Happy Thanksgiving!!

I guess we have a lot to be thankful for this year. With two perfectly healthy and happy children, a great family to share them with and a lot of love we have EVERYTHING to be grateful for.



This year we had Thanksgiving with my mom, Mattie, Danielle, my dad and Margret at our house! Amelia was just a week old and thank goodness I wasn't in the hospital anymore. We got our turkey from Whole Foods (it was yuuuuumy) and made all the fixings ourselves. It was awesome.



My mom bought this onsie for Amelia before she was born, but it didn't fit when we went to put it on her! Yikes! I think it was preemie sized. But it's still cute!!

How Max spent his first days with Amelia

This is what Max did the first few days with Amelia home. He wanted to hold her a lot and watch her sleep and wake her up. He's been alright since her arrival. Mostly acting up because my mom and little sister Mattie were here -- he doesn't share well. But he's been great with the baby!



He can't wait to play with her. I keep telling him that when she gets a little older he can play with her. And he asks me like ten times a day if she's older yet. He's very helpful, too. He gets me whatever I need (I try not to take advantage of him -- haha) and he's only had one little jealous outburst. I think he really loves being a big brother.

A New Bear Fan

Since she was born during Big Game week, it was only appropriate we introduce her to the fun that is being a CAL Bears Fan. Good thing we won and kicked Stanfurd's trash!! (I think she was a good luck charm).


She's making a good football player face.

Our Beautiful Girl!

More pictures of our beautiful girl because I think she is just too precious. I haven't done an official session with her yet. I'm DYING to. But I've been so tired and things have been SUPER busy. I'm hoping to do it this weekend, now that things have calmed down. But here you go!















And look at these cute kids!!

She's Here!! Happy Birthday Baby Girl!!

Our little girl is finally here. Although, I really shouldn't say finally -- she was 10 days early according to my due date and one day early according to my scheduled c-section.

Amelia Rose Seibert was born at 7:06pm on November 20th by c-section. She was 7lbs 3oz (one ounce more than Max) and 18 1/4 inches (one inch less than Max). It was a pretty uneventful birth compared to Max's, but of course, with it's own set of fireworks.

It started with me having to pee, expect that I couldn't. I tried and tried all night and half the day to go and seriously, nothing. I was in a lot of pain, too. My mom and I tried to go to Target and I could barely walk. So by the time I got home around noon I called my midwife to tell her the problem. She told me to meet her at the hospital and have it checked out. So, I called Tyler and told him that we needed to get up to the Encinitas and picked him up at school. Once there I got all hooked up to the monitors. Baby was totally fine and I was actually having regular contractions. They figured the contractions were being triggered by an overfull bladder. So, their plan -- put in a catheter and send me home with a pee bag strapped to my leg so that I could come back the next day to have my c-section -- and this was because I had eaten lunch and they didn't want to do the surgery with food in my stomach. At this point, I was feeling the contractions A LOT, having to breathe through them and everything. They were definitely regular, close together and coming harder.

Well, in comes the catheter and that is about when I wanted to kick the midwife and the stupid nurses in the faces. That catheter hurt like C-R-A-Z-Y!!!! It felt like the worst UTI ever in the history of the world. I just wanted to yank the dang thing out and go home. It was awful; so awful in fact that I was pretty much crying uncontrollably and hyperventilating. You might be calling me a woos right now, but unless you've felt it, you can't judge. And the worst part was that the catheter was doing nothing to empty my bladder. So the nurses tried to use this ultrasound bladder thingy to see how full it was and none of them knew how to use it. Another 20 minutes went by with me in agony when they decided to try to lift the baby's head off of my bladder to try and relieve enough pressure to empty it. If I thought the catheter hurt, this was horrid! They tried this vaginally, if you catch my drift. I wanted to SCREAM; instead I just cried and hyperventilated some more and had more contractions.

FINALLY... the doctor came in and said he was just going to do the c-section that night since I was in so much pain. It's the only time I wanted to hug and kiss this man (I've had a few bad experiences with him). In came the IV with morphine (so awesome) and the nurses to prep me for surgery. Within another hour I was in the OR, spinal block in place, drape up and waiting to hear my baby's first cries. In the mean time, the anesthesiologist found out that Tyler was in med school at UCSD, his alma mater, and started trying to talk to him about medical stuff, like what size needles he used for the spinal block, all while the surgeon and nursers are yelling "we're starting!!!!" I guess it's better than when he took pictures of my uterus with Max's birth. Still...

