Big Brother Wade meets his new SISTER!

One of the things I have been most looking forward to was introducing Bree to Wade. I didn't really have any set expectations because it's a BIG deal for a 2 year old to see a baby we're all calling his sister and seeing his mom for the first time in days laying in a bed. Wade can be VERY fickle so I knew to expect anything and everything.

As soon as Wade woke-up on the wrong side of the bed after his nap, Poppa and Dede knew we could be in trouble. He will randomly have those bad days and there's nothing you can do about it. Believe me. I know.

So here's how we started the visit...
All he wanted was some mommy time and his "orange bottle" (water with a splash of OJ). Yes, my 2 1/4 year old is obsessed with his bottle. He wants it like a pacifier for security and it's gotten way out of hand. But with a new baby coming (and now here!) I wasn't about to tackle that right now. So we cuddled and brought out a present from Bree to his big brother. Worked like a charm.

He loved his Lightning McQueen Geotrax car and remote. He just calls it "Ka-chow", the same name he gave daddy's car.

Then he was even interested enough to touch her head

And gave out kisses to mommy and daddy, but not Bree. She will just have to wait for that slobbery mess.

He did want her to go into "baby bed" and was willing to let her play with his matchbox cars.

Can you even imagine what Bree is thinking? "Who is this kid touching me?"

Wade was very helpful and even tried to put her hat on

And here we are....a family of 4! Wade LOVED his Big Brother button and thought it was so cool. He's also a fan of his Big Brother tshirts. He thinks they are super cool and now calls any tshirt with words on it a "brother shirt".

It's going to be a wild ride! But at least the first introductions are over. Let's hope the "honeymoon" period last a long time :)

The Birth Story

You could call Bree's birth:

The truth head...
The whole truth head...
Nothing but the truth head.
(So help me God!)

I promise not to get too graphic, but if you're not interested in the details....just know she was born surrounded by family (and half of Northside's hospital staff) and proceed to pictures below :)

But if you care, here's how our precious daughter entered the world...

Shortly after posting my "thoughts" about her pending arrival and motherhood, Bree decided to call my bluff and turn on some heavy contractions. I watched them for an hour or so, then decided to call my mom. For those of you that don't know my mother, she's not only all the wonderful things I've described to you before, but she also used to do home births, was a labor and delivery nurse, and is an all around childbirth expert. So I called her before I even woke-up Beau ;). Unfair? maybe. So smart? absolutely. After trying to lay down, relax, walk, take a bath - with contractions only getting stronger - we knew this was probably the real deal. Mom came over, Beau started loading the car, I took a shower and got ready, Dede (Beau's mom) came right over to stay with Wade, and by 4:00am we were in the car on the way to the hospital. I was threatening Beau's life with every bump and pothole, but he did a great job of driving calmly and safely to get us there.

By the time we got in a room and filled out the stack of paperwork, my contractions were getting unbearable. Unfortunately, I was still at my original 3cm dilated. I commend the strong women that can bring children into this world without an epidural (my mom and Aunt Angie, "the champs"), but I learned with Wade that I am just not one of them. I crumble like a little baby and become a very sound sensitive mega B%#*CH when the pain gets too much. So I begged for the epidural ASAP, knowing the process takes forever. By 7:30am I was dilated 7cm (YEAH!!), epidural was in and they broke my water. We had every reason to believe she was coming soon. Dede was on her way, but Alicia was stuck in a training class at work. We thought she was just going to have to miss this one.... Then just like during Wade's labor, I stopped progressing at 9cm. My contractions were still persistent on their own with no pitocin and Bree was in no distress, so the waiting game began. There was no rush and my doctor wasn't worried she was stuck like Wade, just stalling. We now are fairly certain it's just the way my pelvis is shaped and the "healthy" sized children I grow that causes the problem. What's a girl to do? Add it my list of plastic surgery one day...
The waiting was very relaxed, pain free, and really no problem at all. We were just excited, yet convinced she was holding out for her Aunt Sheesha to make it to the hospital. More family was on hand to pass the time and play the waiting game. By 12 nooon my doctor wasn't convinced I was completely ready to start pushing but thought it would help twist Bree the right way to get her face down instead of a little sideways. I told her I was a really good pusher and she should have faith in me. She believed me (I wasn't lying!) and the fun began. Luckily Alicia had just arrived, so I knew Bree was finally ready. So with my TEAM surrounding me (Beau, Nonna, Dede, & and Alicia - did I mention I'm obviously not shy?) we started pushing with no stress, urgency, or difficulty. In between, we'd talk and they all made jokes about how my eyes almost popped out of my head when I pushed so hard to get Wade out. I was able to make a lot of progress really quickly and in 20 minutes her head was out! With one more push we thought we'd have our daughter!!! But instead, my doctor discovered her shoulder was stuck under my pelvis and not budging. Here enters the 3 ring circus.

