baby steps I say...

So today I think we took one baby step forward to getting this single parent thing down this time around. I *think*. I say this as Layne is screaming in his bed and has been for over 10 minutes. :)

Bayleigh got to play with our new neighbors. They have 5 girls and moved in this past weekend - so we are ALL excited to have some kids nearby for Bay to play with and hang out with. They rode bikes up and down the street for about 30 minutes before we had to leave for another tee-ball game. Fun stuff!

Layne has been crying virtually all day. Nothing I do can make him happy!! I am hoping that he drifts off soon. If he isn't asleep in about 10 more minutes, I will go in and pat his back for a minute. Ahhhh, I hear silence now! :) :) :)

Going to finish up a page about Layne's first month tonight. Just in time for me to start his second month layout. hahaha I am trying to get back to scrapping - but time escapes me!

Hope your world is well. Nothing too exciting here....

Going to go cut a piece of pumpkin pie with a huge mound of whip cream on top. :)

XO

someone pass me a stiff drink...

Good grief, what a day!!

It all went well until Bayleigh came home from school in rare form. The evening went something like this...

Me: "Go get your homework sheet, please."
Bay: "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" while crying and screaming
Me: "Now you can go to your room.
Bay: "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!!!!!!" again crying and screaming
Me: "I am going to count to 3 and then you will get a spanking."
Bay: "AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" runs to her room and buries her face in her bed and proceeds to scream into her bed and cry loudly for 20+ minutes

Meanwhile, Layne is crying because he is grumpy and needs to go down for a nap, but I am trying to change his diaper. And he cries louder because his sister is crying and screaming and he doesn't understand what is going on.

Let's just say lots of chocolate was consumed this evening and I just downed some pumpkin pie. hahahahaha

After getting Layne down, everything went fine this evening. He woke up a happy baby....laughing and smiling at me. Maybe some of the happiness will rub off on his emotional drama queen sister.

Hey, a mama can dream, right??

Until tomorrow....

XO

another military trip...

So, yesterday Andy left for 2 weeks. He has another military trip!! I guess it is just one of those things that I should get used to, you know? I mean, I am married to an Army dude. But, saying goodbye never gets easier and being a single parent always gets harder. At least it is only 2 weeks this time. :)

We spent yesterday with Bayleigh activities. She had a tee-ball game yesterday morning. See pictures below for my girl stroking it out and sporting her gear.


Then, we drove an hour to a birthday party for Bayleigh's best friends little sister. It was quite the shindig with a smoked pig and tons of food. Yes, a smoked ENTIRE pig - with apple in it's mouth an all. I might have to post that picture another time! hahaha

We came home to feed little man. And I had to crash for about an hour because I had been up since 6 am preparing for the day. For good measure, our baby boy at 7 weeks. :)


We proceeded to go to the mall to partake in the Webkinz Extravaganza Day. Bayleigh was so excited to get a free reindeer Webkinz and she had a great time spinning the Wheel of Wow! :)

After all of that, we went to the neighbors house so Bayleigh could play with a pup they were babysitting! A little pug who must have allergies because he snorts like crazy! It was quite weird and our neighbors were a little turned off by the nuisance it created. LOL

What a day! Today has been spent doing nothing but house stuff. I couldn't peel myself out of bed early enough to get everyone ready for church this morning!

Have to share this picture with ya'll. Taken on Bayleigh's baptism day. She was being so grouchy and so was Layne at this point. This picture was taken during their grouchies. Layne is already screaming. Bayleigh is whining that she can't hold him anymore. Five seconds after this picture was taken and I had taken Layne, Bayleigh was in tears too and screaming "no more pictures." So, no family pictures of us on this special day because we are the proud parents of the groucho's. Oh the joy!! :)


We will leave for Daisy's here in a bit. Trying to decide if I will use that time to enjoy non-Bayleighness or if I should resume my co-leader duties. *wink*

Hope you are all well. I will be sure to check in again soon. Might save my sanity over the next 2 weeks!

XO

la dee da!

Ho hum, still around! :)

Layne has not let me have a moment's peace during his waking hours. He wants to be held all the time - which doesn't really work for us here at the Wildes house. So, we are working on letting him cry. It breaks my heart to let him cry, but we gotta break him of crying over being held. *sigh* Poor mama! Keep me in your thoughts....that I can withstand the crying and not give in.

