37 weeks

Today I reached a big milestone in this pregnancy- 37 weeks! Todd and I are both very grateful that today has come. At my 37 week checkup I was 3 cm dilated, 90% effaced, and baby's head was at 0 station. This is progress from last week's appt which gives me HOPE that I will actually go into labor on my own this time. I guess we will just have to wait and see!

It has definitely been a very LONG 9 months. I found out I was pregnant (Surprise!) in May while still nursing Charlotte and dealing with some physical issues. I still had morning sickness but I noticed it wasn't nearly as severe my first trimester as it had been with the other two and I attribute that to nursing. That would have made my pregnancy a breeze compared to my others but of course I couldn't have it that easy! After lots of blood work and expensive, uncomfortable tests I found out that I had ulcerative colitis and it progressively got worse as the weeks went on. It has been very frustrating trying to manage this yucky condition and I'm sad to say that after all these months we still don't have it figured out. There are many not-so-fun details that I won't get into but I was losing blood and I have never been so exhausted in my life.  I have been in survival mode for such a long time that I have forgotten what it is like to feel good! I still feel nauseated a lot too but have managed to keep my throwing up to a minimum (Only 15 times this pregnancy! Go me!).  

I have been very blessed to have a loving, healthy husband who has been there for me every step of the way. We are both so excited for this baby to come even though we are very well aware of all the challenges a new baby will bring. We know this baby boy is meant to come to our family at this time and that everything will be worth it! I am so excited to meet him and to hopefully return to a healthier version of myself again.

Some other "fun" things I want to remember:

*I kind of have two due dates. January 26th if you go by my last missed period and February 6th if you go by my first ultrasound. My doctor decided to go with Feb 6th so that is what I tell everyone but I don't think I will make it to February. 

*I have had some pretty swollen ankles this pregnancy! It started very early too. One night my legs and ankles were so swollen and tight that I could hardly walk. It was kind of concerning. Luckily that only happened once.

*I wake up at least once a night with leg/foot cramps. 

*I wake up at least 2-3 times to use the bathroom

*I need more sleep

*My new years resolution for this year is to not get pregnant.

*Baby's head is LOW. That is just how I always carry my babies! I have had so many comments from nurses/doctors about how LOW my baby's head is that I know its what I will always expect. I have been so sore this pregnancy because of how low the head is. I am doing some serious waddling which I think is pretty comical since I don't look like I am about to deliver a baby. Seriously. It hurts to walk.

Jett loves to put his feet up with me when my ankles are swollen :-)

37 Weeks

   I'm so excited for this little boy to have a baby brother! I'm also happy that Charlotte still gets to be my baby girl. 

 

Grandma's Birthday

Birthday Boy

Well today was all about Jett. I can't believe my baby is 3. I really wanted to make his birthday special and I was thinking about doing a big party but I just ran out of time to plan. So we kept it low-key and I think it was just perfect for him.

Jett's best friend Dane

These two had a blast just chillin in the blow up pool. 

 Cousin Sammy getting in on some water action

Man I love this kid!

 My amazing friend Kate! We served in nursery together in my old ward. Luckily we didn't move too far away so we still get to hang out with her and Dane :-)

I was so excited for Jett to see his cake. He absolutely adores Thomas & Friends and knows all the train's names. We got him Gordon and put it on his cake. His face just lit up when he saw it! In fact, he had to stick his old Thomas train in the cake right next to Gordon.

Somebody got spoiled!!

I start to tear up when I think about where I was three years ago. It was such a difficult yet very special time. It has been a challenge and privilege to have Jett in our home. Even though we have a new "baby" in the house, Jett will always hold a tender place in my heart as my first babe. 

"I'll love you forever

I'll like you for always

As long as I'm living

My baby you'll be."

What is in my pocket?

Today I am obsessed with this ruffle bum--->

Don't you just wanna squeeze those rolls??

I really believe she is the most beautiful little girl I have ever laid eyes on. I make sure to tell her every single day. Now if only she would sleep through the night!

