~Hayla Lavender~

Riding the potty train!

2012-01-13T22:33:00.001-08:00

Going....on the GO!!!

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Dancing Princess

2012-01-08T23:22:00.001-08:00

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TALK TO MEEEEEE

2012-01-08T23:18:00.001-08:00

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2012-01-08T22:59:00.001-08:00

Waterfall

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Look at me me me, I'm 3 three III...!!!

2012-01-08T22:39:00.001-08:00

Hayla hotsypants started off year 3 with a bang! Freshly potty trained, extra spicy with her back talk and continuously flashing her age at you when scolded. The other day she was being extra mean to her brother and when asked why she held her 3 fingers in the air and shouted "THREE"! She was faced away from me and didn't even bother to turn around, just waived her crazy hand over her shoulder at me. Lord what have we produced? I'm a firm believer after my first two children that the terrible 2's got nothing on 3. Olivia was the worst but I believe Hayla will destroy that legacy by the end of this month!! Not that I'm complaining...I thoroughly enjoy the age where my children struggle to find their independence, their "self". It's a radical thing to watch a child realize they are a working part of their own environment, and even more amazing to see them discover their place, their contributions, cause and affect...etc. To me this is one of the most important years to nurture and love them for who they are no matter how difficult they can ne sometimes. You want to build their self confidence and not break their spirit. Gentle obedience corrections and lots of loving and positive reinforcement allow them to learn right from wrong with out leaving them to believe they are bad, or different. Allowing our children to be their own individual is such an important job as parents.....even when the individual is an extra spicy chili pepper <3

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Hayla

2011-10-17T10:34:00.000-07:00

I haven't done anything here, I feel so bad. Once we are all moved in to the new house I will get up to date!

Hotsy goes to ELEVEN

2011-03-18T15:50:00.000-07:00

Daddy bought her a shirt to reflect her famorite move....ok....HIS. But she sure pulls it off nicely, don't you think?

We had the joy of immunizations recently. Hayla is pretty far behind schedule for a few reasons, including moving around and transferring records as well as some personal reasons. But we went ahead with some vaccines last week and it was of course a terrifying experience. Not only because of the fact that four giant needles are being stabbed into my childs tiny limb, and injected with live germs but also because little Hayla has a fear of stickers....and now band-aids. The nurse of course had no clue and I didn't think to mention it before the first shot was given and the nurse announced she was going to give Hayla a sticker. And then all hell broke loose. Poor little Hotsy :( She was 100% convinced all this pain and anguish was caused by stickers. And sure enough when she got home and had her first diaper change...there, on her skinny little thighs was the living proof. Four brown, rectangular shaped stickers. She screamed and flung until each sticker was painfully removed and has brought it up several times a day for the last week.

Daddy and I are convinced we can help her with this so we took her to the Toy Store this week for a little shopping spree while the big kids were at school. She picked out several pocket books and a new baby buggy (because it had a cool buckle to fasten) and daddy picked out two books of 100's of stickers. Then we took her out to her very favorite restaurant, Applebees. She never eats there but she always asks to go. I'm pretty sure it ends at her infatuation with Apples but mommy loves the Perfect raspberry martini so it's win/win. So this trip to Applebees Hayla explored the world of pulling scary stickys out of a book and putting them back. And as it turns out, thankfully, stickers are not so scary when they are stuck to something other then you. especially stickers of flowers and Tinkerbell! Bandaids, however? They can still go to hell!

Boss Baby

2011-02-18T07:47:00.000-08:00

These days are filled with demand...and eventually supply. I never thought I would be one of those moms who conformed to a child's demands based on my inability to suffer another moment of the screaming but recently that's exactly what I have become. Lord help me! Once you give in a few times a pattern is established in that little mind and suddenly they have your number. So now I am desperately working to reverse this problem. I am mommy, I am boss, I am mommy, I am boss.....maybe if I say it a few more times I will actually believe it again!

On a good note...all is well in the life of Hayla. Our days are filled with Tinkerbell, Nemo, pasta and ketchup and of course Oranges (pronounced oshnaw). We still have the 'maymaw' obsession, which I love. She still doesn't seem to have a preference from pink blankey to 'yellow sun'. Maymaw is there at nap time, bed time, car rides, grocery trips, buggy rides, even hangs off the back of the highchair at meal time and you can NOT watch a 'moooobie' with out your mouth stuffed full of soft maymaw trim. Thank god we have 2 because those buggers get to stinking quick!

Hayla is a baby of habit. She has favorite foods, toys, movies and people. A day doesn't pass that chicken nuggets and ketchup aren't mentioned hourly. I can't walk into the kitchen with out begging requests for oranges and apple juice (this actually pertains to any liquid in her cup besides milk).

Movie time is a massive point of obsession. I have been a bit of a push over since we moved about t.v time. I won't lie, it's a great distraction when we have so much going on getting settled in. But the negative side is t.v dependency which sets on quick in a two year old. If they get to watch one movie a day they expect the damn thing to be turned on from the time they wake up till they hit the sack. Until Colin came along I was not a television/movie person so I really struggle with that thing even being in the house sometimes let alone being constantly requested in a high pitch shrill scream. So as of late we have been taking the opportunity to utilize and familiarize the word NO accompanied with some good old fashioned redirection. Nemo, Princess, Frog and Tink...will all be there waiting.

On the bright side Hayla really enjoys books. Her favorite story is about a puppy named Petey who is looking for a boy to give him a home. She also loves a bedtime book called 'Goodnight Moon'. She knows these books by heart and enjoys having them read to her but she also wants to read to you. She is a great little story teller.

One thing I truly enjoy about this girl is her genuine love for her family. She absolutely ADORES Angelo and Olivia. There is nothing she enjoys more then playing hide and seek, ring around the rosy or 'monster baby' with the big kids. This love is equally present for the three cousins who she refers to as 'Michael Gracey'. I love when they are all together and how much she enjoys chasing them.

A few big milestones as of late...Hayla recently spent a whole weekend with Nonnie while mom and dad had a date. She loves to 'fweep at Nonnies house' with 'michael gracey'. I thought the first night would go great but I was concerned she would have a hard time with missing mommy and daddy the second....but nope! And how awesome was her excitement when she spotted us Sunday night!! 'HI DADDY HI DADDY, HI MOMMY, OOOOHHH MOMMY'!!!! I love being that loved!!

We have a talker! Hayla is probably my most advanced baby when it comes to language skill at this age. She is speaking in proper sentences, using words correctly that we don't even realize she knows. She also knows a few choice 'french' words if you catch my drift! She is counting to 10 well, still missing the occasional digit here and there but even made it to 15 a few times recently. She is familiar with the alphabet and it's surprising how much of it she knows. One of her favorite toys is a leapfrog laptop she got from Aunt Alisa. She spends hours a day on that thing playing alphabet games.

We are looking so forward to spring and summer in our new home. I can't wait to be able to just open the door and let the girl go. One thing a miss the most about our San Clemente home was how much Hayla got to be outside. It was always warm so I could just open the door to the fenced back yard and she would be out there for hours. Here it is just to muddy and rainy and cold so we don't get out much. Can't wait for that to change! We miss you warm!

~Hayla turns 2~

2011-01-21T08:47:00.000-08:00

Happy birthday to our little Tinkerbell!! As with all our little children the birthday celebration lasted about 2 weeks. We had a small little family party with just us and the kids and a chocolate cake on December 28th, the day of her birth and then this last weekend we finished it off with an Arthur style RAGER! Thank you to all our friends and family who came to celebrate the two year anniversary of birth of our fabulous little chili pepper!

To Hayla

2010-11-29T10:45:00.000-08:00

Hotsauce,
In case your wondering why I opened this up with hotsauce, its because it definately fits your personality Hayla. So much had happened when I was deployed to Afghanistan. You had grown up to such a big girl, not the same baby that I had left. At this moment your playing with an old bouncy toy in nothing but a diaper saying woooow. You've grown up so much its so hard to believe that you were only crawiling not too long ago, and now your walking and talking!!! Next week we'll be on our way back home to Washington to start our lives over again up there. Its Christmas time, and soon your second birthday..........I love you Hayla.

Haylas favorite food????

2010-08-29T21:36:00.000-07:00

KETCHUP.

She's such an American girl.

