Ainsley's 1st Bee Day Party

We celebrated Ainsley's first birthday with a bee themed birthday party.  It was pretty low key, but very nice.  We had brunch food along with salted caramel and chocolate, chocolate cupcakes.  Ainsley loved her cupcake and playing with the big kids.  

 Birthday Banner

Goodie Bags

Milk Bottles

Welcome to our beehive!

Cupcakes

 Ainsley with Titi Alison

 G-ma & I wearing our antennae

 The last kiddos at the party.  Even the bday girl was asleep.

 The Smith Family (minus Mike)

 Milton/Manbert Table

 Christman table

 Liz & Jacob

 Josh & Aria

 The proud parents

 Mema being silly

 Big girls

 Happy birthday to you...happy birthday to you...

 Presents!

 Sisters

One of the most favorite presents of the day.  Even Addy loved it!

Over a year later...

Amazing how a year flies by and I forget to blog.  I guess I will have to catch up again...hopefully I can just keep up.

Ainsley, you turned one year old a little over a month ago.  I cannot believe you are already one, yet I also cannot really remember not having you in our lives.  You are such a happy little girl.  You adore your daddy & sister and sometimes I will get a smile or two.  You have a full mouth of teeth and crawl all over the place. Your favorite place to be is outside.  If the screen door is open, you head right out. You weigh 24 lbs and 5 ozs and are in the 90th percentile for both height and weight.  You say "Momma", "Addy", "Daddy," and "hi".  You are very methodical and think about everything.  You love putting things "away" for us and like to have everything in the right spot.  You light up our world and we love you so very much.

Your first cupcake, vanilla with vanilla frosting from Panera

Adelyn, you are four and half years old now and you are so stinkin' smart.  You amaze me everyday with everything you know and understand.  Today you asked me what "turning tables" (after we listened to the Adele song).  I explained it to you and afterwards you made up an example.  Just so smart.  You love preschool and keep asking when you get to go to Kindergarten.  You are definitely more ready to move on and grow up than I am.  You are also obsessed with Elsa from Frozen and lately have wanted me to braid your hair like Elsa.  And you finally have enough hair that I can braid it!  You can write your name, count to 30, and can write all of your numbers.  You remember songs so well and can sing almost all of the top 40 songs and the songs you learn at school.  You continue to amaze Daddy & I and Ains is so very lucky to have a sister who adores her like you do.  We love you to the moon and back.

Being a silly head at the beach 

Ainsley Marie, A Birth Story

On August 10th Addy, Tim, & I woke up like any normal Saturday morning.  Tim got up and headed to a mid-shift and Addy and I decided to go to the movies to see Planes.  We both enjoyed the movie, even though I had pretty consistent contractions all the way through.  The contractions eventually subsided and Addy & I continued on with our day: lunch, naps, cleaning the backyard, and dinner.  While making dinner I was feeling uncomfortable, but nothing I had not already experienced during this pregnancy.

Tim put Addy to bed while I caught up with my Real Housewives. I noticed the contractions started back up, but I was not too concerned as they were pretty far apart. Tim and I made it through one episode of Orange is the New Black and the contractions were 8-9 minutes apart.  We decided to try and get some sleep, just in case I was really in labor.  I slept for about an hour and at about 11:45 I woke up and started walking the contractions out.  I thought I was being quiet, but Addy came out around 12:15 and wanted me to come cuddle with her.  Kinda hard when I kept having contractions.  Eventually we gave up cuddling and Addy moved onto the couch so I could wander the living room.  With the contractions still 7-8 minutes apart, I was not within the guidelines of going to the hospital but the contractions were getting significantly stronger and lasting longer than the required 60 seconds.  I woke Tim up at 1:40 and asked him to call my mom, sister, & Brad while I got in the bathtub to help with the pain.  At that point the contractions came on fast and furious.  They were coming in about 3-4 minutes apart, but lasting for 90-120 seconds.  Once my family was here to take care of Addy, Tim and I headed to Scripps La Jolla. I was able to send off one text letting the Milton's & Mandy we were on the way to the hospital, but poor Tim had to listen to me moan and breathe through the pain the rest of the ride.  As soon as I was out of the car, I used the barf bag I brought with me.
By the time we were in L & D, I was a wreck. My shirt was destroyed, my flip flops gross, and I was miserable.  I leaned against the wall while I answered all of the required questions.  Pretty sure I scared another expectant mom whose water had just broken but whose contractions had not started. My nurse checked my progress and when she told me I was only at 3 cm, I about gave up.  She could tell I was in pain and asked me if I wanted an epidural.  I only gave her one word, "Now." Since I was so serious, our nurse also decided to be serious.  She skipped over the 20 min NST and got us a room right away.  Alison & my mom were already there when we walked in and after telling them I was only 3 cm, I told them they could head home because it had to be a long night.  I had a long way to go...or so I thought.

