Training

Well, they don't call it "training" for nothing, right? Emily is SURELY going to do better tomorrow than she did today at this potty thing. Right? Right. A good night's sleep will do the trick. Right? Right. We've had one success so far, and it was enough to make my heart happy after a day of failures. I can't wait for some more successes. There will be more successes. Right? Right. Here we go! See you on the other side! Right? :)

Precious things

I'm overwhelmed today with the beauty of life. That's all.

Three Months

Little man is three months old today.  I'm so happy that this age is here, yet so sad the newborn is gone.  I can't even believe how sweet this guy is, though I could be a bit biased.  Having a boy is so fun!  I'll be honest, it's not all that different (minus the obvious :) BUT I definitely notice the difference when I go to pick out an outfit and care so much less about how I dress him.  Don't get me wrong.. I do care some, just exponentially less than I did when the girls were this age :)  AND, I don't take a photo of him in every.single.outfit.  Jakob, please forgive me.  

I love this stage, mainly because they're so cute.  Really, the smiles and the little sausage arms just melt my heart!  I love tiny feet, but I also love a little more sleep at night, and three months is the best of both.  So, as much as I miss newborn Jake, I welcome baby Jake with open arms!  Jakob has settled into a good routine.  I have a feeling since he is the third, his routine will never be clockwork, but I'm just fine with that.  Poor little guy just has to be dragged out and about during certain days, and he would be a much better sport if he actually liked sleeping in his car seat.  Alas, he doesn't.  At all.  But, we just keep trying and hope he will get the hang of it.  Jakob at this point is still sleeping his 6-8 hour stretch at night (sometimes 9 if I'm super duper lucky), and I'm about to experiment in dropping the 10pm feeding just to see what happens.  Maybe tonight?  He's starting to sleep through most of it, so why bother :)  I think a small part of me will miss that time with him, but I can truly say I enjoyed it while it lasted.

His day schedule is still kind of a 2.5 hour schedule, so it gets moved around a lot depending on what we're doing, but it works for us at this point.  His wake time between naps is only about 45 minutes long still, and I'm glad he likes to sleep.  It sure makes him happier when he is awake!  *ahem* I remember a certain grouchy patch a couple of months ago...

Jake isn't quite as tubby as I thought he would be by now, but he is long.  He weighs only a little more than Elyse did at this age.  He's starting to coo and crow a lot, and we love to hear his noises.  His smiles are so flirty and cute, I could just take pictures of every one!  He chews on his hands all the time and wrings them together like a little old person.  He has officially become a finger-sucker.. ironically, the exact same finger as Emily sucks.  I guess that's what happens when you have a tummy-sleeper!  No rolling over yet, but he's giving it some effort.

Daddy loves having a little guy around to talk to.  We often beg Jakob to be drama-free, and I truly hope he's listening!  The girls love to play with him even more now that he's more alert and responsive.  They often leave evidence of their snacks on his cheeks because of all the kissing.  Elyse likes to report his every move to me with an, "Aww, he's so cute!!"  And Emily, ... well, she just jabbers on about something Jakob-related.

fun's:

* I love seeing him stop in the middle of eating just to give me a smile.
* Seeing his face light up when I catch his eye... I hope he always does that!
* He loves to fall asleep on my shoulder, whenever I let him.  MELTS MY HEART!
* His bicycle kicks :)
* The arch-y-back-stretch that makes his bum stick out...
* I love the way he snorts.
* He is napping like a champ- and sleeping well.  Leaves me in a better mood to enjoy him!

not-so-fun's:

* He still loves to space out his messy diapers... a week or so apart.  A nursery worker told me yesterday that he pooped out pee-poop :)  haha...  yes, I am sort of glad I didn't have to change it!
* Knock on wood, I've only been peed on twice by him, but that is never really fun.
* I strongly dislike the smell of spit up.  Unfortunately, he's a spitter sometimes...
* Yes, you guessed it- watching him grow so fast.  It's crazy to think that he's only been out of me for three months, yet he's so much bigger!

Jakob, we love you so much.  I can't wait to see how your little personality will grow and develop.  I can only imagine you will have to learn lots of patience and long-suffering in this house.  Your daddy will give you lots of tips, I'm sure :)  Happy Three Months!

oh, the fun!

I've been keeping track of some of Elyse's funnies, because I just can't forget about these. Here they are:

* I was singing to the girls before bed last night, and Elyse interrupted me and asked me first of all for a "silent song." Hmm. I was a little stumped, and when she saw my hesitation, she said, "Well, how about you sing me a classical song?"


* At breakfast the other morning, Elyse said, "I think we need to wear sweaters, Mommy, because this juice is COLD!" 


