Welcome baby Wil

On Sunday October 4th we welcomed the newest addition to our family, William Henry Alan Simpson. He was born at 9:31 pm, was 19" long and weighed 6lb. 6 oz.


The birth story:
On Sunday morning about 2:30am I started having contractions. By 3 they were about 4-5 minutes apart and we decided to call Dave's mom to have her come up from Fredericksburg to stay with Emma while we went to the hospital. By the time she got here the contractions had slowed to 10 minutes and we decided to stay home. We all tried to rest a bit but by 9 they were back and we decided to make our way to the hospital, just in case. After two hours of observation we were sent home since I was not dilated and my contractions were regular in frequency but not intensity.

To make it all more interesting we had planned to have a birthday party at our house for our niece BethAnne on Sunday. Since I was having contractions and we were headed to the hospital we called off the party. I felt terrible... BethAnne's only wish was that Wil not be born on her birthday or the day of her party so she didn't have to share her spotlight. When we found out we were being sent home I decided I'd rather have the party than sit around thinking about the pain. Plus, I had frosted her cake, while having contractions, at 3:30 am!!!

Everyone showed up around noon and by 2:30 I was exhausted after having irregular bouts of contractions throughout the day. I took a Tylenol PM and headed upstairs to take a nap. I got in about an hour before I woke to some pretty darn painful contractions, yet nothing steady enough to warrant another trip to the hospital.

Warning: graphic info to follow...

Around 5:45 I decided to try another nap. I headed upstairs, went to the bathroom and found that I had lost my mucus plug. Excited that things were finally happening, I yelled down to Dave and headed to bed. Not 15 minutes later I felt a pop and a gush. Call the coast guard, my water had broken. It just so happens that a minute before Dave had gone to take Cooper out. I yelled down to Barbara to bring up a towel, really not even sure what to do next. By this time the contractions were through the roof and I knew we needed to go to the hospital, it was go time.

We said goodbye to Emma and Coop and flew out the door. By 6:20 I was admitted to the Labor and Delivery room awaiting a room assignment while the nurse checked me. I was dilated to 4. What seemed like two hours passed before they sent me to the delivery room, all the while I am asking for the epidural and wondering where the heck the doctor was - no doc meant no epidural. Little did I know Dave's blood was boiling over the lack of expediency as I lay there having contractions every 2 minutes. I guess we made our point, the nurse called a second doctor to order the epidural and 20 minutes later I was on my may to la la land complete with IVs and happy meds. When the doctor finally arrived and checked me I was dilated to 6. By about 9 I was fully dilated and ready to push. about 10 contractions later they broke down the bed, I got a little snip snip and out Wil came.




It's amazing to me the differences between this delivery and Emma's. The whole experience, aside form the 16 hours of laboring at home, felt much more calm and relaxed. I like my doctor, but having Dr. Bissel deliver Wil instead of Dr. Ferrier was a Godsend. She was supportive, calm and did what she needed to do to make the delivery as comfortable as she could. Emma's delivery felt stressed. The nurses were flighty and in hindsight the experience was so much more tense.

Little William is perfect. He's a beautiful baby with a striking resemblance to his big sister. I think he has my nose but the jury is still out to see if he's going to look more like me or become yet another spitting image of his daddy.

If you ask me I think they look a lot alike.... Emma on the left, Wil on the right.



William is named after three of his grandfathers. William is Dave's dad's name, Henry is my later grandfather's name on my mom's side and Alan is my dad and brother's middle names.


We came home from the hospital on Tuesday morning just before Emma's lunchtime. At first Emma really didn't know what to make if little Wil. She was quite skeptical and wouldn't come near me. About 10 minutes in and she was sharing her toys with him likely wondering why he couldn't pick them up and play with her. Since our homecoming she has warmed up a lot more but still very curious. She still shares her toys with him and is such a big help, especially when I change his diaper. She gets the diaper and the wipes and throws the soiled ones away when we're done. It's really stinkin' cute.


