Christmas 2011

Best Christmas present EVER! 

It was so nice having Christmas off this year. And to have my sweet little baby just in time was amazing! I didn't need a single present- he was more than enough!

Newborn Photos

On December 20th, Jenna with Jameson Photos also did Branson's newborn photo shoot and did a fabulous job! He was only 2 weeks old and SO TINY! Here are a few pictures from it.

The Birth Story

My due date was Thursday, December 8th but of course I was hoping he would come much earlier than that! But much to my disappointment, after being dilated to a 3 for the last couple weeks, it was Sunday, December 4th and he still hadn't come yet. Sunday morning I started cramping which I then quickly realized were contractions and I knew that things were in the works since I hadn't cramped my entire pregnancy. Sunday passes and nothing happens. I had a induction scheduled for Tuesday at 5 am due to kidney issues but I really wanted my body to go into labor on its own before then! Monday evening I was feeling a little different than normal. Justin brought me soup from Paradise and we watched the Smurf's movie. Yes, we are very mature haha. I took a shower then we laid down for bed about 10 pm. As soon as I laid down I started cramping again. I started timing them and they started getting rhythmic and lasting longer. Eventually they were every 2-3 min lasting 60-90 seconds. At that point I decided I would get up and start getting ready and see if the contractions would go away or get stronger. As I REFUSED to be the dumb girl that goes to triage and isn't even in true labor. It was about 12:30 am and contractions were now painful and every 1-2 minutes so I woke Justin up and told him it was time. He was half asleep and asked "are you sure?". At that point YES I WAS SURE! So we grabbed our bags and headed to the hospital. Here I am in Triage. In between contractions of course :)

They checked me and I was still only a 3 but definitely in labor. They couldn't admit me till I was a 4 so they gave me an hour to see what my body would do. After an hour of HORRIBLE contractions I had only progressed a smidge! What?! Really?! I thought for sure I was AT LEAST a 4! In my mind I was thinking "If they don't admit me, what will I do?!" I was in so much pain and KNEW I would just be walking back through those doors in another hour or two. My nurse saw how much pain I was in and knew I was in labor so she spoke to her manager and called my doctor to get me admitted. HALLELUJAH! At that point all I wanted was my dang epidural! After being stuck 4 times they finally got an iv in me, got me my room and got the anesthesiologist. I have never been so happy to see someone in my life! I got the epidural and oh was life good! I remember trying not to burst out laughing because I felt SO GOOD! When I got in my room they checked me and I was a good 5. At 8:30 am Dr. Messer came in a checked me and I was still a 5 so she broke my water. At 10:30 am my nurse checked me and was like "you're like 9.75". Centimeters? what?! I was not prepared to hear that! Holy panic sets in. All I can think is "Am I ready? Do I even know how to push? I don't know what to do!" Luckily my sweet husband and mother were there to reassure me that it would all be okay! After only 40 minutes of pushing, my precious little Branson Russell was born Tuesday, December 6th at 12:33pm weighing in at 7 lbs 14 oz and 22 inches long. BEST.MOMENT.OF.MY.LIFE! I will never forget the way I felt when I heard him and held him for the first time. Words cannot describe.

Don't judge my holy swolleness. They pumped fluid in me like no other!

Proud daddy!

Grandma Standifird

Nana (Justin's mom)

Hayley and Dallin

My brother Brady

Getting ready to go home!

Pure perfection!

The next couple weeks were quite an adjustment and recovery was hard at times but Justin took such great care of me and Branson! I honestly don't know what I would have done without him! He was amazing through it all and I am so grateful for him! I am one lucky girl!

Maternity Photos November 12th, 2011

Here are a few photos from our maternity photo shoot back in November. My cousin Jenna with Jameson Photos did them and did an amazing job! I was 36 weeks prego and therefore quite large! 

I am so grateful I had these photos taken. Time goes so quickly and I have already forgotten so much about my pregnancy. These photos bring back so many great memories of carrying the little guy. Although I disliked many things that came with pregnancy, I loved so many more things. I loved knowing my little man was always with me- he helped me through some rough days at work! I loved feeling him kick all day long and I loved hearing his heartbeat. Overall, being pregnant was probably the most amazing thing I have ever experienced in my life and I am truly so grateful!

Justin left today to go hunting. This saddens me. After almost 3 years of marriage to a man who has to pick up and leave with a single phone call, I'm pretty good at being alone. I've gotten used to it and I'm happy to say that I have really matured in this area. haha. Justin agrees :) I used to get upset when he would get flood calls or have to be gone for long periods of time for work. But I have come to accept it as a permanent part of my life and have actually become quite grateful for those flood calls. But I am so freaking crazy about my husband that I would really prefer it if he wasn't gonna be gone for a week. Although I must say I am super excited for this hunt to be over with because it is ALL I have heard about for the past 2-3 months and I am sick of all the hunting/camping gear that has been lying around my house the past few weeks.

