Happy Birthday Abigail Rose

On Tuesday, August 23rd I went into the hospital for my pre-op registration and blood work as our Little Miss was going to come by scheduled cesarean section two days later since that is how her brother made his big debut also and mommy was scared to push out a possibly 8 1/2 pound baby this time around. The nerves and reality hit me like a ton of bricks and even left a mark, well, maybe it was the blood draw that left a four inch bruise, but still. Later that afternoon we experienced an earthquake, which shook me less than the reality of soon becoming a mom of two. Being a mom of one was simple, at least at this point, how on earth would I be as a mom of two???

Wednesday, August 24th brought me a day of more nerves, but enjoyment of the last day of being pregnant too. Heck, as I think of it now I get all teary eyed. I truly enjoy being pregnant, even if there are some ups, downs, aches, and pains along the way. I am growing a little miracle inside my belly and get to feel every little movement and hiccup. I could not stop touching my belly that day. It was the last time I would feel my little peanut like no one else could, the last time she would be totally protected from everything the outside world would bring upon her. Surprisingly I slept pretty well that night despite being a little scared of what would go on the following day.

Thursday, August 25 our second little blessing entered this great big world. The morning started off with the alarm going off, me holding my belly a little longer, showering, making sure everything was packed, and Aidan was set and ready to go to the grandparent's house. Once we arrived at the hospital and walked upstairs after telling them I was there for my c-section, we got shown to my room. My nurse, Jamie, was very informative and kind. She was also incredibly gentle when it came time for my first nerve-wracker, the IV. After what felt like hours my doctor finally came in to give me a quick run down of how things would go down. The anesthesiologist, Dr. V, also came in to explain the spinal, nerve-wracker #2. After a short time Jamie came back and said it was time to go. I said goodbye to Sean and walked myself to the freezing cold operating room right across the hall and got onto the table. That was weird. With Aidan I was so drugged up from the magnesium sulfate I barely remembered anything from the ride on my bed to the operating room to almost a day later. At that point my nerves were taking over and I felt like I was out of control of anything at this point.

The first thing to occur was the spinal anesthetic. I tried to relax, breathe, and think of the end result. Again, Jamie was fabulous and kept talking to me and keeping me calm through the procedure. It felt like forever, but within minutes I was laying down and unfortunately feeling a little less numb than I had expected. Dr. V sat by my head and kept asking how I felt, poking me with a needle in the arm so I knew the sensation that I should not feel when she poked my side. She would start down by my hip and work her way up to my ribs with that needle, and every time she got a couple of inches above my navel I could feel it too well. She kept reassuring me (not really, since my pulse was skyrocketing at this point) that I would not be able to feel the incision because it was lower than where I could feel her poking. She moved the bed so my head was lower and the numbness would travel higher up my sides, except that did not work.

At some point Sean came in and all I needed was for him to hold my hand and I knew that no matter how much I was going to feel I would be okay with him by my side. {Now is when this story gets a little more descriptive} Dr. V continued to poke and prod and I was still feeling more than I should. Then my doctor did the skin check where she pinched down by the incision area which I didn't feel except for pressure, and then she pinched about an inch above my belly button--ouch. I swear it felt like she pierced it. At this point Dr. V said I had two options, to deal with the pain of all the pressure I would feel or to be put under general anesthesia. Well there was no way in hell I was going to miss this baby being born so I put on my brave face and said I could do it. Holy moly, I had no idea what I was in for. I think I whined, cried, and moaned through the entire thing from the moment it began. I did not push out a baby but could feel my baby being pushed out of me. I felt her head, shoulders, and the relief once she was out. I felt all the pushing on my upper belly to get her out. When my doctor asked how I was doing between my groans I told her to hurry. I can't lie, it hurt, would I have missed it to avoid the pain? Absolutely not. Hearing our baby cry for the first time is something I would have endured anything for.

