Introducing.....

Eli Davis Steed.
June 28, 2008
8:59pm
8 pounds 14 ounces


The kids now out number us. :)
And we couldn't be happier.


Friday night we decided to drive down to Raymond so that Regan could run the yearly Harlan 10km Race in Raymond. (Part of the July 1st celebrations) We hummed and hawed about going, and decided the worst thing that could happen is that we'd go into labour down there. So we grabbed two sleepers and two diapers to take with us, kind of just in case.
Saturday morning Regan got up and ran the race (got second in his category). And me and the kiddos watched him come in.

Alden loved cheering for the racers. :) Visited with people, played at the playground, etc. Went home to the inlaws for lunch and stuff.

Contractions had been here and there. But nothing substantial. I decided we should go for a walk to see if things would get going. So we walked over to visit SIL and walked back to the inlaws.
Contractions here and there. While sitting on the couch in the living room (Regan was up studying for his exam tomorrow) I was trying to listen to my FIL as he was talking to me about pictures for the wedding... but was feeling contractions again. But closer and stronger. He stops talking, looks at me "Rhonda, are you in labour?"
me: "Um maybe"
So we started timing them. And they were close. Around 3-4 minutes. So FIL says, "You need to decide now, are you having this baby in Raymond or Lethbridge."

Now there are only two drs in Raymond who deliver babies. One is my FIL. I picked Lethbridge (they have epidurals there!) FIL goes upstairs and says to Regan "Do you know your wife is in labour?" FIL calls in to see which OB GYN is on call in Lethbridge, finds out, knows him, so he calls him and tells him his daugther in law is down from Calgary and in labour, could he deliver the baby.

So we get moving along fairly quickly. As contractions are close together. Probably our quickest trip to Lethbridge from Raymond! We get into the hospital and get settled. Give all the info and they check me and I'm at 4.5 - 5. They ask if I want an epidural (yes, yes, yes). So then things start slowing down. Get the magic needle, things slow down more. To about 7 minutes apart.
Dr comes in and says "So you don't want grandpa to deliver the baby?"
At 7:45pm the dr comes back and breaks my water.
At 8:59 he was born after about 10 minutes of pushing.

And I am still surprised that they said boy. I was expecting a girl. No real reason. Just was. But we are super happy to have little Eli here. And yes. I felt a million times better as soon as he was out. No more heart burn. I was hungry and didn't feel sick. Just hungry.

Some pictures of him freshly out.

10 things

I've been meaning to make a post for oh, about a week. But you see the thing is I didn't want to be all complaining and such. And that's what it would have been. So really you should be thanking me.

Instead of mentioning that I am sick of throwing up still (seriously at 39 weeks you shouldn't be having morning sickness anymore!), annoyed that I have yet another cold with bad chest cough, can't sleep anymore.... those are things you don't need to read and if I am focusing on them, it kind makes me cranky.

So instead, here is a list of 10 things I am thankful for.

1. Thankful for a sweet sister in law who dropped by for a visit yesterday with rolo icream and skor bars since she thought I might be craving them. And even did the dishes twice while she was here.

2. Thankful for a really good friend, Sarah, who came over and spent the day with me, even bringing me and the kids lunch so I didn't have to make it. And cleaned up all the mess the kids made inside and out.

3. Thankful my other sister in law and mom could come up and sew these cool bags with me. And teach me to make these soft soled baby shoes.

4. Thankful for a SWEET deal I found on a year old barely used treadmill this week. And thankful that I convinced Regan that my next wedding shoot could cover the cost and justify buying it. We got it in the basement last night and I already used it.

5. Thankful that I have a few pairs of shorts that still fit me. And that I've only gained around 27 pounds this pregnancy.

6. Thankful for prayer. When I am sick and tired of the struggle this pregnancy has been. That I can pray to a loving Heavenly Father. And that He hears me, and sends comfort.

