We are staying in the Brainerd, MN area for a few days and this morning at our resort they offered some tennis classes. I signed up for a 'Cardio Tennis', and discovered I was a class-o-one. I certainly got a work out and got to play tennis for 45 minutes. Then it was Katie's turn. Her and another little girl did a 40 minute tennis lesson. Our little phenom really did a great job. She actually hit the ball over their net and everything. She was pretty excited and I think we'll do it again tomorrow. Pictures to come when we get home.
Last night we went to a campfire and had marshmallows...probably do that again tonight. Will thought they were amazing! Everyone slept pretty well for the first night. I am expecting an even better nights sleep tonight.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Where does the time go?
I meant to post about this past weekend and the days have just gotten away from me! My sister Denise and her daughter, Sarah, came to stay with us for the weekend. They spent a few hours at the Mall of America and then came and had a 'slumber party' with Katie. I think Sarah was more tired than Katie by the time they went home on Sunday. (Hope you had fun at your first day of 10th grade today Sarah!)
This morning, Katie is at her last camp for the summer. We are leaving to go on vacation up north to the Brainerd area tomorrow through Monday. And next Tuesday we will head south to IA to spend a week with family. If these next 12 days don't kill me, I think I can survive anything. :)
Katie is very excited to go on vacation and play on the beach. They also have kids' golf clubs that you can rent so we'll try that out on a short course. (Note to self...don't forget the camera.) I think most of all Katie and Will are excited about spending some time with Dad. He's had a few late nights and had to work this last weekend so Katie has been missing him. This morning John had to leave early and the kids weren't up yet. John went out the door, and I was planning on laying down for a little bit yet. I heard the garage door open, and then I heard Katie through the monitor. "My Daddy!! My Daddy!! It's not fair!!" Ok, scratch laying down. :)
On a side note - Will is walking more and more. As I type I just saw him walk about 5 feet on his own. Lord help us.
One on Will's favorite games is to play 'train' with Katie. He holds on to her and walks behind.
Peek-a-boo!
This morning, Katie is at her last camp for the summer. We are leaving to go on vacation up north to the Brainerd area tomorrow through Monday. And next Tuesday we will head south to IA to spend a week with family. If these next 12 days don't kill me, I think I can survive anything. :)
Katie is very excited to go on vacation and play on the beach. They also have kids' golf clubs that you can rent so we'll try that out on a short course. (Note to self...don't forget the camera.) I think most of all Katie and Will are excited about spending some time with Dad. He's had a few late nights and had to work this last weekend so Katie has been missing him. This morning John had to leave early and the kids weren't up yet. John went out the door, and I was planning on laying down for a little bit yet. I heard the garage door open, and then I heard Katie through the monitor. "My Daddy!! My Daddy!! It's not fair!!" Ok, scratch laying down. :)
On a side note - Will is walking more and more. As I type I just saw him walk about 5 feet on his own. Lord help us.
One on Will's favorite games is to play 'train' with Katie. He holds on to her and walks behind.
Peek-a-boo!Thursday, August 14, 2008
Olympics
We have been enjoying the Olympics this week on tv. Katie hasn't cared too much about it, although she likes doing gymnastics and is very upset that she can't do a cartwheel. I tried to help one night and spotted her for a cartwheel, but she said it wasn't good enough. Then she asked me if I could do a cartwheel....hmmm. I cleared a space and attempted what I thought in my head was a pretty good cartwheel. I looked at her disappointed face after I had finished and knew that I hadn't lived up to her expectations. :) "That's not very good mom." I think my gymnastics career is over - I can't even impress a 4 year old.
