Marching for Babies

It's that time again!!! March for Babies is coming up in just 2 months! April 21st at Centennial Park in Nashville, Tennessee is the march we will be participating in. If you are our friends or family, PLEASE come join our team and come walk with us! We want to have a large team and show our support to the March of Dimes, the preemies who are there,the babies still fighting in the NICU, and the ones who didn't make it. Team Lucy Loo's page can be viewed by clicking the team name. You can also click on the badge below to make a donation or to join our team.

If your local company or business would like to sponsor our family team, let me know! Your company will have advertising on a banner or sign at the walk. It's a tax deductible donation , starting at $100, and I can get the form to you.

Also,Keep this little preemie in your prayers: Chase's blog

Mommy was a great friend in college, my ball teammate, and my twin.

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After 3 weeks of trying to get it set up, we finally have Internet again! I will hopefully get back to this more often. I'm still trying to make a quilt for Lucy to match Ella's decor, get clothes entered and tagged for a consignment sale, unpack the last few boxes, oh and watch 3 kids!
While I'm sharing friends' baby blogs, check this one out!
http://lubiensadoption.wordpress.com/2013/01/31/nursery-reveal-plus-bonus-footage-wink/
I meant to post it a few weeks ago, but of course we didn't have Internet yet. And I'm not a fan of posting from the IPhone or IPAD.

A few pictures:
Of course, continuing with the same chalkboard that marked my weekly belly. I'm trying to keep up with her monthly progress on it.

IT SNOWED!!! It lasted about 45 minutes ;) And knowing that it was forecasted to rain later in the day and reach 45 degrees, we let the kids play for a few minutes before heading out.

We had a great little Valentine's day with the kids. They woke up to their balloons and small gifts. They are each still playing with their balloon today! I will upload the pictures of the girls' dedication later. Right now, all 3 are in their beds or are asleep, and I'm going to finally take advantage and close my eyes......but now Ella is stirring......story of my life!

This one had the bug first. She is NOW a snuggler AND she asks to be rocked at night. Actually she yells ROCK ME!!! until you go see her. Who would have thought something good would come from this nasty bug? 
Ignore the way I look. This was a long, drawn out process of all 3 kids being sick, mommy & daddy with nausea, headaches, the D word,& fever. We need OUT!

What have we been doing?

The stomach bug. The Super bug. The norovirus :/

February 3rd

I haven't blogged in about a month! The week before we moved, I was too busy being stressed, getting sick (from being stressed), attempting to pack,& deal with a newborn and a 2&4 year old. And we don't have Internet hooked up yet at the house. But we will soon!

The snow this morning reminded me of how the snow started the day before Lucy was born ( 12-12-10) & the numerous snows we actually got that winter while she was in the NICU. Apparently they were awesome -- I have some pictures of them. But as a snow lover, I really paid no attention to them, nor did I ever really take time to sit & enjoy the beauty of the snow.

We let the kids run and play this morning before we headed out to run errands and go to HD kids workshop. It only lasted about 2 minutes because they were freezing, but I'm trying to let them (and myself) enjoy being kids as much as I can. I also knew this snow would be gone before we even would pull back in the driveway 3 hours later. 

February 3rd.

2 years ago on this night , Luke & I were rooming in with our sweet little 4 pound something baby girl. We were beyond ecstatic to be taking her home, but I know I was terrified to be taking her home! We didn't know what the future would hold for our little one who entered the world far too soon--we didn't know how even an apnea monitor, pumping & feeding & weaning off a bottle, or even taking care of a preemie would be like at home. AT HOME-- without Leslie & Kimberly & April & Meggie & Elliot &  Erica & Tanya & Rachael & Pam & Mary & Betty Rose & Dr K or Dr R or Dr. H, and all the other nurses and doctors and respiratory therapists just feet away.

December 13th will ways be her special day. She will count down every year to her birthday. But February 3rd will always be a special day for her daddy & me! There are so many milestones she has hit in these past 2 years and I just know she will surprise us in so many more ways in the years to come. I'm so thankful for how far she has come, and I'm so thankful to be two years out! The worry, the anxiety, the fear, the guilt ( ok , that's a longer process) have almost all disappeared. Two years ago tonight, I was setting my alarm for 2am, 5 am, & 8 am to change diaper, feed,& pump. I was TRYING to sleep. I had a Chris Thomlin pandora station on. I was begging and praying for her not to have any spells. And I was pretty much in the most uncomfortable bed EVER :) Tonight I dried my baby's long hair before laying her in her own bed. So much has changed! We always always think back to where we started, and remember how many of our prayers have been answered.

Tonight I am SO thankful for Lucy. 

Ella Ruth-2months

I took all 3 kids to Ella's check-up. Not fun. But it was more fun than when they all 3 had visits in December together, they all got shots :/ 
40% head :) biggest yet. 9 lb 15 oz.  22 3/8 inches. Biggest baby of them all.

Lucy Lu

Some  Most days this little girl pushes me to my limits! She does what she wants. She completely ignores every word that comes out of my mouth. When you tell her to do something, she gives you this look

says no and then smiles at you. Over and over.

