our baby Molly is here....3 weeks ago

So...as Lily would say in her most cute voice... "I did it!" I attempted a VBAC (vaginal birth after Cesarean), and I succeeded! It was a total shock, up until the very point of her being placed onto my chest. I had kept my expectations low for a vaginal delivery and prepared myself for another c-section, but I wanted to at least try.

To my surprise I went into labor on my own Tuesday, Dec. 21, something that didn't happen with Lily. I was in shock to feel my contractions become more painful, because I was sure they were going to go away. I tried showering, cleaning the kitchen, dusting my bedroom, cleaning the floor, and I even wanted to vacuum, but Mike wouldn't let me at 12am in the morning with Lily sleeping. All of this, and the contractions were still there every 7-10 min and continuing to get worse.

It wasn't until about 2:30 am I felt the urge to get to the hospital because I no longer wanted to be in pain. I had called my Mom to come on over just in case we did need to leave in the middle of the night. She has been watching 'House Hunters' with me while I was trying to decide if I could get a nights rest on the couch. But alas I was in a bit too much pain. I woke Mike, who had JUST fallen asleep and to Fairfax Hospital we fled.

I was already 5 cm when I was admitted and I was ready for my epidural! With the help of my epidural I was able to get some sleep. And by some sleep I mean about 2 hours. All my nurse friends were so excited to see me there in labor we were too busy chatting into the night over whether we thought I would push Molly out, or if I would end up in the OR. I stayed optimistic, but realistic. I was taking it all in very cautiously!

By 6am I was 6 cm, and my doctor went ahead and broke my water. My contractions had slowed down a bit, but there was still no need for pitocin. Around 8:30 I was in a bit of pain again! I could feel my contractions and some pressure so I was dosed with some more medicine through my epidural. 9am, Dr. Kusic checked me and said, COMPLETELY dilated (10cm) lets start pushing!

What? THAT FAST? I was in shock, but totally excited! I gave it a couple pushes, and my Doctor said, 'no problem, this baby is coming out this way.' Meaning he knew I wasn't going to need a c-section! An hour later, and at exactly 10:00am MOLLY WAS BORN, and placed right onto my chest! All I could say was, "I can't believe I did it! I can't believe I did it!" The whole room was full of cheer to Miss Molly! December 22, 2010, 10:00 am 7 pounds 8 ounces, 20 1/4 inches longMy heart had instantly grown two fold! The love that I was afraid wouldn't be there was, and with a single beat I could feel my chest grow with more love. I was in awe of her, so was Mike. We gazed at her beauty and couldn't decide if she looked like Lily or not.

Welcome to the Peterson Family, Molly! We love you 'to the moon and back'!Lily meets Molly! She is instantly in love! Her 'baby sister'! It was a great moment to have them both together on my lap! Our first family photo..My rocks, my L & D dream team! All of this made possible because of them. Their support, cheers, and love is just what you need to make a perfect delivery. I could not ask for better coworkers and most of all friends!from Left to Right: Michelle Lopez, RN-the ultimate baby nurse who was present during Lily's birth, and again at Molly's. She is responsible for the girls cute outfits right at birth. How creative! The most impressive part of it all is that she is still on maternity leave with her two sweet newborn twins at home, but still she came to be with me! Dr. Mike Kusic, MD-my doctor who I have been with since my pregnancy with Lily. His whole practice is full of doctors who I utmost respect in every way, but it was special to have him deliver both Lily and Molly! He preformed my c-section, did a great job, but most of all he supported me through my wish to attempt a VBAC. His sense of humor and silly laughter makes him extremely likable and very comfortable to be around. Kristin Reese, RN-my excellent day shift nurse, but more importantly, my friend! Kristin and I have known each other since freshman year of college, we have lived together, and went to nursing school together. Now we work together and I can proudly say she supported me (held my leg) during Molly's delivery. This is very special to me! MIKEY-my husband! I couldn't have a better partner for life! Through ups and downs of my pregnancy he was always supportive and excited for the birth of our daughter. It was a thrill for him to see me deliver vaginally, cut the cord, and then have baby Molly right there on my chest while he was right next to me. Heather Altland, RN-the first blonde..hehe, my night shift nurse partner! Heather and I have worked together for 5 years, taken vacations together and she even went to high school with Mike. She stayed over into the day shift to see me deliver. Her excitement to see Molly born was just another boost to get me through it! Kate Callahan, RN-the other blonde..another very special friend! We, too, have worked together for 5 years, and also taken vacations together! Kate's energy and positive attitude also made it possible for me to push little Molly out!