I could not tell when the contractions were coming and going and I just leaned over the bed because I could not think of a better way to ride this roller coaster out.  I was in a cold sweat and could not help but hate my family who were just chilling in their chairs.  My nurse, Sunny, worked frantically to get me ready for an epidural and I was not being cooperative.  She wanted to give me an IV and I could not imagine holding my arm straight enough to be pricked with a needle.  About 20 minutes in the room and I had the irresistible urge to go to the bathroom.  I lost control of my bladder and once my bladder was empty I had another urge to push.  My nurse made me get into the bed so she could check my progress-I was at 10 cm and Ainsley was ready to make her appearance.
The next couple of minutes are a blur.  Sunny called out the door for help and several nurses ran into the room to help her with the delivery in case a doctor could not make it.  The nurse midwife was already delivering another baby, so someone had to wake up another OB who was asleep in the on call room.  The OB ran into the room, into a waiting gown, asked for some gloves and asked me to push.  At 3:34 am, I pushed 3 times and Ainsley made her grand appearance, still in her bag of waters and with her cord slightly around her neck.  All I wanted to hear was her first cries and they seemed to take forever to come. Eventually Ainsley started crying and they quickly handed her to me for our first cuddle, her first poop, and my first tears as a mom of two.  At 7 pounds, 9 ounces, Ainsley was (and still is) perfection.
Ainsley came in a flash and has forever changed our lives.  She is beautiful and I still cannot get over how much she looks like Addy.  She cries, but only if she needs something.  She LOVES to cuddle and sleep on your chest.  Even though Ainsley is our second daughter, I cannot believe Tim and I made something so perfect.  We are in love.

First Pictures (taken by Alison & G-ma):

June 2013

June: the end of school, the start of summer, mini vacays, Ainsley's baby shower, and the start of my last couple of months as a mother of one.

Addy enjoyed her last couple of days with my mom.  After 3+ years with my mom she will be moving onto preschool.  I don't know who will miss who more, my mom or Addy, but we are so lucky that my mom was able to watch Addy for us for this long. Ready for Ainsley, G-ma? ;-)

The end of school was bittersweet.  Another year down is always great, but with budget cuts and personnel changes, school will be a bit different next year. Here's to hoping we are not missing anyone in our picture next year.

Our annual picture:

Tim & I decided we both needed a break so we took a mini vacation to Palm Springs and then Carlsbad.  Both cities were great, although I think Carlsbad was the favorite destination.  We were so lucky to stay right on the beach in Cbad and enjoyed the sunsets from our patio all three nights we were there.  

The best daddy...

 Swimming in Palm Springs

 Beach girl

 Addy has made Tim a beach dad

 Reading on the beach 

 

Alison, Mandy, & Colleen also threw Ainsley a beautiful baby shower.  I cannot even begin to write how lucky Tim, Addy, Ainsley, and I are to be surrounded by such great friends and family.  When I get nervous about becoming a mommy of two, all I have to do is remember what a great support system we have and can lean on if we need.  

The hostesses & me

The aunts & G-ma

 Mi famila

The Manbert Women (minus Carol who took the picture) 

And some random photos to round off the month.

Our first strawberries...little but delicious.

 Three of my favorite girls @ Maddie's awards assembly

 Del Mar Fair with G-ma, Titi Alison, & we got to see Charli too!

 My loves are famous!!  Sprinkles took their picture and posted it on Facebook!!

 Addy loves her Violet

 The beach for Keenan's birthday

 The beach again with Nonnie & Auntie KT

May 2013

May was a month full of things we love.  We went to our first Padres game of the season and Addy was SO much fun!  She gets so into the game and definitely knows which guys on the field are ours. (Side note: when we watch the Pads on TV, she tells me she does not like whomever we are playing...)  She almost made it the whole game, but fell asleep the last two (exciting!) innings.

 

To celebrate Mother's Day, my mom and I wanted to celebrate by going to a game.  We had to wait a week, but boy was it worth it.  Such a great game with great company.  

Mom with her girls.
The boys (Tim, Brad, & Tom) were there too, I just didn't take a picture of them. :-(

We also went to a game with our good friends, the Botkins.  Tim and I have known Clayton & Amanda since Clay & Tim worked together at the TJs in La Mesa, but it has been so much fun hanging out with their kids too, Siena & Keenan.  The three kids were almost more fun than the game!

Since we have a backyard this year and room for actual planters, Tim & I decided to try our hands at gardening.  In March we planted 3 types of tomatoes (Big Beef, Seattle's Best, & Golden Jubilee), jalapenos, strawberries, cilantro, and basil.  Addy loved helping us transfer the plants to their bigger planters and by May we had our first little tomatoes!  While we were successful with the tomatoes, we weren't as good with the basil & cilantro. 

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 Being six months pregnant and with less morning sickness also meant food was starting to taste a bit better.  And trust me, we took full advantage of eating.

Miguel's for Mother's Day

 BJ's to celebrate Titi Alison's last day of chemo

 Chocolate malt from the Habit

 Introducing Addy to pizza rolls

Last but not least, Addy & I were able to sneak in a trip to the Safari Park on Memorial Day.  We got there early, before it was too crowded or hot, and had a great couple of hours, just the two of us.