She's Here!

So . . . . remember my last post?  Approximately 15 minutes after I published it, I called the hospital and was told to "come right in!"  I did.  Jeremy met me there {I had told him to go on ahead to work that morning}.  And a few hours later little Miss Taylor Grace was in our arms.

Miss Taylor Grace Fraijo
Born June 18, 2011 @ 12:19pm
8 pounds, 3 ozs. 20 1/2 inches



Kam could not be happier to be a big sissy.



Our four precious girls



Coming Home

I have so much I want to say, but I am SO exhausted right now.  The last two days have been kind of a blur ;)  And adjusting to our new life might take a teensy bit of time.  Someone who used to do a lot of complaining about being pregnant already misses being pregnant.  And that same someone may or may not bawl uncontrollably at the thought that this little blessing may be our last.  So we're not going to talk about that right now.  We're going to enjoy every single precious minute with these gorgeous sweet girls of ours.

I'll be back someday soon ;)

{Oh, and thank you so much for all of your sweet comments and emails.  I appreciate them all.}

Checking In . . .

{Not in to the hospital ~ though I gotta be close, right?}

Yesterday I had another appointment.  Is it just me, or does it seem like I live at the doctors office?  Sierra and Makenna deicded that birthday shopping for Mama with Daddy might be more fun than tagging along to the doctor {who can blame 'em?!}, so it was just me and Kam.  I promised Sierra that I'd let the doctor check me.  {She is SOOO anxious for Little Miss to arrive}.  So I prepared myself for "you're still at a 2 1/2 hunny".  But much to my surprise, I'm between a 4 and 5!  What the what? 

A little background info . . . typically by the time I'm dilated to 4cm, I'm READY to have a baby.  Sierra was born several hours after the "4", When I got to the hospital with Kenners, I was dilated to 4.  Two hours later, she was in my arms.  Even Kam . . . when I got to a 4, they broke my water, and voila!  A baby girl a couple hours later.  So this "walking around at a 4cm" kinda has me freaking out that I'm not in any sort of active labor yet.  {It also has me freaking out that by the time I figure out I'm in active labor, I'm going to need to speed race to the hospital!  Hello, 40 minutes away!!!}  But I'm thinking I must be close, right?  RIGHT?!!

Whew! 

Other fun facts {if I haven't already mentioned.  And I probably have}.  Tomorrow {the 19th} is my birthday and Father's Day and my due date ;)  We have a smallish barbecue planned to honor our special dads.  {Think it'll be cancelled?}  Our dads are about as great as they come, and Jeremy is so wonderful with our girls.  Pretty much the most.fun.dad.ever.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And one last thing . . . I gave in to a tummy shot.  I figured I may not have much time left to take one.  Sierra snapped this for me yesterday.  Can we all agree not to a. laugh  b. gasp at the enormity that is my stomach {and arms, and bum, and face.  yeah.}

Thankssomuch.

Hope you all enjoy this Father's Day weekend!

{And I hope to have someone to introduce you to soon!}

Getting Ready

We are SO ready for Baby Girl's arrival.

{So ready.}

But she's not due for another week. Two if you're going by the date they gave me at the doctor {I am not}.

So we wait.

{With hideously swollen ankles}

And do what any impatient mama would do . . .

{Well, besides complain. I'll admit it, I'm a big whiney baby}

Give up?

Sew, of course.

Little Miss No-Name deserves a pretty new blankie, does she not?

I thought so too ;)

Most of these are just scrap fabrics I've had lying around from different projects. But I love them so. The seaside rose has been a favorite of mine for years, and I'm so happy it has a home in this blanket.

Now . . . I just can't wait to use it!

Dreams and Other Things

Night before last I had a dream that our baby girl made her appearance. And it got me thinking that it would be fun to find some pregnancy/labor/delivery statistics, and then post them. But I went looking, and couldn't really find what I was looking for :( Bummer. And the stats I did come up with weren't that interesting.

So instead, I'm going to ramble. I know how excited you are about that.

