Life

Life with 3 kids is busy.  Like, crazy busy.  Just trying to keep everyone healthy (which is nearly impossible this time of year!)  And it's not just that someone always needs you or is always crying, but more often than not, TWO of them need you and TWO of them are always crying.  Always.  *Sigh*  It won't always be like this, I know.  I'm trying to soak up their cuteness for as long as I can.

The Hubs and I tell each other that someday they will all be out of diapers.  Someday, they will all wipe their own bums.  Someday, they will make their own snacks.  Someday, we will all sleep through the night.  But today is not that day.  In fact, 2015 doesn't look very promising either.

So here are the big events lately:

Claire turned One month old in November...and had her first Thanksgiving (of which I took zero photos of.  Bad Mommy.)

And then she went and turned TWO months old last week on Christmas Eve:

We had a super fun Christmas this year, the kids are at such a magical age.  Although the big kids get naughtier by the day, I swear.  Some of the shenanigans they've pulled lately have us wondering WHERE did we go WRONG???  At the same time, we have to hide our laughter because they are downright hilarious.  I'll have to tell the stories sometime about the Nestle Strawberry Milk incident, the plunger incident, the escape in Jungle Jim's incident....and those are just the tip of the iceberg.

But for now, my family and I wish you all a Happy and Blessed New Year!!  May 2015 be your best yet!

We had a Baby GIRL!

Well if you follow me on IG or are my friend on FB, then this is old news....but we had a baby GIRL.  Twelve days ago, to be exact.

 She weighed 6 pounds, 4 ounces and was 19 inches long.  Pure, sweet perfection.

Daddy's crazy hairline and cowlick, just like her brother & sister too.

 We named her Claire Pamela.  Claire, because we both just liked the name and felt it would suit her throughout her life and Pamela after my mom, who passed away nine years ago.  She looks identical to both her big brother and big sister when they were newborns!

About to be wheeled in to the OR for the big show

She came 10 days ahead of her planned c-section because I started getting sick with Pre-Ecclampsia again.  OF COURSE, my doctor was on vacation, so I was in the hands of someone I'd never even met before.  He turned out to be fantastic, thank God.  As soon as Claire was born, she had a little trouble clearing the extra fluid from her lungs (common with c-section babies) and they took her to Special Care Nursery to be evaluated.  They decided to keep her after seeing her oxygen saturation levels were a bit low.  I didn't even get to hold her until the next day and that was SO HARD.

In her little oxygen hood and getting some extra IV fluids

But I was dealing with my own post-op issues.  15 minutes after they closed me up and I was in the recovery area, I had just said goodbye to Joe, the kids, and my MIL.  They went to go visit their new baby sister.  Suddenly, I heard a big gush of fluid.  I look down to see a pool of blood EVERY.WHERE.  My nurse heard the sound and quickly called for help.  She no sooner got it cleaned up, when it happened again.  Another big gush of blood.  At this point I knew I was  hemorrhaging.  I was so grateful for my nurse, Mindy, who stayed calm and collected when I was beginning to freak out.  I sent Joe a frantic text telling him to get back to recovery because I was bleeding pretty bad.

The nurses got the doctor out of his c-section that he had just begun and he came to help.  They hit me with every clotting medication they could give me and the doctor explained he didn't know why this was happening, but that he might have to take me back into the OR, open me up and find the source of the bleeding.  He also warned me of the possibility of having to perform a hysterectomy on me.  This also freaked me out.  Early menopause?  No thanks.  During the c-section, he already told me that this would have to be my last baby because there was "nothing left" of my baby oven and I was lucky I didn't rupture.  We had already decided this would be our last, (OK well, we were 99.9% sure) simply because I don't do pregnancy well and oh yeah....we're getting OLD.  But to hear it come from your doctor and have it no longer be your own choice?  That was hard to accept.  I know it's for the best and I have 3 perfectly healthy little children whom I couldn't love more.

I spent that night getting blood transfusions and therefore, couldn't go visit Claire in the SCN.  The next day we were both feeling better and she got to come stay in my room for the remainder of our hospital stay.

Discharge Day and ready to head home!

We've been adjusting to life at home as a family of 5 (whoah!) and my amazing husband is still off work.  He's been a saint -- handling anything and everything else so I can focus on the baby and rest and heal.  I am definitely soaking up this sweet time of life.

