beat the heat & blueberry treats

Summer and I are not exactly BFF's this year.

Maybe it's the fact that our AC is broken... maybe it's the fact that none of my summer clothes fit quite right yet... maybe it's the fact that infants don't seem to like the heat very much and toddlers don't want to stay in one place for more than 7 minutes at a time.  

In any event, it's hot and this mama is over it.

I've been spending my mostly unshowered, sticky, sweaty days trying to keep both kiddos happy while not simultaneously melting (both physically and emotionally).  There's been an exceptional amount of water play, both inside and out.  We've made our way down to the lake several times in the evening for dinner and a dip - which has been super fun!  Other days we play in the sink or lounge by the kiddie pool.

Despite the heat, we've somehow miraculously stopped eating the insane amount of ice cream we were previously consuming in this house.  There's still a fair share of Stoneyfield yogurt squeezers stocked in our freezer, but it's yogurt, it's organic, and it's local.  AND Olive thinks she's getting a treat when I give her the 'ok' to have one.  If that's not a mom-win, I don't know what is.

On the flip side of mom-wins and getting my kiddo to eat healthy, she's not the greatest at finishing the foods that she requests lately.  She's fabulous at taking a single bite out of something and then promptly requesting more.  She's also wonderful at requesting a large amount of something and then failing to finish it.  As much as I love consuming half eaten toddler food, today was not one of those days.  Ollie was enjoying a bowl of yogurt topped with some freshly picked blueberries.  But... after about two bites she felt a bit remorseful for dumping in the entire bowl, and quickly decided (after mixing all the blueberries into her yogurt) that she no longer wanted to eat it.

Wonderful.

I could fix this though.  I had to.  I can't waste food.  I decided to lay out some parchment paper and make my own frozen yogurt treat.  Since Olive currently requests to eat all things cold/frozen, this seemed like the perfect solution.

So far they've been a hit - enjoy :)

finally friday

It's been almost a month that I've been out on maternity leave, and I'm just starting to forget what day it is.  Luckily, Paul's still in work mode and kindly reminds me the days of the week.  Considering that I've got a toddler and an infant in tow, I'd say that it's been a good week.  

I was lucky to have my friend Allison come up from Conneticuit and visit with her baby boy, Will.  With babies in the mix it's much more challenging to see her (I actually hadn't since her baby shower!), so catching up was beyond nice.  She gave me some wonderful advice about our upcoming wedding, and we got to reminisce about work a little bit (she's a former member of the 'Tree as well).

This week decided to throw in the towel with breaks (time outs) and focus on making each infraction a conversation/learning experience which includes lots of eye contact and an apology to all parties involved.  Olive is two, is currently growing a nice, new molar, and is still acclimating to life with a baby brother, and it's only been a week (not even) but I'd like to say that the behaviors aren't happening as frequently :)

I'll keep you posted on that one!

It did come to our attention today that poor O has HFMD.  She's got those terrible bumps all over her feet, up her legs, and a little bit on her hands.  She wasn't thrilled with the concept of being sick and actually told me that she was scared!  Hopefully they'll clear up in a week or so, but it would appear that the sickness has already put a kobash to our weekend plans.

Any recommendations to a weekend of isolation are welcome - tonight we're thinking pizza and the kiddie pool (and a beer or two for his mama).

Cheers to the weekend!

4th of july festivities

It's been a solid 8 days since Lou officially joined our adventure.  I'd like to say that he hasn't slowed us down ... and for the most part, he really hasn't - it's still all Olive.  We set out to have a semi-eventful super casual-at home weekend with family and friends, complete with overcooked grill meat, summer shandies, and a decent amount of red, white, and blue garb.  

Since Sunday was the 'happening' day in Strafford, we packed up the car with food and kiddos and headed across the street (yes, we needed a car to literally go across the street) to Paul's sister and brother in law's place (lovingly known as Copelandia).  Paul's brother in law's mom and sister were up, Paul's parents came over, as did mine, and our friends (and former roommate) Brian and Meara came too.  We brought over our new (to us) pallet patio furniture and set up to cook exorbitant amounts of food.  The kids splashed around in a kiddie pool, and the babies seemed content.  This mama even managed to have two whole beers!

After a little coaxing, a small handful of us decided to keep the 'big kids' up late for the local fireworks.  We coerced them into their pjs with the promise of the magic that is fireworks.  We made the seven minute drive down to the lake, found a spot to park, and got there just in time for the kick off.  Olive was a little crazed, and Lou slept the whole time, so overall, I'd say it was a win.  Aside from the fact that Ollie didn't go to bed until after 10PM (which she happens to be doing again tonight for some terrible reason) it was a great weekend. 

Hope everyone else had an equally relaxing one - Cheers!

a change of plans :: welcome baby louis!

