Family Movie night

I came down with a headache yesterday and Aaron had studying so we hid the car in the garage and turned out all the lights. I even figure out how to keep the doorbell from ringing :) The kids asked for stuffed crust pizza. Hard to say no when it means no dishes and just the thought makes your mouth water. We hid in te back bedroom, watched the new Winnie the Pooh (loved it!) and chowed down. Brooke and Madde cuddled for a long time. Brooke loves being a big sister and asks all the time for cuddles from her "wittle sister". Madde lives the attention so it works well.

I know, a post from me? Shocking!

Ok I lost all interest in typing this blog but am forcing myself to. Big things are happening in our family and I must share!

Nope, NOT pregnant.

Just to clear the air.

Which reminds me, Why is that the first question people ask you as they are holding your 3 month old?!

and then proceed to tell you that they think you are crazy for having so many kids so young.

Rude.

On to life in our household.

Aaron is still plugging away at college.

The big thing?

Aaron is switching Majors and transferring to a school up in Washington.

So we are loading up the kids and our stuff and moving up to my parent's.

Some of our funding for school got cut making it very difficult to live in this area.

The Lord laid it on my heart to ask Dad about moving back for a little while so we don't have to go into debt. 

Of course my gracious Pops said yes and thats that!

We are thrilled to be near family again.

Thrilled to be near support, love and friendships.

And the kids will be very loved upon by their 5 Aunts & Uncles.

Big change, but absolutely confident it is where the Lord is leading us and will be the best for our family.

I learned a lesson in this big change.

Never say Never.

every time I have ever said Never, I always end up doing it. 

For example, I once said that I would never move back to Seattle. 

Dad said give it one year.

We made it two and but Dad was still right because he knew we would eventually get homesick :) 

The kids talk about it everyday and talk about all the cool things they are going to do with Auntie Bekah. 

We are packing everything up the first week of December and leaving as soon as Aaron's last class is over. 

Love my kiddos :)

A generous man from our church gave Bubba this four wheeler. You plug it into the wall at night and it will run all day.

He cries every time he has to get off to eat or use the restroom. 

I am in a Mom's group and Brooke throws hysterical screaming tantrum fits when I drop her off in her classroom.

Has since she was little. Nothing has worked to get her to stop. 

I was desperate so I bribed her. 

If she didn't scream I would buy her a Lollaloopsie doll.

She cried a little but wiped her tears and walked in with the nice lady who takes the time to help her adjust. We will see how tomorrow goes.

Its impossible to get a family photo sometimes.

This is my favorite one!!!!! Brooke is doing her pageant girl face and Brady is just a goof.

Sweet faces.

Sad  Bubba 

Best Daddy 

                                                                             Silly Baby

Arrival of Maddelyn Faith!

*Disclaimer*  this is a birth story and long due to my inability to keep you all updated throughout the pregnancy.

This was a tough pregnancy compared to my first two.

Lots of sickness, lots of hormones and then lots of early labor. 

At 32/33 weeks she was already sitting so low it was causing pain in my bones.

Contractions would start. and then stop. Start. and then stop. Lost my MP.

Thankfully they never progressed to where they wanted to give me meds to stop them. 

I actually prayed really hard it wouldn't get to that point because the medicine they wanted to give me were actually just advised against by the FDA and yet hospitals still use it!

I just put myself on modified bed rest whenever I felt contractions coming and did what I could to stop them.

By 35 weeks I would get as close to five minutes apart of non painful (compared to real contractions!) and even had several other unmentionable signs that labor could be soon.

OH and she dropped even lower to the point where her head was grinding.  

I was also 50% effaced and dilated to a 2.

We all thought for sure I would have her early but she hung in there.

I went through a roller coaster of emotions because I was getting so impatient.

I had to come to peace with the Lord that this baby would only come at the Lord's timing and when she was perfectly 'baked'.

My mom came out early to make sure she didn't miss the birth.

that relieved alot of stress because I was worried I would have the baby and no one would be around!

I made it to my first due date of June 28th and knew that she was coming soon. 

(I had secretly been in contest with a certain midwife because she felt for sure the baby would come around July 7th but the baby had consistently been measuring for around June 28th. Not a huge difference but in the last month every day seems like a month.

June 29th came. 

Lost MP AGAIN but this time more significant so I had a fleeting thought maybe today but remembered I had an appointment in the morning I couldn't miss, a midwife appt at noon and Aaron had an anotomy test he couldn't miss.

