2013 - A Good Year

So, I don't know what others thought at the beginning of 2013 but I was a bit skeptical since this year ended with the number 13 which is sometimes thought to be a bad luck number. It turns out that 13 wasn't that bad of a number after all and 2013 was a good year for us.

Johansen Family - December 2013
Kaley (6 mo), Jane (3) and Alyss (1 yr 10 mo)

Here's what happened:

- Alyss turned one and started walking at 14 months

- We moved to Taylorsville at the beginning of June

- My mom (bica) came to visit in June and stayed with us until December 20

- Kaley was born on June 30 by successful VBAC

- David's parents moved to the States from Japan and came to visit in July

- Our apartment flooded in September

- David started a second job selling at Best Buy in September

- Jane turned three in November

- We loved trick-or-treating on Halloween, enjoyed our great Thanksgiving dinner and had fun opening presents at Christmas

Now for each person a little bit to remember...

Kaley - born on June 30 at 11:10pm, at 38 weeks. She was 7lb 14oz and 19.5 in long. She is exclusively breastfed and we introduced solid purées around 5 months of age. Kaley has a hole in her heart that we need to check on periodically. She doesn't seem to be bothered by it. She is a very happy, alert baby. She loves to be help and gives the best hugs. She smiles all the time and people often comment on how beautiful she is and how sparkly, like stars, her blue eyes are. She loves to kick and roll over and she enjoys eating sweet potatoes and squash and drinking from mommy's kefir. Up until 6 months she hasn't cut any teeth yet, to the enjoyment of her mom who is a bit worried about breastfeeding a baby who has teeth and likes to mischievously nibble and play with the source of her food :)

Alyss - man, what a dynamite girl she is! Especially since she likes Wreck it Ralph I think that the description fits her perfectly. She runs around and climbs on everything. She copies everything that Jane does and says. At her 18 months appointment when the doctor asked if she knows 10 words I almost started laughing. Not only does she know a lot more than 10 words but she also understands and speaks both English and Romanian words and even sentences. This baby is pretty much my dynamite baby. She is also very happy and loves to laugh. She already knows the ABC song, Twinkle twinkle little star, The itsy, bitsy spider and even some parts of a couple Christmas songs. She can count to ten almost without any help and knows lines from several movies by heart. She enjoys playing toddler iPad games and puzzles and also loves being outdoors where she loves the park and the swing and to play in the water. 

Jane - our cute, sensitive, dainty Jane! She is such a girl. She puts her hair behind her easy, pulls on her sleeves so that they don't ride up her arms and likes to wear cute clothes. I love how when people say that she is pretty she simply answers "yes" :) She knows she is beautiful and I sure hope she will hold unto that knowledge for ever. As much as she's grown and is more of a child than a toddler now, Jane still likes to crawl around under tables and climb up on tables. She likes to watch a bunch of movies on the computer and play toddler and preschool games on the iPad. She talks a lot and sometimes I wonder how and where she learned some of the things she says. I just love how she actually forms correct sentences and phrases and how we can actually have a conversation. Jane is a very sensitive girl who observes those around her and their feelings. She is touched by music and likes to dance and twirl around with her toys, epically her puppy toys. She loves puppy toys, the 'noceros' (rhinoceros) and the reindeer bath toys and she carries around her beloved pillow what she used to take out in the car but now she just leaves on the couch when we go out. One time we were at the mall and a nice, slow pop song was playing at the radio and Jane almost started crying. I had the same feeling so I totally understood her but I was surprised to see how soft she is. Jane enjoys going to IKEA and to the "parking park" and the dinosaurs at City Creek. She loves her two younger sisters even though she doesn't show it very much. She always makes sure that Alyss also gets gummies, water, apple or whatever Jane asks for. She sometimes holds Kaley and likes to kiss her head. Even though she more often than not makes a mess by leaving toys and books everywhere in the house, Jane also helps mommy with stuff around the house and helps pick up the messes she and Alyss make. Both Jane and Alyss like our sleepy time routine of brushing teeth and reading books and they even 'read' the books to us and know parts of the rhymes in them. Jane's favorite color is pink and her favorite letter is W. She knows many songs and loves to sing. I love how Jane and Alyss sing "oac, oac, diri, diri, dai" or "Monkeys on the bed" while actually jumping even though both the song and mommy tell them no to. 

