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Chris took a trip to France late last fall for work and returned with souvenirs for the kids. This time he came back with long sleeved shirts with French phrases.

Josie's was a cream shirt with children wearing shirts that spelled out a phrase. I think it translated to "We are friends." I am going with what Chris told me because I know not a lick of French.

Xander's shirt is pictured here and I was told it translates to something like "I don't like school."

When Chris returned from France's house (where Xander thought his dad was staying) he gave the kids their shirts and told them what they meant. Xander had a look of disbelief and tried to argue that he DID like school. Chris tried to explain that it was a joke and of course Xander likes school. (Chris later told me that he couldn't find another shirt for Xander with French on it and had to settle on this one.)

Xander was having none of this 'joke' shirt. He has worn it a grand total of three times. Two of those times it was the last clean shirt he had.

This past week he was down to this shirt as his last clean shirt and he was nearly in tears about having to wear it. So I pointed out that he had clean shirts in his closet that he could wear, his nice shirts that he wears to church. He immediately brightened up and picked out a polo to wear. He picked shirts out of the closet for the next two days.

So I had a little talk with him that Dad bought him the French shirt and it would mean a lot to Dad if Xander would wear it again. Xander agreed that he would wear it one more time. The next morning he woke up and picked that shirt to wear and when I complimented it he reminded me that it was his last time wearing it.

I take comfort in the fact that he's nearly outgrown it anyway.

Facts about Hannah

In the grand tradition of our children, here are some fun facts about Hannah. Does making a 'fun facts' list three times count as a grand tradition?

Josie is an Aquarius (the water carrier):

Friendly and humanitarian
Honest and loyal
Original and inventive
Independent and intellectual

Hannah's birthstone is the amethyst.

She was born on a Saturday.

Saturday's child works hard for her living.

Hannah's birth flower is a violet.

According to the Chinese zodiac, Hannah is born during the year of the Water Dragon.

Water calms the Dragon’s fire. Water Dragons are able to see things from other points of view. They don’t have the need to always be right. Their decisions, if well-researched, are usually better since they allow others to become involved.

Hannah is in the bible as the mother of the prophet Samuel.

Hannah means "grace".

Hope was one of my top choices for her name. Chris and I compromised to have Hope as a middle name.

So far we have heard the nicknames of 'Triple H' and 'H Cubed'. We have also been accused of naming Hannah after Han Solo.

Hannah's name is a palindrome, meaning it is the same spelling forward or backward. Her birthday 2/11/12 is also a palindrome.

Hannah has a birthmark on the back of her head in the same spot that her father, brother and sister all have birthmarks.

Hannah's Birth Story

I made it to 39 weeks this time before our new baby girl arrived. Here are the details but remember that there may be too much information. If you really like details, remember that there is Xander's birth story and Josie's birth story too.

I had my weekly doctor's appointment on Friday, February 10 and was told I was still only 1 or 2 cm but was finally 50% effaced. The doctor asked if I'd like my membrane stripped but I declined since I was not yet overdue (and it sounds uncomfortable and might not do anything anyway).

I had already started maternity leave at school so spent a typical day with the kids, getting a small break while Xander was at school and Josie went to the sitter. That evening was supposed to be the usual weekly Pizza and Game night but we substituted frozen pizza and Beauty and the Beast. After the kids were in bed, Chris and I chilled with G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra. I started having contractions while sitting there but didn't think they were anything new so decided to ignore them.

On Saturday morning, Chris woke up to head into work extra early, as in 3 am. By the time he left, I was having contractions again but didn't say anything. I did think it was weird to have contractions while laying in bed because they usually go away when I lie down. I did manage to go back to sleep until 6 when Xander and Josie woke up. Ugh! I was not happy especially considering the contractions were still there. They weren't strong and there was plenty of time between them so I wasn't panicking yet. I did call Chris to let him know.

