Teagan has such a sweet disposition about her and is always willing to lend a hand. Her most recent favorite thing is to help her daddy vacuum!
And yes, our house has officially re-exploded with baby stuff. Don't judge.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Monday, November 21, 2011
Sweet Pictures on this Sunny Monday
Here are some recent pictures of Kyra Mae. We are so blessed to have two sweet girls. Our hearts are about to explode!
Friday, November 18, 2011
Dearest Kyra
Dearest Kyra,
My sweet baby girl. You have done it. Something I wasn't sure I was going to be able to do one more time. You've made me fall in love for a third time. I honestly wasn't sure my heart was capable of breaking off into one more solid piece but you've proven me wrong. I love you with as much intensity as I did your sister and as I do your daddy. You have been such a blessing to our family. You've made our family a whole now. With you we are complete.
Your temperament is not unlike your sister's but it's quite a bit calmer then hers. You take most things in stride and curiously watch her and the rest of the world with a look of intense interest.
Even though at this point your smiles are still mostly due to gas bubbles it still makes my heart squeal with joy when your lips curl up and you smile that sweet smile. Sometimes I disregard what research is proven and know certain smiles are just for me and not caused by bubbles in your tummy.
You turned three weeks old yesterday and to be honest I could hardly believe it. I feel as if you have always been with us at this point. Truthfully, I think Teagan thinks you've always been with us. She adjusted to you much quicker then your daddy & I thought. She loves you like we only hoped she would. She thinks you are the best thing since yogurt or bananas and that is saying something for her. I only pray that love continues to grow between the two of you and you can have a bond that surpasses even the best of friendships.
We thank the Lord every day for bringing you into our lives and we can't wait to watch you grow up. We are prayerful that you will always know how much we love you and how blessed we feel.
Forever & Always,
Mommy
My sweet baby girl. You have done it. Something I wasn't sure I was going to be able to do one more time. You've made me fall in love for a third time. I honestly wasn't sure my heart was capable of breaking off into one more solid piece but you've proven me wrong. I love you with as much intensity as I did your sister and as I do your daddy. You have been such a blessing to our family. You've made our family a whole now. With you we are complete.
Your temperament is not unlike your sister's but it's quite a bit calmer then hers. You take most things in stride and curiously watch her and the rest of the world with a look of intense interest.
Even though at this point your smiles are still mostly due to gas bubbles it still makes my heart squeal with joy when your lips curl up and you smile that sweet smile. Sometimes I disregard what research is proven and know certain smiles are just for me and not caused by bubbles in your tummy.
You turned three weeks old yesterday and to be honest I could hardly believe it. I feel as if you have always been with us at this point. Truthfully, I think Teagan thinks you've always been with us. She adjusted to you much quicker then your daddy & I thought. She loves you like we only hoped she would. She thinks you are the best thing since yogurt or bananas and that is saying something for her. I only pray that love continues to grow between the two of you and you can have a bond that surpasses even the best of friendships.
We thank the Lord every day for bringing you into our lives and we can't wait to watch you grow up. We are prayerful that you will always know how much we love you and how blessed we feel.
Forever & Always,
Mommy
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Hard but worth it.
Has it really been three weeks already? It actually seems like it's been longer then three weeks as Kyra has settled in quite nicely to make our family of three an even four.
I do have to admit it seems like it's been a little harder this go-round. Just readjusting to a newborn compared to a fully functioning-can tell me what she wants-toddler. Sometimes I have to just breath through the frustration and remember that Kyra is really only 3 weeks old and crying is the only way she can tell me something is not right. During the day it's not as bad but after the sun goes down my patience level sometimes goes with it. Thankfully the older she gets the more adjusted I become. Josh keeps a watchful eye on my feelings and actions as we want to make sure I don't slip into postpartum depression. Since I've been diagnosed with clinical depression in the past we definitely don't want something like that sneaking up on us. Thankfully I have a husband who knows what to look for in me. Right now, I call what I'm feeling "night time baby blues" as it usually comes on when the sun goes down. Prayerfully that is all it will be and prayerfully it will slowly but surely get better.
Kyra is such a joyful addition to our family. She really is quite calm and doesn't cry as often as I sometimes think she does. She has a gentle spirit about her already. She seems to love Teagan and tolerates all her kisses and sometimes not gentle enough hugs. Teagan is purely smitten with Kyra and can't stop talking about her and "lovin'" on her. Kyra gets more love then Josh & I combined! Kyra has started staying awake for longer stretches which sometimes means play time and sometimes means crying. All the walking I do around the house (she's a moving baby) is surely going to help me lose the dreaded baby weight! haha!
