pictures are quicker than words...

Both of the boys are down for naps...but I don't have too much longer because I just heard a little something come from Parker's room. Aaaaahhhh.....I love nap time! Here are a few pictures from my life: A sling picture that reminds me of my growing girth days, Griffin sleeping during his first visit to Mooma and Grandpa's house, Parker loving on his baby brother, and the kiddos with Gramps and Grandma.

This is our life right now. We're consumed. And I love it!

he has turned me into a softy...

I've totally become a softy. It really is quite pathetic because I used to laugh at people like this. I really thought that when the second baby came along that I would be as laid back as when Parker was a baby. Parker exercised the whole nine months inside of me so he came out really strong and ready to take on the world. I never treated him like he was fragile and was rarely concerned about the little things that you often hear of first time moms fretting about. As I've mentioned numerous times before, Griffin barely moved for nine months and is continuing that practice out in the real world. He is certainly healthy, but he seems so much smaller and fragile than Parker ever was. He just loves to snuggle and to be held...and hates to be cold. Here are a few of the things that I cannot believe I've been doing as a 2nd time mama:

• I have found myself turning on a space heater in the bedroom so he doesn't get cold when I dress him.
• I also use a humidifier in the room because I don't want his small nasal passages to become plugged.
  
• Sometimes I feel like I'm going to hurt him when I pick him up because he seems so delicate...I always tell him that I'm sorry:)
• I refused to touch or even look at his circumcision and belly button until they were healed....Daddy's duty!
  
• He fell asleep in bed with me last night because I thought he was lonely...ugh!
• I've bought three different brands of diapers to try and find the one that doesn't cause irritation.
• I actually use baby detergent this time!
• I use chapstick on his lips and a file for his fingernails.
• I use tons of hand sanitizer.
• I left the room for the PKU heel prick because I couldn't handle it.
  

Oh, and there are so many more absurd things that I do...I could go on and on! What is it with me? What have I become? Parker was supposed to be the one I did this with...aren't I doing all of this a little out of order? I guess I can't blame it on just being "pregnant & crazy" anymore! I don't know...but I do know I need to settle down a bit:)

Eyes wide open!

Another little update on our family...

I finally got some pictures of Griffin with his eyes open. It is so hard to get a picture of him awake since it doesn't happen very often. He continues to be such an easy baby. When Griffin is awake, he likes to be held, to sit in his bouncy seat, or on his hippo activity mat and just observe. The only time he really cries is when he is getting his diaper changed or I've waited too long to feed him! At his two week check-up this morning, he weighed in at a whopping 7 lbs 7 oz. He's long and skinny...in the 25% for weight and 75% for height. We think he is quite perfect, of course:)

Parker is healing quite well from his little run-in with the coffee table. He just ripped the last steri-strip out this morning. He looks quite tough with a slash through his eyebrow. I continue to be so impressed with Parker's love and care for his little brother. What an answer to prayer!

We've been enjoying the company of family this long weekend. Some of Joel's family made the trek across the state to meet Griffin for the very first time. What a sweet introduction!

I've realized that time will be limited to be able to spend blogging in these next few weeks or so! However, I love sharing little updates here and there as long as it is okay to focus mainly on my little boys:) Much more to come...

a special day

We decided to go get our pictures taken the day before Griffin was born. We just wanted to do something fun and capture the moment before our family changed. It was actually a lot of fun and it is neat to be able to look back on that day! It is hard to imagine that this was just a week and a half ago--things are so different now! There are many more cute shots of Parker, but these are a few that I really like today...tomorrow it will be different, I suppose:)

snapshot

Griffin...doing what he does best:)

I don't think I saw Griffin's eyes until about 6 pm today! I remember reading about newborn babies that slept 23 hours a day and I thought the books were lying. Nope. This little guy is special in that I have to wake him up to feed him. Parker was on the other end of the spectrum---he slept for about 14 hours a day and I never had to wake him up to feed him...he let me know! I know that Griffin is hungry when he starts to snort! I'm a lucky mama because I have both an easy toddler and an easy infant!

My recovery hasn't been so easy. Both the surgery and recovery from the incision have been a breeze. However, I got a stomach bug while in the hospital that I still am fighting and my anemia has become really bad after the blood-loss in surgery. Today was a pretty good day, but I have been discouraged by the setbacks.

I thought we were doing so well during our first 1/2 day home alone without supervision (my mom or Joel!) and then Parker tripped head first into the coffee table. Blood everywhere. Me nursing Griffin and trying to figure out what to do. Parker screaming. A beautiful sight! I guess this is just an introduction to what life is like with two!

All joking (and blood) aside, I really love it!

just a bitty update...

This is the first time I've been online since the night before we went into meet our new son. I have so much to write and so many people to contact...but I am a little slow on everything like that right now.

I just wanted to thank everyone for the prayers and support during the whole process. We are doing really well. The prep and surgery were a breeze--I actually had a really good time! I really didn't know what gender I wanted to give birth to this time, but when they told me that we had a new son, my heart felt like it leaped off of that table...seriously! I had prayed that I would have that kind of reaction in the delivery room...and I sure did! My heart just continues to leap for our little Griffin. He is such a little sweetheart....I can't believe he is ours. His favorite thing to do is to nuzzle up into our necks and stay there. I can't tell you how much I love this! When he is awake (which is about an hour and a half a day), he loves to look at the three of us and be wrapped up in blankets! And Parker....oh my goodness...he loves Griffin so much! He showers (literally) Griffin with kisses and tickles and hugs him as much as he can. The transition so far has been easy. I'm going to treasure these first few weeks because I know things will get busy, but for now...everything is easy!

