Party Weekend

A few weekends ago, family descended from all over for a party weekend. First we had Grandma and Grandpa Stanfill's 60th wedding anniversary party (60 years, people! 60!), and then the next day we had Gabe's blessing. We loved having family around. I'll post about the weekend in a few posts. On Friday we gathered at Penny and Craig's house for some pre-party partying.

Grandma Stanfill looking fabulous

Amanda and I (and yes, you are seeing correctly. I chopped off all my hair in a bout of postpartum madness. And I tell you, I am loving it. No food in my hair, no boys pulling my hair. I have entered the "mommy" stage.)
Gabe the babe flirting with Great-Grandma

Jude jumping wildly in the baby play pen. He loved it at 6 months and at 2. It's a classic.

Two weeks

Haircut

From this rock-star wild man:

Through this:

To this:

Leavings

My Mom and sister, Anne, came out from Indiana to help post-birth early in July. We thought Gabe would arrive early, like Jude, and he did not. Day after day, he did not. Eventually, Mom and Anne had to put a final date on when they had to go back home, you know, back to my dad and to work and to their lives, and that day was Monday morning. They have taken such good care of me and my little family with their awesome meals and cleaning (yeah, even my blinds, people, which I have never cleaned myself, Anne cleaned my blinds...) and massaging, and taking care of my little Jude. I felt incredibly (incredibly) sad to see them drive away. Jude has been mournfully calling their names through the quiet house, and I confess, I have too.

Sister Anne, the amazing "blind" cleaner, baby-whisperer, and massage-giver extraordinaire
A gratuitous Gabe picture

Jude and his best buddy Grandma

Grandma and a cross-eyed Gabe

Doula-mother Jan and the newly arrived Gabe

So, I had a baby...

Gabriel Thomas
aka "Gabe the Babe"
7/27/2011 8:30 PM
7 lbs 14 oz 20 inches

Last Wednesday when I went into my 41-week midwives appointment, Gabe failed to respond appropriately to the his non-stress test and the subsequent ultrasound landmarks, including taking a practice breath and kicking within thirty minutes. My midwives decided that I needed to be induced immediately and so off we went to the hospital (actually, not going to lie, mom and I went for lunch first, at the midwives recommendation, of course). After several hours of waiting in a drafty hospital gown with Mom and Mike, they started the pitossin and after three hours of laboring (with Mom and Mike pushing exhaustively on my back to provide counter-pressure for the back labor) and 20 minutes (Was it really only 20? Really?) of pushing, Gabe arrived with the umbilical cord wrapped around his body several times, but otherwise in awesome shape. I was disappointed that I had to be chemically induced and that I had to have an IV and constant fetal monitor, but my nurse was incredibly supportive of my desires for natural childbirth and allowed me to labor in many different positions and supported my ideal birth plan as much as she possibly could. My midwife was awesome and managed to prevent all tearing, which feels like a miracle. The recovery so far as been far far milder than with Jude. Here are a few pictures from the hospital....

Jude is liking "baby broder Gay-bah" so far and likes especially to pat his head gently and give him his pacifier (read: shove it in his mouth). He also likes to point out his facial features, nearly poking out Gabe's eyes every time. I'm completely in love with my boys.