Hadley Elizabeth Schmidt

Clearly lots has happened since my last post, thus making it a "little" busy for a post. I'll try to catch up in the next week or two, but no promises. :)

Our Hadley, Hadley Elizabeth, decided to grant her mommy's wishes and come early and naturally into this world on the morning of Saturday, December 10th, 2011. Clearly most if not all of you already know this, but I'm going to work on putting as much as I can remember here b/c I don't want to forget anything about Hadley's birth. It's almost weird to say this but I enjoyed her birth. I'll do a birth post, but for now I'd like to focus on right now back to our time coming home.

Hadley is 5 days old today and it's been such a blessing to add her to our family. She is a much better nurser than Morgan was at this point even though some of it I will chalk up to my experience and knowledge of nursing with Morgan. We still have to relatch sometimes and I'm still sore but it's a temporary thing and I'm very confident that Hadley and I are going to get along well in this area.

Adam is Hadley's baby whisperer. She is not a fussy baby thus far by any means but she still has moments as we would expect. Adam, however, can calm her within 5 minutes (at least after our first night home...that was a special sort of hellish time) and have her back in bed ready to go. Ok ok, that was one night last night (which was amazing - she was the best baby ever).

Morgan loves her sister. So very much (reference picture post to be coming soon). She enjoys playing with her, gently touching her face/head/hand/anything, really. Morgan's the diaper duty queen, by the way. She loves playing under the jungle gym mat with Hadley and takes the best sister pictures with her. When she's not sure where Hadley is (sleeping, for example), she scrunches her face up and asks where her baby sister is. One of our favorites - she can't quite say "Hadley" but it sounds a bit like "Howdie" with a tiny /l/ sound in there somewhere. It's adorable.

And lastly, I cannot say enough about my little Hadley. She's simply beautiful and I'm starting to see teeny bits of "infant Morgan" in her. She doesn't look like Adam's twin infant but I'm not sure I see a ton of me in her either. I love how alert she is when she's awake. I love how she turns towards Adam's voice when he comes home from work or hasn't talked to her in a while b/c he's busy with Morgan and the like. Hadley amazes me/us already with how well she holds up her head and looks around to see what's going on before resting back on our chests and snuggles in. Oh, my Hadley...

To all of you who told me it would happen, it's true. Having a second child does not mean my heart had to split or make room for another person and take away some love from someone else. My heart has grown and easily accommodated her into our family.

For now that's enough b/c it's time for a "last chance feeding" before we go through another night that looks/acts/feels just like last night. I had to wake her for each feeding (doctor says every 4 hours max) and she then slept until 8:25am after a normal bedtime. Note - I realize this was likely a fluke but a mommy can hope, right?

I'll work on the birth story in the next few days. As I said earlier, it was one of the best things I've been through in my whole life. Clearly the birth of a child will have a person feeling that way usually, but, well, I'll go into it later. A tiny person is going to be so excited for me to wake her up...so her mommy and daddy can go to sleep and stay that way a majority of the night unlike our first night home...

We're so glad you're in our family, Hadley. It's right where you're supposed to be.

38 weeks

Today marks 38 weeks with monkey #2 in my belleh. I had a long day at work and then went to my doctor appointment at 5pm while Adam and Morgan were in charge of dinner. :)

Get this - almost NO change since 2 weeks ago. :-/ Still 1cm but am now 80% effaced instead of "just 70%." That said, my midwife was very sure that I'd go by this weekend. SO very sure. I was polite about it but told her I'd likely be seeing her on Monday at my next appointment. Not a huge deal as I still have work things to do, but at the very same time if I went tomorrow, I don't think I'd be freaking out about it like I was last week. Maybe after report cards are done though...2 IEP meetings today and one every day this week except Friday. Then 4 more next week...sigh.

I hope I don't go all the way to my due date but for several reasons. I'm terribly curious to find out what it would be like to go into labor naturally and also b/c I just don't feel like working sometimes when all I can think about is my family and how the baby's arrival is going to change things - for the better.

