Hospital

I thought you all would enjoy some more pictures of Katelyn and my stay in the hosptial.

This one makes Katelyn look huge.

Aren't these 2 girls adorable.

Dad and his girls...all 3 of them!!

I don't look so good, but she is adorable.

The proud Dad and his new girl. She was only minutes old in this one.

This is the nurse who kept Katie's head from pushing on the cord. She saved her life.

This was my roommate the whole week I was in the hospital. We really enjoyed talking to each other. It was a wonderful chance to practice my German.
All ready to go home. The hat was rather big, but it makes for a funny picture.

Day of Miracles

So I want you all to hear the story of the miracle (literally) of Katelyn's birth. On my Wednesday appointment to the dr we decided that I would go into the hospital on Friday morning and be induced. So we got the girls over the Gma and Gpa's house and set off. It took a while for the contractions to really pick up, but once he broke my water things really got going. The contractions were really intense and close together (Ashley W. is this normal for being induced. That is what happened when I was induced with Anne).

Within 30 minutes I knew I needed the epidural. So they decided to check my progress. Things were happening really fast. But the nurse discovered a problem. Katie's heart rate kept dropping drastically and it seemed her head was pushing on the umbilical cord. Panic insued! All the nurses started running around preparing things and calling people. Jared and I could barely understand what was going on. They were prepping me for a c-section and moving fast. One of the nurses had to sit on my bed holding Katie's head in place so it wouldn't push on the cord. She sat there the whole time until she was born (over a half hour) I have never had an operation before so I knew this was going to be quite the experience. The dr rushed back to the hospital and they literally ran me down to the operating room. I was almost completely exposed to the whole hospital. What an experience that was. Within a half hour in the operating room was born and in Jared's arms. Jared was so worried about both of us, because we had so little information and he couldn't be in the operating room. But the nursed went down frequently to get him update during the operation and while I was in recovery. And he got some wonderful time with Katie while I was out.

I just got out of the hospital yesterday and am doing really well. It truly is a miracle the way we found out there was a problem and how quickly everyone was able to respond and especially that nothing happened to Katie. It is so easy for things to go seriously wrong for the child, even fatally, in a situation like this. But she seems to have no side effects and is doing really well. She is such a peaceful child and we all love her so much. I am so grateful for the genuine love that was shown to me by the nurses and doctors during the birth, and to both of us during our stay in the hospital. We are truly so blessed and I don't know how to show my gratitude to Heavenly Father enough.

Katelyn Marie Dautel

Please check this link for further details ...
http://www.steadfastdesign.net/kmd

38th Week and Counting

Today is officially the start of my 38th week of pregnancy. I thought I would never get to this point, but it came amazingly fast (well, at least as fast as a pregnancy can go). Yestereday I went to my latest appointment and I must admit I was really nervous about it. I am constantly in pain, and not sleeping. I can barely get anything done. Jared went back to work today after 2 1/2 weeks vacation, and tonight he starts a very intense 6 weeks of school. I just don't know how to handle it all, plus my calling and what ever else comes along. I spent a good portion of yesterday morning crying to Jared.

Anyway...I was nervous about what the doctor would say about any progress my body might be making to have this baby come. He is more than willing to induce me whenever I have made enough progress that my body would respond to the drugs. I was scared that I wouldn't have made any progress and was prepared to burst into hysterics right there in his office, then schedule and planned c-section.

Everything went well. Based on the baby's size in the ultrasound (he does one every visit...I am one lucky woman) the baby is already 3.5 kilos (over 7 1/2 lbs) in weight. Can't imagine how big it will be when it is born. I have dialated to 1 cm, but not effaced yet...sorry to all you guys for the information. But the doctor said that since it is my 3rd child. It could go the full 40 weeks or come this weekend. From now until the baby comes I go in every week.

I came out of the appointment actually feeling a little encouraged. It is so frustrating knowing that you are just sitting around waiting for your own body to do the necessary work, but also having no control over if it does the work or not. But I am very fortunate to have a doctor who doesn't just brush aside my complaints and need to have this baby as soon as possible. He is willing to give me whatever information I need and will do whatever possible to help it to come early, safely and with as little pain to myself. He gives me encouragement about the possibility of it coming early on its own, not making suffer like the other doctors did. So now I just am looking to next Wednesday and then go from there.

