Farewell dear family member

We sold Toby today. It's a bitter sweet thing. Yes! No more moody bird...but we did have him over a year....so he was like family. I will miss our little chats in the afternoon....we would whistle back and forth. I think Dan found him a good home and we now have the other bird he HAD to have half paid for. YAY for that!

Busy having fun.

My parents got in on the 10th...we have been very busy with school, Isabella, swim, Dan going back to work and just life in general. My girls have been super excited having their grandparents here. They rode home with friends from school so I could pick my parents up from the train station and I will never forget the yells from across the street of, "GRANDMA!!!" It was a super cute reunion, the one with a longing my girls had in their voices....it had been 15 months since they had seen their grandparents. My girls have missed their Grandma Nancy and Grandpa Gary. We all are so excited for their visit. Here are some of the things we've been up to.

Constant photo shoots
Staying awake a little bit longer every day.
Making silly faces because my mom puts this ridiculous beanie on me.
Going to school.
My mom, dad, Isabella and I went to Ely Cathedral
Loving my Isabella...she kind of likes me
Cuddling with Hannah
Cuddling with Madison
Punching Grandpa
Going to Cambridge

Climbing on Grandpa

Napping with Grandpa

Cuddles with Grandma Tea parties

Chatting with Grandpa

Just having loads of fun with Grandma and Grandpa...I think my kids missed them....just a little bit.

Growing up. Isabella went in for her 2 week check up last Friday and then weighed at 8 lbs, almost 1 oz. She is now 20 3/4 inches long and a head circumference of 15...the smallest of my kids. She was only on the 84% on the growth chart for head circumference. Weight was around 44% and height 60%. The smallest baby we've had. She is slowly changing her schedule around, lifting her head to see what's going on, very alert when she is awake and wants to know what's going on. She loves it when her sisters talk to her, as well as anybody who talks to her. She hardly cries but when she does, boy is she upset and will let you know. It's the cry that is so intense she gets quiet since she's out of breath to sustain a loud cry any longer. She is grabbing things, loves to hold on to things and just the cutest baby girl out there.

Time...what's that???

So I have been trying to keep the family updated on the girls and of course Isabella...but it's been hard. By the time I have computer time, I'm ready to go to sleep since I have a little angel who likes to wake up every three hours...except from like 1-3 when she's wide awake...we're still working on the time thing...and so my life has been consisted of feeding Isabella, changing Isabella, putting Isabella to sleep, pumping, taking kids to school and then all the every day things in life that I can now do again since I'm no longer gimpy. I cannot stand sitting around the house all day, so I break rules and clean and drive...I'm such a rebel....and feel so much better to be out in the real world.

I took some pictures of the girls with their uniforms but I need to retake some....but oh well...I'm going to put one of them up even though the girls don't look so good....(Hannah kind of has a wicked face...and I don't mean the "English" meaning of wicked.

Madison started school last Thursday and LOVES it. Hannah started on Tuesday and LOVES it. I am so extremely happy I moved the girls to the small village school. The girls love their teachers. It's going to be great having them there for the next two years.

Isabella is plumping up. She thinks she's starving all the time and Dan feeds her...I think he over feeds her. Her face and cheeks are getting rounder but he little body is growing longer but not fatter. She still has her chicken legs and arms. She is holding up her head, and she SMILED at me yesterday. Dan says it was gas, but I know she was smiling at me...she didn't toot when she was smiling and that's what happens when she poops. She goes through diapers like crazy...this kid is the "pooping master" as we like to call her. She now doesn't mind being changed as well as her morning baths. We have a new schedule and I give her a bath at 6 am...she's awake by then and then it settles her to take her morning nap since usually she is exhausted from being up for 3 hours in the middle of the night. She grabs my face....still loves to lay on my chest and likes to be cuddled and sang to sleep. She's so adorable...we can't stop giving her kisses. She also still snorts and grunts like crazy....especially when she's hungry...she goes crazy with the grunting as well as the head turning in all directions looking for food. Tomorrow she has her first doctor appointment....hopefully no shots. She is no longer yellow...her mild case of jaundice has vanished...and every day she's starting to not sleep nearly as much...although if you ask Hannah or Madison..."All she does is sleep!"

