Picture Update

Here is a quick update from our family to yours! We've had a lot happening, and not much time to breathe, but we're doing good. Emry is 2 months old today... I can't believe it! It has gone by so fast!  She weighed in today at 9 lbs  10 oz  which we think is really good for our little light weight :)  Just for laughs I went and looked at the others' weights at 2 months.  It was Aubryn- 12.2, Keirah 13.3, Leif 14.4 and then our little Emry :)  She is still in newborn clothes and newborn diapers... which is so weird for me... but I am loving having a tiny baby for once!  We are praying that she continues to eat as good as she is, and that her little body will be able to absorb all those calories instead of just burning them so fast.  She is eating between 3-4 oz 8 times a day and I am still pumping about 7 a day.  It's a busy schedule but we've got a pretty good routine going.  Aubryn and Keirah are doing great in school and Leif is our little 2 year old man now!!  I've got to run, but here is a few pics to show our precious gifts God has given!

Emry at 6 weeks... weighed Keirah's birth weight today.

The kids with Daddy dressed up for Halloween

I'm talking so much these days!

Nana came to stay with us a few days while I

tried to stay off my feet after having a ganglion cyst

 removed off my foot.  Thank you Nana!

An outing to a book fair to see Clifford! So much fun!

We had a spa day... just Aubyrn, Keirah and I! 

Look at those eyelashes!!

Keirah decided she wanted to do her own toes :)

Maury and Andrew came to see us recently.  We 

enjoyed a great weekend with Aunt Mo.

 I think she enjoyed some sweet baby time too!

And all the girls :)

Look how cute I am at 8 weeks old!

These are some of my first big smile pictures!

More of the same... I couldn't decide which ones to post!

Leif's 2 year old birthday party at Jungle Java...

an indoor play area!

Lots of love for our little man!  I am not doing cakes

this year for all of mine:) I just don't seem to have the time!

  But I have an awesomefriend, Dionne 

who is much better at it than I am anyway!!  

Keirah and Leif are really starting to be

sweet playmates!  They are either very affectionate, 

with each other or they are wrestling each other!

We got Leif a guitar "like Daddy's" so they

can play together... so sweet to see him wanting to be 

like his Daddy.  I am so thankful that our son

has a daddy that models his life after Christ

and then shows his son how to do the same.

How It All Started...

There is a very important part to our Emry story that I've not shared yet.  This is the part the Nick's parents have played that Kyla didn't have access to when she posted for me and that I wanted to save for it's own posting.  I have to laugh at how it all started!!  My month has been crazy (can you believe that Emry is a month old already?) but all the craziness actually started 2 weeks prior to her arrival :)  It's really all these guys fault... Nick and Glenn... because they were both born on September 11 and since my due date was the 17th, I thought it would be fun to try to have our baby on their birthdays!  That would be 3 generations!! 

Anyway, we knew it was a long shot but thought we'd try a few natural inducers to try to help me out... and nothing worked!  I took herbs, walked (even jogged) took castor oil... you name it and I did it... well almost :)  But God had other plans and our little Emry wanted her own birthday!  So instead of being in the hospital on Nick' s 30th birthday, we met up with his parents (who had Aubryn Keirah and Leif for a couple of days) and celebrated both his and Glenn's birthdays with some good ole' steak.  Suited me just fine! Who wouldn't choose steak over labor :)   We had a wonderful night!!  Here are the pics of our night together. 





Do you see this belly?  This was still 2 weeks out!  And this was the beginning of a 6 week whirlwind.  I had a hard time being patient for Emry to get here but I so clearly see that God had a plan for Emry and it wasn't to be born on her Daddy and Biggie's birthday. It was to stay cozy in my womb for a much needed 2 more weeks in order to get as much development in as possible.  Why do I doubt you God?  Why do I think I need to make my own plans?  I praise you for keeping her safe and for allowing her to grow more before entering our world.  I fully believe that though I waited 2 more weeks to meet her, we were spared 2 more weeks in the NICU.  

So we were at 41 weeks in my pregnancy and still no baby, and we were facing induction.  Glenn and Gwen came to keep the kids and we went to the hospital on Monday night the 22nd. Thankfully I went into labor that night and had Emry with out a full induction Tuesday morning.  It was really nice to have Hunny and Biggie there and not have to scramble for childcare when I went into labor.  They brought the kids to see their new baby sister by about 10 am on Tuesday, right after we had found out about her cleft palate.  It was such a blessing to have them come around us, pray for us and encourage us.  We are thankful for their presence that day.  

