Life Lately

You know when you feel like your days and weeks run together? And you thought yesterday was Friday but it was actually Tuesday so now you are really lost and begin to question your sanity? Well my friends, while I can say I did know what day yesterday was I am certainly feeling like my days are one big blur... Especially the last 3 weeks worth of days. You may think this is because we have a newborn at home or because I'm up all night feeding her and I'm just not sleeping ... In actuality it's not... Ok maybe those things have a little to do with it! 

Sickness people!! Sickness has taken over my children! Now of course it is exhausting when one of your children gets sick for any number of reasons, but the added bonus to having a big family is you also have to try and keep the other kids from getting sick! Which in my experience usually doesn't work! 

It started with Kendal feeling down and out with allergies really since we had Parker. Nothing seemed to help her or give her relief ... Fast forward about 3 weeks and she was really out... Fever, body aches, sneezing, coughing, and ear pain. The same night Kendal was curled up on the floor with a blanket wrapped around her Madison started with the same symptoms! Please don't be the flu, please don't be the flu is all my mama brain could ask for... Oh and get away from your sisters! 

The rest of the night was full of aches, pains, and fevers and plenty of hand sanitizer. The next morning we headed to the doctor Kendal was full of tears from the pain in her ears and Madison couldn't hardly walk because of her body aches. Both girls will "diagnosed" with the flu...NOooooooo... For the next few days the girls were quarantined to their rooms; they both had symptoms on and off sometimes feeling ok other times feeling horrible. A weekend of more rest and I sent them back to school on Monday. Not even 2 hours into the school day I received a call from the clinic ... Madison was there with a low fever and "very pink eyes". Another doctor visit the next day and she had pink eye! At this point I felt like I was just treading water trying to stay up AND keep everyone else in the house healthy. A few days of eye drops and she was looking better and headed back to school. 

The.very.next.day Olivia had a bunch of "goop" in her eye and it was looking pink ... Seriously!! Yet another prescription for eye drops! Olivia did amazing letting us put them in her eyes and another handful few of days and both her and Madison were looking better and it didn't appear that anyone else was affected. 

After two weeks of ick in my house when Monday hit I was just hoping it was all over with. Thankfully it was... For Monday anyway. Tuesday came and Curt and I both were feeling sick (and let me say I was right in the middle of this post... Really Karma really??). We sent the twins to their Aunt's house and tried to rest as much as possible. I was feeling ok ... But my husband was a different story... He seemed to have come down with a stomach bug! Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday kind of stomach bug... I just wanted him to feel better and most importantly to stay away from the kids!! On Thursday Olivia was eating lunch and all of a sudden started saying over and over that her belly hurt. The only words she would say were "my belly hurt". She asked me to give her medicine for the fever in her belly... Cute Right?? Yea... Until she threw up all over me! Why?!? I cleaned her and myself up then she napped and seemed to be perfectly fine the rest of the day and Friday... Maybe she just ate too fast??

Curt finally started to feel better.. Enough so that he could leave the bedroom and eat a real meal. Kendal was on and off feeling crappy all weekend but seemed to feel a bit better last night...

So here we are... Monday, the beginning of May...4 weeks since this crazy sickness has taken over my house. I won't mention those who haven't gotten sick, I just hope it stays that way! 

At least for today all those that are supposed to be in school are there and the one supposed to be at work is there AND we haven't had to call the Doctor for anything... #winning let's keep the streak going... Please for my mama sanity let's make it at least two days. And for any of you currently in the sickness trenches I hope it's a quick trip and your house is germ free again very soon. 

One Month ~ Parker

How? How is she one month already? Please, some one tell my why it goes so fast and how I can slow it down! This tiny little girl has already brought so much joy to our lives... and all she does is eat and sleep! I can only imagine what's to come having her in our lives.

Here's what she's been up too in her 4 short weeks of life:

• she loves to cuddle ... Not just lay on your chest and sleep ... I mean full on cuddle! She knows how to nuzzle right into any crevice available to her. If you lay her next to you on the bed she always finds a way to get her body right up close to you ... Cuddles for days and we don't want it to ever end!

•swaddle... She also loves to be swaddled but you better leave those arms out. All of the girls were that way, they love to have their arms out usually up by their heads.

•food... Errrrr Milk? She loves to eat and mostly eats every 2-2.5 hours during the day, with one longer 4ish hour stretch. She sleeps 4-5 hours at night after her evening feeding usually between 9 and 10 and wakes once to eat then up between 6 and 7. We are mostly breast feeding with some supplementing 2-3 times (sometimes 4 times) per day, she takes about 2oz each time we give her formula. She lost nearly a pound after leaving the hospital so our pediatrician recommend supplementing. I cried right there in her office... I really wanted to NOT have to do that this time. It was so sad to me that once again my body just couldn't make enough to support my child. But I quickly realized I wasn't being asked to STOP breast feeding I just needed to help her and at the end of the day that is my one and only job ... Take care of this little girl by any means possible. What we are doing is working for now... Eventually I would love to stop supplementing but we will see.

