I had been trying to remember whether I was the last one in this thread! Best wishes. Maybe you’ll go into labor on your own?
I think I’m the last one standing!
And my induction had just been cancelled a 3rd time. Cue me having a Total meltdown 
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Ugh, so frustrating!
Oh no! [name_m]Just[/name_m] because they don’t have the space in the hospital? I would be so frustrated, Im sorry!
How is everyone doing 1 yr out?
@LiliMorgana @LibelluleClaire @sarah1800 @auroradawn @esita @ChelsAnne22 @hyacinthbucket @Kiriko @LaurenAlexis
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What a great idea @LynnG !
We’re doing great thanks. It took me a long time to feel great again, to adjust to life with two, to recover from the c-section, to cope with the pain of de quervains, and also to emotionally move past the birth. I think I had the idea in my head that because my baby was (now) healthy, I should be okay too, whereas in reality the whole thing - fetomaternal haemorrhage, being rushed for emergency c-section, and him needing SCBU care and blood transfusion - were really traumatic, esp. when my eldest’s birth was not great either, and for a long time I’d cry just thinking of his birth. Acknowledgement and acceptance that it WAS traumatic for me, even if other’s have had much worse, has really helped my healing (as has my body recovering and de quervains leaving!)
[name_m]Casper[/name_m] is such a delight. He’s got the most amazing smile, and I love his determined little personality that’s coming through. He’s not walking yet and doesn’t have many words, but he understands a lot and makes himself understood (without any words, he was VERY clear the other day that he did NOT want raisins, he wanted chocolate dipped almonds like he saw me eating, and geez are you stupid mum I’m pointing at the packet this could not be more clear! 
). He loves songs and dancing and is starting to do some actions for wheels on the bus and twinkle twinkle little star.
He’s not at all like his big sis, who would learn by standing back and watching. He gets right in there straight away with everything, climbing onto the rocking horse and on playground equipment, and then crying for help when inevitably he gets stuck. Given that he’s not walking yet, I find it hilarious that he’s game enough to ride the rocking horse standing up! Where big sis was a tidy eater, slowly picking rice up one grain at a time, he’s really into his food but also throws it miles from hos highchair and loves emptying entire bookshelves onto the floor and posting toys down the sides of beds etc. Full on. Loves water. Loves outdoors. Loves cheekily speed-crawling away when you tell him it’s time for nappy change.
How are you doing @LynnG ? And can’t wait to hear updates from others too!
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Aw good idea! It would be nice to hear from everyone. [name_m]Can[/name_m] you believe it’s been a year? Deliverance will have her first birthday [name_m]Saturday[/name_m], and we’re planning a little family party. [name_f]My[/name_f] husband suggested a baby doll for a gift. I thought she might be too young to be interested, but I decided to find out, so I took the kids to the toy store, took a dolly off the shelf and held it out to her. “Baby? [name_f]Do[/name_f] you like the baby?”
She clutched that baby in her arms and wouldn’t let go all afternoon. We brought home a doll 
I put it away to save for the party after we got home. I’m also thinking of getting a boxful of thrift store scarves and hats, etc. since she loves to play peekaboo. Big brother [name_m]Ransom[/name_m] naturally wanted to buy her the biggest truck he could find (stereotypical, my children), but we have plenty of trucks at home already.
She is so close to walking; she’s actually taken two or three single steps unassisted. She is fond of pushing herself up and standing on her feet all alone, like “Look what I can do!” If she’s holding on to the furniture or whatever, she can walk all around a room. We have a tiny indoor slide that we pull onto the rug for the kids, and she can climb right up and slide down, either up the steps or up the slide itself if she’s barefoot.
She babbles a lot and has a few distinctive sounds; if you’re being generous, “ma-ma,” “da-da,” and “ba-ba” could be “Mommy,” “Daddy,” and “brother.”
She’s a bit sassy and definitely shows some temper; she will shriek at me to pick her up, especially if she’s tired, so we’re trying to nip that habit in the bud.
