The Birth of a Kai Part 2: The OR

As I mentioned, once you are in the OR, there are things to do.  First, you meet the anesthesiologist.  I really liked mine.  She was very nice and personable.  Anesthesiologists will always try to trick you by asking what you had for breakfast.  The correct answer is nothing, so even if you dove face first into bacon the morning of the surgery...make sure to say "nothing."  (Note:  I did not, unfortunately, dive face first into bacon.  I seriously had nothing.  And I was hangry).  The team set me up to receive my spinal.  First, the numbing medicine goes in and it really does feel like a bee sting.  I know because in August a bee flew up my skirt at Harris Teeter and stung my leg.  For realz.  The difference is with a real bee sting you can do the "ow, I got stung by a bee" dance but with a needle in your spine you can only sit still and pray.  Which makes it a bit more uncomfortable, in my opinion.  After the area is numb, the spinal medication is inserted.  I'm not quite sure how it works, but I think they "thread" the medication in with a really long needle?  I definitely felt like a piece of thread was being put in my back...it just kept going deeper and deeper.  It was the strangest sensation.  I don't remember it from Max.

Here is where this c-section started to surprise me:  with Max I felt numb immediately.  As in, I couldn't even move my legs when I laid back down on the table.  The nurses had to move them for me.  This time, I was able to lay down on my own and wiggle my toes.  The spinal took gradually, which is probably what is supposed to happen.  However, it sort of freaked me out.  What if I felt the surgery?  What if I had to be put under?  Not that I'm dramatic or anything.

Anyways, the anestheiologist was really good about checking my pain tolerance with a pokey thing and within minutes she looked at me and said, "Heather, he's started."  Couldn't feel a thing.  :)  Andres came into the room shortly after that and took his place by my head.  Suddenly, Dr. A said, "Uh-oh, that's not supposed to happen."  I don't know what drugs they were pumping through my IV but hearing those words didn't phase me a single bit.  And, as it turns out, they didn't need to because he was referring to the music.  In triage we had a lengthy discussion about my music preferences which were:  no Britney, no angry music, no Ariana Grande, and no "All About that Bass."  Apparently Britney had come on, but I couldn't even hear the music from my position.

Within minutes everyone in the OR was singing "Ice Ice Baby" and someone told Andres to stand up.  Well, they told him to stand up a bit prematurely as he quickly sat back down and told me that he saw more than he wanted to.  "I just saw your guts," were his exact words, if I'm not mistaken.  Seconds later he was told to stand up again and announced, "it's a boy!" while Vanilla Ice played in the background.  Unlike Max, Kai cried right away and of course, I started crying as well.  "I can't believe we have two boys!"  were my first words.  We had really been expecting a girl.

Kai left to get cleaned up and Andres went with him.  Soon they were back and I confirmed with Andres that Kai was indeed a Kai Lucas.  He was.  :)  The nurses put Kai right near my head and even untied one of my arms so I could stroke his head.  I really appreciated being able to touch him.

After a few minutes, Andres and Kai left to do whatever it is they do to newborn babies in a hospital.  Dr. A finished up the c-section and I became horrifically nauseous and anxious.  I had to have an anti-nausea med put in my IV and I think I also got something for anxiety and pain.  I was definitely starting to feel lots of pressure and it made me nervous that the spinal would wear off before Dr. A was finished.  This is the point where things got all loopy:  all of the meds they gave me made me feel REALLY relaxed and totally out of it.  And rendered me unable to read.  I was looking at the nurses badges, trying to read their names to thank them, and I couldn't do it.  "Wow, I can't read," I thought.  There was some sort of acrostic on the OR wall.  I squinted and tried my hardest, but I totally could not read it!  "Hmmm, I hope I'll be able to read again," I thought.  "Although I know that letter is an S."    Looking back the thoughts I was having are really funny!  I was so calm in my head, despite being illiterate.  Just an "oh, look at that, I can't read.  Ho-hum."  I never mentioned that I couldn't read, I guess the anxiety meds made me so relaxed that I didn't even care!

