Isn't She Lovely

This sweet baby girl gave me six straight hours of sleep last night.

And, there must be some crazy pregnancy hormone that in a mere three weeks has already made me forget how much I HATED the entire nine months of being pregnant...

Because, I am thinking if all babies were as sweet as this one...

I might just go ahead and have a couple more. 

20 Days Old

We had some newborn pictures taken of sweet baby Emma at about four weeks old.

Thanks Natalie!

Just Fall Off Already

I am not a fan of the umbilical cord.  It kind of freaks me out.  I can't really explain it only that I do remember my Ma Ma Ellen sharing the story of my Uncle Ronnie's get pulled off too soon or something.  I've obviously blocked out the details, but I do remember something about gushing blood and a frantic call to the pediatrician.  Suffice it to say, the story stuck, and I am anxiously counting the days until Emma's falls off. 

When Noah was born I seriously didn't change a diaper until it fell off on day 15.  And, luckily, I got so much first momma sympathy from my husband and my mother that I easily let me slide on the shirking of this parenting duty.  Not so much this time around.  And, while I do handle diaper duty the majority of the time, and I have been very willing to pass along Em's nightly bath to any able body around... at least until that icky stump is gone.  Seriously, it's day 17... why have you not fallen off yet?

First sponge bath given by Grammy.  Not a huge fan. 

Bath time with Daddy.

Aunt Mo here for a visit.  How about a bath?

A Shadow of a Smile

I know what you're thinking... two weeks old tomorrow.  No way she's smiling yet.  It's probably just a little gas.  But, I think she's close. 

And, she has big brother showing her how it's done.

This is the best I could get with a sibling shot.  Let's just call it a work in progress. 

And, back to the smiles.  I was working on getting a picture for her birth announcements today, and I was able to snap this sweet smile. 

All together now, "awwwhhh!"

I do think this is going to be one happy baby.

Emma - Ten Days Old

Today is my official due date, and Emma is already 10 days old. According to my Ma Ma Ellen, babies sleep until their due date. So far, this rings true for Little Miss E. She has been the best little baby. Even sleeping in three hour stretches at night. Her big brother on the other hand... well, I'll get to that in a minute.

My Ma Ma Ellen also said that any baby born with that much hair needed to be born. 10 days early or not. And, don't even get me started on her fingernails. She could already stand to have her first manicure. Despite all the sleep, she wakes up to nurse regularly and is doing a great job of gaining weight. According to our baby scale, she's up to 8 pounds, 3 ounces. Way to go baby girl!

Moving on to big brother, his sleep has been not so great. He's been hopping into our bed almost all week between the hours of 5:00-5:30 AM. Ouch!  Daddy and Grammy have been tag-teaming the morning shift, so I can sleep when baby sleeps. And, this morning Noah made sure Daddy earned his Father's Day merit badge by waking up at... wait for it... 3:30 AM. Ready to start the day. He seriously did not go back to sleep. I think the chaos and changes around our house are starting to get to him. He's becoming really attached to Daddy.

Here we are waiting outside for Daddy to get home from work today. Noah was not happy to wake up from his nap and find him gone.  I think I am slightly addicted to my Instagram app.  It may be a little overkill, but it just makes IPhone pictures so much better.

Daddy took him on a guy's outing to the ice cream house which improved Noah's mood tremendously. Apparently, Noah's new favorite flavor is pistachio.

Sleeping Beauty

This little one has been sleeping around the clock for the past two days. Three hour stretches. Waking up just long enough for a quick 15-20 minute snack.


I'm sure she's going to wake up at some point. I just hope it's not in the middle of the night.


This big guy on the other hand has been hanging at home with his Grammy and me. He's still a bit indifferent towards baby sister. I did ask him to give her a kiss this afternoon.


He instead gave her a huge raspberry right on the lips. Get used to it, Baby Em. Your big brother loves hard.

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Baby Emma - A Timeline

Tuesday, June 7

2:30 PM - I have an ob appointment. I've mentioned that my ob was heading on an Alaskan cruise and was scheduled to return two days before my due date, right? He squeezed me in for one last appointment. His exam found me 1cm dilated and still very high. The verdict. As long as I don't go into labor, the plan is to induce on June 20th. One day past my due date. I leave the office with a renewed sense to take it easy until then. Famous last words.

Wednesday, June 8

We have a busy day ahead of us, but I still think to myself, "after today, we are taking it easy."

8:30 AM - Noah has his four-year well checkup. It is with a new pediatrician, and I really like him. So, four vaccines and a growth/height check later, we are out the door. Noah weighs in at 45.5 pounds and measures 43.5 inches. He is holding steady in the 96% for both height and weight.

