Short Final

Well, the nurse just came in and let us know Ali is very ready to have the baby...keep us in your prayers. The next post will hopefully include a picture of our little Hannah!

~Nick

39 3/7 weeks....scratch that, we're in the hospital!

The last few days I have gone from feeling well to crummy, so I was really hoping that there was some big progress made by today's appointment.  Luckily, Dr. Anderson came through for me...Looks like we are 4cm dilated and 75% effaced.  He "stripped" my membranes and gave me his phone number to text him if we decide we want to "induce" today because he's on call.  For now, I've already walked a couple of miles on the treadmill, and waiting for some...

BREAK BREAK BREAK

I am now in control of this blog! Which means that we are situated in a room very similar to the one we occupied 25 months ago in this very hospital and waiting for Ms. Hannah to arrive. After doing two stints on the treadmill to help her contractions move along, Ali and I decided it was go time and notified her doctor and Lindsey Head, packed the car, and headed to the hospital.

We met Lindsey in the parking lot, and she happily accepted our little Emmy girl and her belongings. Lets hope she's on her best behavior and is still welcome at the Head household when this is all done.

Right now, Ali is comfortable (more or less) and situated in her bed. She's got her IV, her water is broken, and her contractions are every two minutes. I don't know what that means, but it seems like we're moving right along. The nurse just checked and said she's going to notify the epidural people (Ali's best friends!), so they ought to be here shortly.

I'll post another update as soon as we have one. Keep Ali and Ms. Hannah in your prayers!

~Nick

The week of doctor's appointments...

We are packing in the appointments before we are homebound for a time.  Emmy finally had her two year old well check up yesterday, and got a clean bill of health!  I count my blessings that she has been so healthy, and found it to be very sweet that she was completely unfamiliar with the doctor's office routine.  I pray that Hannah is just as healthy.  She weighed in (on the big girl scale) at 29 pounds, which falls in the 76th percentile. She is 36 inches tall (consistently in the 92nd percentile since birth,) and her head circumference is 49cm (85th percentile!) She is right on target with all of her developmental milestones, as well.  I was a little worried about her reaction to the vaccinations, but it was all for naught, because she didn't even flinch.  She was incredibly proud of the matching hot pink band-aids on each thigh and couldn't wait to show Nick her "boo-boos" at bath time.

As for yours truly, I had my 38 3/7 week appointment today!  And....no changes to report.  I think I am feeling entirely too well to anticipate a pre-due date delivery. :-P  I am (im)patiently waiting for God to reveal Hannah's birthdate to us!  Looks like there's no good excuse to avoid cleaning the house now...

38 week Eve

I had a reality check at Dr. Anderson's office last Thursday.  I had my routine 37 (+3 day!) week check-up and learned that I'm 2.5 cm and 50% effaced.  Of course this could mean nothing at all, and I could easily walk around like this until I am overdue, but there is always the small chance that Hannah could come sooner than later.  I left my appointment with my mind racing with all the things I still wanted to do before my priority became feeding a newborn and sustaining a crazy two year old.  That evening, I got to work on my last sewing project: Hannah's crib quilt.  I have been packing my work in after Emmy's bedtime, and am nearly finished (except for sewing in the last 5 inches of binding that I neglected to buy in my miscalculation. :-/)  I raided our scary attic to retrieve all of the newborn and 0-3 month clothes, done copious amounts of laundry, loaded Hannah's dresser, packed my "go bag," and stocked up on household necessities to avoid shopping for a time.  As of last night, New Year's Eve, I finally feel prepared for our little girl to come.  Cleaning the house will just be an added bonus. 

Just Three Words...

LAUNDRY RETRIEVAL UNIT

Emmy earning her keep.

Christmas 2011

Whomever said December birthdays are the pits failed to consider how much brighter it can make Christmas!  Celebrating her own birthday just over a week before gave Emmy such incredible perspective on the importance of Jesus' birthday celebration!  In the days leading up, we kept busy with lots of fun Christmas activities (tree-trimming, decorating Rice Krispie houses, baking cookies, touring nearby neighborhoods looking at Christmas lights, hot chocolate and the drive-through nativity at a local church, Christmas shopping and crafts) all of which gave way to fantastic conversations about the reason for the season.  Needless to say, Emmy knew that Jesus has the biggest birthday party of all and was super amped for the holiday!

Being unable to travel this year given Hannah's rapidly approaching due date made for an easy decision as to where we'd spend Christmas.  With family traveling in for or after Hannah's birth (not to mention Nick's parents' and brothers' trip to Brazil for Ben and Eliana's wedding,) we knew it would be a low-key holiday with just the three of us.  It was no-stress and jam-packed with playtime in our pajamas!  We loved every second and couldn't have asked for more!

Emmy received a very special video message from Santa on Christmas Eve, which confirmed her place on the "nice" list.  She hung onto his every word and confirmed that she was a good girl with lots of nods and a big, "yeah!"  We must've watched the message nearly a dozen times. :)  We changed out of our jammies in time for the Christmas Eve service at church, where we got an incredible reminder that God so loved the world that He sent His only son to pay for our sins.  What gift could top that!?  Just when it seemed that the service couldn't get any better, we were so lucky to run into so many of our wonderful friends!  Such a special way to kick off the night!

We raced home so that I could put the finishing touches on our Christmas Eve dinner.  The menu (which held great tradition from my mom's side of the family) included: a green salad, cioppino, fettucine with white truffle butter sauce, and a fruit and jello mold.  Emmy had some spaghetti, or as she likes to call it, "pastas."  After dinner, Emmy opened up the first Christmas gift, new jammies for everyone and Fancy Nancy's "Splediferous Christmas!"  Not long after that, we snuggled in to read a Christmas classic, "The Polar Express."  All the while, Emmy gripped her jingle bell.