Bayleigh is getting baptized tomorrow! Andy's mom and dad came to be here! We are very excited and can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for our little angel. :)

Tee-ball was this morning - and we had rain! So, the cancelled the game. Bad news for us since we use it as Bayleigh expendable energy time. She commenced to bouncing off the walls when she got home. Andy took her to the Farmers Market, which I missed. I love the Farmers Market... I can't wait to go and stroll around and get some fresh veggies and fruit.

I am missing my cousins wedding. All because it was an adult only reception - so we couldn't take the kids. I won't go there! My feelings are hurt over the whole issue, but I sincerely hope that her day was wonderful!

Let me leave you with some pictures...He is getting so much bigger! And such a sweet boy! :)

Check in with tee-ball pictures tomorrow.

XO

friday fun :)

We had a good Friday!

We went this morning to visit my friend Leigh (hi Leigh) and her new little baby Jack...who I must add is adorable! He has this head full of dark hair that is absolutely cute! It was nice to see an adult during daylight hours and actually talk about girl things. :)

We ran to Target and picked up a few things that we needed and then came home.

Layne had a great day and has been so agreeable and sweet!! Maybe we are getting this whole thing down more than I think.

We went to Chick-fil-A for dinner for Bayleigh's school fundraiser night. And Layne let me eat!! It was so nice to enjoy a meal for the first time in awhile. He was dry and full, so he was one happy baby - just looking around at everything.

We have tee-ball and stuff tomorrow and Girl Scouts on Sunday. Andy will be at drill - so it will be just me and the kiddos until Sunday. It will be survival around here!! I hope I am the one who survives. haha

And I leave you with some new pictures...Naked baby pictures. Is there anything more adorable?!?!

Have a good one!

XO

quickie...

Just wanted to add some new pictures, hot off the camera!


Here is my little man hanging out in his boppy! :)
And one of me holding him. I got the inspiration from a scrapbook layout in a magazine I was going through the other night.
Alrighty, off to bed for me. Must. Get. Sleep.

XO

I survived...

No, I didn't run away!! I survived another day...

Today was a good day. Layne took good naps and ate well. I got to take some naked baby pictures of him.

Bayleigh was good. She did her homework without complaint and was fairly agreeable all evening long.

I have done about 10 loads of laundry today...and that doesn't even touch the laundry in the basket in our room. You see, my son decided to pee on me while I was trying to get some naked baby pictures of him. Then, he decided to pee on my bed while I tried to get even more pictures. I guess I didn't learn from the first time. But, seriously?!?! I thought his bladder was very empty after all the pee he excreted on me, my clothes, and my floor. :) This evening, he peed on himself and his clothes two more times. Put him the in the bath to get all the dirties off. And yes, you guessed it, he peed again! Oh I need a peepee teepee. :)

Going to upload those pictures tonight of Layne...so, I will share some tomorrow.

Hope you all are well.

Off to put the clothes in the dryer. *wink*

XO

AHHHHH!!!

That is me screaming at the top of my lungs!!!

Ever feel like your head might just explode if you hear one more wail or scream from your children?!?! LOL

Let's just say...it has been on of those days. Bayleigh decided to have a royal fit right before bedtime to cap off her less-than-perfect day. She was pestering us all day long!!

Add to that a little baby who has become quite a Mama's boy....

Yes, one long day!

I am anxious to scrapbook, but don't know if I could muster the creativity tonight after the day that I have had. I am thinking about going to bed early and getting rest, so that I can scrapbook tomorrow while Andy is home on his day off. I might even get to go to Target by myself!! Ohhhh the joy. Your perspective definitely changes as you grow older! :)

And I have to leave you with a picture of course....Isn't that picture so funny? Layne had fallen asleep and Andy put him on his play mat with his boppy. Soo cute!! He just laid there, still asleep, while I snapped pictures. It wasn't long before he raised his hands up over his head. :)


Goodnight ya'll. I hope your day was better than mine. I know tomorrow will be a better day and the sun will rise again. :)

XO

a birth story....part two

So, to finally finish up my story!

