Owen's Birth Story

            Owen’s birth story could not be more different than Emmett’s.  Where in the beginning of Emmett’s I had to put a warning that it would be emotional and possibly difficult to read, Owen’s is merely joyful.

            Tuesday July 3^rd, two days after my due date, I went to the doctor.  I was declared only one centimeter dilated, as I had been for 3 weeks.  After having a c-section with Emmett, I was determined to give birth vaginally this time.  But the odds were not looking to be in my favor.  Despite the risks, my doctor and the consulting OB determined that we would wait one week and if nothing happened we would schedule an induction.  I was nervous about the increased risk of uterine rupture, but I was willing to risk almost anything to avoid a c-section.  And so, we waited.

            On the morning of Saturday July 7^th I woke up and went to the bathroom and there was a little bit of blood.  It scared me at first, because since I was induced with Emmett, I had never gone into labor before and I didn’t really know the signs.  I referred to my “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” book and found that this is what’s known as the “bloody show” and that labor was most likely 24-48 hours away.  I didn’t get my hopes up, because I had just accepted the fact that I was incapable of going into labor on my own.  Chris’s parents had graciously offered to take Emmett to their house Saturday night and sent us on a “last date” before we had the baby. 

We went to dinner at Texas Roadhouse, during which I began to feel some mild tightening feelings in my stomach.  It didn’t really hurt and they weren’t very strong, so I didn’t really think they were contractions.  We went on to a movie, “Snow White and the Huntsman”, during which these tightening feelings began to get stronger.  By the end of the movie they were beginning to get strong enough to where I would call them pains.  We passed the hospital on our way home and I jokingly said to Chris, “Hey, we might be checking in there sometime soon!” thinking we were still maybe a day away.  We got home around midnight and I took my usual nightly shower and went to bed.  I was reading my book in an attempt to ignore the pain so that I could get to sleep.  Well the pains got stronger and more frequent.  I decided to start timing them and sure enough, they were about 5-6 minutes apart, but they were only about 30-45 seconds long.  Knowing the 4-1-1 rule (4 minutes apart, one minute long, for one hour) I thought they weren’t long enough to bother calling the doctor.  They began to get closer to 4 minutes apart about 2:00 AM, and even though they weren’t long enough, I decided I better wake up Chris (who had been snoring beside me since I got out of the shower) to get a second opinion.  He timed a few contractions with me and we decided we better call the doctor.  When Chris told him who he was and who he was calling for, the doctor joked “This can’t be the Kim Correll I know, she doesn’t go into labor!”  Chris explained our situation and the doctor suggested we go to the hospital.  We finished packing our bag and Chris took a shower, all the while the contractions were getting stronger and more often.  I got to the point where I had to stop what I was doing and double over the bed or the counter or whatever I was standing next to whenever a contraction hit.  Lucky for us, Emmett was already at his Nana and Pawpaw’s house so we didn’t have to wait for them to get here.  About 3:30 AM we headed to the hospital.

Chris dropped me off at the entrance to the women’s center and went to park the car.  The hospital was so empty and quiet that it was eerie.  When Chris met me with our stuff we hopped on the elevator and went up to labor and delivery triage.  They took me into one of the little triage rooms to check me out.  We answered a bunch of questions and did paperwork.  The triage nurse checked me and I was 3 centimeters dilated.  At that point my contractions were painful but bearable.  I was able to force myself to relax through them with a lot of concentration.  They had to come and start my IV because I had tested positive for the Strep B and needed penicillin.  I started getting nervous about the IV because I know from previous experience how much those hurt.  I tend to be queasy about needles anyway, and I noted the fact that I hadn’t eaten anything since dinner at 6:00 the previous evening.  On an empty stomach and low blood sugar, needles tend to make me faint.  I explained this to the nurse and she offered me a drink. I chose a ginger ale for its stomach settling properties.  However, one sip and I felt like I was going to throw up.  They handed me something to throw up in just in case.  I forced myself to breath and calm down and the nausea subsided.  The nurse came to start my IV and I asked if it was possible to have it in my arm on the side of my wrist instead of the back of my hand (I had one there years ago when I had jaw surgery and I remember it being much less painful than the one I had in my hand when I had Emmett) and she was surprisingly agreeable.  She found a vein quickly and it was in.  She did a great job.  Normally when I tell them needles make me queasy, they send in their best person who can get it in quickly with one try, thank goodness.  Of course as soon as they get the IV in I realize that I have to pee, so they help me roll my cart down to the bathroom (the creepiest part of the IV is being attached to a cart by your vein, ew!).  Then they put me in a wheelchair and took me to a labor and delivery room.

