Christmas

Through the eyes of a 2 year old Khloe...

On November 25th we set up the Christmas tree and all the decorations. Khloe said, "Oh, wow!" nearly every time we unwrapped an ornament and explained to her where it came from or who gave it to us. Daddy put up the lights on the outside of the house, and Khloe sat in her camping chair and watched the whole time. She didn't want to come inside. You could tell it was all so magical to her.

On December 10th we celebrated Khloe's Great Grandma's 92nd birthday, Christmas style, in Napa. Khloe kisses "GG" on the lips for the first time that day and she was just thrilled! I love watching how Khloe lights up others lives, and that was a memory-making moment.

On December 15th, Ryan and I attempted to explain to Khloe how we needed to leave one cookie and a glass of milk out for Santa on Christmas Eve. After a 5 minute debate, we decided Santa would bring her a cookie, a glass of milk, and lots of presents :)

On December 21st we went to the last Vistorian Christmas of the season in Nevada City and Khloe was such a good girl when she sat on Santa's lap! She told him, "I'm two!" before Santa said anything to her. He gave her a candy cane and she was just thrilled! (She is too young to notice that the Nevada City Santa had a missing front tooth and looked a little scraggely :) but he was very sweet to her)

Tonight we are going to look at Christmas lights in Nevada City and we are going to visit Eddie the Elf for the first time. (A local legend up here). Then we are spending a fun-filled weekend with our familes.

Here we are, 2 days before Christmas, and I just needed to document how wonderfully fantastic the Christmas season is with my family.

Although these are probably the same traditions as most other families, there are a few daily rituals around here that just mean so much to me: Khloe takes down the stockings and tries them on like socks, She re-arranges nearly every ornament on the tree every single day (and has broken 3 of the glass ones), at 4pm every day we go plug in the outdoor icicle lights so Daddy sees them on when he gets home, before I get Khloe out of her crib she is already talking about the Christmas tree and runs directly to it to turn it on before any other light, she then proceeds to say "CANDY TIME!" and we go to the advent calendar to see which door we can open today (really helping her learn her numbers by the way), before Daddy wakes up we sit on the couch for about 30 minutes and talk about Santa and how we need to be grateful for everything we have every day, not just at Christmas, Khloe kisses my belly and says, "Merry Christmas Sissy," and so much more. We are just so blessed to have such a light in our lives. Christmas makes me appreciate that even more.

Merry Christmas everyone. I hope you get to spend it with your family and cherish all the seemingly insignificant moments that fill our hearts with joy and our homes with love.

Here's to my Khloe, to my baby in my belly, and to my husband who makes our world go round.

~Sab

Potty Training and Animoools!

Yesterday, August 19th 2011, Khloe Elizabeth August went pee pee in her potty for the first time! Then she did again this morning! She is so proud of herself! Today we are going to try to put her on the potty every 20 minutes and see if we can get this done :)
Also, Khloe is just obsessed with "Baby Animooools." She calls them by the sound they make, not by their names. For instance, a bird is a "baby cacaa," a horse is a "baby yeehaaw" and a alligator is a "baby roar." It is so cute. Earlier this week we were at Grandma Char and Papa Randy's house and Khloe helped Grandma fill up the bird feeder. She kept saying "Baby cacaa numnums" (baby bird food) and "Baby cacaa, yayaaa" (Baby bird, where are you?)
Listening to her little voice and actually understanding what she is saying is the sweetest thing. We just love her more and more every day.
xoxo

"NO POOP!"

Khloe is 22 months and talking more than ever. I can not believe it! Her little voice is the sweetest thing in the whole world. This week she followed me in saying all of the alphabet, she (usuallly) says thank you after you get her something she wants, she will say "Mommy, no!" if she is displeased, she says "Daddy, night night" when he is laying on the couch. I could go on and on. But the funniest thing happened yesterday... She needed a diaper change so I brought her in her room and changed her on the floor. After she was all clean she got up and ran off before I had a chance to fasten the new diaper. So, bare-bummed, she was running around shouting, "NOOO POOP! NOOO POOP!" She was very proud. I was cracking up.
Just had to share.
Now if we could only get her to use the potty ;)

...returning home

The best part of getting away, is returning home.

