Thursday
Here I Am, Grandma!
Brodie and her Great-Great Granny Lois.
Brodie with Maw-Maw (her Great-Grandmother).
Brodie with Maw-Maw (her Great-Grandmother).
Wordless Wednesday (OK so not wordless, but Wednesday)
First trip to church
My grandmother, (Brodie's Great-Grandmother) crotcheted this dress for my sister, Caitlyn sixteen years before. It also has a hat and booties to go with it, but she was NOT feeling those!
Heading Home
Strapped in and ready to head home.
I totally forgot a blanket for her to take home from the hospital (I also neglected to think how cold it was), Aunt Ashley was her lifesaver and brought her this stylish pashmina! :)
Finally we were home and could get a good picture!
I totally forgot a blanket for her to take home from the hospital (I also neglected to think how cold it was), Aunt Ashley was her lifesaver and brought her this stylish pashmina! :)
Finally we were home and could get a good picture!
Sunday
They don't call it LABOR for nothing. . . .
It's funny now that I talked about irony in my last post with regards to Crystal and I. You'll also see the humor by the end of this post.
So, I awoke around 4:30 am Thursday morning and took my fifth? sixth? seventh trip to the bathroom. (But, who's counting). I'd been having some mild contractions for most of the afternoon/evening Wednesday night (as I had been for the past month or so.) and figured it was just still jealousy pangs. (Who in their right mind is jealous of being induced?) Anyway, so I headed back to bed, and awoke about ten minutes later to head back to the restroom again. About 45 minutes (and ten more trips) later, I thought maybe, just maybe I was in labor.
I woke Joey up to tell him that I "thought" I might be in labor. I walked from our bedroom around the corner to the dining room and by the time I got back (in 15 seconds) Joey was fully dressed and sitting on the couch putting on his shoes. This may not seem funny to some of you, but for those of you who know my husband know that sleep is what he does best. I always wake him up in stages (and generally thirty minutes before he actually needs to wake up), just to ensure we get where we're headed on time.
I took yet another trip to the bathroom and by this time, the contractions had started to intensify. Joey came to the bathroom door and asked if this was "really it", and if it was "one pain or alot of pains." I told him (through clenched teeth) to go back to bed and I'd wake him later if I needed him.
About five minutes later, I finally realized that my water had broken. And, yes this is my THIRD child, but my water has never broken on its own before, so I'm sticking to the rationalization that every child and every labor is different and NOT that I'm a complete moron!
So, I let Shelby outside to use the bathroom, got the boys clothes laid out and THEN woke Joey up again. He came sprinting out of the room saying, "What do I do? What do I do?" I said, "I let Shelby out.. . . " He said, "Right, go let Shelby out." I said, "No, Joey. I just let Shelby out, you go upstairs and send the boys down so I can get them dressed." Keep in mind, that he had only gone to sleep at 3:00 am, so he was only going on about two hours of sleep.
The boys came down and I got them dressed, Joey put Shelby back in her crate and we headed out. I called my Mom from the car and told her to send my Dad to pick up the boys in Nahunta at the red light (remember that!). I then realized that Crystal was this very day at the hospital getting induced, so I texted her, "You're not going to believe this. . . . ."
So, we're driving down Central Avenue and Joey is going like 70 miles an hour and hitting every little dip. The boys thought it was fantastic! He flew into Griffins on two wheels and pumped gas, all the while with this crazy look on his face (plus, he was talking to himself, though I couldn't hear what he was actually saying.)
So, we're almost to Nahunta and he says he's just going to go straight through and let the boys go to the hospital with us. I calmly said, "NO, drop them with Dad." I'm thinking if I'm in this much pain now, by the time we get to Brunswick, it's gonna be ten times worse. They don't need to be exposed to me crying like a baby while I'm waiting on that epidural! :) So, he says, "Where?" I said, "At the red light." He said, "So, you just want me to stop in the middle of the highway and put them out." (He was crazed!!) So, I call my Dad to ask him exactly where he would be parked. Nahunta is so big and all, we didn't want to accidentally go to the wrong red light! :)
We did get the boys safely dropped off and we headed out again. This time going at least 90 mph with our flashers on. We passed three cops and not one of them even attempted to pull us over! By the time we reached the truck stop, Joey was mumbling loudly, "I can't deliver this baby!" I was thinking, "I BETTER make it in time for that epidural."
