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Birth is hard on a baby

Sean took Rebekah to her 2 week appointment this morning while i stayed home with Noah. Dr Auxier said that she broke her collar bone coming out ! She has a bump on her right side that will always be there. You can't see it but you can feel it.  Apparently it's a common thing. He said they don't usually notice until the 2 week appointment. He said she is totally fine but that when Sean tells me I'll probably cry and to tell me it's nothing I did and that it's just the way she came out. He so knows moms , cuz I did cry and think it was something I did in labor. But it was just the way her arms were up by here face when she came out that broke her collar home. Poor girl! She didn't cry or anything these last two weeks that would have suggested she was in pain. She cries occasionally but just when she's hungry or in need of a diaper change. She really is such an easy going baby. We are lucky parents! So far two easy kids :) anyway back to her bone. She is fine but the dr said she will probably favor the right side for awhile until we train her to use the other side too. She totally does already. We didn't notice until he said that but thinking back she always has her head facing the right. Also I've been having trouble getting her to nurse on my right side since she was born but she nurses perfectly fine on the left side. Makes sense because she has to turn her head to the left when she feeds on the right and I'm sure the first week it was painful or uncomfortable. I can get her to eat on that side now I just have to slowly move her head and she latches on.

It's so crazy that she broke a bone coming out of the birth canal! Turns out labor is hard on the baby too! I knew the baby had a lot of work to so to be born as well but I never knew they could actually break something. Poor girly. I'm glad she is fine though and not in pain. I just love her. 

Oh in other news Noah likes to kiss her goodnight now and he tries to hold her hand. He still holds too tightly and we have to remind him to be soft but it's adorable that he is interested in her now. Oh and he tried to sit on her last night. The things parents say to their children haha "Noah you can't sit on your sister" and the. He cries. It will get better... I hope haha. 

Big things tonight

Rebekah turned over to her side! Just happened moments ago. Such a strong girl. :)

In other news about miss Bekah. She is so sweet and cuddly. She loves to be held close and on our chest. She rarely cries and even when she does it's so girly and cute. It kind of sounds like a baby triceratops. She mostly sleeps during the day but when she is awake she stares and smiles. Sean loves her dark eyes. She has such loving eyes. 

The big news for Noah is that he went to sleep tonight with no binky! He has grown quite attached to it so it was a tough endeavor. Yesterday morning he asked for it and Sean said no and Noah says in such a dramatic voice "I neeeed it!" Haha we laughed and said silly no you don't. He got distracted and forgot about it. 

Tonight wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Mostly because  I wasn't home for the worst part. I have a hard time not caving when Noah cries. Sean is stronger than I am. We were in need of groceries so Sean let me go shopping while he dealt with bug. We gave him kisses and Sean read him a story. I went shopping and Sean stayed home with the kids. Rebekah slept the whole time and woke up a little after I got home to eat. Sean texted me while I was in the check out line saying that Noah had been crying for the last 40 minutes and that maybe he should give him he bink. I said I'm not there so it's up to him but I think if we give it to him he will think he can just cry and get it every time. I got home and Noah wasn't asleep but he also wasn't crying. He was kind of whining a little but mostly just talking. Sean told me that after he texted me he went in there and calmly talked to him. He told Noah he was too big for  binky and that he won't get them anymore. He said "you're a big boy now so you don't need them to sleep". Noah understood because he stopped crying and said "no binky" Sean let him know that mommy would come in and give him loves when she got home. I went in there and have him kisses and a hug. He said to me "binky? Ya no binky. All gone " and I said ya you're a big boy so they are all gone now but you are ok. Here put your baby roo (a stuffed kangaroo) to sleep. Help him go to sleep. It was adorable.  He put his roo on a blanket and cuddled up to it. A few minutes later he was asleep. 

I think we did a good job working together to get him passed the binky stage. I know it will take a couple more nights of him crying but I'm excited to have him done with it. Hopefully with him having it explained to him he will do better tomorrow and not cry or at least cry less. 

I'm so proud of my sweet children. They are so beautiful. :) 

Til we meet again.

Grandpa Roland's funeral was Saturday morning. I was holding it together pretty well until Grandma started crying and then we all lost it. My mom gave the life story which was really great. I learned a couple things I never knew about him. There was some fun stories about his youth. And some really touching things from his journal. He had an addiction to smoking for years but after 45 years of marriage to my grandma he was able to to quit and he started going to church again. My grandparents were then sealed in the temple for all time and eternity. He wrote in his journal that he didn't know why he didn't do that a long time ago. It's so great knowing that he came back to the church and that he and my grandma will be together forever. It was a hard day emotionally but also filled with the spirit. We spent time together as a family.

