Kennedy Elise Groves

Kennedy Elise Groves was born at 10:59am on September 30th. She weighed 7lbs 8oz and was 20 inches long. She has a full head of dark hair and resembles her big sister. She has long fingers and toes. She is perfection!!

The nurses said she was a fantastic cuddle bug and one night when she was visiting the nursery for a few hours they played "beauty shop". She got a bath and they tied a bow in her hair. They said she was like "one of the girls".

My heart is just exploding! I couldn't be more in love with these two little girls. Seeing them together is one of the most precious sites. Carli loves her little sister. She squealed with glee when they met and was so sweet and gentle. She just can't get enough of Kennedy....and neither can we!

It's go time!!

Having a scheduled C-section was such a different experience than going into labor. Friday September 30th, we woke up early to be at the hospital at 7:30am. I did my makeup, straightened my hair, and watched Nick eat breakfast ( I couldn't eat after midnight). I decided to sneak into the bedroom to give Carli a kiss and tell her I would see her later that day.


Nick and I were both calm and excited. I was quickly registered and changed into my gown, IV started, and chatting it up with my nurse.

There was an "anxious peace" about going into surgery. In some ways, I felt prepared...I knew what to expect and I was SO excited to meet our girl. I had the best doctors and nurses and I felt a great comfort that my OBGYN, Dr. Keder was delivering. She held my hand through the prep and we made guesses on birth weight and length to distract me while they did my epidural. Before I knew it, Nick was by my side and it was go time!

To me, it seemed to take a little longer for them to deliver. The doctor said that repeat C-sections can often take a little longer because there is some scar tissue. I was also acutely aware of everything going on around me so time seemed to move slow.... But before too long, I felt a ton of pressure and heard that sweet baby sing! Dr. Keder held her up and said that my guess of 6lbs 10oz was a little low. Nick followed the nurses to the side of the room to lay eyes on our girl and I laid there crying tears of joy.

Within minutes he had her in his arms.

Once they put me back together (literally) and moved me to a gurney I got to hold my baby girl for the first time as they wheeled me into the recovery room. I was so blessed to have such a wonderful experience. There was a lot of hesitation to have surgery again and I couldn't have asked for it to go smoother.  Nick and I sat in recovery passing her back and forth...but mostly me holding her and doing skin to skin. We took pictures, called family, and breathed in the sweetness that only a newborn brings. Before too long I could wiggle my toes...the sign that I was ready to move to my room!!

Funny enough I had the EXACT same room I had with Carli 4 years ago....the only room with a view of The Shoe! It is just so appropriate for our September babies!  I later learned that it was one of the largest rooms and designed for Abigail Wexner (of The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center) when she had her baby.

So in love!!

 

39 weeks

I have been off work all week and getting final preparations for our newest family member ready. I am SO glad I decided to take this week for myself and my family. I got an extra free day with Carli and have been able to stock the kitchen with food for when we are at the hospital and catch up on a few DIY things around the house.
To keep myself busy, I started changing our interior door handles. We are slowly getting rid of all the brass in the house. It is amazing what a difference little changes can make. We have A LOT of doors in this house and I am only about half way done...but we love the new look!

 

My doctors appointment this week was quick and easy. I regained the "missing" 2lbs so I have officially gained 16lbs this pregnancy. All my vitals look great and I am set for delivery tomorrow.

I haven't slept well the last few nights and I have had some pretty crazy dreams. I am sure it is a mix of emotions....excitement and fear. I am definitely ready and anxious to meet this special girl.

My mom is here and we have everything ready to go bright and early tomorrow morning! We have to be at the hospital at 7:30am. Carli is VERY excited to finally have sissy arrive and to have mamaw here for a few days. I just can't believe the time is here!

 

 

How far along? 39weeks
Total Weight Gain? 16bs

Maternity Clothes? yes and I am kind of over it.

Stretch Marks? a few that I am hopeful will fade.

