The snow made me do it

I know, I don't post for weeks and then BAM!! Two posts in one day!

I'll hold while you all compose yourselves.

Better? Ok, lets begin.

I've been tagged by Jessi to do a fun little doo-hicky-blog-pass-it-on thing. Yeah. I don't know what that means either, just go with me on it.

Here are the rules as stated to me:

1. Go to the 4th folder in your computer where you store your pictures.

2. Pick the 4th picture in that folder.

3. Explain the picture.

4. Tag 4 people to do the same.


This little game, my friends, has taken us to August of 2006 on our computer. The picture below is of Livie, age about 15 months old, on one of those little 25 cent rides in the mall. This is her 'if you don't take me off of here in about 2 seconds I will have a complete melt-down' face.

And yes. She has her mother to thank for those dark circles. You are welcome Liv.

I tag: Katie at MKHKKH, Carey at Redhead in Vegas, Kim at Lifeafter, and Kelly at Life with 3 boys

Spend Less, Give more

John and I decided at the beginning of the season to jump on the bandwagon of this Advent Conspiracy idea. It's something each of us has become quite passionate about this Christmas, and hope that the idea catches on with others as well in years to come!

We've been making gifts for family this year (can't tell you what because they may be reading this). Oh, and don't worry, none of my gifts are anything made in the kitchen. I love you all WAY too much for that. :)

Toss one back and call me in the morning....

Livie was one to be sick a lot as a baby. It seemed like she was coughing ALLTHETIME. (We now know she has asthma, which she takes care of by using a nebulizer (see above), or an inhaler.)

It was horrible.

I'm not going to lie, it was emotionally, mentally and physically draining.

Fine. I guess it wasn't exactly sunshine and rainbows for her either. Whatever.

About a year and a half ago all of this came to a head. We hadn't discovered her asthma yet. She woke up *GASPING* for air in the middle of the night. It wasn't croup-we had dealt with that on numerous occasions. Her breathing was SO rapid, like she just couldn't completely catch her precious little breath.

As we sat rocking her in the living room I picked up the phone and called the 'advice nurse' at the hospital. She had me count her breaths for her over the phone and quickly she came back with 'Ok, now I want you to listen to what I'm going to tell you.'

OH CRAPBALLS. She used that tone with me. That I'm-going-to-talk-to-you-like- I-would-a-2nd-grader-right-now-because-I-can-tell-you-are-
about-ready-to-lose-it-
emotionally-at-any-second tone. Aw, God bless her.

Basically in a nutshell she said in so many words: Do not pass go, do not collect $200, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD GET A GRIP!!, and take your daughter to the hospital immediately.

I assured her in my 'business-like' voice that yes, I would be sure to safely transport my daughter to the nearest medical facility post haste, and thank you so very much for your time.

Oh I kid.

It was more like: OKTHANKSOHMYGOSHBYE.

We got Miss Thang over to the hospital where long story short they monitored her oxygen levels, which were not great, did quite a few chest x-rays, which left mommy crying in the hallway while listening to her baby sobbing out of fear, and in the end they decided she needed to be transported to the Childrens Hospital to be monitored overnight.



Nothing perks a wee one up like the promise of an ambulance ride.

No, seriously. She's weird like that.

So, daddy left the E.R. to run home and grab some overnight things and Liv and I waiting while the EMT's rolled the gurney in, strapped her carseat on, and wheeled her out to the waiting 'Ambliance'.

All the while she's wheezing and giggling, wheezing and giggling. I told you, we've got ourselves a strange one.

She was beside herself as the drivers showed her the lights and how they go 'round and 'round.

We loaded into the ambulance and we were on our way. Liv kept asking '*wheeze* can you *wheeze* turn the lights *wheeze* on again??'

And because she's so dang cute, they obliged. Numerous times.



Now keep in mind for such occasions as these, EMT's, Firemen and police officers often times keep teddy bears on hand to give the kids.

Well, thats just not how we roll here in Ory-gun.

Evidently they were out of teddy bears, so the EMT's were scrambling to come up with something to give Livie.

The night before just so happened to be Mardi gras, so, after apologizing for it being all they had, the man slapped a spongebob sticker on the front and handed Miss Olivia this:



Yup. Nothing says 'chin-up, little one!' quite like a light-up corona necklace.

Not quite the Partridge Family....

The angels are singing

Tuesday night we received a phone call letting us know that our Grandma Thelma had passed away after a long, exhausting battle with Cancer.

While we are so so sad to know she isn't here physically with us anymore, we are SO happy to know that she isn't hurting anymore. So happy to know that shes in heaven dancin' with Jesus!
While we know we won't get to see her next time we visit Papa Jerry, we find HUGE comfort in the fact that we WILL see her again someday.

