Our Last Trip to Mora

A few weeks ago... We traveled North to Mora. Kaitlyn played with her cousins Darren (15 months) and Hailey (3 years). Hailey and Kaitlyn had some quality time together when we arrived on Friday Night. Hailey is a big helper with her little cousin.

Here are all the cousins... Darren is a mover, so this is the best picture we got of the three of them.

Kaitlyn and Thomas love to play together... Wait - let me rephrase that... Thomas loves to lay by Kaitlyn to be petted. I guess you could call petting and pulling the same thing... Kaitlyn usually has a hand full of fur at the end of the petting session.
Kaitlyn got to play at her Cousin's house... and she got to try out all of their toys. She loved sitting on the big truck.

Our Little Girl is Getting So Big

I am so big that I can hold my own sippy cup. I haven't mastered the bottle yet, but my daddy is really working with me on that task. I do like my water warm... I am not a big fan of cold drinks yet.

I am also learning how to sit up on my own. I love being able to see all my toys around me. Sometimes I fall over, but mommy just sets me back up and I continue playing.

Look at how big I am getting compared to my duck. I am finally bigger than my duck.
Now I can hold my duck. While I had my cold I learned how to breath out of my mouth and now I love to keep my mouth open and tough hanging out.

Pictures

The Cousins - Kaitlyn (6 months), Hailey (3 years), Darren (15 months). It tooks several tries to get this picture.
Kaitlyn hanging out with daddy. She is going to miss being with him when he starts work in a few weeks. (and her daddy will miss being with her.) Don't you love my hair?

Nate and I at the Supercross Race. Nate is not a big fan of pictures.... and this is not the best picture of me. Oh well! We had a lot of fun.

7 Weeks of Sickness

Wow - it's been awhile since I have written on my blog. I apologize to everyone that have been disappointed with my lack of blogging. Not to make excuses, but let me take you back 7 weeks ago.

It was Ash Wednesday and Kaitlyn and I came down with a horrible cold. I thought... okay a week of runny noses and coughs .... and than we will be healthy again. Well, I was wrong. Several weeks later... our colds had improved, but Kaitlyn got some stomach bug and spent a week throwing up. During this week - we realized she had a double ear infection. We put her on an antibiotic - which she hated... so was she throwing up because of the medicine. No one will now. After 10 days we took her back to check her ears - she still had the double ear infection... this time we tried a new antibiotic and the chiropractor.... Me on the other hand still had a runny nose, but my symptoms starting getting better. But wait... After I thought I was feeling better I ended up spending the night in the bathroom (unrelated to the cold) - I decided a trip to the doctor was in order. I had a sinus infection... so now I am on an antibiotic. Wait... it gets better. Now Kaitlyn seems to be over her cold... and I come down with a 102 degree temperature... yicks!!! Than 2 days later Kaitlyn is running a high fever. I am now convinced that we have influenza... back to the doctor for Kaitlyn. She still has a double ear infection... What? So, now she is on a different antibiotic... I have told you that she hates medicine. Back to me... I am still not feeling well and now I have a hard time breathing... I go back to the doctor the next day... I have bronchitis and am put on 3 different medicines. This brings us to today! I am still coughing and blowing my nose.... Kaitlyn is feeling better. The good news is that during this whole time... she still smiles.

I guess... my thoughts are WHEN WILL IT BE SPRING? I am ready to be done with the doctor and all the co-pays... the runny noses and of course the sleepless nights.

Okay - not everything in the past 7 weeks have been horrible. Kaitlyn is learning to love cereal and bananas... this week we are going to try carrots. Yummy! She has also moved into her own crib in her own room. I am so proud of myself... it only took 7 months to do. So far she has been sleeping great and so has her mommy.

6 Months Old

Kaitlyn is six months old... wow - time flies when you are watching a little one grow. She is changing so fast. The good news is that she isn't mobile yet. She is starting to enjoy tummy time more and more, but we still have some time before she is crawling all over the place. Last Friday we tried cereal for the first time. I put in her bottle to see if she would stop eating in the middle of the night. It worked, but she still likes to wake up... maybe she is checking to see if we are still there. On Monday we tried using the spoon. She wasn't a big fan, but we will keep trying. She is good at spitting back at us.

