Six weeks old...

Sweet Allie Mae,

You are now over 6 weeks old.

Wow, we are so blessed with you in our lives.

Time is really going by fast but we are enjoying our precious days with you.

You are eating well.

Around 9 lbs, 10 oz at our last doctor visit.

50% for height and weight.

90% for head circumference.

Your stomach still gets really upset when you eat too much but we're trying to slow you down a bit so you can keep it down.

You are sleeping well.

Usually only 1 or 2 feedings during the night.

Sooo nice you are to your mama.

You love to sleep in just like we do!

And you are quite the snuggle bug.

And you are playing well.

You've started to interact with the world around you.

Batting at your toys on your play mat.

Looking around at everything.

And let's not forget your smile.

At one month we saw it for the first time.

It lifts our hearts and is the most beautiful thing in the world.

We love to see you happy.

And thriving.

We've had some firsts.

First time going out to eat.

(You slept through it.)

First baby play date.

(You slept through it.)

First trip to meet Melissa and Kendra down in S. Denver.

(You screamed all the way home.)

First trip to the grocery store.

(Not so good. Cleanup in aisle 5)

But all in all it's been a great 6 weeks.

It's fun to see your brother be sweet with you.

He loves to help put your pacifier back in when you spit it out.

It's fun to see your daddy want to hold you.

You always calm down when you get into his arms.

And for me it's fun to just to spend our days together.

I'm so thankful for you sweet girl.

I love you.

Mama

Two weeks old...

Our sweet Allison is now over 2 weeks old.

I still can't believe that she's here sometimes...

But then in a way it seems like she's been with us forever.

So how has it been?

Much easier that I thought it would be!

We are tired... she's still a newborn...but whether it's her sweet temperament or just that we now have a clue...it's felt so great to have this little addition to our family.

I can't believe how much we love her.

As for the basics... she has been eating like a champ.

We haven't been to the doctor yet.. that'll be this week... but I'm sure she's gaining weight. Usually once a day she's so excited to eat, and she inhales so much air, that she flat out vomits. This is not spit-up. This is full contents of the stomach. Everywhere. Full wardrobe change for her and for whoever is lucky enough to be holding her at the time.  Very gross. Definitely trying to figure that one out but we're glad she's eating.

With sleep it's been rather inconsistent.

We have days and nights where she'll only sleep for an hour or so at a time but then we've had stretches where she's slept for 6 or 7 hours.  Amazing!  The only tough thing is that we can never predict when those sleep stretches will be but we're definitely thankful that she seems to love to sleep as much as we do!

And how is Jackson doing?

Really well!

When we first brought her home, he seemed to guard his room.

It was quite strange but it definitely made us laugh.

He moved into being rather indifferent but now it seems like he is noticing her more and more and trying to be more helpful.

He is quite concerned when she starts to cry.

He did tell us that she's not to be ever called "Allie Mae" but only "Baby Sister Manz." 

He was very serious about that!

This week he's going down to 3 days at school instead of 5 so we'll see how it goes for me to have both kids. 

As for Jonathan and I... we're doing great, too.

Jonathan hasn't been traveling so that has helped in these initial weeks.

We've also been blessed by some friends with some delicious meals.

Personally, i've been recovering so much more quickly from this birth which has been really nice.

 I think with so many things being "easier" for whatever reason, it's made me appreciate this experience all the more.

Baby girl, we love you so much and are so thankful for you!

You are beautiful and sweet and wonderful.

Allie Mae's Birth Story...

Our sweet baby girl, Allison Mae Manz, came into the world on Friday March 15, 2013.

3:29am.

1 week past her "due" date.

I would say right on time.

Her birth story is in many ways the ideal.

At least for me.

And our family.

And so more than anything I'm thankful that it was such a positive experience and that our little one came safely.

I can't believe how different it was than Jackson's birth story. 

Which is perhaps why I am so amazed by it all.

I knew things would be different this time around.

Not just because it was a 2nd birth- which is likely to be faster- but also because the pregnancy and my attitudes were so different.

This pregnancy was HARD.

My body hurt greatly for months on end.

There was very little preparation.

I was tired.

I was working full-time with a two year old at home.

Yes, definitely tired.