Anyway, she's here!! And she's a little angel. We stayed in the hospital for 2 nights only (and got a private room thanks to my stepdad's old coworkers hooking us up). Compared to Kaiser this experience was a dream. The staff was amazing at Scripps Encinitas, the nurses wonderful and the lactation specialists great. And as soon as I was cleaned up and stitched up and wheeled back to my room I got to hold her. With Max I had to wait hours (like 4 of them) until I even got to see him. Anyway, the birth wasn't bad. The c-section was a piece of cake compared to lots and lots of labor. And my whole experience was amazingly better. Doesn't make me want to do it again any time soon, but still, have to give that hospital props.

And, I know you were all wondering if she would have lots of hair like Max. Alas, she does not -- therefore proving the old wives tale that the more heartburn you have the more hair your baby will have (I had practically none with Amelia and the worst possible kind with Max).

Max isn't too sure about her yet. That first night after I had her Max woke up at 4 in the morning crying for me. He knew something was going on, but couldn't figure out what. The next day when my mom brought him to the hospital he kind of freaked out about me being in a hospital bed. He held her though, but kept saying he didn't like her. He's warmed up a lot more to her now. But it was touch and go in the beginning.

We're all adjusting to having baby Amelia here. She's a breeze so far, just sleeps, eats and poops. We are so thrilled to finally have her here safe. We love her so much already!!


During the c-section.


First picture!


Really bad picture of me, but first time I held her :)




Daddy holding his new baby girl!




She does a lot of this -- thank goodness.


And a new big brother.

Max's Bathtime Fun

Max really enjoys his baths with Tyler. And Tyler has taught him so much. Like how to build snowmen out of bubbles (poor Max the SoCal boy who doesn't know what snow is) and how to make bubble beards. So cute!! Love my guys!!

How Max enjoys each morning...

One waffle.
One teddy bear.
One wrappie.
And a PBS show.

New Room

Okay, so it's not so new. But I'm trying to create a kiddie room for each baby -- that's hard with a boy and a girl! This is what I've come up with for Max's side. I moved some stuff around and ended up with this. I like it. I want to put some pictures of him at the beach on the wall eventually.



And this is the start of baby girl's side. I used spray adhesive to put up a fabric branch with some birdies. Her crib bumper is "Brooke" from PBK (thanks to Brooke and Tiffany -- yay!) and her side will be cute birdies. I don't have a crib for her yet, but we're working on it!

November Pool Party

Can you believe we had a pool party in the middle of November? While my friends and family were freezing their rears off in New England, here are the kiddies, swimming and having fun in 90 degree weather. Fun!

We Have a Date!

I thought I'd give a little pregnancy update while I was sitting here blogging. We finally have a date set for the c-section!

November 21, 2008 at 12pm.

Yup, that's the day! So exciting because I can see the light at the end of the tunnel but scary at the same time because it's surgery and it kind of freaks me out. I can't think about it too much or I start to really flip out.

Two weeks ago I was feeling a lot of contractions and cramping so I went in to be checked and my midwife told me i was 40% effaced but not dilated yet. Well, for two whole weeks I've been feeling more and stronger contractions. They are definitely real, I have to breathe through them, but they aren't consistent at all. They might last for half an hour and then completely stop. Anyway, yesterday I had another appointment and I'm 70% effaced and dilated to 2. It doesn't really mean much but that I'm clearly progressing towards labor, that my body takes FOREVER to birth a baby and that I could stay this way for weeks. Sooo... I may make it or I may not make it to the 21st. Either way, I'm having a c-section. It's just really lame that I'm having all these labor things when I wanted to really avoid that this time. Oh well. I honestly can't complain too much about this pregnancy (and I promised I wouldn't). It's really been a breeze up until this last month when you get so huge you are your own planet with your own weather system.

I came up with this list of things -- YOU KNOW YOU ARE REALLY PREGNANT WHEN...

1. You go through Costco sized crates of toilet paper in like a week from all the peeing.
2. Your maternity clothes start to feel tight.
3. Your pants won't stay up and keep falling below your tummy and you can't really see if they have or haven't so you run the risk of them falling all the way down to your knees and only realizing it when you trip over them.
4. You've been sleeping on the couch for 3 weeks because you can't stand the way your husband breathes at night (or any time during the day for that matter).
5. Getting into the car is about the only thing you can do all day because just that one thing wipes out ALL of your energy.
6. You cry at everything.
7. You yell at everyone. Especially old people who can't possibly remember what it's like to be pregnant and young people who definitely don't know what it's like to be pregnant.
8. You want to burn your maternity clothes because if you have to wear that same stretchy t-shirt AGAIN you might just break your own water to go into labor.
9. The Waddle.
10. You eat things like Jello even though in a normal plane of existence you would not touch that stuff to save your life.

I may add to the list as I think of more. But there you have it... my subtle way of complaining.

