Ben: Day 1

For starters, I miss Hilly. This is the longest we've gone without seeing each other. I miss her chubby arms, her stinky cheeks and perfectly angular and athletic looking feet. And her dimpled hands. Hilly!!!!!

Jax and I got to hang today. She had Gma D braid her hair, picked out a dress and put on her "make-up."Oh, and she wore a crown. She watched the nurse check Ben's vitals and when Ben started crying, she got visibly worried. It was so so sweet. She also was bossy with me- telling me to cover his feet and that he wanted to rest. Her maternal instinct is so incredibly strong.

Ben also had visits from Gpa and Nana, Aunt Betty and Grammy and Tiffany. It was a fun day for him of being held, fed, pooping, receiving vaccines, and being alert and staring at the new people in his life.

Tomorrow he is circumcised and we are heading home where I shall embark upon being a mom to 3 kids under 3.5. Things are just starting to get interesting, if you ask me..

Welcome Ben!

I had been having irregular, strong contractions and cramping for about an hour and I called the doc. He said to come in and get checked out if I am unable to sleep due to discomfort anyway. I drove in and they hooked me up to a machine which basically revealed my constant contractions and an "irritable uterus." I was 5cm dilated already but they suggested I walk to determine if I was in active labor at this time. I walked for an hour and read Teen Mom Confidential and texted my trans-continental friends. I saw my doc in the halls and he said "You are contracting, baby is ready to come, you are full term. If you want to have the baby tonight, we will admit you." I hadn't slept in 24 hours by this point so I was sort of wanting to go home and sleep but I knew my contractions were too bad to sleep. Admitted, I was. I called my mom to start driving and told Jim to get good sleep bc things were going to get started at 6am. I needed 4 hours of antibiotics first, as I am GBS positive. It worked out perfectly, really. I was really worried about laboring too long at home and missing my opp for an epidural, scheduling for the girls. Whew.

Anyway, I watched about 4 hours of Say Yes to the Dress and also the Bridesmaid Edition on TLC.

Then Jim arrived and we hung out until go time. As I googled astrological stuff for those born on 6/29, Jim googled important historical events on 6/29. Haha
Anyway, a boy born on 6/29 will marry someone with traits similar to his mother. Yay! Also, he will be strong and gentle. I know he will be wonderful.

When the nurse told me she was his dark hair I got really excited. He finally felt real. 10 minutes later we got to meet our son.

So far he likes to snuggle (like his sisters). He has a little temper like Hilly did. And his appetite is already way way better than the girls' appetites as newborns. I asked the nurse why the back of his neck is so chubby. She said "He is a chubby guy!"

After I had him I seriously couldn't move- exhausted and in a ton of pain. Jim and Ben got to have 2.5 solid hours of father-son time as a direct result.

Ben's Gma D, big sis Jax and Grammy and Pops got to visit him. Today he has more visitors coming.

We love you, Ben!!

Little Zoo

Yesterday the girls and I hung with P and crew until I headed to doctor and the girls hung there solo. I returned and Jackie was hiding. She yelled "No!". She didn't want to leave. :)

Oh, also, the girls had noodles for lunch at P's and we didn't give Hilly a spoon bc she isn't really efficient with one, but the other girls had them - she got up, went to P's kitchen set and grabbed herself a play spoon. Haha

Today we met up with friends for story time at the little local zoo. To say it was sweltering is an understatement. We bagged the post-story craft and hit up Grotto's for lunch, a personal pregnancy favorite of mine.

Our friends walked in and got balloons and my heart sank. The drama that accompanies balloons. Tiffany got us 2 blue balloons- less fighting if the balloons are interchangeable, right? Wrong. The girls found the differences between the 2 basically identical blue balloons. And one got caught in our ceiling fan and all hell broke loose. The girls are going to wake up tomorrow and the balloons will be gone. :)

Anyway, Jack peed at Tiffany's yesterday and Grotto's today. Peeing on location has been a long time coming.

Stickers, Play Group

On Mon, play group was at Chez Jackie & Hilly.  Hilly slept through the majority of it, as 1 year olds are wont to do, but Jax had fun with her friends:  play room, stickers (that was the "theme" - and yes, I hosted a play group with a theme.  In my defense, I forgot the theme was stickers and dug out a bunch of oldies we had in our craft bin last minute), lunch, etc... While Jackie was napping after everyone left, Hilly and I quietly played stickers. It was actually the highlight of my day- quiet QT with my Hill. 

I love taking the time to understand what she is saying:  She pointed out to me very specifically which stickers she wanted and placed them on her paper.  "No sun!" (which means, "yes, I want the sun sticker.") and "There" and "What's that?"

Then we ate lunch together.  I think the time has come to retire the high chair....  This is so incredibly dangerous I can barely wrap my mind around it.

Jax woke up and, truth be told, the rest of the day was a blur.  Probably playing in play room, etc... For record- Jack picked out her own outfit.  I love blue... but not that much.  Also, her leggings are too blue for my taste, frankly.  I digress.

The girls wound down to Monsters, Inc., their new favorite movie. 

They are def not always kind to each other, but what I love almost as much as seeing them laugh and play is seeing them so comfortable with each other: Hilly resting her hand on Jackie's leg, relaxing in a heap of toddler, feet tangled up while watching TV.  They are like kittens. 

En route to "new gym" yesterday, I asked Jax who Hilly's best friend is: She said, "Jackie and Payton."  I said "What about Hannah (P's little sister)?"  She said, "Oh, I love Hannah!  I love her little faces!"  I told Tiffany (mother of P and Hannah) Jackie said this and she said on Monday's play date, Jackie kept telling Tiffany how much she loved Hannah and how cute she is.  That's my Jackie.  :)

Another thing Jackie has been doing that's adorbs is singing the Jake and the Neverland Pirates theme song- all but the last line and then she is silent.  The last line is "And me!!!"  If any one of us finishes up her song (Hilly included) she rolls her eyes, throws up her hands and yells, "What did I TOLD you!!!!!"  in a silly- serious voice.  And then she says, "No- LISTEN!"  And then she breaks it down again.   OR she will just sing about what is on her mind.  On way home from Jill's grad party, she threw in the line, "And my hair is ooorrraannge!" Jim and I couldn't help but crack up in the front seat.  She totally totally gets this singing stuff from Jim.  Or my little brother.  Michael used to sing nonstop also.

Every day she kisses my belly and tells me how much she loves Ben.  It's so sweet- although I am not gonna lie- I wake up most mornings at around 330 and and up all day long.  By the afternoon, I impose a house rule "No climbing on mommy."  I don't want anyone to touch/hang on/rub up against (ahem, dogs) me. I feel like a child/animal magnet.

Anyway, see those snowman slippers below?  The girls have been fighting over them for days.  I bought them secondhand for $2 last fall and nobody was interested all winter.  The temps hit 90 and what do you know- snowman slipper weather.