My Labor

I was a little nervous going into Sunday night. It was more to do with the unknown of what this labor will entail. I did work that night and everyone at work was making fun of me. But Nana and Papa had Belle and there was not much else for me to do but stay busy and work. After work I went home and go a little nap before going to pick Blake up at work. I did drive myself to the hospital. I knew it would be a while before I could drive so I took the opportunity and drove us to the hospital. It also just sounds funny! We did pick up McD's chicken nugget meal to eat. We got there a little after midnight. By the time we got through the emergency room it was around 1a.m. before we got to our room. #527 The same exact room as we had with Belle. We were starting off with good karma! I had my friend Teri Williams as my nurse. I was really excited that it worked out that she was working that night because I was going to try and go without medicine for as long as I could handle and she would be great to talk me though a contraction. She was trying to start my IV and was having a little difficulty with finding a good vein. Let me tell you I do not like to get my blood drawn or any needles going in me. So she took her time and made sure she would only have to stick me once. It took her a minute but she got me! I did get a little worked up and wanted to puck but I didn't. I was starting at 2cm at 1:45. Which is really nothing much when you have to get to 10. Teri got me going on Pitocin at about 2:25. Then the waiting started. You can only go up in doses in 2's every 15-30 minutes so it was a slow starting process. Blake and I got a little bit of sleep. I had to get up every hour to pee. Teri didn't realize she had my IV drip set so high so she was pumping me full of liquids really fast. By 6 or 7 my toes looked like little sausages!. But my contractions started getting stronger at around 7-7:30. Teri had to make shift change. She was going to go home and try to get some sleep and depending on how fast or slow I went she was going to come back. She also had to work the next night so I told her to not feel like she had to come back if she was still tired! She left me with another wonderful nurse, Nicole. She was great! She checked me at 8 to see what kind of progress I had made over the night and I was only a 3-4cm/60%. Dr Kindred came in around 8:30 and checked me, with nothing knew, and broke my water. That's when thing took a turn for the better. My contractions started to get consistent and stronger. I had another great girlfriend come be with me, Kami Philbee. She got there about 10:30. By that time I was in pain. I couldn't even talk when a contraction started. All I could do was focus and breath through them. That was when Nicole came in to check me again and I was up to 5cm/80%. I know things where happening and progressing 'cuz the contractions were getting to be some crazy pain! Kami and I sat and talked while Blake got caught up on more sleep. My pain was becoming a bit much there and I was going to wait till 11 (that was only a half an hour) before I called Nicole back in to check me and get the epidural. And just when I wanted her, she came in. She checked me and I was already up to 6cm/80%. But little did I know that when she was checking on my at 10:30 she also bumped up my Pitocin to my highest 16! Crazy girl! So needless to say I was ready for that Epidural. That was another twenty minutes later. I did not remember it hurting as much with Annabelle. I was giving the Anostiziologist a hard time because he asked if I remembered who gave me my other one and I told him "Not you! The other guy didn't hurt me!" He was a cool doctor and we went back and forth. Over all he did great. I got great pain relief. Nicole came back to check me about an hour later (12:35p.m.) and I was up to a 6-7cm/80%. I was getting more and more excited. Things were moving prity quickly and soon we were going to be having this baby. We started setting times when we thought the baby was going to come. I said 4:30p.m. I could feel things changing and a little more pressure so Nicole came in at 1:50p.m. to empty my bladder and check me. I was at 9-10cm/100%. Teri had just woken up to get a cookie to eat and called to check and see how I was doing. We let her know that I was 100% ready. So She came back up. Nicole was going to have me practice pushing before Dr. Kindred came, but he was at another hospital delivering another baby so I had to wait!! I wanted them to start to turn down my Epidural so I could feel things happen more naturally. I was good and numb! With Belle my medicine started to wear off on it's own so I felt the contractions and the need to push better. I wanted that same experience and feeling with this one. Teri was making fun of me 'cuz "never in her career had anyone asked to turn down their med's! I was a funny crazy girl!" But after an hour (3:25) and a mad husband later I was given the okay to practice a few pushes. Of course when my legs are in the air and we want the contractions to come, we are all twirling our thumbs waiting for one. (It was a funny and a little awkward of a moment!) But I could feel this kiddo coming, so when they told me to practice push I didn't give it my all 'cuz I could feel what they then saw. The head of hair almost out!! So we put down my legs and didn't "practice" any more. I was giving Nicole a hard time saying "How many babies have you delivered" She told me "I don't deliver babies. I call the doctors in early so their there waiting, made at me, 'cuz I do not deliver babies!" I went through a few contractions and told Nicole "I feel something coming!" She looked and was like "Your okay". Then the next one came and I told her "Okay I feel something coming!" So she looked again with big eyes and told me "Close your legs a little bit! We don't want this baby coming!" It was to funny! Blake was getting a little upset that Dr. Kindred wasn't there. He started asking I there was any other doctors there that could deliver my baby! I told he "I was okay with waiting for Dr. Kindred." But he was not a happy camper! Finally he got there at 3:35! I pushed once and the head came out! Then pushed twice then there she was!! Blake told everyone that he wanted to be the one this time to tell me what it was. It took him a minute and Teri and me telling him to tell me what it is. Then he said a "GIRL!". So at 3:39p.m. Whitney Gayle Parker was born. She weighted in at 8 pounds 11.5 ounces and measured 19.5 inches. For those of you that don't know about the name. Blake and I both loved the name Whitney, you really don't hear it to often and her middle name is my grandmothers middle name, Gayle. I had another wonderful labor with another wonderful baby girl in the end. She was healthy, had ten fingers and ten toes, a nice head of hair and looked more beautiful then what I'd envisioned. She took to breastfeeding great. We had to show her once the proper way to suck in but after that she picked it up and was off!




