Welcome to our family...

Charlotte Jane Zmoos

Born September 11 at 4:27am

8lbs 3.8oz 21in

 Charlotte 4 days old

It all started almost 4 weeks ago... My OB gave me an early check upon my request.  Charlotte was super low and I was having random contractions.  I was 2 cm, my OB said, "we may not see you next week!"  Of course a week went by and there I was again in the OB office... 2 cm and 60% effaced, again my OB said, "we may not see you next week!"  Another week and another appointment.  4cm and 75% effaced.  The OB then said again, "we may not see you next week!" By that point I was so tired and defeated I seriously thought, I'm going to be pregnant forever and I will make it to my next appointment!  OB's do not tell exhausted, aching preggos that their baby is coming any time... that preggo may just kill you.

On the 10th I was having contractions 6 minutes apart.  I walked target, walked the trail by my house and all the contractions stopped.  Boo.  On the 11th I was having contractions 6 min apart again, I ignored them since obviously I was going to be pregnant forever!  At exactly midnight I woke up to a trickle of my water breaking, but as I moved around the trickle stopped and even as I changed positions nothing.  So I got confused... I even asked Ethan to check my pants, and in an awesome obedient husband way he checked my pants and said, I don't know!  Do you remember when I thought I was pregnant with Maddy and couldn't read the test Ethan graciously peed on a stick so I could see a negative result.  Yeah, amazing husband!!!!

I convinced Ethan that we shouldn't wait around and that we should go.  During the car ride my contractions slowly started to become regular and increasing in strength, but nothing too bad.  By 1:00am we got checked in and hooked up to monitors, I was about 6 cm.  The nurse was convinced that my water broke, but nothing was really coming out because I had a bulge and the tear in my sac was really high.  While they were monitoring me they noticed with my contractions the baby's heart rate was not responding as it should so the decided to admit me and immediately ordered an epidural.  While they didn't say it, I knew that that meant they wanted that epidural asap in case the baby still wasn't responding and they needed to do a c-section.  After a moment of internal panic and one quick prayer later all my fears subsided and I knew everything was going to be ok.

We got into the room and they continued checking me, at the same time they started carting in all the baby stuff and delivery gear.  Things were moving pretty fast!  My contractions were increasing in strength, but since I wasn't on pitocin they were totally manageable.  This was my first labor with out pitocin and it was great, I can see how people go all natural.  Pitocin is of the devil.  As soon as they finished all their paperwork in came the anesthesiologist... This epidural is a little interesting... he didn't warn me that he was going in and he was a little off,  I could totally feel it and Ethan said I was making some pretty interesting faces.  I informed the Dr. and he was off to the right, so he moved the needle over and numbed me up.  I called it a super epidural because I was soooo numb I couldn't believe it.  My OB then came in and broke my water. The baby's heart rate was looking good but my contractions were irregular again, so I did end up getting a little pitocin, but the lowest dose possible.  

After a little bit, I felt the baby move and a huge contraction.  I was so numb and kinda felt pressure, so the nurse checked me and I was ready to go.  They called my OB, he said to do a little pushing to move the baby down, and that he'd be right there.  I did half a push and suddenly every started saying, "stop, stop, stop" and Ethan said "the head is right there!"  So even though I felt like pushing I stopped and waited for the OB.  He came in and we got to business.  2 or 3 pushes and there was Charlotte!  It was great.  One of the nurses commented that it was good that there were no teenagers around because I made labor look too easy!  Ha!

Charlotte was beautiful and perfect and even nursed right away.  I had some bleeding and had to get a shot and they inserted some medicine in a place you don't really want to insert medicine... if you know what I mean. After a while I eventually stopped bleeding and I was fine. 

I'm in process of healing and feel like I'm doing well.  Charlotte loves to sleep, which is sad because I have to wake her up to eat and I'm trying real hard to keep up my milk supply and do better breastfeeding this time around.  My mom is here and is amazing keeping Maddy and Elliott fed and happy while I take care of baby Charlotte.  Maddy is completely obsessed with Charlotte and cries every time she has to leave her.  Elliott barely acknowledges her existence. 

 Thank you to everyone for your love and support!

Hooray for babies!

So yeah, it's been a while... let me explain.  As many of you know I am pregnant.  And I'm not a fan of being pregnant.  Also, this pregnancy was a surprise, and as Ethan complains I'm not good with surprises.  Double Whammy!!!!  The past 26 weeks have been quite a physical, emotional, and mental roller coaster.  As weird as it sounds, I still have not come to grips with being pregnant...  I'm trying to focus on the positive but when I think about this baby coming I just think about how we are not ready for this at all.  At least I am done being ridiculously sick and pulling out of a period of depression.  I'm trying to get my butt into gear and getting out of the house and focusing on all the blessings in my life.  It's crazy how you can put up your own mental road blocks and be blinded to the good in your life.  So here is a brief catch up on the last 26 weeks of life...

We celebrated Christmas.  I finally finished Elliott's stocking, just a year late...  We had all of Ethan's family in town and it was great.  We had great dinners, played games, movies, and family photos.  Maddy and Elliott enjoyed having so much attention.  I even joked over Christmas how hungry I was all the time and that I couldn't get enough food... yeah.. PREGNANT!

Post Christmas all us Zmoos ladies went shopping with some of our Christmas cash.  We literally shopped till we dropped!  I bought a few new pieces of new clothes that in hindsight were poor purchases due already growing belly.  They'll get some use next year I guess.