By 8 I was a little panicky. Most of that was due to not wanting to go to the hospital and find out it was false labor. But the contractions were about seven to nine minutes apart even though I could walk and talk through them. So I called everyone on the list of sitters to see who was available to watch the kids (all of them!) and told Chris he should probably head home. I called the doctor to check when I should go in and was told I could stay at home a little longer if I wanted.

At 11 I gave in to the pressure (haha) and was having to stop and breath through the contractions that were coming every five minutes and lasting for thirty seconds to a minute. We dropped the Xander and Josie off with a neighbor and headed into the hospital. We went to the hospital in town this time so the eight minute drive was much easier than the thirty minute drive to the previous hospital.

This entire time I was timing my contractions using the timer on my phone, I would just hit the lap button when a contraction began and ended. Every time I turned on my phone Chris would ask "Is that another one?" with eager glee. It was rather annoying.

Also annoying was the oppressive heat of the day. The high was 31 but it was probably only in the mid-twenties when we headed to the hospital. I complained at home about how hot it was and was walking around barefoot. I was ready to roll down the windows during the car ride. When we arrived at the hospital and I was told to go ahead and change, the first thing I did was take off my boots and socks again. I do not understand the repeated suggestion to have socks in case my feet get cold during labor and delivery.

Back to the story. I was in for observations for a limited time because plainly I was having contractions (Chris loved watching the monitor and comparing the peaks of each contraction, "Oh, that one only went to 60, the last one was 70!") and I was dilated 4 cm. I was admitted and taken to a delivery room.

At this point Chris (noon?) was starving and begged off to get food from the cafeteria. He returned in due time with a burger and fries. I was okay while he ate the burger but then the smell of fries hit me and I made him leave. He must have inhaled those fries because he returned in about one minute.

My contractions were coming about three minutes apart and I would have to squeeze Chris's hand to make it through without crying "Owowowowowow" like a little girl. It's nice that I can whisper his name and he'd dart across the room, hold out his hand, I would grab on and squeeze with everything I had and he wouldn't even wince. I had already been given an IV (I think I was even on my second bag because the first was soaked up like water on sand) so the nurse asked if I'd like some drugs and I said yes, please. They worked immediately and I became almost giggly as I said "Wow, that worked fast."

Now the order of things get sketchy for Chris and I. I know the doctor was around and the nurses were checking in with her. I know that my water broke, maybe around 1:30? It wasn't a huge mess this time. I know the anesthesiologist was in and out and finally had the results of the blood work to put in my epidural. They checked and I was 7 cm so I was given the go ahead for the epidural. Then the process of the epidural seemed to take forever. I was bent over and fighting not to move during contractions and repeatedly told "You'll feel a small prick." But then it was done and I was able to lie down and relax.

Except that it still hurt! Well, the contractions felt infinitely better but suddenly there was pain shooting across my lower back in time with the contractions. So I found myself clutching Chris's hand and trying not to whimper again. Then I was 10 cm and waiting for the doctor.

Two pushes and our little girl joined us.

Hannah Hope
8 lbs, 7.9 oz
20 inches
February 11, 2012


I was able to hold her for the first minute or so. Chris and I were both a little worried because she was so purple! Since the doctor and nurses weren't concerned, we tried not to be. Soon enough she was bright pink and red. They whisked her away for cleaning, measurements and such on the other side of the room and Chris followed. I really thought Hannah was going to be my biggest baby yet, but she was lighter than Josie. She looked like she was chunky and long but only came in at 20 inches.


The best line of the day was Chris, after following the nurses and Hannah around for fifteen minutes, blurting out "Are you done yet? I'd like to hold her." And he did. I didn't think he was going to hand her over to me and he said the only reason she did was because she was already rooting on him.


I was able to hold her again and she took to nursing like a champ. I was told we'd go to the hospital room when I could walk but that took two hours because the epidural was given so late and took so long to wear off. That's ok, my sister-in-law was able to visit right away and was excited to be the first one to hold Hannah. We eventually made it to the new room and were able to relax a little.

