Grandpa and Nana's visit

We have been so fortunate to have constant backup here these past few weeks: first Peggy, then Jeff arrived, closely followed by my dad and Dotty.  Well, today is the last day of reinforcements as my parents head back to Tucson tomorrow.  It has been wonderful to have so much help.  Now "real life" begins!

We've had a wonderful time with Grandpa and Nana.  They have been a huge help, as always - cooking meals, and meals for the freezer, hanging pictures, water-proofing our cabinets, grocery shopping, holding Clara, entertaining Grady, etc.

They also got to bear witness to Clara's first bath.  I won't say it was her favorite thing in the world, but she did reach some level of quiet acceptance by the end. 

What the...

This is awful!  Why?!?

I don't know about this place.

I don't like it, but I'll sit through it.

And check out how much she looks like Grady!

From one of Grady's first baths

We also had Clara's "2-week" doctor's appointment at 11 days.  Thanks to her frenetic eating pace, she is up above birth weight - at 8 pounds, 14 ounces - and otherwise seems healthy.  We have an ultrasound for her tomorrow just to make sure her kidneys are okay.  Grady's is on Friday, and that will likely inform how much surgery he will need for his reflux and other kidney issues, and when.  The follow-up appointment isn't until May, so there won't be any answers for a while yet.  I'm nervous about this appointment anyway because he will have to be sedated for the VCUG, which involves inserting a tube through the ureter and injecting dye.  He has had these before and hasn't had to be sedated, but I guess a 6 month old is more easily restrained than a 2 year old.  

Grady continues to alternate between being a very sweet, loving brother and being a bit jealous by all the attention she's getting, especially from Mommy.  Things have been especially tough for him because he came down with hand, foot, mouth disease - low fever, no appetite, mouth sores, rash, and just generally feeling crummy.   So it's been especially great for him to have some special activities with the grandparents - like making a cookie out of pie dough.  So careful!

We also attempted a walk on Mt. Tabor, which Grady braved pretty well despite not feeling well, and Clara slept through (her general M.O.).

Yesterday, with Grady out of daycare with hand, foot, mouth, Grandpa, Nana, Grady, Clara and I went on an expedition to the zoo.  It was pretty crowded and chilly, but we still had a lot of fun seeing otters, beavers, bears, a tiger, and - Grady's favorite - the elephants.  Grady was especially impressed by how big the elephants' poop was!  

Eagles in the background

He ran most of the time!

Oh, and of course, he loved the tractor.

Despite all the reinforcements, I have had a little bit of "practice" time for what things might be like once everyone is gone.  With Clara strapped to my chest and Grady in the stroller, we had a nice outing to a local playground and then to library storytime.  It went off pretty well.  It's the time indoors which is a little harder to manage.  Here are some photos from the park - playing some "basketball" and testing out the puddles.

Imaginary balls always go in!

THAT puddle is even bigger!

And I've found a little time to take some pictures of Clara, although she is already severely under-photographed compared to her brother.

I think that's about it on this end.  Wish us luck!

Clara is one week!

One week has gone by already!  It's hard to believe how much our little girl has changed already in this short time - she even lost her umbilical cord today!  Our girl is growing up....

 We've been having a great time getting to know Clara and juggling her big brother's demands.  We've had lots of help from Peggy and Jeff, who just left for home about an hour ago.  (I'm not in a complete panic since Grandpa and Nana arrive tomorrow!) Grady especially loved getting to spend so much time with his grandparents - going on walks, playing basketball, reading books, and just generally goofing around.

Unfortunately, it didn't occur to me to take a picture of the grandparents with Grady and Clara!  Luckily just before they left we remembered to at least get a shot of them with Clara. 

To try to figure out what life would be like without the grandparents, Matt and I took a family trip to the playground and then for a snack with Clara and Grady.  The good news is, no one was hurt.  The bad news is, Grady lost his pants, socks, and shoes.  Don't ask.  These things just happen.  And one of Clara's parents, who shall remain nameless, introduced her by the wrong name - the perils of not deciding on a name until the last minute.

