The begining...

The first couple of months with Addi were amazing. It was such a change and both Addi and I were adjusting to life as Mama and Baby. Here are a few memories I do not want to forget and will someday laugh about with Addi:

Before she was here...
Working at Riverside Country Club * going to school * 9 months pregnant and I got on Dean's List for the first time! * prenatal massage :) * moving to Mom & Dad's * ohhhh the decisions that I had to make * watching her move in my belly while taking baths * feeling her kick and punch me all the time *

After she was born...
Only 6lbs 9oz so all her clothes were so big * Grammie Marasco got her some pre-me clothes for the first few weeks * first photo shoot at one week *living in the basement at Grandpa and Grandma Anderson's * the night I drank a 32 oz Diet Coke at night, which got to Addi and kept her up ALL night! 7:00am and I thought I was going insane! * Her first tubby in the kitchen sink * her bows in her hair were bigger than her head * Her umbilical cord fell off during 1st week * first ER visit was due to a small string getting tangled around her toe, cutting off circulation. It was in bedded so far into her skin that I couldn't pick it out :( taking her to the UVU library to study with me * first Halloween costume was a bunny * thanksgiving at my Uncle Nico's * Christmas morning with Marley and than rest of Anderson Fam * first new year's eve at Uncle Nic's and Aunt Angelika's * sleeping by the fire at Great Nana's *

(Ill add more to this list has I remember....)

05*07*09

This blog wouldn't be if it wasn't for my babygirl, Addi. So I am going to take a minute to relive a little bit of 2009.....

*LaBoR oF lOvE*

Wednesday May 6, 2009, (the day before my due date) was the last day I worked before I had Addi. I decided to press my luck and try all the things I heard about that would jump start my labor. First, I went to my SiS-iN-lAwS, Angelika, who is a massage therapist. She rubbed my ankles at a trigger point that releases the hormone Oxitocin, a hormone involved in labor. Later that night, I went to the store and bought Castor Oil, typically used as a laxative. By the time I went to take it, it was 12:00am, so I was contemplating not taking it.... but I did. The instructions said to take 1 tablespoon, three times, in 30 minutes increments. So, 12:30 am I took the first tablespoon. Well...... 30 minutes later, laying in bed and for some reason, I felt the urge to read in my book about what to do if your waterbreaks. As I was reading the paragraph, I feel what feels like a waterballon popping in my stomach. I immediately got up, went to the bathroom and sure enough MY WATER BROKE!!! I couldn't believe it! I called Loa into the bathroom, "LOA! MY WATER BROKE!" And being the man he is, he says, "Get out. I need to get ready to go..." Wow... So, I call the midwife and she tells me to relax and there is no need to go to the hospital till my contractions are a minute a part. So, I did my best to get comfortable in bed, knowing I needed my rest, and somehow... I was able to fall asleep for a few hours.
I woke up around 6:00am... NOT ONE CONTRACTION. I called the midwife and she tells me to take it easy and if no contractions began by 1:00pm, to go to the hospital. So, I did my best to relax. Took a bath and read, went to the Ipod store to fix my Ipod that I wanted during labor, took Marley (my doggy) to my parent's house, went to my Uncle Carl and Aunt Jan's house to get a blessing from my uncle and cousin and by 1:00pm, with not one contraction, I headed to the hospital.
I got checked in and got comfortable. The nurse came in and told me they were going to induce me since my contractions were not starting. I begged for them to wait so they gave me one hour. Time passed and no contractions so the gave me Pitocin to get things started. My mom, Loa's mom, my sister and Loa were in the room. Things started slow and easy. I was dilated to a 2 and it wasn't painful at all. I remember thinking, "This is it?" Was I in for a surprise?
I was trying to go all natural by using a hyponobirthing method. My sister had my neice all natural, using hypnobirthing, so I thought I would try. The first few hours weren't too bad.... than reality set in. By about 5:00pm, contractions were getting close together and very painful. I was trying so hard to not use drugs but as time passed, and the contractions got closer together and more and more painful, I was more than ready for the epidural. I told the nurse if I had dilated more, than I would keep going without. So as soon as she told me I was still at a 2, I got the drugs! I was already in so much pain that I didn't feel the huge needle. Ten minutes after they gave me the epidural, they checked my dilation and I was a 10!!! They gave me the option to rest for an hour or start pushing so I took a little nap. (I was so tired) That was about 7:30pm.
Around 8:30pm, they came in and began to prep. I felt great! 9:00pm, I began to push. They told me it could take up to 2 hours so to be patient. Well, it only took 3 pushes and at 9:16pm, she was here!
I don't think I slept at all that night. I just starred at here... the most beautiful baby I have ever seen! My daughter, my babygirl.... I couldn't believe it. This was one of those moments in life where there is a fine line of life before and life after... Life, has I knew it, just began. I felt complete.
Naming her was a bit of a challenge. Our top names were Brooklynn and Addison so we combined them to Addilynn. For her middle name, Loa wanted to name her after his sister Tenille's middle name and I wanted my sister's middle name so, Addi got both: Mahealani Alexis. Her last name was a bit of a struggle. We did things a little backwards and because I wasn't married, I still wanted her to have my last name, yet I wanted her to have Loa's name to because that is her culture too. So, she got both: Marasco-Anderson. If things change in the future or when she gets older, if she wants to drop one name, that option will be there. But for now, Addi is blessed to have a beautiful name, with a little bit of almost all her cultural background in it: Hawaiian, Italian and Scottish. (Im not sure what Addilynn or Alexis would be)
May 07, 2009 Addilynn Mahealani Alexis Marasco-Anderson was born. May 07, 2009, is and always will be the most amazing day of life. Love you Addi.

Let it roll...

Well, I'm finally doing it. I am finally starting a blog. I have been waiting till I felt my lives little pieces fell into place but what I have discovered is this: This is my life... the good, the bad and everything in between and I love it. It will never be perfect but the imperfections is what makes it mine. I am so excited f0r 2010 and all it has in store for me. 2009 was the best year of my life, as I was blessed with my baby girl, Addilyn. However, it was also the hardest year to date. The trials I was put through left me bruised and battered and left war wounds that will forever be in my heart. But through it all, I found strength and courage I never knew I had inside of me and I was able to dust myself off, walking away a better and stronger woman. So here we go... this is my 2010.