The last week has been kind of rough. She has had a cold for 2 weeks now and it has progressed into a horrible cough and a double ear infection... wait... there's more... she also got some sort of stomach bug too. Good thing her daddy is able to stay home and comfort her. She is also not so sure about the medicine. It is a chore to get her to swallow it.

Here are her details for her 6 month wellness check:
Height - 23 1/2 inches - she is still short.
Weight - 14 lbs. - we are in stage 2 diapers - yeah!!!

She is below the curve for height, but is moving up on the charts for weight and head size. I kind of like having a petite little girl. She is also a talker... sometimes I hear her say mama, but I think she is just learning to make different sounds.

I Can Do So Much!!!

One week from today our little girl is going to be 6 months old. I can't believe it. She is doing more and more every day. This morning I had her in a bouncy chair and asked her "Where are my smiles?" and she looks at me trying not to smile and gives me her pouty lip and than smiles. Kaitlyn is learning how to hold her own bottle. I still thinks she likes us to do it for her, but sometimes she will do it herself.

This past weekend we went to St. Cloud to spend the weekend with Nate's family. We stayed at the Holiday Inn and went swimming for the first time. I wanted to see how Kaitlyn did when we dunked her under the water. I think it was harder for me than for Kaitlyn. She only cried for a second when she came out of the water.Here is Kaitlyn and her nana. She loved all the attention from Nana and her Aunty Anny. Sometimes mom and dad can get kind of boring.

I love this picture, but was is the deal with the garlic toast? I think Nate was getting kind of hungry and that is what he wanted to focus on.

Five Months Old

I can't believe our little girl is five months old already. She is getting more and more active everyday. She loves to play with easy to grab toys, her burp rags, and petting Thomas and Cody or should I say... She tries to eat them too! She has also found her feet.



She is finally bigger than the duck. I am hoping that at her 6 month appointment she will have moved up on the length chart.

This past week my mom came to visit for a week. Kaitlyn loved all the attention from her Nana and Aunty Anny. It was nice because I would get up at 6:30 and give Kaitlyn to my mom and I would go back to bed.

Boating season is just around the corner so we bought Kaitlyn a life jacket. She didn't mind having it on and we hope that she gets used to is, so when it is time to out on the lake she will be ready.

Date is Set - 06-07-08

Nate and and I are going to make it official on June 7th, 2008. We will be getting married in Excelsior.

Late Christmas Post

I know that Christmas was several weeks ago, but I finally downloaded my pictures from our camera. Here are some cute pictures from some of our Holiday adventures.
Here is our niece Hailey at the Crystal where we celebrated Christmas with Nate's side of the family. She loved to help open her brother Darren's and Kaitlyn's gifts.Aunty Anny bought Kaitlyn a new Adidas outfit. The jacket is a little big, but she loves wearing pink... just like her mommy.
Here Kaitlyn is sporting one of the onesies that I made for her before she was born... One day she will be out on our pit bike winning races.

This past weekend we went to our friends house to do some ice racing on the pit bike. Of course Nate wants to get the newest Yamaha, but that will have to wait until after the wedding. Priorities!!!! Our friends have a son that is one month older than Kaitlyn, so we decided to get them all bundled up and take them to watch some ice racing... after about 10 minutes they both fell asleep from the noise or boredom... I am not quite sure. Maybe our dreams of her racing are a little farther than away than we think.