I may not have cared about my newfound illiteracy, but in the PACU there was something I did care about...passionately and vocally.  

To be continued...

The Birth of a Kai: Part I: Triage

Leave it to me to break a scheduled c-section into 3 parts.  If you don't appreciate long-windedness here is the short version:  I walked into the hospital, said "I'm here for my c-section," they were all "Ok", and so they cut me open, pulled out Kai, and sewed me up.  The end.
Now here is my version:

October 2, 2014.  It is crazy to me to think about how I lived through 32 mundane, ordinary October 2nds and now suddenly it has become one of the most important days of my life.  Sometimes during nighttime feedings, I will lean back in the glider, close my eyes, and recall every detail of Kai's birth.  I love to try and relive the feelings I had the day October 2 wasn't so ordinary anymore.

To begin with, October 2 had been burning in my mind since the day I found out I was pregnant with Kai.  According to the calendar, October 2 was my due date.  However, my body wasn't in sync with the calendar and at our first ultrasound we learned my due date was actually October 9.  I was disappointed.   First, who ever wants to hear that they are a week less pregnant than they thought?  Second, isn't 10-2-14 such a pretty date?  In the end it didn't matter because I was able to schedule my c-section on the day I hit 39 weeks--10/2/14.

I awoke that morning and took my final shower.  I even blow dried my hair and straightened it as I knew I wouldn't feel like showering again for at least 36 hours, possibly longer.  I made sure my makeup was of "I'm attending a wedding" quality, threw the last few items in my hospital bag, and went downstairs to cuddle with Max.  I always thought I'd feel weepy  upon leaving him that morning, but I was too excited to be nostalgic.  My parents took a few pictures of us as a family of three and I remember getting a little peeved at Andres because I thought he was taking too long to pack his bag and load the car. 

 We arrived at the hospital a few minutes after 8:30 and went straight to triage.  I had two nurses and they hooked me up to monitors and started my IV.  I only had one nurse back with me when my IV was put in.  I must have looked like I had it all together because with Max I was crying and all these nurses came in to give me moral support and hold my hand.  She tried my left hand first but the IV wouldn't go past my vein?  Something like that.  It hurt like a mother and I definitely said the f-word when she pulled it out.  My right hand took the IV like a champ.  A painful champ, but at least it was quick.  My left hand started to cramp and bruise so I asked for some ice.  I also told the nurse that I was dying, which made her laugh.  I laughed too, because I knew I wasn't dying...but I actually sort of was.  Both my hands really hurt and it's hard to function without hands.

Andres and I hung out in triage for the next hour and a half or so.  It sounds like such a long time, but it went by incredibly fast.  Before I knew it, a team of nurses came in and threw a surgical cap over my hair.  Andres kissed me good-bye and left to change into scrubs while the nurses wheeled me to the OR.  That is when I started to get weepy and nostalgic.  For 2.5 years it had been just Max and me.  His whole life was about to change and he didn't even know it.  Our family would never be the same.  The nurse saw my tears and thought I was scared of the surgery, but really I was just mourning the loss of "the way things used to be."  My tears didn't last long, because as soon as I reached the OR I became extremely excited.  I also didn't have time to cry because once you are in the OR, there are things to do...

Stay tuned for part 2!

Bachelor in Paradise?

Last night was the premier of my new favorite weekly train wreck, Bachelor in Paradise.  I told my friends that I would take a shot of ginger ale every time Clare cried.

It only happened once, so thus far Crazy Crying Clare has exceeded my expectations, but only kind of because she cried and poured her heart out to an audience of a FREAKING RACCOON.  I kid you not.  And the raccoon was all like:

Clare was crying because AshLee got upset when she asked Graham (some dude I don't remember) on a date.  Apparently, Crazy AshLee Frazier had claimed him as her property.  Remember this?

