Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful thanksgiving at Aunt Jane and Uncle Dave's house. Kate snuggled up and watched the action. Grant loved tagging along with his older cousins. He enjoyed 3 cupcakes and purposely (I think)dropped some crumbs on the floor so he could vacuum. He is obsessed! He vacuumed three rooms, including one that no one went in.

Fun at Grandma and Grandpa's House

Tonight all four siblings and two spouses met up at my parents house for dinner. It is so much fun to all be together and unfortunately, happens less frequently these days with the boys living in California. Kate and Grant had fun being the center of attention.

Grant's cooking experiment

Hernia update

We went to see the urologist today and he confirmed that Grant does indeed have a hernia that needs operating on. It will only require one day in the hospital and is (hopefully) not going to be a big deal. Details to follow.

In order to bribe Grant to leave the cool toys in the doctor's office waiting room I told him he could have his own Christmas tree when we got home. So, I dug out a little Christmas tree that Jim and I got the first year we were married and told Grant it was his. I also ended up giving him some of his birthday presents early.(It was a long morning at the doctor's office and I was feeling bad for him.) He loved Mr.Potato Head. After 30 minutes of putting Mr.Potato back together and then taking him apart Grant looked at me and said, "Mama's working hard."

What is funny about this statement is that Jim read somewhere that it builds good self esteem in children if you praise them for their efforts, not their accomplishments. Clearly we have been giving Grant praise for his hard work lately. Grant's other funny statements as of late include, "Whatcha doing mama?" and "How are you today, mommy?" He never really wants an answer, but I guess he figures it is polite to ask.

Not-so-well Visit

We took the kids in for their well visits today at the pediatrician and we got some not so great news. They think Grant has a hernia. We have an appointment with a specialist on Monday. Please pray that his hernia goes away and that he does not have to have surgery.

Other than that the kids were pronounced well. And tall. Grant is just shy of 3 feet and Kate is 27 inches. The highlight was when the doctor asked Grant what she should look at first- nose or mouth- and he replied, "ears." His ear fetish is still going strong. He falls asleep with a pacifier in each ear. Weird.

Kate rolls over

Kate has turned into a little rolly polly. She loves to lay on the floor and suck on a burp cloth and then roll over. She has to be the longest 3 month old ever. She is wearing 6-9 month clothes now and just got her first 12 month old sleeper. We still aren't sure where our kids got these tall genes that put them in the 100th percentile in height. Here's a picture of Kate just as she rolls over for the second time.

Big Brother

I continue to be amazed by how much Grant loves Kate. This morning when we went in his room to get him he was struggling to pull a picture out of his photo album. When Jim asked him what he was doing he told us he was trying to take baby Kate's picture out of the album so he could hug her. He always wants to know where she is and he constantly wants to include her in what he's doing. Lately he's been trying to feed her Halloween candy. He loves tickling her feet and she seems to enjoy the attention even though he's a bit rough.

Trick-or-Treat

Our two pumpkins

Good Times

Cider Mill

Grant loves the cider mill. Lindsay literally takes him three times a week. The pictures here are from when he went last week with his babysitter, Peggy. Thank you, Peggy, for loving Grant as if he were your own!

Chubby cheeks

Kate is growing like a weed and has the cutest chubby cheeks! She has such a sweet personality. The other day she laid on my lap and let me read books to her for 45 minutes! She loves to be snuggled and has started to coo. She puts anything she can get her hands on into her mouth. She is a super flexible baby and will fall asleep anywhere. It is hard to believe such different children can come from the same set of parents. God is so creative.

It is hard to get pictures of Grant these days. Every time I take out the camera Grant runs over to it and says, "Grant see, Grant see," even before I have a chance to snap a shot of him. He is loving the fall, making piles of leaves and jumping into them. He's also really into spiders and bugs. Every afternoon he takes a stick and goes "spider web hunting," looking to destroy anything that remotely resembles a spiderweb. He has also learned to gallop. It is the perfect mode of transportation for him because it embodies the joy that he exudes with each step.

Heaven Has Blue Carpet

I have a famous mother-in-law! What began several years ago as a simple record for her grandchildren accounting her life on a hobby farm eventually turned into a published book by Thomas Nelson (big time publisher in the Christian book world).

It was released on October 12 and I just finished reading it cover to cover. It is amazing. Not only was it fun to read countless stories of Jim as a toddler (he was just shy of two when his parents bought the farm),I learned how the Niedzinskis experienced firsthand the amazing truths buried in the many Scriptures referencing God as our Shepherd.

This book, titled "Heaven Has Blue Carpet," can be bought on Amazon, found at Borders & Barnes and Noble or ordered directly from Jim's mom's website (www.sharonniedzinski.com). Reading it gave me even more respect (if that is possible) for my amazing mother-in-law who ran a farm while raising six children. Did I mention she vacuumed the barn? When is the last time I vacuumed my house?!

Sleepover

Have I mentioned that I have the most amazing sister-in-laws ever? Jim has four sisters and they lovingly fought over who was going to take Kate for a sleepover so mommy could get some much needed rest. Jane won the coin toss and Kate packed her bags for Canton. Here's a picture of Jane's four kids with Kate.

