Wordless Wednesday - My 1st tooth!

See that tiny grayish line surrounded by whiteness toward right side of the green circle? That's Kendall's first tooth popping through. :)

My Big Girl

I been having a major problem. My baby is getting older!
I keep gowing through her clothes and finding it harder and harder to find clothes that fit her. Kendall is going to be 6 months on Tuesday and I don't want to buy her new clothes. Sounds weird but I want to keep her small so maybe if I keep her in her 3-6 months size clothes it'll keep her that way?

It's just not fair at all. She needs to stay cute and tiny forever.
I know I have to buy her some more clothes so I've been looking into baby clothes online. Buying online is a bit more fun to me because when I find stores like Very, I know not many babies in my area will be wearing the same thing. Even though Kendall is a baby I still like to dress her as original as I can find. I'm already not liking her stroller set anymore because every trip we make out we see other parents stroller their daughter in the same exact stroller/carseat.

So shopping will need to happen that's for sure.

*Disclosure: This post was sponsored but was written with all my original content.

Kolcraft -- Sealy Spring Form Crib Mattress Review & Silent Auction!

When I was pregnant, John and I had so many discussions on what crib and what crib mattress we'd get for Kendall. There are sooo many choices on there, it can get pretty stressful to say the least. Of course you want your baby to be happy and comfortable and of course safe.

We finally agreed but turns out, it wasn't the best for Kendall. The one we bought is extremely firm, turns out... Kendall doesn't like overly firm things to sleep on. Greattt.

I was so excited when Kolcraft agreed to send me a Sealy Spring Form mattress! This is a two sided innerspring mattress that features latex foam.
First let me tell you that we had a 100% wake up free night the 1st night Kendall slept on this! It was so great for the whole family, she always wakes up pretty happy but this day was extra special, plus daddy & I felt amazing after a uninterrupted nights sleep.

The benefits of Innersprings

• You get amazing posture support. Whenever baby is positioned on the mattress, the interlocking coil innerspring system will adjust to support baby's weight and position.
• Peace of mind with edge to edge security. No matter how close to the edge a baby moves or a toddler stands, the heavy gauge perimeter border wire prevents sagging!
• Flawless motion sensitivity. Head-to-toe helical wire is interlaced through each coil to minimize disturbance when baby moves, providing a firm foundation.

We had Makenna stand on the mattress to test out the corner sagging. She's 35 pounds and even with her standing near the corner it didn't budge. I think it passed the test :)

Like me, you may not know the benefits of latex foam. I recently learned that latex foam is very resilient. Latex foam resists compression, also it will respond to a child's movement, and does not heat up and sink in like memory foam.  Latex foam keeps the body cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter for a very breathable mattress. A couple other great benefits of latex foam is that it inherently inhibits bacteria, dust-mites, and microbes from attaching to it, promoting a cleaner sleeping environment. That makes the Spring Form mattress very hypoallergenic & naturally antibacterial!

Like I mentioned before this mattress is two sided!!
Side One Innersprings for Infants:
There are 4 points that I just have to tell you about when it comes to the side for infants.

1. 204 interwoven innerspring coils for a supportive and firm foundation
2. All-around border rods keep sides, corners and edges firm
3. Hypoallergenic layer plus protective wrap for comfort
4. Plush woven jacquard fabric cover & lock stitched binding
   · Staph-Gaurd® treated to keep bacteria, odor, and allergens away.· Wet-resistant for baby's comfort!

Side Two Latex Foam for Toddlers

Of course we haven't used this side yet but I truly cannot wait because it sounds perfect!

Besides the above great features the toddler side has a few others I just have to mention...

1. Luxuriously thick hypoallergenic latex foam top layer for ultimate comfort and resiliency.
2. Airflow pocket allows mattress to "naturally breathe" without the use of metal vents.
3. Square corners for a snug fit into all U.S. standard size cribs and toddlers beds.

See!! A pretty amazing mattress, right? Can I just say that I'm pretty jealous of Kendall.

Oh and also... the whole mattress is is phthalate and flammability compliant and does not contain toxic fire retardants, plus there is a lifetime warranty on workmanship and materials!!

