Catching Up: Maternity Pictures!

I can't seem to find the time to upload, edit, and share pictures from Will's birth and his first two weeks.  I literally just looked at the pictures we took at the hospital two days ago!  Life with two kids is no joke - it is amazing, and I'm loving every single minute of it, but it is BUSY!  Add in multiple doctors appointments a week and we are just swamped!

However, I have tons of pictures that I know family would love to see but I've never blogged.  So, I thought I would start catching up on posting pictures until I have time to sort through new pictures!

We had a family/ maternity shoot with our favorite photographer (who took Will's newborn pictures yesterday!) and I LOVE them!  They are the first professional pictures we have had done since Kate started chemo/ had her transplant and I just adore how great she looks!  It is evidence of how wonderful she is doing!

My sweet family of three - anticipating the arrival of our sweet boy!

Kate loved her brother before he was even here!

Me and my sweet boy - when I had him all to myself!

Kate and her Daddy - she is quite the daddy's girl!

Big sister!

I just adore these precious memories of our family of three!  And, here's a peek of sweet Will's newborn pictures!  Daddy's little fishing buddy!

We're alive...just busy!

My goodness life with these two sweeties is nonstop!

I have so much I want to blog about- Will's birth and hospital stay, how Kate adores her baby brother, our adjustment, and the setbacks we've had with Will's health issues. However, by the time I finally get to sit down it is late, and I am tired, so blogging gets out off! I haven't even uploaded the pictures we took at the hospital!

Hopefully I'll find some time soon to get back into blogging! Until then, here's a picture of our sweet boy!



He is getting so chunky and I just love it!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

iPhone Picture Dump: Hospital Stay!

Thank you all for the congrats, thoughts, and prayers regarding Will's arrival and complications. We greatly appreciate it! I'll post more details about his birth/ our hospital stay when we are settled in at home but thought I'd share some iPhone pictures from the past few days!

On a happy note, Will was discharged from the NICU Friday afternoon! We are so glad to have him in my room with me!

On to pictures - some are from my phone, others are from my mother in law's phone!

I was able to make a trip to the
NICU Thursday night to get in some cuddles! Loved every second of it after being apart for so long!






Kate came to meet her little brother as soon as he was released from the NICU. She was fascinated by him!







Mr. Bright Eyes!



Sleepy boy hanging out Saturday morning.



Sporting his first of many SheShe Made gowns! I think he looks so good in navy!



Kate came for another visit Saturday afternoon and wanted to climb up in the bed to see the baby the minute she walked in my room!



After a short visit, Kate gave her bubba the sweetest hugs before leaving. This picture melts my heart!



Sleeping during the day so he can party all night long!



Our hospital stay has been wonderful but I am very ready to get home and start settling into our new routine. I'm sure life at home with a 19 month old and a newborn will be exhausting but I'm also sure it will be extremely rewarding!

I guess it's time for a new blog name and design since we are officially four! Any suggestions for a catchy title/ tag line???
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

He's Here!!!

William Emmett was born just after 9am this morning weighing in at 7 pounds 5 ounces and 19 inches long! He looks just like his big sister but has a bit more hair than she had at birth.

About an hour after Will was born he started having some minor breathing issues. We also received his CBC results around that same time and his platelet count is very low. These two issues landed him in the
NICU. Alex is with him (our NICU has all private rooms) while I sit in a hospital room by myself unable to move due to my c-section.

We'd appreciate any and all thoughts and prayers for Will. I'd love nothing more than to have him back in my room with me!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

38 week update!

How far along: 38 weeks!
Total weight gain: As of today I'm up 25 pounds.  I really pack on the pounds in the last few weeks!
Maternity Clothes: Yes!  And most of my shirts don't properly cover my belly!  I'm down to just a few things that are actually comfortable to wear and appropriate to leave the house in.
Stretch marks: Yes. I'm super sad about this but I have a handful of stretch marks on my lower belly.  I'm realizing just how lucky I was to make it through Kate's pregnancy without any.

Best moment this week: Seeing Will on ultrasound today - it was my last OB ultrasound ever!  He looked great - and big!  Measured in right at 8 pounds!
Movement: Any movement hurts so badly.  He has run out of room and his stretches make me feel like my body might split in half at any moment.
Food cravings: Food is not really my friend these days.  My stomach is so squished that eating just makes me feel sick.
Labor signs: I have timeable contracts several hours a day but they always fizzle out. 
Belly button - innie or outie: It's an outie.  Not a super outie but it does stick out some.
What are you looking forward to this week:  Meeting our sweet boy!  I am ready to see his face and not be pregnant any more!

I can't believe it's actually baby week!  This week has been a bit stressful - lots of appointments, lots of emailing with Will's specialists, and lots of planning but I think we finally know who is doing what, when and have a plan in place!

I had my pre-op Monday morning and got the official word that my blood levels look great, as does my heart, and I will be able to have a spinal and be awake for my c-section!  I am so excited, and a little nervous, about being able to actually be a part of his birth!  This is definitely an answer to prayers!