I remember when I was younger - 8, 9, 10 years old, and how much I wanted to be able to do gymnastics. I so wanted to learn how to do back flips and cartwheels and all that jazz. Unfortunately in our small town there was not much opportunity for these things. One summer when I was 9, and we lived in Lansing, IA I became very close friends with a neighbor girl that was visiting her dad for the summer from...I can't remember where. Anyway her name was Danielle and she took ACTUAL gymnastics lessons...with a real coach. She could do everything! Danielle tried to teach me as best she could and was very encouraging, for a 9 year old. That was the first time I watched the movie Nadia - the made for tv movie about the life of Nadia Comaneci. I was hooked. (On a side note...Netflix just got that movie in their library!! I have it coming tomorrow...what a blast from the past...it's been like 15 years since I have seen it!) I never talked to Danielle again after that summer, lost touch - don't know what ever became of her.
Anyway, that summer was the height of my gymnastics ability. Sad, but true. A few years later I was practicing handstands and was doing them absolutely perfect. A friend tried to help me do a flip from a handstand position, and it wasn't a great idea because I broke my collarbone. I haven't been upside down since. :)
So am I pushing my gymnastics dreams onto Katie? I don't think so. After all, Katie doesn't get 'pushed' into anything she doesn't want to do. She's too strong willed. She likes somersaults, etc., but I think she would rather be on stage singing than flipping around.
Maybe there's a chance with Will. On second thought - maybe we should just get him walking first.
I remember when I was younger - 8, 9, 10 years old, and how much I wanted to be able to do gymnastics. I so wanted to learn how to do back flips and cartwheels and all that jazz. Unfortunately in our small town there was not much opportunity for these things. One summer when I was 9, and we lived in Lansing, IA I became very close friends with a neighbor girl that was visiting her dad for the summer from...I can't remember where. Anyway her name was Danielle and she took ACTUAL gymnastics lessons...with a real coach. She could do everything! Danielle tried to teach me as best she could and was very encouraging, for a 9 year old. That was the first time I watched the movie Nadia - the made for tv movie about the life of Nadia Comaneci. I was hooked. (On a side note...Netflix just got that movie in their library!! I have it coming tomorrow...what a blast from the past...it's been like 15 years since I have seen it!) I never talked to Danielle again after that summer, lost touch - don't know what ever became of her.
Anyway, that summer was the height of my gymnastics ability. Sad, but true. A few years later I was practicing handstands and was doing them absolutely perfect. A friend tried to help me do a flip from a handstand position, and it wasn't a great idea because I broke my collarbone. I haven't been upside down since. :)
So am I pushing my gymnastics dreams onto Katie? I don't think so. After all, Katie doesn't get 'pushed' into anything she doesn't want to do. She's too strong willed. She likes somersaults, etc., but I think she would rather be on stage singing than flipping around.
Maybe there's a chance with Will. On second thought - maybe we should just get him walking first.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
The fair - day 2
Friday evening the four of us went to the Carver County Fair. We looked at the animals - chickens, ducks, roosters, cows, horses, sheep, goats, etc. Katie said her favorite was the baby chicks, I think Will's were the horses.
John got to see Katie's artwork and ribbons that she won, then we settled in to play some bingo - no winners here. After a little rainstorm we grabbed some food. John and Katie decided to play a water game where you shoot at a target and race the other people playing. They WON! So Katie got to pick ANY stuffed animal that she wanted. She got a tiger. That's neat, we thought - we never win things like that! Then John and Katie went on a Dizzy Dragon ride. After that Katie played one more kiddie game - she won Will a snake.
On our way out John saw that one game had a giant Iowa State basketball to win. You had to throw a baseball at these 3 blocks and try to knock all of them off the table. What the heck, John said he would try it once. WHAM! One ball was all it took - he won again! Seriously - we were on a roll...or rather John was. Then they gave us the ball - it's a basketball fabric wrapped around a big exercise ball! No, it did not fit in the trunk. I held it on my lap all the way home. :) My own personal air bag.
John got to see Katie's artwork and ribbons that she won, then we settled in to play some bingo - no winners here. After a little rainstorm we grabbed some food. John and Katie decided to play a water game where you shoot at a target and race the other people playing. They WON! So Katie got to pick ANY stuffed animal that she wanted. She got a tiger. That's neat, we thought - we never win things like that! Then John and Katie went on a Dizzy Dragon ride. After that Katie played one more kiddie game - she won Will a snake.