Seeing Whitney for the first time!

Our First Week

It has already almost been a week since I had our new baby girl, Whitney. We are all settling in great. Annabelle is a great big sissy! She loves to help with the baby and I can't be happier with how soft she is with her. A lot and a little has happened so I'm putting it in one. You'll see Belle wearing some funny bloomers. They are actually 3 month old bottoms to an outfit. I was pulling out the old girl cloths to fine some for Whitney when Belle needed to help. She just put them on and liked it. She still loves her pony Winny. Whitney got her first bath at home. And like most babies she hated it, but I was fast. Yesterday was our first day out of the house. We went over to grandparent Parker's house. Belle got in to grandma's stash of sample lipsticks and decided to try them on. She is a little obsessed with chap sticks! I guess she thought she'd take the next step to lipstick! Later that night she helped grandma make brownies. Of course she couldn't wait to lick the spoon and bowl. Over all we are all settling in fine!

Whitney Gayle Parker

We are now home from the hospital with our new bundle of joy! Whitney Gayle Parker was born on Monday January 24 at 3:39p.m. She weight in at 8 lbs. 11 oz. and 19 inches long. She looks like a petite thing compared to what we remember about Annabelle. We go to the doctor's tomorrow and I'll post more things. I'll also post more info on how my delivery went too. But here are a few photo's of Whitney!

Funny Willy!

Everyone know of wet Willy's but Belle has invented a new thing. She loves to stick her fingers in her ears. She loves to hear how things sound different. It's funny she'll not move her head just her eyes. Blake and I will whisper in her ear "Annabelle" and she thinks it's the funniest thing ever. So the other morning I need to clean out her ears. She did great letting me. I thought she would freak out and not let me but she just sat there and let me do both. But of course she had to do it too. So I gave her her own to try. She got them both in her ears and just left them. It was so funny. She'll get all happy and proud of herself she'll go nuts. She likes to get up and "dance" or jump-jump. She is just the funniest thing at times!



I've Gone Crazy!! She LOVES her books!

