She is here!

After many long anticipating months...

Emelia June arrived on May 19, 2011 at 8:20 a.m.

Weighing 7 lbs 3 oz and 19 inches long

Emmie is healthy and perfect and so much tinier then Laila was. We knew she was going to be smaller but know that she is here she really is a little peanut. She floats in newborn clothes and diapers. She lost 10% of her body weight while in the hospital so we did have to suppliment her from the beginning like we did with Laila. I want to get some meat on those skinny bones of hers. She is so precious and such a blessing.

We woke early that morning to go to the hospital for our scheduled c-section. It is very strange knowing exactly when you are going to have your baby. We arrived at 5 a.m. for prepping and was brought to our room. We waiting patiently until 7:30 for them to bring us into the OR. Time went by and the nurses came in to get us. It wasn't what I thought would happen. They told me to get up to walk to the operating room. I thought it would be all relaxed and calm with being wheeled in and get ready there. I walked myself into the freezing cold OR and saw the itty bitty table with no padding that I had to lay on. I plopped myself up on it and sat there shivering in nervousness. I was so excited that in a few short minutes we would be meeting our second child. But also, terrified of this freaking room and what was yet to come. Even though the staff made me feel so calm it was still scary. They had me sitting on the operating table leaned over to receive my spinal. It really wasn't that bad. Just a little pinch like the IV. But all of a sudden in about 5 seconds your entire lower body starts to numb with no feeling at all. Everything was set to go, and we were just waiting on Dr. Marks to arrive. They were running a little behind schedule. I lost track of time...minutes seemed like hours to me laying on that table. I kept asking Jason if they were almost done and why is it taking so long. He was telling me it only has been 3 minutes. I felt a ton of tugging but no pain at all. It was such a crazy experience. Yea, I have had a c-section with Laila, but I was passed out. So this was totally different. Jason watched the entire thing going on and he couldn't believe how crazy it was. It's so amazing how it works. I am sitting there talking to him as my body parts are being put on my chest (yea...I know TMI, but it's how it works). I was sitting there getting so impatient and uncomfortable. Jason told me she was almost out and he saw her head. I just wanted to hear her little cry. Then, seconds later I heard a little squeaking cry and tears came down my eyes. She was finally here! I couldn't hold her right away considering they had to "put me back together", but I got to watch them clean her up and weigh her. It was perfect! I was so in love and ready to show her to her big sister.

We stayed in the hospital for 3 days and had lots of family and friends visit. The first 24 hours was a little bit of pain and exhaustion. Being hooked up to an IV, catheder, and having a drain in my incision was not comfortable. Also, having staples is so much different then having stitches like I did the last time. But it was what was best for me to heal. So it was a rough first day. Laila was a little bit confused and jealous, but I knew (or should I say hoping) that when we got home everything would go smoothly and she would transition well (which she did). I feel so complete with our family now. We love having a new baby around. Life is good and such a blessing!

Counting down the hours!

One good thing about having a c-section is everything is pretty much planned (which is how I like most things). We got 24 hours to go until our second born arrives and we finally get to hold her in our arms. I have to say I am a bit terrified. Yea, surgery is a big deal, but I'm mostly terrified how Laila is going to react. It's going to be a big adjustment, but many families do it, so how bad can it really be. It's a lot different having to prep for another baby when their is a toddler running around.
Overall, this pregnancy has been very easy. No major complaints except the bad back pains I have on and off...not going to miss that. I'm ready for her to be here. I just pray that everything goes smoothly and Emelia is as healthy as Laila is. Our life is about to change once again for the better. It's hard for me to believe that our family of 3 will be 4 tomorrow.
I'm going to be a busy bee that's for sure. So, until my next post...I'm signing off.

Emmie's Nursery Sneak Peek!

