Dec 2nd

Today Maddie, Sadie, and I stopped at the Scrapbook Store to make a quick visit. It was so nice to say "hi" and to see all that paper again : ) While there isn't much new stuff to look at, it doesn't matter. Just walking into that store inspires me!! We also took a trip to the mall. Maddie wanted to ride the train and eat lunch there. Unfortunately, my double stroller is stuck in the open position (it's been through alot...) and I couldn't get it in my car. I had to take the single stroller (which actually is also stuck open...I don't know how this happens) which was none to pleasing to a certain 4 year old that she would not have a seat while going through the mall. I had to make a couple stops in the mall (geez, to think I go to a mall and actually want to go into a store, and NOT just to ride the train!) but Maddie was "too tired" and was not very cooperative. Don't fear, it has nothing to do with the new baby. Maddie has done this as long as I can remember. Even when she would be sitting in the stroller in the past, she would conveniently be "too tired" to want to go into any of the stores. She perked up a little when we bought a Christmas dress from JCPenney's for her. We also bought something for Cal to wear for Christmas. Little Sadie is set for the holidays, as she has 4 different outfits--I just hope they fit her! Kaycey on the other hand...don't know what I'm going to do. She is not the frilly poofy fancy dress type. She is not the dress type period. If she had her way she would probably wear flight pants and a sweatshirt. Hey, what can I say, she likes to be comfortable--which is totally me these days! Any idea of where to shop for this girl would be greatly appreciated!!

Tonight we are going to church. I love this time of year in church; especially Wednesday night services, as we typically sing the traditional Christmas hymns.

Perhaps I will bring out some Christmas things tonight. I said last year I wasn't going to bring everything out, but I ended up bringing most of the things out anyways. This year I really don't feel like hauling everything out, but at the very least we'll have the trees (last year we had 4 trees!!) Now we just need a tad bit of snow to set the mood...

Dec 1st

Tonight the kids "picked" out names...since they aren't doing a gift exchange amongst cousins this year, my kids thought it would be fun to pick each other's names. I figure, there's four of them now, so why not. They are very excited to go shopping ALONE with Mom and pick something little out for the person they chose from a hat.

There was a car accident on the corner by our house in the middle of the night. I was up feeding Sadie. I don't know how I didn't hear the crash, but I heard the oodles of sirens. There were at least seven squads, a fire truck, and an ambulance that I saw. It even woke Mike up. From our porch, it looked to us like the police were at or in the neighbor's house. It turns out they were parked there, but the accident happened along the road, which is next to the neighbor's property. It appears the driver was speeding (just by the marks on the road and ditch it seems obvious) and the car flipped multiple times and crashed into a tree. The person in the back seat died, while the two in the front seat suffered some injuries, but will be okay. Cal and Kaycey were fascinated by the whole thing, and the fact that it was on the news. I know they are young, but they had alot of questions about why and how it happened, and so I am just trying to instill in them how important it is to be a responsible person and that some people make bad choices (it sounds like alcohol is a factor, as well as drugs). Kids grow up way too fast...

under the weather

Shouldn't there be some sort of law that a momma of a 2 week old can't get sick?? : (

After going to bed Thanksgiving night, somehow, Maddie and I are the only ones in the house to catch whatever short-lived bug we caught. But short-lived as it was, it was yucky. I know it wasn't the food, because Maddie was already feeling icky and she hadn't eaten anything at all most of Thansgiving Day. Thankfully, I have a nice guy who held down the fort while I was in bed with a bucket : ( And Sadie even slept from 12:30-6am that night!! Dang, too bad I was curled in a ball for hours during the night, praying for my stomach to feel better!! At least Mike got a good night's sleep so he could manage the next day without me. I don't know that I got off the couch all day once I got out of bed, other than to take a shower in hopes that would make me feel better. I'm doing better today, still haven't had an appetite really. Mike and the 3 older kids are gone for the day to his Dad's side of the family Thanksgiving gathering. Sadie and I are hanging out at home. She's been sleeping most of the time. Wish I felt up to doing something, anything--a trip to a store, laundry, finish my December Daily so it's ready by Tuesday to start it up! Time to wake up, baby Sadie!! Another 12:30-6 would be grand if I could be sleeping during that time : )

Life right now

Chaotic. Messy. Tiring.

Laundry everywhere, literally. Clean, dirty, folded, unfolded.

A baby who is a night owl.

Baby "stuff" adorning every room in the house. Clothes, diapers, wipes, bottles, bibs, blankets, and much more... galore.

No time for emailing, blog updates, or checking other blogs.

Toys, crayons, books are EVERYWHERE. (Mostly Maddie's doing)

Boxes of cereal left out on the counter. Crumbs on the floor.

Mad dashes to make the bus, or if it's anything like today, miss the bus, and Mom packs everyone up and drives to school, barely getting there before the bell rings.

Forgotten "show 'n tells". Mom drives back to school to drop it off.