We are having a little attention situations with Emma, but it's nothing we didn't expect. She wants to be up in your arms or in your lap at all times and really craves mommy and daddy time these days. She's always wanting help, "help please", even when she's perfectly capable of doing it herself, and her second favorite phrase is "up please" which gets a little overwhelming at times.


Wil has reflux just like Emma did and after a quick visit to the doc at three days old he was put on Zantac. He has his good days and his bad, but we're adjusting his medicine in hopes to find a dosage that will agree with him. He spits up all the time and is sooo sensitive to gas. Feeding time takes about an hour with frequent burp stops and sometimes up to two diaper changes. The little guy is already a trickster and likes to poop right after I've changed him.



It's been a while since I gave Emma updates. She's changed so much over the past few months and turning into quite the precarious toddler. She's very talkative, very high energy and loves her daddy almost as much as she loves cookies.


Some of her favorite words are:

Cookie
Buddy = Copper
Wiw = Wil
Buh buss = burp cloth (i.e. blankie)
Puppy = pink puppy she carries around and sleeps with
Bus
Ockpus = Octopus
Whay = Whale
Burp
Dwink = Drink
Mow = More
Squir = Squirrel
Doggy
Mow = Meow
Uhp Pweese = Up Please
Hep Pweese = Help Please
Moo-ie = Movie
Daddy


One of her favorite things to do is to lay on her belly by the couch and point under it saying 'Hep Pweese" to daddy. Dave responds "What is it, is there something under there?" She replies "yes". Dave lies on his belly, looks under the couch and Emma pops up, climbs on his back and grins ear to ear because she's tricked him. Dave and I laugh every time.

Cookies are this girls favorite thing. If you ask her what she wants for dinner she's say "cookies". For breakfast? Cookies. Lunch? Cookies. You'll be rocking her before bed and she'll turn to you and say "cookies".

Here are some pics from our summer moon bounce party (note, I really shouldn't have been in there!):



Well, it's little man's feeding time so I have to run. Love to all.

our summer

Boy have we been busy.

We took a 10 day rip to Michigan to see my family and get in a little wedding action from my cousin Scott and his beautiful bride Jen. After a 12 hour ride in The Big Red Tomato (as Beth Anne and Katie affectionately call our Durango), we made it to Michigan at 3:30 in the morning. We figured a nighttime drive would be good for Emma, hoping she'd sleep and we'd have a comfortable drive. Little miss didn't fall asleep until nearly 10:30pm waking for every stop, big bump or toll booth. It made for a long haul but I'm proud of her, I wouldn't want to be tied to a car seat for that long either!

After just 4 hours of sleep we all trucked it to Detroit for the wedding Friday night. It was a perfect day and surprisingly Emma was well behaved, aside from the desire to want to walk around instead of being held (typical). We managed to stay at the reception until 10:30 then crashed like lumps on a log till morning.

We spent a full week in Michigan, visiting family, romping around the Lansing area and just plain hanging out which we truly needed. Grandma worked a lot, but her, Grandpa and Aunt Jenni got some good lovin' time in with the little miss. We even got to meet cousin Ryan for the first time... what a cutie!

Friday came so quickly and it was off to Indianapolis to visit with my best friend Nikki, her husband Mark and their two children Drew (2.5) and Elsie (3 weeks). We stayed with Nikki's parents (people I love and adore with all my heart) since Mark's mother was in for a visit the same week. A quick two days later and we were off again to DC, another 10 hour drive. No fun. We did manage to get home around midnight though which meant at least a good night's sleep before the work week started.


After we left Indy Nikki asked if I'd come back to help her with the kids while Mark was away for three days. Since we didn't see much of them the weekend we were there I was super excited at the thought of going back to hang out with Nikki some more. I booked the ticket and it was planned... two weeks later and I was going back to Indy.

