our first night

My friend Kersten lent me her amazing swing. Every single mother needs to put it on her registry. You can find one here. It's literally magic. Around 9:30 p.m. I headed to bed and gave Gretchen to her daddy. At 11 p.m. we switched and I slept on the couch with her all night. (She slept in the swing.) Gretchen was an awesome nurser again-- that sure makes things easier. We woke up every 2.5 hours to eat. But, instead of rocking her to sleep (which can sometimes take forever), I put her in the swing and turned it on! Silence is golden.

This is already an improvement over Charlotte's first night. I'm sure a lot had to do with the fact I was a new mom, but Charlotte didn't really sleep her first night and I had to leave the lights on in the room. It was a very long night. Hopefully Gretchen's pattern continues as is. I can handle this (even though yesterday I almost broke down at 7 p.m. for no absolute reason).

Charlotte. Another story. She managed to sleep all night (ahh...) but, when we changed Gretchen's diaper at like 8 p.m. she woke up, had ALL her books in her bed, and would not go back to sleep. She would also not go to bed that night and would not take a nap (but managed to nonetheless). So, off to day two.

They sure make a cute pair though, don't you think?!

quick morning update

I can't believe I'll be going home today! The time sure flew by fast.

This was our second night and already a big improvement over the first night. If only these reclining beds and nurses came home with us! I've nursed Gretchen at 7pm, 10pm, and 2am. Yes, those are 3-4 hour time frames which means I actually got a little sleep in. She's been a fantastic nurser and even got some milk this time around. She's had lots of dirty diapers and I don't anticipate she'll be loosing any, if very little, weight when we visit the pediatrician on Monday. That's always welcome news. Grow baby grow!

The hospital stay has been fantastic. I've had the chance to be somewhere and offer up my opinion. Who doesn't love sharing their opinions, I know I do. Columbia Center is such a wonderful birthing hospital and I'd recommend the experience to anybody. My nurses have been amazing, each and every shift. The little things have also made my experience just perfect. Nice amenities in the bathroom, HUGE towels, rocking horse for Charlotte when she came to visit, endless cranberry juice, wi-fi, iPod dock, flat screen TV with DVD player, etc. Like I said earlier, just wish those nurses could come home with me.

It's off to get a little more shut-eye for me. Kevin and Charlotte are coming to pick us up around 9:30 a.m. tomorrow. Griffin will be excited, but I'm sure he also knows he's moving one more notch lower on the totem poll. It's no wonder we allow him to sleep and live on the couch. We kind of owe it to him, our first born and most neglected. Stay tuned for more weekend details. I know we'll be having lots of visitors and probably an exciting weekend/week ahead of us.

labor story

As written to Gretchen Elaina:

Well holy cow!! You were a great surprise to us today. Early, just like your mother! Gretchen Elaina. Middle name after your Grandma LaPean. You surprised us at 3:08 a.m., weighing 7 pounds, 10 ounces. Earlier during the 26th (Wednesday), I was feeling contractions for a better part of the day. They were getting noticeably strong around lunch time when Charlotte was napping and I was trying to get some rest. I spoke to your Grandma LaPean a few times that day and by 5:00 p.m., after a nice, hot shower, I started keeping track of my contractions. They were anywhere from three to eight minutes apart, and lasting anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute. 

We called Grandma Horstmeyer over the house just in case you decided to come early. Boy, that was a good idea. She was able to stay at the house and watch Charlotte until more people showed up. I went to bed at 9:30 p.m. and finally around 11:30 p.m., after a few calls into the nurse's station, I paged the doctor to ask when we would be ready to go in. At that point, my contractions were about 1:45 seconds long, and a good 6-6.5 minutes apart. We left the house around midnight. We got to the hospital around 12:15 a.m. a nervous wreck and wanting to know if this “was the real thing” or not. 

