Nathan and Ashley: August 2012


		The big 2-5!

Nothing says you are getting older than getting a razor for your birthday

Nathan's birthday wasn't a huge bash by any means...this was the first year that he has had his birthday while going to school, so we didn't have much time for all things fun. His birthday was also on a Sunday, so I told him that I would make whatever he wanted for dinner... BIG MISTAKE! He requested Cafe Rio sweet pork salads, which are delicious, I will give him that - but I slaved in the kitchen all weekend to make everything for the salad. It took a long time, and ended up tasting good too, and I suppose it was worth it considering all that he is doing with school and staying busy studying, haha.

Speaking of school, he just finished his accelerated anatomy class, and just started the "regular" semester today. It's terribly exciting. NOT. He studies a lot, but Quinn keeps me busy during the day, and I can't complain because she is pretty fun to hang out with. She is officially...

TWO MONTHS OLD!

How did that happen? I swear we were just at the hospital seeing her for the first time. Don't worry she will be getting her photo session wearing her "2 months" onesie later today, and I will post pictures later.

Well, this is clearly long overdue, considering the baby we are mentioning is almost six weeks old...but we didn't have internet access, and we were moving - so better late than never I guess.

Quinn Erin Leavitt was born June 27, 2012 - but it all started when I was 38 weeks pregnant...I went in for my weekly appointment, and the PA measured my stomach, and rather than measuring the usual one week behind schedule, I was measuring 5 weeks behind schedule. So according to this measurement I was only supposed to be 33 weeks. It was really strange, and the PA was concerned, so she spoke with my doctor, and she decided to do an ultrasound just to make sure that everything was ok. When she did the ultrasound she noted that the baby's stomach was measuring small and said that sometimes when the uterus is unable to continue growing, the baby will start to sacrifice their own weight so that their other body organs can continue growing at a normal rate. This led to the decision to schedule an induction at 39 weeks - I was really excited because I was over being pregnant. It was getting hotter, and I was getting more uncomfortable, hats off to those of you who endure an entire summer while pregnant, that is not my cup of tea.

So, 39 weeks came, it was June 27th and we arrived at the hospital at 7:00am - really stinkin early if you ask me, I don't think I had seen the light of day that early until I had to be at the hospital that morning. Being induced was great for me because it took away the anxiety of not knowing when exactly to go to the hospital. I was really worried about that. Anyway, we got there at seven, ordered some breakfast from the cafeteria, then noon rolls around and that's when I was supposed to start the pitocin, but I had actually gone into labor on my own. The nurse decided to let me continue on my laboring journey and by two o'clock nothing really progressed, even after I walked around in the hospital's little serenity garden (I felt like a crazy person walking around in circles for twenty minutes).

Finally around four or so, I don't really remember what time it was, in walks my doctor, and if I would have known the pain she was about to cause me, I would not have been so happy to see her. The doctor came in, and broke my water so that the contractions would be stronger - they were far enough apart, they just weren't strong enough, I mean I couldn't even feel them and I didn't have an epidural yet. So, lo and behold the doctor broke my water, and dang...that did not feel...good. I could feel the contractions after that, and I did not like it. I asked, well, more like begged for the epidural after that, and the saintly man with the drugs walked in a half hour later. I got the epidural and all was well again. I have never felt so peaceful...I listened to some music, fell asleep, and I was woken up by the nurse at 8:45pm coming in to see if I had progressed at all. Previous to me having the epidural I was dilated to a 3 1/2ish, so my guess was that I was at a 5 or so. Nathan guessed I was at a seven, and his mom thought I was a nine (yeah right, I thought). We were all wrong, I was a ten! The nurse called the doctor, and she was instructed to have me "labor down" for an hour, and then the doctor would come in. So I "labored down," whatever that was...I just watched some T.V. for an hour - then the doctor came in because she had a scheduled C-section that she was in for, but she decided to check me first because I was feeling a lot of pressure on my tailbone.

The doctor checked me and asked me to give a practice push. I said "I have no idea what I'm supposed to do," and she told me to pretend like I was taking a number two...gross. So I gave her my practice push, and I couldn't feel a thing, I mean nothing! That epidural was amazing!!! Anyway, so during my practice push, the doctor gave Nathan and I this look of surprise, but it was a concerning surprise from my perspective - then she says "wow, you are a good pusher, we are going to deliver you before the girl with the C-section." Woo hoo! I thought. I still couldn't believe it was time to push and time to have a baby, it did not feel real. Time was flying by, and pretty soon I was going to be holding a baby, MY baby. I pushed for a little less than 20 minutes and boom, she was here, born at 10:08pm! It was such an amazing experience, especially the part where I couldn't feel a thing, (thank you epidural!) and Nathan was by my side the whole time.