Dan has to go back to work tomorrow night...sad. My parents are coming today and we are super excited!!! Time to pump....story of my life.

Our new toy

So we caved and finally bought Guitar Hero. Hannah was absolutely hilarious playing...here are her moves minus the moving part since I didn't record it. She was rocking out to "ex-girlfriend."

And here of course is Bella...she's 1 week old now...this week has flown by. She tends to sleep like this.

Isabella's entry into the world

I have procrastinated long enough....I feel like I'll be typing a whole bunch so I've been putting of Isabella's birth story. So here goes....

Firday morning, Dan and I woke up at 6 am....I was up every hour that night...I mean I was having a baby in the morning how could I sleep?! We dropped off Madison and Hannah at our friends/neighbors at 7:45 and took off for the hospital. Of course Dan couldn't let us just go without me wiggin out about something so he asked if we could just stop by the base so he could get a latte....he was kidding but he knew I would respond with, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME???!!! NO!!!"

So we got there and they expected me and had me in the room right away with the midwife taking my BP and all that stuff, listening to the baby and she told us we were the only surgery that day so we should be in the "theater" that's what they call the OR here, around 9:30 am. So we waited for the doctors to come in, they did around 9, checked to see how the baby was lying and I got dressed, the midwife came in and Dan and I walked down to the OR. So crazy I walked but I kind of liked it.

I got my spinal and catheter in, we waited not very long for the doctor to come in and it was just minutes before they were cutting away. I have to mention that they use this tiny bar and use pretty much my gown and the sterile cloth they put on me to use as a screen so I can't see what's going on. Dan on the other hand was sitting right next to me holding my hand and basically if he just looked he could see everything. He had to turn his chair around kind of towards the opposite side so he wouldn't see it from the corner of his eye. Isabella came out at 10:24 am and everyone in there was like, whoa, that's a big baby. Turns out she only was 7lbs 14 ozs, but she looked much bigger than that. The midwife cleaned her up a bit (they leave the vermix on the babies so it can absorb in their skin) and Dan held her and I was able to look while they sewed me back up. It took a little while, 2 previous surgeries equals quite a bit of scar tissue and they wanted to get it all out. Dan elected to stay with me while the midwife took the baby and did the other vitals on her and then he went with her to check in on Isabella and they rolled me back into the recovery room where Dan, Isabella and I rested.

They moved me into the the Lilac ward and Isabella and I waited for Dan and the girls to come back. Madison and Hannah were a little freaked out by me being in bed drugged up but they were excited to meet their new sister. They were also worried about the IV I had in my arm and fascinated by the catheter bag...I know....ewwww! It was like, "Mum, you have a lot of pee in there!" Nice....

As far as the hospital experience, I have to say the staff was super nice and helpful. I didn't like being in bed for 24 hours but oh well. I did not like the fact I shared the room with 4 other women. We all had c-sections and I must say, oh my gosh there are some whinny people out there. Three of the ladies were complaining about the pain all the time and crying. It was a little ridiculous. I'm thinking...I just went through the thing you went through and seriously stop being a baby. Then there was a woman who was Indian or something and she was always crying and calling in the nurses for absurd reasons (ie, her baby pooped) and her husband would stay past visiting hours, they would talk oh so loud in their language....after he would leave around 11 pm, she would be on her cell which is prohibited, and after she was done with that around 1 am, she would be singing oh so loudly to the baby or talking to her. It was so annoying I was going crazy since I wanted to sleep. The baby next to me just cried pretty much the whole time and so Saturday evening I was very happy to see them both gone. I would say I slept better that night but that was the night Isabella was up every hour. Fun times!