Khloe is 19 months and the longest I had ever been away from her was for one night. Until this last weekend! I attended a dear friend's Bachelorette party in Las Vegas and was away from my little buggy bear for 2 full days and nights. Although Vegas is a wonderful distraction, I have to say, I thought of her at least once an hour. Being there with 2 other new mommies, we spent our down time sharing pictures that the daddies were sending us. We had to keep reassuring ourselves that "this is good for them." :) I left one day earlier than the rest of the bunch because I just could not imagine missing out on Khloe hunting for Easter baskets, and all dressed up for Easter weekend. And let me tell you, the feeling a mom gets when she sees her baby after two days away is overwhelming! It is the most joyous moment! Seeing that little smile and hearing "MOMMA" is simply the sweetest. Your heart floods with love, and you can not ever imagine leaving them again.

Saturday before Easter was spent at the August's house with all of my family there too! Khloe found 3 Easter baskets in "The hunt" and the bunny delivered an overflowing one just for her. We went to church on Sunday at Arco Arena. Bayside pulled out all the stops, and it was one memorable church service!

What a weekend! What a life! We are so blessed.

xoxo

~Sabrina

Catch up!

After reading my dear sweet college roommate's blog, I decided to it is time for me to update mine. Khloe is now 18 months! I just cannot believe it. She is running around, saying over 20 words, and just a crazy little girl! She is loud and wild, and I love it! Although it is exhausting at times. And man, deciding how is discipline a naturally rambunctious, bad listener is beyond me. We are working on it. My hair isn't completely grey just yet ;)

Really though, we have so much fun! Khloe is in gymnastics class and excels on the balance beam! But, she isn't too good at sitting in a circle and listening to Miss Jenna. Its so funny how we can feel embarrassed when our child isn't behaving just like the other children their age. Its ridiculous really, and I always have to remind myself that each child is different. I am somewhat comforted when other kids fall down and start balling, but when Khloe falls down she doesn't even glance my way, and just keeps on chugging...everyone has their strengths.

As for Ryan and I, we are still house hunting! Jeeezzz, what a learning process! Finding a house on property, for the cost we want is no easy task! And it sure can be disappointing when you find, "the one" and your offer is one day too late. Heartbreaking. But, we are in no hurry. And we really enjoy spending one day per weekend driving around our beautiful county, discovering new communities, and looking at houses. We will keep you guys posted.

I am still in night classes. Although a very daunting task to stay up after khloe goes to bed and study for hours on end, it is rewarding as well. And I am making new friends, which is always a good thing! We giggle throughout the entire 3 hours lab, as it is hard not to be giddy at 10pm when you are physically and mentally exhausted. :)

I begin volunteering at the hospital a couple days a month starting on Monday, so I am very excited about that!

Ryan is doing well. He loves his job and get complimented on his work, which is nice. He is lucky. His old motorcycle injuries ache in this cold weather and we are just crossing our fingers that summer is around the corner!

Tabasco is still super fun and he and Khloe are BFFs. It is cute. She pats her chest to get him to come to her, and he does. Then she hugs him and kisses him. So sweet.

Alright, that's it for now. Hope everyone is doing well.

~Sabrina

Photos include: St. Patty's Day, Mommy and Khloe Bug Play Time, Date Night, and Gymnastics class!!!

Almost 4 months

Wow...time flies when you have a baby. I can't believe our little angel is almost 4 months old. So much has happened! I will attempt to catch you up...

Khloe's many nicknames include Bug, Monkeybutt, Klo-Bug, K-lo, and Midge occasionally. Just writing this makes me cry. Wow, we just love her so much.