We have been so blessed with friends and family and their kindness. We've barely had to cook since we got home from the hospital because friends from church and friends not from church have brought meals almost 3 nights a week! The kindness we have been shown during this time surpasses anything we could have imagined.
I do have to admit it seems like it's been a little harder this go-round. Just readjusting to a newborn compared to a fully functioning-can tell me what she wants-toddler. Sometimes I have to just breath through the frustration and remember that Kyra is really only 3 weeks old and crying is the only way she can tell me something is not right. During the day it's not as bad but after the sun goes down my patience level sometimes goes with it. Thankfully the older she gets the more adjusted I become. Josh keeps a watchful eye on my feelings and actions as we want to make sure I don't slip into postpartum depression. Since I've been diagnosed with clinical depression in the past we definitely don't want something like that sneaking up on us. Thankfully I have a husband who knows what to look for in me. Right now, I call what I'm feeling "night time baby blues" as it usually comes on when the sun goes down. Prayerfully that is all it will be and prayerfully it will slowly but surely get better.
Kyra is such a joyful addition to our family. She really is quite calm and doesn't cry as often as I sometimes think she does. She has a gentle spirit about her already. She seems to love Teagan and tolerates all her kisses and sometimes not gentle enough hugs. Teagan is purely smitten with Kyra and can't stop talking about her and "lovin'" on her. Kyra gets more love then Josh & I combined! Kyra has started staying awake for longer stretches which sometimes means play time and sometimes means crying. All the walking I do around the house (she's a moving baby) is surely going to help me lose the dreaded baby weight! haha!
We have been so blessed with friends and family and their kindness. We've barely had to cook since we got home from the hospital because friends from church and friends not from church have brought meals almost 3 nights a week! The kindness we have been shown during this time surpasses anything we could have imagined.
Monday, November 14, 2011
The birth story.
If the way our kiddos come into the world is any indication of their teenage years then we are in serious trouble...
We were scheduled for another c-section on October 27 at 9:30 am. I dropped Teagan off after "school" on Wednesday, the night before, with Josh's parents so we could prepare and I could get some rest before the surgery the next day. I'd had about 3 random contractions, real ones, later Wednesday afternoon but figured nothing would come of them and assumed I would be going in the next morning to see Dr. J and have this baby. Dropping Teagan off was hard and of course I cried all the way home but I found comfort in knowing she was with her Grandma and in very capable hands.
When I got home I walked in to a hubby that didn't feel good so neither of us wanted to cook. We ran out and picked something up and settled in for the night. Around 7:30pm I started having some mild contractions but again, thought nothing of them, and so Josh went to bed around 8ish. I stayed up and breathed through the contractions until around 9 when I decided to go and take a shower, straighten my hair (yes, I wanted decent hair for delivery) and then go to bed. Well, I got my shower done and the hair done but when it came time to go to bed my contractions weren't having it. So, I went downstairs and bounced and watched TV (CSI) and breathed through my contractions. They were getting so strong and so frequent that I started timing them. I was texting with my friend Meghan (who at the time happened to be in labor too!) and working through the contractions when Josh came down to check on me. By then it was around 11pm and I decided it was time to call the nurse on call because holy cow WE WERE IN LABOR!! I was putting last minute things in the suitcase when the nurse called back. By then the contractions were every 5-8 minutes apart and anywhere from 45 seconds to 1min and 30 seconds. Yes people, when I labor I labor fast and furiously. The nurse told us to come on in, especially when she found out I was a VBAC and so come on in we did!
I was different with these contractions compared to with Teagan. With Teagan I was a cave woman who would have scared off a ferocious predator but with Baby BearI was calmer and my breathing was a lot better. We got to the hospital (laboring in the car SUCKS by the way) and of course came in the wrong entrance and got turned around a few times. Finally we found the front and Josh dropped me off at the front desk (where I was supposed to be in 6 hrs) and then went to park. Watching people's faces while I stood there at my wheelchair breathing through contractions was priceless. The man at the desk kept asking if I was sure I wanted to wait on Josh because he could wheel me up right then. I politely told him I was okay and just wanted to wait on my husband I wasn't having the baby right yet. The woman at the desk told him to "Shut up, she's concentrating and doesn't need to hear you right now". Let's just say when Josh got in the lady was the one who wheeled me upstairs, not the man. It was a pleasant ride. She was a very sweet lady and we chatted all the way up to the 8th floor, in between contractions that is.
