Welcome to the World

Joshua Elias

8 lbs 9 oz and 21 inches

born on October 3rd at 3:02 pm

(Scroll down to read his birth story. If you'd rather not, enjoy the pictures :). )

First bath

Footprints 

He's had a long day :). 

I was starving!

 Eli was on the bed and Soph laid down next to him.

 So sweet!

 She loves her little brother.

Melt.my.heart. 

She loves to kiss her brother! 

 So sleepy

 Going home!

It was Saturday night and I knew that I had at least three days until our little man was going to make his appearance. We still had to call the insurance company to make sure the circumcision was covered. I still needed to make our phone tree and finish packing our bags. I had plenty of time to get it all completed...or so I thought.

While we were watching a movie Saturday night, I would have a contraction every now and then, but I thought they were just Braxton Hicks contractions. They had checked me at my appointment on Tuesday and I was completely closed, so I was ready to wait. We went to bed late (of course!) and I woke up around 4:30 am with what I knew were real contractions. We had already decided that we wanted to labor at home as long as we could but I also tested positive for Group B Strep so I would need to have antibiotics. I tried to go back to sleep, and might have slept for a little bit, but not much. I utilized a hot bath to help me relax. Sometime while I was in the bath, Ron came in and told me that he had to move the PJ's trailer from the field (where it was parked for Denver Days) to the Denver store. He did say that if I didn't want him to go, he'd try and figure something out :). I wasn't going anywhere, so off he went. The contractions were becoming stronger and closer together, but still didn't seem consistent to me. Then I got a text from a friend who suggested a hot shower (Thanks, Terra!!). That is exactly what I needed. During my labor with the Sophster I used the shower at the hospital but it didn't feel hot at all. At home, I was able to make it as hot as I wanted! The only thing that would have made it better would have been a shower chair :). While I was in the shower, Ron returned from moving the trailer (thankfully!). He finished packing the bags, and we made sure Melody from SnookySmiles Photography knew we were on our way to the hospital so she could meet us there for our Birth Photos. While the contractions were strong, they weren't unbearable. Around that time Soph woke up. I am so thankful that God is involved in every detail! Even though I was convinced he wasn't coming until his due date or later, God saw fit to bring Ron's Dad and Step-mom through the area Friday. They thought it would be best for her to stay with us and his Dad would come back closer to the due date. Thankfully I agreed! We had wonderful friends and neighbors lined up to take care Soph but it was nice to not have to coordinate that while in labor. We were about to walk out the door when I asked Ron if he called the office to tell them we were coming. He hadn't. So we were delayed a bit as he called and we found out that none of the Midwives were on-call that weekend. Had I not been having strong contractions, this probably would have made me nervous.

Even though we called ahead, my room wasn't ready when I got there. I had to fill out the paperwork at the nurses station. Apparently my contractions were close enough together to make the Nurse Manager nervous because she checked on my room at least twice to see if they could move me yet. I finally got a room and they wanted me to get into the bed. What they didn't understand was that the contractions were so strong and close together I couldn't. The nurse checked me and said she thought I was 8 cm, but needed to have a nurse with longer fingers to check me just to make sure. Sure enough, I was 8 cm!! I couldn't believe it. Since they were adamant about getting the antibiotic in me and making me stay in the bed, we opted for an epidural (it was part epidural and part anesthesia since I was already so far along). (Of course I found out later from one of the Midwives that with the way my labor had been progressing, I didn't need the antibiotic because it would have been so quick he wouldn't have been at risk).

The epidural slowed things way down and they had to give me pitocin. But I was able to rest (as much as you can in the hospital), and spend time with Ron, Melody, and my amazing Labor and Delivery nurse, Renee. This epidural was awesome because I still knew when to push. Three pushes later, Baby Boy C was born at 3:02 pm! The damage was minimal compared to his sister who weighed 6 ounces less.

