Introducing:

Annabelle Sharon Fromm

Born 10/01/11 --- 7 pounds, 8 ounces, 18 inches long

Birth Story for my journaling purposes:

Yesterday I walked part of the way to and from Coleson's school to pick him up...I've been trying to do this each day in hopes of putting myself into labor. That afternoon, I began having contractions. They were small and irregular until about 8pm. Then, we went car shopping and my contractions started getting a bit stronger but were still very irregular. When we finally got in our new car (Yay! More on that later.) at about 10:30 pm and my contractions started getting serious. We got stuck in BYU football game traffic, finally got home, got kids in bed, and I was really hurting. I knew that I was "in labor" but I didn't feel like it was time to go to the hospital but I didn't want to go to bed for fear that my labor would slow or stop. About an hour later I was to the point where it was easier to lay down and breath through contractions so Brian went to sleep and I tried to sleep. An hour later, about 2 am, I woke Brian up because I wanted drugs to help with the pain! My contractions were only a few minutes apart and very painful. My sister was already at my house so we grabbed our hospital bag and headed out.

We drove quickly to the hospital and by the time we got there I was feeling serious pressure that I was fighting because I didn't want my water to break in our new car! Brian grabbed me a wheelchair, because I had less than a minute or two between contractions, and couldn't walk very well. We quickly got up to the labor and delivery desk and the nurse could see that I was seriously in labor. She basically just took my name and sent me to a room and said we would do the paperwork later. The nurses quickly checked me and said I was at a 7 and my bag of waters was bulging. They got me hooked up to monitors, called my doctor, and the anesthesiologist. The nurses were working fast. They took some blood (because I have a negative blood type and they have to give me shots after giving birth) and were in the process of getting an IV started...

All of a sudden I had 3 contractions right on top of each other. The first 2 I felt serious pressure and the third is where I lost control and did only what my body needed to do while I screamed through the pain. That third contraction I sat up quickly, bore down and my water broke everywhere. The nurse laid me back immediately and I started screaming and pushing. She said "Dad, come grab a leg! We're having a baby!" There was still no doctor, no anesthesiologist for my promised epidural. I had 2 more large contractions one on top of the other where I pushed because my body had to...I literally couldn't control myself, my breathing or my screaming that was getting me through the pain. I remember laying back for a few seconds and the nurse telling me that I needed to control my breathing, but before I knew it I was yelling like a contestant on the Biggest Loser during a last change work out, pushing, and baby Annabelle was born!

The time from entering the hospital room until baby girl being born was 13 minutes! It was the most painful whirlwind and the best delivery ever. 10 minutes later the doctor showed up, apologized for missing the birth, and sewed me up. I immediately felt good and was up walking around. {I definitely used to judge women that just scream through labor, thinking to myself "Don't they realize it'd be so much easier if you just breathe?" But, I am now officially one of those women and I need to repent for my incorrect judgement of them. Sometimes you just need to scream. Sometimes it's impossible to do anything other than scream...Brian says I wasn't at loud as I thought I was though.}

Annabelle is so beautiful and has a perfectly round head because she came out so fast. Coleson is smitten with her and Amelia is still trying to figure out what exactly is going on, but likes to hold the baby. I am so glad she is here and that she came early like I wanted. She looks a bit like Coleson did as a newborn but her hair is dark! She is going to have her own look for sure. She seems so itty bitty to me and I just want to snuggle her all day! I feel like our family is complete and she is the one we've been waiting for.

You know you're going to have a baby "any day now" when:

*The stitching on your bra clasp breaks and busts open when you're out running errands.

*Your stretch marks have stretch marks.

*You can't see past your belly to see the weight on the scale but are pretty sure it's more than your husband {who is a foot taller than you} weighs.

*You wear your husbands clothes because they are more comfortable and he expresses worry that you are stretching them out.

*Random people at the grocery store say you look ready to pop, and friends sweetly say that you look great.

*You use public restrooms {that you normally never would use} because you have to pee every 20 minutes.

*You can't find a comfortable sleeping position to save your life.

Feel free to add to my list! The good news is I went to the doctor today and I'm dilated to a 2 and I'm 75% effaced!

Update?

I wish I had a real update or something interesting to blog about, but I don't. I've just been cleaning, organizing and trying to prepare the house for baby. However, projects that should take a day-like moving the kids into the same room-take about a week because I have such a hard time bending, moving, and having enough energy to get anything done!

The kids are now officially moved in the same room (Thanks to my bro & sis-in-law Shauna and Bruce who moved, upgraded their kids beds, and gave us their 2 twin beds!) and Amelia is doing pretty well in her "big girl bed". Nights have gone surprisingly smooth, it's nap time that is still bit of a challenge. Now I need to potty train her, but I don't want to because I'm lazy! I'm unpacking the baby clothes and trying to clean and organize our "office" that has been moved from the front room to our bedroom...Again, something that should have taken about a day but has been over a week and still isn't finished!