Another Name Game

Once again, we are keeping the baby name under wraps until she joins us. It hasn't helped that Chris and I have had a hard time agreeing on a name this time around. He has his top three choices and I have mine and there is little room for compromise. We have found a couple we agree on, but I'm hoping that by birthing a baby Chris will cave and Chris hopes I'll be so hopped up on drugs he will have time to write what he wants on the birth certificate.

As we did with Xander and Josie, here is our list of names we seriously considered. Really, these aren't jokes! Believe me!

Pearl - I don't know how Chris didn't suggest this with Josie
Moraine or Aviendha - from the Wheel of Time books, I have agreed to either name if the baby comes out channeling the one power or throwing a spear. Chris is rooting for the spear.
Braxton - put it with our last name, it's funny because it's true!
Snow - Snow White pulled it off! If the baby is born in a snow storm, we have a winner.
Tulip or Daffodil - if the warm weather keeps up, ours will be blooming so let's remember this warm winter by naming the baby after the early bloomers.
If the baby had been born on Super Bowl Sunday, we would have named her something after the winning team.
If the baby is born on Valentine's Day, we could name her Cupid!

Xander and Josie have also given us their choices.
Sally - from The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That (the PBS show)
Alex - which is the neighbor girl's name.

What do you think, any suggestions?

37 Weeks

Here we are at 37 weeks and wondering how long we will have to finish getting baby materials ready. We have the mini van with Xander in his new booster seat and Josie in her 5-point harness but still need to put in the base for the baby carrier. The new table that sits more people arrived in September so there will be room for us plus the high chair. Josie's bed has been moved to Xander's room and the crib set up in her room so that midnight feeding, changing and crying are less likely to bother the kids and Chris. The swing, bassinet, bouncy chair and baby mat are all cleaned and ready to go. The baby clothes have been picked through to find anything appropriate for a girl born in February and some clothes have been bought to help keep the baby warm (since Josie was born in June and wore little outfits).


So far the doctor says there is no progress. I'm definitely having daily contractions but they are very sporadic so I haven't worried about calling the doctor or heading to the hospital. In fact, everyday I think "I should pack my hospital bag" but nothing actually gets packed. I am a little stressed about maternity leave which starts next week. There is a sub lined up who is ready to go but that doesn't make it easier to turn over my class to someone else.



Xander and Josie are very excited for the baby to get here. They are the only ones I let talk to my belly because they are so cute. "Hello, baby, this is Xander." "Shhhh, baby, it's time to sleep." Hopefully they will keep up the good attitudes once the baby is here.

While this hasn't been a difficult pregnancy, there have been more hiccups than with Xander or Josie. There was the time I fell and had to go to the hospital for observation. Then Josie might have had Fifth Disease. Then Chris might have had shingles. Then I did get his rash, scratched it and developed impetigo. So currently I have a contagious rash on my left forearm and am taking antibiotics. Hopefully it clears up before the baby arrives because it will hard to nurse a baby without touching her.

Fever Time and Potty Training

Josie, like me, has had a cold for about a month now. It is nothing serious, just snot galore. And she definitely does not have it as bad as I do. Chris is disgusted when I blow my nose because it goes on for about five minutes and a half dozen tissues. Josie doesn't do great with tissues yet and is refusing to let me use the Snot Sucker (as I call it) on her.

But she did have a weird period two weeks ago where she would randomly develop a fever. She'd wake up and be fine. She would eat her breakfast. Then within thirty minutes she would be shivering and huddling on the couch. This happened at home a couple times and a couple time at the sitter's house after she woke up from a nap. Tylenol helped and she slept fine at night. Her appetite diminished a little but not enough to worry. After the fourth round of this I caved and made an appointment with the doctor.