Well, you'll be relieved to hear that AshLee is still completely batty.  AshLee came on the show only because she hoped some dude I've never heard of, named Graham, would be there.  AshLee arrived with the preconceived notion that Graham and her were, in fact, married already.  Or something like that.  All I know is that when Graham accepted Clare's date invitation, AshLee ran to her bedroom crying and proceeded to talk to herself.  If not forClare's heart-to-heart with the raccoon, AshLee would've been my number one cray.

HOWEVER, there is a third crazy girl.  Elise Mosca, from Juan Pablo's season is making a concerted effort to equal Clare and AshLee on the crazy scale.  This was our introduction to Elise on the show:

Then she proclaimed that she was experiencing "connections" with Dylan...as in love at first sight.  I'm telling you, her brand of crazy is one to watch out for in the coming weeks.  I'm predicting a steady rise in intensity.

As far as the guys and crazy, all the mans went crazy over some girl named Lacy who didn't even make it through the first rose ceremony on Juan Pablo's season.  I'm wondering why she was even cast and why the guys were so crazy about her?

I haven't the slightest idea.

And let's talk about Marcus.  Why does everyone love Marcus?  Apparently he's good looking, but when I look at him all I see is a stalker/murderer who probably has a collection of women in his basement.  Why the attraction?  I just don't see it.  Plus also, in one sentence he's talking about how he's still not over Andi and with the next breath he's plotting to kidnap Lacy for ransom in love with Lacy.

Call.the.police.

What do you think?  Do you like Marcus?  Explain it to me.

Pregnancy: Week 16 Recap

This was written a very long, long time ago.  I really don't even know when week sixteen was...maybe late April?  I wasn't going to post it...but why not?

It feels a little late to start documenting the weeks of my pregnancy and I get an even bigger feeling that people don't really care but:  I do.  I may be one of the only people who enjoys reading weekly updates on other people's blogs...maybe you do too?  I hope you stay but you can always click away...

I never documented my pregnancy with Max in written form or even in pictures.  I was so wary throughout my pregnancy with him because it took us a long time to conceive and my first trimester was somewhat dramatic.  I was afraid excited documentation would jinx me.  I'm a lot more relaxed this time around so here we go...

Pregnancy symptoms:
-round ligament pain

-increased hunger

Cravings:

-hamburger and fries from Backyard Burger

(On a side note, I always always indulge my cravings.  I've found that if I don't I eat lots of other stuff that "aren't it" to try to satisfy an unhealthy craving, only to eventually cave and eat what I wanted all along.  To me, it's better to just have the hamburger and fries once than to eat 3,000 calories that you aren't craving and THEN the hamburger and fries).

Aversions:

-broccoli

Movement:I felt a few flutters!  It's funny, because 16 weeks was when I felt Max move for the first time.  His movements felt like bubbles popping.  This baby feels like a butterfly flapping it's wings.

Gender: I'm not sure, but this pregnancy has been really different, so I'm going to say girl.

Best moment of the week: Having an extra morning to myself to take a Preparing for (Another) Baby class.  

Looking forward to: Our ultrasound in 2 weeks!  And strawberry picking sometime soon!

Max's First Easter Egg Hunt

Around Easter the babysitting co-op at our church held their annual Easter egg hunt.  This was Max's first experience hunting eggs.  He started out a little confused, but quickly got the hang of it.

Of course, the best part of any Easter egg hunt is a visit from the Easter bunny!  Max tends to be timid and cautious in new situations, with the exception of characters!  Santa Claus, Smoky the Bear, the Easter bunny...he loves them!

Look at my sweet boy!  He noticed that the Easter bunny didn't have a basket, so he ran to get his and placed it in the Easter bunny's paw.  So sweet!

Five Favorites: Bachelorette

I am linking up with Five Favorites again this week.  I had planned to do some hair/makeup products but the lovely host done stole my first favorite.  Seriously, Not Your Mother's Sea Salt Spray is fantastic.  Buy some and fall in love.  And speaking of loooove...(haha, see what I did there??)

