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.