Dahlee - so, pretty much the biggest, happiest moment this year for me was the birth of our third cutie pie, Kaley Olivia. The birth wasn't too difficult, the only part I didn't enjoy being the labor pain and the painful epidural, and the pushing only lasted a couple of minutes. I still needed an episiotomy but it wasn't as unbearable as last time afterwards this time around. The doctor was amazing and very nice. The other great accomplishment for me is successfully breastfeeding Kaley. She was exclusively breastfed until she was 5 months and we are still doing it and having a good time. I love the closeness breastfeeding brings and even though it gets hard sometimes especially because of having three children so young and close in age it is also very rewarding and comes in handy at night or when we're out and about. I've gotten pretty good at the whole nursing in public thing and not only do I not get embarrassed anymore I actually enjoy doing it. The other thing that I've been learning and working on is the type of parent I want to be for our girls. There are many days when I can't help but wonder "what was I thinking having so many kids so close on age?" but then I look at them and am so proud of every little thing they do, so happy to see them smile and play and giggle, so thankful to see them healthy that I forget all the hard times and just want them to feel loved and happy. We must not be such bad parents after all :) I'm learning about RIE (Resources for Infant Educarers) and attachment parenting and I try to help the girls be independent while knowing that we are there for them and love them unconditionally. I'm far from being a perfect parent but I'm seeing my mistakes and am trying to be a bit better every day. Now, If I could only stop yelling :) One other thing that I've researched quite a bit and started applying in our,livesmismhealthy, greener living. I try to get greener products for our home and for ourselves and I also try eating better and using natural remedies and health options. We take multivitamins and minerals, cod liver oil and probiotics and try to go out for walks every day. I hope that we can get better at living a healthy lifestyle and feel great while doing it.

David - our hardworking daddy. I honestly don't know how he does it. He leaves before 8 in the morning and some days doesn't get home until midnight. Oh, how I wish that he had one job that he loved and provided enough so that he didn't have to work menial jobs and be away from me and the girls so much. There have been days when the girls wouldn't see daddy for two or three days in a row and it really saddens me to see them ask for daddy and want to be with him when he has to be at work to provide for us. We love daddy so much and hope that 2014 is the year when our dream of having one great job and daddy home more will come true. The sad thing is that David is so good and knowledgeable at working with Macs and iPads; he is great at teaching people how to use them; he can troubleshoot and fix computer problems while helping others understand the problems; he wrote a book about the use of iPads in the school district where he works, was invited to speak at several educational technology conferences and was asked to help and tutor several people and companies. Yet, he is underpaid and not able to get a better paying job because of not having a degree in educational technology which would require money and time that he doesn't have. There also isn't a huge job market for technology teaching. He could work for a company but we haven't been directed towards such opportunities and are not aware of many companies who would give him an opportunity to show what he knows and can do. So, he keeps trying and learning more every day. He is also a really good and loving dad. He plays with the girls and I love seeing him hold both Jane and Alyss in his arms when we are out and they are tired of walking. He reads to the girls and helps them get ready for bed and almost always stays with them until they fall asleep. He is also a great husband. Who would come home from a long day at work to do dishes and vacuum the living room because Mommy had a rough day and didn't get to do it? I just love him and my girls so much and feel, so lucky to have such a wonderful family.

We hope that your 2013 was a great year and wish you all a new year with much love, health and happiness. Happy New Year 2014!

Our Sweet Little Girls

Jane is Three!