My Maymaw

2010-08-25T11:27:00.000-07:00

~Hayla and her pink Maymaw~

Hayla loves her blanket. She always has. She never needed a binky. She began suckling the silky edges of her blanket when she was only a couple months old and from that time has continued to grow a strong bond with what she now refers to as her 'Maymaw'. She always knows where her maymaw is and she is able to self soothe when she needs to by quickly running to get it when she is tired or sad or in most cases with her fire eyed and ready to battle. She is a little fire ant and lucky for us, Maymaw helps to calm her and give her peace before she blows her little volcano (most of the time). Lucky for us we have 2 Maymaws, a yellow and a pink. She has no preference between the 2 but is most content when both are readily available.

~Hayla and her Barney time~

Hayla has always been a creature of habit, much like her mommy. She tends to find something she likes and take it to the level of obsession...again, like her mommy :) One of Haylas major current obsessions is Barney. Don't cringe, Barney is not so bad and is has been very revered in our home for over 10 years now. When Olivia was little, Barney was all she watched. At some points, all she thought about. Hayla is the same. I do have a limit for my children on how much television time they get, and I am not a mommy who allows TV as a babysitter, but I will tell you that when I need a moment, or I have chores, Barney is always a great distraction. The guy is friendly, loving, and drama free. Hayla loves to sing a long and dance and Barney is re-enforcing things we are helping Hala learn right now such as sharing, good manners, colors and shapes and of course counting and the ABC's. What more could you ask for in a friend? Barney...we love you!

~Hayla in her 'Hotrod' with her annoying brother :)~

Do you love Haylas oldschool highchair? We do!!! Daddy coined it the Hotrod and it stuck. When the hotrod is mentioned, Hayla knows it's time to eat. She is now able to climb in all by her big girl self!!!

Hayla and Angelo have a love/hate relationship at this point. I pray that this changes. Hayla has a temper on her and little tolerance for funny business. Angelo is very frisky and likes to smooch and tickle and usually comes at a time when Hayla has no room for him. Angelo seems to like the reaction of screaming flipped out baby and tends to provoke her. He means no harm, he just does not understand her extreme need for personal space at this point. He loves her so much and just wants to cuddle, it's in his nature. But Haylas nature is far from cuddle bug and now she associates Angelo with annoyance and pretty much pitches a fast fit if he even looks her way. I really REALLLLLY hope this is just a phase on both their parts and pray they can find a happy medium with one another. Angy needs love, Hayla needs quick kisses and a quicker departure. I guess in the end I have to remember this exact situation between Olivia and Angelo when he was a toddler....but please help me forget that the rift between those 2 is still strong and steady. Poor brother with 2 mean sisters.

~Hayla and her 2 best girls, Big sister Olivia and Cousin Gracey~

As we quickly approach Haylas second birthday this coming December, she continues to thrive and meet milestones. She is especially excelling in language skills these days and repeating most anything you say. She is very good with 'Thank you' and says it at anytime you do anything for her, even if you don't realize it was something she was wanting. She even says it now when I put her to nap or bed!

Soon enough our daddy will be home. At this point we have less then a month left! Hayla still holds her daddy near and dear to her heart and thinks of him all through out the day. She talks about him a lot, points to his pictures and constantly wants to talk with him on the phone. Part of bedtime is giving daddy a kiss goodnight and she never forgets and gets very upset if I do. She has to kiss her poster of daddy on her wall over her crib. We can NOT wait till the day he is kissing her back.

Hayla.........Hotsauce....Hotsy.....Fire-ant.....Steam Engine.....We love you baby girl.

18 months

2010-07-20T10:34:00.000-07:00

Hayla is getting so big and her hair is getting long. She has the cutest little legs, they are the same width around from her hips to her ankles. They look like little tree stumps! Daddy would call them her hamhocks.

She is really starting to develope her language skills right now. She tries to copy almost anything you say to her and once in a while she gets it out. Her favorite words right now are "cookoo" (cookie), Daddy go, Barney (she looooooves Barney as much as Olivia did). She also sayse Nonnie now! She has been saying outside and bye bye for a long time, but those are still her favorites and she loves to wave and say Hi to strangers every where we go.

Hayla is an amazing little dancer. She has some moves you would never expect from a baby her age. When she starts breaking it down you can't help but laugh. She loves to dance to Justin Bieber and sings along 'Baby...go, baby...no, Baby...mine'. She also likes to tap dance in the kitchen to Willy Nelson. I will have to try and get some good video of this, she seems to know when I am trying to record her and refuses to perform.

We are currently spending the summer in Washington with family so Hayla is getting a lot of time with cousins. She is loving it. She is such a good baby and loves her schedule. She is great about napping and bedtime, even with all the changes. Olivia is still her favorite person in the world and she gets a lot of attention from her. I am so lucky to have my big girl to help me with Hayla. She is such a great little momma.

We will be heading back to California sometime in the next month to prepare for the return of our daddy. We can't wait to have life back to normal and our family back together.

Waiting for Daddy to come home

2010-05-16T20:57:00.000-07:00

She still does it. So precious that she has not forgotten that daddy comes home at the end of the day. She waits for him, watches for him, calls to him. She remembers his presence as if it were yesterday that he kissed her goodbye. But it was 3 and a half months. And now, only 3 and a half months until he kisses her hello, and I know she will never remember is absence.

Lord keep our daddy close, keep him safe...bring him home.

Hayla Poops Pink Poodles.

2010-04-25T13:08:00.000-07:00

She really does. And they smell like strawberry shortcake. The funny story, over spring break hayla put a stuffed pink poodle toy in the toilet. We all thought it was so funny no one would take it out. Angelo was really concerned about how he was going to go to the bathroom. I really wonder why I didn't take a picture.

Everything has been so fast forward since Daddy left us for Afghansitan. Come to think of it, we have been in a whirlwind since we moved to California. I hate that I now have to look back on this time and realize that 6 or 7 months of Haylas life are missing from her blog. It's like skipping pages in the baby book.

Her first birthday is not even here!! I have to use my external hard drive on the old desk top and get the pictures off from her party and I will post them here. She was so sweet...when everyone started singing happy birthday to her she layed her head down on her cake!

Since then...obviously so much has changed. Hayla started officially walking the first week in March, a week after her daddy left. She was taking little groups of steps between us before but really started going in March. Now a days she is running all over the damn place. She loves to play outside. So much in fact that it was one of her first words! 'AYESSSSNNNAYE" yes that is outside in Hala talk. I leave the back door open and she has the nice fenced in backyard with all her toys and fun. She is in and out all day long puttering. When ever she hears an airplane she runs out side yelling 'mommy...mommy....ayepaye'!!!!

Heyla is also really into dancing. She comes from a musical family anyway so it is only a given that she is going to have rythem right? I have so much video of this girl breaking it down. And of course I am mailing it all to Colin as I record it so he doesn't miss a moment. I have honestly never seen a baby with so many dance moves. It's like everyday she is learning something new and throwing a new move in her little routine. She is a big fan of the 'Hayla shimmy'!!!

So far we have 9 teeth! When daddy left Hay had 4 on top and an un-even 3 on the bottom front. Well now she still has the top 4 and a matching 4 on the bottom....as well as a nice little molar on the bottom!!! All the better to chomp her 'chichennnn'....her favorite lunch time food and her first food word!

Obviously Hayla's language skills are really picking up. She says mommy and daddy and makes unintelligible attempts at Olivia and Angelo. She is really attempting to copy us a lot now to. I can get her to say almost anything at least once. Thats a fun game!

So since daddy left I have taken soooo many pictures. I have been emailing them as I take them so I won't post a bunch here...but the loader isn't working now so I will upload some soon.

album 03\22\2010 (34 photos), by jeanette gleason

2010-03-22T13:51:00.001-07:00

I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.
Click here to view photos

Baaaabeeeee

2010-03-21T22:16:00.000-07:00

Hayla has added the word 'Baby' to her vocabulary. She is walking so well and is very self important about it. The children and I are really enjoying this time with her...watching her grow and learn and change so much. We wish daddy were here and loving her with us. I miss him more then anything when I look at our beautiful girl.

I know I have sort of abandoned this page and I plan to get back to it this week. I need to post pictures of her birthday.

I also want to revamp our family site (These Guys) and give it a little facelift. So check that out to in the next week :)

BAAAAABEEEEEEEE

Little Hayla Hotsauce is......

2010-03-02T15:19:00.000-08:00

Walking!!!!!

