Hands

I'm pretty sure this is how little Emmie spent the vast majority of her time in the womb. I am sure of this for 2 reasons.

1. She insists on having her hands near her face. She gets mad when they're not there. Eating has proven to be a challenge for her because, unfortunately for her, she does not yet have control of her hands and they often times get in the way. Causing her much anguish. I'm pretty sure she spent some time chewing on her fingers as well. It was almost like she had been practicing the skill for months. Which has made her think that she needs to have something in her mouth at all times as well. Thank heavens for pacifiers!

2. I used to get this creepy feeling like someone was rubbing my pelvic bone...I'm pretty sure it was her.

Clever

This morning I told Owen to go put his stuffed animals neatly on his bed.this is what he did...

I love that the prince is riding Bob the dinosaur, and knuffle bunny is riding bulls eye.

Thanksgiving wouldn't be complete without...

Pilgrim and Indian Feast at school!

(Ains was hilarious because she went through the line and got a teeny amount of food. Then she realized she liked the doughnuts and kept going back but would only get one or 2 little pieces at a time. I think she made 10 trips back to the food table for 2 bites of food each time!)

Time spent with family talking and playing games!
Game of choice this year...Hand and Foot.
College kids home to visit!
Syd and Michael both met Emmie for the first time.

Cinnamon rolls!

Made by Michael this year.

Approximately 5 photo shoots and 500 pictures taken by dad!

We just need to teach Dad how headbands are supposed to be worn.

Time spent with cousins.

Eating an insane amount of fabulous food!



And getting out the Christmas tree and decorating for Christmas!!!

Although this year it hasn't seemed much like Christmas yet. I think we were so focused on Emmie that Christmas snuck up on us. And I did my Christmas shopping so early that I haven't been out there in the hustle and bustle. But we'll welcome the holiday season none the less!

Again

I need to start a series of photo's entitled, "Owen drew on his face". For some reason the kid can't help himself. Who knows how many other posts there are with pictures of Owen's art work. I can think of at least 3. *sigh*

Life's Lessons

Ains and I both learned something this weekend....

Ains learned that beef is the inside of a cow.

There was a moment of shock on her face, a look of disgust, and then she continued eating her roast.

That's my little meat eater!

I learned that SOMETIMES husbands are right!

I got a very sudden 'flu' on Friday and suffered through feeling achy and awful until Saturday night I finally conceded and admitted that I most likely had mastitis like John had been saying all weekend. I called the doctor, got on antibiotics immediately, and I'm feeling much better now. If only I had listened to John sooner...

2 Weeks

Okay, technically 1 week and 6 days. I might not be allowed to say this because I'm her mother, but I think she would be a pretty cute little boy too. Maybe it's just that she's surrounded by mostly brown and blue in this picture?

I just can't get enough of her sweet little face!

Adjusting

We are slowly adjusting to life with a newborn. I'm starting to get used to sleeping in short intervals and then still functioning. Although I don't know what I'll do when the help ends and I suddenly have to find a way to make it through the day on my own. I've been very well cared for and have had volunteers taking my kids regularly and am still using freezer meals that have been dropped off!

What I'm most scared about is trying to get Ains ready in the morning and to school on time. For some reason it seems so hard right now. I am envisioning mornings with a screaming, hungry baby, kids going crazy, and lots of drama as we drive to school every morning. I've got a few more days of help with rides, and then we'll have to see if my fears are correct, or if I'm just being dramatic and worrying for nothing.

Owen has had the toughest adjustment. I was expecting troubling times...and he has had some. But, he has done pretty well. He's had moments of tantrums and being too rough, but he has also been helpful. He is always willing to help with anything concerning Emmie. It's really sweet. But one things for sure, Emmie will have to be a tough little girl if she's going to keep up with her big brother.

3 Little things

A Little Funny

I found this while cleaning up Ainsley's room this morning. I had kind of forgotten about it and was glad I found it before it got lost. It was her schedule she made last Sunday night. She followed John and I around as we were trying to get everything ready for the next day. She was a little concerned about who she would be with for which part of the day. So she got out her notebook and quizzed us for information, and this is what she wrote down...

