Hannah's Birth Story

With only a week's worth of time between Hannah's birth and now, I'm already finding myself forgetting little details so I want to write this story down for the book I'm going to print off "one day."

11/13/10, Saturday- I spent a lot of the day Christmas shopping with my mom, trying to walk (let's be honest--waddle) this baby out. I got lots of "pity looks" from strangers and "When are you due?!" statements. Truth be told, I wasn't that uncomfortable.

7pm--I started feeling somewhat crampy, but blew it off as nothing since I'd had these feelings before.

7:30-The back pain started in. I started to wonder if this might could be it....

8pm- I put Drew to bed a little early and realized as I was rocking him that this was it. My cramps were a good bit worse and the back pain was beginning to "radiate" like all the textbooks say.

9pm- I told Andrew this was probably "it" and he needed to get some rest. I headed off to bed, hopeful for a few hours of rejuvenating sleep.

10:15--I got out of bed because I had not yet fallen asleep thanks to anxiety and minor contractions. I decided to get up and the contractions got worse.

10:30--I believe this is when we started making phone calls for family to come sit with Drew and the "don't go to bed yet" calls for those living a little farther away who wanted to know the moment we went into labor. I got into the shower to shave my legs and wash my hair, two very important things on my list. Andrew sat outside the shower and timed my contractions which, by this point, were definitely painful. They were 2-4 minutes apart.

11:00ish--My parents arrived to keep Drew for a while, and we headed out the door to have a baby! The drive to the hospital was quite painful, but bearable. My contractions were 3-4 minutes apart, like clockwork.

11:45-We arrived, went in and got last minute paperwork done, and headed to our room. My contractions were about every 2 minutes by this point and quite painful still.

Sunday, 11/14/10

12:00--I got hooked up to the monitors, checked, told I was 3-4 cm (like I was on Thursday at the office), and told they would monitor me for the next hour to see if I was really in labor or not. Little did they know, I was not leaving! I knew this was it!

1:30--The nurse came in to give me Stadol, and I refused. She informed me my contractions would continue at 1 minute apart, and I was okay with that. I didn't want anything besides my epidural on board.

Around 2:00 I got checked and it was determined I was a "definite 4." I must admit I was a little disappointed. I was hoping for more!

I think it was right around this time that my back labor began. The contractions in the front that "radiated" around were painful, but bearable. When the contractions moved to my back, I thought I was going to throw up each time from pain. I couldn't move, breathe, etc. All the while they're asking me to climb up in the bed, bend over, and remain still for the epidural. That's like asking a fish not to swim! Impossible! The lady doing my epidural did a great job with the very little room I gave her to get the catheter in the right spot. Only one attempt and within a couple of minutes I had sweet relief. I don't know how much they charge for an epidural (I'll see soon-yikes), but they could have charged me 5,000 just for the injection at that moment and I would have said, "Done deal!"

The hours passed and family visited. I sneaked in drinks of a Sprite because I was shaking from lack of nutrition (a silly no eating rule caused this), and that helped my nausea a lot. I tried to sleep, but to no avail.

Around 6am--The nurse came to check me and announced I was about an 8! I was thrilled! All that dilation and no pain made for a happy laborer!

Around 7:30am--My new very sweet nurse, Dana, checked me and I was at a 9.

Doctor Tinker came in soon after and said I was a 9 1/2 with just an "anterior lip" left.

Around 8 there was no change in dilation, so they started Pitocin. I'd really hoped to not have to use this drug at all, but I figured I wouldn't have to use it long, so went right along with it.

8:30--Started pushing with each contraction.

9:15--Got another small dose of pain meds through my epidural. Continued pushing with each contraction, some of them being just a minute apart. Even with an epidural, I was exhausted!

9:30--Still pushing. Doctor Tinker comes in.

9:40--I'm told that Hannah is facing up instead of down. That's why it was taking so long! She was "stuck." Doctor Tinker announced that he needed the forceps and I freaked out "just a little." I don't know what my exact fear was...a head bleed, pain for the baby, lots of bruising for her...but whatever it was, the tear turned on like crazy. But I went with it because we really didn't have another choice. It took him less than 5 seconds to turn her around face down.

