Thursday, December 8, 2011

Tucker has this fetish...

Tucker is a broken record and will not give up on the Toy Story routine.
6:45AM- wake up and run to the TV, pointing and saying "Bu" meaning Buzz, then eat breakfast and play with toys, go down for nap. Wake up around 11:30-12 and run to the TV and scream for Buzz, and then he'll try once again to get Toy Story on when Daddy comes home around 5:30-6pm. I'm not kidding you people- there have been a couple days that we have watched it THREE times a day! He will not give up. Persistent lil bugger. But I have become a little bit better parent and have limited it to once per day. Twice is excessive and three times is just unhealthy not to mention bad parenting fail. As you can see in the video- we have meltdowns over this. This was at 6:00AM btw when this breakdown happened.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

♥ Fall in TX

Well it's about that time for the update!
Wow I can't believe a whole month has already flown by. Austen is 6 weeks old already! I have a hard time keeping up with the time lately- it seems to sneak past me like a high-schooler coming home past curfew!
But I am enjoying being a mother of two so so much. Austen is such a blessing and I can't imagine life without her now. That goes without saying-I feel the same way for Tuckerman.
Update so far:
A week after Austen was born I thought I was feeling fantastic so we went to the Plano balloon festival... and ended up walking 2 miles to the front gate from our parking spot. Not. Smart. After having a child barely a week prior- your body hates you for even getting up and walking around the house apparently. But I thought I felt so fantastic compared to last time that I could do anything. Well it made my bum sore for about a week after that, even though I felt so good right after the delivery. So week 1- felt on top of the world, week 2- still on top of the world, but with a slight bum soreness. Next time I'll be more careful, and let my body heal a little better.













Week 2 and 3 were spent getting used to the 2 kid routine. And to tell you the truth- even though I feel like I am so busy and sometimes Tucker stresses me out with his constant breakdowns- I love it! Stay at Home Mom mode is finally kicking in and I love to play games with Tucker, nurse and coo with Austen, make homemade bread anytime I can, and just enjoy each of my kids. Week 4- we had Austen blessed and Mom and Dad, Sophie, and Lucy and David were able to come last minute! So great to see everyone. Week 5- I probably watched more Toy Story than I would ever like to admit (I am brain dead), and again loving the snuggle time with my kids! Week 6- Brent has a conference for work down in Galveston and takes us with him. We stayed at a fancy schmancy Resort right on the beach. I thought it was beautiful! Tucker and Austen and I enjoyed our beach time, pool time, park time, and just hanging out in the hotel. When we got home from Galveston- we went to the Texas State Fair! I love the fair! We had more deep fried things then any person should. Deep fried pizza, coke, oreos, and snickers were all on that list. Not to mention the tacos, milkshake, and famous fries we also inhaled. It was a fun outing with the kids, although I think we liked it more- what with our high calorie carbs and sweets. And here we are coming on Week 7 and already I feel like my fall is slipping away from me too fast. I didn't even have time to blink before Summer had already past without me so much as putting on a swimsuit. We try to get outside while it is still so beautiful and perfect weather. Did I mention that it was 79 degrees today? Like I said perfect. (I heard it snowed in CO- kind of made me grateful for TX fall weather).

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Birth Photography

I was going to have my birth photographed professionally. I had never heard of someone doing such a thing until my Midwife- Kathleen had mentioned it. I was intrigued and did a little research on it. As soon as I saw some of the beautiful photos- I knew I wanted it done. Kathleen recommended Natasha Hance, and as soon as I saw her work- I fell in love! Tasha told me upfront that she was going out of town on the 8th of Sept- but since we all thought that Austen was going to come on like the 23rd of August, I told her that we were going to be fine. Well fate, or my stubborn daughter, thought otherwise and I delivered while my photographer was visiting her family in Rhode Island. Go figure! ;-) So she did Austen's newborn photos a couple weeks later!
Well my Mom brought her good camera- so she was my babysitter and photographer at the birth! Man I love her. The photos aren't professional but I think they are fabulous!

