Audrey enjoyed some breakfast with her pooh bear before we continued on to the farm for some pony rides.
You're a Wizard, RJ!
5 years ago
Sunday, October 25, 2009
The Bastille
I climbed the Bastille in Eldorado canyon with my cousins. My other climbing buddies did a route on the opposite side of the canyon.
Blue lake
We did a hike up to blue lake. Audrey is becoming quite good at hiking.
It is fun to play in the snow in late July.
It is fun to play in the snow in late July.
Pittsburgh
Still working through the summer backlog...
After Krakow and Toronto, we went back to Pittsburgh and spent some time with Erica's family.
After Krakow and Toronto, we went back to Pittsburgh and spent some time with Erica's family.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Rabbit Mountain and September Misc.
Audrey and Clive are starting to get to know each other a little bit better. Audrey is fascinated by Clive eating and recommends we feed Clive food when he is fussy. She is also impressed by the mess he can make when he eats. In addition to eating some pureed foods, Clive is also make swift progress toward being a proficient crawler and he has even been observed pulling up to standing once or twice. Quite a strong little boy, I'd say!
This past weekend we did a short hike up Rabbit Mountain near our house. I am impressed by how well Audrey hikes trails holding dad's hand.
Here are a couple of pictures:
This past weekend we did a short hike up Rabbit Mountain near our house. I am impressed by how well Audrey hikes trails holding dad's hand.
Here are a couple of pictures:
Friday, September 4, 2009
Krakow
After our week in Switzerland, we spent two weeks in Krakow. Once again, I went to work every day while Erica enjoyed the culture and cuisine. She even learned to speak some polish and made some friends.
We visited Wawel Castle. It is more than 1000 years old, but it has received constant renovations so some of it is quite nice and modern. We took a tour of some of the castle's rooms, climbed to the top of the bell tower, took a tour of the Cathedral which is full of tombs of various kings and other famous figures. We also got to walk through the caves beneath the castle.
We spent a lot of our time walking around the old town. It is full of basilicas, cathedrals, churches and all kinds of old religious structures. Not surprisingly there are also lots of nuns and monks roving the streets like gangs (they all had their own distinct gang colors). Of course, the old town was also full of tourists, gypsies, prostitutes and euro trash. The sidewalks were often too narrow to handle the number of people walking around. The food was good and cheap.
We spent a lot of time in the old Jewish quarter. It had as high a density of Synagogues as the rest of the city had churches. We ate several meals there since the restaurants were quite good. One place was exactly like eating dinner at my grandparents house.
We spent one day at the Wieliczka salt mine. It had an amazing network of underground tunnels and caverns with intricate artwork carved into the walls. They were charging $10 to allow people to take photographs so you'll have to enjoy the Wikipedia photos instead of one of my awesome slideshows.
We visited the Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps. The scale of Birkenau was really shocking.
We visited Wawel Castle. It is more than 1000 years old, but it has received constant renovations so some of it is quite nice and modern. We took a tour of some of the castle's rooms, climbed to the top of the bell tower, took a tour of the Cathedral which is full of tombs of various kings and other famous figures. We also got to walk through the caves beneath the castle.
We spent a lot of our time walking around the old town. It is full of basilicas, cathedrals, churches and all kinds of old religious structures. Not surprisingly there are also lots of nuns and monks roving the streets like gangs (they all had their own distinct gang colors). Of course, the old town was also full of tourists, gypsies, prostitutes and euro trash. The sidewalks were often too narrow to handle the number of people walking around. The food was good and cheap.
We spent a lot of time in the old Jewish quarter. It had as high a density of Synagogues as the rest of the city had churches. We ate several meals there since the restaurants were quite good. One place was exactly like eating dinner at my grandparents house.
We spent one day at the Wieliczka salt mine. It had an amazing network of underground tunnels and caverns with intricate artwork carved into the walls. They were charging $10 to allow people to take photographs so you'll have to enjoy the Wikipedia photos instead of one of my awesome slideshows.
We visited the Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps. The scale of Birkenau was really shocking.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Switzerland
In June, I spent a week working at the Google office in Zurich. Erica couldn't pass up the opportunity to tag along and do some exploring so she and Clive got to spend some time bumming around Switzerland while I slaved away at the office. At least I got some weekends off to take all these nice photos. -Adam
We spent a day in Luzern. We took a boat ride on lake Luzern followed by a cog railway ride up to the top of Mt. Pilatus. Then a cable car ride back down to Luzern.
We took a train to the town of Konstanz where we walked across the border into Germany. The German food we had was incredible.
Of course, we spent lots of time walking around Zurich. We enjoyed seeing the fancy shops on Banhofstrasse.
We got to spend some time with Mike and Alisa in Lausanne
We spent a day in Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald with Mike and Alisa. Sadly the weather was kind of lousy, but the scenery was awesome anyway. We saw a couple (hundreds) of waterfalls, some base jumpers, some glaciers... and then there was the food. I hate to say it, but it kind of made Colorado seem like a dump.
