Mother's Day

I often look at my children with amazement, their beauty, their personalities, truly blow me away. Many times, I can't believe I get to be their mother. It is no easy job, but it is the only job I ever want to have for the rest of my life. I may not get a full nights rest because one, if not both of my children are crying, I may not always get the laundry done before the hamper overflows or folded for several days, or  maybe not even until I do laundry again and need the basket. I don't normally have my hair and makeup done, and many times I am still in my pj bottoms or in sweats because I am busy being mom. It isn't what most picture when they hear the word "luxury", but it is in my world. I will admit, I do complain to my husband when the kids have had a rough day and I am at my whits end, but would I rather go to a 9-5 job? Never.

When it comes down to it, I would much rather be home, with my kids, folding laundry just so Blake can unfold it for me, so I can hear him call me "mama". I will take rushing to take a shower just in case one of the kids wakes up from their nap early so that I can smell Brooklyn's newborn scent. I will take not looking like a supermodel right now so I could have my two kids in the last 15 months. I will take the crying, the sound of plastic bowls and cups tumbling out of the cupboards because my one year old loves to "cook" and "stir" just like mom or sometimes just because he knows it drives me crazy and he bolts out of the kitchen the second everything hits the floor. I would much rather have spit up on my shirt and endless diapers than miss my kids grow up. I will take Blake squishing his banana-slimed hands in his freshly washed hair so I can experience him coming up and hugging my legs or when I am sitting on the floor, him coming up behind me and putting his arms around my neck and kissing me. I will take tantrums so I can watch Blake love on Brooklyn and one day, she love on him right back. Those and many more are all moments I would never want to miss. I am grateful that Rowdy is willing to sacrifice missing those moments so that I can be home with our children, raising them to grow and be who we hope they will be.

I am so lucky to be Blake and Brooklyn's mother, the thought of not having my children is unimaginable and I hope I learn to cherish every moment with them, even the not-so-fun moments. They are growing up right before my eyes, and at a rather uncomfortable fast pace. One day, they will be graduating, going off to college, missions, getting married and having their own kids, but luckily right now, Blake is in awe of the flowers and nature he see's on his walks and Brooklyn is snoozing away either in my arms or in her bassinet. They know no danger or fear, but rather curiosity and the desire to be with mom and dad all the time, and right now, I am perfectly okay with that.

Happy Mother's Day to every woman who has ever played a motherly role in a child's life. You make a difference, even if you do not always see it. One of my favorite people, my sister Lacey, doesn't have children of her own yet, but she is my kids' second mom, I know Blake see's her that way and Brooklyn will someday as well. Being a mom is the most important job on the planet, and today we celebrate all that you do and sacrifice for your children and the children you Mother.

Brooklyn's Birth Story

The birth of our baby girl was quite interesting and exciting. Brooklyn was due April 23, which happened to also be her aunt Lacey's birthday. I went in on Thursday, April 10th for my normal OB appointment, everything looked great, he stripped my membranes just to help move things in the right direction since Blake was so overdue when he finally came into the world. Dr. Hoffman said everything was exactly where it was supposed to be progress-wise for her to come right around her due date, I measured spot on, I was dilating and effacing just fine. As I left he said "maybe I'll see you next week, maybe I won't" I told him I had no doubt he would see me the following week, I had little faith in having her early, especially two weeks early.

Friday, my mother in-law treated me to a pedicure, it was heavenly. It was also my last day of work, nothing too crazy to speak of, Molly and I walked to Strohecker's for some ice cream since it was so nice out. It was a very easy going day and I enjoyed spending it with her. I planned to take the next two weeks to nest; get her car seat installed, clean out my car, get bags packed, rooms unpacked and put together, get a couple massages and spend time with Blaker's one-on-one. 

Saturday was my last baby shower that my mom threw for me with family friends and church friends. At 4:30am I woke up having contractions, nothing serious but at times were a bit painful. I told myself it was just false labor (I had that with Blake right around his due date) and that I shouldn't get excited. They subsided after a couple of hours and I tried to get a couple minutes of sleep before Blake woke up for the day. I was a bit crampy but no contractions the majority of the day. Mom asked that she stay in there and that I keep my legs closed until after the shower :) We had a wonderful time at my shower, good food and great people, I started to have a couple contractions towards the end but again, they went away. After everyone went home and we got everything cleaned up, the contractions started to come again around six-ish. I told Rowdy I wanted to get my car cleaned and to install her seat (in my head I was starting to worry she may come early, but I didn't tell Rowdy this yet because I didn't want to freak him out) so he helped me get my car squared away and that's when my contractions started to pick up.

