Dexter Scott Collard

If you've ever wondered what a 5 foot 1 inch tall woman would look like at the end of carrying a 9 and a half pound baby, look no farther. This is me at 39 weeks 2 days, four days prior to the arrival of Dexter. And for all of you out there who said behind my back what a whiner I was at the end, I say SHAME ON YOU, because that was one big belly!

As for those who have not yet had that pleasure of hearing the story of how this little guy (I mean this in the loosest sense of the word) finally made his way in to the big bad world, here is the rundown.

After two weeks of early labor with contractions every 2 minutes I was still being refused admittance into the hospital. Although I was 80% effaced I was only dilated to a 1 and because Dexter's heart rate was steady, I was sent home from labor and delivery for the second time to "walk" my way into active labor.

At my 39 week check I was yet again disappointed when my doctor informed me although I was 90% effaced I was still holding strong at a 1. But never the less my belly was still rapidly growing and there was now a decision to be made. At 39 weeks I was measuring 43 weeks. Doing the math that means I was 4 weeks ahead (I was measuring beyond what a woman should measure when she delivers). The question was, do I try to be induced at a one, which heightens my chances of getting a C-section. Or do I go another week hoping I go into active labor, and risk having a c-section if the baby gets too big. Hmmmmm.....let me think. If I recall correctly I think my exact words to my doctor were "GET THIS THING OUT OF ME!"

So, at 39 wks 5 days I was admitted into the hospital. I was given meds to dilate my cervix for 12 hours that first night and was ecstatic to find I was finally at a two the next morning. This meant they could start me on petosin and give me an epidural. Oh Yes, an epidural. After weeks of contractions I finally got some much needed rest while I waited for my body to progress. Unfortunately throughout the day Dexter’s little heart struggled a bit and I was put on oxygen. But I smoothly dilated from a 2 to a 4 and I was ready to get the show on the road by late afternoon. Little did I know we would hit a road block. For six hours I stayed at a 4 and by 6:30pm my doc had to break the news to us. The baby was just too big for me and a cesarean was our only option in delivering.

So...I was prepped, as was Dave. We were given numerous talks about how easy the delivery was going to be and I was wheeled down to the operating room while Dave waited in the hallway to be called in. But, the minute the baby's heart monitor was placed the scene took an unexpected turn. Within three minutes Dexter's heart rate plummeted twice and controlled chaos had begun. I lay on the operating table as people swarmed around me. Nurses wheeled carts in as they poured iodine over my belly. The anesthesiologist began poking at me with a sharp tool only then realizing I still had feeling in my stomach. In minutes my doctor had arrived and was announcing to all in the room that they had to get the baby out NOW. As they laid a sheet over my head I listen to the room pick up pace once again, only to be overshadowed by the anesthesiologist yelling, "Wait! She can still feel that!" Which my doctor respond to with, "Put her out! We have got to get this baby out of her NOW!" And the next thing I knew the whole room went black.

As I was passing in and out of consciousness I remember a horrific amount of tugging from my belly and then Dave standing next to me as a nurse held Dexter up so I could see him. He was out, and healthy. Hours later, after being stitched, stapled, and scrubbed clean I was wheeled back to my recovery room to meet Dave and our baby boy. He was perfectly plump the chubbiest cheeks I’ve ever seen and a full head of black hair.

The next day my Doctor told us he had Dexter out in less than 60 seconds.

So, without further adieu, introducing:

Dexter Scott Collard, born July 15, 2010 at 7:49pm.

Weighing in at a whopping 9lbs 6oz, 21 inches long.

Small Update

Here are answers to a few questions we have received in the past while that we thought had already been mentioned.

Yes Steph and I are still alive.
No, we aren't in a ditch somewhere.
Yes, we live in Illinois. Lake Bluff, which is in the northern suburbs of Chicago (Chicagoland).
Yes, I am finally in school again. I attend Rosalind Franklin University, Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine.
Yes, Steph did come with me for the 7 years. (yes, this is an actual question Steph received on more than one occation)

Yes, school is 4 years + 3 year residency.
No, we probably won't be living permanently in Utah again.
Yes, Dexter is cute.
Yes, we took him with us.
Yes, he is still a chunky monkey.
We might bless him back in Utah in November.
Yes, we are awesome.

Hope that clears up any confusion.

BEWARE OF THE BELLY!

Up until this point I have yet to post any pictures of my growing girth for the world to see.

So, here is a little stroll down memory lane to catch up all of my many admirers.

16 WEEKS

21 WEEKS

29 WEEKS

WEEK 32

(Picture Pending)

So, I vowed I would never do this, but recent pressure has left me with no choice but to become one of those girls who posts her 'bare belly pictures' for the world to see. As you can tell I am no longer sporting a petite belly bump, but a full grown fetal mountain. With just six weeks to go, (I’m crossing my fingers for four), I’m no longer pacing myself, but growing more rapid then ever.

WARNING!!!

The following picture may not be suitable for children, adults, animals, or any others who have trouble viewing disturbing images.

WEEK 33.5

Happy Birthday Steph!

Happy Birthday Steph. You look great for 21! (that means we got married at 15. ...?)

Just liv'n the dream and enjoying awesome cake I made, and enjoying her last few days of freedom.

