Miss Daphne Kendall has Arrived!!

So Precious!

Daphne's Birth Story:

Bright and early we arrived to the hospital on Thursday the 15th to begin the induction process and bringing Daphne into the world. I was surprised at how quickly everything fell together and I am thankful for that. I must say that was the theme of the entire hospital stay for us: quick and efficient!  I chose to have my water broke first by  Dr. Ott, and that was NOT a pleasant experience. Then again I suppose much of the labor process would not be considered pleasant :).  She had a difficult time breaking my water leaving me nervous that it was not going to happen. After much trying it did FINALLY break only to be followed by Daphne not appreciating the intrusion. Her heart rate decided to drop so I was bedridden for the first 20 minutes until her heart rate became stable. At that point we were finally allowed up and able to walk around. Jeff was a fantastic walking partner as we made approximately 6 to 7 laps throughout the hospital. Good news? I did start contracting more! Bad news? No, I did not dilate any further than a 3 during this time.

Bring on the Pitocin!

At this point my anxiety started to get to me a bit because I quickly remember what happened when I got Pitocin with Jude; strong pains that come on forcefully! Once again as with Jude, Daphne was very finicky with how I was positioned so I was stuck on my right side just to maintain her heart rate. It didn't take long for the contractions to get more painful although they never seemed to remain consistent. I could have contractions just 2 minutes apart and then would not get another one for 5 minutes. Some were definitely stronger than others as well. Unfortunately, I started to feel most of the contractions in my lower back. I have always been warned of back labor and how awful it was, and I must say those warnings were spot on! Needless to say the back labor helped me to make the decision quickly on an epidural. I know how my body and my mind works and I was never going to relax enough with this pain to dilate to a decent amount in a swift amount of time. I did NOT want to do what I did with Jude and tire myself out waiting and waiting to dilate enough. The epidural quickly sped things up with him; I just prayed it would happen for her too.

The epidural was administered around noon and thankfully they let Jeff stay with me during that time unlike with Jude. At this point I just wanted to nap and relax and hope my body would just do it's job. I was dilated to a 5, and figured I still had all afternoon before anything would happen :). Jeff proceeded to leave for a bit to grab some food and talk to the family knowing we had plenty of time to kill. When Jeff returned he sat down to eat and I had yet to fall asleep but I was relaxed. While in the middle of trying to eat his burger, I noticed that Daphne's heart rate was becoming erratic Jeff assumed my belt had slipped and was trying to reposition it but with no avail. The nurse comes in at this time immediately asking if I felt any pressure and checking for dilation. I remember what the pressure felt like with Jude and I was absolutely not feeling a thing. I still just wanted to sleep! As she began to check her response was a good indication that I would not be resting anytime soon. She said Daphne's erratic heart rate gave her a hunch that I was most likely ready to push. We started with a practice push just to see how ready I was, and apparently it worked. She gave Dr. Ott a call and informed us that our baby would be on the way shortly! I couldn't help but to laugh at Jeff's response when he asked her how much time we had. She looked at the clock (it read 1:10) and informed us that Daphne would be here at 1:25. Jeff's face was in shock (I think he was more upset that he wouldn't get to finish his lunch though)! He left to tell the family what was about to happen leaving me afraid that he was not going to make it back time; Dr. Ott was there quicker than I would have ever expected and we were ready to go!

I could not believe Daphne was about to make appearance and I was fully aware this time. With Jude I was so beyond tired that I almost felt like I wasn't even a part of his delivery.  I was so mindful of what was about to occur, that I started shaking with nerves. Uncontrollable nerves! Ready or not it was time! I started pushing at 1:20 and Miss Daphne was here at 1:22. Unbelievable!

6 pounds 5 ounces, 19 1/2 inches long

Jeff and I spent the next 2 hours alone with Daphne holding her skin to skin. She was already showing her personality and true colors my pooping on me as soon as she was given to me. I'm sure it was quite a sight to see with her yet to be cleaned up, both of us covered in poop, and her learning to nurse! On a positive note, she came out rooting enabling me to nurse her right away. She was a pro from the start! After that we quickly realized that she must have been sucking her fingers and thumb in the womb as she was sucking her thumb at just a few minutes old! We had to end up giving her the paci the next day just to satisfy her beyond nursing. Family started to trickle in and she was showered with much attention!

