Giveaway!!

Ok so not mine, but a blog I follow, http://shanty2chic.blogspot.com/ is giving away a new Silhouette Machine! This thing does so many cool things, (think cricut but without the cartridges). You can download the designs and have them all saved with out the bulk of trying to keep the cartridges organized or changing them out constantly.
I hope I win.... I hope I win!

another week

This has been a wonderful week. I've gotten to hold my baby lots and lots (yes I know the grammar in that sentence was awful). We had a couple of rough nights.. but over all I'm pretty lucky. I have learned that she burps MUCH better for Mike than for me. My mom was in town this week. It was so great having her here. We didn't do much besides sew.... and sew and sew. That was punctuated by a few trips to JoAnn's, one to Costco (where Isabel conned my mom into buying goldfish and fruit snacks) and Target where the girls were loaded up with clothes from Grandma. I need to take pictures of the projects we did but I have to finish my two first. I have just a few details left and I really, really want to get them done. So here is our list of projects..
ponchos for each girl
dust ruffle for Stella's bed set
Car Seat cover (I messed up a bit so fixing it soon!)
Diaper bag (looks awesome!!! I just bought the wrong snaps for it, so it will be done this week)
curtains hemmed for Stella's room
and something else I"m forgetting.

Note the car seat and diaper bag were my only two projects... Grandma had the rest and got hers all completed! She also did the binding on a quilt for my cousin this week. I was tired! My aunt came in town also to stay for a day, she also brought more clothes for Isabel, and she knitted hats for the girls. One I really want in my size... but Isabel and Stella have matching hats. SO cute! I have a picture up on FB and will add that to the list of items to post this week.

The one thing I'm tired of is the hormones. I have been snapping at everything like crazy. Silly things are setting me off and the fact that someone is trying to be nice is forgotten... I instantly start raging. yeah.. that needs to stop. I guess it's better then being depressed except that my raging affects my poor husband as he has to deal with the windfall of it all. Hopefully just another couple weeks and I'll be back on track with some normalcy.

I'm excited for this holiday season. I have so much to be thankful for this year. I'm excited for the magic and peaceful feeling that comes with this part of the year. Our tree is definitely ready to be assembled and decorated. My sister is coming again for her annual trip in December. Again.. so excited for her to come. My mom called today (she left yesterday morning) and following up with a conversation we had... Stella looks more like Leslie than anyone else at this point. Hopefully we'll have some baby pics to compare too when she comes.

One week... (and a bit more)

It has been an interesting week around here. First, I didn't get to leave the hospital on Monday like I was supposed too, I spiked a fever on Sunday and the Dr. wanted to make sure I didn't have an infection. So I had one more day to hang out. On Saturday they put Stella on the bilibed because her bilirubin levels were too high. Thankfully that didn't happen until after we watched a rather sad football game, but at least we were able to cuddle all day. Stella met one of her Great Grandma's that day. Sunday we had friends come and visit. Lacey and two of her daughters came up, Isabel had fun playing with her friend. Just before they left Crystal and Billy came by and stayed for awhile too. It was fun trying to discreetly nurse with Billy there. It was the first time I've had to try. I think I did ok and avoided flashing him. Monday morning Stella's bili levels were holding steady so they took her off they lights. My friend Candy came and visited Monday night and we had a great visit. Tuesday I found out about 8:30 that we'd get to go home and were so excited!!! We finally got home about 1:30 and by 2 I was asleep. I woke up at 4 and felt like I was run over by a mac truck. Mike had Stella outside and couple of our neighbors saw him and stopped by for a visit. We just vegged the rest of the day. Wednesday was my overly emotional and hormonal day, I couldn't stop crying all day. Not sure how I got thru that day, but even a form thank you card from the St Louis Cord Blood Bank sent me in tears. Thursday we took Stella to the doc, then had to run down to the hospital to get her blood tested again. This is where is gets fun. Apparently the cord to charge my phone suddenly was broken and not working, tried 4 different outlets, and my computer nothing. Of course that would be the day that the Doc's office was trying to call me and home health was trying to call. Mike finally called my friend Candy who drove over to my house to check on me. Needless to say, Mike was worried because the offices were calling him. We finally got it all worked out. Stella's bili count jumped up a bit for the few days she was off the light and they wanted her on the bili bed immediately. So 2 hrs later home health was at the house. Candy stayed with me thankfully, I was starting to turn into and emotional wreak.

So we've been back on 3 hr feedings so she can excrete the bilirubin and go back to get the blood tested tomorrow morning. My mom comes in town on Monday so hopefully we can get her off the bilibed by then so we can all cuddle.

So that's it, I'm going to try and download pictures from my phone so that you can see all the many fun times we've been having here!

Ok so there are a lot of picture but I finally have time to post and not sure how quickly I'll get to it again. Great news... Stella's bilirubin levels dropped 5 points after 2 nights on the bilibed!! So she's off the bed. Now just to be able to keep on a fairly normal feeding schedule.

Enjoy the montage of pictures!

