Maverick’s Birth Story

He is finally here! Maverick John Coppola arrived on Friday, August 22nd, 2008 at 3:08 pm. He weighed 9 pounds and 2 ounces and was 21.5 inches long. In other words, he was huge! He came out looking bruised, purple, and puffy like his sister and I was sure he was the spitting image of her, but a few days have passed and he is looking more and more like a Matson every day. He is absolutely gorgeous (if I do say so myself) with blue eyes and lots of dark blonde or light brown hair. At five days old, he really looks nothing like his sister at this point, and I have to admit, after having one child that is the absolute clone of her Daddy, I am kind of excited to have one that looks like me!

It has taken me a couple days to actually be able to take the time to sit down and write out Maverick’s birth story, and for a few reasons. First of all, bringing home a second baby from the hospital is a little busier than coming home with the first. But secondly, and the main reason was that the labor and delivery really was such a whirlwind that I have needed to think about it and reflect on it a little before putting it all into words. It was very intense and it happened very fast, and because of that some of the details seemed very blurry to me. I will do my best to journal every detail though, I know time has a way of changing how things are remembered, so although so of it seems unclear, it’s better I do this sooner than later.

I had my final Doctor checkup on Monday the 18th, and I was only 2 cm dilated and not really effaced at all. Friday was my due date and the Doctor did not feel comfortable having me go past it, because of my GD. We made the decision to schedule an induction for Friday, and although I hoped and prayed all week I would go into labor on my own, I guess that wasn’t a part of the Plan and Friday morning came with John and I off to the hospital at 5:30 am, bright and early. We checked in through Emergency and got sent up to the third floor of Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, where we were checked into our room.

The nurse checked finally came and checked at around 6:00 am, and basically said that the Doctor had been generous with his estimation of 2 cm on Monday, that I still seemed to be only at about that. This meant the plan would have to change a little. Originally, we had just planned that I would come in and have my water broken that morning, that that should have sent me right into active labor and no other medicines or unnatural forms of induction would be required. But I guess I hadn’t really thought about what would happen if that weren’t that case. The Doctor and Nurses didn’t seem to think this was a big deal, they wanted to start me on Cervadil, and insert used to ripen the cervix. Now I had tried that with Tula, in fact I checked into the hospital the night before I was induced with her and had that in for 12 hours and it did absolutely nothing, so I was a little skeptical. My main concern was that it would take 12 hours and wouldn’t work, and that they would have to do further intervention, and so much later in the day. I didn’t want to lie in bed all day bored and start pictocin at 8 o’clock that night, and go into labor tired and hungry. Plus, I was on a bit of a clock as well. I had never left Tula overnight and I had already been told that I could be released 24 hours after baby was born, as long as there were no complications. Most of the time, they want you to stay 48 hours, but I was desperate to get the baby home and be there with Tula so my Doctor was good about that. I know every hour I laid there not in labor and not progressing was another hour that Tula had to spend without me and I was in such a hurry to get home to her it was unreal. However, when I found out there would be no “active” labor right away that morning, I called Jenelle and Dad and they came by at about 10 to the hospital and sat with us for awhile. Of course they brought Tula along, and although she didn’t know what to think about being in the hospital and seeing me in the bed and hooked up to anything, she seemed just as happy to see me as I was to see her. She immediately got into the bed with me and snuggled a little and wanted to nurse. And I am pretty sure that that was what did it for me. I had heard that that could send you into labor. In fact, some doctors claim that breastfeeding while pregnant can lead to early labor. I breastfed Tula throughout my entire pregnancy and can honestly say never felt so much as a contraction while doing so. But it must have been the combination of my “readiness” for the new baby, the cervadil, and maybe just being in the hospital. It wasn’t long after she was finished, I would say around 11:30 am, that I started feeling a couple contractions. They weren’t very regular, but they were getting more and more intense. I knew the doctor was coming on his lunch break to check on me and possibly break my water, so I just visited with everyone until he got there and when he arrived at 12:30, Jen, Dad and Tula left. Doctor checked and removed the Cervadil. I was 4 cm! This was a good thing; it meant he was able to break my water at 12:40. He did so and left, and I would say it didn’t take a half an hour for me to feel like I was in full on, active labor. I could not believe how fast that seemed to work. Not quite an hour later, the nurse came in to check on me and I felt that my contractions were getting strong enough that I was ready to be checked again. Although I was now 90% effaced, I was still only at 5 cm, and I was in enough pain that that news was heartbreaking to me at the time. I was sure I couldn’t take much more and felt discouraged. I decided then that I wasn’t going to ask to be checked again. I would rather not know how much progress I was making than know that it wasn’t very much.

