Last Month Existed Big Time

Remember this post from last February? One year ago if you had asked me what we would be doing/experiencing in a year I could have never ever guessed everything that has happened this year. I feel so incredibly grateful and still can't believe how much has happened and changed in our lives this past year and especially this past month! This time last year I was at an all time low. I felt like there wasn't much else that could go wrong and didn't know how we could handle everything we'd been going through . . . and then gradually things began to improve. After living with family for nearly a year we were able to move into a nice home and have some space for just our family again. After trying longer than expected and experiencing some disappointment and heartache we found out we were pregnant. After a year of nothing happening on the job hunt, David finally started getting asked to interview for several jobs - all within the field he wanted. And then he was offered a job, and then we felt we were ready to purchase a home. And then we found a great house and I just couldn't wait any longer and we went for it and it closed quickly. And then our little boy came earlier than expected and we found ourselves incredibly busy in February! I feel like I have seen miracles unfold in our lives over this past year and feel so grateful!

Family Resemblance

When Joshua was born I felt like I traveled back 6 years to when Luke was born. This new little baby resembles his older brother in so many ways. I thought it would be fun to find pictures of all three boys at the same age and see how they resemble one another. They each have their own look, but there's no denying they are brothers! I still can't believe I have 3 boys!!!

 Joshua has the most hair of the three and Seth had the least (the little cutie didn't need a hair cut for almost 2 years!). Luke's face is the longest, Seth's is the roundest and Joshua is in the middle. Luke has brown eyes and Seth has blue. It will be fun to see what Joshua's turn out to be. It's amazing to me how much I love each of these children. They're so unique and different from one another and yet, they are all mine and I adore each of them.

Our Littlest Guy

A few from his first couple weeks. Can't get enough of him!

Jaundice is a four letter word

I have a hate hate relationship with Jaundice. Both Seth and now Josh have had Jaundice beyond the minor need to sunbathe. Seth was readmitted to the hospital at 4 days old to soak under strong lights and Josh spent 2 days in the hospital before being released under lights and a week under lights at home. I am absolutely certain that Jaundice was the beginning of the end of nursing with both boys. I didn't want to do anything wrong, so I began to supplement several ounces after nursing (per Dr's 'orders'). It didn't take long for their appetites to grow faster than my supply and before long they refused to nurse. If I had it to do over again I would just nurse around the clock. After reading up more about Jaundice I've come to find that it's more common than we might think and even high levels for several weeks is not that uncommon. Anyway, live and learn!

sun bathing

you can faintly see Josh glowing

Early Arrival

This week we introduced our newest little man 2 1/2 weeks early. He came completely unexpectedly and we were very unprepared. We were supposed to move and be settled in our new house for at least a week or two before he made his arrival, but apparently he had other plans!

Luke came on his due date and Seth came a week late, so I thought for sure our newest little guy would go full term. My sister was expecting just 10 days before me and both of her older children came 2 weeks early, so we thought there would be several weeks between the arrival of her baby and ours. Turns out I went early and she went just past 39 weeks, so my little guy came 3 days before her daughter.

Friday Feb 8 was a busy day. My mom treated my sister and I to a pedicure and we got the keys to our first house! That evening my mom and I took a few things over to the new house - mostly baby items because I wanted to be sure all his things were set up there so whenever we brought him home we'd be ready.

That night as I was putting Seth to bed I felt like I needed to use the restroom and sure enough when I stood up, my water broke. I think it may have broken sometime early in the morning, but when I stood up there was no doubt. I sent a message to my mom and sisters and my mom came right over. David works in the evenings, so my mom and sister came over to be at the ready whenever I needed to go. I didn't want to get to the hospital too soon because I didn't even feel like I was having contractions, but I called David and he headed home. By the time he got home and changed it had been nearly 2 hours since I felt my water break and it continued to come - though I still wasn't feeling contractions. We decided to go ahead to the hospital though because I was losing so much water. My mom, m-i-l and sister came to be with us, but when the nurse checked my progress I wasn't even dilated to a 1 and barely effaced. We sent them home and told them we'd keep them updated.