On our way out John saw that one game had a giant Iowa State basketball to win. You had to throw a baseball at these 3 blocks and try to knock all of them off the table. What the heck, John said he would try it once. WHAM! One ball was all it took - he won again! Seriously - we were on a roll...or rather John was. Then they gave us the ball - it's a basketball fabric wrapped around a big exercise ball! No, it did not fit in the trunk. I held it on my lap all the way home. :) My own personal air bag.
Friday, August 8, 2008
The County Fair
Yesterday the kids and I journeyed to the county fair. We had never been to this fair before so I wasn't sure what to expect. What I found reminded me of our hometown fair in IA...with one exception. MUCH better food. :) The grounds were a little bit bigger, but not too much. Our first stop was lunch - Katie ate a corn dog, and I had a taco-in-a-bag. After lunch we went over to the education building to see if Katie had won any ribbons for the artwork she brought to the fair. I was hoping that she would at least win one ribbon. We didn't need to worry - she won six - one for everything that she brought. She won a first place ribbon for her birdhouse that she painted for her birthday, she got a second place for a clay sculpture that she took, she got a couple third place ribbons for some paintings that she took, a fourth place for a coloring picture and another participation ribbon for a different coloring picture. She was pretty excited and is looking forward to showing them to Dad tonight at the fair. Katie was a real fair pro though. We walked through the commercial buildings and once she found out that people were just GIVING away treasures like pencils, magnets and candy - she would walk right up to the table and say "Do you have anything to give me?" They thought that was pretty funny so she made out like a bandit - activity books, pens, pencils, stickers, hats, can coolers, magnets - you name it. :)
Katie got to go on a couple rides, and all three of us went on the merry-go-round because I had free coupons for that. We met up with a friend there later and had more food - mini donuts, homemade cheese curds, smoothies, and dippin' dots.
Katie got to go on a couple rides, and all three of us went on the merry-go-round because I had free coupons for that. We met up with a friend there later and had more food - mini donuts, homemade cheese curds, smoothies, and dippin' dots.
Katie did an inflatable obstacle course as well. She looks terrified, but she says she liked it. :)
This actually has noting to do with the fair. A few days ago we found out that Katie won a drawing that she had entered in. She won a new bucket and shovel, a water bottle, throwing footballs, two pairs of goggles and a fishing game. What a lucky little duck! We went to go pick up the prize at the city center and as we were walking out some women at another office gave both kids fire hats, stickers and coloring pages.
Here is Will sporting a pair of Katie's goggles. No - he didn't leave them on for long.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
A trip to the zoo
Katie and I took Will to the MN zoo for the first time yesterday. It's turned out to be an annual trip for us so far. We got there shortly after it opened and were able to go to the dolphin show and the wild bird show. Will liked the birds flying over our heads and Katie liked the dolphins swimming and splashing water everywhere.
Throughout the day Katie had some unfortunate luck. First, we were on our way back to the dining room to eat our lunch when Katie tripped and fell - face first on the pavement. She hit her mouth and bit her lip which started bleeding - of course. Got some wipes on it, and made it to a bathroom to clean it up. She also ended up scratching her knee, but the limp disappeared as the day wore on. :) Then after lunch we were coming out of a kid's play area and she got hit by a door, and knocked down. :( It just wasn't her day. So some of the pictures you'll see are pre-fat lip, and some are post-fat lip.
The zoo had a new exhibit that we were looking forward to seeing - Russia's Grizzly Coast. They had grizzly bears, sea otters, a type of fox, and some others that we didn't get to see. They also had a splash pad - a water area for the kids to play, and a sand pit where they could dig in the sand. Those two were the kids' favorite.
Katie dressed up as a butterfly.
