The rain drops are falling on my head

Yesterday we were sitting in Sacrament and Madison was quietly playing on the floor with her feet. Apparently she wore herself out because she got really quiet so I looked down to check on her and she was sound asleep even with the two rows of kids screaming in front of us. So I pulled a blanket out of the diaper bag and covered her up with it. but as usual she pulled her arms out immediately and clutched the blanket. she was asleep about 20 minutes and I was periodically looking down to check on her when I noticed Suddenly that the blanket she was laying on was all wet and SO WAS SHE!! I'm looking everywhere for this water at first I thought it was spit only to realize the child in the pew in front of us had spilled an 8oz water bottle down the crack of the seat! She only sort of woke up and was actually trying to fall asleep again so I left her after I wiped up the water but she never fell back asleep. I know I'm a cruel parent for saying this but I couldn't stop laughing! Definitely the highlight of the day for me at least.

4 months old

Here's the Stats for 4 months:
11 lbs 14 oz (25%)
25.5 inches (95 %)

My baby turned 4 months old this weekend. My has time flown by in the last month so much has happened and changed here's a couple of the fun moments i remember:

She went to her first funeral
she now does tummy time without crying most of the time
started chewing on her hands
She loves to play in her baby Einstein toy a lot
We tried rice cereal but it was a disaster she just wasn't ready
she loves to stand up all the time
she does this lip smacking thing that i think is hilarious
at the end of the month she learned to pick up toys and put them in her mouth
She laughs and smiles all the time
Great grandma Ruth and Grandma Teresa came to visit
she is always very happy and loves to be with mommy pretty much all the time
she still hasn't rolled over
she sits at the dinner table with us every night and plays with a toy while we eat dinner
she loves her baths
she has slept through the night several times

I love my happy little Madison more than anything. and although parenthood is difficult at times I wouldn't trade it for anything in the whole world she is totally amazing and its so fun to watch her lean and grow every day. Some days are harder than others but I believe she has truly made me a stronger woman, mother, and wife because of the trials. Because of her my life is full of laughter and light happiness and i truly understand the word joy. she has also taught me that life isn't perfect but there are many perfect moments that come and to enjoy those little moments. Motherhood has given me an insight into the love heavenly father has for his children. My testimony of his love and mercy has grown so much in the last for moths.

We love you Madison, You are our whole life

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

PIctures from March 3 months old

I sleep in my own bed every night

I know how to play with toys now

Aunt Collette came to visit

Snuck my hand out of mommy's swaddle

Beauty Queen Shot

Daddy's Hat is big

I don't Like Rice Cereal

Tummy Time with now crying is a miracle

I love my new toy daddy built for me

3 Months

Okay so I'm way behind here's some things I noticed during her third month

she really leaned to smile and laugh (or the long coo that sounds like a laugh)
she loves to play on the floor as long as I'm next to her
she still hates the car seat and most car rides
we go to park day every Tuesday and spend time with all the other babies

I'm sure there is lots more i cant think of right now

I love her so much and I know she is mine for a reason no matter how good or bad the day

To My Sweet Madison:
Mommy and daddy want you to know that we love you so much! Everyday is such a joy to spend with you. Mommy's favorite thing is to listen to you laugh and coo when she plays with you. You make my day full and joyful. The more that time passes the more in love I fall with you. No matter how hard or easy the days and nights are YOU ARE WORTH EVERY MOMENT. You are a divine daughter of God who already has a sweet and loving personality. I cant wait to continue to share all the special moments to come in your life. We love you with all our hearts

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

a quick 3 month photo shoot

Madison's Blessing

On Sunday February 6, 2011 Madison Ranee Dayton was given a name and a blessing by her daddy, grandpa David, Rod Nelson, and Bryan Guiterrez.

he gave her a beautiful blessing and we were so blessed to have our whole family there.

Making it a little more special was the blessing of another baby and and confirmation after a baptism that had taken place the day before.

what a wonderful and spiritual day...we are truly blessed to have her in our lives!

