Leo Stephen Hirner

Make a Smilebox slideshow

He's here! We had quite an adventurous Friday morning, especially since it started at 4 am!! I did wake up early and take a shower, per directions of the nursing staff, with anti-bacterial soap. Seriously? Anyway, we made it perfectly on time to the hospital and I got all gowned up, shaved, and IV-ed. We headed to the operating room where my nerves really took over! The epidural went in just fine and they finally sent Charlie in to join me. My doctor started the surgery without me even knowing and things went incredibly smoothly. It felt different this time than with Sophia. I barely felt a thing with her, with Leo I could actually sort of feel my feet and wiggle my toes, which seriously freaked me out, but I couldn't feel any cutting, so I guess things were fine! There was also an incredible amount of pressure but not exactly pain. When the doctor finally got to the baby, both he and the doctor that were assisting continued to comment about how big of a baby it was. In fact, a direct quote from my doc was, "This baby is a chunker!" He was so wedged down into me that no body quite knew what were expecting. Dr. Finkelston pulled him out and said to Charlie that this was definitely his baby, I figured that meant he had to be a boy, but he still hadn't told me! He then announced that it was a boy and both Charlie and I squealed, and of course I cried, with delight! The anaesthesiologist said my face was priceless and that I looked so surprised. I was hoping for a boy (and see my girl prediction was wrong again!) but I just couldn't be sure. I originally thought he was a boy and then talked myself out of it. It does seem however that the Chinese Calendar was correct! I've heard from friends that it's always right, but I never checked with Sophia...so it seems it was right on with Leo. Once he came out everyone in the operating room kept asking if they had weighed him yet...everyone wanted to know exactly how big he was!



The rest of the day was sort of a blur, but I will say in a way, it was kind of nice that we were only allowed 2 visitors at a time in the recovery area. It did stage the visitors so that we weren't bum-rushed, but at the same time, it was hard knowing that there were loved-ones out there waiting to come in and at least see the little guy! We made it to our luxury room where the visiting sure didn't stop! Charlie got his own hospital bed and own TV (thank goodness!) and we set up shop for the next 4 days. It was much more comfortable than the traditional maternity rooms and we were quite happy with it!


Sophia came with Anne the next day and was absolutely thrilled to see him and meet him! She continues to do just awesome when she's around him and is fitting into her big sister role very nicely! The most precious thing was all of a sudden, not prompted by anyone, Sophia announced, "I love him." It truly melted my heart. All my worrying was for not, which it usually is, because I see her light up when she's with him and I know she will love and protect him for always. I'm sure his novelty will wear off soon enough but for now, I am eating it up!


We're adjusting here to life at home and we have both doctors appointments (Leo's and mine)tomorrow. Hopefully Leo has at least stabilized or gained weight, as he was down 8% when we left the hospital. I'll update about the feeding situation at a later date because it really does deserve it's own post! ;)

Oh, and finally, the stats for those of you who might not have heard:

Born at: 7:54 am
Weight: 9 lbs 5 oz
Height: 21 inches

We're Home!

Momma and her babies
Kisses for Baby Brother!

I'm ready to go home, Mom

Maxin' and Relaxin'

so sweet

Whew! Charlie, Leo and I are home! Sophia is still at mom's, thankfully! I truly do miss her, but I have to admit that I'm thankful mom was up for watching her just one more night. It has been very nice coming home and getting situated! We set up a feeding/pumping station for Mr. Leo and Mommy and I really needed the rest! She'll be arriving home tomorrow, and we're all looking forward to it, but I'll also be looking forward to at least one night where I only have to worry about tending to one little one in the middle of the night! I will post much more soon, hopefully tomorrow...but I thought I'd at least try and get a few pictures up to satisfy the masses! We're all doing great and we just absolutely love our little man!

Getting Ready for Baby...

