Payton Elaine- 4 Weeks!

We can't believe our sweet little girl is almost a month old! It is scary how fast time flies.  We can already see changes in Payton when we look back at pictures from when she was first born.  At birth, she looked EXACTLY like her dad, (go figure! lol!) but now, we are starting to see a few more of my qualities.  Her hair is definitely lighter now, and we think she has my mouth.

Life with little Payton is starting to feel a little more like the new normal. Everyday has been a learning experience for all of us, and I am finally beginning to feel a little more confident in my mothering abilities. For example, I now feel comfortable venturing out of the house alone with her. I will never forget when she was one week old, and Ryan, Payton, and I made a trip to Babies R Us. Ryan stepped out for a moment to load something in the car while Payton and I stayed in the store. About that time, she started fussing. I was trying to get her out of her seat, quiet her down, and make a bottle all at the same time, quickly to learn that the bottle was not what she wanted at all. I started frantically searching for Ryan all over the store. Payton was still screaming; I was trying to soothe her by bouncing her up and down while digging through the diaper bag trying to locate my cell phone so that I could get a hold of Ryan. About that time, she spit up all over the place! By the time Ryan finally got to us, I looked at him with a terrified look and quickly said, "It's time to go!" I will never forget how overwhelmed I felt that day. I remember wondering if I would ever be able to go anywhere alone again or do anything by myself! It seemed like everything required at least two people. It's funny how things can change so quickly. Now, 3 weeks later, I look back on that day and laugh. I now am fairly certain that I usually know exactly what Miss Payton is wanting, can usually soothe her cry when she gets upset, and have learned to do a number of everday tasks one-handed. (Due to the fact that Payton is quite the little snuggle bunny and LOVES to be held!) We have learned so much about our Little Angel this past month and below is a list of her likes and dislikes.

LIKES
1) She loves laying in her crib and staring at her bear and lamb.
2) She loves to be held! This is why I usually get nothing done at home! lol!
3) She loves to sleep with her right arm up next to her face. This is so funny because every ultrasould picture we have of her, she has her right up right up next to face, just like she does now.
4) She loves to stretch and kick her legs!
5) She sometimes likes her pacifier.
6) She loves her car seat and going for car rides. This is good since we make quite a few trips to Fairfield!
DISLIKES
1) She does not like to lay in her bassinet.
2) She does not like to have her hair or face washed.
3) She does not like to be naked.
4) She does not like to lay on her tummy.
5) She does not like to sleep between 2:00 and 4:00 am!

Payton continues to add numerous blessings to our everyday lives! She now weighs 8 pounds 8 ounces and can finally fit into some of her clothes! (She was way too small before!) Below are some 4 week old pictures!

 Stretch!!

I love my seat!

I love to sleep on my right arm!

Mommy's Girl!

 Family Photo

The Birth of Payton Elaine Legg

So, this post is definitely way over due, but as some of you may know, as a new mommy, I am quickly learning that I don't have a lot of extra time on my hands. As I sit here at night watching my peaceful baby girl soundly sleep (which doesn't ever last very long), I can honestly say, I have never been more in love, challenged, excited, emotional, or exhausted in my entire life! It is so hard to fathom how much our lives have changed in the matter of 1 day, and at the same time, it is so hard to imagine how our lives used to be before Miss Payton Elaine Legg made her entrance into the world on Friday, March 11, 2011 at 2:26 pm. Below is the story of how little Payton made her debut.

Ryan and I made the decision with our doctor at our 39 week appointment that it was time to be induced! The induction was scheduled to begin around 8:00 pm on Thursday, March 10, with the hopes of a baby arriving sometime Friday evening. The induction process began with me taking a medication at different points throughout the night to get my body ready for labor and then to start pitocin, a drug that stimulates contractions, at 5:00 am on Friday morning. I must say, contrary to a lot of other birth stories, ours went pretty well as planned. I started out dilated 2 cm and felt mild contractions on and off throughout the night, but none strong enough to really get me anywhere. At 5:00 am, the nurse started me on pitocin which caused my contractions to become stronger and more frequent. By 7:00 Friday morning, I had made it to 3 cm and Dr. Brown broke my water. This really got the ball rolling! My doctor suspected that I would be ready for my epidural around noon and estimated that Payton would arrive sometime Friday evening. Little did she know, I would be completely dilated by noon and ready to start pushing!

