So, I'm terrible at this blogging thing. I love it when I do it, and I love to read others' blogs to keep up with what's going on in their lives but I'm no good when it comes to our own family's blog. So, here's a snapshot of what happened to the McCrackens in 2012.
In December 2011, two days before our anniversary, I found out I was pregnant with Baby #2. It was a surprise, but a very exciting one! My pregnancy with Baby #2 was so much easier than my pregnancy with Paisley. With Paisley, I was so so sick, throwing up multiple times a day, which led to my being hospitalized once. With Baby #2, I was still sick but much less. I was sure this baby was going to be another girl but we got a boy, which Allen was STOKED about. :) I honestly think he smiled more the day we found out than the day we got married! Ha ha.
In April, I graduated with my Bachelor's of Science in Medical Laboratory Science, 23 weeks pregnant with Baby #2. It's been a long road but it feels great to be done with school! Just days after my graduation, Allen got burned at work quite badly. A hose of super-heated water slipped and filled his knee-high boot with scalding hot water. By the time he got his boot off, some of his skin had sloughed off. That was a nerve-wracking phone call to be on the receiving end of. It went a little something like this:
"Hello?"
"Uh, hi honey..... Um, I got burned at work.... It's pretty bad...."
"Please tell me you're okay, like you're not going to lose any body parts, right?"
"..... (Al choking back sobs) I think I'm okay. They're taking me to the hospital right now...."
He was a trooper about the initial debriding and dressing, but when they told him he probably needed a tetanus shot, I though he was going to cry! Luckily, he healed very quickly and better than I ever dared hope. There was no permanent nerve damage, just some scarring.
Life quieted down over the summer. I took my ASCP (American Society of Clinical Pathologists) certification exam for my degree and passed (barely), at almost 38 weeks pregnant. That same week we scheduled a date for me to be induced. My OB went out of town for the week and a half before my induction, and luckily our little man (name was still undecided at this point) decided to cooperate and stay put until eviction, er I mean induction day. I'll have to post his birth story and link it here, but here's the gist of it. I delivered Baby #2 at a different hospital than Paisley. This made me VERY nervous. I was undecided on my pain management plan (I don't recommend this method...) and when I got to the hospital, my nurse was very enthusiastic about my being able to go natural. She promised to be there every step of the way to coach me through it, and then she got busy with 3 other patients, who all were delivering right when I needed her most. I made it to an 8, with my Pitocin cranked and water broken, before I caved and made Al call for anesthesiology. I was a much more pleasant laboring woman after my epidural was in place. Rowan James McCracken was born on August 17, 2012 at 6:50 pm weighing 9 lb 11 oz and measuring 21 1/2 inches long. He was smiling from the moment he was born and hasn't stopped. He is the happiest baby and has brought so much joy to our family! He just had his 4 month check up and weighs 21 lb 5.5 oz and is 27 inches tall! He's going to be a tall boy just like his Daddy!
From the time we got married, Allen and I agreed that once I was done with school, I would get a job using my degree, that would allow Al to work part-time and begin school. So, after Rowan's birth, I started applying for any and all MLS jobs I could find. I got invited to interview for 6 positions with ARUP Laboratories in Salt Lake City, UT and in October, was offered a position in Clinical Toxicology 3. I started working in November and I love my job!
The timing with my job was perfect, because Hostess/WonderBread (Allen's employer) closed its doors just 3 days before I was to start my job. Our world was turned upside down in a matter of days. Allen is now the stay-at-home parent and I bring home the bacon. In the midst of all this craziness, we also added a puppy to our family. (Yes, yes, we are gluttons for punishment) She is a darling mutt that we adopted from the shelter and her name is Rosie. She is a week younger than Rowan, and has been a pretty good dog so far. I think we'll keep her. :)
In November, Paisley turned 2! I can't believe how much she's grown! She is 36 inches tall and weighs almost 30 pounds. She's tall and getting skinny! She is a little parrot and loves to sing and be silly. Some of her favorite things lately are (in no particular order): Chick-Fil-A, Santa, dresses, shoes, makeup (Sheesh, she's such a girly girl!), bath time, The Muppets, babies, jumping, "choo-choo trains", coloring, pretending to be a puppy, and especially loving on her brother. She is such a happy girl and we love her oh so very much! She still doesn't have much hair, but luckily she's started to like to wear headbands. I think I'm going to teach her to say "I'm a girl!" because she still gets called a boy so often. I so love being her mom and watching her grow! She counts to 3 and knows most of her colors, most of the time. She can put on skirts and socks and shoes by herself. She likes to brush her own teeth and is a big helper! We've started to give her some small chores such as feeding Rosie, cleaning the lint out of the dryer, putting a soap packet in the dishwasher, and helping to put her toys away. She loves to help with Rowan and is a fantastic big sister. She has never been jealous or resentful of all the attention that he demands, which is a huge blessing!
