Brief Post

Hi all! It was a good week with all three kids even though Jason worked long and hard all five days this week - well, six counting Saturday -- and he's working today too, so seven I guess. I took the kids to the Dr., the store, the park (with a friend), to Grama Sama's for a six hour crop 6PM - midnight - (boy was I tired the next day!), a restaurant for a party, and to church! That's a lot! and I feel pretty good too. I feel so very blessed to have good kids who are healthy, and a strong body that is feeling well.

I took some cute pictures of Aurelia and Ezra painting their dollhouse, but I guess Jason has the camera again today so I'll post them on another day. Both big kids are really enjoying their dollhouse and it's inhabitants -- Aurelia straightens the rooms out, Ezra messes them up -- a satisfying enterprise for both!

Oliver's still eating really well and is a darling baby. He smiled at Jason and me this morning so I'm looking forward to some more smiles this week! The kids still love on him all the time. Ezra's vocabulary is expanding every day and Aurelia's being a big girl and a big sister. She's making it through the days without spanks (not EVERY day of course. . .) and is earning stickers and money for doing her chores, which she is enjoying very much.

That's all for now. check back later this week!

Dollhouse Fun

I had a hard time keeping the dollhouse a secret this week and I'll tell you why -- Aurelia and Ezra spent most days this week stuck inside the house because Aurelia's allergies are so bad that she can hardly be outside. Ezra doesn't want to be outside without sissy, so we had to find things to do inside. Thankfully they had their playmat boxes from Grama Sama to play "house" with and after Tuesday when Aurelia went to Build-a-Bear with Aunty Kitty they had the boxes to play "house" with; but finally, on Saturday, we were able to surprise them with their own real dollhouse to play with. What ensued was over and hour of quiet time for us adults to visit because they were so engrossed with their dolls and furniture. (Five rooms, and baby and a playground! What fun!

(build-a-bear dollhouses)

The party was nice and small, we had appetizers and chocolate mousse pie and everyone got to hold Oliver and and the end of the evening Aurelia and Ezra wacked at their nearly indestructable "Maya and Miguel" pinata (which incidentally also had no hole with which to fill it) and got to eat a few pieces of candy. Uncle Mikey and Daddy had to help it along.

(finally burst open).

Oliver had a busy week as well. Monday he was circumcised and Wednesday his belly button scab thingy fell off (leaving him a nicely swirled cinnamon-bun looking belly button)

and Thursday he was holding his head up to look around!

He's always being accosted by Ezra and Aurelia who constantly are asking to hold him and he's doing a good job of putting on weight (and waking me up in the middle of the night to help him do that.) He's a very sweet, mild baby (unless he's hungry) and he loves to be held. HE'd like to be held now and Aurelia would like to play on Playhouse Disney so that's all the updating I'll be doing this week. Sarah.

Getting along

A big THANK YOU, first of all, to the moms who've been bringing us dinners every other day this week -- one less thing to think about for me and I really appreciate it. Especially because Jason has been very busy this week outside of the home. Ezra and Aurelia are adjusting, as can be expected, and are loathe to let mommy out of their sight. They love "the baby" and don't mind that I am holding, and/or feeding him constantly, but they want to be around while I am. I tried to take bath on Wednesday night while Mima was here, but that turned very ugly in less than 30 minutes and we won't be trying that again soon.

Oliver sleeps well, during the day, and would be content to eat all night if I could just strap him to me and not worry about squashing him. Actually, he lets me sleep at almost three hour stretches, so he's not doing too bad, but it is hard to wake him up during the day. He's more alert, though, when he is awake and I think his eyes will be brown. He's a very sweet and mild child right now, but like his siblings, will probably morph into something less tame as he ages.

Here's daddy doing what he does best with infants.

Daddy "fixed" the trampoline after having it down for a few days to fertilize the grass (much to Ezra's constant dismay) and the kids have been on it morning, noon and night since.

Here are the kids blowing bubbles together.

Gramma Samma (my auntie, Mima's sister) turned a landmark age on Thursday, and having no grandchildren of her own, yet, is honorary grandma to my three. Aurelia felt it important to tell Mima not to worry that she has a new grandma though, because she will always love her OLD grandma too. I thought that was kind of sweet. Aurelia wants me to tell you that she has been suffering from allergies.

Here's a picture of Aurelia with her baby "Lewis." She's dropping him off at the orphanage. She's been watching Meet The Robinsons a lot lately. They've also gotten to see a lot of new TV shows (free babysitting, so sad) and she really likes Yo, Gabba Gabba! I like it too.

And, I don't want to leave out Ezra. He's such a funny boy and can entertain himself quite well with blocks, cars and filling up the pack n' play with toys.

I'll keep you posted when exciting things happen, until then - enjoy each day. Life is too short so kiss slowly, laugh insanely, love truly, and forgive quickly.

