Hospital Trip

I've had a couple people ask me if I'm going to keep up with the blog or not now that Bennett is here, so I promise I will do my best (no promises once school starts back up, haha).

I decided for this post that I would share pictures from the 42 hours of labor in the hospital.  I think next will be all of the visitors we had :-)

When we found out we were pregnant, our friend Beth of Beth Smith Photography asked if we would be interested in her doing birth photography.   At first, we were really hesitant about it.  Birth is such a private moment and we weren't sure how we felt about it.  After thinking about it for a long time and talking it through, we decided to do it, and I couldn't be happier about our decision.

Beth was in it for the long haul with us, and with all the hustle and bustle and all the things that they do when you're done delivering your baby, I missed most of these things.  The pictures are worth more than an thousand words and will be cherished forever.

She even put some of the pictures to music, which I'd love to share with you.  I can say that I've watched the video an insane amount of times, and cried almost every single time.  The decision was the best one we could have made!

Enjoy!

Click Here for Our Birth Video

 

Bennett

After 42 hours of labor and then 4 hours of pushing, Bennett Scott finally made his appearance into this world! 

The birth story is one for the record books and maybe I'll type it all out sometime soon, but we got the most amazing little boy out of it.  So even though I'm sore beyond belief and some days I can hardly walk, looking at this sweet face makes it so worth it!

We were fortunate to do some birth photography pictures with Beth Smith Photography and she stopped by the next day to get some pictures of Bennett too!  She will also do a newborn photography session on Thursday so we can't wait for that either!

Here are a few of the pictures that she took the day after.  We're absolutely in love!!

40 Weeks

 

How far along?: 40 Weeks
Baby's size: Up to the size of a jackfruit, but also the size of Daisy who would only pose for one picture with me, but I guess it's better than nothing! :-)
Total weight gain/loss: 35
Stretch marks?: Still a tiger
Sleep?: Anxious about induction so not too much sleep
Maternity clothes?: Yep
Best moment this week: The end is in sight!  We are starting the induction process tomorrow (Tuesday 7/8) which is why I'm doing this post early
Worst Moment: Realizing that I won't go into labor naturally like most people to start the process :-(
Symptoms: Stuffy nose at night and RIDICULOUSLY hot when I sleep
Cravings?: I ate way too many dill pickle chips this week
Miss Anything?: Nothing in particular
Movement: Really big rolls that make my whole stomach shift
Anything making you queasy or sick?: Nothing much
Gender: B-O-Y!!!
What is baby up to?: From What to Expect When You're Expecting: "Congratulations!  This week marks the official end of your pregnancy.  Your baby probably weighs anywhere from six to nine pounds and measures between 19 and 22 inches (though tons of perfectly healthy babies are smaller or bigger).  The bones in his skull haven't fused yet- Mother Nature's way of making it easier to get through the birth canal during labor and delivery.  He now has enough fat under the skin to maintain his body temperature outside the womb (with a little help from those cute outfits and swaddling blankets that you've been stocking up on!).  You (or actually the placenta) are still providing the antibodies he'll need to fight off infections for the first six months of his life.  And if you plan on breastfeeding, your milk will be giving him more antibodies that'll boost his immune system"

39 Weeks

How far along?: 39 Weeks
Baby's size: Up to the size of a mini watermelon!
Total weight gain/loss: 35
Stretch marks?: Yep, I'm pretty much a tiger at this point
Sleep?: Up every two hours to go to the bathroom.  I did have one sleepless night due to itching too
Maternity clothes?: Yes but even those are getting uncomfortable
Best moment this week: Officially writing this post on my due date!
Worst Moment: I had to go for non-stress tests multiple times this week due to the extreme itching.  I was in Monday and Thursday and the trips took FOREVER!!!  One of the trips took almost 6 hours and I was very annoyed
Symptoms: Swelling
Cravings?: We have just been going out to eat a lot before he gets here since we really won't get to go once he comes
Miss Anything?: Not getting my hopes up with each of these hospital trips hoping that he'll come!
Movement: He is definitely running out of room in there!
Anything making you queasy or sick?: Not really
Gender: B-O-Y!!!
What is baby up to?: From What to Expect When You're Expecting: "Coming down to the wire, your baby weighs around seven to eight pounds and measures 19 to 21 inches. Those measurements won't change much from now on, but his brain is still growing at an astonishing rate, a pace that will continue for the first three years of life. His pink skin has now turned whitish (even babies who'll eventually have darker skin appear whitish now — they haven't yet developed pigment). His head may have dropped into your pelvis by now, which makes your breathing easier but walking harder."