Blakely's Birth-Day!

I can't believe it's been a week since our little Blakely Rae entered this world and joined our family. Everything has been a whirlwind and time has gone by so fast, I'm already thinking that I don't want her to get bigger!

So here's how it all went down....this is mostly for me to remember...

Last Wednesday I had my 38 week check up with my Doc.(10:30). I had mentioned to Brock the night before that I hadn't felt the baby as much over the last 2 days and that I was worried about it. Brock decided that he would come with me to my appointment ( he typically didn't go to appointments with me) since he hadn't been to one in a long time.

During the appointment they did the usual testing and we were both just thinking we'd be in and out and out to lunch in no time. However, my blood pressure was way up, my feet were ridiculously swollen and the baby's heart rate was super high. (185 and it was usually around 145) The Doc seemed pretty concerned and wanted to monitor the baby. They hooked me up to monitors to record her heart and movement. In casual conversation the nurse suggested that we might be having a baby that day. Brock and I kinda had a mini freak out when she left the room because we realized how serious the situation was.

After 20 minutes of monitoring, Dr. Korten looked at the results and she didn't feel good about sending us home. Instead, she sent us to Labor & Delivery to be monitored some more (12:00-12:30ish). By this point Brock was saying "they're not sending us home, we're having a baby today". I was the opposite saying "the numbers aren't that bad, I bet they send us home". All of the nurses were talking like we would be staying, I still thought we'd go home.

Brock and I just relaxed in the delivery room while I was hooked up. I ate some lunch that the nurses were encouraging me to eat because they thought I'd be having the baby and didn't want me to have and empty stomach. While we were being monitored Dr. Shomento and Dr. McDonnell came in to visit with us and they were hoping that Dr. Korten would decide to induce me that day so they could be around and meet the baby. Dr. Korten came in at 1:00 and told us that the monitoring didn't look too bad but that her gut feeling was that there was "something going on" in my body and she didn't feel good sending us home. That's when we found out that baby girl was on here way that day! Brock and I were excited, nervous and freaking out all at the same time.

Brock ran home to grab our bags and to take care of our pups. While he was gone they started my IV and they told me to get some sleep-yeah right! While Brock was gone I started dilating quickly and progressing really fast. Brock got back to the hospital around 2:30 and luckily he made it there just in time before it got crazy. They Broke my water (3:15) and soon after that contractions started. They gave me the epidural around 4:00 and that helped with the contractions for a while.

When I was getting closer to pushing, the epidural wore off and I was in a lot of pain. They called the anaesthesiologist to come and give me more drugs but they didn't have time to sink in before Blakely arrived. So yes...I felt everything!

Blakely was born at 7:04pm and we watched her take her first breath on my chest, it was so precious! Her first cry was a soft deep cry that just melted our hearts instantly. Brock went with her to get weighed, measured and washed up.

By 10:30 we were all settled in our room as a family! We were starving to we ordered take out from Pita Pit and then went to bed. Blakely was up off and on during the night but we didn't mind. It was like playing with a new shiny toy!

We came home Friday afternoon to a house full of excited Grandparents. My parents and Brock's parents stayed with us through the weekend, which was really fun!

Everything is going great at home and we just love Blakely! We can't get enough of her sweetness:)

Wednesday July 18th

Blakely was so content and looking around after she was born.

Blakely chillin' with her Daddy!

 Thursday July 19th

This girl love to be naked and spread out.

Snoozing in her hospital bed.

Brock just melts when he holds his little miss.

Love those pretty eyes!

Sporting the hat Granny made her.

Grandma & Grandpa Bennett

Snuggling with Gramps!

TIME TO GO HOME!
Friday July 20th

Blakely did NOT like getting dressed and ready to go home. She Threw a major baby fit when we put  her in her car seat too. I don't blame her though, she was having to deal with so many new things.

