Bike & Train

Christmas

What a Christmas! Santa was very good to Ava – as was everyone else for that matter. We’re trying to figure out what we’re going to do with all these toys!

Thankfully, Ava doesn’t wake up any earlier than usual on Christmas morning…yet! We were thankful for that with a newborn in the house. She was so excited for Christmas, yet she was quite apprehensive (typical Ava) when it came down to it. Chris and I were pumped for her to get downstairs to see her stocking, letter from Santa, half-eaten carrots and all the gifts. She took her time going down the stairs and she slowly approached the Christmas tree. She gradually took it all in with a little prodding from us. It took what seemed like forever for her to open presents. She eventually warmed up by the time we were done. It was fun to watch her learn about the magic of Santa. She was so thankful for each gift and she wanted to spend time with each one after she opened it. We had to explain how the system typically works. She figured it out before venturing to Honey & Papa’s house to open presents.

After taking her new Dora bike from Santa for a spin around the house we made our way over to Honey & Papa’s house where the entire family was anxiously waiting to open presents. The girls were spoiled rotten! The grandparents’ house is truly transforming into a high-class daycare it seems. It’s hog heaven for the girls when they visit!

Honey cooked up an outstanding dinner (are you surprised) which was the perfect way to refuel after the gift opening. We were very fortunate to have the family together under one roof, that’s surprisingly rare these days. Then, it was time for the Gingerbread Competition to commence! The competition was fierce this year and we’ll be sure to bring it next year! Jeff and Rachel won first place and believe me it was well deserved. Their house was quite stunning. Ryan and Bryan came in second with an adorable and humble abode. Chris and I would prefer not to talk about our attempted “Linken Log” cabin with solar panels and a windmill – we opted to put a “Foreclosed” sign in the front yard…

Here are some pictures of the festivities!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Santa's Cookies

The girls hung out at Honey & Papa’s house on Monday AND Tuesday to bake and decorate cookies for Santa. They had so much fun that they each fell sound asleep in the car on their way home before leaving the neighborhood!

They listened to Christmas music, conducted the choo-choo train in the foyer, watched movies, and played in their princess dresses all in addition to baking and decorating cookies.

I happen to know for a fact that Santa is going to enjoy Ava’s tasty and beautiful cookies…

HUGE thanks to Honey & Papa for all their patience, resources and love.

Thumbs up for good cookies!











The sprinkles got a little out of hand...

















Hard at work...










Ava's finished products...












On a different note, here is a pic of Lincoln with his Aunt Zsa Zsa :-)

2 Week Check Up

Lincoln had his 2-week check-up on Friday. He's a healthy boy!

Stats:
Weight: 8 lb. 8 oz. (50th %)
Length: 21" (75 %)
Head: 14.5 (50%)

I can't believe how much weight he's gained already. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised though seeing as how he eats like a champ. I feel like all I do with my day is feed Lincoln so I guess it makes sense. The doctor joked that he must be getting some high octane milk. I'm taking that as a compliment :-)

Linc went through a grumpy gassy spell for about a week. We were on the verge of calling the Pediatrician because every time he was awake he was crying like he was in pain (gas). I read that it might be a cow's milk allergy and that I should try eliminating cow's milk from my diet. After just 2 days we saw a considerable improvement! Coincidence? We're not sure yet. I discussed this with the doc and he said that based off the symptoms I described it could also be reflux. Since the cow's milk thing seems to be making a difference I'm going to keep that up for a while to test it out. If he's still grumpy then we'll try the prescription for Zantac that the doc gave us.

Other than the gas, he's doing great! At night his first stretch is usually 4 hours which is great. Then, we wake about every hour and a half which isn't so great. This week we're going to work very hard on getting into a routine. It's tough with the holidays.

Ava is still doing a good job with Lincoln. We're still hoping it isn't just a Honeymoon phase. Time will tell.

Aunt Zsa Zsa came to visit - I haven't uploaded those pics yet. She was shocked and surprised at first by how small a newborn baby is. That was comical! She quickly warmed up and was an ol' pro by the time she left. Ava enjoyed her time with Zsa Zsa as well. I enjoyed the conversation and someone to walk around the neighborhood with (fresh air = sanity).

