Back to school

We’re back to school. The kids love school, love their teachers, love all their new friends, love eating lunch at school, and love recess. They are both in all day school and it pretty much killed me to send them both all day! I am so glad they are both doing so well and enjoy it so much, otherwise it would have been a hard transition on all of us.

Carter was a little bit anxious his first day of school. It was a new school with all new people, and he’s just a little more timid and sensitive anyways. He put on a brave face all morning and I tried to do the same. On the way to school Carter told me that he was a little bit scared the night before but that he wasn’t scared anymore. I got to walk him into his classroom and he was excited to see that a boy from church was in class. That was really helpful to have at least one familiar face. His teacher seems really nice and made Carter feel even more at ease. He was all smiles when I picked him up from school and was excited to help Andi out the next day on her first day.

 

 

 

Andi was beyond excited to start school. She was even more excited that she gets to stay all day and have lunch there. She came in to my bathroom at about 6:30am while I was getting ready and said, “I got up early so that I can get ready.” She just makes me laugh. She was all smiles as we made our way to her class and met her teacher. I went to a table with her that they had coloring set up for the kindergartners until everyone was there and after about a minute she said (in a very sweet and loving voice),  “Mom… can you leave now?” I tried really hard not to cry. There was no looking back from that point on.

 

 

 When I was taking Andi for her first day of school (Carter’s second day), Carter’s teacher stopped me in the hall to tell me what an excellent student and good boy Carter is. She said he was so good at listening and kept his eyes on her all class. She is pretty glad to have Carter in there. Andi’s teacher has also stopped me multiple times during pick-up after school to tell me what a sweet, wonderful girl I have. She tells me often how glad she is to have Andi in her class.

Last week was back to school night and I have to admit, I love going into my kids’ classes and hearing how wonderful they are. I hope that remains the case for the next 12 years. Carter’s teacher went on about what a good student Carter is and what a good reader he is. He’s reading a grade level ahead and gets advanced books sent home with him. And Mrs. Johnson can't say enough good things about Andi. It was a delightful night.

Beckett Riggs

Ready to go; it's pushin' time!

Baby Daddy...

The kid has some hair:

My doctor, Dr Metz was out of town, but her husband was able to deliver me and he was fantastic!

First bath... he wasn't a super fan:

Aunt Alli was our first visitor. She got to come over right when she got to work (she works at the hospital):

Kids seeing Beckett for the first time:

The passing of the baby:

The kids are kind of in love with him:

Can you tell?

Grandpa Paul + Gramzee:

My clan.

Baby Beckett's Birth Story

Monday: Last day Ben, Sharon and boys are here to play. Have fun letting the kids run around and go out to lunch. Over the weekend Sharon painted my toes for me in preparation of baby boy coming. Thanks Sharon! I literally couldn't have done it without you. :)

Monday night: School prep and FHE on priesthood, followed by father's blessings. Loved.
Tuesday: Carter's first day of school! He is a little anxious when we first arrive, but quickly makes new friends and has a blast at school. It's also Jefferson's first day as the owner of Cascade Chiropractic and the first day he gets to treat patients! We are so excited that this business is underway!
Wednesday: was a crazy day!
8:15am It was Andi's first day of kindergarten, so I took her in and dropped her off at her classroom. She was all smiles and could not get me out the door fast enough. I can tell her teacher is going to just love having her in there. Then us girls headed home to make Jefferson's dessert for his birthday.
11:00am I had my 37 week appointment. (I was 37weeks & 5 days). The doctor checked me and said I was about 2cm dilated and 85-90% effaced. They wouldn't strip my membranes because I am GBS+ and I wondered if I would go into labor on my own without any help because with Carter my water broke and they had to induce me, I was induced with Andi, and went into labor with both Taytum and Bentley after having my membranes stripped. Anyways, I was pretty excited that I was seeing some progress at least. I wasn't at all effaced at my previous appointment.
12:00pm After my appointment I met my parents and Tay and Bentley for lunch.
1:00pm After lunch I headed back to the school for a parent-kindergarten orientation in Andi's class.
2:00pm School's out. After school we went home and got everything going for Jefferson's birthday dinner. My mom and I cooked the prime rib all afternoon, the kids made cards for Jefferson, wrapped presents, and cleaned up a little.
4:00pm I started having some real contractions. They weren't consistent and not close together but a few each hour. I had been having Braxton Hicks anywhere from 10-30 times a day for the past few months, so I knew these were different and definitely more painful. I just chalked this up to being checked that morning and assumed they would die down.
 6:00pm Alli and Nic came up for dinner after everyone was off of work and we enjoyed Jefferson's birthday dinner. During the final dinner prep and throughout dinner I was having contractions that made me stop. Come 7 o'clock they were coming somewhat regularly. After dinner, presents, and dessert, and after everyone left around 8 o'clock, Jefferson started timing my contractions. They were anywhere from 2-5 minutes apart. Most of them were pretty debilitating, but some were less painful than others. I was doing just fine with them, but Jefferson wanted to head to the hospital right then. I reminded him that just because we would be at the hospital wouldn't speed up the delivery. He just wanted to avoid a middle of the night wake-up call to go to the hospital, and he also knew that I would have to get a four hour antibiotic before they would let me deliver if at all possible. We went back and forth having "words" about going and I refused for a while. In the meantime I got kids clothes ready for school the next day, packed lunches, finished packing my hospital bag, cleaned up a little bit, and then went to give the run down to my parents. While doing so, Jefferson informs me that his car is running outside waiting to go to the hospital. This was just before ten.