9:45 AM - Noah has swim lessons at 11:30, so per his request, we head to the "jellybean" store (aka Homegoods) to kill some time. After that, a quick stop at the AT&T store for Daddy's father's day gift.

11:35 AM - We are running late for swim, so we have to do a quick change in the car. Swim is a huge success, and Noah floats on his back for his teacher Ms. Sarah.

12:15 PM - Our next stop is OT. No time for lunch, so we stop at a drive-thru Starbucks for a bottled water, venti cup of ice, and a cake pop and apple juice for Noah.

1:05 PM - We make it to OT, and I finally sit and put my feet up. I start to feel a bit achy, and all I want is to go home and rest.

2:35 PM - At this point, I am starting to have some cramping. I realize that Noah and I haven't eaten lunch yet, so I pick up something from Panera Bread.

3:00 PM - We are finally home, and I set up Noah in front of the TV with Jack's Big Music Show and his peanut butter and jelly. I open up my Baby Bump app, and start timing contractions.

3:00 - 5:00 PM - Spend the entire time on the couch timing contractions.

5:30 PM - I finally inform Dean that something's happening, and he should probably come home. I forward him my contraction history. Nothing like sending hubby into a panic.

7:00 PM - Dean gets home and gets Noah into bed. I decide to take a hot bath. I call my good friend, Judi to inform her she may be my "phone a friend," in case I go into the hospital. I call the on call ob, who doesn't seem to think it's labor.

10:00 PM - Contractions are getting more painful and closer together, and I make the call to go in to the hospital.

10:30 PM - Judi comes over to stay with Noah, and Dean and I head to the hospital. The contractions are definitely getting closer together, and by the time we hits the streets of the med center my pain level is like a 8. Just in case you haven't experienced it or have forgotten, let me tell/remind you, labor hurts!

11:15 PM - We make it up to labor and delivery, and the nurse checks me. Five centimeters. I'm pretty sure the drive down University helped to speed along the process. I get put in a room and the process of running labs, getting hooked up to monitors, and starting an IV begins. All of the above must be done before I get my epidural, which by this point I am begging for.

Thursday, June 9
Somewhere between 12:00 AM-1:30 AM - My contractions are coming two minutes apart. Still no epidural. The nurse thinks things are moving pretty quickly, and starts bringing in blankets and the baby warmer. There is no way I'm doing this without an epidural... I'm pretty sure I say out loud. Having been there done that, Dean has already gotten the memo, "don't touch me," but my nice 25-year old nurse did not. At one point, I had to inform her that, "Jaime, I really like you, but you are seriously going to have to stop touching me." She did.

1:15 PM - Pre-epidural, the front desk calls our room. "Mr. C, the emergency room is calling. Can you please come move your vehicle?" What?!? It was supposed to have been valeted. We don't even have the keys. We still have no idea why we were forgotten by the valet for over two hours, but apparently, it was taken care of.

1:30 PM - Finally, my hero, the anesthesiologist comes in and gives me my epidural. I think my deep sigh of relief is heard throughout the hospital. At this point, I am fully dilated, but still pretty high. They start some IV antibiotics since I tested positive for GBS. The whole process of administering the antibiotics takes about four hours, so Dean and I are sitting, waiting, resting, praying until about 5:30 AM.

5:30 AM - OB comes in to break my water and get things moving. More waiting for baby to descend a bit. What the OB/nurses refer to as "laboring down."

7:00 AM - Shift change. Not only do I get a new doctor, but I get a new nurse. We've spent a good part of 8 hours, telling everyone who came in and out of the room what we felt went wrong with Noah's birth multiple times, and now we had fresh crew who got us (ok, me) at my worst. Tired, scared and a little weepy. The veteran nurse, Audrey, who came on in the morning, just patted my head and said, "sleep." Making it clear that she was not participating in my hysterics. Exactly what I needed.

8:30 AM - Ready to push. The doctor came in several times during the initial pushing to make sure I was going to be able to do this. She felt confident and upped our excitement by informing me she saw a full head of dark hair. Awwh... I love a baby with a head full of hair.

9:44 AM - And, after an hour and 15 minutes, baby girl is finally born weighing 7 pounds, 11 ounces and measuring 20.25 inches long.



One Week Old

Guess who is already one week old?!? This first week has passed a bit in a blur of sleepless nights, stolen naps, and multiple hours of getting reacquainted with my Boppy pillow. Emma is still spending a large amount of time asleep except for the witching hours somewhere between the hours of 10PM and 2AM. It is what it is though, and I am able to squeeze in a few hours of sleep during the day. She is nursing like a champ, and so far seems to have a pretty good temperament. Her eyes are big and brown and her hair (which I'm hoping doesn't fall out like Noah's) is so straight and dark. Although, she popped out bearing a strong resemblance to me, she is beginning to look a bit more like Noah did as an infant.