* I asked Elyse what we should get Jordan for father's day. Her short list is: a sweater, some pink flowers, brown shoes, or a tablecloth. It was a bit ironic that she remembered the tablecloth and the pink flowers that were my mother's day gifts in 2011 :) 


* She was sitting close to me as I was feeding Jakob, and she was gushing a little about how cute his feet were. She seemed to be squeezing them a little bit too hard, so I reminded her to be gentle. She responded with, "are they going to snap off?" :) Well, dear, when you put it like that, why don't you just go right on ahead... 


* Elyse LOVES to eat dry cereal. Yes, DRY. She begs me not to put milk in her cereal, and I can somehow convince her to eat the first bowl with milk. Don't ask me how. 


* She calls cantaloupe "oaf-a-loupe" and still calls burgers "burnagers." :) LOVE IT! 


* We taught the girls how to dip their cookies in milk. Elyse figured it out quite quickly... "Can I have more cookies? There's more milk in here..." 


* Elyse got a few mosquito bites the other week. She didn't like her "bite bugs" very much. 


* She loves to give reasons for why Jakob might be crying... "he needs a bandaid" or "he needs to go potty" are common. Her favorite, however, is that he just needs to eat. She loves to help out :) 


* A month or so ago, she had a friend over to play.  I found Elyse sitting at the picnic table out back with a small pile of rocks. She looked up at me dramatically and said, "Oh, I wish I could play with my friend!" I reminded her (a bit sarcastically) that her friend was right.behind.her. She dramatically responded, "But I just have to play with my rocks..." 


* Elyse has heard the story of Christ dying on the cross often enough that it's definitely sparked some curiosity. She asked if the "cow" (beef) she was eating died on a cross. Hmm... On a serious note, it's been difficult to explain the concepts of life and death to a three year old.  I'm realizing how much I don't comprehend just as I explain things to her!


* Elyse has her first imaginary friend! Percy. Yes, Percy from Thomas the Train. Percy is a girl, however, and she's pink. She is still a train. She is never actually with us, per se, but she is always going to join us or meet us somewhere. Elyse and Em will look forward to Percy's visit all day, which is adorable. It was funny, though, when I reassured Em one night that Daddy would be home soon... Em responded, "Percy's coming! Oh boy!" Forget Daddy, right? :) Oh, the power of a big sister!!!


* Overall, she is developing quite a sense of humor.  She loves to use her imagination and just get us to laugh.  She'll tell us we're going to ride on a banana up to Minnesota for vacation next month, tell us that Emily Mae is a goofy oompa-loompa, etc... it's pretty funny to watch her laugh at her own jokes!  Her new favorite is to make a "rhyme" (or so she thinks...) and watch her follow it up with "DOWN BY THE BAY!" and crack up.  Love this crazy girl!  

2 months

No, Jakob, I did not post a one month update.  I promise it's because I was busy loving you!  I am amazed that we have had this little guy with us for two whole months.  The weeks have been precious, and I have loved every second.  YES, even the screaming-his-head-off seconds.  And they they have been numerous :)  I am so in love with this little guy.  He is getting sweeter by the day.  As with my girls, the first six weeks were a whirlwind.  You know, that inexplicable fussiness that usually rears its head when I want to eat, sleep, or shower... and if you DON'T know what I'm talking about because your sweet child was never fussy, please don't comment on that in the comment section.  Heehee... just kidding.  At about 6.5 weeks, this little guy started chillin' in every way.  He started staying happy for a while after eating, stopped fighting sleep as much, started giving me lots of smiles.. the smiles that come after eye contact and cute little "come on, little guy!" comments.. smiles that melt my heart.  He is grinning like crazy these days, and I'm loving every grin.  Just this week, we have fallen into a nice routine.  It's not exactly clockwork, but he is napping much more peacefully, and we've been working on an established bedtime (finally!).  It's not seamless, but it's progress, and for that I'm thankful.  Our household runs much smoother when we're rested :)

He is giving me a nice stretch at night- about 5-6 hours at this point, and I'm thankful.  I always hope for more, but I know that will come soon enough!  I need to take advantage of these midnight cuddles with this sweet boy.  Okay, I'll be honest- I'm hoping I'll get a nice 8-10 hour stretch soon :)

His wake time between naps is still only about 45 minutes, but when he's awake, he loves to look at toys.  I even catch him flirting with those toys :)  Since naps are going better, I'm back to life in general.  I'm cooking lots, trying to clean and keep up on laundry, and I'm realizing that this mommy gig is WAY more full-time than it was a few months ago!  I really think that the transition to three kids has been much easier than the transition to two, but it still is triple the work.. Oh, I mean triple the fun!!!

