A Very Special "House"

Will picked out this book from the library display shelves a couple weeks ago and I didn't borrow it because it kinda' doesn't apply to us anymore. But he asked for it again at home so I looked for it with Sophie last Saturday (it was finally her turn to go to the library with mommy) and brought it home to read to Will. The book is very cute, by the way, for any of you preggos out there. Will really likes it (which I think is so sweet) and he asked questions about being in my belly. He's also been obsessed with looking at pictures on the internet with Craig lately. He'll say "daddy, let's look up pictures of a gazelle on the internet!" And then they'll spend 10 minutes or so looking up whatever animal Will can think of. So I brought him to the computer with me and showed him pictures of him and Sophie when they lived in "the house inside my belly".

Valentines Day 2007

{roughly 22-ish weeks with Will}

March 2007

{I told him about all the walking that Brutus and I did while he was in my belly.}
March 2007
{28 weeks and one of my favorite pregnancy pictures. I just feel like my expression looks so calm and peaceful.}

{I used to love taking belly pictures in the nursery. I would sit in there and just look around at all the cuteness and feel happy.}

May 2007

{36 weeks with Will. Yikes! My girlfriends and I were heading out for dinner and a movie and my belly got a ridiculous amount of staring and pointing.}

Memorial Day Picnic 2007

{almost 38 weeks - Will was born at 38 weeks, 6 days}

{I was taking pictures of the volleyball game in progress and wearing Craig's watch for him. Will was born June 8th weighing in at 8#3oz.}

A (very warm) early November 2008.

{15-ish weeks with Sophia}

My 28th birthday - January 2009

{27 weeks with Sophia}

March 2009

{33-ish? weeks}

{36 weeks - a scary frontal shot}

Barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen :)

{38 weeks with Sophia}

After work on Friday, April 17, 2009, three days before Sophie was born.

{39 weeks}

Sophie was born at 39 weeks, 3 days and weighed in at 8#14.5oz!

I told Will that being pregnant with both my kids was some of the most exciting times of my life. I loved feeling them wiggle, I loved planning their arrival and I loved giving birth. But nothing compares to having them on the outside. And God made mommy's belly just for Will and Sophie. No more tenants will be residing in this house! :)

Will's also recently pulled out some other Big Brother, Waiting for Baby and My New Baby books that we'd bought for him back then and has been browsing through them on his own. But this one is worth borrowing if you're expecting!

Nostalgia

Well... April has arrived. And you know what that means? Our daughter, our baby... is going to turn one year old this month. We are at such a comfortable and joyful place in our life right now and I wouldn't change that for anything... but I can't help but feel a bit of nostalgia as we count down the days till her first birthday. I imagine most moms feel this as their child nears the close of their first year. It's hard to believe how fast the time has gone and I just keep remembering where we were at this time last year. I plan to write a "year in review" post around Sophie's birthday. But even before that I'm remembering fondly those weeks before her arrival when we were just three.

For most of March 2009, we were packing in all sorts of activities to do with Will and as a couple before our life was, once again, changed. Craig and I planned several date nights to spend some one on one time together. And we took Will on various mini adventures to enjoy our final time with just one child.
I remember feeling so worried for Will. He was my sweet, little boy and he had all of my attention. How would he feel once he had to share my time? More than anything else, I made myself so anxious and sick just thinking about how he might feel forgotten and maybe a little less loved. You may remember my "Emotional Confession" post from March of last year (p.s. I'm sorry I'm so terrible with links - I really need to try and figure those out) and that "Loving Two" poem a friend shared with me. I remember wondering how I could ever love another baby as I did Will. In my heart I knew I just would, but in my head I was anxious. And now, when I read that poem again and remember my feelings back then, it makes me so happy to see how very true those words were. Will and Sophie have bonded and do love and enjoy each other. And my love for them is "as different as they are, but equally strong". It's an incredible thing, being a mom. And I am constantly in awe of how much my heart has grown and how much love I have for both of them.

This was late March of last year.

Also, late March of last year, my "barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen" pose. :)

My 38 week belly. I was looking so forward to the end of the pregnancy and meeting our daughter, and yet I wanted to hold on to things the way they were for just a little bit longer and relish my final days of my last pregnancy.

39 weeks and my last day of work (though I was unaware of that at the time). This was a Friday and I went to bed that Sunday night with a slight intuition that things would be happening soon.

A couple pictures from the hospital that I'm pretty sure I've never posted...

Here's my sexy-self in my hospital gown and sporty slip-on shoes... quite fashionable, don't you think? I was feeling very strong upon arrival despite my contractions being 2-5 minutes apart and dilated to 4cm (likely because my water hadn't broken yet). I was up and walking around the room for most of the beginning.