Khloe is growing at an incredible rate. As of last month (when we went to the Dr. because I thought something was wrong since she gets incredibly cranky from 3:30pm-7pm...totally normal apparently) she weighs 12 pounds, 6 ounces. She is in the 95th percentile for length and the 55th percentile for weight. Big girl! And I have to say...the chunkier she gets...the more she looks like Mommy ;)

Khloe's many talents now include: "gossiping" (cooing, and making lots of noises), holding her head up, doing what we call "strong girl" when she stands up and only hold onto our fingers for balance, grabbing at things with her monkey tows, crying big crocodile tears, stroking Daddy's face with her hands when laying next to him, and stroking Mommy's chest when she is eating, giggling the cutest lil giggle you have ever heard, holding onto her teddy, and so much more. She can sit up in her Bumbo, so we prop her up on the kitchen table and she joins us during meals...she is such a big girl.

I have to say, she is not the easiest baby in the world, but she is pretty mellow. Like right now...she is laying on the guest bed behind me just sucking on her index finger and looking at the window. But, she has her moments...she cries for about 5 minutes every time before she falls asleep and she is still fairly cranky in the evenings. Her best time of day is right when Daddy gets home at 5:30pm. She just cooes and laughs and smiles for the first 20 minutes he is home! So precious!

At night she goes to sleep in her crib and stays there until 2am, when she likes to eat a full meal so bring her into bed with me. She eats again at 6am. I would like to get her down to one nighttime feeding, but I figure if she is hungry, then I will feed her. (Hopefully this won't last all through her childhood)

I have been lucky enough to stay home with our darling girl. I work a few hours a day from the home office... as Khloe permits ;). I start evening classes again on January 19th. This will work perfectly, as Ryan will get home, settle in, and then I will leave for school.

I experienced a little post-pardum depression for a few weeks in Khloe's 3rd month, but I am fairly certain it has passed now. It was the strangest thing...I was just so emotional about everything and had a very short fuse. I think my hormones were shifting. Luckily it wasn't too bad and Ryan was very supportive. He would come take Khloe immediately when he got home and give me a little break. He is such a great partner.

I still haven't left Khloe overnight, but I have let myself go out a couple of evenings. Ryan watched Khloe twice and Jan (Khloe's adopted Grandma who lives right down the street) has watched her twice. It is so hard to leave her for a few hours, but I think it is good for both Mommy and baby. I think I will be comfortable leaving her overnight with grandparents once she is 6 months and has a routine down a bit better.

She gets to see Grandma and Grandpa Parker every Sunday for Church and then she goes to Grandpa and Grandma August's every Sunday night for dinner. It is so nice to have grandparents who are do involved.

Ahhh, parenthood has already taught us so much. Who knew you could ever love something so much? She is just amazing.

Here are some photos. Many firsts...first Halloween, first Thanksgiving, first Christmas, and then just some photos of her being so darn cute.

~Sabrina

The Baby Story

On September 14, 2009 I had a doctor appointment at 2:30pm.

This was the original due date that Dr. Retherford had given me. Everything was normal...they weighed me and I had gained a total of 40 pounds...wow! :) My blood pressure was normal. I asked that the doc do a vaginal exam to get things going. I was not dilated or effaced at all. Then the doctor started feeling around and he was perplexed that the baby was still so high and had not dropped at all. He was concerned that maybe she had flipped around and was bum-down, so he decided to do an ultrasound to make sure she was still head-down. He checked, and yep, she was still in a good position, but then he started scrolling all around my belly. He was quiet and obviously concerned. I asked if everything was okay and he told me that he was seeing virtually NO fluid in there with baby. Apparently this can be very dangerous. He then told me to drive directly over to the hospital because the baby had to come out one way or another TODAY!

I was terrified! i did NOT want to be induced, but the thing I dreaded the most was a c-section! I went outside and called Ryan. I crying so hard I could barely speak. I told him to come up to the hospital immediately. That's all I could get out. Poor guy...he was so freaked out. Then I called Char and she said they would be right there. Then, after several attempts to reach Nancy I finally got her on the phone and she too, said she would head straight up to the hospital.

Brenda, the nurse working at the time, checked me in, got my in a hospital gown, attempted to calm me down, and hooked me up to three monitors: one to watch the baby's heart rate, one to watch the baby's movement, and one to watch my blood pressure every few minutes.

