We survived the Holiday!

Ok so I did do a post last week... I was having issues with getting my internet to work so I typed it up in a word document with the intention of copying it into blogger and posting it... well that didn't happen. Everything I tried failed me miserably in an effort to copy it into blogger... so you'll just have to go without last weeks post.

So now that I've made an effort to explain my slackerness... This week has been crazy!
I love holidays but they really seem to wear me out! Once the cousins arrived it was non-stop play for Miss Eliza. She would get sooo excited at the mere prospect of getting to go play with 'Jacks' (that's how she refered to both Jackson and Grant) We'd walk in the Merritt's door and she would imidiatly start calling for the boys to come play! We got to meet the newest cousin addition as well, Miss Elizabeth, she was adorable! She sure looked tiny next to Alayna but they are both so very adorable and we're looking forward to future years of watching the two of them run around together! In the time that we spent enjoying the company Ben and Jackson had a successful 'run in' and Jackson walked away with a bloody nose... that was the end of rough houseing together for the two of them. Eliza went on a walk with Uncle Brian and Grant and came back with bloody knees... so we apparently made sure to play hard with all of the kids to wear them out :-)

Thursday was Thanksgiving the morning started at about 6am in my house in a effort to get ready for the Merritt Family pictures. Mallory took the pictures of all of us and then each of our individual families. The raw pics that I saw were amazing and I'm really excited to see how they turn out when she's done editing them! Dinner was amazing (as usual!) the football games weren't bad and best of all was there was lots of time to just sit and cuddle the new babies! We got to go to my parents house for dessert that evening and I was yet again reminded that my mom's pies are the very best around!! I made the most amazing pumpkin pie I got compliments from lots of people so it must have been good...

Sunday was Alayna's blessing day. It was really a special day all the way around. Ben invited his co-workers to come and Robert and his wife actually came!! It was kind of a supprise to me but I was so grateful for them making the effort to come and be a part of that with us. Most of my family was able to come as well as most of Ben's... We did miss those of you who couldn't make it!
Ben gave a beautiful blessing!! Such a sweet spirit and Alayna was very well behaved... in fact she slept through the whole thing and didn't make a peep! We had a beautiful lesson in our combined 5th Sunday classes. It was all about Christ and different prophets testimonies on the topic. It was put to some beautiful music and I really enjoyed the spirit that was in the room! After church the Merritt's were nice enough to host a 'post blessing' party to celebrate the addition of Alayna to the family. We had excellent food and really enjoyed the time to just sit and chat for a while.

That was the main excitement from the week... I don't have any pictures from the week but all my in-laws took some that I will post as soon as I have access to them :-)

It's a short one.

Alayna and Daddy sunggling in the recliner

Sun bathing... working on her first tan :-)

Eliza, Daddy and Alayna... Eliza is so helpful givng her sissy her pacifier

Eliza playing on the stairs

First family picture... nice and casual!

Mommy and Alayna hanging out

So this weeks post is going to be short seeing as how there hasn't really been a lot of time since the last one.

We're doing very well overall. Alayna was having some struggles with her billi levels and so we kept having to go in to get her foot stabed. The somewhat odd part of it was that she did not cry about getting pricked but every time they tried to collect the blood she totally lost it! I've honestly never heard her scream so loud. In the end, three draws, four vials of blood, and two days later it was established that the naked time in the sun was enough to avoid the billi lights.

The majority of the week after my last post was mellow with lots of chill time for me. I've been SO greatful to Ben for all his help I really don't think I could have made it through this past week without him! He's made my recovery much faster and significantly more enjoyable!! I really did marry the greatest guy in the world!

Eliza has been busy being entertained by Alayna and hanging out with mommy and daddy. She has really enjoyed having Ben home to play with throughout the day. She hasn't had a hard adjustment to the newest addition at all which is great for Ben and me, We do have to keep an eye on her so she doesn't 'over love' the baby but at least we know she loves her.

Alayna Diane Merritt

Warning this post contains a labor and delivery story... that was your fair warning if you continue forward no complaints will be accepted because you were warned. Alayna Diane Merritt 8lbs 8oz... 21 in long

Eliza and Alayna on their first meeting! Eliza loves to give her sister kisses!

Moments after being born... mommy and Alayna

This week's post is going to revolve around two days... saturday and sunday. so if you don't like that too stinking bad!

I was lucky enough to become an Aunt again (Hailey had her little girl Elizabeth) and therefore I went into full on pregnancy envy. SO I started doing as much as physically possible for any pregnant woman to try and induce labor. I walked and cleaned like I'd never see my house again. The good news is that my house looked amazing by the time I was done! The bad news was that I only kinda put myself into labor. I was having regular contractions 3 minutes appart that were just killing me! Alayna was sunny side up (at the time she wasn't delivered facing up, she did turn around eventually) and therefore I was also having lots of back labor to top it off. So by 7pm Saturday night Ben said we were going in weather or not I was ready (lol) we called Grandma Merritt to come take Eliza for us and we headed to the hospital. I sat on the monitors for an hour and walked for another hour and in those 2 hours I hadn't progressed at all. The worst part of all was that means (usually) that they'll send you home to labor there instead. I was crushed (tears and everything) because I had long since past my ability to even tolerate being pregnant anymore. Anyway my nurse went to talk to the on call OB about what they wanted to do with my crazy contractions that weren't doing anything productive (mostly just to get approval to send me home) and when she got back they offered to have me stay and they would get the antibiotics in me and break my water so I could hurry up and have the baby! I was being hormonal about the whole thing and wasn't sure about it so I called my mom and she helped talk me into staying and not feeling guilty about it. I labored all night without anything except lots of discomfort and very very little sleep. Ben didn't sleep well either (real shocker those fold out beds are terrible!). By morning I hadn't really dialated much more but the dr. came in a broke my water... that was about all it took. Well that and an amazing epidural! One nap, Four pushes and a few good laughs with the doctor we had Alayna Diane Merritt.

