Cole

So Cole is 2 1/2 weeks old now, and we are finally starting to settle into somewhat of routine at home. I'd hate to jinx myself, but so far he is such an easy baby! I had prepared myself for the worst as Eve was a very difficult newborn, but I have been pleasantly surprised so far. He is a great eater and sleeper, and is content most of his awake time. He is already sleeping long stretches at night, and only wakes once or twice to eat. Life is good.

Happy Thanksgiving!

So here we are at home as a family of four, and I could not be any more thankful than what I am right now. 2008 has been one of the best years of my life and in honor of today's holiday, here are just a few of the things I am most thankful for:

I am thankful for my family, and their health.

I am thankful that I had such a great C-section experience on Monday, and that I seem to be having a great and speedy recovery.

I am thankful to Mom and Dad who are bringing us Thanksgiving dinner this evening. Otherwise, we could very well have been eating pizza tonight!

I am thankful that we can now fill our gas tank for less than $20!

I am thankful for Chris, who provides above and beyond for our family in every which way possible. You are the backbone to this family, my best friend, and the best dad.

I am thankful for Eve and Cole. Eve, you put a smile on my face from the moment you wake up until you fall asleep. That sparkle in your eyes and your zest for life truly make me want to be the best mom I can be to you and your brother. And Cole, our newest little family member, you have already filled the missing puzzle piece in my heart. I love you both more than words can express.


I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving this year, and that the next year brings you all lots of happiness and great health!

5 days and counting!

And I am sooooo ready for this baby to make his arrival! This past week I have been in extreme discomfort with my lower back pain, and it is agonizing! But I'm also just ready to start life as a family of 4. This past week has been extremely busy with appointments, and so will the next few days. I had all my pre-op testing done on Monday and got to speak with my anesthesiologist about any questions I had regarding the c-section. We are supposed to get to the hospital at 5:30 am on Monday and I am set for surgery at 7:30 am. After I spend a few hours in recovery, I should be settled into my room with Chris and our baby boy by around 10 or 11 am. Can't wait!

On another note, Eve's lip is healing wonderfully! The swelling is completely gone, and it looks like any scar she may have will be barely noticeable. She has an appointment tomorrow morning with her pediatrician just to make sure all is well. It is so convenient that her pediatrician's office is in the same building as my obstetrician's office because I have my final OB appointment immediately following hers. And to top off our crazy week, Chris is having all 4 of his wisdom teeth pulled on Thursday afternoon. We went grocery shopping this evening, and stocked up on pudding, ice cream, etc. for his recovery. Please pray for some speedy healing for him so that he is in top form by Monday when the real chaos begins!

Eve's Big Accident

Okay, so yesterday was one of the most stressful nights I've had in as long as I can remember. Chris was working, so it was just Eve and I at home. In case anyone forgot (lol), I am now 38 weeks pregnant and have barely enough energy to get through each day with my little rambunctious girl. Anyways, last night I was sitting in the living room and she was playing with my cell phone on the floor in front of me. As usual, that didn't last long and she decided she needed to be running with my cell phone. Well my poor baby girl tripped and her face landed smack into her new Dora the Explorer play desk (which is now in hiding for at least the next year!). She immediately began screaming, and I was terrifed to pick her up and see what part of her face she had hit because she smacked it so hard. Sure enough when I picked her up, there was blood gushing out of her lip. For anyone who doesn't know, I have an extremely weak stomach when it comes to blood and gore, so I immediately became woozy and rushed her into the kitchen to try and stop the bleeding and get a better look. Big mistake! The middle of her lower lip was completely split in two and still bleeding like crazy. I called Chris to come home right away so we could get her to the emergency room. Of course by the time he got here, our apartment looked like a horror movie with blood all over Eve, myself, and the kitchen. So we got to the emergency room where they ended up having to call in a plastic surgeon to sedate Eve and put a few stitches in her lip. I have to say that our little girl is one tough cookie though! Aside from the 5 minutes right after it happened and from the 3 failed attempts to get an IV in her, she did not cry at all. In fact, she was too busy charming away all the nurses and doctors with her non-stop chattering...LOL. This morning, she woke up with a big swollen lip, but is otherwise acting like her normal and happy self. I am just so thankful she was not hurt any worse than she was, and will be watching her every move for the next week until her stitches fall out.

