Out Of The Mouths Of My Babes...

It is so very true that children say and do the darnedest things...and with that said, I have to share what my two did last night.

After a shopping excursion to pick up a swing for Bryleigh, followed by dinner with "Aunt" Kelly, and a stop at Daddy's office to visit while he worked a late night event with his Sales Team, the four of us girls headed home, tired and ready for jammies and our warm beds.

As a way to keep Kyla awake during the long trip, we kept a lookout for brightly colored Christmas Displays. Less than a couple of miles from home, Bryleigh started crying, wanting to be nursed. As we passed one neighborhood, a local Sheriff's Deputy was pulling out onto the same road as us. Kyla made the observation as we continued driving. Less than half a mile later, that same Deputy was behind us with his lights flashing, creating another version of "Pretty" Christmas Lights.

Now I know what you all are thinking, but believe me, I was not speeding. I drive like a "Sunday Driver" when I have the girls in the car with me. (No comments on my driving habits when I am sans children!) It was bewildering to Aunt Micki and I as to why we were being pulled over. Maybe he thought I was driving too slow? Maybe in my new mommy overly tired state, I was not as steady in my lane as usual and he wanted to make sure that I hadn't been drinking? The possibilities seemed endless...

Being fully aware of the dark state of night, as well as the fact that I had a car full of "vulnerable" ladies, I slowed down even more and signaled that I was proceeding to the closest light parking lot. He pulled up behind me and then turned on his very powerful spot light, pointing it directly at my Jeep so that he could see. It bathed the area in light, but created a blinding effect for the entire inside of the vehicle. This caused Bryleigh to cry even harder and Kyla asked if we were being arrested...

I rolled down my window as the officer cautiously walked up to the driver's side door. He asked if I knew why he had pulled me over and above Bryleigh's very loud cries of hunger, I said that I did not. He said that my tag lights were out. At this moment, Kyla, in typical 4-year-old fashion, starts engaging the man in conversation..."Hello Mr. Police Officer Man"..."I love Police Officers"...My Uncle Kevin is Police Officer"..."Your so Handsome"...and the comments continued on and on.

I gave the slightly embarrassed deputy my license, registration, and proof of insurance, as well as told him that the Jeep was registered under my husband's name. He walked back to his patrol vehicle and ran my tag to verify that what I told him was true...as well as to probably see if I had any outstanding warrants or had escaped from a mental institute recently. When he walked back to the window of my very noisy vehicle, he told me that all my information checked out and he would not give me a ticket..."this time", but that I needed to get the situation fixed as soon as possible. I asked if I could get out of my vehicle and have him show me what was wrong. Kyla continued on with her dialog..."Hey Mr. Police Officer Man...Can I look too?" "Can I see your car?" "Will you take me for a ride" "Are you listening to me, Mr. Police Officer Man?"

After viewing the problem area, he bid me good night and walked back to his vehicle...probably glad to be rid of this sleep deprived mommy and her noisy Jeep filled with a Cop-Crazy Preschooler and very Vocal Newborn! And as I even more cautiously proceeded on my way, Kyla added the proverbial Cherry-on-Top..."I cannot wait to tell my teacher and friends at school tomorrow!"

Hope you all enjoyed this moment in my life...if it made you laugh...then my job is done. Never a dull moment in regards to the Atchison's!

Have a great day!

Kara

(On a side note, I had to call Kyla's beloved Uncle Kevin. He loved it and also asked me if I knew why the deputy really pulled me over...He probably had planned on using the burned out tag lights as probable cause to search my vehicle to make sure that there were not any illegal drugs. All I have to say is...as if!)

The Perfect Christmas Gift For Kyla...

I found it! The perfect Christmas gift for Kyla. It combines two of her most favorite things...Clothes and Lindt Chocolate! Just wish that the dress was more appropriate for a 4 year old!

The other day, Kyla was at the mall (on Black Friday none-the-less) when she saw the store front for Lindt Chocolate. She turned to her daddy and Aunt Micki and said..."I love that chocolate!" What can I say...the kid has good taste. I love their chocolate too!

Kara

Finally Home...

Just wanted to give an update about what has been happening in the Atchison household since Saturday night.

