Chase Turns One!!!

   I started back to work at the end of May - this is my excuse for being MIA in the blogging world fo the past two months....but I am hoping that that is going to change! What better way to get back into blogging than by celebrating and discussing my little BIG man's first year?
   That's right! My "baby" turned one! I cannot believe it! It feels like he just joined our family...and yet, at the same time, feels like he's always been around. I can't imagine our family without him! I do not think I am ready to say 'goodbye' to Big C's baby phase...but, alas, I really have no say on the passing of time.
   Just like with Pj I am going to write a little letter/report for Big C on his birthday milestone. So, here goes:

Dear Big C.
   Wow! One year with you has flown by! I cannot believe that you are already 1 year old! You are such a fun little man and I can't get enough of your giggles and smiles. Your smile lights up your whole face and when you smile at people they often comment about what a handsome little man you are! I have to say that I agree - you are the most handsome! You also have a serious side and like to take in the world around you with big observant eyes. I would love to know what goes on in that head of yours! Unfortunately, you are not willing to discuss your thoughts as you are not too keen on learning to talk. You learned two words a couple of months ago...and they are your only words so far. They are "hi" and "dada". I have been trying to encourage you to say "mama" but you just smile and giggle at me. Just because you don't have words does not mean that you don't make noise! You babble constantly and have quite the piercing screech. You like to play a screaming game with Pj where both of you take turns screaming and then giggling while the other screams. I do not love this game. I can't wait for you to start talking more because I think you are going to be a funny little man! You love to laugh and will laugh at almost anything. Your daddy and Pj are the best at making you laugh long and loud. You thoroughly enjoy their antics!
   You are a healthy little boy with a very healthy appetite. I do not think you have every been "done" a meal. I have never known you to turn down another bite! The one food that you do not like is eggs. You will not eat them. If I sneak a piece of egg into your mouth you quickly gag and spit it out! You like everything else! Even black olives! I love that you are not picky and that you love to eat. Such a change from your big sister who happens to hate eating and is picky! You are still nursing (despite my best efforts to wean you!). You typically only nurse once a day in the morning. I don't mind this because it is our time to cuddle and connect before the business of the day (especially now that I am working!). Sometimes you also need a quick nurse in order to settle down for bed. You are not a tall boy - in fact, your cousin Carter (who is barely 6 months) is almost as tall as you! You are wearing size 12month shirts, but only size 6month pants (typical VanGrootheest, I hear!). You weigh approximately 20 lbs. Your last Dr. appointment was when you were 8 months old but you have another appointment in one week. I am excited to hear your new numbers and to discuss you with our Doctor. You only have 8 teeth - which you have had since you were 10 months! No more teeth growing yet (that we can see or feel).

   You are a great player. You enjoy your exersaucer and jumper still and spend quite a bit of time in each of these. That said, you are enjoying your freedom more and more and love to crawl around. You are an excellent crawler (you should be, you have been crawling for over 6 months!). You are very speedy and can get around! You are able to walk around furniture but do not have a great desire to walk without support. I think that crawling is just so much quicker for you that you don't see the need to walk! One of your favorite games is to crawl with a car under your hand. You like how your hand glides with the car wheels and you giggle the whole time. You will play with your cars for hours each day! You haven't figured out the stairs yet which I am okay with! You sometimes will sit at the bottom of the stairs and contemplate the climb...but as of yet you do not attempt more than just standing at the stairs. I am glad of this and am not looking forward to the day that you decide to climb! Your very favorite game to play is "Peek-a-boo". You love to hide your head and "pop" out while screeching something that only a Momma could pass as "peeka". You would play this game all day if you had the audience for it! Its really cute to see where you hide - behind the curtains, under a table, behind a wall, etc. When you "pop" out you have the biggest smile ever! You love your sister so much. She is able to get smiles and giggles out of you so easily. She does "over-love" on you which you find a little disconcerting. I often have to pull her off of you as she showers you in hugs and kisses. Even so, you are so patient with her and allow her to cuddle you often!
   You are a GREAT sleeper! You still go down for a nap (only one now though) which often lasts 3+ hours! Sometimes you also enjoy some quiet time in your crib in the morning -you won't sleep but you will play quietly. Its cute to listen to your babbling as you play quietly and independently in your crib. You sleep very very well at night. You are typically ready for bed around 6:30 or 7 and will sleep until 7:30 in the morning. You rarely wake up during the night...but if you do its just for a quick cuddle and back down you go!