In a matter of seconds, all hell broke loose. They were calling for back up OB's, NICU teams, and crash carts. My very calm doctor went from encouraging cheerleader to Navy Seal drill sergeant. The nurse jumped on top of me and began all kind of hip maneuvers and compressions, scissors started flying, and I was given strict instructions about when and how to push. I can honestly say, there was no time to even panic or consider what was happening (Beau may disagree). I knew something was wrong and that all I could do was push. And so I did.

By the grace of GOD, somehow they got the shoulder free in time and out she came. She wasn't immediately screaming and pretty blue, but did start breathing pretty quickly. The nursery teams went into full force getting her checked out and making sure she was ok. And thanks only to GOD, she was fine. Her shoulder didn't appear broken, no obvious nerve damage from the pulling and yanking, and after some quick oxygen she was moving towards pink instead of blue.
We all took a moment to now breath ourselves and try to wrap our heads around what just happened, what could've happened, and just be thankful that she was okay. Poor Beau had it a lot worse than I did (in the panic department) because he was much more aware of what was happening and all the commotion. Come to find out later, Poppa (Beau's dad) was eavesdropping in the hall and just about died himself when they started calling for a crash cart! I'm thankful it happened so fast, and was over so fast, we didn't have time to consider all the possibilties. SO besides that minute or two of shoulder scare, the entire labor and delivery was not that bad and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat to get the reward at the end. No pain, no gain.
She weighed in at an even 8 lbs, but her cheeks alone are 2 lbs of that. She does NOT have shoulders like a linebacker :) I'll take the most responsibility for the shoulder issue. Before I could see her, I started hearing reactions like "she has your mouth!", "she looks like Wade", etc. When I asked Beau, he tried to give me some descriptions, but ended with "she looks really ASAIN!!!" That comment alone is hilarious considering the ongoing joke that our friend Seam (who happens to be Korean) is Wade's real father. So I guess the joke will continue with Bree too...
(the original "Who's the Daddy" picture from Wade's delivery, 2008) At 1:11pm on June 17th, we welcomed our baby girl to the world and couldn't be more thankful. I realize how much you can take for granted throughout this process. God was in control the entire time and was making sure Bree made it to us safely. But let me tell you, sometimes God sends angels in forms of educated doctors/back-up team/resources/and modern day medicine! THANKS BE TO GOD!

Cecelia Bree,
We loved you way before we met you. You are our precious little angel and we promise to protect you, guide you, and love you every single day! Love, Mommy & Daddy

Baby Bree is HERE!

CECELIA BREE BENICH

Thursday, June 17, 2010

8 lb, 20 inches

1:11pm

but you can call her "Cheeks" if you want to.

I guess my post about her NOT coming made Bree prove me wrong, and shortly after I wrote that she started making her way to us. I have plenty of pictures and bits to share about her birth, her name, first few days, meeting everyone - especially Wade, and life at home. But for now, I just wanted to share our good news that she was born! She's precious, beautiful, does have hair but nothing like Wade's ;), yes - her cheeks weigh her head down, and we're loving her to pieces.