So this is my attempt at recreating a slideshow that Natasha does for her birth clients. I used one song that she uses in her slide-shows because after listening and watching one of her's, I downloaded the song onto my ipod and listened to it while I was in labor. It became an empowering song for me, so I felt it was appropriate to use. Check out her work- it's fantastic http://www.nhancephotography.com/

Thank you to my Mom who helped to document a very special day! And no it's not too graphic, but you will be seeing a birth- so there may be some stuff you don't want to see! ;-)
I recommend watching it in Youtube and changing the photo quality from 360p & for the full screen...

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Labor and Delivery

I decided to go the Birthing Center route this time around because anyone that knows of my first experience with Tuck's delivery- knows that I had a horrible experience. One that I will never forget because I was scarred for life. I really felt that the hospital was responsible for my bad birth experience and was the reason I did not want any more kids. So when I found out I was prego again, I decided I wanted things different. It wasn't until I moved to TX though that I started doing a lot more research and determined I wanted to do the Birthing Center. I stumbled upon Kathleen- and she was the best decision I ever made!

The Labor and Delivery of Austen was just better than I could have imagined it. The 10 days overdue was brutal, and I tried just about every "natural induction method" out there. Much to my dismay- this little girl is just about as feisty as I am and flat out refused to come out on anybody else's terms. She had her own birthday in mind. Nobody told me that pregnancy and labors are all different! I had assumed that since I had Tuck a week earlier than the due date that that would be my pregnancy pattern, and I would always deliver at 39 weeks. Little did I know that I was going to deliver 2.5 weeks later- YIKES! My poor Mom came a week early to be there for the birth and to take care of Tucker. So she ended up staying a total of THREE weeks! Haha- she is such a trooper and was fantastic while she was here! She cleaned my house, made us food, refinished my kitchen cabinets, and helped me with some miscellaneous projects on my list. Pretty much she was amazing and I love her for sticking it out with me! Tucker thought that his Nana came to live with us- because when she left- he was having his withdrawals of being spoiled and being left with a new sister instead! Haha

