- Looking at our daughter and picking out what she has of Mine and Nate's
- Putting her face close to my ear and listening to the little noises and her breathing. I tell Nate that it is her telling us secrets and stories, just to sit and listen.
- Laughing at how much she farts. Seriously, it's ridiculous.
- Making her stop crying. It makes me feel like I am doing something right and I am a good momma.
- Dressing her every morning, afternoon and night with a different outfit.
- Her sneezing.
- Watching Nate hold her and tell her about his day at work.
- Reading to her like she actually understands the stories that we are telling her.
- Seeing how much our family loves her.
- Not caring that I still have baby weight to lose because she was worth every single pound.
- Wanting to stay home all the time with her because nothing is more fun then watching her.
- Hearing that she is cute, that never gets old.
- Getting up with her in the middle of the night, I know it sounds crazy and I am sure that I will get over it and it won't last, but for the time being, I love being the one to make her happy and comfortable.
- How she will never stop eating unless you physically make her. She eats SO much! Just another thing like her dad :)
- I like doing laundry and having a little sock stuck to Nate's work pants when you pull them out of the dryer.
- Seeing how the dog's are a lot more calm since she arrived and they are always so curious what this little person is doing and how she smells
- Honestly thinking that my baby is the cutest baby in the world and no one can argue with me
- How she has baby acne
- When Nate and I went out of town for our friends wedding and during slow dances we are talking about what we love the most about Alaina and what we miss about her
- Having tears come to my eyes every time there is a song about a Mother and her love :)
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
What I Love the Most...
What I love the most:
When The Stork Came
As our due date fast approached, I can honestly say that I felt the exact same day in and day out. The morning on October 8th, however, I woke up very early, just around 4am, and felt very sick. Very nauseous and the heart burn was 100 times worse than the past. I couldn't fall asleep so I woke Nate up and we decided to watch Baby Momma at 4:30am. After the movie was over Nate made me a delicious breakfast and we got ready to go watch our niece Bailey run at North Linn for cross country. I was feeling a little better so I wasn't going to stay home so off we went.
As we were at the meet, I was having a very hard time walking. There was so much pressure with every step, but nothing painful, so I chalk it up to just being so big. After the meet, we were invited over to my sister's house to watch the Hawk game. We went home got the puppies and we went to Delhi.While we were there, I am sort of convinced, that the way that the Hawks played that day, induced the contractions. It was about 4:30pm and I noticed that I was getting contractions pretty consistently, but nothing painful, just tightening. So, for the fun of it, I started documenting in my phone the duration and the time between contractions. 4:44pm, 4:50pm, 5:15pm, 5:25pm, 5:33pm, 5:39pm, 5:44pm, 5:52pm, 6:01pm, 6:05pm(very light), 6:10pm, 6:14pm, 6:18pm, 6:23pm, 6:36pm, and then were were home in Central City. By this time, there was a little pain, but I was still able to talk through them. The Doctor said to not come to the hospital until the 5:1:1 rule and they were so bad that I could not talk through them. 5 minutes apart, lasting for 1 minute, for 1 hour straight. Well, we were not to this point yet, but I started to notice that I was spotting pretty bad. I texted my sister and my mom and asked if this was normal. My mom said she knew that is when she was in labor with me, because that happened to her, and my sister said that she thought I should call the Dr. to let them know. As always, I listened to the advice, and called the Dr. They asked me a series of questions. The last two were, "When are you due", I said, "Tomorrow". She then asked if I was progressing at the last appointment and I said yes, I was almost 4cm and 20%. She said right away, "How about you come in just to be on the safe side, we will have the chart waiting for you when you get here." With that being said I went into the bedroom and told Nate that we better get going.
On the way to St. Luke's my contractions were as follows: 7:21pm, 7:25pm, 7:28pm, 7:31pm, 7:33pm, 7:39pm, and 7:44pm. By 7:44pm we were sitting in the exam room and the contractions were AWFUL! I could not talk at all through these and the only words that I could get out were curse words. The Nurse was monitoring the contractions and said that the baby's heart rate was great and my contractions were pretty strong but I was only at a 4 but I was 50% effaced. At this time, the nurse started asking what my spotting was like, and she was curious as to if my water had broken. She was then explaining a test that they were going to do to check. At this same time I had the worst contraction yet, and all of a sudden there was a POP! I looked at the nurse and I said, "I am pretty sure my water just broke" She lifted up the blanket and said, "Yup, it sure did!! Looks like we are having a baby tonight." At that time, all of the memories of my begging my baby to come, the foot massage that I got from my youngest Niece Emerson earlier that day, and the bumpy golf cart ride my sister took me on that afternoon came rushing back, and I said, "okay I know what I said and did today hoping this would happen but I change my mind I am scared and not ready!" and I started to cry. We knew that we were not leaving without our baby!