18-19 Months

Annabelle had her 18 months check up on December 29. And I know I'm just putting it up but a lot has been going on the last few weeks. She is growing great! We never have any big concerns to talk with the Doctor about. She's still in the process of being potty trained. She'll now tell us when she needs to go but when she gets there it takes her a little longer to get it all out. But we are still working on it and in no rush. I see that she's learning something new every day. She loves books! We always read to her at night before bed and then in the morning she'll grab those books and want to read them right when she wakes up. I hope she has a thirst for knowledge and books. She is talking so well! She'll always ask "Where's ....?" She'll through in there Aunt Lori, Momo, Josie or Jojo, Ogie, Papa, and anyone else that she loves and learned over the holiday! Her list is long so she'll go though it and ask about EVERYONE!! But she's great. She listens really well to (at times). She's been a big help to me. It's hard for me to pick up things so if i ask her to get it nine times out on ten she will. We know to say "Please" for things and now we got down "Thanks You" when someone does it. I am so proud of our little booger-butt! (That's just a nickname I've given her. She's always had allergies like me so her nose will periodically run - hence the name) She did get her first flu shot this visit and now I think that's why her nose is running like crazy. She's great with letting me blow it. I've taught her to "blow" and I'll wipe it. I'll tell her to "Take a breath" then we'll "blow again" and wipe it and we are done! If I don't tell her to breathe she would keep holding her breath and freak out like i was suffocating her. But now I can say lets blow your nose and she'll come right over and let me. I think she knows her nose is running and does not like it.

Height: 32.5 inches (50-75%)

Weight: 22 lbs. 14 oz. (25-50%)
Head: 46.25 inches (50%)

We just got a bath. Now we're eating grapes before nap time!

Look how long and curly her hair is! So beautiful!

37 Weeks

I am now 37 weeks. I go to the Doctor ever week now up 'till I have it. I went in on Monday all excited that I'd be having this baby like next week. But that's not the case. I had been really hurting the last few days prior to my visit, so I was ready to get this thing out. But I wasn't even dilated any. Blake and I decided to go ahead and wait to be induced. I'd like to have it come on it's own but Belle really didn't. She started, then stopped. I had to eventually be put on Patocin to start my contractions up again. I hope though that the baby will come sooner then later. I'm able to rest more now that the holiday's are over and I'm not running as much. That helps me to not over due it. We did get to have a sonogram of the baby to see how it's growing. It was not cooperating with us. It was flat on it's back! It took the nurse a while to find it's femur bone to get a good measurement. We got to see it's face but not much of anything else. I wonder if it's going to have a head of hair like Belle? Well I guess we'll all have to wait and see! The baby has definitely ran out of room. Whenever it moves it's now an uncomfortable, slightly painful feeling. I love the feeling don't get me wrong, but at times I'll get up and my ribs will hurt 'cuz it's all up in them! My induction date is January 23 at midnight. I go next Monday and if anything changes ya'll will be the first to know!

BIG MAMA!!

Fiesta Party

Last Tuesday we had a fiesta party for Aunt Lori. She left yesterday for a new job in Honduras. We had so much fun at the party. It was a Mexican theme. We had enchilada's, homemade tamale, chips and salsa, and good cold margaritas. Aunt Peggy picked these glow sticks up earlier in the week and all the kids loved them. Luckily we got enough for everyone to have their own. But not only did the kids have fun you can see that the adults had fun too. I was taking a photo of Peggy, Terry, Lori, and Debbie. Debbie had no idea that Terry was taking a little cat nap on Peggy! When she was told it was so funny! They're all goof balls! Oh and yes someone had to sport the sombrero! Thanks Monica! We tried to put it on Belle but I could never get a good enough shot. But Mo and Belle looked great under it. We all will miss Lori. I know she will love it. (I hope she loves it!) We are all hooked up with Facebook and we all got Skype accounts so we can still chat. I just pray that this time she'll stay with her guards and try to not get mugged!