We spent a day in Luzern. We took a boat ride on lake Luzern followed by a cog railway ride up to the top of Mt. Pilatus. Then a cable car ride back down to Luzern.
We took a train to the town of Konstanz where we walked across the border into Germany. The German food we had was incredible.
Of course, we spent lots of time walking around Zurich. We enjoyed seeing the fancy shops on Banhofstrasse.
We got to spend some time with Mike and Alisa in Lausanne
We spent a day in Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald with Mike and Alisa. Sadly the weather was kind of lousy, but the scenery was awesome anyway. We saw a couple (hundreds) of waterfalls, some base jumpers, some glaciers... and then there was the food. I hate to say it, but it kind of made Colorado seem like a dump.
Been busy lately
Its been a busy summer. We have a huge backlog of photos to post starting in June when we went to Europe. Lots of blog posts will be coming in the near future.
Friday, July 31, 2009
RMNP with Glen
This July Adam and I beat the heat with the kids and our friend Glen by getting up to Rocky Mountain National Park for a hike along the Fern Lake Trail to Cub Lake and up to Bierstadt Lake and then back down to the Shuttle Parking lot. It was a fun, challenging, and picturesque hike. Here are some photos:
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Camping in Fruita, CO - June 2009
We had this great idea that it would be fun to go camping with the kids; that it would be easy. But it ended up being a little harder than we imagined. The first challenge came when we realized we had a lot less room in our car with 2 car seats, so a lot of things that we normally bring camping with us didn't make the cut.
The second challenge occurred when we tried to get some sleep. Audrey woke up Clive and Clive woke up Audrey. Both of them woke up me and Adam. We got very little sleep.
On Saturday Adam biked the Edge Loop, a long and challenging mountain biking trail on the edge of the Bookcliffs. That left Audrey, Clive and me to do some exploring on our own. We visited the Dinosaur Museum and hiked the Alcove Nature Trail at Colorado National Monument. The Dinosaur museum was surprisingly worth visiting. They had a water table and a sandbox that were perfect for Audrey. The animated dinosaurs were a bit scary for her, but she has been reading her dinosaur books and talking about dinosaurs a lot since, so I suppose they didn't scar her for life.
The Alcove Nature Trail was the perfect hike for Audrey. It was a 1 mile round trip walk that did not overlook any great precipices. I kept her going towards the end of the hike by encouraging her to look for the next numbered nature walk sign post.
After all of that fun, it was nap time, challenge number three. The wind was picking up, and it sure was hot. We tried napping in the tent, but it really didn't work at all. It was way too hot and way too windy and Audrey wouldn't even try to sleep. So we drove. We drove north of Fruita near the Bookcliffs. We drove through Colorado National Monument. We stopped at the Glade Park Store so I could get a soda to keep me going. And then we drove back to camp via Grand Junction. The scenery was beautiful and thank goodness the kids got some sleep, but I was so tired.
We packed up and left the next morning driving straight through to Lyons after stopping for coffee and gas. We made it home in 4.5 hours. The kids slept most of the time. We were really glad to be back at home getting some better sleep and giving us more time to get ready for our next big adventure.
Here are some pictures from our camping trip:
The second challenge occurred when we tried to get some sleep. Audrey woke up Clive and Clive woke up Audrey. Both of them woke up me and Adam. We got very little sleep.
On Saturday Adam biked the Edge Loop, a long and challenging mountain biking trail on the edge of the Bookcliffs. That left Audrey, Clive and me to do some exploring on our own. We visited the Dinosaur Museum and hiked the Alcove Nature Trail at Colorado National Monument. The Dinosaur museum was surprisingly worth visiting. They had a water table and a sandbox that were perfect for Audrey. The animated dinosaurs were a bit scary for her, but she has been reading her dinosaur books and talking about dinosaurs a lot since, so I suppose they didn't scar her for life.
The Alcove Nature Trail was the perfect hike for Audrey. It was a 1 mile round trip walk that did not overlook any great precipices. I kept her going towards the end of the hike by encouraging her to look for the next numbered nature walk sign post.
After all of that fun, it was nap time, challenge number three. The wind was picking up, and it sure was hot. We tried napping in the tent, but it really didn't work at all. It was way too hot and way too windy and Audrey wouldn't even try to sleep. So we drove. We drove north of Fruita near the Bookcliffs. We drove through Colorado National Monument. We stopped at the Glade Park Store so I could get a soda to keep me going. And then we drove back to camp via Grand Junction. The scenery was beautiful and thank goodness the kids got some sleep, but I was so tired.
We packed up and left the next morning driving straight through to Lyons after stopping for coffee and gas. We made it home in 4.5 hours. The kids slept most of the time. We were really glad to be back at home getting some better sleep and giving us more time to get ready for our next big adventure.
Here are some pictures from our camping trip:
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Some Clive Lovin'
Clive is 9 weeks 5 days old today and as my sister Jennifer pointed out, it has been a while since we posted any pictures of him. So this afternoon, in fact less than an hour ago, I took some pictures of him which you will see in the slideshow below.