Sunday morning I asked if I could just get discharged. I was done being there and ready to come home. They said yes since I was doing great and we were all done by 12:30 in the afternoon except for the pediatric doctor. After waiting and anticipating for 1:00 pm since that's when they said I could go home, no doctor showed up so I ended up waiting until 5:00. I was going crazy there. I was suppose to be home 4 hours ago. It was kind of weird since I'm use to a nurse bringing in a wheel chair, but no wheel chair and I told Dan not to bother...so Dan, Isabella and I walked out of the hospital, picked up the girls from Ryann's house and headed home. So nice to be home and not hear people's complaining! I was an emotional wreck by the time we got home. I was hungry, tired and was full of anxiety from the wait...poor Dan, good thing he loves me!

I tried breast feeding, Isabella was doing pretty well the second day but seriously, I much rather pump and be done. I feel I don't need to bond with my baby by letter her suck on my boob. It's way too painful and way too time consuming. All I have to say, like I have said since the first baby and trying to breast feed....the pictures of women breast feeding their babies LIE! Who seriously is all smiles the first time (and even times after that) their baby latches? It should be a realistic picture...a woman cringing and all tense....trying to remember to breathe. So luckily I got my awesome pump and three others who like to feed Isabella a bottle. Yes, there are benefits of breast feeding...I know...I have been lectured by midwives and nurses....but I think my girls have turned out alright and smart and healthy so that's the way I do things. Not all breast fed babies turn out healthy and smart....I know plenty of people that are not so quick....and I'm sure some of them were even breast fed ;)

So now we have a happy home of 5 (6 if we count Toby) and enjoying life. Isabella has been a blessing. She makes us all smile and we all love her to death. Like Madison says, "It's so nice to give her a cuddle, but it makes me a little bit tired." She's so cuddly and relaxed, it's hard not to be relaxed yourself. There is hardly a time she is alone....unless she's sleeping. She loves eating....not so much her diaper being changed. That is so weird to me since my other girls would freak out if they had a drop in their diaper and wanted to be changed immediately. I think Isabella would prefer to stay in her soiled diaper all day. She's a night owl...she tends to be wide awake from 1 - 4 am....but she's just so darn cute I don't mind staying up with her. In a way I'm glad she kept me up all those nights while I was still pregnant...she was prepping me for these times. I can't believe how fast these 6 days have gone. I wish I could just keep her little. It's been so fun with Madison and Hannah being a little bit older. They understand whereas Madison hated Hannah since she was still a baby herself. They are my big helpers like I've said before and willing to help all the time....as long as it's involving Isabella....if it's not they are not so willing. I look at my life right now and think....wow....I'm so lucky and blessed.

3 out of 4 of my favorite things....

Well more like people....Dan is the other one obviously.

Our new favorite thing to do...

She loves being on my chest...this afternoon she still looked pretty comfy on Dan's. Dan now has a reading buddy.

Can you tell?

I would say they look like sisters....

Madison

MadisonHannah
Hannah

Isabella

Isabella

Sisters

Today we let neighbors see Isabella....(see not touch) and we decided we would venture out on a short walk which ended up being quite short since Isabella was STARVING and had to head back home. As we were walking though the neighborhood kids all said how much she looked like Madison and Hannah.....Madison was holding one hand on the stroller with me and she would look at Isabella, smile and say, "Yeah, she does look like me." Madison loves her baby sister...it's beyond cute how happy she gets showing her off to her friends and the fact that since we've been home she comes up to me, tells me she's washed her hands and ready to hold Isabella. It's also too cute how Isabella responds to Madison and Hannah....just before dinner the girls were talking to her in her swing and it was adorable to watch little Isabella's head go from side to side to see her big sisters. I now can't imagine my life without my three little angels (most of the time they are). Crazy how things change....I was so happy with my two, and now just feel our house is even more complete with Isabella....yes, I gave all my stuff away.....but YAY this way I got all new stuff for the baby.

And here's a picture with her eyes opened....we were having a pretty intense conversation this evening while she was propped in her Boppy. She cracks me up with all her little facial expressions. Only 3 days old and such a character.