9:53--Hannah arrives! She wasn't crying which scared me to death, but as soon as that umbilical cord was cut (yay, Andrew!), she wailed with the best of them.

I was never prouder than when they placed her on my chest. That was a moment that was taken from me when I had to have a C-section with Drew and desired to experience that moment so badly. Let me tell you, it was as great as I had imagined. She had a head full of hair!

To be honest, when she was born and laid on my chest, there was no indication of her gender that was spoken of. I looked at her and thought, "She looks just like Drew! Wait...is this a girl?!" So I asked aloud and everyone chuckled and assured me she was still a girl!

9:54--Apgar 8. I was aloud to hold her on my chest for several minutes while the nurses wiped her off. She was such a beauty, and I was in love already!

9:58--Apgar 9

Soon after, they brought her back over to me, and I reveled in my little girl's presence. All the waiting for her was finally over. She had arrived!


We were finally a family of 4!

She was a great nurser from the start. After I fed her, the family came in to meet her. Lots of tear and shouts from my Dad when he found out she slightly has a dimple...a trait only he has!



Later that evening Drew arrived to meet his sister. We were a little worried, but he was so smitten with her. He kissed her repeatedly and looked under her blanket to see all of her body parts. When he saw her umbilical cord, he proudly exclaimed, "Wee wee!" Guess he thought he got a brother out of the deal after all!



We had a very brief hospital stay (about 30 hours) with the best nurses I could have asked for! Our hospital experience was an A+ and honestly more like a hotel stay at times!


On Monday night we left the hospital around 5pm to head home as a family of 4!

Hannah is Here!

For those of you not on facebook, I just wanted to let you know Hannah decided to make her appearance just hours after my last post. We had a successful VBAC! Praise God for answered prayers! She and I are doing great, Drew is a great big brother, and I'm remembering just how much I appreciate my sweet husband. Birth story and more pictures to come soon...

Hannah Katherine Laney
Born 11/14/10, Sunday
8 lbs. 6 oz.
21" long

A Letter for Hannah

Dear Little Miss Hannah,

Here I sit at 39 weeks, 2 days, awaiting your arrival. Actually I'm awaiting any sign of your impending arrival--breaking of water, contractions...anything to give hope that I get to see your beautiful face soon. While I have a God-given peace about me that you're going to come in our Father's time, I'm still rather impatient to see you, hold you, and kiss your beautiful cheeks!

Before you arrive and our life naturally gets a little hectic, I just want to write and tell you from the very beginning how very excited we are to add you to this family. I want you to know from the time you are a child to the time when you're a teen, a mom, and a grandmother how much you were wanted and loved from the very beginning. Our faithful Lord knew exactly what this family needed--more estrogen! Your Daddy and I were completely thrilled to have a boy or girl as our second baby, but I think the Lord knew the desire of my heart to raise a godly young woman.

I'll never forget the day we went in for your 20 week ultrasound and were told, "Yep, that's definitely a girl!" I could not help but cry buckets. God had seen fit once again to grant me the desire of my heart--not only for another child for whom we had prayed, but a girl. What a blessing. Yet, what a responsibility.

I want you to know that from the time you were conceived in my womb that the only thing I've truly wanted is for you to be a woman of God. I want you to love Him, fear Him, respect Him, admonish Him, turn to Him, and always have faith in Him. I want you to love the Lord more than you love me or Daddy or your siblings. I want you to desire closeness to Him more than your future husband or your children. I want your heart to be buried so deeply within our Lord that anyone who knows you has no choice but to see in whom your faith and commitments lie. And it's because of this desire for you and your siblings that I will try my absolute best to model this behavior for you. Oh, my sweet girl, I'm going to fail so many times. Maybe you're reading this and are able to count so many of the times I have messed up! But God is faithful to His children and He is molding me just as He's molding you into a living vessel. Thank goodness our God is forgiving and merciful!

