Love X Two

The Charlie Fekadu Show

Okay, some of you may remember that video is not my thing. I want it to be my thing, well, along with photos. I actually wanted my hubby to be the video guy, but I still haven't figured out how to make that man do everything I want him to do. (Anyone??)
So, we got this camcorder. I thought it would be easy to edit and make cool vids like my blogfriends. (Bucky, I know you are rolling your eyes at my inability to follow directions!) I'm doing really well just to get them on here, but I am not close to being able to make them look pretty yet. Or have a song, or cute titles or anything. My kid is orange and blurry in this. But even while orange and blurry, he's hilarious and adorable. Baby sis? What baby sis? This is The Charlie Shoooooow!

Thanks, big brother...

Mallory is snoozing on the floor on her play mat.
Charlie (crawling right up to her) : "Heyyy, baaaaaby".
Me: "Oh, Charlie, please don't wake her up, she's sleeping!"
Charlie (totally ignoring me and scooting closer) : "Heyyyy, my little baaaaaby".
Me: "Charlie! I said leave her alone! Please!"
Mallory: "Waaashahaaaaaaanfdvfhwuoebvwbwoe!!!????"
Me: "Great. Awesome, thanks Chuck!"
Charlie (shrugging his shoulders and grinning) : "What, Mommy? She not sleeping, Mallory's waking!"

Could YOU punish him??

Tonight I came into the living room and saw Charlie sitting on the floor at Adam's laptop. He jumped a mile when he heard me, because he has been told 3655729 times not to touch computers by himself. I was a little irritated, because it was kind of a hectic moment all around. I knelt down and was telling him the usual..."That is a NO-NO! You can't play with the computer by yourself, Charlie!" He comes back with, "Okaaaaaaay, okaaaaay, Mommy." Then he does this weird little curtsy type thing and adds, "Your highness" as he backs slowly away from me.
I busted out laughing and made him come back and give me hugs and kisses. He looked so proud to have made me laugh so hard.
Of course, an hour later when he poured half a bottle of water onto the sofa, he tried it again. It didn't have quite the same effect the second time...

Edit: I think you are right, Jenn! He and Adam watched Star Wars last weekend, and I bet that is where he got it! Good call!


Here's a picture of Mal I took this week. I know it's not really a smile, but hey...pretty cute, I think!

Umm..now what?

Talking to my MIL the other day, I remembered that next week will be one year since we took off for ET to pick up Charlie Fekadu. Then I remembered what we have done in that one year. Let's see:
Just before we left for Et, we decided to move out. Only since we were preparing to buy Adam's brother's house, we didn't want to go far. So, with our family and friends, we built a little cabin next to my in-law's place. We moved in...okay, well. Our amazingly sweet loved ones moved us in, as we were in ET when the carpet guy finally showed up.
Anyway, we finally got home and settled into the cabin for about 8 weeks. We were able to start moving in to the house in late October. It needed a good bit of touching up, so we painted and scraped and hung wallpaper and ordered carpet and cleaned and slept on the floor. It was a lot of work, and having Charlie there, I was very stressed about having it the way we wanted it. I was so ready to be settled.
Settled we were, on December 11th, as we were getting ready to go on our annual trip to Callaway Gardens for the holiday lights. I had been feeling rough for a few days, and finally dug a pregnancy test out of the back of my bathroom drawer. I had no doubt that it would be negative, like all the ones I have taken in the past. As you know, we were pleasantly surprised that day, and the holidays held much more reason for celebration.
In early spring, I got restless and took an idea for a photography business to a colleague. She loved it, and for the next several months, we worked every moment we could on it. It feels like another baby, only it's going to be a much longer pregnancy. Things are in the works, and I will eventually share that news as well.
Summer brought the usual pool parties (minus the margaritas for little ole me) and play dates with friends. Our kids are going to have to get along, because the mamas sure do have a blast. Hot mom club, WHAT! ;)
Finally, baby sister is here and all is...calm?

Wait, what?

I am supposed to just...live?

Like, take the kiddo to school and go work out at a gym? Or get a pedicure?
Cook dinner and tivo Lost? Have a (dare I say it) sex life??? I can watch Oprah again? Fingerpaint with Charlie? And (now I'm gettin' crazy) I could WORK?!

I don't have any lists to make, nothing special I need from Target, no last minute errands to run before we do whatever. No walls that need immediate painting. The anticipation, the worry (and the belly) are pretty much fading away and leaving me with this life. This amazing existence that both satisfies and terrifies me at the same time. Maybe I need something huge to be going on. What if I am boring without the big events? I hope not because I know our minds and bodies (and bank account) need a rest. I'm ready for boring, I think. I should reword that. What is boring about a two year old and a newborn and a hubby and great friends and family to share it all with? I'm right where I should be...but I know that there is more in my future.
It's good to be home.