Shortly after I had sent out the Bryleigh Update e-mail, I experienced some complications and ended up in the emergency room. From around midnight until early Sunday morning, I was evaluated in the ER. It was determined that I needed to be admitted and receive some more intensive treatments. After two units of blood, countless IVs, several different types of medications, and a few days of monitoring, I was finally deemed well enough to continue my recovery at home.

It is so good to be home and I am feeling alot better. Still tired, but very thankful that I am getting stronger every day.

I want to thank everyone for the phone calls and prayers that were made on my behalf. I greatly appreciate all of them.

Love to you all,

Kara

2 Weeks Old

(Bryleigh Eden - 1 Week Old)



(Bryleigh Being Held By Enrico)



(Brad blowing out the candles on the cake that Kyla helped make)



(Bryleigh sleeping after Thanksgiving dinner)



(Kyla sleeping with her "other" Grandma Kitty after Thanksgiving dinner)



(Go Gators Bryleigh!)

Well, Bryleigh Eden is 2 weeks old and things have not slowed down in the household since she arrived. She had her first doctor's appointment on Friday the 16th and she was 8 lbs 2 ozs and 21 inches long. When she went back on Wednesday the 21st, she weighed 9 lbs! She has a huge appetite and is doing a great job nursing. Hopefully she will help Mommy lose all of the left over baby weight!

I am having a harder time with my recovery because of the unexpected C-Section. I was really looking forward to the easy recovery from a natural labor and delivery. Instead, I am discovering all of the things that I cannot due because of my abdominal muscles being cut! The next time I hear another woman talk about how wonderful a C-Section is and so much easier than a vaginal delivery...she is going to get an earful from me! Plus, this is making me reconsider my recent daydream of getting a tummy tuck and boob job! Sorry Brad, but I don't think I can handle the pain and limited abilities again...

Over all, I do have to say that HypnoBirth worked for me and is a wonderful tool for any expectant woman to use. Even after 2 1/2 days of active labor and being stalled at 9cm, I was still doing well, walking around and not feeling any pain...just pressure and a little discomfort. We were blessed many times over during this time with some wonderful nurses (Kelli, Linda, & Gail) that helped out in so many ways, as well as having Denby, our HypnoBirth instructor, stop by and spend many hours helping us maintain my level of self-hypnosis.

I didn't start feeling any pain until they administered Pitocin to "help put me over the edge"...and when that didn't work, I agreed to the epidural because I knew in my heart that a C-Section was going to be needed. Bryleigh was in the head down backward facing position, but she was crooked and having trouble moving down. Every time the Pitocin was increased enough to help labor progress, her heartbeat dropped and she went into distress...so for her safety, we decided to have the C-Section. And at 11:53 am, she was born...and gave a hearty cry shortly afterwards. She was 8 lbs 7 ozs 20 inches long with her father's outside linebacker shoulders!

We stayed in the hospital for 3 days and had alot of wonderful visitors, including a wonderful surprise visit from Enrico who was an exchange student that stayed with my family in 1993. I could not believe my eyes when he walked into my room...and was pretty sure that he was a hallucination from all the pain meds!

The past two weeks have gone by in a blur. Bryleigh and I have kept busy spending time together. We have done a little entertaining by celebrating Brad's birthday on the 20th and then had Thanksgiving at the house. Didn't have the guts or energy to brave the insanity on Black Friday, but did visit a couple of stores that did not have the crazy crowds.

Today, we have spent another quiet day at the house recovering from all the activity from the past few days...and watching College Football. Cannot believe that regular season is over again and the Bowl Games are just around the corner! Bryleigh is wearing her first Gator outfit and looks so cute. Special thanks go out to her "Aunt" Denise for giving it to her, as well as her Big Sister Kyla for giving her the stuffed Gator.

Tomorrow should also be another busy day. We are planning on taking Bryleigh to church for the first time...followed by a huge family breakfast and then decorating the house for Christmas.

Well, I think that I have caught you all up on the past two weeks...so I will close this for now...

Kara

P.S. I finally did get my Eggs Benedict on Thanksgiving morning. My wonderful mother made it and I am a happy mommy!

Chili Pepper has finally arrived...And her name is...

Just wanted to let you all know that Chili Pepper has finally arrived! And her name is Bryleigh Eden Atchison.