2 months

I cant believe my baby girl is already 2 months old...time has gone by so fast

here's her two months stats
23.5 inches 75%
10.5 lbs underweight by 1 lbs

the doctor wants to see her back in two weeks and has permanently switched her over to soy milk only. we're pretty sure she's lactose intolerant.

he said she may grow out of it but there is no way to know until she is at least a year old

after we switched her to soy milk she seemed to be doing better until she poops. my poor baby is constipated on sunday after all the festivities we gave her a glycerin suppository the effects were almost immediate. since then she has only had one incidence of constipation. It is the saddest thing to listen to your baby scream and push just to get some relief and there's nothing you can really do. Hopefully it will go away soon the doctor said when you switch formulas its normal for bowel habits to change for a little while...here's to hoping

8 Weeks

Well I cant believe she has been here for eight weeks. I cant believe my baby is almost 2 months old already. The last 8 weeks have been quite the challenge between moving, painting, a new baby, decorating, the crying, sleepless nights, feelings of abandonment and so many other emotions I'm glad our life is finally calming down now. next Sunday Madison will be blessed and given her name at church by her daddy.

as for the house:
Madison's room is painted and decorated as far as i can get for now
the guest room has a bed with a mattress, its been painted and the floors cleaned
the kitchen is finished and fully functional
the dining room only has one box left sitting in it
our bedroom is unpacked (except a box of my shoes)
the desk is up and the computer is functional (but for some reason the screen is a little blurry)
and there's only about 10 boxes of mostly decorations and books left to put out

as for Madison:
She recently started cooing and smiling
she will play on the floor or in the bouncer or on the changing table for quite a while now especially if she is in a good mood
she normally sleeps 4-5 hours at a time at night
Church is quite the challenge with her since my calling is so demanding and Anthony has to work most Sundays
she is very alert and attentive to what is going on around her
She LOVES her pacifier
Sleeps in the big crib during the day but not at night yet
she HATES tummy time and cries the whole time
she goes to park days every Tuesday from 10-12

In all Motherhood was nothing like I expected...I thought i was prepared but I WASN'T PREPARED IN ANYWAY FOR WHAT WAS COMING

I love her so much and I'm glad she is here she makes my life full and have purpose but boy is she a challenge

Newborn and 2 Weeks old

Madison came home from the NICU on December 5th 2010 at 11am...and i was one happy mama!

her first outing was to a sushi restaurant at 8 days old and mommy was super happy because it had been a long time since i had some good sushi

Statistics

born at
7 lbs 11.6 oz (25th %)
19 inches long (50th %)

We took her to meet her pediatrician Dr. Lui. He's amazing period! he's a little on the younger side but very helpful and informative.

At 2 weeks old:

8 lbs 4 oz (50th %)
20.5 inches long (50%)

at two weeks she was very alert and active. I never really had a newborn as far as the sleeping and eating thing. she has always been pretty alert and lays and plays on the floor frequently. she goes back for her 2 month appointment in February. she is such a joy in our life i dont know how we ever lived without her!

5 things I missed while pregnant

1. sleeping on my belly
2. drinking juice without heartburn
3. normal feeling fingers
4. Hot dogs
5. getting in and out of the car easily

Madison's Birth Story

When I went in to my doctor’s visit on the Monday after my due date I expected the doctor to say he would induce that Thursday which was Dec 2, 2010. Since my B/P was a little high he decided not to risk it anymore and induce the following morning. I have to admit I was overjoyed. Two reasons I was super excited to finally meet my little one and happy to gain my own body back. We were scheduled for the induction at 9am Tuesday November 30th. I'm pretty sure I was glowing all day because I could not come down I was so happy. This was a huge blessing in disguise because Anthony's normal days off are Tuesday and Thursday. so being induced on Tuesday meant that he would probably only have to take one day extra off.

