Happy Thanksgiving Baby!

Yesterday was awesome.  I got a text message around 1:40 pm saying "I'm having contractions can you call me?".  M has been out to lunch with my family and had been having contractions since about 11:30 am.  After lunch M and G went home to take a nap but the only one who napped was G.  Our little one was getting ready to be born.

I headed home from work around 2:30 pm and arrived home around 3:15 pm.  I grabbed all my gear and we loaded up the car and headed to Dr. Harvey's office to be checked out.

M was having contractions every six minutes but needed to be dilated to a 4 to be admitted to the hospital.  Dr. Harvey gave us the only bad news of the night saying M was still a 3 and would need to walk around for a couple of hours before checking into the hospital.

After making 6 or 7 laps on the skybridge between 1101 Madison and Swedish Hospital and a trip to the parking garage we were ready to try our luck again at triage.  And this time there was good news.  M was a 4+ and heading toward bringing our baby girl into the world.

All of the doctors and nurses that we worked with were so amazing!  They were funny and personable and made us feel very welcome.  Nurses Heather, Tina, and Kristen, and Doctors Ian H.Wright and Dr. Judy Kimelman.  You guys were awesome!

M's first hour was spent getting settled in and getting and epidural.  Dr. Wright was awesome.  He was very professional and very nice hooking M up with some pain relief.  That was around 8 pm.  Dr. Kimelman came in around 9 and broke M's water.  From there the delivery was off like a skyrocket.  M's contractions started closing in on one every 2 minutes or so and it was only a couple more hours before the baby would be born.  In the mean time we got to know our amazing nurse Kristen who took good care of us and was super attentive to all of M's needs.

Around 11 pm M was checked again and was an 8.  They put her in a new position and within a few minutes  the baby had dropped and it was time to start pushing!  M started pushing around 11:35 pm and within 1 1/2 mighty pushes little C entered the world!!  11:42 pm was her official entrance time weighing 7 pounds 0.5 ounces and measuring 19.5 inches long.
Mom and baby got a bunch of bonding time and little Baby Clara was loving it.

Clara already looks like she is content in her new environment.  She is looking around and is the cutest thing we have seen since T and G.  She is going to fit into our family so well.  We are so thankful for all the thoughts and prayers.  This little baby is a miracle and we are so happy to have her as the newest, coolest, kid around.  MDTG&C....  There is a lot to be thankful for this November!

Princess Potty

She may hate me one day for taking these pictures. 

But I can't help it...Mama is so proud.

G's potty training experience has been a lot different than T's.

I learned a couple of things and have tried not to repeat them.

This all began back in August when D and I went to NY for 7 days.

While gone Grandma thought it would be a nice "present" to potty train our little peanut. 

I laughed and thought, "okay Grandma good luck".

To my surprise she did surprisingly well.  

The first few weeks she did great. She stayed dry both day and night.

She told me when she had to go.

Until....she just stopped.

And with this girl you can't make her do something she is not into.

I tried goodies, prizes, stickers and other motivations.

No luck. She eventually said one day, "Mommy I don't like to go potty in the potty"

And after that it was over.

She went back to pull ups and diapers.

I knew that I wasn't going to push it, I learned that from training T.

It has to be her decision. G knew she was in control so I had to accept it.

I gave up.  Then two weeks ago she showed signs that she was interested again.

So we tried... with no big expectations.

And I happy to report she is doing super well (again).

Back to staying dry (with a few accidents here and the carpet) day and night.

I am trying to make it her choice and just encouraging it.

It hasn't been too stressful or too aggravating.

She is happy about being the "potty princess" and so am I!

So here's to hoping this continues, and I get to enjoy no diapers for a few more days until our new little girl arrives.