In addition to the recent Clive pictures, I have included a picture of our worm compost bin which we keep on a shelf in the kitchen, some plant pictures, and Audrey in her splint and sling after an ER visit earlier this week. She suffered from a nursemaid's elbow while trying to twist her hand free from my hand. She is doing much better now, though she tells me her arm is 'tender'.
Here is the slideshow:
In addition to the recent Clive pictures, I have included a picture of our worm compost bin which we keep on a shelf in the kitchen, some plant pictures, and Audrey in her splint and sling after an ER visit earlier this week. She suffered from a nursemaid's elbow while trying to twist her hand free from my hand. She is doing much better now, though she tells me her arm is 'tender'.
Here is the slideshow:
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Busy April
We have been up to so many things this April. Audrey has been practicing her biking on her new yellow Strider bike and her tricycle. She is impressed by her friend from up the street, Chase, who rides his bike very well.
She has also been having lots of fun making towers. She makes towers out of everything, but especially blocks and books. She builds them until they crumble under their own weight and then build them up again.
And we have been getting to do a bit of hiking again! Yesterday we hiked with some friends at the Sleepy Lion Trail despite the cool temperatures and mist. We saw some pasque flowers that were just budding. There are going to be blooming pasque flowers everywhere up there in no time. We got a new pack for carrying Audrey. Yesterday's hike was the first time she road in it. For the most part she did well. And so did Adam.
Grandma Judy and Aunt Betty are visiting now and we had dinner with them and the Gibsons at the Boulder Besens last night.
Here are some pictures from our busy April:
She has also been having lots of fun making towers. She makes towers out of everything, but especially blocks and books. She builds them until they crumble under their own weight and then build them up again.
And we have been getting to do a bit of hiking again! Yesterday we hiked with some friends at the Sleepy Lion Trail despite the cool temperatures and mist. We saw some pasque flowers that were just budding. There are going to be blooming pasque flowers everywhere up there in no time. We got a new pack for carrying Audrey. Yesterday's hike was the first time she road in it. For the most part she did well. And so did Adam.
Grandma Judy and Aunt Betty are visiting now and we had dinner with them and the Gibsons at the Boulder Besens last night.
Here are some pictures from our busy April:
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Audrey is 2 and Easter
On Saturday, we had a gathering of Boulder family, Lyons neighbors and mom friends with their families for Audrey's 2nd birthday. We had a great time celebrating Audrey with everyone.
On Sunday we visited a very pregnant Joanna and her family in Coal Creek Canyon. Even in her advanced pregnancy she was able to organize an easter egg hunt for her son, Ben, Audrey, and some other kids. The weather was a bit wintery, but it didn't stop the kids from playing outside. Audrey is still enjoying the candy and crackers from the eggs.
Here is a slideshow of our latest adventures:
On Sunday we visited a very pregnant Joanna and her family in Coal Creek Canyon. Even in her advanced pregnancy she was able to organize an easter egg hunt for her son, Ben, Audrey, and some other kids. The weather was a bit wintery, but it didn't stop the kids from playing outside. Audrey is still enjoying the candy and crackers from the eggs.
Here is a slideshow of our latest adventures:
Monday, March 30, 2009
March Snow
Last week it was 80F and this week it's snowy and cold. So it goes in Colorado. Audrey, Clive and I went outside with our friends in the neighborhood and built a snowman and snowfort. We followed our outdoor fun by some indoor play, snacks, and hot chocolate.
The next day, Daddy, Mommy, Audrey and Clive all took a walk over to the local sledding spot by the high school. Daddy and Audrey went down the hill a couple of times while Mommy and Clive stood on the sidelines snapping pictures.
The next day, Daddy, Mommy, Audrey and Clive all took a walk over to the local sledding spot by the high school. Daddy and Audrey went down the hill a couple of times while Mommy and Clive stood on the sidelines snapping pictures.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Old Kiln Trail and Button Rock Preserve
We had 80F days this past weekend, so Adam and I took the kids out both mornings to do some light hiking (which is the only kind of hiking I CAN do these days.)
On Saturday we went down to North Boulder's Old Kiln Trail. Audrey had so much fun on this trail. Some sections are a bit rocky and loose and she enjoyed the challenge. We also got to see Prairie Dogs popping in and out of their holes!
On Sunday we headed to Button Rock Preserve. We walked the scenic road passing by sport climbers, anglers, and awesome rock formations to reach the dam. We stopped to eat our picnic lunch and even split a chocolate bar on the way back to the car.
Here are some pictures from our most recent adventures:
On Saturday we went down to North Boulder's Old Kiln Trail. Audrey had so much fun on this trail. Some sections are a bit rocky and loose and she enjoyed the challenge. We also got to see Prairie Dogs popping in and out of their holes!