Forever my baby

2009-12-15T08:16:00.000-08:00

Last year at this time I was roaming this world with Hayla Lavender nestled in my big bulging belly. The snow was falling and falling, Christmas was all around us and the thought of soon holding our baby girl in our arms was almost to much to wrap our heads around. This very week, last year I was reaching my due date....but little Hayla was not to come for another couple weeks.

I know all the mommys say it but time has really flown by. I remember how my heart would break as each week crept by when she was first born. But looking back on it now it seems like those days stood still. One of the things I have so much enjoyed about being a new mommy this time around was the peace that surrounded me. With Olivia I was so young and had so many questions and concerns. I was back to work when she was a month old and seperated from her for 10 hours a day. Angelo came at a time in my life where there was chaos and fear. He was such an unhappy baby. That time was a whirlwind of emotion. Still of course I was in love with my babies....I just did not get to relax as much with them and spend my life thinking of nothing but loving on them the way I have with Hayla. I thank God for this time and for giving me a man who is kind, soft spoken, generous and strong. God gave me a man I can trust and rely on and God gave me a peace in my heart to just relax and open myself to the little things, the sweet moments of being a mother. I love you Jesus, I love you Colin, Olivia and Angelo....I love you Hayla Lavender.

There is this Switchfoot song I have not heard in forever that I always loved. I think of it a lot and relate it to my relationship with Jesus and to being a mommy. It reminds me of the chances I have had to feel Gods presence in my life. One of those chances was having the opurtunity to be a mommy for a third time....the last time...and to do it the right way.

On Fire by Switchfoot
They tell you where you need to go
They tell you when you'll need to leave
They tell you what you need to know
They tell you who you need to be

But everything inside you knows
There's more than what you've heard
There's so much more than empty conversations
Filled with empty words

And you're on fire
When He's near you
You're on fire
When He speaks
You're on fire
Burning at these mysteries

Give me one more time around
Give me one more chance to see
Give me everything you are
Give me one more chance to be... near You

Cause everything inside me looks like
Everything I hate
You are the hope I have for change
You are the only chance I'll take when I'm on fire

When You're near me
I'm on fire
When You speak
And I'm on fire
Burning at these mysteries

Now time for some pictures!!! This first set she is hauling diaper towards trouble only to be swooped up by dad. (Her dress looks funny because I have to tuck it in her chonies so she doesn't trip on it):

Below Watching some Barney:

Hayla loves when daddy gives her a bath in the sink. She has a little lion bathtoy she calls her sea horse or mermaid. Below it appears she is blowing kisses although this was random as she has not yet learned this trick:

Hayla's first time eating sketty

One of Hayla's favorite things in her little world are her kitties. She and Carlos spend much of the day wallering around on the floor together. He does not seem to mind the occasional eye gouging, whisker tugging and ear pulling. I guess it's a small price to pay for a good rub down.

Hayla also loves Finster...and he loves her...just not so much her generosity with affection. He is known to swat so she gets better love from him when she finds him napping. I have a vid of her on this day kissing his sleeping head!

Hayla and her toy basket

Dad's birthday

Hayla on her first Halloween. She is a Chesty Devilpup

This hot sunny day picture was taken the day before Thanksgiving!! (Yes....dad is so jacked!)

Hayla and her first Thanksgiving!

Watching some Barney with brother...

Hayla sayse BYEBYE!!!!

Some Christmas pictures..

2009-12-02T12:47:00.001-08:00

I have not picked up the disc yet so can not post them here...but follow the link http://moderneyeimages.net/?load=flash

Then click online ordering and password Arthur

Ten month Tulip

2009-10-28T08:28:00.001-07:00

The girls on the front stoop

Babies day at the beach...

Little Hayla Lavender is now one of those babies who stands holding the side of her crib waiting for mom and daddy to greet her after a cozy nap!

She is also now an avid crawler! Much change from our last post. She sort of does what we refer to as the 3 point shuffle since she prefers not to get her left knee dirty and crawls on the left food and right knee while both little hands are going 100 baby miles an hour. She also finally broke her 5th and 6th teeth through. To the left and right of her top 2 boobchuck toofers. Lets just say nursing can be a bit painful at times. Ten months is a big deal. Our lil flower is near toddlerdom.

Phone Cam Princess

2009-10-08T16:06:00.000-07:00

Colin and I often take random pictures on our phones that never seem to reach the ones we think would really appreciate them. Here is a small collection of those!

Devilpup Boozey baby got a hold of dads beer...don't worry it was empty when she found it!

My ALLL time favorite picture of the Hoop.

Catching some pooh...

Mmm...ramrakes!! Thats pancake in Hayla language. (Whoever notices our ghetto makeshift highchair gets three free ramrakes).

KITTYKAT

2009-10-08T15:41:00.000-07:00

Haylas most recent word and one of her favorite things to see. She is definitely an animal lover like the rest of her family. She gets so excited and screeches when ever she sees a dog out on our adventures or if one of our 3 cats comes around her. The cats are really helping her mobility progress to. They encourage her to get up on those knees. Yesterday I came around the corner to find her standing upright leaning on a shelf with girl kitty up on the shelf rubbing on her. And the other day old Finster was sitting on a stool and below him was little Hayla. He kept his paw swinging back and forth while she swatted her little hands at him. Suddenly one of Fins claws got stuck in the top of her head and she started to whimper until mommy saved the day. He didn't mean to hurt her and she didn't hold a grudge. They went right back to the game.

This week was the second time Hayla has gotten to play with her new friend K. We go to her house and stay with her for an hour while K's momma goes to help at the school. This is both babies first pal and they are not so fond of one another. Hayla wants to poke and prod and climb on K and K does NOT want that baby touching her. So K begins to cry and Hayla gets this crazy look on her face like 'what in the heck is that nasty sound?' or maybe she thinks K is making fun of her or coppying her...either way...K crying makes Hayla cry and suddenly I am surrounded by screaming crying babies. My very favorite.....:)

Sooo...Hayla is 9months plus! Can you believe it? I certainly can not. I am so excited about all her milestones but still...I just want her little forever. Sleep I could use though haha. She STILL is waking every hour or two alllll night. But I am so luckyu because Colin and I take turns with her night shift. How many daddys do that?!!

Other news in the life of Hulagirl...she is still suffering from mobility issues. She is a great roller by now but gets very impatient with her self. She has taken a few crawls here and there but always ends up on her head and tippytoes and then rolls back to the ground. I am thinking she may walk before she ever crawls as she is beginning to pull up on things and today for a split second let go and was standing on her own. Not my little baby!!!???

Hayla is sooo excited her gramma nonnie is coming to see her next week for 9 days. I am excited to. I missed my momma! Nonnie can not stand to be away from her little Hayla and the other grandkids. We are looking forward to the visit.

Hayla is now 17lbs! She is still very small and the doc says she is in the 17th percentile for weight but 75th for height. She really does have some nice meat rolls on those legs I sware!

Well it is only a few short months to babies first birthday so I have been getting excited about all the things I want to get for her. A girl can NOT have to many purses and dollys, dresses and bows. I can't wait for her to have her first doll buggy and tea seat and a little pink table and chair set for her room. I wonder If I will play with this stuff more then her?!! Well we can play together.

Hayla is still nursing away but is loving her cup for juice so I am slowly trying to get her to have breastmilk in her cup.

That is alllll the Hayla news for now :)

Eat, eat, eat and puke...

2009-09-16T14:18:00.001-07:00

Both of these outfits are from Aunt Steph...and if you look close you can see her two top toofers in top pic!

Hayla has been so funny about eating the last few days. She is especially fond of feeding herself now and has been a little pest when we try to feed her the cereal and mashed foods. She has these organic fruit and veggie puffs and I cut up little pieces of fruit for her. She also LOVES mini pancakes with strawberry jam.

The other night we ran out of baby food and didn't feel like going to the store in the middle of getting dinner together so I was feeding her little bits of sweet tates and mashed tates which is what I made for the rest of us that night. She loved it and ate ALOT! I also let her have a few sips of cows milk from my cup. She was fussy all eve before that and still fussy after dinner so I am not sure if she had a bug or if it was the big people dinner or milk...but that night about an hour after I layed her down she puked big girl barf all over her crib. We got her cleaned and calmed and I changed her sheets, got her back to sleep and not 5 minutes later she throws up again. Poor little scrumptious :( I decided to keep her near so I brought her to bed with me. She was suddenly happy and feeling good I guess because while I was trying to sleep she was playing and gabbing beside me until she finally dosed off. She was fine for the rest of the night.

