Merry Christmas to you and yours.

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas!  

Hattie {2 months)

Hattie still seems so little to me.  I know she is growing and changing her looks, but she just seems teeny.  She weighed 9lbs 11oz at her 2 month check-up.  She was in the 11th percentile for her weight, 26th for her height, and her head was in the 3rd.  So yeah, she's kind of tiny still.  She has been sleeping really well lately.  This past week she went 8 hours through the night without waking up..two nights in a row.  The other nights were all about 5 hours and then another 3 after eating.  She's been napping in the morning and afternoon, and she has lots of awake time these days.

My girl loves to smile.  We will talk to her and it's like her entire body gets in on the smile.  She wiggles and then we get gigantic grins.  Lately we've been getting some very sweet cooing as well.  When we talk to her she's started trying to talk back to us:).  She is on the verge of laughter too!

She is sleeping on her tummy now.  There, I said it.   I'm glad to get that off my chest.  I flat out lied to the pediatrician when he asked me if she sleeps on her back.  I said yes.  I don't really know why I did it, but I instantly felt guilty and spent the rest of the appointment trying to think of a way to bring it back up again.  I couldn't ever really find a way incorporate it back into the conversation.  Hattie can't stand to be on her back, or in her carseat, or out of my arms, really.  And that's okay. I love to hold her and this is only a season.  AND she is sure to not have a flat head, so there's that:).

Sister has a strong neck.  She can pick her little head up and turn to both sides to look around. She looks a little like a turtle when she does this, but it's so adorable.  She seems pretty proud of herself.

Hattie, you have captured our hearts, sweet girl.  You are such a wonderful addition to our little family, and I can't even remember life without you.  It just feels like you belong here, and I'm so very thankful that God made me your momma.  Your brothers love you and try to console you with sweet high pitched voices when you fuss or cry.  They always want to touch you and make you smile.  It is such a blessing to see this sweet side of them.  It is so wonderful to look at our family and feel complete, and to know that you were the missing piece of this amazing puzzle.  We love you more than words.  To the moon and back.

Our new normal

Time seems to be moving so quickly.  We are in no shortage of activities and events at our house, and these events seem to keep things moving and busy around here.  Over the last few weeks I went back to the Chapel and coordinated a wedding, Aja, Laura and I participated in the fall Vintage Market Days event (which has left me with orders for growth charts to fulfill) and Jude's school is getting busier by the day.  I've also taken on several Christmas Pinterest projects to get ready for the Holidays up in here. I love it, but sometimes I just want to stop the clock.  It's like I look up and my kids are bigger every single day.  I just don't want to miss it surrounded by all of the 'busy' in our lives.  I know things have to happen in order to run this house, and things will get easier as Hattie grows and is more on a schedule, but I also don't want to wish these teeny tiny baby days away either.  I guess I just wish I was superwoman, and could do it all, all of the time...without any yelling or frustration or mental breakdowns and hormones cramping my style:).

Meanwhile, have I mentioned that these kids have grown?  Golly, Rhett seems like such a big boy, and Jude.. don't even get me started.  That kid is huge.  I bought him a size 13 shoe and size 6 (sniffle) jeans.  Rhett is in a size 10 shoe and 4 jeans.  Their hair is losing it's summer glow already and they are quickly turning into winter dirty blondes.  Soon they will be brunettes and we'll just talk about the days they were toe-headed.

I feel like so much has happened over the past several weeks.  We've been keeping some secrets and are getting excited to make some changes.  No, I'm not pregnant.  Good grief, can you imagine?!   More on that later.  For now here are some pictures to prove that I am raising giants.

Woody and Buzz... 

Last night Rhett said, "Mom, two friends are better than one.  Ecclesiastes 4:9".  I was blown away.  I'm so thankful our church is teaching my kids God's word.  Who knew he was able to memorize such things.  

