Due Date

So Luke's official due date is today. It's hard for me to imagine still being pregnant. Frankly, I am so happy to have a happy, healthy baby regardless that he was 7 weeks early. I was having such a hard time with the pregnancy this time, it was so much different than when I was pregnant with Sophie. Some of the main differences was that all the weight I gained with Lucas was in my belly area, with Sophie it was all over- I just felt swollen everywhere. With Lucas, there was no gestantional diabetes and no problem with high blood pressure and no swelling. However this time, there was lots of pain. I hurt in my hips and legs. I couldn't get comfortable at all!!! I also was an emotional basketcase, I cried a LOT, and felt bad all the time.

Since my last post, we have had bunches going on. Sophie started a new day care which she is doing very well with. She cries 3 out of 5 days that I leave her, but they say that she quits within a minute or two. Next, we finally sold our house, actually the week before I went into the hospital. After weeks of searching for a place, we ended up in Masterson Station. This is temporary at least for a year while we figure out where we want to be. Masterson is not the ideal place as it seems like it is so far away from everything that we are used to be close to. It has been so helpful that I am on maternity leave to get settled in the new house. I don't think I could have done it if I had still been pregnant. Sophie did great with the move to the new house, it didn't faze her a bit. She acts like she has lived her forever. I was so worried that the new day care, new house, and new brother would really bother her, but she didn't miss a beat.

Sophie also has turned 18 months- she was 28 pounds and 33 inches. Both in the 90th percentile. She didn't grow much from the last checkup but I think that has to do with the way they measure her. Maybe she wasn't as long as they said at 15 months. Sophie has also had a couple ear infections, but the tubes are doing their job- releasing the pressure and ooze from the middle ear.

As for Sophie and Lucas, she is a litte jealous. When I am nursing him or Marty is holding him, Sophie wants to get in our laps and have us read to her. She loves to pat him and kiss him. She amazes me with how well she has done with this. We can not wait for him to get bigger so they can play together!!!

Lucas' Crazy Arrival

Lucas Thomas arrived seven weeks early and boy, was it a scene from beginning to end. On August 2nd, I was at Target when I felt a gush. I knew it wasn't something that was good so I called Marty and told him, luckily he was on his way home from work. I called my OB who directly me to head to Labor and Delivery at CBH!! What?!?! I couldn't be in labor, I was only 31 weeks, and this little boy needed to stay in and bake a little longer. Marty and I arrived at the hospital where it was extremely busy. They had to give me a bed in the recovery area for a while. The nurse hooked me up to all the machines, and sure enough I was having contractions. I had been feeling these for a few days but I figured they were just Braxton Hicks. My OB ordered a medicine to stop them which worked for about an hour. After that, he decided it was best to put me on Magnesium to really stop them. This also told me there would be no returning home for a while because of the IV running the meds into me to let him mature more. They also started me on a steroid to help his lungs mature. The steroid needed 48 to get the full effect on his lungs so I had to remain on the mag (as the nurses call it). Did I mention that I was 4 cm dilated which made my doctor decided there was no more getting out of bed. So there I was hooked to an IV, BP cuff on another arm, and cuffs on my legs so there would be no blood clots. Talk about going crazy!!! I was hooked to my bed- it was enough to make me crazy, which it did at times. Another side effect of the mag was that I was sooooo hot!!! I actually froze Marty out of the room because I needed it cool and I was still sweating at some points. Luckily, I made through my 48 hour window for the steroid.

