Firsts....

first brunch.  we went to cinnamons' and i got RED VELVET PANCAKES!!!  it was awesome.  and this is how christopher was for the whole meal!

sweet baby boy....

sissy got to paddle board with coco today!!

christopher had his first outing to the beach.  except for when i force fed him, he was pretty much like this!!  

nora desperately wanted to make muffins today.  and she wanted us to be in matching aprons.  but, i couldn't get in the pic fast enough for my timer... and nora was getting impatient with me trying.  so, she got the cheese!!!

she was such a good helper.  not even posed!!

and she used her sweet little pampered chef knife to cut up the strawberries for the muffins.  they were FANTASTIC!!!

outtakes from some pics of the sibs...

sweet boy and girl...

our first picnic with c last night... at the park down the street...  we had fish and sweet potatoes.  who eats fish and sweet potatoes on a picnic?  we do!!!

some friends from college are having a baby tomorrow.  it's a very long story with lots of complications.  if you want to read about it, here is their blog...  but, join with us in praying for them tomorrow...  

as for us, we are doing well.  david is back at work.  we are trying to wake up earlier... (okay, that's just me and christopher.  the other kids are up PLENTY early!  thankfully mom-mom and coco do that duty!!)

that's all i got tonight...

Video

nora, singing my favorite song!!!

saturday...

my sweet hubby... catching up on life by reading a magazine.  note he didn't want the magazine shown!!! sweet man...

hanging out with their coco...

loving on his sweet baby boy this morning...  so sweet!!

after eating our kale and spinach smoothie this morning.  she LOVED it!  it always amazes me what my kids will eat.  she loved the smoothie... jamey goes to TOWN on chunky salsa!!!

i couldn't get the kid to wear his hat in rhody, but now that's all he wants to do!!!

sweet baby boy...

i love this kid!

he was all wide eyed after his night time feeding...  

mom and coco are back...  and we had our pre-deployment brief last night.  miserable to make a woman who had a baby one week ago to sit on a church pew for two and a half hours.  and talk about her husband leaving for 7 months.  (between sitting and my hormones, i was a hot mess!!)

it really is amazing to hear about all the services that the military provides to the family.  

we have been having a great time.  christopher is such a sweet baby!  and the kids love him so much!!!  he has been sleeping great, and is more away every day!  it's so sweet...  

thursday...

loving on their baby brother.  and baby brother with his eyes wide open!!!















jamey showing off his huge muscles!!!


and baby brother sleeping.


next is one of the first successful times in the swing!  and sissy loves to hold her brother!  he is already tired of the paparazzi.  but LOVES his daddy!  no joke... he opens his eyes when daddy talks.  but not for mommy!!!

he also falls asleep on daddy...  stick straight!  it was so cute!!!



the kids were playing "show and tell" outside.  jamey wants only sissy to put on his backpack for him!




we got some snuggles in outside this afternoon while the kids played.  and jamey lined up his cars to go to chapel.  so sweet...

well, last night was our first night that c was up... but only for about an hour.  we have really loved this week with david at home.  between the kids at school and a playdate with friends, we have had so much time to just bond with christopher.  it's been a lot of fun.  and the kids get so excited to come back and see him!  it's precious to watch them!  i am so thankful for their transition so far!

watching "lord of the rings" with my hubby...  borormir just said, "remember for today, life is good".  totally how i feel!  speaking of, the kids saw "the two towers" dvd set out today.  first, they call it "star wars"....  and second, they were convinced that Jesus and the three wise men were on the back...  it was so cute!!!

again, so blessed by the people around us.  i got a random drop in today with goodies for david (she knew that david was craving some sweets!!!), and a listening ear.  not only that, but meals, sometimes from people who haven't met us yet at church, and dear friends who take my kids for mornings on end!!

instagram photos...

today was spent with lots of loving on this little boy! he has been sleeping SO WELL!! we are quite thankful for that. twice today, we put him in the bassinet upstairs and used the monitor! he's growing up so fast!

jamey comments every time i feed christopher that he is "biting my boobie again, mommy". thanks, captain obvious! it just entertains jamey.

they both continue to love their brother. so much! any time a friend comes and is holding the baby, nora begs to hold him. (she also begs to hold him several other times throughout the day!! and gets to. it's so fun to watch her interact with christopher...)

the kids and i played for awhile today while christopher slept. it's been a fun transition, so far! i will miss david when he goes back to work... truly, i can't even begin to describe what a servant he's been. dinner is always ready (even if it's just dishing up what someone brought), dishes done, kids bathed, put in bed, and he entertains me at night! such a great man!