Around 9:00 am I had made it to 4-5 cm and was more than ready for my epidural! During my two hours of hard contractions with no pain medication, I remember saying to my mom over and over again, "I don't know how you did this 3 times with no medication." She would kindly respond by saying, "I am just so glad that you don't have to." It was always my plan to have an epidural; I am a firm believer in modern medicine and was not about trying to play it tough. I just never thought about having to endure the pain of the contractions up until that point. I must say, I don't think I have ever felt pain quite like that and have never been so happy to see someone like I was to see my anesthesiologist!

I really think I had the perfect epidural. The pain of the contractions was completely gone, but I could still feel and move my legs. By noon, I had made it to 10 cm, but our nurse decided that since I was so comfortable, we might as well not start pushing just yet and let the contractions do the work. I was definitely ok with that!

At 1:00 pm, we decided to get this show on the road. I started pushing with our nurse around 1:00, Dr. Brown arrived around 2:15 ready for delivery, and Payton was born at 2:26! Words cannot express the flood of emotions felt by both Ryan and I as the doctor laid Payton on my chest and our eyes met for the first time. Ryan kept saying over and over, "Holly, she's really here; she's right there; she's here!" She came out so bright eyed, and we spent the next 15-20 minutes savoring every second of that magical, most precious moment when we instantly became a family of 3. We were completely oblivious to everything else that was going on and everyone else in the room.

Our experience at the Women's Hospital was truly wonderful. We had the best nurses, and after experiencing the care that they give to their patients on a daily basis, I now have an even greater respect for people who choose this as a career path. I will never forget my nurse Donna, who was with us all through labor and delivery. I think God must have had something to do with her being my nurse that day. She was the exact person I needed to help get me through this, and I cried like a baby when her shift was over. She got emotional as well, and we decided that she will be seeing me again in a couple years. :)

Now that Payton is here, the real journey begins! I know I have made some of the greatest memories of my entire life these first couple weeks at home. I have never been so thankful for great family and friends, especially my mom! Thankfully, she stayed with us the first week after Payton was born to make sure we had a clean house and cooked meals every day. By doing this, she enabled Ryan and I to spend every waking moment getting to know our sweet little girl and how to be the best parents for her. The gift of that time is the greatest, most precious gift we could have ever asked for!

As we begin this new chapter in our lives, I hope to never forget the advice given to me by one of my teacher friends, "What you do with your kids is far more important than what you do for them." We are so thankful to God for this amazing gift, and I hope to do my best to enjoy each and every moment. (Yes, this even means the 2 am feedings! haha!) Miss Payton- Thanks for making mommy and daddy the happiest parents on earth, and thanks for your patience, as we are learning right along with you each and every day! Below are some of our favorite pictures.

We Finally Get to Meet Payton this Week!

We just got back from our weekly check-up and found out that we get to be induced Thursday evening!  Oh how we have longed for this day!  We were kind of hoping for tomorrow, but our doctor has a lot of surgeries that day and really wants to be there.  It is so easy to get overly anxious, so I am going to try my best to enjoy these last few days where I know right where little Payton is, safe and sound right next to me.  :)

Thoughts and prayers will be much appreciated!  Even though we think we are ready, I still find myself at times doubting my ability to do this.  I think this is something that every soon to be mother probably goes through.  I am so thankful for the tons of friends and family that we have to support us, and I have really always felt, even before we were married and even dated really, that together Ryan and I could get through anything.  However, it is still a little scary and hard to fathom how much life is about to change.  This makes me think of the time back in February when were taking our childbirth class, and there were a couple girls who came alone.  I remember thinking to myself how challenging this time would be if I didn't have the support of a great husband and great family.  The strength and courage of these girls to tackle this challenge in the best way that they could was truly admirable.

Well, I have officially tried all the home remedies for inducing labor on my own such as eating spicy food, taking nice long walks, pedicures, etc. and none seem to work, and for some reason, Ryan felt the need to share all these crazy stories with our doctor today. lol!  She probably thinks I am crazy, because we haven't even reached our due date yet.   Why do I even try to mess with God's timing?  He has known since the beginning of time when her birthday was going to be and there is absolutely nothing I can do to change that.  I don't know why I would even want to.  On a much more light-hearted note, Payton will be arriving just in time for the Bachelor finale and will get to be our special little guest at our next weekly Bachelor get-together to help root for Emily.  lol!

Stay tuned for pictures!  We just keep praying for a safe delivery with a healthy baby!  Miss Payton- please know that mommy and daddy will be seeing you soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Still Waiting! 38 1/2 Weeks

We are getting closer, but I am starting to think that I should have believed Ryan when he stated "If Little Payton is anything like her mommy, she won't be on time." I really think these last couple weeks are going by the slowest!  We have everything ready to go, (or so we think) so all we have to do is sit and wait.

