Our First Week....

We've been doing a lot of sleeping. She has 2 of these swaddle blankets. They are AMAZING. The blanket she is laying on was mine when I was little. Sweet.

These are our gifts we came home with from the hospital. It was a lot of work to get it all put away, but was so fun! We've got some great family and friends.
I love the awake moments.

Hated her first bath.

My family was in town and got a hotel room. Henry used to be so scared in the pool and now he *loves* it.

Getting ready for our first trip back to church. Of course she had to wear a dress!

It's a lot of work looking so cute.

Henry is doing great as a big brother.

First day home without daddy. It's going well.

Our little cowboy.

When I saw this picture, I thought this pose looked familiar.....

Harper

Henry

I just can't get enough of these pictures my friend Alisa took. Aren't they beautiful? I love this one of her pretty hair.

Wow. Let me say a big fat "THANK YOU" if you've said a prayer for us the last couple of days. I kind of forgot how hard the newborn stage can be. At times it seems so easy because they sleep so much and at times it can be so frustrating....and I even know there's a lot more of that to come! Harper's first over night at home wasn't pretty. She put up 45 minutes of crying and fighting before she would eat, and that was each of the 3 times I tried to feed her. She somehow lost all her amazing latching on skills. Combine that with my milk coming in and me being incredibly uncomfortable and it didn't add up well. Thankfully, she was able to latch on great with a shield this morning and has been a new baby ever since! I didn't want to have to use a shield this time around, but if that's what it's going to take, I'm all for it. She's also given up on screaming during diaper changes. I didn't really mind that, but I will take the no crying any day.

Henry finally joined us at home yesterday morning. He had been at his cousin's house and then his grandma and grandpa took him out to their friend's lake house on Wednesday night. It was nice to not have him here for Harper's first night/morning since RJ and I were pretty exhausted, but we are so happy to have the 4 of us all together now. We had a great evening playing together and Henry seems to be adjusting well. He doesn't pay a ton of attention to Harper, but when he does it's really sweet. I'm a little nervous for next week when RJ goes back to work though....

I'll try and post more pictures later. Hope you all have a great Friday!

Welcome to the World!

Harper Bloom

Born March 23rd, 2009

7:30 am

8 lbs 7oz

20 1/2 inches

loved.

Well, no false alarm! I had been having contractions all Sunday early evening and they gradually got closer and stronger so we headed in about 1:30. This labor went so much faster than Henry's! I was able to walk around and take laps until 4:30, got my pain relief and then pushed with only 2 contractions and she was out. I still can't believe how quickly she came. It was great! She took to nursing immediately, but that's our biggest struggle right now. I'm praying I can stay patient with it. We can do it!

She's super sweet with a head quite full of hair unlike mine, her dad's or Henry's. Where'd it come from? She also has her daddy's long eyelashes. Oh, I just want to kiss her to pieces.

She quickly was known in the nursery for her temper though. She'll be very content most of the time, but when we change her diaper/clothes/or sometimes even when we just move her, she lets us know quickly and loudly that she does not want to be messed with.

For now, it's kind of funny.

I'm loving all the pink-ness too.

We are praising God for her! It's so overwhelming to receive such a beautiful gift.

RJ just left to bring Henry over to his brother's house......

Will I be writing tomorrow with news that it's just a false alarm??

Or will I be writing in a few days with the announcement of our little girl?

Stay tuned.....:)

Happy Due Date to Me!!

I totally thought I was going to have this baby early. Totally! I honestly don't mind the thought of going over for now......but I'm sure by Monday I'll be pulling my hair out. The part I do mind is my horribly aching lower back, my insomnia, and my man hands. I'm looking forward to wearing my pretty diamond again someday.



I had an appt this morning and I haven't dilated anymore, but about 80% effaced. So like usual, "it could happen any day". Guess we'll wait and see! It's funny how last week I woke up every day feeling like today could be the day, and now that I'm to this point, I'm convinced I'll have to be induced. Of course that's no one's dream labor, but I'm all for it.

RJ assured me that it's okay if this is a day where Henry watches too much tv. Or a lot too much. Cuz momma's tired.

