Seriously?

I feel like I'm wasting a miracle here.

Phoebe and Nora have both been asleep for two hours. At the same time. Peacefully. As in, there have been no noises in this house for two whole hours. Nobody needed to be fed, held, or read to.

As soon as I realized that Nora was down, and that Phoebe would be for at least another hour or so, I grabbed a blanket and a pillow and hit the couch.

Y'all.

I couldn't fall asleep.

How is this possible? I am exhausted. I am up at least twice a night for at least thirty minutes (but usually closer to forty-five) at each stretch. I go, nonstop, from about 6:30am to 8:00pm. Seriously, if anybody could nap, it would be me. But I laid (lay? lain?) on the couch for thirty full minutes before throwing in the towel. What a bummer!

Fortunately, I have still remained snuggled up in my blanket for the duration. That's gotta count, right?

Emerging

First, let me say that my intentions are good here. I keep having these thoughts that I want to write down, pictures I want to post, and all of that... but there are bottles to be washed (multiple times a day), children to feed, laundry to clean, and all kinds of other responsibilities that I'm starting to add back in to my life.


This weekend was one of emerging. As in, getting out. Of the house. It was important to me that I start doing this. The cabin fever was really beginning to set in, and I was feeling myself on the verge of total breakdown. Another important thing to me was getting back to doing normal things with Phoebe, and that does include the occasional trip out of the house.

So we started with the pumpkin patch. In spite of some middle-of-the-night festivities Friday night, we downed some coffee early Saturday morning and hit the road. We weren't sure how much fun Phoebs would have, and we just hoped that Nora would be content in the wrap for a couple of hours; we shouldn't have worried. Everyone had a blast! Phoebe loved the wide open spaces, and had a blast helping pick out a pumpkin. And Nora was content to snuggle Mommy for a couple of hours. Daddy was thrilled to dine on a funnel cake, and I was beside myself just doing something normal.


Sunday morning, we emerged again -- this time, to church. We're being more careful with Nora than we were with Phoebe, since it's flu season and we don't want to head back to Children's. Still, we were able to find a spot in the balcony and enjoy worship and fellowship. It was so good to be back in church. We also had LIFE group at our house again last night, and it was really wonderful to connect again. I think one of the most frustrating things these past few weeks has been the isolation I've felt.

And then today, we emerged... this time without the help of Michael. I had tried last week to take the girls to the grocery store, and we didn't get out of the parking lot. Today, the grocery trip was non-negotiable. Determined to get back to normal and to just do it, we survived our first grocery trip. I struggled with the wrap, so I meandered the aisles with one hand on Nora's bottom and one hand on the cart... but we made it. I totally bought Phoebe a grocery store board book as a treat. It felt good just to get through that first time.

We're continuing to adjust, and every day is bringing new challenges. But I'm hoping that sooner or later, we'll emerge into a state of "normal". It gets a little easier every day!

Updates on the Girls

I am still amazed that I have girls. As in, more than one. What miraculous little blessings they are! (They are even more miraculous when they are both sleeping, as they are now.) I have so many thoughts rattling around in my brain about all of this... but I have got to get down some updates on these girls, lest I totally forget them.

Phoebe's 19-month day was last week (the 14th). This is belated, but I wanted to post a few things that she's up to these days. Now that there are two, it'll be even easier for me to forget! Phoebe is...

• saying a few more words, irregularly, but at least occasionally. Some highlights for this month include "Reeces" (oh yes, the most practical word we can think of these days) and "butterfly". Phoebs is often frustrated, not able to express herself verbally; we are trusting God's perfect timing for her words to come. We are also still praying for 20 consistent words by 21 months.
  
• loving to count things by pointing (Mommy does the counting). She loves to count pictures, snacks, etc.
  
• signing the answers to questions #1 and 2 in the Catechism for Young Children.
• testing boundaries all over the place, learning what is acceptable and what is not.
  
• outside as much as we'll let her be... the second she gets shoes on, she wants to head out the door.
  