Surprisingly, Josie did have a fever at the appointment. Usually she is fine once I bring her in, making me feel like I'm an overprotective helicopter parent. Initially the doctor said Fifth Disease because along with the fever and cold symptoms, she also had a light rash on her tummy and a red area on her cheek (Fifth Disease is also called Slapped Cheek Syndrome). He started telling me to just wait it out and continue with Tylenol if needed.

Then the doctor looked at me, remembered I was 33 weeks pregnant and Fifth Disease is a problem for the baby. So he backtracked a little and left the room to get more information. When he returned he brought two other doctors to look at Josie to get their opinion. Josie was a little freaked by having three doctors huddling over her but at least she didn't break down crying. The one doctor said the rash looked more like a strep rash, so Josie was tested for strep throat but that came back negative. While all of the symptoms added up to Fifth Disease, they also didn't make sense in the order that they appeared. So we left with the original orders of keeping an eye on her and Tylenol when needed and the additional order for me to tell my Ob/Gyn about the possible exposure to Fifth Disease.

Now for the really weird part of Josie's sickness. She pretty much became potty trained. Usually when kids are sick they get worse and have accidents galore. Not Josie, she actually advanced to the point of yelling "Have to go pee!" as she streaked past me to the bathroom. She wanted to wear her big girl panties and started refusing to wear Pull-Ups. She insists on using the restrooms whenever we go out, especially at church. Sure, there have been a few accidents.

Granted we have been attempting to potty train Josie since she turned two. However, that was in California so at the time I figured that moving back to Ohio would just make her regress. So I encouraged sitting on the potty but didn't stress about it.

Once we were back in Ohio, I gave her some time to adjust. At random times in October, November and December I would put her in training pants and break out a sticker chart. The raisin rewards were (and still are) a big motivational hit. Then I'd have a rough day and not feel like cleaning up any messes and would revert to Pull-Ups.

More recently, the sitter had begun talking up wearing big girl panties. And then Josie received some princess panties for Christmas. I think those two things were all that she needed. I still put her in Pull-Ups at night, but half of the time she doesn't even need them then.

I do expect there will be some trouble once the baby arrives. I could be wrong though and she will just spend the time learning to write instead of having accidents. Any way about it, potty training Josie has been much easier and faster than it was with Xander.

Christmas

Ah, Christmastime. It was just busy enough to make me exhausted this year. The kids loved, loved, loved it. Even now, three weeks later, Josie will ask where the Christmas tree went and Xander will ask what Santa is doing now.

Before sending out the Christmas cards, I attempted to take some fun holiday pictures of the kids by the tree to include. Unfortunately, I don't fully understand how to use my fancy camera and the kids were extra squirmy. So most of the pictures turned out blurry.


Some of the pictures featured someone stealing the spotlight.

And some of the pictures were a bit too goofy.


Once Christmas arrived it was visiting, visiting, visiting. We went to Chris's uncle's for Christmas Eve where Josie cried and ran away from Santa Claus while Xander ran up to give Santa big hugs.

Christmas day arrived with a guitar for Xander. That was what he really, really wanted from Santa.
Ok, funny story time. Chris and I woke up before the kids and were downstairs getting breakfast when we heard Xander get up. Chris walks to the back door and slides it open and yells out "It was good to see you, Santa, see you next year!" Then he walked over to the stairs and told Xander he just missed seeing Santa Claus and he might see him out the window. Xander raced back into his room and looked out the blinds and then burst into tears that he missed Santa Claus.

That's right, Chris started Christmas Day by making Xander cry.

It did get better once we coaxed him downstairs. He was excited that Josie was getting a bike and then realized that he also received a bike. Josie had fun ripping off all of the paper of her gifts. It was fun.



We did visit my family that day and the bikes were brought along and ridden in the basement. Xander immediately ripped the bows off of his handlebars but Josie refused to take her bows off.


Over the next few days we had several different visitors and I know at some point we Skyped with Chris's mom. The kids love doing that, especially Xander because he could stop talking.