After a couple days of active labor, it was determined that my labor had stalled. I was not opening past 9 cm and Chili Pepper was too big to be born naturally by me. Guess she inherited her father's shoulders! So, at 11:53am on Sunday, November 11, 2007, Big Little Chili Pepper was born via Cesarean Section. She weighed in at 8 lbs and 7 ozs and is 20 inches long. She gave a healthy cry shortly after coming into this world and has hardly made a peep since!

Here are two photos that were taken in the Surgical Delivery Room shortly after she was born. And there will be plenty more on the blog once I get them down loaded.

Sorry to cause so much worry and concern with the delay...but after going 48 hours of labor without sleep and no pain medication...I was a little tuckered out!

As of right now, we are suppose to be leaving the hospital some time on Wednesday.

Another Update On Baby Chili Pepper - In The Hospital...

Well, it appears that I have become such a techno-geek that I cannot stay away from my computer. I have been in the hospital since around 1:30 this afternoon. Still having surges and still not feeling anything more than slight pressure and a little discomfort due to her head being low.

We have a really great nurse. Her name is Kelli and she is the best. I have my antibiotic IV in place and am currently working on my second dose. I have to be in the bed for about 15 minutes every hour so that they can check Chili's heart beat and monitor my surges. Other than that, I am free to move around. We are done laps around the common areas of the third floor, as well as spent some time in a wonderfully warm and soothing shower. And when I am hanging out in my room, I am usually standing or sitting on my yoga ball.

I do have to say that the nurses here think that I am insane...probably because I am still laughing, as well as running or doing squats and lunges during my laps.

On that note, I am going to sign off now so that I can start another walk-about. I am trying to keep as busy and active as possible...cause once my "membranes release" (sorry for that visual), then I am not allowed to wander far from my room.

Love ya,

Kara & Miss Chili Pepper

P.S. Who ever is the first person to come and visit me after Chili Pepper is born and brings me some wonderful Eggs Benedict...they will be my most favorite visitor ever! I am having trouble visualizing anything other than Eggs Benedict with lots of Hollandaise Sauce and plenty of Hot Sauce! What can I say...this Zen Mommy is also a Hungry Mommy!

Update On Baby Chili Pepper - The Time Has Come...

The time has come...Acupuncture worked. I started noticing that my stomach was having regular surges (that I was not feeling any discomfort from!)...so to appease my husband, I made an appointment with the doctor's office. Guess what! I am between 4 - 5 cm open, over 80% thinned, and in active labor. The nurse practitioner that saw me cannot believe how calm I am...besides the fact that my sister and I were cracking jokes and talking about how she will be bring a nice glass of red wine to the recovery room for me!!!

I was told that I can go home long enough to get my stuff together and then I have to head to the hospital to check in and start getting my antibiotic IV. So, hopefully you all will be getting another update e-mail with photos (and a name).

And like I told David, my brother-in-law last night...Chili Pepper was kind enough to wait until the day after his birthday because she didn't want to share his day with him either!!! (Love ya Dave!)

Love to you all,

Kara & Miss Chili Pepper

P.S. Wouldn't you know that as I was calmly driving home, I get a phone call from Kyla's preschool. She is sick and I had to stop by and pick her up. They all came out to huge me and couldn't not believe that I am in active labor, walking around, smiling, and laughing! You have to love HypnoBirthing. Thank you so much Denby!

Update On Baby Chili Pepper - Wish Me Luck!

Well, I am officially a week past due and my doctor's office called earlier to tell me that they wanted to schedule me for induction today. I told them that I didn't want to be induced...that my doctor did. So, the appointment was canceled. I am pretty sure that he will not be too happy with me if I am still pregnant for next week's appointment.

So, with that in mind, I have an appointment today at 4:15 to meet with a highly recommended acupuncturist. He is certain that after once session, I will be in labor. We shall see. My father-in-law will be going with me, in case I am unable to drive home.

So, wish me luck and I will keep you all posted. Today is my brother-in-law's birthday...so if I do have Chili Pepper today, hopefully he won't mind sharing his day!

Love to you all,

Kara & Miss Chili Pepper

P.S. Hope you enjoy the photos from our recent Baby Bump Photo Session! Told you all that I am huge!