• dipping her food (ranch dressing, ketchup, and sweet and sour sauce) and becoming more adventurous with what she will eat. Her appetite seems to be decreasing, but she continues to try more and more foods. Just today, she ate a banana dunked in sweet and sour sauce. Nice.
• getting used to her little sister. She loves to check Nora's crib, say "shh!" with a finger up to her mouth, and touch her blankies. She is still uncertain about kissing her, or touching her... but she's certainly interested in her! (We've only been home from Children's a week... I imagine she'll fall more and more in love the longer we're home.)
• loving Little Critter books, Clifford, and more... she's becoming less particular about the books that we read, and is tolerating longer stories more frequently. She loves to cuddle during story time.

Nora also went to the doctor today for her two week checkup. (This was a well baby check-up.) Here are her stats:

• 6 pounds, 11 ounces (hooray! That's a gain of 13 ounces since last Friday!)
• 20 1/4 inches long
• 14 inches head circumference

The doctor was pleased with her growth, and says that we're in the clear until her two month checkup. We are praying that we stay illness free in this cold and flu season. My plan is to keep her under wraps (literally) when we have to go out. A few more things about Nora...

• she eats every 2-3 hours, and switched to soy formula on Sunday. She is eating much better with much less discomfort now.
  
• She is beginning to focus on faces
• She seems to be a very content baby, but she particularly likes to cuddle. (We don't mind!)
• She is beginning to have a few more periods of "awake" during the day where she is very happy and alert, sometimes for an hour at a time.
  

Finally, we've had fun comparing the "looks" of the two girls. Although Nora has a head full of dark hair, she and Phoebe still look a lot alike. We think they have the same mouth and nose; we'll just have to see as they get bigger!
What do you think?

When All Else Fails

The original plan had been to nap right now, but Nora seems to want to snuggle. Actually, I should say that she wanted to snuggle. But now she's content to nap on the couch right here next to me. How the couch is better than the crib is beyond me, but at this point, the nap is the goal... right? Right? Anyway, I'm afraid that I'd squash her if I snuggled up next to her. So obviously, writing on here is the next best option.

Today has been a better day. I haven't cried yet, and both Phoebe and Nora have seemed more settled. We also slept better last night -- Nora woke at 1:00 and 4:30 to eat, and then conked right back out. I am so thankful for that particular blessing!

Yesterday, I had taken some time to write out some encouraging scriptures on index cards. The idea was that I'd tape them up in the kitchen/bathroom/bedroom/everywhere so that I could talk to myself instead of listening to myself when I started to get frustrated. They hadn't made it up yet today, and Phoebe had found them on the coffee table. She scattered them on the floor... and then fed one to Jake. I think he ate a Psalm. Perhaps he needed some fresh mercy this morning? I'm also thankful for that particular giggle today.

Right now, Nora's face is smooshed up against the side of the couch. I think I had forgotten how cute newborns are. I'm absolutely going to get myself a picture of this; here's to hoping she doesn't budge the second I cause some couch turbulence.

And since my brain hurts, I'm closing the lid of this laptop. I might snuggle this little cuddlebug after all...

Brief Notes

Today was our first day without any help... and nobody died. When I was teaching, our goal for the first day of school was always to just send the kids home alive; my goal for today was for me to make it to bedtime alive. And here we are.

I'm too tired to be eloquent or to go to the desktop to pull up some cute pictures of Nora. Here are a few notes on today, for posterity's sake:

• Nora likes to be held. A lot. She had a pretty fussy period from 9 to 12:30 this morning, but Mama's arms did the trick.
• I've eaten all kinds of crow with this second child. (More on that one another time.)
  
• I cried more than either of the girls today, and that's saying a lot. However, my crying was limited to the hours of 9 to 1:00.
  
• The afternoon was a lot better than the morning.
• Both girls miraculously napped at the same time for about an hour and a half.
  
• My MobyWrap came in the mail today, and Nora loves it. I think that I will love it too. (Remember that crow that I ate? This is some of it.)

I'd like to journal more, but I'm amazed that I'm still awake. So goodnight!

Home Sweet Home

It dawned on me today that I never updated this to tell you guys we were home. (We're home, by the way!) We were discharged from the hospital at around 2 on Thursday as we had hoped. It really is wonderful to be home together as a family; it has been quite the month! As I told Michael's mom a little bit ago -- we've been admitted to the hospital every week in October. We're trying to break that streak this week.

Being home has been an adjustment, though; in the hospital, you have this strange, surreal life and it always takes a few days to get out of that mode of operation. So add that to adjusting to life as a family of four, and it makes for quite the growing weekend!

