- Scarlett's Birth Story {Part I} -

My heart throbs for ALL THINGS women's health and fertility and pregnancy [typically more googly-eyed over other people's baby bumps as opposed to my own, though; it always looks more glamorous on others than it feels on me hah], and the adrenaline rush of labors and deliveries and sweet little babiessss is just the juicy red cherry on top.  #miraclesaftermiraclesaftermiracles, and I love it all!!!  All that being said, it's very surreal yet humbling and amazing to be "on the other side of the bed" as the patient, so it's no surprise that we photographed and documented and thoroughly soaked in every single second of Baby F. #2's exciting birth story to have and remember and cherish forever!  Unlike Harper's labor/delivery, this one was not long ...not dramatic ...and not too eventful ...which are all things I'm quite happy about.

So!

Time to throw down another birth story novel...weeeeeee!

Friday, December 29 @ 11:30am -- 38w4d showed face with no regular/painful contractions or threatened labor or signs of Baby F. #2's imminent arrival. [I was not at all surprised by this, even though everyone else thought my uterus would explode any day after ~30 weeks. Sort of unfortunately, I'm not a newbie when it comes to being large and in charge during pregnancy!] Anyway, I had an OB appointment earlier that morning and still hadn't dilated past 1.5cm, so we scheduled an induction for a couple weeks out ...on the actual due date ...juuust in case I was still pregnant...and...

Monday, January 8 @ 6:45am -- 40w0d, stillll pregnant, and Brian and I were wide-eyed and bushy-tailed because Baby F. #2's eviction date had finally arrived!!! Slap my hand for having zero desire to go overdue and let my body "do its thing" completely on its own, but Harper was not a small baby and 40 fulllll long weeks had that fetus PLENTY cooked in both my professional and personal opinions; so let's get this show on the road before my ribs pop or the placenta poops out!  Oy vey...

8:13am -- We arrived at the hospital ready to get this birthday party started [after detouring for donuts and coffee for the nurses then muddling ever so slowly through St. Louis rush hour traffic, ugh!]. 

8:50am -- Nestled into our new home for the day, room 7206. EFM and toco applied, waiting for official induction orders from OB, posing for our last pic in the few hours of calm before the storm... 

8:51am -- So much love for the BFF! And sooooo happy to have her there to take care of me and baby! We walked in to a room full of her hand-crafted decorations, complete with signage on the door for other coworkers to vote Team Blue or Team Pink! Thank you, Katie, for all the love and for just being YOU! [Off-topic, but I will never forget the first night shift I worked with you on the old Team 1! I was fresh out of fellowship and you took me under your wing like the sweet thang you are. That night, we were sitting on some Cervidil patients who were knocked out on Ambien - bahaha - and you were making this super cute yarn wreath for your front door and also a Dum Dum bachelorette bouquet for one of your other friends; we talked college shenanigans and boyfriends and everything in between! Ahhhhh, the good ole' days on L&D night shift when we were overstaffed and underpaid and could turn down half the lights and get carried away crafting and chatting all night long! :-* Sometimes I really miss those nights!!! ...ANYWAY, so happy we've been able to stand by each others' sides through all life's ups and downs.  Seven years later, you're still one of my top girls, and it means the world that you agreed to take care of us today!  I love you long timeee!]

Side note: Katie gets extra bonus points for quickly flipping gears to nurse a pale, lightheaded Brian just minutes after she successfully started my IV!  Down to his T-shirt with cold washrag to forehead and ceiling fans spinning full blast; the fun is juuuust beginning! #ohboybrian

Another side note: this whole "scheduled induction" thing was uncharted territory for me [even though I absolutely wanted it]; so naturally, I was a little apprehensive about how things would pan out.  With Harper, I was already contracting semi-regularly and dilated to 4 centimeters on admission, so that was a completely different/better situation!  The pre-admission plan this time was for foley bulb + Cytotec if my cervix remained unchanged from the 1.5cm exam in the office just a few days before. While I've witnessed this being effective for other mommas, I wouldn't say it's exactly the most FUN of the induction methods... So! Of course I begged Katie to use her nurse magic to stretch my cervix out a little more. But she happily reported that I was already 2.5/70/-2 without her "help" and so...