However…not even an hour later things were getting crazy in my room. I can honestly say that this labor, while induced naturally, was no easier than the one with Tula on Pit. Faster, yes, for sure. But the contractions were possibly more volatile with Mav than they were with her. My contractions were coming on so strong that I was moaning and groaning like a wildebeest and the nurse kept peeking in on me, sure I was ready to deliver. She asked me if I wanted to be checked again, and I said I wanted to work through a couple more contractions. I knew I was close, but on the other hand, I didn’t want to know if I wasn’t. According to her notes, she checked me at 2:43 pm and I was 7 cm and 100% effaced. I told her I thought the baby was coming, she said to get back on the ball and see what happens after a few more contractions. She did call for the doctor though and tell him to hurry, I know that much. She also called for the nursery nurse to come and set up the baby’s warming table, etc. for after delivery. I sat for maybe three minutes and all of a sudden was convinced that I needed to go to the bathroom. I told the nurse so and went running to the toilet, she was screaming for me to get back on the bed. Well I barely got to the bathroom and realized this was definitely not the place I needed to be, and waddled my way back to the bed. I was pretty much a crazy lady at this point. The nurse said she would call it “unruly”. I knew that this was it and I needed to push. At this point, the nurse had in her notes it was 2:58 and I was 10 cm. Well, obviously. When I sat back on the bed, I couldn’t sit properly and felt in between my legs and I could feel his head. Holy cow, this was it and there was no doctor in sight. I laid back and started pushing, I remember the nurse yelling, “I need hands”. I looked down and there was my nurse, a new nurse, and the nursery nurse standing down there with eyes as big as pie plates. My nurse looked at me and said, “YOU need to push this baby out” making it very clear that it was up to me. What I didn’t realize at the time was what she was trying to tell me was that this was pretty much going to be completely unassisted. To this day, I have no idea why, and I don’t know why I never asked. Maybe I will one day. But I started to push, I remember yelling “Can ONE of you help me?” at some point through the contraction and they just kept telling me to keep pushing. I think it took two “pushing contractions” and I felt him emerge. It was the strangest, but most beautiful feeling. I feel like I could feel every little bump on the kid on the way out. And then one big plop and it was done. I remember just looking down, in between my legs, and he was just lying there. I saw him blink for the first time. And I swear me made eye contact in that one little blink. The room was so quiet, I think the nurses were all freaked right out, I know John was. And I guess it was right then the doctor walked through the door. John said as he walked in he was putting on one of those paper apron things and when he got to the door he threw it down and just grabbed some gloves and ran to me. He grabbed Maverick and aspirated him and placed him on my belly immediately. He started to cry and I just hugged and held him and took in the moment. It was all so surreal though. I know the nurses were in trouble, I think that the doctor was furious and they were all just trying to stay composed and professional in front of me. I know he was mad they didn’t call in time, and in fairness to them, I went from 7 cm to 10 cm in about 10 minutes, and the only indication I was at 10 was that I had a head practically hanging out of me when I sat back down on the bed. So it was kind of just quiet in the room, I didn’t mind though. They took Maverick and cleaned him up a little, I asked them to wait for the bath and let me spend some time with him first.

There is not a more precious time to spend with your newborn than those first few moments after delivery. I feel like they are God’s reward to Mothers for all the pain and agony they just endured. I know that absolutely everything else was irrelevant at that moment and I just held my son and fell in love. I know there were other things going on in the room, it’s kind of busy and chaotic in there, but I am just lost in him and oblivious to it all. We had a few minutes together, I nursed him for the first time, stole some kisses, and Daddy took him back over watched while he had his first bath. I remember the doctor apologized for being a little “tardy”. It was cute. Haha, I remember when they told me he was 9 pounds 2 ounces I asked all the nurses if any of them could say they lost 10 pounds today. I remember that same feeling I had with Tula after an unmedicated birth, a sense of empowerment and pride and power that I didn’t need anyone to even acknowledge what I had done, I knew that it was nothing short of amazing and I had just done a phenomenal job. I remember putting that little babe in John’s arms for the first time and the look on his face as he finally meets him. How carefully he brings him over to the nurses and how gently he holds him. I remember immediately sitting there thinking about how good it feels to not me pregnant anymore, and what an immediate physical relief that is on my body.