Well, my hour and half is up. Linc is downstairs with Chris vocalizing his hunger.





 

 

Santa, Baby!

Last weekend Samantha had a brunch date with Santa at the Country Club. Uncle Jeff & Aunt Rachel were kind enough to invite Ava along as well. Honey & Papa picked up Ava Saturday morning and off they went to dine with Santa. We gave Papa the camera to capture the event - pics are below.

Ava was so excited to go see Santa! She and Sam talked about how they were going to sit in his lap and Ava was going to ask him for "snacks & books" for Christmas. She got all dressed up and asked me to give her "special hair."

A couple hours after she left our phone rang and it was Ava asking to talk to Mama. She was calling from Honey's cell phone. She was so excited I could hardly understand her. She went on and on (and I do mean on and on...wonder where she gets that from?) about Santa and the candy cane and Santa and his beard and Santa. She finally paused long enough to catch a breath and I asked her, "So, did you sit in his lap?!" Long pause from the other end and finally she replied, "Nope." And then she continued her story about Santa and the candy cane...

Sigh, oh well. Maybe next year.

Boy, is she obsessed with Christmas though and we have no idea where she gets that from (other than Ninny). We listen to LOTS of Christmas music around these parts now and we always drive by all the houses with lights at night. She's paticularly fond of "Rudolph the Reindeer Red Nose" - he's a lawn ornament a few streets down. This morning she was singing "Happy Days" (Happy Holidays) as she ate breakfast. Ava already has big plans at Honey's house on Monday and Tuesday - she and Sam are baking cookies for Santa! She takes this very seriously. She keeps reminding us that the reindeer will need carrots also. Guess we'll be making a trip to the grocery store for these reindeer...

All dressed up, ready to go see Santa!

Psyching herself up to sit in Santa's lap...


At brunch...

And this is as close as they got to Santa...

Enjoying her candy cane from Santa at home...

Just a silly picture of "Princess Ava"

Update

I got 3 consecutive hours of sleep last night!! I took a 2-hour nap this morning! I feel like a new person! I actually have energy to update the blog :-) I even had energy to vacuum, clean the bathroom and walk the dog. Phew.

We're having some trouble helping Lincoln distinguish the difference between daytime and nighttime. I don’t remember it taking such a toll on me when we went through this with Ava. I never napped with Ava. I look forward to naps now when Linc sleeps. I still only take about one a day because there are too many other things that need to get done.

Hanging out with him at night is enjoyable but I find myself passed out in the rocking chair during feedings. I only intend to feed him, change him and go back to bed. That somehow always turns into a 2-hour affair because I end up falling asleep while nursing. By the time I crawl back into bed it’s time to get up again. Sleeping in the rocking chair is not a sound sleep – causes lots of neck and back pain. I’m not stressing over it anymore, it’ll work itself out soon enough. When I can’t take it anymore I call on Chris and he’s always more than willing to jump up and help. I feel terribly guilty when I have to do that, but he really doesn’t seem to mind. I’m sure it’ll be a different story when he’s back and work and school. Gotta take advantage of it while I can.

Lincoln is doing great otherwise! He has a double chin and his cheeks are filling out beautifully. At his first doctor appointment on Monday he’d already gained 6 oz. The doctor was thrilled that he was already back to his birth weight. He had a slight case of jaundice when we left the hospital; something about a blood incompatibility with me. We had to take him back to the hospital twice since his discharge to get his bilirubin levels checked. Because he was considered low risk he didn’t require treatment unless his levels began to rise. Thankfully, his little body worked it out itself and his levels began to decrease so the doctor thinks we’re in the clear. His color is returning and the whites of his eyes look healthy again. He’s a trooper!

He smiles a lot and we’re not buying the “it’s just gas” line. He truly smiles and that’s all there is to that. He has the cutest dimples ever! Everyone points them out almost immediately. It’s funny how nutty people are over dimples, I don’t know what it is about them but they’re just so precious. He’s long and lanky. He has long skinny arms, legs, back and a little tiny bony bum. His feet are long and narrow. He has quite a different build than his sister had. He doesn’t complain unless he has gas bubbles or he’s hungry. He’s hungry a lot. All I do is feed him, all day it seems.

