Lainey is here!

Lainey Kaye Stice was born Tuesday, March 24th at 1:11pm. She weighed 8 pounds 6 ounces and was 20.5 inches long. I am VERY happy to be holding this baby in my arms and be done with pregnancy!

Labor went well, and was actually my fastest/easiest. I was induced and began pitocin at about 8:30 am. I was dilated to a 3 and 60% effaced upon arriving and having steady and somewhat strong contractions of my own. The nurse said I was in prelabor. Every time I've ever been induced they tell me I would have had the baby that day anyway! Works every time! I felt the strong pitocin contractions start around 9:00. The Dr. broke my water at 10:15.

When the contractions got uncomfortable I used the heat pad I had brought from home to relax my lower back. Which did a great job, I actually didn't feel pain from then on with contractions all the way up to a 5-6. The nurse anesthetist was waiting outside my room for nearly an hour to give me my epidural. But I didn't want to be such a baby that I got it before I ever even hurt. And I didn't want it to slow my labor down by getting it too soon. On the same hand, it stinks to get one when you're actually IN a lot of pain. And as fast as things were progressing for me, I'd hate to get the epidural too late or assume a 10 wouldn't hurt too bad if a 6 didn't hurt, and find out how wrong I was! So I gave in around 11:45 and the anesthetist came in. I was blissfully numb and happy in no time.

Less than an hour later I was at a ten and feeling the urge to push. The nurse called my Dr. who took about 15 minutes to get to the room, just in time. I couldn't wait much longer. I was blessed this time around, it took less than 8 minutes (3 contractions) to push Lainey out. They placed her right into my arms and everyone made quick bets on her weight. She looked pretty big! I heard some 9's thrown out there for guesses. She was 8# 6 oz. My biggest baby so far. And 4 days early, so I'm glad we induced early. They gave her a 9 on her apgar test.

My mother in law had watched the kids from the night before on and brought them to the hospital to wait in the waiting room while I pushed, and be there with Todd and I when she was just born. As soon as the Dr. was done doing everything she needed with me, the kids came in and Brielle just beamed so bright I would've thought her heart would have swelled right out of her chest. She was so proud and excited to have a baby sister. Ashton, on the other hand, was not so excited. In his defense, it was nap time and lunch time, but he would NOT sit by the baby and I on the bed for a picture, would not say her name, would not even LOOK at her. We bribed him to be in A picture with Todd holding him by giving him a Jolly Rancher. But that was all he was budging for us.

Lainey was a little fussy for the first few hours. She wasn't liking all the poking shots, prodding fingers, thermometers, goop in her eyes. But by the evening when the medical staff left her alone, she was much more peaceful. She slept all night with just one forced feeding, she might have even gone without that if I had let her continue sleeping!

The next day was Todd's birthday. He got his present a couple weeks ago- the online purchase of a book collection. So I didn't give him any other presents, but I did ask a lady who makes awesome cakes to make one for Todd and have it delivered the evening we came home from the hospital. She does an amazing job. It was a massive German Chocolate cake, Todd's favorite. And he got to take home a baby girl for his birthday.

She's been very sweet. She did have a stomach ache the first night home and kept us up most of the night trying to console her. But she's been an angel ever since. She also won't open her mouth very big- for the life of me I can't make her, so she's been a bit of an uncomfortable nurser. We'll work on that. We feel like, out of all our kids, she looks the most like an even mix of both of us. Brielle and Ashton were total Stice babies. They are all very differently looking from each other, to us, with their own unique looks. It's so fun to see how many looks two people can create! We are so happy to have her home and just stare at her sweet little baby face all day!

Brielle has been very helpful so far at home. Ashton took a day or two to settle down his sudden obnoxious behavior. He was testing us right off the bat. But he's more himself today and even full of kisses and loves for the baby. We've tried to be consistent with him by giving him the attention he feels threatened to have lost, but still being firm and not letting him get away with murder. He's taking it all in strides, but I'm proud of him for making some efforts. He's a sweet boy. We're all loving having Daddy home this week to help me and be with the kids. My mom will be here for a week starting Monday. Brielle is ecstatic about that.

We're really making our ward work this week! I guess three of us from the ward had our babies on the same day! I almost expected them to not be able to bring in dinner, but they're amazing. They've fed us all the same. I'm shocked that Lainey will have two buddies with the exact same birthday from church. How random is that!? And the Sunday we bless Lainey will be in sane. Two other babies were born last week. And several more are still due days from now. We may need to show up to church 2 hours early just for seats!