Mom and I snuck out for frozen yogurt.

June 30th came.

Went to appt.

Felt really tired and sore.

Came home rested before Midwife appt. 

Aaron told me jokingly to tell her to do anything to make the baby come today so he could leave class.

I did tell her and we both laughed but then she said I was to a 4 and way more effaced and soft than last week. 

So she offered to strip my membranes which as soon as she did it,  I just knew that baby was coming that day.

I started feeling crampy and little contractions here and there but nothing that caught my attention.

I was focused on getting an assignment done that was due that night. 

Around six Aaron called wondering if he should come home.

I told him no, nothing too steady is happening and I didn't want it to be a false alarm or false hope.

I started timing them as they were starting to get a little painful.

He came home half an hour later and sure enough I was in real labor!! 

I think it was the Lord that prompted him to go home because as soon as he was home the real breathe through ones started to happen.

I locked myself in my room to breath, relax and finish the assignment. 

Around 7:30 I couldn't relax and submitted my assignment with the title, I quit cuz I am in labor!

I decided to take a bath and start listening to my relaxation and birth affirmations from Hypnobirthing. 

I was amazed at how when you are fully relaxed you can actually feel the contractions doing what they need to do. 

I was so relaxed I told Aaron I was not moving and I was having the baby right there.

I felt in the moment, that if I moved I would go crazy like with Brayden's birth.

So I made Mom and Bekah leave so not to put disturbing memories in poor Bekah's head.

Then my water broke.

I labored alone because Aaron sitting there starting at me  got disturbing. 

So he played Fifa and came if I shouted for more ice.

After a few really hard contractions I became really discouraged that I could be doing that for hours. I just wanted her out! I kept telling myself she would be there by midnight.

I kept looking at the clock and losing concentration.

I decided right there I was going to the hospital for drugs.

I told Aaron to get my mom back ASAP cuz I was getting the drugs.

my exact words, "Aaron, this is not me in transition (Totally was in transition) and not having a contraction. I am getting the drugs and having a Brookelyn birth."

Aaron- "honey you don't want a drugged baby and a big fat nurse holding you down"

"YES I DO take me now"

"Ok honey , we will go"
We left at 10:35

Made it to hospital and walked in myself, without screaming like last time, and they wheeled me to a room.

I told them to get me the drugs.

Strange thing was no one was getting me the drugs!

They checked me and said 8 but as soon as she was done I felt the urge to push.

So I started pushing and in the middle looked at the nurse and said, I am not getting the drugs am i.

She just smiled very nicely and said no I am afraid not.

All of a sudden I felt someone grabbing my hand and trying to push me down.

It was a big fat nurse! NO joke!

I started laughing and pushed everyone off me.

They got irritated but I knew what I was doing and didn't want their help.

I literally kept pushing 4 nurses away cuz they were all trying to hold me down.

How in the world are you supposed to push strapped down?!

They backed off and let me do my thing.

Out she came and put on my chest at 11:01pm.

All of a sudden Aaron walks into the room.

Oh yeah he came with!

I was so focused on my breathing, staying relaxed and getting the baby out myself I hadn't even noticed he wasn't there.

I was so ecstatic after her birth I couldn't sleep all night long.

My goal was to feel in control, relaxed and have a natural birth.

I accomplished all that with the Lord's help.

I am glad that I went in to the hospital instead of staying home because the woman that ended up catching the baby did such a wonderful job of letting the baby come with contractions that I was pain free by day 2 postpartum! It was nice to have her coach me through the last hard minutes of delivery.

The labor and delivery ward were in overflow mode so I had to share a room and Aaron had to sleep at home.

Horrid?

Actually not at all.

Aaron needs his sleep so I was actually glad he got to go home and get well rested.

The poor baby next to me cried non stop but when its not your child crying its easier to listen to.

I was able to sit back there all alone and just hold my new baby. 

Without any responsibly to get up with the toddlers, make food or clean the house.

I took advantage of the nursery and the call button.

It was a  little break :)

Everyone came up the next day to see new baby.

Daddy's first time holding her because the night of her birth I sent him home at 11:30pm because he had been up  really early and spent 8 hours doing anatomy before coming to hospital. He was a trooper.

When Aaron came to visit me we just sat on the bed talking, holding baby, watching tv and just having alone time.

It was so reassuring too to know that the babies were at home having fun with Grandma and Bekah.

I would not have relaxed so well if the kids had been in a different situation.

