The Life & Times of The Millers

Those Moments

2012-02-02T22:55:00.000-08:00

For Christmas, one of the gifts that my Nana gives to all of the families is calendars. I look forward to them every year and the beauty they bring into my home. This Christmas, she gave us a calendar with art by the great artist Del Parson. He has painted some of the most familiar images of Christ.

This was January's picture, Lovest Thou Me, of Jesus with his disciples. Ada called it, "People's Talkin'" :) During her nap on January 31st, I flipped the calendar to February in preparation for the next day.

This is February's painting, Hope in the Second Coming. At dinner, Ada looked up and noticed that it was a new picture. Here is how our conversation went:

Ada: "Ohhhh! Jesus!"

Me: "Yeah, it's a new picture of him, huh?"

Ada: "Yeah."

Then, her voice changed. She has this special, loving voice that she reserves only for Matt. "Paaapaaaaa," she says to him. It was like that voice, but even softer and sweeter...more reverent.

"I wan' give Jesus hugs and kisses," she said.

At that, my eyes filled with tears. It was such a sweet, unexpected moment. She was looking up at the picture of Him with such adoration in her eyes. She asked, "Mommy sad?" and I said no, they were happy tears. And that she would definitely be able to give Jesus hugs and kisses again one day when He comes again.

I wonder if she is so young that she still remembers being in His presence? Or if she is so innocent and pure that she can see his picture and be filled with His love.

I had to write this to make sure I never forgot it. It was one of those moments...a brief flicker. The next minute she was noisily counting her noodles and spilling them all over the place. It was a moment that put into clear perspective what truly matters and what my duty is as a parent: to teach her the way back to Christ.

Lola is 5 Months Old!

2012-01-29T00:50:00.000-08:00

Or was, on Jan. 7th :) Where has the time gone? Where has my sleepy little newborn gone?! This babycakes is babbling away and rolling all over town. Check it out:

Ada is crying for me at the end because Matt accidentally kneed her in the head :( That boy is just too big for this little world we live in. Always knocking things over and bumping into stuff. (Ada was fine, just needed a kiss to, "make eh all be-her")
...
Lola's 5 month stats:
Height: 2 ft. 2.5 in. 90th percentile
Weight: 18 lbs. 95th percentile
Head Circumference: 44.8 cm. 100th percentile!
Her doctor marveled at her perfectly round, large head! Once again, a trait from Papa :)

Lola is the smiliest baby I have ever met. She will give you a smile and melt you into a puddle on the floor.

She loves to be burrowed while she sleeps, her favorite place is right in the crook of my neck. I love it :)

She is a mellow, happy girl that is such a blessing in our home. I know Heavenly Father knew I couldn't manage without a calm baby like her. I thought that Ada was an easy baby, but Lola is even more so.

The church dress was made by a sweet woman in our ward. I absolutely love it! The blue brings out her blue eyes. And look at that smile! She had just recognized herself on the screen when I took this one of us.
She loves to grab & pull things. Hair, earrings, faces, you name it.
Also, everything is going into her mouth. Eeek!
It sounds like she says, "Hey!" and "Hi!" when she babbles. She kicks her left leg repeatedly while getting her diaper changed and sometimes while falling asleep. Her arms are also constant motion, patting your shoulder or arm rhythmically.
She has started using the walker and really likes being upright vs. just rolling around all day.
Her favorite place to be is in someone's arms though :)

She is the squishiest, most kissable baby ever. We love you Lola J!

Thanksgiving 2011

2012-01-09T00:33:00.000-08:00

We had two Thanksgivings this year!

Wednesday was spent with my side of the family.

Bobba was so excited to give Ada her birthday present that we let her open it when we first arrived :)

She loves her trike but needs to grow into it a bit.

I made Nana's incredible rolls!

Matt took this picture of me in action. Can you believe how high my left eyebrow is?! I died when I saw this pic!

I'm like Two Face from Batman.

Ada wanted to be just like Auntie Rach (technically second cousin Rach but that's no fun to say).

And what's Thanksgiving without a little nap time? :)

Good thing you didn't come out Linds, I would've caught you!

Lola & I hanging out and being awkward after our delicious dinner.

