Insta-April

Feeling green?  I finally finished the curtains in Averett's room.  It's only taken two years.  

And, the kids and I came to a compromise.  They could have chocolate milk, but I could sneak in whatever greens I wanted.  Win for me.

Hazel has been begging for a sleepover with Averett, we finally gave in and they finally went to bed around 11pm.  I love checking on them at night, you never know what you'll find.

Hazel wrapped up another session of gymnastics and her first year of dance.  Averett has been an awesome supporter in her activities.

Cherry Blossom Festival.  Well, it was pouring the weekend we wanted to go, they blossoms came and pretty much went before the next weekend - but that's okay.  We still had a nice picnic and enjoyed the company.

Last but not least, the month ended with a grateful bang when this little guy joined our family.  We are so happy!

Room Service?

Room Service?  I fluff your pillow?

Ah, life at the hospital.  Room service, "free" babysitters, unlimited ice water.  Who wouldn't want to stay for days?  

Oh, me.  

I can only lay in bed and watch HGTV for so long before I get ridiculously stir-crazy.  

Thankfully we did have some visitors to distract us. 

Seth's fam came the night Pierson was born, and smuggled in some better-than-hospital-food dinner for us.  Much appreciated.

The next day, my mom brought the new "bigs" up to see their new baby brother.  Hazel is already a "little mother", she even insisted on getting Pierson a teddy bear from the gift shop.  Averett was a little more "reserved" - content to just say hi from a distance.

Seth and I loved the visitors, but we really liked the one-on-one time we got to spend with Pierson.

And, we really, REALLY liked it when we got the thumbs up to go home. 

 Pierson even put "real clothes" on to go home.

"new" baby

 Pierson Bayard

8 pounds 11 ounces

21.25 inches

1:36pm

We love him from head to toe.

D-Day: Family of Five

(Like the previous deliveries, you don't have to read this, but it's the closest thing I have to a journal.  And, if you're looking for a wild, crazy, gory delivery...this is not it, in fact, it's kind of on the boring side....thankfully)

Pre-Delivery Day:

I have never worried about going into labor early...until this time.  For some weird reason, around week 38, I started to get nervous.

Really nervous.

Hazel's big dance recital was the 21st, Averett's birthday was the 22nd, my mom was flying in on the 23rd and I wasn't due until the 25th.  I was paranoid that Baby would come before my mom got here and THEN WHAT??

And a name?  Yeah, we didn't have one.  

Seriously.  

We usually keep our names to ourselves until baby is born,  but this time we really had no idea!  Hazel had named him Baby Wendy Honda, so we were all calling him Baby Honda.  But really?  You can't name a kid after a fast-food joint and a minivan!

I saw Dr. B on Thursday, the 18th... I was at a 3, and everything else was "progressing well".  I jokingly told Dr. B that I wanted to have the baby sometime after the 24th (so Mom was here) but before the 30th (because our insurance changes May 1st).  She asked if I wanted to schedule an induction and I said please.  My induction with Averett went so, so well, and let's all remember the hospital is 45 minutes away ... in "good" traffic ... I don't need a freeway baby.

Scheduled induction = calmed nerves.  Go figure.

I managed to stay pregnant through Hazel's big recital weekend, Averett doesn't have to share his birthday with his little brother and we even made it to the airport to pick up my mom.  With exception to still making me nauseous and throwing up, the baby was already scoring brownie points with me!

D-Day:

We had to be to the hospital by 7:30am, knowing we had to be up early I successfully had the worst night's sleep.  We showed up at the hospital, and as always, my nurses were awesome.   I was checked and only at a 4-ish, which kind of worried me, I am usually further along when I walk into the hospital.  They started me on a little pitocin to get my contractions into a pattern.  They worked their way into a routine by about 10am, and by 11am life was starting to get painful.

really painful.  

Around 12:20 I got my epidural.  Dr. B came in shortly after to break my water, and told me I had gotten the epidural just in time, I was now at a 7 or 8.