Since that scared us we are now only offering her baby foods again and holding off on anything that does not come from a jar with the words baby and organic somewhere on the label. EXCEPT little clementine oranges which she can NOT get enough of.

Also new in the world of Hayla...she is a little roller now! Gone are the days where rolling was taboo. She now rolls over and over anywhere she wants to be. This is something she has discovered will solve the issue of learning to crawl. She is nearly 9 months old and still not crawling. Lately she is learning to get up on her hands and knees and often just her knees and head and rock back and forth. She has attempted to move her knees a few times but so far has not gotten the idea to move her little paws. All in good time....and then all hell will break loose on our house I am sure!

Hayla and her man...

2009-09-13T18:19:00.000-07:00

Just a couple pictures

2009-09-04T13:22:00.000-07:00

We are now obnline at home but I am still finding it hard to take a minute to sit on the computer. I thought I would just take a moment to post a few recent shots of the girly and I will put up a few other great ones from over the last month next week sometime.

A little updat!! Hayl got her first tooth August 2nd on the bottom right and on the 19th the one on the bottom left came in! Then a few weeks later we noticed both top front teeth showing under her gums and they came through this week. She has been so happy you would never have known she was growing her first grill.

Colin is calling her Boobchuck. If any of you want to know how many boobies does a boobychuck chuck if a booby chuck could chuck boobies...? Just ask Hayla.

Soooo Smart!!

2009-08-10T17:58:00.000-07:00

I have not been able to update much but it has been a rough month and more. I have avoided getting Internet until we are settled in so I am at the library. Hayla is SOOOOO SMART...as the title points out.

I don't recall many other babies her age already copying words?!!Hayla is already saying Momma. I spent the whole trip down practicing it with her and just constantly saying it to her and patting my chest and eventually she began to copy me. I am not sure if she is actually associating the word with me, but she now says it over and over and copy's us when we say it to her. She is also copying other sounds Olivia says to her though not repeating them later on her own just yet. Colin is steady working on Daddy. I have faith it won't be long! Also she has learned about Noses in the last week. AS I nurse she often reaches for my face and recently began extending her pointer so I started saying 'nose' every time she pointed to mine. I then began pointing to her nose and repeating the word and using her finger to touch her nose while I said the word...and so on so forth. Well....in the last couple days now when we ask 'Wheres mommas nose?' She sure as anything points right to it. She also does it for Colin and sissy!! Such excitement to see our girl not even past her 7th month and already doing such great little tricks!

We don't have a high chair yet but we need one bad. Hayla can be such a pest when she doesn't get to sit up to the table for dinner with the family. Yesterday we set her up there in her bath seat and she loved it. I broke up little bits of pancake for her and she thought she was the greatest thing since kittens! So that brings us to the fact that she has been loving her finger treats. She has been eating organic veggie and fruit puffs and little pieces of fruit I cut up. She is a pro and wants more and more.

Her hair is coming in fast and thick and really looking more and more red each day.

We will have internet soon and will post pics of her then....

6 and a half months

2009-07-12T11:36:00.000-07:00

Since we are stuck in Chehalis still I thought I would do a little update on Hayla with my spair time.

I have been a little worried the last couple weeks because Hayla is into her 6 months and still not rolling over. She sits up great and likes to stand while holding our hands, but she still hates tummy time and gets irate when we force the issue. She can hold her head great and has wonderful neck and head strenght and control....but when she is on her tummy she just burries her head in the blanket and screams. She sometimes rolls her self to her side but never all the way over. I guess I should not say never, she did it a couple times in her 4th month. She never has gone from back to front though at all. So I did some research today and found her to be quite normal. Some babies just never roll. She is on track with her motor skills and sitting and all....so I guess no worries.

She has been really enjoying eating and is starting to show signs that she wants to try finger foods. I am going to check out the organic section at the local supermarket today and see what I can find for first finger foods....any suggestions Cami?

I guess thats about all I can think of at the moment....oh yeah...Hayla had her first swim in a pool this week and LOOOVES it. She was born in the water so I guess thats to be expected!!

Transition

2009-06-30T11:26:00.000-07:00

We are moving so Hayla updates are on hold a while. Keep track of our move progress at These Guys blog, you can link it to the right on the side panel.

Hayla is great starting to sit up, eating peaches and pears and happy as can be. A little hard transitioning from her house to our temporary stay with Nonnie but she has many more changes ahead so we will have to all be patient.

We will get some pictures and a better update up around the end of July when we are settled in.

Photo Shoot and Milestones

2009-06-12T10:49:00.000-07:00

Hayla Lavender is so photo-esque! Once I start shooting pictures of her I just can't quit! The other day we went to Costco to meet my mom and sis and all the damn kids ( I always call them that : )) and we got there a little early....well really they were late haha! But the kids and I were looking at cameras because miss Livvy is saving up for one. I took a really cute shot of Hayla on a crazy fancy camera. Later when mom arrived I took her to see the cameras and had her looking at the one and suddenly a photo of Hula appeared! I thought it was funny. I bet she will sell that camera!

I have been meaning to get on here and update a little better but it's been nuts. But here I am! Hayla went to the Doc last week and weighs 14.9 lbs. It's all in her booty and legs I sware!! Just like momma haha.

I have been waiting for her to start rolling but I don't think she ever will. She has accidentally gone from tummy to back a couple times but not on purpose and she did not lay there and say to herself 'hmm... so that's how I do it'. She only rolled because she HATES tummy time and was screaming and wriggling and suddenly flung over. She still has not gone from back to tummy, but then why would she...it would after all land her on her tummy...god forbid! She is rolling to her sides alot though. Its funny to. When she falls asleep nursing and I lay her in her crib she sticks her feet straight in the air and sort of rolls to the side with her legs straight out in front of her and that's how she sleeps now. She will not sleep on her back much. I worried about it for a while but Colin calmed it. That's just how she likes to sleep. So cute. I can't wait till the day I see her asleep on her belly with her bootybump poking in the air. That's my favorite!

I read some where today about babies crawling at 5 1/2 to 6 months? That seems insane when my baby won't even role....I started thinking she is behind? I don't know. Any one else have a crawler that young?

So also in the last month Hayla has started solids. First it was rice cereal of course and she wanted to eat but did not seem to care for the blandness. How could she when she knows about ice cream and frosting and chocolate? Thanks dad!! haha. So I started her on Pears mixed with the cereal and she through that back like some fine aged scotch! So far she has also tried prunes and loved them, sweet tates and winter squash not so much. I decided for the sake of keeping a good thing going to just stick to pears and cereal until the end of the month then introduce new stuff. I cant wait till she can have cookies. But what ever happened to zwieback toast? They don't have it at any of the stores any more. I know they sell the damn things dipped in chocolate at the coffee shops for like 800$ a chunk!! Yuppies get zwieback now but not my precious Hayla? All well...I guess she will get a choco dunked toast then haha.

And...more news....I have managed to locate all tickle spots. She loves to be tickled and laughs and so hard. Bottoms of the feet, inside the thighs under and on the knee, above the toosh and up the back and the best place is right under her chin and her neck and chest. I love to chew n her there and growl at her. She grunts and laughs and closes her eyes. When you stop she keeps her eyes shut and smiles and waits for more. She enjoys the suspense. She is so sweet. Sometimes when I am kissing on her she closes her eyes and gets this little half smile and just seems to breathe in my kisses. She loves me : )

Daddy's girl for sure! Lately she prefers Colin over me unless she is in the mood for pork chops or a side of beef. (code words for nursing). When he gets home from work she follows him around with her eyes till he comes to greet her. If he has to change or shower before he picks her up she screams and cries when he turns and walks away from her. The other day she wanted him so bad and he had to mow the lawn so I put her in her saucer on the sun porch so she could watch him. That didn't work the way I planned. Every time she saw him she would get happy and then when he would turn and go the other way she would cry again. She loooooves that daddy.

Lots of new sounds and chattering. She loves to say 'ahh booobooobooooo' when she is sad and ignored....and she has this new screech and high pitch squeal she is doing a lot when she is happy. She loves to hear herself that's for sure.