Picture Day For Kyla, Plus Papa Ron's Birthday

First things first...Chili Pepper is still not ready to come out an play yet...but my goal is to stay busy all day today, cleaning around the house and as my husband ordered, taking at least two long walks around the neighborhood. And if that fails, I have received the name of a very good acupuncturist that I will call tomorrow! On the bright side, I have not had to content with any phone calls from my doctor's office trying to convince me to schedule an induction!

Today was Picture Day at Kyla's Preschool. She looked so cute that I had to take a photo before she walked out the door. Hopefully you all enjoy it as much as I did.

Also, yesterday was Papa Ron's birthday. We went out for some spicy Mexican Food, but that hasn't helped as of yet either! Still, it did taste really good! Love the spicy stuff! Kyla picked out his cake, including what it said and the decorations all by herself. That also tasted really good. Had two pieces myself...needed the extra energy to keep hauling my ever expanding girth around!

Have a great day!

Love to you all,

Kara & Miss Chili Pepper

P.S. My mother just called with her exercise orders for me. I am to find a huge, but safe set of stairs and walk up and down them for as long as I can handle it! Dare I ask if anyone else has any other suggestions?

Latest Photos Of Kyla

Had to share these photos of Kyla. She is growing up so fast. The first one is of her and her father working on their laptops the other day. It is so cute to watch her acting like a grown-up. If she sees Mommy, Daddy, or someone else working on their laptop, then she has to get hers and "do some work too."

The second one is of her showing off her new fuzzy pink slippers. Some wonderful women from Brad's office sent them to her in a beautiful Care Basket. There was a special treat in the basket for each of us, including Little Chili Pepper.

The last two photos are of Kyla singing and dancing to one of her most favorite songs...Dancing Queen by ABBA. She has 5 favorite songs that she has to hear each time we get into the car...and they have to be played in the same order. It starts with the "Clap Clap" song (aka We Will Rock You by Queen) and is followed by We Are The Champions, also by Queen. Then "The Other Queen Song" has to play. That would be Dancing Queen by ABBA, followed by my personal favorite, "The Water Song" more widely known as Waterloo. After those songs play, then we listen to Daddy's songs...which is anything by John Denver. For such a young child, she sure does have ecletic taste in music, but I guess that I should have known that when I saw her rocking out to Iron Man by Ozzy when she was less than a year old!

Hope you all are doing well and having a great day!

Kara, Kyla, & Little Chili Pepper

Update On Baby Chili Pepper - 40 Weeks And 3 Days

Another Monday is here and still no Chili Pepper!!! Her Guess-Date was this past Friday, November 2nd and we had a couple of instances where we thought that she was going to "make her move", but apparently she still is too shy to greet everyone.

At today's doctor's appointment, my weight was good, lost a pound since last week, and my blood pressure is still were is should be. Her heart beat is as strong as ever and she is still in the head down position, getting ready to make her grand entrance. All is good news!

The one area of contention is that today's doctor wants to schedule me for inducement of labor. The preference would be for me to go into the hospital this week, with next week being the latest that I am allowed to wait. We talked about natural methods of starting labor, as well as the possibility of only using the minimal amount of pitocin to get labor started and then have it stopped so that my body can naturally take over. I kept stressing how much I want all of this to happen naturally, but that if there is a medical necessity, that I would not oppose any intervention.

Today's exam revealed that I am at 2 1/2 to 3 cm open. That is a change from last week of at least 1/2 cm. I also spent some time on the fetal monitor. Chili Pepper's movements were tracked as well as any surges that I was having. During the 30+ minutes that I was monitored, her heart rate was good, as were her movements. I even experienced some pretty good surges that were placed within 10 minutes of each other...including one that registered really high on the monitor. Overall, did not feel anything more than pressure and slight discomfort.

The monitoring proved a point to me that I had been wondering about. Due to my near continuous state of relaxation, could I be experiencing surges without realizing it? Guess the answer is yes. HypnoBirthing is already working for me. Now I just need to hold the induction off until I naturally attain the level of labor that is necessary for Chili Pepper to make her move! I also have another appointment scheduled for next Monday at 10:30. Hopefully we have to cancel that one.

Will keep you all posted. Say some prayers that more starts happening later today or tomorrow...especially since tomorrow is Papa Ron's birthday!

Have a great day!

