Jesse: 2.5 years

Oh Jesse! You are our little joker! You want to make us laugh and I can't wait to see how funny you will be! You are all trouble too! You don't mind and often do the opposite of what I ask.  But then there are moments where you are a big "helper boy" and amaze me! You don't sit still and eating is a chore because you want me to spoon feed you or you want off the chair to go play. You Iove to grab Owen's favorite toy of the moment and run off with it taunting him! You love to tackle Owen and wrestle even though one of you seems to end up in tears. You love your new little sister and I think you are amazed she came out of my tummy and still tell me often "Em-Jean out your tummy". You have started telling me you love me unprompted and it melts my heart!  You actually like lots of foods, but because Owen is picky you think you must complain about them.  You are such a mommy's boy and after naps you want to snuggle with me or have me hold you for several minutes. 

I love you son! 

Mother's Day 2016

Mother's Day. A day that has been so hard and one that has been so good.  The truest definition of bittersweet. This year it has been wonderful. Chris cooked 3 amazing meals, full breakfast and then had his parents over for roasted cabbage, grilled chicken and baked potatoes. Dinner was delicious a nice filet, more cabbage and grits. 

After church my kids actually took a decent photo with me! Only took like 300+ pictures to get one of each of them!! Actually the out takes are just as funny! 

 

They share their lovies with her! 

I posted this today and my husband got all sappy on me. I can't let these words get lost. This is almost better than a paper card because it is heartfelt in the moment. 

Jesses stream of thought

Mommy, I want tell you special. My baby come out your belly, my em-Jean. Sweaker.  Honk honk. Wheels on the bus go round and round. 

Emma Jean was laying on the playmat with a little squeaky toy in the Matt that Jesse had to step on and make squeak!!

Emma Jean: one month

This has been the fastest month yet! 

My recovery has been amazing! I was so glad to not be carrying that 9+pound baby and fluid. Everyday I feel better and more like myself! Breastfeeding has gone much better than I expected too! She is like her brothers and has a lazy latch, but i have been vigilant on making her do right and thankfully keeping the pain away too! I have 14 pounds to loose! much less than previous times! Seems that mastitis is a 3+week ritual...ugh I thankfully got some Meds and I am still waiting for them to kick in fully. 

But really I just want to brag about my precious little girl.  She is beautiful! She smells of milk and her cuddles are amazing! She still has the newborn feel, small head in my hand and curled legs when I pick her up. She has a fussiness in the evenings that sometimes I think helps her sleep better. She enjoys the paci. I don't love it, but I need her to have something because I have 2 other bodies that need me. We are getting up 1-2 times a night. The nights I only get up once is amazing! 

Emma Jean's birth story

Well, last night I blogged all about how I couldn't sleep and tonight i have the best reason for no sleep!! She is here!!

Last night, I was timing contractions until they stopped near bedtime. I decided to sleep on the couch and not interupt Chris's sleep in the bed. At 5:00 am, I was awoken with a killer contraction it took my breath away and made me wonder if this was it! I tried to go back to sleep, but Jesse was stirring at 5:30am and then we were up at 6am.

The contractions continued through breakfast so I called the OBs office. They had me come in for a labor check and found I was still only a 1.5 like 2 weeks ago. Feeling very uncomfortable at this point and annoyed with the contractions that might not be "active" labor I was sent home.  I had my Monday's csection pre-op scheduled for that afternoon so my OB wanted to check me again at the hospital if the contractions continued.  

I left the OBs office at 10am and headed home to rest and make the boys lunch before school pick up. Contractions seemed to get worse the more I rested and relaxed, but I was on the go between dr office, play school and home. By this point I was starving, but had been instructed not to eat "just in case" we would have our baby via csection that afternoon. I just knew I was going to fast for a no-go csection and not have a baby!  

At Noon, I picked up my little men and all their valentines from their parties! We headed home to wait for I-me to come babysit. I ran out the door no bags or car seat and said "feed the boys whatever if we end up having the baby today".

1:30: I was sitting in the pre-op paperwork office and mentioned i might be in labor and my OB wanted to check me.  They rounded up my OB, admitted me (all I could think about was money).  Finally, I was called back and she checked me and so I could be checked and I was at a 3 a THREE!! 

It was then go time and man they started hustling. First call to daddy to come join me then to family members that were out of town so they could get on their way!! It was a crazy mad house! My mom didn't answer the phone so I texted her "come!"