She is getting better in the car the last couple weeks. She is better at entertaining her self and enjoys her toys longer now. She also likes to visit with Ang and Liv so when they ride close to her it helps. Night driving is still a problem so we plan to do all our driving to CA during day light.

No progress sitting up on her own. She still needs plenty of support.

I believe that is all I got for yuhz!!

I could not pick my favorites from our photoshoot....so here are ALL OF THEM!!

A spring evening with Hayla

2009-06-02T14:18:00.000-07:00

Evenings in Southworth are a wonderful gift. We love to sit out in the evenings and smell the cool salt water air coming off the sound. Our kitties gather around us and the children play. This time of year and this kind of evening reminds me of the days Colin and I spent falling in love when we first met. I am so happy to be able to share this time and create a memory with Hayla here befor we move on.

On this particular evening Hayla had the chance to meet Zero, one of the more timid kitties that we have been feeding for a few years. He and his sister came from a litter a few years back from a momma that had been abandoned in our neighborhood. I have spend the last few months finding homes and farms for the wild kitties and this picture of Zero here with Hayla was the last I got of him before we brought him to a farm on Vashon Island with his sister Lucy. I will miss my kitties and I am so happy to have this picture of Hayla and Zero meeting for the first time.

These other photos are of hayla checking out the old Hawthorne. I love it in all of its seasons. I will miss the winter when it is swarmed with fat Robin Redbreasts as they collect the berries when it is bare of leaves. Hayla seems to appreciate every little thing we share with her and in her eyes you can see that she understands she needs to soak this place in as we will soon be leaving. Her birth home....where Colin and I fell madly in love, created her, grew her little being and then brought her into our lives on Cherry Street.

Spring time Hayla

2009-05-20T11:33:00.000-07:00

Hayla in our back yard getting some sun...

With Dad

With momma and her new blonde head : )

Pretty girl

With big brother

I love taking pics of my babies with daisys!

Sissy kissy

Looks tasty!

Smelling flowers

Oh Hayla!!!

2009-05-06T10:51:00.000-07:00

I had to tell everyone this funny story. Yesterday Colin was on the couch with Hayla and I layed my head down in his lap and was looking at her upside down....just in time for a GIANT stream of baby barf to trail out of her mouth to the top of my head and all through my hair!!!

Four Months

2009-04-22T09:34:00.000-07:00

Unbelievable. Little Hayla is getting quite big. Because of some issues with her tricare coverage she has not had her latest check up but she has one scheduled for the first week in May....so we are not quite sure her current weight, but some where around 13-14lbs.

She is doing all the things they do at 4 months. She began grabbing at her toys a while back and now is able to make hand eye coordination and bring them to her moth. She is not so fond of furry things and makes a funny face. She prefers the hard plastic or wood toys. She still likes her swing and her play mat but she is over them quickly. She just recently began using her excer-saucer though and with a little help from bl;ankets stuffed around her is able to sit up and play with her toys. She enjoys it, but like her other toys not for long. So in order to get anything done around the house I move her often from one thing to the next, playing with her for a half hour or so between her little entertainment centers. She is not napping as often during the day so we are spending a lot more time together. Ever few days she seems to take a sleep day and have a couple naps that range from 2 to 5 hours each. Her night sleep schedule forever varies. She was sleeping up to 5 hours for a while but that has come and gone. She is trying to be sneaky and train us to keep her in our bed! We started putting her in her crib, just outside our room at least once a night as the bassinet is getting small for her. She has been wanting to nurse all night like a little kitten, staying latched but not really suckling...so Colin has been helping a lot by taking her and getting her back to sleep with her Binky which she now really enjoys. I am so thankful for the extra sleep this is giving me, but a little guilty for dad.

Hayla is also becoming very vocal. I love all the noises she is making. She does to. As I type she is by me making screech sounds and smiling. She seems very impressed with herself! She is also experiencing with making raspberries with her lips and blowing bubbles. She has a couple new ways she likes to do it. Its pretty easy to get a giggle out of her now to. She likes to play 'who's a big girl' where I hold her arms over her head and vary my voice. She laughs and laughs. She loves to be tickled on her ribs and have her tummy chewed on and Olivia has a couple ways to make her laugh to. Angelo gets frustrated because when ever he tries to make her laugh she just stares at him!!

Hayla has already had a babysitter twice!! we interviewed a couple girls and found an awesome young lady. Hayla has given her a run for her money and refused the bottle for both occasions but we are going to keep trying.

Well some one is ready to move to a new station.....so gotta go.

Momma and Baby

2009-03-27T14:41:00.000-07:00

Well little Hayla is finally through much hard work on her momma has finally taken her first bottle! She has such a good momma to spend all that time and care with her day in and day out! Just like her parents she had to live a little excessively and only eat out of the most expensive bottle known to man, love my baby.
One thing I've observed about little "Hula" is that she absolutley loves when I play the guitar. She gets this look of intense concentration as I move my fingers up and down the fretboard, and each chord I manipulate she looks at crazy intently....maybe a future axe player herself? I HOPE! Lastnight momma actually had Hayla laughing extremely hard while she was playing pick a boo with her, GOD it was so awesome seeing my little baby laughing that hard and so happy! I thank God for my little precious Ginger baby, and especially her momma too!

Hayla hates......

2009-03-27T14:02:00.000-07:00

Bottles
Binkies
Car rides

But..........

Colin and I decided we at least wanted her to one of those things so we could have a peaceful relaxing date, with or with out her.

So, after failing to find a bottle in the house that would suit her I searched online and ended up spending a decent amount on this crazy bottle the 'most resembles momma'...what ever that means. Well it came in the mail night before last. Daddy held baby, momma pumped milk, baby watched. Pored it in the new retro yuppie bottle and popped it in her mouth. Guess what little miss fuss bucket decided to do?! Suck it! Maybe she thinks she is queen of Siam or some junk and deserved the most expensive bottle known to man? Either way....HAYLA ATE HER FIRST BOTTLE!!! Since that one she has been a bit prudish about doing it again but I won't give up.

The next day I decided it was binky time. I have been trying to get her to use one for the last couple months just because she is like a little sucker fish sometimes and ends up wanting to nurse for comfort, gets a full tank and blows it all over mom, dad and the house. Again, I tried one time! I held her to my chest popped it in her mouth and began rocking. She immediately started sucking and fell asleep in 3 minutes. I kept on it all day yesterday and today and she is loving it every time.

Now to concur the car ride blues before our upcoming 1700 mile drive to San Clemente....

So I'm 11 weeks!!!

2009-03-17T09:23:00.000-07:00

We can't believe its been almost 3 months since she was born. I am sure time will continue to scream by, but we are doing our best to savor every breath....still. I looked through some early photos and I realize how much bigger Hayla already is. Especially her head. She seems to have less hair, but really it just spread out. She goes for her 2 month check up ( I know a little late) next week and I will post her growth stats then.

Life with Hayla could not be more luxurious and enjoyable. She is still one of the most mellow and easy, happy and peaceful babies I have known. She has been smiling since she was born and cooing and chatting since she was about 2 weeks old. At this point she spends half the day grinning and singing baby songs, telling baby stories. She loves attention and spending one on one time with anyone. She will give you long session's of eye contact and smile and talk and even copy your sounds. She dearly loves to be held and loved on.

Lately, Hayla is beginning to explore herself and her surroundings. She discovered the magic of her own hands a couple days ago. She puts her fist out in front of her and follows it with her eyes. She has this little pose she likes to do with one fist out in front of her and one up against her chest, back and forth...like a ninja chop!!

She likes when we put toys by her and she bats them with her fists. She has not yet been able to purposely grab one yet but once in a while she accidentally gets one in her grip and holds on for dear life so she can suck and chew it.

Mommy has been showing her how tasty everything is, helping her to put her toys, toes and fingers in her mouth. She seems to think its pretty funny.

We have also tried a few times recently to get Hayla to use a bottle. Either breas milk or formula...neither seem to interest her. Its a little frustrating to know that we can not leave her for more then and hour or so. We would love to have a momma and daddy night out...maybe in a few months I guess.

Hayla recently got a new swing which she loves to spend time in. She prefers songs with animal sounds when she plays on her mat or swings. And with older siblings she is getting turned on to our family favorite show Sponge Bob. She loves him.

Hayla had her first trip to the ocean. She spent most of it sleeping through a growth spurt but the rest of us enjoyed the occasion.
Big Brother wrote her name in the sand!!

