Kidlet Cuteness

First SMILES at Mommy :)

Logan has been saying and doing some of the funniest things!
*He tooted, turned around to us with a huge smile and laughed.  He did it again and turned around to look behind him like 'Hey where did that one come from?'
*He comes up to Charlie, lays his head on her (his way of hugging) and says 'Awe, Baby.' Grab her feet and smell them, saying 'Eww, yuck!' Oh the cute that he is!*He plays with his animal crackers. 'Hop, hop, hop.' Moving them around the table.

Life is full of cute and funny things, its up to us to see them and experience the greatness!

Really, a month already?

Oh sweet Charlotte, you are one month old today.  It is really hard for me to believe.  I feel like it was just yesterday that I was super uncomfortable and hugely pregnant. This month has gone by so quick!

This month has been tiring and full of changes.  Adjusting to life with three kids has been interesting!  You are a good girl and eat on a pretty good schedule of every 3 hours.  Giving me one stretch of 4-5 hours at night.  For which Mommy is so very thankful :)  However, since the heat has kicked up....you have been a bit of a crank butt.  Your belly is upset and you are projectile vomiting (a new thing for you), crying at night (which you never did before either) and making Mommy have lots of worry and guilt feelings.  I am not sure if you are not liking the house being between 75-80 degrees or if you maybe have mild reflux starting.  You sleep all the time but always have 3 times a day where you are awake for up to 2-3 hours!

Mommy has such a hard time getting things done when you are awake because all I want to do is hold you and admire how beautiful you are. Your brothers are so adoring of you.  Dominic and Logan love to hold you, cuddle you and tickle you!  You are your Daddy's princess.  Even if he does not want you to turn into a princess, heh!

You are growing like a weed and I cannot wait to see how tall you are on Friday.  You have grown out of so many 0-3 month sleepers already.  You have slept in your crib for a nap for the first time, putting yourself to sleep!

You are moving your arms and legs around more...you even grab at people's hair.  We love it when you roll your eyes, constantly sick our your tongue, make smiles in your sleep and giggle when you have gas or have a good dream. I would love if you could stay small but know that growing is what you are meant to do.  I am trying to take my Dads advise and not blink.  I do not want to miss anything!

Happy 1st month Charlie!

How goes it?

I have gotten that question a lot lately!  So far so good...no real complaints.  I mean, um yeah, I am sleep deprived.  I am constantly feeding someone, changing someone's diaper/clothes, cleaning and basically running around like a chicken with my head cut off!  But really, REALLY, I would not have it any other way. I would, however, LOVE to win the lottery so that I do not have to throw working into this mix ;)

Dominic is the same old kid.  Super happy to have a little sister.  He is still sassy and has a teenage attitude but he is pretty helpful in terms of the babies!  He has informed us that he has a girlfriend.  Not only that...but he wants to kiss her. KISS HER?!  Yeah, not really sure how I feel about that.  I have told him that he is too young to kiss.  His response: "Can I give her a peck on the cheek." "No, but you can hold her hand." "Mom, holding hands is for old people. Old people do that and take walks, we are not old!"  Oh yeah, he really did say that.  Good Lord...WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?!

Logan has entered the terrible two's.  Full blown tantrums, hitting, biting and angry spouts.  Oh the fun of having a toddler in the house!  Very thankful that he does not take any of his aggressions out on his baby sister :)  His vocabulary is starting to explode, though.  He repeats so much, says everyone's names, can say animal names and some of the sounds they make.  He does the dances he sees on his favorite TV shows and sings the songs.  He constantly wants to go, go, go....he is such a boy.

Charlotte is wonderful, adorable and such a little love bug.  She does not mind taking baths.  She lets me sleep some ;)  She is so sweet and only cries when shes hungry.  I have been really lucky to get all great babies!  I am having a blast with all the dresses, bows and outfits.  Having a girl rocks but of course I wouldn't change having my little monkeys first either!

Charlie's angel enters our world

Every pregnancy has been different and every labor/delivery has also.  Charlie....she is a stubborn little girl!  She was a footling breech until week 36, as in the night before my sonogram is when she flipped!  Gary and I watched her do it...it was awesome and a little painful.  It was that day when I realized that I was in for a roller coaster ride with her :)
I was not over due, although I felt like it. I was almost 39 weeks and was scheduled for a Saturday induction. We were told that they would call between 8-12...when they had a bed available.  Well, my phone rang at 6:25 am! This sent us rushing around to shower and pick my Mom up before heading to the hospital.  My mother in law had the kids Friday night just in case we got a call to come in early...which we did!  Gary and I were showered and arrived at Magee by 7:40!
I got checked in and waited for a resident to check my progress before they started the induction.  Of course my contractions were showing up on the monitor but I was not progressing at all.  The Dr called and asked if I really wanted to be induced today or wait till next week.  Um, yes I still want to be induced even if it means another LONG labor.  See, I am known for my long labors...43 hours for Dom and 21 for Logan. I was given the cervical pill at 10:15 am and was checked on 4 hours later with very little progress.  The Dr ordered pitocin since my contractions were now every 3-4 minutes.

We waited all afternoon and I was going no where fast.  My contractions were coming on quicker and stronger but in the form of the baby wanting to come out...well she was just being stubborn.  I got my epidural and the continued to up my pitocin amount every hour.  Finally, at 10:30 pm I was making some progress....3cm!  (Figures my Mom had JUST LEFT!)
I was not checked again until 12:30 and whoa boy I was at 6cm :)    Finally, we are getting some where!  The next hour went by in a flash and everything changed.  I was super uncomfortable and decided to roll over when it felt like a rubber band snapped....wosh...water broke.  I called the nurse and she checked on me.  Just like that, it was GO TIME! She informed me that Charlotte had gone to the bathroom and there would be a team of pediatricians in the delivery room to check on her.  Um, yuck and okay...is she going to be okay?! I am a champion pusher and it only took 7 to get my little lady into the world.  (to which I asked Gary, whoa is she out already?!)
They laid her on my belly and I had tears running down my face...I could not see her for very long because the Drs needed to make sure she was okay.  They checked her out while Gary took pictures.  She was perfect and beautiful.  Full head of hair, 8.2 pounds, 20.75 inches, chubby, long fingers and toes! 

I decided to watch this delivery, I had never done that with the boys.  I knew this was it for us and wanted to make sure I had no regrets.  It was an experience that I will never forget. She is an angel baby!

Since Gary and I decided that 3 kids was enough, I had my tubes tied right after delivery.  It was 3 am, I was in the OR while Gary was left in the labor/delivery room to feed our baby girl. The procedure is quick but not painless.  I am still in constant pain from the procedure, which can make taking care of an infant a little difficult.  The hubs has been great with taking care of me through this.  It is going to be hard when he goes back to work...3 weeks might sound like a lot of time off but I wish he could take more!
Family and friends came to visit Charlotte at the hospital...even though she was born on Easter Sunday! 

Welcome to our family....Charlotte "Charlie" Sierra Over!

 Charlie has completed our family, warmed our hearts and opened our eyes to a new world!  We love you!!