Blakely meeting Grandma & Grandpa Belnap

Blakers and Grandpa Belnap

Grandma Belnap holding Blakely

Grandma Bennett & Blakely

She is FINALLY here!

Blakely Rae

7/18/12 7:04pm

7lbs 9 oz & 20 1/2 inches

Sweet.Happy.Healthy



Blakely's Hospital Picture
Virtual Nursery

While we are waiting...

....for our little princess to arrive, we've been trying to have some fun. I can't handle too much these days because I get tired and uncomfortable really easy. Not to mention that my feet are like walking on beach balls lately.

We've gone on a few lovely drives, tried to fish and explored new places in Montana. Our last major outing was to the Missouri River where we cooled off from the summer heat and the dogs played.

Boog has picked up a new favorite game to play at lakes and rivers. We've found that he loves to "dive" for rocks that you toss into the water. He'll find the specific one you tossed and bring it back. Unfortunately, our last trip out ended with a late night visit to the vet. He scratched his cornea pretty good and his eye was irritated really bad. "It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt"...right?

Missouri River

Our puppies have no clue about the changes coming to their posh lives.

Brutus was carrying these grapes around with him all day.

Brock's new pets-they are in my fridge! Yuck!

PREGNANCY UPDATE

Things are still going good and looking great. The Doctor thinks I will deliver the week I'm due, we'll see what happens:) I'm okay waiting for the due date but the thought of going over kills my soul. We are so anxious to get this baby here, we can hardly stand it.

I am feeling huge and uncomfortable but it's all worth it! We have the baby room finally done, which is a huge relief! I've been working on getting the house ready which is kinda a chore but it's coming along.

We feel pretty much ready (as ready as you can be) for the baby to get here. We are just praying that the delivery will go smoothly and that we all will be okay.



The baby gets moving like crazy when she hears her papa talking to her:)

37 Weeks

I spent a hot afternoon soaking my huge swollen feet while enjoying the view.

Brock bought us this little window AC which has been totally awesome and has kept me cool. I don't love the overall look of having it hang in our window but oh well.

Some pictures of the baby room before we had it all done:)

Our 4th of July Celebrations!

In the past we have typically made a vacation out of the 4th and we spend our time hiking, fishing, boating, camping and watching fireworks. This year was tricky with the 4th being in the middle of the week and myself being 36 weeks pregnant. We decided to just stay home and do some fun things around the area.
When the 4th got here all of our "fun" plans went out the window because we had a "To Do List" that needed to get done. So we spent the day doing the following:
-Slept in until 10:30!
-Went grocery shopping-Brock came with me because I had to do a HUGE Wal-Mart trip.
-Picked up the house-real cleaning is almost a foreign idea to me these days.
-Brock Spray Painted A BUNCH of things for the baby's room.
-Brock fixed our guest bathroom facet, which included 3 stops at hardware stores.
-I took a nap
-We had an easy dinner which consisted of Sloppy Joe's, Corn on the Cobb, Pasta Salad and Fruit.
-We headed to the nearby park to spend a relaxing evening as a family to watch the sunset, throw the balls for the dogs and watch local neighborhood fireworks.

It all sounds pretty uneventful but it was really nice to spend a day together with out any fuss. We have been spoiled to have so much one on one time together and we are trying to really enjoy the last few moments we have as just us. We are also so excited to share the adventures of the world  with our sweet baby girl.

These are my favorite flowers in my yard right now!

The sunset was really beautiful! If I had the energy in me I would photoshop the power lines out-but I don't so they stay.

The dogs had the whole soccer field to themselves to play catch! They weren't even bothered by fireworks:)

People were setting off BIG fireworks in our neighborhood (which had me a little nervous for my house) so we got a great show and didn't have to drive anywhere or mess with the crowds:)

 

PREGNANCY UPDATE

36 Weeks on July 4th!

Holy cow! I seriously cannot believe that I am already 36 weeks and that realistically this little baby could be here any day. This pregnancy has had some rough times but overall I've felt really good and very blessed to have had a healthy 36 weeks thus far.

