Baby Coakley Has Arrived!!!!

I'll write his birth story on a different blog post, this is just meant to show some pictures, share a few details and and naming video Rowdy and I made. For those who didn't know, last night, December 16th we went in for them to start the induction with the cervidil. Cervidil is not known for starting labor for first time moms and usually only works in 10-15% of recurrent mothers in inducing labor, its strictly for ripening the cervix. Well, it put me right into labor, woo! So hard labor started at about 9:30pm last night. My main goal was to have a natural childbirth, but come 3am I decided that an epidural was the path for me, so I got one. Rowdy was AMAZING the entire time. He was so supportive and helpful. I started pushing at 8:15am this morning, December 17th and four pushes later at 8:29am he was out!!! He's got some lungs on him, he screamed for about an hour and a half straight. He has been such a joy to kiss and cuddle and look at. He is just perfect! And I have fallen even more in love with my husband watching him love his son, he is such a great dad already and I adore that about him. So here are some pictures and the naming video, enjoy!!!

Click this link: Naming Baby Coakley

Passing 40

How Far Along: 40 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 20lbs

Maternity Clothes: yep

Stretch Marks: nope!

Best Moment This week? It my due date, so im hoping he's here soon

Miss Anything? yeah, a baby!

Movement: yes, but he is slowing down a bit, but when he stretches out it can be painful

Food cravings? clementines

Anything making you queasy or sick? Not really

Have you started to show yet? Undeniably preggers

Gender? Boy

Labor Signs? yep, contractions, sometimes very regular, but still no baby

Belly button in or out? out

Wedding rings on or off? On and loose

Happy or moody most of the time? Stressed, anxious, exhausted but happy

Looking forward to? Going into labor and finally meeting my little boy

Funny Moment this week? none so far

So I'm a little crabby writing this post. I realize that babies rarely come on their due dates, especially first babies, but from a pregnant person's standpoint, that is very unfortunate. You prepare and grow for 9 months, you just can't wait to get the little bugger out, all to find out that it's really a waiting game. I'm exhausted because for some reason, I wake up between 5 and 530 every morning and have been the last month or so, and darn it, if I'm waking up at that hour it better be to see my little man and not just to lay there and think about when the heck he will decide to get here.

I went in today for my Dr. appointment. Everything looks fine, but I have not progressed passed 1cm, grr. And YES, I have been doing everything possible to help this along. He did say however, that my bag of waters is so tight that he couldn't feel where the baby was positioned, so he had to wheel in his little ultrasound machine to ensure he was still head down, he is luckily. But, he said it made him wonder if my bag of waters will just burst and shoot me into labor because of how tight it is. My thought: SWEET, lets get this show on the road! The plan if I don't go into labor by next Tuesday (41 weeks): ultra sound, amniotic fluid test and stress test to see how baby boy is holding up. If all is well, then I will meet again that Friday (14th) have another stress test and if everything is fine, they will schedule me to be induced the following week (42nd week). If the tests don't look very good, then they will induce me within a day or so if not that day. None of this I want. I broke down in my car after all of this. I want to have a natural labor so badly and it's starting to freak me out that he could decide to hangout much longer than a doctor is willing to let him. I pray every night that things will be okay and he will come soon.

Little man had us in a tither the other night, Saturday night because I was having constant contractions for several hours, we were really starting to wonder if he was on his way. Then they stopped, just like that. Rowdy asked that I try and hold off until Friday so he can finish his finals, yeah I'll get right on that dear. I don't think it has quite set in for him yet that this is going to happen any day, it's not longer "a month from now" or anything like that, it's any day. I am so excited to hold our little bundle of joy, our little miracle baby, because he was definitely a baby sent to us at this time for a purpose. I wonder what he will look like, if he will have mounds of blonde hair like Rowdy did when he was born, if he will be big (hope not) or small, if he will sleep well or cry a lot, what he will smell like, feel his baby soft skin. I welcome it all, whatever he brings.

11 days and Counting

How Far Along: 38 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 18lbs

Maternity Clothes: yep

Stretch Marks: nope!

