Family of Four

So much has been going on and how much of it is chronicled in my blog?  Oh, NONE.  Let me give a quick update and we'll go forward from there.  I am going to start setting aside some dedicated "blogging" time shortly, so keep an eye out for more regular musings coming your way!

Couldn't you just eat them up?!

1) Audrey is now 3+ months old.  She'll be 4 months on the 26th.  She is simply delightful.  She loves to eat her hands and chatter away.  She's a very vocal baby.  Will liked to make some noise, too, but not like this gal.  She's been a pretty good sleeper from the beginning.  She goes to bed between 7:30-8pm and "sleeps" until 7:30-8am.  But, we have a few wake-ups in between still.  She's not terribly physical (she can roll back to front, but is not a tummy time champ at all), but I think she's exerting so much energy on hair-growing, that something's gotta give. Other than that, she's just growing and learning and such a welcome little addition to our family.

Ready for a picnic.

2) Will is 2 1/2 now and he's his own version of delightful.  This is a really fun age and he's a really great little kiddo.  Since we last caught up he has given up his pacifier (pretty much his own choice - I'll write another blog about that later) and moved from the crib to a toddler bed.  I was nervous about so much change with little sis' coming on board, but he has adapted to her presence as if she was always here.  Will has never struggled with having her around.  We brought her home and it was as if she had always been there.  He's gentle with her and helpful with things she needs and generally tolerates her existence without any trouble.

Testing out his new camp chair before he and daddy went camping!

3) Geoff unexpectedly lost his job in March, so he's doing daddy daycare duty while he looks for a new one.  It's a competitive job market, but he's an awesome guy, so we are hopeful that he'll find something great soon.  He had the opportunity to watch Will when he was just a teeny one (he worked nights and watched Will during the day), so I think it's kind of cool that he also gets that time with Audrey at this age.  It's not something a lot of dads get.  Of course, we'd prefer he were working, but you gotta find those silver linings wherever they may be hiding.

Snuggling those kidlets.

4) Me!  I'm doing well.  Work is good.  Kids are awesome.  My house is nearly always a mess (hey, you can't win them all).  I really can't think of anything else to say about me.  There must be more, but I guess I'll mention it later.

Attempting selfies with a toddler.

Anywho, we'll call that "caught up" and, as I said, keep your eye out for more regular posts!

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Welcome, Audrey!

Two week ago at this very moment I was being wheeled into my recovery room at the hospital feeling pretty dazed and elated from the labor and delivery experience I had just had with my second kiddo.  My beautiful baby girl, Audrey Dianne.  She was born on Sunday, January 26th at 7:59pm weighing in at 6 lbs 15 oz and measuring 19 3/4 inches.

