Taylor and Stina Cline: July 2009

The Baby Came Home

Christina coming out of the hospital, Taylor hooked up the carseat and brought the car around. (I could've walked but I guess it's procedure to wheel the new mom out of the hospital :-D)

Alvin's first bath. Taylor did it, just a sponge bath since the umbilical cord is still on...Alvin didn't like it but he got clean...which was the point.

Christina taking a nap with Alvin early Thursday monring after a long night. Taylor took care of Alvin for most of the morning so Christina could rest...what a great daddy!!

Brooke (Taylor's neice) came to visit with her dad and brother. Her and Mindy brough us dinner Wednesday night (and some for thursday night)...THANK YOU MINDY AND CORY!!!

Alvin has jaundice (like every baby I know...) but what I didn't knowwas tahtifthejaundice doesn't start going down then either you take the baby to the hospital for some time under the lights OR they bring you a light bed and blanket to REALLY make your baby look like an alien (which begins with them coming out purple and guey...and the elongated head...and now...HE GLOWS!.

Taylor likes that his son is already learning about the amazing effects light can have on babies. The potent radition will hopefully turn Alvin into a superhero called Spectra Boy :-)

Last Day of Pregnancy

The nursery is ready...just waiting to put the baby in :-)

Sunday morning I (Stina) noticed some leakage...which isn't abnormal in pregnancy so I figured I'd just deal with it...but I kept leaking and by the afternoon I began to think maybe I was leaking something I shoudln't be...like amniotic fluid! I called a nurse in our ward and our doctor but couldn't get a hold of either to help me decide what to do. My parents suggested we just go to the hospital and get checked out. We got there thinking they woudl just say "You're fine, go home..." but instead they said that my water had broken and we were going to have the baby soon. Luckily we had packed for hospital thinking we might be staying so we were set.

We walked around campus Sunday afternoon and took the last pictures of Christina pregnant with Alvin (although we didn't realize it at the time...).

BIG TUMMY!!

Catching a nap in between? It's Christina's favorite pasttime.

Because my water seemed to have broken Sunday morning by the time we got to the hospital Sunday night my doctor wanted me on pitocin to make sure we got the baby out before infection set in...so they put me on pitocin at about 11pm, contractions started, but because the monitor for the contractions was off the nurse didn't think I was having them...WHICH I WAS! Taylor was a great coach rubbing me, telling me to stay calm, and getting me what I needed. By midnight I told Taylor nevermind...I didn't want to have a baby...but if I had too, I wanted drugs! :-) Taylor was great and helped me through it (this is called "transition"). By 2:30 my contractions were getting monitored, were strong and I was starting to have teh urge to push. Again Taylor was a great coach getting me to hold back since i wasn't dilated all the way yet. I quickly progressed the rest of the way, they called the doctor and I was releived to start pushing at about 3am. I had been told that it would feel great to push (it DID!) but then when the baby crowned it felt like fire!!

It was such a relief to feel Alvin come out, to feel his sholders clear and then the rest of him...and then to have them put him on my stomach. The relief and excitement at seeing this baby that had been growing inside me for the past nine months was unbelievable. It was surreal...still is. I look at him in hislittle box by the side of my bed wonder what the rest of his life will be like...what tomorrow will be like...what next year will be like.

I'm so excited to be a mother, and I am SO greatful that Alvin is healthy and STRONG!!

ALVIN SCOTT CLINE

Alvin Scott Cline was born this morning July 27th 2009 at 3:15 am. Weighed in at six pounds eleven ounces and nineteen inches long. Christina's water broke early Sunday but we weren't sure. We finally went in at 10:00 pm and by 11:00 she was on pitosin. She did fantastic without an epideral and only pushed for about 15 minutes. Baby is doing great and needed little assistance from the doctors. We'll post more later

Wave Running and House Pictures

Cory and Mindy rented Wave runners and let us come along we only got to go shortly because it was wind and really cold but we're going to go back out on the 20th and I can't wait.