Welcome baby Gracen!

This is a funny picture of Alden - oh well! I am SO BLESSED to have 3 beautiful, healthy children! Who could ask for more?!?
Alden ADORES Gracen. He is such a great big brother.

She's all cheeks!!

A healthy baby girl!

Last belly pic. Can you believe there's almost 10 lbs of baby in there?!? YIKES!

Our family welcomed baby Gracen Ivie on Thursday afternoon! It was a long, tough labor but it successfully ended in a VBAC and a healthy baby girl, which is all we wanted! Thank goodness for Grandma Brunson. She did everything for me during the long 18 hours of labor and then went home and took good care of my boys. Given the circumstances of the labor and Gracen's size, I am so grateful that I was in the U.S. to have this baby! I think I had to have just the right doctor with just the right attitude in order for this to have been a successful VBAC birth! I am so grateful to Heavenly Father that everything has worked out so well.

At my appointment on Wednesday, the doctor said he was uncomfortable with the baby's size (estimated to be about 10 lbs!) and said he wanted to do a c-section the next morning. I told him how badly I wanted to do a VBAC and after consulting with another doctor, Dr Evans said he would give me until Monday to go into labor on my own. He sent me home after an "aggressive" physical exam that revealed I was 4 cm and 50% effaced.

I was totally upset at the prospect of such a large baby and having to have a c-section again so that night my father-in-law gave me a blessing. It wasn't an hour later that I realized the contractions I'd been having since my appointment were coming about 5 minutes apart. After 6 hours of contractions 3-5 minutes apart, we headed to the hospital at about 3 in the morning. I was devastated when we got to the hospital and I found out that I was still only 4 cm dilated! All that pain for nothing! But Dr. Evans admitted me anyway and was great about allowing me to do things I wasn't allowed to in a VBAC labor last time - like walk the halls and bounce on a birthing ball. I did that until 10 AM the next morning, with contractions still 3-5 minutes apart. I was still only 6 cm dilated but the anesthesiologist was coming and they recommended that if I was going to get an epidural, that I get it then. Oh blessed epidural! I was born in this generation for a reason. ;-D It wasn't 10 minutes after the epidural that my water "popped." But the epidural was only taking on one side so it had to be redone. After that one, I slept the afternoon away until I was fully dilated at about 2:30. I was nervous about whether or not I'd be able to push out such a big baby but half an hour later, the nurse was crossing my legs while we waited for the doctor! A few short pushes later, and she was here! And she was BIG!!! 9 lbs, 8 oz of cheeks and flubbers. She has plenty of black hair (just as we ordered ;-D). She is pretty lethargic, as they say the bigger babies often are. We're enjoying her immensely. The boys are just tickled that they have a new baby around. Hopefully it stays that way for momma's boy Eli!

Thanks for sharing in our joy!!

Why I Love Being a Mom

I don't know why, but I was thinking about this hard last night so I guess I'd better get it written down.

On our eventful cross-country trip last week, I heard many comments from people expressing their opinions on the level of my sanity/insanity as I lugged two toddlers and a ginormous belly around airport after airport. Most sounded something like, "WOW." "Look at that lady!" "Boy, you've sure got your hands full." "You're crazy!" "I would never do what you're doing." Etc, etc, etc.

Then, as we prepared to board our 4th flight in two days, I was folding up the stroller for the gate check man and he said, "You sure like being a mom, huh?"

It totally stopped me in my tracks.

I looked up at his sincere smiling face. My answer was, "You know what? I sure do."

And it's had me thinking ever since. Here's why I love being a mom:

• Because I come upstairs after running down to grab something and Eli greets me at the top of the stairs saying, "Mom!! My Mom! My Mom!" like it's just AWESOME that I'm back. Makes me feel like I'm #1!
  
• Because I get to sneak in and watch my kids sleep at night. If you don't do this often, do it more. It's so easy to see them as God sees them while they're still and sleeping.
• Because I've grown more in the 3 1/2 years I've been a mom than my kids have.
• Because I get to overhear my kids teaching others things I've taught them.
• Because my life has more meaning and true joy than ever before.
  