So, after a few shouts and motions towards other drivers and a ran red light later, we safely made it to the hospital. I had called ahead of time, so they had a wheelchair waiting for me. I was wheeled in and met Dr. Mitchell at the nurses station. I got changed into the fabulous and always stylish hospital gown and they started my IV. It was 7:35 am. The anesthesiologist was in my room by 8:15 delivering my epidural. They were FANTASTIC! Crazy fast, just like I needed!
So, both mine and Joey's parents got to the hospital and my contractions were getting really. . .intense. (That's a nice calm word to describe them.) :) Joey went out to the waiting room to check on the boys (who were with their grandpas and NOT alone!), at 9:29, I was feeling ALOT of pressure and I texted him "I think you might should come on back." I know this exact time because I still have the text on my phone. He came back and it was about time to start pushing.
Joey's mom asked if I wanted them (her and my mom) to leave. Joey said "Yeah", without much hesitation. So they left. . . .or pretended to leave anyway. As soon as they stepped behind the curtain in front of the door, Joey said, "Heather, look under the curtain." I looked to see both pairs of feet and I said, "Yeah, they think they're being slick." I THOUGHT that I whispered it, but apparently not. I heard Kathy whisper something and they slid their feet out of sight.. . . but the door never opened. Crazy grandmas.
So, three minutes and two pushes later, at 9:39 am, Miss Brodie Layre Allen made her debut into the world. At 6lb 14oz and 20 inches long, she was our heaviest child to date.
She got her first shampoo and style almost immediately.
Stole her daddy's heart from the moment she got here.
Bae's first look at his sister.
Brek sporting his big brother shirt (courtesy of www.thequitecutecompany.com!)
Ganny, Gigi, Caity, Ashlyn & Aunt Ashley with Brodie.
Me and Brodie. (Goodness, you'd think I'd have found the time to run a comb through my hair!)
By the way, got a text around 4:00 that Miss Mia Kate Bates was born at 3:34 pm weighing 7lb 15oz and 19 1/4in long. So, we've dubbed Brodie and Mia Kate "birthday sisters!"
So, I awoke around 4:30 am Thursday morning and took my fifth? sixth? seventh trip to the bathroom. (But, who's counting). I'd been having some mild contractions for most of the afternoon/evening Wednesday night (as I had been for the past month or so.) and figured it was just still jealousy pangs. (Who in their right mind is jealous of being induced?) Anyway, so I headed back to bed, and awoke about ten minutes later to head back to the restroom again. About 45 minutes (and ten more trips) later, I thought maybe, just maybe I was in labor.
I woke Joey up to tell him that I "thought" I might be in labor. I walked from our bedroom around the corner to the dining room and by the time I got back (in 15 seconds) Joey was fully dressed and sitting on the couch putting on his shoes. This may not seem funny to some of you, but for those of you who know my husband know that sleep is what he does best. I always wake him up in stages (and generally thirty minutes before he actually needs to wake up), just to ensure we get where we're headed on time.
I took yet another trip to the bathroom and by this time, the contractions had started to intensify. Joey came to the bathroom door and asked if this was "really it", and if it was "one pain or alot of pains." I told him (through clenched teeth) to go back to bed and I'd wake him later if I needed him.
About five minutes later, I finally realized that my water had broken. And, yes this is my THIRD child, but my water has never broken on its own before, so I'm sticking to the rationalization that every child and every labor is different and NOT that I'm a complete moron!
So, I let Shelby outside to use the bathroom, got the boys clothes laid out and THEN woke Joey up again. He came sprinting out of the room saying, "What do I do? What do I do?" I said, "I let Shelby out.. . . " He said, "Right, go let Shelby out." I said, "No, Joey. I just let Shelby out, you go upstairs and send the boys down so I can get them dressed." Keep in mind, that he had only gone to sleep at 3:00 am, so he was only going on about two hours of sleep.
The boys came down and I got them dressed, Joey put Shelby back in her crate and we headed out. I called my Mom from the car and told her to send my Dad to pick up the boys in Nahunta at the red light (remember that!). I then realized that Crystal was this very day at the hospital getting induced, so I texted her, "You're not going to believe this. . . . ."