We had a wonderful last weekend as a family of three and a great, low key Easter.  Kate still isn't able to be in places like church or around a group of kids so we couldn't attend services.  We tried to make Easter special though!  She had a blast with her basket, loved hunting for eggs in the house, and listened to a bit of the Easter story before moving on to something else! I have no clue when I will get around to posting all of our Easter pictures so here is a peek!  She was so excited every time she found an egg!

I'm fairly certain the next time y'all hear from me I will be announcing the arrival of a certain little boy named Will!

Water Table Fun

I mentioned in my last post that we got Kate a water table!  We've had a busy week filled with doctor's appointments (all for me/ Will) but we finally had some time to pull it out and splash in the water yesterday!  Of course we had to pull out our new smocked bathing suit!  I am in love with this suit of Kate's and am considering getting her another smocked one!  I ordered it from SheShe Made and I'm pretty sure she still has some available (link)!

Kate enjoyed splashing around in the water and it was nice to have her contained and occupied without having to chase her up and down the sidewalk!  I am just too slow/ tired these days to chase a very fast 19 month old!

Apparently the rocks in our front area needed a bath?  Kate collected about 4-5 and washed them all while playing! 

Taking a break and sitting in momma's chair!

I just love this sweet girl to pieces!  I can't believe I have less than a week before she is no longer my only sweet baby.  It's definitely bitter sweet to think about having to share my time.  I've given so much to Kate since the day she was born and thinking about adding another baby to the mix brings about so many mixed emotions.

Someone asked about the water table when I mentioned it yesterday - it is the Little Tikes Spiralin Seas table.  I've posted a link to Amazon but, I got it at Toy R Us earlier this week on sale for $30.  I'm not sure when the sale ends but, TRU definitely has the better price if it is still on sale!



I'm sure we will spend many days splashing in the driveway this summer!

Catching Up

I had a post scheduled for yesterday but apparently blogger didn't want to post it...and then decided to mess up the format and pictures. So, until I find the energy to fix whatever blogger did to that poor post, you're stuck with a boring catch up post from me!

*I feel like I haven't blogged in ages - I'm just so exhausted - like no energy at all these days. By the time I put Kate down for bed all I want to do it sit and put my feet up! I'm officially full term and we have a week left until we meet Will! I'm feeling pretty large these days and Will just keeps getting bigger and bigger! I had a cardiology appointment yesterday to check on my heart before delivery. I was born with a heart condition and had surgery in the mid 90s to correct the issue. Thankfully, everything looks great! I head to the hematologist this morning and will have the final word regarding whether I will have a spinal or go under general for my c-section.

*Kate is going through a HUGE speech/ language boom right now! Every day I am amazed at the new words she is saying! Tuesday morning she brought me a Praise Baby DVD so I put it in for her and was shocked to hear her identify nearly everything - baby, horse, woof woof, butterfly, flower, bubbles, ball, etc. She also knows several body parts (nose, eyes, ears, mouth, hair, feet, hand) and will say the name and point to it without being prompted! Not all of her words are clear and she still isn't really using them in conversation but I'll take identifying objects any day!! I've been worried that she was going to be delayed in the speech area so it is music to my ears to hear her learning so many words! I need to try to get her sweet little voice on video!


*Will's nursery is slowly coming together. It's funny how different things are the second time around - I am so laid back about the entire thing. I know it will be finished at some point but definitely not before he is here! I have ordered a rug and things for the walls but, they aren't in yet (and that lamp won't be in the room much longer). It is nearly impossible to take a picture of his room - it's tiny and the doorway is at a weird angle. Here's the best I could get the other night.

*We've been spending lots of time outside lately. We live in the city and don't have a usable backyard (it's basically big enough to let the dogs out) so we play in the driveway/ walk up and down our street when we aren't at the park. We needed some activities to entertain Kate out front so I got her a water table and can't wait to play with it - I put it together last night and am so excited to bring it out this afternoon!

* Kate is majorly teething right now. She is working on all four eye teeth and it is brutal. I'm so ready for them to just cut so she can hopefully have a break before her two year molars come in but, based on her history though, it will take 2+ months for all four to come in. I'm not looking forward to a teething toddler and a newborn in the house at the same time!

*Speaking of newborns, I'm pretty sure I've completely forgotten what it's like to have a newborn, get out with a newborn, etc. I'm pretty sure I've forgotten the newborn days because Kate threw up and screamed bloody murder 24/7 for 5 straight months but I am really going to have to think long and hard about things like packing a diaper bag again! Diapers and wipes only won't cut it! Formula, bottles, change of clothes, burp cloths! So many things! Whether I'm ready or not, I will be taking both kids up to Texas Children's for appointments when Will is about 10 days old! My mom will be here to help but I'm sure it will be rather eventful getting everyone out the door by 8:15am!

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