I told my mother in-law, Jane that if things continue to go how they were that I may be in early labor. She told me that we will just have to see as the night goes on! As Rowdy and I finished the car and installing the seat, I had to stop what I was doing just to get through the contractions. I looked at Rowdy and said "Babe, I think I'm in labor". He had a look of horror on his face, "You can't go into labor, we have 11 days left. She can't come before that!" He must have called his sister, Danielle or something because he said she told him to have me drink lots of water and put my feet up. HA! I told him that there wasn't much we could do at this point, that the ball was rolling and I wasn't going to stop it, I was done being pregnant. So I proceeded to walk up and down the stairs to do stuff; It was around 7:30 or 8pm by this time and my contractions were steadily coming every four minutes and lasting 60-90 seconds. I texted my mom but didn't hear from her which was odd, and my dad couldn't get a hold of her either. I definitely needed my mom if I was in labor. I tried to get everything I could think of out of Blake's room to pack for our daughter, but I was a little scatter brained and suddenly wasn't sure what to pack! I thought I would have two weeks left to do all this.

We got Blake ready for bed and put him down one last time as an only child. I called the Dr. at 8:30pm and they told me to come right in because of the contractions and other labor signs I was having, but I decided against that and chose to labor at home a bit longer to insure  I wouldn't be sent home. I told Rowdy to go play BBall with his buddies at the church down the road and when it was time to go, someone would call him. He wasn't any use to me at this point anyway in my labor and I knew he would just be stressing out watching me, so having him out of the house was best for everyone. I started to pack my bag and get her car seat straps adjusted. This was a long process, because I had to stop every few minutes to get through the contractions. My mom called me around this time as well. "Mom, I'm in labor." I then had a contraction and she said, "Yep, sounds like it!". We planned to have her come up to the hospital when we did so we coordinated that. 

I went down stairs and my father in-law was nervous I was going to have the baby at home. It was around 9:30 and they were getting a lot stronger. I decided to eat some pineapple just to get something in my stomach. That was a mistake I wouldn't know about until later. I went back upstairs and tried to pack and around ten I yelled down for Jane to call Rowdy home. Rowdy rushed home and took a shower and he and his dad packed up the car. Just before Rowdy and I left, we were standing in our room and I just had a wave of emotion. I was scared for Blake, I didn't want him to think I loved him any less or be jealous. He had no idea his little world was about to change forever. It made me sad and I started to shake and cry. Rowdy calmed me down and got me to the car. 

On our way to the hospital we hit EVERY red light. I'm sure we looked crazy to surrounding drivers as I looked like the typical woman in labor that you see in the movies, breathing and moaning in pain and Rowdy trying to look calm but was really anxious about potentially birthing a baby in the car and the slow drivers in front of us. We got there just after 11pm. Spent about 45 mins in triage and then got admitted. We got into our room and I got my epidural around 12:45am but it took FOREVER to kick in. The anesthesiologist had to give me 3 extra doses just to get it to work, then I couldn't feel a thing. My epidural with Blake was perfect because I could feel the pressure of the contraction but no pain. With this one, I couldn't feel anything for a few hours, no pressure, no nothing. I was at 4cm at 1am and so we decided to wait until I was about 7cm to call anyone who wanted to be there for the labor up. We turned the lights down and rested for a while. 

At 3:15 my nurse, Sunni (whom I LOVED) came in and checked me. "You feeling any pressure?" I said yeah I was feeling something but figured it was just because those extra doses were wearing off and I was feeling the pressure from my contractions again. She checked me, "You're at a ten. Let's have a baby!" "Excuse me? A TEN?! Can we wait a little longer? We have people who wanted to be here for the birth" I said in total shock. Sunni said no problem, we could hold off for a half an hour. Sweet. We all got on our phones and let those who wanted to be there know. Suddenly I had that same urge I had with Blake, the urge to throw up. Poor Rowdy, he doesn't do throw up. But he stood by my bedside as everything inside of me came out, including the very acidic pineapple I had eaten just hours prior. I felt something different, "You need to check me again" I said. Sunni checked me, "Whoa! No time to wait baby is coming out NOW. Grab the doctor! Taylor, do not push. DON'T PUSH."