Who exactly said that changing a boy’s diaper is much easier than a girl’s diaper?! Seriously?! They couldn’t have been serious… It has been our experience that a boy’s diaper is much more complicated. It seems like we go through 4 wipes per poop just trying to get all the parts clean and under all the parts clean. And of course Little Linc sprayed both of us already! He got Chris last night before his bath and he got me twice today (during the same diaper change, go figure). He’s got some pressure and some range! We just had to laugh.

Ava is still happy with her baby brother. She hasn’t changed at all. She’s still happy, funny and polite. She’s been going to bed great – even when only one of us is available to tuck her in. She sleeps through Lincoln’s crying at night. She gives him gentle kisses and rubs the top of his head. As soon as she gets home from school she comes running into the door asking, “Where’s Lincoln?!”

Well, I’m going to see what else I can accomplish before Ava gets home.

Ava decorating the Christmas tree...


My boys...


Some family time...

Welcome, Lincoln!

Lincoln joined the world on December 4th. He weighed in at 7 lbs 5 oz and 20.5 inches long.

So how did it all go down? Here’s my extra long labor story for those interested (or bored at work)…

On Thursday I woke up to go to the bathroom in the wee hours of the morning and my water started breaking. It wasn’t a gush, just a leak. I had no idea at that point. I woke up as usual with the alarm clock (aka Chris) and got ready for work. Eventually, I realized that this might be my water breaking so I shared my news with Chris. I came to the conclusion that it wouldn’t be a good idea to go into work. We agreed that Chris would drop Ava off at daycare and run into work to tie up some loose ends and I’d keep him posted once I talked with the doctor. Long story short, my water was indeed breaking which meant I had to head directly to the hospital and we were going to have a baby within the next 18 hours (water breaking means risk of infection to baby). I also started to experience mild contractions at the doctor’s office. At 10:30 a.m. we were headed to the hospital. We made a quick detour to Chick-fil-A because I know that once you’re admitted to the hospital they only give you clear liquids. That’s just crazy talk! My body needed fuel to deliver this baby and I filled her up!

We arrived to the hospital and checked into our room that they had ready for us. I changed into the oh-so-flattering hospital gown and we took some time to look around the room. We patted ourselves on the back for “doing it right this time.” In other words, we actually arrived to the hospital before the baby was literally being born. As we sat there and waited for the nurse to come back and tell us what was next I started to feel a bit of anxiety. That’s an understatement. I wanted out. I wanted to go home. I wanted to transfer powers to Chris at the very least. I expressed my concerns to Chris and explained that I really didn’t think I could do it this time. I told him that I thought I would need pain medication this time because I just wasn’t ready mentally or physically to endure labor this time. I was fighting a cold, which didn’t help matters. He looked shocked. He reminded me that I’m strong and that he thought I can do it but that the decision is ultimately my own. The nurse came traipsing into the room at this point with hospital bracelets galore, which only made this more official and more impossible in my head. I expressed my concerns to her and she nonchalantly went about her business getting everything ready and telling me stories of this happening all the time. I guess that made me feel better and reality hit that this is going to happen whether I want it to or not.

Much to my discontent, the nurse hooked me up to what felt like a million monitors and unnecessary contraptions. Really, it was only a contraction monitor, a heart-rate monitor for the baby and an IV line thing. She drew some blood. I was all plugged into the wall and uncomfortable. I kept asking how I’m supposed to go to the bathroom and she made it sound all easy…so long as you have an army to help. At some point during all of this my Mom and my brother Ryan showed up– we call them our “birthing crew” now since they were there for Ava too. We were all old pros this time. Ryan set his laptop up to work and Mom carried on normal conversation. This was all very reassuring to me and I immediately began to feel better. When the doctor came in to check on us I still insisted on asking her my pain-relief options. I vaguely remembered my options from when I researched them 3 years ago. As she started explaining the side effects and possible complications all my worries went out the window. I immediately remembered exactly why it was important to me to do this without drugs. It was just the pep talk I needed, even if those weren’t her intentions or mine. I started to feel like “the Hulk” again, as Chris so lovingly describes me now. I began to prepare myself mentally.

