And Another New Addition!

We've talked about it for as long as we've lived here at this house: the need for more space. This is the cutest little 1950's neighborhood along with the 1959 house design: 1100 square feet-3 bedrooms-1 bathroom-tiny closets-very boxy-once a 1 car carport that Kevin enclosed to make a garage-kinda house. Cute and all, but not fabulously functional for a family of 3, much less 4, PLUS a friend who rents out the other bedroom for the time being, along with guests who stay pretty frequently. Let's just say there has been more than once that Kevin has gone into the backyard to "use the facilities" while the indoor toilet was occupied. Well, we've finally taken the plunge and are adding on. Yup, more than doubling the size of the house. After long battles with the city getting permits (stoopid McMansion ordinances and 7 trips down to the permits office for me over the course of 6 months, to be exact; one of the last in which the person helping me asked if I was going to have the baby right then and there) we have started the process of adding a grand master suite downstairs and 2 bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. WOO HOO!! All on a shoestring budget... maybe even less than a shoestring, more like a string-around your-finger budget. By the time we get to the finishing touches and decor, Mama's gonna have to get creative! Foundation forms! Sweet sisters Me and my girlies Eyes open!!

Adjusting to Our "New Normal"

So the days have been filled with diapers and feeding and more feeding and diapers and trying to figure out a sort of schedule. Granny stayed with us a few days to help out with whatever needed to be helped out with. The whole Fleming clan came to visit on Saturday and meet the newest member. And I am still trying to figure out how this pouch of oddly dark colored skin that was once my belly and a crazily shaped navel are ever going to look semi-normal again... hmmmm... Well, Teya's 1st doctor's visit went well. We bathed her for the occasion, which she loathed and screamed bloody murder for the whole time. They measured her and said that the hospital was incorrect in their length measurement and that she is really 20.25 inches and not 19.75. If she's like most women in the world she'll want that extra half an inch. She is right at the 50th percentile for height, weight and head circumference. Oh, and did I mention she's a STELLAR baby?? My policy with Ella was that I would never wake a sleeping baby no matter how long she went without eating, thank you. And with her I never had to. She would sleep for loooong periods, sometimes 6 hours, but never long enough that I felt the need physically to wake her. With Teya.... yes, waking her up is a necessity when my mammary glands feel as though they are going to explode. All this being said, adjusting has not been as difficult as my nervous mind was making it out to be during pregnancy. I remember having a conversation with my step-sister a while back about anticipating #2 and how it seems impossible that there is any room left in your heart to love another; when it seems like the 1st kiddo has totally taken up all the love space. Well, no question now, your heart just doubles in size to accommodate #2. Man, I love this kid :) Throwin' gang signs already.... Bath time... NO LIKEY! Pre-pacifier All is well! Add the swaddle??? Ahhh, the world is perfect! Hmmm.... More hmmmm.... Hanging out with Popo Sweet sisters :) Practicing the "in unison" yell for later....

Goin' Home!

Thanks St David's for everything; now, we out! So she passed all the necessary tests and I'm movin' around well enough to go home. I have taken all the necessary precautions to avoid a second birth when I get home, if ya know what I mean. Lots of fruit, veggies, water and bran muffins for this gal over the last 36 hours. I guess it'll help this crazy stretched out pouch I have where my belly used to be too. Her second night in the world was a little more eventful than the 1st. We had visitors in and out all day and into the night. She had some crazy fussy time from about 9pm to midnight and Papa just about went crazy with her. Once she was calm, we sent her to the nursery for a few hours to try to get some sleep. Other than that, the second time around is much more peaceful than the first. I think we actually feel like we sort of know what we're doing now :) Once we got home it was a nice afternoon of getting settled in; meeting the cat, hanging out and then spending some time with Big Sister once she got home.

Day 1 With Infant...

Look at that hair! Just love it! She looks a lot like her sister, but definitely her own person. Ella had a lot of hair, but, wow, Teya has her beat for sure! Night one was ok, just gettin' through it. So far a good eater and not too fussy.... I guess it is a bit early to speculate. Granny let Ella stay home from school today and they came up to spend some time with new little sister. She was much more receptive today and actually got up on the bed with me. Perhaps it was my bloodshot eyes, crazy hair and all the tubes sticking out of me that scared her just after labor. Today I look much more like the mommy she knows :)

Teya's Birfday!!