Thursday we went down to Lompoc for Thanksgiving #2!

We started the day off with a 2.5 mile run, the 2nd Annual MiMo Turkey Trot!

(Mi = Millers & Mo = Morgans)

Kandie put it all together and it was so much fun! It was my first long run since having Lola 3 months earlier, and she pushed me to keep running when I wanted to walk! My hips felt totally shifty and weird but it felt so good to run. That's one thing I really miss when I'm pregnant.

Kandie even made finisher medals for us all that Ada adored.

Here's the first group of us that finished.

Kathleen, Kandie, Kristina, me, Matt, Marsha, Glen & Marc. (Kids stayed behind with grandma)

Then once Ben & Alissa's fam joined, we all walked it again, this time with babes in tow.

Me, Matt, Kandie, Ashley, Ben, Alissa, Eve, Kathleen, Glen, Marsha, Ada, Claira, Kristina, Dylan, Evelyn, Marc & Lola.

Kandie & I walking it the second time.

Then we went to Marc & Diana's and got cleaned up, then headed back to Marsha's for a wonderful turkey dinner! Everything was delicious.

I had to post this picture because it cracks me up! We were all on our phones playing Uno and this is how it shortened our names:

Ryan = Captain Faggy (or something like that)

Matt = Farty Pants

Kara = Smelly Cat

Marc = Marc

And sleepy Ada on the drive home after a long day of running and playing with cousins!

We went to pick out my mom's Christmas tree the next day and Ada was so cute running through the "Kissmas Tees!"

I love watching her make memories where I have so many fond ones.

We have so much to be thankful for!

Wonderful families who love us, the fact that we live close enough to drive down to see them, two beautiful, healthy daughters, and on and on and on. I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving surrounded by family and friends.

Ada is 2 Years Old!

2011-12-13T13:44:00.000-08:00

Ada Elizabeth is two years old! We just love this cheeky little monkey.

On her birthday, we went to pick out our Christmas tree. She had fun running around and playing hide-and-seek with some other kids there. She is very outgoing and not afraid to join older children while playing.

At her two year check-up, her doctor said she's smart & charming. I wonder if he says that to all of the parents :)

Head circumference: 19.5 in. 90th percentile

Height: 36 in. 95th percentile

Weight: 29 lbs. 80th percentile

It's weird to see her weight percentile so low compared to before.

She is really losing her chub and becoming a little girl!

She had two shots, one in each leg. I had her on my lap and was holding her hands. I had explained to her beforehand that they would hurt, but only for a little bit; then she'd feel better, and they would help her stay healthy.

I said, "Okay, here comes shot number one! Just a little poke." She didn't even flinch! No whimper, cry, grimace, anything! I was amazed. Then came the second shot, and the same thing. She just said, "All done!" Such a tough cookie!

We celebrated with family a little early while we were down in Santa Maria for Thanksgiving.

Ada was so funny trying to blow out her candles!

Then, a day before her birthday, I brought cupcakes to our mom's group at the park. Since it was Matt's finals week (we made it through alive!), I didn't want to throw a big party or anything. This was perfect. A bunch of her little friends were there and we sang to her and visited.

Being so patient (notice the tiny bite taken already)

Going to town!

Lola hanging out and keeping warm in the stroller.

Ada is a bright little girl. She has been counting and doing well with her letters. I love to hear her sweet little prayers, too. She loves to talk, sing, and especially dance to Michael Jackson & Yo Gabba Gabba. One minute she is cracking me up, and the next she is melting my heart. This morning she saw a picture of Jesus and said she wants to give him hugs and kisses. She is very strong-willed as well, some of her favorite words are stop and no :) It has been such an incredible experience to be her mother and watch her grow. I am constantly amazed by the things she learns and the things she teaches me.

Ada's birth announcement, labor story, and one year birthday.

Happy 2nd Birthday Ada!

Picking Apples

2011-11-15T22:43:00.000-08:00

A few weeks back, Living Social had a deal for Fuji apples at Clearview Orchards. We jumped on the opportunity to go apple picking! They were delicious in the Glazed Harvest Apple Cake :)

Ada had a blast and was very serious about it. Look at that game face!

First you pick it up, put it in the bag, bump bump...