   You are the most cuddliest! You love to give hugs and cuddles. Often you will hold onto your Momma or Daddy and just lay your head down on our shoulders. Its so sweet. You have also learned how to give kisses - big, wet kisses! They are my favorite! Whenever Daddy or I come home from work we are greeted with a huge smile, a hug and lots of "welcome home" babbling! It makes a parent feel very loved!
   Every night your dad and I pray over you. We pray for health, for wisdom, for strength to be the little man God created you to be. Most importantly we pray that you will know God in your heart and that you will serve Him your whole life. We are so thankful and overwhelmed with the gift that He has given us in you. You are such a great part of our family and we love you soooo much! Keep growing (but slowly) little man!
Love, Your Momma!

Blessed

   These two have been in such a good mood today! 

   I love having these days - where the sun is shining, I am home from work, the kiddos are happy, and there is an overwhelming sense of peace. This is where I am supposed to be! This life may not be what I had pictured or planned, but it is where God has put me. I may not understand His reasoning or His timing, but I remind myself that He is in control. And in those thoughts I am overwhelmed with the fact that His plan has been so.much.better. than any plan that I could have imagined for myself! I just need to look at the people I share this life with to realize: I am BLESSED. 

   

11 Months...What?

   My little man is 11 months old! In less than 1 month I will have a little 1 year old in my house (sad face). This year has flown by! I can't believe all the changes that have happened. After Big C was born, we moved, we undertook updates in an old home, Mark started a new job, etc. etc. etc. Its been a busy year...but one of the constant blessings throughout this year has been Big C. He continues to be a happy baby. He sleeps well, eats well (he eats a ton!), giggles often, smiles often, babbles to us more and more, and is just all around a fun kiddo to have in our lives.

   This past month Big C has continued to grow and develop. He is crawling very fast (to the point that we have a hard time keeping up if he is "on a mission"). He is constantly moving (as you can see from these pictures). He is curious and likes check out all the nooks and crannies of wherever he is exploring. He likes to take things out of boxes (or laundry out of baskets) and plays very well on his own. He still spends a good hour in the excersaucer per day and will also, typically, have an hour of quiet independent play in his playpen. Currently he naps once a day from around 10:30 until 2/2:30 (such a good napper!). Lately he has also needed a little nap between 4:30 and 5 to keep him happy during the evening hours. He is in bed by 7:30 and will sleep through the night until 7am (well, between 7am and 8am) the next morning.

   Big C still really enjoys his soother. I have to admit that I am kind of enjoying having a baby with a soother too (Pj would never take one). He likes to have one when he is sleeping or upset (a rare occurrence). He also has decided to befriend a teddy bear that Mark gave me for my 20th birthday and sleeps with 'Teddy' every nap and at night. Its so cute how he wraps Teddy up in his right arm and snuggles in.

   Big C is pulling himself up on furniture and is able to walk around furniture holding on. He takes little "leaps" from a piece of furniture to me...but isn't really walking yet. We I hope that he learns soon because it would be so much easier (cleaner) having a toddler walking outside than crawling!