Because she had a personal relationship with Jesus, because she loved him with everything she had, because she found Joy in calling him 'Father', she is now in a place where there is no more pain. No tears. Where she will never go hungry. Never go thirsty. Never again know sadness!

Grandma Thelma has made an incredible dent on my heart spiritually. You never questioned where she stood in her faith. Never questioned what was most important to her in life: her relationship with her very best friend in the entire world, Jesus.

I've learned from Grandma Thelma how important it is to let those you love know it, every chance you get. She thought the world of her family and friends and would do anything for them.
She was a beautiful woman, inside and out and I can't wait to party up in heaven with her someday. :)

I want each and every one of you to know that I do love you. I so totally care about each of you. I wouldn't call you my friend if I didn't. I hope if there has ever been any question in your heart as to what this 'God thing' is about, that you won't wait another second wondering, that you would simply ask! God loves each of you more than you could ever imagine. He physically died for you so you wouldn't have to for every little sin! How freakin' awesome is that?! I love that regardless of how screwed up I think I am, God looks at each of us as his precious child. SO cool.



Grandma Thelma loved her Livie-girl :)





This last picture is from a trip we took a few weeks ago to see Papa and Grandma Thelma so that she could meet Miss Samantha and spend some precious time with her two great-granddaughters :)


And precious time it was.

I'm lame.

No, seriously. I know this because I couldn't even manage to post a picture of my youngest daughters first Halloween until now. Yeah. Lame.

Well, regardless, we DID have a super fun time getting the girls dressed up and showing them off to all the grandparents and great-grandparents.

Miss Olivia decided VERY early on in the season that she wanted to be a fairy. And a cow. And a duck. And Dora. But after realizing that there is only 1 Halloween, she settled for the fairy. And an incredibly DARLING fairy she was:


Our little ladybug was pretty darn cute too, I must say...
And as you can see, she was TOTALLY digging the costume and the camera flashes and the fact that we LEFT HER ON THE FLOOR ALL BY HERSELF!! *GASP!* The nerve, I know. We are awful parents.

All was well in the world again once she was tucked back into the Moby, or her 'cotton womb' as I like to refer to it as.

Miss Olivia was all about the trick or treating this year my friends. In fact, she had the trick part down cold. I'm not sure how many times we tried to explain to her why knocking and then turning and running down the sidewalk wasn't the right way to beg for treats. I think by the last house she finally got it, as long as I was standing RIGHT NEXT TO HER AND DON'T LEAVE, MOM!! *sigh* oh my little daredevil....
We tried and tried to convince Sam that if she just gave the old trick or treating thing a try, she may really like it, but she just turned her little nose up at me and rolled her eyes way back into her head-farther than I really thought humanly possible-and promptly went back to sleep. Can you say BOR-ING?!

In between houses, lack of sleep mixed with hints of a pending sugar high began to ooze from Liv's little body. She began to entertain us with some obviously practiced fairy dance moves:

Watch out 'So You Think You Can Dance'! I KNOW this one can dance!!

Dad was pooped by the time we made it back home. What, you would think he worked all day or something?! Oh, wait, he did....
So some down time with his girls is just what he needed before everyone was whisked off to bed to sleep off their sugar-induced comas....


I'd say we had a pretty fun night. (Considering we landed at least one Baby Ruth bar, it was a freaking EXCELLENT night in my book!)

At least the shirt matches the pants?

Fussy Wussy

Holy crap balls it's been forever and a day, huh?

I have managed to survive (barely) for the last week and a half without internet in our house. Our lame-o computer cord decided to start sparking and being the responsible people we are, we figured it would be more expensive to pay for fire damage than a new cord, so, we unplugged the sucker and waited for a good sale on a replacement cord.

Can you say $20 off?! YEEAHHHH baby we are SO back in business!!

Anyway...the faulty computer cord was only the start of my woes.

Silly me thought this new baby thing would be CAKE. Liv was seriously the easiest baby on the planet. Rarely cried, never really cared to be held much, just wanted to chill on her own and take in her surroundings on her own terms. So why would my second child be any different? Oh boy is God laughing hysterically at me right now for my stupidity....

This little doll is a FUSSER. Sweet Mary, if she's hungry, she screams. If she's wet, she screams. If you go to change that uncomfortable wet diaper, she screams. If we lay her on her back, she screams. The child is constipated. She screams. She has some acid reflux issues, she screams. We've started her on medicine to help with the pukey issue, she screams. We put her down for a mili-second, she screams. Yowza. Mama is EXHAUSTED.