All the nurses we had were so wonderful! The hospital was very quiet. We got checked into room 33 and waited while I was monitored for almost an hour. Our nurse was DeAnna, and we did all of the admissions questions and my contractions were definitely getting stronger. I was really having to breath through them. It turned out, at that point, I was around five to six centimeters dilated, and it was decided that we were definitely going to be staying overnight at the hospital. Kevin made phone calls to all of the grandparents to let them know the anticipated news. 

Grandma and Grandpa left Green Bay around 2 a.m. to come down. We had the anesthesiologist come in and give me the epidural around 1:45 a.m. It was a little harder than the first time around, because things were moving so quickly, the epidural wasn't quite able to kick in with as much strength as it had for Charlotte's pregnancy. At 2:32 a.m. Dr. Hellman came in and broke my bag of waters. That sure was an interesting feeling. 

Shortly after that point, I was already 8 cm dilated. I ended up pushing like five minutes to get you out! It was so fast. You were born at 3:08 a.m. and quickly got cleaned up and weighed. To our shock, you didn’t have much to say when arriving. I actually said, “Is she gonna cry or what?!” Then you wailed to let us all know you were doing just fine. By 4:00am, mom started breastfeeding you and dad spent some time rocking you in the chair. He was so happy to have another daughter! He left around 5 a.m. when both Grandmas showed up to meet you. they left around 6 a.m. so we could all get a little rest.

IT'S A GIRL!

Details soon....

Gretchen Elaina
20 inches
3:08 a.m. on 1/27/11
7 pounds 10 ounces

last project before baby

mini lavender fields
Originally uploaded by [griff] [griff] 'n [chuck]

I mean it this time. Last project before baby arrives. I'm putting away my sewing machine for a little while here.

A week or so ago, we put a twin bed in Charlotte's room at Grandma's house. This meant that the crib had to be moved to the lavender room. It's also the way things fit in the rooms. You may remember the lavender fields quilt I made for the bed. Well, we decided there had to be a matching crib quilt for the room. Here it is!

Her house tends to be chilly so I backed it with a ultra cozy cream-colored fleece. It's sooo cuddly now! Can't wait to have baby in there. One more week!

groundhog's day

Well folks, it's been semi-decided. Sorry to anybody who's wagered me to go over my due date because that won't be happening. I met with my OB today and I am 2 cm dilated-- things are starting to move along nicely. I guess all those Braxton-Hicks contractions have been helping things. I also gained five pounds in the last week!! Opps...must be taking this prego thing a little too seriously. I better lay off the homemade cake.

After speaking with my doc and getting out all my nerves and hesitation of being induced, I'm going to let her induce labor on February 2, 2011 - Groundhogs Day! What a fun day to be born. I will go in at 6 a.m. and have baby by the afternoon. I won't have to worry about Charlotte either. That I am thankful for. Now, all bets aren't quite off because I could still go into labor ahead of schedule. I see Dr. Lipinski in one week for my last appointment.

I've updated all the immediate family and friends so everybody is in-the-know. I also walked through the hospital again tonight (because I was there for a meeting) and know which "good" room to ask for. The Director of Nursing is also going to make sure I have the best nurse on shift...yes! My prego nerves were making me all crazy and for the first time in a few weeks I feel at ease. Especially since I'm the perpetual over-planner, this is right up my alley.

If you've never been to or heard of the Columbia Center, you really need to check it out. In my opinion, this is a speciality birthing hospital with so many fun, luxurious amenities. Really, I'm getting excited!!

I'm also dying to know if baby will be a boy or a girl!!!!!

stressing about labor

Today marks the two week mark. I'm 38 weeks along and anxious about the unknown. The good news is there has been no sign of my hives/rash that tortured me the last three weeks of Charlotte's pregnancy. Maybe it's a boy? A nice boy wouldn't do that to his mama, right?! To add to more positive thoughts, my back has been feeling good and my xiphoid process hasn't been too annoying. Overall, I feel great for only having 14 days of pregnancy left.

But, my mind is wandering all the time and I can't stop thinking. My first labor was so easy when my water broke at home and we rushed to the hospital. This time around, things could be totally different and the unknown is starting to really make me nervous. How will I know it's time to go to the hospital? What if I don't make it in time (to get the drugs)? What are we gonna do with Charlotte in the wee hours of the morning?