I officially went on maternity leave this week.  I had mixed emotions about this, which really caught me off guard.  I just knew for sure that I would be so excited to not have to think about school for a long time, but I always forget how attached you really get to your kids.  Even though I know my perspective will entirely change once Payton arrives, it did make me sad to leave my students. (This kind of scared me to think about how hard it will be to leave Payton when I must return to work.  Yikes!)  My kids at school somehow can't grasp that I won't be back until next year, and most of them really think I should be back the week after the baby is born. We turned this conversation into a learning experience about how much work a newborn is and how important it is to make sure you are really ready for that kind of huge committment.  (Hopefully, this was good for a bunch of 7th and 8th graders to hear.  lol!)  On a positive note, my blood pressure has went down a bit since going on maternity leave.  Imagine that!

We went to the doctor yesterday.  Payton is around 7 pounds, is head down, and is ready to come out!  (At least mommy thinks so!)  The doctor is giving us the option to induce next week unless she decides to come before then, so we are looking at about 1 more week at the latest.  Thank goodness!

I really can't believe that we have made it to March.  Ryan and I keep fantasizing about the moment when we get to see her for the first time.  I just cannot imagine what this is going to be like!  We feel so blessed to have gotten to share this wonderful experience together.  My mom really put it into perspective when she brought to my attention that not only are we bringing a little girl into this world, but we are creating an eternal soul.  Wow!  I just pray that God gives us the wisdom as parents to help mold her into the person that he has already designed for her to be. We are both so thankful that we have a tremendous support system to help us with this. We are also so thankful that God has helped us grow as Christians through this whole experience, helping us to realize what the important things in life really are!

38 1/2 week belly pictures are posted below.  It is crazy to compare these to my 5 week picture!  I sometimes wonder if I will ever look like that again.  Probably not, but I WILL be Payton's mommy, so it will all be worth it!   Also, I apologize if anyone is offended by bare belly pics, but we had to capture the moment. (Hopefully it will not look like that for much longer.  lol!)  Stay tuned for more updates! 

Nesting!

I can tell the day is getting closer! I woke up this morning with a sudden burst of energy and the dying urge to re-arrange everything in the house and assemble every piece of baby equipment that we currently own. I really don't think this house will ever be clean or organized enough for little Payton. I am coming to the realization that as soon as I just accept and go along with that, I will be much happier!

Reality kind of set in Friday morning when I thought I was having contractions around 4:00 am. I woke Ryan up and we just kind of laid in bed to see if they subsided. They finally did, and I got up and went to work like normal. However, I did realize that if for some reason that would have been the day, that my house was no where in order, our car seat had yet to be installed, and we had none of our bags packed. Maybe this was God's way of telling us that we better get it in gear! Needless to say, I called my long term sub that day at school to make sure he was ready to go, called my mom and grandma and begged for their wonderful assistance when it comes to cleaning and organizing, started packing a bag for both myself and for Payton, and put Ryan to work with his toolbox and all of our baby items. I feel much better now that we've got a lot accomplished the past couple days!

In addition to Valentine's Day, we celebrated Ryan's 28th birthday this week. Unfortunately, he was down with the stomach flu. This was probably the sickest I have seen him since we have been married. Thankfully, he is feeling much better now, and it is by the grace of God that I didn't catch it! I really tried to let him know how much I appreciate him this birthday. I KNOW he has been really stressed lately. He is getting ready to go through some really big changes as work, his classes for his Project Management certification are in full swing (which are requiring more time than he initially thought), and he has been so worried about his mother's health and is trying to do all he can to help while being an hour away. However, with all that has been going on, I can always make him smile with a brief mention of Payton along with a reminder that we will be meeting her soon!

We go to the doctor again on Monday! Oh how nice it would be if my doctor just decided that the time was right and they were going to keep me. Somehow I know I won't be so lucky! Lol!!

36 Weeks! Dying to Meet this Little Princess!

I am really starting to feel like we might get to meet Miss Payton any day!  We went to the doctor, and  she seems confident that the baby is a few weeks away now!  A lot has happened since the last post, so here is an update on all that has been going on.