It wasn't until the next day that Baby Boy C had a name. We decided on Joshua Elias because Joshua means "Yahweh is salvation" and Elias means "The Lord is my God". Here is a link to our sneak peak of our birth photography. I LOVE them!!

Sophie LOVES her little brother. We are all still adjusting to being a family of four, not getting a lot of sleep, and already talking about number three ;).

Earth Day

What did you do to celebrate Earth Day? When I was in school I loved Earth Day because we didn't really do anything that day. Most of our class time was spent planting flowers or saplings outside, picking up trash around the school or along the road. It was a fun day. We probably learned about recycling, global warming, and what we could do to make a difference. Are you wondering what I did on Earth Day? Well, I didn't necessarily do anything to "celebrate" Earth Day, but I did plant herbs today. 

My wonderful husband did some work from home this morning and early afternoon so that I could go out alone and get my hair cut. I was so tired of cleaning spit-up out of my hair. Now I don't have to worry about that. I also got to take a nap this morning, which was great because I haven't felt the best the past two days (probably allergies). I got my hair cut, stopped by Starbucks to get an Iced Caramel Macchiato, and bought herbs from Ace Hardware while my husband spent quality time with his baby girl. It was a great day!

My new haircut!

Oh, and Ellie decided to play with a sock.

Meeting Sophie...

We are thinking about opening a Bed and Breakfast in our home. Just kidding. Although we probably could with all the family and friends who have come and are coming to meet Sophie. We love it though. It always makes me sad when everyone leaves and the house is quiet once again. One thing that having a baby has taught me (one of many things) is that it is okay for my house to not be perfectly clean and organized when we have company coming. They aren't here to see my house anyway, they are here to see Sophie. 

This past weekend, Sophie met her Uncle Clayton. Her Grandpa Danny also came to see her again (she's just so precious no one can stay away for long!). We had a sweet time of fellowship together. It was a short visit - they arrived Saturday evening and left early Tuesday morning. It was so sweet to see them hold and talk to her. Ellie enjoyed getting to play with someone other than Ron and me. I took them to IKEA since neither of them had ever heard of the store. I was having a hard time explaining to them what kind of store IKEA was. How do you explain IKEA? We were sad to see them go, but I'm glad they were able to visit.

Here are a few pictures from their visit:

Thanks for coming to visit! We love you guys.

One Month (6 weeks and 6 days)

Sophie at one month:

Big yawn.

Tummy time at its finest.

Cute little bottom.

Today Sophie had her One Month appointment. The second HepB shot has to be given one month after the first HepB shot. Since most babies receive their first HepB shot in the hospital, one month coincides with the babies one month. In our case, Sophie had her shot on March 12th so we went today for her one month well-check. 

Here are Sophie's stats for her One Month Well-Check Visit:

Weight: 11 lbs and 10 oz

Height: 22.5 inches

Head: 15.25 inches

So in one month, she gained 3 lbs, grew 2 inches in length, and her head grew an inch. The doctor was pleased with her growth, and said everything looked great. She did say that we need to supplement with Tri-Vi-Sol vitamins. She said that breast milk doesn't contain enough vitamin D. Has anyone else heard this? I thought breast milk contained everything that the baby needs. Is it something that maybe I should just increase my daily intake of vitamin D so she gets it that way?

Sophie at 6 weeks and 6 days:

Spring Photos

Last Sunday we had beautiful weather! Ron had just mowed the grass, so I couldn't resist taking our little girl outside and snapping some photos. Ellie even joined us for a few.

Isn't she just the cutest?

First Easter Egg Hunt

Our Neighborhood hosted an Easter Egg hunt on April 4th for all the neighborhood children. Although we knew Sophie wouldn't be walking around searching for eggs this year, we thought it would fun to meet our neighbors. Sophie was a big hit! It was a tad too chilly for her so we didn't stay too long. We thought it was very smart on their part to have different sections for specific age groups. Of course you always have older children who end up in the 2 years and under egg hunt area. It's crazy to think that next year she'll be searching for eggs too!

