Corie May McGinnis - Born on 12-17-2010

Final profile picture!
39 weeks along

Let's get this party started!

Right after delivery

Enjoying my new baby girl!

Her hat reminds me of the hats we used to wear as kids. Also reminds me of a hat my uncle wears down to the barn, to feed the cows! Some sweet lady crocheted the hats for the Christmas babies.

Her very prominent scowl!

Ahhhh, so sweet! (Mike would hurt me if he knew I posted this picture, hee hee!)

The cutest elf you ever did see!

1-Week-Old
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Corie May McGinnis was born December 17, 2010 at 7:31am at the Dixie Regional Hospital, in St. George, UT. She weighed 8 lbs. 2 oz. and was 19" long. She came out SCREAMING and a healthy 10!!!! Choosing her name was tough! We thought it would be easier! We didn't name her until the next day, later in the day. Corie comes from Mike's middle name, which is Cory. May comes from my Grandma Jeppesen's middle name, which is also May.

We arrived at the hospital at 5:00am. They hooked me up to the monitors as I laid there and tried to rest and not go crazy! After about 5 minutes, my nurse came in and said, "Did you know you're in labor?" I had no clue. I just thought I was have braxton hicks from anxiety and not eating. Sure enough though, you looked at the monitor and every 1-3 minutes I was having contractions. The longer I laid there, the more intense they got. They didn't ever really hurt but, were full of pressure! So, the 17th must've really been the day, whether I wanted it to be or not! Another crazy thing happened, they got my I.V. in on the first poke! That, in and of itself, was a HUGE miracle!!! With Connor it took 4 pokes, with Rylie it took 7 pokes (after calling in the anesthesiologist). So, that put me at ease. Around 7am, they wheeled me to the surgical room where they'd be performing the c-section. They gave me my spinal block, which went very well, and then I laid there as they prepped and started the c-section. For some reason I felt a lot of pushing, pulling, tugging, etc. I didn't ever feel them cut, thank heavens. With my other c-sections I did feel the pressure but, that's it. So, I was very nauseous through the entire procedure, which made me sad. I love the anxiety and intensity of laying there, wondering when the baby would be here, and what the sex of the baby was. This time I didn't get to think about that and was busy trying to not throw up. I also think that maybe the anesthesiologist might not have put enough medicine through me? He was too busy talking to Mike and everyone else and didn't seem to pay attention to how I was feeling. So, I lay there wanting to die and then all of a sudden I heard this loud cry and screaming and the Dr. announce our beautiful little girl had arrived!!!! I was SHOCKED to say the least!!!!! I was 100% expecting this baby to be a boy. I just kept saying, "Are you sure? ARe you for real?" I am so grateful for my baby girl though!!!! Oh how I love her!!!! Mike then headed over and got some video and pictures of Corie while they finished working on me. The anesthesiologist gave me some medicine for my nausea (FINALLY!) which, for some reason, made me forget some things because I have no idea when and how I got from surgery to my room in the hospital. Absolutely no clue!

Things went great in the hospital the next 2 days! I got there on a Friday and left on Sunday. I wanted to stay longer but, their beds were KILLING my rear end and tail bone!!!! I didn't have to have pain meds. while I was in the hospital and was able to walk around and take care of myself quite easily. I was VERY VERY blessed!!! Corie was amazing too! She came out hungry and ready to attack and that really helped feeding! My other kids came out lazy and it was a struggle! Corie is an agressive eater and we've had to train her into eating every 3 hours, rather than every minute!