I tried everything to get Austen out- and as a result of that I put myself into false labor a few times. It was so disappointing when those contractions slowed down and petered out. They would get so close together, like 2-3 minutes apart, and I kept thinking "This is it!" Only to have the realization that this girl was pushing and fighting back against those contractions and she kept winning! She was just too comfy where she was.
Finally on the night of Sept 9th- I decided to stop trying and I was NOT going to do anything to self-induce. No more herbs, castor oil, pineapple, and MANY other natural induction methods I was trying. I gave in to the idea that she was going to come when she was ready. Well that next day, Brent and I go to lunch while Mom watched Tucker. I feel like I am leaking a little bit, but don't think anything of it- because that is just part of 3rd trimester pregnancy anyways.
We get back and my Mom and I have plans to go to Ikea because she has never been before. So around 2:50pm we get to IKEA and just as soon as we go inside and up the escalators- my water breaks. And not just a little trickle mind you- this was a big gush. My mom is so excited she is texting everyone, while I try to cover up my big wet spot because it is a Saturday and Ikea is jam packed. I don't feel too embarrassed though as much as I feel RELIEF- because I know she is finally going to come. I really was starting to think that she would NEVER come and that I was going to stay pregnant forever! I call my midwife, Kathleen and she tells me to take it easy and keep her updated. So we drive back home.
My contractions didn't really even start for another 1.5 hours, so we put Tucker down for a nap and played Sequence. At around 5:00pm the contractions really hit me hard, and I remember that "Oh yeah- this is what it feels like" to be in real labor. All that false labor stuff was nothing compared to this. But I feel like I can handle it- I used an exercise ball mainly for support and a rice sock for a heating pad. I tried walking on the treadmill- but that lasted for about 2 minutes before I thought "this is ridiculous".
Brent would occasionally rub my back or put pressure on it which sometimes helped and sometimes did not. The BYU game had just begun, so we stayed in the living room so he could watch it, and I just listened to my Ipod. An hour and a half later, I get to that point where contractions are 2 minutes apart and I feel like my back is on fire.
So I call Kathleen at 6:30pm and she tells me to meet her at the Birthing Center at 7. In between contractions- I change into my swimsuit because I plan on having a water birth. We grab our baby bag and make the drive to the birthing center, which is only about a 5 minute drive from our house. Let me tell you- I think that that was the worst 5 minutes of my life. I must have hit transition right when I got in the car, or Brent's driving was very bumpy. I told Brent that I will be doing a homebirth next time since the drive to the Center was the worst part of labor.
When we get there right around 7- Kathleen and Lisa (also a Midwife helping out) were already there and ready. Kathleen checks baby right away and finds she is well, and then checks me and tells me I'm a little more than 7cm dilated, fully effaced, baby is down low. One thing that I love about Kathleen is she tells me to do what is most comfortable for me and lets me labor how I want. So she gets the water started because all I want to do at this point is get in that tub. As soon as I get in the tub- I feel relief! (I'm a big hydrotherapy enthusiast! I would much rather soak in the bath than shower. I only shower if I'm running late). But it doesn't last long, because those contractions start coming at me harder and stronger than ever. My back is killing me and I am not comfortable anymore. Laying back in the semi recline position- I feel like I can't handle my contractions as well and I think I might want to get out. So I turn onto my side and I feel so much better and more in control. Brent holds my hand as I work with each intensifying contraction. Just when I start to feel like my body has taken over and I can't handle the pain anymore- I am given the BEST feeling in the world- the urge to push. It's hard to describe the feeling really- but I have never felt anything better than the transition from pain to pushing. With Tucker, I felt that pushing was the worst feeling in the world and that I NEVER wanted to put myself through THAT again. Well fate gave me another pregnancy and another chance. I will never forget that feeling with Austen's delivery. Pushing really was the best part of it, all 15 minutes of it.
Austen came at 7:55pm, a little less than an hour from the time we arrived at the Center. The cord was double-wrapped around her neck when she came. But my midwife was very calm and collected as she just slipped it off her neck and put her on my chest. She rubbed her little chest until we saw baby girl breathing and give us her first little cry. I didn't even have time to be worried.
I was on cloud nine at this point. My beautiful baby girl was laying on my chest, both of us enjoying our skin to skin time. She was perfect! And I DID it... with no tears (the wound kind)!
After the delivery of the placenta- they moved me onto the bed because they thought I was bleeding a lot. What they didn't know was that I bled a lot with Tucker too and I usually have heavy periods. But they went ahead and gave me a shot of Pitocin just in case. Austen was placed on my chest again and we were able to breastfeed right away. She was already better at it than me. Bonding time with baby was amazing. Tucker was in the room and was able to meet his baby sister at this time too. Then after sufficient time bonding, we got to see how much this baby really weighed as well as all other dimensions. She was 9 lbs 6oz! I was shocked... and even more empowered! Dang- I am the woman!
21 inches, 14.5 head and chest.
My mom took Tucker home at this point since it was past his bedtime. Then baby Austen and I were able to take an herbal bath together. Let me tell you- this was absolutely fantastic! It smelled and felt amazing. After we bathed Austen, Kathleen and Lisa took her to check vitals and administer the Vitamin K drops while I was able to finish up my marvelous bath.
Then, Brent and I just Ooo and Ahh'd over how beautiful Austen was and how beautiful her delivery turned out to be, while Kathleen and Lisa cleaned up and checked on my bleeding. We left a little before 11pm- so just 3 hours after Austen made her appearance. And let me tell you- my bed has never felt more comfortable!

The best word I have for this whole experience is probably EUPHORIC. I will never forget how incredible this experience was! There was a peace and an intimacy at this birth that didn't even compare to the one I had in the hospital.  I had the trust in my body to know what to do (since women have been birthing babies for many centuries) and Brent and my Mom and the Midwives fully supported me and believed in me as well. I was surrounded in "a culture of faith". The Birthing Center/ Homebirth route is not for everyone, but it is exactly what I wanted out of a birth- a beautiful occasion. And what a Happy Birthday it turned out to be!


If you are considering your choices for birth, or didn't know you had a choice like I did at first- I highly recommend doing a little research. It's amazing the difference in birthing experiences between Tuck and Austen. I would absolutely guarantee that most of the difference comes from being in the Birthing Center vs. a Hospital.

