This Moment ♥

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment that I want to pause, savor and remember.

This Moment ♥

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment that I want to pause, savor and remember.

1 Month Old

Slow down, little guy! Hudson has been such an easy baby, so far. Which is such a blessing because I am not sure I could handle a fussy baby! 

He sleeps a lot and eats a lot. He loves to stare and I particularly love how he stares at me while I am rocking him to sleep. Melts my heart. He just started grasping my shirt when we are snuggling and he likes to hold a piece of his blanket when he falls asleep. He will sleep anywhere, swing or crib, swaddled or un-swaddled. He loves bath time and likes to soak as long as I'll let him. He really only shares his "opinion" over his car seat and cold diaper wipes. 

I am enjoying the dynamic of all three kids at this moment. That doesn't come with out tears, exhaustion  and a very untidy house, but it is so fun to see the girl's excitement over their little brother. 

I really wish he could stay squishy and tiny for a few more months, but I am looking forward to the smiles and coos that are coming soon. 

Welcome to the World, My Little One.

We welcomed our first little boy into the family on March 7th, 2013 at 12:40am. He greeted the world screaming and weighing in at a plump 9lbs. I wasn't sure how it would feel having a baby boy after two girls, but I am completely smitten. This little guy stole my heart from the moment I met him. 

 I thought I was never going to go into labor this time around. Being right on schedule or early with my previous pregnancies, led me to assume this time would be no different. Well babies really do come when they are ready. I think this little guy heard his sisters all day long and was in no hurry to leave my warm uterus to join that chaos.

Three days past my due date, my mom had had enough of my whining and waddling, so she once again coaxed me (or maybe drug me) on a giant walk, with the promise of Starbucks at the end. We are talking 1.5 hours of walking up and down hills. If you ever want to go into labor, just call my mom and have her take you on a walk. She is brutal.

 I was having sporadic contractions that afternoon, but nothing that significant. Fast forward 2 hours later. I had just finished putting Emery down for the night when I finally admitted to myself that these contractions were picking up and not stopping. I tried drinking water and flopping on the couch for a bit, no change. I figured I'd better get my act together in case this was the real deal. I took a quick shower, threw a few last minute things in my hospital bag and then I called my OB. When I spoke with my Dr. I told him "I think I am in labor," he laughed at me. You would think by round 3 I would know for sure. 

At that point my contractions were becoming more painful and I was stopping between each one to work through the pressure. I was starting to remember just how painful this whole process was. Thank goodness for mommy amnesia or I would have never had multiple children. 

With my history of quick labors, I was nervous to stick around the house for too long. The last thing I wanted was to give birth of my living room floor. I am all for home births, but it's messy and I wanted my OB. 

We arrived at the hospital around 9:45pm and checked in at the ER. They don't know what to do with pregnant girls in the ER, so they shoveled me off to L&D before I gave birth in their waiting room. They offered me a wheel chair, but I declined and told them I preferred to walk. Sitting down was torture. Once I was in L&D and settled into triage, my Dr. met us there and checked my progress. I almost died when he told me I was only 4cm. Seriously?! Both Gabe and my doctor made fun of me for "jumping the gun." With Emery I rolled up to the hospital 20 minutes before I delivered, so naturally I was not thrilled to be only 4cm's! 

The rest ifs kind of a blur. Gabe and I settled into our room & I labored around for about a hour while the nurse asked me a thousand questions. My OB stuck around for a bit helping me let the nurses know my birthing preferences, no blood draw, iv, hep lock, etc. I love that he always says "just put her in a room and leave her alone." Not many girls come through the hospital voluntarily pursuing a natural childbirth, so I was not the norm. My Dr. went to take a nap while I continued to pace and labor. I was starting to get tired around 11pm (thanks to my brutal walk) and asked the nurse if she would check me again around 11:30pm. Bad call. I was still a 4! I started crying when she left the room. Sweet Gabe was very encouraging, but that is much easier to do coming from the person who isn't in excruciating pain! My legs were killing me and I started to shake so badly, I felt like I was freezing to death. I tried to lay down for 20 minutes, which made the pain so much worse, but I was so tired. I would almost fall asleep between contractions before the next one would jolt me awake. The nurse then came in to check me since the fetal monitor was showing some irregularities when I was changing positions.  At this point it was about midnight. It started to hit me, as I was shaking and throwing up, maybe this was transition (like Gabe had suggested) and I would be done soon! With the girl's births, my transition lasted all of about 5 minutes. Hudson wanted to make his transition extra memorable, so 20 minutes of barfing and shaking later, and I was back up moaning and swaying through contractions. The pain was so intense and I had to hang on Gabe through every contraction. Poor Gabe was trying to clean up throw up (hey, no one said labor was glamorous) and walked away for a second when I felt a ton of pressure and my water broke. The urge to push was coming quickly and we were alone in the room still, so I asked Gabe to get the nurse NOW.  She opted to check me and a huge surge of fluid shot out everywhere.  Our sweet nurse noticed I had some meconium in my fluid, she let my OB know and called up the neonatal team right away.  At this point I was dilated to 7cm. Thank goodness!!  This is when things always go from 0 to 60 in about 5 minutes. Quickly I felt like I needed to push. I was just starting to ask if everything was okay, when the next contraction hit and I started pushing. The nurse told me she was not delivering this baby and to get on the bed. I am pretty sure I told her "no, just one more push." With the next contraction I got on the bed and as my OB walked in the door, I was yelling "Dr. James! Please help me" over and over again. Gabe and Dr. James always stay so calm and collected (must be nice) while I was screaming (at this point) a 9lb watermelon out of me. Dr James told me, "It's okay! You're done!" which is funny because it wasn't over, the worst part was happening. One big push and his head was out. Dr. James told me to stop and breathe while he unwrapped the cord from around Hudson's neck. One more HUGE push and his shoulders were out. At 12:40am, after 5 hours of labor, Hudson Seth was finally here! I never cried when the girls were born, but I teared up when Hudson was born. Not because of the sweet, fresh baby lying on my chest, instead they were tears of relief since my labor was over!  

