Birthdays and Christmas Fun

I can't believe that another Christmas is nearly here.  Christmas 2012 seems like it was just yesterday with my kids anxiously opening presents and excited for their new toys.  The Holidays go way too damn fast and it's really my favorite time of year, it has always been. 

 

Even though I spend way too much on presents for my girls and try to have Santa get their entire wishlist, I love seeing the looks on my girls faces when they open their gifts on Christmas morning. I'm more excited about this Christmas because it will be the very first Christmas in our new (beautiful) home. 

 

As strange as this may sound, I have always wanted a home with a beautiful staircase that I could decorate with lighted garland and the Christmas cards that we receive from family and friends.  While many people have had staircases all their lives, I did not.  I grew up in a "mom and daughter" type house, just like the majority of homes in my city.  My grandparents lived upstairs and my mother and I lived downstairs in the two family house.  The house was rather small, often compared to a "shoebox" by many of my friends, but it was home for 28 years of my life.  Now that we moved into a larger one family house with two floors, I couldn't be happier and feel more accomplished for finding it and fighting for that to be our new home.  I was able to (over) decorate it to how I had always dreamed my home to look for Christmas and can't wait to see our brand new tree sparkling on Christmas morning with all of our presents beneath it.  Just one more day left until I can enjoy that.

 

Olivia's 6th Birthday was this past weekend and I had the honor of hosting her family party at my home this year.  We invited 13 family members to the party and planned a nice spread of food that we both got catered and cooked ourselves.  I had the best time and was so proud to have such a beautiful and roomy house to have everyone over.  It was really the best feeling in the world for me.  Olivia got some great presents including a Sofia the First Leap Pad, many other Sofia the First toys, some beautiful outfits and a gorgeous easel from her Grandma and Grandpa, which she can't stop playing with.

 

I can't believe my baby turned 6 on Saturday -- time really does fly when you're having fun raising your children.  I tell this to everyone, including my sister who will soon have her babies, enjoy them while they're little!  It goes way too fast and if you blink you will miss the best and most enjoyable years. 

 

Happy Belated Birthday to my darling Princess Olivia and enjoy the remainder of the Holiday Season to my readers! 

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Yes, I have kids and No, I don't know what it's like to go into labor. Why?

While talking to a pregnant friend the other day the topic of labor came up.  I was asked, "What is it like to be in labor?"  to which I answered, "I don't know."  If we were talking in person, I'm sure I would have gotten a strange look from that comment but instead I just got a, "???"...  Yes, I do have two kids but honestly, I don't know.  I would never be able to differentiate between real labor and false labor if I were ever to have another child.  That's because I was induced for both of my girls.  I never went into labor naturally and was put on an epidural before I ever felt any real pain during labor...

My oldest, Alayna, was induced due to me being pre-eclampsic.  I was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia during the 20th week of my pregnancy, same time I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, so I was watched very closely.  I was also in the hospital quite a few times due to different issues so my pregnancy with her was very high risk as it was.  I went into the hospital when I was 33/34 weeks pregnant and wasn't given a choice.  I was having irregular contractions but I was leaking amniotic fluid and my blood pressure was fatally high.  They said if I waited any longer I would have had a seizure.  So they transferred me to labor and delivery and told me that I was having the baby that night.  (Well, 14.5 hours later.)  So my tall, skinny, beautiful and extremely smart 7.5 year old was a preemie....an 8lb preemie -- yes, she was the largest baby for the one month she was in the NICU. (Yep, they said if I carried her to full term she would have been 12lbs, probably due to my gestational diabetes.)

My pregnancy with my youngest was such a stark difference from my oldest, I had no issues at all and only gained 20lbs.  However my OB/GYN was pregnant at the same time I was and she was due the day after I was due -- Dec. 26th.  She had a scheduled induction for the 23rd of Dec. so she scheduled me for the 21st for two reasons...

1.  So I would be home with Alayna and Olivia on Christmas2.  So she would be able to deliver my baby.

Olivia's labor was only 7 hours and she was here...also 8lbs, nearly full term and no issues.

So no, I don't know what it is like to go into labor naturally but I do hope that I experience that one day.  I've been through inductions twice and I'm not really a fan of them,  I would rather nature take it's course.  One day I'll actually get to know what real labor is like, but that's one day in the far far future.

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