Her entry into the world went nothing as I expected it to, but it was pretty incredible, nonetheless.  Because I was induced with Will, I had no experience with going into labor naturally or what I should expect that to feel like.  Because of this, I found myself pretty frustrated in the days preceding Audrey's birth. Had I known better, I would have known she'd be coming soon.  I had been having pain and cramping for a couple days, but didn't realize this was the early stages of labor.  Friday and Saturday before she was born I spent A LOT of time walking.  I'd push Will in the stroller and have contractions here and there and will them to continue.  Saturday night, Geoff and I left Will with Dizza and Papa and went out to dinner, figuring it would be the last time we'd get a night out for awhile.  We went to PF Changs and had a nice time.  At the end of dinner and on the way to the car, I was having some pretty strong contractions and feeling optimistic that "maybe I'd have a baby by Monday."
Well, in the middle of the night on Sunday morning, around 3am, I was woken up by contractions.  I took a shower and was able to fall back to sleep.  We went to church and I was having contractions about 7 minutes apart that weren't too painful.
So, I came home and took a nap.  I was able to sleep through any contractions I may have been having until about 3pm.  At this point, although they were still 7-12 minutes apart, the intensity was increasing.  So, I called my mom and said, "I need my mama."  She came over to be my moral support.  Around 10 to 4pm we decided to take a walk.  We loaded Will into his stroller and head out.  We walked for about an hour. We talked on the walk about how maybe we'd have a baby in the wee hours of Monday morning, maybe head to the hospital around 7pm.
The walk worked on speeding things up.  By the time we got home, my contractions were 3-4 minutes apart.  It was 5pm at this point, so I decided if things stayed steady for an hour, I'd head in.  By the time 5:45pm rolled around the contractions were averaging 2-3 minutes apart and were getting painful enough I'd have to stop walking or talking during them.  So, I called Labor and Delivery to let them know I'd be in before too long.  Geoff finished up Will's bath and packing up the final items on our "hospital" list.  We left just after 6pm.
We arrived at the hospital around 6:15pm.  Geoff asked me if I wanted a wheelchair and, honestly, the idea of sitting was pretty terrible, so I declined.  Once we were in the hospital, however, and I was staring down what seemed to be a never ending hallway, I regretted that decision.  We had to stop 2-3 times for me to manage a contraction, but finally we made it Labor and Delivery.  We checked in at 6:23pm.  They took me to triage to get me on monitors and see how far along I was.  I remember feeling pretty upset at this point - they seemed to be moving in slow motion and I told Geoff that they weren't moving fast enough, that this baby was coming sooner than they thought.
The midwife came in to check me and I was 6 centimeters dilated.  I remember everything after being told "6 cm" seemed pretty surreal.  Just before 7pm, while I was waiting in triage for them to admit me and get me to a room, I remember telling Geoff to tell my mom that my dad needed to get to my house (to take over Will watch) so my mom could get to the hospital.  She was going to miss the baby's birth.  It was at this point I started to panic - things were moving too fast.  I was in a lot of pain.  No one was moving fast enough!  A couple of contractions went by and I did not handle them well.
Finally, they moved us to a room and started working on my IV.  They had some trouble getting the IV in my arm (this happened with Will, too) and ended up putting it in my hand - for the sake of time.  Around now is when I realized that I probably wasn't going to get an epidural and the acceptance allowed me to really focus and manage the contractions surprisingly well.  Although, Geoff's may have some photographic proof that I was squeezing his hand pretty hard!
It was at this point (7:30pm) that I started telling the nurses I felt that I wanted to push soon.  They checked me again and I was a 9.5 centimeters.  Then, the anesthesiologist arrived.  Our eyes met and I shook my head at him. I knew there was no chance that an epidural was going to happen in time.  He came over and patted my shoulder and told me I was making the right choice and wished me luck.
Around 7:45pm the nurse told me they could have the midwife break my water, which would probably dilate me the last half centimeter and allow me to push.  I told them I really wanted my mom to be there, so we should wait another few minutes.  Gratefully, my mom did arrive a minute or two later and they called the midwife in for delivery.
She broke my water and, sure enough, I was ready to push.  Audrey was face up, but she did turn during delivery (Will was the same).  I didn't handle the pushing too great, but that was mostly because it actually felt really great to let go - I'd been so focused up to that point, I kind of wanted to just scream.  :)
After, maybe, 5 minutes or so of pushing, she was here!   I couldn't believe it.  I had really only considered my labor to have started around 4pm that afternoon.  Here I was, just 4 hours later holding my tiny little daughter in my arms - sans any pain meds.  

Now, two weeks later, I find myself getting tears in my eyes any time that I drive by the route that my mom and I walked on that beautiful Sunday afternoon.  And, although I probably should have been on my way to the hospital at that point, I'll never forget those moments walking and pondering the baby that would be soon arriving and musing over all the possibilities.  Welcome, Audrey.  You are a perfect little piece to our family and we're so glad you are here.

I'll try to write more soon about Will's first time meeting her and how things have been going since!

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The Summons

Have you ever noticed that there's no good and easy way to tell a state that you no longer reside there?  Anyway, due to this, I recently received a jury summons from the state of North Dakota.  I put it in my "to do" list, but since I'm not actually a resident there and I've got a serious case of pregnancy brain, it did not get done.

So, I received my second notice in the mail yesterday.  This letter, in no uncertain terms, explained why I needed to respond to my summons.  It states "This form must be completed by 20-Jan-2014 [although I received it on 21-Jan-2014].  Failure to do so will result in further action being taken."

Uh oh.  Did you hear that?  Further action.  I'm going to start using that with Will.  "Will, don't you throw that toy or I'm going to have to take further action."  "Eat your peas or, you know, stuff will have to happen."

So, anyway, I'm already giggling as I head to the website to fill out the form, like the good law-abiding citizen that I am.  And then - the first thing the form asks me is my round trip mileage to the courthouse.  So, in all seriousness, I pull up google maps and chart my trip to the courthouse; 1,755 miles one-way.  So, I dutifully type in 3,510 miles as my round trip distance.

However, at this point I'm laughing so hard I'm almost in tears as I picture myself, 39.5 weeks pregnant driving 1700 miles for jury duty in Cass County to avoid "further action."  On the bright side, they reimburse your mileage at .565 per mile.