Ever had one of those days where you spend all morning getting the kids ready to spend a fun day at your sister's pool- packing their lunches, packing extra clothes, feeding them and making sure they have everything they could possibly ever need to be happy...and you go to grab the car keys...and they aren't where they are supposed to be? So you go upstairs kind of annoyed but certain that they will just be sitting there on your bedroom dresser. Nope. In your purse? Nope.

So you call your hubby...and they are just sitting in his pocket for no good reason at all...20 minutes away...at work. How did they get there? It is a mystery. This is where a spare key would definitely come in handy.

Twenty minutes later Daddy shows up to save the day (He insisted).  Hooray!

We had a great pool day with Aunt Meggy and baby Sammy. I am determined to make the most of this AZ summer. It will not beat us! I guess technically summer hasn't even begun even though it was almost 100 degrees today. Jett has become a completely different child in the water since I started him in swimming lessons at the beginning of this month. He cried and cried the first two lessons and now today he cried and cried when he had to get out. Its fun to see him get more comfortable in the water but it is also a lot more frightening for me as his momma. I'm going to have to watch him like a hawk this summer!

Oh and have I told you how much this kid LOVES trains? He will make a train out of anything. This was from last night. Whenever Charlotte is in her bumbo he has to make a train behind her. Boxes from our Costco trip make perfect train cars.

Motherhood is...

Today (Read: Everyday) motherhood is a bit chaotic.

Today motherhood is...

Realizing it is nap time and you still haven't fed the kids lunch and you are rushing to finish your crockpot dinner while listening to the kids whine...just 2 more minutes, I promise!!

Trying to get your almost-three-year-old to stop running and eat that fabulous PB&J sandwich you made him.

       

Catching an unexpected smile from the sweetest banana face you will ever see.

Realizing Charlotte has the best big brother in the entire world as he sits behind her and makes a "choo choo train."

Finally putting the kids down for their naps so you can tackle piles of laundry and discovering a nice stash pile of underwear under the bathroom sink. ??

Realizing its 3 o'clock and you fed the kids lunch but forgot to feed yourself. Good thing you had leftovers in the fridge. Oh and the only clean fork in the house belongs to Jett.

Hmmm...maybe the reason you forgot to eat lunch was because you have almost eaten an entire sheet of cookies by yourself today??


I am realizing more and more that these days with young kids are going to be some of the craziest but most treasured times of my life. I want to remember them! Maybe if I keep my posts simple I will blog more??

TGIF

Tonight may be the first night in almost 2 months that I actually get more than 4 hours of sleep at once. Why is that? Because daddy is on baby duty tonight! Woohoo!

Getting a reflux baby to sleep is hard work. Oh well, the smiles she has been giving me lately make it so worth it!

I sure feel blessed. Happy Friday!

Merry Christmas!

Welcome Charlotte

I am so blessed.  The last few weeks have truly been one of the most special times of my life. We welcomed our baby girl into the world two weeks ago. My pregnancy was long and tiring and I was just as sick as I was with Jett's. I was definitely more prepared the second time around but the throwing up did get old, especially at the end :-) My belly measured small throughout the pregnancy and I had multiple ultrasounds just to make sure Charlotte was measuring ok. She always did until I went in for my last ultrasound on Dec. 3. I was 38.5 weeks and I could tell that the lady doing the ultrasound didn't like what she was seeing because she didn't say anything as she took the measurements. Charlotte's head was REALLY low (same as Jett) so it was hard to get a good measurement. She consulted with the Dr. and told us the Dr. would talk to us about it the next day at our appointment. 

I really did not want to be induced this time around. I felt like it took a big toll on my body with Jett and I really wanted to experience the excitement of labor starting on its own. That night at 6:30 I got a call from a nurse saying that the results of the ultrasound showed that Charlotte had dropped from the 33rd to 6th percentile for growth and that my Dr. wanted to induce me the next morning at 5. WHAT?? Their concern was that she was not growing anymore and that she would be better off on the outside than on the inside. I knew that she was probably fine and the Dr. knew my history with Jett but she didn't want to take any chances. I was pretty disappointed that I was going to be induced but Todd and I both felt like it was better to be safe than sorry. 

