Birthday Interview

What is your favorite color?  Pink and purple
What is your favorite drink?  Chocolate milk and juice
What is your favorite food?  Noodles (with butter & Parmesan cheese) 
What is your favorite movie?  The Little Mermaid & Tangled
What is your favorite thing to do?  Work puzzles
What is your favorite restaurant?  McDonalds
Where is your favorite place to go?  McDonalds
Who is your best friend?  Levi
What is your favorite song?  Jesus songs
What do you want to be when you grow up? I already bigger!
What is your favorite thing to play?  Princess Sophia puzzle
What is your favorite toy?  Princess Sophia puzzle
What do you like most about being home?  Poppy
What is your favorite thing to wear?  Princess dresses
What is your favorite fruit?  Blueberries
What is your favorite snack?  Goldfish
What is your favorite book?  Princess Barbie book
What is your favorite TV show?  Wild Kratts
What is your favorite animal?  hippo
What is your favorite thing to sleep with at night?  Her fox (thanks Samuel!)
What is your favorite thing to do outside?  Ride her bike and sit in the wagon

This year I have seen the biggest changes in my sweet girl, but I guess the year between 2 and 3 always is.  They really go from being our babies to being our "big" kids.  Naomi is definitely a blessing to our family.  She is smart, sassy, caring, sweet as can be, tough and strong, and she loves to laugh.  Naomi doesn't realize this, but she is my reminder that God hears me, knows my heart, and is faithful to His promises.  He gave her to our family at just the right time and circumstances around her birth remind me that God loves me.  He loves us.  So Happy Birthday to my daughter!  May the year to come bring us all closer to the Lord as we share lots of love and laughter.  

Happy Birthday Nomes! 
 

We Joined the Club

 It was just a matter of time before we made that fateful trip to the ER for the inevitable broken bone and that time has come.  Well, not exactly.  There was no ER visit, but there is a broken bone.  Last Sunday night Levi & Naomi were innocently playing at church while we were taking out turning doing the weekly cleaning.  There were having a great time running and chasing each other and then there were tears.  We weren't concerned and she gave us no reason to be.  We kissed her boo boo and she went right back to playing.  When we arrived home we noticed that her hand was a little swollen and she wasn't really wanting to use it to hold her fork to eat.  We checked her fingers, she laughed, so we figured it was just a little bruised from the fall and all would be better in the morning.

Monday comes and I literally think nothing of it.  She complained once or twice, but for most of the day she was her normal, crazy self.  We went to soccer practice and she was running all over the place, falling down, and acting completely normal.  We only got concerned because her hand was still pretty swollen (almost twice the size) so we made plans to go to the doctor the next day.

Tuesday comes and while Tuesday literally requires a post all its own lets just say after much frustration with my pediatrician's office we discover that she will need to be seen by a pediatric orthopedist because her x-rays show a possible stress fracture.  Wednesday we make the trek to Atlanta to see the orthopedist.  It takes no time for them to examine her before they rule that her right hand definitely has a break.  On the bright side she got to pick her cast color and of course she picked purple.  She has to wear it for three weeks and so far we're in one and a half weeks.  It has taken her no time to get used to it and I think she actually likes it.  Thursday night after her bath it actually came off!!!  I know right!  That is not supposed to happen.  I called the doctor and was told to watch it over the weekend and we'd make a decision come Monday.  Today they decided to have us come back in tomorrow for a new cast since her hand was moving more than they'd prefer.  Let's just hope she is this happy after she gets her new one tomorrow.

She's 2!

This special girl turned 2 recently.  I can't believe it.  It seriously feels like yesterday I was anticipating her arrival and then bringing her home and into our family, but it also feels like she has always been part of our family.  I'm not sure what we'd do without her presence in our family.  As you can tell she is as cute and sassy as ever.  She actually had a pretty crappy birthday as we spent the whole day in the car traveling back to Georgia from Texas.  She was in a great mood, but her Poppy was sick the whole ride so Levi & I did the best we could to make her day a little special, but there is only so much you can do for a 2 year old on a 17 hour car ride.  

