Ryan Turns 8!

Our first born turned 8 yesterday!  He of course had food requests!  Had pancakes for bfast and BLTs for lunch.  Dinner will be done a different day because our church is bringing us suppers right now. He got a new bike!  He opened gifts.  Watched Rogue One.   We went to Anderson County Park to play and for a picnic.  Chunky Monkey for ice cream.  We have a couple of places to take him, too, but that will have to wait.  We love you Ryan!!!!

The lake is HIGH!  Covering the whole road.

More JGB

Jess with Granpop.  Grammy and Granpop are staying with us for a week.  It's been wonderful!

With Daddy at War-Mart while me and Grammy are getting mani/pedis :)

Box lunch?

Taking Jessica Home

April 21, 2017 at 516 PM 8 lb 13 oz Born the same time as Ryan (516 PM)!!!  I had forgotten the stats on the last picture!

Pictures of Jess

http://www.bellababyphotography.com/galleries/ahar0422ptqqqwd

Jessica Grace Arrives!!

So, are you ready for the birth story? :)  My water broke at 1230 (middle of the night on Friday).  Why do babies like to start things in the middle of the night?  lol  Any way, it woke me from sleep.  We called the sitter and got to the hospital around 130 AM.  Even though my water had broken, I was not in labor and not having any sort of consistent contractions.  I was still admitted though since my water broke and I was on a time clock, due to risk of infection.  The nurses informed me that agressive intervention would begin around 7 or 8 am, which was not what we really wanted to hear.  

Dr Peters ordered Pitocin around 9 AM, but we asked if we could talk to him first.  He came in and checked me and I had gone from a 0 to 4 in dilation so he said I could continue to try to get things started on my own.  We walked and walked and rested and walked and used the birth ball and rested and walked some more and rested and snuck a few snacks because I wasn't allowed to eat.  

I was checked again and at 7 so we were allowed to continue.  I was still not getting consistent contractions, just here and there.  Around 245 Pitcoin was started, however, because I was on 14 hours after my water breaking.  I was scared to start Pit; I had it with Hunter and felt it was really hard.  However, Dr Peters started it at the lowest dose of 1 and only had to bump me up to 2.  

I definitely started to get stronger contractions, but still not totally consistent.  I started to get pretty discouraged and bored and impatient and hungry (hadn't eaten since Thursday night).  Sean came over and asked how I was doing and I said I was done and was giving up and I was about to say maybe we should just get a C section when I got a REALLY strong contraction and felt the need to push immediately.  Sean rang for a nurse, but no one came, so he went and got the Dr.  He came in and checked me and Jessica's head was crowning and so they quickly got all their equipment ready.  I pushed once, but went a little overboard trying to get her out lol and Dr Peters looked at me sternly and told me "Hettie, stop".  LOL.  So I did.  Again really weird, but I never felt the strong urge to push or any other strong contractions, but decided to just lightly push without announcing it to see what would happen and voila out came our beautiful baby girl!  Crying.  Sweet music.  And hallelujah I barely tore at all this time!  Cord was wrapped around her neck twice, but it was loose.  

So me and baby and daddy are doing great and are so very thankful to the Lord for everything going so smoothly! 

The last 2 babies (Addie and Jess) have been very untextbook like labors with not very much in the way of contractions (probably had a total of 8-10 strong ones with Jessica that were not timeable) and only one urge to push really.  I can only say that God is amazing and I can only give Him all the glory, honor, and praise. It was all His doing.  I really had fears about pain and labor and delivery this time around and never really wanted labor to get started because I was scared of it.  Probably didn't help that I had been reading scary birth stories!  God did give me Psalm 34:4, which really brought comfort. 

Kiddos are great at home and well taken care of and can't wait to meet baby Jessica, and Grammy and Granpop are on their way here.  Should be here tomorrow.  Overwhelmed with our loving church family, too, who is babysitting for us, went grocery shopping for us, and is bringing us 2 weeks worth of meals.  We don't deserve all this.  God's grace and mercy!  

Pix from Wonderworks

Here are a few pix from Ryan and Hunter's trip to Wonderworks with our church.  Hunter, Judson, Ryan, Jeb

Judson looking, Ryan on the nails

Ry

JUST A QUICK

OUR TOWNHOUSE IN FLORIDA SOLD TODAY!  WOO HOO!  WHEN WE GET THE CHECK AND PAY OFF WESTGATE, WE WILL BE TOTALLY DEBT FREE FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER AS A MARRIED COUPLE!!!!  YAY!

1 to 3

I got to spend Monday with the 3 littles while Ryan and Hunter were with The Bates at Wonder Works in Pigeon Forge as a part of a church field trip.  We had decided it was best not for me to go, being 39 weeks preggo tomorrow and Sean wouldn't be able to come because of working.  I have missed them much today!  it has been quiet.  Too quiet.  We've never let them do something like this before.  However, I have enjoyed getting some 1 on 3 time with the others.  And it is good to get a chance to be reminded that noise and chaos and more children is a blessing!!!  3 seems really easy lol!  Not that Ryan and Hunter are the only ones who make noise and chaos!  :) I got to take the littles to Jaycee Park and then we met Daddy at the Museum of Appalachia for lunch and then home to let Andrew watch a movie while the girls (including mama!) napped.  Hopefully they had a special day, too.  I did.  Now I'm ready to reunite with Ry and Hunter!

Just a Lil Braggn'

Hunter and Ryan were in a music festival last weekend where they had to perform in front of judges (Hunter violin and Ryan piano) and then they were evaluated and scored.  Ryan got 5 points and Hunter 4.  Ryan got the highest one and Hunter right behind them.  We are proud of our boys!  

Also, we plan to go to the Teach Them Diligently Homeschool Conference in May in ATL and Ryan saved $50 of his own money doing chores so he could pay for a robotics program there.  He probably worked on that for a few months, even while his siblings would go out and spend their money, he stayed strong and kept on saving, even though it did not make him happy at times.  We signed him up on Friday.  Way to go, Ryan!!!!