Welcoming.....Kiera Elizabeth Demke

We went to my 39 week appointment, just to find out that I was still only dilated to a 2 1/2, that is three weeks in a row, even though the night before Randy and I went for a mile walk. So we decided to help her a bit and get my membranes stripped. Doc said that if it worked that we would be in having a baby that night. We got really nervous and though it was it. I was feeling a little crampy all day. Unfortunately, the night came and went. We were sad but figured it was just because she wasn't ready to come. Wednesday morning, I woke up and was still feeling crampy but nothing too crazy. I went about my day and ran lots of errands in preparation for her arrival.....someday! Randy and I went on another walk that night but this time it was a mile and a half long. I was having contractions during the walk, 4-6 minutes apart. Is this it? We were so excited but didn't want to get our hopes. We went home and relaxed and after about an hr the contractions got farther apart enough that I could fall asleep. I woke up at 3:30 to contractions again, 4-6 minutes apart. But by 4:30am, I was back asleep. When I woke up the next morning, I decided that I should go in to the hospital just to get checked and see our progress. When I got there, I was barely a 3 and left the hospital, a "loose" 3. We went in just to get checked so we weren't too bummed when we were discharged. We went home and got everything ready for real. I had to find a babysitter for my two foster boys in case we went in that night. By 2pm, I called Randy to come home from work. The contractions were still 4-6 minutes apart but getting stronger, although I could still breathe through them and sometime I could talk. Sadly, he couldn't just yet so his mother came over to spend a few hours with me. We took the boys to the park and walked around the track while they played on the playground. Finally, we decided it was time to go to the hospital. We walked back home and made dinner, packed up and left.

Once we got to the hospital, I got checked and was a 3 1/2 and within a half an hr, I was up to a 4. They admitted me. I told the nurse that I wanted to walk around as much as possible. So Randy and my mother, kindly walked and walk and walked with me around the hospital floor. Randy was such a good sport. He rubbed my back lots which was where most of my pain was. He kept talking to me to keep my mind on something besides the pain. :) We didn't want an epidural. It was a decision that Randy and I were not comfortable with and we were pretty headstrong about it. Not to mention, everyone was telling me that I couldn't do it without getting something for pain. So I had to prove it to them, right?! I think in the back of my mind, I thought I couldn't it either and that it was more likely an unrealistic goal. So I had to prove it to myself too. LOL. We went back to our room and got monitored a bit and then went back on out to walk more.

Then it began to really hurt and I understood why so many want the epidural. I had major back labor. Once I started to get discouraged, the nurse checked our progress and I went form a 6 to an 8 in an hour. I was so relieved and then......I threw up! After that things just took off so fast.

Oh, did I mention that my MIL showed up about this time. She said, "Eh, I've had 12 kids and I know that this is going to take forever." She thought that we wouldn't have a baby until 6am, so she took her sweet ol' time getting to the hospital. LOL. She got there about midnight.

I finally told the nurse that I had to push. She checked me and I only had a little lip left and then I could start pushing but I was not about to wait. While she was on the phone with the doctor to get his permission to push through the lip, I was lightly pushing until they told me to stop, the baby was coming out. The pain lessened when I tightened my tummy. HAHA! I pushed through my first contraction and during the second contraction the doctor entered the room. He got ready and everything seemed to be great. Until the doctor dropped his glove......The nurses ran to get him another one and handed it to him just in time for him to get a few fingers in and catch our baby. She was not going to wait for anyone either. She wanted out! :P

I just can't believe that we did it. She is so precious and she has been such a joy and our first week together really hasn't been bad at all. She eats really well and doesn't cry too much. I thank her everyday for coming into my life and doing her part in this whole experience to make it so much easier than it could have been. :)

So enough with the reading because I know you are dying to see pictures. So, here we are.....very happy to introduce to you our precious baby girl.

Kiera Elizabeth Demke
6 lbs 12 oz
19 1/2 inches long
Born: Fri, Oct. 29th
Time: 2:32am

Our first family picture! (Sorry about the gray blob, I figured it wasn't appropriate to post a picture of my boob.)
She is so precious. This was such an amazing moment.

She has got her daddy's hair, so curly.

:) Everything just felt so natural. I loved it.

6lbs 12 oz. Randy was hoping for a 7 pounder. Almost!

HAHA! I just love this picture.

The first time that Daddy got to hold Kiera

Randy and his mom video taping baby Kiera. This is her first grandchild. :)

She loved her bath.

Oh, so nice!

Look at that curly hair!

Our board. We completed all of our goals.

Once we got to our room, Dad and Kiera fell fast asleep.

Our foster boys came to visit.

