2 months

I am obviously not posting enough if this is the first post since last month's photo!  You'd think I had a new baby or something.  Despite the dead air, it has been a great month.  I spend a lot of time trying to function with both arms full of James - hence the lack of blogging - but is there a better way to spend my time?  I kind of love it.  I let James take a 2 hour nap on my lap yesterday just because.  Ah, last baby syndrome!

This last month included James' baby blessing and visits from both sets of grandparents, plus some cousin/aunt and uncle action, too.  Busy, but so much fun to show him off and spend time with family.  My other kiddos really needed some attention from doting grandmas and grandpas.  Jared's dad spent hours playing legos with Sam and even made him a storm trooper mask.  I can't compete with that kind of awesomeness!


James continues to be a happy guy.  He is getting some delicious rolls on his previously scrawny arms and legs.  And his smiles light up the room.  I love that he has "conversations" with us, talking back to us when we talk to him.  His current hobbies include staring at his fist, enjoying his baths, and sleeping in his carseat.  Dislikes: riding in the car and being left to cry in his room while mom finishes up a blog post.  Got to go!

James prefers to smile without the magnadoodle hogging all the room

one month, two weeks late

I really wanted to copy my friend Lynette's monthly magnadoodle pics of her baby, but I am off to a pitiful start. I promise I took this photo on March 24th! (Please ignore the fact that James is turning 6 weeks tomorrow.)

It has been such a fantastic first month. Being forced to take it easy was really, really good for me. I am not usually very good at slowing down and letting things go, but major abdominal surgery sure does the trick! I will always treasure the memories of this first happy month. Yes, there was crying and lost sleep (for both me and James) but because I wasn't trying to do a hundred other things, I could cope. I love that me and Jared could bust up laughing at 4 am when James would fuss only when Jared climbed back in bed but would stop the minute his feet hit the floor (repeat 5 times!) And that I could laugh when I baked a freezer meal from a friend that turned out to be an ice cream dessert. And that I didn't mind spending my evenings just holding and talking to my sweet baby, even as the laundry piled up around me.

And I will freely admit that this first month was so happy because Jared is so awesome - bringing me hungry Jamie in the middle of the night, getting up the girls and sending them off to school while I slept, always coming home cheerful no matter what. I would have been a wreck without him. Love you, Jared!

And you too, little Jamesie. Here's to another happy month!

magic blanket

I don't want to jinx myself, but James is a pretty great sleeper for a four-week old. I know this can all change in the blink of an eye - and probably will, once James gets wind of this post - but in the mean time I am enjoying more hours of uninterrupted sleep a night than I expected. (I can say no more...James is right here!)

It has been so much easier to heal and feel better while getting a reasonable amount of sleep. And I attribute it all to the magic properties of this blanket:

This is the Swaddleme by Kiddopotomus, but we also have the HALO Swaddle Sleep Sack and they both work great.

Run - don't walk! - to Target or amazon or wherever these are sold and get one right now for you or your friend or your sister or anyone you know with a baby. Even if you are the best swaddler in the world, these velcro-equipped sack blankets will do a better job. Plus, babies just look irresistible with their little heads poking out the top of their little cotton burrito!

We received three in various sizes and materials and plan to keep James happily and snuggly swaddled for a good long time. Like, till he's twelve. Or however long it takes before he sleeps all night long.

You can even change their diapers without unswaddling them, a real asset at night. Look how cute with his little head poking out the top. Look, Mom - no arms!

more james

Some more pictures of the guy... I know I have been slow getting these out, but I have been having too much fun snuggling my baby and ignoring real life.

Things are actually going pretty well around here, even with schedules settling back into the usual Jared-goes-to-work, get-kids-to-gymnastics, run-to-Safeway, let's-do-homework-while-I-make-dinner-and-rock-a-baby-with-one-hand craziness. It feels good to be normal and settling into a groove as long as I don't over do it.

I ran a few too many errands on Monday and spent the rest of the day rocking an unusually fussy James (bad diaper rash that I didn't catch...sadness!) and really paid for it. And I have been in pajamas ever since. So life is good! (I still haven't returned to my church calling, but I'm just pretending that doesn't exist for now.)

James, sleeping in

Biggest yawn ever

Even post-jaundice, Jamie has kept a lovely tan

Hats with ears are the best

and then again...