It says:

Kortne lunch
Erin Plae
Tawni Morning
Nadley Sool
Dady Nit

I thought it was cute, and she did a very good job. The kids were at Kortney's at lunch time, Owen went to Erin's to play and then she picked up Ains from school, Tawni was here in the morning, Natalie drove Ains to school, and they were with their dad that night. I guess the schedule made the day go a little more smoothly for her. I just wish "visit mom and baby" would have been on the list...darn Swine Flu.

A Little Gross

Emmie lost her umbilical cord this morning (or her stick as the kids have been calling it). Actually I'm not sure when exactly she lost it...but we can't find it! Gross!!!!! I'm sure it had to have been during one of the diaper changes in the dim light last night. I just hope we locate the thing soon!

A little Unbelievable

I'm going to say this despite all the rolled eyes I will receive (because I know I would roll my eyes if someone said this to me). I'm pretty sure Emmie smiled yesterday morning. It wasn't a gassy smile, it was a true wide open mouth, "I'm perfectly content now" smile. So whether you choose to believe me or not I'm claiming her first smile on 11/14. Ains smiled early too, I believe she was 7 days, or maybe just over a week. Owen didn't smile until around 2 weeks. FYI.

A birthing story

A little comparison...and a recounting of my 3 deliveries.


This was by far my easiest delivery and recovery. With Ainsley I spent the night sick, throwing up, and contracting on a viscous drug before being given an epidural and pitocin the following morning. I had a fourth degree tear, hated the long lasting effects of the epidural (I could barely walk 12 hours after delivery because of the amount of drug I was given). Basically I wasn't a happy camper (for several weeks, mind you).

So with Owen I decided to do things completely different. I was induced 9 days late and gave birth naturally. While I loved how I felt after delivery (it was awesome) the birth hurt like heck. And due to my super woman pushing I broke my tail bone by pushing so hard that Owen's head broke the bone and cut up the back of his head. Notice the sweat dripping down my forehead, my sweaty hair, and mascara under my eyes. All proof that I had actually labored. Unfortunately, the tail bone issue proved to be as bad as the tear and it still bothers me to this day.
This delivery I decided to go with the epidural again, there was no way I was going to risk breaking my tailbone again due to my inability to stop pushing even when instructed to do so by an O.B. I also asked a ton more questions regarding the epidural. My anesthesiologist gave me the lowest dosages of all the medication. (On a side note, the anesthesiologist's name was Chip and John thought this was hilarious. I think I would have thought it was funnier if I hadn't been having contractions every 1 1/2 minutes. ) Chip did a great job. I could feel and move my legs during the entire delivery. I could feel the pressure from the contractions but not the pain. I could even feel when I needed to push. I was able to walk shortly after delivery. And as a result, while my body labored, I got to relax...the proof is in the picture... After "laboring" for a few hours, the nurses came in and before I knew it was time to push. I think I dialated from an 8 to a 10 in a matter of 10 minutes. I pushed during 3 contractions and she was out. The umbilical cord was wrapped around her ankle twice. Every time I pushed her blood/oxygen supply was being cut off and she was under a bit of stress. The doctor was calling for the vacuum to get her out quickly, but I was grateful I was able to feel a bit, because I told him it was time to push, he let me try to get her out one more time, and out she came. I didn't even realize that the whole situation had been a bit serious until talking with the doctor about it the next morning.

Our little Emmie wasn't to excited about leaving the womb behind. I guess I should have predicted that based on how late she was. She cried FOREVER after she was born. And not because she was being poked and prodded. She was laying on me just screaming. For like 30 minutes. Everyone in the room got a kick out of it. I think it was John that finally got her to stop. So all of Emmie's first pictures are of her wide open mouth.

The following picture is here for venting purposes. I absolutely hated that I had to wear the blood pressure cuff for the entire delivery and for hours afterward. My nurse was a huge stickler (she kind of annoyed me during the whole delivery...I eventually had to tell John to stop engaging her in conversation because I'd be in the middle of contractions and trying to get information and John would ask one random question and we'd have to hear her talk about something for 20 minutes...she was one of those people that are lucky enough to know everything about everything and feel that they need to share their wealth of information with everyone. Wow, vent over.) So, after delivery, when they told me to try to nurse Emmie and I was having a hard time due to the plethora of tubes and cords connected to me I removed the cuff. And then I got in trouble. And then I got kind of annoyed again. I jokingly asked her if we could just assume I was dead so that we could leave it off for 15 minutes. She didn't think I was very funny.

