Wednesday, November 30, 2011

The day Ethan was born!


I have been meaning to write for a while but as most of you know my life has been a little busy lately! For all the right reasons! 

Where to start! So Ethan was due on Friday September, 16th my due date rolls around and still no baby… Those of you who know me know that I have ZERO patience! At my doc appointment the week before after a tearful breakdown I begged to be induced that Sunday if I didn’t go by my due date. At that point my hips hurt so bad my legs felt like they were always going to give out, I am not kidding! I was in so much pain and Ethan was SO big (I didn’t at the time realize how big 8lbs, 14oz! BIG) that every time he moved it hurt. 
I was 40 weeks pregnant here! this was taken on the 16th of September, I was HUGE

 Let me tell you I tried EVERYTHING to induce myself, I would walk on the beach till I felt like I was going to die, I made Derek buy me a yoga ball and I would bounce on that thing, no joke like 10 hours a day, maybe more. I ate spicy food, went swimming and nothing worked. Ethan was perfectly happy where he was! 

That Sunday started like every other Sunday, I attempted to sleep in, which usually meant I laid in bed watching Derek sleep in a coma like state. Looking on in envy I decided to roll out of bed, literally I had to roll to get up lol it was quite comical! About an hour later Derek got up and took me out to breakfast.

Now I am not sure if most of you know but I worked at a medical clinic in San Diego and that is where I was fortunate enough to meet Dr. Kaity Collins. Dr. Kaity became to be my 2nd Mom, or my California Mom as I like to call her.  Dr. Kaity had been a midwife most of her life so she was a baby expert!  Which was great for me, probably not as great for her, as I would call her, email her, text her 10 times a day asking a million questions lol; I thank God every day for having someone like Dr. Kaity forever in my life. 

Since she had been there though my entire pregnancy I had asked her if she would be there when I delivered Ethan, It also was a peace of mind for me (and Derek) knowing someone was there I knew and trusted and also knew what she was doing if something went wrong. Not like I don’t trust the doctors at the hospital but it was just different, it made me feel more at ease. 

We went into the hospital the night of the 18th around 7:00pm. I was terrified. Don’t get me wrong I wanted to meet my baby more than anything in the entire world, but the mother in me started thinking, what if something goes wrong? What if something is wrong with him they didn’t see? Derek and Dr. Kaity soon calmed me down and we were brought up to our room. 

After 30 min of them attempting to get an IV in me they started my pitocin. The contractions started slow, then within 10 min they were 3 min long back to back, as in I had NO break in between them. Now I think back to the movies where women are screaming through these and I think to myself, I have NO clue how they can do it! Obviously it’s the movies but still I was in the most pain I have EVER felt in my entire life and all I could do was sit there, not move and breathe, it would have taken way to much energy to scream.  It didn’t help that Derek was sitting there staring at me going, “Megan, Megan are you okay? Are you contracting?” lol UGH YES DEREK I AM SHHH! Anyways they had to stop the pitocin because the contractions were so strong and long that Ethan’s heart rate was dropping to low. 

They then called the doctor and about 3 hours later started the pitocin again. The contractions were not as bad this time, at least not at first. I think I lasted about 45 min (maybe) before I was asking for my epidural.
Now even though I knew the epidural took the pain away I also knew how BIG that needle was and that was not to appealing. The doctor came in, rose up the bed so I was eye level with him and then told me, “Okay Megan you CAN NOT move, I am putting a needle very close to your spine and if you move you could be paralyzed for the rest of your life.” Umm okay thanks I will be sure not to breathe. Let me tell you I didn’t even know he put the needle in, within minutes my legs started to tingle and then the pain was totally gone. By the time Derek and Dr. Kaity came back into the room I was like hey this is GREAT! Let’s watch a movie! Lol  

Well I went through the night and the next morning I hadn’t made much progress so the doc came in and broke my water, by 5:00pm Monday night I was 8cm dilated and they started setting up the room. At this point I had been in labor for 20 hours and was exhausted, I remember looking at Derek telling him I had no idea how I was going to push a baby out.

5 more hours had passed and I was still 8cm, so the doc came in and told me she thought the reason I was not dilating more is because he was too big and that I would have to have a c-section. She said they would bring me down within the hour. I started bawling, c-section? I mean I knew it was a possibility since I was induced but heck they were setting up the room and now this? I was so scared; I didn’t want to be sliced open! I called my Mom and she settled me down and told me that even though it was scary I was going to meet my baby for the first time in just a little bit. Then of course I called Vanessa even though it was like 6:00am in Michigan she answered her phone and made me feel better :)
 
On a quick side note: My Mom was not there because we did not know when I was going to go into labor and then when we found out I was going to be induced it was too late. PLUS we were moving to Florida a few weeks later and I told her she would be a HUGE help to be there when we moved into our new home, and she was! She was here for over 3 weeks and I cried like a baby the day she left. I have the best Mom in the world :)
 
Anyways the nurses wheeled me down to surgery and started to set up the room, at this point Derek wasn’t in there yet and I was a little scared. They numbed me from the chest down and did a few tests to make sure I couldn’t feel anything. Then Derek came into the room and the doctor told me they were going to start. I don’t think I was really THAT scared until I saw the look on Derek’s face, I have never seen him like that in my life, I know he was nervous and I know he was worried about me. But even though I could tell he was scared he grabbed my hand and told me he loved me and that in just a few minutes we would be meeting our baby boy. 