   Big C loves his big sister...probably because he has no choice. Pj adores him. He is often showered with hugs and kisses (to the point where I have to firmly tell Pj that all hugging has to be done for the next couple of minutes to allow Big C to catch his breath and balance). She loves to make him laugh and, if she finds something that he finds humorous, will repeat it constantly for hours on end trying to get him to giggle again (he often complies - he finds her quite entertaining). I am not sure if Big C is going to be an early speaker for the very fact that he does not need to talk - Pj takes care of all communication for him. I often hear, "Momma, Big C would like to nurse now" or "Momma, Big C wants to play on the ground with me now" or "Momma, Big C wants to wake up from his nap now" or "Momma, Big C wants a cookie for me to eat". She has his best interests at heart (most of the time). She always ensures that he is well taken care of; whether that means having enough toys, a blanket on him or his soother. If I am not able to get him right away when he wakes up from a nap Pj is quick to run into his room and fill his bed with toys in order to keep him occupied for the three minutes it takes me to get to him. I love the way that their friendship is growing and I hope that they can remain best buds for their lifetimes.

   Big C is a lovable little boy. He is also sensitive. He loves to cuddle and is starting to give kisses (big wet open mouth kisses). He does not like it when people raise their voices or make faces (he has, on more than one occasion, let out heart breaking sobs after Mark has looked at him with a "funny" face (I guess funny is relative).). He often plays "shy" when people notice him and talk to him. He will duck his head and try to hide in his arms (its adorable!). He loves his Momma (yay) very much and loves to sit with me or cuddle me (at anytime). He is still nursing and, if we're being honest, would like to nurse all day. I am trying to wean him as I go back to work in a little less than two weeks...so here's hoping!

   All in all, Big C is continuing to amaze and astound us. That God could bless us with him in our lives is wonderful! We pray that he continues to be healthy and that we are able to raise him to know and love our Savior.

She's growing up...

   My oldest sister started a blog in order to keep a record of her family's memories and also to have a place to write down some of the funny/sweet/adorable things that her children would do and say. I remember reading some of her blog posts and thinking that Pj would never be big enough for me to start having little sweet moments that I needed to jot down in order to never forget....but here we are: Pj is 2.5 and the things that she comes up with are incredibly brilliant (in my most unbiased opinion). She has us holding our bellies in laughter numerous times a day! She is so spunky and vibrant! I know that there will never be a dull moment with her around.

Playing outside is dirty business :S

   About a week ago we had to drive up to Burlington to visit the "local" Ikea and pick up her cousins for a fun sleep over. On the drive, Pj started getting antsy so I suggested we play a game of "I Spy". Pj had never played this game so we made it very easy...."I spy Daddy's hat", "I spy Big C", etc. We had been doing this for quite a while when Pj shared this unique spy: "I spy a wee little man in a Sycamore tree!". (Wee said in a squeaky high pitched voice). We laughed! She has just recently learned the Zacchaeus song - and its quickly become one of her favorites! She has quite the imagination on her and things like this (where she imagines things or is able to pull different characters from different stories and make them a part of her play) happen often!

She's always on the go - running back and forth in our backyard green space all.day.long.

   There is a show on Disney Junior called "Sophia the First". Its about a princess and typical princessy things. This show is on TV during my dinner prep hour and so sometimes Pj gets to watch in order to be occupied so that I can get the cooking done (I know, I know...Momma guilt!). Other than just occupying her it has also taught her some very welcome manners;). Just today she handed me a carrot with a bow and a "here you go your majesty". LOL! I don't know why she picked that up...but I'll take it;).

   She is such a treasure and I am so glad that I get to be her Momma. She'll never know how much she is loved.

How Do You Moms Do It?

   Confession Time: I am NOT a very good housekeeper. I like to think I am. I like to have grand ideas about what my house should look like. But, when push come to shove, my house quickly gets untidy, disorganized, and cluttered. Not dirty, but not magazine perfect either. And it only gets worse when something comes up in the weekly schedule...like, say, being sick. 

