Cute Moments of the Week

A month ago tonight, I went into labor less than a week after having my last progesterone shot and my cerclage still in. The day before going into labor we had our last ultrasound with the Perinatalogist who told me that only 5% of women go into labor within 48 hours of having the cerclage removed. (Chris thinks I should take Zach over there for a visit to give the doctor a good laugh.) Getting the cerclage out without a drop of pain medication was excruciating. But once it was out we were Thunder Cats A Go! Labor pains were tolerable for the first several hours but once 11pm hit I was craving an epidural. I couldn't feel ANYTHING from the waist down afterward. It was so bad I almost kicked the nurse in the head because I thought I would be helpful in moving my leg for her. It was like watching a stick of jello aimed at her head. The next 4 hours seemed to fly by as I rested and listened to Zach's heartbeat on the monitor, paranoid up until the last minute praying that he was never in harms way. At 3:34am Zach popped into the world screaming at the top of his lungs as Chris helped me curl up to deliver that final push. We were safely the proud parents of two children.

Needless to say, the last month has been rough. Having a newborn with a 21 month old toddler is not easy by any means. On top of that, this is kind of new for us. Isabella's first 4 months of life were spent in the hospital. At that time, the nurses always tried to lighten our mood saying, "Enjoy the free babysitting!" Only now do I know what they meant. While Bella was in the hosptial we saw that as somewhat of a stab to the heart because we wanted to be able to take a healthy baby home with us each time we left the unit. Now that we have a healthy baby home this time around, which we are oh so greatful for, we realize what we did not experience before. A newborn has so much adjusting to do when they first come home. In addition, Zach being a full month early has spurred him to require much needed cuddling in order to feel a comforting heartbeat (what we preemie parents know as kangaroo care). He has been a super fussy baby that we continuously have to hold to keep him from crying uncontrollably. Although Chris and I are extremely exhausted, we have been able to relish in a few very adorable moments this week...a few of which we have pictures to go with.

Zach fussing
Zach was fast asleep in his bassinet looking so cute, so I went to get the camera. When I got back, this is what I showed up to.

Zach relaxing
Mister man stretched out on his tummy time pillow (yes Mere, I'm not afraid to put my boy on the pink pillow!)

Zach filling out
If you look close enough at his wrist, you can see a little bit of baby roll popping up.

Zach and Daddy cuddling
My 2 favorite guys in the world looking so cute taking a nap together!

Bella and the Dirt
After school one day, I was making Bella a juice cup. As I brought it to her in the living room, this is what I saw. I couldn't help but laugh, look at the plant with dirt all around it, and pull out the camera.

"Boots" and Bella
Papi bought Bella a monkey last weekend while he was visiting. She has started saying "monkey" much more in the last few days. If you didn't know already, Bella loves to watch Dora the Explorer. This morning Bella brought the monkey into our bedroom. Chris asked her, "what do you have there?" Bella's response...BOOTS!!!

One of the best things about living in West Texas are the beautiful skies. This is the sunrise after a heavy night storm.