Welcome to the world Baby Grace!

Grace Sally Ernzen made her debut in this world at 5:11 a.m. on September 17, 2010. She has blessed both Greg and I with so much love and special moments since then that I have not had the time to really get on the computer and share all of the fun things we have been doing since her birth. I'll definitely post more in the next few days to try to get caught up, but first a picture or two of Baby Grace and her short but sweet birth story.

I was blessed not only with a beautiful daughter, but also a short and relatively easy labor and delivery. For the last few weeks leading up to Grace's birth, I was worried that I wouldn't know if I had gone into labor or not. Everyone kept saying, "oh, you'll know," but I was still scared that my water would break in a slow leak and I would not know the difference.

Well, when my water did break, I definitely knew the difference pretty quickly. At 12:45 a.m. on Friday September 17, I jumped out of bed (or as much of a jump as a 39 1/2 week pregnant woman can do) because I thought I had just gone to the bathroom in my sleep. Lo and behold it was my water because immediately I felt my first contraction and knew that something more was happening. I woke Greg up and said "honey, I think I'm in labor. I'm going to take a shower to see if these contractions the real thing." I also wanted to take a shower because I thought it would be a day or two before I would be able to shower again (and I wanted to look halfway decent if I was in labor, ha!). Greg, still halfway asleep, says "okay, wake me up if you think it is real." Mind you, I hadn't had any major "fake" contractions, so it wasn't like we had any previous false alarms. Two minutes later Greg comes into the bathroom obviously awake now and definitely anxious, nervous, excited, etc., all of the emotions of a first time dad. 


The contractions don't stop, are starting to get really close together (like 3 minutes!) and definitely more painful. I call Dr. Gordon, and after the 3rd call I hear back from him and we get the okay to go to the hospital. I was admitted to St. Joseph Medical Center at 2 a.m., and had already progressed to a 5 at 100 percent. Two days prior at my weekly appointment I was a 3 at 80 percent, so it was great news to hear that we were definitely progressing further in the right direction. I got the epidural at 3 a.m. (thank goodness for modern medicine!!) and started pushing at 4:30 a.m. 


After 45 minutes of pushing, definitely the most exhausting thing I have ever done in my entire life, Grace Sally came into the world with a full head of hair and sweet little lungs as she let out her first precious cry. Greg stayed with her the entire time she was being cleaned off, bathed, bundled and checked out. I finally got to hold her and she started nursing right away. 


We are so blessed with our little bundle of joy and I can't wait to share more of Grace's life with you. I'll also finally post pictures of the nursery, which, ironically, I took pictures of on Thursday night (Sept. 16) and was planning on posting that Friday that Grace was born. She was just ready to come out on her own, and I am glad that she did. Looking forward to sharing more soon.

My "First" Baby

Baby Ernie will arrive for sure by the end of September 21st. If I haven't gone into labor on my own by Tuesday, I will be induced that morning at 6 a.m. I am very relieved to have a date set, as I am a planner and like to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

As we continue the countdown for our first born child, I want to acknowledge our "first" baby, also known as our hairy baby.

We adopted Oscar from Wayside Waifs (a local no-kill shelter) 2 1/2 years ago and he has been our "baby" since then. He has warmed his way into our hearts and to his own bed on the floor next to our bed. This was quite an accomplishment considering that Greg at first had said that no dogs would be allowed upstairs in our house. (Greg grew up on a farm and all dogs were outside dogs. I knew that wouldn't last long with Oscar.) We adopted Oscar when he was a year old, and were so lucky to get him because he was already house broken and just a sweetheart of a dog.

I know that Oscar will be a great big brother to Baby Ernie and that they will be great friends. I'm looking forward to seeing how he will protect her and follow her around, and also let her pull up on him and pull his ears. He will probably want to sleep in her room from now on.

We've tried to get him ready for a new baby in the house, but I don't think it will really hit him until she is here all the time. All of the books have said to start "ignoring" your pet a bit to prepare them, but I just think that is cruel. If anything, we've spent more time with him, taking him on more walks and giving him more pats on the head.

What have you all done with your pets? Any advice on what has worked with you?

Maternity Photo Shoot Teaser

I'll post more photos this weekend from our Maternity photo shoot we did a few weeks ago with Peep Toe Photography. Greg, I and Oscar had a fun time at Loose Park.

Good Eats and Pregnancy Treats

Once my morning sickness (alright let's be honest, it was more like "all day sickness") subsided around week 16, I truly have enjoyed every minute of being pregnant. I know this is not the case with all women, so I feel pretty lucky and blessed to have had such a smooth ride.

There are definitely some things that have made my pregnancy more enjoyable that include treating myself to certain foods, products and activities.