So, we're driving down Central Avenue and Joey is going like 70 miles an hour and hitting every little dip. The boys thought it was fantastic! He flew into Griffins on two wheels and pumped gas, all the while with this crazy look on his face (plus, he was talking to himself, though I couldn't hear what he was actually saying.)
So, we're almost to Nahunta and he says he's just going to go straight through and let the boys go to the hospital with us. I calmly said, "NO, drop them with Dad." I'm thinking if I'm in this much pain now, by the time we get to Brunswick, it's gonna be ten times worse. They don't need to be exposed to me crying like a baby while I'm waiting on that epidural! :) So, he says, "Where?" I said, "At the red light." He said, "So, you just want me to stop in the middle of the highway and put them out." (He was crazed!!) So, I call my Dad to ask him exactly where he would be parked. Nahunta is so big and all, we didn't want to accidentally go to the wrong red light! :)
We did get the boys safely dropped off and we headed out again. This time going at least 90 mph with our flashers on. We passed three cops and not one of them even attempted to pull us over! By the time we reached the truck stop, Joey was mumbling loudly, "I can't deliver this baby!" I was thinking, "I BETTER make it in time for that epidural."
So, after a few shouts and motions towards other drivers and a ran red light later, we safely made it to the hospital. I had called ahead of time, so they had a wheelchair waiting for me. I was wheeled in and met Dr. Mitchell at the nurses station. I got changed into the fabulous and always stylish hospital gown and they started my IV. It was 7:35 am. The anesthesiologist was in my room by 8:15 delivering my epidural. They were FANTASTIC! Crazy fast, just like I needed!
So, both mine and Joey's parents got to the hospital and my contractions were getting really. . .intense. (That's a nice calm word to describe them.) :) Joey went out to the waiting room to check on the boys (who were with their grandpas and NOT alone!), at 9:29, I was feeling ALOT of pressure and I texted him "I think you might should come on back." I know this exact time because I still have the text on my phone. He came back and it was about time to start pushing.
Joey's mom asked if I wanted them (her and my mom) to leave. Joey said "Yeah", without much hesitation. So they left. . . .or pretended to leave anyway. As soon as they stepped behind the curtain in front of the door, Joey said, "Heather, look under the curtain." I looked to see both pairs of feet and I said, "Yeah, they think they're being slick." I THOUGHT that I whispered it, but apparently not. I heard Kathy whisper something and they slid their feet out of sight.. . . but the door never opened. Crazy grandmas.
So, three minutes and two pushes later, at 9:39 am, Miss Brodie Layre Allen made her debut into the world. At 6lb 14oz and 20 inches long, she was our heaviest child to date.
She got her first shampoo and style almost immediately.
Stole her daddy's heart from the moment she got here.
Bae's first look at his sister.
Brek sporting his big brother shirt (courtesy of www.thequitecutecompany.com!)
Ganny, Gigi, Caity, Ashlyn & Aunt Ashley with Brodie.
Me and Brodie. (Goodness, you'd think I'd have found the time to run a comb through my hair!)
By the way, got a text around 4:00 that Miss Mia Kate Bates was born at 3:34 pm weighing 7lb 15oz and 19 1/4in long. So, we've dubbed Brodie and Mia Kate "birthday sisters!"
Feeling a little jealous
I'm sure I haven't mentioned this in my previous posts, but my friend Crystal is also pregnant. Ironically, she has two boys and is expecting a girl too. Funny. . . and a little weird.
Anywhoo, she and I have been trading various techniques and suggestions on how to induce ourselves for the past week or so. I've been eating alot of spicy foods and been getting in a daily walk. I'm so ready for this little princess to make her debut.
As of today, I am 37 weeks and 5 days pregger. Crystal is one week ahead of me, so we're steady trading ideas on how to "speed things up." We talked once on the phone this morning, then this afternoon she called me back. She said that her Dr.'s office had called her and they want her to go in to be checked so that they can induce her TOMORROW!!
