She's here

Hello world.

This is Sophie.


She's our baby girl... holy cow, I still can't even believe it. I can't believe she is here and she is ours.

The journey getting her here was not what I expected for sure. But she is oh so worth it. Every bit of it.

I was admitted to Labor and Delivery on Sunday the 13th to begin my induction because of high blood pressure. I was started on a medication to try and get my body a little more ready for labor right away. What I understood of this medication was that it would simply soften things up to get ready for the labor inducing Pitocin. I anticipated a very uneventful evening and the labor to start on Monday when they started the Pitocin, and so I sent Jon to work that night to wrap up his project so he could take the rest of the week off. A few hours later, I was bawling my eyes out in pain with back to back, non-stop contractions. The doctors and nurses were all very thrown off by my reaction to the medication and suggested I get the epidural that night which I gladly accepted. Thank heavens for that stuff.

It was a long night, and a long day Monday. After 25 hours in labor, and then 1 hour of pushing, our perfect little girl was born. She was 6lbs. 6oz. and measured at 20 inches long, although she was re-measured later and was 19 inches long, which I think was more accurate.

It was overwhelming in so many ways it's just so hard to describe. I was in a lot of pain, even with the epidural, and baby girl was not kind to my body, lets just say she left her mark. But seeing her and hearing her cry was indescribable. I was sobbing. SOBBING. Just like when Ollie was born.

She was having a little trouble breathing but was quickly taken care of and in my arms. I didn't hold her long because I was so weak, so I passed her to her Daddy and watched the sweetest Daddy- Daughter meeting ever.

My recovery since has been hard. Really hard. Nothing like what I was prepared for. Thank heavens for my husband and Mom who have taken care of EVERYTHING while I have been a useless mess.

Ollie has been really good with his new sister. He was really excited when he first met her and has since shown little interest in her. I don't blame him. She doesn't do much so she's pretty un-amusing to 2-year-old. Speaking of, Ollie turned TWO!! We were all so crazy with Sophie's arrival and Ollie was so sick, so his actual birthday was pretty lame, but he seemed pretty content with a small birthday cake and a new train set. Can't believe my baby boy is two. He looks like a giant next to his baby sister who is the same size he was when he was born.

There is so much to the whole story but I think that's probably enough for now. We are just SO SO happy our girl is here and SO grateful that she is healthy and seemingly perfect. I just can't believe we have these two incredible kids. I can't believe we are a family of 4.

Here comes baby!

Wow... what a week it has been.

My pregnancy has gone so well. I have been really lucky to have such a healthy and smooth pregnancy. Minimal morning sickness, normal weight gain, everything has been right on track.

Well, starting on Tuesday things took a little change. I felt fine as I went in to see my Doctor for a regular visit but to our surprise my BP was very high. So I was sent to Labor and Delivery and told that if it didn't come down, they would induce me that day (yikes!). Thankfully, my pressure went down and all my labs were normal so I was sent on home.

Long story short, Wednesday and Thursday went about the same. Each time I came to follow up with my Doctor, my BP was high, higher each day in fact and so each day she sent me back to Labor and Delivery where my BP would almost immediately come down. Weird.

I do not have pre-eclampsia, just high blood pressure, but it's enough that my Doctor is not comfortable with me staying pregnant, and so, Sunday, my 37 week mark, is the day! I will go to the hospital Sunday evening for some "preparatory medication" and they will start Pitocin on Monday morning. My body at last check was not at all ready for labor and so I anticipate a very slow, long process on Monday before our sweet baby girl makes her big entrance.

I can't believe this is happening... I was supposed to have another month, I had plans! I guess our little princess has plans of her own though.

I am SO beyond excited to finally meet her, hold her, kiss her, to see her with her big brother, to see his reaction to her. SO excited for all of that! I'm just hoping and praying that she is a healthy girl. She will be full term and I know that she will be ok, but didn't you just worry like crazy that your baby wouldn't be healthy?? Is that just me? It just seems like no one could be so lucky as to have TWO children in perfect health, but that seems to be the norm. I just can't wait to hear her cry.

Funny, Jon took this picture just before I was leaving for my Doctor appointment and I said "I hope this is the LAST one of these we have to do!". Meaning, I have been taking these pictures about every 6 weeks and I hoped I would not go 2 weeks over my due date, I didn't mean she needed to come out NOW.

Anyway though, here we are, weeks 30 & 36

I look weird in that picture... my face is doing something funny.

Anyway, I am home on strict bedrest until Sunday to try and keep my blood pressure down. My family and friends have been angels taking care of Ollie but I am REALLY missing him. I feel so sad that I am on bedrest and can't do all the fun things with him that I wanted to do before this baby came. I had all these plans, and now I am stuck being a boring bump on a log momma. :(
I am so so sad that I can't really take advantage of these last few days of just Ollie. I know I will still have time with just the two of us, so I am trying to remember that another baby doesn't replace my Ollie, and doesn't mean I can't spend time with just him. I just wish I could do more with him now.

I guess the next post you see here will be of baby girl... that's crazy.
Wish us luck!!!

Hoot Hoot

This Halloween was SO much fun.

Last year, Ollie was just too little and had no idea what was going on. This year, he got it. Wear the costume, say "tee to teet" and you get candy. Easy as that.

I was also very proud of my little non-sewer self for making my little hoot's costume this year. Sewing is not one of my skills and I didn't use a pattern, but I was happy with the outcome.

"hoot hoot"

I love the above left picture, that's ollie's cheeser underbite grin and I find it so goofy and adorable.

