Today.

Today she turned one. I don't know where the time went. I'm not necessarily saying it flew by. Perhaps it went just the right pace. But at the same time it makes me sad. I think what makes me sad is that if she is one, then next year she will be two, and in 9 years she will be 10, and you get the point. I am trying to savor every moment and enjoy her sweetness and newness. Everyday seems new. A new sound, trick, or moment of loveliness. It never gets old.

It's a good thing it doesn't get old, because it is my FULL time job. She is basically my boss. I stay home with Miss Stella and though I have searched high and low the past 6 months for a job, it seems fate has decided that her and I are meant to be together full time for a bit longer. And I am okay with this. Because, again, it doesn't get old. It does get tiring, grueling and frustrating at times, but never old.  But its the good kind of tiring, grueling and frustrating. You know, the kind that makes you realize that you yourself are growing and learning and becoming a better, less selfish version of your old selfish self.  I like the person my boss is helping me become.

Today the Hubster took the day off and we started the morning with waking up Stella to open her birthday presents. A brand new Radio Flyer Wagon! She really liked it.

All three of us were outside this morning at 7:30am trying it out.

We then ate some yummy homemade blueberry pancakes. Miss Stella took a good morning nap while the Hubster and I did some yard work and party prepping for Stella's birthday party Sunday. When she woke, we went to the Indy Zoo. She loved it. Even cooler is that she got to see the new playground at the zoo that the Hubster's company designed and built. She loved it.

Today's weather was unseasonably cooler. I think the high got up to 74. But it was perfect. This afternoon we took Stella and the dogs on a walk through our neighbor, her in her new wagon, Lucy and Linus actually behaving on the leashes and I turned to the Hubster and told him it was my third most favorite day ever. (One, the day our daughter was born. Two, the day I married the hubster. Three, seeing it all come full circle (for now).) Today was a good day.

An update on our one year old since I seem to only post quarterly:
Stella took her first steps at 10 months and was a full time walker by 11 months. She is drinking whole milk and eats great. Haven't found a food she doesn't like. Still sleeps a solid 11 hours at night, with two naps during the day that last about 2 hours each.  Has 6 teeth with another 2-4 coming in (she won't show us). She says mama, dada, nana, ball, and doggie. She also gives kisses and hugs, with a pat on the back while she squeezes (can you say heart melting?).

Her party Sunday is themed The Very Hungry Caterpillar. We have had a lot of time to work on it and make crafts for it so I am hoping it is a hit but doesn't come off as over the top. We're going for just right. I promise to share pictures from the party. I worked too hard on it not to show it off !

Other exciting happenings:
This past week my nephew was born. Owen Hathaway Schackow weighed in at 10 lbs 2 oz and 22 inches long. My sister is a champ and delivered him in three pushes. And my brother-in-law provided great support throughout the process. My 6 year old niece and 3 year old nephew are awesome with Owen and love him so much already!

(Warning: Self bragging) I have really gotten into eating healthier and working out. Yoga, kickboxing and weightlifting are a part of my rotation. And I am proud to say that I have lost 70 lbs since giving birth to Stella. Forty-four of that was baby weight but the rest was a couple of  years of yo-yoing and just not having an urgency to be fit. One look at my family now makes me want to be my healthiest self. It feels good to be more in control. I'm not to my goal weight or shape, but I am on my way and that is a vast improvement from where I was two years ago.

The house is for sale again. We need MORE space. Not sure where we will move if/when we sell, but liking the Olio and 104th area. Still Indianapolis area, actually Fishers, better school systems and a bit  further out of the city.

The Hubster's company is moving too. Not sure where either, but I am confident all will fall into place.

That's all for now.

Check back soon for Stella's First Birthday Party pictures

9 months and growing!

I am impressed with myself. I am only three days shy of keeping up with my every three month blog posts! And WOW! All the things that can happen in three months. I am sure I have mentioned how much I love Stella and how much I love being a mom. But these days its on another level. Pretty sure I do not have the ability to articulate how much this girl means to me and how much joy she has brought to the hubster's and I's life..... so instead I just will give you an update and post some pictures.