A few people have told me to have a special toy or something to give Sophia when it's time to feed the Baby. I thought this sounded like a pretty good idea so I bought a bag and had Sophia pick out some paints. She very happily painted her bag with a little help from Bama yesterday. She was sooooo excited to paint! We totally got it everywhere, but whatever. She was proud of her masterpiece. I stocked the bag with some exciting new books, cards, and stickers. I tried to find things she could do on her own and since she loves to read so much I figured books was a safe bet. I also bought a giant Magna Doodle that I figure I can switch out between her bag of books to keep things exciting! I hope it works!

Here Sophia is making sure the safety buckles are in working condition. She was thrilled when we brought the carrier out, just one more thing she thinks is for her babies! She's been playing with the swing for weeks! I think we've finally got her to the point where she pushes it gently, but for a while there it was going at full throttle...yikes!

passing the torch, er, crib, to the baby

Yes, the rocking chair is still comfortable, thank you.

Here she dictated that she would sit on the ottoman and Mommy would sit in the chair

Aunt Annie arrived to pick up her charge!

taking the last few shots before Baby arrives!

Look at the size of that belly!!

Deep breath. And again. Okay, I think I'm ready. I mean physically, I'm totally beyond ready. I was ready to have this baby out of me weeks ago, but mentally, we'll we're still working on that! ;) Actually, I'm much more ready than I think I ever was with Sophia. I know more of what to expect, sort of anyway, and I now know what a true joy having a child is, so that part is a little less scary. But, since I'm a true neurotic I've got a lot on my mind! I'm naturally a bit worried about surgery, but I'm confident in my doctor and I'm sure things will go smoothly. He did say at my visit today though that going back through an incision will make it heal less quickly so he'll be leaving the staples in for a week. So, that first week out I'll have to make a trek to both Baby's doctor and mine! Blech! In other visit news...I did not even gain one pound this week! Woo HOOOO! I'm not sure how that is seeing as though I really believe I ate my weight in leftover golf-ball cupcakes, but the scale don't lie! I grew 1 cm, which is perfect, and I ended up at 40 cm, which is only 1 cm over "ideal"...they say to gain 1 cm/week and technically I'm 39 weeks, so I feel pretty good about that. I'm just over the fact that I will have these ghastly stretch marks for the rest of my life. It is what it is. It's going to be a struggle to lose the weight, but I'm hoping that since I'm off the steroids that will be my jumping off point. Speaking of which, as soon as I stopped the steroids, my rash came back in full force. Bastards. It can last up to 12 weeks post-partum and I can't really remember how long it stayed with Sophia, about a month or two I'd say, but I don't remember it being quite as itchy, so that's a plus.

I've had an emotional day as I finished up all the odds and ends I could think of. I really thought about Sophia today and how her life is going to be so different. My friend Julie told me that when she had Luca, she almost felt as if she were breaking-up with Massimo, and although it's kind of a funny analogy, I sort of felt that way today too. It was definitely weird to think that this was the last day on earth she'd be an only child! Rationally, I can look at the situation and say that I couldn't imagine life without my own brother and the relationship we have and I hope that Sophia will have an equally close bond with her sibling, but I also worry that she'll be traumatized. I know it will be an adjustment it's just that she's all I know right now so the thought of her being sad, jealous, etc. just breaks my heart. My Parents as Teachers rep did tell me though, that after about 2-3 months kids Sophia's age don't even remember life without their sibling. That's pretty good news, 2 months isn't that long, right?! I also try and remember that she LOVES babies and she is such a sweet and genuine helper around the house, that she may be excited by this new edition...I just don't think she understands it's going to actually live here!

At the end of the day though, things are changing and I am really trying not to worry about all my fears, rational or not! I am truly excited about meeting this new baby. It's time. It is already so loved and so wanted and we have a lifetime of happiness as a family ahead of us. That being said, I'm going to go ahead on record and say that I think it's a girl, so call Vegas and place your bets for boy, because I'm always wrong! Truly, I second guess my "feelings" all the time and I have no idea what I truly think about it's gender. If you'd like to get your vote in before it's too late, feel free to post it! Part of me hopes it's a boy because it'd be really fun to have a boy, and who knows if we're going to have any more kids. But, on the flip side, I always wanted a sister and if it's a girl Sophia will get that opportunity that I always wished for. Really, I guess it's a win-win situation. Send us good vibes as we go into surgery tomorrow and pray for no complications! Surgery is scheduled for 7:30 am which means we'll have a baby by 7:45! We'll let everyone know the details as soon as possible and feel free to call or visit us during our hospital stay! We're used to loud, busy rooms and I'm sure the baby will sleep through the whole thing, so we'll see you soon!

