5 weeks!! Where on earth did they go?

<---- Stella is about 4 weeks old in this pic.

Stephen & I can not believe how fast time has flown by with her and how fast Stella is growing.

I guess I have a lot of updating to do since I have just gotten around to updating this blog.

Stella is doing wonderful. My recovery from the c-section has been a lot easier than I had anticipated. I often found myself doing things I probably should not have been doing and then paying the price later. But i viewed that as a blessing.

She has big blue eyes that make your heart melt. If you compare mine & Stephen's baby pictures she looks a lot like me right now. She is gaining weight like she should, which is good because my appetite has not stayed up like I thought it would when I was pregnant, so I have been a little anxious about it. I had her weighed on the Feb 17th and she was 6lbs 11 oz. I am sure she is up to 7 lbs by now, the girl is getting heavy to carry around! lol! (I often wonder what life would be like with a 7 or 8 lb baby from the start, HA)

When we brought her home from the hospital we had to supplement her with formula, every two hours, which was pretty rough. Something did not feel right about having to wake a baby to feed her, but doctors orders. However, everything has been going pretty good since my milk came in a day after we arrived home.

We have only had one really bad night and a few bad days. I have just now gotten the hang of her different cries... maybe. She usually only fusses when she is hungry or needs to burp. I have to say, the girl is a tooter and it is quite amusing. (atleast we think so).

Because she is so small, we have had a hard time finding clothes that fit her. She is just starting to look like she actually fits in to her outfits. Anything 0-3 months is still too big right now, but I have a feeling it won't be too long before she can fit in them.

We have ventured out several times and have been out to eat with her at least 4 times, she is a champ and usually sleeps through the whole thing. She also likes to go to Sam's in her stroller, that place just sacks her out. I took her up to Stephen's office for a shower they hosted for us and he was such a proud daddy. It was too cute. We also finally made it to church last week, I don't like going a long time without going to church.

Here are more pictures of our angel...

STELLA SUZANNE LASSEIGNE has arrived!

Our angel arrived on January 14th at 7:42 a.m. by c-section

5lbs 15 ozs

19.25"

You can view more photos here. Sorry for the delay and updates, we have been enjoying our new bundle of joy and recovering!

More to come.

Last update.... only 2 more days to go!

Our last OB appointment was this past Friday, the 9th. We are in the countdown. According to the quick ultrasound Dr. Deed conducted she is weighing 6.1 lbs and is going to have long legs... that is the second time we have heard that and we don't have a clue where that might come from in our families.

I have started to dilate and go through the process of very early labor. It threw me off a little because i had this crazy notion that I wouldn't feel any of this because of the scheduled c-section.

Well, low and behold on Friday Stephen & I got to experience a tiny bit of the labor & delivery process. Dr. Deed sent me over to monitor the baby, for everyone's piece of mind, for a bit b/c she had not moved much that day and Deed just had a hunch. Everything was normal and her heart rate was great. It was fun to be able to be admitted and released within 30 min... and get to "stay" in a labor & delivery room.



We spent most of the weekend cleaning the house and spending time together. It was weird to think this was our last weekend as just the two of us... life will never be the same... even when she is married with kids of her own - home will always be home and she will always be welcome... even if her daddy insists on "the warning" phone call. Ha!



In case you are wondering she finally has a first name!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



STELLA ............. it is!



Yeah!



A good friend of mine, Courtney, made this awesome wreath for us to hang on our hospital door for visitors. It is so cute, i love it!!

The next time I will be posting, Stephen & I will officially be parents and we will have wonderful pictures to show of our beautiful Stella. We are getting very excited and can't wait for everyone to meet her!

And the doctor says...........

Still no flip at 36 weeks. Baby L had up until yesterday's doctors appointment to flip and her big fat head is still right under my right rib. So, we ended up scheduling the c-section for January 14th.
I am apprehensive about it just for the fact that it is ANOTHER surgery in my book of surgeries and the whole unexpected. My focus has to be on the fact that this the most positive and happy surgery I've ever had.

I have started to feel a few random contractions. They aren't too bad... yet. The doctor feels everything is moving on schedule and still expects her to be a small baby.

Mom asks me a lot how I am feeling these days and I thought I would share a few of things I tell her b/c apparently she thinks it is funny. I try to cherish these feelings b/c in all truth pregnancy is really a fleeting moment in life.
- The waddle has started... especially if I have a full bladder. That's pretty funny - it feels funny and I'm sure it looks funny.
- I can only fit my feet in my tennis shoes now, which is a little frustrating. Never in my life did I think I would be wearing compression knee-highs. Can you see it? yeah... no.
- Bending over, getting off the floor, or tying my shoe should be classified as an Olympic event in my life right now due to difficulty.
- I can not get enough food. I feel like I am always hungry or eating. Stephen even commented that he can't wait until this is over sometimes because he feels like he has to keep up with me. It is pretty funny to see him watch me eat dinner, he will just look at me like "are you ever going to stop?"

