Holy....

...SH*T and HAIR!!!

First, Claire took a poop on the potty yesterday for the first time!! She has been in undies since last July but would NOT poop on the potty. We talked about it the last 6 months but didn't push. Yesterday she did it and today she gets a big girl bike!! Of course, she's spent the last hour crying for her pull up today while Eric was out of the house for about 2 hours. My first trial with 2. I had to put Paige down to spit up on herself and deal with my screaming 3 year old who shut herself in her closet but hey...all things take practice and she'll continue to get the hang of it.

Second, get a load of this red hair!! My mom and brother have red hair as does my nephew. I hope she keeps it! It's adorable. Her eyelashes and brows are even strawberry. I love it!! We always joked about getting a red headed baby and looky there!

What's in a name?

Happy Birthday Dad...Douglas Scott Welker!!! Today would be his 67th birthday. We have missed celebrating with our dad the past 11 years since he has been gone but we have been adding birthdays to the family that give us new reason to celebrate!

Paige got her name because I had a dream last March before I got pregnant and it just came to me. I had never liked the name Paige before. Never disliked it but I hadn't put it on my baby name radar. Once I had this dream that we had a Paige I really liked it. Her middle name Scotlyn is for my dad. His middle name was Scott which is his mother's maiden name. My Grandma is still alive and lives here in Arizona. She is amazing! So it's a wonderful tribute to a family name with a twist just for Paige. Just like Claire's middle name Ryleigh....Eric's middle name is Lee and mine is Leigh...so we incorporated "leigh" into her middle name without using it direct. Claire is also named after Eric's mom (all of the girl's gparents are deceased except for my mom).

I hope the girls love their names when they grow up and their family connections!

Paige Scotlyn Cox

She's here!

Paige Scotlyn Cox

8lbs, 12oz

21 1/4 inches long
February 20, 2011 @ 9:40pm

Last Sunday was the day! We went back for the 2nd induction and this time my platelets were 100K on the dot. 100K is the cutoff to receive an epidural (for anyone wondering the normal range for platelets which help clot your blood starts at 150K-400K). We were pumped. The nurses said we are keeping you, starting the IV, and beginning the pitocin to induce contractions. We started very very slow on the pitocin at about noon. Several hours passed and contractions were sporadic and not that strong. Around 4pm I was about 4cm dilated. At 5pm the doctor came in to break my water and the pitocin was upped again. The contractions started coming at that point! Active labor had begun. By 6pm I was very ready for the epidural. Those contractions were killer and I can't imagine having to go past that point without the meds. I was very grateful!!! Around 8pm I was 6cm dilated. I had a wonderful epidural this time. I was completely flat out numb with Claire from the waist down but this time I had no pain but I could move just a little and feel my toes! I could feel lots of pressure down low so I asked to be checked again. At 9pm I was 9cm dilated! It was about time to push. We waited for the doc, pushed a little to keep her head down and waited for my mom to arrive at the hospital. 9:40 she was born! It went fast and smooth. It was a great experience. My mom got to see the birth! I had Eric on one side and my mom on the other coaching me while I pushed. I did have some post partum bleeding due to my lowered platelets. The doc had some trouble stopping the bleeding and locating where it was coming from. She finally found a cut in my cervix. Apparently my doc pulled out my cervix and stitched me up. The nurse told me later but didn't want to freak me out at the time. I saw lots of blood though so I was getting nervous. Then another nurse came in to give me a shot in my leg to help stop the bleeding. Once the bleeding got under control things have been fine ever since. Whew! My platelets were going up before I left the hospital which is an even more clear sign that it was just gestational. The labor I worried about the past month because of the blood issue turned out to be a dream labor in the end.

just born...

We are home and things are going good so far. I feel like it's the calm before the storm though! Babies don't stay sleepy all day long forever! =) Feedings are going good and going from bottle to breast has been great. No problems! My mom left today so we are sad to have her gone. Eric is home for a few more days then it's time to take flight on our own. I am nervous but I know we will find our groove and the only way to find that groove is to finally do it alone.
We are just so happy she's here, healthy, and all is going good! Claire is being a great big sister too and getting used to baby being around. We are so proud of our girls!!!

Roller Coaster

WOW!! The past 3 days have been a big roller coaster. I have never been induced before and I think I had a different impression of the whole experience. I knew I could be sent home but I was hoping that wasn't going to be the case of course but the reasons were legit and we came home Thursday. The main reason was that my body over reacted to the gel in my cervix. Fast contractions and no progress. Hyper stimulation! The second reason was my blood count for my platelets was 91K and the cutoff for most anesthesiologist is 100K. I had been told by several OB's and nurses that most docs are cool with 90 and up so I was hopeful. That was not the case on Thursday. 5 docs said no! So besides the meds being a bit much for me the epidural wasn't coming either! No thanks!!! We are trying the induction again tomorrow though. If my platelets are better then I will go forward. If not then I may walk away again because at this point I am too close to my due date and she will come eventually! My OB had the best of intentions wanting to induce me. She hoped my counts would be good. She hoped the docs would take my platelets in the 90's. At the end of the day though this is still elective with my platelet count. 50K and under would be a different story!

