Samantha's New Favorite Things

We love our new neighborhood (I keep referring to it as our new neighborhood, but realize that we have been here for 10 months now ...). We have wonderful neighbors and are excited about the various neighboorhood activities that are coming up this year.

One of our neighbors surprised us this week by sending over two packages -- one for Sophia and one for Samantha. Sam is absolutely giddy over her gifts and Steve managed to take a few pictures of her with them:

She received new sunglasses (which I swear she would sleep with if I would let her), a new purse (that also hasn't been out of her hands since she opened it), a cute play flower for Spring ... and this:

A jump-rope!

Steve had to modify the length of the rope for her, and she is determined to master the art of jump-roping sooner rather than later. She wakes up in the morning and immediately asks me where her jump-rope is. And then, I observe this act about 40 times a day!

Yesterday ...

... was a long day. Oh sure, I accomplished a lot. In fact, at one point in the morning, I vaguely remember calling Steve at work to tell him that I felt like a new, rejuvenated woman -- all because I took both girls with me inside the bank and to Meijers ... by myself. Yup, with Sophia in her car seat in the front of the cart and Sam in the main basket portion, we managed to pick out and purchase groceries with no breakdowns (from either me or the girls!) and every grocery item was unopened and undisturbed (which says a lot when you have a two-year old helper with you). Yup, that was in the morning ...

The afternoon (and evening) presented a whole new outlook. And to be blunt, that outlook was muddied up by poop and pee. Sophia didn't feel well (an upset stomach and change in her pooping pattern resulted in a major "clean-up on aisle 5" incident). The cupcakes that Sam and I were making and decorating were put on hold as we worked together to clean up the major mess and give Sophia a bath.

Then Sam had an accident of her own (at least Steve was here to assist). We have been trying to encourage frequent trips to the potty with Sam, but we didn't catch it this time and she was wearing "big girl panties." Oh well, accidents happen ...

At the end of all of this, when I finally laid my head down in bed (which was much later than I would have liked since Sophia was still battling the upset stomach and wasn't ready to settle down), I couldn't help but smile because of this:

That's our family of four. I know that some days are going to be longer than others. And then there are going to be days when I feel that everything is moving quicker than I would like and that my girls are growing up too fast. But at the end of those days, one thing will always remain the same -- I love our little family so much!

Sophia Is One Month Old

Sophia turned one month old yesterday! I can't believe how fast the time is flying by...

It just happened to work out that Sophia also received her first bath in her tub yesterday. Sam and I have been giving her regular sponge baths up until now (one of Samantha's favorite things to do), but we wanted to be sure that Steve was here for the first real bath ... Surprisingly, Sophia didn't mind the bath too much (I remember that Sam HATED her first time in the bathtub, and then quickly learned to love it).

She is getting SO big!

Realizing that the bath isn't too bad ...

Mommy and her girls

(I love that look on Sophia's face!)

All squeaky clean after her bath!

Grandpa and Grandma Lapinski stopped by for a quick visit this week to see the girls and Samantha was so happy to see them!

We had a lot of company over this week and Sam never seems to tire from showing off all of her latest antics. Her vocabulary continues to grow (I don't think that there is a single word that she won't repeat) and she is getting better at stringing more and more words together into phrases. She seems to speak very clearly; occasionally there is a word that I won't understand, but she immediately uses gestures to make me comprehend.

I am so fascinated with watching her personality develop. I smile whenever she accomplishes something on her own and claps afterwards while saying, "Yea! Did it!" I love that she is eager to please (most of the time anyway) and can now follow directives when she is given them. I also cherish the fact that she can show emotion easily -- She's not afraid to tell me that she is sad and to tell me why when I ask. Likewise, she also admits when she had fun doing something (no matter how simple it may have been).

I often wonder how similar my two little girls are going to be. I have a feeling that they are going to be very different in both their personalities and in their looks. I am excited about that ... Regardless of how they change and develop and grow together, I know that they are already on the way to being good friends ... And that makes me so happy!

The STOP sign

With Sophia sleeping in our bedroom down on the main floor, Samantha was instantly intrigued with going in there and waking her up whenever she was sleeping. In order to put a "stop" to this problem before it got to be a major habit, Sam and I did a little project together where she helped me glue the letters on a STOP sign. We talked about the letters and what they spell ... and more importantly, we talked about how she was not allowed to go in our room if the STOP sign was hanging on the door because it means that Sophia is sleeping.

This little project has been a major success; I think that Sam has only violated that rule once in the two weeks that we have been using the sign. I am so pleased ...

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Wishing everyone a very Happy St. Patrick's Day ...

Sophia's Birth Story

From the very beginning of this pregnancy, my doctor and I began discussing delivery options. It was difficult for me to deliver Samantha simply because of my narrow pelvic region and my curved tailbone. While I delivered Samantha without a c-section, it was determined that if this baby was much bigger than her, that a c-section would likely be the safer option. Of course, we wouldn't be able to determine the baby's size until we got much closer to my due date of March 3rd.

As my pregnancy progressed, several doctors (including my own) told me that this baby was definitely bigger than Samantha. An ultrasound at 37 weeks confirmed that the baby was measuring about a week ahead of schedule. It was then that I made the decision to schedule a c-section near 39 weeks. I could still go into labor on my own and depending on how I was progressing, I could possibly try to deliver the baby without a c-section. It was just safer to have a c-section scheduled anyway.

My doctor gave me a few choices on possible dates for my scheduled c-section, and after weighing all of the options, Steve and I chose February 26th. This date is right between our birthdays (Steve's birthday is on the 25th and mine is the on the 27th). In doing so, the baby could have its OWN birthday ...

