You&Me + Three!

Nothing irks me more than hearing someone say something along the lines of "having babies close together isn't fair to the first child, you're taking all the attention from them."

It drives me INSANE.

Number 1, Just because I'm pregnant with my second child & the baby is born does NOT mean I've forgotten about my first child. I'M ADDING TO MY FANILY, NOT REPLACING A CHILD.

Number 2, I guess the second child's life is completely terrible from the very beginning because he/she has always had a sibling. *note the heavy sarcasm*

Number 3, I do understand that having children close in age isn't for everyone.. But why question or criticize someone else's decision to have their children close. I would love for my kids to have things in common, to play together & make friends together & always have each other.

Personally I would rather have my second while the first is still little so I'm not in the middle of potty training / going through the 'terrible twos' while I have a newborn & I'm recovering. By the time I'm actively potty training my son will be 6+ months old & able to sit up & play while i help Sissy use her potty. I'm not sure about y'all, but 6-8 months was such a great age in this house.

I absolutely adore my daughter, but giving her a brother earlier in her life (she'll Never remember life before him) is something I did as much for her as I did our family as a whole. ❤

I'm so very excited for the Birth of Emmett Lane Reeder. I've done a lot more research this time around to help prepare myself for labor. In just about a month I'll start taking Evening Primrose Oil to help aid in the thinning of my cervix since my body stinks at it. I've started packing Emmett's hospital bag & I've started his nursery! I've also finished writing our birth plan with the help of my amazing husband!




How we would like to welcome baby Emmett into the world…

Overall Philosophy
Labor and birth are natural processes that the female body was designed to accomplish. The end goal is a healthy mom and baby. We would like to reach that goal in the most natural way possible.

Visitors
Friends and family are welcome to visit After the delivery of Emmett. We ask that only mother, father, and medical staff be present for the delivery itself, any checks or interventions, any procedures done on the baby, and any nursing sessions. Visitors may be asked to leave the room at mother or father’s request.

Labor
I would like to have freedom of movement and position for as long as possible during the laboring process.

Pain Management
Labor is an uncomfortable and painful process, however, please do not offer me pain medication of any sort. I do not want any drugs for pain unless surgical intervention is required. I have discussed this issue with my doctor and have made an informed decision on this matter.

Interventions
Please only offer interventions when needed for the safety of mother and baby, not for comfort. The most natural and least invasive interventions and methods should be exhausted before proceeding to more extensive, risky, or invasive options whenever possible.

C-Section: This should be reserved for emergencies, or when all other interventions have failed and there is risk to myself or Emmett to continue to attempt a vaginal delivery only.

Birth
I would like the option of birthing in the most comfortable position for me at the time.. An episiotomy should be done only if needed; to be decided at the doctor’s discretion.

Immediately After Birth
We would like skin-to-skin contact immediately after the birth. We would prefer to delay cutting the cord for 2+ minutes to allow the blood from the placenta to get to the baby. My husband would like to cut the umbilical cord. I would like to attempt to nurse as soon as possible after the birth.

We also prefer for Emmett not to be taken for a bath until late that evening, I would like to be with him as much as possible in his first hours of life.



Infant Care
Vaccinations/Medications: We would like to delay the hep B vaccination.
Feeding: I plan to exclusively breastfeed. Please do not offer Emmett any bottles or pacifiers.
Rooming: We prefer for Emmett to stay with us at all times.

Myself or my husband would like to be present for all infant exams or procedures as permitted, aside from his circumcision.




Fingers crossed things go as planned.

Here we are and 12 and a half months old already! Im so proud of my big girl! She's learned so much over the past year and she's such a sweet heart! <3 At one year and one week Karleigh officially started walking! She jumped right into and the crawling was reserved for being sneaky! She waddles all over! It's actually funny how she started walking.. My husband had his friends over, who Karleigh knows quite well.. and he went to get her and she RAN from him to me. Her first steps were solid running 3 days after her birthday! And in one week she had mastered walking!



She also has a very wide vocabulary already. My favorite thing she says is when she points her little fingers at something and says "no no no". She Also knows 'Mommy' 'Daddy' 'Nanance' 'Jax' 'Nana' 'pease' 'yesh' 'eat' 'duck' 'shoo' & 'dog' to name a few. Lately we've been working on adding to words together.. 'bye bye' 'thank you' etc. She's picking it up quickly.


One of Karleigh's favorite things to do is be outside. She loves the fresh air! She also loves Dancing! Her Puppy Jax! SHOES! She has so many pairs and I often find her playing in them. I love when she tries to dress herself. CUTEST THING EVER. She also knows where ALL of her facial features are. (eyes, ears, nose, mouth, cheeks, hair...) She's my clever girl.

It's so crazy to me to be able to watch Emmett move all over my belly! I love it!!! These last 3 weeks gave flown by as I planned Karleigh's birthday party but now the last 12 weeks are going to slowly drag by.

I have so many ideas for this beautiful boy's nursery & can't wait to start them! We have a lot of things to get before munchkin is born and a lot more to do to prepare. We even have a shower for him. Hopefully that can keep me busy. <3

My darling Daughter is a whole year old. I just can't believe it. This year has had so many ups. Karleigh Piper has been the highlight of my life to date. The best thing to ever happen & the greatest gift I've ever been given.

I feel absolutely blessed to have been able to be home for all of Karleigh's firsts, And can't wait for all of the firsts yet to come.

This year has been crazy but I wouldn't trade a single minute. I've grown so much as not only a mother but a person and I have KP to thank. She's taught me so much about not only being a parent but being a better person. Someone she can be proud of.

I hope this next year of Karleigh's life is just as wonderful as the first. <3

My little love turned one on March 1. How crazy is that! Since I was pregnant with her I've known we were going to have a sunshine themed first birthday! After all, Karleigh Piper is my Sun shine. She's the light of our lives.

Since January I've been deep in plans for Karleigh's party! Everything was DIY. My perfect princess deserved the perfect party & I really think that's exactly what she got!

In this post I'll show off the decorations for Karleigh's Sunshine Party!