The Day My World Forever Changed

At 4:36 pm Monday, August 17, 2009 Reagan Danielle Paschall was born. She was 7lbs 10oz and 19 1/2 in long. We got to the hospital a little before 6am for my schelduled induction. I was contracting when we arrived but had no idea. They weren't painful so I just thought I was really hungry since I wasn't allowed to eat after midnight. I was dialated 1 1/2 cm and was at -3 station. By around 8am they started me on pitocin. The contractions kicked up a notch but weren't too strong. Around 10:30am I had not dialated any further so they broke my water. That's when it started getting more painful. Later they put me on an internal monitor to make sure my contractions were adequate to push out a baby. They were close enough and strong enough but I still wasn't making progress. Around 1:30pm I got an epidural because the contractions were REALLY strong. My doctor came in around 4pm to check me again and I was only 2cm dialated and still at -3 station. She had not moved down at all and only dialated 1/2 cm in 8 hours. Dr. Myers said I was contracting beautifully but she just wasn't coming down. She said her head was probably too big or round for my pelvis. She said Reagan and I were still doing well but we could both become exausted and stressed from laboring with no results. Her advice was to go ahead and do a c-section so that we wouldn't get stressed and it wouldn't become an emergency situation. We decided to go ahead and follow her advice. It wasn't our first choice but we knew it was the best option. I definitely would have rather gone ahead with the c-section than wait a day, still have no progress, and put Reagan and I in a dangerous situation. By 4:36pm Reagan was born! We were in the hospital until Thursday morning. I've had a good deal of pain from the surgery but it's getting better. I can't do much or get around very well. If I walk around or stand up too long it gets really painful. I am thankful for strong painkillers! :)

I'm loving being a mommy. I get lost staring in those big eyes on that pretty little face. She is so sweet. She is so beautiful, of course I am a little biased. :)Who would have ever thought someone could wake me up early in the morning and not get snipped at. :) This is the only time in my life I haven't minded being woken up in the middle of the night by someone. Justin has been so wonderful. He helps me so much. When she wakes up to be fed in the middle of the night he brings her to me and then changes her diaper for me so I don't have to get up since it hurts to get in and out of bed. The other night he walked the hall with her for 30 minutes singing to her and trying to get her back to sleep so I could go back to sleep after I fed her. He told me the other day that he could see that this is what I was meant to do and it meant so much to me. I've always wanted to be a stay at home mom so it was great to hear that he thought I was doing a good job. My mom is here helping too. She's constantly cleaning and doing laundry. It's really nice having people to take care of me.

I'll try to update again soon, but something tells me I'm going to be pretty busy! :)

Here are some pictures for you to enjoy!

Welcome to the world Reagan Danielle!

Our first family photo

Sweet Daddy and sweet baby




Beautiful Baby!





Precious little fingers




Getting ready to go home

The Big Day

Tomorrow is it. I will officially be a mommy! Well, as long as they don't let this thing drag out until Tuesday (lets pray not). :) I am so excited and happy and I am so nervous and scared all at the same time. I've wanted this for so long but, I know my life is about to change in so many ways. Everything we do will be done differently now that we will be parents. So many more things to consider when making plans and things like that. She will be such a blessing to us. I can't wait to hold her and see her face. Too many emotions at once. It's making me really tired! :) I will update and put up pictures after we are home and settled. Pray for us please!

Recipe: Corn Casserole

This is one of my favorite recipes. It's so easy to fix and is sooo good. My mom fixed it all the time when I was growing up and Justin and I love to have it now. I usually take it to fellowship meals at church and if I don't people ask where it is. :) Enjoy!

1 can creamed corn
1 can whole kernel corn (undrained)
1 stick butter or margarine
2 eggs, well beaten
8 oz sour cream
1 small box Jiffy cornbread/corn muffin mix

Mix all ingredients and pour into greased casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 60 minutes.

Tips: I usually melt the butter in the microwave to make it much easier to mix. I also put all the wet in first then the Jiffy so that it all gets mixed together smoothly. The recipe says it takes 30 to 60 minutes, but it always takes mine 60 minutes. I guess it just depends on your oven. I usually make it a little healthier by using low fat or fat free butter and sour cream.

Nastiness

First a quick update...I am scheduled to be induced Monday...Yay!!!

The other night I was having trouble getting to sleep so I got up and puttered around on the computer for a while. Our keyboard is on one of those roll out drawer type deals. To scoot up close to the desk you have to leave part of the drawer rolled back and usually the mouse is under the top of the desk where you can't see it. I was sitting here with my hand on the mouse where I can't see it clicking away and I felt something on my hand. I figured it was the mouse cord which sometimes gets caught up on the pull out thing...

Then whatever was on my hand moved...