Daddy is still enjoying paternity leave.  Yes, I know- it's crazy.  He'll go back to work in two weeks, and I'm going to miss him terribly around here!  I am excited to get into a better routine, but I know that these three have really enjoyed the extra daddy time.  I know I have.

Jakob is all boy.  Though I can see so much of Em and Elyse in him, he definitely has his own look, and it's SO BOY :)  He seems to be growing like a weed, but I won't know until next week when I can see the proof on that scale.  He is taking a bottle well, so I'm hoping that will come in handy for our ninth anniversary date soon... Jake moved into his bed at night time when he turned six weeks, and he seems to like it.  You know, he doesn't complain too much?  I sort of miss looking over the side of our bed and seeing him snuggled in his basket, but I know we're both sleeping better in separate rooms :)

Jakob has quite a few nicknames: Jake, Jakey-Jake, little bud, dude, "Jabok" (courtesy of Em), ... and some others that just don't stick :)  He seems to like all of his nicknames at this point.  Here are some of my fun's and not-so-fun's for this age:

fun's:

* LOVE seeing those goofy grins when his belly is full!
* This is pretty sick of me to say, but it is kind of funny to watch him wince as soon as his sisters get close :) Heehee... He's such a good sport!  They are so gentle, but they just love to get UP CLOSE and TALK LOUDLY!
* I love picking him up when he's asleep- he is the best snuggler!
* He still sleeps on me.  When I let him :)  Which is often enough...
* He's starting to turn his head just to make eye contact.
* I LOVE the smell of babies.
* He's getting chubby!!!
* I love how he puts his thumb between his index and second finger (see above picture :)
* I just love seeing him grow and change.  I love to imagine what he'll look like as a toddler.

not-so-fun's:

* Though he's a pretty "regular" guy, he still finds away to BLOW OUT his diapers.  His car seat his is favorite pick for decoration. *sigh* BOYS.
* I go through about 15 wipes.  Seriously.
* I wish he still fit in his cute little moses basket...
* Though I'm thankful his naps are better, I really miss really miss really miss holding him all the time!  I still take advantage of that when I can.  I have realized why third children are typically easier... they have to be!
* Sweet boy, I'm trying to make time slow down, but it's not working.  Be my little guy forever :)

I love him.  What was life like again without him?  Can't remember.  Don't want to.  He's sweet and he's going to be a joy to raise.  Seriously.  Happy two months, Jakob!  We love you.  To pieces.

2 years OLD!!!

Two years with our sweet Emily.  Wow.  You probably were thinking I'd FORGET about her two year post, weren't you?  Well, I did remember, but it has taken me a while to post.  Obviously.  Em turned two on May 19, and we had to celebrate in the style of a two year old: cake, balloons, bubbles, presents, ... you get the idea.  Emily is changing by the day, it seems.  A few weeks ago, I was getting somewhat worried about her lack of "clarity" as far as vocabulary goes.  Even in a few weeks, she has developed so much.  I am encouraged, but I already miss the unintelligible jibber jabber. Seriously, she has the cutest little voice, and I hope I always remember how she sounds RIGHT NOW.

How can I sum up Emily?  Well, she is seriously just delightful.  Don't get me wrong, she is far from perfect (aren't we all?).  But, God has gifted her with a bubbly presence that brings so much joy.  She genuinely enjoys life.  I see her smile and hear her giggle when no one is around... playing with toys and clapping her hands over small victories.  She loves to laugh and make others laugh.  She smiles the most winning smile - just because.  She can just about get us to totally lose any train of thought when she interrupts with the most excited commentary on who knows what.  I love this girl.  We are constantly amazed at the level of her humor, as I feel like she could compete with the best of my funny friends :)

Emily loves her big sister to pieces, but every once in a while, she just likes to play alone (much to Elyse's chagrin).  Em loves animals and babies, and Jakob is just a big doll to her!  We have to supervise quite often, as she will kiss and hug him to pieces if she's allowed.  Some of her new favorite phrases are:

"Yes SIR!" - when told to do something :)
"I DID IT!" - when doing anything right
"What dat noise?" - upon hearing anything unusual
"Where Daddy go?"
"I'm huggy" - for "I'm hungry"
"Hey, BUDDDDDYYYY..." - when talking to Jake

Emily is cutting her last eye tooth, and then we look forward to two year molars.  Anytime now!  As of now, potty-training is "penciled" in for this summer at some point, but honestly, I just don't like to think about it. Yet.  Is she ready?  Does it really matter? :)

Em loves to eat, but these days, she's become a bit choosy.  She will snub her nose at some favorites, which makes me wonder if she just wants to be difficult at times... hmm...  This girl has some vices, a few of which are: climbing the ladder into Elyse's top bunk, pouring out her cup of milk, blowing bubbles in her cup of milk, playing in her cup of milk (do you get my drift?), and general disobedience.  This girl is hard to keep up with!  She's even harder to scold with a straight face.

