Steve on CNBC!

The days after Peyton was born were full of excitement for not only the obvious, but because Steve was on national TV!

He received a call from CBNC on the Friday before I went into labor, asking if they could interview him for a series they were doing on the Phoenix housing market. The interview was set for that Monday, and I joked (and worried) that I would go into labor that day and Steve would have to miss it.

Luckily we (barely) dodged that bullet! As hard as it was for him to leave the hospital for a short while on that Monday, it was well worth it!

Click the link to view it -- Steve's client was interviewed as well -- at the 2:50 mark. Steve is at the 3:40 mark.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1442637718&play=1

Welcome Peyton Dennis Olson!

Finally, a moment to write on my blog! I’ve been anxious to share the story but have been struggling to find the time. I promise I won’t disappear for this long again!

Starting about a week before I went into labor, Steve was super excited -- Pearl Jam was going to be the musical guest on Saturday Night Live! He talked all week about it. Fast forward to that Saturday, March 13^th at around 10:30pm and it was time… for Pearl Jam to perform! We ran upstairs, turned the TV on, and I kid you not, my contractions started during their first performance -- a song called "Just Breathe" (how appropriate for not only me, but for the new life that was about to enter our world!) At the time, I wasn’t sure what they were, but in hindsight, that’s when it all began…

We spent the next hour on the Internet trying to figure out if it could really be. I called my friend Megan, a mother of two, for some more insight and around midnight, I called my doctor, who advised me to go to the hospital… Eeeek!!

We finally got out of the house around 1:30am, and I was 50% sure this was it, and 50% sure we would be sent home.

Right when we got there, I was sent to Triage where they monitored me for an hour. This was the longest hour of my whole labor! My contractions were getting longer, stronger, and closer together (the general rule of thumb) and I wondered how I would cope if I was sent home, as they were beginning to hurt. Meanwhile, Steve was having fun watching the intensity of my contractions on the monitor, and with every one, he cheered for it to be longer and stronger than the previous… with good intentions of course (he was ready to have a baby!) J

Around 3:30am, I had dilated to 3cm and was 80% effaced, and I couldn’t believe it when the nurse said I was being admitted!! It was really happening!!

From then until about 8am, I laid in bed with contractions that became incredibly painful with no epidural. Remember my good intentions of using the tub and garden? Well it didn’t happen! I couldn’t move and didn’t want anyone to see me during a contraction. The nurse urged me to get up and walk around, claiming the force of gravity would be good for me and baby, so eventually I peeled myself out of bed and walked around my room for 30 minutes. Just as I was about to lay back down, my water broke (guess she was right!)

Steve ran and got the nurse, who said my labor was going as perfect as could be, since things were happening in order and on their own at a good pace. That was a confidence booster J I was then at 5cm and was ready for the epidural. God Bless an epidural! And God Bless those who can do this without one!

From about 8am till Noon, I laid happily in bed while family started arriving (talk about perfect timing.) Suddenly at 12 Noon on the dot (when they predicted I’d be ready) Peyton’s heartbeat drastically dropped. What a scary moment. The nurse ran in and all the sudden I was being told to roll to the left (his heart rate didn’t rise), roll to the right (still didn’t rise) then she (kinda) yelled, “WE NEED TO HAVE THIS BABY!” in a panicked tone. What happened was I had four contractions right in a row, and with each contraction, his heart rate naturally drops. Because I had four in a row, it didn’t have time to recover from the last. Somehow after I turned a certain way in bed, it started rising again. By the time it had risen, I was ready to push and from that moment on, I pushed for 40 minutes and at 12:43pm, out came healthy baby Peyton weighing 7lbs, 2oz and 21in! That was The Best moment of our entire lives! All my prayers had been answered and a little miracle was in my arms at last.

“Babies are so fresh from God, you wonder where they leave their wings.”

--Unknown

Oldie But Goodie

Here’s an old post that I wrote a few days before I went into labor, but never published it. I figured it’s kinda fun to read it after the fact, so I decided to post it anyway. J

Today I’ve hit 37 weeks, and I’m officially considered full term! We had a doctor’s appointment yesterday and everything looked good. I’ve dilated to almost 2 cm and am still 50% effaced. Peyton’s still head down, and I swear he’s burrowing in my pelvis more and more everyday. J My Group B Strep test came back negative, so that’s just one less thing I’ll have to worry about when I go into labor. For the record, Group B Strep sounds like a bad thing, but really it’s a natural bacteria, where some women are carriers, some aren’t. If you’re a carrier, you just have to get antibiotics during labor via an IV.

Lately I’ve been having a hard time imagining what it’s gonna be like to have a baby… to be a mom… and for Steve to be a dad! I look around the house and see the Pack N Play set up, and can’t really imagine a baby in there! The nursery’s all ready to go, but still can’t see it as my baby’s room. I feel Peyton kicking inside me, but I’ve had the hardest time imagining him being here! It all seems so surreal! (Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled and overly ready to have him!)

