Welcome to the world Rochelle!!

  So as I write this post of Rochelle's birth let me just start by saying it was the most exhilarating experience of my life, and I wouldn't change a single thing.
  Shane and I were so excited we got no sleep before our appointment Thursday morning at 9:00am knowing that if I had dilated any more then a 4 that my doctor would send me over to Citizens Hospital to have my baby girl and induce my labor, even if I wasn't having a good labor pattern because he knows my wishes of not wanting to have my baby in my home town! My parents came that morning to our house to watch Brielle, just in case we were sent to the hospital right after our appointment, which we really prayed that, that was the case.
  As we headed to the appointment, we said a prayer for a good nurse and a great delivery of our healthy baby girl if today was going to be the day that we would deliver.  We arrived and of course got my weight and I gave a urine sample and then waited to see the doctor.  During my assessment he said I measured 5cm dilated and 50% effaced and he would send me over to deliver.  We got so excited we called my mom and told them the great news and when to bring Brielle to the hospital.  My best friend Adriane also made her way to the hospital and we were good to go!
  Upon arrival a not so nice nurse told me that they had no rooms and was complaining about me coming in with no contractions to be induced and I was not happy to be hearing that, considering I knew that I would most likely be in and out since I was already a 5!  When my nurse (a nurse friend that I graduated RN school with) came in, I was so excited and she was definitely in for the ride of her life :)
  I arrived to the hospital around 10am and did not get started on Pitocin (a medication used to induce labor and contractions) until 1:30pm.  We (me, my doctor, shane, the nurse) all agreed that I would be intermittently monitored so I could walk around during my labor and really breathe and find new positions during contractions since I wanted to be all natural. I went from a 5cm-7cm in an hour after being on the medicine and once she decided to kick up the pitocin by 2units I was REALLY feeling the contractions and within an hour went from a 7cm to an 8cm where my water broke and I started feeling the contractions literally every minute and my mom helped me sit in the bath water for relaxation purposes and that did not work because all I could tell my mom since I was in so much pain and screaming "ouch", "Jesus" and "tell the nurse to get me an EPIDURAL" even though I knew in my head I was really just ready to push baby girl out.  At this time, my mom got me comfortable on my bed and this Neurologist came in to talk to us about Rochelle and what he was going to look for and I said to him "can you not see I'm having a contraction" and asked him to please wait until I was done.
  So much for the waiting, because literally my nurse checked me and I was a 10cm fully dilated and fully effaced at 4:03pm, my doctor wasn't even there and my nurse was calling everyone that was suppose to be in there for delivery.  Well at 4:08pm I felt the BIGGEST overwhelming rush come over my body and I said I have to push NOW, I was laying on my side in bed, and I turned over to my back, looked at Shane who was still rubbing my back and luckily a nurse came running in the room, grabbed a towel and I pushed Rochelle out in one push while she caught her in a towel without any time to put on gloves or gown up and she was such a blessing in disguise.  EVERYONE came running into the room and started to assess her right away, her oxygen was so low that they applied 50% supplemental oxygen right away and did vitals, took pics with daddy and gave us a little bonding time (Brielle LOVED her right away!!) until they whisked her away to the NICU/nursery to be monitored more thoroughly and see kind of all what's going on.  I soon delivered the placenta and was ready to get up and showered right after birth.
  She does show apparent signs of Trisomy 13 (labored breathing, does have a hole in the heart so their is a soft murmur, and contracted hands (which we are hoping since is able to open them and extend them that therapy can really work with her on that), round cheeks, big nose, and a bright little pimple like spot on the top of head, and low muscle tone) so we are currently in San Antonio at Santa Rosa Christus Hospital getting the best care and treatment possible for our baby girl and doing whatever we can to give her the best life possible.
 Thank you for all the continued prayers, this is going to be a hard time with our family, but we know God doesn't give us anything we can't handle and she is definitely a fighter and we can't wait to fight with her on this journey!

Family of four!! 

6 pounds 5 ounces,  19 inches long

Proud grandparents!! 

