Dirt and Lace

Bath Time!

2012-01-30T19:28:00.001-05:00

Jace’s umbilical cord fell off pretty quickly, last week some time. There was a tiny bit of moisture/yellow looking stuff in there still, but I Googled and found out that the advice I had been given with all three kids was outdated and as long as the cord dries completely afterwards, newborns can take normal baths right away.

He was a little sleepy but we needed to get ready to go out to eat, so we went ahead and put him in. He immediately started fussing but didn’t cry at all.

We cleaned him with a little Burt’s Bee’s baby wash and then got him out. Nothing like a clean baby!

After his bath, the five (!) of us went to Buffalo Wild Wings to eat dinner. Jace did really well in his first restaurant – he slept the whole time, even at the grocery store afterwards!

Game Day

2012-01-30T19:10:00.001-05:00

Besides a few minutes of a game that came on when Joe was feeding Jace in the hospital, Saturday was his first official UK game. And of course he had to wear his UK onesie!

Hanging out with my uncle Jim..

and our family friend, Walt.

Go Cats!

Two Weeks Old

2012-01-30T18:30:00.001-05:00

Technically Jace was one week and six days old when I took these yesterday, but we’ll just round up.

One Week Old

2012-01-30T18:04:00.001-05:00

Jace turned one week on January 23rd. Here are some pictures we took throughout that week…

He loves his swing!

He sleeps in our room in this Sleep N Play every night. He’ll be doing that until he’s sleeping through the night, hopefully in about 6 weeks or so if he’s like the girls were!

So sweet. This yellow outfit was Summer’s, that she got from my Nanaw… it was the first baby outfit anyone ever gave her.

I think he already has Joe’s big square manly hands.

Hanging out with Daddy

It’s kind of hard to tell in these pictures, and it was MUCH worse, but Camryn got strep last week and was prescribed Amoxicillen. After about 4 days, she developed a horrible rash that almost looked like chicken pox. My mom took her to the doctor, where we found out she is allergic to Penicillen. It’s been almost a week since then and she finally doesn’t have a rash any more. It was so horrible… bright red splotches and spots over her entire body. She was miserably itchy even after taking the medicine that was supposed to help. I am so glad it’s over with and so is she! I hate that she has an allergy, but it could definitely be something much worse.

Visitors

2012-01-30T17:45:00.001-05:00

We had a lot of family and friends come over to meet Jace last week!

my uncle Mike and aunt Angie and my cousins Rachel, Emily, Sarah, and Olivia

our friend Nicole

my brother, who had to go back to college

our friends Jillia and Bud (I think everyone was staring at something on the TV in this picture!)

my aunt Susan, aunt Ann, and cousins Richard and Andrea

and of course my mom and dad, who I couldn’t have gotten through this week without!

A Baby Story: Part Seven

2012-01-30T17:02:00.002-05:00

Click here to read Part One.

Click here to read Part Two.

Click here to read Part Three.

Click here to read Part Four.

Click here to read Part Five.

Click here to read Part Six.

That Thursday morning was a bit of a blur. My doctor stopped by to do a quick check on me and to see if I was ready to go home. He said I could go that day if I wanted, or wait one more. I was SO ready to sleep in my own bed… the hospital bed was killing my back. Jace’s pediatrician also stopped by, and said he was good to go as well. We finished getting paperwork filled out, packed up our stuff, I had my staples taken out, and we got Jace dressed and ready to leave.

We were finally released around 2pm. We dropped off my prescriptions and then headed home. Summer and Camryn had school the next day, so they came home for a bit that evening but then stayed the night at my parents’ house like they had been since Tuesday so that my mom could get them to school.

Our first night home went pretty well. My milk had come in and Jace was eating every two hours or so. It HURT, but the lactation consultant said he was latching properly and the pain would subside in a few days, so I took a deep breath each time and got through it. His nose was pretty stopped up from having the oxygen and feeding tube, so it made feedings a little hard and he cried a bit out of frustration, but other than that, we all made it in one piece. My mom brought us a cool mist humidifier that we ran the next day, and that cleared his nose up pretty quickly.

That’s it for the “story” of Jace’s birth/first few days. It was a lot to type out and some of you may think I overdid it with the details, but the week was so crazy, and fairly traumatic, that I needed to. Now I can get to regular posting about our day-to-day life with a new baby!

A Baby Story: Part Six

2012-01-30T16:31:00.003-05:00

Click here to read Part One.

Click here to read Part Two.

Click here to read Part Three.

Click here to read Part Four.

Click here to read Part Five.

Tuesday evening, the lactation consultant I had seen the day before came into my room and explained that Jace’s IV had come out and they were having trouble getting another in. In order for him to get enough nutrients without the IV, he would either have to be breastfed every two hours, or they would have to supplement with formula. She told me that his blood sugar levels would need to be completely normal throughout the night in order for his doctor to be happy. As a lactation consultant, she understood me wanting to breastfeed him exclusively but also pointed out that a little formula wouldn’t hurt, in this situation especially.

