Kasen is here!

Kasen Mikael Steele made his arrival on Tuesday afternoon at 12:44 p.m. He weighed 7 pounds, 4 ounces and was 19.5 inches long (even though I sent out a text in my sleepless, euphoric state that said he was 22 inches long--oops). At the newborn appointment on Friday they said he was 20.5 inches long, so who really knows?

The labor process was long but rewarding. My first regular contractions started Thursday evening and intensified over the weekend. Saturday night they were bad enough that I couldn't sleep through them and by Monday evening, I would literally shake when another one started. Thankfully we went into the hospital at 2:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning and I got an epidural right away which made a world of difference. I loved watching the monitor and feeling my stomach get hard with each contraction, but not feeling any pain. I started pushing around 11:30 a.m. and at 12:44 p.m., Kasen was born into his dad's hands. We were so happy our doctor let Kai deliver Kasen. It was amazing to see Kasen for the very first time being held in Kai's arms--2 of the most loved men in my life meeting for the first time. It's a moment that will forever be imprinted in my memory.

Recovery has gone well so far. We left the security of the hospital on Thursday afternoon for the comforts of home. Being home now is so different than just a few days ago. I can't believe how many hours I've spent just staring into Kasen's beautiful face. His little gurgles, whimpers, and tiny noises make me melt. When he opens his little blue eyes and stares into mine, I feel like I'm holding the greatest miracle. When his fingers curl around mine and he grasps with all his might I remember that God truly is great and meticulous in every detail. I feel so blessed to have the privilege and challenge of being a mom and can hardly wait to watch Kasen grow.

Sunrise on the morning of Kasen's arrival from the delivery room window
In labor (with an epidural--previously, I was not smiling)

Breathing through a contraction

A few hours before delivery. Again--an epidural makes all the difference. We wouldn't have been able to be this happy without one:-)

Seconds after delivery--see the umbilical cord shadow?

Our first time meeting Kasen together. Kai actually caught Kasen when he was born, but this was our first time as a family.

Skin to skin time

Daddy skin to skin time. I love this picture!

First poopy diaper--there were 8 more in those first 24 hours! Daddy changed every one of them--what a great husband and father.

Squeaky clean--after his first bath

The best OB/GYN

Priceless moments

On the Bili bulb for jaundice

Getting ready to go home. It was a little scary to think about leaving the hospital.

The journey out of the hospital

Mom, Denver, and Katie had this waiting for us when we pulled in the driveway.

Getting ready to walk in the door for the first time as a "family".

Our handsome little guy

Special daddy bonding time

This is one of my favorite pictures. We think he's so cute!

Kasen's Nursery Completed!

It's finished! With 2 weeks left, we've finally completed Kasen's nursery! It's been a really fun project and the coolest part has been envisioning him in his nursery. We can hardly wait! The due date is 2 weeks, but who knows when he'll decide to come. My bet is he'll be late since I've only had painless Braxton Hicks--no signs of labor at all. I'm sure we'll make some adjustments to his room, but I can sleep a little easier (haha--easy sleep for full term pregnant woman??) at night knowing things are ready for him to arrive. With the whole aeronautical theme, maybe he'll grow up wanting to be a pilot like his daddy or just travel to see all the amazing stuff God's created :-)

Baby Shower at Mesa Grande Academy

Here are the pictures I promised from the baby shower at my school (2 Sunday's ago). It was for the 2nd grade teacher and myself who are due 5 weeks apart. It was beautiful! I will post pictures soon of the most recent shower (this past Sunday) that Lauren threw for me. That was also beautiful and fun. For now, enjoy these pictures....

Diaper cakes and handmade guestbooks each matching our themes

The food was amazing!

There were so many gifts!

Our "thrones":-)

36 weeks along

Me and Elisa--such a great friend!It's been so much fun being pregnant with a close friend. We talk about all the weird things we're going through and get ideas from each other. I'm due March 4 and she's due April 7.

Dr. Seuss's "Thing 1" and "Thing 2" matching onesies. We'll have to get pictures after our boys grow into these. Such a cute gift!

One of my students wrote and illustrated a book featuring her classmates, me, and Mr. Steele (Kai) as the main characters. I was a stork who took care of babies as I passed them along to their new parents and Kai brought me a baby of my own. Our baby had a red beak like his dad, Mr. Steele, who happened to be a beakadontist. It was SO special! I will always treasure this gift! She also included a CD of her reading the story! I could hardly make it through the story without crying!

Here is my student, Jordan, who wrote the book. She also made the sling I'm wearing. It's reversible and super cute! She's such a talented girl!

What a great shower! Kai was amazed when I brought home a loaded car. I work for such an amazing school filled with so many wonderful people!

It's in the Water...

I'm convinced there is something in the water that's making women extremely fertile lately. I know of over 30 of my friends who are or have been pregnant during my pregnancy. This is SO much fun since it's gives us so much to talk about and our kids can all play together, but it seems like a lot more than normal to me. Maybe it's just where we're at in life at the moment.

Above is a picture of 2 of my good friends who are also pregnant. We are all due to deliver within 5 weeks of each other. Elisa (on the left who is the 2nd grade teacher at my school) is due 5 weeks after me (beginning of April), Peggy (middle) is due about 3 weeks after me (later in March) and I am due March 4th. This picture was taken at mine and Elisa's joint shower at our school this past Sunday. The parents and staff at my school are seriously the best! The shower was beautiful and I'm so thankful for all the amazing gifts and support we received! More pictures will follow later.