After the funeral we all went to our homes and let the kids take naps. Then we met up at Andrea's apartment and went swimming. Robyn and Carlos are in town til later tonight. It's been so awesome to have them here and let the cousins all play together. Sunday we all got together again and hung out at Amanda and Corey's house. 

Today (Monday) was the burial for grandpa. They weren't able to do it on Saturday for some reason. Grandpa was given a Purple Heart when he was in the Korean War. Because of that he had a lieutenant at his burial for the 21 gun salute. It was really emotional to see the officers hand off the flag to grandma. We waited at the cemetery after the ceremony for them to bury the coffin. Afterward we put flags around his plot. 

I'm so grateful to have a grandpa that was so loving and such a great example. I know I will see him again. 

Armenta's are here!!

Yay Robyn, Carlos and their two babies Jeremiah and David are in town! They came down from Wyoming on Sunday but were in Peoria with Carlos's family. They came down for grandpa's funeral. I'm so glad to get to have some time with them. I got to hold David for the first time. He is so big! We weighed all the kids and found out that Jeremiah and Cortney are the same weight, Joshua and David are the same weight. Rebekah is super tiny and so is Noah haha. Andrea is so happy to have all her nieces an nephews in one place. She is like super aunt! The kids all love her. I love watching the kids all play together and us mama's trading off babies. We all got together at Amanda and Corey's house to celebrate Grandpa's life with some if his favorite things. We watched a John Wayne movie, ate salt water taffy, drank Pepsi and ate popcorn. Love you

Labor Timeline

Andrea was nice enough to write a timeline of my labor for me. I love that I have things that were said and done during my labor. We did the same thing for Amanda with her two kids and with Noah when I had him. Its so nice to be able to look back on later. Just so you know its labor so there are going to be talk of placenta, poop, pee and all that. It happens and I have no shame, its labor the way God made it. So here it is.

I started to have contractions at midnight June 13th. I laid in bed having the contractions but didnt think they hurt so I tried to go to sleep. I let Sean know I was having them so he tried to go to sleep as well. (usually he stays up til 1am reading or other such things) The contractions started to kind of hurt so I called Amanda who told me to time them and see how far apart they were. I had 7 of them that were 5 or 4 minutes apart. Sean and I got up and got our stuff ready to leave. Sean carried Noah and the diaper bag and the hospital bag and I carried my phone timing my contractions with an app I had bought earlier. We had called Amanda who then called the rest of the family and told them the news. They all met us at the hospital. Sean had called his mom who also met us there to pick up Noah and take him to her house. The rest is now from what Andrea wrote down at the hospital. 

Amanda was driving like a maniac and we beat Deana and Sean to the hospital. 

1:15am Admitted into triage, almost went to the waiting room with the rest of the family instead of triage. 

1:35am We realize that we're all didiots and forgot to bring a camera

1:45am Andrea heading to the apartment to get camera (ended up using Deana's phone instead because it takes good pictures and quick)

1:46am Sean texted Amanda "6cm dilated 100% effaced. 

2:20am Headed to labor room 5.  

2:25am All of us in the room! (Mom, Dad, Amanda, Andrea and Sean of course) 

2:27am Body tried to push with last contraction 

2:23am Dad cracking up because I (andrea) told Deana her nails are cute 

Nurse asks Deana a question, she holds up her finger (having a contraction) 3 min later she answers

2:41am Puked 

2:42am Puked again and surprise! Peed as well 

2:45am Nurse says she thinks she will be done soon 

Amanda tells Deana she's doing good and Deana says "ok" 

Deana asks "where's my Sean?" he was right there, let her know he was with her

2:47am Called Dr. Hazzelrigg to come to the hospital. Says Deana's "bag is bulging and she's pushy"

2:50am Deana apologizing for her body pushing, Nurse tells her to "breath in, breath out" 

Dad- now we have one bag bulging and one bag not" when Deana got a new puke bag

Nurse Lisa is awesome. So nice. 

Dad- Its now going to take 2 hands to count my grandbabies

Helen is Rebkeah's nurse

2:56am Deana asks if nurse can just deliver, doesn't want to wait to push. Nurse says "i can if I have to but I can't break your water, You cant push until your water breaks" 

2:57am Really feeling the contractions now. Says ow during them. 

