Thanksiving 2011

This Thanksgiving, we got to spend the day with my Uncle and his family. We also had the great pleasure of having my baby brother over to stay with us for several days. It's always so much fun when Uncle Ben comes to stay.

Lacey and Uncle Ben had fun playing with dominoes while we waited for the turkey to be done.

The food was amazingly delicious and I'm sure that everyone ate way too much of it. But it was sooooo gooooood. :)

And then after we ate, just about everyone slipped into a food coma at some point. The following picture is supposed to be of Uncle Ben taking a nap.

And my little angel finally zonking out.

And Daddy.

And Daddy and my little angel. This is my favorite picture of the whole bunch. So sweet.

My grandparents got three great-grandchildren in August, and here's two of them. Now, my grandparents have 5 great-grandchildren--two girls and three boys.

And my little family with Grandma and Grandpa Simmons.

Halloween

I love seeing Lacey really discover holidays for the first time. Last year, I dressed her up and we did trunk-or-treating with our church, but she didn't remember or really know what fun she was in for this year.

Lacey dressed up as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, and Amy I just put in the little fleece bear suit that we have since I didn't have anything else for her. Honestly, Halloween this year got overshadowed by other things, and I'm glad that I had these thing hanging around.

 Lacey had lots of fun trick-or-treating, and of course she still asks to go. "Put candy in bucket." Lol. I tagged along to a few houses with Amy, then the two of use headed home to man the fort for trick-or-treaters. I was so glad that we got a good number this year, since we never have before. So much fun!

My visiting teacher stopped by with her kids and dropped off a gift bag for Lacey. It had non-candy items in it, like these eyeball glasses that Lacey just loves. She calls them her "cricket glasses." I don't know what makes them her cricket glasses, but from the very first time she put them on, she said, "I'm a cricket!" And that sucker shes holding in her hand ended up on the floor one too many times and Daddy ended up finishing it for her.

Maybe this is zombie Dorothy... with the glasses and the teeth.

Amy's Blessing Day

We had the opportunity at the end of October to bless Amy in church. Afterward, we gathered in our home with friends and family to celebrate this beautiful baby who has blessed our lives so much  already. Here's some pictures:

Lacey's expressions when she saw both her grandpas together was priceless. "Two grandpas!!" 

Amy with her Aunt Em, who wasn't about to give her up to the grandparents when she found out they were staying until Thursday.

And Daddy where he likes it best--playing with the kids. And, yes, we have enough toys in our basement for a nursery school. I love it.

This is possibly my favorite picture of the whole bunch because of the expression on Amy's face. I see it on her father's face occasionally as well when he thinks I've said or done something ridiculous. Like, you know, take a picture.

Four generations. Amy, me, my mom, and her mom. One of the best kind of picture.

 Amy with Grandma Welker. I just love this picture.

Because I felt I had to--Amy and her parents. 

Amy with Grandpa Bobo and cousin Taylor. I love kids and babies.

And here is the only moment all day that Lacey would sit still enough for me to take a picture of her.

It was a fantastic day, and I'm glad for all of the people who came to share it with us. I was so glad to have so many people that I love in my home with me at once, and so glad they they all fit!

Moments from my life

I love those moments that you just have to capture on camera. Here's a few from my life that I was lucky lasted long enough to remember forever:

 One day, I decided to see what would happen if I let Lacey go without a nap. At about 4:00 that afternoon, I turned on some Sesame Street for her to watch so that I could close my eyes for a moment. I, of course, fell asleep, and when I woke up, I could hear snoring. She has never ever just crashed like this, so she was obviously very tired, but oh so sweet asleep on the floor. I couldn't resist a photo opportunity.

Another sleepy bug that I just couldn't resist. It was one of those moments when I looked at my baby and just couldn't believe how beautiful she was. We're so lucky to have cameras!

One afternoon when Daddy was home, Lacey decided that she wanted to play pirates. The hat she's wearing is her "pirate" hat, and the chest is her treasure chest. And, if you can't tell, the box is her box, and Daddy is her crew, rowing the boat  to find a place to bury their treasure. It was so cute watching them play, and seeing Lacey's imagination soar.

Can you imagine how delighted I was to find this? The black blobs over her eyes are mascara, and the lines are eye liner. The tube of mascara and the eyeliner pencil, however, had been neatly put back in my make up case. 

I was busy making dinner one night, so Phil was in charge of the girls, and he had a moment of "welcome to your wife's life" when he had to be holding the baby so she wouldn't cry, the 2-year-old wanted to play, and he was trying to get his homework done. Life is crazy. I love it.

