Meeting Libby!

When Libby was about 10 hours old, she got to meet her family!!!!

 

We were so excited for all our family to get here and meet Libby, especially her big sisters. 

 

My parents had been at our house with the girls and brought them first.  Of course, it was an emotional moment for "some" of us!  :) 

 

The girls weren't too sure what was going on at first, but I think they were more scared to see me in the bed.  I was still on an IV because of my platelet issues so I couldn't get up, and Caitlin kept saying, "Mommy, get out of bed."  I think she was a little scared.  But as soon as they got to hold Libby, they were old pros at this big sister thing!

 

This first moment of our 3 daugthers together is definitely a highlight of my life!!!

 

Our perfect family of 5!

 

Libby was also very excited to meet all her grandparents!!!!

Libby meets Grandma and Grandpa.

This picture is just so sweet!!!!

 

Libby meets Nana and Papa!

Libby found a great place to snuggle!  I think Grandpa was telling her all about the Notre Dame game (Notre Dame went undefeated and into the national championship game), which was her first football game she got to watch..followed by a Bears win the following night!

 

After all the grandparents and sisters left, it was time for Libby to meet her aunts and uncles!  We really wanted her to get to meet her cousin Lucy too, but the hospital has strict policies on siblings only, which we can appreciate!!!!  Lucy did get to meet her when we brought her home from the hospital, but those pictures are on Aunt Julie's camera and they are a little busy right now in wonderful place called Disney World!  So we will post those later!  I also did a terrible job taking pictures, but given that Libby is only 12 hours old, I'll give myself a pass. Luckily, Aunt Julie was there!

 

Aunt Katie meeting her 4th niece.  Vern was there too, but he's on the camera phone pictures, which haven't been downloaded yet....so he'll make the phone photo collage!

Aunt Julie meeting her 3rd niece.  Uncle Joe was also there, but they had to go in shifts because Lucy was sleeping in the car...but we know there will be plenty of pics of Uncle Joe and Libby in the future.

 

Rob and I really don't have many pictures of us with Libby, but Jules took a few...Thank you Jules!!!!

Proud daddy

Mommy and her tiny snuggle bug!!!!

We love our daughter so much!!!

 

Libby 12 hours old

Libby 12 hour sold

Libby 24 hours old

 

Uncle B and Auntie Mo Mo also came to meet Libby...but Mommy forgot to take pictures.  We were so excited to have visitors, we forgot to get the camera out.  But Libby was so thankful that they came to meet her..and so were we!  We know that Libby and Patrick are gonna grow up buds! 

 

Well, the post never went out...so today Libby is actually 8 days old..and I can honestly say these have really been 8 of the best days of our lives.  Having our 3 daughters together has brought us more joy than we ever imagined!  I also have to say that Rob is really the best dad!  Not only did he wait on me and Libby hand and foot for the past week, but he was super dad.  He drove the girls to school..and even stayed and was the Parent Helper in each of the girls classroom one day!  They thought it was the best day of their lives!  He took them to see Santa.  He cooked our meals.  He cleaned the house.  We have no idea what we are going to do tomorrow when he's back at work, but we will definitely miss him...a lot!  Thanks Rob for being the best Dad to your 3 daughters, and the best husband to me!  We never take for granted how lucky we are!!!

Libby Frances is here!

(Favorite Picture...ever!)

 

We are so happy to announce that Libby Frances Wennerstrom arrived on Saturday, November 24th at 12:29am.  She was 6 lbs 11 oz and 20 inches long!  She is absolutely perfect in every way!!!  We are beyond in love with her!!!!!

 

Libby's early arrival wasn't a huge surprise, but nevertheless, I wasn't completely prepared.  I had been having contractions for weeks and was already dialated to 3 so we knew she'd be coming soon.  On Wednesday night,  I was sent to labor and delivery for concerns with high blood pressure.   "The baby" was doing great, but they had some concerns with my blood work.  We spent Wednesday night in Labor and Delivery for follow-up bloodwork and were released on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day.  Before we were released, we were informed that I had low platelet counts.  They were at 99,000 (most people are between 150000 and 400000) and the cutoff for an epidural is between 80000 and 100000 depending on the doctor.  If I was further along, they said they would have induced that day, but because I was still 3 weeks away from my due date, they decided to hold off and let her grow.

 

We went to Thanksgiving at my parents...and it was wonderful, but I was not feeling great and sort of missed the whole Thanksgiving (I really need a redo, I LOVE Thanksgiving).  The next day, Friday, I woke up with contractions.  They continued all day, but were about 15 minutes apart.  Around noon I told Rob that I they weren't stopping, and while I knew they could go on for days, I thought he may want to work from home just in case.  Around 4:00, they picked up to about every 10 minutes.  Around 6:00, they picked up to every 6 minutes.  I realized this could be the real deal, so I went into major nesting phase.  Doing laundry, packing bags, cleaning the floors, taking out the garbage, etc.  At 7:00, they were between 4 and 5 minutes apart, so I knew it was time to make "the call".  First we called my parents and asked them to come on over.  We weren't sure if they would send me to labor and delivery yet, but we wanted them to be around.  Then we called the doctor.  He said he wanted us to come in because of my platelet counts...they wouldn't be able to do the epidural until I had more bloodwork done so he wanted us to come in sooner than later.  We also decided to let Nana and Papa (who were in Indiana) know that we were headed to the hospital.  I put the girls to bed knowing they might be waking up to a new sister.  We just told them that if they wake up and grandma and grandpa are here, that we went to the hospital to get their new sister and they would come and see us.