The apple picking crew...I spot a little strawberry in there!

Ada sees a good one...

Triumphant girl leaving the orchard with one of her spoils in hand. A good day indeed :)

Halloween 2011

2011-11-14T14:47:00.000-08:00

We took our girls to the mall for Halloween. It was perfect because it was a well-lit, good atmosphere for Ada's first real time trick-or-treating! Plus we could get dinner at Hot Dog on a Stick :)

Ada was Princess Tiana from The Princess and the Frog, and Lola was a little ducky.

Her little crown/headband was pushing her ears forward...I thought it was so cute!

The most important people in my life. What a good Papa he is!

The squishiest duck you've ever seen :)

After the tick-o-teeting! A scary Halloween movie with floating ghosts, creepy eyes, and tired babes.

Two Adas

2011-11-07T13:27:00.000-08:00

Whenever Ada and Lola sit by each other, Ada says, "Two Adas!" After church a couple of weeks ago, we tried to get some pictures of them together in their pretty dresses.

Oh how I love Lola's sweet smiles

Turns out it's really difficult to get a toddler and a newborn looking at the same place at the same time!

The best one :)

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2011-10-16T16:42:00.000-07:00

Lola's Blessing

2011-10-15T14:31:00.000-07:00

On her 6 week birthday, Sunday, September 18th, Lola Jennie Miller was given a name and a blessing. We went down to Santa Maria since all of our family is down that-a-way. We left Saturday night after Matt got off work, and arrived in Santa Maria at 4 AM. Church starts at 9 AM...so you can understand my puffy eyes & haggard appearance in the pictures :) The girls were both perfect on the drive down which makes it worth driving at night.

Matt blessed Lola with love, health, strength, the ability to overcome trials, bring others to the truth, and discern between good & evil.

...

With Matt's parents, Diana & Marc

4 generations!

Nana, Becca, Bobba, Liz, Devin, Kara, Lola, Matt, Nonnie, & Ada (who desperately wanted to go to Nursery, NOT take pictures)

All of the men (minus Matt's brother Ryan, his family had to leave to make it to their Primary Program in 1st Ward)

who were in the circle to bless sweet Lola!

Devin, Bobba, Marc, Lola, Matt, & Daddy

I love this one of Matt & Marc with Lola smiling at them.

Lola is 2 Months Old!

2011-10-07T23:45:00.000-07:00

First, I need to catch up on her one month stats:

Weight: 12 lbs. 91st percentile

Height: 24.41 in. 95th percentile

Head Circumference: 15.5 in. 90th percentile

Now, at two months:

Weight: 13.8 lbs. 95th percentile

Height: 24.41 in. 95th percentile

Head Circumference: 15.9 in. 90th percentile

They had two separate nurses measure her head because they thought the number was too high!

Nope, just another Miller baby with a biggol' head. I told them they should see my husband's dome :)

She's already balancing and putting her chubby thighs to use!

This little Lola girl is FULL of smiles and coos! There is nothing better than that sweet smile.

She's very mellow and sleeps through her big sister's screaming and prodding. "Lola! Hi Lola! Hugs Lola!"

Her eyes look like they're staying blue and her skin is fair and oh-so-soft.

She's rubbing her hair off the sides and will have a sweet old man toupee on top soon :) It's growing in really light.

These past two months have been so wonderful. We love you baby girl & can't picture our lives without you!

Burrito Babies

2011-09-26T21:15:00.000-07:00

Our babes loved to be swaddled up nice and tight. When Lola was 2 weeks old, I swaddled her.

On this particular day, Ada decided that she wanted to be wrapped up too!

When my sister was with us, she'd wrap Ada up in a big blanket and sing, "Burrito baaaaaby!" to her.

Ada saw Lola swaddled and asked for, "Beeto baby!" herself. I had to use our throw blanket since she doesn't fit in baby blankets anymore!

Two little burrito sisters :)

Ice, bath?

2011-09-19T10:11:00.000-07:00

Have you played on Pinterest yet? It's so fun, but a total time suck. Don't say I didn't warn you!

It is full of fun ideas like this one, which was originally "pinned" from this book.

Just add a drop of food coloring (or two for making purple, orange, and green) to your ice cubes.