Jude is learning to read and write.  I've been really impressed with how much he is learning at school.  He loves it and is really getting into art projects as well.  He could sit at the kitchen table and color, write and draw all day long.  

 Hattie's eyes are getting really blue and she's getting so long. She has been cooing and making sweet little noises this past week (week #7).  More on that with her 2 month post next week!

This baby loves to be on her tummy.  

Dallas and I have managed to squeeze in a few date nights lately.  Thanks to my mother in law for watching the kiddos.  We went to a super fun 80's prom for the Chapel with our friends, Jeremy and Christel.  It was so fun.

 The hair and makeup was a blast.  Jude asked me why I had "blue things" on my eyes.  Then he told me I looked pretty :).

Dallas, Hattie and I had a sushi date a few weeks ago that was much appreciated.  I love hanging out with Dallas and dreaming about our future over sushi.  It's just fun to have an adult conversation, really.  Hattie slept the whole dinner, and our waitress was likely less than thrilled that we sat there for two hours chatting.  Oh well.  

I have a giant list of things to do before Christmas.  One of them is coming up with some sort of anti-aging regimen (priorities, right?).  Have any of you tried Roden and Fields products?  I'm wanting to try the Reverse product line.  It's just so pricey and I don't know if it's worth it.  I have heard some good things.  

We are getting all geared up for Christmas decorating.  Scroogy McSgroogerson is making me wait until Thanksgiving night to put up the decorations, but that's okay.  That just gives me more time to make things more elaborate in my mental pin board.  I've got Christmas fever BIG time this year.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!   I hope you all have heaps to be thankful for this year!

Family of five

Finally, I have a picture of the five of us together.  I will probably kick myself until my dying day for not getting a shot of all of us together in the hospital, but hey, it was chaotic.  

Here are some shots of my growing girl {week 5}...

Hattie is wanting to be held most of the time.  I can lay her down for naps if she is sleeping deeply, but we have a baby waker named Rhett.  Rhett has one volume...LOUD.  She sleeps great on Tuesdays and Thursdays!  I think she hit a growth spurt this week.  She feels a bit more solid:).  Nights are going well and so are feedings. I am still not very confident taking all three kids anywhere on my own.  It is hard enough getting Jude to and from school, but I imagine that will get easier with time.  

All in all things are going great!  Being a family of five is pretty wonderful!

1 month

How in the world is this sweet girl one month old already?!   She is so alert now and starting to show signs of becoming big..already!  One night this last week she had a 5-1/2 hour stretch of sleep.  It.was.glorious.  She reverted right back to every few hours the next night, but still, I was so proud of her.  She is starting to get the hang of burping after feedings too.  I think this may have been a source of some tummy issues the first few weeks.  This month has just flown right by.  I'm trying to soak it all in, knowing that I will likely never have a newborn again.  This stage is so wonderful and snugly.  I love all of the time that I am able to just hold her.  It is so so special.  

She is loving being on her tummy throughout the day.  If sleep is rough at night this week we may try tummy sleeping then, too.  I am going to setup and appointment with her pediatrician this week to check her out for torticollis.  She shows some favoritism to her right side, but I'm not too worried about it.  I just want to make sure since Jude and my nephew had it.  I would rather catch it early while it's correctable.  She has been talking a bit more this week.  She makes a lot of sweet little sounds, grunts and sighs throughout the day.  

The boys continue to love and adore her.  They are always wanting to be around her and softly touch her head.  I believe she loves them too:).  

This month as a family of five has been wonderful.  Hattie makes us complete, and we all just love her so much.  I am thankful that we are getting into more of a routine and really finding out what this being a family with three children really looks like.  

Birthday boy {Big 3}

We celebrated my cute little Punky's 3rd Birthday last weekend at the pumpkin patch. Yes, it was nearly identical to last years party, and yes, all of the guests (family) were identical as well, minus one (we missed you Evie!).