This season of the Bachelorette has been pretty good.  Definitely better than JPs season, but really there was no where to go but up.  My favorite season ever was Sean's because, you know, Sean.  Plus also Tierra.  That was good TV.   Here are my five favorites from this better than mediocre season:

1. Farmer Chris Soules

Hey Chris.  I'm married with one kid out and one in utero. Call me.

2.  The way Andi awkwardly holds the roses:

Maybe it's just me?  She is always holding them way too high and too far out from her body.   Is she doing a smell check?

Let's contrast her to Bachelorette Perfection:

See?  Up by chin vs. down by chest.  Arms extended vs. arms relaxed.  What?  Ok.  It's just me.

3.  Staaap it

I keep waiting for one of the guys to get angry and call Andi out on her catch phrase, a la "esss ok."  But no one has, because no one scorches the earth over linguistics like Andi Dorfman.  (Esss ok and "I swear if you say acting one more time").

4.  This tweet from Jennifer Weiner:

"Chris is not here.  Because, honestly, after two Fantasy Suites and a horseback ride in shorts, I just could not even."

5.  You know that article thingy circulating around facebook feeds about resting bitch face?  Seriously, one of my favorites this season has been watching Andi have it:

Andi probably never realized (until now) that she made that face so often.  And to be honest, I have no idea what my resting face really looks like.  But I hope it's not that.

To see other favorites:  GO HERE..

My First Experience with Chiropractic

 This pregnancy has been the polar opposite of my first.  Overall, that is a positive thing except for one issue.  Throughout pregnancy, I have been having recurrent UTIs.  I'm up to number 5 so far, despite being on a daily antibiotic as well as taking almost every other preventive measure I could find on google.  Other than being extremely frustrating, they haven't caused any major problems (ok, except for one night spent in the emergency room with horrible back pain and frequent Braxton Hicks contractions)...but there was one measure that I had been afraid to try.  Chiropractic care.

 I wasn't sure how I felt about someone moving "subluxations" in my spine, twisting my neck...an online search will prove that chiropractic care can be somewhat controversial.  However, my frustration reached a level where I was willing to try ANYTHING.  I found a local chiropractor, Dr. Alisha Davis, who has special training in working with pregnant women.  I also knew from my Ob/Gyn that chiropractic care is considered safe in pregnancy.  When calling her office I discovered that since chiropractors are considered to be the "first point of care" my insurance would cover appointments.  This put my husband on board.

I was equal parts nervous and excited about my first appointment.  It started out like any other appointment--filling out forms, a vitals check, and going over my issues with the doctor.   I had a chance to ask questions--I appreciated Dr. Davis's honesty in her responses.  She told me that since UTIs are bacterial, she couldn't promise that I would experience relief.  However, she said that some people do experience a decrease in symptoms when their bodies are properly aligned, allowing them to heal from the inside out.
Next, she assessed me for range of motion and pain and the like.  Dr. Davis is a Gonstead chiropractor, which means she normally uses x-rays when assessing a patient, but that was obviously out of the question.  She did use a tool called a Nervoscope, which made me feel like I was at Hogwarts being seen by Madam Pomfrey.  Finally came the adjustments--she adjusted my hips, 2 places on my back, my neck, and used the Webster Technique on my round ligaments.

 So, what were the results?
Oh my goodness, I am in love!  I didn't think I was in that much pain before!  I had no idea how uncomfortable I really was until I felt "normal" again!  My body "waddled" into her office and it "walked" out.  There was also a dramatic difference in my lower ab/round ligament pain, which I noticed immediately.  My neck has always "naturally" gone to the left when I lay down...now it feels just as comfortable to move it to the right.  It sounds so minor, but I feel amazing!  My FAVORITE difference is the decrease in Braxton Hicks contractions.  Seriously, I had so many...I was always wondering if they warranted a call to the doctor.  Now I still get them, but only a few a day.