Pop a few in the tub with your kids and let them chase the cubes around before they melt.

This made bath time go from not so fun to coooooool! Ada now frequently requests, "Ice, bath?"

They didn't stain her or our tub, and the little bit of red on our bathmat (oops - they're slippery) washed out fine.

Notes About Santa Cruz V

2011-09-16T00:35:00.000-07:00

- You see guys like this dancing to no music in the middle of a busy intersection. I turned our radio to the rap station and blasted it for effect. But he was just dancing to the music in his head.

- Some people say really rude things. I think they mean well, but many around these parts have no filter. Concerned citizens? Maybe. Total strangers? Yep. My baby does not have really big ears, and she does not need to grow into them. They are perfectly proportionate to her beautiful little head and you are mean.

- Dudes with no deodorant stand WAY too close behind you at the grocery store. Holy stench! (I said that. He might have heard me. If he did, he didn't care.) I might have mentioned before that stinky people were the hardest part about being pregnant in this town. Olfactory overload!

- People have signs like this in their yard

- Little boys flash you as you drive home. We turned around so fast and found the boy's parents. He couldn't have been more than 10 years old. I was so mad...what if Ada had seen it? Thankfully I was the only one that did, Matt was too busy watching the other kid slapping his own butt on top of a Jeep.

- There are shops called things like, "Puff-N-Pass." Oh dear.

- We saw this on a walk, it made me feel bad for the guy! His car must have been broken into multiple times before.

- You can pick juicy, sweet, blackberries in your backyard!

- Guys in kilts go shopping at Trader Joe's

Oh Santa Cruz you are colorful & we love ya.

Life as Four

2011-09-15T01:03:00.000-07:00

We are adjusting into our new life as a family of four. It includes trying to spend as much one on one time with each child, especially the one who is used to having ALL of your time. Ada has been doing so well, we have only had a few times where I wish I had four arms and two laps. But that would just be creepy.

For the most part it's been good and fun...

And there's lots of love between these two.

We've figured out that the grocery store is an ordeal. To have room in your cart, you've gotta bust out with the car-cart. (I made Matt wipe that thing down with disinfectant wipes like crazy before we put Ada in it!) This cart is insane & has a mind of it's own. Ada was in heaven and honked that horn all over the store. At the end of the clip, after her maniacal laugh, she says, "Bye, Mommy!"

Ada's becoming quite the little performer...oh, the drama! She can see herself in this video while being recorded, and I think she's especially proud of her face around :25.

I've been trying not to worry about keeping my house perfectly clean. Trying not to stress about doing everything and doing it perfectly. I keep reminding myself that what is important is being present in my family's life. For moments like these :)

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2011-09-12T00:16:00.000-07:00

Lola is 1 Month Old!

2011-09-10T14:14:00.000-07:00

Already?! Fastest month of my life.

She is such a squishable, huggable, double-chinned ball of love.

Her cry is getting a little louder, but is still cute. Her bottom lip and chin tremble sometimes.

She is very vocal, I call her my little grunt. Even while she sleeps she's making noise!

She makes some of the greatest faces! She seems very serious sometimes with her furrowed brow.

This girl LOVES to be snuggled. Swaddled up really tight, held, cradled...she's a snuggler.

I hold her upright a lot because she spits up and is more gassy than Ada ever was. I'll be holding her and she'll nuzzle until she is face down smooshed up against my neck! Then she falls asleep and I turn her.

We finally got a double stroller! I'm no longer trapped inside or have someone else with me to go on a walk!

I found it on craigslist and it was close to us, a reasonable price for the condition (still too much if you ask me), and we had the money available.

The girls love it! Ada kept saying, "New!" Here's Lola in the back.

Apologies for the grainy pic, but it was early morning and taken on my phone.

This is one of my favorite Lola expressions. Bright eyed (they look like they'll be blue like her momma's!), tight lips, and double chin.

Ada loves her little sister and says, "Oh, sah Lala" whenever Lola cries. Her voice gets really high and she'll go over and say, "Aww, Lala. Hug!" Then lean over and put her cheek on hers. We have to keep an eye on her though because she'll try to help and not be gentle enough. I can tell Ada just can't wait until Lola can run, "fass" with her :)

Family Photos

2011-09-06T00:03:00.000-07:00

Poor Lola, just trying to sleep with all of these crazy people in the background!