On Sunday we headed to Button Rock Preserve. We walked the scenic road passing by sport climbers, anglers, and awesome rock formations to reach the dam. We stopped to eat our picnic lunch and even split a chocolate bar on the way back to the car.
Here are some pictures from our most recent adventures:
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Some Faces of Clive and Audrey the Artist
Both babes are finally down for their naps and I have a little time to think about how things have been going lately.
Adam went back to work yesterday, so I had both Clive and Audrey on my own for the first time. We decided to brave the great outdoors and went hiking with some of our friends at Bald Mountain. It is a short, easy hike with excellent views. It is an easy enough trail that our ~2 year olds were able to walk along the trail by themselves for the most part. Overall the hike went ok, though Audrey did have a melt down over some veggie booty. Luckily my friend Liz was kind enough to put Audrey in her pack and carry her down the mountain for me. We never did make it to the top... but it was a nice morning anyway.
Today we decided to stay in to see what that would be like. Hmm, not sure it has been easier than going out. Audrey and Clive spent the morning competing for my attention. Audrey through a HUGE temper tantrum that lasted forever spanning late morning, lunchtime, and the beginning of her nap. Eventually I was able to calm down Audrey so she would nap. And once she was napping it was much easier to get Clive to sleep a bit. So, now here I am with an indeterminate amount of alone time to blog, read, nap or snack on brownies.
I started by snacking on brownies to take the edge off the morning. Next I decided to blog a bit. If I have any time left over I might try to read a chapter in The Fiery Cross which is going much slower now that Clive is born. It is so hard to choose a nap when there are always other things I'd like to do.
Here are some pictures of Clive making some faces. I find his mouth to be most expressive:
Audrey spent the afternoon yesterday painting some pictures. Paint is messy. Luckily it is also washable. Here are a couple of photos of Audrey's painting fun:
Tomorrow we are trying another walk with friends. This one is a stroller walk up near Flagstaff Amphitheater where Adam and I got married. Hopefully Audrey and Clive will both be agreeable and mommy will get a bit of exercise to work off all of the brownies I've been eating.
Adam went back to work yesterday, so I had both Clive and Audrey on my own for the first time. We decided to brave the great outdoors and went hiking with some of our friends at Bald Mountain. It is a short, easy hike with excellent views. It is an easy enough trail that our ~2 year olds were able to walk along the trail by themselves for the most part. Overall the hike went ok, though Audrey did have a melt down over some veggie booty. Luckily my friend Liz was kind enough to put Audrey in her pack and carry her down the mountain for me. We never did make it to the top... but it was a nice morning anyway.
Today we decided to stay in to see what that would be like. Hmm, not sure it has been easier than going out. Audrey and Clive spent the morning competing for my attention. Audrey through a HUGE temper tantrum that lasted forever spanning late morning, lunchtime, and the beginning of her nap. Eventually I was able to calm down Audrey so she would nap. And once she was napping it was much easier to get Clive to sleep a bit. So, now here I am with an indeterminate amount of alone time to blog, read, nap or snack on brownies.
I started by snacking on brownies to take the edge off the morning. Next I decided to blog a bit. If I have any time left over I might try to read a chapter in The Fiery Cross which is going much slower now that Clive is born. It is so hard to choose a nap when there are always other things I'd like to do.
Here are some pictures of Clive making some faces. I find his mouth to be most expressive:
Audrey spent the afternoon yesterday painting some pictures. Paint is messy. Luckily it is also washable. Here are a couple of photos of Audrey's painting fun:
Tomorrow we are trying another walk with friends. This one is a stroller walk up near Flagstaff Amphitheater where Adam and I got married. Hopefully Audrey and Clive will both be agreeable and mommy will get a bit of exercise to work off all of the brownies I've been eating.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Lotsa Slideshows
Sharing
Audrey has been a great sharer since Clive came home. She especially enjoys sharing her bouncer, her monkey, and her blankets. Here is a slideshow of Audrey sharing with Clive:
Wonderland Lake
One of the first hikes we did after Clive was born was at Wonderland Lake. The weather was gorgeous and the ducks were out. Here are some pictures of Audrey playing with the ducks:
Pigtail Day
Audrey in her pigtails is overwhelmingly cute. Here are a bunch of pictures of her in pigtails. And especially for Grampy, in case you need pictures for an upcoming powerpoint presentation, there is a whole series of her brushing her teeth and looking really adorable.
Clive Sleeping with his Dolly
And finally, here are a couple of pictures of Clive:
Audrey has been a great sharer since Clive came home. She especially enjoys sharing her bouncer, her monkey, and her blankets. Here is a slideshow of Audrey sharing with Clive:
Wonderland Lake
One of the first hikes we did after Clive was born was at Wonderland Lake. The weather was gorgeous and the ducks were out. Here are some pictures of Audrey playing with the ducks:
Pigtail Day
Audrey in her pigtails is overwhelmingly cute. Here are a bunch of pictures of her in pigtails. And especially for Grampy, in case you need pictures for an upcoming powerpoint presentation, there is a whole series of her brushing her teeth and looking really adorable.
