Our Doula

Our doula Rachel stopped by to check on us yesterday and we finally got some pictures of her with Ezra. We will never be able to thank Rachel for all that she did for us in those 4 days of madness, but she will always be a part of Ezra's birth story and she'll always hold a special place in our hearts. Thanks Rachel!! You are going to be an amazing nurse/midwife.


I thought I'd post this picture of Talin wearing the baby..isn't he so cute!

One week old...and Ezra's first bath

I can't really believe that a week has passed already! It's funny to think about how much has changed in such a short time. =) Mom offered to watch the baby last night while Tal and I went out to a movie. (we saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. It was really good!!) The movie theater is right next to the hospital where I delivered. As we were driving past, Talin looked up at the building and said "it's weird that we were in there just last week." I totally agree. I feel like a million months have passed...and then I feel like no time at all has gone by. =) I'm so sad that my mom is leaving tomorrow. But, I feel lucky to have had this time to learn from her and get SOOOOOOOOOO much help from her. (we are totally stocked on meals and my house has never been so clean and organized!)

I wanted to post some pictures of Ezra's first bath. I was TOTALLY against the timing of this bath but Tal was determined to clean his little boy (in the end he was probably right.) Ezra LOVED being scrubbed down and dried off. His little head of hair got all fluffy like a baby chick. Oh he's so cute!!

Christmas with Ezra

Our little guy has a funny little sleep schedule. He likes to be up for 4-5 hours, and then he sleeps for 4-5 hours. So even though we were up really late on Christmas Eve, we ended up all sleeping until 8 am. Christmas morning was pretty low-key (due to Thesis and having a baby, Talin didn't get quite as much shopping done as he wanted to. But Jen did get a birthday present ;) and we each opened one gift from eachother. The rest of Christmas is on hold until I can get out of the house a bit.)
Christmas day was also a day of outfits apparently. We went through quite a few due to fountaining pee and dribbling formula. But he looked cute in all of them, so we just kept taking pictures.
Grandma Kris hopped on a flight and arrived safe and ahead of the storm that came in and shutdown the Salt Lake airport. The little man seemed excited and intrigued to be meeting a new person. He'll get lots of more of that in the days ahead. Grandma Maridawn will be out soon, and there's lots of friends here in the Bay Area who are excited to meet him.

This one is for Grandma Maridawn! Here he is in his Christmas Eve pajamas from Grandma and Grandpa Wadsworth.




Owen has been very attention starved for the past week, so he's gonna take any chance he can get.

Love,
Talin

No place like home for the holidays!

I'm free!!!
We walked out of the hospital with our new baby boy at 1:00 today. I'm not kidding, I was literally giddy with joy. FRESH AIR, NEW THINGS TO LOOK AT, GOING HOME!!!
This has been one of the most amazing experiences of my entire life! I still can't really believe that it happened. Tal was so sweet and printed out your comments for me so that I could read them every day. Thanks for being so supportive and loving! I can't tell you how much it helped at 2 am in that dark hospital room! He had the most incredible birth, but I think I'll wait till I'm not so emotional to post it. =)

Here are some more pictures of baby Ezra and his first few hours at home. The cats think he's pretty weird (Emma just sits and stares at him as if he's going to jump on her at any moment...Owen likes to sniff him,but I think that's cause he smells so dang good)

Another before I head back.

Ezra Talin Wadsworth
9lbs 7oz, 22 inches long
born 12/22/08

He's here!

Ezra Talin Wadsworth was born at 11:23 am on December 22, 2008. It was a long weekend for all three of us, but Jen was amazing and went through some really rough labor due to the pitosin. But she made it, and I am so proud of her! Her strength and courage can not be measured at this point. She has brought our little boy into the world, and we are both ecstatic and so in love with our little man. Here are some pictures that we wanted to share, with more to come in the days ahead. Thank you everyone for keeping us in your hearts through our long weekend.

Love,
Talin

Another day...

We've had another day at the hospital, and no baby. Jen has been awesome, but the pitosin just doesn't seem to be moving things along. And sadly they're making us stay there tonight. No coming home and sleeping in our own bed. So we're dealing with it and trying to keep a good outlook for tomorrow. Hope things are well with everyone! and as soon as we have pictures, they will be posted!

