Pictures

Introducing....

She's here! Makenzie Lyn Ringel has finally made it to join our family. I'm just grateful it's all finally over. I didn't have the best experience. For those of you who want to hear the story, here it is. If not... just skip over the next section.

My due date was 12/02/09. Well my doctor scheduled me for an induction on Monday, 12/07/09. Sunday night I go to bed, and I tried to sleep. Yeah right! Sleep? My mind was going crazy and wouldn't shut off. Not to mention, I had started having contractions around 3 am. I got up around 8 the next morning so I could get ready to go to the doctor. I had an appointment at 10 am. At this point, my contractions were about 8 minutes apart. At the office, they checked me and I was dialated to a 2-2.5 and 80% effaced. And my contractions were now about 3-4 minutes apart. So they sent me up to labor and delivery to get things going. After they got me all set up in my room, my doctor came and broke my water. Let me just say... not a very pleasant feeling. After that, my contractions got a lot worse and closer together. They also had me hooked up to pitocin. Finally when I got to the point where I couldn't take the contractions anymore (yes, I am a wuss) I asked for an epidural. They gave me some Nubain to help with the pain until they were able to come give me an epidural. Let me just say... wow! Nubain rocked my world. It helped relax me. Which was good because I was super nervous about the epidural. Once they gave me Nubain, I didn't even care about the epidural.... I just wanted the pain GONE! After they gave me the epidural, I started having the shakes really bad. The nurses said it was from the epidural, but it was awful! I couldn't control anything. I just shook uncontrollably... then I'd get really cold and then really hot. It sucked. To make a long story short, I labored for about 10 hours and then my doctor came in and said that I needed to have a c-section. WHAT?! You've got to be kidding me. Well... the baby had dropped down to a -1 station since about 3 pm in the afternoon and she just stayed there. She didn't drop anymore and every time I pushed (I did a few practice pushes) she didn't even budge. And I was feeling an overwhelming urge to push. The doctor said that my pelvic bone was shaped funny and that there was some bone sticking out causing her to not be able to drop or move down anymore. So he said he was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to push her out.... therefore, I needed a c-section. At this point in time, I think I started to have a mini freak out. I started hyperventilating and just freaking out. I was so worried that I was going to be able to feel the surgery. My dad came to the hospital and he and James gave me a blessing. It really helped me calm down. Then they gave me more medicine to make the epidural raise up to my chest. I was still shaking uncontrollably also. Then they gave me this alka-seltzer stuff to help calm my tummy before surgery.... yeah that just made me throw up. YUCK! By this time the surgery crew had arrived to take me back to the OR. The whole experience back there was kind of scary. I'm glad James was there to help keep me calm and help remind me to breathe. Once we got back there, Kenzie's heart rate started to go up high and become tacky... so it was good we were going to be getting her out soon. I couldn't feel anything... just pressure and lots of tugging. It really sucked because she had her head was down in my pelvic area so they had to pull her back out. That was a lot of pressure and I hated feeling all the tugging. I was also still shaking uncontrollably during the whole surgery. Then all the sudden I heard a little cry and then they pulled her out and she was crying even harder. And then they told me she was a girl! Thank heavens! I was so worried she was going to come out a boy. They took her over to the warmer and started doing the assessment on her.... I could see everything from where I was. I started crying because I couldn't believe she was actually my baby. I remember commenting to James that she had hair. I was excited about that. When they took Kenzie to the nursery, James went with them. From that point on, I don't remember much because I think I fell asleep as they stitched me up. Then I went to recovery for about 2 hours. Down there I just pretty much slept. I also started fevering. It was after midnight before I even got to see Kenzie. I was so out of it when I got back to my room. When I first saw Kenzie after the surgery, she didn't even feel like my baby. It took me a few minutes to warm up to her. I was so drugged though... and I remember being so thirsty. All I wanted was a huge mug of water. But anyways... that is the labor and delivery story. I'm just grateful it's all over and that Kenzie got here safely and that she is healthy.

Makenzie Lyn Ringel - Born 12/07/09 at 10:37 p.m. 8 lbs. 0 oz. 21 inches long.

Seeing Kenzie for the first time after my surgery... I was really out of it and freakin' tired!

Mom, Baby, and Dad

Kenzie loves her daddy

All bundled up to head home... It was really cold the day we went home.

Our new little family

I'll post more pictures tomorrow... for now, I'm off to bed. Good night!

Am I really ready?

So.... tomorrow is the big day. Well, it's supposed to be. I have a doctor's appointment in the AM and then we'll go from there. He said, "We'll get you in sometime for an induction on Monday." So, I am hoping something doesn't happen that prevents us from being able to get on with this induction.

I am a bit torn.... I am so ready to NOT be pregnant anymore. Seriously... I'm starting to feel kind of miserable now. I can't complain much because I have had a fairly easy pregnancy... but it's time to be done. BUT.... am I really ready to take care of a baby? I am ready to meet this little girl and see what she looks like. But am I ready to be responsible for another human being for the 20 years of their life? It's just a crazy thought to think about. I feel that I know how to take care of a newborn (thanks to my job at MMH).... but I know I am not at all prepared for how it is actually going to be. I can think of what I'm expecting... but I'm sure I can't anticipate how it really will be at all. I'm sure this probably makes no sense and I'm just rambling... but this blog is for my own journaling purposes also.