Here is what inspired and encouraged me:
Book: Ina May's Guide to Childbirth
Movie: The Business of Being Born
Websites: babycenter, laboroflove, storknet, waterbirth.org- pretty much anywhere I could read other womens' birth stories, as well MANY great photographer's collections of Birth Photography

Things I love that the Center did vs Hospital
-Let me labor however I want
-Skin to skin contact after babe is born
-Don't cut the cord right after the baby is born
-No IV's or drugs
-No multiple nurses throughout
-No "checking in"
-Didn't have to be around other people or sickies
-Tucker allowed
-WATERBIRTH
-More bonding time
-Go home after a couple hours- slept in my own bed
... the list could go on

I am Proud and Empowered.

Friday, September 23, 2011

BABY GIRL!

Well It's about that time to update the blog and let you know how everything is going...

Austen LaRae Douglas was born 10 Days late (Ahhh- talk about agony!) on September 10, 2011 at 7:55pm. She is just beautiful and perfect in every way! I didn't know that the love in your heart could be spread among so many people but Brent, Tucker and Austen (along with other family and friends) take up most of it! Someone told me that Motherhood opens up chambers of your heart that you didn't know existed and I certainly find this statement to be true.

Austen is such a joy! And Tucker- well he is adjusting! :-) He loves to give her lots of kisses but he also likes to hit her head, poke her eyes, and rattle her brains when she is in her swing! But we are learning! The first few days were the worst, but now that I think he realizes that she is not going anywhere- he's toned it down a lot. Austen is such a strong little girl. She has been raising her head up since she was born. And now she is scooting by pushing up with her legs. She definitely seems a lot stronger than Tucker was at this stage (but we won't tell him that). I love all of her long black hair too! It is beautiful! I am hoping it stays dark but I think it will turn blonde because her eyebrows are almost nonexistent and blonde. She is fat little girl- and I LOVE that. Babies were meant to be chunky. This baby lost no weight either. Usually when babies leave the hospital- they lose a bit of weight, and maybe since we didn't deliver in a hospital it was different because she was the same weight at her 2 day appointment- ALL 9 lbs 6oz of her (and my milk wasn't even in quite yet). Initially I thought I wanted another boy when we found out I was pregnant again, but I am enjoying having a girl more than I ever thought I would!

Tuck is so much fun- he can drive me crazy, make me mad, and make me die of laughter all within a matter of minutes. I am so proud to be his Mom! He just keeps getting smarter everyday. He loves books, tools, dancing, sports and he especially loves animals! He loves to sit and read a book- which I just love because reading is my favorite pastime! Tools: He is such a manly little boy right now. He loves to take things apart and try to put it back together- I am constantly amazed at how he can figure things out. He loves to be like Daddy and fix things. He can be a good helper around the house, but he can also be a destroyer of anything valuable! Haha. Dancing is mine and Tucker's favorite little afternoon activity. We'll turn on some music- whether it's from the TV, or the baby swing, or his musical bear and just dance our little hearts out. We find each other's dance moves highly entertaining and usually cannot breathe because we are laughing at each other too hard. Tucker has also loved sports since he was 4 months old I think. Put a ball in his hand and he will be entertained for hours. I love watching him wind up for his pitch! He definitely turned out to be a good mix of his parents! He loves all animals too- his favorite shows on TV is anything on Animal Planet. He is starting to say animals and then their "noise" which is so fun. Although everything sounds like it says "Moo" right now.
Josh got Tucker a Buzz Lightyear toy for his birthday this year and he has loved playing with it. He even makes the "Wheww" sound as he flies him around the room. When Nana was here- she put Toy Story 3 on and it was over. We have watched Toy Story at least 2-3 times a day since then. He LOVES it!

Raising two kids is surely an adjustment. There is definitely a lot less sleeping in the house right now. But I am just soaking up this newborn stage, whereas with Tucker I felt like I was a little too anxious to move on to each new exciting stage. I almost felt like I missed it because it goes too fast!

Brent is doing fantastic with work- he loves it. He is especially an amazing husband and dad. I am officially the luckiest girl in the world. My husband may not be the most romantic person in the world but he is the most amazing spouse and partner I could ask for. He is constantly taking care of Tucker when he is home and the laundry and cleaning the house. And did I mention that he LIKES to do dishes? I never have to do the dishes in my house if I don't want to. He is very involved and makes my load a lot lighter. I am so appreciative of him! We all look forward to the time when Daddy comes home from work...

