Summer in March

Today I am 37 weeks and 1 day...the exact day Karson joined us.

I think Sister is completely content to just hang out for a little while longer.

Although...this Mama is ready to not be pregnant anymore!!

 

This weekend the weather was beautiful.

It has been in the 80s the last few days.

It is March...in Michigan.

We spent the majority of the weekend at my parents, playing outside.  

My Dad hooked the hose up to one of the benches for Karson.  

He thought it was the best thing ever, and played for hours..

 ...filling up cups, and dumping them out.

I love watching him play. 

 I didn't realize how much he has grown up over the winter. 

Two year olds are so much fun! 

On Sunday, we did a lot of the same.

While everyone else worked on the yard, I hung out in a comfy chair in the driveway.

 Perks of being 37 weeks pregnant and exhausted!

 

Karson spent the morning "hewlp-y" {helping} Nana & Bumbpa.

He put pine cones in his bucket, and moved them from one spot in the yard to another.

 {his hair is out of control...he has his first hair cut scheduled later this week...unless his Mommy is having a baby}

Bath Time

I only remember 3 really rough days with Karson.

 

One when he was a newborn, and literally screamed all.day.long.

One, when he was about 8 months old.

And one Friday...a week and a half ago. 

Which also happened to be a day I woke up at 4:30 and could.not.fall.back.asleep.

What does a pregnant, uncomfortable, exhausted Mama of one very cranky 2 year old do...

...stick him in the bath tub.

With lots of toys...

...and lots of bubbles!

On this day...he took 3 baths...

...before nap time.

Except he never took a nap.

It was a LONG day...with a LOT of baths!

Karson's Birth Story {2 years later}

I have sat down so many times and started writing Karson's birth story, but never finish.  Since I am anxiously awaiting Sister's birth, I figured I would try again. :)

Karson's pregnancy was difficult.  Those women that LOVE being pregnant...I was not one of them.  I was sick.  I was huge.  I was sick.  I couldn't sleep.  Did I mention I was sick?  I remember hitting a wall on the 28th of February.  I was exactly 3 weeks from my due date, and absolutely miserable.  I was in tears all morning.  I was exhausted, but I couldn't sleep.  I was hungry, but everything made me sick. ...and I was HUGE!  I spent the day running errands with my Mom, and had my last baby shower.  That night, I remember DJ telling me, "Well at least now we know we will have a March baby."

The next morning, I woke up at exactly 6am and got up to go to the bathroom.  I was more than annoyed to be up at 6, after not sleeping well that night.  Annoyed I had to get up to go to the bathroom, and even more annoyed when I thought I had completely lost control of my bladder on the way to the bathroom.  I was so over being pregnant at this point!  I remember thinking...maybe my water broke...   I called my Mom and told her I wasn't sure if my water broke or if I lost control of my bladder.  She laughed and told me to call my doctor.  The doctor on call was the same doctor that delivered me, almost 23 years earlier.  He laughed a little at me as well, and told me to come in.  I called DJ and told him to come home, but not to say a thing to anyone in case it was a false alarm.   I wasn't contracting, so I told him to take his time.  His 45 minute drive home took about 15 minutes.  He obviously didn't listen. :)

When he got home, I was cleaning & organizing like a mad woman.  I was determined to bring my baby home to a clean house.  DJ begged and begged for me to get in the car so we could  leave.  I finally got in the car, and we headed to the hospital. 

We got to the hospital around 8.  It was incredibly encouraging to hear that I was  maybe a 1.  :) We hung out in triage for a few hours waiting to see if I would start contracting.   I didn't, and at 10 they moved me to the labor and delivery room, and started pitocin.  Soon after my Mom arrived, and then Leesh and Katie.  I still wasn't feeling any contractions, and was enjoying visiting.  I took a nap, and Leesh and Katie headed to class.  Around noon, I asked about getting some pain meds.  I told them I didn't want to take any meds that could make me loopy.  I hate feeling out of it with meds!  Less than a half hour later the anesthesiologist was there to give me my epidural.  I don't remember how many cm I was, but I remember not making a whole lot of progress.

I labored away all day, oblivious to the pain thanks to the fabulous epidural.  Around dinner time they had me change positions a few times, because they thought Karson was face up, which was causing me to make slow progress!  That did the trick, and soon after I was around a 7.  I slept some more, and watched the finale of the Bachelor.  I kept telling the nurse I was feeling a lot of pressure, and around 10:00 they finally checked me and said I was 10 cm....and not to push. :)  Nurses were running in and out of the room, getting everything ready for delivery.