My cutie patootie! She's so pretty. She rolled over the other day, too.  And, as of last Wednesday, she was 12 lbs 8 oz. She's my little chubs! I love those cheeks!

Lacey has a very sweet side to her regarding her little sister. Lacey is more of a rough-and-tumble sort of kid rather than a huggy, kissy kid, so I think that she doesn't always show much affection for Amy. Sometimes I think that Lacey just wishes Amy would go away, but then there's moments like this, when she shares her Perry the Platypus doll with her. Lacey loves her Perry, and the fact that she's willing to share him with Amy I think is her way of showing affection for her. She's quick to share her Perry when Amy is upset and Mommy can't pick her up right away. It's really very sweet.

Haircut

Not bad for a pair of safety scissors and no idea what I'm doing.

Sisters

 

I thought that this was really sweet. They look so similar and so different at the same time.

Ho Bo baby shower

Back in December when we were announcing to our family and close friends that we were pregnant, I was delighted to learn that my good friend Jennifer was expecting as well, due a week before I was. The Bobos are really good friends with Jennifer's family, so we had a joint family baby shower that was lots of fun. Here are some pictures from the event.

We had bbq sandwiches for dinner. Mmmmmm.

Lacey had cookies for dinner. Or, a few bites of several cookies which Mommy then had to finish. I wasn't complaining.

These beautiful blankets were made by Grandmother Bobo. We got to sit those chairs, by the way, because we were the "guests of honor" or something like that, and I can tell you they were way more uncomfortable than the chairs that everyone else got to sit in. Once I figured that out, I made Phil sit in my seat and I took his.

  

This is my silly toddler lounging across the way.

Amy Aleth Bobo, born August 21, and Kayla Renee Ho, born August 13, both about a week before their due dates.

Lacey in a Chair--2 years later

Before and after. It's amazing how fast they grow. This is Lacey in both pictures, by the way. It just made me laugh that Lacey was sitting in her chair with the little baby toy stuck in it, and it reminded me of the first picture. She was so little once!

Playing Catch Up

So, it's been a long time since I've blogged about anything besides Amy's birth story. That's because after I posted last, life went a little crazy, mainly because we started looking for a home to buy. Then we found one and moved into it. Then we started fixing it up. Then we had a baby. All very time consuming things. So, life has been crazy. Good, but crazy.

So, first of all, our new house. Or, our 32-year-old house that we recently purchased. We moved in July 23rd, so 2 months ago now. We have 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, lots of storage and play area, and a huge back room that's totally empty cuz we don't have any use for it yet. And because it has no flooring and one corner doesn't even have drywall. I'd take pictures but...we're still settling in, really, so there's still lots of mess everywhere. It's a lovely house, though it needs some cosmetic work to really be nice. So far we've painted all the walls (except the empty room), and it makes such a difference to the feel of the rooms. Here's a fun little picture of Lacey helping Daddy prep the room for paint by sanding the wall. As you can see, the color in this room was a horrendous kick-in-the-face orange. The room next to it was a kick-in-the-face pink. Now they are a lovely relaxing minty green color.

The house also needs new carpet (which will happen in the foggy someday future), but what we have now will be ok until we can afford it. My next project is going to be furniture for our front room (which is also currently completely empty) and window treatments, a necessity since the windows face directly east and west.

I don't think we could have chosen a better neighborhood to move in to. Everyone is so nice and welcoming to us. People are delighted that we've bought the place, since evidently it was rented out for so long, with lots of turnover, and there were some weirdos here before us. That's not to say that we're the epitome of normal, but let's just say we fit in pretty well with the rest of the neighborhood. There are lots of little kids around for Lacey to play with. Lacey loves to "go for walk" and "say hi to friends." A "friend" is anyone under the age of 10 that comes into Lacey's line of vision. And usually, if we walk around the block, we can find someone for Lacey to play with for a few minutes. I love living in a neighborhood.

There will be more pictures once things are more settled. I know, it seems like 2 months should be long enough to get settled into a house, at least enough to get the rooms of mess taken care of, but try doing it 8, then 9 months pregnant, and then with a newborn. It's tough! We had a lot of help from my brother Ben and from my mom, all of which has been greatly appreciated.

Introducing Amy Aleth Bobo

We welcomed Amy Aleth Bobo in to our family Sunday, August 21, 2011, at 5:14 a.m. I've already written one version of her birth story, but I've decided to try again with a clear head.