We have been so blessed to have Mops here this week (and Pops since Saturday morning). Mom is the reason any of us have eaten, had clean clothes, or slept in the past few days. BIG thanks to her for taking the night shift with Nora for two nights so that we could get caught up on some of the extra sleep we lost in the hospital. My heart ached to see them go today, but I am so thankful for the time they were able to spend at our little house getting us back to "normal".

Right now, things are just plain quiet. Michael took Phoebe with him to run a few errands that just couldn't wait, and Nora is sleeping peacefully in her crib. I'm trying to relish this quiet while it lasts! Tomorrow will be my first day alone with the girls, so I'm sure that quiet will be at a premium!

I'm going to take advantage of this time while I've got it, so I'll close with a few pictures of both girls from the past few days. Coming soon -- a belated 19 month update on Phoebs and more about life with two!

Wednesday Evening

I'm trying to multitask while watching the debate... and it's a little more interesting than I thought it would be. Since I'm watching the debate and not Nora's vital signs, you can assume that things are going well. And you'd be right to assume so!

In the panel of tests run, an enterovirus was found in Nora's spinal fluid. Because I have had an enterovirus (hand, foot, and mouth), I have likely passed on my immunity to Nora. These viruses can be really, really dangerous in little ones; we are praising our gracious and sovereign God for her immunity! It's amazing to see how something so yucky to go through (Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease) can really be a measure of God's goodness. We are praising Him for His mercy in this situation.

Nora has remained fever-free throughout the day. She has also eaten fairly well, and has been more perky than she has ever been, having three distinct periods of awake time this afternoon. She's also shown a bit of feistiness when nurses poke her for vital signs, and we like her little bit of added pep.

The doctor has said that if she remains fever free tonight, no new symptoms show, and all of the bacterial cultures remain negative, we will get to go home tomorrow! Hooray! Hopefully our next post will not be from the hospital!

Wednesday, Early Afternoon

We're sort of bored, and that's a good thing.

Nora has been fever-free since last night, and she seems to be a little less lethargic. She woke us up a couple of times last night to eat, and she had almost an hour of alert time this afternoon. The only thing that seems strange about her sleeping in her bed right now is the little IV tube coming out of her swaddle. Right now she's stretching like a little kitten in her little pink blanket, and I could just eat her up.

We'll be talking to the doctor this afternoon, and we're anxious to see what she has to say. We're hopeful that we might get to go home tomorrow, but nobody has indicated that will happen as of yet.

I myself took a great dose of medicine today, administered by my husband. He sent me home for a couple of hours. I got to spend some time playing with Phoebe, having lunch, hunting for rocks, reading books, and doing some typical morning activities. I also retrieved some fresh clothes and hot cookies, but the whole experience of leaving the hospital and spending some time with my big girl was refreshing and wonderful. I'm so thankful for my husband's wisdom to kick me out of the hospital, and that Nora was stable enough that I didn't worry about her while I was gone.

It's time for Nora to eat, so I'm going to sign off... I'll update later this afternoon when I've had a chance to talk to our doctor. Thank you for all of the sweet prayers sent up on behalf of our littlest!

Update from Sarah, Tuesday AM

Good morning, Friends;

The last few days have been such a roller coaster ride for us. In five days we have welcomed a new baby, gone home, and then returned to the hospital. And can I tell you that the first hospital visit this week was a whole lot more fun than this one? I am having to remind myself that God loves me, and my family, more than I can imagine...and that above all, He is good, even if I don't understand what He's doing.

Michael gave a quick update last night, but here are the pertinent details:

• Nora spiked a fever yesterday afternoon, and the pediatrician sent us straight to Children's.
• In the ER, they tested her blood, urine, and spinal fluid. They also swabbed her eyes, nose, and mouth. They are culturing all of these, but early tests reveal no serious infections.
• Nora is being treated with broad spectrum antibiotics, just in case this is a yucky bacterial infection. We won't know for sure for a couple of days, and chances are this is a virus; still, we'd rather be cautious and over-treat her.
• Nora still has a fever as of right now (100.5), and that is with doses of Tylenol every four hours.
  