...some days are just going to be like this.

We still love you, Jamie! Happy 3-week anniversary. Now, if you'll excuse me, Mr. McScreamy needs his pants changed.

eleanor turns 7

Sorry for the long absence! And lack of Jamie pictures...I have been a total slacker. But we really have just been enjoying the new guy and not worrying about really accomplishing anything else. It has been awesome, I tell you! Nothing like recovering from major surgery to force you to slow down and not worry about dirty dishes. It has been my happiest baby-adjustment ever. Hooray for c-sections, I guess!

But I am sorry to say that I am not here to post long overdue James pictures. I am here to turn some of the spotlight on to another kiddo who had a birthday just four short days after James was born. I must confess, I was worried about this. I fretted the whole pregnancy that these two would have to share a special day (when I wasn't fretting about James being born on Leap Day.) Luckily we dodged that bullet by a narrow margin, but I really wanted Eleanor's birthday to be special this year and not to be too overshadowed by Jamie's arrival.

Eleanor has grown up a lot in the last year. While she still suffers a little from almost-perfect-but-not-quite syndrome, she has handled the arrival of her new brother with only excitement and pure adoration. So we tried superhard to make her birthday special - we put up streamers, made a special breakfast, blew up balloons...all the bells and whistles.

Since Jared was already going to be home, he decided to surprise her by showing up at her cafeteria for lunch...with a Happy Meal. And since I was in no shape to bake a cake, we let her pick whatever kind of store bought cake her heart desired... a Dairy Queen ice cream cake, as it turns out. That, plus the requested mac and cheese with hot dogs for dinner, made for a complete evening. She loved her gifts, felt showered with attention, and went to bed a happy girl. And Jared and I breathed a huge sigh of relief.

She had her gymnastics class on her birthday. I know this is just a fanny shot, but I had to put in how much she loves it. Those are her new birthday spanky shorts!

Opening her gift from Eve. Do you love how it is wrapped in Costco toilet paper packaging?

With her hand-picked DQ cake. They even dotted the "i" in "Birthday" with a heart. I like those guys.

Eleanor, you are one sweet girl. Always so responsible, you seem so grown up for seven. You take such good care of Sam - I heard you helping him get undressed for his bath last night while I was nursing James - and I know you will do the same for your newest little brother. They are lucky to have you for a little mommy and Eve is lucky to have you for a friend. Thank you for always being our little ray of sunshine - your middle name was aptly chosen because you bring our family so much joy each and every day.

Love you, sweet Eleanor Joy!

introducing james kenneth

Our sweet James made his big debut last Friday, February 24, at 4:20 pm. Not feeling the pressure to break his big brother's record - thankfully! - James weighed in at 8 lb 12 oz and 21 inches long. And he is practically perfect in every way.

Despite an unexpected c-section and a gradual recovery (and a fridge that died the day we got home from the hospital and a child with an ear infection....deep breath!), I have never really felt happier in my life. I can look around me now and know that my whole family - all my sweet children - are here with me. I have the most giving, selfless husband and the world's most wonderful kids. What else could I ask for?

Welcome home, baby James!

dear james

Dear James,

How could we not all fall in love with you after seeing your chubby, grinning face on an ultrasound a few weeks ago? You have already won our hearts and we can't wait to meet you tomorrow. Hurry home to us soon!

love

Mommy

Your sister wrote this letter to you a few weeks ago:

Her b's and d's sometimes get turned around...she isn't really questioning your paternity, just your hair! Your siblings are already your biggest fans.

happy valentine's day

We love Valentine's in a major way around here. Hope you are all having a great one!

This year I seemed to channel all my nesting instincts into elaborate classroom valentines, hairdos, and heart-shaped pancakes (um, instead of washing baby clothes and figuring out which closet to stick them all in.)

I promise I didn't pressure my kids into these hipster, Pinterest-ripped-off valentines. They just thought the "I mustache you a question" gag was too funny to pass up. Which it kind of is...just try saying it out loud! It's hilarious!

We found the fun printable on this site (thanks, free printables!) and ordered our mustache molds from ebay. Eve wanted to customize hers to say something else:

On the back she wrote "Will you be my Valentine?" I'm sure her fellow 4th graders will appreciate the witty play on words!

