I should be napping...

...but who can resist comparing cute baby pictures? :)

This is Zachary:

Now Kenna:
Now me:
And now Marc:

What do you think?

This week, more pictures

Nana (Marc's mom) also took Z on the kiddie rides in Pigeon Forge. I didn't even know they had these there--they were super fun & not too much, I think $2.99 a ride and the rides lasted a long time. Here's Z on the airplane...


...and train...
....and swings. The swings were his favorite, if you can't tell by the look on his face!

Well, I am still loving life with 2, although this week has been a bit harder for me. Marc's mom was here all week and was such a great help to us. She kept my house clean, laundry done, made meals, and took care of Zachary so I could take a nap everyday. But I had a harder time this week. I stopped taking the pain pills a week ago so I was a little more in pain than before; the pain made me more tired than last week. Now, a week later, I am mostly pain free, so I have lots to be thankful for!

Z has had a difficult week adjusting to having to share his mom with someone else. I think it finally sunk in and he has shown some definite signs of jealousy. Plus I think he was a little tired of company. He is sweet with Kenna but every time I have to nurse her or get her to sleep he suddenly has an "emergency" and "mommy hold you..." Let's just say I am learning to do a lot of things with one hand--not only eating and typing but things like helping him up on my lap (without lifting him since that's not allowed due to my c-section), helping him put his underwear back on after a trip to the potty, etc.

There's lots more I could tell about this week but my little one is crying to be fed. Story of my life right now. :)

This week in pictures

Her little face when she's hungry!


A sweet sibling moment....

...and he's done being sweet! He always pushes her away when he's finished!

We took Z to the Great Train Expo last weekend--he had so much fun!

Nana took him for a picnic in the Smoky Mountains while she was here.

Life with 2

I am loving life with 2 kids. Yes, I have had help from my mom who has been with me all week, and yes, I am still on some nice pain medication. But I feel confident I will still love this even after mom goes home & the percoset is all gone. :)

I have also enjoyed a forced break from the computer. Aside from checking my email & facebook every once in awhile, blog checking & posting has taken a backseat to my new little one.

Here are a few sweet pictures from this past week:

Our family of 4


My mom (Grandma Memere), Zachary & Kenna

A great picture of me & my kids--Z is obsessed with her chin.

In this picture, Z was holding Kenna, being so sweet, holding her hand, touching her fingers and saying her hands were "tiny, tiny, tiny." Z always says things in threes...Kenna was looking up at him with eyes wide open. I wonder what she was thinking...

I'm sure I'll have more to post when I feel more human. If I make it out the door anywhere, I can usually only last about 2 hours & then I'm good for nothing. (despite what all my moms-n-more friends think!) I am healing so well from my c-section, but still moving slow. It's hard for me to remember I've just had major abdominal surgery. I guess coming out from surgery with a baby makes it not seem like surgery, you know?

Don't think I've mentioned this before, & I almost hate to post it in writing for fear of regression, but Z seems to be very potty trained. We started about a month ago, & he took to it very quickly. I guess he was just really ready. I'm so thankful for that transition & the fact that it happened before K was born. Here is a link from Rocks in my Dryer with Potty Training Tips--I really loved some of the things she mentioned here.

I'm off to bed now, as I've made it my goal to sleep before midnight tonight. Little one is sleeping, and so must I!

Some pictures of Kenna!

Me & my baby girl!


Her hair is the same color as mine & Z's

Auntie Jacque came to visit from AL

Grandma Memere (my mom) came too!

She's here!

**Disclaimer: The following is a birth story. If you are squeamish, don't read!**

Well, our Kenna girl decided to arrive a bit early! Which was definitely okay with us. On Tues evening during our Women's meeting, I started to have a few contractions but they went away after about 45 minutes. On the way home from church, I rear-ended a car--nothing major, in fact neither car had a scratch on it & we didn't even need to file a police report. My belly was cushioned so well by the seat belt that I didn't even hit the steering wheel at all.