I'm going to be honest. I'm a little nervous. Isn't that funny? I mean, it's not like this is my first baby and I don't know what to expect. I guess Kam's birth sort of threw me for a loop. There was something sort of comforting about being induced. I was already in the hospital, I knew that sometime within the next day we'd have a baby. There wasn't as much of the "unknown". I don't really like the unknown.

Now I am constantly wondering, will I go into labor when Jeremy's at work? {He's a firefighter, and works a 24 hour shift at a station that's over an hour from our home}. If he is at work, would I wait for him to drive all the way home first, or would I meet him at the hospital? If it's the middle of the night, and he's at work, and my parents are gone {they leave to go camping on Monday for a week}, would my MIL stay with the girls while I drive myself in to the hospital?

Do you see? I WAY over-think things. I know that when the time comes, I'll know just what to do. I just have such an active imagination, and it's running a little wild right now ;)

And that's about all I got.

I have another appointment this morning. And then more waiting ;)

While I'm waiting . . .

I'm curious {I may just have to compile some stats of my own!}

How long were your labors? Did they get progressively faster? {Mine did not}.

Any funny stories you'd like to share? {Please no horrific ones, I have enough of those stored up}

Any tips or suggestions while we wait these last couple of {uncomfortable} weeks out?

Doctor's Appointments and Other Updates

Last Friday I had {another} doctor's appointment. I've reached the weekly appointment stage. In some ways I can't believe that we're at the end of the pregnancy. And in other ways . . . well, I've affectionately named this the pregnancy that never ends ;) Kam was born just shy of 35 weeks, so it just seems that our newest little one should be here already!

Anyway ~ my doctor's appointment. I weighed in, sigh. And since I'm being honest here, I'm just going to share that I've gained nearly 40 pounds. ACK! I'm just not one of those women that gains 20 pounds during pregnancy. I gained 42 with Sierra, 37 with Kenners, and 34 with Kam {but remember, she was 5 1/2 weeks early}. I'm not cute pregnant, by the way. Nope. And I'm retaining quite a bit of water . . . pretty.

{warning: there may be times of overshare today.}

As soon as my midwife came in I jokingly asked when we could induce ;) And, YAY, she said that they would go ahead and schedule an induction by the 25th as long as I had already started "making progress". So then, of course, I worried that I won't have made any progress. I needn't have worried, though. She did a quick check, and I am almost 3cm and baby is at -1 station. I realize that's not any big deal, BUT, it does mean that even if nothing changes, I will still have a new baby girl by the end of June. We're pretty happy about that :)

~~~~~~~~~

And in other baby news . . . we're still hemming and hawing over a name. I have my favorite and Jeremy has his. And we're still trying to come to an "agreement".

~~~~~~~~~~~~

That's all I got.

Top 10 Things . . .

. . . I miss when I'm pregnant

10. Painting my toes. I can't even see my toes, let alone maneuver myself to actually be able to paint them. I'm thinkin' I need a pedicure. And while I'm at it, I cannot wait to put my shoes on all by myself again. Or at the very least, I wish that flip flops were an option. It's so rainy, wet, and muddy here, I don't think I can quite get away with them yet. And watching me attempt to try to bend over to put my shoes on? Pure comedy.

9. Deli Sandwiches. Okay, so I'm sort of getting used to it now {8 1/2 months later}, but I miss my turkey sandwiches :( Sometimes it's a struggle to find something quick *and* safe to eat at lunch time.

8. Being able to climb the stairs {or do anything, really}, without being completely out of breath.

7. Having an "inny" belly button. Enough said.

6. Decent skin. I don't have the most beautiful skin to begin with, but it suffers tremendously during pregnancy.

5. Being able to blow my nose or floss my teeth without needing a blood transfusion.

4. Getting out of bed all on my own, without the assistance of a crane.

3. Not feeling as though I'm going to pass out if I spend more than 2 1/2 minutes in the shower.

2. Being able to stand up from a sitting position without experiencing sharp, shooting pain in my legs and back.

1. Going more than 5 minutes between bathroom visits. Oh this girl is camped out right on my bladder all day and all night. It is nothing for me to get up 6 times during the night. And during the day . . . well, it's ridiculous.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay, now that I've gotten that out . . .

Can you keep a secret?

