Random Happenings of a Happy Family

So, I know I facebooked a status that said something like, I'm not going to blog anymore, but I don't know, I miss writing. I wrote a LONG journal entry on our way back from Utah this week and realized there is something really satisfying about posting my feelings/frustrations/conundrums/elations etc. online. Sometimes I tend to be a rather private person, but I feel like blogs are just fun to do sometimes..not all the time or anything. I mean, let's face it, I need to have a life and more importantly, my free time. I always enjoyed writing papers in school(ok not always, but in college, I enjoyed it!) and thus, enjoy blogging about my life. Lately, things have been pretty awesome. Much to my shock and delight, the girls have become much more manageable lately. Just a few minutes ago, I was able to put away the dishes while the girls played together. I kept expecting to hear Keira come crying to me about Avery assaulting her in some manner. But no mommy interventions needed for those 10 minutes or so. Hooray! A small voice in the back of my head is whispering, "Maybe this means you are ready for a third.." But anytime that idea surfaces, I find myself feeling sick to my stomach. Is that rude or what? I feel terrible for thinking that. I do want another child at some point, I think, but the exhausted part of me keeps screaming "NO!" I guess I figure that when the time is right I wont get that sick feeling anymore when I think about pregnancy and having another little bundle. We shall see. I do feel so incredibly blessed to have two wonderful and adorable little girls. They are my oxygen I can't live without.

Random happenings from our lives are posted for your enjoyment. I couldn't resist posting that newborn pic of Keira. She was so small then, I can't believe it. Another picture of Avery and Brian at Zuma Beach was from a couple weeks ago. We had a fun time visiting the Powells down in Thousand Oaks and soaked in the sun and enjoyed our beach time immensely. Another pic of Avery with her boyfriend Beckett was taken at Dodger stadium on Mormon night. Those 2 kiddos are just way too cute. And I think the rest are just random photos I thought were worth posting. Life is good. Peace out.

Diary of a weary mom of 2

Sometimes when I am reading others' blogs I find myself caught in an illusion. You people have some shiny, beautiful lives out there. I notice that sometimes I am wishing I could be on top of everything and post blogs more often about the wonderful perfect life I lead here with my little family. But let's face it, that is not reality. And I know no one is out there having a perfect life, or even pretending to have one either. But, sometimes, it is so easy to imagine everyone saying the perfect things to their kids, taking them on super fun outings, spending days on end in the sunlight relaxing with their children at their knees...HA! If only..Life with kids is no dreamland. And I don't know why I seem so set on having a perfect life. There is no such thing. I need to just enjoy the time I spend with my kids. Even if it is 4 in the morning and I have to work the next day. I guess I need to just appreciate the joyous moments and realize the hard times will pass before long. It's funny because it seems like one day is heaven and the next is extremely challenging(Avery-cough-terrible twos-cough, cough). Maybe I'll be one of those moms who handles teen years better than terrible two to three years. Who knows. I do know that I am LOVING having a baby again. Keira is so sweet and innocent. She is my precious little ball of joy. Even if she doesn't sleep through the night every night, it doesn't matter. Little babies are just so fun. Anyway, Avery does do some really cute stuff, too. I love her to pieces. Right now she is obcessed with The Little Mermaid. She could watch it all day, I think. I have to limit her TV these days so she doesn't become a TV zombie. I love how I am becomming able to really communicate with Avery, too. She understands so much now. And to be honest, it's funny how seeing other moms in my same stage in life helps me so much. I see them deal with whining and it strengthens me somehow. I know it sounds totally mean, but I kind of like seeing other moms struggle with their kids because it means I'm not alone in dealing with tantrums, whining, etc. There is a way to deal with it. And seeing how other moms deal with it gives me ideas. Well, motherhood for me has been a real roller coaster. But, I am so grateful for all it is teaching me. I know I love my babies and need to enjoy them while they are small. I know, I know! Everyone tells me this time flies by. Here are a few random park pics I thought you might like so you can get a little taste of our family outings.

Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Keira's blessing

Loved the holidays this year! Avery was so cute on Christmas morning with all her presents. It is just so cute how kids play with toys as they get older and older. Avery's favorite gift was probably her little mini doll/baby stroller. She is obcessed with babies and dolls so the stroller was a BIG hit. I pity the kid who gets between Avery and her babies!

