Our miracle has arrived

It's been awhile - yes again.  Sadly this seems to be a reoccuring theme for me with my blog posts, one day I swear I will be able to do it all, but until then, when time allows I will be posting :) 
I noticed that I began a post back in November and never got around to finishing it and or posting it until yesterday, March 16th, with the help of Jack on my lap wanting to press every button on the laptop, and thus, my unfinished November post.

So here we are 7 weeks since we brought our newest family member into this world and it has flown by.  We are all adjusting to being a family of four with the bittersweet chaos that it involves.  The scary part is that our new reality was almost stolen from us and the mere thought still haunts me.

9 days early Madeline Grace decided she was ready to meet us...although we weren't as prepared as we should have been.  It just so happened to be aunt Jen's birthday in Chicago and the Martin Luther King holiday which allowed Ky and Jack to both be home with me as work and day care were closed in observance.  We had a day filled with errands, yard work and play before us. 
As we started the day, the last day as a family of 3, Ky asked how I slept.  Not sleeping much those days as baby Reding was an extremely active baby, particularly at night, it dawned on me that I hadn't felt much of any sommersaults in the past 24 hours which was quite unusual.  Ky suggested that I call the doctor just to be cautious and they asked that I come in to monitor the baby.  Being that my doctor is conveniently located down the street from our home Ky, Jack and I all walked over to my appointment not thinking much of it.  After an hour of monitoring baby Reding's heartbeat dipped quite low with my contractions and at that point Dr. Duhamel instructed us to head down to the hospital and check into labor and delivery right away stating there was a very good chance that we were having our baby today.
In a state of shock and panic we quickly made some phone calls to family and arranged for our friends to come and pick up Jack while we threw together a hospital bag, just in case.
As we checked in at 11:30am to Scripps La Jolla Hospital we were rushed into OR for an emergency C-Section within 20 minutes of our arrival as there was cause for concern of an obstructed cord.  Not having much time to wrap our heads around the situation at 12:32 pm we learned that our little girl had a huge knot in her cord along with it being wrapped around her leg 5 times.  It was a surreal moment as we were told that she would not be here with us today had we not gone in to see our doctor that morning.

I still pinch myself thanking God that Ky suggested calling the doctor as my original appointment was scheduled for Wednesday of that week and at almost 39 weeks pregnant the thought of something going wrong hadn't even entered my mind.  God works in mysterious ways indeed.  We are over the moon to have a little girl and Jack is getting use to the idea as well :)

November is the perfect time to stop and smell the roses, or if you are in the midwest or east coast, the changing of the leaves and trees was always a favorite time.
In other words, a chance to stop and reflect and count your blessings.  Starting new traditions and carrying on with those that have been passed down to Ky and I has so much more meaning with a little one.  And for the days leading up to Thanksgiving I like to think of one thing that I am grateful for each day. 
I have just entered my third trimester with Baby Reding and I am astonished at how quickly the past 28 weeks have gone by.  I am at that point where being comfortable in any position and getting enough sleep are distant memories.  And then I think of how blessed I am to be able to be pregnant again without worry, give Jack a sibling and fall in love with a new person all over again.
I am thankful that we have such generous friends that have already lent a helping hand with new baby items that we need and even received a ton of girls clothes from friends that are on team pink this time around.  I am thankful for my flexible job and my understanding boss.  I love the shorter days that make it easier to stay in the house and chat with Ky on the couch instead of waiting for him to come home from surfing.  I am thankful for our amazing roommate who puts up with our marital bickering, our child who is happier than anyone to be awake by 7am and screaming with joy about it, and his heaps of toys that seem to dominate every corner of the house.  I am thankful for the shortest commute to Jack's sitter and the love they give him while Ky and I are at work.  I am thankful for quotes that continue to inspire and "check" me when I feel that I am wanting more than I may need. 
My favorite this past month, "Someone else is happier with less than what you have."
I am thankful that Jack's grandparents were both able to come and celebrate his 1st year of life at a beautiful beachhouse in Carlsbad.
I am thankful for siblings and more importantly the friendships that develop with them.  For this reason I love the idea of having a big family.  I am thankful for a hard working, forward thinking husband.  He is one of the best planners I know, always staying 2 steps ahead with goals for our future.  I am thankful for a washer and dryer, although I feel like I spend half my days doing laundry, I could be going to the laundromat.  I am thankful for a reliable car that gets my family safely from one destination to the next.  I am thankful for blogging - and finding an outlet/hobby to share my thoughts.  I am thankful for my 20 minute commute home and the few phone calls that I can squeeze into that time before arriving home where the chaos starts.  I am thankful for colder weather and bundling up in cozy clothes, blankets and with eachother.  I am thankful for winter food and crock pot recipes. 

28 weeks...WHAT?

I have just entered my third trimester and I am in complete shock.  I have no clue where the past 28 weeks have gone, and am afraid that the next 12 (if I make it to full-term) will go by even faster.
I remember feeling that my first pregnancy moved slower than molasses, I kept waiting to gain weight, get a baby bump, feel kicks, you name it.  Now I feel that I popped the moment I found out I was expecting again and our new little one is on the move constantly, reminding me at all hours of the day and night that he/she is in there.  Along with realizing how fast this has gone I have also realized how much I haven't documented this experience in great detail as I did the first time around, and for that I feel horribly guilty. 
Venting to my best friend last night about our parenting woes, she sent me an email this morning of an article that she read.  I found it ironic that her second baby's name is Kai (spelled differently of course) and of course I cried while reading the article, but I had to share it in the hopes that I can prevent as much of this as possible, if that will even be possible with 2 babies...

