Not long ago...

6 weeks to be exact, a dear friend of mine offered to take pregnancy pictures so I would always remember this time in my life. I contemplated taking bare belly pictures but I opted to take this route instead and I am happy that I did. Now I'm not embarrassed for everyone to see them. I've always loved the way I look when I'm pregnant and this time wasn't any different. It's hard to believe that not long ago, I was 20 lbs heavier and sharing my body with the sweetest little girl. I love being a woman and having part in the creation of these sweet beautiful little angels! Thank you Samantha for taking these. I will cherish them forever!

It's Okay...

I bought this book about two years ago and immediately felt guilty for a couple reasons. 1) It was something I wanted but didn't NEED. 2) the cost: $14.99 3) When do I have the time to read something so frivolous when there is so much to do at home? I never read it. It's been sitting on a shelf in my closet with other books that I don't have time to read. Napping is something that I feel guilty about doing when I know how hard Brent works during the day and so I need to be working hard at home. With a newborn, I'm not sleeping much at night and therefore, I think I have a mild case of the baby blues. I have a love/hate relationship with the pacifier. I'm emotional and lack HUGE amounts of energy. I think if I could just get some sleep I would get better. Even the nurses at the hospital told me to sleep when the baby does and I still feel guilty doing it...until yesterday...I woke up and saw this book on my bathroom counter. Brent had put it there for me...to give the Okay to take a nap...It has helped me tremendously! I decided that I would read this book while feeding the baby and I've really enjoyed it...I've learned that even though our "work load" is different, Taking care of any child is hard work. It's been 5 years since I took care of a baby though. I'm out of practice: I feed, change, get pooped on, peed on, spit up on, cried on, and need I mention the toll it is on my body? But when my sweet baby smiles at me or quiets down at the sound of my voice... it's worth all the hard work! SO.....
I didn't need a book to tell me it was Okay to take a nap, all I needed was my husband to be supportive and to be understanding...Yes, my house needs a good cleaning but it will just have to wait. I'm off to take a nap.......

It's all about the heart!

On April 10, my Mom, or Grandma Becky as we all call her came to visit. She was here a week and we enjoyed every minute with her. She was a huge help making sure the kitchen was kept clean (even though she decided to break a few dishes in the process:)and Danielle enjoyed one on one time with her making cakes using her Easy Bake oven and the timing was such that she was even here for Hannah's birthday. She also helped out during the night so I could get some much needed sleep and I have to say am missing that most of all. We enjoyed her famous roast dinner with mashed potatoes, parsley carrots, and broccoli and she was a huge support for me at Summers two week Dr. visit when we found out she has a heart murmur. On that note, I ended up taking Summer to a pediatric Cardiologist for an EKG and ultrasound of her heart and come to find out she has a narrow pulmonary artery which the Dr. said is very common and she should outgrow it. And because they were in there looking at the heart they found she has a couple holes in her heart that shouldn't be there. The Drs are going to be monitoring her over the next few months to a year and hopefully the holes will close on their own. The Drs aren't too concerned because she is breathing fine and gaining weight. At her 2 week appointment, she was up to 8 lbs. 4 oz and 20 inches long. This was something hard for me to hear. My Mom was a huge blessing to have around when this happened. She is such a caring and supportive woman and I know she loves me and my family beyond words. Mom, I promise when you come back out for Summers blessing, we will do something fun! My Mom got a kick out of this picture so I had to post it. Doesn't she look relaxed?! It must be Grandma's touch!

Grandma is in love with this little girl! She says Summer looks like me and at the end of her visit started calling her "little Laura." She does have alot of my features, especially the chubby cheeks.

2nd cousins!

My cousin Brandon and his family just moved here the beginning of January. Brandon and I are one month apart and have always been close. Brandon and his wife, Amy had their fifth baby the end of January. They came to visit us when Summer was only 5 days old. Here are some pictures of our two babies and check out the difference two months makes. I'm not sure how big Lauren is in this picture but Summer was 7 lbs. 4 oz. and 19 3/4 inches.

Easter weekend!

Brent has been such a wonderful husband and Father these past few weeks. He was able to take two weeks off for paternity leave and we've all LOVED having him home! He has been such a HUGE help with all 3 girls and has been keeping the house clean and keeping everyone happy!
Brent and the girls dying Easter eggs.

Summer has blue eyes!
Donnie and Rene' invited us over to their home for Easter dinner. Rene' is in heaven holding Summer.
Donnie and Summer!
Brent loves holding Summer when she's sleeping, he even told me not to take her from him... He has even gotten up at night to rock her back to sleep! I've even caught him changing a few diapers which makes me love him even more!
How Precious!
Happy Easter!

Dreams do come true!

These picture were taken on my actual due date. Friday, April 2, 2010. We are getting ready to go home from the hospital. I was ready!

