Dean...

...you stole my heart

Welcoming Baby Dean

It all starts at the BEACH...

 Saturday morning, September 18th, Eric, Noah, Duke and I (with my huge baby Dean belly) took a walk along the beach. Noah loves to throw the ball for Duke and run in the freezing cold water. Yikes! I like to take photos and stay dry on the cold mornings! Ooooh, and chat on the phone with my lovely friend Jodie. We love the beach and all of us agree it was a wonderful start to our busy weekend.

While Eric fed Noah lunch and put him down for a nap I went to run up and down the hills and the stairs at Placentia Park. Yes I really ran. Unsuccessful in my attempts to spur on labor, I headed back towards the beach for a hair appointment with the very best stylist in OC! My sister Brandi of course! After, we all load up and head to the last event of the day, a birthday BBQ for our good friend Sean.

Driving down PCH Noah says "Dean, coming?"

Me "he is with mommy in mommy's tummy".

Noah "Ooooh"

Eric "I think Noah knows something we don't"

As we unload the car at they BBQ Noah yells, "Dean Coming!"

Just then I felt my fourth labor contraction that hour...

We spent 4 hours with amazing friends, 4 hours full of people agreeing my belly was too small, betting on birth dates, toasting to his health and drinking to his soon arrival. By the fourth hour I had to drag Eric and Noah out of there.  Nausea had taken over me. Though I was having consistent contractions every 20 minutes the nausea was nothing new. It was, unfortunately, a daily fight throughout both pregnancies. At home I quickly changed into comfy clothes and snaped a photo of my belly to post on facebook. 

The title was: DOES HE LOOK FULLY COOKED TO YOU?

That night, while Eric and I lay in bed I explained to him that I finally gave up. With only 4 days until my scheduled cesarean, I decided to give up my exhausting efforts to force this baby out naturally. That was the last thing said as we drifted off to sleep. Until 1am when I felt a very hard, loud CRACK and POP!

I thought, "Dean IS coming Noah"

 2am in the Hospital. Contractions were on top of each other. They were more intense than the monitor screen would allow. I couldn't wait to get an epidural, and some Zofran. Throwing up during a contraction is just about the worse thing you could ever imagine!

 Enjoying a Popsicle after I got my epidural.

 My mother, sister and Kim were there for support during Dean's birth

 Just a few short hours later our second little man was born.

 Or should I say BIG BOY!

Eric is such an amazing father, and great with a newborn

I share this photo because it is the reason why I wanted to attempt a VBAC. Successfully having a VBAC gave me so much freedom, gave me the ability to enjoy some of labor, take care of Dean, and myself in ways I couldn't with a cesarean. This was 1 hr after giving birth.

Numy and Grampy were proud to have a second McCoy grandson

 Deten and Auntie Stephani

 Eric and I are blessed with amazing family and the most amazing friends. Nick and Jodie took Noah for two nights and brought him to the hospital to meet Dean. Jodie and I were able to catch up while admiring

 Noah was not sure about where he was and what he was supposed to do in the hospital room. His reaction to Eric and I was normal, he said an excited Hi and wanted hugs, to Dean, he said Hi Hunter! We tried to explain that this is not (his cousin) Hunter, but Dean who we have been waiting to come out of mommy's tummy. It didn't really sink in...

...until this photo. My excitement could not be contained.

Noah looked at my tummy, looked at Dean and screamed, "Dean!!!" 

and then leaned over to give his little brother a kiss.

 Our first family photo of the FOUR of us

 Noah went home with Nana,

 Eric and I, and baby Dean head home,

 

...and so it ends (this story that is) at our home at the Beach.

Our Newest Addition

Dean Stephen McCoy

September 19th, 2010, 12:45pm

   8lbs 7oz, 20 inches

 

Thank you for your prayers, God has answered them.
The McCoy's are all healthy, happy and enjoying our Lord's sense of humor
...after all, Noah and Dean share a birthday!

A trip to the park

At the Park for a workout for MOM

Noah wanted to run.

How do I say no to this adorable little thing?

So he ran, played with sticks, and ran some more. Actually, I bet you he ran a mile all together. 

I think we have a long distance runner on our hands- just like his mama.

Noah ran so much he actually asked me if he could sit in the jogger.

Which was perfect since we made it to the bottom of a HUGE hill and Mama wanted to PUSH IT on the way up.  So up the hill I went, pushing the jogger with my son in it. At the top we did some jumping jacks together and headed home for dinner.

We hope to see baby Dean very soon!

Playing Dad

Noah loves to play with Daddy's badge.

I am still not sure why he posed like this, but it is kinda sweet.

