2 weeks already!

Jared has been with us now for 2 weeks! Often it feels much longer and I have to remind myself that he is still so young. So far he has been such an easy baby. (well not that I have anything to compare him to but everything seems to be going really well) I often find myself worrying that one day I will wake up and my sweet good natured little boy will be a totally different kid but fortunately he seems pretty content. He rarely cries, mostly just when we are changing his diaper and easily sleeps for 3 hours at a time. I have to wake him up for every feeding and he could sleep much longer if I let him! Which sometimes I am tempted to do but I want to make sure he is eating enough. We really appreciate his thoughtfulness! The last 2 days have been extra nice because Mark's school has been canceled (I love snow days!!) so we have gotten to spend time cuddling and loving our little boy. I went to a breastfeeding support group the other day and had Jared weighed and he is up to 7.15 pounds. (Its so nice to be able to drive myself places again) I have been feeling pretty well. Still just trying to rest a lot and enjoy this time with Jared. Tomorrow he has his 2 week appointment with the pediatrician. I find myself really looking forward to his appointments so I can hear that he is doing well.
Here are some pictures of the little cutie! It turns out that taking good pictures of newborns is rather difficult!

My Mom got this outfit for him. I love it!
He is for sure the cutest pumpkin in the patch to us!

"He's Perfect"

So says the pediatrician we took Jared to this morning for his newborn checkup. He said Jared has great lungs and his heart sounds great. His weight is back up to 7.1 pounds; he was 6.13 when we left the hospital, and somehow his head is now 14 inches instead of 13.5 and he is 20.5 inches long instead of 20.

As we were leaving the hospital they gave us a little diaper bag that had all kinds of coupons and pamphlets in it. Inside one pamphlet there were horoscopes for the babies. Here is Jared's first horoscope.

LIBRA: September 24 - October 23

Baby Libra is a sweet and gentle, go-with-the-flow type of child who might even need waking when its time to eat. This born diplomat loves to communicate. From day one, he'll charm you and everyone else around- expect him to do well in baby groups and classes from early on. Try to surround your little Libra with vibrant colors. He's an artist who loves observing nature's beauty and listening to music. Enjoy your refined baby!

We thought this was a pretty good model pose with his hand behind his head.

He has been such a sweet, good natured baby. I love looking at him and realizing how perfect he is. While we were waiting to see the Doctor, Mark was holding Jared and I looked over at him and thought, "Oh my goodness! That is our baby, he is not holding someone else's child!" We are so happy that Jared is here with us.

*This oh so cute quilt is one that my sister made for Jared. She's so good! Thanks Susanna we love it!

25 hours later, Two became Three

He's here and he's adorable!

Jared Hyrum Spencer was born Wednesday, October 14 at 9:12 pm.
7 pounds 5 ounces, 20 inches long

Look at those feet! He totally got them from Mark.

As mentioned I went to the doctor Tuesday afternoon and she was worried that Preeclapsimia was setting in so she decided to induce me that night since he was supposed to be due on Friday. So we set out to the hospital and checked in at 8:00 Tuesday night. When I checked in all the nurses kept asking why I was being induced because the symptons were so slim so it seems like the doctor was just trying to prevent the onset of it which was A-OK by Mark and I because we just wanted him to come.

That night they started me on some medication to soften the cervix, then in the morning around 5:30 they started me on Pitocin and at 7:00 I got my epidural. (The new anestheseologist came on at 7:00 and since I knew I wanted one I was his first patient of the day) So I spent all of Wednesday laying in bed enjoying the relief of the epidural but not progressing much. I got to a 7 around 1:00 and then a 9 around 3:30 and then it all stopped. Finally around 5:30 I was basically a 10 so they decided to have me start pushing. As they were checking me it turned out that Jared was head down but he was OP or face up instead of face down which meant my chances of delivering him were pretty slim. They said I could keep pushing until it had been 3 hours but then they should start prepping me for a C- section. So I kept pushing but he wouldn't turn. Around 7:30 they turned off the Epidural to see if I could feel the contractions more and be able to push harder. Duh, of course I could feel them more but they only kept if off for like 30 minutes, and I was still fairly numb. Around 8:15 the Doctor came back and asked if I wanted to push for another 15 minutes to see if he moved or just start prepping for the C-section. We decided to start prepping because it seemed quite unlikely he would turn and honestly, I was a little bit tired.

So they wheeled me into the operating room to where I was suddenly listening to Kelly Clakrson (My Life Would Suck Without You, fitting) on the radio and feeling very far away. The extra medicine they put in you for a C section is really strong! So Jared was delivered at 9:12 and was nice and healthy. It appears everything went well and we are so happy that he is here.

I feel like I experienced all types of pregnancy/delivery options with Jared: inducing, contractions, (even at a 4 they are pretty strong) epidural, pushing, having the epidural turned off, and a C Section. Pretty inclusive. The 2 hour immediate recovery from a C Section is awful! I felt so out of control. But now three days later Jared is doing great and I am feeling almost human again. Mark was a big help and I am so thankful that he is so supportive. He and Jared seem to be getting along just fine. Jared and I are so lucky to have Mark with us.

