Sleeping beauty

Lily Mae turned 3 months old on Tuesday! Time has flown by. I feel guilty that I have not posted more, since by this time with Ella I'm sure I had posted at least a dozen pictures and updates of her growth. I will try to get a little better with the posts so Lily can have the same attention.

Today this little peanut went to the doctor for some shots. Its my least favorite day of the month. I hate having to hold her arms down while she is calm and me (and the nurse) being the only one who knows what's coming to her. I've started to look away during the process too cause the needle looks like the same size they would give to an adult and I just can't bare to see it shoved into her tiny thigh. After the vaccines she calmed down pretty quick but later this evening we could tell she was not feeling well. She was a big fuss pot. I held her all evening until it was time for bed. Makes me so sad to see her uncomfortable. It's hard to remember these times with Ella but I'm sure we went through this with her too. You never want to remember the difficult times, just the cute sleeping baby in your lap.

Lily

Lily at the hospital

At the hospital.

Lily Mae

Wow.... I have not made a post in a long time.  Life with two is busy but wonderful. Most of you have received a birth announcement, but if you did not I apologize.  You probably did not receive one because I did not have a current address for you.  Yes, Lily Mae is here and she is a happy and healthy baby.  The second baby is soo much easier then the first in a lot of ways. 
1) Labor and delivery was quick and easy to recover from.  (will touch base on later)
2) You already know how to take care of a baby, changing diapers, feeding, bathing, doctors visits, and getting out of the house is just another day.
3) Crying doesn't bother you as much.  Maybe Lily isn't as loud as Ella was or still.... or maybe it just doesn't send me in panic like it used too. 

The hard part is taking care of a baby AND a Toddler.  Ella is in the phase of "Why?" right now.  So shes asking questions non stop.  When she is not asking questions, she wants a book read to her, a snack, to watch her favorite TV show, to color, and just as I sit down to feed Lily , Ella needs to go to the bathroom.  So needless to say, I never get a moment of peace until Ella takes a nap.  But I guess I should be thankful she is still willing to take a nap.

Oh Yeah..... Lily. 
She came into this world quick.  Not like Ella's 28 hour labor.  Lily knew that it was time to meet the rest of the family.
9/11/12
2 AM
I woke up as I usually do while very pregnant, and used the bathroom.  I could not fall back asleep because I was having cramps.... and hungry of course.  I went down stairs ate my bowl of Cheerios, watched TV and feel back asleep on the couch. At some point I went back up stairs and at this time I will still having cramps but I was not in pain.  I knew it was the beginning of labor but tried not to get to excited, so in an effort to save my energy for the event I slept in till 9 am.
 I came downstairs, still looking pretty tired I guess.  Ben and my mom had that " Here it comes" look on their face.   The morning went pretty well. I started having contractions but nothing I could really keep track of, and nothing too painful. I layed on the couch, ate breakfast and lunch while watching HGTV, my Favorite channel.
Sometime around 12 pm I told Ben it was time to move up stairs and get in the tub.  My contractions were becoming more painful and they were starting to come at regular intervals now.  I remember thinking "Im in the long haul now!"  About an hour later Ben was calling our doula.  When she arrived she took one look at me and said it was time to get to the hospital.  I thought "No way am I ready. Ella was 28 hours! Ive only been in labor for a couple of hours."  We got the hospital around 2:30 and the ladies checking me in and the patients in the ER waiting room had a look of horror, and panic.  I was too busy focusing on my breathing and trying not to scare the other people in the waiting room but I caught someone talking on the phone saying... " We need a wheel chair NOW!".  I thought "Whats the big hurry, Im going to be here all damn night."  Before I knew it I was in the room, in a gown with a nurse telling me I was already 9cm.  I panicked.  I thought for sure my doctor would miss the birth.  I held out pushing to let him arrive.  He walked in, said it was time to push and 7 mins later , at 3:14pm Lily was born.  She arrived so quick that we didn't even bring the camera, or our bags inside the hospital. Even our friend Amy missed the birth by 5 mins. Which was a little bit sad for us both since I attended the birth of her second child. But Lily had other plans.  She weighed in at 6lbs 14 oz and 21 inches long.    It's still unbelievable how quick everything went.  The labor was easy, recovery has been easy, breastfeeding is easier and we have an easy baby.  We are so lucky.  The whole process has been amazing. 

Now Lily is 2 months (almost 10 weeks), and weighs 9lbs 9 oz.  A little small compared to my formula fed baby but Lily is happy, eating well and growing and thats all that matters.  Oh and she is sleeping through out the night!!!
And Ella loves being a big sister.  She hugs and kisses Lily just as much as Ben and I do.
So now that I have finally posted Lilys birth story I will be able to post pics. I didn't feel right posting pictures of Lily with out fully introducing her on to the blog.  Welcome to the family Lily Mae!!!