I have become an official baby-wearer with this little one. Liv HATED being in any kind of baby carrier. Miss Samantha? You guessed it, can't stand to NOT be in one. My saving grace has been my new Moby Wrap baby carrier. And doncha know you can haul a child up to 45 pounds in the thing?? If you could please introduce me to someone who feels the need to carry their 45 pound child around in a baby carrier, please let me know. I would love to smack them on the head. Hard.
But in all seriousness, this has been the one thing to IMMEDIATELY calm her down. Oh and this:
This be her new best friend: the hot water bottle. Fill that puppy up with warm water, lay her on her side with her belly up against it, and she's happy. For about 5 minutes, until she realizes that you have PUT HER DOWN AND NOW I'M GOING TO SCREAM AND THROW FOUL LANGUAGE AT YOU IN MY INDECIPHERABLE BABY LANGUAGE!!!

The child is three weeks old, and her Diva-like attitude is already shining through.

In all seriousness though, while I do realize her temperament IS completely different from what Liv's was, I know she just plain doesn't feel good. Between her play-doh like poop and her constant stream of baby-spew, I just want to cry for her. What kind of mother am I to have ripped her from her incredibly comfortable little home inside my belly where life was just sunshine and rainbows and throw her into this hell that consists of constipation and excitedly loud big sisters??

She's shown signs of feeling a bit better since switching to those Dr. Browns bottles and starting her on the meds that her pediatrician prescribed for her acid reflux. PRAISE THE LORD.

I'm shocked at the amount of patience I have with this little screaming bundle. John and I were reminiscing the other night about how NUMEROUS times we felt the need to throw Liv through the window as a baby because her screaming fits, though very far and few between, MADE ME WANT TO RIP MY EARS OFF AND EAT THEM. We haven't experienced that feeling with Sam though, even though her screams are pretty continuous. Maybe it's the fact that knowing you can somewhat calm her just by simply snuggling her to your chest so she can hear your heart beat that makes things seem a little bit sweeter.


Through the screams and lack of poo, I find myself incredibly in love with my little family. I'm realizing that I'm LOVING being a mommy to two girls, screams and all.

Cowabunga!

I was disappointed to hear that State Fair had ended for the year already. We had been thinking about entering 'the girls'-aka my chi-chi's-in the Dairy cattle competition. We without a doubt would have come away with a Blue Ribbon in 'production'....I just know it....

Thats my story and I'm stickin' to it!

Yes, I do realize my newborn is over a week old now and I haven't posted more than a few pictures of her precious face....but I'm sitting on a bag of frozen vegetables right now, so whine to someone else about it.

I thought I'd share a little more in depth of how things went last weekend. I know you all have been just sitting on the edge of your seats waiting to hear all about it, right? RIGHT?!

Friday I went into the doctor because I was having so many contractions and so much pressure in the you-know-what. But alas, I was not dilated a single centimeter. Darn you, you stupid cervix!!

I was so burnt out. SO exhausted. And I knew my doctor was not one to be real gung-ho on inducing labor early, so I had no hope for relief anytime soon. Then ,that precious doctor spoke words from heaven: 'well, if you were sitting here wringing my neck telling me that you couldn't handle to have this baby in you another second then I could see about possibly getting things started tonight.'

uhhhh. Tonight tonight?? Like this very day tonight? Like I could potentially be holding a baby in my arms instead of my too tightly stretched belly as soon as tomorrow?!

WHOA.

We discussed how we would go about things and she sent me home to talk to John about it and see how he felt.

I believe his exact words were: 'Do we really have to wait until tonight?!'

I'm choosing to take that as him being SO excited to meet his new daughter rather than the idea that he wanted to do this sooner on the off chance my whining would stop that much sooner. :)

8:30pm we headed over to the hospital and got settled.

Oh, hold on...my veggies are melting...

Ok.

Without going into too much detail, the next morning we officially started induction. At which point I got my GLORIOUS Epidural. An Epidural which was to me like manna from heaven. Pure gold I tell ya.

The AWESOME thing about my glory-drug was that I felt literally not a thing. The entire labor and delivery. How sweet is that??
The downside about it is, again, that I literally could not feel a thing. In other words, each of my legs might as well have weighed 500 pounds, and my butt a good 700lbs by itself, which made it impossible to turn over from side to side without help and made me bedridden for the entire laboring day. Which made for an incredibly boring day for all involved. I think everyone there was hoping to see me writhing in pain, for their own entertainment. Well, I showed them...Jerks.
As you can see, we did manage to find things to do to keep us entertained:

John stole my SWEET hospital slippers for the weekend, and decided to take a picture of them as proof of how incredibly fabulous they were:

He then came over and flung my half-dead body off the hospital bed and took up residence on it himself because he felt he needed a little rest before 'we' started pushing. For those of you concerned, I know how to army crawl-which obviously came in handy at this point when my dead-legged body was sprawled on the floor.

After my long trek across the hospital room floor, I pulled myself back up onto the bed and managed to check some email.

