Here are pictures of all of our babies, all taken during their first week of life. Now you can decide for yourself who looks like who!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Bella's first week of favorites
Bella is already a week old. I am so sad! She is a perfect little girl. Shwe eats great, sleeps great, and she is awake 4 or more hours every day! She is so darling and interactive when she is awake. 2 days ago she was so alert and in tune with me talking to her. I smiled at her and she smiled back at me twice! It was amazing, she is amazing.
We are so grateful for her!
Here are some photos taken during her first week here on Earth.
This picture was taken when she was 5 days old.
This is her in her car seat coming home from the hospital.
This doesn't really look a lot like her, but Big Chauncey liked it.
So darling.
Jackson loves his Sister Bella.
This is her in her car seat coming home from the hospital.
This doesn't really look a lot like her, but Big Chauncey liked it.
So darling.
Jackson loves his Sister Bella.Monday, September 8, 2008
A Bella Story....Bella's Birth Experience
Firstly, I am so grateful to all of my friends who have made me feel so loved and cared for by your comments! Thank you.
Next, this is the long story because it was a long labor and only of few of you will be interested to know it all... so don't read on past this sentence if you don't want the ENTIRE, LONG Labor Story.
As for the Gruesome details of the labor....there are plenty! I will share, in some detail, our story, because it is a story to tell for sure. If you want the really gruesome details though, you will have to call, because the internet is not the place for it!
It all began on Saturday evening, when I was coming home from shopping with some girlfriends and my first contractions started. They didn't hurt, but were every 2-3 minutes, as usual. My mom was flying in the next afternoon, so I took it as easy as I could, and went to bed that night. The next day was Sunday. I woke up with the contractions still, not hurting. We went to church, still contracting, getting more uncomfortable, but fine. Sunday night, still contracting, starting to get annoyed. Went to bed.
I woke up Monday morning with contractions, but not as consistent. As the morning progressed they started more and more. By Monday afternoon, I was really starting to feel them. So, we made plans to have Rochelle(my lifesaver always) to come over after we put the kids to bed and we went to the hospital.
All of my past experiences have been super fast labor with no time to breath, so I just didn't want to go in when I was miserable and couldn't get what I wanted in order for my labor when I really needed it. My birth plan was to get into the water when the contractions were getting super uncomfortable, which is always at 6 cm. I was going to stay in there until 8 cm, then get out and deliver her on the bed. That was the plan.
We arrived at the hospital when I wasn't in much pain, I knew I was early. I was 4 cm and 80 percent effaced when we got there. This labor just wasn't progressing and hurting as it always has before, so I was in totally new territorynot knowing what to do.
So when I got to the hospital I found out that the doctor who was on call would not let me labor in the water at all, and this really upset me, but I was still determined that I would do this unmedicated no matter what they say i can and can't do. After I cried, I called Liz, my dear friend, and asked her to come be with me at the hospital to help me laugh, and that she did at 10:30 at night. She stayed with me for 3 hours......of walking! It was horrible! Nothing was progressing, yet I was having contractions every 2 miunutes for three days! I went from 4 cm to 5-6 cm in 3 hours of slightly painful walking!
So, at 1:30 am I was so frustrated about NOT being in enough pain that I was again hysterical and stuck, literally. The doctor on call told me that she thought it would be best to take a rest, try to sleep for 3-4 hours, and see what my body does on rest. She would NOT let me go home because she said it was too risky. Plus, my doctor would be oncall at 7 am that morning, if I made it that long. So we rested.
The next morning Dr Reider calls me from home and asks me what I wanted to do, and I said I wanted to get the baby out! So, he came to the hospital and said that I was 6 cm, contracting every 2 minutes(like I needed a man to tell me that). I wasn't in pain though! Not enough to be 6 cm atleast! So, we decided to break my water. I thought this was one of my last options left at this point, so we did it. I cried. I cried because my pregnancy was over. I have enjoyed the last half of this pregnancy more than any pregnancy I have ever had. I have LOVED EVERY MINUTE of this pregnancy since I even started slightly showing and feeling her move. I only had one day left uinitl my due date, but I was still so sad for it to be ending.
So, Dr. Reider Broke my water at 8:15 am on Tuesday morning. The contractions started to feel atleast as hard as I thought they should have felt earlier at 6 cm. Within 30 minutes I had to get in the water. I was 7 cm and starting transition at that point. I started to lose feeling in my fingers, then hands, then forearms. It was just a small nuissance compared to the contractions.