Joe was still at work at that point, but my dad was there keeping me company. He encouraged me to do whatever I felt was right. My first reaction was to agree to breastfeed him every two hours. I was already pumping every two hours to try and get my milk supply going, and I would have been feeding him that often if he had been downstairs with me, so it made sense. He was due for a feeding, so my dad pushed my wheelchair ups to the nursery for me and the nurse brought him into a private room with me. My dad headed back downstairs and Jace and I were left alone for the first time. He was SO sleepy, I couldn’t get him to latch on at all. I even asked the nurse to turn the heat down to see if he would become more alert, but it didn’t help.

Since he wasn’t eating and my dad still hadn’t held him, I called him and had him come back up. He held Jace while the nurse and I discussed what we should do. I was so sore from the surgery and completely exhausted. The idea of getting up and being wheeled to the nursery every hour and a half or so for the next 24 hours was pretty overwhelming. The nurse also pointed out that if all he’s getting is the small amount of colostrum at each feeding, his blood sugar levels might not be where they need to be for him to be released the next day. I told her I would think about it, but that was really all I needed to hear. After Joe got back from work that night, we agreed that he would go up and feed him a little formula.

Joe fed him twice that night, and the nurse once. Joe said he was sucking down the formula and doing great. He left the room the following morning around 10 or so to check on him. He came back to the room with a smile on his face.

“He graduated.”

“He what?”

“He was released to the regular nursery. He’s next door right now getting settled. They’re bringing him in here in a minute.”

Oh my gosh.. the relief and excitement I felt is indescribable. They wheeled him in the room in his bassinet a few minutes later and we got to work bonding with our baby boy.

Soon after they brought him to our room, my grandparents arrived.

And after that, some very special guests arrived to finally meet and hold their little brother.

I think it was love at first sight for them both.

My parents, brother, and family friend Gail, who is the teaching assistant for Summer’s class and had brought her from school, also came.

Later that evening, my aunt Susan stopped by on her way home from work (and gave Jace his last bottle of formula!)

It was such a great day!

A Baby Story: Part Five

2012-01-30T00:16:00.002-05:00

Sorry for the delay! My power cord broke after I finished writing part four and I had to wait to get a new one in the mail.

Click here to read Part One.

Click here to read Part Two.

Click here to read Part Three.

Click here to read Part Four.

The next morning, Joe needed to go to work. He had to leave around 10, so before he left, he went up to the nursery to see Jace and find out how he was doing. I was in the bathroom trying to re-train my bladder to work when he came back down to the room. He told me that the neonatologist had been up there and he had gotten to talk to her. She told him that Jace was doing amazingly well. He was off of the oxygen completely and the fluid was gone. His levels were good, and he was staying stable. She said that they normally want to observe them for 24-48 hours after something like this happens, but that because he was doing so well, she didn’t see why he wouldn’t be released from Special Care the following morning.

Talk about relief. I couldn’t believe how different this report was from what that nurse had told us the night before. I still can’t figure out why she said what she said. But I chose to forget about it for the time being, because Jace was finally going to be with us!

And then Joe said, “Oh uh, there was a slight issue. But don’t worry, I took care of it.” He said it quickly, and I knew he was trying to keep me from getting upset.

“They didn’t give him the breast milk we gave them last night. The nurse this morning gave him formula.”

Now, let me say that I have nothing against formula… Summer and Camryn both had formula after the first few weeks they were born, and they are brilliant, healthy kids. But I was determined to breastfeed Jace successfully. I had pumped quite a bit of colostrum for him, something that all babies need the first days of their lives. The neonatologist that had taken care of him right after he was born had said that they would only give him what I pumped, and the card on his nursery bassinet clearly said Breastfed. And now I was hearing that the nurse in charge of my baby, who only had ONE other baby besides him to care for, gave him formula instead of the nutrient rich, immune system boosting colostrum that was in the refrigerator with mine and Jace’s name on it ten feet away from her.

I was REALLY mad. Joe said that as soon as she mentioned giving him formula, he looked at her and said, “You gave him what?!” and told her Jace had breast milk in the refrigerator from the night before. She acted surprised and said, “Oh, well usually you can’t get much colostrum this soon and I didn’t know it was there. But I’ll give it to him as soon as I can.” He said he could tell she was trying to play it off and keep him from getting mad. She knew she had messed up big time. He said he made it very clear to her that I was pumping and he was to be breast fed, and he should not get any more formula.

If Jace had been in our room like a normal baby, he would only be eating what I could produce. Why this nurse, a supposed health care professional, would give a newborn formula when his mother was ready and willing to provide “the perfect food” for him instead, is insane. Especially a newborn who was in a delicate state. We were helpless in the situation, having to trust these strangers to care for our baby.

Joe reassured me that he had taken care of it and Jace would only be getting breast milk from now on. All I could do was hope he was right, because I was in no shape to deal with the situation myself.

After Joe left for work, I got in the shower, and then my mom arrived. It felt great to be nice and clean. My aunt Angie got there after I was dressed and they pushed me in a wheelchair upstairs to see Jace.

