Happy Birthday Mallory!

I had my 39 week doctor's appointment on July 26th at 3:30.  I had progressed another centimeter and the baby was estimated to weigh about 7.5 lbs.  I was given the choice to schedule my c-section or wait it out for up to 3 weeks (not going to happen).  I chose to go home and walk.  I walked for what seemed like miles and miles.  It was really only down the hill and back up, but in the heat and humidity it seemed a lot longer.  I came home and continued to have the sporadic contractions I had been having for a couple weeks.

I went to bed and woke up around 4am with the same contractions, only a lot closer together.  I didn't really believe anything was happening but called the doctor like step two on my fridge told me to do.  They said if it went on for another hour to come on in.  We called my mom to come stay with Ethan and went in around 5:30.  Of course when we got there, the contractions really slowed down.  I was sure they were going to send me home. 

As it turned out, since I was trying for a VBAC, they didn't send me home.  They didn't want me far from the hospital so I was there for the long haul.  They got me a room and since I came in at four cm, gave me my epidural.  I wasn't in much pain so that kinda freaked me out.  I didn't really want it yet, but they wanted it in just in case they needed to do an emergency c/s.  Once they were done, my contractions all but stopped. 

They broke my water around 11:00 am and then the contractions really picked back up.  I was so glad because they don't want to have to induce with a VBAC.   They would have just went ahead with the c/s instead.  I dialated to ten centimeters in a few hours, but she was still really high up.  We waited a couple of hours to get her to move down, which thankfully she did.  The epidural wore off a couple of times throughout the process which was not fun.  It just gave me a taste of what a lot of woman go through the entire time.  I can't believe my mom did that twice with no drugs. 

We finally started pushing and she was still in a transverse, or sideways, position.  I didn't really have high hopes of it working at that point, but it did.  It was amazing.  I can't even believe how wonderful it was.  Joe got to cut the cord and I got to spend time with her immediately.  She was with us for a couple of hours before they took her to give her a bath. 

The entire process took about 14 hours and she ended up being 7 ounces bigger than Ethan.  That was a surprise because one of the reasons they let me do the VBAC was she was supposed to be so much smaller.  She is absolutely beautiful and we are so in love!

Mallory Joan Rosa was born on July 27th at 6:39 pm. She weighed 8 lbs, 8 oz and was 20.5 inches long....bigger than her big brother!

Daddy's little girl

Hi world!

Ethan was so excited to meet his baby sister.  We are so proud of him for how great he is with her.  I have some video that I will have to post later on.  It was so precious seeing him with her for the first time.

The other nice thing about not have a c-section is that we were able to go home in less than two days. 

Ready to go home!

Welcome Gianna!

Congratulations to Tom and Bev and big sister Lena on the arrival of baby Gianna!  She is such a miracle baby born at 34 weeks!  She is getting bigger every day and doing wonderfully.  Aren't these two the cutest?

Meet the Pink Zak

One day, Ethan was telling me how he wanted to go see the pink zak.  I had no idea what he was talking about.  He said it is just a head, has horns, and a scrunchy nose and eyes.  And it's pink.  What???  This went on for days.  Finally, as we were driving out of the apartment complex, he screams "there it is!!!!!!  the pink zak!!!!!"

I will give him that the flag with the Chicago Bull hanging from the apartment balcony is a bit faded.  And maybe he does look a bit like a Yak, but not so much a Zak.  I just wish there was something that made me as excited to arrive home at our apartment as this pink zak does for Ethan.

Carnival

Here are a couple of pictures from the Broadview Heights Homedays.  Ethan loved spraying the firehose, riding the pony, and playing the games.  He did not love riding the car ride.  He threw a fit when it started, which I didn't understand.  He usually loves rides.  It turns out, when he was done, he explained..."Mommy, I want to do it again and I want you to stand INSIDE the railing".  There was no explaining that this was not allowed.  I have to stand on the outside and watch so I don't get run over.  He doesn't care.  He has been getting so mad at things lately that just can't happen. 

Example....the other day, we were in the car and the song "Suds in the Bucket" came on the radio.  He said "the next song is going to be Sud Dog".  Well, no it's not because that isn't a song.  He threw a fit when it obviously didn't come on the radio next.  What to do.

Anyway, we got him past the hysterics of the first ride and he agreed to go on the whirly strawberries with Daddy.  Well, Daddy doesn't like anything about whirly.  Mommy will suck it up and whirl, but not Joe.  It was fine...I just felt bad for the two other kids in the same strawberry who also did not get to whirl.  What a way to spend six dollars.

Hinckley Lake

Joe has been taking Ethan to Hinckley Lake almost every weekend lately.  It is so close and they both really enjoy it.  Joe likes to watch people fish and walk around, and Ethan likes that he is allowed to pee in the woods.  Great combo.  I decided to go with them one day...I don't know what I was thinking except that we got ice cream afterwards.  That is my solution to every ache and pain.

It was really pretty, I just don't think hiking is a good idea in my condition...I have a lot of pictures of them from behind.  I could never quite catch up.

