More pix of ms. Ashlyn

She totally passed out after eating for 20 minutes. I can't get over those lips!

We got her all ready to go to run errands and she clonked out again.

She finally woke up and was quite ready for some food! She gets so squirmy she always kicks off her socks somehow. She is really strong for only being a week old. She can hold her head up for 5 seconds now and not let it flop back down on my shoulder.

She is just so cute I can hardly stand it!

1 week old!

We've had some fun this past week! Mostly sleeping and eating. She sleeps like a rock. I found out that we cannot wake her up for anything...even if she hasn't eaten for 4 hours....so we just let her wake up on her own now. She has a bit of a routine. Every 2-3 hours she wants food and lots of it....I feel like a cow! We also discovered no lasagna and no cheese for mommy. We're keeping her off formula as long as we can.

She had her first walk about town!!! She couldn't quite figure out what was going on but it knocked her out that's for sure. She was totally zonked. This is right when we started.

She had her first walk about town!!! She couldn't quite figure out what was going on but it knocked her out that's for sure. She was totally zonked. This is right when we started.

This was the absolute cutest picture! Look at those lips!!!! Look out boys! Here comes a heartbreaker!

Now this is the way to sleep!!!

She's Here!

Here she is!!! Ashlyn Michelle Bowler, 7lbs 19 inches, born at 10:19am 8/18/09!!!

Labor started for me Monday morning, pains lasted all day, dialted to a 3 until at least 11 pm on Monday night. But from 1pm Monday until 3 am Tuesday morning, I was in such intense pain from the contractions I couldn't move, stand, talk, anything. It was so so intense. The contractions stayed 5 min apart since 1 on Monday. Finally at 2 am they got to 3 min apart and we headed to the hospital for real after another false alarm. I was finally at 4cm and and was certainly in very active labor so they prepped my delivery room at I got my epidural at 4:30. HEAVEN!!! Of course, right when he's putting in the general anisthetic, major major contraction. The worst one I had felt....But it kicked on and felt so so so good. They gave me an extra boost of some narcotic something that made me totally high. The induction was still scheduled for 7:00 am so I was able to sleep finally. Enoch and I had pretty much been up since 6am Monday morning...So we had been up almost 24 hours. The few hours of sleep we got were so nice. At 7:30 people started moving around getting ready to juice me up with some Pitocin. I'm so so so glad I got my epidural first!! Dr Meredith showed up at 8, checked me before he broke my water. I had gone to a 5 in just a few hours but he went ahead with the Pit. At 9:30am I started feeling alot of pressure. I just kept quiet for a few contractions but then I was thinking, wow....um I think we need the nurse. She came in and checked me and SUPRISE! 100% and 10 cm and baby's head was right there! She had me do 2 practice pushes and said WOAH STOP! I have to call Dr. Meredith. He told us when he gave me the Pit that he would be back around noon to check up on things...yeah he really didn't think I would go that fast at all. The nurse had be labor down until about 10 and then called Dr. Meredith. He got there at 10:10 and started prepping everything to get ready and of course he said the same thing the nurse did, WOW baby is RIGHT there! Laboring down made this next part so so easy. I pushed thru 2 counts of 10, one count of 5, took a pause, a 2 second push, and she was out!! That was it!!!!!!!!!! I was stunned. I thought for sure it would be a couple of hours at least. Dr Meredith and the nurse were both just like, um ok...that was really quick....and the other amazing part, I didn't tear at all....The nurse kept saying that I was so lucky and this rarely happens. I'm still shocked how fast the actual delivery went. No joke, 5 min and she was out. She was about as perfect as a newborn can be. She turned pink right away. My mother in law is a NICU nurse and was as shocked as everyone else, especially at how fast she turned pink. She swore she came out half pink. She was screaming before they really got her all the way out so that probably has something to do with it. As soon as she was on my chest, she stopping crying all together and just stared at me.....I was amazed...I could believe it. Enoch looked like he was half in shock, half about to cry and laugh at the same time. She could already lift up her head! When she was laying on my chest on her tummy, up came her head and she stared right at me....and she was a kicking fool, actually pushing herself around under her own leg power. She's very strong and very healthy, chubby cheeks, blue eyes, very long legs and long fingers.

I'll get more pictures up. Things have been a bit crazy the past couple days!

Official Shower Day & Time!

My baby shower is going to be at Gringo's in the backroom on 8/29 from 10am-12!!!

I would so so much love if all of you that can come will be there!! Ashlyn will be there!!

Invitations aren't done yet so I'm just telling everyone!

THANK YOU SO MUCH SARA AND DIANA!!!!!

........

So....we were sooooooo thinking she was going to be early but it's looking like she is staying right where she is until we force her to come out. I'm being induced 8/18 if she doesn't come before then. I REALLY don't want to be induced...I've heard how unpleasant that is...But it's seeming like she's not coming before then :(

We have another doctor's appt tomorrow to see if I've made anymore progress and what they might be able to do to speed up labor. I can't believe the time is already here!

