Annnnd 8 Months Later

Here we are! It's been a roller coaster year. Amazing & terrifyingly wonderful.

Riley is well she's just Riley. Filled with laughter and wonder that only a two year old can really have. She talks from the minute she rolls out of bed until long after what should be her bedtime. Not a day goes by that I don't laugh at something she says or does. Her favorite thing to do right now is play doctor. She makes us lay down on the couch while she gives us check ups. Naturally Doc McStuffins is her favorite show. She loves being in water & I'm thrilled our new house has a pool. I cannot wait for move in day so that we can use it every day. We are thrilled that Riley is fully potty trained. We took diapers away (except for nap & bed) July 7th, a few days before her 27mo birthday. She took to it right away. We had a couple accidents the first week but none since. It can be a bit stressful when out and about for the day. Like when we are in Home Goods & she dramatically grabs her undies & screams, "Riley PEEEEE!!! RUN!". I frantically grabbed the travel seat & made a mad dash to the restroom only to have her say, "potty pretty all done" with no pee. Rinse repeat 3 freaking times. What is really awesome is that she did it every 5 minutes so the same shoppers saw the shenanigans over and over. I got a couple sympathetic glances but for the most part people found the child hilarious, which didn't help because laugher just fuels her. The twos have not treated us too bad. Bedtime is a battle. Tonight we are working on 90 minutes and she is still not staying in bed. The last time it was this bad was when she was teething, which I guess it could be. Or it could just be her playing us as only she can. She figured out how to open her bedroom door which has only made the process even longer. We've tried cry it out but with a mobile kid who can open doors & scale any gate it doesn't make a difference. We've tried just letting her go & hoping she ends up asleep somewhere in the room. Again not really effective for this kid as she eventually gets bored with the room & comes to find us. The best is when she picks up the video monitor & asks if we can see her, "you see Riley?". Yeah kid we do. Go to sleep. Or better yet when she doesn't want us to see her & she says, "all done bye bye" then promptly unplugs the monitor. Hopefully the move to the new house will be a sort of reset on the bedtime routine.

Nora is 8 months today. I can't even stand her perfection. She is the happiest most content baby ever. I have no idea the last time she cried. Seriously. The kid smiles & jabbers at everything. She got her first two little teeth about a month ago. She started sitting on her own around 5months & now can roll around & sit up from laying down. On that note she can just about pull up to her feet too. She gets to her knees but getting those feet under her hasn't quite worked out yet. It will soon enough she sure tries enough. She's like 5 minutes away from full on crawling but much like Riley did she gets around in other ways so she doesn't feel too much pressure to actually crawl. She says mama & dada. She also growls. Legit "grrrrrrr" all deep & ominous. I'll never forget when she first started doing it around 5-6mo she grabbed Rileys cheeks & growled in her face. Riley looked horrified & yelled, "Nors no eat Riley". That's not a typo. Everyone calls her Nors. I think it's my fault, well my phones. I got a new phone and cannot for the life of me type on it (actually the main reason this blog hasn't been updated). The "a" is right next to the "s" and I screw it up every single time I type her name. Its ridiculous. We started her on food about a week before her 6mo birthday & she's already done with purees. She's just not interested in being spoon fed. At first I was a bit nervous because she is just so young but she has done really well. She has eaten pretty much everything. Tonight she had pork chop, asparagus, roasted wax beans & corn on the cob. I think she ate more than her sister. We have had to find a balance with her bottles though because she's not as interested. We are figuring it out though. Little lady has some attitude. If she doesn't like something you know it. She will swat at your hands and growl. My favorite is when she's not interested in her bottle she will grab it from your hands & throw it off the couch. Then she looks at me like, "what".

For us as a family things have never been better or busier. On mothers day we put in an offer on a house, which was accepted. On June 1st we listed our current house & on June 2nd we accepted an offer. We settled on the new house on June 28th & our current house will be August 9. Paul has been at the new house for the last 3 weeks ripping stuff out, hanging drywall, painting, repairing, fixing, wiring, you name it he's been doing it. It's been nothing short of overwhelming. It's an amazing upgrade and opportunity for our family. We are ridiculously excited to move in & get settled. So that's where we are & what we've been up to. I've missed blogging & now that things are sort of kind of settling down I'm hoping to keep up with it. I'm a bit sad that I didn't when Nora was teeny tiny. Really though with a toddler waking at dawn and an infant that wasn't sleeping through the night, sleep while they slept was better than blog while they slept. We don't need to mention that Nora has actually been sleeping through the night since the end of February.