It may not seem like it, but I am actually going to miss being pregnant. *Someone* has made it abundantly clear that 4 is the absolute limit for us. So while I may be huge and uncomfortable and emotional {alright, a big teary, blubbery mess}, I just know how much I'm going to miss these days. Carrying a precious baby, {keeping her all to myself}, feeling those sweet kicks, and truly enjoying the miracle of life.

This Is Going To Be A Long One

Just for my own journaling-peace-of-mind, I feel the need to get a few things out so that I can remember everything that is going on these days. I don't have the greatest memory anyway, but add "pregnancy brain" to it, and it's bad. So, feel free to click away today. I may just bore you to tears if you don't.

~~~~~~ ♥ ~~~~~~ ♥ ~~~~~~ ♥ ~~~~~~

I feel like I haven't documented this pregnancy at all. At least, compared to my pregnancy with Kam. I kept a journal on Storknet.com, and was required every week to submit an entry. I LOVE looking back on that time in my life, and I'm sad that I haven't taken the time to do it this time around. So, a few updates as far as that goes:

*I'm huge. Let's just get that out of the way now. I gained about 40 pounds with Sierra, and I am definitely going to make it there with this one. Sad, sad. The funny thing is, I am WAY more active this time around than I've ever been before. Hauling girls to dance classes twice a week, chasing after a two year old. I rarely sit down. {And please, please do not start in on "Well, you're older this time". A girl doesn't especially love to hear that she's old, mkay?} So . . . who's going to hold me accountable for getting my boot in gear to try to lose all this weight after she is born? C'mon, somebody step up.

*This little girl still has no name. And instead of narrowing the list down, we seem to keep adding names. We {the girls and I} all want to be able to call her by name, but Jeremy seems content to wait until she's born. I'm still making peace with it ;)

*This pregnancy is wearing me out! Okay, I'm going to try really hard not to complain too much, and also to remember how much I have to be thankful for. But, I just wouldn't be real if I didn't at least mention these aches and pains. {It's also important I document this for a year or two down the road when I'm having newborn envy}. I was in a car accident when I was young, and for as long as I can remember I've had back pain. It seems to get worse with each pregnancy, and I'm at a point now {probably the huge amount of extra weight isn't helping}, where I almost can't sit down, because if I do, I can't get back up. I have sharp lower back and leg pain all.the.time. Also, sweet baby girl is camped low. REALLY low. Like, the last time I was in at the doctor she said "Holy cow, she's really low!" Yes, thank you, my bladder knows this well. A bit of fun trivia: Makenna was the same way. Her head remained down and so low for such a long time, that poor little thing had quite the cone head right after she was born ;)

*I was hospitalized with Kam at 33 weeks and 1 day. I'm creeping up on that milestone in this pregnancy {actually, according to my own dates, I'm there}, and it has definitely made me think. I am so thankful that I've made it this far without any complications. Each day this little one grows stronger {and chubbier!}, and more healthy, and I am extremely grateful.

