She Has Arrived!!!

I see that my last post was Sunday December 7th. I was going a LETTLE nuts that day. Would have been nice to know I was delivering in 2 days. I might have been a tad more relaxed.

So here goes...

Monday the 8th I had an ultrasound which showed our little girl was not growing well at all. She went from the 18% to less than 10% in two weeks...NOT GOOD. So, they decided to induce me.

Then ensued a brouhaha over the state of my IV and the possiblities of any IV access. I am normally a very vascularly blessed person. Phlebotomists LUV me. However. Thanks to the pre-eclampsia my vessels were less than cooperative. Let's just say I'll have the bruises for a few more weeks.

The day proceeded without much fuss and they decided since things weren't moving along they would give me a sleeping pill and start afresh in the morning.

Anyone have Ambien before??? Me either. I'm SOLD. I've doled it out many a time to patients on hospital bedrest but had never tried it myself. No side effects, and NO drowsyness. I was very pleased.

So, Tuesday morning I woke up refreshed, got yet ANOTHER IV (why not, the bruising really should be bilateral, right?) and we got ready for a more eventful day. First off I got a lovely epidural from a stellar anesthesiologist (my OB's wanted to keep my blood pressure down during labor, which meant NO PAIN...um...OK!). I was 4 cm so I had my OB pop my bag, then took a short 20 min rest time and was ready to deliver. Woot woot!

I huffed and puffed until my OB arrived and Emmy was born a short 15 minutes later:



She was whisked away rather quickly for evaluation as she was not tolerating labor all that nicely near the end. She recovered well and weighed in at a whopping 5 lbs 2 oz. I know, HUGE huh? What can I say, I make pipsqueak children.

Mama is relieved her baby girl is OK:



Papa is proud:



And Emmy better get used to being kissed:



Bubbalu is not quite sure why Mama is holding a baby:



But check it out! We now have a daughter:



Merry Christmas to everyone...

A

Hospital Caroling...

Sung to the tune of 'Jingle Bells':

Sausage toes, sausage toes, swelling all the way

Oh what fun it is to wear flip flops in the snow - hey!

Sausage toes, sausage toes, swelling every day,

Oh what fun it is to wear flip flops in the snow.

Can't put on my shoes, my socks are really tight,

starting to get frustrated about my swelling plight.

I then look in the mirror and see a scary sight,

my face looks like a marshmallow, my skin is just as white!

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Sausage toes, sausage toes, swelling all the way

Oh what fun it is to wear flip flops in the snow - hey!

Sausage toes, sausage toes, swelling every day,

Oh what fun it is to wear flip flops in the snow.

Thank you for joining us today on Hospital Caroling with Amanda.  We have discovered that comedic relief really DOES work!

A

Mandatory Lazying...

For those of you wondering where in tarnation I've taken off to...

We had a lovely family Thanksgiving with Lance's family where I didn't have to lift a finger...because if I did try to help I got yelled at to return promptly to my bed rest throne (aka big overstuffed chair with ottoman). My MIL even pushed my bed rest throne up to the table so I could dine in complete comfort and please my doctors at the same time.

We managed to go and get our very first real Christmas tree on Sunday. I stayed in the car and read the paper after giving strict instructions to Lance and my MIL. Can I just say they did a GREAT job at picking a tree!? Kudos to Lance for resisting the urge to purchase the automatic tree watering system and to my FIL for sharing his apple cider with Bubbalu.

Pictures to come at a later date...

Over the weekend and into Monday I didn't feel so great. I got rather puffy...think sausage toes, squishy feet and marshmallow-ish face. LOVELY. Also started seeing stars and getting frequent throbbing headaches. Kinda scary. Off to the doctor on Tuesday the 2nd, where she took one look at me and ordered me to the hospital for bed rest.

And that is where I've been, at the hospital on bed rest, awaiting the delivery of our little girl. We don't know when delivery will be, which provides a fun constant source of nervous anticipation, hope and stress.

Our Bubbalu is having the time of his life, not at all traumatized with his Mommy being in the hospital. Both sets of Grandparents have lovingly opened their homes to him and like I already said, he's not exactly traumatized.

More than likely he won't want to return home once Mama gets all better and Baby Sister arrives. Mama is SO boring compared to doting Grandma's, Grandpa's, Aunties and Uncles.

He apparently is learning his letters, shapes, colors and new words, how to dance to 'Rocking Around The Christmas Tree', got to go on his inaugural swim in the cooled down hot tub, and is currently with Daddy, Uncle Alec and Mommy's parents watching the town lighted parade.

How can I compare to THAT!?

