Suck it up

I have so much to blog about, but the only time I can really blog is when both girls are asleep, which does happen, but when it does, I'm likely to be asleep too!

We've survived another week.

Hannah is a very noisy sleeper. It took me awhile to figure out she's not choking or drowning in snot, she is just very loud. So now I can tune it out until I hear her really asking to eat. I still don't get why she isn't a noisy sleeper during the day, or why she'll sleep 4 hour stretches during the day and only 3 at night, but overall she's pretty good so I can't complain.

She's also a sucker. I fought giving her a pacifier but the poor girl just wants something to suck on. So I caved. I hate it. But she loves it. To me, it's just one more thing to remember to take, and one more thing to lose. And they cover up cute faces and hide sweet smiles. Oh well.

I took the girls shopping Friday by myself and they did great. I had a fleeting moment where I thought to myself that I might actually be getting the hang of things.

Even though I'm dog tired all the time, I'm really trying to enjoy this time. I remember how fast it went with Summer, and I know one day I'll wish she was teeny tiny again. This stage doesn't last forever, and I know one day I'll get to sleep again, so I'm trying to just love every minute.

Summer's been great, too. She's learning sooo much everyday. New words all the time. Some I don't know where the heck she learned them. I was nursing Hannah on the couch and Summer points to my chests and exclaims "BOOB!" Where in the world did she learn that word? I have no idea. Actually, I have a guess, and his name starts with "D" and ends in "errick".

She's been pretty funny lately as well. At Comet Cafe last weekend she pulled this little stunt:


She never ceases to entertain us!

I'll try and be a better blogger. Part of my problem is my Live Writer isn't working, so I have to go to blogger and blog, which is such a hassle now that I'm used to using Live Writer!

2 weeks

Yesterday Hannah hit her 2 week mark. We had her appointment on Monday and she is doing great.

Weight: 6 lb 14.5 oz, 13%
Length: 19", 9%

At this point, she is 1 oz smaller and 1/2" shorter than Summer was at 2 weeks. So...pretty much the same. Teeny tiny. Newborn clothes are still gigantic on her

They both have about the same temperament--chill. Hannah spits up some while Summer never did, so I have to get used to toting a burp cloth around.

She is very alert and will just sit quietly and look around.

She squeaks when she cries, so now Grandma and Grandpa call her Squeakers. It's a cute little squeak.

She went to church for the first time on Sunday and did great. Here she is in her little dress!


This is pretty much how we spend our days...cuddling as much as possible!!

Aaaaalll byyyyy myyyyseeeeeelf....don't wanna be.....

My parents left yesterday morning. Derrick went to work. I was left alone with two children, all by myself. Did I cry? Absolutely. Did I survive? Yes.

Yesterday was better than today, though. Hannah was up a lot last night with a congested little nose and sounded like she was drowning all night, despite my best attempts with the bulb syringe. So today I am a zombie, SO exhausted, wanting only a nap. And of course neither of my children would nap at the same time so I could too. Figures. Did I cry? Absolutely. More than once. Did I survive? So far, yes.

Derrick starts school again tonite, which means he won't be home until 8:30. Tuesday and Wednesday. Those are going to be some long days, I can already tell.

I have been praying for patience harder than I ever have before. It's the first thing to go when I'm tired, yet the first thing I need. Funny how it works that way.

I can't believe it's been 2 weeks already. I'm really so in love with this tiny little baby. She is so sweet and I love just holding her and snuggling her. My friend Kara took newborn shots of her last week and I can't wait to see how they turned out. They change so fast...I wish they would stay tiny forever.

We had a good time with my parents while they were here. They definitely spoiled Summer, but spoiled us as well! I think I only changed Summer's diaper a handful of times, I was never up with her in the morning or fed her breakfast, and she went on lots of little trips and was fed lots of treats. We were also lucky to have my dad cross off all the items on my list of things to do around the house. He's a workhorse and knows how to do just about anything.


They also bought us a deep freezer, which I'm so excited for! Now I can stock up on good deals and have some frozen food storage. And bags of Sonic ice. :)

We checked out Irish Fest, went to Comet Cafe, went on lots of walks and played games. It was a great visit, and Summer is still asking where they went. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa! See you next month!

Ebony and Ivory

You all know how much I love music. And I'm pretty sure I've mentioned on here before how I'm most definitely pro-instrumentals and not so pro with the vocals. I'd much rather go to a band concert than a choir concert any day of the week. And even better than a band concert is a piano performance. I used to go to the Senior Recitals at BYU just to listen to some amazing piano performances. I didn't even know the people.

In my opinion there is nothing sexier than a dude who plays the piano. Ladies, am I right?

There is something so beautiful to me about piano music, and it never ceases to move me, often to tears.

And that's why I'm ecstatic about another new addition to our home:


My parents brought us this piano!! My dad hauled it in the back of his pickup all the way from Texas! It's an old church piano, and I love, love, love it! I've always wanted a piano in our home, and I've searched on Craigslist but that's sometimes sketchy and then getting it home is another issue. It's a Kawai and it sounds pretty great for not having been tuned in forever.