The Monday before (August 15), I had a regular OB checkup. Turns out I was already 5 cm dilated and 100% effaced. Most women at that point are in the hospital after suffering through several hours of labor. My doctor told me to stick close to home since labor could start any moment. I'd also been having regular Braxton-Hicks contractions for a long time (weeks), and I would occasionally time them when they seemed especially close and intense (they were 6 minutes apart for a couple hours once) but they always subsided, which really was a good thing, though frustrating. We were waiting for my mom to arrive from SC to take care of Lacey before we could really be ready to have a baby. I secretly wished every day that Baby would just COME already. It wasn't so much about wanting the discomforts of pregnancy to end as it was about the waiting and uncertainty of when it would actually happen. I did a lot of walking that week trying to help things along, which was nice since I got to know some of the neighbors that way. And really, as far as the discomforts of pregnancy go, I was extremely blessed to have had very few this time. I had very little swelling, no horrible unrelenting back/leg/hip pain, and only a hint of insomnia there at the end. (With my first pregnancy, all those things were continuously present for the last 4 weeks or so.) And I don't think that I ever got any kicks to my ribs, amazingly enough. Though that's not to say that I didn't get plenty of kicks other places.

So, Saturday, August 20, my mom got here to help out, and I think we all let out a sigh of relief that baby had waited for Grandma to come. And since Grandma was here, I decided to help with the ongoing project of painting the house, something that Phil was adamantly against before. He was sure that if I picked up a paint brush I'd go into labor. I had a sneaking suspicion that he was right...so I was excited to do some painting Saturday afternoon. We primed the kitchen and then painted the hallway and front room. It was hard work and involved a lot of bending and squatting to get the bottom edges of the wall. I probably overdid it a little bit in my zeal to get that baby out, but the hard work paid off. Not only was the front room painted, but I also woke up at 2 am the next morning with painful contractions. I didn't bother timing them--I knew it was time to go by their intensity and the fact that I was already shaking uncontrollably--just got up, got dressed, woke up Phil, told Grandma we were going to the hospital, grabbed my hospital bag, and we were on our way.

My contractions got progressively worse during the 20-minute drive (which we were very glad happened at 2:00 in the morning instead of 5:00 in the afternoon when it would have taken twice as long), and by the time we reached the hospital I could no longer walk or talk through the contractions. And whoever designed the main entryway to the hospital was not thinking of laboring women in wheelchairs when they put down that uneven brick. By the time I got into the delivery room, I was 100% ready for an epidural and beginning to feel like it would never come. The nurse checked me and guessed that I was at 7 cm--a guess because she didn't have time between contractions to find both sides of my cervix (the doctor had the same problem). I was definitely in the worst pain that I've ever had in my life, and it got much worse when the anesthesiologist had me lie on my side to administer the epidural. This part is kind of fuzzy because I was just trying to make it through the contractions. I think I was experiencing some back labor as well, that didn't come and go with the wave of the contraction. It was just always there and extremely painful. I'm not too keen on being in agony, so it was a relief when the epidural kicked in and I could relax for a little while. The nurse was then able to accurately check my cervix and declared me to be at 9 cm, to which the anesthesiologist replied that he knew something like that was up (probably based on the moaning and inability to follow his instructions on my own).

Shortly after that, my doctor showed up looking like we had drug him out of bed (which I'm sure we had). He broke my water and informed me that I was ready to push, but as  long as I was reasonably comfortable, he would go take care of paperwork first. And that was fine with me, since a little rest sounded nice before the hard work started.

Pushing commenced at 4:00 am and continued for an hour and 14 minutes. It turned out that Amy was posterior (most babies are born facing down, but Amy was turned to the side), which made her very difficult to get out. The epidural didn't completely numb me, which I found to be very helpful so that I could push more efficiently. It numbed me enough to make the pain bearable, but left me feeling just enough. Kudos, by the way, to those who do/have done this unmedicated. I'm afraid I'm just NOT interested.

So, as I said before, Amy Aleth Bobo was born at 5:14 am, after 3 hours of labor, including an hour and 15 minutes of pushing. She was placed on my stomach while they dried her off (not skin-to-skin, cuz, you now, babies are gross when they come out), but after they took her away and cleaned her up a little, they brought her back for some skin-to-skin. It's a very special moment, to hold your newborn baby to your skin for the first time. Once she stopped crying (she was easily calmed), Amy opened up her eyes and was very aware and content for a few minutes. We were able to nurse, and I was absolutely amazed when she latched on immediately. (Her older sister was a terrible eater for the first few weeks.)