Sister love! 

Holding hands :) 

Auntie lovin'

Newborn sticker on my precious maternity shirts blanket :) 

Savoring The Sweetness

  With our journey as a family of three is coming to an end pretty soon, I have really tried to make more of an effort and savor all of the sweet moments that we have been having this past week and a half of me being off work and just staying at home with Brielle.
   Usually when I am working weekends, Shane is unable to make any overtime due to my crazy work schedule and just how tired I am after work, but this past weekend with me being home he actually got called in I believe 2 or 3 times to make a little overtime! (Especially with me not working these next couple of months anything helps!)
  This past Sunday was the first Sunday that all three of us got to church on time (due to the time change, Brielle got her full hour morning nap in before service and we got her ready so we weren't late), and got to enjoy the full service which was amazing.  Our Pastor preached such a great sermon on "how is your faith?" It was so good to be reminded that faith recognizes God and He is our refuge and to be reminded that no matter what we are going through in our life, their is always a door open with God and you can speak to Him with anything that is on your heart.  The church also prayed over baby Rochelle and it was so nice to see my sister-in-law go up in front of everyone, not knowing that I was going to do the same and ask our family and friends for prayers and goodness over this baby.  Our hearts were so full to see such a selfless act, and thank God that we have such good family and friends that have been with us on this beautiful journey.  After service was over, we went to enjoy a late lunch with my sister in law and her family (which we haven't done in a very long time)  and even though Brielle was tired and ready for her afternoon nap it was nice just to spend quality time together.
  Yesterday, Brielle kept giving us kisses like crazy and saying "Aiden" and "Emma" for her cousins which she usually sees every week when I am working in Austin and since she hasn't seen them we decided to make a little day trip surprise to Lockhart to visit my parents and for her to spend some time with her cousins before her baby sister arrives! :) Brielle was beyond excited when she got to see them giving them tons of hugs and kisses and I knew I had made the right choice to make that trip.  I don't know when the next time that all three will be able to play together again, but I know they all had so much fun yesterday.
   These next couple of days as we wait for our next appointment Shane and I still have to clean the carpets in the entire house and do some last minute stocking up on some major supplies that we use that hopefully will prevent us from having to go to the grocery store for at least a week or two after baby girl gets home and then we should be ready to go!  Can't wait to show the world our newest addition to the family :)

Where has my little girl gone?? 

Trampoline fun at Emma' daycare 

All three cousins playing puzzles. 

Brielle loving this slide! 

Emma in front of her daycare

Aiden just enjoying the ride 

Sitting so cute together coloring 

Riding on daddy's back (new favorite thing) 

Me and Andrea

Brielle,  rhyleigh, pj

Saying "cheese"  before church 

Brielle and rhyleigh  :) 

37 week check-up :)

Baby: 37 weeks and 5 days! Baby girl is now full term but I really don't consider babies full term until 39 weeks so the lungs and the brain can keep growing and forming.   She should also be weighing a little more than 6 pounds so that would be great! Still moving around a lot which is great and her heart rate at the appointment was 144bpm.  My doctor said if she has not came on her own by next week he will send me to the hospital to have her! We might be meeting baby Rochelle VERY soon!

Mommy: Feeling a lot of pressure lately, but still no cramping, contractions (that are painful), or vaginal bleeding or my water breaking so labor has not yet started yet! This has been such a relaxing week to spend with Brielle and Shane and just enjoy these last couple of weeks of being a family of three. The doctor stated that I am almost dilated to a 4 and will most likely go into good labor soon, so we shall see! I am definitely doing more stretches/mild workouts to try to build some muscle back up to do an all natural labor! (Yes, that is my goal--God may have other plans and we completely ok with whatever it will take to get Rochelle out healthy and safe).

Daddy: We got our family pictures back in, so daddy has been hard at work putting up all the new wall decor which is so cute and cozy, can't wait to see it when it's all done! We both read an article about how adults overuse the word "no" and "don't" which is definitely Shane and I, so we are really working on saying other words instead since that is a common word we hear from our 16 month old right now!

