Archive for the ‘Pictures’ Category

Today I weighted in at 176.8!!!  Woo Hoo I feel like I am making some progress for the first time in months!

These are the pictures I took the day before Body After Baby started, whoo I look huge!

So a couple of weeks ago we had Xander’s 6 month baby pictures done and we decided that the previous photographer was just way to expensive for what we got in return.  Although her pictures were great and she was very patient with us at newborn photos.

We found a new photographer, Lesley Mason of New Life Photography.   I can not say enough wonderful things about Lesley firstly she got us in 3 weeks after having a baby ( I know crazy right, at 3 weeks post partum I was still on the couch), she was very laid back and had great photo session ideas, and the pictures are beautiful.  Below is a sampling of her pictures of Xander.

FINALLY I saw some progress this week!!!

I got on the scale this morning and it read 183.0 that’s right I’m down more than half pound since last week and the three months before that. At this pace I’ll be back to pre baby weight by the time the sun goes super nova, lol.  No really thanks to all the women of Body after Baby challenge for keeping me on focus for this week.  This week I did not keep all of my goals but I came close.  I worked out three days, kept close track of my food four days and I did abs three days.  So it was more like 70%.

I believe the big difference has been the food tracking.  So to follow here are this weeks goals:

1. Track food consumption 5 days, with one high calorie day (2800 < 2300) and one low calorie day (1500>1800)
2. Do abs every day
3. Go to the gym on Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday

And since I haven’t posted a picture in a while here is a cute one of Xander.

This week I am up half a pound to 184, that is not what I was hoping.

I didn’t eat out but two times this week so that is a plus, however I did have a party for my parents 30th wedding anniversary so this lead to an over indulgence of many cabbage rolls and much cake.  All of which I am still eating, just finished two cabbage rolls.  This week I’m going to stick to it again and see how I come out on the other end, I can’t drop my calories too much because of my breastfeeding.  But I will make a consious effort to consume less and write down more, even if it’s not fully accurate.

On a side note I am thinking about moving my weigh in day back to Friday from Wednesday to keep me on the straight and narrow for recording food the three days a week I’m in front of a computer.  Once I weight in I often get the urge to not follow my diet plan for a few days thinking I can make up for it the other days.

I just need to stay focused that every day I need to eat well, every day!

For your enjoyment these beautiful pictures were snapped at the party by my wonderful Mother in Law!

And

I had a midwife appointment on December 23rd and I was a week overdue so they gave me a non stress test, which Xander passed with flying colors.  Then they wanted to do an ultrasound of the fluid level and it said I was a little low.  The doctor who performed the ultrasound came into the room saying “so when are you planning on inducing?”, total bull in my opinion there was no reason to medically induce and after he found the low fluid he said he wanted me to induce that day.  Which I was not going to do, at least medically.  So on the way home we called Dave’s mom and told her how it went and she told me she used castor oil to induce with one of her kiddos, and since she was like the 5th person who told me about this method I decided to give it a try.

So for my last meal I had some McDonald’s and I mixed the castor oil in my strawberry shake.  I took all of this about 8pm and nothing really happened so I went to bed around 10:30 since I was so tired.  Then I woke up at 2am with stomach cramps and after several hours of being up and down and up and down in the bathroom I believe that labor started around 5:30-6am.  I woke Dave up around 7:30 am, I had been timing the contractions at 3 minutes apart but they weren’t very strong.  I keep questioning whether it was really labor or not, I have a fairly high pain tolerance and was just in disbelief that it was really happening.  But at 8:30 I called my mom and dad to let them know something was happening but I didn’t want them to come over yet.  Since I hadn’t slept all night Dave talked me into laying down and at least dozing for some time to see what happened if the contractions stopped or if they picked up. I laid down for about an hour and a half.  When I got up they were stronger and I called the midwife who suggested I take a bath and try to relax.  I called my mom to come over around noon and we left to go to the birth center around 2:30, by this time the contractions were getting really strong still 3 minutes apart and the car ride was really bad.  I thought I was going to die in the car it was like being in a cage.

Once we were in the hospital I had a whole zoo of visitors including my mom and dad, Dave’s mom and rich, Erin, Josh, Eric and Rebbecca, even grandma Nancy came.  But I didn’t really notice or care that any of them were there, I continued to labor for the rest of the day into the night.  I walked the halls and bounced on a ball, I sat in a squatting chair and hung out in the shower with almost no concept of time.  At one point I ate two grilled cheese sandwiches while in the shower with Dave.  And right before labor got intense Dave and I were in the shower talking about how it really wasn’t that bad after all.  Then i got in the tub.