I finally finished the girls' bedroom

I finally finished the sewing projects for the girls' room. I was working on them up until about 7:00pm the night before Lainey came! I'm excited about it and kind of proud of it, being the first kids room I've actually finished and decorated before. We've painted until now, but that's all. I made everything in the room except Brielle's duvet cover and both of the girls' sheets/pillowcase. It got a little busy looking in the room so in the end I only hung the names and flower pictures. Brielle LOVES her room. She likes to show everyone that comes over. I'm glad she's so happy about it. She has begged for a cute finished room for a long time. Anyway, I purchased the sheets at half off and bought extra so I could make the projects- with some purchased fabric as well. It was the only way I could find bedding that matched for a crib and a twin bed, that I liked anyway.

I'm really excited about the furniture too. I found the crib on clearance for $99 with free shipping online. It's normally almost $400. And the dresser and small change table/dresser were also on sale at JCPenny for so low that all in all I spent less than $500 on all three pieces. Which is still less than just the price of a similar looking and similar good sized dresser I originally liked but didn't want to pay for. It's all great quality too. Just as nice as the expensive ones. The whole room was such a bargain with the cost of material and making things on my own with scraps and cheap sheets. Even the letters for their names were half off. Maybe I'm a little over excited about it, but it's nice to accomplish so many projects for so much less than I anticipated a nice and newly furnished room to cost.

I've painted Ashton's room, now I need to challenge myself to actually finish it off and try to be as financially savvy on it too. We didn't get him a new dresser, he actually got Brielle's old one. Which is our old one we used before having kids. Which is Todd's old one he used as a little boy up until he got married! It's been painted a bunch of times! So it's not "newly furnished", but what a bargain that dresser has been for us! It's black now, to match Ashton's crib. It's been nice to put his clothes in something and not have them folded and stacked on his old change table's shelves, just to get knocked down by ASHTON every day! Anyway, nobody hold your breath on pics of Ashton's room. But I'll be up to finishing it off for him one day.

We finished the Book of Mormon in family scripture time last week and decided to invite Ashton to try to participate starting it over again this week. Brielle always repeats after us when her turn to read comes. She's really good at it now. Ashton started last night just word-by-word, but did alright! Notice his chair in the video. We brought that in last week from storage for the baby and she may have some competition for it!

Here's a few pictures of my baby shower (3/12). I broke down and took some promised preggo pictures. I look so inflated! Especially my feet and legs.

























I had a blast at the baby shower! I have wonderful friends to do that. I felt guilty accepting one since this is not my first girl. But we honestly could use it and I'm excited about the things I was given. Marcee worked so hard and made the cutest little paper bootie hand-outs filled with Hershey's Kisses. They're sitting all in a row on the the mantle in the pic. So creative!

So I'm second guessing the sewing machine repair lady's opinion of my machine... or my ability to use it properly because it isn't working AGAIN. I still have so much to do to finish these bedding projects! But they're on hold again until I can figure out what either I am or my machine is doing wrong. So I moved on to a diff. project today, thank you cards for my shower.












I LOVE making cards and the process doesn't "break down" on me so I enjoyed my time doing that.

At the Dr. on Friday, I found out I've dilated to a 2, which is exciting! I don't progress in this way usually until I'm induced. But I am carrying very high still. I'd like to be a 3 by my induction date to make labor go more quickly. And I'd also like to make this baby drop more! So I've spent the weekend sitting and bouncing on my yoga ball! Why haven't I thought of this thing sooner? It's even comfier than my computer chair! Lovin' it!

Saturday morning, Brother McCurdy of the bishopric came over to meet with me and extended me the calling of Relief Society teacher. I was expecting a call when he said he wanted to meet with me, and happy to hear it would be one that I could do with a baby. Todd can watch her while I teach R.S. once each month, and I can watch her while he teaches Sunday School. I warned Bro. McCurdy it'd be probably until Easter Sunday that I be in church again with being sick and then having a baby. But that will all be fine. I've been in the primary ever since we moved into the ward. I've enjoyed it there, but it feels like time for a change and a new way to grow. And I enjoy teaching. I always learn so much more preparing a lesson. So I'm looking forward to that.

On a downer note, as just mentioned... I'm sick. I have a cold and I'm due in almost a week and a half! And either way I'll be induced in a week. NOT COOL. I'm chugging water like crazy in hopes to kick it fast. The kids are both sick too. I really hope I don't have to bring a brand new baby home to a sick family. And I'm pretty miserable just dealing with being this far along. The last thing I need is another contributor to sleepless nights and daily discomfort. Wish me and my water bottle luck!