Play Dough!

2011-09-03T00:42:00.000-07:00

I found a play dough recipe on Pinterest via How Does She? and made it for Ada.

It is so easy & took me back to Joy School...sitting at Lisa Griffith's kitchen table in 1988!

This is Ada's first experience with play dough:

She loved it! Even picked up the purple lump and hugged it.

Happy girl. Happy Mommy :)

Here's the recipe:

1 cup flour

1 cup water

1/4 cup salt

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 T. vegetable oil

food coloring (I used 2 drops red and 2 drops blue. At first it looked gray and ugly but once it cooked it became a pretty purple)

Add all ingredients to a medium pot and mix.

Put your pot on the stove and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it forms into a ball.

As soon as it joins into one big glob, take it off the heat and dump it onto your counter or some wax paper. Wait for it to cool, then knead it a few times until it is nice and soft.

I keep it in a plastic tupperware and in the fridge.

Red High Heels

2011-08-29T23:44:00.000-07:00

Miss Ada is growing up! While putting her hair into a pony tail, I got misty-eyed. She just looks like such a big girl.

These pictures are blurry because they were taken with my phone and Ada would not stop running! In my HEELS! She's so good in them...already a little lady :)

Lola's First Week

2011-08-18T23:48:00.000-07:00

Lola Jennie Miller

2011-08-14T22:57:00.000-07:00

Lola Jennie arrived Sunday, August 7, 2011 at 4:03 PM!

9 lbs. 3.7 oz.

21 1/2 in. long

13 1/2 in. head circumference

14 in. chest

We are head over heels in love!

Labor Story:

I started having mild contractions on Saturday, but didn't want to get my hopes up. We went to the grocery store and when I got out of the car I had a sharp pain in my lower abdomen, but was still able to shop. When I got home, another sharp cramp in the same area, but I told Matt to go to work anyway. My contractions were timeable all night, but not too painful yet. I decided to call my mom and tell her to come on up just in case. She arrived around midnight, and we all went to bed around 1 AM to try and get some sleep. I woke up at 4:20 AM to go to the bathroom, and was feeling terrible about having my mom come all the way up to Santa Cruz because my contractions still weren't getting any stronger! So I climbed back into bed and ten minutes later, BAM! Real contractions! I woke Matt up and started getting ready. He called Sutter, where I wanted to deliver, but they were full. They faxed my information over to Dominican Hospital and we were told to head there. :( I didn't like that place when I toured it, but that's where we ended up. I told Matt I was feeling nauseous, so he grabbed a little tupperware for the car. I was having a contraction and said in my best angry whisper (since Ada was sleeping), "Why would you get that?! That's the worst possible thing to throw up in!" Poor guy ran back and grabbed a plastic bag for me. In hindsight, the tupperware was probably just fine :)
Matt & I drove to Dominican, thankfully it is close and at that hour there was nobody on the 1! Miraculous! Leila came on the radio and I was singing, "Lo-la! You've got me on my knees Lola!" Matt started pulling into the visitor parking which was far away from the front door and I told him to go drop me off at the door. I get to the hospital door and it wouldn't open. I ring the buzzer and say, "I'm in labor! Where do I go?!" The lady says, "Oh, hang on, just a minute..." while leaving the speaker on and carrying on a separate conversation. I was so mad! She finally buzzes the door open and says sorry. We walk into registration and it's a ghost town. I turn around and two phlebotomists were pushing their carts our way, One says, "Ohhh mama where are you going?!" I said, "I don't know - but I'm in labor!" She ditches her cart, grabs a wheelchair, and starts directing Matt to open doors and grab things as she runs while pushing me at lightning speed down the halls! It was awesome, she was not a small lady either! She got me to labor & delivery and I thanked her profusely.
I get into my room and the nurse hands me a lovely hospital gown to wear. I asked for an epidural right away. They checked me and I was at a 5. My contractions were getting stronger and were about 2 minutes apart. I said I was going to throw up, and my nurse kept typing into the computer. Matt said, "Can we get a bucket or something?" because he knows when I say I'm going to throw up I mean it. The nurse starting running around like a crazy person opening drawers and rummaging around the room looking for something. I see nothing is going to happen to I get up and start waddling to the bathroom. As I start to throw up on the floor, the nurse puts a teeny tiny plastic container (smaller than Matt's tupperware) under my face. I throw up twice in it, fill it to overflowing, and she continues to hold it directly under my nose. I shove her hand away because I was done and having it right under my nose was going to make me puke again!
They get me hooked up to an IV and say that I have to have the whole bag of fluid in me before they can give me the epidural. During every contraction I was begging that bag to hurry up and get in me! If I moved my hand a certain way it would stop dripping, so I made sure to keep an eye on it. I continued laboring and a new nurse came who I loved. She talked me through the pain and was very helpful. Although I hated that she wanted me to look into Matt's eyes during the pain...I prefer to go away to my happy place and get through it. Looking into his eyes tortures him too, he said it made him want to cry seeing me in so much pain!
By now, two hours had gone by and I wanted my epidural! A funny anesthesiologist came in and said that Matt and I need to keep having babies and populate the world with pretty people :) He was upset with the nurses that my epidural was taking so long to go through, as was I! Finally after two and a half hours, it comes. A different anesthesiologist starts putting it in, and I jumped. His voice scared me so bad, he said, "Kara, it is VERY important that you do not move!" I was trying so hard not to, but he was injecting the local anesthetic in very fast bursts and my body was just reacting, I wasn't moving! So Matt helped hold me down and I focused on being very still. He got it in and I FINALLY had some relief! It was a very mild epidural, as I was still able to move my legs and roll over on my own. At this point I had progressed to a 6. This is where I stalled with Ada, so Matt and I were both saying silent prayers that I would continue to progress so that I could have a VBAC. I finally called my mom and let her know that I got the epidural and things were moving along. She said Ada had woken up just after we left for the hospital, so she was going on no sleep with a toddler up at 6 AM!
I continued to labor and at one point the doctor on call for mine came in and said if I don't start progressing I might have to have another c-section. This saddened me a bit, but I was okay with it because it was an option. Lola didn't like when I laid on my right side, so I stayed on my left. This was terrible for me because the nurse was sitting on my right, and Matt was on the other side of the room talking with her. So I was left out of the convo unless I turned my head and that got uncomfortable and old real quick! So I made Matt come sit on an uncomfortable doctor's stool next to me so I could more easily join in on the conversation :) Some really funny, loud nurse came in and started telling stories about her giant Italian family...that was amusing until my contractions got stronger. Then her pounding on my bed was not funny anymore and I wanted her to go away. She was like a character out of a sitcom though...
The next time the doctor checked me, I was 8 cm! I was SO relieved and happy because I was so close to being able to push. They put an internal monitor on Lola to better measure her heart rate. I hadn't had anything to eat or drink all day except for a bite of bagel at 5 AM that I threw up at the hospital. I was sipping on my water bottle before I received my epidural when the nurse told me I couldn't have any fluids per the anesthesiologist's orders in case I had to go into an emergency c-section. Boo :( I was SO THIRSTY! Those of you who know me know that I'm a camel and always have water within arm's reach. So that was rough.
My contractions were becoming really uncomfortable and I had the urge to push like crazy. I was holding back, and the nurse said, "No! Use that pressure and push with it!" I was like, "Oh, okay..." I guess it didn't really occur to me that's how it would feel. So the doctor came and checked me and sure enough I was a 10 and ready to push! Matt and I freaked out and I called my mom in disbelief because it happened so fast! She hurried and got Ada ready and they came to the hospital. I pushed with my contractions and the nurse and my doctor really helped me through. They said I did quality pushes and did great for my first time. Matt went into Coach Miller mode during one push and I pushed his face away...the nurse told him, "Doctor Taylor is the boss here..." haha it was great. HE was great! So supportive and helpful in getting me through the labor. One of the hardest parts for me was holding my breath through the pushing. In sports and working out, you exhale on the exertion. So I was programmed to exhale on the push, and it felt foreign to hold my breath during the push. Anyway, I got the hang of it and my eyes got really puffy because of it!
After about 40 minutes of pushing, the doctor told me that if Lola didn't come out in the next couple of pushes, she would have to get the vacuum to assist her. I did NOT want that and they were all amazed at how I got down to business right away after the threat! After 50 minutes of pushing, Lola Jennie took her first breath in this world! They handed Matt the scissors to cut the cord and he could barely see through his teary eyes. He scratched her leg a little because his vision was blurred :) Don't hand the emotional dad scissors! They put her on my chest and I was in awe of how beautiful she was. She was looking at me, recognized my voice, grabbed my hand. It was beautiful. She was looking for food right away and her thumb found its way into her mouth. She has been a voracious nurser from the beginning...our nurse told us that her other babies were struggling that night and Lola was her champion nurser! Right now, she will nurse for hours and sleep for hours.

