Baby Ben is home!

Hi!!! I just got a quick opportunity to jump online, and I know you all have been waiting! Baby Ben and I came home on Friday. He is eating and sleeping far better than I could have ever hoped or imagined, and believe it or not, I actually feel rested! Gregg and I covet your prayers that we all stay healthy and that Benjamin continues to do as well as he is! He has been getting his blood tested for jaundice, and we are hoping and praying that the levels stay low enough that he doesn't need the bililight that Madelyn needed. Here are a couple quick pictures to tie you over! I will try to get some more up as soon as I can.

Ben is here!!!!!!!

Hi everyone!! I am posting this from my hospital room 28 hours after the birth of our son. Gregg and I are so blessed!!! Benjamin Isaac Rader was born on April 16, 2008 at 12:41pm. He weighed 6 lbs 5 oz and is 18 1/2 long! He is ADORABLE! And healthy, and the sweetest thing we have experienced since Madelyn's birth! I will post more either tomorrow or sometime on the weekend. I will at least post pictures tomorrow, and his birth story in the next few days. Just know that Ben is healthy, and we are all happy and doing great! Thanks so much for all your thoughts and prayers! I look forward to you all getting to meet the new addition to our family!

Nothing passes the time like chocolate chip cookies!

Last night, Gregg and I made chocolate chip cookies-- not like we need them in the house! It was really fun though, and now we have a big bowl of them just waiting to be eaten. :)

He made me take off my socks and slippers so I could be "barefoot and pregnant" in the kitchen. :)

36 weeks

Here I am at 36 weeks. I had another appointment yesterday and I am 2 cm! The doctor thinks he will probably come in the next two weeks. I am getting pretty stir crazy. I have cleaned everything I can think to clean. Madi and I went to the park 3 times this week. We also walked to the store. I hope he comes sooner than later, or I think I will go nuts. Tonight the three of us are going to an Iron Pigs baseball game. We decided we better do something fun that we can't do with a newborn. My best guess is that Benjamin will be here sometime in the next 5-12 days. I want to do lots of fun things this week that I won't be able to do when he is here. It's been beautiful out the last few days. I have had all the windows open, and today it was all the way up to 73! I love spring!!!

Countdown

Today I am 36 weeks pregnant. That is just totally unbelieveable. Even though I am feeling Ben inside, and am doing lots of things to prepare, I can't believe that I am going to have a brand new baby in just a week or two! If he comes as early as Madi did, that is in 8 days!!!! Whoa!

I have a doctor appointment tomorrow and am very anxious to see if I am any more dilated than I was. I have been having a lot of Braxton-Hicks contractions (practice contractions) and even the other night I was timing them. They ended up being very irregular, but were still coming about 8 times an hour. I think it was just because I needed to drink some water. I had not been feeling good for a few days and wasn't drinking enough. Finally today and yesterday I am starting to feel better. My allergies were really bad.

I feel like I have gotten a lot of things done in order to prepare...but I know I can never be prepared enough. The house has had a thorough cleaning. The ironing is done. The freezer is full. My bags are packed...all three of them. One for me, one for Ben, and one for Madi who will be hopefully staying with my parents at least one night. What else is there to do? I do need to work on birth announcements. I am pretty behind with them. I guess I should get working on them to pass the time more quickly. I think I am going to need about 35ish, and I have about 20 of them 70% done.

It's been a great couple weeks. Gregg and I both decided that we really think we are actually ready to have another baby. God has richly blessed us both with good jobs, a nice comfy home, wonderful families, and a beautiful daughter. We can't wait to add a son to the mix!

That's it for now. I keep thinking the next time I post, I may be at the hospital. Who knows? Only God knows!

35 week Dr. appointment

I just got back from a doctor appointment a little while ago. I am already 1 cm and 80% effaced, and the baby's head is low. It sounds as though Ben will be as early as Madi was, if not earlier! The doc said if I go into labor now, they would not stop it. She thinks he is over 5 lbs! When she was walking out of the room she said, "I don't think it will be long!"

So my goal today is to get some housework done. Last week I was up to 11:45pm making a double batch of lasagna to keep in the freezer for those first couple weeks home. I also made muffins on Monday, and froze half of them. I think tomorrow I am going to make some chicken noodle soup to put in the freezer. When Madi was born, I had not prepared meals and was overwhelmed with the thought of having to come up with something for dinner. I had a bunch of meals brought to me, and my mom made some, too. But looking back, I wish I had made something to have when she came home.

Aside from thinking about meals, I need to do some cleaning so that when he comes home, I come home to a clean house. Clean the bathrooms, dust, vacuum, clean the microwave and the burners. Those are the things on my list for today and tomorrow!

Hopefully this weekend I can get out and get some consumables for Ben's homecoming. Good old nursing pads, and sanitary pads....as well as newborn diapers and pillow pad things for the wipe warmer.

I am trying to enjoy every minute of these last few days and weeks. I want to relish in his kicks and turns. It's awesome to feel a baby inside, and I am loving it.

That's it for now! Have a great rest of the week and weekend! :)

Chasey