Will had a GREAT time in the sand, and yes, some of it did end up in his mouth. But there was NO WAY you were keeping him out of there. :)
Throughout the day Katie had some unfortunate luck. First, we were on our way back to the dining room to eat our lunch when Katie tripped and fell - face first on the pavement. She hit her mouth and bit her lip which started bleeding - of course. Got some wipes on it, and made it to a bathroom to clean it up. She also ended up scratching her knee, but the limp disappeared as the day wore on. :) Then after lunch we were coming out of a kid's play area and she got hit by a door, and knocked down. :( It just wasn't her day. So some of the pictures you'll see are pre-fat lip, and some are post-fat lip.
The zoo had a new exhibit that we were looking forward to seeing - Russia's Grizzly Coast. They had grizzly bears, sea otters, a type of fox, and some others that we didn't get to see. They also had a splash pad - a water area for the kids to play, and a sand pit where they could dig in the sand. Those two were the kids' favorite.
No, it's not raining, it's spraying!
Katie dressed up as a butterfly.
Will had a GREAT time in the sand, and yes, some of it did end up in his mouth. But there was NO WAY you were keeping him out of there. :)
On a side note - last night Katie was complaining that her front teeth hurt front the fall, and I thought one was a bit wiggly. Uh-oh. Most of you all know how I feel about wiggly teeth. Ick. So I was able to get her into her dentist this morning and they did an exam and took an x-ray. They said one of her teeth did look chipped, but it isn't worth worrying about. One was a bit wiggly, but they couldn't be sure it wasn't like that before. From the x-ray they could see that there was an injury to her gum below the tooth, what they call an abscess. Hopefully it will just heal on it's own, but if it gets infected, then it could cause her pain and we'd have a problem. They are just going to keep an eye on it and x-ray again at her next check up. Again, she did a great job at the dentist and walked out with toys. :) So she is on a soft food diet for the next day or so.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
New Ride
Katie has a new ride these days. This morning we went to the local farmer's market, and then hit the bike store to check out their selection. They were very helpful, and in the end Katie picked out a new pink bike complete with a basket and bell. She hasn't tipped over...yet. We also got her a bigger bike helmet and have officially passed on her old one to Will. The bike store seems to have a good deal. If you buy your bike from them, in a few years when you want to trade in for a bigger bike, they will give you a 50% rebate on the trade-in.
When we got home she was excited to try it out so we rode up and down the sidewalk a few times. I just wish we could get that first spill out of the way. I'm anxious and nervous just thinking about it. Luckily we live on the side of the street that has sidewalks. :)
When we got home she was excited to try it out so we rode up and down the sidewalk a few times. I just wish we could get that first spill out of the way. I'm anxious and nervous just thinking about it. Luckily we live on the side of the street that has sidewalks. :)
Monday, July 28, 2008
What the kiddies are doing...
It's been a while since I have done a post on general kid updates, so I think I will tackle that now. Will is, of course, 1 now. He had a doctor appointment about 2 weeks ago and he has fallen to the 55th percentile for weight! "Oh no!" :)
Katie had a 4 year check up last week. She was in the 25th percentile for both height and weight. She is very proportional. :) They did a vision and hearing test which came back perfect too. She was just glad she didn't have to get a shot.
Will started standing up on his own last week. He'll be in the middle of the room and push up on his feet, and if he's not paying too much attention to himself - he'll stand there for 30 seconds or longer. Yesterday I did get him to take 2 teeny little steps before he fell over. So far no pictures yet of him standing, but they will come.
The kids and I walked to a couple neighbor's garage sales last week. Both were neighbors that had just moved in within the last month or so, and this gave me a good excuse to go meet them and rifle through their belongings. :) Katie found a Barbie Karaoke player with a couple microphones and tapes. Oh boy. That has taken up a lot of her time this weekend. :) If she's in the room alone - she really gets into it and it's very cute. Our little performer.
Will has preoccupied himself with cleaning out my cupboards then proceeding to try to climb INTO them. Our old house had a few bigger cupboards that were good for that - the new house...not so much. :)
When Katie isn't singing, she's been working on 'projects' to take to our county fair in two weeks. I think it's good that she knows fairs aren't all about rides....they are about winning. :) Just kidding. So far she has about 5 things that we will show at the fair. She'll sure get a kick out of seeing her things hanging up for everyone to see. Pictures coming of that!
