Saturday, November 22, 2014

The first few days with Peyton

I was snapping some quick photos of Peyton and decided to look back at photos of Lincoln when he was a newborn. I actually got a couple of the same poses for both of them which is kinda fun. They have a lot of similarities but are so different all at the same time! But here are a few photos of Peyton's first few days if life...


 We didn't get tons of hospital pictures like we did with Lincoln considering how quickly everything went. But I wanted to make sure and get some of Lincoln and Peyton together. He sure loves her and wants to help with everything!



 2 days old...so precious!


Loves to snuggle with daddy

Announcing Miss Peyton...

Wow. She is finally here!!! Peyton joined our family as quickly as she could once she was finally ready. Let's take a step back for a bit. My last couple of doctor appointments I kept getting told, "well, you're dilating, you're super soft and the baby is really low". Awesome! right? I'm close to being done, right? Not really. My last appointment the doctor said the same thing but then said, "just a couple good contractions and this baby will be here." I was shocked! I'm only at 38 weeks! I definitely wouldn't mind if she came early...that would actually be wonderful! Yes, I was only at 38 weeks, but I was getting more miserable each day. I was really starting to feel all the extra weight that I had been gaining, my feet hurt, my back was killing me, my belly felt like it was literally going to just burst because it was stretched as far as it could and couldn't wouldn't be stretched any more. I knew having two children physically in my care would be challenging but I didn't care. It would be so much better to have her out. I could crawl around with Lincoln again, I could cuddle with Chris, I could get out of bed by myself...it would be wonderful!!!! So I tried everything to get those contractions really going. Nothing. They just wouldn't come. I really wanted to have this little girl on November 14 mostly because it would be a cool birthday...11/14/14 and it would be easy to remember. I woke up that morning hoping and praying with all my might that she would come. Chris was really hoping she would come too...he didn't really want to go to work that day! I woke up, made breakfast, had a contraction every once in while-nothing out of the ordinary. So Chris grudgingly left for work and told me to keep his updated. Well, I got breakfast cleaned up and then Lincoln and I headed downstairs to do one of my walking dvd's. I decided to try the more intense one this time so we started for 2 miles in 30 minutes. I had started walking more earlier that week since I was passed 37 weeks and given the ok if I did go in to labor. About 10 minutes in I started getting some contractions and they just kept coming!!! It was great. I just didn't know if they were the "real thing" or just the silly Braxton-Hicks contractions. My 2 miles was done so I took a shower and started getting ready for the day. The contractions never stopped coming though. I started keeping track and gauging if they were getting stronger, longer, and more intense...whatever that meant. I was a little nervous about what to expect since I didn't experience contractions with Lincoln. I kept texting Chris little updates and kept wondering if today was really the day. Apparently I was updating Chris so much that his boss asked him how far away we were from the hospital and then told him to just go home. Chris was so happy. He was convinced that should go to the hospital. By the time he got home I was having about 8-10 contractions an hour. After a few hours of that I called my Ob's office and asked what I should do because they just weren't going away but weren't really getting stronger or more intense. They suggested to go and get checked just to be on the safe side. I was hesitant because I didn't want to go and then get sent home. But Chris made up his mind and got the bags together, put towels in the car (just in case my water broke on the way), and got us all in the car.
We got to the hospital, got in to triage and waited. Apparently I wasn't as dilated or effaced as I thought and the nurse said the baby really wasn't very low...I begged to differ on that one though, after all I was the one pregnant! They got me hooked up to the monitors and we just had to wait and wait. After about an hour I hadn't progressed so the doctor told us to walk the halls to see if that would really get things going. After a painful hour of walking the halls with Chris and having constant contractions the nurse checked me again, but still no progress.  After being at the hospital for a few more hours the doctor sent us home since I wasn't progressing. I was so disappointed! Karen had come down to help with Lincoln and took him to the park, so we called and told her to come back. But we decided since we were all together we would go out to lunch. On our way home I made Chris stop at Macey's to get a bunch of ice cream and a Redbox. We went home and I was still having contractions but nothing too intense. We were pretty full from eating 5 Guys so we I just binged on ice cream for the rest of the night. Depressed...maybe a little.  I just didn't know if I could trust myself with figuring out real and fake contractions. But oh well. I would "know" when the time came, or so everyone told me. I eventually fell asleep about 8:30 completely exhausted mentally and physically.