Baking with mommy!

A neighbor of ours gave us a zucchini from their garden. This was no ordinary zucchini. This thing was huge!! We sliced some up and steamed it with dinner last night. Then I decided to make some zucchini bread muffins today with Ella . That required 2 cups shredded, and we still have some of that zucchini left over!! The muffins are nice right now cause they taste like autumn and it feels like an autumn morning. We had a cool front come through , although it won't last long. But it is getting me excited to bake, decorate and break out my sweaters. As you can see some one else is excited to be enjoying fresh baked goods. Yummy!!

Baby bump pics

I don't think I made a post for the 32 week picture so I included it here.  It's pretty amazing to see how much the baby has grown in the past few weeks.  Which explains why everything has gotten so difficult lately.  Sleeping has definitely been a challenge, along with finding the motivation in general to just move from the couch. A few weeks ago I made the decision to stop going to the gym.  I figured it was time to enjoy the rest of the pregnancy. Plus I was starting to have some pretty intense Braxton Hicks Contractions and I do not want this baby coming before Grandma Mac can get here. In addition to the contractions I've been incredibly short of breath.  Even reading Ella a story before nap time has been difficult.  I make sure she picks out the shorter books now;-)  
Overall everything is still going well.  Baby is head down, and she is still active. Although I don't think she is as active as her sister was at this point.  Ella was all knees and elbows when I would lay down. With this girl I have to really focus during the day to make sure she is still moving around.  Maybe she is bigger and doesn't have as much room as Ella did? We will find out soon. I can't believe in 3 short weeks Grandma will be here!! After I could give birth any day. But until then I'm going to take it easy and try and hold out.  

My husband the baker.

One of the wonderful things about California is Farmers markets. You can find one almost every day of the week somewhere and there is a plethora of fruit and vegetables. So last weekend while the carpets were getting cleaned I took Ella to a farmers market and we bought blackberries. Ben has been itching to make a blackberry pie. He even makes his own crust. It was pretty awesome! That's why he is the "Pie guy". He makes the pie in this house (except for the pumpkin and key lime pie, those are mine) and I'm more of the cookie and cake gal. We've got our bases covered as far as desert goes.

My Ballerina!

I hope you all know that I'm not the kind of mom that pushes her kids to participate in an activity or sport just because I want them too.  So it makes me very happy that she really does enjoy to dance.  I think it's something that just runs in the family. So several months ago Ben and I made the decision to look into dance classes for Ella.  When we told Ella about dance class it's all that she could talk about. So we have been waiting for this day for a long time.  I was so proud of her. I wasn't sure what to expect since Ella has never been in a class setting, taking instruction from another adult before but she did great.  I was really impressed with how well she followed direction, and participated.  We only had one slip up when a younger little girl in the class realized she no longer wanted to be without her mom, decided to cry in the middle of class, and Ella being so sensitive decided she didn't like hearing the little girl cry and started to cry too.  But the dance teacher quickly diffused the situation and brought Ella back to a happy place.  I personally think she stole the show.  Even the other moms were complimenting me on how coordinated she was.  Which is very funny to me cause anyone who truly knows Ella, knows that she falls constantly and is one of the most accident prone toddlers in our playgroup.  But I will say most of the giggles, laughs, and "Awws"  from the moms were as a result of Ellas little performance in the class. I was so proud.  I can't wait for Friday mornings now.... oh yeah.. and Ella is pretty excited for them too. ;-)  

My Birthday

Don't bother asking how old I turned cause I will give you the same answer I have been giving everyone else.... 27.   For the second year in a row;-)  I had a wonderful birthday.  I told myself I wasn't going to be concerned with how the house looked, and after going to a prenatal checkup, and a quick stop at Trader Joes I relaxed most of the day.  Ben got home and I opened all of my birthday cards and gifts.  It was nice to save them for my actual birthday. It made a Wednesday birthday seem more special. Especially since I got my Tablet. Which I'm sure you all will get more emails and blog posts from once I figure out how to use it.  Afterwards we got dressed and went out for a nice dinner at Bridges.  Ben has been wanting to eat here for awhile now because he saw that a scene from Mrs Doubtfire was filmed there.  At first the menu didn't seem all that impressive but I had the most tender lamb shank EVER! Followed by a really decadent chocolate flour less pecan carmel torte.  Theres nothing better in this world to a pregnant lady then chocolate!!!  But that's not all..... Ben got to talking to the manager and found out she was from Maine.  Then Ella flashed her a cute smile and that was it... Dinner was free.   Nothing like getting some East coast hospitality! Happy Birthday to me!      

Birthday dinner at Bridges

Baking with mommy!