Tuesday morning we were up early for obvious reasons and about 45 minutes before we were scheduled to be induced the hospital called and said they were extra busy today and I would have to wait until they had a room available. We were devastated, we had no idea how long that could be or if it would still be the same day. To try and fill our day we decided to go and get breakfast at IHOP to blow sometime in the hopes that while we were out the hospital would call and say to come in and we could get the "party" started but no such luck. So we came back home and began packing up the house. I've been kinda slacking considering we're moving in like 3 weeks and all the art and stuff is still on the walls and to be honest very little was packed. We finished packing up all the art on the walls and our desk and still no call so I asked Anthony if he would like to go inside and play his new video game he just got since we had nothing better to do and he isn’t going to have the time to do it later. As he was loading the game the hospital called and said they were ready for us to come in for the induction. We were ecstatic to say the least. We made a few phone calls to family and let them know what was happening and we were off. I was so excited I could barely contain myself and I’m pretty sure that Anthony was overexcited as well because he sped all the way there. When we got there they were ready and waiting for us. We sat in the waiting room for about 10 minutes while they shuffled stuff around and they placed us in a room. I had two different nurses just to be admitted to the labor and delivery department. The first thing they did was hook me up to the monitors and already there was a problem. Madison’s heart rate was off the charts, she was running in the 180’s to the 190’s. Because her heart rate never came down they held the induction until she remained stable for at least a half hour. We were admitted at 11am and they didn’t begin the induction until 4pm.

To start the induction I was hoping they would just go straight to the pitocin which causes contractions but my cervix was not effaced at all and I was only dilated to a 1. So they used cervadil. When I heard those words I was very upset because I knew that meant 12 hours of medication that probably would yield very little. At that point I knew that this was going to be a very long process. So for an hour I laid flat on my back for an hour while we watched surf’s up on our handy dandy new portable DVD player. I got a couple of contractions but my goal was to go all 12 hours without pain medication. It took some doing but I did it … 12 hours with some contractions and no pain medication. When they came in at 4 am to check if the medication had yielded any results…the news was devastating very little had changed. They said okay let’s do another round of cervadil and I refused I told them do a C-section or find another way but no cervadil. The nurse came back in about an hour later and asked if I would do another medication called cytotec. They explained how it worked and I agreed. They gave me the medication and I laid down for the half hour required. Then when Anthony got back from getting some breakfast we went down stairs to the first floor and we walked up and down the halls for four hours. About a half hour into walking up and down the hall we knew the medication was working because I was feeling major contractions and they were strong enough that I had to stop walking while they were happening. After the four hours I went back up I had some lunch and after lunch they checked me. I was dilated to a two and was effaced about 50%. We did another round of cytotec and walked for another four hours. By this time it was 8pm on day two of the induction, when they checked my cervix I was dilated to a 3 and ready for the pitocin. This is when things really got started. The contractions started to get stronger and at about 1 am I asked for some pain medication so they gave me nubain. About a half hour later the anesthesiologist came in to give me my epidural. I really didn’t want it yet but they said it was now or never so I went ahead and agreed. That was the most bizarre feeling ever but it was not painful like I expected it to be. Around 3am the nurse came in to check on my progress but nothing had changed and she said the baby was stuck in the same position and was having head molding because the bridge of her nose was stuck on the front of my pelvis. They said they were only going to wait a half hour longer and then they were going to stop everything and I would be scheduled for a C-section at 7am. I really didn’t want the C-section at this time since I had worked so hard to make things happen naturally. At about 5 am I told Anthony to call the nurse because I really felt like I needed to push. She came in and checked me I was dilated to a 9 and only had a small rim around Madison’s head that I had to wait and not push. So I decided that I did not want her to deliver Madison and I held on and did not push for almost 2 hours to wait for the morning nurse to come on at 7:30. Her name was Arianna, she was also the day nurse on our 2^nd day there. I told Anthony at 7:30 that I couldn’t hold her in any more. He went to get Arianna and when she walked in she said to practice pushing. I pushed once and she said to stop and not to push anymore because she could see Madison’s head and there was no doctor. She turned to the night shift nurse and told her to get Dr. Wong (my ob/gyn) right now. I pushed for 15 minutes or so and she was here. It was the hardest thing I ever did but I had amazing support by my side and once she was on my chest there was nothing in this world that was better. At that moment I understood a little better the love Heavenly Father has for his children. I never thought I could love someone more than I love Anthony and I didn’t lose any love for him she just increased the capacity my heart and mind could understand in loving another person. FAMILIES CAN BE TOGETHER FOREVER THOUGH HEAVENLY FATHERS PLAN…and I’m so grateful for the knowledge of his true and ever lasting gospel

 

Light at the end of the tunnel

Now that I'm 4 days overdue the doctor has decided its time for the baby to join us here on earth. There is an end in sight.