Sleep: Have enjoyed a few afternoon naps this week but my nerves are getting the best of me around 3am.

Best moment this week: Extra one on one time with Carli, finally being free from work, and knowing that our baby is coming on Friday!!

Miss anything? nah, it is all worth it!  

Movement: She is really active between 8-9pm.

Food Cravings? Nothing out of the ordinary

Anything make you sick or queasy? heartburn

Gender: GIRL:)

Labor signs: Braxton hicks are frequent but sporadic.

Symptoms: heartburn, lots of pressure, peeing while sneezing, and a big ole' basketball belly!

Belly button in or out?  Almost flush at this point.

Wedding rings on or off? I have been wearing my band all week.

Happy or Moody most of the time:  So very happy!!

Looking forward to: a special little lady's birthday!!

 

38 weeks

Whoa! What a week! If I am being honest, I am a little surprised I have made it to 38 weeks and 1 day. From the very beginning I assumed this little baby would come extra early like her older sister. I think Dr. Keder thought the same because she told me to be ready for a mid-September baby, yet here we sit on September 23rd! I remember Shane saying early on that his prediction was that this baby would come on Carli's original due date....September 24...we will see soon enough!

Baby girl is fully developed and just gaining a little extra baby fat. I was back up 2lbs this week...so I am chalking up lasts week 4lb weight loss to being sick. She is basically the size of a watermelon. I can tell I have "dropped". I definitely feel the extra pressure and can see that bump is carrying a little lower.
I am still trying to recover from the world longest cold but feeling SO much better than last week. Unfortunately, Carli came down with a bug of some sort and was down for a few days this week. We had plenty of cuddles and popsicles and I am happy to report she is back to herself. Now to keep everyone healthy!!

 



This week marked the first day of fall and my last day of work this year! Woohoo!! My awesome team spoiled me with gifts and Schulers donuts. I must admit I have had a little more anxiety about being disconnected from work  than I did 4 years ago but now that the time has come to officially "unplug", I am ready! I know that there is nothing they can't handle and I am ready to focus on my little family for a few months.

 

 

Contractions have been frequent this week but have yet to establish a pattern. I am moving around pretty slow and get tired easily but luckily have been sleeping very well....fewer potty breaks and I feel like I fall into a nice deep sleep. We have everything ready to go for baby time!! Seeing a beautiful, clean bassinet in the house makes my heart skip a beat!

Although SO VERY excited to meet our baby girl and completely over this stage of pregnancy, I am trying to savor these last few days. This might be the last time in my entire life I am pregnant and get to feel the kicks, hiccups, and the overwhelming joy of carrying an unborn baby....so I am taking it all in.

 

We are also hoping to squeeze in a little fall family fun this weekend before we are officially a family of 4. Hayrides, apple cider, and pumpkins might be in our immediate future....never mind the Indian summer. 



 



Full Term-37 weeks!

I realized today that I have never been THIS pregnant! It is sort of a cool feeling to experience something different with this baby. I am so anxious to see when she will be making her big debut!!
I can tell it is getting close and we have had a few eventful days lately that are constantly reminding us.

Nick's boss is apparently a baby psychic and has predicted the date and (almost) the time of the last two babies born on his team. His guess is this Saturday, September 17 around 4pm. We will be watching the clock at that time this weekend. Today is the last time I will see my boss before I go out on LOA and completely unprompted, she says, "I think this baby is coming this weekend". Anxious to see if these two know what they are talking about!

I came down with a head cold earlier this week and have been struggling to sleep, breathe, and eat....not the best situation at this point in pregnancy. On Monday night, I sneezed and thought for a second my water broke! Pretty funny moment because THAT is something that I have never experienced before...luckily (or unluckily) it wasn't my water breaking but regardless, it was a funny (and wet) surprise.