Cheers,
Talin

Practice run

After 12 hours of Pitocin and only a few contractions, Tal and I opted to come home and try again tomorrow. Thanks for your support everyone!! =)

Christmas Eve...5 days early

Remember the feeling you got on Christmas Eve when you were little? It was like your brain just SPRANG to life at like 2 am and no matter how much your parents told you to go to bed, or how much you tried to lay there and go back to sleep...you...were...too..dang...excited!!! My sisters and I used to share a room and on Christmas Eve we'd stash a flashlight in one of our beds and just sit up for hours telling stories and being silly until our parents finally agreed to get out of bed and open presents.
Well...it's 2 am! I wish I had my sisters and a stashed flashlight cause I CAN'T SLEEP ANYMORE! =) This is why women are supposed to go into labor naturally. It's just so crazy to actually have a date and time!! My brain doesn't want to sleep anymore...we're too excited. SOOOO many things are about to change, and I am not one to handle change well, I keep trying to sort things out or organize things so that I feel more in control. It's pretty dang hilarious!
Tal and I had a nice "night before". Our amazing home teachers came over and gave me a blessing (so comforting...we are so lucky to be in the world's most incredible ward!), we went to my favorite bakery and picked out labor room treats (yes...it's the same bakery I was at 2 days ago!), we ate a garlic loaded dinner at a new Italian restaurant we've always wanted to try, we packed, cleaned, put up shelves for the baby...whew! Right before bed I took a candle lit shower to calm me down and stood there thinking to myself about how much I love Talin and how ....we are totally becoming a family. =)
Thanks for all of your support everyone, I feel so empowered knowing that your thoughts and prayers are with us today. I can't wait to post the pictures of our adventure and the new little Wadsworth man in our lives.

"The Tank"

Yesterday I went in for my daily non-stress test, and while I was sitting there chatting with the fun nurse who sees me everyday, she asked if I wanted to have the dr.'s apply gel to my cervix (ewww TMI!) Originally Tal and I had decided to not do the gel and just see what my body could do on it's own, but yesterday I was like "BAH! They're inducing my on Friday anyway-LETS DO IT!" The nurse, Jennifer, and I got all giggly and started playing the what if game.."what if they apply the gel and you totally go into labor? Will your husband be able to make it in time?"...."what if they apply the gel and I just get crazy cramps but nothing happens?"....back and forth. It was pretty funny. So, we trucked on down to the labor ward and they got me all set up in a bed...I was starting to get nervous and then BAM-the doctor had to perform an emergency c section. 2 hours later, they came and applied the gel....an hour later nothing had happened so they sent me home.....12 hours later I'm sitting at home wondering why I was being so silly yesterday. It would appear as though my body is an impenetrable fort and NOTHING..BUT NOTHING is getting that baby out! Lisa nicknamed my uterus "the tank"....seems appropriate. =) So...today is officially the last day of the belly. Tomorrow we go in for the induction and let the dr.'s take it from there. I'm actually feeling pretty calm about having the day to prepare-get the house clean-finish the shopping-have a nice dinner with Tal. Plus, I really feel like we have been so blessed this entire pregnancy and whining about how it ends is a little ungrateful. The baby is great. He's just like his dad. He does NOT like to be told what to do! =) I realized today that there's a pretty good chance he may share the birthday of my sweet friend Krissy's son, James. How fun would that be? I miss you Krissy! I wish we lived closer to each other. =)

The Skinny Bitch saves my day!

Yay for Lisa!! Ha ha ha ha, ok let me explain. Lisa came out yesterday to spend a few hours shopping, eating and getting my mind off of labor. As soon as I picked her up from the airport she started talking to me about her new favorite book, "Skinny Bitch". Has anyone read it? The best part is that her enthusiasm for it's healthy "change your life" advice, totally got me all excited and wanting to read it (despite it's naughty name)...lucky for me she accidentally left it in the backseat of Talin's car. YAY FOR A NEW BOOK TO READ!! =)
I'm so lucky to have a sister that can jump on a plane and make home feel like it's right around the corner.
We went shopping at Baby Gap and found the cutest outfits on CRAZY sale! We went down to my favorite bakery and picked out yummy treats. We waited for Talin to came home and then we all went to whole foods for dinner (mmmmmm soup...it's like 40 degrees lately!)
I had a few braxton hicks while she was here (which made me so excited) but in the end...I had a great night's sleep with no pesky contractions to wake me up...bah! =)
Actually...now that I think about it...yesterday was awesome!!! I got to hang out with my cute friend Dru and her adorable new baby Cache....I got to go to lunch with my Talin man...i got to see my sister....freak what am I whining about-THINGS ARE GREAT! =)

Rain, walking, and a dead camera.