It's also because of this desire for your spiritual well being that I'm going to make choices for you that you may not always understand. You won't be able to wear everything on the cover of the magazines you see. You may not get to see every movie your friends see. You won't get to go everywhere you may want to go. You won't own every toy that is popular and graces the pages of the toy book. Sometimes I'll will make you do or say things that you won't want to do at the time. But my beautiful daughter, these are temporary struggles that you'll learn from and will shape your beautiful little heart. Mommy doesn't do these things to be mean, but I do them because I love you enough to shield you, protect you, and provide for you. I'm investing in your heart. I do these things because you're going to reap the rewards of a disciplined heart for the rest of your life. And that starts at a young age.

The world I'm raising you in scares me. There are so many struggles for girls now that didn't exist 30 years ago, 10 years ago, 5 years ago. It seems to get harder all the time. But I am confident that God loves us and will help me to protect your sweet mind and raise you faithfully in Him. I am honored--honored--to be your mommy. Every cell within me loves you deeply and I hope you are always confident of that.

Please make your arrival soon! I can't wait to start our sweet journey together!

Love,
Mommy

39 Week Update

Just a quick note from the OB appt today. I'm 3-4 cm dilated (can I get a WOOO HOOO!!) and could go "at any time now" per the doc. He didn't even want to schedule my repeat c-section for week 41 since he "can almost guarantee I'll go on my own before then." I was elated.

For those of you reading this who are thinking, "Well I was 3 cm for 5 weeks before I changed," I totally believe you, but would rather hear about that after I deliver. You know...so I can remain optimistic right now and all. ;)

So the next appointment is set for next Thursday if she doesn't make her grand arrival before then. I made yet another "last minute needs" trip tonight to Target--you know, for butter, bread, bananas, eggs and the like. I hope it's the last time I make that run!

I want to add lastly that God has granted me such a sense of peace over this entire situation. I have total faith that Hannah will make her arrival at exactly the right time and that my God's hand is over this entire situation. I don't understand how some people live without this incredible peace found only in the Father. Praise God for that and thank you for those praying so diligently for our safe delivery!

Ch-Ch-Changes

In the past 5-7 days my body seems to have made several changes on me:

1. I'm not usually hungry. If I do feel hungry, it hits immediately and I'm starving. This happens maybe once every 3 days. Otherwise, I have to make myself take a few bites of dinner. The only things that really sound good are fluids, cookies, and sometimes cereal.

2. Stretch marks. Alas, I made it through my pregnancy with Drew and 37 1/2 weeks with Hannah with no battle scars to be found and now--here they are. Albeit small, they arrived! But honestly, I'm totally okay with them. They're worth it--and I never planned on wearing a bikini again!

3. Grumpiness is at an all time high. Andrew consoled me last night and claimed he hadn't noticed my general lack of appeal yesterday, but I'm wondering if he was lying. My patience is a little shorter than it has been and I just feel "blah." I don't have a desire to get dressed, put on make up, etc. I just want to make it to the end of the day and to that next doctor's appointment.

4. My clothes don't fit. Ladies, is it not so frustrating to be at the point of delivery "any day now" and not have clothes that cover your basketballed stomach? You find yourself between a rock and a hard place: waste money on 2-3 new shirts that might not even get used more than once but have a covered belly or risk letting it "all hang out" and tug and pull at that hemline for what could be another 2-3 weeks? So far my solution has been to stay at home and wear Andrew's favorite shirts. Somehow he caught the bad end of this deal.

5. Dryness. My skin and lips are so dry suddenly. I'm talking cracking and bleeding. And yes--I'm drinking, drinking as much as I can! Maybe it's the change in weather?

6. She's dropped. I should have put this at the top of the list since it's cause for lots of other changes. Thankfully, she's out of my ribs (and let the Hallelujah chorus SING!). Unfortunately, she seems to have landed on my bladder. But I'll take going to the restroom 15 times a day or rib pain any day.

7. I'm sleeping better. So much better. And I'm pretty sure it's due to number 6.

8. Hello, Braxton Hicks. Tell me you're making progress and not just making me uncomfortable. We'll find out Friday...

9. 100% nesting mode. My husband is continually joking that I'm not going to stop cleaning this house until our little bambino gets here. And unless something else changes about me, he's right!