I started pushing at 10:15.  At 10:26, my sweet baby boy was placed on my chest.  He immediately stopped crying, and snuggled in.

 I remember asking the nurse to check his breathing, because he seemed to be breathing really hard to me.  I remember begging for someone to get me something to eat, and asking if it was ok for my Mom to come in to see him.  I nursed Karson, and around midnight, my brother, Leesh, Katie, got to meet him for the first time.  Karson got his first bath, and everyone but my Mom headed home.  Around 2:30am we moved to our recovery room, my Mom headed home.  DJ, Karson, and I went to sleep.  Kind of.  :)

I can not wait to see how Sister's birth story plays out!

Our Weekend

The weather in Michigan this week, was absolutely beautiful!  We spent the entire weekend outside playing.  Saturday, Karson got to see Bumpa's "Big Truck" for the first time.

Karson named my Dad "Bumpa" a few months ago.  My Dad drives semi trucks.  He drives cows from one farm to another, to visit their friends.  Yes, that is what we tell Karson. :)  Karson loves to point out semi trucks to us.  He always yells "BUMPA!" whenever he sees a semi truck.  When we are driving and he doesn't see any, he says over and over again "More Bumpa. More Bumpa!"  He can spot a semi truck a mile away!

Karson had never seen my Dad's semi before.  He got to sit on Bumpa's lap, and drive Bumpa's truck.

My Dad showed him how to use the radio...

Then my Dad honked the horn, and Karson got so excited!!

Thankfully, my Dad's semi is out in the country.  So only a few people heard the 2 year old honking the semi horn over and over again.

Karson & his Bumpa in front of Bumpa's Big Truck.

Sunday was even more beautiful than Saturday!  It was also my 25th Birthday.  DJ had to work, so before lunch DJ and I headed to Nana & Bumpa's house.  We played outside all day! 

We are usually really strict about nap time, but I just couldn't bring myself to take him inside, so he got a late nap.  It was absolutely beautiful outside!

He cheers for himself each time he makes a basket. :)

Picking up the pine cones, my Dad through in the yard for him.  He had so much fun!

It was, of course, necessary to dump them down the slide each time he filled up his bucket.

Aside from the fact that DJ had to work all day, it was the perfect birthday!  I loved getting to spend the day outside with my family, and Karson was so much fun!

he looks so old to me in this picture!!

The weather is supposed to be warm all week again.  I am praying we have a nice warm day when we get to bring Sister home.  Getting to sit outside snuggling a newborn, while Karson plays sounds like Heaven to me!

36 Weeks

I am officially in the 9th month of pregnancy.  I very much feel like I am in the 9th month of pregnancy.  :)

This morning I took Karson to Costco, and just felt off.  On our way home I was talking to my Mom, and told her I just didn't feel right.  I felt like someone had socked me in the stomach, and had noticed that Sister's was moving a lot less.  She moved a little, and when she did it HURT!  My Mom told me to call, and a few hours later DJ and I were headed in for a Non Stress Test, and my fabulous Mom was came home to stay with our Munchkin.  My stomach already hurt, and then they strapped monitors onto me.  Then, Sister was sleeping, so they put this vibrating thingy on me to get her moving.  OUCH!  She was less than thrilled about being woken up, and kicked like crazy the whole time we were there.  OUCH! The good news-she passed the stress test.  The doctor said she is perfectly healthy, and an over achiever. :) So good to hear!  The bad news-the pain in my stomach is either from her being stuck in 1 spot for too long, or from her kicking me so hard she bruised me.  So, so glad every this is ok, but I will definitely be spending lots of time on the couch until this bruise heals...or Sister arrives.  OUCH! 

My doctor was not in today, so I had to see the dr. on call.  She was the last doctor I hadn't met in the practice.  My doctor will deliver me if it is during office hours, otherwise I get the doctor from the practice that is on call.  I absolutely LOVE my doctor, and every other doctor in the practice!

We are all ready for Sister to arrive.  Her room is {almost} finished.  Our hospital bag is packed and in the car.  Karson's hospital/activity bag is packed and in the closet.  Karson's schedule is all typed up sitting on our counter.  Sister's car seat is in the car.  Whenever I put Karson in the car, he tells me sister is going to go "night night" in her car seat.  So cute!