We're getting so excited for our little girl to come. Excited and terrified, but we're focusing on the excitement. My mom is coming to visit with my little sister for a while and she's even making us Thanksgiving dinner so I don't have to miss it this year after all. My goal is to keep things calm. If I can keep things calm, I can handle it. Tyler has been a big help in the last few weeks, too. He's definitely bearing with my craziness. He's wonderful.

So 8 days and counting...

A Shower for Babies

My fabulously talented friends (Mariah, Tira and Brooke) threw me the cutest most awesome baby shower EVER. I fought them for a long time saying that I didn't think I should have one because it's my second baby, yadda yadda. But they insisted and I am sooo glad they did!! I got to see lots of friends that I hadn't seen in a while and eat some AWESOME ice cream sundaes (complete with ALL the fixins and most homemade). Oh, and Italian sodas (my favorite).





The decor was beautiful. I'm decorating the baby's half of the room in birdies so it was PERFECT!! And I got a ton of amazing presents (seriously, you guys went way over the top and I am forever grateful to you all). It's always hard for me to accept presents but I am loving every.single.one. Thank you thank you thank you!!!





The birdie tree and birdies were all handmade! Soo adorable!! And the birdies were the party favors.

Thank you ladies for a wonderful night!! I know you all worked really hard and I can't thank you enough!! And thanks to the rest of you for coming by, it means a whole heck of a lot to me!



This was a great present from Marcela -- it's baby clothes on a clothes line! You pull it out of the bag this way. Love it!!

Aaaarrgg Matey!!

Here's a little video of Max being a Pirate. We shot this in the car on the way to Trunk or Treat. He loves pirate stuff (which is funny, because he's never even seen anything with pirates in it, like a movie or show... go figure).

A Tagging #2

I've been tagged a lot lately!! Good thing I looove tags!!

Favorite Person (outside of family)? Hmm... this is a hard one. I don't have a lot of favorite people right now since I'm so full of rageful pregnancy hormones, but I'd have to say (okay, I seriously had to sleep on this before I answered) my neighbors. I love going outside after naps and talking with them and letting our kids play.

Favorite Food? Chinese food. Hands down. I could eat it every day. I also really enjoy watermelon and apples. I'm a big pasta fan, too.

Quirks about you? I have to have the bed sheets JUST RIGHT before I can get into bed or I get seriously stressed and can't sleep. I hate watching people shave. I get so grossed out by shaving commercials sometimes I feel like I want to barf. I like things to be very neat and tidy and have their own place. If things are out of place I get very crazy. I don't like sharing a bed... okay, so this list could go on for a while.

Any regrets in life? No. No regrets. I know this is cliche but the stuff I've done and haven't done has really shaped who I am today and I like who I am (not that I don't need work) but I'm happy.

Favorite Charity/Cause? I really love Habitat for Humanity. I think they do a lot of really really good things for people all over the world.

Favorite Blog recently? Loving this one -- ORANGE

Something you can't get enough of? Alone time. Especially right now since Max is being so clingy. I love alone time, down time, going to target without kids time. Sure, it's a little selfish, but I'm not supermom and I get bogged down and need a break.

Worst Job you've ever had? I've had a lot of mediocre jobs, but I have to say, hands down, worst job is when I worked for a day as a migrant field hand. We were stuck in a miserably hot warehouse for 14 hours wrapping bouquets of roses. I was the only one who spoke English (although most of the women insisted I spoke Spanish) and my hands were so cut up from the thorns I couldn't hold a pencil for days. It was awful. Although, I did earn a new respect for people who have to do that to survive.

What job would you pay not to have?
Investment Banker
Politician
Lumberjack
Field worker

Guilty Pleasure?
I'd have to say Coke, especially Vanilla Coke. Or donuts. I love donuts. OO, or maybe Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Or watching Grey's Anatomy. Okay, so I have a lot.

Got any confessions?
Okay okay, so I yelled at an old lady at the grocery store today. Like really yelled. Rudely. I was tired, Max was whining, and she was blocking the whole aisle with her shopping cart and I asked her a few times to please excuse us and she pretended not to hear my so I pushed her cart with mine and yelled that just because she's 80 years old doesn't mean she can take up a whole aisle at the grocery store!! She heard me that time. Yes yes, I do feel bad now, but I couldn't help it -- the hormones!!

If you had $1000 dollars to spend on yourself how would you spend it? New clothes. Lots of them. I love new clothes. And a pedicure. Or maybe I'd take me and Tyler to Italy -- nah, definitely new clothes.

Favorite thing about your house?
My comfy couch I got on eBay for $32. It's sooo squishy and nice and I love it. And the little low counter top we have that looks really weird but is perfect for a 5 footer like me. Oh and the massive amounts of closet space.

Least favorite thing about your house? The noise, the carpet, the cobwebs that get caught in our vaulted ceiling corners, the neighbors (just kidding!!)