Once our little miracle entered the world I was able to be given some Xanax. This helped to bring down my pulse and bring me back to a calmer reality. Thankfully most of the pain was gone at this point and it was just time to get me cleaned and stitched back together. I just tried to take deep breaths at this point and listen to what was going on with the baby. Those cries, those glorious cries.

It wasn't long before I was wheeled out of that freezing cold room and back to my room where beautiful Abigail Rose was brought to me and our outside world bonding began. I fell in love immediately. My love and appreciation for Sean grew in that moment as well. Again we had been blessed with another miracle to love and cherish.

Abigail Rose

August25, 2011

10:40am

7 pounds, 9 ounces

19 inches

{tired, nervous, anxious}

{daddy's little girl}

{love at first sight}

{first bath}

{she's finally here}

{tired mommy, proud big brother, & baby sister}

My thoughts on life right now:

"cherish these moments, she won't be little for long"~touching advice from Sean

Babies are one of the greatest blessings.

So content. 

24 hours!

{hospital is ready for me. am i ready for it?}

Holy moly!!! In 24 hours I'll be holding our baby in my arms. Yesterday I went into admissions and got all the paperwork in order and got my pre-op bloodwork done. Of course this sent my nerves into overdrive. And wearing this bracelet is a reminder of happy days to come but also makes it all a little scary too. I'm nervous, anxious, a little freaked out, and very excited.

Everything is ready for her here, but my main concern right now is Aidan. Is he ready? His whole little life is going to change into something he has no idea about. I'm sure he will be a great big brother and he has enough love for the whole world, so I know he's going to love her so much. He is still a cuddler and used to going everywhere with me and doing everything with us, so I'm hoping that doesn't change once his sister is here and he has to share time. Since I'll be recovering for a couple of weeks (hopefully it's as easy, if not easier as last time) I'm hoping that he'll get some quality time with Daddy and other family members who would be willing to come play with him or take him out for a little one on one time so he still feels as special as he certainly is. I'm sure I'm more worried about this adjustment than need be, since Aidan is such a flexible little guy. 

So, tomorrow, around 9:30am was supposed to be 8:30 but I got bumped because of a meeting I'll be in the OR for a repeat c-section. If it's your thing, say a little prayer that everything goes as best as possible. thanks. 

My thoughts on life right now:

Wow. Yikes. Eeek.

Our family of three will become a family of four in less than a day. 

So blessed. 

EaRtHqUaKe!!!

Yup, right here in New Jersey. The whole kitchen shook this afternoon while I was eating lunch, talking to Sean who was making his lunch, and Aidan was enjoying some Lucky Charms. The cabinet doors were knocking and the floor was swaying. We all just stared at each other. At first Sean thought I had bumped the cabinet, although I would have had to be running at it full force to make any kind of movement and it would have been nothing near what we felt. Then we both thought and said earthquake, but then the idea of how crazy that was went through our heads and I said maybe it was a gas explosion or something. So we all went outside and saw all of our neighbors walking outside of their houses too. No gas explosion, definitely an earthquake. We returned inside and within minutes the local news was reporting a 5.8 magnitude earthquake happened near Richmond, Virginia. Apparently folks from North Carolina to New York had felt some of the quake. Just crazy!

My thoughts on life right now:
I'm thankful no one was hurt. 
I'm glad I had given blood for pre-op earlier in the day.
Very, very thankful that it didn't happen during my c-section on Thursday!

Baby Girl's Nursery

Yay! It's finally done ready for her arrival. There are still a few things I'd like to get {wall shelves, her name on the wall-letters/print/not sure, crystal chandelier, and a mirror}, but it's just about done. Whew. All of her furniture was given up willingly by Aidan. We got her the Penelope crib bedding from Pottery Barn Kids and I'm so thrilled with it. Also from PBK are these adorable little birdies (I should have taken a close-up I love them so much).We scored a bunch of coordinating items at Target: Eclipse curtains to go over the faux wood blinds, shag rug, white bell lampshade, and the cube organizers with fabric drawers. The pink basket that will be her hamper came from Babies R Us. Here are some pics:

{View from the hallway}

{That cube storage is perfect...and will eventually end up in the bottom of her closet}

{Still need her name above the crib, either a print on a shelf or hanging or wall letters}

{Snooty Bird decal from Janey Mac}

{closet with lots of girly stuff}

{Still want a mirror for above her dresser}

My thoughts on life right now:

5 days from now (or sooner if she comes on her own) I'll have her in my arms. 

