Allison: One Week

Well the fastest week of my life has come and gone- our Allison is one week old! Somehow time goes the fastest when you are staying at home cuddling a newborn baby. Who knew?

The kids are still absolutely in love with her, even if they have a little trouble always remembering her name. Honestly Katie seems to be the one who remembers it the most, and hearing her sweet little voice say "Allie", which sounds a lot like "owie", melts my heart.

Brayden is still smothering her in kisses, Ashley is still wanting to give hugs and kisses every chance she can, and Katie has been asking to hold Allie a lot at home. They have been the best big siblings to her, and I can't wait to see how their bond continues to grow. 

Allison had her first doctor's appointment on Friday, and basically slept through the entire thing. She is now 19.75 inches long and weighs 7 pounds 10 ounces. She hasn't quite made it up to her birth weight yet, but her doctor isn't worried and said she should be there very soon. 

I snuck in time for newborn photos this week. I don't have many edited, but here are a few favorites so far!

She is eating 2 ounces every 2-3 hours. Her wake windows are all over the place right now, but I guess that's to be expected as she's still trying to figure everything out. Some times she is awake for almost an hour, how I have no idea. And other's she is awake maybe five minutes before going back to sleep. She'll figure it out eventually. This first week here she has been pretty awake around 1 or 2 in the morning after that feeding. Eric and I had been taking turns sleeping with her because she absolutely would not sleep in her crib. I'm very thankful that I think we are on the downhill slide on that one. We discovered that she loves a double swaddle at night- her velcro swaddle with a muslin blanket swaddle on top of that, and that has given us up to 4 hours between feedings at night. Not always, but we are on the right track. 

I also want to remember that Allison has the cutest little dip in her left ear, and also the worst lip tie I've ever seen. 

She has hiccups all.the.time, and has incredible neck strength when you hold her up to your shoulder.

It's so bittersweet watching the days pass by with her, knowing how much fun is to come, but also knowing that we won't ever be in this stage again. Here's to soaking it all in as much as we can!

Allison: Birth Story

Life's been a little sweeter since July 19th. I mean, how could it not be with a cute little face like Allison's?

We knew that we wanted to be a little more prepared for this baby's arrival given that we were literally not prepared at all for Katie's arrival two years ago, so we had a bag packed and car seat installed two weeks before we knew our C-section date. Thankfully we never needed any of it early as she passed both of her non-stress tests before her delivery. 

On the night before our C-section, we spent plenty of time together as a family of five. All the kids knew that the next day they were getting a new baby brother or sister, so they spent a little extra time giving my belly some loving. We asked them one more time what they thought baby was going to be, and all three said that it was going to be a boy. Early in the pregnancy, Brayden said he wanted it to be a girl, but did eventually switch it to a boy. Ashley was pretty dead set that it was going to be a boy because she "already had a baby sister". And Katie just says whatever Ashley says, so we weren't surprised that she said boy. 

Aside from getting up (on purpose) at 11:45 for one more snack before my no-food-after-midnight cutoff, I actually slept pretty well. I was a little bummed that we couldn't have our C-section in the morning, but Dr. Haller had a surgery that morning, so we were slated for 12:30 the afternoon of the 19th. 

We were able to get the kids dropped off at daycare and give them one more big hug before our lives all changed forever. We did some last minute picking up around the house and before we knew it it was time to head to the hospital. 

We not so patiently waited the few hours in the labor room until everyone was ready for us in OR. As I was getting my spinal, Dr. Haller and all the staff in the room were asking if we had any guesses on what baby was. I told them I would love for Brayden to have a brother, but I would be so happy if it was a girl as well. Dr. Haller said that everyone there was betting it was a boy since they had had so many boys born that week already. I laughed as I told them that Eric would say that that would mean baby was definitely going to be a girl. As soon as my spinal was done and Eric was able to come into the room, Dr. Haller asked Eric what he thought baby would be, and mentioned the part about them all thinking it was a boy due to all the recently born boys. Eric literally said, "I'm a numbers guy, and if there's been that many boys then we are definitely having a girl." 

Eric and I held hands as we patiently waited for them to get baby out. They told us that they were almost there, and they had a little trouble getting her out of my right side, which is where baby lived about my entire pregnancy. As Dr. Haller pulled baby out, she said "dad you were right, it's a girl!" I've never seen Eric smile so big and breathe such a big sigh of relief as he did. After everything that we've been through on our journey to parenthood, it was so good to see this last pregnancy have such a beautiful outcome. 

