BABY'S FIRST CHRISTMAS!!!

This girl is already getting spoiled and she is only 5 days old, not good. From Grandma Hunsperger she got the cutest rocking horse, a Melissa and Doug block clock from Dad, a Melissa and Doug Bear puzzle from Mom, a stuffed teddy bear from Santa Claus, money from Grandma and Grandpa Dudley, a beautiful quilt from her cousin Kalina, a rabbit hat, Christmas book, and bracelet from her Aunt Corrine, Uncle Wes, and cousins Annika, Cole, and Brynna, a pj outfit from Verl and Linda Woodruff, and some cute baby accessories and picture frame from her cousin Mikayla. She slept through the whole entire opening of presents but her Mom and Dad are very grateful for all the wonderful gifts she got from those who love her.

Christmas was so different this year, not only did it include a pointless trip to the ER thanks to a stupid Alberta Health Link Nurse (d0n't worry everything is good), we had chicken instead of turkey, no chocolate cream pie and a lot of sitting in epsom salt baths, sleeping, and changing diapers. Yet it was awesome. Our first Christmas with our beautiful baby girl, we watched an amazing church movie about the Martin/Harris handcart company, and the talks given in church today were very humbling. What a wonderful day and definitely a very Merry Christmas.

The POWER of bigger flowers

Its Wednesday morning and Macie is not even a full day old. The hospital breakfast is very boring. Kalinda sends me out to get her some Booster Juice. Being the superman that I am, I go and get her what she needs. As I am coming back into the hospital with her pineapple freeze, I follow a woman with flowers up to the maternity wing. Here I am holding only a simple shake, and NO flowers, what a great dad! I felt pretty bad. So later that day when I got sent to get some lunch to supplement the flavorless, conglomeration they call food, I remember the need for some colorful pick-me-ups that women need when they are in the hospital. So a quick stop at the local flower shop and a consult with Sister Paige, and $50.00 later, I walk out with a slightly less than humble bouquet of flowers and pine leaves with one little orniment of a random wooden dutch figurine. Hey it came with the arraignment. Kalinda was happy and thankful for the flowers. Those flowers did not even reach the window sill when a knock came at the door. A nurse came in with a package that covered her entire upper torso. More Flowers. Monster Flowers. Almost an entire shop of flowers. I was out done even before I could be praised. The oohs and awws could be heard through out the maternity wing. Who would have the audacity to send such and abomination to our room!!!! Purples and greens,pinks and whites. The smell of them made me sick. Discovering a card, I grabbed and looked at the message. It was my work. At least it was not a rival. However they did not need to go that colossal. I guess it is not the end of the world , but it just goes to show that no matter how good you think you did, there is always someone who can do it better. My Flowers (notice the dutch figure center right) Devon Flowers

COMING INTO THE WORLD!!!

7:30 am on Tuesday Dec 20th we arrived at the Lloydminster Hospital for our scheduled Induction. We got settled in our private room, they hooked up the monitor and IV and then we awaited the Doctor. Dr. Elgedewi arrived around 8:30 she checked to see how far along I was. 2cm which was very exciting. She broke my water and we waited about 2 hours to see if that would get things started. It did not so then I got to be injected with Patocin. That really got the ball rolling. I got to about 4 cm and then I decided to have the epidural. Both my nurse and Doctor highly recommended it for me, they said labor is hard but being induced can make it way worse. I am so glad I did. It was a breeze for the next 4 hours while waiting to get to 6 cm. It was so crazy how all the pain just disappeared. around 6 cm though I did start to feel a little more uncomfortable and felt some pressure. Finally around 8:30 they took me to the labor room and things progressed very quickly. I was 10 cm before we knew it and ready to start pushing. Labor was not what I thought at all even with the epidural there was pain, and oh my a lot of pressure. There was a couple moments when I did not think I was going to be able to do it. Until finally at 10:55 she made her grand entrance. Mark and my mother both got to be there when it happened and what a blessing that was I would not have been able to have done it without them. Hearing there words of encouragment made all the difference in the world when I was ready to give up. My nurses throughout the day were all amazing and Dr. Abouhamra who delivered Macie was fantastic. The only scary moments were when I would push her heart rate would drop quit a bit. The nurse was a little concerned and did an amazing job monitoring it and getting it back up. I knew she was going to be okay though, I had this very calm feeling from the Savior, say she will be okay just focus on doing your job. I of course cried when she came at first though it was because the pain was over and then when they placed her in my arms I cried because I was holding my beautiful baby girl. She was perfect and I loved her more then anything in the world. The whole experience was incredible.