I got all settled into my bed in the labor and delivery room somewhere between 4:30 and 5:00 AM.  They strapped the fetal heart monitor to me and the contraction monitor.  Owen’s heartbeat was strong and all was looking good.  The anesthesiologists came by to see if I wanted an epidural.  At that time the contractions were strong but bearable so I told me I was going to wait and see.  I continued to breath and relax through the contractions.  I even attempted to sleep in between them, but I wasn’t getting long enough breaks in between.   

My doctor, Dr. Rosen, arrived around 7:00 AM and checked my progress.    I was expecting a lot of progress, but I was only 4 centimeters dilated after all that time passed.  I was worried about having a long labor again like my first one.  He said that 4 centimeters was a really good time to break my water, so he did that.  After that things got real.  The contractions became intense and they were coming closer and closer together.  I was barely getting breaks in between and I was no longer able to relax through the contractions.  I was gripping the bed rails or Chris’s hand and moaning and gasping through them.  The epidural was beginning to sound like a really good idea at that point.  After about an hour of that I decided I would have them check my progress again and if I was close to fully dilated I would try to stick it out.  Well I was only 5 centimeters at that point.  I decided that being only halfway there, there was no way I wanted to do that much more without the epidural.  They called anesthesia to come back and I swear it felt like hours before they showed up.  I was begging anyone who would listen to get them to hurry up.  I was losing my mind with pain at that point, moaning and crying.  And I’m not ashamed to admit that, labor is absolute hell.  They finally showed up and I felt a little queasy as I watched them lay out the needles and equipment.  But you know its time when the fear of the next contraction trumps the fear of them putting a needle into your spine.  The process is still very unpleasant, and when they were done I was still feeling the contractions.  They said I would feel about 3 more and then it should start to kick in.  Boy when it does, it is sweet, sweet relief.  You even get a little button to push when you need more pain relief.  I relaxed and shortly afterwards I took a nice nap.  Of course part of me wishes I was strong enough to do it without pain meds.  And I know that women have been giving birth for years without anything.  But my nurse put it into words the best way I’ve heard yet.  She said, “Well you could have a cavity filled without Novocain too, but why would you?  Take the help if its available.”  Of course a month later when you get the bill you wish you had been stronger.  But in the moment no price is too great.  I only had one complication with the epidural.  All of a sudden I started feeling a little dizzy and nauseous.  My blood pressure dipped really low and they had to give me something in my IV to bring it back up again.  That was a little scary, but I started to feel better right away.  I didn’t have any further issues.

