I Even Facebook While In Labor

Giving birth to Ellison was the easiest part of my whole pregnancy!

I was induced a week early, myh doctor could clearly see I was near the point of breaking, mentally and agreed to it. Bless her heart! So on June 8th 2009 we headed to the hospital to get the process going. I was thrilled not only to have the birth "scheduled" which really helps me when I know whats going to happen and when, but also that because it was an induction I knew my doctor would be able to deliver Ellison which was a huge thing for me. Having her see me through the whole pregnancy and then not be there for the birth would not have been fair!!

Alex and I arrive a little late to the hospital because my iPhone decided to break on me the evening before and I of course didn't realize it until the morning. I had to restore it back to factory options and then add everything back on it that I had accumulated in the past several months. I didn't think this would take an hour to complete...after it made me a half hour late I finally gave up, left the phone connected to the computer to complete it's cycle and arranged for my friend Mary Jo to pick it up on her way into the hospital that afternoon.

Yes, it is that important for me to have it with me. Though with out it, I maganed still to Facbook my way through labor using my lap top. And I really did keep everyone updated, every few minutes in fact!

I was given my epidural about 4 cm into labor, and then they broke my water. Things slowed down for a bit at this point, but I had my phone, computer, and family there to help keep me company. When I was espcially bored I would re-watch the New Moon movie trailer on my phone, and funny enough when I would my pulse ox machine would go off in sirens because my heart rate would drop to near nothing! LOL. Turns out that I really just have a very slow resting heart rate, it went off a million times through out the whole day. Rater annoying.

After an hour the nurse came in and checked me to find I was fully dialted and the transformation of hospital bed to delivery bed began and Team Amber arrivred and took their positions. Both my sister and my sister in law were presnet for the birth, along with Alex of course.

When Dr. Goudge came in, she sat down on her stool in front of me and said "Okay. Go" and laughed. The alughter continued through out the rest of the delivery, which lasted about 20 minutes - it would have been even shorter if I wasn't wasting 2 full pushes per contraction laughing so hard I coulnd't concentrate.

What could possibly be so funny, you ask? Well how about my sister ducking her head down near the doctors and saying "Why's it look like a rasin and all wrinkly".

Or my SIL reporting I needed a pedicure as she held one of my legs and then goes on to smell my foot. We have photos.

Or, what about when Ellison crowed and Dr Goudge commented on how much hair she has and then proceeds to give her a mowhawk before her head is even out.

It was too funny. That is until I looked up and realized my epidural drip was nearing empty..I asked if they were going to replace it. When Dr. Goudge said no, I pushed like a mad woman to get her out. Pain is a fear I do not like having!

Alex said Ellison came flying out all on her own. I pushed, relaxed and suddenly there was baby! It was by far the easist thing I had done in months, there was no pain and only my family could make something like Labor & Delivery a laugh riot!

Keeping the Masses Informed
Debbie and my foot, so what if I needed a pedicure!
Ashley and her job - taking pictures!
And here's the Baby! Go Team Amber!

Goal!

Paige had her last soccer game last Thursday. Ellie was very irritable and so I did not attend (sad face) but Alex went for most of it and was proud to report she scored 3 goals! She's really getting good! Well as good at one can be at a soccer game that has no rules, doens't keep score and is 3 on 3 with no goalie! Gotta love the little kid sports!

Here's a few shots I got of her to commemorate Season 1 Year 2 of Soccer.

I Love Mail!

Stalking the mail man pays off!

Yesterday I got the package I have been waiting for, my order from Bubbles & Bows Boutique .

I don't think I was even in the house completely before I started ripping the thing opening and started oohing and aaahhing over each item.

Here's my haul!

Custom made Burper with Ellison's name on it

Awesome Bow Band (bow is removable and able to be used as a hair clip later when she has hair to put it in!) and Matching Custom Twilight Onsie
Another Bow Band and Onsie Set - Twilight again (only you real fans will understand this one)
And this was an added bonus suprise for me, a custom Diaper Wipes Case with "Ellie" embroidered on it! In my favorite colors no less!
I also got a Boppy Cover, which I have not photographed yet. It fits so much better then the Boppy Brand cover I had previously for my Boppy! Love them!

And - the best photo of all - Ellison wearing her Newborn set and showing off her very first smile caught on camera!! Never mind the quality - I took it with my iPhone with no flash.

Peter Says Hello...

On Friday night of Twi-Tour last weekend, my sister in law Debbie got to hang out with Peter Facinelli....yes...Dr. Cullen...at the bar of the hotel and chat. As she knows I'm a Twitter addict, not to mention overly obsesswed with Twilight - and thinking I was still up with Ellie at the time asked Peter sent me this shout out:

After I started breathing again, picked my poor abused iPhone up off the ground and woke up Alex to show him...I called my sister in law to tell her how much I loved her.

What maked this utterly awesome thing, even better was that when I made it to Twi-Tour Saturday night I found out I was quite the topic of interest on Friday...everyone wanted to know who Amber Sweeney was and why Pether was sending me a shout out!

Oh yea, I'm that big of a dork that I find that amazing!

Here's Debbie and Peter:

It Doens't Get Much Better...

We're still breathing on this end I swear! Between, doing the mom to two thing, the wife thing, the twitter thing, the myspace thing and the facebook thing - not to mention actually having friends that don't live in my computer - the blog thing fell to the end of the list...sorry about that!

