Weston's First Political Event

A week after Weston was born, mom and dad invited Tucker and I to go to the Rob Cornellius and David Wu Debate, they are running against each other for Congress. The debate was lively, and Weston slept right through it, except for the moment when he started to leak and Tucker had to take him out to change him.

Post hospital

Some more photos

Labor

I went into labor on Wed night Sept 1st 2010. After walking a total of about three hours that day I finally laid down for sleep around 11:30 pm. At 11:40 pm I had a contraction that felt different then the ones I had been having the last two days. I felt like something tore inside and then with the next wave of contraction, water came gushing out of me. I couldn't believe how much came out that first time. I shook Tucker awake and asked him to go wake Chelle up who was asleep on the couch cause I was pretty sure my water broke. Tucker tried to wake Chelle up, but she thought he was joking, so she just told him to stop kidding around. Then from the bedroom she heard me yell, "Chelle, we are not joking, and I am getting scared!" She snapped right out of it and came running in. We called mom who told me to get to the hospital cause my contractions were going to start hurting really bad really soon, so better to get there before they do. Tucker laid towels in the back seat and I laid down while Chelle let the hospital know I was coming in.

We got there around midnight on Sept 2nd 2010. After getting through triage where they confirmed that I was in labor, and said only one person could come in, but Chelle and mom talked their way in anyways, they moved me to a labor room. My nurse was Cherri for those first 7 hours between midnight and 7. My contractions were bad, I threw up the meal I had eating the night before, and was left with nothing in my gut. By 6 when they checked my dialation I was sure that I had to be close. Sadly the doctor said I was only at a 4 and a half, but I felt like at least I have progressed a bit.

They suggested that I use the jacuzzi to speed up the process, which I did for the next two hours. When I got threw I was sure I had to be close, cause the contractions had gotten a lot more intense. A new doctor was on shift, Dr. Straus, who checked me and determined that not only was I not at a 4 1/2, I was only at a 3 still, which is what I had come into the hospital at. The other Dr. was apparently a little tired when he checked me that morning, he not only over estimated my dilation, but others as well.

At that point I had been having really hard contractions for about 13 hours, and with nothing making me dialate. The Dr. sugessted that they use patosen, I was not really sure about that idea as I had really wanted to not have to use drugs. We had a chat, Tucker, mom, dad, chelle and I and decided that patosen might be a good idea as the water had broken so long ago, it was important to help my body do what it needed to to have the baby.

So we tried the patosen. It deffinitly made my contractions stronger. I threw up the little liquid I had taken in me and labored hard for another couple of hours. After that, the Dr. checked me and announced that I was still at a 3. This was super deflating to hear as I was barely maintaining sanity through each contraction. He said the only thing that we could do was to up the patosen levels, which meant that the contractions would get even more intense. I knew that my body could not take much more of that, but I new that I couldn't just sit around and hope that my body decided to dialate before my baby got sick from my water breaking.

I asked for an epidural at that point, cause I knew that I wouldn't be able to push him out if I had to try to make it through even harder contractions going on no food or sleep for over 24 hours at that point.

Once I got the epidural and the patosen was upped I was able to sleep for about three hours. When the checked me after that I had dialated to an 8. Finally! Progress! I was so stoked and for the first time realized that I would be able to have this baby, and I would get to meet him soon.

The Dr. had been trained by midwives before becoming an OB. So his skills were awesome! He explained exactly what I needed to do and how to push the baby out. His directions were just what I needed to be confident that I could push him out.

Turnes out, pushing the baby out was the most fun I had had all year! I loved knowing that what I was able to do was bringing my baby to me. Every push was super exciting and I had great cheerleaders helping me get through it. Chelle, Hai, Caitlyn, Mom, Dad, Tucker, Cherri (who was back on shift for round two) and Dr. Straus all encouraged me and got more excited with each push as the baby came down.

I was able to push him out in 40 minutes, and I felt quite accomplished for it.

Tucker annouced that it was a boy, and I couldn't have been more happy!

Tucker Weston had come to meet us!

Tucker was super excited to give him bath, but before he did, I let Weston try the nursing thing out, which he rocked at right away.

Sunday night before Weston came

Hailey took some pictures of the two of us before our family became three people outside the womb.