Cravings: Honestly not much, yes today was Halloween and we did indulge on some candy but other then that not much at all.

Brielle: Definitely was NOT a huge fan of Halloween with everyone dressing up and wearing masks (she is terrified of them) so we were holding her the entire time trick-or-treating.  Other then that, this past week we have been practicing with numbers, colors, and animals.  She used to LOVE cows, until she heard she heard our friends cow up close and personal so we are having to work her way back to loving them!  We are so glad that on our daily walks we see goats, horses, donkeys, chickens, and cows that we get to show her what she is learning in the books.  So cool!

Here are a few pics from this last week! :)

Happy Halloween,  she could barely stand still (as you can tell by her feet lol!) 

Loves to play peek-a-boo

Where has time gone?? 

After the appointment I finally got to enjoy some mommy pampering time and get my eyebrows done and a pedicure while Shane watched Brielle at the mall and it was so nice to have that time to myself!  It's going to be a lot harder to come by pretty soon!  :)

Fall Family Pictures

  I said in yesterday's post that we took our family pictures this past weekend which was also the last weekend that I worked, so to say that we had a very busy day was an understatement! We decided on 1:00pm to meet at our photographers house due to Brielle usually taking her nap anywhere between 2:30-3 and we decided (along with the photographer) quickly that it was not a good time at all to take pictures due to the position of the sun.  I think we still got great pictures and can't wait to take more when we have a family of 4!
Hope you all enjoy them as much as we do!  Thank you so much Dee Zavadil for the amazing pictures, if you would like her information you can find it on facebook Lucky Shots by Dee or here.

Getting ready for baby #2!!

  There were so many things on our to-do list before our last appointment where we told that I am already dilated to a 3 and that kind of got us moving a little faster on our list.  We had to get new tires on my car, deep cleaned the entire house and started to organize and clean out Brielle's room which will eventually be shared by both of the girls since we live in a two bedroom rent house. We also got our room ready for baby Rochelle to be with us for the first 6 months or so! :)
  I am officially packed for the hospital, I also packed Shane and Brielle bags as well so we will all be set for when the moment comes! I also cannot wait to give Brielle her big sister bag at the hospital after she meets her sister for the first time.  We are so excited! Hopefully she will stay cooking for as long as possible!
  We also set up an appointment for the dogs to get their heartworm testing and flea and tick medicine which is a also a huge expense all at once but I am so glad that they are taken care of for the next three months!  I also had decided to make last weekend the last week of my working for about 6 weeks or until I feel ready to go back. Let me tell you, I am savoring all the precious moments of just being us three before baby girl arrives!
  We also just now took our family pictures for the fall last weekend and I love how to they turned out, and when I get everything processed and transferred to my laptop I will be doing an update and post some of my favorites on there! Even though this is probably the biggest I have ever been, I have never felt so beautiful to be with Shane and Brielle in those pictures!  Can't wait to show you all.

Changing table ready! 

Super cute bassinet we got from my cousin cara

Added on to the wall :) 

Painted her nails for the first time ever!  Pink with glitter!  So cute. 

36 week check-up!

Baby: 36 weeks and 5 days! Rochelle is now shedding most of the hair that has covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa that we will see at birth.  She is able to swallow that substance which will result in a black mixture called meconium which she will have in her first bowel movement post birth! We had an ultrasound today which showed that baby girl is weighing in around 5 pounds 10 oz. (the 18th percentile) and still has long legs and arms, and the only odd thing was that her abdomen was measuring at 33 weeks so the sonographer did some more extensive test to see what else could cause a small growth in the belly but they said everything came back normal.  My doctor stated that this sometimes happens when the baby stops growing overall which would result in an immediate delivery but since there are no other signs of slowed or delayed growth throughout her body he is going to continue to let me carry her as scheduled.

Mommy:  I am officially 3cm dilated and 50% effaced! Which means, I could have baby girl naturally sooner than expected without having to be induced! I have officially told both of my jobs that this is going to be my last week of working because as it is looking right now, we might be having her a couple of weeks early! My hospital bag has been packed and I take it with me even when I work in Austin, because at the end of the day you just we just never know when baby Rochelle wants to present herself to everyone!