Like I said, coming home might be boring for him.

Although it is hard for me to be the patient instead of the OB Nurse, I am getting used to this mandatory lazying. I am viewing these last few weeks as prime baby incubator time and 'catch up on sleep and be rested for when I have a newborn' time.

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers, I will try to keep you posted...

A

What Do You DO All Day?

While on bed rest, what ELSE is there to do but elf yourself and your family?

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

We were elfed last year, but the country twang adds a whole new perspective.

Merry Christmas!

A

If You Can't Beat Em...

Not to be outwitted by my doctor, I managed to hit up Wallyworld and still follow my bed rest guidelines:



Nice ride, huh? Unfortunately I kept crashing into store display shelves and nearly took out a frightened 9 year old. My Mom laughed at me the whole time, especially when I would back up and the cart would beep.

See the cute little holiday dress I found for baby girl? Wallyworld seems to be the best (and cheapest) place I've found for preemie clothing. I am completely stocked up on diapers, sleepers and a few holiday outfits in the hard-to-find preemie size.

I DID leave the tags on, cause you never know. Maybe this little pipsqueak will decide that chocolate milk and custard made by her great grandma helps to add some chubs.

I still can't believe I drove myself around Walmart in a motorized cart. I am a super fast mall walker. I DON'T stroll.

I did made sure to stick my belly out really far to invoke sympathy and right-of-way. Didn't always work, but you gotta try, right?

A

Let The Holidays Commence...

Remember THIS post? My obsession with all that is peppermint mocha?

Yep, it's that time of year again, and guess what my lovely Mom including in a bed rest care basket for me?



Oh yeah baby! NOW the holiday season can officially begin.

And before you get all "it's not even Thanksgiving!" snarky on me, please keep in mind our holiday season will be a bit stressful for us this year.

Actually, my Mom-in-law pointed out that our last 2 Christmas seasons have been extremely stressful for us.

Last year we unexpectedly moved after our apartment flooded. The year before that we were going through with Bubbalu exactly what we are going through with baby girl now. Bed rest due to pre-eclampsia then having an early delivery. Oh yeah, and we have a snowy destination wedding for our brother and new sister-in-law 9 days before Christmas to throw into the mix.

But you know what?

I still love the Christmas season despite the last few years of Christmas chaos.

Remember the reason for the season, folks. Apart from that, not much else matters.

So, we are fully embracing an early jump on things with the majority of our gifts purchased and wrapped, lights up on the house (although we won't turn them on until after Thanksgiving), Christmas music playing throughout the house and 2 trees up above our door for seasonal effect.

Bubbalu desperately wanted to help Daddy put the trees up, but Mama quickly put the kibosh on that plan...



That boy is WAY to eager to climb tall dangerous things. Like father like son. Lance was incredibly thrilled to purchase a ladder. I love my nerdy husband.

Well? What about you? Ready for the season?

I'm off to put my feet up before I get yelled at...

A

Bedrest!?

I mean, I like to sleep and lay around, but COME ON! This is not easy folks!

As of Thursday, I have officially been put on doctor prescribed bed rest. Our baby girl is needing her Mama to lay around and give her the best chance to grow big and strong. And yes, I have been trying to behave.

However, it is really hard to turn off the 'super mommy' mentality and instantly turn into an dependant couch potato. Especially with Christmas just around the corner....and with a (nearly) 2 year old running around. And I DO mean running. Not to mention the ever increasing to-do list that we all have in our head...Christmas cards, dishes, Bubbalu 2yr birthday party, Christmas shopping, laundry, prepare nursery, feed toddler, laundry, wrap Christmas gifts, finish baby quilt, etc. You get the point.

Let's just say I don't like losing control.

Let's also just say I don't like to depend on others.

Let's continue in saying that maybe God is trying to teach me some patience?

Will keep you updated...

A

Snail Trails...

Do you know what the worst thing is about toddler cold snooky noses?

(I mean, the worst thing after having to watch your child suffer.)

It is the snail trails of snot left all over your clothing. Just a quick exam in the mirror shows I have a snail trail on my shoulder (from giving my frustrated toddler a cozy hug), my sleeve, and on the side of my shirt.

I've had this shirt on for an HOUR.

ONE HOUR.

So, if you happen to randomly drop by my house (which I don't recommend unless you want to come down with our plague or be forced into manual housework) please excuse my appearance and the snail trails.

A

Es Muy Delicioso...

A cute friend of mine asked me for a recipe a good 6 weeks or so ago, so here we go! Sorry for the delay Sarah...