On that note, there is a chilled bottle of champagne in my fridge that was given to me when Mallory was born. (Thanks, Mom). I think it's time to crack that baby open!
Cheers!

Mal's First Photo Shoot!

Get used to it, kiddo.
I am going to do some of her with big brother this weekend. :)

And another thing...

This amazing song that I have been in love with now has a video that only makes it more so. Watch...

Here we are...

Happy 1 week birthday, Mal!
Well, we are all still here and doing pretty great! I'm feeling really good, just s.o.r.e as you can imagine. I sometimes look at Mallory's head and think...how the hell? Sigh. Other than that, I feel good. Maybe a little cranky now and then, but hey...it's getting better.
On Mallory:
Mallory is (I hope I don't jinx it) a really, really good baby! She sleeps at night, wakes up to eat twice, and so far hasn't had any crying-for-no-apparent-reason fits. And when she is awake, she is so alert and funny. She's already trying to hold her head up some. She makes the sweetest little cooing sounds and gulps when she eats. Adam and I had both said before that we just weren't "newborn people", so we really didn't know what to expect. But of course, this girl has turned is both into mush. I have heard Adam plead with her a couple of times to just stay little, okay? And I can't seem to keep my face off of her little fuzzy head or stop breathing her in while she sleeps. Watching her little slow movements and seeing her look around, so wide eyed, is amazing. I don't know why I never got it before. She's just a tiny ball of love and sugar. Mush, I tell ya!
On CF:
Charlie is such a loving big brother. He likes to be the one to find her pacifier when she loses it (we caved on that issue). He always wants to hold her, which I have to limit a little, but he's okay with it. A few times this weekend when we had company over, he got a little irritated, demanding "What are you doing with MY baby?"
He's been a bit more, um...spirited than usual, but we are working with him and gently trying to ease him into a new routine. I know it's a lot for him right now, with preschool and Mal coming literally one day after another. What's a 2 year old to do? Our routine seems to be setting in, so I think he is feeling better already.
Here's one thing I do know...I would not even be sane enough to type this if Adam weren't home so much right now. He is working some, but has a lot of time off the next couple of weeks. It's amazing. We are doing it all 100% together and it feels great. I'm sure my hormones will make me have a meltdown on him at some point in the future, so before that happens...I love you, honey!! :)
More later! Between 2 sleeping kids and rain on the tin roof, all signs point to night-night time. Here are some pictures from this week:












One more thing...one of my blog friends, Rachel, posted something that took my breath away and gave me some amazing perspective. She really understands the connection between all of us, and I so appreciate this post.

Mallory's grand entrance!

