Thursday, April 30, 2009

truman paul simons.


I love this kid.

It’s about time I sit down and write an update. I don’t like getting behind on our family blog, but with a new kid, a move to a new house and some kind of weird ‘bug’ on my blog I have put it off. After wasting way to much time trying to fix our blog with no success I decided to start a new one. It’s a work in progress trying to get it all set up the way I want – thanks for your patients and keep checking back.

Okay, on to the good stuff - the new kid and ‘the story.’ Gregg and I want to sincerely thank everyone for their comments, emails, messages, cards, gifts, visits and well wishes. The first night we were home from the hospital we sat down and read all the cards, emails and messages – we felt very thankful for the friendship! Thank You! Truman has been a great baby (I am nervous to blog about it because I am afraid I might jinx myself).

Saturday, April 18 my mom and dad took me on an afternoon walk around the golf course to see if we could start labor. At 2:00 am Sunday morning after getting up to go to the bathroom I got back in bed and had my first contraction. They were consistently 10 minutes apart. At 4:00 am I called my sister Tiffany to tell her what was happening (I know, a little early to call someone especially considering it was 3 am in Arizona, but she made me promise I would call when I went into labor AND I figured there was a good chance she was awake considering she has a 3 week old baby).

At noon I called the hospital to tell them I was coming in to get checked. When we got to the hospital my doctor was there waiting for me. I was dilated to a 3 – he stripped my membranes to see if we could get things rolling. Gregg and I walked around the hospital and within 45 minutes my contractions got more intense. By 4:00 pm I was wondering where the anesthesiologist was – I started telling people “I don’t do pain.”

At 8:30 pm I was fully dilated and ready to go! Gregg kept telling me that the Denver Nuggets game started at 8:30 pm so the baby needed to come before that or after 10:30 pm. Good timing (or bad) – I was fully dilated and ready to start pushing right at 8:30! So at 9:00 pm with the Nuggets game playing in the back ground I started pushing. By 10:30 pm I was tired and in tears. The baby was SLOWLY moving down – very slowly. I was most frustrated with the pushing – I kept asking if I was a good pusher. The nurse and doctor kept reassuring me that I was pushing great – they kept saying ‘it takes an average of 2 hours on your first baby.’

At about 11:00 pm my doctor said he would use the vacuum but that I only got 6 pushes/pulls before he would go to a c-section. I wasn’t sure if he was serious or trying to scare me into pushing harder. After a few really hard pushes from my side and pulls from his side they saw enough to realize that Truman was POSTERIOR! (head down but FACE up…the wrong way!) And he was coming at an angle. Ouch! A push or two later his head was out and I could see the doctor unwrapping the umbilical cord from Truman’s neck.

Come to find out I was a good pusher – Truman was just coming out at an angle and posterior. I was actually a perfect candidate for a c-section but Truman’s heart rate never dropped so I was able to deliver normally (thankfully). He had a little cone head for the first few hours and a bad hickey on the side of his head (from the vacuum) for a few days.

The first weekend we were home his bilirubin score was high. He had to be on a bilirubin blue light bed ALL weekend (24-7 except for feedings). It looks like a baby tanning bed with blue nights. He did not like be naked all the time velcroed into a straight jacket.

 

(you can see the blue light in the picture below)

 


He has been such a great kid. Eats great, poops great, sleeps great.
We are very thankful.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Monday, April 20, 2009

Baby Boy Simons

(no name yet)
Born Sunday, April 19, 2009
11:13pm
7lbs. 13oz. 20in.

Monday, April 13, 2009

moving day, part II.

Not only did we move houses (while 9 months pregnant) we also moved offices! Our office, Summit Sotheby's International Realty bought the local Coldwell Banker - so we are moving offices (not companies). I knew if I didn't pack our office soon, then someone else would be doing it for me. I tried to label everything really well (!) so it all makes it to our new office. We know the first thing I will be doing once this baby comes...setting up a new office. I feel completely DE-junked after moving homes and offices in the same month! We will miss our nice private corner office - it was going to be especially nice with a baby.


 

semi messy office waiting to be packed.

 

I hope the movers get it all to the right place!

Friday, April 10, 2009

craft for baby jean.

 


I decided to get up and be crafty this morning before Gregg got up (I also decided I wanted to document some of my creations). Here is what I came up with for baby Jean. It's a little card. There are alot of fun occasions you could make these for.

 


 

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

girls night out - amy butler birdie sling.


Our 'girls night out' group is going to make these Amy Butler Birdie Sling bags. I told the girls I would post the material list so everyone can start looking for fabric (if anyone gets the Sunday paper and has extra 50% off coupons to Michael's or Roberts, please let us know - thanks!).

If using 44" wide light to mid-weight fabric (quilting fabric)
(allow extra yardage for matching or centering a design on your fabric)
- 1 1/8 yards for the Exterior
- 1 1/8 yards of a coordinating fabric for the Bands and Handles
- 1 1/8 yards of a 3rd coordinating fabric for the Lining
- 3 1/2 yards of 20" wide woven fusible interfacing (SF-101 by Pellon)


If using wide heavier mid-weight fabric (Amy's home dec weight)
- 5/8 yard for the Exterior
- 1 1/8 yards of a coordinating fabric for the Bands and Handles
- 1 1/8 yards of a 3rd coordinating fabric for the Lining
- 3 yards of 20" wide woven fusible interfacing (SF-101 by Pellon)

PLUS
- 1/2 yard of 44" wide fusible fleece (Thermolam Plus by Pellon)
- 1 spool of coordinating all-purpose thread

Finished size: 28" tall including Handles x 18" wide

TOOLS NEEDED:
Scissors
Iron and Ironing board
Straight pins
Ruler / Tape measure
Scotch tape
Hand sewing needle
Chalk Pencil
Tracing paper
Pressing Ham or Rolled towel
Pressing cloth
Turning Tool (such as a closed pair of scissors).

Okay, I must admit I am feeling overwhelmed after reading the 'materials and tool needed' and not knowing what half of them are...I hope someone in our group knows how to sew! :)

Monday, April 6, 2009

38.



38 weeks pregnant, but who's counting??

Sunday, April 5, 2009

moving day.

It's true, we moved. Nine months ago I said to Gregg, 'watch, we will be moving when I am nine months pregnant'. That is just the way life goes! We rented out our house and moved down the road about 2 miles to a new home (as much as I would like to say the new house is all set up, its not...I will post pictures when it is). We really love our house, the location and the view (and the neighbors!)- but we built the house as an investment so we never expected to stay for a long time (we have been there almost three years). Who knows, maybe we will move back in after our renters are out.


Exterior evening picture.


Great room looking toward the kitchen.


Great room looking toward the deck.


Kitchen.


Master.


Queen Room.


Twin Room.


Loft and office.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

jake & april [and baby dallin's] new house.

I didn't take the greatest photos, but here are a few of my cousin Jake's new house in progress.

They are painting all the walls, ceilings, doors, case and base before they move in next weekend (not to mention getting a new washer, dryer, stove, dishwasher, fridge and water heater). How exciting.

 
Jake painting ceilings.

 
Ilene (my aunt) painting baseboards.

 
Lindsey prepping baseboards.

 
Me and my mom...umm...providing good company!
(do we look alike or what!?! - not saying you look 38 weeks pregnant mom!)

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

glitter toes.

 


My cousin Lindsey is in town for an extended weekend helping her brother and sister-in-law paint their new house (pictures to come). I kidnapped her from her painting duties for the night so we could get our toes done (I wanted to get mine done so I had something cute and girly to enjoy during delivery). My little niece Presley came with us.

The best part - they last 6-8 weeks!