Love to you all,

Kara & Miss Chili Pepper

More Halloween Fun

Well, we all had a blast last night. The three girls looked so cute in their costumes and the older girls even got into the festive fun. Couldn't get the men to participate, but that isn't unusual.

As you can see from the photos, Kyla was Tinker Belle and it fit her personality perfectly. She was in constant motion...a little ball of burning energy and light! Hannah was the cutest little bat, while Hailey was such an angelic little Angel. As for the grown-up girls, Amy was Little Red Riding Hood on the look-out for the Big Bad Wolf. Micki was a scary, but good witch. And me...can you guess? I was a pregnant housewife! Had alot of comments on how realistic my fake belly was!

The three little girls made a point to visit every house in the neighborhood and came home with overflowing bags of candy. Then we all relaxed at the end of the driveway eating chili and drinking hot apple cider. Afterwards, it was into the house to check all the candy before trying to calm these three burst of energy enough to get them to sleep! Not sure about Hailey and Hannah, but Kyla was one grumpy bear this morning.

Now that Halloween is over and Papa Ron is back in town, let's hope that Chili Pepper is finally ready to greet her anxiously awaiting public! Tomorrow is her Guess Date so who knows?!?

Kara & Chili Pepper

Happy Halloween - No Baby Chili Pepper Yet...

Just wanted to give a quick e-mail to wish everyone a Happy and Safe Halloween...and to share some photos of Kyla with her Snow White costume that she wore to school today, as well as a photo of her class. Her teachers were pretty impressed that she could walk in heels, but what could you expect...she gets that from her Mommy!

Tonight she will be dressing up as Tinker Belle when she goes Trick-Or-Treating in the neighborhood. Her "sisters" Hailey and Hannah will be going her and the two of them will be dressed up as a White Angel Fairy and a Black Bat Fairy. Hopefully I will have enough energy to do atleast some of the door to door walking with them. If not, I am sure that there will be plenty of other adults that can handle that task...especially since PaPa Ron is flying in tonight and should be here before the fun begins.

I also wanted to give a quick up-date to let everyone know that I am not in labor, but after tonight...I will begin meditating about labor starting. Hopefully we will have Baby Chili Pepper within a couple of days.

Chat with you all later...

Kara & Chili Pepper

Update On Baby Chili Pepper - 39 Weeks And 3 Days

Happy Monday...

Here is today's update. We are at 39 weeks and 3 days. Today's doctor's appointment was pretty quick. My weight was good. My blood pressure was good. Chili Pepper's heart beat is as strong as ever. She is measuring at 38 / 39 weeks and is guesstimated to be at about 7 lbs. Still in the head down position and waiting until she is ready to make her grand entrance. All is good news!

Today's doctor was the last one in the practice for me to meet with and discuss our HypnoBirthing preferences. She is on-board with everything, just as the other three doctors are. We also recently had a tour of the hospital and made some good contacts with the nurses...so, we shouldn't have too much trouble making sure that our preferences are met there as well. I also made a mental note that the night shift staff likes donuts and the day shift staff prefers bagels and cream cheese. It is always an added bonus to have the nursing staff on your side!

Today's exam revealed that I am at 2 cm open and about 50% thinned. Have only changed 1/2 a cm since last week...so Miss Chili Pepper seems to be waiting until after Halloween when her Papa Ron arrives. I still feel that she will either wait for her "due date" which is the 2nd or go until the 5th or 6th. We have another appointment scheduled for next Monday, but there is a 50 / 50 percent chance that we won't need that appointment. Who knows what will happen between now and next Monday...but we will make sure to let you all know...

Tonight, we have an appointment scheduled for some family photos. Want to make sure that we have a lasting record of my huge belly, as well as make sure that Chili Pepper knows how much the three of us have been anticipating her birth. Will be sure to share the photos with you all once we receive them...

Have a great day!

Love to you all,

Kara & Miss Chili Pepper

Build-A-Bear Trip

Hey There...

Just wanted to give a quick update...and don't get too excited, I am not in labor!!!

We took Kyla to the mall last night to make a special teddy bear for her baby sister. She has been asking for a couple of weeks now to go to Build-A-Bear and make a special teddy bear for her Baby Chili Pepper.