So that labor was mighty tough. With Ella, no drugs, no epidural; tons of pain. With Teya, epidural, but over 4 hours of pushing with all my might to get her out; all kind of exhausting. I was/am extremely happy that I did not have to have a C-section though, so thanks to my OB, the nurses, my step-mom (Teresa aka Gram) and Kevin for sticking it out with me during those labor intensive (literally!) hours. I'm not sure why little Miss Thang decided she would turn herself sunny side up at the last minute, but that really jacked things up. When she came out she had a bright red forehead (that I mistakenly thought was a birthmark) from being continually jammed into my pelvis bone for over 4 hours. Despite all of this, it was such a joy to finally meet her! She had TONS of hair and was perfect, of course :) The nurse that took her to clean her up in the nursery brought her back with the most awesome mohawk on a newborn I have ever seen! Granny and Popo brought the new big sister up to meet her that evening just a bit after the birth, but she was mostly afraid of the whole hospital ordeal. She wouldn't come close enough to the bed to give me a hug, but cried when she had to leave.

Teya Ann Fleming

After over 4 hours of intense pushing Miss Teya Ann was born at 7:17pm weighing in at 8lbs, 19.75inches long with a full head of beautiful, thick, dark hair! We love you so very much already sweet girl!
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On the Eve of Your Arrival

So, the induction got moved up to tomorrow, Monday, October 19 at 6am. I suppose, if all goes well, this will be your birthday! I have to admit I am having second thoughts about induction now, not for any other reason than it is kind of fun and exciting to anticipate the moment that labor starts to happen and be thrown into a frenzie getting things figured out and to the hospital. Since your Papa says this is our last kiddo, that means this will probably be the last time I am pregnant. I did have every intention of letting you arrive on your own, however at this point I am pretty uncomfortable and ready for you to be here, not to mention everyone now has a plan of when and where they are going to be in order to help us and be here for your entry into the world. I am SO very excited to meet you and bring you home to start another chapter of our lives with another baby girl in the house! Your sister, Ella, is so excited to be a big sister! We love you and are looking forward to a family of 4. xoxo, Mama Here's one last shot of the family of 3....

Fixin' Stuff

Ella helping Papa fix the broken sink this afternoon... Too cute!

Birth Smirth: Letter to My Unborn Daughter

Ok, Baby Girl. Seriously, you are tearing apart Mama's insides at this point (well, not really, I hate to give you a complex before you're even out of the womb), BUT really, let's talk about your debut. I just came from the doctor's office and it seems as though you are mighty happy in there and are not making any current plans to bust out at the moment. I know, I know, you're technically not due until Sunday the 18th (Uncle Trey's birthday), but I, and so many others, would REALLY appreciate it if you all of the sudden got the urge and started making things happen. Today would be great, tomorrow fine, whatever, the sooner the better. I have no patience, I can't sleep, it's difficult to walk around, my ankles are extremely large, my lower back is all outta whack; OH, and there's also the fact that I would REALLY like to meet you! So, please, if I can convey anything through my thoughts and wishes to you in there, it's that I'd really like for you to just go ahead and get going. Oh yeah, and if you're not here by Tuesday morning at 6am, we're forcing you out. Yup, that's right. I went ahead and scheduled the induction for Tuesday. I tried for Friday, but the hospital was booked, so lucky you got another few days of blissful womb-land. Alright, that's really all for now. I love you and can't wait to meet you. Really, the sooner the better :) xoxo, Mama

To the Theater

Went to see Charlotte's Web with friend Eva on Saturday morning at the One World Theater (very cool place, I might add!). Eva's attention span: super fabulously awesome! Ella's attention span: not so great. At all. I hope this is not a sign of things to come... But they had a blast running like banshees around the patio once it was over! They were going so fast they had to take their shoes off. Here's Ella putting Eva's shoes back on prior to leaving. They are too cute!

Working Preggo and Not Going Insane

Hmmm... I know women have worked pregnant and had babies for thousands of years now so I probably shouldn't be complaining, and it's not really that I'm complaining, I'm not; just commenting on my state, but I am freakin' TIRED. I'm talking I am dead-tired-all-the-time. Being really pregnant and trying to work and still make life fun and enjoyable for a toddler is pretty exhausting. Not that having the new baby around won't be, but, jeez. Here are some (possibly disturbing) images of what my belly looks like in the 38th-39th weeks of pregnancy. Even more frightening is the video of what I see at night when I lie down and am still. This baby girl is pretty active, to say the least. And what's even better is that it's mostly between the hours of 9:30pm to 11:30pm. This little night owl should be fun! Seriously, look at this crazy belly?!?! I can't even believe this is actually my body right now. How the heck is my stomach ever going to return to normal?? Am I going to have to "redefine" normal after this? Now THIS is crazy.... There's another human in my belly moving, moving, moving!

Headed to SA

We packed up and headed to San Antonio to hang with the fam and to celebrate great Grandpa Fleming's 93rd birthday. Ella had a blast doing what she does best, hoarding attention and being rowdy! But the best part was kisses and hugs for great Grandpa and great Grandma before we left! YUM! Chocolate birthday cake!! Like father, like son.... Papa and PoPo cat napping Ella hanging out with Papa, who's "resting his eyes"....