One Month

Mr. Ben is one month old today! 
As you can see he is starting to smile more along with being awake more often during the day to play.
We have been busy this week bringing big brother to and from Vacation Bible School.

Clairah Rose

I had the privilege to meet my new niece at just 8 days new. She is so sweet, and just the perfect mix of her mom and dad. 
It was just Ben and I that went so it was a little bit of a juggling act to take pictures and calm a fussy three week old. I think we managed to capture some great moments of this new family of thee! Here are a few of my favorites. 

I had to grab a couple pictures of the brand new cousins! It will be fun to watch these two grow up together. 

3 weeks old!

It's been three weeks since we welcomed Benjamin into our little world. 
The kids continue to to love their little brother and the transition continues to go well. 
Our little buddy is changing every day, more alert and interactive with his surroundings. I just want to keep him little and bottle up all of these special moments, hence I have been trying to taking out my camera more to capture all of his little features. 
God is so good i feel so blessed that after three kids I get to experience another little blessing added to our family.

Playtime with little Brother

I love watching the big kids with their little brother, so fun to see how much they love him already.
I love Miss Evelyn's expressions, love capturing the everyday moments. 

God is good and faithful to allow us to be able to experience His presents here on earth as we do life. How special  it is to be able to stop and enjoy these moments in the mists of the loud craziness of a house full of small children. I know one day my home will be quiet, the laundry and the dishes will be done and I will miss these moments. So as I pray for patience today I pray for their little hearts as they learn and grow. That they will see His goodness and grace through me, even in the mists of my imperfections I pray that they see a heart that only wants to impress an audience of one. 

Lord change me today to be a mother after your own heart. Help me see through your eyes, show me your plans for each little heart that I am so desperately trying to raise to love and follow you. 

Ben's Birth story I Part 1

At my 39 week appointment I went in hoping for progress since I went early in the past,  I delivered Liam at 39 weeks and the girls at 36.5 weeks, so I was sure I would go a little early with this one considering my track record. With not much going on I was only dilated to 2cm and baby boy was still pretty high my midwife stripped my membranes and I tentatively scheduled to come in the following Monday for an elective induction if he didn't come before then.
Here I am on Sunday 39 weeks 6 days

The next few days I experienced a few more contractions but nothing that progressed, so on Monday I called the hospital to see if there was room for us, and they were full so we were instructed to call back in two hours. Being the planner i am this is always tough when your plans get changed. So we took the kids out to breakfast and by the time we got home they had called and said we could come on in at 11:00 am.

So off we went, never experiencing an induction this was new for us. We ended up hanging out in our hospital room watching a movie and getting lunch waiting for a nurse that could get things going for us. At 1:00 pm they finally got my IV and pitocin started, by this time I was ready to get things started and meet my baby. Let's get labor started!

Its a slow progression with pitocin increasing it by 2mls every 30 minutes. My contractions came on regular with the pitocin,  but not strong enough to change my cervix. Around 5:00 pm was when I started to feel my contractions become stronger to the point that I needed to concentrate and breath through every one.  After about an hour my midwife checked me and I was 3 cm she then broke my water.  After she broke my water my contractions began to get stronger, at this point doubt had definitely started to creep into my mind thinking I couldn't do this, I wasn't strong enough.  I knew that this was a lie from the enemy working against me, even knowing that I still needed to pray through my doubt over and over again, I even had Aaron speaking truth to me that I was strong and capable to see this through.  I also was diffusing lavender and peace and calming essential oils, along with applying lavender and valor  all over my body to help calm me and give me confidence. I continued to labor on the labor ball for awhile longer before deciding to get into the tub.

Once in the tub I felt a new sense of determination, I loved having the jets on it seemed to drowned out the silence.  I was ready to do this, as my contractions intensified I continued to breath through each one like a wave washing over me. Aaron was right by my side always with a hand on my shoulder giving me the security I needed to feel that I wasn't alone as I concentrated through each one.  Once the water cooled off I started to get chilled so I  got out of the tub, she checked me I was at 4cm and the baby had dropped two stations. 

I then decided to get back into the tub since I had a ways to go. Back in the tub I felt each contraction getting more intense  forcing me to change up my breathing, so I knew things were moving along. I stayed in the tub until I felt my body want to push down, at this point I got out of the tub she checked me and I was at 6cm. I then went back to labor on the ball, concentrating and breathing through each wave but relaxing and able to chat  in between. Such a beautiful thing about labor and the way God made our bodies with the ability to rest between each wave.

The urge to push became stronger, I asked my midwife when I would know it was time to push and she said when I couldn't do anything else.
So after about ten contractions on the ball I felt his head and said it was time.  I jumped on the bed, my midwife had stepped out my nurse ran to get her.  I think I labored through one more contraction as she got her garb on.  At that point I said "I am one push woman" implying I didn't need time to practice. I pushed him out in the next contraction which was three minutes since I felt his head coming while sitting on the ball. He was officially born at 9:51 pm

So beautiful, they put him on my chest and it was a wonderful feeling. He was perfect with a head full of dark hair and a nose smashed to one side just like his big brother. All is well and I would do it again in a heart beat!

Here are a few pictures Aaron was able to grab of Ben's birth.