An update........here it goes!!

We are finally moved in to our new apartment. We still have a few boxes that haven't been unpacked but for the most part, we are good to go! And let me just tell you guys......it's WONDERFUL!!! There is so much room and storage and Elli now has her own space. YAY!!!!! Naps actually work out now and she sleeps so well in her big crib. The bassinet we were in was getting too small and it had a little canopy over half of it so I think it was too cave-like. Poor thing, she probably felt claustrophobic. And now our room is just our room. We just have a bed and a dresser. No more big chair or bassinet or crib mattress or big shelf or extra dresser, etc, etc. Wow, I love having space to walk around in our bedroom. Anyway, we already like our neighbors and our ward is actually pretty great. We were in a family ward at our last place but we decided to try out the married student ward over here and we actually really like it. And to top it all off......the weather has been perfect. Well, I guess it was pretty cold and snowy for a couple of days but the last week has been just wonderful. Makes me happy to see the sun. And lately while going on walks, Elli actually stays awake and just looks around at everything. She used to sleep the moment the stroller wheels started rolling.......but not anymore. The sun's out and she loves everything that's going on around her. Too cute to watch her!

Oh, so Katie........glad to see you're not gone forever. Our internet was down for more than a week and it was so stinky!! Now it's up and I can do my checking/posting on the blog. No worries, we're all still here!!

So advice for Robin. You asked for it sucker. Well, let's see. If I remember right, when I had about 7 weeks left, it was about Halloween time and Steve was painting my belly. Go on, get some non-toxic paint and have a go at it!! Just kidding........ At this point I was getting uncomfortable but not too bad yet. I would recommend walking a ton. I would walk daily and that kept the blood flowing and the baby bouncing downward. I would get tons of contractions while doing this. I think it also helped tire me out even more for the day and so I slept well most nights. However, sometimes I just couldn't sleep no matter what. They also say that exercise will help with delivery and pushing. So keep walking! Anyway, I also blimped out a ton right at the end. Careful with the ice cream cups and fruitsnacks.....my two weaknesses all throughout my pregnancy. Woah, did I ever go crazy on them, especially at the end. So advice for delivery...........if you're planning on getting an epidural, prepare yourself mentally for having to go through labor naturally and with all the pain. I was so set on having an epidural and figured it would all be a breeze. I thought everything would be pretty simple and Elli would come out with no problem. Well, I was in labor for so long and right when I was dialated to a 9 1/2, my epidural was pretty much gone and I told the nurse I needed more drugs. She told me that she couldn't give me more because then I would be too numb to even feel the pressure to push. She was telling me hopefully there was still enough to carry me through another hour. Well, the problem was that I had another half hour to get to a ten and then I pushed for 2 hours. So by the time she actually came, the dang epidural was completely gone. I could feel my belly, my legs, and everything down south. I felt her head squeezing through and I felt the doctor do a little snip-snip to give Elli more room to come out. Can I tell you, ouch!!! It was more than I could handle at some points and I would actually push away from him in the stirrups. THey would shout at me, "No, don't do that!! She's coming!" I didn't care, the pain was too much. So I guess my whole point is, really prepare mentally for pain. I think that would have helped a ton. But no matter what, the baby HAS to come out, so you can do it. Well, you HAVE to do it and that gets you through it. I just wanted her out so bad and I knew it wouldn't last forever, even though 2 hours felt that way!! Oh, and something I didn't realize..........your head kills afterwards. You are pushing so long (at least for me) and so hard that there is so much pressure in your head. My eyes were always bugging out. Literally, you push so hard you feel like those dang eyeballs are going to pop right onto your chest. It's a weird feeling. So afterwards, I had a killer headache and it hurt to keep my eyes open. After I was all sewn up, they handed me the baby again and I held her for a minute and then handed her off to Steve. I just couldn't look at her. My head and eyes were just too worn out. After about an hour, the swelling went down and it felt much better. And anyway, it's fun for the daddy to have all the attention. Because for the first hour or two the baby is awake and looking around. THey just went through so much trauma so their adrenaline is pumping though their little body. And then they have you feed the baby like an hour or two after labor......and then they crash. They are exhausted little things. It's too cute!! And then good luck trying to wake them up for the next 4 weeks!! :o) Okay, so advice for when you first go home......it's so normal to check on the baby every 30 minutes to make sure she's breathing. I was always so worried and Steve was always even more worried. All of a sudden, Steve turned into Elli's little protector. It was my favorite thing to watch. Steve never really liked holding babies and it made him nervous that he might drop them. The moment Elli came out, he couldn't get enough of her. And he wanted to make sure she was safe and comfortable at all times. Too, too cute!! Oh and also, remember that you have millions of different hormones running through your body. Your body just went through a huge ordeal and is trying to catch up with all that just happened. If you feel weird, anxious, sad, extremely happy, scared, shocked, etc........it is just fine. It'll pass really soon. The first week was really weird for me. During the day, I was just fine and felt a little anxious but for the most part was just happy and content to have her home. But at night (I think because I was so tired) I would just cry. Sometimes Steve would ask what was wrong and I didn't know why. Your body is just wacked a bit at first. And if I didn't know that these feelings were normal, I would have been scared that I wasn't cut out to be a mom. I guess quite a few women get post partum depression and it doesn't mean you're weird if you get it. I'm guessing that's what I had at the beginning.......not sure. But people can get that and it will last for months and months. And that's okay, there's medicine. I guess I feel lucky I didn't have it very long and only at night. Oh, another weird thing is that for like 2 months, any time I breastfed, I would get emotional. Nothing like the feelings that I was just explaining. But while nursing, I would just get teary and feel so happy that she was there. Nothing else mattered. My hunger would leave, being tired would leave, everything. Can't explain very well, but all that mattered was that little baby. Maybe it was my body's way of devoting everything to the baby. But I would cry with elation. Kind of weird but kinda cool!! Oh, and always have a water bottle around while nursing (I don't even know if you're planning on nursing but in case you are.....) You need so much water while nursing and you'll probably feel dehydrated all the time. Oh my goodness, I just realized how much I was rambling. I could go on and on. I can't believe Elli's already 4 months old. SOmeone asked me the other day when we were planning on having another baby and I was like, "When I forget what labor felt like!!" I'm not kidding, that will take some time to get over. But you know what? Everyone is so different. Labor is different, pain tolerance is different (which I thought I had a lot of), bodies are different (the doctor told me I had a small birth canal - which is weird considering my size. But he told me that a teeny tiny woman could come in here and have a bigger birth canal than I have. Weird.) our bodies respond to meds differently, etc. So who knows, your baby might just pop right out!! And hopefully that is the case!! Anyway, sorry for taking up so much room. And sorry to the rest of you for posting all about this on here. I guess I could have emailed it to Robin but when I started, I didn't think I would take up so much space. Ooops! But if you are curious about anything else, just let me know and maybe I'll email it to you next time. I know I was always curious and asked about everyone's experiences. Even personal stuff......like hemorroids. Ewwwww, sorry to the rest of you. But it just happens. You'll get your turn with that!!! :p

Oh, so the slide show is of easter stuff, random pics of Elli and pics of our new apartment. Enjoy!!

Love you all!!
Ashley