Noah's 2nd Birthday!! Part 1!

Hard to believe that 2 years ago my baby boy was born!  Since I started this about a year and a half into Noah's life...I never have recorded the story of his birth.  So...I am dedicating part one of this to his birth story (part 2 will be with pics from b-day party...they are loading right now!!).  We found out we were pregnant in early October...after I had run my 2nd marathon in the Twin Cities.  We didn't tell anyone...except I threw up in front of my co-workers at a Panera in Kansas City for a work conference.  On our way home...we got into a car accident and it was pretty nasty...no one was hurt (thank the lord)...but since I was pregnant, they transported me to a hospital via ambulance...needless to say I was FREAKED OUT!  With my co-worker (and now good friend, Ashleigh Crowe...whom I didn't really know well at the time!!) we saw Noah's heart beat for the first time!  Noah had an interesting beginning!  The rest of the pregnancy was pretty normal (I threw up about every day until 2nd trimester...but otherwise, normal...again, lots of thanks to the man above!).  I was pretty big at the end...in fact, if I heard one more person ask, "Are you still pregnant?" I think I would have punched them or cried!  We were due on our 3rd anniversary--June 17th (we also knew we were having a boy!!)...that came and passed.  We tried EVERYTHING to induce labor (use your imagination...but we really tried it all) and nothing worked.  My mom came with me to the doctor's office and they did another ultrasound (I couldn't feel Noah move a whole lot at the end)...the ultrasound lady (Lynn...known her my whole life!!) said he was about 8-9 pounds...and my mom had a meltdown!  I then had a meltdown!  My mom had little babies (my brother and I were both 6.5 pounds!!).  They decided to set a date for me to be induced (June 23rd).  Scott and I headed in and at 7AM the started the blood draw (which they cam back and said my hemoglobin was very low and I was going to have a blood transfusion...what!?!?!  That luckily turned out to be wrong!!).  They started the Pitocin (I was dilated at 2.5 for weeks...) and then I got an Epidural at about 2pm in the afternoon (Scott did great!!).  Then...we hung out.  Some nasty weather headed into the area...and then they had to move us b/c a tornado had been seen by the Dome.  I was beyond upset!! I couldn't walk (epidural) and am stuck in a bed--there was like 3 other people in labor at the same time.  Luckily...it passed and then we were bored!!!!!!  It was a long night!  I started throwing up (which was a sign of labor progressing...nothing about that in our Lamaze classes!!) and was starving!  Our parents were here for a lot of the labor and I needed my mom at parts.  At about 2AM...they said Noah had moved and I might have had to c-section...I broke down and cried with my mom...and he moved!  At about 5AM...we started pushing...we had GREAT nurses.  I did "tug of war" with the nurse.  Finally...I had reached the point for the doctor to come in.  Dr. Wing came in and we pushed and pushed!  They had to use the vacuum (it popped off twice) and they threatened c-section again.  Scott and I pushed with everything I could!  He finally popped out!  The first words out of my mouth were...Oh My God (sorry)...I feel so much better!  Kind of feel bad about that...but I was BEYOND uncomfortable at the end.  The baby was screaming and such and we knew he was healthy!  He was 8 pounds and 8 ounces, 21.5 inches long....Noah John Connolly was here!  The day itself was crazy...Ed Thomas from Aplington-Parkersburg was shot in the weight room (about the time Noah was born), Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcet both died on Noah's birth day.  It was a crazy day indeed!!!  So many friends and family were able to visit us in the hospital (THANK YOU...it meant the world to us).  Very blessed!  Noah's 2nd birthday will be later this week!

Happiness Project Update!

For those who read my last update...you know that I am reading a book called the Happiness Project.  While I am only half way through it...already implementing a few of the things:)  One of them  was on the topic of organization...for those who know me...not a strength when it comes to my home.  My office is piles...I know where everything...but to those who walk by...it is a cluttered mess:)  To be honest...as I have gotten older..the piles drive me nuts as well!  So at home, we are trying to do mini pick ups at night after Noah gets to bed.  This last week...not so successful!  Noah decided that bedtime was anywhere from 9pm to 10:30pm.  I know people think we are crazy...but he just isn't tired!  We watch for the tired cues (rubbing eyes, cranky, yawning, etc.)...but when he is playing outside and such...he gets really pumped up.  My parents laugh and say it serves me right...apparently I had a lot of energy as a child (I already knew I hated going to bed or nap as a child...) and that energy is still what keeps me up at night!  But Scott and I need a little reconnection time and we need Noah to go night night so we can:)  Especially right now when Scott has games all of the time...we only get about 30 minutes of time awake together...max!  So..organization...getting better.  There is a part about relaxing and enjoying the moments in the book as well.  This really resonated with me as my grandpa always told me to stop and smell the roses...and by golly I am going to!  I switched to a new phone last week (an Android) and for the week that I had it...I decided it was a distraction to Noah.  I have decided to disconnect...which for those that know me...I LOVE THE NEWS and like to know what is going on in the world.  I am a news junkie...I love sneaking in a few minutes of the Today show or the NBC nightly news.  I also loved having my work calendar synced with my phone...super helpful in planning what to wear in the mornings:)  But...(don't call child services!!!!) on Monday night...Noah and I were playing...(I was also playing on my phone) and he rolled off the side of the couch...head first.  DONE....after calming him down...called Scott and told him to take the phone back...this was the final straw!  And the next day on cnn.com (can't totally get rid of my news...just have to look on the computer...the "old-fashioned way") there was a story about smart phones and parent distractions...I knew I was right!  I know some people are fine...I just have this uncontrollable urge to check every time it buzzed or flashed.  So I am done!

Family update--Scott is half way done with the season!!  YEAH!!!  Noah continues to wow us with his many words.  He is starting to string words together...and just last week started saying, "Mommy...Daddy" and we thought that Mama and Dada were cute...Mommy and Daddy just do us in!  On a mommy note...I got to see one of my best friends (since we were 9) on Monday night and meet her new little one!  So precious...Noah has been great about being "nice to baby"--he totally says that!!!  Andrea's older one, Carson, drove Noah around in the Dodd's mini-gator...wow...Noah was on cloud nine!!!  Andrea's cousin and her little one were there as well...all pondering how much our lives have changed since we graduated 10 years ago (that's right...10 years ago!!).  It was a great night!  Also had a great time with some girlfriends on Friday night...definitely needed some girl time:)  Better run to work!!