In any event, we managed to make it home in one piece!

I also managed my first stint with just the kiddos while Peggy, Jeff, and Matt went to Powell's.  It was doable, but a challenge.  Grady is not loving having to share his mama with Clara, and is pretty demanding of my attention - especially when feeding Clara.  However, he is also a very sweet big brother.  He has been showing her lots of stuff - bunnies, books, trucks, and other toys, too.  Most importantly, he loves to demonstrate how to do tummy time:

Grady has begun to ask to hold Clara on his lap, and even recited "this little piggy" on her toes this evening.

I think it will continue to be a big adjustment for him to have her around, but I am encouraged by his moments of sweetness.

Clara remains a very sweet and easy baby.  So far she only really cries when hungry.  Her periods of alertness are getting longer - today she had a good stretch of about an hour in the morning, and then a solid two hours from 5 to 7ish.  Her eyes are so big and curious when she's awake, taking this new world in.  She's also slowly increasing the time between night feedings - from an original 2 hours up to just over 3 now.  That extra hour makes a big difference.

One last thing of note - we finally got Grady some rain boots this weekend.  He has had a blast stomping in puddles without his feet getting soaked!  A Portland boy at last!

Welcome Clara Shay Wilkinson!

She is finally here! 

We have been eagerly awaiting her arrival for a while.  I had a doctor's appointment on Thursday, and the doctor said she was already probably close to 9 pounds and she thought the labor would be very fast (there was some worry about making it to the hospital in time since Grady's birth was so fast).  So we went ahead and scheduled an eviction date for baby girl - March 11. 

Matt's mom arrived on Wednesday and was a great help with Grady and with getting things organized for the big day.  We had a few adventures together with Grady pre-arrival.  We went to OMSI, Portland's science museum, which is Grady's default place to choose when we ask what he wants to do.  We also got to see an early St. Patrick's Day parade through the neighborhood. 

Grady's favorite part was probably a toss-up between the jolly rancher he got to devour and seeing the fire truck.

Oh, who am I kidding, it was the jolly rancher.

Grady also got lots of time at the playground and on his tricycle. 

Then the big day arrived!  Grandma stayed home with Grady while Matt and I headed over to the hospital around 7:30 AM. 

Last hours of pregnancy!

Pitocin was started to induce labor at 8:30 and my doctor came in to break my water at 9:30.  I jokingly asked when she thought the baby would arrive, and she said 1 PM.  People were primed for her to come. 

Well, 1 came and went of course.  While I was having contractions throughout, and not very pleasant ones, they just didn't seem to be progressing very much.  The pitocin drip was finally increased around 2 (they had it at pretty much the lowest setting) and then things went into motion pretty quickly.  Around 3:45 the contractions started getting very painful.  After some ridiculously intense - but mercifully relatively short - pain from this posterior baby, she arrived at 4:16 PM.  22 inches, 8 pounds, 10 ounces. 

Not pleased with the flash

Although it was later than we thought it would be, we still really wanted Grady to meet little sister.  So after a few hours, Matt left to pick up Grady and Grandma - and of course, the hot chocolate.  Upon entering the room, Grady immediately zeroed in on Clara (still nameless at this point).  He pointed at her and said "DAT" very solemnly, not moving his finger until we introduced him to his sister.  Mollified, he demanded his hot chocolate ("Hot chocolate toDAY!").  The trip was brief, but went pretty well, although it was hard for both of us to say goodbye when it was time to go.

Hot chocolate when sister comes!

The next day we tried to keep pretty normal for Grady, so he went to school like a normal day.  When Matt asked Grady to tell Briana who he saw at the hospital, Grady enthusiastically replied "Garbage truck!"  Hmmm....  Everyone came by the hospital again for dinner, which was just the biggest disaster ever.  Food was everywhere, Grady was everywhere, juice was everywhere....  Lesson learned - there must be hot chocolate at every visit to the hospital.

