Bath Time with Harper

We waited almost a week after being home to give this little love muffin her first bath due to her umbilical cord being gooey and having to go back and forth to the doctors a couple times to get it checked out. Once Dr. Carter cut the clamp off it dried up quickly. She seemed to really enjoy the bath.  She fussed just a little when we undressed her and then was content. It was a fun Saturday morning family activity. Sage loves being her big sister and loves to help. Harper doesn't seem to mind. (The last two pictures are from todays bath.) Harper had her two week check up yesterday and everything looks good. She has gained a pound since her last visit at almost a week. At 2 weeks 3 days she weighed in at 8 lbs 1 oz. 

Our Big Girl

We decided to change Sage's crib to a toddler bed. It has been 3 nights and three naps and she is a champ! The first night she fell out, but that has been the only problem. She hasn't tried to get out of bed or play. She loves getting her books and crawling into bed. After books and prayers we tuck her in and don't hear a peep until morning. Today was the first morning she got up out of her bed by herself. I heard "mama" coming from outside our bedroom door. Usually, she stays in bed and calls out for us to come get her like she would do in her crib. She is such a big girl. We can hardly believe she is turning two in just a few days!

Valentine's Day

We tried to make Valentine's Day special for our Sage girl. We got her up and she went on a scavenger hunt where she followed red string throughout the house which led to a little Valentine's gift. We made cinnamon rolls and smoothies. Sage went on a date with Taylor to get a heart shaped pretzel later in the morning and she made cupcakes with me in the afternoon. We sure love our girls and are excited for next year when our Harper will be running and jumping along side our Sage bug. 

Going Home Sweet Home

Harper

Meeting Harper

We have been so excited for Sage to become a big sister. We knew it would be an adjustment, but with her surgery scheduled just 9 days before Harper's arrival and the difficult recovery she was experiencing we knew her world was going to be turned upside down. She has done pretty well, but has definitely been acting out with lots of tantrums. She has also been waking in the night hysterical. She screams so hard she makes herself throw up. One night we changed her jammies and bedding 3 times. We have been up several hours a night with her. The past couple nights haven't be great but have been significantly better. Jeanne came to stay with Sage and brought her to the hospital to meet her sister. Their meeting did not go as expected. Sage was still in a lot of pain and was due for another dose of Lortab, so when she got there and saw me hooked up to the IV and with the hospital gown on, she wanted nothing to do with me. After getting some medicine and sitting with her daddy, she came around a little. We had a present for her to open from Harper, which included a Best Big Sister book, Big Sister jammies and a new baby doll.  We also planned for Jeanne to pick up a cupcake from the Sweet Tooth Fairy. We had practiced singing happy birthday to Harper for weeks. Jeanne also took her to pick up a few balloons. The nurse bathed her in the room so Sage could help. By the end of her visit Harper got her fair share of kisses and has since been smothered with kisses every chance Sage gets. 

Harper Lee's Big Debut

I was scheduled to be induced  Friday, February 8th. The day before they told me to expect a call between 7-9 am and to be prepared to go in right at 7. About 7:45 am on the 8th we got the call asking us to be at the hospital at 8:30. About 9 hours later at 5:38 our Harper was born. It was such an easy labor and delivery. It really was night and day from our experience of having Sage. The whole experience was so calm and peaceful. Our nurses were wonderful. We absolutely loved them. We especially loved our labor/delivery nurse Candie. I'm sure my nurses were just fine when I delivered at Provo, but I don't really remember them too much. We will however, remember the nurses at IHC. The most difficult part was getting the epidural. I don't remember the pain and all the pressure with my last one, but this time around it was almost unbearable. I kept arching my back and the anesthesiologist had to keep stopping to have me round my back and make sure I was okay. Unlike my experience with Sage, once my epidural was in, I could not feel anything. I hardly ever had to push the button for more fentanyl except at the very end and even then I was not in much pain at all, but just felt a little pressure. Dr. Froerer came in and broke my water and one point and things started progressing fast. I went from a 6 to a 10 within an hour, but lil Harper was pretty high up, so they had me "rest and descend" for a couple of hours at a 10 to let the contractions bring her down instead of having to push forever. By the time Dr.  Froerer came down she was more than ready to make her big debut. He came in about 5:30pm and I pushed through a couple of contractions and she was born at 5:38pm. They put her right on me and let Taylor cut the umbilical cord. There is something magical about bringing a child into this world and there is no doubt in my mind that she came right from Heaven!