Halloween Day

What is it about Halloween that gets kids so very wound up? We haven’t even gotten into all the sugar yet. We haven’t done treats here at the house today, knowing there would be plenty of goodies tonight. And who really needs that much sugar?

Our day started off out of the ordinary. We took treats to Justin’s classes at the university. We stopped in and dropped off goody bags to his eight o’clock class, just before they let out. Then we gave goodies bags to his nine, as they were arriving.

Kate also insisted we give a bag to Dr. Matt, one of the other professors. Disaster almost struck, as we stopped by his office and he wasn’t there, but the tragedy was averted, as he came by when we were looking for the mailboxes to leave it for him.

We’ve had an otherwise normal day, but as the afternoon wears on Miss Kate is getting more and more antsy. She’s so funny. Running in circles and talking a thousand words a minute.

Of course pulling out the trick-or-treat candy, was quite helpful. She wasn’t all interested in the Twizzlers or the gigantic strawberry on the package. Not to worry though. Last year we didn’t have one blessed trick-or-treater, so we’ll probably have plenty for her to get into tomorrow. There are a ton of kids on our street so I bought five huge bags of candy. In defense of the shortage of trick-or treaters, we hear that the previous owners were quite odd and anyone who new about the “new owners” would have also known we had a less than two week old baby.

She's One

She’s one! I can’t believe that it’s been a whole year since she joined our little family (Yes, as a matter of fact, I consider a family of four to be little.).

She’s gone from that itty-bitty, bunched up, little ball to a beautiful, intelligent girl. She’s grown by more than inches and pounds: she’s learned to smile, laugh, crawl, pull up, cruise, blow kisses, use a cup, and steal hearts. The girl can even say a handful of words, a major accomplishment in a house with Kate—even I have trouble getting a word in edgewise. She’s my baby girl and I love her.

In this year, we’ve never been apart more than a couple of hours. It’s been such a blessing to be home with my girls. While it lasts, I hope to enjoy it to its fullest. I’m not quite sure where all that time has gone, but it passed quickly.

Thanks be to God for providing for our family and for the blessing of this darling little girl, and for her health, intelligence, curiosity, and playful spirit.

The story of Gabby (part III)

I was over due with Gabby and Kate had the stomach flu. As much as I was ready to have the baby, I was petrified I would go into labor and be all alone at the hospital. There was no way I was just handing my sick gal over to someone with a “Good luck!”

Thankfully God postponed my labor. I had my nonstress test on Tuesday and scheduled an induction for Thursday morning. I had been having contractions throughout the test, but nothing of any import. I called my mom, so she was going to fly out to keep Kate.

That afternoon though I started vomiting and have consistent contractions—three minutes apart. They weren’t very strong though. I called my midwife and she told me to go to the hospital in case this was it. I called to have my mom reschedule her flight, have one of Justin’s colleagues come and get Kate, and Justin came to take me to the hospital. So much for the schedule! After sitting in rush hour traffic for an hour we were glad I wasn’t in active labor. We checked in and I was hooked up. The contractions had intensified and my nausea was still present.

After several hours, the painful contractions were still there, but I was being released, without a baby. It’s hard to leave the hospital, overdue without a baby--walking past the empty bassinet. It turned out I caught Kate’s bug and had become dehydrated.

Justin’s colleague brought Kate home and I crawled into bed. My mom arrived and I just lay awake until the contracts stopped at about three in the morning.

Finally Thursday arrived. We walked into the hospital loaded down with a pillow and bags for our three day stay. I was settled into my room and after over an hour and three nurses, including the supervisor my IV lock was in—after all that we didn’t even use the crazy thing. After two doses of Cytotech and eight hours I had only made two centimeters progress (for a total of four). I was disappointed and torn—I was afraid I would get stuck on Petocin again. The nurse and midwife told me that breaking my water at this point would speed things up, so with some trepidation we did. I immediately felt a difference in the contractions. I was allowed out of bed for the first time (the Cytotech protocol required constant monitoring). I told Justin that the labor was worse than it had been with the Petocin—he thought I was crazy. When the nurse came back to check me, I had gained FOUR more centimeters!

They grabbed the delivery cart and the baby nurse ran in. My midwife was delivering in the room next door. The baby nurse got a call on her cell and as she walked out she said they were really busy and that she might get to catch a baby. Lindsey made it in just in time. She told me to push before she was gowned and the nurses were still trying to tie it on when she caught Gabby and we finally found out we had a baby girl. It was really only an hour and a half of real labor after nearly four days with my last delivery.

The story of Gabby (part II)

We were actually able to keep the secret of this baby to ourselves for a little while, unlike with Kate where everyone knew as soon as we did (or even before Justin). We made a great plan. I had a shirt made for Kate that said, “I’m going to be a Big Sister.” We took a picture and planned to email it to Justin’s parents, but they were having trouble with their internet, so Justin told them by phone.

I took Kate up to visit with my parents, and she was dressed in the shirt. It was a fun way to see the reactions as people read it and it sank in. My mom asked, “Really?!?” It was kind of funny—no I just thought I’d put her in that shirt for no real reason. :) That’s how my sister and both of my grandmothers learned the news too.

The story of Gabby (part I)

I suspected I was pregnant and told Justin. He dismissed it out of hand. We’d tried for Kate for years, there was no way it would be that easy. Later that day we got word that Justin’s dearest friend from high school’s mother had passed away after a long battle with cancer.

We packed our things and headed off to Indiana. When we were there, a friend announced her pregnancy and something inside me screamed, “Me too!” A few days later, upon arriving home I took a pregnancy test and it was positive.

Kate and I went shopping for baby socks. I put together a cute little box with the test in the middle and a pair of pink socks on one side and the blue on the other. When Justin came home, I gave him the ‘gift.’

He opened it up and looked inside. “What is it?” he asked looking perplexed.

Getting a little nervous that my cute little plan wasn't going to work, “I asked what does it look like?”

“A pregnancy test?” he questioned.

“Yes!”

He was not quite as excited as I had hoped, but to his defense in the past week we found out that his job (and therefore health insurance) would be ending in mid-summer. We would have to figure something out with a baby on the way. That was certain.

Theology from a Three Year Old: He Runs

The theology lessons with a three year old are so interesting. They look at things with innocence and at the same time with an understanding that is beyond that of adults who look at things through the foggy lens of busy-ness.

Last night Justin and Kate were talking about life after death. She’s learning the Apostles’ Creed, so it’s a natural question coming from that. She asked, “When we die, Jesus comes to get us?”

“Yes,” Justin answered.

“Does He come in a car?”

“No, Kate.”

“He runs!”

Yes, Kate, He’ll run to you.

It reminded me of this song--click to enjoy.

Gotcha

Gabby’s started teasing us. She’ll hold up something to give to you. Then when you reach for it she pulls it back. She grins from ear to ear and twists back and forth like she’s saying, “Ha, ha I gotcha!”

She’s also added a couple of new words to her vocabulary: “duck” and “Wha’ dat?” She’ll point and ask that one. She’s growing so quickly. It’s hard to believe that she’ll be one next week!