Welcome Baby!

He finally made his entrance! Colton Graham was born Monday night, July 16 at 11:24 pm. He weighed 7 lbs 15 oz and is 22 inches long. All is well and we are home. Hard to believe he'll be one week old tomorrow! Time flies when you're sleep deprived!

Warning: Labor story following...

On Monday, I wasn't feeling great and was a little grouchy and tired. The boys and I drove out to pick up my last baby necessity- a new pump. When we got home, I decided to take a nap. After waking up I had the feeling that maybe my water was leaking. My water had broken with Biggest Brother, so I knew what that felt like. This was different. My doctor had said to call even if I wasn't sure. So, I made the call. My doctor was out and it was an on-call doctor. She said it was probably nothing, but to head to the hospital just in case. So, the boys grabbed their bags and we grabbed ours. (I also washed out a few drawers in the fridge, just in case we didn't come back home!) The boys went to the neighbor's house, but we told them most likely we'd be back soon and this probably wasn't "the real thing."

We got to the hospital around 5pm. They checked us in and settled us in a room and tested the fluid. Thank goodness we had gone in- since they discovered I had a leak somewhere in the bag of waters. This was it- "the real thing". I started out at 3cm dilated and 50% effaced with mild contractions I could barely feel. They made us walk the halls until 8:30 and checked again. Not much progress. I was still laughing and nice to everyone- so they figured I wasn't in true labor yet. I was still 3cm and now 80% effaced. So, they wanted to start pitocin. I had had that with my previous 2 babies and was determined to avoid the medical interventions this time. So, we talked the doctor into breaking the rest of my water instead. She didn't think it would do much. But, by 9:05 I had my first true painful contraction. From that point forward I had contraction after contraction about 30 seconds long and just 1-2 minutes apart with increasing intensity.

I had been told to head to the hospital when my contractions were 5 minutes apart lasting 1 minute for an hour. Since this never happened during my labor at the hospital I was convinced I wasn't progressing very quickly. However, the nurse brought in the baby warmer and was setting it all up for the baby. She told me get into the jacuzzi tub for 10 contractions. I couldn't understand why we'd go through all that work for 10 lousy contractions. I don't think I had 10, but it was getting so painful and she and Kevin had to drag me out (because at this point I wasn't laughing and nice anymore!). She wanted to check my progress. I was convinced I'd only be at like 6cm or something- but she said she knew it would be more. By the time I was on the table, she checked and I was 8 1/2. They called the Dr in and the next contraction I was 9cm. With 2 more I was 10!!!

I asked what time it was. They told me 11 something. I couldn't believe this little boy was coming so soon. It took about 4, maybe 5 pushes and he was out!

This was my first delivery without and epidural and medications and inductions. I thought it would be more calm, less chaotic, and would give me time to relax in between contractions. And though that wasn't the case, we had taken a great birthing class and for that I am grateful. We had packed our bags full of supplies and things to help in the process. But, every time Kevin would start to walk away to get something to help, I would start calling him back as another contraction would start.  I had a lot of back labor and Kevin would push really hard on my back. He honestly couldn't have pushed hard enough for me, but it did relieve some of the pain. I knew we'd both be sore the next day! Though it was a fast and crazy delivery, both of us were calm since we knew the process.

I guess I wouldn't describe myself as calm. The nurse told me later that the lady in the room next to me was planning on an unmedicated birth, but after she heard me she was reconsidering the epidural. The nurse said I was good advertisement for the epidural!!! Overall, it was what I hoped for- a healthy fast delivery of a healthy little boy!

The next morning, Kevin brought the big brothers up to meet their new little brother. They were pretty excited to see him. Nathan said, "Is that really our baby?" Brennen ended up holding him and soothing him for close to 2 hours straight. 

He had his first bath with the nurse in our room so the boys could watch. He didn't particularly love it!

Then, we got our first family photo. More to come soon!

Baseball, T-ball, and more summer fun...

No baby yet. I'm due in about 5 days. I've never been pregnant this long. So, even though I'm not overdue, I feel like I am. I am going crazy....

Here is what we're doing to fill our time until this new little guy decides to make his appearance...

Smores on the grill

Lots of baseball and t-ball. This is our first year having them play a sport at the same time. My car is filled with baseball gear, shade tents and chairs, but it's been a fun season! Big Brother ends today and Little Brother has one more week to go. They can't wait to add to their trophy collection!

Little Brother has come a long way this summer with going under water and trying to swim, even if he still puts his goggles on upside down!

