It's hard to believe that five weeks ago I was in the hospital waiting for Chloe to arrive. She has been such a blessing to our family. She is adorable (to say the least). She is a wonderful sleeper and has hit a major growth spurt - she's eating every 2 to 2 and a half hours! She sleeps through the craziness of our family, including her big brother that likes to go around "scaring" everyone by growling at them!
Cole has really taken to being a big brother. Just yesterday we went to the movies and he wanted to help carry Sissy into the theater... she was in her car seat! He still can't say Chloe right or Cole for that matter. He can't make the hard c aka the k sound. It comes out more like a d. So he says doughy and dole for their names. I have to admit, it's pretty stinkin cute. Most of the time he just calls her sissy! He had four swimming lessons these last two weeks. He absolutely LOVES the water. He says, "I play in da water." He also knows that he is taking lessons from Shawn (aka in Cole's language it more like John).
OH, I forgot to mention Michael turned 40 last Saturday! :)
Well I just wanted to do a quick update!
Friday, June 22, 2012
Monday, June 4, 2012
Chloe's Baptism
Chloe and I right before she got Baptized
Actually getting Baptized
Putting the Chrism (oil) on her head
Everyone smelling the chrism
Cole after Mass
Family picture with Father Martin
The family with Brother Paul - his first Baptism
Michael and his sister Becca, Chloe's Godmother
Us with Becca and her husband Tom, Chloe's Godparents
Family Picture after the Mass
The decorations at the party
Chloe's cake - the line is because I started to cut the cake and realized I hadn't taken a picture of it yet!
Family picture with all of us, including my grandpa!
Cole's Second Birthday Party
Cole's Second Birthday Cake
Cole and his cake. I realize I should have taken a picture of him before he ate versus after!
Chloe's Arrival Pictures
5:40 am - Getting ready to leave the house
A little after 9 pm - Chloe finally arrives
Saturday morning Cole finally got to meet his sister
Our first family pictures as a family of four
Close up of Chloe
All of Chloe's information on the card the nurses made for her!
Getting ready to leave the hospital - I had to have her wear the hat that one of my former students made for her!
Welcome Chloe Jeanné Casteel
We officially have a daughter! On Friday, May 18th, 2012 we went to the hospital to be induced. We had to be at the hospital at 6 am. Since we had to be there so early in the morning my mom and dad came on Thursday evening so that they could take Cole to the sitter for us. Prior to my parents arriving Michael and I took Cole to the park. I wanted to take some time to celebrate our last evening as a family of three. Cole had a blast, as did Michael and I.
Friday morning Michael, mom, dad, and I all got up early. Michael and I finished loading the car and headed to the hospital. We had to stop and get doughnuts for me and a coffee for Michael! :) We checked in to the hospital and they got me all hooked up to the monitors and the iv. They checked me and I hadn't had any changes from the week before (1 cm dialated and 50% effaced). The started the pitocin at 7:40 am to help start labor. I had some contractions throughout the morning. I wasn't making major progress, just slow and steady. At one point in the morning we started to smell smoke in my room. I asked everyone else (Michael, my parents, the nurse) if I was the only one smelling the smoke... they informed me they smelled it too. Other rooms in the ob department were smelling it too. So after a little investigation we found out that Napoli's, a restaurant that has been closed for quite a while now, had caught on fire! Since Michael used to be a fireman and he kept running down the hallway to see the fire, I decided to send him and my father to check out the fire. :) It was a good distraction for them!
My doctor came in a little after one o'clock to check me. I asked her if I was going to have to come in another day and try again or if I had made enough progress. She informed me I was 3 cm and 80% effaced and just like Cole my bag was "bulging" and she was going to break my water for me. I was relieved because I really didn't want to come in and have to start the same process all over. By 2:45 I decided that I wanted to get an epidural. Let me tell you, my anesthesiology was AMAZING! I was able to walk to the bathroom with my epidural! After the epidural I slowed down a little bit but they upped the pitocin and I picked back up. A little after 8 they checked me and realized I was 10 cm and 100% effaced! So the nurses set up the bed and got everything ready. Chloe had been helpful and had already started to move down (she was a +1 station - meaning she had moved a little past my pelvic bone). This made the whole pushing process quicker. I ended up pushing for 15 minutes at the most. However, my daughter had her own game plan. She took her time all day long and then when she came, she came with a fury. She beat the doctor. She was actually delivered by the nurses! :) She was absolutely beautiful and perfect. She was born at 9:00 pm and she weighed 7 pounds 14 ounces and was 18 and 1/2 inches long. Her apgar scores were 9 and 10!