It's okay to be nervous, right? 

Aidan's Big Boy Room

With a new baby on the way Aidan had to give up all his nursery furniture and get new. Thanks to a great deal at Sears, we were able to get a dresser, nightstand, bookcase headboard, and bed with underneath storage. It's just what we were looking for, and trust me, we looked forever! We ended up going with the twin comforter that matched his crib bedding since we had the valance, wall hanging, and lamp to match. Plus, Sean Aidan really likes it. We're all set in there, minus needing to get a set of extra sheets...I'll probably just go with something plain like navy blue. Oh, and let me just tell you that this room is itty bitty. Like 10x10, and that might be an exaggeration. It's super small and worked great as an office, but then came Aidan. Thankfully we've got plenty of room for him to play downstairs, because this is definitely not conducive to playing in. Here are some pics of his new room, which he loves!

{1st night sleeping in his bed}

{aww, he's so big now}

{view from the hallway}

{Ignore the flipped down bed rail, there are three drawers under his bed.
Wall letters are from Pottery Barn Kids}

{See what the lamp is sitting on? Yeah, there is duct work in that awful built in and we can't get rid of it easily. Ugh, inconvenience.}

{I'd like to get a mirror to put above his dresser}

{Cozy little reading corner}

My thoughts on life right now:

So when you buy your first home, it may not necessarily be in the plans to have it be in your forever home, more like the 5 year plan house. Then the housing market goes way downhill and you are in the house past the 5 year mark. You learn to make do with what you are very lucky to have and hope that one day you'll have that forever home with the open layout, updated kitchen, four bedrooms, and heck-a basement too. 

39 weeks

Pregnancy: 38 weeks, 6 days {yeah, day early again}

Weight Gain: 25 pounds. I have been stuck here for three weeks I think.   

Sleep: Sucks right now. My hips really hurt and I end up flipping from side to side every hour or more. It doesn't help that Aidan's trying to get some extra cuddles in during the wee hours of the morning and is coming into our bed.    

Gender: It's a girl!

Name: You'll soon find out! 

Feeling: Completely exhausted! All I want is ice cream and to sleep. Oh, and to find another great book like The Help (just finished it last night) to read. I'm pretty uncomfortable at this point and sometimes feel like I'm carrying a bowling ball around and it's about to fall out at any point. I'm so nervous and anxious for so many things...the c-section, going into labor on my own (hopefully not), how Aidan will react, lack of sleep, getting everything ready for her, and a myriad of other things. Oh, and going from one kiddo to two is pretty life-changing as well. 

Health: I have been really lucky this time around. At my appointment today blood pressure was 122/74, my weight didn't change, and everything else looked great. Her heart rate sounded fabulous anywhere from the high 120s to the low 170s when she started wiggling around in there. My doctors have all been quite happy with how well I'm doing. Oh, and no swelling at all! That's certainly something to be happy about! I hope this means that the delivery and recovery will be just as good. 

Movement: Well we had that little scare on Sunday, but after that she's been moving and shaking like usual. There's a lot more pressure now when she moves, and the quick movements aren't happening quite as much. I'm going to miss feeling her move around.  

Belly: Stretched to the max! 

Next Appointment: August 25th for my c-section. No more check-ups for us. Crazy!!! 


Oh, and I almost forgot, this time in my pregnancy with Aidan I was in the hospital starting an induction to have Aidan because of my high blood pressure. I had him at exactly 39 weeks. So my body has never been past that point...wonder what this next week will bring me. I'm blessed to have made it this far and as hard as it may be during those uncomfortable moments, I am going to enjoy it all, and miss it so much once it is over. The end result of all this is 100% worth it all. 

