Our 1st week with 2 babies

We are lucky enough to have Eric home with us for 2 weeks. I am so thankful because it has been quite a hectic week. It started with a trip to the Dr. for Julian's 2 day check up. He actually lost 12oz so the Dr. wanted us to come back in a few days for a weight check. I am breast feeding and he wants to eat all the time. I am constantly feeding it seems like. Anyway, she also said he was a little jaundice so we had to take him to the lab for some blood work to make sure he was ok. We have been keeping him next to windows for some indirect sunlight to help with it.
He is a pretty good baby. He sleeps during the day a whole lot, and a little at night. He like most babies, prefers to be held most of the time. He is much different than Bella was. She cried and cried, and it didn't matter if you held her or not, she would still cry. He is not a crier, he will fuss until you pick him up, but does not cry the ear piercing scream that she did. Eric and I have done a pretty good job of taking care of both kids as a team. He wakes up with Bella in the morning at about 8, and lets Julian and I sleep since I am up with him throughout the night. During the day, one of us is playing with Bella while the other is with Julian. If he is sleeping, we are both with Bella playing. Speaking of Bella, we could not be more pleased with how she is doing with the new baby. SHe has not had ONE single jealousy fit (yet) and is so helpful. If he is crying she gets upset and runs over to him and says "it's ok baby, don't cry". It's super sweet. He was sitting in his chair and Bella went over to him, gave him a kiss, and said "I love you Julian". Oh MAN, did I tear up, it was the sweetest thing Ive ever heard. I looked at Eric, he too had tears in his eyes (shhh dont tell him I said that). It was so sweet. We are so proud of how she is taking all of this, she is one special little girl. We know she will grow to be such a great big sister. It is so nice to see the bond that they already share. This week has been a crazy adventure and we are looking forward to things being a little more organized in time. I love my family so much! Well Im off to take Julian for his follow up weight check, here are some photos of his first week home..

Julian's arrival

As explained in our last blog, Sunday was the day I would be induced. I was up all night waiting for the call. I called the hospital early in the morning and they explained that the hospital was full and that I was the only one on the list and they'd call me as soon as they had room for me. We waited anxiously all day before the call finally came at about 5:30 pm. Eric and I said goodbye to Bella and rushed out of here in 3 minutes and headed on our way to the hospital. During the car ride, I just kept thinking I can't believe I am going to have another baby!
By the time we checked in, took my vitals, etc, it was 7:30. Now it was time to get the party started! They started me on Patocin to induce labor a little after 7:30 pm. I started to feel contractions about an hour later. My friends and family started to show up and sat in the room with me as I started to feel contractions stronger and closer together. I opted to get the epidural and it did help a lot. In a matter of 4 hours,I had dilated to 9 cm. I could not believe how fast I was dilating. I could however still feel contractions on one side of my body, but they were manageable. By 12:45, it was time to start pushing. Dr. Schwartz came in to the delivery room and was ready to get things going. I had a lot of people in the room with me (Eric, my mom, my sister, my Dad, Jammie, Jen, Becky, Marissa,and Amy).I have some really great people in my life that wanted to share the awesome experience with us. Dr. Schwartz was kind enough to allow them to stay. Now to the pushing.... I pushed 3 times and everyone could see Julian's head coming through. Dr. Schwartz asked that I push super hard one last time and I should have a baby. She was right! We had decided on the name Julian many months ago and on the middle name Joseph after my Grandfather passed away in November. So...Julian Joseph Hoover was born at 1:13 a.m. at 8 lbs 12 oz and 20 1/4 inches long.I was instantly in love the minute the nurse put Julian on my tummy to see. I was so much more aware and less exhausted than I was with Bella so I was able to enjoy the moment more.
I was so excited to have such an easy labor and deliever. However, the easiness stopped there. For the next few hours, I was losing a lot of blood, I was hemorraging. Apparently my uterus does not contract after birth, just like after I had Bella. The Dr. gave me shots, meds, belly rubs, and 2 terribly painful procedures to finally get the bleeding to subside. The following day, things were good and I was feeling so much better. However, my hemoglobin levels were low because of the blood loss, so the Dr. ordered I stay another night and have iron put in my IV. At this poing, Eric and I just wanted to get the heck out of the hospital and get our baby home. Finally, my Dr. released us Wednesday afternoon. We were so lucky and thankful that my sister and Steve (nino and Nina) were able to stay with Isabella to take care of her while we were in the hospital, we're not sure what we would've done otherwise.
We are so thankful for our baby boy. We look forward to being parents to him and to sharing many adventures together as a family of 4 :) WE love you Julian!