Our rest schedule has continued to get better, not that it was ever bad. Hayla has pretty much always been a good sleeper. In the last month she has been sleeping up to 6 hours some nights. The only 'problem' here is that she does not like to go down for the night until late. Anyone who knows me knows I like to go to bed pretty early. Even if I don't go to bed early I usually pass out on Colins lap by 8 or 9 every night while he watches his nightly dose of the Golden Girls. So, being up until 11 or later with her has been waring me out pretty good. A few nights a week I go to bed and daddy stays up with her so I can try to get some rest. He takes such good care of his sleepy girls!

We have had a rough go with tummy time. I remember my other kids loved it but Hayla gets pretty ticked when you put her on her belly. She prefers to be on her back so she can see the world.

Haylas first Photo Shoot

2009-02-17T08:58:00.000-08:00

This weekend was busy. Hayla seemed to sleep through most of it. Bowling for Greg's birthday Saturday....Chucky Cheese for Mike's Birthday Sunday and a Music Jam party with Nonnies work crew Sunday night. Monday we slept in and then headed to Tacoma with Nonnie for Haylas first professional pictures. I should have woke her up and nursed her and livened her up before we started but I was hoping for some sleeping baby pictures as well as awake ones. Well...she slept all right. And when we woke her she was angry and most of the pictures reflect that.

I grabbed copies off the Picture People web page so they have copyrights on them but still, wanted to share them.

Capricorn

2009-02-13T18:28:00.000-08:00

~This photo of our beautiful Hayla napping features a sweater knit by an amazing woman named Marian whom I greatly adore. I have not seen her in quite some time and I have not had a chance to get to know in depth but I feel I would miss her even If I never had met her. Thank you 'Spider' for creating your art and sharing your heart with my girl~

I don't know why it never occurred to me before last night that Hayla has her very own sign! The horoscope has always been something of interest to me. I am an Aquarius and I always seem to connect with the scorpions. My momma, my partner in crime Tiffany, another close friend Kimmy and my daughter Olivia and finally my man Colin are all Scorpions. Angelo is right on the cusp of Scorpio and Sagittarius...he is a whole different story, if you know...you know! And, miss Hayla is a Capricorn. I don't know many woman cap's so I did a little research last night. I am excited and a little nervous if Hayla coincides with the Capricorn woman in history.

I was talking with my new friend Tori tonight, who by the way is doing great as is Blakely Alexander (aka John Sedgwick, aka Blakely Jeanette. Tori mentioned getting Blakes horoscope. Great idea!! Here is her horoscope from the day she was born.

December 28, 2008
Mars and Pluto are showing us something new in the cosmos – well, at least it’s new to us. A conjunction in Capricorn is something we haven’t yet seen in this lifetime, but we’re about to see more of it as the aspect will repeat in the years to come. Our ideas on authority undergo a change. What once seemed fair must now be reconceived. The power structures of the world will rattle and hum in an effort to rebalance.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). A certain someone can say three words to you and suddenly internal chaos ensues. Though it’s not all that unpleasant, and perhaps highly artistic, you are better off to calm yourself. Sit in silence and just breathe.

Though on any other day these words would maybe seem benign...they resonate with magic in my mind when I relate them to my girl.

Hayla the Birth Doula

2009-02-10T16:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning was an eventful one. It was a Sunday, the air cold and packing a bite. The sun threatened here and there but in our little Southworth Banana belt it just couldn't get through the grey. Colin and I bundled our baby girl with fleece and mittens and packed her into a snuggle carrier on Colins chest. We headed up Sedgwick for our 5 mile loop. About a half mile into our trip a car came flying by at an estimated 70-80 miles per hour. We huffed about it a little and guessed it was missing a ferry. A moment later it came flying past us again from the opposite direction reaching near the same speeds. At this point Colin made a remark about hoping it would be pulled over. After the day was over we both felt pretty bad about that conversation. As we continued to walk up around the bend we noticed the same car parked along the side of the road, a man pacing beside it talking on a cell phone. We heard what we thought to be a child crying and it occurred to me some one was hurt. We picked up our pace and as we approached, about 100 feet off Colin mentioned it sounded like a woman having a baby. Yes, it did. I immediately took off my sweatshirt and prepared my mind for the scene ahead as we walked toward the car. I can't recall if we asked if someone was in labor or if I just walked right up to the woman in the passenger seat, half dressed and very obviously moments from giving birth. Colin and I introduced ourselves to them and explained that we had just accomplished a successful unassisted home birth. We hoped that our pressence would give them a little peace of mind all though I don't know about Colin but I was pretty nervous and took a second to pray for guidance. The woman I now know as Tori seemed to relax and she stopped screaming through her rushes. I stayed with her and talked to her and spoke on the phone with her Doula here and there. Colin was right with me to offer any help and he talked with the man off and on to try to distract him. I told the woman that I was not afraid of her birth and she should not be either and that her body knew fully well what to do no matter where it was that she delivered. She mentioned she was nervous about the ambulance taking her to Harrison and I tried to encourage her that she was in control of her pregnancy and labor and could tell them no to any interventions she was not ready for. The conversation halted every couple minutes as her rushes grew stronger and closer together. I tried to investigate to see if the baby was beginning to come out but since I did not know her all that well I was feeling a bit timid. We moved some things around in the back seat and reclined her seat to give her a little more room to stretch through the rushes. The couples little girl was in the backseat and watched quietly and seemed unafraid of all the commotion. After several minutes the ambulance arrived. I gave the men my place next to the Tori but stayed near by. They suggested the man move the car a bit so they didn't have to get her onto the stretcher in the ditch. In just the few seconds it took to pull the car up the baby began crowing. The medics took care to suction his little mouth and nose as he emerged and I climbed in the back seat to hold Tori and talk in her ear. I tried to encourage her with the knowledge that the boys head was out and she gave me a smile and looked down at him. I told her one more good push and she would have her baby. She pushed so quietly with all she had and there he was purple as anything. He looked big and his eyes were open wide. The medics must have been nervous or something because I noticed his cord was around his neck and they didn't seem to be paying attention to it. They were frantically trying to clamp the cord as I was pulling the cord from around his neck. They seemed more concerned with clamping and cutting the cord then getting him on his mommas skin and getting him warm so I got a little pushy with them to get him dried and covered and Tori asked for him on her tummy. Baby Blake gave out a few squawks and his momma asked if I thought he looked all right. I told her yes, he was just a little purple still but he would pink up once he was warm and cried a little. One of the medics took Blake to the ambulance to get an apgar and get him O2 and Tori was loaded on the stretcher. I talked with her and her husband and let them know my credentials and that I owned a daycare and asked if they would like help with their daughter. They headed off to the hospital and Colin and I brought there car to our house and then brought the little girl to the hospital to see her new brother. Her name was Madeline, she was 2 years old. I told her that her brother came out of her mommys tummy and she corrected me 'no her uterus'. Pretty cute!!

Blake was put on O2 at the hospital and Tori didn't get to nurse him until quite a while after they had arrived. But before the night came he was brought back to her room and was doing well.

I have not spoken with her since Sunday night but I am sure they are both doing great. Colin and I feel like we have a connection with this family now that will last a lifetime.

*Edit* I forgot to mention that Tori's Doula was the greatly respected Penny Simkin! She is the woman who coined the term 'Doula'. She has a school in Seattle and has turned out hundreds of talented birth and post partum Doula students. It was a such a pleasure to be a part of this birth and even more exciting to know we had this woman on the phone who I have so much respect and admiration for.

Polka Dots and Baby Smiles

2009-02-05T09:55:00.000-08:00

Oh My Gosh!!!! Our baby girl has the smiley bug!! I got some great pictures the other day of her grins and wanted to share them. She also came down with a severe case of baby acne beginning las Friday. We were concerned because it came on so fast so we took her to the ER Saturday. The doc there said it was just acne but then after it continued to worsen and spread over her entire face, neck and chest we became more concerned and had her seen at the pediatrician. Again it was confirmed to be nothing more then baby acne. Apparently it comes from all the excessive hormones transferred from the placenta to baby right before delivery and it could come and go until she is up to 6 months. So Hayla is looking pretty crusty these days, but nothing could take away from how absolutely adorable she is when she smiles!! She had her shopping spree this weekend and came home with a bunch of new dresses and a couple new toys. She is really loving her play mat/jungle gym that sings her songs while she lounges and takes in the colors and lights.