As many of you may or may not know, these last few weeks of pregnancy have been slightly harder on me than I'd anticipated.  I'd been feeling more run down than normal and had been experiencing my fair share of some intense braxton hicks contractions.  My doctors, much like myself according to Paul, are super laid back and constantly assured me that everything was as it should be.  Thursday I hit the 38 week mark (and because they don't check for effacement/dilation) I was in and out of there in less than 15 minutes and on my way to work.  Every day that I've gone to work, majority of my co-workers said they were surprised to see me there ... though at this rate, I assumed that baby boy was going to take his sweet time.

The days crept by, and I found myself once again feeling less than favorable on Saturday.  I wrote it off as me just being pregnant while hanging with a very active almost two year old, but did request to be reprieved from bedtime duty that evening.  Later that night, those silly contractions came back, and lingered for almost an hour.

Apparently, this was finally the real deal.

I woke Paul up to let him know that we should probably get ready to go to the hospital.  It was a little after 12:30 when we'd decided to make moves.  Olive was sleeping, my bag was packed and in the car, Knox was away at camp because of the wedding that weekend, and all that was left to do was get dressed, let Paul's parents know we were leaving, and go.  Paul woke up his mom and went to pull the car around (because I'd parked it in the venue parking) and I decided to make one last bathroom trip before we left (despite the poop jokes I'd made during Olive's delivery, my goal was to avoid that happening this time around).

I'd been timing my contractions, and though they were getting closer together, my pain level wasn't too over the top, and surprisingly, I was breathing through it much better than I thought I had the first time around with Olive.  Bear with me here now, because things started to get a little blurry...

While in the bathroom, I noticed some bleeding.  I found myself trying to determine if this was the mucus plug my doctor had mentioned, or, as Seth Rogan so eloquently put it, my "bloody show" - a bloody, mucusy discharge that only comes right before the baby comes, so if that hasn't happened yet, we have time and can make it to the hospital.

Spoiler alert: it was my bloody show.

At that point my contractions got really real and I was convinced I was about to toss my cookies (something that happened with O's delivery) I'm not a quiet thrower-upper (I cry like a baby) ... so as I proceeded to get ready to do that, I simultaneously got the urge to poop push.  

And that was it.  One push and he was crowning.  

He was crowning and I was panicking.  

I've been informed that while all of this was happening, Paul was outside pulling the car around.  He said he could hear me screaming from the other side of the barn (it's a decent distance, I promise).  His parents were on the other side of the (locked) bathroom door.  

I remember seeing the door jiggle, and I remember yelling "help me" as I braced a baby head and made my way to the door.  No sooner did I unlock it than Paul's mom ran in and caught the babe.

Cue epic amounts of shock.  

This was not my birth plan.

Paul's dad called 911, his mom wrapped Louis in a towel, and I sat on the floor and stared in disbelief.  A local EMT heard the call and came by, as did Paul's sister (a physician's assistant that happens to live across the street), and everyone did their best to encourage warmth and action from a very calm, blue in the face baby boy.

When paramedics came, they loaded Louis and I up on an odd chair stretcher to get us down the stairs, transferred us to a real stretcher, and popped us in the ambulance.  For anyone who hasn't done this whole delivering a baby pain-med free (which was also me) you will still feel all the feels of labor after having a child, because you still have to "birth" your placenta.  So... I was still having contractions, while in shock, almost completely naked, holding a blue in the face baby, in an ambulance.

This was not my birth plan.  

I wanted an epidural and cable.  

I stated that to the paramedics when they asked about this being a planned home birth.  They laughed.  Then they told me when it was time to deliver the placenta, that they'd pull over.

That sounds terrible.

They laughed again.

((Humor is a coping mechanism for me))

They asked which hospital we wanted to go to.  The original birth plan was to deliver at WDH in Dover (30 minutes away).  FMH was 15 minutes away, and since Louis was exceptionally blue in the face, that's where we went.

When we got to FMH, they informed us that we were the only ones in the maternity ward.  Interesting.  It's typically a full house in Dover.  They wheeled us in, checked us in, and popped Lou under a heat lamp.  He was 4 degrees colder than you're supposed to be.  I delivered my placenta there, got cleaned up, and they moved us to a different room (with a full sized bed!).  Lou stayed under the heat lamp until he was warm enough, and the three of us tried to come to terms with everything that had happened.  

Beyond having a natural birth, at my in-laws, and ending up in a hospital I didn't want to be at, everything turned out ok.  Lou was blue in the face because of some serious bruising (probably from me walking waddling across the bathroom to open the door while he was crowning), but passed all of his tests other than that.  The even let us go home Monday afternoon!  

And now I've got this wonderful baby boy sleeping on my chest.  Olive loves being a big sister so far and is exceptionally happy to be able to touch Lou's head (ahhh toddler logic).  So that's the story.  It was slightly unbelievable, and still is.  Luckily, Paul's mom popped in during the decreasing chaos and took a photo on the iPad to commemorate the whole experience.