10 on Tuesday

1. What do you do for a living?
I'm a special education teacher.

2. What’s your favorite thing about your job?
I make a difference in children's lives. Oh, and the 5 minute commute isn't too bad either.

3. What’s your least favorite thing about your job?
My least favorite thing is that I have to have a job. I’d much rather just be a mommy. 

4. If you weren’t a ____________, what would you be?
If I had no debt? I’d be a stay at home mom. I'd think about nursing, or maybe a guidance counselor/social worker.

5. What is something that you would love to get paid for that you think no one would ever pay you for?
Oh definitely being a stay at home mom! 

6. If you could have any job for exactly one day, what would it be?
This is a tough one. I'd want it to be fun, and something I wouldn't usually do, like...hmmm...

7. If you had to do manual labor, what would you do?
I would want to work for Habitat for Humanity, or something to benefit others.

8. What is something you were forced to learn in high school that was supposed to be super important, but you never actually use?
Just about everything sadly, but definitely the sciences and histories. 

9. Who was your favorite boss?  Why?
Probably my current supervisor because she's so awesome. She's many things, but most importantly, she is understanding. 

10. Where would you rather work: Dunder Mifflin Paper Company (The Office), Wernham Hogg Paper Company (The Office, UK), or Initech (Office Space)?
Well, since I don't watch any of these shows I have no idea, but working in an office would be something I've never done before.

Trip to Labor & Delivery-8.14.11

Let me start this out by saying that everything is a-o-k with baby and I. I didn't call everyone we know to inform them of this trip because I didn't want anyone to worry since all is well. Trust me, had there been something to worry about or if I was in labor I'd be shouting from the rooftops and asking for lots of prayers. 


I was up quite a few times last night due to bathroom trips and crazy storms we were having and noticed that the baby wasn't moving a whole lot like usual, but just a kick here or there. When I woke up I had some OJ and took my iron pill. About an hour or so later I noticed I still hadn't felt much movement and started to worry. Usually this baby is a mover and a shaker, especially after sugary stuff like OJ. About an hour later I still hadn't felt much, if anything, and was starting to panic. I called the doc and she said to eat and lay down and if there wasn't any movement to go to L&D for a NST. Well, I was panicking and all I wanted was to shower (this usually makes her move) and go in just in case. So I showered and thought maybe I felt one kick, but maybe it was just my hopes. I had a quick bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios and Sean called his mom and she came over with Cait and sat with Aidan while we took what felt like the longest ride of our lives to get to the hospital. All I could think was the worst, which wasn't doing any good. So I prayed, and prayed hard. 

I felt one kick when we riding there, and then one more when I was waiting to get hooked up...relief, but still worried something might not be right. As soon as the monitor hit my belly and I heard her heartbeat I felt the biggest relief. Not long after that she started wiggling...I guess she didn't like the tight bands around my belly. I was SOOO relieved that she was okay. She still hasn't been moving as crazy and wild as usual, but she has been moving so that's what matters. But to go from my whole belly literally shaking when she moves for an hour at a time to nothing/barely noticeable, was quite scary. The nurse said it was good I came in to make sure everything was okay and not to feel bad about it, sometimes babies just have lazy days and this must be one of them.  

I was incredibly worried and scared before we went. I felt horrible for Aidan having seen me cry, and when I got back he even asked if his sister hurt me. What a caring little guy we've got. I also felt bad for making Sean worry, and then having to make his mom and sister worry too. But what mattered most in the end was that everything was fine and the baby was healthy. Oh, and having everyone's support was pretty good too. 

My thoughts on life right now:
Relief. Thankful. Blessed. 
Nothing can be taken for granted.
Prayer is powerful. 