Road trip, anyone?

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WILL!

I feel like it's been a really long time since I did a post to update on my favorite little man, Mr. Will.  So, before I'm writing up a birth story about his little sister, I wanted to get a good post in to remember what my little guy was like when he was my ONLY little one.

Will is 26 months old now (we just call him 2, however) and is just the light of our whole lives.  In the last couple of months since he turned two, he's come a long way in speaking and communicating with us and gets better every day.

He likes to hug and give kisses - but mostly on his timetable.  If you ask for a hug or kiss, you've only got a 50% chance your actually gonna get it.  Along those same lines, he's pretty headstrong.  He knows what he wants (or more accurately what he doesn't want) and he'll make that clear to you.  I was joking with Geoff the other day that the key to a happy day with Will is convince him that everything is his idea.  I'm surprisingly good at that, too.

I've given Will a bad rap over the past few months as someone who won't let me take his picture.  I discovered on Christmas Eve that wasn't the case.  He just doesn't respect my phone as a camera!  When he had his picture taken with a real camera, this kid was a HAM.  So, my picture-taking philosophy has changed.  So, you'll probably see less instant Instagram posts as I take more photos with my real camera.

Will's favorite things right now are the Rescue Bots.  He got 4 bots for Christmas and they are his favorite toy as well (although he still LOVES his matchbox cars).  He may need to get the last bot as a gift when baby sis arrives.  Geoff and I really liked the show when we found it because it was very kid friendly, but also entertaining to us.  By now it has become almost unbearable as we've seen each of the 24 episodes enough times to act it out.  But, Will loves it and he is too cute to turn down when it's time for a show and he just looks at you and goes, "Bots?  Yeah, bots." and nods his little head.

Along with that, Will is also in the habit of asking you a question and then answering for you.  "Crackers?  Yeah, crackers." or "Car? Car." And he'll nod at you while he says it waiting for you to nod as well.  It's extremely adorable.  The upside to this is he asks for almost everything and doesn't just do whatever he's thinking.  And, if I tell him no, he may pout, but he usually listens.

My pregnancy has confused the whole issue on body parts for Will.  He calls his belly (and everyone else's belly) a baby.  We correct him and try to explain that only mommy has the baby, but sometimes hearing him exclaim "Oh, no! Baby!" when he spills on his shirt is too cute to correct.

Will can point to and name his mouth, nose, eyes, ears, head, belly, arms, hands, fingers, legs, feet, and toes.  He can also count to 10 (he usually needs a little help, as 4 gets repeated a couple times).  He is also getting better at his letter recognition.  He can mostly recite the ABCs with me and he for sure knows what an R, P, O and E are and he's learning more each day.  He calls letters Rs and numbers 4s in general.  So, if you are looking at a sign with him, he can differentiate the letters and numbers, but you'll think he's telling you all the numbers are 4s and the letters are Rs.

Will has recently developed a deep and abiding love for "machines."  This means fans, essentially.  But, any kind of fan.  A space heater, a heater vent in the wall/ceiling of the house/store, a regular oscillating fan, a bathroom exhaust fan, etc.  Even the grate at the bottom of the fridge he will kneel and point and exclaim "machine!"  When we are in the store he will point out every vent and then proclaim, "More Machine!"  His loves to turn fans on and off.  So much it can be used as a reward.  After you take a bath, we can turn the fan on!

Will also learned a very important word last week - "Mine."  He hasn't been using it in a possessive way too much yet, but just in a way that indicates he is understanding possession.  He likes to explain who things belong to.  "Mama's pancake, Dada's pancake, my pancake."  Occasionally he'll proclaim something "mine" that wasn't really.  So, we use that as a chance to talk about sharing.  Last night he pushed away his own baked potato and pointed to mine and said "my tato."  I said, "well, this is actually mama's potato, but we can share it."  And, we did.

He's really a very sweet kiddo.  He doesn't like to be punished and punishing him is really hard because of it.  Luckily, his punishments are few and far between.  He makes us laugh all the time and keeps us active and having a blast.  I'm ready to get this pregnancy over with so I can keep up better with him again.  We are SO lucky to be his parents and can't wait to see him continue to learn and grow.

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5 Weeks 'til D-Date!

