Christmas

We had a sweet, rewarding, and completely exhausting Christmas. Aubrey has been such a trooper through everything.  I don't think she really quite gets what is happening yet, but she is taking all the changes in stride.

While I was in labor with Cora but before my mom could get here from Canada (about 24 hours) Aubrey was passed around to 3 different friends who took care of her. She thought it was the greatest thing and was excited that she got to play with so many friends.

I'm also so grateful for what wonderful friends we have. So many people have helped and blessed our lives the past few days. Especially my mom who dropped everything and hopped on a plane right before Christmas (again). I do not know how we would survive right now without her!

In between hospital trips, we had a fun Christmas and delicious Christmas dinner.

I can't wait until we can get a picture with all 4 of us!

And... if Steven and I look completely exhausted, it is because we are :)

Some things NICU round two have been a lot easier. I know what all the machines and tubes and wires mean. I know what steps need to be taken to get little Cora home. I have already taught one preemie to nurse, and I understand how all that goes. The pumping every 2 to 3 hours around the clock is terrible, but I have also been there before.

But, a lot of things are way harder this time! I feel constantly torn. When I am with Cora, I worry about Aubrey feeling neglected. When I am at home, I can't stop thinking about Cora.

Right now we are going to the hospital about 3 times a day and spending about 2 hours there each time. We also live 20 minutes away. Then, we rush home to spend as much time with Aubrey as possible. 

Cora is strong and steady. She reminds me a lot of Steven so far. She is also doing so well for a 34 weeker. She is amazing me with how fast she is progressing. I'm sure there will be setbacks, but so far she is much stronger than Aubrey was (and look at what a spunky little girl Aubrey is now!)

Our little glow worm under the bilirubin lights.

 Sisters. Teaching Aubrey to be soft is going to be a process. 

The proud dad.

Christmas in the NICU is definitely not what I expected, but both my girls are doing well, so that is the best Christmas gift I could ask for.

Our little Cora is here!

Our sweet little Cora Nicole was born this morning. Surprised? We were too. I really thought and hoped that I would make it full-term.

Everything was looking picture perfect at the doctors. Weight, blood pressure, baby, measurements... literally everything was "textbook" perfect. We tried P17 shots, my cervix was measured, extra doctors appointments and screenings, etc. Everything looked great, but it seems as if my body hits 34 weeks pregnant and that is it!

Here is her birth story...

I woke up Friday morning and felt fine. Steven went to work, Aubrey and I ate breakfast. I took a shower and then gave her a bath. We played princess and I was getting really excited because Steven was coming home at noon and it was the start of our Christmas break since he has the next week and a half off work.

At about 9:30 am I just started feeling a ton of pressure. I have really been trying to listen to my body and take it easy, so I put a TV show on for Aubrey and I rested on the couch. By about 10 am, I started to feel pain. By 10:30 I felt like I was having contractions. So, I called Steven and told him to come home. By this point, I was honestly crying. I cried for a while. It took me a while to accept that despite everything I tried.... she was probably coming early. I just "felt" like this was it. I hoped that I was wrong because everything was going so well and it just came out of nowhere (again) but I kind of knew.

I called the doctor and they told me to go to the hospital. We arrived at about 11:30 and then checked to see where things were at. 3 cm dilated. Just like when I got to the hospital with Aubrey. And again, just like Aubrey, I had no clue that anything was happening until like an hour before.

Since my water hadn't broken yet, the doctors gave me a bunch of drugs to try to slow down/stop my labor. When it became obvious that it couldn't be stopped, they just said that every hour could help so they slowed things down as much as they could. I am pretty sure if they hadn't, she would have come really fast.

The rest of the day was pretty long. I held off on getting the epidural until about 5:30 pm so it was a pretty long day of contractions. Not fun. The epidural was nice, but just like with Aubrey, I don't freeze well. So, I still felt most of the contractions. The drugs they gave me also gave me a really bad headache and my blood pressure kept dropping crazy low so I was dizzy and nauseous for most of the day. 

