Welcome Baby Parker!!

Our sweet son is officially here, born September 27th at 8:41 am! He was 9 lbs, 10 ounces and was 21" long. He looks so much like Sydney and Taylor did at birth. Especially Sydney. He sleeps most of the day away. He's been spitting up a lot of his food and, when last checked, was down to 8 lbs, 15 oz. Doc thinks it may be lots of amniotic fluid still inside his belly, causing him to spit up.

We got to the hospital at 6 am Thursday morning. Surgery wasn't until 8 am. All was going well- I was prepped, got my epidural, and was wheeled back to the OR. They were testing to see how numb I was, and realized I could feel everything in my abdominal region. They called back the anesthesiologist, who tested me, too. Since they had given me the max amount of drugs, he said they were going to have to put me under.

I immediately got upset- I hated thinking I wouldn't know right away or not if Parker was okay. A sweet nurse knelt beside me and said a prayer. Last thing I remember is a mask going over my mouth, and I was out.

Poor Stephen couldn't even come back, so he had to miss the whole birth, too. I didn't wake up until Parker was a couple of hours old. I was SO groggy and drugged up Thursday that I couldn't even hold Parker. It was sad.

When the doctor came to check on us this morning, she explained to me about the surgery. She said it was a blessing in disguise that I was put under. She said I had so much scar tissue from my last 2 csections that it was really hard to get Parker out. They had to press all over my abdomen really hard and had to be rough getting Parker out. She said I would've been in so much pain had I just had the epidural.

But, the main thing is that Parker is healthy and sweet and just perfect! We are so blessed!

You've come a long way, baby!

My sweet Sydney is officially FOUR!  Where has the time gone??

9-23-2008

9-23-2012

Sydney is the most sassy, caring, hilarious thing, all rolled into one little girl.  I am so blessed to be able to be her mom!!!!

Happy birthday, Sydney!

Sassy, Classy, and...

Still kicking a$$y.

I think that will be my new motto for 32. 

Yes, my friends, I am another year older.  Another year wiser.  And thanks to a birthday card from a dear friend, I have been encouraged by the above motto.  Bring this new year on!

I had a wonderful birthday.  Despite the fact that my work day was insane, I had a doctor's appointment, and I didn't get home until after 6, I still had a great day.  Stephen surprised me by arranging a babysitter and taking me to the Blue Willow Inn for dinner.  The theme there involves anything with the words 'fried' or 'cheese' in it.  And it's an unlimited amount of deliciousness that you get.  I definitely enjoyed that meal while I still can!

I got so many phone calls, cards, messages.  I went about 4 hours at work without looking at my phone, only to see a "14" by my missed call number when I checked it.  It's nice to feel the love. So, thank you to everybody!

OK, enough about my birthday. 

I have had a long week of long workdays after little sleep.  I couldn't sleep one morning and I actually went on into work a little after 6.  (I can promise you that has never happened before- and probably never will again!)  Every day, I've been leaving work trying to think- if I went into labor tonight, what kind of paperwork mess am I leaving my coordinator? (the person who's taking over for me while I'm out).  And it has been a hot mess of paperwork. 

Friday's appointment went well.  I am SO swollen- duely noted by the doctor- in fact, last week I gained 5 POUNDS in a week.  I did the same thing with Sydney at the end.  So much water retention, it's terrible.  Luckily, my blood pressure was normal and I haven't had any other symptoms of preeclampsia.  Doc recommended Friday be my last day of work, but I'm hoping to get through at least Monday, if not Tuesday.  Now the doc is saying she's not sure if he'll top Taylor (10 lbs)... but she did feel my belly and say, "But, he is definitely a BIG boy."  We will find out soon!  He's sitting on my sciatic nerve- which he's done throughout my pregnancy- but this one is causing me to have terrible back pain and it makes it hard to walk.  I guess because he has no where to go and weighs a lot now, that it's constantly pressing on that nerve.
Countdown- 5 days!  So hard to believe.  I'm trying to wrap up last minute things this weekend, but thankfully, we've been really productive for the last few weekends that so much is already done.

On a side note, I was thinking about this today.  I went to the gym to freeze my membership, and the owner guy was asking if this was my first pregnancy.  I told him it was my 3rd.  He said, "Oh, well you're a pro at it, then!"  I thought about that, and yes, I may be familiar with the stages of pregnancy and what to expect.  However, with each pregnancy it gets about 10 times harder, because you are chasing, lifting, getting up early, bathing, playing with a little one!  (or two little ones!)  I remember the days, being pregnant with Sydney, when I could come home and prop my feet up from 4 PM-bedtime if I wanted to.  Now, there is no choice but to suck up any pain I'm having and tend to the girls.  I remember having such bad morning sickness, and having to take care of the girls all by myself when Stephen was traveling.  It was TERRIBLE.  Lifting the girls now with my back pain... miserable.  Waking up 12 times a night between going to the bathroom, trying to get comfortable, soothing crying girls (and then having to work, lead meetings, have my head on straight the next day at work)... insanity. 