Katie had a 4 year check up last week. She was in the 25th percentile for both height and weight. She is very proportional. :) They did a vision and hearing test which came back perfect too. She was just glad she didn't have to get a shot.
Will started standing up on his own last week. He'll be in the middle of the room and push up on his feet, and if he's not paying too much attention to himself - he'll stand there for 30 seconds or longer. Yesterday I did get him to take 2 teeny little steps before he fell over. So far no pictures yet of him standing, but they will come.
The kids and I walked to a couple neighbor's garage sales last week. Both were neighbors that had just moved in within the last month or so, and this gave me a good excuse to go meet them and rifle through their belongings. :) Katie found a Barbie Karaoke player with a couple microphones and tapes. Oh boy. That has taken up a lot of her time this weekend. :) If she's in the room alone - she really gets into it and it's very cute. Our little performer.
Will has preoccupied himself with cleaning out my cupboards then proceeding to try to climb INTO them. Our old house had a few bigger cupboards that were good for that - the new house...not so much. :)
When Katie isn't singing, she's been working on 'projects' to take to our county fair in two weeks. I think it's good that she knows fairs aren't all about rides....they are about winning. :) Just kidding. So far she has about 5 things that we will show at the fair. She'll sure get a kick out of seeing her things hanging up for everyone to see. Pictures coming of that!
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Swimmingly Saturday
Yesterday we spent the afternoon and evening with some friends that John works with. There was plenty of sun, food and water...pool water. Katie spent, I think, a total of about 4 hours in the pool. (Minus any moments running to the bathroom.) Will had a good time in there too - but he was more excited to watch their dogs. :) It was just perfect weather and everyone had a great time.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Happy Birthday Jamie Mezera!
I would like to wish a Happy Birthday today to Jamie Lynn Mezera. Jamie is Janet and Jeff's daughter (my niece), and would have been 16 today. Jamie was stillborn, but is still an important part of our family. I think Katie and Sarah would have enjoyed another girl in the family!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Happy Birthday Shelley!!!
Happy Birthday today to our dear friend Shelley. She turns the big 3-0 today. (I can post her age because she posted it on her own page.) :) If she doesn't like it, then she'll have to come and get me. Have a great day Shelley - we love you! Welcome to the over 30 club!
Congratulations Laurel!
I would like to announce to everyone that our friends Laurel and Casey Hagensick have had their baby! Yesterday morning at 1:30 am, Cameron Casey Hagensick was born. He weighed in at 6 lbs, 14oz., and was 20 inches long. Sound like everyone is doing great. A BIG congratulations goes out to Karie, the new big sister! And just for the record, I predicted that she would have the baby over the past weekend....so I was only 3 days off. :)
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Holy movie, Batman!
So yesterday John and I went to see The Dark Knight. John had gotten tickets a few weeks ago to see it in an IMAX theater. Wow. It was amazing; the acting, stunts, action sequences, story lines...a total package. Under the direction of Christopher Nolan, these last two Batman movies are NOTHING like the cartoony ones that came before. Most of the movie I spent clutching my hands to my chest...a few times I covered my mouth. It's a must see...and see again...and see again...
Of course Heath Ledger was a terrifying Joker. I knew that going in - but there was more. He was simply spectacular, very chilling. Not as much Bruce Wayne as in the first, but good quality Christian Bale when he WAS onscreen.
I don't know - I can't get into the comic book details like John can, but I enjoyed it none the less. We want to see it again. :)
While we were at the movie, Will and Katie went and played at Jamie, Joe and Noah's house. Noah had tubes put in his ears this week, (the little trooper!), but he was more than back to normal. I think he and Will played more than they had before. And, as we thought, Will has NO separation anxiety at all. I think it's mainly because Katie is still there. And boy did Will like their dog, Stanley. He would get SO excited when he pet him, and then Stanley would lick Will's feet and Will would squeal. It was very cute. Thanks again for watching the kids Jamie and Joe!