But for now we're both going to take naps and then have a fun afternoon. Just because I'm crabby and tired doesn't mean Henry can't have any fun.

About 8 years (!) ago I got on an airplane in Amsterdam and my friend Alisa got on a ferry from London and we met in Dublin, Ireland for the weekend. I sat by a really cute Irish man on the plane. Red hair and all. We took a train all the way to the west coast to Galway where we stayed and took a ferry out to the Aran Islands also. Foot and Mouth disease was a big deal at the time so there was a lot we couldn't go see because it was prohibitied to walk in certain areas, but it was still gorgeous. I would love to go back sometime. It's too pretty of a place for just a couple of days.

Today, my friend Alisa and I got in to our vehicles and drove to meet at a park with our children.

Good day.

So gorgeous out!

Hope you all have a Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I love opening my blog and seeing my little baby ticker getting so close to the end. 2 DAYS! And then who knows how many....

I had another appt on Friday and I'm at a 3 now. I had quite a few contractions over the weekend, but they never got regular enough to even keep track of them. I have another appt on my due date so we'll see how that goes. Just like they say. Every baby is different. Every labor is different. Every everything is different, and that is certainly true in this case. I didn't have any contractions with Henry until my labor actually started, nor was I ever dilated, so this is kind of throwing me for a loop. I'm honestly not too antsy yet. My life is reeeaaal easy now with just little Henry. He's been such a joy recently so I'm just trying to savor every moment until we have a major life change. I am getting antsy about labor though. The sooner it starts, the sooner it's done with. If you know what I'm saying. But, of course I am just as excited as ever to meet our little girl!

We had a great weekend with family and I got pampered quite a bit with lots of breaks to relax. Henry spent the night at his cousin's house Friday and then he was there again with RJ for a lot of the afternoon on Saturday so I could rest after a family bridal shower. It was lovely.

Hope you all are enjoying this beautiful weather! We babysat this morning and Henry is taking a long nap so we might not make it out today, but you bet we will tomorrow. I love Spring!

Okay. I'm ready for this baby! We still haven't packed our bags, but Henry's stuff is waiting for him at his cousin's house so at least one of us is ready. I finished the painting Henry and I started, but you'll have to wait to see her first name. And how sweet is this outfit??!! Someone had made us that hat for Henry and I came across it the other day. Sweet cherries.

I can't wait to hold her in my arms. Will she look like Henry? Or more like daddy or mommy? I barely remember Henry at this age. They get big way too fast, huh?

RJ's mom will be in town tonight and tomorrow so we'll have a fun family night tonight and then a bridal shower to go to tomorrow. Should be a great weekend. Hope you all have a great one too!

Just hanging out waiting for the baby......

This is Henry's beautiful painting for Baby Sister. I'll be finishing it up later. He was pretty excited about it!

We had a great time picking out an outfit last night. RJ and I rarely go shopping together and this was really one of the first times we've looked at baby girl clothes together. It was sweet. He encouraged me to not only look at the clearance stuff. Good times.

RJ's brother and wife had a baby boy last night! Simon Anthony. They live in Spokane, Washington so I have no idea when we'll get to meet him in person for the first time, but we do have Skye now so we can at least see him on the computer. I can't wait for pictures!!

Henry and I are going to run a couple of errands this morning and then stay home and do some more projects. Someone gave us the idea of having a present for Henry from the new baby. I think he'll do fairly well with the baby, but anything that might help make him excited is worth a try. I've got my Michael's coupon all ready to go.

This pacifier thing is going okay. He doesn't have a problem at night, but about every other day he still has a problem with naps. One day he won't make a peep before he falls asleep, the next day he'll fight it for over an hour. And I'm very stubborn when it comes to him taking naps. I don't give up easily!! But yesterday after trying for a majority of the afternoon I gave up. No nap. And then up at 5:15 this morning and ready to go. I'm praying for a good nap this afternoon....for both of us....

Hope you all have a happy Wednesday!