When I asked Rhett where he wanted to celebrate his big day, he didn't hesitate to let me know he wanted to ride a camel at the pumpkin patch...he did not do that, however, he did ride a "small horse" (pony) named "Glaze" (Blaze).

We celebrated and gave him gifts from us on is actual Birthday when my mom was here.  He got a big boy bike and couldn't have been happier.

Last week Rhett had his 3 year check up and is doing so well.  He is in the 75th percentile for height and weight.  He was 38" tall and weighed 34 lbs.  He was so funny answering all of the doctors questions, and he made him laugh several times.

This sweet little boy is so much fun!  He adds so much spunk to our little family.  He is an adoring little brother and a sweet and loving big brother.  I have loved so much watching him with Hattie.  He rubs her head and talks to her in the cutest high pitch voice I have ever heard.  He wants to be just like his big bubba and follows him around and mimics everything Jude does.  He is loving and kind to everyone.  I have noticed that he is an observer.  He will sit back and watch for quite some time before he is ready to jump in and play or join the fun.  He surveys every situation so he knows just what he's getting into.  When he prays at dinner he almost alway says, "Thank you for this food and a good-night week." He still loves to drink a sippy cup full of milk, and wants to snuggle on the couch while we drink it.  Lately he has been liking to watch Curious George, but he's not that into tv otherwise.  Just this past week he has started laying on his own at night.  Typically either Dallas or I would lay with him until he falls asleep, but he has been doing it on his own successfully:(.  He has been walking right into class on his own, both at church and Mother's Day Out.  No more clinging or tears.  He has long arms and legs like Dallas, and all of his pants and shirts in his size are too short.  He still tells me that he loves me first when I tell him that I love him.  I hope he never stops that.

Rhett James, these past three years have been the best years of my life.  I love being your momma, and I love watching you grow and who you grow into.  You are so special and were fearfully and wonderfully made.  God has big plans for you, Bubba.  I love you to the moon and back!

Adjusting {week #3}

Hattie had a time this week.  In one sense it was wonderful, because my mom was here, but poor baby had some tummy issues going on.  I was cringing with every crying spell, praying it wasn't colic, but I think by the end of the week we have worked it all out.  For a few days she would get fussy and cry and scrunch up her tummy in the late afternoon and would remain that way for hours.  I quickly thought of Rhett and how he wasn't getting enough milk for the first month.  He did the same thing and was just hungry.  I had no idea and felt terrible when we finally figured it out.  So, mom and I went to the store and loaded up on great milk producing food.  Oatmeal, spinach, veggies, whole grains, yogurt, avocados and smoothie goods. I have upped my calorie intake and am drinking tons of water.  I also cut out tea and coffee.  I had been drinking a chai tea every morning, so I figured I should try.

We have also supplemented her last feeding before bed.  I nurse her for about 20 minutes and then give her a 2 ounce bottle on top of that.  She sucks it down and then sleeps, well, like a baby:).  The first night she only woke up one time throughout the night!  The last two nights she went 3-1/2 hours between feedings.  This is miraculous since she had been waking up every 1-2 hours all night long.  My milk has increased greatly, and last night we didn't need to supplement the bedtime feeding.  I am so proud of her.  She is such a sweetie and I just hate to see her hurting.  Also, the black circles from under my eyes have now started to fade back to more of a tan color:).  

I went on my first run (post Hattie) on Wednesday.  This proved to be a bad idea and was followed by immediate soreness that superseded the pain I felt after natural child-birth.  Seriously, it.was.brutal!  My sister in law ran with me and she has been training for a 15k.  We ran a 5k, but I should have started out  with just a mile or two at a slower pace.  I think I will wait another 3 weeks before attempting another run.  

On Friday I took all three of the kids (yes, it still feels weird to say I have 3 kids) on an outing by myself for the first time.  It was to the Pediatrician for Rhett's 3-yr checkup, but hey, you've got to start somewhere.  Hattie cried almost the entire time (until I took her out of her seat) and we found out that Jude had fractured his face (cheek bone) in a football collision.  Both boys got flu shots and did great!  