Sorry Lou, it's a small town, and Strafford will be talking about this one for a while.

:)

maternity photo sneak peak

Last week I was lucky enough to spend some time with my close friend Kelli at her new home in Northwood.  Paul had left that morning to spend the day with her husband, Ryan, brewing beer down the road, so Olive and I were flying solo for the day.  We inevitably decided to pack up and head over to Kelli and Ryan's for an impromptu photo session.

Kelli happens to be an amazing photographer.  She typically does boudoir, engagement, and wedding photos, but has recently been expanding her portfolio.  Since she's my very good friend, I was lucky enough to be a practice session for her.  She also happens to be a former Mary Kay rep, so she was able to do my hair and makeup (because that's just not something I'm capable of doing myself).

It was definitely it fun experience, though I had a hard time taking it seriously.  Kelli was constantly making me laugh while I climbed in and out of her garden, tried to take direction, and eventually ended up in my undies for a boudoir meets maternity session.  She did a fabulous job, and I'm so sad that she wasn't around during my first pregnancy to capture my growing Ollie - however, I'm super pumped that she was able to incorporate her into these photos.

So here's a sneak peek ... 

... more to follow when she's finished editing :)

Olive Bean

As the final stretch of this pregnancy begins to end, it's ever so slowly starting to sink in that I'm about to add another baby to our mix.  Maybe the communal living is throwing me off.  Maybe it's the fact that Paul and I seem less prepared than we did the first time around (which is a feat of amazement - trust me)... though, I do believe they say that you don't put forth as much effort become more laid back with each additional child (sorry in advance baby boy!).  

It's definitely something I can't quite put my finger on though.  The impending addition of all of the things that come with a new baby is so terrifyingly overwhelming that I've decided to just accept it.  To just go with it.  I mean, really, what else can I do except be here now, in the moment?

My time with my little Olive as my one and only baby is almost over.  My little game changer - the one that made me a mother.  She's been an inspiration to slowing down and enjoying all the aspects of life.  To truly becoming more dedicated to the moment.  She has challenged me in ways that I'd never expected to be challenged (see also, dealing with colic and sleep deprivation), and continuously finds ways to surprise me (example: "mama, I'm busy" ... I don't even say that to her - where does she come up with this stuff!?).

Oh my little O.  My Olive Bean.  Ollie.  Olya.  Olive Tomato Juice.  I love you dearly.  Thank you for letting me hold you forever and for already being a fantastic big sister.

what's in my bag

Well, today is the day.  Not my due date... but I'm officially 37 weeks pregnant today.  It's definitely both exciting and terrifying.  Something about the fact that I've already done this once just makes me anxious.  That, and I really don't do well with pain.  I'm actually quite pathetic about it.  But that's beside the point.  No matter what, this baby is coming, so I figured it was about time that I got "ready".  And by ready, I mean, I went to Target yesterday, spent entirely too much money (but who doesn't when you go to Target?) and then proceeded to ram everything haphazardly into my bag.

Let's start with the real reason that I stopped at Target: pull-ups and pads.  Exciting stuff right?  I was actually quite proud of myself, I avoided all the areas that I technically didn't need to be in... like home goods and whatnot.  Trust me, it took epic amounts of inner strength.  I did meander around the health aisles though.  And what can I say?  Everything at Target is beautiful.

So, after finding the prettiest pads, I decided that I needed some up to date nipple balm (mine's totally expired) and some mini health items (for easy travel purposes).

After perusing the mini health care items, I priced it out, and it made more sense to buy this pre-made travel kit.  It seemed like a legit purchase, which I helped justify by convincing myself that I could reuse the case itself to put crayons and other items that don't travel well in my purse for Olive.

Other items that filled up my bag include a towel, some sweatpants, granny-panties forgiving underwear, nursing bras, a couple forgiving t-shirts, and my one and only pair of maternity jeans for myself.  I packed Paul a pair of jeans, sport shorts, a couple t-shirts, and some boxers.  For baby boy I packed a couple of aden&anais swaddle blankets, and a few articles of clothing, including this epic Pink Floyd onesie.  I also plan on bringing a pillow from home and a super cute quilt that my mom made a while back... you know... to make the hospital a little more comfortable :)

Lastly, I packed up baby boy's present to Olive.  I read on a blog that it was a good idea to have a gift for the new big brother/sister when a new baby arrives.  I had already thought that it'd be a good idea to have some items to occupy O's time in the hospital, so a gift was the perfect excuse to snag her some things.  Making it from her new baby brother just seemed like an added bonus...

Aside from a bag of colorful goldfish, everything else I snagged second hand, but they can be found new in stores still!  There's a few books, a magna doodle, and a puzzle.  Though I think she'll like all of them, really, she's most excited about meeting baby boy... and being able to gently touch (not only his hands and feet) but his head.

It's the little things in life, right?