Eden McPhie

It's hard to believe it was over a week ago that I had Eden.  Time is just going too fast while I'm trying to soak up every single new-born moment with her.  She is just so precious, I can't stand it!
But I know I've got to get this written down before I forget more of the little details.

There was a lot of uncertainty going into this labor.  All of it revolving around Drake being shoulder dystocia (he got stuck coming out), and my chances of having another baby get stuck were much higher.  I figured that as long as I don't go 2 weeks over my due date (like Drake) then my baby wouldn't get too big and would come out just fine.  So I didn't schedule a planned c-section, and didn't want to schedule an induction either.  I wanted it to happen naturally, when my baby was ready, and my body was ripe.  But this isn't to say that I wasn't doing things to help it happen.  Like the miles and miles that Ryan and I would walk together every night.  I loved these walks!  The weather was finally cooling off at night, and I loved the time we got to spend together and the talks we had.

40 weeks - 4 days before she was born

I had had plenty of contractions.  The Friday and Saturday before I had her, I woke up very early in the morning with contractions that I'd time, but after a few hours, they'd die off.  So when I woke up at two in the morning on Tuesday with contractions, I ignored them at first and tried to sleep.  But it didn't take long for me to realize that they were strong and consistent.  So I got up and started timing them with my sweet contraction timing app.

 I hopped in the tub, turned on my relaxing music, and breathed my way through my contractions.  I thought this could be it, but if it was, labor would be hours long, so I might as well let Ryan sleep while I was progressing through the early stages of labor.  Ryan's mom was in town and would be able to stay with the kids, and I was thinking we could wait for the kids to wake up, kiss them good bye and then head to the hospital.

At 3:45 Ryan woke up (I guess because he could hear me), and came and asked me if I was okay.  I was in the middle of a contraction, and when I realized I couldn't answer him because I was focusing on my visualization/breathing, I first realized that things might be serious.  He then suggested we go to the hospital, and my initial thought was not yet, we'll have hours, but then I started shaking.  I got the shakes when I was in transition with Gwen and Drake, so I changed my mind, and agreed we should go.  That's when I tried getting out of the tub during a contraction and dropped my phone (that I took the insurance off of!) in the bathtub!!!  Crud!  I wasn't going to be able to text people, or take pictures.  Argh!!

So Ryan began running around the house getting everything together we would need, putting my phone in rice, and letting his mom know we'd be heading to the hospital.  I was trying to go to the bathroom and get dressed in between contractions.  When we finally headed to the car, contractions had gotten so strong that I would have to put my arms around Ryan's neck and almost hang on him while I was trying to let my body surrender to the shuddering.

Once we were in the car, things were even more intense.  Ryan drove like a mad man, and we made it to the hospital (in Phoenix) in only 22 minutes.  I was trying to find a comfortable position to sit in, which was impossible since I didn't want to sit.  There was just so much pressure in my bum.  I had my eyes closed and was trying desperately to keep my body under control and to relax.

We got to the hospital at about 4:35, and it took longer than we planned to get to the front door, get a wheel chair and passed security and up to labor and delivery.  When we finally got there, we went to check in, and again, I found that I couldn't really talk through my contraction when they began asking me questions.  They realized that things were intense and got me into a triage room.  They asked for a urine sample, and I just dropped trou and went into the bathroom, where it wouldn't happen.  But on my second contraction in there, I felt my body starting to contract/push down.  I abandoned the urine efforts, and went and climbed onto the bed so the midwife could check me.  Again, I couldn't imagine getting on my bum, so I laid on my side, and was just gripping the railing on the bed, and was apparently chanting "relax, relax" over and over.  The midwife checked me and said, "oh, she's at a ten, and there's a bulging bag of water, we may have this baby right here!"  I asked then if I could get in the tub, and she chuckled and said that we were probably too late for that.  And poor Ryan was there trying to rub/tickle my back or do anything to try to help.

On the next contraction, again my body pushed down hard, and just like a huge water balloon popping, my water broke with such force that it made kind of a popping sound.  That's when they decided to wheel the bed into a delivery room, and I was still just gripping the rails of the bed, eyes closed, trying to surrender to the convulsions happening to me.

By the time we got into the delivery room, it was about 5:05, and they asked me to crawl over to the delivery bed.  I opened my eyes for the first time in what felt like forever, and tried to crawl over.  But it hurt so bad.  I labored with Drake mostly on my hands and knees, and imagined that's how I would this time too, but the pain in my pelvis wouldn't allow that.  I just couldn't figure out how to get comfortable.  The pressure in my bum wouldn't allow me to sit or lay back, and I was desperate to find a way that I could just try to relax.  So the midwife got out the birthing bar and attached it to the bed, and finally I could just hang on the bar, and the midwife held up my thighs for me to squat down, fully supported, and I could handle it.

Again, my contractions were so strong, I could feel my body squeezing down, without me having to actually push.  I was just trying to breathe my way through them (when I say breathe, it means moo/moan through the contractions), and let my body just do what it needed to do.  Ryan was there putting wet washcloths on my neck and forehead since I was soo hot!  I kept reaching down to feel how close the baby was, and on the next contraction, I felt the burning of her crowning.  The next contraction, her head was out, and shortly after was the next contraction that pushed out her body, and I was able to catch her and pull her warm little body up onto my chest.  This moment was pure joy as I cradled this sweet little baby up on me, and I was still in only my tank top I had worn to the hospital, no time to even put on a hospital  gown.  It was a few seconds later that I realized we hadn't even checked to see what the baby was, and we moved the cord out of the way to find out that we had a baby girl.  After the cord had stopped pulsing, Ryan was able to cut it.  She was born at 5:22, 50 minutes after arriving at the hospital.  It was fast,

The next couple hours were some of the best in my life.  Ryan and I just sat in the room alone with our new baby girl, and cuddled her, stared at her, took pictures of her, and breathed in all her new born baby smells.  (Besides the midwife coming in an hour after she was born to fill out the admittance paperwork!)  It was heavenly having these quiet moments, just the three of us, with this squishy, warm, naked little baby girl.  We were in love!

