eh? :) j/k! I am getting a reward...Norah!! Ouch...42 weeks seems like an eternity...especially since she was due on the 10th!! It doesnt help when my friend Colleen who wasnt due until today had her baby boy last week...(yes, a week early) and Amberlyn is contracting with her little boy and isnt due until the begininning of August!! Ah!! Ok...vent over with :)
Today my dad and I (and Jacob) went to the Point Defiance Zoo for an outing and lunch!! It was a lot of fun and I can really appreciate the membership my parents bought for us back at Christmas...its come in handy quite a bit! The new meerkat exhibit is open now so we were able to show Jacob a new part of the zoo. He got quite a kick of them and thought they were "kitties"...hard to explain to a 21 month old the difference...so we played along :)
Thanks to the MOPS leadership board, I am getting a hour long pregnancy massage tonight at 6pm!! I cannot wait!! Im hopeful that maybe my therapist has "the touch"! We'll see :) My friend Stepheni has already told me she's got money on Norah's arrival in the next 24 hours....I can only hope right?? Well Im going to pick up the house a bit before Steven gets home...here are a few of my favorite pictures from today at the zoo! :)
Adios!

Keren!

Checking In...

As I talk to more and more people, they tell me how they're checking my blog regularly to see if Im "still here" ...and since it's been a couple days, I just wanted to tell everyone...here I am!! We had the pleasure of going to Madelaines 2nd birthday party yesterday!! It was so much fun and the kids all did great!! The pool was set up and with the extensive collection of "Cars" memoribila the boys had, Jacob was like a kid in a candy store!! Ricci told me the pool was available if I wanted to do a water birth, and that we could just clear out the kids and we'd be good to go!! Especially since our friend was there who actually delivered his wifes baby at home!! (on accident!) so essentially we were all prepared in case Norah wanted to show....but no luck! We came home and took naps...Jacob in his crib and Steven and I out in the backyard...I made the huge mistake of putting on tanning lotion...thinking it would just help me bronze up a bit...but it turned out it was the worst lotion I could have possibly put on!! Major tingle factor...I felt sunburned even before I stepped outside :( the worst part was, when I got Jacob out of his crib, the lotion from my body must have spread to him because he had red blotches where I had touched him...he looked like he should have been on "Outbreak" ...the movie!! He had no idea and it didnt seem to bother him at all...but I still felt guilty! So we're headed to church this morning and going to stay for a baked potato feed!! (I have been craving it since I read it in the bulletin last week!) Steves going to mow my dad's yard for him because his elbow has been acting up...I will wash my car while Jacob naps and we will install Norah's car seat...maybe that's all she's been waiting for....?? Either way, we'll still have plenty to do to take my mind off of still being pregnant!! Oh well...the end is near...I cant go past next Tuesday (the 22nd) so I'll try and remain positive she'll come out on her own...

::Ok, Norah, thats your cue to get out!!!::

Adios!
Keren

Is the 3rd time a charm....??

I must say that today's appt couldnt have gone any better!!! Well, besides the fact of Norah already being here :) I had a great conversation with my Dr. and she assured me that Im still a great candidate for the vbac. I was sure she was going to start talking about scheduling a c-section and the thought of it was really discouraging. Thankfully when she checked me, I was definatley at a 2 and she officially STRIPPED MY MEMBRANES!! I can officially say it!! So...is the 3rd time a charm?? We'll see!! I could definatley feel a difference from last weeks "attempted stripping" to todays. I had a repeat Group B Strep screen today because after 5 weeks weeks they go "bad" so she just wants to make sure Im still testing negative for that. If I wasnt they'd have to give me antibiotics during labor to prevent me passing it to Norah. Thankfully, I was negative the first time so Im hoping the results are still the same. OK so on with the "next step"...My Dr is completely comfortable letting me go until 41 weeks (July 17th) she told me most babies will usually show within a week of their due dates and when they dont, there's usually a reason and thats why an induction would be done. From talking to a lot of people, its fairly uncommon to be induced for a vbac. For some Dr's its "riskier" and they dont want to take the chance so I feel super blessed to have my Dr. who, as long as Norah is doing great, is comfortable inducing me! (Hence, the great appt today!) I was thinking..ugh...I was sure we were going to be talking scheduled c-section today, but to my surprise we talked induction dates!! I really would love my Dr. to be there for the delivery and her upcoming hospital shifts are Friday the 18th and Tuesday the 22nd. I like the idea of going in on a Friday night because Steven automatically gets 2 "free" days off with Saturday and Sunday, plus my Mom gets Fridays off...the only positive about waiting until the 22nd is that there is that chance she will come on her own and we can avoid the induction. So part of me would love to "chance" it. Im still feeling great, havent hit the uncomfortable stage yet...Im not sure I will because Im so desperate to have her without a C-section Im willing to wait as long as she wants to!! Im also not as big with her as I was with Jacob...I know hard to believe (hehe) but Im still down 15lbs compared to the day I had Jacob. I actually lost 4 pounds this last week...must have been the substitution of apple juice/water mix vs. the Coke. It just wasnt hitting the spot on the hot days we've been having lately. Yesterday Morgan invited Jacob and I to Costco to browse around and get some lunch, to our surprise we ran into our good friend Stepheni who made little name badges for her daughter Sophia and Jacob. They're official Costco employees now!! We went back to her condo and enjoyed an afternoon at the pool...it was pure bliss!! The water was warm and the kids (and mommies) enjoyed eating popcicles and lounging in the water! Jacob loved it so much he finally got to the point of running and jumping into the pool with no assistance!! (Of course I was right there and made sure he came up right away...now we just have to work on keeping our eyes closed under water!) But we all had a great time and Im so grateful to Morgan for allowing us to come over!! Tonight my Mom and Baby group are meeting for dinner at a local Mexican Restruant...Im so excited and am hoping that the spicy food, mixed in with a little stripping of the membranes may start a little motion in the ocean!!