Last time being pregnant:

9:45pm On the way to the hospital we stopped and got gas and a few snacks. My contractions were still pretty regular, about every 5 minutes, some were super painful, and others were less so. When we got to the hospital they checked me and I was only a generous 2+ dilated and only about 85% effaced still. Talk about disappointing. This was like Bentley's delivery all over again! The doctor said we could either walk around a while or go home and wait it out. I knew this was going to be the real thing sooner or later and told the doc if we went home we would just be back in a few hours to deliver. He agreed, especially with this being my fifth baby. He kept saying "mother knows best."
10:30pm So round and round the birthing unit we walked. I would stop for contractions, we timed ourselves to see how fast we could complete a lap, we peaked in at the other rooms, we talked and we walked. I was slightly annoyed with Jefferson for "making" me come in before I probably normally would have. At one point he asked, "On a scale of 0 to Chris Brown, how mad are you at me?" We walked for about an hour and a half and while my contractions kept coming, they weren't coming any faster, though they were all ones that made me stop and breathe through them.
11:45pm Back at the exam room just before midnight I got checked again. And hallelujah- I am 4-5cm dilated and going to be admitted! It's baby time!
Now came the rush to get the antibiotic in. My bag of water was bulging which means it would be more prone to break while being checked, so they avoided checking me from there on out.
12:30am Just after midnight we are all situated in our room, I get my IV going and the first dose of antibiotics goes in. Then we wait and breath through the contractions and wait for my epidural to arrive.
2:00am I get the epidural. Shortly after, baby boy's heart rate is decelerating after each contraction, which isn't normal, so the nurse decides to check me. I am 8cm dilated around 2:30am. His heart rate goes back to normal, nothing to worry about.
4:45am I get the last dose of antibiotics and we can have baby at any time.
5:30am I tell them I feel lots o' pressure down there. I am still only an 8 but they decide to break my water and the doctor can feel baby's head.
6:00am I tell them it's pushing time. Sure enough, I'm dilated to a 10, the doctor suits up, the nurses prep the room.
6:15am I start to push.
6:19am Baby Beckett Riggs is born. There was a lot of pain involved with the pushing, but no tearing, and shear joy when little man was placed on my chest. It took two contractions to get him out, the doctor blames it on Beckett's large head. Jefferson cut the umbilical cord and Beckett's apgars were 8 and 9. Then we just got to hold and love on him for quite a while before they weighed and measured him and cleaned him up. He weighed 7lbs 10oz and was 19.75 inches long. He has quite a bit of dark hair and is truly delicious!
7:00am I nursed him and he latched on like a champ.
8:00am Aunt Alli was our first visitor, followed shortly by my mom with my kids and my dad. My kids just loved him! Everyone wanted to hold him. Bentley would cry every time Beckett was taken off her lap and Taytum cried that Beckett couldn't come home with them. It was pretty cute. Then everyone left, including Jefferson who had to go into work for a few hours. Did I mention it was only his third day as business owner? In the meantime, I just held Beckett and slept off and on.
The rest of our hospital stay was very uneventful. It was nice having my sister work at the hospital so she could visit me multiple times a day, especially when Jefferson was at his office a couple of times. All the kids made a few more visits, as well as my mom and dad. It was nice just hanging out and being forced to rest and relax. We were able to convince them to let us out of the hospital on Friday night instead of Saturday morning. Usually they like to monitor baby's of GBS+ moms for 48 hours. We snuck out just under the 36 hour mark. They knew I knew what to look for and that I wasn't a first time mom.
My kids definitely needed me at home. It had been one crazy week. We had company in town on Monday, Carter started his first day of school at a new school on Tuesday, Tuesday was also Jefferson's first day as owner and doctor at Cascade Chiropractic, Wednesday was Jefferson's birthday and Andi's first day of kindergarten, and then Mom and Dad were gone to have a baby. They needed us back. I cannot express how nice it was to have my mom right here to fill in for me. It was so easy and nice not having to shuffle kids back and forth between people and arrange rides and whatnot. I knew my kids were being well taken care of and that they thoroughly enjoyed their special time with Gramzee.
Beckett has been a great baby in the four days he's been alive. :) He is pretty typical, if not less fussy than your average baby so far (knock on wood) and he is a fantastic nurser. He is scrumptious and I cannot get enough of him! We're so glad to be home with our healthy, happy baby. What a blessing.