More Pics of Gabe

Gabe in his too small swaddling blanket!
With Uncle Ty

Getting comfy in his swing

Finally asleep after a long night awake!

My little pirate hero!

Feeding Time!

With Aunt Cristi!

Hope you enjoyed some new pics!

Another Gabe Update

Gabriel is officially two and a half weeks old! And we are surviving, barely! hee hee! I'm so grateful for my mother who has been staying with us through this difficult transition to parenthood. She helps me on night duty and even takes over for the most part so I can get a little more sleep. It's been a hard recovery and will continue to be so for another few weeks with my incision infection. So it's still really hard to move around too much and pick up my son and help out as much with his feedings and diaper changes and baths.

He went in for his two week checkup and he now weights 10.11 pounds and is 22.5 inches long. My doctor says he looks healthy and is on his way!!! It's been really hard since half the time I feel like I'm not feeding him enough or too much. I've had a bit of the post partum blues and feel so inadequate especially with my slow recovery. It'll be super hard once my mom leaves for home and work next week. So please keep me in your prayers that my healing comes a bit faster.

I still have to get daily cleanings and packings for my wound until it completely heals from the inside out. I see the doctor tomorrow and hopefully she'll be able to give me a time table....maybe another week or two for the daily cleanings and packings.

I also want to give a big hug and love and kisses to my husband Archie! He's been amazing during this time. He really loves being a daddy and is so attentive. He's even changed up his schedule for a bit so he can help out at night and give me and my mother a break towards the end and then he goes in later to work. He spent the whole week in the hospital with me as well, only going home when he needed a nap and food during the day. I just didn't want to be alone at night in the hospital and he was such a trooper to stay! He's amazing.

Also many family and friends have also dropped by to give dinners and to say hi! Thanks so much to all of you for the support. It's definitely been and continues to be a big challenge as we are learning to be parents and the support has been essential! We love you all! I'll give more updates as I heal up a bit more....

Baby Gabe!

Here are some short clips of Gabe's first breath's of life!

Gabriel Ryan Crozier Is Welcomed Into the World!

Our beautiful baby boy came into the world Monday February 9th at 6:40 am weighing 11.1 pounds and 20.5 inches long!

I'm pretty sure I started into labor the previous Friday. I had contractions all day long and was trying to count them, even though I had no idea when or where one ended and started up again. Archie came home and tried to help out as well, but we were so hungry we decided to get some Thai food. I guess that did the trick to lessen them, cuz during that feeding the contractions went away.

Archie geared up for the c-section

His little angelic face!

Getting his first bath at home!

I thought maybe Saturday would bring on some more...I just had a feeling this had to be the weekend. But the only thing I felt was horrible cramping in my bladder. It got so bad I went in to labor and delivery that night. They checked my pee and my cervix...I had gone from a two to a three, but not within an hour so no official labor, yet. And they told me I had a major bladder infection and that was the cause of my pain. So they sent me home with percocet and antibiotics. Well, I some how managed to make it through that night.....

His first mouth feeding ever!

Sunday was horrible. It felt as if my insides were being knifed by multiple sharp objects all at once. But I just figured it was my UTI, extra hurty with my big baby sitting on top of it. Finally, around nine that night while I was in tears, Archie convinced me that we should head back on in. The nurses recognized me from the night before and were hoping I could just stay and deliver the darn baby!! My cervix came back as a 4, so it was going on up! I was in so much pain...Dr. Haskett said he was wondering if I would be back the next day...so he ordered me into the hospital!! I was finally going to deliver Gabriel!!!!

Chilling with Mom

Chilling with Dad in Nancy's hat!

Immediately, they got me into a room and the anesthesiologist got there asap and hooked me up to the epidural and then came the petosin to speed up the labor. It was very nice to not feel the contractions getting me to a ten! I could definitely feel the pressure, which wasn't fun. I got to a ten around 2:30 in the morning! I knew it was going to be a very long night. They didn't let me start pushing til an hour later. Dr. Haskett said they were just going to see if he'd come out nice and easy since he knew my baby was probably on the larger side.

Gabe in his Jazz outfit!! Go Jazz!

Feed me!

3:30 was the time to start pushing....and that's when it happened. I had the worst cramping pain in my upper back and neck while trying to push. And it wasn't getting any better. I couldn't effectively push at all; it hurt too much. By the end of hour two I had really given up; Gabe was not progressing and his head was getting swollen. Dr. Haskett finally came in and did one last push with me to see where we were at. That's when he rolled up the towel and declared C-Section. That was very exciting news, though very scary, since I really didn't want to get sliced open! The anesthesiologist came in to really deaden me up for the slicing. But somehow that extra pressure on the spinal nerves came up to my previous back cramping pain and was the worst pain I'd ever felt! The poor guy thought he was killing me! He didn't even finish off all the medicine. So I was in excruciating pain as they rolled me into the operating room and the flatter I laid down the worse the pain got. They couldn't do anything about it. They just needed to get the baby out and then they could get me on any pain meds I needed.