Happy New Year Officer

Welcome to 2008. I have to say that my year has started out with a little excitement if that is what you want to call it. New Years we spent with our friends Justin and Amy and their son Colten who is one month older than Kaitlyn. Of course, Kaitlyn wanted to stay up to welcome in the New Year even though I tried everything to get her to fall asleep. Anyway, after watching the ball drop and some new year hugs... we decided to pack up and head home. On our way home... I got pulled over for speeding. It was the first time I drove this way home, so I wasn't even sure what the speed limit was, but I was doing 40 in a 30. After about 10 minutes... the officer came back and informed me that the speed limit from here was 55 mph. Thank goodness I didn't get a ticket, but it sure did brighten up my New Year... I guess my resolution of not getting pulled over is already shot. :)

Four Months Old... plus more!!!

Four Months Old

I can't believe that my baby is 4 months old today.

Nate and I took Kaitlyn for her four month doctor's appointment. She is getting bigger, but is still pretty small to her peers. In the doctor's words: "She is short!" Here are her stats:

Height - 21 1/4 - 3%

Weight - 11 lbs. 13 oz - 12%

Head size - 15 1/2 - 10%

Even though she is small she is a very active little girl. She loves playing with some toys, giggles and laughs with her dad when he is home with her. They love spending time together.

I tried really hard to get her to smile, but she just got four shots in her legs... so she wasn't too happy with her mommy and daddy.

A Visit to Grandma's House we go...

This past weekend Anne, Kaitlyn and I went to Perham to visit our Grandma and other family members in the area. We spent a lot of time visiting with my aunt and uncle Barb and Gary and Cousin's. My Grandma got to meet Kaitlyn for the first time. I am so happy that we got some pictures taken.

Here is Kaitlyn, Great Grandma Florence, Nikki, and Auntie Anny. It was fun to see all my cousins and aunts and uncles.

A Weekend to Remember

"A Poopy Engagement" - Literally speaking.

Let me set the scene on how Nate would describe the event. It is Sunday evening at the Moore McNeilly household. We are enjoying our newly arranged basement and space heater. During a commercial break of Extreme Homemaker, I got up to go to the bathroom. Nate on the other hand had other plans from when I came out of the bathroom. He turns on the hallway light and gets down on one knee. (He claims he was waiting for some time.) When I come out I ponder why the hallway light is on and as I turn the corner he is down on one knee. I was very surprised and just couldn't believe it. (How did I not figure this out?) He asked me to marry him and I said.... YES!!!!! Kaitlyn on the other hand is sitting nicely in her swing and was making a little surprise of her own. Yes, she decided to poop through her diaper and her daddy had the privilege to change it. So, after all was said and done... it was literally a poopy engagement, but one worth remembering. We haven't set a date, but I will make sure to let you all know.

Kaitlyn's Baptism

Not only did I get engaged on December 9th, but our sweet girl was welcomed into God's family. She was baptised at the 11am service at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in Excelsior. My favorite Pastor's Scott and Dave officiated the ceremony. She looked so cute in her dress that was worn by her Grandma Sue, Great Aunts, First Cousins once removed, Aunts, and Cousin Hailey. She is the third generation to wear this dress for her Christening. She only cried while we put the water on her head... Pastor Dave said that he did put ice cubes in it. (I do know that he was only joking.) After the service we enjoyed some home cooked sloppy joes at her Grandpa Bob's House.

My sister Anne and her boyfriend Randy are Kaitlyn's God Parents. We are happy to have them be part of her Christian Life.

Why you don't go on Vacation in our office.... Especially to a warm climate.

My co-worker Scott decided to take last week off and spend time in Cabo with his wife and friends. This left the rest of us to suffer through 2 snow storms and frigid temperatures. We didn't want Scott to feel left out of our weekly adventures... so we decided his office needed a makeover... Remember the saying... A pictures says a thousand words...

I have one last picture I want to add to this post. It is my favorite picture of our little girl. She is wearing a hat that my co-worker knitted for her. She also loves to play with her toys and smile for the camera.

She is getting so big... Last night she was cooing and a lot... She is going to be a talker like her mom. I really think she was having a conversation with me.