Updates!

Don't worry...I'm still pregnant! We don't have anything that exciting to update, but we did have a very busy morning ! Charlie and I had an 8 am appointment at the hospital, which we were late for, and all I could think about was...how are we going to get here by 5:30???! Anyway, we met with a hoot of a nurse to register and do some blood work. Apparently they need some count of something or another so they have things on hand in case I need blood during surgery. I suppose that's a good enough reason to go in! Anyway, she kinda laid things out for us as to what to expect, since it's a different hospital than where Sophia was born. She also said that I'll have to stay in the recovery room for two hours post surgery where I can of course keep the baby and have up to two visitors at a time. Hmmmm...TWO visitors...clearly she doesn't know who's she's dealing with here. My exact response was, "They're not going to like that." But, it's only for a couple of hours and then I fully expect the free-for-all to ensue. She did say that she'd put down a request for the biggest room possible, wouldn't that be nice. I also tried to "book" an appointment with a lactation nurse now so that I'd be sure to see one before I left. I've decided that I'm going to try and breastfeed within the first 24-48 hours and if it doesn't work, I'm moving on. Sophia turned out fine and was mostly on formula, so there. I am still undecided about pumping as well. I'd like to try, but it brings a whole new dynamic with Sophia running around the house. I can't just sit at the pump for an hour! Charlie was really hoping that the baby would get the birthing vibe and would feel the need to be born while we were there, but no such luck! I'm pretty sure we're going to make it until Friday, it's only a couple more days!


We then headed to Sophia's 2 year check-up where she checked-out just fine! It was a pretty quick visit all in all and the doctor was very happy with her growth and development. She was more talkative with him than ever and he really got a kick out of her today. We gave her one last vaccine and the flu mist today, which is apparently the thing to do. She did great, I kinda thought she would freak out about it, but she took it like a champ. Since we'll be back there soon with the baby, he said to ask about the prospect of the H1-N1 vaccine (for Sophia), which they put in for but aren't sure they'll receive. I'd like to get it for her just because Baby will be so new and little! Charlie was anxious to see how much Sophia weighed and had grown because lately she just seems to keep growing! So here are her stats:

Weight: 30 lbs..........90%
Height: 38 inches.....100%

She's a giant! If you go by the "2 year rule" that says double the height and that's what they'll be fully grown...Sophia is expected to be 6'4", are you kidding me??? I hope that she'll be tall, but I kinda think maybe she's just growing fast. Both Charlie and I were quick to sprout and then evened out by the 8th grade. I guess we'll wait and see! If I think I have trouble buying pants for her now, watch out!

Time to Par-Tee

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Whew! It's over! I must say that although most parties I do are somewhat of a production, I really felt like this party was sort of lower key and I got to mingle a little bit with everyone! We did have quite a few last minute cancellations due to illness and other things so that made for a smaller crowd, although we still had quite a full house! The kids had a great time, and that is what really matters at a two-year old birthday party! The bubbles were a huge hit this year and from the pics you can see that Isaac and Sophia were the number one bubble makers! She was literally drenched in bubble juice and we had to change her out of her party clothes, which is why I unfortunately didn't get a family shot...bummer. I didn't take as many varied pics as I would have liked, but we got a good sampling and hopefully those of you who couldn't make it get a good feel for the party vibe! I had a craft table for the kids as well where they could decorate golf visors and put on sports themed tattoos. Sophia is really getting into tattoos and thinks they're pretty cool stuff, I only imagine that face painting is next! She got lots of fab gifts that she is working her way though each day. In the bath shot, you can see her putting two of her toys to use already: bathtub xylophone and bath baby.