Em loves to sing the birthday song, and it usually goes somewhat like this (sometimes sung in a growl): "Happy dir-day to to..."  She also has most of our bedtime songs memorized, but refuses to perform.  We just have to catch her in the act :)  She LOVES puzzles, and she can do most of her board puzzles in her sleep, but they still manage to entertain her.  Books and babies are favorites, but nothing tops playing with Daddy!  These days, both girls are into stickers, and Emily always has to put a token sticker on her tummy before sticking them on anything else.  Elyse and Em already have an inside joke - "bubble game."  They reenact a video of Emily falling down while chasing bubbles, and the girls remind each other at random times and burst into laughter.  Sisters!!!

Yes, Emily is the child who will seemingly give us a run for our money, but I wouldn't change it for anything. Her spunk makes me want to enjoy life to the fullest, just as she seems to do.  No, I can't even remember what a meal is like without a child covered from head to toe in cottage cheese or some other messy food, but it's worth every second.  My messy little monkey makes me laugh, and I hope I always remember that the mess is never more important than loving my little girl.  Have I mentioned she likes to eat dog food?  Yep.

Happy birthday, Emily Mae.  We love you more than words can say!  We pray you learn at a young age that only God can give you true happiness.  You mean so much to our family!

What's new?

Well, what's new?  ... let's see ... our baby boy ... Elyse's baby (Star, a stuffed giraffe that's all the rage) ... Emily's eye teeth ... this crazy 6 week paternity leave that is spoiling me! ... Where to start.  My three children are changing faster than the speed of light, it seems, and I could probably attribute it to the fact that I am still somewhat in a fog.  I have asked my husband if we will ever feel rested again.  Is it really possible?  Then, deep in the recesses of my mind, I dig out the memory of what it is like when that sweet child sleeps through the night for the first time ... when my baby's naps became seamless and predictable.  I have to cling to the promise of that day, or I think I might just commit coffee abuse for the duration of my life.

Here's the scoop on us:

Jakob

He weighed in at 9lbs, 11oz at his two week appointment, and I always feel a bit of relief to know that my babies are gaining weight.  I'm sad that he only got to wear certain newborn clothes once, but I love his chub more!  He is eating great, and his night sleep is going VERY well.  He hasn't made it longer than 4.5 hours between feedings yet, but he is good at going right back to sleep.  He still has a patch or two a day of just plain old fussiness, but the patches seem to be diminishing a little.  Perhaps it's normal for the "third" baby, but he is pretty consistently taking naps on his own already.  Could be attributed to the fact that Mommy and Daddy are busy tending to toddlers, but I still take advantage of cuddling him for a nap or two here and there when I can.  I know he's going to grow up all too fast, and I want to keep him little forever... in a way :)  Right now, Jake is only able to take 30-40 minutes of being awake at a time.  Crazy, huh?  He sure loves his sleep and his food, and that's okay if it makes him happy!  He is more alert and active when he is awake, which is fun.  The girls adore being around him, and Emily is usually close by saying, "Hey, buddy! Happy dirday, buddy! (for happy birthday) Hey, baby broder!"  Each phrase is said in her best mommy voice, too.  MELTS. MY. HEART.  Elyse loves being around him as well, kissing, hugging, patting, ... whatever.  Both girls just adore him, and it does this mama's heart good to see that!

Sweet sweet sleep!

Just had to capture the saggy cheeks!!!  SO KISSABLE!

Doesn't his expression seem a bit devious?  He did have a blowout on the way to church, so perhaps he was plotting...

I love the squishy face.