7. Thankful for a sweet five year old who slept in until 10 this morning.

8. Thankful the two year old daily 40 minute temper tantrums have slowed down in both frequency and length.

9. Thankful for all the people who are calling and checking up on me cause they care.

10. Thankful for a very patient husband who just hugs me when I cry from being so tired from lack of good sleep.

Pregnancy Tag

My lovely SIL Whitney tagged me... so here goes...

5 Things that make my stomach turn.....
1. blood in raw meat...the smell and the look
2. boogies
3. mold
4. deep fried food
5. breakfast :(

5 Things I Absolutely Love/Crave.....
1. chocolate, chocolate, and chocolate
2. angle's drive thru bugers
3. a good night's sleep
4. milk
5. when my kids feel the baby move

5 Things I worry about....
1. when I am going to go into labour. the timing of it all.
2. tearing
3. if Alden will be totally disappointed if it's a girl
4. Lucy throwing massive fits when I'm out with all the kids
5. going to a wedding two days after my due date.... being either engorged with milk and left over baby fat or huge from not being in labor yet

5 Things I Am Excited About....
1. being DONE being pregnant
2. being DONE being pregnant
3. to not have the baby inside anymore
4. to have the baby out
5. and to being DONE being pregnant

5 Names that I love...
1. Eli
2. Nora
3. Ruth
4. Lacey
5.

If You Don't Know What You Are Having What Do You Hope It Is....
A healthy baby.

Pregnant People I tag....
So lets say:
1. Amanda
2. Julia
3. Tanya

Photo Talk: Photos, photos and more photos

1. A hooter hider is like a cape that you wear while you breast feed. And they are expensive. Which is silly cause it's a like a blanket with a strap on it to go around your neck. (You can see one here) One girl told me she paid $85 for hers. My fabric cost me $20 and I can make two out of it. I got white eyelet so it will still be light and breathable but cover me up still too.

2. It's been a while since I did a little photo shoot with my kiddos. So I did one yesterday afternoon. But only Lucy was into it....




(Cause I was bribing her!!)

3. And Regan came home while I was shooting Lucy and decided to take a few of me...






4. And I've started editing the wedding shoot I had last week.


5. Thanks for all the encouragement about Lucy. I have no idea why she has such testiness.... neither me or Regan are really like that. At all. But it's there. In her. Last night while I was out with a friend (getting a massage and yes that rocked) she had a big fit with dad. Screaming for 40 minutes. Maybe she is sensing the baby coming. Or maybe she is just two. The thing that drives me crazy about it all, is that a girl who uses words like actually, etc in sentences properly, really has the ability to use words. And not screaming. But nonetheless here we are. Here's hoping it's just a stage!

getting ready

Isn't it so great that spring/summer is finally here?
The winter lasted forever. Every time we drive over the river close to our house, Lucy says "Mom look the snow is finally gone!" :)

I decided today that I should actually get ready in some manner for this child to come. I only have 6 weeks left today. So I bought a few diapers, some soothers and baby wash. Not really gonna buy any clothes, as I have sleepers from two kids before. I was thinking that it would be good that the kiddo gets his/her own clothes.... but then I thought why? They don't know the difference. And they will grow out of them very quickly anyway.

I even pulled out the baby car set. Mostly to see if it has an expiration date on it. It doesn't.... is it totally bad if I don't buy another one??? They say 5 years and it's been more than 5 years..... hmmmm

In the next few weeks we will re-arrange our bedroom so we can set up the crib in there. We even considered just using the play pen, but it's just too low for me.

We are excited about this baby.... but we are soooo this is our third kid mode. We've discussed names but not totally settled. And really our conversations have been very brief. Where as with the first two we talked about it a lot. And the whole getting ready thing, we were a bit more on it with the first two.

But I figure as long as we have what we need when the kiddo actually comes out, it's all good. And i've still got 6 weeks.

On a side note, here are a few pages from the weekend.

