Just Some Pictures...

Not much going on except being the mothership to these two kiddos. In lieu of that, all I have for the general public is two more pictures of this little cutie pie:

 She smiles in her sleep a lot :)

So far so good as far as being a mom of two goes. It helps that my very own madre is here to keep Finn as occupied as he needs to be (which is a lot) while I figure Isla out. It seems as though she needs to eat every hour and a half and let me tell you, Finn isn't going to hang around while I do that all day. Don't blame him. A bottle gets tempting most days.

The only problem I see is that my mom is going to have to leave some day and I'm going to be left to figure out how to do this solo. *Gulp*

Day 5...

Ain't she gorgeous? That's all....

How It All Went Down...

You want an awesome labor story? You got it!

(Why are these stories so obligatory for the blogging world? I don't know.)

So contractions. They started on Saturday morning and I was like, 'sweet! Lets get this party started!' even though they weren't so painful that I was convinced it was really 'go' time. We went to the hospital when they were about 8 minutes apart because everyone told me that with second kids labor goes by a lot faster and frankly, I didn't want to deliver a baby in the car.

Gross.

They sent us home an hour later because my gut instincts were correct...thundercats were not go.

We were back 3 hours later because the contractions were stronger and 3-5 minutes apart.

They sent us home an hour later...again. And told me to relax. Yeah. Sure thing. We ordered pizza and wings on the way home because I was all emotional about the fact that I was in some amount of pain and people were ordering me to chill out about it.

That's when the fun started!

We ate pizza and wings and started watching Sherlock (yes!) but I was like 'holy mother of batman, these contractions are KILLING me.' It was BAD.

I really didn't want to go back to the hospital only to be sent home again and have the nurses laugh at me behind my back (that happens, right?), but I was swearing like a sailor and could hardly walk so we went and it was probably good timing because...

...suspense...

...my water broke as I was getting out of the car. Super gross feeling but it meant we were good to go. Oh, and I was 7cm dialated. I'll do the math for you. In 3 hours I went from 2cm to 7. Unmedicated. Ouch.

Since I was in a lot of pain but wanted (past tense!) to go sans drugs, I compromised and got an epidural but wasn't hooked up to any medication. Which means I could still feel my legs...and all that...but it was just dulled down a bit.

Compromises are awesome.

2 hours later Isla was born!

36 uneventful hours after that we went home!

We've been home for a day and so far so good. My mom is here and Luke is taking a few days off work so basically I'm home free.  Now if only I could leave the house for more than a minute...

Finn is adjusting just as I thought he would. He still runs around throwing things only now he has to avoid hitting a baby. He likes to pet her legs and when she cries he runs over with her pacifier (we get lucky if he doesn't put it in his own mouth first, though) and he likes to give her his toys. He also enjoys sitting in her bouncy chair which, as you can imagine, is much too small and pink for him.

But yeah, mostly just ignores her. Fine by me. It seems safer.

As for Isla...she's a doll. A doll with a set of lungs and high expectations. Takes after her momma :)
But really, she just sleeps and eats and stares at you and cries and basically is a newborn baby. Sometimes she honks like a goose when she's upset. Or squeaks. It's great.

What more can you ask?!

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Isla Rebarchik

She's here!!

And since I'm sitting not-so-conveniently at the hospital at the moment with no fantastic photos of her on hand, here are some general details:

• Born 12:44am on Sunday May 20th (37 weeks 6 days)
• Weighed 6lbs 4oz (exactly the same as Finn)
• Labor was intense but we were all laughing by the end.
• Her name is pronounced 'eye-lah'... fyi.
• She looks unbelievably like her brother did at birth only with a head of near-black hair.
• Finn has come to visit twice and likes to pet her like a dog and point to her eyes (i.e. try and poke her eyes). But he also gave her a kiss of his ow volition :)

Love!

One Last Hoorah...

In anticipation of baby girl's possibly (hopefully!) imminent arrival this family took  one last, awesome trip as a family of just three.

Let's face it, every time we go somewhere its an awesome trip, but this one was extra special because we went to the zoo.

Given Finn's new talent at naming animals and their sounds I thought it would be epically exciting for him.

As it turns out Finn is WAY more interested in the water and rocks in the animals' enclosures than anything else. Really, this kid loves water and rocks. He can spot a water fountain from a mile away and we have a rock collection constantly growing outside our front door (and in the car).

But in any case Finn saw some animals and thought they were pretty cool, too.