It is day 4 now of her being her and she is amazing.

Macie loves to sleep, snuggle with anybody, eat, and gaze her eyes upon the world. She dislikes being disturbed when warm and cozy, a poppy diaper and getting mucus stuck in her throat. This has been my one big concern and thing I have been monitoring as she has had a hard time catching her breath from the mucus being stuck in her throat a lot. She is also a little jaundice and going for daily checks but for the most part she seems okay.

Macie is doing an amazing job of eating and got it very quickly, she is a fantastic sleeper so far and let me get 7 hours of sleep last night. she sleeped from 11 to 3 then 5 to 8. She is great at being awake and just looking around for a good hour at the world without crying.

She struggles at keeping her food down but is getting better as more of this mucus is starting to get out of her. She hates getting her blood taken to check for jaundice and am not looking forward to taking her today.

MACIE RYAN HUNSPERGER!!!

December 20th 2011 10:55 PM
8lbs 8 ounces
22 1/2 inches long

Birth story and more pictures to follow.

Sweet Cobalt, WHAT??

Yes I am saying sweet Cobalt. I think someone gave Cobalt the memo that if she did not smarten up in the next couple of months she was out of hear before baby came. Cobalt is a wonderful cat for the most part to Mark and I, but with others she is a little brat. She will come up to you and ask you to pet her and then all of a sudden start hissing at you and scratching at you. She has such a temper and the strangest things will set her off. These last couple of months though Mark and I have tried really hard to make her feel special. Ex: leaving the door open at night so she feels welcomed to come and sleep in the bedroom with us, taking time out of our day to pet her, making sure she gets treats when the puppies get treats, letting her be inside when she wants. What a difference it has made in her personality. About a month ago we had friends over and she sat on the guys lap and let him pet her for 30 minutes and never got mad. She plays back with Lily, when Lily tries to play with her, this is the first Christmas without a broken ornament. It is actually kind of sweet how she just sits under the tree and sleeps. Instead of trying to climb up it and destroy everything. I love that I am starting to have loving feelings towards Cobalt again, and wanting her to be in our home, instead of trying to find ways to convince Mark to get rid of her. As long as she does not try to smoother Macie or sleep in her crib, she is hear to stay.

understanding Attawapiskat

The name alone will give a person a head-ache, never mind the story and accusations of how the government has let this people down. This is a small indian village of 2000 people who live near James Bay in northern Ontario. With the cold weather here, these people are living in very poor shelters, and even worse living conditions to say the least. Well, CTV and CBC will try to send Canadians down a spiral of missing facts as they show only the footage shoot by a NDP MP, showing the horrid conditions that the people are living in because the Government has let them down. Listen to more of the story that CTV, CBC, the NDP and the Liberal's don't want real tax paying Canadians to see.

Sun News : Ezra's viral video

If you watch this and agree with it SHARE IT... Lets get the message out there.

DECEMBER 25!!!

