Cincinnati

It has taken me forever to get around to posting about our trip to Cincinnati, but here it is. We went to the Reds game and it was so freakin' hot. The kids were troopers though and E was happy to have his BFFs Taylee and Mathis there.

Normally I'm opposed to pictures with mascots, but a baseball woman seemed less creepy than some, so I obliged.

It was so hot. We were all dripping with sweat. We thought it might cool down once the sun went down. We were wrong. We stuck it out til the end so we could see the fireworks and E was "kinda nervous" during them.

We stayed in a hotel overnight for fun and made a little weekend trip out of it. We got up the next morning and Ben took E swimmumum and then we headed off to EnterTRAINment Junction. Too bad we don't have a little boy who loves trains...
I think it was almost a spiritual experience for him when we walked in. There were SO MANY trains for him to look at that he couldn't even speak. His mouth just hung open as he tried to take it all in. It really was cool, even for people who aren't quite as passionate about trains as our E.
They had a little train-themed play area that E enjoyed as well. There may have been a tantrum when we had to leave that part.
But all was well as soon as he realized he got to ride Thomas! Ok, if we're being technical here, he rode Clarabel, one of Thomas's coaches. But Thomas pulled them around the track, and it was thrilling.



It was a fabulous little trip for us all, and I think that the money we spent to get into EnterTRAINment Junction was some of the best we've ever spent. We had one happy boy.

One Month

Height: 21 inches (50%)

Weight: 9 lbs. 3 oz. (50%)

Head Circumference: 37 cm (50%)

Sammi, today you are one month old. You've accomplished a lot for a one-month-old. To name a few:

*You can open your eyes for more than a few minutes
*You can sleep
*You can eat
*You have regulated your messy diapers a little better so you aren't constantly pooping in quarter-sized amounts. Good job!
*You've survived a kick and hit from your brother
*You SMILED! (On purpose or not, I don't care)
*You laugh in your sleep (What are you dreaming about?)
*You have successfully won the heart of every person you meet
*You are so stinkin' cute. Observe picture below:
*Probably the best thing you do is exert your powers of coziness over everyone who holds you. No one has successfully escaped your cozy clutches and has remained awake once you are placed upon their chest. And you don't even have to try hard.
We love you, little girl!

Comparisons

A few people have told me that Sammi really looks like Emerson. For some reason, I don't see it. Maybe I can understand my Dad's inability to see my resemblance to my mom a little bit better now that I have my own kids. :) But, I digress. I was looking at old pictures of Emerson, and I think they actually do look alike. What do you think?

Emerson

Samantha

Then, there's this picture. It reminded me of one I posted recently.

My big brother Scott and me

Emerson and Samantha

Do you see it? A little mischievous smile on both of the boys' faces...a slight look of panic on the innocent baby girls' faces. It's a wonder I survived, but I'm holding out hope that Sammi will too.

Getting Used to Bebe Sister

We've been doing well (for the most part) getting used to Bebe sister around here.

We've played choo-choo trains with the laundry basket

E helped Daddy wash the car when the girls needed a break

Played some more trains. (I wish I could see inside that little mind to figure out the scenario going on here.)

Stared at this sweet little face LOTS

Cheered her on when she found her fingers (I love that E is a thumbsucker, so I wouldn't mind if Sammi was too. They're going to need braces anyway.)

Taken a 15-second turn holding her

Cheered her on even more when her thumb accidentally wandered to her mouth

And spent some quality time, Sammi style.

However, the status of Sammi's safety around E has changed. I knew it was only a matter of time before something happened, and last night, it did. I was in the middle of changing her diaper when we were getting ready to go on a walk and he walked by and said "kick" and kicked her on the side of the head. (In reality it wasn't a very hard kick, but at the time it seemed that way.) I was shocked and furious all at the same time. Luckily Sammi didn't cry for too long and she was ok, but I made sure E felt bad. He spent a LONG time in time-out sobbing, then we had a talk about how we never ever hit baby sister. Did I mention I was furious? My mind was completely boggled. I have no idea where that came from, and I'm not sure what to do if (when) it happens again. Not one of the happier moments we've had together. But for the most part, we're doing fine.