I also had plenty of time during the day to finish some sewing. I know. It's weird.

It's a tradition between my sister and I to take a picture of the dilation chart each time the doctor confirms that we have, in fact, dilated further. Don't ask why. Again, it's weird. But we are ok with that.

Finally, John felt bad for the whole bed fiasco, so right before 'push baby out time', he held a mirror for me while I fixed my hair. Because everyone knows that newborns are so freaking judgemental, and the last thing I needed was that child holding my bad hair against me until the end of time.

With the help of a little Journey and Def Leppard playing in the background on our laptop, we pushed our way towards becoming parents for a second time and the reward was so great:

Samantha Jane joined our little family at 9:40pm on Saturday. She was 8lbs 8ozs and just darling as anything.

I think her big sister thinks so too:

And now starts a new adventure in our lives. Poor, poor daddy. :)

Just a sneak peek...

She's here! We did it!!

We managed to create/labor over/birth another DARLING little girl!! Wahoo!!

We get to head home tomorrow, when I will fill you in on all the details and share too many wonderful pictures with you, but for now, to scratch that itch for ya, I'll give you all a look at just few little precious moments from the last day or two.

Thank you so much for all your prayers and thoughts during this baby waiting period!

Miss Samantha Jane:

Mom, Dad and Sam!

Big sister showing SO much love for 'her baby':

We are so crazy in love with our two girls:

The countdown to d-day begins.

D-day=delivery day

D-day=the day I will be pushing a human out of my hoo-ha.

D-day=the day my hoo-ha will forever hate me for.

You get the idea.

I gave the good old doctor a call yesterday because I had been having contractions all morning about 10 minutes apart, give or take a few minutes, and baby had significantly dropped.

In fact, she has dropped so far that her head is now in between my ankles. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, considering now I can see what she looks like. She seems to be sporting a giant cyclops eye. Not the most horrible news-glasses will be cheaper, right? Oh I kid, thats just terrible....

ANYWAY, back to calling the doctor: She said it wouldn't hurt to come on in, and she could tell me for sure if I was in labor.

Saweet. Let's get this show on the road.

So, we scrambled to gather all our hospital things 'just in case' and we headed on over.

Long story short, that jerk uterus of mine has decided t doesn't want to dilate yet. Ohhh we are going to play that way, huh?! Fine....

So, we were sent back home, with meds to help me sleep at night should I have more contractions, and were told to call should they become a little more regular/stronger.

Well, feeling sorry for myself, I decided I should go get some cuteness added to my feet. Because Lord knows, thats the first thing this child will see when entering the world-my toes, and I would hate for her to hold against me the fact that I couldn't even take the time to have someone rub and pamper them for me before hand. So, I sacrificed an hour out of my day yesterday and made sure daughter #2 would be proud of my tootsies.
Here is how they turned out:


When I was pregnant with Olivia, I had my toes done, and had them put a little 'O' on my big toe in rhinestones. This time they put a little 'S' on each toe with some pretty rhinestone accents.
'S' for Samantha. Which is the baby's name, for those of you that aren't up on the times. :)

I went back for my regularly scheduled appointment today and discussed how this whole birthing thing was going to go down.
Looks like I will go in next Wednesday and start the good old induction! Yowza. A new baby in one week. CRAZY.

I'm a little nervous, ok TERRIFIED, being as my last labor and delivery experience was nightmarish, but I know I can do this. I was a little concerned with being induced-you hear all these horror stories-but it turns out that she doesn't care to use pitocin to induce unless absolutely necessary, instead she will use a more gentle medication to soften the cervix and get contractions going. That made me feel a little more at ease. A little. :)

So, thats the story morning glory. Sorry that I've been so scarce. Just been a little preoccupied mentally. You know, what with thinking that I'm going to have to be pushing a giant child out of a particular orifice in the near future and all.


AWESOME.

She got schooled.

Well, my little girl is officially a school-aged child. For the next 15 years or so, there will never be an extended amount of time that she will not be attending school.

And that just gives me hives.

Her big day started with a nice breakfast of eggs and a juice box. We know how to dine up in these here parts.

And of course she made time to shine those pearly whites. She takes this task VERY seriously as you can tell by the look on her face.

Who could forget official first day of school picture time?? Oh not this momma, you betta baleeve that!!




After dropping Liv off at school, being that it was just a short day for her, John and I had a little time to waste. So what did we do? Take stupid pictures of course. Duh.

He told me to stick my tummy out as far as I could, so I did:



Then, he made this face:



I think he still likes me. I DID let him knock me up, afterall.



Livie's first day appeared to be a success:



So, how did we celebrate? With a Cotton Candy-flavored ice cream cone, of course!!

I sure am proud of my little lady, and so thrilled for her as she embarks on this exciting adventure! I love you Livie-loo! :)