Father Daughter Dance

March 24th

Isn't she lovely?

Isn't she beautiful?

Thinking about the dance with daddy

This little man thought he was going too.
Ran up to his room and found a "matching yellow outfit"

Before we informed him that he would be staying home.

On their way to the ball.
Pooh, VERY upset, kept repeating
"but I a good boy, I a good boy"
Broke my heart.

Daddy with his first girl

The night is coming to an end, Cinderella

Little man and his mama went on their own date.

WHOA BABY!

March 20th

Woke up excited. This is the day that we have been waiting for since we found out that I was pregnant. I really had thought that I would have gone early but no. Didn't happen. So, here I am. Getting ready. Getting weepy. Getting excited. Are you a boy? Or are you a girl?? So EXCITED!! And surprisingly, very relaxed...

Had everything packed and ready to go. Said good bye to both grandmas, kissed Ellie and Pooh. Explained how we would call them and let them know if they had a brother or a sister. Started getting a little teary eyed. Aside for when I had Pooh, we've always slept under the same roof.

Get in the suburban and attempt to start it up from the passenger side. WHA? Try again. WHAT? DEAD BATTERY. I swear, we are like distant relatives of the Griswolds. I'm panicking by the time Chris gets back. "Oh my God, Chris, DEAD BATTERY!! We're going to be late!!" I screech all panicky,  because I'm in a panic. Chris, being very relaxed, explains how they will not start without me. So, we take his pick up truck and away we go.

Arrive at the hospital and the first couple of hours just fly by with filling out paper work. Waiting to be taken into the OR. And the whole time, I'm fine. I had asked if at all possible, if I could recover in my room instead of the recovery room. That way, I'm able to nurse the baby right away. Because this time I am really going to give it my all. Got my whole birth plan down. Going to have a boy. Going to recover in my room where I can start to nurse baby boy right away. I'm ready. And off we go.

And like the time before (Pooh's birth) I start to panic as my body starts to go numb. So, like the time before, I request a wet washcloth be placed over my eyes. For some reason, this seems to help me relax as my doctor is inquiring, "can you feel this?" as he pinches here or there to make sure that I am completely numb.
Finally, he starts the c-section. The whole time, I'm thinking, "are we finally here? Is this really happening?" I'm waiting with anticipation as they pull the baby out, for that first cry, and finally the big announcement if we have a baby boy. Or a baby girl.

If you get queasy, then stop. Because I've got pictures:

Here we go

UNBELIEVABLE!

Finally, I hear a wail

That's no penis

          Chris looks down at me, teary eyed and announces, "We have another girl". I am completely shocked because I could have sworn we were having a boy. I washed all of the boy clothes, I was so certain. I was in disbelief, "What? Where's the penis?" I ask as they held my baby so I could take a peek.

Evolet Olivia Grace (Evie)
3/20/12
12:34pm
7lbs 10.5oz
19.5inches

Evie had fluid in her lungs.
she needed to have an IV and oxygen

Nothing played out as I had planned. I ended up having the most precious baby GIRL. Beyond thankful for her. I stare at her every second that I can, in total awe and disbelief that she is ours. How blessed are we? Even though I was able to recover in my room, I didn't get to nurse Evie like I had planned due to the fluid in her lungs. I didn't get to hold her for almost 7 hours. Torture. Nursing? That's another story.

                       

Twas the Night Before Baby

Twas the night before baby and all thru the house....both my "older" babies are snugged in their beds, dreaming of their new brother/sister perhaps??? Daddy is still at work, probably purchasing a small gift from baby for each sibling. My mother (Tita) and MIL (Grandma Karen) are both on their computers, browsing the web. Baby's bag is all packed and ready. An outfit for a girl and an outfit for a boy. I have the cord blood kit right by the door, just incase I (might)forget. My bag is packed as well, along with two fully charged cameras to capture each moment. And mama? Well, I'm sitting here, thinking how this is my last night to feel baby number three move within me. How this has been a wonderful pregnancy. How lucky and blessed I am. How I'm just getting use to feeling the jabs and the turns from this precious little person. How pretty soon he or she will be in the cradle of my arms. A new little Larson to love. I'm so excited to know if baby is a boy or if baby is a girl. What will you look like, little one? Do you already know how much we love you? How we can't wait to meet you, hold you, smell you, and kiss you? You're not even here yet and already you have changed our lives. So, off to bed I go to cherish these last precious hours. Tomorrow, tomorrow, I can not wait till tomorrow!