My OB also thought as a last ditch effort for Sunday's induction that I could take a quick round of steroids for my platelets. Sometimes steroids help but usually aren't given until the #'s drop way below what mine are. Again though...she wants to help me to have the pain control option of my choice. I want that too! I took the steroids last night and for the past 24 hours I have been wacked out. It's too hard on me. The dose is crazy high since labor is soon. It's too hard on my mental state. The side effects suck!! I felt like I was on speed. I had a breakdown in Wal Mart for crying out loud over my mom asking me which carrots we should buy! I have decided to not take them again today. It's hard to say no to a med that could get me the epidural possibly but going into labor with these side effect....can't sleep, heart palpitations, anxiety like crazy...it's not good either. My doc said which one would I hate more....no epidural or side effects from the meds. Tough question at this point because today I have felt nothing but terrible. My gut says put the meds down and what will happen will happen. Am I happy or prepared for natural childbirth...NO...but I am strong and I will get through this.

It won't be long now. I wasn't easy getting pregnant this time and it hasn't been easy preparing for the end either but it's happening. I want her. I am ready but I will be patient. God has a plan. Sometimes He breaks us to make us!

The next update will be pictures and smiles I hope!! =)

Preparing

I am loving all my friends right now! Sending well wishes and little reminders to take care of myself before the baby arrives. Today is the last official day before the induction begins...pending the hospital isn't booked up of course! What is it about being a mom already that makes it hard to take of yourself? I guess the answer is obvious....you aren't alone anymore! I have been washing sheets, making dinner, and just being a maniac cleaner. I think I am wearing the fibers down on all our clothes, rugs, and sheets from over washing! It's a hormonal thing. What I need today is a shower, pedicure, and massage. I'll settle for a shower though! Pretty soon I will truly never be alone with 2 girlies around here. I will finally join the other crazies mamas who are in the land of 2....some even have 3 already that I know!!

Tomorrow morning we go to the hospital to start being induced. They start with a gel in the cervix and see what happens. If it works then I stay...if not I go home for a day or so then come back either in labor or to try another method. Say a prayer, cross your fingers, wish on a star...whatever...that my labs looks good and my blood work is positive and ready for induction and that the meds work swiftly tomorrow! ( i have had a low platelet count in my blood work which is why we are inducing. hoping to have a good blood work day and just get this ball rolling. if my #'s don't look good then i cannot receive and epidural due to risk of bleeding).

I'll keep posting hopefully on FB with more news!!! Time for that shower. My mom will be here in a few hours. =)

36 weeks and a baby shower

Beautiful diaper cake by Paulina

Hot Chocolate Bar

Kelly, Liz, Me, Paulina

36 weeks

36 weeks and 70% effaced already! I hope this means that things are progressing faster than they did with Claire. I'd love baby to stay in and get fatter but I also want her out before February 24th!! She seems pretty big in there already and she is so low I can hardly walk for very long! It's crazy! I don't remember being quite to uncomfortable at this point in my first pregnancy. Guess my lazy muscles aren't doing the job like before!

I had an awesome baby shower with all my buds. I feel so blessed and lucky to have made some really sweet girl friends here in Arizona. I would have never thought 4 years ago when we moved here that I would have a gathering like this with all new friends. It's amazing! The theme was owls and I love love love owl decor! Aren't they adorable!!? And can you say Hot Chocolate Bar!!! So yummy! Special thanks to Liz, Paulina, and Kelly for throwing me a party to remember!

Sleepover

Claire had a sleep over at her Uncle Tom and Tia's house last Friday night. This picture just cracks me up of the dog, Cristy, in Claire's umbrella stroller! HA! They took the "girls" to the park Saturday morning and of course Claire has her train, Percy, and her apple juice. Her most prized possessions. Notice her hair too...no one wants to tackle brushing that curly hair! LOL! Eric and I enjoyed our night off. We went to dinner at Outback and just stuffed ourselves. I was so uncomfortable when we left I needed a gurney to get out of there! Still it was nice to be alone. We won't have that for much longer! We actually watched Avatar finally. Are we the last people on the planet to see this movie? I think so!

36 weeks today and I finally hit that place where I am "over it"! Just yesterday I said the words out loud. I am scared to say that and bring home a newborn all over again but I am over being pregnant! I feel good overall but laying down and getting up or turning over at night hurt way more than I can ever remember with Claire. This girl is LOW! I am up every 2 hours like clockwork to pee. I am very aware though that I am more rested now than I will ever be in a few weeks. I wonder if she'll show us her face before February 24th or if she'll pull a Claire and come out later! I can't wait to find out!