Week #1

#52weeksofRoarke

Introducing Roarke Michael Rhoton

BOY oh BOY do I have news to share with you!

Yes... here he is, the newest addition to our family!!!

Please welcome... Roarke Michael Rhoton... we have fallen in love all over again!

As you know, I went in on Tuesday morning for a scheduled induction. However, after 28 hours of being in active labor I could not get dilated enough to have a natural delivery. 

I was scheduled for a c-section in the afternoon on Wednesday and our baby boy was born at 1:05 PM on June 10th!

(Don't let me kid you... this pic was taken at the beginning of the induction... I wasn't all smiles later in the game)

Roarke weighted in at 8 lbs 2 oz and measured in at 20 inches long!

The past few days since he has been born has been an adventure and some of the best of our lives. It is shocking how something so small can take up so much of your heart. Dan and I are learning what this "parenting thing" is all about, but I have been pleasantly surprised with how easily we have taken on our new roles.

Speaking of Dan... he has been my rock through this entire thing. Everyday all I can think about is how lucky and thankful I am to have married him and get to live the rest of my life enjoying our family together. He has stepped up as a husband and father so much these past few days... I could never repay him for all he has done for me... I love him so much!

And of course... you are all wondering how the other love of our life is getting along!

When we finally came home with Roarke, Remington really didn't give him much attention. But it didn't take long for him to figure out that this little human was quite interesting and LOUD! Remington enjoys laying close to Roarke and visiting him in his nursery every night before bed. And if Roarke begins crying in the middle of the night, Remington races in there to check in on his baby brother. I have a feeling they will be best friends for a lifetime!

A big THANK YOU to all my friends, family, co-workers, etc. who have shown their love and support to us these past few days. We are very blessed to have you in our lives and are excited to share Roarke with you in the years to come!

Remington's Rundown

Hey Doodle Lovers! It's Remington Bear here!

There I was taking a nice little snooze with my Mom when her cell phone rang!

"Who is it Mom?"

Mom was really surprised to hear that the call was from Paws and Think, the organization we do our volunteer work through. Last month they had a volunteer appreciation event that Mom couldn't attend because of her work schedule. Much to her surprise we had been honored during the event!!! During the phone call they told us we were recognized for our outstanding service for Therapy Dog visits at senior living facilities in Greenwood and for completely over 75+ hours of service in 2014! Who knew!

They were kind enough to stop by during one of our visits and give us our gifts we were suppose to receive. A Paws and Think pen, lanyard, and blanket! Pretty cool!

I love doing visits with all of Mom's residents and feel really proud of this accomplishment! Sadly, once Mom has my new baby sibling I know that we are going to have to take some time off from my work. Mom says the most important thing to her now is making sure that the baby and I adjust well to one another. 

Luckily, my girlfriend Bella will be holding down the fort while I'm gone!

Time to sign off... WIGGLES!

~Remington Bear~

40 Weeks - Scheduled Induction

Well, we are only one day shy of 40 weeks.

I had my last doctor appointment this past week and didn't get the best of news. My blood pressure has steadily been on the rise for the past couple of weeks. When I went in for my last check up it was 140 which was pretty unusual for me since I'm often lower than 110. The doctor voiced concerns about preeclampsia and started asking me if I had noticed any swelling, headaches, etc. I really hadn't and even though I feel crappy I can't complain about much. He said that was a good thing, but that the baby is probably putting a lot of stress on my body at this point and the only way to get my blood pressure down is to deliver. I have been scheduled to be induced today at 8:30 in the morning. He said he will first give me some Pitocin and after a while break my water. The baby will come at any time after that. I could deliver in the afternoon... or much later into the evening. 

Right now the baby is the size of a watermelon and weighing in between 7-9 lbs. The baby is still measuring on target, the heartbeat was 143, and head is still down. After my appointment last week I was still 2 cm dilated and 50% effaced. I haven't made much progress in that department.