I knew immediately what it was. I shook my hand and jumped as far away from the computer as I could. Sure enough, when I looked under there I could see my arch nemesis...a cockroach. BLECH! I'm not talking a little roach. I'm talking a big Alabama hopped up on steroids roach. Shiver. We get our house sprayed every three months or so but when you live in Alabama there's nothing you can do to keep these huge nasty things from coming in your house. When you walk outside at night and turn a light on you see them run in every direction. They are seriously about two inches long. They also fly... :/
Well, it ran and I couldn't find it so I stayed as far away from the desk as I could and got off the computer. There was no way I was sitting at this desk while a roach was stalking me. As I was trying to get everything closed it ran up the side of the desk. I made awful noises as I tried to smash it with a shoe. I only was able to get a whack on it before it hid again. I hope his injuries were fatal and he is dead now. I'm surprised I didn't wake Justin up because I can't deal with roaches with out involuntarily screaming and making awful noises. Normally I won't smash them. I make Justin do it. :)
I think the roach came after me because I had a jar of peanut butter open on top of the desk...midnight snack. I won't be doing that again.

A Thought

Tomorrow I will hopefully be updating with an induction date for later this week. Yay! Thinking about Reagan's upcoming appearance to the world, I thought about what I would miss about being pregnant. Hmm...the backache I've had for the last nine months, waddling everywhere I go, getting up to pee every hour during the night and every 15 minutes during the day, indigestion, not being able to have my normal Mt. Dew binges, not so much. What I will miss SOOOOO much is getting to feel Reagan moving around in my belly. She will be in my arms but I think I will miss her in a way because she's not in my belly. Now I have to share and who likes sharing. :) Justin told me one day that he's just ready to get to hold her because I've been holding her for the last nine months and now it's his turn. I think he and my mother will be fighting it out over who gets to change her diapers just so they can hold her. :) Fine with me, I'll sit out of diaper duty.

I'm really hoping that they will be able to induce me this week! I am sooo ready. Unfortunately, my doctor is on vacation so I will have to see another doctor in the practice tomorrow and, I imagine, be delivered by whoever is on call. At this point I don't care who catches her. We just want to meet her already!

While waiting for Reagan's debut I've read a few books. A couple of book suggestions for Christian mothers. No Greater Joy by Sheila Butt and Parenting is Rocket Science by Beth Brown. If you know any other good books for mothers let me know!

Now Featuring: Random Ramblings

So, I thought I would take a minute to explain why I started this blog and what kind of things you can expect to see from me on here.
Sometimes I just feel like I need to get my thoughts out of me and keeping a journal is kind of annoying to me for some reason. I thought this would be a good alternate place for my random rambling. Somewhere I can go to "talk out" my thoughts. I also thought it would be a good way to keep family updated, though most of my family is on facebook or stalks it through other people's profiles. :) So I'll be posting some of our daily goings on and such. I'm sure there will be plenty about being a new mommy and all the cute things Reagan does.
I also wanted a place to share the things I'm interested in. Beware, you will be seeing things I've crocheted or crafted in some other way. I like to craft. Sometimes you just get the need to create something. I also like to take pictures but haven't studied photography. I would love to learn more about doing it well so if anyone has any suggestions on books or anything to try let me know. I will also be passing on recipes that I love. Cooking is something else I enjoy.
I also wanted a place to talk about biblical things, what I'm currently studying, post articles Justin writes, that kind of thing.
As you can see, there's no telling what you will be finding on here at any given time. Hopefully you will enjoy it if not get something from it. Enjoy my rambling. :)

Hello World

Well, I'm a blogger now. This should be interesting...

I am currently pregnant with my first child, but not for long. As of tomorrow I am officially "due." If my child continues to be as stubborn as her parents hopefully we will have an induction scheduled by the end of the week. It almost doesn't seem real, as if I'll never actually give birth and become a parent. I'm ready for it, but it is an unknown and I don't do well with unknowns. I'm a planner, thanks Mom.

You would think I would be most nervous about the whole pushing the kid out thing...but no. I'm such a wuss that what I'm most afraid of is having the stupid IV needle in my hand the whole time. I won't be able to look at my hand for however many hours it's in there. One look at a needle stuck in my skin and I loose it.

The ONE and ONLY time in my life I have given blood I sobbed like a baby because I looked at the needle. My poor husband, who was my boyfriend at the time, talked me into giving blood. He gave all the time as does my mother who works as a donor recruiter at a blood bank. One of my brothers had to receive several units of blood after an accident so I know the importance of donating. It's something I support others doing, just not a fan myself. After he watched me fall apart he vowed never to ask me to do it again.

I'm hoping she comes before the induction. I'm rather uncomfortable and probably moody these days. I know she will come when she comes but...

Reagan, this is your official eviction notice: get out!