Now even though I was numb I could feel them cut my skin, then through my muscle and within seconds I heard Ethan cry for the very first time, makes me tear up thinking about it. It was the best sound I had ever heard in my life. Derek stood up and I heard him say, “Oh baby he is just perfect!” Then I passed out, not from anything else besides being exhausted, I BARELY remember Derek bringing Ethan over to me. 
I do not remember this picture being taken AT ALL I was so out of it

Then I woke up about an hour later in recovery. Derek was standing next to me holding Ethan and the VERY first thing Derek said to me when I looked at him was “Litttttle worried about the shape of his head!” lol If there was a cone head competition Ethan would have taken first place! Lucky his head was back to normal the next morning :)


The only thing that was hard about having a c-section was not being able to pop out of bed when he would cry or be able to stand to change his diapers for the first few days. You really don’t realize what you use your abs for until someone slices through them. DO NOT watch Modern Family 2 days after a c-section lol I was CRYING as I was laughing. 

Fast forward a few weeks we started our trip from the west to the east coast! We got to stop in El Paso for a few days and stay with my good friend Jenny her husband Trevor and their little girl Mari! Who is also Ethan’s girlfriend ;) We went to a wine festival and it was a ton of fun! I was a cheap date since I had and still have a super low alcohol tolerance! I loved hanging out with Jenny and Trevor we had SO much fun! It’s really nice hanging out with other friends who have kids :)
Ethan and his Girlfriend Mari :)

We made it to our new home in Jacksonville, we were lucky enough to be able to stay with our friends Eric and Kelli for a few days while we searched for a new home.  We found our new house and we love it here!  My days are now filled with dirty diapers, smiles, laughter, crying, naps, Mickey Mouse Club House, books and I could not be happier J though I am tired 90% of the time I am getting more and more use to it every day.  Derek is the best Dad in the world. I know EVERY wife says that about her husband but he really is. The love he gives Ethan in unconditional and they way he plays with him melts my heart :) I have to remind myself to thank God every day for the many blessings in my life. My life is now complete:)


I get to kiss this face every day and I LOVE IT!

Sunday, August 14, 2011

What I have been up to the last few months!

So for the last few months my good friend Vanessa and I have been working on putting together a Non-Profit organization! Its been a lot of work but so worth it! What we are doing is something that we are very passionate about! Our first event is being held in Birmingham, MI on the 25th of September and we are very excited about it! Visit www.theabcf.org to check out what we are all about! You can also check out our Facebook page too! https://www.facebook.com/TheAboveandBeyondChildrensFoundation

I am so excited about this because I will be able to work from home doing something I LOVE and raise my baby! We have a lot of events planned for 2011 into 2012! And we plan to add many more events to this list!

September 2011:

TBD- ABCF Night, Comerica Park, Detroit, MI
9/25- Welcome Dinner, Birmingham, MI

March 2012:

3/17 or 3/24- First Annual Golf Tournament, Jacksonville, FL

May or June 2012:

TBD- First Annual Golf Tournament, Minnesota
TBD- First Annual 5K, Minnesota

November 2012:

TBD- First Annual Golf Tournament, Tucson, AZ


Even if you don't live in Michigan but still want to make a donation you can visit: http://theabcfraffle.eventbrite.com/  
Every little bit helps!  

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe!

So this was my first attempt at making Chicken Tortilla Soup and it was a BIG success! This is a super simple recipe!

               Ingredients

  • 1 Sauté onion, garlic, jalapeño and green pepper with olive oil in a large pot until soft.

  • 2 Add all the rest of the ingredients to the large pot and bring to a boil.

  • 3 After about 15 minutes, remove the chicken breasts and shred.

  • 4 (Two forks work well to pull the chicken apart!).

  • 5 Return shredded chicken to the pot and simmer an additional 45 minutes.


  • When done add some shredded cheese, tortilla chips and some sour cream! 

    Friday, July 8, 2011

    O'h the Navy life!


    As always the Navy has made our lives pretty hectic! We found out not too long ago that we will need to report to NAS Jacksonville, FL no later than September 30th! The baby is due September 16th, so needless to say the last few weeks of September are going to be a whirlwind! But I am very grateful that I get to have my baby here with the same doctor I have been seeing throughout my pregnancy. Having a baby, moving across the country, living out of hotels and trying to find a place to live all within two weeks makes me tired just thinking about it! Luckily we get to see some great friends along the way!

