Clare's first visit to the Sunset Pool. I can't wait until she can swim next year!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Multnomah Days Parade
Last weekend we went to a parade in Multnomah Village. We didn't really know what to expect, and the parade was actually a lot larger than we thought it would be. The kids had a great time, and it was nice to be out in the cool air.
The most amazing dad ever, running around with one kids on his shoulders and another in his arms. He worked really hard to get as much candy from the parade as possible.
Is it really a parade unless you get to pet a llama?
We also got some balloons. They say, "SALE" on them. I have a feeling that Jeff stole them from a vendor.....
The most amazing dad ever, running around with one kids on his shoulders and another in his arms. He worked really hard to get as much candy from the parade as possible.
Is it really a parade unless you get to pet a llama?
We also got some balloons. They say, "SALE" on them. I have a feeling that Jeff stole them from a vendor.....Good Night
This is actually a good morning picture. Clare is asleep in the bassinet next to the bed. Ronan is still passed out in the middle of the bed. Nora is awake and playing a game, but probably was asleep in the bed only minutes earlier. It's a little crowded.
My three little ones all snuggled in bed together. Nora and Ronan love for her to come into their beds to say good night.
Ronan loves to talk about Clare sleeping. He will check on her and tell me she's asleep all day long. He's actually turning out to be a great big brother.
Nora will talk in the sweetest voice to Clare. She tells her about all the toys they are going to play with as soon as Clare is a big girl. Nora also loves to ask how old she will be when Clare is a certain age or how old Clare will be when she is a certain age. It's annoying to answer the same question over and over again, but it's also nice to imagine the girls playing together at some point.
She should be asleep in this picture, but she's not....
My three little ones all snuggled in bed together. Nora and Ronan love for her to come into their beds to say good night.
Ronan loves to talk about Clare sleeping. He will check on her and tell me she's asleep all day long. He's actually turning out to be a great big brother.
Nora will talk in the sweetest voice to Clare. She tells her about all the toys they are going to play with as soon as Clare is a big girl. Nora also loves to ask how old she will be when Clare is a certain age or how old Clare will be when she is a certain age. It's annoying to answer the same question over and over again, but it's also nice to imagine the girls playing together at some point.
She should be asleep in this picture, but she's not....Out and About
This is a picture from my first trip to the park with all three kids. I can't remember the details from this outing, which is a good thing! It can be intimidating to be out in the world with three young children, but we are managing everything quite well. We've been to parks, Costco, Target, several grocery stores, the Children's Museum and OMSI all on our own. For the most part we enjoy running around Portland and staying busy. It is only going to get more challenging as Clare becomes more alert and active.
Zoo
So after a sucessful trip to the waterfalls, Katiemay decided to try taking both kids to the zoo. You have no idea how nice this was for me and I will be forever grateful that she took the kids for the day. I was able to rest and clean and not have to worry about Nora and Ronan! Plus, they all had a great time.
On the train!
She's teaching my kids how to make creepy faces. Nora and Katiemay are practically the same person! I always think that my kids look more like Jeff, but when I see these two together I have to reconsider that thought.
The locked the kids down in the stroller at the zoo. Smart.
On the train!
She's teaching my kids how to make creepy faces. Nora and Katiemay are practically the same person! I always think that my kids look more like Jeff, but when I see these two together I have to reconsider that thought.
The locked the kids down in the stroller at the zoo. Smart.Brennie
Katiemay's boyfriend, Brenie arrived from Ireland and spent a week with us. I'm sure it wasn't the most glamorous way to start his vacation: spending time with a wild family that just had a baby. Nora and Ronan loved him, as you can see from the pictures. Ronan called him, "Brittney" after our babysitter. We tried to correct him but it was no use.
I have no idea how I tricked May into taking Nora hiking for the day. It was such a nice break for me. May said that Nora had a great time, and she actually couldn't believe how good she was.
I love all the pictures of Nora and Brennie!
Ronan wanted to hang out with Brennie all the time, probably because he was another boy! Katiemay kept handing over Clare to Brennie. I think he was a little scared to hold such a tiny baby.
I have no idea how I tricked May into taking Nora hiking for the day. It was such a nice break for me. May said that Nora had a great time, and she actually couldn't believe how good she was.
I love all the pictures of Nora and Brennie!
Ronan wanted to hang out with Brennie all the time, probably because he was another boy! Katiemay kept handing over Clare to Brennie. I think he was a little scared to hold such a tiny baby.Monday, August 30, 2010
TRUCKS!
I love our community centers! Conestoga had a truck day the Saturday after Clare was born. We decided to check it out because we thought that Ronan would really enjoy it and we wanted to get out of the house. My mom and Katiemay came with us too.
I have to admit that I was really surprised by how great it was. I was expecting about ten trucks, but there had to be over 50. The kids were able to climb around the honk horns and there were sirens blaring from every direction. Ronan was in heaven!