First Family Photo

Jude loved Daphne from the beginning!

The rest of our time in the hospital was truly relaxing (as relaxing as possible with almost hourly nurse visits). We got to give Daphne her first bath that evening and then we both actually slept some that night! Where Jude refused to be swaddled, Daphne loved it. Where Jude refused to sleep at night, Daphne loved to sleep! Amazing how opposite they are already. We had some wonderful visitors the next day and gifts from loved ones as well.

Daphne passed all of her screenings and tests allowing us to go home Saturday at the 48 hour mark. I was so ready. I really needed to see and feel the sun!

First Bath

Jude in his Christmas outfit 1 day old

Daphne in her Halloween outfit 1 day old

Ready to head home!

Already a Daddy's girl!

Final Days Before Our Little Pumpkin Arrives!

38 Weeks

We spent the week having our high risk pregnancy tests for our Little Miss. She passed them both with flying colors! My non-stress test was Monday the 5th. Within the first 5 minutes she had already moved enough that she passed perfectly! I always said she was quite the tumbler. It was amazing to lay there for 20 minutes doing nothing but listening to her heartbeat and feeling her move. It so difficult to find the time to just enjoy her inside of me when I have a toddler running around too! Thankfully Papaw Jim came down to watch him for me during this time.

Thursday the 8th we had another biophysical profile that she once again was able to breeze through. Her heart rate was steady around 153 bpm. She is still down pretty low but we were able to get some AMAZING pictures of her face this time! My heart was so full as we watched her stick her tongue out and move her lips up and down. Just fascinating.
The ultrasound tech provided us yet again with another picture of her hair! Yes, hair. We do not believe it either since hair is not something that runs in our family for babies. My guess is that this hair will all fall out and she will be our bald little princess for a while. I could be wrong though! :)

38 Weeks!

 

 

38 Weeks with Jude!

She is so sweet!

39 Weeks

I had my final doctor's appointment Monday the 12th before we get to welcome home our Little Pumpkin! It was another non-stress test and once again she passed perfectly. I'm still dilated to a 3 and nothing else going on! Just a waiting game. My conclusion is that my induction is definitely going to happen tomorrow. I am going to start with having my water broke as opposed to starting with Pitocin. Hopefully my body will just kick in and do what it needs to do.

We ask for many prayers for tomorrow that all will run smoothly with delivery and we will welcome our beautiful little girl to our family. We have had so much support and love during this pregnancy that we could not be more grateful!

39 Weeks!

 

How far along? 39 weeks and 3 days

Total weight gain: 26 pounds

Maternity clothes? Still in them and ready to be done!

 

Stretch marks? None! I am thankful for my mother's genetics!

Sleep: I want to sleep and I do off and on. I'm up a lot tossing and turning, unable to breathe, and needing to use the bathroom.

Miss Anything? I am going to miss not being able to feel her move in my belly everyday!

Movement: Still a mover!

Food cravings: Nothing at all. I have a tough time even cooking for lunch or supper. I don't really want anything.

Anything making you queasy or sick: No.

 

Gender: Girl!!

Labor Signs: Dilated to a 3, occasional cramps and contractions....that's really about it. Not much to brag about!

Belly Button in or out? Out.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Very happy, anxious, and tired. 

 

Best moment this week:Getting to relax all by myself for 20 minutes during the non-stress test just listening to her heart beat. 

 

 Looking forward to: Bringing our little girl into the world tomorrow! Can't wait to have pictures of her and Jude together! :)

36-37 Weeks

36 Week Appointment:
We had another weekly visit to the doctor. They are beginning to know Jude and I very well! :) Our little pumpkin passed her biophysical profile with flying colors, and my fluid levels are normal as well. Praise the Lord for another wonderful appointment with good news! Next week Jeff will be attending the appointment with us as it will be big one and full of many decisions. We will have another biophysical profile along with a growth anatomy scan. I am so excited to see how much she has grown! In addition to that, she will check me for further dilation and have the discussion on induction. As mentioned before, I do not want to be induced at 39 weeks just simply to be induced. On the flip side, I do not want to go much past 40 weeks as I know more complications can arise. So please pray for the decision Jeff and I need to make on either scheduling an induction at 40 weeks if I have yet to go, or to wait.