Can you see her little dimple?? She has Aaron's dimples!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so excited when I saw them.

This is her face most of the day.

She has her eyes open ALL the time! 

I will lay her down at night, come back five minutes later and her eyes are wide open just looking around.

At the sonogram to find out her sex her eyes were wide open which is normally unusual as they don't open til about week 30.

She is so alert compared to my other babies. But she loves her sleep too and hasn't been too difficult at nights.

We are thankful to the Lord for working everything out in His perfect timing, allowing me to have the birth I wanted and giving us a beautiful little girl!!!!
The kids love their baby sister and the adjustment to three has been a piece of cake.
Except, every since my Mom left my house is a wreck!!
Thank you Mom for all you did to keep my house clean, kids happy and pregnant hormonal Jana happy.
Thank you all for your prayer support throughout.
Hopefully now that I am not focused on having a baby I can get back into my routine of blogging.
Off to feed Miss Cupcake!

An afternoon at the park

My little Monkey's favorite thing to do is walk to the park.

Well more like get pushed in the stroller so Mommy can get excersise.

It is a wonderful park with huge grass fields.

They love to swing, slide like otters down the slide and play "My stick"

"My stick" is a game Brayden started. 

You find a big stick, run around with it and yell "My stick!!"

They love when Aaron runs around with them waving their sticks high.

Brooke's game is Dinosaurs.

They run around rawr-ing and screeching.

I love sitting in the grass watching my two, I mean three monkeys play!

 Sliding like otters

"MY STICK!"

Brayden loves this white sprinkler head that sticks out of the ground. Except every time he sees it he tries to put his mouth on it.

Aaron was trying to take our girl's picture. See Bubba running towards us.

His first fist-full of smashed flowers for Momma!

Brooke loves to swing as high as she can go! She has fallen off twice but gets right back on

We run them until they are so tired they beg to get in the stroller and go home. 

After bath time they crawl right into their beds, cuddle with their lovies and go right to sleep.

Quick Update!

It has been ages since I wanted to sit down and write a blog. 

If I get extra free time I use it to crawl into bed and watch something on Netflix. 

I took 3 online college classes this semester and really enjoyed it. 

It gave me something productive to do, that isn't baby involved, when I had free time. 

I loved being able to escape diapers, teething, fighting, screaming, naughtiness, terrible two's and wrap my mind around adult topics.

I stopped watching the little girl I had been watching. 

With the pregnancy and my own two kids I was starting to feel overwhelmed.

She was a very high maintenance baby with a very under-involved mother.

I didn't want to let the mom down as she was going through a very hard time but I started praying the Lord would let me go back to being a plain stay at home Mommy with NO daycare.

I have decided I will never Nanny or daycare again.

Babysit for friends or family? Yes.

But never again will I take on the responsibility of raising someone else's child.

When I was single it was a joy because I could love on babies that needed it.

As a Mom with my own two precious babies I felt they weren't getting my full attention. 

So, as always, the Lord heard my prayer and worked out the details perfectly. 

I am a free Momma with time for the kids, school, ME, and my hubby! 

It has been wonderful. 

With all the freedom my nesting stage hit full force.

My hospital bag is all packed.

Miss Cupcake's clothes are all washed, folded and in her little dresser. 

I have organized, cleaned, organized some more and cleaned some more.

Made a trip to Ikea and got some very necessary organizing accessories and dark curtains for my bedroom.

My room now feels cozy, dark, clean and ready for a newborn.

My walls are still covered in color crayon and pen murals but that is one project I have NO energy to take on. And I think they are the walls you can't really wash but rather re-paint.

I had planted beautiful flowers in the holes where our  not so lovely dog dug up but my two lovely children promptly  "picked" them so my gardens are once again empty.

Oh yes, we did get rid of our dog Bella.

We decided we are not dog people.

Thought we were, but found out we are baby/kid people.

It has been a wonderful relief not to have her whining, digging, smelling, pooping and all those other horrid things dogs do.

My pregnancy has been very uneventful which is a good sign!

I am very uncomfortable though. 

I am 34 weeks tomorrow and literally feel like I did when I was 39 weeks with Brayden.

She is very low and head down. 

Her kicking went from insane to very little which is very strange for me.

She has been my most active baby so I sorta of miss her craziness but at the same time it has been a nice relief to not feel sea sick from her flipping rolling and poking.

Her occasional jabs hurt though which is also a new thing. I have never had a kick or elbow hurt but these hurt!