Chatterbox

E has been making me laugh so much lately. Some more of my favorites:

When I went to get him out of his crib, I was wearing a purple nightgown and when he saw it he said "Oh! Pretty dress Mommy!"

"Mommy! You a princess. I'm a prince! Bebe sister a prince."

Me: "No! Baby sister is a princess, because she's a girl!"

"Nooooo! Not a prince! Bebe sister a princess."

While Skypeing with my family, he yelled "No touching Merson, Mommy. No touching." I think he learned that one from nursery.

Anytime he falls down he says "I'm okay, I'm okay." Or "Don't worry, I'm fine."

Oh E, we love you to pieces.

5th Anniversary

Happy Anniversary, hon! I can't believe we're still here 5 years and 2 kids later. :) I love you and look forward to many more.

Kinda Nervous

Emerson has picked up some funny phrases lately. I'm sure he's heard them from me, but it's weird hearing them come out of his little two-year-old mouth. :)

When I pulled out a new pair of shoes for him to wear he melted into a puddle on the floor and would not even entertain the idea for a second. So we let the shoes just kind of sit around the whole week so he could get used to seeing them around without having to actually wear them. I was able to put them on yesterday morning, no problem.

But then...this morning while getting him ready for church I pulled out a new pair of Sunday shoes that I had purchased a few months ago and he let out a scream and immediately grabbed Beah, stuck his thumb in and said "No Mommy! Kinda nervous!" "You're nervous?" I asked. "Yeah, kinda nervous." That was my mistake. Two pairs of new shoes for a boy this size in one week was not a good idea. It would've caused me to weep too...but with joy instead of fear.

He also says "Ree frustrated." (Really frustrated) when his trains aren't cooperating.

"Ree heavy" (really heavy) can mean something is actually heavy or just that he's holding lots of things or something big and unwieldy.

As I mentioned before, he has also enjoyed singing lately. When I got up with Sammi last night around 3:00 a.m. I heard him singing "Wheels on the Bus" to her to try to comfort her. I've also heard him say while half asleep "Don't worry. Don't worry." when she starts fussing in the night. I hope he keeps trying to comfort her and doesn't just get "ree frustrated" when she cries.

2 Weeks Old!

So everyone says that time flies with your second child. It's true. I feel like if I leave her for a second, she's already grown and her little cheeks have filled out a little more. This is the constant internal battle I've been having: I have a precious 2-year-old boy whom I love. I have a precious 2-week-old whom I love. How do I savor every precious quickly-passing moment with my newborn and still show my two-year-old that I love him even though I now have to split the time that used to be exclusively his? I'll let you know if I ever figure it out...but don't hold your breath. Maybe some advice from you more experienced moms?

Some events of the past week:

Mommy and Grandma J thought Sammi would fit perfectly in Emerson's "shinner" (stroller). She did. But we tried this while Emerson was having his nap so he wouldn't try it himself.
Remember the savoring part? Well Grandma J and I would take turns every day having Sammi sleep on our chests for our afternoon naps during Emerson's nap. This is one cozy girl.
Something I'm savoring a little less is the fact that my baby girl poops every 10 minutes. Seriously. But she only poops quarter-sized amounts. So here's my other major internal battle: Do I change her right away or let her finish? My solution right now is to slather her little bottom with Desitin each time I change her and then wait a reasonable amount of time to change her...you know, just so we don't go broke from buying diapers. But she insists on going either right while I'm changing her or right after I've gotten her onesie snapped up. Oh yeah, and then every ten-minute interval in between. Silly girl.