As we were leaving a helicopter was landing!
There was a Scholastic Book Fair truck there with Clifford on it. The kids had a great time with Clifford.
Ronan just ran wild in the back of this truck.
Nora and Ronan operating a crane. Of course this truck wasn't actually turned on, but it was really cool that the kids were sitting up so high on such a giant device!
They loved the ambulance. Nora really liked laying down on the bed in the back.
Nora driving the fire truck. Ronan also went in, but the firefighters were the ones that lifted up the children and it made Ronan so nervous that he wasn't really able to enjoy the truck. Hopefully next year he'll handle it better.
I have to admit that I was really surprised by how great it was. I was expecting about ten trucks, but there had to be over 50. The kids were able to climb around the honk horns and there were sirens blaring from every direction. Ronan was in heaven!
As we were leaving a helicopter was landing!
There was a Scholastic Book Fair truck there with Clifford on it. The kids had a great time with Clifford.
Ronan just ran wild in the back of this truck.
Nora and Ronan operating a crane. Of course this truck wasn't actually turned on, but it was really cool that the kids were sitting up so high on such a giant device!
They loved the ambulance. Nora really liked laying down on the bed in the back. 
Nora driving the fire truck. Ronan also went in, but the firefighters were the ones that lifted up the children and it made Ronan so nervous that he wasn't really able to enjoy the truck. Hopefully next year he'll handle it better.First Bath
Clare's first bath- in the kitchen sink. Nora and Ronan love helping to give her a bath. Tonight we had all three of them in the bathtub!
Going Home!
They let us go home!
I really shouldn't complain about having a baby. I have been so lucky to have quick, easy labors. And healthy, beautiful babies. But.....I hate spending time in the hospital afterwards! Especially after Clare, I really wanted to get home to be with Nora and Ronan. And my own bed and shower.
The girls in our family in front of our house.
Three babies in the minivan.
A family picture in front of the hospital.
It's so strange that they insist on wheeling mothers out of the hospital. It's really awkward.
I really shouldn't complain about having a baby. I have been so lucky to have quick, easy labors. And healthy, beautiful babies. But.....I hate spending time in the hospital afterwards! Especially after Clare, I really wanted to get home to be with Nora and Ronan. And my own bed and shower.
The girls in our family in front of our house.
Three babies in the minivan.
A family picture in front of the hospital.
It's so strange that they insist on wheeling mothers out of the hospital. It's really awkward.Sleeping Beauty
Clare does a lot of sleeping, especially during the day.
Sleeping out on our deck while we eat dinner.
Sleeping before we left the hospital.
She's only a day old in this picture...sleeping.
Sleeping out on our deck while we eat dinner.
Sleeping before we left the hospital.
She's only a day old in this picture...sleeping.Meet Your Sister!
I spent my first night away from Ronan while I was in the hospital. There's a part of me that can't believe I didn't get away before Clare arrived, but a bigger part of me that really missed Nora and Ronan while I was away. My mom was a saint and brought the kids to the hospital first thing in the morning. It was so nice to be able to introduce them to their new sister, Clare. I was really nervous about how Ronan would react and how much he would understand about having a new baby in the family. I had nothing to worry about, because he instantly knew who she was and what was going on. That's not to say that he wasn't more interested in the rocking chair than her, but at least he knew she was in the room.
Ronan giving Clare a kiss. So adorable.
One of my favorite pictures ever is Nora holding Ronan at the hospital. Of course I can add this picture to the list too. Nora loves being a big sister. She was so excited all summer for Clare to arrive. At the end of my pregnancy she would ask daily if Clare was going to be born every day.
My three little babies! I can't believe our family is complete. It's such a wonderful feeling!
Ronan giving Clare a kiss. So adorable.
One of my favorite pictures ever is Nora holding Ronan at the hospital. Of course I can add this picture to the list too. Nora loves being a big sister. She was so excited all summer for Clare to arrive. At the end of my pregnancy she would ask daily if Clare was going to be born every day.
My three little babies! I can't believe our family is complete. It's such a wonderful feeling!Monday, August 23, 2010
Clare's Birth Story
Clare’s Birth Story
At 36 weeks I experienced false labor. Contractions were coming every 5 minutes and were painful. Even though this was my third pregnancy, I have never experienced contractions before. I knew that these were real because they were radiating to my back and were very painful. After talking to the doctor, I decided to wait another hour before going to the hospital. During this time the contractions began to spread out. I was relieved because it was too early for Clare to arrive.
At my 36 week appointment a couple of days later I was 3 cm dilated and 90% effaced.
At my 37 week appointment I was still 3 cm dilated and 90% effaced. I was disappointed that I hadn’t made progress in the last week.
