Introducing Cora Clare

We welcomed Cora Clare into the world at 6:48 am on Sunday morning, May 22, 2011. She weighed 7 lb 11 oz and was 21 1/2 inches long. Cora means "maiden" and is a name Gil and I both liked (there aren't many due to Gil's dislike of all names I think!), plus it is his great-grandma's name and the name of one of his aunts (although she went by Charlotte). Clare means "illuminate" or "light", and is for St. Clare, a Fransiscan, so has a Briar Cliff relation. My due date was the 23rd and my choice date was the 21st, so the 22nd ended up being perfect! (in fact Jude was also born the day before his due date, so I guess I know just what to expect for next time!). The labor/delivery went very well (despite the fact that the epidural barely had an effect) and very fast! We got to the hospital at 4:20 am and she arrived a little over 2 hours later. It was nice that it happened quickly, but not so nice that labor was all during the night and then visitors came all during the day. Well, I said that wrong, visitors were very nice, but it was also a very exhausting day! Thank goodness for the first two nights of having the nursery so that we could get a little shut eye in between feedings and blood pressure takings and all the other interruptions you get with a hospital stay. We ended up delivering at St. Luke's and overall had a very good experience. The other bad part about delivering in the morning though is that you need to stay two whole days and part of another. We were SO ready to come home!

Now that we are at home we have been able to get a little more rested. She has done quite well at night. Actually, she is a very content and pleasant baby so far. Eats great, poops great, sleeps great (despite waking every two hours), what more could you ask for?! Jude LOVES his "sisser." He often looks at her and says, "So cute!" He loves to point out her body parts, give her her binker, and play the music on her swing. He has even been willing to share toys (not that she is the least bit interested!). But he has also shown a few signs of jealousy and being uncomfortable not getting all the attention he demands. It was great the day of her birth though. He was on cloud 9 with the baby, both grandparents there, and especially the presence of cousin "Ashy."

It is amazing that even though Jude is only 2, I have already forgotten so many things about newborns. Like the startling reflex, falling asleep while eating, all the guesses of feedings and diapers, and how EASY they are compared to a two-year-old (except at 2 am). It is also amazing how it has all come back to me. Definitely easier for me the second time having a little experience to draw on.

Cora had her first well baby check yesterday. She has NO jaundice (something we were very concerned about since Jude had such a rough start with it. so that means no supplementing or bilirubin lights!). Plus she is at 7 lb 8 oz already. We are just so thankful and feel so blessed! We have been given a very healthy baby girl and have a very healthy and energetic big brother for her:)

Here she is moments after birth.

Sleeping in the hospital on the quilt Grandma Carolyn made for her.

Feeding and pee/poop tracking at the hospital.

At home:) This is a hat my grandma Mary Lou crocheted for her.

Jude holding his baby sister.

Sporting the headband from Aunt Alissa and laying on the quilt I made.

Funny Face:)

Sleepy girl

To Pay or Not to Pay?

Here are some pics I took of Jude the other day after school. I really like taking pictures and wish I remembered to do it more often. Right now I am contemplating getting professional pictures taken of the new baby and for Jude's second birthday. They are just sooooooo much money when I really only want a couple to hang on the wall. I mean having an excess of pictures is fun for a while, but really just excessive! Maybe I should just buy a good camera and take a class. I love to do things myself, that is another part of the issue. Hence the quilt that I made myself! Despite the various flaws, I made it!!!

On another note, I am 39 weeks along tomorrow...not sure if I'll make it through the week or not as I was at 3 cm last Wednesday. But I didn't know if I'd make it through last week and here I am! Who knows, maybe I'll even make it to the due date. The ideal time period for me is May 19-22. The last day of school for kids is the 18th and the last teacher day is the 20th. Then Gil's sister, Brittany, leaves for Spain for 6 weeks on the 24th, even though that is the ideal day for my doctor (she is not on call the weekend of May 20-22 due to her daughter's high school graduation). I guess we'll WAIT and see:)

Oh, yes, and the curtains I also made myself!!!

More Jesus!

Here are some videos of last weekend that I couldn't get to upload earlier (and I'm not so sure they worked now either...). Also, I completely forgot to mention another big event that took place. Last Friday Jude got his first real haircut (Besides the buzz cut he got last July, we have never cut his hair. That was Gil's decision by the way!). It was actually done, by chance, by a woman who is the mother of a boy he goes to daycare with. Landon is just about Jude's age, so she was really good with him. And he did amazing (much better than I expected for being tired, grumpy, and having a general dislike of sitting still!). The thing that kept him the most occupied was having the spray bottle of water and shooting himself in the eye! I, of course, forgot my camera, but did get some good shots on my phone. I just have no idea how to get them from my phone to here! Anyway, I think it turned out nicely. It is still long (as you can see in the previous photos), but at least it is not in his eyes or looking like it should be in a ponytail!