 The plan is to start out going twice a week and then decrease appointments as my body heals and holds the adjustments longer.  After only one appointment, I would recommend chiropractic care to anyone, especially pregnant women, experiencing aches and pains.  It is definitely worth it!

Pointless Pudding & Pictures and (not pointless) Answer Me This

Happy Sunday!  

Ya'll.  I went to the grocery store to get the Sunday paper (for the coupons) and it was one of those if-you-give-a-mouse-a-cookie moments.  If you send a pregnant woman to the grocery store for the paper, she'll get thirsty and buy some coconut water.  On the way to check out with the coconut water, she'll pass the snack aisle and see...PUDDING!

Have you ever seen anything so beautiful? 

 The pudding bug hit me a little late this pregnancy, at 27 weeks.  With Max I was like EAT.ALL.THE.PUDDING. in my first trimester.  In fact, the evening before my c-section I told Andres that we had to go to Harris Teeter rightnow because my parents were coming into town and they might want pudding.  So, on our last night as "just a couple" we were in the grocery store at 9:30 buying a basket full of pudding.  I don't even think I was allowed to eat anything at that point, but...we desperately needed pudding.  Your lives are enriched by my telling that story. De nada.

To enrich your lives further, I will share that I finally made a staircase gallery wall.  You are probably thinking I'm all pinterest-y right now.  My gallery wall is far from a pinterest-fail, but I wouldn't call it a smashing success either.  It's more along the lines of a pinterest-oh-look-how-cute-it-is-that-she-tried.  Bless her.
Anyways, I love it because every time I go up and down the stairs I get to look at my people:

Photo credit:  BC Photos

If you are thinking about adding a gallery wall to your home, here are my biggest tips:

1.  Trace the frames on paper and cut them out.  This way you can tape your design to the wall to test it out before you start.

2.  Use painters tape to measure the distance between photos.  

Once again, de nada.

I recently discovered a blog written by Kendra, a lovely mom of 7, called Catholic All Year.  She hosts a link-up called Answer Me This, where other bloggers answer a variety of questions. Sort of like blogger small-talk, which I completely stink at in person.  Well, I saw the first question and knew I had to participate.  The story of how I got my name is a pretty interesting, "it's-a-small-world" story, and it's one I like to share (when the opportunity arises).  Here we go...

1. How did you get your name?

When my mom was pregnant with me she taught second grade at a small, private Christian school.  One day during show and tell her student, Danielle, shared about her new cousin named Heather Lynn.  Heather Lynn?  Hmmm...Heather Lynn...I really like that.  It sounds Scottish, fits with our last name...and when will I ever meet the first Heather Lynn or interact with this family again? thought my mom.  My dad loved it too and six months later I was born and named Heather Lynn.

Eleven years later, my father passed away.  (Don't be sad or sorry.  It's ok!  You can read why  right here.)   One year after that, my mom began dating a man named David, who is now my stepfather.  One evening, David was showing my mom pictures of his family.  My mom stopped at one picture and said, "Oh wow! That looks a lot like a girl I used to teach named Danielle.  In fact, we got the name Heather Lynn from her sharing about her cousin with the same name."  Well, David told my mom that the girl's name was in fact Danielle and then showed her a picture of his other niece who just so happened to be named...Heather Lynn.

So, yes, I was named after a baby who became my step cousin 12 years later.  What a crazy, small world!

2. Do you have a set time for prayer in your day?

Yes and no.  No, in the sense that I don't have a time to personally and privately pray for any intentions.  Yes, because I always pray with Max before he goes to sleep.  We have a little prayer list that we run through:  First, we pray for a good night's sleep.  Then we do an Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be.  After that, we thank God for all the wonderful, fun things that happened during the day.  Our routine ends with me singing 5 or so hymns, usually ending with How Great Thou Art.  So, yes, I guess the answer is I do have a set time for prayer every day.  