There is a secret part of me that I am divulging to everybody right now that kind of wants Macie to come on Christmas Day. Not that I want my body to wait that much longer, but I think there is something special, and magical about being born on the day we celebrate our Savior's birth. Most people say oh poor girl that is going to suck when she starts having birthday's. As her mom I don't see it that way. She will never have to go to school on her birthday, when she gets older she will never have to work on her birthday. People say "ya but she gets the raw end of the deal with gifts and birthday food and parties". I see it differently, it gives me a challenge every year to come up with something extra special so Macie feels super special on her birthday. I already have tons of fun ideas to make her feel special. Plus in our family we want to try and not make Christmas about gifts and more about spending time together as a family, celebrating the Birth of our Savior and helping others in need. Very little gifts for all is the goal, except Macie as she would get Christmas and Birthday gifts. Parties can be just as fun, or better. Snowboarding trips with friends, ice princess themes, having unbirthday parties in the summer time. I have a funny feeling that if I just let nature take it's course and don't get induced she will come that day, especially keeping up with family traditions. I have a nephew who's birthday is on July 4th, a niece with a birthday on November 11th, once every 6 years my birthday fall's on Labor Day, and I think a sister-in-law who's birthday can fall on August long weekend. (sorry Chelsey can't remember the day 100% but I am almost positive it is very early in august and probably falls on the first monday in august every 6 years as well). Although I have been getting contractions more and more stronger the past couple of days and really she could come tomorrow when I get my membrane stripped or soon after, but if not, I am kind of leaning towards no induction and just seeing what day this little girl chooses to come into the world and not what day the Doctors, Mark and I decide she should.

BEEF STEW!!!

I have been a house wife is the term you could use for over 7 years now, and in those seven years I have never made stew, meatloaf, a turkey dinner (have helped with this one though) and probably many other traditional meals. I have decided with my new role as stay at home mother this is going to change. So today I made my first Beef Stew, had to call my mom for one questions, but other then that I did it all on my own and it was crazy easy and as I eat it right now super delicious. I don't know why I hold myself back so much in things and get scared to try new things. Especially when it comes to food and crafts. In these past two weeks I have tried two new meals now and both turned out delicious. The best part is I made enough to get a freezer meal out of it. As of right now I have 7 freezer meals sitting in my freezer and am adding another one tomorrow. Hoping this help once baby comes.

p.s. if anyone has any really good freezer meal's please send my way, I would like to get about 4 to 6 more made before Macie comes, especially if she is late.

DOCTOR'S ORDERS!!

Yesterday I had my 39 week Doctor's Appointment. We started off with the usual, checking blood pressure, asking questions. Then we hopped up on the table to see where baby was sitting (and she has dropped, yay) and to listen to her heartbeat. As we were finishing up she told me that lots of walking helps (and I told her we go for a good 40 minute to one hour walk every night) and then she looks at Mark and says "Also Make him happy" at first Mark did not know what she was talking about, but then realized what she said and had this cute giddy smirk on his face. Then the even better news came, if she is not hear by next week we schedule an Induction for the 21st of December. Which means for sure we will be meeting our little one in 14 days. Forever it felt like this was never going to happen, but know with a for sure date in sight I can really start my count down and if she comes sooner great if not I will have about two weeks.

NOT YET!!!

Well I have had some strong feelings that Macie was other going to come on Dec 5th or Dec 17th. I don't know why such difference in the dates just those have been my feelings. So seeing as it is 5:41 on Dec 5th I am feeling more and more strongly that this baby is going to be late for us. Which I am okay with, Mark has a final exam on Dec 16th, so she other needs to come within the next couple of days or not until the 17th, and because I love that man so much I asked Heavenly Father if I didn't come early I would be more then willing to suffer it out for his sake and be a couple of days late, and it's looking and feeling like I get to suffer it out :) So far it has not been to bad occupying my time. I have got the upstairs of my house almost cleaned to perfection, and have been able to keep it clean, with the exception of Mark's school, teaching, and young mens books. For the last couple of days, and don't see why I can't keep it up until baby comes. Our basement is getting more and more organized every day and getting closer to being totally done. Today I got to watch one of my all time favorite Movie "Newsies" with my good Friends Kristi and start work on a really cute advent calender, and I have something else planned for everyday this week except Thursday. It is next week that I am not looking forward too as I am running out of ideas of things to do to not let time creep by and as well to be somewhat productive with all this time I have off. I am open to any suggestions of what you other ladies did to help time pass well waiting for that first baby to come. Oh and I walk and walk and walk hoping to get this sweetheart out sooner but it does not look like it is working. So again feeling like she is going to be a late one please ideas to help the time to pass would be appreciated.