Week 1

Here are some pics from little Kari Rebecca's first week at home:

With Big Brother, Christian

Uncle Kyle meets baby Kari and Christian cashes in on storytime too.

Asleep in Auntie Erin's arms.

Just after her first bath.

So, it's now been a week since Kari came home! She has actually been a very good little girl who sleeps a lot and only really fusses when she's hungry, fills her pants, or has to burp (pretty typical!). The first two nights were horrible, but after that, the nights have improved--she nurses every 2-3 hours but has done a couple 4 hr stretches before...too bad they've been in the daytime! I'm really hoping she continues to be "easy going" as I start into my first real week w/out my mom around! (Cubby had to go back to work mid-week last week but will take a couple mornings off this week as well...the mornings are the hardest for me!)

Emily and Christian have adjusted pretty well. The weather has been really crummy (the sun came through today for about an hour for the first time in over a week!)....and now it's snowing...again. I'm a little worried that Christian is going to go stir-crazy having to stay inside and not be able to go out like we have been, but if we can just make it through the next couple of weeks, Kari will be bigger and we'll be able to do more normal things again.

So, all-in-all, we're surviving! Again, we'll see how things go without Mom around..honestly, there's just something about the peace of mind she brings to me! That, and my house has never looked better than just after having a baby! Thanks, Mom, for all that you've done this last week! I love you!

Here's Kari

Okay, I remembered the camera. Here are a few pictures

Mommy and Kari shortly after she was born

Daddy and Kari

What a good big sister!!

Big brother was too busy to hold Kari long enough to pose for a picture

Our new 5 person family

What are you looking at?

She's Here!!!!

Kari was born this morning at 11:26. She weighed 9 lbs 2 oz and was 22 inches long. She is very beautiful. It's hard to tell whether she looks more like Emily and Daddy or Christian and Mommy (I know, I know, we all look so different). Anyways, Kathleen and Kari are both doing great. No pictures tonight, since the camera is still at the hospital. Feel free to visit Kathleen - she loves visitors. She and Kari will be coming home Sunday.

It's Induction Day!

So, I'm going into the hospital tonight! I'm very ready and excited to meet this new little girl. Here is one last belly shot...while a big belly is still a good thing (vs. tomorrow when it becomes just flabby and gross :-) ).

We'll be sure to post lots' of Kari pics and her stats when she comes tomorrow!

Big Brother, Reporting For Duty!

Christian is getting ready for his new role as a big brother. It's very sweet. I really can't believe that he's no longer my baby! Even as I type this, I'm stroking his blonde little head and telling him that he needs to go back to bed now, to which he softly replies, "no way". It's so sweet and soft, it's hard to correct him with a straight face...yeah, I'm smiling at him now...

Earlier this evening, Christian got out this baby doll that he and Emily have been playing with lately (see previous post) and proceeded to "teach" Daddy how to hold it and then read it a story. The baby is now in his bed. He also told Cubby today that he won't tease baby Kari (like he teases Emily). Too funny. I can't wait to see him learn to interact with his little sister and mentor her just as Emily does to him. (I'm sure he'll enjoy the bossing around bit too!) Here are a couple pictures of our big boy and "his" baby...

A Blessing in Disguise

So, it turns out that me not being induced this week has become a blessing in disguise. On Tuesday night, my "cold" got significantly worse and the pressure behind my eyes, cheeks and jaw told me what the doctor confirmed Wednesday morning; that yes, I had a major sinus infection. Hurray for antibiotics!--I'm now on the mend and doing much better.

The other reason that still being pregnant has turned out to be a good thing is that we are in the midst of another blizzard! Well, it's not so much the snow amounts this time. It's the wind and the sub-zero temperatures that have caused schools to shut down from Wednesday through tomorrow (Friday). I am not exagerating when I say that it is FREEZING outside.