My New Hockey Scar

Last night I was skating at the ice rink, practicing for my new adult hockey class, and enjoying all the teenage love around me. While doing some tight figure-8’s and working on my cross-overs, I caught one of the edges of my skate and fell flat on my chest and then smashed my chin on the ice. I rolled over on my back, mostly embarrassed, and slowly got up. I then noticed that my chin was bleeding pretty badly. So, I went into the restroom and grabbed a tissue and finished my time left out on the ice. When I got home I mentioned to Steph that I split my chin open. She said “whaaa?….OH MY GOSH DAVE! (with a double take) You’re going to need stitches!” Good thing she was off last night or I would have spent the evening at home with part of my chin tissue hanging out of my face.
So, we drove up to the ER at the University of Utah Hospital. I had never had stitches before in all of my 29 years. When all was said and done, I got 7 of them in the chin. And this is my first hockey scar. Now I have something to brag about in my class.

The best comment of the night came from Steph on the way over when she said, tongue in cheek, “Oh, your beautiful face.”

Before


After

GET READY, THIS IS A BIG ONE!

Hello all! It has been ages since our last post, and that is only because we were waiting for something significant enough to happen to make it worth your time to read. It most definitely is not due to the fact that we are lazy and/or not computer savvy, but only because our lives are normally too dull to actually share.

Lucky for you, this is not the case at the moment.

But today Dave and I are very excited to share some changes that have recently happened in our lives

(or are soon to happen).

Our first order of business is that Dave has accepted an offer from the Rosland Franklin University in North Chicago to study Podiatry this coming fall. We are ecstatic for this adventure and welcome the long awaited change of pace. Though picking up and moving across the Country can be intimidating, we are extremely thrilled to try something new, and for Dave to have the opportunity to further his education.

We know we will be missed, and would like all of you to know…it was nice knowing you.

Just kidding! We are sad to leave our families,

but are also very anxious to move into the next faze of our lives.

Which brings me to our next order of business.

Dave and I are happy to announce we are now eagerly awaiting the arrival of our newest family member.

THAT'S RIGHT, I'M PREGS!

Happily plump…this is now my motto (or so I’m trying very hard for it to be).

I am due July 17, three weeks before we move to Chicago, which puts me currently at 14 weeks.

We can’t wait to see Fetus, and are excited to see if it really has t-rex arms,

like it appears in the ultra sound (Fetus gets that from Dave).

I have also posted the ultra sound pictures from our most recent visit

and hope everyone finds it as special as we did.

It was quite an exciting visit.

Fetus was doing flips like a little gymnast, and I think he gets that from me.

The Grand Canyon

This last weekend several of us traveled down to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon to hike the ~25 mile route through the canyon to the North Rim. As Friday morning rolled around we received a phone call that Nick Berger (the organizer of the hike) had come down with the flu and wouldn’t be able to hike and others might not be coming either. For several moments it looked as it was just going to be Steph’s sister Caryn and me on the trail (some felt a little awkward by this). But, by the time we were rolling down the road there were three of us plus Steph the chauffeur, arriving at the lodge around 8.

We woke up before the crack of dawn and were on the South Kiabab Trail by 5:00am. Our group had grown by six after meeting up with a group that had hiked the North Rim to South Rim previous day. The moon was bright with a cloudy ominous halo as we set out into the darkness with our headlamps. It was an amazing view to everyone heading down the switchbacks of the incredibly steep mountainside. One just had to peer over the edge of the cliff to see people thirty feet down on the next switchback. It was quite surreal looking. In the far distance we could see the small twinkling lights of the North Rim Visitor Center only about 15 miles as the crow flies, our journey would be close to 25.

As the sun began to lighten up the canyon walls we started getting our first awesome views of the canyon. Because of our rapid and steep descent, we were able to beat the rising sun which we managed to avoid until about 11:30.

Around 8:00 we passed over the suspension bridge which spans over the Colorado River near Phantom Ranch, our first stop of the day. Phantom Ranch is an old ranch that is now used as a camp site and lodging for NPS rangers. But after a quick bite to eat and filling our up on water, we were back on the trail. After this point the trail follows the banks of one of the tributary rivers of the Colorado for about 10 miles.

This portion of the trail offered some amazing views of the bottom of the Grand Canyon. I decided to hang back and snap some photos. Some of the best views were along this area of the trail. As we neared our last stop at the “Artists House”, we took a small detour from the main trail to see Ribbon Falls. We had to take our chances rock hopping across or just strip our shoes and socks off and wade through. …wading through was definitely the best choice we made all day. The cold water felt really good on our tired feet.

After making our final stop after the falls, we began the most difficult portion of the journey, ascending the 4,500 ft trail to the North Rim in about 4 miles. As we began going up I decided to kick it into gear and chug it up to the top solo. There is something about the pain of a race or a really good steep hike that makes the journey all the more enjoyable. When you reach the end you have a deeper appreciation for the steps you’ve taken and the sights you’ve seen. Also, I wanted to catch up to Gary, the man who was on his 39^th time hiking the canyon. With about a half a mile to go a caught up to him. He snapped the photo of me standing near the top with a great view of the canyon behind me (top photo).

As we reached the last 100 meters of the trail we decided to make a feeble attempt at running to the finish. My legs were burning pretty badly. It probably looked like some of the people who attempt to sprint at the end of a marathon. We made it, arriving at 2:00pm …in exactly 9 hours I hiked the Grand Canyon. One of the top hikes I have done so far.