So I just trusted that things would work out.

That baby girl would come when she was ready.

And that Jonathan would be in town.

As January and February passed, I did wonder if Baby girl would come early. 

I never wondered that with Jackson, but I felt like it was a possibility this time.

So did Jonathan I think.

I went to the doctor at 38 weeks.

He was concerned that I had not gained a lot of weight during the pregnancy.

But Baby Girl measured over 7 pounds on the ultrasound.

And everything looked great.

Unlike before there was no mention of induction.

I worked full-time up until March 8, my due date.

It is the busiest time of year for us at work... definitely not the ideal for me to be leaving...but thankfully I was able to get the things done I needed to, while packing my office to leave for good and trying not to think about saying goodbyes.  

It is quite strange to leave a job that has been a huge part of your life for nine years.

The last week was probably my quietest week ever.

But it felt "right" when it was time to leave.

I was glad that Baby girl had waited.

At that point, I was supposed to have my 40 week appt.

I canceled it online.

I was sick.  

Jonathan was really sick.

I just wanted to relax and enjoy a few days of rest.

And i knew there was nothing they could tell me at the doctor's.

I wanted to take advantage of each precious day.

It turned out that we only had time enough to get over our sicknesses.

But my week at home gave me a lot of the rest that I had been missing.

I got as much sleep as possible.

And i enjoyed every minute of it!

And just like that, Baby girl decided to make her entrance.

Thursday night at 9:30 I was watching TV when the contractions began.

I timed them for less than half an hour.

They were only 30 seconds long, but they were coming every 3 minutes.

I knew that was really fast and we had to get ourselves organized quickly!

Just then Jonathan randomly came upstairs early from playing videogames.

He asked, kidding, if I was having contractions.

He didn't expect me to say yes, but when I did he jumped into gear as well.

No time to mess around with a 2nd baby.

Time to get all of our stuff together.

I called my dear friend Corrie to pick up Jackson and then kept getting ready as the contractions got more and more intense.

Thankfully I was able to shower.

But by the time Corrie arrived 30 minutes later, I knew we would have to leave soon.

After all the hospital is 45 minutes away.

The car ride was difficult to say the least- contractions were then 50 seconds each and 2-3 minutes apart- but there's not much traffic at 11:30 at night.

Thank goodness.

We arrived at the hospital around midnight.

And i was proud to still be able to walk myself upstairs.

We met our nurse for the night.

And she soon realized that I would be having the baby relatively soon.

I was 6 cm at arrival and the contractions kept getting worse and worse.

All i could think was that I really hope it wasn't too late for an epidural.

And this is where the birth became so different than Jackson's.

I was able to get an epidural.

My nurse was able to get the doctor to do it before she went into surgery knowing I couldn't wait an hour for it.

And though it was hard to stay still for it with the contractions coming that fast, it offered almost immediate relief.

It was like a miracle.

It definitely felt like a miracle.

Just like that, I couldn't really feel the pain of the contractions anymore.

I was focused again.

I could laugh and joke with my husband and the nurse.

I could take a few random pictures.

I could listen to music.

I could *enjoy* the birth.

I was baffled.

This was so unlike my previous experience.

I couldn't believe it.

And yet there was definitely a part of me that felt like I was appreciating this so much more because of the prior experience.

After only an hour they told me I was already at 9cm.

Shortly after that (3am), our nurse came in and told me that I'd be having the baby in 15 minutes.

Again, I was baffled.

Really?

Ok. Sure.

And so we started the pushing phase.

Really, it was a piece of cake.

And at 3:29am, just six hours from the first contraction, little Allison was born.

I was so overwhelmed by this beautiful little girl on my chest.

I held her and kissed her and was so *thankful*.

I was instantly and completely in love.

Allison Mae weighed 7 pounds 10 ounces.

She was 20 inches long.

We love you baby girl!!

Welcome to the world!!!

Allison Mae Manz

Allison Mae Manz

March 15, 2013

3:29am

7 pounds, 10 ounces

20 inches long

40 weeks and counting....

40 weeks and counting now...

Technically 40 weeks and 4 days.

I can't believe you've waited this long already baby girl.

For some reason I thought you would come weeks ago.

Here's the 40 week belly picture of you and your mama.

