Life with 2

Yesterday we made it to the one month mark!  I'm happy to report that not only are we alive, but we are all happy and fairly well rested, considering the circumstances...and all the fears I had were basically over-exaggerated ones.  The house is clean and Mirabel still feels loved, thankfully.  But we do wear a lot of wrinkled clothing, and sometimes dinner is a little boring or burned ;).  Honestly, it's easier now than when I was pregnant.  It was just a really rough and painful pregnancy.  The delivery, however, was pretty easy, and the recovery even better.  I'm not going to lie, I was sore for a few days (and the cramps are much worse the second time around) but I don't even feel like I've had a baby...other than the fact that I don't fit into most of my pre-pregnancy pants and my stomach looks like a deflated balloon with a few stretch marks (couldn't avoid those this time) haha :D. Juliette adds balance to our family.  Her personality is so unique; she is so sweet and cuddly.  She loves to be held, so usually I'm wearing her in some way.  Like her big sister, she isn't a fan of the car seat.  But she is much quieter about expressing dissatisfaction than her much more vocal older sibling ;).  She has her good days and bad days in the car seat, but outside of the car seat she is pretty easy most days (unless I drink milk or eat ice cream--avoiding those).  She doesn't cry when I change her diaper, clothes, or even when I give her a bath--which still takes us all by surprise.  She is quiet at night too, sleeping a nice, solid five hours the first stretch.  Some nights she is more vocal and makes grunting noises; she sounds kinda like a baby goat/lamb/dinosaur when she's half awake/half asleep.  Speaking of sleep, I'm still forcing myself to take daily naps.  I never did that after Mirabel was born, which is partly why the adjustment period was harder the first time around. All in all, I feel more complete.  Juliette adds to this feeling, but it also has to do with feeling more connected.  When Mirabel was born, we'd just moved (temporarily, for the summer) to Houston from Boston and we didn't have any friends or a church in the area.  I feel like I was thrown into a pool without knowing how to swim.  This time, we had family going in and out, and friends from church and my mom's group preparing meals for us and dropping by to visit.  I was concerned that I wouldn't feel like socializing much after the baby was born (before she was born), but quite the opposite was true.  I actually felt better after visiting with people and looked forward to having friends over.  We went back to church a week after Juliette was born and we were greeted with open arms (open arms ready to hold a newborn :).  All four of us are a family, but we also have extended family among our friends.  That's what's adding to this solid feeling we're enjoying, and what's made the transition easier. . ..And here are some photos taken from two different photo sessions, by two different friends.  Both equally talented and generous :).  I didn't even expect to have newborn photos done, but with two offers, I couldn't resist :D.  So happy I had them done :).

Introducing...Juliette Vera Ancer

Wednesday around 2 AM, I started having contractions; I'd been very restless all night, actually.  The contractions lasted until 6 AM, then they stopped when I decided to get out of bed and work on breakfast, dinner, and laundry.  Great! I was used to this dance... I wasn't sure if Wednesday would be THE day, but I wanted to leave the house prepared :).  My bags were already packed; I try to think 2 steps ahead (but I can't believe I almost missed my own labor...details to come haha!).

I was convinced these pains were just typical BH contractions because they stopped and there wasn't much happening until around 5:30.  Thankfully, family was visiting earlier in the week, so Mirabel was entertained and I was able to get a good nap in.  If there's one thing I learned since Mirabel's birth, it's to take as many naps as possible, whenever you can!  You never know when your next restful night will be with kiddos around.  I wanted to stock up on sleep because I knew Juliette would be arriving within the next few DAYS.  Yep, days.  I didn't think she'd be here until this weekend.  

Jose was going to stay home, but I told him to go in; I wanted him to really be able to enjoy being home when the baby arrived and not have to worry about work piling up.  So he left.  All day, I felt a little different, but I figured my body was just gearing up.  I called the doctor at around 5, after talking to my mom about what I was experiencing, and she wanted me to go to L and D and get checked out.  I thought both the doctor and my mom were just being overly cautious.  I wasn't even planning on taking my hospital bag.  I guess I was in complete denial?  I just didn't want to get my hopes up.  I was also anxious about leaving Mirabel alone, I even shed a few tears about it in the car on the way to the hospital :(.  Then I realized I was giving her a gift, a new sister to play with!  I felt less guilty when I thought about it that way.

Jose came home around 6:30 or so to take me to the hospital.  He also felt we should bring our bags and the car seat.  He was convinced I was in labor.  At this point, I was getting contractions again, but they were only coming every 6 to 10 minutes; I still wasn't so sure.  They were getting stronger, but not strong enough to stop Jose and I from exchanging jokes back and forth in the car... That is, until he hit a speed bump during a pretty strong contraction.  I quieted down then.

