Natalie Faith Stiers

Natalie surprised us all with a very grand entrance on Friday, June 21 - exactly one month before her due date. She was born at 2:57 pm via c-section & weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces at 20 inches long. We were very blessed that neither of us had any complications and Natalie was able to spend her time in my room instead of the NICU/nursery.

That Friday was my sister's last day visiting the US (she lives in Mumbai). She and my brother Brandon took Charlotte to the Miller Park Zoo while Ben and I went to a routine pre-natal checkup. At the checkup, I had an ultrasound scan that showed Natalie was still completely breech. My doctor hadn't given up hope of her turning, and simply said, "See you next week." at the end of the visit. Ben & I drove to the zoo to join the others. 

Around 11:30, we got in the car, hungry for lunch and Charlotte was ready for a nap. We swung by my Grandma Mary's old house, since Bobbi Jo hadn't seen it in a long time - it was just a few blocks from the zoo. Just a few blocks from there, I felt a very weird cramp, and then a pop. I said, "umm, I've got to pull over... I think my water is breaking." And sure enough, I stepped out of the car & my water broke all over the street. For anyone who has experienced such an event - it was as exciting, horrifying, crazy, and dramatic as you can expect! There were a group of kids sitting on the sidewalk not far from us and I'm sure they were wondering why some crazy woman was peeing all over the street! I didn't want to get in the car soaking wet, and the towel I usually keep in the trunk was gone, so we laid out a bunch of clothes I had bagged up for Goodwill before I got back in the car!! :o)

We called our parents to let them know we were having a baby, then took Bobbi Jo and Charlotte back to our house so Charlotte could take her nap. She was so confused and tired - - it was very, very hard for me to say goodbye to her, knowing I wouldn't see her again for a while, and when we did see her again, she'd be a big sister and no longer our "baby." 

I got checked in at BroMenn, and time flew by until suddenly, it was 2:30 and time to be wheeled into the operating room. I have to give HUGE hugs and kisses to Ben. I was quite nervous about having surgery, especially when it involved delivering a premature baby. He prayed with me, held my hand, and was a constant reassurance that everything would be okay. Recovery hasn't been pleasant, either, and he has been extremely attentive and helpful with whatever I need. 

At 2:57, Natalie came out & started crying. The nurses all assured me she looked nice and healthy, and I could see her in her bassinet warmer well enough to tell she was pink & Ben kept telling me how beautiful she was. 

Before I knew it, I was being wheeled back to my room, where my mom was waiting for me. My dad was on his way & had picked up Bobbi Jo & Charlotte, and Ben's parents came a couple hours later. Charlotte was so happy to see Baby Sister, and was very gentle & loving when meeting her. She gave her kisses and patted her head, and when she came to visit the next day, she waved as she watched Daddy changing Natalie's diaper. Since we've been home, Charlotte has been great with Natalie. She has been amazingly understanding that Natalie sleeps a lot, and eats a lot, and sometimes cries. She offers to share her food and toys with her, and is always sure to tell me when she thinks Natalie needs something.

Just about everyone we know agrees that Charlotte looks just like Ben. Well folks, I think Natalie is going to look a lot more like me. Right now, she's still in that wrinkly, squishy newborn phase, but she has very 'Staley' features. Of course there's the chin, but there's also the eyes, nose, and I'm convinced she has my dad's exact same forehead wrinkle pattern.

Charlotte on the left, Natalie on the right

I'm so glad my sister got to meet Natalie before returning to India, and extremely thankful she was there to take care of Charlotte when we had to leave so suddenly. My brothers all came to see us in the hospital, too, along with my Aunt Jeannie, Ben's brother Joey, and his grandparents, too.

What adds more stress to having a newborn and a 22 month old (2 under 2)?? How about moving one week after the newborn comes home? Sigh..... We knew we'd be cutting it close, but were really hoping we'd be somewhat settled into our new house before Natalie came. She had other ideas. Luckily, our families have stepped up to the plate and offered their help moving us this weekend. Because of the c-section, not only am I limited to a 6 pound lifting weight limit, but I can't drive, either.

Thank you so much to everyone who has sent us messages or prayers! We're so in love with our new little girl. She's an absolute doll!

6 weeks to go!