Baby Annabelle likes to squeeze my sciatic nerve and push her bum out as far as she can. It's her favorite game. The primary program is on Sept. 25th and after that I think I'll start walking and not stop until she comes out!

Family Vacation

Our family vacation this summer was to Seattle, WA and Vancouver, BC. We had a great trip visiting my family, doing lots of fun activities and going to fun places! We mostly enjoyed the time we spent all together doing fun things like:

*Eating homemade ice cream for breakfast after a big sleepover with all the cousins!

*Family Home Evening lessons with the entire family!

*Spending our days at the beach! (See Jetty Island post too!)

*Going to see Les Miserables at the 5th Avenue Theatre! Amazing!!! (The second act has a big fight scene...It is really loud with drums and cannon fire. Baby girl jumped with every crash and bang. Then, even after it was finished she was trembling the whole rest of the show. It was crazy. I had a similar experience when I was pregnant with Coleson when we were at the air show. The jets flew so low and close and when we heard the after burners he jumped and did somersaults! But then he was still. Baby Annabelle literally was trembling through the rest of the show and didn't calm down until we got in the car where it was quiet. Brian felt it all with just his hand on my belly. It was really amazing and I felt a little bad for freaking out the baby!)

*Taking Brian to his first Mariner game and watching Amelia down an entire thing of cotton candy and drink 52 ounces of soda!

*Then head up to Canada where we got lost, made border patrol guy mad, scared all the patrons of Denny's with our crazy kids after being cooped up in the car, and finally seeing my cousin marry a wonderful girl in the temple.

Awesome, awesome trip!

Future dancer?

This baby has her days and nights mixed up. At 1 am, on the dot for the last week, she starts tap dancing on my bladder. For an hour. It's getting difficult to sleep through. I need to take a video of my stomach because it's a little funny...or, it would be funny if it wasn't 1 in the morning.

I can feel her starting her stretching and warm up now...

We love baby sister!

Every morning, without fail, Amelia comes to me to say hello to her baby sister. She usually lifts up my shirt and says "Hi baby Annabelle!" then kisses my belly. Sometimes it's just "I sit on baby sister!" as she tries to sit on me...or "I laying on baby sister!" as we cuddle and watch cartoons. This is the reason I was willing to have 1 more baby! I wanted Amelia to have a sister and I know they are going to be best friends.

Annabelle even responds to Amelia. You can see her poking out of the right side of my belly!

20 Week Ultrasound

I had my ultrasound today and I'm happy to report that everything looks perfect!

And we're having a GIRL! The poll and the Chinese birth chart were correct!

She was sitting Indian style through most of the ultrasound and I'm so happy she switched positions at the end so we could take a peek!

I am super excited that Amelia is getting a sister and that I get to use all her pretty dresses, hair bows, bracelets, and blankets again. I'm also really excited to clean out Coleson's closet and get rid of 5 years worth of boy clothes that I've been saving!

Boy or Girl?

This third pregnancy is an exact mixture of my first two pregnancies!

*Nauseated from 6-15 weeks but only threw up a few times

*Craving all kinds of random stuff (especially cheese enchiladas, pickles, Zuppa’s Mushroom Bisque, and donuts)

*Horrible headaches since the start

*Felt movement early but baby is more active at night

If I had to guess what I've having based on how the pregnancy has been so far I would day one of each! However, I know from my first ultrasound that there is only 1 in there so I'm stumped. What's your guess? Only 1 more day to take the poll!

Finally saw the doctor...

Ok, it was just a joke. (Ash-the prank we pulled Freshman year was definitely the best!) I'm not going to lie, it's a little bit fun to actually get a few of you!

In all seriousness though I feel like I could have a few babies in my belly because I'm so big already. I'm sure that I'm so big because it's my third pregnancy and my stomach muscles are shot...

I'm wearing the same outfit in the second and third picture! It's a little ridiculous how big I am already, right? (click to enlarge the pictures)

There has been a little doctor drama though. I went to my first appointment, with my favorite OB who delivered Coleson and Amelia, only to find out they don't take our new insurance! I was so mad, then I cried a bit, and then started my search for a new doctor. I found one, thanks to multiple recommendations, and made an appointment. I've been seen for my "intake" appointment (where they take history, blood, etc.) and I will see Dr. Jones in a few days.

I have been feeling better. I am slowly straying for my strict diet of ritz crackers, powdered donuts, hard boiled eggs, and ginger-ale. (Weird right? But those are the things that I can consistently force myself to eat without feeling more sick.) I have craved mushrooms, Zuppa's creamy mushroom soup, and ice cream. I discovered Sonic's watermelon cream slushies the other day and that is my new craving. Meat still grosses me out, although I have had little bits here and there and it's not making me sick like before.

Coleson is so excited. He always asks me how the baby is doing and when it's going to come out. He was really upset when I didn't get to see the doctor and have my ultrasound last week because I had promised him a "picture" of the baby. He's a great helper which makes not feeling well manageable.