The pink bear was a gift from Danielle and the dog was a gift from Hannah.
2 days old and weighs 6 lbs. 15 ounces at discharge!
Pretty in PINK!
Isn't she cute when she cries?!
Here we go!
These beautiful flowers are from my chiropractor (on the left), Brent and the girls (center), and Donnie and Rene'(on the right). What a nice surprise!
Danielle LOVES being a BIG Sister!
I LOVE my new baby girl!

I have fulfilled a lifelong dream of mine...I always wanted to be finished having kids by the time I was 35, I will be 35 this August. We are ready to start our new chapter in life! Going from GROWING our family to RAISING our family! :)

Summer's arrival!

Summer came early...but only by two days! All along I thought I would go into labor on my own (not sure why I thought that) but I was induced again! For some reason, my babies really like it inside and don't want to come out. Am I really that comfortable? Anyway, here are the details of that day and how Summer made her entry...

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

6:20 am Dropped girls off at our friends house (Donnie & Rene' Hall) They fed the girls and then made sure they got off to school.

7:00 am Arrived at Baylor Medical Center at Frisco. Got admitted and had IV started.

8:00 am Started on pitocin. Dr. Michelsen came in to check me. dialated to a one. She tried to break my water but it was too painful for me and she couldn't quite break it. She said she snagged it pretty good so breaking on it's own was possible. She would be back between 12:00 and 1:00 to break my water.


8:15 am Rene' got to the hospital. Gave us a rundown of the morning with the girls and said how excited they were for their baby sister to be born. (I had previously invited Rene' to attend the birth. She is more like a family member to us and thought it would be nice to have here there for it.)

About every 15 minutes my nurse, Amy would come in to up my dose of pitocin. Gradually contractions got closer and harder. I started remembering how painful the contractions were once the bag of water was broken and decided to get the epidural beforehand. My contractions never got so bad that I was in very much pain or even cried.

11:45 am got the epidural...had to be poked twice in order for it to be placed correctly. I Love that drug! Not sure how anyone could deliver a baby naturally! Now I'm in heaven and can't feel a single contraction!

It crossed my mind a few times during all of this to call this whole thing off and keep this baby inside for two more days or even another week and then come back and deliver. To know that I was ending this chapter and that I would never be pregnant again and never feel a baby move inside me again made me sad. I had liked being pregnant...well, parts of it. I knew I wanted to hold this baby in my arms more than keep it inside is what kept me from saying anything out loud and I'm confident that Brent, Rene', the Dr. and all the nurses would've thought I was crazy! It also crossed my mind that I wouldn't be able to walk out of the hospital by myself at this point...so, I stayed and continued to do what I came to do!

12:00 pm Dr. Michelsen came in to break my water. Done! Didn't feel a thing except for the release of the fluid. I immediately felt skinny! No way of turning back now! Dialated to a "one and a wiggle" Dr. said she would be back after office hours and that we would be looking at a 8:00 pm delivery. Brent and Rene' ate lunch in front of me. My nurse was nice and let me have a popsicle.

1:15 pm I was getting sleepy...Rene' decided she was going to go to the mall and that we would call her when I reached a 4 or a 5. Brent took a little cat nap. I couldn't fall asleep with all the monitors beeping and I just enjoyed hearing the heartbeat of our unborn baby girl.

1:45 pm Feeling pressure. pushed the button to give me a little more of the epidural medication.

1:50 pm Still feeling pressure. Pushed button two more times. Amy came in to up my dose of pitocin and told her I'd been needing more meds for my epidural and that I'd been feeling pressure.

2:00 pm The anesthesiologist came in to give me more medication in my epidural. Feeling good again.

2:20 pm Amy checks me. I'm a 6! WHAT!?! HOLY COW! Brent texts Rene to come quickly!

2:25 pm Amy checks me again after telling her I feel more pressure. She wanted to see what I do when I'm having a contraction. I'm a 10!!!!!!!!!!! I tell Brent to call Rene'. She is in the elevator on her way! Amy goes to call Dr. Michelsen who is still in her office seeing patients.

HELLLLOOOOO! I'm a 10 and no one is there to catch a baby if suddenly this baby wants to come out. I felt like I had to "hold it in" just in case.

3:05 pm Dr. Michelsen comes in to deliver! She is very suprised I went from a one to a ten in 2 1/2 hours. I push and I push and I push. 30 minutes go by and this baby isn't coming out. I'm getting very tired.

3:35 pm I finally give it all I have and all the sudden I feel a release like none other but it's not as smooth as the other two babies I've given birth to. Summer came out "sunny side up" (face up) and had a "double nickel" where the umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck TWICE! When the Dr. placed her on my tummy, the flood gates opened and didn't stop till I held her in my arms. She was here and she's perfect! My biggest baby weighing in at 7 lbs. 5 oz. 19 inches long. I was all baby and fluid!

Not once following her birth have I wished she was still inside me. My hard work is done and now I get to enjoy the miracle that she is and so worth all the fight to get her here. What a blessing she is in our family and everyone is LOVING her!