2:58am on hands and knees, foot in pee! (ew)

3:04am Hazzelrigg is here! Asks if water has broken yet, turns around to get face mask, water breaks at the same time! 

3:05am Cervix diappeared! Baby is coming! 

On hands and knees

"is this the position you want sweetie?" "uggh ya I don't care" 

3:06am Pushing is allowed

3:08am Deana pooped, Lisa got it away

"i dont know if thats my butt or my vagina?"

3:10am Baby is Crowning 

3:10am episiotomy

3:12am Rebekah MaeDean is born

3:14am Rebekah on Deana's chest, Dr asks if Sean wants to cut the cord, Deana says can we wait until it has stopped pulsing please? Dr watches cord waits til it has stopped and has Sean cut the cord. 

3:15am placenta is out

Deana is holding Rebekah 

3:20am Sean holds Rebekah 

3:24am Deana and Sean kiss

3:26am Deana "I dont have to go to work tomorrow!"

3:28am Bekah grabbed her daddy's pinky finger

Rebekah gets cleaned up and weighed 7lbs 8.9oz, 20 inches 

3:44am Deana feeds Rebekah 

3:51am Rebekah latched on  

4:05am Sean holding Rebekah "It was so nice and warm in there huh? I know it was crowded but you liked it inside mommies belly but you had to come out. I'm so glad to have you now." 

And thats all she wrote folks. I just love my baby girl and my family. I'm so happy everything went so smoothly and couldn't ask for any better. yay for family! 

Post baby body

I have to say I'm pretty happy so far with my post baby body. Still work to do? Well of course. I'd love to get rid of the love handles and tighten up my belly. But for 5 days after having a baby I am quite pleased! My wedding ring fits again. I gained 24 pounds during my pregnancy and this morning I have lost 15 pounds! I only have 9 more to go and I haven't even started working out. I am going to wait a couple weeks til I have more energy and my birthing parts won't be sore afterward. Haha.

I didn't get to my pre-pregnancy weight after Noah until I was pregnant with Rebekah and throwing up all the time. So already feeling good and losing so much makes me have more hope this time around. I feel really good physically as well. I am obviously tired from the sleep schedule but other than that I have a good amount of energy during the day. Taking naps with the kids helps a lot. Noah and Rebekah go down for a nap at 10am so I get to as well. It's so great having Sean home for the next week and a half too. 

Basically I'm just a happy wife and mama. My hubby is super sweet and helpful, my Noah child is adorable and kind and Rebekah is sweet and beautiful. I'm way happy with my progress on weight and energy. Life is going well. We are a blessed home. 

Happy Fathers Day

For Father's Day I got Sean a new baby. Haha. I didn't have a chance to think of something to get him. It's been a busy month with his birthday, preparing to have a baby, having a baby, grandpa being sick and then passing away. I totally spaced getting a gift for him. Good thing his birthday gifts were pretty awesome. I did wish him a very happy Father's Day and have him a big kiss this morning. Also I told him how much I love him an appreciate all the things he does to take care and provide for our family. He is such a wonderful father to our children. He lights up when he cares for them and plays with them. I love how sweet and gentle he is. We are a blessed family to have him in our lives.

When I have time tonight I'm going to make some cute coupons for him for a date out with me, back rub, and other services I can do for him.

I love my Sean so much!! 

Home at last, family reunited

It's so great to be home as a family. Sean and I have missed our Noah bug. I cried the first night after Elizabeth took him to her house. It was just strange to be away from him so long. I'm happy that Sean's family brought him to the hospital for a couple hours during the day. It's just no fun for a child to be there too long.

Our stay at banner gateway was really nice but it's so much better to be home with all our stuff. The staff was so kind and took care of us perfectly. The food is delicious there too! We had family come and visit with us and a couple friends too. We also had a lot of time for just the three of us to chill and get to know each other. Rebekah is such a quite baby so far. She has only cried maybe four times. Sean calls her squeakers because she makes little squeaky sighs as she sleeps. 

Breast feeding is going so smoothly! I am so elated about this. She just latches right on and eats for 30-40 minutes at a time. 

Ondalynn is a sweetheart and tidying up the apartment before we came home. It was so nice to come home to a clean home. 

Noah is getting used to having a sister. He is really sweet with her. He loves grabbing her feet and kissing them. He also blows kisses at her. He likes sharing his toys with her. Noah is just growing up so much. 