Luckily it was a mild winter, the kids enjoyed the snow and I enjoyed only having the shovel the drive way a few times.  Oh, and I couldn't resist getting Elliott a moose hat... 

As winter progressed, so did my nausea and vomiting.  It was rough to say the least.  I ended up going to the hospital 3 times for IV's.  But my poor kids (and Ethan) survived me sick and couch bound.  There aren't too many photos because we didn't do much, plus I wasn't in the camera mood.

As the winter faded away the kiddos were dying to go outside and I still being sick was just making it through the day.  With much help from Ethan, Karen, and even visits from Grandma Zmoos the kids got to enjoy the early spring.  They still continue to help me and take the kids and give me much needed breaks.

As Easter approached Maddy and Elliott both got sick!  I bought candy and eggs for 3 egg hunts which Maddy didn't get to attend...  So we had way to much chocolate in the house!  You'd think that would be awesome for a preggo... but I was still sick and just the sight of chocolate made my stomach churn.  We still were able to dye eggs and do an impromptu egg hunt at Karen's so the kids didn't miss out too much.

Up next was Maddy's birthday.  I can't believe this big, little girl is four!  Literally a few days before her birthday I started feeling less nauseous and as bad as I felt, I knew I'd be sad if we didn't throw her a little party.  So we invited over Allie Clement and she and Maddy had a spa day/tea party.  They had tons of fun painting nails, doing mud masks, and sipping "tea."  I had great help from Karen and Abbey and it may have been the easiest party ever.

A couple weeks later Maddy graduated from preschool.  She LOVED preschool!  She had so much fun learning, making friends, and bonding with her teacher Mrs. Janey.  Her graduation program was adorable, of course!  Sadly I got poor seats and the video camera ran out of batteries... so luckily I did get a very few good shots.

Elliott has been growing leaps and bounds in the last few months.  He is working on talking and will say go, set go, dog, and he may have said tickle, juice, and what really sounds like spongebob.  That last one makes me laugh and a little sad!  He climbs on everything and gives me heart attacks when I find him onto of things or on ladders about to fall at the park.  He laughs uncontrolably at anything slapstick, has successfully jumped, and will just walk up and cuddle you.  He is such a sweetie and still my little guy.

More recently Maddy dropped a glass vase and had to get 3 stitches.  She did really well in the hospital and was so brave when Ethan cut them out... but she still insists on having a bandaid covering the scar at all times.  She has now become a bandaid-aholic and any little owie now must have a bandaid and will freak out if it falls off and she sees any of her scrapes or cuts.

Now that we're caught up... we have just been spending days at the park and anything outside!  We bought pool passes and Maddy begs daily to go and "swim."

By the way, I am aware there are no preggo pictures of me.  I am bigger than a house and hate the way I look and refuse to be in pics.  I did get a hair cut and have gone a little blonde, so here's at least a head shot.  Love you all... Sorry if I've neglected you... I will work on being better!

Ok, so I was totally lame and did not get any Thanksgiving pictures.  We had a marvelous meal made by my mother in law, Karen, and my sister in law, Abbey.  After the food digested we were just hanging around and Abbey convinced Karen and I to go black Friday shopping at Walmart.  I'd never been black friday shopping and thought it'd be hilarious to see the crazy people at Walmart.  I expected people throwing some elbows or crazy fights over Elmo's... but nada.  Everyone was nice and were chatting us up.  It was so chill, we even bought some bananas for next mornings breakfast.

As soon as Thanksgiving ended we started Christmas baking.  Maddy asks to make cookies everyday.  She loves to mix, bake, sprinkle... she wants to do it all.  We made practice 2D gingerbread houses before we upgraded to a 3D version.  We are gearing up to make all sorts of goodies for her preschool teacher Ms. Janey, who she absolutely adores.

As the count down to Christmas continues, we gave into social pressure and got an Elf on the Shelf.  Maddy named ours happy.  Here he is one day perched  on the gingerbread house Ethan and I tag teamed in our annual semi-competitive gingerbread house build off with our friends the Stangers.  Maddy now loves elves and talks with Happy everyday.  She found this hat amongst the decorations, put it on, and called herself Maddy the Elf.

Elliott is still our perfect little man.  He's sweet, happy, cuddly, and sleeping better nowadays.  He has become obsessed with our phones and if he sees them he will fight you until you give in and let him play.  He's walking like a pro and fast as lightning. 

   

 Just when you think the holidays couldn't get any busier...  Karen volunteered to host a fundraiser for  a local politician with Ann Romney as a guest speaker.  We baked, decorated, and prepped for hours.  It paid off!  Ann was great and we sure looked classy when ABC, CNN, FOX, and the Washington Post showed up.  Ann shared stories about Mitt, they were funny, sweet, inspiring, and uplifting.  I enjoyed the opportunity to see her speak and say hi.  My father in law Mike did have to kick out one reporter who apparently is known to be disrespectful.  He left without a scene, phew!

 Most recently, Maddy had her preschool Christmas program.  It was a perfect 15 minute presentation!  Maddy did a wonderful job singing and staying in her spot.  I was relieved Maddy was so well behaved.  I posted videos of each of their songs... apparently the little girl next to her was having a bad night!  Of course we had to get a pic with her favorite, best friend teacher, Ms. Janey.

BTW... disclaimer, we are going to send our christmas cards, I promise... we've had some delays with photos, but no worries you'll get a card with adorable kid pictures eventually.

Merry Christmas.  We love you!