Saturday, April 27, 2019

1st week with summer girl

The first week with our Summer girl has been the absolute best! I'm just so happy she's here and I'm so happy to not be pregnant anymore. She has been a dream boat baby: so darling, eating so well, willing to take a bottle when needed, sleeps really well and for long stretches at night and during the day, is content with being passed around from brother to brother constantly. I'm so happy she's here and apart of our family!

My mother in law has been the biggest blessing since her birth, she's taken my 3 little boys to her house for 3 days nearly all day long to play and sleep over there so Summer and I can figure out the day together of eating and sleeping (and for me not having to break up fights and whining and arguments constantly ha, or find activities for the boys to do). It's been the best transition to welcoming her into our family. The boys are all home after school until dinner time and then Nan takes them back to her house to sleep, and Maxson then has a fit about not getting to to go to Grammie's with everyone, ha, poor kid. He's actually slept on the floor in our room the nights the brothers are gone because he doesn't like being in the room by himself- he's not used to it at all!

I've had the sweetest friends and neighbors and family members check in on me, asking if I need anything, bringing in meals, cooing over my baby. Summer and I have felt so loved!

Recovery has been pretty darn easy yet again with her. Having a very awful first delivery makes all the rest incredibly easy ha. I got a rash on my arm and back where the tape was holding in my IV and epidural, so that's weird but it's slowly going away. My insides feel super loose, and I have no inner core to help me in and out of bed. My ankles and legs have appeared once again and it's AMAZING! That right there is the biggest self esteem boost reminding you that you can be smaller than your current size again someday, there is hope!

2 days after Summer came we closed on our home in Arizona! So so exciting! I am so crazy excited for our new home and know it will be so wonderful for our family over the next few years, I'm hoping it can be our 10 year home that the kids can grow up in. It's in a cup-de-sac with a HUGE grass field right across the street with a volleyball court and basketball court. I truly could not have imagined anything better for our family. On day 3 during our housing search I was crying to Casey wondering if I need to have lower expectations for our budget, I wasn't finding something I fell in LOVE with and was kind of getting disappointed. I had seen well over 20 homes without LOVING anything. ON day 4 this was the first house I walked through and it was honestly LOVE at first sight. The downside was no pool, and no large upstairs loft area but there were so many other PROS to the house that you can't buy that the things it didn't have didn't matter. I am IN LOVE with our home and can't wait to raise our family in it!

So 2 major life changes down, 3 more to go in a matter of a couple more months! Still to check off the list: Sell our Wyoming house, move down to Arizona, buy into the dental practices. Whew, we're working our way there!

Also it kind of stinks WHEN we're moving down to AZ, we're going from the worst of Wyoming weather straight to the worst of Arizona weather without much reprieve, I hope we can stay happy through it all!

Let's do an update on the family:

Summer the most adorable baby as possible.

Easton equally adorable. He's also now GINORMOUS now that Summer is here. His head for instance- HUGE. Diapers- why is he not potty trained? Kidding, ha. But he is my one that is growing up so fast. He's stringing 3-4 words together expressing his wants and wishes. Has deep opinions on subjects such as food (eww), bikes (mine!), the baby (lap!...all done), daddy (no! My daddy!). I'm just so obsessed with him. He let's me know if and when he's ready to take a nap each day. If he takes a long nap he hangs out with me and Casey for awhile after everyone goes to bed and it's so sweet to have just him around. He is super athletic- always trying to kick a soccer ball, dribble the basketball, ride his bike around the house, bat the baseball like everyone else or throw some type of ball to you in the house. He also runs super fast , still trailing, to keep up with his brothers when they're running off. I love love love his whole little heart. Oh, and he's constantly giving you kisses and hugs throughout the day. He's so affectionate I just love it! And he loves baby Summer- always so gentle and asking to hold her, or somehow lovingly bothering her while she sleeps. I adore him

Quinn just got his cast off and woke up that morning yelling "THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!" When it came time to actually taking the cast off he cried through the whole thing lol. He loved swim lessons but did not want to go off the diving board. He's always super excited to play soccer and ride his bike outside . He sleeping on the top bunk and loves to get out his new preschool work book to do "homework". He can sure make a loud annoying crying noise that can get on your nerves but will listen to my voice when I tell him to take big deep breaths and tell me what happened.  He's always eager to help me in the kitchen and pack and do big kid things. He got a cool frisbee from Easter and loves it and calls it his boomerang. Quinn is our intense, in your face, matter of fact boy.

