She's Here!

Yes, I know, I'm about a week late.....

But, it's been a busy week for us, so I'm sure you forgive me. 

First, her stats:

Hannah Grace Hodges was born on April 27, at 4:23 am. She weighed 8 lbs 6oz, and was 20.5 inches long. 

We are calling her Hannah Grace. We still weren't sure if we were going us the double name or not, but that's what keeps coming out when I talk to her or answer people when they ask her name. Emma tends to lean towards Hannah,  but that's her choice. I'm going to spare you of all details of the delivery, except to tell you it went well, with the exception of going way to fast and no epidural, only a spinal that didn't last very long.  Anyway... I'm fine now. A little traumatized that day, but fine now. 

The doctors let us go home on Tuesday, which I was very excited about. I didn't want to be in that hospital bed any longer, and Emma wasn't very fond of me being there either. Once we got home, she completely became the attentive big sister. She still hasn't held her yet, but she wants to do everything else. She's been really excited the whole time, especially now that both her Mimi and her Granny are here entertaining her every need. 

Speaking of the mothers... they have been a God send. I've done nothing but get to relax and enjoy Hannah Grace. They cook, clean, do laundry, and keep Miss Emma occupied at all times. I'm spoiled rotten, and I have no shame in admitting it! Right now, the three of them are out shopping with a massive grocery list and enough cooking ideas that should feed me for months. I'm trying to decide the best way to keep them from leaving. 

Here's a link to the Facebook photos Channing has posted. This is much easier for me, and you get a bigger variety to look at. Hope you enjoy!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2164283&id=26506735&op=6

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2164848&id=26506735

Any Time Now...

So we had another appointment yesterday, and I got the news I've been waiting to hear! 

Hannah Grace could be here at any time! 

I'm was so excited I didn't know what to do! Then, I got home and realized what all I had left to do, and went into panic mode. I think the whole "nesting" theory is just a nice way of saying soon-to-be mamas panic when they realize how close things are. I accomplished alot, but today I don't feel so hot because of all the work I did last night. 

But, the details... I've already dilated to 2cm. I really felt like things had started because I knew throughout the day Sunday that she had changed positions. I was right. She's dropped down to where she's supposed to be. So, once again, we wait. I could go into active labor today, or two weeks from now. I'm just glad to know that things are progressing. I honestly do feel like it will be sooner rather than later, just because the contractions are pretty constant. Even Emma seems to think her arrival is very close, because the first thing she said to me this morning was "Mama, I think Hannah's coming. She wants to see her bed." (Emma helped me put together the Pack N Play last night that Hannah will stay in for a little while.) I couldn't do anything but laugh at her and tell her that she just might be right. 

So for now, I'm just hanging out, doing as much around here as I feel like I can to get everything in order. I really hope that I don't end up being one of those people who thinks she's in labor and then gets sent home though. From what I've been told though, you just know.  I'll try to keep things updated as much as possible from this point on.

Waiting...

I know, I'm still slacking on the updates. But, the truth is, there's not much to talk about except how miserable I am right now, and how crappy my patience is. So, I've decided to spare you from most of that and only write when I have something worthwhile to share.

We went for our 35 week appointment today. I've gained 5 more pounds in the last two weeks, which officially puts me in the normal weight gain range. It also means I've gained more this time than with Emma. According to my doctor, she believes Miss Hannah is already very near to 7 pounds. She says that if I do go all the way to the May 10 due date, she could easily put on another couple of pounds. I'm not sure how I feel about the possibility of delivering a 9 pound baby...

I'm really not anxious about the impending arrival. Maybe I should be, but the constant back pain, and also the fact that Emma's arrival was smooth, really has me very calm about it. I just hate the waiting. I've done pretty much everything I can to get ready, so now all I have to do is wait. Patience is not my virtue. So for now, I guess I have to tough it out; I mean, what choice do I really have. From now on, we'll be going every week, so maybe I'll have more to talk about!