• Michael and I both are staying at the hospital; Mops is at home with Phoebe. (She was already here trying to help us get adjusted to family-of-four life.)
• I think Nora is the biggest trooper of us all, rarely complaining and sleeping better than either Michael or me.

Please pray for us. I know that there are many more seriously ill children here at the hospital, but this is scary for us. Michael is trying to be strong for all of us, and I imagine his stores are pretty low. I'm an emotional mess, thanks to postpartum hormones. I can't imagine that much of this is easy for Phoebe, either; I wish she was big enough to understand even a little bit of what is going on. And we're all exhausted, and came into the hospital that way. We are praying that this fever (and whatever is causing it) gets out of Nora's body as soon as it possibly can so that we all can get home and get back to normal.

I'll update more as I know more. I imagine we'll be seeing a doctor sometime this morning.

BLAAAAAHHHH!!!!

By Michael

That's right friends.

We're in the hospital, again. But I thought you went home? We did! But why are you back? I don't know!!!

Actually, we do know. Our sweet Nora somehow stumbled upon a fever, to which the on-call nurse for our Pediatrician said we're going to the E.R. - end of story.

Except it wasn't the end of the story, no! That's just the prologue, we get to the E.R. expecting another terrible six-hour night like our last visit with Phoebe. We were wrong, but not for the better.

Early estimates are that we'll be here for at least 48 hours. Initial blood and spinal tests were clean, but more forthcoming.

I love bulleted lists. Please be in prayer for us not to:

1. lose it.
2. go completely ape s%@# nuts about being back in the hospital for the third time in six weeks.
3. go at each others throats due to sleeplessness and fatigue
4. suffer soul-death upon sleeping on these human-rights violating converta-chairs the hospital pretends are beds
5. lose sight and focus on Christ our Savior, Protector, Deliverer, and Healer

More later, I hope.

Adjusting

We've been home a full day now, and I feel like our adjustments are going better than we expected. We're tired, of course. And Phoebe is still getting a hold of the idea that there is another little person in the house. But really, I think we're doing quite well. Honestly, it's just great to be back home!



I think Nora is adjusting better than everyone. She is so mellow and easygoing; I pray that it sticks! She is such a tiny little delight to have around.

A few things:

• Nora has a touch of jaundice, but her levels were good today. Nothing to worry about, according to the doctor. So we're not. (Worrying, that is.)
• As of this morning, Nora weighs 5 pounds, 12.5 ounces... she is just as tiny as her sister was!
• Phoebe is still a little standoffish with Nora. She isn't sure about giving kisses, but she was eager this morning to help her get dressed (holding Nora's shirt, gown, etc.) and brush her hair. She also loves to point at her and say, "baby" -- a new word since Nora has come home.

Right now, it's particularly incredible that both girls are napping. I mean, it's eerie how quiet it is in the house. I'm trying to be really good about taking down time while they're both down, so hopefully my updates won't lapse. But while I've still got time, I'm going to try and nap for a few minutes too!

Birthday Reflections

It's so peaceful in our hospital room this morning, and honestly, it was this way twenty-four hours ago, too. The major difference, of course, is that twenty-four hours ago the baby dreaming in the crib across the room was still inside my tummy. It's hard to believe it's almost been a full day since we met her!

I wanted to journal yesterday while it was still fresh... so here goes!

We arrived at the hospital at 5:30 yesterday morning, and we were greeted by our sweet nurse Teri. She ushered us into our room, and we got things started right away. Teri expertly got my IV going (it was the worst thing about labor for Phoebs), and before we knew it, the pitocin had started dripping and labor had begun.

Because I came in dilated almost 4cm, we didn't want to waste time on the epidural. As in, I knew I wanted one. And I didn't want to miss my opportunity, since I tend to progress fairly quickly. We joked that they would greet us at the door with the epidural cart, and that wasn't far from the truth. By 6:30 labor had started; by 7:30 I was "recovering" from the epidural. I told Michael that it felt a little bit like I was cheating!

I progressed quickly, and our nurse was pretty convinced that Nora would be here before 10:00. I wasn't so sure! As things got moving, I had a couple of blood pressure dips, and we ended up taking me of the pitocin for a few minutes. I have normally low-ish blood pressure, and the epidural caused it to dip a bit lower. A shot of ephedrin brought my blood pressure and Nora's heart rate back up to where they needed to be for the rest of the day.

