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!!

Let the fun begin!

A whole new world!

On August 23rd, 2011, Gusley started Pre-School! We have been talking about this day all summer long. I think he was very well prepared. Mommy on the other hand, not so much. I did hold all my tears back, but it was not easy leaving my baby bear on that first day, or any day so far and he only goes 2 days a week and we just finished week 4!  He tells us he "can't want to go to school", but once he is there and I leave his teacher says he is great!  After the first day, he told Jake that he was "all done"!  Oh to be so naive!  The first 2 weeks he teared up when I would pick him up and he would tell me that he needed to hug me.  The last 2 weeks he tears up when I am leaving in the morning and still wells up a little when he sees me in the afternoon.  

Giving Paw some love before his first day of school!!

Eager to go to school!

Obligatory first day of school family picture!!

Scoping out the playground!

Mommy, are you leaving?

First project in school....name necklace!

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!!

2/30

Something that makes me smile.

Literally 3 minutes after getting in the car from a full day at Holiday World! Complete with his Holidog souvenir, peace sign cup of water and chocolate ice cream under his chin! Nothing says a full, fun day at an amusement park better than this!

1/30

Anything; whatever you want.

Pinki's pink birthday cake decorated by Gusley!

What can I say? My son LOVES cake! He knows how to mark his piece of the pie!