Her hair has been long enough for a little top ponytail since she was about 8 months old. Now I can do two tails, and it’s pretty stinking cute. We thought her hair might stay dark, but she’s quite blonde by now, and her eyes are going to stay blue.
I’ve been doing PT for my Stage 2 vaginal-wall prolapse since about 3 months postpartum, spacing the appointments further and further apart as we progress. The prolapse has not resolved, and I’m a little disappointed about that, but the gynecologist told me it might or might not. We would like to have more kid(s), so maybe another gynecology appt in another few months to see if that’s still a go as far as they’re concerned. [name_m]Even[/name_m] before the prolapse issue came up, we had agreed to try and wait at least 15 months so that another baby would be at least two years younger than Deliverance. In another two weeks, it’ll be the longest we’ve gone without being pregnant since we were married, which is kind of a weird feeling! I’m feeling pretty good about my Fertility Awareness Method charting, which is something I started learning after Deliverance was born. [name_f]Pretty[/name_f] steep learning curve doing it postpartum. I wish I’d had a baseline before I was married.
It’s fun having three, though now D is no longer a baby there can be some pretty chaotic moments. One thing I noticed going from two to three was the “You’ve got your hands full!” comments at the grocery store. I’ll have both boys in the cart and D in a baby carrier, or her and [name_m]Ransom[/name_m] in the cart and [name_m]Tobias[/name_m] helping push. I never got that comment with the two boys; now I do. It doesn’t exactly bother me, I just wonder why people feel compelled to say it, haha! [name_f]My[/name_f] go-to reply is “Best handful ever!” which usually at least gets a smile in response.
Her name is wearing pretty well. We usually use the full Deliverance at home, though we occasionally say “Livvy-baby”; also the boys, who like to make rhymes, actually lengthen it: “Deliverance-bince-nince-quince!” Would never have thought of [name_u]Quincy[/name_u] as a nn for Deliverance, but there it is…and a few friends and family tend to use [name_f]Liv[/name_f].
I pulled out my laptop since I have trouble posting via mobile anymore, and I’ve written an essay, ha! I hope everyone else is doing well!
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Thanks for asking! I love seeing the other replies.
We’re doing really great! [name_f]Caledonia[/name_f] is 13.5 months old and walking and running everywhere. She still has to wear a brace at night for her hip issue, but her Xrays look good and so far the braces are working and we’ve avoided needing surgery. Her hair is thick and curly and she still hasnt gotten her first tooth, but she eats everything she can get ahold of. She says mama, dada, Dek-ter (the dog, Dexter), kitty, uh-oh, and no.
Id love to start trying for #2, but hubby is waffling at the moment.
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It’s great to see that everyone is doing so well!
[name_f]Mila[/name_f] had her birthday at the end of [name_f]May[/name_f]. Her hair is getting longer now and we have days where she looks like her sister and others when she looks like her brothers and it’s so interesting to see her change and share those similarities. The other children dote on her–she is totally princess of the house. They fight over who loves her most, which is adorable.
She has six teeth but is fickle with food and we’re still building up to more toddler friendly meals. She walks with assistance and is learning to climb already–probably learning bad habits from her siblings to be honest. They climb in and out of her play area to see her. We recently transitioned her into a room with her sister which is a huge adjustment and hopefully gets better soon as it’s been a nightmare of crying and them waking each other up. But it’s also cute that they’re so close and sweet to find them both in the crib in the morning, even as I discourage it.
After my third baby was born I had some residual mixed feelings about her very quick birth and felt a bit traumatized. But Mila’s equally fast active labor (the induction took a while to get rolling, but once it did it was even faster, not even waiting for the doctor to arrive, and the nurse delivering her) has really put it all in perspective for me and I feel better overall now. Recovery was the easiest for me fourth time around and going into the newborn phase knowing it was the last time has been a lot different than with the others where I was always looking forward to future babies and those expectations. With [name_f]Mila[/name_f] it was a series of lasts: last newborn, last swaddle, last baby sleeping in our room, etc. and it’s been a lot easier to accept (I was so worried I would want yet another baby and not feel done again, but to my relief I feel the family is complete now, and I’m ready to move away from the baby phase of my life). So [name_f]Mila[/name_f] has helped me in so many ways without her ever knowing it.
