Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Hudson David is here!
Well all,
it has been awhile since I've posted but I'm going to do my best to recap the last couple weeks. The whirlwinds that they've been.
So let us venture back to Wednesday May 4th to get the complete picture. Ashley had been having more and more braxton-hicks contractions which we had become pretty familiar with. The tightening of her abs, while not painful, at least uncomfortable. Because she was having them almost every 10 minutes we started to think maybe...just maybe. Our dinner at J Alexanders consisted mostly of me timing contractions, doing the quick math and wondering what was to come. Then around 10pm Wednesday night there was a change. The contractions started becoming a bit more than uncomfortable. We tried to sleep but my mind was picturing the bag of waters busting around 3am and me in my pj's, half blind mind you, rushing around to grab our bags and delivery music mix. Ashley, obviously, was preoccupied with increasingly painful contractions. So we called the doctor, ended up waiting until 9am the next morning (no sleep for the Schots) go in only to find out Ashley had not dilated any further than a 1. Now Thursday morning we went back home, walked around reading road a few times and went back at 3pm. Again, the doc said Ashley was only at a 1 and that it could be days away. Brief side note here: she has been having very painful contractions every 5-10 minutes for around 15 hours. Before releasing us to go home though the Doctor said he was sending us up to L&D to have the babies heart monitored for an hour just to be safe. After an hour or two there the doctor comes in to tell us the baby looks great and it's time to go home. He goes to do a quick check and what do you know! Ashley is now dilated to a 4! She and I were both so relieved that all these painful contractions were at long last getting us somewhere and that we were finally going to meet our little baby soon!
It was around 6pm Thursday evening I think when we got settled into our Labor and Delivery room. All previous comments about Ashley being superwoman now put me in a position of having to think of a superior marvel comic because of how amazing she powered through contractions, kept her cool and even made jokes. Perhaps around 8pm she had dilated to a 6 and decided to go ahead with the epidural. From here it was a waiting game. Our nurses were amazing and Ashley was beyond great. Everything seemed to progress textbook. While contemplating having a quick margaritas to celebrate Cinco De Mayo the nurse did a quick check of Ashley around 11:50pm and said "you're fully dilated, still want a Cinco De Mayo baby?!" The looks on our faces must have been priceless. So the Doctor was paged, Ashley labored what I would guess better than any woman the Doctors or Nurses had every seen previously and at 12:24am Friday morning Hudson David Schot made his debut. Right on time just like his Daddy likes to be! For those of you that are parents you already know, and for those yet to be I just can't find the words to describe that moment. Between the shock of is this really real, the relief that comes from everything going so well and hearing a healthy baby cry and emotion of knowing you now have the most awesome responsibility God bestows on us. At 22" long at 9lbs 10oz even the Doctor had to say "this is a big baby!".
From there momma Ashley was glowing brightly and baby Hudson had captured our hearts more deeply than we knew possible. Around 3am we were ready to be moved to recovery where we spent the rest of our stay at The Christ Hospital.
Now 19 days later we are both still so blessed and happy with our little peanut. We don't keep much sleep, especially Ashley who wakes up every 3 hours to feed our little monster, but every moment spent looking at Hudson makes us fall more in love. I truly think that I can see him changing day by day and remember back to all those times my parents told me "it flys by so fast, just you wait..". Of course it doesn't help matters that Hudson outgrew newborn diapers before he was even born.
So here we are. Proud parents of a little boy. Looking forward to all the many chapters ahead of us. Hudson pretty much just sleeps, eats and fills up diapers but the moments he is awake and looking around are more precious than diamonds. He can hold his head up pretty well but is still working on figuring out what his arms are for and how to stretch his legs out. Check ups for both Hudson and Ashley have gone perfectly. I'll put a couple pictures on here shortly but you'll have to wait for most of them until we send out birth announcements.
I would like to give a big thanks to everyone who has brought us dinner. Being that the first few days we were home I realized around 3pm that I still hand not brushed my teeth or eaten more than a few bites of soggy cereal those dinners were our lifelines! Thank you Renee and Rhonda for all your help as well! Grocery shopping, cleaning our house, taking pictures..... You are so appreciated!