He looked so much better when I saw him this time. He was laying on his back, instead of his stomach like before. There was no oxygen cannula in his nose or feeding tubes. Just an oxygen monitor and IV.

I held him first, and then my mom and Angie took turns with him. This was the first time my mom had gotten to hold him.

My cousin Emily showed up as well.

Angie and Emily left after a bit, and my mom stayed with me while I tried breastfeeding Jace for the first time. He latched on right away!

I nursed him for a few minutes on each side, and then it was time to let him sleep and go back down stairs. Before we left, I got to change his diaper for the first time!

The rest of the day I tried to rest and looked forward to the next day. I was trying not to get my hopes up in case Jace wasn’t released like they said he probably would be.

A Baby Story: Part Four

2012-01-23T11:39:00.001-05:00

Click here to read Part One

Click here to read Part Two

Click here to read Part Three

That first day went by really fast. Jace was stabilized pretty quickly, and by that evening his oxygen was at the “room air” level. He was being given nutrients through a feeding tube and was tolerating it well. We were told that when I was ready, I could come up and do Kangaroo Care (hold him skin-to-skin) with him.

I had started pumping earlier in the day. I had planned on breastfeeding right away, plus I felt pretty helpless because I had no part whatsoever in his care, so it was a good way for me to do something for him. I got quite a bit of colostrum during my first pump that we put in a syringe.. I got a little more later in the day as well. Joe took them up to the nursery, where the nurse put them in a refrigerator. She told him they would give it to him as soon as he was allowed to have it.

Despite my pain from the incision and the fact that I still had in a catheter, I was ready to go up and see him that night. My nurse pushed me in a wheelchair and Joe and I went upstairs to see our beautiful baby.

Jace was on his stomach when I got there, sleeping soundly.

The nurse unhooked him from a few things, and handed him to me.

He was so sweet and I felt the biggest sense of peace as I sat there holding him. This is where he should have been all along, with his Mommy.

I asked the nurse, “So if he continues to improve and stay stable, when do you think he will get to come downstairs and stay with us?” We had been told 2, maybe 3 days. He was doing so well, we were hoping it would be sooner than that.

She looked at me like I was crazy, and said, “Oh he will probably be here until you go home.” I was going home Thursday or Friday. It was Monday. He was almost completely normal and healthy at that point. It didn’t make sense in my head. Shouldn’t he be with us as soon as possible? Isn’t that what’s best for him?

Joe was really surprised at her answer as well, and we both questioned her about why he would need to stay there so long. It was completely different than what we had been told earlier in the day. Tears started pouring down my cheeks as she went on about policies and how he was a special care baby and nurses in the regular nursery don’t usually feel comfortable taking care of babies that had been up there. Something about me being on a different floor and if something happened it would take too long to get down to my room. It wouldn’t matter if he was completely fine, he wasn’t going anywhere. None of it was making sense to either of us, and I was getting so upset. I wanted her to be quiet so badly. She then went on to talk about how red he was and how he would probably be jaundiced and would need to be under lights, and how that would mean he might be there for an extra day or so after it’s time for me to be discharged. She looked at me as if I had three heads as I cried. “He should be with his mom,” I said, and stopped making eye contact with her. She eventually shut up and let Joe and I have a few moments of peace with Jace before it was time to go back downstairs.

Apparently a crying mom is really entertaining for the nurses… at least three of them came in to see if I was okay after they saw me being pushed back to my room. One of them offered to talk to the nurse upstairs and find out why she was saying what she did. We took her up on that and 10 minutes later a different nurse I’d never seen before came in, and repeated the same stuff the upstairs nurse had already told us. “Was he early??” she asked after she had gotten done “explaining” things. She didn’t even know what was wrong with him. She thought we wanted a medically fragile newborn released from Special Care. At that point I just wanted everyone to go away. I told her no, but didn’t bother explaining anything to her. She left, and Joe and I were left alone.

We tried to get some sleep that night – hard to do In a hospital – and hoped we could talk to Jace’s doctor and find out what was going on in the morning.

A Baby Story: Part Three

2012-01-23T10:23:00.001-05:00

Click here to read Part One

Click here to read Part Two

While I was being taken to the recovery room and set up in there, Joe went up with Jace to the nursery.

After watching them settle him in, he went to the waiting room to tell the people that were there (my mom, dad, brother, aunt, Summer, and Camryn) that Jace was born, and what was going on with him. He was gone for about 15 minutes, and then joined me while I laid in recovery. He told me that everyone was there and would be waiting for me to be taken to my room. He also said the nurses had wheeled Jace to the waiting room on the way to the nursery, and my mom and aunt had gotten a brief look at him. Of course the girls and my dad had chosen that moment to go to the restroom!

I started to get nauseous after a little while. I knew it would happen at some point… during my c-section with Camryn it happened while I was still on the operating table, so I was glad it waited until that part was over with. The nurse gave me some medicine for it, and also for the itching that had started on my face because of the pain medication they had given me with the spinal. After about 90 minutes in recovery, they took me to my room.