   Yes, this past week I had every Mom's worst nightmare: the flu. And not just the "ugh I feel ill" flu....but the violent kind (hope that's not TMI). My house, which was in great shape (read: clothes in the laundry process (i.e. still needing to be folded), house vacuumed, meals planned, groceries done, bathroom sparkly, kids rooms organized and tidy) just crumpled. Two days of me shuffling along behind the kids making sure they were fed, diapers changed, dressed, and entertained made for no time to keep up with the folding, dishes, and vacuuming (which, lets be honest, is a three-times-a-day thing!). In the spirit of honesty and truth - here are some picture of my disaster home. 

Yes, all of these pictures were taken from my spot on the couch. My kids are napping...;)!

   I am going to follow up these truth-pictures with these questions: How do you Moms do it? What am I missing? Is there a 'sickness genie' that comes and keeps things scheduled while us sicko moms take the craved minutes on the couch (few and far between)? 

   These pictures are embarrassing to me. So, you may ask, why do it? Because I am part of a wonderful group of ladies (here's looking at you, you 500! (don't know what I mean? Read here)) who have raised the issue of truths. Truths as it pertains to our homes, our lives, our decorating skills, our school choices, our feeding habits and the size of our jeans. After an eye-opening discussion with these fellow-launchers I was challenged to be "real". To show how it really is...and to reach out for help. So, all you wonder moms: how do you do it? Lol. Being sick has got to be one of the truly worst things at this stage in my life.  

Living Room Progress...

   I come back after a bit of a "blog break" to excitedly exclaim, "We are making progress!!". Things have been happening over here in the Lodder household! The front entrance/closet area is almost completed, the basement has a coat of paint and is waiting on some furniture/wall hangings, and (drum roll please) we now have pictures in the empty frames that have been gracing our living room wall for the past 4 months! Yay!
   I finally took the plunge and ordered some photo prints last week. I had been staring at the empty frames for much.too.long. I wanted to make sure that I picked the "perfect" combination of prints (taking into account colours, people in the photo, etc. etc. etc.) and I had been finding this decision making process very overwhelming! I did have a general idea of what I wanted though, and so I took the leap and ordered the prints.
   I used photos from two shoots that we had last fall. One of just our family by the very talented Katherine M. Vintage Photography. And another shoot of Mark's entire family done by the also very talented Mauve Photography. I loved how all the pictures turned out - they printed great!
   Anyways, without further ado, here are some recent pictures of our current Living Room Area (our main floor is one large open concept space...). I love how this area is coming along. I am enjoying the process of making this space (and all the spaces) our home - a comfortable place to be with the people I love!

   On a side note: that is the coffee table that the hubs and I DIYed. Does anyone have any advice on how to protect a white table top? I painted it with Martha Stewart Chalk Paint (from Michaels) and used her wax to protect it. Now, I only did one layer of wax....perhaps putting a couple more layers would be better? It has just gotten stained really quickly and now my beautiful white table top has brownish splotches all over it:(.
   And, here's a close up of my gallery wall! I love using the ribba frame ledges from Ikea because it allows me to rearrange and change things up every so often (without asking Mark to pull out some mud and paint to fix all the nail holes! You're welcome honey!! :D).

Pj's Birth Story

   Two and a half years ago we were just meeting Pj for the first time. She made us wait quite a while before making her grand (and dramatic) entrance into this world. In fact she was 13 days overdue! Let me tell you, those were the longest 13 days of our lives!

Pj's newborn photo shoot with Rita Zietsma at only 6 days old!

   Pj was born on September 29th, 2012. She entered the world at a whooping 9lbs 4ounces and 21inches long. She didn't want to leave the comfort of her Momma and she let her disapproval be known - it was a process getting her to join us on the "outside". I went into "easy" labor on Thursday morning. The contractions were not overly painful and I was able to function through them. I had a stress test booked for that morning and my midwife was quite excited to see that I was contracting every 6 minutes. She was fairly certain I would be meeting my baby that afternoon or evening. In order to keep the contractions progressing Mark and I went and bought some groceries and then went home and made sure everything was neat and tidy and ready to meet our little baby. My contractions continued all afternoon but did not get much "harder" so we just stayed put. Thursday evening I had an appointment at the hospital for a check-up and possible induction. We had to be at the hospital at 8pm. I was hooked up to a bunch of machines and then we waited. I wasn't seen by an OB/GYN until about 10pm. She checked me and said that I was about 3 cm dilated and that my contractions were about every 5 minutes and were nice and strong. She decided to not give me anything to induce labor (because I already was in labor) and told me that I would be having my baby in the morning. She sent us home to get our bags and to rest for a bit until "hard" labor started. We were so excited! We went home, I bounced on the exercise ball, and we put the last items in our go-bags. Mark decided to get some sleep and went to bed around midnight. I was unable to sleep because the contractions were getting stronger. I did finally sleep for about 2 hours in total. When I woke up I had a nice long shower which (to my dismay) seemed to slow my contractions down. The midwife had told us that if we didn't end up in the hospital over night we were to be back in the triage at 7am.

Pj's first picture.

   When we got there I was starting to feel a little bit nervous that something was wrong. I had been in labour for 24 hours (albeit the entire 24 hours were not hard labor, but still!). I felt like I was no closer to meeting my baby. The midwife checked me and I was now 3.5 cm dilated and my contractions were still 5 minutes apart. At this time they decided to give me the cervical gel in order to help my labor along. I was also a little annoyed because all the other woman that were in triage at this point were the same woman I was in with the night before. They had all been given drugs or gel to induce labor the night before and now were either about to deliver naturally or via a c-section. I felt a little ripped off that I had been denied an induction and now all the other moms were going to meet their babies while I had to keep waiting. After administering the induction gel I was hooked up to more machines and observed until 11am. At this point was I was only 4 cms dilated. My midwife decided to send me home for a couple of hours and told me to come back in the afternoon. Mark and I headed back to our apartment, only to find a group of men carpeting the hallway to our bathroom. My contractions were very regular (they stopped being consistent and just started being every minute or two minutes or three minutes with varying lengths and varying rest periods) and getting too painful to be able to walk or talk. I bee-lined it for our bedroom and prayed that the men hadn't noticed my discomfort. I walked around my bedroom for a bit and tried to sleep (yah right) because my night of only 2 hours of sleep was catching up to me. At about 2pm we headed back to the hospital praying that things had progressed to the point of being admitted. Once again I was greeted by my midwife at the triage and I was hooked up to the stress machines. I was checked and I was now 4.5cm dilated and my contractions (as I already knew) were verified as being very irregular. My midwife decide to admit me because I wasn't progressing very well and she wanted to "keep an eye on me". Once I was admitted she sent me up and down the hospital hallways hoping to get things progressing and hoping to help my baby drop. We walked for about 2 hours and then I was checked again. This time I was still only 4.5cm dilated! I was getting very discouraged at this point and started thinking that I was going to be pregnant for the rest of my life.

Our first family picture!

   At about 5pm my midwife broke my water - in the hopes that this would move things along. My baby was still sitting quite high up and hadn't dropped yet which is why my midwife thought I wasn't progressing. She hoped that by breaking my water the baby would have to drop. Well, Pj didn't drop. She just stayed nice and snug! I once again was sent on a walk through the hospital. On this particular day the Labor and Delivery ward was quite busy, and it wasn't the nicest place to be walking "in public" while having painful contractions. I got to hear advice from Mom's that have already had their babies: "You are looking so good! Mine were too painful to walk but I hear walking helps", "Drink water that totally helps!" "Mine were bad unless I twirled and hopped three times" (k, that's an exaggeration but seriously - once your on the other side: don't give advice!). Some Moms didn't even try to hide their glee at being done the labor part: "Oh its so worth it!", "Look at my adorable baby! You'll have yours soon!". "So glad I'm done that part". Once again - not helpful! Lol. But I digress.

All of her scrumptious rolls!

   By 7pm I was exhausted. I had been up for 36 hours with only 2 hours of sleep. I made it into my hospital room and told the midwife that I didn't want to face the hallways anymore. She checked me and told me that I was a whooping 5cm dilated. She suggested a warm shower which actually sounded good. So I spent the next two hours in the shower. I was quite thirsty (having not eaten or had anything to drink since the morning) and I asked for something to drink. I was given a tiny little paper cup of water and told not to drink too much of it. I later found out that this was because my midwife was concerned that I would need a c-section and didn't want anything in my system for the surgery. I just thought it was another injustice that was a part of this prolonged torture called labor.

First night at home in her little bassinet. Baby burritos are the cutest!

   At 11pm I was done. I was exhausted and feeling very discouraged. My contractions were very irregular. They were strong but not on a very steady rhythm. Some of my contractions were lasting close to 3 minutes in length! Others were only 20 seconds. The breaks in between could be a merciful 5 minutes or an exhausting 10 seconds. I was finding it very difficult to get into any type of routine because I didn't know what to expect. I was in pain and I was tired so I begged Mark to ask the midwife if there was anything we could do to change the current situation. She checked me and I believe I was only 6.5cm (biggest jump up to that point!). She suggested we put me on an oxytocin drip (true induction) and I requested an epidural. I had hoped for a natural birth (my mom and sister had both been able!) but I was just way too tired to care anymore. By midnight I was all hooked up to the bed with the oxytocin and the anesthesiologist was there to give me my epidural. Mark had not really eaten or drank during the whole day and I guess he was a little dehydrated and light headed because when I got the needle for the epidural, he passed out. All of a sudden all of the nice nurses that were there helping me went swarming to Mark to make sure that he was okay. I have to admit, at that moment, I was a little bit "peeved" (wink, wink). Here I was, entering my third full day of labor, and Mark was getting all the attention for a little fainting episode! Go figure! Lol. Truthfully, I was concerned because I knew that I wouldn't be able to get through the next day without him by my side! So, from then on, I insisted he eat an granola bar every hour (I do what I can!).

   After the epidural was administered Mark went to lay down and catch some sleep. I wish I could say that the epidural worked. It did a bit, but it did not remove the full amount of pain. I still had to focus through each contraction and I was unable to fall asleep. Mark slept for about four or five hours that night - which was a God-send! I was able to doze for about half an hour. By 2am the contractions were quite painful and regular again but I didn't want to wake Mark up so I started humming (moaning) nursery rhymes to get through the pain. I am sure the other people in the ward thought I was going crazy. I didn't care though because I wanted my baby to have something nice to hear to help encourage her to come and join us in the real world. Throughout the night I was checked a couple of times with no real progression so they kept increasing my oxytocin drip. By 7am I was only 7 cm dilated. By this time I was fully in the care of an OB/GYN and my midwife had gone home. At 8am the OB/GYN came and checked me and made me lie on my left side. She decided to give us 1 more hour to have the baby or else I was going to have to go in for a c-section since my water had been broken for over 15 hours and my baby (although still fine) was starting to show signs of distress. Mark was up by this time and stayed by my head praying with me. I was so tired and starting to get very scared. It was Saturday morning and I had been going through this for over 48 hours. I do remember during that hour of prayer that the sun peeked through the clouds and some beautiful pink morning sunshine filled our room. I know that it was from God because I remember thinking how beautiful it was and just knowing that I was going to be meeting my baby at some point that day. At 9am the doctor came in and MIRACULOUSLY I was 10 cm dilated and ready to push! The surgical team was literally at the door ready to take me for a c-section when she checked and said, "No! This baby has finally dropped! We are ready to push!". I have to admit, I was a little shocked and very scared. I actually begged the OB/GYN to reconsider and let me have a c-section! I didn't know if I had enough energy to actually push a baby out after all those hours!