Meanwhile, the doctor stitched me up (which he later said was like putting together a puzzle) and informed me that my tailbone was very likely cracked, and that I was so swollen that I would have to have a catheter for 24 hours. None of these things are fun things. Needless to say, recovery has been long and rather painful, but I am improving. I'm ready to get on a schedule wit h Amy, but I know that that takes time, so I'm trying to be patient, sleep when I can, and get things done when I can.

I can definitely say that my two little girls are my pride and joy. I love to watch them grow and change (it's amazing how much newborns change even in 2 weeks). It's an adventure--let's hope I'm up to it all!

What happens when you let a cat in your house: a tribute to Charlie

Charlie was our downstairs neighbor's cat. He was extremely loving and very patient with Lacey. He was only a couple years old at most, but he passed away from a heart attack (caused by congenital defects) a few days ago. We are very sad about this, especially because Lacey loved him so much. She asks to go play with him sometimes, and it's hard to have to say, "No, Charlie is all gone."

A few weeks ago, our neighbors went out of town and asked us to take care of the cats for them. Charlie got to the point after a few days that he would come to our door to ask for food or company. So, we'd let him in and he'd wander around and try to avoid Lacey for the most part. But this is really what happens when you let a cat in your house (keep in mind that Phil and I are both "cat" people):

First, he'll take over your spot on the couch. Phil was sitting there previous to Charlie's entering.

Then he'll take over your pillow. Possibly (probably) your whole bed.

Then he'll take over your wife. That was a snuggly cat. 

And then undoubtedly continue to take over your entire house, and eventually your life. But this cat was so snuggly and nice that you wouldn't even notice.

We'll miss you, Charlie! See you on the other side!

Our first broken bone

As parents. Phil and I have both had broken bones (Phil broke his arm once, and I've broken my arm 3 times).

But as for Lacey, this is the first. Lacey was playing No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed (I guess) one morning while I was in the bathroom. Then there was a thud and a scream of "ouchie!" and an upset child that not even cartoons and chocolate chips could console. Well, they did console her for a while, but she kept coming back to me in tears, asking for kisses on her arm. Her arm didn't look broken or swollen, but I could tell there was something wrong. And sure enough, the doctor confirmed that her arm was broken. So on went the splint (with much protest from a very upset child--good thing we good Daddy with us so that he could hold her down). And then back we went a few days later for the cast, which required the use of a papoose--basically she had to be strapped to a board with velcro so that she couldn't move or wiggle, since she was being completely uncooperative. Not that I can blame her for that. But actually once she was in the thing she calmed down and just watched what the doctor was doing pleasantly. She's adapted really well to having the cast on her arm. She even willingly holds out her arm for me to put a plastic bag over it before her bath. Little children really are amazingly adaptable. She has to have the cast until the end of June.

Happy Birthday Lacey!

Lacey turned 2 years old on May 8. It happened to coincide with Mother's Day this year, so we had lots to celebrate that day! I thought a lot about my first mother's day 2 years ago, when I got to bring Lacey home from the hospital, and of course about the two days before that when my little angel came into the world.

To celebrate, we invited our Bobo family over for waffles and cake and ice cream. It was quite a crew in our little apartment, but I loved it, and Lacey loved it even more. Nothing could have made her happier on her special day than running around with her cousins.

I know it's hard to tell from this picture, but one of the best games of the evening was Make Lacey Laugh Her Head Off. It was pretty easy to do, and these two were pretty good at it.

Waffles for dinner! She really is enjoying them, I don't know what the silly face is all about.

 Time to open presents! With a little bit of help, she got the hang of this part fast.

 She loved the sparkle tissue paper (I think we still have sparkles hanging around places). And she had to stop and read every single book before moving on to the next. She got a lot of books, which is good, because she loves to read.

Here's the monkey cake that I made. I think it's pretty good for a first attempt at decorating a cake. It was delicious, too. 

Dr. Lacey, checking on Daddy's health. 

Say cheese!! Johnnie likes to take pictures, and Lacey likes to pose for them. An adorable combination.

Well, needless to say, the past two years have been full of joy and frustration, lots of ups and downs, but mostly it's been ups and joys. Lacey is such a happy child, so ready to love anyone she sees. She runs and runs and never stops until Mommy enforces nap time or bed time. She's doing everything a two-year-old should be able to do, and more. She's such a little smarty pants, it's difficult for me to keep up with her sometimes. But that really just keeps life interesting, right? We're so lucky to have Lacey as a part of our family, and we're looking to celebrating her many, many more times!