Today Ella got to help me bake some oatmeal raisin cookies. We are making dinner for a friend tomorrow night and thought it would be nice to give them a little dessert too! She was a great help and was super excited to be in the kitchen with mommy. She helped me measure the ingredients and stirred the batter. The kitchen is usually off limits since I don't want to trip over little people or have her reach up and burn herself on something on the stove. But it was nice for me also to do something new with her and to have some quality time together. I can't always play with Ella like I used to due to my growing belly. Maybe this will be our special time from now on? Although we may have to find some healthier options. I won't have pregnancy as an excuse for my sweet tooth and extra girth for long.

28 week Photo, 29 week Update.

So I'm a little behind.  This past Saturday I turned 29 weeks but I take a photo every 4 weeks.   I feel like this pregnancy is flying by. All of a sudden we went from having plenty of time to prepare to "HOLY CRAP, LETS GET STUFF DONE!!! "  And the worst part is that the "To Do" list is filled with items that I can't really help Ben with. Like moving furniture, painting and cleaning the carpets and couches.  And all the things that I can do are on a stand still until the babys room is complete. Theres no sense in washing  clothes, or linens if I have no where to put them.  I hate feeling useless.  I see stuff around the house that needs to be cleaned or get done but can't even touch it yet until all of the furniture is in place in the bedrooms.  And just when I thought I couldn't be anymore anxious about our time constraint, the OB/GYN said it's time to see me every 2 weeks now for my check ups instead of every 4.  Then at 35 weeks I see him ever week!! YIKES.

 Pregnancy is kind of funny.  You can't wait to get pregnant, and then when you are you ask yourself  "Is this really happening? "   It's like being on a train you can't stop and have no control over.  There will literaly be another human living in this house in 10 more weeks.   At least I don't feel stressed over labor/delivery, or if I'm capable of taking care of an infant.   Ben and I did it once before so I know we can do it again.  But I'm sure it will be even more tiring because we have an infant and a toddler now.

 A toddler who has found an endless amount of energy over the past couple of weeks.  She can't sit still.  We used to be able to watch Jeopardy in peace while she looked at books or played on the floor quietly but now she runs laps through out the house, jumps on and off the couches.  She pulls massive amounts of toys out of her toy box, in a matter of minutes because she looses her interest and get bored easily now.   Sitting still and coloring is not an option for Mommy and me play time anymore.  I end up coloring by myself while Ella moves on to the next object to destroy.  So it was just this week when I noticed these changes in Ella that made me nervous over having two kids in the house.  Sorry for my rant. I know it will all be fine and everything will work out. I guess going to the doctor today gave me a slight panic attack and got me thinking.
 
I saw a newly pregnant woman at the office today. Looked like it was her first prenatal visit.  I knew this because she was thin, young, had nice clothes and looked like a deer caught in the headlights ,but still holding her "Sample" in her hand and had no idea where to put it. I kind of smirked. I kind of wished I was back there. At the beginning of my pregnancy again.  Even the first pregnancy. The pure ignorance you have of what it's like to be a parent, and all the newness of expecting your first child.  You loose some of the excitement with the second pregnancy.  And since this might be my last pregnancy Im  at times sad that its coming to an end soon.  If you have lasted this long and read all of this, Thanks.  Im just venting and dont need any advice. I'm just having a moment today. Hopefully it will pass soon. 

On a positive note..... Baby is doing fine.  She kicked the doctor a couple of times while he was checking me out today.  It was a surprise to him how strong she was already.  Heartbeat is strong, and he thinks she is head down already. She better not be too anxious to get out.  I already had a talk with her that she has to wait till Grandma Mac is in town before we can celebrate her birthday.  But if she keeps kicking me like a Bruce Lee marathon  I might have to evict her sooner.

The month of Ben

At least that's what it feels like. Last week we celebrated Bens birthday. We started a summer tradition and went to the pool early Sunday morning as a family, relaxed and then ate at our favorite restaurant Blue Agave for dinner. He even got to enjoy a couple of margaritas.
Then for fathers days I made a special treat for breakfast. French toast casserole. After we stuffed ourselves we had another fun morning at the pool where daddy got to try out his new swimmers snorkel. And Ella is getting really comfortable with playing and swimming in the pool. Ben is a great motivator for her though. He is adventurous when I'm more reserved and cautious. And I think he helps Ella to explore and relax. Just one of many wonderful traits Ben has as a father. After the pool we got cleaned up and Ella helped daddy build her new big girl bed. (pics to follow) Then we had one of Bens favorite meals shrimp linguini for dinner Also made by mommy. So Daddy had Two weekends of gifts, food, relaxing and plenty of love. We love our daddy!