I'm feeling pretty dang good and so glad to have Corie here!!!! My Dr. did an AMAZING job on my c-section! The incision looks beautiful, if that's possible! You can't even tell he cut me open. No redness or anything! I am amazed at his work! The first night we were home things went amazingly well! Corie slept excellent and the kids were so good for us! The rest of the week was tough! Hormones were out of control, I was overwhelmed, feeling ugly, feeling stressed, and have had a hard time getting into a routine! I'm so grateful that Mike was able to work from home the majority of the time! He was a HUGE help for me!!!! He took such good care of me! Also, we were so blessed to have help from friends and family who would come and take Connor and Rylie every day for a while to give me a break and get some rest! Its been hard to limit my activities but, I can say that I haven't been as good about it as I maybe should be. Some things just have to get done and so I do them. However, not driving has been a pain in the butt. My Dr. said no driving for 2 weeks because of meds., etc. and so Mike's had to drive me everywhere! UGH! I'll be glad when Friday is here so I can drive again! You all know how I seriously love to drive! My feet are swollen, worse than when I was pregnant, so I'll be glad when they go down and are back to normal, whatever that may be.

Corie is doing very well! She is still eating really well and sleeps excellent, knock on wood! She gets the hiccups almost after every feeding. She makes the cutest squeaky and grunting noises. When we left the hospital, she weighed 7 lbs. 9 oz. Yesterday she weighed 8 lbs. 6 oz. I love when she looks at me and lifts her head to look around. She's the sweetest thing ever!!! She makes me so happy and just feel so good all over!!! We feel so blessed and grateful that Corie has come to our family. I struggled feeling connected this pregnancy and was scared that I would have a hard time after I delivered. However, I am glad to say that has not been the case. I love Corie so much and can't get enough of her! When I'm not near her I miss her! We love you, Corie!

D-Day Eve!!!!!

It's D-Day (Delivery Day) Eve!!!! I can't believe it's here! So many emotions and feelings right now. The Dr. said I would be getting a call from the hospital with instructions today. So, I waited and waited and waited! My stomach has been crazy today, like I've been on a roller coaster way too long! Finally, at around 3:45pm, my anxiety got the best of me. I called Labor & Delivery myself. They told me they wouldn't be calling me until tomorrow morning. They said there was one c-section ahead of me, starting at 7am, and then some inductions that had to happen before I came in. They wanted to make sure enough staff would be available for my c-section so they would be calling me in the morning to come in. While I was disappointed to not know what time yet, I kind of got excited of the idea of sleeping in. So, tonight we found a babysitter (thanks Erin!) and went to dinner at Pasta Factory. On the way home, the hospital called and said they wanted us there at 5am!!!!! Oh my goodness! So, something must've happened to change up the first c-section. So, I'll get there at 5am, prepped, and then the c-section will start around 7am!!!! So, we headed home, got the kids in p.j.'s, and headed over to Grandpa & Grandma McGinnis's house. The kids are sleeping over there tonight so they don't have to get up so early. I didn't think it would be a big deal but, I really miss not having them at my house to sleep tonight! I love going in at night, before I go to bed, to check on them! I will really miss them while I'm in the hospital!!!! We then ran to the store to grab a few, last-minute items, and then came home. Now I'm about to pack my hospital bag and head to bed to catch a few hours of sleep. Right now, I'm so excited, anxious, nervous, scared, feeling unprepared, and shaky! It feels like I haven't had a baby in forever and mentally I just feel very unprepared. Hopefully that will change! I'm so excited and anxious to meet our new son or daughter! So excited to find out if this baby is a girl or a boy, whom he/she resembles, what kind of personality he/she has, and what name we come up with. I'm still going with my gut and saying this one is a boy. Time will tell! Well, good night all and I'll keep you posted!!!!!

Random Stuff

This masked, half-naked child is Rylie! This is what it looks like when she tries to get undressed by herself. Pretty good and FUNNY attempt, I'd say. Rylie said the sweetest thing to us yesterday. For FHE, we took the kids down to the St. George temple to see all the Christmas lights, the nativity, and the visitor's center. As we went inside, Rylie saw the Christus with his arms stretched out. She ran up to him, pointed, and said, "Mommy! Jesus wants give us hugs!" I thought that was so sweet of her to say and notice about the Christus. I had never thought of it that way. Ah, the innocence and thoughtfulness of a child. Connor was very curious of the holes in Jesus' hands and feet. It was a great teaching moment. So, we took him to the room that focused on the life of Christ and had paintings from the time Christ was born until this resurrection.