Typing this ended up carrying over a day so....Quick update: Hudson's doctors appointment today went great. He is now 10lbs 2oz. He has gained an oz a day since his last appointment. He also had his first full bath today! So fun.
Alright, we love you all and can't wait for those who haven't met our little guy to come give him a squeeze.
it has been awhile since I've posted but I'm going to do my best to recap the last couple weeks. The whirlwinds that they've been.
So let us venture back to Wednesday May 4th to get the complete picture. Ashley had been having more and more braxton-hicks contractions which we had become pretty familiar with. The tightening of her abs, while not painful, at least uncomfortable. Because she was having them almost every 10 minutes we started to think maybe...just maybe. Our dinner at J Alexanders consisted mostly of me timing contractions, doing the quick math and wondering what was to come. Then around 10pm Wednesday night there was a change. The contractions started becoming a bit more than uncomfortable. We tried to sleep but my mind was picturing the bag of waters busting around 3am and me in my pj's, half blind mind you, rushing around to grab our bags and delivery music mix. Ashley, obviously, was preoccupied with increasingly painful contractions. So we called the doctor, ended up waiting until 9am the next morning (no sleep for the Schots) go in only to find out Ashley had not dilated any further than a 1. Now Thursday morning we went back home, walked around reading road a few times and went back at 3pm. Again, the doc said Ashley was only at a 1 and that it could be days away. Brief side note here: she has been having very painful contractions every 5-10 minutes for around 15 hours. Before releasing us to go home though the Doctor said he was sending us up to L&D to have the babies heart monitored for an hour just to be safe. After an hour or two there the doctor comes in to tell us the baby looks great and it's time to go home. He goes to do a quick check and what do you know! Ashley is now dilated to a 4! She and I were both so relieved that all these painful contractions were at long last getting us somewhere and that we were finally going to meet our little baby soon!
It was around 6pm Thursday evening I think when we got settled into our Labor and Delivery room. All previous comments about Ashley being superwoman now put me in a position of having to think of a superior marvel comic because of how amazing she powered through contractions, kept her cool and even made jokes. Perhaps around 8pm she had dilated to a 6 and decided to go ahead with the epidural. From here it was a waiting game. Our nurses were amazing and Ashley was beyond great. Everything seemed to progress textbook. While contemplating having a quick margaritas to celebrate Cinco De Mayo the nurse did a quick check of Ashley around 11:50pm and said "you're fully dilated, still want a Cinco De Mayo baby?!" The looks on our faces must have been priceless. So the Doctor was paged, Ashley labored what I would guess better than any woman the Doctors or Nurses had every seen previously and at 12:24am Friday morning Hudson David Schot made his debut. Right on time just like his Daddy likes to be! For those of you that are parents you already know, and for those yet to be I just can't find the words to describe that moment. Between the shock of is this really real, the relief that comes from everything going so well and hearing a healthy baby cry and emotion of knowing you now have the most awesome responsibility God bestows on us. At 22" long at 9lbs 10oz even the Doctor had to say "this is a big baby!".
From there momma Ashley was glowing brightly and baby Hudson had captured our hearts more deeply than we knew possible. Around 3am we were ready to be moved to recovery where we spent the rest of our stay at The Christ Hospital.
Now 19 days later we are both still so blessed and happy with our little peanut. We don't keep much sleep, especially Ashley who wakes up every 3 hours to feed our little monster, but every moment spent looking at Hudson makes us fall more in love. I truly think that I can see him changing day by day and remember back to all those times my parents told me "it flys by so fast, just you wait..". Of course it doesn't help matters that Hudson outgrew newborn diapers before he was even born.
So here we are. Proud parents of a little boy. Looking forward to all the many chapters ahead of us. Hudson pretty much just sleeps, eats and fills up diapers but the moments he is awake and looking around are more precious than diamonds. He can hold his head up pretty well but is still working on figuring out what his arms are for and how to stretch his legs out. Check ups for both Hudson and Ashley have gone perfectly. I'll put a couple pictures on here shortly but you'll have to wait for most of them until we send out birth announcements.
