Happy Leap Day!

Well, i thought i would take advantage of it being a Leap Day, and give you a LilliAnn update.

We are trying to get back on the horse again with LilliAnn for potty training. It's been a week, and it has been interesting. While she still has her afternoon naps normally around 2 o'clock. She will mostly fall asleep, but while the days she doesn't, she seems to have a surprise for us every time we walk in her room for example: she's come out of her room without pants and only a short sleeved shirt, to be covered arms and legs completely covered in diaper rash cream...that was fun to clean off - to 8 pairs of panties on at the same time - the dressers being completely emptied - wipe container being emptied with wipes literally spread out all over the floor - outfit changes - one time she even changed her self, and put on diaper rash cream on her bum -toys, blankets and stuffed animals usually make a pile in front of the door, by the heater. All in all, she has for the most part been good about helping clean up her messes after we ask her to. To which she replies "that was naughty, no more messes" Which is also funny because even before we shut the door before nap she says "nooo messes" She knows...but just gets carried away. Oh...haha for the most part she still needs to be asked if she needs to go...she usually will say no, but we at least make her "try" We've even gotten 50 cent pieces to try and bribe her, and even the occasional candy cane will sometimes work. I know she is totally capable of going, it just getting her motivated.

I don't know if i had previously blogged about this, LilliAnn has a pet fish George (after Curious George) a beta, such a good fishy he is.....he's still alive, after this traumatic experience. LilliAnn had a table and chairs in her room (not anymore) she had pulled up a chair. We found her fish in a jam jar (luckily with water) which had previously held her "lips" chapsticks filled with water, but then the fish tank was filled to the brim with little stuffed animals that was sitting on her upper self, along with 4 soft blocks, my hand print ceramic when i was 3, my 1st pair of shoes, and a container of fish food. When i walked in the room, she was sitting on top of her dresser. Scary thing for a momma to find her little girl on top of a dresser, then see her poor fish, I honestly don't know how that fish survived all that.

She has been a great big sister, she gets very concerned when Naomi cries, she will try and give her a binky, and lets us know "Naomi's crying" She loves to help for diaper changes we've started putting baby powder on her bum, and LilliAnn LOVES to do the "sprinkle" part.

Last week we were able to take LilliAnn to the Tacoma Children's Museum. It has recently relocated and reopened. We've never taken her there before, so we thought she was old enough to enjoy it. Which she did, they had a big water area, which we spent most of the time at. LilliAnn loves water, and it was just icing on the cake for her. I'm really excited because in less then 6 months LilliAnn will be 3, and i will be able to enroll her in swimming lessons. Which I'm very excited to do so. They had allot of activities to choose from, another part she enjoyed was this big plastic vacuum, that had tubes that sucked up pieces of cloth, and the went round and round and spat them out on the other side.

Waiting for the weather to get a little nicer again, so we can go for nice walks to the park. Today it even snowed, to chilly to play outside, and it had been many months since we've been to the library. I kindof almost forgot of it being an activity for something for her to do indoors. So today we went, she seemed to also enjoy this, with new puzzles to put together, and some books to look through, we brought a few home. And I would like to make it, a once a week thing we do to take her. We'll see how that goes.

LilliAnn is also into colors right now, the "cranberry" colors to be exact. She can easily list off the 3 primary colors...but will still through in a couple of secondary colors as well. She learned this all from a YouTube clip ... OKgo is the group its a stop motion clip of them singing about the 3 primary colors. She requests to watch this on a daily basis. She's even said a prayer thanking God for the "cranberry" colors.

We are very impressed of her knowledge...i don't know what is "normal" for a 2 year old....but she recognized the ABC's and can tell you what letters they are. She's put together a 24 piece puzzle all by herself without any help. For awhile now she can name shapes, and of course colors. She enjoys mommy singing her songs. And coloring and painting is a favorite pass time for her as well.