After I got all cleaned up, my mom brought Ada in. It was so sweet to see her react to Lola since she'd been hearing about her being in my belly for so long. She got up on the bed and leaned forward to whisper the sweetest hi you've ever heard! It was such a tender moment. She has been so good with her and asks about her all the time. "Baby? Lala?" And walks over and says, "Awwwwwe, baby!" She is interested in holding her, but only for a few seconds. Then it's bye-bye.

That night, my nurse got me up to go to the bathroom and I got really lightheaded. I sat back down and they waved ammonia in my face. Then my nurse started scrubbing my face really hard with a wet washcloth. She did that once during labor and I pushed her hand away then! Not a good feeling! She kept repeating to people over and over again how she forgot that I didn't like that, I'm thinking, "Who likes having a nasty rough hospital washcloth scrubbed on their face?!" Anyway, they all made a big deal about my lightheadedness and made me stay in that room extra long. I am convinced it's from not eating or having anything to drink ALL day long, laboring, and blood loss...it didn't seem in excess but I guess it's better safe than sorry. We finally got into recovery and got a new nurse that was wonderful! Loved Val. She sounded like Ina Garten and said fabulous a lot. She was so sweet and attentive. The next day, my nurse forgot my meds TWICE after I asked for them. Yeesh. I felt like our room had a revolving door on it, people just kept coming in. Except when we needed something. One machine kept beeping like crazy so I pushed the call button. They said, "Oh okay, be right there." Nobody came. So I pushed the call button a couple hundred times :) They laughed and finally got someone in there to turn it off. The cleaning lady came in right after Lola had nursed and fallen asleep, she was SO loud! Banging things like crazy. Another random nurse came in and was yelling to my nurse. It was like they had no respect for the fact that we had a brand new baby and needed some peace and quiet. Needless to say, we wanted to get home ASAP. It was the polar opposite of my experience at French Hospital with Ada - I never wanted to leave because they were so wonderful!
We were pushing to get everything signed and completed so that we could leave, and our nurse from the day before came back. She was so sweet and meant well, but she was a complete spaz! I can't tell you how many times I heard, "Sorry!" and "Oh I forgot..." She came to give Lola her shot and forgot a band-aid. So blood got all over her blanket. She smashed her finger in my wheelchair the night before, and then while trying to open my ibuprofen she was complaining about her smashed finger. I said, "Oh, is that from the wheelchair?" She said no, it was from her wheelbarrow at home. Evidently she had piled her laundry up high in it and was trying to get the wheelbarrow across the yard...I don't know. It was just so funny to me because that was just so something she would do! There was some confusion about the pediatrician, and Matt had to get firm to get them to do anything. Finally at 8 PM a doctor shows up to check Lola out and send us home. We were SO happy to be headed home!

Matt and I still keep looking at each other and saying, "We did it!" I am so happy that I accomplished my goal of a VBAC. The recovery has been so much better than a c-section! I was amazed at how I could get out of bed on my own when we got home. Lola is one week old now and I'm feeling better every day. Thank goodness for my mom being here, I'm having some anxiety about her leaving! I don't know how I would've made it through this past week without her. She's amazing. Ada has been having some major fun with her Nonnie!

Cool things: I was due on the 4th and came on the 7th. Lola did the same thing!
Matt was skateboarding home from work on Saturday night and asked if I wanted anything at 7-11. Usually I'd say no, but I said a Slurpee sounded good. So we had Slurpees from 7-11 and then Lola came on 8-7-11!