Happy Thanksgiving

Wow, I can't believe that Thanksgiving has already come and gone. Pretty soon it will be 2008 and Christmas will seem like a distant past. I don't really have any themed pictures for Thanksgiving, but I thought you would enjoy some cute pictures of Kaitlyn. The other night we decided to put her in her exersaucer... and she loved it. Granted we have to stuff a blanket around her since she is so little and her arms don't reach the toys, but she loves to look at all of them. I also would like to point out that her little legs just dangle, but I solved that problem by putting a pillow under them so she can stand a little better. Thomas loves hanging out under there too as you can see in the picture.Thanksgiving we spent in St. Cloud at Nate's Aunt and Uncles... okay it was Sauk Rapids, but who's keeping track. Than on Saturday we went to my dad and sister's house for a ham dinner. Kaitlyn loved to see her aunty and grandpa. This next Saturday they will be watching her while we go to Nate's works holiday party.

Here is Grandma and Grandpa McNeilly with all the Grandkids. Kaitlyn, Cousin Hailey, and Cousin Darren. Cousin Hailey loves her baby cousin and helps me when I change her diapers. Darren doesn't really seem to care yet... but just wait until she starts wanting to play with his toys.

Here is Kaitlyn with Grandpa Moore. I am not sure what she is looking at, but it takes some patience to get the right look for all the pictures I take... You should see what I have for other picture attempts.
Here is Kaitlyn playing with Daddy last weekend. She is so smiley in the morning that you can't help but want to wake up and play with her. She also took another big step this weekend. Well, maybe not Kaitlyn, but mommy. She is now taking naps in her crib... I haven't made the move for sleeping there at night... that will take some more courage on Mommy's part.

3 Months Old

Wow, our little girl is 3 months old today. She is growing up so fast. Her new achievements are that she loves to smile. She is so happy in the morning when we are getting ready. She just lays in her bassinet smiling and giggling while I get ready for work. We pretty much have a routine down in the morning.
The past three weekends we have been in Mora. Nate did some deer hunting while Nate's mom, sisters, and aunts went to local craft fairs. This past weekend Kaitlyn cried real tears. We think she was a little gassy and her little stomach wouldn't let it out... so she cried. It was cute, but sad to see her little eyes water up and tears run down her cheeks. Daddy pumped her legs to get things moving to relieve some of the pressure.

It is so much to watch her grow and become more active and alert. She loves to watch her cousins play when we are up north. It is also fun to dress her in 0-3 months clothes finally! She was wearing newborn clothes for the first 2 1/2 months of her life... Now the challenge is to make sure she gets to wear each outfit before she out grows them.

Here is Kaitlyn smiling... it is hard to get her to keep smiling. She gets a little confused when you put the camera up to your face.

Dairy Queen

This blog is not about Dairy Queen the restaurant, but my new title. My co-worker has renamed my slog from "Drama Queen" to "Dairy Queen". Most of you know that I have chosen to breastfeed Kaitlyn because of the following benefits:

1. The best thing for Kaitlyn

2. Less poopy diapers

3. Readily Available at the right temperature.

4. FREE

5. Bigger Boobs

Because I have chosen to breastfeed and work full-time I need to dispense my supply during business hours. My boss has provided me a new pumping space in our conference room. The only problem is that this room does not have a lock and can be used by anyone in our office. So, I had to make a sign to make sure that I was not disturbed during this process.

Today is also Halloween and our little Kaitlyn has on a cute little pumpkin sleeper with matching pumpkin hat. I was tempted to go trick or treating tonight, but thought I would get some strange looks if I show up asking for candy with a 2 month old. Maybe if I dressed up like a cow I would get a better response?

Here is our little pumpkin with her daddy this morning. Unfortunately we won't be having any trick or treaters at our house this year. We are still not able to drive to our house. It has been over 4 weeks... but I hear that we should be able to by the weekend. I am crossing my fingers.