I have Braxton hicks daily and have had two instances where I had real contractions and thought labor was going to start. 

I am hoping that makes labor shorter when real labor does hit.

My due date is still July 7th but the baby is and has been measuring end of June.

I am trying not to get my hopes up but am secretly praying for a June entrance. 

It is isn't realistic as my last period isn't known and I have been known to have periods in the first months of pregnancy.

We will just have to see! 

It is getting really discouraging though to feel so miserable, have so many contractions and constant pressure and know this could go on for several more weeks.

Pray for a patience and or comfort! 

I had been sleeping really well for a long time but in the last week I can't sleep at all. 

I am also an emotional wreck. Feels like PMS... 

But I am happy.

Very happy.

I will update about the kids soon.

They are the best.

Family is coming to visit next month and I get my first baby shower. 

I have such a blessed life. 

Valentines Day!

This year I wasn't planning on having a Valentines Party. I didn't think Brookelyn even understood what was going on.

We skyped Poppa Peltier one night and he asked her what Daddy was getting her for Valentines Day.

That started an excitement in her that I just couldn't ignore.

We started planning what we were going to do and she changed her mind everyday what she wanted.

On the morning of Valentines she came out of bed and said very decidedly,

"Mommy, can we go to Target?"

-Why?

"I just need to get a few things"

-What do you need?

"I just need a small kitty with a bow to cuddle and sleep with!"

We picked out Daddy's present at Target and she got very stressed,

"Mommy!!! I don't know what my favorite candy is!"

"Mommy I just need a cute animal!"

We have a rule that when we go into stores she can't ask for everything she sees or wants.

I also usually don't give in to her wants but I thought since it was a special day I wanted to find a kitty with a bow.

Target didn't have one so I got an idea to go check the Disney store and see if they had gotten in a Woody or Bullseye. 

They had the Woody but no Bullseye :( 

When I thought there was no more choices I found the perfect present!!! 

I pulled aside a store lady and asked her to bag them so Brooke couldn't see.

We left the store with Brooke crying so sadly because she thought I wasn't getting her anything.

It was sad but I was too excited to see her surprised face later!!

After nap we had our Party. 

It was a hit and will definitely be a tradition.

I made the kid's valentines out of foam so they could keep them longer than five minutes.

Bringing Daddy his favorite candy!

Eating treats!

 Time to open up the surprises!

 

Bubba's valentine says Muah because that is his word for kiss. 

 

Very excited about his very own Woody doll! It is hard for him to see Brooke play with Jesse and not have his own. 

 

Brooke was in love with her new kitty!! It is Marie from Aristocats. She hasn't seen the movie yet but she will some day! I showed her some clips on youtube and she loved her kitty even more.

Just had to throw this cute one of Bubba in.

Much love from our family to yours!

Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.  Deuteronomy 7:9

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.  Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.  All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.  1 John 3:1-3

 

Trouble makers!

The other night Aaron was helping me get some laundry done.

If I didn't have him I don't know how I would get through these hormones!

Our laundry machines are in the garage.

I guess that is normal for CA because the houses are all so small.

It was nice and quiet and Aaron was asking why we didn't do this more often.

He went on to brag about how the kids we getting to that age where they didn't need constant supervision and it was nice being able to sneak away for a couple minutes.

We went back inside, Brooke was playing on the Ipad and Bubba was wondering around.

I was in the bedroom putting stuff away when  I saw Brayden's front side.

I literally screamed.

and then grabbed the camera.

My mom taught me well.

I was so focused on what I saw here that I didn't scan the room to see what else he had done.

He had dumped out my whole make-up bag! 

I still don't know how he got it but he did.

Thankfully I don't buy expensive make-up or I would have been more upset.

That is mascara all over his belly by the way and a tube of eye shadow in his mouth.

Pointing to the mess he made....

And two days before BROOKE had gotten in my make-up and came out of the bathroom with dark eyebrows and glitter everywhere.

This is her and her bowl of "pickled peppers"

She likes to sneak off, climb in Bubba's crib and have a session with a De-de.

We went in to check on them one night and found her like this.

That is her pillow case on her legs.

The two of them hanging out in a bucket a baby clothes. 

Notice Brooke once again has managed to find a De-de.

My kids like to get in my kitchen and destroy it.

Or get into the fridge and spill milk or juice.

Or open containers of yogurt and finger paint.

My solution was to put this gate up.

As you can see, Brayden doesn't like it too much.

On a happy note,

We finally had success and Bubba used his potty for the first time!