Best Moment This week? Last week of class before finals and baby! And we have 5 names now that we are choosing from.

Miss Anything? Being skinny, being able to bend over, pain free back

Movement: yes, but he is slowing down a bit, but when he stretches out it can be painful

Food cravings? nothing constant, more so in-the-moment cravings

Anything making you queasy or sick? Not really

Have you started to show yet? Undeniably preggers

Gender? Boy

Labor Signs? 24/7 Braxton Hicks and they are starting to get more intense. And having a lot of "lightning" moments

Belly button in or out? protudes slightly 

Wedding rings on or off? On and loose

Happy or moody most of the time? Stressed, anxious, exhausted but happy

Looking forward to? Going into labor and being finished with this term

Funny Moment this week? During the photo shoot, we had waffles on my tummy and the baby kicked them

 We are getting so close!!!! It's hard to believe that we are almost into single digits of the due date. Thanksgiving was fun, we had my parents, Logan and my older brother Jens with his girlfriend and my nephew Micah and my grandma Iris over at our house. Rowdy smoked our turkey, and it was fabulous I must say. We ate our brains out, so much that I didn't eat anything until lunch time the following day. We went and did some Black Friday shopping, definitely killed my feet and my back, wiped me out! I have finals this coming week, lots of work ahead of me for the next few days, but then I am done and my baby can come without me having to juggle finals as well.

We have finally gotten our name list down to 5 names!!! It is a miracle, let me tell you. I kind of had a melt down and made Rowdy narrow it down for us because we are getting so close to the due date with no names, I gave him Thanksgiving as his cut off date or I would be naming our son. He came up with his names the day after I said this. Our names are Addisen, Blake, Ethan, Hayden and Teagan, we will just have to see what he looks like! Pregnancy is wiping me out. As he continues to drop even more, my bladder feels more and more pressure and my waddle gets bigger and bigger. Sleeping is not very comfortable and the lightning I have is at times insanely painful. For those that don't know what that is, it's sharp, stabbing pains  in the lower uterus as the baby moves down. My B.H. are getting stronger and longer, which is a good thing, but I'm hoping they will pick up even more in the next week because I would love for him to be a tad early.

I'm going to my friend, Livia's house tomorrow to get some freezer meals made for when the baby comes and no one feels like cooking. His room is almost completely done, even though he won't be sleeping in there for a while. He's still active, stretching out all over the place. He really likes music, specifically Adele. We went and saw the new James Bond today and as soon as her song came on, he started dancing up a storm in my belly. My friend, Jenni Merritt did my maternity pictures last Saturday, and I've only seen two so far but I love them. I think pregnancy should be celebrated and women should feel beautiful and sexy while pregnant and I feel that these photo's capture that. Now all we have to do is wait for him to arrive and we will be taking countless pictures of him!

37 weeks and 5 days pregnant

36 Weeks down, 26 days to go!

This picture really doesn't do my belly justice, I will try to have Rowdy take one with a real camera.

How Far Along: 36 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 15lbs

Maternity Clothes: yep

Stretch Marks: nope!

Best Moment This week? The fact that I can practically grab onto his little foot because he drives it into my stomach and side so hard!

Miss Anything? Being able to bend over, tie my shoes, my back not hurting, sleeping well through the night.

Movement: Constant

Food cravings? Starting to want salads... which I loved pre-pregnancy, then hated all while prego but now im starting to want them

Anything making you queasy or sick? Not really

Have you started to show yet? Undeniably preggers

Gender? Boy

Labor Signs? 24/7 Braxton Hicks and they are starting to get more intense. And starting to have some "lightning" moments

Belly button in or out? mm flush, but protudes slightly when I sit

Wedding rings on or off? On and loose

Happy or moody most of the time? Stressed, anxious, exhausted but happy

Looking forward to? My prego photoshoot and getting him out!

