Miss Josephine J Hartman

From the beginning...
I had an appointment on March 17th - St. Patty's day, to check on the baby, and see how much she had grown in a week. My doctor shared his concerns, after the sonogram, and suggested I get admitted that night. The plan, thin out my cervix overnight - and if my body participates, then start inducing in the morning. The accommodations were very nice, we had a great view of the lake, and we felt quite comfortable. At least I have some green on my gown, right?

The nurses prepared this bed for Neil - how nice is that?

Annnd the nurses suggested I order a lot of food before the kitchen closes at 10pm. I had to stop eating by midnight. So I did. The sandwich wasn't very good, but those cookies....yum. The cheesecake was a pressure order - the nurses basically made me order it. It was quite tasty.

I didn't get any sleep that night. Nurses and the on call doctor were in every hour on the hour. It wasn't fun. Neil however was snoring - apparently he was getting decent sleep. The fact they said, we'll wake you at 6am was hilarious. Did they think I would get any sleep? 6am could not come soon enough. They did more tests and informed me a doctor would be in by 7am to talk with me. Which doctor? They had no clue. Now, the office that I go through has 7 ob/gyns - isn't that nuts? And you just never know who's on call. The nurses don't even know. I was nervous. Mind you, I met all of them, and generally like them all...of course I would've liked my main doctor to walk in the room, but he was on call the day before. 7am rolls by, and walks in the newest member of Ob/Gyn Associates of Erie - Ms. Dr. Warner. I immediately thought of my friends Bryan and Christina who are expecting as well - she is their FAVORITE. After discussing my options w/her we decided to go ahead with a c-section - and within the hour, I was entering the operating room. Long story short, I'm a small person - small person + no dilation + big baby = complications. They were also nervous about her sugar levels - and didn't want to wait another day.
Neil - all prepped and ready to join me in the operating room:

While he was getting ready, a team of about 12 people were getting me ready. The job at hand? To numb me from my ribs to my toes. This was a challenge. I gave the anesthesiologists (yes, there were 2) a difficult time. I couldn't relax. The problem? The catheter. Yeeeouch. Just trying to sit up was super awkward and just down right painful. One of the anesthesiologists stood in front of me, practically hugging me, to get me to relax. Finally - a warm tingly feeling flowed down my legs. As soon as it happened, Dr. Warner's team went to work. It was like a blur. I do remember being very entertained by her team. Neil came in laughing at the fact I was super alert and joking around. I had a nurse right by my head giving me the play by play...and there were a few others I felt were in there, just to be in there. They were hilarious, and I enjoyed their company, that's for sure.
What I appreciated the most was how covered they kept me. There were sheets up everywhere. And whatever part of me wasn't being operated on, was covered with warm blankets. Neil didn't see anything he shouldn't - is what I'm saying. Within minutes Dr. Warner says "okay dad stand up!" Neil does. Then she says "okay dad, sit down." And then the cry. That wonderful cry. It had me in tears immediately. Dr. Warner then popped her head over the sheet and said "we made the right decision!" They put her on the scale, and the guesses began from everyone in the room. They were quite surprised that she only weighed 8lbs, 7ozs.. To me, she was tiny.
Neil went over and took some photos. Here's one:

She was extremely mad...
Neil brought her over to me, and I was surprised I could move my hands. I had heard that they tie your hands down...and have known women who have had their hands tied down during this operation. But mine were not. One of the anesthesiologists immediately took our camera and started taking photos.

I couldn't believe she was finally here...
At this point, we still didn't have a name for her. We shared what our ideas were to Dr. W, and she definitely gave her two cents...Josephine is my most favorite baby name ever! Throughout the surgery, she kept referring to her as Josephine. :) It helped us w/the decision...
They got me all wrapped up, and I was strolled down the hall to a pre-recovery area. We could hear a baby crying, and it was shocking how I just knew it was my daughter.

After little Miss and I got ourselves cleaned up, they shipped us up one more floor to our room for the next few days. Our stay at this hospital was amazing. We have zero complaints. The food was good. Accommodations were awesome. The staff went above and beyond to be there for us. This is a picture of Neil's bed:

This is Neil taking advantage of me out of bed....

Josephine and her mommy:

Isn't she squishy?
These are just the most recent photos I've taken of her:
All swaddled up... and then free of the swaddle...