~~~~~ ♥ ~~~~~ ♥ ~~~~~ ♥ ~~~~~ ♥ ~~~~~

Sierra is scheduled for her end of 3rd grade testing this Wednesday. Oregon requires home school students to be tested at the end of grades 3, 5, 8, and 10. I wish, wish, wish, we had taken it upon ourselves to test last year, just so that she'd have the experience, but alas, we didn't. I don't worry at all that Sierra is behind. In fact, I'm quite sure she is ahead in most areas. However, testing {especially at an unfamiliar facility} can be nerve-wracking, and while she does have tests at home, they aren't at all like the one she'll have this week. Any prayers for peace for her {and me!} would be greatly appreciated. She's a little apprehensive.

~~~~ ♥ ~~~~ ♥ ~~~~ ♥ ~~~~ ♥ ~~~~ ♥ ~~~~

And just a quick update to my resolution to read through the Bible. No, I am no where near completing this task. Actually, I'm still only in 1Kings. But it's progress. And with as crazy busy as life has been the last several months, I'm proud of it.

Ultrasound News

It's been a loooong day. A long, emotional day. Is it just me, or do emotions wear you out too? I'm so ready for bed, but Kam took a surprise nap this afternoon, so she is still WIDE awake ;)

Besides, if I'm going to mention that Wednesday is ultrasound day, I shouldn't leave you hanging.

This little pumpkin here . . .

{Yes, the one yawning. Isn't that the cutest??}

Is . . .

another girl.

It's been emotional. We are so blessed to be having another, healthy girl. I know this. And I love girls! The pink, the frilly, the bows.

But I always thought we would have a son too. That's all.

It Is Seriously Difficult To Take A Picture Of Oneself

Okay, so I heard ya. You want a "belly shot". Would you believe that I haven't taken one yet? I don't think I ever snapped one when I was pregnant with Kam . . . or Kenners. And the one and only shot I have with Sierra was on our way to the hospital. Sad.

Anyway, I attempted to take one today.

By myself.

No easy task, let me assure you.

First I ended up with this one.

Oooh, nice face there Liz. Do I look like a deer caught in headlights, or what?! Apparently it is much too complicated to hold a camera, press the shutter button, and look human all at the same time. And let's not focus too long on all my beautiful pregnancy hormone induced acne.

Alrighty, a little smile. That's better. Of course, the head-on shot makes me look twice as huge. Plus, I'm still feeling a little spacey in this one.

Okay, three hundred millionth time's a charm. There we have a bit of a smile, not {quite as} spacey, and look, I'm even turned to the side a little. It'll have to do.

Now, to answer some questions:

I am about 20 weeks. {I say "about" because by my calculations ~ um, hello, I've had three children, I think I know when I got pregnant ~ I am 21 weeks, but by the midwife's calcs I'm 19 1/2. I'm just going with somewhere in the middle}.

Yes, we are planning on finding out whether we'll be having a boy or girl. The big day is Wednesday!! Any guesses? ;)

And those are the only questions I can remember being asked right now. :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Other things we've been up to . . .

Sunday school crafts.

Is this the cutest Moses craft ever? We thought so too.

We picked out our appliances, and they have been delivered.

So happy to have this done!

And clothes rods and closet shelves are done! At least, they're done for now. We'll likely be putting in more shelving in the future.

We even made time for a quick library trip after the carpet store today. It has been way too long!

What Do You Dream About?

Life is busier than ever! I always thought there was a busy time of year, and a time when things slowed down, but I'm finding that it's just busy year round here ;)

~~~~~~~~~~~

Our stairway railing/banister was finished the other day {and by finished I mean it was constructed. It is by no means finished}, and now the real work begins. Spackle, putty, sanding, more sanding, painting, and staining are all on the list of things to do. It's funny how you hire people for certain jobs thinking "whew, that's one less thing I have to worry about!" only to find that there is always something {lots of times many somethings} that have to be done to the "finished product". Ahh well. Such is the life when you are the contractor.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I seem to dream a LOT more when I'm pregnant than when I'm not. Or maybe it's just that my dreams are more vivid or that I remember them more, not really sure how that works. Anyway. I won't delve into the dream I had the other night about my mom signing me up to compete in a pageant . . . while pregnant. Um yeah, that wasn't pretty. But I will mention the dream I had last night. See, I have a "gender" dream each pregnancy before finding out what we're having. And I've been right every time . . . so far. This pregnancy I've had several dreams about new babies, but it's always a little foggy regarding who the baby actually belongs to. In one dream I was holding a new baby boy, but then it seemed as though the baby actually belonged to my friend, Amanda. In another dream I was taking care of a brand new baby girl, but then I found out that she belonged to my older sister. Sigh. But night before last was the clearest one of all. Wanna hear?

Mkay. I was in labor. Jeremy and I hopped in the car to head to the hospital, and Jeremy decided that he needed to stop at the market {this is actually very believable. When I called Jeremy to tell him that I was in labor with Kenners, he decided there was time to stop by the taxidermist on the way home from work. After that, he thought it was a good idea to put gas in the car, and stop by the post office. I was about dying by the time we actually made it to the hospital}. Anyway. I ended up having the baby in the market. Not actually the best scenario if you knew what our local market looked like. Jeremy delivered the baby, and we decide that we needed to get to the hospital ASAP. Once we're on our way, I look at him and ask "Well, what did we have???" And he says "I don't really know, I was in such a hurry to get you to the hospital". {Not real believable, I know. But it was a dream, people!} We get to the hospital, and are waiting for the nurse to come in. I unwrap the baby, and . . . . . .