Of course Heath Ledger was a terrifying Joker. I knew that going in - but there was more. He was simply spectacular, very chilling. Not as much Bruce Wayne as in the first, but good quality Christian Bale when he WAS onscreen.
I don't know - I can't get into the comic book details like John can, but I enjoyed it none the less. We want to see it again. :)
While we were at the movie, Will and Katie went and played at Jamie, Joe and Noah's house. Noah had tubes put in his ears this week, (the little trooper!), but he was more than back to normal. I think he and Will played more than they had before. And, as we thought, Will has NO separation anxiety at all. I think it's mainly because Katie is still there. And boy did Will like their dog, Stanley. He would get SO excited when he pet him, and then Stanley would lick Will's feet and Will would squeal. It was very cute. Thanks again for watching the kids Jamie and Joe!
Friday, July 18, 2008
New Driveway, Fresh Veggies
This morning I had a surprising knock on our front door. One of our neighbors, whom we hadn't met yet was having his driveway sealed by a company he owned. They had some leftover 'stuff' in their truck and offered to seal our driveway for $75. After consulting with John (what the heck do I know about driveways) we went ahead and had them do it. It looks very nice, and should preserve the driveway for a few more years. I don't have a very good before picture because I was running around with Will on a hip, Katie following behind in PJ's and a cell phone attached to my ear. :)
Last night I got a chance to climb into the garden and take a good look around. John has been pulling stuff here and there out of the garden, but last night I picked a bowl full of green beans, peas, sugar snap peas, and strawberries. Next year I will plant just one kind of peas...if anyone can tell me a surefire way to tell the sugar snap peas and the regular peas apart I'm all ears. They look exactly the same. :) We also found a new little tomato plant growing in a corner of the garden...nice surprise.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
More excitement
So after Will's birthday party I promised Katie that she could have a slumber party with her cousin Sarah. (Sarah is 15.) So at Grandma Lyla's house on Saturday night, the two got to have a slumber party. When I asked Katie what do you do at a slumber party? She said that you eat popcorn and watch a movie. GREAT! I can do that. So Sarah brought some movies, I burnt some popcorn and Katie ended up falling asleep by 10. That's a few hours after her normal bedtime, but she didn't say that she wanted to sleep on the air mattress that Sarah was going to sleep on - so I consider it a good night.
Note the matching t-shirts. :)
The next morning, Katie crawled into bed with Sarah and both girls were more chipper than I thought they would be.
And because Will always wants to do what Katie is doing...he woke up about 9:30 and put up such a fight to go back to sleep that I let him stay up for a bit.Birthday Bash
Will had his birthday party on Saturday and I thought I would share a few pictures. We were able to get a FREE birthday cake from our local grocery store. All we had to do was bring in the birth certificate and they make up a little birthday cake for the first birthday. It took a little digging, but I found the certificate. I think that's important to do after a year. :)
Once Will was certain no one was going to tell him to stop digging into the cake, he was pretty excited about getting his hands on it. (And it was a yummy cake.) I don't know how much made it into his mouth, but his hands enjoyed the sugar.
Thank you to all the family that came to share Will's day. And thank you to everyone for the gifts for Katie and Will...we really are blessed to have such wonderful friends and family in our lives.
Once Will was certain no one was going to tell him to stop digging into the cake, he was pretty excited about getting his hands on it. (And it was a yummy cake.) I don't know how much made it into his mouth, but his hands enjoyed the sugar.
Thank you to all the family that came to share Will's day. And thank you to everyone for the gifts for Katie and Will...we really are blessed to have such wonderful friends and family in our lives.
Friday, July 11, 2008
And the prize for the sweetest husband goes too...
A little while ago the doorbell rang and there stood a woman with a HUGE bouquet of flowers and balloons. John sent me flowers for Will's birthday. :) Mostly due to the fact that I have made it 1 year nursing Will - a feat that I never thought I would be able to do. It seemed like such a long time. Now, having no intention of discontinuing our nursing relationship any time soon, I'm excited to keep going. And yes, I am proud that I made it this long. Thank you to John for the support - I could not have gotten this far without it. I love you too.
