The long awaited arrival of 2.0

After nine months of waiting and wondering what little bundle of joy would join our family next, we go our answers early Wednesday (November 24th) morning.

I woke up Tuesday morning with mild contractions starting 10 min apart and quickly moving to 5-7 minutes apart. After a few hours of those, we followed the doctor's orders and went to the hospitals. About 30 minutes after getting to the hospital, the triage nurses decided I had not made any progress and my contractions weren't strong enough to warrant me staying in the hospital. So home we went...a little discouraged.

We spent the rest of Tuesday going for walks, sitting on the exercise ball, taking baths and basically just waiting for something to happen. About 9:30pm that night (after having mild contractions every 5 minutes all day) things started to get more intense and contractions moved to about 3 min apart. After a few hours of that (because at this point I wasn't about to get turned away twice), we called the doctor and he strongly encouraged us to come to the hospital ASAP. We made it to triage about 11:20pm, and I was only dialated to 3cm, but my contractions were consistent and very strong so they admitted me.

At about 11:45 the doctor broke my water (with what looked like a knitting needle) and from there things really got moving. I got back in the bath tub for a half hour or so, then back to the bed. Before I knew it, I was ready to push. I did not (much to the dismay of my nurse) wait for the doctor to join us before I started pushing, in fact I think this conversation happened (unless I was a little dilusional)

Nurse: Honey don't push so hard, the doctor isn't here yet and I don't want to have to deliver this baby.


Me: You better tell him to run.

The doctor made it just in time to put on some gloves and deliver our new little bundle of joy.

Abigail Louise Amsterburg

November 24th, 2010 @ 1:45am

8lb 12oz

21.5 inches

More pictures here...

http://www.our365.com/newbornportraits/babydetail.aspx?birthid=3a64f77e-7e1b-427b-a18b-6b437e0d9ff9&babyid=1dea3655-d1c6-499e-8d1d-6f3d71e867a2

Fall is Finally Here

So now that the temperatures are starting to feel more fall like (believe me I am so grateful for this, my little furnace in my tummy keeps me plenty warm!), we have been able to do some fun fall things like rake the leaves and then play in them...

A Day at the Zoo... Zoo Boo that is

This past weekend we took a family trip to the Binder Park Boo Zoo (or Zoo Boo... I can't remember which one it is). Anyways, it was a beautiful day and we had a lot of fun collecting candy, playing with all the decorations and even took a hay ride through the park.

It was way too hot for the kids to keep their costumes on, but we did get a few pictures of them. Both cousin Champe & Natalie were bumble bees.

Aunt Jenni, Thomas, Aunt Annie & Natalie

Checking out the scarecrows (they are her favorite)

Aunt Jenni & Natalie riding the camel

Grandpa & Champe

Oh no watch out for the hippo!

Annual Halloween Festivities

Each year we celebrate Halloween with Phil's mom. We make scary foods, pick out pumpkins, eat too much & then carve our pumpkins. This year we even had a scary dessert making contest. We didn't actually declare a winner, since we were all in a sugar coma by the end.

We went to Gene the Pumpkin man to pick out pumpkins again this year, I mean he even has an orange car, I think he deserves our pumpkin business.

Testing out the pumpkins

Natalie & Nona

Just relaxin.

Even Tula got dressed up to join the party.

Scary baby!!! This was her "Thriller" look, accentuated by a green frosting mustache.

I have to be honest, these pictures make her look a lot more interested in the carving than she actually was. She tried, but didn't want a whole lot to do with the slimy insides.

Thankfully Dad came to the rescue and carved it for her.

Some things you missed...

Here are some of the things we've been up to in the last few weeks since I've posted last...

Watched Phil participate (and come in 2nd) in his annual Corporate Olympics volleyball games.

Went to the apple orchard with Nona.

Tailgated for MSU football season.

Played with cousin Champe.
Attended a "Sprinkle" shower hosted by my favorite cousin Staci. It was very well done and basically consisted of a small group of family only (sorry everyone else) eating a lot of food and visiting. No gifts were allowed aside from books for baby 2.0.

My mother is taking a cake making class and this is just one of her many masterpieces.

Cousin Staci (our marvelous hostess) and Arianna.
Aunt Sharon & Natalie at the Sprinkle.