It's story time!
(Disclaimer: It's a long story but I want to remember and share the details! Feel free to skip the the good stuff, the photos!)
Yesterday morning, after a long night of back pain and cramps, I woke up and got Charlie ready for preschool. On the way I had a couple of contractions that went along with the back pain and felt much lower than the ones I had been having. They weren't terrible, so I decided to go ahead and take him. Once I got home, I started timing them and realized they were about 5 minutes apart...not terribly strong, but I just had this feeling. (Of course I was nervous about crying wolf, though). I woke Adam, even though he had just gotten to sleep a couple of hours before. We called my doctor, and he said if it kept going like that for another hour to come to the hospital. I got a shower, packed up a few last minute things, the whole time thinking, this is silly, they are going to send me home....I just couldn't TELL for sure. My sis came over and we went to get Charlie from school. The 4 of us took our time, stopping for lunch and cell phone chargers. By the time we drove the 40 minutes to the hospital I was really having some major back pain. While we were signing in, though, I felt better, which again made me feel silly. Ha. I don't know why I was so afraid of being wrong about the whole thing.
My mom showed up, and they all waited while we went to triage. There I was hooked up to a fetal monitor and had my vitals taken. The nurse said I was dilated to 3, and that after 20 minutes of monitoring contractions, they would see if I should stay or not. Well...I guess my uterus overheard this and really wanted to show off. In the next 30 minutes or so, my water broke and the contractions were unbelievable. (Or so I thought, until I felt the ones an hour LATER.) Someone up there must have really been looking out for me, because my doctor, whom I just love, was not on call yesterday. I had been trying not to worry about it, but I saw him through my entire pregnancy, and had so badly wanted him to deliver Mal. Suddenly, he pops his head through the curtain with an excited, "Hi!! It's finally time, huh? Let's check that water". I was so happy it almost stopped hurting! He had been there for a surgery and heard I was there, so he decided to stay. This people, is what doctors should really be like. I was so relieved. He confirmed it, this was it, and let's get this girl admitted! Talk about a 'holycrapireallyhavetodothisidontthinkicandothisohmygod' moment. The pain with the contractions was now so bad that I was dreading them, and when they came, I honestly could not mentally get around it. Adam was rubbing my back and I had to grip the bedside table and just, well, wail and moan and beg for it to stop. I now know a new level of pain that I never knew existed. I know it sounds melodramatic, but there's no way to explain how desperately I wanted them to stop (or the pain anyway). And everyone was telling me I was being tough. (I really kinda was! I didn't curse, not one time). :)
Okay, so it was about 3:30 when we got into our room. I was given something for nausea, which was also very strong with the contractions. My sister held my hands through the contractions while I buried my face in the pillow and tried to live through them. My mom and Adam rubbed my back, and finally, the man of my dreams (for that moment) showed up...the anesthesiologist. I think he was wearing a halo, but that could have been a dream.
Ah, the epidural. There's nothing like a warning of "DO NOT move at ALL. Stay VERY still" to scare the crap put of me. Of course, I know the risks. I also know what it feels like to have the guy poking the needle into your spine to have to yell, "Je-SUS! You HAVE GOT to be STILL!" Yep...I jumped. My poor mom almost had a heart attack, and I started wiggling my toes to see if I was now paralyzed. It was like a reflex and I don't think I could have not moved. Anyway, the medicine kicked in right away and I was fine. Phew...
Now things are looking up, and I am getting excited. The epidural made the whole experience into something I could actually kinda enjoy. I have the most respect in the world for women who go au natural, but I never ever would have been able to push through that pain.
Okay, by now it was about 5:30 and I was dilated to 7. My doctor was in and out checking on me, and we had a great nurse. After a while, I started to feel a lot of pressure in the "affected area" and got a little freaked out. It felt like she may just, you know...fall out. I was told the longer we waited for her to come down more, the less pushing there would be. Well, woohoo to that.
Around 7:15, it was showtime. The pushing was hard, 10 seconds (which was more like 16 thanks to the uber slow counting of the nurse) at a time, 3 times in a row. I felt like my ears were going to burst, but I really really really wanted her OUT, so i kept it going. The closer she got to being here, the more intense the pressure was, so at this point I was begging for the contractions to come, so I could get it done. Finally, after about 3 rounds of me asking. "Is this the last one? Am I almost done?" the doc said, "Okay, Heather...one more big one!" Magic words!
The next thing I know I feel a huge release, and my lovely, gooey daughter is on my belly rather than in it. Amazing. Awe-inspiring. I can't describe it. How did this happen? I was so proud that I had made it, and that she was okay...it was just surreal. I hope I never forget that moment as long as I live.
The nurses swept Mallory away. There were several extra people on hand, because Mallory was a meconium delivery. Ew, I know. It means she pooped a little too soon, but that's okay. I'm not mad at her. And she was fine, just needed a little more suctioning right away. And she was not as small as I had thought. Our big girl weighed in at 8 pounds, 10 ounces. She is 20.5 inches tall. It felt like an eternity while the nurses took care of her and I got the rest of the yucky stuff done. My mom was so excited. She kept telling me how good I had done...Jess was taking amazing photos that I cherish, and Adam...all he had to do was smile that big goofy daddy smile. I knew he was happy.
Mallory was born at 7:47 pm, only about 6 hours after we arrived at the hospital. Guess people were right when they said I would somehow just know. Today has been fun, getting used to her schedule (she sleeps a LOT) and seeing friends and family. Charlie adores his baby sis (so far!). I miss him and can't wait to get home to him tomorrow. I showered and got dressed this morning, which was a great feeling. Of course I'm sore, but nothing I can't handle. It's so worth it. Not saying I want to do it again in say, the next 5 years, but it was amazing, and I feel very lucky to have had a good pregnancy and labor. Now let's see what kind of baby we got! So far, I think she is pretty mellow. She has the girliest, sweetest little cry, and is really alert when she is awake. I can't wait to get her home and get settled in, and get going with this 2 kid thing! I literally have about 400 photos, thanks to Jess and Catherine, and I went through them and picked a few, I mean a ton to post here.
My friends who helped me through this, THANK YOU. More later as we settle in for The Beauchamps...Life as a Foursome!!

Alot of these are out of order, but you get the idea. :)