Clive Sleeping with his Dolly
And finally, here are a couple of pictures of Clive:
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Bye-Bye Grandma Rene
Grandma Rene was here this week. She was able to get a flight into town arriving just a couple of hours after Clive was born. Audrey loved having grandma here to play with her. Grandma was also a big help around the house keeping us in clean clothes and healthy meals and reminding me to take my iron supplement.
Grandma Rene even babysat Audrey and Clive Friday evening so Adam and I could go out on a date. It was the first date we've been on since Grandma Lynne was here and we went to see the Benjamin Button movie (which both Adam and I thought was crap.) On this date went to Praha Restaurant where we feasted on escargot, squash soup, filet and red wine. Mmm.
Grandma Rene took a redeye back east last night. She should be arriving in Pittsburgh today. We all want to thank her for taking such good care of us during Clive's first week. You made the transition much easier than it might have been.
Here is a slideshow of some pictures of grandma Rene with Audrey and Clive. The pictures of Grandma with Audrey in pigtails turned out especially well:
Grandma Rene even babysat Audrey and Clive Friday evening so Adam and I could go out on a date. It was the first date we've been on since Grandma Lynne was here and we went to see the Benjamin Button movie (which both Adam and I thought was crap.) On this date went to Praha Restaurant where we feasted on escargot, squash soup, filet and red wine. Mmm.
Grandma Rene took a redeye back east last night. She should be arriving in Pittsburgh today. We all want to thank her for taking such good care of us during Clive's first week. You made the transition much easier than it might have been.
Here is a slideshow of some pictures of grandma Rene with Audrey and Clive. The pictures of Grandma with Audrey in pigtails turned out especially well:
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Super Adorable Audrey and Clive Pictures
Everything is going really well with new baby Clive and Audrey. Here is a slideshow of pictures from the last week. The pictures start out with Audrey getting dropped off with cousin Carol before I was induced and they end with some pictures of Audrey watching her sleeping baby brother in mommy and daddy's bed. Enjoy!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
New Audrey and Clive pictures
We have been making a great effort to take advantage of these beautiful February days and get out as much as possible. We were able to get to the park yesterday and went out to the grocery store. This morning we made it to storytime at the Longmont Library.
Audrey is loving having a little brother. She likes to give him kisses on his head when he is upset. And she likes to share her stuffed animals and her bouncer with him. Here is a slideshow of some random pictures of Audrey and Clive:
Audrey is loving having a little brother. She likes to give him kisses on his head when he is upset. And she likes to share her stuffed animals and her bouncer with him. Here is a slideshow of some random pictures of Audrey and Clive:
Monday, February 23, 2009
The Birth Story of Clive
Leading up to his birth:(I am very pregnant and very hormonal. Tuesday night I was up in the middle of the night with contractions in addition to my normal breaks in sleep due to frequent peeing. Then, while sleep-deprived at yesterday's midwife appointment, we had a bit of a scare. Up until now, everything has been very normal with this pregnancy. So, when the midwife told me the fundal height measurement was lower than expected I was very surprised. I was sent in for an ultrasound to help determine the cause. They concluded I have low amniotic fluid due to dehydration. (I've had a bad cold for a couple of days now.)
After receiving some IV fluids and fetal monitoring (the baby sounds great), my midwives released me to home bedrest with an oral hydration regiment. I have to drink 6 liters of water! I broke out my good old Boulder Community Hospital water bottle that we got when Audrey was born so I know how much I am drinking. So far I have only been able to pack away 3 liters, but I'm working on it.
I have also learned about the benefits of coconut water for hydrating. Naturally fat-free and low calorie, it contains many electrolytes and is an especially good source of potassium. It is much tastier than Gatorade and doesn't contain high-fructose corn syrup like many sports drinks. Unfortunately, we don't grow coconuts anywhere nearby, so coconut water will have to be a luxury that I allow myself only occasionally.
Adam took the day off to help with Audrey. He braved the mommy playgroup scene with Audrey this morning.
On Friday I am getting another ultrasound to recheck my amniotic fluid levels. We think all will be well, but I was very freaked out yesterday.
Prior to yesterdays scare, I thought I would go into labor sooner rather than later. Now, I'm not so sure that the contractions I was experiencing weren't being brought on by my low fluid levels. Perhaps we will have to wait 2 more weeks to meet this little one after all. )
The birth: I went back in to have an ultrasound on Friday morning to recheck my fluid levels. Even after the day of bedrest and drinking all that water my amniotic fluid was only measuring the same as Wednesday. This made me worried, but I was told to go home and continue resting and drinking water; that my midwife would get in touch with me after looking over the results.
While I was driving back home, I got the phone call. The midwives consulted with an OB doc and the consensus was induction. They told me to go home, pack my bags, get Audrey situated, have some lunch and come back to the hospital later that afternoon for induction. At this point, I was scared, but okay with this decision. I wasn't looking forward to spending the weekend worrying about the baby, especially when I was already 38 weeks and his estimated birth weight was nearly 7 pounds.