Finally, I am revealing just a little of what's been happening in the new nursery. We did use all Laila's old furniture. It would of been silly not to. I had all these ideas of what I wanted to do to Emelia's nursery, but kept procrastinating and things kept piling up all over her room. Life has been pretty busy and bumps in the road got in the way, but I knew it would get done. I still have frames to fill, wall hangings to hang, finish up some crafts I have been meaning to do for her room, curtains, and order a little area rug (def won't be as big as Laila's was...now I know why I don't have carpet anywhere else in our house...dirt! ew!) If I don't get it done these next weeks before she is here, I will not stress and finish when she gets here. She sleeps in our room for convenience the first couple weeks anyways. I few things I still want to change down the road. I found the cutest chair I wanted to put in her room, but decided to just move the one that was in Laila's for now.

Laila has enjoyed being in her sissy's room helping me with organizing. She wants to be into everything that's her sisters though. She even sees her old crib and wants to just play in it. When she wants to be she is a really big help and understands that we are working on her sister's room.

Well...for now here's a sneak peek. I didn't take you into the messy side of the room by the changing table that is covered with diapers, wipes, and my space I have been prepping my diaper bag and things for the hospital. Once it is totally complete, I will reveal all! Enjoy for now!

Dresser area with the PB mirror I painted.

I wanted a picture of her Big Sis framed in her room.



Book Holder for storytime!

A daisy painting my Grandma June did back in 1996. I had to put it in her room since "daisies" really mean a lot to me.

The "hand me down" crib with bedding...bought bumper and sheet...my mom and I "recycled" Laila's old bedskirt.

Added this to the dresser for something extra. This is my Grandma June's childhood music box.

Sitting area for now with Big and Little Roo (thanks to Gramma and Papou) and some more of the crib.

Picture leading into entrance of the nursery.

Big Sister and Helper!

3 weeks to go!

Is it true? We only have 3 weeks until our other little girl arrives. It seems like no time. I went for my weekly check up today and everything went perfectly. My weight gain stayed the same. So I have gained less then 20 pounds so far because I lost a little a couple weeks ago. It's crazy to me how different my body is with Emmie then it was when I was pregnant with Laila.

I met with the Dr. Patel this week and she was just a little concerned about how tiny I was with only have 3 weeks left before delivery. I wasn't too concerned, but a little more excited that I was going to see Emmie again. I haven't had a sono since the end of January. So to be on the safe side she sent me in for a sonogram with Rhonda (who I absolutely love!) She was very happy with my fluid and kept saying how perfect everything is. We are just going to have a little peanut this time. Emmie is weighing in right now around 5.5 pounds and is in the 40th percentile. Rhonda guesstimated that she will be in the upper 6 lbs for weight. Right when she turned on the 3D/4D, I immediatly saw Laila. She looks exactly like Laila did when we had her sono done. It was so sweet. I'm curious to see if they look alike, or if Emmie will have the light eyes/light hair. We will see in 3 weeks!

I am having little boosts of energy and able to get things done around the house right now, but it catches up with me after a couple days and I'm exhausted. Still have bad backpains, a hard time sleeping, and lots of indigestion. Thank goodness for some tums!

The Geraci Fam will soon be 4! Yay!!!

Bye Bye Crib!

After a lot of procrastination, Laila is now sleeping in a regular bed. The crib is all ready for her little sis! She has been in a big girl bed for almost a week now and it went a lot easier then I thought it would. She actually was really excited when she saw it, but was a little confused to why we were moving her crib. We made sure to let her know that this is a big deal and she is a big girl and now has her big girl bed. She kept walking around saying "Is that my big girl bed?" I was nervous about her falling out of bed and hurting herself, so I kept waking to check on her. The first couple nights were a little hard getting her to stay in bed, but she also was feeling a little under the weather. As nights went by it wasn't as bad. She came into our room in the middle of the night, but last night she slept in her bed all night until 7:30! I do have to cuddle with her until she falls asleep now, but I know that will change as she gets older.

