Heeee's Baaaaccckkkk

He's back and I have more plans than ever for him!

12.1.2013

Here are a few ideas I have for Elfie this year.  Just like my menu plans, it will probably get switched up a bit, but it really helps when it's 11pm and I have forgotten to move him!  I don't have to try too terribly hard to get creative!

Here& here is some of the trouble that Elfie found himself in last year.  Enjoy your elf time!

Outdoor Nurseries

I tackled two nurseries over on Refresh & Repurpose...

A baby boy themed Camping Nursery

and since we don't know the gender, I did a Girly Camping one as well.  Much more challenging..

Come on over and see the details!

One Word Wednesday

Elfie

 Has

 Been

Causing

Trouble

 At

 Chez

Phillips

One Word Wednesday

Thankful

One Word Wednesday!

Office

Chairs

Are

Fun!

One Word Wednesday!

Nothing

Better

Than

Saturday

Morning

Snuggle

Time

Our week so far....

We've had a really great week so far! It's almost over, but we plan on having a really great weekend too!

On Monday Grammy & Granddaddy made their way up to Richmond, to meet Little Miss, play with the big boys and help mommy out!

Since Little Miss made her debut at Christmas time, we didn't get away to celebrate....so we got to celebrate in January. I think the boys really enjoyed having Christmas last so long! It's been almost a month of presents! They are getting spoiled. Every time someone comes we open presents! How awesome is that?!

Look at all that paper!!

Tuesday we headed to the Science Museum of Virginia! Everyone had a blast and Q was more than a little excited to show G&G Rat Basketball.

Wednesday G&G helped get the boys to school. (Side note: I am really missing driving!!) Grammy got to enjoy "the minivan regatta" (car pool) and pick up process. They are always in such a good mood when you pick them up! B likes to tell you about his day and Q is starting to tell you more and more!

I got to enjoy some thrift store shopping with Grammy and a few hours of downtime!! I got a nap one afternoon and a few hours of just laying down on another! Little Miss was not going to let me nap! It was fine, I got to hold her and snuggle her all by myself in peace and quiet while the boys were playing with their grandparents! It was a win for everybody! Besides the boys getting to and from school, I didn't ask them to "help" much. I don't think they felt like they were much help, but they were! Just being here and making the boys smile and play with them is a HUGE help! And for that I am greatful.

Can't wait to do it again! I don't think it will be long. Grammy learned we have a Home Goods and an antique mall within a mile of the house!

One Word Wednesday!

Clothes!!

One Word Wednesday!

Home +

Bound =

MESS!!

A birth story

As promised here is my latest and last birth story. There isn't too much sap here as I like to keep that in a little journal for my self and for each child later. But these are the deets for those that have asked. Not surprising, I have lots of friends that really like a birthing story. What is more amazing than the miracle that is life?

CGP (Little Miss) joined our family on December 28th, 2011 at 10:08am. She was a whopping petite little thing coming in at 6lbs 8oz and 19.5" long. She is the smallest of my babies.

Unfortunately, I didn't have a good relationship with my OB. Sometimes I think I put too much pressure on her, because she had big shoes to fill. My last practice and all their Drs were amazing. However, the more I saw her the more I didn't like her. But by the time, you see them on a regular basis and decide you would really like to change, it's too late. Since we had only been in Richmond a few short months, I didn't have many references to go on. I had to go with my gut. I guess the hormones got in the way and I didn't have very good intuition that day.

My first big decision to make was to have a VBAC or a repeat c section. I was pretty sure I wanted the C section, but was trying to justify having sugery if I didn't "need" it. When I had decided and told my Dr, I wanted a c section, she seemed dissapointed but willing, since it was a repeat. I had several personal reasons for wanting one. This was week 37. The nurse came in and let me know we were going to have a baby on December 28!! I would be 38 weeks and 6days. At the same time she told me I was having really early signs of preeclampsia. YIKES!

At my last visit week 38, I tried talking to my Dr about the preeclampsia and my c section concerns. My biggest one being how the epidural & spinal make me feel (TERRIBLE). I told her my blood pressure dropped the minute I got my epidural with my first baby and I had to have oxygen and something in my IV to bring it back up. Same thing with my second baby and first spinal. She explained what happens with these procedures and it made since, but it wasn't taking away the anxiety.

After a pretty busy Christmas season Wednesday December 28th rolled around and Chad and I left for the hospital at 7am. I tried to find my happy place and go there immediately. But I was going on a couple hours of sleep due to being happy and anxious and excited to meet my girl, and sad that this was my last pregnancy etc etc. I was pretty calm until it was actually time to go back to the operating room.

