Greatful~

Well, Halloween is over and I am counting down the days until Ryan will let me start putting the trees up! Until then I am going to try to reflect on all that I have to be thankful for, but that just brings me back to Jesus and Christmas! HAHAHA

I do love Christmas, but I also love Thanksgiving and Ryan and I really have a lot to be thankful for. Mostly, I thank Jesus for 3 healthy girls! What a blessing it has been this fall to have such healthy children. Brennan is going for her 4 month check up tomorrow and we expect to have another great appointment (in contrast to the twins check ups when they were babies). Dr. Garrett may tell us she is rotten, but we already knew that! I am also thankful for our wealth. A couple of weeks ago Pastor Kevin was talking about this website: http://www.globalrichlist.com/ in his sermon. It really made me understand just how wealthy our family is; we are in the the top 0.88% of the world's wealth. Now Ryan is no Bill Gates or Warren Buffett but, our family is in the top 1% of the world's wealth. Do we share enough of our wealth or are we wasting money on stuff? Even though we have so much compared to the rest of the world we are just like other families; we wonder if there will be enough money at the end of the month to cover our outgoing cost. But, knowing that we have so much compared to the rest of the world makes us more content with what we have and more cautious about how we spend our extra (if there is extra) money. Hopefully, there will be a little extra to give away this Holiday season. (Beyond our tithing!)

Since it's not quite Christmas I'll get back to fall... these 3 girls of ours have kept us busy for the months of September and October. We've had a trip to the beach, the lake, and the pumpkin patch. We finished up October with a rainy Halloween. Enjoy the pics...

I Think My Heart Might Explode…

Several months back I was listening to 2 friends of mine discuss their feelings and fears about loving their 2nd child as much as they loved their 1st. One had just found out she was expecting and was wondering if she could love this new baby as much as she loved her 1st. The other friend had recently had her 2nd child and confessed it took her awhile to fall in love with her.

This conversation was odd for me for 2 reasons. One, my first children came in 2’s and second I was pregnant with my third. Throughout the rest of my pregnancy I wondered if I would immediately fall in love with my new baby or if I would have to wait for those feelings to come. I don’t know if it was because I had twins first so loving multiple children was never a question for me or if those feelings and fears are normal for some mothers and not for others, but from the moment Brennan entered the world I have been so in love with her just talking about her brings me to tears. She is the most beautiful baby, the most content, and loving creature I think I have ever known. I am so blessed that God choose me to be her mother and equally as blessed that God choose Brennan to be my daughter.

So to my sweet mama friends who might wonder if they can love their 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc… as much as the 1st; absolutely. Never, never, never, question the depth too which God can stretch and expand your heart. I think if I had anymore children my heart would explode.

On a lighter note…
The month of August was filled to the brim for us so every moment I could get to just sit and hold this little Love of mine I did. She is growing like a weed and I am so afraid I will get too busy and forget or miss a special moment with her.

The 1st part of the month Ryan’s family from NH came to visit with us, which was interesting to say the least. (BTW, if you want to know what happens to your family when you don’t believe in or practice the principles of Jesus and vote for Obama just ask me!) The next week Ryan went out of town for a few days so my mom stayed with me and the girls. Her visit lead us to eventually give Brennan some cereal in a bottle at night. (I don’t think my mom believed me when I told her that Brennan literally nurses every 2 to 3 hours until she lived it.) The rest of the month was filled with fun visiting and visits from and to our friends in Jefferson and Buford, GA. and Auburn, AL.

But, perhaps the best part of the month was on Sunday. Our church baptizes down at the river or as Bree calls it, “playing in the hoochee” (that would be the Chattahoochee). Anyway, Brennan was dedicated on Sunday while we were at the river celebrating the baptisms of about 25 others. It was a beautiful day and the rain held off just long enough for us to enjoy lunch and fellowship with our family and friends.

Our Love

Brennan is a month old! Where has the time gone?

Like all newborns in the past 4 weeks Brennan has grown and changed so much. At one week she had already gained back up to the birth weight, at two weeks I thought something was wrong with her because she would sleep for six or seven hours at a time, at three weeks she began to open her eyes more and more, and at magical week four she has hit a growth spurt and enjoys eating every 2 ½ hours (no more sleeping for mom and dad). I imagine she weighs more than 7lbs. which is what she weighed about a week ago. She is such a sweet bundle and she has brought so much joy to our already happy family.

Even more amazing than the changes taking place with Brennan are the changes with Blythe and Bree. They have each grown from toddlers to little girls who are helpful and considerate. Don’t get me wrong Brennan’s arrival did not pass without meltdowns from each of them, but over all they have done very well. They start to 3 year old pre-school on August 10th and I must confess that I am sad they will be gone for 3 days each week.

As for mom and dad life with 3 little women is not much different from 2. Our home is still overflowing with tutus, princess dresses, necklaces, dress-up shoes, baby dolls, and estrogen. There is also lots of laughing and giggling that always seems to be finished by shrill high pitched screams.

~Our sweet little women~

Bree is our joy and Blythe is full of passion
Brennan is our love

Our sweet friend Heather Wiley did their photos;)

~It's A Girl~

Yesterday was Ryan’s 26th birthday and it is also the birthday of our 3rd daughter, Laine Brennan. She was born at 8:31 a.m. weighing a whopping 6lbs. 3oz. and she is 18in. of beautiful.

We are so blessed that we made it to 37 weeks and Lainey is a very healthy baby girl. I have not held her yet, but hopefully today I can squeeze my sweet baby. She had to go to the NICU shortly after birth because of some breathing issues. Ryan and our families were able to see her yesterday, but my blood pressure made me to sick to visit her. I will finish my magnesium sulfate medicine around 11 a.m. so hopefully I will feel up to visiting her then and she will be ready to see her mommy as well.