I've definitely been feeling Braxton-Hicks contractions (they aren't real contractions). Mildly irritating at most. Then I start to worry, what if these are beginning real contractions? Should I get out my stop watch? What if they get worse? My thoughts are keeping me awake in the wee hours of the morning. Today I woke up at 2 a.m. - hot and sticky again. Went out to the ice cold couch, warmed up again and didn't fall asleep until a little after 3:30 a.m. My mind just can't relax! It's driving me bonkers.

Somehow I wish I could just end this pregnancy so that my mind can relax. The no-sleep doesn't bother me so much, just my thoughts. I know it's going to be just fine in the end, but that doesn't help me mentally now.

On a side note: Charlotte had diarrhea all day Thursday. Poor kid. Luckily Grandma and Aunt Katie took good care of her. She was her normal, chipper self, but had a nasty bug in her belly. I'm really hoping she's feeling better after today. I hate seeing my baby sick. Those diapers really do a good job keeping it all in!

spring in central park

central park quilt front
Originally uploaded by [griff] [griff] 'n [chuck]

This is for me! I'm so excited how it turned out. This is so cheery and bright, it will be a great addition to our living room. Fabric is a layer cake of Kate Spain's Central Park for Moda. A good sized lap quilt, something like 54x64.

This is my second quilt of 2011. The back is not completed and I won't be quilting it until sometime this spring. I need to wait for the package to arrive and get my house under control. Then the sewing machine can make a permanent presence in the kitchen again. I'm going to do some type of straight-line quilting on this. Probably follow the diamond shape. So goodbye for now, it's off to the closet for a few months. Won't I be happy to pull it out, just in time for spring!

grasslands quilt front

origins quilt front
Originally uploaded by [griff] [griff] 'n [chuck]

First quilt (almost) done for 2011. Considering I've had a really hard time sitting at the kitchen table sewing these last two months, I'm so happy I was able to finish the projects I had started. This way, I can clean off my kitchen table and prepare the house for a new family member and many other visitors to welcome the new package.

This is a twin size quilt for the cabin. Did I mention that I LOVE it! I LOVE it! I really think these earthy colors fit so well together. The middle is four charm packs of Origins by Basic Grey for Moda. There are two borders, brown and a green print. I have the back pieced together as well. I won't be quilting this for awhile yet. (I can't reach the ground at all right now for starters.)

For those of you who ready my blog all to carefully, yes, I'm posting this at 3:38 a.m. I was sleeping so good, Kevin's not even snoring, and yet, I can't fall back asleep. I have moved out to the couch in hopes of getting a little more shut-eye before the dawn breaks. It's usually successful. I've been having a few Braxton-Hicks contractions at night, but it's nothing serious. Just wide awake it seems. Must be my body continually preparing me for the time I'll be spending next month nursing a baby during the wee-hours of the morning.

One another fun note, my co-worker Jenni had her baby daughter on Sunday, a few weeks early. Gina Rose. Both are very healthy and from what I hear, doing good. I'm next!!

37 weeks, 3 days

37 weeks and 3 days. Oh yes! A very snowy trip to the doctor today. It’s quite hard to push a stroller in the snow. It was more like sliding a stroller through the snow. Charlotte was a trooper, and an angel, yet again at the doctor. What a blessing. My appointment was quick. She listened to the heart and that was it. Heart beat was a little low, around 126 bmp. Maybe it’s a boy! Dr. Lipinski said this was due to the baby sitting so low in my uterus. We've all heard the old wives tale though. Head is definitely in the right spot! (That’s probably why I’m peeing every 15 minutes...) I gained 1/2 a pound. Amen to that too! The other topic of conversation was the Super Bowl no doubt. We are certain the Packers will beat the Bears and that puts them in the Super Bowl. Dr. Lipinski will not be working during the game so I definitely need to have baby BEFORE the big game. Here's hoping!

if it's not the kids, it's the dog

Most of the time, people believe that being a mother to children is hard. They wake you up when you need sleep and are constantly nagging you for more of something. Well let me tell you, sometimes, having a dog is worse. This past week, Griffin has needed to use the restroom multiple times during the night. Of course,  me, the mom, is the only one that hears his almost incoherent cry as he stands by the front door. So, I'm waking up to let him outside. And that starts my ritual of trying to fall back asleep at 2:45 a.m.  (This is the second time I've let him out already tonight!) He also has this thing about not coming back inside. Doesn't  he know it's like REALLY cold outside, especially when you are standing out the front door yelling in what wouldn't be appropriate attire?! Come on!