At times I am so excited that I just want her here now but then I think about everything that isn't done yet and I think "no...she can't come yet, I'm not ready". When I can't breath or walk and when my hands are numb and my feet are puffy, I just want her here and to feel normal again! Although, I will miss being pregnant and feeling her wiggle around in me, it's a blessing I wasn't sure I would have in this life. My feelings go back and forth on a daily basis, overall I am just really excited to see her.

I'm doing okay but I am definitely feeling 9 months pregnant! It is hard to get motivated to do much because I'm really tired and uncomfortable. I feel pretty overwhelmed with my "To Do List" that isn't getting done. Brock keeps telling me to let it go but I want everything to be ready for when we head to the hospital and for when family arrives. It's hard to make those kind of plans when you have no clue what day to plan for! He thinks I'm nuts:)

Anyway, that's about it! My doc still thinks I will deliver around my due date and everything looks good for a normal delivery thus far. My baby is still really wiggly and they tell me she should be slowing down and I don't think she has. I think we are going to have our hands full with a demanding little princess:) We have decided pretty much on a name but we aren't putting it out there until she's here just to make sure.

We are just so excited!

Time to Celebrate Our Freedoms....

 I love everything about the 4th of July! It is such a fun time of year to be out and enjoying the warm weather with friends and family. I love the parties, the parades, the BBQ's, the food and the fireworks.

I also love it because it is a great time to reflect on the blessing of freedom that we have in this country. Although I cannot fully understand the sacrifices that have been made and that are still being made by those who fight for freedom, I am indeed grateful for those sacrifices.

I love, honor and respect this country and the foundation in which it was built upon.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

I am so thankful for men and woman who put their lives in jeopardy to protect others. Right now I am so thankful for Fire Fighters who are working so hard to preserve open land and homes. My brother is a Fireman and is currently fighting fires in Utah. I'm so proud of him and the work he does.

 Wildfire that burned portions of the Madison River Range.
 We drove by the river the other day and it was sooo sad to see the damage that was done. It is incredibly annoying how much damage can be done by a couple of stinkin' fools who were floating the river and chucking fire crackers onto the bank. So stupid!


 

June has been a P-A-R-T-Y!

BROCK'S HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Brock's Birthday this year ended up being on the Friday we traveled to Island Park for the BIG Belnap Family Reunion. He worked a half day and then we headed towards Idaho. Little did Brock know that I had a SUPER SURPRISE up my sleeve for him. I was sooo excited to surprise him that I could barely stand it! I must say that I did put on a good "poker" face....that is until we were about 10 minutes from his present. I about broke under the excitment but I was able to pull myself together for his surprise. So here's the story.....

...A couple years ago Brock caught this fish on Henry's Lake. It's the biggest trout he has ever caught and he kept it to have it mounted. The stinkin' sucker has been in our freezer ever since.....

...anyway, I decided to get the fish mounted for him for his Birthday! I contacted to lady who was going to do it and she lives right on Henry's Lake and she agreed to have it ready for his birthday so we could pick it up as we passed through. Luckily, she was passing through Bozeman in April so I met her and gave her the fish.

It was a little tricky to not give the surprise away when I asked Brock to stop by the Taxedermy shop by the lake-a stop we NEVER make. Luckily, I was quick on my toes and came up with a good cover story. We stopped and Brock still had NO idea that his fish was waiting for him.

When we got in there I told Brock to find his fish on the wall and that's when he realized what I had done! The Taxedermist did a great job and I think Brock was really happy and surprised with his gift! I felt so proud of myself for such a "tricky" present and for keeping a secret that long...GO ME!

There was a HUGE HOLE in our freezer when I moved Brock's fish out so I had to place a "mock fish" in there so he wouldn't notice it was missing. I wrapped some boxes in plastic and freezer wrap and it worked great!

