Charlotte's Story

I know some of you have been wanting more details on how Charlotte entered this world. So for those of you who want the labor story, here it is.

I woke up Halloween morning feeling more uncomfortable than usual, but being three days away from my scheduled induction I just brushed it off. Hudson had been so excited for Halloween that I didn't want to disrupt the fun by running off to the hospital until I was completely sure. This is how we spent the day:

After the Halloween party was over, I decided it wouldn't hurt to swing by the hospital and get checked...just in case. At the hospital, they told me my contractions were really irregular, but at 1-3 minute intervals. And I'd dilated a whole whopping centimeter from my exam three days earlier. After learning how fast my labor was with Hudson, they decided to keep me to see what would happen.

While I moved into the labor & delivery room, B took Hudson downstairs to get him all ready to spend the night at Grandma and Grandpa's. While I waited for B to return, my labor really took off. I went from a 3 to a 5 in the time he was gone. Then it was time to discuss my options: 1) get an epidural, then break my water or 2) break my water and see what happens. This is where I found myself in a predicament. My labor with Hudson was so fast that I didn't have time for an epidural. I knew that if I told them to break my water there'd be no going back. This time, it was more scary for me because I knew exactly what was coming...especially if I went without the epidural. I seriously considered getting the epidural this time, but at the last minute I said, "Fine. Just break my water."

The midwife broke my water at exactly 10 pm. The minute my water's broken, the contractions get stronger and more intense. I was still fine for another 15-20 minutes...but definitely more uncomfortable. Then comes the transition phase. The fear is almost paralyzing for me. I get so scared that I'm not going to be able to do it. I know exactly what's coming and I know there's nothing I can do to stop it. Before I knew it, it was time to start pushing. There was one point when I made eye contact with B. He looked at me and said, "You're doing great." And I believed him. I pushed through five contractions and Charlotte was here. Everything went so perfectly.

The one recurring theme throughout my wait for Charlotte is patience. I waited for Charlotte for nearly two years. I had to learn patience when things didn't go exactly my way again and again. At the time it was hard, but now I realize I'd do it all over again just to have her here. And now as I'm adjusting to new motherhood all over again, I need to remember to have patience with myself. It's OK if my house isn't immaculate all the time. It's OK if Hudson has to watch a little extra TV now and then. It's OK to make dinner out of a box every once in a while. It's all part of the blessing; and I'm here enjoying each little moment.

How to Avoid Going to Bed

Hi guys. Hudson here. Even though I'm only 3, I'm an expert in a lot of areas. Avoiding bedtime is one of them. So kids, gather around. Here are some of my best tips on how to stall bedtime.

Sure, we've all tried the following:

I need a drink.

I'm scared of the dark.

One more story.

I need to use the bathroom.

But now I urge you to think outside of the box...get a little creative. The more creative the better; pretty soon those parents of yours won't stand a chance.

So here we go. After your parent(s) officially tuck you in, listen closely for their footsteps to retreat down the hall. When you're certain they're gone, tiptoe quietly out of bed. Scan every corner and crevice of your bedroom for spiders or any bug-like creature. Don't forget to check the ceiling. If you find something, Score! You've just earned yourself a trip downstairs.

After the intruding pest has been taken care of, then it's time to move onto the "sweet and sentimental" attack. Go back downstairs, tilt your head sweetly to the side and say, "Mom, I just wanted to check on you." Then give her a hug and kiss. She'll probably tell you to go back to bed with a big smile on her face as you've just succeeded in melting her heart. Next, take her a present. I usually take one of my favorite stuffed animals. Go downstairs and say, "Mom, I want you to have Teddy." Again, she'll be putty in your hands. She may start getting frustrated by this point, so it's a good idea to back off for a while. Try reading some books, or plotting your next approach.

My most recent success (pictured above) was when I found some drawing paper and pencils that Mom had so carelessly left in my room. I made a lovely portrait of Teddy, a growth chart for my sister, and I even spelled my name. Mom loves it when I write my name...so I knew I'd get her with this one.

That's just scratching the surface of my avoiding bedtime knowledge. But it should at least get your creative juices flowing. And if you use all these approaches in one night, you've easily earned yourself a full hour of awake-time. Don't hesitate to email me with questions or suggestions. I'll be here all week, folks.