Dec 4-We scrambled that night to get everything in order for our big morning (I still hadn't packed my hospital bag). We didn't get much sleep and I was up by 3:50 am and in the shower when Todd got a call from the hospital telling us they were full and that they would let us know when they had room for us. Its kind of hard to just go back to sleep when you are waiting for a call to go have your baby! My Dr set up an appointment to see her in her office at 8:30 that morning to strip my membranes to see if that would get anything going naturally. OUCH. OUCH. OUCH. She said that it was the hardest "stripping of the membranes" she has ever had to do because baby's head was SO low. Even just checking my dilation was very painful (I was at a good 2 and 90% effaced). Then we went to McDonalds for breakfast because Todd said I deserved it after the pain I went through...lol. It was a really nice day so we went to the park and I did a nice long walk while Todd and Jett played but it was obvious that I wasn't going to go into labor on my own. We all took a nap and by that time it was almost 4 and I was feeling really discouraged and kind of mad that we hadn't heard from the hospital yet and just then I got a phone call that said "We are ready for you!" 

It was already 6:00 pm by the time we dropped off Jett at a friend's house, checked in at the hospital, and I got my first dose of Pitocin. At around 8:30 my sister came and got Jett so he could spend the night at their house (my first night away from Jett ever). It was Meg's birthday that day and they dropped everything to come and take care of Jett. We are so grateful for such an awesome family. I got my epidural around 9 and then I found out that my Dr. wasn't going to break my water until she came in the next morning...and I realized what a LONG night I had in store for me. 

The epidural made everything go numb which is great but it also made moving impossible. The nurse told me to get some sleep but I have a hard time sleeping anyways (I toss and turn a lot) and just laying there knowing I couldn't move my lower half of my body made me want to have a panic attack. Poor Todd, he can sleep anywhere but I was counting on him to distract me so it was a long night for him too. Every time the nurse came in to check on me I made her and Todd move me from one side to the other. I made very slow progress that night and was stuck at a 4-5 for hours. I was also STARVING since they wouldn't let me eat anything and that aggravated my morning sickness so I spent some time puking that night as well. 

Dec 5-At 5 that morning I was 6.5 cm dilated and I felt like I was finally getting somewhere (slowly but surely). My nurse was awesome and I was starting to feel sad that she wouldn't be there for the birth since her shift ended at 7. At about 6 am I felt a Pop! down there and knew that my water had broken even though I was too numb to feel any wetness. Todd was asleep in his chair and I had to call his name a couple times to wake him up. We called the nurse and I told her what I had felt and she checked and sure enough, I was right! She decided to check my progress and after a moment she said, you are fully dilated! She had talked to my Dr about an hour before but I was only a 6.5 then so my Dr. was still at home. When she called my Dr. to tell her I was ready, she was at home 25 minutes away and had just gotten in the shower! So I had to concentrate on NOT pushing while my Dr. hurried to get to the hospital in time. 

It was a pretty exciting hour waiting for the Dr. as I felt all the pressure and was trying not to push. Finally at around 6:35 or so my doctor ran into the room, wet hair and all and got it all set up for the delivery. I gave a few good pushes and Charlotte Susan Holbrook was born at 6:51 am. 

She is absolutely perfect! It was such a different experience with her than with Jett. She got to stay in our room with us the whole time since she was completely healthy. I also recovered much faster than I did with Jett which is such a huge blessing. She has been such a wonderful baby and only cries when she is hungry or getting her diaper changed! She does have reflux which is something we are still getting used to but we are so grateful she is here. We have been so blessed! So many people have reached out to us and I am just in awe of everyone's generosity. It has been a very special time for our family and I have loved having a newborn at Christmas time!

Due for some news

       I think it is time I got back into the blogging world! It has been awhile. I will use this post to share our big news. On Easter morning, Todd and I found out that we were expecting our second baby on December 14th (yay!) and we were so excited...that is until the morning sickness started. It was miserable but not so unexpected. Jett was a sweetheart to me the whole time and would run to the toilet with me and hold onto me while I gagged and threw up. Soon it became a game for him and he would try to beat me to the toilet and pretend to throw up. Silly boy! 

