Just Like Daddy

I love this picture. Every day, Tyson wants to see what Ry is wearing and try to match as close as he can. I constantly hear "but I wanna be just like you Daddy."  

If this little man grows up to be half the man that Ryan is...then I know we have done a great job as parents. 

Introducing Kacy Rae

Kacy Rae

Born October 1st, 2013

3:09pm

7 pounds, 10 ounces

20 inches long

It is hard to believe that it has already been 5 weeks since we welcomed miss Kacy into the world.  She is absolutely perfect and we are so in love.  

Already, she is a little planner just like her Mama as seen by waiting for the induction date of October 1st.  I was prepared for anything...just like with Tyson.  I was ready to even go into labor in front of a class of teenagers and had them all convinced that they needed to give me chocolate and back rubs to calm down contractions.  

The induction was scheduled for week 39 since she was measuring quite large...however, as you can tell with the 7 lbs, 10 oz, she definitely was not the 10 pounder everyone was nervous for.  Realistically, I believe that it was someone's way of making sure that I wasn't at school for the busiest week of the year - Homecoming. Especially with me as the Student Government teacher, it would have been a tiring and exhausting week for anyone, let alone someone ready to pop.  (Ugh...I hate that term but truly explains just how I looked.)  See:

So here we are arriving at the hospital at 6am.  All ready to go.  

Everything went pretty smooth.  I got all hooked up to the pitocin by about 8:30am and my Doc broke my water just after.  I was quite pleased with myself to know that the contractions that I had been feeling for many weeks were measuring to be pretty legit and way more than just a braxton hicks.  Not that I get a special medal or anything, but somehow made it all feel better.  I wanted the contractions to get pretty strong and steady before getting that magical epidural and as I waited through them, I blasted Metallica, AC/DC, Nirvana, and any other hard core song I had on my iPod to handle the pain.  With headphones of course.  Didn't want to scare off all the babies on the floor.

I finally got the epidural at 12:30pm which lowered my blood pressure to an almost scary level.  But the good part was I was able to just zone out while they kept cranking up the pitocin dosage.  Finally about 2:45pm they checked me and I was a 10.  Dr came in at 2:50pm and she was born at 3:09pm.  Pretty "easy" delivery, if there is such a thing.  I will always remember that I smiled over at Ryan at one point and he smiled back knowing just what I was listening to on my headphones.  AC/DC Hells Bells...the ultimate Get Yo Game Face On song.  The Doc and nurses laughed at my song choices, but let's be honest, playing relaxing music just doesn't cut it.  There is nothing relaxing about giving birth.  It is the ultimate work out.  The biggest push of your life.  So seriously...Get Yo Game Face On!!!

Once Kacy Rae was handed to me...life was perfect.  I looked at Ryan, the most supportive and loving husband anyone could as for.  I cried.  He cried.  I looked at my Mom who has been my rock for my entire life.  I cried even more.  She cried.  It was a full circle.  I now have a daughter to love just as my mom has loved me.  And she was perfect. Absolutely perfect. 

And check out all that hair!!! The doc asked if I had heartburn and I said I practically lived on tums. 

My Dad, Ryan's Mom, and by far the happiest 4 year old in the world all came in shortly after.  Tyson is head over heels about his baby sister and even still at week 5 his love for her continues to grow just as much as ours does.  

Siblings and cousins came to see her too and we went home the next day.  Ever since...life has been pretty good!!

Let's Compare

Belly with Ty on the left. Belly with baby Kacy on the right. 

OMG

We are having a baby tomorrow!! I just know that this little girl is already a planner and wanted to just wait until the scheduled induce time! 

Cannot wait to hold her!! 

The Count Down is ON

T Minus 16 days until we meet our little girl!!! We have a scheduled induce date for October 1st which is Oh So Close!!

Basically this little girl isn't so little. And most people are not surprised at that news when they see how ginormous my belly is.  But either way she's in the 99th percentile for size and so now it's a different game plan. I'm still convinced they are off by the due date but we have tried our best and have gone no where with that argument. I mean...we were tracking things to make this all happen. And I have been measuring ahead this entire time. Just saying. Either way we head in on Tuesday for another ultra sound to see just how much she has grown. 

Teaching has been great but also exhausting (duh).  I was contracting quite a bit before school started and it seems now being on my feet and more active has calmed everything down. Thank goodness because at this time with Ty I would have been on bed rest for five weeks!!! More than anything I wanted to avoid bed rest. Its boring, hard on my body, would be challenging with a 4 year old and I really I wanted to start the year and get to know my students. 