To make up for it the following weekend we had her a party and celebrated her birthday right.  We always put balloons in their room the night before their birthday so we made sure to not skimp on that.  She was thrilled, and so was our dog and 4 year old.  Her party was later that afternoon complete with cake, presents, and lots of love.  Awesome Aunt Lou came the night before and helped with her cake, which I'm happy to report did not fall apart like it did last year!  Small victories!  Needless to say we made up for her spending her birthday in the car and she was spoiled!  She got a kitchen for her room, clothes, jewelry, puzzles, new cowboy boots, and her very first Barbie!  For the record she is loving every present she got and plays with them all pretty much on a daily basis.  I think it is safe to say that she is starting this second year of life off pretty good thanks to all the people in her life that love her so much.  

Happy Birthday Naomi!

 

She can't wait to open her presents.

Giving everyone kisses and thanking them for her gifts.

Because she had a birthday that meant a 2 year check up at the doctor.  We just went last week and she is growing like a weed.  Like her brother she in the 97% (36.5 inches) for her height, and she is a skinny little thing coming in at just the 30% (25.6 lbs.) for weight.  She is growing so much and everyday I feel like she is learning something new.  Here is a little bit of stuff she has been up to recently.

• She is my fashionista!  She loves clothes and on more than one occasion she has refused to put on what I have picked out and insisted on picking her own clothes out.  Usually she is pretty stylin' as you can see from the picture right above.
• She loves girly things like baby dolls, jewelry, make up, princesses, and shoes, but she also has a streak of tomboy in her has well.  She runs and climbs with the best, and she isn't afraid to get dirty.
• She adores her brother.  Yes.  ADORES!  She thinks he hung the moon and follows him around mimicking everything he does.  It is definitely "monkey see.  monkey do." around here. 
• She is quite obedient, but she has a stubborn streak that runs through her and it isn't a rarity to her the word "no!" come out of her mouth.
• She still sleeps in her crib, but don't worry she has figured out how to climb out and on more than one occasion has climbed in bed with me in the middle of the night.
• She is a great eater and loves pizza, crackers, spaghetti, chicken, bread, and juice.
• Her hair is getting long and I can put it in a pony tail and pigtails even though she hates for me to.
• She loves to watch movies, but rarely sits through and entire one.  I think 30 minutes may be the longest she's watched anything.  This girl likes to be moving.
• She still loves her nonnie (pacifier - we have no idea why she calls it a nonnie since we have always called it the paci).  We took it away from her, but we still allow her to have it at bedtime.  So far it has worked wonderfully, but I'm dreading the time we have to take it from her at night.
• She is interested in going to the potty, but we haven't done any extensive training with her.  We just let her go when she asks, but will probably train her in the next few weeks once we get a little more settled.
• She loves to read and sing, especially during family worship.
• She talks all the time!  She knows more words than I can count and is getting pretty good at understanding reasoning.
• We started our discipline more heavily with her in the past few months and I'm sorry to say she has already had her first (of many I'm sure) spankings.  
• She loves bath time and would probably stay in there all day if her brother didn't aggravate her so much in there.
• She is a bit whiny which we are trying to reign in.  I think it's a girl thing.
• She always wants her boo boos kissed, but as soon as she gets her kiss she is fine.
• She loves to brush her teeth and get her hair brushed after bath time.
• She loves Poppy, Gramps, & Granddaddy.  Mommy, Mema, & Grandmama, Bay, Lou, & Samuel are a close second.
• She loves to play outside, slide, swing, ride her big wheel, run, and rock in the rocking chair.
• She started sitting in church with us over the last few months and has done great transitioning into the service.
• She loves to go on rides in the car.

18 Months

Where has the time gone?  I can't believe my baby girl is already 18 months old.  She is just the full of personality and we couldn't imagine life without her.  Here is all the stuff she is into...

• Her and Levi are best friends.  Fight like cats and dogs sometimes, but best friends.
• She adores Aaron.  Definitely a daddy's girl.
• She loves to eat.  Bananas, cheese, yogurt, crackers, grilled cheese sandwiches, and chicken are some of her favorites.
• She still loves the pacifier.  Was going to take it away, but we caught her sucking her thumb so we are putting it off a little while.
• Wears 18 month clothes and size 3 diapers.
• She loves playing outside.  
• She loves the water.  One of her favorite things is to play in the river across the street.  
• She is super brave.  She'll try almost anything.
• She has the BEST laugh and smile.  I love to tickle her just to see and hear it.
• She has mastered walking, running, climbing, and stairs.
• She is talking so much.  She can repeat almost anything you ask her to, but she here are a few words that she says frequently:  mama, papa, Levi, Dodger, eat, baby, please, yes.
• She takes 1 nap and sleeps about 10 hours at night.
• She is quite obedient most of the time.
• She likes to push the boundaries.
• She is very playful.
• She loves Dodger.  She climbs on him and probably drives him absolutely crazy!
• She loves bath time.  

