Christmas 2010!

Lily holding Ella...both in Christmas PJ's.
Lily thoroughly enjoying her new Christmas PJ's with Minnie Mouse on them....along with her Mouse Ears on her head! Treats for Santa....at our house he requested Cream Soda and Rice Krispy Treats this year! Lily is not amused to be posing for this picture!
Lily with her stocking goodies.....some from Mom and Dad and some from other family members! Ella enjoying the festivities.....as much as any 6-week old baby enjoys anything but eating, sleeping, and pooping!
Lily testing out our new double stroller! My big present which I am so excited about!
Christmas 2010Me enjoying the scrapbook Rob made for me! Lily with her haul! She is one spoiled little girl from all angles! Lily enjoying the pillows I made for her.

We stayed home this year with our little family. We didn't have the time or resources to go anywhere...let alone the desire to travel any sort of distance with a 6 week-old baby.

My heart is full today. Lily enjoyed Christmas thoroughly. She opened not only all of her presents, but all of the rest of ours as well. She loved ripping the paper open and seeing what was inside. Her eyes were full of wonder and excitement as she opened her presents and she was just as excited for our presents as she was for hers. She also came and showed Ella her presents after she opened them.

As I sat there holding Ella Gracie watching Lily just enjoy Christmas the way any child should, my heart was full. I am so blessed in so many ways. I have a loving hard-working husband who is a wonderful father. I have two beautiful little girls that are my world who have made me a better person each day. We have a house to raise our family in and a stable job. We have the gospel and are sealed together forever as a family. I am grateful. I am incredibly grateful for everything I have and I hope you are too!

Merry Christmas!

A greeting card by Smilebox

Lily and Ella

Lily holding Ella for the first time.....

Ah....tender




I am DONE!




Get me outta here.....



How we should take pictures of them together from now on........

Our new normal

My new normal!



So, we are adjusting to our new normal. I went to Walmart for the first time by myself yesterday and we all survived.
Ella is a pretty good baby...she sleeps okay and eats okay...WAY better than Lily did either of those things so for that I am truly grateful. Lily is still having a hard time with her dethroning. Hopefully we can work on that.

It seems weird to me Christmas is only a few weeks away....My mind is on pure survival that it is hard for me to think about stuff like that!


I am loving having a newborn and thinks it is crazy that I think my newborn is now easier than my two year old. When Lily was a newborn I thought no stage could be harder than that.....well, we have definitely hit one.

Ella Grace Semon

Trying to prevent jaundice in the sunshine with Grandma.



Coming home from the hospital.



Born: November 15, 2010 at 10:03pm
Weight: 7 lbs 2 oz
Length: 20 in
Labor: 15 hrs

She actually flipped herself right before we went to the hospital, so she was born without having to do a C-section.
There were a few complications during labor.......

• tons of merconeum from the little lady
• my blood pressure dropped, dropping my heart rate, dropping Ella's heartrate, complications from the blood pressure medication but all was well after about an hour and a half---but was a scary few minutes while they were trying to get our numbers back up
  
• epidural ran out
• second bag of epidural meds only worked on one side

But, she is here and healthy and we are so happy..... and we are adjusting to a new normal.

Baby news

Monday is the day....but probably a C-section day.
The baby is currently breach.....her head residing in my rib cage. At this stage...39+ weeks with a 7lb+ baby it is going to be hard to turn her. So, we are going in at 7am on Monday morning for a probable C-section unless she flips or they can flip her in which case they will induce me and get her out normally.

Not thrilled with the idea of a c-section....the unknown, longer recovery, future deliveries, etc., but trying to have a chill pill about it and just worry about getting Ella here safely...whichever way that happens.

My doctor is kind of a hick guy....he wears cowboy boots in the office, has a bit of a potty mouth, and has hunting magazines in his waiting room. We were sitting there talking about him trying to flip the baby and he looks me up and down and said....it is a darn good thing you aren't fat. I then said I guess I will take that as a compliment. Oh, it made me laugh. He really is a good doctor....knows his stuff for sure. Just a bit rough around the edges.


Lily's funny saying of the day.....
I am combing her hair this morning and trying to get the snarls out and she turns to me and said "Good gracious Momma!". I dropped the comb I started laughing so hard.


Okay, that is all for me. Baby on Monday.....we'll just have to see which way she comes!