So now we're playing the waiting game.

I've now stopped working.
It's been *really* nice to slow down.
I do have a bad cold... but
I've been trying to relax and sleep as much as possible.
Thankfully, with being home for several days now- the back pain is not quite as severe.
And I've had no symptoms to cause me (or the doctors) to worry about your arrival.
We know you'll come when you're ready.

Your daddy has stopped traveling.
He's been miserably sick.
He's been telling you to stay put for awhile longer so that he can get better and be able to help when you come.
You're a good girl for listening to your daddy.
(I think he still needs a couple more days.)

Your brother is pretty unaware that you're coming soon.
We keep talking about it but I think he just needs to meet you!
So far you've given him a baby triceratops and a monster truck so he is really happy with that.
We are hoping that you both are always sweet with each other.

As far as everything else...

We've got your clothes, diapers, carseat, bassinet, and other necessities.

We just need you baby girl.

We love you so much already.

We pray that you are healthy and that you come safely.

(When you're ready.)

Love,
Mama, Daddy, and Jackson

Mini Manz 2.0 aka Baby Girl Manz

Why hello there.

Apparently I only blogged 3 times in 2012.

Unacceptable really.

But I'm back.

And hopefully i'll do better in 2013.

For you see I was the 2nd child.

I remember seeing lots of pictures of my brother in the family albums.

And only a few of me.

Well, much less of me.

Yes, 2nd child syndrome.

Why else would i remember that?

So i vow to have lots of pictures of our baby girl.

I want her to know how much she is loved already.

So to recap a bit for the sake of the blog:

Yes, baby girl Manz is coming our way!!!

Due around March 8, 2013.

At this point I am already 32 weeks.

The time-- this pregnancy-- has gone by incredibly fast.

We can't wait to meet you baby Girl!

Here was the announcement:

Yes, your brother Jackson is super excited!

He already loves you as his baby sister.

Sometimes he rubs my belly.

The other day at daycare he was rocking a baby doll and when asked he said that he was rocking his sister.

Sooo sweet.

Here are some of the pictures of you so far:

(12 weeks)

(17 weeks)

(28 weeks)

(32 weeks)

And here is some of the current info of the pregnancy:

How far along?  32 weeks 3 days

Total Weight Gain/Loss? I am 2 pounds shy of my pre-pregnancy weight.  Meaning that this time was similar in that I lost quite a few pounds through sickness the first few months and I've slowed added them back on.

Maternity Clothes? Yes. Of course. Thank goodness that I got some new things for winter when my mom came out for Thanksgiving.  It has been sooo cold. 

Symptoms? This has been rough. Much rougher than I thought because I've seemed to get all of the usual but for longer than before or with more intensity. The first few months I was sick in the AM and PM. I've had terrible sciatic and hip pain. Sometimes I can barely walk. The other day my feet/ankles started to blow. And wow, i've been crazy tired. 

Exercise? Not a chance. With Jackson, I coached tennis for the first trimester. This time I'm lucky to be able to walk down the hall.  A lot of it is because of all the lower back, hip, leg pain. And of course some is that I've been working full-time and so there's not really a lot of time/opportunity anyway after work... especially with it being winter and it getting dark so early.

Sleep? Pretty good until recently- when the pain has been a hindrance. And of course there is the nightly wake-up to use the bathroom.

Movement? All the time!  I love it! 

Cravings/Aversions? The first trimester the aversion was definitely bananas. Which of course is Jackson's favorite. Whenever I'd even tear off a banana, the slightest smell would make me sick immediately.  As for cravings-- it has been all sugar-- all the time.

Gender? Girl! Your dad thought you would be a boy, but I knew that you just had to be a girl. Everything about this pregnancy has been really different.. plus I just felt it this time around.

Belly Button? Not recognizable at this point.

Name? Nothing definite picked out yet.

What am I looking forward to? Meeting you out in the world. Seeing who you look like. Holding you and loving on you. Seeing Jackson interact with you.

Worries? That the side effects will only get worse in the coming weeks. That you'll come a little early.

What's different this time? Everything has been super fast! And of course the added side effects. It also feels different being pregnant during more of the winter months when I haven't been as active. Other differences- I mostly take my own belly pictures these days, strangers have thankfully not touched my belly, and people seem to ask a lot less questions.