2 Months Old

Our little girl is getting big. Last Friday she turned 2 months old. I can't believe that I have been back at work for 4 weeks now. Yesterday she went to her 2 month old wellness check. As I have mentioned before she is able to roll over from her front to back and back to front. According to my aunt it is not necessarily intentional, but she can do it. This weekend I tried to see if she would roll over, but never did... until I found out the secret. She has to be mad before she will do it. Back to her wellness check... the doctor put her on her stomach and said "Okay, show off for us..." Kaitlyn got upset and rolled over right in front of doctor and myself. It was so exciting. According to her doctor... "She is an over achiever." She now weights 9 lbs. (12th % tile), and is 20 1/2 inches long (3rd %). The good thing is that she is following the curve on all areas of weight, height, and head size. She also got a few vaccinations, which she did not like. The look on her face was so sad, but she calmed down with a little extra TLC from mommy.

Here is Kaitlyn's 2 month old picture with the duck. She is almost bigger than the duck. She isn't smiling at you just yet, but she does smile when she feels like it.

This past weekend we went to Mora so Nate could set up his deer stand. All his aunts were up to see Kaitlyn and her cousins. I had plenty of babysitters for the weekend. Here is a picture of Kaitlyn with her cousin Hailey. Hailey is 2 1/2 and just loves her baby cousin Kaitlyn.

I took this picture a few weeks ago, but it is just too cute not to put on my blog. Here is my other favorite Hailey helping me feed Kaitlyn a bottle. My neighbor Hailey loves to help me with Kaitlyn by giving me blankets, so she is always warm. She has also helped her mommy when they babysit Kaitlyn for us.

Pumpkin Patch

It's that time of the year for pumpkin patches and falling leaves. This past weekend Anne, Kristin, Kaitlyn, and I went to a pumpkin patch in Wyoming. (Not the state, but the city in MN.) The weather was perfect and Kaitlyn decided it wasn't what she was expecting, so she slept pretty much the whole time. Or she could have been awake with her eyes closed because it was kind of bright outside. Either way, it didn't stop us from having her enjoy the festivities. She got her picture taken with some kind of strange animal.... that I can't remember the name of.

We also went on a tractor ride, found our way through the hay maze, and took pictures in the pumpkin patch.

Here is Kaitlyn and I posing in a pumpkin cut out. As you can tell Kaitlyn wanted nothing to do with it. I think she thinks that if she closes her eyes, she can't be seen. I kept telling her that it will be fun, but she didn't care.

This is my favorite picture from our adventure. Kaitlyn decided that this picture was worth taking, so she opened her eyes. Overall, we all enjoyed the sunshine and warmer temperatures. I think next year she will be more enthusiastic about going.

The other big milestone is that she rolled over yesterday. I know we are all amazed. I have yet to witness this, but when I picked her up from my aunt and uncles they said she rolled from her back to stomach more than once. I guess being early isn't an issue for our little girl.

Under Construction

Many of you know that the road in front of our house is being redone this fall. This little project will most likely cost us a good chunk of change that we will get to pay for the next 10-15 years! Don't worry - we will be having a party to celebrate this new look to our house. You may be wondering why I would blog about road construction... Well, you see... for the last 2 weeks we haven't been able to park in our driveway. I take part of that back... Nate has parked in the driveway one week longer than I did, but that is because he has 4 wheel drive and is a boy. Normally this wouldn't be a big deal, but try to tote a 6 week old with all her gear through our backyard and the neighbors in the rain. Our garage now holds the stroller and the boat.

Most of the time we can park in my neighbor Diane and Brandon's yard... but I have been able to park in my space in the cul-de-sac close to our house. I think people just know that we have a newborn so they leave the space for me. Here are some updated pictures of Kailtyn. She is growing so fast. We just finished a week without pooping, but the doctor told me not to be concerned. I never knew I would be talking about poop so much now that I have a little girl. The joys of parenthood. She is getting into a schedule too. She usually goes to bed around 8 and doesn't wake up until 2 or 3 to eat. After that she is up every 2-3 hours. At least I get more than 4 hours of solid sleep in a row. I can't believe that it has been almost 8 weeks that I haven't slept through the night.

This is Kaitlyn's first bath in her baby bath tub. Daddy took some pictures and video. I think she enjoyed being in the warm water. She really likes it when daddy washes her hair. That is what calmed her down last week when she wouldn't stop crying for 4 days in the evenings.

