My Favorite Pictures of Christmas Day 2009

The result of our visit to see Santa

After much bribing and a tantrum on the floor in front of Santa, this is what we got:

As I fell asleep last night...

I laid down on the couch to feed our new little guy, with our little princess fast asleep in her big girl bed (for a couple of hours at a time anyway! ;), and within minutes my sweet husband and I had an interruption in our last Survivor date of 2009. What was that interruption you ask? Sleep! Within minutes I was fast asleep with an 8 lb., 6 oz. (yes, he has already grown 4 oz.!!!!!) little miracle on my chest. We slept for over an hour when HH came to help us off the couch and took over for a couple hours so I could get some sleep. I have to tell you, I have never felt so blessed in my whole life than when I woke up to see HH, little man and the monitor showing my sweet little girl fast asleep. I know life has it's ups and downs, but I couldn't imagine life being any better.... unless my house was squeaky clean that is. LOL Leaving that until next year. We will just continue to "maintain" the dishes, laundry and picking up until I am 100% again as I have already begun to realize the damage that can be done when overdoing it after a c-section. One side of my incision (sp?) is very swollen because apparently those are the ab muscles I tend to rely on the most and are not healing as well as the rest. It is quite painful when I tug on them so I am trying to remind myself that all these things that I am not accomplishing (i.e. a dirty shower, baseboards, floors, etc. the list just goes on and on!) can wait! I have a precious newborn and super sweet 21 month old that needs the energy that I have right now. I am so thankful that my Nana has been able to be here with us. She is such a huge help and I am glad that she tells me to stop! ;) Stubborn as I am, I don't usually stop, but I am working on that!

On another note, the last 2 nights little man has not had colic symptoms but a couple hours and they were early. As a matter of fact, I went to bed early the last couple of nights (well, tried, didn't really succeed) so that I could get a couple of hours of sleep before my "shift" started. Well, he brought him up to me and LM slept right through his first feeding to a 4 hour window instead of a 2 1/2 to 3! He has done that both nights! He didn't cry one bit the last couple of nights, I just got him up when he started to squirm and whimper, I fed him, changed him and laid him back down. Now, the little guy snorts like a little piggy all night so I must check on him a million and one times, but he is so precious sleeping in his bassinet like an angel! HH came in this morning and just shook his head when I told him that LM had gone 4 hours between both feedings last night. I am thinking he has labeled it "not fair at all", but I am not holding my breathe that it will stay this way, just thankful that it has lasted for 2 days! ;) Loving me some little ones this Christmas.

If I don't post again before then, Have a VERY Merry Christmas!

These are our Christmas pics for the year:

A few of my favorites from the hospital

Just adding more joy.

The last couple of days have been very rough on our little Baby K. She is having trouble understanding why mom can hold the baby and not her. I have shown her my "bo bo" and told her that mommy hurts, but she still wants to be held. I understand that so much and it breaks my heart to see her fall on the floor and lose it over and over because she doesn't want to "come and sit with mommy" she wants mommy to pick her up and hug her! I start my day by bending down and giving her a hug and telling her I love her and end it crying because she is in time out because she can't quit screaming out of anger because I won't pick her up. I know this will get better, but it is gut-wrenchingly hard right now. I feel like I have just wrecked her little world and don't know how to make it better.

On a positive note, Little Man had his newborn pictures taken today and made his first trip to the pediatrician's office. Both were successful and he is back to birth weight at only 4 days old! Way to go big guy! He is such a little eater! He eats about 3 oz. every 2-3 hours. CRAZY!

He is fighting colic from about 9:30 p.m. until about 3:30 or 4:00 each morning. It has been hard, but it gives us a chance to hold him and love on him and for that I am grateful. The time goes by so fast that I don't mind being up at 4:30 to feed him and give him attention! I don't want him to grow up! I am so crazy about him it is ridiculous. I had no idea that you could have the capacity to love your second baby as much as your first, but I think it makes your love for both deeper and more special because you realize how different each are and how unique the Lord has made them.

