Hazel's birth

We were thrilled to welcome Hazel to the world on Tuesday, May 8, 2012.  After two pretty easy pregnancies and an uncomplicated birth with Sloane we were crossing our fingers that Hazel would keep our lucky streak alive and the girl delivered.  The stars aligned in the form of a scheduled induction.

Sloane spent the night before with John's parents so I woke up early to get ready (love being able to do my hair before giving birth) and John went into work since we didn't know what time they would call us in to the hospital.  The coolest thing about having a scheduled induction was getting my "dream team."  My awesome doc, we call him Dr. Bob, didn't deliver Sloane so I was so happy when he said we could schedule an induction before he headed out of town this time around.  And Suzanne, friend and nurse extraordinaire, moved her schedule around so she was working that day.  We met Suzanne when she was our nurse for Sloane's birth and it was so special to have her with us for Hazel's entrance into the world.

Suzanne and I were texting in the early morning and she let me know that there was a back up and it could be a while.  I had finally resigned myself to the fact that I needed to find a project to dive into to keep myself from going crazy so I was about to get out my sewing machine when my phone rang at about 8:30 am and it was Suzanne calling to tell us to come on in.  John jumped in his car, came home to grab me and we headed to the hospital.  We checked in around 10 am and I got hooked up with some pitocin a short while later.  Then we waited and waited for things to start picking up.

One new addition to the delivery room this time around was my mom.  She jumped at the chance to be a part of Hazel's birth and it was so special to have her there.   John even let her cut the umbilical cord. When she arrived John put together a little hang man game for her to guess the name.  It took her a while to figure out Hazel and she was thrilled to finally be let in on the secret!

We missed Sloane and got to face time with our girl throughout the afternoon.  Love technology.

Around 2:30 they broke my water and things finally started to progress, but not too quickly.  Both Dr. Bob and Suzanne estimated delivery around 8:30 pm.  Though Suzanne vowed to stick around until the end I told her that we'd just go ahead and get this baby out before her shift ended at 7. 

The joke throughout the day was that I was looking much too happy and that we needed to get the contractions moving along to wipe that smile off of my face.  There are lots of pictures of me smiling, not many of me frowning - I wasn't very open to photos at that point in time.

I got my sweet, sweet epidural just in time as things started to pick up pretty quickly a couple of hours later.  Dr. Bob came in a little before 6 and said it was time to start pushing.  He asked me to do a practice push and when I did quickly said "no, stop, I need to put my gown on."  I knew we were close.  I then pushed through two contractions and Miss Hazel entered the world at 6:01 pm.  She weighed 7 lbs, 12 ozs and was 18 3/4 inches long. 

When it was time to start pushing I lost it and bawled until she came out a few minutes later.  The emotions of meeting your child are just so overwhelming.  When they placed that slimy little body on my chest I knew I'd met the third love of my life. 

Hazy girl - we are so blessed that you are ours.

Hello, Hazel!

Welcome to our newest love, Hazel Lynn Poort.  Born Tuesday, May 8, 2012 at 6:01 pm, weighing 7 lbs 12.5 ozs and 18 3/4 inches long.  After a super easy delivery (birth story to come) and a quick stint in the hospital, we are now happily at home getting to know "baby sissy."  We are so overwhelmingly in love with this gal.

 

The Nursery

The babe's nursery is just about complete  - it's small, but cozy.  It's fun and makes me smile every time I walk in.  We decided to go with red and turquoise - so different from Sloane's pink room. 

The view from the door.

Great rug made from Flor tiles.  The bedding was super easy to make and means we have lots of different patterned sheet options.

The wall above the crib.  The initial in the blank space has been removed to continue to drive Mimi crazy.  This whole keeping the name a secret has been tough but fun.  I had such a blast putting these pieces together.  Beside the alphabet print and cat in the hat, I made everything else on the wall.  Finally made all of the hours spent on pinterest worth it.  Celery stamps (upper left), flowers made from toilet paper rolls (lower right), and fun with paint chips.