She had her first pediatrician appointment on Monday. It went pretty well. They rechecked her billirubin levels, since she was a bit jaundice in the hospital and had to spend a night under the lamps. The pedi commented on what a healthy baby she was, She weighed in at 7 pounds, 9.5 ounces (45%). She measured 21 inches (90%), and her head circumference was 12.8 inches (4%). The head circumference makes me laugh because Noah had a small head too. I remember his pedi telling me, "they don't give a prize for having the biggest head." What can I say? My babies have tiny heads.

Noah has adapted pretty well. My mom is here and has been a big help, and Dean has taken a couple days off of work. Noah's acted out a bit, but honestly, I think it's more do to the abrupt halt of our normally busy schedule than the fact that Emma has arrived. He runs into our bedroom in the morning looking for her, and he is pretty adamant that wherever Momma is, Emma should be too. I hear a lot of "where's Baby Emma?" I have a strong feeling that we have a really great big brother in the making.

Coming Home

We are home from the hospital and settling in at home.  At some point, I will catch up on blogging, but for now, here are a few pictures of the first meeting between brother and sister. 

Running out to the car to meet us.  Noah covered his eyes as we lead him to the car.  Not sure he really knew what to expect. 

So far, he's pretty  indifferent to the added little person in our house.  He does let me know when she is crying.  He runs over to her and says, "Baby Emma's crying."  And, he is a little intrigued by her umbilical stump which made for quite a bit of a hairy moment just after this picture was taken.  And, he is very interested in her sleeping arrangements (the pack-n-play in our bedroom), and has tried to climb into it several times. 

She's Here

10 days early. Emma Elizabeth has arrived. Weighing in at 7 pounds, 11 ounces and measuring 20-1/4 inches. She is beautiful and sweet with a head full of dark hair. We are so blessed to have her in our family.

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Photo of the Day - 06.06.11

Good night! It's hot here. This afternoon my car read 105 on the thermostat. Ouch! And, it's only June. Thanks Aunt Mo for convincing me to squeeze into the garage. What a difference it makes!

To beat the heat today, we spent a few hours early this morning at a local splash park. We met up with some friends. I snapped this shot of Henry and Noah with my phone. Henry had just arrived, and Noah walked over and grabbed his hand to come play. I love seeing my little guy starting to take notice of his buddies.


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Waiting for Baby

If anyone is keeping count, I am about two weeks away from baby's arrival.  And, just like it was for Noah around this time, this baby girl is not showing any signs that she is ready to be born.  This time is different because despite two growth ultrasounds, my OB is content to not rush into scheduling an induction.  Can you hear my sigh of relief through your computer?  I think when I was induced for my "huge" 7 pound, 15 ounce son at 39 weeks, I walked into the hospital with some slight effacement and no dilation.  By the time they started the Pitocin, I think I was barely two cm dilated.  Let's just say it was a hard fought battle for both of us.  And, as labor day approaches, I can't help, but feel a little anxious about the whole delivery process.  I mean, does anyone really have a good labor story?  I can remember immediately after having Noah I looked over to Dean and said with complete serious, "I'm sorry, but I can't have anymore children."  And, now here we are four years later at 38 weeks gestation, and I guess what we've all heard woman say countless times is true.  You really do forget... at least until the time comes again, because now all I can think is what was I thinking and how am I going to get this thing out of my body.

On a happier note, the nursery is complete.  And, I figured it's about time for the big reveal. 

Bedding: Serena and Lily Punch Basics.  Paint: Serena and Lily, Punch.  Chair: Best Chair.  (I'm reusing from Noah's nursery, and it is seriously the BEST chair!)  Stencil: Etsy, Royal Design Stencils.  Puff: Homegoods. 

Artwork: Etsy, The Wheatfield. (I love this picture!)

Dresser: IKEA, Hemnes.  Knobs: Hobby Lobby.  Mirrors: Donated by Grammy

Curtains: Land of Nod.  Decorative Accents: Homegoods

Artwork: Etsy, rkdsign88.  Elephant: Homegoods

Thanks to Grammy who helped make it so with lots of washing, ironing, and organizing and who has instilled in me a true love and appreciation for TJ Maxx, Marshalls and Homegoods.  Thanks to my husband who hung all artwork and the curtains and who was smart enough to say yes to hiring a faux painter instead of tackling the stenciled wall himself. 

I've spent a bit of time stalking some nursery design blogs, and I found tons of great ideas that I borrowed.  So, if you are decorating a nursery soon (which I know some of you are), you should definitely check out some of these sites.  It will totally encourage all nesting.  Your husband will be super excited. 

