On Sunday morning I woke up about 8:15, sat there in my bed and thought to myself..."I really don't want to go to work tomorrow"...I then realized that I had to pee...whats new...and so I got up. When I was finished I was walking back to bed and there was a little drizzle...I said, "did I just pee on my self?"...so I stood around for a few minutes trying to figure it out. Adam woke up, saw the look on my face, and asked me what was wrong. I said, "I can't decide if I peed on myself or if my water broke." He just looked at me funny. After a few minuets of nothing went to get back in bed and as soon as I sat down you could hear the gush of water. Adam was up in a split second throwing clothes on and asking what we should do. I said, "get me a diaper" and as he was running out of the room I started laughing and told him to calm down. At this point I had not had a contraction. I told him to go out to the truck and get my suitcase so that I could put a few more things in it and then we could go. Adam went out to his truck three times before he could remember what he was getting. He was so cute. At about 8:45 we were off to the hospital...in the big white truck of course because Gunnar was just waiting for the BIG snow storm before he decided to make his appearance.


On the way we started making phone calls and while the weather was a hindrance at this point I was a little happy that it was so bad...most people didn't come to the hospital to see me flopped on a bed like a beached whale with enough tubing stuck to me to wrap the world twice. I also started to have contractions on the way, and while they hurt I did not think the pain was unmanageable.


About and hour and a half later we finally reach the hospital in Caldwell...which is only an hour at the absolute most away from my house...and the contractions are coming about every five minutes. We get out of the truck and Adam sits me in one of those wheel chairs, mine happened to have only one of the things for my feet and was sticking straight out (Adam was a bit nervous), and he wheels me inside where they basically just verify a bunch of information that they already have and make me sign a HIPPA form...like I really give a @#$% right now, and then give us really bad directions to the elevators. So Adam takes off like speed racer down the halls and then back again because we might be going the wrong way, and then...no, we were right the first time so we turn around again and go back. Finally we find the elevators and are on our way up to the O.B. ward.


Once we get up to the second floor the nurse puts us in this little room...with two beds...and so I sit there for and hour or so before they move us into my laboring room. Adam of course was getting all pissed because number one this was a tiny room and it wasn't a private room which of course is what we wanted, and second while we are there some other lady comes in and is in labor and all she wants to talk about it how her uncle just committed suicide. Yeah, that is super sad and I am probably going to hell, but I was thinking who the hell cares. Give me a break...the contractions are now about three minutes apart and really starting to hurt.


Finally they move us into our laboring room and there we stayed until the c-section. At about 4:00 p.m. my doctor comes in and checks me...uuuaggh...and says that I am about a 4 1/2. At this point the contractions don't just hurt any longer they are slowly killing me. When they say it hurts they are fucking lying...they are enough to kill you and drive you mad. So like any person with a firm grip on all there faculties I asked for the best drugs they could give me. The first thing they gave me was some Stadol which basically knockes you out enough so that you are physically unable to respond to the pain without making you unconscious. It was okay, I was still conscious of the pain just unable to do anything about it. My anesthesiologist came in about an hour later and gave me my epidural...which is on a drip, with a nifty button that lets me give myself more if I want...and thank god for him! I would not have made it otherwise I think.


At about 6:00 my doctor comes in and says that I am about a six and at 7:00 I am still a six so they start my on pitocin just to move things along. I am so glad I had an epi because I was watching those contractions come with the pitocin and holy shit. They must have hurt. Look at that last one...it is almost off the chart. Adam's sister Kathy is there and looking at me saying, "I can't believe you are sleeping through all of these..."

Anyway, the contractions keep coming about ever minute and a half to two minutes and are very strong until about 10:30 when my doctor comes back to tell me that I am not progressing and that Gunnar has not dropped below a -1 and that he recommends a c-section but he doesn't want to press me into it. At this point I have been in labor for 12 hours...true I can't feel much...but I am tired and just want to have Gunnar out already so I look at him and say "Great, let's do it." He smile and off we go.

They wheel me into the surgery room...which scared the crap out of me before...and moved me onto a bed, hung the little sheet by my face, and began. Adam was totally astounded that I didn't feel a thing and that they were pulling my stomach open with those things the dentist use on your cheeks only times 100 in size.

Finally at 11:24 Gunnar is born and handed to Adam so we could see him. He was so beautiful and when I heard him cry my universe tilted and my life finally made sense. I was here for him.

They finished sewing me up and all that jazz and wheeled me into recovery where Adam and Gunnar were waiting. After all the buzz and pictures I was finally alone with my tiny family. We looked at each other and cried. It was the happiest day in my...our lives.

The next day even drugged up on vicodin I was in so much pain that I was not sure I wanted to do this again...and that is a big deal coming from me who wants to have at least four kids. But true to form I soon forgot about the pain and want at least three others just like him. What the hell is wrong with me...glutton for punishment I guess. Oh well, what can you do.