Our beautiful Jane

It's November 5th, 2013 and Jane's third birthday. I can't believe how fast time flies. I remember as if it were yesterday, how around midnight my water broke and I was admitted into the Provo IHC Hospital. Around this time (3:30AM) three years ago the epidural stopped working properly and the, not so wonderful part of labor started. However, at 1:08PM Jane was born; a healthy, beautiful baby girl who brought tears of happiness to her mom's and dad's eyes. Even though the C-section was a blur, I still remember how David brought Jane to me and I kissed her tiny face.
Many things have happened since then. Jane, you are now a big sister and have learned so much in these three years since you were born. You weigh 35lb and wear 3T and even some 4T clothing. You are tall and have beautiful, long hair. A lot of people compliment you for her beauty, cuteness, pretty hair and big, blue eyes. You are a good big sister. You like to hold Kaley on occasion, and marvel at how small and cute she is. You also take care of Alyss and always make sure that she gets something before you do. If you ask for some chocolate, you first give a piece to Alyss and then come and get a piece for yourself. You and Alyss like to play together too, even though almost always your play turns into fighting as you both try to figure out how to do things together. Life can be pretty hard when you are a toddler. You are trying to understand how things work, you want to be listened to and do things that you see grown-ups do and, you want to be always be right. All these struggles turn many times into full-blown tantrums and meltdowns when you go and close yourself in your room or just hold tight your pillow and sometimes put your face in it to cry. You have a small pillow that you sleep with and carry around the house. You used to want to take it outside with you but nowadays you just leave it on the couch in the living room to wait for you until you come back home. You also have a little fluffy puppy and a rhinoceros that you love very much and who help you fell better when you are sad. In the beginning we weren't sure how to deal with the intense feelings that you experience. We are now starting to realize that you are learning and want to be considered as a member of the family who has something to say and wants to be listened to. So, we are trying to be more patient and understanding and to help you understand your feelings and learn how to express them. We know that you are having a hard time sometimes but we also know that you are very smart and have a good heart and that you will learn in time how to deal with your emotions. We just want you to know that we are here for you no matter what.
Jane, we are so excited to start a new year of your life and to see you grow and become a child more, and more every day. I can't wait to take you to sports or dance or who know what else you might want to do. I can't wait to start teaching you how to draw and color and how to read and write. We already have small conversations and you are starting to ask more and more questions about what things are and why they are the way they are. You love to talk on the phone with daddy, you absolutely adore daddy and love to spend time with him. He loves spending time with you too. You like to watch movies on the computer and know how to pick a movie by yourself. You like "Horton hears a who" or "Elephant" how you call it, you like Walle-E, Toy Story (or "Buzz"), "Monsters U"  (or "Monsters"), "Bolt" (or "Puppy") and "Despicable Me" (or "Minions"). You also like "Sophia the First" and "Doc McStuffins" and "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" on Disney Junior on the iPad. You still love music and to dance and you can sing the "ABC song", "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" or "Old McDonald". You and Alyss dance and sing with mommy many times and we have a great time whenever we listen to fun music.
Jane, sweetie, now that it's your birthdayI want to wish you a wonderful fourth year of life. I hope that you will be healthy and very happy and that you and your sisters will have a wonderful time together. I hope that me and daddy will be able to help you learn more and more things about life and that we will be able to be here for you and give you everything you need to be the best three year old that you can be. WE LOVE YOU MORE THAN ANYTHING. We are proud of you and are very excited to have more adventures with you and to see you grow and learn more every day. We love you Jane! Happy third birthday!

Well-child visits and development for Kaley

2 Weeks:
We found a pediatrician, Dr. Barbara Bean in South Jordan, that Dr. Merrill recommended and this is where we took Kaley for her two weeks well-child visit. Everything went well but the doctor heard a murmur in Kaley's heart and sent us to a pediatric cardiologist. We went and Kaley had a heart ultrasound that confirmed that there is a small hole in the center of Kaley's heart. The doctor wasn't concerned and said that many times these type of holes close on their own by the time the child is two. We will need to have Kaley's heart checked again when she's one and hopefully she will be all better by then. Other than this problem, Kaley is healthy and happy and is growing fast. She is also exclusively breastfed.