But, I wouldn't change it for the world...

Stephen and me after dinner.

The Blue Willow Inn.

Sydney enjoying one of my cards that made funny noises.

Sydney's 4th Birthday Party!

We had Sydney's birthday party this afternoon!  We had it at The Little Gym, which is a fun place where the kids can do fun gym-like activities, as well as play on gym equipment (balance beam, uneven bars, etc.)  Sydney had so much fun!  Here are some pics from the day:

Now, I think I'm going to hit the hay... (I can't imagine how I'd feel if the b-day party had been at our house this year!)

What a week!

This week was quite the whirlwind of events, mainly at work.  It was followed up by a busy weekend, leading into another busy week.  Whew.  Will I ever catch my breath?  (These days, probably not!)

Work has been crazy, and I haven't been getting home until close to 6 most nights.  There is so much I could and should be doing at night for work, but I am pretty much useless after 8 PM.

But, on top of work and life and my weekly doctor's appointment, I had two fun events... two showers!  I tried to discourage any showers this go-round... I really feel bad, that this is my third child, and feeling like I don't deserve any celebrations because of that.  I realize this is the first boy, but still.  Anyways, my work crew is so fantastic that they didn't seem to care, and were so generous to want to do something special for me and the baby.

On Thursday, I was running late to a "working lunch" with my Learning Support co-workers at O'Charley's.  I felt so bad, texting them to say I'd be 10 minutes late.  I ran in with my binder/notebook in hand, ready to get to work... only to find out it was a surprise shower for me.  It was so sweet.  Wish I had taken pictures of the event!

Then, on Friday, my home school (where I used to teach) threw me a big shower.  There were so many edible goodies- sandwiches, queso dip, meatballs, cookies, brownies, fudge, and more.  I think I had 5 servings of it all.  We got so many wonderful things- mainly diapers and wipes, which are mostly needed. 

My sweet co-worker struck again!  Do you remember, back when I was pregnant with Taylor, that one of my co-workers not only got me and the baby some presents, but got Sydney all kinds of goodies?  Well, she did it again, this time showering both Sydney and Taylor with all sorts of fun presents!  She is just the most selfless person.  Here are some pics from the school shower, and the girls enjoying their gifts.

Can you tell these gifts were kind of a hit in our household?



Belly shot

18 days to go!

Eek!  36.5 weeks

Fall... is that you??

I have to admit, lately I'm feeling terrible.  I'm not sleeping well, which I think is affecting everything I do.  I know it's just the last couple of weeks of being pregnant, so I'm trying my best to stay positive... but lately, I feel like Debbie Downer!  No one wants to hear someone whine about their aches and pains all the time, so I'll move on. 

Thankfully, today was such a lovely day!  It was a little warm in the sun, but when that breeze blew, it was SO nice.  Stephen and I and the girls had a very nice unproductive day.  We went to church, the girls and I took naps, we played outside for hours, went on a walk, went to visit some neighbors, made dinner, and got ready for bed. 

Since I have been feeling so yucky, I decided to join in the fun by taking some pics of the girls... something I haven't done in a while!

Stephen, showing off his mad skills.

Sweet Taylor.

Sweet Sydney.

Big sis pushing little sis.

Stephen was trying to scare them.

Sweet...

Still sweet...

...Scary!!

Taylor loves her daddy.

24 more days!

This blog has served a good purpose for me.  I like being able to look back and find out when things exactly happened, what things were like for us at certain points in time, etc.  I am thankful to be a boring blogger.  Many people I know blog when something terrible is going on with them/their family, and I'm glad to just be able to blog about the day-to-days.

I wanted to post today, because back in 2010, I had a blog named the same title... 24 more days!  Check here if you want a little comparison.

35.5 weeks

I think my belly is bigger with Parker than it was with Taylor.  Is he going to be an 11-pounder??  Taylor wouldn't cooperate for the kiss picture... I don't think she quite gets that Parker is in my belly.  She'll rub her own belly and say "Baby Parker".  Also, my hair looks a lot better in 2010.  I wasn't quite as lazy... or should I say, I didn't choose other alternatives over straightening my hair like I do now (ahem, sitting on the couch and watching TV).

For all of you people wanting to have kids, my best advice is... aim to have the baby in March or April!!  The summer months are b-r-u-t-a-l.  I am usually so cold natured, but I wake up now absolutely sweating.  In the AM, it can be hard just putting on make-up.  It makes me feel for anyone going through hot flashes.  And there's no relief- you step outside, already sweaty from your air-conditioned house, just to be hit by a brick wall of 90+ degree weather.  Fall, where are you??? I bought a pumpkin spice candle in honor of you (hopefully) coming soon.

So, 24 days it is... so much to do at work, so these next... 16 work days will be insane.  Things around the house are basically done, which makes me feel better.  I don't know if "nesting" is really a natural phenomenon or not, or if it's just the freak-out period before the baby comes.  I tend to act the same way before I go back to school from summer break.  I'm realizing 24 days means 3 more weekends, which are pretty busy already.