We've had a lot of fun, and a lot of trials, in 2012. We're still adjusting to the role reversal and change of jobs, becoming a family of 4 (5, if you count Rosie), and all that life brings.
2012 has been an eventful, and hard, year for us and I must admit I'm not sad to see it end. Here's hoping 2013 smiles on us all a little more.
In December 2011, two days before our anniversary, I found out I was pregnant with Baby #2. It was a surprise, but a very exciting one! My pregnancy with Baby #2 was so much easier than my pregnancy with Paisley. With Paisley, I was so so sick, throwing up multiple times a day, which led to my being hospitalized once. With Baby #2, I was still sick but much less. I was sure this baby was going to be another girl but we got a boy, which Allen was STOKED about. :) I honestly think he smiled more the day we found out than the day we got married! Ha ha.
In April, I graduated with my Bachelor's of Science in Medical Laboratory Science, 23 weeks pregnant with Baby #2. It's been a long road but it feels great to be done with school! Just days after my graduation, Allen got burned at work quite badly. A hose of super-heated water slipped and filled his knee-high boot with scalding hot water. By the time he got his boot off, some of his skin had sloughed off. That was a nerve-wracking phone call to be on the receiving end of. It went a little something like this:
"Hello?"
"Uh, hi honey..... Um, I got burned at work.... It's pretty bad...."
"Please tell me you're okay, like you're not going to lose any body parts, right?"
"..... (Al choking back sobs) I think I'm okay. They're taking me to the hospital right now...."
He was a trooper about the initial debriding and dressing, but when they told him he probably needed a tetanus shot, I though he was going to cry! Luckily, he healed very quickly and better than I ever dared hope. There was no permanent nerve damage, just some scarring.
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| This was just a few days before I delivered. |
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| We're all pretty enchanted by this little guy! |
From the time we got married, Allen and I agreed that once I was done with school, I would get a job using my degree, that would allow Al to work part-time and begin school. So, after Rowan's birth, I started applying for any and all MLS jobs I could find. I got invited to interview for 6 positions with ARUP Laboratories in Salt Lake City, UT and in October, was offered a position in Clinical Toxicology 3. I started working in November and I love my job!
The timing with my job was perfect, because Hostess/WonderBread (Allen's employer) closed its doors just 3 days before I was to start my job. Our world was turned upside down in a matter of days. Allen is now the stay-at-home parent and I bring home the bacon. In the midst of all this craziness, we also added a puppy to our family. (Yes, yes, we are gluttons for punishment) She is a darling mutt that we adopted from the shelter and her name is Rosie. She is a week younger than Rowan, and has been a pretty good dog so far. I think we'll keep her. :)
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| Rosie's first day home |
We've had a lot of fun, and a lot of trials, in 2012. We're still adjusting to the role reversal and change of jobs, becoming a family of 4 (5, if you count Rosie), and all that life brings.
2012 has been an eventful, and hard, year for us and I must admit I'm not sad to see it end. Here's hoping 2013 smiles on us all a little more.
Such a big year for you guys! we are also adjusting to being a family of 4.. somehow I think it is more of an adjustment than being a family of 3!! Ha ha! Love to read your blog!!
ReplyDeleteSo fun to hear about your life! Sounds like you have some awesome kids! Hope you're still loving the new job and that you have a Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you updated your blog! I love to read it!
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