Brock checking out his fish on the wall. His is the one with the BIG GREEN Birthday Bow!

To top of his Birthday the WHOLE Belnap family sang to him and we had some Jello Cake. Happy Birthday Brock! I'm so glad you were born and that you're my hubby:)

BIG BELNAP REUNION

Buttermilk, Island Park

Tyrell's & Tanesha's families visiting with Aunt Lisa

Grandma & Hadlee sitting by Aunt Sheila

KK Sporting one of Great Grandpa's hats she won at the auction.



Uncle Jerry was our auctionaire!

I just want to squish those sweet cheeks!

TYRELL & LACEY'S VISIT
We had so much fun spending time with family at the reunion and then the BONUS visit from Tyrell's family. It was so nice to have them in our home, they are just so much fun. I have to admit I felt pretty lonely once they left:(

Hadlee and Kadence right before Hadlee fell in the lake:( 

Boog was trying to fetch the rocks the girls were throwing in the lake. He even put his head under to look for a rock.

Palisade Falls Hike

Me in all my glory at Palisade Falls

I CAN'T get enough of this monkey!

Rell took the girls up all the way to the falls.

 Proof that the baby has now been to Palisade Falls with us!

Uncle Brock helping Hadders and KK feed Chipmunk.

My feet and back were rejecting me by the end of the hike:(

 Picknick at Hyalite Res.

34 Weeks

Brock likes my "side view"

We took the girls to the Bear Park in Livingston
Maggie & Jake were very active!

These girls love Brock! Probably because he bought them all Lotto tickets and they had fun playing the "game". Each of them won $2!!!

PREGNANCY UPDATE

34 Weeks and "barely breathing"

It has been so nice to get out and get some fresh air lately. Camping was so fun and getting out and hiking also felt good. I have felt kind of "cooped" up since we aren't doing much these days because I'm in the homestretch to delivering. We have a few more things planned locally that will help me/us feel like we are getting out and enjoying part of the summer!

I am feeling okaaaaaay....I'm not in pain or anything like that but I am somewhat uncomfortable. I'm pretty sure that my swollen feet, ankles and calves are here to stay until the baby gets here. My clothes are HOT and TIGHT and I REFUSE to spend another dime on materninty attire with my due date around the corner! My right arm/hand has gotten much worse, in fact it is numb all the time...ugh! To make things worse my left arm is starting to go numb too, it is so annoying! However I'm not in pain so I will take it over the constant back aches any day!

Breathing has become a real challenge over the last couple weeks. The weird thing is it is mostly just tough to breath when I'm lying down for bed. I have mini "freak outs" or panic attacks because I can't breath and my heart is pounding. It makes me feel CRAZY!

I think I finally have the heartburn under control by taking Prilosec, it's been so nice! I'm tired and have seemed to have lost my "MOJO" to accomplish much. I have my energy burst until about 1:00 and then I'm done for the day. Grocery shopping these days is a REAL challenged, when I'm done I'm usually thinking "I'm not doing that again".

Baby Girl is growing like crazy and is still moving constantly. Her movements are a mix of kicks on my right side, moving her bum back and forth between my belly button and right side, and small pokes at my bladder with her arms & head. When she moves her bum my whole belly moves, it's so weird! We think she is kinda fiesty because if we poke her she'll kick back, Brock likes to tease her:)

My last check up was great, everything is still right on track and where we are suppose to be! I start going in weekly soon, which means we are getting close to the end. I can't believe that our baby will be here in a month or so, it is so weird! We are mostly ready, I still need to finish the baby room though. We are just so excited to see her:)

Hadlee was so sweet to me and my baby. She was wanting to feel her move all the time and was alway patting my belly and saying sweet things like " I hope your baby sleeps good tonight". Ah, she melts my heart! She was trying to wake the baby up in this picture so she could feel the baby move:) So precious!