Best moment so far? Finding out that you were a girl and seeing your daddy's face! Pure surprise and joy!

I think that's about it for now!

Can't wait to meet you baby Girl!

2 years old.

Dear Jackson,

I can hardly believe it.

You are now 2 years old.

2.

Your favorite number.

It's been a whirlwind.

But the best 2 years of our lives.

We love you soooo much.

We are excited for what the next year will bring!

What have you been up to?

For one thing you are very active.

You still love to sleep.

But when you're awake you go full-force.

You jump up and down.

You like to pretend you are a frog.

You bring out all your toys.

You bring out all your books.

You love to do art projects.

You love to run around outside.

You like to go non-stop.

We can tell that you love to learn new things.

You are so fun.

And so smart.

Current favorites:

Book:

a giant one on firetrucks.

You love firetrucks these days.

You point them out to me in the car every day.

We are lucky that our fire station leaves 2 firetrucks outside.

Food:

Bananas.

At least one a day.

Gosh, this one was a rough one for me.

While first pregnant with your sister, I got instantly sick even smelling them.

But they are your favorite.

Color:

Yellow.

Everything is apparently yellow.

We need to work on your colors.

Toy:

A ball will always make you happy.

And you love your big trucks that you push around.

And you still love to dump out all your puzzles and try to put them back together.

Usually 4 or 5 puzzles at a time.

Like i said, you are smart.

But probably a favorite right now is to play with your daddy's old toys.

Like his little people village and cars.

It is really sweet.

Animal:

Zebra.

Not sure why on that one.

You've never said that until I just asked you.

But then you said "Ellie"

Which of course means elephant.

You love sleeping with your Ellie.

As for other things going on.

You've given up your paci.

I thought it wouldn't happen but you gave it up to sleep with your water cup this past week.

You haven't mentioned it since.

 And you now wear "big boy pants" except during the night.

You've done great with potty-training.

And you're down to only an occasional accident.

Awesome.

You've really enjoyed the special things we've gotten to do as well.

After several mishaps with sickness and weather, we finally got to go camping with you this year.

You loved helping your daddy with the campfire.

You loved the Folks Fest.

Our annual family ritual of listening to great music right here in Lyons.

You loved the county fair.

You still love going to daycare during the week.

You love playing with daddy on the weekends.

And we love playing and loving on you.

We're excited for this next year with you little man.

Happy Birthday to you.

 Love,

mom

Emily Louise Stafford (1937-2012)

On June 10, 2012 my aunt Emily went home to be with the Lord.

She was 74 years old.

She was way too young to die.

My heart is broken and I miss her so much.

We had found out in mid-April that she had terminal uterine cancer.

It is a "silent killer" of women.

By the time they found it, it was too late.

I can remember the phone call...

her optimism in the midst of bad news.

She said that she had lived a wonderful life.

That she would enjoy the time that she had left.

That she was happy.

She didn't have to worry about languishing for years in a nursing home.

She knew when and how she was going to die.

She would enjoy the time she had left.

And that is what she did.

With friends. With family. With co-workers.

She was able to say her goodbyes.

As was said in her obituary,

she finished well.

My heart will forever remember the good times.

Staying with her as a young girl.

Summers at Wrightsville Beach.

Her taking me on a cruise to the Bahamas as an awkward middle schooler.

The love and support she gave me as a young college grad going off to India by myself when everyone else thought i was crazy.

She believed in me. 

She loved me and my brother as her own.

We were the children she never had.

Our last time together was only days before she died.

It is a truly unique and special moment to be able to say how much you love someone. 

How much they have meant to you. 

How much you have looked up to them.

I will never forget that last special day together.

I am so thankful that i could be with her that day.

I love you Aunt Emily.

I will miss you always.

EMILY LOUISE STAFFORD

JULIAN - Emily Louise Stafford, 74, of Galloway Ridge Retirement Community, Pittsboro, NC, died on Sunday, June 10. She was born on October 11, 1937, the eldest child of the late Seymour R. and Margaret Causey Stafford.