The kids have done amazingly well thus far and have only started to climb the walls in the late afternoon (nothing TOO new there). My mom came over and played yesterday morning so I could rest while the meds kicked in a bit and then we've done some other fun stuff too. (Pictured above are the kiddos prepping for baby-duty; it was pretty cute.) We've also painted and done a LOT of puzzling. So, not having to go anywhere, especially while sick, has been nice. Although, I will personally wring anyone's neck who cancels school next week!!!

I'm still hoping I'll go into labor before next Thursday, but, if I don't, I now realize that there must be a reason! Happy snow day tomorrow....

A New Year's Tradition in the Making, and a New Resolution

It seems that we are making a new New Year's tradition in going to Boingz! It was one of the first family outings we did in 2009 and, we managed to make our way over there this year too! I'm now too big to fit into the little openings so I couldn't participate in the jumping (not that ANYTHING I'm doing right now is putting me into labor...grrr....) but the kids and Cubby had fun. It's cute to compare how much they've grown in just a year too!

WARNING: If you read on, you'll encounter my own personal whinings and reflections. Only those who know me, and like me anyways, need read on :-). Here goes....

As noted above, I'm still pregnant. Now, with both Emily and Christian, I've had to be induced at 41 weeks...not being induced earlier by my choice. I'm officially at 39 weeks and was just told today that the baby, although head down, is still very high and, "could I hold out for one more week to see if there are any changes??" Holding back tears, I agreed. I've reached my "end" and am at the point where I'd rather have a newborn than be pregnant. (And, for me, I definitely have to get to that point. The newborn stage is just such a tough adjustment for me.)

Why am I so whiny and desperate to be done with one week to go still?? Well, for starters, I had Christian, at 41 weeks, 10 lbs ago. I've decided that the extra weight (like I gained with Emily) is either a girl-thing that happens when I have a girl, or, a winter thing, packing it on for "extra" insulation. A very cruel trick, indeed. Also, I have a really bad cold right now. Instead of getting better, it's getting worse. Ick. Maybe by next week it'll be better and so things will feel better. And finally, I am having some major muscle aches and pains that I haven't had in previous pregnancies and so that's probably the difference as well. (The snow and sub-zero temps aren't helping either).

Either way, I had to complain a bit (well, a lot) just to get it out and not loose my mind. I'm now making a short-term resolution to remind myself that maybe I'll actually go into labor on my own this time. AND, there are so many women out there who would give anything to be 39 weeks pregnant, fat, sick, and miserable! Finally, the biggest thing for me to keep in mind, is that no matter what, when this is over, I'll get to hold a new little person who, although will come with her own challenges and tough times, will be another child of our Heavenly Father's, sent here to enrich and bless our lives. These are my new resolutions.

Ice Skating 101

On New Year's Day, Grandma Karen, Harvey and Uncle Kyle took Emily ice skating for the first time! She was all decked out and ready for adventure! Emily did great! The skating rink has these little walker-type things that beginning skaters can push around--much nicer than having to hold onto the sides the whole time! She is very excited to go again! Go, Emily!

Welcome to Syracuse!

Happy New Year! These last couple of weeks, Nebraska has gotten quite a bit of snow. Apparently, this is what Syracuse, New York, looks like ALL WINTER LONG. (And the winters are rather long up there!) Cubby says that he would shovel out the driveway after school everyday and they'd get fresh snow dumped on them all of the time. He is used to all of this and manages very well.

Now, here in Eastern Nebraska, we have winter. Sometimes there is snow, and it is cold. And, don't get me wrong, I like snow--it's really beautiful. Skiing is my most favorite thing to do in the whole world. But, I do hope we will soon be out of the single digits temperature-wise. It's just too cold. (Plus, the heater on our van is only working intermitetly; not exactly the way I need it to work while trying to navigate through the winter wonderland with 2 small children and soon-to-be baby!)

But, enough whining. Here are a couple of shots that I took of Cubby and the kids last week...before we dropped to sub-zero temps. As long as we can get some more sunny, above 20 degrees days, I say let it snow! Otherwise, can spring come early....please??