Posts filed under 'Life'
I realize I haven’t posted any pictures or said anything on the blog yet, but I wanted to get it all written before I forgot anything. The past 3 weeks have included a new baby, Christmas, traveling 3 hours away with 4 kids (FOUR KIDS!), the kids’ being involved in a wedding, New Year’s, and otherwise getting used to life as we now know it. I still haven’t taken down our Christmas decorations yet…
December 14th.
8:45 am – I went in for my 38 week check up feeling miserable. Every day for almost a week prior to this day, I had had regular contractions for about an hour, then they’d subside. My doctor told me to watch out for these contractions, because he said those who have had multiple pregnancies can get to transition (which is right before birthing the baby) really quickly. So I went in wanting to know “how much longer”?
The week prior, I was dilated 1 cm. My OB told me he didn’t want me to walk around at more than 4 cm because of fast transitions and because he worried about my water breaking and the cord being around the baby’s neck. I knew nothing would happen until I had contractions, but with them being so sporadic, I didn’t know if I should call my OB and come to the hospital to be checked. And, the baby had been so high up in my uterus that I wasn’t yet worried about her falling out.
My OB has a really great sense of humor and is very personable. I told him that that day I was headed to Kennedy’s Christmas program at 10:30 that morning. He told me (all the while doing the exam) to make sure I don’t miss a moment of the Christmas programs, because “it’s so important to take time to…” and then he stopped talking and his eyes got big. He asked me, “What did I say you were last week?” I told him 1 cm. He said, “You’re at 4 cm right now. Maybe even 5.” and then I started having bloody show. He pressed on my uterus and said, “You’re having a contraction right now. Do you feel that?” And I said no, because I had had way worse than that.
He said I needed to go to Kennedy’s program and then get myself checked in to the hospital. He mentioned Pitocin, which I told him I didn’t want, and he said he’d break my water, which I wasn’t opposed to doing. So, I left his office, called Kevin, told him to cancel his plans for the day, made some other phone calls to family, went home to pack my bag, swore at myself for not folding the 5 loads of laundry I had done the night before, and went to Kennedy’s program at school.
It was pretty neat to see and tell some people “Today’s the day!”, especially parents of Kennedy’s friends and her teachers, who kept asking, “When are you due? How are you feeling?” all semester long. It was also neat to be able to pack my bag rather than run around like a chicken with my head cut off, trying to drop off the kids where they needed to go and worry about what time they all get out of school and who would pick them up…
11:30 am – After the program, Kevin and I went to Chick-fil-A for lunch. This wasn’t my first rodeo: I knew the hospital wouldn’t feed me until the baby was born. I saw some friends at CFA and they laughed at me when I told them I was in labor! I didn’t eat a lot (because of nerves), but I did get some nuggets and an Arnold Palmer (1/2 sweet tea, 1/2 lemonade – my favorite drink)
12 noon – We arrived at the hospital. I checked in downstairs, went up the elevators, and walked into a very empty maternity ward. I was greeted by nurses who asked me, “Are you thinking of having the epidural?” And I said no. Their faces lit up as they said, “Oh! She’s one of our kind! We love patients like you!” I really had no idea *I* was so rare.
1 pm – I kept laboring, much like I had labored the past week – heavy contractions for a little while, then a nice long break. My OB came in, checked me (I was at 6 cm by that time.), then asked if I wanted pitocin. I told him no, but I said I was ready for him to break my water. He did break my water and Kevin said it would be 38 minutes from that time until the baby would be born. Boy, I wish he would have been right.
1:30 pm – We took pictures, videos, and I kept laboring. Repeat for the next 5-6 hours. We kept getting texts from family asking “How’s it going?” or “Baby yet?” and that didn’t help me relax. Meanwhile, every time the ever-encouraging nurses would come in to check me and I was still at 6 cm. I kept changing positions, I tried all the things that I could possibly do with my water broken to try to get this baby out. I told Kevin “This baby is going to be laid-back. Not in a hurry. She’ll get here when she gets here.”
