Hey, Baby

He showed up two weeks early, but we can't complain. Welcome, Gavin Luke Holliday, born on January 25, 2013 at 11:31 pm. He's 6 lbs. 3.5 oz. and 17 3/4" long. He's our little guy who brought with him a lot of love into this family. Ella has already embraced the roll of big sis. We are all so happy to start this new chapter of being a family of four!

Counting Down

We are eagerly checking off the days until we meet our little boy.  The past month has been filled with lots of doctor visits and fetal monitoring.  This pregnancy has definitely had its share of complications.  I developed gestational diabetes, have (yet again) an uncooperative placenta, and have had to go in twice weekly for a stress test to make sure the baby is doing well.  We learned recently that because my placenta is not doing what it's supposed to be doing, our little guy's abdomen is not growing as it should be.  All this means is that he won't be a big rolly polly baby.  But it's still cause for concern that he's not getting enough nutrition.  So looks like we'll be inducing early (within the next two weeks), depending on how he's doing in there.  Of course this all makes me nervous and anxious.  And of course it is a good reminder how little control we have in this process of creating life, and how it is such a MIRACLE and BLESSING to have children at all, let alone healthy ones.  So I am grateful we made it this far in the pregnancy with relatively few bumps in the rode, despite the complications.  I'm just eager to get him out (I'm over 37 weeks now, which is considered "full term") and meet this little man.

Plus, unlike with Ella, we haven't been able to get a good ultrasound picture of him.  He's always facing back and blocking his face with some limb or another, so we have no idea what he looks like.  I'm so curious to see our son!

As for the overall experience of this pregnancy, I must say it's been so different.  From the way I carry to my symptoms, this child is definitely his own person.  I had morning sickness much much longer than I did will Ella.  It took me until about 18 weeks before I started feeling myself again.  Then I had chronic headaches (they were terrible!) for a while, probably until 30 weeks.  And by 34 weeks, I felt like I was ready to deliver.  I'm carrying him so low, and my bump is definitely pointy and just out there.  With Ella, I didn't feel the discomfort until about 36-37 weeks, and my bump was always round and high.  This time around I don't have that dark line on my belly, and my skin has been relatively cooperative, which is a nice consolation.  The indigestion continues to plague me, and my nights are constantly interrupted with sore hips from sleeping on my side and the need to pee (I didn't have that latter problem with Ella at all).

I'm definitely looking forward to not being pregnant anymore.  I feel like having been pregnant (three times, including our first that ended in miscarriage) for the past three years has taken quite a toll on this body.  While this may not be our last child, I am looking forward to a break.

Emotionally I feel all over the place.  While we didn't plan having another child so soon, I'm glad it happened when it did (or just glad that the pregnancy is almost over and can't imagine doing it all over again right now).  I love that we're having a little boy and that he will usher in new energy into this family.  I wonder how it will be having another child, how much love I will have for him, and how much he will change our lives like Ella did when she was born.  Sometimes it still feels surreal, and the time to dwell on having another child gets overshadowed by the need to care for a toddler.  Still, I treasure those nights where I'm rocking Ella for bedtime and she's drifting off in my arms while I feel our son kick and move in my belly.  I cherish the fact that I have my babies so close, and know how blessed I am.

As for now, we are just trying to enjoy our final few days of being a family of three.  Adam and I are going out and having date nights as much as possible, because we know how challenging that can be with a newborn.  We're also sleeping as much as we can and just drinking in the relatively quiet and easy life we have.  While I know the roller coaster that awaits us, I'm excited to be exactly where we are right now.

My Little Girl

My final post for now is just one with a few pictures of Ella.  I've said it again and again--I can't believe how quickly she's growing up.  I feel like once she turned one, she took off.  She's this little girl now.  She's funny and charming and opinionated.  She has so much personality.  She never ceases to amaze me.  As she's learning to say more and more words, and finding different ways to express herself, I am just overwhelmed with pride at how she's developing into this person all her own.  I'm sure every mom feels this way, but as much as I dread the tantrum-y toddler years, I am loving this moment in her life.  It's just so unique.  She has learned to say "I love you" and give hugs and kisses.  She is so affectionate and kind and compassionate.  I just can't believe I get to be a part of her journey.  Feeling so truly blessed.

She loves to grab a purse/bag/tote and pretend to leave the house.  She'll come give me a kiss and say "bye!" as she walks to the door...just like her dad does every morning.  Melts my heart every time.

I also love watching her eat her breakfast every morning.  She's just so content sitting at the table and feeding herself while I get things started for the day.

She's also super helpful and very excited that her baby brother will be joining us soon.  Here she is helping Dad put together some drawers for the new nursery. 

My most recent picture of her (from this week).  Ella started going to a class at the Kidspace museum with her Grandma.  I thought it would be a nice time for her to share with Grandma, especially with a new baby brother on the way.  She loves the class and is super excited every time Grandma comes to pick her up.  Here she is insisting on carrying her own lunchbox.

