Summer Love

I love baseball. There is nothing I look forward to more in the summer than going to games. Yes I agree that it is a little boring to watch on TV, but sitting in the stadium, enjoying the weather, eating a hot dog, there is nothing better. This year we decided to get season tickets to the Owlz games (it's cheep since I'm a student) and it's one of the best ideas we've ever had. We went to our first game of the season last week and it was pure heaven. Summer is finally here.


We always have good company because dad, Ethan, Nat, and the kids love to come too.


Reggie was pretty excited because it was his first game ever. Don't worry bud, there is plenty more where that came from.

Berries

I love having a garden. Due to circumstances such as being pregnant and having a newborn around the house, I did not plant one this year. We are also trying to sell the house and thought we would have it sold this summer, this is turning out not to be the case. So the only things I have growing right now are plums and strawberries. Adelaide and I went and picked our first handful of berries on Friday and they are scrumptious to say the least. There's nothing like eating food you've picked right from your own back yard. I'm a little sad about not having other fruits and veggies to pluck, but these were so good they might just tide me over until next year.

Just Like This

Adelaide loves to play games on the computer. I'm amazed at how she can navigate different sites and find exactly what she's looking for. One of her favorites is the Barbie website. She discovered that she can cut, color, and style hair for Barbie. She and I have been talking about getting our haircut for quite a while and we finally made the plunge last Wednesday. Her hair had gotten so long and mine was needing a little bit of TLC. I asked her how she wanted her hair cut when she quickly ran over to the computer and said, "Here mom, I'll show you." I walked over with her as she clicked away through the website until she found what she was looking for. "Just like this mom," is what she said. I am completely amazed at how smart she is and how she even knew how to find the haircut she wanted!

We printed off her picture which she decided needed to be colored blue, and took it with us to Haley at Images Salon. I will never forget how proud she was to have picked her own haircut and how excited she was to show Haley her picture. I decided the haircut was tasteful enough on the condition that Haley could cut it so I wouldn't always have to flip it out:) It turned out really cute (I'll have to post a pic of her later).

However, she was a little disappointed when we left the salon and her hair was still brown and not blue.

On Being A Mother

These two are the reason I get to celebrate Mother's Day. I can't even express how much I love them. I have done so many things in my life for nothing more than the sake and happiness of my children. I can't believe how much joy and fun kids bring to your life, and you can't comprehend it until you have your own. Adelaide has been my little angel for the past four and a half years. She is a feisty, spunky, independent little girl (wonder where she gets that from) who is full of personality and I can't get enough of her. She has become the best big sister and loves her little brother completely. That brings me to my little Reggie. I can't quit looking at him because I am still absolutely amazed that he has finally made it to our family. Even with the sleepless nights and non-stop feeding, I feel like it's all been a dream, like I'm not quite in touch with reality. I am so thankful for the opportunity to raise a second child, I am lucky indeed.

There is nothing in the world as hard and also as rewarding as being a mother, I wouldn't take it back for a second. I am so thankful for my two beautiful kids. I love being a mother and I know how blessed I am to have given birth to both of them. As I have said before, I don't take it for granted, not one bit. They are amazing and I look forward to watching them grow and learn every day.

I love you Adelaide and Reggie, more than you can ever know.

Señor Cool

Monday was a big day. We got to the hospital at 6:30 a.m. and I was officially in labor by 7:15. I have to say that for the most part, it was a normal, uncomplicated 7 1/2 hours. We started feeling like there might be something going on, though, when Reggie's heart rate struggled to recover after each contraction. I also started clotting which made them think my placenta was detaching too soon. So my awesome nurse, Susan, started throwing around the C word (c-section).

I started praying that we could find a way to avoid that route if at all possible. Prayer answered. The clotting stopped and I was able to find a position to lay in that allowed Reggie's heart rate to recover.