Everyone (and I mean everyone) has told me that the minute you have your child, you can’t imagine life without him. You can’t remember how life was before and you can’t even think what life would be like without him there. I have no doubt in my mind that will be the case, but it’s just so strange to be on the opposite side of the spectrum right now… knowing that in a matter of days, that will all change. I JUST CAN’T WAIT!!!

Give Credit Where Credit Is Earned

At our doctor’s appointment today, our doctor walked in, looked straight at Steve and said, “How are you doing daddy? Are you ready?!” He (I could tell), as well as I, were thrown off guard a bit. People never ask the dad how he’s doing. It’s always directed to the pregnant lady! Let me just say that I LOVED the fact that she asked him before asking me! And it didn’t even dawn on me until that happened, how much he deserves to be asked that. Don’t get me wrong, I completely understand why people ask me that question. But I really enjoyed Steve getting the attention for once.

After all, he’s earned it! He’s been really involved throughout the whole pregnancy, going to every doctor’s appointment, asking nearly as many questions as I do, and is just as stressed as I am about getting everything in line before Peyton comes… if not more, being the breadwinner. I know I’ve dealt with the aches and pains of pregnancy, but I’ve also been the lucky one who gets to experience the kicks and movements of our miracle. At the end of the day, we’re both the ones who have a massive life change ahead of us, and we both deserve to be asked how we’re feeling!

Maternity Photo's

We had a maternity photographer come to our house when I was 34 weeks & 3 days pregnant. My goal was to have some shots of my bare belly for a keepsake for me and Steve. We're really impressed with how they turned out. Here are a few pictures that we'd like to share!

“Everything grows rounder and wider and weirder, and I sit here in the middle of it all and wonder who in the world you will turn out to be.”

-Carrie Fisher

Music Playlist & Commenting

I added a music playlist (in case you were wondering where that music was coming from) to the right side of my blog. If you don't wanna listen to the music, there's a pause button you can press... I'll never know! :)

Also, I've had a few people ask how to comment on a post -- after each post it says "0 comments" or however many comments there are. Click on that and it'll take you to a page where you can type in a comment. Once you're done, it shows a "Comment As" box. Scroll down to "Name/URL" & insert your name (leave URL blank) then press "Continue." Then click "Post Comment" and you're done! Or if you're already a blogger, you can login as yourself and post that way... but I'm sure those already know how to do it! :)

35 Weeks, 6 days!

Today was my 36-week check up appointment. (Pic on left was taken before my appt.) I haven’t been this excited about a doctor’s appointment since probably my first one. The reason? Because I was going to be told how much I’m dilated and effaced! I had no clue if I was totally dilated or not at all, and even though you could go into labor at any minute regardless, it’s still nice to know where you stand. The results: I’m 1 cm dilated, 50% effaced and at a -3 Station.

What does this mean? Well, you have to be 10 cm dilated to have a baby, and 100% effaced. Effacement is the thinning of your cervix. Stations mean how high up the baby is in your pelvis, with -4 being the highest. Once you get to a 0, he’s even with the lower bones of your pelvis. So I believe +1, +2, +3, +4 is when he’s in the birth canal and crowning.

The Dr said he’s still pretty high and hasn’t really dropped (hence the -3 Station.) She felt his head internally (hard to believe she touched my baby!) and said he has a nice head… whatever that means! Sounds reassuring though, I’ll take it!

We know the Dr doesn’t have the answers, but we asked when she thought he’d arrive and how big he’ll be. She guessed it’ll be a good couple of more weeks and that he’ll be in the lower 7lb range… we’ll see! I have to say, I feel much more relaxed today knowing that I probably have a few more weeks to prepare.

Speaking of being prepared, we finished the nursery! We have our car seat, stroller, pack n play, and bouncer all ready to go. All his clothes are washed and the supplies are stocked. I’ve cleaned all the hand-me-downs & made an appointment with the fire dep’t to check our car seat installation. (I was surprised to learn 9 out of 10 seats are improperly installed, yikes!)

So what’s left to do? Well I need to pack the hospital bag, but I do have a very detailed list so half the work is done. I’m working on my baby shower thank-you’s, and we need to decide on a middle name. There’s a few things we still need to buy, but other than that, we’re set! The house is even super clean! I’ve been nesting so much, I’m driving myself crazy! J

Here are pic’s of the nursery, 99.5% complete!

~Starting from the left side of the room~

His bookshelf filled up after the baby shower!

~The room isn't complete without Ginger smelling everything ~

~It says: All because two people fell in love... PEYTON~

~This is why the room is only 99.5% done - still need a side table for the lamp~

~Changing Table/Dresser - Boy is it packed FULL of onesies, blankets, diapers, etc!~

~His closet with more clothes, blankets, toys, etc~

We're truly blessed that we're able to provide for Peyton with all the wonderful things he needs and doesn't need :) There's not a day that goes by where I'm not thankful for this, and of course not a day goes by where I'm not thankful for the best and most wonderful gift that we have yet to receive... our baby boy!

Below is a quote that Steve emailed me the day after we found out I was pregnant. I still tear up when I read it. :)

"A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for."

--Anonymous