Welcome Callie Marie!!!

Our sweet, beautiful girl was born last Wednesday, April 10, at 9:50 a.m. She was 7 lbs, 10 oz and was 19 inches long. She is every bit as perfect as her sister and there wasn't a dry eye at the hospital upon her arrival.

Callie had many, many visitors at both the hospital and when we arrived at home. Of course all her grandparents, aunts and uncles were there, plus her cousin Emie. Aunt Joyce and Tom visited, as did Amy, Margo and Kim. Mommy's work friend Melissa stopped by and Mommy's school friend Warren, did as well. Uncle Matt came to the house when we got home.

Mommy's experience was much better this time than it was with Mia, so I got to enjoy my baby girl much more. I have had lots of help since I got home, with Nana, Papa, Granny and Grumpy coming over on most days to help out and let me get some rest. Thanks to them I've been able to enjoy Callie while also having energy to make sure Mia gets enough attention and love as well.

'Twas the Night Before Callie...

In almost exactly 12 hours, I will be entering the OR to meet my baby girl. Finally! What a long journey this has been, one that has left me very impatient. This pregnancy has been so different than my pregnancy with Mia. I have been nervous and uncertain from the moment I got the positive test. Doubts have lingered in the back of my mind that this day would truly come. Even now, I'm worried about tomorrow. Will fate truly allow me to finally hold my baby? Will she be healthy and happy? Will I come out of the surgery okay? There have been so many obstacles to us realizing our dream of a second child that it seems unbelievable that it will really finally happen.

Nevertheless, we are ready. We have prepared a room especially for Callie. It's very different from the unisex room we had for Mia. Diapers and wipes are waiting, all her clothes are washed, and this time I bought cute outfits for hospital pictures, as well as things for her to wear while we're there. I'm definitely a much better prepared Mommy this time around!

Mia is just beside  herself about finally getting a baby sister. She has made card after card for Callie and is always writing her name. This morning we sat in bed together, Mia's head on my belly and her arms wrapped around me. She kept kissing my belly, talking to Callie and singing her songs. She wants to be one of the first people to meet Callie tomorrow and wants it to be just the four of us when she does. What a great moment that will be!

More than anything, I just can't wait to see this child, who we already love so much. Callie, all your life, know how much you are wanted, how much you are loved, and know that it's you who made our family complete. I cannot wait to meet you.

37 Weeks Pregnant

I had my weekly ultrasound and appointment today. Mamaw went with me. Callie didn't "breathe" as she should have so they had to do a non-stress test. She also failed that, so they informed me we needed to go to Labor and Delivery to do additional testing. I started to wonder if we'd have Callie today! Fortunately while we were waiting for everything to get squared away, she did the things she needed to and passed the test. I had an exam. No further progress, but I have lost 3 pounds. At this point I've only gained 23 pounds total, so I'm feeling good about that. I started out 13 pounds heavier this pregnancy than with Mia, so in my mind I'm really "ahead"!

Callie Pics

 

We're pregnant!

 

First appointment, approximately 5 weeks.

 

19 weeks.

 

It's a girl!!!

 

Sweet girl.

 

Trying to eat her cord.

Growing Girl

Mia celebrated her 5th birthday in style! Mommy and Daddy picked her up from school early and took her to Club Tabby to get a little girl makeover. She selected the "Rainbow Rocker" look and got her hair spray painted and her nails and makeup done. Afterward we went to Chuy's for dinner and met Missy, Cara, Ramsey, Dad, Sue, Mom, Bruce, Carol, Jim, Charlie, Kelly, Logan and Beau. Mia had a great time and loved showing off her new look.

Miss Mia is doing so well in school. She brought home a poem several paragraphs long and we are to practice reading it each night. It amazes me how she sounds out her words and is quickly figuring them out. It's not unusual for her to read a word or two over my shoulder now. Guess I better watch what I'm reading!

She got accepted into St. Aloysius. She did fantastic on her readiness test. I wasn't surprised, but it was a nice reinforcement of our thoughts that the teachers and academic structure at Kayfield is well worth our expense.

Mia has asked to get her ears pierced. I always said I would not do it until she came to me and wanted it done and that has happened. We are scheduled to go tomorrow after gymnastics. We'll see if she goes through with it!

I'm also going to take her tomorrow to a stable to see my friend's daughter's horse. Mia doesn't know yet but I think she will love it. She loves her big stuffed horse, so I can't wait to see how she acts with a real one!