Love little baby feet.

   53 of the hardest minutes of my life later, Pj finally made her grand entrance. During the "pushing process" her heart rate and oxygen rates plummeted. The nurses and the doctor went in to high gear pushing me to get her out. The doctor tried to use the vacuum but that didn't do anything (other than give her a nice cone head!). By the time she was born our room was filled with our OB/GYN, a pediatrician (for Pj as soon as she was born), my midwife (there to help encourage me), three nurses, and a nursing student. It was crowded and very overwhelming. I didn't feel like I was in control of the situation at all and I just remember thinking that everyone was mad at me. Pj had some pretty scary shoulder dystocia and was stuck for quite a while, she also had her umbilical cord wrapped around her neck a couple of times and around her body twice. I am such a "people-pleaser" that I continued to push even after she was born (I didn't realize). The doctor was calling my name telling me to open my eyes and when I finally did I saw my beautiful Pj for the first time. I clearly remember that first look. She was huge! And amazing! My body went through the ringer and I had third degree tears (the OB/GYN actually said (excitedly) that she had never had to stitch this way before!) and I hemorrhaged (but it was controlled quickly).

Love her chubby cheeked goodness!

   After Pj was born I was not allowed to hold her because she had to be checked by the pediatrician (because of her levels, etc.) They had thought I knew I was having a boy (I was pretty convinced she was going to be a boy) so they didn't even check her at first but just wrapped her up and told me that she was a boy. Mark and I were ecstatic! A couple of minutes later a nurse called from the corner of the room, "Um...this is a girl! Is that okay!?". Lol. We were so surprised! And so excited!

From the beginning she had bright and alert eyes!

   Finally after what seemed like hours (but was probably 15 minutes) I got to hold my beautiful Pj for the first time. She was perfect in every way. Believe it or not, after all of that, I right away looked at Mark and said that I could do it all over again. It truly was worth it! (Mark looked a little shell-shocked and I don't think he was quite up for a repeat of the challenge at that moment!).

Snuggles with her proud Grampa!

   My mom came to visit within an hour and held Pj while Mark and I slept (me for the first time in over 50 hours). When I woke up my mom was there but Pj wasn't! Her bloodwork had come back with an indication of infection, so she had been taken to the hospital's NICU. I was heartbroken but I think it was a God-thing! She was in such good hands in the NICU (the nurses loved her because she was sooo much larger than their normal 3lb babies) and I was able to spend the time sleeping and resting. She was in the nursery for 48 hours and we finally were able to go home and start family life on Monday afternoon - 5 days after the whole process started!

   Pj's birth story is one of incredible pain, crippling fear, disappointed expectations, and extreme joy. Until those days I did not know my body could withstand so much. I didn't know how strong I was. I also didn't know what love or joy were. Throughout those three days of labor, God was by my side. During the painful contractions I repeated to myself, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". And I found out that that was so very true. When I started to lose hope, He was there by my side. When I was fearful during that last hour, He sent me the beautiful sunrise to comfort and encourage me. When I was so exhausted from the ordeal and starting to stress about being a new Mom, He gave me rest by allowing Pj to receive excellent care in the nursery while I took two days to sleep and recover. When my labor became dangerous, He blessed us with medical care that saved the life of my baby and myself. Throughout these tough days I was brought low, control (which I love) was taken away from me and I felt scared. In that moment, God showed me that I can't do this on my own, but that He can. These days were the beginning of some new lessons for me - lessons of parenthood. I think God was saying, "You think labor and delivery are hard? Try being a parent. You need me for both of these things. And don't worry. I have got you and your child in my hands. Trust me. I will strengthen you for theses tasks". I have learned that He is true. He is good. He does have us in His hands.
 

Peyton now - or actually about four months ago. But I love this picture :). 

   Sorry for the very long post! Thanks for sharing in my story! Well, actually in Pj's story! I would love to hear other's birth stories - please post a link! :)