Emily

Em is on the verge of cutting her fourth eye tooth, and she is usually seen walking around sucking on her index finger.  I feel badly for her, as we've been through this with the other big teeth.  No fun!  She is still my early bird, and I usually wake up these days to her singing in her bed or saying, "Lee!  LEE!" (for Elyse).  It is quite funny, though, when Elyse is still asleep or just refuses to answer.  Em just keeps getting louder!  Emily is really into singing happy birthday to everything - even bites of her food.  Her version: "happy dirday to to, happy dirday to to..."  It's pretty fun.  Honestly, her vocab isn't awesome, but she seems to be getting more words down, and it's a good thing Jordan and I have gotten "decent" at interpretation, because to the average joe most of what she says is pretty hard to understand.  She is uncannily good at puzzles and dealing with small objects, but she still can't seem to drink out of a cup without spilling it.  Food for thought :)  She has the sense of humor of a MUCH older child, and we are in constant amazement at how fun she is.  She loves to laugh and smile (when she's not in the throw of a tantrum, which happens a bit more often these days), and nothing suits her better than an audience.  I often find her spinning circles in the living around a certain toy that she has set on the floor.. dancing to random music.. cuddling her dolls.. reading.  She is the girl of many hobbies!  My new favorite is her "yes" which is an enthusiastic "YEP - E - DOE!"  Whenever she gets something special, she yells/laughs "Oh BOY!"

Poor Jakob :) 

I've never used the word "gentle" so often.  So thankful that they love him so much.

Elyse

This child is 3 going on 10 it seems.  Her imagination is crazy, and she loves to ask about whether or not monsters are real, etc..  it's pretty fun.  I love hearing her converse.  She loves to talk with Em and explain things to her.  You know, the deep questions in life, like why Emily isn't allowed to sit on the big potty yet, or why she has to wear certain shoes.  She is my little mother hen, and I do love what a helpful spirit she has.  She loves to look in on Em if she's crying or needs help, and she is really sad when Jakob's crying for some reason.  She loves to set the table (we find stuff all over!) and help with cleaning around the house.  She pretends to go to the hospital (hostable) several times a day to have her baby (Star), and she loves when we "go" with her :)  Some of her recent funnies: Elyse said when she gets older, she wants to shave her head and her armpits.  Hmm!  I heard Elyse talking about poo at the table (not our first choice for dinner conversation), so I told her talk about something else.  She responded with, "Well, we always have to do things we don't like, Mommy."  Smarty pants :)  It is so hard not to laugh.  Getting straight answers out of this girl is nearly impossible.  She uses lots of these types of phrases: "Well, maybe, . . . " and finds a great way to either embellish the information or avoid the question all together.  AND, she has awesome facial expressions to go along with her fascinating stories.  She calls us "sweetie" or "honey" all the time, and once in a while I will remind her I'm MOMMY, but most times, it's just plain funny.  I love this stage SO MUCH!!!!

Elyse got to give Jake part of his first bottle the other day!  She loved it :)

US

Well, I am just loving having my husband home right now!  I especially needed him this weekend when I started fighting some bug... fever and sniffles, but he took care of us all like a champ.  He is genuinely enjoying the household pace we keep these days, and I am thankful for the change of pace he can have.  Seriously, this guy is never NOT doing something, so it is nice to see him nap every once in a while, and we've enjoyed watching movies when we can, or just enjoying time together outside of "date night."  Times like this make me appreciate so much how hard he works for us.  Staying at home is such a privilege I have because it's important to him, too.  Though it's not easy by any stretch of the imagination, he works so hard to make it possible.  I'm glad he can have a break from his 8-4:30 job and just focus on serving in our church and enjoying his family for three more weeks.

I do believe that even this busy stage of life has drawn us closer together.  I can see how it could potentially drive a couple apart, but we have both realized how much we need God's grace to get through this intact.  That, in turn, drives us together.  I'm so thankful for a husband that loves being a daddy, and I'm thankful that he loves being a husband, too :)  I laugh when I am reminded of the conversation we had 10 months ago in Minnesota when that silly little PLUS SIGN showed up on my pregnancy test.  Jordan's just as supportive now as he was then.  Yes, I admit, if I had my choice at the time, we'd be welcoming a baby into our family a bit farther down the road, but this was God's path for us, and I am seeing that it's seriously PERFECT.  We are tasting firsthand the goodness of God and the love of his children... Our church family has showered us with meals and gifts when we've needed them the most.  Jakob, I can't wait to tell you someday how we have seen God's grace in your little life already!  We love you, little man!

Nothing like bath time!

Welcome, Jakob Henry!

Jakob's welcome is a little overdue... Two weeks ago he decided to make his grand entrance, but, as you can probably imagine, this little blog gets even less of my attention these days than normal.  I've been asked several times what it's like (for me) to have three children.  Truth is, I'm not sure what normal is at this point.  My husband's company gives him six weeks of paid paternity leave (I know... seriously!), and I can hardly believe I get another month with him around.  SO, I have no idea what it's like to man three children by my lonesome for more than a few hours :)  In the few hours I've had them by myself, I can tell you that my mind is constantly going in three directions instead of two.  I am excited in some bizarre way to have the challenge ahead of me next month, though.  For now, however, I will gladly enjoy the time we have with Daddy.  He is so good with the kids, and it sure lessens the load. 

