Little Libby

Oh how we love our little lady!  It seems like she has always been in our family.  Libby Paige Wilson decided to join our family on Nov. 4, a week after the due date.  After having both my kids go over the due date, maybe next time I'll just plan on it being a week later and that way I won't be so disappointed and anxious.

Not knowing when she would come, my mom came up a week before my due date to make sure she was around.  Libby, however, had other plans or was too comfortable or something.  I was starting to get nervous because I didn't want to go over my due date as being over due is one of the risk factors for meconium aspiration and I did not want to go thru that again. My doctor was well aware of my concerns so at my 39 week appointment we talked about starting me.  My body, however, had not progressed enough and she didn't feel comfortable starting me.  So we waited.  I would have contractions almost every morning but they would stop before noon.  At my 40 week appointment on Halloween, she said that I had progressed enough and she would start me the next day if the hospital ok'd it.  Of course they didn't.  I would have to wait until Monday morning to be started if the baby didn't come before then.  More waiting.

Sunday Nov. 3, I woke up to contractions every 10 minutes.  I was super excited thinking that this was it, we would have a baby today.  Once again my contractions only lasted thru the morning then quit. Lame, lame, lame!  I was disappointed but since I knew the next we would have a baby for sure it wasn't too bad.  At 1 a.m. I woke up to some pretty intense contractions plus they were coming every 5 minutes.  I waited for about 45 minutes or so then woke Gregg up.  We grabbed our stuff then headed for the hospital.

At the hospital they got me all checked in and hooked up to an IV.  After an hour they called in the anesthesiologist.  At the time he was giving me the epidural I was so frustrated because I felt he was taking forever but as I look back on it, he was just being cautious and thorough.  He stayed for twenty minutes after to make sure my vitals were good.  This epidural was very different from the one I had with James.  It wasn't a continuous one, just a syringe.  I liked it a lot more than my other one.  It took most of the pain away but I was still in control of my body.

At 7:15 a.m. my doctor broke my water.  At first she said it was clear then she paused.  Nope there was meconium.  That really freaked me out.  I remember looking at Gregg and squeezing his hand.  My doctor left to call the pediatrician just in case.  At 7:30 I was starting to feel pressure and by 7:45 Libby was born.  At first Libby didn't cry.  It felt like forever but I think it was only 10 seconds then she let out a healthy cry. 

Libby is a good baby.  She took to eating like a champ.  I hardly had to help her at all.  She did it all on her own.  Most of the time I have to wake her up to eat but when she realizes she is hungry, I better feed her pronto or she gets super upset.  Burping is another story.  She holds on to those suckers like they are something special.  Libby cuddles way more than James ever has and loves to be bounced.  Libby squeaks and grunts all the time.  It is so cute!  All in all she is a good baby and so adorable.

Grandma's Visit

My mom came up early to help when the baby came.  We had so much fun with her!  James had a new playmate that has more energy than he does.  I'm not sure how she kept up with him.  I'm not sure how she put up with all of us for as long as her did but we will be forever grateful for all her help and love during the transition of a new baby.

Jumping over the car train.

Making cookies.

Grandma with Libby!

Halloween 2013

With my due date being Oct. 30 I wasn't sure if we would even be around for Halloween or in the hospital.  I dragged my feet for a long time about getting James a costume.  I finally decided it was better to be prepared and just get him one rather than have him miss out because I was lame.

James had a blast trick-or-treating.  It didn't take him long to figure out that it was easy to say "Trick-or-Treat" and then be rewarded with candy.  And the people here in Lemmon did not disappoint.  It was freezing so we didn't get to go to too many houses but by the time we were done it looked like we had been to almost the whole town.  Everyone was piling it in and it was the good stuff too.  Lots of the mini candy bars.  It was also a plus that James was happy to share (Whether or not he knew he was sharing is a different story.).

We tried to get James to pose with his pumpkin.  This is the best we could get.

Decorating cookies with grandma.

Cutest ninja!

He is doing his karate kick.

Silence is always suspicious

Awhile back Gregg and I were skyping with my parents when we realized that James had gone silent.  All parents know that silence with a toddler is always suspicious.  Gregg went to check things out and this is what he found.

James had found that my lotion was with in reach.  Need I say more?