Funny Moment this week? My dad noticing my son kicking me while we were sitting at church

Well I'm a little past 36 weeks, leaving only 26 more days until his due date! I am looking forward to this day more and more with every second that passes. I have loved being pregnant, but I have reached the point that every pregnant woman seems to reach, where she is ready for her baby to come OUT! I have had a wonderful pregnancy, avoiding many things women are plagued with such as morning sickness, heartburn, stretch marks and swelling, but I have not escaped all symptoms. My back is constantly in pain, and with a bowling ball attached to my stomach, bending over is nearly impossible as are the tasks that accompany bending over such as tying my shoes, picking something up, getting up from a chair or out of bed etc. And I've had this excruciating spot on my stomach ever since I've started to show, doctors just say that our son is so active that he beats me up in that spot often and so the muscle tissue is very sore. Lucky me.

Complaining aside, I only have three weeks left of school, two of those weeks I have a couple days off because of holidays, woo hoo! After my last final on the 28th, I am jumping on that stair master and treadmill and coaxing this baby out. I've had two weekly appointments, my first weekly appointment I tested negative for Step B (which is a good thing) and was already 1cm dilated and cervix was already softening (sorry if that is TMI for some). Today they didn't check me but all is well, his heartbeat is strong and healthy and he is still head down. We meet with my doula, Jordanna again this weekend to go over some things before the birth and I have my birth plan all written out. My dad said it looks like a legal document lol. It doesn't really, but I clearly state what I want and don't want.

We are getting so close! Still no name, we aren't even close to that decision. We should probably get working on the narrowing down of the 11 we have left on our lists. I have half of his clothes washed, his white clothes alone filled the entire hamper, and it was heavy. My life will forever be filled with laundry. The holidays are coming up, I am so excited, the last months of the year are my favorite. This Christmas will be so special for us with our new addition. I can't wait to take a million pictures of him =)

34 weeks, 8 months

How Far Along: 34 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 14lbs

Maternity Clothes: yep

Stretch Marks: nope!

Best Moment This week? My baby shower

Miss Anything? breathing with ease, sleeping without having to pee, not feeling like I have to pee 5 seconds after I just went.

Movement: Constant

Food cravings? Nothing really CRAVING, I really like blueberry eggo waffles and peaches

Anything making you queasy or sick? Not really

Have you started to show yet? Whale status

Gender? Boy

Labor Signs? 24/7 Braxton Hicks. And starting to have some "lightning" moments

Belly button in or out? mm flush, but protudes slightly when I sit

Wedding rings on or off? On and loose

Happy or moody most of the time? Stressed and anxious but happy

Looking forward to? My prego photoshoot!!!

Funny Moment this week? Rowdy had his arm across my belly and little man was moving all over the place, Rowdy was shocked at how much he could feel up his entire arm.

Well, 6 more weeks and he will be here, if all goes to plan. Pregnancy is starting to set in, like the "real" parts of it, such as exhaustion, pressure as he drops, no sleep and constant peeing. There is no glossing over that. I am increasingly getting to be more uncomfortable but I don't have long until there is no longer a little renter in my belly and he will forever be ours in person. His kicking and rolling around are becoming much stronger as he continues to grow and thus has less room to move around in. I am all belly and it's noticeable. Next Thursday I go to the doctor for my 35 week check up, he will do the Step B tests as well as check my cervix and such. Haven't had that done before so I am a little nervous about that whole process... Hopefully Rowdy can come with me for this one. People often ask if I'm nervous and I'm not really sure. It's more anxious because all of it is fairly unknown. I've prepared myself this entire time of my plan, how I want all of this to go and what I want to do, but until I am in the situation, I have nothing to compare this to. I just hope when his time comes, I can get a hold of everyone I need to and they can be the support I am going to need and in the end, have a beautiful baby boy in my arms to adore for the rest of my life.

School is stressful, I don't think I have ever had so many projects in one term, it's very overwhelming on top of going to school 4 days a week and working 5 days, all while being pregnant. My finals are all on the 28th of November, and I can't wait to be done this term. But then I only have a few short weeks until school starts again January 7th.