I hope everyone is doing well. I can’t believe it’s been a year already!
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We’ve been doing great! Holiday turned one at the end of May. She’s got the softest most gorgeous chestnut brown hair and blue eyes and is still as tiny as ever at about 16 lbs and 28 in. But she makes up for it with a large personality. She loves walking, running and climbing and loves to boss her big sister around. She just said her 1st official word the other day ‘guck’ aka ‘duck’ though we’re pretty sure she also says ‘mama’ ‘dada’ ‘neenee’ (winnie) ‘papa’ ‘hi’ ‘hello’ and ‘touch’ but she doesnt like to do things on demand so getting her to repeat things is nearly impossible. However she is a very effective communicator even if we’re not entirely sure what she’s saying, and is already very good at following verbal directions. She also LOVES to wave hi to everyone.
We’re just finishing up a month long coast to coast road trip, which surprisingly both girls did very well on. They both got to see the ocean for the first and loved it, as well as fireflies! though I think we’re all ready to be home (and out of the car seats)
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This sounds so much like Casper! He says ‘guck’ for ‘duck’ too. No idea what his real first word was because so many are hard to understand, he was probably ‘talking’ for ages before I realised 
But the first I was convinced was a word was “Cas” (‘Casper’)… and then he never, ever, said it again. My daughter had super clear speech from a really early age and was super obliging with repeating words back to us. Casper’s not like that at all, but trying out lots of words once or twice: his name, book, ham, etc etc. He’s now regularly saying guck, cat, Mum, Dad, buh (‘bye’), and “hiya” (for hi or hello) at least.
Hope your road trip was amazing! The very idea of “seeing the sea for the first time” sounds so crazy to me, as in NZ there’s sea everywhere… its not like I didn’t know that was the reality for many people, just that I find it so unrelatable that hearing someone actually say it… I dunno, I just can’t even imagine it. And omg fireflies, how cool.
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That sounds like my girls. When [name_f]Winnie[/name_f] started talking it was very obvious and clear. Where as [name_u]Holly[/name_u] babbles continually and she just happens to say things that sounds like the right words at the right time often enough that we’re pretty sure it’s intentional 
The girls have done so well on this trip it actually surprised me. I was prepared for hours of screaming but for the most part they sat and entertained themselves.
If we could move to the ocean we would! I love it, and the girls loved it! Actually if my husband can ever complete his schooling and get his career going NZ is on the top of our list to settle down partially for that reason.
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@kiriko - So glad to hear [name_m]Casper[/name_m] is doing well and that you’re doing better and better. Traumatic births are… traumatizing. I’m sorry that experience happened to you. But glad things are getting better and better.
[name_m]Casper[/name_m] sounds like such a delight!
@auroradawn - So sorry about the prolapse. Wishing you all the best on your road to recovery. And yes, so true, the NNs cannnnnot always be predicted! Sometimes they just happen naturally. 
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@LiliMorgana same! There are days where Claire looks just like her sister Tess, and but then sometimes me or either of my own brothers. The same was true for our first child, but the other side of the family tree. It’s fun seeing who they physically resemble 
@LibelluleClaire and @Kiriko - saaame here. NZ is on our very short list of places where we want to live. And same here (again!), Claire says “guck” for duck. Tess was suuuper articulate and verbal from a verrrry young age (babbling and sound/word repetition began at 3 mo, and she had a handful of words by 5mo that she spoke clearly, correctly, and unprompted to refer to/ask for things). Claire spends a lot of time watching us and taking it all in. It’ll be a delight whenever Claire shares her thoughts with us
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We just had Hollys 15 month check up she’s finally reached 10% for weight, but has dropped back below the 1% for height. I think that might just be her life 
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@LibelluleClaire Paeds or Doctors or whoever are happy with her weight progress, not too worried about height? [name_f]Hope[/name_f] it’s not being too stressful for you!