9:20am -- Pitocin it is!!! Totally thrilled to bypass the foley bulb situation! The Pitocin was infusing and my ruthless nurse continued cranking it up per protocol as fast as she could. No turning back now!  All smiles here!  We were walking the halls with my IV pole and bumping into great friends left and right. "Inductions are fun," they said!

10:39am -- Ohhhh sh*t, we forgot all about the infamous chalkboards... But busting them out now to highlight .every.single.small.happening. of 'dis special day!  [To reiterate: Pitocin started @ 9:20am, water broken by  Dr. P @ 10:10am.]

11:19am -- The texts are flooding in from Grammy and Papa; they report that Harper is getting super excited to officially become a big sister and is all dressed and ready to head "to 'da howse-petal!" And it looks like things may work out at her request, because...

11:25am -- ...holy contractions every 2-3 minutes!  Ow. #paining...

11:51am -- ...but not paining bad enough to miss out on some nurse station action with these awesome ladies! ^^ Dunkin' Donuts for our faves!

 

12:20pm -- I made Katie recheck my cervix; I'm only 4 centimeters but zooomg this sh*t hurts rull bad and this momma needs an epidural STAT!  Throw that towel in!  No need to be a martyr when I'm already committed to delivering at someeee point today, eh? <-- That's what I'm talkin' about. 

12:30pm -- Epidural order: PLACED.

12:47pm -- The CRNA angelically floats into the room with his angel wings anesthesia cart and...

1:06pm -- ...sweet relief be mine! He threw that epidural in like a pro and was immediately my hero. Thank youuuu thank you thank you, Nick!!! You and your skillz and your drugs are all absolutely amazing! [Brian appreciates you too, because #nightnightwifezilla.]

Dr. P came by shortly after the epidural placement to check on us, and he said he planned to come back in another hour-ish and check baby's head position. [Harper's little noggin' was straight OT for a long long time and had me stuck at 7 centimeters for HOURS, so we wanted to see if that was the case again with this labor...]  But until then, I was going to try and get a little rest...

2:00pm -- Nap on the peanut ball who?  

...But it didn't last too long, because all the sudden, I couldn't stop shaking and I felt a bowling ball in my butt and...

2:45pm -- ...Katie announces that I'm complete! Woot! Brian went to the cafeteria to get a snack and we quickly text him to, "COME BACK ASAP BC THE BABY IS COMING!" A little dramatic, but we didn't want him lollygagging around the lobby with his food or anything. ;)

2:55pm -- We convinced Dr. P to author a chalkboard and pose for one of our ridiculous pics... [He had no idea what he was getting himself into when he agreed to be my OB provider! Ten bucks says he regrets it 100%!!! Poor poor man.]
Oh but hold the phoneeeeeee, there's just a little problem!  I wasn't supposed to labor this quickly; there was a full night shift team ready to take the bull by the horns at 7:00pm and ...what what, complete and feeling pressure at 2:45pm??!  Even I was surprised as I was semi-expecting a replica of Harper's chaotic 15-hour labor because #nursecurse #always; but nope, this baby is so much kinder to me and has been since the beginning! I should've known...  Dr. P agreed to some "laboring down" action as we shot some texts to Anna and Jamie [who were absolute STAPLES and lifesavers and everything in between for Harper's delivery three years ago, so of course I wanted them to be at this delivery, too!], and being the sparkly gems they both are, they jumped in their cars and floored it to Mercy...

3:12pm -- ...just in the nick of time! So relieved! The gang's allllll here!!!

3:21pm -- We My friends prep the room for delivery and re-retrieve Dr. P... The baby bed is set to go and turned on and warming up... Nurses are casting their final gender votes on the door...

 ...annnnnd lights! camera! action!

It's showtime!

***

PART II coming soon... Because legit, my kid needs a boob and besides, what's a birth story without a good cliffhanger, anyway??? :)

Stay tuned fo' more!!

- It's a.......... -

.....GIRL!

[Link here if video isn't working...]

Whatttt what what?!??!

We...well, I, at least...were so shocked [!!!!!] but of course immediately absolutely smitten! Our hearts couldn't be happier that we have another little LADY friend to love! 

Welcome to our family, Scarlett Clare!  Born on January 8, she is 8lbs 13oz and 20 inches of squishy sweetness. 

And everyone is doing well, especially her very proud big sister!  Can't wait to do life as a family of FOUR! 

More pics/updates to come [including her birth story!], but the snuggles are sweet so I'll leave you with this for now... ;) :) :-*

xoxoxo

- Oh, Baaaaaby F. #2... -

...where the heck are you??? 