Bryson has so much of the same stuff from above! They are so much alike each other yet subtle differences that only a mama heart can see. He loved swim lessons and loved to go off the diving board. He's always super excited to play soccer and ride his bike outside and always puts rain boots on . He sleeping on the bottom bunk and loves to get out his new preschool work book to do "homework". He likes to remind me of my "fish" something we did from Come Follow Me to help Mama not yell. He loves helping in the kitchen and is so willing to unload the dishwasher and help me pack. He got a cool huge ball from Easter and loves and kicks it around the house all the time when I tell him not to. Bryson is our singer, dancer, and giggler

They both love and dislike preschool. THey're always happy when it's over but sometimes don't want to go because that's usually their movie time or they're playing together so well and don't want to stop. They are both really great adventurous eaters and try most food I give them. When they have  a hard time eating we play rock paper scissors.

Maxson is rocking Kindergarten. I'm so glad I've been able to help in his class this year to see how he's doing with the teacher, other kids, academically, what he's like around his peers and me simultaneously, it's all really fun. Academically he's soaring, gets his work done super fast and it's super easy for him, great reader, great listener, the teacher trusts him, he's kind to others, quick to obey, just one of those top notch students. When I come around he's overly huge and clingy and lovey to me, ha. I'm glad he likes when I'm around. He is so competitive, I feel like I've been saying he's so competitive for years but that's his thing. Racing, winning, sports, getting dressed, everything is a competition, so when he loses, his whole world falls apart and he turns into a tantrumy 2 year old, sigh, we're working on it. He can be the world's greatest kindest big brother and immediately turn into the teasing, and mean bully. He's fueled by rewards systems and they work so well for him. He's so independent and I can count on him a lot. He can get ready for school completely by himself- make lunch, get breakfast, backpack, etc. It's crazy to see him growing up so much and so fast. Also he's a great big brother to Summer already, always asking to hold her and holds her for a long time.

Casey is the freaking dad champ. So fun for the kids, always willing to play sports outside, wrestle inside, let the kids play video games at Grammie's way more than mom would, plays some little battle game on his phone that the kids get excited for him when he gets a new guy, feeds the kids love for rock band and fun songs on his phone. He works so hard for our family and is so on top of life. When a phone call needs to be made he does it RIGHT THEN AND THERE, no wait time. (Literally, we're in the hospital before I'm anywhere close to having the baby and he call my Dr's office to pay for it, as well as calling 3 different other places for the bill to be paid off that day). It has helped immensely with buying our new home- he's our rock and my life would be 25% functional without him here. He values family time so much, our own little family and then extended family as well. He sees the need for friends like I do and works to improve relationships, build new friends, and keep old ones going. In the past year we have become really awesome friends with Carey and Amanda Larson who live down the street with their almost 18 month old baby girl. They play spike ball with us, constantly come over at night after all the kids are in bed and the 4 of us just sit on the couch and talk and laugh and sometimes play games. It's been so fun to have another couple friend we both love. He carries the burden for our family financially, so aware of our needs, goals, dreams and just where we are at, all the time. He's such a great provider for our family

I am adjusting to life with 5 kids SUPER slowly. The first 2+ weeks of Summer's life I'll pretty much always have help from someone with all the other kids- from Casey, Nan, or my mom. It's been such a peaceful transition to a new baby and I'm ever so grateful for everyone's help. I Can't help but want to hold Summer all day long, I just am obsessed with new babies. I am on Marco Polo a lot of the day with a few different girlfriend groups which is so fun.

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Our Summer girl is here

I scheduled an induction date for as early as possible because a) I was huge and miserable b) I could c) all my other inductions- especially Easton's which was completely elective- all went great, specifically the twins and Easton (max was awful ha). So at promptly 39 weeks on the dot, April 19, we scheduled it, yahoo!

April 18
The night before was hectic, it was the first day of soccer for everyone, dinner plans kind of fell through so we scrambled to pick up some pizza on the way to soccer. After soccer at 7:30 we still had to pack all the kids stuff. After packing up I drove them to Casey's parents house in Green River for them to spend the next couple days over there. Casey stayed home and cleaned up our crazy messy house so it would be ready for showings potentially if we were gone. Making the house perfect is EXHAUSTING, bless his heart for doing that. I stopped at the grocery store to pick up last minute Easter stuff and milk and hospital treats. We were both dog tired by the end of the night and didn't go to bed until about 11 or later, whew.