Grady skipped school yesterday and he and Daddy came to pick me and Clara up at the hospital.  This time, as documented below, he was fed a constant stream of hot chocolate, chocolate, and finally a luna bar.  MUCH better.

Chocolate

Heading home!  Luna bar in hand.

Grady has been cautious toward his sister, but has been slowly warming up.  Yesterday he held her across his lap for the first time ("Nervous") and showed her a steamroller ("Steamroller sister!").  Today he rocked her a bit in her chair and gave her some gentle touches when she made some unhappy noises. 

Clara is an easy baby so far, although definitely nocturnal.  She is very content when held and will fall asleep almost immediately.  When she is not held, she gets a bit more out of sorts.  Her prime time is 11 PM - 2 AM, unfortunately, and we will have to work on moving that up.  She is a good eater, makes funny faces, and is already very well-loved. 

I'm doing well.  It has been wonderful having Peggy here to help with Grady and with food and removing cat hair prior to Clara's arrival.  Jeff just arrived yesterday and they will be staying until the end of the week.  My parents come just after they leave.  Then the real trouble begins! 

Waiting

I have been feeling every one of my 39 weeks of pregnancy these past few days, and keep expecting baby girl to make her appearance.  After a doctor's appointment on Thursday during which my OB told me to expect the baby to come in the next day or two, Matt and I have been on high alert.  Despite lots of cramping, exhaustion, and general discomfort, the baby is staying put.  She is taking after her big brother already.  Peggy arrives on Wednesday, and while most of me wants the baby to wait until she arrives, a growing part of me is ready to get this baby out and meet her already!  We're getting very excited. The doctor saying that she thought the baby was already bigger than Grady when he was born (he was over 8 pounds) also has me somewhat anxious for her arrival!

We've been having fun with Grady despite the aforementioned end of pregnancy aches and pains.  We've been spending quite a lot of time at the playground.  Grady has become quite the slide master.  Although he gets a bit nervous when older kids are around, he soldiers through and is always quite proud of himself to make it to the slide and then get back down to the bottom.

He's become pretty obsessed with basketball too.  He has been playing "basketball" at home - which, much like football, involves falling down on the floor and rolling around.  At the local elementary school, they have a basketball net and often there are kids there playing.  Grady is usually content to watch (although occasionally asks Daddy or me if he can "hold it the ball").  But last weekend there was an abandoned ball that he got to use for some practice shots.

He never got much more air than in the picture above, but he's working on it!

Last weekend we also got to make a special trip to the Convention Center for their model train extravaganza.  Grady was enthralled.

The highlight, though, was a little Thomas the Train that made a circle around a small portion of the exhibit hall.  It was just for kids, no parents allowed.  I prepped Grady about how he was going to have to be on it by himself, and was pretty nervous about how he'd do on the 60 second or so train ride.  I shouldn't have been worried about our independent little boy.  He was the last one off the train both times, and made quite a fuss about having to get off "his" train.

Grady has also been getting a big kick out of his newly rediscovered tricycle.  When we first received it at the end of the summer, Grady's feet didn't touch the ground.  They do now, and he has been having a blast scooting along the sidewalks with Daddy.

Grady has been doing lots of pretending lately.  He loves to offer me to "have a donut?" from his dump truck, and then when I say "yes please!" he runs away yelling "No!"  Yesterday his animals started eating the donuts from his dump truck, which resulted in them all getting time outs.  He'll take them one by one into the other room, saying "OH tiger!" or "OH goat!" or whoever has been bad.  Here they are, resting.  I love how he puts them all down to rest on their tummies, which is how Grady likes to sleep.
 

Also sticking with Grady still is seeing the snakes hiding in the tree at the desert museum in Tucson over Christmas.  Here he is at the playground today reenacting that one.

And one last shot, which just makes me smile.  Grady reading at the local bookstore.

So studious!

I'm hoping the next post will be to announce the new baby's arrival!