Big Sister

Dear Grace,
I wondered what kind of big sister you would be. You have been so excited about being a big sister from the moment we told you. You would go back and forth saying you wanted it to be a brother, and then a sister, so I don't think you ever really cared either way.

I had heard the stories of older siblings asking their parents if they could just take the new baby back to the hospital and hoped you wouldn't feel that way. During my last trimester your excitement REALLY kicked into high gear as we were getting things ready for bring Jack home, receiving gifts ans more. After each doctor's appointment I would come home and you would immediately ask if "Baby Jack" was here yet. We would tell you he was coming in November, which meant nothing to you. You finally understood when we were able to tell you that he was coming out of my stomach tomorrow! You came to the hospital that mornig in your big sister shirt. You were so excited to have all your favorite people in one spot to play with and had a few presents to open, including two LaLaLoopsy dolls that you've been asking for. If this isn't an excited face I don't know what is!

When Daddy finally brought you into the delivery room to see Jack, you were in shock! I don't think you really expected him to be there and you were beyond thrilled to see that he was.

Since we have been home, you have been the most incredible big sister. You love baby Jack so much, and it is the best feeling for your Mommy and Daddy.

You love kissing, touching, holding and anything else that has to do with your little brother. You would lay down on top of him and smother him with your love if we'd let you!


Photoshoots with you two don't really work out right now but I'm hoping one day they will!

You are such a help to me. You are able to hand me diapers and wipes and when Jack cries you will talk to him.

Jack is already your biggest fan and stares at you and even smiles. I hope you've found your lifelong best friend in him!

Grace, I am so thankful for you. You are the most precious, sweetest daughter and we are such blessed parents. I am looking forward to watching you and Jack grow up together and I hope the two of you will always be close, although thinking about you at 13 and him at 10 sounds like their might be a time where you are not so close! We are in trouble!


I love you sweet big sister!
Love,
Mommy

Back to the Hospital

Jack's well appointment revealed that he had lost a little too much weight and his billy rubin levels were up. They weren't sky high by any means but with Thanksgiving being in just two days and the doctor's offices closing, our doctor suggested Jack spend a night under the UV lamp.

This little man LOVED his trip to the "beach!"

By this point I was the most exhausted I do believe I have ever been. I missed Grace and being home and thought a lot about how parents of children with serious, life threatening illnesses must feel. It really humbled me and I said several prayers that night thanking God for our health and happiness and every blessing He gives us.

Jack's morning blood test proved that the UV lamp had done it's job and his billy rubin levels were fine and we could go home!

First Days at Home

Here are a few pictures from our first days at home. Nanny stayed two days and then we were on our own, which I'm not going to lie was NOT easy at first! People always say that having one child is easy compared to balancing the needs of two and I am now a believer!

Jack was born on a Wednesday and Jon returned to work on Monday. Gigi was a huge help carting all of us around to Jack's first well appointment, getting Grace from school and errands in between.

Hospital Stay

We finally made it out of labor and delivery and into a room by 6:00. I felt TERRIBLE after the birth but was feeling like myself again by then. We did let Grace come visit while I was still in the delivery room and she was beyond thrilled to see that Jack was finally here.



All the grandparents visited, which I must say I don't know how we would have ever made it without them! Grace had a ball with them just like we knew she would but it was still very comforting to know she was happy! Many of my coworkers visited and I don't think we got much rest but that probably just prepared us for what was to come.

and finally home!

Jack's birth

When you have your first baby 3 1/2 weeks early, you just get the idea that all pregnancies are going to happen that way. WRONG! As my stomach grew and grew and I began to get more uncomfortable each day, we all thought Jack would be here before Halloween. That day came and we thought surely it would happen soon. I looked like this just before delivery

I felt like this!

Honestly I can't tell much of a difference between the two pictures! HA!
My due date was the 19th and before we knew it, that day was quickly approaching. Dr. Collins said we could plan for an induction or wait to see how things went naturally, but with Thanksgiving being the following week I felt better knowing that Dr. Collins would deliver Jack. He first checked to see if November 11th was available, but with that being 11-11-11 he said there were tons of mommies wanting to be induced that day so we took the first avaiable spot. After picking up Krispy Kreme donuts for the nurses station we headed to the hospital at midnight. Let me back up - before we left I had a minor meltdown. I started remembering the pain of having Grace, the 18 hours it took to get her out, and then already missing Grace, who was in good hands with Nana and Grand Dad was just more than I could take. There wasn't much time for a complete "come apart" and that was probably a good thing!
We arrived at the hospital, filled out paperwork and before I knew it two hours had flown by before they even got things going. Things calmed down around 3:00am and we both got some sleep. Some where between 4:00 and 5:00am my water broke. I slept a little more but by 10:00 or 11:00 I was really feeling the contractions! The first epidural I received worked wonders and I got another short nap, but once it wore off the following epidurals just didn't seem to take much affect. By noon I was at 6 cm and my mom and Jon's mom decided to go grab a bite to eat. I warned them not to and as soon as they left they checked me again and I was at 10cm! I think I started pushing around 2:00 and at 2:41 Jack was born!

Welcome to the World, Jack!

Jonahan Robert Mills Junior
Born November 16, 2011
at 2:41pm
7 pounds 9 ounces
19 inches long

Halloween

For the past several years we have had people over for Halloween because one, it's my favorite holiday and two, our neighborhood is known for a crazy amount of trick-or-treaters. But with two weeks left until I was 40 weeks pregnant, I was just not up to it so the Tigues volunteered to have us over and we were thrilled. I had a doctor's appointment on Halloween afternoon so Tiffany squeezed a third carseat into the back of her car and took Grace home with her and the girls for me. Grace LOVED this and talked about it forever! I came over and got Grace ready and then after lots of pictures I waddled with everyone else through the neighborhood to trick-or-treat.




If you can't figure out what Grace is, don't worry. When we asked her what she wanted to be she said a "Fairytale princess movie star lady." Sometimes this phrase would include "ballerina" too. So between Nanny and I, this is what we came up with!