Happy 1 month Birthday little Soph!

We absolutely adore you!!

Here are some of the things you/we have learned and accomplished.

(this is several posts in one, so very long!)

Cozy warm little glow worm.

Because we could not get your billi levels to come down on their own, you had to spend the first two weeks of your life under the billi lights or with a billi blanket up your back. One thing you didn't learn is how to maintain your own body temperature (At your 2 wk Dr. apt your temp was only 96.1. The nurse freaked out and put your blanket in the dryer and had me wrap you up in it. I told them it was because they made yo LIVE under the Billi lights. Then the Dr. said to put your hat on you. I felt very embarrassed to tell her that I did not bring a hat for you. Ooops!). One thing you DID learn is how to have a little temper tantrum and rip the eye protection right off your little eyes!!!!

Photo shoot

You were so patient as your even MORE patient aunt Dawn took many lovely pics of you.

Thank you!

Lots of pricks on your feet. I think you had to go in 8 times to get your blood drawn.

Don't cry over spilled milk!!!

On your 1 month birthday I took you to a Dr. appointment to figure out why nursing just isn't working for you. Turns out you have "pinched jaw". Your little jaw is so tight which doesn't allow your tongue to move forward as it should for nursing. I have been bottle feeding AND pumping to keep my milk production while we tried to get this resolved. Turns out although I was nursing you, you weren't really getting much. That is why the billi levels wouldn't go down and why you lost some weight.

The Dr. told me that the only way nursing would ever work was with therapy (that our insurance does not cover) and LOTS more pumping to keep milk production. (not to mention all the ointment applications and medicine to clear our thrush and my mastitis!). She painted a pretty grim picture and told me that it might be best to just switch to the bottle.

I cried the whole way home!!!! I tried to tell myself that it's just milk, who cares where it comes from!?! But I just LOVE nursing my little babies! It's something special that only I can do.

Hannah fed you your first bottle. You just loved it! It was probably nice to actually get sufficient nutrition in you. After 2 weeks of this though, your tiny little cheeks aren't so tiny anymore. At one month you've got the pudgy little, I-wanna-squeeze-and-kiss kind.

First bath

Took lots of naps with mommy....and Shy

Shy just loves you. She likes to be right near you and has already become very protective of you. She worries when you cry and likes to be right at your side when I feed you, change diapers or take naps.

Became an instant BSU fan!!!!

We learned that it is EVEN HARDER to get a decent family pic when you ad one more to the mix.

Instant lead role in the nativity play when you are born in December!!

Lot's and lots of LOVE and visits from friends and family

Caden just adores you and holds you whenever he can. He has even learned how to eat dinner while holding you. He will make an incredible dad someday.

Sarah sometimes thinks you are her "Baby Alive".

First Christmas

and almost getting lost in the pile of toys and gifts!

First vacation!

All bundled up for sledding. We went to a cabin the day after Christmas. It was heavenly!!! Because I had NO real responsibilities, and.....

We got snowed in, I spent hours just holding you, kissing your cheeks and spoiling you. Every mom should get that chance. December turned out to be a good month to have a sweet little baby.

Our cabin had a pool, so while you slept, we spent many hours n the pool.

Happy 1 month Sophia!!! We love you so.

My new reason to blog again

First night home from the hospital. Sarah and Hannah were spending the night at Grandma and Grandpa Smith's so Caden had Sophia to himself. He laid on the bed with her then watched a movie with her. He LOVES his baby sister and is so good with her.

Aunt Krystal and Luke come to visit.

I told Caden that he could pick out Sophia's outfit on her first morning home. He chose a BSU top. Cousin Jenna was visiting so she joined in the fun!!

Photo Shoot

My attempt at getting Christmas pics of the kids.

Final, Sophia knows best!

Sophia LeeAnn Smith

December 3rd, 12:57 pm

19 3/4 in

7lb

So here's the story of the day Sophia decided to join us. It was absolutely PERFECT!!

It was NOT at all how I always imagined it would happen, but obviously, Sophia has done things her own way all along.

After having contractions all week long I began to wonder if I would EVER know when to go in, OR if I'd ever even go into labor at all.

Thursday I was feeling pretty miserable and grouchy. I was having contractions all day long and throwing up. Despite how I was feeling, we went and got our tree in the evening.