I think the cupcakes turned out pretty darn cute, if I do say so myself! I do have little birthday elves to thank for that too! After dinner on Friday night I put Mom, Sue, and Shelby to work decorating and they did a fantastic job! I did a little combo effort of buying premade cupcakes (thank you Costco) and then spray painted, sprinkled and topped them off with a real golf tee and a homemade white chocolate golf ball. Very festive. My vision was achieved and I spent a fraction of the cost of last year's dog cupcakes, and that made Charlie very happy! :) I also have to give a shout out to Wendy, Julie, Mom, Shelby and Jenn who came over Saturday morning and helped me with the finishing touches on the yard and food. I truly couldn't have done it without them and they even cleaned the kitchen too! Gotta love friends! I am seriously so thankful for all the help I got, it made things so much easier!


Well, I think we're partied out until next year...or Christmas, whichever comes first! Haha, just kidding, Honey! (sort of...)

Birthday Girl!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

My little girl turned 2 on Friday...Holy Cow! I of course tried to tell her the story of her birth, but she just wasn't interested! I now totally understand why my parents tortured me with these tales every year! LOL! We had a great day!

On Thursday we had her portraits taken and on Friday I tried to let her celebrate as much as possible. It was fun to see her so excited about her birthday, a big change from last year where she really had no idea what was going on! She woke up all smiles and ready to open presents! She was thrilled with the wrapping paper, which was covered with monkeys, one of her most beloved things, and tore right into things! The video shows a little bit of her excitement, but not all of it. Plus, I cut off just before she looked at Charlie in desperation and said, "Get my baby out!" Priceless. We also got her a little bag of baby essentials like bottles, blanket and spoon/fork set. She's all set to continue mothering!

We then got dressed and met some of our friends out at the park for a morning play date. I had made cookies and brought some juice, which of course was a big hit, and all the kids had fun. They played and played, I hated to even take her away, but we had things to do! We made the trek to pick up her cookie cake, a fond childhood memory of both mine and Stacy's, and then met back up at mom's house for a birthday dinner. Even though her big party was the next day I thought it was important to have a little celebration with her grandmas and godfather! So, Sue, mom, Stacy and Shelby joined us for yummy pizza, cookie cake and more presents! Mom got her another adorable monkey that she coveted all night (and tonight too), a new pair of pj's, and an adorable book. Sue got her a precious little ballerina doll and a super cute book that even came with "tickle gloves". She was happy about all her presents, and even happier about opening them! She went to bed tired and full of sugar, I guess that's what your birthday is about, right?!

I continue to marvel at the little person whom she is becoming and we love her more and more every day, which doesn't even seem possible. She is such a joy and I look forward to another year with my little girl.

Birthday party pics are coming soon! I know it's been a few days, but I'm moving slower every day! Now that the party is over, I'm a little more relaxed!

Spud Stuff

In Spud related news, I had another check-up with the doctor today. I went earlier in the day, and boy was it different! I got in and out in no-time! I guess morning people are really serious about being on time! Anyhow, as he was feeling around my belly, he sort of looked at me quizzically and asked if he had done an ultrasound last time to check to see if the baby was head down. I informed him that no, in fact, he hadn't, but had told me weeks ago that it was. He responded with, "Yea, I know, but now I'm not so sure." Curious. I was pretty sure I would have noticed if that baby had flipped, and I'm also pretty sure I would have noticed if it's head had taken up residence in my throat as it's sister's had, but I was game for an ultrasound.


No, we did not find out the sex, in fact when I reminded him that I didn't know he said he remembered and not to worry because he was only looking at the head. Bummer for me, cuz I kinda wanted to see the baby moving around but even just seeing the head I was amazed at how big it looked! Anyway, I digress....so he did the ultrasound and basically laughed saying that indeed it was head down and it was so far down that he couldn't even feel it with his hands! Yikes! He then proceeded to tell me what to do in case I go in to labor. Uh, okay. Never experiencing labor before, I'm a little freaked out at the prospect and wonder if I'll really know it's happening, but I'm pretty sure I will. And if I do go into labor before next Friday, remember, Baby, it not to be until after the party on Saturday!