When we arrived, she knew exactly what teddy bear she wanted for her sister, as well as what sound to put inside the bear. She recorded her voice saying..."I love you Baby Chili Pepper". She even had a name picked out...Luna. Her Papa Jan tried really hard to get her to pick a different bear, but she would not be swayed. She was also able to pick out a Pink Poodle for herself, using the Birthday Gift Card that she had received from her Uncle Johnny, Aunt Cindi, and Baby Nick.

After kissing two hearts to put inside her special bear, she was off to pick out the clothes for the bear to wear. A t-shirt that read "It's A Girl", a denim mini skirt, and even some underpants...because she didn't want Luna's "tootie" showing! She also picked out a Tinker Belle outfit for her poodle to wear as well as another name of her choosing...Cheeta Girl.

Hope you all enjoy the photos. Because they were taken at a distance, the camera was able to get enough of a wide angle to capture all of my enormous girth!

Take care and relax again in the knowledge that I am not in labor and will be going to my regularly scheduled appointment on Monday. Expect another update at that time.

Have a great day!

Hey Y'all...

Today was my 38 Week appointment and is going as it should. I am officially at 38 weeks and 3 days for anyone that is participating in the Baby Chili Pepper Count Down. We have also passed the point where I had Kyla. She was born at 38 weeks and 1 day, just one day after being taken off of 5 weeks of bedrest and medication to stop contractions. I have a feeling that Miss Chili Pepper is taking her time and will stay safe and cozy inside of mom until she is good and ready to come out...probably around the 5th of November.

Thankfully today's weigh-in was not as traumatic as the last one. I actually lost weight! Yeah! And relax...I am allowed to actually lose weight at this stage in the pregnancy. So don't even think of yelling at me about not eating enough! My blood pressure is great and my iron levels are starting to rise...so I guess that means that I still have the go ahead to eat more steak!

Had to wait almost 2 hours to see the doctor and boy did that cause a ruckus! My mother called me just as the doctor was walking in, hung up when she received my voice mail and then immediately called again. The doctor laughed and told me to answer it...that he could wait since Brad & I had already waited so long for him. So, I quickly told mom that I was just meeting with the doctor now and would call as soon as I got out of the office. She was not very happy...probably thinking that I was in labor and wasn't telling her!

My gi-normous baby bump was measured and she is coming up at 39 weeks. She is still in the head down position, so full steam ahead for a normal delivery. The doctor also showed Brad where and how to press so that he could feel her head too. Not sure if Brad was too excited about that, but at least he didn't turn pale and pass out! Her heart rate sounded great and she did let the doctor know that she was not very happy about all the poking and prodding...kicked him a couple times to get her point across.

We went over all our our birth preferences, as well as discussed the HypnoBirth processes more in-depth. Today's doctor was a different doctor than last weeks...and overall, they both seem really interested in the process, as well as receptive to helping us achieve the natural, drug-free child birth that we are desiring. He also wanted me to make sure that I dropped a copy of the birth preferences off to the hospital to make sure that they were also aware our our wishes. Did that after the appointment and that really sent my mother into a panic!

After this discussion, he did the routine check to see how everything is progressing. I am already started to open and thin (aka as dilating and effacing) I am at 1 1/2 cm open and about 50% thinned. Now that does not mean that I will be going into labor anytime soon, but it does mean that things are starting to happen and that I will more than likely have her within the next two weeks. I was told that if I do not have her before 41 weeks, that I need to start doing some alternative methods to start labor...because I really do not want to be induced!

We have our 4th (and final) HypnoBirth class tonight. This is just a wrap-up class that will go over any of the last few items that we haven't covered, as well as refreshing our memory on any of the previous items that we have learned. Tomorrow night, we have a preview tour of the hospital...to acclimate ourselves to all of the changes that have happened to the hospital in the 4+ years since we had Kyla. After we get through these next two days, I think we both will feel pretty confident that we are as prepared as possible for Chili Pepper's arrival. Now if we could just get her room settled and the chair seat in place!

After all of this, I finally called my mother back...and she was freaking out! Why did my appointment take so long. What is wrong! Was I in labor? Why wasn't I including her? Etc. Etc. When I told her that I was heading to the hospital to drop off more paperwork, she really flew around the room backwards! Later, I learned that she had called my father, as well as my sisters, freaking out when she couldn't reach me right away! So, I spent the next hour or so talking with everyone and reassuring them that I was not in labor or keeping any thing from them. You have got to love families!