10. This doesn't really fit on this list, but I'm adding it there for the "even number" sake. Her room is almost complete. I need to hang the letters above her wall and move Drew's boxsprings out. After the tree is up, we'll move the rocking chair to her room. It's still undecided when that grand event will take place! But other than that, I'd say it's finished. Pictures to come soon!

Let's all pray for one more major change: AN EXITING OF BABY HANNAH!

36 Weeks

It's almost surreal to think that this Thursday will put me at 37 weeks. All you women who have been pregnant before know what that magic number means: full term. Yikes! This pregnancy has just soared by so much more quickly than Drew's. However, 36 weeks is as exactly as I remember it: a pain! It's like the 36th week does something to the body that leaves you with pain, odd walking, indigestion, stretch marks, the inability to bend over, etc. It's just generally not a pretty picture. You begin to lose your independence in so many ways that it's frustrating. Sleep is great some nights, horrible other nights.

My 37 week appointment is on Friday. Nothing special should happen except the numbers on the scale should go up. ;) I really like my new doctor, so I'm looking forward to talking with him again.

And here is the first real belly picture at 36 1/2 weeks....


Yikes! She'll be here soon!

Plethora of Topics--with Pictures!

How'd you like that post title? It was the most unique thing I could come up with in 3 seconds. I could very well split this up into several posts by topic, but why do that and make you open up so many different windows on your google reader? See, I wasn't being lazy. I was thinking of you. ;)

I've become so lax about putting pictures on my blog (I hear Drew's relatives giving a hearty "Amen!"), so I decided to upload a few today to update our sweet readers on our busy lives.


Here I am at 31 weeks, I think. It's all a blur these days. I really have to think about it when someone asks, "How far along are you?" My husband has to correct me and add a week onto my answer half the time. How's the pregnancy going? Well, I'm starting to remember why the third trimester is not-so-much fun, but thanks to being at SAHM, the back pain this time around is much more manageable, although still VERY present and accounted for. ;) My ribcage feels bruised all the time from my uterus pressing into it, but stretching out usually resolves it for a while. Everything else is going splendidly. I'm happy to report I only gained 1 lb in the last 2 weeks (a huge WOO HOO) and am measuring "right on the money," per my OB. Speaking of OBs, since I'll be delivering in a different hospital, I switch to start seeing their doctors in 2 weeks. I'm a little nervous about that. I'm just afraid my expectations are going to be more than what they want to meet....but we'll see. I wish we had a birthing center nearby. I think that'd be optimum for what we're wanting. However, I'm just leaving it in God's hands. He knows what's best for me and Hannah, and He's going to pave the way for His perfect plan. If that doesn't bring peace, I don't know what will!

Here's Hannah's room before with some of the furniture moved out already.

(See all the computer equipment on the bed? The hubs needs an office. And there appears to be a ghost in the bottom right hand corner.)
\

And here it is after 2-3 coats of cotton candy pink paint....

(where the floating mirror once was...)


With shower gifts lying in the floor ;)

I loooove the color! It's exactly what I was wanting. I spray painted her curtain rod yesterday; now all I lack are the clips and hanging the curtain to be finished with that part.

My husband is quite the talented man! Here's the start of Drew's twin bed...


Pretty good job for a first timer, right? He says he's gonna be like Jesus and be a carpenter. ;) All he lacks is the foot board and supporting pieces and paint. After that's done, Mr. Drew is gonna be the proud owner of a big boy bed!

A couple of weeks ago we had church service outside on a Sunday night. It was meant to be a cool, fall evening, but you can see by the red cheeks on my son that it was definitely not cool! However, we had a really good time.

My little boy who has never been fond of swinging got right into the swing and had himself a ball for about 2 whole minutes. His attention span usually isn't longer than that for anything, so I was impressed!




Drew has a thing for sweet little girls. Here are two of his favorites...

Ms. Anna Grace! Known by Drew as "Ann Gace!" He screams her name each time we drive by the church building. I have to also lovingly remind him that we go there to worship Jesus as well. ;)


And this is Mya, the little girl Drew is obsessed with hugging. Half the time they are hugging, he pulls her over onto the ground. So now he says, "Hug My (with no "a"). No, no, no push."