Stella is into EVERYTHING. She started crawling around 6 1/2 months and hasn't looked back. She currently enjoys pulling herself up on anything and hanging on to furniture and 'walking' from piece to piece as far as she can across the room. The doctor predicts she will be walking way before her 1st birthday in three months. If she would just take a second to slow down and learn how to stand I think she would figure out how to walk without assistance. But instead, I blink and she is all the way in the kitchen dumping the dogs water bowl on herself.

And speaking of the dogs! SHE LOVES HER DOGS. She is nonstop laughing at them all the time. She can not get enough. Sadly they really don't want anything to do with her (kind of don't blame them since she pulls their hair when she gets in reach), which makes it even more funny/sad when she is hysterically laughing at them and they are ignoring her!

Stella is finally thriving in her eating and growing. She is still low percentile for her weight. But with a head size in the 93 percentile we are already saving for Harvard. :) I think she is just going to be petite like her Nana. It also means cute clothes fit her longer, so I am okay with that! She has loved every food we have given her, and likes to be a big girl and feed herself when we let her. Except, I still can't get her to hold her own bottle. Miss Independent when she wants to be.

On Tuesday's and Wednesday's she goes to "school" at Joy's with two other little kids. This allows me to have some non baby time and help out at the hubster's office. It is the perfect break. I am looking for full time work as a school counselor and will hopefully find something by August. Right now, with it being nice outside, and her being more interactive, I am very happy with the schedule we keep as a family.

Speaking of schedule's. Stella is very predictable. She goes to bed majority of nights at 7:30. She sleeps through the night and wakes between 6 and 7. She then naps from 9:30-11:30 and then again from 2:30-4:00. She is a great napper and thrives in structured situations (hmm, wonder where she gets that from). 

She LOVES other kids. When the neighbor boys ride by on their bikes she keeps looking for them to come back by. She wants to talk to everyone when out at the store and loves people watching when we go out to eat. We have been lucky that we can basically take her anywhere.... for now, at least. I predict once she gets this walking thing down, family dinners out will be less frequent.

We started swim lessons a few weeks ago at the local Y. She liked the water. We knew she liked it at 5 months old in Florida. But I wanted to get some classes in before summer hit, and get us both more comfortable with being in the water together.

Up next is her FIRST Birthday party. I have been brainstorming and pinteresting for it for a few months now and have the theme narrowed down. Yes, I said theme. I am fully prepared for family and friends to walk away from Stella's birthday party saying, "Man, Jacque needs to get a job or something."! :)

Below is a funny dog clip where she just laughs at them non stop. And also some 9 month photos we just got done today.  

I've done it again. I've gone another three months. I know this for a fact, only because I have a sweet 6 month old to help me keep track of the weeks and months these days! Stella is growing and changing by the day! Just yesterday she sat up, all on her own, for longer than her past record of 1 minute. The day before her first tooth made an appearance. And this past weekend she tried sweet carrots for the first time and loved them! I like to think she takes after her father and I's appreciation for gourmet food by gobbling up all the yummy veggies we have introduced to her over the past few weeks! She is not picky at all and loves eating them!

A few of her other new loves are.....

Florida- We went for two weeks in January. Just me, the hubster, Stella, and Linus and Lucy. All in the CRV for a LONG road trip. As terrifying as that sounds, it couldn't have gone smoother and we are blessed to have such great baby and doggy travelers!

Stella loved everything about Florida, including the pool, the beach, ice cream and boat rides!

Stella dipping her toes in a pool for the first time, while Linus and Lucy watch!

The Thompson's in the Gulf

Picking out ice cream with dad

First time on a boat!

 Another favorite of Stella's (and who are we kidding, mine too!) is getting her picture professionally taken. Just yesterday we had our family/6 month pictures taken and here are a few of our favorites!

I just fall more in love with my sweet Stella everyday! She has both mom and dad wrapped around her finger (and Nana and Papa and Mimi, too)!

See you in 3 months!

Love, jacque

Well, this is embarrassing....

