We're home!

Yea! We're home! And we're all doing great!

First, the photos. If you haven't already seen them, Tracey got some great ones that are posted on her blog. (We are SOOO very glad she could come down and help out with Zaylee while we got to hang out at the hospital. Such a relief to know that Zaylee was well taken care of and we had nothing to worry about while we were away. Thanks Tracey!) And now here are the ones that we took at the hospital.

Introducing: Jack Weldon Gubler!
7 pounds 4 ounces; 19 1/4 inches long; born at 5:36 am.

(For those that may be interested, "the story" may be found at the bottom of the post.)

What a peaceful little thing! He likes to just lie around and observe the surroundings or just sleep. Not too much of a crier (fingers crossed). YEA!!


Holding baby brother



Love this photo! Notice the hands: Alex's and Zaylee's supporting him with his little hands on top. Love it! (Blogger rotated it and I don't know how to rotate it back so turn your head to the side for how it's supposed to look and so he's not upside down!....)


Peaceful night the second night (first night? ya not so lovely)



Posing with baby Jack



(Can you tell how excited Zaylee was to be posing for this photo??)


Just before we were officially released.


Not liking that carseat too much!



And now for the random Zaylee shots:
Posing in Jack's pumpkin hat that Tracey made for him.



What happens when Alex is in charge of dressing Zaylee and he lets her pick her own clothes.


"The Story"

So, we were supposed to be induced on Wednesday the 27th which didn't happen. The hospital was overloaded (supposedly, there were a record number of babies born this week) and we were turned away. =( We were very upset that we had to wait another day to meet our sweet boy but dealt with it because we had no other choice! =)

Wednesday night we prepared ourselves to be rejected again on Thursday but still had hopes. At 1:45 am there were no doubts, we would either have this baby at Wilford Hall or they could send us to a different hospital but baby was ready to come! The contractions started about 1 minute long every 6-7 mins and by 2:45 Alex was insistant it was time to call the hospital to see if we could come. They said they did have a bed so head on over. We dropped Zaylee off at a friend's (lifesaver's) house and got to the hospital at about 3:45-4:00 (not sure...didn't really care to look at the clock by that point).

When they checked me they were shocked that I was already dialated to a 6. They started rushing the paperwork and tried to quickly get in an IV line so they could draw blood for a platelet count for the epidural. After blowing two veins they finally got one and got the blood off to the lab. By this time the contractions were already feeling pretty unpleasant and were close enough they decided to get me out of triage and into a labor and delivery room.

We got to L & D and they checked me again and I was well on my way to an 8 and they started to panic a bit....there was still a lot of paperwork that needed to be done! =) I at this point was feeling pretty miserable as one contraction kinda just lead right into the next. That was kinda sucking not to at least have a break between them anymore. So, I told them I didn't care about the epidural anymore and that I would just take the IV drugs. Guess what..."it's too late. You can't have IV drugs now because it's too close to delivery. The baby will be too larthegic." So I asked about an IV drug that an anethesiologist in our ward had told us about that didn't have that effect. "Well, that specific drug requires one-on-one attention with an anethesiologist and to be honest we are understaffed right now and just don't have one available for that. It's okay, you can do it. It'll go quick." (Ya, easy for them to say!)

So, now I know it. No, drugs. Not good news to a major wuss like me. So, I told them, "fine, I am done then. Break my water and lets get this over with." As soon as they did I immediately asked myself what was I thinking!?! Holy cow! I didn't realize how much worse those contractions could get!!! I'll admit it. I screamed a bit. I'll also admit it. I hit Alex a couple of times. (I really only remember one time but he claims there were at least two times.)

After they broke my water I had maybe 5 mins before it was time to push. I pushed for maybe 10-15 mins and it was done. He came out face up which they said is a particularily painful way to have to deliver--go figure. All I know was how glad I was to be done. The resident OB that delivered said that in the future I should always planned to be induced. Ha!

"Thank you! Happy Halloween!"

Tonight was our ward Halloween party. It was such a good time. Great chili, great conversation, great time for kids, great pie eating contest, and great trunk-or-treat. Overall, I think you get the picture, but it was a great night! =)

Our little Snow White!


Out Trunk-or-Treating



The Spoils!



Now for the best part. Alex, yes, I said Alex, participated in the pie eating contest. Not completely voluntarily (one of his friends in the ward signed him up but he chose not to take his name off surprisingly enough....) but he still did it. Even lucked out and got a chocolate pie. It was great. Didn't get a video, but here is the play by play in photos. Hilarious! Never have I seen him do something like this surrounded by a bunch of people we don't really know. I loved it! He didn't win and said he just felt sick after but it was great entertainment!

