Hi all!
Our beautiful daughter was born on October 31st at 12:14 pm. She weighed 7 pounds and 11 ounces and was 20 inches long. Mommy and baby are healthy and well, daddy is beyond thrilled, and big brother David is so very proud of his baby sister. He has done amazingly well in transition and love her so much.
More updates soon!
~The Schlaich Family
Sunday, November 5, 2017
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Abigail Christine
This pregnancy has been easier in some ways and more difficult in several others. Easier because I knew what to expect...the growing pains, the movement, the poking and prodding. Easier because I didn't have to go through the gestational diabetes processes, yet knew what to eat to maintain my health and was able to gain minimal weight. I feel like I have a fairly good idea about what childbirth and after will be like, despite "every birth being different," as I am regularly told by others. I feel good about all of that.
What some know and some don't is that last fall we had a miscarriage that resulted in two surgical procedures. I felt great when pregnant with David...never sick. I knew something was wrong when I felt sick all of the time, and then the bleeding started. I was diagnosed with a "blighted ovum" and told there was never a baby there. It was hard. We had just told family and then had to turn around and share the bad news. Women don't talk about this stuff, but as soon as I did start telling people, friends, family members, and strangers came out of the wood work to tell me that they shared in my experience. That is all a story for a different time, but my point in writing it here is to say that because of that experience, it made this pregnancy harder.
Every twinge, every time I didn't feel good - was scary and stressful. I have been so much more uncomfortable this time around, and haven't slept in what feels like weeks. I bled for the first 10 weeks. We only told our parents and my principal so I could go to all of my necessary appointments without too many questions. The first time we saw the heartbeat and saw our little baby on an ultrasound we both felt so relieved. At 12 weeks, we finally shared with the world the good news.
At 18 weeks, we found out that this little baby is a girl. David was so excited! As long as he has been aware of "brother" or "sister" he has been telling us that he is going to have a sister. Thank goodness that worked out because I cannot imagine the 3 year old levels of disappointment if we would have announced baby was a boy!
Picking names is really hard for us as teachers. More often than not there has been a student with "that" name that we would prefer not to share names with our own children, we want something Biblical, something strong as an adult, but something cute as a kid. And something that teachers can pronounce at first glance (Lord knows our last name isn't easy!). David is Sam's middle name, King David in the Bible, and James of course has Biblical roots and is Sam's dad's name. David James Schlaich. And so far, we have avoided nicknames! For our baby girl, we have chosen Abigail Christine. Abigail was actually King David's wife in the Bible and a very well-respected and honored individual, and Sam and I both have a love for US History and feel like Abigail Adams was a very smart, strong woman. Christine is my middle name and just seemed to fit. But don't ask David if you can call her Abby! He will tell you that is NOT her name! :) We plan on calling her Abby for the record...
In the last two weeks, my blood pressure has slowly crept up and so yesterday my doctor made the decision to induce early. We check into the hospital Monday going into Tuesday at midnight, and should have a Halloween baby! At my ultrasound yesterday, she gave us the perfect "Thriller" pose...Halloween was meant to be! Monday I will just be Mom - I get to take David to preschool, make sure my house is in order, tuck him in that night at my parents' house, and then Sam and I will go to a late dinner just the two of us. We did the same the night David was induced and it was a special time for us. And during my 6 weeks of leave after she is born, I get to be Mom to both of my kids. I get to volunteer in David's classroom and take him to school. I get to be a more attentive wife. I get to cook better dinners for my family. I am so excited!
I know there is a lot of change coming our way, but I couldn't be happier. "For this child we have prayed." After everything last fall, I feel like Abigail is truly an answer to ALL of our prayers, and the three of us cannot wait to become four! Abigail Christine...you are already so loved and your village is ready for you!
What some know and some don't is that last fall we had a miscarriage that resulted in two surgical procedures. I felt great when pregnant with David...never sick. I knew something was wrong when I felt sick all of the time, and then the bleeding started. I was diagnosed with a "blighted ovum" and told there was never a baby there. It was hard. We had just told family and then had to turn around and share the bad news. Women don't talk about this stuff, but as soon as I did start telling people, friends, family members, and strangers came out of the wood work to tell me that they shared in my experience. That is all a story for a different time, but my point in writing it here is to say that because of that experience, it made this pregnancy harder.