On a side note, 10 more days until my C-section!!!!

Uneventful Appointment Update

So I had yet another doctor appointment today, and thought I'd update even though there isn't really much to report. Everything is looking really good, and the baby looks and sounds great! I only have one more appointment to go before my c-section...it's getting so close! We are about as ready as we can be with the exception of diapers. But we are going out tomorrow to stock up on those, and then we will be set. I am getting so absolutely uncomfortable, and am counting down the days until I get to meet this little guy. It is nearly impossible to get much sleep anymore because my back, hips, and ribcage are all constantly aching. Oh well...small price to pay for the end result! Will update once again after my next appointment...it's on November 17th.

Baby Update and Early Thanksgiving

I had my 36 week checkup last Friday, and all is still well. Just 3 weeks to go from today! My doctor estimated that baby boy will weigh around 7 1/2 pounds at birth...a whopping 1/2 pound less than Eve. Of course, that is just a guess, so we shall see. I have another appointment this Friday since they are scheduled weekly now. Will keep everyone updated on if anything changes.

On another note, we had our early Thanksgiving yesterday, and it was wonderful! We decided since there is a good chance that I won't even get out of the hospital until Thanksgiving day, that we'd celebrate a few weeks early. The food was delicious, and Chris and I both ate entirely too much. Thank you Mom and Dad!

Eve's 19 Month Checkup

Eve had her appointment this morning, and all is well! I was originally just going to let Chris take her, but ended up feeling bad so I tagged along. And it actually wasn't so bad. She only needed two shots, her DTP booster and a flu shot. Luckily, the nurse was so quick with both that I don't think Eve realized what hit her until it was all over. The rest of her checkup went great too...her ear infection is all cleared up and she is right on track with everything else. Here are her current stats:

Height: 34 inches (92nd percentile)
Weight: 23.8 lbs. (34th percentile)
Head: 19 inches (86th percentile)

I was just happy to see that she is finally starting to put on a little weight, even if she is still on the small side. Her eating hasn't been that great lately due to the fact that she's getting her canines in...2 have already popped through and 2 are about to surface. Teething is no fun! But anyways, Eve is done until her 2 year checkup now. My next O.B. appoinment is on November 30th. Only 5 1/2 weeks until baby boy is here!

Eve

Lately, I've been using this blog mostly for updates on my pregnancy and baby #2, so I thought I'd give ya'll a little update on Miss Eve. My poor baby girl had to go to the pediatrician last week after a miserable few nights of having a fever. Turns out she had an ear infection and head cold, and is finally starting to feel some relief now that she has started on antibiotics. She has her 18 month appointment (we are one month late!) next week, where she will have to get a few shots. Since I've taken her to all her vaccination appointments thus far, I told Chris that this one is all his! My stress levels can't handle watching her scream her head off while getting poked and prodded...I think it hurts me almost as much as it hurts her!

Developmentally, Eve is doing great! She can now recognize and say about half of the alphabet. She is also starting to speak in short phrases and sentences, such as "Bye bye Dada" and "Night Night Mama". It is so freaking amazing to watch all of this taking place...I feel like she is just growing up so fast!

Looking Back...

So after having my cell phone for nearly 2 years, I only just now realized how to transfer pictures from my phone to online...duh! Anyways, I came across the picture above from when Eve was hospitalized at 6 weeks old with a viral infection. It is the only picture we have from then, and it although it reminds me of a painful experience, it also makes me so grateful to have my beautiful and healthy baby girl.

We Have a Birthday!

I had my 31 week appointment this morning, and we finally got to set up my c-section date...yea! Our baby boy is scheduled to enter this world on November 24th at 7:30 am! That is, unless I go into labor before then! Everything is still checking out great...good heartbeat, lots of movement, etc. I just can't believe we only have 7 1/2 weeks to go!

Update: I meant to add to this earlier, but I forgot to mention that at my last ultrasound, it was determined that my placenta previa has resolved itself. So no worries there! I am running around like normal, and my doctors have no concerns.