I had a very busy day on Halloween and took no time whatsoever getting myself together so I look like a bit of a hag, but I had to have a picture of myself with the cute "pumpkin smuggler" shirt my mom found for me. It was oh so appropriate. What else can a 9 month pregnant lady be on Halloween?

Anyway, it was a really fun night watching my little buddy and his friends have so much fun. It's amazing how happy it makes you feel to see your kid happy.

A happy time

So, Jon and I decided to have some little family/maternity pictures taken a few weeks ago. At the time, I would have rather had a fork stuck in my eye than have photos taken of myself, but Jon kept telling me I would regret it if I didn't have any pictures of this really amazing time in our lives and eventually, I agreed.

My vain, girly mind could point out all kinds of flaws and unflattering features, but my better side is prevailing and saying these are beautiful. They really are. This has been an incredible blessing in our family to have this opportunity to be pregnant and with a sweet baby girl. I really can't think of what else I could ask for in life besides for her to be healthy. It seems like an impossible thing to have TWO perfect, healthy kids, a boy and a girl, but it seems to happen a lot so hopefully that is a blessing we will know :)

Anyway, I love how these turned out. Jen Herem did a fabulous job in less than ideal conditions. Being a photographer myself, I knew I was asking a difficult thing to shoot inside in such a small space with less than ideal lighting, but she made it happen! I really wanted these done at home to make them feel very comfortable and natural, and I think that's just what we got. I am happy we did it.

I love it. I love this incredible little space of time in my life. I love my absolutely wonderful husband, my perfect, adorable little toddler, my big, round belly, the sweet but wildly active baby girl inside, and the family we are together. Life is good.

How does he know??

I have the greatest little boy on the planet.

How did I ever become so blessed to be his Mommy?? I think I will wonder that for all eternity.

I am just in awe at the heart my little man has. He is two. He is wild and crazy and throws tantrums and fits and gets into trouble, but at the same time, he is SO incredibly in tune to his Momma's feelings lately.

I have been sick a couple of times in the last couple of months. Once with a yucky cold, and just yesterday/today with some awful stomach bug. It's really tough being sick when you are pregnant and especially when your hubby isn't home and your family lives far away. Thank heavens for my friends... I honestly do not know what I would do without the incredible friends and neighbors I have here. I rely on them SO much and every single time I am in need of help, someone is there. I am so so lucky.
Anyway, though, Ollie. In the midst of his wild 2-year-oldness, each time I have become sick, he has instantly gone on his best and most adorable behavior. He knows. He knows I am sick, he knows I need him to be good, and he does it. He seriously does. He is patient and happy helps me more than he understands and I just don't know how he knows to do that?!

Example #2.
A couple weeks ago, my good friend and I were sitting on the floor at my house, having a very sad cry over some really awful trials she was facing in her life. We were both so sad, and Ollie saw. He walked up to me, looking very concerned, and I said "It's ok buddy, Momma is just sad, it's ok" and without missing a beat he said "uck?" (hug in Ollie language) and walked right up to me giving me a great big hug followed by a great big kiss. He then immediately turned to my friend and did the very same thing. No prompting, no asking, he just did it.
He just knew.
I don't think there is any better medicine on the earth.

That's how I know my little boy has an exceptional heart. I hope he reads this some day when he is older and realizes how much it meant to me that he did that.


In other, less sappy news, Ollie has graduated to his new big boy bed! I can't even tell you how shocked I am at how well he transitioned. He was busting out of his crib about 10 times a night and so I couldn't even imagine what he would do with a bed that was EASY to get out of, but it seems that the freedom was just what he wanted. He still gets out of bed almost nightly, but FAR less than with his crib. He loves his bed! Even when he falls out of it at night, he still wants his bed and wants nothing to do with a crib.
What a BIG boy he is! I'm so proud :)

excuse the poor quality pictures... they are from my phone :)

30 weeks

Hello again friends

Well, here we are, 30 weeks!

weeks 24 and 30

The month of September seems to have slipped right by when I wasn't looking. Fall is always a very busy time for me with my photography and so I am certain October and November are going to fly by just as fast, if not faster and before I know it, baby girl is going to be in my arms instead of my ribcage. That's scary... and exciting!

Pregnancy is going well overall. It's definitely not quite as rosy as it was in my second trimester... lots of back pain, swelling and not much sleeping without the help of Tylenol PM. I've been quite whiney in the past few weeks actually... sorry if you are a friend or family member who's had to listen to it :)

I am so happy that this baby is growing healthy and strong. She should be around 3lbs now and just packing on the weight day by day. She is still VERY active. It's really fun to sit and watch my belly while she is doing her gymnastics in there. Jon gets a kick out of it too... I love to watch his face when he is watching my belly or when he is poking her and waiting for her to kick back. His eyes get real big and he just smiles. This little girl has him right where she wants him.

Overall, life is good. My family has received some huge blessings recently and I feel so grateful and so happy with my life right now. Ollie has been SUCH a good boy, he's so sweet and charming and adorable. I have been sick the past few days and he has been nothing but patient as Mommy was a total bump on a log. Oh I love him. Don't know what else I could possibly ask for. All is well.

Ollie wanted a bump picture too... Here is his sweet little bump at 22 months. :)

Boys will be boys

Have you taken your kids to your local fire station? If not, you should.
My good friend, Elise, told me you could take your kids over there just about any time for a little tour, so we finally did it. What a fun thing to do! The boys were indeed in little boy heaven with all the trucks and lights and gear. The firemen were so great and I'm pretty sure they were excited to have some cute little kiddos to play with for a bit.

Anyway, put this on your list of fun things to do this summer.

What a little stud.