I took a couple of semesters of piano at BYU and I would love to learn again. Like, really learn, not just plunk around it. I guess I just need to practice more. I would love to be able to play beautiful concertos. I've always wanted that talent. You better believe my girls will be taking piano lessons as soon as their little fingers are able!

It's been one week since you looked at me...

What a week! This little baby is so so sweet. We just love her to bits. It was weird...with Summer, I loved her because I knew I should but it did take me a little bit to really really love her. I must have learned how to love with her because with Hannah, I loved her instantly, and realized my love for Summer grew at the same time.

In fact, coming home from the hospital was really hard for me. Before we even left the hospital parking lot I was crying. And then when I saw Summer at home I cried even more. For awhile, I couldn't even look at Summer without breaking down into tears. When I left she was my little girl, my baby. And now she had somehow grown up and become the big sister. I felt guilty for some reason, like I had replaced her. I guess I wasn't ready for her to grow up yet, even though I knew this day was coming. Nobody ever told me I was going to feel like this! I was super emotional for like 2 days, and then I had a huge huge cry, and then I felt better!

Now I just love my girls. Summer is so sweet with Hannah, and always asks to see her and kiss her. We're still working on being soft and gentle, especially since Summer just loves to point out all of Hannah's body parts, especially her eyes.

POKE!

But so far Summer seems to like her and wants to share everything with her, including her milk. We walked in on this the other day:

Hannah has been a great baby so far. At her weight check yesterday she gained 11 oz since Thursday, taking her to a whopping 6 lb 8 oz. She sleeps like a champ, and obviously eats like one, too. During the night she wakes up and eats and then goes right back to sleep, just like her sister did. And for that, I am so grateful.


Here's hoping for another great week!

Fair Food, take 2

Our friend Mark went to the fair Friday night and being the most awesome nicest person that he is, bought us a Krispy Kreme cheeseburger AND a deep friend PB&J and met Derrick for a little drug-deal type rendevoux in the rain.

They needed a little reheat in the microwave, but they were still everything I hoped they would be. The cheeseburger would have been alright if the meat wasn't just a tasteless patty. The donut was actually pretty good, and it had the whole sweet/salty thing going on.


The PB&J did not disappoint, and was delicious and gooey and crispy and just heavenly. I'm trying to figure out if they dip it in some kind of batter or if the bread just crisps up on its own when deep fried. I'm thinking a box of Uncrustables and my deep fryer need to be fast friends.

I can now rest happily knowing I experienced everything I hoped to at the fair this year. I'll go to sleep a little sad tonight knowing it's the last day of the fair, and that I have to wait a whole year before we get to go again.

It's probably a good thing it's only a once a year event...otherwise I might be 400 pounds!

Thanks Mark!!!

Introducing....

Hannah Karen Callister!!!

She arrived Tuesday, August 10th at 4:18 am. She weighed in at a whopping 6 lb 5 oz and is 18.5” long.

Do you want to know how it all went down? I’m sure you’re all dying to know.

Monday, August 9th:

Derrick and I celebrate our 7 year anniversary! Woo!

3:30 am—Big thunderstorms wake me up. I start having contractions about 6-7 minutes apart for 4 hours. I can’t sleep. I kind of start to freak out because I need to pick up my mom from the airport at 11 am.

7:30 am—Contractions die down.

11:00 am—Pick up mom from airport. Get lunch, go home. Have random contractions, but nothing regular.

2:15 pm—Doctor’s appointment. I’m dilated to 1 cm, but no other progress. Still planning on being induced on Friday the 13th. Still having random contractions.

6:00 pm—Derrick and I decide to go to dinner for our anniversary and leave Summer in Grandma’s hands. We eat at PF Chang’s (yum!). I have painful contractions throughout dinner, but nothing regular. Just enough for me to stop eating my Mongolian Beef and Great Wall of Chocolate for a few minutes.

7:00 pm—We go to Kohl’s and Target to look for a doll for Summer as a gift from the baby. People start to stare at me as I stop and have contractions in the parking lot.

8:00 pm—Come home and watch Bachelor Pad. Talk about scandals. Gonna be a great show! I am having painful contractions every 10 minutes. But they’re not as painful as watching how crazy Michelle is on TV. What a nutjob.

10:00 pm—Head to bed. I have a feeling I might not make it through the night so I finish packing for the hospital and go to sleep. I’m still contracting every 10 minutes but manage to doze in between them.

Tuesday, August 10

12:05 am—Start having more painful contractions every 3-5 minutes. I lay in bed and try to breathe through them without waking up Derrick. I impatiently wait for that magic 1 hour mark of close contractions before I can call the doctor’s office and see if I get to go to the hospital.

12:50 am—I tap Derrick and say, “I think it’s time to go!” He says, “Time to go where??” “TO THE HOSPITAL!!!”

12:51 am—He calls the office. They call a nurse. The nurse calls us back. The nurse then calls my doctor and then calls us back and says to head to the hospital. I pray we don’t get sent home.

1:15 am—Arrive at the hospital and get checked in. I’m dilated to 5 cm! Hooray! I get to stay!

2:10 am—They break my water, hoping to speed things up a bit. I continue to labor.

3:00 am—My nurse checks me and announces, “It’s time to push! I’ll go get the doctor!” I’m ecstatic. Mostly because I’m still feeling pretty good at this point. Like, really good. They get me into the stirrups and get all the equipment out and my doctor comes in and checks me and is like, “Uhhhhh…she’s only a SIX!”

ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME???? I wanted to cry. No wonder I still felt so good. I hadn’t even hit transition yet! So they put the table back together and I continue to labor. Apparently the head was sooo low it was all you could feel and see and if you didn’t check closely enough you thought the cervix was all the way dilated, but it really wasn’t. We breed tiny kids with tiny heads, whose heads fill up my pelvis and sit really low but don’t put enough pressure on my cervix to dilate it. Stinkers.

My doctor knows I want this over with so she puts me on a little Pitocin, which definitely speeds up the frequency and intensity of my contractions. I start groaning like a zoo animal (says Derrick) and start wondering if my plan for no pain medication is really worth it. (It was.)

4:00 am—My doctor comes and checks me and I’m only a 7. I start to get discouraged until she says I can push. Sweet! She helps my poor little cervix along and after 3 contractions worth of pushing….

4:18 am—Hannah is born! She came out crying and I got to hold her right away and admire her head full of dark hair. I love me some babies with hair! I started bleeding a lot so I got worked on while Hannah got cleaned up and Derrick snapped pictures like a champ.

She’s been such a sweet little girl and is such a snuggler, I love it. We came home yesterday, a mere 36 hours after delivery. I am feeling much better than I was after Summer’s birth. Guess once things have been through the wringer already there’s not much more stretching that can happen. :)

It’s crazy to think that we are now a family of four. I’ve been pretty emotional lately, but that, my friends, is its own post entirely. These darn hormones!

State Fair Fun!

It’s one of my most favorite days of the entire year….the day we go to the State Fair!! I seriously look forward to it for months and months. And it never fails to disappoint! Derrick took the day off on Friday and we spent a healthy 7.5 hours there!

We started the day off with a ham and cheese omelet and flavored milks: chocolate, strawberry, and root beer.

Apparently there are no child labor laws during the fair.

Summer thoroughly enjoyed the milks, a welcome deviation from her usual boring white.

Dad took Summer down the Giant Slide, which I don’t think she really enjoyed until it was over.

We also had roasted corn, a fair staple.

Next up: foods on sticks. First, a deep fried philly cheesesteak on a stick. Yes, you read that right. It was actually pretty good.

Washed down with a deep friend Snickers on a stick. Deeelish.

Of course, the main reason I get so excited about the fair is the cream puffs!! Derrick is not a huge fan, which means I get most of it all to myself.

I think that may be changing…..uh oh……

And quite possibly the highlight of my day…..

No, your eyes do not deceive you! That is indeed a CREAM PUFF MASCOT!!! You better believe I just about jumped out of my seat and ran over to get a picture. Derrick asked if I wanted Summer in the picture. Oh yeah. Sure. She was scared! Whose child is this????

Another highlight was that Mark Marrone was doing a presentation on birds and petkeeping. Yes, I hate pets. But do you KNOW who Mark Marrone is??? He’s Martha Stewart’s petkeeper!!! I figured this might be the closest I ever get to Martha herself.

Now, we had been rationing ourselves all day for the hot new fair food this year: a Krispy Kreme cheeseburger. No bun, but a Krispy Kreme donut instead. Optional chocolate covered bacon. The same place also sells deep friend PB&J sandwiches, which we had last year and loved. So we head over to the place that sells them and….CLOSED!!! What??? Apparently they had machine failures or something and were temporarily closed. We kept checking back but no luck. I was SO bummed! It’s probably a blessing in disguise, but still, I really wanted to try it. And I’ve been craving that PB&J, too. So sad. Instead, we appeased ourselves with a classic Wisconsin grilled cheese sandwich.

We played some Bingo (didn’t win anything) and checked out all the latest gadgets and junk for sale. I drooled over my Vitamix for awhile, but once again walked out empty handed. One day…..

Summer liked seeing most of the animals, preferring the small bunnies and chickens over the cows and horses. She told me she didn’t really care for the KKK sheep either. Can’t say I blame her.  

She did great all day, was pumped full of snacks and junk, and crashed on the way to the car, then slept the whole way home and another 2 hours in her crib. What a champion fair-goer. Guess I’ll keep this kid, even if she does think it’s funny to slap me in the face lately.              

I was hoping all that walking around would put me into labor, but no suck luck yet. The end is in sight, though! I’m being induced on Friday!  A week early! Bless my OB. My mom flies in tomorrow so we’re all set! Let’s get this party started!

Because every nursing mother has abs like this:

Yeah, right. Nice try, nursing bra people.