 

Once at labor and delivery, they hooked me up and I was dialated to 4 and contracting every 5ish minutes, so they said it was Go Time!  We were very excited.  They did the blook work and hooked me up to an IV..and we waited for the platelet count.

 

About an hour later, the pain was starting to increase so they called for the epidural.  This was when it got fun!!!  The dr came in..and I noticed he didn't have his epidural cart.  He said my numbers had dropped to 92,000...and he could not do the epidural.  WHAT???  I was at increased risk for bleeding which could lead to being paralyzed...so I knew I didn't want it anyways.  But still...wasn't really prepared.  Asked about other pain-controlling options....NOPE.  We were headed into an all-natural delivery.  I think I started to freak out here...more just because of the unexpected.

 

This was about 10pm.  The next 2 hours are a little bit of a blur, and a little bit of my mind probably not letting me remember...but I'll keep those details between Rob, Me, and our amazing nurse Colby. She NEVER left my side from the moment I found out I was doing it naturally till the moment Libby arrived.  She helped me change positions to move labor along faster...and talked me through each contraction.  This was the point I wished I would have taken some sort of lamazee class so I was a little more prepared.  Around 12:10am, I very quietly and politely ;) informed them it was time...and 15ish minutes later, Libby arrived (Baby Girl Wennerstrom at this point, no name yet).  It was a surreal moment that she was here and I did it naturally, but I was also exhausted and just wanted to sleep.

 

When they announced she was 6lbs, 11 oz...we laughed because of course she would be our biggest..and she was still almost 3 weeks away from her due date!  They were saying "you are probably glad she's so small"...little did they know she had a pound on Caitlin...and almost 4 on Abigail!  :)   She's so little...it's such a miracle to me how this little thing will grow into a walking, talking, little girl like Abigail and Caitlin one day!

 

Rob was amazing through it all.  He talked me through each contraction and kept telling me I could do it.  He was the perfect amount of support without being too much in my business.  I definitely could NEVER had done it without him at my side! 

 

He was instantly in love the minute Libby arrived!  Watching him hold Libby made every moment worth it.  It was amazing how instantly our family felt perfect and complete...and we wouldn't have done anything different in any way!  Having our 3 daughters here safe felt like we hit the jackpot!

 

The next few hours continued to be a little rough because of my low platelet counts...but about 2 hours or so later, things were under control and we were able to move to our new "home" upstairs with Libby in hand!  We don't take that moment for granted one minute.  I was also grateful I didn't have to have any blood transfusions, which I really didn't want!

 

About 4am, we were settled in our new room.  They took Libby to do some tests, 1st bath, etc..and we tried to get a few hours of sleep.  However, at this point, I couldn't sleep because we didn't have a name yet.  We had gone into it with a few names, and we couldn't decide.  I felt so bad that she didn't have a name, it was driving me crazy!!!!

 

The next morning, we were very excited to see all our family, and especially to see the girls!  I will post later about how we choose her name and about all the great visitors during Libby's 1st day of life!!!! 

 

I will leave you with some pictures from Libby's birth.  Every one of these pictures makes my heart melt....I had the normal typical fear of "how could I love another baby as much as the other 2"...but seeing Libby instantly took that away and I am beyond in love!  I need to redo thanksgiving because we have so much to be thankful for...our health and our 3 gifts from God!!!!

 

 

 

We are in the process of collecting pictures from all our sources...so lots more pics to come.  We had 2 still cameras, 1 video camera, and 2 camera phones!

 

 

 

 

36 Weeks *updated*

We are 36 weeks today!!!!   Baby Tres is doing great!  She appears to be comfy and cozy.  For the past few weeks I've had weekly Non-Stress Tests and her heart rate looks great!  Her water levels are great too.  As of last week, she has continued to stay head down the whole time, which makes life easier.  I really think she's going to be an easy-going, go-with-the-flow kind of girl! 

As for this mama, I'm not much of a complainer, but I'm sort of ready to meet this little girl!  I've been able to keep going to work everyday, but when you imagine what type of jobs it would be hard to do when pregnant, preschool teacher has to be at the top of the list.  Constantly sitting on the floor, having kids climb in your lap, having to squat down to help kids, tie their shoes, dance around, etc....I can't imagine what a better teacher I will be when I'm not pregnant anymore!  Not to mention I have this really fun side effect of pregnancy called Pregnancy Carpal Tunnel.  It's so odd...when I wake up, my hands are completely numb.  Some days the feeling comes back in my hands, but more days than not, my hands stay numb the whole day.  And using scissors, crayons, etc (hello, I teach preschool) make it worse.  Not complaining, just informing....But I'm happy that this little girl has let me keep on working without complications.  I am thinking hoping this is my last week of work.  Next week we have parent teacher conferences and then the rest of the week off for Thanksgiving.  I am really really hoping to meet her sometime next week!!!!

