Mackenzie ELAYNE! You're HOW OLD?? Relentless, unforgiving passing of time!! What have I ever done to you??
Weellll... we've been busy. I mean, I'm sure I could have carved out a few minutes here or there to write a little bit about a huge, life-changing event like bringing a whole new human into the world. But I've been too busy cuddling with it. Because wookit.
Let me start from the beginning. Mackenzie was born on June 21st, the first day of summer. I woke up at 4:30 AM, which was in no way unusual, as I am a bit of an early morning insomniac, especially when pregnant. But the contractions were definitely more crampy than usual, and... Good Lord Almighty, that baby just shat an audible load in her diaper. I'ma hafta take a break.
Anyway... contractions. It became clear to me by 6:30 or 7 AM that this was The Day. Contractions were about 5 minutes apart and well out of the Braxton Hicks Comfort Zone. I made the necessary phone calls and Meredith was here by 8-ish to take the boys. Casey has come out of his shell in a big way recently, and didn't seem to care at all that I woke him up, threw some clothes on him, and sent him off in an unfamiliar car. (Not that he doesn't know Meredith, John and Pete, but STILL... it's a milestone.) I believe we left here at 8:15 or 8:30, and the ride to the birth center was freakishly easy (especially compared to last time, when I went through transition in the car). I was about to tell Shawn to turn around and go home, thinking that this was probably the false labor everyone talks about. My contractions were tapering off, and the few that I did have weren't very strong. As soon as we arrived, though, they picked up again, and when they examined me I was already almost 7 centimeters. Contractions were painful but tolerable for quite awhile. I remember talking and laughing between them up to 9 cm, which is weird and not at all like my last labor. When my midwife asked if I wanted her to break my water, I said "Yah! Let's git-r-doooonnnne!" The water breakage happened at 8 centimeters, and just after that I got into the birthing tub and stayed there until Mackenzie was born at 11:09 AM. Fast and furious! And holy balls, painful at the end there. But it's done, and I have a beebie now!
8 lbs, 15oz, 22 inches long
The day could not have worked out more perfectly. There was a playdate that day at the church I've been attending in Tacoma (Meredith goes there too). It's about half a mile from the birth center, so Meredith took all the boys to the playdate and was able to bring Colton and Casey over to see their new sister about an hour after she was born. They've both been in love ever since. Squishy, smothering, overwhelming love. Lots of dirty hands and wet kisses and Casey yelling, "I SEE! I SEE BABY!! I SEEEEEEEE!!"
We were home by 5 PM, about 6 hours after she was born.
I'm sure I don't have the right words for how great Shawn was that first week. He did everything for the boys and let Mackenzie and I heal and adjust to the new life in the most relaxed, quiet way possible. I was terrified of him going back to work the next week, but in the end it wasn't nearly as challenging as the ghastly pictures I'd painted in my head. Challenging, yes, but not undoable.
THREE kids. It's been interesting. Though I really think that the transition from 1 to 2 was harder than going from 2 to 3. It's like I'm just used to being a little crazy and never feeling caught up. With anything. Ever. Now that she's seven weeks old, I'm feeling a little more human again. For awhile there, it was just pain, boobs, diapers, poop, children, screaming, food, hungry, poop, mastitis, dirty fingernails, dirty dishes, more mastitis, diapers, crying, and booooobs. Dude. Sleep? Etc.
But tonight, it's 8:30 PM, and even though Mackenzie has not yet pooped today, she is happily snuggled into her Moby wrap and I was just able to type more than two sentences is one sitting. In fact, I think I'm going to post this one now. I was going to attempt to make it more reader-friendly, but I just don't think I AM reader-friendly right now.
But first, let's check in with my gigantic children. Here's a couple of tidbits: Colton starts Kindergarten in less than a month and is turning FIVE in two days. Last week, he fell at the Harborside Park in Bremerton and split his head open. 12 STAPLES. Will post pictures later.
Casey is still a mountainous pile of cuteness. A few weeks ago, he ran down the hallway towards me and said "MOM!", then glanced around with an exaggerated nervous expression and said "Bear comin'." Then he took off running. Must have been in the middle of reenacting one of his favorite books- 'We're Going on on a Bear Hunt'.
And lastly, here's a bonus picture, because I'm so generous:
