First Post from Mom

Well, so far Blake has made all the posts. I am well rested now and thought I would give you my outtake on this whole baby thing. Labor was actually great! I should say, once the epidural came, labor was great! I am convinced that the epidural is God's gift from Heaven. I also have to say that we have the most beautiful baby boy in the world. Here I am with my son.
The quick labor and delivery story. We moved into our home on Tuesday. I didn't move any boxes, but I sure unloaded them all (except Braden's room). I figured I would have Wednesday to organize it, guess I was wrong. I started to feel some back pains shortly after Blake got home at 6pm. Since we didn't have tv at our new home, we made a trip back to our retirement community to watch American Idol. Now, I don't know if it was the move or if it was David Archuleta's magnificant rendition of the John Lennon classic that made Braden want to come out, but I am confident it was one of the two.

Around 11pm, the pains got unbearable. I started to time them and then had to take a HOT shower to ease the pains. Shortly after the shower my water broke and off the the hospital we went. We arrived around 2pm. The contractions got even worse. My angel came at 4pm. Once again, the epidural was great. I got some sleep from 4 to 7:30 and then I started to push. That was probably the best part. The epidural had worn off quite a bit and I could feel a lot. He came at 8:23am.

Yes, mommy did cry like a baby. There is no other feeling thatn seeing this baby you created. He was crying and so handsome. He did really well yesterday and slept for 6 hours last night. That's right, slept for 6 hours. I am hoping he keeps this routine up. It made daddy and mommy's night great. Well, I promise to post more later. We will definately take pictures of his arrival home. Thanks for all the calls and e-mails.

As for American Idol, here's who I want OFF. Boys: Luke Menard and Jason Yeager. Girls: Kady Malloy and Kristy Lee Cook (I can't stand her). We will see.

With Daddy and First Bath

Very proud father with son who was very upset and just wanted his mom.

First bath and he seemed to like it for the most part. I was quite surprises as well as the nurse.

This photo makes him look huge but he was a big baby. 9 lbs 2 oz.

Arrival of Braden Blake Barnett

I just wanted all of you to know the Braden was born February 27th, 2008 at 8:23 AM or 9:23AM Utah time. He weighed 9 pounds and 2 ounces and was 21 inches long. Here are some photos our newest edition to our family. More photos will follow.

Maren getting hooked up to the equipment If you look close you can see just how proud Maren is. (Tears in here eyes)
I guess he inherited the Barnett tongue.

Moving & Contractions

Well, we moved into our home today. I have to say, it is SO nice to see our stuff again. Yes, I did push myself a little too hard today which led to some contractions this evening. Don't get me wrong, I encourage every contraction, although it hurts like crazy.

I unloaded all the boxes today, except for Braden's room. I plan on doing that tomorrow and then deciding how I want the house to be decorated. The tv guy is coming tomorrow morning around 10am. I just hope he comes before "The View" comes on. Jamie, thanks to you I love "The View."

I did meet one of my neighbors today. They are a young couple like Blake and I. And guess what, she is pregnant with a little boy. (their first) She is due in June. I am so excited. I will have someone in the same situation as me. And hopefully, Braden will have a little friends to ride bikes with eventually.

We are back at our 2nd home (retirement home) watching American Idol. If our internet gets setup tomorrow, you can expect a full report on the boys. Or maybe, just maybe this little guy will come tonight or tomorrow. (I have crossing my fingers.)

Closing on Monday

Well, we have gotten the official word that we will be closing on our house Monday, February 25th. That means the movers are coming on Tuesday. So next week I do have some plans, yeah!

Monday- close on house and move some stuff over
Tuesday- movers come and drop off stuff
Wednesday- unload boxes & get house in order
Thursday- have the baby
Friday- stay in hospital because I am exhausted

See, a full week ahead of me. The first full week since I have moved here. I just hope that Braden follows this schedule. I am letting him wait until Thursday. I am a pretty gracious mother. I promise to take pictures of the house once things are somewhat organized. Which, accodring to Blake (because he knows me), will be on Thurday morning, before the baby comes of course.

Good Riddens

I am happy with the choice of Joanne Borgella, Amy Davis, Garrett Haley and Colton Berry leaving American Idol. It was classic to see Danny Noriega cry when the boys were kicked off. That is so classic of him.

Well, I went to the doctor's yesterday. Week 39 and still NO progress. This baby isn't going anywhere. I have an appointment scheduled for next Thursday. If he hasn't come by then, we will schedule a time to be induced at the beginning of the following week. I think March 5th would be a good birthday. Any opinions on a good beginning of March birthdate? Let me know. I still think a February birthday would be the best. i am hoping he will come this month.

Still no word on our house loan. That's all we are waiting for. They were supposed to let us know on Wednesday when we would be closing, but obviously that didn't happen. I better hear from them today or else I will be ticked off. We are praying that we close today so we can move in tomorrow. We will know by noon (our time, 1pm Utah time). I will keep you updated.