       I've been on zofran and it has definitely helped me a ton but it never completely goes away.

 I'm slowly gaining weight and I have even seen my baby bump emerge much faster than last time. I feel like this pregnancy has been very similar to Jett's but easier to manage because I am not going to school everyday or busy doing an internship. 

       I'm happy to say that I hit the 20 week mark today and I am finally at a point in my pregnancy where I feel great! Of course I have the common aches and pains of pregnancy and lingering morning sickness that hits every morning but it is loads better than feeling sick all day, everyday! Todd and I have both been convinced that this baby would be a boy. I didn't want to get my hopes up for a girl and we already knew how to take care of a boy. At 11 weeks I had an ultrasound and that baby was wiggling up a storm so I was convinced it would be another Jett! On Monday we went in for our big ultrasound and we were totally shocked when the technician said "Its a girl!" I was so happy all I could do was start bawling! The technician said "Remember this feeling when she is 13 and driving you crazy..." Haha! 

       I am so excited for this little girl to join our family. We hadn't really talked about girl names until this week and now she is already Baby Charlotte! In Australia I started to really like the name and it just kinda clicked in my head the other day and its all I can think about since :-)

19.5 weeks

Jett is going to be the best older brother!

The adventure continues...

Yes it has already been 5 weeks since we made the long journey from our lovely home in Sydney back to the USA. It feels like yesterday though and I can just close my eyes and remember everything perfectly. But I try not to think about it too much because it makes my heart hurt. Yes everything about it was hard...especially with an energetic toddler and no car but it was all worth it. We lived in such a beautiful place and met some truly beautiful people. Every Sunday I am so sad that we are not walking into the Greenwich ward and I miss everyone there dearly. Everyone there has made me want to be a better person. If there is one thing that we take away from this Australia experience I hope that it is to follow the example of everyone there who showed us such kindness, generosity, and love. We will never forget the acts of kindness (small or great) that were shown to us while we spent those 9 short months in Australia.

We are in a strange transition phase right now. We have an idea of what is next for us but we are waiting and praying for the pieces to fall into place. We are blessed. In the past 7 weeks (since we moved out of our Mosman apartment) we have lived out of a suitcase and wandered from place to place. We have amazing friends and family who have invited us into their homes and let us "crash" their places. We are so grateful to always have a home even though we don't really have a home if that makes sense. Jett has been such a trooper through all of our adventures and I really can't wait to tell him all about it when he gets older. Someday I think he will get to visit Sydney again and he will be amazed that he lived there for almost a year of his life! I already can't wait until we can go back and visit!

Our last time at beautiful Balmoral Beach. This was taken right before we drove to the airport. Robbie and Beth, our good mates, were kind enough to let us stay with them and drove us to the airport multiple times for NZ and for our flight home.

Thanks for the lift, mate! We can't wait for you guys to come to the USA and visit!!

Our last Sunday at church. We were sad to say goodbye to our Sydney mom Mireya and her niece Mariella.

Some of the ward members threw us a going away party and look at all the food they brought!! It was sooo good.

Jett, Marie, me, Dior (+ baby boy), Ha, and Beth (+ baby girl).
I'm sad I didn't get all the women that were there in the picture. I love you all!! Two of my friends are pregnant in this picture and I am so sad I won't be there to see their babies when they are born.

James and Todd. James is from NZ and told us all the cool places to visit when we went to NZ and we had a blast.

Our last full day in Sydney we went to the zoo to see the tiger cubs and visit on last time. There are three cubs and they were adorable!

Jett loved this seal.

Of course we had to take one last ferry ride across the bay and visit the Opera House.

Remember this? Here is Todd and Jett on one of our first days in Sydney back in February:

And then right before we left:

We definitely look more like Sydneysiders now!

This isn't the greatest picture of me and Beth but its the best I have!! I know you read this blog so I have to tell you how much I miss you and love you!! I can't wait for Baby girl Wolff to be born!

Goodbye, Sydney!!