I've bee n thinking Drew would really love to jump in a bounce house...

I was wrong. He wanted his Daddy to hold him the entire time! My little daredevil is becoming scared of a few things. Surprising!

Kacie and Judd were able to come down last weekend for Hannah's adorable shower (separate post coming soon!) and we decided we would all go eat a late dinner one night while 2 different grandparents watched each grandchild. We met for dinner at 9pm (starving!) and I ate my weight in food. No kidding. I almost had to be rolled out to the car. Andrew and I got into the truck and I said, "Why don't we just drive around for a while? It's only 10:20." Y'all, by 10:23 I was falling asleep in the front seat, so these old timers rolled into the house at the late hour of 10:30. We finally got a date night and we came home at 10:30. Nice! I was so full that I was miserable! The good news....the company that night couldn't be beat!



And lastly, here's my little dude sporting a small piece of his Halloween costume. Can you guess what he's going to be? (Now that I've typed that, I think the tag shows the answer...)


Whew! So now we're caught up on pictures & recent events! We hope to get out to the zoo and pumpkin patch soon so I have no doubt I'll be behind again very soon! Stay tuned for Hannah's shower pictures!

30 Weeks

30 weeks down, 10 to go!


(Please note the fall wreath is out!)

Wow. That's a scary thought. 10 weeks to get her room organized, Drew's bed built, and both rooms & closets put together and organized. Whew!

So at 30 weeks I'm right on track with my weight gain (even though I took a "large jump" over the last month, per the doctor I had to see on my last visit. He was male. I'll leave it at that.) I'm sleeping pretty well at night (shockingly!), and don't really have time to think about much pregnancy related because I'm chasing Drew all day. It's true what they say about 2nd pregnancies going by more quickly than the first.

My tummy moves like lava sometimes, and I love watching/feeling the movements. I can feel distinct appendages being moved across my abdomen at times. While I was rocking Drew at naptime today I'm pretty sure he felt a hand run across his side. He looked at me funny as if to say, "How'd you do that?!" and thankfully went right back to sleep. Sibling rivalry has begun! Andrew jokingly said the other day that Hannah's gonna come out punching and kicking at Drew to get back at him for all the times he's elbowed and jabbed her in-utero! I've decided all that amniotic fluid is actually there for protection from older siblings more than anything else. Thank goodness for it!

Andrew is about to start building Drew's bed from Ana White's site. We've decided to paint it white, and I'm so excited for Andrew to get started on it! I got Drew's bedding at Target today and couldn't be more thrilled with it. He has polka dots on his wall with the main colors being blue, green, and white. This couldn't be more perfect!


So some progress is being made, but we have a LONG way to go. Stay tuned for Drew's first day of Thursday School (Mother's Day Out)!

Pregnancy Week 26

*Edited: This post was originally titled "Pregnancy Week 25." Did you catch the difference? Yeah...I was a week behind and didn't realize it until I saw it on the calender. When I say that this pregnancy is flying, I really mean it.*


Well, technically we're at 26 1/2 weeks. If you've been pregnant before, you know these "half weeks" may not mean a whole heck of a lot at this stage, but when you reach the END of this 9 month journey, every day counts. It counts for health of baby, weight gain, swelling, and inability to sleep. Those days count! So we'll count them now out of respect. ;)

What's going on? Well, these days every time I look at a food item, it automatically ups my weight. And probably the fact that I eat it has something to do with that as well. My appetite really caught up a few weeks ago and I'm making up for any lost appetite in that first trimester! No, seriously, I'm trying to not overdo it, but I do eat when I'm hungry. I'm very much of the idea that whomever came up with that "only eat an extra 100-300 calories a day" rule was either: 1) male or 2) a woman who'd never been pregnant. Seriously, how in the world do they know exactly how many extra calories I need to grow a lung? Or an arm? It's more than 300 calories a day; I guarantee you that! In the end, I'm right on track with my weight gain, and I'm good with that!