About fifteen minutes later, Donna, the nurse was doing some things and I noticed her face change.  She started moving one of the monitors around on my stomach (the baby's heart monitor).  She laid my bed all the way down and my doctor magically appeared.  An oxygen mask was put on my face, and the doctor and the nurse talked for a few minutes, and then Dr. B patted me on the shoulder and said everything would be okay.  Seth was by my side, holding my hand, and when we were finally alone I couldn't help but cry a little.  

I was scared.

When things settled down, I asked Donna, what had happened, she said that the baby's heart rate had dipped and my blood pressure had also dropped ... I already have freakishly low blood pressure, so it was a little concerning.  Both baby and I returned to "normal", and the doctor said it was probably just our bodies reacting to the epidural and water breaking back to back.  

 The important part: everybody was fine.

While all of this was going on, I started feeling painful contractions again (through the epidural).  They were lower, and looking back they weren't so much contractions as the need to push.  After several of those, I finally mentioned it to the nurse.  Around 1:15ish Dr. B came in to check me again.  She did, and instead of giving me a number, she looked at me and told me it was time to push.  The baby was RIGHT there.

WHAT?!

Ikes!  

It took a few minutes to get everything ready, and Dr. B kept telling me it would only take one push (I didn't believer her).  Sure enough, it was time to push.  One good push and his head came out, I was so surprised, relieved, shocked... it made me laugh, which apparently made the rest of his body come out, with just a little tearing.

 (I know, waaaay too much info...details, details).

He didn't scream right away, and in those two seconds before he did start to wail, I felt my heart skip a little beat.   

(He soon made up for his silent entrance).

1:36pm: an adorable, healthy, perfect baby boy arrived after a simple, boring, "normal" delivery.

So grateful.

Two Years

.. 33.6 pounds (95%) ..

.. 35.5 inches (85%) ..

(4.23.13)

"Baby Brother" is growing up.  

This little man is a big bundle of happiness.  

People frequently comment on how happy and easy-going he seems to be.  He, most definitely, is both.  Occasionally he likes to show his stubborn side, but thankfully those moments are usually rare.

He loves his big sister and frequently imitates her.  He wants to be doing everything she is doing, whether she likes it or not.  He is always so excited to pick her up from preschool, he might be younger than her, but I have a feeling he will always keep an eye out for her.

He is a superstar sleeper.  For naptime and bedtime, as long as he is surrounded by his cars, trucks, pillow pet and blanket he is happy and good-to-go.  

(Heaven forbid something falls out of his crib...not so good-to-go). 

Averett is sweet to the core, he always seems to know when I need a hug or a giant smile, and I absolutely love when he cuddles with me. 

I cannot imagine our life without him, and I can't wait to watch him as a big brother!

Two Times The Fun

The Little Man is officially TWO.  

Oh my.

We went low-key this year (thankfully I did NOT have the baby on Averett's birthday).  We had a little BBQ with Seth's parents and grandpa, a few days before his birthday.  Seth frosted this awesome cake, Averett is in to all things trucks, trains and cars.  

Averett was loving the cake, until the ice cream headache...

He got some awesome CAT trucks from Grandpa and Grandma H - he loved them and at some point might even share with Hazel. (Byron & Ryan - he is already asking when he can tour a Caterpillar plant...be warned!)

On his actual birthday, he was spoiled with some little family people...he (and Hazel) were thrilled.

 

I sure do love this kid, and hope he felt properly celebrated even though I've been a little distracted with the new baby on his way!

I'm Elmo & I Know It.

We have officially survived our first year of dance.   

Half-way through the year, Hazel informed me that she didn't really like dance and only wanted to do gymnastics.  I told her she had to finish out the year.  

She wasn't so thrilled about that, until she got her recital costume...

 The costume magically gave her the energy to finish out the year. 

For their recital, Hazel's class danced to "I'm Elmo & I Know It".

So. Stinkin'. Cute.

Hazel did awesome. 

She loved being on stage, she loved her teacher, Miss Amanda, and she REALLY loved her costume. 

All that love aside, she has decided to hang up her dance shoes and stick to gymnastics for the time being.

(The video is from the dress rehearsal, Hazel did even better the next day for the real performance, but the recording job I did left much to be desired!)

38 Weeks.

Three weeks,  two and a half TWO less than two weeks to go?  Really? How on earth did this happen?  (Okay, so technically I could answer that...)