2 Months:
At the two months appointment, Dr. Bean still heard the heart murmur and she also pointed out that Kaley's head was a little miss-shaped and that she might need a helmet if it doesn't fix itself by 6 months. We hold her mostly on her left side now to help normalize the shape of her head, and it's looking better in my opinion. She also had her two months vaccines (3 in the legs and one by mouth) and she did very well and didn't cry too much. By the next day she didn't seem to be bothered by the shots anymore and she seemed to be feeling ok. Also, the measurements were great, Kaley being healthy and happy. She loves to smile and to look at our faces. The doctor was impressed that she is exclusively breastfed and is as big and healthy as she is, but I know that she is that way, BECAUSE she is breastfed. Breast milk is the best food there is for babies and I will try to feed her as much as I can. I'm really happy that I can feed her breast milk and that she strives on it so well.

4 Months:
We actually went at almost 5 months so that we could take Jane for her 3 year appointment as well. The appointment went well. Kaley is tall and skinny. Her head has a nice shape now and the doctor didn't mention anything about a helmet anymore. We've been helping her lay mostly on the left side to balance the shape of her head and it seams that it worked. Her heart murmur is still there but the doctor didn't seem concerned since Kaley is so happy and alert. The doctor was pleased with how curious Kaley is and how much she smiles. She rolled from front to back at 4 months, which is right on track! We were advised to introduce all regular foods, puréed except for honey on top of the breast milk.  We started at about 5 months with just a little and by 5.5 months Kaley learned how to eat from a spoon and how to chew her food. She absolutely LOVES regular foods and gets really excited when she sees the jars :) she doesn't like bananas much and pretty much hates carrots and pears but loves squash and sweet potatoes. At this appointment Kaley had three more shots and the nurse gave them so fast that Kaley didn't even cry too much. My mom held her and she calmed down quickly. Both Jane, Alyss and myself got the flu shot too so all of us pretty much had to go to McDonalds afterwards to treat ourselves with ice cream for being so brave.

6 Months:

No appointment at 6 months. We'll go at 8 months in February when Alyss goes for her 2 year appointment and she'll catch up with her shot schedule then. Kaley is very happy and curious, loves to eat and smiles and laughs a lot. She also cries when she wants something and is starting to interact more and more with us. She loves her sisters and is always happy to see them. She looks after them all the time and smiles when she sees them. The girls love Kaley a lot too and always try to make her laugh and even feed her or calm her down when she cries. Kaley doesn't like pacifiers and she doesn't have a binky. She rolled over front-back-front at 5 months and sits up with very little support. She holds toys and likes to taste everything that gets near her. She also likes to talk and squeal and says 'mama' when she cries. :) I'm still breastfeeding Kaley. She is pretty small, still wearing 3 - 6 mo clothes but she looks happy and healthy and has cute chubby cheeks and round legs and arms.

7.5 Months:

At this appointment Kaley got the shots she was missing. She is on the schedule and on track with the vaccines. Kaley is healthy but small for her age. Actually more skinny than short. The doctor told me not to breastfeed her at night anymore and to give her real food, 3 meals a day. I will continue breastfeeding on demand though as I still think breast milk is best and most nutritious food for babies. We have been eating real food (no purées as she now hates them) and I think that she is now heavier but don't know... She does wear 6 - 9 months clothes now and they're starting to look short on her but she is still skinny. I think it's just her body type. She is happy and healthy otherwise but still has a heart murmur. She scoots everywhere and sits on her own for long periods of time. She feeds herself and is practicing the pincer grasp successfully. She repeats sounds and talks to me. She fakes a cough to get a response from me and laughs when I make funny faces and sounds. She likes to touch our faces, mouths, eyes and noses. She squeals with excitement when her sisters do something funny. She is very happy and smart, knows where her milk comes from and let's me know if she doesn't want something by pushing it away vehemently. She is starting to pull up on her knees and will probably crawl soon. Still no teeth which I don't really mind :)

9 Months:
At this appointment she only got one shot and she cried just a little and did really great after. The doctor was a bit happier with her weight.Though she is still very slim, she is gaining slowly and it getting taller. She is still not crawling, just does the soldier crawl. Also, no teeth yet! She likes to eat everything, still but doesn't seem to enjoy eating very much. Sometimes she eats alright and others she won't touch the food. I guess she is not a eater :) Other things that the doctor checked: the heart (still no change - so she still has a hole that hasn't closed yet), the ears - ok, the eyes - ok and a beautiful blue color. :)