Late nights, early mornings. Multiple times up in between.

Five minute showers. Zero makeup, totally undone hair, pajamas and slippers most of the day.

One pair of pants that fit, and only because I just bought them 3 days ago. (Comfy lounge-y pants. Need to go buy another pair or 2).

Doctor appointments and basketball practices.

Just not possible to sleep when the baby sleeps.

7 o'clock dinners. Often without Mom and/or Dad getting a chance to eat.

And still, I am thankful for this crazy life.

How sweet it is.

Welcoming Sadie

So as a woman, I know most women are obsessed when it comes to baby stuff. How, as a woman, it doesn't matter if you know the pregnant lady or not, you are going to ask her when she is due. And if it's a boy or girl. And if she has names picked out. Or how, when you cross a woman with a brand new baby you ooh and ahh and often hear the story about the labor & delivery, ask a name, find out the weight, and yes, sometimes you don't even know the lady. We find knowing this information so much fun, whether we have kids or not. Curiosity is just one of those female things. And so with that intro, I bring you the story of Sadie.

Sunday night, November 8th, Mike and I watched "The Proposal" (a pretty good movie in my book, by the way). Then I thought that maybe, just maybe, my water broke. I went to bed, very uncomfortable, and curious as to whether or not my water did break. I figured it could wait until morning, since I wasn't even sure. And I wasn't about to either wake all the kids and take them by Grandma's at 11 o'clock at night, or call Grandma and have her come over at that hour, since I wasn't even sure. The next morning I told Mike to go to work, figuring it was a false alarm. After taking Maddie to school, I decided to give the doctor a call, figuring she'd ask me to come into the office, they'd do their litmus paper test to see if my water broke, and send me on my way. At 9am-ish, she actually told me to go straight to L&D at the hospital. I was skeptical, thinking, I really don't have to go to the hospital...but I went anyways. I took my time, though, and made sure I had my camera, of course, just in case, and even put my bag in the car thinking maybe, just maybe we'd have a baby that day! And if I did, I didn't want Mike to have to drive all the way home just to get my bag. Anyhow, after hooking me up to all the monitors, it turns out I was having contractions (nothing major, but they were regular). My water did not break, in fact. Around 10am-ish the nurse told me in her opinion I was going to have a baby either way that day. And the doctor on call felt that with my contractions the way they were, and as uncomfortable as I was, she didn't feel comfortable sending me home, just for me to come back. Shortly after 10:30 am, the nurse came back in and told me the doctors planned on doing the c -section at 11:30am. WHat!?!? Mike was still at work. I thought maybe they'd make me sit there all day, and do the c-section late afternoon. I called Mike and relayed the info (and the doctors assured me they'd wait for him to get there : ) In the meantime, I was stuck four times in attempts to start the IV. I had to drink this NASTY stuff, something for stomach acid. I told them how I was excited I'd be home in time to watch the Packer game and the Viking game on Sunday the 15th (had I had the c-section on the 13th, I would've been watching from my hospital bed), and how yes, I was one of "those" people who still loved Brett and that Maddie, our third, would've been Brett if a boy. Once Mike arrived (by 11:30), everyone was pretty much ready to go. By noon or so, we were in the operating room. I don't remember receiving the spinal being so painful with my other kids, but this one was awful. I remember thinking, I'm never doing this again! Instantly I got sick and it made me goofy for a short time. But everyone was absolutely wonderful who was there--the nurses, the anesthesiologist, my OB, the OB on call, and Mike. And just like that, 15 minutes later, a little lady was born (who was nameless at the time...everyone in the room was calling her "Brett-tina"). It was instant relief, the nine months of feeling icky, the terrible heartburn, and the sleepless nights would be over. And as soon as I saw her, I thought, I could totally do this again.

"Little Girl" remained nameless until about 5 o'clock. Mike called her Sadie right off the bat. But then we went back and forth with using as first names Aubrey, Molly, Carleigh, Katherine, Josie, Claire, Elsie (Ella), or Lyndsey. Mike repeatedly said it was up to me. I was a little torn. I loved so many names!! But both of us have always loved the name Sadie, and since I did pick out Maddie's name with Sadie being a close second back then (along with Norah and Josie), I guess we pretty much had it decided all along. We waited until the kids came with my Grandparents to meet her (after school). Once my Grandparents left, we asked the kids what names they thought about. Then we asked what they thought of the name Sadie, and they all loved it. The meaning of Sadie is "princess". The kids love that the name means "princess". And so, Princess Sadie she is.

I was sick the rest of Monday. Like, the throwing up kind of sick. Yuck. Anything I tried--water, 7up, jello...didn't stay down. I could barely keep my head up. I had never felt like that after my other c-sections. Even though Sadie slept in the nursery Monday night (I couldn't get out of bed yet), I got next to no sleep. But each day got a little better.

We got to go home Thursday after having stayed 3 nights, even though I stayed 4 nights after having the other 3 kids. We were excited to go home, though.

next post...at home.