Bringing Karcie Home

We were so ready to bring Karcie home.  Richard stayed with me the second night at the hospital and could not wait for us to be discharged on Sunday morning. 

Karcie in her fancy car seat!  It's Kamdyn's car seat with a brand new cover.

It was so bright outside especially after being inside for two days straight!

Our sweetest new addition!

Kamdyn was waiting on us when we got home!

Our sweet family of four!

My precious baby girls!

Nanny stayed with us the first night after we got home and she stayed with me the first night at the hospital.  She will be coming back next week since Richard is off this week.

Karcie in the bassinet.  This bassinet has traveled to many places and has held many babies.  It was Ruthie's when she was a baby.....um, 50 something years young!  I won't say exactly how many years old!  :)

Ms. Denise brought dinner over on Monday evening on her way to Jazzercise.  It was DELICIOUS!

Matthew, Holly, and Vera stopped back by our house after visiting Ruthie at the beach.  This is Matthew giving Richard a refresher course in swaddling!  They are using Kamdyn's baby dolls.  She was making sure that her babies were being taken care of!!  LOVE IT!!

Sweet Vera!

Kamdyn entertaining Karcie while I ate lunch.  She is already the BEST BIG SISTER!!

Kamdyn holding Karcie.  She loves her baby!

Karcie's Arrival

My water broke on Friday morning, May 27th at 6:15am.  Kamdyn spent the night with Georgia the previous night (as our good fortune would have it) because I went to the Dinner Theater at Fort Gordon with my dear friends, Suzanne and Denise.  We joked that night during dinner and during the play that it would be funny if I went into labor while we were there.  Little did we know that Miss Karcie Laine was preparing to make her way into the world a few hours laters!

Since Kamdyn wasn't here Richard and I were able to take our time getting ready....taking showers, packing last minute things, checking my list several times, etc.  He joked because I even took the time to put on make-up! 

We arrived at the hospital around 7:30 where they prepared me for what was to come.  A lot of other babies decided to be born on the same day.  There was one nurse for two patients.  They had to put me in a L&D room that they didn't use very often.  I didn't even have a window which is why I couldn't text anyone back throughout the entire process.  We had little to no service at all.

This time I got my epidural PRIOR to the pitocin.  Last time, it was the reverse.  I got the feeling that they were trying to slow things down with me because so many other patients were delivering around the same time.  I dilated to 8 cm and seemed to stop.  Things went a little crazy when my blood pressure dropped to next to nothing.  I literally felt as if I was losing consciousness.  Karcie's heart rate dropped, too, which caused lots of mayhem for a few minutes.  Doctors and nurses were running all around me turning me on my side.  Giving me medicine in my IV.  All I could do was lay there.  I couldn't even speak.  I was so lethargic.  Luckily, they were able to get things back in order.  They checked me again and I was 10 cm!  YAY!!

I literally pushed 4 times and Baby Karcie was here!  It was so easy!  As soon as she arrived the doctor said, "This is a miracle baby!"  He held up the umbilical cord to reveal a complete tight knot in the cord.  His words exactly were that "this could have been disastrous!"  We have no idea how long the cord had been that way, but Karcie was in potential danger of not being able to receive blood, nutrients, etc.  I prefer not to think about any of that now that she is here and healthy.  When he announced that, all I could do was cry!  My baby was safe and healthy!  Thank you, God, for taking such good care of her!

She was born at 2:56 PM. She weighed 7 lbs. 14 oz. and was 19.75 inches long.

My last pregnant photo prior to entering the hospital.....one day shy of 39 weeks!

Waiting in the triage. 

I had to comfort Richard.  He is TERRIFIED of hospitals!

I got to see Kamdyn before Karcie arrived.  I had to wear oxygen after Karcie's heart rate dropped throughout the rest of my labor.

Smiling from ear to ear seconds after Karcie arrived!  We are so blessed!

Dr. Bahr with our "miracle" baby!