Ellie & The Tooth Fairies

Oh! I am a BAD Mama Blogger! In my defense: for some reason, I am unable to load pictures from my camera onto our computer and that has really deterred me from posting anything. Which is just SILLY! I can always add pictures later, right??? Anyways...

January 10th: Ellie runs up to me, claiming to have a loose tooth. NO WAY! I say. But sure enough, she does. I immediately go on Pinterest to look for something cute to do as the tooth fairy.

January 27th: Ellie loses her first tooth. Chris and I are excited and a little sad. Our baby girl is getting bigger. For some reason, I have no idea why or how, she seems to have "lost" her tooth. We search EVERYWHERE! Can not find it. We're more upset than she is. But she still received a letter and a $1 dollar gold coin. She was so excited! Took it in for show and tell.

February 6th: Ellie loses her second tooth...well, not really lose, more like it was barely hanging on and daddy didn't want to chance it actually getting lost, so he yanked it out. This time, we really wanted to do this Tooth Fairy gig right. I had it all planned out. I would gently take her tooth from it's resting place, replace it with the gold coin, sprinkle "fairy dust" around Ellie. I was SO excited to give my little girl some magic!

Instead, this is how it played out:
I could NOT remember where I put those freakin' dollar gold coins! Chris and I searched for well over an hour, cracking each other up, who would find it first...if he found it-would I give him a back rub?? Luckily, I found them- they were in one of the kitchen drawers. Why?? Would I place them there?? Then we quietly crept into her room. I thought it was very sweet that Chris wanted to do this with me, considering he at first thought it was a little too much, with the coin, the glitter, "just give her a $2 dollar bill" he said at first but now, he was the first to rush into her room with the coin. I, quietly go on one side of her bed and Chris the opposite side. I'm slowly getting ready to slide my hand under her pillow to retrieve the little tooth. Chris?? He decides to yank her up- he practically has her sitting up! Grabs the tooth and replaces it with the coin. My jaw, it's open. Then he let's her down gently. I'm starting to crack up because...c'mon! We're suppose to be sneaky. I had the little jar of glitter open and was just about to sprinkle it around my little princess, when he gestures for it. As I'm passing it to him, I'm trying to let him be aware that the top is off but he fails to see that, instead? He dumps all the glitter out. In one spot. We're both giggling and trying not to wake Ellie up. He tries to "spread" the glitter around JUST as Ellie wakes up. I quickly run to the bathroom to pee because...well I'm pregnant and I practically live in the bathroom. Ellie, of course is surprised to see her parents standing over her, we play it off that we were just "checking" on her. She automatically reaches under her pillow, realizes that there is something there in place of her lost tooth. Grabs it, gets up, looks at it, and starts to jump on the bed. Chris turns on her light to get a better look at what she is talking about because we are both clueless, of course. The she sees the big 'ol pile of glitter poop on her bedspread. She's just as excited. She grabs some "pixie dust" and sprinkles it on herself and tries to think happy thoughts, and jumps up and down on the bed, to fly. "I can't fly. I'm too big. But look, my arm is flying!" she says, as she waves her arm in the air. Pure innocence. One of the best nights as parents for us. As we tucked her in, gave her one last kiss goodnight, and started to walk out of the room, without even thinking about it, we high fiver each other. We are geeky like that. The End.

Traditions

Christmas Eve Day:

This (past) year we decided to host an hors d'oeuvre party after Ellie's Christmas program at Zion. So the morning of Christmas Eve, we cleaned like crazy and started preparing the yummy appetizers. The local movie theater has been featuring free movies on this day, every year. So, I suggested to Chris that he should take the kids. At the last minute I decided to tag along since I had finished my prep work. What a wonderful gift, we saw the Muppet movie and the kids just loved it. New tradition? Yes, definitely.
 As we were leaving, my newly potty trained three year old states that he has to go potty. Chris lovingly asks: "do you need to go tinkeldoo or poopydoo?"
" I need to go tinkledoo" replies the three year old and off they went to use the facilities while Ellie and I wait patiently for them.  And we waited. And waited. And waited for what seemed like over 15 minutes. I'm starting to become impatient, I still have to get the kids home, showered and dressed and be at the church by 4PM. and it's almost 2PM. FINALLY, they both come out, walking rather quickly to the front doors.
"What took so long? I ask. "I'll tell you in the car" replies Chris. I'm starting to get worried that Pooh had gotten sick and if so, I need to cancel tonight's plans. So I asked again, "what happened??" Chris, again replied with "I'll tell when we get in the car, I don't want to embarrass him" ooookkay.
We finally get to the suburban and I notice that Chris lovingly laid his coat in Pooh's car seat and placed Pooh in it, I fastened Ellie in hers, get in and wait for what happened:

"Well, I asked if he had to tinkle or poopy and he said  tinkle. So I stood him on the urinal, stood behind him, pulled down his pants and waited for him to pee. I accidentally passed gas and thought "oh my goodness, did I just mess MY pants?? When all of a sudden, Pooh starts to cry, tips his head back, repeating over and over: I sorry daddy, I just poopy! (I am laughing by this point, Chris just shoots me a stare) I look down and it's all green liquid crap. All over the front of my pants ( I glanced down to see, yup. <giggle, giggle>), all over Pooh, all over the floor. He's still crying and saying he's sorry. I tell him "it's alright buddy, everybody poops. Daddy will clean it up." so, I cleaned him up, myself and the floor. That's what took so long" he rolls down the window because it's starting to smell, Ellie complains that it's too cold, so up goes the window. Then Pooh chimes in with: "ugh! What is dat smell?" Chris and I just look at each other and crack up laughing. Poor little guy, didn't have the heart to tell him it was him. "Daddy just tooted" I tell him. Pooh: "Daddy, you gots to say ecuse me!" New tradition: I'll pass on this one.

Made it home in time, showered the kids, got them dressed and arrived at the church in time for Ellie's Christmas Program. The kids did a WONDERFUL job!! Grandma Karen, Auntie Laura, Uncle Andy, Alex and Emily drove up from Wausau to see her performance. Then we came home and had a few friends and their families over for appetizers, a few drinks and just caught up. All the kids played so nicely together. After they left, we put the kids to bed (way past their bedtime!) and then Santa finally arrived. New tradition? Most definitely!

Does this pregnant belly make me look GINORMOUS?

So, I have been feeling rather...<ahem> fat, lately.  I know, I know. I'm pregnant. But it doesn't matter because when the stretchy pants start to lose their stretch...BOO HOO!!
I have also been feeling very tired, so tired I need to take a nap at least once a day and go to bed super early, like when the kids do. Around 7:30PM. And don't get me going on how uncomfortable I have been feeling. Especially DOWN THERE. The pressure, the pressure is SO bad. I seriously feel like I am going to drop a bowling ball from my crotch.  My hips hurt, that darn sciatic nerve. I'm walking like I just pooped my pants, if I laugh or sneeze- I have to shove a kid out of my way just so I can make it to the bathroom in time. Kegels, kegels...I should have listened and practiced.
But, with all of the uncomfortableness, there has been the joy in realizing why my body is going thru all the changes. I've been feeling my little baby move more. Like when the kids speak, the baby moves. When daddy reads bedtime stories, the baby moves. When singing Christmas songs with the kids, the baby moves. 

I had just started embracing my roundness when this morning, after dropping Ellie off at school, a mother of one of her classmates shouts "Oh my goodness, are you getting GINORMOUS!! And you still have a ways to go!"-evil laugh. Okay, maybe there wasn't any evil laughter involved. But, there might as well been.

Ginormous. I realize I am pregnant. 6 months pregnant. With only 14 weeks left to to go. But really. Pregnant women do NOT need to be reminded on how big we are getting. Trust me. We know. But THANK YOU. VERY. MUCH.

After that we did a little Christmas shopping and took a impromptu tour of a church we are thinking of joining. It was a wonderful morning, even with the above comment made. So what, if I'm gaining weight, almost peeing my pants, walking like I just pooped my pants and am OH MY DEAR LORD THIS. IS. STARTING. TO. HURT. AND SORRY HONEY BUT THIS IS THE LAST BABY. I only have 14 weeks left to go. 14!! YAY! And would I sound horrible if I wished for baby to come early....so I can say " I only have 13 weeks left to go!!" ???

6 months vs. 24 weeks

6 months sounds SO much better than 24 weeks, dontcha think?? Even if they technically mean the 

same thing = how pregnant I am. 

6 month/24 week pea pod

pea pod giving a "thumbs up"