Mary Jade Ostler!

We went into the hospital on Halloween Night at about 7:30 PM because we suspected that Sara's water broke and had been leaking since about 3:30 PM but she didn't want to miss the Halloween festivities. :) She labored very diligently, and waited until she got to about 5 cm until she asked for an epidural. They gave her an epidural, and she continued to dilate slowly throughout the night. The epidural wore off and she labored without it for about six hours, and she stayed around a 9 the whole time. She was a 9 for so long, and the baby's head dropped to zero station, but she continued to be at a 9. Dr. Jackson checked where she was at and her cervix was swollen, so although it was dilated to a 9 it felt like an 8. Then it got even more swollen, and for some reason the baby was stuck and wouldn't drop down anymore, and Sara wouldn't dilate anymore. She was in labor for over 24 hours, but Dr. Jackson said there hadn't been any progress for a long time, and recommended a Cesarean section. After a blessing and some tears, we decided to proceed. They got ready to operate and they delivered the beautiful Mary Jade Ostler at 8:08 PM on November 1st 2008. She weighed 7 lbs, 3 oz and was 19 inches long. She is completely healthy with all her fingers and toes and everything where it should be. She was a little bruised up from all the labor and had a slight cone head, but it went down quickly. The surgery went well, and about an hour later, Sara was wheeled back to her room and she got to hold her baby and feed her. Mary and Sara are both doing very good, and Mary recently got a bath from her Daddy (me!). I hope you like these pictures we took so far of the baby and us.

Love,

Andrew and Sara

Sara laboring in bed



Dr. Jackson preparing for the C-section



In the operating room, Sara on oxygen and Andrew in a mask



Surgeons discussing before operation with Dad in the forefront

A freshly born Mary Jade being cleaned up



Mary Jade Ostler a few minutes old



Mommy holding Mary with her sweet eyes open



Daddy kissing Mary's head



Mommy kissing her baby Mary



Mommy and baby who looks pretty in pink



Mary Jade Ostler, our sweetheart!

Slideshow of photos from the last few days
Music: Angel Lullaby
Made with love on November 3rd 2008

Preparing for baby

Andrew and I have been busy the last few months. Since we last blogged, I've been to California twice. Once to drop off the birds at a rehibilitation center in Long Beach, and another time to begin preperations for our new addition. Our little girl will be born in the next few weeks, and preparing for her arrival while stressful at times has been fun. Last month we went to California to my friend Lisa's wedding, and also so my amazing cousin Cindy could throw us an awesome baby shower. Belive me if she wasn't already an outstanding nurse, she could be an organized party planner and have her own business. The pictures will prove it. We were even able to use most of the decor for a beautiful second shower that my talented mother in law threw for us when we got home. In between the two showers my gifted father in law wallpapered the nursery in one night, and my husband (the love of my life, and precious pig) built our new daughter her crib. We want to take this time to thank all of the people who have been so generous in helping us get ready for our baby. Especially our parents on both sides. They have helped us turn our little run down house into a place we can call home. We love you and hope we can be as good of parents to our sweet Mary Jade, as you all were to us.

Hugs (Gemmers) is always happy to see Mommy and his new Daddy when we come home for a visit. Nelson even seems to like Andrew, but no one seems to love him more than Vel, or as he is now known by Andrew ROAST.

These are all the party decorations and food that Cindy got for us. Everyone loved it. I'm still surprised that I didn't see real storks wandering around Uncles house.

Saying goodbye for me is always the hardest part. I don't know why I didn't do more pictures with the rest of my family, and so now I'm kinda of bummed. Andrew tried on my maternity clothes to see if he could make himself feel just a bit of what I feel. Who wouldn't have to get a black mail picture of that. I love you honey!

After returning home it was time to begin decorating the nursery. Generously donated wallpaper from Uncle Brad was hung by my genius father in law. The pictures show a somewhat step by step process.

