What A CRAZY Summer! (May - August 2011)

WOW.  What a whirlwind life has become!  When I think that it's been almost a year since I've published anything on here, embarrassment can't begin to describe my feelings!!  I suppose it's little consolation to know that I started uploading and organizing pictures back in the beginning of August, huh?  Oh, well!!  As much as we want life to slow down or even pause for a few brief moment, it seems to do nothing but go full speed ahead!  So, let's look down memory lane together at life in the Singewald house since May, where we've never had more than a moment to wonder what to do with our "free" time!!  

In May, John couldn't wait to get outside and enjoy the almost-summer weather!  Being a normal 2.5 year-old, he loved water and was extremely excited when we purchased a water table for him to play in, rather than his prior water oasis of the kitchen sink! 

Mother's Day was around the corner and we wanted to complete a special project for Grandma and Nana Joan.  John created a stepping stone for their gardens, complete with his hand print and stones in a mosaic around the edge.  Like everything John does, he was sure to complete both projects in a precise manner, with lots of color!

Mother's Day was right around the corner on May 7 and I couldn't have been happier celebrating my motherhood with my little man and the knowledge of our new arrival a couple of months later!  John, like always, was not camera shy and couldn't wait to snuggle up for a few pictures!

John showing off his "train" made of diapers, wipes and anything else he could find in the changing table!

 Memorial Day weekend brought good times with family, but also the last "normal" weekend for our family for quite some time.  We were able to head up north to Bob and Joan's house and enjoy the weekend on the lake fishing, boating and relaxing before heading back for Phil's surgery on May 31.  John was thrilled to be able to take part in the annual kids' fishing contest, where he caught his first fish!  He was SO proud and couldn't wait to fish again!  The little camping lantern he won as a prize is on in his bedroom every night to keep him company!

Patiently waiting.....

I got one!!!

On May 31, our lives forever changed for the good, for the first time last summer!  After 12 years of having Ulcerative Colitis and being dependent on medications to help keep his flares to a minimum, it was apparent that life could not go on as it had been for Phil.  Pre-cancerous cells were found and with the heightened risk of colon cancer in UC patients, we weren't willing to take that chance, so on May 31, under the care of a phenomenal team at the U of MN, Phil had a full Colectomy.  After a few setbacks of internal bleeding and a second surgery at midnight (not appreciated by his 32 week pregnant wife!), and trouble with food intake at first, we started to see improvements.  On Aug. 1, Phil has his ileostomy take-down and was able to start his new "norm" of life!  It's hard to believe the one year mark is approaching, but looking back over the last year, it was chaotic and challenging at times, but we would do it all over again for the health, spontaneity and energy it's brought into our lives!

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/philsingewald

The middle of June was used to prep for little Miss Emma's arrival!  At the time, we didn't know if we were going to be blessed with pink or blue, but John was thrilled either way to help me unpack baby clothes and other necessary baby items!

  

 

Only 2 weeks left..... (36 weeks)


Is this what we use this Boppy pillow for, Mom?  

John was hiding and coloring under the highchair one day and said it was his fort!

Look where I fit, Mom!

 On July 6, I had my final doctor appointment before Emma's arrival!  She was scheduled to arrive the following Wednesday, July 13, so honestly, I wasn't really preparing myself, or anyone else for that matter, that she could possibly come before that date!  After all, she had shown us all along that she was in charge by choosing to be transverse (sideways), the most uncomfortable spot possible, during the majority of the pregnancy, so why would she move now?  However, at that appointment on the 6th, my doctor shared that there were early signs of labor, but that if I wasn't a weekend warrior and laid low for a few days, I should make it until the following Wednesday.  Well, of course the next day contractions were a little harder than the day before and I wondered if I was going to make it another week or at what point we change the c-section date and move it up.  I was reassured by my doctor that if contractions were 5 minutes apart, I should come in, but otherwise, to just relax and see how it went.  

Well, little did I know that on Friday morning, July 8, when I woke up at 6:45am with pretty strong contractions that we were going to meet our new blessing that day, and in only a few hours!   When I think back on the whirlwind of that day, it amazes me, in more ways than one!  