7:30 pm – At this point, the baby was starting to move into my birth canal, but she flipped posterior so that I had extremely intense [painful] back labor and Kevin had to press really hard on my back to alleviate some of the pain. (And because of this, I would have bruises and soreness for a week after the baby was born.)
Unfortunately, at this point I also lost my supportive nurses at this point because they went off shift. And, supportive nurses were replaced by epidural-happy nurse. EHN came in as if I hadn’t been laboring for the past 6 hours with my water broken, asked if I wanted an epidural, and when I said no, she hung around for several painful contractions.
8 pm - Also with EHN in the room, I remember screaming at Kevin that I couldn’t do this anymore and that I couldn’t handle the pain that was happening (with the baby being posterior). In my mind, I was ready to settle for a c-section, just to get her born. The pain was that intense. EHN suggested that I could try some staidol to alleviate the pain, and then some pitocin to make the contractions more intense. I didn’t want the pitocin because I knew the contractions would hurt like crazy. But, since it’s standard practice to give OB patients pitocin after labor anyway, in order to help the uterus contract back to normal faster, I decided to go ahead and have just a bit. My OB was also there at the time and told me, “We don’t have to give you too much, just enough to make those contractions come more regularly.”
So, he checked me before all these things happened, and I was still only at maybe 7-8 cm. And I started screaming at EHN to take the monitors off of me and to get away from me.. I begged for an epidural at that point. I’m pretty sure I wanted to rip my IV off too.. all of that is foggy because of the staidol.
And then, I needed to push.
Let me interject here to tell you all what a superstar husband Kevin is – he deflected all the texts and calls, he ran out of phone battery trying to get everyone up to the hospital when needed, and most importantly, he was the best labor coach I could have ever asked for. All those intense contractions and times when I didn’t think I could even breathe on my own, and he was there holding my hand and breathing with me. Sometimes I think he was more tired than I was at the end. I had to go through physical pain, but he had to endure the emotional pain of watching me in pain. There were many times when I wanted to give up, and the only thing stopping me was Kevin. If he hadn’t encouraged me and cheered me on and prayed with me, I definitely would have ended up with that c-section. Instead…
8:30 pm – Things got really interesting in the room; all the table setting up and taking down and nursery nurses entering and people trying to get me fully dilated. I pushed my way into 10 cm and then my OB took over. I forgot how to push. My OB helped me push. Kevin helped me breathe. I got into a position that was comfortable for me (forget grabbing my legs and laying on my back). After a few pushes, my OB said to wait while he got the cord untangled from her neck. And then, I looked down and saw her head.
8:41 pm – Karis Mercy Grubbs was born. 20 inches long, 6 pounds and 13 ounces big. The first thing I noticed about her wasn’t how big she was but how loud her scream was. It was a beautiful sound. She looked so purple but her apgar scores were 8 and then 9 (at 10 mins.) Kevin and I cried and kissed and then he got on the phone – my parents and our kids were just downstairs; they had brought Kevin’s phone charger just a few minutes before. The OB’s first words were, “She looks like her sisters!” and boy does she ever. And, then he prayed with us before he left the hospital that night.
We were so blessed to have such a wonderful experience. All things said, it wasn’t exactly how I pictured it, but it was exactly what needed to happen without too much intervention. I didn’t have any tearing or stitching, and all of the tests they ran on Karis came back a-ok, so we got to go home when she was 24 hours old. Everyone who took care of me did a fantastic job, and I’d highly recommend this hospital and staff to anyone looking for a great hospital L&D experience.
Other than that, all I’ll say is, “Don’t walk your infant by the elevators, or the alarm system will think you’re stealing a baby.”
And, because a picture is worth a thousand words, here are two – at Kennedy’s program, one of my last pics while pregnant; and our beautiful early Christmas present.
Just FYI – “Karis” is Greek for “grace”. So her name means “Grace and Mercy”. And she shares her initials with her daddy – KMG.
