Memories to cherish forever...

I'd better backtrack a little and post some of my favorite photos from the past 3 weeks. Grammie and Grandma flew in the morning after she was born and Grandma Karla stayed 5 days and Grammie stayed 2 weeks. It was really great having them both here! I wasn't too sure about having all the company at the same time but I wouldn't change it for the world. Every day, we spent several hours in the nursery visiting and staring at Abby. I'm not sure if I will ever get that much quality time with either of them again now that we'll have a little distraction from here on out...ha ha

Here are some pics from our time in the hospital...

Abby meets Grammie for the first time!


Abby meets Grandma for the first time!


Daddy's first diaper change:


Daddy loves his little girl!


When we brought Abby home, the dogs were VERY curious! Moses really wanted to get in there and give her a good sniff. Samson gave her a quick sniff but that was about it. Moses still loves to see what she's up to when he's around but Samson will just lie quietly nearby. Charlie the cat has been a dream and he pretty much just minds his own business. I was worried about him as he's very territorial but he loves to hang out with us whenever we are upstairs in the nursery. Thankfully, he's not tried once to jump in the crib.

Going home!


Moses meets Abby:


Samson meets Abby:



On Friday, April 30, Abby got to meet her future boyfriend, Cooper. She was happy with her full tummy and didn't even open her eyes. I guess they'll have to hang out again when she's actually awake!



We gave Abby her first bath on May 1st. She loved getting her hair washed (just like her Mommy & Daddy!)




Abby had her first visit to the Pediatrician on Mon, May 3rd. She weighed 6lbs 2oz (left the hospital at 6lbs 3oz). The doctor felt she probably dipped down into the high 5's after going home and was now on her way up since my milk was finally in and she was eating well. We brought her in on Fri, May 7th and she weighed 6lb 8oz so was finally growing!




My first Mother's Day was a special day! My mom made a nice breakfast and we even had a bottle of champagne in the fridge (from I don't know when! ha ha) so we each had a mimosa...yum!





We've made a lot of great memories to cherish forever and are looking forward to many more!

Where has the time gone??

Wow! My little angel is 3 wks old already! Where did the time go? The past 3 wks have flown by but have been so wonderful. Abby is growing so fast. She's a really good baby and sleeps 4-5 hrs at night (and has been since she was about a week old). I do cheat though because I breastfeed her during the day and at night she gets a bottle of pumped milk at about 10pm and then another one about 2-2:30a. She sleeps so well with a full tummy! Rian has been doing the 10pm bottle so I can get to sleep earlier and that has been such a big help. We really make a good team!

We've had all sorts of adventures over the past 3 weeks. Abby is a really good "errand buddy" as long as we do our errands after a feeding. I so enjoy having a little companion. She had her first trip to the salon last week when I got my haircut. Haven't been to the nail salon with Mommy yet but that will probably be soon as the mani/pedi I got the day she was born is starting to look a little ragged!

Last Friday, she had her newborn photos. She had a bottle as soon as we got there and then she was awake and happy the entire shoot! So, I didn't get the "sleeping newborn" photos I had hoped for but the ones I got were even better. There are almost too many to choose from! Here are some of my favorites:
















As you can see, I have quite a few that I like! And, I have to choose if I want color or black and white...decisions, decisions! The one of her and Rian is my absolute favorite so that will definitely be making the cut. There's just something extra special about a Daddy and his daughter...makes my heart melt to see them together. Rian has really embraced his role and Daddy and she loves her Daddy time. He was alone with her two different days while my mom and I ran errands for a couple of hours. She wasn't alone with me until she was 2 wks old! Like I said, we make a really good team and this little girl will have a wonderful life...

Welcome to the world!

Our little miracle is here! Abigail Rebecca Lindell was born Tues, April 27th at 10:38pm. She weighed 6lbs 9oz and was 19" long.





The day I went into labor, I must have had my real "nesting" going on. Went and got a mani/pedi and then stopped by the hair salon to pick up a little travel hairspray for my hospital bag. I had a guy coming at 2pm to put up the chandelier I had bought for the nursery. He finished at 3:15 and I still had things to do! I learned how to size the carseat, work my breast pump and baby monitor and then I re-packed my hospital bag. About 4:30, I decided to lie down and watch "Nurse Jackie." Went downstairs first to grab a snack and when I bent down to pick up a sleeve of saltines that I had dropped, Pop! My water broke! I was excited and nervous all at once! I opened the door to the basement to yell at Rian (he was downstairs playing Fifa soccer with his friends online on the XBox.