Basically, I labored from 12:40 (when they broke my water) to 3:08 (when he was born) so about 2 and a half hours and he came in about two big pushes at the end. I went from 5 cm to 10 cm in just over an hour. I should have known, Tula was a one push baby and the nurses I had with her warned me to tell my Doctor how fast she came, and that the next one could be even faster.. Well, he most certainly was!

I am so, so thankful that in those absolutely crazy final moments of delivery, when everything is so chaotic and you think it will never all be clear, that my brain is just kind of recording the whole thing to sort though later. And though I wouldn’t claim to remember anything close to every little detail, the perfect little details I do remember are so clear to me, it seems as though that memory could never escape me, even if I wanted it to. I will never forget seeing him for the first time on that table. Ah, to see his eyes open and that he was moving and there and perfect. There has never been a more beautiful sight to a mother than her child for the first time, I’m sure.

John, thank you again for helping me have a fabulous unmedicated labor and delivery. You are an amazing support and strength to me, but in those moments you are a rock. I love that you know exactly what I need at the time and you were my hero throughout the whole thing. I am sure the nurse thought we were crazy, every time she came in the room we weren’t talking. But that’s how I like it and what I need and for 3 hours your just sat there holding my hand and staring at me and swaying with me, trying not to laugh at all my crazy faces and moans. Oh yeah, and you yawn. A lot. And although it kind of annoys me at the time, I look back and think it’s so cute that you tried so hard to cover it up from me, I am sure thinking that it wasn’t possible for you to be more tired than me. You are honestly the best labor coach ever, and I am grateful and honored to have shared those moments with you in this life. When you thank me for those babies, know that it was my absolute pleasure, and I have felt honored that you chose me to be the mother to your kids. It’s moments like these, when the core of who someone is really counts, that I am reminded why I fell in love with you, and will love you forever. We are building a beautiful family together and I look into Tula and Mav’s faces and see you and me and us and I love my life all over again.

As far as the details, that’s about as descriptive as I can get. When I have my 6-week checkup with the doctor I will definitely have some questions for him. I have a feeling that most of the fuzzy details will remain that way though. I assume that the nurses didn’t want to assist me because of a liability issue? That’s the only reason I can think of. I would have liked to have thought that in a moment like that, it would have been more about people just helping people, but I guess not. And that’s okay. If anything, it made name picking a lot easier. We had had the name Maverick in mind only for a couple weeks. It literally just came to me one day and when I went to look up the meaning the baby book said it meant “unconventional”. Well after his birth, I was sure he came in the most unconventional way, and he was my Maverick from that point on. I wanted his middle name to be after his Daddy, and I think John was proud to have a son named after him. So Maverick John sounded perfect to us. And although we wanted to give it a few hours to make sure we were sure, I was positive from the moment I saw him. We have been calling him Mav, that seems to be the nickname that is sticking, and it just suits him. Funny how that works.

Mav…thanks you for coming into this world so quickly and easily. You gave Mommy a huge break and I am grateful! Although the end got a little wild and you proved yourself to be an unstoppable force who waits for no man. I love you so much already. You are the calmest, chillest, sleepiest baby ever and it has been a wonderful first week with you. You are truly a great baby, and I have a feeling that you are going to be a wonderful little boy, and an amazing man. I thank God for you everyday, and I will always feel blessed to have been chosen to be your Mommy. I hope that life brings you as much excitement and joy as your labor brought me. I love you!

Maverick is one week old!

I can hardly believe it. This week has zoomed by. I knew it would go fast, but I had no idea time could slip through your fingers that easy. Hopefully this is not a true indication of what life is like with two kids, because if that's the case I seriously need to get out the camcorder. Not only did it go by fast, but it was a complete whirlwind and there are a lot of details that are already fuzzy. I do know this. I completely grew a new heart this week. I have fallen so head over heels in love with my new little man. I really was so anxious about the whole idea of bringing home a second baby, and loving another child as much as the first. All it took was holding him in my arms for a second and every little worry was calmed. He was my Son, I was his Mommy, and there is an immediate bond that becomes completely clear right after birth. A week ago today, I held him in my arms and knew the joy of having a son, the thrill of becoming a new mom again, and the new love that every child brings into the world when they arrive.

