Bridger's Birth Story

This picture was taken a week before Bridger was born.  Tim took me on a walk almost every night of my pregnancy; by the end, the walks got a little shorter and much slower.  Bridger was due on August 10th and I wasn't really anxious to get him here until about 2 weeks before he was due and then I was READY!  In that two weeks, we moved out of our wonderful apartment and into my parents house.  We had the greatest memories of that place and Tim themed our time there, "Young and In Love" - too true.   These pictures were taken the day we moved out.

I started having contractions in the middle of the night a few days before Bridger was born.  I would be about to fall asleep and then a really strong contraction would hit and I would wake up - this was off and on for a few nights and then the night before he came, they were every 15 minutes.  Tim downloaded a contractions app that timed the contractions so he was definitely part of my labor process.  He would say every hour, "Carlee, that was only six minutes from your last contraction; I think we should start packing."  I was in pain throughout the day but I was surprised when my pain meter jumped to OUCH!  I HATE THIS! in a 20 minute period.  By the time we jumped in the car, I was panicked and kind of teary, partly in pain and partly in fear.  We got to the hospital - when I saw my aunt Melanie at the front desk, I just wanted to run into her arms and cry, "I don't want to do this!" .  She was so excited though, saying, "Your mom just called and said you were on your way! It's here!  You're having this baby!"  Her attitude helped me keep it together.  I hurried and changed - a nurse checked me and said she could feel the head coming down and that it was time to get a room, while I was only thinking that it was time get an epidural.  Every time I had a contraction, my whole body would shake - IT HURT!  I think I cussed a lot in my mind and sadly, once out loud.  I'm pretty sure I told Tim we would NEVER have another baby and lots of other things I'm sure I will come to regret.  Finally, the anesthesiologist came and gave me a miracle, the epidural.  It felt like he was slowly bruising my back but as soon as he was done, I was in a very happy place.  I didn't feel a thing except pure joy.  From then on, I was joking with the nurses, getting life stories, and apologizing for acting like a complete lunatic.  I tried to sleep but Tim was too excited, so we mostly talked and waited for my contractions to get closer.

At around 9 pm, the nurse came in and said, "Ok, it's time to push."  I pushed five times and my doctor pulled out this purple human from my body.  It was strange.  I wondered if I would cry but I think I was overwhelmed by the novelty of everything and forgot to shed any tears.  I held this little crying baby for a few minutes and thought, "Wow, he is so little and helpless and his cry is adorable."  Tim was with him through the testing - I think he was in awe as well.  Lots of women have said that as soon as they saw their babies, they felt an overwhelming love for them.  I was surprised when I didn't have those feelings; I did, however, feel an overwhelming urge to protect him.  Now I know why first time moms can be overprotective.



We spent two nights in the hospital and ate like kings - the labor and delivery has the best food ever!  The rest of the time I spent figuring out how to nurse, sleep, and retrain myself to go to the bathroom...it was torture. It only got worse when we got home - I thought I had made a huge mistake in having this baby and I wanted my old life back.  Bridger didn't sleep at all for a week straight, plus trying to heal and not having a place of our own caused a few come-aparts.  When Tim had to go up to Provo to start Law School, I decided to go with him.  We visited the doctor the morning Bridger was a week old, got him circumcised (poor kid), and drove up to Provo a few hours later.  Now that we are up in Provo, I am still trying to figure out this whole 'mom' thing and Tim is loving school.  I am getting use to less sleep and praying that one day, I will know what it feels like to be well rested again.  Until then, I am just loving this little baby and healing my body.  Its been the change of a lifetime and while its been a good change, I'm not about to do it again any time soon.

 

Summer

When I think of summer, I think of swimsuits, tan lines, the pool, sunscreen, sunburns, playing outside, blizzards from DQ, icees from Snow Shack, and hiking around the red rock.  This summer however, has gone a little bit differently.  The biggest change-up from previous summers is the fact that I'm a whale (that's bloatd).  I am due in 6 weeks and I'm really starting to feel the pressure - mentally and physically.  Tonight at Costco, I was trying to pick out a watermelon when Tim came up to me and asked, "Are you trying to sneak one out of here?"  I was doing pretty well until about a week ago when my darling sister-in-law went through 29 hours of labor to deliver a gorgeous little boy.  Now, I'm up to bat and have no clue how to play baseball or take care of a baby.

Other than that life changing event, Tim is starting Law School next month and we are packing up to move to Provo for the next three years.  We are so excited but as we were walking the other night, Tim asked, "So how are you going to handle not having your family so close?"  I burst into tears.  I've loved having my family next door. I will miss them. So Tim has been studying everyday, trying to get ready for school and I have been working for my dad.  Learning the appraisal business is not as easy as my dad lets on but I'm learning a lot and I love having some extra money.  We just bought a stroller with that money and spent an hour on Saturday playing with it. 



My brother, Lance got home from serving a mission in San Jose a few days ago.  He is the sweetest handsomest boy and I missed him so much.  I don't know how thrilled he is to be home but he's trying to get back into the swing of things.  My mom signed him for up for BYUI this fall so he'll be leaving in August.  Overall, this summer has been wonderful and busy - just how I like it.