I think I have entered a new stage of mommy blues. All I want to do is hold her and stare at her. I want to take in every breath from her little mouth. I have been pretty emotional over her the last couple of days. Its difficult for me to even sit here and get this entry complete because all I want is to be laying beside her watching her snooze. She is so precious and I am so in love. I am such a geek about things like clipping her nails. I have done it twice now and I save every nail clipping from her little fingers. I know some may think I'm wacky but I have always been this way with my children. I still have fallen eye lashes from Olivia when she was a newborn. Maybe someday when she is famous I can sell them for millions of dollars??

Tub Time

2009-01-30T13:42:00.000-08:00

Sweet Euphoria

2009-01-29T16:51:00.000-08:00

Moonchild
Open your arms to the lonely shine
Lonesome as gold in a poor man's smile
See how the moon is full, follow the push and pull
Follow the ebb and flow in the breathing tide
Come on moonchild you're so far away tonight
The door is falling open and we're flying wild
Cat on the road, down in the living night
See how the black dog grins in the diamond light
We're dreaming and we're real,
we're broken and we're healed
Give in to what you feel over what you see
Come on moonchild, you're so far away tonight
The door is falling open and we're flying wild
Come on moon flower, you're so far away from now
You could bloom forever in the hour
And when if is only yes and no,
and now becomes too soon
I know you'll be alright if you only
come away to the moon
In the blue shine
Come on moonchild you're so far away tonight
The door is falling open and we're flying wild
Come on moon flower you're so far away from now
You could bloom forever in the hour (Chris Cornel~Euphoria Morning)

Last weekend we celebrated our Birthday together. Hayla came to be one month the day I came to be 32 years old. I feel so much accomplishment over the last year in my family. I strive to be the wife and momma I know God made me to be. I want to be humble before my family the way I am before the Lord. I want peace, I want calm and I want a sweetness that I can not describe. I know this is what the Lord has put on my heart because it has continued to be in the back of my mind and the front of my prayers for so many years. I believe that I started seeing come to fruition when Colin came into my life and I really feel like I am changing, sort of transforming into this woman that I have yearned to be, craved to be for my children for so long. I am excited about the changes that are coming to our little family and I believe Hayla to be a little Angel carrying dreams and wishes and a new hope to our lives.

One of her favorite things to do is spend time with daddy. In the evenings a few times a week Hayla gets to a little more fussy then normal. You can tell that she just does not feel right. It takes more effort to soothe her then normal and she cries easier. She also has a hard time getting to sleep. For the first couple weeks this occurred she would trick me into putting her to the breast to calm her. Inevitably this would get her fuller then her little belly could handle and she would burst. She would spit up a few hours and cry until her belly ache went away and then finally I would get her to rest and she would sleep for four hours straight because she wore her self out. Well, not we have a method. Colin and I take turns rocking, walking, patting, bouncing and we give her plenty of alone time off and on where she enjoys laying on the floor or couch and soaking in her surroundings along with a little grateful dead or classic rock or reggae...what ever she may be in the mood for that evening. I nurse her off and on and eventually when she is showing signs of being 'over it', daddy swoops her up and heads to the rocker. He holds her tight against his chest, patting her baby rump a little harder then momma would to the rhythm of the rocking chair. Back and forth, pat, pat pat.....pat....pat....Sometimes it takes 10 minutes, sometimes it takes 30 seconds. She goes out. He speaks to her like a daddy. 'Hayla, go to sleep' in his touch daddy voice with a depth of love and sweetness no one would have ever guessed him to be capable of if they didn't search for it. And she does, no questions asked. Several times this week I have borrowed this method during the day. When she wiggles and squirms and tries to fight sleepiness I tell her 'No, Hayla. Daddy says you have to go to sleep'....and...she does. I love it.

Recently Hayla has become very smiley. I have not gotten any smiley pictures of her yet, and I am reminded of my friend Cammy and her blogging about taking a million pics trying to get one of her girl smiling. I figure it will come in time huh? The other day I put Hayla in front of the mirror. At first she got this big pout face like she was going to burst into tears and then suddenly she got the hugest grin and let out a couple 'oooooh squeaks'. She is so beautiful she even blows her own mind!! Haha!! I love this time with her, learning what makes her tick, what makes her grin. She is really getting into communicating, but she is sort of sneaky about it. She likes to stare at us when we are busy ignoring her and watching TV or involved in conversation. Then if we look down at her she will grin so huge her eyes squeeze shut. It makes us wonder why we ever do anything besides sit and talk and stare at her!!?? Heck I think I may even give up laundry!!
Hayla has also started to show some interest in toys. This weekend we are taking her on her first girly shopping spree. She will get a swing and a toy gym to lay under and stare at. We will let you know if they end up being a waste of money!!

Hayla love at you all.....

The busy life of Hayla

2009-01-20T13:15:00.000-08:00

In her little snowflake outfit

Meeting Grandpa for the first time

Hanging out with Nonnie

Spending time with her big brother and sister

On her first ferry ride

2 week well baby checkup

2009-01-12T14:43:00.000-08:00

Hayla had her first visit with her pediatrician this morning and she is doing great!

She now weighs in at 21 3/4 inches and 9lbs 9oz!! She is growing....

~The Homebirth of Hayla Lavender~

2009-01-10T10:11:00.001-08:00

OH HAYLA!!!

I don't know just why, but it has been hard for me to imagine sitting down and putting her arrival into words. There are so many words ...but how does a momma really find the right ones to describe the entrance of a miracle?

I read over the posts I left on Hayla's blog while I was laboring, in what at the time I believed to be 'early labor'. My last post was entered around 4:30pm. At that time I was still moving about freely and having a good time puttering with my man. We were chatty and giggly and just having a great time. During my rushes I would let my eyes roll back and let my mouth be loose and my jaw sort of hang. I put all my thoughts into the rush and the work it was doing opening my body to release our baby girl into our lives. I could still talk through the rushes and even maintain activity but the high I was getting off of them was to much to pass up. I knew my man was feeling a tiny bit nervous since the event was finally underway and I felt that if he saw how much I was loving the rushes it would set him free to be loose and relaxed with me. The vibes between us are always so intense anyway, and going through this with him was like an electrical storm crashing through my veins.

So this level of laboring continues for the next hour or so. My sister Manessa arrived a while after the pool was completely filled...I think she came at or shortly after 5:30. Colin had the birth pool full and the water temp felt a little hot so I thought I would wait a while before getting in and then add some cool water if I felt I needed to. I was still enjoying cruising the house and using the bathroom with out having to dry off. I was also waiting for my momma to arrive still. I felt like it was going to be a long night and did not want to grow tired of the pool before it was time to birth.

I continued to time my rushes and they maintained around 3 minutes apart...and maintained extremely tolerable. Finally around 6:30 my momma arrived. Right after she came in the door I went down the hall toward the bathroom and had what I felt to be the first rush I needed to give my undivided attention. It was dark in the hall and I spread my legs and leaned my head against the wall. When it ended I was ecstatic. I knew that things were going to pick up a little pace and that these rushes were going to really start opening me up. Little did I know!!

