Halloween Fun!

I am up early because Willa doesn't know about daylight savings time. Time to update the blog!

Yesterday was Halloween! We love

Halloween...next year we are looking forward to taking Willa Trick or Treating and then eating her candy, but this year her job was just to stay home and look cute.

We carved pumpkins the night before. Halloween day we took pictures of Willa in her costume, and then put her in her little My Firs

t Halloween outfit for the rest of the day. We had some friends over with their little girl who is Willa's age, and I made creepy finger cookies. It was a good day!

Comparisons

I don't think I need to explain this post...I will just let it speak for itself.

Cousins

Cousins (L-R) Aubrey, Cole & Willa (nice fat tummy, Willa!)

Aubrey and Willa, 3 months apart in age.

Mini House Makeover

We have many plans for this house that involve at the very least new siding, at most an addition. We'd like to do both of those at once, but until we can afford it, the house looks pretty drab. In fact, we get lots of siding salesmen knocking on our door reminding me that we need new siding. Four years we have lived in this house, complaining about the faded shutters and general ugliness. So one day I got the bright idea to freshen up the outside just a little...and after we had finished, Nick and I both looked at each other and wondered why on earth we didn't think to do this before.

We repainted the shutters and added some color to the doors! The "before" photo was taken a couple years ago, so new landscaping has made a big difference as well. Anyway, I think I can live with this for awhile now. Until it's time for new siding, this will do!

Blooper!

While trying to make a nice little video for Willa's Aunt Angie to see while she's at work, Willa did what she does best!

She did it!

Willa slept through the night last night...yeah!!! From 10:00 pm - 5:30 am. We are very grateful for a FULL, uninterrupted night of sleep. Looking at that last sentence, I can't believe I'm at the point in my life where I consider 10 pm - 5:30 am a full night's rest...but hey, I'll take it.

Of course, we woke with a start when the alarm went off and ran in there to make sure she was still breathing...

I don't expect this every night just yet, but a couple times a week would be nice. Way to go Willa!

Officially parents

I think we have been officially initiated into the world of parenthood.

This is the worst we've had so far.  And this was one of my favorite onesies...hope the stain comes out!

No more cankles!

I meant to post this a few weeks ago, but I'm a slacker.  I'm enjoying my normal sized ankles again!  And the fact that I got a pedicure and now my feet don't look so gross.

Yes, that's the big news of the last few weeks.  That and I can get my wedding ring on again, but it's still a little too tight to wear.  I suppose I have more weight to lose.

Willa meets (some of) her family!

Willa has now met Grandpa and Grandma Van Veen, Grandpa and Grandma Pierson, Aunt Angie, Great Grandpa and Grandma Voss, Great Aunt Nancy and my cousins Lisa, Jessica and Julie.  Looking forward to more family coming up to see our little girl!  Willa has so many cousins on Nick's side, she has no idea!

Other news this week...we have been getting out and about!  We did a little shopping in Saugatuck on Monday, went out to eat a few times and went to the Coast Guard Festival on Friday afternoon.  It feels good to go do stuff again, walk at nearly my normal speed and for more than 5 minutes!  Willa LOVES being outside and we are having fun using the new stroller.  Glad it's summer!!

All dressed up right before one of our outings:

Welcome to the world, Willa!

Our little bundle of joy has finally arrived!  After one failed induction on July 10, one reschedule from July 14 to July 15...I was more than ready!!!  The rescheduling of the second induction was awful...I cried...but then I went and saw Harry Potter with Nick, which I wasn't expecting to be able to see in the theater.  :oD

Went in at 7:30 pm July 15 to be induced for the second time, and this time it worked!  They didn't even need to give me Pitocin, so that was great...I must've been close to going on my own.  Also, BIG kudos to the nursing staff at Holland Hospital.  They were fantastic...especially Jaclyn, who was with me through the worst of it.

So after 11 hours and one epidural (a gift directly from heaven, with an angel administering it) Willa Anne Pierson made her big debut into this world at 7:29 am at 7 lbs. 13 oz., 20" long.  She looks AMAZINGLY like her daddy...I will have to scan in a 5-day old picture of him that his mom gave me with his baby book.  It is nearly identical!

Enjoy the pics!  I'm avoiding posting the NEW newborn ones where her head and face are all squashy.  ;o)

Home, no baby yet,

I've never heard of inducing labor and having it not work.  Until now.  We were at the hospital from 7am - 11pm yesterday, Pitocin cranked up high, not really affecting me at all.  

Baby P doesn't like to be told what to do, sound familiar??

So they sent us home.  I was so incredibly disappointed, especially since we felt like we wasted the entire day and have nothing to show for it. On the other hand, I'm very happy that my doctor didn't want to take the easy/lazy way out and do a c-section. 