It was a boy!

LOL! I realize it was just a dream, but . . . you never know ;) I fully expect we're having another girl, but it just cracks me up what goes on inside our heads!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And that's all the stories I have for you today ;)

Hope you have a fabulous weekend!

Does This Pregnancy Make My Bum Look Big?

Mmmkay, I'm trying to embrace the pregnancy "chub", but good grief. If I didn't know better {or have an early ultrasound}, I'd suspect twins! Then again, the weight is rather . . . how shall I say . . . dispersed. Anyway. Once I can get past the severe exhaustion and unexpected vomiting episodes {particularly those that take place in grocery store parking lots, ahem.} I am SO gonna get my boot movin' a little more. And maybe try to cut back on the potato chips and french fries. So bad, I know. But in my defense, I *have* been eating a lot of salad, fruits, and veggies too.

Alrighty, enough of that.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Time for a little question and answer period {since I've been horrible about returning email these days}.

Q: How am I feeling? {Thank you so much for asking!}

A: Better. I'm tired all the time, but the nausea is getting better. It sneaks up on me though!

Q: What kind of camera/lens did you get for Christmas?

A: Well, I've had my new {lovely} camera since last August. I had been wanting an upgrade for a long while, and purchased the Canon EOS 7D right before Sierra's birthday. At the time, I wasn't able to buy a lens for it, so I had been using my 50mm 1.8. Fine for outdoors, but a little tight indoors. So . . . I hemmed and hawed over which lens I wanted, and I'd heard so many wonderful things about the Tamron 28-75 ~ that's what went on my list. What a fun surprise to actually unwrap it on Christmas morning! And in case you're wondering, I do so love it :)

Q: What kind of camera bag did you get?

A: I got this one, below, and I ♥ it! It has enough room for my camera, a couple of lenses, batteries, cards, and probably even my wallet and cell phone. I'm not sure it's appropriate to love a bag this much.

Small, Jill.e. Camera bag in Bone.

Q: Are we staining/painting our cabinets, or will they remain natural?