Emerson has paid a little more attention to "bebe sister". He even offered her a train to play with. She tried her best to play, but he eventually gave up and asked Mom and Grandma instead.
Then he wanted to lay by her. So I let him and he was thrilled...for about 30 seconds and then he ripped his arm out from under her. But she's a tough little cookie.

Baby girl's umbilical stump finally fell off so she got her first real bath and LOVED it. She totally relaxed and fell asleep during the 5 minute event.

She really liked being cozy with mom afterward.
And then there's Emerson. My charming, silly, and sometimes aggravating two-year-old. Baby sister brought him Buzz and Woody as a peace offering when she was born and he has loved them. Especially since Grandma J brought him the Toy Story movies as a special surprise. He's run around the house flying them both yelling "Aye-aye-ond!" (To infinity and beyond!) He has some cute little cowboy boots that we were trying to convince him to wear to be like Woody but he refused and threw an all-out tantrum while collapsing with spaghetti body on the floor. Awesome. So we compromised and Buzz and Woody walked around in the boots. He likes to make them hug each other and says "Oh" in a heartwarming way. He does that when he hugs people too. It's nice that he does because otherwise you don't always know when he's hugging you because he only uses his arms about half the time to actually embrace you.
Emerson has loved singing the song "Here We Are Together" but he says "pogether". I love that he requests this song so often. He laces his chubby little fingers together and then proceeds to name anything and everything he can see. Did you know that we have "Merson" (Emerson), washcloth, milk, blue car, curtains, window, "shinner" (stroller), "nganger" (water), and about 5 grandmas in our family? Mom and Dad only make the cut about 25% of the time.

He also loves "If You Chance to Meet a Frown". His favorite parts to sing are "Smiyo" (smile) and "whiyo" (while).

The kids are in the same room together, and it's been working out pretty well. They don't bother each other at all so far. But the other morning Emerson was awake in his crib and Sammi was just starting to wake up and fuss a little bit. I could hear Emerson saying "It's ok Bebe Sister. Don't cry. It's ok." He has such a tender little heart.

Last of all, I was so sad to see this week end not only because it means my baby girl is getting bigger, but also because I had to say goodbye to my wonderful mom. I knew it was coming and I was dreading the day even though she got to spend 3 whole weeks with us. The time flew by and we didn't even get sick of each other. I know that Dad and my other siblings missed her a lot though and I appreciate them sacrificing so she could come and help me. She cleaned, she cooked, she shopped, and she got up with Emerson in the mornings so I could sleep a little longer. It was so fun to have her come before Sammi was born because we got to do some fun things beforehand and she took such good care of E while I was in the hospital. I honestly don't know what I would've done without her after Sammi was born though! She was E's best buddy and he was really sad he couldn't go on the airplane with her. About halfway home he said "Grandma gone. Go on the airplane." I think he was lonely and bored without her when we got home, but it was very smart of her to leave one last present for him to open after she left.

I may or may not have bawled all the way home from the airport, just like I always do when I have to leave my family, but I guess I have to start being the mother of two sometime. Here goes.

One Week

Today Samantha is one week old. What a week it's been.

I had to get a picture of Emerson with Pooh Beah. This is what he does whenever he needs comfort or is tired. He strokes Beah's nose and sucks his thumb. I had to document it because I know he won't do it forever. He has seemed huge to me lately. My friend Jessica said it best when she told me I would feel like I was changing a teenager's diaper. She was right.
E has pretty much ignored Sammi, but each day he's acknowledged her a little more. He asked to hold her, so we let him. It lasted about 30 seconds, but at least he wasn't being mean. We had her sitting in her bouncer the other day and he wanted to help bounce her. So I told him to be really gentle, and he was. Then, all on his own he decided it would be a good idea to sing to her. So this is what he sang: (It's really more of a chant, but he calls it a song.)

Peanut sitting on a railroad track
Its heart was all a-flutter.
Around came the train
Choo-choo!
Peanut butter!

