Family Pictures!

We got family pictures done, it sure was interesting. We had Matt's lovely mother come to help us with the kids. Lucas actually did surprisingly well. Normally he gets so mad because he wants to be the one taking the picture. But he actually sat in the poses, and looked somewhat happy. He never smiles for pictures, but we got a few 'half smiles' out of him. ;) I love the pictures of Lucas, he really looks like a little boy now. My baby boy isn't a baby anymore, and it breaks my heart. Though I will say I LOVE the stage he is at now. It is definitely the most challenging for me, but it has been so fun. I love being able to have conversations with him, and to play pretend with him! It is just SO much fun! And Lila, well....she was done with pictures before we even started. Some of my favorite pictures are the ones of Lucas laying his head by her, and she was just screaming! I think it is a perfect depiction of everyday life here. Enjoy:

Cute kids!

Just some fun pictures of the kids; Lucas loves holding Lila!

He has recently discovered Dad's neck-ties. One day he wanted to go to school/work like Dad, so he put on a tie and his backpack and kept saying, "Love you, bye" while putting the keys in the door knob. What a silly kid.

Lila's Birth

I don't know if anyone cares to read this (especially since it is very long), but I am posting it anyway. I am ALWAYS interested in peoples 'birth stories' and so I am putting mine up. So, to start out, Lucas was born 7 days early, they say that the second baby comes sooner than the first did (maybe thats because they also say first babies are usually late) either way, it wasn't the case for us. On Friday, the doctor stripped my membranes, and that caused mild contractions for about 8 hours, then they stopped. I was so upset, 8 hours and then nothing. So I went in for my next appointment on Wednesday, and the doctor stripped my membranes again. At this point I was dilated to a 3, and had been for almost 3 weeks. The doctor talked to me about having her break my water. I wasn't sold on the idea, so she said to take a few hours to think about it. So, I did. Meanwhile I was having some more contractions, but figured it was because of her stripping my membranes, and I didn't think they were 'real' labor. But I decided if I was going to have contractions anyway, they might as well mean something. So, I called and they said "come on in!" So, we quickly packed up everything and headed to the hospital, where Grandma Andreason met us and took Lucas for the night and the following day, after which my mom and sister took him until we were released. Thank so much to all of you for taking him, it was a relief to know he was in good hands!! So...I got to the hospital and they hooked up the monitors, and the doctor came in and checked me and said I had already dilated another centimeter, and said with the contractions I was having, I would have been in the hospital that night anyway. She broke my water at 6:30 (about), and very soon afterward the contractions got hard! I wanted to walk around thinking that would help, so I set off. At this point Matt, was helping transfer Lukes car seat, and my doula, Emilie, wasn't there yet. So I was by my self, and was having to brace myself with every contraction, so I headed back to my room. I was standing leaning on the couch when my water "broke" again. Of course it didn't really break again, but it certainly gushed. I was so embarrassed, it was ALL over the floor and my shoes, and the couch, the nurse had to come help me clean up and even helped me get into the shower (I thought that would help the pain too). I was SO hot, I was weak and sweating profusely. As I was getting in the shower Matt got back, and helped me. But after about 1.5 seconds of being in the shower I was freezing cold and the hot water wasn't helping. So they got me about 5 heated blankets and wrapped me in them like a baby. At this point Emilie was there, thank heavens! Matt was doing a fantastic job, saying all the right things, doing all the right things, and being such a support. But it was SO nice to have two people there, focused on me. As the contractions got harder and Matt could tell I was in serious pain, I could hear him asking Emilie, "what should I do?" And she would give him suggestions, and all worked great! I had Matt rubbing my forehead (sounds odd, but very relaxing) and Emilie doing counter-pressure to help with the pain. I feel like at times I was rude to her though. I would find myself almost yelling, "that doesn't help" "that hurts worse" and things like that. So Emilie, if you are reading this, I am sorry.
So, I think it was about 7:45 when they checked me again, and I was at a 7. I remember at this point asking if it was too late to get an epidural, and the doctor (knowing that I really wanted to go natural) said it isn't too late, but that I was so close. And then Emilie pointed out to me that they were getting everything ready for delivery. I was so focused on the contractions, that I could be mistaken but I believe Emilie also said that she has never seen them get babies stuff ready that early. So that gave me motivation to keep going. And Matt did. I had been wanting to go natural since before I was even pregnant, so he knew how much I wanted it. I found myself saying (quite often too), "I can't to do this anymore" and Matt would say, "yes you can" and I would say "but I don't want to! I want an epidural!" And this is where I would get mad at Matt. He would just ignore it. He never responded to those kind of comments, it was as if I didn't say them at all. I would get really mad. There was one time he responded though and just simply said, "you have been planning this for so long, we are not going to give up now, not when you are so close." So, that gave me more motivation. They checked me again, I think it was only like 20 minutes later, and I was still at a 7, but the doctor stayed in there this time. It was fun to listen to my doctor and my doula talking together about different positions to help with the pain, and different message, counter-pressure and all of that stuff. Now I felt like I needed to push, but I knew I was only a 7 or maybe 8. But I couldn't hold it in. It was a weird sensation not being able to control your body. They kept telling me to wait (again I was so focused that I am not really sure what was happening, but I think there was an issue with my cervix, like it wasn't thinned out all the way. I don't know. All I know is they didn't want me to push, and I couldn't hold it in). They were having me do fast short breaths to hold it in, and it wasn't helping. The doctor said we could hold the pushing, or she could hold the cervix to the side (again, I might be getting this wrong, she might have been talking about something else). She said it would hurt more to hold it to the side, but it would be faster, so I chose to do that, mainly since I couldn't hold the pushing and I wanted to be done. So then I started pushing. Lila's head was coming out, but so was her hand. I guess her hand was by her head, and they came out together. So, this made her shoulders misaligned so it was really hard to get her out. I am not sure who said this, but someone said that I had to push harder and longer than I would have if her hand was away from her face. But still pushing wasn't long, I don't know how long it was, but it seemed like 20 minutes, max. So, they broke my water at 6:30, and Lila was born at 9:05. Not bad huh?? :)