I had the best labor and delivery nurse the Lord could have found for me. She was in Midwifery school, young, and so good at helping me get through transition. I don't know how I would have survived without her. She helped me not pass out, stay focused and not be scared of the monsterous pain, and knowing it was getting me somewhere and would end soon. She was AMAZING.
So, Dr. Reider wanted me to get out of the water because of my non-use of my extremities, but I could feel that I was going to start pushing, so I got out and walked over to the bed just before the first contraction of pushing started. So, I pushed her down on the first contraction, her head out on the second contraction, and tried to push her shoulders for the third, but she would budge. At that point I started screaming to get her out, and Poor poor Dr Reider started pulling on her head trying to help us both, and ended up adjusting both her and my positions for the next contraction and I finally pushed her out. It was INSANE! And AMAZING! It hurt so bad, but it was one of the most unbelieveable experiences of my life!
Well, folks, thats it in a nutshell. When I arrived at the hospital Monday night, the situation looked grim and dsimal. As one thing after another that has never happened before in any of my other three labors happened, the blessings of what was occuring started coming to the surface.
Blessings listed in some order:
1. my body waiting on my doctor to be there for my delivery so I could have the delivery I had planned and wanted,
2. having the oncall doctor suggesting I just rest, instead of pushing my body the way modern medicine is trained to now do,
3. having Liz there for me at the exact time that I needed her the most to keep my spirits alive, 4. the timing of my getting the labor and delivery nurse that I needed to pull me through it,
5. Rochelle just happening to be coming up to bring Jeremy food at the exact right time to get my mom to the hosital to be able to be there for the last 45 minutes of my labor and delivery,
6. her being perfect when she was born(which is absolutely the most miraculous of all),
7. Chauncey happening to be on a hospital rotation without even knowing it and being given the day off the next day and spending the entire day with Bella nad I at the hospital.
The list literally goes on and on.
I am so grateful to have had the experience of a lifetime that Heavenly Father obviously blessed me to have. I am eternally grateful to my Heavenly Father for giving me my Husband, and four of the most beautiful and wonderful children I could have ever dreamed of.
Next, this is the long story because it was a long labor and only of few of you will be interested to know it all... so don't read on past this sentence if you don't want the ENTIRE, LONG Labor Story.
As for the Gruesome details of the labor....there are plenty! I will share, in some detail, our story, because it is a story to tell for sure. If you want the really gruesome details though, you will have to call, because the internet is not the place for it!
It all began on Saturday evening, when I was coming home from shopping with some girlfriends and my first contractions started. They didn't hurt, but were every 2-3 minutes, as usual. My mom was flying in the next afternoon, so I took it as easy as I could, and went to bed that night. The next day was Sunday. I woke up with the contractions still, not hurting. We went to church, still contracting, getting more uncomfortable, but fine. Sunday night, still contracting, starting to get annoyed. Went to bed.
I woke up Monday morning with contractions, but not as consistent. As the morning progressed they started more and more. By Monday afternoon, I was really starting to feel them. So, we made plans to have Rochelle(my lifesaver always) to come over after we put the kids to bed and we went to the hospital.
All of my past experiences have been super fast labor with no time to breath, so I just didn't want to go in when I was miserable and couldn't get what I wanted in order for my labor when I really needed it. My birth plan was to get into the water when the contractions were getting super uncomfortable, which is always at 6 cm. I was going to stay in there until 8 cm, then get out and deliver her on the bed. That was the plan.
We arrived at the hospital when I wasn't in much pain, I knew I was early. I was 4 cm and 80 percent effaced when we got there. This labor just wasn't progressing and hurting as it always has before, so I was in totally new territorynot knowing what to do.
So when I got to the hospital I found out that the doctor who was on call would not let me labor in the water at all, and this really upset me, but I was still determined that I would do this unmedicated no matter what they say i can and can't do. After I cried, I called Liz, my dear friend, and asked her to come be with me at the hospital to help me laugh, and that she did at 10:30 at night. She stayed with me for 3 hours......of walking! It was horrible! Nothing was progressing, yet I was having contractions every 2 miunutes for three days! I went from 4 cm to 5-6 cm in 3 hours of slightly painful walking!
So, at 1:30 am I was so frustrated about NOT being in enough pain that I was again hysterical and stuck, literally. The doctor on call told me that she thought it would be best to take a rest, try to sleep for 3-4 hours, and see what my body does on rest. She would NOT let me go home because she said it was too risky. Plus, my doctor would be oncall at 7 am that morning, if I made it that long. So we rested.
