Light at the end of the tunnel. . .

I had my 36 week appointment at the OBGYN today.  I'm dilated to a 2 and am 60% effaced.  Yay!  Sorry for the TMI, but progress is so motivating!!  This usually means I have about ~2 weeks left.  There is a light at the end of this tunnel.  We are so excited to meet this little gal.
I've been nesting like crazy, organizing, and getting the nursery put together.   (I'll post pictures once I get the last final touches finished.)
Because of all the sickness during January, the house has been sanitized and the bedding has been washed.  I think we are on the mend. . . finally!  It has been a long, long month.

And the belly grows. . .

 10 Weeks

 17 Weeks

 22 Weeks

 29 Weeks

32 Weeks

35 Weeks

These aren't the most flattering pictures in the world, but I know I will want to look at them later.  This little gal is growing and growing and I am getting bigger and bigger.  We are on the countdown!

30 Weeks

We had an ultrasound today because the baby was measuring two weeks small.  I think I am carrying her much further back than I had carried the boys because according to the ultrasound measurements, she is only a day or two behind her expected due date.
She was very wiggly and squirmy and has been moving a lot lately. She doesn't like having the ultrasound wand pressed against her, especially her face.  She kept burying her face up into the placenta to hide from us.  We could see her practicing to swallow.  She kept opening her mouth.  It was so cute!  At one point, she was so annoyed by the ultrasound wand that she arched her back and threw her head back.  Uh oh!  I hope that isn't a sign of what is to come!  Personality, already in the womb.  Life is truly such a miracle.

Family Photo Shoot

Check out my friend Ashley's photo site:  Ashley beal photography

It's a GIRL!!!!

Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles-God took up Daniel once again,Stood by his and side and- miracle of miracles-Walked him through the lions den! 

Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles-I was afraid that God would frown,But like he did so long ago, at Jericho,God just made a wall fall down! 

When Moses softened Pharaohs heart, that was a miracle.When God made the waters of the red sea part, that was a miracle too!But of all God's miracles large and small,The most miraculous one of allIs that out of a worthless lump of clay,God has made a man today. 

Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles-God took the tailor by the handTurned him around and- miracle of miracles- Led him to the promised land!
When David slew Goliath (yes!), that was a miracle.When God gave us matter in the wilderness, that was a miracle too. 

But of all God's miracles large and small,The most miraculous one of all                  Is the one I thought could never be:God has given you to me.

~Lyrics from Fiddler on the Roof

August 30th-- Going home

Abric is ready to head out into the big, bad world and go home to his new family. I've always felt like newborn babies look so small and helpless when they are buckled into their carseats for the first time.

Andy had roses delivered to the hospital. I was so spoiled this hospital stay with so many flowers and gifts. I felt like a queen.
Me getting Abric dressed into his special "going home" outfit. Even though he is the last of 4 boys, he still needed some new clothes of his own. Plus, some of those hand-me-downs from his brothers were getting pretty scary.
Andy was excited that Saturday was the first weekend of college football. He and Abric were able to get in some quality "man time" as they watched the game. As for me, I couldn't stand to be in that bed for one more minute and was happy to give it up to the guys.
Our local hospital orders a gourmet lunch/dinner for the new parents to enjoy together before they go home. Andy and I always looked at it as our last date before the chaos sets in. Andy ordered filet mignon and I got Tilapia stuffed with crab. YUM!
After we got home, we were all able to relax a little bit. I rested on the couch while Andy and Abric lounged on the Cuddlebag to watch more college football. Abric must have gotten bored with the game and decided to teach himself how to grab his nose instead.

August 29th- At the hospital

Keith and Cindy brought the boys to the hospital on Friday afternoon to see their new brother.
Ewan--he still isn't too sure about all of this and is a little confused about all this commotion. He kept kissing my belly and I tried to explain that the baby wasn't in there anymore.
Zane--he totally understands what is going on and loves holding his new baby brother.
Harrison--he seems to have grown up overnight into this super-responsible young man.
My Little Men