Funny faces I caught...

And then precious...

She looks so different to me in the above photo. She is changing everyday.
We are learning more and more each day. What she likes (food), what she dislikes (diaper changes)...
We took some video footage of the weekend, which I really wanted to post on here - but they're not working :( Oh well...I'll try and figure it out.

Nursery

When I found out we were having a girl, I was very excited to get started on the nursery. I'm not your typical girly-girl, and I knew I didn't want to deck out the nursery in over the top girly decor and pinks. I'm a jeans, tank, sandals kind of girl....ask anyone. I'll wear an occasional dress, but it's rare. Annnnyways. Enough about me.
My girlfriend Autumn was in the process of buying her daughter a toddler bed, so it worked out that I was able to buy Emma's crib off of them. We got such a good deal, how could I refuse? And it's white - perfect. From there, I was on the hunt for a dresser/changing table. I wanted vintage, and I needed it to be within our budget. I really didn't think that was possible. I started hunting in January w/zero luck. I was starting to think this just wasn't going to happen for me. I was accepting the fact that I was just going to have to find something and make it work. Ugh. It was getting really, really frustrating. It was the only piece of item I needed to feel complete. I know, how dramatic right? Well, last week I went to this children's consignment store to just look around and when I pulled up - I noticed there was this teeny tiny antique store right next door. The Blue Cupboard. My heart fluttered. The night before I said a little prayer dear Lord, if it's possible, I would like to find this dresser tomorrow. (Even though I had no plans to look. I'd already been everywhere I could think of...and was just hoping for pure randomness.) As soon as I walked in, I just knew what I was looking for was in this tiny shop. I immediately LOVED everything in there. Sure enough, I took 3 steps, and there it was. The owner was wonderful and very chit-chatty...we got to talking about what I was going to use it for. She was so excited and thought it'd be perfect. Of course, I did too. It's actually called a "buffet" and is a vintage piece - not sure how old, but it sure was sturdy. I've seen this exact style/piece online and in other stores in the area - but for a really high dollar amount. The orange tag hooked to it read 20% off. My question to Sandy was "20% off of what?" - as I felt myself melt into a depression. She says "It's 20% off of $249. I really just want it out of here, it's been here for awhile." Uh what?! I freaked. FREAKED. They even deliver for free. Who is this lady, and what store did I step into? With the room for the nursery being more on the small side, I was a bit nervous to commit w/o going home first to measure. And of course, discuss it w/Neil. I texted Neil the photo and gave him all the information - he replied with "just buy it." Again...what? Who was I talking to? Who says the Lord doesn't listen and doesn't answer prayers? 'Cuz you crazy.
Now, don't judge - I don't have anything for the walls yet.... and the lighting wasn't so great, so you can't see the stripes as well as you can in person...

the built in shelf...notice Neil's corner? / The owls were made by Virginia & Laura - amazing, right?

Books! We need more / Teeny clothes. Can't wait.

Owl lamp my boss got for me. / Tooth fairy pillow made by my girl Natalie. Love.

Quilt made by Virginia! / Mommy & me quilts I made...

How much do you love that dresser?! Love. Love. Love!
Neil's corner - I was instructed to leave those items there. Isn't my husband precious? Love him.
In the built in, in the bottom right corner you see 2 stuffed animals. I work the box office on occasion - actually quite a bit during the busy season - and those are the mascots for the basketball team and the hockey team we have. My box office co-workers already went above and beyond w/the amount they bought me - and then threw those in there. I about died when I saw them. And I love the stuffed owls, and the tooth fairy pillow - how talented are my friends?

And is anyone surprised that I found a tiny black hoodie for my daughter? Well, you shouldn't be. I did edit it a bit. I didn't like what was on there, so I went punk rock and patched it up.

So excited to start this new chapter in our lives. I have about a week left...unless she decides to come sooner. At my appointment today my doctor is giving this little one up until the 21st before he takes action. With the diabetes, "I've got a big one growing in there" and he doesn't want her getting too big. I'm really, really praying she'll just decide to come on her own....

I can't wait.