3. Did your mom work or stay home (or both)?

She stayed home until my sister entered kindergarten.  Then, she took a job directing the Mom's Morning Out program at our church, which enabled her to be home when we left for school and when we got home.

4. Do you vote?

Yes, but only in the presidential election...um, should I admit that?  I really need to start paying more attention to local politics.

5. What's your favorite drink?

I would love to say margaritas, Bloody Mary's, and coke...but my body gets mad at me if I have anything other than water.  So water.  Sometimes I indulge, but it's never really worth it.  Just water.

6. How are your photography skills?

Well, ummm...poke around my blog and make your own conclusion.  If grainy iphone photos copied and pasted from facebook is a skill...then I rock it.

Pregnancy happenings

I had originally thought that I was going to do weekly pregnancy updates.  I only have maybe 5 photos from when I was pregnant with Max and  I wish I had more.  However, it turns out that I'm just not a weekly-pregnancy-update kind of person.  I do have some, and you are in major luck, because I'm going to share them here!  With YOU!  Are you excited?  Me too!  Let's get started!

This is was taken during week 19, on the morning of our big anatomy scan.  I was so excited to see the baby and anxious to find out if everything was developing as it should.  (It is!)  We did not find out if the baby is a boy or a girl.  We were surprised with Max too.  It is so much fun for us to be surprised and for those wondering, no, it's actually not hard for us to wait.  Just fun.

The next day was my friend, Robin's, wedding!   I have known Robin since we met at Centrifuge (church camp) in the 11th grade.  We ended up at the same college, then the same church, and then the same Bible study group.  She has always had a desire to get married and has watched many friends walk down the aisle.  I was so thrilled to watch her take her turn that I could barely control myself!  I was dancing in my seat and had the goofiest grin on my face the whole time!  Above is a photo of Andres and I at her awesome BBQ reception.  Robin did a wonderful job with the reception decorations--she was on a tight budget and it did not show at all!  She made her centerpieces out of cupcake wrappers (they looked like flowers), had beautiful Japanese lanterns and Christmas lights, and dozens upon dozens of candles.  It looked magical and she did a phenomenal job!

After all the excitement  of week 19, things slowed down in week 20:

Barefoot and....yeah.
We did go see Sesame Street Live, which was everything you can imagine it to be.

And then, suddenly, it was week 22.  My parents were in town and we took advantage of the opportunity to go to dinner at Maggianos.  I love their stuffed mushrooms and I also love not cooking.  And time with my husband.  I got a few pictures of the belleh before we left.  Yes, this is week 22.  Not 32.

I am aware of the belly situation.  I got really huge, really fast with Max too.  People are starting to ask when I'm due, and I can tell they are confident that I will answer with July or August.  When I say October, it always takes them a minute to recover.  Then we have to have a conversation about how "I have a long way to go,"  it's important to "stay hydrated, honey," and "you are all belly because you are so tiny."   That exact conversation.  All the time.  Whenever we go out.  I'm going to start to say I'm due in September because ain't nobody got time fo dat.

Five Favorites: I'm really hungry so I eat a lot

 Tomorrow I will be 27 weeks pregnant!  Almost to the third trimester...which right now feels like I'm almost done, but in reality I will have all the 30s to get thru, and I recall with Max that my stomach came all the way out to my knees when sitting, which begs the question "how did I manage to drive my car?"  Seriously.  If my seat was pushed back far enough so that my stomach avoided the steering wheel, how did my feet reach the pedals?  I don't know.  Anyways, pondering that question makes my brain hurt so I'll get a snack instead.  I eat snacks all the time because I'm hungry all the time.  My doctor actually told me that I could stand to gain a bit more weight...I only gained 1 lb in 4 weeks and she was like "eat avocados and cheese."  So I was all, yeah, avocados and cheese, PLUS ALSO...