The doctor will check ONE last time next week to see if she has flipped (mainly because she really didn't want to have to do a c-sec to begin with), but at this point chances are not great and I am sure she will induce on the same if she has flipped. Baby L seems to have found a comfy spot or her bottom has fallen in to my pelvis and its too difficult for her to flip. I have been able to feel or tell that she is dropping.

Either way.... Baby L will be making her arrival on January 14, 2009!

Merry Christmas

We had a blessed Christmas and hope you did as well!
Stephen & I had about 5 days of just us time and it was real nice… knowing next year (okay, within 2-3 weeks) it is going to be all about Baby Lasseigne. We did not do anything real exciting… well I take that back, we played with our new Wii a lot. Here are a few pictures!

JT opening his stocking.

Yea! My diaper bag!! I LOVE IT!!

Stephen sportin' his own "manly" diaper bag.

Stephen wanted his own diaper bag... so JT listened and got him one for Christmas. Also, Santa brought us our travel system and an extra base. Stephen installed the bases and mirrors and we are set. Next step is to find somewhere we can go to get them checked that they are installed properly.

Stephen assembling the stroller.

Stephen showing off the stroller (and my diaper bag attached)!

I do have to brag on him for a minute..... he gets MAJOR brownie points for this. I decide on a whim... like most pregnant women, right?... that I wanted to go to Silks-A-Bloom for their 50% Christmas sale the day after Christmas. I had an idea of how much of a mad house it could be and tried to prepare him. Stephen jumped right in there, grabbed boxes and stood in line with me for over an hour to check out. I could not believe how cool he was about the whole thing... mind you lots of people were highly impressed that he was out in this mess helping me. I was so proud and can not wait to put up all of my goodies next year... especially when Baby L will get to enjoy them too. THANK YOU AGAIN HONEY!!! YOU ROCK!

Nursing Class

After our OB appointment last Thursday, Stephen & I got to experience nursing class. I would say it was interesting and informative. I will admit I was a little thrown by the fake boob she used to explain things and the anatomically correct baby dolls. I think it was great to have Stephen there so he could get a better understanding of the whole process as well. I will also admit that at times I was embarrassed,-Stephen ...of course, as cool as a cucumber.

TURN BABY TURN...

Last Thursday we had our 34 week appointment (I am a little late at posting this). Not much longer to go! After our doctor was listened to her heartbeat I asked her if she felt Baby Girl had flipped yet. She got excited and kind of got us excited b/c she was hearing her heartbeat a little lower than usual. To double check we hurried in to the ultrasound room with anticipation that she was a studious & intelligent little girl that obeyed her parents….well, she is obviously doing this her way (probably just as her mom or dad would). Right where we thought was a hard little bottom….. was still her big ole noggin!
It was good to be able to see her and to know she had gained a pound since the 32 week ultrasound.

IF SHE DOES NOT FLIP….
This then led to the discussion of our delivery plan. She has until our next appointment to flip (Jan. 2nd), if she does not flip we are headed for a c-section. At one point Dr. Deed said she would just use my old scar from all of my previous abdominal surgeries. After having 9 months to think about this… and knowing this particular incision had been opened up 5 times, I questioned why she planned on going that route. (Remembering how long it took me to recover from all of those surgeries and a newborn on top of that, not cool. Not to mention the whole short-term disability nazi’s.) Her answer was simply “so I wouldn’t have to put another scar on your belly.”
Well, well, well… My poor stomach already has enough scars at this point – seriously, what is one more in all reality? Does it bum me out? Extremely. Just like every other surgery before- if I don’t have a choice, then I don’t have a choice – if it is for the best then it is for the best. As our pastor reiterated this weekend “God’s grace is sufficient!” Look at what all it has pulled me & Stephen through. So we left it with me thinking it over if I wanted her to do the typical cesarean incision or use my old scar.

IF SHE DOES FLIP….
Dr. Deed wants to take her early, more around the 38 week mark. She felt that because she is a small baby the longer she cooks the more stress it could put on her the further along we get. Even though we won’t get the “Honey, its time…” moment I would much rather go this road.

I am getting more apprehensive but it is peaceful to know that we will soon be able to meet our little angel. Either way, she will be making her arrival either the week of January 12th or January 19th. No February baby after all.

Now that we are at 35 weeks, our fruit comparison is the size of a honeydew! HA!

(Pictures are from my company's christmas party... as you can tell, I was exhausted by the end of it... and still had to be responsible for making sure the bill was paid - sorry no real good belly shots.)