It's Go Time

Okay so for those of you that gag easily or don't like reading human gross stuff.... please do not read!
So this was the funny story at the Larsen's this week. I am not sure if it really is that funny or if we have cabin fever waiting for RSV season to pass.
Those of you who know me well, or really know me at all, know that I have a hyper gag reflex, and gross things just gross me out. (Basically any bodily function). Last week I was sitting on the couch holding Mack, realizing once again how beautiful he is when I noticed a little booger (We call them boogs, so from here on out, it is boogs) hanging out of the nose. I tool a deep breath and realized this was "go time". It was time to be a Mom. Bite the Bullet and join the Mommyhood. I could handle this, besides I fully know that things are going to get a lot more disgusting. So I attempted to pick. Multiple gags later and the boog waiting to be picked up after I launched it off of my finger, I called Eric in to pick it up. He looked at me VERY oddly and picked it up. Later that night he tells me that he has never met anyone like me. This was not the "you are so great and wonderful and I have never met anyone like you", but a more disturbed version. I asked why and here was his reply, "I have never met anyone like you. You can't even pick your OWN nose and clean it up!". He thought it was mine and actually cleaned it up! This my friends is what love is.

Pictures of the Cutest Baby Ever

Introducing Merrick Warren Larsen

What a big name for such a little boy! Mack was born December 27 at 2:54 p.m.. He is such a sweet and mellow baby, and he is of course beautiful. We feel incredibly blessed that we were at the right place at the right time. That day was a Saturday and I had an appointment for the bi-weekly ultrasound and baby heartbeat screening. We were not scheduled to go into the Doctor until the next Monday and with Christmas that week we had to on Saturday. They started monitoring his little heartbeat and noticed every time I contracted his heartbeat would drop. The nurse looked at us and said that it was quite possibly baby day. Of course, that morning I thought there was no way that baby day was that day. But luckily Eric had the foresight to bring the hospital bag.
We moved into a Labor and Delivery Room where they hooked up the monitor again, and they couldn't find Mack's heartbeat. Before we knew it we heard a Code Blue over the intercom and the room was flooded with doctors and nurses. I was so frightened and worried for Mack and it was all so overwhelming. I was whisked off to the OR for an emergency C-section and Eric was left in the room (they weren't sure if they had time to give me a spinal epidural or if they would have to use a general). Thank heavens there was a little time for the epidural and Eric was able to come back to be with us. The whole C-section thing was very surreal, but Mack came out screaming, and it was such a relief to hear that sweet cry!
It turns out that I had low amniotic fluid and that caused the umbilical cord to wrap around his neck twice, and every time I would contract the cord would wrap tighter. The only thing that saved him was the fact that his head was up against my pelvis on one side preventing him from moving down. It was the scariest day of our lives, and we were told that he would had not made it to Monday for the Doctor appointment.
He is the sweetest baby and he is so quiet and mellow. In fact a couple of days of having him home we were a little worried about him being so chill all of the time. As to who he looks like, we have no idea. We have really enjoyed the time off work that Eric has taken. My mom has been helping me out a ton, and it was so nice to have Grandma and Grandpa Larsen drive down to meet him. We are so thankful that he made it here and that he is a part of our family, and we definitely know that we were blessed that day.

Christmas Mack or No Christmas Mack?

Hmm.... So, will Mack stay in the oven until the 26th? As of yesterday, we are now 85% effaced and dilated to a four. Contractions will be VERY steady for an hour or so at about four minutes apart and then space out and be inconsistent. The Doctor doesn't think there is anyway he will stay in much longer. But in GREAT news, he made in to week 37!!!! If he came on Christmas that would be the best Christmas gift ever, but it would kinda stink for him to have to share his Birthday!
We will keep you posted!

A Christmas What?

