Dinosauraus

A while back, we went to one of those cook-on-the-table Japanese places. When the chef put the steak onto the grill, Josie said (really LOUDLY), "Is that Mouse Meat?" This is because of one of her favorite songs - A Wiggle and a Hiss - about a snake that hunts a mouse for meat. Needless to say, I'm glad she didn't ask if it was CAT meat. Good grief.

Things have been going pretty well around here. After week of feeling nigh unto death, the antibiotics finally kicked in on Monday and I started feeling a lot better. So much better that I have made an effort to rejoin the land of the living, ie: we went to Sam's Club yesterday AND to get Adelaide's 1 month picture taken AND to the Walking With Dinosaurs production downtown. Sam's was anxiety-causing, to say the least. We had to get 2 carts, and I had to pull both of them to the van, unload, load kids, feed baby, etc. It was hard. I know I'll get used to it, but it's hard! Then we ended up spending almost 2 1/2 hours at the portrait studio because they were understaffed, although we had an appointment, which was irritating! Adelaide did not want to cooperate with the photographer, of course, but the girls did. They cracked me up with their cheesy smiles and goofy expressions. After we were finished and were looking at the proofs, of course the baby woke up and had the sweetest smiles you ever saw. A day late and a dollar short, as my Daddy likes to say. Anyway, the pictures turned out pretty cute. I will try to post one when they come back.

The Dinosaur thing was pretty amazing. Although going downtown is somewhat nervewracking for me (I think I'm becoming a bit of an agoraphobic), the actual show was great. The dinosaurs looked SO real and the kids were fascinated. Sadie couldn't stop talking through the whole show: "What is that dinosaur doing? Where is he going? Why is he so big? What are those horns for?" and Josie just kind of sat there, mesmerized. Every once in a while she would say, "What's that one's name?" but other than that, she just watched. They thought it was really cool... I was impressed that they actually sat through a 90 minute show without jumping around and falling off the balcony.

Picking and Grinning

The other day my mom said to Sadie, "Oh, sorry, I was confused." Sadie said, "Well, that's what happens when you get old." Sheesh.

She's also taken to saying, "As a matter of fact..." and "Back in the old days..." like she knows about the old days! I don't even know much about the old days!

Josie, on the other hand, has decided that ACTUALLY is her new favorite word. She says actually this, actually that... it makes her sound much older than 2 1/2!

They were out in the yard with Grammie last week and there was a bit of an incident involving a watering can that they both wanted. It ended with Josie on the ground, Sadie on top of her... both of them yelling and screaming... Sadie grabbed the toy and ran away, laughing, the victor, and Josie threw a tantrum on the ground, hollering her woes to the sky and anyone who would listen. Then suddenly she stopped, jumped up, and ran away. She said, "Well, I was crying, but then I saw a butterfly, and I was happy."

They both went to pick strawberries with Aunt Cindy, Aunt Becky, and their cousins yesterday. They had a blast and picked LOTS of berries. Becky said Josie was the best picker of them all, and went around saying, "Hey! I need a bigger basket!"

Adelaide is doing great... she's getting cuter and cuter, and yesterday she said, "Goo." I love it when you first hear their little voices. Sadie and Josie ask at least 5 times a day each if they can hold her, and they love just looking at her and petting her little head. I, on the other hand, have had a very rough week. I ran a fever of 104 for a couple of days, with chills like I was in the North Pole, and ended up back at the doctor again (after talking to them a hundred times on the phone) and I have 3 different infections... mastitis, a UTI, and my incision site from the C-section. I'm now on high-powered antibiotics, but I feel like I've been in the middle of the 7 deadly plagues or something. Hopefully God has heard my pathetic prayers and I will feel better soon... I'm so tired of being sick and tired (I'm sure everyone else is, too! :)

Genetics

Josie got bucked off of her ROCKING horse last night. She somehow leaned a little too far back and CRASH! Right on the floor. I cracked up. So did Sadie. Josie, who was on the verge of crying, decided to laugh since we were, then proceeded to do it over and over again. Sadie, while pulling a wagonload of mulch across the driveway, failed to look up and BAM! She ran right into the back of Grandma's car. Maybe they don't look much like me, but they are definitely MY children!

Adelaide is doing really well... she's gained back almost to her birthweight, her light jaundice is pretty much vanished, and she is getting cuter every day. She's also sleeping well, usually about 5 hours at a time at night (she'd probably go for longer, but I'm waking her up for now - according to Babywise, the Baby Sleep Bible :). I'm doing fairly well... thank the Lord for mothers/grandmas! My mom was here all week last week, and Beth was here Saturday until last night. They are the best!

