a lotta love

to my girls

I love quiet moments like this at the end of a long day when everyone is content and getting along.^^

To my girls:

Mama loves you...do you know that?  I ask them this question at least 12 times a day.  I just need them to know that even when I can get crazy, busy, loud, and impatient I LOVE these baby girls.  I call Gwinna my baby and she corrects me: 

"I'm a big girl not a baby."  

"You will always be MY baby though!"

STAY my babies!!!!!!!!!!

Christmas 2015

 

Noelle turns 2!

bubble guppies cake

slide

slippers

family

sweetest girl

gifts

My favorite gifts from my husband this Christmas

ornament^

this lovely jar ^

these babies ^^

this baby^

BEING HERE for us all for 3 weeks after Sia was born

(best one^^^)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerers stone
Unbroken
The Princess Bride
The one & only Ivan
Wonder
Life is short (no pun intended) Jennifer Arnold & Bill Klein
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
The life changing magic of tidying up
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Hollow City
Dead Boy
Library of Souls
More than the Tattooed Mormon Al Fox Carraway
My Story Elizabeth Smart
Focused Noelle Pikus Pace

So this is my list of books I read in 2015 ^^^ Michael suggested ALL except 4 of these:) My favorites are the true stories. (Elizabeth Smart's was very hard to read...ugh!) 

The birth of Sia

I woke up on December 19th with light, super easy-to-talk-through contractions that lasted all day and the next day AND the next😣 I was more than prepared by the night of the 21st when we left for the hospital .

Same basic idea as with Noelle's birth...super fast!!! 

Laying in bed around 11 I woke up (wait already awake! Totally hadn't slept well toward the end this time!) I felt them get slightly more intense yet still manageable at this point so I still doubted I needed to move BUT I had promised Michael I would tell him when things got any more intense because he wanted to be ready. 

For me there is a point when I definitely know that it's happening and I get extremely CALM and in that same instant my husband becomes so incredibly nervous and jittery:)

 I actually made myself get up and go to the bathroom because I recalled how quickly my contractions progressed when I stood the last time in this state...and of course they did get stronger.  I grabbed my boppy, backpack and purse and said to Michael (also already awake because of me-contracting past couple days) "OK I think we can go now. They are getting harder and they are real...we have time but I know you don't want her to be born in the car:)" When we got downstairs he ran back up because he needed to get ready and the contractions changed again, ever so slightly stronger and I laughed when my mother In law was trying to reassure me that everything was going to be OK. "Oh Isabel...see how calm I am? It's your son that needs the reassuring." (truthfully though I think she was trying to calm herself too). 11:40 PM when we left.

We listened to Christmas Beach Boys songs on our rainy drive to the hospital. I pointed out to Michael that Gwinna was born in a sunny spot, Noelle with snow on the ground and Sia in the rain. I guided Michael and texted Stephanie and Sophia on the way.  Michael kept getting nervous because I couldn't talk through contractions  at this point and he worried we would miss a turn. Silly man. We made it around 12:17ish.   

As soon as I was in my gown and almost done answering the annoying list of questions they have to ask Sophia and mom arrived.  At this point they told me I was at a 7 and I was wheeled into the delivery room. Soon after 

being in there I met my very white Doctor.  My mom commented that he looked more like a farmer:) I won't lie I was slightly disappointed. I promise I'm not racist (against white people) but I really hoped my black doctors might be on call.  Dorsey and Clare were my favorites throughout my pregnancy.  

Because I recalled Noelle's delivery happening so quickly I decided to really get into the pushing as I felt I needed to.  I remember hearing myself saying "oh come on!" at one point. My mom made me aware I was gritting my teeth and then told me I was amazing and such a natural. I told Lil the other day that having good cheerleaders makes a big difference.  A voice in the midst of chaos telling you you are the greatest gives a bit of extra energy to get through it!  Something that I did NOT appreciate (and actually didn't realize until the end) about my white farmer  doctor is that he cut me! He did redeem himself though when he let me reach down and pull Sia out of me the rest of the way!  

Very unique to her birth and I loved that:) 

I was able to pull my baby Sia Nie into this world at 12:58 A.M.

 December 22, 2015 (her actual due date!)

9lb 9oz big bubba!  

We have fallen in love all over again!!!!!!!