He also said that the baby was probably between 7.5-8.5lbs or so. He wants to see me one last time next Thursday before we check-in at the unholy hour of 5:30 am at the hospital just to make sure everything is okay. We have an appointment at the hospital on Tuesday to do blood work and get registered, so everything is really falling into place! It's hard to believe that in one week I'm going to have a baby! Wow! I'm excited but it also kinda freaks me out to have come this far and now it's actually here! Eeeeeek!

A New Place to Play!

We apparently now love the sandbox!

tire swings are fun!

climbing the scary rock wall!

traversing the bridge

Success!


And just because I don't discriminate...many of you will get a kick out of my work-out photo!! Ha!

So, Jodie is looking to re-vamp her image and because of it, we've been trying out new places to work out in the mornings for Boot Camp. We tried a park near us, that by no means is new, but it's new to us and it's absolutely fabulous! It seems that it might be working out to be our new morning spot and I think that idea is A-Ok by Sophia! They have a sandbox, which she previously avoided like the plague, but now seems to be her favorite thing! Whatever?! They also have various play structures along with swings and a tire swing! Charlie recently taught her how to climb a rock wall and before I knew it she had scaled this one and was sailing down the giant twisty slide! The next time I watched her, and let me tell you when I actually saw the thing my heart about stopped, I could hear her saying to herself, " foot goes here, foot goes there..." as she climbed. Too cute...Daddy taught her well! And finally, yes, I am still working out...sort of. I show up every day and do most of the exercises, but it's at a slower pace and maybe not as many reps as the others. I think it helps me stay motivated and I really do think up until the last month or so it has really helped me keep my weight in check. Plus, it continues to be a nice outlet for both Sophia and me and keeps us busy, because unlike the first pregnancy, I don't have time to sit around "resting" like I should! So, the next best thing is keeping my child occupied with something besides her mother! ;)

Johnny!!

I really had to take a moment to express my grief over the recent loss of Patrick Swayze. In case you didn't know, he's been battling pancreatic cancer and loss the fight yesterday. Really there were two movies that I loved him in, one being Roadhouse, because let's be real, who doesn't love the combo of him and Sam Elliot looking rowdy in mullets and jeans and kicking the asses of the town hoodlums. But, my real love for Patrick began with none other than Dirty Dancing. This was and still is my favorite movie of all times.

I truly have the fondest memories surrounding this movie. I remember seeing it in the theatre and absolutely falling in love with him. From the leather jacket to the tough car to the muscly back he reveals while teaching Baby to dance...oh swoon! I remember watching this scene over and over and over again...delicious! I also remember getting the VHS version, which was ultra cool back then, for my birthday and watching it repeatedly at Lisa's house on her giant sofa. I would take it with me every time I slept over I think! Then of course, in college it was a Nollen 303 staple! Kathleen and I would alternate between DD and Grease pretty much every day. Our other roommates would come home, look at the TV and roll their eyes! They had no appreciation for art! ;) I can recite this movie from beginning to end and in my eyes, it's what made Patrick famous. Although, I'm sure he wouldn't want to be remembered for it! I recall seeing an interview with him and he did mention that after DD came out he received lots of scripts calling for him to play the heartthrob type and he turned them down because he didn't want to be type cast, so I'm sure he's annoyed by those like me who only want to remember him as the sensitive bad-boy that girls loved and father's distrusted...but I would carry a watermelon for him anywhere, any time!

I truly am sad for this great loss and I will be watching Dirty Dancing as a vigil for weeks to come. I'm considering having a movie watching party, but let's be real, can I really fit in anything else in the next 11 days?! My darling husband however has outfitted me with both the DVD and Blue Ray versions, not to mention that I still covet my battered VHS copy, so be ready to party at a moment's notice in case I change my mind! Goodbye, Johnny Castle... thank you for keeping Baby out of the corner, staying true to yourself, never knocking Penny up and remember that you will always live in my heart!

Mad Greeks!

Vroom, vroom!

safety first!

enjoying our food!

