And Then.....She Sat!

Yesterday was the BEST DAY EVER! Claire sat up with no help (except for from the boppy)! I can't even tell you how excited I was, or how excited she looked. I was just going to lie her down so she could play with one of her toys, but her little tush touched the floor, and I thought, "Why not? Let's see if she can do this!" So I set her down, made sure she was steady and let go and......She didn't even wobble! She looked at me, smiled and then noticed her toes (which she has just discovered) were in perfect touching and pulling distance, and giggled. AMAZING! I am one proud MaMa. In other news, Ethan had his first official Boy Scout meeting yesterday. He was excited. We worked on his Cub Scout pledge and he learned his Boy Scout salute, signal and motto. We have a few things to work on at home still as well. He made a Tiger mask at the meeting, which he is VERY proud of. He's excited about his next meeting, which we should have his shirt for by then. Speaking of which, do you know how much a Cub Scout shirt costs? $32.91!!! Are you kidding me!? Ridiculous. I mean, that was just for one shirt. After I purchased the shirt, I ran to Carter's and picked up a few shirts for Ethan and a couple of outfits and a onsie for Claire..Altogher I want to say I got 9 or 10 items and paid $31.50. Seriously..I know it's a national organization, and they have to make their money somehow, but GEEZ, break my bank why don't ya?

The High Chair Gets A BIG Thumbs Up!!

This is the best high chair we have EVER owned! We moved in with my MIL for a short time just before Ethan turned 2 years old, and if this high chair had been around when he was born, I would have jumped on the chance to own it. It's fantastic! Meet the Fisher Price Space Saver High Chair..Ooo and Ahhh at it's wonderfulness! Seeing as how we don't have much space, when I was researching before registering pre-birth of Claire and pre-baby shower, I came across this little gem on Target's website. I read about it and thought, "Hmm..I could really use something like that!" When registering, I took the opporutnity to explore the floor model. I really wished I could have gotten up onto the shelf to get a better look at it! Alas, I was too far pregnant, and it probably wouldn't have been a good example for Ethan.

Fast forward 4 months. Claire begins solids, and we have no high chair to put her in for her adventure into "big baby" food. We see the high chair on sale for $39 (regular price $54.99) in the Target ad, and decided that we should jump on it. We get Ethan on the school bus, and head into town to pick it up. Once home, I was so excited. I opened the box, read the directions and put it together. It was so EASY!! Everything just snapped together, safely and securely. No uneccessary tools or tiny screws. It reclines, the tray holding arms rotate, the mat is wipe clean and the tray (even though it makes no differnce to me) is dishwasher safe! The tray also has two side bars, or you can push the bar in the middle in, and remove the tray with one hand. SO EASY!! The five point harness is fabulous! Claire LOVES this high chair, and I do too! The best part..It straps to a regular kitchen chair with no fuss at all, and when she reaches the age where she's ready to sit at the dining room table like a Big Girl, it converts from high chair to booster seat with the quick removal of the mat, tray and back..How awesome is that??!! This thing will last us for YEARS!! I don't have to worry about throwing out cash for something she'll use for a little over a year. Seriously, if you can spare the cash, run out and grab one of these high chairs. It is one of the best investments we have made!

The Hot Lunch Mad Man Strike Again!!!

I was cleaning the living room during Claire's nap. Everything was normal...I was cursing the hubby for leaving his sock on my floor. I was cursing the dust that I had just removed from our DVD's shelves. I was complaining to myself about having to wash the sofa cover, AGAIN, because I hate having to try and figure the thing out after it's done in the dryer. As I was moving Ethan's books and the newspaper off of the couch to get the cover off, I notice something. I see a familiar gray handle, and a small piece of Spider-Man's web. "It can't be," I think. I pick up the newspaper, and it is indeed what I think. Ethan's lunchbox, carefully hidden under the sports section. This kid will do ANYTHING for a hot lunch. We aren't millionares here, but we don't qualify for the free lunch or reduced lunch program because of David's job, so I make lunch every night because we certainly cant foot the $2.50 price tag of a hot lunch 5 days a week (That's 55 bucks a month!! Give or take a few inservice days.) Sending it from home is cheaper, and I can monitor things he's allergic to not going into his lunch (ie Greenbeans, Whole milk...The list goes on.) He would much rather have a hot lunch. He actually went so far last year as to hide his lunchbox amongst the coats in his kindergarten class room to have a hot lunch. This kid is smart. His teacher had to start checking his backpack everyday to make sure he didn't have a lunch with him. When Claire was born, the morning I was in the hospital, David would drop him off at school for breakfest with the $1.50 he needed to pay his breakfest bill, and Ethan would save the money all day until lunch, and then use it. At the end of the school year, we got a call saying Ethan was 10 dollars in debt on his lunch account. We were surprised, seeing as how he didn't have a lunch account. I don't have any idea what to do with him on this issue. We'll see....