29 Week Doctor Appointment

10 weeks left! Yea! So I had my OB appointment this morning, and everything is looking great! We are finally getting down to the homestretch, and I will have my appointments every 2 weeks now until I hit November, when they will become weekly. I got to have another ultrasound today, and it was so awesome seeing the baby's cute little face again. He is measuring ahead of schedule, and they estimated him to be at around 3 lb. 7 oz. right now...chunky baby! He has been soooo active lately, and seems to be kicking around in there non-stop. And of course, his favorite time to do this is just as I'm settling into bed at night! I guess he's just preparing me for the sleepless nights that are about to come. The picture above is from my ultrasound today, but is not the clearest since the baby was constantly in motion the whole time.

Reminiscing

So, Eve is learning so much and growing up so fast that it is simply amazing to me as a first-time parent. I got to thinking about how quickly the last 18 months have flown by, and how quickly the next 18 months will fly by, especially with a new baby in the house. It is so bittersweet watching your children grow up. On one hand, I am in awe of Eve's progress and love to imagine what the future will be like. What will she be like when she is 2 years old, 5 years old, and so on. But on the other hand, each day passes by so fast and time is so fleeting. I have to keep reminding myself to live in the moment, and to appreciate all the precious time I get to spend with my family. So anyways, in the spirit of my sentimental thinking, here are a few pictures of Eve from almost exactly one year ago. *Sigh*

Daily Dose

3 Months Left!

Hi all! I had my 25 week doctor appointment a few days ago, and thought I'd give an update. First off, I cannot wrap my head around the fact that there are only 14 weeks left until my c-section! I can't wait! I am getting more and more excited to meet this little guy each and every day. My appointment went well...baby is measuring on track and his heartbeat sounded perfect. I am up 10 pounds at this point, which is far better than I was at this stage while pregnant with Eve. Hopefully, I can keep my total weight gain under 30 pounds this time. I go back for my next appointment on September 11th, and will get another ultrasound (yea!) at that point to check the baby and myself out. I have partial placenta previa, and they just want to make sure all is well. I will definitely update again at that time.

As far as everything else, life is good. Eve will be 18 months in a few weeks....my little baby is not so little anymore! She is still talking our ears off all day long, and surprising us with something new everyday.

It's A...

BOY!!!! As if you all didn't know that by now! We are absolutely thrilled, and can't wait to experience life with our new little guy. My appointment went great. Chris and Eve came back with me for my ultrasound. Thankfully, Eve was well-behaved the entire time except that she shouted "Baby" over and over again as the U/S technichian was doing her job...LOL. This was my fault, as I've taught her to relate the word "baby" to my belly, which was obviously in full view. Baby Boy Martin is measuring a week ahead and looking absolutely wonderful!

Just Because...

Just A Little Update

I can't believe its been almost a month since my last post. Once again, time is flying! Nothing too exciting to report, but thought I'd at least give everyone an update on my pregnancy and Miss Eve.

I am now 20 weeks pregnant...officially halfway there! The baby has been kicking like crazy lately, which has to be one of the best feelings in the world. It is simply indescribable and oh so reassuring to an overly anxious mom like myself. I am finally gaining some weight now that my appetite has returned and the morning sickness has subsided. I am up 3 pounds total at this point. Also, my appointment for my big ultrasound is next Tuesday, July 15th. I am so excited to find out what we are having and to make sure this little one is healthy.

Onto my first little baby, Eve! She is doing fantastic. Her language is really, really exploding lately. It seems like she is saying a new word everyday. And she really is such a good girl. Sure she has her tantrums, but overall she is so happy, loving, and adaptable. We are incredibly blessed that God chose us to be her parents.

Anyways, I will post again next Tuesday after my appointment!

My Little Princess

Well here we are in the middle of June already, and I am in disbelief at how quickly time seems to be flying by! In just 5 short months, Chris and I will be the parents of 2 babies...Ahhhh! Eve is doing so great. She is at such a fun age right now! And she is such a little ham! We went to the St. Louis Zoo this past weekend, and Eve had to make sure to say "Hi" and give a big, goofy grin to nearly everyone who passed us by. It is amazing the amount of attention she gets from complete strangers, even on short trips to the grocery store. She certainly doesn't get her outgoing personality from her mom!