At about 10 pm, things started to really hurt. So, I asked for more drugs :) I figured... what is the point of an epidural if it doesn't even work that great? Well... then things were really nice. Finally, at about 11 pm, when I was checked at a 9 and it was obvious they couldn't do much more to slow things down, the doctor came and broke my water so I could deliver.

Yikes! As soon as she did that, things got intense. Even with the extra epidural. Around 11:30, I kept telling the nurse that I felt a ton of pressure. We all kind of wanted to make it to midnight so that technically she would be born at 34 weeks 5 days instead of 4 days. Every day makes a difference with preemies. At that point, a few extra minutes wouldn't have mattered, but I wanted that extra day because I fought hard for each day this pregnancy. 

So, I pretty much tried to not push. When I did start pushing, she had to stop me to run and get the doctor. 2 pushes later and she was here! Crazy different than the 2 hours of pushing + vacuum that I did with Aubrey. It was so fast. 

She was born at 12:04 am, weighing 4 lbs 14 oz and 17.5 inches long. She got 9 and 9 on her APGARS, and has been on room air since birth. They even let me hold her for a few minutes before they took her away to the NICU. She is tiny and dark and beautiful.

It is amazing to me how love really does just grow. I thought that my heart was full of so much love for Steven and Aubrey. I still love them just as much, but there is now a whole new kind of love for our little Cora there as well.

She seems to be doing really really well. Just like with any major trial, only those who have been through the NICU roller coaster can really understand how much work it is to get them home. I know that there will be setbacks along our way to get her home, but she is doing great so far. She is much stronger than Aubrey was at birth, so we will see how long we are here.

It all feels like deja-vu. Another preemie. Another Christmas in the NICU. More hours of pumping. More missing my sweet baby and wishing I could hold her. But, I am happy and I am grateful. I am so lucky to be a mother and lucky that even though this is really really hard, I am so blessed to have these girls in my life.

We are happy to be a family of 4 and can't wait until we can take our sweet Cora home.

Aubrey is 2!

I really can't believe that my little girl is a full-blown two-year-old. Where does the time go?

Since Aubrey and her soon-to-be little sister have the same due date, it has been exciting but kind of emotional at the same time. Aubrey's birthday has been much anticipated... mostly because I am so excited for her, but also because I kept wondering if I would still be pregnant by now. I won't go into lots of pregnancy details, because this is about Aubrey, but yes, I am still pregnant!

Because I really had no idea what would be going on with the baby, I was nervous to plan a big party. So we had an "all about Aubrey" day instead. She definitely had a fantastic day. She kept saying, "Happy Birthday Aubrey!" It cracked me up.

She started the day by opening her presents. She loved playing with all her new toys. I have already bought a new toy storage system in anticipation of the onslaught between her birthday and Christmas.

Then we went to this huge (and I mean huge... think a few hundred kids running around) playgroup with a few of her little friends. I didn't take any pictures there because it is the kind of place where if you turn your back for a second you could lose your kid, but she absolutely loves going there. 

Then lunch at LinkedIn with daddy. "Shopping", "Inked In," and "friends" are frequently brought up as favorites. 

Naptime. So, the whole day wasn't all about Aubrey. This part was for me.

Play with toys and dinnertime! Homemade mac and cheese and fruit salad. I really tried to make something I knew she would love. She ate some, but really not much. Some days I wonder how she survives :)

Then, cake and ice cream. I made a hot pink rosette cake for my little girl that loves pink. She really liked trying to blow out the candles.

And... since we have no family around, we did a Google hangout so everybody could sing Aubrey Happy Birthday. I was thrilled because every family member on both sides was there to sing to her. So grateful for technology that can keep us close despite the miles.

More playtime, lots of stories and snuggles, and she is now fast asleep. Pretty fun day for a two-year-old! 

So, this is the part that is probably just for me to remember and the grandparents, but here is what Aubrey is up to at 2!