So, back to our sweet new baby boy... !  Jakob's due date was April 7th, and I had been hoping that I would go into labor early, as I did with the girls.  The closer I got to my due date, however, I started to think I would have him on April 10th, the day my mom flew HOME.  She took a risk in planning her trip for April 2nd - April 10th, but we all felt fairly confident that I'd have him at least by my due date.  I had been quite uncomfortable for weeks and had experienced plenty of false labor, which I knew was common by the third pregnancy.  I think all of the false labor started messing with my mind a bit, and I started to think I would never be able to distinguish the real thing when it hit!  

On Monday night, April 2nd, Jordan went to pick up my mom from the airport.  They were home by 10pm, and after we visited for a while, I felt tired enough to go to sleep.  At midnight, I started experiencing random cramps, but they weren't significant enough to keep me from sleeping, so I managed to get a few hours of sleep under my belt before the big day.  I woke at 5am and definitely started to feel consistent cramping, but it was SO unlike my other two labors, I tried to ignore it and go back to sleep.  By 7am when the girls got up, the cramps were lasting about half of a minute and were consistently coming about 3-4 minutes apart.  I was having a harder time sitting down, but the thought of spending an entire day in the hospital waiting for real labor was quite unappealing!  I was able to give my mom a rundown of the girls' schedule, get showered and packed, and by 9am, NOTHING had changed.  Jordan and I took a short walk up and down the street, and NOTHING changed.  I was getting a little worried by this point because I had talked Jordan into skipping work, and I was already feeling badly that he might end up going in with no baby news!

I finally called the nurse at my OB's office, and she asked me in the course of our conversation how many "contractions" I had.  I informed her three or four since we started talking, and she told me that they were probably not real, as there's no way I could talk through three or four real contractions.  Since my contractions with Emily's pregnancy were so different (they were grab-the-nearest-piece-of-furniture-and-hold-on-for-dear-life contractions), I was a little embarrassed when I heard the nurse tell me that.  She told me to keep them posted if they progressed, but when I then told her it was my third pregnancy, she changed her mind and told me to come into the office so they could check me out... just in case.  Jordan and I said our goodbyes to the girlies and to my mom, and we headed over to the office, which is right next to the hospital.  After waiting over an HOUR in the waiting room to see the doctor (I could totally still sit at this point and there was no change in my "contractions"), the doctor informed me that I should indeed head over to the hospital and get the party started.  

But, I was hungry.  Really hungry.  It was after 11am, and Chick-fil-A sounded like heaven.  Jordan and I grabbed some lunch and dawdled over to the hospital.  As I was digging out my chap stick from the trunk of the car, I somehow managed to slice my finger on Jordan's razor.  Side note: not a pretty scene.  Blood everywhere.  It just happened to be the same finger they needed for a print, so, OOPS!  Thankfully, it was a surface cut, and the nurses tended to me very well :)  I was just laughing that the cut hurt worse than my contractions were hurting at that point!  ANYWAY, I was admitted just after 12pm, so we settled into our room and began the waiting.  I was very sad to find out that my doctor had just gone OFF shift at 12pm, but I was very comfortable having the midwife deliver Jakob.  She came in just before 2pm and I was just getting a little uncomfortable.  My contractions (which still just felt like cramps) were still 3-4 minutes apart, but they were lasting about a minute each.  The midwife suggested we go ahead and break my water, and I was just fine with that!  I was able to get an epidural before they broke my water at 2:40, and it worked without a hitch this time :)  Lovely!

I only had one "hiccup" in my labor when my blood pressure dropped significantly, but it was nothing that some extra fluids couldn't fix.  I started to feel ready to push at 4:15, so my nurses found the midwife, and Jordan and I started to really get excited!  I started pushing at 4:30, and I had hoped that one or two pushes would work as it did with my girls... It didn't take me long to realize that this baby was a bit bigger!  After 4 or 5 pushes, we finally got to meet Jakob at 4:42pm.  He weighed in at 8 pounds, 13 ounces, and he measured 21 3/4 inches long.  I was so happy to hold him!!!  I will never forget that moment when he was plopped onto my stomach, and I finally got to see the little person that had been sharing my body for so many months.  Even now, I look down at Jakob as he's sleeping on my chest, and I cannot even imagine that this person was grown inside of me.  Crazy!

I found out afterwards that the umbilical cord was wrapped twice around Jakob's neck.  My midwife handled the delivery so amazingly, and I was glad I didn't know at the time.  God was so gracious to give us an great hospital experience, and though it's probably not nice of me to compare, I think this was the overall best delivery experience I had.  God was even more gracious to give us another healthy, beautiful baby.  We have more than we could ever ask for.  