Ah, Pinterest...how would I celebrate the holidays without you? Eleanor loved her hair.

Eleanor, Eve, and friend K who catches the bus with us on Tuesday mornings so her mom can get to work. I love these sweet girls! (Eve looks miniature next to her friend - they are in the same class. I apologize to my children for their inevitable shortness.)

Jared thoughtfully surprised me with a box of sugar-free dark chocolate bars from Sees. It's hard to shop for a girl on Valentine's Day when she is 38 weeks pregnant and can't eat anything delicious!

As for baby news, there is none yet. He is not coming today, saving us the obligation of naming him Valentino. Phew! But my doctor said I am looking surprisingly small considering my past history and is optimistic that it will be a smooth delivery, and not a C-section. I have another growth ultrasound scheduled for Thursday, so we'll see how big they estimate this guy to be. Really, how big can a baby grow on a steady diet of eggs and salad and wistful donut longing?

sock monkeys and other stuff

Yesterday was an awesome day. I had the greatest baby shower ever, thrown by the nicest friends. I would like to thank all the guests not only for their generous and thoughtful gifts, but also for suffering through a refreshment table full of food that I could eat. Not the usual shower fare of darling cake pops and sherbet-y drinks - instead, it was veggies and dips and fruit and water. And a few pita chips to humor those carb-addicted fiends! Everyone was very obliging about it all... and it was nice of my friends not put a table of muffins and brownies in front of me to test my resilience.

My living room is now stacked full of adorable things for the little guy. Especially this item:

Sam kindly modeled it on his huge head for me.

My friend's baby has the same hat and I have long adored it. So she found a lady in town who could knit a replica for our guy. So thoughtful, right? I can't wait to have a huge, baldy head to fit this cozy little hat on to.

I also loved the two friends that got together and made me about 8 different freezer meals to have on hand after the baby comes. And - even more amazing - they made me a gallon ziplock bag full of mix for the Cake Mix Pancakes that I have been dreaming about! I kind of wanted to cry when I saw it...but then I remembered grownups don't usually cry over pancakes. Not in public, anyway.

Later that afternoon, I was treated to a pedicure at a local spa. My first ever! I felt like a movie star...especially when I closed my eyes and couldn't see my sweat pants or my belly. The 19 year old cutie who did my toes really tried to entice me with her many glittery options. I was sorely tempted, I tell you. After all, I am blond and easily distracted by shiny things. But I went with some sensible french tips instead and now love gazing at my feet. Which have remarkably not swollen yet! Knock on wood.

Now that there is a mound of baby things in my living room, I really need to do something about our closet/bedroom situation and figure out where this little guy's HQ will be. Mostly, he will be a roamer for the first little while, snuggling in his car seat or pack and play where ever we happen to set it up - our room or the guest room. And when he starts sleeping decently, we will set up the real crib in Sam's room and the brothers can hang together. But in the meantime...where do I put his clothes? Do you know I have less than 3 weeks to figure this out?!

I'm still waiting for that famous nesting instinct to kick in, but I just may need to force it at this rate. I have a suspicion that carbs and nesting may be very related.

victorious!

Last night was our Young Women's New Beginnings program, the last big item on my "to do" check list. So now I am officially done! Free at last, free at last! The minute it ended, I turned to my friend and said, "Now I can have a baby!" That thought has sunk in a little bit more today, however, and I'm wondering if I can delay that inevitable a little while longer. I am just nowhere near ready. I dreamed last night I got the baby clothes out of the garage, but I just don't think I have it in me today. I think maybe I will get dressed, but that is as far as my ambitions will currently reach.

In the meantime, some pics of our Saturday activities from the past few weeks. Mostly just a good excuse to show some random pictures of the kids - they are pretty fun, those kiddos:

We went to a neighboring town's Chinese New Year parade last Saturday. This is Eleanor about to enter the Chinese dragon bounce house. I just love her intense game face - this bounce house is serious business.

Jared and Sam were invited to go with friends to a monster truck show a few weekends ago. This is not exactly Jared's first choice in weekend activities - he told Sam they were attending it ironically - but they had a really good time. As evidenced by Sam's manly facial expression here. And Jared's gushing about the motorcycle tricks. They came home reeking of exhaust fumes.

Eve next to her award winning bleach art (the blue one) at the district's art festival this year.