After we resumed the pitocin, I had progressed to 8cm. I felt good enough to blog about it, so Michael got the computer up and going. I dictated some thoughts at about 9:45, but he didn't have the chance to post them. I'd felt a "hot spot" of burning when I contracted and my nurse was ready to give me an epidural boost. As she did, she checked me for progress. We were all surprised to find out that in about 15 minutes, I had gone from 8 to...about to have a baby. I was told not to cough, sneeze, or move until the doctor got there.

At 10:10, Dr. D got there and we were ready to go. Two quick pushes later, our beautiful Nora Mae was born! Immediately I was struck by how tiny she looked... even tinier than I remember her sister looking. Her cry was music to our ears! I am amazed at the tiny little miracle God has blessed us with.

And she is indeed tiny! I'm pretty sure Michael posted her stats here, but she is six pounds, one ounce, and is nineteen inches long. She has sweet, dark hair and darker eyes than her sister. She seems to be very mellow, and is easily comforted; she also has started eating well.

My recovery has gone very differently than my recovery with Phoebe. The Lord blessed us with an incision (and tear) free delivery, so the only discomfort I am feeling today is some periodic crampiness. I am really enjoying having some quiet time in the hospital with just Michael and Nora; I know that our arrival home tomorrow will bring a great deal of excitement!

And speaking of excitement, Phoebe's on her way up here... so I'm going to wrap this up! I'll try and add some more pictures this afternoon, once we've had a chance to visit with our big girl!

Nora Pictures

Larger Album

Eleanor Mae Thomas

Born at 10:16

6 Pounds 01 ounces

19 Inches long

Mama and baby are both GREAT

Live from the Hospital

It is 9:45 am.  We are currently 'waiting'.

We arrived on time this morning, had a successful (on the first try!) IV.  Was reacquainted with our dear friend Mr. Epidural at around 7:15.

Currently, I'm feeling "good".  We are getting close, as we've progressed to 8cm. 

We've again been blessed with a sweet nurse and nursing student.

Both Michael and Teri (our nurse) have lost the "Time of Delivery" pool.  And since we're progressing so quickly, our next update will likely be with baby pictures.

That's all for now!

39 Weeks and Counting

Well, today was our final appointment before our due date (October 13). Michael was totally convinced I would not make it to my appointment today... and although I tried to help him be right by eating an incredibly spicy dinner last night, we did indeed make it to the appointment.

Here are the important stats:

• no weight gain this week
• blood pressure low to normal -- 100/60
• baby's heart rate was in the 130 range
• measuring 38 weeks, which is normal for me -- and for this stage in pregnancy (as she continues to "drop")
• Michael and I both got a flu shot today... and it was the first time I said, "no big deal" to a shot!
  
• and the most fun stat of all? I'm already dilated 3-4cm! Which means...

We'll be going to the hospital tomorrow (Thursday) morning to get this party started! Dr. D completely surprised me by offering to put me on the schedule; we readily accepted his offer. We'll be arriving at the hospital at 5:30 tomorrow morning to get hooked up to my good friend pitocin, assuming I don't go into labor on my own before then.

I'm still hoping to live-blog at least some of the labor... especially after I become reacquainted with my other good friend the epidural. This is all pending sufficient internet access in our room. Michael will update as he can, too. In the meantime, here are some specific things you can pray for us over the next few days:

• Complication-free labor, delivery, and recovery
• Peace (especially for me) throughout the entire process
• Kind-hearted nurses, anesthesiologists, and doctors
• Phoebe's adjustment to being a big sister, and our transition to a family of four
• That above all, God would be glorified and that we would stay focused on Him -- that there would be an atmosphere of worship in our hospital room tomorrow (and throughout our stay there)

I can't wait to share good news tomorrow!

Still Pregnant

...and still enjoying time with this sweet little bug. I have more to say, but I'm too tired right now to say it all. I just wanted to make sure I got a post up so that nobody got excited and thought I'd gone to the hospital or anything. (By the way, the plan right now is to live-blog our labor.)

We do, however, have an appointment tomorrow morning. I'll post a full report -- and belly pictures -- tomorrow afternoon!

Weekend Lovelies

In spite of feeling more-than-ready to have a baby, we really had a lovely weekend. Mops came down Thursday, and then Pops joined her on Friday night. We were able to spend time hanging out and relaxing, as well as getting some nesting done.