Ryan and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary on Jan. 31.  We enjoyed a nice dinner at Cavanaugh's Restaurant on the river front.  In a way, it doesn't seem like it has been 2 whole years but thinking back on all that has happened the past 2 years kind of makes it seem like it should be longer than that.  Either way you look at it, I can honestly say that we are closer to each other now than we ever thought possible.  :)

We took a childbirth class last weekend.  This was quite the experience.  I can honestly say is was both informative and somewhat enternaing at the same time.  We learned everything from relaxation techniques and different birthing positions to how to cope during those first few weeks at home.  However, I will never understand how out of all the couples present during the different classes that we have taken, why we always seem to be the only ones that get so tickled at some of the videos and different topics that are discussed.  Yes,  I am perfectly aware that I will NOT be tickled when it comes time for labor to start, but watching an instructor demonstrate how to use a birthing ball while blowing into a balloon to demonstrate the correct way to push in a room full of guys and girls is downright entertaining!  

We have made the finishing touches on the nursery and purchased our car seat, pack and play, and swing (Thanks to Papa John).  It is becoming increasingly difficult to make it through the school day.  I am a lot more tired now and feel like my legs weigh about 50 pounds a piece!  (Thankfully I have gained no weight since my last appointment, and this should come as a huge surprise to all my family members who know how I spent my last Saturday night..... we will just leave it at that.)   I have about a week and a half of work left and then it is really time to play the waiting game.  We have another ultrasound on Monday, so stay tuned for new pictures.  Oh, how we can't wait to see her again!

                                                                           35 Weeks

                                                                             36 Weeks

                                         Childbirth Class (How Ryan spent Superbowl Sunday)

                                                             Cousins!  Who will go first?

32 Weeks!- Baby Shower Time!

  
Well, we have made it to week 32 and little Payton isn't seeming so little anymore!  We are definitely counting down the days until we get to meet our little bundle of joy, and I think these next 8 weeks will probably go the slowest.  I keep telling myself to be patient and to enjoy this time when the most exciting part of our day is relaxing on the couch while feeling the baby move.  Isn't that how life goes though?  It seems like we get so caught up in looking toward the next big event that we forget to enjoy the gift of today.  This is one thing that I pray God will help me as I begin the journey of motherhood.  It brings a tear to my eye thinking that in only 5 years I will be putting her on the school bus!  A lot has happened since the last time I posted, so here is a re-cap to bring us up to date!

We are getting closer and closer to finishing the baby’s room!  Payton will soon be finding out how blessed she is to have such a supportive extended family.  Her Grandma Kelly, Great-grandma Ruby, and Aunt Kyla all took part in painting the new room!  I think it kind of shocked Ryan to come home from work to find a pink room, but I couldn't help but to notice the sincere smile on his face when he first walked in confirming how excited he is to be having a little girl!  We also picked up our new rocking chair which was a gift from Great- Grandma Dorothy.  This has been something she has done for all her granddaughters expecting new babies.  She always emphasizes how she wishes she could have had a rocking chair while raising her 5 boys, so this is something she wants all of us to be able to have.  :)

Ryan and I took part in a breast-feeding class last week.  This was quite the experience!  This was the one class recommended to us by our doctor, so of course, being the first time parents that we are and feeling like we need to be as prepared as possible, we decided to enroll.  I won't go into too much detail, but let's just say that Ryan can now tell you how to pick out a nursing bra, how to use a breast pump, how to tell if your baby is latching on, etc.  What a trooper!

We had our 32 week doctor visit last Monday.  Everything seems to be right where it should be.  Payton is now weighing in right at around 4 pounds, (Why does 4 pounds seem like 60?)  her heartbeat sounds perfect, and to my surprise, my weight and blood pressure look good.  It is so funny because most of my appointments are right after school, and I always tell the nurse, "If my blood pressure is a little high, you have to remember that I just spent my entire day with 90 plus 10-13 year olds."  When it comes to standing on the scale, I have opted not to look and just asked the nurse to tell me if it's a problem.  lol!

In addition to these highlights, we had our baby shower this week!  It was such a nice shower and such a great reminder of blessed we are to have such a wonderful family.  I will say that Payton is going to be one well dressed little girl.  A big thank you goes out to my aunts for putting it on.  Ryan and I really appreciate all the hard work! 

Like I said earlier, the countdown is on!  I have 27 school days left and we are 45 days from our due date!  Oh how we can't wait to meet little Payton!  I must say, I think I will miss being pregnant. (Keep in mind, this is being said on a day with no heartburn, backache, and a little more energy than normal....just kidding!)  It is just one of those life experiences where you stand in amazement at God's power and at how perfect he has created all things.  Attached are some pictures from all that has happened that last few weeks.