Crock pot Taco Soup

-One pound ground beef or some chicken
-One can kidney beans (drained)
-One can corn (drained)
-One can pinto beans (drained)
-One large can (28oz) diced tomatoes
-One dinky can diced green chilies
-Taco seasoning
-Toppings...

1. Brown the ground beef and put in crock pot. OR, if using chicken, boil chicken until done, shred with 2 forks and put in crock pot. Not sure how to shred chicken? Spear chicken piece with one fork and attack it with the other in a clawing motion to shred it. Still not clear? I'm not sure I know how to help you...

2. Add the large can of undrained diced tomatoes, the dinky can of undrained diced green chilies, and the drained cans of pinto beans, corn and kidney beans.

3. Throw some taco seasoning in the mix until it tastes good. Maybe add a dash of black pepper, some salsa or some hot sauce if you're feeling gourmet or you like some kick to your food.

3. Cook on high a few hours or low a bunch of hours.

4. Serve with cut up avocado, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips.

Some people prefer to put all the "toppings" in the bottom of the bowl, spoon the soup on top of the whole mess and eat it just like soup. Me? I put the toppings on the top (where they belong!)and scoop up my soup with tortilla chips.

My method DOES require hoarding of the tortilla chip bag to ensure you have enough proper scoop-worthy tortilla chips, but oh well.

Most of my dinner mates forgive me by the end of the meal. I DO offer to share at least once during consumption and if they don't jump at the chance, who do they have to blame!?

I do have to acknowledge that this super yummy recipe was shared by my friend Tay who was kind and gracious to cook this lovely dish up for our family during a trying time.

This soup is easy, pleasing to the stomach, and makes great leftovers, so while you're at it, make it a double batch and enjoy it for a few more days. OR...bring some to me!

A

Buzz Buzz Buzz...

Mama's been busy sewing...again. I spent the week before the 31st working on a cute bee costume for Bubbalu. I had major frustration and at one point almost cut off Bubbalu's air supply by over stuffing his costume. However, we prevailed and he turned out pretty cute.

The plan for the evening? Swing by the grandparents then hang out at the church harvest festival.

In the car on the way to Grandpa and Grandma's house:



Oooh, Grandma has LOTS of candy! See my scary stinger? Watch out! I might get you if you make me cranky!



Later, at the festival:

Hey, I can play this game, I LOVE water! Too bad Daddy wouldn't let me swim in it though. I got kinda mad when he made me get out of the pool. What can I say? The duckies looked lonely.



Hmmm, how do we play this game? Oh, this bean bag gets tossed into the scary red mouth?



How bout I just drop it in? Do I still get candy?



Please give me candy?



Hee hee hee, they still gave me candy!



After awhile Bubbalu got kinda tired and subtly let us know he was ready to go:



Yeah! I'm a free bee! Get it? A freebie? Oh I am SO funny!



A

Baby Girl Quilt Episode Three...

Alright, we've finished piecing the quilt top...



and liking the result:



Time to make a sandwich. No, not peanut butter and jelly, a quilt sandwich. The top layer, batting and a backing. Lay them all out on the ground, smoothing to perfection, and safety pin all the layers together...



Time to actually start the quilting. Basically, that means tacking all layers of the sandwich together.

I machine quilt because I am not a patient person by nature, and hand quilting just does NOT appeal to me. Yeah yeah yeah, I know that means I don't quilt for real, but that's OK. I quilt because I enjoy it.

A

Baby Girl Quilt Episode Two...

The quilt top in progress...



Soft pink flannel and white circles...can it get any more girly than that?



And my trustworthy sewing buddy, who has to be convinced to stay on HIS side of the bonus room:



He is holding a plastic orange, and there is a plastic leaf of lettuce in his long apron because, you know, why not put lettuce in your pocket?

A

Baby Girl Quilt Episode One...

Every well made quilt starts with a pattern. OK, first an idea, then a pattern. A pattern that actually uses measurements. And remember, always measure twice, cut once. Watch out though, rotary cutters are vicious.



All the pieces laying on my floor. We'll just call it the "Design Phase". My entire bonus room is in a perpetual "design phase" of 2 or 18 crafts at once.



Yep, I'm liking how this is turning out...



Time to start piecing it together...

A

Craigslist Rocks...

I was having a hard time finding a not too girly car seat that wasn't too boyish. Did that make any sense? I don't want ALL pink and ALL flowers, but I didn't want (like) the gender neutral patterns.

I DID know I wanted a Graco SnugRide, as we used one before with Bubbalu and loved it. Plus, it is a Consumer Reports Best Buy. Sounds good to me.

