Baby Birdies!

These pretty little baby mourning doves are probably about 3-5 days old here.  Actually, they really aren't all that pretty, but its been fun to watch them!  Mama is very protective right now.  We leave them alone unless she is gone from the nest...then we can't help but take a peak!



Lovey Dovey

A couple of weeks ago I bought a hanging plant for my back patio.  A few days later I noticed a lovey dovey sitting in the middle of it.  When I got close she flew away, but check out what she left behind!

Here is the mama bird that sits on the nest...

She used to get very upset and fly away every time we went out on the back porch, but now we are "cohabitating."  She sits quietly even if the kids play right under the flower plant and she even stays in her nest when I water the flowers.  She keeps her eyes on me, but I get as close at 10-12 inches from her and the nest without her flying away now. 

I'm super excited to see baby birdies hatching soon.

Pretty Roses...

John sent me roses for Mother's Day.  Between my mothers bracelet and the flowers I'm feeling spoiled.  That's a nice feeling.

The roses were a beautiful peach color.  I looked up the meaning.  (although I have no idea if John meant anything by picking the color he picked...)

Anywho...the peach rose means appreciation, closing the deal, let's get together, sincerity and gratitude.  Those are all very nice sentiments for a mother's day flower arrangement.  I just love them!

Father's Day...

What's that saying?  Oh yeah...Better late than never? 

Thats the motto of this Father's Day post.  We're only about 2 weeks late on it...but with a new baby I think I have a pretty good excuse for not posting right away.  (Yes...I'll continue to milk the new baby excuse for as long as possible.)

The man of the hour....notice he has become the bearded one...thats what 10 days of paternity leave will do to a man.  :)

Anywho...Father's Day was fun.  John wanted Greek food and bowling.  Easy to please, he is.

First...Greek...

Delicious it was.  I'm a huge fan of the lamb...and the tzaziki sauce.  Sooooo good.

After dinner we went bowling...It was Jax's first time bowling...he was a real champ.

Oh wait...a close up of his excitement...

John was the only one that bowled.  I was too recently post partum...Bella just didn't feel like it.  So Big Papa J bowled by his lonesome and bowled a pretty mean game...

Bella and I took cameo shots of each other...its amazing how much more beautiful she gets every. single. day.

And the mama...

So, happy Father's Day to a man that I've always considered a great dad.  I don't know two little kids who adore their daddy any more than my little ones adore him.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Baby Jax has arrived!

Once again the process of bringing a little life into this world was dramatic....but I am so glad this little bug has finally arrived! 

John Xavier Larson (Jax)
Born 9:27AM on Saturday, June 9, 2012
7lbs 10oz
18.5 inches long
St. Marien Klinikum, Amberg, Germany

I ended up in the hospital on Wednesday, June 6th with pregnancy induced hypertension and extreme swelling in my feet, legs and hands.  Its one of the signs of preeclampsia (which I had with Bella) so they admitted me and said I wasn't going home until the baby came via c-section on our scheduled date of June 19th. 

Talk about a stress case.  That was nearly 2 weeks in the hospital.  Who was going to take care of Bella!?  I think that stress caused me to worsen...because by Friday my doctor said the baby was coming early...at exactly 37 weeks...and they tentatively scheduled the c-section for Saturday morning 9:30AM on June 9th.

This is me saying goodbye to my belly on Friday night...

On Saturday morning they took me in for "monitoring" at 8:30....and once I got there was told it was actually prep for the surgery and they had moved my time up.  EEEEEK!  John wasn't there...nobody was there yet!  Within 10 minutes I was in the operating room and getting a spinal and I was a complete stress case.

The spinal wasn't working so they told me it was likely I'd be put under a general anesthesia.  The anesthesiologist told me to breath some air....the next thing I remember is gasping for breath, and asking what happened and where is my baby....

The "air" was the general and it knocked me out pretty quickly.  As a side note...waking up from a general anesthesia is A.W.F.U.L.  I would gladly NEVER experience that again.  Ugh. 

They took me to the ICU for recovery and I was there for nearly 4 hours before I finally got to meet Jax...I couldn't help it...I just cried when I finally got to hold him.

Apparently when I went under, my body reacted very badly to the general and my blood pressure skyrocketed.  When that happened it apparently caused Jax to become distressed and before you know it both of us were "critical."  They delivered him quickly...he wasn't breathing...a byproduct of the general anesthesia and the traumatic birth process...raced him to the baby NICU and thankfully got him taken care of quickly...Little man is PERFECT with all 10 fingers and toes and the cutest little mug....he did have low blood sugars, but that was quickly remedied and we didnt' have any other problems. 

John holding Jax just about an hour after birth...

Bella holding Jax for the first time after we got back to the hospital room...

Me and my baby boy after I returned from the ICU...

I still look drugged...and he is cherry red.  We found out later that his poor little extremeties were being deprived of oxygen because they put the bands around his hands and feet on too tight.

Of course the good news is that neither Jax nor I remember anything related to the actual delivery.  We were both passed out.  :)  And despite the experience were both able to heal and get moving around pretty quickly.  They released me to go home a week after I arrived in the hospital on Wednesday June 13th.  I was so excited to finally get back to my house, my bed, my little girl.....