Marmee, (my mom) arrived from California Friday. We are so happy she is here to help us for the next week.

THE SPENCER'S

Appearantly Not

So it appears that I will not be posting a picture of myself at 40 weeks pregnant because we are going to the hospital tonight at 8:00 to be induced! I went to the doctor today and it appears that I am developing preeclampsia so she said we could do urine and blood tests for the next 24 hours but the only treatment is delivery so she recommended just being induced since I will be 40 weeks on Friday. I personally don't feel the need to be pregnant for another day or two so we are taking her recommendation. I didn't want to develop this either but have had a problem-free, quite pleasant pregnancy so far so it is what it is. I still feel quite good (and Jared's heart rate, movements and the fluid levels are fine) so I am thankful that being pregnant has been so agreeable for me. Even though it was because of preeclampsia I am really excited that it happened this week so Mark can have so much time with Jared and I. Here's to our last hours of not being parents!

Wish us luck!

39 weeks!

Here's to hoping that I don't get to take a picture of myself at 40 weeks next Friday. I feel fine and am just hanging out, waiting for Jared. Mark is officially on Fall Break so today would be a great day to start this new adventure but I feel nothing but Braxton Hicks so maybe tomorrow.

*I do love that our new camera has a setting that lets you change the colors of the photo. I think it is probably fairly common but since we bought our first digital camera in 2005 a lot has changed. You can sure get a lot more now for less then what we paid then. We got our camera on sale for $150.00 and the one in 2005 cost $250.00. The new one is way more advanced as well but our old camera did just fine. It traveled all over with us!

Happy Early Halloween

So we are celebrating Halloween a little early this year since I have a feeling I will be a little bit tired or overwhelmed or both come the week of Halloween. The decorations are up and we made sugar cookies yesterday as we waited for the first snowfall. I think snow is so pretty! Something that I really like about the winter here is that while it will be cold and slightly long what is great is that it snows and then just a few days later its gone. At least that is what I am told. People are out and about in T-shirts and shorts and riding their bikes. I really do not mind snow, the only time I have really lived in it was in Rexburg and they are so special there that the roads have an inch or so of ice on them for months and they love to plow the snow in the middle of the street and leave it there for all to watch it turn black. (So that was 5 years ago so maybe its improved some.) Here are some pictures of the festivities.

Decorations:

Our apartment complex is having a decorate your door contest. I don't really expect to win because its not that elaborate but maybe an honorable mention? I love the spiders hanging down Mark says he has to pay a lot more attention when he walks out the door but its just for a little while.



The letters I made at Super Saturday and an orange and black Egyptian Headscarf. Headscarves, useful for so many things!



The Halloween Tree I got on sale last year after Halloween, I have been very excited to use it, and another headscarf. I also hung ghosts from our ceiling but they don't turn out very well in pictures because the walls and ceilings are white and so are they but they are really fun!

Sugar Cookies:

Today is the last day of school for Mark before Fall Break so we made some Happy Fall Break cookies for him to take to the teachers. I love that I can bake something and then send most of it away to his school so we do not eat it all.

Snow FALL!: (ha! Get it?)



Last week on a walk in the neighborhood



This morning outside our apartment.



This poor tree had such pretty yellow leaves and now they are all gone. Like I mentioned I don't mind the snow but it is sad that the leaves may not last as long now. They were so pretty.

I . LOVE . THE . FALL!
The next 2 1/2 months are so my favorite!

Not this week

It appears that Jared will not be joining us this week. I went to the Doctor yesterday and while everything is looking good there is no real progression. He also informed me that even if I had begun dilating that the hospital was completely booked for Thursday for inductions which is the day I would have been induced had anything really started. I really only hoped to be induced because my Doctor is taking his family to Florida for the fall break and Thursday is the last day he could have done it. So next Tuesday I am meeting with a Doctor I have never seen before (who may very well deliver this baby) and if things have started then we may just get a baby next week, right on time. They also had me schedule an appointment with my usual Doctor for the following Tuesday, the 20th but I sincerely hope I am not still pregnant then because more than half of Mark's break would be over and really who wants to stay pregnant longer then 40 weeks even if they are feeling well? When I went to go pick up Mark from school yesterday he showed me this note that a student gave him. Pay close attention to the words in the cloud, its almost like a fortune cookie!

When I went to Mark's school a few weeks ago this kid (Cole, who has more girlish and better handwriting then I do...) also told me that our baby was due the day after his birthday. Seems like he might be onto something and that would be just fine with me.

A rocking chair, a boppy and being induced?