Elyse and Emily love their brother.  I am somewhat surprised that Jakob doesn't seem to phase them at all.  They love to watch him, hug him, kiss him, etc... but they don't really do anything differently :)  Life goes on...  I am actually getting more sleep than I was at the end of my pregnancy, which is nifty!  Jakob is doing well sleeping at night (when he's not eating!), and I am so thankful for Jordan's help during the day so I can usually nap in the afternoons.  Jakob is pretty easy-going for now.  He definitely hates messy diapers and being hungry.  I'm curious to find out later this week how much he weighs, but I can tell he's putting on some weight.  I loved that he had some chub on him when he was born, and it is still so fun to kiss his squishy cheeks :) 

Jakob, we are so blessed to have you as part of our family.  God gave you to us so graciously, and we want to see you grow up to be a man who loves God with all of your heart.  We love you to pieces, but we'll never be able to love you as much as your Heavenly Father.  We pray that you will realize at a young age how much he did for you.  For now, please stay little and sweet!  ... And never lose that newborn smell.  Welcome to our family, baby Jake!

Recent Funnies

* Elyse watched Daddy shave the other day... apparently she doesn't get to do this often, because her comment was, "Hey, Mommy!  Daddy has ice cream on his face!"

* Emily is cracking me up with her voice and her lingo.  Anytime you ask her something she is enthusiastic about, she answers, "Yeeeeeeahhhh!"

* When my parents were visiting, my dad had Elyse in his lap, and she was entertaining him with some nonsense... He asked her what she thought of his hair (which is cut super short and getting quite thin - sorry, Dad!), and she responded that it's kind of like a 'doggy's' hair :)

* The girls had SO MUCH FUN with my parents.  We enjoyed the live-in entertainment, too :)  I'm glad Grandma gets to return in a month to do some more entertaining!

* Emily and Elyse love to run from the kitchen to the living room, and I LOVE hearing Emily count.  She'll softly say, "nine, nine, nine... GO!"

* Elyse calls Em 'little sweetie' these days.  Pretty cute.  She also pulls that phrase out when she's trying to manipulate Em to something against her will.  Not so cute.

* Elyse's term for describing how cold she is: shivery.  How apropos!

* The other day, Jordan gave Elyse a sip of his soda, and she said that it was so 'tizzy.'

* I love asking the girls over breakfast what they dreamed about the night before.  Elyse now dreams about treats (so she says) and Emily dreams about the moon, the stars, and the sky.  Good to know!

* Elyse's newest spontaneous prayer:  "Thank you for the Lord who blesses us and for cartoons... that Emily gave us.  Amen."

* Jordan watched a Franklin the Turtle movie with Elyse a few days ago, and he pieced together one of Elyse's unsolved mysteries.  She had been saying that her tummy hurt every night after going to bed.  We just chalked it up to a wild imagination trying to avoid bedtime, but apparently in the movie, Bear has a sleepover with Franklin and complains that he has a tummy-ache.  *click!*  Oh, they are little sponges!  Once we asked her if that's why she said it, she smirked and said, YES...

* The other day, we went on our first shopping venture with DOLLS.  DOLLS AND BLANKETS FOR THE DOLLS.  I could hardly believe myself as we loaded up two girls with two dolls.  Special.  Emily is obsessed with hers.  She can be seen walking through the house singing to her baby, feeding her baby, kissing and rocking her baby... it's pretty fun.  I have a feeling I'm going to have some serious talks with her about picking up Jakob by herself when he comes along :)

Okay, and Emily's little marshmallow arms have me aching for summer clothes and chunky arms and legs!  Yay for baby chub :)

A little update

Well, probably not "little."  It's been ages since I've blogged, and I just recently started to remember that I have a blog that I will thank myself later for using!  SO much has been going on, and yet, so little.  Any moms with me there? :)  Big happenings, little happenings... they all kind of form the mushy play-doh mess Elyse makes.  I can't quite distinguish what happened first, but it somehow always involves messiness.  Oh, and fun, of course.  *cough*

I am 35 weeks pregnant, and I'm feeling the torpedo effect.  This little guy is making his mama WEARY.  I truly feel that is the only description for what I'm feeling these days.  Dictionary.com (my great friend) defines "weary" as this:

physically or mentally exhausted by hard work, exertion, strain,etc.; fatigued; tired: weary eyes; a weary brain.