Thoughts of the Day

No baby news, so don't get your hopes up. And I don't even have a courtesy picture to add to this post just to make you scroll down! Sorry!

Instead, I think I'll ramble about what's happening (or not happening depending on how you look at it!). So we're at 38 weeks and 2 days. Which is by no means overdue, but I feel like we've been on high alert for so long (Wade was 2 weeks early, I've been dilated for weeks, and she's measured ahead) it's just wearing on me. It's not that I'm physically miserable, it's just all in my head. And I have pretty regular contractions that just don't materialize into anything. I don't want to bore you with details, but the plan is to be induced next Wednesday because of her potential large size and Wade's difficult delivery. I will do the induction if needed....but for my own reasons I REALLY want her to come on her own before having to get induced. So my dr. tried to work some magic at my appointment today, I had the new spicy chicken sandwich for lunch, and I just got back from a long walk to try and move things along. But I promise I'm being patient :)

Wade can definitely tell something's up because he's been super clingy and very sweet to me. I've been trying to explain to him that mommy will go the dr. and when I come back I will have his baby sister! He seems a little confused, but then when I'm leaving the room he'll say, "mommy go doctor". Maybe he gets it, maybe not.

I have enjoyed taking a little more time every night with him at bed time to read more books, let him be silly when he should be winding down, and lay in bed with him longer. He really likes it when I rub his head and tickle his back, that's new. I know I won't be able to give him the undivided attention that he's used to so I want to give him all I can now. One of my favorite things about being a mom is that I've been so lucky to be here and availaalbe for Wade. When he had a rough night, I was so thankkful that we could both sleep in if we needed to the next day. When he deperately wants to go outside to ride his car, we do (as soon as I find some shoes). And even though there may not be a gourmet meal on the table every night (sorry Beau!), I can play trains with him whenever he wants. All of these things are about to change because I will need to be giving our baby girl the same love and attention he's gotten from me for 2 1/4 years. And baby girl I PROMISE to try hard to give you everything Wade has had (including thousands of pictures), but please bear with me as I get the hang of things....

In just a few days (or maybe hours. HA!) Wade will go from my baby, that still looks tiny, to my very big boy, that will look like a GIANT compared to our newborn. I know it. I expect it. I hear my heart will just double in size. I just hope I can be the mom of 2 that I've enjoyed being to Wade. I love both my babies and can't wait to have them here and home together!!!

Nothing like Summer!

Another carefree day at the pool! I love summer!

Wyatt, Lauren, Wade, Maggie & Charley Weeks digging into their ice cream cones!

Nonna is the most fun guest to any pool. Every kid want to swim and go down the slide with Nonna!

Fire Station

Wade and I had a fun adventure at the fire station! I've been wanting to take him to the fire station right by our house for a visit, but just haven't seemed to get around to it. So when my new "MOPS" (Mothers of Preschoolers) group planned a summer playdate at the fire station, I jumped at the chance - well maybe not jumped, more like waddled.

He was so excited to see the fire truck and all the shiny parts. He really liked the outside, but didn't quite feel comfortable to step inside. Maybe next time.
Sarah and Avery were there too. Avery was not so excited about all the commotion, and especially didn't like the fire men getting dressed in their gear. But she did manage a smile for her photo op!
This is Wade's friend Jack from school. They're buddies.

In addition to just looking at and climbing on the equipment, the nice fire men gave us a great demonstration of their gear and what it takes to be a real fire men.

While some kids liked the up close and personal view of the presentation, Wade chose a more relaxed position. He took it upon himself to sit in the fire men's lounge chairs off to the side...

FIRE MAN WADE REPORTING FOR DUTY!!!

All in all it was a great experience and Wade told daddy all about the "Dire Min and Dire tuck" later that night.

Uh-huh becomes Sure

Ever since Wade started talking, the word "YES" has been his least favorite word to use. He can say it, but he just chooses not to. "NO" is much more fun and he can scream that one from the top of his lungs.

So when you asked him if he wanted a cookie?, his response would be "cookie".