I can't believe I have gone this long without a post. Wait, not really. I mean, really? I was barely posting once a month. And then Stella came along. And well... nothing will ever be the same and I am completely okay with that.
We are three months and one week into this and Stella is still breathing, crying and growing. She also smiles, poops, sleeps, eats, hiccups and in another couple of weeks I think we will get her first laugh/giggle.
We are currently sleep training and having a little success each night. Little is the key word.
But on average she is going to bed around 7. Sleeping until 3. Eating for 20 minutes. And then back to sleep until 6:30 or 7. Napping twice a day for about 2 hours each time. Of course there are days when non of this happens. But I like to focus on the days that they do happen.
I am still successfully nursing. She is up to about 4-5 oz at each feeding and eats about every 3-4 hours, except for that lovely 7pm-3am spurt! My nursing goal is to make it to 6 months and then reevaluate.
The hubster and I's favorite time with Stella is in the mornings. She is quite a fun little gal after a good nights sleep. We enjoy our morning family time, when we hang out over Stella's crib and tickle and blow raspberries, and make funny noises, as Stella just stares at us. Sometimes only staring, and sometimes smiling and talking right back to us.

Some of Stella's favorite things currently....

Staring contests with her big sis Lucy...

Going to daycare on Tuesday's and Wednesday's so I can go to my internship. This was her first day, or as I called it her first day of school picture....

Smiling. This was her first one. Captured in Fort Wayne with the help of Nana.....

Hairbows and hats. She does not mind them one bit. My motto is GO big or GO home....

Getting in weird positions in her bed.....

Sleeping after a doctor appointment full of shots....

Hanging out with mom......

And last but not least of Stella's favorite things.

Just being beautiful....

I may be tired, never get my good skin back, and be overwhelmed 65% of the time... but I would not change it for the world and STILL look at Stella and shake my head some mornings in disbelief that the hubster and I made her. What a concept. And what a blessing!!!

A few first family videos....

My life is beginning to have some order and structure. Not to the OCD levels that I prefer, but at least at an applaud able level for being a first time mom. I still have not touched the baby book or finished the painting project of her name for her room, but I imagine I will get there.

Today I finally downloaded videos from our hospital stay and Stella's birth. Have no fear.... there is no "Baby Story" like footage of a mothers private parts... however you will see Stella's "money shot" as the nurse called it. You will also, if you listen carefully hear me running my mouth in the background of most footage. Major surgery or not, I CAN TALK!

The first video is Kyle practicing with the 3M and making sure he had it ready to go for Stella's arrival. He is filming me right before they took me back for the c-section.

Stella's first breaths in the world, while they sewed me up. You can hear me explain that I was so sure she was a HE, because statistically 70% women who have the rash I had (PUPPS) have a boy.

Here is Kyle walking out to the lobby to announce Stella's arrival and stats. I had told him not to worry about filming it, but to at least get the sound (I wanted him to be in the moment too). So don't get dizzy watching. His mom, my parents, my sister and her daughter Lorenn were all waiting and had been for HOURS. At this point it is about 3 am. You can see and hear my sister jumping up and down and hugging Kyle and waking my 4 year old niece to tell her she has a new baby girl cousin!!

 

Here is Stella getting her first bath by the lovely nurse Andrea! I loved her commentary. You once again can hear me in the background clarifying my labor and email addresses, as I was sending out a mass email to friends and family announcing Stella's arrival!

And after a very bumpy and somewhat painful ride home in Indy Friday rush hour, here we are arriving at our house for the first time with Stella and introducing her to her furry brother and sister.

 

I hope they weren't too boring. I could watch them over and over for days, but I think I may be biased.

Baby T is here. And almost 3 weeks old! Oops!

Stella Ann Thompson arrived Wednesday, August 10 at 2:15 a.m.
She is perfect in every way.
The Hubster and I are truly blessed.