Another Jude story I want to share has to do with bedtime. I am the put-to-bedder of the family generally. And we have gone through various stages with the whole bedtime routine. It used to be that when he was tired I laid him down and he went to sleep. Not much to that routine. Quick and easy! (mind you this was after a long time of sleepless nights, I did get my share!). Then he started to be sad when I left so we started reading books before I laid him down to get ready for it. From books we went to songs, then books and songs, then songs and books and milk, and lately we have even used the ipad for "stories" before bed. Jude is absolutely in love with the ipad and has his own folder of activities from which to choose. He is really good at it. The only problem is he NEVER wants to put it away once it is out. He also thinks it is his turn to use it whenever he sees it and "stories" automatically has come to mean the ipad. Anyway, no matter the routine it is never enough. If I say goodnight I can bet I'm going to hear one of these: "More Milk!" or "More Songs!" or "More Stories!" But the latest is, "More Jesus!" Now, I'm not quite sure where he got that. We do occasionally pray, but I have to admit I'm not as good about doing that as I wish I was. But how can I forget when my two-year-old is insisting on more Jesus! So we pray and thank God for all of our family and our pets and our food and friends. We go through a whole list and I'm pretty sure he thinks it is a game because whatever I say (like, "Thank you for this day"), he will say, "No day," and wave his hand in the air. He does this for everything I pray for, but giggles and seems to think it is funny. We also sing some Jesus songs now and he likes those too. Hmmmmmm, I'm still not sure what is going on in his little mind about Jesus, but I love that something is! And let me tell you, it is tough to leave the room at night when he is screaming, "More Jesus!"

2 years old!

I know I just posted, but I really couldn't resist! This past weekend we had Easter/Jude's birthday and it was so much fun:) Here are some pictures that capture the highlights. Boy am I glad I have tomorrow off. I need a day to recover from the celebrating/sweets eating!

Happy Easter. He is Risen!!!

Jude finding an egg.

Jude not cooperating for the cousin photo.

On the swing with Aunt Alissa pushing "higher!"

Cousin Ashtyn helping with the presents.

Jude digging into the cake.
But first he was much more interested in all the cars! Thanks Aunt Minette and Uncle Mitch. This gift was perfect:)
Cake with the cars.

Words on the wall for baby girl's room. Putting this up was tougher than I thought it would be!

Kid's Rooms

The last time I posted I neglected to include any of the new kid's rooms. This past week we became officially done with our remodeling projects. All the woodwork in, the carpet in, the paint on, and the furniture moved!!!

To top it off Jude has spent three nights and two naps in his "bog boy" double bed. We got a cute frog/turtle comforter and striped sheets and a bed rail. The first night he did AWESOME. Just like putting him down in the crib. He wanted a book and a song and some milk and toys, and that was it. He never got out and went right to sleep. Never heard a word out of him until the next morning when he was at the baby gate in his doorway (don't quite trust him yet...) yelling for us. Wednesday night went almost as well, however, Gil did awaken to a cry at 4:30am (how he ever heard him and not me is something I will never know!). Jude had managed to fall out at the bottom of the bed somehow. I was worried he wouldn't get back in, but he did and after a few minutes was zonked out again. Last night was again a fall-free night, so hoping for more of those! I am just amazed at how easy the transition was. Now if we can only get it to go so well for taking away the binky and potty training!!!

Also, FYI, Monday will be 4 weeks left and counting until the end of school/due date!!!

This is the new downstairs closet. It is so nice to have more storage! Also, Gil built a new shelving unit in the basement and that has really helped too!

This is the new banister. The downstairs part was open before. It looks so nice!

Jude's "new" bed. This was actually taken while he was sleeping in it on the first night.

Close up of the first night of sleep in the bed.
Finished paint, doors, and furniture for baby girl.
Grandma let me use her sewing machine yesterday (mom's is being a pain) and I got the entire thing quilted! Now for the binding and that is it!!!
I used "straight" lines and a pale teal color of thread. Kinda wishing I had used the brighter color though.
Here is the back side. I really like this fabric!

And here it is hanging on the crib. I'm thinking I have just enough material left to make a curtain.

craigslist

I decided to start off this post with a picture of Jude. I feel like I've been negligent about taking pictures of him lately and even worse about putting them on the blog. This one is again in the bath (his most photogenic place!) while Gil was washing his hair. I think I'm putting my foot down about the haircut soon!

So, my recent love affair with craigslist has ended (well really it's just begun!) in some pretty exciting new (to us) buys! Here are some pics of the purchases. But the first two are things we now have posted to sell (on the Sioux City site). We'll see if the selling goes as well as the buying!

Futon for sale!!! No room in our inn.

Dryer for sale...now that our washer conked and we bought a new set of sweet front-loaders!

Gil's dresser. Oh so much more room! I don't have to cram like crazy!
My dresser. How fun to have a mirror and all these drawers!
Our headboard that doesn't quite match, but we like it anyway!

Aside from the HORRIBLY HORRIFIC wind that we drove my parents pick up home in last Sunday with the back FULL of all our new (to us) stuff, it has been a good experience! (Oh, and I also won't mention the tiny little fact that Jude managed to lock himself in the pickup with the keys last Sunday before we left....I'll just say it turned out fine!!!)