Short Update

Hello - this is just a quick update - no photos. Oliver is doing well. He loves to eat all day long and we're getting the hang of managing three kids. Aurelia and Ezra really love Oliver and he gives them lots of reasons to. He's small, soft, sweet and has great big eyes. He has a strong neck and looks around a lot. He reminds me of Aurelia in his awareness and Ezra in that he smiles a lot (already) as he drifts into sleep or when he's just done eating. Jason goes back to working some this next week, but is trying to be super flexible so he can be around as much as possible and we have Oliver's first appointment tomorrow. I'm sure they'll say he's gained weight : ) Till next week. Sarah.

Details . . .

Hi all! Thanks for checking in! SO here's the run down on last week . . . we hit forty weeks on Friday and I thought that it was crazy that Oliver hadn't come. Then, of course, we decided on his name and he still didn't come. We had all those nights of false labor, and I had my sono scheduled for the first, but we didn't think he would actually arrive on the first . . . SO - Ezra's birthday was on March 31st. We got up and sang him "happy birthday" in his crib. Then Jason blew up some balloons and we played with those and we baked the cakes (Aurelia's too since her birthday was coming) and decorated them and Jason hung up a banner for the birthdays. It was a good day! We played and ate Ezra's "kitty cat cake" in the evening after a great dinner of bbq burgers and fries.

I had some contractions during the day, but nothing that said "TOMORROW." We put the kids to bed, went to bed ourselves and then at about one or one thirty in the morning I had the most intense contraction and I realized that he was on his way out. In the next hour I woke Jason because they went from 10 minutes to 7 minutes to 5 minutes apart. I told him he'd better call SOMEONE, ANYONE, WHO CARES WHO to come to our house. At about 2:30? I called his dad, who said he'd be right over. We were at the hospital by 3AM. But then, of course, the contractions totally slowed down to 7 or 8 minutes apart -- but they were really "steep" -- really intense -- contractions when they did come. I was still only dialated to 2cm. The nurse said I could walk around. We took one lap around the floor and the nurse wanted to check me again -- weird. But then I was at 5cm. We were going to keep walking but she wanted me in the room because she said he was REALLY low down and she didn't want him to fall out -- as if. That was at 4:15. So I had to lay there for the next few hours. The contractions never did get closer together, but they did get stronger. By 6:30ish I was dilated to 8 and by 7:20ish I wanted to push. I DID have two shots of Federol (?) during the waiting time because I was shaking so bad in between contractions that I couln't relax through the contractions when they did come. I guess I never fully dilated because by the time I started pushing (which consisted of three big pushes that felt like one LONG push) the Dr. had to pull the cervix over Oliver's head so I could push him out. It was really painful. Like I wrote -- it felt like one long push and I didn't get a break in between (except to scream : ) and push some more. But, out he came and cried pretty good himself.

He's a beautiful boy and likes to eat. A lot. He reminds me a lot of Aurelia and Ezra so you know I'm totally in love with him. We spend two quality days and nights in the hospital and got to come home at 1PM yesterday. I forgot how weak one feels after that kind of work -- and now of course I'm full of milk and pretty sore. I did have some stitches with a second degree tear, but we found my numbing spray andthat helps.

The kids LOVE Oliver. Aurelia just wants to hold him all the time and kiss him and know that's she's his favorite person. Ezra is really aware of Oliver and wants Oliver to be able to do everything with him -- watch TV, eat "Ezra's milky" instead of mommy's milks, read a book. They both like to check in on him even if he's just sleeping in the bassinet. Ezra pulled a chair over the bassinet this morning and played the tambourine for him (before I took it away) just because. I'm so happy that they both seem to understand that Oliver is a part of the family now and that they want to be a part of caring for him.

Aurelia's birthday was on the 2nd and she graciously waited till I got home yesterday to open her cards and her Minnie figurine and to eat her cake. She really appreciated the calls and messages on the phone for her, though, to celebrate her becoming a big four year old. Thanks to everyone who did that.

We feel very blessed to have Oliver Benjamin home (his name means Affectionate, Wonderful boy) and would like to have you over to see him. This week we're trying to keep visitors to family only and some time next week will be happy to schedule some visits with friends. I like to take recovery slowly -- especially since I still have the other two to take care of and I don't want to over do it.

I also especially want to thank my MOPs mom friends who have filled up the next two weeks with what looks to be some wonderful dinners. Thanks for your prayers and support! I love you ladies!

PS if you notice the date on the pictures is wrong - that's because my camera missed the fact that Feb had 29 days this year. Weird. He really did come on the 1st -- no fooling!

Welcome Home, Oliver!

Well, Just as MANY predicted last September when we announced that our third baby was due around the end of March, this one came smack dab in the middle of Ezra and Aurelia's birthdays on April 1st! What a joke! We thought there was NO WAY that could happen -- what are the odds?? But, nevertheless, Oliver Benjamin arrived April 1st at 7:26 AM a whopping 8 pounds, 7 ounces heavy, 21 inches long. It's my first day home and I'd like to get the blog all organized to my liking, but it's also 9 at night and I'm going to hang out with my wonderful hubby who has so lovingly picked up the pieces while I rested in the hospital and who is STILL being a great guy doing home stuff for me so I can continue to rest. I promise to give all the fun details tomorrow and post a lot more pictures, because it has been a great week, but here's a teaser photo for now. Much love! Sarah