Pregnant Belly

here is a little before and after for you all. Tucker and I came accross this picture today while getting the other ones on. We were both blown away by the transformation of my body throughout this pregnancy. The first picture was when I was just over a month pregnant. I was able to find the same shirt, but the pants we have packed away. So here you have it. My belly in all its glory! 6 weeks to go.

Memorial Day Trip and Good Looking Husband

I just like how good looking my husband is, so I thought I would let the rest of you enjoy it too.
We went to Beverly Beach for Memorial day. We left Sunday night after church and got in just in time to set up camp. The only campsite they had available was a group campsite, but no one else was at the campsite. We got the whole campsite for 9 bucks. The next day we got up and went on a bike ride, which proved kinda hard to do with a big belly.

We just grabbed what ever food we had in the kitchen for our breakfast. It was eggs, hamburger paddies bbq sauce and bread. It turned out better than could have been expected.
I made Tucker take this one, cause people are always asking for more pictures of my belly.
We love our tent. It has kept us bone dry on the North Shore of Oahu during raining season and all up and down the Oregon and California coast. It is super easy to put up and packs up really light so we can bring it along with us super easily. Of course I got it at an REI garage sale for $50, so that makes it even more special!

Here is Tucker unloading the firewood in the rain so we could have a bon fire. It was a really fun trip. The only bummer part of the trip was that before we left we asked Mom if she had a good book we could read together. She gave us one that she said was just really funny. So I am reading it to Tucker out load as we are driving to the coast and it gets to this part where she tells about how in her past she was married and totally in love and pregnant, and just happened to be the same far along as I was, and they got hit by a drunk driver. Her husband was decapitated and she lost her baby in the accident. So here we are driving down the coast in exactly the same situation as she was in. And to top it all off, I have been overly emotional while being pregnant. So I of course start bawling as I am reading and we were both so shocked that mom would give us this book to read, and both a little traumatized by the whole experience. So we didn't read the book anymore until the next day on the drive back. It was really a funny book and mom had totally forgotten about the sad part, so we forgave her.

Kids in Congo need your help and it won't cost you a dime

Hey everyone,

As some of you may know I am working with a non profit organization called Sowers of Hope. For nine years we have ran a primary school in the DR Congo. We have helped to establish local businesses to help fund the school. Right now the school is in dire need of a new building. We are trying to raise as much money as possible to make this happen. We have to chance to win $30,000 to $100,000, which will be enough to build the new school building. This is how you can help us win:

1) Go to the following link: APX Gives Back on facebook.
2) Then click on "Go to Application" in the upper left hand corner.
3) Then click on "Click to Start nominating and voting".
4) You can then search for "Sowers of Hope" in the middle of the page.
5) Once you find "Sowers of Hope" click on "Endorse this charity".

It allows you to vote for us once a day, so vote for us EVERYDAY! The regional finalists will be announced in the middle of June and the overall finalist will be announced in the middle of August.

We are jumping in a late late in the game on this one, so we need everyone to start clicking right away.

If we make it to the regional finalist, we will be in the contest all summer. Please tell all your friends about the contest. It will only take you less than a minute of your day to vote for us. So please help support us.

Thanks,
Alicia

Update on Life

Here is Tucker trying to push down the trees with his bare hands. These trees that were in front of our house were so dead and the black berry bushes were taking over, so we decided it was best to just pull them out. Luckly Nathan and Caitlin agreed and came and helped us pull them out.
Caitlin thinks Nate's tractor is sexy!
We went to visit Utah and helped Tucker's sister and brother in law pull out a tree. Little Troy sat up in a tree watching wishing he were big enough to join in the fun. Here he is with Grampa Beesley.
Here is Tucker's Amish beard. He wore a beard on a vacation in Hawaii but shaved the mustache so that water would stop sneaking in his snorkel. Hawaii was a Fun vacation!!


Tucker is playing Volley ball tonight and as much as I love sports, volley ball is not my favorite, especially when I have my pregnancy weight on me. Jumping up to spike a ball just doesn't have the same appeal right now. I am happy that he can go and play and we really do get to spend a lot of time together now that he is not traveling as much. So it is fun for him to be able to get out and make some new friends.

I haven't update this for a while, cause although I am married to a photographer, we really haven't been taking a lot of pictures lately. But I hope you enjoy this one.

Help us Tip the Bucket!!!