Allison Danielle Schackmann was born at 12:51 PM on July 19th. She was 7 pounds and 13 ounces (our heaviest baby yet) and 19.5 inches long (tying Katie for our longest baby). And speaking of Katie, Allison is almost a cut and paste of Katie, it was crazy how much Allison reminded us of Katie, so much so that we still are occasionally calling Allison Katie or Kate. 

But at this point, Allison was still nameless. We had had a few names for each sex that we both liked coming in to the hospital that morning, but we definitely didn't have a clear favorite. We actually didn't even give her her official name until the day after she was born. And to top it off, Allison wasn't even on our original list of names we liked. But it seemed to fit her and we both liked it, so that was a weight off of our shoulders to finally have a name for her. 

The kids came Saturday morning to meet Allison, and I loved seeing their reactions to meeting her for the first time. They were all very excited to see Eric and I, and Katie wanted to come right up on the bed with me. Brayden and Ashley gravitated towards Allison though, and she was instantly smothered in kisses by Brayden and love pats by Ashley. 

Ashley won out on getting to hold Allison first, and seeing her smile down at her warmed my heart with love.

And then it was Brayden's turn, and if I had any doubts about him being the absolute best big brother to her (which I didn't), he would have squashed them right then. You could see how in love with her he was. 

Katie was a little a lot less interested in Allison. But I won't hold it against her, it was a little overstimulating in that hospital room. She didn't seem too excited and didn't want to hold Allison by herself, pretty much clinging to me or Eric the entire time. I would like to say that when we got home on Sunday, she immediately wanted to hold her and gave her all sorts of hugs and kisses, so she came around to her baby sister pretty quickly. 

We stayed in the hospital until Sunday around lunch, and for a while we were thinking we would be there even longer since Allison refused to poop. The nurse practitioner ordered an x-ray just to make sure everything was ok, and thankfully it was. And at some point in the wee hours of Sunday morning Allison finally let one out. 

We were ready to be home, and we have been adjusting well to being a family of six. The kids are still absolutely in love with her, as are Eric and I. We can't wait to see what life has in store for us with Allison in it!

Baby #7: 37-38 Weeks

We are in the ultimate crunch time now, and baby, we are SO ready for you!

These past two weeks have gone faster than ever, and we've been working hard to get everything done before baby makes his or her arrival. We are definitely 100% more prepared for this baby than we were for Katie. 

I've had two non-stress tests, and baby passed both with flying colors. This was the test that Katie failed and ended us up in the hospital with an earlier than expected delivery, so I made sure to bring a packed bag with me both times, just in case. Luckily they weren't needed.

And while Eric and I are preparing around the house for baby's arrival, the kids are also realizing that change is coming and have been doing little things that make me so excited to see them with their new sibling. Katie is constantly laying her head on my belly, pulling up my shirt, and giving baby a kiss. It is the absolute sweetest thing.

Brayden loves to blow raspberries on my stomach and always asks if it is tickling the baby. And usually, baby does move around after he does that, so I guess that it is tickling the baby. He has been giving my belly hugs and telling baby how much he loves it. He has the sweetest heart.

And Ashley has also been giving baby a little extra love here and there, making sure to snuggle up to my stomach when we are cuddling, and giving it little love pats while she is watching TV. Sometimes I'm not even sure she knows that she's doing it. She's going to be the best helper and the best big sister.

Baby, we are all SO excited to meet you oh so soon. While I'm going to miss the rolls and kicks and punches, I'm definitely looking forward to having a little more mobility again, not having to get up 5 times during the night to pee, and finally getting to snuggle up on the little face I've been dreaming about since last fall. 

Baby #7: 35-36 Weeks

It's baby month!! We are so close to baby, and every day we get a little more done to prepare for his or her arrival. But don't be fooled that we are actually ready- we have quite a bit to do still ha!

 

These past two weeks have been full of fun, which has helped them go quickly. Eric and I took a day date to St. Louis with some friends to see Nate Bargatze, and then stopped for dinner in Vandalia at the Blind Society. 

We took the kids to the fair where strawberry shakeups were once again a winner, and the twins even got to help wash off a pig (thank you Finleys!). 