I think I needed this post more than anyone who may read it. It's a nice reminder as I start another challenging round of moming a newborn!

Blog Tutorial: How to go into Labor

WARNING: Side effects include exhaustion and swelling of the feet into flippers. However, you will also learn to recognize the phrase "Look at that lady!" in several languages.

Step 1: Move to a Caribbean island while pregnant. Visit island doctor starting at 15 weeks, discussing VBAC history, etc. Make sure said island doctor waits until 34 weeks in pregnancy to decide you cannot deliver on the island.
Step 2: Obtain last minute tickets to Idaho to deliver at the in-laws place. Be incredibly grateful they're willing to welcome you and two crazy toddlers with open arms.
Step 3: Leave home in Caribbean at 10 AM on Thursday. Take off on world's smallest runway to stopover on the island of statia. Tiny aircraft will be very turbulent but will make the flight safely.
Step 4: Take off for St. Maarten.
Step 5: Once landed in St. Maarten, enlist the help of two manly-men to pull your luggage off the baggage racks and to the ticket counter for you.
Step 6: Wait patiently while ticket agent does your tickets twice, getting the names in the computer correctly the second time. Wait further while he consults with fellow employees whether you are competent to make the trip with two toddlers while pregnant without assistance.
Step 7: Thank manager who asked said ticket agent why on earth you wouldn't be able to make the trip and gives the OK.
Step 8: Take off for Miami at 3:15 pm Thursday afternoon.
Step 9: Arrive in Miami, one of the busiest airports you'll ever see, at 6:30 pm. Again, enlist manly-men to pull luggage from baggage claim.
Step 10: Wait in line for passport clearance and customs. Realize at customs counter you've forgotten to get written permission from your husband to travel internationally with his kids. Fear not, however, customs agent probably figures no one would possibly want to travel as you are unless these kids are yours. Agent will not ask for permission from other parent.
Step 11: Wait in wrong place for hotel shuttle for 30 minutes. Thank your lucky stars an airport worker takes pity on you and personally escorts you, stroller, and luggage train to the correct place.
Step 12: Teach older toddler who has been off American soil far too long what a stop light is on the way to hotel.
Step 13: Arrive at hotel at 8:00. Walk one block to diner for dinner.
Step 14: Take LONG (10 minute!!), hot shower and be grateful you're back on U.S. soil.
Step 15: Retire to bed at 9:00.
Step 16: Have fitful nights sleep in which you will awake at 2:00 to realize you haven't checked the morning flight's status. Call agent.
Step 17: Wake at 3:30AM Friday. Get you, your luggage, and your kiddos onto airport shuttle at 4:00.
Step 18: Wait in line at airport for 10 minutes, wonder why everyone's luggage in line is wrapped in plastic wrap. Finally ask someone who tells you in broken English you're in the line for people going to Cuba. Find correct desk and check-in at airport again.
Step 19: A saving grace! 7:00 morning flight will not be full. Spread each child across 2 seats to sleep most of the flight away.
Step 20: Arrive in Dallas, TX at 9:30 in the morning. Play on McDonald's mini-Playplace and eat breakfast. Avoid the eggs as they look and smell questionable.
Step 21: Take shuttle to different concourse. Find an awesome play area for kids there. Obtain lunch for kiddos and board plane at 12:20. Thank the heavens for new Happy Meal toys for the airplane.
Step 22: Arrive in Salt Lake City at 2:30. Meet father-in-law who has taken entire day off work to come and meet you and take shuttle to parking lot.
Step 23: Load kids who don't remember car seats into car seats despite protests.
Step 24: Drive 3 1/2 hours to Idaho Falls, ID where oldest child will be ecstatic he's finally at Grandma's house. Arrive at 7:00 Mountain Standard time, roughly 34 hours after leaving home in Caribbean.

DISCLAIMER: The preceding process will result in strong Braxton-Hicks but is NOT guaranteed to put you into labor, as it didn't work for me!