John was a very proud dad. He was anxious and excited and all the things that dad's should be.

I just had to put this picture in because it is me sitting in a chair at the hospital. That has never happened to me before. I've never been able to sit in a chair without precariously positioning pillows until weeks after delivery, until now! Check me out, sitting in a chair the day after delivery!
Since the hospital things have been pretty good. The kids love Emmie. They are both very interested in helping and love to be around her. Sometimes a little too much. But that is expected!

The kids have been real troopers. The day of delivery they woke up to a friend of mine at our house that was nice enough to come over at 5:30 in the morning to get them off to school. They were at friends houses, and at my sisters, and then finally with John that evening. Owen has been a little stir crazy, but all in all they have handled the adjustment well. John's guess was that Emmie would be cool and exciting to Owen for a day and a half, and to Ains for 2 weeks. I think he was right about Owen, and the verdict is still out for Ains. Although they both love to help when they can, throwing out diapers and picking out clothes are the favorite jobs right now. Newborns just aren't that exciting in the eyes of 3 year olds!

Emmie has been a pretty good baby thus far. She's got a set of lungs, but is pretty mellow at the same time. We are enjoying the newborn coma stage that we are currently still in. I love this stage. They are just so easy and content. I wish I could just hold her all day. I hate how fast they change though. She already looks different. She has been a pretty good sleeper too. I can't complain. She is up a couple of times at night but she's a fast eater and pretty much goes right back to sleep. I'm just crossing my fingers that this is a trend that will continue!

(Excuse the darkness of this picture...but I loved that John caught her cute smiley face on camera, even if it is just a gassy smile.)

Introducing Emmie Lynn Dinger

Born at 1:13 p.m.

7lbs 10oz

20 3/4 inches

Mom and baby are doing fine.

[guest post by John Dinger]

Just Thinking

I will have this baby by Monday at the latest. I really wanted to wait for this child to come on it's own. But, apparently I am weak, and I have the most comfortable uterus on the planet. So, at my appointment on Thursday when my doctor so kindly pointed out that I was indeed over due, I asked him to please remove the child from my body. I just can't take it any longer. I almost think I could if it didn't hurt so much to move (darn that pulled stomach muscle)! I'm still hoping that some kind of miracle happens and that I will go into labor on my own. I just really wanted to this time since I haven't experienced that yet. But alas...I have reached my breaking point! So at the very latest, on Monday morning, being 10 days over due, this baby will be born!

I can't get over how weird it is that this new little stranger will soon be apart of our family. Right now our family seems so normal at the number four. And in no time at all, we will be a family of five. And I know it will only take a matter of minutes for it to feel strange that she was ever not a part of our family.

Not so easy

Owen has had a hard time with this whole daylight savings time. It's not seeming to get any better. We know he is waking up by 6:00 because that is when we first see him, although we suspect he is up earlier than that, and then is exhausted all day and crashes early in the evening. Last night at 2 in the morning I heard someone wandering around (which always creeps me out...even though I know it's just the kids) so after I convince myself it's not a ghost or a stranger wandering around our house, I fall back asleep, then wake up again to go to the bathroom, and go check on Owen. His door is closed, the light is on, and he is back asleep on his bed. Then up again at 6:00! I don't remember having issues like this in the past.

Although, Owen has weird sleeping habits as it is. Ones that for me seem straight out of a horror film. He prefers to sleep with the light on. Not a night light or a dim light...a BRIGHT light! Who likes to sleep with a bright light glaring in their eyes. No one but the disturbed characters in scary movies if you ask me! I was able to get him to sleep with his lamp on for a while, but lately the bright light is on until he goes to sleep, and then John and I turn it off before we got to bed, and then he turns it on as soon as he wakes up (whether that be in the morning or the middle of the night). I guess I could look at it as a fun little routine we do...but mostly I think it's weird!