Quick Pics

I don't have a lot of time to blog right now but I did want to post some of my fave pics that I've taken lately from our life as a family of four.



Go Boilers!! Seriously. Charlotte's 0-2 for games. Let's get a win for the little lady.




Tommy is a big brother and he loves it. He's still afraid to hold her but he loves to talk to her and stare at her. She always stops crying when he talks to her. It's so sweet.



How about a wink and a smile?



Is that the biggest yawn you've ever seen?



I have two kids, people!! In the words of Quincy from Little Einsteins, "I... can... not... believe it!"

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How's Baby Charlotte?

You may be wondering how baby Charlotte is doing.
I hope this explains many things...





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Charlotte Lynn: A Birth Story

My due date came and went.  I was getting lots of texts and messages from people asking if the baby was here yet.  As if I would have the baby and not tell anyone. Haha!
Wednesday was my due date (September 18th). Thursday I started nesting.  I knew labor was imminent.  Friday I started to feel crappy.  If you asked anyone around me, I was also fairly irritable.  I took a glorious nap in the afternoon.  That night my mom came and watched Tommy so we could go out.  Travis and Katie joined us for dinner and we went to La Scala.  I tried to find the spiciest thing on the menu (which didn't end up being very spicy) and we got to relax and laugh a LOT.  It was great!

That night, I started having contractions in my sleep.  It woke me up a few times.  My belly would be rock hard.  It wasn't bothering me too much.  But I had a clue that this might be the real thing even though they were really far apart because nothing I would do would make them go away.

The next morning we got up and had breakfast.  I was having contractions 10 minutes apart but they were starting to be super regular and obvious.  I texted my mom to be on the ready.  Of course, she already was.  I told her I was going to take a shower, eat lunch and let her know the status.  After my shower, they had gone from 8 minutes to 6 minutes apart.  When my mom got there, she didn't have to sit with us too long before they were 4-5 minutes apart and starting to get painful.  She said, CALL THE DOCTOR!

I called the doctor and the doctor I'd heard excellent things about was on call.  Whoo hoo! She said, "I'm going to trust your judgement. If you think you need to come in, come on in." I told her it would be a good idea.  By this time, Cyndi was already on her way down too.

My mom snapped a quick pic before we left.  Yay for jammies! Before this picture I actually had red Christmas PJ pants on and I looked like a ridiculous pregnant elf.  I had to change.

So we headed to the hospital at 4:00 pm.  I told Andrew we would probably head to the hospital at the beginning of the Purdue game.  I was a half hour off. :)
We checked in and they noted my progress.  The doctor said, "Your contractions are right on top of each other so either you're tough or you're not as far along as I think."  She checked and I was 6 cm.  She said, "Ok you're tough. I can't believe you're still smiling."  I was too excited.  After all we've been through with this pregnancy, we were finally going to meet our little girl that we had stressed so much about in the beginning.  Everyone on the medical staff read through my chart and had lots of questions about the twins and everything we thought we had put behind us.  We reassured the staff that Twin B was lost in the end of the first trimester and that we were told that it would have no effect on the birth.  They also had questions about Tommy's birth and EVERYTHING else they have to go over with you before you give birth.  I had to stop several times throughout the entire process to breath through my contractions.
I had tested positive for Group B Strep so they set me up with antibiotics.  I still do not understand why they even tried.  One dose takes 4 hours to take effect and they needed to give me two doses before the baby was born.  Did they really think that was going to happen? So anyway, they set up my IV and started the antibiotics.  Once the full dose went through the IV they said I could be detached from the machines so I could move around a little bit.   
I went to the bathroom and started feeling "that feeling" of bearing down possibly.  I came out and said to my family, "I think it might be soon" meaning an hour or so.
This was at 6:30 pm.  I sat on the edge of the bed just like last time.  Mind you, my contractions were very very painful at this point but I could still breath through them okay.  All the sudden the most painful contraction so far hit me like a brick wall. It was awful.  I knew it was time soon.  Little did I know that it would be so soon.
I felt the need to bear down and my mom ran out to get a nurse.  Andrew hit the nurse call button.  A few people came rushing in and they checked me.  I was at 9.5 cm.  I was freaking out at this point because the pain was obviously unbearable.  The doctor said, "Ok we'll need to break your water soon." All the medical staff left the room.
Of course that's when my water broke. I was laying on the bed covered up with the blankets and it was literally an explosion.  My doctor came back in and said Ok I'm going to break your water.  I said TOO LATE.
At this point it was definitely time.  Tons of people rushed in and out.  Time to start pushing.