This is totally not like her brother was.

I was pretty worried that this new baby wouldn't be as special to me as Luce. I mean, I watched her grow from this

to this

in 2 short years.  I realized when I brought Ella home that I really did miss A LOT. Ella isn't even 6 weeks yet. Lucy was just getting into an open bed at this point.I was almost afraid to think about the pregnancy at all and a new baby because , heaven forbid, we go through 2 months of NICU again and something happen, I didn't want to feel a connection to her. Then I got worried that she would someday think she wasn't wanted, and that since I had been so distant with the pregnancy, it would continue when she got here. But strangely enough I'd love to never put this baby down! :) 

That leaves me with a crazy 2 year old that doesn't get enough attention from me. 

Things have shifted. 

I've gotten so frustrated with her lately. I need a few prayers with this one. I'm sure it's just the terrible twos. But I don't have energy for them most days,& I feel like I'm forcing her straight into middle child syndrome. She will someday ,hopefully, come snuggle with me and hug and kiss me when I ask her to. 

She is a handful right now.

  Hopefully soon, she will listen and obey! =) And hopefully soon, I'll quit wondering if everything she does or doesn't do stems back from me not being able to carry her past 29 weeks.

In this new year, I'll try to play with as many baby dolls, princesses, weeble wobbles ( she calls her Little People that too), pretend picnics, coloring books, and dress up as I can. Even though these first 2 years of caring for sweet Luce has taken so much out of me, I'll try to keep up just as much attention,praise and revel in every milestone she hits!

Baby weight

How absolutely discouraging. I felt like I kept in such good shape during this pregnancy. I ran a half marathon at 8 weeks. I was in the gym 4-5 days a week, at least 40 minutes of cardio & 2 days of free weights until close to 30 weeks. I went at least 3 days a week until 30 something weeks, and then I tapered off to NOTHING around Halloween. I thought for sure this time around I'd be that girl wearing her jeans in less than a month. When I left the hospital with Landon, I still looked 10 months pregnant:

My belly was pretty much a lot smaller this time around, and of course with Lucy I was only 29 weeks along, so it was way smaller anyways. I felt great about the belly about 2 weeks after I came home. BUT I'm pretty sure I've probably gained 5 pounds in the past month. Too many seconds, too many Christmas tree cakes, too much chocolate, too much Taco Bell,and too many snacks. 

And here we are 6 weeks later on Sunday. I'm NOT looking forward to weighing in on Monday at my 6 week check-up. I was assuming I'd lose the 20-25 pounds the first 2 weeks like I did the other 2 times. Well, we don't have a scale. I just wanted to wait and be happy at the Dr visit. So I tried on some jeans the other day because I was feeling skinny. Yeah, um. My thighs and hips are NOT ready for that =) So, I weighed myself Christmas Eve ( MISTAKE) and I had only lost about 16 pounds( I don't have any clue what my total weight gain was because it shot up in the hospital), with 14 left to go ( and then 5+ more to get to this:

*But hopefully this won't take 16 months* This was a week or 2 before my half marathon.

 That made for an emotionally terrible Christmas Eve and Morning.

 I know that most people take forever to lose weight and possibly even have way more than me to lose. I was so upset about gaining weight this time anyways( since it wasn't planned) because I had JUST gotten almost to my goal weight and back into things--hence running the half marathon at 8 weeks. I had worked up to that, and I wasn't going to quit. I only trained up to 10 and ran the 10 miler a month before the half. But I could never run more than 10 on my long run days because I as SO TIRED AND WORN OUT. That is what brought on the pregnancy test. Well, that and going to bed with massive heartburn every night. I only have heartburn THAT bad when I'm pregnant. It started EARLY.

I was just trying to do so much better with staying in shape. I told Luke that I'm not comparing myself to other people. I'm a little upset about it because I'm comparing myself to what I think I should be since I worked SO hard to stay in shape. So, I'm just going to take the number on that scale on Monday and go with it. I'll set my goal and get back into the gym when we move back! I know I can do it. I did it 2 other times, but I DO NOT want to run another half marathon right now. 

UGH 

I am looking forward to trying the gym with 3 kids! I thought I'd try to start out just going at night after they go to bed, and letting Luke hang with them, I've gotten into that routine so much and grew to love the gym from 9-10PM. But I don't think some moms understand the amazingness of dropping your kids off to play and sweating for an hour and a half. I need that time to kill during the day, time to let the kids play and run and work off energy, and I need the 'me' time.

Just music and your workout. 

I'm going to lay off the snacks too.

I don't want any special diet or program.

Don't try to sell it to me.

I did it by eating less & working out before.

Hopefully the thighs and hips will melt away soon enough! 

While I'm waiting, I'll enjoy snuggling with my kids........and wearing sweats, yoga pants, and ball shorts all the time =)

I'll just blame it on this preciousness

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2 years ago, I was in a lactation room, pumping for my lil babe, and watching updates on my phone for the Beef 'O Brady bowl game. Last night was much different. My 2 lil babes were asleep, Landon was watching with me & my sister, and we LOVED every minute of the SUGAR BOWL.