Here is our birth story....
We arrived at IU North Hospital at 7pm on Monday, August 8th. We were suppose to arrive at 6pm but the hospital called us at 5:30 to tell us to take our time because they were short a room. So we decided to go ahead and go to Scotty's Brewhouse for some dinner since I wouldn't be allowed to eat until Baby T arrived. It was raining hard as we nervously drove to dinner. We somehow managed to stuff our faces. I made the Hubster have a beer to try and help calm his fears. We found it humorous that it was ME that then drove us to the hospital to have our baby. When we arrived at the hospital our room was still not ready so they placed us in a triage room to begin all of our paper work, start my IV and begin my first dose of cytotec, which is orally placed near the cervix to help it ripen. Prior to this I had never been a patient in a hospital. That helped add to the anxiousness.
While waiting for our room to get cleaned the Hubster and I played Words With Friends on our phones and checked Facebook. We finally moved into our room around 8:30 pm and got settled.

I was 'only' allowed popsicles! Yum!

That blue chair thing... yes, that was the Hubster's bed. Poor guy!

The night nurse's name was Andrea. She was about as big of talker as me, so I liked her. The Hubster? I think he liked her since he knew I did. Its kind of important I think to like the person who is putting their hand inside you every 2-4 hours. And that she did. Every four ours she inserted an additional dose of cytotec. She also gave me my first Ambien ever around 11 pm. I told the Hubster the next morning that I had not slept that well in 9 months. I now totally get how people get addicted to those!
My OB/GYN stopped in Tuesday morning around 7:30 a.m. to see how we were doing and to make the decision to start the Pitocin. I was already contracting on my own, but was still not very dilated.  The OB assured us that the Pitocin would just help kick everything else into gear, and with the contractions I was already having we would be holding our baby by that evening. So the Pitocin was flowing. My day nurse arrived. Loved her! Come to find out, she was the delivery nurse for Playmate Kendra Wilkinson. I felt famous!
My parents, sister and niece arrived and hung out in our room while we just chatted. Around 10 am I felt something funny happen and the Hubster gave me a look of "What was that?".  Apparently my water had broke! We shuffled everyone out of the room, got the nurse and got pretty excited that things were really working. The contractions got closer and harder. I was pleased that I was getting to experience "labor pains" and that everything seemed to be progressing. Around 3pm we decided to get the epidural. It was kind of intense prepping me for it and actually getting it. But in retrospect it wasn't too painful or bad at all.

Me and the Hubster before things got too intense!

At this point the Hubster's mom and grandparents had arrived. Everyone was there to meet Baby T. But still not much progress. I was told that once I hit 4 cm things would move pretty quickly. The day nurse then checked me and announced I was finally 4 cm. To help better track the baby's heart rate and the extent of my contractions they decided to put in an internal fetal heart rate monitor. Shortly after that we noticed that the baby's heart rate was dropping when I was placed on my left side. Even when I was on my right side the heart rate was kind of all over the place. Because of that, they decided to lessen the Pitocin. We would wait a bit and then crank it back up. However the next time we started the Pitocin back up the baby did not like it! In fact four nurses came flying in, put an oxygen mask on me, jammed a needle in butt cheek to stop labor, and basically scared the hell out of the Hubster and I. Once heart rates were stable the OB/GYN discussed upping the Pitocin again to see what happens. I should mention that at this point it is about 1 a.m Wednesday. We had been going on and off the Pitocin for the past 4-5 hours to "see" what happens and I was tired of testing the Baby. After having my sister and mom come and talk to me and discussing it with the Hubster, we asked the nurse if we could go ahead and have a c-section. The doctor agreed and within 30 minutes I was on the operating table.

Minutes before being whisked away to surgery!

It was surreal. Lady Gaga was playing as I entered. I remember making the lady gaga/little monsters claw hand motion at my doctor. I think she laughed. The Hubster joined us in full surgical gear shortly after they prepped me. And Baby T was pulled from my abdomen at 2:15. My Ob/GYN held Baby T up in the air and the Hubster looked over the sheet and announced "It's a girl! Stella Ann Thompson!" to the whole operating room! Red Hot Chili Peppers was playing Under the Bridge at this point. The Hubster followed Stella over to be weighed and checked. She was perfect. He then brought her over for our first family picture!

Stella Ann Thompson- 8 lbs 20 inches

Our first family picture!