Adam came home from work, we got everything together, dropped Audrey off at Carol and Herb's and stopped off at Great Harvest for our last meal.
We got to the hospital at about 3pm Friday afternoon. Deirdre Thompson, my midwife, came over soon after and we discussed the plan. After checking my cervix, she discovered that I was 1-2 cm dilated and 40% effaced and concluded I would be a good candidate for starting with a Foley catheter to help further ripen my cervix. She told me to leave it in overnight and that we would start the Pitocin in the morning to really get things moving. She put the Foley bulb in at approximately 4:30pm. My midwife went home. At 8pm, the Foley bulb fell out. I was already 3.5 cm dilated.
My midwife came back to the hospital and we talked about what to do next, she said she really didn't want to start Pitocin so late in the evening. That she would recommend further cervical ripening still with Cytotec and starting the Pitocin in the morning after everyone got some sleep. That sounded good to us. Adam went home with orders to be back for a 7am start. I took 2 Ambien and tried to get some sleep at the hospital.
Before I took the Ambien though, they decided they wanted to get a buff cap started for an IV. I had the worst luck. It took 4 nurses 5 attempts over 2 hours to find a vein that would accept the needle. I am eternally grateful to nurse Jannette who I never saw before this and never saw again. On the fifth attempt, she found a vein with no digging, no vein bursting.
With the help of the sleeping pills I was able to get some sleep from about 11:30pm to 2am. Sometime around 2am, I realized I wasn't asleep anymore and that I was having some cramping. I got up and hung out on the internet for a while to distract myself. By 3:30, I was sure I was having contractions, but they were still mild and not regular. By 5, I was worried about Adam getting back to the hospital in time. My contractions were still managable alone, but I was having a harder time ignoring them. I called Adam at 5:20 and asked him to come back to the hospital, pronto.
My mom was en route to Boulder via O'Hare. I called my mom at 6:00am to see if she was in between flights. At this point I was no longer able to talk through contractions. I was happy to hear that my mom's flights were on time. You never know, especially if you are flying through O'Hare. She was expecting to arrive in Denver at 10:00am and in Boulder at 11am.
Adam arrived at the hospital at 6:30am Saturday morning. I was in the jet tub and was having regular contractions every 2 minutes. They checked my cervix at change of shift so sometime around 7am and I was only 4 cm dilated. This scared me because I was already in quite a lot of pain. At this point things get fuzzy for me. I'm not sure what happened and when. At some point the nurse told me they weren't going to start me on Pitocin if I'm having contractions like this.
I quickly went from having contractions every 2 minutes to every minute to having no break in between contractions. At some point someone checked and said I was 8 cm dilated. And then I was back in the jet tub, for about 1 minute, when I announced that I had a lot of pressure, that I had to push. They told me I had to get out of the tub.
I REALLY have no idea what was going on except that I wanted to push and everyone kept telling me not to because they had to check to see if I was 10 cm dilated and I was having serious contractions. I was very thirsty and the ice chips tasted so good, but it was hard to tell anyone that I wanted them. I saw that Adam was fiddling with the video camera trying to get ready to film the birth. I yelled that I did not care about the camera so we have no video of this birth.
When it came to the actual pushing, I couldn't feel anything except pain and that I HAD to push. I couldn't tell when I was having contractions. (I was only supposed to push during contractions.) Luckily, it took just 10 minutes for me to push him out.
Clive Lysander was born at 8:44am, on Saturday, February 21, 2009.
After receiving some IV fluids and fetal monitoring (the baby sounds great), my midwives released me to home bedrest with an oral hydration regiment. I have to drink 6 liters of water! I broke out my good old Boulder Community Hospital water bottle that we got when Audrey was born so I know how much I am drinking. So far I have only been able to pack away 3 liters, but I'm working on it.
I have also learned about the benefits of coconut water for hydrating. Naturally fat-free and low calorie, it contains many electrolytes and is an especially good source of potassium. It is much tastier than Gatorade and doesn't contain high-fructose corn syrup like many sports drinks. Unfortunately, we don't grow coconuts anywhere nearby, so coconut water will have to be a luxury that I allow myself only occasionally.
Adam took the day off to help with Audrey. He braved the mommy playgroup scene with Audrey this morning.
On Friday I am getting another ultrasound to recheck my amniotic fluid levels. We think all will be well, but I was very freaked out yesterday.
Prior to yesterdays scare, I thought I would go into labor sooner rather than later. Now, I'm not so sure that the contractions I was experiencing weren't being brought on by my low fluid levels. Perhaps we will have to wait 2 more weeks to meet this little one after all. )
The birth: I went back in to have an ultrasound on Friday morning to recheck my fluid levels. Even after the day of bedrest and drinking all that water my amniotic fluid was only measuring the same as Wednesday. This made me worried, but I was told to go home and continue resting and drinking water; that my midwife would get in touch with me after looking over the results.