Nora's crib (Michael's crib from when he was a little one) is now set up in the guest room. Clothes are washed, folded, and put away. Some sweet, soft touches are now in the guest room to make it a little more welcoming for a little one. Mops has even taken some burp cloths home to embellish with fabric, ribbons, and monograms.

Right now, I don't have any pictures of her space... but I will soon! There are a few more touches I'd like to add before posting it on the Internet for all to see.

We did take pictures of some time at the park Saturday morning. Phoebe and I went with Mops and Pops, while Michael worked hard at hanging drywall in the bathroom. We enjoyed some lovely weather, and some sweet time spent with each other.

Getting across the steps as best she can... with a little help, of course!

Phoebs particularly loved sliding with Mops and Pops

Too little to climb, but not too little to try!

Roll Tide! (Thank you Mops and Pops for our sweet Bama dress!)

We had so much fun with Mops and Pops, and hated to see them go. But they'll be back before we know it to celebrate Nora's arrival!

And yes, we're still pregnant. I'm feeling better than I did this weekend, but I ended up scrapping the afternoon's to do list in favor of some rest. Right now, I'm just trying to enjoy these last few days of "normal" before sweet Nora makes her debut!

System Shutdown

Even if I didn't know that my due date was in a week, I'd be pretty sure that the end was near. I vaguely remember something like this when I was pregnant with Phoebe, but I can't help but believe it's worse this time around. I feel like my body has gone into total system shutdown.

The final days of pregnancy are just that: the shutting down time. I am full body tired. As in, can hardly keep upright by the end of the afternoon. I'm taking naps again, and I really hate to nap. And let's just say that my tummy isn't as agreeable as it used to be. My appetite is way down again, and I'm craving really simple foods in small quantities, such as Cheerios and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. In general, I just feel weird. Add that to some mighty painful contractions, and I can tell that the end is near.

I have an appointment on Wednesday, and Michael doesn't think I'll make it that long. I'm not as convinced that Nora's going to make an early debut, but I have to say... I'm pretty thankful that, early or not, she'll be here soon!

Proof

For those of you who have yet to see the belly...

Michael took this yesterday morning. Phoebe was especially sensitive, and wouldn't let go of my hand for a while. I was struck by how giant the belly has gotten! (Please excuse the delightful jammy pants...they're the only thing that fits!)

We're planning to take some more "formal" belly and family pictures tomorrow; I'll be sure to post some then!

Nesting

My due date is in eleven days, so I suppose now is as good a time as any to get some nesting done. Mops has arrived in town, so we're tackling some nesting items on my to do list. No pictures yet, but I'll be sure to get them up as soon as we have them.

We do finally have a crib set up, with sheets. It's hard to believe that in such a short time, we'll be having a sleeping baby in there!

Anyway, I just didn't want any one to worry that we'd gone into labor. Nora is content to hang tight just a little bit longer!

38 Weeks and Counting

I had my weekly doctor's appointment today. I'm thankful to report that everything is moving along just as it should... but really, there's nothing exciting to share.

I've been having unusual cramping in my upper legs and belly, so I mentioned that to the doctor. He suspected that I was beginning to efface, and that those cramps were caused by pressure from Nora. After being checked, that was confirmed... basically, Nora's just getting into position like a good little girl! The only downside is that as I continue to progress, the cramps are just going to get worse -- more frequent and more painful. Better than labor, I suppose?

Here are the important details:

• 1 pound weight gain
• normal blood pressure (I didn't ask what it was today)
• 1.5 cm dilated (+0.5cm)
• 50 percent effaced (+50%; I had not yet begun to efface last week)

The other fun detail is that I have the distinct privilege of getting my flu shot next week at my appointment. Which would be my first shot since my epidural, 18 months ago, while I was in labor with Phoebe. They offered it today, and I put it off. The nurse totally gave me a hard time when I asked if I could "come in prepared for a needle". She reminded me that I was about to give birth, that a needle was really no big deal; needless to say, I'm still waiting for next week's appointment.

Anyway, I could go into labor tonight... or after my due date. So the anticipation continues to grow! We're excited that Mops will be coming tomorrow to help get some nesting done, which might make me a little more ready for Nora to make her debut!