Well, I have to go for now. Will be sending another update next Monday after my next appointment.

Love to you all,

Kara & Little Miss Chili Pepper

Chili Pepper Update - 37 Weeks & 3 Days

Hey Y'all...

Had my 37 Week doctor's appointment today and as usual, all is well. I am officially at 37 weeks and 3 days for anyone that is doing the Baby Chili Pepper Count Down. And in case you all were wondering, I had Kyla at 38 weeks and 1 day. So, I could have Baby Chili Pepper by next week, but I seriously doubt it.

It is true what they say about the last weeks of pregnancy...you are uncomfortable and gain huge amounts of weight! Almost passed out when I stepped on the scale. The Physician's Assistant had to calm me down and reassure me that I did not gain too much weight...that I wasn't fat...and that after my beautiful baby girl is born, I shouldn't have any trouble losing the weight, especially if I plan on nursing her. So, after all of that, I did calm down. Good thing she took my blood pressure before I got on the scale!

Talked with the doctor about my congestion, sinus, and sore throat troubles that I have been having for a couple of weeks now. He listened to my lungs and thankfully those are clear. He seems to think that whatever I have is viral and should go away soon. His advice is to keep up with the Tylenol Cold & Sinus, as well as the saline solution up the nose, and the cough drops. And as a warning to anyone who happens to see me...the watery eyes, red nose, and hoarse voice is not the results of an all night drinking binge!!!

He also measured my huge baby bump and said that she was still measuring on schedule and felt like she was already in the head down position. I go back next week and they plan on checking to see if I am having any of the usual symptoms of labor starting.

We also talked about the HypnoBirth Classes that Brad & I have been taking. He voiced interest in learning more about it, as well as watching how our birthing experience goes. It has been noted in my medical records that I do not want any drugs or other forms of pain relief during my labor. And that all who enter my room need to talk in a calm voice, using only positive wording. Let's see if everyone abides by that! If not, then my personal bouncer will have them leave the room.

We were suppose to have the third of our four HypnoBirth classes tonight. Unfortunately, our instructor called to say that she was sick and didn't want to come over and "infect" us. Tonight's class has been tentatively rescheduled for tomorrow evening. This will give Brad & I more time to practice all of the relaxation techniques that we have already learned in the first two classes. And if anyone is interested in learning more about HypnoBirth, you can check out their website...

http://www.hypnobirthing.com/

I know that there are alot of people that think I am insane for wanting to try to have a natural "drug free" labor and delivery...but I know that it is possible.

Well, I will chat will you all later. Hope you all are doing well. I will be sending another update next Monday.

Love to you all,

Kara & Miss Chili Pepper

P.S. Would have posted a picture of Chili Pepper & I, but we were too wide for the camera!

Chili Pepper's Baby Fiesta

We had Chili Pepper's Baby Fiesta yesterday. What a blast that was. Micki, Amy, and my parents did a wonderful job planning, decorating, and cooking for the party! I ate so much food, that I am still full today!

We also let people have a chance to vote on a name for Chili Pepper, as well as bet on what date and time she would be born.

Here are some of the names...

Kalista Lillian
Bryleigh Elise
Brittan Emerson
Chloe Aloha
Kendall Lauren
Katie Lou
Karter Leigh
Kirian Myli
Zoe Ann
Brittan Elle
Braelynn Elizabeth
Brittany Elizabeth
Catherine Mary
Blayne Emerson
Byleigh Elizabeth

And with all of these different choices, I guess we will just have to wait until she is born to decide on a name!

4th Birthday Pirate Party

(A sword fight breaks out in the family room.)


(Enjoying some cupcakes)


(Enjoying a float in the pool surrounded by some of the Pirate Crew)

(Doing a Pirate Dance)

Well, we had a great time at her 4th Birthday Party yesterday. Per her request, the theme of the party was Pirates. The kids filled the house, as well as the pool with lots of laughter and a few sword fights even broke out! Three and a half hours, 8 pizzas, and 60 cupcakes later, a bunch of exhausted pirates left with their parents and headed home...hopefully to fall asleep early!

First Entry

Well, I have decided to try my hand at being a "blogger"...bear with me as I learn...