The C-section was the weirdest feeling, besides the back cramping and pain I was experiencing, I could feel them pulling and prodding around in there. Archie was the best with me, holding my hand and stroking my hair and telling me what a wonderful job I was doing! I kept wondering how long it was going to take? I don't hear any crying, what does that mean? Is he OK? Why is it taking so long? And then I hear Dr. Haskett ask a nurse the ETA of the another doctor because he needed some help. That's when I started freaking out...My actual Dr. Andy Smith finally arrived to help out and it seemed like there was another one as well....but they started jumping on my upper stomach for what felt around five minutes. It was so uncomfortable and I could feel the fluids drain from my belly....and then...finally a big weight was lifted and I heard some crying and he was finally out!!!!!!!!! Right after he was out the Pain doc started pumping me full of morphine and other good drugs so it's all a bit hazy, but I remember hearing Dr. Haskett saying something about how Gabriel already had a football scholarship and was so grown up he was heading off to college! Then the news came.....Omigosh, he's 11 pounds and 1 ounce! And then finally Archie dropped Gabe all wrapped up on my chest so I could see him! He was so beautiful! And sooooo heavy. I couldn't hold for too long so Archie took him back and almost fainted when he sat down since they had moved his chair back past the curtain and he saw them working on my stitches.....So the nurse scooped up Gabe before that could happen!

Gabriel ended up having some trouble right after he was born with his gluclose levels being too low and some rapid breathing problems as well as bilirubin problems. So he had to go straight to NICU. So he never got to breastfeed early and is still having a hard time with it. It was difficult since he couldn't enter my room, I had to get the strength in order to go visit him. I didn't see til the next day...It was amazing to finally see him again when I wasn't so stoned on the morphine!

Gabe and Wolfy getting cozy!

I was in the hospital for four days and was released on Friday. We picked up Gabriel later that night after he took the bottle well throughout the day. Sunday we had to get a bilirubin check to see his levels, whether they were going up or down. They were going up, so they sent us over a bilirubin bed and put him that all day and night and he is now on the mend!!!

But on Saturday I started running a low-grade fever and it still hasn't gone away, so Tuesday I went back into the doctor and found out my incision had too much fluid in it and needs to be drained. They reopened the incision (without pain meds or anesthesia) and put in a couple of gauze things to help drain it. This is adding an extra week to my recovery, grrr. Went back in today with my actual doctor and she really got it drained and on its way to healing, and another prescription for pain meds. So I should be slowly, but surely on my way to heal! She also said since I was in labor first for awhile before the c-section that that is the usual culprit to this kind of infection.

But we are all hanging in there and Gabriel is beautiful and we love him so much. Archie is the best dad and most affectionate husband in the world! He loves holding and snuggling with him every chance he can get! My mother is staying for a couple of weeks to help heal and get the feel for being a new mommy. I'm super exhausted from healing, taking care of him and breast pumping. But it's all worth it! He's the greatest! Also want to give my love to everyone who has helped us out and given their congats over the last week!

And this is how we all feel every day!!!

Possibly a Very Big Boy

Tuesday was the big day for the ultrasound to see how behemoth "little" Gabriel is. The concensus is.....mind you the ultrasound lady did say give or take a pound....8.12 pounds!!! So anywhere from almost 8-10 pounds with two and a half weeks possible left to go! Some people have said that many times they are wrong and they come out a lot smaller. But when the tech has to scan my crotch with the ultrasound thingy to get at his head and my ribs for his feet and butt....I'm leaning towards the larger side! Which would explain more of my crazy pain symptoms. I'm still a good 2 cm and 80% effaced so my doc says I could possibly go early....But I wonder....So still scheduled for induction on the 21st and am counting down the days on my calendar and hoping the Gabe doesn't get too much bigger. My feet have already swollen to ten times their size and I gain about 3 pounds a week in water retention. I have at least 5-8 BMs a day and around 2 at night since he's suffocating my intestinal tract and things only move a little at a time, which causes a lot of cramping, especially when the contractions start and stimulate the bowels!!!! And I just got rid of one UTI and am hoping no more to follow during these last couple of weeks!! Sorry to be so detailed, but goodness, I had no idea I was in for such a long miserable last three months. I also get these tingly, numb sensations all over my belly and up by ribs. Every time I need to get up in the middle of the night to pee I feel like my whole stomach is going to rupture and explode!

We also just had our last prenatal birthing class last night. It was a very enjoyable class. So fun to meet new people who are going through what I'm going through. I should be the first to pop out a baby...but you never know. We met Amanda and her mother, Melissa and Jake, and Nancy and William. Thanks for sharing all your miseries and pain! It made me feel better like I was not alone! After everyone has their babies, we'll have to get together and see everyone's!!

The birthing class was very informative since it let Archie and I know that I definitely will need my mother with me in the delivery room. We watched a birthing video and Archie barely made it through. If for some reason he really does pass out or get sick then it'll be nice to have my mommy there for some extra moral support! He's my hero!!!