The next morning they took me off the mag to see what would happen. They were going to let me go into labor if it happened because the day before my water broke. If it didn't happen then, I was told that I would just remain in bed and wait and hope that I could make it to 36weeks and deliver then. After they turned it off, nothing happened for a while. That Friday evening I started to have some contractions, but they, for the most part, were not bad. About 11:00, I told Marty that he should go home, just to keep his phone close in case he had to rush back. Rush back was the understatement. About 1:30, contractions really started to hurt and the nurse checked me again- 5 cm. I called Marty and told him to get here FAST! The nurse moved me to a delivery room and gave me a little pain medicine that made me really loopy! Marty got the hospital in 13 minutes- 1:53am. By the time he got there, I was complete and ready to push! What?? Really? How could this go so fast? And how could I have not have an epidural? Oh, my, it was so fast that I only pushed 4 times- I think- and Lucas Thomas arrived at 2:23am. He weighed 5 pounds and 8 ounces. BIG for a preemie that would have technically been 33 weeks and 2 days. A stay in the NICU was in the works, but he did such a great job and was able to come home after 12 days. Lucas is doing great, gaining weight and sleeping all the time. Sophie is taking to the changes better than I expected. She ignores him most the time unless I have Lucas in my arms to feed him. She wants me to read to her when this happens. I imagine as he gets more active, she will get more jealous, but since all he does is sleep she is not too bothered by him.

We are so thankful to have all the Williams' family in the same place.

Ear Tubes

Looking at books in her room has become very interesting to her now that she can climb in the rocker on her own. She generally picks up the ones that we read before bed.

We are celebrating Aunt Kate's birthday, Sophie is very interested in the hibachi cook!

After 5 ear infections since May, our pediatrician recommended that we look into getting ear tubes for Sophie. He was afraid that if she was getting this many in May and June then we would be at his office all the time in the upcoming winter months. With the impending arrival of Baby Brother, we just couldn't do that, plus the infections were making her a bear to be around ~taking our sweet girl into a complete mess. So last week, we had them put in! She did great, all except for the waking up. She was upset until we got home from the Surgery Center and as soon as she got some breakfast, life was good again. She was a little more subdued than usual, and we snuggled on the couch and watched a movie. By afternoon, she was just fine. Keep your fingers crossed that this does the trick and there are no more infections!

We are starting to count the days until #2 arrives. He will be here before we know it. So far all is still going great with the exception of my back and hips hurting constantly and my inability to sleep well at night. I have no problem sleeping during the day, which will make a return to school hard. Being pregnant a second time is totally different than the first. I think it is in the way that I am carrying him- he is all in my belly and Sophie was more weight everywhere. He is also a lot more active than Sophie was, I feel movement morning, noon, and night. My stomach looks like an alien has taken over, it is so fun and exciting to watch. My blood pressure is good so far, but it really didn't act up until 34 weeks with Sophie. Now I am 31 weeks. I am saying some extra prayers that it remains this way even after school starts. As for a name, we are still unsure, hopefully it will come to us by the time we get to the hospital!!

Beach Baby

What a great vacation we had last week! It was lots of fun and lots of work for Mommy and Daddy, but all worth it. We hit several places while we were gone and Sophie enjoyed most of them! First things first, we went to Wrightsville Beach where Marty's best friend now lives and spent a few days relaxing, playing in the sand and surf, and visiting a couple tourist attractions. Sophie liked the beach for the most part. At first, she didn't know what to think about the water and waves, but became braver and she and Mommy would sit by the edge and let the waves cover our legs. She also liked the sand a lot. It covered her from head to toe by the time we left. All in all, our first adventure at the beach was a hit! We can't wait to take both kids in a few years. While in NC, we also went to visit the USS North Carolina, a battleship from World War II, Fort Fisher, and the NC Aquarium. We were busy to say the least.

The next part of our vacation was spent in Gatlinburg. The Ripley's Aquarium, Titanic Museum, Go Cart Racing (Daddy, not Sophie ) and pool time were among the fun things that we did. Sophie was pretty good in the car for such a long time, there were only a couple of times that she was upset. Who could blame her when she was strapped into the car seat for hours? Along the way, she enjoyed looking at books, watching Despicable Me- her fave, and the MagnaDoodle. Surprising to us, she didn't sleep in the car very well which we were really hoping for, I think slept a total of an hour on the way down, and 30 minutes on the way home. We can't wait for more vacations in the future, but they will have to wait at least 2 years as we can't imagine giong somewhere next year with a 2 year old and 9 month old! Talk about naptime city.....