JULIAN WITH AUNTIE JAMMIE

JULIAN WITH HIS AUNTIES JEN AND AMY

JULIAN MEETING HIS NINA

JULIAN MEETING HIS NINO FOR THE 1ST TIME


JULIAN MEETING HIS TATA


ON OUR WAY HOME FROM HOSPITAL

39 week appointment

Yesterday was my 39 week check up. I was dialated a little over 3 cm and 75 % effaced, so coming along. My blood pressure was the same as last week at 125/85 which is a little elevated, but not worrisome. There was also a trace of protein in my urine which is another sign of pre eclampsia. The Dr. said that it was up to me whether or not to be induced. I decided I would like to be induced given the fact that my blood pressure while not scary, I still thought the best decision was to get induced. I do not want to go through what I went through with Bella due to high blood pressure. Another factor was that 2 weeks ago he measured over 8 lbs and I don't want him getting any bigger risking a chance for c-section. Plus,My family from San Diego is in town for the big day and it would be great for him to arrive this weekend. Dr Schwartz said Sunday would be the best day to be induced as it is usually slower at the hospital on Sundays. My Dr. called the hospital and thankfully , I am the 1st one on this list. This means anytime after midnight I will get a call from the hospital telling us that they are ready for me and a bed is ready. Right now, I am sitting on the couch with my family , and we are all anxiously now awaiting the call. It is now 10 minutes until 10 pm, and I am a nervous wreck! I think it is because I had such a horrible delivery experience last time and I don't want to go through that again. Plus, there is always anxiety for Mommy's wanting their unborn child to be healthy. SO as I sit here with my family waiting for the call, so many emotions run through my head. I am worried about my lil man being healthy, anxious for the delivery, scared, and even a little sad that I will be without Bella for a few days. She has been soooo very moody this week and I am predicting she knows something different is going on. SHe has also just turned 2 so that has a huge part of it, but nonetheless she has been driving me crazy. Saying our prayers tonight and saying goodbye to her made me very sad but I know she will be in good hands. She has been sick all week so we will not be letting her visit the hospital which makes me sad. So wish me luck and I am closing this blog with a prayer:
Heavenly Father:
Please get our baby Julian here safely without any complications and allow him to be healthy. I ask that you help me to be calm and strong during labor to bring Julian in this world. Please keep Eric, our family, and friends strong as I will need their strength to keep me going. I am so grateful for the blessings you have given me in my life, for I know I am truly blessed with a great daughter, husband, family, friends, and soon to be son. Please help Bella to recover from her illness fast and keep a watchful eye on her while we are gone. I love you so much, In your name I pray, Amen.

Here is the last picture of me pregnant at 39 weeks :) My next post will be about my labor and pictures of my baby!

My 30th Birthday

Being 38 weeks pregnant, of course I did not want a big party or anything big. I figured we could have a big celebration where I can actually enjoy it and have beer and enjoy myself. Eric was off for the day so him and Bella made me breakfast of eggs, pancakes, and bacon. It was super yummy. Bella came in my room and yelled "Happy Birthday Mommy" about 30 times. It was super sweet. We ate breakfast together and I opened my gift. We then just relaxed the rest of the day and then we all took a nap. It was really nice. Eric insisted we go out to dinner and because I am sooo pregnant, I did not feel like it. I asked if we could just stay home but he insisted we go. That is when I got suspicious. I kind of figured he had set up a dinner with our friends, and that is what happened. Once I got to dinner, I was so excited to see my closest friends and have a fabulous meal. I am so thankful for my family and friends and I had a nice night. Here are photos from the night..

