Saturday, October 27, 2012

Pumpkin painting!

Yesterday we painted pumpkins for Halloween.

I don't have any pictures of Sam painting because this was his first introduction to paints so I was sitting by his side trying to reinforce that we shouldn't paint ourselves.









 Sophie's pumpkin!

Sam's pumpkin!

They both did a really good job following the "don't paint on yourself" direction. Sam's pumpkin has a little extra something to it since once he was done painting he felt the need to throw it in the grass a couple (dozen) times.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Haircuts!

Well we did it. Sam and Sophie have both received haircuts.

Sam simply needed a cut his was getting long. And since it grows fast we decided to take it down a fair amount.

Sam before 
(ignore the bandaid that would be a pavement face plant)


Sam after
Look at my big boy!



Sophie on the other hand had a whole different reason for needing her hair cut. As a self soothing mechanism Sophie picked up hair twirling. This is something she's done since she had hair she could reach. A lot of times she would twirl up her hair so bad it would knot and then we would have to spend sometimes up to 30 minutes getting them out.


Sophie before


Sophie during
She did so well sitting in the chair by herself!

Sophie After!


You might be asking "Where is Sam's during?" Well my grandmother does Sam's hair (and usually Sophie's too) and well Sam is a little... needy at times.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Happy Halloween! (almost)

I absolutely loooooveeee October. Anyone who doesn't love fall and Halloween is just NUTS!

Pretty much the last 3 months of the year rock! Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas make for the most awesome season to exist. Of course I plan to take this opportunity to force encourage my children to feel the same way.

This year for Halloween I will be escorting a princess, Superman and a lion in their candy escapades. Also, seriously, what other time of year is it acceptable to dangle your children in front of strangers for candy, knowing full well they will get maybe like 1/4 of it. While you, on the other hand, will have to try everything to make sure its not poison and also to save them from too many sweets.

But while I have no pictures of the costumes yet (look for those on November 1) I do have some fun shots of them in their Halloween themed clothes.




















































 





Okay so we're going to pretend my vacuum did not make the guest appearance. For the record, I have no clue why my kids were playing peek-a-boo from behind the vacuum.

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Simon Nathaniel is here

I'm not sure when Simon's birth story really starts. But to be honest this has been a long time coming.

My blood pressure had been very high, since the last week of July it had been causing concern. Eventually I was put on a blood pressure medication, but as it turns out it didn't work.

In the last 3 weeks I had been in and out of the hospital, mostly because of my blood pressure. I also began having contractions, but as we know from past experience I can contract all I want it never does anything for me. Despite my blood pressure levels, swelling and visual changes my lab work would come back looking perfectly normal and I would be sent home.

On the 5th I went into my weekly appointment, which included an NST because of my blood pressure and gestational diabetes.

Despite all the problems with me, Simon had always been amazing looking on both ultrasound and the NST readouts. His heart rate in the 150s, he would accelerate and come down beautifully after movements. He was never really a concern because he always looked so wonderful

On the 5th though his heart rate was in the 120s and he didn't accelerate enough to count. After 30+ minutes on the machine (and like 10+ contractions) the nurse decided to manually push on my belly. She eventually got him to start moving around and his heart rate went into the 170s (he had also began hiccuping).

After being told I "passed" I went to see the OB. The OB I was originally supposed to see was on call and wasn't available so I was told I was going to see the new one, who literally started the week prior. I wasn't expecting much, at this point it was looking like unlike my labs came back abnormally Simon was going to stay put until the 14th.

After she realized my blood pressure was pretty high (but actually lower for me) she went over my medical history. Eventually we decided I was 38 weeks and at this point him staying in longer wasn't really going to do anyone any good. So she went out and came back to inform me I was having a baby the next day!

Thursday morning we got up and played with Sam and Sophie some before taking them to my grandmother's and heading to the hospital. Despite being told I was to be there at noon we got a call half way there being told they were worried because I was supposed to have been there by 9:30!!! After a few minutes of panicking (thinking they were going to tell me I couldn't have him that day) the nurse reassured us it was fine, they were just concerned about me and checking up.

I got to the hospital around noon, got checked in and then waited. And waited... and waited.

Finally Around 4 we were told it was almost time for me to go in! After waiting a little more I was taken to the OR where they prepped me and did my spinal. After laying me down they called in Carl. After what seemed like only a few minutes we heard the start of a little gurgled cry.

My sweet little Simon entered the world at 4:56pm. He received APGAR's of 9 and 10! Which is really awesome for any baby, let alone a 38weeker.

This experience was so different than my other two. Instead of Carl and Simon being shuffled out of the OR while they closed me up the nurses wheeled over the scale so we could see and they put him on.
8lbs 3.4oz

After that they took him back over, cleaned him up and then promptly handed him to Carl who got to stay at my head holding him. 

By midnight that night my blood pressure was 118/72 and has remained normal since. Recovery has gone so well this time, knock on wood, I'm actually feeling better now than I did the day before he was born. 

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Sophia's 2nd birthday!

Another year has come and gone. My baby girl, I'm sorry my big girl, is now a two year old.

I find it hard to believe and to be honest I'm a little sad. My first baby is really no longer a baby.

She has grown into such a big girl these past two years. It's hard to believe she was ever that tiny baby I was handed. Instead she's a feisty independent little girl.


Happy Birthday Sophia!

Saturday, July 28, 2012

1 year ago...

The most handsome little boy was born.

It's hard to believe an entire year has passed already. Even though his first days home are kind of blurry I remember bits and pieces.

I remember sleeping in the recliner because we didn't want to put a newborn in with our one year old. I remember Sophia wanting nothing to do with him at first and then slowly becoming interested in poking and touching him. 

Now he's a whole year old. He says words (no, baby, vroom, stop, momma), he's earned himself the nickname turbo baby because of how fast he crawls, and he's taken a few tentative steps here an there. He is madly in love with his sister who loves him or hates him depending on how the wind blows.

Happy birthday little man.


Wednesday, July 18, 2012

31 weeks!

I am officially 31 weeks right now.

That means I have 8 weeks until the birth of Simon. Why does that seem like such a short time? 2 months really. I guess because I've been pregnant for so long I forget it does come to an end.

In 2 short months I will be the mother of a 2 year old, a 1 year old and a newborn. 1 feisty little girl, 1 sweet but adventurous little boy, and a 1 little boy who's going to have to do some major kicking and screaming to phase me after all this.

I promise I'll find time to do another belly shot, my last one was 4 weeks ago. 

A birthday party for 2!

On the 14th we held Sam and Sophie's birthday party at my parents house.

It was a lot of fun and the kids really enjoyed themselves. Of course they did get a ton of new toys to play with.

Of course not to disappoint, with parties come pictures!






























That was pretty much their party in a nutshell. Sophie picked at her cake and Sam utterly destroyed his. Oh and toys...