Jared took the girls to the park one Saturday when Sam was sick. While Sam and I napped on the couch, these three had a great time. I love these two girls. What would I do without those big sisters? Eve's zest for life and Eleanor's steadiness are really a great combination in this little sisterly relationship. I hope they are always friends.

i got newberied!

It happened again!

The 2012 Newbery winner was announced yesterday. One more Newbery added to my list! And I thought I was doing so awesome. I only have 2 1/2 more books to go... well, now 3 1/2: The High King by Lloyd Alexander (half way through), Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voigt (on hold at the library), and Lincoln: A Photobiography (checked out today.) And now Dead End in Norvelt.

My plan is to have them all read before the baby is born in about a month...I can totally do that, right? Assuming I get the new one before then. I am number six on the hold list, so we'll see. As for the reviews, I am woefully behind but I vow to catch up even if I have type one-handed with a baby in the other.

To those of you who are familiar with Dicey's Song, how important is it that I read Homecoming first? I know it's technically the second book in the series, but I am on a tight time schedule here, people! I read all five Lloyd Alexanders to get to The High King but I think that was kind of necessary. Also, I just can't get enough of names I can't pronounce! I'm looking at you, Eilonwy.

Totally unrelated, but I want to give a shout out to the nice employee at Dairy Queen who tried to give me a free Dilly Bar when I bought some for the kids today. After I politely refused and explained why, he came out a few minutes later with a sugar-free orange creamsicle that had clearly spent a lot of time in the back of the freezer. I like him. He's so much nicer than the lady at Target who told me I was huge.

breakfast of champions

I need help. I met with my diabetes counselor today and she said I was doing great... which is fantastic news! Except it means I have to keep doing what I'm doing for another 6 weeks. And when you are pregnant and encountering pictures like the following on pinterest, it is easy to feel like the world is conspiring against you:

Cake batter pancakes? Sopapilla cheesecake? Cookie dough brownies?! Seriously, people. Where are you even finding these alleged recipes?

So my dilemma is breakfast. Let's say you can have no carbs for breakfast. Zero. Because morning is the worst time of day for my insulin-resisting body to process carbs. Also, no fruit... because they have sugar, too. That leaves eggs. Let's say that you have eaten eggs every morning for the past few weeks and you are finding that you want to cry yourself back to sleep every morning at the thought of eating another egg for breakfast. You can also have bacon and sausage, but I just can't make a whole meal out of bacon. I think that might be worse than eating carbs.

So what else is out there?? I know there must be something that I am just not thinking of. Any great ideas? Anyone? I am open to suggestions, with or without eggs.

In other news, my growth ultrasound last week was pretty good, but they still want me to come in weekly so they can keep an eye on things. It's going to be a long six weeks.

the lighter side

On the bright side of being diagnosed with diabetes and eating nothing fun, there's a whole new world of jokes out there for me. Or "jokes", I should say. Really, it's not all that funny and all I want to do is eat pancakes. But I do think of this little funny I found on pinterest everytime I stab my own finger:

One way to get that drop of blood for the test strip!

Thanks for all the sympathetic and encouraging words. I met with my doctor yesterday and she was impressed at how good my numbers were looking. Also, I was measuring the same as I was two weeks ago, which is a good sign. And I had even lost a pound. Which is a sign that I ate waaaaaay too much junk over Christmas and maybe this is good for me after all.

Anyway, she said if I keep up the good numbers and the baby's growth looks stable, she won't push for a C-section. Hooray! I have a special "growth ultrasound" scheduled for Thursday - not sure how they are different from regular, old ultrasounds - so hopefully that will give us some more information to work with. And keep me from fretting too much. The anxiety eating lacks a certain satisfaction when you are limited to veggies and almonds.

please accept an invite to my pity party

FEEL SORRY FOR ME! I am 33 weeks pregnant and, despite all tests to the contrary, I was told today that I have gestational diabetes. I am sure this diagnosis was driven largely (ha, ha - largely!) due to the fact that Sam was a ginormous baby. And I appreciate that my doctor is so concerned and invested in my health and the health of my baby. And I appreciate that many other women have much more difficult and scary things asked of them during their pregnancies. But still... feel sorry for me!