Below are many pics from the last few days. Please pay special attention to mommy's little helper. Baby K is busy feeding, changing and swining her baby when I am tending to mine. ;) It is so sweet and she is SO proud to be "doing it just like momma!"

A little milk for the baby...

A little milk for Baby K!

The first meeting of my two little blessings!

A last trip to the park before the baby came.

So awake and alert. I love the "milk high" pictures.

Our early Christmas present. Thank you Lord for all your many blessings!

Look closely. She is diapering her baby "just like momma".

Feeding her baby too...

My sweet little boy!!!

All bundled up. Our little baby burrito!

Which baby is which?

Is it just me or am I gonna have to be sure to write names on the backs of all my little ones pics?

Leave a comment and tell me which one is Baby K and which one is our new Little Man.

My new normal

When I hear "my new normal" it is usually being used to describe a schedule or what is left after a traumatic event or situation has occurred. Today I'm using it to describe the way that your body can survive and is so resilient and how the Lord really is our strength and takes such good care of us. It has been over 18 weeks since I have slept longer than 3 hours at a time, some nights getting a couple 3 hours, but most nights doing good to go back to sleep and get an hour here or there. More recently it has been more like tonight, an hour into my sleep I awake and I stay awake until about an hour before everyone else is ready to get up. So 2 hours, split in 2 sessions of 1 hour each. Whew, yes, our bodies really can keep going and I don't expect my "new normal" to change for another 18 weeks, or longer. The difference will be that after tonight my body will wake up to take care of another. A new precious little one will be given to me sometime today or tommorrow and I am so glad that we get to meet in such good circumstances. By that I mean that I feel blessed to have my family here buzzing around me and planning who will be where and when and how can they best care for our other little one and a husband that loves me (despite the fact that labor and a baby moving in my belly freaks him out- LOVE YOU HANDSOME!). I don't say these things to brag, I say these things because I am so grateful. I know that things could be drastically different and I praise God that they are not! I also know that things are subject to change in an instant and I don't want to forget this moment... in the dark... up all night... thankful for the changes we are getting ready to take on.

My mother and I (unless something changes and I go into labor early today) will be heading to the hospital at about 2 o'clock today to start the cervadil (NO idea if that spelling is even close). The doc said he will come by to check on us about 6 tonight and if the image in my mind is right, we will be right in the middle of a good card came or watching Fred Claus on tv. I am certain that is not what we will be doing, but the picture in my head is sweet. I mean come on, mom and daughter bonding the night before the birth of the second baby? She would probably rather be home playing with Baby K but I am thinking a) my hubby is 6'3 and doesn't fit well on the plastic couches and since he will be staying with me for the next night or so I'm gonna be a sweet wife and let him enjoy our bed one more night and b) I am really nervous about leaving my Baby K and her feeling abandoned for 3 days or so until I return and I feel like she needs her daddy here if there is no good reason that he must be gone. Not that I feel like she is not in very capable and loving hands, she has just recently become very attached to Mommy and I don't want her to think for a minute that we are both gone.

The doctor has made a few things very clear to us. 1) the chances of c-section slightly increase with induction 2) if anything goes wrong or doesn't seem right that he will tell us, but immediately proceed to get the baby out as fast as possible and 3) the cervadil does cause some women to go into labor and therefore we may have the little guy today. I am okay with all three! I really like my doctor and feel that we are in capable and loving hands and that we will be well cared for during delivery. I know that the Lord is in control and I just pray that our baby arrives safely and has all 10 fingers and toes!

Okay, more later. It is 6:30 and Baby K will be waking up shortly needing me to be alert and at some point I need to pack my bag. LOL I am usually such a planner, but who the heck knows what will fit when this child leaves the belly. :) Not me! I guess I will just throw some stuff in a bag and hope for the best.

Our love to all!
K