I am nesting, big time. I am constantly wanting to cook and clean and organize everything. I just haven't tackled his room yet, which looks like a hand grenade went off full of baby stuff. This last weekend we had my 2nd shower, courtesy of some of my best friends, Molly and Kylee and they did a great job! It was so cute and we had a great time. I also received many things that we desperately needed for the baby so that was a huge relief.

It is getting so close and it's hard to believe that this is really happening so soon. When we first found out, I was only 5 weeks along, it felt like forever until he would be here, but now, it seems like it flew by. I am so excited to finally meet him, and to have some breathing room =)

32 Weeks & Baby Shower #1

How Far Along: 32 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 12lbs

Maternity Clothes: Full throttle at this point, reg. jeans just are not comfortable

Stretch Marks: nope!

Best Moment This week? The day Danielle had Tripp, little man was absolutely INSANE with movement! I have never felt anything like it before. He obviously was excited for his cousin to be coming into the world that day. Even Rowdy was blown away with all the craziness that was evident from my belly.

Miss Anything? Having room to breathe, not having to go to the bathroom every 10 minutes.

Movement: Like you wouldn't believe.

Food cravings? Nothing really CRAVING, but im digging ice cream a lot these days lol

Anything making you queasy or sick? Mainly beef, raw beef smells like wet dog to me, gross.

Have you started to show yet? Getting to whale status

Gender? Boy

Labor Signs? 24/7 Braxton Hicks. Doctor says that even though I have them more than "normal", it is a good thing because my body is preparing hardcore for baby to come.

Belly button in or out? This has been quite the phenomenon, it's starting to make its way out. Sometimes when I sit, one edge of it will start to protrude....

Wedding rings on or off? On and loose

Happy or moody most of the time? A little stressed with always working and having school and feeling to unprepared for him to come. His room looks like baby clothes exploded all over it. I'm nesting and wanting everything clean and tidy, but don't have the time to do it and it is driving me nuts.

Looking forward to? These 8 weeks to fly by, my last shower and my prego photoshoot

Funny Moment this week? I would say it was the day Tripp was born, he was just crazy that day. Also, I was out doing my routine 3 mile walk that Friday and people were waving and honking at me, as if to say "You go preggers!"

Everyone asks me how I am feeling and to be honest I feel great usually. I get uncomfortable at night, but I really don't have much to complain about. I have been going to the doctor routinely every two weeks and my weekly visits start Nov. 1st. I L.O.V.E. my doctor. Love him. He has been so supportive of everything I want to do, answers any and all questions I have and always puts me at ease. He takes his time with me, makes sure I know what is coming and what is going on now with my body. He always has a huge smile on his face and is so warm as a person. I have been blessed with such a wonderful doctor!

Little man is already head down and has been for a couple weeks at least, which makes me feel good, no breech baby is great news! He likes to play in my ribs and move around a lot, I don't know if it's because he's full of energy or because he doesn't have a lot of room so he's constantly trying to find more. But I honestly love it, sometimes though in the middle of the night it can be a bit much and I kindly ask him to sleep so that I can get back to sleep. It's a little difficult when someone is constantly kickly, punching and rolling around when you are trying to enter dreamland.

Rowdy's oldest sister, Danielle had her baby last friday! Tripp Bradley Bowers born Oct. 5, 2012 at 2:30pm  8lbs 10oz and 21 inches long. He is cute as a button and his older brothers are thrilled he's here! Danielle had been having false labor earlier that week and Lacey was concerned she was going to miss the birth. Apparently little Tripp just wanted to mess with his aunt Lacey because Lacey and Poppy's plane landed around 11:45pm and they were off to the hospital at 3am. Just in time! We are thrilled nephew #7 is here!

I've been having dreams about little man being born early, and I'm starting to wonder when he will actually decide to arrive. Everyone I have seen the last couple of weeks have said "WOW, you have dropped!", this is true, but sometimes he floats right back up, doesn't mean much at this point. I have my finals the last week of November, giving me 6 days before his due date of no school. I am fine with him coming early, just as long as it is after my last final on the 28th of November. I am constantly running through my head what it could all possibly be like. Where I will be when it all starts (most likely at work), how long I will labor at home for, how Rowdy's going to react when everything starts, etc. I'm not scared of the pain, simply because I have nothing to reference it to at this point. I know there will be pain, but I also know what that pain is for and how it is working for my body and my son.