Little Hannah just moves and grooves each time I lie down, especially if I lie on my side. If I set an item on my stomach, she'll kick or punch it to make it giggle around. I love that! Sometimes the kicks and nudges actually tickle or startle me. I love this part of pregnancy.

Everything is going so well in this pregnancy. I'm beginning to feel myself sneaking into that third trimester, in terms of comfort though. I catch myself wanting to support my belly with my hands if I'm up too long to take the weight off my pelvis. Then other times my back will ache if I'm in a chair too long. I can't get quite as comfortable at night, but I'm still sleeping well 80% of the time. No, I'm not complaining! I'm just noticing these things as I'm moving forward in our 9 month journey. All a natural part of this pregnancy deal that I'm happy to experience. I have far too many friends who've experienced (and are still experiencing) difficulty in getting pregnant. I'm praying for you, friends, and remembering what a blessing it is to carry a child.

Heartwise, I GOT THE CLEAR FROM MY DOC FOR NO MEDS!!! Woo hoo!! I definitely showed lots of sinus tachycardia (high heart rate) on my monitor, but it's not going to require meds as long as I can control is by resting. No bed rest yet!!! Another HUGE relief as he'd warned me of this last time. So right now I'm on a "call if it gets a lot worse" basis. My next appointment is next week, and I can't believe it's already time for another visit. After this, I'll start going to see the OB every 2 weeks. How is that possible?! That just reminds me of how badly I need to get started on Hannah's room!

I'm still amazed sometimes that I'm about to have 2 kids, age 2 and under. Maybe amazed isn't the right word. "Scared to death" might better describe it at times! I know that God is going to carry us through this season that may be difficult and it will be worth the sleepless nights and tiring days. My journey to raise Godly boys and girls is worth far more than a few lost hours of sleep....someone just remind me of that from time to time, okay? ;)

I'm off to....well, to be honest, lie on the couch. Yep. Just gonna lie here and relax while the Drew-man sleeps! Hope y'all have a blessed day!

VBAC vs. Repeat Csection

(FYI: This is my 600th post!)

VBAC- Vaginal Birth After Cesarean

There is SO much information on this topic that I can't hardly discuss it all here in enough detail that it would do each side justice. However, I did want to put out a good resource that I used on making myself more informed and educated on the pros and cons of each decision in case someone else out there is searching for answers. Childbirth Connection answered all the questions I had and even gave me more to think about. If you're debating this decision, I'd highly recommend you read up this evidence based material and then take your own circumstances into account. The site may be a little biased towards a VBAC if circumstances allow, but I think that's just because that's where the evidence shows is the safer position.

After reading up on all my information from the above website, I went in and talked to my OBGYN. Thankfully, she is very pro-VBAC if the cirumstances are right. Her partners, unfortunately, are not so supportive. However, since I'm delivering at a different hospital than last time, this new hospital seems to be "more okay" with them. With that said, there is at least one doctor in particular there who refuses to perform VBACs. So on the off chance that all the cards line up, I go into labor, head to the new hospital and he's on call, he'll section me and won't even let me try. Doesn't that just STINK? I really thought so, too, but it's out of my hands.

For the cards to line up for my VBAC, we'll need to:
1. Get registered at "new hospital."
2. Transfer to see the new docs at 34-36 weeks.
3. Have all heart problems resolved, like they did with Drew
4. Go into spontaneous labor (no cerivcal softening agents or Pitocin) by 41 weeks
5. NOT get aforementioned MD who refuses to do VBACs on that particular day/night

When I look at this list, really only one thing concerns me and that is I hardly dilated at all with Drew by almost 38 weeks, 5 days and he was an 8lb. 7oz. baby. I just wonder how big this girl could be if I went into labor at 41 weeks! Ah! But they say each pregnancy is different....

Reasons I Want a VBAC:
1. Easier recovery with a good VBAC
2. More possible to VBAC future kids with only 1 Csection (yes, we want more than 2)
3. Less risk for infection, blood clots post partum
4. Csection scarring can affect fertility issues for future children (see site listed above)
5. Statistically safer for mom and future babies

Did that last one surprise you? It did me, too!