The next morning, Emmy's gift to us was the ability to sleep in...until 9!!! That NEVER happens!!  We were shocked when we saw the time!  After her late wake up, we hurried into her room to retrieve her from her crib.  I think Nick and I were even more excited than she was for all the fun that was to come, perhaps because she'd forgotten what day it was.  When we asked her who had come to our house while she was sleeping, she said expectantly, "Annie and KK (Andy and Clairey)?"  We let her down gently by reminding her that Santa had come instead.  Once she saw all the presents under the tree (and ate Santa's cookie crumbs), she was back in the Christmas groove!  Emmy was responsible for unwrapping each and every gift that was under the tree this year, no matter if it was for her or not.  She became pretty overwhelmed by the windfall of fun toys and it wasn't until later in the afternoon, after breaking in her new snow boots from Mimi and Papa outside, that she settled down enough to start enjoying all of her new loot.  We lucked out with a phone call from Nick's Brazil-bound family and Skype calls with Mimi, Papa and Jamie as well as the Sacksteder crew.  One of my favorite memories of the day was Emmy and Clairey's virtual jam-session, where Clairey sang jingle bells and Emmy offered the beat-box on her new keyboard, from their respective living rooms.

We had the traditional Odell family brunch and Christmas Day roast for dinner.  We finished up the day with a "Happy Birthday, Jesus" cheesecake (Nick's favorite.)  Not once did any of us get out of our pajamas the entire day...It was glorious!!

Making Rice Krispie "houses."  Emmy ate all of her allotted candy instead of affixing it to her house.  Surprise, surprise...:-P 

All dressed up for the Christmas Eve service at church!

This is what I get when I tell her to "smile big."

Or this.

Finally, a natural smile. :)

My loves.

Such a pretty pair. :)

Emmy was very excited about her new coat.

Nearly killed myself in heels.  Not my best plan ever.

The first gift of Christmas: Jammies for everyone and Fancy Nancy's "Splendiferous Christmas!"

Reading "The Polar Express" before bed while Emmy clings onto her jingle bell.

The cookies Emmy carefully selected for Santa.

Santa arrived!!

Lookin' good! I don't think she could quite see with them on, though, because she got up about an inch away from my face saying "Yook, Mama!"

It's hard work unwrapping every single gift under the tree!

Modeling the apron I made her, so grateful it fit!

Breaking in her snow boots from Mimi and Papa.  She ran laps around the backyard enjoying the gorgeous weather. 

"Colorin' piture" on the awesome easel from Auntie Kristi, Uncle JP, "Annie," "KK," and Baby Jacob.

Loving the ladybug pillow pet from "Jamie."  Apparently, they are on a first name basis now, he's lost his "Uncle" title. :-P  

Just Three Words...

Lately, Emmy has been emulating my compulsive nature and has glommed onto a few different activities.  Playing with Legos is one and watching past birthday videos is another.   She calls them "Happy Burbday to you," and will grab my hand to pull me to the computer so that I can restart them over and over again (without regard to any other project that I might be engrossed in.)  It's almost as if she knew her big day was right around the corner and felt the need to properly prepare.

Yesterday, we coordinated with Emmy's wonderful teachers to bring cupcakes for snack and to sing Emmy her favorite song!  Nick and I had to chuckle at Emmy's very reserved demeanor during her school birthday celebration.  Of course she smiles broadly while watching the video recap. :)

This morning, Emmy emerged from her bedroom to find some fun birthday decorations hanging in the kitchen and a brand new birthday video to watch.  She was positively tickled.  After playing with her food (she requested pumpkin bread and cheesy eggs for breakfast,) we went to the store to purchase some baking ingredients and a very special balloon to honor the day!  Then, we went to Papa Murphy's to get our pepperoni and olive pizza for dinner, one of her personal favorites.  Emmy boasted her birthday girl status to the kind workers at our favorite pizza joint via her balloon.  It proved to be a wise move on her part, as she was gifted a snack on two pepperonis and two olives, one for each year of life!

After a leisurely nap, Nick (who was able to leave work a bit early today) and I whisked our girl to Nashville for a "special surprise."  Not quite an hour later, a very overwhelmed little Emmy girl found herself at the Build-A-Bear factory!  After a great deal of running around in circles, Emmy fixed her attention on a doggy with roller skates.  Nick joked with the incredibly kind woman helping us that Emmy had expensive taste, to which she agreed by saying it was the most pricey option in the store.  Lucky for us I printed off a coupon!  Shortly thereafter, Abby Horn, the border collie on roller skates was born!  It was so much fun to see an excited Emmy pulling her new doggie through the mall.

We raced home to have our pizza and cupcakes and to open Emmy's presents.  After a reluctant bath time (Emmy told Nick to turn the water off so she could continue playing with her new blocks,) we finished up our day with "Happy Birthday to You" by Dr. Seuss and "On the Night That You Were Born" by Nancy Tillman.  A very sleepy and very content Emmy laid her head down to rest just before nine o'clock tonight.  What a special day it was for such a special little girl.

Shy Emmy shows up at school.

The friends that Emmy jumps out of bed to go play with on school days.

A rare family portrait!

The Birthday Girl getting VIP treatment at the Build-A-Bear Factory!

Stuffing Abby the Dog!

Bathing Abby!

Abby up on her roller skates!

The sweet saleswoman assured Nick that daughters get more expensive with age.

Abby rode home in Emmy's lap.

How can I ever doubt my faith after witnessing such a miracle as the birth and life of my sweet Emmy girl?