I was so lucky this week to have some of my family in town to help out after Maverick was born. My sister Jenelle and Dad had been here since before the birth and were Maverick's first visitors in the hospital. My Mom had been here before the birth as well, but had to leave for a few days and it worked out that that was when he was born. So Grandma M didn't get to meet him until Sunday night, when he was about two days old. But they all were here to spend Mav's first week with us, Jenelle left yesterday and Mom and Dad left this morning. Thank you all so much you guys! They were all so helpful, my house was spotless, lots of food, and most importantly, Tula was well taken care of and entertained, giving me the opportunity to spend lots of time with Maverick, doing whatever he wanted to do. Luckily for me, that was mostly sleeping and eating, so we spent lots of time in bed, getting to know eachother, snuggling and snoozing and him eating like a champ. Breastfeeding him has been a breeze, he figured it out right away and seems to be eating well and often. He seems to be a very satisfied and content little guy. He is still sleeping a lot throughout the day and pretty much just wakes to eat. The nights are the same, I am getting two and sometimes three hour stretches thoughout the night, but he will wake up and eat and go right back to sleep, so no complaints here! He is sleeping with us for now, so feedings are pretty easy for me and don't require a lot of work. Of course I am feeling like I am definately lacking in the sleep department this week, its the fact that the hours are uninterrupted that really get ya, but the weeks coming up will be the true test, this one was easy cause we got to nap so much thoughout the day, a luxury I wont have now that Grandpa, Grandma,, and Auntie are all gone. We are gonna miss that, but looking forward to getting into a routine as a new family of four.

The other wonderful thing about Maverick's first week is we actually had Daddy home all week long. It was actually kind of involuntary, things have been slow here and there wasn't a bunch of work so John actually had a whole entire week off. This is the first time that had happened, sometimes he gets a day or two off but never that much time. Although we couldn't afford to do it all the time, it was a great week for him to have and I am so thankful to have had him around so much. Watching him hold our babies, and just love them up is one of the most beautiful parts of being a Mother. It gives you a whole new love for your husband, and watching John with his son this week has let me fall in love all over again with him. John is truly an amazing Daddy, he has a patience and calmness with our kids that amazes me. I loved having him around so much, and we will all miss him like crazy his first day back to work next week.

So a quick recap of Maverick's first week:

Friday- born at 3:08 and had Grandpa, Auntie Jen and Tula as our first visitors.
Saturday- released from the hospital 24 hours after delivery (to the minute, that was so annoying). We went home and Grandpa and Auntie Jen and Tula had a sign on the front lawn, a cake, and a houseful of it's a boy balloons waiting for us. We felt so special and celebrated! John and I took Tula for a walk by herslf that night, she missed us so much while we were gone. We had an early dinner and got settled into our home with the new baby, my own bed had never felt so good after a long night in the hospital.
Sunday- Maverick's first outing! We got up Sunday morning and headed over to the golf course for breakfast. Tula loves her weekend pancakes and we figured it would be an easy "first trip". We hauled Grandpa along for the adventure. It went well, Mav slept through the whole thing. But there was lots to pack to get ready to take two babies out of the house, and it felt like a huge deal walking into a restaurant with both of them. It will probably be awhile until we feel like we can do a dinner with the both of them, breakfasts are doable but that will probably be the extent of our eating out as a family for awhile. Maybe...we'll see. Sunday afternoon Grandpa and daddy took Tula swimming and Mommy and Maverick slept the afternoon away. Grandma M came in Sunday night and met baby Mav for the first time, we had dinner at home and kept it low key.
Monday- First Doctor appt, Mav looked a little yellow so they ordered us to go the next morning for bloodwork to make sure his bilirubin count was okay.
Tuesday- Woke up bright and early, I had an immigration appointment downtown Phoenix at 9 am and I didn't want to go with out Maverick in case I would be long and he got hungry. JOhn drove us and him and Mav waited in the car for me. Luckily, I was only an hour and they were kind enough to let me wait in our truck for my appointment. I was not taking Mav in there! We headed home, and stopped at a lab to get bloodwork. That afternoon, we got the call that Mav had jaundice (he number was 20.8) and he needed to be admitted to the hospital that night. We had dinner with Tula and and then Me, my mom and sister took him to the hospital while Daddy stayed home to put Tula to bed. I stayed that the hospital that night by myself with Mav, he hated the tanning bed and wouldn't stay in there so I was getting no sleep . I finally called John at 4 am and he came to relieve me for a few hours, I got a sleep a little and so did the baby. Tuesday night was a long night, all that crying did him some good though cause he had his first poop!
Wednesday - We were released at 3 in the afternoon, Mav's blood came back and he was down to a 15. We came home and Grandpa and Grandma had taken Tula to Scottsdale for the afternoon, so we had the house and baby to ourselves. We took Maverick out for dinner, and he was a doll and slept the entire time, not one peep.
Thursday- Auntie Jenelle left in the morning. My Mom and I took both kids to lunch at Olive Garden and then home for naps. We went out for dinner and some dancin' at San Tan Flats. Tula loves to dance out there, and Maverick made life easy again by sleeping through the whole night. He didn't make a peep at all, this kid is really a dreamy, easy baby so far!
Friday- Happy one week birthday Maverick! Grandpa and Grandma left this morning and our friends Kayden and Tatum came for a visit this afternoon. It was nice for Tula to see her friends for awhile, and Kaisha ended up watching the kids while I headed back to the lab with Mav for his final bloodwork to tell us everything was fine and his numbers were lower and jaundice was clearing up! Wonderful news! My poor baby has two black heels from having so much blood drawn this week. What a trooper!