I'm being Induced Tuesday November 30,2010 at 9am

Now the question is will she be a November or a December baby??

I'm so excited I cant wait to meet my baby girl, hold her in my arms, and tell her everyday for the rest of my life how much I love her!!

I have waited for this day for the 24 Years and 11 Months of my life...I feel so blessed and privileged that Heavenly Father has entrusted me with one of his precious children.

I do fear that with an induction the possibility of a C-section is more possible and more likely. it is MAJOR SURGERY. Which could mean more stress on the baby and a more difficult recovery.

3rd Trimester

The last 90 days or so have been quite long and so much has happened I almost should have wrote things down monthly but here's what I remember:

-I never really struggled to sleep
-Madison had hiccups several times a day for hours on end and at times they drove me crazy
-I loved feeling her move around inside me but was never willing to admit it to most people
-As my belly got bigger I struggled to keep food in my mouth and off my shirt
-I hit my belly with the car door more times then I could count
-at about 36 weeks if became difficult to drive so Anthony did 99% of the driving
-I had very little swelling in my feet or hands but they found swelling in my upper back which caused my hands to go numb and have tingling most of the time
-at 38 weeks I was admitted to the hospital for overnight medication due to a severe kidney infection and kidney stones
-Because I was admitted to the hospital I missed Grandpa Anderson's Lifetime achievement award dinner (which for me was the ultimate disrespect and devastation but he forgave me)
-There were two baby showers one from my family and one from church. We were so blessed to have such good friends and family who were so generous
-the longing in my arms to hold my baby girl got stronger as I got closer to my due date and at times it was almost unbearable
-I still have no idea what braxton hix contractions feel like
-Anthony has taken over a lot of my care that I cant do...putting on socks and shoes, helping me get my pants on, and multiple other things that become difficult with the belly and the numb hands
-He has gone to every doctors appointment through out the pregnancy (except maybe one or two) and has been so supportive
-I cry at random and I HATE IT
-I feel like a bull in a china shop with my big belly
-TV is worthless and there's nothing good on!!
- at 39 weeks I finally started having False labor pains (and I was ecstatic about it)
-Being a nurse helped very little during my pregnancy but I had some great books and good friends as resources that made it all easier to understand
-I only gained 14Lbs the entire pregnancy but I ate like a horse
-At 37 weeks we found out my placenta was on the right side of my uterus

All in all I thought I would love being pregnant and I have to admit now 40 weeks later that there is very little about being pregnant that I truly Love! It went by fast but not fast enough.

3 DAYS TO GO!!

Admitted

I started having pain on my left side on Friday. it wasn't unbearable and medication was helping so i didnt think anything of it. Saturday morning i went to a training meeting for church and got pain that was so unbearable i thought i was going to pass out- again on the left side. so i called my mom since anthony was working and asked her to bring me pain medication so i could get through the meeting and go home to rest. well the pain went away until about 2pm. it was more like a dull ache then a real pain so i just ignored it and went on my way i picked Anthony up from work at 5 and we went home to finish getting ready for grandpa's award dinner at Cal State San Bernardino. by the time we were finished getting ready to go the pain was unbearable and i could no longer stand up or even move. i took some pain medication and put an ice pack on what i was sure was a kidney stone. after a half hour the pain was not going away so although i didn't want to i had to admit that i need to go to the hospital for help i didn't want to put stress on the baby. so we forwent the award dinner (which i was not happy about) and headed for Pomona Valley Hospital.

They determined not only was i having kidney stones but i also had a severe kidney infection. Severe enough that they admitted me to the floor to watch the baby and medicate me for the infection and for the pain safely. of course i didn't have any pain until like 2 in the morning when everyone else on the floor is having baby's i'm bothering this sweet nurse for pain medication because i can barely breath. anthony stayed at the hospital with me until 10pm and then i sent him home because he was falling asleep in the chair and i wanted him to sleep in our bed not in that uncomfortable chair. the doctor came in the morning and looked at me. he decided after about 11 am i could go home that it was safe. he sent me home with pain medication to be used only when in severe pain and antibiotics for the infection.