I did this with Will, so I thought I'd do the same for this little lady, since, in general I'm significantly more terrible about blogging/documenting our lives these days.  She shouldn't have to miss out on everything.  :)

MY PREGNANCY:

Mother Name: Amanda
Age: 27
Birthday: October 1st
Height: 5'6
Father Name: Geoff
Age: 28
Birthday: October 31st
Height: 5'11

FIRSTS

Is this your first pregnancy?: Nope!  This is number 3, technically.
When did you find out you were pregnant?: This is a more loaded question than you think.  But, I took a test around May 24th that came back positive.
How did you find out you were pregnant?: I took a test - it was positive.    
What kind of pregnancy test did you take?: I don't know. Whatever was on sale at the drug store that week.
How many?: Just one.  I probably took another one a couple days later just for peace of mind.  Pregnant minds can go a little crazy.  :)
What were your first symptoms?: Not too bad.  I dealt with some nausea - certainly way worse than my pregnancy with Mr. Will, but very little vomiting or anything.  I was very tired, however.  Still am.  Ha.
Who did you tell first?: The hub!
Who was with you when you found out?:  Geoff was there.
Was baby planned?: Yes and no.  We weren't stopping a pregnancy, per se.  But, since the miscarriage in January and the recent move, it wasn't really something we were expecting or planning exactly.  But, we were delighted.
When was baby conceived?: Mid to late-April 
How far were you when you found out?: Just about 4 weeks.  I tested as soon as I was able. 

MY BABY: 

Due date: 1/30/14
Did you want to know the sex?: Absolutely.
Do you know the sex?: Yup!
If so, boy or girl? Girl!
Any names?: Yes.  Baby girl has a name, but I've been avoiding sharing it publicly.  But, it's not a big secret, so if you really want to know, ask me privately (or just wait a few weeks!).
Any ultrasounds?: I've had a few.  I had one at 6 weeks, one at about 10 weeks (after I fell down the stairs at my in-laws), and the big one at 20 weeks.  The doc mentioned they may do one at my next appointment (36 weeks), which would be AWESOME.  I'd love to see her.
Have you heard the heartbeat?: You bet.  That first appointment hearing that little heartbeat was the absolute best, especially after not having found a heartbeat with the last pregnancy.  Her heart rate has trended lower than Will's did, hovering between 130-140 throughout the pregnancy.
Who do you think baby will look like? I don't know!  Will came out such a blend, it's hard to imagine what this little lady will look like.  But, I'm certain she's going to be adorable.
Will baby have any siblings?: Of course, big bro Will.  It may take him a bit to adjust to her, but she's going to be lucky to have such an awesome big brother. 
When did you first feel the baby move? This chica has not been much of one for movement.  I think I must be carrying her further inside than Will because I don't feel her movements the same.  I felt her first move fairly early (around 14-15 weeks), but I really have to pay attention.  
When did you start to show?: I don't really know.  If you know me, you probably would have been able to tell around 17-18 weeks.  But, I felt noticeably pregnant long before that.  
How long could you wear your regular clothes? Awhile.  I think I had to abandon my pre-pregnancy pants around 13-14 weeks and the shirts closer to 20-22 weeks.  
Are you excited?: Very!

MISCELLANEOUS: 

