Without further ado...

Anthony Louis
July 28, 2011
6lbs 8oz
20in

Birth story, condensed. :)

My water broke at 3:20pm on July 27t

After Zach got home and we dropped off DD at her grandparents house we got to the hospital around 5:15pm. It's funny, when it's your second child and you say that your water broke, they listen to you! Haha. They brought me straight to a delivery room and I didn't have to go through triage at all. 

Labor for the first few hours at the hospital was not too painful and I was able to chat with DH and just relax a little bit. Around 6 or 7pm it got a  bit harder. I asked for a labor ball and used that on my hands and knees with it supporting me. It helped A LOT. I switched back and forth between that and sitting on the bed and leaning my back against Zach's back through contractions. I was managing well pain wise, but around midnight I was so exhausted and so low on energy that with every contraction I was getting light headed to where it was hard to stay sitting up. Around 12:30 after talking with Zach I decided to get the epidural. I got it around 1:30 when I was at 7cm. About 30min after I got it I had jumped to 9cm and then at around 3am I was ready to push. They had me do some "practice" pushes, but I was too efficient, haha, so they had me wait until the doctor got there. When she got there we realized she had been in our labor and delivery class last year when she had her baby! Her husband had wanted to take the class since she knew all about it, obviously, and he didn't and wanted to be at least somewhat informed on his own scale. Anyway, introductions aside she prepared and I got to pushing. It took maybe 6 pushes after the doc arrived and little Anthony Louis was born. :) He went straight to my chest and Zach cut the cord. After a minute or two they checked his vitals under the heat lamp in our room and then gave him back to me. I went straight to trying to breastfeed him and he latched on right away. Boys in our family like their food and know how to get it! ;)

Now for some more fun photos. :)

Cara meeting her little brother for the first time.

Chillin out in his wool sleep sack with Daddy. <3

Checking out the world. :)

And a side by side of him and Cara as newborn burritos. ;)

That's all for now. I need some sleep. :)

Sarah

Still here...waiting...

I've been having contractions since yesterday. They were about 10min apart yesterday, then by evening they went to 7min apart. Today they have ranged from 10min -8min to....30min. *sigh* I guess this is just practice. It's killing me. lol Luckily they don't hurt, they just get me very anxious. :)

And so I fill my time drooling over...diapers. *sigh* On a good note, I'm entering in a contest from http://www.paddedtushstats.com/ to win an Applecheeks cloth diaper package.  :) She has great thorough reviews on her her site and I've gone there a couple of times before looking into purchasing dipes for both DD (12mos) and DS's NB stash. If you are at all interested in CDing, you should check it out. :)

Back to drooling... ;)

Preparing the Way

I know that I'm only (almost) 36 weeks along, but I feel very ready for Anthony to arrive. Not mentally...or with the house, lol, but physically. We're in a hard place right now, though, so I'm not sure how we would handle him coming. Thankfully, the few things a baby really needs (carseat, clothing, diapers, milk) we have. :) SO if he did decide to come, we could handle it, it would just be stressful. I'm truly hoping that he at least waits until Zach's new job is really coming along faster.

The end of the day is nearing and I really feel like I was very productive. We tried some new tactics at Mass this morning with Cara. We went to the 9AM instead of the 11AM Mass and we sat at the front! I know how crazy that sounds. Especially if you know our daughter. She's normally the one screaming in the back. And while today she was technically screaming, it was happy screaming and it happened when everyone was singing. :) She made both Zach and I so happy this morning because, although it wasn't EASY, it was really nice to be able to actually participate in the Mass. That was the first Sunday in quite a while that neither of us had to take Cara to the back. Such a good little girl. Here's hoping Anthony is just as "good". :)

I also got the entire kitchen and living area clean. It hasn't been clean like this in quite a while. Another reason for me to think Anthony is getting ready to come: Nesting. Good fun.

Picture of the day:

This was at Chuck E Cheese's with a giftcard Cara received for her birthday. I just love both of their expressions. :)

Pax

Sarah

I am a Writer

Just as the title says, I am a writer. I've been in hibernation. Or at least, that is my excuse. In reality, I've gotten married, had a beautiful little girl, and find myself to now be expecting our son. I am a writer, but somehow I have forgotten how important it is for me to write. I need it just as I need air. Writing is a gift that God has given me, and I need to use it.

And so, I give you a blog. Because that's what writers do, right? Regardless, this is how I will use my skill.

I am also a Catholic. This is also a gift that God has given me that I find myself dusting off. Not that I haven't attended Mass or prayed a rosary, but I've found that my passion has been dwindling. I believe that this is another reason why I feel I need to write again.

I am a mother, and this is one that I can not bury, and would never want to. Luckily, my daughter demands attention, as will my son when he is born.

I am a wife. My husband does not demand my attention. He does not wine and fuss. And often I find that it is easy to set marriage aside in order to accomplish my daily tasks. I am reminding myself now, though, that marriage does not mean keeping a clean home and taking care of the children. It means loving my husband; the rest will follow. My husband is amazing, by the way, so he gets a shout out. :)

I will end my introduction here before it gets too long. I still want to be writing, but I'm sure no one still has  desire to be reading my ramblings.

Pax.

Sarab