We've been chatting it up for a few months now [this fetus's finger dexterity is amazing!], but I'm kinda sorta definitely ready for he/she to start sprawling out in my arms instead of stretching out my insides!

#largeandincharge #runningoutofroom  ...correction: #ranoutofroomalongtimeago  ...so #comeonoutbabyf  ...because #yourefullycookednow  ...and #wecantwaittomeetyou !!!

As evidenced by a, b, and c, baby watch is legit in FULL swing around here:

We told Harper several months ago that the baby would come shortly after we took the Christmas tree down [since we usually take it down a few days after New Year's Day]; but I somehow forgot that nesting is so real and so, therefore, the house was completely barren of all things tree/ornaments/garland/glitter on December 27. Hah. Poor princess, she's been waiting very impatiently for this kid to arrive. We've been through a couple rain/snow storms AND the January 1 Super-Blue-Blood-Moon [or whatever it was called] and still woken up emtpy handed, so I'm thinking this kid plans to stay in until he's a toddler ...OR maybe he's already toddler-sized and my pelvis is like, "Hey there CPD! Nope! Not ever gonna do it!"  But still, every time I/we leave the house Harper says, "Mommy, you go to howse-petal now so 'da doctor can lay your head on a pillow and get 'da baby out. And 'den you bring 'da baby home so I can 'nuggle he when he cries." And her most famous response when anyone else asks when the baby will be here is, "Ummmmm, firty minutes. Or Saturday or 'marrow." Thirty minutes or Saturday or tomorrow? Ok, I'll take any of the three options!!!

But the fact is, whether it's thirty minutes OR tomorrow OR Saturday [...which is today...;)], the days are dwindling and Harper will be losing her favorite perch very very soon!!! 

Hopefully Baby F. #2's reading comprehension is as well developed as his/her fingers, because Momma finally has a response to all these opinionated requests...

 

It's officially time! You're fully gestated, little friend!  "Get out!"  :)

- I'mmmm dreaming of a Whiiiite Christmas... -

...just like the ones I used to know!

Am I right, or am I right?! When we were kids, it snowed all winter; and we always walked uphill in subzero temps to school and uphill on the way home, too. ;)  Kids these days! They'll just never understand...

But anyway, this year! Finally saw some good snow again on Christmas Eve Eve morning! Harper ran out of her bed and saw the white-coated-everything out the window and was sooooo excited!  "Mommaaaa, wook! Dere's 'no errywhereeee!" We got her sled out that juuuust conveniently arrived on the doorstep from Amazon Prime [#winning] and took it for a little test-ride at Grammy and Papa's house:

Surprisingly, she wasn't a huge fan, although she hung in there for a single loop around the property before retreating back inside to the heat and Papa Ron's train:

Next, switching off the holiday gears to celebrate Van the Man's first birthday party! Happy birthday, little dude!!! He had lots of helpers when the cake and presents came out...

...and then on to gift exchanging with the other Grammy and Papa...

...and Braggin' Rights game/gifts with ANOTHER Grammy and Papa!

Whew! Day 1 of Christmas weekend was jam-packed and that was juuuuuust the beginning!

More snow on Christmas Eve morning...

...plus some cookie baking for Santa...

...before trotting off to 4:15pm Christmas Eve Mass at our parish! Fr. Jeff was NOT joking the weekend before when he said it was infamously coined "the zoo Mass!" We got there fifteen minutes early [of course we were shooting for an even earlier arrival, but we're chronically late for Mass on the ordinary weekend and so ...why again did I even get my hopes up that this would be any different?] and there was not a single seat to be found. The chapel was already opened and filled, and the standing-room-only people lined the perimeter of the church...some areas 2-3 people deep!  Brian and I looked at each other with wide eyes, because 1) how would we contain/entertain Harper and 2) 38 weeks pregnant with heels on what? We barged our way back into a corner where I planned to kick off my shoes to prevent going into labor during Mass [aligning myself with the Virgin Mary on Christmas Eve, having to labor/deliver in a subpar corner because no other room at the Inn...it was all starting to fall into place in my mind] riiiiight when this really nice man [AKA the Christmas angel] came up to us and said, "We have room for three!"  I almost cried! Hormonal who? We squeezed in their pew/sat on their laps and made it through the service without an issue. [And a circle of claps for #thesympathyvote...the only good thing about looking like I'm already three weeks overdue!] Anyway, Mass was absolutely AMAZING!  We will definitely go back to the 4:15pm next year, just need to show up a lot sooner. So happy we have this parish and faith family!!!

