Update

Thank you all so much for all of your prayer!!! They really helped to calm my fears today.

I met with my midwife this afternoon and all is well - no organs are falling out of me. Wahoo! This is definitely TMI...but I'm going to tell you anyway. Apparently delivering 9lb baby in 7 minutes wreaked the muscles. So instead of being nice and tight on the inside they are loose and a little low making me feel (and look) like something is coming out. She said the large baby coupled with carrying my 18lb toddler around all day and getting pretty much no rest since the first week Hannah was born. She showed me several pictures in a few medical books to reassure me that everything was normal. She sent me home with a prescription to do 20 kegals we every time I begin to nurse Hannah and 20 when I'm done, as well as 20 any time I have to pee, when I open the refrigerator, when I wake up, and when I go to bed. That's a whole lot of kegals! She said that should help tighten things up. Hopefully at my 6 week check up next Thursday things will already look better.


So now that that's out of the way...Hannah Clare's birth story to come next!




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone so please excuse they typos. My phone thinks it's smarter than me.

Prayers Needed!

I had planned on finally posting Hannah's birth story today since she's already 1 month old. However, instead I'm begging for your prayers.

I have an appointment at 3:30 tomorrow. I won't go I to the gory details but there is a chance I either have a collapsed vaginal wall or uterine prolapse. To say I am terrified is an understatement. I've been instructed to be on bed rest as well as not lift anything...nearly impossible with two little ones. Any prayers y'all have would be so helpful. I'm trying not to panic...unfortunately I'm failing miserably.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone so please excuse they typos. My phone thinks it's smarter than me.

I'm working on it!

I swear Hannah's birth story is coming! It's pretty much done...just needs a little work. However in the past two weeks we have dealt with some insanity.


Two days of a screaming one year old with a 102.5 fever send us to After Hours Pedi. Diagnosis - Nasty ear infection. I felt like mother of the year making her wait so long.


Begin antibiotics.
Very next day she breaks out in a rash.


Stop antibiotics to determine if it's an allergy or Roseola.


Rash goes away and fever doesn't return so we assume Roseola.


Same one year old then cuts 3 teeth in 2 days! THREE!!!


Easter Sunday mystery rash reappears.


Monday the rash is so bad I take her into the pediatrician thinking she has measles or some horrible disease.


Diagnosis - Amoxicillin allergy with a hypochondriac mother.


Oh, and during all of this my husband had a nasty cold. Annnd I've developed a wicked UTI (yes I just shared that on the Internet).


Did I mention I just had a baby 2 weeks ago?


So in the meantime, here's some iPhone pics to hold you over. :)
Someone turned 1 just 2 days before her little sister's birth.




Suddenly in an instant she turned into a toddler.




Welcome Hannah Clare!




First time eating at Chick-Fil-A!




Someone loves being in her K'tan!




I have two babies! Please ignore the weird underarm flab. Oh, and that's pumped milk in that bottle! I couldn't believe she drank it again!




Milk drunk!




Birthing balls are for more than just birthing!




Sick baby. :(




Sister love!




Silly girl!




Destruction!









Matching cloth diaper booties. :)

She's Here!

Hannah Clare

9 pounds 1 ounce

21 1/4 inches

Born at home in the water and caught by her daddy, Friday, March 23rd, at 11:21am.

More pictures and a birth story to come.

41 Weeks and Counting

I'm still here. Apparently Miss Hannah Clare doesn't realize she's a second baby and that her sister was early. She isn't supposed to be late.

I'm trying really hard to be patient, but it's really hard. I thought for sure she'd be here by now. I have a midwife appointment on Thursday. If Hannah isn't here by Friday I have to go for an ultrasound to check fluid levels. Then if she's not here by next Tuesday I have to be transferred to a doctors care for induction. By law the midwife can't let me go past 42 weeks. I am praying that doesn't happen. Of course she has some tricks up her sleeve we'll discuss on Thursday to see if we can get labor going. Although, I think I've tried them all except castor oil. She said she only uses that when she has to. I'm calling an accupuncturist today to see if they can help me.

I gues Hannah didn't want to be an Irish Twin. She only has until tomorrow to make that happen. Wouldn't that be insane if Hannah and Mary-Grace has the same birthday exactly 1 year apart? At first I was adamant (like I have control) that they have their own birthday. Now I don't care. I just want Hannah out Nd it may be cool of they had the same day.


I cannot believe my baby girl is a whole year old. It makes me so proud and sad at the same time. I'm not going to lie, this first year has be hard, extremely hard, but it was worth every second and I am so grateful to be trusted as her mother. I do however wonder what God was thinking. I am so not worthy to be her momma (or Hannah's for that matter).

We decided yesterday to reschedule Mary-Grace's birthday party. There is just no way I can do it this Saturday. We've moved it to the Saturday after Easter. I was sad to cancel, but I know it is for the best. I would be crazy to have 50 people in my house in just a few days. For all I know I could be in labor Saturday.

Well, hopefully the next time I post it will be a baby announcement. :)

Come out, come out...

I'm typing this from my iPhone. It hates me so I apologize in advance it this post looks weird.