Welp, there it is. We are now a family of FOUR! And Matt is destined to be outnumbered and have little Papa's girls :)

10 Months Pregnant!

2011-08-04T15:26:00.000-07:00

How far along? 40 weeks

Total weight gain: 42 lbs!

Stretch marks: Nope

Sleep: Oh sleep. Last night was rough...Lola's hanging out up high in my ribs and it was killing me! I have pillows wedged all around me and get up nice and slowly to waddle to the bathroom. 3 visits last night!

Best moment this week: Our Sunday School class freaking out when I told them I was due in 4 days. "And you're at church?!" They'll really flip if I show up this Sunday!

Movement: Is still constant! Little feet running up and down my side, arms and hands rolling across my belly. She's a mover and a shaker!

Food cravings: Nothing in particular recently.

Gender: Girl!

Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks contractions all the time. Just standing up gives me one. Or laughing, rolling over, lifting Ada...pretty much always having BH!

Belly Button in or out? Stretched out and silly still.

What I miss: Clothes that fit. I am having trouble making sure t-shirts cover all of my belly!

What I am looking forward to: Meeting this precious little girl and getting acquainted with one another :)

Weekly Wisdom: Stay busy, otherwise you will go crazy. I've been cleaning, walking, playing, reading...anything to keep my mind off being due today. Especially since I was 9 days late with Ada, getting my hopes up for an on time baby is crazy.

Milestones: Lola could really come at any moment! Can't wait :)

9 1/2 Months Pregnant!

2011-07-21T18:28:00.000-07:00

How far along? 38 weeks

Total weight gain: 39 lbs!

Stretch marks? Nope
Sleep: Is interrupted by 1-2 potty breaks a night. Surrounded by lots of pillows and nothing on top of me...I'm an Easy Bake Oven.
Best moment this week: Being told I look small. Ada patting my belly & saying Lala :)
Movement: Has.Not.Slowed.Down. She is so active still! She doesn't care that she's running out of room...she's still kicking, pushing & punching my insides all the time.
Food cravings: Watermelon. And chocolate. Anything chocolate!
Gender: Girl!
Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks contractions all the time. Dilated 1 cm.
Belly Button in or out? Stretched out and silly still.
What I miss: Being comfortable.
What I am looking forward to: Having a BABY!
Weekly Wisdom: Husbands are awesome. Especially mine :)
Milestones: Lola could come at anytime and thrive in the outside world!

Here are Ada & I today. She kept saying, "Hat!" haha

Ada is 19 Months

2011-07-13T22:20:00.000-07:00

Ada is growing up! We had her check-up last month at around 18 1/2 months.

Weight: 27 lbs. 80th percentile

Height: 33 in. 85th percentile

Head Circumference: 18.5 in. 75th percentile

She is such a fun little girl. Constantly chattering away and learning more words each day! Today's word was puppy. Puppy, puppy, hi puppy to every dog we saw on our walk.

One of her favorite things to do is what we have termed Roll Call. She names off everyone in the vicinity and points to them. "Mommy! Papa! Nannie! Nonnie! Baby! Lala!"

She loves reading to herself.

No is another favorite word, along with okay & thank you. It sounds like, "Tay-dew." She'll say it over and over again until you say, "You're welcome!"

When she runs she does a funny little trot/skip thing.

When we ask her what her buns are, she pats them and says, "Bup."

She is full of energy & life with lots to say!

She kisses my belly and says Lala...we are interested to see how she reacts to a new baby in the family!

Lola's Ultrasound Pics

2011-07-11T23:55:00.000-07:00

Today, at 36 weeks 3 days, I had another ultrasound for Miss Lola Jennie! Everything looks great. She is measuring right on track & her belly is in the 90th percentile. My doctor called it a buddha belly :) They estimated that she weighs 7 1/2 lbs. already, so we are looking at another big baby (Ada was 9 lbs.)!

She has the cutest little profile:

And I am soooo excited that she will have lots of hair! This picture is of her head, the white spiky stuff that looks like fire is hair :)

Here's another sweet profile picture. Love those lips!

Only 24 days until her due date...we can't wait to meet her!