Tidbits

It's been a long winter so far--ice, sleet, snow, frigid temps. Between the weather, taking it easy to keep my blood pressure down before Sierra was born, Sierra's being born, recovering from a C-section, having a newborn, and Isla being sick....I've spent much more time at home the past 2 1/2 months than I ever have. I was actually looking forward to going back to work this week. Of course Mother Nature had other plans and left us with a layer of ice Tuesday that kept me from going back Wednesday but my mom came over Thursday so I could go in for most of the day. Then last night our basement flooded from the water from our water heater so Friday isn't going as planned either. Plus the university is still closed because of the ice so Isla's preschool is closed. Right now I'm waiting for the repairman to come back with our water heater so I can shower and go to work. If I'd known everything was going to be able to be fixed this morning, mom could have stayed here with the girls and the repairman and I could have gone to the gym to shower and gone on to work. But we didn't know so mom took the girls to her house and I'm here. Might as well update the neglected diary of our lives.

Sierra has always smiled at us (not just gas!) but now she's doing so responsively. She loves Isla talking to her and gives her the most beautiful smiles in return. Isla asked the other day what Sierra's name will be when she grows up. "You know, her other name." I had a hard time convincing her that her name will always be Sierra. She said she wants to call her Rosie (like grandma does).

Sierra is still waking up frequently at night to eat. The past few nights, she's slept 4 hours, then 3 hours, then 2 hours, taking most of a 3 ounce bottle each time she wakes up. The last wake up is usually around 4 and it's hard to get her back to sleep before she's up for the day around 6. She'll take a 4 ounce bottle some time in the morning, then 3 ounces every 2-3 hours through the day. She's staying awake more during the day most days, although she still has some days that she seems to sleep all day. Guess it's tiring growing so big. She has her 2 month check up and shots in about 10 days so we'll see how big she is then. I've been reading about people whose babies are 4 and 5 pounds over birth weight by their 2 month appointment. Sierra hasn't grown that much, but she's definitely doing better with weight gain than her sister did. Momma is much less stressed. My guess is that she'll be about 9 1/2 pounds at her 2 month check up.

It's just amazing to hear Isla talk these days. She's always been so verbal and talks constantly but the things she's saying floor me sometimes. One day this week she told me I worry too much. Yesterday she wanted me to help her color her Valentine for grandma and I told her she could do it. "But she's YOUR mom." She has an imaginary family of cats. The mom is Sing-along Seraphina and went to the gym with us yesterday. The dad and the babies stayed home because the babies are so small they'd get stepped on.

Isla is so loving to Sierra. Not always at convenient times, but I'm not going to tell her not to hug and love her on baby sister. Isla's had a cough off and on since Sierra was born so we often keep kisses to the top of Sierra's head, but Isla is good with that.

Isla is going to be a planner--she sees me making lists and makes her own lists. She was planning a hoedown a few months ago. That one didn't happen although the Daddy Daughter Dance P took her to the other day at one of the local churches was a barn dance so she got to go to a hoedown. I'll post some picks of her in her cowgirl outfit. Last week P came home and she started telling him about the sleepover with 12 friends she's planning. He wasn't sure if this was something momma was on board with our not (NO!) so he was being very cautious in talking to her about it.

Isla and I have been to see Frozen 3 times. (I've never seen a movie 3 times in the theater--there are only a few I've seen twice in theater. P said he's never even seen a movie 3 times in the theater!) We went with daddy, then grandma, then we took A when she came to visit. I bought the soundtrack so the past week Isla and I have been having cuddle times listening to the music. She's starting to pick up the lyrics and likes talking about what was happening in the movie for each song. She remembers parts of the movie better than I do!

There are things everyday I want to write about, but finding the time is hard. Hopefully I can do better with it and actually get those pictures posted!

Time flies!

I can't believe I'm lucky enough to be momma to two such beautiful little girls or that time is flying by so fast. How is Sierra already 6 weeks old? Smiling at us, watching us, looking for us when she hears a voice she knows. And Isla is 4! That is just unbelievable. Isla has done an amazing job adjusting to being a big sister. At the same time, her personality keeps getting bigger and bigger and she keeps getting smarter and smarter.

This post probably won't flow well. I'm just going to type things as I think of them and Sierra will probably wake up for a bottle before I can iron it back together.

You Are My Sunshine is a favorite song these days. Isla sings it beautifully--one night she told me I could sing it to her and she would sing it to Sierra. She recently told me that her stuffed unicorn and Sierra are her sunshine.

The stuffed unicorn went to the doctor with us for Isla's 4 year well child check. Dr. S let Isla use the otoscope to look in unicorn's ears and the stethoscope to listen to unicorn's heart. Luckily no shots were required.

For Isla's birthday, I covered the doorway with streamers and balloons. We heard her open the door that morning and she said "Mommy--I'm stuck!" Once she knew why the decorations were there, she was thrilled with them and disappointed when Daddy took them down.

Isla goes back and forth between being this super chatty kid with comments on everything to saying "I'm a little shy" and hiding behind me. The super chatty kid is the real personality. I wonder if this is her introvert and extrovert sides conflicting with each other.

She's been pretending to have sleepovers. She told P the other day that she's having a sleepover party for 12 friends and that she can handle that many people. We need snacks, and decorations, and sleeping bags... Um, no.


We're still trying to get into a routine with Sierra but it's starting to happen. Hopefully soon she'll start sleeping more than 3 hours a time and we'll have an easier time getting her back to sleep after that 3 am feeding.

I never knew I could feel so much love. Sometimes I look at my girls and think about how easy it would be for someone to hurt them and just get so scared. Bubble wrap. I want to wrap my life in bubble wrap.