So I'm a strolling through a baby superstore a month or so ago and see an adorable pattern that is PERFECT. Chocolate brown with some pink and hint of sticks.

I am a girl who loves some sticks.

Here it is:



The Cherry Blossom line from Graco.

Perfect! OK, let's go pick up the car seat and we're done shopping for the day.
What's that you say? You CAN'T buy the car seat alone? You need the entire travel system? Uh, I already own a perfectly capable stroller, thank you very much!

Enter Craigslist.

I searched around hoping that someone might have fallen in love with the travel system but no longer needed just the car seat.

I DO realize that my chances were slim...

But guess what? I FOUND IT. I think I jumped up and down and embarrassed the neighbor with my victory dance in the front office room, but that's OK by me.

Check it out:



Ahhh, it STILL makes me smile. Less than 9 months old, in SUPER shape, a GREAT deal, no car accidents, all manuals and papers with it and...

...drumroll please...

the matching swing that was ALSO less than 9 months old, in SUPER shape, a GREAT deal, no car accidents (although a swing in a car accident would just be weird) and all manuals and papers included with it!



And yes, I did need a swing. I didn't just cave in because it's cute. I had borrowed one when Bubbalu was a baby and was in need of one for this little girl.

Don't you just love a good deal? Should I also brag about my new boots that I got for $20 that are originally priced at $79?

No? Too much for today? OK, maybe later...

A

ANOTHER Precious New Bundle!!!

Discover The O'Neill Brothers!

I know I'm late to get this posted, but I want to give a huge inter-shout-out to Nat n Megs, the proud new owners (parents) of our newest nephew, Skyler Sean...



Catching a quick snooze with Papa:



Skyler Sean was welcomed into this world 9/21/08 weighing in at 5lbs 8.5 oz. He is adorable and sweet, isn't he? Who wouldn't want to take this precious monkey home?



Congrats Nat n Megs, we love you! Welcome to the world Skyler! We're working on growing you another cousin to play with!

A

My Favorite Lunch...

1. Take one Costco cheese bagel and toast it.



2. While bagel is toasting, fry one egg in a perfect circle ( Ha! As if that's possible! )



3. Spread generous amount of light cream cheese on bagel once it pops.



4. Throw that perfect circle of an egg in between those bagel slices and you have a perfect, my toddler is down for a nap, lunch.

YUM! I've gotta go eat my cream cheese n egg cheese bagel now.

And for dessert? THIS:



As if there was any other option!

A

Aloha!

Last Friday evening we went to a surprise birthday party luau for one of my dear Aunts. A good time was had by all, we got kinda silly and had some good ole fun. (My family is kinda nuts, but we are proud of it!)

Because y'all have been hounding me, here is my belly shot...even though my eyes are closed and the sunglasses make me look like a bug. A tropical bug, but a bug nonetheless.



Mama's little tropical bug:



Complete with flower leis and blue tractor:



And then we got decorative inklings and turned him into this:



Why? Because it's FUN.

A

The Sewing Craze Continues...

My sewing machine has been really busy this fall. My parents were kind to lend me the wooden cradle that I slept in as a baby. However, the dimensions are smaller than the cradle sets sold nowadays, so I created...

from this:

this!:

Here's a hint. Having a baby? Redecorating a room? Buy a few extra curtains or flat sheets if your set comes with them. Then, you have yards of matching fabric to use to make pillows, cradle sheets and bumpers, quilts, throw pillows, boppy covers, matching basket liners, etc.



I JUST started on my baby girl quilt and will post about it's progress soon. The basket liners are next on the list and will hopefully come together in the next few weeks.

As you all know, my fall crafting has had a single minded focus.

What are all of YOUR fall crafts?

A

Addicted to blogging?...Nah!

70%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

Well well well, Ms. BrownEyedGirl. I bowed to your petty challenge, and look who is coming out on top.

How addicted to blogging are all of YOU?

A

From Drab To Fab...

In the interest of maximizing girliness and minimizing financial irresponsibility, I've been busy turning my 2 drab boppy covers from this:



To this:



BIG improvement!



Pardon the model taking up so much of the pic.

They are my first attempt at zippers. What was I so scared about? They aren't that hard! A zipper foot does help though.

Check out the green zipper I put in the second cover (thanks Mom!) :



Gives it a little fun.

Plus, the yummy, very washable flannel cost me less than 6 bucks. Oh yeah baby, our budget LOVES me!

I was tempted to get the matching boppy and cover for the set that I picked out, but just can't justify spending $49.99 on it.

It IS beautiful though, no?



Oh well, that just means I have $44.00 to spend on other fun things, right?

I'm such a good saver (wink wink)...

A