I would like to give a big thanks to everyone who has brought us dinner. Being that the first few days we were home I realized around 3pm that I still hand not brushed my teeth or eaten more than a few bites of soggy cereal those dinners were our lifelines! Thank you Renee and Rhonda for all your help as well! Grocery shopping, cleaning our house, taking pictures..... You are so appreciated!
Typing this ended up carrying over a day so....Quick update: Hudson's doctors appointment today went great. He is now 10lbs 2oz. He has gained an oz a day since his last appointment. He also had his first full bath today! So fun.
Alright, we love you all and can't wait for those who haven't met our little guy to come give him a squeeze.
Monday, April 18, 2011
New Nursery Pictures!
Hello all! We are getting really really close to the big day. Just 18 days away now. At the last checkup which was this morning the baby is head down and textbook healthy. So far it looks like Ashley will make it to the due date, May 6th, but would definitely appreciate any prayers for an earlier delivery! The Doc estimated our baby at about 6 1/2 pounds currently. The heartbeat fluctuates (as it's supposed to) between the high 130's and the mid 150's. It hasn't dropped yet but with it being head down the kicking has changed a little bit to include attempts and breaking a rib.
Below are some updated nursery room pictures as we have added a couple new pieces and also moved some things around. We had the bumper pads and the blanket made from fabric that Ashley found and she did an amazing job! The dresser was a bit of a pain as the finish was not very pretty so I spent about 6 hours sanding it then another 2 hours priming and painting. But, it was worth it for a changing table with some style. We also finally got Ashley's rocker in and she now has a comfy place for nighttime feedings. As you can see to the right of the dresser we have our bags packed (one for each of us and one for baby) and are ready to go when the time comes. The route to the hospital has been practiced and timed and we know exactly which elevators to grab once we get to Christ Hospital. So it's almost time to start holding your breath!
As we grow closer by the day I start picturing more and more what our lives are going to look like when this little baby comes. When I picture a girl I see such a daddy's girl that I will kiss at least a hundred times a day, put in writing from very early on that dating will not begin until the age of 25 and so she doesn't miss out I will happily be her date to all school dances. As I daydream about what a little man looks like in my life I can't help but picture fishing trips, wrestling matches in the living room in which something is bound to get broken and a fathers pride of seeing his little guy stay true to the ideals we instill in him. So much to look forward to. I can't thank Mom and Dad, Al and Renee enough for all they sacrificed, endured and poured into Ashley and I. It really is impossible to know the love and dedication a parent has for their kids until the moment has arrived. Thank you for setting such good examples.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Check your milk....
So Ashley and I are starting to realize how close we are to becoming parents. We bought milk yesterday that has an expiration date past our due date! As we bought the common household items like paper towels, toilet paper, deodorant, etc. I realized that next time I have to go buy paper towels the baby will be here! That is so crazy to me.
Now onto the important stuff. Ashley is still doing great. She has a few normal aches and pains that would likely have me bedridden. Check ups from the Doc are picture perfect and Ashley now moves to weekly appointments. She has also been having a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions. The Doctor said if we get 6 within an hour to give them a call and we've counted up to 4. Our little bundle of joy is also kicking so hard it is starting to hurt my poor wife. We are also just baffled at how it's positioned in there because it seems as though kicks and pokes occur in every spot of her belly.
Here are some current pictures of how amazing Ashley looks. How cute is that belly!
Here are some current pictures of how amazing Ashley looks. How cute is that belly!
Friday, March 18, 2011
7 weeks left!