38 weeks

Pregnancy: 37 weeks, 6 days {yeah, I wrote this a day early since I was in the mood to blog but the baby's room isn't ready yet so I have to hold off on that post}

Weight Gain: 25 pounds. I didn't gain a pound since last week! I'm feeling fairly good about losing the baby weight and then I'd LOVE to drop another 20 pounds after that...25 would be icing on the cake. I turn 30 in April and would love to be in much better shape...ahhh, I hope. Anyone care to be that nudge to make sure I do it?  

Sleep: I need more of it.   

Gender: It's a girl!

Name: She's got a name. :)

Feeling: Tired, but going to the USA vs. Mexico soccer game at 9pm last night probably wasn't such a great idea. Especially since I feel like my pelvis is separating I can't walk today. I wrote out a to-do list and almost cried at all the things that should get done but I can't do anything today but sit and take care of Aidan's needs. Oh, and the fact that the weather is beyond gorgeous (80 degrees with low humidity and a nice breeze) kind of nauseates me since I really wanted one last trip to the zoo with Aidan before I have the baby...guess not. See ya in the Fall Philly Zoo!  

Health: I'm really, really thankful that everything is going so well this time around, minus a few minor issues in the beginning (nausea, spotting, low thyroid levels). My August 10th appointment went well. My blood pressure continues to stay in the normal range; it was 122/76. Weight stayed the same as the week before, and is nothing like when I was pregnant with Aidan. And her heartbeat was a fabulously strong 159bpm. Since I was contracting a little more frequently Tuesday night I figured I'd give in and get checked. What a waste, haha. I am a whopping fingertip dilated, 50% effaced, and high still. Good news is that she is still head down.  

Movement: She's such a wiggler! The other day was so neat though because I could actually see her taking practice breaths. I didn't know this was possible until I read about it...and never thought I would see it. I guess because she was pushed so hard against the side of my belly it was easier to see. I'm going to miss all those movements! 

Belly: Getting bigger by the day and quite squished! 

Next Appointment: August 18th

psssst...crazy to think that if she stays comfy in there until my scheduled c-section I'll only be carrying her for two more weeks.

10 on Tuesday

1. Mac or Windows? (Or Linux for you super geeks!)
Mac

2. What drew you to that operating system?
The options, especially for pictures...that I still don't know how to use almost a year later! 

3. Mice – Wireless or Wired? Mouse pad or none?
Touchpad, no mouse

4. Other than the Internet – What do you use your computer most for?
Picture storage

5. What’s one computer-related thing you wish you were best at? (CSS, Photoshop, Excel, etc.)
Photoshop or iPhoto, whatever is compatible with this MacBook Pro, and something to make my blog cooler.

6. Describe the first time you ever used a computer.
I was in 4th or 5th grade and we used it for word processing. The computer had a black screen and green type. The printer paper had the holes on each side so that it went through the printer smoothly. Then you had to peel off those edges once it was done printing. LOL. Those were the days. 

7. How often do you upgrade to a new operating system?
I do it as needed or when something breaks. 

8. Are you a short-cutter (CTRL+C) or a right-clicker?
A cross my fingers and hope this works kinda gal! (short cuts: another thing I still need to learn on this Mac)

9. Is computer-use a constant thing in your life (such as using it both at work and home) or do you get a break (because you don’t use them at work)?
All the time. We're connected at the lap. 

10. Where do you think the world would be if personal computers did not exist?
We'd be much more social and less stuck in our own worlds. My three year old might not be as patient without an iPhone to keep him occupied while waiting for me to finish shopping or a table at a restaurant. And we'd have a lot more clutter around...cookbooks, files, paperwork, newspapers, etc. 

37 weeks...full term!

Pregnancy: 37 weeks

Weight Gain: 25 pounds. Ugh, the weight gain is catching up to me. I'm trying to blame it on baby and fluids, but The Cheesecake Factory anniversary dinner last night probably didn't help much. Although I guess I should be thankful, since at this point with Aidan I was probably up 60 pounds! 

Sleep: Not so good. I'm developing a love-hate relationship with the bathroom.   

Gender: It's a girl!