At my 38 week appointment, my doctor asked if I wanted to have my membranes stripped. I agreed, however when he checked me I was 4.5 cm dilated and 90% effaced. He said if I wanted he would induce me. I was so relieved because I was physically and emotionally finished with the pregnancy. We were given orders and would be back at the hospital in a little over an hour.
It was really nice to be able to go home and finish packing the last few things for the hospital. My mom was there with the kids and we were told them that when we came home we’d have their new baby sister with us.
We arrived at Good Samaritan Hospital at 2:00. The check in process takes awhile and Jeff and I settled into our room. Our nurse was eager to start penicillin so that we could have a full four hours and a second dose before delivery. At 4:00 she started the pitocin. I could feel occasional contractions, but nothing that was regular or painful. Our nurse continued to increase the pitocin every half hour.
At 7:00 I asked for an epidural. The contractions weren’t painful at this point, but they were annoying and I wanted to have the epidural in place before they started causing too much discomfort. The process for the epidural went smoothly, but soon after it was in place I began feeling sick. I would go from feeling nauseas to drowsy every minute. The nurse explained that my blood pressure was dropping and I was given medicine to bring it back up. This worked temporarily, but I began to feel sick again. Jeff walked out of the room and when he returned I was on oxygen and looked horrible. I think this made Jeff pretty nervous. I was given more medicine to increase my blood pressure and eventually stabilized. It was a hard hour because I was worried that I wouldn’t feel well enough to have the baby.
The epidural was weaker than the ones I had with Nora and Ronan. I was able to move my legs throughout delivery and could feel the contractions. The contractions were not painful, but I could feel my stomach tightening.
At 8:30 I was 5.5 cm. I was surprised that I had not progressed more because my labors with Nora and Ronan were only 5 hours long. At 9:10 my doctor came and broke my water. I was 8 cm dilated at this point.
At 10:00 I began to feel a lot more pressure and was checked again. I was 9+ cm dilated. At this point I was beginning to be pretty uncomfortable. I knew that the epidural was not going to be as effective as it was for my other births. I was nervous to have the epidural increased or adjusted in any way because I didn’t want to crash like I had earlier. Each contraction was becoming more painful.
At 10:45 I began pushing and my doctor realized that the baby was “sunny side up.” He made two attempts to turn her. This was extremely uncomfortable and unfortunately, unsuccessful. My doctor explained that this position occurs in about 20% of deliveries and just means that it will take a little longer to deliver. I also realized that it would be more painful too. Although I did have an epidural and I’m sure that it eased some of the pain, it was not nearly as strong as I expected. Pushing was extremely painful and I was able to feel the baby as she was “crowning.” At one point her heart rate dropped dramatically and the doctor said that she possibly had the cord wrapped around her neck. He was prepared to use the vacuum if necessary. The doctor continued to watch her heart rate, which never dropped again, and I was able to deliver Clare within the next three minutes.
Clare Rose Olson was born on August 10, 2010 at 11:21 pm. She weighed 7 pounds and 10 ounces and was 21 inches long. She has a full head of hair just like Nora and Ronan. She is beautiful and we are so happy to have her with us.
At 36 weeks I experienced false labor. Contractions were coming every 5 minutes and were painful. Even though this was my third pregnancy, I have never experienced contractions before. I knew that these were real because they were radiating to my back and were very painful. After talking to the doctor, I decided to wait another hour before going to the hospital. During this time the contractions began to spread out. I was relieved because it was too early for Clare to arrive.
At my 36 week appointment a couple of days later I was 3 cm dilated and 90% effaced.
At my 37 week appointment I was still 3 cm dilated and 90% effaced. I was disappointed that I hadn’t made progress in the last week.
At my 38 week appointment, my doctor asked if I wanted to have my membranes stripped. I agreed, however when he checked me I was 4.5 cm dilated and 90% effaced. He said if I wanted he would induce me. I was so relieved because I was physically and emotionally finished with the pregnancy. We were given orders and would be back at the hospital in a little over an hour.
It was really nice to be able to go home and finish packing the last few things for the hospital. My mom was there with the kids and we were told them that when we came home we’d have their new baby sister with us.
We arrived at Good Samaritan Hospital at 2:00. The check in process takes awhile and Jeff and I settled into our room. Our nurse was eager to start penicillin so that we could have a full four hours and a second dose before delivery. At 4:00 she started the pitocin. I could feel occasional contractions, but nothing that was regular or painful. Our nurse continued to increase the pitocin every half hour.
At 7:00 I asked for an epidural. The contractions weren’t painful at this point, but they were annoying and I wanted to have the epidural in place before they started causing too much discomfort. The process for the epidural went smoothly, but soon after it was in place I began feeling sick. I would go from feeling nauseas to drowsy every minute. The nurse explained that my blood pressure was dropping and I was given medicine to bring it back up. This worked temporarily, but I began to feel sick again. Jeff walked out of the room and when he returned I was on oxygen and looked horrible. I think this made Jeff pretty nervous. I was given more medicine to increase my blood pressure and eventually stabilized. It was a hard hour because I was worried that I wouldn’t feel well enough to have the baby.