Some people may say I am crazy to have my friends see me in my most vulnerable state, half naked, and legs spread open (excuse me for being graphic), but I couldn't imagine it being any other way!!! Some days I may hate going to work, but my job is such an important one. Seeing a baby born is so special and I am so glad I shared it with my friends!

Grandmas capture their first glimpse of little Molly girl....A proud G Pa of his second grand daughter! He has so much love for these little ones!Most of the family joined me in the hospital right after she was born. We spent a lot of time with Molly in her first couple hours! It was such a different experience than with Lily. Something I can now cherish with Molly! I was wide awake, I felt great, and my family was in awe that I had just delivered a baby! There is nothing that I regret about Lily's delivery, and my c-section, but I am so grateful that I was able to experience a non surgical delivery!At the hospital, after Molly was born and Lily was able to spend a little time with Mommy and Daddy, we gave her a big sister gift...a Christmas Mickey Snow Globe. Hmmm, maybe not the best gift for a 2 year old because it has since been shattered! Poor Mickey, maybe we will invest in another next year AND keep it out of the hands of our darling girl.

I was discharged to go home on Christmas Eve! A blessed Christmas present to be home as a new family!

CHRISTMAS MORNING

...my two girls and their first matching pjs :) there will definitely be more to come of those! And by the way, I LOVE saying 'my girls'! Ok, I know they are not just MY girls but Mike and my girls, but it is just amazing to me to say I now have kidssss (plural), and it is even more wonderful to call them 'my girls'

We ventured to my parents house for lunch Christmas day. Keep in mind (no I'm not bragging) BUT I am 3 DAYS postpartum! I think I was a little delusional to think I could be riding around town house to house. I definitely wished I had used to the excuse of just having a baby in my favor! Meaning I should not have left my home, and those who wanted to see me and the baby should have ventured to ME! Oh well! What's done is done, and I am grateful that Molly was able to meet all my extended family on Christmas day!

Our first family photo shot where we are all appropriately dressed.

Uncle Craig meets his new niece.....

Memaw and Pop with Molly....Just as special as the rest of their great grand children...Molly is number 4! I am so happy to have them around to experience a fourth generation!

On another note...what do I do about my blog? Should I be changing the name? I mean we are STILL the Peterson's but I took a spin on Lily's name because we call her 'Lil'....what to do, what to do....

Molly's Birth Announcement

Big Cubes Rose Baby Announcements

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View the entire collection of cards.

Big Girl Bed for my big girl?

Ok seems as though I am back on track....SIKE. Here is a post I was working on even before Molly was born....

Lily has had quite the experience with her new big girl bed. It all started one weekend when she decided she was DONE with her crib. Well I sure didn't want her to be, because my ultimate plan was to keep her confined as long as possible...But continually hopping out of bed and not being able to get back in was not going to work with her sleep habits!

OHHHHH, and did I mention that it didn't even cross my mind that she could now get out of her room too??? Well she did that too....which ended up in a disaster in our bathroom with overflowing water, a stopped up sink, Lily covered in my make up, and a diaper so exploded with water it was hanging on just enough to cover her little bumbum. Thank the Lord she didn't slip and fall! Well, this all happened under parent supervision, Mike's supervision....he was just unaware of it all! EEK! Parent of the year award for Mike Peterson!

Nah, I can't give him that hard of a time!....

Well actually I will, because the story doesn't end here....while I discovered our sweet girl in the bathroom and not her room after my fabulous baby shower at 'Let's Dish'...see photo

...I beckoned Mike into our bathroom to give him a piece of my mind while he helped me clean up and suddenly, breaking news coming from our kitchen downstairs, directly under our bathroom...the light fixture over the island has now fallen out of the ceiling! GREAT! We have leaking pipes.....well actually to make a long story short we don't have leaking pipes but an area in our bathroom that is uncaulked and over time the water that has seeped through the drywall finally gave, and down she blows! Plus side to this story, I get a new light fixture (that I still need!!...I'm not bitter though, even though I cook in the dark every night)

Yes, the other plus to this story is that no one was hurt in this destruction! AND we can now laugh about it! I do wish I had some pictures to prove it all, but at the time, it didn't seem appropriate to whip out my camera....

STILL the story doesn't end here....Mike and I proceed, that Sunday, to set up Lily's big girl bed. I love it...it's adorable! And I can finally put to use her super cute quilt....

again, I swore I took pics, but this is the best I have...

It is a work in progress to get Lily used to her big girl and she, of course, can now get out of her bed even easier than her crib, but at least she can get back in. With her new bed, practically new looking room, Lily has a new found sense of autonomy! She feels as though it is now her right to sort through pretty much anything she can get into in her room. This is fine because it is all her stuff and she can play with what she may please, as long as it isn't the Vaseline....yes Vaseline which she stuck her WHOLE hand into rubbed on her body, her hair, clothes, etc. Not an easy clean up I might add!