Sophia's favorite...gyro sandwich!

If you look carefully, you can see that she's spreading extra tatziki onto the pita before each bite

Nick and Aunt Bess

Shelby and Stacy

We hit another Greek Festival tonight for some good ol' family fun! There are two Greek churches in the area; our church, which is the "Kansas" church and the other church, which is the "Missouri" church. The Missouri church has a much more showy festival, which in some ways is nice, but I think most of us prefer our church's homey atmosphere and ala carte menu. Nonetheless, the food was tasty and the company was even better! Although Sophia probably would have been happier traveling on the motorcycle, we all piled into Marsha to put her third row to the test! We got 7 people inside and I think we were all fairly comfortable! We could have fit one more in between mom and Shelby, who were in the third row, but that would have been tight! It was kinda fun to pack in there though and really get the use out of it. However, in just a matter of time, there will two car seats in the back and things will not be so accessible! As per expected, Sophia was thrilled with the music and dance and I literally had to stop her from running onto the stage to join in. She settled for sitting on the stairs that led to the stage and watching for a bit. She enjoyed her gyro and it was seriously too funny to see her spreading on the tatziki before every bite, she knows where the good stuff is!

Little Miss Perfect

Sophia had her two year screening from our Parents as Teachers representative yesterday and she received a perfect score! Hooray! I realize that this is just a way to keep track of benchmarks, but it is exciting to know that she is growing and developing so well. I was even surprised at a couple things she did, not even knowing that she could! One was stringing beads on a string, I didn't think she'd be able to do it as it was never something we'd even practiced, but sure enough, she did it! She didn't really like that activity though, as once she put the bead on she was quite concerned with taking it off again and didn't want to string more than one bead at once! She was also able to draw both a vertical and a horizontal line when asked, which is apparently a 3 year old skill. She also enjoys drawing circles and is pretty good at those too. Sophia also managed to stack 7 blocks on top of each other, jump with both feet and run, one of her favorite activities! Our PAT lady has always been impressed with Sophia's vocabulary and of course she passed that part with flying colors! So far I think the longest sentence I've heard from her has been about 8-9 words, pretty good I'd say! She said I should take credit for her mad language skills as it's a sign that she comes from a home where she's talked to a lot and hears a lot of language, but I'm thinking it's mostly cuz I'm a big mouth who talks too much, but hey whatever works! ;)


In other news, Spud has dropped even more. The doc said Baby has moved even lower but is still hanging out waiting to be born! Good job, Spud...stay in there just a little bit longer! I even "lost" a centimeter this week, which I was quite pleased about! My doctor attributed it to the baby moving lower which causes the height of my belly being less, I attribute it to the fact that I didn't have a dozen cupcakes at my disposal this week! I told him to let me have my happiness any way I could get it and he agreed that was probably wise! ;) Spud is still fairly active as I continue to be amazed by how much room it thinks it has in there! I have started consistently waking up around 2ish and 4ish am, so I'm thinking that this will probably be feeding times. I have such high hopes for myself during the days, where I really need to get things done, but in reality, most of it just doesn't happen. During Sophia's nap time the past few days I've been napping myself, which is wonderful, but it of course stops me from doing things that need to happen! Charlie is being a big help and has started pitching in with more housework lately, which is much appreciated. I know he's tired too, but it really helps when I don't have to bend over to clean floors, etc. We've also been finalizing plans for Sophia to spend the nights with Aunt Annie and Bama during our hospital stay and putting finishing touches on her birthday festivities. I have also been trying to get out of the house as much as possible the last few weeks, and it's been so fun! Tonight Jill and I have pedicures and ice cream on the agenda and I'm so looking forward to a ladies night!


Overall, I think I'm to a point of readiness for this baby to arrive. Like I said last week though, it needs to wait until after the party, but then it's game on! I realize it's only a week later that we're scheduled for surgery, but I'd be okay if he/she came any time during that week! Of course I have other appointments, not the least of which is my registration at the hospital, but we'll just have to wait and see I suppose!

The Surprise in on Me!