Every twinge, every time I didn't feel good - was scary and stressful. I have been so much more uncomfortable this time around, and haven't slept in what feels like weeks. I bled for the first 10 weeks. We only told our parents and my principal so I could go to all of my necessary appointments without too many questions. The first time we saw the heartbeat and saw our little baby on an ultrasound we both felt so relieved. At 12 weeks, we finally shared with the world the good news.
At 18 weeks, we found out that this little baby is a girl. David was so excited! As long as he has been aware of "brother" or "sister" he has been telling us that he is going to have a sister. Thank goodness that worked out because I cannot imagine the 3 year old levels of disappointment if we would have announced baby was a boy!
Picking names is really hard for us as teachers. More often than not there has been a student with "that" name that we would prefer not to share names with our own children, we want something Biblical, something strong as an adult, but something cute as a kid. And something that teachers can pronounce at first glance (Lord knows our last name isn't easy!). David is Sam's middle name, King David in the Bible, and James of course has Biblical roots and is Sam's dad's name. David James Schlaich. And so far, we have avoided nicknames! For our baby girl, we have chosen Abigail Christine. Abigail was actually King David's wife in the Bible and a very well-respected and honored individual, and Sam and I both have a love for US History and feel like Abigail Adams was a very smart, strong woman. Christine is my middle name and just seemed to fit. But don't ask David if you can call her Abby! He will tell you that is NOT her name! :) We plan on calling her Abby for the record...
In the last two weeks, my blood pressure has slowly crept up and so yesterday my doctor made the decision to induce early. We check into the hospital Monday going into Tuesday at midnight, and should have a Halloween baby! At my ultrasound yesterday, she gave us the perfect "Thriller" pose...Halloween was meant to be! Monday I will just be Mom - I get to take David to preschool, make sure my house is in order, tuck him in that night at my parents' house, and then Sam and I will go to a late dinner just the two of us. We did the same the night David was induced and it was a special time for us. And during my 6 weeks of leave after she is born, I get to be Mom to both of my kids. I get to volunteer in David's classroom and take him to school. I get to be a more attentive wife. I get to cook better dinners for my family. I am so excited!
I know there is a lot of change coming our way, but I couldn't be happier. "For this child we have prayed." After everything last fall, I feel like Abigail is truly an answer to ALL of our prayers, and the three of us cannot wait to become four! Abigail Christine...you are already so loved and your village is ready for you!
Saturday, October 21, 2017
Baby No. 2 here we go!
Greetings family and friends!
I can't begin to tell you how many times I have logged into this blog thinking that I should update, but then get side tracked or there is something more pressing I need to get done, so I click out and here is sits...neglected and not at all up-to-date! In fact, it has been over a year since the last post. I plan on trying to remedy this over the next few months. A couple of quick updates since our last post:
I can't begin to tell you how many times I have logged into this blog thinking that I should update, but then get side tracked or there is something more pressing I need to get done, so I click out and here is sits...neglected and not at all up-to-date! In fact, it has been over a year since the last post. I plan on trying to remedy this over the next few months. A couple of quick updates since our last post:
- The house in Airway Heights sold and we have bought a 1956 brick rancher "fixer-upper" in Cheney...closer to my parents and Sam's work...
- Sam now works for the Cheney School District as an elementary music specialist, the Jazz 2 Director at the High School and the Visual Caption Head/Instructor for the Cheney High School Marching Band.
- I am in my second year as a Principal Assistant in Spokane Public Schools.
- David is 4 and started preschool this year - he LOVES it! We are working with him to "be David" and not copy other kids' not so great behavior, and most of the time he does really well. His teacher really likes him and we enjoy reading his communication journal each week to see what he is up to. Usually has something to do with his great communication skills. :-)
- And last but certainly not least in the "major updates category..." we are expecting baby number two to arrive any day now...due in just three short weeks on November 10th!
So, even without listing all of the small things that we have been up to, the big things are BIG and have been BUSY with everything going on. Busy of course is not a change! Hoping to post another update later today or tomorrow about our precious baby on the way and how amazing it has been watching David get ready to be a big brother!
That's all for now folks!
~Heather
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