One thing you are bad at? Being a mom. I'm not a great one. I pretty much fly by the seat of my pants and screw up a lot. This is directly related to the fact that I have NO patience. My biggest fault. But I am working it, promise!

One thing you are good at? Cooking. I think I have a love and appreciate for cooking and ingredients and foods that runs deep into my veins that only a true foodie can understand. Also, I'm good at not panicking during emergencies.

If you could change one thing about your circumstances, what would it be? We would have money. Not be filthy rich but just not have to worry every single day that we won't make ends meet. It's a stressful condition. If it was up to me we'd have enough money so that we wouldn't worry about it -- EVER.

Who would you like to meet someday?
Oh, so many people... Oprah, MLK, George Bush, my grandpa, Jesus, the guy who invented zippers, the guy who invented brownies...

What makes you feel sexy? Being thin. I haven't been thin in a while (I used to be). But being thin and wearing a cute outfit makes me feel good. Is that the same as sexy?

Who is your real life hero? Mr. Rogers. Does this really need an explanation?

What is the hardest part of your job? Nothing easy about being a mom. Having patience and not getting down on Max for acting out. Being a photographer is hard, too. It's stressful making sure you get things just right for your client. But I love doing both, so how hard can it really be?

When are you most relaxed? When the house is clean, Max is sleeping and all my chores and errands are done. (Yeah, right, like that ever actually happens). When I'm doing crafts I'm pretty relaxed.

What can you not live without? My Tyler and my Max (we'll see how this new baby fits in). I swear they make my days so much better (even though I complain a lot). I can't imagine what my life would be without them.

Do you agree or disagree with the recent article that reported that blogs are authored by narcissists? Completely agree (although I didn't read the article). But I don't think it's a bad thing. There isn't much we do these days that doesn't have some element of narcissism. It's human nature. I don't think most people are consciously saying "HEY, LOOK AT ME!!" when they write their blogs, but I do think that the voyeuristic nature of blogs lends itself to narcissism.

Why do you blog? To keep a record of the things that happen to my Max and our little family. I use this mostly as a baby "book" for Maddox to look back on and remember all the fun things we did and all the silly personality quirks he had. Plus, it's a good creative outlet for me, too.

Who are you tagging? Tammy, Linn Allen and Chelsea.

A Tagging #1

Thanks Brooke! This was a fun one!



Not the greatest picture, but it's cutie little Max having fun sitting in a box watching TV back in April. I haven't thought about this for a while so it was fun to remember! He loved this stupid box!

Now it's your turn -- I tag Tiffany, Lauren, Tira and Tawni.

What to do:

1. Go to your pics

2. Upload the 4th pic of the 4th folder

3. Post it

The Allergist

So I know I already wrote about this a few posts back, but I found the pictures of when we were there and wanted to document it (since this blog is basically a baby book for Max). We paid a visit to the allergist to check up on what the heck went wrong when he was really sick with hives (see here).

Anyway, come to find out he's not allergic to berries or antibiotics. It was just a freaky rash.

Max didn't have to hard a time when he was being tested. They had this play house in the waiting room that he was having a blast with (until some other mean kids came and kept kicking him out; we were there long enough though that he outlasted the others).


He got 9 different shots in his arm, each with a different amount of antibiotic in it. He was such a trooper. He was happy and smiley most of the time.


He got 6 pokes in his back, too. Poor kid. But look, smiling! I think it was the huge playhouse that kept him happy (even though the doctor had really bad onion bagel breath).


Anyway, we're happy to know that he has no major allergies and that he's healthy and happy and likes to walk around without his shirt on.

A party... for Halloween!!

Our great friends the Baddas' had a little Halloween get together on Halloween Eve and it was so fun!! They decorated their window since they are on the first floor for kids to trick or treat from. Danielle took Max trick or treating to a few houses in the neighborhood (I didn't go because I'm too pregnant). But we got to see all our fun neighborhood friends dressed up in their cute costumes!


(Sadie, Chloe, Sienna, Tate, Beck, Max -- yes I stole this from you Bakers!)

And Max was LOVING his costume of course. Since the summer he's been saying he wants to be a pirate for Halloween and it just so happened that our friend Tira had made amazingly adorable pirate costumes for her twins last year, so she let us borrow one for Max. Unfortunately he wouldn't wear the pirate shirt that went with the costume, even though it was perfect. Instead I made this little t-shirt for him. It took us like half an hour to convince him to wear the red sash and he wouldn't wear the black bandana even though it had a pirate skull on it. Oh well. He still looks pretty cute! And I also relented and got him a pirate sword. He doesn't even know what it's for (he never watches movies with swords or knives) so he holds it by the blade.



Saying "ARRRRRRGGHH"


And what pirate is complete without a pink and purple "ship"?