New Pics- Kinda

Here are pictures I meant to post a while back. More pictures to follow from the beach :)

Ear Infections....

Another ear infection this week :( Seems like that is what we are battling on a two week basis. It is terrible not only for Sophie, but for Mommy and Daddy too. Last week, I thought maybe she had one, but it was not which was great news, she was just sticking her fingers in her ears for no reason. Friday she started being really snotty, which I thought was teeth that were coming in. On Monday her temperature was up and I called the doctor. They asked us to come in and get checked out. Lo and behold, another infection- in both ears. YUCK! Poor Sophie, this has made 5 since her 15 month appointment in May. We are headed to the ENT on Tuesday to discuss tubes. I pray that this will restore our happy, sweet girl! She has been very hard to live with in the last few weeks when the ear infection resurface. I want ther to be pain-free asap!!!

Other than ear infections, I have been trying to enjoy time off with Sophie. We have been to the pool quite frequently which Sophie enjoys. We are also walking a lot and playing at the park. Sophie also has a pool Daddy brought home to her, and she really likes it too! This week we made a trip to visit LeeAnn as well. Next stop is North Carolina for vacation!!! We can't wait to see how Sophie reacts to the ocean and sand. I am counting the days, and it is just around the corner!

Other news, I went to the doctor today for my 28 week appointment. All looked great~ weight, blood pressure, glucose!!! YAY! I do feel a lot more tired with this pregnancy, guess that is due to constantly chasing a BUSY 16 month old. I also feel a lot bigger this time, but according to my OB, I am actually 5 pounds lighter than I was with Sophie. I am measuring about 29 or 30 weeks according to him today which follows the ultrasounds I have had. They have always said he was about a week ahead of schedule. I have another ultrasound in August, so I guess we will get one more closer look before he arrives. Marty and I still working on names. Hopefully by September, we will have one :)

I planned to post some cute pics we have taken of Sophie lately, but it is not working. I will try to get that done tomorrow.

Summer Time is Here!!!

School’s out for summer! This is the first week with no kids at school, and we have enjoyed doing whatever we want. Sophie is happy and outgoing as can be, she loves being around people and will walk up to strangers while we are at the pool and have conversations with them. She will strain to see people as they walk by at the grocery or Target and wave at them to get their attention. I wonder where she gets that :~) She now loves the pool and has no fear of it. Today, she was sticking her head under the water repeatedly. She would run into the water, splashing the whole way. She loved when she was sprayed at the pool by the sprinklers they have. There was not a lot of sitting around and playing, rather on the go the whole time. I hope that it is not completely this way when we hit the beach in July, but as busy as she is, I think it is inevitable.

In May, we went to Sophie’s 15 month appointment. She was perfect as usual. If I remember correctly- 33.75 inches tall in the 97th percentile and 26 pounds and 11 ounces putting her in the 87th percentile in weight. All proportionate and fine according to the doctor. The only issue was she had an ear infection, yuck, but it hadn’t seemed to bother her. No fever, no fussiness, no hints of it. This past week though, we had to return to the doctor, she wasn’t being herself, and had to find out the source. Unfortunately, it was another ear infection- this time in both ears. This is the fourth one since March, so if she has another one in July then we will start talking tubes, but hopefully there will be no need and she will be fine.

Still trying to sell the house, and get ready for the arrival of Baby Boy Williams~still working on a name. We would love to be moved and settled in when he arrives in September, but at the rate it is going, I wonder if it will ever happen! From the looks of all the ultrasounds I have had with this pregnancy, #2 will probably arrive early as did his sister since he is measuring a week ahead of schedule. He looks great according to the doctor’s reports. I really think that he will be here Labor Day weekend, but that is just my guess. Hopefully the rest of the summer will go smoothly with this pregnancy, and I can enjoy my days off with Sophie.