Another Beach Boy

#2 Has arrived! He s so stinking cute too! We decided on Cooper Michael... He was a much bigger boy than expected weighing in at 7lb 15 oz a measuring 21inches. We were expecting low 7lbs even into the 6's. I was measuring a week behind schedule as far as belly growth so we were surprised.

I labored from 9am-3:45pm, started pushing a little after 4pm and about 6 contractions & 12 or 15 deep pushes later our little guy arrived. Jeremy was a great cheerleader and I cried like a baby myself. I just cannot explain the rush of emotion that came over me when I saw him for the first time. It has to be, by far the best feeling in the world!

All fingers and toes, (skinny ones) accounted for. He makes little chipmunk noises. He is nursing well thank goodness. (I struggled with Cohen) Speaking of, he is doing great. He received a big brother gift from his little brother, napped during the main part of labor and when he woke he was so smitten acting when he met his brother, almost shy. That shyness quickly subsided and Cohen was saying things like "take baby Coop on walk with me?" " I feed baby Coop?" Hearing Cohen call the baby, baby Coop is what probably sealed the deal on his name. We were considering Ty (close second), Turner and Kennon. We have not put his name in writing so we have a little room to change it if we do not feel Cooper is right for our guy but I think that it is!

Well I cannot wait for yo all to meet our little guy!

Being Induced... In hours!

Here is a little snap from mine and Cohen's maternity portraits taken this past Saturday at 38.5 weeks. This might just be my favorite and a big thanks to Melanie Merkling for making it happen. She graciously donated her talents to me because she knows I am too cheap to pay for my own since I feel like I can simply set up a tripod and set the automatic timer, right?

I write this on the eve or now the morning of being induced with #2 or baby Frank as Cohen calls him. We will post pictures of the arrival of #2 and when I post I hope to have a name for our little guy. Until then he is #2 or baby Frank and I actually will miss calling him baby Frank but no Michaelanne we will not be naming him Frank, Frankie or Franklin. Sorry!

We will keep you all posted....

not my little guy... meet sterling

No I didn't have my little guy but I am slated to be induced on the 17th if he does not arrive sooner!

We did think he was going to too! Last Thursday we spent the evening at the triage center of our birthing facility getting evaluted. At 37 weeks I was dilated to a 3.5 with my contractions being only 2.5 minutes apart. I thought for sure that we were having the little guy with no name... but nope they sent us home at 11:30pm because my cervix never thinned throughout the contractions, etc. They considered it preterm labor. So here I have sat since Thursday with back labor and contractions just waiting for #2 to arrive.

Tos see more of the above little guy click HERE. He was perfect and had me praying I deliver early... he was just shy of 9lbs! Yikes I know. Note... I am officially on maternity leave from portrait sessions. I did my two final sessions this morning and afternoon. However, when will my maternity leave begin from editing? NEVER I would assume!

Headed into 37 Weeks

I have been really bad about posting. To be honest the blog is just not what it use to be for me. I have so much going on that I forget to blog until things have long past. I will try to be better.

So I am headed into my 37th week with baby #2. We still have no name picked out. We do have Michael set for a middle name, sticking with family members for that. My sister, for those who do not know, is Michaelanne. Cohen has Thomas as a middle name after my brother and they both share May as their birth month. Well baby #2 due August 24th, however we are being induced August 17th shares his birth month with his Aunt Michaelanne so we thought how appropriate. So That is where Michael comes from. Not to slight Jeremy's side but the kids get the Beach last name so we want to represent the Jerome's in there some where. Right now front runners for names are...

Kennon
Tate
Cooper
Turner
Ryden
Beckett

Feel free to chyme in. I would love to hear your thoughts. So I am posting a pic. from 36 weeks with #2 and providing a link to one of my very first blog posts... me at 36 weeks with Cohen. Click HERE for that. I am pretty much the same size and the exact weight. I even put on the belly mold I did with Cohen and sure enough it is the same size. I did it at this point in pregnancy with him. Strange how they are the same. With this one I am a lot lower, and more out. I was much wider and high with Cohen. I actually think #2 will arrive early seeing that I am already 2cm dilated and 50% effaced. We go to the doctor tomorrow so I should have another update then. Just to note with Cohen I never dilated. They induced me at 39 weeks at not even 1 cm so being dilated already is a great thing. Means labor should progress quicker.

Enjoy the pic. May not post anymore seeing that I am getting larger and more swollen looking :)