Mom. Writer. Speaker.
Unfortunately, I didn’t really have time to snap any good photos of Emma at the wedding, but my brother’s girlfriend managed a few. I’m hoping my sister’s photographer got some smiling poses, but we’ll have to wait and see!
This is hard work!
Hangin’ with Pop-pop
The Beautiful Bride
Emma’s Hot Grandma!
(She’s going to kill me, but I couldn’t resist. Isn’t she hot?!)
Well, it’s been a very exciting weekend for us to say the least. Not even sure where to start.
I guess with Miss Emma. She did in fact go down the aisle. Well, more like sprinted down the aisle, but she made it down. Once she was holding my hand, I thought we were okay. But then she saw beautiful Auntie Jenni coming down the aisle with Pop-pop, and thought it would be appropriate to meet her half way and give her a huge hug, all the while yelling, “Auntie Nenni!!!” I can laugh now, but at the time I was totally cringing inside. Everyone, of course, thought it was so cute/funny, and thank goodness my sister was such a good sport.
After that, Emma sprinted out the back door to my mother-in-law, who graciously kept her out while she ran around outside. She did peek in once, only to yell, “Mommy, what ‘cha doin’?” and then ran back in again to walk down the aisle with me at the very end.
So we made it. Not quite the “slow slow” walk we’ve been practicing for weeks, or the methodical petal throwing I was sure we had down. But the girl is 2, and she is Emma. So we take what we can get. She looked adorable, which was really her main job!
The rest of the night was a blast. Emma hung out with my sister-in-law and was totally overtired by the time 8:00pm approached, so I kept her busy while my in-laws threw food down their throats and took her to our hotel. Apparently she went down okay for my mom-in-law, but was up around 5am. At least that’s what I was told. I wasn’t exactly there to greet her when she woke up. Nope…I was at the hospital.
So, I’ll save you all the reading to tell you there is no baby. Yet. But I am 2-cm dilated and 70-percent effaced, and have a million signs that this baby is coming SOON. I have lost my mucous plug and my contractions have been on and off for 2 days now. But let’s get back to the hospital…
I admit that at the wedding, I may have overdid it a tad. Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE to dance and it was my sister’s wedding. After all the stress of everything, it felt good to let loose. Still, a couple of times my body was telling me to chill, and sometimes I listened. But sometimes the song was just too good to pass up!
Anyway, I felt fine until around 1 am at the hotel, when I started getting mild contractions. At first, I wasn’t sure what they were. With Emma, I had the menstrual cramps and contractions throughout the day, but then my water broke and there was NO mistaking that I was in labor. This was different.
Once they started getting regular and my legs started getting shaky, I knew it was time to call the doctor. My brother’s girlfriend pulled Jeff from the after-party in the hotel lobby, and I have to say he immediately went into “go” mode. The doctor wanted me to go to the hospital to get monitored because of my fast delivery with Emma. So off we went, after a very long week. (At least my hair was done, and I had pretty toes!)
Once we got there, my contractions were pretty regular and getting stronger. They checked me, and determined I was 2-cm dilated and about 50-percent effaced, so they kept me for monitoring. For the next few hours, I contracted about every 2 minutes. I really thought this was it. And so did my sister. She was all upset and didn’t want to go on her honeymoon. It was so sweet, but after MUCH convincing, she went. She hated it, but she went.
After about 4 hours, they checked me again, and I only effaced a little bit more. Jeff and I were then ordered to walk around for an hour. So there we were: pregnant lady with fancy hair, tired eyes (with fake eyelashes!), and flip flops, escorted by a very handsome man in a tux. We hadn’t slept for 24+ hours.
Anyway, I’ll speed this up a bit. After our walking, my contractions started to spread out and eventually stopped. I stayed for monitoring for a few more hours, while Jeff went to the hotel, picked up Emma, and got her situated at home. I wanted to go home so bad, but Jeff and the nurse thought it was best for me to get some rest and eat, and be at the hospital just in case the contractions started up again.
Jeff came back to the hospital around 12:30 pm, and we left shortly thereafter. I thought for sure we’d be back that night. But here we are, 2 days later and still no baby. It’s fine with me — we’re still a day short of 37 weeks — but the waiting is driving me a little crazy. I know, I know, I’m not even close to my due date, but when I’m getting contractions every 3 minutes for 45 minutes straight, and then they just stop, it gets annoying. Especially as I try to figure out what to do with Emma and rush to get everything ready around here for our new little one.