 Furry doggy backpacks are the best...

 See that Bengal Tiger in the background? Whatever, look at those rocks in the water!

I just love his face in this picture :)

Holy Cow!

That title...that was the first thing my mom said when I sent her this picture. Tactful, right?

I seriously don't think I can get any bigger without my belly button popping off or something weird like that.

Yep, that's my hairbrush...

Seriously.

Awesome part? No stretch marks on that belly (or anywhere else)! Boo ya! Which is fantastic since I have TWO new bikinis ready to go for summer by the pool in California sometime soon.

I'm so delusional, it's cute.

It happens at this stage, I guess.

Also, where are my bangs, you ask?

Funny story. I got my hair 'did, so that I could be all fabulous when it comes time to pop this 25 pound baby out and I guess when I said 'caramel color all over' they thought I said 'yellow streaks all over'...oh, and we'll fry the hell out of your bangs so that when you straighten them, well, they'll be so frizzy they'll literally stick straight out.

Yeah, I re-did the color myself, pinned those bangs back and am currently praying for a deep conditioning miracle. Because the rest of my hair isn't fairing much better. Le sigh.

Also, Finn seemed to have fallen asleep mid-play this morning and was sitting up with his toy car in his lap. Precious :)

Notes On Nursery-ing...

Ready for it???!

Here it is!

Tres chic, non?

The best part (in my humblest opinion) is that I made/refinished a lot of the stuff in here.

This 'stuff' includes  the birds (squint and you'll see them) on the dresser, the pillows, mobile, sheet saver on the crib, probably 15 different blankets, changing pad covers and a couple of diaper pouches out my favorite grey chevron fabric. Among other things.

Our sewing machine purchase was the definition of 'good choice', let me tell you. 

I also refinished the frames and made TWO 27 x 27 floor pillows so that baby girl can lounge in style. See?

Ah, the life of a stay at home mom...as you can see I put all that time on my hands to good use. But really, once I got going and the creative juices started to flow I found myself really, really enjoying all the projects I had. It's been a long time since I felt like I had a 'skill' and sewing was definitely not one I'd ever think I'd be any good at. So I guess what I'm saying is that I'm really very proud of everything I was able to put together.

Don't get me wrong, I bought a lot of stuff, too. Ahem. Sorry, Luke.

Here is a wall you missed and a close-up you desperately wanted to see but were too afraid to ask...you're welcome! :

The mobile is my proudest accomplishment...

I'd like to thank Etsy for inspiration and Sheree and Sherbert Lane for providing the cutest hairbows you'll ever see, because while my bow-making skills were adequate...hers are like, totally awesome.

Also, it makes me laugh (not really, just figuratively) how polar opposite my kid's rooms are. Finn's has all dark wood and blinds and is filled cars, rockets and airplanes everywhere.

We call it his 'man-cave'. And rightfully so.

And since I feel like I've done a photo-binge for you guys already, here are some more pictures! Of Finn's room! Why not? Please excuse my poor, lamentable photo skills. Pinterest and Instagram sigh at my inadequacies.

 Is that a TARDIS you see? Yes it is.

 

You say 'delicate'. I say 'barge-like'...

Yes, the phrase 'delicate condition' when referring to pregnancy might not be entirely accurate.

You walk into a room and no one thinks how 'delicate' you look...honestly, it looks like I could run through a brick wall with all that girth around my midsection at the moment...

This is only my humble opinion. I'm not about to try it.

And then there are the not-so-delicate sounds of my pregnant self. I had a moment of clarity today...an epiphany if you will...being pregnant is like being a big ship in that every time you move you make a noise.

Go with me, here.

Bending down to pick something up? That takes an 'harumph'. Picking Finn up? You'll hear me 'oomph' at that one. Most other movements require only a slight groan or sigh. Sometimes a swear word depending on the circumstances (take for instance, picking Finn up out of a muddy puddle today that he was sitting in and then bending down to pick up all my bags. Oy. My back wimpers at the thought of it).

Yeah, nothing delicate about that, trust me.

But guess what? The barge-like phase seems to indicate the winding down phase of this business as well (can I get a hallelujah?!)...which is good because I'm not sure how much longer I'd like to be this variety of delicate.

And last but not least, there is the case of the disappearing feet. Authorities are baffled and hope to find the culprit before these tootsies are completely gone :) 

Up Next: The nursery, revealed! Stay tuned, folks.