Chic and Cheap Nursery

Project Nursery

Ohdeedoh

Nursery Notations

Hello. My Name Is...

This morning we met up with a few friends at a local splash pad. There were several others kids besides ours there, and Noah was having a blast running around all the spray and kids. At one point, he was kneeling near one of the spouts watching and narrating the water coming out. A little boy came up to Noah. I was sitting a bit away, so I couldn't quite understand what the boy was saying to Noah. He seemed friendly enough, but then he started tapping Noah on the head, repeatedly. One of my friends I was with got up to intervene for me (so nice), but I told her to wait. I finally understand that the little boy was just asking Noah his name... repeatedly. Finally, Noah looked up at him, and with a hand to his chest said, "My name is Noah. What's your name?" The little boy answered, and Noah went about his business again. The boy tried a bit more to talk to Noah, but finally moved on. I was so glad I decided not to step in, and Noah got a chance to try out a little social interaction. Great job, sweet boy! Momma is so proud!

Birthday Treat

After therapy this afternoon, Noah, Blake and I headed out for some icy treats. Blake and I opted for sno-balls, and Noah chose a chocolate ice cream cone. Noah immediately noticed my tongue had turned red from my yummy strawberry with condensed milk sno-ball. He wanted to know what color Blake's tongue was, and then his own. Thus, the tongue comparisons began.


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Happy 4th Birthday Noah!

Four. Where has the time gone? Well, sweet boy this is your last birthday as the only child. In less than three weeks, baby sister should arrive, and not only will you have to share your home, you will have to share your birthday month. The fun factor for the month of June is going to double from here on out.

What a great year you have had! You finished up your first year at a new school, and it was such a great experience for you. You've become more social, and I've loved watching you form relationships with the teachers and friends in your class. Your teacher, Mrs. F, told me that the kids see you as a leader and love to follow you around. It made me so proud to hear that. Your other teacher, Mrs. I ended the year by telling me how smart and happy you are and that she sees so much potential in you.  She also complimented your direction following skills. 

You continue to have such a happy and easy-going temperament, although there are times when you want what you want when you want it, but I guess that's every kid. You are really good at compromising. We spend a lot of time saying, "first this, then this." And, also a lot of, "if you want 'x,' you must do 'y.'" We are both pretty good at holding up our end of these bargains, and this usually keeps things running smoothly at home.

The days of wondering when you would talk are finally over, and your functional language is constantly improving. You have mastered receptive language, and I often have to remind myself that little ears are listening. You talk non-stop, and "quiet mouth" is used quite a bit in our house. Echolalia is still a large part of your language, and you pick up phrases from everywhere. You speak with a lot of inflection, and Daddy and I giggle at some of the things that comes out of your mouth. Just this morning you told us, "I'm thirsty... in my tummy.  In the past week, you've started adding "Mommy" to the end of phrases, and it melts my heart every time. 

Your favorite color remains pink. You love chocolate ice cream. You love Cheese-It's. I mean really love Cheese-It's, and you could probably eat a box a day, if I'd let you. You always request them the same way, "cheese-its for a cup." Same thing goes for water and chocolate milk. "Water for a cup with a straw." Chocolate milk in a sippy cup." We're still working on prepositions. Pencils are still your favorite thing to carry around, and Momma is especially thankful to the Target Dollar Spot for keeping some fresh ones in the rotation. Your memory continues to amaze us. You can count by 2's, 5's, and 10's, you know all the words to your favorite Dr Seuss books, and any electronic toy that says ANYTHING has been committed to memory.  You have a bit of a sensitive side, and strong emotions usually make you upset. You don't like sad.

You are such a big boy and are moving into age four weighing about 45 pounds and measuring 43.5 inches with a size 12 shoe. You are at least a head taller than most of your friends, and I am sad to report you will soon be in big kid clothing. And, speaking of friends, you still give the best hugs, and I sometimes have to cut them short before you knock over your buddies. You love hard, little man.

Some of my earliest memories come from around the age of four, and I think of that sometimes as we go about the routines of our day. I wonder if you'll remember us lying in bed at night while I sing you "Same Voice" as you fall asleep. Or us making muffins together in the early mornings. Or you and Daddy hitting the cupcake house on Saturdays. Both Daddy and I are looking forward to making tons more memories in year number four. Happy birthday sweet boy! Daddy and I love you so very much, and we are so proud of all your hard work this year.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from year number three.

Your third birthday - June 2010

First day of school - August 2010

Love to swing - September 2010

Love the park - September 2010

Field trip at the Pumpkin Patch - October 2010

All dressed up for school Christmas program - December 2010

Big news.  It's a girl! - January 2011

Trip to Disney - February 2011

The rodeo - March 2011

Easter - April 2011

Last day of age THREE - May 2011