Eventually, we were able to get a head nod and then "Uh-huh!". I tried to correct him to say "Yes Please" but he doesn't say it on his own.

I guess I've gotten really used to "Uh-huh" because the other day when I got a shoulder shrug and "SURE", I thought it was hilarious. Somehow it's stuck and I'm now hearing "SURE" all day long.

One day we'll get to "Yes Please", but I can be patient.

Oh, and some pictures of the little maniac this week.... Playing his favorite game of MONSTER, in his current favorite PJs (I have to wash them everyday to ensure we don't have am "I WANT MY SHARK PANTS" meltdown every night).

A twirling monster?

Testing out daddy's glasses just in case...

Noah & the Kemp Crew

NOAH MARTIN KEMP

My friend Jennifer Kimsey Kemp, whom we call Kimsey added a new little boy to her wonderful family back in March, Noah Martin. And I finally was able to make it up to Gainesville to see him and the rest of her family. Luckily, Melanie and her daughters were making the trek with us so I made her drive in case I went into labor along the way :)

All the kiddos: Wade, Caroline P. holding Noah K., Neely P., Georgia K., & Ty K. (we will have atleast one more to add to the insanity the next time we're all together!!)

We've been doing this day trip to Gainesville periodically for about 4 years now, and it's become a fun tradition. As our herd of children continues to grow, it just gets more and more crazy! But we always seem to have fun. Caroline (Melanie's oldest) and Georgia (Kimsey's oldest) have been great playmates for awhile now, but it was also cute to see how Wade and Ty (Kimsey's middle child) knew just what little boys were supposed to do. So AFTER they put on make-up and played restaurant with the girls, they found some masculine airplanes and flew them around the house. I think they will continue to grow into great friends!!!

(Here's a picture of Wade's first Gainesville trip at 6 months)

We look forward to many many more fun trips to Gainesville to see the Kemps!

Sleepin', Soakin' & Stretchy Skirts

That's how I'm surviving this summer pregnancy...so far.

I try to nap (or at least lay down) when Wade naps (or stays locked in his room) in the afternoons. But I still can't make myself go to bed at a decent hour at night. Shocker.

I love going to the pool to soak and float in the evenings.

And I have a new found respect for stretchy skirts (mostly from Old Navy). Why spend all kinds of money on a summer maternity wardrobe when you can just wear regular stuff with lots of elastic?

I know it's not even that hot yet, but I'm just so thankful I won't be pregnant much longer. I just feel like a big swollen slug of a human being. Not complaining, I promise. Just pointing out the obvious. I get that some women love being pregnant and thrive in all their blooming glory. I'm just not one of them. I just love the baby you get in return :)

I'm 36 weeks and shouldn't have much longer. I'm already progressing towards labor (in OBGYN language = 2cm dilated and 60% effaced) and had some contractions for awhile the other night. But I would really like to make it 37 weeks so she will be considered full term. I'm not worried about her health at this point, but they would have to take extra precautions if she's delivered before 37 weeks, just to be safe. And I don't want anymore drama than absolutely necessary. Wade was my drama delivery. She is going to be a piece of cake :) I had an ultrasoound this week and the median estimate on her weight is about 7 lbs, so at least she big enough to join us on the outside :) So if she can just hold out a few more days, we will be good to go! And just because I'm posting this, she will now for sure wait until my due date....

Bags are packed (mostly), carpets have been cleaned (and getting dirty again as we speak), clothes are washed (her's anyway), house is clean (for the moment), and ............

We have absolutely decided on a name!!! YEE HAW!! Praise the Lord!! It only took 9 complete months to do it, but she will actually be born with a name. I even took something to our friend Mandy to be monogrammed once we decided so that we can't change our minds. I'm stubborn like that. So hold tight, it won't be much longer and you can all call her by her name too. Wade's been working on it, and has gotten pretty good. Although if you ask him what his baby sister's name is....he'll say "Joe".

So I will leave you with that for now and promise to keep you posted as I can!!!

(Wade with his back pack ready to go at a moment's notice)