After I re-assured the doctor that I’d be doing this without the use of pain medication she continued to explain that because my water broke, it was important that this baby be delivered within 18 hours from 2 a.m. or I’d then be hooked up to antibiotics to protect his environment from infection. Being that my contractions were still mild and I was only 3 cm. dilated we discussed the option of starting Pitocin. Given the timeline we were now forced to be working on I could see how things progressed in the next hour on their own – but after 1 hour if I still hadn’t progressed I’d need Pitocin. Since I was mentally pumped now I opted to get the Pitocin sooner rather than later. The nurse got it hooked up to my IV thing and it instantly felt cold going into my veins. My hand got cold. I realized, once again, there was no turning back. It was exciting and nerve wrecking at the same time. I then lay in bed and waited for the Pitocin to do its thing. We talked and laughed so hard that we were causing blips in the monitors. Chris had to assist me to the bathroom. He wheeled the silly Pitocin contraption while I carried a wad of wires and tried not to get tangled. That was an “I Love Lucy” episode if I ever lived one myself! We had a good laugh in the bathroom together.

At this point my contractions were no laughing matter anymore. I opted to stand and labor since sitting or lying was much too painful. The nurse offered a birthing ball, which provided instant relief for the back labor between contractions. Between contractions, Chris gently suggested I wear my robe over my shoulders to “stay warm.” Little did I know he was really trying to cover my bum, literally, which was exposed to anyone who walked into the room. Hahaha! Labor was serious at this point and I became very demanding – no talking during a contraction and don’t you dare touch me! Ryan decided to exit at this point. Shortly thereafter I had a contraction complete with strong pressure. I shook it off and decided to see what the next contraction would bring. Wouldn’t you know the next contraction was complete with a pressure and a slight urge to push? In a panic I asked Chris to buzz the nurse and tell her. Thankfully, she responded quickly and ran into the room. It was 3:00 p.m. The doctor was due to check me again at 3:30 p.m. The nurse said, “Let’s not wait for the doctor, and let’s check you out now.” Sure enough, I was 8 cm. dilated and unintentionally pushing. My Mom left the room to go update Ryan on my progress and to let him know that it won’t be long now. I apologized to the nurse for pushing and explained that I didn’t have a choice. She popped her head out of our door, ran back in putting on latex gloves and said that she called for any doctor because she wasn’t sure our doctor would make it in time. I had a little internal laugh at this point because even when we “do it right” we still manage to panic everyone.

Thankfully, our doctor ran into the room putting her gear on at the same time. She sat at the foot of the bed and checked my progress. As she was checking one of the coolest things I’ve ever experienced happened! We felt Lincoln spinning down the birth canal! She could feel his head spinning and descending against her fingers and I could feel his feet inside. It was amazing and exhilarating! She gave me the green light to actively push with each contraction. I pushed with all my might at the next contraction and could feel considerable progress. I pushed again and his head was crowning. Chris was beside himself. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen him so excited. He was more scared with Ava since it was our first experience and it happened so quickly. The look on Chris’ face gave me all the energy I needed to carry on. It was better than any drug they could have administered. I caught my breath for 10 seconds until the next contraction. Then I pushed his head out. The doctor started suctioning his nostrils. I pushed again and his body flopped onto the bed. He let out the most beautiful cry and then he carried on crying in healthy baby fashion. I asked Chris if everything was OK and he smiled from ear to ear and said, “Yes!” I looked down and there he was in all his purple-ness. The nurse immediately noticed his dimples. I, on the other hand, was making sure he was in fact a he.

At this point my Mom popped her head through the door in complete disbelief that from the time she walked out of the room when I was at 8 cm. and returned Lincoln had arrived. She ran back to tell Ryan the news and they both quickly returned. Just like his experience with Ava, Ryan walked in as the placenta was being delivered. Poor guy. Because he’s part of the “birthing crew” it didn’t faze him this time. I warned him when he walked in and he said, “Oh yeah, been there. No big deal!” I held Lincoln for quite some time before the nurse took him to the other side of the room to get his stats. Chris stayed by his side the whole time, talking to him and rubbing his leg. The nurse returned him to me all bundled up in his blanket and I began breast-feeding him. He rooted and latched on like a champ!