Happy 1st Birthday Will!
Since I retold the story about Katie's birth, I spose it's only fitting that I tell the story of Will's. It was Wednesday, July 10th, 2007. I don't remember what we had for supper, but I do remember getting a phone call from my friend Jamie. Jamie and Joe are friends of ours that live relatively close by. They had agreed to watch Katie, day or night whenever I went into labor. I'm all for having children be a part of the birth process, but I KNEW that Katie's voice would drive me up the wall during a contraction.
I had been having pre-labor contractions every 8-10 minutes for the past 3 weeks or so. Boy, let me tell you...that's annoying. Especially when you have a 3 year old to take care of. :) I had been taken off moderate bedrest and was 37 weeks along.
Jamie called to see how I was doing - I said fine, could be any time - be ready! The next morning I woke up about 5 am with some unpleasant contractions. Of course I'd been having these for a few weeks now so I tried to roll over and go back to sleep. These pains were a little more intense. I remember whining and moaning a little bit thinking that would wake up John, but nope - he was fast asleep. :) I paced around for 15-20 minutes or so and then woke up John and said I needed to make a decision about going to the hospital. These contractions were getting more difficult very quickly. We knew this would be a fast labor - the goal was to make it to the hospital in time...without an ambulance call. I called Jamie and Joe - of course I think Joe, the early riser was already awake. He said Jamie and their son Noah would be right over. Then I called the midwives and said I was on my way.
The contractions began getting very painful so John and I left our sleeping Katie and headed for the hospital. We knew Jamie would be there any minute and Katie couldn't get into TOO much trouble asleep. We got to the hospital and AGAIN had to wait at the check in desk. Now I say - what's the use of pre-registering if you're still going to have to wait 10 minutes to go in?? I was waiting for someone to come from labor and delivery to wheel me upstairs. They wouldn't let John wheel me and they wouldn't walk. So John went and parked the car and I leaned on the check in desk moaning. People that walked by didn't say anything - it was pretty obvious why I was there. Another older lady that was in the back rushed up and asked if I needed help. "Just waiting for help!!" I yelled. Finally a young girl came down with a wheelchair and we were off. They took me to the monitoring area, but as soon as the midwife saw me she said there's no use staying here - we need a delivery room. We got to the delivery room, popped in my pre-made labor CD loaded with wonderful Pearl Jam songs and set in to have a baby.
I didn't ask for pain medication this time because I knew there was no time. The pushing was intense, and far more difficult than with Katie. Afterwards we found out that was because Will was 2 1/2 pounds BIGGER than their estimation. When we first arrived at the hospital I had a little blonde chippie of a nurse that was probably 19 and weighed all of 90 pounds. During each contraction she would utter "You got this...you go girl." Oh God. If that's all you have to offer - we're in trouble. Fate must have sensed my annoyance because another nurse came in to tell Blondie that her shift was over, but she could stay on through this delivery if she wanted to. Thank the LORD she decided to leave, and a WONDERFUL nurse took her place and offered just the right encouragement. A little under 1 1/2 hours after arriving at the hospital Will was born at 7:31 am. I could barely hear my music CD during labor, but the CD shut off just after they laid Will on my stomach. Which means Will was born to Yellow Ledbetter. :) This time around it was calmer and crazier at the same time, but one I would live again in a second. After Will was born, all I could muster to say over and over again was "no more babies...no more babies...no more babies..." Nurse Wonderful just said "Oh honey, there's no more in there, you don't have to have any more!"
We took all 8 1/2 pounds of Will home a day later and have been able to keep him alive for an entire year. :)
I got a cute children's CD at the library last week - the Johnny Cash Children's Album. There is a duet with June Carter called "I Got A Boy And His Name Is John." As most of you know, Will's full name is John William, Dad's name is John, and Grandpa Pladsen's name was John. Here are just a few lyrics...they are too cute.
I got a boy and his name is John
You ought to see little John tag along
Going where his Daddy goes
Learning what his Daddy knows.
