Exciting things

#1 My brother and sister-in-law found out yesterday they are having identical twin BOYS! Congrats Trevor and Kristine!! We are so excited to meet them sometime in december (or at least see pictures of them and meet them in person next summer!)
I am sure their smiles are just as big as the day they were married.




#2 My other sister-in-law, Robyn, has written a book and it is now available to read and buy! She has accomplished a life goal in publishing it and she is an amazing writer! I read her book shortly after she wrote her first draft and now that I have my own copy I am excited to read it again. Congrats Robyn!!! check out her blog here. (she also has a screenplay that is being reviewed now, that we are all hoping someday will turn into a movie!)

#3 Daniel started smiling a week or so ago, but now he is really smiling at us. It is the type of smile where you look at him and talk to him and smile at him and he immediately will smile back without much effort. It is pretty darn cute. He has a little dimple on his right cheek when he smiles. I have yet to catch it on camera but I will soon.





#4 My grandparents are coming out for Daniel's baby blessing in August with my parents. It will be so fun to see them again and having lots of family here for a special day.

Some days

Some days I can pretend I don't see the pile of toys under the couch and lining the bookcase shelves

Most days I would like to throw most of those toys out the window (mostly when I step on them or can't see my floor)

Some days I can give my kids 3 healthy meals and healthy snacks, other days are good "snack" meal days

Some days I think some day I will be able to lose the weight from my pregnancies that I want to lose, most days I think not yet though

Most days I feel I have it together with 4 kids

Some days I can get us all showered/bathed and ready for the day by 10:00am

Most days I can't believe how I met my husband and how wonderfully life has turned out to be with him

Some days I don't feel like a human milk machine....most days I do

Most days I could just sit and stare at all of my beautiful children (especially when they are peacefully sleeping)

Some days I can shower and use the bathroom with no one barging in on me, most days I can't

Most days I have to keep my patience in check (especially with a 2 year old)

Some days I feel as though I accomplished A lot (like walking to the library with all 4 kids and having no problems! and having the kids tell me that was sooooo much fun)

Most days I don't have a clean house

Some days I try to clean the house

Most days I am soooo thankful for where I live

Some days we try to get chores done and the kids learn to earn money by being responsible, most days it seems to busy to get chores done (at least right now)

Some days I feel like I have been a good daughter, sister, mother, wife and friend

All days I look back on the day and think "I have given all that was in me today, I don't have a clean house and I didn't get much "me" time, but I spent my time enjoying my children and teaching them and talking to them and listening to them and caring for their needs. Tomorrow will come and I will do the same"

I would not change any of this for the world...........what a blessed life I have

Cousins come to visit!!!

My brother, Bob, and sister-in-law, Robyn and their 4 kids, Ambri, Jarem, Emmy, and Jaxon came to visit recently. We all had a great time. It was a full house but we were glad they stayed with us so we could see them more. Here are pictures, lots of pictures:


with 8 kids and 4 adults, the house got somewhat messy and sometimes a few cartoons were needed for peace and quiet....at least for a few minutes.

there was lots of baby holding

and love between all

some dancing

and fighting :)



actually none of them fought, only between regular sibling squables, cousins didn't fight with each other

some good mall playing

we got lots of pics, but I think this is the only one with all of them in it cooperating at the Science Center

Daniel hanging out

Big Bubbles

Trapping Jarem

at the zoo

I love these two pictures, top and bottom, the bottom you can see just about all of us

notice Sarah taking a picture also with her nemo pretend camera

Daniel sleeping away...I love his little face!

and this was sleeping arrangements, with Sarah and Jaxon on the floor. All cousins, minus Daniel, having a sleepover!

Thanks for coming guys, we had soooo much fun and we will have great memories to last a lifetime!

Highlights

these are highlights of the last 3 weeks:

-Joseph told me "You haven't been this skinny for a loooong time!"

-Sarah announced to a hallway full of people that "This is my brother Daniel. He came out of mommy's butt!"

-My parents came to visit and the kids really enjoyed it. Didn't get any pictures. I am a slacker.

-Sleep deprivation is my middle name, but somehow I manage to cope during the days and nights.

-I have healed more quickly than all the other 3 deliveries.

-Sarah doesn't like to keep clothes on and is definitely in the TERRIBLE 2's.

-Megan can't get enough of Daniel and how "cute he is"....I would have to agree.

-Friends and neighbors have been so kind and helpful...thank you everyone!