After being in triage for about an hour and half, enduring more and more painful contractions and back labor. I felt like it was excruciating and wasn't sure if I could do this! The nurse in Triage had asked about pain medication and I immediately told her an epidural please! I already knew that I would like something to help me along. The nurse in Triage wasn't as attentive as I had hoped for. Let's just say that it took her 3 tries to get my IV in and the last one ended with a puddle of blood down the side of my bed and on the floor. At 8:40 I was checked, with my contractions coming every 3-4 minutes. At this point I was 4.5 centimeters! However, we were informed that Layne was face up, so his head was pressing on my spine and that was what was causing the horrible back labor/pain.

Finally, the nurse from Labor and Delivery came to get me from Triage. I was never so happy to see a medical professional in all my life. I knew that I was headed to my own private room, with a bathroom and sauna tub...and yes, a more comfortable bed and rocking chair. Walking seemed to help, so I decided to walk to my new room. After about 5 steps, I questioned that decision. Luckily there were handles on the walls and I could stop and hold on when I was working through a contraction. It took me a bit longer to get to my new room, but Andy and my nurse were wonderful and just talked me through each contraction and stopped with me.

I got to my room and immediately went to the bathroom with much whimpering and squirming. My nurse, Paula, asked if I wanted to sit in the chair or walk around the room...definitely walking! I was now crying through my contractions because of the horrible back pain that I was feeling. Paula was great and told me to breathe and kept me focused, reminding me not to exhale more air than I was inhaling. It wasn't long before I was doubled over my bed trying to find a position to make the back pain decrease. Nothing seemed to be helping. I got onto the bed on all fours and the nurse tried to turn Layne, so that he was face down. She helped by pushing on my back and talking me through each contraction. It wasn't long after that that Paula offered me some Stadol in my IV to take the edge off while we waited for the anesthesiologist to come. It seems like the one on call wasn't answering his pages and there was a shortage at the hospital...and that it may be awhile before I would get the relief I desperately needed. After the Stadol was administered, I felt completely out of it. The contractions were still strong and painful, but not quite the sharp pain that it previously had been. At 10 a.m. I was at 7.0 centimeters! Things were moving quickly.

I must have been in good graces because not long after my Stadol was given, the doctor walked in to give me my epidural. I think I told him that he was a savior! Oh the things we say when we are drugged! :)

I felt so much more in control and less panicked! This labor felt doable! By 11:30 a.m. my contractions were coming on strong every 2 minutes and I was at 8.0 centimeters. I could sit and watch my contractions register on the machine and know that my body was doing it's work in helping Layne enter this world.

When Paula checked me at 11:50 a.m., she determined that it was time for me to start pushing! I pushed for a good hour or so when Paula told me to take a break. She said that Dr. Nova was on his way and we would start pushing after a little while, when the contractions could do their magic and help Layne further down.

Dr. Nova was in and out and said he would be back. He briefly mentioned a c-section, but my nurse was a rock star and told him no way, not nearly time to talk about that yet!

Paula had me start pushing again at about 1:30, when Layne was further down the birth canal. She told Andy that he could come and see his little head when I was pushing. So, of course, he did and was so excited and amazed! It wasn't long after that that Dr. Nova reappeared and took a seat next to Andy and started discussing the military! He was only in the room for about 5 minutes and said he would be right back and that he might need to get a vacuum.

Paula told me that I could probably get him much closer to delivery by the time Dr. Nova came back. So, she turned my epidural down, so that I could feel the urgency in my pushing. After pushing for a bit, I decided I wanted to see the birth too. Paula pulled the mirror over and I was able to watch the whole thing. When Dr. Nova came into the room, I was strongly pushing through a contraction and he said he forgot the vacuum and he would be right back. Before Paula could tell him not to bother, the top of Layne's head was out! Dr. Nova scrambled to get his gown on and put the cloths under me, while fervently telling me not to push! When *he* was all ready, I gave one big push and out he came! Of course, I was crying and got upset when I hadn't heard him cry! But, it wasn't long before I heard his first yelps!

They took him over and started cleaning him off and suctioning him. He had excreted meconium right at delivery, but it was determined that he was fine and it was after his head was out. After cleaning him a bit, they wrapped him up and gave him to me. Oh my beautiful son!!! I just wanted to hold him forever. Paula told me that I might want to nurse him because the pediatric nurse would be there soon to wash him up and do all the birth data. He immediately latched on and took a few minutes of nursing. He was an eating champ (and still is)!!

It was quite an experience! And now I have this little one to show for it!
Thanks for letting me share the story of Layne's arrival. Boring, I know, but I had to get it down before I forgot the little details!