I still have lots to do to her room, but with having no energy lately I have been very lazy. I am focusing on finishing the nursery first since Laila's room has toys all over anyways. I have so many ideas and lots of plans for the girls rooms, just need the time and motivation to do it. Her bedding isn't exactly what I had in mind, but at this point I was more concerned with her just having the big bed. If it was how I pictured how I wanted her room to be, I would of had to repaint and do a lot. So, that will have to wait. I wanted her to be in the bed a little before her sister arrives so she isn't going through too many changes at once. She is already used to it. What a big girl she has become.

5 weeks to go!

It sounds a lot sooner when you are counting down the weeks now. And since we know what day exactly Emmie will be born (God willing everything goes as planned), it's more stressful. It's like waiting around for Christmas day or a vacation you have been waiting forever for. Not much has changed since my last appointment. Same back spasms and feeling like I have to pee every 5 minutes. Any position she is in she finds a way to lean on my bladder or nerve somehow. She is still swimming around like crazy in there and must have some room considering she is non stop having a party in my tummy. I did gain another pound, but my appointment before that I lost 2 pounds, so I am still down a pound. People are saying I do not look like I only have 5 weeks to go. I am no where near as big as I was with Laila, thank goodness! And so far so good with no major swelling. These weeks will go by fast, but I'm sure there will be a lot of updates in the mean time since I'll be having appointments a lot more frequently now. I really am excited and everytime I go into her nursery I get more and more anxious for her to be here. I'm so glad Jason will be able to be in the room this time and we get to share the birth of Miss Emmie June!

Small fry or Big fry?

Will we have a whopper or a peanut? a small fry or a big fry? a mini Laila or a bigger Laila? Jason and I have been making our bets on Miss Emmie's stats. We already know that she will be arriving a little over a week early on May 19th, due to a scheduled c-section and we pretty much know around what time. Unless, something changes and I go into labor before that. Which I am crossing my fingers that doesn't happen.

So I figured why not have a little fun with the "baby pools" and guess what her weight and height will be. Now keep in mind that she will be a little early and Laila was 4 days past her due date. Just so you know Laila was 8 lbs. 3 oz. and 21 inches. A lot of people are also saying I am a lot smaller this time around. Maybe do to the fact I don't have lots of swelling since I'm not on my feet all day from working. All my weight with Laila was because of the access fluids and swelling. We haven't had an ultrasound since the end of January, so I have no clue how much she has grown or any measurements. I'm hoping to have another sono soon and see her sweet self again before she arrives.

So...here are mommy and daddy's guesses for baby #2!

Jason says 8 lbs. 2 oz. and 22 inches

I'm saying 7 lbs. 10 oz. and 21 inches

So post your bets. Curious to hear what you all are thinking. Maybe a little prize will be in order for the closest guesser. Got a little over 6 weeks to go! Yay!

Celebrating my belliness...again!

Most people don't have showers after their first born, but any excuse to have family and friends together I love. Plus, how can I tell Emelia when she gets older that mommy celebrated Laila's soon to be arrival, but not yours. I have always said I wanted a shower for each of my kids (and yes, we plan on having more). My sister hosted my blossoming baby shower for me on March 27th and she (as always) did an awesome job. We decided to enjoy the beautiful weather outside and have it at the Foxwood Pavillion in Trinity. Besides some wind, it turned out to be a perfect day. We received lots of great things. Not like we needed as much this time around, but there were some things that had to be replaced and of course how can you resist new baby clothes? Even though I have bins full of Laila's hand me downs, there are new styles that I can't resist. Some things we got are Em's new swing from Gramma and Papou, MacClaren bouncy seat from her Auntie, bathtub from Gramma Et and Papa Guy, petunia pickle bottom diaper bag that I have been drooling over from The Little's, and the double stroller we needed from my parents and Gigi (which she knew about before she passed). After trying to decide what I wanted, I went with the new Baby Jogger City Select Single that turns into a double by adding an attached seat. It will be perfect for the girls! We were so blessed with all we got and the great friends and family that came for this special day and enjoyed games, good food, and yummy cake! We still have lots to prep before baby G #2 arrives. Before we know it there will be a sweet cry echoing through our house again.