On Wednesday, I decided to stay home from work. I had barely slept and felt awful so a restful day at home just seemed like the smart thing to do. After laying around most of the day, I noticed that baby G wasn't moving around like her regular wiggling self....I called my doctor who said we should head to labor and delivery to get checked out. All was well...she looked perfect on the monitor and all my vital signs were good. I felt a little silly and didn't want to overreact but all the doctors assured me that MOST of the time decreased movement isn't anything....but when it is something, it is a big deal so you always want to get checked out.
Needless to say, we are hoping for a few normal, boring nights.

Callie has always been so great about sharing her Scholastic Book order forms for her class with me so I can order great/cheap books for Carli. The one I got this week said "DUE 9/30" at the top!
I couldn't help but smile and my little reminder!

How far along? 37 weeks

Total Weight Gain? 12bs (down 4lbs from last week...chalking it up to my cold)

Maternity Clothes? yep!

Stretch Marks? lots of lotion daily.

Sleep: Sleep has been horrible this week b/c of this cold.

Best moment this week: Hitting 37 weeks and knowing that baby girl is thriving and doing great.

Miss anything?  Sleep....I guess I should just kiss this one goodbye for a few months.

Movement: Little less this week but all is well in there.

Food Cravings? I had the most delicious strawberry popsicle and can't stop thinking about it.  

Anything make you sick or queasy? Just this awful stuffy nose!

Gender: GIRL:)

Labor signs: Braxton hicks are frequent but sporadic.

Symptoms: heartburn, lots of pressure, peeing while sneezing, and a big ole' basketball belly!

Belly button in or out?  Almost flush at this point.

Wedding rings on or off? I wear whatever slips on easy:)

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Very happy

Looking forward to: a weekend with no plans and only 1 more week of work this year!!!

 

Carli and I were cuddling on the couch and she started telling me about the baby in her belly. I decided to snap a quick selfie of the two little mama's!

 

36 Weeks

Ok, so this baby is going to be here in no more than 20 days!! AHHHH!!

It feels like the last few weeks have just flown by and here we are literally days away from meeting our baby girl. I am having a hard time thinking about anything else these days....that could be because I am carrying a basketball belly and I am getting around at the pace of a 90 year old woman but I think it is more the anticipation and excitement of our newest family member!

We have had a crazy busy week! Our big girl turned 4 and we had an awesome Little Mermaid party, complete with a visit from Ariel. We were all just spent after the party and since Carli has learned to take pictures on my phone, I found these gem later that evening.

We enjoyed a relaxing labor day weekend (post party) and enjoyed a cookout with neighbors, my third massage in 3 weeks, and a little shopping excursion. I think I have an addiction to tiny baby girl clothes!! I couldn't help but reflect on Labor Day 4 years ago....but no real signs of labor this year!

 

 

Because of my "advanced maternal age" I am having a NST (non-stress test) done weekly. They basically hook me up to a machine and I get to listen to baby girl's heartbeat with a fancy clicker that I push every time I feel her move. The tests are going smoothly and I honestly don't mind it. It's a nice relaxing, quiet time for me and baby. Dr. Keder also checked my cervix for the first time this week. I am not dilated at all.... so although things can change very quickly, we are guessing that we still have a little bit of time...but we are ready when she is!!

 



I only have 2 weeks left to wrap up things at work and I am optimistically planning to meal prep and relax the week before baby G arrives.
We are in the final days as a family of three. We are all just so excited to meet our little girl and love on her.

Nursery Sneak Peak

The nursery is finished and I love it! It is so bright and fresh. All the baby clothes and blankets are cleaned, folded, and put away. Diapers and wipes are set and ready! All we are waiting for is our sweet girl.

I love the gray furniture. I think the light mint walls really make it pop. 

The chair is so comfy!! I can't wait to read books and rock. Big sis helped fill the toy box with lots of "stuffy's" and baby friendly toys. 

I had a custom mobile made from Etsy. It adds a whimsical feel to her room and is just so sweet hanging over her crib.