BUT I still didn't want to get all the bags down from the car when we arrived at the hospital.  Jose was so sure we'd be admitted; I thought they'd send us home until at least midnight (see how my mind was slowly changing about this whole thing? ;).  After all, my first labor WAS about 26 hours long.  I was hoping for something under 20 hours with this one.  I thought that was a reasonable expectation.

We take the elevator up to L and D and the doctor on call is paged.  Apparently, I was already 3-4 cm and 70% effaced.  The day before at my appointment, I was barely 1.5 cm and my cervix was very posterior, so you can see why I felt it'd still be some time before Juliette made her grand entrance.

The doctor wanted me to be examined again in an hour, just to see how things were progressing.  We walked the floor and that did some good.  I was admitted after being told I'd hit 4.5 cm and that my cervix was finally cooperating! Yay, body!

I was reaching the next stage when I decided to jump in the shower.  The hot water was amazing and helped so much.  I stayed in there until my skin was nearly blistered from the hot water lol.  Jose was concerned about the water temp, since my skin was so red from the intense heat...  Let me tell you, I totally wanted a water birth at that point.  But hospital regulations, GBS, and water births don't exactly mix.  Maybe next time...  This labor was moving so quickly that before I was under the influence of any medication, and during this active second stage of labor, I was already talking about having another one!

I dismissed that thought at around 5 cm.  The pain was nauseating and radiating down my back and legs.  I decided it was epidural time.  I was shaking and things were moving fast; this was it!  I thought I still had at least another 4 hours of labor ahead of me, though.  I was also dreading another tear and an overwhelming transition--all from a previous bad experience with what seemed to be a never-ending labor, hence the decision to get the epi.

You'll be surprised to hear that in under 2 hours, I'd gone from 5-10 cm!  The nurses weren't even going to check me, but I pressed the little red call button when I suddenly felt like something was coming out of me on its own.  That something was actually SOMEONE I'd been eager to meet for 38 weeks and 4 days :)...

Juliette Vera arrived about 20 minutes later, at 12:59 AM on August 16th.  She entered the world warm and wonderful, weighing 7 lbs 1 oz and measuring 19 1/2 inches long.

I actually got to hold my new baby girl and inhale her delicious newborn scent!  Yummy, better than cupcakes!  There weren't any nurses or doctors there to rush her off to the NICU.  I got to experience that wonderfully euphoric feeling that comes with holding a tiny new life.  

Juliette ate for an hour and then fell asleep for 8 hours... and she still likes to sleep.  I'm in shock, really. Not sure how long it will last, though ;).  Believe me, I'm trying to stock up on the Zzzs as much as I can :).

(Side note: Jose changed his mind about her middle name at about 37 weeks, thankfully it didn't take too long to come up with another name we could agree on. ;)

36 Weeks (Almost)

Things are heating up around here, not just because we're hitting the triple digits.  I'm down to the single digits as far as counting down the weeks to Juliette's birth goes!  I'm so ready to meet her, and so ready to have my energy back :).


This pregnancy has been significantly harder than my first.  Funny thing is, getting pregnant was the easy part this time.  I know that pretty much raising this toddler on my own during the week is a big part of it; Jose's back to working his 12-13 hour days.  And it's fun chasing her around when it's time to change her diaper, and I'm struggling to just stand up before I can even consider how I'm going to catch her (it's a funny site)... But in spite of the exhaustion, 3 A.M. leg cramps and hot flashes combined with backaches, etc., I'm super thankful that Juliette is healthy.  I can breathe now that we're almost at 36 weeks (this Saturday), okay maybe not literally (I get so out of breath so easily!), but Juliette can breathe on her own!  

I'm excited to see how Mirabel accepts Juliette.  Mirabel adores babies and hugs each one she sees.  She loves them, really...until I touch them :).  Then the tears begin; real tears, like my love was transferred to someone else.  But yesterday she told me she wanted a brother!  Hopefully she's anticipating the arrival of a sibling, even if it's a sister.  She knows there is a baby in my belly, but she also pokes at other folk's bellies, including her dad's, and says "baby" ;), so I'm not sure just how much she understands.

Things are so much different this time around (on to the positive).  We have a home instead of a 900 sq. ft. apartment in the arctic ;), Jose is out of school, we are more financially stable, have a great network of friends, are established in a great church, etc.  So many people are excited to meet Juliette.  My two sweet friends are throwing me a "Baby's Blessing" celebration the first Saturday in August.  I hadn't heard of this type of thing until one of them mentioned it to me as an alternative to a shower. She initially offerred to throw me a shower but I felt uncomfortable accepting gifts since I went overboard buying Mirabel clothing/toys/etc, and she's my second girl.  Basically, a few friends will come over to hang out, eat, and work on a scrapbook that they'll fill with prayers and blessings for Juliette.  I love this idea; I hope Juliette appreciates the scrapbook when she is older.