While I was driving back home, I got the phone call. The midwives consulted with an OB doc and the consensus was induction. They told me to go home, pack my bags, get Audrey situated, have some lunch and come back to the hospital later that afternoon for induction. At this point, I was scared, but okay with this decision. I wasn't looking forward to spending the weekend worrying about the baby, especially when I was already 38 weeks and his estimated birth weight was nearly 7 pounds.
Adam came home from work, we got everything together, dropped Audrey off at Carol and Herb's and stopped off at Great Harvest for our last meal.
We got to the hospital at about 3pm Friday afternoon. Deirdre Thompson, my midwife, came over soon after and we discussed the plan. After checking my cervix, she discovered that I was 1-2 cm dilated and 40% effaced and concluded I would be a good candidate for starting with a Foley catheter to help further ripen my cervix. She told me to leave it in overnight and that we would start the Pitocin in the morning to really get things moving. She put the Foley bulb in at approximately 4:30pm. My midwife went home. At 8pm, the Foley bulb fell out. I was already 3.5 cm dilated.
My midwife came back to the hospital and we talked about what to do next, she said she really didn't want to start Pitocin so late in the evening. That she would recommend further cervical ripening still with Cytotec and starting the Pitocin in the morning after everyone got some sleep. That sounded good to us. Adam went home with orders to be back for a 7am start. I took 2 Ambien and tried to get some sleep at the hospital.
Before I took the Ambien though, they decided they wanted to get a buff cap started for an IV. I had the worst luck. It took 4 nurses 5 attempts over 2 hours to find a vein that would accept the needle. I am eternally grateful to nurse Jannette who I never saw before this and never saw again. On the fifth attempt, she found a vein with no digging, no vein bursting.
With the help of the sleeping pills I was able to get some sleep from about 11:30pm to 2am. Sometime around 2am, I realized I wasn't asleep anymore and that I was having some cramping. I got up and hung out on the internet for a while to distract myself. By 3:30, I was sure I was having contractions, but they were still mild and not regular. By 5, I was worried about Adam getting back to the hospital in time. My contractions were still managable alone, but I was having a harder time ignoring them. I called Adam at 5:20 and asked him to come back to the hospital, pronto.
My mom was en route to Boulder via O'Hare. I called my mom at 6:00am to see if she was in between flights. At this point I was no longer able to talk through contractions. I was happy to hear that my mom's flights were on time. You never know, especially if you are flying through O'Hare. She was expecting to arrive in Denver at 10:00am and in Boulder at 11am.
Adam arrived at the hospital at 6:30am Saturday morning. I was in the jet tub and was having regular contractions every 2 minutes. They checked my cervix at change of shift so sometime around 7am and I was only 4 cm dilated. This scared me because I was already in quite a lot of pain. At this point things get fuzzy for me. I'm not sure what happened and when. At some point the nurse told me they weren't going to start me on Pitocin if I'm having contractions like this.
I quickly went from having contractions every 2 minutes to every minute to having no break in between contractions. At some point someone checked and said I was 8 cm dilated. And then I was back in the jet tub, for about 1 minute, when I announced that I had a lot of pressure, that I had to push. They told me I had to get out of the tub.
I REALLY have no idea what was going on except that I wanted to push and everyone kept telling me not to because they had to check to see if I was 10 cm dilated and I was having serious contractions. I was very thirsty and the ice chips tasted so good, but it was hard to tell anyone that I wanted them. I saw that Adam was fiddling with the video camera trying to get ready to film the birth. I yelled that I did not care about the camera so we have no video of this birth.
When it came to the actual pushing, I couldn't feel anything except pain and that I HAD to push. I couldn't tell when I was having contractions. (I was only supposed to push during contractions.) Luckily, it took just 10 minutes for me to push him out.
Clive Lysander was born at 8:44am, on Saturday, February 21, 2009.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Clive Lysander Besen
Born on: Saturday February 21 at 8:45 AM MST
Location: Boulder Community Hospital - Foothills
Weight: 6 lbs. 8 oz.
Length: 19.5 inches
Health: Excellent - both baby & mom
Hair: Lots
Relative he resembles most: Audrey
Location: Boulder Community Hospital - Foothills
Weight: 6 lbs. 8 oz.
Length: 19.5 inches
Health: Excellent - both baby & mom
Hair: Lots
Relative he resembles most: Audrey
Thursday, February 19, 2009
38 weeks pregnant
I am very pregnant and very hormonal. Tuesday night I was up in the middle of the night with contractions in addition to my normal breaks in sleep due to frequent peeing. Then, while sleep-deprived at yesterday's midwife appointment, we had a bit of a scare. Up until now, everything has been very normal with this pregnancy. So, when the midwife told me the fundal height measurement was lower than expected I was very surprised. I was sent in for an ultrasound to help determine the cause. They concluded I have low amniotic fluid due to dehydration. (I've had a bad cold for a couple of days now.)