Tonight as James and I were putting up the Christmas tree, I started thinking about how this is going to be the last night that he and I have as just "us". That is so weird to think about! And everyone keeps telling me that I better enjoy my last night of sleep before the baby is here. How in the world am I going to be able to sleep knowing that she will be coming tomorrow or the next day? I mean, I don't sleep anyways but that is besides the point. My nerves are all crazed right now and there's no way I will be sleeping tonight. My mind just won't turn off...

Well... I guess I will stop rambling now. I will for sure update my blog when I can. As for now... until then! Wish me luck tomorrow :)




Sorry the last one is blurry.... but doesn't the tree look so pretty? :)

The Office

So lately, James and I have been getting into watching The Office. It's really weird because I never used to find the show funny until recently. Well we have been watching the seasons on our Netflix through the X-box live. So far, I think the best clip I've seen from the show is this one. Enjoy!

I really didn't want to....

But Heidi threatened me with my life if I didn't post one prego picture.... so Heidi, here you go. This is me at 39 weeks and HUGE! Don't I look so thrilled? :)


I go to the doctor tomorrow.... last time I was there he told me that he would let me go a week overdue before inducing me. Talk about KILLING ME! I am so ready to be done being pregnant. I'm not sure I'm ready for such a drastic change... but I'm really really REALLY tired of being fat and pregnant.

Anyways... on a happier note, James and I went to Rexburg for Thanksgiving. It was nice to see family.... I was missing them like crazy! Here are a few pictures....



We had a good Thanksgiving weekend. It was fun playing with the babies. Anyways.... hopefully Baby Girl Ringel will be here soon! By the way, this is my 100th post... Woo hoo!

Just had to!

I have to share this picture of my adorable little niece Kaleigh. My sister Heidi took the picture and made it look so cute! Good job Heids!

Oops...

Okay, I wasn't going to share this story, cuz I felt pretty stupid about it.... but, I'm over it now. So here goes! Yesterday morning, I was supposed to be doing a CPR/First Aid training all day long for work. And no, this was not my way of getting out of the training. Basically in a nutshell.... I wasn't sure if my water had broken or not. And I know what you're all thinking.... How can you not know if you water has broken or not? Well, in my defense... I've never been pregnant or had a baby before! So.... after freaking out about it for a few moments, I decided I had better call James and see what I needed to do. It was one of those moments where I couldn't really focus and make any clear decisions. I call James and tell him what happened.... and he tells me to call my mom and see what she says. I called my mom (she used to be a labor and delivery nurse for a long time), and she didn't answer. So then I start to freak out a little more.... I decided to call Heidi. As I'm talking to her explaining what had happened (I'll spare you all those details).... my mom calls me back. I hang up with Heidi and explain the story to my mom. She tells me that I probably outta call my doctor because if my water had really in fact ruptured... then it now had opened the pathway for infection. Great! I call the doctors office.... and once again, explain the story to the nurse. She told me that I need to go up to the hospital and have them check and see if my water had really broken or not. So.... I pack up my stuff, and I was just going to slip out of school without making too much of a big deal. That didn't happen... I'll just say I got a little more attention that I had wanted... but I know it's just because my co-workers care about me. I met James at the hospital and we go up to labor and delivery. I then again explain what happened to the nurse and then do some tests to see if my water had really broken. To make a long story short.... no I hadn't ruptured. I felt like a complete idiot! I used to work in labor and delivery at Madison for a long time (in housekeeping and as a nurse extender - taking care of the newborns), and I always told myself that I never wanted to be one of those people that comes into the hospital and gets sent home. But I guess it's better to be safe than sorry. Later that day, I had a doctors appointment. He checked me and I am still thick and closed. But when I was hooked up to the monitor at the hospital, it was showing that I was contracting every so often, but I couldn't really feel them. So I guess we'll just have to wait and see what I am when he checks me again next week. But good news! The baby is head down! She has been sitting with her head up in my ribs for the longest time, so I was relieved to hear she is finally head down. I was starting to worry a little that I'd end up being a c-section or something because she hadn't turned yet.... but no more worries there!

This is kind of a funny sidenote: While we were at the hospital, there was a lady delivering in one of the rooms next to where we were. She must not have had an epidural or something... but she was screaming at the top of her lungs. The look on James' face was pretty funny.... I think it may have made him a little nervous. But that is why you get the drugs!

Anyways.... as we get closer to my due date, I am getting more and more anxious. I'm ready to meet this little girl (let's hope that she really is still a girl). And I'm ready to be done being pregnant. I have actually had a pretty easy pregnancy.... but it's getting harder and harder to sleep and move around. I am also so tired all the time. It's about time to be done. But anyways... we'll keep everyone posted on when she is here. We can't wait!