Lil Hanalei

Siena wearing the air brushed shirt my dad made for me when I was her age!

LOVE & JOY for Valentine's

75 degrees & sunny made for a perfect Valentine's Day.  We took Siena to the Zilker Park and had a yummy picnic.

Siena's 1st Birthday

Playtime with Siena

Siena & Isla (3 weeks old)

Siena & Carson Meet (3 days old)

Siena meets Luca (4 weeks old)

God-sister Merrill

Hayden & Siena Snoozing

The Mid-Wife Group of February Babies

Siena is so blessed to be surrounded by so many amazing babies!

Meet the family!

Everyone was so excited to meet you Siena!  You had visits from Mia and Grandpa Paul, Amma Ji & Papa Ji.  Your aunt Jamie and uncles Andre & Jordan.  And your great grandmother Gigi just loved getting to hold you and sing you songs.  Your godmothers Blake, Jessica, & Hayley came by to see you too.  Mostly you slept but every once in a while you'd open your eyes to say hi to this new world.

Three Weeks Old

February 25, 2011

Siena turned 3 weeks old and her godmother Blake came over to take photos!

Welcome Siena Lovejoy Myers

Sunning

Getting some more sun for mommy & baby

Kisses for Daddy

Gazing at you right after you were born


      Siena Lovejoy Myers - Birth Story

Friday February 4^th Austin received its biggest snow since 2004, one inch!  Everything in our yard was blanketed with powdery white.  We took photos of the house, of Merritt and of me (9 months pregnant) basking in the white stuff.  We could hear the kids yelling and sledding down at Northwest Park and people trying to get their cars up and running.  We ate a nice big breakfast and snuggled up watching television. We decided since it was a snow day that we should go ahead and do another clean of the house.  So we vacuumed, Merritt dusted the ceiling fans and we looked out our windows at the lovely snow.  I so badly wanted to go out and play in it but was feeling too tired.  I also decided I should cancel dinner plans with Amanda because I was feeling so off.   Merritt cooked up an awesome chili and I ate three bowls of it as we watched The Social Network curled up on our sofa.  We went to bed sometime at 11am or so and around 2am I awoke with contractions.  I got back in bed to see if I could sleep but couldn’t so at 3am, I started running a bath.  Meanwhile, Merritt is still sound asleep and as I was about to get in the tub I had another intense contraction so I decided it would be wise to wake Merritt up.  He was slightly groggy but got the lights on and got our book out to time the contractions.  I got in the tub and realized this could be the real deal and sure enough, they started getting longer, stronger and closer together.  When an intense contraction would come I’d get onto my side and hold onto the tub and kick my feet back and forth.  Merritt started turning on all the lights in the house, boiling water, unlocking the front door and I’d yell out to him “another one!!!” each time a contraction came.  When he told me they were 2-4 minutes apart, I said call Mari Mikel!  It was 4:15am.  I stayed in the tub and we kept timing contractions until Mari Mikel arrived around 5am with all her equipment.  They helped me out of the tub and she checked me and said I was 7cm dilated and that things were moving along quickly.  Merritt called my parents and helped Mari Mikel carry in all of the equipment.  My parents arrived at 5:30am along with Margaret and then Rachel, the assistant midwives.  I had gotten up and was hanging out on the sofa when they started cooking breakfast (I guess it must have been around 6 or 7am).  The smell of eggs made me even more nauseated so I retreated to our bedroom.

They checked me at 7am and the baby’s head had floated back up so they decided to break my water.  I just remember a warm gush and the contractions started becoming more intense.  I tried the hands and knees position but it didn’t feel good.  I would lean over the bed and I tried laboring on the toilet.  Everything was difficult but I was so beyond being able to hold anything back in regards to my body.  Merritt asked if I wanted music and I said yes so he put on the Snatum cd of very soothing music which I enjoyed.  I can remember pacing back in forth in my room as the sun was rising and looking outside to see snow on the ground in our backyard and our neighbors yard, incredible.  Once the sun came up, it started to feel like I had been laboring for a long time.  I was starting to feel really tired, hungry, and still nauseated.  Sipping coconut water helped.  My mom held a cool washcloth to my face and neck.  I was practicing my breathing as best I could and being quite vocal (I thought I was being really loud). Merritt was my rock, an incredible coach.  He was by my side the whole time and I couldn’t have done it without him. 

I was leaning over the bed when Mari Mikel came to check me again around 8am.  I was 8.5cm but not quite there yet.  She told me that I could lay down, get comfortable, and do whatever I wanted.  She had all day if I wanted to take my time, however if I wanted to get that baby out, she said I needed to start moving, walking, squatting and essentially go toward the pain.  Well, the last thing I wanted to do was go toward the pain but I also didn’t want my labor to drag on all day long!  So I started pacing back and forth in the bedroom.  I would walk from one side to the other and then when I felt a contraction, I would yell for Merritt and I’d literally throw my arms around his neck and squat and sway with all my weight on him.  This movement definitely helped things progress but I was worried his back was going to go out!  

            

A little before 10am she checked me again and said that it was time!  I was so relieved to be fully dilated that I did not care about any type of pain with pushing.  I pushed like a champ and out she came in just 21 minutes and Merritt caught her.  The umbilical cord was huge and went through her legs so we couldn't see...I was yelling out what is it!!!???  And he presented me with a beautiful little girl right onto my stomach, it was absolutely amazing and an indescribable experience.  I cut the umbilical cord and then shortly after he was able to bond with her (I needed stitches).  Then she was placed on me and she latched right on with a little help.  We are on cloud nine and absolutely head over heals in love.  It makes me tear up just thinking about Merritt with her, he is so hands on and just adores her to no end.  We love our little girl so much.