Introducing...

Hamilton Wade Tracy

October 14, 2014 @ 7:58am

7 lb 7 oz

18 1/4 inches

He's here! And right on his due date, just like Norah. 

My birth experience with Hamilton is very similar to mine with Norah. Monday started like any other day, early in the afternoon I noticed that I began loosing my mucus plug and having irregular contractions. 

By early evening contractions were coming on a bit stronger and more regular. I had planned on going to a movie with my parents but decided to stay home and pack a hospital bag and put Norah to bed one last time (good thing too).  As we were singing our songs and saying our prayers in her bed it really hit me, next time I do this she won't be the baby anymore. Cue the tears! 

To pass time, Daniel and I watched a few episodes of Sons of Anarchy and then I thought well, I better get some sleep. Which is what I should have been doing instead of watching Netflix, but I was too anxious. I got in bed at 11pm and woke up to a very strong contraction at midnight. So much for sleep. From then on contractions were less than 10 mins a part. I stayed awake watching Catching Fire until contractions were less than 5 minutes a part and rather painful. That's when I woke Daniel up. I snuck into Norah's room and gave her one last teary smooch before making our way to the hospital.

We got to the hospital at 3:30am and I was dilated to 5cm (whoo-hoo). Then it was the waiting game for the epidural. Whyyyy do they make us wait so long!? I was having the worst back labor pains ever, something I did NOT experience with Norah. It was horrific. I finally got my epiIdural at 5am and was dilated to 8cm. I was able to get some sleep until about 6:30am when they called my Dr. He showed up around 7am and said I was good to go. I started pushing at 7:30am and he was born at 7:58am. 

Talk about FAST!

Before I knew it, he was here and to be honest I did not know what to think lol. They were cleaning him up and I was just looking at him thinking, "I have another baby..." It was a very surreal experience to say the least. But once things calmed down and I was able to snuggle him and get that first wiff of new baby smell my heart melted. And has continued to melt each day since.

We love our little man so much and are very excited to welcome him into our family!

More details to come:)

My Girl

Well I've reached that point in my pregnancy. The point where I'm having a hard time coming to grips with my baby girl not being the baby anymore. 

One week to go until this little man makes his debut appearance and between getting everything ready for his arrival, I'm trying to soak up every minute of Norah time that I can. Which has proven difficult since we are staying with my parents until we find a home in Utah... Norah sure does love her Nana and Papa:)

During the hub-bub of of all that is going on, I asked my sweet sister-in-law to snap a few photos of just Norah and I on a walk. I want to remember what life was like when it was just her and I (oh and Dan too lol).

Now on to a new chapter in our lives. 

Bring on the endless diapers, sleepless nights and sore nipples. 

Just as long as I still get lovies from my baby girl.

XOXO

Klackle Orchards

In our last few weeks in Michigan we've been trying to cram in all the "Michigan Unique" things to do. To be honest, there really isn't much lol. But it's sure been fun eating at our favorite pizza place, breakfast cafe, downtown deli, and apple orchards one last time! 

Michigan is known well for it's apples and there are a few orchards near our home and every fall we go pick apples, eat the best pumpkin donuts ever and wash it down it apple cider. 

Here we are at Klackle Orchards which has lots to offer the kiddos besides just apple picking. This is the first year Norah has been old enough to do all the activities and she had a blast as we dragged her from one thing to the next:)

The bouncy houses were a big hit. Probably her favorite.

We paid $3 extra for her to ride the pony and was on it for about one minute before wanting off. 

She was a trooper when it came to actual apple picking, but got bored rather quickly. She kept asking (insistently) to go back to the slides, meaning bouncy houses lol. 

We normally would have picked out a pumpkin or two as well but not this year.

I love spending the day with my little (growing) family. We've been to Klackle 4 years in a row while living in Michigan. Time to find a new fall family tradition. 

What do have for us Utah?