Ok...I have to be honest...I'M LOSING MY MIND!!!! I wish I would have stayed at work. Lesson planning, grading, and laughing at kids has a way of taking your mind off the WAITING GAME! My body and I have been having long conversations.....my BABY and I have been having long conversations....my doula, my doctor, my family, my husband...we've all been having long conversations. It's amazing how everyone has a different opinion-and yet we all want the same thing. Well...baby and body win this conversation...for now he's staying put. But, come Friday, the doctor wins-MANDATORY INDUCEMENT. Baby passes all of his tests happily though-nice movement, nice fluid, things are good. So I guess I need to work on my patience. *sigh*
I found myself walking around Ikea for like 2 hours today. Rachel, our doula, suggested that I walk but it's raining like crazy lately (YAY) so I decided to go to the biggest indoor area I could think of. On the plus side I found a way cute shelf and hooks to go above the baby's bed. I'm going to put Tal's Ugly Dolls on the shelf and maybe hang some of the cute blankets or little outfits that we have waiting to be filled. =)
I also went to Michael's and bought letters for the baby's room. Lisa and Mom did a Halloween craft where they hodge podged cute paper on top of wooden letters (I've never seen it out here but I guess it's a pretty standard craft in Utah). I must have sent Talin 20 picture text messages of the paper I wanted to glue onto the letters because I couldn't decide!! Good thing we don't have a Heartland Paper store, I would have been in there for hours. I found cute stockings for Talin and I at Pottery Barn kids to match the new one we got for the baby (from the sweet Vincent family)....oh...yeah...that's right I walked around the mall too!! HAHAHAHAHA I REALLY need to go back to work!!!
I was so excited to post pictures of all the fun stuff but then I realized my camera is dead and we don't know where the charger is...not good. Anyway-if you're still reading this you must know by now how truly....insanely....bored I am!!!!!! SAVE ME! =)

HOORAY FOR TALIN!

After a long hard year (and sooo many "all-nighters" I've lost count) Talin is officially done with his thesis! I am so proud of him. I know it was one of the hardest things he's ever done, and I know it didn't turn out exactly the way he wanted, but it's DONE! He presented this morning and tonight when he comes home...for the first time in a long time...he doesn't have to worry about working!!! YAY YAY YAY! I love you Talin man and I'm soooooooooooooooooo proud of you! Here's a little sample of the amazing book that he made!

Check one off the list...

Today I went and had an acupuncturist do her best to convince my body to go into labor. Talking to my dr. yesterday about being induced really freaked me out (yesh, Lisa, I know inducement is the medical community's gift to child birth!) Tal and I have been really trying to keep things as natural as possible...and even though I won't feel bad if we end up needing EVERY medical assistance ever created, I really wanted to try and get things going on my own. Our Doula has given us a list of things to try before we go into the hospital next Tuesday for the inducement. We've done almost everything...so I guess it really is just a matter of waiting for my body to do it on it's own. I have to say though-having acupuncture done was one of those things that I've always had on my "to do before you die...if you ever get the guts" list. It was great! So relaxing and the most AMAZING feelings running through my body. I'm not kidding, I don't even have words to describe what it felt like because I've never experienced anything like it before! =) I would totally do it again!
So.....tonight I'm "moon bathing" on the roof, hoping the gravitational pull will yank the baby down and out. Freak...when did I become such a hippie?! =) I'll tell you what though-I am NOT eating the placenta! BLECH!!!!!!

Stratford's Christmas Program.

I promised the kids that if the baby hadn't arrived yet, I would come to the winter program we've been working on since October! I'm so proud of them they did a really good job. All of their little choreographed moves were perfectly in sync and they actually got the harmony dead on! =) I went and saw the dr. after the show. Baby is good, fluid is good, placenta is good...lets got for a fourth trimester shall we?
She scheduled me for induction next Wednesday, but my goal is to talk my body into doing it on our own before then. Here's hoping. =)

Christmas in 56 degree weather

Last weekend Tal admitted to me that he doesn't feel like it's Christmas. It made me so sad! This is the first Christmas we won't spend in Utah in 28 years!!! How crazy is that? The thought of looking at the palm trees across the street on Christmas morning is a little depressing. So-let the decorating begin! We found a BEAUTIFUL tree and decorated it, with some help from the cats. We play Christmas music non-stop and watch all of the old hokey specials that we can. I think it's helping. =) I bought Christmas lights for our labor room yesterday. I'm stuffing them into a huge glass vase, turning off all of the lights and making Talin and our doula Rachel sing me Christmas songs while I labor. HAHA!

Tal finds the perfect tree!


Yay for Christmas...in sunglasses. =)


Owen helped string the lights...Emma ran for her life.


The lights are up and the skirt is tied...now we can decorate!


The ornament we got on our honeymooon in Hawaii.


Family Christmas photo. =)

And so we wait...

The due date has come and gone and it appears that thing are gonna be quiet for a while so I thought I'd use this time to keep my blog up to date. =)
My friend Dru created a post like this one and I LOVED seeing how adorably pregnant she got. So, since imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...here's a little photo journal of my preggo journey

The first trimester...


The 20 week ultrasound....


The start of the third trimester...


40 weeks plus!


Although I feel HUGE right now I'm glad that the baby is taking his time to come on out. Hopefully Tal will be done with his thesis and then we can just enjoy being a new family!

