School!

Today was Whit's first day of preschool!  How did it go?  He exclaimed, "I had fun!" as he got in the car, so not too shabby.

Warms the Cockles

Tonight Whit gave Quinn a hug, told her, "You're my best friend," and then followed it up with a kiss.  He later reinforced that she is indeed his best friend, and he helps her and loves her.  That's about all that two sleep-deprived parents need to hear to keep on keepin' on.

The Guys and Their Gal

3?

Hard to believe Whit is now three years old.  Due to his great love for The Lorax, we had a Seuss-filled celebration for our little man to usher in his fourth year, which will surely prove to be the most exciting yet!

Lots of running, jumping, and bouncing off of one another with friends.  Glad we did this before the sugar high.

I made Truffula Trees and Lorax cups to help us all get in the mood.

Instead of meeting their doom in a polluted world, the lovable Humming-Fish and Brown Bar-ba-loots met their fate in our bellies.

Wishing for something undoubtedly magnificent!

At Last

Quinlan Lucille burst onto the scene last Sunday morning at 1:00 am.  In retrospect, I had been having contractions for a day or two, but nothing super strong or regular.  Saturday found us out and about at the U of I basketball game, running errands, and having a final dinner out as a family of three at one of our favorite restaurants.  Around 11:00 pm I started to feel more uncomfortable, and in true chaotic nature, I went from 0 to 60 in an instant, with contractions coming about every two minutes.  Once I realized that I was going into labor, I started bawling.  This was all new to me since I was induced with Whit, and I was freaking out...much to Andy's surprise.  The next 45 minutes consisted of my dying cell phone missing calls from the on-call OB, and me dialing seven different phone numbers before finding someone who was awake and able to come be with Whit (it ended up being our landlord, and I'm pretty sure that wasn't in our lease agreement.  He is amazing).  My friend Hallie also came to our rescue once she got our message, and we were incredibly blessed to have two wonderful people come over and let us simply worry about getting to the hospital.  We each kissed Whit goodbye in bed, and then jumped in the car.  

While Andy was waiting for the gate to open at the ER parking lot, I leapt out of the car like an escaping kidnapped victim and hobbled into the hospital, where I expressed some choice words at the sight of only one registration attendant who was busy with a family that had just walked up to the desk.  A security guard came to my rescue and quickly wheeled me up to L&D...on the 10th floor.  Perhaps poor planning on placement there, but hey, I'm sure I was the first patient ever to need to get there fast...  I changed into a gown while contractions came faster, and as soon as they had me hop into bed, I was starting to push.  

It was then that Joy, the girl who almost never takes pain medication but never in a million years wanted to be anything less than doped up for childbirth, had to quickly adapt to a new reality.  "I need medicine!" I screamed multiple times, knowing full well that I was not going to get any.  The nurses were amazing.  They kept telling me I was "Super Woman" and was doing so well, and I kept thinking they were insane and perhaps not aware of the situation, a fact which I later jokingly shared with them.  The on-call OB was not going to be able to get to the hospital in time, so the hospitalist came and quickly took her post.  After my water broke - or rather exploded like a grenade - the next push left us with Quinn's head showing.  I thus very kindly and calmly (or loudly and roughly, who can say for sure really...) screamed, "Then just grab her head and pull her out!  Pull her out!"  Well, those silly medical professionals didn't listen to me, but with the next push, Quinn was born.  I was able to feel every wonderful detail, including my first degree tear.  So, about 20 minutes after getting to the hospital, we had a baby!  Throughout the night I just kept praying and feeling confident that God was going to get me through the pain, and I was immensely grateful for only having a first degree this time.  Just like that we became a family of four!

We came home on Monday, and Whit immediately started to take care of his baby sister.  She is now rarely without Piglet and "a banky to help her sleep."

He couldn't let her be alone on her play mat, so snuggled in right next to her to keep her company.  As you can see, she is already looking up to him.

Our "babies"

Why is that big lady crying while she eats?

Some of you may know that I created this blog after urging from a few friends and family.  It was initially a way for me to stay sane during my maternity leave, and to share stories of insanity that I experienced daily as a new mom.  It has since morphed into a diary of our lives beginning when Whit became our new roommate, and is now something I intend to eventually print and share with our children.  In keeping with it being an honest account of my feelings, I wanted to write just a bit about my emotions as we prepare to welcome another roommate into our home next week.

I recognize that I am not the first mom to feel both excited and nervous at the prospect of a huge change like this.  Excited to have the blessing of being able to watch a new child learn the world around them, and teach us so much about life and ourselves; and nervous to see how our little family of three will transform in the process.  I want Whit to know that I love him so very deeply, and that that love is not going to change once there is another rump to wipe.  And I want our baby girl to know that just because she came second doesn't mean she is second best.  

The one thing I always wanted growing up was a sibling, an older brother actually.  While my parents had this wish as well, it was not to be.  Andy and I are excruciatingly aware of the pure miracle that is being able to become pregnant.  What I want more than anything is for Whit and his baby sister to grow in love together, to respect each other, and to be steadfast supporters of one another.  In this crazy world we live in, the unconditional love of family is paramount.  I like to think Whit is already showing signs that this is his little toddler wish as well.  He talks with excitement about his baby sister coming to his house.  He enjoys going in her room and taking inventory to make sure she has what she needs.  Today he picked out a bunch of books and stuffed animals to give her from his collections, including Carl, one of his most prized stuffed animals (a crocodile we got in Australia that rarely leaves his side), and a book of numbers that he takes to bed regularly.  Seeing my son be far less selfish than me showed me that he is more prepared to handle this change than I gave him credit for.  He is a kind and loving boy who cares about others.  There will undoubtedly be plenty of fights and whining about one another as they mature, but I like to think that this character that Whit is showing is his pure nature, and that makes me incredibly proud.

Whit and I enjoyed a morning out together today, and while we were eating lunch at a restaurant, for a moment I felt as if I was on a date with the most wonderful man.  When his dessert came, he searched the table for a second spoon and gave it to me, insisting that he share his treat with me.  I got teary-eyed, and spent a great deal of the meal just staring at him and smiling (something which I would have made fun of me for if I were another patron watching).  I don't say this to brag about my son, but rather to say that I "get it."  I get what it means to be a parent.  I get what cheesy movies and Hallmark cards are about.  I get why my parents cared so much about everything I did, and why they were hurt when I was careless.  And, I guess I get what pregnancy hormones can do...this!

So, on we go toward the next chapter in our lives.  I like to think we are far more prepared this time, but I am sure there will be plenty of chaos to report on the blog in the coming months.  Thank you to those of you who check in on our family from time to time through this site.  Andy and I very much appreciate your emails.

Next post will have a baby!