I'm really enjoying this week. It's funny how now that I don't have to get up early, it seems hard to get out of the door by 11! I love having this time with Henry in the morning. Today is going to be a fun family day. I'm going to work on his "I'm a Big Brother" t-shirt and Henry is going to work on a painting for his baby sister's homecoming. Tonight we're all going to the mall to pick out a coming home outfit for baby. I wasn't going to buy anything new because we already have plenty of baby girl clothes, but it was RJ's idea and I'm way excited. He's not usually one to suggest going to the mall, so I'm not turning it down!

I'm bringing a Chicken Pot Pie to my friend with the new baby. Time to go.

Hope you are all enjoying this gloomy day. Sometimes they're kind of nice, don't ya think?

Monday already!?! We had a nice weekend. RJ was going to take Henry up to see his Grandma who just had surgery, but decided he was too nervous to leave me home alone. Instead we had a nice, lazy Saturday that ended in a nice big trip to Target to stock up on all the newborn necessities. I had an appt on Friday and the head is getting lower and I'm at a 2! Again, I know I could be like this for a couple of more weeks, but please understand that it took about the first 12-15 hours of contractions to get to a 2 with Henry. So needless to say, this makes me very happy!!
Only 8 to go. :)

I've come painfully close to selling the same rug 4 times on Craigslist. I'm really hoping the guy coming tonight actually works out. Seriously.

I'm looking forward to a night out with some girlfriends tonight. It sounds so nice right now.....

I'm off to get some things done while Henry naps. So much left to do before baby!

Spring Haircut Time

I never manage to get my pictures in the right order. Here's the traumatized after-shot. Sad boy. Short hair.

The before hyper picture. This boy's got one head full of hair.

Baby Audrey. It was so fun to go to the hospital to visit this sweet little girl! It was a nice visit and made me even more excited to meet our little girl. I can't wait.

Mommy and baby. So sweet.
Hope you all enjoyed this beautiful weather! We didn't make it to a park today, but played in the porch and on the front steps with bubbles. It was lovely.

My friend Kristin had a GIRL! It will be so fun to have a playmate so close in age with ours!!
She was huge....9lbs 4 oz. Yikes. But it went really well and Kristin is doing great. Her name is Audrey. Beautiful.

Tired

I had a good time at the mall today walking with some friends. I did good at resisting buying stuff, but there wasn't too much to tempt me so that makes it real easy. I did get a gift for a friend who is being induced as we speak. She started at 7:00 and the anticipation is killing me!

My pregnancy insomnia is getting ridiculous. I know I'm not the first to deal with it, so complaining about it gets old, but I'm tired. I only slept from 12:30-3:30 last night and was finally able to get back to sleep at 6 and then Henry was up at 7:00. I've started doing something a bit naughty the last couple of days....letting Henry watch tv in our bed when he wakes up so I can get some more sleep. I don't get much because every 10 minutes he lifts the pillow off of my head to tell me hello or ask where George or Clifford went, but it helps. And I'm sure we've all done this a time or two, right!?!

Craigslist. I love you. I hate you. I love you when I think I've "sold" 5 things in no time, but then I hate you when it keeps falling through or meeting up with someone is a major email-tag. Overall, I do love you. It's been a successful,though annoying, week with you!

Pacifier. The second night without it there were no tears or crying at all! The first nap without was a bit horrific. Talking and playing the 1st half hour (great!) screaming bloody murder the 2nd half hour, but finally fell asleep. Today, he fell asleep on the way home from the mall and now won't go back to sleep, but he's just talking so I'm leaving him in there so I can rest. Cuz like I said....I'm tired.

More exciting posts to come. Eventually. Maybe even with pictures. Just sounds like too much work right now.

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Pacifier

Well, it took 45 minutes of crying/begging, but that was it and he slept til morning and woke up really happy. Hopefully a couple of naps and one more bedtime and it will be done. Wasn't too bad!

You know how you let some things go for a long time even though you know it's not a good thing?



Henry is trying to fall asleep without his nigh-night (pacifier). We should have given it up long ago, but he just used it to sleep for the last 6 months and just adores it.



Hopefully it doesn't take too much crying....poor little dude. I feel bad that it's my fault for him being a pacifier-addict and it's really sad when he's in there crying "nigh-night PLEASE."