A Letter of Apology To My Second Son

 

Dear Kai,

Mommy is so sorry. I didn't know that two babies would be so hard. I didn't think I'd treat you any differently than your brother. And I didn't realize how quickly life would pile up and try to steal our special moments from the two of us.

I'm sorry for not having the time to patiently rock you when you were oh-so-tiny until you didn't want to be rocked anymore. Your brother needed me to prevent him from fishing in the toilet and from falling down the stairs.

I'm sorry for finishing prepping dinner for the oven with my back to you as you cried, all alone in your gym. I was so hungry. Adonis was so hungry. Everyone was crying, and I just had to finish what I was doing.

I didn't mean to forget to give you breakfast or lunch last Sunday; I forgot for a moment that you weren't my newborn any longer.

Please forgive me for thinking that Adonis' clothes would just fit you, and not paying any attention to the fact that you're both born in opposite times of the year. Yes, you wore the same five outfits all summer. Now it's fall, and I know I need to go to the store so that you don't have to wear PJs all day, but it's just so hard with two babies.

I wasn't there when you had your first spoonful of carrots. I only have one or two blurry pictures.

You're sitting up now. I didn't notice that you could do that for the longest time. I was too nervous to put you down with your insanely-hyper big brother in the room. I should have put you down.

Forgive me for not taking you everywhere that you should have been able to go. You cried a lot, Kai. Your brother runs quickly. I knew I just couldn't keep up.

I have lots of memories of your precious smile and chubby fingers secured in my mind, but Kai, I don't have a picture for each of your one month milestones. It was so important to me to do this. I promise I'll start now. And I'll try to take a picture every day.

I'm sorry my job doesn't allow me to pump more than once a day. I want to make the time to pump, but I just don't know where to get it. I'm sorry you have had formula almost every day for the last two and a half months. This breaks my heart.

I'm sorry your eye still hurts you. I'm sorry for people needing to point it out. And for your ear infection. And for your hernia. And for your eczema on your ankles. Maybe it's because I drank coffee and soda, or missed prenatal vitamins, while you were in my belly. Maybe it's because I ate like a crazy woman.

Please forgive me for ever having said, "Is he as tall as Adonis?" or "Does he look like Adonis?" and "He cries more than Adonis." You are not Adonis, and you don't have to feel like you need to be like him at all. You should be your amazing little self.

Kai, my sweet little boy, I know you'll understand someday. And in the meantime, I'll try to make sure you don't feel like being my second son puts you in second place.

I LOVE pinning!

Addicted?  YES!  I love Pinterest and everything about it.  Ky complains that lately I spend way too much time pinning after Jack goes to bed, and I have to admit that he is right.
I have read some great articles/tips/advice on everything from parenting, to do-it-yourself projects, to fixing things around the house to laughing my butt off at some hilarious e-Cards that are more often than not extremely inappropriate. 
Recently I read some tips on having 2 kids under the age of 2 and learned that they are often referred to as Texas Twins...because you have to be as tough as a Texan to raise them :)
I don't know if I am tough as a Texan yet...but I would like to think that I am in training at the moment.  Baby #2 has managed to keep me very sick for the 1st and most of the 2nd trimester.  And with chasing Jack it is no easy feat.  I was quickly reminded how easy I had it with my first pregnancy and that there are no "days off" or "sick days" for a mommy.  A sign of things to come?  Perhaps. 
Luckily I have Pinterest as my outlet for now...

Oh the Places You'll Go!

It started with 2 steps, then we were up to 3, 4 and now 6! 
Ky and I are in complete awe, 10 months old and his independence is growing by leaps and bounds.  I have to stop and think for a moment of all the milestones to date, and I quickly lose count and desperately want time to stop.  Everyone says, enjoy every moment, it goes by so quickly...and how I wish they were wrong, but have found that they are all right.  I remember planning our wedding, and the days leading up to our big day, and then with the blink of an eye I was a Mrs. and it was all a memory.  A memory that I will cherish forever, but a memory nonetheless.
Speaking of memory; mine is completely full on my iphone.  Apparently I take too many pictures of Jack, or so Ky says.  But I look at how much Jack has changed in 10 months, and how now he is learning to walk, and soon will be learning to run and I still want time to stop.  I am not ready for all the independence, yet am so proud to see him thriving and advancing. 

Our babysitter is placing bets that he will be walking by the end of the weekend...I am ok with the end of the month.  I guess I will need to get used to this sooner rather than later, before you know it he will be asking for the car keys.

The Cat in the Hat

Last night as I was preparing Jack's bedtime bottle I made my way upstairs and found myself stalling at the top of the steps before entering his room.  Ky typically reads him a bedtime story to help unwind from the day and the book he was reading was "The Cat in the Hat."
Ky isn't the most expressive person, therefore when he does express a feeling, ANY feeling, I get excited.  The inflection in his voice while reading the story last night caused me to stop, listen, and ultimlately make my heart melt.  I stood there at the top of the steps, quietly smiling while I heard the man I love read to the littlest man I love and I couldn't have been happier. 
I have been trying to think of a 1st birthday theme for Jack (can't believe it is 3 short months away) and loved "The Cat and the Hat" idea, this moment sealed the deal for me...whether Ky likes it or not.
The Beach house is secured and the weekend is set.  Now all we need are the grandparents to book some plane tickets and we will be good to go. 

A birthday party hosted by "Thing 1" and "Thing 2"...

“'Have no fear, little fish,'
Said the Cat in the Hat.
'These Things are
good Things.'
And he gave them a pat."

5 YEARS!!!

5 years ago St. Patrick's Day became my favorite holiday that was sealed by my most favorite kiss ever from Ky!  Silly I know, but it's true.  We have covered a lot of ground in 5 years, and I love any reason to celebrate ;)