•this one is a great sleeper... Thank you lord! She sleeps so well and She has even fallen asleep on her own in her pack n' play. To me this is huge that she can already fall asleep without her swing or being held. She is starting to be awake more during the day and is usually awake for a good hour at least twice a day. Sometimes the awake time keeps us up a little later than mama would like but it's so worth it.

•play... There's not much play going on right now but since she is starting to be awake more her big sisters are always talking to her and giving her toys to "play" with. No doubt she will be the center of the twins play when she gets a bit older.

~ other changes 

•loves to hold her head up when she is being burped 

• starting to get her chubby cheeks and double chin back that she was born with
•even though she was born with a bunch of hair she is getting more!

•wears newborn diapers and newborn clothes. Although she won't be able to wear newborn sleepers much longer! 

Weight: 

Birth - 7lbs 7ounces

One Month - 8lbs 12ounces

Length:

Birth- 19 inches 

One Month - 21 3/4 inches

We knew from the moment we found out I was pregnant that we would love this little person so very much. We couldn't have dreamed to have more than Parker has given to us already. We can't wait to see what is to come with this little one. We love you so much Parker Elaine.

Toddler Talk : Seven

Talk: You know when "they" say twins have their own form of communication? Well it's true at least for my girls. They most certainly have their own language and we don't always understand what the heck they are saying. But every once in a while they throw in words we do understand and then and only then can we semi-figure out what is going on in their little heads. When they decide not to use their twin toddler language they are much like teenagers with their conversations; as always we find ourselves shaking our heads at just what they know and say. The past few months they have really started to show their personalities in regards to the things they say. Olivia likes to tell Charlotte what to do especially if it means repeating something we have said. It is the cutest thing especially with her  little sassy attitude. Charlotte repeats what everyone else says when she is upset by it. If someone tells her something she doesn't agree with she repeats it with such attitude, her little eyes get so big and she means business.
It is great having them be able to communicate with us and understand "a little" of what they are saying. There of course is still some yelling and whining but that is too be expected with two nearly three year olds.

Play: These two girls are into EVERYTHING going from one thing to another ALL.DAY.LONG. And now that Parker is here and I have been somewhat distracted the have definitely taken advantage.   They will pretty much play with anything  you give them and anything they can get their hands on. We are working on them cleaning up the messes they make otherwise big sisters need to step in and help. They do have a few favorites including their dolls, books, and their shopkins. They love to carry around their backpacks and pretend they are going to school. They even have to give kisses and say good-bye just like their big sisters do. I love that they can play together and stay entertained, especially with Parker's arrival. Watching them together is a lot of fun and entertaining to say the least. There is never a dull moment.

Food: We have entered the phase of toddlerhood where the toddlers don't want to eat anything. And by anything I mean nothing. It is a struggle daily to get them to eat something semi healthy. If they do decide to eat what we've made them it's minimal to say the least. They of course love to snack thoughout the day so I try my best to give them something on the nutritional side. Like all things toddler related this will pass... not sure if they will go back to eating well or be like their big sisters and be picky and want Ketchup on everything.

Sleep: We are getting there - ugh I know this is also a transition time for the girls with still a lot of changes happening around them. All in all I am feeling ok with how they are doing. They still put up a fight at bed time and nap time. The would rather play than go to sleep and who can blame them when they have a built in playmate. Naps are hit or miss as well; one thing can be sure though if they don't take a nap bed time goes much smoother... with a few fits here and there. We will weather this "storm"and at some point they will surprise me and go to sleep without getting out of bed 100 times first... right??

News: I am so excited to share that I am no longer buying diapers for the girls!! They have been potty trained during the day for just about a year now but we kept them in diapers at nap and bedtime.  They have been doing well at nap since we moved, Charlotte has a few accidents from time to time...ok most of the time; but Olivia has done great. We just started putting them to bed in undies about a week ago and so far no accidents!! We have been getting them up twice per night to go potty and it has been working well for us. I am hoping we can stop doing that soon. But overall we couldn't be more proud of them!

Watching these two girls as big sisters has completely warmed our hearts, it is just so hard to believe how big they have gotten. Our lives have been forever changed having them... God is good and he sure knows what he is doing.

A Birth Story : Parker Elaine

Parker's birth was a scheduled c-section so maybe there isn't a "big" grand story to tell. My water didn't break, I didn't wake up in the middle of the night with contractions, I didn't have to decide if I wanted an epidural or not, and I didn't deliver her with just one push. Of course all of those things do make for a good and exciting story to read but that just didn't happen with Parker or any of my pregnancies for that matter. But what did happen was beautiful and full of love and excitement and that's the story I want to share.