Dr. Mitchell has already said that I'll probably go in to be induced on March 2nd if I haven't gone before then. So, the end is definitely in sight for me too, but I couldn't help but feel a little jealous. I mean, I'm totally happy for her that she gets to see her little princess so soon. . . . .just wishing it was me too! :)
Anywhoo, she and I have been trading various techniques and suggestions on how to induce ourselves for the past week or so. I've been eating alot of spicy foods and been getting in a daily walk. I'm so ready for this little princess to make her debut.
As of today, I am 37 weeks and 5 days pregger. Crystal is one week ahead of me, so we're steady trading ideas on how to "speed things up." We talked once on the phone this morning, then this afternoon she called me back. She said that her Dr.'s office had called her and they want her to go in to be checked so that they can induce her TOMORROW!!
Dr. Mitchell has already said that I'll probably go in to be induced on March 2nd if I haven't gone before then. So, the end is definitely in sight for me too, but I couldn't help but feel a little jealous. I mean, I'm totally happy for her that she gets to see her little princess so soon. . . . .just wishing it was me too! :)
Thursday
Baby Shower
My sis-in-law, Ashley and sister Caitlyn hosted a beautiful baby shower in honor of Brodie. We had a fantastic time (and had fantastic food!)
Brodie received some beautiful gifts: diaper bags, diapers (Oh, were those just beautiful to me?) bibs, burp cloths, and a wardrobe to make even the most sophisticated fashionista jealous!
My girlfriend, Crystal, gave me a gift certificate to get a maternity massage at Country Comforts in Nahunta. She's pregnant with a baby girl too! Our due dates are like a week apart, so we literally understand each other's pain! :) By the time I'm submitting this post, I've had the massage and it was beyond awesome by the way!
Have to give a shout-out to my brother, Brandon for making this fruit baby carriage! I know his macho friends won't be impressed, but I totally was (as were most of the ladies at the shower!)
And, Ashley made this gorgeous diaper cake! It's so cute, I'm kinda depressed at the thought of actually using those diapers! :)
Brodie received some beautiful gifts: diaper bags, diapers (Oh, were those just beautiful to me?) bibs, burp cloths, and a wardrobe to make even the most sophisticated fashionista jealous!
My girlfriend, Crystal, gave me a gift certificate to get a maternity massage at Country Comforts in Nahunta. She's pregnant with a baby girl too! Our due dates are like a week apart, so we literally understand each other's pain! :) By the time I'm submitting this post, I've had the massage and it was beyond awesome by the way!
Have to give a shout-out to my brother, Brandon for making this fruit baby carriage! I know his macho friends won't be impressed, but I totally was (as were most of the ladies at the shower!)
And, Ashley made this gorgeous diaper cake! It's so cute, I'm kinda depressed at the thought of actually using those diapers! :)
The Stage is set
Well, the nursery is done! The walls are freshly painted, the crib is put together (with bedding intact!) Everything is done!
Now, every day I'm telling the little Princess that is currently residing in my belly how she's going to hurt the nursery's feelings if she doesn't come soon. Everyone knows a nursery needs a baby in order to feel complete. I don't think that my method of trying to "guilt" her into coming is working. Everytime I think I feel a true labor pain, I realize that's just her kicking me in the ribs!
By the way, my girlfriend, Mandi made one of Brodie's diaper bag and this adorable hairbow holder! She does bags, clothes, bibs and burp cloths. . .pretty much anything you could think of! She does a great job! You can check out her website: www.thequitecutecompany.com
:)
Now, every day I'm telling the little Princess that is currently residing in my belly how she's going to hurt the nursery's feelings if she doesn't come soon. Everyone knows a nursery needs a baby in order to feel complete. I don't think that my method of trying to "guilt" her into coming is working. Everytime I think I feel a true labor pain, I realize that's just her kicking me in the ribs!
By the way, my girlfriend, Mandi made one of Brodie's diaper bag and this adorable hairbow holder! She does bags, clothes, bibs and burp cloths. . .pretty much anything you could think of! She does a great job! You can check out her website: www.thequitecutecompany.com
:)
Sunday
On the road to D-Day!