Baby Sister is due in 6 weeks!! The time is flying & it's only going to pick up speed in these next few weeks.

My sister is coming on Tuesday to stay with me for a week or so - she lives in Mumbai and I haven't seen her in a year! She and Charlotte have a lot of catching up to do!! I don't usually put company to work, but she's going to help me *pack* because we're moving ----- yes, again!

With another baby on the way, we're simply too crowded in this lovely little home we've rented this past year. Not to mention the need for a safer space for Charlotte to play outside. Living practically on campus has been a huge time saver for Ben, but College Ave is too busy for us to not have a fenced yard. The new place doesn't have a fenced yard, either, but it does have a playground & large open grassy area <50 yds away that we can use! Our new rental has 3 bedrooms, a large basement for Ben's music office, and a much larger kitchen & living area. If you're not busy the weekend of June 29th, we could use your help! :-)

At my last doctor appointment on Friday I was measuring right on time, baby's "heart beep" (as Charlotte calls it) sounded lovely, and all of my stats looked good, too. But, Baby Sister is still breech. Doc gave me a few ideas to try to get her to turn, but said basically there's no medical proof any of them work. It's really a hope & pray & wait kind of situation. So if any of you would like to say a little prayer that she turns into the proper position ASAP so we all avoid a c-section, that would be much appreciated!!

Ben, Charlotte, & I took a tour of the new mother-baby unit at the hospital today. It's lovely!!! The rooms are very large & modern - much more inviting than the old unit where Charlotte was born. I'm pretty sure the bed in my room was the same one my mom slept in when I was born in 1983! It gets me excited to meet Baby Sister!!

Charlotte was really *spirited* on the tour. I don't know if she was excited, or trying to put on a show for all of the other couples on the tour, but she was in rare form. First, in the waiting room, she waved her little arms around saying "flutter flutter flutter" pretending to fly up to the rest of the butterflies on the mounted wall art. Then, in one of the birthing suites, she loudly declared, "P..U..!!! Smells like pee pee in this room!" And finally, at one point, she was rolling around on the floor saying, "I'm wiggly like a snake!" Funny and awkward all at the same time!! Oh boy, it's going to be a crazy adventure pretty soon!! :-)

Text Connections

Charlotte has always loved books - we started reading a bedtime story to her as soon as she came home from the hospital. These days it's sometimes two or three bedtime books! She reads lots of books on her own and asks for me to read to her at least once every day, too. I love watching her identify with the characters and read along with us to some of her favorite stories.

Here she is back in January reading along with Sandra Boynton's Are You a Cow?

She learned early to pull books into her crib

Bedtime story

A new book on Christmas morning

sick with chicken pox

This morning, when I went in to get her up for the day, she was in her bed, hanging onto the guardrail. She would lean back, lay flat on her belly, and then grunt & moan as she pulled her chin up to the top of the mesh rail. I asked her what she was doing, to which she replied, "I'm doing hang-ups. Like Moose!" And it took me just an instant to realize she was reenacting a page from the book I had read to her right before she went to bed last night - Sandra Boynton's The Going to Bed Book.

Moose doing what C thinks are "hang-ups"

I called Ben in with a simple "You've got to see this!" and we both just marveled at her little imagination. I tried to get her to do it again on camera a little while later, so I could go back in time one day and relive this snapshot of toddlerhood. But of course, she had moved on & wasn't interested in performing. :o)

My Sweet Girl!

When I went to get Charlotte out of her room after her nap today, I found that she had locked her door. We talked through the door for a minute or two as I tried to coach her in unlocking the door. When that didn't work, I said, "ok, Charlotte, I'll go get the key. Be right back!" And I went to the kitchen where I keep the key to her room (this isn't the first time she has locked her door).

When I unlocked her door & opened it up, there was Charlotte, making her way to her door with her own set of keys - that she had dug out from her play purse in her toy box. She looked so relieved to see me and just said "I'm so, so sorry, mommy! I'm so, so sorry, mommy!" I picked her up and gave her a giant hug & Ben & I both told her she had nothing to be sorry for.

We are constantly amazed by how sweet & empathetic & kind Charlotte is. She is so innocent and eager-to-please, not to mention smart, creative, and funny!!