April 19
5:45 am- bright and early wake up call to get ready to leave for the hospital. Casey gave me a blessing- we packed the car with our 2 bags (WAY less crap than we had with Maxson haha)

6:20 am- leave the house for the hospital that is about an hour and 15 minutes away

6:35 am- stop at an exit in Green River to hide a grocery bag of shoes for Easton since we forgot to send him to Grammie's house with shoes, ha

Casey and I had great conversations the whole way to Evanston, talked about the baby, the house, work, the kids, dreams, concerns. It was nice way to start the day together like that. We listened to Florida Georgia Line just about the whole way there and we loved it

7:45 arrive at the hospital- we were supposed to be there at 7:30, oh well. Then we had to fill out paperwork which took until 8:15, goodness. So finally walked over to labor and delivery at 8:15 and started getting the whole process going! Changed into my gown, more paperwork, chatting with nurses.

I was the only patient in their area all day long, it was so nice and quiet, ha. My nurses were Chelsea and Megan and they were both fantastic. I sufficiently scared them and told them how difficult I was to stick for an IV. Of the past 3 deliveries, no nurse has been able to get the IV in my arm, only in my hand which is way uncomfortable to then try to use for the next 24 hoursish. Each time they've poked me between 2-6times to get the IV in and it's awful. So after that whole story she closely examined my arms and hands and veins and pushing and checking for about 20 minutes- she tried once in my arm and got it! I was so proud of her and happy for me! So we definitely started the morning off well!!!!!

8:45 we got me on antibiotics since I tested positive for strep B and also started pitocin. All day long my blood pressure was high, which is normal for the end of my pregnancies, hanging in the 140-150/90 range.

 9:15 Dr Hansen came in, checked me, I was still at a 2+ a little from my appointment with him on Monday but he couldn't feel her head at all like he had on Monday, worried that she may have flipped he got the ultrasound machine out, checked only to find I had a full bladder. So after peeing, and getting checked again, her head was indeed down low enough and he could confidently break my water. Again, from warning them that I have a had a TON of fluid in the past they were better prepared for it with multiple towels and kept changing them out quite often. From there on we started watching Friends and it was just a waiting game! We started with the "Pivot" episode and laughed so much.

Casey and I have watched Friends during every hospital delivery. We've watched the whole thing before so know what's going on however much we (I) are or are not paying close attention. It's light hearted and funny and a great way for us to pass the time since they're small episodes.

12:45 2nd round of antibiotics is given and now I'm safe to deliver, they were  giving me pitocin very slowly before this time so I wouldn't risk delivering too early. The nurse checks me and I'm at a 5. Dr Hansen suggests you get to a 4 before your epidural to not slow down the process. And now that contractions are getting more frequent and intense, not awful yet, I opt in for the epidural, because, hey why not! It just makes the process easier for me ha. That needle sure stings and gives you a big tinge of pain but you know it's worth it. No drop in blood pressure afterwards and a very smooth epidural process.

1:45 the epidural is done and I'm laying back in my bed pretty flat- ZERO pain in my back and feet and rest of my body which is far from what I've experienced the last 5 months. I quickly and easily shut my eyes and rest- not fully asleep but definitely happily tired for the next 3 hours. This was the first epidural that for majority of the beginning of it and then after I had the baby I was shaking a lot from being cold and the adrenaline of it all pumping through my body, lots of shaking haha.

2:45 dilated to a 8

3:45 still an 8, 90% effaced, and -1. She then brings out this large peanut ball- it's a large exercise ball shaped like a peanut- put it between my knees and says it will help

4:08- checks me and I'm at a 9 and +1

4:15 I'm feeling all the pressure I'm familiar with to call in the nurses and tell them I'm ready to go. Over the next 15+ minutes they get everything moving and grooving and set up to deliver. At this point I'm so freaking grateful for that epidural. Still feeling all the pressure but I'm more than happy for the contractions to continue pushing baby girl down further and further to make my pushing that much easier. We laugh about figuring out some background music but couldn't quite put our fingers on it. Playing Push It by Salt and pepper appeared once as a joke though, ha.

Dr Hansen comes in so chill, seats himself sideways at the edge of my bed, and says "let's make this birthday party happen". With one light push out comes her head, he tells me to stop, turns her a little, and the second push (again, I really didn't even have to push at all) out comes her shoulders and rest of her body, easy peasy!

