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Abigail Hess

She is here! Abigail Hess 7 lbs 14 oz, 20.5 inches!! Maryellen did so awesome!! We got to the hospital around noon yesterday to do a stress test thinking we would be here for an hour or two. The doctor streched her cervix in the morning and that was enough to put her into labor! She started having contractions around 11. When we got to the hospital her contractions started coming strong and didn't stop. We couldn't have a had a more special experience! Abigail was born at 8:32pm. We have a beautiful healthy baby girl!!!!

40 Weeks and Counting...

My due date came and passed and still no baby, but no worries! On Monday the doctor said I was dilated to a 1 or 2 and he gave me the option of inducing but I told him I wanted to wait to see if the baby will come on her own first.
After I had been up for a while this morning I was standing up and I felt the baby drop...crazy! I feel like I have all this room to breathe now and that is such a good feeling! I am so glad everything seems to be heading in the right direction even if it's a little slow. My mom got here earlier in the week and Lindsey and Sarah stopped by on their way to Idaho. She and Brandon's family are just waiting for us to call and tell them something is happening before they jump in the car to come here...so exciting!!

A Look Back

                                                                  37 Weeks

         Years from now I know I am going to be kicking myself for not blogging more about my pregnancy.  I think about blogging all the time.  I really do.  Usually about 5 times a day, and always when I am reading the Pioneer Woman.  I just love her!  The problem is that I don't feel like my writing flows together well enough for me to get on and talk  about all the little things that happen during the day.   

           So this is my attempt to go back and talk about a little bit about my pregnancy. Hopefully now I won't kick myself too hard down the road! 

           Fun facts (At least fun for me anyway):  

• This was not a surprise pregnancy.  Well, it felt like a surprise when I looked at the pregnancy test and realized that I was in fact pregnant, but it wasn't.  In August of last year Brandon and I both started feeling like we needed to start our family.  It kinda scared me at first but after a little while I got used to the idea and we didn't have to wait long before we saw the two lines on the pregnancy test!
• I found out I was pregnant on Monday the 17th of November.  I had this feeling like I was pregnant on my birthday (the 15th) but Brandon had taken me on a surprise trip to Zion's National park for the weekend so I had to wait until Monday to go and get a pregnancy test.  I dropped him off at school and went straight to the store to get one.  When I went back to pick him up and drop him off at work I knew I was pregnant and it was so hard to not tell him but I wanted to think of a fun way of letting him know.  I went to Rugby practice that day for the last time (I had been working out with the BYU Rugby team for just a little while) and then when Brandon came home I told him I was teaching the FHE lesson so I talked all about parenting and family traditions and then I asked him what kind of traditions we want to have with our kids and so on.  Then I gave him a wrapped package that I told him it tied into the lesson.  It was a little baby BYU Cougar shirt and he held it up for a little while and looked at me with a puzzled expression and I started laughing and then crying and he looked at me shocked and said "Are you pregnant?" and I just nodded my head.  Then he gave me the biggest hug and then he let go of me and felt my stomach and said, "I have to be so careful with you."
• Originally we were going to wait to tell everyone at Christmas time but I had get out of playing Rugby and I wanted my mom to be the first one to know so I ended up telling her on the phone, which wasn't my favorite option but oh well.  She was thrilled and from then on it was so hard not to tell everyone, especially over Thanksgiving break when I was throwing up non stop!  
• For the pretty much entire time after I found out I was pregnant until the end of the first first trimester I don't think there was a day that I wasn't sick.  I ended up losing 10 pounds but as soon as I got into the 2nd trimester it was like a miracle.  The heavens opened and I slept through the night without getting up to hurl and when I woke up in the morning and was able to keep down my breakfast.  I don't know what I would have done if I would have been sick throughout the whole pregnancy.  I know there are women out there who have to deal with that but let me tell you, I think if I were one of those women this would be my only child!
• So Christmas finally came and we got to tell the families!  For Brandon's family we got his parents an ornament that said, "When a child is born so is a grandparent."  We gave it to them almost as soon as we walked in the door because we were so excited, we couldn't wait a day longer.  And also because after a 14 hour car ride I don't think I could have pretended to be feeling fine for too long before they got suspicious!  I was a lot more nervous to tell my family.  We went down to Bakersfield two days after Christmas and while we were opening presents with them I just said, oh and I am pregnant, or something to that affect.  Not very creative but I couldn't think of anything better.  I will never forget how Lindsey got up and hugged me and started crying and wouldn't let go.  It was a great moment!!
• In the beginning I thought for sure I was going to have a little boy because I kept dreaming about this cute boy that was my son.  Brandon even had a dream about a little boy so I was a little surprised that we were going to have girl but it is a good thing because we have no boy names at all.  We knew instantly that we were going to name our girl Abigail, I can't even remember how we came up with it but it was both our top favorite girl name.  Brandon's sister told us later that she dreamed that we had a little boy and not too long ago I had another dream about the same little boy so we will see how good our doctor is with his predictions!  I guess it's a good thing I bought neutral bedding!
• The second trimester really was the best, I felt the baby move for the first time I think around 20 weeks (give or take a few).  I texted Brandon to tell him because he was at work, but it took a lot longer for him to be able to feel her.  Now she doesn't stop moving.  We think we are going to have a little soccer player because she loves kicking.  I can tell she is getting big because she is always bulging out of my right side.  Her favorite spot is just below the right side of my ribs.  Sometimes I think she is trying to kick herself out of my stomach, but since she is not half vampire, I doubt that is possible!
• I have had heart burn pretty much the entire 3rd trimester and most nights I wake up to take a pill and drink some milk but I would take heart burn any day over throwing up!
• Last fun fact- I have a little over two weeks before my due date and I am undecided on how I feel.  I am so excited I can't stand it, I just want her to be here, but at the same time I am terrified.  About being a mom, breast feeding, and mostly about labor.  In the beginning it was so far away I didn't have to worry about it but now I think about it all the time and wonder what I got myself into.  I guess it's too late now to change my mind!  This little girl is going to bless our lives so much.  I think the thing I am most excited about is to see Brandon hold her for the first time.  He is going to be the best dad.  So the countdown in on.  In no time at all she will be here and from then on I know life will never be the same!  I can't wait!