Allison the Artist

Allison has found a new hobby in painting...she was introduced in her Mother's Day out class and is always so proud of herself..so as a reward for behaving she got her own paints, brushes and paper. She absolutely looooves it! These pictures are from a few weeks ago...but better late than never. She got to share her new hobby with Grammy in the morning and then Papa Hunny that  same evening!!



Grammy has been taking an art class on thrusdays and has recently painted Allison some pictures for her "Big Girl" room. Thy look awesome..soon I'll get pics of them..I promise.

 I absolutely love this picture of Allison....she's so darn cute!

 Allison had so much fun! She is such a hoot to listen to lately...she kept singing "you can't calm down" mocking her parents but it was soooo funny..we luckily caught it on camera. She's our entertainer these days dancing, singing, playing her "drums" and has been catching onto everything and anything..she's very bright for her age.

Papa was offered an art scholarship back when he was in highschool...he's really talented and recently he let me go through all of his artwork and take what I loved... he never did go though with art school...his Dad made fun of him..back in the '50's that not something boys did. But it would have been pretty awesome to see what he would have achieved.

 Now for and Emilee update: She ended up having the same reaction to the prevnar vaccination so we'll see what the doctore wants to do. Luckily we knew what to look for so we didn't make a mad dash to the phone or get sent to children's mercy again. Emilee loves the morning time..she coos and giggles at herself and the ceiling fan. She's been sleeping a lot more lately during the day, I think she's going through a growth spurt. She hasn't lost any hair!!! But it is getting lighter. She loves to spit out bubbles and get a good look on everything around her. We are so blessed to have such beautiful children.!! :) Emilee looks so much like Jeff in this pic below....but she looks like Allison when she sleeps..funny how much they change so fast.

2 months old!

It's hard to believe but Emilee is already 2 months old! She's changed so much this last month, she's getting much more active and paying attention to things around her. She's keeping her eyes open longer and smiling and cooing.

 She's gonna be a cuddler like her big sis for sure. She currently sleeps about in 4 hour increments at night for me. She's still our "squeaky" baby.

Here are Allison and Emilee on St. Patty's Day

All smiles for miss Emilee! Finally in the last 2 nights Emilee's colic has gotten better. We havn't had to give her gas drops either night. She's fallen asleep around 9 o'clock but not for the night which is okay..I'm usually up until 11 on most nights anyway. I've been lucky that for the most part both girls fall asleep for naps around the same time as well. Allison is finally starting get back on the potty training train...and we're working on getting her away from her pacifier again. She completley regressed after Emilee was born on both of these, however she wasn't completely potty trained or broke from her pacifier on all counts. But she's starting to come around and doing good.

Allison is very protective of "her Emilee" and all of her dolls are named Emilee. She can totally change her babie's diapers with actual diapers too! She's a great helper.

If Emilee could sleep on her stomach or side  she would sleep much better..I just don't feel comfortable yet..I don't feel that she's strong enough yet. Maybe once she's rolling over.

At Emilee's 2 month appointment today she got all of her vaccinations even the Prevnar which is what Allison had a reaction to and didn't recieve. We pre-medicated her with benadryl and tylenol so hopefully she does ok. Here are her stats:

Emilee-
Height : 22 inches 34%
Weight: 12lbs 13oz 92%
Head: 39cm 56%
and for comparison
Allison-
Height:22 1/2 inches 25%
Weight 14lbs 3 oz 93%
I'm sure if they changed the growth chart measurments or if the nurse wrote them down wrong with Allison (if you look at their length you'll understand) but the Dr's office now uses all computerized print outs so it's not hand written like it used to be.

Emilee likes to look at her surroundings as I said earlier her favorite things to look at are the ceiling fans, the mirror on her swing, Miles the mouse above her changing table. Of course her big sis and the dogs. She loves to be held so she can see everything as you see it. She really only wants to snuggle when she's given up on sleeping. Which she fights on some nights.