So yesterday was a roller coaster day for the Larsen fam. Once or twice a week I go into the hospital to have an ultrasound to measure the amniotic fluid around Mack and to monitor his heartbeat for about an hour or so. I can't even tell you how different the ultrasound looks from week seventeen! His little hand takes up the whole screen and I could see muscles and bones! Technology is amazing! I actually had a harder time seeing things on this ultrasound though. So, the fluid level looked okay, but his little heart beat was going SO fast, so that was a concern. I was fine until they said that I might have to go down to Labor and Delivery that day. That was a little scary for me, if he came now he would be okay, but if he wait even just one more week, then his development would be that much better. Thankfully his little heart chilled out and he calmed down.
So they let me go and sent me up to my doctor's office for a checkup. I was thinking that the roller coaster part of the day was over, but not really. I went back to meet with the Doctor, and I guess I have lost weight, which normally is a great thing that I celebrate but he was concerned about that one. (I don't know how this could happen. Really I made Chocolate Chocolate Chip cookies the night before and ate my weight in dough.) So we talked about that for a minute and the weight of Mack (which is probably barely reaching five pounds) and then he checked to see if I was dialated. He was surprised and measured me at a 3. What? A 3? I was still so shocked about the 3 thing that I can't remember how effaced I am, but I remember him saying that I was "quite" effaced and that we might get a baby for Christmas and that it was doubtful that I would make it past December. So Mack and I are on limited bed rest, hoping to get one more week out of him. And plus, for his sake I don't want him to share his B-day with Christmas.
I am really glad I went in yesterday, Eric and I are now preparing ourselves for an early arrival and we won't be taken by surprise! We would really like him to stay in the oven til due date, but we just want him to be healthy. If you are bored, give me a call, daytime TV is the WORST!

Randomness

We had such a great week last week. It all started with two amazing chicas in my ward who threw me and Mack and rockin' shower. Thank you so much to Ashley and Bri, you two are the best! It was really fun and thank you to all that came.It was fun to get that group together and Ashley and Bri went to SO much work. Thank you again!
The next Monday my Aunt and Suzy threw another shower for the fam and random friends, yet again another rockin' good time! It was so great to see so many people that I haven't seen in such a long time. I also know how much work this one was because my Aunt is still on crutches. They even had an ice sculpture made for the shower!

The ice sculpture stayed alive on our porch for five days. At one o'clock in the morning on Friday night it fell over on the porch table, broke in two, and crashed to the ground. I thought for sure it was a bomb. (Eric's parents slept over that night and every Larsen slept through the crash).
Speaking of Eric's parents, they came down on Friday night and took us to the MoTab's Christmas Concert, it was amazing! Really it was awesome and I am so glad that we were able to go. Thank you so much for inviting us! My favorite part was by far, the story and the musical number "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day". If you have not read the history behind the song, google it. It was a great night and wonderful to have Mom and Dad Larsen here with us!

No... No I Have Not

Another great Prenatal Class story. Last week was a long week in class. The room was like a furnace and neither Eric or I were having too much fun. Boy did that change. I don't think that I have told you about this other couple that we have dubbed the "Mad Russians". So they are obviously Russian and they are not crazy, but the guy has read every pregnancy book and he is constantly asking the teacher if she is sure of something. After she answers yes he will say, "Really, because in this book I read....."" And so on and so on. So it gets a little annoying. last week we were talking about the price of breast pumps and he raises his hand and says that he is not sure if they want to buy a pump if they don't know if she can breastfeed yet. The instructor answers and says that there really should not be a problem at all. The only thing that might be a problem is if she has had an augmentation. So then she just comes out and asks, "Have you had an augmentation?". The Mad Russian MAN doesn't even skip and beat and responds with, "No... No I have not." (Note: it is much funnier if you can read that last line with a Russian accent). Of course I lost it. I mean tears running down the face, the silent laugh making my whole body shake, I couldn't take it. Eric took one look at me to which I told him to look the other was quickly. I knew if we made eye contact we were going to really loose it. Last week's class was by far our favorite.