15, well 16 Months

Naomi turned 15 months old at the end of March.  Here it is the end of April and I'm just getting around to posting about her new skills, developments, and stats.  Part of the lateness is due to our move, but the real reason is that her 15 month check-up was just last Monday and I wanted to wait for her stats before I posted.

She is doing amazing and learning so much.  This stage is one of my favorites.  Here is what's been going on:

• She is walking and has recently mastered running.  She can climb up and down stairs with little difficulty.  She falls about 100 times a day, but just gets back up and keeps going.
• She is talking much more now.  She says Mama, Dodger (Dado), Papa, bye, Bubba, but she understands a plethora of words such as clean up, kisses, bath, Naomi, ear, drink, and so much more.  This helps in her communication with us.  Usually between talking and sign language we can figure out what she is trying to say.
• She uses signs often and know the signs for please and more.  She doesn't use the following too often, but understands the signs for eat, drink, help, and finished when we use them.
• She has just recently started enjoying watching a little TV when Levi watches it.  Like Levi, VeggieTales is among her favorites.
• She loves to play outside and dig in the dirt.  Probably her favorite thing to do.
• She sleeps 11-12 hours at night and takes at least 1 nap during the day (sometimes 2 depending on the day).
• She wears 18 month clothes and size 4 in shoes.
• She is a good eater and will try almost anything we put in front of her.  Chicken, waffles, cheese, pasta, potatoes, and yogurt are always a hit.  She uses a spoon and fork easily a mealtime, and always drinks for a sippy cup.
• Among her favorite toys are her bear, a scarf, baby doll, Tonka truck, and Levi's cars and dinosaurs.
• She is still in love with her paci.
• She has too many teeth to count.  I think the total may be about 12 - 4 which are molars.
• Even at her age she is pretty obedient and follows basic commands without hesitation.
• She is brave and fearless.  She will try anything and usually leads the way into new adventures where Levi is more timid.
• She loves music and dancing.  
• She has the best laugh and is super ticklish.
• She is such a girly girl and has even insisted on picking her own clothes once or twice (ridiculous I know), but has a tomboy streak in her and loves to get dirty just the same.
• She can identify her belly and nose, and we are working on learning her ears.
• She adores Aaron.  I definitely come second to him.

Stats:

Birth: 8 lbs. 15 oz., 20 1/4 in.
4 Days (1/4/11): 8 lbs. 5.5 oz., 20 1/4 in.
2 weeks (1/18/11): 9 lbs. 7.5 oz. (97%), 21 1/4 in. (90%)
2 months (3/3/11): 12 lbs. 15 oz. (95%), 23 1/2 in. (90%)
4 months (5/3/11): 15 lbs. 9 oz. (90%), 24 3/4 in. (75%)

6 months (7/6/11): 17 lbs. 13.5 oz. (85%), 28 in. (90-95%)

9 months (10/10/11): 19 lbs. 6 oz. (75%), 28 3/4 in. (85%)

12 months (1/17/12): 19 lbs. 12 oz. (30%), 30 in. (90%)

15 months (4/23/12): 21 lbs. 10 oz. (30%), 31 1/2 in. (90%)

9 Months

I cannot believe Naomi is already 9 months old! I'm sure I started her 6 month post off the same way. It seems that time is flying by and before I know it we are going to be celebrating her 1st birthday, then her 16th! Here are a few things she's been loving.

• She is finally crawling and pulling up on everything! Now that she is mobile, she is much more content to be left alone to play that she was before.
• She is talking tons. She says bye bye, mama, and sometimes papa.
• She has 4 teeth. 2 on the bottom and 2 on top. She has a big gap between her top teeth and when she smiles she looks like an old granny! I love it!
• Her hair is filling in and lightening up even though it is not quite a blonde as Levi's was at this age.
• She still love her pacifier.
• She eats Stage 2 foods. I've tried introducing her to some 2 1/2 foods, but she doesn't like textures just yet. However, she will eat crackers and nilla wafers.
• She nurses 3 times a day and eats solids 2 times a day.
• We were having trouble with her sleeping through the night, so just last week we moved her into her own room and have been letting her "cry it out." So far so good. She still wakes up most nights, but she is quickly learning to soothe herself back to sleep.
• She loves playing with Levi's toys and playing with him. Right now her favorite toy is whatever he is playing with.
• She loves to be outside.
• She takes 1 nap during the day and a few catnaps in the car when we run our morning errands (gym, grocery store, etc.)
• She loves jewelry and I usually can't wear any for her pulling at it constantly.
• She wears size 3 diapers.
• She is ticklish on her tummy, thighs, and neck.
• She sleeps on her tummy.
• She wears size 9-12 month clothes.
• She absolutely LOVES bath time!