At 10:00 I was checked and declared fully dilated.  I started pushing.  I grabbed my legs and I pushed hard.  I was determined that this baby was coming out the traditional way.  I pushed through about 3 contractions and he was getting close to coming out.  They offered to let me watch in the mirror this time, and I actually decided to look.  All I can say is…woah.  But I began to believe that I was going to be able to do this.  On the next contraction the doctor told me to push gently because he would definitely be coming out with the next push.  Despite the epidural I was not completely numb, so I felt him being born.  Owen Mark Correll was born at 10:26 AM on July 8^th.  They held him up briefly so I could see him before they took him over to the table to clean him up.  I confirmed for myself once and for all that he was a boy.  I think a tiny part of me was still holding out hope that all the sonograms had been wrong.  They called out his weight as 8 lbs 3 oz and his length at 22 inches.  His crying sounded strong but he was still working a little too hard to breath.  They said he just came so fast that he didn’t get all the fluid squeezed out of his lungs.  He needed to go to the NICU to get better cleaned out and to have a chest x-ray.  This struck fear into our hearts because this was all too familiar, reminiscent of Emmett’s birth.  But I could tell his breathing was much better than Emmett’s, his cry louder, clearer, stronger.  They said he would most likely spend about 4 hours in the NICU before being brought to the room.  We said, “Yeah, we’ve heard that before, and last time he didn’t get out for 5 days!”  They assured us this was very routine.  They wrapped him up and let me hold him for just a few minutes before they took him away.  It was wonderful to be able to hold him at that moment, even if it wasn’t for very long.  Then they put him in one of those clear plastic incubator boxes and rolled him out.  I could tell Chris was more concerned than I was about him, so I did my best to reassure him, explaining the difference in the way his crying sounded.  Then Chris left to go to the NICU to be with Owen.  I was so happy that I managed to deliver him vaginally.  I barely felt how tired I was.  I wasn’t even worried about Owen.  All I could do was smile.   

While all this was going on, Dr. Rosen was doing his repair work, sewing where I had torn and also where he had had to cut me.  I was slightly disturbed by how long he was down there sewing, so I asked him if everything was ok.  He said everything was all right, that it was perfectly within the realm of normalcy for a first delivery even though it was my second attempt.  I said, “Good, because its starting to hurt and my button won’t work anymore.”  He said the epidural was out but that he was almost done.  In what world is it acceptable to be able to feel the doctor sewing you up?  I guess anything goes in labor and delivery. 

A few minutes after he was finally done with the repair work, my parents arrived.  We had waited until 7:00 AM to call them and tell them I was in labor.  We didn’t want to wake anyone up at an ungodly hour.  Then things went so fast they didn’t get there until after the baby was born.  That was ok with all of us though, because they would have left while I was pushing anyway.  The nurse came with a wheelchair to take me to my postpartum room.  On the way we stopped by the NICU to see Owen.  He was perfectly fine, no oxygen necessary, chest x-ray clear.  They said they would have him to my room in a little while.  What a relief!  He needed to go to the nursery first for some routine checks first and then he would be all ours!  It felt so great to have a baby in the healthy baby nursery this time. 

Once I got settled into my room we proceeded to make the necessary phone calls to family and friends.  I got to eat lunch, which tasted so good even though it was hospital food.  I was just so hungry I think any food would have tasted good to me.  I will say one thing, our hospital has the best sweet tea EVER.  I requested it with every meal.  I also like how our hospital gives you choices for your meals.  They come and take your order each day for the next day’s meals.  Its good for picky eaters like me.  And even though it sucks to be in the hospital, I have to admit I love being waited on.  I’m sure I drank too much soda while I was there too, but to have someone bring you whatever you want whenever you want it is pretty cool. 

The next day Chris’s parents came with Emmett.  I couldn’t believe how big he looked when he walked in the room.  I had been so used to holding a newborn for the last 24 hours.  Emmett was really excited to see Owen.  And he seemed really glad to see us again.  He seemed a little weirded out by me in a hospital bed.  He did climb up on the bed and sit with me for a little while, but we never did get a family picture with all of us because he wouldn’t cooperate.  My parents took him home to our house for the rest of the day and we stayed one more night in the hospital.

It felt really weird to be discharged and going home about 48 hours after having Owen.  To some extent I was ready to go home, but I was also a bit nervous about it.  I wasn’t sure how difficult it would be to handle both boys at once.  My mom stayed for the rest of the week with me to help me out.  Then she went home and I was on my own.  And the rest is history.  

 

 

40 weeks and 5 days

I am past due again.  Am I really surprised?  No, not really.  I have no idea what it is about me or my babies that causes me not to go into labor.  I know its not something that I can control.  I've done everything that I know of, that I've read about, that people have told me to try.  So if there was something I could do to go into labor, it would have happened. 