It has occurred to me that I've posted not one picture of me pregnant. Perhaps this was part of my evil plan all along; or perhaps I'm a busy mother of two (soon to be three). Which do you think? :)
As of the date of this post I am 37.5 weeks along. I'm having mild-moderate contractions just about every day, which kinda frustrates me. Especially due to the fact that I'm an hour from the hospital AND both my boys came in less than eight hours of labor AND by the first hour I'm ready for that magical potion with pain-free granting abilities. . . The Epidural! So with all this seemingly false labor, Joey and I are living life on a constant "is THIS the real thing" roller-coaster. This is our third time around! We should be Pros by now, right?!
Wrong! Any woman who has been pregnant at least twice will tell you that every pregnancy is different. Just as the boys are like night and day, so were there gestational period! For starters, with Bae, I was the classic first time mom. I read all the books (cause I actually had time to read), and did everything just like they said. I watched everything that I ate and actually exercised (gasp) the whole way through. I was determined to be as healthy as possible. The nursery was completed before I even hit my second trimester. I did have morning sickness, but around that magical 12 weeks, I was done with that and actually enjoyed the rest of my pregnancy. Hey, we even squeezed a childbirth class in there and toured the birthing suites at the hospital.
With Brek, however, I read NO books, as I barely had time to actually THINK much less read! Keep in mind that Bae was only 12 months old when I got pregnant with Brek! I was sick well into my fifth month, but when I could eat, I DID! Anything I wanted; hot wings, ice cream, and my very favorite. . .Fazoli's fettucine alfredo! Yum! Despite all that indulgent eating, I gained the EXACT same amount of weight with both pregnancies. AND I didn't exercise at all, unless you count running around after a toddler all day long! :) Brek's nursery didn't get completed until just before the beginning of my third trimester and my poor husband barely even knew how to get to the hospital before I was in labor and headed in that direction!
So, it's no surprise that I've been even more lax with this one! I did break out a couple of books, though I was drooling on the pages while I slept far more than I was actually reading them! I've been sick pretty much the ENTIRE time, but luckily have felt like eating enough to enjoy most of my favorite things! The big difference with this one for me is my apparent lactose intolerance. This creates a multitude of problems for me. For one, I LOVE ice cream! Anything chocolate of course! And cereal is my favorite bedtime snack. But, I've been nearly unable to even think about these things without knowing that apparent heartburn was soon to follow. Which brings me to my next point, the HEARTBURN!!! Seriously, we should've bought stock in Tums this time around. I think total, I've consumed about six containers! Not the little rolls either, the huge FAMILY size boxes! And as I speak, Brodie's nursery isn't done! The walls are painted and the crib is up, but none of the finishing touches are done. Hmm, perhaps that's what she's waiting on!
So, anyway, my bags are packed (and the boys and Joey's); I'm ready to go! The only thing we're waiting on is the new little boss of our house to decide she's ready to make her debut! She better hurry too, or my patience is going to take a turn to impatience and you know the old saying, "When mama is impatient. . ." ok, that's not a saying, but it should be!
Until D-Day,
As of the date of this post I am 37.5 weeks along. I'm having mild-moderate contractions just about every day, which kinda frustrates me. Especially due to the fact that I'm an hour from the hospital AND both my boys came in less than eight hours of labor AND by the first hour I'm ready for that magical potion with pain-free granting abilities. . . The Epidural! So with all this seemingly false labor, Joey and I are living life on a constant "is THIS the real thing" roller-coaster. This is our third time around! We should be Pros by now, right?!
Wrong! Any woman who has been pregnant at least twice will tell you that every pregnancy is different. Just as the boys are like night and day, so were there gestational period! For starters, with Bae, I was the classic first time mom. I read all the books (cause I actually had time to read), and did everything just like they said. I watched everything that I ate and actually exercised (gasp) the whole way through. I was determined to be as healthy as possible. The nursery was completed before I even hit my second trimester. I did have morning sickness, but around that magical 12 weeks, I was done with that and actually enjoyed the rest of my pregnancy. Hey, we even squeezed a childbirth class in there and toured the birthing suites at the hospital.
With Brek, however, I read NO books, as I barely had time to actually THINK much less read! Keep in mind that Bae was only 12 months old when I got pregnant with Brek! I was sick well into my fifth month, but when I could eat, I DID! Anything I wanted; hot wings, ice cream, and my very favorite. . .Fazoli's fettucine alfredo! Yum! Despite all that indulgent eating, I gained the EXACT same amount of weight with both pregnancies. AND I didn't exercise at all, unless you count running around after a toddler all day long! :) Brek's nursery didn't get completed until just before the beginning of my third trimester and my poor husband barely even knew how to get to the hospital before I was in labor and headed in that direction!