I was alone in the hospital room for 20 minutes, which seemed like hours. During that time Brenda explained to me my options: I could be induced, but with no fluid I would have what is called a dry birth. Nothing would protect the baby or the umbilical cord during contractions, which would cause the cord to kink and leave the baby without oxygen during each contraction. OR, I could have a c-section. The nurse was highly recommending c-section because she thought if I was induced, (since the baby was still so high and I was not at all dilated or effaced) I would probably experience hours and hours of very painful, very scary labor and then end up getting an emergency c-section anyway. GREAT! Finally, Ryan showed up. He was so worried...I could see it all over his face. But he kept telling me it was going to be okay and that he wasn't worried at all. He was so reassuring. Minutes later both sets of parents showed up and the nurses went over our options several more times. Everyone was highly encouraging the c-section, but allowing me to make my own decision. Dr. Retherford showed up around 6pm and ordered an AFI (Amniotic Fluid Index). They wheeled me down to a room where they did a 20 minute ultrasound. They looked at everything to make sure the baby was okay, but mostly they were looking for fluid. Hours later we go the results...the average pregnant woman has a 24...I was a 2.7. This was the lowest AFI my doctor had ever seen. While I was waiting for those results I had called my friend Amanda who is a labor and delivery nurse and who is a HUGE fan of natural labor. She said she had never seen a vaginal birth with an AFI lower than 4. I also called my friend Lauren who ins a naturalist, and she too said...get the c-section. When I got the results at 8:30pm, my decision was made. I was not going to risk my baby's life because I was so set on having a natural child birth. My doctor kept saying...healthy mom, healthy baby...that's all that matters. I was terrified and having the worst tremors. There was an endless stream of tears coming from my eyes and nothing could calm me down. How did this happen?!?! I had such an awesome pregnancy and it ends up like this?!?! I couldn't believe it! They scheduled the c-section for 1pm the next day, but due to my state and Dr. Retherford's desire to be right about my due date ;) he was able to squeeze us in at 10:30pm that night. Immediately they started prepping me for surgery. The IV was put in, they took my blood, I removed all my jewelry, they talked me through the operation, and in what seemed like a blink of an eye, I was on a gurney and Ryan and the nurse were wheeling me down to the operating room. Char prayed with me right as I left her side. The nurse, Geniveve, was being so sweet. In the elevator she asked us what the options were for the baby's name and she was great about calming us down. We entered a room where they needed to prep me some more. Dr. Retherford came in and told Ryan that he needed to put on scrubs. He told me he loved me and kissed me a million times, and then he disappeared and they rolled me into the operating room. (We think they purposefully do not let you say goodbye to each other, so you don't get worked up.) So, I was all alone and so frightened. Geniveve took my hands and told me not to listen to anyone around me. She started repeating the 8 baby names we had mentioned to her earlier. She remembered every single one. Awe, I love that nurse. She was so awesome. In a matter of 30 seconds, the spinal block was done and I was completely numb from my ribs down. Ryan was finally able to come in. I was calm as a cucumber. Apparently those drugs kind of go to your head. :)

We had the option to watch the procedure, but we chose not to. Ryan just kept stroking my head and telling me how much he loved me. He was amazing. The doctors struggled getting the baby's head out, but in about 5 minutes she was out. All they said was, "Here comes baby" and Ryan and I heard her cry for the very first time. We both started balling. Nothing in my whole life compared to that moment. That was OUR baby crying! Wow. We could barely see her while they got her wiped off and wrapped up. then Geniveve brought her over. Ryan held her next to my head and I kissed her all over. They took one photo of us, and then Ryan and the baby had to leave while I get stitched up.

I fell asleep during the 30 minutes it took for them to finish the operation. I then had to spend and hour in recovery before i could see my beautiful family. My parents came into recovery and were so sweet, telling me how proud of me they were.

Then, finally, they wheeled me up to my amazing husband and my beautiful new baby and finally, I was able to hold her in my arms for the first time. 6 lbs. 12 oz. 20.5 inches born at 10:39pm. Pure bliss. I am the luckiest person on earth.

The next morning Ryan asked me what name I was thinking. Out of our 8 choices, I said Khloe. He said that was the only name he thought fit her too!

So, about 12 hours after her birth, we named her Khloe Elizabeth August.