Happy...

Happy...

New Year!

Hey there! It's been a while since we've been here, huh?  Sorry about that.  Life is pretty busy... and I have to admit that I haven't made this a priority.  Forgive?   Thanks.   Anyway.... Happy 2015!!  Hope you had an amazing holiday season and are enjoying a great start to the New Year!  Christmas was amazing this year... Gwen made is so super enjoyable.  We celebrated so many days with so many different parts of our family, that Gwen literally needed a Christmas detox after our last celebration (Jan 11th).  We stayed home just our little family for NYE, but not without a stop to our favorite restaurant for an early dinner.  An early dinner that Addie Kay was NOT having and threw the biggest meltdown the minute we sat down... forcing Daddy and her to the car, while I sat with Gwen for a little dinner.  Yeah, we won't be attempting that again any time soon.  Gwen made it to about 10pm, then actually ASKED if she could go to bed.  Why yes, yes you can.  Then Hubs and I barely stayed awake for the ball drop.  Seriously, how old am I?!  But the New Year is off to a pretty good start.  Lots of time at home, and hanging with the girls.  Hoping 2015 is a big year for us!

...birthday, Addie Kay.

Poor second child, Addie Kay's birthday came and went without a blog post.  Doesn't mean I don't love you, baby.  December is a crazy month, then throw in a birthday party and I was totally thrown for a loop.  We had a small party here at the house, which Gwen proceeded to get hurt and have to take a quick trip to the ER and back all before cake time.  Ugh.  She is fine, but it was a very busy day.  Addie Kay is running, babbling, teething, and trying every day to be a big girl like her sister.  She has grown so much faster than I ever expected, and it is so bittersweet, because I want her to stay little forever.

...Groundhog Day.
Yeah, thanks Phil... 6 more weeks of winter. Bleh.  We've already had a few rounds of snow (and ice), and I am already done.  I love how pretty it is first, then I'm good... you can go now.

...Gwensday.
Gwen still calls Wednesday, "Gwensday."  And I refuse to correct her just yet.  I just love the cuteness. I don't even think that people realize sometimes that she is saying it, because it is so subtle, but I do, and I adore it.  Anyway, Gwensday means that we are halfway through the week... thank goodness, and the weekend is upon us.

So, listen, I really am going to try to blog more often.  Really.  But, if not, don't hate me... m'kay?  This space of mine is in need of a serious revamping, and hopefully I can get to it little by little.  Thanks.

I Don't Have A Baby...

Addie Kay is 10 months old (yesterday), and yes, I know that still makes "a baby," but this kid wants NO part of being a baby.  She is growing up way faster than I could have ever imagined!

She has been walking since a week before she turned 9 months.  AN 8 MONTH OLD WALKER! She basically skipped crawling and went straight to running.  She is miserable in a playpen, high chair, stroller, etc.  She wants to move, move, move.  It's soooo strange seeing this tiny little "doll" running around the house. And it also means that I never get a break... unless she's sleeping.  I do have to admit that I am so proud of her, and love watching her run into my arms.  The. cutest.

Addison also wants NO part of "baby" food.  None.  She sees that bowl and spoon and no matter how hungry, she tightens her lips together, turns her head to the side, and begins flailing her arms in every which way, which usually results in a baby food shower for us both.  She wants "big kid" food and wants to feed it to herself like a "big girl."  So, we have been trying to accommodate her as best we can with soft food that she can handle herself.

She no longer falls asleep in our arms {sniffle, sniffle}.  I have to say that I think this one is the hardest.  We don't plan on having anymore kids, so I was hoping that the baby part would last a little bit longer.  But, no. :(  On the other hand, she is a really GREAT snuggler.  She loves to bury her head in your shoulder and squeeze tight... gets me every time.

I think she is growing and doing so quickly because she wants to keep up with her big sister, whom she adores.  And I will say that I look forward to the day (probably soon) that Gwen and Addie are walking hand in hand, side by side.  I am not, however, looking forward to the day that they form their sister alliance and gang up on mom, lol.  I know that one is inevitable.

I know that it's said the second child grows even faster than the first, but I feel like I have blinked and 10 months has gone by.  Just thinking that she will be turning one in two months blows my mind.  I am pretty sure I'll be a mess. 

Addie Kay, please stay little forever.

I Have A Blog?!?

I can't believe that it has been SO long since I've written anything!! I have to be honest, I have rarely thought about this... and when I actually have thought about it, or even had a moment to write... I've chosen to nap.  Or do laundry.  Or watch shitty reality tv the news.  I just haven't had the energy, nor the oomph, to sit down and really write.  Sorry.

So I guess here's a little recap.

I've been a busy Momma.  Addie is growing so quickly! She's 3 months already (holy shizballs), "talks" all the time, is super smiley, and (knock wood) sleeping through the night.  She's 12 lb 12.5 oz.  23 inches long.  And such a sweetheart.

Gwen is 3 and 1/2 and going on 30.  I swear.  The things that come out of this kid's mouth make me laugh on the daily.  They also make me cringe sometimes too!  She's getting smarter by the minute it seems, and it makes her seem less and less like that little baby she once was.  She's a fabulous big sister and is just so in love with her "Addie-cakes."  Heart. Melt.