We finished up the Baby's room tonight. Adam hung the curtain rods and valances, and I hung the three animals above her dresser. It totally topped off the room and all that's left are the decals that Grandma Susie will put up when she gets here after the baby's born.

I clearly have baby on the brain. I should really pack and just can't bring myself to go downstairs and get the things I would like. I know we brought wayyy too much stuff last time so we're going minimal this time...

Annnddd....attention is lacking so I'll stop. At the most, two weeks from today, we should have twogirls in the Schmidt household. Love.

92%

Click on this link!!

Baby #2's Room Pictures

The Baby's room is officially 92% done. I cannot tell you how relieved I feel and the weight that has been lifted from my shoulders knowing that if she comes tomorrow, we are 100% prepared at home (well, stuff-wise...we have NO idea how to parent two at once. I heard you just learn as you go... ;-). I was glad to find so many things of Morgan's (including a stash of teeny tiny diapers!) things that I loved seeing her in and seemed like she wore 2x before getting huge.

And did I mention how much I LOVELOVELOVE the Baby's room and how it turned out? I remember a few months ago not knowing how to make a room that I felt was as cute as Morgan's is for another little girl. We have done it and done it well. Morgan likes it and thankfully hasn't asked for stripes in her room (yet). I think we'd have to wait a while on that one even though I'm totally game for it in the future. It's so pretty...and we have two very lucky girls with two very gigantic bedrooms. :)

That said, tomorrow I'm 38 weeks (out of 40 for you "not sure how long pregnancy is in weeks" people). Two weeks to go. I am hoping to pound away at work this week and really finalize everything. If/When that happens, I cannot tell you how relaxed I'll be and ready for Baby to come. It's going to be awesome ... especially since there is some degree of ... well, completion? of paperwork before I go. I get it...doesn't mean I agree with all of it. So...may my typing fingers be swift, all internet connections work, and printers be ready b/c I'm going to be a worker BEE this week and get it all done.

Yesterday Adam and I took Morgan to Disney on Ice with my two work friends, Abbie & Sarah, and their families (minus one tiny tot). She really liked it and was obsessed with the "bid totadile!" that ate Captain Hook (big crocodile) and told us over and over again throughout the performance that that had happened. :) She must have had a great time b/c she fell asleep in the car on the way home at 2:30 and didn't wake up until we woke her around 5pm. Sleepy sweetheart...we're very glad we had that time with her since we're about to turn her world upside down in a few weeks...or days?

Speaking of, this morning, Morgan walked into Baby Sister's room and started talking about how "Daddy got done...just in time!" - meaning he's done some serious and awesome work in that room and just in time for Baby Sister to come...which made me wonder - does she know something I don't know??? :) She should share that information if she does, indeed, have it.

I'm currently reading "The Help" and had to take a small break to work on the baby's room...but now I'm back at it and since I've promised myself I'm not doing anything else tonight, it's time to pick it up and go to town. It's really very good and I still have a hard time sometimes believing this was the norm such a short time ago. Hope you enjoyed the pictures and I'll post more when it's completely all the way finished!!

Get low, get low, get low...

For reals, Baby Sister, if you get much lower you might fall out. Just sayin'...

Life has been VERY busy at home and work for baby prep this week and I've found that I haven't sat down until after 9:30 almost every night this week. That said, I'm a little exhausted. But I'm also feeling rather accomplished so it's a good give/take.

I'm feeling ok and find that some days are better than others in terms of comfort. Today I'm finding that I think I sat too much (thank you, paperwork) so I'm a little less comfortable. Every few days I also feel that she's getting lower and lower. That said, I'm actually going to pack my bags for the hospital tonight b/c she's pushing down hard, I'm feeling twingy, and I don't know how much longer I should tempt fate. I cannot pick up Morgan for more than a minute at best or I'm instantly sore (that darn ligament) for the rest of the day. I hate that part, as I love holding her and snuggling and playing. I am getting checked on Monday again so we'll see if I've moved off the 1cm dilation and 70% effaced. I would be shocked if I'm over a 3 (or even there, really) but she's sure been giving me some downward pressure so at the same time, it could be very possible...