The Sealy Spring Form crib mattress retails for $259.99 but you can buy it at these select retailers for just $199! Amazon.com, Baby Supermarket.com and Wal-Mart.com

Kolcraft® and K.I.D.S

Partnering to bring hope to children in need!

Kolcraft has partnered with K.I.D.S (Kids in Distressed Situations); an organization that brings hope and self-esteem to children in need and their families by providing needed products such as crib mattresses, bassinets, strollers and more. K.I.D.S has reached out to more than 64 million children in need since 1985 by distributing more than a half billion dollars worth of merchandise.

Kolcraft has always believed in developing and mnt Auctionanufacturing “must have” baby products that make parents and caregivers’ lives easier. They also understand that certain circumstances have made it difficult for some parent’s to obtain the safe, quality products they deserve for their little ones.

So why a silent auction? Kolcraft has asked bloggers to hold a silent auction for items they review that have a retail value of $200+. This is to not only help donate the proceeds to K.I.D.S, but to allow our readers the ability to help in the donation process and a very good cause.

How The Auction Works:
The starting bid for the Sealy Spring Form mattress will be $5 and will increase in increments of a minimum of $5 each thereafter. If you are interested in participating, you decide how much you want to bid on the item up for grabs. Each interested reader then increases the dollar amount by at least $5.

WINNING: The winning bid goes to the top bidder at the end of the auction. If you are the winner, you will then visit K.I.D.S and make a donation by clicking the Donate Money Now link. After you have received your electronic receipt, send me an email with a copy of your donation receipt along with your name, shipping information and phone number (for shipping purposes) and Kolcraft will then ship you the Sealy crib mattress!

Please follow K.I.D.S on Facebook for all your up to date information about donations and news.

I strongly encourage you to make a donation even if you do not have the winning bid or if you do not care about winning in general. It's so simple to make a $5 donation and walk away knowing you are doing something great.

Please help spread the word about this cause and silent auction by posting on your Facebook wall and Twitter profile:

RT: Win a @Kolcraft Sealy crib mattress via a Silent Auction to benefit K.I.D.S!. Please donate to an amazing cause! http://bit.ly/gpySwD

Let's start the bidding at with a $5 donation!!! Remember every bid MUST be in $5 increments to count! Please help a very worthy cause by posting your bid below!

**No other monetary compensation was received for this review - I was sent the product(s) to review at no cost to me. The views and opinions are strictly my own. Your results and views may be different.**

Giveaway is open to "Mainland" USA only (excludes Hawaii & Alaska). Giveaway will close on February 8th, 2011 at 9pm EST!

Wordless Wednesday -- My Lil Luv Bug

Post Partum Still Has Me By The Balls

It's funny, just when you think you have this thing beaten, just when you're ready to throw your arms up in victory, when you have the best day to date and you know think you're all better... someone or something called life throws a damn wrench in it all!

I sit at home doing the same monotonous things on a daily basis: Walk Makenna to the bus stop, make the beds, take the dog out, feed Kendall, put on Beauty & The Beast. While Kendall is now occupied with her favorite movie I do the dishes, vacuum, sweep, steam mop what seems like the entire house, clean the bathrooms (yes, on a daily basis!), pick up toys, do laundry, etc.

I don't even feel like I'm living a life anymore. I feel like I'm just going through life according to a planned schedule. Nothing ever really changes from day to day for me. I can't even tell you the last time I actually did my hair and makeup. Maybe... a month ago and I wasn't even going anywhere.. I just wanted to feel pretty for a day. I was looking at *old* (and by that I mean... 3-4 years ago maybe) pictures of myself and I cannot believe that I did my hair and makeup everyday. I sometimes wonder what my husband thinks of me. When he met me I wore makeup, I did my hair... not every day but sometimes. Now? Nothing.
I often wondering if he is actually attracted to me anymore. If he thinks, "Where did my hot wife go?!". I for 1 know I think those things, so he must.

Sureee on his days off, John will help take some of that load off but even then it doesn't really feel like it at the end of the day. On my husband's days off, he likes to hang out, play Xbox. Like I said, he does pick up some of my slack but if he changes 2 diapers it then becomes, "I changed the last one, it's your turn honey" to which I respond with, "Oh really? Well how about the 15 diapers I changed yesterday! Are you going to make up for those!?" I end up winning but I just wish stupid things like that wouldn't happen.
From those little things though, I begin to hate everything. I begin to think that my husband doesn't even care about me or my feelings at all.