Daddy: Has been cleaning and organizing with me like crazy lately trying to get our house and everything else in order before Rochelle makes her arrival.  Since today's appointment I think Shane and I did the most cleaning we have done in a long time! So glad Daddy is able to take off work and be with me at every appointment and during the delivery and hopefully a couple of weeks after! He can't wait to meet baby Rochelle as well!

Cravings: This last week it has been popcorn.  Not just any popcorn though, the popcorn from the Friday night football games.  I even called my sister in law when I didn't go to the game to meet Shane at the front gate for some popcorn so I could have some that night while we caught up on our shows.  Crazy!

Brielle: Has been doing great with her independent play and just using her mind in so many different ways lately to put things together.  You can definitely tell this is a huge growth and learning period for her since she is interested in everything anyone is doing.  One of her favorite things to do is "ring around the rosie" and she can literally do that over and over again! Does anyone know how hard it is to keep getting up and down at almost 37 weeks pregnant?  lol! The things we do for our kids these days :)

Of course we celebrated another week down in the pregnancy by going to eat at Olive Garden and then went to Discount Tire to see which of my tires needed to be replaced since I have only had one flat time and replaced that since I got my vehicle and turns out after 40,000 miles all three of my tires needed to be so needless to say that was a huge unexpected expense but we are glad we did it before Rochelle came.  One less thing we have to check off of our never-ending to do lists! :)

Brielle at discount tire after the appointment! 

I love this crazy pic of Brielle and Shane! 

Her saying "cheese"  lol! 

The back of her big sis hospital bag! 

The front.  It's all full now and ready to go! 

Brielle at Nana and Grandpa's house. 

Nana,  Grandpa,  Aiden,  Emma and Brielle 

My mom with her birthday balloon my brother got her :)  we love you mom! 

Rochelle's nose and lips! Definitely big like Brielles! 

All of her beautiful face. 

35 week check-up!!

Baby: 35 weeks and 4days at the day of the appointment! Her kidneys are now fully developed and her liver can now process some waste products! Yay for the small things.  Her heart rate was 133, the same as the weekend before at the 4D ultrasound.  Glad she is still sounding great!  Next week we will get to see another ultrasound of our beauty and the doctor will start doing weekly check-ups!

Mommy:  I have been feeling SO much pressure lately!  Some days I swear this girl is just going to fall out of me, lol! But my doctor will start to check me next week to see how far dilated and effaced I am, so we shall see! I am definitely the biggest I have EVER been in my life! Not sure if it's because it's my third pregnancy in three years, or what, but I am definitely dragging lately! Can't wait to meet this precious girl in a little over 3 weeks!

Daddy: Still so amazing to me and Brielle.  He is helping me get everything ready on my off days and just doing what he can a lot of the time to help me.  (Especially since Brielle wants "up" so much lately!) Just having him around makes everything so much easier/better!

Cravings: Still sweet stuff, literally love me some sweet stuff! I really think I will not want another donut/ice cream after this pregnancy is done for a LONG time! It's hilarious because I would never eat this before and now can't go without it! Lol!

Brielle: Has this new thing where she tries to feel where Rochelle is on my stomach and will just wait for her to kick her! It's so hilarious and is her daily ritual.  Just kissing my belly and hugging me makes this whole experience so much better! I can't wait for her to meet her sister, good thing that she LOVES babies and kisses them like crazy!  I can't wait to see how much she grows and matures over these next few months as well.  We love Brielle like crazy and are so blessed to be her parents!

Here are some fun adventures that we have been up to lately:

Eating at olive garden after a great doctor appointment :) 

Emma and Brielle at the jumpy house.  She doesn't look too thrilled lol! 

Just casually relaxing on the slide. 

With Grandpa at our favorite breakfast spot: Dans! 

Brielle casually eating pancakes at Nana and grandpa's house!  Love her morning hair.