This was the point that Andrew decided he needed to go to the bathroom.  Way to wait until the last minute, Andrew! So he runs in and goes and he comes back out and he can see the baby's head!!  He grabs my hand.  He barely had time to dry his hands off. GROSS. Haha!
According to Andrew it was 4 pushes and the baby was out.  I had Charlotte Lynn at 6:40pm.  Ten minutes prior I was thinking I had an hour left.  Jeeeeeeeez.
The doctor admitted it was so fast, it did stress her out a little.  Heehee.  Yeah I can laugh about it now.

So now it's time to meet Miss Charlotte Lynn Thornburg.

 Love at first sight. 

 For both of us. 

 Just like Tommy, she found her hand very quickly. 

 Look at all that hair! 

 Our nurse's last name was McNulty which was really exciting for us because we've been catching up on The Wire for anyone that watched that show a few years ago.  She was fantastic.  Oddly enough, she was also Australian.  So that was super fun hearing her say everything with her accent.  Especially Charlotte.  Loved it.  Sounded like Shaw-lett.  :-)

 Cyndi took over for my mom so she could be at the hospital during the birth.  So Cyndi brought Tommy in to meet his little sister.  He didn't quite know what to think.  It was quite overwhelming for him but he did really well.

 First spa treatment: getting her hair washed.  

 Sweet rosebud lips 

 Tommy loved pushing the wheel chair around.  Such a little super hero. 

Meeting his sister up close. He offered up Scout for her.  He is going to be the best big brother.  

 First family shot! 

 The gowns they had for babies to wear at the hospital were actually really cute.  I think Tommy's were just plain white long sleeve tops. 

 Posing in her cute giraffe covered hospital gown. Awww.  

 Instagram-worthy! This is her going home outfit.  She got stains on it though so we had to put her in a back up outfit.  

 This was her going home outfit after the stains.  Still just as sweet.  

Aww sweet baby.  

I had to include this one of Tommy in the window of the hospital suite.  So funny.  He's King of the World!

There were hundreds of pictures but these are just some of my favorites.  Don't worry, there will be tons more! Stay tuned!

Welcome to the world, Charlotte Lynn.  We are so very blessed to have you.

End of Pregnancy Roundup: Look at Applesauce Grow!

Here's the Preggo in Review from my pregnancy with Tommy. 

Here's the review from my pregnancy with Applesauce...

14 Weeks



20 Weeks

23 Weeks

29 Weeks 

32 Weeks

34 Weeks

36 Weeks

37 Weeks

38 Weeks

39 Weeks

40 Weeks

40 Weeks and 3 days: On the way to the hospital! 

40 Weeks: A Little Late

That's 40 weeks, y'all.  Dang.  

40 weeks with Tommy.

Your Growing Baby

Congratulations - your baby is now fully formed and ready to be born.
(Everything else is just a super happy extra special bonus.  Hooray. Eyeroll.) 


Your Growing Belly

If your due date has come and gone, your pregnancy is officially post-date. If you're still pregnant two weeks from now, then your pregnancy will be post-term. Anywhere from three to twelve percent of pregnant women may go post-term. The good news is that the baby is going to come out at some point—the bad news is that it may be as much as two weeks from now.

In the meantime, your care provider will check your dilation (how open your cervix is, if at all) and effacement (how thick your cervix is), to try to predict when labor will begin. If you hit forty-two weeks, your doctor will assess your health with a non-stress test and may use ultrasound to see if your baby has enough amniotic fluid. If your baby seems fine, you and your care provider can discuss when to schedule induction of labor. No matter what, one way or another, somehow, that baby's getting out!