The epidural was weaker than the ones I had with Nora and Ronan. I was able to move my legs throughout delivery and could feel the contractions. The contractions were not painful, but I could feel my stomach tightening.
At 8:30 I was 5.5 cm. I was surprised that I had not progressed more because my labors with Nora and Ronan were only 5 hours long. At 9:10 my doctor came and broke my water. I was 8 cm dilated at this point.
At 10:00 I began to feel a lot more pressure and was checked again. I was 9+ cm dilated. At this point I was beginning to be pretty uncomfortable. I knew that the epidural was not going to be as effective as it was for my other births. I was nervous to have the epidural increased or adjusted in any way because I didn’t want to crash like I had earlier. Each contraction was becoming more painful.
At 10:45 I began pushing and my doctor realized that the baby was “sunny side up.” He made two attempts to turn her. This was extremely uncomfortable and unfortunately, unsuccessful. My doctor explained that this position occurs in about 20% of deliveries and just means that it will take a little longer to deliver. I also realized that it would be more painful too. Although I did have an epidural and I’m sure that it eased some of the pain, it was not nearly as strong as I expected. Pushing was extremely painful and I was able to feel the baby as she was “crowning.” At one point her heart rate dropped dramatically and the doctor said that she possibly had the cord wrapped around her neck. He was prepared to use the vacuum if necessary. The doctor continued to watch her heart rate, which never dropped again, and I was able to deliver Clare within the next three minutes.
Clare Rose Olson was born on August 10, 2010 at 11:21 pm. She weighed 7 pounds and 10 ounces and was 21 inches long. She has a full head of hair just like Nora and Ronan. She is beautiful and we are so happy to have her with us.
We're at the Hospital!
We checked into the hospital on August 10 so that I could be induced. It was very exciting....but like my other two deliveries involved a whole lot of waiting.
This is how I spent most of my time, in bed and on the phone.
One last little shot of Jeff and me before we meet our baby.
And one last belly shot in the parking garage at the hospital. I'm so glad that I'll never have that belly again.
This is how I spent most of my time, in bed and on the phone.
One last little shot of Jeff and me before we meet our baby.
And one last belly shot in the parking garage at the hospital. I'm so glad that I'll never have that belly again.Sunday, August 22, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
Latrell Falls
We decided to go to the waterfalls to show Katiemay the Gorge. I was also pretty motivated to hike because I was desperate to go into labor. We had a great hike and went to Edgefield on our way home.
The kids had a great time playing in the garden at Edgefield after the hike.
This is the new way our family will be hiking. Jeff will be carrying two kids and I will be complaining in the background.
Jeff and the kids were standing under the waterfall. The kids loved it.
The last family picture before Baby Clare arrived!
Nora hitched a ride on Katiemay's back.
I love this picture of my mom and Nora.
All the girls: Nana, May, Nora, and Me.
The kids had a great time playing in the garden at Edgefield after the hike.
This is the new way our family will be hiking. Jeff will be carrying two kids and I will be complaining in the background.
Jeff and the kids were standing under the waterfall. The kids loved it.
The last family picture before Baby Clare arrived!
Nora hitched a ride on Katiemay's back.
I love this picture of my mom and Nora. 
All the girls: Nana, May, Nora, and Me.Moon Visits
My good friend from college, Katie Moon, came to visit with her fiance, Eddy. It was great to see them in Portland, even if we weren't able to do much. I was pretty much giant and cranky while they were in town, but we still had a good time. For some strange reason I didn't take any pictures of them with the kids or anything and we took this as I was leaving to take the kids to class in the morning. Oh well, pictures next time.Ronan's Birthday Party!
We had a small little celebration for Ronan's 2nd Birthday. We went to Papa's Pizza for a crazy dinner and then came home for cake and presents. My friend, Katie, and her fiance, Eddy, were visiting. My mom and Katiemay were also visiting.
Ronan actually picked out this fire truck, but was still so excited to see it on his birthday. The ladder moves around and Ronan loves being able to control it.
Ronan got a "Cars" cake. The cake came with two cars on top and Ronan has been playing with them ever since. He loved the cake and will refer to his birthday as the "car cake birthday."
When Ronan first walked out into the room and saw all the presents and cake he was a little overwhelmed. It was so cute because he went right into Nana's arms until he was ready to sit down and enjoy the party.
Ronan loved the ball pit at Papa's Pizza. He had to be removed at one point for jumping on other kids and had two accidents in there, one resulting in a bloody lip. He's such a boy.
Ronan and Nora on the ferris wheel. I still can't believe this pizza place has a ferris wheel!
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