Welcome Wylie

Dear Wylie,

   Almost a year ago I prayed that you would join our family. We were thrilled to find out you were coming, and now that you are here I know you were worth every minute of the wait. You have already been such a blessing to our family.

   I hope you are okay with the birthday we chose for you--June 2, 2016. It was looking as though my body had forgotten how to go into labor on its own, and at our 40-week checkup the doctor had some concerns about your growth. So we decided to get me hooked up to some pitocin to help get you out. It feels so strange making an appointment to have a baby, and a little awkward hanging around at the hospital waiting for it to start happening. But it was reassuring to hear your little heartbeat while I was connected to the monitor, and it put my anxieties at ease knowing my doctor was close by, watching over you.

   After 5.5 hours of pitocin, my body finally got the hint. Around 2:30pm it felt like I was actually in labor, and at 4:14pm you were born. I apologize for the screaming as you came out--I decided to forego the epidural again, and found myself vocalizing to manage the pain, as with the previous two births. Once the brief nightmare of pushing was over, with my eyes still closed, I felt a warm bundle dropped onto my chest, and opened my eyes. It was you. "It's a boy!" both the doctor and nurse confirmed, knowing I had only ever produced girls up until then. I marveled at your perfect little body and at the miracle that had just occurred. One rarely feels so richly rewarded for just under two hours of labor, regardless of the physical strain and intensity required.

You weighed in just shy of seven pounds--kind of a slender guy, but strong and healthy as far as anyone can tell. I was so relieved to know that you were okay.

Here we are in our postpartum and recovery room. Such a pretty view of the mountains from the windows facing West.

Such a handsome little face to admire on my new baby.

You have probably figured out by now that you have three older sisters. They were ecstatic about coming to visit you at the hospital the morning after you were born.

 

Ramona and Mika were beyond eager to cuddle you in their arms.

Jii and Baachan came to visit you, too. They love their little "Ken-chan."

During this visit, we kept up our tradition of exchanging sibling gifts . . .

. . . and your sister Paula kept busy playing with the hospital bed, making it go up and down, up and down.

You got smothered with kisses--we can't seem to keep our lips off of your face.

Nurse Nikki got the girls some big sister bands on their way out. They were so proud.

Your dad made multiple trips back to the hospital to spend time with us. I think you two are going to get along really well.

The hospital brought up a fancy meal for us on Friday evening to help us celebrate your birth.

On Saturday morning I tried putting clothes on you for the first time. I am still getting used to little boy clothes--and the fact that I have a son! Please be patient with me.

Around noon your sisters came back to cuddle you some more while we waited to be discharged.

When things were taking longer than anticipated, they all piled on the bed to watch the beginning of Inside Out. They are quite the crew, as you will come to find out!

Finally, it was time to strap you in and take you home.

As Ramona expressed in the note taped to your bassinet, you are a beloved new addition to this family, and despite being a little outnumbered by girls, we hope you feel welcome in our home. Thank you for coming, and for bringing a taste of heaven along with you.

Love

Mommy

Tick, Tick, Tick

I am a ticking time bomb, due to detonate at some point tomorrow. But what if I can't deliver on time? So much pressure.

Speaking of pressure, can I please take a moment to lament sinus pressure? I know I said I try not to complain about the third trimester, but the last few days everyone seems to be asking how I am feeling and honestly the answer is: NOT amazing! At 38 weeks of pregnancy, my body suddenly decided to become severely allergic to grass pollen, giving me the worst upper respiratory ailment I have ever had. The lymph nodes in my throat have been swollen for a week and a half, accompanied by a painful sinus earache. There was an entire day when my eyes were red and oozy, and several nights when I struggled to sleep because of a nagging cough.

When I am at this stage of pregnancy, every cough seems almost catastrophic. Each time I am certain I will pull a muscle, crack a rib, or pee my pants. It hurts to swallow, and my stomach is so squished that eating has been less than pleasurable. The list of medications I am allowed to take for all of these conditions is depressingly short and many on the list don't do much good, anyway. 

Thankfully, a sweet friend of mind found me a Neti Pot at the store after I was unsuccessful at finding one, and this has provided some relief. My husband has faithfully set up a humidifier in our room every night and even slept on the couch when my coughing, sleep-moaning, and toilet flushing kept him awake at night. Everyone in the house has tolerated my general crankiness, and today I didn't actually feel too bad. Maybe I am on the upswing.

Today the girls made it to the pool for the first time this season. I would have loved to join them, but thought it best to stay indoors and avoid any outdoor allergens that may be preying on poor, defenseless pregnant women such as myself. Also, I wanted to avoid more people asking me how I am feeling right now. I hate hearing myself complain, but it's also no fun lying and saying I feel fine, either. Hence, this lengthy post full of written complaints. I have to say, it feels good to vent!

Nesting Projects

School's out . . .

 . . . but baby's still in . . .

Let the showcase of nesting projects begin!

1) Family Room

I had been wanting to get some book cases for the family room, along with a matching cabinet to place under the TV. We finally found what we were looking for (thank you Costco), so the past couple of weeks I have been unpacking books and photo albums to set on the shelves, arranging, rearranging, and arranging yet again. I am trying out some orange storage cubes on them, too.

Speaking of orange, I went a little crazy in that department and also ordered a couple of orange storage ottomans. And since I can't get enough of storage ottomans, I decided we had to get a giant brown one to replace our coffee table. Now we just need to pick out some end tables to match the new bookcases . . . presumably in a year or so, at the rate we buy furniture.

2) Loft
The loft space in our home is basically a toy room with very minimal artistic decor (unless you count the multiple princess dresses adorning one wall). It could still use some work, but for now I am pleased that it has gained more adequate seating--a couple of months ago we bought a big couch from a neighbor to replace the squished bean bag chairs. Now our whole family can pile on when we are up there, although one of us always seems to be bouncing or jumping off of it instead of just SITTING. Oh well. Also, the loft finally has a functional time piece--I moved the little clock up from the music room, hoping it would keep the girls more on task at bedtime. I can always hope.

3) Music Room
The music room now has a much more flowery clock (thank you Bed Bath and Beyond clearance). My diploma is also hanging on the wall in there, now--Forest had it framed for my birthday--so this space of the house is looking ever so slightly more fancy. Now I just need to replace the light fixture so my tall students can avoid bumping their heads on it. :(

4) Front Room

Most people wouldn't notice (it took Forest at least a day), but I got another throw pillow for the couch in the front room. For someone like me, however, this is a big deal. I rarely think about home decor ever, but look, I bought an object to place in our house that is purely for show. Sure, you can rest your elbow on it, maybe, but I believe its primary purpose is to provide a "splash of color" or something like that. I'm obviously nesting, to be making purchases like this.

 

5) Laundry Room/Mud Room/Garage entryway
Our house does not have an actual laundry room. Or an actual mudroom. It just has a garage entryway with laundry hookups and a utility sink. As much as I generally love our house, this is the one part of it that has been least likable to me since we moved in. This tiny area has been a perpetual mess of things that need to be washed, shoes, coats, backpacks, and tools from the garage. But we did come up with a solution that makes the space considerably less despicable:

Step one: Get rid of ancient washer and dryer set.

Step two: Purchase new stackable washer and dryer set. Stack dryer on top of washer.

Step three: Create a mini mudroom space where the old dryer used to be. Also make some storage space above the new dryer.

 

This whole process took us from November 2015 until now, but I am thrilled that it finally happened. Now I just need to set up that bassinet for our baby, and the nest will be as ready as it can be!