Family of Four

Hi, we're the Loertscher family and we are now a family of four.

Nora is the little sister, just a few days old. She is adorable and loves to be held, particularly by Daddy. She is a great eater (as long as she stays awake) and prefers mom to the bottle. She doesn't like wet diapers, having her diaper changed, and being laid down before she is ready to sleep. Fortunately for all of us, Nora is starting to figure out that nights, not days, are when you sleep for long stretches.

Zeke is the big brother and is such a great helper. So far since we've all been home together, he has retreived diapers and burp cloths and blankets, emptied the dryer for Mommy, and put up with a lot of 'not right now, I'm taking care of Nora.' He loves to hold his sister, give her kisses, and just look at and talk to her. We're working on keeping him off of the play yard that is Nora's downstairs bed.

Manndi is the mommy and Aaron is the daddy, now of two kids. Between the hospital stay, Nora being ready to play at 3 am, late night feedings, and slightly different eating habits, we have been missing sleep all week. However, the regular routine is starting to come back and Nora is sleeping better at night, so we are encouraged. We are grateful for a relatively easy delivery that was better than we hoped for, a short hospital stay, two healthy kids, and the generosity of family and ward members in keeping us fed and Nora clothed.

A Nora Story

Nora was born Monday, 8 lb 5 oz and 21.5 inches long, and perfect. Here's how she got here:

I was induced at one week past my due date. We got started at night, taking the slow and patient route because of my previous cesarean. It was a long night (hospital beds are so uncomfortable, and I'm sure the couch Aaron was on wasn't much better) but we had made progress by morning. My dr broke my water around 9 am the next morning, and we added pitocin by 11 or 12. By 2ish the contractions were hurting a lot and we were reminded a lot of our experience with Zeke, starting to wonder if maybe we were destined for a repeat surgery. By 3:30 I was in an amazing amount of pain with each contraction, and beginning to wonder how much longer I could take it, even with Aaron's perfect coaching. I was given some oxygen to help Nora's heart rate stay stable during the contractions, and then my body started to push on its own. Weird experience that scared both of us when it first happened! We pushed for 15 minutes, and Nora was born at 4 pm. We still almost can't believe we had the successful unmedicated VBAC we hoped for!

'Niece Watch' Update

Dear aunts and uncles and cousins who live far away,
I'm sorry I missed you while you were visiting last week. Next time you come I'll be ready to play!
love, Nora

Growing

Here we are as we started this journey last November....

and here we are today.

So much growth in so many different ways!

And we're only at the beginning of another journey now: our family is about to grow.

Brand New Cousin

Although our little lady is still safely and stubbornly tucked away, there is another brand new baby in the family. We got a new niece and Zeke a new cousin almost 2 weeks ago. Much to my happy surprise, Zeke has loved to hold her. He is so careful with her and just adores her. I know he'll be a good big brother but I wasn't expecting him to be willing to sit still for so long just to hold the baby....it's precious.

Farm and Flowers

All of Aaron's siblings are in town this week and so we have been very much enjoying being together. Today we went to a farm, where we saw the animals, let the kids ride ponies, and ate ice cream while we took turns waiting in line to ride ponies again.

After a picnic lunch we walked through the children's garden. Not as enjoyable on a hot August afternoon as it could be other times, but still beautiful and the kids had lots of fun climbing and running and exploring.

Though not formally part of the farm-garden adventure, the parking lot is really close to some windmills, which was one of Zeke's favorite parts of the whole day.

Paused

Expecting a new arrival 'any day now' is an interesting experience. Aaron described it yesterday as being in pause mode, which fits perfectly. We have to be (and we are) ready at any time to drop our normal routine and bring this baby here. Plus there are several things that are on hold until our little lady makes her appearance. However, the catch is we have to keep living our normal routine until the moment comes, and we have no idea when that is. It's a bizarre set of circumstances. An experience I'm glad to be having, although it is one of those growing-and-learning experiences that is pushing me to further develop my patience and faith. I'm grateful that I am aware of our progress, and that every day brings us closer to one of the greatest moments of our lives.

Little Girl Quilt

Now we're really ready -- I finished this quilt yesterday. Now it is washed and in her crib, all ready to snuggle our beautiful baby girl when she comes.

August, Baby

According to traditional textbook definitions, our 'could have a baby anytime' started a week ago. Now we can say with certainty that she has an August birthday. It's not a huge consolation, but it is one thing in the world of unknowns that is expecting a new arrival. We keep telling her that anytime is fine with us and soon would be great!

That's not to say there has been no progress. I've been nesting, which I think Aaron finds amusing. I am attacking projects that I have been noticing for the past 4 months but not had the energy or motivation to do. I'm pretty sure the 'extra' energy I've got is all in my head; however, the accomplishments are making me feel good. Now visitors who dare traverse the jungle of cars, trucks, airplanes, train tracks, and couch pillows that is our living room floor can be rewarded with adequate seating. That's a big achievement.

The changes of the baby dropping lower are in full force. Zeke dropped for maybe half a day then came back up to stay for the rest of the pregnancy and all 16 hours of induced labor (after which he was born cesarean, perfect yet stubborn). This little one, though, has her head where it belongs and has introduced a whole new world of aches, pains, strange sensations, and a growing hope that I will in fact go into labor in the near future.

I am also loving the fact that a second child means we already have the baby gear. I don't think we have bought anything for this little one yet, which our budget appreciates, and I have appreciated not having to research, compare, and decide on carseats, strollers, and the like (to say nothing of the 'Do you think we'll need this?' items). Nearly all of our 0-6 month clothes are gender-neutral, and thank you to her grandmas for giving us dresses for church.

I think we're ready. As ready as we're going to get, anyway. But, as we wait and anticipate, I'm enjoying feeling (and watching) her move and knowing that, for a few more days, I can keep her safe and sheltered in ways that will never be possible again.