So, now that the holiday craziness is now no longer consuming my every waking moment, I can now catch up on a few things. Today I went a little overboard on cleaning, organizing, laundry, and now the blog. I love getting things done I just wish I was one of those people who love to clean. I love things to be clean but I don't enjoy the cleaning process. I LOVE to organize things though. Anyway, now you all can see the pictures of us over the last couple months. Brian's parents came down for Keira's blessing in the beginning of December. It was so fun to have another set of Grandparents come and dote on the kids. I wish they could see the girls more often. And we went to St. George for Thanksgiving and that is my mom's mom with the girls in their pink leopard dresses above. Love the holidays but I'm kind of glad things will slow down a little now that they are over. Well, not quite over, we still have new year's! Happy New Year everyone!!!

Mission Impossible

YOUR MISSSION, SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT, IS TO GO GROCERY SHOPPING WITH NOT ONE, BUT, YES, JUST AS YOU MAY HAVE SUSPECTED AND SIMULTANEOUSLY DREADED, TWO BABIES. DIFFICULT YES. IMPOSSIBLE...MAYBE FOR SOME...

I DECIDED THE TIME HAD COME TO TACKLE THIS MISSION. COULD I DO IT??? I WASN'T SURE..

MONDAY MORNING:
WAKE UP. FEED INFANT BABY. REALIZE A SHOWER MAY BE POSSIBLE SINCE BOTH BABIES ARE ASLEEP. SHOWER IN HASTE. GET DRESSED. EAT FIBER ONE BAR. BRUSH TEETH. PLAY/FEED/ENTERTAIN BABIES FOR A COUPLE HOURS. MAKE UP APPLICATION IN KITCHEN WHILE BABIES SIT IN THEIR RESPECTIVE SEATS. PUT ON COAT AND SHOES WHILE BABIES CRY FOR MOM TO RETURN TO KITCHEN. DON BABIES', SHIRTS, PANTS, SWEATERS, COATS, SOCKS, SHOES, ETC. CARRY INFANT CAR SEAT OUT TO CAR WHILE TODDLER BABY RUNS DOWN STREET. PLACE INFANT BABY IN CAR. RETRIEVE TODDLER BABY. CAR SEATS IN READY POSITION. TAKE BREATHER. DRIVE TO TRADER JOES. PLACE INFANT BABY IN CAR SEAT INSIDE MAIN SHOPPING CART STORAGE AREA. PLACE TODDLER BABY IN SHOPPING CART BUILT-IN SEAT. SOMEHOW MAKE FOOD SELECTIONS WHILE KEEPING AN EYE CONSTANTLY ON TODDLER BABY. CONTINUOUSLY STOP TODDLER BABY FROM STICKING FINGERS IN INFANT BABY'S EYES AND MOUTH. SOMEHOW MANAGE TO SELECT FOOD ITEMS. SQUEEZE GROCERIES IN 6 INCH WIDTH BETWEEN INFANT CAR SEAT AND SHOPPING CART METAL BARS. PAY CASHIER WHILE PREVENTING TODDLER FROM GRABBING ITEMS IN REACHING DISTANCE. NO SPACE TO PUT GROCERY BAGGED ITEMS. TRADER JOE'S EMPLOYEE CARRIES GROCERIES OUT TO CAR. ENTER ALBERTSON'S. REPEAT SAME SEQUENCE OF EVENTS AS DESCRIBED IN TRADER JOE'S. EXIT ALBERTSON'S. LOAD INFANT BABY IN CAR. LOAD TODDLER BABY IN CAR. BREATHE. MAKE SURE TO HAVE PURSE IN HAND AND EVERYTHING LOADED IN CAR. DRIVE HOME. REMOVE GROCERIES FROM CAR AND PLACE ON DOORSTEP. REMOVE BABIES FROM CAR INTO HOUSE. PUT AWAY FROZEN FOODS TO AVOID DE-THAWING. FEED TODDLER BABY BEFORE CRYING/WHINING WAKES INFANT BABY. MAKE PB&J WHILE TODDLER EATS BANANA. RUN TO CRYING INFANT BABY. DISCOVER DIAPER BLOW OUT LEAKAGE ALL OVER INFANT BABY. RUN TO CHANGE AND CLEAN INFANT BABY BEFORE TODDLER BABY STARTS THROWING FOOD ON FLOOR. CLEAN HEAVILY SOILED INFANT BABY. RUN TO TODDLER BABY JUST BEFORE SHE THROWS HER PLATE AND LEFT OVER FOOD ON FLOOR. CLEAN TODDLER BABY'S INCREDIBLY MESSY FACE AND HANDS. RUN TO HOLD CRYING INFANT BABY. USHER BABIES IN A ROOM. CLOSE DOOR. FEED INFANT BABY. DIAPER CHANGES TO BOTH BABIES. REMEMBER TO PUT AWAY REFRIGERATED GROCERIES. PUT BABIES DOWN FOR NAPS. PUT AWAY REST OF GROCERIES. COLLAPSE FROM EXHAUSTION.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! :D

She's Here!

Our little girl is finally here! Keira Lee Norton was born on October 15th, 2010 at 9:47 P.M. She was 9 lbs even and 21 inches long! We couldn't believe how big she was! She must be a Norton because Brian and his siblings were all pretty big babies, I've heard. Brian was over 10 lbs!!!

So, here's the story. I had gone in for my check at 38 weeks and my doctor said I was progressing nicely and that I'd probably have a baby by the following week. I was so excited! Then the next week rolled around and I thought I had been having some contractions, so I was excited to go in to my 39 week appointment. (I was hoping I'd go in, and he'd say I was in labor and to go ahead and go over to the hospital) Well, when he checked me, I had little progression and was only one centimeter still. And the baby was still sitting up at a -2 (still very high). So, Dr. Lewis said if it was ok with me, he'd induce me on my due date. I was definitely ok with it!

Wednesday night I was supposed to be admitted to the hospital to get a cervidil placed to prep me for my induction the following day. Wednesday night we were all anxious and excited to get things rolling, BUT when I called in to the hospital, they said that they were WAY too full to admit me to the hospital and that I would have to wait until tomorrow to come in. So, the next day we called in and they said they were still way too full to admit me. :( They said they'd call us if things changed and that we were first on their list of people to call. So, I began doing as much walking and shopping as I could to get things going myself. Unfortunately nothing was working. I hadn't been feeling contractions at all for like a week and I was beginning to think my baby would never come out. She was just content to stay in my tummy forever more. Of course I knew that wasn't the case, but still, I wonder when she would have come on her own if I hadn't been induced. That day (Thursday) I had an appointment with Dr. Lewis and he said I was STILL at a 1 centimeter and -2 and 70% effaced. So frustrating! So, we kept calling the hospital every few hours and it was always the same--too full! It was especially irritating because I asked the nurse what they would do with me if I really was in labor--tell me they were too full?! She said no and that they would have to admit me if I really went into labor. The other thing that was causing me so much trepidation was that I actually needed to get the baby out as soon as possible for the baby's health. I didn't mention earlier that my body was producing antibodies that cross the placenta and when the level gets high enough in my blood, the baby's health could be seriously compromised. It is an extremely rare condition that I had been seeing a specialist for to make sure the baby was ok throughout the pregnancy. Anyways, don't ask me questions about it because it is really hard to explain and you can't even really find information about it online because it is so rare. I hope that didn't make me sound rude by putting that last sentence. So, now you see why the Dr. and I really needed to get the baby out.

Then on Friday, at about 2:30 P.M. they called!!!! Finally! So, we gathered up all our gear and headed out to the hospital. Brian and I couldn't believe we were actually going in to have a baby. It was too surreal. So, they placed the cervidil at about 5P.M. and said for about 95% of patients, the cervidil would soften the cervix over the course of 12 hours. So, we were expecting to spend the night and have the baby on Saturday morning sometime. The nurses let me eat and drink as much as I wanted for dinner, and Brian and I started some card games and stuff to pass the time. Well, when they initially checked me at 5 I was at 3 centimeters, -2(STILL), and 70% effaced(STILL). The nurse said I was having contractions periodically that were pretty weak and insignificant. So, then around 6:30 P.M. I started feeling some uncomfortable contractions. When I told the nurse this, she said that that just meant the cervidil was working and that she didn't think the contractions were strong enough to suggest I was going to have a baby anytime in the immediate future. So, then around 8 P.M., I was beginning to get rather uncomfortable. I was standing up and Brian would rub my back to get me through the contractions. The nurse then came in and said that maybe we'd have the baby by midnight at this rate. She said we could get my pain meds going if I wanted. At that time, I think I didn't want to seem like a wimp, so I foolishly declined. About 15 minutes later she returned and could see the pain on my face and said that she was going to go ahead and prep my for my epidural, as long as I didn't protest. I was glad she just went ahead and got things rolling for me!

