Unto us a child is born

Evan Michael Franjesevic entered and has already blessed our lives at 3:06 pm March 30, 2011.Weighing in at 7lbs 4oz! 18 1/2 inches long with dark hair!










i didn't swell until during delivery




One Proud daddy






I'm sure everyone is wondering about his name. Greg and I always went back and forth between Owen and Evan and then decided on Owen, but I have always had reservations about that name and I'm still not entirely sure why. I finally came to the conclusions that I couldn't name him Owen when my patients would ask me what we were naming him I was always hesitant to say "Owen" I let it ride for a while thinking it was just me being weird, but then I finally talked to Greg about it and he said he liked Evan better too. I also wanted him to have a name with meaning. Since my sweet husband is such an amazing human being I really wanted him to have at least part of his name, so Evan Michael it is.
before the pitocin started...

I was so incredibly nervous coming to the hospital today, but Greg is mister oh so calm all the time so of course he wasn't nervous at all, which was and always is good for me. We got here around 7am and checked in and at 0730 the nurse checked me and I was still 3cm and we started the pitocin shortly after that. At 0855 my Doc arrived and brought in the fancy hook to break my water. I saw him first and then the hook and I said, "oh, ok then, so this is what were doing." After some friendly banter about our families in Ohio he checked me and said, "She's a little over a 3 to me" and then proceeded to break my water. I was expecting that to be a little painful, but I didn't feel a thing. Right after he broke my water I had a contraction that was a little stronger and I looked at Greg and said, "Oh dear, things are happening."

At 12:45 I thought I was going to die, so I caved and asked for an epidural. Those things are magical. Period. I'm dilated to a 6 by this time and my contractions are 1 min apart. The guy that was doing the epidurals that day had just started a C-Section and wouldn't be around for 30 minutes. All I could think was, "oh my goodness I have to have 30 more contractions before I get an epidural how am I going to do this without breaking my husbands hand?"

1:15 epidural.....pure joy. Evans heart rate dropped to 80 during this time...scared the heck out of me. I was put on Oxygen and placed on my left side...eventually he came back up and stayed there. They had to turn off the pitocin because my progression was going way too fast for his little body to handle well.

1:55 I'm dilated to 9cm. At 2:30 I'm a 10 and we start pushing. Who knew pushing could be so exhausting? I broke tons and tons of tiny blood vessels all over my face and shoulders...I look like I have a weird sunburn rash. right when Evan's head was coming out his heart rate dropped again then his head came out and the cord was super tight around his neck so the doc had to cut the cord to even get it off his neck, but all was well and he cried right away and I sobbed right away for quite a while actually. Greg was so amazing through the whole thing. We never took birthing classes and he was like a pro...and he even knew how to swaddle...I didn't even know how to swaddle! He loves his little boy so much it's so sweet. I love seeing him with him it melts my heart :o)

My hips are definitely wider than they used to be...I can for real say, "I have child bearing hips" and it's not even an exaggeration. I can't complain and I just own those bad boys because they gave me my sweet boy.

We are all doing well and Greg and I couldn't be happier with our precious baby boy.

Skin to Skin...


Greg says he looks like a chinese baby in this picture haha

Our last Family Home Evening without children

Greg and I had FHE last night and realized it was the last one we would ever have with just the two of us. So we had to capture the moment and we look a little silly :o) It was actually a pretty bitter sweet moment when we realized it. I got to thinking about all the FHE's we've had in 3.5 years and we've had a good run haha. Now it will only get more fun and maybe a little more difficult at times, but I can't imagine it being less enjoyable. He is my most favorite person in the whole world. I adore this man more than I would ever be able to fully express in words. Sometimes I worry that I will be so consumed by my children that I will forget the needs of my husband. I don't want him to ever feel neglected. I told him last night to always tell me if I'm not giving him enough attention because I want to be able to balance my time. In less than 24 hours we get to work on getting a baby here!

The date is set!

Greg and I went to my appointment today and I'm now dilated to 3cm, so my doc said that I now meet the requirements to be induced before I'm 41 weeks. He said I know you want to go to Provo but you can go to Payson tonight and be induced or wait until Wednesday. Greg has class and quizzes and I really don't want to go there so we said Wednesday. Bright and early Wednesday morning at like 5 am we are going to work on having a baby! I'm still hoping he decides to come on his own because I really don't want to be induced I don't think I'll be able to go natural if I am induced. Anyway we will keep you all updated!