I have been testing my blood sugar four times a day with my handy little kit for the last week and, apparently, my numbers were just not awesome enough. Hence today's diagnosis. I am kind of in the depths of despair about it. If last week's numbers were off despite having given up almost all carbs and having eaten no treats (okay, I had three gummy worms on Tuesday night - I admit it!), then I don't know what to do.

For the next few weeks, I will pretty much eat very little and be kind of hungry, all while stabbing my finger and bleeding onto a strip of test paper four times a day. And if this weekend doesn't prove to have better numbers, they will put me on insulin starting next week. So add a huge shot in the tummy several times a day to that list. Hooray!

I think of my awesome sister-in-law who bravely gave up dairy, eggs, and other deliciousness for a year while nursing her baby, just to avoid giving her the food allergies her oldest has. She is amazing! A year! I can do a month or so without carbs and treats. But, really, what is there to eat other than carbs and treats?! My doctor suggested "meat" as a good snack today. Mmmmmm....meat! Have you met pregnant ladies before? We don't like to snack on meat. We like to snack on cold cereal, chips and salsa, fruit and other non-threatening but now forbidden items. (We also like brownies, donuts, and ice cream but that list makes me sound less unjustly injured.)

They sure scare you with all the stories of things that can happen to babies of gestational diabetic mothers. And they sure make you feel guilty. "His little pancreas is working over time to correct your poor eating choices!" But I know in the end it will all be worth it to have a healthy and hopefully not gigantic little boy, and a non-traumatic delivery.

This really has been my healthiest pregnancy yet. I had very little morning sickness, I've gained the least amount of weight of all my pregnancies (so far), my skin hasn't broken out, I still have ankles... a lot to be grateful for and a lot of good signs. This is also the only pregnancy where I have also been Young Women's president and that is causing me no small amount of stress, but I am confident that there a lot of blessings coming to our family because of that.

Thanks for coming to my pity party. I will accept your kind words of sympathy as well as any recipes or survival techniques you may know. Or any ideas on how to appropriately prepare meat as a snack!

eve, champion of the world

Hooray! Geography!

Eve had a big week last week - she was one of ten kids in her school to make it to the Geography Bee finals at her school. AND... the only 4th grader! To her credit, Eve was cheerful and laid back about the whole thing. We really emphasized we just wanted her to have fun (though we didn't disclose how difficult that might actually turn out to be while giving answers into a mic in front of all the 4th, 5th, and 6th grades in the school.) So we did a few online quizzes, played some Carmen Sandiego, and called it good.

Me, Jared, Sam, and even Eleanor - we pulled her out of 1st grade for a little bit - all came to the gym to watch. Is there anything more terrifying than seeing your kid nervously swinging her little feet on a folding chair, surrounded by giant 5th and 6th graders, in front of a gym full of parents, teachers, students, the principal, AND the voice of local news radio station KSRG?! (He was the question-reader... in a suit... with a pocket square. This thing was big, I tell you!)

Hard to get a good picture in the gym, but it gives you an idea. Eve is the tiny, nervous looking one in the stripey sweater.

I about had a heart attack every time Eve went to the mic. Which, incidentally, was about a foot above her head because it was sized for the older and taller kids. I thought I was going to pass out watching her get on her tip toes to breathlessly whisper into the microphone, "...New Hampshire." There was a collective sigh of relief from the audience on that one!

And it turns out she really did have fun, so mission accomplished. And she also didn't place that shabbily either - she made it to the final elimination round before the top three winners were determined. When she did finally sit down, she got the biggest cheers from the audience, and high-fives all the way down the aisle from the classes watching. And she just beamed. *phew* That was exactly the reaction I was hoping for.

We celebrated by hitting Sonic for some happy hour beverages on the way home and waited for Jared to get home from work so we could do something bigger (he didn't want to miss out.) Eve selected going out for pie and happily munched her way through an enormous piece of blueberry sour cream pie while we showered her with praise. It was super fun and so great to see her feeling so confident and good about herself - we are so, so proud of her.

Eve is still quirky (it's part of her charm, I tell myself) but she is growing up so fast. I love watching this sweet, funny, and charmingly nerdy - I mean that in only the best way! - grown-up girl emerge.

Eve, in her natural habitat: reading at the library

Also her natural habitat: behaving crazy in public

Love you, Eve!