So the week has actually been relatively busy, the mediacal worries we had with Mav kept us a little more on our toes than anyone wants to be the week of bringing a baby home. But we are grateful and blessed that he is healed and there is no more concern. There is nothing scarier that having a sick baby, and a trip to a pediatric unit, walking up the halls and seeing all the different medical equipment for kids reminds me, as a mother, how truly blessed I am to have two perfectly healthy babies. What a gift!

Maverick, Happy One week Birthday Little Man! You are such a handsome baby, with such a calm personality (so far) and possibly the cuddliest baby I have ever known. And you barely cry! We welcome you into our family with open arms and thank you for all the joy you have brought into our lives already! Thanks for such a fun and happy week! We love you so much already and cannot wait to watch you grow!

Introducing......

I know, I know, I am slacking! This blogging thing is no small task for a new Mommy of two! I will try and add Maverick's birth story as soon as possible but I am going to need a little patience, it will probably be a couple days. In the meantime, I am trying to add pictures to the Mac Gallery regularly so keep checking back for those. I had to switch my blog up a little too, I am pretty sure the new addition wouldn't be into a pink blog, so ta da! It's pretty plain for now, I will play with that when I have more time too! For now, enjoy the new look and new stories from me as life as a family of four. The first week has proven itself to be hectic, but the abundance of joy that Maverick has added to our home makes every bit worthwhile. Anyways, almost a week later, here is the official announcement! Maverick is here, and life as a family of four has officially begun!

A Fun Night!

Tonight was Tula's "last" night as an only child so we wanted to take her out and do something special and fun just for her.  And would Tula love to spend a night any other way than out on a dance floor cutting a rug with her Daddy?  Absolutely not!  We took her to a really cool place out by our house called San Tan Flats.  It's like an old Western restaurant and bar with live music and a dance floor and BBQ pits outside.  We had a great dinner and sat around outside for awhile afterwards taking in the entertainment.  As soon as we got outside and Tula heard the music she started boppin'.  First we just let her stand on our table, she kind of would bounce up and down a little and try and snap her fingers the way she does.  Then, when she finally got out on the dance floor, there was no stopping her.  John, Jenelle, or my Dad would take he our for half a song or so and go to bring her back to the table and she would be ready to go again.  John even requested and had the guy play some Brooks and Dunn, Tula's favorite! She actually seemed to recognize the Boot Scootin' Boogie, and danced even harder to it. Hopefully Baby Brother likes country music too, Tula seems to have found her genre of choice and it looks like she's gone country all the way.  

We had so much fun watching her out there.  I felt so proud, she was such a little joy and everyone was smiling and watching her and thought she was just the most adorable thing ever. Of course I couldn't have agreed more.  Watching her and John out there and the reminder of sheer joy that my family brings me was such a great way to spend the night. Tula, thanks for a wonderful last night just the three of us!  Can't wait to bring your Brother home to you tomorrow and start this new journey together with you.  Mommy and Daddy love you!

Tomorrow we will meet our son!