Touches of Fall

Just so I don't feel guilty that I totally dropped the ball in the decorating & homemaking department because I'm thisclose to having a baby, I wanted to share my VERY minimal efforts for decorating this year.  Maybe it's just the innate Momguilt speaking to me, forcing me to provide photographic evidence to MoJo that See?  Mommy didn't totally forget about you guys or Fall or Halloween!

I really wanted to have some decorating done, have the kids' Halloween costumes decided & purchased, and their little PB treat buckets dug out of storage before the baby arrives.  Check, check, and check.  It's all about low expectations my friends.

Up first:  The foyer.  I still think the bottom shelf needs a little something(s)...

The front entrance:  I can barely keep these mums alive, I think they're getting way too much sunlight here.  But what do I know...I kill every.thing.

And the mantle:  I found this little package with a cute banner at Micheal's for 50% off.  So I snapped it up, not realizing all 168 pieces had to be assembled.  So that's how I spent my Friday night -- hating Martha Stewart.

I love seeing everyone's fall decorations and really hope to step up my game next year.  It was fun this year trying to decorate the new house with all my old decor -- I'll definitely have a better idea of what I need to be hunting for when the clearance sales hit post-season.

Counting Down

I am eagerly counting down the hours days til Baby #3 arrives.  15 days, or 2 short weeks from tomorrow.  It's hard to believe we're going to have a newborn baby in the house again, but then again, we have 12 straight days of call to survive between now and then.  And I'm not getting any smaller or faster.

This weekend was the last weekend I'd have my sweet husband around, free & clear, so I had big thoughts of getting stuff done, but not much of it got accomplished.  Oh well.

It was a lay-low-and-snuggle-in kind of weekend.  Full of flannel and punkin jams and doughnuts.  I can't seem to eat enough sugar and it's really grossing me out.  We also visited my MIL around dinner time (conveniently, lol) Saturday afternoon & evening so Joe could help her with some technology-related issues she was having.

He's been very snuggly lately, even when not sick.  I think he knows the baby is coming...

It was downright chilly most of the weekend  -- definite scarf weather, which me and my extra bun are L-O-V-I-N-G btw.  My feet and ankles are so swollen that NONE of my shoes or boots fit me, except one pair of ratty old TOMS.  I refuse to buy bigger shoes for the next two weeks.

By Sunday afternoon, the sun was shining and we had to get out of the house.  We decided to check out a stop or two on the Herbst Tour and ended up at Little Rock Farm, where the kids got to run around, go through a hay bale maze and we got to buy a 1/4 of a cow.  All my dreams are coming true.  But seriously, we have been looking for a local source of hormone/antibiotic free beef and we found it.  Just need to get my freezer space readied before Bessie gets butchered.

I don't even question her outfit choices any more.  

He insisted we buy just ONE MORE PUMPKIN.

37 Weeks - Large and In Charge.

At this moment, I'm avoiding cleaning Joey's car seat -- his almost brand-new Britax.  He vomited all over it last week as I was on my way to my OB appointment.  I had to reschedule my appointment, get him home & cleaned up.  Anyone have any tips on cleaning those things?  I hosed it  off really well, but it still smells and there is still...um....debris.  Ugggh. GAG.

He got a little stomach bug, which we think was something he ate because nobody else got it.  Long story short, he vomited and vomited all night long.  I went through every spare piece of bedding/blankets we had PLUS several towels.  So. Much. Laundry.  It took me 5 bed changes to realize I should've been laying towels down all along.  Live and learn.  Anyway, poor little guy was so sick and I ended up staying awake for 40 hours straight.  Can't say I've ever done that before, nor do I ever want to again.  So happy he's feeling better and thankful nobody else got sick.  Now....about that car seat....

Always with a ball in his hand, that boy.  We love him so.

Having Fun While Waiting

Another collage to remind me of the fun we're having while waiting for Baby:

We hosted visitors for a few days.  Brian & Jen from Florida (the newlyweds!) came to town.  I'm pretty sure after witnessing the craziness that is a house full of toddler shenanigans, they've changed their minds about wanting children.  We went out for Mexican food for my birthday and took the kids.  We sat outside so they could run around and that worked great - they could be loud, wander around a bit, etc.

We got a date night to go listen to my husband's uncle play jazz guitar on a gorgeous night.  (For any locals, you have to go to the Dilly Cafe over in Mariemont.  It's the CUTEST little place and the food was fantastic.  They also have a huge wine selection!)