Spending time with friends- (at a favorite nearby park with train and creek and a candy factory tour in downtown Denver)

Lots of bike rides. This was for the 4th of July Bike parade, but many mornings you'll find the boys whizzing along while I try to keep up and get this baby moving!

Hopefully next time you hear from us we'll be a family of 5!

Full Term!

I'm 37 weeks today! This little guy could come any day now. In some ways I hope he comes sooner than later, but that is scary too!

We had an ultrasound on Tuesday and they estimate him to be 6 lbs 15 oz already. I don't know why we can't just have a little guy this time around! My babies are bigger a month before my due date than many of my friends' babies when they are overdue! At least he's still looking healthy and growing. Can't ask for more than that.

I was 1 cm dilated and 50% thinned out. (Is that too much information for a blog?) I had my 1st at 38 weeks and was induced with my 2nd at 37 weeks. We'll see when this little one decides to come.

My friend did a maternity session for me on Monday night this week. She took amazing photos and even though I prefer to be on the other side of the camera, I decided I needed to post these...

This pregnancy has been so much easier for me than the others. In some ways, I was always on edge with the older boys. We'd done fertility to conceive them and went through losses and struggles. So, when I was finally pregnant I didn't trust that things could turn out well. This time around was a big surprise and it just seems meant to be. Of course I've had the common pregnancy issues- nausea, food aversions, heightened smells, swollen nasty ankles, back aches, etc. However, emotionally I've been much more relaxed and at ease. It's amazing how quickly time has passed and that this little guy will be joining our family any day now. 

I have noticed in the past few days a real change in my energy and stamina. It has gone down. Not sure if it's the ridiculous record heat we've had or signs that the end is coming near. Either way, I am grateful for my boys that are big enough to help out some and play together pretty well, as well as Kevin being home a lot more since his job is coming to an end this week. There's a lot of change happening around here and though it's overwhelming at times, God is giving me peace and helping me get through it all one day at a time- and I am grateful for that!

Road Trip

It was 5:30pm on Friday night. We were at the kids VBS celebration when Kevin brought up the idea that maybe we should drive to Arizona that very night! If you know me in the least, you know that isn't how I work. I take 2 weeks to book a flight, 4 days to pack, and a week just to clean the house out to leave. So, I was hesitant to say the least. 

I was 35 1/2 weeks pregnant and called the after hours line for my doctor. I had to talk with a different doctor who gave us permission to go, as long as we got out to stretch and move around every hour and that we were home by Thursday (my 36 week mark).

So, by 7 pm we were home from church, packing up the car, and drove away at 8pm: Destination Phoenix....

We stopped about 1am in Las Vegas, New Mexico (it's nothing like Vegas) and slept until 7am. On the road by 8am. We drove along I-40 avoiding the semi-trucks and were happy when we finally hit Flagstaff. We met up with my Mom, Grandma, and Aunt at McDonald's in Cordes Junction. Had a small break and drink and made it to Phoenix about 4pm.

It was a surprise 90th birthday party for Kevin's Grandpa and we made it shortly after it started. The kids jumped into the pool within minutes and we were so happy to be on our feet again!

We stayed only until Tuesday, but packed our time while we were there. We had breakfast with Grandma Sheryl, dinner with Granny, lots of pool time and an evening with Grandpa and Grandma Betts at Peter Piper Pizza. 

One of the highlights was when Uncle Bryan took us all to the fire department. The kids got to climb all over the trucks and even go for a ride around the neighborhood. Big Brother got to sit in the front and talk to the rest of the kids through his own headset! They came back and got to spray the fire hose. They sure think Uncle Bryan is pretty special!

So, after 2 1/2 days of fun and family, we packed up and headed home. We drove North through Arizona and stopped in Moab for the night. I felt a bit like Mary when there were no rooms available in the first few hotels we tried. We found a place and were grateful for some rest. We got home Wednesday, a day before my deadline. Surprisingly, there was a message waiting from my doctor making sure all was well. I guess she wasn't too happy with our last minute decision after all! 

Oh, well! No harm done. We're home and the boys loved our adventure and time away. I can't help but  think how God put Kevin and I together to help me grow. If it were left up to me alone, life would be structured, organized and probably boring. I'm grateful for the ways he brings adventure and excitement to our family. (I'm also grateful the baby wasn't born in a bathroom along the highway too!)

Oh, Hail NO!

We get some nasty storms here in the summers. A couple of weeks back we were hit hard by 3 hail storms in one night. We woke up all night long listening to the pounding hail. I was shocked we didn't have broken windows. The next morning, we woke up to this aftermath....

