Merry Christmas!!

Mabel's first Christmas!  She is discovering her voice and it is just the cutest thing!!  Lots of gooooing, cooooing and squawking going on!  As of now it is really cute, but I don't know how much her daddy and brother will be able to handle!  I guess they should just get used to it, because that is life with a girl!!  We had a wonderful holiday and Santa was very good to all of us! 

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!!

The most wonderful time of the year!

To say that I like Christmas is an understatement!  I love it! I think my love for Christmas has rubbed off on my little shadow, Gus.  Every night we read at least 10 different Christmas stories and each night he tells me that this is "The best Christmas ever!"

Here is what we have done so far to get in the Christmas spirit!  Grab a cup of hot chocolate and enjoy the show!

Singing Jingle Bells while decorating the tree!

Handful of Candy Canes ready to be hung, re-hung, hung and then eaten!

Countdown to Christmas ~ Made by Mommy!

Concentrating really hard on that "armourment"!

Rearranging candy canes the next morning!

Some decorating!

Posing for a picture in front of the tree!

Silly times with Buttercup's "elf giddy-up"

Sweetness!

Walking up to see Santa!

Not a fan of this man, Momma!  NOT AT ALL!

Comfy in Pinki's arms!  Right where I want to be!

Elf dog?!

It ain't the Grizwald's, but we love it!

Mabel turns 5 months old and we celebrate 6years of marriage!

A little Amy Grant Christmas while the heater repairman accesses the situation!  This was on our anniversary...one to go down in the books!

John-John replaced out stockings with Mommy and Daddy's socks, Gus' undies and Mabel's cloth diaper!

Best of buds!

Really, Mommy?!?!

Attended the brutal Saints v. Titans game - hence my eyes....that damn game nearly killed me!

A little nose scratchin' before the school Christmas program!

Made a gingerbread house!

Adding the details!

Daddy taking him to the top to add the star we made!

So, so proud :-)

Who WHAT?  Oh, Who Dat!!

Intense moment in the game?

Saints WIN!!

Made a gingerbread man!

5 month photo shoot!

Getting ready for cookies for Santa Claus!

Little decorator!

Gus did this on his own...no guidance needed! :-)

Finished products!!

Here's the story!!

9am - I woke up the morning of July 9th to mild contractions that progressively got stronger and closer together. Gus had spent the night with my parents and Gigi, Paw and Aunt Kari all slept in. Jake and I went downstairs to have breakfast and I thought I was hungry, but nothing really tempted me. I did manage to get a half of a bowl of grits down. By the time everyone was up and moving around we had decided to go to the hospital. Jake ate his omelet while I got the last minute bags packed.

11:30am - Off to Nashville we went. On our way there I called the midwife on call and she suggested I wait until they were 3 minutes apart and much stronger (at this time I was hoping they would not get any stronger!). I told her we were on our way and she said to come on and she would go ahead and check me. When we got to the hospital the parking situation was INSANE. Cars everywhere and no empty parking spaces. We parked and headed up to the 4th floor - OB/L & D! The nurse in triage was waiting for me. She got me all checked in and hooked up to the monitors. The midwife, Linda came in and checked me.

11:50am - 3cm and 80% effaced. She told me to walk the halls for 1 hour and then she would recheck me. If I progressed she would admit me, if not she would send me home with something for me take to get some rest.

12:50pm - still 3cm and 80% effaced. Sent me home with an Ambien to help me get some rest.


2pm - Take Ambien - contractions are still coming pretty regular and I fall asleep briefly on the sofa. I asked Jake to fix me a sandwich and I never ate it. No appetite!

3pm - Changed into my pajamas and got in the bed. Contractions were around 5-7 minutes apart. The most comforting thing for me was to have Jake right there and be able to grab his hand and squeeze during each contraction.

6:45pm - Jake calls the Midwife to see if we should head back to the hospital. This call was prompted by me getting up to go to the bathroom and not being able to move for a good 10 minutes because the contractions were so strong and so close together. Also, in our birthing class the husbands were told that when the wife could no longer smile or talk about anything other than pain.....IT WAS TIME TO GO! Midwife advises that we head back to the hospital.

7:05ish pm - I was able to walk down the stairs and out to the car. I remember wanting an orange tootsie pop and after the first lick I was over it! I don't remember much of the car ride to the hospital - thank you ambien! I do remember looking at the clock and it was 7:17pm - but I don't remember where we were at that time.

7:30-7:40pm - Arrive at the hospital - parking is a breeze. Stop at the car next to us to pass a contraction. Make it to the elevator - survive yet another contraction. Get to triage and they are waiting for us. They get me in a hospital gown and on the monitors - the contractions are not letting and up and coming pretty quick. Jake calls the momma's. The nurse starts an IV. I see the midwife coming in and at that moment I feel completely calm and confident. She is the one that I had wanted to deliver all along and there she was! Oh happy day!! She checks me and says I am 8cm 100% effaced and it is time for me to start pushing! All through the labor I had told Jake that I would love to get to the hospital and be ready to push and I was! It worked, laboring at home, taking 3 baths in 1 day and a massage from Jake worked - just as the birthing class told us it would!