Well...Jacobs decided to wake up from his nap...time to get ready!!
::Will keep you posted!!::

Daily (or Nightly) Check-In...

Yup...still here!! I love getting all the new comments and messages everyday though! Like I told my friend Stepheni who was worried about "bombarding me", how often do you really get this type of attention?? Really?? It's very rare so I'll eat it up while I can to be honest with you all Im not actually due until the end of the month, I just enjoy all this love Im getting from everyone I thought I just spread it out!!
(Just Kidding!)

Yesterday, Jacob and I made a trip to "The Wal" aka Wal-Mart, I thought for sure with all the stress thats causes by shopping there, something is bound to happen...but no. Nothing.The next attempt was going to Amys b-day party (which was kid free too! Thanks mom and dad!) We had such a wonderful time with our friends and also managed to play a few board games!! I thought with all the excitement, maybe Norah would pop her little body out...but no. Nothing.

Attempt number 3 was an intense walk at Bradley Lake Park with Christia and Barry, Carly, Suzie and Me (and the kiddos!) I started to get really crampy...but no. Nothing. I had a lot of fun watching all the kids enjoying themselves on the big toy and that in itself was worth the trip...next stop, Pioneer Park tomorrow morning.Jacob and I had a pool party this afternoon in our back yard. Best investment this summer by far! We've been blessed with a long streak of nice weather, I really can't complain!! (maybe I'll try washing the car tomorrow...thats always a good workout!)

Thursday I have a Dr appt and Friday I made and appt with Dr. Xu (The accupuncturist) who comes highly recommended by quite a few people. And as I talked to him today I really liked him...He acted as if I just come in there, get the accupuncture, and boom...have a baby! Wishful thinking...maybe, but Im willing to try it out!!Oh and I must welcome to the world of blogging: Mandi, Jessica and Michelle...well at least they're new on Blogspot...man my list is growing like crazy, its a quick and easy way to keep up with everyone and their busy lives!!

Tonight Jacob and I went to Christys house for an evening of socializing! It was such a fun time and I wish we could do that more often!! The summer just get so hectic and time flies by so fast, it seems like September is right around the corner :( yikes, that means I'll have a 2 month old by then!! All of the kids played in her ginormous back yard while us mommies sat under the umbrella set and chowed down on some amazing food...as always!
I am so lucky to have such a wonderful circle of friends!!
"Your friend is the man who knows all about you, and still likes you." - Elbert Hubard
"The best way to keep your friends is not to give them away." - Wilson Mizner
"I no doubt deserved my enemies, but I don't believe I deserved my friends." - Walt Whitman

...and on that happy note
Goodnight!

PS: Please dont hesitate at all about coming on down to the hospital(Tacoma General)!! I'd love to see everyone!! Unfortunatley a few of my closest friends just left this week for a few days so I was pretty bummed to think they might not make it but yes, Id love the extra company!! (Especially if I have to recover from yet another C-section!)
::Still keeping my fingers crossed!!::

Still Here...Unfortunatley!!