Just a Quick Update

Just wanted to give everyone an update, and let you know that we're still here, eventhough you haven't heard from me in a while. Last week we were really busy with three different sets of house guests, but I must tell you, we had a blast! Emma was so happy to have some many different people around to spoil her with attention! Channing and I were so happy to have other adults in the house! We started out with Mr. Ray, Mrs. Raye, and Landon while they had Spring Break. Oh my goodness! So much fun, and so much food! I think I ate more in those four days than I have since we moved here. They came loaded with more food than clothes! Most of it was seafood that does not exist in this part of the world. Let me tell you, Emma was not the only one spoiled during their visit! And, I am not ashamed! They next weekend, we got to have Chad and Mr. Tommy Strickland for one night during their annual sheep finding trip. Again, Emma was so happy to see her Doo! We fried fish and just hung out here because they had to leave so early Saturday morning. On Saturday, our friend Austin came over. He's working here alot at the Honda plant in Marysville until the summer. We usually get to see him on the weekends he stays here. Emma thinks he's another one of her Uncles, and follows him around like a puppy. She can say his name right, but she tries to combine uncle and Austin into one word. It's really funny, and Austin doesn't mind. It's always funny to watch the two of them.  This coming weekend, my mama is coming for the first time! I can't wait! We're gonna pick her up from the airport Thursday afternoon and we get to have her until Tuesday! 

I really do love having people here. It gives me something to focus on and think about rather than dwell on the time I have left before Hannah gets here. Everything up until now has flown by so fast, and now it seems to be dragging again. I know I felt the same way with Emma, but as soon as she was born, everything flew by. That's when I wish time would slow down a little. As for the little one, everything is still the same, which is good. It's all just a waiting game at this point. Only about six weeks left!

Busy, Busy Week!

It seems like we've been going nonstop this week. Usually I try to limit my days out to two or three, but this week we've been out everyday, and still not done! Monday was grocery day, which is always an adventure with Emma. I usually don't go until Tuesday, but the promise of bad weather for Tuesday sent me out early. *** I have to give a great big shout out and "Thank You!" to Ms. Lydia here, because her recipe for a beef brisket made Monday night's dinner one of the best I've ever accomplished! Channing very willing finished off the leftovers last night, and let me tell you I thought that was an impossible task!*** 

Tuesday was my 31/32 week checkup! Everything is wonderful, and I gained several pounds in the last two weeks. I know I'm supposed to be gaining weight, and I am pleased about it, but I'm always shocked when it's more than I thought. I really do believe Miss Hannah will be bigger than her sister was.

Today was Emma's 3 year checkup. I didn't mean to wait this long to do it, but we just got sidetracked with illnesses and baby issues after her birthday that I sorta forgot. Emma is of course, growing at a rapid pace. She's 35 lbs, and 40.25 inches tall. But, I do believe this was the worst Dr. visit to date. I have never in my life seen or heard a fit like the one she threw in that exam room today. And, there were no shots involved. It was awful. I was in tears before it was over. I'll never take her to the Dr. by myself again! She has no problem with going to my doctor. She even enjoys it most of the time. But the minute they come near her, you'd think someone was being murdered. It really was that bad. 

Tomorrow is our Bible Study day, which we always look forward to every week. Emma gets to go with me because they have a group for the children as well. She loves it as much as I do! 

This weekend, we will have company! I'm so very excited! The Rays, as I call them, and Landon, are coming to visit for several days during Landon's spring break. They haven't been here yet, so we are really really looking forward to having them here. Emma will be thrilled when I tell her, but I'm not saying anything until they pull up in the driveway. 

***One more very important thing to note about this week... Tomorrow is our nephew William's first birthday! It's killing us that we are missing it, but we are so excited for him, and Justin and Sally! So, Happy Birthday sweet boy! We love you very very much, and miss you terribly! 