Everyone started rushing around trying to find the doctor. Sunni told me it looked like she may be delivering my baby if the doctor didn't show up fast. Suddenly her head popped out. Literally. There was no easing her way out, she literally popped out like a bullet. Suddenly the doctor was there, she washed her hands and turned around just in time to catch the rest of Brooklyn's little body. And there she was. 6lbs 3oz 18.5 inches long. She was a tiny little bug, so tiny that I never pushed, not even once! She had lots of curly hair and was very alert and awake for the first few hours. She latched within the first five minutes and ate for a solid hour. She was perfect. She also had a set of lungs on her that could be heard from a mile away. And she had the cutest cry that always had a little squeek at the end before she caught her breath, she sounded like the squeeker toy from Toy Story.

Brooklyn has been a great baby from the beginning. She sleeps through the night, and still makes me wake her up for feedings during the day. She hardly ever cries, ever. She is just a calm, docile baby, which I am grateful for because her older brother is anything but these days. He's a typical toddler boy, getting into EVERYTHING, jumping all over the furniture, climbing on anything he can. He's extremely active. Blake loves his little sister, sometimes a little too much. He loves to touch her and hug her and give her kisses. He held her for the first time on Easter and loved every minute of it. I am so grateful he isn't aggressive towards her and seems to genuinely be interested in her. When she cries, he starts to whine and point towards her, like her crying makes him worry. It's very sweet.

Being a mom of two is a lot more work and requires more energy than with just one (duh). And a LOT more juggling. I don't even know where my days go sometimes, they seriously fly with two kids keeping me busy. Honestly it was a bit daunting in the beginning to think that this was my new life. Luckily, I have lots of family around that are willing to help when they can and I am so grateful. My recovery was pretty much close to painless. A fast labor to a tiny baby made it a piece of cake, which was nice since Blake's was not as accommodating, weighing in over two pounds heavier and over three inches longer. I'd have ten babies though if they were all like Brooklyn (knock on wood). I didn't think it was possible to have two babies that sleep so well, but so far, I have been really lucky. It's cute seeing Rowdy with his daughter, singing to her and rocking her. I can honestly say there is nothing like watching your husband with a newborn baby.

Brooklyn was so tiny she didn't fit in newborn clothes until she was almost a month old. I was a little worried she would grow out of all her cute newborn stuff before she had a chance to wear anything, but we didn't have that problem.  She is such a doll, sometimes she will make a face that looks like Blake, but sometimes I don't have a clue who she looks like. However, I must say, Rowdy and I make some cute babies! I'm thrilled to add another bundle of joy to our lives and can't wait to watch her grow and see her and Blake's relationship develop.

 Look Familiar? Yes I'm in the same clothes as when I was in labor with Blake

 She has the longest tongue ever

 Auntie Kyky

 Sarah came up to visit

 This is the ONLY picture we got that day of Blake not crying when he was around Brooklyn

Baba and Brooklyn

 Wasn't a fan of her first bath

 Easter snuggles

 Blake's first time holding his baby sister

 Kisses

 Blake meeting Brooklyn

Naming Brooklyn

30 week update

Where to begin....

I have been looking back over my previous blog posts, I blogged a ton of my pregnancy with Blake but practically none with baby girl! Man, life changes so quickly that I've literally lost all sense of time. It's hard to believe that we are just over two months away from meeting our daughter, what an amazing experience that will be. Blake is starting to notice my ever growing belly. He lifts my shirt up and pokes my protruding belly button and laughs, he thinks it's hysterical. The other day baby girl kicked him and I put his hand on it to feel it. He pulled it away and started poking the spot that she had kicked, confused. Poor little boy has no idea what is coming his way.

Truth be told, he's enthralled with babies, at least other people's babies. We are teaching him to be "nice" and "gentle", and it's very cute watching him be so tender with his bear and with us. Sometimes he forgets and gets really rough, as most one year old boys do, but he often times walks right up to me when I'm sitting on the floor and put his arm around my neck and lays his head on my shoulder and then gives me a kiss, absolutely melts my heard. I can't wait for him to be a big brother and hope that he and little miss will be just as close as Levi and I were growing up. We did everything together, we were best friends.