August 28th-- Abric's Story

The day started with Harrison making cinnamon-sugar toast for everyone. He came upstairs and said, "I need to start making my own food because I'm going to go on a mission someday and I'm not always going to live with you." Go get 'em, Harrison.
Because I had already cleaned and scrubbed everything, I ended up making food the rest of the day. I made Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Shells, froze half of the recipe and put the rest in a dish to eat for dinner later. I made Zucchini Banana Bread and a Strawberry Pie. I just needed to occupy myself with things so I wouldn't get depressed about not going into labor the night before. (I had my OB strip my membranes the day before and it had worked both times with Zane and Ewan.) I also washed our bedding and rotated the mattress. Yes, I was desperate.
I started having contractions at 3PM, but didn't think anything of it. (See The Boy Who Cried Wolf post). By 4PM, they were 10 minutes apart. When I was still having contractions at 4:30, I called Andy to make sure he was not in Hanover anymore (almost an hour away). He was back in York. I told him that I wasn't sure if this was "it" or not, but that he should probably get ready to come home.
By 5:00 they were 6-11 minutes apart, so I called the doctor. At 5:30, they were 5 minutes apart, so we all loaded into the van to head for the hospital. Andy had to stop and pick up soccer uniforms for Harrison's team that he was coaching. It was on the way, he was in and out of the van, so not a big deal, but I had a couple big contractions and was starting to get worried.

Andy's parents met us in front of the emergency entrance at the hospital. They took the van with the boys while Andy and I headed in to be admitted. I got upstairs to the birthing center and got into my glamorous gown (see above). I was at a 7. Woo hoo! By this time, it was 6:30 and I knew it wasn't going to be like my last two labors--over in 3 hours from the first contraction. I asked for an epidural right away. With Ewan, I had to wait for the doctor to come before I could push. It was the most traumatizing and painful 15 minutes of my life. I didn't want to go through that again because that same doctor was the one on call and this labor was moving much slower than my others.

Luckily, when we arrived at the birthing center, one of the nurses said, "It's Andy Coy!" Apparantly Andy had done her mortgage a couple months ago. It was awesome because she totally hooked us up. There were two other women in labor and she got the anesthesiologist to come to me first. Just in time, too, because my water broke as he was giving me the epidural. I was complete and ready to push 10 minutes later. Too bad the doctor wasn't there. She had just gone home to eat dinner. (What?!??!?) Anyway, I had to wait another 15 minutes for her to come back. Although I wasn't feeling most of the contractions, I was feeling enormous pressure. My body knew it was in transition and it wanted to push. I started shaking really bad. I couldn't keep my hands still. My teeth were chattering like I had hypothermia. I tried to hold onto the railing on the side of the bed, but then the whole bed started shaking. I was so happy to have that epidural. If I had gone natural with Abric and had to wait for the doctor, they seriously would have heard me on the 1st floor. (I was on the 3rd.) I kept telling them that I really needed to push, so Andy told them to get the resident to come deliver the baby. The resident came right in and got dressed in her gown. She was getting ready to deliver the baby when the doctor came in. She stood behind the resident while I pushed. It was really weird with the epidural, not like I remembered pushing Zane and Ewan, but I was just grateful to have the edge taken away from the pain. Andy was a great coach. The resident did great because this was the first time that I didn't tear. I pushed for about 20 minutes and then little Abric was born. He was beautiful! I was so happy to have him here and to know that he was OK.
As soon as we saw him, Andy and I said, "He looks like one of ours!" He totally looks like a Coy Boy. He belongs in this family and we are so very happy to have him here.

I love this picture of Abric and Andy. I feel like it captures the happiness on Andy's face as he holds Abric for the first time.
Zane and Ewan were asleep, so Andy's parents brought Harrison to the hospital to see Abric. (Anya stayed with the other boys.) It was so cute to see Harrison hold Abric for the first time. I knew Harrison was excited to see his baby brother, but I didn't know he would be so excited.
The proud grandparents. We are so grateful to Andy's parents for their help with the boys on this happy day!

Here is a video of Abric's first bath.

The Boy Who Cried, "Wolf!"

or, otherwise known as,


The Baby Who Cried, "Labor!"

Once upon a time there was a little boy, still in utero, who kept pretending to want to come out into the world. Late Monday night, he cried, "Labor!" and caused contractions to come 10 minutes apart for over an hour. His mommy and daddy found out it wasn't the real thing, so they went to bed. Mommy was OK with that because she was tired from working on peaches all day.

This morning, at 3:00AM, this little boy decided to cry, "Labor!" again. He caused contractions to be 10 minutes apart for 2 hours this time. At 4:00AM his mommy got up and polished the wood floors, mopped the kitchen floor, and finished folding clothes. At 5:20AM, she decided to go back to bed because, although the contractions were still 10 minutes apart, they were very weak contractions and only lasted for 5-10 seconds each. When she went to bed the contractions stopped.