I am not sure who follows my blog these days, I have not been the best of bloggers, but for this post I am grateful that at least some frequent it, and I am hoping that you will help spread the word.

I have been helping run a school for Orphans in the eastern war torn region of DR Congo for around 10 years now. We have started small, around 100 kids, and have grown to over 400 kids. The program is ran by volunteers both here in the US, where we raise money, and there in DR Congo, where they are doing their best to deal with the effects of constant war. Our focus is to help them start and maintain healthy businesses which help the community economy, while supporting the school finances. So far they have been able to pay for half of the necessary expenses through these businesses.

You can visit our website at sowersofhope.org

Our latest project is called Power to Learn. we have teamed up with a fund raising website, called Tipping Bucket. We are Tipping Bucket's first project so as one of our responsibilities we need to attract people to the website. Tippingbucket.org.

The basic idea is that they ask for $1.0o donations, every dollar equals a drop in the bucket. If enough drops get put in the bucket, the bucket tips and the project is funded by those donations. If not enough drops are put into the bucket, the bucket doesn't tip and another project starts.

Our goal is to raise $2,500 in the next 15 days. That means that we need to attract that many people to give $1.00 donations. If the bucket tips we will be able to buy solar pannels and the neccesary batteries to light the school, which operates without electricity for now. The solar energy will also provide electricity to the community for things like charging cell phones, lap tops, and other essentials, as a way to make a profit for the school.

So please, if you are reading this, go sign up, it takes about 3 minutes, and make a dollar donation. If you have one more minute, please post about this on your blog and encourage your readers to go give a dollar.

Thanks for reading and please go visit tippingbucket.org

Fall to Winter Update

Welcome to my first blog post of the new year. I have not been the best at taking pictures, and being married to a photographer has not helped me in having more on hand as he is not the type to always carry a camera around. So here are some of what I got. I hope you enjoy.

Story time with Tucker is always a favorite, he totally captivates the kids. Then they want me to tell them a story, and I feel bad cause it is always a bit of a let down for them.
Throwing rocks into Lake Runameed, what could be more fun. Oh and yes, Maddie did dress herself that day. I thought she did quite well.
Tucker and eddie playing hide and go seek
On our way to Ben and Jerries.
Deb and Josh met up with Tucker and I in VT while Tucker and I were baby sitting Chelle and Brig's kids. We all went to the Ben and Jerrie's Factory for a tour of how to make ice cream, Anders was totally into the machines, and maddie was totally into the ice cream. Deb was in her first trimester of Pregnancy, and she was such a trooper. Now that I am pregnant I am much more simpathetic to how she was feeling when she said things like, "I am really going to need to eat pretty soon."
Tucker and I on a Bike Ride, we bough road bikes this money with credit at REI from the Wedding, and one off Caigslist for Tucker. This was on a 42 mile ride. Oregon is Beautiful!

The bar was a hard thing, and when I got back from VT this was waiting for me from my Beehives. They are some stinking cute girls. I loved it!
The week after our honeymoon we all went out to eat at Nicolas's a Lebonese restaurant then headed down to the river to watch some fireworks. This is some of my family, Nathan and his now wife Caitlyn, Kevin, Me and Tucker, Chris and Kenni in the back and Nic and Hailey.
Tucker, Jon, and Kristen on an airboat in the everglades.

Alligator in the Everglades. Chelle, I posted this picture mostly for Anders, tell him that the stinking alligator came right up to the boat, like it was going to eat us, but then it started singing "the alligator is my friend, he could be your friend too, if only you could understand that he get's hungry too!" So then our Tour guide gave the alligator some bread, and he ate it up.
Here are the Beesley Boys serenading me and their mom/wife. At Sally's (my mother inlaw) request they sang us all the oldie but goodie Christmas songs.
I am the beehives counselor for Young Womens at Church, this was the morning after their sleep over, I had to drag them out of bed to get them gone cause I still had to go to work that day. But I think the had a lot of fun. Our goal was to read from Helaman to the end of the book of Mormon, we got to 3rd Nephi then made some brownies. We actually did better than I thought we would.
I'm Pregnant, here is me at about 7 weeks. My pants are all getting kinda tight, of course it doesn't help that being a lawyer and not going to the gym added a little to the weight factor before the whole baby thing happened.