Joe, my parents, Wes, Susan, and the girls joined me. It was strange… at this point normally the baby is with you and everyone is holding them and ooing and ahhing… but it was just us there. Wondering what was going on with Jace and how long it would be before we could have those first moments with him.

I tried my best to explain to the girls what was going on.

Nothing had happened the way we had prepared them for so far, and I knew they were probably confused. They seemed okay, but I still felt really bad that things hadn’t gone as planned. Jace was spending his first moments with wires and tubes in his nose, surrounded by strangers, instead of in our arms like I had dreamed about. I tried to concentrate on the fact that besides the fluid, he seemed healthy. He could have been born with something much worse, and for that I was definitely thankful.

A nurse from the Special Care Nursery came down at some point, and explained a bit about what they were doing. She said he was on oxygen, and they were monitoring his stats to make sure his blood pressure and heart rate were stabilized. She then told us that we, and anyone who wanted to go with us, could go up and see him any time. The girls would not be permitted to go up to visit though, because they were under 12 and it was RSV season. We were so disappointed, but understood the risk.

Joe and I decided that my parents and Wes should go up and see Jace, so the four of them left. Not long after, Joe’s dad and sister showed up. I explained to them what was going on, and once Joe, my parents, and Wes got back, then they got a chance to go up and see him.

Next was Susan, my cousin Richard, my Aunt Ann and cousin Andrea, who had driven up from Bowling Green the day before in order to be there for Jace’s birth and had arrived while Joe’s dad and sister were visiting him.

After everyone that was there had visited, all we had to do was sit around and wait for him to improve. Joe had been told by the nurse that Jace still had so much fluid… she said his body would eventually absorb it all, but in the mean time all the could do was watch him and make sure that happened. It was looking like it would be 2-3 days before he would be well enough to come downstairs with us. I couldn’t believe it… 2 or 3 days before I would get to take care of and bond with my baby.

Again, I reminded myself that we were lucky to have an otherwise healthy baby. I knew he was in good hands.

A Baby Story: Part Two

2012-01-23T09:06:00.001-05:00

Click here to read Part One

*Warning… this post contains a few pictures of Jace’s birth.. they’re a little bloody.

About 10 minutes into surgery, I started feeling a lot of pressure in my chest and tugging and pulling. I heard someone say, “There he is!” and the pulling grew more intense. “He’s almost out,” the anesthesiologist told me. He told Joe to stand up and look if he wanted to.

Another 20 seconds went by, and then the pressure stopped as my doctor pulled him out the rest of the way.

I heard him start to cry and a wave of love and relief went through me. The anesthesiologist told me to look to my right, as my doctor held him on my side of the curtain so I could see. He was holding him upside down, just like in the picture above, which I thought was odd... but he was the cutest upside-down baby I’d ever seen.

The doctor handed him off to the nurse as he sat back down to put all my insides back where they were supposed to be and close me up.

Joe went over to where Jace was. The nurses were checking him over. I heard them thumping him on the back off and on for a few minutes, and wondered why they were doing that so much.

I couldn’t really hear what the nurses were saying. Joe came over and told me that Jace had swallowed a lot of fluid and they were trying to help him get it out. I knew this happened often with c-section babies, since they don’t go through the birth canal that helps them squeeze the fluid out.

I heard them weigh him and then take him back over to where he had been. Joe came over and told me he was 8 lbs 7.6 oz and 20 inches long. A big boy!

The neonatologist that was taking care of him came over to me and explained, “He swallowed quite a bit of fluid as he came out. We’ve put him on a little oxygen to help him. He will most likely need to go to the Special care nursery for a few hours, or possibly even a few days. This is pretty common and he will be fine, but we have to monitor him to make sure all of the fluid is absorbed.”

A million thoughts were going through my head. I just wanted to see Joe holding our baby boy in a little blanket, but instead, Jace was across the room with oxygen tubes in his nose.

The doctors finished up my surgery as they were getting Jace ready to go to the special nursery. The nurse brought him over to me and told me I could hold him for a minute.

Joe didn’t get a chance to hold him, but we figured he would later, and at that point I think we were both more concerned with him getting better.

They took him back over to add some monitors and wires to him before they transported him to the nursery.

They wheeled him away to the nursery, and they wheeled me away to the recovery room. Joe wasn’t allowed in the nursery they took him to yet, so he came with me.

A Baby Story: Part One

2012-01-23T08:16:00.001-05:00

Things are settling down here a bit so I want to go ahead and write about Jace’s birth, before it is all a blur. I think I’ve put it off a bit because the first few days of his life were so far from what we thought they would be like, but it will be good for me to get it all recorded.

My c-section was scheduled for January 16th at 7:30am. Joe and I were asked to be there at 5am to check in and get started. My aunt Susan offered to have the girls stay the night with her Sunday so that they didn’t have to get up so early. She promised to have them at the hospital the next morning, bright and early, so they could be there right when he’s born.