This little boy thought it was very funny, so he started causing contractions again at 7:05AM. These were much harder contractions and lasted for over 30 seconds. His mommy thought, "Wow, maybe this is it." But, no. They were 12 minutes apart, but only lasted for one hour.

This mommy had a talk with her little boy. If he keeps crying, "False Labor!", she and his daddy might not be able to make it to the hospital in time and he will end up being born in the car!

Thoughts on pregnancy

Metaphors

I'm a riddle in nine syllables.
An elephant, a ponderous house,
A melon strolling on two tendrils.
O red fruit, ivory, fine timbers!
This loaf's big with its yeasty rising.
Money's new minted in this fat purse.
I'm a means, a stage, a cow in calf.
I've eaten a bag of green apples,
Boarded the train, there's no getting off.

-Sylvia Plath

I know I posted this poem at my 38 week mark with Ewan, but I could not help posting it again because it seems to express the exact way that I feel right now. Not only do I feel like the images described in this poem: an elephant, a huge house, a cow in calf, a purse busting at the seams, but the last line is what strikes me most right now. "Boarded the train, there's no getting off." The only way I am "getting off this train" is to go through labor. I feel like I am ready, but I am also getting extremely nervous for it because I know it is going to hurt...really, really bad. I know I can't do this by myself. But no matter how much pain this labor will bring, I know that it will not compare to the immense joy of seeing our child for the first time. It makes up for every sleepless night, every 2AM trip to the bathroom, and for the feeling during the last stage of labor when I feel like my body is being torn apart. Right now, I'm just trying to psych myself up for the intense part and trying to remember that it will all be over soon.

Millions of Peaches...

The boys and I went peach picking today with a group of moms from church. The weather was a little too humid for my liking, but the peaches were big, beautiful, juicy, and ripe! Last year I only picked one basket, but I couldn't resist picking two this year. (Plus, I am trying to stay busy to (A) forget that I am just waiting for this baby to come and (B) if I stay really active, maybe it will move things along.)
I had great success freezing the peaches last year, so planned on doing it again. (I need your help to can, Mom!) I got the info from a GREAT website called Pick Your Own. It has so much info on picking, freezing, or canning your own fruits and vegetables. It even has recipes. Check it out! It gives detailed directions with photos. To freeze these peaches, I slipped the skins and pitted them, then chopped them up. Added 1/4 cup lemon juice. Put them in a freezer bag, then added 1 cup of white grape juice to cover them so they wouldn't get freezer burn. I love how there is no added sugar and to thaw them I just put them in the fridge the day before, drain the juice and use just like fresh peaches. (They also taste like fresh peaches. So yummy!)
I was only able to get through one basket this afternoon because Zane had soccer practice at 5:30. Andy helped me get Zane and Ewan ready to go, then he had to get ready for Harrison's practice at 6:00.
This is Zane's first year playing soccer. He looks so tiny out there compared to the other kids! He barely reaches their shoulders. I found out that most of them are already 6 years old. (I think, if they are 6, then they should be on a U-8 team!) Zane is only 4 and won't be 5 until the end of October. I'm so worried he won't have a good experience. We don't expect all of our kids to play soccer, but this is Zane's first time doing any kind of team sport. The other kids are so much bigger. They played the "magic box" game where you try to kick your teammates ball out of the box while still keeping control of yours. His was kicked out first every time. He ran over to me crying. It broke my heart! (Insert Vent: I think that exercise is too advanced for U-6 age group. They just need to be working on the most basic skills. These kids still aren't even sure which goal to score at!) I had to walk out on the field to help him finish practice. He refused to go out there. I came home, as a frustrated mother, and vented to Andy about it.
After the end of practices, we bathed the kids, gave them a snack, then put them in bed. Since the Olympics are over, Andy and I had a free evening. He read while I scrapped a page in honor of my sweet little soccer-playing, ball-dribbling Zane. I love you, Zaner-Baner!

Doctors and more doctors

Ewan had his 2-year check up yesterday. He is 32.75 inches tall and weighs 23.5 pounds, which makes him in the 10th percentile for heighth and the 3rd percentile for weight. (FYI, Andy and I weren't planning on our kids being NBA stars. It's just not in the genes.)