Meanwhile Grant has been showered with love and attention from his aunt Lindsay. They have had adventures at the cider mill, hardware store, bookstore, park and several construction sites. She is one of the few people who has as much energy as Grant and he loves every minute of it!

Double Stroller

Best Lung Report Yet!

Yesterday Grant saw Dr.Doshi, his pulmonologist. I hesitantly asked right off the bat, "How do his chest x-rays look?" He got a big grin on his face and said, "Great!" He gave me a copy of the report to look at and I saw the words for the first time ever, "lungs are clear." Wow! This is medically unheard of. Only God could heal Grant's lungs like this. It was supposed to take years before they were clear.

Our next question was, "does this mean we can take him out all winter and do things like put him in the church nursery etc.?" Unfortunately, the answer was no. Apparently Grant had two things wrong with his lungs and only the one is fixed. (I know this sounds vague, but I don't really know how to explain it.) Grant will still need to have shots every 28 days throughout the winter to protect his lungs in case he gets a cold. But, Dr.Doshi said that we could take Grant out on "controlled" play dates with friends who promise me that their child is healthy. :) It is just group settings where people might not know Grant's situation and might bring a kid with a runny nose that could be dangerous for Grant that we have to avoid.

So, overall, we still have to be careful this winter. But, we don't need to be as extreme as last winter. The best news of all is that Dr.Doshi predicts that by next spring/summer we can TOTALLY treat Grant like a normal kid in terms of where we take him. He said that Grant should be old enough and strong enough by then to be able to fight off colds with no problem.

Mama's little helper

Two Sick Kids

What is harder than having a newborn and a toddler? Having a newborn and sick toddler... Please pray for everyone to get well soon, for us to get some rest and Grant's lungs to stay clear.

A trip to the zoo

Grant visited the zoo today. You might be wondering why there are no pictures of Grant and any of the animals. Well, that is because our $27 entrance fee was spent on a tour of the manholes. Grant had absolutely no interest in the animals. He just wanted to check out the zoo's sewer system. He ran from one manhole to the next, bending over and yelling, "hi water!" before he running off to the next one.

Smiling Kate

Kate is a very intense baby. She studies the world and is constantly observing her surroundings with a very serious look on her face. The other day Jim asked my mom if she'd ever seen such a serious baby. Her reply? "Yes, your wife." :) I guess I was pretty type A from the start. I'm hoping that Kate turns out a little more laid back than me, so I was excited the other day when she finally cracked a smile.

A Day at the Farm

Today I took Grant to the farm. Unfortunately, he thought it was more fun to throw rocks at the animals than to actually pet them. (See picture of him under the bridge collecting rocks.)

Everyday Life

We're still in the process of learning how to do life with two kids under two. Thankfully, Grant is a big helper and wants to be involved in bathing Kate, changing diapers etc. He has only smooshed her head once. He is very protective of her and doesn't like when anyone else besides me picks her up. He actually has given me a new name. It is mamababykate. I think he thinks she is an extention of me or something. Kate continues to be a calming presence in the house, really only crying if she is hungry or tired. She does, however, prefer to be held all the time so we are experimenting with various baby carriers that allow us to tend to Grant while making sure Kate is snuggled against a warm body.

Tummy Time

Grandma Ned Comes to Town

Grandma Niedzinski came in from Florida this week to meet Kate and help me. Thank you, Grandma Ned!

personalities

Well, the vote is in... my mom said that Kate is officially the calmest baby she's ever seen. Thank you, God! I don't have much to compare her to, but she's definitely calmer than Mr. Energy Grant Samuel ever was. Grant still wins the award for happiest child ever. So, I'm feeling pretty thankful.

Grant has integrated Kate into his world really well. The first thing he says when he wakes up in the morning is "hug Kate!" So, I bring her in his room and he hugs her. Then he ignores her and asks for his bottle. I'm learning the art of trying to balance two kids in diapers and two kids who need bottles. (Yes, Grant still takes a bottle.) It works okay most of the time until they both need to eat at the same time. Most of the time Grant defers to Kate because he doesn't like to hear her cry. I don't either, so it works out pretty well that way.

A Day at the Lake

A Day to Celebrate

Today Kate went to U of M for an echo and ekg on her heart. Both showed that her heart is perfect! Thank you, God!

Yesterday marked two weeks since Kate's birth. We're still not quite adjusted, but we're getting closer. Kate continues to have her days and nights mixed up. This is helpful during the day for caring for Grant and getting things done, but it makes for a very tired mommy. Yesterday we made the switch from nursing to bottles. After two weeks of struggling with nursing we prayerfully decided that formula is going to be the best option for our family.

Grant continues to be very attentive to his little sister. If she starts to cry while we are playing he'll point to her and say, "mama, pick up kate." Jim is still working from home most days and that helps a lot.

Recent Photos

Life as a family of 4

Wow. Life with two kids is well...busy. Grant is adjusting really well. He doesn't seem to be jealous at all, except when I'm nursing and then he throws balls at Kate's head. We're working on it. :) The transition is much easier having Jim home from work and Grandma and Grandpa Koss just around the corner.