i admit, as we sat and watched a movie last night, all snuggled up on the couch, i got a little teary thinking about life without him for seven months. mostly, i am just loving this time right now.

not much else to say... as littlest man is crying!

an outing!!!

and so it continues... we had our first real outing today!!! we accompanied james and nora to the splash park! (it worked out well because i had just told david that i NEEDED to get out of the house. so, i made him come to watch the older two while i sat on a park bench!!) christopher slept the whole time and his new friends just loved on him! (plus, he got some sun time.... which he also needed!)

the kids continue to love their brother! and he continues to be as much of a dream as his siblings were. sleeping well, eating well...

nora asked today, "why do you still have such a big, round tummy?". umm... cause it takes awhile to lose it?

and the other day, "how did christopher come out of your tummy?" thankfully my mom was there to field that one. she's the expert after four kids....

and then, when i told david we needed to stop at the store, "mommy, what are pads for?"... ahh, the education my daughter is getting!!!

alright, three kids are sleeping, so i am going to enjoy a night on the couch with my main man!!!

a baby story...

i have to figure out blogger... so i can annotate each picture. but for now, here you go! it's christopher's baby story... (warning, the labor and delivery nurse in me may come out in the details... just fyi!)

on thursday morning, i was 40 weeks pregnant. i NEVER thought i would go that far! my mom and i ran a few errands after dropping #1 and 2 off at school. (namely, we got the kids presents from christopher!!) then, i had an appointment. i was 3 cm!! (up from 2 last week...) the midwife and i started talking about options for scheduling an induction. the options were pretty much up to me. this particular midwife was my FAVORITE that i'd seen, and she was on the deck that evening. she offered letting me come in thursday night to deliver, or scheduling any day the next week. at that point, she was thinking she would need to use pitocin, as he was too high to just break my water.

i talked to david, and this week worked better for him, logistically. but, any way really worked for him. so, i thought. and prayed. and cried. and talked. to some wise women! it came to this... i DIDN'T want an induction. and i wanted to avoid significant medical intervention. BUT, i WAS 40 weeks pregnant, and my mom was only here till sunday. and the midwife i loved was on. so, finally, i decided we would go in that night.

after that, there was such peace. and we went to the beach for the afternoon. it was SO MUCH FUN! (i might have enjoyed it knowing that they were my last few hours pregnant!!) i was contracting, and we went for a walk. david walked in and we threw some stuff in the car. (my bags had been packed for WEEKS!) we said good-bye to the kids. and got to the hospital.

they didn't have a room for us yet, which was fine. we went walking for about 3 hours. when we were walking, i was contracting pretty good. and fairly uncomfortably. and thought maybe my water was leaking. (all that to say, i think we might have headed to the hospital that night anyway??) i got settled into a room, got admitted, and the midwife broke my water around 2230. i was 4 cm at that point.

fast forward three hours later... walking, showering, david rubbing my back. i was in pain. and felt about how i could remember feeling when i was about to have james. the midwife checked me at 1:30, and i hadn't changed. AT ALL. so, i got an epidural. when i was done getting it, i still wasn't comfortable. in fact, breathing through the contractions pretty roughly. the midwife checked and i was 7 cm! it was a great feeling!

close to 4am, i was still uncomfortable, and it was about time to push! i tried once, and she got all set up for delivery. two or three more times, and the midwife grabbed david's hands and had him deliver christopher. it was so cool! it was so fun to watch and realize that he was getting to actually deliver our baby! and he was here!

christopher had his cord wrapped around his neck once, and came out a little purple! (as you can see in the pics!!) but, he pinked up right away and he nursed almost right away. he was born at 4:17 am on 20 jan 2012. he was 8 pounds 3.8 ounces, and 19 inches long.

his brother and sister are enamored of him. they can't get enough. when he cries, they have apoplexy... like i am a FAILURE of a mother for letting him cry. they also don't understand why he doesn't want to play with the cars or have his lovey at every possible second. but, they love him! it's so sweet...

we have had several visits by great friends, and a few meals delivered already! christopher is so well loved! we have been sleeping pretty well, and his follow-up visit went well yesterday. today i was TIRED! and slept all day. i am working through returning phone calls and well wishes! bear with me!!

james and nora went to the b fam house today for a play date. it was so fun to have the morning at home. and they had a blast!! we have felt so loved and taken care of. me especially, as my husband has been SUCH a servant! he is incredible!! i am so thankful for him. and that he understands that my body is healing! and that he wants to take such good care of me!!!