Sleeping

 Joel has been sleeping a little better lately.  The first week home with Norah he would stay in his bed until about 4ish which is amazing for him.  He has officially dropped his nap (both boys did that when we brought a new baby home go figure)  But he still needs a nap so you might find the following around 5:30:

Poor kid was so tired he didn't wake up when we put him on the couch and then a few hours later put him to bed - even changed him and everything.  Slept until 6 the next morning.  Unheard of for him to sleep so long.  But I think we've finally figured out why he wakes up so many times in the night.  A few times this week we've found this when we've gone to check on him:

Sound asleep. Now each time we're up taking care of Norah we check on Joel.  Maybe if we keep putting him back in bed he'll learn to sleep all night in his own bed.  Last night I woke up around 2 to feed Norah and found Joel asleep between Brent and I.   I have no idea how long he had been there.  But he is cute rubbing our "pretty ears" to go back to sleep. 

 Last weekend while ma-ma-maa and grandpa were enjoying their first grand-daughter...

 Joel was doing this.

 Its pretty much a daily occurrence. The water in the rain barrel is empty (thankfully)so he hasn't had water for a few days but he still goes out every day and digs in the dirt for hours and hours.  I just have to make sure he doesn't walk inside until he is rinsed off.    I don't think we will plant anything in his garden and just let him dig all summer.

Here Joel is rubbing Norah's "pretty ears" as he likes to call it.  Everyone has "pretty ears" and when he rubs your ears he will say "pretty ears"  Sometimes I have to remind him when he is playing with friends not to do "pretty ears" since some of them don't like it

1st bath

 My Mom has given both boys their first baths so in keeping with the tradition she gave Norah her first bath today.  Unlike her brothers, Norah actually liked it - really liked it. 

 A warm bath makes everyone a little sleepy

Thanks Ma-ma-maa! 

More pictures

3 Days Old

 

Beautiful Girl

Norah Grace Goedecke was born at 1:35am Monday March 19. 8lbs 12oz and 22 inches long. She has the cutest little chubby cheeks that have been getting a ton of kisses from us all.

If you are my sisters don't read this - I'd like to be an aunt one day :)  but for those who want to know here is her birth story.

 I had been having contractions for days and lots of back labor that would keep me up all night and then stop right when I thought labor was starting.  But then I started having contractions Sunday afternoon that were 20 minutes apart and while they never got closer by dinner they were pretty strong so I called my mom and then we left for the hospital.  They were still 20 minutes apart and part of me was thinking we were going too early but when we got there I could barely walk so I knew something was happening. I was at 4cm when they admitted me and said they would monitor me for a while then move me to the delivery room.  Norah's heart rate went really high so they gave me an IV of fluids and thankfully it helped.  Then they moved me and the contractions went from 20 minutes to 5 minutes to 3 minutes and then there was almost no break almost within a half an hour.  If i had waited at home for them to get closer it would've been a whole other story. She might have been born in Brents truck.  I was next on the list for the epidural and its a good thing we got there when we did because there were 8 babies born that night.I am pretty sure I was in transition when the epidural came because I was shaking pretty hard by then and had no relief. They were going to wait to check me and by the time the epidural took effect (it didn't work at first and they had to give me something else to take the edge off) I was at a 10 and ready to push. For about 30 minutes I thought I would have to do it without the epidural. And its all mental.  I was not prepared.   Brent was trying to help but he had no clue - he was a big support and didn't even watch any basketball the whole night or play on his phone but if we ever do this again I am going to have us take a Bradley class so he knows how to help.  The doctor was amazing. Norah came out with the cord wrapped around her neck and her shoulders were really big.  Everyone was surprised at how big she was.  I did end up tearing pretty bad again. The doctor tried everything to keep me from tearing and was more upset than I was.  By now I figure its just expected.  But Norah is worth it all. The doctor by the way was the same doctor we had in West Virginia with Colin.  She didn't deliver him but she was our doctor for most of the pregnancy. And she remembered us - almost 6 years later.  I loved her then and even more now. Such a small world for us both now being in va beach.

The boys want to hold her constantly and Joel will just slobber her cheeks with kisses.  The first day he wasn't so sure about her and didn't want to hold her and now he asks all the time.  Colin will sit and hold her for 30 minutes at a time.  Joel tried to feed her a pretzel.  Colin will sit and just say "your a pretty girl Norah" over and over.  Joel keeps calling her "he" - "he" crying.  "He" my sister.  haha still makes me laugh. 

There is just something about a baby. There is nothing greater.  Colin and I were sitting down watching her and he told me how fun it was watching her do nothing.

 Joel isn't crying because we brought Norah home - he's crying because he wanted to be the one to carry her into the house.

Colin has said some funny things. When he came to the hospital he looked at me and said - "is there another baby in there?  why is your stomach still big?"  and then he looked over at me while I was feeding Norah and said "so is Norah going to grow those too?" Joel has pretended to be a baby and asked to have some of Norah's milk too.  I think its a harder adjustment for Joel than Colin at this moment to not be the baby. 

We're in love.  And can't wait to see what Norah's personality becomes.  This little girl has her brothers already wrapped around her finger.

Still no baby

So Norah seems to like it inside me as much as Joel did.  I did turn down an induction Thursday.  I am now at 3cm and apparently my cervix is ready so the doctor said they could schedule it.  And I thought about it but being so close to the weekend it wouldn't happen until next week anyways and some part of me just knew if we had a date already she would wait until then to come. But I decided to wait until my apt Tues to schedule one if she doesn't come this weekend.  I'm still hoping for this weekend but we'll see.  I was up all last night with contractions and back labor but nothing to make me head to the hospital.  Just enough to be painful and make me stay up most of the night.  The kids this morning were sitting on the couch with me (we have to wake them up for school during the week but on sat they wake up at 6???)  but they were arguing over who got to sit next to Norah.  They know right where her butt is and since thats usually sticking out to one side they both want to be right there.  Norah - we're all ready for you.   Please come - you could be a holiday baby like your brother if you come today! 

Colin

 We have been enjoying the beautiful weather this week.  The kids have played outside every afternoon for hours and hours.  Only coming inside for a drink or the bathroom.  Today Colin asked me for a notebook and to sharpen his pencil.  Then he went outside.  I found him behind this tree writing out sentences about the nature he was seeing. 

 Sounding out the words.

 I can't even begin to say how proud I was of him.  Writing has been a struggle for him and even sounding out the words has not been his favorite.  But today he was sounding out words and writing sentences for FUN. 

So so proud of him

Dog house

 Its fun to build a dog house

Unless of course bubba is building a fort on the other side of the yard. Then you might have to stop and watch him a while to see if that is more exciting than your dog house. 

Guess it wasn't.  The dog house will continue to be built. 

Any day

Baby toys

We're waiting any day now on a baby who will most likely take her time.  I got out some baby toys and told the kids which was their favorite one to play with slobber all over.  The next day I saw Joel over here by the toy and looking at every thing and then one by one put all of them in his mouth.  Each time he had a disgusted look on his face - almost like "why would anyone want to stick this in their mouth"  He's told me since then very adamantly that he never put any toy in his mouth. 

feet

 I love how the boys sit on the stools.  It doesn't seem very comfortable to me but it makes me smile when I see their cute feet sticking out.  Colin sits like this all the time on his stool.