First up, my favorite pregnancy "Good Eats"

1. Andre's Confiserie Suisse.

For those of you lucky enough to live in Kansas City, you know what I'm talking about. This place serves the most fantastic authentic Swiss lunches that not only leave you feeling a little spoiled, but immensely satisfied. I started treating myself to weekly Andre's lunches in March. In July I upped my lunches to twice a week. And now that I'm in the home stretch, I'm going three times a week. One might say this is a little excessive. But I honestly look forward to seeing the women at Andre's when I pick up my lunch, trying something new or indulging in a favorite item. Some of my favorites include: Risotto, Vol au Vent, Ravioli, Pork Grandmere, Eggplant Thomas, Tuna Salad Stuffed Tomatoes and the Ham and Cheese Croissants. Each entree comes with a salad, carrots, beets or another veggie; and fabulous roll; a drink (iced-tea with a lemon for me) and a choice of their amazing desserts. This has been by far and away my favorite treat to myself (and to Baby Ernie!).

2. Shatto Milk.

I know that I had heard of Shatto Milk (another amazing product of the Kansas City area), but I had never tried it before I became pregnant. This stuff is pure gold. Not only is it local, but it is hormone free and packaged in these glass bottles that you bring back to the store to get a cash credit towards your next purchase. Shatto also makes the most tasty whole milk in fabulous flavors including Root Beer, Strawberry, Banana, Chocolate and Orange Dream. This local dairy farm also offers tours, and I can't wait to take Baby Ernie!

3. Fiber One.

When you are pregnant, you need all of the fiber you can get. These two products taste fantastic and quickly became a part of my morning breakfast routine. The Banana Chocolate Chip muffins are fabulous for breakfast on the go. Just pop one into the microwave for 30 seconds, and you have a warm gooey treat for the road. The Oats and Apple Streusel bars are a nice fruity treat as well.




 
4. Fage Greek Yogurt.

This amazing Greek yogurt also made its way to my daily morning snack routine. It is so tasty and the honey adds so much goodness. You can also find this yogurt accompanied by strawberries, cherries, blueberries and peaches.

5. Haagen-Dazs.

Really, any ice cream will do. But this stuff is heaven on earth, and it helps that it is a bit more guilt-free. In love with this taste.

6. Metromint.

If you have never tried this water, you need to go out and get some. Not only is this totally refreshing, but it is packaged in such a cute, mod bottle that you will want to refill it over and over again. I'm hooked on the orange mint and lemon mint flavors, but have also tried the chocolate mint and spearmint and really like them too. This would have been great to drink during the morning sickness phase, but I didn't discover it until only a few months ago.

Now for the "Pregnancy Treats"

1. Spa Treatments.

Your body goes through so much being pregnant that you really need to pamper yourself a bit. My salon of choice is Bijin Salon and Spa in Prairie Village. I'm so glad that I took the time out to get monthly pre-natal massages, along with occasional special treats of manicures, pedicures and facials. The massages were an absolute must and I highly recommend them.

2. Snoogle.

Sleep (for me) has been not sound or long for many many months, and I'm sure it is just going to get worse once Baby Ernie gets here. But, this body pillow helps to make what little sleep I get as comfortable as possible. The Snoogle is a must. Even Greg tries to steal it from me when I get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. This is definitely a good investment for the duration of pregnancy and beyond. I've since added more pillows to my night time regimen, almost like I'm sleeping in a canoe of pillows. But it works in helping me get a somewhat good night of sleep.





3. Mama Mio Tummy Rub.

This stuff is hands-down awesome. I'm not sure if I truly believe that it wards off stretch marks (even though I still don't have any, knock on wood), it definitely does a great job of making your skin feel soft and luxurious. This cream smells great, and I've already gone through two tubs of it. You can order it online, but I also found it at Destination Maternity.

4. Burt's Bees.

Another great skin care line is, of course, Burt's Bees. I alternate my stretch mark avoidance regimen with the Mama Mio Tummy Rub at night and the Mama Bee Nourishing Body Oil in the morning. This oil from Burt's Bees feels like you are rubbing lemon-scented olive oil on your stomach, but it must be working because I don't have any stretch marks, just sayin'.

I also love the Fabulously Fresh Peppermint and Rosemary Body Bar. It leaves your skin feeling tingly all over and has a great scent to wake you up in the morning.

5. Aveeno Bath and Shower Oil.

If you have itchy skin like me, this product truly has healing powers. It soothes skin like no other and leaves skin feeling soft all day long. It has a great almond scent too. I've been using this shower oil for years, and it has helped throughout my pregnancy as well. This one is a keeper.