Hello, 2013!

 We rang in the New Year with friends up at our cabin.  While this has become an annual tradition, this year we hosted our largest party yet.  With fifteen people and two babies, we were a full house.  But all the people made for lots of laughs and memories.  Everyone cooked a meal (I've been feeling too pregnant to take on those duties) and between boardgames, hikes, and birthday shots, it was a great time to celebrate a new year.  Ella LOVED hosting everyone, mostly because she never lacked having someone to play with.  We look forward to many more years like this--celebrating with friends and their growing families.

Having just been to the cabin for Thanksgiving, it didn't take long for Ella to acclimate to her new surroundings.

Watching snow fall for the first time.

The cold weather brought on a day of snow.  It was Ella's first time playing in it.  She was a bit apprehensive after she slipped on a patch of ice.

As more friends started arriving, Ella started realizing she had many new people to play with.  She got really fond of  her Auntie Kathy.

Dancing with Olivia. 

We made a trip to the waterfalls again.  This time it was much colder than when we came in November.  The bump was MUCH bigger.  Sigh.  (34 weeks)

Hiking in the woods.

Uncle Richard teaching bad habits already (yes, that's a boot of beer).

Playing around.

More boots of beer.

Enjoying a lovely frittata breakfast.

Another hike.

A bird's-eye-view of a fondue dinner.

A group picture after ringing in the New Year.

Merry & Bright

Christmas... my absolute favorite holiday.  This time around, Adam and I vowed to try our best to really enjoy and relish the holiday season.  So often it just passes us by.  We made sure to put decorations up right away and just enjoy what this time of year meant to us.  I think Ella loved how festive it was and I loved starting new traditions with her.  Crazy to think that this time next year, we'll have another little person in our family to celebrate with (an extra stocking to hang!).  It's also crazy to see how much Ella has grown in a year.  Time is flying and sometimes I just can't wrap my brain around it all.

Picking out our Christmas tree.

Helping decorate the big tree.

Helping decorate the mini tree.

The Elf on the Shelf made an appearance in our home this year.  Ella LOVED looking for him every morning, waving and saying hello, and then saying good night as she went up to take a bath.

At Adam's company Christmas lunch.

Decorating her first gingerbread house.

 Christmas this year consisted of a brunch with our families on Christmas Eve, followed by some present opening.  Then on Christmas day, the grandparents joined us for breakfast and the remaining gift giving.

Christmas Eve 

Ella got antsy to start opening gifts.  Here's a very realistic picture of asking an 18-month-old to pose for picture after picture.

Opening her first gift from her Auntie Kathie: a retro milk-truck to pull around.  Super cute.

Christmas morning we opened even more gifts.  Ella got a diaper bag to help with changing her Bitty Baby doll.  Her new favorite thing to do is change her dolls' diapers after declaring someone "cho-cho" (stinky).

She even adds the "butt paste"

With her new Olivia doll (also a new love of her life after watching some episodes of the show at the cabin).

In December, my favorite girlfriends threw me a lovely little shower for our baby boy.  It was perfectly intimate, which was I requested.  I just appreciated the time to spend catching up with friends and getting a kid-free afternoon.

The vintage airplane theme was super cute.  And the food was all cooked by my good girlfriend, Denise, with help from my other awesome girlfriends, Kathy and Shirley.  

We snapped the picture last minute before everyone started leaving.  

My lovely hostesses.

November Happenings

The most notable event in November was celebrating Thanksgiving up at our cabin.  This year we got to host some extended family from Washington.  My favorite part of the week was watching Ella play with her cousins, Sydney and Samantha.  We all had a great time relaxing on the deck, taking walks and small hikes, and just spending uninterrupted family time together.  On this trip, Ella discovered chips and snacks and there has been no turning back since.  

It was our first time back at the cabin since Ella was 8 months, so it took some adjusting for her.  But she ended up loving it up there.

Walking down to the lake.  Ella insisted on walking the whole way (and protested when we picked her up to cross the main road.)

At the lake.

Hanging out on the deck.  The weather was sunny and perfect.

We hiked up to a waterfall near our cabin.  It was beautiful.

Pretty moss-covered rocks.

My 28 week bump. (Still manageable at this point.)

More deck time.

All the walking and fresh air made this little one exhausted by nap time.

Our Thanksgiving meal.  So much to be grateful for this year!

More walking with Grandma.  Ella LOVED her walks with Grandma (and still does).

After our return from the cabin, Adam and I got to celebrate our fifth anniversary.  While (unnecessarily) eating our three-course meal way too fast, we reflected on how blessed we were to have experienced so much love in such little time.  When we said "I do" five years ago, we never imagined how our family would grow in a few short years.