I thought about making a new blog now that our family is expanding, but, I don't think I'm going to. It sounds like too much work for one thing (think sleep deprived). Additionally, I don't think I ever would have started a blog if it hadn't been for Grant's heart surgery. So, Kate, (and any future siblings) please, don't think we don't love you as much as we do Grant. Of course we do. But, Grant is what started this whole thing, so we'll let the blog continue to be named after him. Thanks for understanding, sweetie.

Supernatural Childbirth

We've been home for 48 hours now and everyone is doing great. I wanted to make sure to record the awesome story of my labor and delivery so that I don't ever forget it. It was truly supernatural. God was in it every moment and I give Him all the credit and thanks.

I had been having pretty regular contractions (every 6-30 minutes) since Sunday night (Kate was born on Wednesday morning), but they were not getting stronger or closer together. Around 3:00am on Wednesday I finally noticed a shift in their intensity. Around 3:30am I called the Alternative Birth Center, where I had planned on giving birth. (The birth center provides a place to labor and give birth that has the comforts of home. The rooms have queen sized beds, large hot tubs, rockers, kitchenettes etc. There is no medical equipment hanging around and no epidurals are offered. However, it is attached to Providence Hospital, so if anything were to "go wrong" then we would be only a stone's throw away.) I was very excited to give birth here because I thought it would provide a relaxed atmosphere and allow for a more peaceful birth.

However, when we called the birth center on Wednesday morning they told us they were full and we'd have to head over to regular labor and delivery at the hospital. I didn't even think this was a possibility, so Jim helped me talk through it and we prayed that God's perfect will would be done and that He'd help us adjust to whatever that may be. Within minutes my midwife called me back and told me a room had just opened up. We finished packing our bags, called Grandma Koss to come over and headed out the door.

When we arrived at the hospital I was only dilated to 3. This was actually a good thing (even though I felt kind of discouraged by the slow progress) because I needed to get an antibiotic at least 4 hours before the baby arrived. (I tested positive for GBS. Not a big deal, but an antibiotic was necessary to prevent the baby from getting an infection passed on from me at birth.)

I finished getting the antibiotic around 5:45 am and Jim and I decided to walk the halls. My contractions were about 7 minutes apart. After about an hour of walking I was pretty tired, so we headed back to the room so I could practice the relaxation techniques I learned in my hypnobirthing class. For the next hour or so I sat on the birthing ball while Jim and my doula rubbed my back and prayed for me. At this point my contractions were about 5 minutes apart. They were painful, but not terrible. I felt calm and peaceful. Anytime I started to feel fear the contractions would get more painful, but as Jim prayed and I relaxed they would subside considerably.

The intensity of the contractions picked up at around 9:00am, so I decided to get in the hot tub. The hot tub totally relaxed my body and the pain subsided again. While I was in the tub I went through transition and it was truly not that bad! After being in the tub for 35 minutes I felt like it was time to push. I don't think that the nurse or midwife believed it was really time because I looked so calm and felt so peaceful.

By the time I got out of the tub and made my way to the bed I knew it was time. Two pushes and she was out! This was 4 hours and 5 minutes after the antibiotic was given. Perfect timing. At our request the nurse took her down to the nursery to have her oxygen level checked etc. Within 15 minutes she was returned to us and pronounced healthy. I never thought I'd be able to say it, but this childbirth was an amazing experience!

Welcome Kate!

Kate Alexandra Niedzinski

9:53 a.m.; perfectly healthy; 7 lbs, 12 oz; 21 inches long; beauuuuuutiful. Shannon did an amazing job and we are so incredibly thankful to God for our wonderful, healthy Kate. Thank you for your prayers!

Heading to the hospital...

Shannon is certainly in labor and we're leaving right now for the hospital. Thanks for praying!

39 weeks

I've been having contractions since Sunday night, anywhere from 6-30 minutes apart. It's been one false alarm after another. I'll be sure I'm in labor, wake Jim up, call my parents... and then the contractions slow down. My body is feeling pretty taxed at this point. Last night I was complaining and Jim gently reminded me that 39 weeks is an answer to prayer. It really is. I'm so thankful to be full term and I'm trying to enjoy these last few days.

I took Grant to the doctor yesterday because I thought his wheeze was pretty bad (and he was really grumpy). She assured me that what we are hearing is not fluid in the lungs, but his chest vibrating from post-nasal drip.

The person who I'm praying for to get well now is my doula! For those of you who don't know, a doula is a birth coach. She is there in addition to Jim, the midwife and the nurse. Unlike the midwife and nurse who will be in and out of the room, my doula never leaves my side. She's kind of like my personal cheerleader. (Doula is the Greek word for servant.) She is there to provide massage, coaching for Jim, to bring me water, to communicate with our families and just to provide an extra set of hands. She was there for me with Grant's birth and I cannot imagine having another child without her! She provided great coaching and encouragement as well as practical help.But, unfortunately, she seems to have caught Grant's bug. I told her I'll try to hold this baby in another couple of days so she can get well.