Super busy weekend (with pictures!)

I’ve had a busy last few days. On Friday I drove over to Cassie’s side of town and we spent the day shopping for Hayden’s Birthday presents. We’re a slow bunch. Between her stopping to pee every 10 minutes and stopping during a contraction every 10 minutes, and me having to nurse Guinevere, it takes us forever to do anything. She was a lot more uncomfortable than she had been lately and I figured she wouldn’t be pregnant that much longer. She texted me that night and told me she was having contractions and she was really uncomfortable and that her legs and back and pelvis hurt in a way they hadn’t hurt before. When she mentioned her legs hurting I was pretty sure she’d be having the baby relatively soon. I texted her back and asked how far apart her contractions were and she didn’t answer me for a couple hours (because she took a nap), but I was concerned enough to text her a few more times demanding she answer me because you can’t tell someone that things feel different then disappear lol. 

She woke up around 10:30 and told me that she had fallen asleep and was going to try to keep sleeping and that for now things weren’t picking up. I went to bed a couple hours late and at 6am I woke up to Michael handing me his phone telling me that it was Cassie (I turn my phone on vibrate at night, but MIchael has to keep his ringer on in case work calls so she knew to call him if I didn’t pick my phone up). She said that she thought this may be the real thing and that the midwives were on their way and that she’d call me once they got there. I got up and quickly showered and started getting my stuff together to go over there. Her mom calls me at 7:00am and tells me that its the real thing and I quickly pack up Guinevere and head up to the car. 

I will let her share all the details of her birth story before I give a detailed version. I got to her house around 7:40am (I’m in Chandler and she’s in Glendale, 40 minutes is actually shorter than it usually takes). By 8:34am Luca was born. It was my first birth (other than my own) and it was great. I will definitely be having a homebirth with my next pregnancy as long as I have no complications during the pregnancy. I’m going to start eating healthier and exercise before I even dream about getting pregnant again so that I can ensure that it happens.

Things were a little scary right after Luca was born, but the midwife handled things beautifully. She stayed calm and quickly assessed the situation and Cassie barely even knew that anything was going on. 

It all happened so fast. It seems even faster to me since my labor with Guinevere was 31 hours long. She was only in active labor for 3 hours. She really did do a great job. 

Her friends Sarah and her Doula stuck around for a while after the birth and we all just sat around and admired Luca. It was really nice. Sarah was really compassionate and held Cassie’s hand during contractions. Her doula was great too. She was compassionate, yet firm. She kept reminding Cassie to focus her energy on bringing the baby down. Both her midwife and doula are two people I would want at any of my future births. They were great.

I’m really glad I got to be there for the birth. I can’t wait to edit the pictures and make a slideshow out of them. I’m also going to do a newborn session with Luca in a week. <3 sweet little newborn babies. 

I finally ended up leaving Cassie’s house around 12:30 so that she could take a nap. I got home and Michael and I went to the mall and hung out. I was exhausted. Guinevere was up every 35-45 minutes last night because her schedule was so thrown off and she as over tired. 

This morning I could have totally slept in until noon or later, but got up around 9:30am because we had to go pick up Parker early to go to Hayden’s birthday party. A little over 24 hours after giving birth Cassie was still throwing Hayden’s party at jumpstreet lol. Parker had a lot of fun, but it was tiring. The place is loud. After Jumpstreet we stopped by my parent’s house for a bit and then we came home. After the kids went to bed Michael and I watched a couple episodes of Penn and Teller’s Bullshit!. They did an episode on lifecoaching and it was hilarious. Michael says he is going to be come a lifecoach now because it would be awesome to get paid to do something that requires no work haha.

I’ve been editing Cassie’s maternity portraits from up in Sedona since he went to bed. I want to finish them before I get started on the birth pictures. I’m loving how the portraits in Sedona turned out. The scenery is so gorgeous, it almost doesn’t look real. Going up there was an awesome idea (I actually came up with it, I can be really ambitious about photography if I want to be haha). 

I’ll have to post some of the Sedona pictures once I finish editing them all.

For now, some cell phone pictures from the last couple weeks.

The only non-cell phone picture. Guinevere up in Sedona. She was so happy we were paying attention to her haha. I love that little smile. It looks exactly like the emoticon 😀
 

On the way up to Sedona. Cutest face ever.

All of our kids together (minus Luca who had not yet been born). I can’t believe how big Parker and Hayden are).

Watching each other play on their leapsters. 

Cassie and Guinevere up in Sedona. It was cold and her little nose was sooo red. It was so cute.

We’re doing baby lead weaning. Parker didn’t really have much interest in solids until he was 8.5 months old. Guinevere has been obsessed with them for the past month and a half. I finally let her have them for the first time at 6.5 months. She LOVES feeding herself. I gave her a spoon but she quickly ditched it and ended up using her hands.

<img width="450" height="336" border="2" alt="" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs065.snc6/167592_10100108996307422_10103661_52898369_4654655_n.jpg&#8221; />

She really seemed to enjoy painting with the mashed potatoes lol.

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This cracked us all up. She got tired of trying to get them into her mouth with her hand so she just started licking them off the tray hahaha. Smart baby.

Skull baby legs and hot pink tutu. I looooove dressing her up.

Riding in the cart for the first time. Parker was dancing around and making her laugh. She loved it.

Having some bread at the old spaghetti factory. 

Sibling love is so sweet.

Michael is reading them a bed time story. Parker wanted Gwennie to come listen in his room with him.

Guinevere on the right and her cousin Hope on the left.

Brand new Luca.

I laid Guinevere on the bed so I could take a picture of the baby and she was obsessed with my camera (I was using both Cassie’s and mine during the birth). I had to take a picture of her being the world’s youngest birth photographer haha.

Me and Cassie (and Luca and Hayden).

 

 

 

 

 

 

lilypie first birthday tickers

 

lilypie fifth birthday tickers

 

 

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January 24, 2011

Guinevere is so cute 🙂 I can’t believe how big Hayden and Parker are either (cuz my kiddo is right up there with them lol) I’m so glad Cassie had a good birthing experience. Luca is beautiful!

January 26, 2011

RYN: Maturity level really depends more on the guy rather than on his age. I usually date older guys myself and most are just as immature as guys my own age. Lucas was 10 years older than myself and expected me to take care of him and live his life for him.

June 23, 2011

ryn: couldn’t care less. Write one about me now!

June 23, 2011

ryn: Oh, and I never called her disgusting.

August 6, 2011

Love the early start on photography shot.