The room was FREEZING and I was shivering like crazy. I was nervous about getting the actual spinal but that was nothing compared to what I knew was coming. I will admit, I was hoping that maybe, just maybe those feelings wouldn't happen this time?! No such luck. They laid me down to strap me in and like a freight train it hit me. The elephant. It was standing on my chest. I was focusing on breathing. I was trying to go to my happy place (preferably with a margarita). I couldn't get there fast enough. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. And......lights out. I fainted. Well, that is what happens when your blood pressure plummets. Thankfully, there is no better place to do that than on the operating room table with a room full of Drs.

But a minute after I came to, the Dr was ready to get down to business. I had been "stablized" and felt fine. That darn elephant finally found something else to do. A couple of minutes after that and I heard her powerful lungs. I saw her beautiful pink little body. And the tears flowed. They brought her around for me to see and when she heard my voice she opened her eyes. Ahhhhh, now that is love at first sight.

The rest is just medical details. They wheeled me to recovery (the same room I would be in for the rest of my stay) while "holding" my baby!! Shortly after that we got to nurse. She did great. While I was in recovery, my nurse told me about my fainting spell and how they were actually pretty worried. Which is why it took them a little longer to get Chad. I also learned it was a good thing I had a c section because Little Miss had a knot in her umbilical cord. It was loose, but during a delivery can become tighter resulting in the need for an unplanned c section. Finally, some justification I made the right decision. This time, I'm glad I listened to my gut!

Then they took her to the nursery to observe her, get her temperature up and give her a bath etc. She had some fluid in her lungs (common for c section babies) and ended up spending pretty much the whole day in observation, before getting her bath, and before seeing me again. She never had to be put on oxygen and we were praying to keep it that way. Around 6pm she was released from observation and was able to come to the room and meet her big brothers.

They exchanged presents and went home with grandma over stimulated and exhausted from their big day. Q was actually very nervous all day so for him to come to the hospital and see everyone was ok and healthy was a big relief for him! It was a big day for everyone. We were all tired. It seems like such a blur now and it wasn't that long ago.

On her release day, Saturday, her weight had fallen to 5lbs 15oz. The peditrician wanted her seen on Monday for a weight check. He didn't like that she had lost that much but didn't feel the need to suppliment at that point. Little Miss and I went home and got right to work on that weight gain. On Monday she went and checked in at 6lbs even. Still no reason to suppliment, but we were willing, if needed! Yahoo! Other than that he said she was perfect. As if, I needed him to tell me that?! But he wanted her back today. And today. Today, my petite baby girl checked in at 6lbs 12oz!! She gained 12oz in 5 days!! Let's just say her peditrician was very happy and he might have even studdered a bit when he saw that!

It isn't the most amazing birth story, but it's hers. I didn't want an amazing birth story. I like to keep things bland and simple when it comes to babies and surgeries and Drs and deliveries!!

It's been nine days now and we havn't stopped smiling yet. God has blessed us once again and we are so thankful. We have been trying to soak it all in.

Our Little Miss Magic at one week.

December Wrap Up

I really did mean to keep up with the blog over the holidays. Honestly. I did. Because it would make what I am about to do so much easier. But then again, if we kept up with everything on a daily basis, all our chores would be easier. You know, if you clean up while you are cooking, there isn't so much after dinner to clean up. And if you put away your toy when you are done playing with it, you don't have an entire playroom to pick up before bed.

December was busy. VERY busy. And I went from being 34 weeks pregnant to 38 weeks pregnant with baby #3. I also learned that week 39 won't be coming. Because that baby #3 is coming Wednesday. One day before I hit 39 weeks.

Finding and decorating a tree. Hitting Hallmark, so the boys can pick out their ornament. Wrapping up those festivities by searching for "the pickle".

Putting together the train (and changing the batteries on day 2!!)

Throwing up some lights outside, so we can say we "decorated"

The boys and I spent lots of time in the kitchen

We got ready for Christmas break with a school performance by Q (where he actually performed!)

Chad and I spent too much lots of time trying our hardest to be creative and find spots for "Elfie"

With some help from a favorite elf in Florida

Doing Christmas Crafts
Gingerbread House:

Including some time at Build A Bear to make a gift for our new baby sister!

Passing out in random places and random times

Annual trip to Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens

Riding the train with Santa (and Papa Joe, Grandma, etc etc)

Chaos of White House Family Christmas

And then it was Christmas Day!!!

The aftermath

And that my friends, was our December. January doesn't show any signs of slowing down. So you might want to brace yourselves and prepare to wait for a January update as well. Maybe even a new blog name, since we will have added some new XX chromosomes?!