Nurses in and out, anasteologist (sp?), blood work drawn, OB was in and out and all the while i was hoping Chris would make it on time!  One nurse poked me 3 times to get the IV in where she wanted it and to work properly it wasn't in place in time so the lab tech had to just draw from the inner elbow I began to feel like a pin cushion. I signed a lot of papers and loved hearing her heartbeat the whole time knowing she was being monitored and was healthy inside still!

Off to the OR we went several hospital staff kept asking where daddy was and i said on his way. 

Quick selfie for the nervous mommy!

Then they made me actually wal into the OR and they sat me on the table. A wonderful nurse distracted me from the spinal block and all of a sudden I was on my back and waiting for Chris.   

Finally, Chris joined me and we were having a baby!!! It was a surreal experience 5 years and one day from Owen's csection we were having our last baby with the same doctor and in the same operating room! 

Next, was a blur it seemed to take forever. I heard them tell me that they were sucking out her sack of water and then a lot of wiggling and she was out.  Time stood still till she cried and then she didn't stop crying! 

They let me see her and then took her and daddy to the next room to clean her up and get a quick weight check! 9 pounds 2.7 ounces 20.5 inches(I think!).  

Much quicker than with Owen my baby was back to me. She looked just like the boys to me, but so different. She looked like one of my babies! The nurses helped us do skin to skin and while I held her head daddy held her back and we stare at the screaming crying baby we made!

I was sad when my neck began to hurt and I couldnt keep looking at her and decided to let them swaddle her and daddy got some snuggles. She had the funniest tin foil hat on her head (to keep the warmth in). 

I remembered to ask that they tie my tubes and a nurse walked over with a folded clothe with my tubes on it...do you want to see it? Ummm no thanks because my abdomin is wide open!! 

Finally!! Off to recovery and my arms were filled with our new bundle of joy. 

I had a great nurse that even though it took 3 tries moved my IV from my wrist where it was poking me to a less annoying location. 

Friends and family were anxiously awaiting to hear an update but we were not allowed to use our phones except to take a few photos. 

Recovery was much like i remembered except that Chris and my new baby were with me the whole time! I began to get itchy and later my face peeled from the scratching! 

I was allowed to hold her as they finally took us up to our room for the next two nights. 

I immediately asked my OB when we could go home and every nurse shift spoke with them to request we could leave ASAP. 

I hate I waited 3 weeks to finish this post as I have forgotten so much already.  But the first night was filled with tons of nurse visits, pain Meds, weight checks for Emma Jean and blood pressure/vital checks for me. The second night was much more calm. I had requested the catheter removed, my IV was removed so was feeling much more human without all the cords attached to me! We even got a little sleep. It was a special even just the 3 of us. Daddy and mommy getting to know their new little girl. 

But we were ready to go home and be with our family of 5!! 

Sleeping

The age old advice: sleep before the baby gets here. All well and great if you dont have to pee every twenty minutes or can find a comfortable position. 

For the record, so I don't forget this miserable time this has been my new sleeping routine.  Try and go to sleep in my own bed. One of 2 things happens. 1 like tonight I pass out for 30min to an hour before waking up from an incredible nap could be complete with drool on my pillow! Then usually I am hungry and have to pee. 2 is I toss and turn till I decide the couch sounds more appealing and give up. 

Then comes the recent midnight-2am snack and quiet reflection time. Ops i mean eat a bowl of Cheerios and read a vampire book or play on Facebook. 

Finally, when I feel sleepy again i remove all the back pillows and then pile pillows in front of me and try and sleep.  Couch sleeping wouldn't be so bad except the rolling over isn't rolling but sitting up moving all the pillows to the other side so that my back can stay against the back of the couch. Usually, a trip to pee and a contraction happens when i sit up this last month. 

Dont forget that we usually throw in a good 20 minutes of my legs having restlessness and can't be still.  That my right shoulder blade burns, tingles, itches and down right hurts if I am not laying on it correctly with the right amount of support or if my arm isn't supported if I am laying on my left side. 

I am thankful that the couple week period of time where laying on my right side made the whole right side of my thigh go numb. At least that part is over. 

Tomorrow my 4 year old turns 5 and as he would say "4 more sleeps till" Emma Jean's birthday and scheduled csection!! I can do this 4 more nights....right? 

Emma Jean: 37 weeks

Ok. So I guess you are not taking after your brothers and coming a week earlier aka today.  Owen was 39 weeks and Jesse was 38 weeks on the dot from their due dates....Dang! Though I do think you need to cook a little longer. 

We had Owen's 5th birthday party yesterday, yes a couple weeks early, but I wanted to be there and not anymore uncomfortable.  

I. Am. Huge!