School days

My prayers worked. I fell totally head over heels in love with a preschool for John Michael last fall, but got on the waiting list late, so was told I pretty much didn't have a chance in heck of getting him in. Using my grandest gestures of persuasion, I included with JM's application a handmade card from JM for the director with a drawing that he made and a cute picture saying that if an opening ever came up, we would definitely be interested. Sure enough, I get all the registration and facility fees paid at another preschool and my mind around the fact that he'd be going there and the phone rings this afternoon and yup, a spot opened at my number one choice. And, because my husband rocks, even though we gave a financial commitment to the other one, we are going to now register for my first choice, which actually happens to be the school where JM's stepcousins go to school here, so he'll be there with Lucian and Madeleine. Yay!

All of this school talk makes me a little sad. JM is going to camp three days a week starting next week and buying him a nap mat for his naps and thinking about him being gone for so much of the day the next few weeks is hard for me, but I know I'll cherish the time alone with Noah now and in the fall.

Noah also passed a big sad milestone today. He got his first bottle and wah!, liked it a lot! I had to have a yucky "beauty mark" (read: mole) removed and they gave me some numbing creme that doesn't go too well with breastfeeding, so I was forced to do the bottle a little earlier than I had wanted. Little guy took to the bottle like a champ. It broke my heart to give it to him. I get a little jealous of bottles, truth be told. The prideful part of me likes having that special bond and dependency. Hopefully, Noah will still like what I'm serving, too!

AC: responsibility

Sunshine and rainbows

This is just a note to say that being a mom to two 25 months apart is not always sunshine and rainbows. Today was ex.haus.ting and that was with two fairly well-behaved little ones. I'm having a tough time with the fact that I feel like I can't always be giving each of my boys 100 percent of myself all the time. Noah must be going through a growth spurt, because when he graces us with his presence of rare awake time, he wants to be on the boob. This afternoon I'm pretty sure I fed him at 4, 5 and again at 6:45... Anyway, breastfeeding all.the.time whilst the wonderful bonding time that it is, ties me down in that I can't be playing on the floor with JM and instead must engage him with my witty conversation. When that wears out two and a half minutes later, we've gotten into this terrible habit of doing video searches on YouTube for fire trucks and construction vehicles of any sort and I feel like JM is watching too many of those (although educational) while I'm doing such. And, for some reason, both boys seem to need me especially badly during the noon hour and usually so far, it's "little" that's having to wait for me to finish his feeding while JM gets his storytime and down for his nap (note: nothing like a screaming infant to put you in a restful mood). And, may I just say that whereas I love taking both out of the house, getting ready to do so and actually out the door wears.me.out. I'm sure it will get easier, but tonight I'm pooped!

The good news is the past few days I've been able to get both guys down for nap at the same time and have crashed after said noon hour from.hell. More is that Noah slept for 2 four-hour stretches last night! God bless him! I know that doesn't sound like a good thing, but to me who has been waking every 3 hours, it was a gift!

Normalcy

Hi. Hi. Hi. My apologies for neglecting this blog. We're actually doing great around, here. It's not for too much craziness, rather just life, in general. Noah remains an amazingly easy baby and our lives have changed with the addition of another mouth to feed, but for the most part, our lives go on. We had a rough week with JM last week, with him acting pretty crazy (read: possessed) until I got smart and figured out that he was getting his two-year molars and started giving him Motrin and his behavior has improved significantly hence. It is extremely nice to have normalcy around here, otherwise. Considering we went through the trenches with the life change of adding JM and his acid reflux and his not gaining weight and his general unhappiness as a baby, I am extremely grateful for Noah's lack of issues,s o far. We had our two week pediatrician visit today and Noah is doing great! His weight gain is where it should be. Dr. T. doesn't think he has reflux and said we'd probably know it if he had it by now (crosses fingers). They don't even want to see us for another two months! With JM, we had to do weight checks every week for a long time, so it's weird that our ped visits will be what they are supposed to be. We also got the go ahead to feed Noah whenever he is interested, instead of setting the alarm for every 3 hours overnight. He has been such a sleepy baby so far that I am afraid he will never eat, but we'll see. As I write this, he's been going 3.5 hours without food...

Mike's family came into town to spend some of this week vacationing at Hyatt Lost Pines. Hence, we took Joe and Pam out to Ski Shores on Saturday night. Here is an awesome picture of our sweet daddy holding our new sweet baby We went to see everyone out at Lost Pines, yesterday, and had a blast hanging out on the lazy river, going down the slide with JM and stayed late to eat s'mores, just like the paying guests! :) That place is awesome! It's like a fancy sleep away camp for families. JM was in hog heaven running around with all of his cousins.

Happy Father's Day (Please Don't Leave Me)

Not to be super dramatic, but I think that our Father's Day was the best day that I've had in a long time. Even with the sleep deprivation. Both kids slept in past 8am, giving me time to sleep in and get 6 hours of well, interrupted sleep. Mike took JM to church, giving me time to bond with Noah and work on my Bible Study homework. We spent the afternoon under the trees listening to sappy country music in the backyard (God help us, the H's have discovered Pandora), while Noah slept and JM swam in the pool. Mike is really the best daddy. He is such a help to me. When JM was born, I felt like life had taken a major shift, like even throwing a load of laundry in or unloading the dishwasher was the hardest thing ever. So far this time, I feel like we are communicating so much better with each other. And, this time, I'm still myself, with just one more living thing depending on me. Then again, I feel this balance as Mike was home all last week! For Father's Day, we gave him a new iPod and a mug with JM's handprint and Noah's footprint on it. The mug operation was my first outing with two 2 and unders and it was crazy. I got to breastfeed Noah, who decided he hated his carseat, in the middle of Cafe Monet. JM was running around all over the store. I think the mug is so cute, though! Mike loved it. Anyway, today is my first day all alone with these boys. I have no idea what we are going to do, but wish me luck! Hopefully, I'll continue to feel competent. So far today I've fed a baby at 6am, showered, gotten JM dressed and sippy cupped at 7:15, Mike's lunch made, ordered birth announcements and blogged. Mike is still here, however. :)

Joy to the World!

I cried all the way home from the pediatrician's office this morning.
Tears of JOY!
Baby Noah has been a kick arse breastfeeder from the get-go. He latches on right, he eats and he lets me know when he's done. He's a little sleepy and hard to keep awake during the day, but at night when I need things to go quickly so I can get back to my bed, he obliges me by doing his business with ardor and then going right.back.to.sleep. With John Michael's first week home, I would feed him at night and just get back to bed and start to fall asleep and "waaaaah," then I'd start second-guessing whether he got enough to eat and try to feed him again and was pretty much up all night. Our first pediatrician's visit with JM consisted of them telling us that he was "failure to thrive" in that he had lost weight since the time we left the hospital. I was devastated and worried and a big.old.mess. They told me to call a lactation consultant and I spent the next 6 months calling her like every day. Sheryl from Special Addition in Austin rocks, people. God bless her!

So far with Noah, I have felt so confident and devoid of stress and I swear it has affected my milk production and made the experience so much smoother overall. There was a time Wednesday, though, when my milk came in and N was having a tough time latching on that the devil got in my head and I started worrying that we were going to go through weight issues again. Thankfully I've been doing this Beth Moore Bible Study the past few weeks and the most recent sermon we watched on DVD was all about fear and "if_________, then God." So my mantra headed into the ped today, was "if Noah isn't gaining weight, then God is in charge and at least I know what to do as I've done this before." But honestly, my mom-gut has been telling me how great he has been doing, so that was in my mind as well.

Sure enough, he's doing GREAT! He's gained 6 oz since we left the hospital on Tuesday, which doesn't sound like much, but in newborn terms, he's rockin the food. I cried the whole way home with relief and happiness and GRATITUDE.... So far, he has been an incredibly easy baby. I hope it stays this way... He is a little sweet pea. Despite the lack of sleep, I am actually having FUN and appreciating this so much more this time. I know that they are only this little for such a short time and I am savoring every baby noise, smell and snuggle... even when he spit up all over me earlier. I feel very full and blessed with our little life.

EDITED TO ADD: So the night after I posted this, Noah did the whole "wake up just as Mama's head hit the pillow" thing. So he's not completely perfect... But I really think Mike has been wanting to help more so this gave them some middle of the night bonding time :)

Noah arrives!

Well, sure enough it wasn't an hour after my last post and I went into labor. At some point, I'll write out the whole long birth story, but all I'll say is starting at noon the contractions began coming and kept coming so much that we went into the hospital, then stalled for a bit so they broke my water, then I got an epidural, then they gave me some pitocin to speed things along, calmly watched Catch Me If You Can and they checked me and I was ready to push, 2 pushes and "IT'S A BOY!" at 7:25pm. Noah Charles was 7lb 13 oz and 20 inches long. He latched on right away and has been sleeping a lot, like all newborns do. Things have been so much easier and calmer this time. It's nice having two years of parenting and 1 year of breastfeeding under my belt. We are so in love and enjoying every moment.

JM came and met his new brother this morning. Hopefully he shares this sentiment when we actually bring Noah home. :) LOVE this picture. Much more to come!

Grumpy Saturday, but Sunday risen

There was a heavy air of ennui around here, yesterday. As a threesome, we were grumpy. More than anything, I'd describe my personal mood as restless and even a bit bored. Yesterday John Michael decided it would be a good day to test limits. All.day.long. Throwing things. Hitting things. At one point, he even put himself into time out. That's no good. I was watching the clock come noon and 12:30 for his nap was not coming quickly enough, believe me. The only highlight of the day was when JM went poo in the potty again and even that excitement seemed lackluster. Last night, over a cookie dough Blizzard of self pity, I decided I needed to stop waiting for Noodle's arrival and get my mind around the idea that Tuesday is going to be the day and if he or she comes before that on his own, great. I woke up this morning feeling happy and peaceful with that and strangely enough, my boys seem to be feeling the same way. JM obliged me by not giving me any lip about wearing this adorable outfit from Carters I got on sale the other day (love you Carters! love anything with gingham!) and miracle of all miracles, allowed me to also put on his super cute top siders instead of the beloved crocs that he refuses to take off. We went to church this morning, are currently enjoying some good backyard time and this afternoon, LaLa's coming over so we can go see a movie. Take that, watched pot!




AC: Simplicity

Not stressed

No baby news today.
None at all. Please don't call and ask.
For some reason, my OB's office has the due date in my chart as being tomorrow, so now that I'm close to 40 weeks in their eyes, they are now making me go in every 2-3 days for non-stress tests. I had my first one this morning and good news is that the baby is not stressed. In fact, the baby in utero is relaxed and having a ball in there, while we all wait on him or her. I'm 3cm dilated and 100% effaced and don't get me wrong, so grateful that things are "normal" down there, but I'm over being pregnant. My doctor is in the office today, so if I go into spontaneous labor in the next few hours, he could deliver me, but as I feel completely normal, am not terribly optimistic. Mike and I are tired of talking about this. Less talk, more action needed!

If I have to go in on Monday morning for another stress test, I may go crazy! We've been taking JM to the last few appointments and although it's fun to have a family adventure and he does so like to push the button on the elevator at the OB's office, it's stressful in itself to get us all out the door. This morning we had to wake sire up and he threw a HUGE fit because he didn't want to wear the adorable and easy to get on one piece outfit I picked out for him (too babyish?), so by the time we got to the office, my blood pressure was through the roof. Thankfully it went down, as I got more settled, but they still didn't take pity on me when I asked if I could be induced today. :( Hippy dippy has gone out the window.

A Watched Pot Never Boils

A watched pot never boils. Haven't you heard? I swear this is the theme for my life. Back when I graduated from college I lived in Madison, WI working my first job in TV I wanted to have a boyfriend SO badly, but in fact that whole year was a dearth of dates to which I had never seen. I was watching the pot and I swear my desperation and loneliness seeped out of my eager self. Back when I was actually going on dates, I'd sit and watch the phone sometimes, hoping for the guy I was really interested in to call me and ask me out, again, and I swear for as long as I'd be sitting by the phone, he would never call until I decided to go do something productive with myself and sure enough, the phone would ring (ironically, I never sat around for Mike. He said he would call and bingo, he was there, God bless him). This theory has remained true for parenthood, that is, when JM was a baby and I'd stress over him not sleeping, he'd never sleep. When I'd relax, sure enough, he'd sleep longer.

Anyway, my watched pot of recent has been my sweet baby in utero. For the past three weeks since Dr. S told me I was dilated and things were moving along, I've pretty much put life on standstill. I've been avoiding picking things to make for dinner that night. I've been straightening my hair and putting on makeup and doing general self and house cleanliness that I many times slack on. You know, in case I need to do an impromptu birth photo shoot or have last minute guests. Most recently, I've started doing things to try to get he or she to make an appearance, such as walking 2.5 miles yesterday or getting Mike to stop and get me an extra spicy pad thai for dinner last night. The truth is, last night and the night before I have had SOUND sleeps. No contractions. Not really even going to the bathroom as much as usual. I've been out ! Yesterday and today, I've awoken to not a baby settling down in the womb quietly ready to emerge to this world, but a probably close to 8 pound blissful baby in utero, in there banging around and doing calisthenics! He or she is happy in there and is not coming out, while we are sitting around waiting on him!

So, yes, blog world, this baby is still inside me. Mike and I both are beyond ready and anxious at this point. I know my life is going to change significantly and that sleep will be a commodity and all that, but at this point, I don't care! I want to meet him or her, already!

P.S. In other watched pot news, John Michael both peed and poo pood in the toilet last night for the first time! I bought him a little seat a few months ago and for a while was trying with him daily, but when it seemed he saw the potty as more of a reading chair than a place to potty, I gave up. Lately, he's been telling me when the poo is coming out, usually too late. Sure enough, last night, we made it to the potty in time and he did his business! Both Mike and I were here and made a big deal about it. He got to blow his train whistle and flush the toilet and immediately wanted to get back on the toilet for more! Yay, JM!

AC: Education

Eviction date set

Sorry to all the people who guessed *after* my due date for our friends and family "when is the baby coming?" pool. I had my 39 week appointment this morning. I am now 85% effaced and 2.5 cm dilated. Because of this, they told me we could choose an induction date. An end is in sight! If I don't go into labor before then, I'm going to have this baby a week from today on June 15. They actually told me I could do it any day starting tomorrow, but tomorrow seemed way too soon to induce to me. Normally, I'm kind of hippy dippy and anti-eviction before 41 weeks. I mean this is a cruel, cruel world; let the baby enjoy that happy womb as long as possible, but after three weeks of our doctor saying we were "really close," and wondering if that day was the day, I'm feeling a bit more anxious. We ready to meet the little guy or girl, already! Knowing that the end is in sight is reassuring, but kind of takes some of the fun away. Please come on your own, Noodle!

Life continues as normal, otherwise. I went to Bible Study last night, am planning on playgroup this morning and have to volunteer at the hospital tonight. I've had a ton of Braxton Hicks contractions and actually thought yesterday was going to be the day for a while until they went away (boo!). JM and I had a really fun date at the carwash and then Central Market yesterday morning, and enjoyed sharing a smoothie and some playscape time before it got too hot. And, yes, why is it so damn hot, already? I've decided the next week, I am wearing nothing but muu muus, that is nothing that is in any way hot or restricting around the waistline! I will also be floating in the backyard pool as much as possible. As much as I'm ready to meet Noodle, I also realize this could be our last baby (hopefully not!), so I want to enjoy this time being pregnant as much as possible.

AC: Creativity

Content in the now

My 38 week appointment was this morning... and, I haven't progressed a lick since last week. Nothing. Nada. Still 1.5cm dilated. Still 70% effaced. Doctor says he'll probably see me next week for my 39 week appointment. That's okay with me, though. Baby seems healthy. I'm not terribly uncomfortable. I've gotten a lot of stuff done. Soon enough I'll be up all night. As anxious as I am to meet Noodle, I am quite content with this period of waiting until the time is right and enjoying fun stuff like swim parties in our backyard with JM and Mike (in our blow-up WalMart baby pool), visiting with friends I haven't seen for a while, sleeping soundly (as a big pregnant woman can, that is) and consuming say, ehem 6 or so oreos with milk in one sitting. It's all good! I gotta make good on my guess of June 8, after all!