Early Wed morning (about 4:45 am) I woke up with some back pain & contractions about 10 min apart. After about 90 minutes, they were 7 minutes apart. I took a shower, packed my hospital bag, trying to get ready in case she decided today was the day. I called my drs office since I had an appt scheduled for Thurs anyway & they got me right in. Ultrasound showed everything looked great, non-stress test showed I was indeed having regular contractions, although my cervix didn't appear to recognize them. One bit. Not even a bit dilated--I was a little disappointed.

Dr decided to send me to L & D triage to be monitored for a few hours due to the really minor car accident, and we fully expected the contractions to go away & them to send us home since that's what happened SO many times with Z. But after 3 hours, contractions were stronger and between 3-4 minutes apart. We talked things over with my dr, and agreed that the risks of induction were too high, as well as the fact that even a minor car accident like that could have done small damage to the placenta that we wouldn't be able to see until I was in active labor--which could have severe consequences for Kenna & me.

So we decided to proceed with a repeat c-section. I think it was the right decision. I am so thankful, my recovery is going so much better than the 1st (which wasn't really too bad). Kenna is a great nurser already!

She was born on Wed, 9/10/08, at 5:53 pm. She weighed 7 lbs even and was 19 1/4 inches long. Thanks for all your thoughts & prayers for us during this pregnancy--we are so grateful to God for our miracle baby girl!

21 more days (+ a half hour)

But who's counting? :) Really, I'm doing & feeling very well for being 37 wks pregnant. I feel so well that sometimes I forget I am pregnant...which leads to all kinds of things, most of which are painful. Almost burning your belly on the stove. Bumping your belly into just about everything. Getting your belly soaked in the bathroom at church because the sink is all wet (but no other way to wash your hands but to lean over really far). Oh, the joys!

You know the other night when I couldn't sleep? I had the most awesome quiet time, just me & God. He reminded me how much He longs to talk with me, and just hang out with me. He's been bringing me back to the basics lately. Teaching me how to walk more simply, yet deeply.

Okay, more randomly...I witnessed a drive-through wedding on Saturday. No kidding. We were in Pigeon Forge driving from Z's favorite place (the Apple Barn) to our favorite mountain swimhole. Stopped at a stoplight, when suddenly we looked over & saw a wedding chapel with the sign "Drive-thru weddings." Marc made a comment & I thought he was joking. He was not.

This couple was in a convertible at a drive through window getting married. As we pulled away from the light, the guy inside the chapel handed the couple 2 of those car magnets (like a lot of businesses use) that say "just married." I thought to myself, what does that say about these people and how they are going to view their marriage? What does that say about anyone who can't take the time to get out of the car to get married? Shouldn't something as sacred and holy as two lives joining as one be worth getting out of the car for? Maybe there was a medical emergency or something & they wanted to be married before anything bad could happen?....I'm still pondering this.

On a funnier note...Z & I have had a rather interesting day. One of those days when he challenges everything. Earlier we spent some time outside--he was trying to ride his tricycle down our really steep hill and I asked him to stop & put it away. I clearly cannot be running down a hill after him & in this 90 degree weather really didn't want to push the trike down to the cul de sac & then push him around the whole time after. We went inside after a few minutes because he just didn't listen to me.

Later this evening, we were all outside for a few minutes while Marc was grilling, and Z decided to get on the trike again. I was trying to coach him through the "right choice" of getting off & putting the trike away and said something like "Mom told you we weren't riding your trike tonight. What do you think you should do to obey?" He responded with these words: "Ride my wagon instead." Needless to say I don't think that any discipline happened because I was laughing my head off!

The funny thing is that when we were reading his Bible before bed, the story was about Adam & Eve & the forbidden fruit. How God was sad that A & E disobeyed Him and they had to leave the garden. You've never seen a kid's face get so glum so quickly. You would have thought that I was personally yelling at him....it was neat to see him respond to Scripture this way, though, and it helped to reinforce that God wants us to obey Him and our parents. Maybe tomorrow will be better!