Sunday evening, we went out to eat for the last time as a family of four. We had a gift card to Olive Garden, so that’s where we ended up. We had a great meal together, and spent some time going over what would be happening for the next week with Summer and Camryn. Afterwards, we dropped them off at Susan’s, and went home to finish packing our stuff and try to get some sleep.

We woke up around 4am. We were exhausted but so ready to have the baby!

One last belly pic before we left for the hospital… 39 weeks and 5 days.

We got to the hospital and were immediately checked in and sent to a really nice big room to begin the fun pre-op stuff.. you know, IV, blood pressure check, peeing in a cup, etc.

Around 7:30 the doctor was in the building, I had met with the anesthesiologist, and everyone was ready to get started. Joe put on his paper suit and I put on my hair net and we headed to the operating room.

Joe went to a waiting room while I got prepped. My nurse went over what would be taking place, and then I got the spinal. It took affect pretty quickly as they laid me down on the operating table and I started getting really anxious. We were having a baby, there was no turning back now!

The doctors and assistants starting coming in at that point, and then finally, Joe. He took a seat next to my head as they began the surgery.

Our New Addition!

2012-01-18T11:35:00.001-05:00

Jace Carter Mullins

8lbs. 7.6oz.

20”

1-16-2012

7:49am

Birth story and details to come…

Baby Jace Countdown… 3 More Days!

2012-01-12T21:33:00.001-05:00

We took this picture on New Year’s Day, so I’m actually just about 39 weeks now. The quality isn’t great because it was in a dim room at night, but it’s better than nothing.

I figure I’ll do one last pregnancy questionnaire….

How far along? 38 weeks and 6 days

Total weight gain/loss: I’m up about 20 lbs from where I started

Sleep: I can’t. I wake up constantly, either from intense Braxton Hicks, heartburn, back pain, needing to pee, or pain from turning over.

Food cravings: cheerios with milk, and I always have to have access to ice water

Movement: He’s definitely slowed down on the kicks and turns, but when he moves, it’s pretty crazy to watch the shapes my stomach makes.

Gender: still a boy, confirmed at my 36 week ultrasound

Stretchmarks: I have a lovely purple spider web around my belly button

Belly Button in or out? Out. And stretched beyond it’s limits. Never going to be the same.

What I miss: Having my body to myself. Not being in pain. Moving without getting heartburn.

What I am looking forward to: My c-section Monday morning at 7:30am!

Symptoms: I think I’ve covered this already but… heartburn, back pain, pain in general, and now I’m starting to get swollen in my left ankle, feet, hands, and cheeks. I also had a higher blood pressure than normal at my (last!) doctor appointment yesterday, but it wasn’t enough for him to be concerned since I’m almost done.

Milestones: Almost finished!

Weekly Wisdom: One day at a time.

Emotions: General irritability has taken over at this point, but other than that, I am so ready to meet our baby boy!

At my 35 week ultrasound, the tech estimated his weight at 8.5 lbs that day. If she’s right, he’s going to be around 10 lbs when he’s born. I am REALLY hoping she was off a bit! Summer was 6 lbs 10 oz and Camryn was 7 lbs 5 oz. I doubt he was quite as big as she thought, although I sure feel like he is.

We’ve been passing illnesses around the house for the last few weeks. First a cold, then a bad cough, and then yesterday Camryn woke up with a fever. She was better today, so hopefully we can all get well and back to normal before Jace arrives.

Joe, the girls, and I (and a huge amount of family and friends) are all really anxious and excited… we’ll be spending the next few days cleaning, organizing, and making sure everything is in place for our new addition!

Our Christmas 2011, Continued

2012-01-11T10:24:00.002-05:00

After our morning at home and at my parents’ house, we headed to my aunt Susan and uncle Paul’s house to celebrate with my mom’s side of the family.

We did our gift exchange a little different this year…

Instead of all the women bringing a woman’s gift and all the men bringing a man’s gift and the kid’s drawing names, we all drew names so we had one specific person to buy for (except Summer and Camryn, they got stuff from a few people!)

My cousin Andi had me. She got me a really pretty hand-made scarf and coffee mug. Totally perfect gift. My uncle Paul had Joe. He got a Target gift card (to be used for yet another video game), and two of his favorite things – dark chocolate and pistachios. The girls got some fun presents, including the Pop the Pig game from my aunt Billie and uncle David that they had been dying to have. They were so excited about that!

We took a few group pictures outside. It’s fun to compare them from year to year. Here is the 2011 Holmes cousins (plus husband) picture. Left to right, it’s Andi, Nathan, Libby, Wesley, Summer, Me, Camryn, Joe, Katherine, and Richard. Joe and Wes are most likely standing on their tip toes in this picture because they are incapable of being serious.

Our Christmas wouldn’t be complete without a karaoke session in the basement…

Yes, we go all out with instruments and everything!

We had to leave to go to Joe’s dad’s house, but not before I got my aunt Ann and uncle Mark to sign “All the Single Ladies”. It was an amazing disaster… they are such good sports.