Well that's it for now- I am probably going to be posting the details of the birth itself soon. I have a few funny clips of Tucker too that I have been meaning to post- so expect those sometime soon. Now that I am OFFICIALLY a stay at home Mom and don't work anymore- you will most likely see more posts.














Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Whirlwinds








Well Friends and Family

I finally feel like things have slowed down enough in my life that I can post. After a whirlwind of happenings in our lives, with finding out I am prego again, Brent accepting a new job, trying to sell our house in 30 days, trying to find a new house and area in TX we wanted to live, a vacation to FL, trying to find a replacement at work, closing on our new home in TX while still trying to sell our house in CO, MOVING to TX, waiting for our stuff to arrive (for 10 days) while doing mini renovations to the new place, trying to find a new midwife and pediatrician inTX, FINALLY being able to unpack everything, a family reunion in South Dakota, and then throw in there the everyday stress of life of wife, toddlerhood, and pregnancy and I feel like I am justified in delayed posts! ;-)

Seriously life has been crazy, but I love and welcome the change! Brent is so happy with his new position, which makes for a happier hubby and dad. Tucker is entering his terrible Two's before he has even hit 18 months, which makes life a lot more interesting, stressful, and absolutely hilarious. This pregnacy has just flown by and I can't believe I am less than a month away from having 2 kids. SCARY!! I'll post here in the next few days about all the specifics of this "busyness" but for now- here are some pics of our life in the last few months!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Another big Announcement

I know that many of you already know this bu we are officially moving to North Dallas, Texas! For some reason I always knew that this would happen and I am so happy to finally get the chance to move out of Colorado! I love CO, don't get me wrong, but this family needs a change! I think Texas will be the perfect spot for us right now. Brent is actually already over there working at his new job and loving it. So that will make things a little smoother as well when the hubby loves what he does. I am trying to sell the house here in Colorado for the next month and then I will be moving down there as well. We bought a beautiful house in Mckinney, TX already so no temporary housing for us. Brent's company will actually buy our house from us if we don't sell it in this next month (for a much lower price) which will be a blessing if we are not able to sell.






Tucker is just amazing as always- he continues to amaze me with how rapid his knowledge grows. He started walking full time while we were in Florida which has been so much fun! He loves to play and read books, and boy does he take after his Momma with his dancing skills! He also has started to be manipulative and started throwing temper tantrums. I think his terrible twos are going to be a challenge for me- so I guess I'm going to have to start pulling out books on parenting methods. If anybody has advice??

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

2011? WHAT?

So here it is 2011 and I'm looking at my blog for the first time in over a year. My last post was Oct 2009. I am horrible at this.
I think people have gotten to the point where they don't even check my blog anymore because they have lost all respect for me as a blogger.

Well let's recap since Oct 09:
Pregnancy wasn't too bad. I had my experiences... 2 kidney stones. Emergency Hospital visit for a torn esophagus from all the heartburn. Those were the big ones. Nothing else was too bad.


My sisters, Mom, and I went to Italy for a big hurrah before we all started having babies and wouldn't get the chance. (Okay only Lucy and I would fit into that category). But we had a blast! One of these days I will finally blog about it and put up pictures. 2 weeks of awesomeness! Rome and Tuscan Countryside.

Brent and I went on our "Babymoon" to Florida. I was really trying to fit as much as I could before I had Tucker because I thought life ended after having kids. Haha
It was very relaxed since I was about to pop in a month.

Tucker came on Thursday 4/29/10 at 10:50pm. He was beautiful! And I couldn't imagine my life without him now. It is amazing how things(perspectives mainly) can change so quickly.



He is 9 1/2 months now and Sooo active! I love it! He keeps me highly entertained all day. I have been back working at the dental office since he was about 6 months- and he does better when he is around people all day than when he is just at home with me. I'll need to make sure and keep posting pictures of him because it just amazes me how much he has grown up in such a small amount of time.




Anyways- life is great! We are just loving every minute of watching Tucker grow. We moved out of our condo and into a house- so of course we got a puppy to add to the mix too! Batman and Tucker just love each other. Again, life is great!