Sunday, June 27, 2010

Some long overdue videos of Charlotte.

This is Charlotte when she is still in the hospital. She has the hiccups, which she gets at least once (but usually several times) a day. Poor girl.




This is Charlotte having her first tummy time on Daddy's chest. This isn't a great video of what she was doing, but she was squirming so much, that she was kind of crawling up Kyle's chest onto his shoulder and face. Kyle yelled, "Jen, she's CRAWLING!" Kind of.



And finally, some footage of our squirmy worm. When she is awake, those little legs never. stop. moving. (Much what it felt like when she was still inside of me). Side effects from running a marathon 6 days in utero?

Monday, June 21, 2010

Days with Charlotte

We have not turned on the TV since we got home.
Charlotte is our new favorite hobby.

At Charlotte's check up this week we learned that she has grown 1/2 inch, and put 3 ounces back on bringing her weight to a whopping 5 lbs 14 oz.
Praise God, we love our pediatrician.
We also learned that we should be doing "Tummy Time" even at this ripe young age. Charlotte nearly flipped herself back onto her back as the Dr. was demonstrating. So, tonight we had tummy time on Daddy's chest.


In the elevator, on our way up to the doctor's office, a woman saw Charlotte in this outfit, with this blanket...


... and said, "He's so cute! It's a boy, right?" Um, really?!

We took her on our first walk the other day.


We simulated my lightening speed with the jogging stroller.


Spending the afternoon listening to Grandma Jan tell her everything she needs to know about the Blackhawks. (She's been a die-hard fan since 1983, everyone).

Some of our favorite pictures of sweet Charlotte.






We could not be more in love. She is a complete angel. So far, she has slept at least one 4, 5, or 6 hour stretch at night (sometimes I think that if I didn't wake her up to feed her, she would sleep the whole night!) She eats like a champ. When she is awake, she is totally content doing whatever and being held by whomever. We have yet to hear a real good cry... just some whimpering when she's hungry. We'll see what the next week brings!

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Whew. I have been trying to update for a while now, but it never seems to work out. Every time I try to make my way over to the office, I get stopped by like ten people and then I get here and have to walk home in five minutes again to feed Charlotte or something.

Anyways, she is home with us and we are so in love. She is the tiniest most beautiful thing ever and did I mention I love her?

You may be wondering how it all happened.

I had been having pretty uncomfortable contractions at home since Monday morning. By Tuesday night they were so unbearable that I didn't sleep at all and took three showers to try to make my back pain go away. I got out of bed and watched tv starting at about 3 a.m. By 5:30-ish I was having contractions regularly every five minutes or so, so we headed to the hospital (I had been having such irregular contractions for so long, I wasn't fully convinced that they would stick and thought we might be on our way home a few hours later). And then we got pulled over in Iron Mountain, 3 minutes from the hospital. Kyle got to tell the officer that his wife was in labor (just like in the movies!) and they let us go.

At the hospital, they put us in triage where we stayed for about five hours. Our doctor wasn't necessarily convinced I was in true labor because my cervix was only dilated a centimeter, even though I was having pretty painful contractions. I told him through tears that if I had to go home in this pain I would be so miserable and that I hadn't slept in two days. When he came back to check on us at 11:30, I had dilated to 2 centimeters, so he decided to admit us. We were taken to a room and I was promptly put on Pitocin and the contractions started gradually getting more and more intense. After a few more hours I had only dilated to 3 centimeters (yet still had SUPER painful contractions), so the nurse gave me some Stadol, which made me soooo nauseous and awful feeling, not to mention the super painful contractions. By the time I had reached 4 centimeters and could finally have an epidural I was having such complete terrible pain and was shaking uncontrollably... not a good situation when a doctor is trying to stick a needle next to your spine. It was so hard to sit still and the shot hurt so bad, but as I was waiting for the needle, I was telling my nurse, Sue, I couldn't stay still and was praying out loud, "Please, God, help me to stay still..." and she leaned forward, touched her forehead to mine and started praying for me out loud as well. Kyle and I were both crying, it was so beautiful. I finally got the epidural and felt super relaxed for the first time in, like, three days, so I tried to lay back and rest.

Our doctor came in and explained that I had been progressing super slow and that she might not fit through the birth canal and that I might have to have a c-section. Let me tell you, after the day of labor, a c-section was sounding pretty good to me then. So, I thought I'd just rest up, wait it out, and have a c-section in a few hours. But, OH. NO. Right after my epidural Kyle ran out to grab some dinner. When he came back he sat next to me and ate and I started feeling very minor contractions, but ones that were just slightly uncomfortable right in my pelvic floor area. I mentioned to my nurse that I was having a little bit of pain, so she brought me some ice. Seriously, within like five minutes I was having constant intense pain in my pelvic floor. The nurse checked me and I had dilated from 4 to 8 centimeters in 30 minutes. She told me I was just about ready to push and I FREAKED. Um, I said, I'm supposed to be having a c-section- I CAN NOT do this. Kyle and my nurse Jane were so reassuring that I could, but I was CONVINCED I did not have what it took to push that little girl out. The doctor came in and started setting up around 8:30. I pushed for 20 minutes and by 9:30 we had little Charlotte Amy. I have never felt so good in my life when that little girl came out. She was such an angel and I realized, also, that I wasn't pregnant anymore! I was instantly smiles and chatting with all the nurses. Kyle said he hadn't seen me so happy and normal in 3 days.