39 and 2

39 weeks and 2 days. I had another appointment today and I am still 1cm and now 75% effaced, but the baby is at a +1 station! My doc said, "You are getting very favorable and my gut feeling is that you will go into labor on your own by the 28th." So, that made me a little more excited, but not too excited because I don't want to get all sorts of impatient again. He said that if I do not go into labor on my own by the 28th they will do a non-stress test and then induce me on the 1st.

I swore I would never do a bare belly picture for the world to see, but my belly button had Greg and I cracking up yesterday because when I look down it looks like my belly has a nose and I had to share...and yes, I have weird sporadic hairs on my belly :o)

My belly button used to be a severe inny...Greg and I call it the never ending belly button because you seriously couldn't see the end of it when looking in, but now that I am 9 months pregnant and due in 4 days it has completely turned inside out...which only happens in pregnancy when a woman gets a hernia, or so I'm told... but which makes perfect sense because I lift and turn people/kids nearly everyday at work and the belly button is the weakest part so anyway here is my inside out belly button...

A Renewed Sense of Patience

Have you ever felt like your brain was going in 50 million different directions and you weren't able to control one thought at a time or control anything for that matter?

Well this hasn't happened to me since Nursing school, but it did yesterday and I felt like I was going to have a nervous breakdown.

Today I woke up and went to the temple to sort out my thoughts and hopefully regain control of something...anything.

I don't know if it's just in my nature or if it's the RN in me that feels like I have to be in control of EVERYTHING. It's really exhausting, but I can't seem to shake the need to take charge and control. I feel like I have to scrub the bathroom, vacuum, mop, dust, scrub the kitchen down etc. nearly everyday because it just doesn't feel clean enough when in reality it totally is how could it not be when I use Lysol kitchen cleaner and other Lysol sprays every 5 minutes? I've always been a cleaner, but this is intense and it's just because I feel like the place needs to be spotless for my little one to come home to when it's time and since I have no idea when that is I have to clean and re-clean everyday to be sure when I go to the hospital we can come back to clean home.

The fact that I have absolutely no control when our baby is coming makes it hard to plan and relax for me because I feel like I need to know the exact time to be prepared for it and have a plan....I'm a planner too, so this is doubly hard.

Like I said, I went to the temple today and finally for the first time in a few weeks have actually felt relieved. I asked Heavenly Father to help me regain patience and just control over my emotions and the insanity I have allowed to overcome me. I felt like I allowed myself to be overcome with such a silly burden, but I also felt like the Lord was right there with me when I left the Temple and he indeed, is bearing my burden with me. I'm so grateful that the Lord does know me and all my craziness that I bring on myself, but is still there to bear my burdens with me.

I feel so much better.

False Alarm

So today I thought my amniotic sack may have torn a bit, but sadly, I was wrong.

I was at work at about 8am and I was just sitting there charting and all the sudden I felt this warm wet feeling and I immediately stopped what I was doing and ran to the bathroom. My Garments were definitely wet, so I waited a couple hours before calling my Doc because I kept thinking about how my water broke last time I was pregnant and I literally heard a pop and it ran all down my leg, so this couldn't be it....but then I kept thinking if it is and I don't go then I could get an infection. I finally decided to call my Doc and he said to just go get checked because that very well could be possible.

I waited until my surgery cases were finished because I wasn't having bad contractions and they were anywhere from 10-20 minutes apart and not painful, so I wasn't all that concerned. Finally I left work and went to Utah Valley and they hooked me up to monitors and gave me a swab with their paper deal and unfortunately it did not turn bright blue which would mean positive for Amniotic Fluid. I said, "I know I didn't pee my pants, so what else could it be?" She said, "It could just be discharge, or you could have leaked a little and then your baby moved and plugged the hole." Well, that would be very watery discharge and if my little one is plugging the whole, he needs to move :o)

The nurse checked me and said the baby is in a good position and that I am "70%-80% effaced" which I already knew I was 70 so I was hoping she would say something bigger than that. HA. She also said that I am having very regular contractions, but my doc wanted me to go home and come back when they are painful, which they are not and have slowed down.. gggrrrr.

So I am still very much pregnant and very much not wanting to be, as much as I do love it I just want my little boy to love on.

Nevertheless, it was fun to hear his heartbeat and hiccups for a while :o)

Deliciousness

One day Greg said, "we should celebrate things more." So Greg and I made green flower sugar cookies with homemade butter cream icing for our FHE dessert yesterday not necessarily to celebrate St. Patricks day but because it's this week and it's a good reason to eat something sweet and yummy. Today I looked up why there is even a St. Patrick's day and Greg and I are clearly not Irish or Catholic but it was fun making green flowers with green icing and sprinkles...I didn't have a clover cookie cut out in my box of 200 cookie cutters, but I did have about 5 different flowers so I used the one that looked most like a clover. I really just want to share my butter cream icing recipe because it's sooooo yummy!!!

