The Before and After

I thought it would be fun to post some before and after pictures from the pregnancy. No, I'm not showing any belly shots--my whole abdomen area is still very much in recovery mode, as well as some other parts of me. But I have seen drastic improvements in the foot department. A few weeks ago I thought it would be fun to scare people with my elephantitis feet. Well I am happy to report that they are no longer the size of squashes. They look like my feet again! I would add that  my ankles, calves, knees and thighs ( well, more or less with that last one) have also deflated. :)

Here are the pics to prove it:

Before

Even Crystal is scared!!

AFTER

Hm... why do my feet seem more tan when they were fat??

Claire Eva Casebolt

This post is long overdue and I really  had good intentions of doing it for the past week...but it just didn't happen. You'd think that lying around the house all day I would find some time to blog about my baby girl. But anyways, I am finally doing it!

Claire Eva Casebolt was born Tuesday, January 3, 2012 at 10:05 p.m. She came into this world weighing 6 lbs 15 oz., measuring 20.5 inches long and looking absolutely perfect! She had beautiful, flawless skin, big attentive eyes and a head full of hair. Our little angel had finally arrived. However, we had not been expecting her quite so soon. New years day Jason and I went to the hospital because my blood pressure had been measuring high and my OB had told me to check in with the hospital nurse if it was over 140. The nurse asked us to come in so they could double check my pressure so we went, casually thinking they'd give me a baby aspirin and tell me to put my feet up.

We couldn't have been more wrong.

With my pressure consistently measuring in the mid 140s over 105 the nurses seemed pretty concerned. They told me that I probably had a mild form of preeclampsia and the only way to resolve it was to have a baby! The doctor decided that they would monitor me for the next 24 hours and then decide what to do. Jason ran home to grab more stuff and they moved me to a labor and delivery room.

Monday night they began the induction process with a Foley catheter and Tuesday morning they started giving me pitocin. Luckily  I progressed well enough throughout the day without any problems. The worst part of the whole thing was that my epidural only lasted for about an hour before I began feeling INTENSE pain in my lower abdomen and back. The anesthesiologist never did figure it out--I was completely numb up to my hips and that was it. But by that point I was completely dialated and I pushed little Claire out in less that 45 minutes! Oh the relief! And oh, what a beautiful baby!! She really was perfect. :)

We stayed in the hospital 3 more days so that Claire could be treated for jaundice. She is doing well now and putting on lots of weight! She is our precious little angel and we love her so much!

She had daddy wrapped around her little finger the moment he first held her.

Getting her tan on under the bili lights :0)

Grandma Casebolt flew in the Friday after she was born and was a great help to us!

Patiently waits as dad changes her diaper--what a good baby!

Jason actively "fathering" his child ;0)

Tummy time!

Look at those eyes! So alert and attentive.

2012

The year 2011 brought its fair share of sorrow and grief to our little family. Jason and I learned a lot about what it meant to lose something important to us and we learned how to cope, relying on each other, our wonderful family, friends, and especially on our Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ. We grew closer as a couple and I believe we have come out of this past year stronger, more grateful for what we have and with a better realization of how precious this life is. And now, with the close of 2011 we are looking forward to this new year and the opportunity we will have shortly to become parents to our little baby girl. What a great way to start off a new year than by having a precious little child sent from God! Looking back over 2011, I know we were richly blessed by Him and I can see His hand in our lives. Now, as we move forward into this new year, we can continue to count our blessings. I can only hope and pray that I will remember to always give thanks to my Father in Heaven and remember how much He loves me, no matter what happens this year.

All I can say is, bring on the new year! I have a feeling it's going to be a good one. ;0)

Happy New Year!!!