12 Months:
It was a good visit. She got 2 shots and she did cry and was scared but I held and nursed her and she calmed down fast. I love how I can just reassure her and help her calm down by holding her close and nursing her. It makes me really happy to be able to do it. She weighs a little over 16lbs and though it is not a lot she is gaining and growing taller as well. The doctor didn't seem worried even after listening to her heart and could still hear the murmur (we also went for a check-up at the Primary Children's Hospital and they heard the murmur too but didn't worry and told us to return in another year). One little thing that the doc was a bit worried about was her eyes - she seems to not focus and look perfectly straight when the doctor put the light in her eyes but would adjust after a bit. In my opinion she has a bit of my eye problem. Her eyes are a bit too far apart so it takes her a bit to adjust and focus on things. I doubt she actually has a problem. It's mostly anatomy, in my opinion and also the fact that she is still growing and developing. Kaley is very happy and is developing well. She now stands while holding unto furniture, crawls everywhere, climbs on low chairs and up and down the stairs, goes up and down the slide, says a lot of words, gives hugs and plays with us. She shows emotion and things she wants and gets upset when she doesn't get what she wants. She is sensitive and sweet and loves to smile and play with us, her sisters and by herself. She likes to eat and some days eats all the time while other days she won't even look at food. She sleeps well at night (only wakes one or two times at the most) and we still co-sleep. I still nurse her and I doubt I'll be stopping any time soon as she absolutely adores "boo" :) If she ever catches me naked her face lights up and she would alternate between the two boobs while smiling and saying 'boo' in between sucks. It's the most priceless and wonderful feeling in the world.

15 Months:
Another successful doctor's visit. Kaley got 2 shots and cried very little. Mommy was there for her to give her a big, tight hug and she felt a lot better after that. She is right on track developmentally. Her heart still has a murmur but she looks and feels healthy so the doctor isn't concerned. She weighs 19lbs and still nursing quite a bit. She eats regular foods as well but doesn't seem to love them. She still sleeps with mommy and nurses several times every night. Since her last visit she grew a few more teeth, including molars which gave her a bit of a hard time but she bravely overcame all the discomfort and can now eat anything she wants with her band new teeth. Haley is still very happy. She plays a lot, likes pretend play, likes to talk and talk and says A LOT of words. She just started walking by herself at 15 months, after trying it and practicing for about 2 months, and is getting quite good at it. She also loves to sing and knows many songs.

18 Months:

This was a very good visit even though the girls were loud and climbed everywhere. As far as Kaley is concerned, her height and weight are good. She is growing steadily. Her eyesight is so good and... Not sure if I wanna believe it but the doctor says that her heart sounded good. I'm not sure I wanna believe it because it was pretty noisy in the office because of the girls talking so even the doctor was a little distracted. I really hope her heart is ok now! Other than that, the doctor advised that we stop nursing at night because Kaley's teeth seem to not like that. I asked about how to night wean her and the doctor just said that as long as we cosleep it would be impossible. I was disappointed by her answer especially since she usually is pretty good but I thought to myself that she told me that she didn't nurse much at all and so I'm pretty sure she doesn't understand these things. I'll research this and hopefully I can help Kaley sleep and not nurse anymore. It breaks my heart because I know how much she loves it but I also known that her teeth' health is important and also her and my sleep as well. 

This time Kaley got one shot and it looks like it will be her last one until she turns four. Good job little one! We did it!

Welcome into our Family, Kaley Olivia Johansen!