Craig snapped this during a contraction. With his help I achieved the natural birth that I was so determined to have again. As I mentioned last year, Sophie's birth was the hardest thing I have ever done... and also the biggest high of my life when it was over. I cannot explain how on top of the world I felt when she came out: relief! pride! love! awe! It was incredible and I remember feeling so in love with everyone in the room at that moment. :)

Oh! You should have heard those lungs in action on her birth day! Sophie was born hungry and took to breastfeeding immediately (which was all the reward I needed for my labor). I thought Sophie looked just like her brother in those first days. She weighed 8#14.5oz and 20" long.

I don't wish for those days back. I'm so happy where we are now and proud of how far we've come. But it's bittersweet, you know? I held my newborn niece this week and couldn't believe how tiny she was and how long ago that seemed for me! Sometimes it feels like my kids have been in my life forever and I can't imagine it without them, and other times I think back on their first days (with crystal clear memories) and wonder how we'd gotten to today so quickly! It just goes so fast and I want to savor every moment. This blog is such a blessing for me. I make a point to document my thoughts and feelings at times like this so that I will remember them always.

This is one of my very favorite pictures of Sophia when she was just two weeks old and holding her head up so strong.

So just 18 days to go now, and I'm just reminiscing while I count them down.

Welcome Sophia Grace!

Our baby girl has arrived!!! Sophia Grace was born on Monday, April 20th at 1:21pm weighing 8# 14 1/2oz and measuring 20" long. I'm sure the news has spread by now and my appologies for the delay in announcement here. As you can imagine, we've been entirely consumed with settling our newest member of the family.

I went to bed Sunday night with lots of baby movement and more-than-usual, though irregular, contractions. I told Craig I had a feeling it might be soon and said a prayer for a smooth and healthy experience. I told Sophia not to be afraid and that I would be there with her and she would be safe. My labor began about 3am Monday morning and I labored at home until about 7 when my contractions were 2-3 minutes apart. The timing was really the best I could hope for. Laboring in the middle of the night is peaceful and I could be home while Will was asleep. Then, by the time we were ready to head to the hospital, Will could go to the babysitter's and have his normal day. That made it so much easier for me to leave, knowing nothing was out of the ordinary for him.

My labor was very manageable for quite awhile because my water hadn't broken and that leaves a bit of a cushion from the intensity and pressure. By 11 or so, things were really picking up and at noon, my doctor came in to break my water. After that, I progressed pretty quickly from 7 centimeters to complete in less than an hour. My whole body was bearing down and I had an incredible urge to push (too soon) beyond my control. That was the hardest and scariest part, when you have to hold off and breath through it. Shortly after 1:00, I was able to push and Miss Sophia presented in anterior position, making it much harder. But about 15 minutes later, she was born and I have never felt so relieved in all my life. That experience was the hardest, most painful, most rewarding thing I have ever done. I was determined to have a natural birth and we made it! No drugs, no IV. On a pain scale of 1-10, Will's birth was an 8... Sophia's was a 10.5.

But after a difficult birth, I was rewarded with an easy start with breastfeeding (she took to it immediately, thank God!) and a pretty quick recovery. I'm feeling so good and am surprised at how smooth the transition has been. Sophia is a very pleasant baby, sleeps pretty well, and has some impressively long stretches of awake and alert times where she's very bright-eyed and interactive. Will has probably had the hardest time adjusting to sharing my attention. He's slowly warming up to her but is very clingy and whiney whenever I'm holding her. We've really been making a point to give him plenty of special attention and keep his daily routine pretty normal.

Thank you everyone for your well wishes and cards. We appreciate all your love and support!

Here are some pictures:

Right after birth




I was so happy that MY doctor was on call for Sophia's birth (on the right). She was awesome and very supportive of my desire for natural birth. I also had a wonderful labor and delivery nurse (on the left).


Visitors! Will gets a glimpse of his new baby sister.


Uncle Taylor & "Aunt" Amanda


Grandma & Papa Riedeman


Nana & Papa Skees




Uncle Wes and Aunt Casey




Will opening a gift from "Baby Sophie".




Sophie's first diaper change!


Aunt Kelly


Trying on a hat that totally does NOT fit her yet :) And check out that double chin!


Craig does a much better job at swaddling than I do.




Casey and the twins enjoy a chocolate milk! :)


Will visits again on day 2 wearing a "Big Brother" t-shirt.




"Aunt" Jill


Getting ready to head home on Wednesday. Here's the "48 hours later belly" :)


Feeding Sophie while waiting for the pediatrician to release her after her assessment. Sophie was born hungry! She is a very good eater... and pooper! No sign of jaundice here!






Settling into the car seat.








Home at last. Welcome home Sophie!