The Boys meet Dallen

Jack was so excited to meet Dallen. He just kept saying "He's so cute mom!" over and over! He was also excited that he brought me flowers in the hospital and was excited to see the second day that they were still there!

Nathan was excited too but also fascinated by the hospital room's bathroom and the cookies mom had ordered from the cafeteria!!

Introducing our new baby!

Dallen Andrew is here! We are so happy to have him with us. I can't believe how early he showed up-I wasn't even quite 37 weeks yet so that was a little unexpected but here he is and we just love him. I am suprised how well the boys are doing with their new little brother-particularly Jack. We didn't think Jack would be too impressed but he just LOVES Dallen! I am going to post a few pictures and the big, long birth story for anyone who is interested. I can't believe how long I was in labor! But so worth it to have this precious angel in our family. As I type this he is laying on my chest snoozing and I am kissing him and loving it!

Here is how it happened:

I was sort of sick on Friday with stomach flu like symptoms. I am still not positive if I was sick or if they were pre-labor signs. Saturday morning I woke up feeling better but about 8 or 9 in the morning I realized I was having some "painful" contractions. Not painful really but certainly not braxton hicks either. I told Josh and he started timing them and they were something like 8-10 minutes apart consistently.

We just went about the house getting things done (well, mostly he did and I laid on the couch and watched him and timed contractions). This lasted all day long. Literally-all day long with nothing more than contractions coming fairly regularly, not hurting a ton but certainly enough that it made me think it was probably labor.

Finally, about 11:15 that night I woke Josh up (we had gone to bed early just in case) and said maybe we ought to just head in. The contractions were getting a little stronger and were coming about 6 minutes apart, so just to be on the safe side I thought we maybe should get started since we had to get the boys to a friend's house and then get to the hospital about 20 minutes away. So, we woke the boys, got them settled at the friends house and headed in.

We got the hospital around 1 in the morning. They put me in triage, hooked up the monitors and checked me. Said I was about 3.5 cm and 50% effaced. They said they would monitor me for an hour and if there was any change they would admit me. But when the realized I was not quite 37 weeks yet, they didn't want to do anything to make the contractions come any faster like having me walk.

So, I laid in the triage bed for about 2 hours waiting. I was still having contractions but they had slowed to about 10 minutes again! They still hurt pretty good, enough that I was uncomfortable laying there. But, when they came in the check me there was no change and they said they were sending me home. They figured I was just dehydrated from being sick on Friday and said if I could hydrate myself they contractions would stop. So, they gave me some jello and juice for the ride home and I drank and drank.

We got home at about 4:30-left the boys at the friend's house so we wouldn't have to disturb them again-and went to bed. Sure enough, the contractions stopped! I was able to sleep pretty soundly from 4:30 till 7:30 which felt great!

Then, Josh got up and went and got the boys and took them to church but left me to sleep. The contractions started in again around 8 or so and kept coming every 10 minutes again! So, I dozed off and on clear till like 12:30 that day. When my boys all got home from church we just hung out at home and still, contraction after contraction but never closer than about 8 minutes. I was getting so very sore and tired by this point though!

Around 6:15 the contractions picked up and started hurting more and coming closer together! Finally! I told Josh and he moved into high gear getting the boy ready to go again and stuff. I told him to wait because I didn't want to get sent home again and wanted to make sure we gave it enough time to be sure it was real. Well, within 30 minutes they had gone back to 10 minutes apart again. I was frustrated and the boys were mad that we weren't taking them to their friend's house!

We put the boys to bed around 8. I was STILL having contractions and they were pretty painful by this point. Enough that I couldn't sit through them (they actually had been this painful most of the afternoon). But I was determined we weren't going back in till I was sure. Josh went to bed around 9 and I sort of did too. I kept having to get up every 10 minutes (yes, STILL consistently 10 minutes apart) for a contraction and didn't want to keep bugging him so I came down to the couch. This went on until 11-every ten minutes, lots of pain.

I kept debating-every time a contraction came I was sure it was time because they hurt so bad and then it would go away and I would rethink it. Finally about 11 I decided we better just go because I was going to play this debating game all night. So again we packed up they boys and took them to the same friend's house.

As we were driving there the contractions got really intense-painful and every 2-3 minutes. So we raced them to the door of the friend's house and took off for the hospital. Luckily there wasn't much traffic and Josh drove fast! I couldn't believe that all of a sudden it was happening after all that time! He got us there in just about 10 minutes which is really fast. We went through the ER which was paradise instead of walking! They wheel chaired me to the labor in delivery within seconds and they moved me immediately to triage. We were there about 12:20 a.m.