Blythe and Bree are so happy to be BIG sisters, but they were upset yesterday because they did not get to see her. Lainey should be well enough for them to visit today, but there is no doubt she will be tired after her 1st visit with her BIG sisters.

I don’t think Ryan could have a cuter little lady to share his birthday with. He was grinning from ear to ear all day yesterday as he escorted family and friends in and out of the NICU to show off his birthday gift. It is obvious that Ryan is very proud to be the daddy of 3 little girls.

Before you were born, Laine I knew you.

Jeremiah 1:5

Waiting Days

I have been in the hospital since Thursday and will remain here until after the baby is born. I have been contracting off and on and haven’t made much progress (from 2 to 4 cm.), and since I can’t have any of those good drugs that speed up the process I am waiting. I do get to take some pain medicine, but I try not to take it. My blood pressure is up and down; when it is up they make me lay flat in the bed to one side or the other. When it’s down I can sit up in the bed; a few times Ryan has taken me for a ride in the wheel chair.

To pass the time I read, watch TV, play games, but my favorite thing is when Bree and Blythe come to visit. Bree won’t talk to me much, she seems to be afraid of the hospital bed and I think she is afraid I am hurt. Blythe loves to push the buttons on my bed, expect for the ones that move the bed up and down.

The waiting will soon be over- if the baby is not here before Tuesday, then I am scheduled for a c-section at noon. The best part about having the baby on Tuesday is that it will be Ryan’s birthday- perfect since I can’t go shopping. Ryan would rather the baby have it’s own birthday and not have to share with him, but my mom told him it will be special. She should know she shares her birthday with Jesus.

Tonight I have been contracting pretty hard and they seem endless. So I am coping by listening to music. The first song happened to be- “While I’m Waiting” by John Waller. A little bit ironic, don’t ya think? (J/K, just my cheesy humor) Seriously, the song is reminding me that this is the perfect time to worship him and to serve him. I am not spiritually confined to this bed. So tonight while I am waiting my heart is screaming praises to the Lord for all the many blessing I have received- especially over the last 36 ½ weeks. While I am waiting in this extremely cold hospital room I am filled with the warm love of Jesus. While I am waiting there is peace in my heart.

Mile Marker 36

All done!!! Baby Walls has officially baked long enough. At my appointment yesterday they took out the cerclage and Dr. Connor said if the baby does not come in the next week and half they will go ahead and take the baby. He is still concerned with my blood pressure and is having me come back on Thursday for an appointment and non-stress test; if my blood pressure has gone up again or if I have more protein in my urine they may go ahead and schedule the c-section for early next week.

I am still on bed rest, but have found myself pushing the limits the past 2 days. With the cerclage gone it is highly possible that I could continue to dilate and my water break on its own; that would be nice.

Because baby Walls will be born before 38 weeks he or she will technically be considered premature, but Dr. Connor estimated his or her weight to be around 6.5 lbs. and is extremely confident we will get to bring a healthy baby home with us.

Rejoice!!!!! I can not even explain the emptiness a mother feels leaving the hospital empty handed. Bree and Blythe came home as soon as they were healthy enough for Ryan and I to take care of; but to be honest I haven’t really thought about bringing this baby home from the hospital. So after my doctor’s appointment on Monday the car seat has been added to the packed bags that are lined up in our hallway. Ohhh, and I added a diaper bag and some gowns for the baby, but if any of you have any other suggestions about what I might need for the baby that would be greatly appreciated. I know it sounds kind of silly coming from the mother of twins who used to keep a large storage box in the back off her car filled with extra supplies, because face it-the little travel pack of wipes is pointless when you are wiping 2 fannies. But, seriously I knew the minute my water broke with the girls that there was no chance they were coming home with me from the hospital. The NICU took over their care for the first 2 months and Ryan and I assisted when we could or when we were needed. Not this time! Ryan and I get to be daddy and mommy from minute one.

God has been so gracious to our family and we are so blessed to have twin girls and this new blessing coming any day, but we are happy to announce we are finished with the: be fruitful and multiply verse! We are ready to move on to the next phase of our lives; we aren’t sure what that is yet, but are confident God will lead us in the right direction.
Excited. Blessed. Anxious!

Mile Marker 34

AMEN, AMEN, AMEN!!!! I am 34 weeks prego today! This is such a blessing and to top it all off the little critter weighs 5 lbs. 11 oz.

The down side is I am writing from the hospital. I had a rough night last night and for the past few days I could tell my blood pressure was rising. At my appointment today as I predicted my blood pressure was 148/88 and I had protein in my urine again. The worst part is the headache I have had since Saturday; nothing I can take seems to ease the pain.

The doctor sent me over to the hospital to be observed for at least 24 hours. The pain killers for the headache have eased it off a little and they have helped me sleep. With the headache less severe I was not as nauseated and was able to get down some food. The doctor has taken me off the procardia to see if it’s masking my high blood pressure, but if the contractions come back I will have to start it again. It seems for some reason my pulse is high, around 148. I don’t know what they plan on doing with me, but the only cure for preeclampsia is delivery of the baby. Dr. Jacobson was not very clear with us today other than I am his patient and I am getting sicker. In other words I am his main concern. He referred us to Dr. Allaire, a perinatalogist (sp) for the baby. Dr. Allaire did an ultrasound of the baby today and feels he or she will do well (another blessing).

There is not much else to tell since the doctor hasn’t made his rounds yet. Say a little prayer for us as we realize we are getting closer and closer to meeting our sweet new baby. Say a prayer for me too; I need all the energy I can mustard up when I get home with the new baby and right now I am not feeling so hot. I am also missing my girls at home and wishing we could all be together.

God has been so good to our family and we can't wait to be a party of 5!