The recovery for this one is MUCH better than Luke's. As far as stitches, bleeding, emotional well-being, and everything else, I am doing great! Of course, I am still sore and obviously recovering from giving birth, but I am not complaining since it is so much better than Lukes. Just to clarify things, I have nothing against Epidurals, I had one with Lucas, and loved it. But, I really struggled with nursing Lucas, and ended up stopping after only 2-3 weeks. That is why I chose to go natural. I wanted the full opportunity to nurse, I wanted my hormones to be the best they could be for nursing. And well, it paid off! I am not a pro at it by all means, but Lila and I are doing it, I have more milk than I did with Lucas, and she is doing great! So, overall, I am extremely happy I did it natural, although it hurt like crazy!! :) Also, I am SO happy I had Emilie there!! She is a friend of mine and I have grown to love her even more after seeing how she loves and cares for me. She helped me so much not only during labor but throughout pregnancy. She was always willing to come over and help me, and talk me through things. I love and appreciate you Emilie! And Matt, what can I say. You were fantastic! I loved your support and willingness to help me through it all. I couldn't have done any of it with out you. I love you!

Lila Claire Andreason

I just wanted to put up a quick post so you can all see baby Lila. Lila Claire Andreason was born on Wednesday May 12 at 9:05 P.M. She weighed 7 lbs. 5 oz. (much bigger than Luke's 5 lbs. 15 oz.) and she was 20 inches long. I will do another post later telling the story of the birth, I am quite proud of it! I did it all natural, and boy did it hurt! But, I did it! :) Anyway, that is for another day, for now, here are a few pictures of our little ladybug who we already love so much!

I am still here....belly and all

Well Lucas was already 3 days old at this point. They say your second comes earlier, well that's crap. I have 4 days til my due date, and there are no real signs of labor starting any time soon. I have tried everything, she is just too stubborn and it is making me mad! I am ready to start trying to figure out how to be a mom of 2, I am ready to start recovering from a rough pregnancy, I am ready to stay up all night with a newborn because she is hungry or whatever (at least there will be a purpose. Right now I can't sleep at all because I am too dang uncomfortable). I am ready to get going on this, but baby isn't ready. Why isn't she ready?? She is probably bigger than Lucas was (most babies are), her room is ready, her clothes are ready, her family is ready, why isn't she?? I get so frustrated. I think it might be a omen for what our relationship is going to be like, and it makes me nervous. Will we always be butting heads, we have been for the last nine months. I don't know. I am just done with this pregnancy, it has been so much harder on me than Luke's.

Well, on a happier note: my friend called me today and said she saw this cake (yes I said cake) and thought of me. I didn't know how to take it at first. But once I realized it is a woman in labor (notice the fetal monitors on the tummy) I laughed. My favorite part is the stretch marks - very life like. :)

(photo courtesy of cakewrecks.blogspot.com - check it out, they are pretty funny.)

Happy Birthday Dad!

Happy Birthday dad!

In the very near future my birthday will arrive and I’ll be turning the ripe ole’ age of 26. And I’ve got to be honest, I’m just not all that excited about it. There’s literally nothing special about the age of 26. In fact, there’s nothing special about any of my next four birthdays (26-29). I’m in no man’s land. We often associate our birthdays with important milestones, right? At 16 you can date, and get your driver’s license. At 18, you’re suddenly ready to be labeled as an adult in society because you’re so much more mature than when you were 17. Twenty one’s a biggie. If alcohol and gambling are your thing, then you've got the legal right to do both. At 25, you get to finally rent a car without paying the dreaded “at risk” fee. Thirty is a biggie too, but it's kind of a mixed bag. At 30 you're entering the beginning stages of your inevitable “physical breakdown.” Your ankles and knees start to wobble a little more and those joints start hurting for absolutely no reason. But on the flip side, at 30 you also start entering the “veteran phase” of life, where you’ve lived long enough to start “lecturing society” and saying stuff like “back when I was young...” “Can you believe the things kids do these days? I never would have done something like that….” And on and on and on.