P.S. The day before my sister was born, I came up with the newest in my arsenal. Sneak to the office, grab a permanent marker. (Permanent being the operative word here) And draw your very best picture ever on the back of your bedroom door. Priceless.

Cooking with Hudson

My mom likes to cook. I like to help her. Once she shared some summer salad recipes with you. But she forgot to tell you about the awesome help I gave her. So today, I'm giving you my version. Since this is our first cooking adventure together, I'm going to start with some of the basics. I present to you my first installment of "Cooking With Hudson."

1. Always cook barefoot.

2. Mom doesn't like a messy floor, but I think it adds character to the kitchen.

3. I'm a big believer in "I can do it myself." So I took the liberty of adding the cranberries to the salad:

Once the floor is a mess and the salad looks like this, mom will be distracted for a while. The best thing you can do at a time like this is run off with the brown sugar, and eat it in your favorite hiding place:

The End.

Introducing, My Guest Blogger

While I'm adjusting to life with two kids, I've enlisted the help of a special guest blogger, the new Big Brother at our house: Hudson. He'll help me by posting for the remainder of the week. Then I'll be back in action (sporadically) starting Monday.

To help you get to know him better, here's a little interview I did with him recently:

Hudson, what is your favorite color?

Red.

What is your favorite food?

Sushi

Sushi? What kind of sushi?

Um, with cheese.

What do you like to do for fun?

I like throwing balls at Daddy.

I like to play baseball.

I like to play football.

What do you like to do with your friends?

We like to have birthday parties.

What are you good at?

I'm good at catching baseballs.

I'm good at typing, but I don't know how to do it.

What do you like to do with your Mom?

I like giving her kisses.

What are you going to do with your little sister?

Rock her in the rocking chair.

Charlotte

Charlotte Louise Williams

October 31, 2009

10:37 pm

6 lb. 13 oz.

We adore her.

Charlotte decided that Halloween would be her birthday. After a fun-filled day of decorating, Halloween music, pumpkin carving and a Halloween party, I decided I should swing by the hospital. My labor was fast and she was here before we knew it. We're home and doing great. In my wildest dreams I never imagined I'd feel so good right after giving birth. But we're just enjoying our time with Grandma here to help, and getting to know our sweet new addition.

I'll be back later with some new pictures. All of these were right after she was born. She's not quite so swollen and wrinkly any more. :)

P.S. Thanks for all of your encouragement. She was definitely worth the wait.

Oven Mitts???

I'm still here. After a less-than-inspiring trip to the OB yesterday, it's looking more than ever like I'm going to be induced on Tuesday.

I've always been weirded out that my OB's office uses oven mitts as stirrup covers, but yesterday those oven mitts officially crossed the line from weird to downright annoying. (Blame that on my advanced stage of pregnancy...I find almost everything annoying these days). Maybe it's a subliminal "bun in the oven" metaphor, being that 3/4 of the women who place their feet in the mitt-clad stirrups have a bun in their oven, but I don't think I'll ever be able to look at an oven mitt the same way again.

P.S. Image from Country Living...because I'm sure you were looking for a photo of a snazzy rooster oven mitt. :)

Halloween Week

Well, my due date has officially come and gone; and I'm still here.

I'm still doing pretty good (minus the occasional meltdown). And I had a great weekend with my two boys. Now we're just gearing up for Halloween. H is so excited. We're doing everything we can to make it super fun this year. Here are a few projects (via Martha Stewart) that we'll be keeping busy with this week:

Hudson loves to help make halloween decorations, so these Halloween Hangups will be the perfect after-school project.

I doubt we'll have many trick-or-treaters on our street; but Hudson and I are going to make some special goody bags for his buddies.

I doubt I'll be up for throwing a Halloween party this year; but I love these all-black candy jars with matching labels. I'll have to file this one under "parties to have when I'm not about to explode."

I think these popcorn witches would be so much fun for H's school party.

As always, I can count on Martha for some project inspiration. Especially when I need to keep my hands and my mind busy these days. I'll be back later on this week with other fun Halloween projects.