After receiving some IV fluids and fetal monitoring (the baby sounds great), my midwives released me to home bedrest with an oral hydration regiment. I have to drink 6 liters of water! I broke out my good old Boulder Community Hospital water bottle that we got when Audrey was born so I know how much I am drinking. So far I have only been able to pack away 3 liters, but I'm working on it.
I have also learned about the benefits of coconut water for hydrating. Naturally fat-free and low calorie, it contains many electrolytes and is an especially good source of potassium. It is much tastier than Gatorade and doesn't contain high-fructose corn syrup like many sports drinks. Unfortunately, we don't grow coconuts anywhere nearby, so coconut water will have to be a luxury that I allow myself only occasionally.
Adam took the day off to help with Audrey. He braved the mommy playgroup scene with Audrey this morning.
On Friday I am getting another ultrasound to recheck my amniotic fluid levels. We think all will be well, but I was very freaked out yesterday.
Prior to yesterdays scare, I thought I would go into labor sooner rather than later. Now, I'm not so sure that the contractions I was experiencing weren't being brought on by my low fluid levels. Perhaps we will have to wait 2 more weeks to meet this little one after all.
After receiving some IV fluids and fetal monitoring (the baby sounds great), my midwives released me to home bedrest with an oral hydration regiment. I have to drink 6 liters of water! I broke out my good old Boulder Community Hospital water bottle that we got when Audrey was born so I know how much I am drinking. So far I have only been able to pack away 3 liters, but I'm working on it.
I have also learned about the benefits of coconut water for hydrating. Naturally fat-free and low calorie, it contains many electrolytes and is an especially good source of potassium. It is much tastier than Gatorade and doesn't contain high-fructose corn syrup like many sports drinks. Unfortunately, we don't grow coconuts anywhere nearby, so coconut water will have to be a luxury that I allow myself only occasionally.
Adam took the day off to help with Audrey. He braved the mommy playgroup scene with Audrey this morning.
On Friday I am getting another ultrasound to recheck my amniotic fluid levels. We think all will be well, but I was very freaked out yesterday.
Prior to yesterdays scare, I thought I would go into labor sooner rather than later. Now, I'm not so sure that the contractions I was experiencing weren't being brought on by my low fluid levels. Perhaps we will have to wait 2 more weeks to meet this little one after all.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Valentine's Day
A couple of days ago, Audrey went to Kangaroo Kingdom with some of her friends. She had fun playing at the indoor playground. She especially enjoyed bubble time when they turn on an overhead bubble machine. She was so excited about the bubbles that her mouth was wide open in awe.
On Valentine's Day Daddy, Audrey and I took a trip down to nearby Butterfly Pavilion. Audrey got to see lots of creatures like African Giant Millipedes, Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches, and many very pretty butterflies. We also celebrated Valentine's Day by making 3 dozen delicious heart shaped sugar cookies. We've already eaten way too many!
See the slideshow here:
On Valentine's Day Daddy, Audrey and I took a trip down to nearby Butterfly Pavilion. Audrey got to see lots of creatures like African Giant Millipedes, Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches, and many very pretty butterflies. We also celebrated Valentine's Day by making 3 dozen delicious heart shaped sugar cookies. We've already eaten way too many!
See the slideshow here:
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Sanitas Valley in February
Adam, Audrey and I strolled along Sanitas Valley Trail this morning. Audrey *loves* jumping off of rocks and stopping to pet dogs and throw rocks. I waddle and take a *really* long time to get anywhere. Adam is very patient with us slowpokes. Here is a slideshow:
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Getting Out and Pregger Pics
We had some cold days and some warm days in the last couple of weeks. Either way, we try to get outside. A friend told me there isn't bad weather, just bad clothes. So here are some pictures of Audrey getting ready to go outside.
And for a bonus, here are the 2 and only pictures we have of me looking pregnant taken just today at 35 weeks 6 days in. I've been feeling well, though I am excited to be done with the pregnancy and meet my little guy.
And for a bonus, here are the 2 and only pictures we have of me looking pregnant taken just today at 35 weeks 6 days in. I've been feeling well, though I am excited to be done with the pregnancy and meet my little guy.
Monday, January 26, 2009
old Audrey movies
Audrey's Birth Movie:
Audrey's First Bath at Home:
Audrey Waking Up:
Butterflies
6.10.07:
Monkey Business
6.13.07:
Great Grandparents
7.2.07:
Audrey's First Bath at Home:
Audrey Waking Up:
Butterflies
6.10.07:
Monkey Business
6.13.07:
Great Grandparents
7.2.07:
Sunday, January 4, 2009
New Years 2009
We spent New Years with some friends at their cabin in Fraser, CO. Audrey had a lot of fun playing in the snow, especially sledding, and visiting the nearby farm animals at Devil's Thumb Lodge. No one made it to midnight on New Years Eve and most everyone was up by 7am on New Years Day.
Happy New Years to everyone!
Happy New Years to everyone!