I'm sick of snow.  If it snows again, I may need to be committed to the psych ward.  No joke.  Being stuck inside with a toddler and newborn all winter has been exhausting.

THEN, the DAY is was not subarctic warmer out, it was like Oprah showed up, but instead of giving away a glamorous gift, we all got upper respiratory infections.
"YOU GET AN UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTION!"
"AND YOU GET AN UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTION!"
"UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS FOR EVERYOOOOOOOOOONE!'

Yeah.  That was awesome. Shouldn't moms not be able to get sick???  And of course, I was a mess that Addie was sick.  I knew she would be fine, but she was barely 3 months old, and there wasn't much I could do for her except snuggle her as much as possible.

We are all on the mend (of course Hubs didn't get sick), but it was definitely a long and exhausting week for us all.

Then, my brother and his wife welcomed their first child (and my first niece!) into the world!!  Beautiful baby Mackenzie made an early (about 3+ weeks) appearance into the world (just a few hours past her Daddy's birthday!).  She's super cute and I can't believe how tiny she is, especially next to Addie.  It seems FOREVER ago that she was that little. ::insert sad face::

Gwen went back to school for the first time in a week yesterday (Thank God), and then we had a low key St. Patrick's Day full of corned beef and a few drinks.

I'm sure that I am leaving out TONS of things, but it's all I've got for now ;)

Addison Kay :: 1 Month

How in the world has one month {well more} gone by already?!?  Slooooooow down time, please.  It has been a whirlwind of a month+, between Addison's arrival, the holidays, and getting into a routine, so, I guess it's easy to see why it has flown by.

Height
Girlfriend grew two inches!  22 inches.

Weight
AND she gained two pounds!  That explains the CONSTANT eating she's been doing.  She houses at least 4 ounces every time she eats.

Diapers
Newborns currently, but when we run out of them {we don't waste diapers in this house}, I can easily put her into Size 1.  

Clothes
Newborn.  Even though she is gaining weight, she's still a tiny little peanut.  0-3 month clothing is definitely still big.  

Food
I am nursing and supplementing, so breast milk and formula.  I have been lucky that both of my babies were easy and nursed AND used a bottle.  Thanks girls :)

Sleep
The first two weeks she definitely had her nights and days mixed up, but I think we have corrected that ::knocks on wood::  She has one long stretch of sleep during the night from 11-11:30 until 5-ish, which is great! She is a loud sleeper though, constantly squeaking and grunting, which sometimes keeps me from getting "real" sleep.  

Naps
We've been trying to wake her up every few hours to make sure that she isn't wide awake when it is time for us to sleep.

Teeth
Nope, just a cute gummy smile!

*We've been calling her "Addie-cakes" {her Wela gave her that name} or Addie Kay*

Can't wait to see what this month brings!

My Last Bumpdate. 38 Weeks and 1 Week Post Partum

December 11, 2013

December 20, 2013

 How far along?

I am no longer pregnant, YAY!!!  I am one week and one day  postpartum. {written Friday.}

Total weight gain?

38 weeks - Gained that pound I lost back, so we are back to 19 lbs.  Although I feel as though I have gained 100++
Post - I checked the scale today, specifically for this post, and I was 6-7lbs away from my starting weight {hellooo breastfeeding!}

Maternity Clothes?

I wish that I could say that I have said, "Sayonara" to those Maternity Clothes, but I'll be rocking them for a little while longer... not much longer, maybe a few weeks.

Sleep?

38 Weeks - I've been napping most days {when I can}.  And I have been doing really good at night.  Although, I had one night where I could not get comfortable, woke Jason up for help {water and pillows}, cried hysterically because nothing would work, then finally fell asleep.  Yeah, that was a fun night.

1 Week Post - Sleep?? What's that?!  Actually we are doing OK. Addison is waking about twice a night and stays up for about an hour each time.  I've forced myself to nap with Gwen and Addison a few times this week... and I see that becoming a trend in our house.

Best Moment of the Week?

38 Weeks - Finding out at my weekly visit that I am 5cm dilated! And headed to the hospital to meet our girl!

1 Week Post - I can't possibly pick a BEST moment.  I'm in love and enjoying every minute with my family.

Movement?

38 Weeks - Oh, yes.  She was "showing off" for her Daddy the other morning, so much so, that it kinda hurt.  It was A LOT of kicking for six in the morning!

1 Week Post - She is just as much of a mover on the outside as she was on the inside.  She's a little wiggler.

Cravings?

38 Weeks - Well, I can tell you what I am NOT craving, anything Thanksgiving related.  I am so over left overs.  And I guess you could say that I am craving that Apple Cider Sangria that I made last year... oh you can bet your ass that it will be making an appearance at Christmas!!

1 Week Post- Red wine.  And an Italian Sub.  Basically I want everything that I couldn't have while pregnant.

Gender?

All girl.  Miss Addison Kay.  aka. Addie Kay

Labor Signs?