Stats:

Birth: 8 lbs. 15 oz., 20 1/4 in.
4 Days (1/4/11): 8 lbs. 5.5 oz., 20 1/4 in.
2 weeks (1/18/11): 9 lbs. 7.5 oz. (97%), 21 1/4 in. (90%)
2 months (3/3/11): 12 lbs. 15 oz. (95%), 23 1/2 in. (90%)
4 months (5/3/11): 15 lbs. 9 oz. (90%), 24 3/4 in. (75%)

6 months (7/6/11): 17 lbs. 13.5 oz. (85%), 28 in. (90-95%)

9 months (10/10/11): 19 lbs. 6 oz. (75%), 28 3/4 in. (85%)

Just a Swingin'

With temperatures in the 90s and 100s over the last several weeks, we have spent most of our time indoors. However, last week we had a nice break for about 2 days with slightly cooler temps (80s) so we took advantage of it and headed to the park for the evening. Naomi loved the swing, which also happens to be Levi's favorite thing to do as well. Here they are smiles and all...

Bad at Posting

Lately I have been very bad at 1) taking pictures, and 2) posting the pictures I actually do take. However, I have taken a few here and there that for whatever reason I haven't uploaded to post. Here is a little taste.

Naomi is rolling around everywhere! She is trying really hard to crawl, but hasn't quite mastered it just yet. This day she roller herself right under the TV cabinet.

At Levi's 3 year check-up the doctor noticed a heart murmur and sent us to a pediatric cardiologist to have it checked out. Levi wasn't too sure about it all. After being hooked up to all these cords and an ultrasound of his heart, the doctor told us it was just an innocent murmur and nothing to worry about. We have to go back in 5 years to make sure it hasn't developed into anything more serious. Can't believe Levi will be 8 then!

The is crazy man being what I like to call bucket head. He is so much fun!

So Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-fil-A was well over a month ago, but I'm just now getting around to posting this picture. Aaron's sister, Cara, dressed him up. I think she did a pretty good job. Just wished I had gotten a picture of the whole outfit. He definitely enjoyed his free meal!

Big Brother Sweetness

Levi is proving to be one amazing big brother. Naomi has not been sleeping well at night. Usually she wakes once at some point and it only takes a little snuggling and she is back asleep. I'm hoping it is due to teething, but we'll see. Anyway, Sunday evening I was woken up around 2am to hear Naomi crying. When I woke up I noticed the living room light was on, so I go to investigate. I walk around the corner and look into Naomi's room to find that Levi has crawled into the pack-n-play with Naomi. He has given her a pacifier and is telling her "Its okay." She actually seems calm and almost asleep. That is when he saw me and said "Mommy, Nome's crying." So I pick them both up, give Levi some juice, and send him back to bed (after I tell him what a wonderful brother he is). Naomi is back to sleep and in bed by 3am. When morning finally arrives I decide to sleep in since I had to get up with the kids. Around 7:45am I hear Naomi crying again so start to get out of bed, but before I can I hear my bedroom door shut. I get out of bed and walking into the living room to hear laughter coming from Naomi's room. I head that way only to find that Levi has crawled in bed with her again and they are laughing. When I walk in he says "Mommy, you awake?" To which I reply "Yes." Realizing that he thought I was asleep I ask "Did you shut my door so she wouldn't wake me up?" He looks at me and says "Yes." How sweet is that? I definitely have one sweet little boy.

6 (and a half) Months

Naomi had her 6 month check-up on the 6th. She is doing amazingly well. Here are her stats and a few milestones about our growing girl.