The kids had fun playing and digging in the hail piles and we had piles of leaves. The flowers and trees were looking so nice, but now are pretty pitiful.

For baby updates, my neighbors put together a little baby shower at a local breakfast place. We left the kiddos and enjoyed a couple hours of good food and good conversation. I feel honored to have such great friends and neighbors.

(One friend had to leave early. I am sad I missed her photo, but here we are after all the yummy pancakes and such!) I was 34 weeks along in this photo.

I am feeling great. I am 35 weeks now and though I get tired, not too much to complain of yet! We actually hiked 3 miles this weekend, including a good mile of climbing. Despite a few contractions, all went well! The biggest complaint I have is my swollen left ankle. It's at least double the size of the right and I swear I've gained 3 pounds from just the swelling in there!

We are still working on Baby's room, but getting closer. The big boys are settling into their new shared room (still need to get a photo on here). Every job has created more jobs, so we are busy organizing and cleaning and purging stuff! Kevin has been home a lot more with his job winding down and it's been nice to be all together hanging out and working hard this summer.

T-Ball

Little Brother has watched his Big Brother play baseball, football, and basketball for his whole life. He's watched him have fun and mostly win trophies. Finally, it is his turn to earn a trophy!

We signed him up for t-ball this summer and this morning was his first game. He was nervous and not sure what to expect, but as you can see from the evidence below it turned out to be a great morning for 4 year old t-ball!

They play 3 innings and no outs. Every kid gets to bat and they switch positions in the field. Today he played short stop, pitcher and 1st base. He loved 1st base and actually stopped a few balls that came his way. I think he makes a pretty cute baseball player!

At one point he came over to his Big Brother and asked, "Are you jealous?" That made the crowd crack up. He also took the liberty of sliding into Home plate just for the fun of it. 

I think we're in for a fun season!

What Happened in May?

Well, hello June!

Since Easter, we had visitors. My dad and his wife Jackie visited for a long weekend. He did a lot of chores around here since Kevin was in Brazil for 2 full weeks!

Someone lost a tooth (pulled it out all by himself!)

Someone had a birthday (35- yikes!) and decided this shirt really isn't that flattering of that belly! (29 weeks)

I finished off May with a Girls' Weekend in Breckenridge with my sister. It was a birthday gift from my husband and a very fun and relaxing time away. We hadn't been away the two of us since we lived at home! We rented movies, shopped, and laughed a ton!

(This was at 31 weeks along.)

(Views from our room at Marriott Mountain Valley Lodge in Breckenridge)

On our last day, headed back into reality! It was just the break I needed before the last few weeks before baby are here! So grateful to my husband for the gift and for my sister for coming out with me!

Easter Recap

Easter was pretty low key around here this year. We dyed eggs- but this year I found the "boy-est" egg kit I could find. It was motorcycles and tattoos. Little Brother enjoyed putting on stickers while Big Brother was so intrigued by the shrink wrappers. They both enjoyed writing secret messages with white crayons before dying the eggs and having the message appear on the egg! We woke up to the traditional Easter Basket and egg hunt. There was more "boy" stuff going on there- water guns, tennis rackets and baseballs were the highlights. Not to mention the breakfast of chocolate bunnies and jelly beans.

Then, we headed to the Easter service for our church. It meets outdoors each Easter and this (which I am ashamed to admit) was the first time the boys have been to an Easter service with our church. In many of the past years we've had snow or rain, so we never braved the outdoor service. This year weather was amazing and the boys are older and easier. I was so glad we went. There's something amazing about being outside celebrating the resurrection of Christ on Easter Morning. 

Then, we headed to brunch and back home for some yard work! Around dinner time, our fire alarms started blaring. Kevin ran to the store to get batteries. We replaced them all only to have the alarms ring every 5 minutes. We're not just talking one at a time- all of them together- without being silenced for a few minutes. We'd get a little breather and wham they'd start again. We tried pulling some out and without fail they'd go off again. Finally, I called the fire department for advice. The lady said she would send the engine out. I told her we just wanted advice not the engine. However, about 10 minutes later the fire engine comes barreling through the neighborhood, lights flashing and parks out front. Neighbors were all coming out, concerned and wondering what was happening. While Kevin dealt with the firemen, I went out and took a photo of the neighborhood kids in front of the truck. They finally figured out which alarms were faulty and were on their way. Although a bit over the top, it sure added to the excitement on our street this Easter!