A: It's hard to tell from the photo, but the cabinets actually are stained. Or lacquered, or whatever you call it ;) But no, we aren't doing anything further. I love them just the way they are, and in my opinion it would be a crime to cover them up with paint. But that's just my personal opinion.

~~~~~~~

I think that's it. Unless y'all have any other questions ;)

Flashback Friday ~ Pregnancy Journal Week 13

Recently I've been feeling nostalgic.

Last week I mentioned that I had come across my Storknet pregnancy journal, from when I was pregnant with Kam. I thought it would be fun to publish them weekly, as a Flashback on Fridays. If only to reminisce. I don't know if it's because my oldest just turned seven yesterday, or because my youngest will be seven months old soon, but I'm feeling like time is getting away from me, and I'm feeling all . . . emotional. {Oh, who am I kidding? I'm always feeling emotional!} So here goes, another weekly installment of Flashback Friday Pregnancy Journal.

{Wanna catch up? Find Week 12 Here}

{Originally submitted September 4, 2008}

Week 13

A Little Sun, A Little Sand

At the last minute we decided to take a trip to the beach over Labor Day weekend. Elk season is just beginning, and Jeremy had planned on heading over to the coast to do some hunting. Just as he was getting ready to leave he asked if we wanted to come with him. We, of course, were delighted at the prospect of spending the weekend with our toes in the sand! We packed our bags and were on our way. The weather was gorgeous (a rarity on the Oregon coast). Not too windy, and plenty of sunshine. The girls had so much fun making sand castles, feeding the seals, and riding on the carousel, but boy was it packed! I guess everyone else had the same great idea to spend the last true weekend of summer at the beach.

On Wednesday we are heading south to visit my sister. She just had her second baby a couple of weeks ago, and we’ve been dying to see the little princess ever since! Sierra and Makenna are so excited to be able to meet their new cousin. It’s about a five hour drive to my sister’s house, and it’ll be a quick trip: down on Wednesday, home on Thursday. I hope we make it without too much drama. We were just down there a few weeks ago for the baby shower, and the drive can be a long one for a 3 year old and 6 year old, especially after the 3 hour trip to the beach last weekend. We’ll just have to make sure to pack plenty of coloring books, activities, and, yes, the DVD player.

It’s hard to believe that I’m finishing up the first trimester already. I continue to be hungry all the time, and pretty tired too. If I could just get some good, uninterrupted sleep (what’s that, right?), I think it would help. But I am up constantly to go to the bathroom. There are many nights that I get out of bed 7 or 8 times! And not a night goes by that I don’t get up at least 3-4 times. But at least I’m not feeling quite so sick. The first couple of months were pretty miserable, and if I wasn’t shoveling food in my mouth, I was very nauseated. I still have a hard time finding something that sounds good to eat. I’ve really been craving vegetables, and I could eat a salad for every meal, but other than that, everything else sounds pretty blah. We did happen upon this wonderful restaurant while we were at the coast, and I had the best clam chowder ever! It was pretty rich though, and I’d had a salad to start, so I could only manage a few bites. Jeremy had to finish the rest.

Through food aversions, cravings, exhaustion, and all of the other “perks” that come with the first trimester of pregnancy, I’m trying to enjoy every minute. After all, I’ll never get these moments back.

Until next week, Blessings!
Liz

Three Months Ago Today . . .

My sweet Kameryn Faith, you are three months old today. My how time flies and stands still all at the same time. In some ways it seems only yesterday you were kicking away in my tummy (and boy did you kick! Even the nurses said they'd never seen a tummy change shapes like mine). Though in many others it seems like you've been with us forever.

A short NICU visit

Three months ago, today, you made your grand appearance into this world, albeit a little early, and a little forced. You weren't ready, were ya? Yeah, me neither. I cherished the time I had you all to myself. That day, your birth day, was an uncertain one. You were supposed to be on the brink of heart failure. You were supposed to need a blood transfusion. You were supposed to have a lengthy NICU stay ahead of you. But you didn't. You arrived screaming and yelling and putting up quite a fuss. And after a very short NICU visit (it was so short I'm not even going to call it a stay), you were right where you needed to be . . . in my arms, in my room, with me.

Wow, I look so pretty. Two weeks in the hospital and 26 hours of labor, later.

And that's pretty much where you've been ever since, isn't it? Nursing in my lap, cuddled in the sling, sleeping peacefully beside me in our bed at night. We're inseparable, you and me. And I'm not the only one who thinks you're something special. Your sisters cannot get enough of you. They, in fact, fight over who gets to be closest to you, who gets to give you a big smooch first, who loves you the most. And you've always got a grin for your daddy. I know there's a special place in his heart just for you.

Getting so big!

At three months old you weigh 14 pounds. Not so tiny anymore, are ya? You barely fit into 0-3 month clothing (though we're trying to squeeze you in a little longer as all your 3-6 month clothing is for warm weather, and we haven't had much of that lately!). You give the sweetest smiles, enjoy bath time, and LOOOVE to dance. Your sisters plug in the iPod, Mama scoops you up, and you show off your moves. You are spittier than your sisters were, and have the hiccups all.the.time. You're not a quiet little thing. No, not in the least. And you never want to be put down. No swing or bouncy seat for you. But that's okay, there's always someone waiting to hold you.

Precious Kam, we love you so much. You truly are the most special gift from God. Happy three months, darlin'!

Welcoming a new little Sugarplum . . .

My sister, Annie, had a new baby girl on August 19th. We finally managed to make the trip down to Medford this week, and we were met with the cutest little pumpkin ever! See for yourself! The girls had a ball taking turns holding her . . . I did too! Just check out that sweet little face, and those adorable little feet. Big brother, Jaymes, is quite the cutie too, don't ya think? We just adored the time we got to spend with them. It was great practice for next Spring when we will add a new sugarplum to our own family ;)