Natalie came to visit too. She ran up to the window and said, "Goochie Goochie Goo" (However you spell that!)

Grandpa and his first grandchild.

Randy's first tar poo diaper.

Grandma and her little girl.

I love this picture!

We were trying to get some sleep

The boys went our with Grandma and bought Kiera her Halloween costume, Mrs. Clause. Oh and Randy made the flower and Yes, It really is a pine cone. LOL.

:P

That night we went trunk or treating. I didn't want to miss the boys trick or treating.

Such a big yawn!

She loves her boppy pillow. Look how peaceful she is.

Oh, I just love her so much!

So squishy! :P

We are just so grateful to have her. It is really fun to watch her move and recognize movements that she did in my belly. She had the hiccups all the time in my belly and still does. :) She is such a blessing and we are just so happy. I can't wait to get out and show her off to the world!

3 1/2 weeks to go!

I cannot believe we only have a few short weeks before we will see our beautiful little girl. It has been a long wait and I'm so excited to hold her in my arms. It has been a little roller coaster this whole pregnancy. I try to not worry! So here is the short explanation of it all so far.

By the 20th week, I started measuring small and ever since then I have never been closer than two weeks to date. Usually, I measure 3-4 weeks too small. I have had a total of 4 ultrasounds. Super frustrating because it costs so much, but I got lots of cute pictures of my baby! :) She is so pretty. It was also frustrating because every ultrasound showed that she was doing fine, she was the right size and everything was well until last weeks ultrasound. They baby's heart rate wouldn't increase above 120. We checked it 4 different times and got 106, 112, 117 and 110. The sonographer got kinda worried and went to consult with our doctor. He was nervous about it too so he personally walked us down to Labor and Delivery to have the baby monitored for a while. We spent probably close to 2 hours in a room hooked up to machines. Of course, her heart rate went up and was super steady at 120. She was fine! We don't know if maybe she was laying on her cord or what she was doing. She was moving around so it wasn't like she was sleeping. Hmm...



So when I went to my appt. this week, we scheduled an ultrasound just before my OB appt. just to make sure she was still fine and she is, for the most part. Now she is measuring 2 weeks small. Of course, my uterus has always been small but she has always measured on target. She did not gain anything from last week to this week but actually lost. Of course, it is not the most accurate measurement so she very well have gained something or at least stayed the same but she should be gaining more. Doc says that if she begins to fall behind anymore than she already has he will get concerned but so far he isn't overly worried. If she does fall behind, they will put me on super restrictions, almost like bed rest and give me steroid shot to help her grow. Hopefully that wont have to happen.

Here's a collage I put together of some of our ultrasound pictures. :)
We've only got a few more weeks so she needs to starting getting her act together otherwise we are going to have a tiny baby! :)

Other than all that, I've had a good pregnancy. Not very much nausea, just every so often. I feel pretty faint when I am standing too long or actively working so I have to sit down and relax. Now, my biggest problem is my large belly. I just want to bend over and sleep on my tummy and sit normally. HA!

Oh yes, as of Tuesday, I am 80% effaced and dilated to a 1. I can't believe it! Reality is totally starting to hit, I am going to have a baby here soon, real soon. And I cannot wait, the nursery mostly together, just a few more touches that need to be done to it. I'll post pictures when it's completed.

My Fabulous Birthday!

Just because I am forced to get older that doesn't mean I can't still do kid things for my birthday right?!

So for my 20th birthday this year, I wanted to do something super fun. I wanted a pinata. When was the last time you got to hit a pinata. It's been forever, right? If you go to a kids party, then it's usually broken before it gets to your turn. It's lame! I wanted to hit the pinata. :) Every year, my MIL throws a party for your birthday so when she asked what I wanted, my wonderful husband unloaded all my secrets. He told her that I wanted a pinata, my favorite candy is tootsie rolls, I love OREO cookies and milk and rocky road ice cream. I went to the party to find a beautiful Toy Story pinata filled with lots of different candy, even tootsie rolls.

We had some machinery that was going to be the lever for the pinata but for some reason it wasn't available so we had to improvise with a horse walker thingy! LOL. We, then had a blast busting the pinata and rushing towards all the candy. Okay, I didn't run but if I wasn't so pregnant, I would have! Oh, I forgot to mention the candy fell into lots of dried up old horse poop. HAHA! But I wasn't going to throw away tootsie rolls. I am pretty sure its one of the 7 deadly sins!

After the pinata, we went inside where I blew out the candles on my yummy oreo cake accompanied with rocky road ice cream. It was the best. :)Thank you Randy for helping plan the best 20th b-day I'll ever have and to your mom for putting it together!