Big Sisters Rock!

We have some VERY attentive big sisters in this house. Tommy gets kissed about 470 times per day, and Dani is always trying to stroke his cheeks and head and tell me how soft he is. Tori likes to kiss him so much that she tries to dive-bomb the couch when he's on it, and is happy to kiss his legs or whatever she can reach.

The girls got to watch Mickey on mommy's laptop last night--they just sat at the table like little grown ups, drinking their milk and sitting quietly. It was adorable!

Dani, who's 2 1/2 going on 12, likes to take a more hands on approach and is always asking to feed Tommy.

Life is good, family-wise.

Our city is devastated from flooding, but luckily we didn't have any damage at home or my office. They did evacuate the street behind mine last night. Pics to follow when I'm ready to feel bummed out about the situation. A friend of mine lost her house. Everything. Just horrible.

Silly things they say and do.

This little Angel scared the pants off of me today. I'm sitting at the laptop at the dining room table, and I hear Tori walk over and sit down. Dani says, "Mommy look at Tori". I look down and see dark red liquid all over Tori's face, hands and front of her shirt, and my heart stops in my chest. Then I see a white ketchup packet in one hand and realize that she wasn't mortally wounded. And I wonder why I'm getting gray hairs!

She's just so darn cute!

And from our oldest today, "Mommy, every day I wake up and grow bigger and bigger like a flower. But flowers can't talk."

Tommy comes home.

We came home from the hospital on Friday afternoon. Big Man got me settled and went to get the kids. I was eagerly anticipating their reaction, both to Tommy and to me. Both kids ran in yelling "mommy" and "baby" (in Tori's case) and "Tommy" in Dani's case.

It was love at first sight for Dani. Many kisses were administered.

And then Tori started to cry. (She is cutting some teeth.) Then Dani started to cry. Dani told me, "Tommy makes me feel sad. I need to watch TV to feel happy again." (She hadn't had a nap, but could have been working her master manipulation skills on this one.) So they all got to watch TV and I figured we were in for some crazy transition time.

A little while later, it was time to feed Tommy, so I asked Dani if she wanted to do it. Super excited, she was (perhaps because the Mickey episode we had put on was over)! Even Tori had to come over to see what all the excitement was.

Tori had the opportunity to give Tommy a closer inspection and approved, or so it seemed.

Tori was fine with Tommy until we put his formula in one of her bottles this morning. Then she screamed bloody murder and basically didn't stop. She flailed and wailed and was just generally angry at the world each time he was fed. It was pretty sad, because there wasn't really much we could do about it--and she refused to be held or comforted, preferring instead to stomp off of fling herself on the floor screaming. I wasn't expecting this type of response--when we brought Tori home, Dani was jealous of the holding and lap time and wanted to be on my lap too and be held more often, etc. Tori was just clearly upset that Tommy was here.

Hoping tomorrow's a better day for poor little Tori!

Number 3.

That sounds a little cold, number 3...it's Tommy's birth story and it's kind of surreal, so grab a cold one, and let me tel you about the day Tommy was born, well what I remember about it anyway. It's a complete haze.

I waddle down to the operating room, and climb on the table. The docs begin to prepare me for the spinal, and they administer it. With the last two kids, I couldn't feel my legs by the time someone lifted them onto the operating table. Not so with this one. I still had a lot of feeling. I mentioned it and the doc said it can take a while to kick in. They said they were going to start with the catheter, which I felt going in. I mentioned it but everyone assured me the spinal would continue to progress.

A few minutes later they start the procedure, and I'm feeling more than I think I should. With the last two c-sections, I only felt pressure; this time I felt cutting, and dull to moderate pain. I told the doc, and that's where my memory kind of drops off. Apparently I needed loads of narcotics throughout the delivery because the spinal meds weren't enough. I was somewhat of a drooling idiot.

I remember waking up at one point and asking where my husband was, and was asked whether I heard the baby crying (I hadn't yet) and was told he was in the baby room with the nurse--which was, by the way, about 7 feet from me and visible if I could have focused on anything.
Here I am drooling on myself while daddy enjoys Tommy time. He was born at 12:10pm; 8 pounds, 4 ounces and 19 inches long. I was in recovery until almost 4pm as they tried to get my pain under control, and I tried to talk in sentences. It was, hands down, the hardest delivery of the three.
But the end result is our little man! He has bluish-grey eyes just like mommy, and even if the odds are they won't last, it's still nice to see them. Another strong baby--he can lift up his head already. The women in the nursery said he was a bit of a chow hound all night long, and he's got a really calm demeanor. And, unlike Dani and Tori, he has hardly any hair.

Dani and Tori got to see him on Skype last night which was sweet. I can't wait until they meet him in person. Welcome to our family, Tommy.

Dress Up: two ways, a Dani guest post.

Some days, I like to dress up like a pretty princess, and play with all the jewelry in my jewelry box. I like to dress daddy up too!

But other days, it's fun to run around the house and pretend I'm a Chicago Bear!

Did you know that tomorrow I'm going to be a big sister again? And I helped mommy find my old Chicago Bears onesie so Tommy can wear it and look just like me!

We're going to have lots of fun, Tori, Tommy, and I...since we're going to outnumber mommy and daddy!

More Tori stats! 15 months!

Little Tori, or maybe we should say not-so-little Tori had a doctor's appointment today for her 15 month checkup. Little Hoss apparently handled a shot in each arm without crying. She's 30.5" tall and weighs 24 pounds, 12 ounces. She's quickly catching up to Dani!

She is rockin' the cuteness these days!

Summertime, and the living is easy.

We love lazy summer weekends. Sleeping a little later. Enjoying the AC on a humid day. Dips in the pool. Family dinners and sweet summer veggies.

Dani and Tori really enjoyed some sweet corn tonight.

Tori can handle her own corn and can clean an ear like a pro--not bad for a kid with 8 teeth!

Someone spent some time playing pirate with daddy.

And Tori decided that the changing table was her new fort.

We're in the final countdown to baby number 3. It sounds silly, but I just want to eke out every last moment with Dani and Tori while we are a family of four. In a week, it all changes for them and their needs and wants are going to have to be balanced with the more pressing needs of baby Tommy, and a recovering-from-surgery mommy. I'm sure they'll grow to enjoy it eventually, but I know it's going to be a rocky first few weeks for them, and us too.

I got out the baby heartbeat monitor this weekend, and Dani was scared of it at first yesterday. She wanted to try it again today and was pretty excited to listen to Tommy's heartbeat. We listened to how quick it was, and then she listened to daddy's much slower heartbeat to compare. She looked adorable with her little headphones standing at my belly listening, and whispering to her little brother, "Hi Tommy," like for the first time, the abstract concept of her baby brother had indeed become real to her.

Dani 1, Mommy 0.

Another amusing conversation in my house tonight:

Big Man is in the kitchen making dinner.

I'm sitting on the stairs while Dani and Tori run around.

I realize that Tori ran past me a moment ago and is unattended in the bathroom.

Me: Damn it, where is Tori? (as I start to walk to the bathroom with Dani behind me.)

Big Man: Watch your mouth, mommy.

I walk into the bathroom and Tori is at the potty, just about to dive her hands in.

Me: Noooooo Tori, NO!

Dani: (laughing) hee hee Tori
Me: (scooping Tori up and taking her to the sink to wash her hands) It's NOT FUNNY Dani!

Dani: It is a little funny, Mommy.

OWNED BY MY 2 YEAR OLD!