1.  Ice Cream Sandwiches

Mmmm.  I had one at lunch, then gave one to Max.  He only ate one bite.  I had to finish it for him.  I'm planning on eating my third during Big Brother tonight.  Or maybe my fourth, because I'm contemplating getting one right now.

2.  Crab Legs

Maybe it's because I'm from Maryland, maybe it's because crab legs are just so dang tasty, but I've been LOVING them more than usual.  It's not the same as Maryland blue crabs, but buying a couple clusters of snow crab and boiling them in plenty of Old Bay seasoning does the trick.  

3.  Honey Nut Cheerios

Every morning for breakfast and every evening for second dinner.  It's like candy in a bowl.

4.  Green beans.

I know, weird, right?  But they're a vegetable, so I'm going with it.  For some reason I've been wanting to eat them straight from the can, but even Pregnant Heather has standards so I always heat them up.

5.  Frunas

What are frunas, you ask?  They are a Colombian candy and taste like the spawn of a Starburst and Now and Later.  Delish.  My mother-in-law just returned from Colombia with several packages and less than a week later...where did they go?  $13.00 seems to be the going rate on Amazon for a 48 pack, so I don't think I'll be eating these again anytime soon.  Which, depending on my weight check at my appointment next week could be a good thing.  At least there's stil the green beans...

 To see other people's favorites click right here.  Do it.

Preparing for Baby

Preparing for a second child is so much easier than preparing for a first!  We already have the majority of what we need and a clearer idea of what are "must haves" vs "nice to haves" vs "why in the world would anyone buy this baby junk?"  And since you are now asking, "Heather Frowow, what are the must haves?" I will tell you.  (Note:  these are my must-haves that we have purchased brand-new for this baby.  I'm not including ones we already own).

1.  A crib.
I know.  We already have a crib.  People may think we are crazy to buy a second crib, but here's the thing...Max's crib is the Rolls Royce of cribs.  It converts to a toddler bed, then to a double bed.  Those kinds of cribs aren't cheap.  Max's crib is now in it's toddler bed phase, so baby needed a crib.  Plus also, the nursery has a white beadboard so I needed white furniture this time around, ya know?  While Max is our Rolls Royce baby, baby number two is our All-American Chevy, so he or she gets this:

 

The Baby Mod Park Lane in white.  It's from WalMart, I got it while it was on rollback with free shipping.  See?  Our Chevy Baby.

2.  A crib mattress.

Obviously.  We got whichever one was $169 from Buy Buy Baby.  I splurged for the coil springs.  When I bought it I told the guy, "My first son has the Cadillac of mattresses.  We are looking for something good but cheap."  

3.  A dresser.

How hard can it be to find a white dresser?  Very.  After scouring all manner of furniture stores, we finally found one at the Durham Buy Buy Baby.  The exact model isn't online, which is why it took us so long to finally get to the most obvious place to buy nursery furniture.  

4.  A sleep sheep.

 

Rolls Royce Baby has the big version, Chevy Baby gets the travel sized version.  They are exactly the same, except in price.  The Chevy version is cheaper.  Yes, each of my children will have their own sound machine.  It's a must-have in this house.

5.  Baby carrier for the infant phase.

With Max I had great expectations about being a Moby wrap mom.  Let me tell you:  I LOATHE the Moby.  I'm short and petite, and the Moby is outrageously long.  It was way too much fabric on me and made me feel frumpy.  It was also complicated to put on...it required practice and who has time to practice when they are trying to calm a fussy baby?  I will say, that when it worked, I loved it...but getting it to work only happened 25% of the time and it usually took 15 minutes to get to that point.  The first time I tried to wear it I cried ugly postpartum, "what kind of mother can't even wear her baby?!?!?" tears.   This time around I splurged and got the Nesting Days baby carrier:

 

Practically everything about it...how to put it on, the fabric, the sizing...seems to be the opposite of the Moby.  The owner of the company, Julie, was great to work with (I ordered mine during a 20% off promo and they got so many orders that they had to delay the shipping date).  Julie emailed me to see when I needed the carrier and included a handwritten note on my receipt.  I am so excited to try this out!  You can order yours (or one for a friend) at www.nestingdays.com.