The next morning Dr Reider calls me from home and asks me what I wanted to do, and I said I wanted to get the baby out! So, he came to the hospital and said that I was 6 cm, contracting every 2 minutes(like I needed a man to tell me that). I wasn't in pain though! Not enough to be 6 cm atleast! So, we decided to break my water. I thought this was one of my last options left at this point, so we did it. I cried. I cried because my pregnancy was over. I have enjoyed the last half of this pregnancy more than any pregnancy I have ever had. I have LOVED EVERY MINUTE of this pregnancy since I even started slightly showing and feeling her move. I only had one day left uinitl my due date, but I was still so sad for it to be ending.
So, Dr. Reider Broke my water at 8:15 am on Tuesday morning. The contractions started to feel atleast as hard as I thought they should have felt earlier at 6 cm. Within 30 minutes I had to get in the water. I was 7 cm and starting transition at that point. I started to lose feeling in my fingers, then hands, then forearms. It was just a small nuissance compared to the contractions.
I had the best labor and delivery nurse the Lord could have found for me. She was in Midwifery school, young, and so good at helping me get through transition. I don't know how I would have survived without her. She helped me not pass out, stay focused and not be scared of the monsterous pain, and knowing it was getting me somewhere and would end soon. She was AMAZING.
So, Dr. Reider wanted me to get out of the water because of my non-use of my extremities, but I could feel that I was going to start pushing, so I got out and walked over to the bed just before the first contraction of pushing started. So, I pushed her down on the first contraction, her head out on the second contraction, and tried to push her shoulders for the third, but she would budge. At that point I started screaming to get her out, and Poor poor Dr Reider started pulling on her head trying to help us both, and ended up adjusting both her and my positions for the next contraction and I finally pushed her out. It was INSANE! And AMAZING! It hurt so bad, but it was one of the most unbelieveable experiences of my life!
Well, folks, thats it in a nutshell. When I arrived at the hospital Monday night, the situation looked grim and dsimal. As one thing after another that has never happened before in any of my other three labors happened, the blessings of what was occuring started coming to the surface.
Blessings listed in some order:
1. my body waiting on my doctor to be there for my delivery so I could have the delivery I had planned and wanted,
2. having the oncall doctor suggesting I just rest, instead of pushing my body the way modern medicine is trained to now do,
3. having Liz there for me at the exact time that I needed her the most to keep my spirits alive, 4. the timing of my getting the labor and delivery nurse that I needed to pull me through it,
5. Rochelle just happening to be coming up to bring Jeremy food at the exact right time to get my mom to the hosital to be able to be there for the last 45 minutes of my labor and delivery,
6. her being perfect when she was born(which is absolutely the most miraculous of all),
7. Chauncey happening to be on a hospital rotation without even knowing it and being given the day off the next day and spending the entire day with Bella nad I at the hospital.
The list literally goes on and on.
I am so grateful to have had the experience of a lifetime that Heavenly Father obviously blessed me to have. I am eternally grateful to my Heavenly Father for giving me my Husband, and four of the most beautiful and wonderful children I could have ever dreamed of.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Bella Ruth West
Melly went into labor at 2:30PM on September 1st, 2008. She was really excited about laboring on Labor Day. However, she labored right on through Labor Day and right into September 2nd. At 10:15 AM Melly gave birth to Bella Ruth West a 6 pound 6 ounce perfect baby girl. Melly performed an un-medicated birth and she did fantastic. I'll let her fill, those of you who care, in with the gruesome details that come with an un-medicated birth! Bella is absolutely perfect in every way. We are thrilled to have her. I'm writing this at Melly's request at 9PM September 2nd. I haven't had much sleep at all and for some reason my mind is very clear. It is days like these in a person’s life that provides them with unforgettable joy and peace. The joy of seeing your daughter open her eyes for the first time, letting her grasp your finger with her tinny soft hands, and hearing her sweet whimpers of relief while she sleeps. The peace comes in an assurance that no matter how rotten things get down here on Earth God's hand is indeed and unmistakably still governing us mortals and His work is proceeding forth and the proof is laying so beautifully warm and perfectly calm in my arms.
Liz Helping Melly Relax. A big Blogspot shout out to Shelly and Liz for all of your amazing help.
Melly the halls of the hospital trying to speed things along.
There are some video clips below. The audio isn't that great it's choppy and what not.Here is a video Clip of Bella Smilling About 30 min after birth.
This is a video clip of our little baby Bella.
Kate was so excited to see Bella. She pranced into the room and looked around and when she finaly found her she said, " Mommy found my baby bella".
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