After my mom left (Emry was 2 weeks old) we were in limbo about whether or not to go to a conference that we had planned go attend before we knew of Emry's complications.  We waited until after the Dell specialist appointment before we decided that Emry would eat, sleep and poop whether we were in Atlanta or at home.  Also, Hunny and Biggie were glad to spend more time with Aubryn, Keirah and Leif and at that point, though I was ready to see what four would look like... life was easier in Atlanta with one than with all four!  We met up with Hunny, Biggie and Maury to let the older ones go.  Maury got to spend a few precious moments for the first time with her new niece and even got to try the art of feeding her too.

So while we were in Atlanta, the kids celebrated Keirah's 4th birthday with Hunny, Biggie and Mo, ate tacos in the park, roasted marshmallows on the fire pit and had a blast!  We had a great time too and were thankful for the bonding time spent with Emry that we somewhat missed out on in the hospital.  

So now you have the rest of the story... and how it all began... and whose fault it all was :)  So here ends the 6 weeks of chaos and here begins life at home with four as normal... whatever that is... :)  No really, I wanted to share how much of a blessing it has been to have our families here for us, helping us and loving on our children when we felt incapable of handling it all at once.  God, you are such a sweet Daddy to us, showing us what it looks like to love, and to take refuge in you.  May it be that way in our families as well.

An Update in Photos

Here are some pictures of our family from the past month.  We've had a lot happening, a lot of adjusting... and a lot of fun!  To read a more complete update on Emry, see the next post.  Or, just enjoy the photos!

Emry has beautiful big eyes.  Here she is showing them off!

This is me in my bed.  I don't sleep here yet, but it's

fun to look at all the pretty colors and mobile here. 

As soon as I am sleeping through the night, I'll get to 

stay in my room with Aubryn and Keirah!! 

I love holding Emry!! She feels so small and dainty in my 

arms. I have never had a baby that didn't feel 

like a chunk in 2 weeks!  This is a picture of her

apnea monitor we were sent home with from the NICU.

This is one of the few positions I can be in... on my side or 

on my tummy is preferable.  I just looked so relaxed that

my mommy had to take a picture!

Nana stayed almost two weeks with us to help while I 

ran back and forth to the NICU and then for our first week

home.  I don't know what I would have done without her here.

She got some sweet time with Emry while she was here.

Our family ventured out for a little while at the local Pumpkin

Patch.  We went to find Emry a little pumpkin, since Nana

had bought the other 3 pumpkins at Wal-Mart.  We had

a great time and got some good pictures.  I love fall!!

Nana got to carry Emry around the Pumpkin

Patch.  I think Emry was really impressed :)

Aubryn tried to find the biggest one she could pick up.

I like this one... or maybe this one... or this... one...

"Mama, this one's heavy."

 

This is Emry all dressed up for baby and 

parent dedication at church.

Isn't this a sweet picture!

Nana and Papa got to be here for Keirah's 4th birthday

celebration.  We invited 2 families and had a total of 10 kids here!

I really think Keirah enjoyed her birthday party... I think :)

Keirah got really upset when Kamden tried to get the first

bite of cake!

Aubryn and I went to school with Keirah on her birthday!

We took birthday muffins to her class and had a great time.

Aubryn and Keirah having fun together before 

going to Hunny and Biggie's house for a couple

of days.

Leif has had a major milestone lately... his first real

haircut!!  Daddy's been begging me to cut it and I've not

wanted to part with the curls, but when you have to 

spend as much time taming the boy's curls and you 

do the girl's, it's time to get a haircut!  He loves it 

and says, "I have a big boy haircut!"

Daddy loves the tummy time with Emry.

Emry spending sweet Daddy time and getting sleepy.

This is Leif sporting a black eye... we have no idea how it happened.  

He doesn't seem permanently damaged!

After Emry's bath... which she hates.

This is me at the sleep study... with out all the wires.

And again at Dell Children's hospital.  By the way, that is the 

coolest hospital.  I can't wait to take the other 3 on a tour!

Thanks Sena for this really cute brown outfit 

that is one of the only ones that fits me really well!