Next it was time to build the crib. An eight hour task with several parts and difficult to impossible to follow instructions. You more just need common sense sometimes. Which blessedly for me my sweet husband has. In addition he has the patience of Job. Didn't it turn out better than great though. It just needs a baby now.

After the crib was put together, we went the following day to our other baby shower. Much of our family and friends came a long distance to wish us well and shower our beautiful new baby to be with love and gifts. It's a good thing they did, or they would have missed the best food ever. My mother in law soon to be "GRAM" slaved in the kitchen for days before the party. It was such a beautiful day, and was also the first snow of our winter season. Yes, I know it's still fall. Do you think that the first snow on our day could be considered good luck? I do!

The Stork is carrying a pink blanket

8 pictures total (4 on top and 4 below)
Explanations of what you're looking at are written below each
Click on picture to enlarge

Wednesday our families waited in anticipation to hear from us as we traveled to Mt. Pleasant to have our Ultrasound. We decided we weren't brave enough to wait until the birth to see if we were having a boy or a girl. Sara thought for sure it wasn't necessary, because according to the Chinese Sex Chart, Grandma Pats pencil test, 5 dreams, and the ring test she was having a boy. However, she also worries a lot, so it would be good to see if the baby was okay. It was neat to finally see the baby on the screen for the first time. We were so blessed to have a technician that told us everything we were looking at. At first she had her legs over her head and was sucking on her knee with her ankles crossed, so telling the sex was impossible. She was asleep, with no intention of getting up. The technician was determined and we had an almost 40 minute ultrasound. She began pushing on Sara's tummy and jiggling it back and forth. Finally she stretched and showed herself to us. When the technician wrote "it's a girl" on the screen Sara almost sat strait up. Sara asked if she was sure, and when she explained that she was, and showed us what we were looking at Sara squeezed Andrews hand and began to cry. No big surprise. Since becoming pregnant she cries on a regular basis. The technician then showed us some special features. She would point out things like her femur bone, and bladder, a four chambered heart, and kidneys. How she saw all that we'll never know. Then she told us our baby has big lips. Sara looked over to Andrew who had his lower lip stuck out. We know exactly where she got those from. When she's putting on lipstick in the future (which according to daddy she won't be doing until at least age 20) she'll be grateful to have full lips. We got up and were about to walk out the door, when they stopped us and said that her brain hadn't been checked. Sara's heart started to beat fast, but another look at her baby would be worth anything. Besides we loved her already no matter what. Blessedly she was perfect. She is a little above average in size, but they are trying to determine if Sara has gestational diabetes with Sara pricking herself twice a day. She may be born closer to Halloween, but we'll just have to wait and see. We just want everyone to know how blessed and happy we are with a healthy baby. We are grateful to Heavenly Father for giving us a daughter to raise and to love.

Pea in a Pod

On our one month anniversary on March 8th, 2008, we received an unexpected but welcome present. Sara was feeling sick, so she decided to take a pregnancy test, knowing full well with her overflowing optimism that it would be negative (due to her infertility problems). But instead of the expected answer, it was positive! She told me and I was stunned, not really believing it or taking it in. She was shaking as she showed me the result, and ended up taking about five more in the few days following just to make sure. :) We've been to the Doctor twice now and everything is going great, with only one small scare of spotting that quickly went away. Below is the picture of one of the pregnancy tests she took and an audio clip of the baby's heartbeat. We loved going to the Doctor and listening to the heartbeat of our baby. Since I can't feel the baby, going to the Doctor together and actually hearing the baby's heartbeat meant a lot to me and my wife, and it was a wonderful day for us both.

The first type of test she took, Wal-mart brand.



The second type of test, digital, it says the word "Pregnant"


First appointment that we heard the heartbeart:
Click here to download and listen to the heartbeat!


Second appointment one month later (much louder and clearer recording):
Click here to download and listen to the second appointment's heartbeat!