Mother of Two.

Yesterday, when I got out of the shower, London was standing on the rug with my towel in her hand. "Here ya go, Mama!" she said with a smile. "Thank you, honey!" "You're welcome." I wish I could say that every minute of the last week and a half has been this perfect- but, let's face it--- having two kids is twice as hard as having one. I think the hardest part is not having down time. I am never not needed by one or both my girls. Thankfully, I somehow only feel overwhelmed at moments that pass quickly [like when Elle spits up a river down my shirt while London is begging me to draw a family of kitties], so motherhood still brings me the fulfillment and joy I've been loving for the past 2 years. 

Elle has been a gem so far. She eats, spits up (still getting used to that), and sleeps, just like a baby should. Two things have saved me in this whole mothering two thing: 1) The Moby wrap. I made two from a pattern I found on Pinterest and they magically free my hands to do all of the things I wouldn't be able to do otherwise...like play with a 2 year old and keep my house clean! 2) The Woombie. Oh my goodness- it's a swaddling "blanket" that zips. It's a literal sleeping pill for Elle. 

"Look, Dad! I has a mustache too! I'm so funny!"

 London mostly does her own thing. She dances from room to room, making up songs about her favorite inanimate objects, pretends to be a princess, and every once in a while wanders over to Elle, rubs her head and says, "Awwww, he's so cute!" or "Awwww, he's so yittle!" She insists on helping with diaper changes and lets me know every time "Baby Elle is sad" and clearly "wants some milk", which is both helpful and insanely adorable. Meanwhile, London is really into Cinderella. Every spoon, stick, spatula, comb, etc. is a wand, and you better believe she will use said wand to turn you into an animal.  "Bobbity Boo! You're a froggy!" Also, she has recently discovered that she has options. When she's hungry, we go to the pantry and fridge so she can stare at the selection, put her finger on her chin, give a puzzled look, and say, "Hmmm, let me think about it. [long pause] I want _________."

I wish I had crazy, exciting stories to tell- but the truth is, everything so far has just been plain good. Today, we watched Stuart Little 2, and Elle slept in my arms while London laid on my lap and I played with those killer red curls--- and I was happy.

Enter Baby Elle

Let's start at the beginning... Two weeks ago Wednesday, I had my final ultrasound to make sure that Elle was on track for a perfect delivery. The ultrasound went like this...

-"Okay, here is her head. Oh my goodness she has a huge head! Wow!"
-"Okay, here is her femur. Oh my goodness that is an enormous femur! Oh wow!"
-"Oh, and there is fluid in her kidneys. The doctor is making you an appointment with a high-risk specialist. We are going to change your due date to October 25th. Did I mention that you have the biggest baby I have ever seen?"

One week of stress and tears later, I finally had the appointment with the high-risk specialist. The appointment went like this...

-"The fluid in her kidneys is probably nothing. She looks really healthy. Why is she so big? Do you have diabetes? I need you to get tested again for diabetes. You are a horrible candidate for a VBAC. Let's change your due date to October 31st."

I left the appointment angry. Of course the fact that Elle's kidneys showed no abnormalities was a marvelous relief, but that lady didn't know what she was talking about. She didn't know that I am an embarrassingly healthy eater and that I do yoga six days a week, or that I had been preparing for a VBAC for two entire years and had specifically chosen my doctor because he was going to help me do it.

We drove home, I called my doctor's office to set up another diabetes screening test, and we went for a family walk. While we were walking, I had to stop a few times because of contractions, the first I'd had the entire pregnancy. We made our way up the stairs to our house and my doctor's nurse called me back.

"Hi Bristyl. I made you an appointment to take the diabetes test tomorrow morning. As you know, Dr. McCarter will be out of town until next week, but the other doctors in his practice asked that I send you to Labor and Delivery, just to be sure that everything is going well with the baby."

---"Ummm...really? That's...okay...but I haven't had regular contractions and I feel fine. I mean...I don't think...ummmm. Okay. I guess we'll go."

When I got the the hospital, I was dilated to a 3.5. The first hour, my contractions went from every 2 minutes to every 40 seconds, and I was asking for my mother. I was admitted immediately. The nurse called my doctor to let him know that Elle was on the way. He was in California. The doctor covering his patients, Dr. Baxter, refused to deliver me unless it was a C-section. The nurse handed me the phone and I cried.

-"Bristyl, I'm sorry. I'm not there. I wish I was there. Dr. Baxter is covering another hospital and will only be able to perform a C-section. You have to think of the health of you and your baby. I really am so sorry."

I wanted to scream. But you promised. But that's why I picked you. But I want to have more than 3 or 4 kids. But I know I can. But we know she's less than 8 lbs so she won't be too big. But this is all we've talked about at every appointment for the last nine months. But you promised.

Nothing came out of my mouth.

In enters Joy Hartwell.

-"What's going on? No. No. That's not right. No."

The nurse gave my mom a look.

-"Bristyl, tell the nurse what you want."
-"I don't want a C-section."

And that wonderful nurse whom I now love forever set everything up for me to have another doctor come in from another practice to deliver Elle naturally.


  Dr. Baxter, realizing that he was about to be in an insane amount of trouble, angrily came to the hospital to deliver her, like he was supposed to. He was awful and rude, but the nurses were wonderful and Elle entered this world at 11:01 pm on Wednesday, October 9th. She was 7lbs 8oz, 20.5 inches long, and possibly four weeks early, depending on which of my three due dates you pick.

She had fluid in her little lungs, so she's been in the NICU ever since. We are on track to bring her home by the end of the week! I am most looking forward to London meeting her sister for the first time.