That's it for now!  

Holiday Weekend

We've had a really good holiday weekend, considering we really had NO plans whatsoever. 

Friday was a great day because we got to refinance our house, plus one of the rental houses!!!  Woohoo!!!  We are doing 15 year mortgages on both and the interest rate was more than half what it was before.  So, we are paying actually less for 15 years than we were for 30 years with our previous interest rate!  Woot.

Stephen went to the Braves game with some clients Friday evening, so the girls and I braved dinner out plus some grocery shopping. 

Saturday, I headed to the mall to return some things, and, of course, buy some things.  I rocked out the sales at Kohl's.  I'm seriously wondering how they make any money.  I got 22 items for $87.00, and saved almost $400 off regular prices.  Woot again.

Sunday, I was a bad girl and skipped out on church.  The girls have been getting up so early lately, that I have an energy burst between 6 AM and 1 PM, but then I'm just exhausted for the rest of the day.  So, I thought I'd take full advantage of my morning rush.  Stephen took the girls to church, so I had a couple hours of kid-free time.

So, what did I do?  Bask in the sun?  Read my book?  Paint my toes? (ha, who are we kidding.  I can hardly see my toes.)

I... washed 6 loads of laundry, got eBay lots of baby clothes together and on eBay, ironed, dusted the whole house, mopped the floor, boiled/sterilized all the bottles, replied to emails, washed and packed up maternity clothes I won't be wearing anymore, steirlized the new pump I bought, put back together our dining room table (which lately has been dumping grounds of things I need to put somewhere quickly), got all of Sydney's party stuff together... whew!  Then, later, we grilled salmon, ate a yummy dinner, and then had Stephen's early birthday party last night with the girls.  (We have plans tonight with friends, and then he's leaving town for his actual birthday!).  I thought I'd crash super early, but we actually stayed up until almost 11, watching TV.

Needless to say, I'm feeling it today.  We ran some errands this morning with one whiney almost-4 year old and one 1 year old who hates the stroller.  Not a great combination.  Today, we really don't have plans until later tonight, which I'm glad for.  A nap might be calling my name...

This is how our bed looks most mornings lately- Taylor snuggled up next to me, leaving me about 6 inches of room on the edge.  Sydney snuggled up next to Stephen, kicking him every 5 minutes.  Thank goodness we have a King sized bed... I don't know how we'd manage with anything less.

Birthday party goodies!

Ahhh, I can see the dining room table.  It is usually covered.  Plus, the girls love to take the napkings out and play with them, so those are always all over the place. 

Bottles... cleaned and ready to go!

Shiny floor.  It is rarely like this, so I had to document.

I had to put this one in.  How sassy does she look??

21 Months!

Taylor is 21 months old!!!

Taylor's accomplishments this month include:

• Totally rocking using her fork/spoon!
• Jumping and blowing her nose (not at the same time, thank goodness).
• Lots of new words: "Bless You" (after someone sneezes), she says all of her teachers' names, "Sydney" (not just "Sissy"), "Taylor", "Kitty Cat", "Pig", "Horse", "Capri Sun", "Boots" (as in Dora).  She is totally trying to talk in conversation now, it's just a little hard to understand everything. 
• We've been using the potty more this month, and she's had several successes!  I know it's still kind of a fluke each time it happens, but she gets so excited.
• She's doing great in her big-girl bed!  Her little internal alarm clock gets her up between 4:45 and 5:45 AM.  We'll hear her on the monitor shuffling out of her bed, then she'll shut the door behind her, and then we'll hear the "swish" of her diaper as she walks down the hall to our room, carrying Elmo and her little doll "Addie" in her arms.  She'll come lay/sit in our bed until about 6 when we get up. :)
• She's singing more of the alphabet!
• We're working on her counting- I'll say 1 through 4, and then she'll say, "5, 6, 7, 9!"  We'll work on that 8 and 10. 
• One night at dinner, Sydney was completely dominating the conversation when Taylor was trying to talk.  Taylor yelled, "SISSY!" and then went, "Shhhhhh!" with her finger over her lip.  It was quite humorous.
• She's learning more and more animal sounds.  Before, she'd say "mooooo" to every animal we would call out.  Now, she can make the correct sounds for dog, cat, pig, horse, duck, and yes, cow. 
• She loves to look at you and say, "Boo!"
• She is walking up the stairs on her own, and probably could walk downstairs all on her own (I'm just still freaked out and always walk down next to her).
• She has dominated our playground.  She climbs up the ladder on her own, goes down the super-fast slide all by herself. 

Here are some pics from month 21!

Waking up her sister by climbing in her bed.

Saying "Boo!" at the doctor's office.

Actually keeping the headphones on.

Weeeeeee!

Rockin' her sister's bathing suit in the backyard.

After a messy dinner out one night, this is how she rode home.

Sisters.

PS- Happy birthday to my favorite Dad!!!