Just something to compare to...

Several people have been asking me about my labor and delivery with Isaac. Just thought I'd post a few details and pictures (of Isaac as a newborn....not of my delivery!!!) to satisfy anyone else curious and so we'd all have something to compare to with this next baby. So, here we go...

1. I did not go into labor early with Isaac-I was induced a day after my due date.

2. I was in labor for about 8 hours, pushed for half an hour.

3. I did not have an epidural. (Same plan this time around)

4. I was to a 3 a week before my due date with Isaac.

5. Isaac was 6 pounds, 11 ounces and 20 inches long.

6. He had lots of DARK hair-crazy to think of that considering his blond head now!

7. I delivered at Methodist and will do the same this time.

That's pretty much all I can think of from what people have already asked me. If you're curious about something else-just ask! And here's a few pictures of our little guy right after he was born.

Warning!!! This post may be TMI for some....

I had a doctor's appointment today and since I am less than 2 weeks from my due date, he checked to see if I was dilated at all. I figured I might be to a 1, possibly a 2 considering the contractions I've been having the last few weeks. With Isaac, I was to a 1 1/2 at this point and a 3 a week before my due date. Well, he checked me and then asked if it was alright if his med student checked as well-I figured I was surely somewhat dilated otherwise he wouldn't have her even try. She tried, but was unsuccessful at coming to a conclusive number. Then he told me I was to a 3 1/2. Holy cow! I really was not expecting that. Funny thing is he said something about going home and telling everyone on Facebook about this. LOL....Facebook is a little too public for this I think so for the 6 of you who actually read my blog, now you know! :) While this isn't any guarantee that I'll go into labor before my due date, it does guarantee less labor time. Woohoo! With Isaac I went from a 6 to a 9 1/2 in 45 minutes. So I'm hoping to get to a 5 before I go into labor and only have a short experience being in labor at the hospital. As for a name update, I have decided on Leah, Jake still has not. Guess he might have to decide sooner than we thought!

Ahh...that explains it

On Thursday night Isaac started running a fever. It finally went away Sunday night. He's also been incredibly moody, throwing tantrums over the smallest, sometimes unknown things. Usually, we know what upsets him and can deal with the howling and rolling all over the floor a little easier. This morning he woke up with a rash all over his little body. Ah Ha! He has roseola (a mild little sickness caused by a virus that causes a fever for several days, moodiness, and then a rash for short period of time). I was glad to hear there was a reason for his constant crankiness and that he wasn't just suddenly an angry child-especially because I started to wonder how I was going to take care of a newborn and a screaming toddler at the same time. (Yes, I know there will be times when he's totally healthy and still throws several tantrums a day). Thankfully, he was rather well behaved while I ran a few errands today and is now peacefully sleeping. I suppose I should go use this time to do something useful. I think I'm too tired for my nesting instinct to kick in today so I better clean and organize without it...

January Happenings

It's been a pretty low-key month for us. Nothing major going on-just counting down days until baby girl is born (nope, still no decision for sure on the name!). I've been sewing like crazy during Isaac's naptimes and have made a lot of progress. The blessing gown is done-yes, I even cut off a piece of my wedding dress to put in. I'll take a picture soon-or maybe wait until she's blessed and wearing it to post the pictures. I've also made a couple blankets, a sling, a bath towel with a little hood, and the curtains and bedskirt for the nursery. There's still some things I need to get for the nursery before it's totally finished. Hopefully those purchases/projects will be done this week.

One of Isaac's new favorite things to do is sit at the computer-even if there's nothing really to look at. He also likes to push the buttons on the printer and stuf pens, post-it notes, memory cards, or whatever else he can find in the desk into the printer where the paper is. We took him to a Drake basketball game a couple weeks ago. He didn't like it as much as we were expecting. He liked the game and the blimp they flew around-the noise of the crowd was just a little much at times. He did last until halfway through the second half and then we headed home. He rarely goes a day without wearing a onesie so he was quite excited this day to not have one on so he could easily locate his belly button. Even though every child goes through the "fasinated by belly botton" stage, it's still so cute when it's your own kid. Unfortunately Isaac is sick right now with some mysterious illness. It's just a fever and constant sleepiness/crankiness. We're going on day 4 and hopefully it goes away soon-not only so he can be his happy, crazy little self but because I'm having a baby any time now and things will be crazy enough with a newborn and a healthy toddler-let alone a sicky toddler!