He's got a friend and her name is Kay (Thought this said Katie the first time!!)
And Kay goes with him everyday
Gonna take Kay along
Gonna teach Kay this song.
I had been having pre-labor contractions every 8-10 minutes for the past 3 weeks or so. Boy, let me tell you...that's annoying. Especially when you have a 3 year old to take care of. :) I had been taken off moderate bedrest and was 37 weeks along.
Jamie called to see how I was doing - I said fine, could be any time - be ready! The next morning I woke up about 5 am with some unpleasant contractions. Of course I'd been having these for a few weeks now so I tried to roll over and go back to sleep. These pains were a little more intense. I remember whining and moaning a little bit thinking that would wake up John, but nope - he was fast asleep. :) I paced around for 15-20 minutes or so and then woke up John and said I needed to make a decision about going to the hospital. These contractions were getting more difficult very quickly. We knew this would be a fast labor - the goal was to make it to the hospital in time...without an ambulance call. I called Jamie and Joe - of course I think Joe, the early riser was already awake. He said Jamie and their son Noah would be right over. Then I called the midwives and said I was on my way.
The contractions began getting very painful so John and I left our sleeping Katie and headed for the hospital. We knew Jamie would be there any minute and Katie couldn't get into TOO much trouble asleep. We got to the hospital and AGAIN had to wait at the check in desk. Now I say - what's the use of pre-registering if you're still going to have to wait 10 minutes to go in?? I was waiting for someone to come from labor and delivery to wheel me upstairs. They wouldn't let John wheel me and they wouldn't walk. So John went and parked the car and I leaned on the check in desk moaning. People that walked by didn't say anything - it was pretty obvious why I was there. Another older lady that was in the back rushed up and asked if I needed help. "Just waiting for help!!" I yelled. Finally a young girl came down with a wheelchair and we were off. They took me to the monitoring area, but as soon as the midwife saw me she said there's no use staying here - we need a delivery room. We got to the delivery room, popped in my pre-made labor CD loaded with wonderful Pearl Jam songs and set in to have a baby.
I didn't ask for pain medication this time because I knew there was no time. The pushing was intense, and far more difficult than with Katie. Afterwards we found out that was because Will was 2 1/2 pounds BIGGER than their estimation. When we first arrived at the hospital I had a little blonde chippie of a nurse that was probably 19 and weighed all of 90 pounds. During each contraction she would utter "You got this...you go girl." Oh God. If that's all you have to offer - we're in trouble. Fate must have sensed my annoyance because another nurse came in to tell Blondie that her shift was over, but she could stay on through this delivery if she wanted to. Thank the LORD she decided to leave, and a WONDERFUL nurse took her place and offered just the right encouragement. A little under 1 1/2 hours after arriving at the hospital Will was born at 7:31 am. I could barely hear my music CD during labor, but the CD shut off just after they laid Will on my stomach. Which means Will was born to Yellow Ledbetter. :) This time around it was calmer and crazier at the same time, but one I would live again in a second. After Will was born, all I could muster to say over and over again was "no more babies...no more babies...no more babies..." Nurse Wonderful just said "Oh honey, there's no more in there, you don't have to have any more!"
We took all 8 1/2 pounds of Will home a day later and have been able to keep him alive for an entire year. :)
I got a cute children's CD at the library last week - the Johnny Cash Children's Album. There is a duet with June Carter called "I Got A Boy And His Name Is John." As most of you know, Will's full name is John William, Dad's name is John, and Grandpa Pladsen's name was John. Here are just a few lyrics...they are too cute.
I got a boy and his name is John
You ought to see little John tag along
Going where his Daddy goes
Learning what his Daddy knows.
He's got a friend and her name is Kay (Thought this said Katie the first time!!)
And Kay goes with him everyday
Gonna take Kay along
Gonna teach Kay this song.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Picture Post
Hey there - got my pictures scanned in tonight so I thought I would post what I have. I am getting more prints done, but I know some family members like to save them to their computer.
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