[name_f]My[/name_f] eldest who was iugr and 6lb 1 at birth caught up really quickly as it was that the placenta had been starving her… but now she’s 3 1/2 I feel she’s seeming kinda small again compared to some of her peers?
Casper’s got his 6 ft 4 Dad’s genes, however. I was out with them the other day and a lady at first thought I had twins and then said “there couldn’t be much between them though?” …she looked pretty suprised when I said there was nearly 2 1/2 years between them!
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Same! Ours, 3 yrs apart, are approaching twin-like appearance LOL
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The dr is watching it and recommends a trip to the endocrinologist if she hasn’t caught up by 2 but the dr.s not too concerned as she’s never reached beyond 3% for height at any check up so it wasn’t a drastic drop, and she has put on a little weight. Plus, besides her height, she’s met all her milestones.
I have a friend who has 3 boys a singleton and twins. [name_m]Even[/name_m] though there’s 2 years between them when we’re out she’s asked if theyre triplets all the time!
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How is everyone?
Casper’s driving me mental by still insisting on nusring to sleep and co-sleeping with me right by him 
if i get up at 6am for work, he KNOWS. If I try to sneak off in the evening and like, watch tv or spend any time with my partner or have a life, he KNOWS. And he’s just so damn intense with his feelings I wouldn’t even know how to start with sleep training, he could scream the house down and stay awake for HOURS.
When he’s not over-tired and upset that I’ve tried to have a life though, he’s the cutest wee thing, still with such a massive smile. Doing 3-word sentences from time to time now! His vocabulary has absolutely exploded, it’s so helpful - he can tell us if he’s wanting me to hold something for him, wanting to go to bed, can’t reach something, wants a story, donked his head on the table, etc etc. So cool getting to know this litle person!
How’s everyone else’s wee ones and families doing?
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Oo I’m a little jealous of the vocabulary! Deliverance says a few words (please, baby, boo/moon/moose, baba/brother), but it’s mostly still babble, and she gets so frustrated when we can’t figure it out! Last night she brought me some clothes a friend had given us, and clearly she wanted to do something with them. Try on the dress? Screech! NO! Put it back in the bag? NO! Finally she started tugging on the dress she was already wearing. Oh! TAKE OFF that dress and try on this dress? HUGE GRIN, Mommy finally got it! She spent the rest of the evening trying on clothes. This girl loves clothes, especially shoes, and earrings. I don’t have my ears pierced, and her recent reaction to a friend who does was so funny. “What are these wonderful, beautiful things in her ears? (touches my ears; touches her own ears) Why don’t we have those?” Mommy quietly Googling How to raise a girly girl One of my sisters is engaged and recently “said yes to the dress,” and my mom, sisters-in-law and I all got to go to the boutique with her. I took Deliverance along and she just loved all the pretties.
She is an independent little thing (so sad for my leader-of-the-pack oldest son that neither of his younger siblings is a follower! Ha!) She loves to wander through a crowd, say, at church, showing people a book or toy she has. She disappoints my very affectionate younger son by often rejecting his constant attempts at hugging and patting. Her twin cousins are “her babies.”
We moved her to a bed in her brothers’ room, next to ours, after she turned one, and it’s working well. I still nurse her to sleep at bedtime pretty often, but that’s the only time she nurses now. I think I could finish weaning her without too much fuss. She feeds herself and pretty much eats what we eat. Dairy is her favorite: cottage cheese, yogurt, and cheddar or whatever semi hard cheese is around.
Playing with her brothers is a challenge, as she rarely wants to go along and do as they say, she wants to grab and go. They have to learn to be flexible, and she has to learn not to snatch their toys or smash the block house. But occasionally they are all playing nicely together, and it’s more evident every day that it’s three kids in the house now, not two kids and a baby.
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