That Much Closer to 30

On Monday I celebrated my 26th Birthday. This one was a truly simple but wonderful and enjoyable one. Jared made it so special for me. The night before we had a huge amount of snow fall, so that disrupted some of his plans for me. But this also provided us with some other unplanned moments and memories.

B-day Girl and the flowers that Rike gave me!!

After Jared went out to shovel the snow off our driveway and sidewalk (the girls and I had so much fun watching him from the window and talking to him) he went to the local bakery and got some treats for breakfast. He also got me some beautiful flowers from the floral shop. They are so gorgeous and smell so good.

Jared took care of the girls while I layed down to try and sleep. He bundled them up and took them for a drive. I got some much needed quiet and rest. I wasn't able to sleep but my body got rest. While they were out Jared took Anne and Alicia and bought a sled. When I got ready we drove into Nürnberg to pick up Robby and do a little shopping.

It had been the plan for Jared and I to go out to our favorite restaurant (El Mexicano) but, unbeknownst to me, the plan had to be modified because some of the plans fell through. So instead we decided to do my family b-day dinner that night. We bought the cordon bleu and veggies that I wanted and headed home. Jared also let me pick out some new movies for my b-day gift.

Once we got home we went up the large hill by our house and Jared took the girls sledding. The pictures of this are on the post below. I really loved seeing the joy and wonder of it through the eyes of Anne and Alicia. I loved being the video and picture taker and staying much warmer.

We went to the Dautels to get warm again and relax alittle with the family. Beate has been so sick for almost a week now, so we didn't see her that day. While the girls took a nap I got my present from Ray. He gave me a pedicure (he gives the best ones), while we watched one of the new movies we got. I love having my soft and smooth feet, plus the massage that comes with the pedicure.

My sweet husband and some of the family all worked together to make my b-day dinner. I wasn't allowed to do anything. The whole day I wasn't allowed to even change any diapers. I felt so pampered and loved. It was so nice to be able to just sit back and enjoy the special moments of the day. It has been so long since I have been able to do that.

Doesn#t that all look just delicious!!!

Of course the dinner was absolutely delicious and so lovingly made. It wasn't the same though without Beate there. My girls sang Happy Birthday to me several times through the day. They are so cute. Rike gave me a wonderful card and some flowers. After cake and muffins (again so delicious) we got the girls ready for bed and then Jared and I headed home. The Dautels agreed to keep the girls so I could sleep through the night and sleep in.
Cute little Anne blew out my candles for me while we were singing. it made the whole thing so much more memorable.


I got to do one of my favorite things when we got home...lay in bed with my hubby, cuddle and watch a movie. Then just fall asleep when I wanted to. It was so nice to be able to wake up in the morning when my body wanted to and to not be jerked out of sleep by a crying child. And when I woke up during the night I could immediately go back to sleep, knowing that there were no children calling for me.

Then on Tuesday night Jared took me out for the Mexican dinner we had planned for the night before. When we got there I found out that Jared had arranged for some of our friends to meet us there. That was the reason we had to do it a day later. He had invited Ben and Jenny Keil and Sara and Uwe Schulz. The day before Ben had been sick, so it was delayed. Then about a couple hours before we left for the restaurant they called again and said that Jenny was suddenly sick this time. We missed having them with us, but still loved being with the Schulzes.

It was such a good b-day and it just proved to me what a wonderful man I married and why I love him so much.

Sleds are for Snow

Yesterday we had quite a bit of snow so Jared decided to take the girls sledding for the first time. We bought our own sled, bundled them up and set out.

Doesn't look like they could possible get cold, does it? Jared took turns taking each girl down. They laughed and laughed and had the best time. I am not a person who likes the cold and due to my present physical state we decided that I was to official historian of the event.
When we were done I took Alicia back to Gma and Gpa's house in the car and Jared took Anne back on the sled. Alicia wouldn't go into the house until we waited for her dad and Anne to come down the hill. We had to wait at the sidewalk and watch for them. Then she went running to meet them once they were in sight. I just liked this picture, so I decided you all should see it too.

Our Holiday Vacation

We have had a lot of fun moments during the holidays. Anne and Alicia have had so much fun with all that we have done, but I must admit I am ready to get back to a rountine. Plus, I need to start getting things in the house ready for the baby.

I loved watching Jared having tea with his girls.
I think just about every person in the family have played this memory game with the girls.

We were trying to play Legretto, but the girls of course wanted to participate. So we gave them their own deck and they had fun being like the adults.

They thought turning the bed into a slide would be fun. What do you think?