I mean sure, my husband works his ASS off all the time for us and I am blessed with being able to stay home for a year now but I really wish he'd help out more. His days off from work should be my days off from... life. I don't want to change Kendall, I don't want to have to hold her all day, give her a bath at night or anything. I just want to bask in her cute baby self... when she's not crying! When Makenna gets home from school I just want to be able to play with her instead of telling her I can't because Sister needs me.

Some days I seriously think I have beaten PPD. I get so high on the happiness of that day that I literally do not take my medicine at night. Why? Well, in a word, I guess I'm just crazy. I begin to think, "this day was perfect. I didn't yell, I had fun, I was laughing, playing. I'm not depressed!" The next day... ha, I'm a complete bitch again. I feel like my world is crashing down around me. Nothing goes right what so ever.
At the end of the day what do I honestly have to be sad about though? Honestly? I live in a nice house, I have a wonderful family, a great husband and 2 wonderful kids whom I love dearly.

I mean seriously, how could you not smile when you have this to look at....

and lets not forget this...

But that's when I know I haven't beaten this monster. When I can be sad when I have 2 amazing, gorgeous girls, there has to be something wrong with me.

So my days of the 'do this, do that' mommy will continue but I suppose I need to stick to Zoloft and hope for the best.

Wordless Wednesday - I hate Flower headbands

An Unwanted Vacation. When a MIL comes to visit!

So this past week (up until 2 days ago) my MIL came down from Georgia to visit. She pretty much told us the day before that she was coming down to visit for the week... just because. I guess she wanted to see Kendall, which cool, but um... don't tell ppl you're going to be staying over the day before!

Her & I get along... ok. We have our moments when we can hang out, go have lunch or dinner and gossip, but then other times when we just butt heads. I'm completely different then she is and I was raised a completely different way then she was.
This week, I really just wanted to tell her to go get a hotel room.. or just go back home.

Every 2 seconds it was something else from her about the way John & I parent. Let me fill you in on a little secret about me: Do not tell me how to parent or in fact, don't tell me what to do in the first place. I've never responded well with anyone telling me how to do anything. I was pretty much raised by my dad and he gave me complete control over my decisions and never really bothered telling me what to do.

She on the other hand, she feels like she needs to direct everyone in everything. Kendall hasn't been sleeping well through the night for about 5 days now and my MIL has to open her mouth and say it's probably because of something I'm eating. Which sounds all fine and dandy like MAYBE it's an idea but um, no, it's not. the only thing that causes an issue with Kendall is me eating/drinking dairy... so I don't do it, and even if I slip up it causes her to throw up. In no way does it cause sleep issues.
I think it's just the normal thing baby's go through all of a sudden where they hate sleeping again.

Then, it was "why don't you give her formula. she's not getting enough milk from you"! Are you kidding me!? She's perfectly fine and getting just as chunky as she needs to be. So yeah, I told her "um, hell no". The next day, there was a can of Enfamil on the kitchen counter. I asked her why she bought it and she said "... just in case"! :) Trying to be nice I told her that we are only breastfeeding and Kendall doesn't need formula at all.

The next day, John & I went to run errands and we left Kendall at home, per my MIL's request. I have about five 8oz bags of milk in the fridge, which is obviously more then enough milk since we were only gone for about 2 hours.
We come home and I see the can on the counter again but the lid was off. I asked what it was doing there and she says, "Well, I gave her a bottle but she was still hungry so I made her a bottle using the formula"!!! OMG, I was furious! It's like she was too lazy to wait for another bag to heat up under the water or something... or really, it was just her wanting to get her way and give Kendall the formula!
Of course this ensued some arguing which led to me having a horrible night. Oh, and now... Kendall has been constipated. I've literally had to help this child get her poop out because of the formula "she" wanted!