The rest is a blur of sleepiness, shock, anxiety, visitors, happiness, and love. We were moved to recovery/nursery around 4 a.m. Wednesday and stayed until Friday evening. While at the hospital my parents visited, the Hubster's mom and grandparents, the Hubster's best friend Aaron and our dear friends Colin and Leah. By Thursday morning I was able to get up and walk (slowely and barely) and finally change my baby girls diaper. Prior to that the nurses and the Hubster had been tending to her. Stella immediately took to my breast very well and has turned into a great eater! She passed her hearing test and didn't have a touch a jaundice (thanks to that Farrimond blood!).


I feel like there is so much more I should be reflecting on or detailing. But as you can see it took me almost three weeks to even get on here and post that she had arrived. So for me to just sit in one setting and get all my thoughts gathered is a bit difficult for me. Physically my recovery has been very smooth and fortunate. Mentally I have had some ups and downs. Nothing that isn't unexpected with having a baby and major surgery but certainly enough of an emotional roller coaster that I have relied heavily on the support of my amazing Hubster and family!

Somethings I have learned in the past few weeks..... always accept families help, welcome company even if you are not in the mood, it's okay to cry because your baby won't stop crying, there is such thing as projectile puke, there is also such a thing as projectile poop (and at 3 a.m. when you have just removed a diaper).... there are many other things I have learned and will learn. I hope to continue to visit this blog and document them. But for now, I will fill the rest of this post with pictures!

The Hubster's mom and my dad, meeting Stella for the first time!

Our first night home and Linus and Lucy getting to know their sister!

Second night home, Stella supporting the Colts in their preseason game!

My sister, brother-in law, and niece and nephew visiting on our third day home!

Nana (my mom) came and saved the day! She let me nap and cleaned the house for two days!

Stella's first bath! She cried so hard she pooped!

Stella's reaction to having our friends Colin and Leah over for game night :)

Sleeping on daddy's chest, her favorite!

We have some great video of her right after birth, her hospital bath, and her drive home and greeting from Linus and Lucy. As soon as I get around to it, I will post those. Hopefully before her first birthday! For now, I need to go love on my precious Stella! Life is so much sweeter!

I'm having a baby and this is its room.

So today I am going to have a baby.
Well, not technically today. I mean maybe, today. But we are checking in to the hospital tonight at 6pm. I am 39 weeks 4 days, and my rash of PUPPS has taken over not only my body but also my life. And add that I am 50% effaced but not dilated at all, the doc thinks its best that we start trying to move things along. I will be given cytotec (similar to cervadil) to help ripen my cervix and hopefully kick me into labor. If it does not trigger labor then tomorrow morning I will start pitocin to help begin contractions. Doc says we should plan to meet Baby T by tomorrow evening.
Good thing I have been planning on meeting Baby T for almost 10 months now.
I am ready, we are ready, everyone is ready.

I thought I should get some pictures up of the finished nursery before I find no time, or its to untidy to photograph. I am really proud of it. It has so many sentimental touches, is still somewhat contemporary, and definitely cozy. I cant wait to sit in that chair with Baby T.

Baby T's crib- bedding made by Nana. Cabbage Patch doll was mine when I was a kid. We have been practicing holding it with the dogs near by so they get used to a little one. Linus is very protective of the Cabbage Patch doll!

This chair is so comfortable. It rocks, swivels and reclines. The "artwork" is in progress. It will have all the letters of Baby T's name in it. For now it just has Thompson and a few letters that are both in our boy and girl name we have picked. Its a secret for now!

The tree that was made exactly to scale from the quilt, by the Hubster. Very cool.

The dresser and second mirror. Yes, I broke the first mirror and had to go purchase a second one.

I love the frame. It has a quote from our wedding song, by Dave Matthews. Notice, Linus is already guarding the room!

So that is the nursery. And today is the day. And I think I am going to go throw up now. I kid. Kind of. Pretty nervous, but I think you could fairly call it a good blend of anxiousness and excitement and the fact that my life will never be the same after Baby T arrives. Something I am completely okay with and the Hubster and I are so ready for!

I promise to update with news of the arrival as soon as I am able to! Can't wait for my million blog followers to meet Baby T!