So, yeah! Kaley is here!!!! Here's what happened (I feel like Monk right now :))

Proud mommy holding baby Kaley (2 days old) 

After the stripping of the membranes, at 38 weeks, I got more cramps and lost more of the mucous plug but nothing seemed too serious or like labor was really that close. On Saturday, the 29th I thought that I was leaking amniotic fluid but it urned out that it wasn't it so we all went to the baby shower/BBQ that Eni and the girls organized for me. It was a lot of fun and quite a few people showed up. I felt tired and big the entire time so I mostly sat down and had food but I had a really good time. Over night I felt ok but I started feeling more contractions, this time more painful. I woke up around 9am and told Davd that Kaley might decide to make an appearance early. We started timing the contractions and they were not very regular and were pretty far apart (15-20 mins) but they were getting stronger. I tried to get some rest which was a good idea. Laying down did help some and I was able to rest a little bit. By the afternoon though the contractions really started to hurt and they were getting closer together. As we were trying to keep Kaley inside before the 1st of July, for insurance purposes, we thought that lying down would be the best option so I spent most of the day in bed or on the couch. By around 4pm though, even sitting or lying down wasn't helping anymore. Every contraction was so painful that I couldn't talk or walk while it was going. We then decided that it was time to go to the hospital. Picked up the hospital bag, kissed the girls goodbye with teary eyes (I just have a really hard time leaving them, especially when I see them cry and being so sad when we leave) and started walking to the car. hat wasn't an easy task as with every contraction I had to stop, bend over and breathe. We did make it to the car and started for the hospital. Man, was I in pain! Contractions were pretty close together now (about 6 or 7 mins) and each one of them took my breath away. Bangerter Hwy was pretty buy too which didn't help, considering that everyone seemed to just be out for a fun, relaxing, slow drive. We eventually made it to the hospital and David got a wheelchair for me. Even while sitting there and on the short ride to the 3rd floor, in Tower 1, I got a few more horrible contractions. They put me in a triage room and said that I was only about 4cm dilated, which didn't seem quite right since a few days before I was 3.5 and have been having contractions for the entire day. Anyway, the nurse, who we really didn't like because she did not seem very considerate or even even very knowledgeable, said that they would not send me home if I don't show any progress but they would make me walk around and make sure that I was in active labor before they admitted me. After the longest hour of my life, in which I was struggling not to strangle the nurse or break David's hand, the nurse said that I did make progress (I was now about 5 cm) so they helped me get into a delivery room. Walking to the room took forever as I was almost unable to walk, but I did make it and got into the hospital gown and in bed. Sitting in bed didn't help with the contractions but at least it was a little better than standing or walking. After another really long hour of blood tests, monitoring the baby and the contractions and two nurses trying to get an IV in, I announced that I was done with the pain and I would really appreciate some pain relief. The relief came in the form of an anesthesiologist who administered the wonderful invention of our modern days, the EPIDURAL! It hurt pretty bad getting it in, which I didn't remember from the previous deliveries, but soon I started feeling less contractions pain, at least on my right side. The left still hurt and we had to call the anesthesiologist after another 15 or 20 mins to see if he could help me get relief on my left side as well. I was worried that I was going to feel the pain on the left side, like it happened when I was in labor with Jane but the doctor put a strong dose of anesthetic into the epidural which soon started working on the left side as well and soon provided the relief I was craving so badly. So, I got to the hospital around 5pm, was admitted around 6:30pm and received the epidural around 7:30pm. From there things just started to pick up and around 10pm the nurse announced that I was getting very close and that they would call Dr. Merrill to come help deliver the baby. He showed up soon after and said that I was at 10cm and that I could start pushing. Pushed twice and Kaley's head was out but as I was starting to tear up, the doctor decided to perform an episiotomy. I really had hoped that I would not need one this time (the pain afterwards is pretty bad) but I did know that getting one would be better that not, so we did it again. Anyway, I started pushing for the third time but the doctor stopped me saying that he needed to help get Kaley's shoulders out and then she would be all here. Felt a little pulling inside my belly and Kaley came out! She cried a bit (got only a 7 in the APGAR score for the first cry, and a 9 after 5 minutes) and make a big poopy mess on the table where they put her to clean her up a little. Real soon they put her on my chest and I was so happy to see her and feel her little warm body. I held her and even nursed her a little and then they finished dressing her and doing a few tests. While they were taking care of Kaley, the doctor took care of my incision with great detail. He did a wonderful job cleaning and checking that my C-section incision on the uterus was intact and prescribed a bunch of medications for pain and antibiotics in case there was any sign of infection. Luckily, the doctor worked really well and in minute detail, so there were no complications. I did have pain and bleeding but all within normal. Speaking of the doctor, I really like him. He is very careful and nice and also a person one can talk with. When I said that I never got to see the placenta, he set it on a table and proceeded with a small lesson about it. He explained what the different parts were and how it worked. It was way cool and interesting and once again showed me how great of a doctor and person he is.
So, back to the story, Kaley was born on June 30th (screw the insurance! LOL) at 11:05pm at the Riverton Hospital, Salt Lake County, Utah. She was 7lbs 14oz and 19.5in long. She had fairly long, dark hair on her head and some on her back and shoulders (hahaha) and blue-gray eyes. She was really soft and squishy, had a cute, round head and loved to look at mommy and daddy.
Kaley and I stayed in the hospital for two days. She passed her bilirubin and hearing tests and I tried pretty hard to go number 2, which didn't happen with all the efforts everyone put into it. :) I also enjoyed fairly good meals, spending time with Kaley and having David with me the first night after Kaley was born.
We are so happy that our sweet Kaley is here and are excited to see her grow and learn new things every day. We love you baby girl, so very much!!!!