So, again, what’s so special about 26? I say nothing, but my son said otherwise. You see, as we’ve raised Lucas the last two years, I feel like I’ve had to bite my tongue on occasion. Okay, not just on occasion, I’ve had to bite it a lot. I had to bite it the first time Luke started showing an abnormal propensity for singing and dancing. I had to bite it the first time he strongly iterated to me he’d rather listen to Taylor Swift than any of dad’s famed music like Weezer, Collective Soul, or his instrumental movie soundtracks. The first time he went from walking to prancing majestically around the house on his tippy toes (all in one motion), I almost fainted. Sometimes he flails his arms dramatically while running and it takes every bit of my man control to not think of him cheesily running toward the girl of his dreams on an episode of the “Bachelor.” I bit my tongue to the point of bleeding when he made it very clear that his favorite movie and soundtrack is “Mamma Mia.”

I know what you’re saying: “Why keep biting your tongue?!” “Do something masculine for that boy before it’s too late! And my response is to tell you that I’ve tried, but I want my son to develop his own interests in his own ways without daddy’s overbearing influence. We’ve tried unsuccessfully to play catch, hit a baseball, shoot some hoops, and kick a soccer ball. I figured it just wasn’t his thing. Or so I thought. Daddy got a big surprise recently when he came home to find his son doing…..well, watch the video to see for yourself.

I know, I know. He was half-naked and still prancing/jumping on the bed, but my little boy was shooting hoops! On his own! Long before dad had come into the room to play along. It was a surreal moment, folks. One of the few moments in my adult-life where the the tears could not be contained. And it gets even better. Since this experience Luke and I now shoot hoops around the house for fun. He recently sat down with daddy to watch golf and some basketball games. This morning he threw his container of vitamins through the air, across the entire kitchen, into my waiting hand. The tide is turning and the timing is perfect. Thanks for the birthday present, Luke. No. 26 will certainly be one to remember. But I think what gives me ultimate satisfaction is that you’re you, kiddo, and I’m lucky enough be with you every day.

Kids say the darn-dist things

Last Sunday we had a family dinner with Matt's family. Matt's brother just got back from officer training for the Air Force, and him and his family moved about 3 days later. So we all got together and had some fun. But my very favorite part was what the kids kept saying to me. They have 3 kids, Andrew 6, Emma 3, Olivia 15months (I think those are the ages -forgive me Becky if I am wrong). Anyway, I was in the other room with Andrew, Emma, and Lucas, watching The Jungle Book. Now, I need to preface this story by saying, Andrew never talks to me, I think I scare him. But he was totally not afraid on this day. :) Andrew looks at me, with this pondering expression, then looks at my tummy (since it is gigantic at the moment), and said "you have a big belly" I replied, "Yes I do." The conversation then proceeded like this"
Andrew: It is even bigger than Balloo (the bear on Jungle Book)
Me: Oh....thanks.
Andrew: It is even bigger than mine. Look when I stand, my tummy is flat, but when I sit it goes almost to my private.
Me: (well I couldn't say much, I just laughed)
Through out the movie Andrew kept making comments about how big I am, and how I am going to have a baby. Then Emma decided to join in the fun. So she asked "Do you have baby?" I said yes. And then she asked asked if she could touch my tummy, I said yes, then she asked if she could see the baby, as she is asking she is reaching for my shirt to pull it up. I had to explain to her the baby is in my tummy, and we can't see it yet. It made me laugh, especially since I have had that very same conversation with two other three year olds. All of them asking to touch, and then if they can see the baby, and yes all of them were about to expose my whole tummy. Now it is Luke's turn. I doubt Lucas understands what is going on. He sometimes acts like it; whenever we see a baby, he gets confused and touches my tummy and says "baby sister". It is almost like he is trying to figure out if the baby is still in my tummy. There are random times where he will come up and hold my tummy and say "baby sister", like he is hugging her or something. It is quite sweet....until he wants to lift up my shirt to see baby. We were at out side the other day, and he came up to me and started pulling my shirt, this time it was down, not up. I stopped him and he was very upset, saying he wanted to see baby sister. I told him my tummy is right here. His response, "no, I want the other tummy." Again I was left speechless, how do you explain to your two year 'that' is not a tummy? I tried to tell him where my tummy is again, and then I just distracted him. This has happened 3-4 more times. I am trying to figure out a new way to explain it to him. I know this is a little too detailed for some, but I needed a pick me up moment so I decided to write about these, since they make me laugh! Right now my kid is driving me crazy, he has been crying all day, and has been in his room for over an hour and still hasn't fallen asleep. I am very frustrated, so I decided this would make me happy. I hope it cheered someone else up too. :) (Joel and Becky, I am sorry to use your kids for this post, but their comments were too funny to pass up).