Next topic, why don't I give Kendall water and juice in between feedings. Um, because I don't think babies need water or juice for that matter. Who gives a 3mth old water or apple juice? I've never heard that you should/need to and I didn't give it to Makenna when she was a baby. But oh no, apparently I NEED to according to my all knowing MIL.

Finally, the day before she left she told me that I have to go out and weed the back of my yard because it's getting a little ugly around the bushes. I told her that I don't weed.. John does it since I take care of 90% of the inside of the house. O.m.g, you'd think I just killed her cat because that started a whole shit storm of crap! Like how dare I "make" John weed the yard and take care of the yard in general. 'She had to do all of that stuff so what makes me soooo special'. John tried to defend me and in the mean time pretty much talking crap on his own dad. His dad and mom divorced when he was like 6 or something so of course my MIL was a single parent so she HAD to do everything around her house. John's words exactly, "I'm sorry daddy bitched out on you and was never around but Jenn has a husband, me, and it's my job to take care of her and whatever I can for her. the yard and weeding included! She shouldn't have to do it, just because you did" and she comes back with, "Well, I think she should because I had to"
Seriously, she's trying to punish me because she had a horrible marriage and didn't get the life she wanted!?

She ALWAYS tells me I need to get a job too. John & I are sooo perfect financially with just him working so I don't need a job. It was her "Dream Job" to be a SAHM but she never got to, she had to work 2 jobs to support her family and kids, so why should I get to stay home"
Again, this lady is trying to punish me because she didn't get the life she wanted!

This week seriously was so stressful but I was not trying to convey it on Twitter or anything, so none of you may have known anything was going on.
Thankfully she went home but I know she'll be back and it's just going to be like this week all over again.

Do any of you also have a crazy MIL?! I'd love to hear your stories, maybe it'll make me feel a little better? lol.

Hell has frozen over!!! You CIO?

So this post is about CIO (Crying it out). I know I'm probably gonna get a lot of crap about it but let me just explain please.

So Hell must have frozen over because when it comes to CIO that's the last thing they'd do in their life time.

Kendall is an AMAZING sleeper... at night. It's wondering, joyus, exciting and every other word you can think of. Starting around 10 weeks she used to get fussy around 7:45pm, so with that we'd bathe her, swaddler her and give her a baa (her bottle). She'd instantly fall asleep after a few burps and we were without a problem put her down in her bed... for the night! She'd wake up around 6-7am, eat then go down for another 1-2 hours when she was then redy to get up and play.
As of last week she gets fussy around 6:30 so our routine has now switched to acommedate her new schedule. The wonderful part? She still sleeps till about 6-7am, eats then goes back down for another 1-2 hours. So she for some reason made her self gain an extra hour of sleep.

I know, I know... her sleep schedule WILL change. You don't need to tell me. This is my 2nd baby and I know they go crazy out of the blue and decide they hate sleep all over again just like they are a newborn again. It sucks and I'm not looking forward to it. But for now, I am living it up and loving every second of it!

So where's the CIO coming into play you may ask?
Kendall DOES NOT nap! For the life of me, I cannot get this child to take a nap. I mean a REAL nap, even if it was for a hour I'd be happy.

She takes little cat naps here & there for maybe 20 minutes in her bouncer of 30 minutes IF she's laying on my chest. But to put her in her bed and nap, HA, yeah right.

So I began feeding her and just laying her down. Screw that, she needs sleep and I don't care. She usually gives me a hard time and really cires for about 10-15 minutes but then she will fall asleep and then I get about 45 minutes uninterupted quietness. This just started to happen about a week ago though.

Do I think it's hurting her emotionally? Um, no, sorry but it's not. This child gets more love then anything in the world. I don't believe you can 'spoil' a baby but if you could then she'd be the definition. She loves cuddles and being held and she laughs even more now a days then she did before.

My whole thing is, it's not like I'm sitting here listening to her cry for a hour or more. It's 15 minutes TOPS and she falls asleep. I'd rather her cry a bit then be cranky all day because she slept for tiny 10-20 minute naps.
Her attitude has completely changed and I think she's a much happier baby. Plus, I'm a much happier mommy. If her 45 minute nap means that I can nap too then of course I am much happier. On the days that I don't feel like sleeping myself then I do housework.
I don't go a day without cleaning this house and when she's sleeping it makes it a lot easier of course.

