Thursday, January 22, 2009

My "Book Ends"


I couldn't resist using the term "book ends", a term used by many families with four or more children. You can probably guess it means your oldest and youngest.

My oldest LOVES to read. He's a real bookworm. I love it, and love as much just sitting back witnessing him take off with it! I don't know that I've ever been so impressed by anyone! The day we brought Baby K home, the first thing O wanted to do was read to her, and not surprisingly, he asked to do so when he got home from school today.

So I left them in the pack 'n play together, reading, so I thought, while I made some much needed coffee (which I happen to be enjoying even now as I type :) ), and when I peaked over the pass-through window into the family room, what do I see, but the above-picture. I tell ya, never has a brother loved a sister so. He is truly enamoured with her. He couldn't even read, his favorite past time, because he is just smitten. Can't you just see the almost desperate adoration in his face? I sure can, and it sure does this mama's heart good.

It's hard to believe our Baby K is two weeks already. It just goes faster with each baby. She continues to be a really easy baby. Last night she was fussy (thankfully unusual for her), and I just couldn't figure it out. Thankfully, my husband was home, because sometimes you just have to hand your baby over and say "I don't know what to do." I fed her, changed her, cuddled with her, everything. Well, all she needed was a good burp. Oops (*sheepish grin*), you would think she was my first. Well, don't you know, as soon as Daddy got her burp out, she melted into his arms where she slept for a few hours before bed.

I am so thankful for wonderful parents and a wonderful church family that has really taken care of us these first two weeks. Dinners, clothes, diapers, even running to the store for me (yes, someone called today and asked if I needed anything from the store - you know, my pride wanted to say "no", but I took the help the Lord provided and she brought me over carrots and celery for the chicken soup I'm making today). Its really ministered to us, and I hope I can minister to others the same from here on out. I will be looking around my neighborhood, my church, etc., and provide dinners when I can, because it really soothes the soul after a long day.

A side blessing that I never expected, was before the meals began coming, we sat our picky-eating children (boys) down and said that God would be providing us some meals, and that they were to be thankful and not complain once. I am in awe that they did so well. Our daughter eats anything, bless her heart; but my boys, MY BOYS! Wow! They were so adventurous eating some things that they a. never tried; or b. didn't like in the past. Through these last few weeks, we've been able to really drive home that even when Mommy cooks, God is equally providing for us, and that they are to continue to be thankful and not complain as they've done such a good job doing these past few weeks. What an answer to prayer for me!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

God bless!

Jen :)

Friday, January 16, 2009

Catching Up With Baby Pictures

Well life quickly gets back to normal when you have three children already, school and work to attend, etc. I've healed wonderfully, and although I am needing a little cat nap in the afternoons, I'm finding this has been the easiest post partum time so far. The kids are adjusting fantastically, but for the first time in my mothering journey, I'm finding I have to fight for time to hold my little baby!

So because life is somewhat back to "normal" (or at least we're quickly discovering our new normal), I finally have time to update my blog with pictures from when K and I were at the hospital, up to today. Enjoy!

FROM THE DAY SHE WAS BORN

Daddy holding his little girl for the first time - this picture says it all as to what time of day she was born! Except for our oldest, all of our children have been born around midnight or 1 a.m. YAWN!

Big brothers seeing Mommy and their new little sister for the first time!

Big sister seeing her new little sister for the first time -

a little more apprehensive than her brothers!
Mommy, Daddy and our new little girl

Big Brother C going in for a kiss!

Big Sister wanting nothing to do with her new little sister - she only wanted Grampie (my Dad)!


Big Sister starting to warm up a little.


Big Sister warming up a little more.


Big Sister LOVING her new little sister! This is how she's been ever since -
she wants to hold her CONSTANTLY! Unfortunately, her lovin' is a little tough!


First attempt at a family shot. Big Sister wanted NOTHING to do with it!

We finally figured out Big Sister hated the hospital bed. Once I got down on the chair - we were able to get our first family photo :)
The best part of having siblings in our family is the gifts the new baby brings! We've done this with every baby, and its one of the highlights for the big brothers and sister.
Big Brother O got a Tech Deck, and Big Brother C got a truck with a trailer.

Big Sister got a Dora House. If she's not holding her little sister,
she's carrying her Dora that said little sister gave her :)


FROM YESTERDAY - 1 WEEK OLD

They change too quickly, don't they? Her coloring is beautiful.
This happens to be the outfit her big sister wore home from the hospital.

We're all thinking she looks like her Big Brother C. Her Big Sister thought she needed a toy to play with :)

Don't you just want to eat her up? I love her lips!

FROM TODAY - 1 WEEK, 1 DAY
These are just because she's so beautiful!

You know you're a peanut when Mommy can use a cloth diaper as a blanket!

Precious baby hands.

Have a wonderful weekend!


Jen

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Announcing


Our Baby Girl "K" was born on January 8, 2009 at 12:40 a.m.
Weighing 7 lbs. 10 oz.
20 inches long
Its taken me a while to post, as I am thoroughly enjoying my "baby-moon" and learning the ropes of being a mom to 4 children! We are all on cloud nine, that is for sure - she is a wonderfully easy baby, the most relaxed one we've had! Let me tell you my birth story:

Last Wednesday evening was like most evenings the last few weeks - I had had contractions off and on - but nothing to sit and time - maybe 3 an hour at most - although most of the time, however, there was nothing.

