Sunday Funday

 Coleman this is what you are giving me when I say "let me take a picture."

Sullivan you on the other hand don't mind mommy's picture taking on bit! 

Yes I did make that giant bow on your head and love it! Everyone should go check out your mommy's etsy shop for more cute bows made by me! :) 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/theleopardturtle

Coleman I'm not sure that you and Brandt have much of a choice but to be buddies. You two are exactly six month and two days apart and are really at the age where you love playing with each other when we can get together with the Harrisons.

Four babies under two and half + a group picture= interesting

Keeping Prospective

Song for a Fifth Child

by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing and butter the bread,
Sew on a button and make up a bed.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I’ve grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue
(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
(Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).
The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo
But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo.
Look! Aren’t her eyes the most wonderful hue?
(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
For children grow up, as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

I have come to find that this is all too true. 

I've been so busy living my busy life that I feel have done a poor job of documenting it. I have come to realize that memories leave us all too quickly and while rocking and loving my babies will always come first, I must try to do a better job or recording these wonderful memories.

 

A Year of Catching Up

Mr. Coleman Lewis you keep me busy, busy ,busy! I had such good intentions of keeping this blog up and tracking your whole first year on here, and well, life happened. So here is the plan from this point foward I will do my best to make entries on a regular basis of current happenings as well as back track on posts that I wish I had made. I have kept track of your milestones by making notes on my phone or in my day planner, so hopefully I will be able to recall all that I want to tell you!

Love you,
Mom

Your Arrival

Coleman,
    I will have to go back and tell you about some events like our showers and such at a later date but right now I feel the need to write about the events that led to your arrival and to share with you the overwhelming joy that you have brought to my life!
     I guess we can start with what turned out to be my last prenatal visit. I went to see Dr. Shenker on Tuesday, November 16th to see if I had progressed any, which I had not. Since I had been dilated to 1 cm and about 80% effaced for about 3 or so weeks we discussed our options since you were obviously not wanting to come out on your own. Dr. Shenker was going to be on call and therefore could deliver you on that following Thursday the 18th or we could continue to wait on you to come on your own. I considered waiting since I loved being pregnant and wasn't opposed to giving you more time but after talking to Dr. Shenker and deciding that my body most likely wasn't going to progress on its own I decided to go ahead and be induced on the 18th.
     Your dad and I checked into the hospital Wednesday night (the 17th) at 8:00 p.m. and once we were settled in and I was hooked up to the monitors our nurse Kim administered the Cytotec that was supposed to help start me in the direction of labor. I got that medicine again four hours later and four hours after that they started Pitocin. I was on Pitocin from about 5:00 a.m. until around 4:00 p.m. We had tons of family and friends there all day long waiting on your arrival! Dr. Shenker came to check on my that morning and at lunch, both visits I was still only 1 cm. Finally at 4:00 Dana, our nurse, checked and I was still only a 1 so at that point I knew that we had to explore our other options. We then started the process of getting me ready to have a C-section. That was not "my plan" but I have learned from day one of being pregnant with you that our plans aren't always what is best for us! After that final decision to have a C-section was made around 4:00 things moved rather quickly. I received my epidural, was taken to the OR, prepped, and you were born at 5:05 p.m.
      Just like I told you that I didn't know if I could ever put into words the experience of hearing your heartbeat for the first time, seeing you for the first time is equally unexplainable. Dr. Shenker lifted you over that curtain and said "hey mom" and in that moment I fell in love in a way that I had no idea was possible. I had no idea what I expected you to look like but as soon as I saw you it was like that was exactly what you were supposed to look like and you were ours! Your dad and I both started crying. Then as the doctor and nurse were cleaning you and making sure you were ok you continued to cry so loudly that your dad and I both started laughing! Your dad was the first one to get to hold you since they were sewing me up and then once I finally got back to the labor and delivery room I got to hold you for the first time! Still right now as I write this it almost brings tears to my eyes! Your dad and I had a moment before we let everyone in to come see you with just the three of us and we both felt so lucky to go from the two of us to a family! After that we let all our family and friends that were there come see you in groups of four. After most everyone had a chance to come back and the labor and delivery floor was done with us were you put up on the recovery floor. We stayed until Saturday morning and then we got to come home. I sure I will go back and tell you about our hospital stay and our experience but for now I think that is enough hospital talk.
       The day you entered our lives is one of the best days of my life. I think to myself all the time, how am I so lucky?! I am constantly in awe of how precious and handsome you are. No matter what never forget how much I love you!

Love,
Mom

Your Dad and I before we left for the hospital

Me before they took me back for surgery (not the best picture but it is what it is)

Your dad before getting ready to go in the OR with me, how cute is he?!

  

The first time I go to hold you!



You getting weighed and measured

    

59 Days and Counting!

Nothing crazy and new to share with you today really. I just want you to know that you are on the forefront of my mind pretty much every second of the day! It has really hit me the past couple of day, I need to get myself in gear because you are going to be here before we know it and I still feel like I have so much to do! Somehow I think that no matter what all I get accomplished before you arrive I am still always have a to do list a mile long so I might as well just get used to it!
You are quite the little tumbler these days that is for certain! I think you might have even found my ribcage if I'm not mistaken! Don't get me wrong though I love it. You tumble all you want because every kick, turn and tumble lets me know that you are still ok in there!
Love,
Mom

Pregnancy Brain

Well we had an appointment to go see Dr. Shenker today and I was sure that it was at 1:30. However when I showed up at 1:30 the receptionist couldn't seem to find my appointment....well it seems that my our appointment was at 11:30! So I rescheduled for tomorrow at 11:30 and we will try again and see if I don't loose my mind between now and then! I was so ready to hear your little heartbeat, so now I'm extra ready to go tomorrow. Then we will start going every two weeks! It is getting closer and closer to time for you to make you arrival and forever change our lives! Also we just found out a few days ago that your Aunt Tori and Uncle Timmy are going to be having a baby in May! So now you will have a little buddy to get into trouble with when we all hang out! Love you and can't wait to meet you!

Love,
Mom

You Have Furniture Now

Your name that is in the center of the wall that your bed and changing table is on! Your Aunt Tori helped me make these a few weeks ago!

Daddy putting together your crib!

Putting together the finishing touches!

Next was the changing table! Daddy working hard again!

This was after we got the bed put together! I had to add the throw and pillow even though we don't have the rest of your bedding yet just so I could get an idea of what it will look like!