The Blizzard

Gregg came home Thursday with bad news.  According to the teacher that he drives to McIntosh with said the storm was going to be bad, with up to 16 inches of snow.  She was not kidding.  The storm started Friday morning.  The snow started out slow but then the wind picked up as did the snow.  By noon there was at least 4 inches.  The wind and snow just continued to get worse.  The power started to flicker and eventually went  out for good around 2:30.  By then it was pretty much a white out.  We couldn't see out our windows because they were covered with ice and snow.  But looking outside we couldn't see more than 100 feet.  The winds were blowing the snow totally horizontal.  I'm not really sure how fast the wind was but probably 40 mph at least.  The storm didn't let up until Saturday around noon.  Gregg ventured out a couple hours before the storm let up to look around and take some pictures.  The wind had blown the snow into huge drifts.  Gregg said some of the drifts went almost to his waist.  The trees were still full of leaves so they couldn't handle the heavy snow.  Branches were everywhere and the smaller trees were completely bent in half or the tops snapped off.  The storm had done some seriously damage.  We were still without power but no one could get out to fix anything.  Later Saturday afternoon the snowplows and tractors finally made it out.  Apparently a number of power poles were down.  It took them quite a while to restore power.  We finally got ours back around 1 a.m.  Almost 36 hours without power and heat.  We survived but definitely ready for heat and power.  James however was just anxious to play in the snow.

Our windows.

These trees are at least 12 ft. tall.  It is now totally bent in half.

These trees look more like bushes now.

Our car.

The city tried to plow but then the storm got too bad.

The wind bending the trees.

This is what we do with trapped inside for 2 days.  James stacked peanut butter jars, all by himself. Quite talented!

The snow drift around our car is taller than James.

The Birthday!

I'm not sure that James really got the concept that it was his birthday until he got presents and and treats.  Oh well it was pretty entertaining to watch.

Car cakes.  It was an experiment.

The best 2 years...

Well at least best 2 years as of yet.  I think back at the time I had James, I really had no idea what I was getting myself into or the incredible little boy I get the privilege to raise.  He has changed my life and definitely made me a better person.

James' middle name should be "Nonstop".  From the time he wakes up in the morning til bed time, he just goes.  There are few things that he will actually sit still for for  more than few minutes, stories and some movies (if the movie has cars, trains, or Mr. Incredible than he is mesmerized.).  He loves the iPad and is content to play that for a little while but that is it.  I try to color and have him do small crafts but those only last so long.  Even when we go to the playground he'll go down the slide, run to other end of the playground, run back, climb up the steps, climb down, run around, climb back up, go down the slide, etc.  Gregg and I have tried to have him lay by us in bed but it is disaster.  James just rolls around, climbs in and out of the blankets, twists, turns, putting his face right up next to ours and breathing heavily.  He seriously wears me out.

Because James is always on the go and his deep love for balls whatever shape or size, he has developed a love of sports.  I really don't think it matters what sport either as long as there is a ball.  He can pitch the ball better than any 2 yr old I know of.  Seriously I am not kidding.  He can rocket that ball (The best thing about playing baseball with him is that I don't ever have to shag the ball.  James will do it ever time.).  He can kick the ball pretty far and hard.  Recently he has learned to spike the ball and does dang good too.  One of his most favorite places to go is the "big dunk hoop" which is the gym at the school.  He loves to go and just kick and throw the ball around and he is constantly asking to go to the "big dunk hoop".  One thing that this love of balls has done for him, is made him tough.  He can get hit, bonked, banged, fall down, run into, whatever it is and rarely cries.  Sometimes he'll come up to us with a sad look on his face and ask us to "kiss better" then he is good and back to whatever he was doing before.

Even though James is tough, he has a sensitive side and will freely give hugs and kisses even when one isn't requested.  He is very particular, though, about things.  They have to be just so before he can move on, like mommy sit in the right spot or daddy standing up instead of sitting to play catch.  He'll keep telling you until you get it right.  James is very clean about some things.  He'll throw away his trash or put his dishes in the sink without being asked.  He is really good about throwing diapers away even though it may take him a minute to decide which trash can to put it in.

One thing that James excels at is eating.  He'll eat almost anything.  Granted somethings he may need some bribing but its a good thing we can bribe him with water.  Breakfast is by far his favorite.  He'll put down way more than I can.  Pancakes are his favorite.

James also is starting to say really funny things.  He came out of his room from a nap the other day and asked, "How you doin'?" in a very manly, Italian accent kind of way.  He'll gabber your ear off and be so intent about it.  He knows a lot of words and can imitate almost anything.  He says short sentences, but when he is really trying to tell you something, its mostly gabber with a few distinct words.

I could go on and on about this cutest little dude but it is so hard to really capture his personality and happiness in a few short paragraphs.  He may be extremely stubborn at times (which he does not get from me) and may try my patience but I'm so glad he is mine.

Just a video of the best sound in the whole world.