Yes, we have been told this ultrasound pic is creepy. You have to admit it is pretty neat though to see her eye like that!

Fall Fun:
I feel like I have a bucket list of fall activities I want to complete with Jude before our little pumpkin arrives, and such little time to do so! We started with a trip to the apple orchard where Jude got to help us pick his favorite fruit. He definitely loved pulling the apples off of the tree! We made applesauce and caramel apples together as well. Later in the week we headed to the park on a leaf hunt so we could do some leaf rubbings. Jude loved the leaf hunting part....not so much the coloring part. Pretty typical for our little man. From the picture below you can see he was absolutely proud of his leaf rubbings regardless! This week we will be headed to the Fall Festival here in Evansville as well as the pumpkin patch.

Holiday World fun for the Toyota Family Picnic

Apple picking

Learning to make applesauce. Pants are not required!

Showing off his leaf rubbing

37 Week Appointment:
On the 2nd I had my 37 week appointment which included the biophysical profile, anatomy scan, and regular check-up.  Little Pumpkin passed with an 8 out of 8 again and a heart rate of 138. On the downside she is measuring on the small side still in the 13th percentile. This shows she has actually gone down in ranking. She was 5 pounds 14 ounces. Now to me this did not seem like a big deal; she was almost 6 pounds and I was almost 38 weeks. Jude was born at almost 41 weeks and was 6 pounds 12 ounces and perfectly healthy. Dr. Ott agreed that I likely just have small babies due to genetics, but (there is always a but) it could also mean that my placenta is deciding it is nearing it's time to be done and possibly not providing the nutrients she needs. To be honest I was a little concerned too with the fact that she dropped so much in percentile. In my heart I know that God has a plan and He is watching over the both of us and I feel confident she is a healthy little girl. Just a petite healthy little girl! Due to all of the nervousness, Dr. Ott has me coming in on Monday to do a non-stress test, on Thursday for another biophysical profile, and again on the 12th for another non-stress test. We are remaining cautious due to her size and want to continue to be sure she is progressing inside of me. With all this being said, the doc assured us she was not nervous as of Friday for there being any serious problems occurring as of right now. She did say she was not comfortable with allowing me to go full-term with a baby who is continuously measuring smaller. She was ready for us to be induced on Monday the 12th at 39 weeks. I simply was not. Jeff and I did agree to meet in the middle with her and set up an induction for Wednesday the 14th. Truth be told neither one of us is thrilled with the idea. I still prefer to let my body do what it needs to do and trust in God. I am hoping that after my tests this week I will have a better feeling towards keeping the induction or not based on how our little pumpkin is doing. The only thing I can continue to do now is pray and have faith it will all work out perfectly and in the end we will be holding our precious baby girl!

Love comparing pictures! The one on the left is with our little girl at 37 weeks. The one on the right is with Jude at 37 weeks. 

Yes, she has hair! Not a lot, but it is there.

Nursery:
Nursery pictures are finally here!! I am very happy with how it all turned out. It is light and airy and full of vintage and family touches. Jude loves her room too as he will often announce to people, "Welcome to ________'s room!" I have included pictures of Jude's big boy bed as well as he is pretty thrilled with it! :)

The beautiful family quilt made by my great-great aunt.Also in the picture you will see a blanket made by Aunt Jennifer, a painting made from a friend, and the old night stand (belonged to Jeff's grandparents) refurbed by a friend.

This little wicker rocking chair was mine as a little girl.

Jude's big boy bed!

How far along? 38 weeks today!

Total weight gain: 26 pounds...I lost a pound this weekend though to 25. I did this with my last pregnancy too.

Maternity clothes? Same old story...I am getting really tired of wearing the same things over and over again!

Stretch marks? So far so good.....