Eric and I's newest nephew and the kids' newest cousin was born, and the kids finally had the chance to meet him after I took some newborn photos of him. 

My dad went with me to take the kids to Aikman Wildlife Center, where the wagon ride through the animals was the clear favorite of the day.

And the twins had their final t-ball game of the year. We came a long way from the tears and uncertainty during that first practice, and Eric and I had to remind ourselves many times that this is the first time they've ever been on a team and participated in something like this. It wasn't long until they were doing flips in the outfield (Ashley), laying on the bases after they ran to each one (Brayden), throwing dirt around, and me yelling at them to pay attention and watch the ball more times than I can count. But each game they did pay just a little bit more attention, actually running towards the ball and fielding it a few times. I don't think we are ever going to be the star players on a baseball/softball team, but I at least have hope that we might enjoy team sports and will put forth an effort to do well. 

As for myself, my sciatic nerve pain had definitely amped it up a notch, and I'm thankful Sam was able to fit me in for an adjustment as I have felt so much better since then. I'm now up maybe 4-6 times throughout the night trying to get comfortable and using the restroom, and still just have that one pimple on my chin. Baby has continued to like to stretch up and move in my ribs, and even in my right hip, which hurts something fierce if I'm sitting in the wrong position. The twins are loving to try to feel baby move, and will ask me if it's moving all the time. Katie seems to be understanding that there really is a baby in my belly and is loving giving it kisses, though she is a firm "no" when we asked if baby could sleep in her room once it is sleeping through the night. 

Baby's heartrate my last two appointments has been in the mid 120's- 130's. 

We have just a few weeks left with so much to do- bottle and pump parts need cleaned, windows in the nursery need covered until the blinds we finally ordered come in, the car seat needs cleaned and installed, hospital bags need packed, and names need hammered down. What we do have ready are hearts and arms full of love ready to shower on this little miracle we will be meeting in just a few weeks!

Michigan Family Vacation

Father's Day weekend Eric and I loaded up the camper and the kids and headed north for our first official family vacation! We knew we wanted to start taking the kids with us on trips and to hit up states we hadn't been to together yet, and knew we needed to start small, so we decided that a short trip to Michigan would be the perfect place to start. 

We left that Friday morning and headed north, first to northern Indiana. Michigan might not be that far of a drive for adults to make in one day, but we knew our kids wouldn't make it that long. We stopped at Lost Pines Resort in Knox, Indiana and set up camp for the night. 

It wasn't long before the kids were causing mischief, riding their bikes around the campground and hitting up the playground to play. 

We enjoyed s'mores by the campfire, and took in the ambiance of our awning lights- a perfect addition requested by Brayden. The kids fell asleep to a movie in the camper, and Eric and I enjoyed a little one on one time by the fire. 

The kids were up bright and early the next day, and after a yummy breakfast, we hit up the playground again so Eric could pack up the camper. We didn't need to leave until lunch time, so Eric suggested we drive around and look for another playground to check out. He found the perfect place for the kids to explore- and bonus- a Kona Ice truck!

Snow-cones were a welcome addition as a mid morning snack. Brayden and Ashley both had to get rainbow colors- which meant they needed every flavor the truck had. They were a little disappointed when they reached the bottom and the colors had all mixed together, but I think we'd all agree that we would hit up another snow-cone truck if we found one.

After a quick lunch it was on to Lake Michigan and our next campground- PJ Hoffmaster State Park in Norton Shores, Michigan. We had the perfect spot on the end of a row, super close to the bathroom/shower house and the trail to get to the playground and the beach! 

The kids and I walked to the playground for a bit while Eric set up camp (it's so much easier setting up the pop-up without the distraction of the kids!). As soon as he said everything was ready, we headed back to change into our swimsuits and walk down to the beach! 

It was a little bit of a trek, but I don't remember any of the kids ever complaining. Me on the other hand- ha! As we got closer and closer to the beach the ground was turning to sand, and you could sense the kids excitement. We finally got close to the top of the hill and you could see the water and hear the "woah!" from Brayden and Ashley. I think they ran down the hill to see the water.

They were a little hesitant at first to get too close to the water. We all dipped our toes in- the water was so cold! And it wasn't long before Brayden, Ashley, and Katie were running down the shoreline splashing in the tide and exploring the beach. 

We didn't bring the beach toys this time, so no sand castles were built, but everyone still had so much fun. The kids even found a giant hole that someone else had dug to play in for a while. 