We thought for sure by morning I would have made some pretty good progress, but by around 5-6am I hadn't made any, but I was starting to feel some mild contractions. The nurse gave me a pill that was supposed to soften the cervix and I started to feel stronger contractions . . . but again by noon I still had made almost no progress. I was having steady, uncomfortable contractions, but they weren't doing enough to make labor progress. At about 1pm the OB decided it was time to start pitocin, so I went ahead and got an epidural knowing that a c-section might occur if things didn't start to progress. At 5pm the nurse checked me again and I had only dilated to a 2 and was slightly more effaced. Since we were getting close to 24 hours since my water broke (probably more if it broke earlier in the day), the OB said that if I hadn't progressed by 7pm we would need to do a c-section.

David suggested that he and his dad give me a special blessing, that labor would progress enough by 7pm that the Dr would let me deliver this baby. During the blessing I felt the love of my Savior and Heavenly Father so strongly. I knew things would be ok, no matter what. Even though I had an epidural I could tell that contractions were getting stronger and I was very hopeful that things were progressing. The nurse came to check me at about 7pm and was shocked that I was fully dilated and completely effaced! In just 2 hours I had gone from almost nothing to ready! She said she wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't checked for herself. She called the Dr and we started to get ready for this baby to come. The Dr. finally arrived at about 7:50pm and I was ready to go. After a few contractions, our little guy entered the world!

The Dr placed him on my chest and I could not stop crying. I could feel such a special presence/spirit in the room. It was as if heaven was right there with us! David and I were just both in tears. The labor was hard and very very long, but this little boy was SO worth it.

Introducing

Joshua Lee

Feb 9, 2013

8:01 pm

6 lbs 11 oz

20 inches 

9 Years!

It's hard to believe it's been nine years since we were married! In some ways it feels like a lifetime ago and in other ways it feels like it's been so fast. We have done a lot of growing up together these past nine years. We really were very young and had stars in our eyes about what our future would be like. We'd only known each other 5 short months and yet we were so eager to start our life together! Looking back, I think we were a little crazy and I almost can't believer our parents let us do it, but I wouldn't change a thing. I think for us, it was the right way to go. We did most of our really getting to know each other after the knot was tied and there was no turning back. Thankfully, neither of us had any skeletons in the closet, but that first year (and all the years to follow!) definitely involved a lot of learning and adjusting and figuring each other and our relationship out. I think I made a pretty good choice and I think he agrees ;) We're happy with the life we've built together and we've learned to really depend on one another and trust each other. I love this guy! Maybe sometime I'll tell our story - but for now, here are pictures of our wedding day. And yes, we were married before photographers really started using digital cameras, so all of our pictures are from film!

Rocket Blast!

Our baby Seth is 4! He loves anything that goes fast: rockets, jets, motorcycles, race cars, etc. He is especially into rockets right now. In his words they are 'awesome' because they have a point at the top. What better way to celebrate his birthday than with a rocket ship party. His grandma (Omi) pulled through with a fun and creative little party.

She set up six stations for the kids to fly their rockets too. At the first station, grandpa (Pa-ki) told the kids a little story about flying in a rocket ship to have a party on the moon! At the second station the kids each had a turn to set off a little alka seltzer in a film case rocket http://www.coolscience.org/CoolScience/KidScientists/alkaseltzer.htm. They had to guess where they would land. At the third station the kids sang a little song and pretended to fly around the moon. At the fourth station the kids each had a turn to play 'Don't Eat Pete.' The fifth station was for presents and the sixth station was cake. They all had such a great time and I am so grateful for Omi and her great ideas!

We love this little ball of energy. Seth has added a whole new dimension to our family and we couldn't imagine life without him. He has such a fun sense of humor and is very clever. He is the sweetest little boy and loves to cuddle and give hugs and kisses. But, he can also be the most difficult little stink and knows how to throw a very impressive tantrum. He is very passionate and feels every thing to the core. I have no doubt he will do great things in his life!

He loves this rocket with Mater (from Cars) from Nana

He is also very into Batman lately!

This little dog may have been his favorite gift. He carries it around everywhere and hugs on it all day. It is of course named, "Puppy Dog." My kids are very creative with names!