Baby Shower

My mother in law is the BEST!
She hosted my baby shower, and it was absolutely wonderful. It was held at The Oakwood, aka McGarrey's - my favorite restaurant here in Erie. I have a hard time with attention on me. I don't like it. So, having this shower for me, was hard to swallow. As soon as friends and family started to show up, I felt completely at ease. It was such a good time. Cindy kept things flowing, and it went off without a hitch. We ordered our food (I got the Taco Salad mmmm), and we did some low key games, chit chatted and just spent time together. Can you imagine trying to control 40+ women? I can't, but Cindy was a master at it! And then, it was time to open presents. Eeeek, my most dreaded moment of the afternoon. With the help of Erin working her tail off making sure I was never w/o a gift in hand, and we got through it real quick! I have never felt more blessed in my life.
Now...here's the thing. I handed my camera over to Eva. May not have been the best idea. Why? I set it to "intelligent auto" - which means when you're ready to take your picture, it should focus for you. But here's the issue, you have to pay attention to the screen. Now, all of us that know Eva, know her attention-span.... She always goes above and beyond what she is asked. So she took photo after photo, and actually got some really GREAT shots....but they're a bit blurry. Eh, what can ya do?


Neil showed up after all the ladies had left, to help with the carry out of all the goodies. We unloaded all of it at home - the nursery, PACKED. I felt a bit overwhelmed. I needed to start unpacking all of it right then. Eva was a trooper. She brought in her homework, and we spent the next hour or two just unpacking and ooooing and awwwing at everything. Look at this picture she took of me:

Hilarious. That's Cali's back end. She had a hard time w/this. She just loves to be close, and she couldn't get to me. Eventually she squeezed herself inbeween bags, and snuggled at my feet. Love her.

My next post, hopefully this weekend, will be about the nursery. This Friday my dresser/changing table is being delivered. I'm so excited about this find, you have no idea. I dont have anything for the walls yet, but that's alright.

EVA

My older sister Eva came out the weekend of my shower - how sweet is that?!

It was so nice to finally have someone from my family come visit me here in Erie. This May we will have been here for 3 years. Can you believe it? Because I can't. It was awesome to show her my home, and take her around Erie. The trip was a great success and we did a TON!
But first, let's talk about the surprises she brought me. This entire pregnancy, I've craved foods I can only get in CA. She came w/a cooler packed with goodies. Take a look:

She actually found a mexican restaurant up in northern CA that made California burritos... Of course, she made sure they made it the way I like it. And it was AMAZING!!!! What else did she bring? Tacos and a jumbo jack from Jack in the Box. Cheeseburger from In n Out. Del Scorchio sauce from Del Taco. Mmmmmm.

What else did she bring us? Bath and Body Works goodness. We are fully stocked. Believe me. She wasn't joking around. My favorite scent, that they discontinued, but brought back as part of their "classic" series and resold recently. You should see the closet in my bathroom. I'm set for years....

Well, that Friday was a BIG day. I had a sonogram that morning, Eva and Neil joined me for that. Eva and I then went and ate breakfast at Cracker Barrel. Then we made our way up to Niagara Falls. It was freezing!!! (Oh, side note: I went down the wrong street, and then ended up on bridge of no return...we paid a little visit to Canada. Since I don't have a passport, I filled out some paperwork, and we made our way back. It was quite ridiculous. Why couldn't I just turn around? Oh well.) After Niagara Falls, we headed back down to Erie, with a few pit stops. Red Robin, Buffalo Mall, and a Joann's Superstore were all on the list...I told you, big day.

I'll post about my shower next - but it was a great weekend. Eva was real patient with me. Whenever I got tired or cranky, we just slowed down. What was part of the slowing down process, snacking it up while watching Grey's Anatomy. (I got her hooked.)

We were both terrible at taking photos!!! She did get some...but w/the amount that we did, we should have soooo much more.

Raise your hand if you're a BIG time slacker......

Uh, hello fat, swollen hand. Gross.

I need to blog about so much. This weekend. This weekend I will sit myself down and blog. That is...if I remember. I also need to post some pictures on here. I got some pretty great gifts at my shower that I'd like to share. Not to mention the shower itself. It was wonderful. And my sister came out for a few days. It's weird to think she was even here.
And it's March - finally. Baby time. Do we have a name picked out? Nope. Is the nursery done? Nope. This usually very organized, on-top-of-it 30 year old is really losing it. I didn't want to jump ahead too much on getting stuff done, because I felt it would make the time drag on. Well guess what? That back fired big time.
Feeling stressed right about now...