Sleep: Difficult! I wake up a lot and am usually uncomfortable especially now that I am cramping and contracting off and on.

Miss Anything? Being able to breathe when I go on walks, go up the stairs, just sitting down... ha!

Movement: She still moves a lot. Seems even more so the past few days.

Food cravings: No. In fact I do not have much of an appetite at all. I do crave a Coke quite often which is odd since I never drink Coke or soda period anymore.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing particular. The past couple of days I am queasy off and on but that is mostly just from my body preparing for labor. 

Gender: Girl!!

Labor Signs: Wow, have the labor signs started this weekend! I am dilated to a 3 now which is crazy since I wasn't even a 2 when my water broke with Jude. Our pumpkin has dropped VERY low and is in position. The ultrasound tech could barely get a measure of her head and could not get a picture of her face. She did say that she had some hair and took a picture of that! I have been cramping a lot this weekend and contracting off and on. Nothing regular. I am super super exhausted. All of these symptoms are new for me as I never had any of them with Jude. A brand new ballgame so to speak!

Belly Button in or out? Out.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy but tired.

Best moment this week: Seeing our little pumpkin again and knowing that she is healthy. The realization that we will be meeting her in less than 2 weeks regardless!

Looking forward to: Relaxing and waiting for her arrival. I plan to have fun and play with Jude as much as I can this week.

34-35 Weeks

Less than a month before her due date!!!

Doctor Visits:

We had a doctor's appointment on the 11th for my 34th week to check my fluid levels and her size once again. Fluid level is still on the higher side but normal-high side. Dr. Ott is not worried but regardless I will continue to be checked every Friday to be sure it remains consistent. Guess I cannot complain too much as it is always another opportunity to see our little girl! She weighed 4 pounds and 14 ounces and is in the 21st percentile. Still just a little a thing! Jude enjoys these ultrasounds now as well too. He was fascinated by her nose this time on the screen!

34 Weeks with our little pumpkin

34 Weeks with Jude

My 35 week appointment was today. Fluid levels are still the same and our little pumpkin is doing beautifully! They check her bladder and kidneys each time along with her heartbeat (144 bpm) and wait for her to breathe. She kept moving her mouth this time and it was adorable to watch. We pointed out her feet and hands to Jude but he informed us that they were not in fact feet or hands (guess the ultrasounds are not all that clear to a 2 year old). He was more concerned about all the pictures of the naked babies on the bulletin board. He knows the word "naked" without a doubt! :) I am dilated 1 cm currently and had my B strep test completed. Dr. Ott asked if I would want to be induced at 39 weeks as I would have that choice with a normal healthy pregnancy. I am opting out of that as I prefer mybody to do what God intended for it to do and for out little pumpkin to make her appearance when God intends as well. I am however fine with induction when medically necessary. I must say I cannot believe I am to that point now where we are checking for dilation and discussing when she will make her appearance!

I just had to share this picture. Look at that little fist!

35 Weeks with our little pumpkin

35 Weeks with Jude

My next appointment is Friday the 25th. I will have another biophysical profile completed along with my regular check-up.

How Momma is Holding Up

Momma is starting to SLOW down!! :) I honestly still cannot complain as far as how I am feeling really. I still get up pretty early and run (more like a slow jog if you want to be exact). I do well in the mornings with Jude's activities and even early afternoon with my daily house routines. Once 5 p.m. hits though, I'm starting to feel exhaustion and backache. It's a great excuse not to fix supper! My essential oil blends have been a blessing. The focus blend keeps me going in the afternoons and my muscle blend helps my lower back a ton.  Braxton Hicks are a regularity daily. They seem to hit more when I am active and moving a lot. Reminds me to stop and drink some water! Nighttime is not fun. I still cannot sleep on my left side as it gives me heartburn leaving only my right side. This results in my arm and hip going numb throughout the night, so I am awake often changing position and peeing. I pee all the time this pregnancy! Anyone who knows me well knows this is a huge change.

