Thank You All!

Our sweet baby was born 4 weeks ago and I have yet to brag about how loving and generous my family and friends are, and how they’ve taken such amazing care of me and Mark and our girls. I’m so proud and blessed to call them mine!

While we were in the hospital my parents made sure my big girl was well cared for (so understated!!) and loved so we didn’t have to worry. They even made sure she had some fun times with friends to keep her distracted from worrying about me. They let her pick out balloons and flowers for me and made sure the house was so sweetly decorated for our homecoming. And through all that my mom made sure she was there for me too. Of course they continue to show their love and support, and offer any help we may need. I am so blessed!

All of my family (sisters, brother, all parents) has shown their excitement for our newest family member in all sorts of ways. The texts, phone calls, visits, support, prayers, and overall thoughtfulness mean so much! Two sisters sent maternity clothes, which I loved and got so much use out of! One sent beautiful baby clothes which will be a part of Kate’s wardrobe for a long time to come. One made sure Bella was busy while waiting for Kate, but made sure she was at the hospital when it was time for her to meet her new baby sister. My brother made a special trip down from North Carolina to meet his new niece, and my dad and stepmom will be here in 2 short weeks to meet their sweet granddaughter. Family is the best!

My friends are even more amazing than I ever knew! They helped out in any way they could with Bella, and they continue to do so still. Some came to visit, some made us delicious meals to make things a little (a lot!) easier when we came home, and some are helping with Bella’s school transportation since miss Kate despises the car line. Everyone has been so helpful and we feel so loved! All the phone calls, texts, emails, and visits were and are so appreciated! Who knew so many people cared so much?!

Finally, there’s my husband and his heart of gold. He is so loving and supportive, and he’s taken on so much. I overheard him telling someone that it’s been a bit of a challenge to juggle work and taking care of the household (cooking, cleaning, laundry, pet care, grocery shopping, etc.) and me and the two girls, and what an appreciation that renewed in him for all that I do for the family. It made my heart happy. He’s so protective of me and is making sure I’m resting and taking good care of myself and our sweet Kate.

In the hospital my husband was right there with me through the hardest thing I’ve ever been through in my life- 28 hours of intense labor followed by an unplanned c-section. He held my hand, fed me italian ice, tenderly wiped my face, and reminded me to breathe and focus on our sweet baby. He was the one to finally show me the face of our gorgeous girl. He was the one who so thoughtfully ordered me a Jimmy Johns sub since I hadn’t eaten for more than 24 hours, thinking I would finally be able to eat after delivery.

For the first two weeks home the only things my husband would let me do was feed and change Kate, sleep, and eat. He and Bella made sure I was comfortable and happy, and that I didn’t lift a finger. They figured out their routines, and though it wasn’t always easy, they did it for me.

Each day I’m getting better and more active, and I’m able to do more and  more around the house. Fortunately I do have Mark to keep me in check though. I am realizing that housework will wait, but our baby will only be this little once, and so I’m enjoying holding and snuggling her, and he and I tag team to keep a good balance. He will cook, clean up, change diapers, help with Bella’s homework, anything to make it easy for me. He helped Bella clean out and reorganize her bedroom. He loves just snuggling with Kate while I do things I want/ need to do, or while I spend time with Bella. He reminds me that I don’t have to do it all myself, and I don’t want to. I am so grateful to have a loving husband who is my partner in every aspect of our  life. I am so loved!

Thank You All!

Ready Or Not...

Excited, scared, happy, scared, sad…Tuesday, December 30, at 2:30pm I was an emotional roller coaster. I had my 40 week check up, and since my blood pressure was high the doctor sent us right over to the hospital for evaluation to decide if I needed to be induced.

I guess a big part of me was “ready”, as I had finished a couple errands that morning that I wanted to do before baby, I took a nice long shower, made myself all up, and even painted my toes! I had my hubby go to the doctor with me even, “just in case”.

On the way to the doctor’s office I was so nervous! Even if it wasn’t going to be that day, my baby would be coming soon! After all, my due date was only two days away. I was so nervous because I just didn’t know if I was ready yet, or truly ever would be. I know that sounds completely crazy. First of all, I was as ready as I was ever going to be! We had everything we would need for bringing baby home and the house was clean and organized. And like most women, a part of me was just ready to have this baby. I was feeling tired and big!

There was a part of me that wasn’t ready, though. That’s the part that wanted to hold on to this miraculous pregnancy forever. The part that wanted to carry our precious gift from God safe inside of me longer, to just have her with me. As much as my arms longed to hold her and all my senses were on high alert wanting to see her beauty, smell her sweet baby scent, and hear her little cries, my heart wanted to keep her tucked up in right next to it.

Pregnancy was one of the most beautiful, amazing experiences of my life. I was so blessed to have an easy and healthy pregnancy. Sure there was some sickness, and a few “typical” pregnancy things, but really I didn’t “suffer” at all. If I had believed everything I read I would have thought I’d be a pimple faced, sweaty, gigantic blimp always breathless, always tired, and always finding some new ache or pain or gripe. Heartburn, leg cramps, bad skin, exhaustion, crazy food cravings, swelling…pregnancy sounds like a thrill a minute according to the books. So I put the books away, put the negativity behind me, decided not to let all the “risks” and fears steal my joy, and instead focused on the beautiful miracle God had given us. God enabled my body to create a whole and healthy child. He enabled my body to bring forth a beautiful life to honor Him, and He entrusted one of His precious angels to us to parent. Those are the things that consumed me throughtout my amazing journey.

So when we arrived at the hospital and they told us we were staying I thanked God for my beautiful journey, asked His blessings on the road ahead, and began to look forward to finally having our little miracle in my arms, right where she belongs.

Ready Or Not...