4:38 Baby girl Cutler has officially been born! They lay her straight on my chest and I hold and gush over her for the next long while! (Re-watching a small video of her immediately on my chest you can hear the doctor say "You could have 5 or 6 more of those, she almost pushed herself out" ha, no thank you!) Casey cuts the chord- the placenta takes a little longer to deliver but still comes out easily just not as easy as her. 1 small stitch is put in and I'm good to go! They clean her up just a little bit more, we start skin to skin and nursing right away, she wasn't the quickest latch but still got going and figured it out. It was just nice and quiet and easy and a wonderful anticipated birth. I just kept saying "hi baby" over and over again. Small tears in my eyes realizing she was finally here and safe in my arms. So freaking happy.


5:30 they take her to the warming station, clean her off more, weigh her coming in at 7 lbs 5 oz- far off from the 12 lb baby Dr Hansen joked I'd have because I had gained so much weight (60 lbs!) and my uterus was always measuring larger than I was in weeks (41 cm when I was 38 weeks). She was 20.5 inches long and I have no clue on the head, ha. She was absolutely beautiful and perfect in every way! Dr Alan Brown came in as the pediatrician to look at her. His wife, Kate, is one of my most best friends and they moved away from RS to Evanston about a year ago so it was so fun to have him come in and look Summer over. And then at night Kate came and visited me for over and hour which was oh so fun! During this time I ate dinner too which although I wasn't hungry I knew I should eat and it was a good things because I kept eating and eating and eating, ha. Once she was all cleaned up and given back to us we decided on her name- Summer Cutler.










We face-timed the boys and they were over the moon happy to  see her and hear she was here finally and learn what her name was. I nursed her once more and then from 6-7:30 I slept. Man I was so exhausted! I didn't personally work hard but apparently my body had, ha, and my want to sleep showed it.

Also to be remembered- this was the first warm day Wyoming has had in 6+ months- everyone said it finally felt like summer outside! Getting up towards 70, I had multiple friends get sunburnt from the time they spent outside. So it seems like our little Summer brought some summer with her :)

7:50 I call in the nurses and tell them I'd like to try and get up- shuffled my way to the bathroom with their help and got all cleaned up. It was so nice to be standing again, I hadn't in hours! We moved to the post partum rooms and it was lots of sleeping and resting and nursing, and holding the baby from there.



April 20
12:00 Brad and Nan brought the boys over to Evanston to meet their new baby sister! And man they were so all so freaking cute about it. I relished in watching themHe videos we have of them all are just so darling.




5:30 we ate a quick dinner and drove home from there! Bada boom! I remember being so scared on the drive home with Maxson, a whole 12 minutes. I cried while sitting in the back seat of the car with him worrying about if we got in a car accident if we'd be safe, making sure he was happy on the ride home, just WORRYING! Baby girl got the 5th child treatment: carseat in the back, me in the front, and for the long hour plus drive she happily slept and I happily and not a bit worried sat in the front and talked with Casey. I think I only checked on her once or twice. Truly, I become a better parent in so many ways each time I have a baby.

We are over the moon excited she is here. Yes it is fun and a tiny different to have a baby girl in the family but it's the same over abundance of love I've experienced each time before. I love her deeply and am so excited for the girl she will grow and become.

Side note- I LOVED delivering in Evanston, not only because I feel like I received really awesome care from my Dr and nurses but because it was really nice being the ONLY labor and delivery patient, ha! It was really nice to be so well cared for and all the attention on me, as vain as that sounds. I was my Dr's main priority that day as well as all the staff (meaning all 2 nurses) but it was just a quaint little birth and I loved it. If I have another baby I would want to drive to Evanston to deliver again it was such a great experience ( not like I'd actually do that but that's how much I loved it)

Also reflecting back on all my birth stories, Ive decided that I really love giving birth, like the birthdays of all my kids are some of the best days of my life. Everyone cheering for you to have a baby, caring about you and your new baby, attentive to how you're feeling, taking care of all your needs so you can focus on baby or getting through whatever pain you're dealing with during labor. It feels like you finally become great friends with your Dr that you've been seeing over all the past 6+ months. I love baby delivery days, I know, I'm weird. Through all the pain I've experienced on those days, I'd live them over again easily...Ok maybe except Max, that one not so easily

PS- if you click the label/link below that says "birth story" you can read the other kids too😊