November 8th at 10:37am. She was 8lbs 8oz and 21 inches long.

She was a little blue at first and really 'spitty' but she did a really good job of coughing and crying all the mucus out so they didn't need to use the suction on her like they did with Eliza. The craziest thing of all is that full head of hair and beautiful skin color... if I hadn't just pushed her out myself I might have questioned if she was mine... j/k.

We stayed in the hospital that first night and had a total of four visitors. The grandparents. The hospital has a policy currently due to H1N1 that made it so that no one under 18 could come visit moms and babies. So Eliza had to wait to see her sister until we came home (I was pretty ticked about this!) SO due to their policy I came home as soon as possible. I went through a little bit of Eliza withdrawl by the end of the day Monday I couldn't wait to see her! Who knew that two and a half days of not seeing your two yr old could be so hard! My family came monday evening for a House party (House the TV show) and to meet Alayna. I think that all the stimulation was a bit much for Alayna but we got through it in the end and then got a good nap the next day to make up for the lack of sleep the night before.

Eliza's adventures were great for her... Sunday she got to go to church with Grandma and Grandpa Merritt (who are now called Ma and Pa according to Eliza). They did a little nativity picture and dressed all the kids up in nursery and Eliza was really mad about having to dress up (she was a mouse) so she is apparently crying in the picture (lol! memories!). The Merritt's tried letting her play in the hot tub at their house and it resulted in tears (supprisingly because she loves it with mom and dad!). Monday morning Eliza got up and went to the pool with my family (6am) and she loved it. My mom ran her ragged all day and then the big meany got her up from her nap to get the kids from school! I finally got to see her Monday evening and was thrilled to have her home. Her first reaction to Alayna was that I needed to put her down and hold her instead. She did eventually warm up to her and now she thinks she's the greatest thing in the world! She's so sweet in the morning and asks to hold her and she's always more than happy to let me go or comes to get me when Alayna is crying. SO cute!

Happy Birthday Rachel... and Happy Halloween!

38 weeks... a picture is worth a thousand pounds; I mean words.

Chef (with bun in the oven) and her cupcake!

pouting almost done about having to wear her costume

Trick-or-Treat!

And the best part of all is the sucker at the end!

Ok so it's time for another fun, exciting, entertaining update... and time to find a different blog to read! Haha!

My week's been relativly boring... Highlights didn't really happen until the end of the week/ weekend.

Monday thru thursday was really uneventful outside of the 14 (ish) inches of snow we got on Wednesday. Eliza got to come outside with me and play in the snow for the first time this year while I shoveled the driveway in a vain effort to go into labor. Eliza loved the snow but she was soaking wet by the end of it and I came to the conclusion that snow boots were going to end up being a must this winter! Thursday we were at my mom's house which was a nice change from being stuck in my own house!

Friday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY RACHEL!) was a fun day!! For me at least :-) I droped Eliza off at Grandma Merritt's house bright and early so I could go to the doctor. My appt went well... the baby is still in there though (little stinker thinks it's funny to torture her mother with contractions that come and go! rather than just letting them come and then be done for good!). I'm dialating and progressing toward that end goal so in the end I'm just greatful for any kind of progress! After that I had the whole day to myself! I LOVED every minute of it! Eliza got to do all kinds of crazy things with Grandma including going to a couple of meetings and making sugar cookies that she decorated herself! She brought some home and I was reminded how fun it must be to be two... There were little pinches out of the tops of each cookie where Eliza had helped herself to the sprinkles she decorated with. It was sooo adorable! I'm sure that Grandma must have been exhausted after a full day with Eliza but I really really appriciated the time to get my house clean and rest up a bit!

Saturday; Happy Halloween! We spent the morning going to the store to get some walking time in for me and get some stuff we needed as well. Then we got to go do some trunk-or-treating. Eliza yet again reminded us that she does NOT like her costume but she will wear it after she's done pouting. Everyone LOVED her cupcake costume (she was really cute I have to admit!) and there were multiple people who came and ask to take her picture because they liked the idea so much! (proud mommy momment!). Eliza made out like a bandit with candy and we didn't even go trick-or-treating to houses! Good thing shes young enough I can still somewhat control the candy intake or else she would happily sit and eat most of it in one sitting and be really miserable afterward!

Sunday; is today... I've been having lots of contractions so church was kinda miserable. They've slowed down a lot now that I'm home with my feet up (poo!) but maybe it's a sign of labor coming sometime in the next few days (hours would be better but I'll settle with days). So all of you start having labor thoughts for me for the next week and we'll see how good your telepathy skills are with an unborn child!