We were admitted and sent to our room. The contractions were still awful and close. There were a few hours of contractions and our families were on their way!! I decided that I was going to have en epidural. I had been awake since 4:30am and the nurse said first time mom's can be in labor up to 12 hours on average with 3 hours of pushing. I knew that I was so tired there was no way that I could do that without getting some sleep. The nurse came in and said that if I wanted an epidural the doctor was there to do them, that I had to get one now or wait until he was back. I looked at Nate and he said just to get one, so I did.
I had the epidural and instantly my left side was numb and it slowly went to the right side. At that time my side of the family was there. I was so happy to see the faces of my sister, mom, Abby, Bailey and Emily. I was not in any pain anymore but so tired. I was freezing cold and could not stop shaking. Soon I fell asleep which was much needed and Nate went into the waiting room to be with our families.
45 min later I was awaken by really strong shooting pains in my left side. The nurse approached and said that I had been making a lot of noise in my sleep so she was going to check me. At this time, I was 9cm and 100%. She was very surprised how within 45 min I went from a 5 to a 9 and it was time for a baby! She called the doctor to come and she told me to start pushing during contractions. Right then my husband came in and I told him where I was at and the look was priceless that came across his face. He then came to my bed side and that is where he remained for the rest of the delivery. I had no feeling in my left leg but I could feel all the contractions on my left. Weird enough it all settled in my leg and none where I could feel the pain. It was good though because I knew when I could push and it really helped me.
I pushed through three contractions before Dr. Lyons came into the room. She was not ready to deliver as she had no gown on etc. She then looked at me and said, "Whoa whoa stop pushing!" I looked at her mid push and grunted, "ME? Stop pushing????" She said yes the baby was right there and she wasn't ready. They asked if I wanted to touch, see anything, etc, and I said Hell NO! I just wanted to get her out! The doctor then was ready for me, and I looked at the clock and it was 1:02am. I said to myself I was going to have her out by 1:15am. I pushed through 2 more contractions and she said okay, now push and breath with me. 1 more contraction and our little Alaina Paige Etten was in my arms!
Total Delivery: 5 hours
Total Contractions that I pushed: 6
Total time pushing: 18 minutes
Alaina Paige was 8 pounds 5.5 ounces, 21 inches long, and she was here by 1:08am on her Due Date! 10-9-2011. She looked JUST like her Daddy, which is a pretty good thing if you ask me! She did have brown thin hair like me but everything else was a lot like her Daddy.
As we were at the meet, I was having a very hard time walking. There was so much pressure with every step, but nothing painful, so I chalk it up to just being so big. After the meet, we were invited over to my sister's house to watch the Hawk game. We went home got the puppies and we went to Delhi.While we were there, I am sort of convinced, that the way that the Hawks played that day, induced the contractions. It was about 4:30pm and I noticed that I was getting contractions pretty consistently, but nothing painful, just tightening. So, for the fun of it, I started documenting in my phone the duration and the time between contractions. 4:44pm, 4:50pm, 5:15pm, 5:25pm, 5:33pm, 5:39pm, 5:44pm, 5:52pm, 6:01pm, 6:05pm(very light), 6:10pm, 6:14pm, 6:18pm, 6:23pm, 6:36pm, and then were were home in Central City. By this time, there was a little pain, but I was still able to talk through them. The Doctor said to not come to the hospital until the 5:1:1 rule and they were so bad that I could not talk through them. 5 minutes apart, lasting for 1 minute, for 1 hour straight. Well, we were not to this point yet, but I started to notice that I was spotting pretty bad. I texted my sister and my mom and asked if this was normal. My mom said she knew that is when she was in labor with me, because that happened to her, and my sister said that she thought I should call the Dr. to let them know. As always, I listened to the advice, and called the Dr. They asked me a series of questions. The last two were, "When are you due", I said, "Tomorrow". She then asked if I was progressing at the last appointment and I said yes, I was almost 4cm and 20%. She said right away, "How about you come in just to be on the safe side, we will have the chart waiting for you when you get here." With that being said I went into the bedroom and told Nate that we better get going.
On the way to St. Luke's my contractions were as follows: 7:21pm, 7:25pm, 7:28pm, 7:31pm, 7:33pm, 7:39pm, and 7:44pm. By 7:44pm we were sitting in the exam room and the contractions were AWFUL! I could not talk at all through these and the only words that I could get out were curse words. The Nurse was monitoring the contractions and said that the baby's heart rate was great and my contractions were pretty strong but I was only at a 4 but I was 50% effaced. At this time, the nurse started asking what my spotting was like, and she was curious as to if my water had broken. She was then explaining a test that they were going to do to check. At this same time I had the worst contraction yet, and all of a sudden there was a POP! I looked at the nurse and I said, "I am pretty sure my water just broke" She lifted up the blanket and said, "Yup, it sure did!! Looks like we are having a baby tonight." At that time, all of the memories of my begging my baby to come, the foot massage that I got from my youngest Niece Emerson earlier that day, and the bumpy golf cart ride my sister took me on that afternoon came rushing back, and I said, "okay I know what I said and did today hoping this would happen but I change my mind I am scared and not ready!" and I started to cry. We knew that we were not leaving without our baby!