Abigail and Caitlin are ready (we think) to meet their baby sister.  This weekend was our big "get ready" weekend.  We washed all her clothes and filled her drawers.  We got the bottles ready (just in case), blankets ready, diapers ready, etc.  We packed bags for everyone just in case (hospital bag for mom and dad and baby, stay over bags for girls, hospital bags for girls to keep busy).  The crib is up (and apparently it's SO FUN to be in the crib when it's not your crib...so we are constantly finding the girls in there).  I've turned in all my plans, work, etc through January at work.

All we need is one little girl!!!!  We can not wait to meet her and have our whole family together for the holiday season!!!!! I know I could potentially have another month, but I don't think so....I'm really hoping any day now!   We have another dr appt today so we'll see what he says.....

We are very grateful we made it to 36 weeks with very little intervention needed (just weekly shots)...and can't wait to meet the final piece of our family puzzle!!!!! 

Tay posted!

* update:  we had our 36 week appt last night. Looks like we will most likely meet her sooner than later. sTay posted!

 We had our 36 week appt today.

Oh, and just for fun, Rob through a name "kink" in our plan.  We had our name set...shirts made, hats made, Xmas presents made, Xmas cards designed...and then this weekend Rob switched the name he likes...and I also like them both too.  We've decided to meet her and then decide.  So when she's born, if we just call her Baby Girl Wennerstrom for a day or two, don't be too surprised.  We want to meet this little girl and then decide what name fits her best!

We are ready whenever you are, Baby Tres!!!!!!!

Nemo Birthday

Last weekend we had Caitlin's 3rd birthday celebration!  It's no big surprise that she really wanted a NEMO birthday party!  We decided to just have aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and godparents...we didnt want it to be too overwhelming.  She had a great birthday. Thank you so much to everyone who came or sent a gift...it meant so much to Caitlin and to us!!!!

 

On Saturday, we took Caitlin to see Blue's Clues at a small kids theater.  We try to do something special with each girl on her birthday.  She really wanted to have Abigail and Lucy come with her...so she was a happy girl! The 3 girls had a great time!!!!  Thanks Blandfords for joining us for Caitlin's birthday day out!

 

The 3 Musketeers (for now...soon it'll be 5)

On Sunday we had a birthday brunch for Caitlin.  It was cute because after about an hour of everyone being there and eating, Caitlin asked me when her birthday was going to start...apparently it doesn't begin until there are presents and cake!  :)

The sweet birthday girl!  She always makes us smile!!!!

 

Cousins

Happy Birthday, Bug!

Her Barbie golf cart...just like the one at the cabin!  :)

LIGHT UP SHOES!!!!!!  All she wanted for her birthday was light up shoes!  After hours and hours of looking and researching, we finally found the cutest pair!  Abigail really wanted to buy them for her, so she gave me some quarters out of her bank and wrapped them herself.  It was cute!!!

Thank You Abigail!!!!  (I mean, I know I'm hormanal and all...but it really brought tears to my eyes).

 

A CAMERA!  She really wanted one and loves it!

Giving Patrick a kiss for her Build-a-Bear gift card and presents!

Melted Nemo Cake!  Mommy left it outside because it was cold...but I didn't take into account the sun...so Nemo got a little baked! 

Nana

Grandma

Grandpa

Papa

Scooter from Aunt Katie and Uncle Vern...a big hit!

There were so many other great gifts!  Bug Boots (thank you Blandfords...they really are the nicest boots we've ever had), playdough, clothes, Bears dress, pajamas, etc.  Thank you so much to EVERYONE for all the thoughtful gifts.  She really couldn't have asked for a better day!!!!!!!

She adds so much to our family!!!!!!!!  Happy Birthday, Caitlin Bug!

The sign of a good party...she fell asleep while in the middle of a puzzle....

with her shoes on!  :)

Happy Birthday, Caitlin Bug!

Happy Birthday, Caitlin!!!!!  There is no other way to describe it..you are the love of our lives!  You make us laugh and smile more than ever thought imaginable.  We love your sweet side, your quirky side, your funny side, and your indepenent side.  You keep us on our toes!  We can't wait to see you grow this year...to become a big sister, to complete your first year of school, to continue with your tremendous progress and  hard work in speech, to begin dance, to explore life and all it has to offer....to continue to be the happy girl we know and love!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Bug!!!!!!  We love you!!!!

"I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always...as long as I'm living, my BABY you'll be!"  -Robert Munsch

2009

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Happy Birthday, Baby Girl!!!!  Hope today is the best day yet.....