Here he is getting ready to leave :(

On a happier note, I ordered my stroller today and I am so so excited! It will be here Tuesday! I can't wait. Crazy to think I have less than 8 weeks left! It is coming so fast! October is already halfway over! Because of my kidney issue and all of the pain coming along with it, my dr. said that I have the choice of being induced early if I want as it would be considered medically necessary. I would obviously prefer to just wait for him to come on his own. Which is the plan for now, but that could change depending on how severe the pain gets with his growing size. However, I will NOT be going over 40 weeks. Nope. No thanks. So there may be a scheduled induction on my due date if he hasn't arrived by then ;) Call me selfish, but I think 20 weeks of dealing with the pain will be long enough!

Can I just say that I have the sweetest and most perfect man in the world? I found this adorable note in my lunch. He wrote it before he went to bed and put it in there for me to find at work.

Love it. Love him. I'm so blessed!

Randomness

It is definitely time for an update. I am a horrible blogger. I am down to about 9 1/2 weeks left in the pregnancy. Everything has gone pretty well other than the hydronephrosis that tortures me on a daily basis. But so far my munchkin is strong and healthy so who am I to complain! I know the next 9 1/2 weeks will pass quickly like the rest of the pregnancy seems to have. Which is great because I a super anxious to smooch my little man, but also scary because I feel like I still have so much to do to get ready for him. He moves around like crazy these days. It's crazy laying there and watching my stomach move all over the place! Justin and I are quite fascinated by it actually :)  Yesterday we went to a birthing class at my OB's office. Justin was not very excited about the 6 hr class, but he actually was super cute during it all. The class was mainly for him anyways haha.

Here is a 3D picture of our man at about 28 weeks. Seeing it on the screen in color was was a million times better. These pictures don't do him justice :)

Ward calling update: I'll give you some hints.

1. My heart dropped when he told me
2. The rest of what he said went in one ear and out the other as I was in total shock and internal panic.
3. He leaves, door closes, and a full blown panic attack/balling session begins.








What is it you ask????


 WARD CHOIR DIRECTOR

My initial thoughts: How am I supposed to do this when I work every other sunday? PLUS, I don't know anything about leading a choir. AND, I am due in a couple months and it's right before Christmas which is a big time for choir numbers and I won't be around! And, I am like the youngest adult in the ward- who's gonna show up to practice and will anyone even listen to someone who doesn't know what they are talking about??

However, despite how I was feeling at that time, deep down under all my crazy emotions, I knew it was right. I know it is going to be scary and extremely uncomfortable but its obviously what I need to learn and grow in the way the Lord wants me to.  So I prayed and prayed. And now I feel very calm and peaceful about it all. I know the Lord with guide and direct me. And that is all I need. And now looking back on that (this happened a couple weeks ago) I'm sure my hormones had a lot to do with my meltdown as well :)


This time of year excites me. I am so happy it is officially October! Which to me means it's officially Fall! The holidays are coming! And the best part? I will not be working any of them! This baby could not be coming at a better time. It is perfect. And no I didn't plan it this way ;)  Hobby Lobby makes me happy. I go just to walk the Christmas isles and it is amazing. I am a Christmas nut and can't get enough. Big news for the Coffman fam this year- it's very possible that we may be getting a fake tree this year... not sure how I feel about it and I may change my mind. But the thought of having no pine needles to vacuum on a daily basis and being able to have the tree up and ready before the baby comes is very appealing... So we shall see. Anyways, that is the update on the coffman's for now. Yay for the holidays!!!!!!!

Recent Happenings

So... not too much has happened around here lately. But I figured I should probably post since it has been a while. There are a few things that I am quite in love with right now.

First, is my 2 month old niece Tillee. She is so ridiculously perfect. I am obsessed.

 Second, is my new diaper bag, which I am also obsessd with. Love it.

Third, is my Starbucks soy hot chocolate. I am limiting myself

 to only 3 a week. Which means everyday on my way to work :)

Fourth, is my husband. I'm always in love with him. But I just have to say how proud of him I am! His business got an office/shop in Mesa a couple months ago! He and his partner are such hard workers! Congrats to them!

And last, but definitely not least! I am in love with this bundle of perfectness growing inside of me. In the last week or so I have been feeling the baby move and I LOVE IT! I'll be sitting,charting at work and feel the baby move and it totally makes my day. I am a little over 18 weeks now. I feel like my belly gets bigger everyday! I still have some morning sickeness, but honestly I love being pregnant. So far anyways! Ask me in Novemeber when it's freezing and dark outside and I am 8 months pregnant getting up at 5:30 for work! haha. I cannot believe how much being pregnant has changed me already My perspective, my wants, my goals. I cannot wait to meet this child of mine. Justin is the perfect husband. He really is. He gets so excited over every little thing that has to do with the baby. He is right there by my side with everything. He's like a little boy on Christmas during ultrasounds. haha. It's the best.

This month, I've been at my job for a year! I feel totally comfortable at work, love my co-workers. Time has flown by and I have learned so much! Very grateful for my job, but so excited for 3 months off when my little love arrives.

Anyways, to say the least, life is great and I am so blessed.