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I had my 38 week check-up with the Dr. It was a simple appointment. We listened to the heartbeat, which took a few minutes, because my funny baby kept moving around so much he couldn't get a clear, solid sound of the heartbeat. After a few minutes he finally heard what he & I needed to hear. Rylie even helped by wiping my feet with a paper towel while the Dr. checked for the heartbeat. Apparently my feet needed cleaning off? We discussed the c-section day. He said they'll most likely have me come in at 5:30am to get started on everything and, sometime close to 7:00am, we should meet baby McGinnis. Hearing him say that sent butterflies into my stomach! I can't believe I'm only 10 days away from meeting our new baby! So many thoughts and emotions. I'm still scared to death of something being or going wrong so, I will be so grateful when I hear our new baby cry and they put our baby in my arms to see, hug, and kiss! Now if we could just agree on a name for the little critter!

I'm feeling ok. With my history in pregnancies, I've never been one to want to get the baby out of me or anything. However, this pregnancy has come close to feeling that way. I am in a lot of pain the majority of the day, especially at night. I hurt mostly in my lower back, butt, and legs. I've got the penguin waddle down to a science! Getting up and down, in and out of bed, rotation positions to get comfortable, and getting in and out of my car hurts really bad. I feel so bad and have so much compassion for those that struggle with pain and suffering every day of their lives. It helps to know that it will all be done soon and I just need to be a little more patient and tolerant. I've some major heartburn to the point where not much stays down when I go to bed at night. Which explains how I've lost 8 lbs in the last 3-4 weeks.

Thanks to Mike and Shannon's (sis-in-law) help, we were able to get the cradle, swing, stroller, and car seat put together! It has made me feel a lot more at ease. So, I am pretty much as ready as I'm going to be for the baby to come. I just need to get a few more supplies to complete the preparation process. The dresser we sanded and painted turned out really pretty. Rylie even seems to love it in her bedroom. Connor rubs it and says, "Oooh! It's so smooooooth!"

Christmas Craft & 36.5 Week Check-Up!!!

Connor getting ready to make his turkey headdress
Miss Turkey, a.k.a. Kristen

Jacob working intensely on his turkey headdress

Their finished product

Miss Emma modeling her headdress

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When I was younger, attending Thanksgiving at my Grandma's house, it seemed to be that there were years we spent time (after dinner was done and cleaned up) making some sort of craft that had to do with Thanksgiving or wintertime. While I am crafty-handicap and have to be guided every step of the way, I do enjoy doing them and the finished product. Well, those fond memories gave me an idea to come up with something for the grand kids to do at my parent's house this year. There were going to be 11 grand kids in attendance. I wanted something fun, simple (for my sake), and something easy to explain. So, the night before I spent time cutting out 99 turkey feathers, 11 turkey bodies, heads, beaks, and gobblers. Then I made a trip to Hobby Lobby where I found googly eyes that were eyes like you're used to seeing or ones with eyelashes to make girl turkeys. So, Thanksgiving Day came, we had dinner, cleaned up, then gathered all the kids together with a parent. It was fun to see the kids decorate and put together their turkeys. Some had their feathers pointing one way, some had their feathers rearranged another way. It was just fun. I don't know if they cared much or will remember it but, I thought it was fun and something to help them have a fun Thanksgiving.

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Tuesday I had a check-up with my Dr. He asked how I was feeling and then decided he should check to see if I was dilating yet. So, he checked and then said, "You're almost dilate to a zero! Congratulations!" Then he laughed. He said I am a steel trap and nothing was going to come out anytime soon, if ever! After discussing past pregnancies, labor, etc. he said he felt confident that my body was not made to fully dilate, if dilate much at all. It's a good thing I'm not a pioneer. So, he went ahead and scheduled my c-section with the hospital for December 17th! That's 16 days away, FYI! Aside from the fact that I'm made of steel (ha ha!), everything is great! My blood pressure is awesome, which I'm so grateful to hear. I've been SO SWOLLEN this pregnancy that I was worried. No need to worry though. I'm measuring ahead (no surprise), and the baby is doing great! So, now I just go see my Dr. weekly until the day of the c-section!

