Happy 2nd Birthday

~Beckett~

Happy 2nd Birthday!  You are such a fun, little guy.  You are constantly moving and into things.  You love building blocks, magnatiles, balls, trucks, dinosaurs, playing outside, balloons, and the pool.  You have sensitive little heart and sometimes get your feelings hurt when you're in trouble.  You give big hugs and kisses.  You are the easiest and best baby EVER to lay down - we read a couple of books and sing some songs, pray, give you a hug and a kiss, and lay you down.  You have always been ready for nap time and bedtime and look forward to sleep.   Sometimes, if you're not ready to sleep, you lay and look at books or sing to yourself.  In the mornings, if you wake up before us, you happily lay in your bed and sing until we come and get you - you're content for at least an hour.   You love walking out with me to go get the mail and checking the mailbox.  You are our super toughie.  You have a very high pain tolerance, you rarely cry when you get hurt, you've fallen a lot this summer and have gotten cuts and bruises and you haven't cried once, you usually whisper "ow" and kiss the boo boo or have someone else kiss it and move on.
You look like such a little boy to me now.

Some of my favorite pictures over the past 2 years:

4th of July- so far, you love your sister and LOVE holding her

My two sweet boys -spring - you're still pretty shy and take about an hour to warm up to people, but you willingly go to the nursery workers and other people that want to hold you, you're just very quiet and watchful

 I love the sweetness in your face

Christmas morning

Florida - you LOVE your Daddy.  You light up and yell with excitement whenever he comes home from work.  You take off running to get to him, you love for him to carry you around.  

You're still a pretty good eater, I'm thankful my boys aren't too picky.  You love smoothies, chicken nuggets, blueberries, fries, milk, water, crackers, hot dogs, most fruit (except not really a fan of bananas), cucumbers, carrots, and salad sometimes.

1 year old - oh, my little baldy.  Your hair finally started to come in, but you've only had 2 trims.

I clearly remember taking this picture, you weren't crazy about laying in the grass, you didn't like the feel of it

You were probably the happiest baby ever

My little cuddle ball

Birth-Day -I LOVE this picture.  It shows the pure joy Hudson experienced when he met and held you.  He loves you and is patient with you sometimes, but you two have started fighting - kind of breaks my heart, I want you both to be best friends.  You have definitely turned two and have started throwing fits if you want something and yell, "MINE!" (we're working on that).   But you can tell that you admire your brother and want to do everything he is doing. 

This past year has almost been a bit of a blur it's gone so fast.  

We love you!  We pray big things for you.We pray that you will be called "an oak of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor."  You're such a joy to be around, and I can't wait to see what this next year brings.  Happy 2nd Birthday Our Little Love Bug!  We love you!

(stats to come later, after his md appt) 

Introducing: Emersyn Kate

I haven't blogged in months and months, and would like to start again, but with 3 little ones now, I'm not sure how much free time I'll have.  I've missed my blogging friends and reading other blogs, but was kind of burned out from personal blogging.  

Friday, April 29, 2016 at 9:25 am, we welcomed Emersyn Kate into our lives.  She weighed 6lbs 14 oz and was 19.5" long, cute strawberry blonde hair, deep blue eyes, and tiny features.  

Birth Story:

I had been contracting off and on for over a month and was unsure if I'd actually make it to my scheduled date, but thankfully, Emersyn Kate stayed put.   Thursday night before the c-section, I took 1/4 of a benadryl because I knew I'd be too excited and anxious to get much sleep.  Sadly, even with taking Benadryl, I maybe got about 1.5 hours of sleep, I just couldn't shut my mind off.   We got up about 5:30 and got ready for the big day.  At 6:35, we snuck into the boys' rooms and kissed them.  I wanted to wake them up and hug them and tell them how much I loved them, but only whispered it, I wanted them to sleep since they had been up late the night before.  I fought back tears when we left.

We arrived at the hospital at 7 and they started prepping me right away for surgery.  As usual, it took a couple of sticks to get my IV going.  After we had been there an hour, we heard the cry of a new baby and initially it was really sweet, but then I felt my anxiety start increasing and I started worrying if  I could handle three kids, started worrying about having surgery, and lots of other emotions hit me -- I was ready to check out of the hospital and head home.  Thankfully, Brian was there to calm me down and remind me of the joy of the baby.  Carol, the nurse from my doctor's office, came up and walked back to the OR with me.  The anesthesiologist gave me a little medicine through my IV before he started my spinal - he warned me that the medicine might make me loopy, tired, or could make me fall asleep for a couple of minutes.  Well, he gave me the medicine and I could feel it go in my IV and the next thing I knew, they were putting the curtain up.  It knocked me out!!!!  I have no idea if I was asleep for 2 minutes or 2 hours.  Brian then walked into the room and it was time to have a baby.  Dr. Carrillo got started right away.  After a minute she asked if we wanted any more kids and I said, "I have no desire to be pregnant anymore."  She said, "Good.  Your uterine wall is very thin and I'd be scared of a miscarriage or uterine rupture if you get pregnant again."  A minute later, my doctor said, "Oh, she's got red hair." and then she was born and we heard crying.  Brian got to hold her a minute later and they propped her on my chest for a couple of minutes.  It was a sweet time.  After a little while, they took her to the nursery.  My initial recovery took a little while, I was numb from the neck down.  It's really disconcerting to not be able to move your arms or legs.  Finally, after quite some time, I was kind of able to move my arms and hold her and try and nurse.