I made it to 39 weeks without going into labor on my own! This surprised me since Samantha came 2 1/2 weeks early ... (We later learned that my body had been laboring for a quite a while, but because the baby couldn't drop into my pelvic canal and her head was actually going OVER my pelvis, that my labor wasn't progressing. It turns out that I would have had to deliver this baby by c-section anyway).

As luck would have it, Samantha developed a cold the week of my scheduled c-section. This meant that I had to re-evalulate our babysitting plans for her and possibly avoid having her come up to the hospital to see me and the baby. This thought was devastating to me, but in the end, it all worked out just fine ...

Steve and I got to the hospital at 10 am on February 26th (two hours before my scheduled c-section). Right away, the nurse began getting prepped for surgery (blood draws, IVs, antibiotics, etc.). I remember thinking how everything just seemed so calm and so relaxed.

With both of our parents out in the waiting room, Steve and I headed down to the operating room at 11:40 am. Steve was dressed in "scrubs" and had to stay outside of the OR until after I received my spinal anesthesia and was completely ready for surgery (about a 15 minute wait for him). Much to my amazement, Steve watched the ENTIRE surgery; in fact, both him and Dr. Barton took turns telling me exactly what was happening for the entire event. I enjoyed that. When the baby was pulled out, Steve leaned over and whispered to me, "It's a girl! And she's dancing all over the place!" I cried tears of happiness at that moment.

Not only was the gender of the baby a surprise for us, but her weight was quite a shock -- even for my doctor. Sophia Marie (Marie is my middle name), was 8 lbs 4 oz! Dr. Barton's estimate (right before surgery) was a pound lower than that! Once again, I would never have been able to deliver her on my own.

Following the surgery, I was wheeled (along with Sophia) into a recovery room where I would stay for 2 hours and be monitored. After I got settled in, Steve got out the video recorder and took it with him out into the waiting room so that he would record for us the reactions of our parents when he shared the news. Afterwards, they all came back to see Sophia and me.

Samantha was able to come and meet her little sister the next day (on my birthday). She was feeling much better and was genuinely excited about this new addition to our family!

Sophia and I were released from the hospital on March 1st, and I was SO ready to come home at that point. I missed Samantha dreadfully and I was eager to just relax and recover in my own home. Steve came and picked us up that morning and Sophia came home wearing the same little bear outfit that Sam wore home from the hospital two years ago.

When we arrived home, my mom was here with Sam and I just gave her the biggest hug ever. Of course, she was happy that I was home, but the bigger thrill for her was seeing her little sister again. I will never forget how special that moment was ...

Steve and I are truly blessed with two beautiful little girls, and I know that I couldn't be any happier than I am right now. Sure, I am a little sleep-deprived and there are days when I feel like I might be stretched a little too thin around here. But all it takes is a hug from Samantha as she tells me that she loves me or that captivating stare from Sophia as she moves her little lips in anticipation for milk, and I just melt.

I am so lucky that I can stay home with these girls and watch each moment as they change. I still work part-time teaching college chemistry lectures and labs and that too, fulfills me. I am so passionate about teaching and am so passionate about my growing family. Life is good ...

Playtime

Sophia has been enjoying some time on her playmat -- it used to be Samantha's, and while she has no recollection of it, it sure did get a lot of use ... This afternoon, as the sun was streaming in through the window, I captured Samantha down on the playmat, just entertaining her little sister.

It seems to pull at my heartstrings each time that I see them together. Samantha has already demonstrated such tenderness and compassion for Sophia -- just in the short two weeks that she has been home. There isn't a single thing that she won't do for me if I tell her that Sophia needs help. I can only hope that this will continue ...

Mommy's Helper

One of Samantha's favorite things to help me with now is giving Sophia a sponge bath. She helps me gather all of the supplies and her special job is to gingerly wash Sophia with the washcloth. Sophia squirms a little bit during all of this and I have often heard Samantha say, "It's ok. Safe." It makes me smile to know that Samantha is already protective of her little sister ...

Sisterly Love

Samantha has adjusted to our new little one even better than I could have imagined. She was so excited when we came home from the hospital with her, and since that moment, she has continued to embrace this new change with ease. For that, I am truly thankful.

Sam shows compassion for Sophia whenever she hears her crying and then immediately runs to tell me. She is instrumental in almost all diaper changes and sponge baths in this house and I make sure that she is included in some sort of activity whenever I am tied up with nursing Sophia. Samantha showers Sophia with kisses and her touch has become more and more gentle now.




My hope is that these two loves of my life will grow together and be the best of friends forever. They have already bonded in the most special way, and Sophia is only 10 days old ... We truly consider ourselves to be so blessed.

Introducing ...

Sophia Marie Lapinski, born on February 26, 2011 at 12:13 pm. She was 20 inches long and an unbelievable 8 lbs. 4 oz. She is perfect in every way and we are so excited about this new addition to our family.

Both her and I were discharged from the hospital yesterday (Tuesday) and we are so happy to be home! I am recovering from the c-section -- it's definitely a different recovery compared to Samantha's birth. Nonetheless, the doctor assures me that I am recovering very well (quicker than most patients) and I am trying not to overdue things here, now that I am home.



Samantha was able to come up to the hospital the day after her little sister was born. This made me so happy since it was also my birthday and I could see my two little girls meet for the very first time. It was the best birthday present that I could have ever asked for. One thing is for sure: Sam loves her little sister and she has already nicknamed her, "Phia."

(I will post more pictures in the next couple of days, as most of the pictures are on a different camera and the USB cable for that camera is at Steve's work). I have no doubt that there will be a lot of pictures over the next couple of months ... and I will also be sure to share the whole birth story when I things slow down a little bit around here!