After I lost my mucous plug yesterday morning, the doctor and I thought we were on our way. But again, here I am. Sure, it’s 5:30am and I feel like making a lasagna and I woke up with menstrual cramps, but at this point, I don’t know what to think. Either way, the doctor wants to see me today and check me out. I was supposed to see him on Friday morning before the wedding, but he had a delivery, so I only saw a nurse. Wonder what my internal would have revealed…
I have to give a HUGE thanks to my wonderful family, who were unbelievable this weekend. We are so blessed. So thank you first to my mom- and dad-in-law, who took care of Emma during the entire wedding and after; to my brother and his girlfriend for watching Emma and getting no sleep as we went to the hospital; and to my mom and dad for basically “standing by” the last few days as we wait for our peanut to arrive. And, of course, to my sister and new brother-in-law for being so understanding about my two very unpredictable kids!
So that’s we’re we are at. Say some prayers for us, and the next post just might be announcing our newest addition. Or it might just be me complaining. We’ll just have to wait and see!
Yes, Emma’s birthday party was almost a month ago, but I really want to get some of the details down for her benefit.
Like any fun holiday, Emma ended up with a monster cold. Fever, running nose, no sleep. All the night before her party. The day of her party, she took the shortest nap she has ever taken and had a 101 fever. I wasn’t too confident that it was going to be a fun day.
BUT I have to say, she did so great. She didn’t seem to mind that her nose was running or that she had no sleep under her belt, so I let her do everything she would have normally done — swim, run around, etc.
She was on Tylenol most of the day and her nose was pretty raw, but as far as her mood, she was in pretty good shape.
I caved in and did an Elmo theme because she loves him so much, but mostly because I got all the decorations for free. My Great Aunt gave them to me about a year ago, and it seemed silly to waste perfectly good table cloths, plates, napkins, and banners. They were nice quality and colorful. I simply had to buy a few balloons and a cake, and we were all set.
Food was simple burgers and hot dogs, and everyone else brought a side dish. AND it was at my Mom’s and Dad’s house. (Thank you both by the way!) I have to say I really didn’t have to do much at all… this is the way throw a party I tell ya!
I kept the guest list to immediate family and great grandparents, but somehow Miss Emma still ended up with a zillion gifts. She is truly blessed to have a family that loves her so much! (And so are we, of course!)
She can now help Mommy sweep the floor and vacuum. She has a new buddy (Heidi the Hippo) from Build-a-Bear, her very own sleepover bag for Grandma’s, a bike, and lots of new gear for her baby. So far, we’ve only put together the baby bed, but we plan to put out the baby high chair and stroller when Baby B. comes so Emma has someone to take care of too. At least that’s the plan…
She was extremely good about opening the gifts, and even made sure Daddy was a part of the whole experience by walking across the room to show him EVERY.SINGLE.GIFT. After a few minutes of this, we convinced Daddy to come sit by us so we wouldn’t be there all day. We also had two potty breaks during present time, so a huge thanks goes out to my very patient family!
I was a little worried Emma was going to be all shy and goofy when we sang Happy Birthday to her, but of course, that was a silly fear. She literally sat there with this smirk on her face and kept looking around the room as if to say, “Yeah, this is for me…keep singing people!” She actually made us sing it to her twice, AND it would have continued if I didn’t put a stop to it! So much for shy.
I bought a regular Elmo cake for everyone else, but made a dairy- and soy-free cupcake for the birthday girl. (I wish I would have gotten a better picture…before the sprinkles melted into the frosting!)
You can find the recipe here. And man, these were so yummy. Had I known they were going to taste so good, I would have made them for everyone. I highly recommend them for kids with allergies (and without!). I did substitute the soy milk with coconut milk. (You could use rice milk too, but I figured the coconut would add more flavor).
I made this buttercream frosting, but had to use Smart Squeeze Fat-Free Margarine (squeeze bottle) because it was the only non-soy/non-dairy butter substitute I could find locally (at Super Kmart… go figure!). Unfortunately, the frosting wasn’t very thick, but it tasted good, and I topped it with multi-colored sprinkles. I am definitely making these again!
Emma was pretty pooped by the end of the night, so we actually ended up leaving earlier than some of our guests, but I knew she didn’t feel well, and it was past her normal bedtime as it was. Meltdown mania began as soon as we got home, and it was a rough night, but we survived. Unfortunately, her cold didn’t go away until 10 days later, which means she was also sick for her actual birthday. Such is life. At least I know she had a great time at her party. In fact, she often asks if she’s getting another one soon. With presents of course.
So I think it’s safe to say she completely understood the concept. Maybe a bit too well. Christmas should be lots of fun this year!