After getting home we went to bed but I could not sleep. By midnight, it was snowing. At 2 AM contractions were 5 min apart and although I have never gone in that early, we decided to go in.

After getting to the hospital I was put on the monitors and I was having some contractions, but dilated only to a 4 so I had to walk all around the hospital for an hour. I threw up AND passed out in the bathroom so we went back. Contractions were closer, but I was still only a 4. I got in the bath for an hour and all that did was make more nauseous. I got back on the monitor and was still having contractions, but still only dilated at a 4 ( I guess that you have to be over a 4 to be admitted).

It was almost 6 am. I had been there about 3 hours and hadn't progressed at all so they told me that I was going to have to go home and come back in the afternoon for my appointment that was already scheduled.

VERY embarrassed that as a fourth time mom I was in there for false labor, I kept saying,

"I'm so sorry, this has never happened to me. How am I supposed to know when I should go in now....Is this not labor?!?"

The nurse said she had no way of knowing, but she thought I was in the early stages of labor and could possibly go into active labor in the next 45 min, but there was

"NO WAY OF KNOWING, so go home and see if I can make it to my afternoon appointment."

WHAT THE HECK!!!! Does this pregnancy HAVE to be totally and completely different til the very end?!?

Just as Scott and I were getting ready to leave, the phone rang and the nurse left the room. She came back and said that Dr. West was on the phone. He had gotten up and checked his computer and noticed that I was in labor and delivery and wanted to see how I was doing. She told him that I was only at a 4 so she was sending me home. He told her to check me one more time. She came in and checked me again (10 minutes after the last time when I was only a 4).

Miraculously, I was a 4 1/2.

Dr. West told her to go ahead and admit me because he wanted to make sure I had plenty of time to get the antibiotic IV and he didn't think it was safe to drive all the way back home. ( He was probably right. I don't think I would have gone back in there unless there was actually a baby coming out of me).

At around 6:30 AM I was admitted and IV was started. As you can see by the monitor, I was having contractions that were very close together.

By about 10:30 AM I had the full dose of antibiotics. DR. West came and checked me and I was only dilated at a 5 even though my contractions were so strong (they were off the chart on the monitor. Luckily I got an epidural this time so I didn't feel them except for the 10 min. I had break through pain, that was intense!!). I was so shocked by this extremely slow labor process.

Dr. West decided to break my water to speed things up. When they came to check on me again about an hour and a half later I assumed that I would probably only be at a 6, but to my surprise, the nurse said, " oh, her head is right there!" She paged Dr. West to come over right away.

I prepared myself for a long hour of pushing because that is how it usually happens with me. Dr. West said push, I pushed and Scott said,

"There's her head!"

I pushed again and out came the little head. Dr. West told me to stop pushing because the chord was around her neck. with some fancy twisting he got it loose. Two pushes later I had little Sophia in my arms. It was amazing!

I mentioned to the Dr. West and my nurse that this was so different than any of my other kids because the labor part was so SLOW. My sweet nurse said,

" I think it was meant to be that way this time. If you'd gone as fast as you normally do, you would not have had enough time to get the antibiotics for your baby."

I realized she was right. After I was completely done with the IV, everything went super fast.

Little Sophia was just waiting 'til it was safe.

I am so grateful to Dr. West, who gets up before 6AM and checks the board to see if he happens to have any patients in labor and delivery. I don't know if that is something that he ALWAYS does, or if it was just a coincidence, but I am so grateful it happened just minutes before we went home.

And, I am so grateful that Sophia knows best!!!!

Another, Sophia knows best!

Sophia is still in there, nice and cozy I imagine, while we are all enjoying the snow storms the area has been experiencing. I guess I should thank her again because if she'd come, these are the fun activities out in the snow we would have missed.

Thanksgiving day. (37.5 weeks)

I thought for sure she would be born this day. This also happens to be Scott's Dad's birthday. How fitting would that have been to have her on that day since she is named after him. But, she knows best!

I would have missed getting pics of these cuties in the first snow fall.

38 weeks

Baby still safe and warm in mommies tummy so we made a spontaneous decision to go to Grandma's house in Middleton to take the kids on the 4wheelers. I stood on the sidelines taking pictures. I also got all three Christmas pillowcases done. All things I would have missed out on if I'd been in the hospital having a baby (I did take my hospital bag in the car, just in case!). Once again, Sophia knows best. She knew the kids would have a blast!