Charlotte went to bed like an angel, during the Packer game, and is still sleeping. Thanks Griffin for taking over when Charlotte is being perfect. There's no way I could cope if all my kids in the house slept at night...

learning to count

video: learning to count
Originally uploaded by [griff] [griff] 'n [chuck]

We love her! Counting to three pretty consistently. After 4 or 5, she just says random numbers but has counted to 10 before! 22.5 months and almost a big sister. Charlotte can also identify five shapes: star, square, circle, heart and triangle. The is by far her favorite. We always draw a "baby heart" next to the mommy heart. Come to think of it, everything is "mommy this" and "baby that."

She definitely knows there is a baby in my belly but I'm not sure she realizes it will soon be joining the household. After being around a friend's newborn, she is really gentle around babies and I think she's going to be a super-duper helper.

Regarding her language, she's just about exploded into a toddler. She talks in  mini-sentences all day long and constantly describes what she (or mom) is doing. One of these days I'll have to jot down a few things, but seriously, since can talk about anything, it's really hard to keep track. I'm super impressed with her vocabulary. I'd like to take credit for that one...

central park front

central park front
Originally uploaded by [griff] [griff] 'n [chuck]

An update to a quilt for ME! Thanks St. Nick. I am going to do a variation of straight line quilting on this (with my new walking foot). Once I finish piecing the top together I need to hunt out some great border fabric. I'm really liking the brightness to this one. Fabric is Kate Spain Central Park for Moda (layer cake).

nothing happening yet folks

36 weeks and 3 days. We had another doctor appointment today and will continue to go every week now. Baby's head is down, yippie! But, nothing else happening yet. Of course, it’s a little too early for that so we’re glad nothing is happening. I’ve gained 28 pounds total and that makes me feel really good. Baby is still moving around lots and trying to cooperate so that I can sleep at night. My back is still achey and my xiphoid process is bugging me, but somehow, I’m managing to do just fine and take care of Charlotte. (P.S. She was an angel at the appointment and continues to surprise me every day!) I have half of my hospital bag packed. Some of it will be last-minute items. I’m excited and definitely getting nervous. Dr. Lipinski assured me I’ll know when labor is happening and they can usually get me the epidural, thank goodness. I’m anticipating a fast labor seeing as Charlotte was only seven hours! Here's to the countdown...

36 weeks

Baby's rapid growth nears an end. The only organ that isn't fully developed are the lungs. This marks the "one month left" mark...it's finally becoming real. I'm so in the nesting phase. I have lots organized already, including a meal list. Now I just need to act on washing cabinets, scrubbing floors with a toothbrush and cleaning EVERYTHING I can. Too bad I can't hire somebody to do it for me.


I feel great but losing energy. People can see it in my face, that's probably not a good thing. Charlotte has been a dream kid for us these last few months/weeks. My back has been ok between some back rubs from Kevin and hot packs. A big 'ol NEW king bed doesn't hurt either. Yes, we bought a new bed the week after Christmas and it has been awesome. Most of you know how big Kevin (and me) is and we really needed the extra room. This way, Griffin can even jump in and we still have room.


I see the doctor on Monday and then every week from here on out. I looked at Charlotte's Week 36 and I had gained 34 pounds. Eeek! As of two weeks ago, I was only sitting at 26 gained. We'll see what I weight on Monday. Am I really doing THAT good?! Hopefully that will make up for the weight I never lost. 