And did anyone watch Lost? All I can say is "BABY AARON? Say what!"

Tonight is the Night

I just wanted to make each of you aware that American Idol is on tonight. I will be honest, I tried to search and see if the boys or girls were singing tonight, but I couldn't find it. Regardless, either the boys or girls will be singing tonight. You can expect a full detail of the singing tonight. Yes Jamie, notes may be taken in these prelimnary rounds. I feel it is my duty as our liberal friend to truly evaluate these singers. And what makes me, the most non-musical friend you know, qualified to judge these people. Well, it has to do with my dedication from last year's season. Once again, you can look forward to my evaluation tomorrow. Please watch tonight so you can get the comments. It is on at 7pm (Utah time) 8pm here in Washington (and I think back east for Bryce & Meg).

Dinner w/ the Leituala's

At the career fair on Wednesday I ran into an old USU advisor, Matt Leituala. He took a position with the University of Idaho about a year ago. He invited Blake and I over for dinner on Sunday. We had that dinner last night. It was so much fun. He has the cutest little kids. Matt and his wife Melanie are probably in their early 30's. We figured we'd be there for an hour or two, but ended up being there for about three to three and a half hours. It was so fun to have great adult interaction. Melanie and I got along really well. I am hoping this will lead to a good friendship.

Melanie coaches Moscos high's varsity volleyball team and Matt is the Director of Student Academics for athletes. He get's good tickets to a variety of different sporting events and events in general. He has assured Blake that he can get him some good golfing passing this summer. This means I will have no husband this summer. I have been invited to join a softball team this summer and play basketball with a bunch of other mom's during the weeks. This will obviously have to wait until the baby comes. (Unless this will help get him out, hmmm....) Needless to say, we are excited and happy we went to have dinner with them. (Matt is polynesian, so it was a great teriyaki beef w/ rice dinner. It was to die for.)

Labor & Delivery Part 2

Well, we just finished up part 2 of our labor & delivery class. I guess we are now certified to be parents. Today was a great class. We learned about ephidurals/pain medication, what happens after the deliver (including the HUGE pads you wear), and baby care. It was fun to watch Blake and all the other guys change diapers & wrap the babies in blankets. I know there have been mixed feelings on classes, but Blake & I are really glad we participated in this class. I would recommend these to anyone. Overall, you learn a lot of information and it's an open environment where you can ask all the questions you have.

I have read some previous comments that have been posted. To answer a few, yes, I am really excited about the top 24. There are a couple of people that I hope get voted off quickly, but I am really glad with some of the people that were chosen. I have to say I am so glad they did not take the fake british accent boy. However, I do think a boy will win American Idol this year. Jamie, I don't know if notes will be taken this year, but I can assure you I will watch EVERY week. I told Blake that if I go into labor on an American Idol night (or Lost for that matter), the tv will be on in the delivery room. I am sure this will help keep my focus on something else besides the pain. There are my 2 cents on American Idol.

And one more note, Blake took me to see Definately, Maybe last night. It is a must see. Blake hates chick flicks, but really really liked this movie. It isn't really a chick flick movie, but it is SO good. Make your significant others take you. It will make for a great night out.

Valentine's Day

Well, I have read many other blogs and have to say we had similiar Valentine's Days. I woke up early and made Blake pink heart shaped pancakes with eggs. He isn't a big breakfast fan, but still loved it. He came home from lunch and then dropped me off at my doctor's appointment so he could make it back for some work meetings. When I got home from the doctor's, I found beautiful red roses on my table with a nice little I love you note.

If any of you know me, you know I love Papa Murphey's pepperoni pizza. So, when Blake got home from work at night, he had a delicious heart shaped pepporni pizza from Papa Murphey's. We too enjoyed the wonderful new episode of LOST. I have said it before and I will say it again, if you have not jumped on this bandwagon, you really need to join. It is getting crazy. Needless to say, it was a nice relaxing evening with my husband. I love him so much. I still think the best Valentine's Day present would have been a baby, but obviously Braden has different plans.

No Progress

Well, I just go back from my doctor's appointment. NO PROGRESS!! Absolutley nothing is going on with me. Yes, I am 38 weeks pregnant, but I am pretty confident I will not go into labor on my own. That means I will probably have to wait the whole 40 weeks plus some. It wouldn't be so bad, but I am not even dialated to a 1. What can you do? I hope you all are ok w/ waiting, I am not but will continue to practice my patience.

Enterprise Rent-a-Car

I was so excited to go back to work for the day. A couple of people from my Enterprise Group in Utah flew up to Pullman to recruit from the Career Fair. I spent the whole day with them selling Enterprise. Which if any of you know me know it is not hard. It was so fun to actually have something to do. Something I love to do. I am noticing that late pregnancy really wears on you. Granted it was standing from 11-5pm, but my back just couldn't handle it. I found myself sitting or leaning against the table a lot. We still got a lot of good canidates, Justin, hopefully someone will come your way!