38 week appointment

Yesterday was my 38 week check up. Eric and Bella decided to join me. It ended up being a 2.5 hour appointment! My blood pressure was a little elevated at 128/86, normal is 120/80. However, I had no protein in my urine so that's good, as that is a sign of pre eclampsia. Next the Dr. wanted to listen to his heart. As usual, as soon as they put the doppler on, he goes crazy wild and his heart rate shoots from the 150's to the 170-180's! The Dr was trying to get him to settle down, as she wanted to make sure that he was just reacting to being bothered and not that his heart rate is just super fast. She couldn't get him to settle down so she wanted to put me on a heart monitor. She asked that I drink several cups of water, as dehydration could also bring up his heart rate. After doing that, she hooked me up and he was perfectly still. He was sleeping!! She needed him to be awake so that she could get a baseline heartrate while he was awake since everyone's heart rate is slower while sleeping. After half an hour, he was still sleeping, I drank juice and tried to stir him up but he was sleepy :) Finally after a hour, he had made some movements and the Dr. was happy with the results. His fast heart rate was due to the doppler being pushed on him. I tried explaining to her that he is just very very active and that every ultrasound that Ive had he is moving around crazy and his heart rate always fluctuates according to his movements. However, the Dr. wanted to make sure. Before I left, they checked my pressure again and it was perfect.
I was also dialated 3 cm and 60 % effaced. The Dr. also stripped my membranes to hopefully move the labor along as he is getting so big. She told me if I wanted to, she would induce me at 39 weeks, which is next Saturday. I'm hoping he of course comes out on his own.
Eric and I are finally coming to the realization that we will have a new baby in the house very soon! In a week or less.. ahhhh! HOwever, I am super excited to not be pregnant anymore and get him home :) Updates to come soon.....

The swingset is up!!!

Because of Eric's week long persistence, Bella's birthday gift is finally up!! Of course he had some help from Nino and Greg, but he did most of it by himself after or before work. I can't believe it's done. He finished it last night and it was a perfect night to get it done because it was so nice out that Bella wanted to go down the slide and use the swings right away! Eric and I just sat and watched her, she was having so much fun! Here are photos of her awesome gift from us and my parents. Daddy's muscles paid off!

Isabella's 2 year check up /Family day

Daddy was home today with us so we decided to make a "fun" day out of her 2 yr Dr's trip. It has become a habit that when we get to the Dr's office, Bella plays in the playroom, but as soon as they call her name to go in, she screams bloody murder. Isabella is not a big crier, in fact quite the opposite, but she gets petrified to go back there that she even shakes :( So Daddy came with us as I need the extra hands.She has learned that at the Dr's office she gets shots so she has learned to hate it.
Bella and I started the day by waking up and letting Daddy sleep in since he's let me sleep in the last few days. She helped me make pancakes. She loves to sit on the counter and pour and stir. Her and I had blueberry pancakes and make banana pancakes for Daddy. Yum!! Then off to the Dr. we went. As always, she was fine when we got there but as soon as we went back she started screaming "NOOOO DR., I don't want it!!" It was kind of funny but sad at the same time. Our Dr. did the usual rundown of a million questions regarding her language, sleep pattern, eating, etc. She informed me to give her less juice if I can and more water. Bella does drink water all day at the sitter and does for us too, but I usually add just a little juice but the Dr. said to give her less. We talked about her temper tantrums that she occasionally has and the Dr. told us that we are doing the right thing with her. Ahhh 2 year olds :) She also said we should get going on the potty training, especially since she has been interested since she was 18 months. So, now that I am home for the summer, that's my next goal. She said Bella may not want to right away being that there will be a new baby in the house but to just take her lead.We'll see how that goes. She wasn't able to ask Bella a whole lot of questions as she was screaming but she heard her saying "no Doctor and I dont want it" so she said she wasn't concerned about her talking :) Bella also started telling Eric all the numbers on the wall and the Dr. was pretty happy about that. She said Bella was a little drama, haaaa NOOOO not at all!
Here are her stats today:
height: 36.1 inches and is above the 95th percentile
weight: 28.9 lbs. and is in the 75th percentile