It was after dinner time before we got to Joe’s dad’s, but we were glad we got to spend some time on Christmas with him, Joe’s Grandma, his sister Nicole, her boyfriend Joey, and our nephew Xavier.

As usual, the kids were spoiled with awesome gifts.

It was a really long, hectic day, but it went perfectly and the four of us all agreed it was a great Christmas. It’s hard to believe it was our last Christmas as a family of four. I can’t wait to see what is in store next year!

Our Christmas Morning

2012-01-08T23:14:00.001-05:00

We had a really nice, relaxing Christmas morning at home. Summer and Camryn didn’t wake themselves up – Joe and I finally decided to wake them up around 8:30. When they remembered what day it was, they couldn’t wait to see what Santa had left them and ran into the living room.

Don’t mind the dry wall in the hall way.

Before opening their presents, they checked the kitchen table. Santa had eaten his cookies and drank his milk, and even left them some Hershey Kisses and a letter!

The first thing they saw were their Pillow Pets. They had been asking for them for a really long time, and it was the one thing they kept requesting that Santa bring them. It took Santa a VERY long time and lots of trips to different stores to find the unicorn that Camryn wanted. Thank goodness he found it on Christmas Eve day, or this picture might not be full of pure joy like it is.

We read the letter Santa wrote. He told them they were very good girls this year and to always be kind to each other. Maybe they’ll listen to Santa about fighting with each other more than mommy.

Present time!

In the midst of the chaos…

They loved everything they got from Santa, and what Joe and I got them – Lalaloopsy dolls.

Joe and I were both happy with what we got as well… Joe got another year of XBox Live and a new game he’d been wanting, and I got a Kindle Touch! I am LOVING it.

After an hour or so of playing with toys, struggling with packaging and zip ties, and a little coffee, we got ready for the day and headed to my parents’ house for the other half of our Christmas morning.

When we first got there, we sat down to an amazing breakfast casserole that my mom cooks every year. Then it was present time!

The girls got these from Uncle Wes.

Checking out what Daddy got in his stocking.

My uncle Jim spent the morning with us, too.

My mom got a Kindle Touch, too!

This post is getting really long, I’m going to end it here and talk about the rest of the day in another post!

Cookies, Snowglobes, and a Christmas Program

2011-12-16T19:44:00.001-05:00

This week…. I am so glad it’s over. It seems like there was so much going on and I could barely keep up. Not that this coming week is going to be any less hectic, but at least it is now holiday break for the girls, so I can cross getting up at 6:30AM and driving a million miles a day off my list.

Wednesday I had to bake cookies for Camryn to bring to school for after her Christmas program. I did something simple, but they turned out pretty cute and delicious.

Break and bake sugar cookies, cream cheese cookie icing, and candy cane Hershey Kisses. It doesn’t get easier than that.

Of course, if you’re feeling less pregnant, overwhelmed, and exhausted, you could use your favorite homemade sugar cookie and icing recipes.

I also think next time I will add sprinkles.

Last night I finished up the girls’ teachers’ Christmas gifts. A few weeks ago I saw this snow globe gift card holder on Pinterest and thought it was a cute idea. It adds a little creativity to the generic gift card and makes it more personal. Please excuse the poor quality of this picture, I took it in a dark kitchen early this morning. It looked cuter than this in person.

You just take a Mason jar, any size (I used pint jars but I kind of wish I had gotten some a little taller), and fill it with glitter and water and any small items you want. I used little miniature ornaments. Then you hot glue your gift card standing up to the bottom of the lid. I also glued a little Santa down there. Then turn it over, add a ribbon around the lid, and you’re done! Click here if you want to see the tutorial I used.

Summer went on a field trip to see The Nutcracker this morning, and Camryn had her Christmas program. Joe and I dropped her off, went to IHOP, and then got back to her school an hour later to watch the program. My mom and brother also came to watch.

For one of the songs, the pastor of the church that her preschool is at played the guitar with them. Camryn is over to the left in the middle row.

She did such a great job. She sang and danced the whole time, and didn’t act overwhelmed by the audience at all.

“…you better not pout…”

After the program, we went to the gym for cookies and punch. And yes, this picture makes me wish I had gotten her some red tights.

She’s getting so big!

Summer had a great time on her field trip. They also got to make gingerbread houses this afternoon. It was definitely a good day for both of them to end the first half of the year on.

Jace’s Nursery… A Sneak Peek

2011-12-14T19:24:00.002-05:00

I’m not quite ready to stand back and let you see the whole room together… we still have a few things to do to it. But I thought a little sneak preview couldn’t hurt. I am way too excited to wait any longer to show you what we have been working on for our little guy!

We chose a dark turquoise for the walls. I wanted something bold and fun, but relaxing at the same time. I think we definitely accomplished that. I am in love with the color! Because of the lighting it’s hard to get a picture that shows what the color looks like in person, but I think the picture above is pretty close.

We decided white would be a good contrast to the darker walls, and orange adds a fun accent. I got these letters at Hobby Lobby, spray painted them a glossy white, and hot glued the ribbon to the back.