Here is one pic to show the effects of Vaseline in hair, even AFTER 10 hair washes....(this is the day the Molly was born, which was yet another Vaseline incident under my Mother's supervision..haha)
Not only is it a work in progress for Lily, BUT also a work in progress for Mike and I who need to learn what is appropriate to keep in her room when we lay her down for bed. So far we have learned....

1. Put child lock on door so she cannot turn the nob....check

2. Keep Vaseline, lotion, diaper ointment cream, etc out of reach.....check

3. HAVE PATIENCE!!!....sort of check, some days/nights are better than others

Halloween into Thanksgiving

Seriously, again....

Storybook catch up.....

We have started attempts at peeing on the potty...not going to well, but this particular night was successful. Must have helped having the juice in hand. Needless to say, this has only coincidentally happened just once more. Lily is much more content with her Kirkland Zebra diapers for the day, and Nighttime Pampers for the night. She can actually tell me 'Zebra' in the morning and 'Elmo or Cookie Monster' for the night. Its not a rush simply an encouragement. I know I am bound to have a little girl digress to a baby once Molly is around.

We ventured to a Halloween party and, yes, what better to go as but a 'shotgun wedding couple' We played the part well, got many compliments, and who else to do dress up as 8 months pregnant???Lily went as her new favorite character....Minnie Mouse. It is safe to say we watch about an hour of Playhouse Disney every morning! So shoot me, I like tv and now so does Lily. I turned out ok, I am sure she will too. Plus mornings are used to take time and wake up for the day. Mickey Mouse Playhouse does the job for the Lil and I. The Hot Dog dance is easily our favorite dance move. Ethan went as Batman and played the part well. The two of them took to trick-or-treating quite naturally. Stefani and I were pleasantly surprised when they approached the first door knocking and waiting for their treat. Our husbands stayed back to sip on their beer and pass out candy to the kids. I hope to continue our Halloween tradition spent together!
Ok yea, and before we knew it...Turkey day. It was a bittersweet day for me. My first Thanksgiving away from my family. Unfortunately I wasn't allowed to travel 8 hours to South Carolina AND my holiday this year was Thanksgiving so home we stayed. Our day was spent at the Peterson household and it was a great day! Then I reluctantly traveled to work. Thankfully we got some great family shots :)

I love to give my Mommy kisses. Her face is too irresitable to attack!!!!
Incase you can't tell already, Lily is my big girl getting ready to be a great big sister. We are working on the paci, but morning and nights seems to be a lost cause.Another great plus to our Thanksgiving week/weekend...Anne and Sam AND the girls came to visit. They were in town not only for the holiday but for Anne's little brother's wedding. With the craziness going on at her families household it was best they stay with us, and turns out it was the BEST! We had a great visit with them, and once again, Lily enjoyed her time with Savanna and Charlotte. Plus it was a great practice with new baby Maggie being around. The house was full of girls and I loved it. My preminition of having three girls could someday be true, and I had to get Mike on board. He took to all the ladies quite well :) Anne and I were able to hit up Black Friday and as always did some damage. We endulged in Thai food two nights, both times very impressed!!!

Great friends are so important in your life. I am so thankful for the friendship that I still have with Anne! Against my will, we took only ONE picture together the whole weekend.....Sunday morning of the day they left. How appropriate for us busy Mommy's. Lily plays with baby Maggie, and LOVED IT!!!

Time Lapse

To say I have 'slacked' on my blog is a TOTAL understatement. Instead, I have just enjoyed reading others updates.

But in all honesty, I am upset with myself, because I usually use my blog to update on Lily and her new activity. Well new activity has come and gone, and she has developed even newer characteristics...

She can sing her ABCs....about a month ago when we went to the beach Mike was able to get a Mini Van from work that had a built in DVD player. I decided to buy her a new DVD..."Preschool with Elmo, the ABCs" She was instantly enthralled. And even though we had been working on her letters periodically while reading and using fridge magnets, the DVD now became her new teacher. In the 5 hour trip we made, the video may or may not have been repeated 2 or 3 times wink wink, and she was singing along her ABCs. So proud! Not to mention super cute when she is blurting it out all day long!

For the rest, I will just display by pictures.....it is my best storybook!