I'm excited and can't wait to meet this baby and find out what we're having. Most of you know I've felt 99.9% sure that this baby was a boy. Well, don't know what it is but, I just all of sudden feel I may be wrong. So, now I'm really anxious to know. However, there's a side of me that's scared for Dec.17th to come! I do not feel mentally prepared, less than I have felt with all of my other pregnancies. So, that scares me. I hope my body goes into 100% ready mode, or close to it, when the time gets here. Physically I am 200% ready to be delivering soon! I hurt SO MUCH! I'll spare too many details but, I waddle everywhere. To get up after sitting or laying down is very painful and takes me a minute of walking like a penguin to get going. If I have to bend over then I'm in big trouble! Connor asked me, "Mom, why do you always have me pick things up for you?" Or there's my favorite, "Mom!!! What happened to your tummy?!?!" My siatic nerve is pinching me like CRAZY! I have continuous heartburn. My tummy is measuring 4 inches larger than I was with Rylie. With all of this whining, complaining, and crying that goes on though.....I am so grateful and feel very blessed and lucky to be pregnant and to be carrying this baby as long as I have. I am loving all of the movement this baby has brought. This baby is VERY active, especially after 10pm. He/She kicks me so hard, especially in the ribs but, it's all proof and reassurance that this baby is alive and well! That is such a blessing!!!!

I'm nesting like MAD but, it has its downfalls. #1: I can't lift much anymore without it hurting and I can't reach up and grab much either. So, a lot of the organizing, etc. I'm doing has to wait until Mike is around. We're making progress though. I've got bottles out and sanitized. I've got the new dresser in and organized. We've got the car seat ready to go. I've got a list of everything needed to get done before the baby comes. A lot of it will be done this weekend. I mainly just need to finish washing the baby clothes and bedding, buy bottle nipples, diapers, etc. We also need to put the baby swing & cradle together, and then shift our bedroom around to make room for the cradle. Mike has been really helpful lately and has been supportive and understanding of me needing him for every little task. We also are planning to set up the Christmas tree and decorate this weekend. The kids are really excited and I'll be so happy to have the Christmas decorations out! I've got nearly all my shopping done so, I'm looking forward to the last few days or so to where I can sit back, enjoy this time, and prepare for the baby. I've even scheduled time with niece to get gel toes done on my 9 remaining toenails (ha, ha!) so that I at least have pretty feet!

The Arctic & Black Friday

Connor & Rylie, standing in my parents driveway. This was the new snow they received from the "big" storm that hit Utah.
The temperature of Wellsville the morning we arrived on Wednesday, November 24th.
Mike is infamous for finding any which way to get some sleep in. This is another prime example.

Freezing while waiting in line at Kohl's. It was 2am and we waited for an hour. I think it was around 10 degrees?

More "cold" pictures at Kohl's. We were trying to think of ways to stay warm and entertain ourselves.

I had to go potty in the worst way and threatened to go in the trees outside of Kohl's!

Stacey attempting to look happy to be outside. Either that or she was delirious at that point.
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We headed to Wellsville on Tuesday, November 23rd, to have Thanksgiving weekend. We had heard there was going to be a huge storm that day but, couldn't leave until later in the morning because Mike had to be in court in Fillmore at 2pm. So, we headed out and made it to Fillmore with no sign of a storm, just a ton of wind. After he finished up in court, around 3pm, we were on our way again. My Dad and brother continually kept us posted on the weather so we knew what to expect as we got closer. At around 4pm, my Dad let us know that the storm had hit Cache Valley and was pretty bad. We continued on our merry way. No storm, even sunshine, and the wind had seemed to calm down a bit. That all changed once we passed downtown SLC. It started to snow like crazy and my Dad informed me that they weren't letting anyone through Sardine Canyon, except those with 4-wheel-drive and chains. We didn't want to take Valley View because of the accidents we heard about. Luckily we had many places we could go for the night. So, we headed to my brother's house to spend the night. When we got off the freeway we discovered that it was safer on the freeway, rather than off. Kind of strange. The next morning we headed out to go to my parents. It was FREEZING and quite different than the weather we get here in St. George!!!!