If you followed along with my pregnancy (updates and bumpdates) you know this pregnancy was anything but normal. We had due date changes, pregnancy induced cholestasis, and multiple (6) "delivery dates" it's pretty crazy to look back at. We find ourselves very grateful we delivered a very healthy little girl. When the morning of March 18th finally arrived I wasn't nervous about my surgery or how things  would go -could be because I've done this 3 times before- I was ready to meet the little girl I'd been dreaming about for the last 9 months. I was however, secretly nervous about her health, was she ready, would she be ok, need NICU time, have any issues from my condition?? From 30 weeks until two days before her Birthday she and I were monitored twice a week and each time my doctor said she was perfect. To say I put all of my trust in this doctor is a complete understatement. There's a whole other story that goes with my doctor but for the sake of this birth story let me just say my doctor was and still is like family to me and my husband. 

That morning we kissed our four other daughters good-bye and left our house for the last time as a family of six. Driving to the hospital Parker was moving and flipping in my belly as if to say she was ready... never mind the intense contractions I had been having since early that morning. We arrived at the hospital and made our way to labor and delivery as soon as we got there I saw my doctor and breathed a sigh of relief. We got checked in and prepped, I love the hospital we have delivered at (our twins also) we have had great experiences. After what seemed like forever my doctor came in and we discussed the process and what I wanted. It was so very important to me to have skin to skin with Parker, I have never been able to do this with any of my girls and with her being the last I really wanted this experience. Finally, it was time to go, I hate the moment I have to say good-bye to my husband everything gets very real at that point. And that is when I got nervous and a bit scared. I haven't always had the best experience with spinals and it sucks to not have the one person you need in that operating room with you. The anesthesiologist assured me the problems from he past wouldn't be an issue and she was going to make sure all was well. The moment after the put the spinal in and you feel that familiar warmth it's time to move (when you really can't). Laying there waiting for my husband seemed like forever the only thing putting my mind at ease was knowing that my doctor was in the room and I was about to see my fifth and final daughter for the first time. Finally, my husband came in and my nerves settled a bit and they started.

It's a funny thing having surgery to bring a life into the world, you aren't in control you have to give everything over to your doctor and just wait. The sensations and pressure I felt during the procedure made me feel as though this little girl wasn't wanting to come out... possibly even stuck! Even though it really only takes about 10 minutes from the time surgery starts until the baby is born it seems like forever I kept looking at my husband (must be with a look of concern on my face, because he kept asking me if i was ok) trying to concentrate on the music they had playing. You may or may not know that I am a huge fan of Maroon Five... well one of their songs was playing and I asked my doctors if they could make sure she was born during the song. While they laughed at my request they made it a reality and my sweet Parker was born.  I immediately began to cry I couldn't believe she was here and she looked so perfect. I waited for them to bring her to me for skin to skin, I was so excited to be able to experience this for the first and last time. They helped her onto my chest and I was in heaven, it was so much more than I imagined. I started to feel a little off and my chest was hurting so I asked my husband to take her. Watching him with our last little girl was the sweetest. Every daughter's birth has felt like the first each time and that feeling is just something that will never be replicated.  My husband took Parker to be looked at and weighed; I heard him say she was 7 pounds 7 ounces and 19 inches and I was so happy that she would be able to wear all the newborn things I had for her (not a big deal I know... but she was estimated to be well over 8 pounds!!). While the finished up my surgery my husband held Parker near me and we just stared at her guessing who we thought she looked like. I was very uncomfortable and started to panic a bit just wishing for it to be over. And finally it was; we were on our way to recovery with Parker. This was huge because the twins had to go to the NICU and I didn't get to see them for several hours after they were born.

After a bit in recover our good friend brought Kendal and Maddy in to see their new little sister and they were completely in love. They couldn't wait to hold her and love on her. It warmed my mama heart to see them so happy even with baby number 5.

After about an hour in recovery I was taken to our mother baby room for the rest of our stay. We just cuddled on and loved on little Parker for the next few hours. My heart was full of so much love and had grown yet again for another little person. We worked on nusring and Parker did amazing right from the start. Soon it was time for the twins and the rest of our Florida Family to meet Parker for the first time. I couldn't wait for the twins to see her and I was missing them already. When the girls came in the room they climbed right up on the bed with me and asked for Parker. Daddy handed her over and their faces said a thousand words. They were full of kisses and love for their new sister. They kept requesting to "hold Parker". Having them near (all of my girls near) on the day we brought our last child into the world was one of the happiest times of my life.

We spent the next few days in the hospital recovering and getting to know our newest daughter. Visits from friends and family kept us just busy enough to not go stir crazy. The day to come home seemed to come very quickly and we were ready to start our new adventure as a family of 7.. that means we have FIVE kids! Parker is now nearly four weeks old and it hardly seems possible, every Friday I am reliving her birth day over in my head. I never want to forget the excitement of that day for as long as I live... much the way I feel about all of my girls' birth days.

I have many feelings about our last child ... I'm sure there will be a post on that soon. But for now we are enjoying every single thing about this little one. Holding her close and remembering this newborn phase only lasts a while, it's a hard pill to swallow knowing she will grow quickly but we know many new adventures await this sweet little one and our family.

So here's to Parker... we love you more than you will ever know.. welcome to world baby girl.