My pregnancy is going great. I am still getting sick around 1-2 days a week, but I will take that any day over the constant morning sickness that I had in the beginning. I still haven't put on any weight due to the fact that I have ZERO appetite most of the time, but I am sure that is soon to change. I am most definitely starting to show now, and my only real complaint is this insanely hot weather we have been having.

All in all, life is good.

My 14 week checkup

Went in for my monthly doctor appointment today, and finally got to hear baby's heartbeat! Nothing is more reassuring to me than that sound! Everything checked out great. I have yet to gain any weight, so I am still actually down the 10 lbs that I lost in the last few months with my morning sickness. My next appointment is on July 3rd, and we will hopefully be finding out the sex of the baby at that time...I can't wait! Lately, I have been feeling very certain that this baby is a boy! We shall see, although I will be ecstatic either way.

Eve's 15 month Doctor Appointment

Just a quick update on Eve's appointment and her stats. My poor baby had to get 4 shots today, and it was not very pleasant! She is now 33 inches tall (95th percentile) and 21.5 lbs (30th percentile). The doctor was somewhat concerned over the fact that she hasn't gained any weight in the last 4 months, and scheduled a weight check to see how she's doing 2 months from now. I am personally not worried, and just think that she is going to be long and lean. Not to mention the fact that she literally runs around the house from the moment she wakes up until bedtime...she must be burning calories like crazy!

My next O.B. appointment is this Thursday, and will update again then!

Settling In

It has been about a week since my last post, and we are now nicely settled into our new apartment. I love this place! The floorplan is so much more child-friendly than our old apartment so I don't have to worry about Eve running around quite so much anymore. And trust me, she has been running around like a wild woman! Her language development is really starting to take off too. When she woke up yesterday morning and looked out onto the balcony, she said "bird" clear as a bell and pointed to a bird outside. I was so taken aback! She is absorbing everything we say like a sponge at this point. It is so exciting to watch her learn something new everyday!

It is also such a blessing that we are living closer to Chris' office now. For the past 2 days, he has been able to come home between jobs, which means more family time and less stress on him.

Last but not least, today is our 4 year wedding anniversary! Many thanks to God for blessing me with such a wonderful husband and father to my children.

Moving!

So we finally found our new home with only days to spare before our lease was up on our current place. Talk about stress! We now have just 2 days (including today) to pack up our entire townhome and get everything moved into our new apartment...ahhhhhhh! If I weren't pregnant and carring for a toddler, I might be reaching for a Vicodin right about now so I could sleep my way through all of this chaos!

Our new apartment is in Columbia, IL and is only 12 miles from downtown St. Louis. We both totally love Columbia already...it is a smaller (pop.9,500), safe town with lots of restaurants and parks and things to do. You really do not feel like you are so close to the city. Chris' commute is going to be cut in half, which will make life less stressful for both of us. The apartment is a 2 bedroom/2 bathroom unit with a nice big balcony overlooking the woods. Lots of natural light which I have been craving given that our current pad is so dark and depressing! I'm totally digging the fact that it is one-story too. No more gazillions of trips up and down the stairs each day...my knees will be thanking me!

Eve is great, and beginning to talk up a storm. "Hi" is the word of the moment and she says it at least once every minute. I am seeing a tiny light at the end of the tunnel as far as morning sickness goes. While I am still sick everyday, it is progressively getting better. Overall, life is good right now. I recently came across the following words in an email, and it rung so true to me that I thought I'd share...

Happy moments, praise God.
Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God.
Painful moments, trust God.
Every moment, thank God.

Doctor Appointment

Just thought I'd give everyone an update on Baby #2. I had my first ultrasound today. Everything looked wonderful...strong heartbeat and measuring right on target at 9 weeks and 1 day. My due date was confirmed once again for November 27th, although I will end up having my c-section scheduled about one week before that. Yea!

Baby Martin #2 is on the way!

Yes, that's right! I am 8 weeks pregnant with the newest (and last) member of our family! Chris and I could not be more thrilled. My due date is November 27th (Thanksgiving!) and we have my first ultrasound scheduled for next Friday, April 25th. I am in the midst of dealing with the same horrible morning sickness that I experienced while I was pregnant with Eve...not so fun while chasing a toddler around all day! But I will get through it, and it will all be so worth it in 7 months when our little one arrives. I have a feeling we will be having another little girl, although I will be ecstatic either way. I am just so happy for this latest blessing in our lives!