On to great grandma's house for some Christmas Eve dinner and festivities...

...and then home to wait patiently for Santa! Harper fell asleep in the car on the way home and Brian transferred to her bed flawlessly, so #winning in the Santa department.

She was so exhausted from the previous two fun-filled days that she couldn't be budged out of bed on Christmas morning!  9:13am...not a creature was stirring...not even a mouse!!!

...Until she was stirring, then HOLY CHRISTMAS!

So so excited about Santa and her new toys, especiallllly the trampoline he built for her in the basement!

On to Brian's family's on Christmas Day, where there was no shortage of food or gifts...

Annnnd done! Phew!!! But hold the phone: was it just me, or was Christmas weekend CRAZIER than ever this year?!?  Maybe it's because it fell on a weekend or something, but I felt like we were just going.going.going.going constantly; and before I even knew what happened it was December 26 and alllll behind us and I was a whipped whale that could hardly move a muscle out of our recliner. I don't know... But exhausted or not, nesting is so real and we had to immediately clean up every crevice of the house and take down the decorations because...

...BABY WATCH IN FULL SWING!!!

Merry Christmas to all!!!

And now, onward to January and BABY!

- Christmas Baking -

I've never been that coveted "barefoot in the kitchen" type of wife; but when Christmas season rolls around, I can usually squeak out some 7-ingredient/no-bake reindeer crunch to make myself look halfway festive and kitchen-competent. :) ...Not to mention this stuff is like crackkk and is always received happily by friends and family! Cheers to the climax of 2017 [Christmas] baking!!!

The recipe is thissss:

*****

Reindeer Crunch

Prep/Total Time: 10 minutes

• 3 c Rice Chex
• 3 c Corn Chex
• 2 c Cheerios
• 2 c M&M's
• 2 c pretzel sticks (broken)
• 2 c dry roasted peanuts 
• 1 2-lb package white almond bark

Mix first six ingredients. Melt the almond bark and pour over dry mix. Stir til coated. Spread on large piece of wax paper until dry. Break apart and store in airtight bags or containers. Enjoy! 

*****

Last year, I whipped out a couple batches while Harper was deep into a 2-hour snooze; but this year, she was such a great helper! Her favorite part was being the taste-tester at the end! 

...And then of course, #letnothinggoundocumented... Tradition be ours!

Hope y'all enjoyed your snack baggies this year! It'll be another 11 months now before we venture out to bake again! ;) :)

- MistleTOES-

Merry, merry, MERRY CHRISTMASSSS from our growing family to yours!  We chose these pics this year for our Christmas card to highlight love and celebrate life; we are so so so beyond excited about the ten little mistleTOES that will soon be making a grand entrance into our lives! Family of four, here we come!!!

34w6d.....we're in the home stretch!!! 

- Bert-day BOI -

Happy birthday, Daddy Bear!!! 

Brian went to the Blues game with some man friends to celebrate his big three-seven [whoa!], and Harper waited anxiously for his 10:00pm return home so she could reveal the card she made and help him open a couple gifts... 

First he got a Croatian soccer jersey because #croatianproud, and he's always the only male who isn't flamboyantly dressed in red/white checkers at the annual family reunion; I thought it was finally time to bring him up to fashion par with the rest of his cousins.  Then next, before even starting to unwrap the larger gift, Harper blurted, "Daddy, here your tent!!!" ...Classic.

We hope 37 is your best year yet, bro! :)

- Grandkids galore! -

Merry Christmas to Grammy Ann and Papa Ron!!!  

Brian's sisters/sister-in-law and I had visions hallucinations of sugar plums dancing in our heads the day we thought it would be fun/easy to snap a current grandkid photo for Ron and Ann's mantle...

...[And as you see,] several, several, SEVERAL attempts later, there still wasn't a blue ribbon winner...

Grammy and Papa have quiteeee the crew of offspring's offspring here, but I love it and couldn't imagine it any other way!!! So happy Harper [and the soon-arriving grandchild #8] will always have such a fun group of cousins to grow up with! :-* 

Sigh... #christmaspics and #betterlucknextyear !!!