Blake is a great eater, he has my taste buds. Not very fond of cheese or noodles but he will eat anything else. Give him cherry tomatoes and he will eat 100 of them if you let him. Jane gave him a pickled beat the other day, he ate the whole thing! He is full of mischief and smiles too. He's a climber, just like me and he cannot bare to miss anything that may be going on, just like his daddy. He talks a lot and knows a lot of words for his age, which of course makes a mama proud. He loves books and the telephone along with the remotes and DVD cases. Anything he can't play with he wants and anything he can play with he could care less about, of course.

He's out of 12mo clothing now but still skinny, we practically have to overlap his diaper straps to keep it on his waist. He absolutely loves bath time and always eats the bubbles, yuck. He is a good helper over at grammy and popi's house, throwing away his diapers, helping carry grammy's un-opened can of diet coke (and sucking on the cold can before he drops it on the floor next to the freezer where she always puts it for ten minutes to get it extra cold). He's a pro stair climber and scales down them at lightening speed. He is trying to learn how to close doors, but often ends up locking himself in the room instead of outside, ha. He is seriously the cutest boy on the planet.

This pregnancy has seriously flown by it seems. Only ten weeks left and she will hopefully make her appearance. Still no stretch marks, no swelling of any kind and my weight gain is just a little under what it was with Blake at this stage. She's low, head down and likes to stretch out, a lot, and boy does it hurt! Nothing like it did with Blake. It seriously doubles me over at times. As far as names go, we have four that we like and are trying hard to narrow them down. Rowdy thinks we should make it our tradition to draw our kids' names out of a hat, I told him that was a one time thing because chances of drawing the name I want twice in a row are more rare than I like. No idea for middle names either, I want to use family names but we don't agree on certain ones. I'm getting baby fever seeing all my friends who have just had babies, there is just something about the newborn stage, even though you are sleep deprived among other lovely post pregnancy side effects.

It's kind of funny, with Blake I loved and adored every second being pregnant, up until I hit 40 weeks, then I was in a different world. I didn't understand why my SIL, Danielle who was also pregnant and two months ahead of me, was "done" being pregnant so early in the game. I now understand that "done-ness". Chasing around a toddler, going to school and working seriously sucks the life right out of me, I am exhausted and considering I'm not getting skinny any time soon, the ever growing belly makes it hard to sleep and I am often uncomfortable and my back hurts like crazy. I am "done" being pregnant and I have ten weeks left! However, for the safety and health of our daughter, I will gladly carry her another ten weeks so she can grow and be healthy, but I now understand what my SIL meant.

I've kind of adopted a new theory with labor, seeing as last time not a darn thing went to "plan", I have a different approach. Come what may. That's my theory. I'm not going to write out a detailed labor plan like I did last time, however, I still am very anti-pitocin and pray with all my heart I never need a C-section, those two things freak me out. I look forward to the day she decides to arrive and I'm not nervous or freaked out a bit, now that I have something to reference to. Lacey is supposed to be flying in for a little while as well so I am super excited to see my sister!

On a different note, Rowdy is working full time and going to school full time. He is super busy to say the least but he is managing to continue to achieve good grades and is working towards his goal of graduation in a year or so from now, then off to law school we go after he takes his LSAT. I have five classes left to take and then I am DONE. Have I ever mentioned how OVER school I am? My plan is to take one class online next term since baby girl is due one month into it, it makes it hard to take more than one class, and at least I won't have to leave home. That will leave me with four classes to finish over the summer and fall terms and then I will be a college graduate with a double bachelor's degree! Peace out PSU! I have been in school forever, and although it has taken me much longer than most, I will have gotten married, had two children and graduated college with two degrees in a matter of 6 years. Crazy. We honestly couldn't do any of this without our family's help. Both Rowdy's parents and my family help us so much with Blake so that we can stay on top of school. We are incredibly blessed, to put it mildly. We are also lucky that our children are able to know their grandparents and great grandma and have strong bonds with each of them.

30 weeks with Blake on the left and 30 weeks with baby girl on right.