XO

a birth story... part one

I think it's about time I posted Layne's birth story. :) I still can't believe that he just turned 4 weeks old on Saturday.

So, it was March 1st. I was finally dead asleep, comfortable in my bed with each pillow strategically propping my big belly up. I jolted upright in bed and glanced at the clock - 4:17 a.m. What woke me? A gushing feeling... I had to contemplate whether I had accidentally peed on myself or if it was indeed my water breaking. There was only a small amount of liquid, so I wasn't 100% sure. I decided to get up and put a towel underneath me and monitor it, while trying to get some sleep. There were no contractions, so I knew I had some time if this was indeed "it." However, as soon as I laid back down in bed my back started killing me. I leaned over to wake Andy and told him that I thought that my water had broken. He immediately was awake and asking "What do you need me to do?" and "What do I do now?" I told him that he needed his rest for the day ahead and to go ahead and go back to sleep so he could get that rest.

I got up out of bed and did some laundry. I stashed a couple of outfits for the baby and myself in my hospital bag and made sure everything was in order. I quickly realized that I was having contractions. I went online and started timing them - coming 8-10 minutes apart. I was okay for a little bit longer. My back continued to throb! This was all new to me...contractions, labor, back pain, water breaking. None of which happened with Bayleigh without some assistance.

I woke Andy at about 6:30 a.m. and told him to take his time and wake up, but that this was it!
Taking his time flew out the window and he sat straight up in bed. :) I wanted a shower because I knew that it would be awhile before I would get one again. A girl's gotta shave before going to give birth, ya know? I knew that this was labor when I bent over to take my pants off and I gushed some more water into a puddle on the bathroom floor. So, I jumped in the shower and by this time my contractions were coming steadily every 8 minutes.

When I got out of the shower, I went to get dressed and Andy was out of bed and in Bayleigh's room. I got dressed and brushed my hair and joined them. For the first time in her short life, Bayleigh woke with a smile to the news that the baby was on his way. We were all very excited and trying to answer the millions of questions that Bayleigh had about how I knew it was time. Thankfully, we had her put to tasks and she quickly stopped asking us the hard questions.

I told Andy that he should go get breakfast after his shower. However, as he started the water for his shower, I realized that we didn't have that much time left. I peeked my head in the bathroom and told him to hurry and that we would get breakfast on the way. He chuckled and said okay. By the time he got out of the shower, my contractions were coming every 5 minutes and were getting increasingly more painful.

We stuffed Bayleigh in the car with her bag of toys, made sure we had the car seat all set, and put my suitcase in the trunk. We had waited to call our friends, Jorge and Laura, until 7 a.m. and they said to bring her on. They only live 2 blocks away from us, so it worked out perfectly. When we got to their house at 7:30, I got out of the car to help Bayleigh and give her a hug and I was in more pain now than when we left the house. It was hard to sit in the car without sharp pain and more back labor. We went through the McDonalds drive-thru and got some breakfast - me, a biscuit and juice; Andy, a McGriddle and juice. I wasn't that hungry, but I knew I wouldn't be eating for awhile, so I forced myself to gulp it down.

We drove down North Monroe and Meridian going well over the speed limit. Andy knew it was a rare opportunity to speed like heck through Tallahassee. So, he put on his flashers and went 10-15 mph over the speed limit. Funny guy!! I told him that he was going to make me have the baby right in the car if he didn't quit, as I held the panic handle through another contraction.

We got to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital at about 7:50 a.m. We parked in the parking garage and walked around trying to find the elevator in. I started to panic and worry that I would be out of time soon. We got in and went up to labor and delivery. We were told to wait in the lobby...but, they knew that this was pretty much it. I couldn't bear to sit in a chair, so I paced around the lobby. Finally, about 10 minutes later, they called us back to Triage and gave me the pleasant hospital gown to change into. As I changed in the bathroom, I noticed I was leaking more water still. So, I left the bathroom and got into the bed in my little corridor. It was about one contraction later that I realized just how uncomfortable the bed was...with the foot end sliding off the end of the bed. I had to roll onto my side with every contraction because of the incredibly strong back labor I was having. And let me tell you, these are not the beds to do this in. They are made for the 1800's laboring women - silent and motionless due to heavy narcotics.

Be back soon with part two added.... :) Gotta tend to a crying baby!

XO