Finally, we got checked in, got a room and I put on that lovely hospital gown. I was actually in a good mood for a woman in labor. I just knew we were going to have this baby the old fashion way! How could I not be in a good mood?!? I had one nurse who actually told me I was one of the most pleasant pregnant women in labor she'd ever had. When they checked me I was at 5 1/2-6cm dilated (that would be 5-6 in 4 hrs) which was crazy because I'd been at 0 at my last check up. It was around 12ish when they checked me. They hooked me up to the monitors and I had to stay on the dreaded bed which was the last thing I wanted to do. I couldn't stand and rock and work through the contractions like I'd been able to do at home and they were coming a lot harder and a lot faster. I could definitely see the appeal of a birthing center or home at that point. Eventually the doc came in to check on me and I was at 8 1/2cm. Let me just tell you, that "transition phase" was HELL but I was determined to rock it out. It was harder laboring when I was confined to the bed. But it was worth it knowing Baby Bear's heartbeat stayed steady and she was strong. Dr. P said we needed the babies head to come down a little further or it was going to be around 2 hrs of hard pushing. Unfortunately as soon as he left I felt the need to push which is something we didn't want just yet because Baby Bear needed to drop down more. The pain and urge to push intensified by 20 and started getting the best of me. I lost my train of concentration and couldn't come back to it. I looked at Josh in the middle of a contraction with wide eyes. Then it was over I told him I felt like I'd rocked it, we were still going to have a VBAC but I was going to concede and get the epidural if we could make it. He asked me if I was absolutely sure because he knew how bad I wanted to go completely natural and I told him I was sure. There was slight chaos after that because I didn't know if we were going to make it waiting on the anesthesiologist because he was in the OR and it took him 5-10 minutes to get there. Thankfully he got there in time. After the epidural it did get easier, obviously because I was numb. I watched the monitor in amazement because my contractions were above the top level and it wasn't painful anymore just slightly uncomfortable. I don't regret getting the epidural and I am very proud I got as far as I did.
My parents came in for a few minutes after that and stayed for a little while. It was great knowing they were there and just right down the hall. Josh was able to get some much needed rest and I laid there watching the monitor and Man vs. Food. I couldn't sleep more then 20 minutes at a time because I was numb and that was just weird to me. When the nurse, Jody, and Dr. P came in around 6ish he checked me and decided Baby Bear's head was far enough down. He broke my water and told me I'd be pushing in a few minutes and we'd have a baby within the hour! Oh mercy, did my adrenaline start pumping then!! Nurse Jody was an amazing coach. She talked me through how to push and she really helped me focus. They got out the mirror for me so I could see ( I do better when I can actually SEE what I'm doing) and I don't regret that at all! It was amazing seeing Baby Bear's head! I even got to touch Baby Bear's head! Finally at 7:11am on October 27th, Kyra Mae was born via a successful VBAC. The doctor congratulated us on our sweet baby girl! It was an amazing feeling. God is so good. It was everything I thought it would be an more. They laid her on my chest as soon as she came out and then within 45 minutes I was able to nurse her for the first time. I felt like wonder woman.
We were scheduled for another c-section on October 27 at 9:30 am. I dropped Teagan off after "school" on Wednesday, the night before, with Josh's parents so we could prepare and I could get some rest before the surgery the next day. I'd had about 3 random contractions, real ones, later Wednesday afternoon but figured nothing would come of them and assumed I would be going in the next morning to see Dr. J and have this baby. Dropping Teagan off was hard and of course I cried all the way home but I found comfort in knowing she was with her Grandma and in very capable hands.
When I got home I walked in to a hubby that didn't feel good so neither of us wanted to cook. We ran out and picked something up and settled in for the night. Around 7:30pm I started having some mild contractions but again, thought nothing of them, and so Josh went to bed around 8ish. I stayed up and breathed through the contractions until around 9 when I decided to go and take a shower, straighten my hair (yes, I wanted decent hair for delivery) and then go to bed. Well, I got my shower done and the hair done but when it came time to go to bed my contractions weren't having it. So, I went downstairs and bounced and watched TV (CSI) and breathed through my contractions. They were getting so strong and so frequent that I started timing them. I was texting with my friend Meghan (who at the time happened to be in labor too!) and working through the contractions when Josh came down to check on me. By then it was around 11pm and I decided it was time to call the nurse on call because holy cow WE WERE IN LABOR!! I was putting last minute things in the suitcase when the nurse called back. By then the contractions were every 5-8 minutes apart and anywhere from 45 seconds to 1min and 30 seconds. Yes people, when I labor I labor fast and furiously. The nurse told us to come on in, especially when she found out I was a VBAC and so come on in we did!