This is where it got rough, right before getting in the tub she checked me and I was dilated to 6.  I got in the tub and for the first 10-15 minutes it felt really nice but suddenly it got really hot in the room and my body was doing something I had never felt before and didn’t understand.  It was pushing.  I demanded to get out of the tub know and I wanted to be checked, I was afraid that I would be pushing against a not fully opened cervix and it would swell it.

As I got out of the tub my water broke with a splash all over the floor and everyone cheered.  Then Sarah checked me and I was a 10 and ready to push, 35 minutes after getting in the tub.  I pushed on my knees leaning over the bed for about an hour and then rolled over because my legs fell asleep and only 30 minutes after rolling over Xander Kent Hoekzema was born at 11:53pm December 24th.

It was amazing and I would do it all over again, totally natural and I have been loving every minute since.

Xander 8lbs 9oz 21inches born 7 minutes before Christmas.

From Xander

So my due date is almost officially here, tomorrow is Xander’s due date!  For being 40 weeks pregnant I feel pretty darn good.  Below is a list of some updates with me and a few pictures.

• I sleep well most nights
• I had about 4 hours of practice contractions on Sunday, 8-10 minutes appart lasting about 1.16 minutes each
• There is a new midwife in my practice and I really like her
• With only 8 days until Christmas we are not planning on going out for the holiday
• I feel blessed every night I get a full night of sleep

Here is my glorious belly yesterday 40 weeks pregnant

From Baby Xander Kent Hoekzema

Here is the underside of my glorious belly at 40 weeks pregnant

From Baby Xander Kent Hoekzema

Hello Everyone sorry it’s been so long since my last post at about 33 weeks. Wow that seems like so long ago. I have some new pictures from today and a little update.

• I am officially full term now, 37 weeks, although the due date isn’t until December 17th.
• I was checked at 35 week appointment and she said I was 80% effaced and not dilated at all
• I started evening prime rose oil 1,000mg a day orally at 35 weeks, added 500mg vaginally at 36weeks and will probably increase this after my appointment next week. I also should be walking every day and spending lots of time on the birthing ball i.e. exercise ball to help the baby move down.
• I am tired of being uncomfortable in pants that aren’t yoga pants
• My hips hurt a lot, but besides those two downs I feel really good as long as I get in an afternoon nap

Here is my 37 week picture with exposed belly, if you look close you can see my small spots that are stretch marks on my hips.

Here is another shot of me from the side with my shirt down.

Here are some pictures of the fun I had last night with a really great friend of mine and D.  We all carved pumpkins, and I think the last time I carved a pumpkin I could have been 11 or 12.

It’s a little hard to see but Nicole is on the left and me with my giant belly is on the right.

Here is a picture of D, Jonny Cash and me with my belly.  It was a great time had by all.

Hello All, Sorry I haven’t been posting a bunch lately as you all know I have been crazy busy and just as tired as could be.  I hope my energy level goes back to being kind of normal after I have the baby.   Since my last post I have grown a ton and I also had a baby shower!

The Shower was amazing and it was so great to get to see everyone, I really do miss seeing everyone.  It seems like since the wedding we have been so crazy busy I haven’t been able to really hang out with anyone.  Well the shower went off without a hitch and everything was so beautiful and wonderful, I’m so grateful for my mom, my grandma and Kathy without those three women I just don’t know where I would be, lol. For the shower theme we had a tea party, where we gave everyone a tea cup to take home and all the gifts were tea sets that we had purchased to give away.  Kathy organized all the games and they were wonderful and perfectly tasteful, which I really appreciate.

I had a third ultrasound today, apparently at my 20 week ultrasound my placenta was low so they wanted to recheck it.  Well everything looks great the placenta has moved up, there is lots of fluid and the baby weighs 5.2 lbs according to the ultrasound.  If you read the averages for this week most say he should be around 4.4lbs so he is a big little boy.  The doctor thinks I will be delivering right on or around my due date, for some reason D has been thinking I’m going to have a November baby and I’m hoping for right on my due date so hopefully not a Christmas or Christmas Eve baby.

Here are some pictures of me:

33 weeks pregnant from the side

33 weeks pregnant from the front

My maternity halloween costume

Xander at 33 weeks gestation

Here I am at 29 weeks, I’m in the nursery with our crib that we put up and had to take right down again because of a recall.

Here I am at 30 weeks pregnant with some wild hair!