They checked the fluid around Madison before i could go home to make sure she was safe too. I'm proud to say she had an AFI of 16.2 which is amazing since a week ago it was only 9.1 and considered on the low side. The normal is anything above 10! its nice to be home and in my own bed. I definitely only want to be admitted to the hospital again if I'm having this baby because knowing i was going home without my baby and everyone else was going home with their baby was devastating to say the least. on the upside until now my cervix has been completely closed and I'm happy to say I'm officially dilated to .5cm !! I know its not much but at least its progress or i feel like its progress and that is encouraging that there is a light at the end of this tunnel.

10 Days to go!

Formula D Finals

8 hours of smelly cars...but it makes my husband very happy so I go this is the second time this year and i have to admit its very difficult at 8 months pregnant


the only way to stay cool: A hat, Ice and Sunglasses

They didn't win :(

At least he takes pictures of engines instead of all the half naked women

LA County Fair 2010

Okay so every year all year long i sit and patiently wait to go to the fair. it is my absolute favorite ... i truly believe there is nothing more magical then the fair except maybe disneyland. I have to admit I wasn't sure i was going to make it this year being so preggo and all. we bought season passes knowing that i probably would not be able to do more than a couple of hours at a time. we ended up going 3 times while it was open to get everything done ... here is some pictures we took during our trips

At the top of the fairiswheel

on the fairiswheel my favorite

Feeding the animals

At least i'm smaller then a train wheel

Monster Truck Show

Very pregnant and walking the buildings at the fair

and counting

43 days until Madison gets here...i'm actually not sure what to think

................................

Fully Licensed

ON SEPTEMBER 30TH 2010 I RECEIVED THE LETTER FROM THE BOARD OF VOCATIONAL NURSING AND PSYCHIATRIC TECHNICIANS THAT I HAD PASSED MY NCLEX TEST AND WAS A FULLY LICENSED NURSE

I HAVE FINALLY REALIZED ONE OF MY DREAMS ON MY BUCKET LIST

Nursing School Graduation

The graduation ceremony was beautiful. we walked into the the classic graduation song. we started off by hearing from a few important people in our experience in nursing school. one of those included a teacher i have great admiration for. she taught me more than just the art of being a nurse. she taught me maturity, cooperation, honesty, and what it means to be completely compassionate regardless of the situation. she gave a beautiful speech for graduation.

after she spoke we heard from a few of what we would consider the "head" of the program. most we saw very little ...basically they make the program run.

  I fought really hard not to have to wear the white hat for graduation. none of the classes before us had to so why should we. ultimately i was the only one who didnt want to wear the stupid thing. I was going to just not come to graduation but i didn't think that was fair to my husband who worked very hard to put me through school and i didnt think it was fair to my family. so i sucked it up and went to the pinning ceremony and wore the stupid white hat.

Recieving my awards for Valedictorian and class secretary

 

 

after the pinning ceremony  we stood with our oil lamps and candle and recited the Florence Nightingale pledge that goes like this:

I solemnly pledge myself before God and in the presence of this assembly, to pass my life in purity and to practice my profession faithfully. I will abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous, and will not take or knowingly administer any harmful drug. I will do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession, and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping and all family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling. With loyalty will I endeavor to aid the physician in his work, and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care.

I haven't been proud of myself for very many things in my life. When i was 18 and graduated high school I made a list of things I wanted to accomplish before I turned 25. One of those things was to graduate from a nursing and become a nurse. I accomplished that with flying colors. I received 2 awards as well as my diploma. those awards include a special accommodation for being class secretary and VALEDICTORIAN!! Yes you read that right I had the highest GPA in the entire class. I couldn't believe it when they called my name I thought for sure there was someone else that had done better than me. For that accomplishment I was so PROUD of myself.

 He was my study buddy, my support, and most of the reason I kept going when there were times I was ready to quit! He's so amazing he got me flowers and even snuck my best friend out here from utah. she spent the weekend and we had tons of fun laughs together for the whole weekend. I still can't believe he surprised me.