• Knows most of her colors and a few shapes. She loves "pink, purple, and yellow." All the pictures she brings home from nursery are colored in these colors. Mostly pink though.
• Clothing battles! Ugh. Mostly just sweater/coat battles. It is a good thing we live somewhere relatively warm, because getting her to put one of those on is such a hassle. She also has an opinion and likes to pick out the clothes that Steven and I wear. I think Steven is going on week #3 of purple ties at church.
• Loves to sing. Can sing quite a few songs including almost all of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" by herself.
• Still active as ever. I literally have to run to keep up with her. 
• Definitely throws her share of temper tantrums, but I am finding her actually easier to deal with than the 18-month time period. Now that she can communicate and I can communicate to her, things are less frustrating.
• Talks a lot. Like.... to herself, to her dolls, to us, and to anybody she is comfortable with. Sometimes is quiet around strangers, but she is saying new things everyday. 
• Very friendly and social. LOVES her friends. Talks about them all the time. She plays really well with other kids, but can be kind of passive aggressive. We had a little friend over the other day and instead of just not sharing, she was hiding her favorite toys so he couldn't play with them. I couldn't help but laugh at that. 
• Still my amazing little sleeper. Sometimes she doesn't like when the books and stories have to end at bedtime but she goes to sleep so quickly and sleeps all night without a peep. Do you think I can get this lucky twice?
• I would say my most frustrating part of the day with Aubrey is getting from our third-floor apartment to the car. She runs away, demands to be carried, or just is plain slow. This is probably the main reason I just have to move when our contract is up in February. 
• Loves babies, dolls, and anything girly.

There is so much more, but we just love our little Aubrey. She is such a joy!

Vintage Affair

We went to the LinkedIn Christmas party this past Saturday and had a great time.

First, I sent Aubrey and Steven to the ward Christmas party so I could blast some Taylor Swift music while doing my hair and make-up completely toddler-free. Definitely brought me back to my high school days until I had to get dressed and remembered I was 8 months pregnant.

LinkedIn sure knows how to throw a party! The party was at the Fairmont hotel in downtown San Jose and they definitely didn't spare any expense. Everything was great... except parking, which was a complete nightmare.

There were various ballrooms around the hotel that had bands, music, games, etc. While most people couldn't wait to get as many free drinks as possible, Steven and I took it upon ourselves to try out the different buffets in each and every room. I was soo full....

They had everything from fancy food like oysters, crab, and sushi to a nacho bar and candy room. We had a lot of fun and I sure always enjoy a date night out with the Steven.

We also stopped at one of the photobooth stations. I love photobooths. I had Steven scan our pictures, but the quality is pretty bad and he cut off the last picture. Gives it character I guess.

Aubrey also had a great time and definitely wishes her parents would fork over the money for a baby-sitter more often. She was thrilled that somebody new came over to play and happily waved bye bye as we left. She is such a social little girl and I am very happy she is so well-adjusted, but sometimes a mom would like to feel missed!

Can't wait to see what next year's party brings. We are grateful that Steven has a good job that allows me to stay home with our kiddos. The cool parties are just a bonus :)

Sick

This is what my normally spunky little girl looks like after being up all night throwing up:

It was pretty sad.

She went to bed Thursday night completely fine. I went in to check on her about an hour later and when I peeked in I saw that she was lying down with her eyes open. So I went over to give her a kiss and when I got closer I noticed something smelled a little funny. She was completely covered in throw-up! All over her bedding, pillow, pajamas, etc. She looked up at me and said, "Clean up?"

I felt terrible. She didn't cry, or try to come get me or anything! I mean... I'm glad she is such a good sleeper and stays in bed all night, but I felt so bad. Luckily, it was only an hour and not all night.

Then... we spent the ENTIRE night up with her throwing up. I think we both might have fallen asleep between 3 and 4 but I'm really not sure. 

And... despite my best attempts at directing towards a bowl or running her to the bathroom, toddlers do not aim well.

10 loads of laundry this weekend! Whew. Lots of carpet cleaning as well. 

I suspect the ball pit she had so much fun playing in on Wednesday to be the culprit.... 

I will admit that I'm not very good at the "at-home" part of stay at home mom. We like to get out. It keeps me sane. Unfortunately, that means that we also get sick alot. Stronger immune system right?