January 8th, 2012
Dear Carlee,
I really can’t believe you are 3 years old. THREE. And yet, I look back at pictures of you from this time last year and I think of how much you’ve grown. You got rid of your “dinky” a long long time ago, and ever since then, you’ve been working hard on speaking just like your older brother and sister. Really I should be counting the words that you still say like a baby, instead of the words you say clearly.
When you count, you like to skip 13 and 15. Colby did this too and now he’s a pro at math, so don’t worry. You’re still not a good sleeper. I’m hoping that one day I’ll snap my fingers correctly and you’ll love and adore sleep as much as your poor ol’ mom. 
I cannot wait to see you with this little sister of yours. I know you’re going to take such great care of her and help me with her. You can’t stop kissing my belly and talking to her. (*not sure if that’s because my belly hits you in the head sometimes – so sorry about that!*)
I LOVE that you are starting to do things for yourself – like brushing your teeth (even though we still help you half the time – we still help Colby & Kennedy too), getting dressed, helping to put away dishes, and going potty. All of those really help your pregnant mom get out of the house with some sanity. Now if I can only get you to wear shoes when we leave the house… And up until this week, it was okay to leave the house barefooted because it was 100 degrees outside for the longest time.
You love to argue with me and tell me NO. But I figure that comes with being 3. I don’t like being told NO any more than you do. You love to draw and color pictures, especially on Colby’s homework or important papers that you’re not supposed to be able to reach – even though the drawing paper is within your fingertip reach.
Since your daddy has started playing drums again, you have taken to listening to him at the beginning of church and then when the sermon starts, he will take you to Sunday school. Correction – you want to run to him up on the stage so he can take you to Sunday school. You act as if you haven’t seen your daddy for days at a time! But your daddy really does love it. And you love love your daddy.
The thing I’m most proud of is your love for books. I love that you love reading and memorizing those sing-song patterns (like in Brown Bear Brown Bear, What Do You See?). Of course, when you read a book 100 times, it’s no wonder that it gets stuck in your brain. I am only kidding, of course.
I know it’s not supposed to be so evident at a young age, but I am beginning to see that your love language is quality time. Because you don’t want to be away from me or your daddy or your siblings. And that hasn’t changed since you were born. I’m happy to oblige in this. That’s why you get to do some special things that your siblings haven’t – because you know what privileges are and how to work them in your favor. You’re no dummy. Except when you decided to cut your own hair a few weeks ago. Thankfully I walked in before you did much damage, and admittedly, your daddy really likes what you did with your hair – but don’t tell him I told you.
I could write and write for days about the things I love about you, especially your laugh, your beautiful blue eyes and your red hair. I know I’ve written this before, but I wasn’t sure if I could love a second little girl in our family. Now I can’t imagine not loving you. You are still very strong-willed, and there’s things that you do that I don’t like – at all. But I do love you and will always love you, no matter what.
Be a sweet girl, Carlee.
Love, Mom.
December 8th, 2011
One of the best things about living in our college town is having access to college sports. If you know me well, you know I’m a born & raised Aggie, but now that I have kids of my own, I’ve been enjoying getting to expose my kiddos to the Aggie culture.
This football season Colby and I went to one game (Kansas), and Kevin went to 2 games (OSU & Texas). Kevin’s company also had a big tailgate for the Idaho State game back in September. So, the 5 of us rode the Aggie buses to the Quad and then walked to Kyle Field so we could eat barbeque at 4 pm. Because tailgates can last all day, but not really with kids. (We didn’t stay for the game.) It was a lot of fun because it turned out to be in the Aggie practice field, so while the kids weren’t technically allowed to play with the equipment, there was nothing our kids could really “destroy” out there.
I took the stroller with us, but that turned out to be a big mistake because the kids ended up fighting over it more than using it. Other than that, it was a great day in Aggieland.