Since I'm feeling all exhausted, I'm not going to post Baby room pictures like I want to. I'm not going to go into great depth about the phase Morgan is currently going through with hitting that makes me so sad (and sometimes really mad) that she feels that's ok. (However, last night when she was sitting in time out and started saying, "Daddy, I be dood dirl (good girl) now, I be dood dirl," we both had to work really hard to keep smiles to ourselves. I'm also not going to post how I'm feeling better about work but have a ways to go. I am going to say that it's time to go get my bag started to be packed and then have high intentions of falling asleep on the couch.

Disney on Ice tomorrow for us! Morgan's going to love it...I sure hope.

37 weeks - FULL term!

Ok, Baby #2 has officially made it to full term (even though she's trying to crawl out of my body as I type this). It's late, I'm really really tired, but we painted pink stripes tonight and life is feeling a step closer to the right direction with the nursery back under way.

However, it's time I get us to bed to try to fight the horrendous cold I managed to find and pick up, so off we go. More soon...but it's seriously going to be a whirlwind the next week or two trying to get everything ready...work and home.

We think Morgan is getting ready...she's VERY into reading her I'm a Big Sister Now book before bed and knows many of the words. As soon as work is ready and we have our Christmas lights/decorations up, She can come any time. :-D More tomorrow (or the next day?), friends.

Putting aside my inner Monica to bring you...

The monstrous mess Morgan and I created when creating our project tonight! I stopped at the store for some shampoo so I didn't have to dip into the travel stash in the morning and on my way to the register, I passed the Christmas candy ingredients...and decided we were making our last daddy-free night a project night. Enjoy. We sure did (but like I (and my bff Steph mentioned on FB) said, I had to put aside my inner Monica which went much better than I thought it could without Adam there to referee)!

 First we had to taste the pretzels "ring style."

Then she started "free reign" sprinkling. Notice how much is all in one clump!?! And I didn't say ANYthing. Proud.

I think this is how I was able to allow the mess - the adorable little girl creating it. ox

 

and....mess. This doesn't do the actual mess justice. :-D

 

We were so into our project we needed a reminder that it was time to Skype with Daddy!

*Note - Morgan talking to Daddy while Mommy's on hands and knees at 35w3d pregnant cleaning up 1 million red/green sprinkles.

And it was the best day...

First, I have to say that I am so lucky and blessed to have friends that I do. Morgan shed not a tear outside of my presence (which I can't say for when she was IN my presence, stinker) and I was able to go to work with about 10,000lbs lifted off my shoulders. On our way back from the store today, we saw Mary with our own two eyes and she confirmed that we'd see her in the morning. We gave her flowers already and I'm still considering hugging her. :)

Today was great - a minor blip in the radar but I think I was able to wear my Professional Liss hat just so and was hopefully able to show others that how I practice my profession is the correct way. Let's just say that sometimes it's hard for people to let go (of speech).

Then it was a quick stop at home to let the dogs out since I'd be home really late and off to pick up a very happy, well-rested Morgan. She slept for THREE hours today unlike the 1 and 1.25 hours she slept the past two days. She was great at the doctor's office for my appointment and again helped with the goop and wand on the heartbeat monitor. This might have to be put on the list of things I'm going to miss after pregnancy. Speaking of  lists...

Since I'm a lucky lucky girl and have relatively easy pregnancies...

• I'm going to miss having Baby Sister right under my heart. Sometimes I'm uncomfortable, sure, but I've always loved having my babies within me. 
• I'm going to miss watching Morgan take such an interest in my belly button, which is where she thinks Baby Sister really is. That would include, as mentioned, watching Morgan "help" at the doctor's office as well as lifting my shirt at home to tell her about her day.
• I'm going to miss feeling her move within me. 
• I'm going to miss the anticipation of her arrival and wondering what our family is going to be like to be just a little more complete. 

That said, once she's full term, of course, I can't wait to meet her.

It's been a great day and we're less than 48 hours from Adam being home for likely at least 2 months. ::happy sigh::