Here she is sleeping in her swing. She gets to wear a bib all the time because she likes to spit up a lot. Sometimes she seems to spit up everything I just fed her. She also gets to wear little mittens so she doesn't scratch her face up.

Mommy Brain

Most pregnant woman experience what people call "Pregnancy Brain". No one warned me about "Mommy Brain". Let me recap two stories that have happened to me last week. Last Monday Kaitlyn and I went to the doctor for a Jaundice check and than off to the grocery store. My shopping list consisted of 3 items for dinner that night. Well, since I was at the store I decided to pick up a few more things... well that turned into $100 worth of groceries. Just as I was bagging my groceries I realized I forgot to get 2 of 3 items I originally came to the store for. So, I parked my completely bagged shopping cart and ran back with Kaitlyn to get the 2 items. I quickly paid for the items and proceeded to my car. It was there I realized that I forgot to grab the 2 items I just purchased. Normally this wouldn't be such a big deal, but when you have a newborn to tote around too it just adds to the whole experience.

The sad part of mommy brain is that it happens more than once. My second mommy brain experience was on Friday. I needed to return some things at Target and Walmart and to pick up a few things before we left to Mora for the weekend. So, I decided to go to Hutchinson to do my shopping. (It takes 30 minutes in any direction to get to a Target or Walmart.) Once we got to Hutch I realized that I forgot the diaper bag. No big deal, right? Normally it wouldn't be, but that is where my wallet was... so here I am 30 minutes from home with a newborn and no money. (Plus I don't know anyone that lives in or near Hutch that I could call to borrow some money.) So, we returned the items and back home we went. The problem was that I needed to get some things before Nate got home. When we got home the diaper bag was right where I left it... on the garage floor. I grabbed the bag and double checked that my wallet was inside and went to Target in Chaska.

One Month Old

Today Kaitlyn is one month old. This past Sunday was my original due date. It feels good to not be pregnant anymore. The funny part is that I would do it all over again... even the labor without pain medicine. It is worth all the worry and pain. I can't believe that I have to go back to work in a week in a half.

Here is a picture of Kaitlyn today. She is laying on the beautiful quilt my cousin Michelle made for her.

We went to the doctor on Monday and she gained another 7 ounces, so she officially weighs 6lbs. and 13 ounces. She is still jaundice, but her numbers are slowly getting lower on her own. We don't have to go back until her 2 month wellness appointment.

This past weekend Kristin came over to visit Kaitlyn. Here is a picture of her visit.

Monday Auntie Anny came over and watched Kaitlyn while I went to get my hair done. They spent the afternoon taking pictures and hanging out.

Picture Perfect or Not?

Today Anne, Kaitlyn and I went on a little shopping trip. Our main goal was to get Kaitlyn's newborn pictures taken. We got to the mall around 11 and set up an appt. for 2. Since we had a few hours to spare we had lunch and did a little shopping. The whole time Kaitlyn slept peacefully in her car seat while we made our way around the mall.

At 2 we went back to get her pictures taken and Kaitlyn started waking up. So, we got her already and the put her down to start taking pictures... and she started screaming. I tried every technique to get her to calm down so we could continue... I mean start our photo session. (We were able to get one picture taken.) After about 15 minutes of trying to get her to stop crying... we decided to just try again another day. I guess she just wasn't ready to get her pictures taken. We are going to try again tomorrow!

Well, we had a successful picture session yesterday. Kaitlyn and I went back to JCPenny and tried to take her pictures again. She cried in the car on the way and right before, but stopped when we started taking pictures. Yeah!!! They are so cute! I can't wait to get them back.

Here are some updated pictures..

Here is Kaitlyn at 2 weeks old enjoying life at home. She has started being more awake now. She is usually awake in the morning around 9 am to 11 am. Than she fusses before she starts falling asleep again. She also wakes up around 2 or 3 and again fusses when she is waking up. Than she wakes up sometime in the evening for 2 hours before bed.

