Happy Halloween!

Cute

Lucas' THIRD Birthday!

We invited our neighborhood friends over for pizza and cupcakes and general mayhem! Lucas requested rainbow streamers and balloons- when he awoke from his nap the day of the party, he had a nice surprise of 15(!) helium balloons in his bedroom and streamers all over the kitchen!

Happy Birthday, Lucas! We love you SOOOO much!

Sophie Session: 1 week old

Today is my due date! And Sophie is 1 week old!

Day 4 with new baby

Soooo tired. This photo was taken the evening I was released from the ER with really bad mastitis. I actually have TWO sets of bags under each eye!

Happy Birthday, Laith!

2 days after Sophie's birth, we celebrated Laith's birthday! Unfortunately this year's celebration was quite overshadowed. But we still managed cake and candles!

Welcome to our family, Sophie June!

Sophie June Vincent was born at dawn on October 13th- the day a cold front blew in and turned Charlottesville's leaves their beautiful autumn reds and golds. The perfect day for a birth day.

All together, it was 12 hours of labor (after 2 false starts in past 2 weeks) with the first 6 hours so easy that after Lucas was dropped off with friends, Laith and I went out for a leisurely stroll and then ate dinner out! Contractions were 2-5 min apart the whole time! I suppose I could have gone on for another day like that but we were ready to get the show on the road so we checked into the hospital. By then, Laith's mom arrived from WV so Lucas had her to stay the night with him. The intensity of the contractions didn't ramp up until the Dr broke my water. 6 hours later (30 min of pushing), Sophie June arrived! It was so nice to be mentally present for this birth. With Lucas I was so exhausted from the 29 hrs of torturous back-labor and 4 hrs of pushing that his birth is all a surreal blur. Luckily we have pictures of him from those first several days! I still vividly remember seeing Sophie for the first time. I couldn't believe she was out of me already- it was too simple! We had a REAL baby! I saw her back and chubby (!) legs first. And then her CUTE face! I noticed right away she has Laith's (and Lucas') nose. And I think my eye-shape. Her head was perfectly round like a ball and her feet were so tiny. I love Lucas so much that I couldn't imagine loving another baby but as soon as I saw Sophie, that love was instantly there. I was just amazed by her simple existence. I got to hold her for a few seconds while her mouth and nose were suctioned. She had swallowed a lot of amniotic fluid. Then the nurse took her to a little isolette where a mechanical suction machine was used for a few minutes before she was returned to me. Later that morning, Lucas and Grammy arrived to meet Sophie for the first time. I was ready with my camera and caught Lucas' expression upon first seeing us. The rest of the photos were taken by the talented Laith as I lay in bed recovering.

Waiting

Big Brother Ladybug is ready to hold his baby sister!

Home Stretch!

Today's prenatal appointment: I'm 3 cm dilated and 90% effaced. Who wants to guess her birthday? :) Given her Lazy Limabean personality so far, I'm guessing not until the end of the week. (Happy Birthday, Laith!)

Can't wait to meet our baby girl!

The Pumpkin Patch

Lucas picked one for himself and one for his sister- who is currently looking very much like a pumpkin in my belly! Come out soon, Baby Vincent! I have no more room left in my torso to eat or breathe!

Carter Mountain Apple Fest

This tiny apricot-sized apple makes Lucas' hands look huge! :)

This beautiful fall event had so many elements of a personalized heaven for me that I nearly forgot how burdensome my 9 month pregnant body feels! An apple orchard on TOP of a mountain (!) with beautiful views, hay rides, cool autumn sweater weather, and bluegrass music all enjoyed with my 2 favorite people in the world. :) I think we'll have to make this an annual traditional family outing!

Yum! Daddy wants an apple cider donut too! :)