Name: She's got a name. :)

Feeling: Blessed and thankful that 37 weeks is here. I feel like I can't breathe and my legs and back ache. I also have this awful tearing feeling at the top of my belly almost at the bottom of my ribcage. The doctor's say she's probably stretching some nerves that are there, but recently I've had back pain accompanying it which made them say it could possibly be my gallbladder or my stomach being squished. I'll be thankful when that pain stops! Oh, and I've been having some real contractions, however I turned down the option of getting checked for progress on Wednesday. Why? Because I was 1.5cm for a couple of weeks before I got induced and never made it past 3 so that whole getting checked thing means nothing to me.  

Health: Still doing great. At my appointment on August 3rd I gained a couple of pounds, but nothing my doctor was concerned about and my blood pressure was 120/78. Her heart rate was 148bpm and she was wiggling around so much the doc had a hard time getting a good read at first. I keep trying to get another ultrasound but since everything is going so well they won't do it. She's head down right now and "feels like she'll be less than 9 pounds". Gee, thanks. My concern is her head size if I go for the VBAC. If she's anything like Aidan then sign me up for that repeat c-section right away (it's scheduled for the 25th, the day before d-day just in case). 

Movement: She's a wild one in there! The last couple of days she has been so active during the afternoon and evening. Wednesday she was wiggling for over an hour and it was so obvious Sean could see her from the other room.   

Belly: Getting bigger by the day and quite squished! 

Next Appointment: August 10th

August 4th

Wow...5 years. 5 amazing years.

Five years ago I married my best friend, soul mate, and father of my children. Can I say things have gone exactly as I thought? No way. They are better. I never thought I could love someone as much as I love Sean. And that love continues to grow with each milestone in our relationship...buying a house, getting married, getting pregnant, having one awesome little guy, miscarriage, getting pregnant again, anxiously preparing and counting down the days until another blessed baby comes our way, and making memories--lots of memories along the way.

Of course we have our ups and downs in life like any other couple, but we support each other through it all. I can only hope that Sean considers me his rock as he is mine. Honestly, he helps me through any situations like no one could. I just can't expect him to make a decision--even about what to have for dinner. haha. Seriously though, he has proven more than once that should there be a difficult time we can get through anything together.

Possibly the best part of marrying this amazing, supportive, caring, loving {I could go on and on} person is that he made me a mommy. I have a wonderful little boy who continues to amaze me day after day and by the end of this month will have a little girl who will melt our hearts and help us to love each other even more.

I can only hope that most are as lucky as we are to find a love that we have to share.

My thoughts on life right now:
Happy Anniversary Sean, I love you. 
Thank you for everything.

10 on Tuesday

1. Do you do laundry all at the same time or a load here and there?
Well I do ours separate from Aidan's, but it's all or nothing of either when I do it. I'm trying to get better at doing it more frequently too so it isn't so overwhelming.

2. What kind of detergent do you use?
Arm & Hammer Free/For Sensitive Skin

3. Do you use fabric softener?
Yes, Downy Simple Pleasures Lavendar...ahhhh. I only use it on our laundry though. 

4. Do you use dryer sheets?
Yes, Bounce, for Aidan's stuff or when we are out/forget to use the Downy ball.

5. Do you iron your own clothes or take them to a cleaner to get pressed?
Iron? What's that? 

6. Do you like heavy starch or light starch?
No starch.

7. Do you wash all your laundry at once or separate it?
I usually separate it unless there is only a little bit to do. Everything but sheets are washed in cold water anyway.

8. How do you separate it? By people or by colors?
By people first-our's and Aidan's. Then by color-lights and darks.

9. What clothes get hung up and what goes in drawers?
Just about everything goes in drawers during the summer for Sean and I, but all of Aidan's shorts get hung up.

10. Do you use plastic, wire, or wooden hangers? Do they all match?
Haha, I just Facebook'd about this a week ago. All of my hangers are white, and preferably of the same style, especially in the kid's rooms. Sean's colorful hangers make me nuts!