Kyle with Charlotte:


Wearing Auntie Heather's tie-dye onesie:



And we've had a few grandparent visits:





Just barely fitting in her car seat:


First bath at home, compliments of Dad.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

She's Here!



Charlotte Amy Mecher
Born June 16, 2010
6 lbs 3 oz
17.5 inches

"A little bag of Sugar"



Just some quick shots to tied you over

First Picture

She worked so hard. I tear up with pride whenever I think about it.
You are my hero Jenny.

The Fam


Thank you all for all your love, prayers and support (and gorgeous flowers).

We (Jenny, Charlotte and I) love you.


Monday, June 14, 2010

Random-y random pictures.

First of all, I found these "Freedom" Gummi Bears Memorial Day weekend in Eagle River. What makes them so free? I'm still not sure, but they were delicious



One of the days when it was still hot out, Kyle and I went for an afternoon pontoon cruise.



I made these delicious dark chocolate-raspberry cupcakes for my friend, Abby's birthday. Too bad I only have pictures of cupcakes, and not the birthday girl.


Last weekend, Kyle and I went on a date to Eagle River. We brought picnic-y things and Boggle and some good books (I think this was the day I finished Harry Potter, actually...). We revisited the site of our first date. It was really fun! Unfortunately, the only picture I have is of Kyle setting up our table in a bag, which was very handy- thanks, Wendy!

And, lastly, me at 37 weeks.


Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Thanks for all of the encouraging mom responses! I wrote that in the heat of the moment, forgot about it, and then when people started calling me about it, I was having a serious moment of regret for venting on the internet. But it was so good to hear from all of you, so thank you. I couldn't be more excited, especially since she is due in THREE WEEKS AND ONE DAY!

So, last night I finally finished the seventh Harry Potter book. It was RIVETING and I'm so sad I'm done now. I've been reading the series since Christmas. What am I going to do with my life now?! You know, besides wait super-anxiously until the first installment of the seventh movie comes out this fall...

A friend and fellow blogger made her "summer bucket list" recently and it inspired me to do the same today.

There will also be a mini-birthday party for my friend, Abby, that includes turquoise-frosted dark chocolate raspberry cupcakes (in my red cupcake stand that was 50% off the day after Christmas, because it was "Christmas-y," but really it's just red- what a steal!) AND delicious coffee punch- thanks, Lynn!

I will also be fixing all of the things that have been bugging me about my wedding album (scrapbook) today.

AND I decided to make the baby a family photo book, so she'll know who her aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents are... so I think I'll be working on that today as well.

I am getting so sick of camp pizza and am going to cook myself dinner this Friday when it is served. Any summer-y suggestions?

Monday, June 7, 2010

I am SO SICK of people telling me about how awful it's going to be to be a new mom. How I'm NEVER going to sleep again. And how sick I'll be of sitting in her room. How expensive babies are. How sick I'll be of changing diapers. How busy I'll be (magically, somehow, 24 hours a day, it seems...). And then it seems, especially if after much of this depressing-ness I finally admit, okay, yes, maybe I might be nervous for it to be difficult, they come out swinging with, "Ohhhh, but you'll be fiiiiiine. It's soooo wonderfuuuuul."

Oh, well, yes, you certainly make it sound wonderful, don't you?

And could we admit, for a second, that I might possibly have a different experience than you? That maybe my baby will be a good sleeper? Or that I'll love everything about being a new mom? Or that I have a wonderful husband who will help me do everything? Hm? Could we?

I'm just already soooo siiiiiick of the advice and telling me how my life is going to be. Mmmm, could I maybe just figure it out for myself?

Whew. Complain-y pants just wants to have her baby, already, please.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Long-awaited pictures of the baby's room. It is so cozy and cute in there, I just want to sit in the glider and look around all of the time. (I realize this may be disorienting, but these pictures are in order from what you see right when you walk in the door, moving clockwise around the room):







This little red rocking chair was my Grandma Duckhorn's when she was little. It might be hard to tell here, but it is SO TINY.


We are so ready to take care of this little girl's butt.


Woodland animals. My favorite. You'll see more of those in a moment.


She has so many accessories!


More woodland animals on her mobile. It was hard to get a good picture of them, but there is a fox, a racoon, an owl, and a red squirrel.


Her closet is still under construction. I need Kyle to rearrange some of the shelves. (Although when he wasn't around, I DID move the twin bed on my own and assemble the bookcase- which I paid dearly for later, don't worry- so maybe I should just do it on my own...)


All of her little dresses and cardigans!


A really cute book that was assembled at my church shower. It's a book of "Parenting Pointers" from all of the women that were there.


These are the pictures that are on display around the room:
from Matilda


Charlotte's Web


Curious George Goes to the Library


The Sneetches


Olivia


Where the Wild Things Are


Fox in Socks
(My Grandma Duck used to read this to me)


The Giving Tree


She's slowly taking over the kitchen...


... and the bathroom, but we LOVE it!