Sunday, June 21, 2009

strawberry picking

It's so nice to live in the country. We have TONS of mini strawberries growing in our back yard. The kids go out for hours and just pick and eat and eat and pick and did I mention OD on mini strawberries?? We cannot wait until the raspberries start to appear...those are much more yummy and I can actually bake with those.

Here are some cute pics taken on my new camera...wait I didn't tell you all I got a new camera??? Well...I did! It's a Canon rebel and I have absolutely NO idea how to work the thing other than taking basic pictures. I will have to sit down and read the manual one of these days.



and where was Addy you ask?? She was napping in the sling the whole time...snug as a bug!

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

can you say crazy...

This past Saturday we made a last minute trip to Rochester to visit with some family. My cousin Jessica and her cherubs were in town for a brief minute and a "family reunion" was arranged in a matter of hours. Wasn't too sure we were going to make it with having a 2 week and all but we did. Only the Smith's can pull off a party like that in literally a matter of hours! It was great to see everyone and finally be able to meet some of the younger Gazzaniga children before they move to California.

The whole crew


some of the many cousins
Did I mention it was my grandparents 67th wedding anniversary that day...

Nina and Addy

and of course I will add an Addy pic...I love this outfit from Grandma Cindy and Aunt Robin!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

The stinky cheese girl is no longer

Addy's little gross blue belly button bulge (say that fast) came off yesterday so she got her very first bath this morning. I will give myself a pat on the back for doing this alone with another kiddo in the bathtub next to me (it kept him contained). Don't you love how they look like little frogs in the tub!

All clean with a new outfit from GeeGee
all 10 lbs 2 oz of her...
Kylie took this pic of Cooper because he was feeling a little left out of the photo shoot!

sweet sweet baby



I got this idea from my friend Nicole who had a baby a few weeks before Addy. You would think I would have picked up on something like this by now but I haven't. Here is Addy next to a stuffed animal her Nonie gave her at almost 2 weeks! I will document it monthly from this point on!
My chubby baby!!!
How sweet.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Warning...TMI!

Here's the deal. I wasn't going to post about the "labor" but feel I am being pressured by the lady friends in my life.

Obviously I had to be induced and I wasn't so into this! We got to the hospital about 6 am and got into a room by about 6:30ish. The baby's heart rate was pretty high (200's) so they had to wait to start the petocine until it calmed down. I told them I drank a big glass of OJ just an hour before and this usually got the baby moving, but they still wanted to monitor or shall I say the resident want to monitor. My doc said to just pump me with fluids and things should settle down and they did! We started the petocine around 8:00ish and things moved slowly for a while! I was impressed with how "painless" it was at the time and thought it was going to be a breeze! I got an epidural (yes I am a weenie) around 4 cm and that was the most painful part up until that point. For some reason IT REALLY HURT this time! I actually felt it down my leg...ya...not so fun! But it worked for the time begin. Then I remembered why I didn't want to be induced..IT IS INTENSE! Starting around 7 cm I totally felt the contractions (or my body splitting in two) and that lasted until the end! Now don't get me wrong, the epidural helped a lot, but man if you are going to get one, you would expect it to help more than that. I can say from past experience that I think the epidural took about 40% of the pain away this time, but nothing more. Cannot imagine what it would have been like without it and the Petocine???

Okay...so every time the doc checked me I felt like I was letting him down. Things were moving slowly (for me) and they decided that the baby was sunny side up instead of face down so they had me roll from side to side to get her to move. At last this worked and I was a ready!! They told me when I felt like I had to push to push (I still don't get that...after three deliveries I have NEVER felt like I had to push....NEVER). I pushed for a grand total of 4 minutes...yes 4 minutes!!!! And out she came...full head of hair and all! I will say this was the easiest thus far but I will not be doing it again! Three is the number for us!

She was BIG...and not a boy! I was totally thinking I was having a boy and even started talking to the doc about circumcision...hahaha. He looked at me and said, "um, Kara, you had a girl!" Guess I was a little loopy!

She nursed almost immediately and my dad was able to come in right away (he was in Syracuse for a meeting go figure)!

So there it is girls...the finale in labor and delivery from this mama!!

Here she is as they plopped her on my belly!! The nurse is just getting the goobers out of her hair!

Monday, June 8, 2009

ummmm not what I was I planning

I was going to write about the "birth story" here on my lovely blog but decided to skip that and save all of those who have weak stomachs from loosing their lunch on the computer screen!

SO...I will update you all on the life of Kara Riedl, AKA, mom of three! THREE! 3!

On second thought, I have to go feed the baby....this story will be continued, but I will leave you all with a few nice pictures!!

Addy's first time to church

Proud big sissy

Kylie's "Art" show
And Cooper is just not into getting his picture taken right now...

Monday, June 1, 2009

Addison's many pics



Kylie just cannot wait to hold Addy