We took the kids to the Northern Kentucky Children's Advocacy Center annual train ride fundraiser.  The day was gorgeous and the kids had a blast.  They each got balloon animals, a pinwheel, jump time in the bouncy house and suckers.  They thought it was pretty much the best day ever.  I wasn't feeling the greatest that week, my blood pressure was going crazy again and I had a lot of swelling, so I tried to take it easy.  But it's hard to do when there are so many fun things happening, the weather is perfect, and the husband is off work ;-)

The last two pictures at the bottom of the collage are my favorite.  The one of Morgan I snapped in the late afternoon; we have blinding sunlight that comes in our front windows.  Her eyes have mysteriously gone from blue (well after she was a year old!) to a honey amber brown.  She is so beautiful.

And that picture of Joey makes me laugh - he stared at his balloon animal like "Umm....what the heck IS this????"  FTR, it was a teddy bear on a heart.

35.5/25

35.5 Weeks and 25 Days til my c-section:

This baby is hanging "real low", as confirmed by my doctor this week.  Once again, "Baby's head is RIGHT THERE."  Side note:  It's 2014.  Haven't they figured out a less painful way to check your cervix?  Yowza.

I've been having a lot of shooting nerve pains in my groins that almost drop me to my knees.  I try to avoid places with a lot of walking for that very reason right now.  I can at least lean on the cart at the grocery store.  Maybe I need a walker? #oldmomproblems

My blood pressure is totally wacky but I think we've got it under control since I went back on medicine for it.  Sleep is nonexistent.  I'd rather have a newborn keeping me up over pregnancy discomfort & insomnia any day of the week.  Plus this little angel is liking to party in the womb all night long, so juuuuust when I'm dozing off I'll feel a big stab in the rib.

In other non-baby related news, we finally closed on the sale of our condo!  It was the biggest rollercoaster of a sale.  The closing date got moved several times and was even off at one point.  (In addition to our buyer trying to back out a few times)  When it was all said and done, we lost more than we wanted to on that deal, but we're relieved to just be done with it.

My hospital bag is half packed.  I've been washing baby blankets and I've located all necessary pieces of baby gear, except my pump.  I sure hope it turns up and still works, just in case!  I've frozen approximately 2 meals, lol.  Overachieving every day here folks.  We haven't touched the nursery since we are waiting to buy furniture.  I feel so much more calm with the 3rd baby, just knowing it will all be fine if all that stuff isn't done.  We'll survive.

We have a girl name picked out (this is HUGE for us!) and so of course, it will be a boy, right?  Morgan is insistent that baby is a girl and we shall name her Cara.  If it's a boy, she wants us to name him Bryson (?? maybe the name of a boy in her class?  But not happening)  Joey has changed his name recommendation from the aforementioned "Baby Swings" to "Joseph Michael Kremer".  Boy or girl, that's what he wants.

All in all, I feel ready.  Ready to meet this sweet little baby who will complete our family.  Dying to know if baby is a boy or a girl.  I make small babies with full heads of fuzzy hair so I'm looking forward to seeing if this baby will follow suit.  Ready to dive into the crazy that is 3 young children.  I know it's not going to be easy.  Every person who has 3 kids tells me going from 2 to 3 was a game changer.  Actually that's me putting it nicely...most of them say a lot worse!  I'm also ready to wear the cute fall clothes I've been ordering, drinking wine, and working out again ;-)

Whereabouts

Time is flying by.  I'm made more aware every time I stop to look at all the pictures I take of the things we've done lately...

September came and went.  It was hot and sunny for the most part.  We hit up the park many times to get our wiggles out.  Morgan started weekly dance class (her date with Daddy), I turned 38 (eeek!) and my favorite people gave me THEE sweetest card ever.  It was signed with the kids' painted handprints, and created by my thoughtful husband.

We made a trip to the Levee and the Aquarium where nobody wanted to cooperate with Mom's plea for a family picture.

We broke our "We're never taking the kids to a restaurant again" rule.  We lasted well over a month with that.  Anyone with toddlers knows what a painful experience that can be!  We then hit a spurt of eating out a bunch and I wouldn't say it got any "better"...at least not yet.  There's still hope.

We watched my belly grow and the excitement and anticipation of whether we will be having a little baby brother or baby sister continues to build.  Morgan keeps asking "When is the baby coming?"