The plan now is to have me come in for testing on Monday to make sure the baby is still looking healthy.  Then Tuesday night they will try to induce me again, and if it for some reason wouldn't work AGAIN, we will have a c-section.

So sorry everyone, thought I'd have some news by now.

Baby Pierson is almost here!

I am being induced bright and early tomorrow morning!  My doctor thinks the baby is a little on the big side, and waiting until my due date might be more of a risk of having to have a c-section.  So hopefully Baby P arrives without incident!  Pray for me people, I'm kind of scared!!

39 weeks and last pregnant pic!

Baby's room is ready.  Kudos to Mom for making the bedding and curtains, and my Aunt Nancy for the beautiful knitted blanket!

And for good measure, check out my CANKLES!  The swelling goes all the way up to my knees...they look like the legs of a different person.  I will be happy to see my foot bones again!

Neti Pot Fun

After years and years of allergies, and now a gross cold, I have finally been pushed to try a neti pot.  What is a neti pot you ask?  It's like a little watering can for your nose.  You fill it with a salt/water mix and just pour it in and it is supposed to irrigate and wash out your sinuses. 

I had an allergy attack on Tuesday that turned into a cold.  The kind of cold where your whole face hurts because your sinuses are packed full and your voice sounds like a man.  I could tell it was loosening up the last couple of days so I finally decided to use the neti pot.

This is the coolest thing ever.  I loved it!  It totally cleaned a BUNCH of stuff out and I instantly felt better. Now, since I have a cold, the congestion did come back later but with less nose-blowing involved.  Used it again this morning and I'm once again nice and clear!  

Of course it was amazingly disgusting (the good kind though, you know, like when you pop a zit or something)...so of course I wanted to watch Nick to try it.  This resulted in hilarious laughter, on my end.  There he is, bent over the sink with the pot in his nose, and he starts complaining of it all going in his mouth and ears (?).  I start laughing, he begins to cough and choke and I see the water solution start bubbling and shooting out of the top of the pot.  Keep in mind that all that is supposed to happen is water is supposed to just drain out of your other nostril.  So pretty soon I have to leave the room in tears of laughter, and I hear him choking and coughing and yelling "I'm never doing that again!!" and I come in to find water all over the counter.

So, I've had two good experiences.  I recommend a neti pot!  Nick however, does not.

The end is getting closer!

...and I'm finally starting to want this baby out of me.  Having a bad day with some serious aches and pains today...hopefully it is just a bad day and not a new everyday thing!  My poor hips!

We had our Childbirth Education class yesterday, and even though it was nearly information overload, I'm feeling much more at ease...and both of us are feeling a little more excited!  We got a tour of the Boven Birth Center at Holland Hospital which looks really nice and comfortable.  Oh and the food there is great!  7 weeks to go!

33 weeks starting to feel really huge and awkward.

First smallies of the season

My first smallmouth of the season. Not a big one but the first always gets to pose for the camera. The river was a little high and dirty which made for some sketchy wading but the fish are always there.

It was a little slower than most years. I caught this 18 1/2 incher  right after I released a smaller one. I was watching a mink on the bank about five feet from where I was wading when this guy very softly picked up my grub it felt like I set the hook in a rock.  This is my biggest one so far. That mink came by later with a 10 in bullhead in it's mouth so I guess he had some luck too. I tried to get a picture, but it was nothing but a blur.

Three cast later and one small one in between this pig hit my curly tail. Another 18 incher. I couldn't believe it. I fished for another hour and caught several more smaller one so it was a great sunday afternoon. Even made it home in time to watch the Wings beat the Blackhawks.

Excitement this week

Well, there's not a whole lot to talk about right now other than preparing for baby's arrival.  We've been working hard on the nursery, so that's kept us pretty busy.  We had an ultrasound last week (30 weeks) and there was a lot more to look at than there was at the 19 week ultrasound!  We got a pretty good pic of Baby P's face.

Other big news this week...I scored a sweet deal on some chairs for my kitchen.  Yes, we've been using folding chairs up until now, because I couldn't find what I wanted!  These chairs actually look like they are part of a set with the table, but I actually found them on craigslist.  And it turned out that the seller was my neighbor (small world!).  Anybody know how to make chair seats?

I'm giving this a shot

I don't know how much of a blogger I will be, but I thought I'd give it a shot (at the suggestion of my friend Heather).  I figure this will be nice for our out-of-state family to follow along with our lives...probably a little more informative than our once-a-week phone calls!

Nick and I will both be posting...I'm sure from context you'll be able to tell who's who.  ;o)

I can't promise I'll keep up with this but I will try!