Well here we are just 7 weeks away now. We decided to take a baby moon to West Palm Beach and officially mark our last vacation as just the two of us. The weather was a comfortable 70 degrees pretty much the entire time but we did feel a bit like we were in a wind tunnel. We stayed at the Ritz Carlton which was so much fun. They had one of the top rated spas in the World which we definitely took advantage of as you can see above. We both got two massages and a facial. We also spent some time in this garden area. They had these egg chairs hanging over water that were very comfy as Ashley is demonstrating and I think I ended up drinking 2 gallons of the fruit infused water. We had some delicious meals, relaxed at the pool and celebrated the last 5 years we've had together as a couple. I think we can both officially say we are ready, excited and more than looking forward to welcoming this little bundle of joy into the world.
Ashley also recently had her baby shower which looked amazing from the pictures I saw. I'll put some of those on here also. Thank you Ambur, Maggie, Meredith and Kathleen for your awesome hosting. As we begin to evaluate all the things we "need" it is so appreciative for all the goodies we got at this shower. It also made Ashley feel so special to have those we love celebrate this pregnancy and upcoming stork delivery with her. There aren't many times in life in which people get together to truly celebrate with someone and shower them with gifts, words of encouragement and thoughts of anticipation. We truly appreciate it everyone. Thank you!
Now on to some baby and baby momma updates. At our last Dr's appointment Ashley had only gained 1 pound since the last visit. Seriously, I think she is superwoman sometimes. I've gained more than that since our last visit. Seriously. The heart beat was high 130's low 140's and everything looked absolutely perfect. We seem to be right on schedule and textbook in all other areas. Ashley has started to have some lower back pain as her center of gravity shifts but she has been managing that very well. The little one has been getting the hick-ups pretty often which is kind of cute to feel but has got to be frustrating for the baby. Ashley says that when she starts feeling the hiccups the baby really gets active and starts kicking around. Now these kicks have become something quite amazing. Not only can it shake something sitting on her belly but it almost always makes my jaw drop and how big the movements look. We keep trying to figure out how the baby is positioned in Ash's belly since there are kicks all over the place. She is pretty sure the head is down, feet are tucked nicely in her right side ribs and the butt is keeping the whole left side of her belly full.
Thanks to our Moms we got both our car seats at the shower which I installed this past weekend. So now we look more official riding around with car seats in both cars. I really can't wait to be pushing our baby around in a stroller at the zoo, or the mall, or wherever it is parents with little babies go.
Well that's all for now. Not much longer folks! We have one more appointment and then we go to weekly visits. Exciting times folks! Love you all.
Monday, February 28, 2011
30 Weeks!!
Well, we've already hit the 30 week mark. It seems like just yesterday it was Ashley's birthday and we found out she was pregnant and now we're only 65 days away from bringing this precious little one into the world.
At 30 weeks our little peanut is approximately 10" in length and 4.5 pounds. The "fruit comparison" of this week is a large head of lettuce. Our baby can now start grasping with its hands and from the movements that are visible to me I'm guessing we have either a gymnast or a wrestler in there. ;)
We've pretty much completed the nursery and I've attached a few pictures. Might I just recommend not attempting those stripes on your own. That was challenging!
Since we are almost at the 34 week mark which is when Ashley is no longer supposed to travel we're setting off in two days for our baby moon. We'll be spending 4 days in West Palm Beach at a nice little hotel where we plan to get pampered!!!
Once we get back I'll get you some belly pictures so you can see how amazingly beautiful my wife looks and get some ooooo's and ahhhh's at the cutest belly you've ever seen.
Love you all!
The Schots
At 30 weeks our little peanut is approximately 10" in length and 4.5 pounds. The "fruit comparison" of this week is a large head of lettuce. Our baby can now start grasping with its hands and from the movements that are visible to me I'm guessing we have either a gymnast or a wrestler in there. ;)
We've pretty much completed the nursery and I've attached a few pictures. Might I just recommend not attempting those stripes on your own. That was challenging!
Since we are almost at the 34 week mark which is when Ashley is no longer supposed to travel we're setting off in two days for our baby moon. We'll be spending 4 days in West Palm Beach at a nice little hotel where we plan to get pampered!!!
Once we get back I'll get you some belly pictures so you can see how amazingly beautiful my wife looks and get some ooooo's and ahhhh's at the cutest belly you've ever seen.
Love you all!
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