38 Weeks - A few.  I'm dilating as I said, and have had light cramps/contractions since my internal {Wednesday}, but nothing major... yet. {little did I know that I was already starting labor when I wrote that!}
1 Week Post - I've definitely had some afterpains, which were much stronger this time than last.  But overall, I recovered much better this time around than last.  I think because I knew what to expect and there was less for me to be scared of.

Belly Button?

38 Weeks - What belly button?  It doesn't really exist at this point.

1 Week Post - It's back to an innie, but definitely doesn't look like it's old self, yet.

What I Miss?

38 Weeks - Being able to go more than 5 minutes without having to pee.  Being able to bend over without grunting.  Walking without waddling... sad but true.

1 Week Post - Nothing!!! I'm not preggo anymore AND Addison is here!!! Life is good.

What I Am Looking Forward To?

38 Weeks  - Giving birth and meeting our little lady!
1 Week Post -  Christmas... Gwen is sooooo excited for everything Christmas.  She is going to be so much fun! And spending as much time with my little family as possible!

Milestones?

38 Weeks-  Making it full term.  And starting to dilate.  Yay!

1 Week Post- Giving Birth!
**********

Overall we are all adjusting pretty well.  It's been so nice having Jason home, not just for his help, but for the quality time that we are getting!  I honestly can't believe that she has already been here over a week.  Crazy.

Addison Kay.

If you haven't heard the amazing news...  Miss Addison Kay made her appearance into the world on 12/12/13 @ 12:14am.  Weighing in at a WHOPPING 6 lbs. 5 oz. and 20 inches long.  {She is the tiniest little peanut}  AND she has a full head of hair! Imagine that.  She is so beautiful and has stolen all of our hearts already.

So, how's about a little birth story for ya?

Now, my original due date, if you remember, was December 16th, which was then changed to December 25th after my first ultrasound showed that the baby was measuring smaller.  So of course we followed the 25th as our guideline.  But, as the last few weeks came around, and I was starting to dilate progressively each week, Dr. P was convinced that my first due date was the correct one.  She also was appeasing me {who was hell bent on not missing Christmas with Gwen} and agreeing to induce me Dec 19th, IF I hadn't gone on my own already... which she thought I was going to do.  

Well, at my weekly visit, on December 11th, she gave me the news... we were going that night.  I was already dilated 5cm and she was worried that I would end up giving birth on the Turnpike if I was in labor and had one good contraction.  Lol.

We left the appt, in shock, and planned out the next few days, alerting family, and then continued on with our day.

My in-laws came from Pennsylvania to stay with Gwen, which made her super excited, and my mom met us at our house to head over to the hospital together. I DREADED saying goodbye to Gwen.  I thought I wouldn't be able to control my emotions, and I didn't want to scare her.  I did waaay better than I had anticipated.  I brought her into her room, shut the door and explained that Mommy was going to the hospital to get baby Addison and bring her home.  I said that I loved her so much {I'm crying as I write this but didn't when it happened} and that I wanted her to come see me in the morning.  She reacted great, gave me a big squeeze and a kiss and headed out to hang with her Grandpa and Grandma.

We got to the hospital right at our 5pm check-in, but really didn't get to Labor and Delivery until about 6-ish.  They hooked me up to all those crazy monitors {I hate those things! I get what they are used for, but too many beeps and alarms and more things for this hypochondriac to worry about.} and it turns out that I was already contracting on my own. Every 2-4 minutes. Say what?!?!  I had no clue.  Therefore, I couldn't have the Cervadil... and had to wait for my doc.

Dr. P arrived around 7:30pm, explained the situation, and decided at 7:50 to break my water... then the walking began.  Up and down the halls, with husband in tow, walking this baby out of me.  I walked for a while, and when the contractions started to get a little stronger, I decided to rest and let the doctor check me.  I progressed to 6cm, but whenever I layed back down {instead of walking} my contractions STOPPED all together.  FML, right?  So I pushed myself to start walking again.

All this time, Dr. P {and everyone else} kept pushing and asking when I wanted my epidural.  My honest answer was that I wasn't really in AWFUL pain, and I wanted to be able to keep walking as long as possible.  So I waited.

After walking some more, my contractions became regular again and definitely more intense.  So I had them check me again.  I was now 8cm, and decided to cave and get the epidural... because Lord knows I wasn't having this baby without one.   Lol.  {I should mention that Dr. P once again gave me a Xanax, because I was such a nervous wreck... I seriously hate hospitals.}  Right before the epidural, they also gave me something to keep the contractions regular... not Pitocin thankfully, just a little pill.

From there on out, it was pretty quick.

Dr. P came in and asked, "So, Sam... which birthday sounds better, 12/11 or 12/12?"  {I can't say enough how much I love her.}  "12/12" I said.  She agreed.  She checked me again a little after midnight and told us that it was time.

They got the room all ready, and literally two pushes later... Addison Kay was born.

We're in love with our Addie Kay.

I obviously have tons to write about in the next few days/weeks... just need to find the time.  I promise to update you on how Gwen's doing, how we are doing, how my mom accidentally took pictures of all the wrong things during my labor, among many other things.  So stay tuned ;)