Springtime and Laila updates!

Thank goodness for the nice weather because Laila is totally smitten with being outside. I think she is ready for some camping trips. She wants to be wherever there is dirt and sunshine, even when it's raining she wants to go play outside. Every night she has to go outside to find the moon and stars. Which makes it hard to stay home some days and even go do some shopping. I can understand her wanting to enjoy the beautiful weather God has given us, but being 7 months pregnant, it can get exhausting. I have been wanting to soak up some sunshine myself and get some color on my pasty self, but I have felt like I have had no time to enjoy it. My list of things to do keeps piling up and instead of things getting taken off of it, a new thing gets added. This mama has too many craft ideas I want to work on, but it might just have to wait until things settle down here. Got something going on every weekend in April and then before you know it May is arriving and our new bundle will be here. I am enjoying the spring and every moment with Laila. I'll skip over some spring cleaning, to take her for playdates or go do something fun. Happy Spring to everyone! Looking forward to the summer, but hoping it's not one of those florida unbearably hot, humid summers. Crossing my fingers.

As far as Laila's growth goes and her new milestones in the toddler world. She has grown a 1/2 inch tall since her last appointment, but weight stayed the same at about 30 pounds. When she has to check off her "body type" it's going to be slim and slender. She is so tall, but is a skinny little girlie. She is finally wanting to be a cuddle bug, but it's ridiculous how much she wants to cuddle. All day long it's "Cuddle with [insert person here]". She repeats herself until someone answers her and copies everything you do or say. She sings the complete alphabet song, twinkle twinkle little star, the wheels on the bus, pat a cake, and itsy bitsy spider. Such a smart cookie! She is also a bottomless pit and on most days can just eat all day. I have been trying to stay away from the junk, but she loves her sweets. She loves her M&M's so much, she calls her sister that instead of Emmie. ha! It's really cute. She loves her princess' now and sometimes thinks she is one herself. Tantrums and drama happen occassionally. It's not a good time when those break out, but she gets over it pretty quick. She is a bundle of energy and keeps life busy...but I have no complaints, I do love it and cherish every moment with her because I look at her and can't believe she is no longer our little baby, but our big girl.

30 weeks.

The doctor's office is starting to be my second home again. I'm getting into the every other week stage now. It's nice hearing Emelia's healthy heartbeat all the time and knowing all tests and check ups are going perfectly. It amazes me how I have gained about 27 pounds already, yet everyone tells me I don't even look 30 weeks along. I don't know where all this weight is being packed away at, but I guess if I look healthy, the weight number doesn't matter. I gained a total of 40 with Laila, and large percentage of that was water weight from swelling. So far so good with not swelling, but my back kills me and there are times I feel like I can't stand for a long amount of time. I try to stay off my feet as much as I can to prevent any swelling like I had with Laila.

At this appointment I decided to ask Dr. Marks about the scheduled c-section, since last time I had no preperation for it. I decided that I do want a c-section again because I don't want any risks to happen like last time and the doctor's office highly recommends it. I already have my Laila scar, so why not just do it all over again. I had my concerns and of course I'm a little nervous. It's a surgery...who wouldn't be scared...and a surgery that you are awake for! Last time I had to be knocked out cold because everything happened so fast, but this time I'll get to see it all happen. I felt a lot more relieved after the doc explained it all, including recovery process. I won't be in the hospital as long and I'll recover a lot faster.

But, there was one thing that shocked me. I asked him if we can schedule it on her actual due date, and he said with scheduled c-sections they do it at 39 weeks to prevent any starting of labor. So...looks like Miss Emmie will be here earlier then we expected. Hey! A week is a lot of time for a pregnant lady. Still got a little to go, but I know it will be here before we know it. I can't explain how excited I am to have another little baby around the house...and I know Laila will be too (well maybe not at first she will be a wee bit jealous, but she will learn that now she has a real life dolly to play with!)