She has grown so tall and getting so thin. At the age of 2 Bella loves: all fruit, helping cook and clean, all books and puzzles, doing letters and numbers(this is by far her favorite), playing outside in her sand box, swimming, playing soccer with Daddy, snuggling with Mommy,singing Bob Marley (especially "dont worry about a thing"), anything that has to do with Dora, playing with Sadie (brushing her hair, or asking her to do puzzles with her ), going on walks, hanging with Nino and Nannie, playing with other kids (she is very social ), going to ladies night with Mommy, having playdates with Guiliana, and so much more. These are just a few of her favorite things that I can think of .
She knows and recognizes all her numbers and letters, can count to 10 in spanish, counts to 20 in English, knows the sounds of about 10 of the letters, knows the shapes circle, square, diamond, triangle.
She is talking so much. She has just recently started saying longer and longer utterances. Sometimes Eric and I are shocked by how many words she can put together. She's definitely a talker. What makes me most proud of her is that she is so sweet. She reminds us to say Grace before dinner, and prayers at night. She kneels for prayers and always says "Amen" all on her own, If I am upset, she asks why Im sad, If I stub my toe, she will kiss my foot, if we sneeze, she says "bless you ___", she shares so nicely with other kids, she tells everyone "thank you" and will use their name after saying thank you", she says "youre welcome" if you tell her thank you. She has such a sweet nature about her, yet is still very strong willed and can be a stinker. Eric says these qualities are definitely from her Mommy :)

So after her Dr. apt, we went and had a yummy lunch. Then we went to the pool for some swimming. I did some exercises hoping that this baby would come out soon :)She put on her new floaties and played in the water. When we got home at about 4:30, Bella asked to go Mi-Mi (night night). She often asks late in the day to lie down but does not sleep, but this time she did fall asleep. I let her sleep while I made dinner. Then Nino came over so that the boys could try and finish up her swingset. Bella and I sat outside with the misters on under the gazebo and ate popsicles watching the boys. It was a fabulous perfect day together as a family and these are the kinds of days I will forever cherish.

37 week appointment/ultrasound

Friday was my 37 week appointment. My blood pressure was good, however there was a trace of protein in my urine (which could be a sign of pre eclampsia or other factors such as my diet or dehydration). So the nurse ordered blood work and we will see how it turns out. Im not too worried as my blood pressure was fine. I actually lost 3 pounds last week, which puts me back at 8 lbs total. If you see me, I look like I swallowed a bowling ball, so not quite sure how it's only been 8 pounds. I was still at 2 cm dialated. I still measured one week ahead of time so the Dr. was really interested in me having an ultrasound and seeing just how big my baby boy is. So after some lunch, I headed to the ultrasound. Well, again Julian was not good at cooperating. At this ultrasound they want to measure his tummy,head, legs, arms, etc to get a good feel for how big he is. His face continues to be presses against the placenta which made it really hard to see his face and measure his head. He is so very active that every time they tried to get a measurement, he would move. 2 technicians had to try, and then finally the Dr. I was so uncomfortable, as lying on back for a hour is not comfortable when you have a huge baby in your tummy. Anyway, after over a hour, they were able to get a few measurements. I saw his kidneys, bladder, heart, his hair, etc. It was so fun to see. The techs could not believe how active he is, especially since he doesn't have much room left in there.After his measurements, they predicted him at 8 lbs! I can not believe it! No wonder I am so uncomfortable and in pain. I have a big boy in my tummy! He was in 95th percentile for length and weight. Oh goodness that left me very scared! I want him to come out soon because he is only getting bigger the more time that passes :) What's more important is that he definitely looks healthy and he is quite active. I was unable to get any still photos or the dvd that the company offers of your ultrasound because he was so active. Ahh my lil man gives his Mommy trouble already. I feel such a bond with Julian, especially since he is so active and I can feel him moving at all times throughout the day. We are anxiously anticipating his arrival. Im hoping before my birthday which is a week from Monday, but not sure. I despise being pregnant in this awful heat so I am hoping sooner rather than later :)

Bella's Birthday Party

Eric and I have been planning Isabella's 2nd Birthday for months. We had originally planned on having a jumpy. However, we then decided since it was going to be hot, we would get a blow up waterslide. It ended up being such a hit. The waterslide had a pool attached at the bottom. It was so cool! We also had a snow cone machine! The party was Dora themed since that is now Bella's favorite. We had pizza, fruit, and some munchies.We also had a Dora pinata, which Bella was super excited about.
What was supposed to be a small gathering, ended up being a party with 40 adults and 10 children! Isabella is so blessed to have so many people who love her, and Eric and I feel so lucky to have such great friends and family. We love you Isabella ROse,Happy 2nd Birthday!







COUSIN GIO





THE SNOW CONE IS VERY COLD!~

ME AND JAME-36 WEEKS PREGGO




DEB & DELIA

COUSIN ADRINA




THE GIRLS WERE WIPED AFTER LOTS OF FUN