The best part was that he said "peanut butter" very softly. My mom and I were laughing pretty hard because that's really a pretty scary song for Samantha, whom we call peanut occasionally. But thank you Emerson for your cryptic little chant. We know you meant well.

I have had a grand time dressing up my little fashionista. I even painted her toenails. It was hard to do because they're pretty much nonexistent.

I love babies in their jammies. :)

This outfit made us giggle. The mini khaki skirt was from Aunt Nat, and we thought it was so teeny when we bought it, but it slipped right off Sammi when we lifted her up. It was finished off nicely with the red toenails though. :)

Little sweetie. This is how she likes to sleep: with one fist up by her cheek and the other across her body.

She had a little spongebath today and was smelling so fresh.

This is how she spends her days: Looking cute, pooping, and eating. No wonder she's so tired all the time. It's hard work.

Home From the Hospital

So it's obligatory that I recount my birthing story here, but first I'll just throw in some pictures with a few captions and then you don't have to read everything. :)

We had some visitors in the hospital, but I only got a picture of these two cute girls with Emerson. They had quite the time when Ben got them all wound up, and they seemed pretty excited to hold the baby.

Here are me and Sammi getting all ready to go home. The nurses loved her outfit with all her accessories.

So tiny in her huge camouflage carseat!

Big Brother Emerson and Grandma J made us this cute sign. It was perfect for Bebe Sister because E loves to color with pink.

Having a Sunday nap on Daddy

July 23, 2010 Induction day: I got up and ready to be at Riverside hospital with Ben at 7:00 a.m. I was so nervous the night before, but felt much better after Ben gave me a blessing, and felt calm for the most part during the whole process. It was so nice to have Grandma J at our house so we could leave Emerson

The nurses called us back and got us all settled in with the lovely hospital gown and an IV in my arm. I think the IV is the worst part. I almost passed out with both of my deliveries at that part, but for some reason nothing else really bothers me too much. So then we settled in to wait. We read our books and chatted and napped until I started having quite a bit of discomfort and was dilated enough that they would let me have my epidural. (Insert praises sung of epidurals here.) The anesthesiologist was the nicest guy and did a great job. My nurse was awesome as well. She was great at talking me through everything and helping me relax through the uncomfortable parts.

After I got my epidural, things went much faster than with Emerson. We were to the pushing part before I knew it, and I had to hold back until the doctor got there. I did 3 rounds of pushing (and I felt quite a bit..yikes), and our precious little girl was born at 3:52 p.m. She was a little stinker and held her breath for a long time, but her Apgar scores were 8 and 9, so she was good. She weighed 6 lbs. 12 oz. and was 19 inches long. After her initial fury at being born, she just laid there and looked around while sucking on her fingers. I finally got to hold her after the doctor was finished stitching me up and I fell in love with her instantly. I think Ben was pretty smitten as well.

We spent the next two days in the hospital and I recovered so much faster than with Emerson. I think my body wasn't quite as in shock as it was with him. It was so nice to just relax in the hospital and hold my sweet little girl and get to know her. I missed Emerson a lot though and was so happy to see him when he came the first night to meet bebe sister. Ben was able to stay at the hospital with me both nights thanks to Grandma J taking such good care of Emerson. They came to visit on Saturday again, and Ben switched off with Grandma so that she could hang out with me and Sammi at the hospital and he and E got to do manly things at home. Then we all had Caffe Da Vinci takeout at the hospital together. (It was unreal how bad Riverside's food is. Yuck.)

Sunday afternoon we came home and I didn't quite feel ready to go home and be Mom to two kids! It was hard to be worried though when Emerson was so excited to have Mommy home. But luckily Grandma is around for a couple weeks while Ben is so busy with school. I think E's really going to be sad when Grandma has to go home because he's become quite attached to her. (He's not going to be the only one who is in tears.)

We sure love our little peanut and are so glad to have her here. We think she's the cutest girl ever!