Unfortunatly Emile is totally a momma's girl. She'll hang out with daddy but she'll cry until I come around. Luckily Jeff's had a few practice runs with the both of them alone when I play volleyball or go shopping, for when I go back to work on the weekends. I don't go back untl April 30th and I'm doing much better with that than I did with Allison. With Allison I was a complete mess. But of course I would much rather stay home full time with the girls. Who wouldn't when they grow up so fast.

All 3 Babies together!

On March 5th we got together with our cousins and finally all three babies were united and had a blast playing together!! From top to bottom in no particular order we have Gabe born Jan 6, Emilee born Feb 1, and Reese born Dec 6. Can't wait to continue to get more pics of theses 3 together and with their big sibilings...so many fun memories I'm sure with this group.

Here's a pic of Payton and Allison together cute as usual..

 Mr. Reese didn't make it very long....but look at those beautiful lashes.

 And then it was finally late enough to cuddle on the chase together to watch Bambi...to cute! :)

1 month old

So the first month has come and gone already way too fast. We've had a very eventful month. We came home to Allison being sick. Then Uncle Jason Aunt Sandy and Katelynn came in town to meet our newest addition to the family. And while they were here Jeff started getting sick. We had a great visit with our Wisconsin family. Allison and Katelynn played non-stop. They get along great for as little as they see each other and have a great imagination together at such a young age.

While they were here Emilee started to not sleep as well flat on her back and started spitting up more frequently. I finally gave up towards 4 in the morning  and decided to through her in bed with me so I could get some sleep.



Here's Emilee after her bath with her crazy hair :)



On tuesday after I took Allison to preschool I called the doctor about her sleeping and spitting up plus at this point she started sounding congested in her nose. So I took her in and low and behold she was diagnoised with RSV. They suctioned her there and got a lot of stuff out. Her oxygen levels were great so we didn't need to admit her to a hospital. That whole week we had her suctioned and on wednesday we got her suctioned twice. We were also giving her a tsp of pedialyte to help wash down the milk after feedings if she ate. I did have to pump a few times to help keep my supply up so when she got to feeling better we were all caught up. So it was a long week of going into the doctors office everyday and being soculded into our house as we couldn't get her around any babies or take her into grocery stores or Target. I'm really starting to get cabin fever and have been running out with Allison or taking all of us to my parents on the weekend just to get out for dinner and see some other faces.

This last Saturday Jeff took E to the doctor, she was sounding congersted again and still doesn't sleep well completely flat. Luckly everything was ok, Dr W said the RSV can come back ( which we knew) but instead to do some decongetion nasal drops. E got weighed and is coming in at 10lbs and 2 oz!!! She is also not fitting into her 0-3 sleepers thanks to her growing feet. So far she hasn't lost any of her gorgeous hair...and I pray she doesn't.

Emilee is starting to smile  and recognize us...especially her big sister Allison.

Allison is adjusting great to being a big sister, of course she has her moments where she just wants Mommy and doesn't want to share me with anyone else. But she's so loving on her little sister and sometimes maybe a little too loving on her as we have to tell her "don't squeeze her so hard." as she says, "Aww I love you Emilee!" in the sweetest voice. I can't wait to see these two grow up together and how they'll be with each other. I know that my Mom says I was nice to my sister (who's 2 yrs younger than me) growing up....but I remember being very onrey with her and picking on her a lot. But didn't let anyone else pick on her.

Day 2 of the Blizzard

Well since we didn't get many visitors due to the weather we decided to take advantage of the time and get some one on one lovin' and take a few pics of Miss Emilee. I was didn't know what to do with myself, Ididn't have a  2 year old to chase after,  I was itching to be doing soemthing! I'm not use to not multitasking, having my meals all prepared for me! Again I had awesome nurses while I stayed in mother/baby. Our room was great too, we got a semi private transformed for mother/baby so Jeff got his own hospital bed and tv! Later that evening Jeff went home to pick up my Mom and Sister along with Allison and we all had dinner in our room and Allison did much better this time she even gave us a little entertainment with her singing and dancing. Then Jeff took them back to our house and came back to stay with me and Emilee.



Emilee Claire!