I found these three great prints on zulily.  Still waiting on the cushions for the glider and curtains to arrive in the mail.

And I still need to pick up a hook for the ceiling and then the mobile will be hung.  Another pinterest project.

Now we just need the baby.

Sunny Sunday

We had our final lazy Sunday as a family of three today.  It was a gorgeous day in Seattle.  Coffee, then stroll through the Fremont market, playtime at the park, sunny lunch out, home for naps (all three of us), then an afternoon of chasing Cooper in the backyard, ending with a bbq and cupcakes.  The perfect sort of day before things get crazy.

Welcome Peter Benjamin

We are so excited that Sloane has a new cousin!  He is gorgeous, so tiny, and so snuggly.  We had a fun visit with Amy, Jonah, and Peter on Saturday.  Sloane was thrilled that Papa and Grandma were there too.  And we were lucky enough to catch Jason and Gus for the last few minutes of our visit.  Congratulations Amy, Jason, Jonah, and Gus!

38 1/2 weeks

We are ready!  Hospital bags are packed.  Baby clothes are freshly laundered and put away.  Carseat is installed in the car.  And my once long nesting/to do list is mostly completed.  My cankles went away just as quickly as they arrived - lucky for both me and John.  He plays the dutiful husband but certainly isn't shy about his disdain for giving foot rubs.  After weeks of puffy ankles with Sloane I'm not sure what I did to deserve just two nights of swelling this time around.  Instead, this babe has a permanent hold on my bladder.

The plan is to be induced on the 8th (6 days before our actual due date) so we'll see if she'll wait that long.

38+ weeks, in all its glory.

I'm sorry/ You're welcome

Dear Sloane,

I'm so sorry.  I'm so sorry that in a few short days your whole world will be rocked.  You have no idea what's coming.  You love to play in the nursery.  You love to talk to "sissy".  You press your lips to my belly and say, "Hi, sissy.  I yuv you."  It is the sweetest thing I have ever witnessed.  You stand outside the door to her room and say, "shhh, sissy's sleeping."  You love on your baby dolls and take such good care of them.  You make me so happy and proud.  But then the guilt that I have been pushing aside for the last few months creeps back.  I never expected to feel this way.  I couldn't have imagined how bad I would sometimes feel about having another baby.  But you have been the center of our universe for almost two years.  Every kid with a younger sibling goes through it and not all are in therapy 20 years later so I know you will make it through the next few months.  But I don't expect it always be an easy ride.  Doesn't matter, I'm still sorry.

You are welcome.  You are about to get the greatest gift there is - a sibling.  And not some stinky brother, but a sweet (hopefully) little sister who will watch your every move and want to be just like you.  As big sister you will have full capability to boss her around, to make her play whatever games you want to play, to force her be the daddy when playing pretend so you can hog the coveted role of mommy, etc.  You can dress her in ridiculous outfits.  You can sneak her your vegetables when you don't want to eat them. The list goes on and on.   I never had a sister and I'm so glad we can give that gift to you.  You'll have a built in best friend, confidant, playmate, and buddy.  She will watch your every move and think that you hang the moon and the stars.

It just doesn't seem that long ago that we were preparing for your arrival.  Excited to hold you, smell you, hear your cries and giggles.  Having you rocked our world and fundamentally changed the people that your dad and I are.  Before you we were two wild and crazy and selfish kids ourselves.  We're now semi-grown up and through lots of trials and tribulations getting the hang of this whole business of raising little people.  Thank you for your patience with us.

Though there is no perfect way to prepare your child for a sibling, there are lots of signs that you are ready....

There are always a baby doll or stuffed animal in your sister's crib and co-sleeper.

Your choice of reading materials has changed.  Out of all the books on the bookshelf, "Caring for your baby and young child" suddenly became your go to choice.

This friend has had a permanent place in the carseat since we pulled it out of the attic.  You've also spent a significant amount of time sitting in the double stroller in our living room talking to "sissy" the last two nights.