I seriously love my job each and every day which makes it all that  much easier. The kids are great and I crack up at their concern that I might go into labor. If I take a deep breath or pause for a minute someone will say "omg are you in labor??". 

I had them all convinced that they would need to run to the vending machine to get me chocolate because that calms everything down. I had some students designated to rub my feet and massage my shoulders. But I eventually caved and told them its just not like it is in the movies and it will not be this huge rush of five minutes and counting to get me to the hospital. And if it is...well then it will be something we will all remember. perhaps teach them about the importance of birth control! Either way, their concern is pretty darn cute. 

Ty is READY. Every day he colors a picture or makes a bracelet for his baby sister. He asks a lot about when she is sleeping and if she ate what I just did. He tells anyone and everyone that he has a sister already. He talks about the jobs he will have when she's here and kindly requested gloves when changing her diaper. Too funny!!  And even this weekend he cried because he just wants her to be here!! 

Ryan is ready to go at any moment and his additional anxiety and concern this time makes me convinced that this little girl already has him wrapped around her little finger!  I just can't wait until I can see these two boys hold this baby girl! The thought already just melts my heart! 

And The Bumps Grows On

28 weeks

30 weeks

32 weeks

34 weeks

35 weeks

36 weeks

The Growing Bump

13 weeks

15 weeks

16 weeks

19 weeks

21 weeks

23 weeks

25 weeks

Baby Gapp Number 2

Yikes!!!  My last post was in October.  A part of me wanted to kind of stop blogging, but then I realized that this is really like an online scrapbook of The Gapp Life.  And since I have not made any real scrapbooks in about 7 years, it is probably worth keeping up.  It is no joke when the veteran Moms tell you that you will forget everything.  I have to refer to the blogs and facebook to try and remember key moments like Tyson's first step, first word, and the day we took away his pacifier.

So here we are in June and a LOT has changed since that last October post.  We are expecting baby number 2 due October 8th.  I would say that 98% of the time leading up to the big reveal, I totally thought it was a girl.  Mostly because this pregnancy has just been so different.

With Tyson, it was all about foods with as much flavor as possible such as pickles and Sriracha hot sauce.  However, this go round I couldn't handle hardly anything and the majority of my meals consisted of cereal (Thanks General Mills for your amazing Golden Grahams, total life saver).  I definitely had more "morning sickness", but the best part was it was all in the evenings.  Very convenient for teaching and really made me efficient in my grading.  The first year of teaching is hard for anyone, but when you know that you want to possibly throw up every night at 5:30 and be asleep by 6:30, it is crucial to have all grading and planning done ASAP.  Perhaps my advice for a first year teacher...just get knocked up.

However, as we led to the week of the big reveal, I was starting to lean toward a boy.  I was feeling very nervous about two boys since it is really little boys all around us.  And I think it was really the planning part in me trying to prepare myself for pure chaos.  I remember specifically an evening when I was tucked in bed (just after Wheel of Fortune at 6:58pm), and I was on Pinterest. I was looking at pink nurseries and started to actually cry at the thought that I would never get to dress a little babe up in pink dresses.  When just then, Ty walks in says, Hi Mama....  Farts....  And then leaves.  The tears turned into full on bawling.

When the time came and the technician asked which do I think....my final vote was Boy.  Even though, deep down I had thought girl all along.  I think more than anything I didn't want to be disappointed or God forbid - wrong.  However, just so I can remember this too, on the day of the big reveal, I was feeling quite content about two boys.  I had a dream that week that we were hanging out with our best friends, our two boys and their two boys and we just laughed at the chaos and said...Penises everywhere!  I know its very simple but after feeling like I wouldn't be connected to this baby, I woke up thinking, every little thing, is gonna be alright (Thanks Bob Marley, you always know just what to say).

And so, at the appointment, the technician did all her measurements, which by the way amazes me.  I think my favorite part is zooming in on the heart chambers and valves.  CRAZY!!!  Seriously, technology is amazing.  She then asked if we were ready (ummm....duh, of course we are), and said that she already knew and had it written on a piece of paper on the counter.  WHAT??   We were both glued to the TV like it was 4th quarter in a Bronco Game and she already knows!!!!  I looked at Ryan and we both thought...well then it HAS to be a boy (if she saw a little somethin' as she was looking around.)

She zooms in and asks, "What do you see".  We said "nothing".  She asked if we knew where we were and if we saw the legs.  Ummm, yes, of course we knew.  She asked again, "What do you see guys?"  Again, we said "Nothing".  She leans forward and looks at us and said, "So what does that mean guys??"  Holy crap!!!!  IT'S A GIRL!!!