So, it's no surprise that I've been even more lax with this one! I did break out a couple of books, though I was drooling on the pages while I slept far more than I was actually reading them! I've been sick pretty much the ENTIRE time, but luckily have felt like eating enough to enjoy most of my favorite things! The big difference with this one for me is my apparent lactose intolerance. This creates a multitude of problems for me. For one, I LOVE ice cream! Anything chocolate of course! And cereal is my favorite bedtime snack. But, I've been nearly unable to even think about these things without knowing that apparent heartburn was soon to follow. Which brings me to my next point, the HEARTBURN!!! Seriously, we should've bought stock in Tums this time around. I think total, I've consumed about six containers! Not the little rolls either, the huge FAMILY size boxes! And as I speak, Brodie's nursery isn't done! The walls are painted and the crib is up, but none of the finishing touches are done. Hmm, perhaps that's what she's waiting on!
So, anyway, my bags are packed (and the boys and Joey's); I'm ready to go! The only thing we're waiting on is the new little boss of our house to decide she's ready to make her debut! She better hurry too, or my patience is going to take a turn to impatience and you know the old saying, "When mama is impatient. . ." ok, that's not a saying, but it should be!
Until D-Day,
Thursday
Our little man is FIVE!
Well, after months of Brek telling everyone it was "gonna happen", it finally happened! Brek is FIVE! He had a pirate birthday and he was excited for weeks beforehand! (He would love for everyday to be all about him!)
On his actual birthday, January 27th, we took a trip to Jacksonville and visited Chuck E Cheese. Brek was beyond thrilled that HE was the reason for the trip. Not to mention the fact that he got to MEET Chuck E Cheese, in the flesh. . .er. . .fur!
Brek and Chuck E.
The following Saturday was the big day! The party actually turned out pretty good considering that it was so freezing cold that day, I doubted anyone would make it outside! I was surprised when everyone spent just about the whole party hanging by our deck.
My Aunt Jeanne and Uncle David brought their bouncy house down, so the kids (who had energy to spare despite the cold weather) jumped to their hearts delight.
I made the cake myself (compliments of Family Fun magazine), and it turned out to be a huge headache because it just wouldn't cooperate. It fell apart multiple times and literally was held together with enough chocolate frosting to cover my entire house! (OK, that may be a little dramatic). In the end, it held up nicely for pictures and tasted even better! (The trick is to add real butter to every cake mix, even the ones that call for oil).
Brek opened all of his presents with almost exactly the same comments. "This is what I've ALWAYS wanted!" or "I've been wishing for this my whole life!" He is very appreciative and is hilarious to watch opening gifts!
Our little man is all grown up, so he thinks! Five years old is the new thirteen didn't you know! :)
On his actual birthday, January 27th, we took a trip to Jacksonville and visited Chuck E Cheese. Brek was beyond thrilled that HE was the reason for the trip. Not to mention the fact that he got to MEET Chuck E Cheese, in the flesh. . .er. . .fur!
Brek and Chuck E.
The following Saturday was the big day! The party actually turned out pretty good considering that it was so freezing cold that day, I doubted anyone would make it outside! I was surprised when everyone spent just about the whole party hanging by our deck.
My Aunt Jeanne and Uncle David brought their bouncy house down, so the kids (who had energy to spare despite the cold weather) jumped to their hearts delight.
I made the cake myself (compliments of Family Fun magazine), and it turned out to be a huge headache because it just wouldn't cooperate. It fell apart multiple times and literally was held together with enough chocolate frosting to cover my entire house! (OK, that may be a little dramatic). In the end, it held up nicely for pictures and tasted even better! (The trick is to add real butter to every cake mix, even the ones that call for oil).
Brek opened all of his presents with almost exactly the same comments. "This is what I've ALWAYS wanted!" or "I've been wishing for this my whole life!" He is very appreciative and is hilarious to watch opening gifts!
Our little man is all grown up, so he thinks! Five years old is the new thirteen didn't you know! :)
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