Now my life is consumed with feedings every two hours, pumping when I can, ice bags in between and sleep...I forgot what that was. It is amazing though how two hours of fitful, interrupted sleep can totally get you through the day. Gunnar also likes to pee on us...must be a boy thing...and instead of changing him once we have to do it twice most of the time. I have also only broken down into tears once since I have been home...a fact I am really proud of...I thought I would cry a lot more. Adam is completely in love and I adore my tiny family. How life changes.

Gunnar Eugene Tamez

December 21st 2008

11:24 p.m.

6lbs. 15 oz.

Well I went to the doctor and today and found out that I am 3 centimeters dilated, my blood pressure, and weight gain are fine. I also had to have an ultra sound to check Gunnar's size again and this time it said that he weighed 7lbs. and 4oz. with three weeks to go. The doctor said that everything was fine and that now we just wait. I hate that! "now we just wait". That is like saying you have won 297 million dollars but you just have to wait for it.



I was laying there on the table while he checked my cervix and was wondering why in all the baby books I have bought they never mention that when the doc checks your cervix it hurts like HELL! When I thought about it I realized there are a lot of things that they don't tell you in those books. For instance, they don't tell you that literally your crotch is going to hurt...I mean they tell you your hips hurt from the spreading but not your CROTCH! I guess I should read Jenny McCarthy's(spelling ?) book, maybe she will be more truthful. The normal baby books are vague like they don't want to scare you. What scares me is all the shit that I don't know because they didn't tell me that. A good example...your mucus plug will be a snotty ball of tissue that is white...or yellow...or brown...or red. WHAT THE HELL OTHER COLOR COULD IT BE! Why not throw blue or green in there for gods sake. Can they be a little more specific PLEASE!
I know that I would appreciate it.



I guess I have really made it into the final stages of pregnancy. I am testy, judgemental, and very TRUTHFUL! I was hoping to skip all that and keep my sanity but I am completely engrossed in the emotional pregnancy cloud. Like you can't tell from my babbling. Anyway, I wanted to post the new picture of Gunnar that the lady gave me today. It is a 3D ultrasound photo and you can see his little chin and his BIG lips. He has is fist in his face rubbing one of his eyes so you can only see half of his face but it is still cute. At least I think so! Here it is:

We are so excited for him to get here. I can't wait to hold him...in my arms, not my giant house of a uterus...and kiss his sweet cheeks and lips.

I have a lot of new stuff to share with you so lets get started.

Fist is my latest work for Craftwarehouse. It is my last assignment and they have really come through this time with some bright and fun paper. Hambly...who doesn't' love them? I do want to say sorry though because I was unable to think of something fun and quirky to do with the moustache rubons...I guess my mind wasn't far enough out there for that. Anyway...I was charged with making two layouts, a tag or card, and something of our own choice. I decided to make the two layouts, a tag, and a card. I wanted the projects to be bright and chaotic just like the paper. Here are the pictures. Some of them are a little blurry and the overlays got a little dusty so there you go. I also didn't post a picture of the tag...it is just square and green. Not much to see.

Second. Adam and I finished Gunnar's room the other day except for the trim around the door and window and the curtain (which I have to make yet) but I wanted to post pictures of the color so that every can see it and the crib bedding. It is a green called Pesto and the Rain forest Bedding set from Fisher Price. Here are the photos.

Look at his little clothes in the closet...how cute is that. He doesn't have much to hand up...most of it is onsies which I guess is a good thing. I love the bedding set we got for the crib...the monkey, tiger, and tucan (which you can't see) is adorable. What do you think of the color? I think it is perfect.

I went back to the doctor on Friday and my blood pressure was perfect. 110/62. He asked me what has changed since then and I told him that Adam came home and he said, "well, I don't recommend that he leave again any time soon." I have to go back for my next appointment on Thursday and he will give me another ultrasound to check Gunnar's size because I am now measuring 39 inches. Almost full term. He then said, "if this baby is close to 10 pounds you might want to consider a c-section." I looked at him and said, "that sounds awesome." If Gunnar is ten pounds I don't think I will be able to deliver him vaginally. That is a huge baby.

I have also been really nervous lately because we are getting so close. Every time I feel any type of pain that is new to me...and there is a lot of them...I wonder if it is time or not. Every day I get up and every night I go to bed I wonder if it will be today or tonight. I guess that is normal...I just can't wait for him to get here.

We are almost ready for Christmas. Our living room is about done and we found a really great deal on carpet for the first of the year. I can't wait to have everything put back together again. It is so hard living in a house that you are remodelling. Nothing is clean, and as hard as you try it never will be clean until you are done. Well, we are almost there so I guess that is the best I can ask for now.