The Ambitious Life

Dear Abi Ann, How are you seven already?  Can you just stop?  You are a lovely young lady and I'm thankful to be your momma!  You are such a free spirit and artistic!  More than I ever was, that is for sure!  You love to create all the things...and not just art, you like to think through problems and come up with solutions.  You are such a great helper for me and the little ones.  You love your new sister.  I am most likely to find you playing by yourself (you're like your mom that way) or creating an elaborate game with your brothers. You are often willing to try new things as long as they don't involve bugs or anything too scary!  You like school although you still are not a huge fan of reading but we'll get there!  You do a great job and work hard and I always appreciate that! Keep being you little one and don't let anyone tell you to be something different.  Stick to what you know is true and stand firm in what is right...

It is hard to believe that two weeks have gone by since Faith was born.  The days have run together a bit in a flurry of great food brought by friends, naps and baby cuddles.  I'm not complaining.  She had her first checkup on Friday and did great.  She is not quite at birth weight which is unusual for my babies but she is eating great and looking good so there is no concern.  She is sleeping well most nights although I would guess she has days and nights backwards because she sleeps ALL day and is awake more at night.  Part of it might be because she has the warmth of someone holding her while she sleeps most of the day and is by herself in her bed at night.  We'll get her straightened out. I am healing well as far as I can tell.  The pain is down significantly and emotionally I'm feeling good.  I have my crazy hormone moments, I won't lie, but overall I would say I'm feeling pretty even.  I am still wearing the abdominal binder bu...

I'll skip the recovery time at the hospital.  There was nausea, there was vomit, there was pain, there was trying to figure out how to maneuver.  It was lovely.  Lets just say come about 2am I'm not the best me I can be and I tend to get weepy. :)  They released me two days after having the baby although I had an option for a third day I didn't take.  I'll just start with the days at home. Day 1 - I was released mid afternoon.  We filled prescriptions and I came home to shower and settle while Aaron picked the kids up from school.  It was a bit of a madhouse once they realized I was home and bedtime was a very long process.  That night I slept horribly.  I had a hard time getting in and out of bed and finding a comfortable position to sleep.  I ended up sleeping in my glider for most of the night.  Faith did about as well as expected.  She is lovely. Day 2 - I got up and sat with the kiddos while they ate breakfast.  ...

Faith Lorraine Born August 14, 2018 at 2:01pm 21.5in, 8lbs 14oz It is 2:07pm on Monday, August 13th.  I am supposed to be taking a nap but I am too amped up to rest.  Guarantee I regret this later. This morning I had a doctor's appointment at 10am.  I knew going in they were going to check the position of the baby because she had been presenting breech and transverse (butt down or lying sideways).  Both presentations are generally automatic c-sections.  I do not want a c-section. This morning the plan was to reposition her if needed and then induce.  I didn't want to go into it with my hopes up that today was baby day...but lets be real, if there is a chance, my hopes are up.  So the doctor checked her and she was breech.  He performed a version...which means a fairly uncomfortable procedure where he pushes on my stomach to get her to turn.  He successfully got her head down, waited a few minutes and she turned transverse again....