I told the nurses that the contractions were coming hard and fast and I thought it was going to happen soon so they moved pretty fast. I had the best nurse ever in triage! I loved her! She called the resident in right away who checked me and said I was 6.5 centimeters and fully effaced. I was thrilled! They started all the necessary procedures right away-put an IV in for fluids so I could get an epidural, did a quick ultrasound to make sure he was head down, called my doctor, that sort of thing. Then they moved me to labor and delivery. I don't even remember what time I got there-maybe 1:15 or 1:30?

They gave me some neumorphan for the pain which worked SO well. I felt really pretty good at that point. Still breathing through some of the contrations but they were bearable. Doctor showed up and was oking the epidural but wanted to check me first. She did and said I was complete and ready! No epidural for me but that was fine because I was ready!

So, the doctor broke me water and that is when the real pain started. I guess I had forgotten how incredibly painful it is! I had one contraction and then felt the urge to push so I pushed. I think I only pushed for about 15 minutes or so but I was shocked by how badly that hurt! I don't remember it being that bad with either of the other boys!

Dallen Andrew was born at 2:05 and I was so thrilled to see him! He is teeny tiny at only 6 lbs even and 17 inches (4 inches shorter than Nathan was!). I fell in love instantly. He is a perfect doll and I just want to eat him! They cleaned me and him up and kept us in the labor and delivery room for about 2 hours. I nursed him there and he did well. I was bleeding more than normal so I got to have 2 wonderful doses of pitocin but that was ok and I am fine.

What more is there to say? I love him, love him, love him! There is nothing I like better in this world than spending those days in the hospital with my brand new baby so those 2 days were absolute paradise to me. Now he is just laying on my chest snuggling and I love it. He is SO cute and tiny and just perfect!

Thanksgiving

I have no pictures to post which always makes me feel like I am not allowed to blog, but it has been a while since I updated, so I thought I should anyway.

We had a great Thanksgiving. Went up to spend it with Josh's parents about 2 hours North of here. It was a really nice weekend with a good combo of relaxing and doing fun things. Dinner was great-especially the cranberry jello stuff I made and the pumpkin cheesecake Josh's mom made. That night we had a Polar Express party which the boys of course loved. We all danced around the house like a train to the Polar Express music and then watched the movie. The boys also got train pjs and trains from grandma and had hot chocolate.

Friday morning me and my insane spouse decided to get up at 3:20 to go shopping. We hit JC Penneys when it opened at 4 hoping to get a Christmas tree but it turned out we didn't even really like the tree when we saw it. We were at Toys R Us by about 4:30 and stood in line there and got in at 5. Got what we wanted and then went out to breakfast. After that we hit a few more stores that were all insane and then came back home. I slept for 2.5 hours after that. Through the course of the weekend we did end up with a Christmas tree and had the shopping for the boys totally done! It was fun even if we were tired.

Saturday we went to paint pottery at a paint it yourself place. We let each of the boys do a project. They loved it. Then we went out to lunch and then went and got our Christmas tree. That was a fun morning.

Now here we are back to normal life. I started potty training Jack this week and I am tired of it already. But I have to stick with it! I don't know if he is really ready-I think he is and I figured I would do it now so that it had time to stick before the baby. I guess we will see what happens.

Baby is growing and making me tired. I always forget how much energy being pregnant can drain from a person. I am getting so excited to meet my third little man. We have a name picked out that we are excited about, just need a middle name now. We have hardly bought anything-don't have too much to get since he is boy #3 but we do have to get him some winter clothes. We need to finish sanding and staining his dresser first so that we have somewhere to put all the stuff though.

Well, that sums up at least some of the last week or so of life. I have to remember to take more pictures!

Jack Sings

I have been trying for a while to get a video on my blog, so here goes another whirl. I have been attempting to catch the boys on video singing mostly for my own benefit because I don't want to forget how cute they sound when they are singing as they grow older. So, here is Jack singing if this works:

Big Halloween Update

It has been a little too long since I wrote and now I have lots to update and lots of pictures! We had a really good Halloween this year. The best part was that my family-mom, dad and brother Scott-decided sort of last minute to drive out from Colorado and visit us. They got here last Monday night (Oct. 29) which was perfect timing for all of our Halloween festivities and made them even more fun.

When they got here we had Family Home Evening complete with pumpkin carving which the boys really loved this year and pumpkin seeds which I burned. Our pumpkins turned out really cute though and the boys had a really fun time! They loved having help from Grandpa and Uncle Scott. And they loved the pumpkin "guts."