You

I decided to stop working the Friday before my due date.  I worried it might be too early and that I might regret it but I ended up having a really wonderful week.
Wait, I take that back.  There was one bad thing that happened.  Tommy got into something at daycare and had a pretty bad allergic reaction.  But we administered the proper meds and he was fine within half an hour so that was good.  His new teachers now know what it's like so I guess if anything came out of it, that would be one good thing.
Anyway, the 40th week was great other than that.
-I got my hair did. Thanks Steph!
-I got some super quality time with Tommy T.  I got to see him fall asleep during dinner.  That was hilarious.

We took Tommy to Jump It one evening.  Tommy's Godmother Traci told us that if we go during the week after work, it's hardly busy at all.  It was awesome! He pretty much had the whole place to himself!

 This little booger has gotten so independent.  It's incredible.  He wasn't afraid to climb anything!

 He tried everything! He had so much fun.  $5 for almost 2 hours.  Can't beat that!

He also had his own unique way to do everything!

During the week, I also got some nesting done.

-I cleaned out the bathroom.

-I also organized Tommy's toy bins.  Because that was a good use of my time.  It will totally stay organized for more than a week, I'm sure. :) 

-I altered a pair of maternity pants. 

I had a pair of maternity jeans from when I was pregnant with Tommy that were a little out of style but they were comfortable.  Comfort in the 40th week is definitely my top priority. So here they are.  Baggy pants to skinny jeans! Nice toilet shot! :) 

So I honestly was very busy all week and it went really fast. I was feeling pretty decent too so that was a huge plus.  

Full term at 40 weeks! I'm so lucky to make it to my due date.  ;-) 

Guh. 

39 Weeks: Anytime, Applesauce!

Your Growing Baby 

You're in the home stretch! After nine months of growth and development, your baby is ready to be born, or nearly so. At week 39, your baby is fully developed and anywhere from 17-23 inches long and weighs 6-10 pounds. Don't be frightened if your OB-GYN says your baby is large: It's extremely difficult to judge a baby's weight accurately from the outside.

Your baby is adding neural connections and growing hair and still gaining weight. Researchers have theorized that when babies are ready to be born, they send a chemical signal of androgens to the placenta, which increases the production of estrogen and leads to labor. If so, it's proof of the old saying that "only a baby knows when it's ready to be born."

Your Growing Belly 

Don't be surprised if you get discouraged now. Relatives may be calling regularly to find out if labor has started. Ignore them and make plans every day—see a movie, take a walk, read or simply lounge around at home. Relish this peaceful time while it lasts! To get some relief from your weight and aches, do plenty of hands-and-knees cat stretches and pelvic tilts. Soak in a warm bath, swim, or just float in the pool to take a break from gravity.

You

This has been a rough week. Work has been stressful.  I've been much more tired than usual.  Sleep is harder to come by.  Pressure is worse.  Discomforts are high.  Typical end of pregnancy crap.  Still even a little heartburn occasionally.  I'm pretty sure I've been feeling contractions here and there.  I'm feeling random groin pains still too.  Fun.  

I went to the doctor today and she said I was close to 3 cm dilated and 80% effaced.  Seriously? Do you know how much pain I was in to get to 3 cm last time? A lot more than this time, that's for sure. I contracted all day, all evening and then my water broke at 3:30 am.  I made it to the hospital by 7 am and BAM only 3 centimeters.  Lucky for me the contractions only hurt during the evening.  But this time? BAM, already almost at 3.  So I guess that's a good thing, right?? We'll see! The doctor thinks it will be soon so that's exciting.  She asked me, "Are you ready to have this baby?" I've wanted to have this baby all week but as soon as she said that, I got really nervous.  You mean it's finally here? This could really be happening soon?? It's crazy.  

So what does 39 weeks pregnant look like? 

Here's a pic from the wedding this weekend since I don't feel like taking one tonight.  This was right at the point in the Backstreet Boys song where the guy sings, "Am I SEK-SHOO-ALLL?? Yeeeaaaahhhh!"  It's my favorite part.  You cannot NOT dance to that part.  So I did.  And Katie caught me dancing at the reception.  Anything to get this baby out, right?  "Am I everything you need? You better rock your body now. EVERYBODY! YEAHHHH!!"  