I didn’t want to spend a fortune on wall décor, so I picked up a bunch of scrapbook paper in colors and patterns that look nice with the walls, and I also found this white scrapbook-sized frame. I used chipboard letters to trace and cut out the alphabet, and then glued them to a piece of white paper.

My mom, aunt, and I are working on making the crib mobile. I’ll unveil it once it’s done, but until then, here’s a little pillow I made using some felt scraps and our “test owl”.

It’s not a nursery without a closet full of little bitty clothes! I’ve been so lucky to get hand-me-downs and gifts from some great friends… Joe and I have only bought about an eighth of his wardrobe!

This owl sleep sack and hat were sent to me by a company called Corner Stork Baby Gifts. You all know I don’t do many reviews, but I could not pass this up… they have so many cute things and this was just the most adorable sleep sack I’ve ever seen, especially considering Jace’s room décor. It’s really well-made, and Corner Stork’s customer service is amazing. I’ll do a full review after Jace is here to actually use it, but I wanted to go ahead and share it with you because I love it!

And finally.. the crib.

The Baby Shower!

2011-12-14T18:34:00.002-05:00

My aunt Billie and cousins Katherine and Libby hosted a baby shower for me at their house on December 4th. I was a little unsure if it was okay to have a shower for a third baby, but everyone convinced me that it was fine since it’s a boy this time and it’s been a few years since the last one. I’m so glad I ended up agreeing because it turned out really well. It was so nice!

We played two games.. first was smell the baby food and guess what it is, and second was guess which melted candy bar is in the diaper. Lot’s of “ewwww”’s with those!

I loved the way she decorated. The cake matched the invitations!

How cute is this punch?!

I only walked around with my camera for a few minutes so this is the only picture of Summer and Camryn that I got… I think my cousin took a lot of pictures though, so hopefully I’ll get copies some day

Jace got so many great gifts. True story: my baby fever started when I saw these Aden + Anais muslin swaddling wraps at Target a year or so ago. I can’t wait to use them… swaddling is the best baby trick in the world!

Johnny came in to help Erika carry my gift (they got me the jumperoo!)

I am so thankful to everyone who came, and to my aunt and cousins for hosting this shower… I’m a lucky girl to have so many awesome people in my life, and Jace is a lucky baby to have all of these people excited about his arrival!

Our 2011 Thanksgiving

2011-12-14T17:34:00.001-05:00

Normally on Thanksgiving, we go to my aunt and uncle’s house to celebrate with my mom‘s side of the family. This year my aunt and uncle and cousins went to Florida and we decided to drive out to my grandparents’ house to spend it with them.

the girls love uncle Wesley

too many cooks in the kitchen?

I’m getting hungry just thinking about everything we ate that day

a really common sight when all but one cousin (my brother) is a girl

The Sunday after Thanksgiving, my mom and dad had us over for another meal. Which was amazing.

32 weeks

the inevitable turkey coma…

…which doesn’t last long when you have small children

many mooses… meece… meeces… i’ll stick with mooses

We decorated their Christmas tree while we were there.

After we got home that night, the four of us put up our tree.

It’s an artificial tree year for us, I am way too pregnant to be vacuuming up pine needles every day!

Jack is so happy to have his spot back

I love our living room this time of year.. so cozy!

Summer’s Thanksgiving Celebration

2011-12-13T11:40:00.001-05:00

It’s the holidays and I’m having a baby in 5 weeks… need I say more about why it’s taken me almost a month to post here? I have lots to talk about!

The Tuesday before Thanksgiving, the kindergarten at Summer’s school had a Thanksgiving celebration. Parents were invited to come watch and share a “feast” with the kids that they had helped to prepare. Joe had to work, but Camryn and I went.

They sang a few songs and did a few dances. It was really cute.

They wore their Indian outfits that they had made, including their paper headdresses with their Indian names on them. The one Summer and I picked for her: She Who Loves to Smile.

Unfortunately what I remember most about the celebration is how flipping hot it was in the lobby. This pregnant mama thought she was going to pass out.

Afterwards, Summer left with us a little early and we stopped by Grandmom’s so she could see her outfit.

Camryn’s preschool had a Thanksgiving feast the Friday before, but parents weren’t invited… weird, I know.

The View From Here

2011-11-22T22:19:00.001-05:00

31 Weeks

Squeezing in some time… and guess who’s 30 weeks!

2011-11-14T11:08:00.003-05:00

It’s been a week since I posted last. Oops. We’ve been pretty busy with school field trips, Joe’s crazy work schedule, spending time with my brother who was home for the weekend, among other things.

We did manage to squeeze in some time outdoors, taking advantage of the beautiful weather that is surely about to turn into blustery cold and snow.

After school on Wednesday, we met my mom, aunt, and cousin at the park. (My cousin took these first five pictures)

Then on Friday, my dad took the day off of work and the girls, my mom, and I met him at the lake for a boat ride and picnic.

I’m now 30 weeks pregnant so I thought it would be a good time to do a little questionnaire on how things are going…

How far along: 30 Weeks… the end is in sight!