Well, now the fun starts. Little Drew came down with a cold while we were in Indy and because I am a sickness sponge I managed to catch what he was dishing out. Being pregnant did not help the recovery time, I was miserable. Claritan? Nope. Tylenol Cold? Nope. I finally started getting better after a friend dropped off some Sudafed 12 hour. 6 days later and I could finally breathe out my nose! Sickness aside, I was determined to get on that plain to Indy that coming Friday.

Now I have always believed that God has a way with making things happen. Good or bad, I feel there is always a reason for everything and things are meant to be no matter how hard it may seem. Friday morning, just 2 minutes before I was to board my flight back to Indy my mom called. My grandfather, Paw as we called him, passed away that morning. He was to be buried in Indianapolis the following Tuesday and my family would be there. God had a plan all along, I am convinced.

Paw was a great man. I grew up visiting him and Maw with my mom, step-dad and brother Mike. I remember being totally spoiled, fed wonderful food, playing with their loving puppies and being very loved by each of them. We knew Paw was sick and I am very thankful that I got to spend time with him in New Orleans. He is missed, but I know he's being taken care of and looking down on all of us.

I spent five days in Indy with Nikki and her children. I had such a good time and missed her the second I boarded the plane to come home. She's a true friend and always there for love, support and friendship. Not only did I have a great time seeing her and spending quality time with her, but she stood at my grandfather's funeral, along with her parents, in support of my family. I love them for so many reasons, but it shows how wonderful they are to have been there for me and my family.

Since I have been back I have been overwhelmed with how quickly time passes. I look to my belly often now and wonder where the last 30 weeks have gone. My little guy is growing day by day, getting closer to meeting the world, and I sit here in awe at how fast the time has gone. In just 8 or so weeks he'll be here and quite honestly I can't believe it. There is still so much to do yet I feel so much more prepared for his arrival than I did with Emma. Sure, he still doesn't have a crib or a room to call his own and I have yet to buy the necessities for his homecoming, but I know it'll get done. In fact, all that matters is that Dave, Emma and I will be here to love him and take care of him, no matter if there's a pair of pj's ready for his first night home.

As with the time before Emma's arrival Dave and I are starting to feel the panic with the work load. I still haven't figured out what to do while I am "out", but as with God's plan with Paw I am sure it'll all fall in place when the time comes. Until then Dave and I will throw around ideas and hope the answer will fall in our laps.

Now that I am no longer sick I am feeling well and our son is growing right on track. I had a dr. appointment last week and am measuring at 31.5 weeks, just 1 week ahead. The plan as of now is to talk inducement at 39 weeks for fear that he'll get too big and I'll be unable to deliver him. Daddy is hoping for a delivery on the 8th (makes remembering birthdays easy for him!), but we'll see what's in this little ones cards.

Emma is turning into quite the charming little girl and has such a cute personality. She's talking up a storm, repeating words you say as best she can. Barbara and I have talked a bout starting a list but there are so many it'll be hard. The newest is octopus. She's also starting to talk in short two word sentences. The other night at 5:30am I heard through the monitor "help please". Little miss had gotten her leg caught in her crib and couldn't get it out on her own. Makes your heart melt doesn't it?

Emma also eats with a fork and drinks out of a straw now. Um, can you say cut? She can't make it through a meal without spilling an entire cup of water down the front of her, but it's adorable nonetheless. She's eating better these days but had a rough month with teething. The eye teeth have finally broken and we're back to eating all things toddler like pb&j, cheese sticks, graham crackers and more.

Here's Emma reading, one of her favorite activities.

This is another favorite...


This summer Emma scored a few new toys which are proudly taking up every inch of our living room. She got a doll house, a play kitchen, a big comfy chair and ottoman and best of all a power wheels quad that's just her size. Day one and she figured out how to work it. Off she went banging into furniture, dog bowls and poor old Cooper. She hasn't quite figured out how to turn yet but she's pretty good at going straight and laughing when she hits the first obstacle. (I'll post the movie of it later)



We're also taking Emma to a class at JW Tumbles. It's an indoor play area with a structured class for children in her age group. She loves to climb so it's perfect for her. And, she's meeting other children, learning a lot of new things and having a blast. She goes twice a week, sometimes three if Dave and I take her on Saturdays.