Of course the main concern for a VBAC is uterine rupture, where you get a weak spot and then tear in the uterus, exposing baby, uterus, placenta, and blood to mom's abdomen. In the words of my doctor, that event is usually catastrophic. Life threatening. Scary.

But what are the odds? 27/10,000 women or less than 1% chance for rupture. Even women who have had a previous Csection and elect for another section can have a uterine rupture, so I carry the small risk anyway. Different sites will give you different numbers, but the same conclusion stands: the chance for a rupture is small and the benefits can still outweigh the risks for a VBAC.

Whew! Are you thoroughly confused?

With all that said, we are moving ahead prayerfully. Very, very prayerfully. In my mind, I'm leaning towards the VBAC and hoping for a great delivery that way. However, my mind is still very much aware of the idea that it's very possible to have to have another Csection. We have several cards that will have to line up before we can go through with the VBAC, but my doctor is confident that I'm a great candidate so we're pressing forward in that direction. I have confidence that God will give us a clear-cut answer as to which method to try. If this baby turns out breach, we'll have no choice but to section again!

Now, go study because there will be a test over all this material next week!

July Catch-Up

I'm sitting here surrounded by forms--medical, insurance, registration--all to bring my little girl into the world. Why in the world does something that was made to be so natural have to be so expensive & complicated?! Don't worry though; I'm not here to get on a medical/insurance soapbox. At least not until December when the bills start rolling in. ;)

So we've been quite busy around here the last few weeks! Between vacation, out of town visitors, and Andrew's trip to Phoenix for a week, we haven't slowed down. This past weekend was a much needed relaxer! Andrew's mom came to watch Drew on Friday night while Andrew and I went out on our first "alone" date in close to 6 months. We were way overdue! We didn't do anything incredibly exciting, but we had a really good time. We ate dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse (a yummmmy treat!), bought me a new pair of jeans at Motherhood Maternity (mine were SO uncomfortable that I walked out of the store in the new pair--yep, I'm that girl!), walked around Lowe's designing our unfinished upstairs, and finished off the night with dessert at Steak n' Shake. It really was so refreshing just to spend time talking to one another and reconnecting in the midst of a crazy summer.

Then, on Saturday Drew woke up and threw a small wrench in our relaxing weekend. We noticed a rash on the bottoms of his feet. Later in the day, we noticed spots on his hands and, finally, ulcers on his lip. Yep. We have hand, foot, and mouth disease, a lovely virus that we probably picked up while bustling around doing errands in Target and WalMart last week. Thankfully, it hasn't bothered him too much, but the blisters haven't started forming on his feet quite yet. I fear we're headed there, though. Please pray for us! We're going to have to keep him quarantined for most of this week so as not to spread this to other kiddos.

Little Miss Hannah (my nickname for baby girl) is just as active as ever. I was positive that after birthing and raising for 2 years such a ball of energy that the Lord was surely see fit to give me a calm, still, easily entertained child. HA! I'm just not sure that's the case! She's quite the mover and groover, and I love feeling all her little kicks. They are getting more distinguishable so that I can tell if they are caused by a small hand or foot or from turning about. I do look forward to being able to feel her hands and feet on the outside of my belly. Such an awesome thing to experience!

Hannah's room is....no different than 6 months ago. Still a guest bed/office, but her closet is in the beginning stages of being cleaned out. I guess if all else fails, she can sleep in the closet, right?

Mr. Drew is just as busy as ever! Drew determined last week that we didn't have enough art in the dining room, so he decided to fix that problem! I told him about how that wasn't nice and that we should only color on paper....then I took his picture. I just couldn't resist!

(Little Andrew....minus the eyes he got from mommy!)

He's just talking up a STORM! He makes little sentences such as: I hold, I help, I cook, I walk, I nice, I close, I poo (lol), etc. He's picking up on words all the time and becoming more of a "parrot" than ever. I love seeing his language skills develop! After 2 years of not being able to understand him, it's nice to be able to communicate both ways with Drew. It really helps!