Getting ready to go...Bella brought Jax his little Simba stuffy.

Bella pushing Jax in his little stroller around the hospital floor...

Bella also fed Jax his last little bottle before we left the hospital and headed home.  We wanted a content happy baby with a full belly for the 30 minute drive back to Vilseck.

Me and my babies...loving on my children.  I am a blessed mama.

The all-new extended Larson family.  Headed out from the hospital in just minutes!  Yeah!

Daddy carrying Jax in his car seat out of the hospital...

 Now that we're home we've had quite a fun time getting adjusted to having a baby around...

Bella drew this little picture of baby Jax and signed it.  We're not sure if thats all his hair or a little cap on his head.  :)

I am spending lots of time just loving on both my kids...

When he doesnt think anyone is looking we get random extreme cuteness...

He had his first bath and loved it...yes...that is his loving it face...

and he was dressed up like Elton John...

Overall, he is an absolute blessing and treasure...a little piece of heaven...just like his sister.  

Welcome home baby Jax!!!

Aqua Palace for the 44 Year Old...

For John's birthday he wanted to go to a water park.  Originally we had planned to go to Berlin and stay in an indoor beach (in cool little "tents" that are actually ON the beach) called Tropical Island...but wouldn't you know it that they were SOLD OUT for the month of April. 

So, I went searching and found Aqua Palace in Prague...rated one of the top 10 water parks in Europe...and booked us a little trip with our friends to go play in the Czech Republic for another weekend.

Aqua Palace was super cool...Giant waterpark with about 10 different slides...large wave pool, lazy river, kids play area, outdoor area (too cold to use!) and a few restaurants located inside.

We got there shortly after it opened and on a Friday so were able to take advantage of short lines and fewer people since kids were in school and it was a holiday weekend for us.  It was so much fun.  It was so much fun I didn't even bother trying to take my camera in with me, but I do wish now that I'd taken the time to snap a few photos for visual memories of the great time we had.

John went down a slide called the Kamikaze...bumped his elbow and had a giant goose egg on his elbow for the rest of the time at the park.  It was like a mandarin orange hanging off his elbow.  By the time we got home it had settled out into a bad bruise...

There was one slide that had a tube that shot you out into a funnel that you slid in circles around and around (kind of like being flushed down a toilet bowl) until you fell through the middle into a pool of water.  OMGosh that was scary.  I was totally unprepared for the speed that you shot out of that tube.  Exhilarating, but I only did it one time...there is something about being 6 months pregnant that makes the slides only appealing for one try.

Bella was so exhausted when we finished that she couldn't even keep her eyes open while John brushed and dried her hair.  It was very funny watching her nod off...poor kid nearly toppled out of the chair a few times.

John's actual birthday was on Easter Sunday.  The Easter bunny brought him a bowling bag full of goodies and presents...lucky guy...

He opened his gifts that morning and then Sunday evening when we got home I whipped up the fastest cake ever and we celebrated with cake and icecream...

Happy 44th Birthday John!

Baby L has a cute little face!

Yesterday was my 30 week appointment for our little man...he is getting so big!...as evidenced by the cankles, belly protrudence and waddle walk.  :)  But...I was so excited to see that little mug shot yesterday it didn't even matter!

Look how cute he is! 

He had his foot up in front of his face with one hand wrapped around it the whole time.  We were lucky to get such clear 4D shots of his face...he normally won't cooperate at all with these ultrasounds. 

Just two months left...  Doctor and I talked about the birth process yesterday.  She is still not sure whether to just schedule a Csection or try natural...she said most of it depends on my blood pressure, evidence of any preeclampsia and my gestational diabetes.  As of yesterday I was a rockstar with BP...120/70 and no signs of preeclampsia...and the blood sugars are being managed...who knows what will happen with this little guy.

This pregnancy has been so different from my first.  This kid sits LOW in my belly...pummels my lower belly constantly...Bella was always stuck up under my ribs.  They were both kickers, but I have to say the lower they sit the worse it feels...he is super active...moving ALL the time...in fact last night I was awake for 3 hours from 12:30 until 3:30 because of his cartwheels and high kicks...maybe he'll be a dancer or a gymnast? 

Regardless....I'm so excited to meet him...its coming up soooo fast.  If this was my Bella pregnancy...I'd have a baby in just over a MONTH!  Eeeek!

Daddy Daughter Dance

John's got another girl he loves...she's petite and blond and has a great sense of humor. 

Recently he asked her to a dance...She was sooooo excited and we planned out her dress and hair.  She chose the "twirly pink dress" and the "heart hairdo" for her special night out...

John doubled with our good friends that live next door...they got all snazzied up...or as Bella likes to say, "Isn't daddy hamse?"

We had to take one group photo before they left...don't they look fantastic together?!

I heard they had a great time...did the tango and twirls and lots of dips and running around like crazy 3 year olds do when they dance...

And at the end of the night they snuggled up together all tuckered out...

(now feel free to let out a collective "Awwwwwwww...." at how cute this picture is.)  :)