My husband and I were beat, so we laid down in our bed with all three of our kids around 7:30 p.m., turned off the lights, and let our oldest read Frog and Toad stories to us all with his nifty head lamp he got for Christmas. Around 8:00 p.m., it was time to go to sleep, and I decided to stay in bed with them and go to sleep myself while my husband went downstairs. Around 8:45, I noticed I still wasn't asleep, which was very odd for me. You see, usually I lay down, and pretty much instantly fall asleep. At 9:15 or so, I realized I was having what seemed like regular contractions - but they were about 10-15 minutes apart.

I went downstairs, and told my husband I thought labor may be starting and we should try to time them - they were so erratic, that it was difficult to time anything. So around 9:30-9:45, I decided to take a bath, thinking the in-between cramps wouldn't be felt, and I would only feel the real stuff. Worked like a charm. Within 20 minutes to half an hour, we knew it was it, as my contractions were 5 minutes apart! My husband called my mom and asked her to come just in case. Within another few minutes, I knew I had to get to the hospital. I called my midwife who said to listen and trust my body, and come if I needed to - I told her I needed to. Also, the tub felt so divine, and I had planned to have a water birth if the pool was available, so I wanted to give them time to fill the pool.

We couldn't wait for my mom to arrive (she only lives 1/2 hour from us, but it was progressing so quickly I couldn't wait), so we called our neighbor to come over and stay with the kids until my mom arrived. Good thing we did.

I remember being on the road around 10:40 p.m. or so. We thank the Lord for His protection, as the roads were icy (of course - I had a feeling labor would happen on a stormy night!), and I could not stay seated during contractions. The only way I could get relief was by rocking on my hands and knees, and I did so on the drive there. Being the chicken I am though, after the contraction was done, I would sit back down and put my seatbelt on! LOL!

Once we arrived (around 11:10 p.m.), they started the antibiotic drip (I had Group B Strep), and monitored my contractions and baby for a few minutes. My midwife only planned on checking me if I wanted. I went back and forth - what if I was only 1 cm? I decided, I was what I was, and I wouldn't let any number discourage me. I had her check me (this was the only time I let her - honestly, this was the most painful part of the whole labor!!!), I was 4 cm. I was encouraged as I saw it as being almost half way there :)

Finally after what seemed too long, the pool was finished filling and I entered it. Oh, what sweet, heavenly relief! It was perfect! I have no idea of the time, but would guess I was in the pool by 11:45-12:00 a.m.? Anyway, I was most comfortable leaning my arm on the stool, and being on my right side - I tried my back, I tried my left side, but my right side was relaxing to me. I groaned and moaned through the contractions. I had read in preparation that to make an "oohhhh" sound rather than an "ahhhh" sound or screaming, and to envision letting my cervix open. That is what I concentrated on (and TMI here, sorry folks, but I also was obsessed in a ridiculous way over the fact that I was certain I had to go #2 - my midwife kept trying to nicely and lovingly convince me it was the baby - I didn't believe her!) Finally, because of said obsession, I decided to just push the poo out so it wouldn't bug me anymore. Also, even though I didn't trust my body would tell me when to push, my body did just that, and started a reverse "dry heaving", or so it felt to me. My midwife was right - it wasn't the poo - it was the baby, and so I started pushing my baby.

My midwife and husband kept trying to get me to float over on my back, but it felt impossible. Although my eyes were closed for most of the labor, I remember opening them wide, staring at my midwife (by the way, my husband was in the pool with me, holding me), and saying - "I wish I got the epidural!" She looked at me back and just said, "push." And push is what I did, after the Lord, I believe, floated me over on my back. At that point, the pain was gone as long as I was pushing. And in a few minutes, our little K was born!

I was truly amazed that after she was born, the pain was completely gone! I didn't say this yet, but I had epidurals with my other three children. I asked my husband if the time frame in my mind was correct, and he agreed it was, but the amount of real intolerable pain was as long as the real intolerable pain of the epidural (to me - I HATE that needle, etc. going in my back - I always have, it makes me cringe, like nails on a chalkboard.....)

All in all, from the time we arrived at the hospital (when the harder pain began), to when our daughter was born, was 1.5 hours.

My husband also seemed to really enjoy this labor experience more than the others, as did I. Another special part of this birth was shortly after our daughter was born, he played two very special songs to me/us - the first was Third Day's "Blessed Assurance" and our wedding song "Have a Little Faith in Me" by John Hyatt. He also prayed and thanked the Lord for our daughter. That forever will mean the world and be the most special part of the whole birth. I love my husband with a deep, deep love - he is a wonderful, magnificent man!

I still have more pictures to upload to my computer, and will post them over the next few days.

Have a wonderful, hopefully warm (its freezing in our part of the world!) day!

God bless,

Jen

Stay, stay at home, my heart, and rest;
Home-keeping hearts are happiest,
For those that wander they know not where
Are full of trouble and full of care;
To stay at home is best.

Weary and homesick and distressed,
They wander east, they wander west,
And are baffled and beaten and blown about
By the winds of the wilderness of doubt;
To stay at home is best.

Then stay at home, my heart, and rest;
The bird is safest in its nest;
O'er all that flutter their wings and fly
A hawk is hovering in the sky;
To stay at home is best.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow