T'was the week before Christmas

Last Friday was The Boy's birthday. In early November, we had grand plans for a party at the lake, which was twarted by multiple rain storms. I'm glad I didn't reschedule though, because I ended up going into labor early with Baby D.

We celebrated #8 with cupcakes at school and dinner at Grandma's house. He requested broccoli cheese soup, which I made from scratch (recipe from Pioneer Woman).




Ocean-inspired gummies on strawberry and spice flavored cupcakes

The Boy was gifted with many sets of Legos, including this set which he used to make a helicopter and flat-bed truck.



We used some leftover felt and inexpensive candy canes to make these gifts for his classmates, template found here on Martha Stewart.





Last night was his school Christmas Concert. He was playing the bells this year and they did a wonderful job. My parents got there early and stood in line to be able to save me a seat. Thank goodness, because trying to schedule anything with a nursing newborn is a challenge!






Baby D slept through the entire show!

The Boy - Year 8

8 years ago today...



I gave birth to my first son.



Even though "God wasn't finished with him yet" and he required some surgery, he was perfect in my eyes. But I was scared at first...scared that I was going to lose him during the operation. I was afraid to get attached at first.



I loved this baby boy right away, but I'll admit that I kept the attachment at a distance until I was sure he was going to be around for a while. It's hard as a parent to admit that.



But as soon as he was recovered, I allowed myself to open my heart.



And this boy filled that space.



He didn't just creep in.



He leapt, fully and completely into my heart. He gives himself to me so fully all the time with his generous heart, big hugs and love...so much love and affection my heart bursts when I think of it.



Happy 8th Birthday sweetheart!

Holiday-ing the House

In between feedings and naps with the Little Monster, I've been trying to "holiday" our house!



We live in a rather small town home so decorations are kept to a minimum.

#1 - I don't have many places to set out the decorations.

#2 - I am limited to one large box of Christmas decor because that is all that will fit in my storage space under the stairs.

#3 - My husband is a neat-nik and I just can't willingly overwhelm him with glittery decor!

This was the fall buffet decoration, which featured the kid's school photos. This crackled glass hurricane was a cheap find at JoAnn and it looks so pretty with a tea light inside.







And here is the Christmas buffet. This Advent set is a new addition and the kids have loved pulling out the ornaments each day that get added to the "Charlie Brown tree" on top.



After church this past weekend, there was a moving van full of Christmas trees that the youth group was selling for a donation. Given that I'm on maternity leave at the moment and our bank account is in sore shape, I was wondering if we'd even be able to afford a tree this year, so this was a definite blessing!


The Girl reminisced about last year's ornaments

And the tree is a beauty...it nearly reaches the ceiling and is full and lovely. I strung the lights and pulled out my Christmas box and unwrapped each ornament.


The Boy HAD to get out the step stool...I was terrified he was going to lean over too far and fall off!


Baby D watched (err...slept) from the sidelines

I placed my faux white tree next to the door with my bird collection.



In between snuggling with the baby, eating popcorn and watching Polar Express, the kids had a nice time decorating the tree. There were all the old Hallmark and Avon favorites that my grandma gave me over the years including my treasured Nutcracker ballet ornaments. I've taken the kids each year to Hallmark to choose their own ornament. Not sure we'll be able to do that this year but I'll come up with something fun for them over their Christmas breaks.


Mr. Wrinkles approves!


Our lovely tree

Tomorrow is The Boy's birthday. I'll be taking cupcakes to school and we'll be having a family dinner for him too. Hard to believe it's been 8 years already...

My Little Sunny-Side-Up...the birth story

On the Friday morning after Thanksgiving I was expected at work. Danny had the day off and was going to run errands with the kids. We were just waking up when Danny noticed that I was bleeding all over the bed. It wasn't just a little blood, it was a lot. Enough for us to immediately jump into action. I hadn't had any bleeding at all during this pregnancy and now this...well, this was just crazy. I was keeping calm, because I think if I'd have lost it, Danny would have lost it big time, he had a panicked look about him as he bustled around the house. I was glad to feel the baby moving though, that helped me to relax. Danny called his mom, who came over to stay with the big kids. I cleaned up and took a shower while Danny packed a bag.

Once at the hospital, they checked to see if I was still bleeding (I was, but they didn't tell me from where) and they checked my dilation. I was only 3cm. They don't usually admit until you are 4cm but the doctor was hesitant to send me home since I was still bleeding so they checked me into room. This was at around 8:30am.

They started me on a bag of fluids and a very slow Pitocin drip to see if it would aid the dilation. We sat around, watched some TV, tried to nap, Danny walked to the grocery to get snacks...I got to eat ice chips, humph! Good thing I'd eaten a large Thanksgiving dinner the night before!


Just admitted. Hanging out with my Pitocin, waiting for contractions to kick in.

Around 11am, I started getting some strong and long contractions, however there was some concern because after each contraction the baby's heart rate would dip. Apparently it's normal for baby's heart rate to dip during the contraction but they were concerned that the contractions were causing some stress. They put me on an oxygen mask. But since the baby's heart rate kept dipping, they would turn off the Pitocin for an hour or so to see if that would help.

I got the epidural done, which was much better than when I delivered The Boy because I had a button to push if I needed more medication. Also, the anesthesiologist had me lay on my side instead of sitting up when he inserted the needle and it was so much easier to relax. At around 2pm, they checked my dilation...ugh, I was only 3.5cm! They decided to try and break my water. The nurse tried three times and nothing. They assumed that it must have already broken, either when I was bleeding or it had a slow leak. I didn't think that was true since the blood that morning wasn't diluted and I'd not had any leaking.

My mother-in-law came with the kids. The Girl enjoyed the tray of liquid foods that the nurse had brought in earlier. I'd sipped just the cup of broth and sucked more ice chips. The Boy sweetly surveyed me in the bed, hooked up to the IVs and oxygen mask on my face and asked me if I was going to be okay. They stayed just a short while, leaving a balloon that announced "It's a Boy!".


Enjoying the Jell-O I couldn't eat

A few hours later, after the contractions were still getting longer and faster together but I was still not dilated and baby's heart rate was still dipping, they said they were going to put two monitors inside me. One would monitor the strength of the contractions (they didn't want to give me more Pitocin if the contractions were already strong) and the other was a fetal scalp electrode (a small wire screwed into his scalp), which monitors heart rate. When the nurse put in these two monitors, she was having a challenge inserting and that, of course, is when she actually broke my water! Wow, what a mess, they weren't prepared for that. And with me numb from the waist down, they weren't able to change the wet bedding so they just had to pile on more pads & towels. So with the catheter, these two monitors, an oxygen mask, a blood pressure cuff, a heart rate monitor on my finger, an epidural needle, the IV with Pitocin and fluids...I had a lot going on at once!

Our nurse got off at 7pm, so they checked my dilation once more and I was a whopping 4cm...booo!!! She was still very concerned about his heart rate and dips. I was getting lots of pressure though, so I finally pushed the epidural button. When the contractions got heavy, they checked my dilation again at 7:15 and I was at 7cm and when I started REALLY getting a pressure to push at 7:30, they checked me and I was at a 10!! So I dilated 6cm in about 30 mins and it was finally time to push. My mom and mother-in-law walked in together just at that time and were there to help hold up my legs, count and do some cheering.

Whew...it was no picnic. The baby was "sunny side up" so his face was looking at the ceiling, a much harder way for him to manipulate around the pelvic bone. The doctors tried spinning him but no luck, he was stuck with his scalp pressing against my pelvis. It took about 2 hours of pushing and some pretty intense pain especially when he was crowning and I had to wait for contractions to come before I could push again. Sometimes they would just have me breathe through a contraction instead of pushing to let his heart rate rise again and boy, that was HARD.

They warned me between contractions that he'd probably come out looking like he had a "brown egg" on his head. When he finally slipped out and I was able to see him, I could tell what they meant, he was majorly cone-head with what looked like "muffin head", a big bruised bulge on his scalp. But he was crying immediately and had a great pink color.


Just born

Danny cut the cord (I was so proud, usually he gets lightheaded around blood and things like that but he did wonderfully the entire time). They did skin-on-skin for about an hour in recovery. They brought us some sandwiches and we were able to eat before they transferred me to a room.


Bonding with mom



My little Sunny-Side-Up

After Baby D's bath, they set up the other bed for Danny and we were able to get some sleep. I stayed at the hospital that night and then one more night and was able to go home Sunday afternoon. Baby D is very observant, not terribly interested in nursing yet (which is hard because my milk is IN!) but he's very sweet and moves slowly and deliberately, looking around the room and at people when they speak.


Three days old and already so serious

I can't wait to get to know and love this boy.

Giving thanks on the eve of labor

Thursday started off with a bang. Danny & I were relaxing in the morning, chatting in bed and we heard the phone ring. It was just barely 7am and he said to me, "Wanna bet that's Nana calling to check on the turkey?".

Smart man...she'd already called a few times on his cell and a few on mine, making sure that he'd started the bird!


My Mother-in-Law's beautiful table decor

The night before, Nana had brought over all the fixings for the stuffing including homemade corn bread, precisely chopped veggies and specific instruction on the preparation. The turkey was defrosted and ready to go.

There was nothing left to do but to start the process so we whirled into action. Danny prepared the stuffing and stuffed the turkey. I peeled 10 pounds of russet potatoes and got the mashed potatoes made. In between basting we took advantage of our day off. Danny cleaned out our closet and got a bunch of clothes ready to donate to the church thrift store, I finished some fabric boxes for the nursery, put away some laundry and puttered around with the older kids, helping them organize their toys.


My husband's tasty handiwork

We ate a light lunch of cheese, crackers and cold cuts and when the turkey was finished, Danny packed everything into the truck and off we drove to Grandma's house (a whole 7 minutes!).


I'll take a little bit of each...

Everyone was there, scuttling around in the tiny kitchen. The dining table was spread with a huge variety and my mother-in-law had beautifully laid out the tables.


Set and ready for the diners

Danny set to work carving the turkey and I took a few pics of the kids outside while we waited.


Eager for turkey dinner



Everything was heavenly...seriously, so wonderful. I don't often eat so much in one sitting because, well my 9-month pregnant belly mashes my stomach as flat as a pancake. I did take small bits of all my favorites though and before I knew it, my plate was full! My husband's aunt & uncle had brought a savory stuffing with herbs and veggies from their garden and a homemade pumpkin pie from one of their garden pumpkins. My mom & dad had picked up Marie Callendar's pies, including a tangy Razzleberry...delicious!


A variety of delicious pies, store-bought & homemade

After sitting and chatting for a few hours afterwards, we took the kids home, bathed them and got them to bed. Danny & I, wiped out after a day on our feet in the kitchen, went to bed shortly afterwards. I thank goodness we both got a good night's rest, not knowing what was in store for us the following day. I'm also glad I ate a large dinner, since I wouldn't be eating anything but ice chips and a cup of broth the following day!

Next up, labor begins!

Random Thoughts - Rain delay, Boppy, Field & Stream

1. We had to cancel The Boy's early birthday party a few weeks ago and rescheduled for this past weekend. It poured rain all day that Saturday and with the budget party planned at the lake, that would have been quite a disaster!


The Boy's birthday cake last year

Of course, another storm was expected this weekend too so we had to cancel the party outright. It's just getting too close to the Thanksgiving holidays now and who knows when the baby will come. There are plenty of indoor venues but I don't really have the $300+ budget for that. So disappointing to have to cancel.

And guess what...it didn't even rain *frown*

2. The baby's space is really coming along. My husband brought over the desk from my parent's house and I bought a changing table pad to convert the desk into a diaper changing space (just need to secure the pad with the strap under the desk). I made two covers with my coordinating nursery fabric. I also picked up a Boppy pillow and made a few covers as well. My husband was happily surprised ("You made these?!") but probably more for the frugality of it than the actual sewing skills *wink*


All my sweet baby's room fabrics

Still need to buy a comfy chair and then at some point, the crib. But really, quite a bit is already purchased and in place. The diaper bag is stocked and ready to grab when we head to the hospital. I have my hospital bag in the closet with a few travel items inside but of course, I can't really finish packing until I go into labor because I need some of the items in the meantime (like my glasses and the only pair of maternity long pants I own!).

3. This weekend was our 1st Wedding Anniversary. My husband and I had a gift certificate to P.F. Changs, so that's where we went for dinner. Neither of us had been there before but looked at the menu beforehand online and made our decisions. Wow, what a meal!! We're still basking in it. We very rarely go out to eat, but this was such a terrific dinner.


What a difference a year makes!

I can't believe that last year I was scrambling to get the wedding details all in place and this year I'm scrambling to get the baby details all in place! Hey, it rained last year on our wedding day...that should have been my first clue in scheduling outdoor parties this time of year!


Me, in all my round 37-weeks-and-5-days-pregnant-glory!

4. I bought my husband a subscription to Field & Stream magazine as a Christmas present and the first issue arrived this weekend. The poor guy, he has to analyze everything, he has the hardest time just accepting. "Why did you buy this? Is it too late to cancel? Reading this magazine is going to make me want to do all this and I can't. How much did this cost? There are so many advertisements in this thing!"
I told him there was no reason to get all anxious and stressed out about a magazine, honestly, there are bigger fish to fry. I think it's more of an issue with handling a surprise gift and not knowing how to react. Is this a man-thing? I don't know, maybe it's just a "him" thing. He agreed, in the end, that it would all be okay...breathe...it's just a magazine!



5. My husband gave me a lovely diamond Journey necklace for our first anniversary present. Of course, our anniversary is November 20th, but he gifted me with it about 2 months ago because he JUST couldn't wait!!

I asked him last week what he wanted for an anniversary present, knowing he'd probably say nothing. He was upstairs, getting ready to take a shower and called down the stairs, "I want a subscription to Field & Stream!"

Smart aleck!

When it rains...it Showers!

This past weekend was my family baby shower.



And shower it did! Starting on Friday we had a huge storm and it rained and rained and rained. Now, we live in SoCal and oftentimes the news will report that we're getting a major storm and really, nothing comes of it. We might get some sprinkles or the impending "storm" will blow off completely and not hit at all. So on Friday morning, I mentioned to my husband that there was a chance of rain that day, but my exact words were, "Nothing crazy though, probably just a few sprinkles".

Well, it rained all day long and into the night. The Boy and I had Mother/Son Night at his school and it poured the entire time (fortunately we were indoors doing crafts, eating pizza and watching How to Train Your Dragon).

Saturday we had a reprieve, which was good because my husband was participating in a charity golf tournament and was cringing at the thought of muddy shoes in his clean truck.

But Sunday, we walked out of church to find it just starting to come down but I'd blown out my hair and flat-ironed it and didn't want it all frizzy for the party, so we hustled to the car. I'm not the most graceful pregnant woman, especially when I can't wear closed-toed shoes and I'm shuffling around in flip-flops, so I'm sure that I was a sight to see!




Super-snuggly polka dotted blankie

I think the rain deterred some of the party guests from coming, in addition to the nasty colds that are going around, so we didn't have the biggest turnaround but it worked out fine. Those that braved the weather sure did have a lot of fun!!! We snacked, we played some new games, we watched the Chargers lose (Boo!!! Again!), I opened gifts and we all oohed and ahhhed at the adorable tiny outfits and we ate marble cake with raspberry filling.


Onesie that says, "What Happens at Grandma's, Stays at Grandma's"

When we got home and I showed my husband some of the great gifts we'd received, he was so absolutely touched by the generosity of our wonderful family that he's already scheming up ways to return the favor.


Adorable frame says Mom + Dad = Me

This coming up weekend we'd planned an early birthday party at the lake for The Boy, but unfortunately we are expecting another storm. According to my mom, this upcoming one is supposed to make last week's storm look like sprinkles! Ugh...Now I'm in the position of either cancelling the party outright, rescheduling for the following week, or finding an indoor venue.

When it rains, it pours, right?


Me! 35 weeks and 5 days