Nora's Birth Story

Little Miss Nora Laine arrived on November 21 at 8:06PM. I was 40weeks 5 days. Much like her sister her arrival was calm and much anticipated.

This is her birth story. All the standard "eww gross" disclaimers apply. It's a birth after all!

Around 8:30 pm on the 20th my contractions, that I'd been having for weeks started to feel different. At 10 I told Paul that maybe this was it. He just rolled his eyes. After weeks of contractions neither of us really thought anything would come of it. We went to bed and at 1:00 they woke me up. They were sporadic so I tried to sleep. By 4am I woke Paul up & decided to take a shower. They calmed down and we went about our morning. I had a drs appt 9 that morning so I figured I'd just talk to them then.

At my appointment they offered to induce but I opted to wait it out. So she decided to send me over to the hospital for a non stress test. About half way through they noticed an arrhythmia in Nora's heartbeat. They said it wasn't a concern & the doctor would be in to discuss. The doctor came in and asked about my dilation, when I told her 4.5 she said were going to have a baby today. That way they didn't need to worry about waiting things out & I was making progress.

By noon were were moved to delivery and hooked up. Paul ran home to get Riley situated, get our bags and do some last minute things. The first few hours were pretty slow & my contractions were "nothing to write home about" according to the nurse. Hardy har har.

At 3pm they broke my water hoping to get my contractions more regular. I do not recall them getting more regular but they did get more intense. At 5 I was 7cm and wanted the epidural. They needed to do the epi twice & contracting through it was awful. Once it was in though the relief was awesome. Paul went to get coffee & I tried to close my eyes. It didn't work. I recall complete numbness with my first epi, not the case this time. I didn't mind though I liked being able to adjust.

The epi slowed my contractions and at 6 they decided to give me a low dose of pitocin to get them going again. At 7 they checked me and I was at 7.5, I was disappointed. The epi was not working well. The contractions hurt. A lot. I told them & they gave me a pump to give the meds a boost. I pumped but no relief. It was busted & I told them. We were going to call anesthesiologist back to help.

At 7:30 I told the nurse I was ripping in half. I started shaking & got a cold sweat. She said it hadn't been long but she'd check me. It was likely transition. Whatever it was I wanted that doctor to make it not hurt. Imagine everyone's surprise when she found me complete & ready to push. She said Nora was low but not quite there so we'd do some practices.

I was still shaking & not feeling well. I couldn't catch my breath so we only got in 2 practice pushes in that first contraction after they were ready. She immediately told me to stop & ran to get the doctor. People flooded in & before I knew it the doc was ready.

We did one more set of pushes and in the middle I said something about passing out. The doctor encouraged me to look down & there was Nora. Head and shoulders already there & just one more push & she'd be here. I Needed no further encouragement. The next thing I new a gorgeous screamy dark haired beauty was on my chest.

They whisked her away to check her heart and we were relieved to hear that everything was ok. The doctor thanked me for being speedy and at that instant I knew my body was destroyed. An 8lb 6pz baby is going to cause damage coming that fast & I felt it. I had to know. The doctor laughed and said I was fine. It wasn't bad at all. Just one little stitch to make things more comfortable & I was done.

I couldn't believe it. Another awesome birth experience. Thinking back the crappy epi wasn't even that bad. In the moment it felt intolerable but we got through it just fine. I didn't even need the numbing cream. I used one ice pack immediately following but nothing after. I readily took the Motrin they offered but more for uterine cramping.

Our immediate family was there before we were moved to our regular room. I begged for a shower but was denied. I was less than happy but whatever. I woke early the next morning (Thanksgiving) and immediately showered. Clean with a face of makeup I felt like a million bucks.

Nora was brought back & I got to spend a few hours just me and her. She's perfect. Bright clear skin, dark hair, calm, pleasant, just perfect in every way. Riley came to see her & instantly knew who Nora was. She loved her sister with kisses & did not show any signs of jealousy.

We were home before little lady was 48 hours old. The adjustment has been smooth & kind to us so far. We are loving our little family of 4.

38 Weeks!

How far along: 38w5d

Time left: 1w2d

Progress: still at 2

Fruit of the week: Watermelon

How big is baby: 19-22in 7lbs

Total weight gain: 13

Sleep: decent I guess. Ear plugs a must I'm very easily worken

Food cravings: Turkey Hill Green Tea. It's delicious & wonderful. By the gallon

Food aversions: none really. I eat very little at home. I need to actually think about eating & remind myself to do it

Challenges: She has officially dropped. It's caused quite an increase in pain with the SPD.