6. Gap Pure Body Foldover Pants.

I picked up these pants when I was shopping for comfortable hospital attire and post-pregnancy/nursing gear. Needless to say, I have already worn them close to 50 times. I absolutely love these pants! Stretchy, comfortable and super soft. I have the nickel color, although I think they look more plum. Pick up a pair and thank me later.

Green Thumb ... or not.

I'd like to consider myself a natural at some things; gardening would be one of those things. For the past 3 years, I've tried my hand at planting perennials, annuals, bulbs, herbs, vegetables, trees and shrubs. I've definitely had my hits and misses.

For instance, last summer in my herb/veggie garden I planted zucchinis and tomatoes. I harvested a plethora of zucchinis the size of my forearm, but the tomatoes never even made it off the vine. I'm a pro at planting basil and can whip up a mean pesto; but my parsley (all three times I planted it this summer) became instant rabbit food. My hostas thrive, but I only had six tulips bloom this spring out of the 40 I planted two years ago.

But this takes the cake for sure. I just can't explain for the life of me what happened.

Here is a beautiful example of my gardening skills thriving in our front yard along our walkway to the house.

And here is an example of .... not so much.

Same plant, from the same Lowe's, planted the exact same way, and cared for with the same amount of love. Yet five of the six I planted totally died, while the one on the end thrived. It is like he ate the other ones or something. The "monster plant" has tripled in size too.

Please tell me this has happened to you all. It is obviously too late to replant now, so I'm just waiting until fall comes to plant some mums or something. I am open to any advice.

Blessed with Baby Showers

This past month, Greg and I have been showered by our friends and family with wonderful gifts for Baby Ernie. We couldn't be more grateful in having so much help getting ready for our bundle of joy who will be here in just 3 short weeks (if not sooner!).

Our first shower was a Couple's Shower thrown by Natalie and Andrew Donovan on July 31. I wish I would have taken more photos from this party, because it was really fun. Greg's friends contributed to a group gift to help us get some of the bigger items off our baby registry.

Fun party, great cake!

The next Saturday, my sister and best girlfriends threw a gorgeous bird/nesting themed baby shower. Every personalized detail was perfect and they did such a good job. Junior League friends, Kappa friends, old work friends, Stitch and Bitch friends and Greg's mom and aunt were in attendance, and Baby Ernie and I really got spoiled. The food was fantastic from this special salad that was my Mom's recipe that Laura made, to the exquisite cake balls that are to die for, to the party favors from Andre's. Absolute perfection.

The girls had gathered photos from my dad and Greg's mom to hang on the branches. Little Andre's chocolate and coconut nest treats are on the platter. I love the photo of my Mom and me to the right.

 

 

 

 

Baby photos of Greg and I. Can you tell who is who?

More sweet photos and baby items as decorations. Such special touches!!

Me with my hostesses. Nikki, Laura, me, Rebecca, Maggie and Cho. Thank you again ladies!!!

Laura and I. Thanks for letting me borrow your gorgeous yellow dress. I'm lucky you have great taste!

I am equally blessed to have such a great Mother-in-Law. We had so much fun going back through all of the gifts after the shower and displaying them for Ron and Greg to see.

Barbara and I traveled to Tulsa on August 14 for a baby shower hosted by one of my Mom's best friends, Sheri Renfrow, at Southern Hills Country Club. It was an afternoon tea filled with delicious treats from cucumber and egg salad sandwiches to strawberry scones, macaroons and pink lemonade. It was so good to see childhood friends, high school friends, many of my Mom's dear friends and, of course, family.

My Mom's dear friend Aunt Sheri. (And I couldn't get enough of this dress!)

I have known these girls forever: Kimberly Butler and Elizabeth (Lovely) Greenhaw.

Wonderful grade school and high school friends: Ann, Kelsey and Katie. So glad you girls were there!!

Part of the Eagan clan. My cousin Lenny's wife Tina, Aunt Eileen and her granddauther Alexa, and my cousin Chris' wife Anita.

My wonderful Mother-in-Law Barbara. 

My last shower was last weekend and was thrown by the Ernzen aunts. Greg's Dad is one of eight kids (Barbara is one of 15!), and Aunt Shirley, Aunt Dorothy and Aunt Patsy got together to throw a very sweet shower with the girl relatives. Baby Ernie is so blessed to join this bunch of ladies!

Patsy and Dorothy in the top row. Me, Shirley and Barbara filling out the bottom row.

Me, Ali and Barbara. We had such fun!!

With less than 3 weeks to go before Baby Ernie is due, I have many things to post. I'll try to get a lot done this weekend with the holiday. Be on the lookout!! Have a fun and safe Labor Day weekend!!