    I really can’t help but think how truly blessed I am to have such a strong support system! And Derek has been a saint through this entire pregnancy!  I know I have been a ton of work and not so easy to deal with at times. We finally settled on a stroller and car seat (it was a process finding one we liked let me tell ya!) But thanks to some advice from my good friend Jenny we ended up getting the stroller she got for her little girl and we LOVE it! Though it was pretty easy for Derek to put it together, installing the car seat in the car is a whole different story! 



    Two great friends of ours, (Derek’s brother from another mother as he would say), or as they will now be referred to as “Uncle Nick and Aunt Brigitte” Sent us custom made MN Twins and MN Wild Jerseys! We love them and we know our little man will too! I can’t wait till he can wear them! This little boy already has so many clothes! It’s definitely a downfall of mine! I never imagined while shopping I would want to buy clothes for anyone else as much as I love buying them for myself! And though he will NEVER admit to it, Derek is just as bad as I am ;) 



     Derek and I both decided it would be good for me to take some time off work to stay home and raise our baby. But anyone who knows me knows that I love to work, as crazy as it may seem I really do! I like staying busy! Though I know this baby will keep my plenty busy I still want to do something I love! So my best friend Vanessa and I have been working on a project that we will soon let everyone know about! It’s something that I will be able to do from home and also bring the baby with me! It’s coming together so well and we are both so excited about it! Though it’s been a TON of work so far it’s going to be 150% worth it! Stay tuned! 

    -Megan 

    Thursday, May 5, 2011

    Trader Joe's Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream

    My boss bought this for me today because she is awesome! And I am in love with it! If there is a Trader Joes near you I suggest you go get some! Less calories then regular ice cream too and it might even be better!

    Life has been crazy!

    Wow it has been way too long since I have posted! Things have been so busy in our lives lately I have completely lost track of time! I am now 21 weeks and over half way there! We found out about 2 weeks ago that we were having a boy! I wish I could have recorded Derek's reaction when the ultrasound tech pointed to the monitor and said "You know what that is!" I have never seen him smile that much in my life! I was waiting for him to jump out of the seat in the doctors office and start cheering! So needless to say we are very excited!
    I think I am way to impatient of a person to be pregnant, now that I can feel him move (and he moves ALL the time he is a wiggle worm!) I just want to meet him! This whole thing has been an amazing experience, minus the whole getting sick EVERY DAY, ALL DAY for the first few months. But now its starting to get hard to sleep at night, with all the trips to the bathroom and only being able to sleep on my side I am not having the best luck getting a lot of sleep. I know everyone says it's to help me prepare for the lack of sleep I am about to get for the rest of my life but still I want to be as rested as I can be before this little man comes! My Aunt Dina told me that when she was pregnant she had forgotten what it felt like to be skinny, I totally know what she means now! I know its only going to get worse, but its 150% worth it! :)  
    18 weeks, I thank God for who ever invented the sun dress, they are the best thing ever when you are pregnant! 

    21 Weeks! 

    I will be going home to Minnesota 2 weeks from tomorrow! I am so excited! My Aunt Dina and Aunt Carol are throwing me a baby shower! I am so lucky that I have such an amazing family! I can't wait to come home and see all my friends and family!

    Well that's about it for now! Derek is nearing the end of training though we are still not 100% sure when he will be done. But that's how the lovely military works! 

    -Megan


    Saturday, March 5, 2011

    We're having a baby!

    Derek and I are SO excited to announce that we will be expecting our first baby September 16th! Time is already flying by WAY too fast!
     I wish I could have video taped the morning I took this! It was about 5:30am and I was getting up to get ready for work, I realized I was a tad late so I figured I would take a test not thinking for one second it would be positive! I set it on the counter to "process" when I looked at it about 30 seconds later I saw 2 pink lines! I RAN into our bedroom screaming "Oh my god I'm pregnant!" Derek FLEW out of bed super confused and said, "With a baby?!" Then of course I called my mom and best friend Vanessa woke them up and told them :) I get out of the shower about 15 min later look in our room and Derek is completely asleep like nothing ever happened lol I love how men can just shut things off!

    Our first OB appointment was probably one of the best days of my life! We went in and met with the nurse first and went over everything you could possibly go over medical wise. Then the doctor came in and did the ultrasound. Though this isn't the best picture we could already see teeny tiny arms and legs and they were moving! It was so amazing! Then we heard the heart beat, it was so loud and fast I thought it was my own! Of course I teared up a little and thought "Getting sick ALL THE TIME is so much more worth it now!" Yes I got VERY VERY sick for the first 10 weeks. Luckily the last 2 weeks I am getting back to feeling normal again.
    So I had my 12 week appointment yesterday and look how much bigger he/she got in just 4 weeks! CRAZY! Its starting to look like a baby now! We got to see him/her mover its arm up and down it looked like it was about to suck its thumb! Hopefully at our next appointment we will get to find out what we are having!

    I'm still getting use to my fast growing belly and I still don't think I look pregnant yet just full ;) Luckily Derek thinks its super cute :)