I also had my OBGYN appointment. I'm dilated to a 2. I still know it could be a while, but I'm just happy that things are progressing and there will be an end to this pregnancy. (Sorry for the complaining folks, but I get desparate during the last month. I'm D-O-N-E!!!)

I also just want this little guy to be here because I want to know that he is OK. His movements have drastically slowed down this past week and it has really been freaking me out. The only way I can get him to move is to stimulate him with either juice or caffeinated pop. My OB sent me in for a Non-stress Test. The baby wouldn't move until they gave me some apple juice. It was just reassuring to hear his heartbeat for the hour I was in the hospital.This very same thing happened during Zane's pregnancy. He just stopped moving the last 2 weeks and the only way I could get him to move was to take a shot of Dr. Pepper and then go lie down to count kicks. During delivery, we found out the cord was wrapped around Zane's neck. The doctor had to snip the cord before I could deliver the rest of him. It was so traumatizing because I didn't hear him cry. He was perfectly fine, though. It turns out he had cried, it was just very quiet and it wasn't the explosive cry of "I'm HERE!" that we got with Harrison. Zane was my quiet, peaceful, easy baby. (Dare I hope that this baby will be just as good?)

(the top pic is my latest attempt at digital scrapping. The thing I like best about this one is that I was able to use photoshop to put mascara on my formerly make-up-less picture. It was so fun. Thanks, Nate, for the tip! Umm, not on how to put on make-up, but on your photoshop expertise!)

Nesting

Nest
1 : to build or occupy a nest : settle in or as if in a nest 2 : to fit compactly together or within one another

transitive verb 1 : to form a nest for 2 : to pack compactly together 3 : to form a hierarchy, series, or sequence of with each member, element, or set contained in or containing the next

"Nesting brings about some unique and seemingly irrational behaviors in pregnant women and all of them experience it differently. Women have reported throwing away perfectly good sheets and towels because they felt the strong need to have "brand new, clean" sheets and towels in their home. They have also reported doing things like taking apart the knobs on kitchen cupboards, just so they could disinfect the screws attached to the knobs. Women have discussed taking on cleaning their entire house, armed with a toothbrush. There seems to be no end to the lengths a nesting mother will go to prepare for her upcoming arrival."

So, I have been going through my house getting rid of the clutter and organizing things. It is amazing that urge I have to get things ready. That nesting instinct is real, folks. I love it. Above is a picture of all the stuff I have to take to Goodwill. The attic looks so much better!

The nesting urge began when I was in Utah. My mom was kind enough to "lend" me her upstairs bathroom. I went through that thing, cleaned it out, and organized it. In the end I had two large garbage bags: one for garbage and one to take to the DI. For days afterward, I loved going into the bathroom to just open up the cupboards and see everything in order.

During Ewan's pregnancy, I had a huge yard sale. It was the most cleansing experience. I even got rid of stuff that I thought I might need in the future. Turns out, we didn't need it. I became a true convert to the idea that if you haven't used something within a year, you probably won't ever use it. Plus, it is amazing all the stuff that can accumulate over time.

Right now, I am just taking advantage of these nesting urges. Not only does it make me feel better, but it keeps me occupied from the waiting for the baby to come.

Yesterday afternoon, as Andy was getting ready to call me, he literally thought, "Maybe I shouldn't call right now, she might be nursing the baby." Later on in the day, he thought, "I wonder the baby will keep us up tonight".

Yup, we are definitely ready for little what's-his-name to join our family.

36 weeks. . . and counting!

I just got back from my 36 week check-up. Everything went well. The baby's heartbeat is strong. This kid really moves a lot. Even though he is running out of room, he still tries to do somersaults. (just a tad painful for me!)

I haven't really let myself get too excited about this pregnancy. I think I have been trying to do reverse psychology on myself because I have such a hard time being pregnant, I was just trying to not dwell on the fact toooooo much.

Now, the countdown has definitely begun and I am really getting anxious to meet this little guy. I am dilated to a 1 and my cervix is starting to soften. (Sorry if that is TMI, but that's what you get when you read a prego-woman's blog.) I measured at 33 weeks, so the baby has started to 'drop'. Yippee! I know it will be a while yet before he is here. I was dilated to a 3 with Ewan for a couple weeks. But I am just happy that things are starting to happen.