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First of all, let me say that this post is looooooong overdue, but it's not my fault! They didn't tell me to bring my camera! ;) I have been at the mercy of others and then Jodie gave me a disc of pictures, and c'mon, now, I'm not that advanced. So, now that Charlie has loaded some pics...I'm ready to post!


I love my friends, they know me so well! Last weekend Julie and Jodie were the hostesses to a surprise baby shower for Spud and me. I was tricked into thinking I was going to a Silpada party (I must say I was disappointed, but only midly!;) and when mom and I showed up at Julie's, there was a baby shower, with a theme and everything! Their theme was cupcakes and it was very well chosen! Everyone was to bring a dozen cupcakes for judging and sharing. Some people made their own, some did store bought, but all were delicious! They made me a platter and I had to sample each one and then judge the overall best. This was too difficult, as you can imagine since their must have been at least 10 different kinds of cupcakes to begin with, so they gave me a break and let me chose a winner based on cuteness and on taste. The cuteness factor went to Pam and Shelby who made cupcakes that looked like little sleeping babies with a chocolate hair curl and a plastic pacifier. Anne made a chocolate cupcake with a very creamy and delicious frosting, plus she decorated them so cute with pink and blue, sprinkles and a Hershey's kiss. I also have to give a shout-out to Lisa who was a very close runner up in the taste category with her s'mores cupcakes...they were TO DIE FOR! (Lisa, you're going to have to shoot me that recipe, by the way!) Instead of frosting she used a melted marshmallow with a little Hershey square on top, ingenious, I say!


My guests stocked me up with diapers and other goodies like wipes, bibs, and a soothing sounds bear. Plus, Jill made me some awesome books and a cd that will come in very handy once Baby arrives. Everyone also contributed to a group gift. Even Sophia, who was not in attendance, recieved a few things too. We played a few games, including one where people guessed how big Baby would be and surprisingly everyone was pretty nice. I think the largest guess was 8lbs 6oz, or somewhere around there. Sophia was 7lbs 11oz, so if the wives tales are true, Spud will be bigger, but I'm hoping not much more than 8-8.5lbs. Not that it matters too much since it will be extracted from my womb, but I still have to carry it around!


I was so overwhelmed with happiness, surprise, joy...you name it! After the party, everyone was able to take home a dozen cupcakes to share with their family...a perfect parting gift in my opinion. The only un-perfect part was that now I had all these cupcakes that I devoured far too quickly, maybe that contributed to my weight gain! Charlie and Sophia did get a couple of them, but I'm going to go ahead and take responsibility for most of the cupcake eating that happened in our house!


I think we're ready for Baby and this made everything even more joyful! Thank you to everyone who planned, contributed and attended...you made my day!

Blackberry Picking

Sophia found a kitty to love!

She and Isaac square off for a battle of the buckets

so cute...sharing the berries

Yes, Mom?

running through the berry bushes!

Lisa, Isaac, Sophia and I returned to The Berry Patch yesterday for a morning filled with blackberry picking. Sophia was thrilled when I told her about our activity and she immediately remembered her blueberry picking experience and talked about the buckets, the bushes and all the dogs and cats that live at the patch. Plus, she was so excited to see Isaac and talked about him all the way there! However, upon our arrival, it seems that they were already "picked-out" for the day...um really...it's only 9 am??! Apparently they had a very busy Labor Day Saturday and people were picking unripe berries so they didn't have enough ripened and ready for us that morning. Nonetheless, we had trekked all the way there and were determined to pick something! So we made the journey to the far patches and managed to find a few, and we really do mean a few, berries here and there. The kids had fun, which was really the main thing, and they managed to eat as many as they put in the buckets. Literally, I think we came home with about 20 blackberries, 1 blueberry muffin and a blueberry cobbler. I figured I may not have any dinners frozen for when the baby comes, but I sure can have a blueberry cobbler! I have my priorities, dammit!

Renaissance Festival

First time aboard a llama!

checking out some new-fangled porch swings!

making herself at home with the goat

baa baa everywhere!

kissing the singing fox puppet!