Shyann LOVES to play in the snow at Grandma and Grandpas because she has so much room to run free. She though it was fun to run along the sled. She is such a fast little dog. Sometimes she even jumped on but would soon fall off.

Caden finally decided to hold her. She thought that was great!

Grandpa is going fast! Tika likes to ride on the back. She doesn't bother chasing the sled.

Dec. 1st (38.4 Weeks)

I made it into December. My Dr. said he would be shocked if made it into December. I am beyond shocked, and now officially pregnant longer that I have ever been before. I am entering new territory with this one. Dawn (my sister)n arrived to help out with the baby. Instead, we are playing in the snow, cuz Sophia is nice and warm inside my BIG belly!

School happened to be cancelled the same day Dawn and Jenna got here. I t worked out perfectly!

Jenna loves the snow.

Daddy came home from work early and took the kids through the neighborhood on the 4wheelers.

Sophia knows best!!!

I'm like the girl who cried wolf! From the day that I found out my due date, I already had it in my head that the baby would come the week of thanksgiving break. Mostly out of convenience, but I had many reasons to believe this was possible. I would be 37 weeks and 2 of my 3 kids were born at 37 weeks. Sarah was 38. I thought it would be so nice if the baby came while my kids were at home and Scott already had 2 days of time off built into the week. As this crazy pregnancy I have had has progressed this week became the only "due date" that has really stuck in my head. I think I've even told people when they've asked the due date,

"end of November."

With all the early contractions, dilating, and staying off my feet I had to do I believed even more that my predicted 37 1/2 week due date was a sure bet! Well here I am, almost 38 weeks, dilated at a 3, heads engaged they say, contractions EVERY DAY and still big and round.

I don't mind so much still being pregnant. I am getting a lot done with all this extra time on my hands (see, I always like to be prepared early, so I had everything ready for the baby by the day before I turned 37 weeks). I canned tomatoes today, I've recently started a super cute quilt for the baby, and have gotten everything ready to make the kids Christmas pillow cases (prob get those done tonight).

I think that I've just totally been throne off guard with things not going the way I WANTED them to and I so carefully planned. I thought that there would be no other way for this birth to go but the way I planned!

I am just having to learn a lot of patience. It's been crazy fro the beginning (remember the IV's and all the Zofran).

Sophia, you can stay in there as long as you need to get ready to meet us. I will try to be patient because you know when you're ready. Just please, stop with all the contractions til you really mean it!!!!!

I will update when Sophia decides to make her appearance. Please accept my apologies for all my ramblings and complaining as a very hormonal mother who is experiencing a pregnancy MUCH different than any of the last three.

Since it's Thanksgiving..............

Guess I should post about the last holiday we just had!

I neglected to post pics of my cute kids at Halloween! Halloween was a busy one for us this year, with all three kids now in school (or preschool) we have lots of parties and activities. And to top things all off, I decided to sew the kids costumes this year-----FYI making your own costumes DOESN'T save you ANY money. It does, however, create an addiction to creating and I now find myself looking at fabrics and wondering what I can make next!

Scott and I helped out in both Caden and Sarah's class parties this year. I was actually the room mom for Caden's which was a lot of fun! Caden has such an awesome teacher this year. I just helped out with whatever I was assigned in Sarah's class. It was fun to participate in her first class party.

Caden at his class party.

Sarah really wanted to be a cow girl this year. Her and Hannah's friends all planned on being Strawberry shortcake characters together, but all those who know

Sarah's personality know that once Sarah made up her mind, she wouldn't budge on her decision, despite the plans of all her friends. They all went on as planned and Sarah ended up a cute little cow girl.

I have to admit, I love the way her costume turned out! I made her the skirt and vest.

Can't be a cow girl without your sheep dog by your side. (Shy is a lady bug)

Caden couldn't decide between several different costumes. In the end he settled on a wizard. He went through a really quick phase where he really liked wizards. He i even writing a book about a wizard boy right now. We went to the store together and he picked out the fabric. Grandma Waggoner ended up sewing it though because it was taking me too long to make the girls costumes.

Hannah was thrilled to join in with her friends as Apple Dumplin' (from Strawberry shortcake).

Hannah and Anna (Blueberry muffin)

Hannah had fallen asleep right before trick or treating so she was more of a sour apple!