3 weeks left!

Stressed!

That is what I am feeling right now as Chris and I continue our search for an apartment to spend at least the next year of our lives in. We are moving closer to the St. Louis area so that we can cut Chris' commute down and save our car from the 500-800 miles a week we are now putting on it. We have been looking for the last month, and I feel like we are never going to find the right place. Please pray that we find the perfect place soon!

Thankful

Today was a very trying day with Eve. Chris worked a 12-hour shift so it was just Eve and myself from sunrise til sunset. It is almost as if she knows the days that Daddy is going to be gone all day, and these are the days she chooses to test me the most. From the moment she woke up from her first nap, I knew I was in for trouble. The day was filled with tantrums, throwing food on the floor, pulling outlet covers out of outlets, hitting me in the face with her sippy cup, and much more.

Towards the end of the day, I was completely out of steam. And I think Eve sensed it, because out of nowhere she came and sat on my lap and quietly layed her head on my chest. That was it...end of tantrums, end of misbehaving...I think she was as worn out as I was. As I was putting her to sleep tonight, I thanked God for my baby girl and for every single difficult moment we had today. I was thinking about everything God has taught and given me through Eve...infinite patience (a must when one has a "spirited" child); compassion (I believe once you become a mother, you are a mother to every child out there); a sense of wonder at what the world must look like through her eyes; and most importantly, a much deeper and stronger connection to Christ. I look into Eve's eyes, and my heart is so full of love for her that it feels as though it may burst. Only God can be responsible for such a miracle.

Anyways, my point is that I will gladly take day after day like today, because it is another day with my beautiful daughter, and for that I am truly thankful.

We have a walker!

Walking, Teething, and Eating

Eve has been practicing her walking non-stop the past few days, and is getting sooo close! She will take about 6 steps, fall, stand back up, and repeat. She gets the most determined look on her face...I will try to get some pics tomorrow. At this rate, I know she will be walking full-time very soon.

I also just noticed a few days ago that she is getting in 3 more teeth! I think this has been why we have been having such difficulties with her eating lately, not to mention her night wakings. On a positive note, she did eat wonderfully today for the first time in a couple weeks. So who knows, maybe that phase is behind us...I can only hope!

Easter

Well the day is over and I am drained! Started the morning out by giving Eve her Easter basket...no chocolate this year, but we did fill her basket with new toys and books...most of which we ended up giving her early! We spent the afternoon over at my parent's house where Eve got to see her Aunt Christie and Uncle Rob for the first time in a couple months. Eve got showered with more books and a stuffed bunny from Grandma and Grandpa. She seemed to view the bunny more as her enemy than her friend...LOL. We all ate entirely too much, but thats what holidays are for, right?

Eating Woes

*Sigh*

So, my wonderful little eater has suddenly become the picky eater that I've had nightmares about. Favorite foods are now going untouched at mealtime, and two bites is about her limit before she is ready to go back to playing. This has, by far, been the most frustrating thing I've experienced as a parent aside from Eve's acid reflux. After all, I can't really force her to eat. So I've been devouring any information I can get my hands on about "toddler nutrition", and everyone says the same thing:

1. Most toddlers will exhibit this behavior at some point

2. No baby will starve itself

Well, that's nice to hear people, but that doesn't make me worry any less! So for now, I am trusting the experts, and picking my battles. Here's to hoping (for my sanity!) that this is a short-lived phase, and that my wonderful little eater makes a quick return.

O-H-I-O

So, last week we made a long overdue trip to Ohio to visit with Chris' family. I was so excited to get back and see everyone, and yet so worried about how Eve was going to do in the car and in a new environment. The girl shocked us, and barely made a peep the entire way there...no tantrums, very few tears, and a teeny bit of whining just to let us know she was either hungry or sleepy. I was so proud! Once we got there, we got some quality time in with the fam despite the blizzard-like weather conditions. It was a short visit, but we had a great time. Now we are back home, and things are back to normal. At least for the next 6 weeks...then it's moving time!

Yea!

So I decided to create this blog to keep track of the daily shenanigans of my daughter, Eve, and to let family and friends get a glimpse into her daily life. Every day is adventure with my baby girl, and I hope you all will join us in the fun!