December 2010

December was a very, very tough month! There was a lot of stress and not a lot of time together, just because of the way that my schedule and Nathan's schedule worked out. We were constantly trading spaces in the house. He'd go to work, come home, and then I'd leave for work. It was tough, but we got through it!

For Christmas this year we went up to Canada to be with Nathan's family and it was a very much needed break!! Then the day after Christmas we came home and the next day picked up my family from the airport. It was also a very nice break to have them here and to show them the fun that Rexburg can be (that's a bit of sarcasm, btw.)

So because of the busy-ness, there's not a lot of pictures, but I hope you enjoy the ones we do have!

Getting Ready For Christmas

So, I don't have very many pictures at all of our house decorated for Christmas, or any pictures of Christmas at all! I'll have to try harder next year.

Michael and Xander admiring a snow globe

Michael decorating the tree. He was so into it this year, and did a fairly good job.

The finished product. We rearranged some balls after Michael went to bed. Xander did really well with the tree. He was a bit interested in the ornaments, but didn't really touch them at all. We were pleasantly surprised.

Xander
Oh, Xander, Xander, Xander! His personality really started to come out during December, and I'm absolutely loving it!!! He's such a fun little guy!

One day I put him to bed, and when I came back to check on him, I couldn't see him. My heart skipped a beat until I realized that he was just under his blanket!

I pulled the blanket back and there he was, sleeping like a rock! Since this picture, I find him like this at least once a week!

Where's Xander?? There he is!
Figuring out the dishwasher!
The dishwasher is one of his favorite places! I really have to plan when I do the dishes because I have to do them while he's sleeping or if he's eating in his high chair. Otherwise it's a constant battle between keeping him off the dang thing, keeping the dishes inside the washer, or keeping the racks in the position I want them in.



Xander constantly keeps us laughing!! He has such a funny personality. One night I made bread bowls and soup. As we were eating, Michael busts up laughing and points to Xander. I look over and I see this:

Xander had taken his little piece of bread and placed it right on top of his head!!! Seriously, who does that!?! A 13 month old is who!!! So funny!!!!

I love this picture! He looks so grown up in it!!!! He's really starting to become a little boy and not a baby! It makes me sad, but also so excited for what's to come.Nate and Tony at the Movies

In December Nathan quit at the Standard Journal (Can I get a HaLLELujAH!) so he could focus on his business,Nate and Tony at the Movies. We're very excited about it, but he's a movie critic with a good friend Tony Potter. They worked together at the Standard Journal for a few years and their business has slowly evolved into a pretty full time thing. Here's Michael displaying one of their shirts. It's pretty fun. They have an awesome illustrator who designs Nate and Tony as the main characters in the big movies and they put the designs on shirts and coupon fliers. I'll have to see if I can get some of the designs to post. Hollie Hibbert is seriously so awesome! You've gotta check out her website. She's seriously awesome, I'm not just saying it. My Parents Came To Town

My parents finally came up to visit between Christmas and New Years. It was really fun to have them down. It was the first time Dad has been up here in the middle of Rexburg, and he fully enjoyed the weather. He's always obsessed about the weather (yes, dad, you're obsessed) but being here at the beginning of winter took it to a new level! He was constantly stepping out when the temperature would drop to see what it felt like. I think the coldest it got was -1? He'd be able to tell ya if I'm right or not.
One of the days they were here we all went out and played in it. We played more than we took pictures, so I only have a few pictures. We had a snow ball fight and built snowmen. It was really fun.

New Years

New years this year was really nice and relaxing. It was just the four of us for the first time in a few weeks, and it was nice to be a calm family again. Nathan and Michael played the new WII star wars game he got for Christmas a bit that night, Xander hung out playing with toys and just roaming around. I spent some time in the kitchen making a few little appetizers that we ate that night. Then we put the boys to bed at about 9:00 and Nathan and I watched some movies we got through Netflix. It was a really nice evening.

Screaming Michael

Michael 5 1/2 months old

11 Weeks To Go

So, I had my last monthly doctors appointment yesterday! I can't believe that I'm down to every 2 weeks visits now! The baby seems to be growing right on schedule. It was a pretty productive visit and I was able to get some questions answered.

The greatest news was that I passed my glucose (gestational diabetes) screening!!! YAY!!!!!!! I HATE that test! It was sooo hard for me to drink that drink. It seriously took me about 5 minutes to drink the 10 ounce bottle and I thought multiple times that I was going to throw it up! That would have sucked! But I took it all and I passed! When I was pregnant with Michael, I wasn't so lucky to pass this test, so I had to go and do the next one. That test takes 3 hours and you have to drink twice as much every hour and have your blood taken and tested each time you drink the drink. It sucked!!! So I was very relieved to pass the one-hour test.

I've also only gained 10 pounds so far, so I'm pretty proud of that. Hopefully I can keep the weight down for the rest of the time. My blood pressure was a little high, so the doctor is having me start taking some baby asprin to see if we can keep it down and avoid Pre-Eclampsia. I get to start doing kick counts to make sure he's still active...like that is even a question!

The biggest questions I had were about how I was going to birth this baby! For those of you who don't know Michael's birth story, and for the sake of recording it, let me fill you in!

Alright, so I was about a week and a half late so we decided to induce labor. So on February 28 at 10:30 p.m. I went into the hospital. I hadn't started to dilate so they did a Foley (sp?) catheter that they inserted into my cervix (sorry to those uncomfortable with the word cervix) to get me dilating. I remember the nurse was really mean/short with me and I was talking too much or something so she gave me a drug through the IV that made me sleep. I don't remember how much longer, but I woke up in the middle of the night because I could tell my water had broken a bit and the foley had fallen out (It's supposed to fall out at 3 centimeters). Funny thing, I woke Nathan up and told him I thought my water had broken and he just rolled his eyes, shook his head, and was like, "I'm sure it hasn't Amy. Just go back to sleep." So I called the nurse in and she checked it and confirmed my suspicions. A little while later I started having contractions and Nathan gave me the same reaction. "no, Amy, I'm sure it's not." I think he was nervous or something.

Anyway, so they started me on Pitocin closer in the morning and things started getting more tough. I remember my mom and mom-in-law (cathy) coming in to the room that morning. My Mom was awfully excited and gitty. Cathy was my "doula" or helper. She's a certified mid-wive so she was a GREAT help and really helped coach Nathan in how to massage my back and the types of positions to move around in to help with the pain of labor. I was dilated at a 5 for a while when the pain was getting to be too much. We were really trying to avoid an epidural so I got some narcotic or something that helped relieve the pain. That worked for about an hour before it wore off. This is were it really started to get fun.

So I got another dose of the narcotic and it didn't work as well as the first, so I decided, what the heck! Give me the epidural! So they gave me the epidural (by this time, I think it was around evening or just before) and I felt some relief, but only on one side. Around this time Michael had turned so we were spine-to-spine which resulted in back labor for me. I wasn't progressing and was stuck at a 5, so they were turning the pitocin up and up. I don't remember the actual pain, but I remember gripping the bars on the bed with all I had! It hurt sooo bad! We waited for an hour before we tried the epidural a second time. By that point the pitocin was up all the way and I still wasn't getting past a 5. So I got the second epidural and felt the relief immediately! Oh, it was wonderful!! I couldn't feel a thing!

We were really hoping the epidural would allow me to relax and continue progressing, but it didn't. I never dilated past 5. At around 9:00 that night we decided to do a C-Section. At 10:15 (24 hours after checking into the hospital), Michael was born. I don't remember much because I was so tired and a bit drugged, but I remember them showing him to me over the blue tarp and seeing that he was blue. He had swallowed some Meconium (poop while still in the womb) and had a hard time breathing, but they gave him some oxygen and he was just fine. He was in my room less than an hour later.

So that's his birth story, and now that we're having our second baby, we're kind of wondering how this one is going to come into the world! The doctor who delivered Michael told me a few days after the birth that my chances of being able to deliver a baby vaginally weren't very high. My doctors I'm seeing now have confirmed that. I think that just the fact Michael was a small baby and not huge (7 lbs, 4oz, 19 inches long), and my body wasn't capable of birthing him, they don't think I'd be able to do it with any of my other children.

I'm really leaning towards just scheduling another c-section, which is really surprising me! I feel like the last few months I've kind of been preparing myself for the idea of another c-section, and I'm becoming more and more okay with it. Especially after my visit yesterday. I'd heard some rumors saying that if you've had a c-section previously, the doctors would not induce you. They'd let you go over your due date no more than a week, and if you hadn't gone into labor on your own, they'd do a c-section. The reason for this is that a induction is hard on the uterus and they don't want to make the risk of uterine rupture any greater. Turns out this rumor is true, and considering the fact that I didn't go into labor on my own with Michael and was more than a week late, I'm thinking I'm probably going to have a c-section anyway. I think I would handle it better if I made the decision to have the c-section, instead of being forced into it because I hadn't started labor yet. So, anyway, I'm thinking of just scheduling a c-section for Nov. 9th rather than waiting it out for the full week afterwords and possibly having a c-section anyway.

So, that's whats going on. This post ended up being quite a bit longer than I had intended, but I'm glad to have some major questions answered and have a general idea of what's going to happen. It's also nice to think that by Nov. 9, I will definitely have a baby in my arms!!!

So, around the time when I really get sick of reading the same thing over and over and over again on my own blog as I'm waiting for different pages to upload, I realize that I haven't updated my blog in a while and it's time to do so! The problem is that I don't have much to write about! Seriously, I've got nothing!

I feel so lame when I actually get out of the house and people ask me what I've been up to, because, well, I've got nothin'! I just say, ummm....nothing really! And it's true! I can't wait for spring and warmer weather so I can get out again and take some loooong walks! Maybe, just maybe, I wont be so boring anymore!

So I decided that I would post a tag that's been going around Facebook for awhile. I figure most of the posts are about Michael and hardly ever about me, so this way you can get to know me a tad bit more...maybe. So enjoy!

This is all about my my pregnancy with Michael. It's written to be about my first pregnancy and since I don't have any more kids, yet, it's obviously about my pregnancy with Michael.

1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED? I don't know if any pregnancy could have been planned more!

2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME? Yes

3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS? Well, it was a bit relieving. I had taken a test two days before and was very bummed out and a bit confused. So I woke up early on Sunday morning and there was a faint, faint line. I was very excited. Now Nathan's reaction? is another story: Quote, unquote: inconclusive. Seriously, first and last word! Talk about buzz kill!! Soon after having Michael I asked him, Still inconclusive?

4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU? Is it just me, or is this question totally offensive??? Of course it wasn't an option!

5. HOW OLD WERE YOU? 22

6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT? Home preggo test

7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST? Nathan. Then I called my family so I could get a POSITIVE reaction (I still feel annoyed by it, can you tell?)

8. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX? Yes

9. DUE DATE? February 24, 2006

10. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS? Ya, but not bad. I was great/normal for the first 8 weeks and I threw up a few times, but it wasn't bad. It was gone by 14 weeks. I really hope every pregnancy is that way!

11. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE? My big thing was cereal and milk, but only together. Not sure if that was a preggo craving, because I still crave it and it's been almost 3 years. Other than that, I didn't really have any.

12. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST? I don't know. Probably my husband. He's always irritating me. :) love ya, nathan

13. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD'S SEX? Boy

14. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING? while I was pregnant yes. I really wanted and still really want a girl. But I'm grateful for him and wouldn't trade him for anything, not even a girl.

15. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY? I think it was about 40.

16. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER? Yes, I had 2. I had one at each of our parents houses.

17. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW? I knew about the one at Cathy's (Nathan's mom) and I figured it out at my moms while walking up to the door. (all the cars on the street and the loud talking/laughter inside gave it away)

18. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY? Not until labor.

19. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH? Madison Memorial, Rexburg, Idaho

20. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR? I'm not sure, but I arrived at the hospital to be induced at 10:00 pm and he was born just over 24 hours later. It was a LLLLOOOONNNNNGGGGGG day!

21. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL? Nathan

22. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH? Nathan...He couldn't look away!!! He looked at me maybe twice during the whole procedure. His excuse is that a doctor told him I would be so drugged I wouldn't remember anything. But, Oh man, I remember him not looking at me!!!!! I will be surprised if he DOESN'T write a comment to defind himself here!

23. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION? C-Section

24. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN? DEFINITELY!!!!!

27. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH? 7 lbs. 4 oz. 19 in. long

28. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN? March 1, 2006

30. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER? Michael Crawford Sunderland

31. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY? almost 3 years old! He'll be 3 in just 2.5 weeks! Unbelievable!

READ BOTTOM POST BEFORE THIS ONE!!!

Well, this is the picture of Michael after he was done with the crystal light packet. We were in the process of moving and he found the packet on the floor. We didn't think anything could come out of it, but we were wrong. He pocked holes in the foil and was sucking the powder out of the packet. The purple around his lips is the powder. His lips were purple for a few days!

sorry I haven't posted anything on here in a while. Since we have moved we no longer have the internet in our apartment. but here are some of the latest pictures. I will put his b-day ones on here soon.

Here are some pictures of him in the high chair. Have we mentioned that he LOVES guacomole??

Such a mess!

Here he's just being silly
He's being silly again
This is Michael playing with a crystal light packet.
This is another picture of him discovering the crystal light packet. He started to bite it. I though it was harmless and he wouldn't be able to get any of it....I was wrong... (see post above this one)

Halloween Pictures

I had these pictures on my email for a while and so I decided that I would put them on here! this way you can see what Michael looked like for halloween. He was a vampire, and we chose that because he had two teeth on top, but they weren't his front teeth. They were the two next to those so he looked like a little vampire. He looked really cute. Nathan and I don't look so cute, but this blog isn't really about us, so just look at Michael. Enjoy!

More cute pictures

Cute Pictures

Michael is showing his Canadian pride! He was waving this flag for like 10 minutes...It was cute.

Here are just some pictures of Michael after church. This outfit we bought in Canada and I think it's really cute so I took some pictures of him in it. And yes, his hair is a bit poofy in the back. It stays that way no matter what I do...Kind of funny looking, I know.

10 Months! Double Digits

Michael's First Christmas!!!

This was taken after they opened their P.J.'s. It's a christmas tradition to open p.j.'s on x-mas eve. Michael couldn't stay awake, though.

This was taken on Christmas Eve. Finally we have a picture with all three of us!

Michael's First Visit With Santa

These are the pictures that I took of Michael with Santa. Sometime soon we'll copy the pictures that the mall took and put them on here. We couldn't get him to smile, but that's alright. He still looks really cute. Enjoy!

Michael Loves His Aunt Rebecca

This is Rebecca and Michael just relaxing on the floor. I thought it was a cute picture

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

Cathy and Rebecca found this santa suit for Michael. These are just some of the pictures that we took of him. Later today we're going to go see Santa and take some pictures with him and santa. We're also going to have Michael wearing his santa suit. It'll be way cute!!