Hannah was due on Tuesday, it's Thursday, so I guess that means she's over due. Now I realize that due dates mean nothing, but I never imagined she'd go past her due date. Her sister was a weeks early, second babies tend to be earlier than the first, not later. I guess she operates on her own time. :)

I had an appointment with my midwife yesterday. I asked her to check me because I had a lot of moderate contractions on Monday night and thought I was in early labor (obviously I wasn't). She said I was 1.5 centimeters and 85% effaced. Again, I know that doesn't necessarily mean anything, but I'll take it. I look at it as when I am in labor I only have to dilate 8.5 cm and efface another 15%. Works for me. She again confirmed that Hannah is super low and engaged which is awesome! It's just a matter of time and patience at this point. While I'm ready to get this kid out, K is hoping for Saturday. He really wants a St. Patrick's Day baby,

I am definitely getting a bit stresses about MG's birthday party. We've decided that of Hannah isn't here by the end of the weekend we are going to postpone it. I really don't want to do that but I have to be practical here. I know it seems like with so much family near us we would have lots of help. Unfortunately that isn't true. My family is very small compared to K's and is mostly make up of kids (we're outnumbered). It's also mostly men. I have two aunts but they aren't available to help. I have one sister close by but she has 3 kids under 7 and a husband who works 2 jobs. Other than that it's men. Not to mention they all have full time jobs. K's family is HUGE! However, my MIL and I have a very strained relationship...and she's the type of person who takes over rather than helping and creates more work for me. I've tried many times with her and have finally learned that it's just not worth it. The rest of the family doesn't help because of the strained relationship I mentioned above. It's a really ridiculous situation. I've gotten used to doing things on my own and I've come to like it. It's just easier.

We also finally decided on a middle name for Hannah, Clare, Hannah Clare. What do you think?

Now for fun I think I'll leave you with a few pictures of my little peanut.

Kiddo loves her food!


Drinking milk like a big girl. She didn't like it though and threw it on the floor, spit the milk out and crawled over to get her water cup.


Beautiful girl!


At Burger 21 celebrating Hannah's due date.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone so please excuse they typos. My phone thinks it's smarter than me.

Still here...

It's been a long time!  I'm still hear though, still reading (even if I don't comment), still pregnant.  I'm over 39 weeks now...due on Tuesday.  I honestly thought Hannah would be here by now.  Mary-Grace was 6 days early so I just assumed Hannah would be at least that too.  That's what I get for assuming.  I guess I've made it a little too cozy inside and she doesn't want to come out.  I need to think of a way to change that.

Since I'm still pregnant, you still have time to send your prayer requests to me.  And if I happen to go into labor before you read this, still send them.  I know there will be lots to offer up in those first few days (weeks) after her birth.

I'm still quite anxious about Hannah's birth.  I've very excited to be having a homebirth but nervous as well.  I'm not worried so much about something going wrong, more nervous that it will be too much and I won't be able to handle it.  I know this is ridiculous, because I CAN do it, but I worry.  I also have this fear of going into labor while K is at work and it being fast and furious.  I can't imagine trying to take care of MG while I'm having intense contractions.  K has a 40 minute drive home from work so it technically could happen.  My midwife had 2 women in the past week give birth so fast that she didn't make it in time.  She said it's rare but it does happen.  She leaves right away but sometimes the baby is just ready to come out.  There's a whole plan for what K is to do if this is happening, but I'm sure he'd rather the midwife be there.  The plan is for him to catch Hannah, just not by himself.

If Hannah holds out until at least Sunday, a dear blogger friend, who happened to move only about 4 hours from me, will be joining us for the birth.  I am very, very excited to have her and her sweet Hannah here.  She plans on helping with Mary-Grace during labor and if by chance (fingers crossed) Hannah is born in the middle of the night while the little ones are sleeping, she'll get to be with me for the birth too.  I've been praying from day one that she comes in the middle of the night.  It would make it so much easier!

My little peanut is going to be one year old in just 2 1/2 weeks.  I CANNOT BELIEVE IT!  Wasn't she just born yesterday?  We have planned a birthday party for her the Saturday after her birthday.  Now that that is only 2 weeks away and Hannah isn't hear I'm getting a bit scared.  It's nearly impossible for us to have a small anything when it comes to mine and K's families.  Both of our entire families live nearby and they are both super close.  It's impossible to invite a few without inviting them all.  This means that over 50 people are going to be in my tiny house in just 2 short weeks.  All but 5 of those people are family.  It gives me a panic attack just thinking about it.  We are doing it at 1:30 so we don't have to serve lunch, but we do need snacks.  I have no clue what snacks to have.  50 people is a lot!  I typically would make all of the food but there is absolutely no way I'm going to be up for that. So Publix cupcakes it is.  I ordered 60 and was shocked at how inexpensive it was.  I think $35 for 60 cupcakes isn't too bad at all.  Now I just need to figure out the rest.  I don't want to order the platters from the deli because they are really expensive.  I also don't want anything that requires me turning on my oven.  It's already so hot here (85-90 degrees) and I have a super small house.  I don't need anything heating it up.  Any suggestions?

And if you don't mind saying a prayer for me that I have peace of mind, a peaceful labor and birth, with a healthy mom and baby, that would be very much appreciated.