Baby size: I haven’t had an ultrasound recently, but babycenter says he’s around 3 lbs., and 15.7 in. long.

Total weight gain: If I go by my pre-pregnancy weight, I haven’t gained anything… but if I go by my weight in the first trimester after I started getting sick, I’ve gained about 12 lbs.

Sleep: It hurts to get settled in bed, I get horrible sharp pains when I lift my legs so laying down and turning over is excruciating, but once I’m settled I sleep great. That is, until about 5am when I wake up and have to pee.

Movement: Jace seems to sleep a lot during the day, but at night after dinner he is all over the place! I can tell he is running out of room, because I’m starting to get kicked in the ribs a lot, generally at the same time it feels like he is trying to punch his way out of my pelvis.

Food cravings/aversions: Nothing in particular. I think part of the reason I haven’t gained much weight with him is that I don’t have cravings or need to eat as often as I did with the girls. I do eat well and snack often, but then again, I did that before I was pregnant!

Notice anything odd about that picture?

Pregnancy Symptoms: Now that I’m in the third trimester, I’ve been getting really tired pretty much an hour after I wake up every day, really similar to the first trimester. I’ve got the pain I mentioned before, along with back pain. Is the pregnancy penguin waddle a symptom? If so, I have that too.

What I miss: Not hurting every time I move… having a (fairly) flat stomach that doesn’t knock things over… being able to walk around a grocery store or my neighborhood for more than 20 minnutes without feeling like my insides are going to fall out

What I'm looking forward to: Finally meeting Jace, having him on the outside of my body where I can see him and hold him.. seeing Joe with his son and the girls with their little brother, and feeling like our family is complete.

Milestones: I washed and hung up all the clothes we have for him so far. Which made me really we still have SO MUCH to do!

Best moment this week: It wasn’t this week, it was last… I had a doctor appointment, and he had me go ahead and schedule my c-section. Jace will be born on Monday, January 16, 2012, around 7:30am!

Oh, How Pinteresting… Baby Boy Style

2011-11-02T11:52:00.006-04:00

I’ve spent plenty of time (as in way too much time) looking around Pinterest for ideas on everything baby boy. I’ve seen so many cute things and great ideas, I thought I would link up with The Vintage Apple’s That’s So Pinteresting today and share some of my favorites with you!

Click on the image to see them on Pinterest. And follow my boards while you’re at it… my link is at the bottom of the post and in my sidebar.

How funny is that outfit? And if Jace had been out in the world with us this Halloween, this definitely would have been his costume. Maybe next year!

I will be picking up these Swaddle blankets at Target for sure… swaddling is the best thing ever! We are considering trying out cloth diapering this time around. I love this print!

We have 11 weeks to go in this pregnancy, and we haven’t been able to decide on colors or anything for his nursery. We know we don’t want something generic like characters or cars (or animals playing sports). I really like the modern nursery on the left. I love anything with birds! It is kind of dark, though. In contrast, I love the bright, fun colors in the nursery on the right.

The rocket ship bedding from Target is the first bedding I saw that I loved. But, I’m leaning towards something custom like this black, green, and blue set.

I haven’t decided yet which announcement template I’m going to use. I love the multiple photo option, but the clean and simple one if great too. Yes, I designed these and yes, I used poor Pinterest etiquette and pinned them myself. Don't tell anyone ;)

Cute robots! And cute baby! I love the little man look, I can’t wait to get him a hat and tie like these.

Nothing better than itty bitty baby shoes. These knit shoes will be perfect to put over socks and keep his feet warm. The cold is definitely a downfall of having a baby in January! The dinosaur print is adorable.

Follow me on Pinterest to see what else I’ve fallen in love with!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T12:15:00.003-04:00

Our last year celebrating Halloween and trick-or-treating with just two little ones went really well.

Summer had her class Halloween party at the end of the day and Camryn and I went in to help. Her table decorated a pumpkin and it won for the “Happiest”.

After the party, we came home and waited for Joe to get off of work. We have a really good neighborhood for trick-or-treating, but I wasn’t sure up until a few days ago if Joe was going to be off work in the evening or not, so I had already made plans to go to my aunt’s house. He ended up getting off in time, which I’m really thankful for. He hasn’t missed a Halloween yet!

After Joe got home, we gathered up our two Fancy Nancies and went to see my Dad. My mom was meeting us at my aunt’s house, but my dad wasn’t feeling well.

He gave them their treat bags and then we let them trick-or-treat at the neighbors’ houses.

The same people have lived on either side of my parents’ house since we moved in when I was 4. They’re so nice, it’s a blessing to have good neighbors!

Then we headed to my aunt's house and it was a whirlwind of chili, trick-or-treating, and candy.

I didn’t know if I would make it all the way around the neighborhood, but I did!

Summer’s homework assignment was to put her candy in groups of ten and count it.

She had 147 pieces. Not bad!

Apparently, Jace loves Kit Kats like his mommy.

It was a really great day. I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween, too!