Dick and Mary brought the boys up later in the day.  It was a really sweet family time.   The hospital stay was horrible!!!  Our first night there, they worked on the floors until 3 am, so we didn't sleep until then.  Then, at 4 am, they came around and did my vitals and brought the baby to nurse.  It was so...noisy and people constantly coming into my room.  For the second night in a row, we maybe got 1.5 hours of sleep.  I was ready to go home that next day, but they wouldn't let me.  Finally, Sunday about noon, we were released.  When we got home, I went straight upstairs to my quiet room and slept.  I pray I never have to spend another night in the hospital.   Things were pretty good until Thursday night (May 5).  I'll try and blog about that later.  I don't want to forget any details.   

I tried taking some pics of her, and obviously, I'm no newborn photographer.  

4th of July Weekend

We spent the past weekend in Indiana celebrating the 4th and Beckett's 2nd birthday.  It was just about the best weekend ever!  We had so much fun.  I love Independence Day, I think it's probably my favorite holiday.  Makes me want to break out and sing "And I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free and I won't forget the men who died who gave that right to me, and I'll gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today, 'cause there ain't no doubt, I love this land, God Bless the USA"

Friday before we took off for Indiana - had to take a picture of all 3 of my guys matching (Brian was unintended)

Hudson wanted to give Beckett one of his presents early, he was so proud and happy to give his brother a gift. - we changed the boys into comfy clothes to travel.  We left at 6:10 Friday night and got to my parent's house about 11:30.  It was kind of rough, Beckett got car sick and puked and puked, and neither boy slept but a few minutes, so by the time they were in bed, it was about 12:30.

Our dear, sweet friends, Brad and Sheri invited us over for a delicious lunch on Saturday.  Addie was a great helper/holder.  I can very clearly remember holding Addie when she was that age.  

My sweet, sweet, friend Sheri

Love them so much!  We loved catching up with them and hanging out.

Saturday after noon, we went to my aunt and uncles for their annual 4th of July cookout, plus anniversary party.  They've been married for 50 years!  

I love their land!  They have a big, beautiful yard that backs to a woods.  July 2 was overcast and about 75 degrees.  It's usually 95 degrees and/or raining on the 4th.  We had so much fun catching up with family.

My cousin Jen and my Aunt Bev holding Emersyn Kate.

Hudson and me messing around.  

Swinging Beckett

The boys had a blast!!   They ate everything and kept eating, especially everything sweet!  Hudson was showing me the lemonade that Nana gave him. 

My cousin's Candi and Mark - they got my aunt and uncle an Alaskan Cruise as their gift- they leave next month

My Aunt Tammy and Uncle Rob

Cupcake

My aunt and uncle had a little pool out for the kids, but it was so cool that didn't think it would get used.  They were wrong - those 3 little boys, at first, were just touching the water and gently splashing, then getting cups and pouring it out and on each other, then they got in.  All three boys were so cold and shivering, but they did not want to get out.   I love Colton and Beckett's faces in this pic, Beckett is waiting to get drenched from Hudson and Colton is shocked.  

Saturday night we did some fireworks at my parents.  We all had a blast!  We didn't want to keep the boys up until after 10 again for it to be dark, so this was about 9 pm.

Brian set off some fountains and a few other fun things.

That picture is a sum of his childhood -- Setting off fireworks, especially bottle rockets

We did some sparklers.  

On Sunday, we traveled to my brother's new house.  Bless Hudson's city heart, he asked, "Mommy, is that a corn field?"  That's the field behind my brother's new house.  There's an old farm saying "Knee high by the 4th of July" and that is certainly well above knee high.  (Hudson has gotten to the age where he can't do a normal smile - he looks like he's in pain).  I never thought I'd miss Indiana, but I do miss it in the summer.  I miss the corn and soybean fields, I miss the flat land and gorgeous sunsets, I miss small, small towns, I miss knowing EVERYONE, and I miss sitting on the front porch and watching a storm roll in from the west.

Beckett's 2nd birthday is actually July 12, but since we were in Indiana this past weekend, we decided to celebrate there so our families didn't have to drive back down to us.   I had originally reserved a pavilion at the park in my hometown, but 2 hours before the party, it started to pour and pour and pour and was chilly, so we quickly changed the party to my parent's house.  We made lemonade out of lemons.  I did a red, white, and blue theme again this year.  

I kept things simple- fruit, veggies, chips, drinks, and cake.  

We had a nice turn out, in fact, I think people stayed longer than they would have at the park, so it was really nice to visit.

My Grandpa and Emersyn Kate  - they both look very concerned and shocked

Present time

I missed most of the presents because I had to change Emersyn Kate's diaper

Hudson so desperately wanted to help

Then it was cake time  - his cake was from Kroger.  It was okay

Beckett didn't seem to mind

Aunt Anne loving on Emersyn Kate

Great Grandma wanted to hold and feed the baby

Not sure what my dad is doing here, but she looks pretty happy

Before we headed back to Indiana, we stopped to see our dear friends - Dave, Beth, Noel, and Elise.  It was so nice to hang out and kind of catch up -it's never enough time.  Beth very quickly snapped this sweet pic of the two E's.  After we visited, we loaded up and came home.  

My little crew.  Love them so!

Happy Independence Day!  We love America!