We figured we might as well make it a festival weekend...huzzah! The Renaissance Festival is a fairly big tradition here in KC and for our family it dates back to our childhood. As a family we used to go at least once a year and would have the grandest of times! My dad being my dad was so into all the acting, shows, costumes, etc. His excitement would always make it so much more fun for the rest of the family and some of my clearest and fondest memories of my childhood are from the Renaissance Festival. As an adult, Dad and I kept up our tradition and would frequent the festival each year. Most of the time it was just the two of us and we'd drink Black and Tans and roam the grounds going to see all of our favorite performers. This year was the first year I've been back since he died and it was a bit emotional for me. Although, I had some mixed emotions I wasn't quite expecting. Sophia had an absolutely wonderful time, something I must admit I didn't even think about cuz I was more worried about myself! ;) But I was so happy to see her being entertained, having fun and getting involved that it made me both happy and sad. Happy for obvious reasons, and of course sad because I missed my dad and remembered how much fun we had there. I tried to catch at least a little bit of every show that we would have watched and I dreamed of drinking Black and Tans, at least! I laughed at all the corny jokes and giggled a little extra on the inside when I knew it was something he would appreciate. There is one in particular I keep thinking about even now, hearing in my mind Dad's little chuckle as he repeats it to himself. The anniversary of his death and his birthday aren't too far away as we near closer to Baby and I have to say it does make me a bit melancholy to be going through more life changes and knowing that he won't be here to partake. It gets easier, as does everything, with time, but this time of the year is a bit harder for me to take.

However, I shan't go too far off target because in my state of pregnancy I can really fall off the cliff with too much emotion, so let's move on to how much fun Sophia had! Hopefully the pictures capture her joy and excitement of the day! It took her a while to warm up to the festivities as she was bombarded with fairies and fairy dust and wand making just upon entrance. Once she got her groove on, though, she was set to go! Our first activity was riding a llama, which I must say I really can't believe she did! She LOVED it! I walked with her but she happily bounced along atop the llama, petting it, waving to Daddy, etc. At the end she said bye-bye llama, petted it and walked away. We also listened to some pirate music, which was hilarious because she bopped to the tunes about run, whiskey and shots and when they stopped she kept hanging around and asking them to sing one more song! Should I be worried?? We also hit the petting zoo where Sophia befriended a lazy goat who took to sitting by the entrance looking for hand-outs. She just sat down right next to it and fed it and talked to it. She then went after the sheep who also surrounded her and loved her back, or maybe it was just the food! One of our final stops was the singing fox. The fox sang various kid tunes, accompanied by a guitar playing fool! At the end of the show Sophia went to put a donation in the pot and declared she wanted to kiss the fox. The fox put on some glossy red lips and puckered right up for her! This same, very sassy fox, also heckled Charlie throughout the show, it was too funny! I'm not sure what he did to deserve that, but he was a good sport! I guess I'll have to take her to some puppet shows soon, because she really thought that was fun! All in all, the three of us had a very full day (and weekend) and were happy to spend it together. We ate much, laughed and played as a family, and that can't be beat!

KC Irish Fest

Perhaps our last picture as a family of 3?
Stacy and Cody give Sophia a cuddle sandwich

trying out the bounce house

sailing down the inflatable slide

Sophia devouring her meat pie

with her turtle balloon bracelet

Princess Sophia

both girls wearing their crowns

Stacy and Cody, who recently graduated from EMT school (yay!), were working the first aid booth at this year's Irish Fest. We joined the masses for some food, fun, and music and had a great time! This year Sophia was really more equipped to handle the kids' tents and Shelby was such a good helper along the way, as usual! Surprisingly, she LOVED the traditional Scottish meat pie and ate the entire thing without blinking! I have to say I fell true to the pregnant stereotype and my favorite thing, albeit not very Irish, was the fried pickles. Charlie enjoyed some traditional fish and chips and we all appreciated the funnel cakes and frozen custard! It was a lovely evening spent with family! We're trying to get in as much as we can before we're hospital and house bound!