Note to Self

1. 6 pieces of watermelon before bed is really NOT A good idea for a pregnant lady. No matter how bad you want it. (It results in waking up MANY times to go pee....)

2. When you are married to a soon to be dr, he needs to know the details from dr appointments. At my appointment this week my dr told me I either have to get my iron up before the week's over or else i have to get iron shots..... apparently it is "dangerously low". First thing Regan asked when I told him was What was the number. I really didn't think to check that. (And no wonder I've not been feeling so hot lately.)

3. I am in fact getting old. I went to a kindergarden information night this week. I will have a child in school. Strange.

4. It's okay to make pancakes for supper when your hubby is out of town. The kids like it. It's just easier all around.

Can I complain

just a little tiny bit??

This pregnancy has not been a picnic.
In fact kind makes me not like those ladies who say they feel the best when they are pregnant.
That is NOT me.

I have been throwing up a lot.
You know morning sickness.
Although it's not contained in the morning alone at all.

I got a cold - flu thing that lasted FOREVER.
And my cough is still around. Although much better.
But it was making me throw up from coughing -
which was just adding to the amount I was already throwing up.
Got a yeast infection.
Then a bad bladder infection.
Still coughing.
Then today I woke up and my ears felt like they were going to explode.
So I went to a walk in.
I now have a double ear infection.

Isn't pregnancy such a beautiful thing.

Celebrating Valentine's Day

Something that I didn't post about that has already passed, yet here I am posting about it.
Our Valentine's Day traditions.
1. We always cut out hearts and write things on them we love and hang them in the window. (This is the picture from last year.... cause I didn't take one of them this year.... this year they were all red.)

2. Our evening celebrations.
We feed the kids something they really like, cause really if we are going to enjoy a nice meal ourselves we'll all enjoy it a lot MORE if they eat and go to bed and THEN we eat.
I always make a fancy meal for us, complete with dessert.
Here is this years. Steak, baked potatoes, salad, roasted asparagus with hollandaise sauce. And a french lemon tart with fresh strawberry salsa for dessert.
And then Every year since we have been married we always watch this movie...
And I always cry at the same parts.
And laugh at the same parts.
And we always enjoy it.
There are not a lot of movie quotes said around this house, but some of the ones that ARE come from this movie. :)

3. As a little girl, my dad always bought something for me and my little sister. It meant a lot because my dad is not one of those kind of dad's regularly. I still wrap his christmas presents. But every V-day he would pick out something, chocolate, a stuffed animal, a flower and actually write the card out himself. That always meant a lot to me and I know it did to Kelly too. Well I've been telling Regan I loved that idea since we were first married. And this year, he started that at our house by getting Lucy a card, some candy and a but bear balloon. And she kept calling it all her special presents.
(Alden wanted to know when the day is that boy's get special presents....)

And since a few people asked to see my belly.... how's this shot from the playground?

heehee.

10 things about me when I am pregnant.

5 not so nice....

1. my lower back starts to ache and it makes it hard to sleep. it's started already.

2. i am still taking dicletin. i tried to go off it and spent a day and a half puking my toes up.

3. i could seriously eat all day long. And there really aren't THAT many things to eat!

4. when my kids are having a bad day I spend most of it thinking, WHY am I adding another child??

5. heartburn. ouch.

5 that are kinda funny.....

1. i have crazy dreams. i mean werid ones. I've already dreamt that my mom was having a baby, which she decided she was to old to have one so they were going to throw it away. I told her I would take it and she was arguing with me about how crazy that would be since I am having a baby. Another was that we bought my grandparents old house and we were fixing it up and all these old guys came in with their coffee who wanted to play bingo with my grandpa and I was arguing with old men about taking breakfast away from my kids. Stealing bacon from them.

2. i want to eat weird things at weird times. like devilled eggs at 10pm or mini pizzas for breakfast.

3. when the baby kicks you and it surprised you and you jump and people look at you funny.