OB-wise, things seem to be progressing just as usual. Wednesday is my glucose tolerance test (bleh). I failed last time by 7 points and had to do that horrid 3 hour repeat test to pass. I plan on NOT eating and drinking coke until 12am this time so that hopefully my results will pass me the first time around. I'm still tethered to this heart monitor for the next week. It will be one of the happiest days of my life when I can pack this thing up and mail it back! I'm still so on-the-fence about which way to go: VBAC or Csection. There are pros and cons to both, and I'm looking forward to hashing them over with my doctor this week. I really would just feel better if I had a firm decision in my head to run with. I'm such a planner by nature that the "not knowing" of this situation is really bugging me. Have any of you had to make this choice?

Well, I'm off to tend to the little one and spend time with my main squeeze. We're going to attempt to finish up 24 tonight....the last two episodes. I might cry! I hear rumor that there are talks of a movie to wrap everything up. I hope so!!!

Minor Nursery Crisis (with inspiration pictures!)

Last night after I got my little Drew-man in bed, I was reading over emails. I had one from my weekly pregnancy thing. I clicked 5 weeks ahead to see what their little animated baby looked like at that point cause that's just around the corner. Then I saw the words, "Your due date is now only 13 weeks away!"

My eyes got bigger than my salad plates. (And I have big salad plates. Seriously, I do.) I don't know why I've felt zero urgency about getting ready for my sweet girl's arrival. I guess it seems as though fall and cool temperatures are FOREVER away. And if you live in the South and have stepped out of your air conditioned home this week, you know why November seems forever away. So it hit me...and I nearly had a panic attack. I jumped on craigslist, made a list of all the things that need to be completed and bought, and did a survey of 3 extremely cluttered closets that need to be dejunked in order to make room for baby and other important stuff (like those 10 egg wreaths I bought on super duper clearance last season). Then I called Andrew and went on a tangent about how behind we are with getting ready for this baby. When I stopped to take a breath he just sighed and said, "Yeah...it will all get done." Clearly, I worry enough for both of us!

So here's my list of what needs to be done ASAP:
1. Pick fabric for bedding, table cover & curtains
2. Determine amount of material needed
3. Consult with my mother in law about making them
4. Find a cute minky dot pink blanket to match bedding
5. Buy a toddler bed with mattress & boxsprings
6. Buy bed rails
7. Pray for my sanity as we switch Drew from a crib to a toddler bed soon
8. Buy items needed for wall decor, a hamper, curtain rod, and hangers
9. Pick a paint color based on fabric
10. Paint the room
11. Move Andrew's office back to our bedroom for the 3rd time since we've lived here
12. Declutter and organize closets
13. Go through newborn clothes to find gender neutral outfits. Buy clothes where needed.
14. Possibly paint dresser

Um....who wants to come do all this?! I know it really doesn't seem like that much, but it feels OVERWHELMING to me at this moment. I think one good day of choosing fabrics/paints, purchasing items, and planning will leave me feeling a lot better about the situation. *Deep breath....*

Here are a few photos of what we're looking at for bedding, idea wise. If you've seen these online you know most of us would have to sell a kidney to afford them. How hard can making a bedskirt be?! We'll be using our breathable bumper, buying a coordinating sheet, and adding a minky dot blanket to the mixture...


I love the tailored look of this bedskirt (and how cute are those fabric covered buttons?!), but I'm not sure it will show well with our crib...


But I simply love the fabric. I might even see if my grandmother would make a simple blanket out of one of the materials to pass down to Hannah...


A good idea of the girliness I'm going for, bedding wise.



I think a full skirt such as this might show up better, but I'm not crazy about the orange.


I loooove the paisley and stripes together. This is a definite possibility. Please be kind to me, JoAnn's and Hobby Lobby.

Curtain-wise...

How cute would a valance like this be with a color coordinating panels behind them like this:

(of course the top contrasting fabric wouldn't be there, but the same patterned fabric used on the valance would be used at the bottom of the panel.) Oh, and we must add the light blocking blinds and fabric backing to the curtains. Darkness is key for naptime!

Thoughts? Advice? Criticisms? Okay...keep the criticisms to yourself if you're not a fan of pink and frilly! ;)

It's time to get a move-on!