1 week left!!!!!

Well we have 1 week left!! But Ashlyn doesn't seem to want to come out. Either that or my body wants to keep her in. She hasn't dropped all the way but she has come down a few inches. Efaced almost 70% but not really dialated at this point....So I'm walking even more and this whole week is going to be a diet of spicy foods.

We have an inducement date set for 8/18 if she doesn't come before next sunday. I'm hoping she does because I can only imagine how much pain will be involved with being induced....But a birthday of 8/18/09 will be really easy to remember. Ashlyn you better come before then!!!!

Summer Fun

We have had so much this summer! Camping, campfires, smores, hot dogs, fishing...We can't wait until next summer to have little Ashlyn along on our adventures!!

We went to the demo derby in Rexburg. This is my 2nd time but my first with Enoch there. He had to work last year. Our fave was Batman and Robin! They really didn't last very long....

A couple weekends ago, we went camping by Heise and I caught my first REAL fish! Ashlyn helped! It was pretty interesting trying to sleep with that preggo belly. Enoch packed absolutely everything we would need. He's such an Eagle Scout! We cooked hot dogs over the fire and I had just sat down with my ketchup and mustard smothered goodness...and one fell off and used my leg as the path to the campfire. I was covered in red and yellow. Enoch only thought I dropped my hotdog and then I lifted up my leg. I could tell he tried not laugh but he couldn't hold it in.

I wasn't as patient as Enoch was when it came to fishing. I want instant satisfaction and he could sit by the river all day and fish. Good thing I don't have to fish for a living...

We had a fun 4th at Rigby Lake. Look at my belly! Goodness...that's not a maternity suit by any means but I made it one. Enoch buzzed of his hair the day before...and his head was roasted by the end of the day...That kid and sunscreen...you would have to tie him down and mist him with it to get it on him. We had fun splish splashing around and eating shave ice.

Enoch showing the proper way to indulge in s'mores.

We had a fun family dinner at Enoch's parents house earlier this summer. Everyone was there for it and it just so fun. We made burgers and hot dogs, good ol pasta salad and the piece de resistance, smores!

After eating the main meal, the boys took it upon themselves to rid the property of pesky birds. Since Enoch's parents were re-siding their house, they destroyed all the birds nests...These are very vengeful birds...they pooped on their cars and driveway all day long everyday. There was no point in ever washing the cars because they would be pelted by the end of the day...Enoch with his bow and Joesph with the pellet gun took care of some of them. It was the funniest thing to watch. A few weekends before I went out to their house to wash my car and my father-in-law was out with the pellet gun going after those winged marauders .

Dresser Project

Enoch and I found a fun little dresser we decided to make over. Enoch spent a good part of last night sanding and painting. Enoch looked at it as a good reason to by a sander. The kitchen was covered in sawdust...I didn't get any before pictures of the ugly veneer. But trust me it was hideous. I went and hid in the bedroom while sawdust flew. But Enoch being the good man he is cleaned everything up and there isn't a spec of sawdust left anywhere. He did a wonderful job painting the dresser and waking up the hardware. It was a very very ugly gold before.

My turn on the project is putting "Ashlyn" on the dresser in pink and green. I want to put a cute stencil border around the top but I haven't found one I really like.

Beginning of stenciling

Finished stenciling!

37 weeks and counting!

Oh my lands she is getting big! We're down to an appt every week and braxton hicks every 10 min.... So far the doc says I won't be having a baby this week. I just want her to come out. We're so anxious to see her plus she's not fitting in there very well at all and is still moving herself in all different directions. Just a quick update for everyone! I would show pictures of the "nursery" but since we are going to be moving 2 weeks after she is born to Rigby, there is no point in putting a lot of energy into decorating just to take it down plus she'll be in the bassinett in our room for a while. Well go hog wild when we get into the house we're renting.

35 1/2 weeks

Well only 4 1/4 weeks left until little Ashlyn is here. I haven't posted a belly picture in a while. So here's the 35 weeks belly. Not much different than the 32 week belly. As a matter of fact, I don't think there is any difference at all....She's somehow making more room in there without sticking out more....Oh boy... She's up so high I can hardly breathe at all but it will all be worth it in the end. I'm starting to get really nervous about labor. I guess there will be no mistaking when I'm in labor. When I can't even walk or stand up straight because the pain is too much, time to go to the hospital...The braxton hicks contractions are getting pretty intense and really really tight. Quite uncomfortable. If I'm sitting for more than 5 min and get up, BAM! Can't breathe for at least 15 seconds. And the crazy thing...us girls will want to do this again! Maybe 2, 3, 4 more times! You just can't squash that maternal and spiritual desire to have children.