Baby advice from 9 & 10 year olds...

These are verbatim!
"Teach him from an early age that you get good things if you clean up! Don't spend too much time cleaning the house though. You should play with him!"

"Put words and light colors on the baby's walls"

"Don't buy him too many toys or your house will get cluttered"

"Let everybody and anybody you know hold your baby. It's better not to use store bought food. Give him lots of attention!"

"When you put him to sleep, make sure the entire crib is comfy. Most likely he will move around all night and switch ends in the crib"

"Spend a lot of time with your baby but don't be grossed out by changing diapers. Play Mozart for him."

"Teach him to swim when he's really young"

"Hire a nanny"

"Always leave the lights on for your baby"

The Last Day of School...and more...

Yesterday was my last day at work. It was actually a really hectic day trying to get report cards and everything else ready. My four little llamas and the fifth graders gave me a surprise goodbye lunch (hello pizza and chocolate cake!). We sat on the floor and they all tried to guess the baby's name and gave me advice-so funny! They said I could post the advice so look for it at the end of this little novel. =)
My car is PACKED with the generous donations from the women on campus who are done having babies. We got a free clip in stroller, a clothing cart, a bathtub, TONS AND TONS of cloths and blankets. Heavenly Father has sent so many giving people into our lives. I'm overwhelmed!
After work I went with my friends Shefali and Allyson to get a pedicure and eat some super spicy food at PF Changs. Yay for hot stone massages, pink pretty toes, and spicy tofu!!! I was so tired when I got home and poor Talin had to listen to me talk a mile a minute while I told him stories from my day. He's so patient. =)
At around 9:30 I decided to do some kick counts because I hadn't felt much from the baby all day. He failed my first one hour count..and then failed my second hour. Being the insanely worried woman that I am I called the labor nurses and we decided I should go in to the hospital for a non-stress test. As Tal and I got settled in our room, we heard a brand new baby screaming down the hall. We looked at each other and giggled about how awesome it was that we had just heard a baby come into this world!! =)
Our baby's heart beat looked good on the monitor, but he was WAY sleepy and not moving as much as they would like, so they made me move around, drink some juice....and then the dr. came in with an ultra-sound machine to check my fluids. BAM! The baby began jumping, kicking, moving all over....it was so funny!!!! I guess he knew we were getting worried. My dr. checked my cervix again...no change...but after some sweeping of membranes (OWWWWWWWWW!) she declared me an official one! (wait....wasn't I a one two weeks ago?)
So...we're back home....due date has passed....baby likes to stay in there so I guess he can. =) I took the ticker off of the site today because it won't go past the 40 weeks. I'm actually feeling ok with the late arrival...I just hope he doesn't come too close to Christmas!


Yay for cute toes!

Not the best picture...awww well!

Thanksgiving Fun

I LOVED having a break from school! It was so great to just be home with Talin enjoying the "fall" weather. I know we both missed seeing our families for Thanksgiving and eating our moms' delicious food. Tal actually brined a turkey this year (it looked like a floating brain in a jar! ewwww) and we made Thanksgiving dinner for our friends. Heidi drove up from LA with her friend JD to eat dinner with us. It was soo good to see her!! The next day I took Talin shopping for a new bag (we waited for the crowds to dissipate) he got the most awesome messenger bag. It looks just like him! YAY for birthday presents!! We went and saw "Australia" and I think both of us were disappointed by how long and depressing it was...blech!
On Saturday Lisa came out for a few hours to play (HOORAY) while Tal worked on his thesis (almost done!). We went through all of the baby stuff Tal and I have to make sure that we're ready for the boy (5 days can you believe it?) Luckily I think we are truly ready. We've tried to be as space friendly as possible in our teensie house and I think we've been successful. Although things are cramped, we've kept baby supplies and goodies to only the essentials and tried to find things that have more than one use (thanks to all of the friends who've gone before us for their AWESOME baby gear advice). (Do you like my pink Kate Spade diaper bag?=) I'm finally using it!)
After that, we went to Goat Hill pizza to meet up with Heidi and JD. We laughed for hours and then realized that Lisa was totally going to miss her flight so we RAN to the airport (leaving most of her things at my house....boooo...but on the other hand that means she has to come back....YAY!) When I got home, Talin was so sick of working he just wanted to get OUT! So we went and saw Twilight...I think I'll hold off on my opinion of that one.....
I found out that my friend Dru had her baby (10 lbs, 11 0z! Yay Dru!) Talin and I are next on the ward baby list....it's like waiting in line for a roller coaster...you know it's going to happen and your excited but scared at the same time. Talin is hoping that I hold out until he's done with his thesis...here's hoping the baby is late. =) This is my last week at work. I'm excited to be able to stay home with the baby but it's going to be so weird not waking up and going into work every morning.