"Uh, Rian?" "Yeah?" "My water just broke." "You're kidding!" is how the conversation went. "Nope, you'd probably better come upstairs so we can get ready to go." Contractions hadn't really started yet so I went upstairs to get the few last minute items packed. I called the doctor's answering service as well as my doula. Rian came upstairs and his eyes were so big it looked like he'd seen a ghost! He threw some stuff in the bag and was ready to go. I took my time because I didn't want to forget anything. We called our mom's so they could try to get on flights right away to come visit. My mom was scheduled on a flight out on May 1st but Abby decided to come 2 weeks early! As we were driving down our street, I remembered that the next morning the sprinkler people were coming to start up our system and I needed to turn on the water so he could do it without us being home. So, I made Rian turn around and go back. He looked at me like I was crazy but since my contractions weren't very strong just yet, we turned around. ha ha I'm a detail person!

Once we got to the hospital, the contractions were more regular but still just felt like strong menstrual cramps. They were about 5 minutes apart. In the lobby of the hospital, there were a bunch of people waiting for the elevator. I was laughing in my mind thinking, "I'm getting on the next elevator even if I have to push people down!" ha ha We got settled in our room and the doctor came to check me. I was 3cm and 90% effaced. This was about 6pm. Contractions were regular but still just felt like strong menstrual cramps. The doctor said I could have the epidural anytime but he'd like to check me in an hr to be sure I'm progressing. I decided to hang out on the birth ball and see how things went. My doula wasn't there yet as she had a childbirth class from 6:30-7:30 that she wanted to teach so said she'd be at the hospital about 8:00pm. I sat on the birthing ball for an hr and Rian and I just visited and watched tv. We enjoyed the fact that it was a Tuesday so TBS had hours of Seinfeld and "The Office." Two of our favorite shows!

The doctor came and checked me again at 7:30. I was 5 cm. He said the labor would probably start to pick up so be sure to let them know when I was ready for my epidural. About 2 minutes after he walked out the door, my contractions started to get really painful. They were coming every 3 minutes and lasting 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. They were one on top of another! I told the nurse I was ready and she called the anesthesiologist. I was in quite a bit of pain now. It took about 45 minutes for him to get set up and get the epidural in. My doula showed up when I was sitting on the bed waiting. It was perfect timing to have her there because now I needed the support. They asked Rian to leave the room so my doula and the labor nurse were there with me. I was in so much pain and every contraction caused me to shake violently. My nurse said I was probably at 7 cm by now because I was having what's called "transition shakes." I could hardly answer the doctor's questions and was thinking "just put the dumb thing in!" ha ha At this point, I couldn't care less about the risks! It was 8:30 when the epidural was in and had started working. That was the best relief I've ever felt! I was physically exhausted by this point and felt like I could just fall asleep.

The nurse checked me at 9:30 and I was complete! Wow! Honestly, I was a little disappointed because I wanted to get some sleep...ha ha But, hearing those words got me very excited. We were so close! The doctor came in and checked me as well. Said the baby was still high and since I was so numb (I didn't feel any urge to push), that I could just hang out for 30-45 minutes and she would come down further with each contraction on her own. That way, I wouldn't have to push for so long. At 10:20, he came back and we started pushing. Got the bed all set up and brought a mirror in so I could watch. I really wanted to watch her come out. I only had to push for 20 minutes. That was hard work! I loved watching her come out and it was helpful too because I was so numb that I still didn't have the urge to push. Rian was a trooper holding one of my legs but did need to sit down at one point. Afterwards, he told me "I got a little too curious." ha ha But, he was back up and ready to cut the cord when she came out. He did get to see her come out but it was from a chair next to me. Whatever keeps him from passing out on the floor! Once she was laid on my belly, I sobbed. It was such a relief that she was finally here and healthy.

After 7 years of hoping and praying for a baby, we finally have our little miracle. She's perfect and I couldn't have asked for a more wonderful labor experience...Welcome to the world little Abigail, we have so much to show you!

Baby update

We are just over 2 wks from our due date and SO READY to meet our little one! As of last Fri, no changes happening just yet but I have an appt this afternoon and hope something is at least starting to happen. I've been having a lot of Braxton Hicks over the past week and she's really dropped. These past few weeks have been interesting (ie uncomfortable) but I've loved experiencing this pregnancy. The shortness of breath has gone away now that she's dropped but she still likes to lodge her feet/legs under my ribs and they are so sore and bruised! Our closest friends had their baby on April 13th and that has made us even more excited and anxious to meet our little girl!

I love looking back at my belly pics and seeing how much I've changed. I felt big for every photo (even the "bloated" feeling from 12 wks) and it's absolutely amazing how big I've gotten! What an incredible miracle I've got growing inside of me...

12 wks:

24 wks:

30 wks:

31 wks:

33 wks:

37 wks:


I had maternity photos done at 36 wks and can't wait to see them. Hopefully they will turn out so I can have beautiful photos to remember this time. However, I am now ready for the next phase and hope to be updating this blog soon with pictures of our beautiful newborn! Stay tuned...