My mom and step-dad left Friday morning after a wonderful week long visit.  They were both super helpful and I'm so thankful for the time they were able to spend here.  My dad and step-mom drove down for the afternoon Friday to see Hattie for the first time.  They worked on some pumpkin projects with the boys and snuggled with Hattie for a few hours.  It was great to see them.  I tell you what, it is heart wrenching to say goodbye to your parents and know that they won't see your baby again until she is totally different.  Next time we see my mom she may be crawling, and will for sure look like a completely different baby.  There were some tears for sure.  

Here are some 3 week pics of my girl.  I instantly regretted the head flower while editing.  It's just too much for me, too big.  She looks different with it on, so I will have to take a few more pics today:).  

She has been losing some hair up top this past week.  She has smiled a few times while I'm talking to her, and I love her sweet smiles!  Her eyes have started loosing a bit of the gray and are looking more blue now.  The rest of her umbilical cord came off when she was ten days old and she is now the proud owner of a cute little inny belly button.  She has also graduated from sponge baths since she lost her cord, and sometimes she loves baths, sometimes she does not.  We have been calling her all sorts of nicknames.  Princess, pretty, dolly, sister, sis, sissy...you name it, we've used it.  She has really long arms (like Dallas and Rhett), and most people say that she favors Rhett now.  I personally think that she looks so different from the boys, but I see both of them in her with different expressions that she makes.  

Also, does her nose look big?  My mom made the comment that her nose doesn't look big in person, but it did in the pics.  I hadn't noticed, but I promise she has the cutest little nose in real life.  

We also celebrated Rhett's 3rd Birthday this week, but I will post about that later.  

All in all week three has been pretty fantastic.  Week four will be a challenge, but I'm excited to see what real life with no help looks like.  Wish me luck!  

Week 1

This week has been nothing short of magnificent.  Sure there has been little sleep and much adjustment, but oh my goodness, has it been great.  There is nothing quite like looking at your three kids and knowing who they are, their names and their faces.  I have dreamed of this since I was little.  I have a feeling of completion right now.  A feeling of knowing all of the members of my family (according to our plan...God's may be different).  It's a little weird, I know, but I love it.

Hattie has had three great nights of sleeping.  She wakes up to eat every 2-3 hours, but she's been sleeping hard in between those hours.  The first few nights we were home she didn't want to sleep at all, unless I was holding and nursing her.  The second I put her down she would stir and fuss.  We tried sleeping on her back, a night propped up in a bouncy seat, and have now settled to side sleeping with a wedge...just like the boys.  The wedge wins out.  She likes to be bundled, and I have once again found that the kiddopotomus swaddleme with the side velcro is the best for us.  She's stays nice and cozy all wrapped up in there!

She is eating really well!  We had a rough few first days of nursing, there was some severe pain and bleeding involved.  Dallas rushed out to get a medela shield, and all was better in the world of feeding.  Our pediatrician came for a home visit last week and she was back up to 6lbs.  She had dropped to 5lbs 15ozs in the hospital.  Her jaundice was gone (had been a 5), and everything looked great.  She likes a pacifier every once in a while, but has a hard time keeping it in her mouth.  She's just so tiny!  Barely any of her clothes fit her, so she wears the same things often.  She seems quite content most of the time, and loves to listen to her brothers play and talk to her.  She won't be a light sleeper for sure!

Every night when I am up with her I pray over her and her little life.  I pray that God will capture her heart at an early age and that she will love and serve him.  She is such a blessing and I am so thankful for my Hattie girl!

Hattie Jane, I love you to the moon and back!

Just one problem...I'm not sure if I'm taking enough pictures ;).

A short story

This story shouldn't take too long to tell.  It certainly didn't take long in real time.