Mia has lost two teeth now. The tooth fairy gave her $5 for her first tooth and $1 for her second tooth. They were her two bottom teeth. I thought it was pretty early to be losing them, as she was still 4 when they came out. But a couple other kids in her class have lost them too, so I guess it's okay. Her dentist didn't seem to think it was unusual.

I am absolutely overjoyed about my relationship with Mia these days. I love this age!! She's so fun and clever and we really have a wonderful time together. She continues to be a snuggle bug and my favorite time is when we are cuddled up in bed together each night. Some nights we watch cartoons, some nights we read. It's also a good time for me to reinforce all the things I love about her and I tell her every night how smart she is, how funny and sweet. I will always do everything I can to boost my girls' confidence in themselves and give them the security that they are loved and appreciated for who they are.

35 Weeks

I will be 35 weeks this Sunday and at this point I'm wondering how I will make it to April 10. We've had an eventful couple of weeks. I've had Braxton Hicks nearly every day and have missed two days of work due to them. They are often accompanied by cramping, back pain and nausea, but I'm always just below the threshold of what the OB nurse deems serious enough to come in. When I had my appointment with Dr. Paul last week I had lost my mucous plug that morning. I was barely dilated and only 20% effaced, so she was not concerned. She did tell me little Callie was head down, which made me very happy. Even though I'm having a c-section, I like knowing things are lining up as they should. I had also lost some weight, which put my total weight gain at 24 pounds. I started out 13 pounds heavier with this pregnancy than with Mia, so the lower weight gain is putting me in a better position for loss afterward, for which I am very grateful.

I definitely feel 40 and pregnant. I'm so uncomfortable, and everything hurts. I'm having occasional sciatic pain, painful swelling just below the waist and back spasms woke me up the other night. Even with all that, I just love feeling my little Callie move around. She is every bit as active as Mia was, and Mia really enjoys laying next to me and feeling her sister move around. She fell asleep the other night with her hand on my belly, and when she woke up the next morning she immediately put her head on my belly, kissing it and talking to Callie.

Dad has finished painting Callie's room. I just love it and am now waiting for Mike to bring up the crib and put it together so I can get everything settled. I have a baby shower next weekend and really only have a few things left to get. I've washed and put away all her clothes. I have diapers out and her swing and rocker are ready for her.

At this point, although I want her to get all the time she needs inside of me, I really want to meet her. After nine miscarriages, I still have a surreal feeling about this pregnancy. I have not enjoyed it nearly as much as I did with Mia because I'm scared. I want to look at her and see that she's okay. I want to hold her close and shower her with all the overwhelming love I have for her. So many people are excited to meet her, no one more than her mommy, and I can't wait for her birth day to arrive.

That being said, I'm completely overwhelmed with school right now. The last class of my MBA before my capstone started last Monday and it's a bitch. No other way to put it. It is the most difficult I've had in these two years and my brain is operating at less than optimal speed these days. I'm worried I will not do well, or that Callie will arrive before the end of this class and I will fall behind. It's adding a huge level of stress to my life right now that I just don't need. But I'm determined to get through it. I want my girls to know and appreciate the value of their education and no one can set a better example for them than their mommy.

Mia's 5th Birthday/32 Weeks Pregnant

So much going on these days! My big baby girl is turning 5 this week. It's so hard to believe, as it's gone by so quickly. Mia is the most precious girl, very sweet, funny, smart and thoughtful. She brings so much joy to our lives and I am beyond blessed to be her mommy.

Some of the things going on these days:

• Mia still sleeps with me. She continues to wake up several times throughout the night, but when she wakes up and sees me she goes back to sleep. Today she told me that when Callie is older, they can get a big bed and sleep together. I'm not sure an 8 year old will want to share a room with a 3 year old, but we'll see!
• Mia has started reading at school. They have lists of words and each day she reads through a row and gets a score of how many she gets correct. She's doing amazing, and I can't believe it when I watch her reading random things around the house, sounding things out and getting them right! I say all the time how much I wish I had been able to stay at home with her, but that she's far smarter for having gone to Kayfield instead.
• Mia is also learning addition, subtraction, her states and capitals and all her Presidents. Additionally she will randomly tell us things like "If there's a fire, you touch the door with the back of your hand before opening it. And if you get a burn, you put cold water on it, not ice." So smart!
• She and Cara had their kindergarten testing at St. Aloysius. It will be a few weeks before we know how they did, but I am confident they did just fine and will be attending school there next year.
• Mia loves to dance! Yesterday she watched her Barbie Nutcracker video and practiced her ballet for us afterward. Today she put on her Cinderella shoes and practiced her tap. She's a very dramatic dancer and I absolutely love to watch her.
• These days her favorite toys continue to be Barbies and Polly Pockets, things with very small parts. Her bedroom has become her toy room as we prepare her former "toy room" for Callie. It stays a mess, but she has a great time in there.
• Mia is like a little buddy to me now. She's so smart and funny that we can joke and laugh together. I tease her and she knows I'm teasing and teases me right back. Mom says we have a special relationship and I agree. She's a girl's girl as am I, and we enjoy one another's company.
• We had Mia's birthday party last weekend at Kazoing. She invited her friends from school, her cousins and Macee. She has decided she does not like cake or cupcakes so we had heart shaped doughnuts instead. She had a great time.
• We are trying to decide what to do for her actual birthday this week. We're getting her a bike, and will probably take her to dinner and out to see the new Monsters, Inc. 3D movie.
• Mia is so excited about Callie coming. She kisses my belly and tells Callie how much she loves her. She says she's afraid to hold her because she doesn't want to drop her. I think she's going to be a great big sister, and I think their age difference is going to work out really well.

I'm really starting to feel big! I've been diagnosed with gestational diabetes so I have to eat 6 times a day, at specific times, and test my blood sugar 4 times a day. The fear is that Callie will get too big too quickly and I will go into preterm labor. It sucks that the one time in your life you hope to be able to cut loose and eat what you want, I have to watch it so carefully, but I'll do anything to protect my baby girl.

Because Callie is getting so big, I can feel her all the time today. I rub her back, head, bottom, etc., just like I did with Mia. I talk to her while I rub her, letting her know how much I love her. I am getting so excited to meet her. We've wanted her for so long, and now that it's getting close, I can't wait to be able to hold her and snuggle with her and pour all my love and happiness onto her. What a blessing she is to us and I hope I'm always able to express to her how loved and wanted she was.

Even though I want her to stay put in my belly until the day of the c-section, April 10, I'm so uncomfortable that I really am ready for this part to be over. I guess 5 years really can make a difference in pregnancy, especially when the 5 years put me at 40 years old. I feel more stiff, achy and tired. Things hurt more and I feel like breathing and walking cause more of a challenge this time than before. I swelled a lot up until about 22 weeks when I had all the nausea and ate carbs non-stop, but that had subsided until this past week. Now it's back, probably for good as my girl just gets too big for her space. I've not gained any weight in about 8 weeks, holding steady at 26 pounds, but I'm sure that is going to be changing now too. At least I'm not in danger of the 60 pound weight gain I've heard from some second time moms!

Dad has spent the last week painting a nursery for Callie. It will be pink above the chair rail and ivory below. I know it will always be hard for her in some ways, being the second child, so I want to make sure I always do things for her that I wasn't able or didn't choose to do with/for Mia. Mia's room was neutral, so I wanted to do something really girly for Callie. It will be very sweet. Of course, if she ends up being a tomboy, I guess we'll have to change it to suit what she likes better. But for now it will work.

I have been buying some really sweet outfits for Callie too. Things I just didn't think to do for Mia. I got a little lace petti romper for her newborn pics, and a Lil Sis and Big Sis matching outfit set for her and Mia.

I am just thrilled to be having two girls. I feel confident in my abilities to relate to girls, and think I'll be a better mother to them than if I'd have had a boy. I know this confidence comes from being raised and surrounded by such amazing, positive female role models. I hope Callie and Mia grow up sure of themselves and their abilities because of the women surrounding them.

I've already started thinking of all the things I want to be sure my girls know, things I either had to learn the hard way, or things I was lucky enough to have someone instill in me.

• I want to be sure they prioritize education. I've been busting my butt to get my MBA because I want my girls to value education and be able to always support themselves. There are no guarantees when it comes to employment or relationships. They need to always know they can take care of themselves if they need to.
• They need to surround themselves with positive female friendships. Men will likely come and go in their lives, and it's their girlfriends who will stand by them through breakups and heartaches.
• They need to wear sunscreen, especially on their face. They have good genes, but sunscreen will keep away the freckles, sunspots and moles their mommy got from those years I didn't heed this advice.
• My favorite quotes are "All growth is the result of risk-taking" and "People rain on your parade because they have no parade of their own".