I went to the doctor this past Tuesday.  I was still dilated 1 cm just like I have been for 3 weeks now.  My doctor needed to call the OBGYN doctor that we have been consulting with to discuss options.  Much to my surprise, they are willing to attempt an induction.  The risk of uterine rupture doubles when labor is induced but it is still a very small risk.  I will go back to the doctor this coming Tuesday if labor doesn't happen on its own before then.  At that time we will schedule the induction at the hospital to begin Wednesday night.  The plan is to do what they call cervical ripening (insert a certain medication and let it sit overnight while you sleep to soften the cervix).  Then they will begin pitocin (the drug that makes you have contractions) Thursday morning.  That's what we were supposed to do when Emmett was born, but when I got to the hospital last time for my induction I was already having contractions that were about 10 minutes apart.  I was barely feeling them, so I didn't even realize it.  Because I was contracting they decided to skip cervical ripening and start the pitocin that night, even though I wasn't dilated at all.  26 hours and change later, Emmett was finally born by c-section.  Despite getting fully dilated and pushing for 2.5 hours, his head was too big to push out.  I am a little worried that an induction will just go the same way it went last time.  But I feel that it is worth a try to avoid having a c-section.  And the doctors think this baby is smaller than Emmett was.  My biggest fear is that this baby will end up going to the NICU with breathing problems like Emmett did.  But, I have no reason to believe that having a c-section instead of an induction would make that any less likely to happen.  The doctors don't seem to think so either, becuase I asked about risks to the baby, stating that as my biggest concern (obviously).  Of course there is still a chance I could go into labor on my own before Tuesday, which would be the best case scenario.  But I'm not too optimistic.

I have everything ready for the baby to be born.  Thanks to my crazy nesting, I couldn't be more ready.  Everything is clean, washed, and in place.  The house is in the best shape its been in since we moved in 6 years ago.  I would love a bigger house, but I've done the best I can with the amount of house we have.  We have 3 bedrooms, which will soon all be occupied (no more guest room, unfortunately).  But if we can make this house work for a few more years while the kids are little, it will save us a lot of money and make it possible for me to stay home with my boys.  When they are both ready to be in school full time, I will be ready to go back to work full time.  Not that I'm looking forward to going back to work, I am certainly happier staying home with them.  But to go back to having 2 incomes again would make life so much easier for us.  We could actually plan some fun things like vacations for example.  And deep down, I do miss teaching just a little bit and I would like to give it another try.  Plus teaching is perfect for being a mother.  That's a small part of why I chose it as my profession in the first place.  By the time I go back my teaching license will have expired, but I will cross that bridge when I come to it. 

Now it is time to go take care of my current chocolate craving while Emmett is still napping.

39 weeks and 3 days

Due date is Sunday.  So far, nothing's happening.  I'm getting really impatient.  I'm hot and uncomfortable.  And I'm anxious.  If I go past due, the chances of having another c-section increase.  No one will give me a straight answer about induction.  One doctor says that research has been released stating it is safe to induce labor using pitocin in a VBAC attempt, but that the hospital's official stance is that they won't allow it.  Another doctor says that it may be possible but that the hospital doesn't like to do it.  The OBGYN doctor we consulted with says that they prefer you go into labor on your own to attempt a VBAC.  The risk is one in 2,000 that the uterus could rupture at the previous incision, resulting in an emergency c-section.

Other factors that a VBAC hinges on:
1. baby's position - head down:  check
2. baby's size:  so far not too big, but head measured large at 37 week ultrasound - not a deal breaker

So if I go past due, I just don't know what I want to do.  I want to avoid a c-section if possible, so I don't want to just schedule it for the day after my due date.  I am not sure if I want to be induced, because the chances are higher that my uterus could rupture.  And I'm not sure they will allow that anyway.  But the longer I go past due, the bigger the baby could get, making it less likely that his head will fit through my pelvis, which was the problem with my first labor and delivery.  I just want to go into labor naturally sometime between now and Sunday.  I'm beginning to feel pretty stressed about it.  I have my regular doctor's appointment tomorrow.  At my 38 week appointment I was still one centimeter dilated just as I was at 37 weeks.  Another disadvantage to going past due is that I will be required to go to the hospital for non-stress tests every 2 days or so until the baby comes.  That is not only inconvenient, but expensive since insurance only covers part of those just like everything else.