Hudson was almost a pound smaller than my first, but he felt so much bigger! All the nurses were saying he looked like a 10 pounder. I was so thankful he was pink, crying and healthy! 

My recovery was quick this time around and we were out of the hospital and settled at home the next day. Hudson is a great little eater and my milk supply came in less than 24 hours after he was born. Thank goodness because this boy likes his food. 

The transition from 2 to 3 kids hasn't been as bad as I thought it might be. It takes me twice as long to load everyone up in the car and bedtime is a bit of a nightmare, but we are hanging in there! Every week gets a little easier! 

Hudson Seth

March.7.2013 // 12:40 am

9 pounds // 21.5 inches

Four Years Old.

Brinley,

Where to begin. Four years has flown by... I remember the night I went into labor like it was yesterday. I remember pulling you onto my chest & meeting you for the first time. I have loved every year learning along side you as you have grown from an adorable baby into a spunky preschooler. You challenge me in so many ways & force me to grow. Sometimes I feel bad that as the first child you have to experience the "parental learning curve" as I figure out how raising a four year old works. I am thankful that you have such a sweet spirit & are so quick to forgive.

 

I love your imagination. You would rather play pretend than do just about anything else. You love to be fancy & insist on wearing a dress every single day. You love sparkles, hats, shoes and crowns. You love to throw elaborate tea parties & create a masked ball in our living room. You turned your room into a zoo just yesterday & fed all of the animals in their "blanket habitats." You have a vocabulary that makes me giggle. You use words like divine & predicament on a daily basis. You love to bird watch & find shapes in the clouds. Every day you ask if we can make a "little craft" while sissy is napping. You keep me busy & I love that you let your imagination run your day. That's what being four is all about.

 This year you have grown so much. You love Sunday school & your teachers at church. You are doing wonderful in ballet & are becoming quite graceful. You love crackers & orange chicken. You still sleep with your blanket & can't go to sleep without your Tangled doll. You love the park & to dig in the sand. You are very social & will run up to anyone at the park & ask them to play. You are starting to write your letters & numbers this year & have done great with your preschool curriculm. You love to make up songs & sing at the top of your lungs on the swing. You are a great big sister & Emery adores copying everything you do. You remember everything, its frightening. You love sorbet & fruit tarts. You are sensitive & quick to burst into tears, especially when you are tired. You love to help others & make sure people are taken care of. You take so much joy in each new day & I love how excited you get about the little things in life.

This past year has flown by so quickly & before I know it, you will be five. I love the little girl that you are becoming so very much, and I can't wait to see how you continue to grow & change over this new year.

   I love you, my sweet Brinley Bear!

Just Two.

Happy 2nd Birthday, Emery Mae! 

(This is so late, but better than never, right?)

I really cannot keep track of when this all happened. I feel like every new year goes faster than the year before. I'm sure I was just holding this sweet little newborn on my chest

Those days have passed all too quickly and now I spend my days chasing this little cutie. And I am not exaggerating when I say chasing.

We lovingly refer to Emery as our "wrecking ball" ... she is frighteningly fearless and gives us a heart attack on a daily basis. Thank goodness she has an extremely high pain tolerance to go along with that fearless behavior. While Brin would cry if she tumbled off a chair, Emery just laughs. 

She is fiercely independent and her three favorite words are "I do it." She is quick tempered but balances it out with a hug and an "I soddy" when she hurts you. She loves Winnie the Pooh, pirates, playing dress up & animals. One of the best things is she sings constantly. She eats all day long and loves water with lemon. She wakes up happy and loves to snuggle. She is a total daddy's girl and loves pony back rides. She loves babies and dolls, but is not a fan of mommy or daddy holding other babies.  She adores her "sissy" and asks for her constantly. She talks up a storm and is starting to piece sentences together. She is very sweet temperament and easy to please. 

Emery is still our "easy baby." She makes us laugh every day and we cannot imagine our days with out her sweet giggle. 

Fingers crossed this year goes a little slower. We are more than okay with our little Emmer's being "just two" for a good long while! 

This Moment ♥

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment that I want to pause, savor and remember.

Hair pulling is by no means an "extraordinary moment" around here, but I love how these two are such sisters in every way.