After graduating from Nathanael Greene High School, Guilford Co. NC, Emily attended Guilford College in Greensboro and graduated from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. She was a Certified Public Accountant, one of the first women to practice as a CPA in North Carolina and a mentor for many aspiring CPAs. Emily was a Tax Manager in the Raleigh offices of Peat Marwick (KPMG) and of Coopers & Lybrand (Pricewaterhouse Coopers). Later, Emily was associated with Prestige Travel in Raleigh as President and Controller.

In addition to her parents, Emily was preceded in death by her sister, Betty S. Thurman and husband, Martin Thurman.

Emily is survived by her brother, Joe R. (Jean) Stafford, of Greensboro; her niece, Marcia S. (Jonathan) Manz, of Lyons, CO; and her nephew, John E. (Morgan) Stafford, of Bristol, RI. She is also survived by her great niece, Lilybet Stafford; and great nephews, Gareth Stafford and Jackson Manz. Also surviving are her aunts, Mitchie C. Hall and Marti C. Morton of Burlington, NC; and her uncle, Clark (Celeste) Causey of Liberty, NC; and many dear cousins and friends.

During the two months since cancer was diagnosed, Emily was surrounded by her family and her many friends, who loved and cared for her. She finished well.

A graveside service will be held 3 p.m. Wednesday, June 13, 2012 at Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church, Kimesville, NC.

A memorial service will be held 3 p.m., Sunday, June 17, 2012 at Christ United Methodist Church, Southern Village, Chapel Hill, NC.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to: Guilford College, Ann: Advancement Office, 5800 W. Friendly Ave., Greensboro, NC 27410; Christ UM Church, 800 Market St., Chapel Hill, NC 27516; or Galloway Ridge Charitable Foundation, 3000 Galloway Ridge, Pittsboro, NC 27213.

Arrangements for are in the care of Hall-Wynne Funeral Service. Online condolences may be left at www.hallwynne.com.

20 months old

Dear Jackson,

You are 20 months old.

And adorable.

I'm so proud of you.

And the little boy that you are becoming.

You're kind.

You're sweet.

You laugh all the time.

You love to play.

You love books.

You love animals.

You especially love our dog Sabine.

So what have you been up to?

You still love to go to daycare when we are working.

They've taught you about Elmo.

There should have been a permission slip for that.

They have parties which you love.

At Valentine's Day they gave you a balloon.

That made your week.

You love balloons.

You went to the zoo during Spring Break.

With your future girlfriend Alice.

You loved all the animals but especially the giraffes.

We can't wait to take you again when your daddy can come, too.

At Easter you did your first Easter egg hunts.

At school and also at church.

You won a huge sheep that is 4x your size.

Speaking of size you now weigh 26 pounds.

You are no longer at the sub 5 percentile.

You are an active, healthy little boy.

You don't really look a baby anymore.
You're a little boy.

As for eating, you still surprise us.

You now eat some peas.

Shocking.

But mostly you love mama's pasta and you love to eat meat.

You're truly a little carnivore.

And you love when your daddy slips you something inappropriate.

He loves to spoil you when you're sick.

You're starting to talk quite a bit.

You'll repeat words that we say.
Your dad loves to hear you say "redneck"
Major cuteness.

And you're still using your signs.
The other day we heard you say your first phrase..
"Love you dada"
Melted both of our hearts.

Another crazy thing is that you've been using the potty.
Pretty consistently... although we haven't been trying to "train" you. We've just made it part of your routine and since you were 17 months you've been going with it.

You see it as a time to read a lot of books.
Especially Elmo.
Seriously, permission slip was needed.


As you've gotten older we see more and more of your personality and independence coming out. 
You're testing more. 
You're saying "no" more. 
At times you flail on the ground.
You're more scared now of strangers.
All of this is typical behavior, and yes, we love you.
You're our sweet little boy.
And we can hardly remember life without you.

This summer we have had the chance to hang out quite a bit.
We went to NC for almost 3 weeks.
We're going tent camping with you.
I'm taking you to Chicago to see our friends the Nelsons.
But what I am most thankful for is the times when it is just us.
Playing on the deck.
Doing all of your puzzles at once.
Reading all your books.
Yes, even Elmo.
In those simple moments, there is great joy.
And i am so thankful.


I love you Jackson.