So to all you CIO haters out there, I understand if it doesn't work for you, but it's working for us.
Today, she only cried for 5 minutes before she fell asleep so I think it's working and of course I'm hoping that the crying will completely stop and she will just know when it's nap time.

Wordless Wednesday - What They Do Best..

Tweet

(I'm noticing a pattern here... lol)

Being a housewife...

... is something I love to do and be. It really is. But honestly it's SO damn hard. Why is it so hard for men to wrap their heads around the fact that yes, even though you go to work every day, moms NEVER have a day off?
I have to say though, my husband does an extremely good job on helping me around the house and with our daughters.
We've pretty much found our roles in the house and are in a really good groove.

He gives Kendall a bath every night - dries her, lotions her baby skin and dresses her. Then I take over and feed her, swaddle her (he hasn't gotten the swaddle down to a quick science like I have, lol) then he puts her to sleep and she's out till 3am. He gets up with her then - changes, & feeds then wakes me only to swaddle her up once more.At 6am I get up with her because at 7 I get Makenna ready for school, pack her lunch while I let John sleep in a bit more. Then John (if he doesnt work in the AM that day) takes her to school so Kendall and I can go back to sleep for 2 hours.

Our house is surprisingly still in perfect condition most days. I do dishes during the day and if there is anything at night he does them. I do laundry at least once a day and most of the time he'll fold & put it away.

Even on his days off he's amazing. One of his days we'll lounge around the house or go run errands but the other day is MOMMY DAY. He takes the girls out for pretty much the whole day while I get to be at home (or go to where I want by myself!). A normal person would probably sleep though, wouldn't you think? What do I do? I clean. I deep clean the bathrooms, kitchen, dust, do extra laundry.. you name it. I've figured out I clean because I get to do it uninterupted. I dont have Makenna stopping me every 2 seconds or a baby crying that I have to tend to. I can just clean at my own pace and make sure it's done to my standard. But even once I'm done cleaning I hop online and tweet. Lol, I know I'm a tad bit crazy.

I've been a stay-at-home mom since December of last year (2009). We had already decided once I was pregnant that I wouldn't work anymore. We have the means and I definitely do not need to work so thankfully I was able to quit my job and be at home with Makenna and have a very relaxing pregnancy.

Most women wish for my job. To not work and just be at home with their kids. Believe me, I do love it and I never take for granted that I don't have to work. My husband is amazing for having 2 jobs (well only 1 really counts since the other doesn't bring us an income to really count on. He just has it for the perks!) and he never complains about having to work and then coming home to take Kendall off my hands. I'm finding that even with Makenna in school for 6 1/2 hours every day I WANT to work again. I've always been that type though. I work extremely hard and I always want a job. Being at home makes me so restless (probably why I clean so much) and I get cabin fever very easily.

John doesn't want me to work since I don't have to, plus in his family "the women shouldn't have to work, that's the man's job" (his family rules... not mine, lol). But he and his family had another thing coming when I stepped into the picture. I love working, which is why I've been applying for jobs. The problem I keep encountering when I go in for interviews is my schedule. Even though I wanna work I only want maybe 10 hours/week. Of course everyone wants me to work more or make me a manager (since that's my background), which would mean lots of hours and long hours.

So now I'm stuck. I want to work but I don't want to work a lot.

I guess I'll just stick to my mommy job and call it a day.

Wordless Wednesday

Hard Times of Post-Partum

Back in 2004 I KNOW I had PPD (post-partum depression) after I had Makenna. I was never diagnosed because I never told my doctor what I was going through. I just figured I was acting the way I was acting because I was a 19 year old young single new mom. I didn't want to believe I had PPD. Who wants to admit that? Not me.
I eventually got through it but thankfully I was living with my parents at the time so I know they were a huge help.

During this pregnancy John & I talked about the possibilty of me getting PPD again but we figured it wouldn't probably happen since I'm not single, I have him. How freakin' nieve were we! Lol. The first week of Kendall being home I was perfectly fine but come week 2 everything set in and I was falling apart. Thank God I haven't had thoughts of hurting Kendall or myself or anything like that but I have had a serious attitude. I've been taking a lot out on Makenna and although in the moment I don't think about it, afterward I feel really bad. I've been crying 24/7 and at times I do have to put Kendall down and just walk away while she cries.

