Fun on the tractor!

My Pawpaw found this tractor at a yard sale! He purchased it and did some work on the tires so that it would be functional. The kids love driving it around my parents' yard when we go to visit them! Yesterday Isaac convinced Elise to ride in the back and let him drive her. She was hesitant at first, but once she tried it she loved it!

Holding Little Sister...

Silly sleeper!

Lately we've found Elise in yhe middle of the night, sleeping like this: (this chair is in our hallway/playroom which is right outside our bedroom door.)

Pictures from Grace's first two weeks...

Valentine's Dinner 2013

On Valentine's night this year, we had a family dinner of crock pot roast, potatoes, and carrots.  We had our dinner by dim light and candlelight and shared with the kids about the specialness and importance of God's love and the love in our family.  We had a great time, and the kids loved it!

Sibling love and smiles to warm your heart...

*These were taken in early February.

PJ's and Pancakes!

Here are Isaac and Elise all ready for PJ's and Pancakes Day 2013 at preschool in early February!

Pure CUTENESS! :)

Sometimes she's sneaky...

This was what we found under the table before breakfast a couple weeks ago...

 

Grace's Birth Story!



  

 

On Monday night, February 18th, around 10:30, I felt two strong contractions.  I felt like they were different than the Braxton-Hicks contractions I'd been having over the past few weeks.  Shortly thereafter, I started shaking all over and my teeth started chattering.  I went upstairs (Steven and I had been watching a TV show) and began to make sure my birth center bag had everything I needed.  I kept shaking and thought I was having a panic attack.  Steven came upstairs and helped me calm down.  We talked through my fears (Was I really in labor now?  Would we have time to get my parents over to watch the kids?  When should we go to the birth center?  Will I know?)   Over the next few minutes, I calmed down, stopped shaking, and we went downstairs to finish our show.  We headed to bed around 11 PM and slept a bit.  I woke up around 11:50 to use the bathroom (or so I thought) and discovered that my water had broken.  I had never experienced my water breaking at home, so this was a new experience for me.  Water was everywhere and it kept coming!  I wasn't contracting, but I knew that my water breaking meant that I would have my baby within the next 24 hours or so!  About ten minutes later, my contractions started.  Steven suggested that I try to sleep.  I tried, but I couldn't!  I was regularly contracting and my adrenaline was pumping strong.  (I now think that the "panic attack" might have actually been hormones, related to the onset of labor.)

 

My midwife had suggested bringing high protein snacks to eat during labor, and she mentioned that quiche was a great snack.  She'd said that I could make one during early labor and bring it with me.  Well, I had purchased the ingredients for a quiche, so at 12:30 AM, I started mixing it up.  Steven had called my mom, so she arrived around that same time.  She was quite surprised that I was making quiche in the middle of the night!  While waiting on the quiche to cook, I sat on my birthing ball, drank tons of water, went to the bathroom a lot (due to the tons of water!) and packed my other snacks for the birth center.  Steven packed everything in the van.  Around 1:30 AM, my quiche was done, so Steven and I tried to get some rest.  However, my contractions kept coming on strong and regular, and I couldn't go to sleep.  Around 2:30, I told Steven he needed to text my midwife, Lisa.  She texted him back and said that it sounded like I was in a regular pattern of labor and could labor more at home or I could come on to the birth center if "Betsy feels like she needs to come in."  I definitely had a gut feeling that I needed to come in.  Right then.  I kept telling Steven, "If we don't go now, I will transition in the van, and I don't want to transition in the van!!" 

 

Steven and Lisa determined that we'd meet at the birth center at 3:30 AM (it takes us about a half hour to get there, and Steven knew we'd need a bit of time to get out of the house with our quiche and all the snacks.  :)

 

We arrived at the birth center around 3:35.  We walked into our room, where the lights were dim and the tub was filled with warm water in which for me to labor if I wanted.  We were met by Lisa and her apprentice, Suzie.  I had bonded with these ladies over the past several months and was thrilled to have them with me at such a special time.  Suzie, who has a background in Emergency Medical Services and hospital labor and delivery, was to be the lead for my delivery, supervised by Lisa.  That was perfect for me since I had connected personally with Suzie throughout the prenatal period. 

 

Once we got settled in the room, Lisa commented that I looked really happy and comfortable.  I said, "Yes, I am, especially now that I'm here and don't have to worry about transitioning in the van!"  Then Suzie checked my dilation and determined that I was about 5 cm dilated.  I was a little bummed because my contractions had felt so strong that I felt I should be at least a 6 or 7!  But Suzie encouraged me and said I could get in the tub and labor there as long as I'd like.  She and Lisa both said that they could rest while I labored with Steven.  However, once I got in the tub, we all kept chatting while I was working through the contractions.  About 20 minutes later, I asked Steven to go get me a Vitamin Water to drink.  Then Lisa asked if I wanted some music, and she set her iPhone on the Jason Upton Pandora station (how great is it to have Christian midwives who also share your taste in music!)  As soon as she turned the music on, and while Steven was still out of the room, I told the midwives I felt that it was time to push.  I was confused because I thought there was no way I could already have dilated to 10 cm in less than half an hour.  But I really felt that I needed to push, and judging from my other two babies, that meant I was ready.  Steven got back and Suzie checked my dilation.  She said, "Whenever you're ready, you can bring this baby into the world!"  Wow!  I was already completely dilated!  I began to push, but worked to be very controlled so that my body would respond with little or no tearing.  Once Grace's head was delivered and Suzie checked for the umbilical cord, Steven was able to deliver her shoulders and the rest of her body.  Then he brought Grace to my chest and she was born at 4:34 AM!  About one hour after I'd arrived at the birth center, our little tiny one arrived.  My gut feeling was right - if we'd waited any longer, I would have transitioned in the van! 

And, yes, Grace was born right there in the tub.  My first water birth, and what a beautiful experience it was! 

 

I stayed in the tub for another 15 minutes while the umbilical cord continued to pulse.  Once it stopped, Steven and Suzie worked together to clamp and cut the cord.  Then I was able to get out of the water, get on the bed, and begin nursing Grace.  She latched on well from the get-go!  About 15-20 minutes later, I delivered the placenta and was able to rest with my new sweet babe.  We had plenty of cuddle and nursing time together.  After that, it was time for a shower and snack (you guessed it - quiche!).  While I got ready to head home, Suzie did Grace's newborn check.  She was 7 lbs, 6 oz and 21 inches long and a healthy and strong baby girl. 

We are so grateful!

 



 

 We headed home around 8:00 AM (with all our uneaten snacks in tow!)  After lots of rush hour traffic, rain, delays from wrecks and a quick stop at Steven's work to get his computer, we made it home around 9:30 AM on Tuesday.  My mom had taken the kids to preschool, so the house was quiet.  We settled in and enjoyed a peaceful day of resting, nursing, and eating.  It was a precious time for Steven and me to bond with baby Grace. 

We are so grateful for this tiny one and the incredible blessing she is!  Over the next week, my parents helped out with the kids and mostly kept them at their house.  However, once they came back home and started to get to know their little sister, Isaac and Elise fell in love.  They are both so sweet with Grace and love to kiss her.  They are fascinated with her little hands and feet and her hair, which they love to touch.  Isaac especially likes for Grace to wrap her fingers around his finger.  It's amazing how BIG they both seem now! 

This journey of being a family of five has only begun for us, but we are excited for the adventures that the future holds, and we are also very grateful that Grace's entrance into the world was full of God's peace, overwhelming joy, and incredible love.