Notice her cute little grin.


I love this 'old man' grin!


For those that remember... this same ring was up to the shoulder of both Isabel and Brooklyn when they were born. Stella only gets 2 fingers inside. (I LOVE MY DOCTOR!!!)




Bilibed at hospital


Bilibed at home


I LOVE these next three.. While Mike was outside the OR as they were getting me set up, he was practicing his surprise face.




My three favorite people!


Cute daddy and Stella!



Lastly a random picture I found of Mike on a work trip to Tx.... riding a Jack-a-lope.

And baby makes 4

Introducing miss Stella Ann Pulley.


So Thursday I went to the Doctor for my normal weekly appointment. I had been stressed out that morning, I found out the night before that my mom is coming down on the 15th of November and since I was no closer to delivering I didn't know how it would work out. Obviously I need a baby if my mom is coming down. She can't change the dates due to work. So after Doc comes in and asks me how I'm doing... I quickly spoke of the stress. Then we talked about if/when VBAC, what stars have to align for it to happen. Turns out the reason he wouldn't turn her is because of the increased risk of a uterine rupture (which would equal no more kids). So after we discussed all this, he starts the exam. While he's doing the exam... it was so funny to watch him sigh and his face drop slightly. I jokingly asked him what's wrong and there was a hesitation before he asked me..."you haven't had any contractions or cramping?" No I replied... I've had really minor cramping every now and then but that's it. He looks at me and said.. "you daughter is kicking me". So I was 2-3cm dilated and Stella was trying to come out feet first. He looked at me and said.. we need to have this baby.
I was a bit taken back.. wasn't how I expected my morning to go. He stepped out to make a phone call, came back in and said. This baby is coming today. It was all set up. I walked over to L&D was admitted and had to wait until 4:30 since I had eaten breakfast.

Fast forward a few hours the happy drug people came in to do my epidural, it was the easiest epidural I've had put in but it didn't take well. Instead of my surgery starting at 4:30... it didn't get started until 5:15. They had to keep giving me more and more drugs and rotating me trying to get my right side numb. Finally they had it but holy cow... this C-section was more uncomfortable then my last two were. I don't know if it was just a different Doctor, he seemed faster, or because I had a big baby they were pulling out and they had to pull and push harder or what but they ended up giving me a bit of nitrous oxide too because it was ridiculous how uncomfortable the whole thing was. BUT... I got this cute lil' person out of it...



It was so much fun to hear her kicking and hollering and to watch her being dried off (the fact that she was big enough and there weren't a thousand NICU people around her helped) and then got to watch Daddy hold her. It was so wonderful! Isabel was so excited about the whole thing and was practically running into the recovery room with Daddy so she could meet sister. Mike's whole family was there and his brother and wife brought dinner up for everyone. They took Stella from me to take her to the nursery and I didn't see anyone for a while, the whole family followed Stella up to the nursery and watched thru the window while she got her bath and measured etc. When they came back I was starting to be wheeled up to my room and Isabel was literally jogging along side the bed hyper, hyper, hyper.
All in all it was a fantastic day and I'm so grateful for all the love, support, kind words, prayers offered up etc. Our family is so excited to have a little addition that we get to take home!

Look at these rolls! Not as impressive as some.. but for one of mine...yay!!



Weighing in at 7 lb 4 oz and 19.5 inches


Holding baby for the 1st time in recovery room.

Lest we get the wrong idea

Izzy's new dress


I love being pregnant. The tiredness has passed.. I was just from finally being able to move again. My chiropractor is fixing my back and reminding me to ice so I can decrease all the inflammation in my SI joint so that's feeling better. I've been having fun starting on some projects I've wanted to do, ie burp cloths, tent blanket for car seat and possibly starting on the high chair cover although that one might wait a bit. This morning I got Isabel's room all clean including the closet floor which had become a dumping ground. We are finally ready to start moving things around to get the baby's room ready and I had to get Izzy's room clean to move out the dresser. Mike is going to get some help this weekend and move the dinning room table in the basement (we only use it 3-4 times a year) and in it's place we are putting my desk and a player piano we are the foster home for, for the next couple years until it's owner graduates from BYU, move the tall dresser that houses my scrapbook stuff in there also. Then we can get Isabel's dresser out and put it in the baby room.

I'm excited for all THAT to be done so I can get Isabel's closet in order. She needs a new shelf so she can help put her clothes away and some shelves on her wall do make up for losing dresser space. Who knows when the painting will get done in baby's room but the smart bet will be whenever my mom comes into town. :) So.. it's fun to finally start getting ready like normal people.

So this had been so much fun. Apparently there have been times it seems like I'm complaining about it but if it sounds that way it's only because I don't handle change well (surprise, surprise) and honestly... who really thought I'd still be pregnant. So it's adjusting to that change that is hard for me, although I'm grateful for it every day.

So just to hold people over.. her us a pic of me being more and more huge everyday! yea...I'm finally able to get big!

(pardon the super tired look... I had no makeup on)