Top o' the mornin' to ya!

Yep, we got a little bit of Irish in us, so I always try and be festive and celebrate. This was Laila's 3rd St. Patrick's Day and I snapped some shots of her in her cute little duds. She also had a little corn beef, cabbage, carrots, and potatoes which she liked. I love getting festive for the holidays...it's too much fun! We love our lucky charm!

{Laila smiling with mama and the little sis bump}

Soon to be Big Sister!

We are counting down the days...less then 3 months to go until our new addition arrives! Since the moment I took that pregnancy test on September 18th, it has been an adventure. And in just a few short months we will have one of the best 5 year anniversary gifts ever. Laila seems to be getting a little more excited each day. To be honest I am a little scared. When Laila was in my belly I was scared of the entire labor, but that's not what's scaring me this time around. I am a little worried how Laila will react and worried she will get jealous. She gets so much attention now, and is constantly attached to me. In the beginning Emmie will be attached to me with feedings and I don't want Laila to think I have forgotten about her. I am going to try to have her involved in everything I do with Emelia...baths, have her give her some bottles...ya know all the new mom stuff. Maybe I'll even let her try changing a stinky diaper. She does love her baby dolls and whenever she sees babies she just adores them. Laila does get her tantrums and has her bad days where it is unbearable. I'm worried about conflicting schedules. Laila still takes her naps. I'm worried about not getting any sleep and being a walking zombie. So let's just say I am worried, but couldn't be more excited! I really can not wait to have another baby around. Our little girl will officially be big when her sister arrives. It's amazing how fast she has grown into a beautiful tot.

Each day is a new adventure. Laila is very accident prone now. In a matter of a week she managed to smash her mouth and almost think we lost a tooth, blood gushing and swollen lips. She has such a personality that she gets herself all excited if she is dancing around or the dogs are making her laugh. She runs all over the place and trips over her own to feet. She took a face dive onto the carpet at target the other day, giving her some rug burn on her nose. It's too the point now where I don't freak out as much...I more so laugh and say "oh no what happened?" My main thing is her loosing a tooth or getting a concussion. I'm not ready for the tooth fairy to come yet. I still want to see some teeth in that beautiful smile of hers.

I can never remember (must be the prego mind), if I have been posting Laila's new stats and check ups we have had. She is still off the charts in height. I don't think that will ever change. Last appointment she was 37 inches I believe. Dr. A says she is the height of a 3 year old. Future supermodel or sport scholar? Either way, she will be the tallest girl in her class and be the one that has to be stuck in the back row in all her class pictures. She is still around 32 pounds from what I measure on my parents scale. If I'm at my parents and Grandpa comes home from work she follows him to be weighed in my parents bathroom scale. It's funny! Shopping for her is quite the adventure. I'm already picking out 3T for her because of her height. Most pants are still a 2T, but my gosh, it's insane. I'm so curious to see what Emelia's stats will be when she is born, and compare to her big sister. I'm sure their height will be the same, but I'm thinking Em will be a little bit smaller in weight. Hopefully with different seasons of the girls being born, Em will be able to have some of Laila's hand me downs. Laila did only wear most things once or twice.

Laila does such sweet things now. She wants to cuddle a lot more, gives you more hugs and kisses, she plays with my hair, and she pets the dogs and is a lot more gentle with them. If something seems wrong she looks at you with those sweet eyes and says "It's alright." Her vocabulary is unreal. She is saying complete sentences and repeats most everything now. What mommy is doing, she needs to be doing. She has to be into everything I am doing...sewing, cleaning, eating, and even as I am typing this she is leaning against my back wanting to help. No privacy for this mama! If I could record her everyday life, she could possibly have her own reality show. Pure entertainment! She keeps me busy, that's for sure.

Here are some sweet moments I captured of our big girl in February.