Before long it was time for dinner, so it was back to the camper to wash off and grab some food, and of course some s'mores. The next day was Father's Day, and the kids were excited to give the cards we had made at home to Eric. One thing I really wanted to do while we were on this trip was a sand dune ride. Eric and I tossed around the idea of doing it Sunday morning or Monday morning before we left. Sunday after waking up (around 8:30- the kids really slept in this day!), Eric decided we should go that morning to do the dune rides. So after breakfast we loaded up the car and headed north to do Mac Woods Dune Rides. The farther north we drove, the darker and darker it got. We probably should have checked the weather, because it wasn't long before it started to rain. We pulled into the parking lot for the dune rides and the rain did not appear to be stopping. We watched as people exited the ticket center, got in their cars, and left. And after checking the radar, it didn't look like the rain was going to stop any time soon. When we told the kids that we wouldn't be able to do the sand dune rides that day, Ashley started crying, which was exactly how I felt about the situation too. We promised that we would come back the next day and try again. So essentially we drove an hour to get McDonald's for lunch haha. 

Luckily once we got back to our campground, the rain was over and we decided to hit up the beach again. We brought all the things this time, and it didn't take long for the kids to start digging in the sand and trying to build a sand castle. 

It also didn't take long for the flies to start biting us. I had noticed it the night before a little bit, but we stayed really close to the water that day, whereas this day we had set up camp a little farther from the water and closer to the treeline. I was getting bit so bad just sitting there that I almost told Eric I was going to go back to the camper. We saw there was a big group of people farther down the beach, so I had Eric and Ashley go check it out. That part of the beach was farther from the treeline, which definitely helped with the flies, and we put our towel and chair a little closer to the shoreline, which also helped. We stayed there for about 3 hours playing and relaxing in the sun. 

Eric decided it would be easier to cook dinner without us all at the campsite, so I took the kids for an ice cream treat so he could get everything ready. 

It was back to the camper for dinner and s'mores before bedtime. Eric even made him and I campfire apple pie for dessert once the kids were in bed. I know I'm supposed to be the one spoiling him on Father's Day, but he definitely spoils me.

The next morning it was back to the playground so Eric could pack up the camper. The kids were sad to leave from their fun, but I quickly reminded them that we were going to go back for the sand dune rides and they cheered up.

I don't think the smiles left their faces from the moment we got there. They didn't even know what to expect, but I think our excitement about it and building it up really helped them get in the mood. I was little nervous that Katie would be scared going down the hills, but after that very first hill she looked at me and said "more, more", so I knew we were in for a fun time.

I think Brayden thought that each hill we went up would result in us going down the other side, but he didn't seem too disappointed when they sometimes just leveled off at the top. Ashley kept telling me that her tummy was doing flips when we went down the hills- same girl. And Katie just smiled and took it all in. 

We got to stop one last time at the lake and snagged a few pics of us enjoying the water one last time. 

Then it was back to the car for the drive back down to northern Indiana for our last stop of the trip- Tippecanoe River State Park. I was thankful that the hottest day of our trip was spent mostly in the car, because once we got to our last campground, we quickly realized how miserable it was to be outside. We spent the majority of our time that afternoon and evening in the camper. I ran to town to try to download a movie on our phone for the kids to watch since there was no internet service in the park (and was ultimately unsuccessful). So I grabbed some pizza and coloring books and crayons to help us make it through the night while Eric took the kids to one of the playgrounds to play a bit.

Eric made s'mores on our stove, and we busted out all the cookies and fruit snacks we had left to try to occupy the kids.

They discovered that I had packed some new books that we hadn't read before, so we spent a lot of time enjoying our new books and seeing what they were all about. 

The next morning we made breakfast in the camper and ended up packing up in the rain- no internet means no way to check the weather! It was a pretty quiet ride back home, we didn't even really stop for lunch because all the kids were still napping off and on. Boy we were all excited to finally be home, but I think it's safe to say that we all really did enjoy our time together on our first vacation. It was the perfect way to get in some quality family time before adding another little one to our crazy mix. Brayden and Ashley both said that playing on the beach and the sand dune ride were their favorite part of the vacation, and Katie quickly mimicked "sand dune rides", which I'm sure was one of her favorite parts too. 

Eric and I counted this vacation as a win, so now it's time to plan our next family vacation for next summer!