4. i cry over EVERYTHING. not getting invited to dinner, getting invited to dinner, movies, cartoons, books, talking to strangers.

5. my belly button sticks out, but only half way.

Pregnancy

I felt the baby move last week. At like 4 am. After I had been up for a while with Lucy who was having a BAD night. A whole week ago today cause it was last Saturday. It's always nice to feel those little fluttering feelings. :) I felt him/her move again last night while laying and trying to get to sleep. Makes it all the more exciting!

I always forget how hungry I get. Some days (kinda of like right now) I am hungry but I have run out of things to eat. It's a funny phenomenon. I have to keep eating all day to keep the pukies away (that rhymes) so after a while you get tired of eating.

Lucy and Alden are kind of getting the whole baby thing. Alden more than Lucy. She still can't figure out where in my body the baby is. Still always asks if the baby is in my chest. I'm sure the bigger my tummy gets, she won't be able to ignore where the baby is. :)

Names are a hot topic. Not only with Regan and me but with everyone else. I have lots of names I enjoy. All are older. I don't like spell them funny or make up names. Just good solid old fashioned names. Like Lucy. And Alden. (A lot of people don't know but Alden is actually an old name. You meet old men in nursing homes named it.) We'll see who wins out with this one. :) Regan picked Alden and I picked Lucy.

It is always funny to me people's comments about my body during pregnancy. I was a house with Alden. I gained 50 lbs. I got really big. And my legs went straight from my knees to my toes. So attractive! But with Lucy I had a cute little basketball belly.I gained under 25 pounds.
And with both pregnancies people said differing things.
"Oh you're looking small"
"You can't be that far along, where is your belly"
And there are always those kind people who tell you the opposite.
"When are you due??" (Like you can't possibly make it another month being THAT LARGE. :)
Already this pregnancy I have heard both. That I am "punchy" already and others that "you can't tell at all". It just goes to show that it's all in the eye of the beholder. And that as long as your husband tells you you look beautiful at the end of the day WHO cares what those other people say :)

Today

Well thanks for all the well wishes!
We are quite excited.

This morning I had a drs appointment.
Which I took Lucy too.
And it was fine. (Alden was in school.)
And to make sure of my dates, they asked if I could go to an ultrasound today at 3pm. So I said sure.

I went and I had both my kids with me.
The receptionist lady looks at me and says "don't you have anyone to watch your kids?"
I said "can't they just come with me?"
(I've had my fair share of ultrasounds... i lie there, they squirt warm blue gel on my tummy and poke a monitor thing into my tummy until my bladder is going to explode, while we sit and watch a computer screen... nothing a kid can't see..)

She stares at me like I am the BIGGEST idiot she has ever seen.
Says nothing.... just keeps staring.
Her: "How old are your kids?"
ME: "two and five"
Stares at me.
Says: "well did you actually drink the water?"
me: "Yes." (Obviously... i can READ and follow instructions)
Her: "We might have to rebook your appointment"
Stares at me.
Her: "Do you have your alberta health care card?"
Me: "Yes, it's right here"
Her: "Fine, take a seat"

So they give my kids some coloring books and tell them to sit behind the desk with them while I get my appointment. I explained it to the kiddos and they are fine.

When I come out, Lucy is crying and holding on to Alden.

None of the three ladies standing beside her are even looking at her or trying to see if they could console her. They are chit chatting about music and the recptionist's new tatoo.

So I try to set up my next appointment she says to me.
"So try and find someone to watch your kids."
Really? Don't you think I figured that out by then?

I'm not saying kids are perfect. Far from it.
But they are good at sitting there beside me.
And no where on the paper from the dr does it say ANYTHING about not bringing kids.

The kicker was after the lady was so rude to me, they had a sign that said something about how unkind words will not be tolerated.
Apparently that only applies to the patients.


Good news after all that.... I am actually at 15 weeks and 1 day.
So further along that we thought. :)