These last few weeks I'm just trying to enjoy my only baby, and my little free time :).  I've been trying to take daily naps during Mirabel's naptime, and that really helps.  Today I didn't feel quite as exhausted.  Our dinners are pretty boring these days, as I get tired and hot standing in front of the stove.      Usually my energy is gone by noon, since we try to get out before it gets too hot. I recently discovered that Mirabel really likes visiting plant nurseries.  The mosquitos love us, but she loves the water fountains and cheesy garden decor.  There are some great places here in Austin.  I think I've gotten bit about 10 times this week, just from 2 nursery visits.  

A few weeks ago, my mom told me about Fairy Gardens.  I had no idea what they were, so I researched them online and came across a blog that had tutorials on how to make one, and even how to make the "fairy furniture" out of stuff from your back yard.  Along with plant nurseries (and bees, she tried to touch one the other day!), Mirabel LOVES little things.  We go to the craft store and she picks up the little balls that fall off of the fake flowers and collects them in her little, sweaty hand.  Pennies, buttons, rolly pollies--anything small, she loves.  So a fairy garden for Mirabel sounded like a good idea, and I wanted to make one too ;) but I'm just using her as my excuse.  That's why we went on a few plant nursery field trips, and even a trip to the craft store since their mini furniture is on sale this week.

It doesn't look like much, but there was a lot of sweating involved in making this.  Mostly because it's so hot and I feel like I'm always on fire these days.  But I'm turning my porch into a fairy's haven, so far I have two other fairy gardens going up.  I've also got a collection of dish gardens, miniature roses, and succulents all on my front porch.  I don't know why but I can keep mini roses alive but not herbs!  What's up with that?

Anyhow, here's our first fairy garden.  Mirabel couldn't wait to get her hands on those little pots and pans...

It's hard to tell, but that's a piggy figurine behind the wishing well (it looks like a ghost :).  I would've loved to use some really cute moss, but it's just too hot here for that.  So I used Elfin Thyme, I think that's how it's spelled. It's thyme that grows like ground cover and it tolerates the Texas summer heat :)... because I know you were wondering why I didn't use moss ;).

I know I won't have much time to do this sort of thing once baby #2 comes along, but every time I see a baby I get excited that I'm having one, so I know I got pregnant at the perfect time!  Yes, there's a lot of anxiety about what it'll be like to raise two little girls close in age, but it's not impossible.  I know I'll be tired the first few months but time flies, and who knows how much longer Mirabel will appreciate things like fairy gardens and rolly pollies.  They are little for a short time; on my tough days with back to back tantrums (Mirabel's not mine, promise ;) I have to tell myself that.  Now we're going to have someone else to love and our house is really becoming a home.  

Juliette's Colorful Nursery (done on a budget)

So initially we were going to have Juliette in our room, in her own crib.  Then we decided that since Mirabel is still in our room, but in her own bed, I should probably prepare a room for Juliette and then sleep in there with her, so that Mirabel doesn't think she's being replaced by her new little sis (that and I don't want to leave Juliette all alone when she's first born, and I'm too tired to walk across the house multiple times a night ;).  We're worried about some jealousy issues, as she doesn't even like me hugging her dad!  
There's a twin bed in the room but it isn't featured in the pics...that twin bed is for me :D.  Anyway, here's Juliette's Matryoshka/Nesting doll-themed nursery, and my room for the next few months after her birth, or until she sleeps thru the night :).
Sorry for the bad lighting.  It's been really cloudy and rainy over here.  No complaints about the rain, though!  We've been in a drought, so any trickle of water from the sky brings a sigh of relief.
Found these little picket fences at Hobby Lobby for like $1 and hot glued flowers on them, then cut out nesting doll images from left over fabric and glued them onto the picket fences.  The pink lamp was on clearance at Hobby Lobby for $10 regular $50!  Bedding and Bedskirt (Fabric found on sale at JoAnns.  With all the coupons, ended up getting it all at about 60% off. I didn't want to make a bumper b/c I'm paranoid :D)Valance in the larger window across from crib:Wanted something lightweight to hang above the crib, so we spray painted these embroidery hoops white then decorated them with nesting doll fabric.These three little windows looked boring so I literally just hammered some fabric under the window panels and just used steam-a-seam to finish off the edges, because I was too lazy to sew them at this point :P.  I figured that dresser I re-did awhile ago would match the crazy nursery colors.If you're wondering what's in those black frames by the windows...more nesting dolls of course.  Free clip art images found online and printed/cut out and placed on scrapbooking paper.  Framed on black $3 Walmart frames. (Sorry for the blurry image.  I think my lens is dirty. :)