Movement: still pretty active. Her most active time is between 8-10pm. It's legit non stop

Boy or Girl?: GIRL! Nora Laine

Best moment this week: my last day of work. For what is hopefully a very long time. We are adjusting, it's difficult to not have an activity 24/7 & I'm feeling a bit unproductive without work.

What Im looking forward to: umm hello Nora! I cannot wait to see this child.

What I miss: friends, activity without pain, talking to people other than Paul lots of things right now.

37 Weeks!!

It's been an interesting 5 days. We had a great appointment on Wednesday & went home with 3 weeks left. Thursday I went to work & just wasn't feeling too well. I needed to do kick counts because i was worried about a lack of movement. While concentrating I realized I was having contractions at regular intervals. I had some Braxton hicks but not like this. I timed them for an hour & decided it might be the real deal.

The OB had me come to the office to be checked. I was still at 2cm & thin so they said it was too early. Go home, walk, eat light & they said it shouldn't be too much longer & they predicted within 12-24 hours we'd be heading back. Come on back when you are panting through them. Fear, excitement, terror, thrilling joy, I ran the whole range of emotions. I went home wrapped up the essentials & waited. And waited. And waited. And 5 days later I'm still effing waiting.

They don't stop exactly but they stretch out. The longest I seem to go is about 30 minutes between contractions & they aren't too bad. At least 2-4 times a day/night they get really close. 2-3 minutes apart & I need to actually concentrate. Never fails though as soon as I'm ready to call it I don't have one for 5 minutes, then 7, then 10.

Saturday night they actually woke me up around 1:30, I timed them until 2 & woke Paul up. I let him know I was going to take a shower but things were getting a bit intense. There might have even been a cry or two. After I showered they were still coming & still strong. I laid down to relax for just a minute and next thing I knew I was waking up 2 hours later & they were weak & practically untimable. There really were some tears then.

I'm not even 38 weeks & physically feel fabulous so trust when I say I am in no actual rush for Nora. It is just mentally & physically taxing to have these ups & downs. So a message, little lady, either show up or snuggle in, but stop the games. You should also know that I will wait 16 years for my revenge. Every day this continutes is every day past your 16th birthday that you will wait for a car or your permit. No this is not a joke, your sister who didn't play games & arrived prompt & textbook will drive your trickster tushy around.

How far along: 37w5d

Time left: 2w2d

Progress: Find out on Thursday. Better be more than 2

Fruit of the week: Watermelon

How big is baby: 19-22in 6.5 lbs

Total weight gain: 15

Sleep: Miserable. Contractions every 2-30 minutes, kicks to the bladder, hubby with a cold Sleep is a myth

Food cravings: Turkey Hill Green Tea. It's delicious & wonderful.

Food aversions: Same as before. I could give or take food I eat because I need to not really because I'm wanting anything

Challenges: Contractions 24/7

Movement: She's active & seems to be just as annoyed by contractions as I am. When we have a particularly difficult set she freaks out & moves & wiggles as if she's fighting back. Oh & she found a kidney

Boy or Girl?: GIRL! Nora Laine

Best moment this week: an extra day off to get everything done. I am in full wait mode right now. There is nothing left on my baby prep to-do

What Im looking forward to: My water breaking. I've decided that's how I want it to really start, that way there won't be any more of these false alarms

What I miss: not being aware of every minute in every day. I feel like I'm constantly timing something.

36 Weeks

How far along: 36w5d

Time left: 3w2d

Progress: 2cm & thin WOOT!

Fruit of the week: Watermelon

How big is baby: 19-22in 6.5 lbs

Total weight gain: 15

Sleep: Hit or miss. Last night I slept like a rock. 2 nights ago I was up every hour & had a toddler with me from 4-7

Food cravings: Turkey Hill Green Tea. It's delicious & wonderful.

Food aversions: Most food actually. I eat because I have to, nothing sounds amazing

Challenges: I'm big. She's dropped. The pelvic pain is acting up & her movements are getting quite painful.

Movement: Shes still pretty active but man does it hurt. I'm about as big as I can get & she still seems to want more room

Boy or Girl?: GIRL! Nora Laine

Best moment this week: uhhhh to be determined

What Im looking forward to: Delivery. This will likely not chage from here on out.

What I miss: Walking without pain

Ohh bit negative this week eh. I think I've done a damn good job with keeping up with Riley throughout the entire pregnancy. While I may have slowed down a bit we still have managed to hit swim class & walk & do art projects & make massive messes. I couldn't even begin to feel guilty on Monday when I bought her the movie, Elmo Says Boo. We do not usually watch TV, let alone childrens shows when she is awake, mostly because they annoy me greatly. I was on my feet with pictures all morning & she was in the throes of teething & only took a 60 minute nap. So yes, I spent $9.99 on a 30 minute Elmo movie and we snuggled on the couch. I regret the $9.99, because cripes Sesame it was a 30 minute movie!! Could have at least given me an hour for that price.

