Fiona is here!

I posted the last blog post at 4:11am while I was awake with uncomfortable contractions.  I hit publish, did another quick read through to check for errors, stood up and my water broke!

Fiona Patricia Hazel L. was born at 5:50pm on December 26, 2012!

She weighed 7 lbs 6 oz and was 18.5 inches long.

Chubby cheeks and absolute perfection!

Mama and Fiona snuggling for the first time

We got to the hospital around 6:30am and even though my water was leaking all my contractions had practically died.  We sat around and talked and tried to relax.  Around 2pm we made the decision to start some pitocin because I wasn't progressing at all.  After that it is all a blur.  Pitocin really threw my body into high gear.  It was HARD.  I ended up getting a little demoral in the IV bag to help me relax in between contractions, but it also made me a little loopy.  She was pretty high and not moving down so I had to push her the whole way.  Lazy kid!  :)  She was born face up after some heavy duty pushing but she is totally worth it!

All three of my babies

Her siblings are totally in love with her.  Chandler says he "likes that Fiona" and that "we have a cute baby".  Let's hope he sticks with that!  Claire is trying to fight me over her.  I get lots of negotiating from her.  "Okay, mom, how about you hold her for 10 more minutes and then it will be my turn?"  She thinks I'm quite stingy.  Hey, I worked hard for that baby and I want to snuggle her!  ;) 

Proud big brother!

Sister bonding.  :)

Precious little face!

Can she be any cuter?

Big yawns ...

"Okay, mom.  We're done with the pictures now."  ;)

See?  I'm getting attitude already! 

Perfect Christmas

This has been an awesome Christmas.

 

We continued our tradition of a Book Advent.  One Christmas themed book to open every night from December 1st to Christmas Eve.

We picked out and cut our tree at our favorite local tree farm.

All Decorated!

We baked lots and lots of cookies!

Having fun cutting out cookies.

And we completely changed the order of our holidays!  Usually we spend Christmas Eve and Day running to all the different family's houses and by the end of the day both kids are crazy, wild and worn out.  This year I am 9 months pregnant and I am not up to that kind of craziness.  So I broke tradition.  Not a completely popular move, but it turned out so well for us.

We met at my Grandmother's house for a family gift exchange on Christmas Eve night.  It was my grandparents, mom, uncle and his girlfriend, sister and her boyfriend, brother and his girlfriend and Daddy, the kids and I.  We ate, opened present and enjoyed each others company.

Claire is so excited!

Chandler in the sea of wrapping paper.  And look at my belly!

 We got home and the kids opened their Christmas pajamas and went to bed.  Daddy and I set out the presents under the tree and headed to bed ourselves.  Christmas morning comes early!

Look at those comfy new robes!

Presents under the tree

Christmas Day was absolutely lovely.  The kids woke up around 7am and hit the presents.  My mom made homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast and I cut up some fresh fruit.  After breakfast and showers we threw a ham in the oven and put out some snacks on the table - veggie tray and dips, cheese ball and crackers, pretzels, pickles, olives, etc.  

My in-laws came over around noon and snacked, chatted, exchanged presents and headed home around 3pm.  

We sat around and relaxed and ate food all day.  Daddy threw around some of his new golf discs and the kids were SO good.  They played with their toys and had fun all day.  My grandmother bought them Innotabs for Christmas and they adore them!  This is what I saw for half the day:

Completely engrossed!

The other half the day was spent playing with dolls, remote control cars, action figures, puzzles, etc.  We didn't even turn the TV on until about a half hour before bedtime. 

Since we had such a simple meal clean up was quick and easy.  Once the kids went to bed Daddy and I snuggled on the couch and watched last year's Doctor Who Christmas special and were in bed by 10:30.  Perfect Day.

Ways I Know My Daughter is Sick

1.  At lunch time I ask her what she wants to eat and she says "Nothing".

2.  Instead of eating she disappears and I find her laying on my bed sound asleep.

3.  After sleeping she comes out and sits in the recliner and just stares into space.

4.  When I tell her that she can have the treat of watching Netflix in the middle of the day she gets up, turns the TV on, sits on the couch and just stares instead of picking a show.

5.  When her brother steals her sock off her foot to get her attention she just lays there.

Yep.  Claire is really sick. 

Quarantine Me!

I am drowning in sick people!  Daddy is really sick.  He is the type to tough out any illness.  I practically have to sit on him to get him to rest.  But he has spent the last 4 days laying on the couch - that is SICK.  We went to the Urgent Care today and I spent 3 hours in the waiting room with the kids for the doctor to tell him that he doesn't have the flu, he's just really, really sick.  Isn't that helpful?  They gave him an antibiotic shot and some heavy duty antibiotic pills.  Here's praying they work!

Oh, and both the kids have a sinus, coughing thing.

I CANNOT get sick right now!! I am 36 weeks pregnant!  And it's Christmas time!  I have so much to get the house ready for the baby and the holidays and not enough time.  Next week I have a full schedule and I really can't miss anything. 

Monday:  Two appointments and the homeschool co-op informational/planning meeting
Tuesday:  Physical therapy (apparently the baby is making my pelvis go out of place and it's causing me a lot of pain!)
Wednesday:  Work on the house!!
Thursday:  Co-op Christmas Party and Bible Study in the evening (they are throwing me a little "sprinkle" - isn't that sweet??)
Friday:  My Growth Ultrasound!  So excited!

Ugh.  And I need to wash all the baby clothes, clean the carseat (that a dear friend passed down), pack the hospital bag, bake Christmas cookies, get the final four boxes unpacked so they are not in the way and go Christmas shopping!  And that's just the urgent stuff on my list ....