• She loves Levi. I really think he is her favorite person. He always makes her laugh.
• She began rice cereal at then end of month 5 and is currently eating Stage 2 foods. She currently likes green beans, squash, sweet potatoes, apples, prunes, peaches, mango, pears, and chicken.
• She is in size 2 diapers...but working her way to Stage 3.
• She loves her pacifier.
• Her thighs are HUGE...and adorable.
• She is a good sleeper usually going from 9pm-7am on a good night. However, she still wakes up periodically.
• She is in size 6-9 month clothes.
• She has cut her 2 bottom teeth (cut the June 25th).
• She loves to take a bath.
• She can roll from her belly to back and from her back to belly.
• She is everywhere, and she hasn't even started crawling yet!
• She can sit up on her own but only for a few seconds at a time.
• She nurses 3 times a day and eats twice a day.
• She has the cutest fuzzy monkey hair around!
• She takes one long nap a day, and will sometimes take 2 naps depending on the day.
• She likes to be held.
• She likes to be with the group. She doesn't like to be left alone in a room.

Stats:

Birth: 8 lbs. 15 oz., 20 1/4 in.
4 Days (1/4/11): 8 lbs. 5.5 oz., 20 1/4 in.
2 weeks (1/18/11): 9 lbs. 7.5 oz. (97%), 21 1/4 in. (90%)
2 months (3/3/11): 12 lbs. 15 oz. (95%), 23 1/2 in. (90%)
4 months (5/3/11): 15 lbs. 9 oz. (90%), 24 3/4 in. (75%)

6 months (7/6/11): 17 lbs. 13.5 oz. (85%), 28 in. (90-95%)

4 Months

Naomi had her 4 month check-up this week. She is growing so fast that I can hardly believe it! She was such a trooper getting her second set of shots, and she even got a new book from the doctor for doing so well. She even rolled over for the doctor at her check-up even though I haven't been able to get her to do it again. Before I know it she'll be walking and running so I'll be patient and not rush the growing. Love you Naomi!!Birth: 8 lbs. 15 oz., 20 1/4 in.
4 Days (1/4/11): 8 lbs. 5.5 oz., 20 1/4 in.
2 weeks (1/18/11): 9 lbs. 7.5 oz. (97%), 21 1/4 in. (90%)
2 months (3/3/11): 12 lbs. 15 oz. (95%), 23 1/2 in. (90%)
4 months (5/3/11): 15 lbs. 9 oz. (90%), 24 3/4 in. (75%)

During the last month...

We have been busy. We'll that is a bit of an understatement, and May is looking pretty jam packed too, so enjoy this post because I never know when I'll get another update on here. Here is a look at what we've been up to.

Just a typical day in our house...building bugs and then fighting with them.

We celebrated Easter by hitting up a few egg hunts and lunches with family. Levi was super excited about all the candy, and really had a great time finding eggs. We even had to rehide some for him to continue looking. He is too stinkin' cute! We also had an Easter production at our church where Aaron participate in the role of Christ. He did an awesome job as always. Just a swingin'!

So excited about his prize in the egg hunt...a monster truck! Naomi is getting bigger and bigger and bigger. I can't believe she is already 4 months old. I've taken a few photos of her lately (a few would certainly be an understatement). Here are some I love...

Love these little toes!

100

Happy 100 Days Naomi!

• She loves her big brother and he adores her.
• She has started cooing, giggling, and "talking" all the time.
• She wears 3-6 month clothes and size 2 diapers.
• She has brown eyes just like the rest of us.
• She loves to be sung to.
• She sleeps through the night from about 9 p.m. to 7:30 a.m.
• She nurses 5 times a day.
• She is trying to learn to sit up.

Ring Around the Rosies...

2 Month Check-up

Naomi had her 2 month check-up this morning. She was such a trooper going through all the poking and measuring from the nurses and doctors. She received her first round of shots today, and did so well. She cried for just a minute and has decided to sleep most the day to recover. She is growing wonderfully and is a super healthy little girl. We truly are blessed with the health of our children.

Birth: 8 lbs. 15 oz., 20 1/4 in.
4 Days (1/4/11): 8 lbs. 5.5 oz., 20 1/4 in.
2 weeks (1/18/11): 9 lbs. 7.5 oz. (97%), 21 1/4 in. (90%)
2 months (3/3/11): 12 lbs. 15 oz. (95%), 23 1/2 in. (90%)

In Pictures

Here's a summary of our last few weeks in pictures...

...and many more wonderful weeks to come!

I can't believe its already been a month.