Yes, John is there but last week he pretty much had all opening shifts so I was up with Kendall pretty much every night, & then having to get up in the morning to instantly pump, change Kendall, feed Kendall, feed Makenna then try to get something for myself to eat... all on 0 sleep. It really took a toll on me and then I began to take it out on John by the end of the week.

I've lost interest in pretty much everything. I'm barely online anymore so no Twitter and no blogging. I have so many reviews/giveaways that I'm behind on. Now it's even gone as far as not even caring about pumping :( Yesterday I pumped at 9am and then by 10pm I realized I didn't pump all day since the am! I still got 8oz per side (& I have a huge stash in the fridge & freezer) but still, I should be at least pumping but nope, I just forget to do anything. The house has pretty much fallen apart expect for what John can do when he gets home from work.

I just don't know.

I saw my doctor earlier this week and she put me on Zoloft. She started me on only 50mg which I heard is really low.
It's been 3 days now and so far I do think it's helped a little. I know it doesn't INSTANTLY fix anything but I'm feeling a little better. I've been able to deal with Makenna a lot better. I've been yelling less and when Kendall cries, although it still gets to me, I've been able to deal a little better.

I hate medicine, seriously HATE it. I couldn't even take my prenatals my whole pregnancy because I hate swollowing pills but also, I just forget to take things. Also, I just don't want to become addicted to a medicine like Zoloft. I don't have an addicting personality at all so I think I'll be fine but at this point I don't know what else to do. I want to be there for my girls, I want to be a happy mommy and a good wife and I dont think I can do that without help right now.

At this point I'm just hoping with the help of the Zoloft I can get better fast and then be able to get off the meds and do it on my own.

She's 1 week old :(

I cannot believe that a week ago I was in the hospital.. I think around 9cm at this exact time. Then in 2 hours my baby girl was out in the world.

We're EPing... yes by choice. I don't know why so many people have a "omg" type reaction but really, is it a big deal that I like pumping over breastfeeding? Yes, I realize breastfeeding would be easier but pumping has been pretty easy for us.
Now that I'm producing a ton of milk (8oz each boob!!) my fridge is filling up fast and as of last night I began freezing it & we already have 6 bags in the freezer, lol.

(just 2 days worth)

Sleeping is ok. She's on a completely switched night/day schedule. It doens't surprise me though because that's exactly how she was in my belly. It's getting better though and last night/this morning was the best so far. It never fails though that she will be completely wide awake at midnight ans be up for about 2-3 hours. Last night we went to sleep at 11 & woke up at 5am though!! I changed her, fed her and she went back to sleep till 10am! I feel sooooo much better and awake then I have been so I hope this is the start of a good thing.

She's definitely a daddy's girl. I dont know if it's because he was the 1st to hold her and continued to hold her for about a hour or what but I do know she loves her daddy. He can get her to sleep in a second if I've been trying for a while. I just think it's cause I wore her out and then he just swooped in at the right time, lol.

Everyone says she looks like him but I think she looks like me

(7/25/2010)

(10/05/2008)

Kendall is definitly a good girl and barely cries (which we love! lol). She HATES having a dirty booty and that's when she goes nuts. She will not stand to have pee or poop in her diaper, lol.

She got to meet her big sister yesterday. Makenna was visiting my sister and her family for the past week. She left for her visit last Friday then I went into labor on Saturday so it was great timing in that aspect. Yesterday was Kendall's first little road trip to pick up sister and she did amazing. My sister lives about 2 hours north of where we live and Kendall slept the whole way there (& back).

Makenna has been a big help for mommy & daddy and it's only been a day. She's going to be a great big sister.

It's been a crazy week but we've adjusted very well and I think Kendall is glad to be out of my tummy... I know I am!!!

Happy Birthday Kendall Rose Mercurio!!!! Welcome to the earth!