I got to spend an hour with Karcie before they took her to the nursery.  We really enjoyed this time.  They whisked Kamdyn away as soon as she was born....I guess because she was three weeks early.

Proud and relaxed Daddy!

Big Sister meeting her Baby Sister!  She was so excited!

Daddy with his two girls!

Nanny with her newest Granddaughter.

Georgia sat with Kamdyn at the hospital a couple of hours waiting on Karcie.  Georgia is AWESOME!!  Karcie is so lucky to have Georgia and will soon be just as spoiled by Georgia as Kamdyn is!!

Taking Karcie to the nursery.  Kamdyn got to ring the bell to let the entire hospital know that her Baby Sister had been born!

Ruthie and Karcie later that evening.

Uncle Matthew, Holly, and Vera - they were all wearing yellow!  PRECIOUS!

Ms. Suzanne came to visit!

Sonya, my principal and dear friend, came to visit.

Jacob brought Kamdyn some pink flowers and said, "Congratulations on your new baby sister!"  SO stinking sweet!

My two girls the next morning!  My sleepy eyes!

Daddy with a fashionable Karcie!

Aunt Holly and Karcie

Mama Lucy and Karcie

Aunt Kathy and Karcie

Miss Maggie and Karcie

Aunt Kathy with her sweeties!

Granddaddy Larry with Kamdyn and Karcie

38 1/2 Weeks!

Truthfully, I never thought that I would make it this long given Kamdyn's early arrival.  Karcie is taking her own sweet time getting here.  I went back to the doctor again yesterday for my one week appointment.  He said that I was basically the same as last week....4cm.  BOO!

I was kind of expecting for him to say that he would induce me by the end of this week if I didn't go on my own.  No Such LUCK!  Instead, we have scheduled an induction for June 1st, which is next Wednesday, if the little stinker doesn't arrive on her own.  Dr. Bahr seems to think that she will get here before then.  I have my doubts!

I must admit how ready I am to have her here with us!  The more time that she spends in my tummy is the less time that I get to spend with her before I go back to work in August, but I do want her healthy!  I am trying to be patient, it's just not one of my virtues!   

Soccer Party

Kamdyn's Coach, Mrs. Susan, was gracious to host an end of the year soccer party for the team at Riverview Park.  She brought all of the food and got each child a soccer trophy.  The Rec Department gave each of them a medal.  It was a fun, but HOT day for all of us!  It was especially hot for this pregnant Mama!  It was 95 degrees!  Luckily, there was a nice breeze under the pavilion.  Mrs. Susan got a very nice plaque for Richard for helping coach.  He also got gift cards from some of the team members.  They were so appreciative of his help!  I was very proud of my husband and the encouragement that he gave to these little ones every game!  It's hard to coach 4 year olds!  They like to roll around on the ground, goof off, whine about being hot, etc.  He really did well keeping them focused in an encouraging way!  It was obvious that all of the little kiddies were crazy about him!!

H-O-T!!

Kamdyn and her soccer friend, Kaylee!

There was a jumping castle for the kids to play in, too!

Dance Recital 2011

Kamdyn took from The Dance Shoppe this year and we enjoyed the experience so much more than her first two years.  Her other two dance recitals were more like ballets and this years recital was more of a traditional recital.  Kamdyn learned so much this year!  A BIG thanks to Nanny and Ruthie for coming to her recital!

Before the show started.  She got to sit with us until Intermission.

Kamdyn DID NOT want to have her picture taken yesterday at all!

The 2nd one on the left is our little ballerina.....blurry, I know!

At the end to take a bow!

After the show with the flowers that Ruthie gave her.  Again, not wanting to have her picture taken.  It had been a LONG day!

She decided to take ONE!

Walking to our car!

Back at home being silly still refusing a "normal" pose!

We had to take what we could get!

Our pretty ballerina!

All ballerinas play basketball!

Posing with her flowers from Nanny!