Here is Kaitlyn and Cody. Cody was a good boy and laid still for us to take a few pictures.

An Unexpected Arrival

What can I say? Our daughter made her appearance on August 19th, 2007 at 9:03 am. Yes, she was four weeks early, but that isn't the best part of her arrival. (Her actual arrival date should have been September 16th - meaning that I would still be PG right now.) Let me take you back to the Thursday before Kaitlyn was born.

It was my 36 week appointment and the doctor checked me. I was 2 centimeters and 70% effaced. (Whatever that means... but everyone informed me including my doctor that I would not deliver over the weekend.) (I have to add something I forgot to mention... I lied when I said everyone told me I would not deliver over the weekend. Diane had a dream the week before we left that my water would break this weekend and told me to stay home and hang out with her.) So, on Friday Nate and I were on our way to Alexandria with his parents, sisters, and niece and nephew. (Don't worry I made sure that I knew where the hospital was when we drove through Alexandria.)

Saturday night while trying to fall asleep and waiting for Nate to get back from the bar, my back started to hurt. I started praying to just let me fall asleep and that I couldn't be in labor. After a few hours of trying to ignore my back pain... my water broke. By this time Nate was in bed sleeping and so were his parents. Of course, I had to wake up everyone to let them know that I was pretty confident that my water broke. I called my doctor and they informed me that driving 2 hours home was not in our best interest. So, off to the Dakota County Hospital at about 2 in the morning. Of course, I was nervous as my contractions were five minutes apart.

The Labor...

Before I was afraid that I wouldn't know when I was in Labor... to be honest when my back started to hurt I was questioning what was going on... It wasn't until my water broke that I realized that I was definitely in labor. Once we got to the hospital my contractions started getting stronger and every 2-3 minutes. (No time to rest in-between - so frustrating.) The most disappointing part was that I was still only dilated to a 2. (What?) They did give me some sort of pain medicine to take the edge off... so I could rest... what do you mean rest? Plus, what is the deal with the number scale for pain... Um... my pain level... is off the chart. Oh, the pain medicine to take the edge off did not help during the most active part of my labor. I asked for a epidural, but I needed to be dilated to a 4 before they give you that. By 8 am I could tell that things were changing. They checked me again and I was dilated to 7... I guess I won't be getting an epidural. Than at 9:03 she was born. Here are some wonderful Nikki quotes during labor...

"Can't you just go in and get her?"

"Get the doctor now... I mean NOW... I need to push."

Doctor - "Do you want to feel her head?"

Nikki - "NO! I just want her out.... NOW!!!!!" - I don't even want to see this happening. I can feel it and that is enough for me.

FYI - Don't get a pedicure on vacation and close to your due date... unless you want to deliver that day.

Kaitlyn Jean McNeilly weighed 6 lbs. and was 18 1/2 inches long. I wonder what she would have been if she was full term... Some people tell me the last month of pregnancy is the worst, so I am happy I missed that.

About 24 hours after Kaitlyn was born she developed a mild case of Jaundice. We had to stay an extra day in the hospital so that her numbers were low enough to get home. On Wednesday night at 7pm Kaitlyn was discharged and we were on our way home. The next day we went into our clinic to have her Bilirubin checked and it had jumped from 11 points to 16.9. (Still not in the danger zone.) The doctor ordered us to keep her on a bili-bed. This special bed has UV lights that helped her process the bilirubin in her system. So, the past 3 weeks we have been taking Kaitlyn in to get blood drawn every other day. She is still Jaundice, but the doctor thinks she is starting to work through it. The doctor thinks the main reason she is Jaundice is because she was so early. This has really taught me patience.

Kaitlyn did not mind laying on the bed. I think it was harder for me to not be able to hold her unless she was eating. We did this for several days. For the past week we haven't had to use the bed. Plus, the doctor gave us a week break from the Lab. We don't go back until next Monday to check her levels. Oh, and she weigh 6 lbs. 6 oz. as of Friday.