Smitten

I'm a bit obsessed with my children. 

Do you blame me...

Timing

I've been a bit of an emotional wreck these last few days. Everyday I'd think, it's one day closer to my mom leaving, and that would set me off. See, little Miss was supposed to come earlier, giving me more time with my mom and me as a parent of two. But, everything happens for a reason, and subsequently that resulted in less time with my mom to help me transition. But either way, I'm forever indebted to that mother of mine. She's a saint, and I don't know what I'd do without her.

It was so nice to spend 10 days with her. She's truly amazing. If you only saw all of the things she accomplished while she was here. Let's paint a visual. Think dinners for probably the next week made and in the freezer. She helped me recover a chair. She made Preston three new shirts, and three new pairs of shorts...and three pairs for me, too. She refashioned five onesies, and oh man are they adorable. She grocery shopped for us, did our laundry and picked up after us, and and and. I'm not kidding when I say this lady is super woman. I don't know how she does it all. I really don't. I aspire to be like her someday. Oh man, she's the best. The best of the best.

And I hate that she had to leave.

Not only does having a baby make hormones go all wacky, but you know what else does that to you, too? Preparing for an overseas move. Like WAY overseas. We're moving to Okinawa in August, and don't get me wrong, we're over the moon ecstatic, but, with those feelings of being ecstatic also comes the realization that family is no longer a quick plane flight away. Oh no, family will be far far away from us for the next three years, and that's a lot to swallow on top of having a baby, too, you know. But I just keep reminding myself we're moving to paradise, and that eases the sadness. Paradise. What a dream!

Good riddance!

The timing of life is something I just have to laugh about lately...or try to anyway. Cause boy, oh boy, my emotions are all over the places lately. Thank GOODNESS for a calm baby so far. Now to just hope it lasts for a good long while because it makes everything seem a little more bearable at the moment. Ok, a lot more bearable.

Isn't she just precious?

I'm pretty sure she gets cuter by the day.

And then there was four

I feel like May was a roller coaster of a month. With the reality of my little boy turning two, and getting bigger, which is always a sad realization, to the anticipation of my little girls arrival, and every day coming and going with no baby in my arms.  

My sister came to visit at the beginning of the month. And of course we thought it would be perfect if our little girl would come while she was in town. But, she didn't. And instead we got to hang out and play, and be tourists in St. Louis and celebrate Preston getting bigger together. I was so glad to have her here. I love my siblings.

Then, 10 days later my dad came to visit, and of course when he told me when he was coming, I just knew the babe would be here by then. Ten days later, and a weekend with my pops, no baby! Just a happy little boy to have his grandpa in town. 

So we kept waiting. 

And waiting. 

And then scheduled an induction and out flew my mom a few days later.

I told my doctor I wouldn't/couldn't be 40 weeks pregnant. I'd have a huge baby, and I just didn't want to go down that road. Sure enough 40 weeks came and went and I was just sure my body would go into labor on its own like it did with Preston and we would never get to the scheduled induction date. Let's be honest here, with Preston coming 10 days early, EVERY day I thought I'd have my baby. That is the surest way to make for the longest month possible. 

Monday night, May 26th rolled around and before I knew it, we were sitting in the hospital beginning the induction. The one thing I didn't want to happen. But, babies can't stay in there forever. 

 They tried one approach.

And we waited.

And waited. 

And nothing more than a few weak contractions happened.

So, approach number two. Where some pill was inserted up in me to cause stronger contractions. 

And we waited.

And waited.

And waited even longer.

And by now Tuesday was shaping up to be the most boring day of my life. A day I thought I'd have a baby in my arms, but one with little progress to be had.

The progress was so uneventful that John left to go take care of things, and I wondered the hospital halls for a good little while reading, bored out of my mind, hearing the sounds of babies cry, and wondering when I'd get to hear the sweet sound of my own.

Finally late Tuesday night we felt hopeful when the third approach, a painful one might I add, think balloons inside of me opening me up, stretching me, forcing my body to dilate, seemed promising. I went from being dilated from a 1 to a 7 in a few hours. 

Ah, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. 

Finally!

And yet, we still had to wait.

And wait. 

It wasn't until my water broke, the trick that worked for getting Preston here, too, happened that things got rolling. I asked the doctor to break my water initially, but they wanted to wait. Waiting was the name of the game this labor. But eventually, my water finally broke on it's own (after the help of some pitocin I'm sure) and in a matter of seconds she was ready to come. Like literally seconds after my water broke she wanted out. If only they would have done that sooner. Broke my water that is. That's the trick, and next time around, if there is one, they will be doing that first.

Either way, she was finally ready to come out and join our family. So, after a good five minutes of pushing, out came my baby girl around 4:54 am on Wednesday morning. My big baby girl. Who weighed in at 9 lbs 4 oz. Remember how I never wanted to get to 40 weeks? Well, I was now 41 weeks. An entire week overdue. But thankfully,  pushing out a nine pound baby versus an eight pound one didn't seem much different. Bless my body for not dying in the process though!

I never imagined being induced would put me in the hospital for four days straight. But by Thursday afternoon, I was finally going home, with a sleeping baby in my arms might I add, and it was glorious. I never want to spend another day in the hospital again. Ever!

Welcome to the world my sweet Gwenyth Joy Lovell, you've stolen our hearts and we're in love. 

I never dared pray for a calm baby (thankfully my mom did that for me instead), but she's been just that, calm and gentle, and I feel so grateful! The complete opposite of her brother. So far. Here's to hoping it lasts.