I really wanted to go naturally if possible, but with my personality I also like to be able to plan so I'm taking the induction as a blessing. Right now my attitude is just "go with the flow." Basically, I don't have much control at this point and Baby Rhoton will come when it's ready :) Next time we chat hopefully I will have someone new to introduce you to!

Mileage Monday

Stats for the week of June 1st - June 7th... I slowed down even more this past week. I have spent a lot of time laying around, watching TV, and just not doing much of anything. I'm really tired, uncomfortable, and much more irritable than usual. Sadly, I know that when I have the baby I will probably be even more tired than I am now, but I'm hoping I can get back to my old self soon enough or at least as much as possible.

Monday, June 1st, 2015 - 2,579 total steps / 1.3 total miles / 31 calories

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2015 - 2,603 total steps / 1.3 total miles / 38 calories

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2015 - 4,139 total steps / 1.5 total miles / 58 calories

Thursday, June 4th, 2015 - 2,174 total steps / 1.2 total miles / 20 calories

Friday, June 5th, 2015 - 2,499 total steps / 1.3 total miles / 27 calories

Saturday, June 6th, 2015 - 3,104 total steps / 1.4 total miles / 46 calories

Sunday, June 7th, 2015 - 3,004 total steps / 1.4 total miles / 42 calories

Totals for the week : 20,102 total steps / 9.4 total miles / 262 calories

Mileage Monday

Stats for the week of May 25th - May 31st... This past week has probably been one of my worst feeling weeks so far in pregnancy. My body aches so badly I just don't want to do too much. I did get a little pep in my step on Wednesday and decided to take Remi on a 2.25 mile walk, but boy did a pay for it afterward. My body hurt so badly once we got home I could hardly waddle around. I've been scolded by Dan that I just need to chill out and rest, but that is hard for me since I feel like I'm being lazy.

Monday, May 25th, 2015 - 3,206 total steps / 1.4 total miles / 73 calories

Tuesday, May 26th, 2015 - 4,287 total steps / 1.5 total miles /  78 calories

Wednesday, May 27th, 2015 - 2.25 mile walk with Remi / 12,955 total steps / 3.3 total miles / 179 calories

Thursday, May 28th, 2015 - 2,629 total steps / 1.3 total miles / 43 calories

Friday, May 29th, 2015 - 5, 118 total steps / 1.8 total miles / 81 calories

Saturday, May 30th, 2015 - 4,034 total steps / 1.5 total miles / 77 calories

Sunday, May 31st, 2015 - 2,572 total steps / 1.3 total miles / 42 calories

Totals for the week : 2.25 mile walk with Remi / 34,841 total steps / 12.1 total miles / 573 calories

38 Weeks

We aren't sure how much longer Baby Rhoton is planning on staying put inside my belly so we thought we had better take one last belly shot just in case he or she decides to make an early appearance. We are as ready as we'll ever be at this point and both terrified and excited all at the same time.

Right now the baby is the size of a swiss chard and probably weighing in at around 7 lbs. Can anyone tell me what the heck a swiss chard is? I have never heard of it before! I had a doctor appointment yesterday and everything is checking out much the same as it was the week before. I have gained a total of 30 lbs now (boy I'm really packing them on). The baby is still measuring on target, head still down, and the doctor said he or she is hanging out on the right side of my belly. The heartbeat was 145. I am now 2 cm dilated and 50% effaced. He said that the baby could come at anytime or it could hold out for another 2 weeks. 

I asked him about all the aches and pains I had been experiencing lately and he basically told me that is probably normal at this point because of my small frame and my body trying to deal with all the extra weight I'm carrying. That is definitely one thing I'm looking forward to once I'm no longer pregnant... trying to get my body back to normal.

Dan and I did recently take a tour of the hospital we will be delivering at. We were really impressed with it. Most of the area has been completely renovated and all the rooms are super nice. Going made me feel a little better about what to expect when the time comes. I guess now we are just playing a waiting game. I highly doubt there will be any further pregnancy posts... but if we do go up to 40+ weeks I will try to get a last one up for you.