Welcome to the world Lauren Elizabeth Warmus!

I started having contractions about 3 weeks prior to my due date, but they weren't bad until the first week in March. I decided I was done with work as I was sure that our baby would be joining us any day! Boy was I wrong. I spend the better part of two weeks with Brian and my mom staring at me wondering if today/tonight was going to be the night. I walked miles and miles in the neighborhood and in the basement, but things didn't seem to pick up. I went to Dr. Huynh on March 19th, officially one day overdue and miserable. I was still 2-3 cm dilated and was having contractions on my nonstress test. My fluid level was also a little low. We scheduled an induction date (eviction date) of Friday, March 22, 2013. I went home feeling defeated and just ready to be done. I sent Gigi home and said we would call if we needed her, but I didn't think anything would be changing if it already hadn't happened. Around 10 pm I started having contractions a little closer together, but I told Brian to go to bed and get some sleep. I watched TV for a while and tried to rest, but was restless. I continued to have contractions that were getting worse and closer together. By 2:45 am I knew it was time to wake Brian up as I couldn't talk through the contractions anymore and they were getting a lot closer together. I woke him up with, "So do you want to have a baby today?" He started to wake up, but didn't realize how fast he needed to move. I told him to call his parents and page Dr. Huynh. He was walking around trying to get ready and I started to have really bad contractions. Grandma and Grandpa got to the house at 3:15am. We heard back from Dr. Huynh at 3:20 am and were on our way down to Akron General. We checked in to triage at 3:45 am and I said over and over again that if they check me and I am only 5 or 6 then I want the epidural. They checked me in triage and I was 6. I asked for an epidural and they moved me into a room. Things seemed to keep picking up and I couldn't lay on my back due to my discomfort. I told the nurse that I felt like I had to push and she said ok, but everyone tried to persuade me to breathe through the contractions. My water broke and I was 10 cm. No epidural, no time! I started pushing. Dr. Huynh got to the room and I pushed 2 or 3 times and we were blessed with our daughter at 4:41 am. I couldn't believe that we had another baby girl and I really couldn't believe all of the hair she had. We called and told Brian's parents and then called Papa and Gigi around 5 am. I felt like I could run a marathon. I guess natural child birth is a huge rush! Lauren Elizabeth Warmus 8 lbs 12 oz 21 inches born at 4:41 am

Happy 2nd Birthday Natalie!

I can't believe that we already have a 2 year old! Nobody can prepare you for how fast your baby becomes a toddler and then a big kid! The morning of Natalie's actual birthday

We had a birthday party on December 15th with family and friends....of course it was a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse birthday party! It was a little hectic so I don't have many pictures, but everyone had a blast!

Mommy made your Toodles cake and I think you asked for Toodle cake every single day for a month! We had a ton of family and friends over and it was a great time, but I think my Natalie got tired and needed a nap. I am not sure you actually saw any of your birthday presents because you were so tired!

23 months

We started out this month going to Boo at the Zoo at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo!  Natalie was "Tigger the Tiger"!  She loved walking around telling people, "I'm Tigger the Tiger!" 

You weren't really happy about the person dressed as a tiger, but I realize that being a parent includes making you do things you don't really want to do!

Looking at yourself in the bathroom mirror with doodlebops on!

 

On October 23, 2012 we were so lucky to welcome a new member to our family!  Jack David Francis was born at 2:48 am at 8 lbs 1 oz and 21 inches!  We are going crazy waiting to meet him! 

 

Gigi went down to Dayton for 10 days to help out Marie, Mark and the kids and of course to spend some time with Jack and we were lucky to have Papa watch you a few days, Aunt Amy one day and Grammie/Daddy the other day!

You and Papa had a blast the two days he watched you!  You were filthy the first day, so I know you had a good time!

Jumping in the leaf pile!

Sitting in your leaf chair

Hallelujah!  That is what you and Papa were yelling when you threw the leaves in the air!

Surprise!  Hiding behind the leaf pile!

Standing in the leaves

 

Crawling through the leaves

Mommy and her pretty girl!

Daddy, Natalie and Mommy

 

Covering Natalie with leaves!

Painting pumpkins for Halloween

You painted a pumpkin for the new baby and a Natalie pumpkin!

The finished pumpkin for the new baby

 



Working hard on your pumpkin

 

 

 

Our finished pumpkins!

One cool girl: Kitty jammies, orange sunglasses and doodlebops!

Ready for Halloween in the skeleton jammies!

Waiting for Aunt Ashley, Uncle Tom, Liam, Declan and Papa to come over for Trick or Treat

This year our Trick or Treat was absolutely miserable.  It was rainy, cold and very yucky.  Somehow Natalie and Liam talked Daddy, Uncle Tom and Papa in to takiing them to a few houses, while Aunt Ashley, Declan and I stayed home!

Tigger the Tiger!

Doing the jump to get our boots on!

 



Tigger and Spiderman

Playdoh necklace

Peanut butter and graham crackers!  Yummy!

 

Peanut butter all over

 

We went to Caden Martinka's 1st birthday party and Natalie's outfit got a little diva-esque!  She added the sunglasses and posed by the front door for a picture!

I am glad I took these pictures when I did because Natalie broke her sunglasses on way to the party.

Exhausted after the birthday party and missing naptime!

Legs crossed, just like Natalie was on every ultrasound picture when I was pregnant

It is nice to know that nothing has changed! 

 Mmmmm spaghetti!  So delicious!

 

 

Your favorite books this month: Toddlerobics, Cinderella, Little Rabbit's Baby Sister, Big, Bigger, Biggest, Tickle Monster, Waiting for Cookie, the Peekaboo Books

You talk in sentences at all times and rarely, if ever, get frustrated trying to get us to understand things. You are obsessed with bouncy balls! Crazy obsessed! You LOVE puzzles! Your favorites are the Under the Sea Puzzle, Numbers puzzle, and Alphabet puzzle. You have mastered the Under the Sea puzzle (24 pieces) all by yourself!

This month you learned to "spell" your name: you sing N-A-T-A-L-I-E, Natalie, Natalie, Yeah!

Letters you know: A, B, C, D, E, G, M, N, O, P, S, and T. You can count to 14 and can count things, depending on how excited you are, to ten kind of accurately.

You are big into questions right now. Your favorite question is "Momma, whatcha doin?". "Where is Mommy?", "Can I see?"

 

We are having a hard time believing that in a few short weeks Natalie will be two, although there are moments when it feels like the twos are upon us!