While we were waiting....for Kjersti to decide to make her appearance

I can't believe that Kjersti is 7 weeks old.  There is 12 inches of snow on the ground right now but just a few weeks ago--Iowa looked like this!!  Fall was gorgeous this year and ripe with the anticipation of a new addition to our family.  

 

This gorgeous tree was in our neighbor's yard.  While we were waiting for baby we watched these leaves turn slowly from green to vibrant red and then one by one fall to the ground.  We snapped these pictures right after church the last Sunday in October, the day before Jill came.

Once Grammy arrived all we had to do was wait and wait for a baby. We had so much fun together!! Grammy Jill = fun!  Here are pictures of us killing time, waiting for contractions to start.  

It was the week of Halloween so of course we carved pumpkins.  This was Gracie's first pumpkin.  She wanted one that "threw up"!!

Stuffing her pumpkin kept her busy for at least 30 minutes.

 

 Here she is getting her hair all ready for trick-or treating! 

Ready to go out the front door!

 

  I think this is the first holiday we have shared with a grandparent!!  It was grand!! The kids were more then happy to use last year's costumes. This is Jace's 3rd time being Optimus Prime and Gracie was a "beautiful princess"!

 

 

Here we are at the Dr.s office -again- but this time with Grammy! Christopher Robin kept himself busy in the waiting room trying on all of her glasses while I had ANOTHER non-stress test.

 

 

Here is his home-school group.  He attended his Friday enrichment classes with Grammy.

We went walking at Kent Park.  It didn't bring on labor--but the scenery was gorgeous.

 

Kent Park lake

We forgot Gracie's coat, but she shared Daddy's.

 

 

Big tummy poking out!  I really tried to zip my coat, but there was a nine pounder in there!

 

I look at these pictures and think--we didn't know who was going to be joining our family then--but now we do! 

 

A fuzzy bear caterpillar named Monte became part of our family.  Jace found him in Kalona at homeschool and brought him home.  He was a great distraction. Looking back I think the kids had as much fun with him as they have a new baby. He got rides in the car... 

well, on the car.....

 

and he got flown around the whole house numerous times on a plane.  I think he was just as glad as I was when baby finally arrived.

 

 

This is what I did--I got pampered!!  My sweet Jill massaged me with do- Terra oils. It was heavenly.

 

I look huge in this picture. 40 weeks and 4 days!!  (Do you like my shirt Jen??  -it used to be hers.)

 

Here I am--so totally pregnant.  On Halloween, my midwife checked me and told me not to worry --there would be no Halloween baby. I was fine with that.  I personally wanted this baby to come on Sunday, Nov. 3rd.  I was scheduled for an induction on Monday, November 4th. She thought I would still be pregnant on the 4th.  I don't go into labor until I reach 4 cm dilation and I was only at  2-3cm.

 

  I asked her if there was anyway to move back my induction to the 6th. Because I was seeing the midwives at UIHC instead of an OB at this point in my pre-natal care, they agreed to give me 2 extra days.  This decision was a little risky--but I agreed to more non-stress tests and an ultra sound on Monday the 4th. 

 

On the 4th at the Ultra sound, my baby looked beautiful.  The fluid level was great and baby appeared happy and healthy. I was dilated to 4 cm. I just needed regular contractions.  I had been having weeks of contractions at this point but they weren't regular.

 

Tuesday evening, Nov 5th came and we packed and re-packed for the hospital.  I was a little nervous facing an induction.  I had never been induced before and I have never had an epidural- I don't do needles.  So we went to bed all ready to leave at 7:00AM for the hospital to get induced at 7:30AM.

 

At 2:45 Gracie came into our bedroom crying because she had had a bad dream.  I got up with her and realized I was in labor. Real labor!  I told Ryan that I was in real labor but I was going to lay back down and it would stop.  We tried that until 3:15 AM but then my water broke. So we got up and started getting dressed. It was at this point I started to worry that we wouldn't make it to the hospital in time.  Contractions were long and hard, and there was no break in-between them.

 

To be continued.................soon! (I hope)