Well, I kinda woke up at about 2:00 to a few contractions but I just took a couple deep breaths and it was fine...so I figured it was just those darn fake ones again, But I never really fell back asleep. Things started changing a few minutes later. I decided to get my phone and start keeping track of the contractions. I was having pretty hard contractions 7 minutes apart but they were still very manageable. I just felt like I had to go to the bathroom about every 5 seconds, but that wasn't unsual lately. Then I had another contraction and was surprise that it was 5 minutes apart. And then another came at 5 mintues and the next one came at 3 minutes apart and I was really starting to believe that these were those "real contractions". I decide it was a good time to get Chris up. He was taking his time getting up until I asked him for a blessing. He jumped out of bed and knew something was up. I had him give me a blessing because I was hurting an a little scared/nervous and just needed some extra comfort and strength. It really helped me to calm down even though I was starting to feel some anxiety creep in. Chris got Lincoln in the car and we were out the door so fast. Chis was in turbo mode!! :) I always thought labor and delivery weren't really like the movies portrayed it....a crazy whirlwind of chaos and a rush to get everything together just in time to make it to the hospital. But oh boy did it feel that way this time! We finally got out of the driveway and were on our way but there was a little bit of traffic on the highway and we hit a red light. I told Chris to make sure and not speed because we can't afford to get a ticket. We finally got on the freeway and had about 20 minutes to go until we were at the hospital.
I kept tracking the contractions but after five or so mintues on the freeway my water broke.  Such a weird sensation! Luckily those towels Chris put on the seat the day before were still there. Then things started getting really real. I don't know how close the contractions were but they were close and I wasn't breathing very well. Christ kept saying, "Shayla, you need to breath, take a a deep breath, you got this." It started to feel like my body was pushing but we were still at least 15 minutes from the hospital so i was trying to stop that but everything was just so intense. I'm pretty sure the "oh crap" bar in the car above the window is close to broke...i couldn't pull and squeeze Chris since he was driving so it was the next best thing. Every time a contraction came I pulled on that bar in hopes it would relieve some of the pressure. Then my hands started cramping and my body starrted to go tingly and started to feel numb. It was kinda scary. We finally got off the freeway and hit a red light. Seriously!?!?!? I told Chris to run it. I mean, its 3:00-ish in the morning and nobody is on the road. We hit the rest of the lights green...thank goodness...and made it to the hospital. Because I was feeling numb all over and each contraction was a little paralyzing, Chris ran into the hospital and got a wheelchair. The nice man at the front desk got the elevator ready for us and we were on our way to labor and delivery. We got to the doors, called in so they would unlock them and started checking in. A nurse walked by and said "get her in room one now and let her husband check in".  It was about 3;20 by the time we got checked in. The nurses tried to get me on the bed as fast as they could but I couldn't move because of the contractions. The nurse said, "Shayla, we really need to get you on that bed and check you so as soon as you can stand we'll get you on that bed". The contraction was finally over so I stood and the nurses were able to get me on the bed and quickly check me. The nurse said "well we are having a baby today" to which I responded, "can I get an epidural?" She kinda laughed and said "sorry but you're a little too far past that point." I asked if there was anything I could have and the nurse said, "We are just going to start pushing and you are going to have a baby and you're going to do great." I think I was more scared of feeling the pain than really needing something. Luckily Dr. Haskett was already at the hospital and came in just a few minutes later at 3:23am and started putting on all his gear. I started thinking...I'm a lot closer to delivering this baby than I thought. I was just laying on the bed, pulling on the bed rail and covering my eyes in hopes that would help ease the pressure and pain. In between short breaths I told the nurses I felt I needed to push and they said go for it. Chris was trying to hold one leg but a nurse came and took over since He was holding Lincoln. The nurses were so great helping my try to focus on getting my breathing under control all while I was pushing as hard as I could. At one point I heard Lincoln in the background say, "Eww mom, yuck!" It did provide a little comic relief. Poor kid. I just hope he doesn't remember that whole experience. Two crazy, intense and fast pushes later she was born at 3:29am. After she was born and the umbilical cord was cut, they set her on my chest and started wiping her off. I wanted to wrap my arms around her and just cuddle her and kiss her but my body just wouldn't cooperate. My body was in shock I think and still a little numb but everything came back to normal.   Just a few short minutes after that I delivered the placenta, which wasn't as bad as I heard it would be, got stitched up and was ready for recover. I don't think we were even in labor and delivery for more than 30 or 40 minutes and then we were down in our room to recover and relax.
I never imagined it happening quite like that. It was definitely an experience I will never forget. The sweet release of pressure as her head came out and even more pressure released and her body came out was amazing. Childbirth is an incredible experience. Its kinda cool to say I had a natural birth... Its like getting inducted into the real mom hall of fame :) just kidding...anyway you have a baby you get into that club!! Pregnancy, labor and deliver are no small feat!
But now I have the most precious beautiful baby girl that I just can't take my eyes off!!!! She is practically perfect in every way. I'm so grateful she is part of our lives!
I was hoping to get all the same kind of pictures at the hospital that we did when we had Lincoln but we really didn't have any time or extra hands...Chris was holding Lincoln the whole time we were in labor and delivery. But we got a few snapshots later which are just as good.