Naomi Update

Naomi is doing very well - actually we all are. Our home has adjusted quite nicely going from a family of 3 to a family of 4, and Levi absolutely adores her. She is sleeping great at night going from 9:30pm to 3:30am and then til about 7am or so. She is also eating well which was proven at her 2 week check up where she gained 18 ounces! We are just smitten with her and so blessed to have her as part of our family.

Stats:
Birth: 8 lbs. 15 oz., 20 1/4 in.
1/4/11: 8 lbs. 5.5 oz., 20 1/4 in.
1/18/11: 9 lbs. 7.5 oz., 21 1/4 in.

Week One

Don't stress out. I promise I'm not planning on documenting every week in our life from here on out just because we have a new baby girl in the house. However, I wanted to document this week for several reasons. You don't need to know them all, but I just want to include it. Again, you can stop reading if you so desire.

• Friday, Dec. 31 - Our sweet baby girl is born. We enjoy visits from friends, but Levi is sick with a stomach bug and can't come to the hospital to meet his sister. I am sad and bummed since I had wanted to celebrate her birthday with our little family. Aaron & I celebrate New Year's in the hospital. It was a small but peaceful celebration.
• Saturday, Jan. 1 - We really want to go home today. Naomi has to have her hearing and PKU tests done at 24 hours of birth, so we aren't able to leave until early evening. We pick up Levi who is better now and he finally gets to meet his sister. He is in love and we are thrilled that he is so happy. We get home late. I'm worn out and getting anxious about being home with two little ones.
• Sunday, Jan. 2 - We decided to stay home from church since we got in so late. We have a little church service at home with just the four of us. I find out that dad, Beth, and Amy are all sick (like Levi) and now we are paranoid that the rest of us will get it. We spend the afternoon watching football and resting.
• Monday, Jan. 3 - Aaron's mom and Cara come and visit. They bring us lunch and help with Levi and Naomi. Aaron begins to feel bad in the morning and quarantines himself in our bedroom. Aaron's mom leaves. I have 2 kids by myself. I physically hurt, and I'm completely overwhelmed at taking care of both kids on my own. As the day goes on it gets worse. My friend Stephanie brings me dinner (thank you!). Naomi and I sleep in the living room since Aaron is so sick. It is a rough night to say the least, but I manage to get a few hours of sleep.
• Tuesday, Jan. 4 - I get up early to take Naomi for her first doctor's appointment. Her bilirubin count was elevated when we left the hospital so it has to be checked. My wonderful sister Amy meets me at the doctor to help out with both kids since Aaron is still recovering and couldn't come with me as planned. After the appointment Levi goes home with Amy to give me a break and I head to outpatient at the hospital for her bilirubin test. Once I arrive home I find Aaron moving around the house - a great improvement from his earlier state. I get a call from the doctor that her numbers are still high and we'll have to go again the next morning to another blood draw. We spend the rest of the day resting, napping, and waiting on Levi to return home.
• Wednesday, Jan. 5 - We get ready and head to outpatient for Naomi's second blood draw (we later get the call that her levels are going down and there is no need for us to have it tested again). The rest of the day is spent at home. Resting and taking care of a few chores. Aaron is doing much better and that makes me feel better as well. We have a family movie night and watch 101 Dalmatians. Our friend Ashley brings us dinner and gives us a few ideas to help Naomi sleep at night (she's been sleeping good, but only if she is in the Boppy pillow in our bed - which we hate, but we give in to get our sleep). We try her tricks that night and they work a for a little while, but she still ends up sleeping with us later in the night.
• Thursday, Jan. 6 - This is our first "great" day. We have nowhere we need to be and we take it easy all day. We rest and take care of a few chores. Late afternoon we head to the park, but Levi has a melt down and we leave early. That night we try Ashley's suggestions again and it works wonders. She slept in her bassinet from 11:15pm to 3:30am and then 4:30am to 8:30am. We were amazed and got some good sleep.
• Friday, Jan. 7 - Another great day. I'm finally feeling better both physically and emotionally. Aaron and Levi play outside, Naomi rests and sleeps on her own leaving me some time to myself. We go to the park after lunch and enjoy some time in the sun. That evening Pastor Alan brings us dinner and we enjoy another family movie night watching Horton Hears A Who. Naomi has another awesome night sleeping from 11pm to 4:50am!