Did you have morning sickness?: Yeah.  It hit me around 13 weeks and stayed until about 17 weeks.  It was never too unbearable.  I just really struggled making Will breakfast.  
Do you have any cravings?: Not really.  Occasionally I just HAVE to have pineapples or pears, but that's about it. 
Do you have any mood swings?: Oh, sure.  This lady was way worse than Will on my emotions, especially in the beginning.  I felt out of control!  As I've progressed, however, I feel like I've gotten a lot more stable and I'm feeling pretty good these days - albeit easily emotional.
Are you a high risk pregnancy?: Nope.  So far so good.  My doc probably loves it when I come in for my checkups because it's always by the book.  My BP went up around 36 weeks last time, though, so we are keeping an eye on those numbers closely.
Any complications?: Nope.
Formula or breastfeeding?: I will be breastfeeding.
Have you bought anything for baby yet?: Yes.  Although, I feel way behind.  We've got the cradle, crib, carseat (we'll be reusing Will's) and glider.  I had a friend gift me a bouncer seat, bath seat, and play gym (so grateful!).  I've got a few outfits and a pack and play, but that's it.  I haven't stocked up on diapers, I'm short about 20 outfits, a swing, etc... But, it'll all come as it's needed.  Babies need so little at first 
Who will help with baby after their born?:  Geoff will take a little time off and, luckily, my fam is close enough to help out!  My mom will be around a lot, I'd assume and my SIL will probably end up being a life saver.  
What is your favorite thing about being pregnant?:  I'm just in awe of what the human body can do.  I look at my little boy and just can't even believe that I MADE HIM.  I'm excited to meet my little lady and see her unique personality and get to watch her grow as well. 
What is the worst thing about being pregnant?:  All your other organs getting all squished resulting in heartburn, a never ending need to use the restroom, and rib pain - oh, the rib pain!
What's one thing do you miss doing since being pregnant?:  Same answer as last pregnancy: Diet Soda.  If you want to visit me and meet the baby after she's born, an ice cold 20-ounce Diet Coke will get you in the door.  :) 
Any days you wish you weren't pregnant?: Nope.  Pregnancy isn't what I would call easy, but I don't have really terrible ones, either.  I'll be okay with getting my body back when this is over, but I generally enjoy the whole experience.
Are you ready for baby?:  Just about!  I'm not quite far enough along yet to start wishing she'd be here already.
How many kids do you want?: I don't know.  Going from 1 to 2 is going to be a big change, so we're gonna hang tight at 2 for awhile before we make any decisions on future offspring.  
Do you talk to your baby?: Haha.  Not a ton.  Mostly just when I'm calling her a stinker (she stops moving the minute anyone else tries to feel her move) or when I'm asking her to please move her toes out of my ribcage.  But, Will and I talk about her all the time.
Do you still feel attractive?: Eh.  If I go to the effort to get looking cute, usually.  But, if I'm being honest, I very rarely make that effort. 
Have you had your baby shower yet?: Nope.
How far along are you now?: 35 weeks, 1 day

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December Photo Essay

Wondering what we're up to?  Now you know!

Helping to decorate Papa and Dizza's Christmas tree.

Cole and Will were good helpers.

These poor reindeer never have their antlers on straight (lately Will has taken to just pushing them over altogether).

Felt tree - he loved it for awhile and has also since taken to throwing all the ornaments on the floor.

Laundry is fun!

Making Christmas cookies with Dizza (i.e. Grandma Gamblin, for anyone who didn't know).

Tastey!

32 weeks preggo (I'm up to 34 now!)

Pinterest helped me decorate with these DIY showflakes.

My nativity display.

Will at the ER after he cut his lip open.  No stitches needed, just glue and tape strips.  It's healing nicely.

Went to the local holiday parade and outdoor market (where do I live!!)

Presents are starting to appear!

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So much!

So, I know it's been a long time since I blogged.  Every time I go to do it I'm overwhelmed by how much I have to say and how little energy I have to say it all.  I'm loving my Northern California autumn.  The only problem I have is that it gets dark so early - but it's still 60-65 degrees, so I want to go to the park or play outside with Will, but we can't!

We had Halloween - Will was a doctor, and an adorable one at that.  We went trick or treating at a locale shopping center and stayed in to hand out candy at night.  He liked handing out candy.

Will turned 2 almost a month ago, and he's just as delightful as ever.  He had a couple of weeks where I was concerned that he might be turning into a "two year old," but then he got sick and once that passed, he's back to his good ol' self.  We have a lot of fun.  He weighed in at 30 lbs 8 oz and 36.5 inches tall at his 2 year appointment.  He was 90% for weight and 95% for height.  So, he's a big guy!  It still makes me smile that Geoff and I are on track to have a son who is around 6'3"-6'4".  Not that I didn't think it was possible - we both have tall genes, but when you're average height, you don't think you'll make tall kids!

Baby girl is growing right along.  I'm just shy of 32 weeks now.  I'm doing good.  She sits a lot lower than Will did in my abdomen and she's not as big a mover and a shaker as he was (this can lead to scares when I don't feel her moving!).  But, everything is going smoothly.  I'm a little more nervous with each passing week as my blood pressure didn't spike with Will until about 36 weeks.  I'm hopeful we can skip all that with this pregnancy - but ready for it to happen.

Will is very much into the whole Christmas scene.  He LOVES Christmas trees and all the lights and isn't shy about letting you know.  "Big tree!" "More lights!" and "More trees!" are common exclamations around the house/town these days and he gives me the grins every time.  We went for a drive to find some Christmas lights last night, and he could have done it for hours.  "oooh, lights!  More lights!"

I'm feeling extremely blessed this year having a California Christmas and preparing for baby girl and enjoying my time with Will.  It's a good life I've got and I'm just working to live in the moment and enjoy every day because soon it's all going to change (in a good way - but still very different!).

Hope you are enjoying every day as well.

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