This was taken when Lance had just gotten off the plane and how typical of my family to be LATE!  Luckily, the Rynearsons were there to cheer him in until my parents finally got there.  They are the best!

Its Over!

It's finally here; school is out!  The last week of school was filled with talent shows, assemblies, and lots of crazy kids.  I feel like I've been looking forward to summer for a while now but after I got home today, I just cried.  Teaching has definitely been the most rewarding thing I've done so far.  I will miss so many of the kids and never have to think of the bad ones again.  Tim was such an incredible teacher and I know he will only have good memories.  How can you not have good memories?  14-year-olds are hilarious and still excited to learn.  I wonder if I will ever go back but I thought to myself as I was folding laundry, is this it?  Laundry and cleaning my house FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE?  Then I cried some more.  I do realize that there is more to life than house work but I don't know if I've got the working woman out of me yet.  It might just take a baby but we'll see.  These are some pictures from the last day of school.  Good times.



Tim's favorite class..all honors students of course.  I think he would have paid the school to teach this class.



Tim in the student/faculty basketball game - he pulled off some cool stunts but mostly he said he was just out of breath.



This is my little pile of books for some summer reading.  Its time to get ready for a baby!

Ultrasound Pics 25 weeks

Well, I'm in week 25 and we just had our ultrasound to see the baby's heart and face.  I realize he looks alien-ish but I think he's adorable.  He kept touching his face so we were having a hard time seeing everything but our technician said that his body looked great and that his heart looked fantastic.  She also mentioned that his hands and toes were super long..hmm, just like his dad.  I am so grateful he is healthy and beyond excited to have him in our family.

24 weeks



Tim took this picture of me on our walk last night.  I am officially 24 weeks. My whole body, not just my stomach, wants to get on the weight-gain train.  This baby boy is only 1.5 pounds, which leads me to wonder, Where the heck is all the rest of it coming from?  I ask that as I drink my vitamin D chocolate milk.  I should probably cut back on the food intake but I am seriously hungry all the time..I am never full anymore.  Oh well.  Its only going to get worse and I can hit up the gym when Bridger (or whatever his name is) gets here. 

So..Names?

Tim and I have been mulling over names for weeks and yes, we have some ideas but nothing seems to be set in stone.  If you want to chime in, now is the time.  Here is the list so far:
Bridger, Owen, Ty, Boston, David, ...Porter?  Man, that list was shorter than I at first thought.  We are definitely open to ideas!  The next few paragraphs are more of a journal entry so no need to read.

Pregnancy has been good in so many ways..not in others.  I feel like my hormones are oddly enough, balanced.  I am happy pretty much all the time and I have no "time-of-month" come-aparts - Tim is very grateful.  My hair doesn't fall out in globs and I love feeling that baby kick in my stomach...so cool.   On the other hand, gaining 15 pounds in 3 weeks is wretched; my legs ache; I'm a bottomless pit when it comes to food and my bladder has shrunk to the size of a pea.  Is it too soon to say, "I'm ready for this baby to be out!?"  Overall, I can't wait to be a mama and welcome this sweet boy into our family.  I hope with all my heart that he is just like Tim.  I am so grateful to my husband for taking me on walks every night and just being the sweetest man alive.

Only six weeks of school left and I am done!  I doubt any teacher or student is as excited as I am to be finally finished.  I've taught 3 years and have enjoyed most of it.  I will miss the good kids and say good riddance to the bad ones.  I have learned so much being a teacher: my sarcasm has flourished, my patience has gone from a .2 to a 6, my ability to sift through truth and lies is at an all time high, and my usage of the word "whatever" has risen from one time per month to one time every other hour.  Teaching is, honestly, a great profession and I would recommend it to a number of people.  Maybe I will come back to it one day but right now, my sights are set on summer and BYU this fall. 

I've spent the Easter weekend with family and I must say that I think my family is pretty amazing.  I am so grateful for mine and Tim's family.  Families are truly the basis of the gospel of Jesus Christ and I could not feel more blessed for the one I got (and married into).  I am especially grateful for my sisters.  I was hiking up the radio tower (a monster hill) with my sister Paige yesterday and felt such gratitude for her.  Sisters make the very best of friends.  Me, Paige, and Lindsey talk about anything and everything and - not strange at all - can still find more to say the next day.  I've loved having Paige so close and I am so thrilled that we are both pregnant!  I can't wait to be up in Provo with Lindsey, doing hair and overdoing it with the frozen yogurt.  So blessed to have sisters!

It's a....

Yep, its a boy!  After taking the guesses of Tim's family and my family, there was a 100% chance it would be a girl.  I was the only one who thought it was a boy and that is exactly what we are getting.  As we looked at the monitor of our hiccuping baby, Tim said, "Well Carlee, you get what you want."  I've always wanted to have a boy first.  My 3 yr. old nephew almost changed my mind of ever wanting boys but not quite.  The ultrasound tech said that his organs were all in the right spot so far and that his heart was "glorious."  I was relieved to hear that its healthy.  Now its time to pick a name and we have NO IDEA where to begin.  Maybe some baby shopping will help me brainstorm....