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This year was my first time experiencing Black Friday. My sister and I decided we'd go together while our hubbies stayed home with the kids. We made a list of places we wanted to go and items to buy. We had somewhere to be at 12am, 3am, and 5am. Mike kept telling me to go to bed before I headed out but, I kept blowing him off. I wanted to keep playing games with the family and stay up. That was my first mistake. So, we headed to Wal-Mart to start out our big sale hunt. We got there and had to part behind Wal-Mart because there were no other spots. Wal-Mart was actually our quickest shopping spot that. We didn't get everything we planned but, that's ok. After that we were heading to Old Navy, which also opened at 12am. However, when I saw the amount of people in the parking lot, we changed our mind and headed straight to Kohl's. Good thing because there was already 50 people in line, at least. So, at around 1:50am we got in line in 10 degree weather to wait over an hour. That was my 2nd mistake! Brrrrrr! SO! DANG! COLD! Luckily my coat was warm but, we had no gloves nor hats! So, we finally got into Kohl's, found everything we wanted and more. We got in line to pay for our goods and what a line it was!!!! Holy cow!!!! We were in line for 2 1/2 hours!!!! On top of that, I had braxton hicks or contractions for a big chunk of the time. I wish I had chair or water with me!!! However, did save $196.00 at Kohl's. We were supposed to be at Shopko by 4:30am to get in line. We could see that wasn't going to happen so, my sister left money with me and I stayed in line at Kohl's. My sister then took my list and hers and headed over to Shopko. She had to wait in line outside also, poor thing! The sad thing was she went to Shopko, waited in line, shopped, waited in line to pay, and was all finished before I was even done and paid for at Kohl's!!!! After that we headed over to Shoe Carnival. We were exhausted by this point and almost tears! I was honestly so afraid of having my baby right there in the store!!! I found the shoes we wanted quickly, paid 30 min. later, and decided to go get breakfast. We were so exhausted and sleepy that we could barely eat breakfast. So, we headed home to zonk out! So, we left at 11:45pm and got home around 7:30 am! NUTSO!!!!! I will never go to Black Friday again when I am 3 weeks away from delivery of my baby!!!! DUMB! DUMB! DUMB!!!! With all the craziness, we did have some definite fun moments and was something I'm glad I FINALLY got to take part in. Does that mean I'll do it again? Probably not but, we shall see.

Week 34 of Pregnancy

I had a check-up with my Dr. today. As of Friday I'll be 34 weeks along. It was a great Dr. appointment. It started out with me learning that I had lost 4 lbs! Woo Hoo! Now, I had no idea that women could or did lost weight at the end of the pregnancy. However, I found out that while not common with every pregnancy, some women do lose weight at the end. It's one of the signs that a woman's body is preparing itself for the delivery of the baby. I've never lost weight at the end, only the beginning, so this was interesting to find out and made me excited! So, if that's what going to happen then, I don't mind my body preparing whatsoever, ha ha! I'm measuring 4 1/2 weeks ahead of schedule, which is very normal for me. The Dr. felt around my belly for the baby and discovered the butt and head of our baby is positioned just as it should be, with the head down. The heart rate was at 144 today. Everything is looking great for the baby and I!!!! The Dr. did put me on a z-pack today for the sickness I just can't kick. I was a little concerned because I've always been told nothing can be done. Turns out, where I've been sick so long, the chances of me going into early labor are much higher if my body continues to carry this infection and sickness around inside. So, he's hoping the z-pack will kick this junk out of my system and help me to get better so I don't go into early labor. My next appointment is in 2 weeks!