December 7th, 2011
Since Colby & Kennedy have started school, Carlee and I get to be pals three mornings a week (most weeks). I have thoroughly enjoyed only taking ONE child to the grocery store, to run errands, and to otherwise spend some great quality time with only Carlee. Especially since the baby will be here in less than 8 weeks.
This is in the welcome area of Kennedy’s preschool. I have been so used to “hurry-up and let’s go to the next thing”, but one morning Carlee asked to stop and play here. Without hesitation, I said yes. And then she told me to take her picture. So I did.
It’s also really nice not having to drag more than 1 kiddo to the OB for check-ups. One day Carlee decided it was her mission to clean up the doctor’s office with the tub of baby wipes on the counter. And my doctor didn’t even blink an eye when he saw all the wipes in the trash. Carlee has always been a helper in wanting to clean up, and I’m so thankful for her willingness to help.
November 3rd, 2011
Happy Halloween yesterday, or as it’s known at Kennedy’s preschool, “Orange you glad you love Jesus?” day. (No parties and no candy and no costumes and no scary creatures. Although I think the hardest part was trying to find an orange shirt in the middle of Aggieland. Notice that 2 other little girls are wearing the same shirt as Kennedy?)
For Halloween weekend, we went to 1 party, 1 carnival, 1 church trunk-or-treat, & 1 office trick-or-treating. And the kids changed costumes each time. I only have a few blurry pics from the trunk-or-treat; I”ll try to bug Kevin about getting the other ones posted.
November 1st, 2011
Carlee, taking care of her baby [doll]. She has already claimed that the baby in my belly is “hers”.
How far along: 30 weeks in pic, 31 weeks now. I really should stop taking pictures at the end of the day, when I look exhausted! I promise that I put on make-up every day and actual clothes, most days.
Size of baby: 3.3 pounds & 16.25 inches, or the size of 4 navel oranges (according to my app. shaking my head.) Although, yesterday I measured at 36 weeks – my ob says if the baby keeps growing at this rate, I’ll have a 9 pounder, a month early. Stay tuned.
Maternity clothes: I really thought I was going to get to break out my cute winter stuff – we had approximately 2.2 days of cooler weather, followed by consistent 90 degree temps. Again. I think maybe another cold front might be coming through tonight, although I won’t hold my breath. I’ll survive with whatever I’m wearing, it’s just hard to dress my kiddos appropriately.
Movement: Yes, still lots. My doctor told me to watch and make sure I have 10 kicks in an hour, and I told him it wasn’t uncommon for this baby to have 10 kicks in 10 minutes. But the movements are definitely slowing down a bit – not the jerky movements anymore. I’m also having quite a few Braxton-Hicks, which is exciting and very painful, all at the same time.
Sleep: Getting more and more uncomfortable. I am still snoring, I am still tossing and turning, and I am still in need of regular chiropractic adjustments and prenatal massages.
Cravings: Not too many now that I’ve been cutting down on sugar and grains. I do like HEB’s vegetable crackers (which actually have like 0 vegetables?) and HEB’s honey wheat pretzels. Both of those I could probably eat the entire box or bag, but I do limit myself. I also still like milk and will drink a small glass each night before bed.
Symptoms: HOT. Mostly due to the weather, but I have to have my fans on all the time. Kevin has started growing his hair out, instead of buzzing it, mostly because I think I’m freezing him out. [I'm reminded of that scene in Father of the Bride 2, when Steve Martin's wife AND daughter are pregnant in the middle of summer. They've cranked the a/c on full blast, and Steve Martin runs around wearing blankets and mittens...]
What I miss: Other than sleep? Really, nothing. I am in the phase of realizing how little time is left of this pregnancy, knowing it will be our last, and enjoying being a punching bag for this baby’s kicking. I am truly wondering how much more my belly is going to grow, but in the end, it will all be worth it.
Favorite Moments: I think we have decided on her name! It’s a very recent discovery (as in, the past day or so?) and like all our girls, we don’t have a middle name yet. We’ll take suggestions, other than Faith & Joy, which Kennedy & Carlee already have. So far, I have thought of “tax deduction”, “Christmas gift”, and “the grand finale”. Colby has suggested “Judges” or “Ruth” – because of course in the Bible those come after Joshua, which is his middle name.