But, things are better now. My spunky little girl is back. She was running around like a wild women tonight playing with her "glasses." She still isn't eating much, but that isn't too different than normal :)

Thanksgiving

We have had a great Thanksgiving with just our little family of 3 soon to be 4. This is the first year we have not been around our extended family and the first year we were in charge of our own Thanksgiving dinner. I was impressed with us though!

We had Thanksgiving with our good friends Dave and Liz and it was soo good. They took the hard job of the turkey, but we brought the pies, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, and rolls. Yummy. I am so grateful for all of my many blessings.... especially these two (and the one of the way).

We tried to take some family pictures before Thanksgiving dinner but it didn't go too well. Aubrey is pretty sure that she should be the one taking the pictures instead of in them.

Speaking of Aubrey, she is just becoming her own little person and talking more everyday. She has quite the personality. She will tell you too. One of her favorite things to say is, "I'm so funny." 

On Friday we set up the Christmas decorations and wrapped all our presents. I only have a couple left to get and we are ready!

Putting up the lights, or "yites" was a big hit. 

I swear I also grew a couple inches this weekend. Third trimester of pregnancy over the holidays = yikes. 31 weeks and things seem to be doing well. Another thing I am very grateful for!

I love this time of year!

Halloween 2012

For this year's Halloween pumpkin, Steven decided to carve the LinkedIn logo:

It looked way cool and it was a very fitting pumpkin for the Foote family year of 2012. We absolutely LOVE LOVE Steven's job at LinkedIn and it has been such a huge blessing for our family. A year ago, I wondered what we were doing here in the Bay Area. Now I know, and we are in a good place. 

The company is fantastic and there are a lot of perks to working there. Aubrey and I love coming to eat lunch with Steven and help enjoy some of those perks :) 

Here are some other photos from Halloween 2012. We actually did a lot, but I spent most of the time chasing my crazy little girl around and so I didn't get too many pictures. She was a darn cute Zebra through.

We carved pumpkins, went to a pumpkin patch, 2 Halloween parties, and Aubrey went trick-or-treating 3 times. 

We spent a lot of time practicing having Aubrey say "Trick or Treat"... and then "Thank you." But when the time came she wouldn't say anything! She would just hold out her bucket and then wave bye bye. *sigh* All that practicing for nothing. Despite being a mute, she loved trick-or-treating and definitely got the hang of things quick.

Grandpa Kelly

Steven's Grandpa Kelly passed away this week. He was such a sweet and loving man and will be greatly missed:

I know that Steven has many more memories and should probably be the one writing this post, but every time I saw him he was so kind and happy. The above photo was taken at our wedding and I am so glad our photographer captured such a great shot. 

I am especially glad that we were able to go to a family reunion this past June with this side of Steven's family. I remember Aubrey sat on his lap and tried to feed him ice cream. 

The funeral is being held today in Reno. Since I am now entering my third trimester and at a risk for pre-term labor, my doctors advised me not to travel at all, and so I was unable to go. That on top of the fact that I have another cold/flu virus that I am fighting unfortunately mean that I am here resting (and coughing like crazy) on the couch today instead of with my family.

Steven took Aubrey with him to the funeral. As I watched him carry her sleeping down to the car this morning at 5, my heart hurt and I missed them like crazy even though they will only be gone for a day. 

I realized how grateful for I am for family, and how blessed I am that I get to spend my days with my little ones. Even on the really hard days, and honestly with how sick I have been, how hard this pregnancy has been, and how incredibly active Aubrey is... there have been some hard days lately, I cherish the blessings of family and motherhood. 

Losing a loved one puts life in perspective, and having a testimony of the eternal nature of family and that the relationships we develop in this life can last forever, brings such peace and hope.

Steven's grandfather was married for 56 years, raised 8 children, had 38 grandchildren, and now 16 great-grandchildren with more on the way. That is what life is about, and I am grateful that we can be part of such a lasting family legacy. 

Girls' Room

I think that I have finally organized and finished the girls' room that Aubrey will be sharing with her new baby sister. I definitely wish that we had more space and that we lived in a place where adding a third bedroom wouldn't cost an extra $1000 per month (no joke).

