Baby #2 has arrived!!

Here's Briella's 'Birth Story'. :)

Saturday, September 28, 2013 - Sunday, September 29, 2013

I had pre-labor 'signs' from Tuesday until Friday and almost no activity on Saturday morning. Nate decided to go to the mountain and do some work at the cabin, cutting down trees and continuing the new fence that will someday go around the 2+ acres of his parents' land.  I had intentions of making a few meals and freezing them so the next few weeks we could just pull some leftovers out of the fridge or freezer and eat quick.  My mom and dad had offered us some elk and grass fed beef a few months ago but our freezer was very full until recently.  I called my mom and asked if she wanted to bring us our meat and help me make some food.  She brought me a vanilla latte and doughnut and stuff to make Nate his coconut cream pie for his birthday too.  :)  We started baking and cooking and not much was going on as far as contractions or feeling like having a baby.  We finished around lunch time and mom left Nathellia and I at home. 

I put Nathellia down for a nap and finished cleaning the kitchen.  When I sat down to rest, I had a few contractions here and there but not much.  Around 5 pm I started having contractions about 10 min apart.  By 8 pm they were much closer and getting stronger.  Nate was home and we had finished dinner by then and he went to shower after working on the mountain.  I decided I wanted to shower also and felt like we were going to go to the hospital if the contractions continued.  It was about 10pm.  I was drying my hair and talking to baby - I said if these contractions were for real and she was really going to be born tonight, she needed to give me a sign... not 2 minutes later my water had broken and we were scrambling to get ready to transition to the hospital. 

Now, Nathellia's birth was 45 hours, slow, and I never felt like pushing.  Had I known how Briella's birth was going to go, we would have been at the hospital earlier in the evening... but anyway...

Water had broken, contractions were one after the other.  I was able to move around, breathe, and mostly was ok with them until right before the car was ready to go.  Nate's parents came over to gather the dog's food, our dogs, Nathellia and some odds and ends for her.  Finally I was making my way to the car around 11:40pm and really felt like I needed to push.  The ride to the hospital was INTENSE!  When the nurses met us they just kept saying 'slow big breath' and it helped me feel better.  I was admitted by 11:59 pm, docs were in our room and I was able to begin pushing around 12:20am.  I think my doctor wanted me to take a little more time but I and Briella were ready.  She was born at 12:55am!!  Less than an hour after we were admitted!  WOW!  :) 

It was a much different experience than Nathellia's birth, but went just the way it was supposed to go.  I didn't have an epidural or pitocin and things were a little painful, but I felt like it went how briths are supposed to go.  And today, I feel much better than I did after having all the stuff with Nathellia.  I am praying my recovery with Briella will be easier than Nathellia and so far it seems like that will be true. 

Nate was awesome.  He was very encouraging and I don't think I could have done this without him and the nurses and doctor letting me know all was well and I was doing good.  To say the least, Briella is probably the best birthday present I can give to him.  We were thinking she would wait until 9/30, but 9/29/13 is a pretty good bday date too!  :)  Nathellia was around for many of the intense contractions and she just kept asking if I needed a Kleenex or she would say "It's ok mommy.  You be ok!"  She was right.  Contractions only last so long.  Pushing only lasts so long.  And now we have a beautiful baby girl to hold and love and spoil along with her big sister. 

Her official stats are as follows...
Briella Marian Long born 12:55am 9/29/13
7lbs 14 oz
21.5 in. long
13 in. head

Nate took this pic on a whim and I love it!  One of my favorite pics of Nathellia ever and Briella is looking good too and I actually don't look too bad either.  ;)  I am sure we will have many more to show and we need one with daddy and his girls too...

Patient and Waiting. Well... at least waiting.

It's been a long time since I posted on here.  I am not even going to attempt to update what's happened in our lives since the last post either.  A LOT!  :)  I am going to write about how I am feeling, sitting here waiting for baby #2 to arrive. 
I am 40 + 3 days pregnant.  I have been off of work for 10 days now (I think??) and I am getting very impatient for this child to decide to show up.  We see doctor tomorrow and maybe they will decide to induce or something which I am excited for and not excited for all at once.  I think baby should come when baby is ready; however, I also wanted baby to come like a week ago or more!  I SOOO want to hold this child and have another kiddo running around with Nathellia.  That's a weird thing for me to feel because I wasn't one of those people who just wanted kids so bad.  When Nathellia came into our lives she was a huge blessing and now we get another blessing.  I really like being a mom.  But not a pregnant mom.  Or a pregnant teacher.  It was not fun working and being 9 months pregnant. 
That brings me to my next thought... I wish work didn't regulate so much of our lives.  It does.  That's reality.  We work so that someday one of us won't have to and we will be an at-least-one-stay-at-home-parent family.  And because I am working right now, I only get so much time off while being paid.  After so long, I have to start paying work back to keep my job.  Well, with a new baby and hoping to be a breastfeeding mom, the few weeks I will get with new baby are valuable and few since we can't afford to pay for me to take more time.  I do get 6 weeks, but how wonderful would it be to have 10 or 12?  Anyway... since I was told by doc to take time off before baby arrived, I am just loosing that much more time with baby after he or she arrives.  I still get the 6 weeks, but sick days and sub dock days are gone so after I go back to work I have to stay very healthy, happy, capable, etc. all while trying to breastfeed, teach 14 first graders, and keep my family organized.  It's a lot to be anxious about.  I sure can't do it alone and wouldn't want to! 
Anyway... the anxiety, anxiousness has gotten me a little down the past few days.  I was even having some really strong contractions but they go away.  That just makes me think something is wrong you know.  I hate where my thoughts take me so today, I listened to a lot of worship music, prayed a lot, rested, and ate when I was hungry.  Maybe that doesn't sound like a way to be uplifted to you, but it worked for me.  I also have a husband who reassures me, prays for me, and tells me it's all ok.  So today I am very grateful for God's presence in my life and for my husband's ability to snap me back to reality... :)  I am also thankful for Nathellia who keeps saying, you're ok or it's ok mommy when I need to hear it and don't even know I need to hear it.  I'm telling you, she is a little blessing for sure! 

That's where I am today... pregnant.  Waiting.  And attempting to be patient.  Philippians 4:6-7 is on my mind... Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and petition present your requests to God and the peace of God which passes all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.