THIS weekend has been eventful as well, as I assume most of our weekends will be until baby comes. Just so many last minute things to do and get ready for:) This weekend's were all fun, mostly. Saturday morning, after sleeping in until nearly nine am (thanks Jude!!!), I spent my time beginning to quilt my quilt. I have been putting this off for some time in utter fear that I will somehow manage to destroy the entire thing. But after deciding on straight lines that meander and are not all equal (less stress!) across the entire thing, and after deciding on the more neutral color of teal thread, and after finally getting the dumb machine to sew properly, I have officially made six stitches through all three layers of the quilt!!! Fingers crossed....

Saturday afternoon Gil and I began painting the baby room. For some reason I have this disorder that possesses me to attempt to paint straight lines on all our so very un-straight and highly textured walls...at this point we have it "done" but it is drying and we haven't removed the tape so the verdict is still out! I will post pics soon:)

Another Saturday afternoon activity got accomplished since Jude decided to help out by taking one of his super long naps. I painted a shelf and letters that I am going to hang our daughters name with above her crib. It is so cute and I can't wait to post pictures of it as well!

Then today we got up even after nine am AND Jude took another super long nap (way to go sleepy head!). We went to church at Wayne in the morning and I spent the afternoon finishing up the painting. This included drawing "straight" lines all the way around, taping off two large stripes, and finally painting two coats.

I should've probably been doing some lesson planning today as well, but this other stuff was just too much fun. What is left you may be wondering? Well, we need to get the closets done and then go through them and ORGANIZE! We also are going to spend our Friday night date night shopping for a carpet remnant. Then there is this awesome word art I want to order for the wall. Plus the little things like ordering a few pink cloth diapers, getting a new changing pad cover that isn't blue, etc. All in all, a pretty productive weekend:)

Sick Day

After dropping off Jude at daycare myself this morning since Gil had an early day, getting to school on time, getting all prepped for the day, and after the bell rang during attendance, I get a phone call from the daycare. Jude threw up. Now what?! He has been doing this strange throw up thing for a while. One week he threw up on and off for almost a week. That was about three weeks ago now. Then again today. When I finally got sub plans prepared and had my mom coming in to sub for me, I went to pick him up. He was playing and acting fine. The ladies working promised me he had really thrown up less than an hour before! I believed them. He threw up again on the way home. Since then he has been watching "Cars." He seems find, but is a little subdued I guess. I just don't know why this throwing up thing keeps happening. Lactose? Upset stomach? A little bug? Wish I knew!

So I have a sick day without being sick. Not such a bad thing, but I only have 6 to use this semester and today is number 3. Plus the last day of school is May 20th and my due date is May 23...hope I make it!

I haven't posted for a while. Life I guess. We have been busy preparing for the new addition by rearranging furniture ownership. We bought ourselves a nice new queen size bed, along with some dressers and a headboard on craigslist (I am now completely obsessed with craigslist by the way. It is probably good that site is blocked at school!). So our bed and dressers will move (have already actually) to Jude's room and Jude's crib and dresser will move to the new baby's room. Jude is still sleeping in the crib though. Not sure how to go about that transition. So far he thinks the big bed is just for playing and jumping on. Plus there is always the problem of him not staying there, never getting to sleep, and of course falling off! Maybe we'll try it this weekend. Today Gil is picking up paint for the new nursery and some boards to finish the shelves he is building for storage in the basement. It will be nice to finally get everything out and put in place. We are still also waiting on our woodwork to get finished in the new room and closet.

In the midst of all of this, our washing machine took a turn for the worse. It doesn't shift cycles and doesn't spin correctly. So today I have a toddler throwing up and no working washing machine (not to mention the massive piles of laundry we have already been accumulating)! I did manage to find a good deal on a couple of front loaders on craigslist as well. We are hoping to go pick all of our new craigslist purchases in Omaha this weekend, but are leery of the predicted rain for Sunday. I just want to do laundry!!! I will have to post pics of all of our new rooms and purchases when we finally get things under control around here.

This past weekend Gil and I were able to take part in another Briar Cliff Antioch weekend. We had a great group of college students and had a lot of fun (despite the fact that I had to sleep on an air mattress while 7 months pregnant!). Jude got to be with my parents Friday and part of Saturday and with John and Carolyn the rest of Saturday and Sunday. He LOVES his nanas and popas and didn't miss us a bit (although I did miss him a little!). I love being able to share in Gil's job as campus minister at these retreats. It is also such a nice time to get away and do something completely different...not to mention focus on God!

What else? Well, I feel like we are going to be so busy that April is almost over before it begins! Every weekend is almost packed. That means baby will be here before we know it. For those of you who don't get to see me often, I can assure you I look very very pregnant. Hard to believe there could be 8 weeks left in there! She is a mover and a shaker and lets me know she is around! The quilt is still under construction. I have it pinned and am going to begin quilting the layers next week. I just hope I don't ruin it! I think I've also been getting into nesting mode because I found a few other crafts to put together and want to just go buy everything I'm going to need today. I have done a little online shopping this morning, but have so far refrained from any impulse buying!

I need to change our main picture on here because despite the recent snow falls we've had in March, the fairly warm weather allows it to melt away fast. Almost no snow right now!!! I have spring fever and want warm weather NOW!