At the same time... Steven and I are both huge fans of small spaces and the "Ikea" type idea of living with less. Our apartment is 900 sq feet and it doesn't feel cramped at all. It keeps me from buying a ton of stuff, I have to stay on top of de-junking, and it feels cozy. One day we will have more, but for now we are content with less.

So the girls' room is 10 X 10. Definitely small.... but I think we have figured out how to make it be functional for both girls. We might move when our contact is up in March, but it would most likely be to another 2 bedroom, so I will just recreate. Here are some pictures!

View from the doorway

Aubrey's bed. She loves her pillow and sleeping like a big girl. 

Aubrey's reading corner. I will admit, she doesn't have a ton of toys. We go out a lot for that, but she does have a ton of books. I hope to foster a passion for reading, and she certainly enjoys having her own space for it. Now if I can only get her to stop climbing on the table.

All the storage and clothes are in the closet. Mostly due to space, but it also seems to keep Aubrey from pulling everything out of the drawers every time she goes down for a nap. 

Crib. I love the tissue paper pom poms :) Perfect mobile for our little girl. 

Baby girl's side of the room with the changing table/crib.

And there you have it! I hope by being so prepared that all of this just sits waiting for the next 3 months while I get large and make it full-term.

Next up is getting Christmas and Aubrey's birthday all ready, and I hope to have a nice stock of freezer meals made before she is born. This is a CrAzY time of year, and despite my love of summer we have managed to have both kids, our anniversary, and the holidays all at the same time. I guess we must like crazy. 

Halloween Party

Last night we had a Halloween party with some of our couple friends. Our awesome hosts, Dave and Liz put together a fun Minute to Win it game night:

Steven and I finished about the middle of the pack. Some games we did awesome (I won two!) and some we just completely sucked at. But, we sure got some funny photos...

Our good friends Kyle and Kaylee were nice to keep Aubrey away from the action while we completed our games. Kaylee is due with a boy in December before me. Our little girl #2 doesn't know it yet, but we have already picked out a boy for her :)

Like any parent, I think watching Aubrey was one of my favorite parts. After each couple had done their games, we would let Aubrey "play." I loved to watch her interpretation of what she saw everybody else do:

 Here is a preview of our what our little zebra will look like on Halloween. Halloween has admittedly never really been my thing. Being sick and pregnant this year, it is really not my thing, so Aubrey dresses up for the whole family. 

Aubrey also had a buddy in little Quincy. Quincy is exactly one year younger than Aubrey. Aubrey spent half the night crawling around on her hands and knees so she could be just like her.

Sometimes it is hard not having any family around, but we are so lucky that we have such great friends. Thanks guys!

24 weeks

Here I am at 24 weeks with baby girl #2.

And just for fun, here I am almost exactly 2 years ago at about this point with Aubrey.

I definitely feel bigger this time around, but I guess that is common with #2. The whole getting bigger part of pregnancy is really hard for me. And, I will admit I am a little worried this time. I only gained like 23 pounds with Aubrey. I definitely don't want to go early again, so I was hoping for like 30 this time. We will see.

I had gained like nothing until I started those darn progesterone shots, but since then... more than I would have liked. I'm still acting healthy, so I'm trying to just go with it since it is what my body seems to need.

We are starting to get things ready for this little girl to come. I know it is early, but I want to be all ready as early as possible, so I don't have to worry. Considering the shock and surprise and complete chaos that happened when Aubrey was born, it will be nice to have a bag packed, nursery ready, etc.

The sickness has definitely made this pregnancy hard, but so far I have avoided all the heartburn, leg cramps, and nose bleeds I got last time.

We are happy. I can't wait to see what she looks like and meet her little personality.

"Naptime"

I put Aubrey down for a nap at 1 pm. It is now 2:45 and she is finally conked out. I think she is enjoying the freedom of her toddler bed a little bit much!

Baby doll stripped of all clothes? check.

Every blanket out and thrown around (including behind the bed)? check.

Books strewn everywhere? check.

I don't keep any toys in her room, or who knows what she would get into. Considering some of her past "naps" I'm just lucky that she is fully clothed!

I love her love of life. She teaches me to stop and just enjoy. Toddlers may be demanding and difficult, but they sure are funny :)

We are alive....

