I'm gonna miss this place!

Going home today.  Physically I feel ready.  Feeling about 100x better than Wed.  Pain wise I am doing much better.  My incision still hurts (of course) that is to be expected, but it is much better.  The cramping with nursing, which feels like contractions!!!! is also MUCH better.  Ibuprofen and Tyl. #3 will be my friend for a while.  But...I am nervous.  Not for the daytime so much as night.  Ugh.  I remember some pretty rough nights at first with Allison.  Hoping the fact that we have some experience now will help, but there really isn't a lot you can do those first few weeks.  (Can't let them cry-it-out yet - at least I don't think so).  And I am just trying to remember what we did with Allison, but hopefully it will all go smoothly.  Also a little nervous for Allison.  I know when we get home it is going to be hard for her that I am not able to lift her and will have to be feeding the baby and stuff.  But she has done really well so far, so hopefully that continues.  She is a very proud big sister and loves Kara!  She just beams when she holds her, so cute!

I am also going to miss my co-workers.  I really am blessed to work with some amazing ladies.  They are so kind and thoughtful.  They are my adult outlet, work isn't just work but a social activity for me (as I think it is for most women).  I remember being home with Allison and longing for some adult interaction.  Luckily this time Holli will be on maternity leave shortly, so hopefully we can hang out!!!  A reminder that I could never be a stay at home mom or daycare provider!!  Bless them, but it is not for me!  I do wish I could work less, but that is a whole other post!!!  Anyway, I am excited to go home, but it is wierd to think I will not be back at least to work for 3 months!!  But it will fly by! 

Now hoping later to post some pics on here of Kara, also I am hoping to post a pic of Allie as a baby and Kara side by side.  I think they look exactly alike!!

Announcing Kara Marie!

So, I am a little behind updating this...what else is new!  Most (if not all) of you have probably already seen this on FB, but here is a little more detailed description of events.  Kara Marie was born Tuesday, May 24 (as scheduled) by repeat c-section.  She was born at 8:18 a.m.  She weighed in at 6lbs and 11oz (I truly thought she weighed 7 1/2 lbs!! - Darn that means I have more work to do!) and was 20 1/2 inches long.  Long and thin...shocking, isn't it?!  We are all doing good and planning to go home tomorrow morning.  Probably could have gone home today, but decided to stay the full length of time and take advantage of the wonderful nurse's help around here one more night before we are on our own! 

Allison Loves, loves, loves her baby sister.  She could NOT wait to hold her and constantly asks.  She is definitely going to be a lot of "help"...I am sure I will turn around and find her "carying" her sister around under her arms soon!!  Kara will be tough!  Allie took pictures of her new sister to daycare with her today.  Rhonda said she was very proud. 

And I just tried to add some pics and for whatever reason it won't work tonight and I don't have the patience to keep trying.  Hopefully sometime tomorrow when we are at home. 

Making a list (or rather LISTS) and checking (THEM) Twice!

With one week to go, I am definitely feeling that "nesting" urge.  If you can call it that when you know you have a deadline approaching!  I have been making lists of things I need to do, buy, or pack before next Tues.  Today I had to add wash and vacuum car to my list.  I don't know why but I want everything to be perfect, perfectly clean, perfectly prepared, etc.  I want to make carmel rolls for girls at work Tues. morning.  I want to get a pedicure on Sat.  I know everything won't be perfect.  Chances are the house won't be perfectly clean.  I might go into labor before my pedicure...  And I know everything will work out fine.  With Allison I didn't even have a bag packed and even though we didn't already have a kid at home, the house was still kind of a mess.  I had had a shower on the Sat. before then was working Mon., and supposed to work Tues. and Wed.  My plan with her was to put away the shower gifts and do Thank You's on Thur. and Fri...  She had other plans for me.  And it all went fine.  (With an extra big Thank You to my mom!!)  I guess what I am trying to say is I am feeling the crunch!!!  Work today and Thur. and then I am done!!!  So, plan is to get as much done around here on Wed and through the weekend as I can.  Allison is going to daycare on Mon. so I can do any last minute errands and mostly my plan for Mon. is to CLEAN!  It is hard to clean with a 2 year old at home!!  She is gong to be a GREAT big sister though!