There you have it!  That is what we have purchased so far!  Of course, we still need things like diapers, wipes, clothes that are appropriate for an early Fall baby (Max was born in the middle of winter)...and I'm hoping to find a City Mini double stroller at a consignment sale later this month.  But I think we're off to a pretty good start!

Surprise surprise!

Wow!  I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted.  I'm definitely getting the itch to record our little lives again.  Things have been sort of slow around here because:

I'm pregnant!!!!

We are so happy and thrilled!  We found out the day after Max's second birthday, January 27.  It was such a surprise!  I had originally written out the whole "how we found out story" but it was way too long and, ultimately, a bit personal.  Here are the bullet points:

• On January 27 I had an appointment for an x-ray
• "You're late."--radiologist
• "I promise I cannot be pregnant."--Heather
• "Sign this waiver."--radiologist
• "Ok."--Heather
• "Wait!  Postponing the x-ray will not make a difference in your care.  Go take a test."--doctor
• "Ok, fine."--Heather
• Heather drove across the street and took a pregnancy test in the grocery store bathroom.
• Negative.  SO frustrated to have wasted an afternoon.
• Appointment rescheduled.
• Drove home.  Checked test again.  Wait.  Wha???  Huh??   Confusion ensued.
• Drove to Target.  Bought more expensive test.
• Went home.  Took test.  Definitely positive!  :)

See how many bullet points there are?  Imagine that written out.  Paragraphs upon paragraphs. I know you are grateful that I spared you.  This baby is such a happy and much wanted surprise! 

Max's Little Blue Truck Themed Second Birthday

On January 26, my little Max turned two!  We celebrated by having family and close friends over.  This year has been all about reading The Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle at bedtime, so a Little Blue Truck theme it was!  I wasn't sure how popular the theme was or what ideas I'd be able to find, but pinterest came to the rescue!  I created a board and married several ideas together.  I'm really happy with the results.

I hung this sign on our front door to welcome people to the party.  I laid out all the food in the kitchen and put several toys in the family room for the kids to play with.

Max had received the barn for Christmas and it was the perfect toy for a Little Blue Truck party as the Little Blue Truck is from the country and farm animals are his friends!  I also used the "farm" theme in the food:

Fishing hole:  goldfish crackers
I also bought truck cutouts from Hobby Lobby and set out crayons and stickers so the kids (and adults!) could decorate a truck.

Tumbleweeds:  barbecue meatballs
Pig Pen:  pigs in a blanket

Farm Fresh Eggs:  deviled eggs
Veggie patch:  veggies and dip

Chicken feed:  chips and salsa
Orchard:  clementine oranges

 Shovels and pitchforks:  forks and spoons

Our island was our dessert table.  I made chocolate cupcakes and displayed them on 2 stands plus in the wooden blue truck.  I found the truck for $3 at a thrift store and spray painted it blue. Not pictured are hay bales (rice krispy treats) and mud (chocolate pudding mixed with cool whip, chocolate chips, and crushed oreos.)  I also made a "watering hole" for drinks.  I served sodas, lemonade, and water.  Drinking glasses were mason jars and the straws had blue polka-dots, found in the dollar section at Target.

When everything comes to together it looks so simple, but I had been working on everything off and on since September.  I found most of my supplies at Michaels, including alphabet stamps...only to find similar stamps in the dollar bin at Target later!  Oh, well!  You always find what you need when you are not looking!

Max got a cd player from his Abuelitos.  He loves it.  I'm not sure I can say the same for the adults in the house.  Not even a chocolate cupcake could entice him away...

It was the perfect day to celebrate our little man turning two!  He is our greatest blessing and we are so happy he is ours!