Don't forget to cast your poll on when baby will arrive how how big s/he will be!!

quilted coasters

Tuesday. Sunny. Cold. Library. Pumpkin bread. Quilted coasters. Nap time!

It's been a nice Tuesday. The sun sure has perked things up. Coffee is sounding really tasty right about now. I probably should have relaxed during Charlotte's nap (my back is now killing me), but instead, I decided to try a tutorial from 33 Shades of Green. With the left over Joel Dewberry Modern Meadow fabric, I made five coasters for the living room side table. I love them!

Now I need to put my feet up before Charlotte wakes. She's been sleeping in the big girl bed for a week now and I really think this is a permanent idea. She crawls in and out and sleeps with a rubber duck, mom and baby dinosaur, two rubber bath fish, pink bunny, Rufus, Hector, Hector's cousin and at least three books. But, I'm really not concerned because she sleeps!

finally, treats for myself

After one year, 16 quilts and a lot of fabric, I'm finally making myself a quilt (or two)! For Christmas I received fabric from two lines. The first, Anna Maria Horner's Innocent Crush full line in fat quarters. The fabric is even more beautiful and more me than I imagined. I'm going to do the pattern listed below. However, I won't be working on this for quite awhile yet.

this domestic bliss

The second line I acquired was a layer cake of Kate Spain's new Central Park collection. The colors are so fresh and fun. I'm going to do a simple quilt with HST (half square triangles), lap size, also for myself. This I'll probably start working on in the near future because I'm not doing anything complicated. 

With only a few weeks until baby is due I'm sure I'll be working on these quilts for myself on a later date. I sure am excited to have a few quilts on my couch that are all mine, for me and in a pattern and color that I love. Yippie!

Happy Birthday and Happy New Year!

2011 is here and bound to be another exciting year. My husband's birthday was January 2nd and he turns 31-- father of TWO. Yes, baby is due in ONE month and Charlotte turns TWO in two months. Our dog, Griffin and his sister, Zoe, both turn FOUR today! These next few weeks and months are sure to be exciting.

For Kevin's birthday he was in Green Bay at the Packer Game. Because we couldn't send him birthday kisses on his birthday, Charlotte and I made a special breakfast in bed for him on Friday. He got an "egg dad with bacon arms and a cheese hat." Yes, you read that correctly. It's an inside joke and sure enough, he loved it! Charlotte got to blow out his birthday candle (4 times) and was persistent in singing "Happy to you!!" I think her 2nd birthday will be a hit....she already "get's it."

I managed to finish another quilt in 2010, so that makes the count 16 quilts for 2010. I am having so much fun with this new hobby of mine. The best part is sharing it with the ones I love. I hope my skills continue to grow over this next year.

I'm not one to make resolutions (anymore), but each year I vow to be healthier and exercise more. I'll have to keep to that with the weight I need to lose after baby #2. I suppose I'll tackle that when the time comes.

I also had my first "baby" dream last night, where the final outcome was an actual baby! To make a long dream short, I dreamt that I had a healthy baby boy, however I did not recall any of the labor. I went from water breaking at home to back at home with the baby. Nobody could tell me what happened. I'm not sure what it means, but hopefully it means I'll have a very uneventful, easy labor! Here's hoping...

simplicity quilt

Here is the most recent quilt top I've finished. I'm sad to say, it's my least favorite. After seeing the almost finished project, I do like it better then when I was working on it. The inspiration quilt by Jessy Roos is below. I didn't intend on having the cream stripes throughout my quilt, but in true Erika fashion, I botched my measurements again and needed to improvise. Somehow, I always seem to manage this. It's quite annoying. Quilt finishes at about 72x90 - a great twin size for the cabin. The binding is plaid fabric leftover from a previous quilt I made.

I bought a walking foot and straight-lined quilted it. It turned out pretty good. I was happy with the walking foot-- definitely made a difference. After being washed it looks a little better.

By Jessy Roos

I think I've decided that from now on, I have to stick to fun prints. I just can't handle these colors or solid fabric. These aren't cheap to make so I should probably make something I really love and never want to get rid of!