I was different with these contractions compared to with Teagan. With Teagan I was a cave woman who would have scared off a ferocious predator but with Baby BearI was calmer and my breathing was a lot better. We got to the hospital (laboring in the car SUCKS by the way) and of course came in the wrong entrance and got turned around a few times. Finally we found the front and Josh dropped me off at the front desk (where I was supposed to be in 6 hrs) and then went to park. Watching people's faces while I stood there at my wheelchair breathing through contractions was priceless. The man at the desk kept asking if I was sure I wanted to wait on Josh because he could wheel me up right then. I politely told him I was okay and just wanted to wait on my husband I wasn't having the baby right yet. The woman at the desk told him to "Shut up, she's concentrating and doesn't need to hear you right now". Let's just say when Josh got in the lady was the one who wheeled me upstairs, not the man. It was a pleasant ride. She was a very sweet lady and we chatted all the way up to the 8th floor, in between contractions that is.
Finally, we got checked in, got a room and I put on that lovely hospital gown. I was actually in a good mood for a woman in labor. I just knew we were going to have this baby the old fashion way! How could I not be in a good mood?!? I had one nurse who actually told me I was one of the most pleasant pregnant women in labor she'd ever had. When they checked me I was at 5 1/2-6cm dilated (that would be 5-6 in 4 hrs) which was crazy because I'd been at 0 at my last check up. It was around 12ish when they checked me. They hooked me up to the monitors and I had to stay on the dreaded bed which was the last thing I wanted to do. I couldn't stand and rock and work through the contractions like I'd been able to do at home and they were coming a lot harder and a lot faster. I could definitely see the appeal of a birthing center or home at that point. Eventually the doc came in to check on me and I was at 8 1/2cm. Let me just tell you, that "transition phase" was HELL but I was determined to rock it out. It was harder laboring when I was confined to the bed. But it was worth it knowing Baby Bear's heartbeat stayed steady and she was strong. Dr. P said we needed the babies head to come down a little further or it was going to be around 2 hrs of hard pushing. Unfortunately as soon as he left I felt the need to push which is something we didn't want just yet because Baby Bear needed to drop down more. The pain and urge to push intensified by 20 and started getting the best of me. I lost my train of concentration and couldn't come back to it. I looked at Josh in the middle of a contraction with wide eyes. Then it was over I told him I felt like I'd rocked it, we were still going to have a VBAC but I was going to concede and get the epidural if we could make it. He asked me if I was absolutely sure because he knew how bad I wanted to go completely natural and I told him I was sure. There was slight chaos after that because I didn't know if we were going to make it waiting on the anesthesiologist because he was in the OR and it took him 5-10 minutes to get there. Thankfully he got there in time. After the epidural it did get easier, obviously because I was numb. I watched the monitor in amazement because my contractions were above the top level and it wasn't painful anymore just slightly uncomfortable. I don't regret getting the epidural and I am very proud I got as far as I did.
My parents came in for a few minutes after that and stayed for a little while. It was great knowing they were there and just right down the hall. Josh was able to get some much needed rest and I laid there watching the monitor and Man vs. Food. I couldn't sleep more then 20 minutes at a time because I was numb and that was just weird to me. When the nurse, Jody, and Dr. P came in around 6ish he checked me and decided Baby Bear's head was far enough down. He broke my water and told me I'd be pushing in a few minutes and we'd have a baby within the hour! Oh mercy, did my adrenaline start pumping then!! Nurse Jody was an amazing coach. She talked me through how to push and she really helped me focus. They got out the mirror for me so I could see ( I do better when I can actually SEE what I'm doing) and I don't regret that at all! It was amazing seeing Baby Bear's head! I even got to touch Baby Bear's head! Finally at 7:11am on October 27th, Kyra Mae was born via a successful VBAC. The doctor congratulated us on our sweet baby girl! It was an amazing feeling. God is so good. It was everything I thought it would be an more. They laid her on my chest as soon as she came out and then within 45 minutes I was able to nurse her for the first time. I felt like wonder woman.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Teagan meets Kyra
We were actually kind of anxious about Teagan meeting Kyra because she has a tendency to be very "that's MY mommy" whenever I pay attention to other babies. I was beyond amazed, and continue to be, at how she took to Kyra. She first met her on Saturday when we got home from the hospital. Teagan stayed with Josh's parents while we were in the hospital so Grandma brought her by to meet Kyra. She was so excited to see her! She had to make sure she had hands and feet and diapers and that she stayed covered and didn't get cold. Then she was over it and started to play with all the "stuff".
Teagan has continued to adjust well to her new baby sister. Kyra's crying doesn't phase her and her temper tantrums don't phase Kyra. Teagan hugs and kisses Kyra more then she does anybody else and has to say "night-night" and "mornin'" to her every day. We are truly blessed with two amazingly sweet and beautiful girls.
Kyra Mae
So, this is basically 2 weeks late thanks to a killed over laptop & a sleep deprived mommy of 2 under 2.
Making her way into the world...
Kyra Mae
Kyra Mae
8lbs 2.3oz, 21inch
10/27/2011 at 7:11am via VBAC
10/27/2011 at 7:11am via VBAC
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