More later, including a ton of pictures.

Love

There's so much I've wanted to post lately but just can't seem to find the time to record everything Isla is doing. Last week I ended up having to take it easy to keep my blood pressure in check. And then Isla and I were snowed in for 3 days. Still no posts.

But this post is a must-do!

I tried to post this from the hospital on 12/12 but apparently the wi fi connection wasn't good enough! 

And more pictures...

That's Uncle T's thumb. And Isla's first chemistry set. And Pop Pop, and Uncle Todd (he says Sierra likes Irish Revolutionary songs and show tunes), and Aunt Tammy. But not in that order.

Lots to update...

So I've started posts several times in the past two months to update what's been going on with life--my thoughts on the adoption not happening, how the pregnancy was progressing (everything was normal except she stayed tranverse until close to the end, then turned breech for a c-section), and how Isla was preparing to be a big sister. 

Guess I'm not going to get those posts written. I think the pics sum it up though--Sierra Rose joined us at 11:14 pm on December 11. She was 7 pounds and 19 inches. 

My water broke that afternoon in the car, P was in surgery, I had to call mom to stay with Isla, then we waited for about 3 hours at the hospital to get an ultrasound.  They got her out of there fast though once we found out I wasn't going to be able to push her.  Dr S isn't a surgeon but the OB on call was who I would have picked to do the surgery if I'd had a choice and Dr S was there to assist her. The nerve block was weird but I didn't feel anything other than movement. Patrick said Dr C had difficulty finding Sierra in there. 

Recovery has been easier than I expected--not driving for 2 weeks was hard (I made it about 10 days), not lifting Isla is still hard, and I know I lift too much carrying the baby, her carrier, and the diaper bag. There are a couple organizing projects I was to do while I'm off work but they have to wait until P won't get on to me for lifting things. 

Breast feeding hasn't gone any better this time than the first other than I decided I wasn't going to stress about it so when she lost more weight than they like, her bilirubin was going up, and she hadn't had a pee diaper all day the day we got home from the hospital, I told P I just wanted her to have a full belly. She drinks formula like a piggy and gets some pumped breast milk each day. Apparently actual breast feeding isn't a warm and fuzzy activity for me. This time I can say that's ok and move on.

There's lots more I want to write so I have it in the future--she was 4 ounces and an inch and a quarter over birth at her 2 week check up!--but my yogurt has been sitting here next to me for almost 2 hours so it's time for breakfast. 

But first, I have to share what Isla said yesterday as we sat on her bed. I was giving Sierra a bottle and Isla had climbed on me, hugging me, looking at her baby sister. "Momma, we have a great fam-il-ly."  Yes, indeed baby girl. We do. 

Happy Halloween!!

Long time, no pictures even...

Disappointment....

We found out this week that S has decided to try to parent. I have a lot of mixed feelings about this--disappointment, relief, worry.... But I trust that God is in control and knows what is best for our family. At this point S could change her mind still, but I don't expect her too. I pray she can find the resources to take care of that little boy and that her domestic situation improves. So now I focus on the two little feet that are kicking me constantly. Our sweet little family of four with two precious little girls.

I like to move it, move it!

Sierra must have had a major growth spurt or something. For the past few days I've suddenly felt a drastic increase in movements! Mainly just pressing against me, but some other movements too!

What a summer!

Mine and Isla's summer hasn't gone quite as planned. I spent a lot of the early summer with pretty bad morning sickness. It is definitely better than it was--I'll sometimes have 4 or 5 days where I don't get sick, but then I'll go back to being sick every day for a week or so. But at least it's not ALL day anymore. I'm not sleeping as much as I was early in the summer either, but I still need to lay down to rest most afternoons. And then there's the weather--we have had a fairly mild summer temperature-wise (thank you God!!) and quite a bit of rain this summer. So out of 4 planned water park visits, we went to one, one got rained out, one was too cool, and we missed one cause momma was sick. We'll see how our planned outing Tuesday goes--the high is only supposed to be 82 and there's a chance of rain.

Otherwise, life is flying by. Baby boy is due next month--we've met the birthparents and they both seem very nice. I pray for their strength as they face this difficult time. The plan as of now is when she goes into labor, we'll head to Florida. We'll go to the hospital when the baby is 48 hours old and S can sign the paperwork. We'll drive back to the Northwestern part of the state to wait for clearance to leave with the baby. P will probably fly home and my mom will probably fly down to help me wait for clearance and drive home with me, Isla, and baby Derrick. S's due date is at the end of the month, but I'm hoping this will be a mid-month baby.

Meanwhile, my pregnancy is flying by this time. I'm 21 weeks with another little girl. Sierra Rose has been nicknamed Cereal by her big sister. We figure Isla can call her Cereal until Cereal gets tired of it and beats her up. Then they can work it out amongst themselves. My official due date is 12/21, but again, I'm hoping for a mid-month baby. Isla was 15 or 16 days early so I know if I go past that, my patience will wear thin!

More later--

Things I never expected to say....Tuesday edition

Stop licking momma's tummy!

No, you may not sleep with your shark. 

Seriously?

I'm 18 weeks today and I'm having morning sickness? I've felt pretty good for the past 10 days but there's been the mild nausea today and I just got sick. I'm glad everything is going well but enough with the puking! 

Happy 4th

Pictures

Sigh

I so need to update. But morning sickness and first trimester fatigue has been really hard on me. Then to top that off, Isla had a tummy bug last week and I got it this week. Still not 100 percent of even my pregnant self, but feeling loads better than I was. We were afraid I was going to have to go in my IV fluids.

Saturday marks the start of my second trimester so hopefully I'll start feeling better soon!