I rarely write about being pregnant here, but I should probably try and note a "few" details, in case I get the wild idea to do this again...

Epic Relay & Sushi - Maybe not the best way to kick off a pregnancy, but I didn't know I was...yet.

Girls' Weekend in CO - college roomies are the best, holding my hair back and patting my back while I heaved over the sink.  (Don't feel bad for them, they were RAs in college, they have plenty of experience).

Annapolis Half - a goal I have always had, running a half-marathon pregnant.  My "Caution: I stop for morning sickness" sign on my back was a great conversation/friend maker. 

Food Selection - I pick food based not on how it tastes going down, but how it feels coming back up. 

Vein-age - painful, painful veins.  A lot of the throbbing eased up when I stopped running, but it's just crappy and nasty.

It's a Boy! -  (Crushing Hazel's hopes for a sister.  Seth and I were excited though, we love Hazel, but I think she and I may be enough "girl" for this household). 

NOT being hospitalized - three pregnancies, three threats, no hospital yet.  Apparently when you literally throw up EVERYthing you eat, ALL day/night, your doctors think you should go to the hospital for "fluids".  Each time I have somehow managed to keep down "just enough" to stay away.

"Good days and bad days" - the response Hazel would jump in with, anytime someone asks how I am feeling.  (Then she would usually tell them about my latest nauseous episode).

Minivan Mom - and I like it....no, no, I LOVE it!  Even if I am 99% sure I threw up out my eyeballs, on the side of the road, on the way home from the dealer.  Curse you, Burning Vomit.

Dang Girl! - Within a week going from "huh, she's gained a few pounds" to WHAM-BAM "holy crap, are you due TOMORROW?".  Although slightly depressing, it was a slight victory in my mind, because it meant finally at the beginning of my third trimester I was keeping down more than I was throwing up.

Weighty Issues - speaking of the poundage, my lowest put me a little over 10 below my pre-preggo weight, and now I'm around 15 over the pre-preggo weight.  I will gladly take that.  (I don't recommend the weight loss, remember, hospital threats...)

Magic Meds - the bless-ed Unisom/B6 combo, once again made this pregnancy possible/survivable.  I am eternally grateful for a doctor telling me about it early on in my pregnancy with Ave, clearly it doesn't cure me.  But I know I never would have been pregnant a third time if I'd had two pregnancies like Hazel.  (They are actually coming back out with the prescription form for morning sickness, might need to get pregnant a fourth time, just to try it.  Ha.  Kidding.)

"Bay-bay" - Averett is a man of very few words, but he does pat my stomach and say "bay-bay".  Hazel prefers to put her ear up to my stomach and "listen" to the baby.  She promises she can hear him, I tend to believe her.

Baby Wendy Honda - Hazel's name for the baby.  If we don't come up with something in the next two weeks, we just might be introducing the first male "Wendy" into the world.

Kicks & Giggles - this kid is "head down", and taking up every inch of space.  "Fetal Position" - yeah right, he is as spread out as possible.  Definitely beating up my left side, feet in the ribs, elbows in my hip.  (And there is no doubt in my mind that he will be another 9+ pounder)

Exhausting - I have never been so exhausted.  Mentally and physically.  I am always tired and I'm well..a little cranky...all of the time.  To anyone I've had contact with in the past 8 months, I apologize.

Super Seth - once again, Seth is a superhero.  He never complains, when I was "deathly" sick, he would make the kids sandwiches (at 5:30am, before work) and leave them in the fridge, so I wouldn't get nauseous making their lunch.  He rubs my feet every night while we watch TV, and rubs my back when we go to bed.  He has a tender stomach, but has cleaned up my puke everywhere from the kitchen to the car.  He's my guy.  I couldn't do it without his support.

I joke, whine and complain about being pregnant, but I assure you - I appreciate all of it.  To be pregnant is an enormous blessing, and I do my best to not take it for granted.  Some day I'll explain, but for now, I am just happy to be large and whale-like.

Can't wait to meet this little kid!  (And by "can't wait", I actually mean, "please stay put, you are NOT allowed to arrive before your Grandma G flies in!")

Hazel - 36 Weeks 

Averett - 36 Weeks