. . .but barely. Just kidding. Things have been a little rough around here lately though but we are hanging in there.

Let's just say that my body and pregnancy do not go well together. That on top of getting 2 colds, the stomach flu, and now spending the last week with another flu/cold all since getting pregnant has made me feel like I'm just surviving day to day.

There are times in life when you feel great- clean the house, get in shape, be super mom, etc. and then there are times you just survive. We are going with the latter. I hope to feel more like my productive, energized self  again soon :)

We were able to get me started on the progesterone shots which has been a huge blessing. I really hope that they will help me reach full-term. They are some nasty shots though. Think hormone (the hormone that gives you morning sickness which is why at almost 22 weeks I still have almost constant nausea) mixed with castor oil... so the shot is super thick and has to be injected over at least a minute.

And... Steven is my nurse who gets to give them to me. Ha. The first shot he gave me was pretty brutal but he has gotten much better. Coming from a guy who is not a needle person at all, I am proud that he is willing to do that for me and our little girl.

All in all... other than the sickness my pregnancy is going fairly well. There are some signs that point to pre-term labor and possible bed rest, but I am hoping that being optimistic will allow us to avoid that. Our baby girl is measuring perfectly, and is beautiful and healthy in every way. I can't wait to meet her and I love to think of the sweet end result that comes after enduring pregnancy.

Anyways... I hope that didn't sound too much like complaining. I am very blessed. I just wanted to document and remember why we haven't really done anything lately. On a good note... my mom came to visit!!

She was only here for two days, but it was just what I needed. We took Aubrey to the Palo Alto Childrens museum, went shopping, went to Ikea, the park, and had a great time. She left today and I miss her already. But, just like moms do.... the house is clean, the laundry is done, the cupboards and cars are full... and I feel like I can tackle life again!

My little Monkey

I decided it was time to do an update on my little monkey... aka Aubrey. She is growing up so fast that I don't know what to do.

The first big change is that she is now in a "big girl" toddler bed. Definitely not my choice at all! I had grand plans of keeping her in her crib for at least another year. But, have I mentioned she is a monkey? Baby gate, pack n play, crib.... she climbs over it all in about 2 seconds flat.

The transition to a bed actually went a lot easier than I thought. She still goes to bed quickly and sleeps all night. The saddest part is that she used to love her crib. She would sing songs and play in there forever. Now, the second she wakes up she whimpers and runs to the door. I know it could be a lot worse, but I miss that extra "me" time when she just played in her crib!

We have just emerged (I hope) from a rough phase. Along with the transition to a bed, she cut all four canine teeth, fell and cut her eye, fell again and gave the other eye a black eye, and got a cold all in one week. That caused her behavior to be.... well... not fun. Super clingy, super whiny, lots of tantrums and other undesirable toddler behavior.

Here she is showing off her "owie."

But, she seems to be back to my sweet little girl, so I will enjoy this time before another rough phase comes! And, don't they always come?

• She talks up a storm, and more and more of it is actually in English. I stopped counting how many words she knows.... over 100? She hasn't really started combining sentences yet, but I'm excited for that.
• She can name and point to all her main body parts and a few random ones. It cracks me up because she uses the names for anything related to them. For example, her sunglasses are her "eyes," gloves are "hands" etc.
• She loves to make animal noises. Can count to 10.... kind of. She counts 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10. I have to fill in 1, 5, and 7. Starting to learn ABC's. 
• She loves to play with other kids and is still pretty aggressive in doling out hugs and kisses. Her favorite little buddy Tyler is moving soon, so that will be a sad day. 
• She "helps" me. Especially with cooking. Nothing can distract her when I am in the kitchen. She drags in a chair saying "help, help." Except... she often makes a big mess. Getting dinner on the table just keeps getting harder. 
• She is definitely on the high end of the energy scale. She never stops and she completely exhausts me. But, she is so much fun and has a smile that just lights up the room. 

This picture is pretty typical. Aubrey running full steam ahead, leaving Steven or I to catch up.

We love her so much and she is my little bundle of energy. Every day is an adventure and I wouldn't trade it for anything!