October 27th, 2011
What’s that? My feet?
30 weeks along now.
October 19th, 2011
Here’s yet another “summer” outside activity that we are not getting tired of. Nor are we tired of wearing our sleeveless seersucker summer dresses. Well, I don’t have one, but if I did, you can bet I’d be wearing it.
October 13th, 2011
It’s the middle of October, and yes, we’re still swimming in Texas. These pics are from our weekly swimming date with Doc & Belle; I think it’s the last time we’ll be swimming because the water temperature is finally getting cooler after a very very Very hot summer. And, the reason I got pics is because I didn’t get in the pool.
I also got some great video of Carlee swimming. She’s quite the little squirming tadpole. I can’t keep her out of the pool, and she swims so fast and so far that I have to watch her all the time. Doc & Belle aren’t just “back-up”. They’re vital swimming companions.
Dear Summer of 2011, you treated us well in the pool. I’m still tan from my water aerobics classes (which ended just last week) and subsequent swims with Doc & Belle & the kids. however, I’m a little tired of all the heat. Fall on the calendar started 3 weeks ago, which actually means nothing in Texas, but this pregnant woman is really ready to have some relief from all this heat.
October 12th, 2011
Last weekend my cousin Jesse got married. They had one-time use cameras on each table at the reception, so Colby took this as his mission to take pics of everyone… many times over. So, I gave him my iPhone and told him to have at it. I deleted a lot, but I thought these were really cute. (Obviously he didnt take the ones he was in, but he did have everyone posing. I see a budding photographer in the works, just like his dad.)
October 11th, 2011
My frugal friend Gillian has started a wonderful part of her blog called Frugalicious Fridays. Anybody know how to have a link-up party so we can all post our frugal tips together? Because she and I have no clue. Either way, I’m a big fan of alliteration, so I’ll be tagging her on Facebook and linking to her blog so you can see how she saves money. She and her husband are Dave Ramsey graduates as well, and I love how real she is – whether she’s saving money or not!
So Gillian, this one is for you – there’s about to be 3 (little) girls in the Grubbs Household, and if they follow in their mother’s footsteps, that’s going to equal a lot of clogged drains and hairy hairbrushes. I cringed a little bit (or a lot) when I watched Kennedy’s first haircut in the “salon” and had to pay $25 for it. Yikes! So, we took the haircutting scissors we bought to use for Colby, and Kevin cut straight across.
Before:
After:
Such a great job! I estimate he cut about 4 inches off, which has really made a difference because now Kennedy is able to brush through her own hair without so many tangles.
We already cut Colby’s hair with our own set of $40 clippers, which Kevin bought 10 years ago in college. And Kevin cuts his own hair too.
All in all, let’s say:
Kevin’s haircut = 3x/month = 3 x 12= 36 x $15 per haircut = $540 per year
Colby’s haircut = 1x/month = 1 x 12 = 12 x $10 per haircut = $120 per year
Kennedy’s haircut = not per month, but ~6x/year = 6 x $25 per haircut = $150 per year
That is a total savings of $810. I can really get excited about that.
What are your secrets to saving money? I hope to be posting more tips in future Fridays, and I’d love to link your frugal tips.
October 7th, 2011
It looks like this baby is apparently sweeter than originally thought, because I failed my 1-hr. glucose test and now have to take the 3-hr. test next Thursday. If I fail the 3-hr. test that means I probably have gestational diabetes, which I’ve never had a problem with in previous pregnancies. So, my doctor has suggested I cut way back on my carbs and sugars (which of course I’m craving now) in order to do well on this test, and so I can see what my ideal diet should be while pregnant. (PS – my doctor suggested that because of my liver issues last summer, my body might be processing sugar a little bit differently. It also seems like this is his big “soapbox issue”… I’ll find out next week for sure.)