I've been really disappointed lately with school, the timing kinda stinks. I want to be a mom, I don't want to be going back and forth to class, home and work. I have to take Sign Language right after he is born and I am not able to take a term off like planned because they only offer ASL once each consecutive term, so I have to leave my little boy while I go to a class I no longer enjoy anymore. Luckily, my mom said she could watch him for us, I just don't want to miss out on anything. Id rather pick school back up once my own are all in school. I know getting a degree is important, especially when you are as far along as I am, but my priorities have shifted to my family, where as school is more on the back burner for me. But I have to finish. Everyone keeps telling me I have to finish. I commend all those who are able to do it, I'm sure those who are single parents think that everything I'm whining about is a piece of cake, but in my own little world it still stinks.

I can't wait for these 8 weeks to just fly by. Our lives are going to change drastically, forever and it is a welcomed change for us =)

Here are some pictures from my first baby shower:

10 more weeks!

How Far Along: 30 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 11lbs

Maternity Clothes: I wear maternity shirts all the time because I don't fit in my normal clothes, I love stretch pants and a couple maternity bottoms and sometimes I will wear my jeans, but they are starting to be very uncomfortable when I sit, so I unbutton them.

Stretch Marks: nada

Best Moment This week? Just feeling him moving all the time, 24/7

Miss Anything? A good night's sleep without frequent bathroom breaks, not getting winded while running and being able to run at a much fast pace!

Movement: All. The. Time. He never stops.

Food cravings? soups, anything I don't have to cook. I have hated cooking since I got prego.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Just the heat and sometimes meat, and Cafe Yumm

Have you started to show yet? Oh yeah baby

Gender? Boy

Labor Signs? Yes, Braxton Hicks, everyday, all day.

Belly button in or out? In but flattening

Wedding rings on or off? On and loose

Happy or moody most of the time? Depends, im pretty happy until something goes wrong, then I can get emotional. I cry a lot more lately.

Looking forward to? Meeting him and my last shower as well as my pregnancy photo shoot!

Funny Moment this week? In class today he kicked me so hard, I jumped and nearly peed my pants. It has been a struggle the last couple weeks to not pee my pants!  

Well I'm 7 months along and continuing to grow. School started this week for Rowdy and I and we are already exhausted. I am so over school. And this term is going to be a lot of work that I already don't feel like doing. We got his crib put together and are starting on our list of "to-do" list before he gets here. I had my first baby shower this last week and it was so fun! Little man got a TON of clothes, so we are set in that department, now we need to get all the stuff we really need. I am getting so anxious to meet our son, it is such an odd thought to me that once he is here there won't be anyone moving around inside of my anymore. It also blows my mind that our lives are changing forever, that it isn't just for a short time that my life will be different, like when going to school or renting a house, he will forever change our lives and be a part of our family. 

According to babycenter and other pregnancy sites, baby boy is weighing in at around 3lbs now (no wonder I made that weight gain jump) and is almost 16 inches long. 16 inches seems so big to fit inside of me! He likes to kick me anytime, anywhere. Rowdy always rolls over in bed and puts his hand on my belly and I often hear him giggle to himself as he feels our little boy kick while I am sleeping or attempting to sleep. I look forward to being comfortable again when I sit down on the couch or when I sleep and not feel like everything is being squished or that I am running out of air. We still don't have a name yet, we each have a list that started out with 10 names each and is currently down to 6 each, but I'm pretty sure this will be a battle until the day he comes. Hopefully by then Rowdy will be okay with the final names we have and let me pick after all that hard work ill be doing. We shall see!

6 Months

26 weeks

27 weeks

Well folks, 2nd trimester is rapidly coming to a close, hard to believe I'll  be holding my little man in 13 weeks! I can hardly stand to wait three more months, can you tell?