I really cannot even believe it.  Time has just flown by with this pregnancy.  I remember finding out Christmas morning and announcing it to everyone that afternoon, and sometimes I feel like it has just been a whirlwind since then.  I think because I had Tula for this pregnancy, she kept me so busy and occupied that I didn't have time to sit around and think about it like I did with her.  In a way, I am glad for that.  I liked that it went by fast and everytime I thought about just how pregnant I really was it seemed I was at least a week farther along than the last time I had stopped to think about it.  The end has been tougher though.  The last six weeks, since Tula has been really mobile and fully walking, have been exhausting, to say the least.  I think just being in the last trimester can be tiring enough, but add on 110 degrees of heat every single day, and throw a toddler to chase around into the mix and the exhaustion seemed almost unbearable at times.  Thank God for Moms!  Both Mine and John's came out and braved the heat to spend a week or two with us cooking, cleaning, and helping out with Tula.  Letting us get lots of sleep and go out for dinners and that kind of fun stuff.  And don't get me wrong, for the most part I have amazing and perfect pregnancies, I have with both kids.  But the second time around in 2 years...the end gets a little long.  I feel like I have been anxious to meet him for weeks now, wondering if he would pop out  a little early and spare me the "joys" of going overdue.  But alas, that is not the case.  I am 40 weeks tomorrow, and my doctor and I have decided, for a couple different reasons, that I am going to get induced.  

First of all, it really annoys me to this day that I went a full week overdue with Tula and did not even so much as dialate on my own.  I was indced at exactly 41 weeks, as far as they would let me go having Gestational Diabetes.  Oh yeah, and I tried EVERYTHING with her to get her to come out on her own.  It was June in CT, the weather was great, and we were walking usually twice a day.  Mexican food, eggplant, pineapple.....castor oil?!?!  Nothing worked, I still had to be induced.  And I was really bummed about it, I really , really would love to have that fun experience of going into labor on my own, and I swore that the next time I was pregnant I would have that chance.  Oddly enough, now that I am here again and in the same boat, an induction doesn't seem like that bad of an idea and I don't remember it being awful at all.  It's not like I have spent the last year sitting around feeling sorry for myself about Tula's. I had a wonderful birth with her, and although I was induced and had a much more intense labor than was probably neccessary, I was still able to do it without an epidural or any other pain relief and that was the most important part to me.  I can only pray tomorrow's induction goes as smoothly as the last.  

So here is the plan.  I am to go to the hosptital at 5:30 am and check myself in.  If I am at 3 cm (which we are really hoping for, I was at 2 cm at my appointment on Monday) the doctor is going to just break my water for me with the hopes that that would send me into active labour right away.  If I am not yet at 3 cm, they will use a cervix ripening agent for a couple hours and then break my water when I am at three cm.  I have already made the Doc promise that if the nurse checks me at 5:30 and I am at 3 cm already, he will come to the hospital right away and not make me wait around all morning for him.  I will post a birth story as soon as possible, I am hoping it is really quick and we will be holding our son by lunchtime tomorrow!  

Baby Boy, I feel like I have waited forever and a day to meet you.  I absolutely cannot wait to hold you in my arms, to smell your new baby smell, and look at your perfect face and rest easy knowing you have arrived safe and sound.  You are going to bring so much to our family, and I cannot wait to meet you and get to know you.  Doing this the second time around, I know I have so much more of a grasp for just how much I am going to love you, and how much I already do.   Mommy and Daddy and Tula cannot wait to meet you and welcome you into our lives.  You are so very loved.

Today is an emotional day for me knowing it is my last day with just one "baby".  I have adjusted to living life with  one year old and I totally understand how easy they are compared to a newborn.  On the other hand, having went through the newborn stage already with Tula, I realize how fast it goes and how precious those moments are.  I know today will be emotional for me with Tula, I keep getting those feeling of "this will be the last time we get to do this or that"... but I am just trying to relax and enjoy today and not think about it too much, it gets me way too emotional.  

Tula, this year with you as been a delight and I have loved being able to pour all my love into you and only you.  There have been so many special times, jut the two of us and although this parenting thing is a constant learning curve, you showed me what is is to be a Mommy and how special the love is between a Mother and a child.  We have become the best of friends and you are the light of my life! Although this is going to be an adjustment period for all of us, maybe you the most, I want you to always know I just love you with all my heart.  I am so excited for you to meet your Baby Brother, I know you will be the best Big Sister in the whole wide world!