Well I'd must admit, I wish I wasnt here typing this because I really thought last night was it...so much for getting my hopes up!! I was pumped full of primrose oil, bounced on the birthing ball, ate mexican food for lunch, walked 6 laps at the Supermall, (and a few other things...) and when we got home I was having regular Braxton Hicks just sitting down. I thought it wouldnt hurt to call and just find out when the best time to come in is...I explained to the nurse I was at 2-3 cms, had my membranes stripped on Thursday and in week 39 with baby number 2. She said don't ignore the "braxton hicks" because to them, they are still contractions. I was told to drink some fluids and see if they go away. That way I will know if they are "real" or not...they were never painful, just full of pressure and when I went to bed, I was able to fall asleep right away, not a good sign! If there is any light at the end of the tunnel, Im still feeling them today so they havent gone away. The nurse also explained that since Im a vbac candidate, that I shouldnt wait as long at home and should come to the hospital soon after anything happens. This whole experience is so weird for me because with Jacob, I never even dilated, let alone felt a contraction until I was in the hospital for an induction. So I feel like a first time mom again...Im asking all my friends "labor" questions and thankfully they are all being so helpful!! I really just wish either my water would just break, or my contractions would become painful (odd requests, I know) hehe. That way I'll know...this waiting game stinks!!
Come out Norah!!! Daddy is working in Burien all next week and the drive home will take forever!
Will keep you all posted...
-Keren

Stripped...the sequel

(Tonights post comes with a disclaimer. Most of you know that I dont hold back any details so for those of you with a "less graphic mindset", you may want to skip todays blog...as it might be a little "too much")

Yes, stripped again...I think....from what my Dr. told me today, I wasnt officially stripped last week. On a happier note, she did say I was between a 2 and 3 (she told me when she's able to get 2 fingers in my cervix it usually correlates to a 2-3cm) and that to not worry about what the other Dr. told me last week about not being dilated at all. That made me feel better because I thought how in the world could she be slipping back up?? She didnt really go into a lot of detail about what she was doing today just that I had "progressed". She didnt say weather I was effaced or not, or what station she was in, but she did seem pleased. A little later I tried to hint and see if she was able to strip my membranes and from what she said, I got the impression she was able to...I did feel a little pressure/crampy afterwards which is different then usual. I think I lost part of my mucus plug tonight too...from what I've been reading it can come out in stages/parts and from what I saw tonight, I can assume its starting to break away. Im doubtful she will come tomorrow but can only hope :) Steven and I are going to walk the neighborhood a couple of times and I've got the ball to bounce on...Im just praying the Evening Primrose Oil and the "other stuff" will encourage something! I have to have another Group B Strep test next thurs (my due date) if I have not had her b/c it will have been 4 weeks and things can change so she wants to make sure Im still negative. I was able to see Norah today on the ultrasound!! She wanted to make sure she was head down, which she was and also check my fluid levels, which were also good. She still is willing to go through with the VBAC as of now, but come next week and the week after she will chat with me more about an induction vs c-section. She will let me go 41-42 weeks without an induction but she said if at any point I get too uncomfortable, to let her know and we'll do the c-section. My Dr's husband is being deployed to Korea very soon so shes not doing a lot of on call shifts at the hospital, which bums me out.. but she said she'll be back on track in the next week, so if there is any "bonus" in having her a little later, there is a way better chance MY doctor will deliver her :)I met Carly and Christia at Dash Point State Park on Monday and had a great time. The water was so nice and warm (and a little slimy..lol) but the boys had a blast playing and splashing in the water and digging in the sand! I got to go to Kate's baby shower on Monday night and see little Hudson! It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed seeing some little boy clothes for the first time in awhile! Tuesday I had yet another baby shower to go to for my friend Amberlyn, who is also having a little boy (Ben!) She and I are in MOPS together and also a part of the craft team so needless to say planning/organizing the crafts for this years group may prove to be a little challenging!! At least they'll still be in the newborn stage...(aka the easy stage!) :) Wednesday, I met up with Katie at the Tacoma Mall for a little mall walk...we had a lot of fun and scored some amazing deals (I was finally able to go to The Pumpin Patch and get a few outfits for Norah)...great sale by the way!! That night, Steven and I joined Chris and Angela for a night at the ball park (aka Safeco Field)!! Our seats were amazing and we had a blast, even though they did close the roof due to rain/lightening...I have a new obsession for Garlic Fries...oh my goodness...de-lic-io-us!!! We also ran into my friend Suzanne who was also at the game with her family! (Small small world!) So after hot dogs, nachos, garlic fries, pizza and yes, a cup of cheese sauce all to myself...we all had very satisfied tummys! Needless to say this week has been a lot of fun, despite the humid/sticky weather!! Now that its starting to cool off outside Im off to walk the dog and "help move things along" I hope!
Goodnight!

PS: I must apologize for not answering my phone lately...a.) I havent programmed my bluetooth so I havent been able to chat while Im driving and b.) I've overused my minutes, yet again...so unless Norah comes on the weekend, we'll be contacting everyone on Stevens phone!! Or else I may see a cell phone bill as much as my hospital bill!! Text messaging works the best...and theres always myspace/facebook/blogspot!!!
Here are a couple pictures of Angela and I last night!!