The Midwife asked if I wanted something for pain - my reply, "something to take the edge off." She tells me that by the time the IV was started and they pushed something through, the baby would be here! Au Natural here we go! During the entire pregnancy I had prepared myself to go natural and at some point during this lengthy labor I had told myself that perhaps I should have the epidural. I think my body knew better than my brain all along - no epidural.

7:45ish pm - I am guided to a wheel chair and rolled to L & D. Once in the delivery room, I ask to go pee. I feel the urge to push and they escort me to the bed. Somewhere between the toilet and the bed my water broke. They begin the prepping and tell me that when I feel the need to push, PUSH! Here we go!

8:20pm - Mabel Lynne is born - 9lbs. 6 ounces - 20 3/4 inches long!!



First of many family photos!!

We are having a baby.....

GIRL!!!

For the detailed story of our journey to finding out please check it out here Sweet Summer Dreams

Most 3

Sunday we went to the dump with our recycling and there is a playground right next to it so we took Gus over there to play for a bit since the weather was decent. There is a sandbox there that everyone brings old trucks and sand toys to and just leaves them there for the kids to play with. Gus along with every other kid loves it!

We were out there and three other kids showed up and we told Gus to tell them hi. Here is how the conversation went. Mind you the kids were 10, 7 and 3.

Gus: Hi kids!!

7 year old: Hi! I am (name). What is your name?

Gus: Name Gus! (as he pats his chest)

7 year old: I am 7. How old are you"

Gus: Still 2!!

I interject and say, "yep, you sure are still 2, but not for too much longer."

Gus: Most 3!!

7 year old and his dad: You are almost 3?!!

Gus: Yes (nodding his head)!

Very, very cute conversation.

Jake and I just looked at each other and smiled. We are so proud of you, Gusley. We often find ourselves asking each other, is he really our child? We love you and keep on keeping on!! You are such an inspiration to us! Each day you teach/remind me of a valuable lesson in life in your actions and the simplicity of what you do. Thank you! You seem to be a lover, like your daddy and not a fighter. If ever a toy or anything gets taken from you, you just move on to something else and shrug it off. This my friend, will come in handy one day as you will see that it is the small things in life that matter and life is not about having it all, but just living and loving what you have.

From bad to GOOD!

I swear if we have another rainy day and/or snow day I think I may loose my shit. And that my friends is putting in nicely! This pregnant momma can only think of so much to do on these days. We did have a nice weekend and we were able to get out the house and in the yard and FINALLY take down our Christmas lights (yes, we were THOSE people)! Anyway, today was yet another rainy day here on the Hill. It rained from the moment we woke up until, well it is still raining as I type. Don't get me wrong, I love rain when I can sleep late and when Jake is home and we can all hang in our jammies together and just max and relax to the extreme.

Today was not one of those days. I woke up to Gus scratching the nape of his neck and behind his ears profusely. I immediately checked his head for lice...nothing, thank goodness. The itchy spots became very red and started to spread to his neck, chest, upper back, stomach and as the day wore on his little butt. I called mom and she said it sounded to her like it could be Fifth's Disease

I gave him some antihistamine and that calmed the itching for about 4 hours (which mind you was the last dose in that bottle). We have tubes of every cream, ointment, etc. known to man, but when I need hydrocortizone, there is none to be found. After the 4 hours the child was scratching like a monkey with fleas, so I gave in and gave him a dose of benadryl (SUGAR FREE, DYE FREE, ALCOHOL FREE) thinking this would help him to take a wonderful nap on this rainy day...NOT. Totally opposite affect. 5pm rolls around and he is begging for a nap, I divert his attention and we do some more activities that I know he is tired of, but he goes along with me.

Meanwhile the rash is still there, red as ever, he is so agitated and we are at the mercy of the traffic Jake is in to get home, because he is stopping at Walgreens for more Zyrtec and Hydrocortizone. Finally the garage door opens. DADDY!!!! Shortly after Pinki drives up to take a look at the rash, my two saving graces of the day! Pinki says yep, she is pretty sure it is in fact Fifth's Disease and that once the rash appears they are no longer contagious, but that the runny nose he had for the entire week leading up to today was certainly a symptom, but how were we to know.

Jake also picked up some oatmeal bath so I get Gus in the tub, he gets a nice bath and lets me rub the ointment all over him and takes his medicine like a charm. And this my friends is when my day starts to get good. The "holy trinity" for us to have a second child was that we would like for Gus to be sleeping in his own bed, to be potty trained and to be weened from nursing. He has met 2 of the 3. We have really been talking to him about weening and that that milk will be for the baby and I think it is all starting to come together.