I had a great weekend with my awesome sister in law Debs at Twi-Tour in Minneapolis. I got to meet members of the cast of Twilight (*enter uncontrollable stupid giggle here*) like Edi Gathegi who plays Laurent, Bronson Pelletiere and Chaske Spencer who play Jared and Sam of the wolf pack. And Christian Serratos who plays Angela. They were all so gracious and down to earth - it was great!

On top of meeting all them, I got the opportunity to meet the cast of The Hillywood Show. I will admit, I had not seen their parodies before attending the Twi-Tour, but have become a serious "Hillywood Show Pusher" since checking it out.

Hannah and Hilly Hindi have amazing talent and if your not a fan of Twilight (gasp! how dare you) then check out The Dark Knight parody of which Alex and I re-watched three time last night alone! Follow the links below to check it out! I bet you anything you'll be watching it 3+ times a day like I am!



Click here for The Dark Knight Parody

I managed to be lucky enough to not only chat with "Jasper" (Drew Lorentz) and "Edward" (Jacob Jost) in the elevator earlier in the day, but also at the Vampire Ball, which the Hillywood Show cast hosted. Here's a few shots from the night. I feel HUGE standing next to the sweet little Hindi sisters in these photos...damn baby weight! :0) It actually kills me to look at some of these photos of me, I look me I'm wearing a fat Amber suit! Blah, only 11lbs left...

Ashley, Me, Debbie & Shannon before the Vampire Ball
The Hillywood Show Cast
Myself with "Jasper" and "Alice"
Ashley with "Jasper" and "Alice"
This groups is so great, they are so sweet and gracious and love to meet their fans. They are truly thankful for the wonderful opportunity they have been presented with and I have no doubt the will use it well and we've only seem the beginning of the careers of this group! It was really an honor to be able to get to know them a little!!

A New Obsession...

Move over Twilight, I've got a new obsession that is sharing first place with you.

Twitter!

I know, I SWORE I wouldn't even get into it, but I really started very innocently. Maybe you have heard of the Twitter Bet between Peter Facinelli (Dr Cullen) and his friend Rob DeFranco? Well I signed up to help Peter win. He did and soon we had a grown man dancing in a bikni down Holywood Blvd.

Oh it was worth it.

But NOW, well now I'm a tweet tweeting here and a tweet tweeting there. Every where a Tweet Tweet. I'm Old Miss McSweeney! In fact I have an iPhone app that actually TWEETS at me when I get new Tweets. Have I used the word Tweet enough for you? LOL.

So, if you Tweet - follow me! I'm @acsweeney

Time is A Flyin'

Ellison is 1 month old already! Can you believe it?

She's growing like a weed and finally getting out of the Newborn size and starting to (very slowly) fit into 0-3 month sizes. I'm worried that all the clothes I bought ahead of time, that are pretty "season specific" won't fit her at the right time and she'll be wearing a Christmas outfit in February...LOL

Paige is also having a great time being a big sister, getting diapers, giving her her "nook", wants to hold her all the time. She's a great sister!

How Do You Annoy Thee? Let Me Count The Ways...

I have a dilemma. I'm sure it won't seem as such to most of you but it's a big conundrum to me and I'm really trying hard to sort out what to do.

Here's the deal. I hate movie theaters. I hate loud chewers, annoying laughers, inconsiderate talkers, morons who don't turn off their cell phones, and parents who bring their much to young children into a movie not suited for them, and the jack ass who MUST sit in the seat right in front of me, where my feet are mind you, when the theather is near empty and there are a million other seats to choose from. And that's just the tip of the ice berg for the list of things I can't stand while at the theather...

It can be said that I am an annoyance magnet, I can go into a movie with the best of intentions of sitting as far away from "Smaky McSmackerson" and yet he will find me and take the seat right behind or next to me and chew right in my ear. It never fails!

I also have no filter system. I can not tune it out to save my life. In fact once I know it's there, it's a million times louder then the Dolby surround sound system blaring explosions, music and other sounds. Oh how I am cursed. And to add isult to injury, my "Movie Theather Issues" leave most people I know, scared to go to movies with me. Let's just say I'm not exactly shy about telling you to shut the hell up, or reminding you that this isn't your living room and I didn't pay $10 to listen to you talk about how "Peter told Mary that Sarah said...." SHUT UP! Please *smiles*

Back to topic, the reason this is a big deal is because two movies I have to see and would be pretty much a sin not to view on the big screen are coming out shortly. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince this month and New Moon in November. (Hey you have your cars or aliens...I have Vampries and Wizards...don't judge!)

Harry Potter I think I can get through with out too much trouble, but the droves of screaming 15 year old girls who honestly believe Edward is real, might make me drop kick someone at the New Moon viewing. I'm considering bringing a tazer and bottle of mace to help me get my point acrooss and hopefully I'll only have to hurt one or two teenagers to get the rest to shut up. Now don't get me wrong, I am as much of a Twerd as the 15 year old I would be pummeling with a bag of licorice, but I am smart enough to understand the difference between real life and fiction.

I've considered having Alex take a day off work to come see Twilight with me at a 10 am showing, a time when all teenagers are still in bed afraid rising at such and early hour will automatically turn them into a hidious beast or something. He, however doens't see the release of the second installment of my greatest obsession as cause to use a vacation day. Boys. Sigh.

I'm still not quite sure how to accomplish enjoying these long awaited films with out being rigid with the desire to strangle a pre-teen, but I'll have to think of something or be forced to wait until the DVD relase.