So as I mentioned in the last post there was this funny story that went along with out test drive. When we got to the dealership we told the salesmen that we wouldn't be able to stay very long because we had to go pick up a rocking chair. I have been looking for one on Craigslist the past few weeks and found a really nice one for 40 dollars! It was such a deal normally they are like 150-200 dollars so I was really excited. He said well, "why don't we just go pick it up with this car?" We were like "seriously?" So first we stopped by the store to take out the money, of course we had to buy something so we ran in and got some fly swatters for Mark's classroom. *(When I was student teaching I played this great review game with my students where you put the vocab words on the board and after you read the definition the kids smack the word they think it is. They are racing another student. They like getting up put of their seats and probably like hitting the board too. Really it could be adapted to all kinds of things. It's a fun way to help kids review things so you could do it with scriptures or FHE games or just stuff around your house when trying to increase their vocabulary or even learn a another language whatever you can think of)*
So we got the money and then went over to her house. Now her house is nowhere near the dealership so we got their and then they put it in the highlander and as we were driving back Mark voiced his concern that the rocking chair would not fit in our Corolla so the sales guy let us drop it off at our apartment and even helped carry it inside. He must have really wanted us to buy the car because we were gone for over an hour. Anywho. It was just funny that we picked up the chair when we didn't even really know if we would trade in our car.

As you can see in the picture I also found a boppy online. I got it for 7 dollars which is a great deal since in the store they are around 30 dollars. The cover is removable so I can wash it or I could get a new one for like 10.

The other news came from my doctor. While I was at my appointment Wednesday I brought up the subject of being induced. I really am not that anxious for Jared to come, (well I am but I don't feel the need to rush him or anything because we really just want him healthy and strong) I feel fine but as I have mentioned before Mark has a 2 week break in school starting this Friday the 09th. So I asked my Doctor how soon I could be induced so Mark could be home as much time as possible with Jared and I. He said that when I came back next week (my appointment is on Tuesday) if I was 3 cms and 39 weeks (which is next Friday) he would induce me. He is on call on Thursday so if all goes well this Tuesday I could be having this baby on Thursday! It turns out that he is taking his family to Florida for the 2 week break so this coming week is the chance I have of him delivering Jared unless he comes late which would be a bummer since Mark will be back in school. Now this might have been nice to know when I first met him and told him my due date, because I could have picked a doctor who was not going on vacation the week I was due but I digress. I don't really feel like I have to have him deliver I mean I have only seen him like 3 times but he is a really good doctor and the one I have met. He said that if I wasn't ready next week one of his partners could induce me the following week. So we are anxiously awaiting my appointment on Tuesday. I don't really think I will be ready but we will see, everything else has really fallen into place for us so this could too. I also met with a pediatrician on Friday that was recommended to me and really liked him and the office. We are excited!! Now we just need Jared!!

Spontaneous? Impulsive?

These are probably two of the last words I would use to describe Mark and I, especially me. Sure we moved to Egypt with one way tickets, no place to live, and no jobs but we had a set a goal and purpose and had done a lot of research.
Well, today we were spontaneous and impulsive. It all began about 2 weeks ago, well maybe even back farther. When we got back from Egypt we needed to buy a car since we had sold ours. We were pretty set on getting a Toyota since they are so well maintained and have a high re-sell value and are just an all around great car. We ended up buying a Toyota Corolla and it has been great. Well, 2 weeks ago we got a letter in the mail from the Toyota dealership here in town saying that they were in need of 2007 Corollas and if we were interested we could stop by the dealership and look at trade ins. We thought, what the heck? We (mostly Mark) have been wanting to test drive a Highlander for the last while, specifically before Jared arrives since he would make test driving a bit more complicated. So we went in two weeks ago and they were all too expensive but we told the salesman to call us if something came in. This was of course after we had talked with him about how popular these cars are and how quickly they turn over. In actuality they only had like 3 on the lot.
Well, today he called me to say that a customer had just brought in a 2001 Highlander with 84,000 miles in amazing condition. So I told him I would talk to Mark and we would stop by after school. Well, we stopped by took an extended test drive (more on that in the next post because it is a pretty funny story) and sealed the deal. Our Corolla is now at the dealership and the Highlander is here with us. It is a great car and we are really happy that it all worked out. Mark and I both just felt like if they made us a good offer on our Corolla then we would go for it and the dealership people were super nice to work with. It was way less stressful then last time and we both felt really calm and good about it. We even got them to raise the trade in value on our Corolla from what they originally quoted us and lower the price of the Highlander. All that bargaining in Egypt has helped us out. Any of the Highlanders we saw online had way more miles and cost more then this one so we feel pretty good about it. It is an on older model than our Corolla but this is the car we wanted originally and are happy they found one. Our Corolla was so good to us but we are happy to have the extra room and can say with confidence, "bring on the snow!"

Notice the great car and pretty leaves? I love driving around town right now and seeing all the colors.

From the backseat, sorry its so dark I don't really know how to use our new camera yet.

We were so impressed with how nice the interior is. It is older than our Corolla and in way better shape and we maintained our car pretty well. I wish I could talk to the previous owner and see what they did to keep it so nice. It also has a sunroof which I have always wanted. I would never have paid extra for it so that is a fun bonus.