First Day Home

Grandparents

Nana and Poppy met us at the hospital and took the kids all day Saturday and then my parents came down Sunday morning and took the oldest three home with them. It was so nice to have a couple of days with just Evie and Rook. They went way too fast:) We are grateful to have parents who are willing to help us out.

Rook

Rook showed up last Saturday morning, the 23rd. I started having a few contractions about 3:30 but they weren't very hard or very close together so I didn't think much of them. I got up about 5:30 and started talking to Jamie and then about 6 told him we probably should start getting things ready to go to the hospital. My contractions still weren't that strong or that close together but I was Group B strep positive and so they wanted to get 2 doses of penicillin in me before he came and they needed to be administered 4 hours apart. So I told Jamie we should probably just go. It was a good thing we did. We checked into the hospital at 7:31 and he was born at 8:37. They were waiting on my blood work to come back before they would give me an epidural because my white blood count had been low. It took so long to come back, because it was too low and they double checked it, that I didn't get an epidural. This was the only kid I haven't had one with. Epidurals are good things:) But I felt like it was a tender mercy that he had come so fast and I feel like my recovery has been a lot quicker and less painful without the epidural. He weighed 8 pounds 6 ounces, the biggest of my kids. He was 20 inches long. When he came out his face was really bruised and purple. The doctor said it was because he came out so fast and he kind of had the cord wrapped around him.

Emmy didn't want anyone else holding him. She thought she should be the only to get to.

My little family. I am one lucky girl!

Easter Pageant

We went to the Easter Pageant this year on dress rehearsal night. It was so much more relaxed than going closer to Easter. We got to sit a lot closer. Emmy and TJ sat mesmerized the whole time. Addy and Evie got a little restless but it was a beautiful, relaxing evening and a great reminder of what's really important.

Baby Shower

Jamie's family had a surprise baby shower for me last night. It was so much fun and so nice to get away from the kids for a couple of hours. We went to Oregano's and ate yummy food and just had a good time. Here are a couple of pictures.

This is a quilt that Jamie's niece, Olivia, made for us. It is all Dr. Seuss prints on the back. She did an amazing job on it. I LOVE it!!!!

St. Patrick's Day

We went to Taylor over the weekend to watch Shawn bless their new little baby girl. While we were there, Wacey had us all over for a St. Patrick's day party. I don't know if he likes St. Patrick's Day so much because he served his mission in Ireland, or because he makes such a cute Irish man:) He told all the kids to dress up and he made us cottage pie. It was a fun time. Thanks Uncle Wacey!! Here's my cute little Irish baby.

Doesn't he look like he should have been born in Ireland? Wacey is one of the best guys I know and I love him to death.

Uncle Wacey with most of the nieces and nephews.

Addy with baby Reese. She is such a beautiful baby. I didn't get any pictures of her in her blessing dress but she was beautiful and Shawn gave her one of the most beautiful blessings I have ever heard.

11 Days....

It's hard to know how much to post on the blog sometimes, but I haven't been all that great at writing in my journal lately, so in a lot of ways this becomes my journal by default. Rook is due in 11 days - it was 16 days when this picture was taken. I feel like I just stick out forever. We were walking in the grocery store the other day and this old man walks by us and just points at me and says, "she's trying to sneak a watermelon out," and that is exactly how I feel most of the time. If you would have asked me 10 years ago, how many kids I wanted I would have said 4. This will be 5. So I will get one more than I thought I would. My body feels worn out to me. I think 5 kids in a little over 6 years is a lot for it to deal with. Jamie thought we were done at 3 and it is because of a couple of special experiences that he has had that we have had the last 2. He will be 42 this year, and feels like he is ready to move past the baby stage of his life. And I don't blame him. I am definitely tired of being pregnant and ready to meet our new little son. But there is still something a little bitter sweet to think this will probably be the last child that we will have. So even though I am ready for him to come, I am trying to not wish the time away. We already love you Rook and can't wait to meet you!

Evie at 16 months

Evie is growing up so fast right now. Her hair finally got long enough for two ponytails.

She got to have her first picnic with the older kids outside by herself and she thought she was pretty hot stuff.

And she loves chocolate chip pancakes.

Evie is fiercely independent. She wants to do things on her own and tries to do whatever the big kids are doing. She loves her dad more than anyone in the world. She cries when I take her from him. They hold a special place in each other's hearts.