It's funny how I've heard horror stories about Pitocin but I have to say I was impressed and wouldn't hesitate to go that route again. After everything was said and done the nurse shared her disbelief with us that I went from 3 cm. to 8 cm. in under an hour. I guess that's pretty rare. The nurse also recommended that I not walk the halls during my stay because I wasn't very popular among the other laboring women. Guess our story made its rounds!

I’m thrilled to be home now. It’s like torture for me to stay cooped up in a hospital room like that. I began getting major cabin fever. We’re adjusting well to being a family of 4. Ava is great and she loves her baby brother. She has been a big help. Chris is home with me this week and I’m so thankful for that. He’s been my brain and my 3rd arm.

It’s time to get the kids showered and bathed. I’ll do my best to keep the updates coming. So much to write about, just so little time…


The oh-so-flattering hospital gown...


Laboring...


Brand new Lincoln...








Brother & Sister...

HAPPY TURKEY DAY!

...a day late :-/ Better late than never!

What a fun day it was! I wish I could have had a little more energy but you can't expect too much out of a super pregnant woman. And I do mean super...oy! It was so nice to just hang out with family all day and watch the girls play. My Mom somehow managed to pull off another INCREDIBLE dinner pretty much single-handedly. I was no help this year :-( Everything was simply delicious and cooked to perfection and there was so much of everything!

Ava wanted nothing to do with her parents yesterday. Why would she when she had Granny, Auntie Maureen, Samantha, Uncle Ryan, etc.?! We were a drag to her! I actually missed her :-( I only saw her in snippets as she and Samantha were on their way to the "store to go grocery shopping" with the little plastic shopping cart; or when she was snuggled on the couch reading book # 304 with Auntie Maureen; or when she was explaining something in great detail and of great importance to her Great Granny who listens so diligently; or when she was dressed as a princess being spoon-fed ice cream from Uncle Ryan. Needless to say, she fell sound asleep on our way home last night and she’s still snoozing. As soon as she wakes up we’ll be making our way back over to Honey & Papa’s house to play with Samantha some more and wait for Baby Matthew to show up.

Yesterday was a fine day for Lincoln to arrive…but he decided not to. Today is also a perfect day but I have a feeling he’ll wait until his due date. I had a doctor appointment on Wednesday and I was 1-2 cm. dilated and 50% effaced. I’m only measuring at 37 weeks. He hadn’t dropped yet. The doctor said his heart rate was low (110) so they hooked me up to a monitor for 20 minutes (that was a first for me). His heart rate was jumping around from 110-150 and he was plenty active so the doctor was pleased enough to send us on our way with instructions to “take it easy.” The monitor also measures contractions and wouldn’t you know I was having regular contractions?! Who knew?! Not me! I don’t think the doctor and nurse believed me that I couldn’t feel them, at all. The doctor said, “Michelle, this could very well turn into something and you may not be eating turkey tomorrow. If you start to feel these contractions then you need to get to the hospital!” Well, that was all she needed to say to make me loose 3 hours of sleep that night. I got it in my head that it was going to progress into active labor and I was worried about his heart rate so I sat up on the couch with Oprah from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. Nothing. No contractions (that I was aware of). What a disappointment. I’m finally over it today so life can carry on as usual now. When I crawled back into bed that night Chris said, in his glorious grogginess, “What’s going on? Are we having a baby??” Poor guy. Guess it was on his mind too. Although, he didn’t have any trouble quickly falling back into his slumber.

I hear Ava making her way downstairs now with Chris and this is the conversation:

Ava: “Daddy? Where’s Baby Matthew?”

Chris: “He’s on his way here. He’s driving in the car.”

Ava: “He’s too little to drive!”

And now she’s asking when she can go play with “Sambo.” Guess I better get going! Here are a lot of pictures of our Thanksgiving festivities...


We had some major DDR competitions! Gotta burn all those calories somehow!


Gotta love those smiles...




Sam sneaking some turkey...


YUM!


The Big Green Egg really IS the best!




After we un-veiled the turkeys Samantha enthusiastically suggested that we sing "Happy Birthday" to them. Guess we have some explainin' to do...

Thank you, America!

I can't wait to tell Ava the good news tomorrow morning :-)

Little shout-out to BLUE Virginia, too! Woohoo!

Butterfly