Oh and a little brag time. I'm looking skinner already. This makes me super happy. I fit in my old clothes now but they are still a little snug. My wedding ring fits now too!! 

I don't know if you can tell but my mind is kind of scatterbrained right now. Haha. Anyway we are happy to be home. A family of 4 :) 

Grateful for the Atonement

My Grandpa Roland passed away last night around 11pm. Sean and I are in the hospital still. We leave Saturday morning. The funeral will be next Saturday. I'm glad Sean was able to get the next two weeks off work so he will be able to attend the funeral.

I wasn't surprised when Amanda called Sean and told him. As I said in a post earlier my mom and I had dreams for weeks that it was going to happen the day Rebekah was born. I had a moment earlier in the afternoon yesterday in between visitors that I thought about grandpa and how he was doing. In that moment I had a wave of peace come over me and I knew for certain he was going to pass that day. I will miss him greatly and I'm saddened that my grandma will be separated from him for a time. But I know that they will be reunited again in heaven someday. They have an eternal marriage sealed in heaven because of the covenants they made in the temple. My heart hurts for my mom. She loves her daddy and it was so hard on her to be the one to care for him in these last months. I know she has a testimony of the atonement and she knows she will be with again as well. Even with the sadness that comes with death we can find peace and comfort in knowing those truths. It's strange that something that scared me and worried me before would give me comfort now. When I first had the dream of grandpa passing and Rebekah being born on the same day I was so sad and worried it would actually happen. I didn't want her birth to be on a day with so much sadness. Also I didn't want to be selfish and have people with me when they should be with grandma in her time of need. Now that it happened I am happy it was on the same day. Mom was able to tell him and grandma that Rebekah was born before he passed. Also  as his bishop said before it is a reminder of the gospel and our Saviors sacrifice that we have the atonement and can live again. Rebekah's birth is a comfort in this time. And grandpas death is a reminder that life is precious. He is no longer in pain and he is waiting for all of us to return to our Father in Heaven just as he has and be reunited as a family. I love you so much Grandpa. You are missed so much already. He was such a funny man and always made us all laugh. I loved seeing the way he would care for grandma. I hope they have John Wayne movies and bubble wrap in heaven. 

The arrival of Rebekah MaeDean Howell

I had my doctor appointment at 4pm on Wednesday. He checked my cervix and said I was dilated to a 4 1/2 and still 90% effaced. He also stripped my membranes a little. He said I might go into labor that night or the next day. I didn't really believe him because he had said that a week ago haha. I went to my parents house to pick up Noah (Sean was at work). We decided it would be nice to go for a walk at the mall and take the kiddos to play in the play area. Amanda, Dad and I took Noah Cortney and Joshua to fiesta mall at 5pm. My mom an Justin met us there at 6pm and then Corey and Andrea showed up shortly after. It was a family affair! Haha like everything we do.

We watched the kids play and chatted. Justin and I went up and down the stairs a dozen times, I did some lunges while walking Joshua in the stroller. I was having a few contractions but nothing that hurt. 

We left at around 7pm and went back to my parents house. I was getting tired from the work out and a little disappointed that labor hasn't started. Sean was still at work but was ready to leave anytime he needed to. I decided to just go home and put Noah to bed and rest myself. I ate a sandwich and watched a movie. At 10:30pm Ondalynn came over for a blessing from Sean. He came home shortly after Onda got t the apartment. We talked for awhile, I decided I wasn't going to labor til the weekend. Onda left and Sean and I talked some more. 

I think the thing that really put things in action was something married people do (wink). I went to sleep right after and then woke up nauseous. I threw up a couple times and then tried to go back to sleep. Sean said he thought it was starting to happen because I threw up while I was in labor with Noah too. Turns out he was correct. I laid back down and started to have contractions that actually kinda hurt. At that time it was 12am.  I'm a bad judgement on pain level because I can handle a lot. In fact Dr Hazzelrigg said he doesn't trust my judgement of if they hurt and that once they are 5 min apart to rush to the hospital because he had a feeling it was going to go quick. Boy was he right!! 

The contractions were five minutes a part right when they started. No build up at all. But still they didn't hurt too much at all so I wasn't sure. I called Amanda and she called the rest of the family. Sean got the diaper bag ready for Noah and I got last minute things for the hospital bag. I asked Sean for a blessing which he gave me. Im so grateful to have a husband who is a worthy holder of the Priesthood. It's such a blessing to be able to partake of receiving blessings from The Lord. I felt so much comfort after it and knew everything was going to go smoothly and that I would be able to handle it. 