Quick update

Okay so I went in for my 38 week appointment today. Three and a half hours later, here are the results. My blood pressure was high so they were worried about pre-eclampsia. Went and did more tests and they said everything looks fine today. Will go back in on Monday for another non-stress test and then they are going to induce me next Wednesday if I haven't gone by myself before then. Ultrasound results were, "everything looks good!"

For those that may care: dilated to a 3; 50% effaced; stripped membranes today.

For those of you that may or may not care: MY DANG PLATELETS ARE TOO LOW FOR AN EPIDURAL NOW!! SEE I TOLD YOU I SHOULD'VE HAD HIM AT 36 1/2 WEEKS!

Still no name for sure....Zaylee said today, "can we PLEASE name him Jack?" =)

37 Week Ultrasound

So I had my 37 week ultrasound today since I was measuring too small at my 36 week appointment (32 cm was what I was measuring). I didn't get really anything out of it because the doctor that was supposed to come in to talk to me never came in and eventually the technician just told me I could go. When I asked him the results he said that he wasn't supposed to tell me anything but, "ummmm....it looks alright...." And so with that I will wait until next Wednesday for my OB appointment and hope I can get a clearer explanation of the results.

Here is the ultrasound photo. His head is really low right now so the tech couldn't get a good facial view so as he said to us, "use your imagination." =)



P.S. Today Zaylee was watching a show on t.v. and they asked "what are your talents?" She said "I draw, I play music, I play ball, I ride my bike, I dance....those are my talents!" It was cute and thought I would share! =)

A few other things we've done

Okay so now I will catch up the few other things we have done lately (or actually some that are not so lately that I'm just barely getting around to posting about....)

**Face Painting at the Oktoberfest at Port San Antonio (Alex is such a great sport--he got one on each cheek!):




(Sorry for the low quality of photos...she refused to pose nicely that night....)

**Very First Dentist appointment:

She did FANTASTIC!! We talked about it for a few days before the appointment and she was amazing. The dentist has a great office that is really welcoming to the kids which I am sure helps a ton. But she let them do it all without a fuss at all. The cleaning, the poking and scraping, and even posed for x-rays! What an awesome girl! Outcome: her enamel is wearing off so unless it slows down she'll probably need caps. Bummer. Guess she got my teeth.

**Visit to Uncle Shawn's and the Dallas Cowboys Stadium!:






**Dallas (Just a few photos from the car...):


Yes, that is the first longhorn we have seen....still not a good look.....

Taken by Zaylee on the way home:


Thanks guys we had so much fun!!! =)

**Zaylee just started dance classes. She loves them! She has been waiting and waiting for the day that she got to start and she is so excited to get to go every week. There is a lady in our ward that teaches them and who is also her nursey leader so Zaylee thinks it's awesome! She is doing beginning tap and ballet. I asked her to show me what she learned but she told me no. And that if I wanted to see her dance well I would just have to go to her class and watch her. Such a sweet little girl! First day:



**Zaylee posing (just because she is cute and wanted to that day!):




**And finally her being the bully at the park. The first photo she was freaking out because she wanted me to come take a picture of her. The second well that's the bully part. Everyone else wanted to climb and she was trying to push them off (okay not literally or I wouldn't have been taking photos but she definitely didn't want them on there!):



Phew! What an exhausting life this poor girl has!! =)


And in case you just tuned in, make sure you scroll down a lot. I was on a roll today so there is quite a lot of new stuff posted!! =)

Preschool activities

Don't laugh. I never claimed to be a creative or talented person. I've just learned that it doesn't matter really what the end result looks like it's the time spent learning and growing together. With that clause added, as promised, here are some of the fun things we've done (this is mixture of both the brain activities and skill so there is no specific pattern to what you are going to see):

Gingerbread man made of yarn:


Dream Catcher:


Visiting the Duck Pond:






Autumn Leaves:


Homemade finger paints:



Bean Bear:


Card for Daddy & a Heart attack


Animal Puppets:


Alphabet Jello Jigglers:


Decorate for Halloween:




Eyeball Cookies (that's Zaylee's scary face!):



And those are a few things we have done. There are others as well but nothing that was photographed at the time (besides the museum to see the dinosaur exhibit--but those are on Alex's phone so.....) or can not still be photographed like blowing bubbles, baseball cupcakes, building a tent to "camp" in, and eating "ants on a log."

So you may ask if she's learning anything. I say it all depends on the day. Some days I am amazed because I think she actually is and I am succeeding in my goal. Other days I say, "what in the world was I thinking! Completely ineffective!!" Oh well, at least we are having fun! =)