We found out early on Saturday morning that Chloe had some jaundice. She had to be under the bili lights and blanket. Basically the whole weekend that we were in the hospital we barely got to see her because they needed her levels to go down. So I would get to feed her and then she would have to go back under the lights. That part of our stay was miserable! We ended up having to bring a portable bili blanket home with us for her to use at home. She had to use the blanket until Thursday. She had to have her blood taken on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday morning! The whole jaundice/bili light thing was awful but thankfully we were allowed to stop using the light! She had her week appointment on the 25th and she weighed 8 pounds 1 ounce!
Chloe has been a wonderful baby. She likes to cuddle (which I LOVE) and she has been sleeping really well. Cole has adjusted pretty well. He is always saying my sissy, I hold sissy, my baby, etc. I'm really happy that he's adjusted as well as he has! I hope he continues to do this well.
This past weekend was pretty crazy. On Friday night we celebrated my niece's birthday party. On Saturday we had Cole's second birthday party and on Sunday we celebrated Chloe's Baptism! We had a Cars themed second birthday party for Cole. I'm pretty sure he loved it! We had a small party this year since last year was so big and we knew it was going to be a busy weekend! Chloe looked beautiful for her Baptism.
The rest of the summer Cole, Chloe, and I will be hanging out at home together (except on Fridays - Cole will be at the sitters). I'm really excited to get to spend the summer with my adorable children! :)
I'll post some pictures of Chloe, Cole's party, and Chloe's Baptism! :)
Friday morning Michael, mom, dad, and I all got up early. Michael and I finished loading the car and headed to the hospital. We had to stop and get doughnuts for me and a coffee for Michael! :) We checked in to the hospital and they got me all hooked up to the monitors and the iv. They checked me and I hadn't had any changes from the week before (1 cm dialated and 50% effaced). The started the pitocin at 7:40 am to help start labor. I had some contractions throughout the morning. I wasn't making major progress, just slow and steady. At one point in the morning we started to smell smoke in my room. I asked everyone else (Michael, my parents, the nurse) if I was the only one smelling the smoke... they informed me they smelled it too. Other rooms in the ob department were smelling it too. So after a little investigation we found out that Napoli's, a restaurant that has been closed for quite a while now, had caught on fire! Since Michael used to be a fireman and he kept running down the hallway to see the fire, I decided to send him and my father to check out the fire. :) It was a good distraction for them!
My doctor came in a little after one o'clock to check me. I asked her if I was going to have to come in another day and try again or if I had made enough progress. She informed me I was 3 cm and 80% effaced and just like Cole my bag was "bulging" and she was going to break my water for me. I was relieved because I really didn't want to come in and have to start the same process all over. By 2:45 I decided that I wanted to get an epidural. Let me tell you, my anesthesiology was AMAZING! I was able to walk to the bathroom with my epidural! After the epidural I slowed down a little bit but they upped the pitocin and I picked back up. A little after 8 they checked me and realized I was 10 cm and 100% effaced! So the nurses set up the bed and got everything ready. Chloe had been helpful and had already started to move down (she was a +1 station - meaning she had moved a little past my pelvic bone). This made the whole pushing process quicker. I ended up pushing for 15 minutes at the most. However, my daughter had her own game plan. She took her time all day long and then when she came, she came with a fury. She beat the doctor. She was actually delivered by the nurses! :) She was absolutely beautiful and perfect. She was born at 9:00 pm and she weighed 7 pounds 14 ounces and was 18 and 1/2 inches long. Her apgar scores were 9 and 10!
We found out early on Saturday morning that Chloe had some jaundice. She had to be under the bili lights and blanket. Basically the whole weekend that we were in the hospital we barely got to see her because they needed her levels to go down. So I would get to feed her and then she would have to go back under the lights. That part of our stay was miserable! We ended up having to bring a portable bili blanket home with us for her to use at home. She had to use the blanket until Thursday. She had to have her blood taken on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday morning! The whole jaundice/bili light thing was awful but thankfully we were allowed to stop using the light! She had her week appointment on the 25th and she weighed 8 pounds 1 ounce!
Chloe has been a wonderful baby. She likes to cuddle (which I LOVE) and she has been sleeping really well. Cole has adjusted pretty well. He is always saying my sissy, I hold sissy, my baby, etc. I'm really happy that he's adjusted as well as he has! I hope he continues to do this well.
This past weekend was pretty crazy. On Friday night we celebrated my niece's birthday party. On Saturday we had Cole's second birthday party and on Sunday we celebrated Chloe's Baptism! We had a Cars themed second birthday party for Cole. I'm pretty sure he loved it! We had a small party this year since last year was so big and we knew it was going to be a busy weekend! Chloe looked beautiful for her Baptism.
The rest of the summer Cole, Chloe, and I will be hanging out at home together (except on Fridays - Cole will be at the sitters). I'm really excited to get to spend the summer with my adorable children! :)
I'll post some pictures of Chloe, Cole's party, and Chloe's Baptism! :)
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