Nap time needs an APB

That's it...I've come to a solid conclusion...Nap time needs an APB!

Claire has a significantly hard time napping, thanks to the wonderfulness that is colic. The first three months of her life were spent eating, pooping, a rare nap and, yes, crying! Naps these days are hard to come by. She falls asleep, but in short 20 minute bursts. On a rare occasion (maybe once a week if I'm lucky), she'll take a nice, solid, 3 hour nap. It is these times that my phone rings incessantly.

*'Hi, you're books are in at the library!' (Great...Glad to hear it...I'll pick them up after the baby stops making my ears bleed.')

*'Hi, we'd like to send out some envelopes and letters so you can tell your friends about breast cancer research!' (You know..On any other day I'd be glad to, but today, my daughter is piercing my ear drums. Mind giving me a call back?)

*'Hi, this is Aris from Game Stop calling to let you know that...(Oh, wait, you're calling to let me know that my husband needs to be suffocated in his sleep, right? Great. Will do!)

Seriously, just a quick APB...Alert! Alert! Claire is now napping. No phone calls from 12-3PM. Please make a note. Quiet time in the Townsend household!!

Also, what stupid phone manufacturer had the brilliant idea NOT to put a switch to turn off your ringer on this damn phone! I've tried to turn it off or make the ring quieter several times, but it always seems to be louder after. I've got a half a mind to take this brick they call a phone and throw it through the window.

Enter The Princess

I'd been told by many that your second birth is supposed to be faster and easier than your first. This was not the case for me.

On April 13, 2008, I was feeling some mild contractions, but nothing major. Seeing as how it was the first nice, semi-warm day in awhile, we decided to take a walk around town. We walked up hills, down hills, to the hardware store and to Ethan's school. I'd say, all in all, it was a little more than a mile all together that we walked. I was so happy when we finally came back to our house. My contractions were starting to pick up. I decided to time them for a couple of hours. I sat on my aerobics ball. I rocked through each contraction, and tried to chat with my friend Jamie when she called. After 2 hours, the contractions were 8 minutes apart, and since we had an hour long drive to the hospital ahead of us, I called Maternity and told them I was in labor. They told me to come right in. David was skeptical, saying I was probably having false labor. We loaded up my labor bag and Ethan into the car, and headed to my Sister In Law's house to drop Ethan off with his aunt and uncle. We then headed to the hospital. The whole way, my contractions were between 6 and 8 minutes apart, and painful. I was trying hard not to tense my body, but I'd never felt my contractions like this with Ethan.

We arrived at the hospital at 5:30PM. We checked in the the L&D Nurses, and they gave me a room and a gown and checked me. I was at 3 1/2 CM. They asked if I'd like to try a walk around the hospital for a half hour to see if anything changed. David and I agreed, and started our walk. We chatted about the arrival, and when a contraction came, I would stop and breath through it while David talked to me. After our walk, we went back to my room, where I was checked again, and was told I'd made it to 4 CM, and I was contracting every 5 to 6 minutes. They called my doctor, and told me I was having a baby. David was shocked! He still thought I was going to be sent home! I was given an IV and about an hour after that, I was given an epidural to help me sleep through the night. Though, this epidural was unlike the one I'd had with Ethan. I could feel my legs move, and I was barely numb at all. After the epidural, my contractions started to slow, so they gave me pitocin to help them along. At about 9PM, I started trying to get some rest, but was anxious and nervous about the birth. I slept on and off. I caught a little under 5 hours of sleep all night. I could still feel my contractions. The nurse kept having to come in and move the heart monitor around because the baby would move when they found her. At 7AM, David and I were up for the day. My doctor came in at 8AM and checked me. I was 5CM. She broke my water, and announced that today was indeed the day! I was nervous and excited. I couldn't wait to meet my daughter!