So I guess we are officially ready...well, I'm definitely ready to have him out!! I want to meet my "sweet" little, but probably larger than life boy!!! We learned about breastfeeding last night in the class and the nurse had dolls for us to practice positioning with...my belly was so big I couldn't even get the doll into the football hold! One more reason not to have kids too close together...he he. We've got the crib set up with sheets and the mobile, the dresser/changing table just arrived so Archie will put that together as soon as he gets home tonight and then I can put all his cute little clothes into the dresser! We have a playpen/bassinet from my mother. And a stroller/infant carrier as well.

The infant seat has quite it's own special story...since it came with a stroller it's not one of those extra fancy ones. When we put it into my VW it wasn't sitting balanced. So Archie had to attach an extra bracket in order to get it balanced, which meant drilling into the seat to attach said bracket. This was on Saturday. I came out to see how he was doing and he said: "Everything's good, just ran into a little snare." I'm thinking the bracket didn't work and it wasn't balancing right....nope. "What little snare?"

"Um, while I was drilling in the back seat, I accidentally drilled a bit into the gas tank." Wow. It was a bit scary for awhile while driving back from Ty and Cristi's that night, but the next day Archie was able to get all the parts he needed in order to repair it! He's my handy Man! I guess the second thing with the infant seat is the VW Jetta is a bit on the small side and it wouldn't fit in the middle of the back seat, so we had to put it on the back passenger side. So we need to eventually get a bigger, more family friendly car in order to put a bigger car seat in when he grows into one. I mean what was VW thinking? If the car has four doors it should definitely fit a car seat for crying out loud!!!! I'm pretty sure Germans have kids too.....

Let's see, I've got most of my goody bag for the hospital put together...I am still reading a few books about breastfeeding and helping my baby sleep and all that, but we're all but there! I just can't wait till I can move again without being in pain! I can't wait to meet my new little baby and give him all the love he deserves!

I want to be a kind, loving unconditional, understanding, and always there for you kind of mother. This is, has, and will be the most life changing event of my life. It's humbling and am grateful for the opportunity to be a parent. Archie will be the world's greatest Dad since he's the world's greatest husband as well! It's going to be crazy, happy, depressing, loving, disappointing, want to kill myself, but am glad I did it experience ever! He's our little miracle from God!

High School Tag

I thought this would be a fun little questionnaire to do! Thanks to Autumn for the idea!

1. Did you date someone in high school? One person, but it was only for a few months.

2. What kind of car did you drive? Before I could drive it was either the bus or I rode with Jan. Once I got my license, it was my parents' Ford white Taurus!!! Classy!

3. Did you pass your driver's license test the first time? Nope, the mean lady said I ran a red light, but I was in the intersection on a yellow, so I had to turn or else cars would run into me!!! So I went to the DMV the same day and passed with flying colors!

4. Were you a party animal? Heck no! I was a goody two shoe student!

5. Were you considered a flirt? Nope

6. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir? I did choir all four years! Super fun times!

7. Were you a nerd? I didn't hang out with the chess club peeps. But I did study.

8. Were you on any varsity teams? No.
9. Did you ever get suspended or expelled? No way!
10. Can you still sing your fight song? I only spent one year at one high school and the new school...I just never ever got around to learning it!

11. Who were your favorite teachers? Mr. Thomas for Spanish, Mr. Jackson for Math, My human biology teacher (can't remember his name). I'm the only one who thought his jokes were funny!

12. Where did you sit at lunch? I was a loner 10th grade. I followed around this kid named Tyler and he took pity on me and let me eat with him. Junior year it was always Jan and Annie then they graduated and the next year Karie, Amber and Kam let me into their little circle!

13. School mascot: Bruins, and then Timberwolves!

14. School colors: First it was gold and red then it was blue, forest green, and white

15. Did you go to homecoming and who with? Junior year I went with Tui Silva, Senior year was Jeremy Harris.

16. If you could go back and do it again, would you? Hell NO!!!

17. What do you remember most about graduation? Glad it was over, hanging out with Annie!

18. Where did you go on Senior Skip Day? Don't recall if we had one.

19. Were you in any clubs? Weight lifting club!!! The 400 club for girls! I was the first one to make it!

20. Have you gained weight since then? Seeing as how I'm preggo now....only like seventy million.

21. Who was your prom date? Junior year was Jess Bunker, Senior year was a blind date with a horny returned missionary who wanted to marry me after one date! Yikes! My friend Mandi forced me to go with him!! GRRRR!!!

22. Are you planning on going to your 10 year reunion? Already went. It was fun to see some peeps again.

23. Did you have a job while in high school? I worked at Smith's during the summer for about two weeks before I quit with no regrets! Does that count?

24. Worst class? Was my AP spanish class. the lady was from bolivia and a nazi!!! I couldn't understand a word she said!!! I got out of their fast!

25. Favorite class? Choir, PE, history, ASL

Preference Junior year with Jan, Annie, my date John.
Not quite high school 8th grade
10th grade photo
Sadie's Senior year with Joe
Morp one of those years with John
All spruced up from Annie doing my hair!
Junior homecoming with Tui Silva!

I hope you enjoyed my trip down memory lane!