We were admitted and sent to our room. The contractions were still awful and close. There were a few hours of contractions and our families were on their way!! I decided that I was going to have en epidural. I had been awake since 4:30am and the nurse said first time mom's can be in labor up to 12 hours on average with 3 hours of pushing. I knew that I was so tired there was no way that I could do that without getting some sleep. The nurse came in and said that if I wanted an epidural the doctor was there to do them, that I had to get one now or wait until he was back. I looked at Nate and he said just to get one, so I did.
I had the epidural and instantly my left side was numb and it slowly went to the right side. At that time my side of the family was there. I was so happy to see the faces of my sister, mom, Abby, Bailey and Emily. I was not in any pain anymore but so tired. I was freezing cold and could not stop shaking. Soon I fell asleep which was much needed and Nate went into the waiting room to be with our families.
45 min later I was awaken by really strong shooting pains in my left side. The nurse approached and said that I had been making a lot of noise in my sleep so she was going to check me. At this time, I was 9cm and 100%. She was very surprised how within 45 min I went from a 5 to a 9 and it was time for a baby! She called the doctor to come and she told me to start pushing during contractions. Right then my husband came in and I told him where I was at and the look was priceless that came across his face. He then came to my bed side and that is where he remained for the rest of the delivery. I had no feeling in my left leg but I could feel all the contractions on my left. Weird enough it all settled in my leg and none where I could feel the pain. It was good though because I knew when I could push and it really helped me.
I pushed through three contractions before Dr. Lyons came into the room. She was not ready to deliver as she had no gown on etc. She then looked at me and said, "Whoa whoa stop pushing!" I looked at her mid push and grunted, "ME? Stop pushing????" She said yes the baby was right there and she wasn't ready. They asked if I wanted to touch, see anything, etc, and I said Hell NO! I just wanted to get her out! The doctor then was ready for me, and I looked at the clock and it was 1:02am. I said to myself I was going to have her out by 1:15am. I pushed through 2 more contractions and she said okay, now push and breath with me. 1 more contraction and our little Alaina Paige Etten was in my arms!
Total Delivery: 5 hours
Total Contractions that I pushed: 6
Total time pushing: 18 minutes
Alaina Paige was 8 pounds 5.5 ounces, 21 inches long, and she was here by 1:08am on her Due Date! 10-9-2011. She looked JUST like her Daddy, which is a pretty good thing if you ask me! She did have brown thin hair like me but everything else was a lot like her Daddy.
Ironman WI, September 11, 2011
 |
| Alaina showed her support :) |
The first of three events was the swim. 2.4 miles and my husband was out of the water in 01:17:43. This was a great time and I was so excited to see him come out of the water! However, he did come out of the water WITHOUT his very expensive watch. For those that do triathlons, this is kind of a big deal. He had several more hours ahead of him, and had everything timed out on his watch such as when to eat and his pace, etc. So, he kept plugging along and transitioned into the bike.
All of the "Etten" cheering section got onto a bus that took prospects to the half way point so they could see their loved one and cheer them on. I was calm at this point and feeling great, as I hadn't had to walk that much (8.5 months pregnant and feeling awesome!) and my anxiety was less, as he was past the scary part for me (the swim).
 |
| At the half way point of the bike |
He ended up coming in off the bike which felt like FOREVER!!! We were inside waiting for him to come into the transition to start running, and it felt like an eternity. He ended up coming in, still looking phenomenal, at a time of: 06:37:15.
I was able to talk to him real quickly and give him another kiss. Now, all he had was a marathon and he had obtained his goal of finishing.
The Etten Crew went downtown Madison to eat and take a seat. At this time, the walking was starting to hurt and felt like I was going to walk myself right into labor, but this was nothing compared to what my husband was feeling, mentally and physically, so I kept my feet a moving! :)
 |
| Officially an Ironman |
At this point we knew that he had a long road ahead of him and he was going to be walking, but even at that, he was going to come in at a good time and finish. So it was a bitter sweet moment for us all.Nate did end up crossing the finish line at a total time of: 15:04:35. It was such an amazing moment for him. The 9 months of extensive training and time that he had put in, was all worth it!! I now look at my husband a completely different way. I have never seen someone put so much effort into something so hard, and do such an amazing job. Alaina is a lucky little girl to have a dad like this!
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