Ade-lady's Birthday

Where to begin? All day last Wednesday, I felt very weird... I went around hugging the girls constantly, writing them letters to read when they grow up, praying, etc. I guess I was just scared. Apprehensive would be a better word, I suppose. I couldn't sleep at ALL that night, which was just as well since we had to be up at 5:00am on Thursday morning to be at the hospital by 6:00. On the way, Jesse played some Lonestar song on the iPod which almost made me cry (probably not intentionally being sentimental, knowing my husband) while we watched this gorgeous sunrise coming up over the highway. When we got to the hospital (he totally utilized the maternity parking the whole time we were there) we went straight up to the 3rd floor and they checked us right in... I was the only one on the whole floor that morning, so we got plenty of attention. Something that helped ease my tension was noticing a plaque on the wall of the maternity hall: Psalm 139: 13-14, "You knit me together in my mother's womb; I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made!" We got everything situated (gown on, IV in, monitor on, cathether in --ick --prayers said, etc.) by 8:00am. I kept telling them I had to pee, but the nurse said my bladder couldn't be empty when she put the catheter in so I should wait. Well, I waited and waited an WAITED and finally Jesse went out and got her. When she put it in, we saw her eyes grow wide with amazement as the bag just about completely filled up all at once. She said, "Whoa!! You really DID have to go!" Like I was making it up or something! At that point, my bladder felt like it was the size of a pea (no pun intended) PLUS I was nervous which makes me have to go anyway. Enough of that, though. So once that was done, Jesse got his scrubs on (which would barely fit over his giant shoes... apparently most doctors have tiny feet or something) and suddenly it was 8:35 and they came and got me and took me through the swinging doors to the O.R. The anesthetist (Dr. Donahue), whom Jesse thought was funny (when I asked if he would be in the O.R. the whole time, he said, "No... I usually leave to take a smoke break.") immediately got started on my spinal block, and got it in the very first time with no trouble at all. The only thing I felt was the little needle they used to numb me. It was surprisingly (and I was relieved, believe me) painless... my right side started going numb right away and they laid me back on the table and started putting up the drape in front of me. Before I knew it, the doctor came in, 2 nurses for the baby, 5 other helpers, and a paramedic in training (I told them I didn't care if he watched the surgery; I will probably end up calling him for help one day when my shoulder falls out). Jesse barely made it in the door before they started cutting! Suddenly, there was tugging, pulling, and voila! We heard Adelaide cry for the first time... which of course, made ME cry for about the millionth time in 9 months. Jesse said she was perfect, and that she looked like me but with the "Roy lip" and my Daddy's skin tone. They held her up for just a second so I could see her and the doctor said, "Happy birthday, baby!" She was so cute with her dark hair and olive skin and her scrunced up little face! The nurses took over with the baby and then it seemed like a LONG time before they finished sewing me up... When they finally did finish, they moved me to another bed and put Adelaide next to me while they wheeled us to our room. After that, everything is kind of a blur... I was SO sleepy, but I couldn't really go to sleep. I dozed in and out all morning and afternoon, but I don't remember much of what happened. My mom brought the girls in with their "Biggest sister" and "Big sister" t-shirts and they were SO excited to meet the baby. Sadie just stared and stared at her, and then whispered, "I think she's gonna break my heart!" Then Josie said, "She's so cute... she's just so cute. Hey! I need to see her feet." Then Beth and Sarah and Roy came, then Lyd and Darryl, Melissa and Caroline, Cindy and Becky... there were a lot of visitors, which was nice. Jesse brought us flowers and a huge purple butterfly balloon, just like I'd always wanted :). He had the world's most uncomfortable chair/bed, so he only stayed with us on Thursday and Friday nights. I mainly stayed in bed and tried to rest, but they feed you so much at the hospital I would barely finish one meal before it was time for the next one! The nurses were fabulous... I couldn't really have asked for better care - I think they were better this time than at the previous two hospitals I've had babies in. Adelaide was a little bit jaundiced, but not so bad that they had to treat her or anything; we were sprung from the joint on Monday around lunchtime, and Daddy picked us up to bring us home. Lots of people in the hospital, the elevator, and the sidewalk stopped to tell us congratulations and how cute she was on our way out. When we finally made it home, the girls were about to pop with excitement, and could not WAIT to hold their new sister!

Introducing... Adelaide!

5-29-08

9.47 lbs.

21 1/2"