Yep, that says it all! :)  Okay, in all fairness, Jakob, it is probably your big sisters that are causing mommy's weariness.  I can't fault you completely!  I love the weary brain part.  That is right where I'm at.  I am so incredible spoiled that I have two kids WALKING, though... what a blessing!  I am not quite sure how I carried Elyse around for months while being pregnant with Em...?  Jakob, I am SO excited to meet you, but I'm also thankful I have another month or so.  I need to de-girl-ify your bed!

Speaking of baby coming, we have officially transferred the girls to bunk beds.  Can I just say, it's awesome.  They LOVE them, and after about a week in their new beds, the big news is that it was a completely successful transition!  I apparently have TWO children that are too naive to know they can completely run amuck if they desire while we are sleeping...  We haven't had any escape attempts or spills (yet), and they just love sleeping in the beds.  The first night involved giggling for about an hour before they finally passed out!

Speaking of bedtime, the number one daddy in the world gets to be home nightly now!  He got a different position at work and is now able to work all day shifts.  I admit, I had some mixed emotions, but the schedule is very nice overall.  The girls do love his grand entrance every evening, and I really appreciate the help with bedtime.  I also find that I am much more productive during the days when he is not around to distract me with his long eyelashes :)  

I had mentally tried to keep March "free" for baby-prep, but so much for that.  Looks like another busy month is on the docket, which means Jakob will be here in no time.  Little guy, we can't wait to meet you!  I am worried that a crib might not contain you the way you have been kicking the daylights out of me, but I'm sure we'll find a way to get you to be still every once in a while!  You are already a vital part of our family, and we can't wait to kiss your sweet cheeks!  Goodbye, February... hello, March!

I need to write this stuff down, so I guess that's what blogging's for, right?  Hold on to your seats: this could get so intensely exciting, you might not sleep tonight.

*  I made hamburgers the other day, and I took for granted that I don't make them much...  Elyse calls them "burnagers."  Not because I burned them, either :)  Emily is obsessed with coloring, and she will point to the bin of crayons and coloring books and yell "cock-a-pee!"

*  Elyse has started to spontaneously pray.  I love hearing what comes out of her mouth!  She usually starts with, "Thank you for the Lord who blesses us," and somewhere along the way, she thanks God for cartoons.  Of course.

*  Both of the girls are REALLY into baby dolls and pretending that their stuffed animals are babies.  I think the dollar store baby bottles sealed the deal.  The girls will dig out their receiving blankets, wrap up their "babies," and feed and rock their babies throughout the day.  I'll find babies "sleeping" under our pillows, in the towels, under their beds, ...  It's pretty fun to think that they'll be getting their baby brother soon!  Even Em loves to sing to her doll as she puts it to sleep, and if that blanket is not JUST RIGHT, we're in trouble.

*  I have a couple of videos of the girls that I've been watching over and over again.  Video one is here, and video two is here.  I swear, I could watch them over and over!

*  Elyse's has a habit of "cussing" when she's upset or exasperated at something.  I wish I could remember all of her bad words, but some of my favorites are:

SICK HORSE!


Poopie, doopie, loopie!


Old MacDonald!


Oh, heck! (No, I'm sure she wouldn't have picked up that from her parents...*cough*)

*  Emily had a check-up today, and she weighed in at 25lbs, 3oz.  She's almost 20 months, and she's definitely packing on the pounds :)  So much for my little peanut!  She knew from the minute we walked down to the office that bad memories were associated with that office, and she whimpered most of the visit :(  Poor baby!

*  Elyse loves to teach Emily words.  Sometimes it's fun.  Most of the time it's not.  She taught her "MINE" during nap time the other day (Yes, I know this because I listened in disbelief outside the door), and as soon as Em started to yell it, Elyse yelled for me to come and correct Emily.  She likes to get her to say "cupcake" and "gumdrop" and "poopie."  *sigh*  Will she ever be a little lady?

*  Jordan wore a suit the other day to a funeral, and Elyse said, "Daddy, that's a really pretty dress you're wearing."  Yea, that about says how often he wears a suit.

*  Emily just can't resist unzipping her pi's.  I will go in to check on her at night, and she will often have them entirely unzipped.

*  Emily has been going without her morning nap this week, which has been... um... interesting.  I think we'll still be pulling it out every so often, but for the most part, it's made for some smoother afternoons.  My little girl is getting so big!  I'm amazed when I see her all stretched out in her crib that she's a toddler now.  I know when she holds Jakob, it's really going to hit me!

*  Yea, I know it's exciting stuff.  I love these two, in all of their craziness.  I am feeling a bit more tired with this third trimester thing going on, but it is so fun knowing that we get to meet a new family member in a matter of weeks.  Can't wait to have a newborn around!