Then came time to push. My little man should have been delivered in two pushes, unfortunately no matter what I did after a certain point, his body wouldn't budge and he was not recovering from the pushing and contractions. Out came the vacuum and two more pushes, he was finally here. Fortunately, through this process, I was unaware that the cord was tightly wound around my son's neck and this was the reason he was stuck and not recovering.

All the while, Davey stood watching patiently as this was going on, with a smile on his face, coaxing and assuring me that me and my son were doing great. I never once recognized a sign of fear or distress on his face. I can't even express how grateful I am for this quality of his. I discovered after the fact, that his cord had to be clamped and cut before he could be delivered because it was tethering him back. I was only able to hold him for a minute before they had to whisk him away because of breathing difficulties. If I had known exactly what was going on through the process, I would have been terrified and stressed beyond belief for the health of my son.

Davey stayed by his side through an hour and a half of his struggle to breathe until he was finally stabilized. They brought him in to me pink, sucking, and breathing like a champ.

I was so relieved. I am so thankful for simple answers to prayers and for a husband who is calm and collected in the face of uncertainty. I am grateful for my fabulous doctor who also kept his calm and did everything he could to get my baby here safe and sound. I am completely in love with my little boy and thankful to have the opportunity to raise two beautiful children.

Life is good.

1 Week

Actually, it's more like 6 days until this little boy arrives. Last night made me sure that I am about ready for his arrival. I had the most intense pelvic/low back pain for two and a half hours straight. I couldn't sit down, walking around hurt like you know what, and laying down didn't help either.

I have my last final to take on Thursday and then I'm done. I will be so relieved when this semester is over. I will never have to go to school pregnant again.

I want to go to the tulip festival at Thanksgiving Point this weekend, I hope it works out. If it doesn't that's OK, too. Addie and I went last year with Natalie and the kids and it was a lot of fun.

I don't think reality has set in and I'm afraid it won't until I'm pushing in the hospital. Things seem so surreal right now. My poor daughter has been asking for so much of my time and I hate that I have to dedicate it to finishing this semester. Then I feel guilty because I don't have many days left where she will be my one and only child. She will have to share her time with her little brother and my time won't be available for her and her only. I hope she will understand how much I still love her and I will always make time for her, no matter what.

I'm super-nervous and I wish I could relax. I hate the unknown, not knowing exactly when, what, and how. I pray that everything will go well, that he will be healthy and that we will have a safe delivery.

His coming to this world has been something I've wanted for a long time and it's finally just about here. I don't feel ready at all, but do you ever really feel ready? Even if it's something you've always wanted? One thing I know is that he is going to be one loved little boy and his presence has been longed for in our house.

See you soon little guy...

2 weeks

I have so much to do in the next two weeks. I have to finish everything I need to for school, thank goodness my teachers are giving us finals the week before finals this semester. Though that's one less week to work on my final projects.

I have to get mentally prepared for this little boy to come into our lives.

Hopefully get the house as spic and span as possible before he comes, too.

The yard is a mess. But I really have no idea when that's going to get done. I'm too tired to do it now, too much homework to do, and too many other things on my mind. Then the baby will be here and the yard still won't get cleaned up. Yikes, it's gonna get ugly.

I really need to get as prepared as I can. I know this baby is going to come and my world is going to turn upside down. Going from one beautiful, self-capable 4 and a half year old, to two children is going to be crazy. I'm so out of newborn mode. I haven't had to change or buy diapers for two years. I haven't had to nurse or wake up in the night multiple times for four years. Wowza.

On the other hand, I am ecstatic. I am thrilled to have a little boy, and thrilled to be a mom to two beautiful kids. I am excited that Adelaide will finally get to have the experience of a sibling and to see how sweet she'll be with her baby brother. It's going to be crazy but amazing all at the same time. I think I'm going to have sensory/emotional overload.

Life is complicated. It's amazing how things happen and line up in a certain way. It seems to know what it's doing, even if we don't know exactly what's going on. Though we may not like it or understand why things are the way they are, it always works out and happiness seems to follow. I like it.