Collages seem to be the easiest way for me to condense and organize my photos, so collages it will be!  I'm double-dipping from my Insta and I'm OK with that. #loweringthebar

Babies & Bobcats

I'm almost 34 weeks now and at my regular OB appointment yesterday, my doc decided to send me over to L&D to get checked out and have some labs drawn.  I had been feeling super crappy the past few days and when I described my symptoms, he wanted to make sure we weren't heading down the Pre-E or HELLP road again.  After a few hours of lying in the hospital bed getting poked and prodded, I was released.  Thankfully, all is well with both me and baby.  I'll be seeing him weekly now (a few weeks early) just to make sure we don't miss something since, as he put it, "things can go downhill in the blink of an eye".

Just trying to power through these next few weeks and take it easy.  Easier said than done with 2 active kiddos running around!

We haven't done much to get ready for Baby's arrival -- I might want to get on that?  I did order a couple of gender-neutral newborn size onesies and pants and this super cute little outfit:

While I was hooked up to the fetal monitor I couldn't help but notice the heart rate.  It was in the 120s-130s, which made me think this baby could be another boy!  All along I've felt like it might be a girl, but lately I've changed my thinking.  And still....no names.  Another thing we might want to lock down.

In other news, we have a contract on our condo and close in a few weeks.  YAY!  This is, of course, provided it doesn't fall through.  I'm not so confident given the history of the negotiation process.  I just want this to be behind us by the time the baby arrives so we don't have to think about it/deal with it/pay for it any longer.

Lastly, this happened in our neighborhood and has been all over FB:

 There was a video along with the photos of this fella lunching, during the daytime.  Evidently he's been spotted on our road, but this little meal occurred on Rt. 8.

We've been told to keep our small animals inside at night and the past few nights, there HAS been a lot of commotion outside (wildlife noises).  I'm a little freaked out to even let Morgan & Joey out during the day alone now, eek!  I've said it before, I don't know if I'm cut out for this country living!

32 Weeks & Fall is here

This week, we got a little taste of our new fall schedule.  I should just title all my posts "My kids are sick again" because...well...truth hurts.  I think our new routine will be great, if not exhausting.

So Morgan had to miss her first day of classes.  This was AFTER her school already had two teachers & a director quit.  And AFTER they delayed the start date yet again because they didn't have the necessary permits approved through the state.  Oh, and AFTER I sat with her in Children's Hospital ER Sunday night for 3 hours without being seen.  They were concerned enough to continue monitoring her pulse ox (oxygen saturation levels) and since those were fine, I packed her up and took her home, telling the staff I'd just follow up with her dr. the next day.

At least the hospital is close to a Dunkin' Donuts that's open 24 hours.  I really needed some pumpkin munchkins at midnight after the night we'd had ;-)

Anyway, that little respiratory enterovirus going around is wreaking havoc and I just wanted to make sure she didn't have it because all her symptoms matched up.  Thankfully, just a pesky infection.  Not so fortunately, antibiotic-related diarrhea that kept us housebound later in the week.

But we had good things this week too:

The first day of school:

She wants to be a princess when she grows up.  Her favorite colors are pink & purple.  And her favorite food is "healthy food", ha!

The first night of dance classes, which will be Daddy/Daughter night:

I can't get enough of this little hamburger.

 We hit up the park and the Dairy Bar for one last time this season before they close:

Had to include my favorite little guy...he's been such a love this week.  He's had some 1:1 Mama time and I think that is just what we both needed.  Although it confirms our suspicions that he REALLY wishes he was an only child.

 We got to have a dinner out downtown to celebrate my sister-in-law's wedding:

I tried a bold lip color for Fall and I am just not sure I can pull it off:

We took in one more Reds game on the most beautiful of days:

I chopped my hair into a long bob and went a little darker.  It's what I do, come every fall:

In pregnancy news, nothing new to report other than a big growth spurt confirmed at my OB's office when he measured me this week.  Chugging right along.  I'm definitely starting to retain water and my feet are puffy today.  Guess I won't be wearing my new boots anytime soon :(

Indulged in a mani (Essie Smokin' Hot) and Candy Corn, which is my crack:

And today it's in the 60's (amen!) so I'm sipping on my Teavana Pumpkin Spice Brulee tea while the kids nap.  We had a play date this morning with a sweet friend and it rejuvenated my soul.  I even skipped my nap today!  No, really.  That's huge.