First Trip...

to the Emergency Room.

On Sunday, March 29 we made our first trip to the ER. When we started the day I could not have imagined that it would end in the ER. For the past week Sophie had a stuffy nose. She now despises the nasal aspirator and saline spray/drops. She never developed a fever, so I just tried to keep her nose clear and she slept in her carrier to keep her elevated. That evening she sounded a tad more congested so I called her pediatricians office to see if they thought I needed to make an appointment for her to be seen on Monday. I found out two things that I didn't know. The first is that when babies stick their tongues out it usually means they need to burp (and she usually does). The second is that grunting in babies may be a sign of respiratory distress. Sunday was a day of non-stop grunting, which the nurse heard over the phone and made note of. She even had another nurse listen to Sophie breathe and grunt over the phone. They were both concerned enough to call the on-call doctor and get their opinion. The nurse called in back in less than 10 minutes and told me the doctor said it could be her lungs or heart and we needed to take her to the ER immediately for evaluation. Oh, and not the ER that is one exit away. We had to take her to the Levine Children's Hospital. It wouldn't be the first time we have been there. That's where she spent the first several days of her life. So anyway, I hung up the phone and burst into tears. I had just been told that my baby may have something wrong with her heart and/or lungs. I thought it was just a stuffy nose. After texting several friends to pray, we left for the ER. Thankfully we were able to stay away from the obviously sick children. They were very efficient! Pretty quickly we went to triage where they checked her oxygen level, listened to her lungs, took her temperature, and weighed her with clothes on. She weighed 10 lbs and 5 oz! I couldn't believe it. I seriously thought the scale was wrong. She's definitely eating well. 

It took a little longer to actually get a room, and to see a doctor took even longer. But after having her third set of x-rays in her short little life, we were released. Her lungs looked clear and her cardiac shadow looked good. By the time we were released I felt like this had been a huge waste of time (and money). I had simply called to see if we needed to see the doctor the next day. We received the peace of mind that there should not be any residual issues from her having fluid in her lungs after she was born, and that she is healthy. The nurse and doctor had just scared me when they said something could be wrong. That's where I failed to put my hope and trust in God and relied on the information that they gave me. I was scared. She wasn't blue or purple, she didn't seem to be gasping for air, I was simply scared because of the information they gave me. 

God has big plans for you, little girl. I am so blessed to be your Mommy. I will continue to trust that He is writing your story. I can't wait to see how it unfolds!

Adventures in Cloth Diapering

I knew while I was pregnant that I wanted our baby to be a cloth diaper baby. Yes, I wanted to save money, but I mainly wanted to do it for health reasons. I didn't want all the chemicals to touch my baby's bottom and sensitive parts. Well, as with everything else with this baby, we didn't start out in cloth diapers. As a matter of fact, Sophie is only a part-timer. I just can't bring myself to put her in cd's at night. I would love suggestions on how that works! I'm sure as she sleeps through the night it will get easier. At this point I change her diaper and she decides she's not finished yet. We've been known to go through 3 diapers in one changing! We have two types of cloth diapers: pre-folds with covers and all-in-one cloth diapers. I just don't get the pre-folds. I won them, so I'm using them. I don't know if I'm folding them wrong or if they just don't fit her well. So far, the bumGenius are my favorite (sorry, Terra). They are so easy! I can put one on her just as quickly as a disposable. I don't have to fear being squirted on because I wasn't quick enough. But enough about diapers, bring on the pictures.

I just couldn't resist posting her cute cd-ed bum...

and her cute little feet :).

The Many Faces of Sophie Grace

This child has some of the funniest faces. Sometimes we just sit and watch her. She keeps us laughing. Unfortunately I am not quick enough to capture all of them, but here are a few. Feel free to come up with your own captions :). She definitely makes the sleepless nights worth it. Enjoy!