Wednesday night we all went to church and I was having a little bit of back pain.  I told Dallas that it might be the night we meet our girl.  We came home and hung out chatting on the couch for a bit and finally gave up on her and went to bed around 11:00.

At 3:00 am I woke up thinking I had felt a pain.  I looked at the clock so I could keep track, and three minutes later I felt another.  I went to the bathroom to check and see if my water had broken and saw nothing alarming.  More pain.  I woke Dallas, he called a neighbor and his mom to come watch the boys, I called my doctor, and off we went to the hospital.  My contractions were 1 min 40 seconds apart
when we got there, and getting closer each time.  It was pouring rain and we ran several red lights on the way.

Our nurse, I don't remember her name, got us into a room and gown super fast.  I let her know how fast Rhett came (2-1/2 hours after labor started), so she checked me right away.  I was a solid 8.  She quickly called for additional nurses to help with setup.  I was asking for the anesthesiologist for my epidural and they were really trying hard to get my labs and everything to approve it.  When my doctor got there, minutes later, he checked me and said I was just about there.  He left to change clothes, and when he was gone there was a lot of screaming and pain.  I never screamed with my boys.  The epidural really takes away so much of the pain and pressure.  My Doctor came back and I screamed that I needed to push...among other things.  He just said, "well, we are all here, go ahead".  Honestly I thought I needed to go to the bathroom.  The pressure was unbelievable.  At one point I looked down at my legs and they were just shaking uncontrollably.  I remember thinking that I couldn't do it.  I begged Dallas for the drug doctor.  He lied and told me he was on his way:).  All of the sudden while I was pushing Dallas just said, "look, there she is".  I had no clue that she had come out.  That one push did the trick.  It was so hard, but so wonderful all at the same time.  It was 4:17 am.  I had her 32 minutes after we arrived at the hospital.  1 hour and 17 minutes after labor started.  It's a darn good thing she came at night, when Dallas was here to get me to the hospital.  Otherwise my fear of having her in the car would have been a reality.  The doctor put her on my stomach and I reached out to touch her.  She wrapped her little hand around my finger and my heart melted.  She was just so perfect.  She nursed right away and did so great.  Then, the three of us got to hang out for a few hours until our room opened up.  Dallas said, "Well, it's settled...she can have whatever she wants."  :)

This was such a different delivery from my boys.  Dallas felt it too.  Apparently my screaming really gets to him.  He got pretty queazy and felt like he was going to pass out.  He cut the umbilical cord on both of the boys, but declined this time as he had to b-line it to the bathroom.  He did great though, and I'm so thankful for his calming influence on me.  He is so good to help me breath and let me squeeze his hands off.

Not having an epidural wasn't really my idea, I would have taken it at any point, but in the end I'm so glad it worked out the way it did.  Hattie was so alert and responsive right away.  She never really seemed drowsy or different than she is now.  I was able to get up almost immediately and go to the bathroom.  It was wonderful.  Also, the nurses don't have to check on you so often and keep track of so many things.  There is no catheter to deal with.  It was better on the back end of things for sure.

Also, another fun note...our friend Leann was there.  She is a labor and delivery nurse and she just happened to be there that night.  Her husband and Dallas played college ball together and our boys play football and baseball together now.  It was so nice to have her there and know that she was taking care of us behind and on the scene.  She made sure we didn't get stuck in the overflow room after delivery!  She is so sweet and wonderful and worked so hard trying to get me my epidural:).

Nana brought the boys up to see her before school and Rhett was so excited.  She said he was jumping up and down in bed when he heard she was here.  Jude stood back and observed that first visit, but came back after school (upon his request) very excited to see and hold her.  He was a little discouraged that her hair wasn't blonde, but he got over that pretty quickly.  Most people say she looks like him, so
he likes that.

Welcome to this world sweet baby girl!  We will do our best to take the very best care of you and love every second we have with you.  You are a blessing, and we are so in love with you!  

-mommy and daddy