Long overdue update

I have NO excuse for not sitting down and updating my blog. A lot has happened in the past few months...wonderful trip with friends to our beloved Grand Cayman as well as a fantastic trip to Maui/Big Island. We met up with my folks, sister, brother-in-law and niece and nephew in Maui in mid-February. Spent 10 days in Maui and soaked up the sun! Due to my pregnancy, I wasn't quite as active as I could've been, but we had a great time nonetheless. Here is a view from our balcony where we could sit and watch the whales...



And, here's the family enjoying our last night together in paradise:



After those 10 days, Rian and I flew over to the Big Island for 10 days. We had never been to that island and wanted to do the Manta Ray Night Dive. Well, when we found out I was pregnant, diving went out the window. Luckily, they offer that same trip for snorkelers and it was AMAZING! What beautiful and majestic creatures! I honestly think snorkeling was more fun than diving because we had a lot of interaction with the Mantas at the surface and were able to pop up and talk with each other. We also did a Dolphin Snorkel adventure where we went out in the morning, found a pod of dolphins and followed them up the shoreline. We would get ahead of them and the boat would drop us off with our snorkel equipment and we'd just wait for them to pass. It was incredible! We dropped in about 7 or 8 times. Here is a picture of me and the belly in a wetsuit...



We also got a bit of excitement while on this trip. After a big earthquake just off the coast of Chile, Hawaii was under a Tsunami warning and we were awakened to the doorbell and someone telling us we had to evacuate within the next 2 hrs. Eek! We didn't have much time to figure out what was going on so it was kind of scary. Not sure what to expect, we packed up some stuff and headed to our evacuation spot. We ended up hanging out at a school for a couple hrs and then realized we didn't have to sit and stay put, we just couldn't go back down toward the coast. So, we drove up to Parker Ranch and explored that area. Within a couple hrs, the warning had been lifted and we were able to go back to our condo. No damage, thank goodness, so all was well. Here is a picture of Rian as he joked he was going to climb to "higher ground." At this point, we were already about 2000ft above sea level so were quite safe. I have now been on vacation with a hurricane, earthquake and tsunami. I told Rian if Mauna Kea blew while we were up there, I was done with vacations!



I was pretty much exhausted each day after spending a couple hours out and about in the heat so we didn't make the drive to Hilo (2 1/2 hrs each way) nor did we experience the volcanos (since being pregnant wasn't ideal to hang out in the sulfur gas environment). So, we will definitely need to go back again in the future when we can explore more of the island. The island was like nothing we've ever seen. It's a VERY diverse environment from the black lava fields, the barren hillsides, the rolling hills of Parker Ranch and the beautiful hidden beaches. We really fell in love with this place!







After our Hawaii adventure, we spent a week in WA with our families. Rian's mom had a baby shower for us in Vancouver and then my sister had one for us in Ephrata. Both were wonderful and I was so overwhelmed by all the love and support we received from everyone (not to mention all the gifts!!). Wow! It was nice to be able to sneak in a trip "home" to see everyone and share in our baby joy. However, by the time I got back to Buffalo, I was absolutely exhausted and ready to settle in and "nest." We packed in several weeks of travel and adventure and now are just awaiting our little one's arrival...

Baby shower #1

I had my first baby shower last week. It was put on by a good friend (and teammate's wife) for my friend Amber and me. We decided to do it now so all of our "football" friends could be there before the season is over and everyone heads to their "real" homes. We had a nice lunch, cake and then gifts. It was fun sitting and visiting with the experienced mom's so they could offer their advice on the "must-haves" and the "don't needs". I also liked hearing their stories about how they got through everything from labor to air travel with babies. All of this information will definitely come in handy as I continue this journey into parenthood. Here are Amber and I and our bellies...



Our super cute cake!





I got a lot of cute stuff so the process of stocking the nursery has started! As each day goes by, I get more and more excited for what 2010 has in store for Rian and I. We'll know soon enough!

It's a.......

GIRL!!

We found out a little more than a week ago that we are having a little girl. It's really starting to seem real now that we know what's growing inside my belly. I have always grown up thinking I wanted to be a mom to 2 boys. And, all of the pregnancy "myths" were saying that this one was a boy. So, when the ultrasound tech told me it was a girl, I had to take a moment to absorb that. I certainly didn't have my heart set on a boy (and actually was surprised how impartial I was throughout those first 19wks) but I definitely needed a moment when she said "it's a girl." I looked over at Rian and was hoping he'd be smiling. He was. I shed one small tear down my cheek and then thought to myself, "we're having a baby girl!" I am so excited about having a daughter and hope and pray that we have the kind of relationship that my mom and I do. Dollhouses, Barbie's, baking cookies, etc. It's going to be a fun ride and I can't wait to see Rian interact with his little girl. We've got 2 friends who are both expecting boys and he's already told them their sons better "mind his manners around my daughter." Wow, we're going to have a daughter...I wasn't sure this moment would ever come...