So I'm attempting to restart my blog that I've neglected for almost a whole year. I feel Emilee deserves all her precious moments recorded one way or another as Allison did. So to recap Miss Emilee's arrival here's her story. January 31, 2011 we were expecting the beginning of the Blizzard of Oz, Jeff and I tucked Allison in bed after taking the last pictures of the 3 of as a family before becoming a family of 4 and off we went.

Both Jeff and I were praying we would have a better experience with this induction and better nurse. We knew we had a "wack job" of a nurse with Allison but didn't realize how much we were negelected until our nurse Chris started telling us our plan of care. So here's how Emilee's inducition went, we got my IV started, then started the cervidil, I had to lay flat for 2 hours while Jeff watched Pawn Stars then I took over once Jimmy Fallon came on. Here's where it got different, I kept the cervidil in all night, with A the nurse took it out after 2 hours. At midnight I got another meal! Last time I didn't get to eat or drink. The nurse brought me in a cold cut, milk, cereal, offered food to Jeff, we didn't know what to think. The nurses ended up looking up last admission and to see who my nurse was and nobody knew who it was. All I can say was that I was thankful for my nurses this round!

I had been having braxton hicks for about 2 weeks prior to my induction, but that afternoon, Jeff came home early due to the blizzard that was on its way in and while Allison and i were napping I was having stronger contractions, as we were getting admitted my contractions were coming more regulary in spurts then would becomce irregular again.

So if you don't want the gorry details then skip this section and pics of a messy Emilee. I came in with a 0% effacement and dilated to a 1. Dr C was stayed overnight there for the blizzard at 5 she came in told me if I wanted to get cleaned up, go for it that she wated to break my water soon.Luckily we got our awesome nurse Brandi again that we had with Allison so she stuck by us again! So she broke my watere and started the pitocin. I believe I was dialted to a 2 and effaced 20%. I knew that there were 6 inductions the morning of the 31 and 4 including me that night, plus a good chance there were scheduled c-sections that morning so at 6 when I started realizing c-sections are usually scheduled for 7 I decided to get my epidural while anesthisia was availble before procedures. I got up to sit on the side of the bed, Jeff helped me get up correctly, at this point Jeff stepped back just by chance and good thing. The doctor and nusrse were talking and getting ready and I realize I felt like I was peeing. I said "uhh, I think I'm peeing?" and the rest of my water comes flowing out! And this is why jeff is glad he stepped back :D I got my epidural, which was wonderful. I knew it wasn't working 100% as I could still feel contractions, so I asked if I could go to the bathroom one more time, b/c as you know they pump you full of fluid before an epidural, So I got catherized, and decided to roll over as I remember the nurse telling me with Allison to help the epidural move threw, and as I rolled to my left side it's about 8:20ish at this point I realized I have a lot of Pressure!! I told Jeff to get the nurse, he came back saying I can't find her. She came in finally and said oh ya your ready. The only problem was that Dr C was in a emergency C-section. At this point I'm shaking, eyes closed trying to concentrate on NOT pushing! They grabbed her partner who happened to be walking down the halls for rounds and he didn't even scrub in and 3 pushes later she was here! I got to pull her out and unfortunatly I announced what we had in all the excitement I forgot to let Jeff announce that :( It came sooo quick!

7lbs 15.2 oz 19 inches long. So the story on her name is that we loved the name claire with Allison but decied against it as we wanted her name after someone, that's where Mazie came in after my Great Grandmother. Emily was on our list of names with Allison as well, but we decided but Jeff wanted an "Allie". So we decided to have Emily spelt with "lee" after my Mom's middle name Lee. And we loved how Emilee Claire flows together.

We couldn't believe how little she was and how much hair she had! At first we thought she looked soo much like Allison but over time she's got similarities but has her own beautiful look.

Jeff went home to get Allison with the weather being so bad. She was first one to meet Emilee and at first was scared about seeing Mommy in the bed, but was soon as she opened her gift from Emilee of Toy Story 3 toys she was fine and didn't want to leave.

May 2010