Reasons why I feel stressed about having another c-section:
1. pain - I was in severe pain for the first 2 days after having the c-section, to the point where I couldn't even walk down to the NICU to see my baby.  Took me almost 24 hours after to be able to climb into a wheelchair in order to go see him.  Was able to walk by the afternoon of the 3rd day.  Was discharged on the 4th day while my baby remained in the NICU, and at that time I was unable to bend over far enough to pick something up off of the floor.  Pain also made breastfeeding difficult, as it was nearly impossible for me to the hold the baby, even with a nursing pillow, in the necessary position.
2. risks to the baby - when Emmett was born by c-section he ended up with a lot of fluid in his lungs, as well as meconium.  This resulted in a 5 day stay in the NICU and then another 5 day stay in pediatrics getting antibiotics.  Babies who are squeezed through the birth canal the traditional way get a lot of that fluid squeezed out naturally.
3. fear of epidural without being in any previous pain - not really excited about the prospect of a needle in my spine when I feel perfectly fine.  It was nothing compared to the pain of contractions, but to go in cold and just get a needle in my spine doesn't sound too good.

Reasons why I feel stressed about having a VBAC:
1. risk of uterin rupture - could cause me pain and all sorts of other complications.  Could cause the baby to be at risk for all sorts of complications as well.
2. stresses to the baby as a result of the pushing - Emmett had severe bruises (hematoma) on his head from the 2.5 hours of pushing.  Also, being in the birth canal for such a long labor may have been the cause of the fluid and meconium in his lungs.

I really hate waiting.  I hate having all of this out of my control.  And I hate the fact that ultimately, I'm going to have to make a really difficult decision if I don't go into labor by Sunday.  I really had no idea how difficult it is to have another baby after having your first child by c-section.  Who would have thought?   

Almost there!

I am 35 weeks along now!  Two more weeks and I'll be 37, which means the baby is officially considered to be full term, although the due date is at 40 weeks.  I'm a little overwhelmed, but I'm finally getting pretty excited about it.  I'm ready to get this baby out.  Partly because I am getting increasingly bigger and more uncomfortable, and the weather is getting increasingly warmer and more unbearable.

Oh and its a boy by the way.  I was disapointed about that at first and it took me a little while to get over it.  I'm pretty sure I only want two children, so this was my only chance to experience the mother-daughter relationship from the mother perspective.  My relationship with my mother is so great, I really wanted to pass that on to a daughter of my own.  I also wanted to give my mother a granddaughter.  Who knows, I just might decide to try one more time.  But the way I feel right now, I don't see that happening.  Plus there's a good chance I would just end up with a third boy, and that would just be...too much.  I was really hoping for a break from cars, trucks, trains, and vehicles of all kinds.  Maybe this one won't be into those things.  But really, there are a lot of reasons that I'm glad I'm having another boy.  I can't wait to meet him.  I'm hoping he comes early, and I have a feeling he will.  He is much more active than Emmett was, and I have a feeling he won't be content to be cooped up in here much longer. 

Things are looking good for a VBAC attempt.  So far he's been measuring normal size for his gestational age.  I have gained significatnly less weight this pregnancy, and actually got a compliment from my doctor about that last week.  He is also in the head-down position.  As long as I go into labor naturally and don't have to be induced, we should be good to go.