So this wont really be a Birth Story blog, because honestly I'm too tired to go into every detail of it but I tell you some parts :)

Saturday night at 8 I began feeling really bad contractions and if you follow my tweets then I even tweeted that I was getting in the shower hoping that would help. Well 2 hours later and I was STILL dying and they were getting worse. We never timed them but figured they were about 1-2minutes apart!
John called and said we are on our way, no questions asked.

Once we got there they didnt even triage me like our normal false labor visits we had in the past couple weeks. I was checked and I was still just 3cm & -2 station but now 60% effaced. Being monitored they saw that yeah my contractions were 1-2minutes apart and by my reaction really intense. Already I told them that I do want an epidural but my doctor told me she wanted me to progress some more before I got it.

 Having contractions... I thought I was goign to rip that handle off

(thanks for the pic honey, lol)

Everyone thought it'd be quick since my contractions were so close but nope 8 (yes EIGHT!) hours later I was finally 4-5cm, 70%, still -2 station. It took about a hour to get my epidural and finally I had some release.
It's about 6am now and I was feeling good. About... 1 hour later I began to feel contractions again, not painful at first but still, I shouldn't have felt them. We waited it out and then it was like I never had the epidural at all!
Another hour later, they came in and gave me the same epidural medicine that women get for a c-section!

It did NOTHING! I was still feeling every single thing and drying along the way. Of course they were getting worse and worse and I wasn't even progressing when ever they'd check me :/ It sucked.

Tweeting in between contractions #twitterbirth

A lot of stuff I don't really remember because I was in so much pain I didn't want anyone talking to me, I wasn't looking at the clock, I didn't care about anything except feeling better... but I wasn't feeling better at all.

Then, I began feeling soo much pressure. Told John and he told the nurses, when she checked me I was 9cm, 70% and -1 station. WTF?! I was dying here people!
It continued and apparently because it was so bad I began holding my breath, so much so that I was making my cervix swell up. I tried to breath, and eventually the swelling went down (about 2 hours later).
Eventually I just screamed out, IM PUSHING! lol. John ran out and the doctor and nurses ran in, of course telling me to stop. Seriously, lol, ok, lemme just stop the pressure and the need to push.
When I was checked I was +1 station, 10cm and 100% so yay, it was time.
10 minutes later and having I thought I ripped my whole body in half Kendall Rose was born. Even though she was 8lbs 1oz I didn't rip one tiny bit! I don't know how but hey, I'll take it, lol.

We were pleasantly surprised that when I told my Dr. that [of course] I wanted her to stay with us for as long as possible before they took her away and bathed her, they told us that they never take the babies away (unless medically necessary). It's pretty much their rule that babies stay with the parents for at least 5 hours before they get a bath. I was so happy to hear that since I was already ready to argue if I needed to. Furthermore, when it's bath time they give the baby a bath in room, not in the nursery, so again, baby never leaves your sight!

Also, the whole entire time at the hospital she stayed with us because although my hospital has a nursery they don't even let you have the option to have them watch your baby. It's 24/7 stay-in style or whatever so Kendall got to sleep in the same room with us, another thing both John & I wanted.

An amazing feature (that I've NEVER seen before) was that both Kendall and I had a bracelet monitor thing on. They were linked together so every 1/2 hour, if I got close to Kendall a little chime would go off letting us know she was my baby. If another mother would have gotten near Kendall alarms and lights would flash through-out the maternity floor. Also, there is a red line on the ground near every exit so if your baby is stolen by someone and they try to leave then again, the alarms and lights will go crazy! John and I felt soooo incredibly comfortable because of that.

Our hospital visit was definitely one of THE BEST visits I've ever had at a hospital 100%. Anyone ever in Florida and want a great hospital, then lemme know.

My baby all covered in vernix.

The scale changed too fast but she was 8.1 pounds, I promise, lol

Daddy holding his new daughter for the 1st time

soo in love already

My 1st time holding Kendall

tried latching. I got too frustrated so I pumped and INSTANTLY got 10ml outta my bewb

My bewbs love me cuz day 2 and I already have 3oz from each!

It was a crazy and longgggggggggggggg experience but she came out perfectly 100% healthy for being 3weeks early. No lung problems, no hearing problems, NOTHING! Plus, she sleeps 24/7 so yay!

We are truly blessed. ♥