Gracie Olivia Long

Sweet baby.

Wendy took this amazing shot....
smiling AND with her eyes open!

Sadie gets a look at her baby sister.

Only a few minutes old here.

Me with my two girls.

Chilling with dad.

Asleep in my arms.

Bonding with dad on day 2.

Gracie Olivia Long was born on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009 at 7:31 p.m. at Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte. Her stats: 7 pounds, 6 ounces and 20 inches tall. She is just perfect, very healthy and loud! We were finally able to bring Gracie home on Thursday afternoon. She's so sweet and precious.

We arrived at the hospital at 2:15 p.m. on Sept. 22 for a scheduled induction. My doctor broke my water at 2:54 and the fun began! I got an epidural at around 5 p.m., but I was still feeling the contractions. So weird! I felt NOTHING with Sadie. And then I REALLY started feeling them. I didn't understand what was going on. Epidural!!!! Does that mean nothing? The anesthesiologist came back around and tried to figure out what was going on. He turned up the volume, but it didn't really matter. I was fully dilated and ready to have this baby! I started pushing and my doctor told me to stop. They needed time to get the room ready. Four pushes and she was born. It lasted mere minutes. And there she was, so beautiful.

Our hospital stay seemed long. I felt great after about 24 hours, but I'm glad we stayed the full two nights. It's amazing how much I have forgotten about newborns since Sadie was one. Gracie also had to have a bit of surgery before we left. She had an extremely short frenulum, the membrane that attaches the tongue to the floor of the mouth. Since this could interfere with breastfeeding and cause speech problems later, we decided to go ahead with the procedure. It was really simple and she seems to be healing and feeling just fine.

We're glad to be home with our two beautiful girls.

Grandma's here

Grandma arrived on Monday and has been with Sadie while we go to work. Sadie is now officially spoiled! She loves Grandma! They go for walks twice a day and Grandma brought all sorts of treats with her. Sadie got a hand-made pillow and a new blanket for her new room ... and, of course, new clothes. Sadie got a big kick out of the mermaids on her new jeans.

Sadie gets a new room

I wanted to make Sadie's new room special for her so
I got her two wall decals. She just loves the birds.

Close-up of the bird and flowers.

Bird cage with a bird and flowers
on the opposite wall.

Birds on a branch in our dining room.

So many changes for a little girl and the biggest change yet to come with the arrival of her baby sister. I thought it would be nice to make her room special with these wall decals. I'm addicted to them. I bought a huge one for our dining room wall.

Still waiting on #2

Hanging out with Mom before heading off to school.

Sadie relaxing with Mom in the office.

Waiting to go to school.

At Firehouse Subs wearing her Fire Chief hat.
She had her first Oreo that day. Big hit.

Well, it could be any day now. My due date isn't until Sept. 29, but the doctor thinks I won't even make it to Sept. 22. So we wait and wait and wait some more. When will it happen? I'm just so curious. Anyway, thought I'd post a few new pics of my big girl Sadie.

18th month well visit

Sadie at Amelie's French Bakery during my baby
"sprinkle." Photo by Wendy Yang Brunk

A little late, I know, but Sadie turned 18 months on August 1. Her next visit will be at 2 years. 2 years! How did this happen? Anyway, her stats: 32.5 inches tall, 25 pounds and a head circumference of 47.8 cm. I can't believe how big my little baby is. She's a bundle of energy and just loves to be outside. Her little cheeks turn bright red just like her mom. And she's just so loud. You don't realize it until you're at the grocery store and she's yelling something or other: "ball!" whenever she's sees round fruit or "bunny" when she sees the helium balloons. It's adorable. And she's developed a bit of an accent. Not sure what kind of accent it is, but she says "cheek-can" for chicken, "peeg" for pig and "feench" for "fence." Her favorite foods are anything you'd consider a cracker and that good-for- you avocado. She loves that stuff. And she's eating sandwiches now. What a big girl! We've been transitioning her to a new bedroom and a new bed. Both were just so easy. I fretted, yet again, over nothing. Crying it out at 6 months... a cinch. Saying bye-bye to the pacifier.. a few nights of ten-minute-long crying and then it was over. Moving her to the toddler bed... one failed nap time and then sleeping all night in the bed without even falling out. What a champ. I'm so proud of her.