Anytime, Applesauce! We'll be delighted to make your acquaintance! 

Tommy's 2.75 Years Old: 33 Months Post

I'm trying to get Tommy to say he's 2.75 years old but he prefers to say "I'm almost 3!!!!"  In fact, he LOVES saying that.  He's ready to be 3!  Sorry bud, you still have 3 more months.  But it'll be here before we know it.  Just crazy.

 He is getting so big.  This is a preview picture of Tommy's school picture he just had taken recently (which explains the shoddy quality).  Look at that adorable hand in his pocket.  Cracks me up.  He is such a BOY! When did that happen?? He's so tall and skinny! (Andrew was ticked they didn't fix his hair before the pic.)

 He's got LOADS of personality these days.

 Just look at these faces.  He has a lot to say, that's for sure.

 Oh boy.  Making faces.  So it begins.

 I put this pic on facebook.  He was trying on his suit for the wedding and he decided to walk like a giant.  It's his new favorite walk.  We try to get him to walk other funny ways but he always goes for Walking Like a Giant.

 He still loves sleeping with ALL of his stuffed animals.  These are just the animals he keeps close to him.  He has tons at the foot of his bed and off to the side that you can't see in this picture.  That's a lot of friends to share a bed with.

Look who loves to try on new shoes!! Nice choice, Tommy Hawk! 

What else is Tommy up to? 

-He recently has started drawing faces.  Sure it doesn't sound like much but I am amazed by little developments like this.  He opened up his Oreo and poked two eyes and a mouth into the cream part.  What?? Then later he drew a face on the wall with a bathtub crayon.  I thought it was cool.  It's just one of those things that parents get excited about. He's a budding artiste! :-) 

-He recites lines and songs from movies randomly.  I can't remember where we were but out of nowhere he says, "She thinks the monkey is the sultan!!!" Another favorite of his is, "WHO DISTURBS MY SLUMBER?" and "WHAT'S GOING ON OVER HERE?"  He also loves singing Circle of Life and Hakuna Matata.  The Aladdin songs are a little fast for him to keep up.  

So can you guess what his favorite movies are??? :) 

-Since we got a new video monitor, we can actually tell when he goes to sleep.  So when he's rolling around playing, I get on the speaker and tell him to go to bed.  My mom was putting Tommy to bed one night and she asked him what it was.  He said, "My monitor tells me to lay down and go to sleep!"  Haha!! He doesn't know it's us telling him to go to sleep! I love it! 

-Speaking of sleep, Tommy has decided he doesn't like to nap at school anymore.  It has been entirely frustrating because he's the meltdown king at night.  With a lot of time and work, we can get him to sleep on the weekends but he refuses at school.  What a stinker.  We cannot have that once the baby gets here.  We are working with him on the school nap.  I really don't know what we will do but we have to do something.  NOW.  

-He's really growing up becoming quite brave and independent.  I was so worried about him being shy or sensitive but he's really changing these days.  He will try new things without clinging to us.  He wants to do everything himself.  He loves to do crazy things that we never thought he'd try.  It's great but also scary for us as parents to let him do all this stuff.  

-Ever since we started his daily asthma inhaler, he has been a different kid when it comes to being sick. He doesn't have colds that last for a month or more.  He doesn't have a constant runny nose or cough.  He doesn't have to go to the doctor once a month for some sickness that he picked up that got out of hand.  I'm really looking forward to this winter to see how he does with sickness. I was constantly taking days off because he would be sick but I am very hopeful that this inhaler will be a huge help this winter.  

What else is new in Tommy's World?? 

Scout is back from the dead.  Scout (actually I think it's Scout 2 or 3.0 by now) has gotten plenty dirty.  So we started washing him occasionally which made his computer system breakdown and stop working.  Tommy was pretty sad when Scout stopped talking.  I believe the last time he heard him talk was probably before Christmas! So just the other day, I thought it might be interesting to see if we put batteries back in him, if he would work again.  Well lo and behold, it took 9 months to dry him out but he WORKS! He is even still still programmed to say his name!  You can see Tommy was a little excited.  

So happy 2.75 years, my dear Thomasaurus! I'd love to keep you little but it's so much fun watching you grow up.