How Far Along: 27 weeks (6 months)

Total weight gain/loss: 8lbs

Maternity Clothes: just shirts, I can still fit in my jeans but I am loving my new maternity leggings

Stretch Marks: nope!

Best Moment This week? Movement is increasing, felt him in my ribs this morning

Miss Anything? A good night's sleep without frequent bathroom breaks

Movement: tons! He's a kicker and a roller!

Food cravings? blueberry waffles, clementines

Anything making you queasy or sick? Just the heat and sometimes meat, starting to not eat a lot of it anymore.

Have you started to show yet? Crossed that bridge a long time ago, definitely showing!

Gender? Boy

Labor Signs? Yes, Braxton Hicks have kicked in the past few weeks and I have them almost daily, throughout the day and night. They can be quite uncomfortable at times

Belly button in or out? In but flattening

Wedding rings on or off? On and loose

Happy or moody most of the time? Depends, im pretty happy until something goes wrong, then I can get emotional. my emotions have kicked up a notch the last few weeks, I cry a lot more.

Looking forward to? Meeting him, and my baby showers

Funny Moment this week? While I was reading a book, he kicked it and it fell over. Also, he was featured in my brother, Levi's wedding this past weekend and it will be aired in TLC in November, little man already made his first camera debut!

As previously stated, sleeping is becoming quite a challenge. There are a million pillows on our bed, and I toss and turn all night long. I'm up several times to go to the bathroom and I am noticing that even when I feel like my bladder is going to explode, there's really only a tablespoon in there, how is that possible? I went to the gym today and ran for the first time in a few months and it went really well! I wasn't able to run super fast, my running speed dropped from 7.0 to 5.6-5.8 ha but I ran a mile without heaving for air or anything, I was quite happy about that. I was reading in one of my books how labor takes a lot of energy (duh) and that it's important for women to be healthy and in shape because it is constant "exercise" that your body has to endure and has no choice but to endure. So I decided that my little workout hiatus was over, aside from my occasional walk and that I needed to get back into my normal workout routine. It also helps make the labor process easier for the baby because they are used to the stress that the mother goes through from her working out, as she is in labor.

I want to try to do a natural birth at the hospital, laboring in water. My in-laws think I'm nuts, and Rowdy's not fond of it at all, but it's what I want. I want to at least try it, and if it's not for me, then I can hop out and crawl into the bed. The last month or so I've realized just how important it is to educate yourself, because everyone has their opinions and assumptions, but that doesn't mean they are right or that they have a clue what they are talking about. I need to do what is safe and best for me and my son, and I feel comfortable with my decisions thus far. People have started to give us baby stuff and that has been such a blessing! People I don't even hardly know have been offering me things, makes me feel so good =)

I can honestly say, I'm like my mother in that I love being pregnant. I've had a fairly easy pregnancy thus far with little to complain about. If all my pregnancies go this smoothly, then I could be prego all the time, and that too has been such a blessing. I'm still in awe that I am going to be a mother; That my family is starting now. It makes me worry and wondering about all the things my kids will do and might do and how I can create the best home I can for them. What I can and should teach them, how I can protect and love them. It has been quite a reflection period for me, the past couple weeks especially. 

This last weekend we had Levi and Kristen's wedding. It was one of the most beautiful weddings I've ever seen. It was gorgeous, as were the bride and groom. I felt honored to be a bridesmaid in the wedding and see their special day so up close and personal. For those who were not able to attend and those who did, it will air on TLC in November sometime. Little People, Big World is doing a mini wedding series of 4 weddings. It was hectic at times, not going to lie. We were Mic-ed the entire wedding, which was a little nerve racking because you had to pay attention to everything you said and did, but it was a beautiful wedding. I got to meet some of the Roloff family and Matt was so nice and he loved Levi, which is pretty cool because anyone who knows Levi, knows he can be a little feisty for some lol. It will be a day they will forever remember and get to watch time and time again, as will we!