Ellas new bed

Ella's bed is finished!! She couldn't wait to go to bed tonight. Then she stayed up an hour after we said good night and we heard her playing and clapping in bed. She was so excited. Now daddy can start on her new dresser.

Bens birthday dinner.

You know your pregnant when....

You go to CVS and this is what you buy. I haven't been to a CVS in 3 years. They just don't have a lot of the chain pharmacies(except for target and Safeway) out here in CA. In FL you had a Walgreens or CVS on almost every street corner. I was a regular at Walgreens and when I was bored I would go just to look at makeup, lotion, and hair accessories. But today, the beginning of my third trimester I have no interest in my face, hair or the quality of my skin. The third trimester has come on with a vengeance and as you can see from the pic I'm not enjoying it. By the way.... This CVS must have been designed by a pregnant woman. All these products were on the same aisle right in front of the entrance. All the other useless crap was in the back of the store and on the other side. I didn't have to walk through crappy beach toys,cheap tourist shirts, and processed foods to get what I needed. It was a pleasant surprise for my aching back and pelvis. Also wanted to note for everyone wondering why I bought pads, No I'm not peeing the bed.... Yet. Those pads are for labor. They are also handy to have around for newborns. It's easy to change them on a pad that you don't have to wash or wipe off. Cause let's face it, sometimes you can't get that diaper on fast enough before the next event happens.
And let me add one other funny but embarrassing fact about buying these items together. Don't bring your toddler if you can help it. The last thing you want to do is draw more attention to your particular state by having your toddler throw a fit on the floor while clutching the basket of unpurchased "personal items" because she wants to carry the basket by her self. Jeez!! C'mon kid, give me a break!! Even the cashier was embarrassed for me and I'm sure she has seen a lot of strange things go through her line. Pregnancy and motherhood are very humbling. And you have to find the humor in it, otherwise being a parent will make you crazy.

Yosemite Vacation

As promised here are the rest of the Yosemite pics.  We had a great time.  I feel like we could have spent two weeks in the park and still not been able to see everything we wanted too. Yosemite is HUGE! Ben and I had an over ambitious itinerary of things we wanted to see and do. We stayed about 40 mins outside of the park in a small town Groveland, where we rented a house.  Once we got into the park it took another 30-40 mins to drive to the main hiking trails and sites we wanted to see. By the time we parked everyone had to use the bathroom again.  Then we would unload the stroller, grab all the cameras, snacks and water. So add another 10 mins to our prep time.  So you see it was turning out to be a time consuming process.   We could only fit in one good "hike" a day with all this driving and prepping and pregnancy related stops to the bathroom and to eat.  I put hike it quotation marks because hiking takes on a whole new meaning when you have a toddler. We stuck to mostly paved trails since we had the stroller.  We tried to let Ella out of the stroller as much as possible.  She had a few spills but I guess she has to start learning to watch where she walks.  Don't take this as complaining about our trip. It's not.  It just stuck me as amazing the differences between our PRE-baby vacations to state parks vs Now.   Before Ella Ben and I would get up early, eat a quick breakfast and find a trail off the beaten path. We were typically the first ones out on the trails in the morning.  Afterwards we were physically exhausted but felt great that we mastered the woods.  Now, it doesn't matter what time we get up or which trail we take we end up exhausted just from change of routine and taking care of someone elses needs.  

As much as taking a vacation with a toddler can be tiring, it's exciting to see Ella's face when she sees something for the first time.  We talked about the animals in the park.  We even saw several deer. One of which we feed from our back yard. She loved looking up at the huge waterfalls and feeling the rush of water under her feet as we stood on the bridge for a photo opportunity.  She picked up every rock, leaf and stick she could find.  She got dirty several times and even dipped her feet in a cold stream that was fed by one of the most amazing waterfalls I have ever seen.  Mommy even dipped her feet in the water too.  It felt amazing on my tired  feet.  Ella on the other hand was not thrilled.  Guess she doesn't like her feet being cold.  But she ended up finding plenty of rocks to throw into the stream which is her favorite activity.   I always joke that she might turn out to be like her Aunt Julie and become a geologist.  She can't resist picking up rocks, and digging in the dirty with her shovel.  Although, she can't stand to get dirty.  So I'm not sure how that is going to work out.

The last night there we made a quick stop at the store and grabbed some marshmallows for roasting, or in Bens case, burning.  Ella wasn't fond of toasting her marshmallow but she liked eating it off of the stick anyways.  The last morning we were in Groveland after eating breakfast out, we packed up and found some stable where we fed the horses. (Pics to come) Ella wasn't thrilled with their massive size but I think she liked seeing them up close.  She talked about the horses all the way home.   Overall it was a pretty amazing trip.  I hope to go back some day when the kids are better hikers and really get some miles under our feet.