Then on Tuesday night we had the trunk or treat at our church which was really fun as always. We have a million little kids at church so it was crowded and fun. The boys loved "trunk or treating" and enjoyed wearing and showing off their costumes. Nathan took Grandma Allen and Grandpa Allen each on a parade around the gym to meet all of his friends. He absolutely insisted that they each had to meet his friends and had a great time showing everyone his grandma and grandpa.

Wednesday night was trick or treating in the neighborhood. I don't think we have had such a warm Halloween in years and years, so it made for good trick or treating. It was still cold, but not bitter cold like it usually is. Jack would not wear his Jack-O-Lantern costume (which I made and spent several hours on) so he wore Nathan's old Elmo costume instead-little stinker! He looked really cute though and the Elmo costume is warm and fuzzy so he didn't have to wear a coat. Our friends, the Dickmans, came over to trick or treat with us and Nathan and Trey and Jack all had a really good time running from door to door. The boys got a ton of candy which I am eagerly helping them eat. Ugh!

Other than that we had a good week with my family-played outside at parks, took them on the bus to Babcock Hall for ice cream, miniature golfed, went out to eat, etc. The boys were in heaven having so many people to play with them.

I also have to include a picture of our Family Home Evening activity from two weeks ago-we made gourd people! We had so much fun! I think they turned out really cute too so I had to take a pic and post it. Nathan's is on the left, then Josh's, then mine, then Jack's. I just love doing fun things like this because the boys get such a kick out of it.

So, all is well here. Today was pretty cold for the first time in a while and I think the cold is probably here to stay. I am not complaining though, I can't believe we got such a nice October-the weather has been great for Wisconsin. Baby boy is getting big-I am now in my third trimester and feeling tired but good. Things are going really well for Josh at work right now and things are looking really good for my business as we start into Christmas shopping season which is great. So, all is well!

Pumpkin Patch

Yesterday was a perfect fall day in the midwest. It doesnt' get any better than that-70 degrees, clear blue sky and the leaves are at their peak of changing. It was perfect. We took the chance to go to a pumpkin patch-one of our absolute favorite things to do as a family. Grandma and Grandpa Price came down to visit for the day and go along with us.

The pumpkin patch we went to had a corn maze, tractor/ hayride to a pumpkin picking area, a huge slide to go down, a barn to play in, karmel korn to buy and all sorts of great stuff. We had a good time. The boys each picked out a pumpkin. Poor Jack-we kept trying to help him pick a good carving one but all he wanted was to find a cute little one that he could easily carry himself, so in the end he chose a small one and Josh and Nathan picked two big ones to carry. Nathan led us through the corn maze and got us out pretty quickly-he was a good leader.

After the pumpkin patch we came home and made homemade doughnuts-yum! We also had a "harvest feast" to go to last night and at a friend's house.

Friday night we had a dip party inspired by several people mentioning that they had dip parties recently. It was fun-4 couples and some kids came over and each brought a dip and something to dip in it. We had a lot of fun and a lot of good food!!

I also have to include a picture of Jack when we went to the same pumpkin patch for playgroup about a week and a half ago-it was SO cold that day so he is all bundled up and I just think he looks so cute!

Sad, sad news and sunny southern Cal.

Well, it was a sad, sad day in the Price family. Today we tried to go to our pumpkin patch that we have gone to every year since coming to Madison. Each year we take pictures in the same spot so that we have comparison pics from year to year. It has been such a fun tradition. We drove there this morning and there is no pumpkin patch this year! (It is just on a really small family farm.) We were so sad! So no pictures at our pumpkin patch from us this year. :(



But, we did go take family pictures at a park that turned out good-I am not going to post them here though because they are for our Christmas card. Then we went to the Fire Station Open House in the next city over. That was so neat! The boys got to "drive" fire trucks, spray a fire house, and see a helicopter land. They also were giving out free hotdogs, pop, popcorn, fireman hats, balloons, etc. So they boys were happy even though we didn't get to our pumpkin patch. Nathan and daddy also went on a "daddy date" today-they went bowling and to McDonald's to get ice cream. Josh even got in the play area and played he said!



I have to post the picture Nathan drew of our family today. Apparently he is impressed by my belly growth with this pregnancy. He said to me "you're the fat one." Nice! I loved it really-cracked me up! I don't think I am really THAT huge. Here is a pic of me today that Nathan actually took with the camera too! Definitely a growing belly! We are excited too because we have a name for him-but it's a secret! :)

The last big information for now is that we found out about a week ago that we are officially going to be in San Diego for the next two years-after Josh graduates this summer. He will finish up sometime in June/July probably and then we will head to San Diego for him to do a 2 year post doc at Scripps Research Institute. We are excited for the nice weather but will be SO sad to leave Madison.

We did lots of other fun things lately but I will post more about them later. I need to put some pics of Jack on here too! I will do that this week!