The Dreaded EPIDURAL:
Around 8:30 or so, the anesthesiologist came in. Yikes. I just have such a hard time getting epidurals because when I picture that giant needle puncturing my back, I get chills down my spine and shudder just thinking about it. I had had one before so I did have the reassurance of knowing that they don't hurt too incredibly bad. BUT, this time it was different. It seemed like the anesthesiologist was stabbing around in my back for forever. Brian and the nurse kept telling me to relax but I could feel so many jabbing pains in my spine that relaxing was an impossibility. Not fun!!! So, then when he was done, I started to feel a little relief and it seemed that torture wasn't for naught. But then, as I continued to have contractions, I realized I could only feel numbness on my right side. They had my lay on my left side to remedy the problem, but it never worked. I endured that painful, incredibly emotionally stressful, epidural and i could still feel some absolutely brutal contractions.

They checked me and I was at 8 centimeters around 9. Then, around 9:15, I was experiencing the most intense pain of my life. Brian and my mom were there trying to calm me down and tell me to breathe. This did help a little. I think I remember saying some pretty pathetic things like, "I hate life" & "I'm NEVER having another baby."

The DELIVERY:
At about 9:25 I told the nurses I couldn't take it anymore and that I had to push NOW! I could feel so much pressure and PAIN like you wouldn't believe that I just kept saying that. And they wouldn't let me because the doctor was in the middle of a C-section. So, they had to call another doctor to come from home to come in. They told me he lived close and to wait as long as I could. But they said if I couldn't wait any longer that I shouldn't worry because they deliver babies all the time. Well, I didn't want the nurses to deliver me so, I just waited--about 15 terrible minutes and then, another Dr. arrived to save me! She just happened to be in the hospital at the right time to deliver Keira. I'm not really sure why she was even there. The doctor they called from home had still not arrived, so Dr. Kannappan delivered our baby. I really liked her, too. I went to school with her daughter, Aarthy, ironically enough. Aarthy was a genius girl who was in several of my classes at Stockdale High. Her mom said she was in her OB residency right now.

Once she told me to start pushing, it didn't take too many pushes to get her out. When she first came out all the nurses were saying how big she was. I couldn't believe it! I mean, well, I guess I could believe it because it hurt like the devil pushing out that head and shoulders! But once she (and the placenta) was out I felt immediate relief. The kind of feeling I imagine a marathon runner might feel after completion of the race.

The pain was over and my sweet baby girl was in my arms!!! She had huge lips when the set her on me for the first time. I couldn't believe how different she looked compared to Avery. Keira was (and is) so beautiful in a totally different way. I think I was just so shocked to finally see her, that that first time I held her was so special in a way I can't describe. She was mine. My little angel. Having a baby is the most unique and precious experience. I am so glad Brian and I have been so incredibly blessed with 2 absolutely amazing and beautiful girls. Children must be the greatest blessing the Lord gives us in life. I am so beyond grateful to be a mother!! Now I am in mommy heaven with my new precious baby!

Long overdue current photos

Still no baby

I am 39.5 weeks along and am SO ready for this baby to come!!! I now know the meaning of uncomfortable. I thought I knew but really I had no concept before last night. I kept waking up out of painful sleeping positions. Not fun. I am starting to think my sleep will surely improve when the baby comes. I mean, at least I can sleep without torturous stomach and back and pelvis pain while the baby sleeps--even if it is a limited amount. Brian has been so busy lately and hasn't been doing a lot of photography lately because of work and school. Although that is sure to change when the new baby comes. He'll HAVE TO take lots and lots of pictures of our new baby girl. Well, I think I'll go shopping now and see if I can't get things moving along. I already went on a walk with Brian this morning. I heard it was helpful to walk with one foot on the street and one on the sidewalk to help the baby come down. Sorry I've been slacking with my blogs!