Karson isn't so excited about being a Big Brother.  Although, I'm not so sure it is that he isn't excited.  I don't think he completely understands.  When we ask him if he is going to have a baby sister, he yells "NO!"  But he also yelled "no" at everyone that told him Happy Birthday, or whenever you ask him to say my parent's dog's name.  He is 2. :)  In Hobby Lobby over the weekend, I handed him a bag I had in my purse of sample paint we had for Sister's room to entertain him.  He started yelling "Mama, baby! Mama, baby!" and then he started yelling his Sister's secret name over and over again.  In the middle of Hobby Lobby. So maybe he gets it...a little?  I don't know. :)

The weather here has been beautiful the last week.  I tried to go for a short walk, and when I got home, my ankles had disappeared, and my feet were all swelled.  I sat on the blanket in the driveway when we got home, and Karson kept telling me, "owie Mommy. owie."

I can't wait to have her here with us...and for this bruise to heal! :)

InstaFriday

Yay...it is Friday!

It is also exactly 1 month until Baby Sister's due date.

 I.can.not.wait.

Linking up with Life.Rearranged, sharing our week through my cell phone pictures. :)

I am a huge believer in keeping littles rear facing until 2.

Karson wasn't quite 20 lbs on his 1st birthday, so he wasn't big enough to be forward facing anyway.

(Ideally, we would have kept him rear facing until he outgrew our car seat's rear facing weight of 40lbs)

After his 2nd birthday last week, we switched his car seat.

He thought he was cool stuff!!  He.did.not.stop.talking.

"Mama-doggie." "Mama-tree." "Mama-choo choo" "Mama-Bumpa!"

(Bumpa = my dad who drives a semi.  Kid can spot a semi from a mile away!)

Karson's infant car seat broke when he was 9 months old.

He was stuck in it.  I called Graco in a panic.  

They told me how to release my baby from the car seat, and to NEVER use it again.

They refunded what we paid for it, and we used the money towards Karson's convertible carseat.

I panicked when DJ called me into the garage, while he was switching it to forward facing, to tell me Karson's carseat was broke.

The lever that allows it to recline and sit up wouldn't budge.

Seriously!?  This carseat was NOT cheap.

(100% worth the money...but not cheap!)

Called Britax to find out if it was still safe to use, until we could get to the other side of town to get a new one.

They offered to replace the car seat, and sent us a brand new one.  

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE companies who stand behind their products!!

He got a bike for his birthday.

It is still to big, and he doesn't know how to ride it.

I don't care if he is inside or outside.

Sitting on it or riding it.

He MUST have his helmet on.

End.of.story.

He knows this, and runs to get his "hat" whenever he wants on it.

Artwork by Karson.

Explanation here. 

{If you thought that was a washable marker...think again.  black.paint.pen.}

He loves fruit.

His breakfast of choice:

Strawberries, blueberries, and orange slices.

His train cake for his birthday last year.

So much fun to decorate with my Mom.

I however, did not foresee my 36 week pregnant belly getting in the way of actually reaching the cake. 

Getting ready for baby sister.

I had picked up a bunny for Karson to bring Sister in the hospital, I showed him, and he threw it.

I asked if he wanted to bring her, her own special paci, and he was so excited.

He even has picked out which one he will bring her.

InstaChallenge Food Drive:

Will be added this weekend.

I was trying to come up with a place to bring canned foods.

Then I heard on the radio that our new coffee shop will be holding a food drive on Saturday morning.

Starting at the exact time I am meeting Aunt Katie for coffee.

Love the flashing red signs God puts in front of your face occasionally. :)

DJ and I picked up some canned goods last night.

A Two Year Old Story...

Karson is officially 2.

He proved this last night.

 I was in taking a warm bath.

I can be found taking a warm bath often lately.

{only 4 weeks and 5 days}

So I was in taking a bath, when Karson decided he had to go potty.

DJ sends him in the bathroom, and I notice Karson has black marker drawn on the top of his hands.

I ask him if he was coloring, and he told me they were "bug-gies."

I yelled for DJ, asking if they were coloring.

It didn't look like crayola markers on his hands...it looked like permanent marker.

Then I heard...

"OH CRAP...you don't want to know what he did."

Not going to lie...I started laughing.

Laughing really hard.

Then DJ sent me this picture...

 

...laughing...

DJ then informed me it was done with a black paint pen, that I had left next to the Keurig on the counter.

...still laughing...

Because he is 2, and really, it was Mommy & Daddy's fault. 

 I left the paint pen out, apparently in his reach.

DJ didn't notice the artistic work going on in our kitchen.

Karson using window markers, on our slider, all the time.  

He didn't know any better.

And no one stopped him.

...still laughing...

It, obviously, needs to be repainted.  

DJ is so trilled to be painting again...or not.

Our neighbor just gave me the idea to paint it with chalk board paint...such a good idea!!

He will be even more thrilled when I tell him my new project for him. :)