Here is how my day got good: As we are going through our nightly routine of turning on his "ainbow cheen" (rainbow machine - humidifier), the battery operated tee candles and finding Goldbug in this book , putting his rocks under his pillow and getting his pillow pet, he decides that we should take the crib mattress from under his bed out and he will sleep "down der" and mommy will sleep "up der" (in his twin bed). So we agree and I tell him that I will sleep in his bed and I will hold his hand. He gives his good night kisses and we get in to our respective beds and hold hands and Jake turns out the light. Granted he had no nap today, so I know he was tired, he was out in 5 mins. Never asked to nurse!!! He just woke up about 30 mins ago and I went in his room and just held him and rocked him in my arms and he fell back asleep and again, did not ask to nurse! This is a bittersweet moment for me. I have loved the 3 years I have had nursing him and I am so glad that I have been able to do that for him as I strongly feel that it has been a positive in his life, but at the same time, Momma needs a break before the next one comes along (which, sorry baby #2, but I don't think you will be nursing this long, but then again, never say never, right?!) So that my friends is how my day went from bad to good and to top it off the baby is just a fluttering all over in my belly right now and the house is quiet so I am off to have some chocolate milk and enjoy the peace and quiet for a few minutes.

Good night!

A bakers' dozen!

Yesterday we found out that Sarah, Jake's sister and her husband are expecting!! She is due 09.18.11 ~ 2 months after me! We are 10 weeks apart so it will be fun for the little ones to grow up together, despite us being in 2 different states! Sarah, Buster, Camryn, Karlie, William and sweet Pete we are so happy for ya'll and can't wait to meet the baby! Congrats on the addition!

I am sure you are wondering why the title of this post is "A Bakers' Dozen".....well you see after the birth of these two babies, Gi-Gi and Paw will have "A Bakers' Dozen" in terms of grandchildren!! Wow, who thought 4 children could reproduce into 13 grandchildren?!!

Here we GROW again!

When I first found out I was pregnant, I started a second blog about the pregnancy and such. Here is the link. You will see that each week I post the baby compared to a piece of food (thanks to the bump). I saw this on a friend of mine's blog when she was pregnant and when I got pregnant I started getting their emails and found the comparison to be pretty realistic and figured I would do the same!

I hope you enjoy the new blog and come back for progress. I am going to try to write every few days as I am finally getting some energy back!

What a good day!

Today is our 5 year wedding anniversary! Seems like our anniversary is not only a special day for Jake and I, but for Gus too! On our 3 year anniversary (he was just shy of 10 months) he started walking and now this year, on our 5 year anniversary he starts going to the potty on his own!

We have been talking to him and telling him that if he starts pee-peeing and poo-pooing consistently on the potty then we will get him a bike or maybe Santa Claus will bring him a bike. We have gone to Target several times to let him look at the bikes and show us which one he has his heart set on...a mew (blue) one, of course!!

Today I was at my desk for work and he came running down the stairs and into the office saying, "Mommy, pee-pee potty!" We made a mad dash to the toilet and he did his business. This went on all day doing both #1 & #2! I called Jake to tell him! He could not believe it, but was just as proud as I was!

We are a little worried since we are leaving tomorrow for a weekend getaway that it may be a fluke, but if I know Pinki and Pops well enough, they are not going to let him forget what a big boy he is to go potty on his own!! Here's to hoping we can say goodbye to diapers before the new year and before he turns 3!!

Back to our anniversary....Happy 5th year of marriage, Jake! I am looking forward to our weekend getaway! Much needed and hard earned! These past 5 years of marriage have been great and the past 11 years of having you in my life have been wonderful. I can't even begin to imagine what the next 5-50+ years will be like! On top of being my husband and a superb father to Gusley, you are my best friend. I love you!

P.S. This year the "traditional" 5 year anniversary gift is wood. I think it is very fitting that we are headed to the woods to stay in a cabin built of nothing but wood!!

Gatlinburg in Pictures

Back in October, we took Gus (and Buttercup) to Gatlinburg to have a little mini vacation and to see the changing of the leaves! We had a wonderful time and Gus really enjoyed himself so much so that any time we are in the car and he sees the sign for the hotel we stayed in (which had orange comforters) he makes sure to tell us in an asking voice, "Orange Bed?" It is the cutest thing and we just chuckle and get a kick out of it every time!

He rode go-karts with Jake and I for the first time and he has been asking everyday since we are home to go ride "co-karts" so I an thinking we will be heading to the local go-kart track in the near future! Well, once it warms up a bit!

I apologize for the overload of pictures, but we had such a great time and took so many great pictures that I have to share them!!

Wild Woody...Gus' first go-kart track! It was Wild and Woody alright!

All buckled up and ready to go!

Holding Mommy's hand tight, tight!

This is just after we passed a Chick-fil-A and we can hear him whispering, "Cow House, Cow House"! It is safe to say the Chick-fil-A is his favorite place to eat! Who can blame him!

I do believe Gus got the biggest kick out of this dog on the motorbike! We all laughed out loud when we saw it and Jake had to drive right next to them so Gus could continue to laugh!!

Taking the gondola up the mountain to ride the Alpine Sled down!

Weeeeee!

Back to the Track for some more go-karts and airplane rides before heading home!

What a wonderful weekend we all had.....Gus and his sollipop just couldn't go any longer!!