My Birth Story*

At 5:15am on Tuesday September 8, 2015 Braxton and I headed to the hospital. We checked in at about 5:45am and set in for a long day. I was not progressing on my own at all and was there to be induced. I was dilated to a 2 and only 50% effaced. I was given a pill that was placed at my cervix to try and dilate on my own without having to be given pitocin. I had not had any contractions, I didn't know what to expect and four hours later I was only effaced another 10% and had not dilated anymore. Another pill and a line of pitocin started and the contractions began! I lay there and lay there and finally got up and sat on a birthing ball for a few hours, all the while starving! I was able to drink a cup of chicken broth and munch on ice chips. I was being pumped full of fluids so that I was good and hydrated should I end up needing a c-section. My mother-in-law came and as my contractions got stronger she massaged pressure points along my back to help with the pain, I finally got back in the bed and realized my legs and feet were extremely swollen from sitting on the birthing ball so my mother sat with me and rubbed my legs and feet.
As a child when you are in pain you want your mom, I don't think I'll ever grow out of that...I was so grateful she was there to experience the day with me!
By the time I was 5 cm dilated and 80% effaced I had asked for the epidural...I was so nervous because I hate needles and I made sure the anesthesiologist knew that! Ha braxton isn't really the comforting type so I had to make him stand there with me and hold my hand but his facial expressions toward the actions going on behind me was not comforting!! The epidural was no where near as scary as I thought! My IV hurt worse! After it was all over with I just kept thanking the Lord for modern medicine! It was amazing! I was able to nap for an hour or so and then I woke for the nurses needed to empty my bladder and check my cervix again. Finally I was fully effaced but still only 5 cm dilated. Pushing the pitocin I laid around and about 2 hours later I asked the nurse to come in because I felt like I had to poop!! We cleared the room and when the nurse when to check my cervix she didn't even have to touch me and said you are ready to go! Your baby has lots of long dark hair!! I had dilated 5 cm in two hours!!
The told me to try and sleep for about an hour as I "labored down" where they let my body and the contractions push baby as far down as possible so I didn't have to push for so long! At 1:00 am I was told we could start pushing but just a few minutes in and my sweet boys heart rate dropped to about 60 so we stopped pushing and I was put on oxygen...we waited for an hour and started again. At 2:00 am I was able to start pushing again! I had been laying on my left side and since the epidural goes with gravity my left leg was so completely numb I couldn't even hold it up! Braxton held my right leg and a nurse took my left. At 3:19am on September 9, 2015 my beautiful baby boy was brought into this world! ♡ he weighed 6 lbs 7oz and 19 inches long, a full head of hair and cried for just a split second and then was totally content for the next two days! ♡ I feel so blessed for how easy and wonderful my boy was born! The amount of love I have for him is unbelievable! No one can know the love of a mother until you are one! :)

Welp! Another week into the wonderful world of being a wife and mommy! I lay here writing this as my baby cries...(I'm terrible at trying to accomplish the cry-it-out method.) This week for some reason has felt more stressful...maybe because my beautiful baby boy is still so colicky and I feel helpless. I feel terrible there is nothing I can do to help this innocent little being, he isn't hungry, doesn't want to be rocked or shhhh'd or swaddled or hugged or left alone....helplessness is all I can feel or think. It's safe to say it's bedtime for both mommy and baby!
We are into week three of being in North Dakota and I am very ready to be home! I miss my house and my queen sized bed!  I have enjoyed being able to see my sister and beautiful niece. We went to a Christmas Craft Show and packed our little babes around in carriers complaining most of the time about how hravy each child was 😅 and my little man was mistaken for a baby girl approximately eight times...at one point a woman asked if he and my niece were twins?..(My niece is around 20 lbs, Grayson is around 12...) 😞
 I feel very blessed I have the opportunity to see them more than once every six months like the rest of my family!
Grayson is such a doll ♡ he is my world, even on nights like tonight, I am so grateful for this boy! He has changed my life! :) He loves to watch the mobile above his bed and listen to rattles. He turns to look where my voice is coming from and loves to snuggle ♡ when his belly is full and he has had a nap he will lay and take in the room around him. When I talk to him he smiles or when daddy plays with him he smiles! It melts my heart to see Braxton tend to him, my two loves ♡ :)

#terribleblogger
Been so busy with life I've neglected to update the little blog of mine! A week spent with my sister and family with ws wonderful! My niece is now 6 months old and a bundle of happiness :) last time I seen that little girl i was meeting her for the first time at a month old and weighing about 6 pounds, now at 6 months and roughly 17 pounds and two teeth later I cannot believe how fast time flies!
Our week with my family now has my husband into hunting again as they went out my little brother was able to tag a wolf! It's such a joy to see my husband have so much fun with something again! The last year has just been about moving and work and making ends meet we have kind of lost ourselves in life altogether so to escape for a little while was a lot of fun. :)
Braxton was offered a job which forces us to live away from home for 2 weeks at a time but all in all its what is best for us as I am able to continue to be at home with our sweet baby boy whom is growing like a weed!
My sweet boy is now almost 2 months old! Time flies! He loves to sit up and look around, my favorite thing is sitting with him to talk :) he smiles, not so much at certain things just yet but still the same he smiles and every time my heart melts a little more each time :)
On the 11th of October Braxton blessed Grayson with the helping hands of his father, grandfather, uncles and close friends. He was very nervous, it was the first blessing he has done since he had been ordained an Elder of the LDS church. He did an amazing job. Grayson was able to wear the same outfit that Braxton was blessed in as an infant, although it drowned him, it was a special day for everyone involved! ♡
Unfortunately my poor bub is EXTREMELY  colicky in the evening and sometimes I think the kid is going to drive me to the looney bin! Hoping to try out a pediatric chiropractor when back home again.
We have been in North Dakota for about a week now and I spent this weekend with my sister, I was able to help her catch up on housework as she works so much. It has been awesome to help because she has helped me so much with the new challenges of motherhood as she is 4 months ahead of me with practice that the only way I can help her out is to clean, something I'm good at and I love!
I also said goodbye to my beautiful sister-in-law today...she is moving to a town all by herself, knowing no one. I'm worried about her but I know she has an amazing opportunity there as she was offered the assistant general manager position at a chain restaurant! She is doing awesome for herself and we are all so proud of her! Just going to miss her so very much! She will do great I know, I think it's this new mother instinct that is making me worried for her :')
I've been awake for an hour now with feeding this baby and it's 4 am...suppose I should get back to sleep while I can!
Till next time my poorly updated little blog✌