So, here’s a little mini-menu of what I have planned to eat for the next few days – can you help me figure out if I need to cut out even more carbs and sugar? And, what should I replace it with? There’s only so many days I can eat salad… Plus, what about fruit? I’ve been wanting fruit, which has the “good” sugars… should I go all out and eliminate those too? I put a (+) on the items I know have pretty high carbs or sugars (or both) but how’s a pregnant lady supposed to eat?
Friday:
B – baked oatmeal (oats, 2% milk, brown sugar) (+)
L – chef salad (lunchmeat, cheese, low-carb dressing), frozen grapes
D – beef roast ragout with whole wheat noodles (+), green beans & fruit
S – cheese stick
Saturday:
B – baked oatmeal (+)
L – turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread (+) with cheese and mustard
D -
S – cashews and craisins (+)
Sunday:
B – toast (+) with peanut butter
L -
D – chili with chickpeas, a veggie & a fruit
S – cheese stick
Monday:
B – scrambled eggs
L – chef salad
D – pork chops, baked sweet potato fries
S – peanut butter apples
October 6th, 2011
I made a few trips to Walgreens last week – there seems to be one one every corner in this town, and not every one had the pads that were free after RR. I figured I’d stock up for when Baby Lightning Jesus (or whatever her name is) gets here.
I spent a little over $3 out of pocket for all of these items, and I still have $2 RR left over. My kids were excited about the gummi worms, and I loved that they were free!
(Anybody else besides Tiffany get paid for the Brita pitcher? By Friday, I couldn’t find one. Carlee also pulled the [empty] shopping cart over on top of her, so I was a little distracted that day.)
October 5th, 2011
It’s 10/4, good buddy, and here’s my 4 kids.
October 4th, 2011
Wow, I look really tired…
How far along: 27 weeks in pic, 28 weeks now.
Size of baby: 2.2 pounds, or the size of a Chinese cabbage, according to my pregnancy app. A week ago the baby was the size of a hothouse cucumber. What in the world is a hothouse cucumber? How is it different from a coldhouse cucumber? Why the need to differentiate it from a plain old cucumber? Is it related to Larry the Cucumber? So many questions.
Maternity clothes: Shorts are mostly elastic/athletic shorts, as I can’t really fit into my maternity shorts *yet*… the bottoms (jeans & dress pants) from previous pregnancies fit but it’s still too hot outside to wear them. I have about 6-7 shirts that I really love and wear pretty often (for instance I wore that same blue shirt today).
Movement: Tons. I feel like a punching bag sometimes and I can really tell when she moves from one side to the other. Getting easier to recognize body parts (knees, back & bottom, elbows). I’ve heard that an active baby in utero will be really smart. This girl will be a genius.
Sleep: Not too many hours in a row. I have mastered going potty a few times before climbing into bed, but I still wake myself up… snoring. Either that, or Kevin is kicking me to roll over. One day I swear I’m going to wake up and find he has put one of those Breathe Right strips on my nose.
Cravings: I have been wanting milk a lot more lately, also have been wanting a snack before bed – either Oreos or chocolate chips top my list lately… she’s finding her sweet tooth, this baby. And it seems like ever since my doctor said, “You might want to consider cutting back on carbs & sugar before your glucose test” which is this Thursday, it seems that has been what I’ve been craving… like the elephant in the room….
Symptoms: heartburn, tired. See above.
What I miss: My brain cells. I used to be so good with remembering people’s names. In Kindergarten choir, I’ve been calling one kid by his dad’s name and another kid by her sister’s name…. What was I saying again?
Best moments of the month: Realizing I have less than 3 months until she’s here! I can really tell I’m in the 3rd trimester, so even though I’m tired, I’m also nesting.. cleaning out the closets getting Kevin to take care of some honey-do projects. I still need to finish up my Christmas shopping well before Thanksgiving… put in your requests early.
PS – I’m going to post-date my Four for Four pic this month… you’ll see why later this week.
October 3rd, 2011
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