 By then it was around 12:30am. He called his mom to meet us at the hospital and take Noah. 

Everyone was there before we got there. Sean's mom came and just took our car home with Noah. Amanda, my mom, Andrea and my dad all waited in the waiting room while we were in triage. Even during the registration I wasn't feeling the contractions too bad. Once we got into triage though they were stronger. I just counted through them and closed my eyes. Sean stood by not doing much but being here. That was enough for me. I don't like to be touched during labor. Having him there beside me taking and giving me words of praise are for enough for me. He did a great job. He had to remind me to breathe the entire time because I would forget. The nurses were pretty impressed with my demeanor during the contractions and that I was still so nice and calling Sean sweetie and honey haha. It made me feeling good and even stronger each time one of them would complement me. Sean was amazing and helped me get into whatever position I needed to. Since I tested positive for the strep B I had to be on an IV. It actually wasn't too bad either. I did throw up a couple times so they have me some anti nausea medicine in my IV which didn't work because I still threw up the whole time. The nurse checked me and I was dilated to a 6. By the time we got to the labor room I was dilated to a 7.  My mom dad Andrea and Amanda all came in shortly after we were moved. They talked about who knows what while I was in labor. I was just concentrating on my counting and breathing. With the help and encouragement of Sean I mostly remembered to breathe. I kept wanting to push and even did so a couple times because I couldn't control my body. Dr Hazzelrigg was on his way and they didn't want to break my water til he had arrived. They checked me and I was dilated to an 8 and 100% effaced. They said after my water breaks it should push me to a 10 and I could push. I went back and froth between being in a sitting up right position and on my hands and knees or child's pose (yoga position). I was in the child's pose when I felt the need to pay and did a little on accident. Dr Hazzelrigg had just walked in and turned around to get a mask on. Right then my water burst. It was perfect timing! I stayed in child's pose for two more contractions. Then turned over to my back and Sean said he could see her head! I pushed twice then started to tear. Before I did Dr asked if I wanted to or to have an episiotomy. I asked to be cut. He did and one more push and she was out! We waited for the cord to stop pulsing and the Sean cut the cord.  She was born at 3:12am Thursday the 13th. She weighs 7lbs 8.9 oz and is 20inches long. Big baby for being born 2 1/2 weeks early. She had a head full of hair! Dark like her daddy. I just love her. Right now her and daddy are sleeping next to me. 

It's crazy how fast it all went. 3 hour labor and 3 pushes and I have a baby! It wasn't even that hard. I mean obviously it did hurt but I was so concentrated on her coming and distracting myself with counting and breathing that it wasn't horribly bad. At the end I definitely felt the pain and grunted "ouch" quite a bit I think. Haha Sean stood by holding my hand and telling me how close she was to coming and how great I was doing. He is wonderful. 

I had the shakes for a half hour after the delivery. I forgot about that part. My body was just so tired and my hormones all out of wack. 

After I delivered her we tried breast feeding and she latched on! It was amazing. But after that first time she was confused and kept putting her tongue on the top of her mouth. Noah did the same thing!! Silly kids. Luckily I just saw the lactation consultant and she helped us figure it out together. 

My family stayed for about an hour and then left. The three of us slept til 8am. Then around 9:30am Elizabeth came with Noah. He was excited to see his baby. He even pointed to her and said "new sister, friend, baby Bekah" I cried, it was so precious. Noah seemed so big at that moment. He was talking to Bekah using big boy sentences and kissing her head. I love my family and they are mine forever. I'm so grateful for Sean and our marriage and how wonderful we are together. And the beautiful children we make :) Andrea took some notes of all that was said and happened so I have a good timeline of how things went down. This is what I remember though. I'll make a post of her notes later. 

This was during a contraction. I threw up after it. That's why the tray thing. 

My dad. 6th grandbaby on the way

Sweet hubby giving me liquids 

Pretty sisters 

Dr Hazzelrigg! He came in right after the water broke 

She was purple when she first came out. The dr and nurses weren't concerned but Sean and family were. Good thing she was fine. 

I was talking so high pitched afterward and was on a natural high haha

Daddy loves

Kisses for my hard work 

Beautiful 

Daddy talks are fun 

Look what I delivered. 

Loves. 

Cortney kept saying how beautiful she is 

Pointing my finger up like " hold on a minute" I did this a lot during contractions so they knew I was having one. Haha