Thankful

Leo

Our sweet baby boy is here!  

And, well, has been for a month and a day now, but hey... better late than never, right? 

Our little Leo Michael was born on October 19th at 3:11 pm, and weighed in at a whopping 8 lbs 12 oz, and was 20.5 inches long.  A healthy and hearty (and long!) baby boy.  The last month has been one of adjustment, mostly for the girls and myself, but we're surviving just fine.  So far, the thing I've noticed the most about having four kids is just the increase in the level of noise... though that may have more to do with Cory having gotten Rock Band the week before the baby was born... ha.  

My delivery was mostly uneventful--I chose to be induced a week early (something I never thought I'd do), for two reasons.  One--to get my (strep B) antibiotics in (takes a bit of time, so being induced meant I could plan better for that and get the full dose in), and Two--purely for convenience--I knew my mom would be in town by then, and I could plan on her having my girls and taking care of them.  I was so stressed about this delivery--what if I went into labor in the middle of the night, during school, while Cory was at work, etc.  It was so reassuring to know that I was just going to go to the hospital at a planned time on a planned day, and would have a baby.  

Last pregnant photo--I look so ready to have a baby, don't you think?

So at 7:30 on the 19th, Cory and I drove to the hospital to have a baby.  They got me all hooked up to the monitors (I was already contracting at that point, but honestly, I had been for weeks, so that was nothing new), and started my antibiotics around 9.  They started the pitocin shortly thereafter to get things moving.  At 10:30 the doctor broke my water, and I got the epidural sometime around 11.  I was still somewhere around a 4, but I knew by this time around that once I got past that 4, I'd go quickly.  Around 1:00, I started to feel some pain in my right hip with every contraction.  I rolled over to that side (sometimes that helps the epidural meds to kind of drain to that side), but it didn't help.  The pain continued to get worse, and I felt more and more sensation over the next hour, and around 2:00 I started to progress, and went from the 4 to complete in about 45 minutes.  At this point, though, I was in a LOT of pain.  I had complete feeling through my right side, and since I'd had a lot of pitocin at this point, the contractions were pretty fierce (I hear they're worse with pitocin than naturally, but I wouldn't know, since I've always had pitocin with my deliveries).  The anesthesiologist had given me a pain pump thing that I could push, and the nurse suggested I do that, so I did, I think 3 times in the last half hour, in an attempt to get my right side more numbed, but it didn't work, either (it did, however, succeed in numbing my left knee for the next 12 hours, so frustrating!).  I think this was the point where I realized I was going to feel a LOT more of this delivery than I had meant to--I always wonder after I deliver if I could go without pain meds--and now I know--I could, but I don't ever want to do that again.  :)  The doctor came in around 3:00, and was SO wonderful about encouraging me--I know that Cory and the nurse had been talking me through contractions, but something about the way the doctor was able to talk to me and tell me that I was doing great, and guiding me through it all, was so comforting.  And so, during one contraction, with three smallerish pushes, Leo was born.  I have never been so grateful to have labor end--there was no crying this time about how I wasn't ready to have another child (I've done that each time when it was time to push)--I just needed it to be over.  I sincerely admire women who do this all without meds, but I don't ever want to be one of them again.  And that was with only half-feeling.  :)

Thankfully, that scrunchy little face made it all worth it. Around half an hour later (after I was done being stitched up and everything was all cleaned up), my mom showed up with the girls.  It was perfect timing, really--after all the mess, after I'd thrown up once, but before I threw up again... dang pain meds on an empty stomach!  Anyway, seeing the girls with their new baby brother was so great--

Doesn't Breanne look so grown up here?

Hearing Janey say "Hey! Hey! Weo! Weo!" every time he cries is one of my favorite things.

And this little girl was SO PROUD to be a big sister.  So sweet.  And.. ahem.. helpful.  Ha.

After everyone went home, Leo and I had a lot of quiet time to spend together.  I decided that's one of the perks to living away from family--the hospital stay was mostly calm and relaxing, with very few visitors, so we could sleep a lot.  So nice, though a bit lonely.

A few more pics from the hospital stay--

Warming back up after his first bath--

Finally eyes open--look at that hair!--

Trying to figure out this new place in the middle of the night--

And back to the sleepy boy--

So while this delivery may have been my most difficult (not as long, or as much pushing as Breanne, but much more painful during the actual delivery), turns out, once again, it was totally worth it.  We love our little Leo.