Physically I am doing fine now, but I'll update on that later. I have so many things to do....like stare at my beautiful little boys:)

It's A...

BOY!!! Griffin Jacob made his way into the world at 7:43 AM on Wednesday February 7, 2007! He was born via c-section weighing 7 lbs 1 oz and measuring 20 3/4 inches long. He is absolutely beautiful and perfect! Amy is doing great and had no complications whatsoever during the surgery. Parker is already an amazing big brother and loves to smother Griffin with hugs and kisses. I know that Amy will be so excited to share this special day with you when she returns home, but here is a little sneak peek:

updates coming soon!

Updates coming soon...check back here to find out if your guess was right!:)

the countdown is on...

Wow...and I'm feeling my nerves really come into play. Today was a tough day for me emotionally and physically. First of all, I didn't sleep much last night at all. I felt like a zombie this morning...and all day. We spent 4 hours at the hospital this morning doing a bunch a pre-surgical stuff, including an amniocentesis. I have to say that it was pretty scary for me and I hope to not have to do that again. It wasn't that it was so painful, but I was terrified when I saw that needle go into my uterus right above my baby's head. We did get to see that our babe has some hair! I hope he or she has hair like Parker's...he has the best hair. After the amnio, I felt pretty crampy and had a little bit of a hard time walking around. Then I had to get a Rhogam shot. Shots aren't terrible, just not fun. Then, I went over for a non-stress test for baby. Baby seemed a bit excited about the amnio, as well as the little one couldn't stop moving. But all is well and the nurses seemed pleased. And then, I went to a meeting to sign a ton of forms and talk about the surgery for way too long. And finally, I went to two more places for some blood work. I really don't mean to complain, but I was so exhausted and started to feel like a piece of meat with all the needles and stuff.

When we got home, I started crying because everything is starting to feel so real. I need to just keep focusing on the fact that we get to meet our baby very soon and not think about the things that scare me. I feel quite embarrassed that I'm nervous about this and it is sort of hard to admit. Tons of people do this everyday. I know that in my case, having a c-section is the safest way (for both of us) for the baby to be born and I'm so thankful for modern medicine. It isn't the pain involved in surgery that scares me; it is the fact that my abdominal cavity will be wide open and there are some very important organs in there:) I don't know...I'm just rambling along here. Basically, I'm a bit scared and I feel silly about it.

I also need to just be done talking about it. I'm sorry if you've called and I haven't responded. I just need to lay low right now. I am so excited to introduce our little one to all of our friends and family after he/she makes the big appearance! At this point, we're thinking that we'd love visitors in the hospital, so please just call and come on by. Let me know if you want to know where we'll be. If you're interested, check back here on Wednesday evening to see who we've added to our family! My sister will either be updating this blog or her own: Daring To Dream.

Please keep us in your prayers during the next couple of days. The delivery is scheduled for Wednesday at 7:30 am! We will post some pictures as soon as we can.

Oh, and I thought that I was done posting pictures of my belly, but I thought I'd add one last one to have on record what I looked like two days before D-day:)

bad blogger...

hmmmm....anyone know why Blogger has been partly down for most of yesterday and now this morning? I've been trying to comment on some of your blogs, but it isn't working. Bummer. Good thing it is free, eh?

I didn't notice that I had my 100th post a couple days ago...I think this is 102! How fun. I really love blogging and I'm so happy that I started. Now, if only Blogger would cooperate!

I tried to take a picture of a recent ultrasound image we got. This is the one where the babe was smashed up against my hipbone, so it is tough to make out the profile at all. You can see, though, that the little one has not so little cheeks:)

So, last night I was awake from 12:30-3:30 because I couldn't breathe very well. This little kid's toes are so high still. I think if the baby had his/her way, we wouldn't meet this little one for quite a while. Our baby has quite a shock coming on Wednesday morning when we get to meet the little peanut. Can you imagine the shock of your home being broke into and then these huge hands pulling you out into the cold and having to learn to breathe on your own...all at once? Sounds awful! No wonder they don't like to come out and meet us:)

Thursday Thirteen 2.1.07

Thirteen reasons why I can be happy I'm still pregnant...

I'm scheduled for my c-section next Wednesday but I'm still hoping that this baby comes earlier. We don't know the gender and I'm just dying to know what we're having and I'm just done with being pregnant. As we all know, attitude is everything, so I thought I would compile a list of 13 reasons why I can be happy that I'm still pregnant.

1. I am blessed beyond measure to have the opportunity to be pregnant and carry a child to term in the first place. I never want to forget this or take it for granted.
2. My tummy may be large, but at least it is tight...and it won't be whatsoever after the baby is born!
3. I get to play games with my unborn baby's feet. We call this game "Body Parts"!
4. I still get a couple of hours to myself each day while Parker takes a nap.
5. I get to wear pants with an elastic waist...and it isn't that uncool.
6. I actually like most of my maternity clothes.
7. I get to dream about who this baby is.
8. I may be quite uncomfortable now, but I am still more comfortable now than I will be after the c-section.
9. Being a mama to an unborn baby is quite easy...once he/she comes out, things may get crazy:)
10. I have a few more days left of not being a milk machine!
11. I get to sleep through the night....kind of...except when I have to roll over!
12. I really enjoy spending one-on-one time with my son
13. And with my husband:)

Ha! I feel better already!

For more lists like this, visit Thursday Thirteen!