I got a call from my mom tonight informing me that the youth have planned a snow day on March 1st. (My mom is the YW president.) She made it clear that I am to have the baby shortly before this time. She didn't care how miserable I am til then, she said she would be more miserable spending the day in the snow. So, I guess if I expect this baby to be spoiled then I better wait 2 weeks and then have him come. I told her I could still have the baby this week and she would need to come help us move from Feb 29 - March 2, thus missing the snow day and benefiting both parties.

I do have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. I didn't get checked at my last appointment (at my request), but will be checked tomorrow to see if there is any progress. I have been walking, working out, and trying a variety of other methods to get this baby out of me. I heard today that a good foot massage should do it within 24 hours. I think I will wait until next week to try out this myth. I will let you all know how things are looking tomorrow.

A couple weeks to go

Well, I am winding down on this whole pregnancy thing. I have to admit that the last 4 weeks just suck. I have been through 2 and have 2 more to go. I can't wait to be done. I am sorry for all of you who are starting this venture. Kelly has reassured me it is more than worth it when that little baby comes out. I know I will cry like a baby.

I am still bored out of my mind waiting for the baby or the house. I have developed a really bad sore throat. I am going to our doctor's on Thursday so figure I will have him look at my throat at that time. I am hoping it is just dry.

Labor & Delivery Part 1

Blake and I attended part 1 of a labor and delivery class. This involved learning about my anatomy, the different stages of labor, and watching 3 live births. This was beneficial to go to. You always have that class clown (or in other words the annoying guy.) I feel bad for the woman he was with. Let's just say I would kick him out of the delivery room the instant we came in. I will keep you updated about week 2.

Other than this, we did take an adventure to the Palouse Mall in Moscow. We didn't expect much, but were pleastantly suprised. It was a nice mall w/ all the necessities. Blake was able to get a whole new work wardrobe. He was very excited about his purchases and looks forward to this next week of work in his new stylish clothing. I will have to get some good pictures of Blake in his clothes. He feels he is so hot to trot and he is.

First week down

Well, Blake has officially finished his first week of work. Although slightly boring at times, he loves it. It helps that the office has bought lunch for him twice this week and EVERYONE in the community loves SEL. (Schweitzer Eng Labs) I have been attending a morning water aerobics class. This is a nice change in my day and feels great being this far pregnant. (Girls, I recommend attending one of these classes, it is so relaxing.)

There is another program I can't wait to attend once Braden is born. There is a community mommy and baby yoga class. This is meant for new mothers trying to get their figure back and relieving some stress. You can't have a child older than 1 year, so in the description is says that feeding, crying, and changing diapers are all welcome. I think this will be a great way to meet other young mothers. However, I suppose I need a baby to attend the class, thus I wait.

Our home safety inspection passed, so now it's just waiting for the appraiser to come. For anyone who is looking to buy a house, the interest rate is really low right now. My parents were quite shocked at the rate of 5.62% because their first home was around 11.25%. We just hope everything goes smoothly. Once again, we are looking to get into the home before the baby comes.

With that, our big plans for the weekend are going shopping for work clothes for Blake at the big mall and attending a labor and delivery class. This should be a lot of fun or at least something different. Take care and have a great weekend.

Ultra Sound

My doctor has said that Braden is measuring larger than the weeks they thought he was. They wanted me to get an ultrasound to see how big he was and possibly induce me (if he was too large). Well, I had that ultrasound today and even though his has an enormous head, the rest of his measurements are 37 weeks which is just normal. My due date is still Feb. 29th w/ no possibility of being induced early. He may come early, but I don't think they will induce me. I thought I would be upset, but this would actually be nice because we could get into the house before he comes.

They didn't give me any photos of the ultrasound, but it was really fun seeing him this late in the pregnancy. He has the cutest little nose and mouth. He was already practicing his breathing. It makes us more excited for his arrival. I wish I had pictures to show you all, but I will in a couple of weeks.

Moving in

We just got a call from our realator saying that the people were dumb enough to accept our offer on the house. So, pending everything going smoothly w/ the safety inspector and the loan, we should be in our house as of the 22nd of this month.

Yes, that is exactly one week before the baby's expected due date. I wish it were sooner because I am bored out of my mind and would love to organize a house. I guess I just need to get as much sleep as possible now because I won't get any when the baby comes.

To update you all on Blake, he loves his job but is frustrated w/ the learning curve. I keep telling him if you can learn a job in 2 days it's probably not a job you will love. He is still really excited about the opportunity it presents. I will make sure to keep you all updated. Especially w/ pictures of the inside of the home. I will wait until all our stuff is in there and it looks like our home.

Offers in...

Blake and I have officially put an offer in on a home. This is a picture of the house we love. I have to be honest with you, I wasn't that interested when looking at the photos, but loved it when we toured it. It is a nice 3 (big) bedroom home.

If everything works out smoothly, we can be in the house as soon as Feb. 22. This would be a week before the baby comes. I would absolutely love it. I will make sure to keep you are all updated.