-One of the days, I was able to shower and give all 4 kids a bath by 10:30am. It was a great accomplishment but boy was I tired by noon!

-Sarah thinks I wear diapers now too, can't wait until that stops.

-Joseph is going to Safety Town to prepare for kindergarten and having lots of fun.

I'll post some pictures later....right now I am too tired and have to put 3 kids to bed in time for 1 to wake up and be fed and up for another hour or so.

Prayer

This was Sarah's bedtime prayer last night with absolutely NO help from anyone on what to say:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank thee for this day, bless that the sun can come up, bless that we can go to the rainbow place again, bless that we can watch the new max and ruby show tomorrow, in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Sarah talk

Sarah usually talks pretty clearly and says words the way they are supposed to be said and used. Lately though she is saying evil for able. It is really cute to hear.

"when the sun comes up, we will be evil to have breakfast!!!"

This is what she said last night before going to bed.

Next post....first week with 4 kids or putting down all 4 pregnancy, labor and delivery experiences so I can keep them all straight since they are fresh on the mind now.

Welcoming Daniel Jacob

Caution this post is long. I wanted to record the day and what we went through and we all know a blog is a good way to do that.

We went to the hospital on monday night for a scheduled induction. We arrived there around 8:00pm. The plan: give me a pill to soften the cervix, start petocin when softened, break my water in the morning and have baby boy.

The tuesday before, I was barely dialated to a 1 and not softened at all. That whole next week I tried the raspberry teas followed by warm baths, I tried essential oils in the bath and mixed in with lotion and the ever familiar "what got you into this, will get you out of this" says my doctor. Which all of these are supposed to start labor. Labor never started, so I thought......

So we get to the hospital and by 9 (some times are approxiamate) I was admitted in my room with my beautiful gown on, after 3 attempts and a huge goose egg of blood (ouch, ouch and ouch!) on my left hand, had my iv line in and hooked up to the monitors, which showed I was having contractions maybe every 10-15 minutes. Which surprised me, I thought I was just uncomfortable and they weren't really painful, but I had been feeling them all day.

I can't believe I posted this picture. It makes me look HUGE, but I didn't feel that huge.


They finally checked me around 10 and lo and behold I was dilated to a 5 and mostly softened! What!? I guess all the things I tried worked somewhat. The nurse called the doc and he said give me petocin at midnight and they would break my water either when I progressed or at 7 tuesday morning.

After starting petocin the nurse turned it up every 15 minutes along with my blood pressure thing going off every 15 minutes it was a night with very little sleep. Come 6am I was still dilated to a 5 and contractions were gone. :(
The doc came in and broke my water at 7:31. Now you have to understand, with all my babies, they have broken my water and QUICKLY, 2 hours or less, they have all been born. The nurse that came in at 7 had been told this and took it very seriously, unlike the doc.

It was the same with Daniels birth. About a minute after my water breaking, contractions kicked in STRONG. I had told them I wanted/needed that epidural and was worried when they wouldn't let me get it before they broke my water, that I wouldn't get to have it at all since I was already at a 5.

Thank Heavens the anesth. doc was just around the corner and was in the room less than 10 minutes after! So I was numb and couldn't feel the contractions! But I could feel pressure like crazy. OUCH x 1000. I need to remember how bad that hurt, even with the epidural, just in case I think I want more.

So at about 8:45 I was at a 10. I could feel MAJOR pressure and wanted to push, but my doc had just let the office....in West Des Moines.....and had at least a 10 minute drive and I and the nurse had been instructed not to push until he got there. I guess he likes to walk in and catch the baby and walk out. (I really do love my doctors, but when your in labor and want to push but can't because they aren't there.....makes you not like them so much at the time)

After the doc walked in I said I couldn't wait, it was soooooooo painful and I had to push, so after 2 contractions and about 4 pushes during those contractions little Daniel was born weighing 8lbs 15 oz - which sometimes they rounded up to 9lbs and 21 inches long. We are so happy he is here and we finally get to enjoy him.....and I am glad he is out and healthy and now we are at home recovering. It is a very nice hospital and all the nurses were Fantastic but nothing beats home sweet home.





Lovely closed eyes picture. When he was coming out the doc asked if I wanted to see, I was in so much pain it hurt to even open my eyes and I was a little out of it after.











The kids coming to see him for the first time.






Joseph wasn't wanting to cooperate and be in many pictures.


First bath




He has some pretty cute hair that sticks up.

Right after I turned the video off, Sarah said "He is just so cute!"