The Girls' Rooms

Here are the pictures of the girls' rooms, finally...  I waited to put these up because Emma's new stuff came in quicker than I had anticipated.  Here's a rundown of what we've done:

The daybed in the nursery was Emma's bed. We decided that we definitely needed a bed in that room because when Hannah gets here, we know we'll have a steady stream of company. Because of that, I had to rethink my crib bedding. What I had leftover from Emma was a mix of bright greens, pinks, and purples. The greens from the two beds did not match up. So, I decided to go simple. We were given the white bumper for the crib at Christmas, so I decided the best thing to do was keep the basics white, and then keep it girly with simple, but different sheets. There is a pale pink detail in the sheets, blankets, and changing pad. It matches the pink in the daybed comforter. The name and the curtains will pull it all together. It really has turned out better than I expected it too. Even Channing thought that it came together better than what we saw in our minds. It's a very, very, girly room, but that's what I wanted this time. With Emma, I shied away from frilly, overly girly things; but this time, that's all I've wanted to do in there. Knowing that I'll have two little girls, who hopefully will share a room one day, has really changed the decor I gravitate towards.  The nursery is the only room in the house, besides the living room, that will be completely decorated. 

As for Emma's room, she needed a whole new setup. The bed in her room was my bed as teenager up until I moved to Jackson after we were married. It has been down in the basement since we got here. My brother loves sleeping down there because it's cooler and quiet. He'll have to join the rest of us upstairs from now on. My mama and I went on an Internet mission to find the new bedding for Emma's room. She wanted us to make a big deal out of Emma's room too. I agree with that, even though we redid her room last year, because she has been so involved with getting ready for Hannah. She's been so excited about all of the new things we were doing, and I really didn't want her to feel left out. So, what you see in the bottom photos are Emma's new bed. It's very girly too, but I feel like it will grow with her for several years. It's got fun polka dot details, and the sheets have tiny, hot pink flowers.  Emma loves it all. It's so easy to get her excited about something new. I just hope she stays this excited when Hannah gets here.

Getting Ready for Baby

So I know I've been slacking this week, but after the events of last week, I'd say things around here have been pretty uneventful. For me, that's a good thing. The biggest thing going on this week is that we finally have the nursery together! I'm so excited, and so proud of the way it's turned out! Channing, Emma, and myself, have been shopping in Columbus for the past two weekends getting the things we needed, and this week, I've slowly but surely put things where I wanted. Channing has been the biggest help. He hasn't complained once about anything I've asked him to do, and he gives me his honest opinions about things when I ask. All we have left to do is put together the glider and hang a few things on the wall. I'll take pictures tomorrow and show you what we have going on in there.  

Emma has been involved in every step of this process so far. I'm really glad it turned out this way, because I know now that she really does understand what's going on around her. She's been to every doctors visit, and been on every shopping trip we've made. She has really enjoyed getting the room ready this week. She tells me every day, "Mommy, I'm ready for Hannah to be here. I want to see her." This makes me so excited! I know it will still be a shock when we bring her home, but she's already learning that she won't be the only one around anymore. We've made sure that she knows she's as much a part of this as we are, and  that she will be included no matter what. I can't wait to see the way she is with Hannah and how involved she gets. She talks about bottles and diapers and Hannah's bed all the time now. She knows that those are baby things for Hannah, and that she is a big girl who will get to help with all of it. 

As for me, I can say with great certainty that I am much calmer this week than I was last week. You all know my slight tendency to panic and over think things.  Let's just say the over thinking was in overdrive last week. Channing has really been the biggest help and support throughout all of this. His done everything possible to help me talk through and process what's been going on. He's done whatever he could to help me around here, whether it be putting up stuff in the nursery, or cooking dinner so I don't have to. There's no way I would have made it through this pregnancy without being able to lean on him. I feel like I'm finally ready for her to be here, and I can't to begin getting to know her. I feel like I really missed alot when Emma was a baby because I was always looking to the next step that we would reach. I was so worried about doing everything just right and at the right time, that I didn't really take time to enjoy those months of having a tiny baby. I'm so ready for that time again. Now that I know what to expect, and having been through it once before, I'm just ready for her to be here and really enjoy the small moments with her.