P.S.  Side note... On Wed. I also have to take Allison to an ENT appt.  It was recommended by her pediatrician after her last ear infection (just a month or so ago) that we see ENT again.  Her left ear still has the tube in there, but not in the right place.  Well, wouldn't you know, she has a stuffy nose again (no other symptoms) which in the past has led to ear infections both prior to her tubes being placed and since they have fallen out.  So we will see what Dr. Pesola has to say.  IF she has another ear infection I am pretty sure we will be doing tubes sooner than later.  Just one more thing to add onto my week!

Lions and Tigers and Bears...Oh, My!

No lions, but there were tigers and bears!!  I have been wanting to take Allison to the zoo for quite some time, it just doesn't seem right that she is 2 1/2 and hasn't been to the zoo at all!!  And she LOVES animals!  I knew she would have so much fun.  Well, when we decided to try potty training one last time I decided that going to the zoo would be her reward if she did it.  And she did!  So we had to fulfull our end of the deal and take her to the zoo - and I wanted to do it before we had a newborn baby in the family!!  Anyway, we took Miss Allison last Mon. and even though the weather was dreary and cool (what else is new this spring?!) it didn't rain on us while we were there and we had a blast! 

She really liked watching the monkeys, but her favorite part seemed to be playing in the water in the "shark/eel" tank.  Where you were supposed to be able to reach in and touch these little sharks and eels, but she couldn't quite reach them.  Also was mad when we left the play ground area...go figure!  I love this little monkey soooo much!!!!

Missed and missed again.

Apologies for missing my last 2 Tuesday posts (well I guess technically it is still Tuesday, but this is a weak attempt at a post)!!  So much to blog about, not enough time!!  Last Tues. was Jesses's 31 birthday.  Today I went to St. Cloud, got my "final" haircut before baby and did some shopping.  Well, probably too much shopping.  It is somewhat of a curse knowing what I am having.  Even though we have a ton of clothes from when Allie was little, it is soo much fun to get new baby clothes!  And stuff for Allison!  Anyway, I need to get to bed tonight.  I have to work in the a.m. and don't know how much sleep I will get.  It is very warm in our house - upstairs.  Downstairs is nice and cool, but I never sleep as good when I am not in my bed.  But I think tonight downstairs is a better option.  My feet/legs are VERY swollen!!!  I never experienced this with Allison.  And I was pregnant with her ALL summer!!  So, I guess I am thankful this hot (and especially HUMID) weather is only supposed to last a day or 2.  By Friday the highs are back down to 50's!!!  Jeez, only in MN!!  Anyway, I am going to do my best to sleep.  Have a good night.  I have so much to blog about, I just need to find time to do it.  That "nesting" thing is kicking in!!

What's on my mind??

Hmmm, I wonder what I have been thinking about a lot lately??  Could it be the upcoming birth of our baby?!  I even dreamt about it last night.  In my dream I had the baby at home but the worst part was I was so mad that they wouldn't let me in the hospital with my baby then.  I was upset about that because I was like "you mean I have to take care of this baby by myself right away and cook!"  Ha!  Kind of ridiculous.  I got out Allison's old clothes yesterday and went through them.  That was kind of fun.  I also didn't realize how much stuff had spit up stains on it!  She was SUCH a pukey baby!  Hoping this one doesn't have that problem. 

You can also probably tell by all my posts on this topic what is on my mind a lot!!  Sorry if you are getting sick of it!  Also apologies for the lack of "picture posts".  Will try to do some later.  Hope you have a good weekend and Happy May!  Hopefully the weather starts acting more like May soon!!!