So last week the car dealership we bought our Sequoia from called asking if we wanted to extend our recently expired warranty, and we declined. A few days later on Monday, the car wouldn't start. I have the most cynical imagination when it comes to auto dealerships. When we were looking to replace the car we had before this one, it worked fine, but was getting older- just still in good enough condition to try to sell for a good price. We took it to one car lot, got pretty close to buying one of their cars, but backed out at the last minute. When we went to drive off their lot, our car broke down in the car lot entrance. Conveniently, they got the job of fixing it for us for an astronomical price.

Anyway, so I was a little bitter about this warranty timing. We tried to jump the Sequoia and it wouldn't start. We were worried it was something big. Wonderful Geico had the car towed, fixed, and paid for in hours. It was just the battery being shot and needing replaced. So I can stop envisioning the dealership sneaking onto my property in the middle of the night before to sabotage our engine. :) I guess our kids do very often leave dome lights on or doors not shut all the way making interior lights stay on to run down the battery.

Yesterday was the kids' dentist apt. Brielle has a loose tooth! Two actually, one's just actually leaning forward and almost ready to come out. I thought 4 years old was way too young for this. But the dentist assured me it was completely normal... some kids lose them at 4 and some at 8. So, much earlier than I had anticipated, Brielle and I had the Tooth Fairy talk. She's pretty excited for the day the first one comes all the way out! And she's easy on the tooth fairy too! When I asked her what the tooth fairy leaves in exchange for the tooth, she said a penny! Maybe we'll be a LITTLE more generous than that.

Ashton loves to brush his teeth. At the rate he brushes, he could wear out a new tooth brush in a day. Actually, yesterday he did! The free one the dentist gave him was in his mouth pretty much all day. He seemed to remember how the routine at the dentist office goes from the last time Brielle had her apt. He hopped right on the patient chair and put on his earphones to hear the movie he was watching on the flat screen TV on the ceiling. He layed there going AHHHHH the whole time, and even held still for X-rays.

They gave Ashton a set of Dr. gloves to take home, one filled with air like a balloon that popped on the car ride home, and the other to wear like a Dr. Ashton has been quite attached to wearing it everywhere on his hand. He woke up in the middle of the night last night and when we checked on him, he was cuddled up to his hand, glove still on- with the long plastic fingers dangling over the edges of his fingertips. Something about this pet glove reminds me of Micheal Jackson...

My father in law told me yesterday about a sprint triathlon he and his wife are entering in this August in Emmett. For anyone who didn't know, a SPRINT triathlon is a mini version of the real thing. You only swim 1/3 of a mile, bike 12 miles, and run 3 miles. It's great for beginners. That would be 4 and a half months from when I have the baby and I thought that might be a great goal to have to get myself back in shape.

Anyone who's seen me would laugh inside to hear I want to do a triathlon 5 months from now. Aside from being the obvious PREGNANT, my body looks NOTHING athletic. I can't even recognize myself in the mirror! But it has ALWAYS been a goal of mine to do a triathlon, of any size, and I need something to work toward. I'll be doing physical therapy after having the baby to heal post partum-wise. I did that with Ashton and it made a world of difference. My crooked pelvis wants to heal worse and worse every pregnancy. Anyway, so that's my goal. To heal, then work hard, and make it to the finish line no matter how slow I go!!! Todd wants to join me in the goal and do it with me. It'll be fun to work toward together.

Todd is SUPER excited about a package that came in the mail yesterday. For his birthday coming up in two weeks, we bought him a large collection of new-in-plastic classic books off of e-bay for 15% the normal price we've seen the same collection for anywhere else. He looked like a kid in a candy store opening it all and putting the books on our shelf. I LOVE that Todd loves to read. When he was on his mission he fell in love with reading church books. He read the whole mission library in a few months and from there his mission president would allow him certain other reads outside the missionary library. He was a reading machine! When they started their company, Todd started reading a lot of books on business and self improvement books. The beginning of the election runnings sparked his interest in books on politicians and then the constitution and history and so on. Other topics would peak his curiosity and he branched out to what is now a full spectrum of reads. I love that he loves learning from all the best books out there. I wish I could say I was reading right along with him. But for now, I've taken on a couple of his favorites, I'm just much slower at getting through books.

I'm excited for tonight, my friends are throwing me a baby shower! It's amazing how I really do feel like I need a lot of things. We were poor college students when we had Brielle and she didn't have much. And of the things she had, I only kept the sentimental or well-kept items.

The girls' room is only lacking the last bedding projects to be done. We got it all organized and hung things on the walls. I'll post pictures as soon as I finish that bedding!