Last few weeks of pregnancy

We moved to Taylorsville at the beginning of June, in a nice 3 bedrooms 2 baths apartment. I like the place and the area is ok. I love having a walk-in closet in our room and our won bath. One challenge we had though was finding a new OB for the last few weeks of pregnancy. There was no one available at the Murray hospital, no doctors who take our insurance in Taylorsville and we didn't know any doctors in the area either. My friend Karina found out about a doctor her sister in law liked and thankfully he did take our insurance and was happy to help us. His name is Robert Merrill and he works at the Riverton Hospital. The Riverton Hospital is a lot smaller than the Provo or Murray hospitals but well equipped and I hope that the service will be more personal and that my needs will be met better there. I like small places and how cozy and personal they make people feel. This is one thing I miss about Springville... For example, I loved the service I would get at the UPS store in Springville. The employees knew me and they were always nice and helpful. You can rarely get that kind of service in a big city.

Back to going to the prenatal visits, even from the first time I went at Western OB, where Dr. Merrill works, which is on the same floor as the Maternity Ward of the hospital, at 35 weeks I was pleasantly impressed. The doctor is a very nice guy who seems to know what he's doing and the staff was very nice and helpful as well. They even had a nurse entertain the girls while the doctor checked me and ran the B Strep test. The test was negative (even though it was positive both previous times) and apparently I was dilated to 1.5cm and 30% effaced. At 36 weeks I was 2.3cm dilated and 60% effaced and at almost 37 weeks I was 3.5cm dilated and the doctor decided to strip my membranes to help things along. My blood sugar is good, my blood pressure is good too and my weight gain is ok. Lost a couple of pounds but nothing of concern. We decided to have Kaley a week early to keep her on the smaller side so that hopefully I will be able to have another successful VBAC. The induction day is July 5th, a Friday. I got a bad cold a few days before week 38 and the doctor prescribed antibiotics and some cough syrup to make sure that I'll be ok in case I go into labor early. Since the stripping of the membranes I've been having some more contractions that are a little stronger than I felt before and are accompanied by mild back pain. I'm loosing a little bit of the mucous plug every day too. First big chunk came out on Monday, the 24h and I've been having low belly cramping on and off since then. After checking today, the 26th, the doctor said that baby isn't ready to come out yet since I haven't had any spotting at all. The truth is that I never had spotting with the first two pregnancies either so not sure if that is a good measurement. I'm definitely in pre-labor but will have to see for how long. This time I seem to dilate a lot faster so, who knows... Will see how this last week goes. 

I'm excited to meet Kaley but I am a little nervous about the labor and delivery and about the postpartum period. I remember how hard and painful it was after I delivered Alyss so I'm trying to find remedies that will help me feel better this time. Hopefully the third experience will be the smoothest of all.