August

All right!  Next up, August.  

We started out August in Utah.  You can tell this is Utah because the top melted right off of that white crayon... you can see it stuck to the side of Cailin's cup holder.  Waaaay too hot.  But somehow, still a great trip.

While in Utah, I bought boy fabric.  You'll see what I did with it when I get the nursery finished.  :)

On the way home, we decided to go the Yosemite route for a change of pace.  I then realized that Nevada is kind of plain the whole way through, no matter which way you take.  Somehow, it's still pretty though.

Yosemite itself was worth the extra drive, at least once.

Sun through the clouds.  So pretty.

And there were hundreds of these windmills--so picturesque at sunset.

Back in CA, Janey finished up her summer dance class, and had her recital.

Tiny dancer.  Also my first ever sock bun.  So sweet.

Little dancers are so funny.

Ballet...

And tap.  Yep, that's Call Me Maybe.  Song of our summer, pretty much.  I love watching this age of kids dance.  The distraction level is hilarious.

Our friend had a fairy party.  I love their concentration here.

Everyone loves a bounce house.  Yay for neighborhood meet and greets!

Can you tell who didn't feel good this day?  She fell asleep 3 times in the first hour she was up.  I was not at all surprised when she threw up a little bit later.  Poor girl.  :(

Thankfully, she was back to her old self the next day.  Love this fairy.

Last park day before B started first grade!

Breanne's big accomplishment of the summer--she finally figured out how to pump on the swings.  She is so proud, I love it.

Finishing up school shopping with some yummy ice cream.

Cailin also loves ice cream.

And the final hoorah of summer... hanging out at our favorite kiddie park.  Waiting in line here, almost impatiently.

Who says this is only a double stroller?

Love their happy faces... this is by far their favorite ride.

This one likes this ride best. 

See?

Breanne could spend all day here petting and feeding the farm animals.  Janey's not quite as sold.  

Jailbirds.

Back at home, I also grew my belly a lot.

Cailin wishes she was a monkey.  Her exact words were "these is mine monkey bars, Mama!"

All ready for first grade!  And I didn't even cry... but I'm pretty sure it's because Cory dropped her off.  If I don't have to watch her walk away, it's not so bad.

These two watched until she was out of sight.  Such sweet sisters.

The biggest difference between 2 and 4 is the ability to dress yourself.  In coordinating clothes.

In other news, my belly did this.  A lot.

Cailin loves watching Dora on the iPad.  Or, you know, my phone, the tv, or wherever else she can find it.

Our friends brought their convertible to the park one day.  Don't these girls look like they just belong here?  For the record, there's a reason kids shouldn't drive until they're at least 16.  

Awesome playgroup at the fire station.  They warned us at the beginning that they might have to leave if they got a call, and sure enough, they did.  It was just the right amount of time, though.  So fun, and the girls understand a little bit more about what to do if there's ever a fire.  So glad we went.

And on the last day of August, we went to a bbq at our friend's house... where all the little ones were girls.  There was actually even one more that's not in the picture.  Anyway, I love that they all went and sat themselves down together like this. 

August was another great month, full of driving and shopping and getting ready for school to start, and playing in the meantime.  Oh yeah, and baby growing.  A good, but very exhausting, month.  

July!

In July... 

we had some old friends from Provo come visit us.  We took a trip to the beach, and had a great time playing in the sand, once the girls decided it wasn't the worst thing ever to walk in it... :)

I still have this same pedicure... someone should come paint my toenails before this baby comes.

Just hanging out on the beach.

Cailin dressed herself to go play outside, and then asked me to take her picture by the fence (this is where I do most of my project photography, so she thinks it's important to take pics there).

We had a 24-week ultrasound to make sure my placenta had moved up... it had, and we're good.  Cute baby, huh!?

I love these two, and I love photo booth.  Everyone with kids needs to teach their kids how to use it, and then just let them do it.  :)

The girls did a little Wii yoga together.

I found this makeshift phone charger...

Breanne left me a few gems on my computer, this is one of my favorites.  Most are funny, this one kind of melted my heart.  

And a little bit of Cailin talking about how excited she was to go to Grandma and Grandpa's house in Utah.