Christmas Recap Part 1

Here are a few pictures from Christmas-still need to get the ones from my parents so those will come later.

Despite the lack of smiles from Isaac in ALL of these pictures, he had a great Christmas. I think he was just a little overwhelmed by it all-especially Christmas morning at Jake's parents' house. Then again, who wouldn't be with 13 kids and 10 adults all opening and playing with new presents at the same time. :) Christmas at my parents' was a little quieter as it was just my parents and us. My sister and brother and their spouses were out of town this year. Naturally, the thing Isaac has played with the most since Christmas is the little cart from his monkey backpack/suitcase my parents got him.

Let me explain why Isaac is wearing so many different outfits for one holiday! The first ones when he's in his brown jammies it's Christmas morning at home. He's opening a little race track from us in the first picture and just showing us his cute little tongue in the second picture. The red jammies it's still Christmas morning, but we're at Jake's parents' house opening his stocking stuffers-one is an ornament and the other is a car that is pretty cool (you shake it and then set it down and it goes-the longer you shake, the further it goes!). And next the striped shirt outfit...it's still Christmas day, but we're at my parents' house. This the little backpack/suitcase he got from parents that I was talking about before. And lastly....this is what our house looked like once we got all the presents home and in the house-plus all the shopping my mom and I did at the outlet mall on the 26th. Whew! I'd like to have an after picture for you with it all put away, but we're still in the process of doing that. Maybe that will be done later today... :)

New Poll-Please Vote!

Alright, if you read my last post you know we're getting closer to a name. Jake suggested I add a poll to the blog about his hesitancy with the name Leah-he is really, truly convinced that people will call her Lee. "But I'm not naming my child based on the results of a poll on our blog," he says. So please just vote and then he'll realize that people will NOT call her Lee. :)

Getting closer to a name!

It's almost 1:00am and this pregnancy has made me more lose way more sleep than my pregnancy with Isaac. Maybe it's a sign that I'll get more sleep once she's born than I did with Isaac. Ha-probably not! Oh well, maybe I'll get to visit with Santa when he stops by...

Just thought I'd update everyone on our baby-naming process. I think we now have it narrowed down to two-Lauren and Leah. Middle name would be Lynn (my middle name) for either. Jake is somewhat compromising on this because he's not totally in love with either name, but he is now really set on her initials being LLC (Limited Liability Corporation). Why? Because Isaac's middle name is Nathaniel so his initials are INC. I keep reminding Jake that we didn't choose Isaac's name because of the initials it formed, it was just a conincidence, but he seems to believe otherwise. By the way, I'm not sure why he wanted an "H" name a few months ago? Personally, I am not in love with the middle name Lynn for either of those names, but I guess if I get to have my way on the first name, letting Jake use Lynn for the middle name won't be so bad. Don't get me wrong, I don't have anything at all against my middle name and I really like it with other names, but we'll see what ends up happening-7 weeks and counting! I asked Jake if we were going to have to name the rest of our kids in a way that their initials would form business related acronyms and he said yes. I doubt that there are really any more-certainly not 3 or 4 more that we could use. Hopefully not anyways. It's really a rather ridiculous method for naming one's child, don't you think? Having written all of this, don't be surprised to read later on that we've chosen a totally different name. Jake seems to be changing his mind quite often about this topic. Perhaps I should just keep my mouth shut about the whole thing and then when she's born we'll just have to choose either Lauren or Leah because those were the last two names we discussed. Might work, right? I'll keep you all posted....

And because a post is always better with pictures, here are a few from Christmas Eve...

Here's Isaac helping me make some ever-so-tasty cookies in the afternoon.

We went to Jake's parents' house to open presents for and from Jake's Grandma. Isaac got a Little People Farm set that he LOVES.

And just a random picture from the other day. What a cutie!