At 11Am, I noticed I was starting to feel my contractions. I was nervous, because I'd never felt that before. I called my nurse, and she checked my epidural and told me that it was still on. I relaxed a little. At 11:30AM, the pain was unberable, and I was feeling the urge to push. My body just kept doing it on it's own. I called the nurse again, and she came in and said I was at 9 1/2. She called my doctor. At noon, I was ready to push. So began the pain. My epidural had worn off. I started pushing. I pushed..And pushed..And pushed, but really felt I wasn't making any progress. They turned me on my right side, my left side, my back. I was crying, screaming and pushing. The pain was terrible. I tried my hardest not to scream and use my energy just for pushing, but it was so hard. Sometimes, my body just wouldn't remain silent. An hour after I started pushing, they brought in an ultrasound machine to see if they could see how the she was positioned in the birth canal. She was face up. Everyone tried to encourage me, telling my I could do this. David put cold cloths on my forehead and told me I was doing a great job. Another hour later, they started turning me from side to side again. I was exhausted. My energy was drained. They asked if I'd like to use a vacuum, and I said I would. I just didn't have the strength to do it on my own anymore. After a few pushes, she crowned enough for the vacuum to be placed on her head. A half hour later, she was in my arms. At 2:37PM, April 14, 2008, Claire was born perfectly. She cried, and I cried right along with her. I held her close to my chest and thanked her for making her arrival. Ethan visited and was proud to hold his baby sister for the first time.

And then, We met Ethan...

Since Ethan is the oldest, his birth story comes first.

August 26, 2002, I had an OB appointment. At this point, I was 3 days past my due date, swollen, hot (thanks to the Arizona weather), and MISERABLE!! I wanted this baby to leave my womb and let me feel "normal" again. It seemed he was making himself cozy, and I just wanted to have a decent night of sleep (HA!!..If only I'd known). After the necessary questions and annoying poking, my doctor asked me if I'd like to be induced. I said I would like to be. I was ready. After getting changed and meeting him in his office, my date was set. August 28, 2002.

August 27th was David's birthday. It being our last night alone as a couple as well, we took the opportunity to make this our last date night for awhile. We had dinner, saw a movie and went home to prepare ourselves for impending parenthood. We chatted about things to come. At about 12:30AM, after 2 hours of packing and unpacking my labor bag to make sure I had everything, I decided to lie down for some much needed rest. As soon as I settled into bed, I felt a cramp. "Hmm.." I thought, "Maybe it's nothing." It came again..And again..Uncomfortable and still unable to sleep at about 1AM, I got up and started putting things together in Baby's room. I didn't tell David anything that was happening with me. Why? I was being induced in the morning. We needed to be at the hospital at 7AM for check-in. I had this in the bag! I busied myself with preparing Baby's room and clothing for the impending arrival. Finally, at about 6AM and a night of no sleep, we rechecked everything, and headed out the door. We made sure the car was packed and the car seat in properly, and away we went at 6:15AM. Halfway there, we stopped at a gas station, got a couple bottles of water and filled up with gas. We continued on our way at 6:35AM. Two blocks from the gas station, David and I began to bicker about the water (silly, I know) and I had my first real painful contraction. David, surprised by this, hurried to the hospital. At 6:55AM, I checked into labor and delivery. After being checked, I was surprised to learn I was already 6cm along. I hadn't been feeling very much at all until the car ride over. My doctor broke my water and fluids were started so I could get my epidural. I calmly visited with family that came trickling into and out of my room. I smiled, laughed and chatted non-chalantly for well over an hour, and them, labor really kicked in. We kicked everyone out of the room, while I focused on what my body was doing. Three hours later, and 8cm in, I was given an epidural. Now, I don't remember much until the pushing started. The epidural made me loopy. I felt great, because there was no pain, but I wish I could remember more than the loopiness. This was, after all, my big day. I was becoming a mommy!

An hour later, I was told it was time to push. The pushing, I barely remember. It took two hours to get his little body out of me. He was stubborn. I tried hard, and needed a vacuum assistance. It actually took two vacuums, because the first one broke on his head when he was in the birth canal. He was born perfectly after 13 hours of labor at 3:17PM August 28, 2002. He didn't make a sound. He opened his eyes, stretched his fingers and curled his toes and blinked, and off they took him for cleaning. David was in awe..Putting his finger out for Ethan's tiny hand to curl around.

Today, Ethan is a happy, healthy 6 year old. He bounces from room to room talking about school (the first grade to be exact), friends and his new hobby, Cub Scouts. He is a great big brother. I couldn't ask for more.

We are 4, Ethan is 6

The obligatory first post..Oooooo.....Ahhhhh...

My family is wonderful. David and I are happy to have two beautiful children. They make me smile everyday..Even on those days where I want to pull my hair out because Ethan's not listening and Claire's teething has gotten the best of her. I can't help but look at Ethan with "Spiderbob" and Audrey tucked into bed next to him, and Claire with her little fingers curled around her binky and smile. This is the life.

I'd like to post birth stories for both the kids, so one day maybe they can look back on it and say, "Oh, so that's how it is." Ethan has tons of questions now, especially since Claire's birth, and I've tried to tell him the story many times, but he just can't seem to sit still for a "When you were in Mommy's tummy and..." story. He is six after all. Besides, both birth stories may require their own posts, and I am exceedingly gifted in bringing on the detail.