Addison Marie is here!

While we were having a baby, the kiddos were making snow ice cream! :)

Wednesday morning, I woke up to a couple of signs of either labor or impending labor.  I had an OB appointment any way that afternoon, but the weather was to complicate things because we had  snow coming in.  The OB actually called me and asked if I could come in early and Sean and I agreed.  We decided to go ahead and ask for The Bates girls and Courtney Green to come over before the weather got bad to watch the kids, in case we stayed at the hospital.  So, we headed off to the OB going 25 mph the whole way there!  It took an hour.  Dr. Hayes checked me and I was dilated to 4 so because of yes you guessed it.....the weather......she decided to strip my membranes and send me over to L and D for observation.  We were there from about noon until 530, at which time I was admitted.  In that time span, we did a lot of walking and I would have contractions that were strong, but not consistent.  They put me on the monitors twice.  I think they would have let us stay overnight even though we weren't sure I'd be having a baby.  Well, then the nurse checked me at 530 and to all of our surprise I was dilated to an 8!!!!!!  And so that is when I wa admitted.  Dr. Metcalf decided to break my water, which we thought would really speed things up because my contractions still weren't consistent, but it didn't really change anything.  It sure did when they broke my water with Hailey!  And that's why every pregnancy story is different!  Any way, some time later, Dr Metcalf decided it was time to start Pitocin to try to regulate contractions.  I was feeling discouraged and defeated and he had already left the room and I think I said something along the lines of "I guess I don't have a choice".  I really didn't want Pitocin.  It makes trying to have a natural L and D a lot harder because the contractions are a lot stronger and it makes it harder to relax and just let my body take over.  Sean said, "Well of course you have a choice" and the nurses chimed in in agreement.  Only later did we find out that Dr. Metcalf thought we had been started on the Pitocin because the nurses didn't tell him that we hadn't.  They suggested we talk about it and then  they would come back.  Sean and I unbeknownst to one another just started fervently praying.  For about 45 mins.  I closed my eyes and just focused on meditating on 2 scriptures the Lord had brought to my mind: "I can do all things through Jesus Christ, which stengtheneth me" and "Without faith, it is impossible to please Him".  Any time I felt my mind going towards discouragement, I would repeat over and over "We can do this" and "My body was created to do this".  Through the power of God and His awesomeness, contractions started coming every 4 mins, and then every 2, and then it was time to call the nurses.  I did about 4 rounds of practice pushes and then they called Dr. Metcalf back in, and I did about 3 more rounds of pushes and then our precious, sweet, sweet Addison Marie was born at 849 pm January 20th weighing 8 lbs 4 oz and 21.5 in long.  She was and IS perfect.  God's perfect creation.  She has been doing very well.  She has a little jaundice and she likes to only pee like once or twice a day and she spits up a little, but she's just trying to figure all this new stuff out I suppose.  They sent us home yesterday right before the next round of snow.  I've been doing well, too!  I had a tear, but I don't really have much pain.  Just been resting a lot and letting Sean do more, which has stressed him out a little.  We have really purposed for me to rest more this time around instead of trying to be super woman.  The kiddos have been so excited to have their new sister and that's all they have been talking about and they have been really sweet with her.  We've got our snow baby!  It's snowing as I type.  :)  

I feel so reenergized and on fire for the Lord and more in love with Jesus!  He is amazing!  

A couple of other testimonies:  Addison had just gone over 24 hours without a wet diaper and they had paged the pediatrician.  The nurse had come in to give us our options and then left so we could talk about it.  Once again, we started praying separately, and she peed!  We also prayed for food that was taking over an hour to get to us and as soon as we prayed, it arrived....even with a 2nd tray for Sean for free.  :)  

We are really learning the power of prayer and the importance of going to the father for everything through prayer FIRST!  The funny thing is, we both had felt unable to pray all that day (Addison's birthday), so I'm so thankful that somehow that all changed.  

Lastly, on this forever long post, pray for Dr. Brown, who is the pediatrician at the hospital and for his salvation.  He was asking one of the nurses about us, asking why we seemed different.  She stated JESUS!  And he said he knew she was going to say that!  He said, they prayed and had a baby, then they prayed again and their baby had a wet diaper and then they prayed again and their baby passed the glucose test.  Again, all the glory to God and we are just thankful He used us and maybe a seed was planted for Dr. Brown.  

Pictures of Hailey's Birthday!!!!

Getting rid of the meconium

First time holding her!

The Creech Family - our sweet friends who watched our boys and they have 7 children of their own!  I think their job was harder than ours for those few days!!!

It's a Girl!!!!!

God blessed Sean and I with a baby girl!  She was born on February 25, 2014 at 142 p.m.  She weighed 8 lb 9 oz and was 21 1/4 in long.  We are so grateful to have had such a safe and quick labor and delivery and a healthy baby girl! 


I went into labor around 9 a.m. on Tuesday morning (the 25th).  We were actually getting ready to drop our boys off at our dear friends' house because we had an ultrasound appointment to go to that morning.  God's timing is perfect!  So, instead we dropped them off there so we could go check into the hospital and have the baby!  We got to the hospital and checked in and I was checked around 1130 in the morning.  I was 100% effaced and 7 cm dilated!  I was amazed and surprised!  They moved us to a room and broke my water around 1.  After that, I went through transition, which is when I really started to feel like I was in labor, and began pushing around 135 p.m.  She was born at 142!!!! 


They had to take her and I wasn't allowed to hold her right away because she had meconium from in the womb, which they had seen when they broke my water.  The nurses were awesome, though, and got that all taken care of, and praise God she has been totally fine and healthy!


We were discharged yesterday (Thursday) and we were so excited to go get our boys and bring home our new and slightly larger family!  They LOVE their new little sister (2 olders) and have been kissing her and petting her head and want to show her the kitty and feed her cookies!  :)  Andrew isn't quite sure what to think yet. 


She has been nursing very well and is such a love.  She had her first pediatrician appointment today and she is already back up to 8 lb 4 oz from (8 even) and got a clean bill of health. 


Sean and I are on cloud nine and we are overjoyed!  All of our church families have been amazing and the love and support and prayers from family and friends has been amazing, too!  And today we get to see my MIL......she will be here until the 9th!  Hooray! 


I will post pictures later! 


<3

My rose bush

I think we counted 4 blooming red roses :)

 I was sitting on the front porch watching the boys play and waiting for Sean to come out to relieve me of my mommy duties so I could do some cleaning when I started admiring my rose bush.  I took a couple of quick pics with my camera phone and then sat back down when God started speaking to me.  These verses came to mind.....

Do Not Worry

Luke 12:22-34

²² Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. ²³ For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. ²⁴ Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! ²⁵ Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life^[b]? ²⁶ Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

²⁷ “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ²⁸ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! ²⁹ And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. ³⁰ For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. ³¹ But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

³² “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. ³³ Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Instead of lillies though, the roses made me think of these verses.  See, I have been worried about my upcoming labor and delivery and the pain and complications and natural delivery and VBAC and no epidurals and C sections and hemorrhaging and hysterectomies and something being wrong with the baby and really just any bad thing I can think of, I'm sure I've thought of.....part me not trusting in God, part Satan attacking.  I've also been getting pretty anxious about going past my due date, which I have, having a huge baby, having to be induced, requiring Pitocin, etc.,  AND I've been anxious because I'm trying so hard to be patient, but I really want to meet our baby!!!  I am trying to stay focused on the fact that I made it full-term, everything has been going great, and it's God's timing.  There is no need to worry or try to take over....God has this covered!  I am purposing to enjoy and cherish every moment of the last days of this pregnancy!  :)