well the results are in...

apparently neither of my children look like me - nor do they look like each other - but we all know who their father is :)

who does Clara Louise look like?

Love to hear your opinion! Vote on the poll to the right.

Some of the comments are left over from when Sam was born, just updated the post.

Clara Louise.

Tim as a newborn.

Kristi as a newborn.

Samantha as a newborn.

big sister

 tim took these pictures of Sam last week - I think they capture her love for life!  and show how difficult it is for her to hold still for a picture. 

the super cute mickey mouse shirt she is wearing is from her auntie dee dee!  dee dee recently got home from a trip to florida. 

overall sam is doing really well with the transition.  tim has been really good about spending quality fun time with her each day.  and i have tried to read lots of books and give lots of cuddles.  sam held clara for the first time today for about 2 min.  she knows her sister's name and asks where she is when she can't find her.  we are very proud of samantha jean and the big sister she is to clara louise. 

grandma and grandpa came to visit!!

Now that tim is back to work the daily pictures may not happen, but I will try my best to say hello as often as I can.  We very much enjoyed having Tim's parents here for a long weekend - to meet Clara and spend some quality time with Sam.  

Here are pictures Ken passed along from their camera from their visit.  

Grandpa and Clara

 Crazy times with Dada - Samantha loves to be chased and all things crazy.

 Family of four

 Sweet Clara Louise

 One of the few ways to get sam to hold still for a picture...

 Grandma and me with the girls

 the whole clan

Today was officially my first day home with the girls "alone."  Thankfully my mom came over in the morning for some extra support.  I am proud to say that I managed fairly well after she left and until Tim came home. I gave Clara a bath, which she loved, and was able to shower myself.  Sam and I played with her toys.  I am sure I did some other things too but it escapes my mind.

day 6

clara's birth story

(i love it that tim has been posting pictures this week!  he is at home and the girls and I are loving the extra time with him!!)

clara louise was worth the wait!  she is lovely and has a strong spirit.  when she has an opinion she lets us know, as she has a strong cry.  she loves being held.  she hates having her diaper changed.  she loves looking outside (like her sister).  she loves to eat.

last saturday we had a non-stress test in the hospital.  earlier in the week we had been given the option of inducing that day but decided to wait.  when we were at the hospital on saturday the doctor strongly recommended we come back the next day to be induced.  she said it was highly unlikely i would go into labor on my own due to the amount of amniotic fluid and clara's ballotable head.  she was also concerned if my water did break at home that the cord would come out with the water, which would be extremely dangerous.

sunday morning we were at the hospital at 7:15 am.  we got settled into our room and met our amazing nurse, Gail.  the doctor ordered that i be put on a low dose of pitocin to get my contractions 2 min apart.  thankfully i was already contracting 3-5 on my own!  9:30 am the pitocin was going.  and by 11:00 my contractions were 2 min apart.  at this point labor was very manageable, which i was thankful for - having heard stories of pitocin causing pain that is difficult to manage without medication.  (not that it can't cause unmanageable pain but it wasn't that way for me).

at 11:00 i was 5 cm dilated (having come into the hospital 4 cm).  the doctor came and broke my water.  let me tell you it was a ton of water!  both the doctor and the nurse were amazed.  i was too.

shortly after breaking my water they were able to turn off the pitocin and my body took over.

at noon i was 6 cm.  at 1:00 i was 7 cm.  at that point it got very intense!  from 1:00-2:00 i went from 7 to 10 cm.  and was ready to push around 2:00.  after 15 min of pushing Clara Louise was born.

she cried and cried.  i think she was very happy in her water world.  she was highly sensitive to any kind of touch or light or change in temperature.  thankfully that has mellowed out quite a bit.

meeting her was amazing.  and we continue to be thankful for her health and that although i had be induced i was able to have the kind of natural birth experience i had been wanting.

shortly after she was born -

******* Thanks sis for pointing out the incredible support team I had in you and Tim!!!  I certainly couldn't have made it without you two holding my hands!!!!!!!  *******************

day 5

day 4

day 3

day two

Clara Louise Knipp

Born 2:20pm on Nov 6, 2011. 
8lbs 2oz, 20in.
Baby healthy, mama healthy. 
God is good.

non-stress test

this morning we had a non-stress test.  we are thankful that everything continues to look good with the baby.  we met with the midwife afterwards and talked about the next week or so.  the longest they will let me go without induction is next thursday.  obviously our prayer continues to be the little lady will come on her own, but should we get to that point we will have her induced by breaking my water (with sam breaking my water began my labor with her).

the midwife clarified some of the things the ultrasound tech said yesterday and things i assumed based on the ultrasound.  the amount of fluid i still have isn't necessarily keeping labor from coming.  baby girl does have her head secure in my pelvis and it is pressing against my cervix.  i continue to dilate and do have a good chance of going into labor on my own.

so we wait with thankful hearts.  and pray.  and hope.

harvest party

We didn't know if we would make it to the harvest party at church...  or if we made it how many of us there would be...  but sure enough - we made it - just the three of us.  these first few photos tim took at the end of the evening -trying to capture sam in her ariel dress (there is a picture of ariel at the top under the sweater).  for some reason she wanted to sit on the floor to have her picture taken...  

 these last two photos show how sam spent most of the night.  it was a camping theme - so tim dressed as a hiker and wore sam for the whole thing.  she was totally content!  i could hardly believe it.  we both were able to spend the evening walking around talking to people because sam didn't want to get out.  i think she liked the view and being able to see all of the kids.

two funny moments for me from the evening - one of the pastors told someone whom i hadn't met yet that i was dressed as a pregnant person and not really pregnant but had a basketball under my shirt and they believed him!  unbelievable.

the other funny moment was when a teenage boy came up to me and asked if  i was dressed as Juno - i suppose i did kind of look like her.  hair in a pony tail.  halloween socks.  burnt orange cardigan sweater.  huge pregnant belly...

ultrasound

This morning I had an ultrasound bright and early to check on baby girl.  It was a lovely experience!!  This was my first pregnancy ultrasound in the states and the "plush-ness" was definitely kicked up a notch.  Lovely soft music, bathroom in the room, lots of pictures, nice screen on the wall so I could see what was happening, and a 3D offering.  :)  

Here is what we learned - baby girl is doing great.  all systems are functioning well.  she has PLENTY of fluid (which is the main reason for a post-due date ultrasound) and the placenta is still looking good.  all that to say - she has plenty of room and very little motivation to leave my body.  so it is great that she is healthy and all seems to be good but bad that she is unmotivated to leave.  

her head is down and she does spend time in my pelvis but she is also able to get out - hence why we were able to get these great face shots.  again - happy for the cute pictures but bummer she isn't ready to leave at all times...  

profile shot: - that is her arm by her nose.

 face shots.  the tech said it is rare to get pictures this good this late - i suppose i should see that as a perk... (apparently most babies are too engaged in the pelvis or the fluid level is too low).  :)

 i wonder if her nose will really be as big as it looks here...

she was asleep for the whole thing.  it seems like she has been sleeping more - i hope that means she is getting rested for her big workout.  the ultrasound tech thought that she probably doesn't have much hair from what she could tell...  her mouth reminds me of samantha.

so there you go.  we have a non-stress test tomorrow morning and will meet with the midwife afterwards.  i really didn't think we would get to this point but i am also not surprised.  i have been encouraged this week by the number of people who have told me that they too had late second babies.  and after this morning i am beginning to think if we let this little lady decide when to come out we would be waiting quite a bit longer.

thanks for waiting with us!