We kicked off the skins season with the Reese's. Summer came to an end and we went the Capital for a concert on the lawn. It was awesome and Lily really enjoyed herself. Oh and by the way, I am officially looking pregnant. I may not be documenting it as well as I did with Lily but this was a rare moment I felt like showing off my belly.One of my sorority sisters was married to her lovely husband Adam. It was a beautiful ceremony in Gloucester Virginia. Mike and I enjoyed the night away. It is always a blast to be with my girls from college. We are such a close knit group and I do wish we all lived a bit closer!This made our second wedding of the summer, but surely not to be our last.

Not only am I pregnant, but I am happy to say my best friend Christie is too!! She is expecting her baby girl Elsie, any day now and I am so excited we will be having little girls together!There is always a good reason to take a good picture of Lily :)Third wedding of the season...Mandy and Ryan. It was right on the Chesapeake Bay and GORGEOUS. Mike and I had a great time dancing at this particular wedding. And the food was phenomenal!FOURTH wedding of the season.....our great friends Cara and Phil. Mike was in the wedding and we had a great getaway to Virginia Beach. I was honored to do Cara's make up for the wedding. It was great to see her before the ceremony. Mike and I were so excited for them to get married. It had been a long time coming :)
Why not take a trip to Nags Head when we are more than half way there. We were hoping for the last hoorah of summer at the beach in September, but instead we got the cold and rain. It ended up being a great weekend though and having friends there with us made more the merrier. Lily and Kage cuddled close for some pics. My great friend Lindsey travelled from Texas to be with us, and Mike's friend Matt was with us as well.

Last but not least....our FIFTH wedding of the season. Lori and Rob! How wonderful to add another sister-in-law in the family. It was a gorgeous fall day! Alicia and I, of course, used this special day to dress the girls up in matching outfits :) This is a sure sign that I will have fun with having two girls!!!

The CW

So I try to squeeze in blogging when I can! But now a days it seems as though I have to keep an extra eye on Lily. Back in the day, she was just a blob on the floor who cooed at me every now and then. Those daily blogging days are over....as you can tell by my last post which was ONE month ago! She then turned into a 'on the go' babe when she began crawling but I was surely able to catch her before she fell down the stairs. NOW.....

well she gets into almost everything. She isn't too destructive and there isn't much she could hurt herself with, BUT putting the same clothes away daily because she has taken them all out of her drawers gets a little old, AND although washable, it isn't pleasant to look at my carpeted stairs which have been drawn on.

Right now? how am I blogging?? Well since our love for Mickey, I am almost guaranteed an hour of peace in the morning. I have already started on laundry, picked up from breakfast and even browsed on facebook for a while. Oh and I have a nice cup o' joe in hand.... I figure I should finish my latest post....

I hear Mickey in the background, giggles from the Lil' and the little stamper of her feet as she dances to the 'hot dog' dance. We're still good....

Okay, so we are not on the set of "One Tree Hill" CW (although Mike knows me well enough to ask if I wished I was..i love 'one tree hill')..but, in fact, we have visited super cool Colonial Williamsburg! And this my friends is the drama in my life....Here this girl lies for 'nigh nigh' after a stroll through the square. I had drug her up early out of bed so we would beat the heat...eh not so much....and we went for a run/walk up and down the streets of Old Town Williamsburg. It was delightful, but Lily seemed to be pooped!

Last week I was lucky to have spent some time with my friend Liz, her two precious boys and her Mother at their time share in Williamsburg. The weather was torturous, but we made the best out of every day! The hot, humid, heat index of 110 days meant that we had to get an early start on the day beat the sun, and it meant we actually spent a lot of time inside. With all the little ones we had, two years, 20 mos, and 6 mos it wasn't worth overheating them!

A couple mornings ran through the quite streets of Williamsburg, and exercised in the 'Sunken Gardens' of William and Mary campus. It felt great to release the sweat so early. Although not super hot, the humidity got to us!

One day, with the help of our babysitter NiNi (Liz's Mom), Liz and I got away to the outlets. I managed to pick up a few Christmas gifts for Lily....I am trying to start a stash, so I don't spend a ton of money during December.

On Thursday evening we ventured back into CW to see the Colonial Fife and Drum March. It was great, and short lived for the kids! Just long enough for them to get excited then not too much of a let down when we left. I would have loved to see more things in the CW, but the weather was not permitting. I haven't been down there since I was maybe 10!! I would love to get back there in the fall when the weather is cool, the leaves are falling, and we could actually tour the Capital, the Govenor's Mansion, etc. It is really a beautiful little city and well preserved for the time period!

Lily and Walker had a GREAT time playing with each other and really enjoyed the company. Lily has a true love for babies (lets hope it stays for when she has a baby sister!) and she was all over baby Carter. He, too, enjoyed her smiles and playfullness. She's kinda what you would call my little model.....

When she looks this cute, it is hard not to take pictures of her (I know I know I'm bragging!)