32 Weeks Along!

On Friday I hit the 32-week mark. Only 8 more weeks until I'm officially full term but, only 7 more weeks (actually, 6 1/2 now) until the c-section! It's kind of freaking me out that I'm this close to delivery! I knew this day would come but, man....it's all of sudden speeding by too fast!!!! I'm seeing my Dr. every 2 weeks and he said everything is good! I'm meauring about 4 weeks ahead of schedule but, I always do with my kids. Doesn't mean I'm having a big baby. My body just carries baby's high so I measure bigger. I have another appointment next week and then I think I start going once a week. I'm feeling nervous, excited, anxious, and NOT ready! Ready or not, here he/she comes! I'm feeling pretty good, knock on wood! Just super tired!!! I'm more uncomfortable for sure! Rolling over or changing positions in bed, to find a more comfortable position, is a JOKE!!!! It takes what seems like forever to roll over and the whole bed shifts as I'm trying to find a happy place to sleep....until I have to shift again! The baby is positioned on my lungs so, my breathing is a little labored and have to take my inhaler lately. My psyatic nerve is pinching the heck out of me but, only bothers me in certain positions. So, it's obvious the end is near!!!!

HALLOWEEN 2010

Connor & Rylie as Batman & Batgirl

Shannon (Mike's sister) dressed as a waitress who was attacked by a vampire

Laura as Wolfgirl

Rrrrrrr!

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Connor and Rylie had their costumes picked out months ago! We didn't plan on dressing them as the same characters but, Connor wanted to be Batman and then when I showed Rylie pictures of costumes, she immediently chose Batgirl. However, if you ask her who she dressed as she'll either say (in her pronunciation) "Beetman!" or "Beetman Girl!" They had so much fun in their costumes!!! We started out the fun by going to our ward chili dinner and trunk-or-treat! There were some fun costumes. One in particular was Sis. Gafa. She dressed as a witch, a very scary witch I might add. Well, Connor and Rylie got one look at her and it was all over from there. Connor hid under the table and wouldn't come out. Rylie was crying, shaking all over, and wouldn't let go of my neck. Every house she when trick-or-treating to she said, "Witch! It git me!!!" So, we left a little early to save our kids from being traumatized. We then went to Mike's parents house, to show them our kids in their costumes. I had bought a makeup kit to paint bats on the kids cheeks but, with their costumes, we didn't need to. So, Mike thought it would be cool to paint the face of the wolfman, that was on the makeup kit box. I didn't plan on being painted but, he insisted and was so excited. So, I let him do it and I have to say, I think he did a great job! So, off we went. We went for a while with one of Mike's brother's and his sister. Then, after a while we went with Mike's other brother and their daughter and Mike's sister. We hit a lot of houses and after 30 min. or so, Connor says, "Are we almost done yet?" Hmmm, not my kid for sure! We went a while longer but, Connor's feet and legs were hurting him, Rylie got tired, and then they saw some scary costumes again so, it was all over from there. We then headed over to Shawn and Stacey's house where the kids played while the adults went to Outback to get dessert, food, and hang out. It was a fun, busy, long, tiresome night! It was a success!!!!

Connor's Halloween Day at School!

Connor was able to wear his costume to school (without the mask), have a Halloween party in class, and then be part of the parade of costumes! The kids really had a great time! When I got to the school to help, he already had a bat painted on his face that really added to his costume. Then, I helped with their Halloween party in class. There were different stations they went to. They either did cookie decorating, story time, musical chairs, a game, or dancing to "The Monster Mash"! It was so fun to see Connor and all of his friends in their costumes. Shortly after, they all lined up and took part in a parade of costumes. Even the administration and teachers dressed up.

Red Ribbon Week & Crazy Hair Day!!!!

This week has been "Red Ribbon Week" at Connor's school, to teach the kids about drugs and saying no to them. Each week they've had a different theme. Monday they were able to wear the jersey or shirt of their favorite team so, Connor wore a USU Aggies T-shirt. Tuesday they were able to wear their uniform shirts inside out. Today, they were able to go to school with whatever kind of crazy hair they wanted. Connor originally requested to have his hair look like a rainbow but, I'm talked him into just doing this. It turned out pretty cool and fun, I think. Rylie also wanted to join in the fun! I didn't do anything to crazy with the style. However, I did straighten it and put some color in it and she seemed happy with that. Tomorrow they can wear levi's to school vs. wearing their uniform pants or shorts. On Friday they get to wear their Halloween costumes to school.