Excuse all the blurry cell phone pics

Daddy is so in love with this little girl!

Ryan eventually took her to be bathed and weighed, etc.  She was 7 pounds, 11 ounces; and 20.5 inches long.  Practically perfect.

The rest of the day was nice and relaxing.  Family came to see our baby girl, and we debated over what to name her.  Gwen and Drake were smitten with their little sister.

first sibling picture

Early the next morning, we started packing up, getting ready for discharge, and just before leaving, we filled out the paperwork for her name.  After narrowing it down to two good choices, we felt good about naming our sweet baby girl Eden McPhie.  

Eden McPhie

I'm back!

So I took a six month hiatus.  NBD.  Life has been cra-zy!  But some exciting things have happened.  Maybe some of these will get their own posts, but let's be honest.  Probably not.  So some fun things that have happened since I last posted:  

I did finish Ironman!  One of the most incredible days of my life, and if you like to read, you can read more about it here.  

 Ryan started a new job.  He is now a prosecutor for Maricopa County.  When he gets home from work, Drake likes to ask him "how many bad guys did you get today?"  It's pretty cute.

We found out a new McPhie is joining our family!  This has been a great surprise, and we couldn't be happier.  Baby McPhie is coming some time around October 4, and Gwen and Drake are so excited to have a baby brother or sister!

We bought a house!  We had been renting ever since Ryan started law school, and most recently we spent a few months living with my parents while we were house hunting.  While we loved being there, Ryan was anxious for a place of our own, so we sadly left Mesa, and moved to Gilbert.  We love the area, and love the house, and someday will furnish it.  ;)

Gwen and Drake have been killing it in school!

They're sad to be leaving the school they've been attending the past few years in Mesa, but are excited to maybe get to ride bikes to school next school year.

And I GRADUATED!!!!!

   This I can't take all the credit for, because I would not have made it without the support of my family and friends.  This last year has been especially hard since so much time was spent doing my schooling, I felt it was keeping me from being the kind of mother I wanted to be for my kids.  Often they'd ask me why I have to go to school, and if I could just quit.  Ugh!!!  I wish I could have.  I'd tell them McPhies don't quit, and it'd be over soon.  Mostly I was convincing myself.  But it turned out to be true.  It's over!!  Now on to bar prep.  :p

Ryan threw me a lovely graduation party.

 The kids helped decorate.

Love these signs Drake made!

And now, perhaps life will slow down a little.

Besides preparing for the bar, I'll be running the babes to swim, and eating watermelon all summer, so hopefully I might be able to resume blogging as well.  

Arizona Centennial (V-Day)

I love AZ.

Tons.

Therefore it's only appropriate that this sweetheart state celebrates its birthday on Valentine's day.

I've been trying to instill a love for AZ in the kids too.

So we've been talking for at least the last couple of months about Arizona's 100th birthday.

They've been super excited for it.

Gwen went with me down to the state capital for the big celebration.

Arizona is the nation's largest provider of copper.

And this copper chopper was commissioned for the celebration.

Gwen got down with the Marines and cranked out 10 pushups to get an "army guy" poster for Drake.

What a sweet sister.

This was a mini USS Arizona.

You know, the ship that was attacked during Pearl Harbor, and you can still see parts of it sticking out of the water there.

Arizona had some key parts in WWII, like the sinking of the USS Arizona with tons of service men on board, and then the Navajo Code Talkers who helped the US communicate with their unbreakable code (the Navajo language).

By far though, Gwen's favorite part was panning for gold.

Here she is with her treasures.

I didn't tell her it's fake though.

Should I?

She thinks she's rich!

Then on the 14th, we had a bunch of people over for Navajo Tacos, cake and ice cream.

I slacked on the pictures, but we had so much fun.

And learned a lot about Arizona too.

Good job on the quiz mom and Tawnya!

How would you do? Can you name the 5 C's of AZ's economy? (sorry Holly, courage is not one of them... but it should be right?)

Or do you know how many Interstate Highways are in AZ and can you name them?

What about AZ's highest elevation?

AZ's nickname?

Oh, and here's a shout out and thank you to Jack and Aubrey for the valentines!

Can you tell the kids are straight out of bed?

Been so busy...

so this picture post will have to do.

Christmas happened

Here's the proof.

Enjoy the pictures, and my minimal narration. ;)

This year was crazy busy. I got out of school just over a week before Christmas, but at the same time, Tara and her kids were in a car accident that left both Tara and Aubrey in the hospital. So I flew out and spent a few days there helping Tara out who now has a couple of pins in her ankle and can't get around.

And poor Aubrey who now has a little metal plate in her forehead, finally came home after 4 days in the hospital.
But in other Christmas activities, there was a trip to the North Pole:
Mason smashing Katie -



And playing in the snow!
It only lasted 15 minutes before the kids were COLD and wanting to go home.
A trip to the Mesa Temple to see the lights.
This cute boy made me a Christmas gift that he kept asking me to open. I told him I wanted to wait for Christmas but finally gave in. A super duper cute ornament he made for me at school.
And finally Christmas eve:

Decorating cookies for Santa.
Ryan on the guitar, singing Christmas carols.
Christmas eve games.




And finally Christmas.
The kids were so cute, and on their own decided to use their own money to buy gifts for each other.
Gwen loved her "high heels" and has only taken them off her feet to wear her new roller skates.

All in all, we had a wonderful Christmas, and gave thanks for our many blessings.