When I awoke, I knew I was having contractions, but was in complete denial that they were anything more than the Braxton Hicks I had felt over the few weeks prior.  After all, I had contractions for weeks with John and they never amounted to anything!  After denying that it was anything worth paying attention to, I got up and started doing a few things around the house.  After all, I wasn't totally prepared for Emma's arrival since I thought we'd have all weekend to finalize things around the house... oh, and finish packing our hospital bags!  (Things really were different the second time around!)  However, after being up only a short time, I realized my contractions were quite regular and wondered if I could time them, so I decided to lie down and watch the clock.  Before lying down, they were about 10-12 minutes apart.  However, over the hour that I was lying down, they moved to about 8-10 minutes apart.  Something told me it was time to get up and get moving, to finalize that bag, take a shower and more than likely, have a baby!  By about 10am, they were now 6-8 minutes apart and some of them were only a few minutes apart and literally took my breath away.  Internally, I started to panic, knowing that I was progressing a lot faster than I anticipated, and still needed to grab a few things at home, finish packing John's last minute items for his time at Grandma and Grandpa's and load the car.  However, being the totally calm and in-control woman that I am, I gently told Phil that I think we needed to hussle it up and get out of the house, sooner than later.  In Phil's defense, he wanted me to call the doctor right away when things started progressing and I kept telling him that we'd be fine and that they didn't want to see me until the contractions were 5 minutes apart.  Also, I was NOT going to have a repeat of before John was born, and go to the hospital with contractions and then be sent home.  This time, I was going to make sure it was the "real deal" before going anywhere!

Well, make sure it was the "real deal," I did!  Good grief!   By the time we left for my mom's about 11:00, my contractions were about 5 minutes apart.  When we arrived to my mom's, which is 20 minutes away, they were about 3-4 minutes apart.  Let's just say the panic buttons were now being pushed by all those present.....

I finally called the doctor while at my mom's, but while waiting for them to call back, decided it was better for us to just go, as I could barely breathe or talk through the contractions... and they were coming faster.  Now, don't forget that we had the wonderful opportunity of driving 35 minutes to the U of MN, Riverside for this blessed event, so it wasn't exactly in my backyard.  However, the comforting thing was that on our way there, we passed other hospitals, but of course, my wonderful doctor wasn't going to be there, so stopping wasn't an option!  As Phil drove safely, but with a definite purpose, my contractions were now one on top of the other.  At times, there was no break and other times, I had about one minute in between.   Phil also thought it would be helpful to point this out to me, in case I wasn't aware that we still weren't at the hospital and that my contractions were coming faster, harder and lasting longer!  Don't worry, I let him know I was very aware and to DRIVE!  (Side note, Phil had only started driving a little bit the week Emma was born because of his own surgery....initiation by fire!)

I don't think I've ever been more excited to enter a hospital as I was that day!  Upon walking in, the desk attendant saw my laboring and couldn't get the wheelchair to me fast enough!  It was all I could do to tell myself to breathe and not have this baby at any moment!  Once we arrived upstairs, we also knew that the nurses could instantly tell this was no joke and not a time to wonder if we were really going to have a baby today!  My incredible nurse saw my immediate need and had two other nurses help her get my information and page the doctors while she prepped me for the emergency c-section.  Twenty minutes after arriving, and after telling my nurses that I needed to push 3 different times, we were on our way to the OR to have this baby!  They didn't even have time for the lab to come and do their initial blood draws, but I assured them I was fine with that!  In a matter of moments after arriving in the OR, my water broke, they transferred me to the OR table, my spinal was put in (thank God it worked on the first try, since time was of the essence and second chances weren't an option) and the 5 minute count-down to beginning my c-section began.  With about 2 minutes to spare, the on-call doctor and my doctor arrived, greeted me and they had the go-ahead to start!

At 1:14, Emma Rose Singewald joined the world at 8 lbs, 1 oz and 20 inches long!  She was perfect... and I was exhausted!