Summer is coming to a close as we look forward to the baby's arrival, but we had a good time. We visited the zoos, took lots of walks, took some mini vacations and learned a whole lot about what it means to be a toddler in this big world. We are very blessed. We hope everyone had a wonderful summer and look forward to seeing everyone to introduce the new little one. Now if I could only find a third bedroom in this dinky house....

And finally, me at 32 weeks:


love to all.

Look at those ANIMALS!

I can't believe it's been a month since I posted last. Really. I mean, where does the time go? Next thing you know I'm going to have another baby or something and then NEVER post!!! Sheesh. I am surprised I haven't gotten slack from the grandparents... horrible I know.

I thought I posted pics from Emma's first zoo visits, but apparently the baby brain has done it again. It's amazing how this tiny little boy has drained so much out of me... next thing you know I'll be leaving my keys in the refrigerator.

We took Emma to the Reston Zoo three or four weeks ago. She had the greatest time and got to meet some new animal friends. I think she liked the chickens best. She got to feed them and pet them and listed to mommy yelp when they pecked her finger looking for more food.

She also got to feed the goats...


And meet a turtle...



We got drenched in a down pour and couldn't see all the big animals in Reston so we took Emma to the National Zoo with Andy and Stacy the following weekend to make up for it.


We got to see a giant panda, two elephants, a zebra, some gorillas, baboons, a lion, a tiger and oh my gosh so many more really cool animals.


Uncle Andy got to spend some quality time with miss Emma....

As did mommy and daddy...



I think Emma's favorite part of the day though was the giant plastic pizza. The poor girl cried so hard when I made her leave.

It was a great day for all of us... and I am sure going to miss having Andy around when he leaves.


The pregnancy is going pretty smoothly this time around. The only real noticable difference is that I'm bigger sooner. At six months I feel like I did at 8 with Emma. I don't know if that means he's going to be bigger, but man, my appetite sure has taken on a mind of it's own with this one. I've only gained about 8 lbs so far but I feel like I could eat a house at every meal and snack on a few trees in between.

Sadly, I haven't taken any belly shots in a long time. I'm almost 24 weeks and I have really been slacking in that department.

Last weekend I got to take a refresher weekend by myself in New Orleans. My grandfather is very ill and my mom, step-dad and I thought it'd be a good idea for me to go visit and spend some quality time with him. Mom and I spent a few hours there each day with him. He's doing okay, but definintely needs some prayers, he's so weak. But, as short of a weekend as it was, it was nice to see him.

While in NOLA I also got to spend some time at the pool, went to the French Quarter for beignets and the French Market, and had some yummy crawfish at Jeager's. You just can't go to New Orleans without crawfish and beignets! Thanks to mom for showing me a good time and giving me a much needed weekend of fun.

Dave, Emma, Andy and I are headed up to Michigan this Thursday for a full week home. I am so excited. My cousin Scott is getting married Friday night in Detroit and the rest of the time I am going to relax and enjoy my time at home. Wait... forget that... I own a business... vacation? ha. NOT.

The following Friday we're on the road again on our way to Indianapolis to visit my best friend. She just had a baby a few weeks ago, Elsie Jeanne, and I am so excited to meet her. I'm stoked to get to see Nikki, Mark, Drew and the Buedels too. It's been a while and I miss them all dearly.

Then, Sunday it's back to reality. Shucks.

Love to all.

ultrasound pictures

Here are some of the numerous pictures of our 20 week ultrasound. We picked the best ones, as hard as it was :)

Here's a simple profile... Dave already thinks he has cheeks!

He's giving us the thumbs up:

Here's a 3D with his hand on his head, awe!

And finally, the proof that we have a little boy on the way!

Happy Memorial Day everyone, we're headed to the zoo!