Oh Jude...Jude makes me tired :) He is up bright and early (like 5:00-5:30 early) and only wanting mommy. He is a pistol without a doubt running on high energy 24/7 talking, dancing, you name it. He never meets a stranger so leaving the house daily is always an adventure! We talk to everyone. And I mean EVERYONE. In the end I would not change a thing! I love every little thing about him including his new bossiness that has come about. It shows me that he is definitely wanting his independence and growing up. We are however working on being independent and polite at the same time!

A momma's boy for sure! He will have a lot to adjust to in a few short weeks!

He is my sweetheart!

This picture shows Jude perfectly! An absolute ham!

He had too much fun with this picture!

This one shows the independent side to his personality. He refused to stand in the middle. Had to be on the outside!

Preparing for Baby 

I have been super busy this week in the kitchen. I have spent 4 days to be exact making freezer meals and lactation cookies to freeze. It was horrible! I cook a lot but I do not enjoy it because I despise  cleaning up the mess. I cannot begin to tell you the amount of dishes I have done this week. Ugh! Despite all the work I am so excited to be this prepared. Our hospital bag, baby bag, and Jude's bag are packed. My post pardem pads are made, the basket is prepared, and my nursing basket is set. Our little pumpkin's room is complete aside from one last item for Jeff to hang up. Pictures come next time! Everything we need for now is washed including her diapers and all her toys and pacis are sterilized. Jeff put her car seat in this week and switched Jude's to the other side. We have definitley made a lot of progress which makes this organized and overly worrisome mom very happy! My goals next week are to get Jude's activity bags complete, photo albums caught up,  and thank you cards written.

Several dear friends of mine from mine threw a beautiful Sprinkle celebration for our little girl and another friend of mine. It was such a sweet surprise and made me feel truly blessed and loved. I am so thankful for where God has placed us showing me true and valuable friendships.

I love fall! We have so many fun family activities coming up (hopefully I can still participate in much of them). We have Holiday World around the corner, along with apple picking, the pumpkin patch, the craft show, the Fall Festival....and I am determined to get it all done in the next couple of weeks before she makes her arrival! 

How far along? 35 weeks and 5 days

Total weight gain: 25 pounds

Maternity clothes? I am beginning to feel like I am outgrowing my maternity clothes...yikes!

Stretch marks? Nope!

Sleep: I'm awake a lot!

Best moment this week: Both doctor appointments where we were able to see our little pumpkin, my baby sprinkle, feeling her flip flop everywhere, visiting with the Carpenter's.

Miss Anything? No.

Movement: When she moves she is tumbling! 

Food cravings: No.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope!

Symptoms: Exahustion in the evenings, lower back pain, Braxton Hicks

Belly Button in or out? Out.

 

Wedding rings on or off?  On and still loose.

Labor Signs: Not Yet!

 

Looking forward to: All of our fall activities and the craft show!

Wow! Only 8 Weeks Left!

I have a few weeks of catch up to do here and several pictures, so this could be a long post!

Doctor Visits:
We had an appointment for our little pumpkin on Friday, August 7th. We received all good news with a good a heartbeat and much movement. When Dr. Ott measured me I was only measuring 27 weeks when I was actually just at 30. So with that small measurement and with our little pumpkin previously measuring in the 34th percentile, she decided to schedule another ultrasound for our next appointment on the 21st.
She honestly believes that everything is fine.
Baby is just small.
I just carry small.
I have a longer torso, etc.

I found it quite amusing because I spent the whole previous week hearing from everyone how large I looked and wouldn't make it to October. In reality I am truly measuring smaller and so is the baby. Dr. Ott even said she felt like I was carrying small and it was just the way I was built that made me look bigger.

Our latest appointment was last Friday on the 21st. Before I go into details I must give props to our little man! It was only Jude and I for our 7:15 ultrasound and follow-up appointment, and he was so well behaved! He followed me everywhere, sat when he needed to, kept his hands to himself, and was overall happy. In typical Jude fashion, he was sure to talk to every woman he came across while we were there as well! Our little girl is healthy and has a strong heartbeat. She is still small measuring in the 24th percentile now. During the ultrasound, they noticed that my fluid levels were on the higher side for her size; nothing alarming but higher nonetheless. Her smaller size and my extra fluid all lead to me now having to make weekly visits to the doctor and weekly ultrasounds to check size and fluid amount. Dr. Ott does not seemed worried, but of course it was explained that extra fluid could mean earlier delivery. If that is not the case, and she is still cooking away at 39 weeks and I still have extra fluid, then they are wanting to induce me. I am not going to begin ranting here. I will just say I am absolutely not a fan of being induced. End of story.