Name: Peyton Bogenschutz
Weight: 7 lbs. 10 oz.
Height: 19 in
Born: November 15, 2014 at 3:29 am











Lincoln's funny phrases

Just some funny things Lincoln says or does lately that I don't want to forget:
     ::when we put him to bed at night, if we don't lay down with him, he gets up and turns a light on and then grabs books and reads while laying in bed. it is so cute! but kinda frustrating that he just won't go to sleep. but i love that he loves books!
     ::if he burps at the dinner table he will laugh and then say, "oh baby!" and laugh some more. i've tried to get him to say excuse me but this is what he always says...
     ::if he really wants to do something you've asked him or wants something you offer he will squat down and slowly get up while saying ..."yyyyyyyyeeeeeeeessssssss!" and jump and stick his hands up in the air. sometimes the "y" sounds lasts a very long time! :)
     ::while climbing on the jungle gym at the park he will say "oh boy" over and over until he reaches the top of whatever he is climbing on

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Halloween 2014

So many pictures! But we did all of our Halloween stuff on Halloween instead of spreading it out so here goes...

 Chris taught Lincoln how to make homemade root beer and he took his job as official stirrer very seriously...  


 Taste testing...he really enjoyed this part!
 Now comes the fun part...the dry ice! It was so fun to see his reaction. He loved it!!!!


 Probably my favorite photo of the whole night! Can't you just imagine a little cackle to go with this expression?! Love!!!




 Then it was time to carve and paint pumpkins. 

 Lincoln loved being able to paint something other that paper and Chris, well he got a bit frustrated and took it out on his pumpkin...poor thing!

 Festive dinner


 Lincoln refused to wear his costume until we told him he would get candy if he wore it...bribery works every time!!! On our way out he decided to get his bucket started and took candy that was to be given out to the trick or treaters coming to our door. 

 It's kinda weird that he is old enough to go trick or treating...time flies to fast!
 first door ever!!! and waiting so patiently.
 We practiced saying trick or treat lots before this first door so he knew what to do as soon as she opened that door. Every time she put a piece of candy in his bucket he said thank you about 5 times...what a grateful little man!

 Our home teachers son, Asher, acting as big brother at one house...to cute!
 Lincoln wouldn't go up to the doors by himself and kept saying, "Come on dad, come on" and would only knock or ring the door bell if Chris was up there with him. 

 On his way home with his haul...of course he rang our door bell too.

 Chris was trying to teach Lincoln how to separate and share his candy just like he did growing up. Lincoln only cared about finally getting to eat his suckers. 

What a fun Halloween!!!