First 11 days

Well, we've made it past the first week. It has been busy time of adjustment. 3 of our days were spent in the hospital. LilliAnn came and visited her baby sister on the 2nd day. LilliAnn spent 2 nights at her Auntie Jennifer's house. When she came in the room with Auntie and Grandpa, she was very excited to tell us about the "alligator" elevator. :) I remember her seeing me...and wanting me to "get out" get up out of the bed. Even tho she saw the baby, she didn't show much interest in her quite yet. The hospital was big and exciting to explore, expically since it had an "alligator" Daddy had to walk her around a little bit just so she could explore. Later that evening we got more visitors Gramie, Auntie Carmie, and Uncle Benjie came to say hello.

Finally being home, Naomi was a champ at latching, and sleeping. LilliAnn at this point still didn't mind having the baby around.

Still healing and on pain meds, I did start to get some sever headaches, and nausea, with dizziness. It wasn't until the next day i thought i should go in, to be seen. They were able to fit me in, and a good thing that they did, the midwife, Kim who i saw knew exactly what the problem was. She called it a blood patch. That day, dad drove me to the ER, to see anesthesiologist . It was a hole in my spine left from the epidural from the c-section, it was leaking fluid, and didn't seal off on it's own.They drew blood from my arm and used it to fill the hole in my spine. I found out 1 in a 100 (1% chance) it happens...for some odd reason, it happened to me. Thank goodness it's over. My headache was gone before i left the ER. Still a little soreness, but finally starting to feel myself again.

Naomi has been to the Dr. about 3 times already, even tho the first day home she seemed to be latched on me 24/7 and seemed content, I got concerned when what i thought was blood in her diaper. In the hospital, she was off the charts for having wet and dirty diapers. But when we got home, they seemed to drop. We took her in, and found out it was orange crystals in her diaper, which is caused by dehydration, my milk had not come in at this point. Her birth weight was 7lbs and 6oz, she had dropped down to 6lbs and 4oz. :( The Dr. suggested to supplement for a bit, and some jaundice was starting to show. The next day we made a follow up apt. and she gained 4oz. They were surprised, she was gaining so much already. The next following Monday was her official 1 week check up, by then she was weighing in at 7lbs and 4oz. We were happy, and the crystals were gone. And luckily we didn't have to do another jaundice test...her poor little foot, they squeeze and squeeze it till the get the amount of blood they need. She's already had 2 baths at home so far, 1 was needed after a major blowout she had. Lets just say she isn't quite a fan of bath time yet.

LilliAnn as a big sister has sympathy cries, when she hears Naomi crying she starts in too. I think at 1 or 2 times, Brittin had all 3 of his girls crying at the same time. From my point of view LilliAnn has been pretty much glued to her daddy. I was expecting her to try and get my attention more then she did. But i think it has worked well, plus with me not being able to move much pretty much the first week. Now going into the 2 week, I'm up allot more. And have been able to do a little bit more bonding with her. I even painted her toes and nails, which she loved every moment of.

Tonight as I'm typing this, Brittin went out for the evening, so for the first time I'm left alone with both girls. Naomi is a great sleeper, after i had fed her. LilliAnn and I got to work in her sicker book, and colored and traced some animals. I was a little worried about the getting ready for bed part, but LilliAnn is pretty amazing, she got her jammies on, brushed her teeth, we read devotions, prayed and she went to bed without any resistance.

I am just blown away, again. Gazing at Naomi, such a wonderful little creation. God made her, wonderful little her. I have two wonderful little girls, how very blessed I am. My prayer is that the Lord will guide me and lead me to be the best mommy for them. Truly I will never be able to say how blessed I am to have them.

It's a GIRL! Meet Naomi Agnes Shauers

Well if you haven't heard already, It's a GIRL! Beautiful and as sweet as they come. Naomi Agnes Shauers made it into the world January 30, 2012 @ 3:29PM weighing in at 7lbs and 6oz and 19inches.