Emmett slept in his big boy bed last night!  I am so proud of him.  He went to sleep on his own and slept through the night, until almost 9:00 which is actually later than I would like him to.  But he still took his nap on time, also in his big boy bed!  He's just now starting to wake up.  My biggest fear about it all was that he wouldn't stay in bed.  But we got an extra-long safety rail that goes almost the entire length of the bed.  Its also a day bed, but a low wooden one that has rails around three sides already.  So I think he honestly doesn't realize that he could possibly climb out.  He'll probably eventually figure it out, but for now it works.  So that's one big step in getting him ready for the new baby.  The next step is getting him potty trained, which we have started on, but haven't gotten real serious about yet.  I figure we'll give him the rest of the week to get used to the new bed before we start potty boot camp.  Don't want to overwhelm him with too many changes at once.  I think once he sees how much more comfortable underwear is compared to diapers, he'll be glad to make the change.  Lately he messes with his diaper a lot, like its bugging him.  And he'll pee in the potty most of the time when we ask him to, and sometimes he asks to go on his own.  So we've got a good start.  I think he can do it before the baby comes and then we won't have two kids in diapers at once.  But we'll see.

So everything is going well!  I still have a lot of work to do to get ready, but I'm getting closer to being there.  Now that Emmett is out of the nursery, I can really work on getting the nursery ready.  I need to get all the baby clothes out and washed, get clothes of Emmett's put away, set up all the baby stuff again.  I'm actually excited to do all of that.  More nesting!

Great Expectations

I am 26 weeks pregnant, and this is the first time I have mentioned it on my blog.  Most people that read my blog already know anyway.  But I guess its time that I write about it.

We are expecting our second child on July 1st.  We don't know the gender yet, it was unable to be determined during our last sonogram.  We should have another sonogram on Tuesday, but I'm not getting my hopes up that we'll find anything out.  I'm not sure if its just that my children are shy or that my doctors' office has poor quality sonogram equipment, because the same thing happened when I was pregnant with Emmett.  Regardless, we are going to get a 3D sonogram done around 30 weeks, so we'll know by then for sure.  Emmett thinks he is having a baby sister.  He won't even consider the fact that it might be a boy.  However, I have a strong feeling that its another boy.  But who knows, I had a feeling Emmett was a girl, so what do I know? 

This weekend Emmett is going to spend Saturday night at his grandparents' house so that we can work on his new bedroom.  We need to get it cleaned out, move the queen bed out and put a bunch of stuff in storage.  I hate losing our guest bedroom, but honestly we don't use it very often, only when family comes to stay.  We mostly use it for storage right now.  We are considering getting a pullout couch for the living room, but we really don't need a new couch and then we'd have one more thing to put in storage to use later.  Hopefully we'll get a lot done, because we really need to get Emmett's new room ready so that he has time to get used to it before the baby comes.  I don't want him to feel like he got pushed out of his room because of the baby.  But Emmett's nursery was neutral (remember how I mentioned that we didn't know he was a boy until I was 30 weeks along?) so we figure we might as well just leave the nursery decorated the way it is (it has a celestial theme, all stars and moons and such).  And even though Emmett's crib is a convertible one that goes to toddler bed and then to full size bed, we think we are just going to use it as a crib for now and get him a twin bed.  We considered bunk beds, but I think we've decided against that for now.  Of course if we have another boy they could eventually share a room, but I don't want them to feel like they have to.  Even brothers need their own space.  Not sure what kind of theme I want to do for his big boy room.  I'm not sure if I want to let him pick out his own or not.  I'm not a big fan of cartoon character themed rooms (I feel the same way about clothes for him) and I have a feeling that's what he'd pick if I let him.  I'd rather just have a combination of solid colors.  But if he picked it out himself, he may be more interested in sleeping in there.  I'll think some more on it and decide later.

I've had some difficulty with my feelings regarding this pregnancy.  I just can't believe how different it feels.  I haven't had the same level of excitement, and in fact in some ways I am dreading this.  Is that terrible to say?  I can't help it, its the truth.  First of all, I'm not looking forward to another labor and delivery.  The day Emmett was born was the best day of my life and the worst day of my life all at the same time.  I'm terrified to go through it all again.  Not only was labor painful and exhausting, but it ended in a c-section after more than 24 hours of labor, and the worst part is that Emmett had breathing problems that were life-threatening and his first night was very scary.  And I slept through it.  I wasn't even able to be there with him because I was too out of it from pain meds and sheer exhaustion.  I am so afraid that the same thing is going to happen again.  I am hoping to attempt a VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section) and if all goes well with the pregnancy I should be able to try.  But that in itself comes with its own risks to me and the baby.  But really, how could it possibly go any worse? 