Miss me?

I know it's been forever since I have posted anything. I am absolutely exhausted and at the end of my pregnancy am finding it really tough to sit at the computer long enough to actually write something. I have been adding pics to the Mac gallery often, so check there for the latest and greatest in our life. Not a whole lot is new, Tula did turn 13 months old last week but I must say all of a sudden, after the first birthday party, those little monthly ones aren't near as exciting. And although she changes every day right now, sometimes seemingly by the minute, there aren't a lot of major milestones to post about. She has went from walking to full on running, she has turned into an absolute clown and loves to make us laugh. Her personality seems to be more apparent everyday, and I feel like I am really getting to know this little person who is just her wonderful self. We have had our first couple "episodes" out and about because I won't let her walk places, she is starting to not love her stroller and has occasionally fought me to go into it. Food is going okay, she eats great at breakfast and lunch still, dinners are touch and go. She would still prefer to eat purreed food for dinner and I am really trying to get her on finger foods and thats been a bit of a challenge. I feel constantly worried that she isn't getting enough, though you can see by her growth chart that although she is still small, she is growing lots and on a great curve so I guess no worries there. She drinks whole milk like a champ and still nurses in the morning and occasionally throughout the day, though that is becoming few and far between. Daddy has been doing the "bedtime thing" with Tula the last few weeks, its such a treat and break for me, and she seems to be responding to it really well. Daddy brings her to me (wherever I am in the house) for my goodnight kiss after they do bathtime and then off to read a story with her milk. They have a quick cuddle, and he is able to put her down for bed awake and she will go right to sleep for him. She has really taken to John this month, I have a feeling the bedtime thing may have something to do with it, but its hard to tell if it is a "cause" or "result" of, just hard to tell which came first.

The pregnancy is going great everyone is healthy and that's the most important part. I am, however, completely exhausted and very uncomfortable. It's hot here so that makes it tough, but Tula is also so mobile and I just cannot keep up anymore. More than that, I am just ready to have and hold my son on the outside of me. I can't wait for him to meet everyone that has waited so long for him, and I am just so excited to see him with Tula, to watch my two children together, her holding and loving and kissing him. All that beautiful stuff. Of course John and I can't wait to meet him, but we are excited to show him to his sis and become the family of four that we have waited 9 months to be. I am not going to lie. I am really excited just to be done being preggo for awhile. Do you realize I have been pregnant for approx. 75% of the last two years (sidebar: we were only married two years this June!) So yeah, I can't wait to be done for many, many reasons. But the end is near, we are about 2 weeks away from my due date, so anything could happen at any time! So exciting.

Here's a quick video of some of Tula's giggles, its a quick one but sure to make you smile. Enjoy!

Tula's First Year Growth Chart

Date Age Weight Length

06/29/2007 0 days 7 lbs. 8 oz. 20.5 inches
06/30/2007 1 days 7 lbs. 2 oz. 20.5 inches
07/03/2007 4 days 7 lbs. 4 oz. 20.5 inches
07/12/2007 2 weeks 7 lbs. 15 oz. 20.5 inches
07/26/2007 4 weeks 8 lbs. 13 oz. 21 inches
08/16/2007 7 weeks 10 lbs. 8 oz. 21 inches
09/05/2007 10 weeks 11 lbs. 4 oz. 22.5 inches
09/20/2007 13 weeks 12 lbs. 2 oz. 23.5 inches
10/03/2007 3 months 12 lbs. 8 oz. 24 inches
11/01/2007 4 months 13 lbs. 9 oz. 25 inches
11/30/2007 5 months 14 lbs. 7 oz. 25.5 inches
01/03/2008 6 months 14 lbs. 11 oz. 26.5 inches
01/23/2008 7 months 15 lbs. 9 oz. -
02/29/2008 8 months 15 lbs. 2 oz. 27 inches
03/31/2008 9 months 15 lbs. 7 oz. -
05/08/2008 10 months 16 lbs. 13 oz. 27 inches
05/30/2008 11 months 15 lbs. 8 oz. 27.5 inches
06/20/2008 11.5 mos 16 lbs. 2 oz. 27.5 inches
06/30/2008 12 months 16 lbs. 15 oz 28.5 inches
08/06/2008 13 months 17 lbs. 11 oz 29 inches