Ball Players

Ethan is always saying that he is a ball player.  Doesn't matter what type of ball or what sport.  He wants to be a ball player.  We took him up to Brecksville fields and let him run around the bases.  I was so proud of him, he ran all the way around and came home "just like Chicken Little".  I was thinking...he is going to be good at this, no soccer in his future.  I don't care what Joe says, he is playing baseball.

Fast forward to yesterday when we went to see Ryan Hvizd's tee-ball game.  He put Ryan's glove on his hand, put the ball inside, and proceeded to try to throw the ball with that same hand.  I think we have some more work to do. 

No matter what, he is extremely cute when he runs, he pumps his little arms and runs "really, really faster".

Here are a Few of My Favorite Things

We have been trying to find anything and everything to do to get us out of the apartment.  I am so happy that this is all going on in the summer.  If it was winter and we were stuck inside, it would be so much worse. 

Our apartment is literally walking distance to the firestation.  Good thing for us because they responded really quickly when we called them for our carbon monoxide detector going off in the middle of the night.  (Welcome to the building, Rosas...we are so glad you and your barking dog, screaming child and soon to be crying baby have moved in.  Just go ahead and call the firetrucks in while you're at it.)  Anyway, it was fine, the fireman told us we have nothing in the apartment that is gas and we don't even need a carbon monoxide detector plugged in.  Nice...Joe's dad would be so proud.

So, we took Ethan up there for safety day and he fell IN LOVE with the helicopter.  We were able to watch it take off and he is now obsessed.  Not obsessed enough to poop in the potty for the promise of receiving a real, live, flying helicopter, though : (

I Can't Wait to Live Here!

Here is a picture of the house from today.  I can't wait for it to be done...they are saying the end of September.  Going from the apartment back to a house will be amazing!!

New House and Huge Belly

The new house is coming along really well.  They have all the framing done and the windows and doors are in.  I will take a few pictures next time I am there.  I have only been using my phone to take any pictures lately cause I am not in the mood to lug around my camera.  This picture was from a couple of weeks ago when they had just poured the basement.  I looked over and was shocked to see a larger than life shadow of my enormous belly.  This picture was just asking to be taken...

The Zoo, the Hot, Hot Zoo

I took Ethan to the zoo one of the last days that I felt I could function.  We had a blast...I made him walk around so I wouldn't have to put him in a stroller.  Thankfully, it worked out.  It was so hot though.  We spent much of our time in the monkey house, which was fine with both of us.  There was hardly anybody there, so we had the place and the monkeys all to ourselves.  He ran around that place just like he was one of them.  As you can tell from the only picture I could get of him, he never stopped moving...

This guy, on the other hand, never moved a muscle the entire time we were there.

38 Weeks

I am 38 weeks pregnant and cannot believe how fast the time has gone.  The days fly by when you aren't just sitting around waiting for the baby to come like you do the first time around.  I had an appointment today and am three centimeters dilated and 60% effaced.  That could mean absolutely nothing, but here's to hoping it means something.  I am tired and hot and the apartment keeps getting smaller and smaller every day. 

Everything looks good and we are just going to wait and see what happens.  I was given the option to schedule a repeat c-section, but since I have been progressing and she seems to be smaller than Ethan was, I am going to just wait it out.  I will keep you posted...

I have had a few ultrasounds over the past couple of months.  Unbelievably, I am measuring small again.  How is that even possible...as you can see from the previous post, I am nowhere close to small.  The last ultrasound was last week and almost put me into labor when the doctor said..."do you know the sex of the baby?"  "Yes...okay, so you are having a little boy".  Ummm...no, not according to the last eight ultrasounds we have had!  I guess she just misspoke, but for a second there I panicked.  Not that I would be upset with a boy, but I had made sure to ask each of the eight previous times to be sure she was still a girl. 

Here is a picture from a couple of ultrasounds ago where you can actually see her face...cute, right?

Just a Little Sprinkle

My mom had my family over for a little "sprinkle" this past weekend.  I resisted the idea at first, but it turned out to be a lot of fun.  We ate cupcakes and ice cream sundaes...what could be better than that?  They all went in and bought me the bedding for Mallory's crib and a diaper bag with some fun stuff in it. 

My mom also gave me my baby doll which she had been holding hostage for the past four years.  It is the doll that I had when I was a baby and when they moved into their new house she said she lost it.  I have been asking for it for four years now.  I couldn't believe that it had just disappeared.   Now I have it back for Mallory to cuddle with!  Good thing I am having a girl otherwise I would have never gotten her back.

Here are a couple of pictures from my sprinkle...I was 37 weeks here.

Hard at Work

Just a couple of pictures of Ethan and Joe working on their laptops.  Ethan is "sending email" to his friends.  

Ethan Quote #17

Ethan used to call the apartment an inpartment when we first moved in....

Ethan:  "Mom, you call it an Apartment, I call it an INpartment, Daddy calls it an OUTpartment, and Chloe calls it a BARKpartment"