Phil thoroughly enjoyed being able to go with Emma and capture the first pictures of her getting weighed and measured, her first mini-bath and her perfect little footprints being done.  I, on the other hand, could not keep my eyes open as my body went into a complete let-down from the marathon it had just gone through.  However, I was absolutely elated when I was able to snuggle with Emma through my two hours in recovery and marvel at this little life we had created...
and all the fun that was to come!

John was so excited to meet his little sister. He couldn't wait to give her a kiss and welcome her to the world!  He wasn't so thrilled about Mom being in a hospital bed though and was so concerned he was going to hurt me that he wouldn't come near me for a picture as a whole family.  We were bummed, but after seeing Phil in the hospital too with limited movement, we certainly couldn't blame him for being nervous.  He was better once I wasn't in the hospital gown anymore!

On July 11, we were able to come home!  Emma was jaundiced, just like her big brother (and mommy too), but thankfully we didn't have to spend any extra time in the hospital under the lights.  Daily doctor appointments were necessary to check her levels, but that was ok, as long as we were able to be home!  

Emma - 3 days old

Such a precious look!

 

Emma-one week old

 Such a precious look of astonishment, admiration and complete contentment!
 


The following weekend, July 15, Phil and I celebrated our 5th Anniversary!  We didn't mind having take out food and enjoying time with our family of four to celebrate how far we'd come in 5 years time!  Who knows were the next 5 will take us!


That same weekend, Mike and Jeanna were able to come home and meet Emma.  We were all thrilled to spend time together and John was also excited to have some extra time with them.  While they were here, we also celebrated John's birthday with them, as they would be gone over his actual birthday in September and wanted to see his reaction first-hand to his birthday gifts!  Back in April, my Dad, Mike, Steve and I were all supposed to go to see the space shuttle, Endeavour, launch in Florida.  However, the launch was delayed and due to my growing stomach and the early morning rescheduled launch, which meant pulling an all-nighter, I was no longer able to make the trip.  We did watch the launch from home though and John quickly became obsessed with the shuttle, boosters and anything else having to do with the space program!  Needless to say, the gift of his own space shuttle was more than perfect and has provided hours of fun since!


 

Emma - 2 weeks old

She looks SO little in her big crib next to Monkey!  (Emma received Monkey as a gift from John when she was born.  He has grown into her favorite toy to snuggle with, after her soft, pink blanket, and lately, can be found quite often with a wet tail, due to her chewing on him!)

John resting his feet while he played!

 

Emma's first time on her activity gym - 3 weeks old

Emma loved every moment of her activity gym!  She loved listening to the music and watching the fish swim, as well as all the bright colors around the gym as well.  John loved showing Emma all the animals and singing songs with her!



John was trying to find the "perfect" coloring book to use one day!  However, in order to do that, they all needed to come off the shelf!  He is so good at sorting!

When Emma was 3 weeks old, we wanted to have newborn and family pictures taken, but with Phil's second surgery and my recovering from my c-section, we didn't get anywhere to have them done.  Thankfully, my dad was willing to come and take a few pictures of us at our house so we had some to look back on and remember our new family of four!

Fun times playing with our animals: giraffe and whale!




It was hard to believe a month had passed since Emma had arrived!  We were settling into our new "norm" of life.  Phil's second surgery was done and we were excited to not see the U of MN for awhile!  Emma continued to amaze us every day and John loved his little sister to pieces!  He liked to lie down next to her and keep her company, always watching to make sure she was safe and taken care of!

Emma - one month old!



The summer days were too gorgeous to stay inside, so we all went out to enjoy the beautiful weather together.  I wasn't able to handle going for a walk yet and push the stroller, so we headed out on the deck to enjoy the water table and beautiful sunshine! 


At 7 weeks old, Emma sported her first dress and was so adorable we had to take pictures!  We have loved those cheeks since the day she was born!  So precious!  She also had her first bath in her big girl bathtub and loved relaxing in the water.  John loves to help give Emma her tubbie, as well as make sure she has all the toys she needs!  He is such a great helper!