Someday you can be anything you want Noah...and if you decide to be just like Daddy, that would be wonderful.

We love you little man!

37 week Adventures and Appt

Sunday August 29th

With the help of her mother-in-law and friend Catherine, I threw a PINK baby shower for my very good friend Jodie and her soon to arrive daughter Harper. It was such a fun day, the sun was shining, Jodie was glowing, and everything turned out perfect. I am so thankful to have Jodie as a friend, a friend I consider more like a sister, and to be raising the same age children along with her. I love you Jodie and can't wait to meet your little girl! For more about the shower and photos, see Jodie's blog.

Monday was a HUGE rest day for me. After just getting off bed rest and throwing a baby shower, I did my best to lay around and relax. At least I did my best...you all know me.

Tuesday was a BEACH DAY! Oh how we love the beach, the sun and the water! We went to a beach off 2nd Street in Long Beach for a few hours. Eric came and ran Noah while I soaked up the sun. Sorry, no big, fat, pregnant, bathing suit photos to post. I know you all are sad about that. Ha ha!

Here is what Noah looks like when I ask him to "say cheese"

Here is what his girlfriend Sofia looks like when I ask her to "say cheese"

This little lady is so stinking adorable!

Then we had a dinner with the entire family. The 10.5 of us (can you believe that is how big my family has grown over the last couple years?) went to Baci for an Italian dinner and send off for my brother and sister-in-law as they left for Italy the next day. During dinner the conversation revolved around what would be the best day for everyone for Dean to come. As if we have any say. After dinner Noah had some fun with the chocolate from the canoli. Noah was putting the chocolate covered spoon all over his face, it was really funny because when we walked him over to the mirror, he looked at his face and started crying. Poor guy had no idea what he was doing.

Dr. Says:

Thursday was my 37 week check up. Baby Dean measured 37.5cm, I finally put on another pound to a grand total of 15.5lbs. His heart rate was exactly the same as every week 140, and then for the good stuff...

I am 1.5cm dilated, 70% effaced, and while she swiped my membranes she made it very clear that she could feel the bones of Dean's head and that he was sitting very low. 

(without going into detail on our blog...I COULD HAVE TOLD HER THAT!)

Thursday night I slept horrible becuase I had a contraction about every 20 minutes the entire night. 

So here we are on Friday, September 3rd. Not sure when Dean will be making his big debut, but other STUFF is happening and I am getting the feeling we will be posting about his arrival next week.

Please be praying for some last nights of sleep for me!

Bed rest is OVER - 37 weeks today!

If pregnancy doesn't bring on enough uncontrollable emotions, just have your doctor put you on bed rest. It was such a huge struggle for me. In the beginning I was extrememly worried about Noah getting enough play time, Eric finishing the new boy's room (which actually hadn't been started), and of course the house in general (everyone knows I am very particular about what goes where and how things are cleaned and WHAT WE EAT!). So as the first few days went by I found that Noah was taken care of by our loving and giving friends and family. He had almost as much play time as normal, some days even more than usual. Eric started and finished the boy's room in just a few days and our friends and family made sure we had plenty of food. It sounds good right? Especially when my house was being cleaned by all the people coming over (thanks mostly to my sister-in-law Stephanie!).

It was anything but good though. I found that sitting all day (trying to be good and lying on my back as much as possible) is sickening. It makes you feel so useless, unneeded, lazy and tired. It makes sense why people who just sit around all day have no energy or appetite. If you don't move, accomplish things and get outside there is no reason for your body to actually work. I had to force myself to eat, often just to see it come up again. And the WORSE part of bed rest was when Noah would beg for me to hold him, when he would grab my hand and try to pull me up off the couch (in the very sweet way he does saying please and why not Mama?), and when he would be put to bed by someone else and stand in his crib screaming for Mama. It makes me cry just typing this. When your child can actually tell you what he wants and you can't give it to him (and when he should be able to have it) it breaks your heart.  ---this is one big reason I am all for sleep training early on, why fight a kid who can scream for you, say your name and make you feel aweful?---I digress.  Needless to say, we all survived the dreaded weeks of bed rest. My emotions too.

Today- Wednesday September 1st

I am 37 WEEKS!
*Baby is the size of a watermelon*
~6.5lbs according to Dr.~

At this point I can officially do anything I want (that is safe during pregnancy). I can exercise, shop, cook again, clean again...    NO RESTRICTIONS!

Oh the JOY I feel is amazing. Not just because baby is term, but because we made it to September! I didn't want an August birthday for little Dean. (That's a story for another post.) So tomorrow we go to the Dr and I'll give everyone an update on how we are progressing.