Well Miss Emma, Happy 2nd Birthday! It’s taken me about 4 months to get to the point where I can admit that you are actually turning 2 years old. Of course, you have given me more than enough clues that you are ready to turn 2. I, however, am still trying to get used to the idea.
Last year’s birthday letter was a bit mushy—which is fine by me—but as I get to know your personality more and more, it only seems appropriate that this one be a little less flowery and more to the point.
I think the only word that could come close to describing you is “spitfire.” You are one busy lady, and you definitely like things your way. You have an unfathomable amount of energy that begins the very moment you wake up…at 6am. No cuddling, no “easing into the day.” Nope, you are up and ready to play the second those eyes pop open.
From there, our days are usually filled with lots of activity. You are extremely physical and love to play “Ring the Rosie,” catch, and “Chase You.” There are a few other crazy games you and your Daddy play, like running into a pile of pillows on his chest; flipping over his head; and tickle wrestling, but with Mommy’s belly getting bigger every day, we save those for when Daddy gets home.
Outside is one of your favorite places to be, whether we are going for short walks to visit the porcelain “hop hops” down the street or taking a trip in your wagon to get the mail. Of course, you insist that we “snap, snap!” you in every trip and that you have at least one baby or other furry friend with you. You also love driving your Dora vroom vroom “to the store,” only to quickly return with an “I’m back” and a big hug.
You have recently grown very fond of your sandbox, which keeps you busy for quite a while on hot days, as long as you have a couple of buckets of water nearby. Mommy especially enjoys these days, when she can sit and read a book or magazine as you play.
And the park. Let’s not forget about the park. The “wee slide” is by far your favorite part of our trips, but you also enjoy climbing up the steps and will even go for a short swing if other kids are threatening to use it first.
You are certainly not shy, but I wouldn’t exactly call you friendly either. Strangers work hard to get you to flash a smile, but you usually just turn away or look right past them. I admit that I used to get upset about it, but now I know this is just your way. But for those you know and love, you are more than happy to share a quick kiss or hug, although most of us would like to hang on a little tighter and a little longer. You love to play with kids, and seem to prefer those who challenge you. Although you like your way, you also appreciate a little conflict. This makes Mommy very, very nervous…
What I would call our downtime consists of building towers with Daddy, reading books, and watching your beloved 30 minutes of TV a day. Your favorite shows include Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Wonder Pets, as well as your Elmo, Bob & Larry (Veggie Tales), and turtle (The Pond) videos. As active as you are, I know you would be more than happy to sit in front of the TV all day long. This is why you are limited to one show a day on my clock, if at all.
One of your very most favorite things to do is take care of your baby and Minnie. These are truly your buds. You make them meals all the time, take them for walks, rock them when they cry, put them “night night,” feed them bottles, and bring them with you anywhere I’ll let you. They are truly your best friends, and you love them with such intensity that my heart literally wants to burst. You are going to be such a great big sister. This I know for a fact.
You are extremely sharp and soak up new information like a sponge.
You can:
Eating is still one of your favorite things to do, although you are getting pickier by the day. You love your whole-wheat noodles, beans, and turkey hotdogs from TJs, but lately, any other protein needs to be “dip-dipped” in ketchup. You like green beans, peas, and corn, but won’t touch potatoes for some reason. You love fruit of all kinds, especially purple “bapes,” ‘”nanas” and watermelon. You haven’t had any real junk food yet, so your indulgences include the occasional banana cookie and Kix cereal. We typically stick to the good stuff, and you seem just fine with that.
You sleep as hard as you play. You take a 3-hr nap every day and sleep about 10-11 hours at night. This is like clockwork unless you are sick. Mommy loves this about you! HOWEVER, if for some reason you don’t get all of this sleep in, you can be pretty darn cranky, and the rest of our day is a struggle. Mommy doesn’t like this part, but I also realize I can’t have it both ways. So a strict schedule it is!
I know I am still #1 in your life, but we certainly have our share of power struggles. You have taught me to be very creative when giving directions and have forced me to pull patience from places I didn’t even know existed. In fact, you may be solely responsible for improving my prayer life! ☺
Truth be told, your zest for life leaves me with very little energy at the end of the day, but it is worth every second as God gives me glimpses of the woman you will become: Assertive, successful and energetic, yet loving, caring and passionate. A wonderful mix that only our Creator could come up with.
As the next year unfolds, you will certainly have a lot to deal with: A new little sister or brother, (hopefully) a new house, and lots of new milestones. But with your strength and determination, I know you will be just fine.
Mommy, on the other hand, might just need a few more snuggles to get through it all…
Happy Birthday, sweetie! I love you more than you’ll ever know.