Butter Cream icing: 1/2 C butter
1/3 C boiling water
4 C powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Boil the water. Melt the butter over medium heat until nut brown. Remove butter from hear add the water, powdered sugar and vanilla to the butter. Stir stir stir and then ice! It's better to ice things right after you make it because it hardens up and is difficult to spread after a while.

I'm going to be pregnant forever

38 weeks and 2 days. I have made no progression from last week.... I must say I'm a little bummed about it. My Doctor said, "I'm thinking your due date is when he is going to come." Which is fine, but dang it I want him now! It's crazy how fast the first 37 weeks went by and it feels like these last few are just dragging on. I need to be patient, but it's sooo hard!

My sweet husband painted my toenails for me because it's a little painful reaching over my belly :o)

He tried really hard and this was the final product

Needless to say we had some touching up to do, but he was great for a first timer!

Something a little exciting- So we have to get some maintenance done to our car (brakes, transmission fluid change, antifreeze change, new battery, belt tightened, new head light bulbs, and struts) I went to Auto Zone today to get new bulbs and I was talking to the guy about my battery and he said mine was still under warranty so I got a new $90.00 battery for FREE! I'm pretty sure this is the first time a warranty I've had actually served it's purpose!

Homemade Ice cream Sandwiches and dilating? You betcha!

I had my 37 week appointment today and I am 1cm dilated, 70% effaced, and the baby is at -1 station. I know as well as many know people can be dilated to 1cm forever before going into labor, but my doc said, "it's rare for a first time mom to have as much progression as you, but if I were a gambling man in Vegas I would bet that you will still be pregnant next week." haha... I just don't want to go over my due date other than that I don't care when he comes. I lost 1/2 of a pound this past week as well, but apparently that's normal. YAY for some progress even if it's only 1cm!

For our FHE dessert I made homemade ice cream sandwiches and they were yummy :o) Feast your purty eyes on them or make them either one.


Directions: 1 cake mix- devils food or I personally love the chocolate fudge
3/4 butter, softened
2 eggs
preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients together. Place in refrigerator to let it get more solid and less sticky. Roll into balls-which I just spoon some up and plop them down- place them on a greased baking sheet and bake for 7-9 minutes. When cool add some vanilla ice cream..I prefer Vanilla Bean but you may like strawberry or chocolate or mint or any other kind that is equally delish. THE END.

I also cut my own hair again today...I wanted more layers and I had time before my appointment so I went to town.

And a slight to the side shot to get a better look at the layering

Full Term

I'm 37 weeks! Through many conversations between Owen I, he has been made well aware that he can come out anytime because we are so ready for him! I was thinking about all the things I love about being pregnant and tried to think about things that I dislike, but I could only come up with one - Leg cramps awful awful leg cramps. Really I can't complain about anything. My pregnancy has been a breeze and I'm still not uncomfortable. So here are all the things that I really enjoy about pregnancy:

- I love his kicks and rolls
- I love when my husband comes to bed at night after studying or doing homework and he puts his hand on my belly and the baby just goes kicking crazy! I don't know if he can feel the temperature change from his hand or what, but it always wakes me up and I always have to laugh. Greg will push back and then Owen will kick again -it's like they play through a little barrier- it's so sweet.
- I love all of my body changes and even my waddle walk haha it's all just proof of motherhood
- I love that Greg reads him stories and he responds to his voice by moving
- I love that Greg constantly thinks about being a good father
- I love that it has made me want to be a better a person in order to be a good example
- I love being able to hear his little heart beat - his sound of life
- I love that I have a slightly greater idea of how much God loves us (I don't know if I'll ever fully comprehend that love) by giving us his son because I don't know if I could give my son to people who would in turn make him suffer in many different ways.
- I love that pregnancy is an act of Gods love and proof that he exists- he never ceases to give miracles
- I love that when I exercise I have more motivation because I feel like it's more purposeful- it's not only helping me but my baby and his life line (placenta) as well. It increases blood flow through the placenta in case anyone cares...
- I love that it has given me even more hope and knowledge that it is possible to go through trials, overcome them, and receive great blessings even when you think it's not possible you'll ever heal.

Side note- I always thought body pillows were pointless so I never bought one, but I put a throw pillow under my belly when I was going to sleep and it takes so much weight off when I lay on my sides...I think I finally understand the purpose of the body pillow, but throw pillows work beautifully.