If you bothered to read my ramblings you can tell our week started out pretty crappy. Sickness and worry overtook our home and it made life pretty difficult. The end of our week has been much better, and I'm much more relaxed with the idea of Aaron going back to work. I actually think I may be able to do this "mom of 2" thing. Here's to the new adventures in our lives.

The Birth Story

I really want to document Naomi's birth (for memory sake) and since this is practically my life's scrapbook I figure there is no place better than here. (You may stop reading here if you like). The Birth: I was scheduled to be induced on December 30th at 6:30am. Aaron & I both woke early, took showers, and prepared to go to the hospital only to get a call at 5:30am saying we had been bumped back a few hours. I was told to call at 9am and hopefully they'd give the go ahead for us to come to the hospital. At 9am I call and I'm told that we can come in for the induction. We head that way and when we get there my very apologetic midwife tells me that chaos has broken loose and we've been pushed back even further. She tells me to go shop, grab lunch, and hopefully they'll get me in before 1pm. If not we are postponed until possibly the 31st or after the weekend :( Aaron & I head out to Wal-Mart to do some walking and waste a little time before we catch lunch. As we are about to order lunch we get the call the the induction is a no-go and that we have been scheduled for the 31st at 6am. We are disappointed, but make the most of it by spending the day with Levi before baby sister arrives. The next morning we wake even earlier, get showers, and head to the hospital. When we arrive they take us straight back and get us set up. After answering tons of questions about everything under the sun I'm finally checked and I'm still only a 2 (I've been a 2 since Dec. 20th). I was pretty bummed because that meant I haven't progressed at all since my last appointment. We finally get the petocin drip going around 7:45am. The contractions aren't bad at all. I can see them on the monitor, but they are very mild. My midwife comes in to break my water at 9:50am and checks me. Only at 3cm. I feel I'm hardly progressing and this is going to be a long day. I start having flashbacks to Levi's birth - 19 hours of labor, 2 hours of pushing - horrible memories. Around 10:20am my contractions pick up and get stronger. I'm having 2 every 5 minutes. Some are more painful than others. The ones in my back are the worse - again like Levi's birth. I finally get comfortable on the bed where I think I can handle the contractions and her heart rate drops so I have to lay back in the bed which makes the contractions harder to handle. From Levi's birth I had already decided that I didn't want any pain medications except for an epidural. The medications from his birth made me so out of it that I hardly remember any of the actual birth. I feel like I missed out on so much of his birth that I really wanted to be coherent for Naomi's birth. Around 11:30am my nurse tells me that the anesthesiologist will be available at noon for an epidural. Knowing that I was only 3cm a little more than an hour ago I decided to have the epidural fearing a long labor. At 12:15pm I get the epidural and life is much better. I'm able to relax, watch a little tv, and bond with Aaron (more about his amazing support later). The check me after the epidural and I'm 5cm. At that moment I was glad I decided to go ahead with the epidural since I was progressing somewhat slowly. Two hours later my nurse checks me again and I'm 9.5cm!!! Aaron and I were both surprised that I had progressed so quickly since the epidural, especially since they sometimes make labor longer. The nurse tells me we'll probably start pushing in 30 minutes. Honestly I have a little moment of panic right then realizing that my daughter will be here soon and I will be responsible for another child in this world. Just ten minutes later my nurse returns and tells me that the doctor is at the hospital and if I can push we are going to go ahead and deliver the baby. I push once, she says I'm ready. The doctor comes in, everything is ready and I start pushing at 2:40pm. I twice and her head is out. Five minutes and she is here!!! Everything went so smoothly. The fact that our induction had been postponed ended up being a blessing in disguise because on the 31st we were the only ones in labor and delivery, so nothing was rushed and everyone was available to take care of us. We had the most amazing nurses. Everyone was so kind and helpful. It was actally a pretty enjoyable stay at the hospital. We had lots of family and frinds visit us and the fellowship was so nice. We left on Saturday, Jan.1 around 5pm. Levi was sick on the 31st and wasn't able to come to the hospital to meet his new sister. On the way home we picked him up and he was more than thrilled to finally meet Naomi. His reaction to her has been an answer to prayer. He absolutely adores her and wants to hold, kiss, and touch her constantly. We are absolutely in love with our daughter. She has already wrapped herself around our hearts and the joy we have is indescribable. We are more than blessed in every way imaginable, which is exactly why our blog is entitle "Blessed."