And then there's the fear of doing the whole newborn phase again, up all night, no sleep, exhaustion that threatens your very sanity...with a 2 year old at the same time.  Emmett should also be very afraid, because the Mommy he knows may not be the same for a while, or ever again.

All of these things weighing on my mind are keeping me from enjoying this pregnancy.  I really wish I could somehow let it all go.  I just want to be excited again, about the miracle that a new baby is.  I know that once its all over and I have a healthy baby in my arms, I will be ok.  But until then I just don't know.   

Emmett's 2nd Birthday

Again, this post is happening way after the fact, consdering Emmett turned 2 on November 30.  But I don't want to miss documenting these things.

When we went in to his room to get him in the morning Chris and I both greeted him with "Happy Birthday!"  We had been asking him all week how old he was going to be, but he still didn't know when we asked him.  His presents were waiting for him on the coffee table in the living room when he got downstairs.  He got a handmade wood helicopter, a little electronic piano, and a car track with two battery powered jeeps that drive on it.  The track is flexible and can be rearranged different ways, complete with a bridge that the jeeps can go over and under.  He loved that.  It was nearly impossible to tear him away from it long enough to eat breakfast.

As mentioned in the previous post, the main event of the morning was his haircut.  Then we ate lunch at home and he took his usual nap.  After his nap we took him to the mall so he could ride the train.  He had been obsessed with the train for months and we decided his birthday was a good time to take a ride.  Chris rode the train with him while I took pictures.  Emmett had a huge smile on his face the whole time and Chris said he kept turning to him and saying "Fun!"

And after the ride we took him to the mall playground and just let him run around.  Here he is climbing up on an apple.

For dinner we took him to his all time favorite restaurant, Arby's.  He ate his all time favorite sandwich, a roast beef.  After that we went home so he could play with his new toys until bedtime.  I think he had a good day, at least I hope so.  We didn't do anything remarkable, we simply tried to make the day all about him.  I still can't believe that my baby boy is already 2 years old.  So far the terrible twos aren't too terrible.  He has his moments, but overall he is a really good kid.  We are lucky parents. 

Emmett's first haircut

This post is happening way after the fact.  Emmett got his first haircut on his birthday, November 30.  I've been meaning to document it with pictures since then, and I'm finally getting around to it.

Chris made an appointment for him with the barber he always goes to.  He seemed a little weirded out when we first went in, but it didn't take him long to start walking around and checking everything out.  There was a man in the chair getting his hair cut (unfortunately Chris didn't need one that day) so we tried to show him and explain what was going to happen.  At one point he tried to get out the door, so he was already feeling a little apprehension.  When it was his turn I picked him up and set him up in the chair.  He freaked out, starting crying and screaming and flailing and doing anything to try and get out of the chair.  I really didn't know what to do.  The barber suggested that we both step back and just start taking pictures or do something else.  And that actually worked.  After we stepped back and he realized he couldn't be saved, he quit flailing and just sat their and accepted it.  He continued to cry for another minute or so.

He eventually calmed down and sat quietly while the barber cut his hair.

We never did get him to smile.

But he looked very handsome when it was all done.

Overall it was a success.  He looked so much older when it was done, like a little boy instead of a baby.  I got a little teary-eyed over it later, after putting him down for his nap.  And of course I have a little ziplock bag of his hair that I will save for his baby book.  We made sure the rest of his birthday was all fun and nothing else unpleasant.  I will be documenting the rest of his birthday with pictures later on.  And his hair is already starting to get long again, he will be due for another one soon enough.  Hopefully now that he has experience it will go better next time.