My point being I seem to have hit a wall this week. Everything seems difficult. Really loading the dishwasher isn't hard but who wants to bend over to put the dishes in. Not I said the woman who feel like her ribs are at their breaking point. I knew this day was coming its an inevitable day in any pregnancy the DONE day. You just can't imagine being any more pregnant, walking hurts, sitting hurts, sleeping hurts. Every little thing is a sign of labor, yet nothing is. I don't think I'm quite there just yet but it's coming. I can feel it I'm quickly approaching DONE.

Life With a Toddler

Riley is 18 months and amazing. Everyday is so much fun with her. She makes us laugh at every turn and is constantly learning & surprising us with new stuff.

She loves her dogs. She calls them "boys" and "bobbies", bobby is what she says for buddy. She does not like sharing with her bobbies though. Breakfast has been a bit of a challenge but we recently figured out that if you offer her bite to the dogs she will take it instead. She does NOT want any of her food going to the dogs, even if she's not all that interested in it. If the dogs do manage to nab a bite, either dropped or because she teased them with it & they won, it is catastrophic. Lots of "no no no's" & fake cries.

Bedtime has been a challenge, we think it's teeth. The last two nights have ended with a snuggle with mommy in the big bed. Mommy is tired & it works quickly. A habit I'm not overly interested in forming but honestly after 90 minutes of "back in bed" & the child sleep walking to the door I don't have it in me these days. Her teeth hurt & she's overly tired most nights. I'm hoping they cut soon & we can get back on track.

She loves to help. "Uh oh mommy". Mommy better be looking because most of the time what she really means is, uh oh mommy you left your cup of hot coffee here on the table. Let me bring it to you. Or uh oh mommy the boys didn't eat all their food & left this huge bowl of water just sitting here, let me just dump that for you. So helpful our little nugget.

The talking never stops. Never. 3:30 am last night I woke up to her chattering in her sleep. It was creepy. She says everyone in the families name. Paul and I know who she is saying but outsiders might not recognize it. She will repeat almost everything we ask her to. The letters K, T, Th, Ch & long E (as in green) give her a hard time. She makes a very good effort though. She knows some colors like white, orange, yellow & sometimes she gets red and blue right. Her favorite shape is Oval, no idea why but she can find them anywhere.

She loves to dance & climb. Oh how she loves to climb. A successful day cannot be complete without making it to the top of the couch. She has an awesome time at her swim class. It's a hell of a workout for mamma too. When mamma is 5'11" and swim class is in 3-4ft water, mama spends 35 minutes in a full squat so that Riley can actually be IN the water. UMM ouch. If she showed one single lapse of enthusiasm we'd be outtie.

Two weeks ago someone pooped in the pool so they moved class to the other pool. The cold pool. The minute my feet hit that water I prayed she would freak over the temp. She didn't. Hypothermia be damned we were doing her swim lesson. Mama didn't squat that day. No way was more of me going in that water than necessary.

She has recently started playing pretend and it is adorable to see her play with her baby. She feeds it & tells us to put a new "Elmo" on it. Elmo's are what she calls diapers because hers have Elmo on them. Toddler logic.

Life with a toddler is more than I could ever ask for. She lights up a room with her smile & just shines every day.

35 Weeks!

35/35

How far along: 35w4d

Time left: 4w3d

Progress: 2cm & still long. I didn't think I'd be adding this quite yet but we were all surprised at our 35w appt to learn that we are on the move. Hoping that it hovers there for at least another 3 weeks. Find out today.

Fruit of the week: Large Cantaloupe

How big is baby: 19-22in 6 lbs

Total weight gain: 14

Sleep: pitiful. I blame the toddler who has started yelling out in her sleep & waking loudly between 3-4am

Food cravings: not too interested in food these days. I eat because I'm hungry but I'm not hungry for anything

Food aversions: Not really anything. Food is just food right now

Challenges: morning sickness? I guess that's what it is. The last two mornings have been brutal, combined with lack of sleep & an ever growing to-do list mama is overwhelmed. I took Tuesday off because I was just feeling awful & in lots of pain. I used the time to push through though and get much of my list complete.

Movement: slowing down & getting low, very low

Boy or Girl?: GIRL! Nora Laine

Best moment this week: Mani/pedi yesterday.

What Im looking forward to: Everything I just cannot wait to have her here & settle into our new family of 4

What I miss: sleep

Next appointment: Today!