31 weeks and 5 days

How am I feeling? Overall I know I cannot honestly complain. Yes, I am tired more often. Yes, I pee a lot. Yes, I cannot sleep through the night. Yes, my back and round ligaments hurt on a daily basis. Yes, those darn Braxton Hicks contractions occur multiple times on a daily basis. But I would say all of these "common" symptoms leave me with nothing to complain about. I have truly been blessed with two relatively easy pregnancies (fingers crossed for that to continue).

Preparing for Baby:
Jeff was very busy a couple of weeks ago painting our little pumpkin's room. It is a beautiful soft peach color just like I wanted. Unfortunately, it took 4 coats of paint to cover (thankfully Jeff was a good sport about it all). Since then he has put her furniture together and hung her curtains. My focus has been on room and closet organization, cute decor, and creating check lists. As of today, her closet is done and organized as is the rest of her room (for the most part). I really only want to use special mementos and pieces for her room to decorate it, and that has proven to more difficult than I expected. Jude's room just fell into my lap. We came across old family toys and those gave us a beautiful vintage look for his bedroom. Right now her entire room is based around an old family quilt; it was the perfect inspiration!

We had maternity pictures taken recently through Eleminopea photography. I cannot wait to see the finished shots. I just know we will love them! Jude was very well behaved and took directions quite well the entire time except for wanting to be plastered to my leg!

Jeff in the beginning stages of painting her room. More pics to come when the room is complete.

Baby Sprinkle:
My sister graciously hosted a small baby sprinkle to celebrate our little girl. Just family and a few close friends. We feel so lucky and blessed to have these special people in our lives who were more than happy to celebrate with us. She now has a full closet of clothes, many beautiful handmade blankets, as well as new cloth diapers and accessories. I was overjoyed to have this sprinkle for her because I want to look back at pictures through the years and see that we took this time as a family to celebrate her. We have many pictures from the sprinkle but I only added a few (the ones where I do not have a funny expression on my face)!

This captures a few of the handmade blankets.

Closet full of clothes!

All About Jude:
He is just growing like a weed! Measuring 38 inches now and I just cannot believe it! He talks more and more and more....to everyone...there is never a stranger anywhere we go....:)
Jude loves to sing his ABC's, play outside, and be independent/helpful. Right now he is also super lovey-dovey to his mommy. I get all kinds of hugs, cuddles, kisses, "I love you's", and "you are my best friend". I am eating this stage up and never want it to end. What I find most amazing is that he truly understands what "I love you" means now. He tells me most when he snuggles up to me and gives me hugs.  It's amazing to just see that understanding and growth. Something else that I am so proud of is how he is participating in our bedtime prayers. Once we finish the prayer that I say for him, he then adds in his own thoughts and ideas to thank God for. It is so sweet!

Celebrating Daddy's birthday!


How far along? 32 Weeks and 1 Day

Total weight gain: Enough! I am around 20 pounds now.

Maternity clothes? Very much so.

Stretch marks? Nope!

Sleep: I sleep alright. Wake up to pee. Sometimes need a granola bar :)

Best moment this week: Finishing the nursery, our baby sprinkle, celebrating Jeff's birthday, watching our little girl through an ultrasound again....many moments to be blessed for!

Miss Anything? No, not a whole lot.

Movement: She likes to tumble occasionally, especially at night.

Food cravings: No.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope!

Symptoms: I am just tired a lot. The Braxton Hicks contractions are definitely more frequent this time around. I also pee so much more.

Belly Button in or out? Partially out.

Wedding rings on or off?  On and still loose.

Labor Signs: Not yet.

Looking forward to: The near completion of our little girl's room and just completing my long to-do list!