Momma and Manessa got settled in and Colin and I cuddled on the couch between rushes. When I would feel one coming on I would get to my knees and lean over the side of the couch. In the peek of the rush I would arch my lower back and pelvis forward and lean my shoulders back and let my neck and head sort of hang and flop where ever they wanted to go. I would let my head roll and continued to focus on letting my mouth be loose and smiley. At the end of the rush I would let my emotions out with a happy moan or even laughing and then go back to my man. He asked me if I would like to be rubbed or touched in any way and I told him I didn't think so just yet and that I was doing great focusing and felt like at that moment it may distract me. I was loving the ability to be alone in my rushes but still have my man, momma and sister in my environment. I stayed on the couch for a while, I guess around 20 minutes then got up to use the bathroom. I had a pretty intense rush on the toilet and thought about how I would HATE to labor there and decided I would get in the tub soon. I went back to the couch for a bit longer and felt with each rush that I was falling farther and farther into active labor. Here I would like to say that I have had two rather short births with my other children and an amazing ability to psyche myself out as far as where I am in the labor process. Lets just say I can not be trusted when I am telling people 'I think its still going to be a while'!! I am not completely certain when I got into the tub but I know I sent a text message at 7:10 because I later looked at the phone. I asked that my older children not be dropped off until 8:30pm. I had planned on putting Angelo to bed and waking him later when baby came, and letting Olivia lounge on the couch and be around for the birth. I really wanted her with me as she was there with Angelo's birth and then for two of her cousins births as well. So I guess shortly after that I got in the pool. My momma brought sage that my brother in law had picked somewhere and she brought a branch of cedar and some sweet grass. She burned a little of each an showed Colin how to clean himself with it. For the first 5 or more minutes I was in the pool I was so relaxed I didn't have one rush. I just floated and lounged and chatted with my family. I remember thinking then how I was looking forward to laboring in the pool through the evening while momma and nessa made dinner and lounged around the living room. Right around then I felt a good rush coming on. I mentioned how that had been a nice break. I leaned my arms over the side of the pool and bowed my head in Colins lap. I let my legs go back and forth stretched behind me then out to the side like a frog through different phases of the rush. It was so useful to be able to move through these strong rushes and to feel so floaty. I knew it would help me open faster. Through the peek of this rush which lasted so much longer then the previous ones I focused on the water dripping all over my husbands jeans. I thought how I wished he had a towel on his lap and then about how little he would care about the wet jeans. I grabbed onto his shirt and felt like I might enjoy squeezing his belly or digging my nails down his chest. I knew he wouldn't mind and that through any pain I gave him he would feel the intensity of the rush and enjoy it but at that point I lost the urge as the rush tapered off. From this point forward the rushes began to roll into each other with very little time between. I began thinking a little erratically and asking questions about things of which the answers would normally have been very clear to me. I felt like things may be moving a little faster then I had previously admitted but did not want to alarm anyone. I asked how I would know when to push, even though with my other two births I was very clear when to push and I knew my body would take control when the moment came. At that moment I was still questioning myself and what I knew my body was telling me...but it would only take another rush to convince me that Hayla was coming soon and I would not be laboring the night away. I had mentioned to Colin earlier in the day how I like having my babies during the day or evening and didn't like the idea of having her in the middle of the night for some reason....well I didn't have to worry about that now!! With the next few rushes I began to lose control of my sounds. I was not screaming or yelling or anything but more of an animalistic moaning. I remember thinking to myself after one of these rushes that this loss of control of my sounds must mean It was time to start pushing soon. With the beginning of the next contraction I told my family I wasn't ready. They assured me I was very ready and capable and I thought to myself 'they think I'm talking about this contraction' when really I was talking about Hayla coming out. Not that I was suddenly afraid of pushing or anything else, I just felt like it all happened so fast and I was still looking forward to laboring a while in the pool while my family hung around. I thought about my momma maybe making some dinner and then everyone lounging around the living room for the evening. I had my incense burning and my rasta tunes flowing. It was a nice environment to take your time in. But Hayla had other plans! At the end of the next couple incredibly intense rushes I remember laughing and telling my family how it felt like an electrical shock was shooting through me as they tapered off. They felt exhilarating and even though I was to the point where I was about to give birth I was still enjoying labor and so stoked to be doing it with my family. With the next rush I felt a lot of pressure in my bottom so I reached down and felt the amniotic sack pushing out like a balloon. At first I felt a sort of panic and asked my sister what I should do and if it was ok, even though I knew perfectly well that it was fine and some babies are born in the caul. My sister began to reassure me bless her heart and I began to have another rush and had to hush her (sorry Nessa). As the rush strengthened I though about breaking my bag of waters to help my labor progress a little quicker but then thought about how my labor would intensify and move more quickly and I was enjoying it the way it was going. I was still psyching myself out and was convinced that I had a while of laboring ahead of me. At the peek of that rush I felt my waters break and reached down to feel a silver dollar sized circle of my baby girls head coming through my birth canal. I told my family that I felt her head and Colin reached down and felt her with me....all her fuzzy hair!! I don't remember a lot of how it went from there but it was at that point I helped my body push. Colin reached down at the bottom of my opening and gently put pressure to help me not to tear and I put pressure on the top of the opening as I gave one good push. I felt her head urging gently in and out further and further and then the pressure was temporarily eased. I looked to Colin and he told me he felt her face, and it was pointing down. He said he felt her nose! Her head came out and stopped just about her mouth. Colin reminded me to keep pushing and I put my heart into it. Her head came the rest of the way through as she spun around and then her shoulders eased out. She sort of stalled again at about her forearms before slithering out and sort of somersaulting down and then Colin helped her to come to her momma.

I watched her little head emerge from the warm water. Hayla Lavender Arthur...my old friend!! She was purple and blue and her eyes were closed tight as was her mouth. Colin was calling for the bulb syringe and it seemed forever before we were suctioning her even though I know it was only a few seconds. At the time I was not aware that water birth babies don't always cry because of their gentle entry into the world. Hayla would not cry. She would not open her eyes. It seemed like it took forever to get her to even gulp for her first chunk of air. Colin and I started to feel a little anxious and my sister came over and told us to hold her upside down. She had read some of the papers I had printed off to research homebirthing while I was laboring and this was something she had read to do. My cord was short and I didn't want her out of the warm water. I don't know when but at some point she began to pink up and taking good breaths. One tiny squawk escaped her but that's about it. Later I would come to realize that its out of character for Hayla to cry as she is such a peaceful baby and she was just being herself. Inspite of our few moments of unnecessary panic Manessa had called for the paramedics. We had decided to call them anyway when she was born to help check on her and also because it is a difficult and lengthy process to get a birth certificate when you birth at home unassisted and we thought having the paramedics there would be a form of documenting her birth. So they eventually came and Hayla was given a 9 on her apgar. She was doing wonderfully!! Wow....what a rush. After all that time of waiting seemed to take forever and hear she comes flying into the world like a little torpedo.

I had no tearing on my bottom and needed no stitches. My placenta came about half hour later. What a relief it was delivering that. Some time next month we will plant a pink dogwood over her placenta at my momma's place.

Hayla is a beautiful little thing. She weighted 9lbs 3.6 ounces and was 21 inches in length. She has dark greyish blue eyes and a soft cap of Auburn hair. She is the most peaceful and content little baby I have ever known. She rarely cries, sleeps and nurses wonderfully and when she has her wake time she is already giving us little smiles and the most intense loving stare.

What an amazing birth and an amazing little girl.

My little Lavender Angel

2009-01-09T07:43:00.000-08:00

My little baby is so amazing to me and words cannot describe the love I have for her, and the love I have for her beautiful mother who does such an amazing job of being the mother of my child! Hayla is getting bigger already, and like Jeanette said I wish time could stand still forever and she never got one second older. I do not want to miss one second of her life, she is such an amazing baby, and I can not thank God enough for blessing me with my little angel. I already have so much in life to be thankful for, I couldnt imagine being more happy and content, and then my little Hayla came along and has changed my life forever. Jeanette will be posting our birth story soon and it was an amazing one! There is still nothing more amazing in this world than delivering your child with your own hands, with your own mind and spirit your there with her as she comes up and out of the water and into this world......it was an amazingly euphoric experience with none previous to match! With that being a new father has shed new light on my life, and all who are in it....especially our little button...Hayla Lavender Arthur.

Hayla is 9 days old already...

2009-01-06T15:07:00.000-08:00

Everyday I get near to tears thinking about her getting bigger or changing at all. I love her so much and I want this time with her and Colin and the kids to stand still so I can absorb every second.

I took some time yesterday and wrote out her birth story. Its SUPER long! I don't know how it could be considering her quick arrival. I will look over it again and make sure I have not missed anything and post it in the next few days.

For now...here are a few snapshots of Hayla doing what she does best...Being adorable!!

~Hayla's first walk~

~Hayla's first bath~

2009-01-01T12:30:00.000-08:00

Hayla continues to be the most mellow, relaxed and calm baby I have ever known. I wish you could all see her and how her little facial expressions look so much like Colin. She deifinitely has my eyes and that trait keeps having her resemble Olivia, especially as a baby. But with Colins mouth and jaw line she looks sooo much like him half the time. She is her own little person for sure. One thing we were a little surprised at is her eyelashes. She pretty much has none. Between the two of us and our lash situation we half expected her to come out a covergirl mascara model.

We are getting a lot of rest. Hayla seems to sleep the regular two hour stretches through out the night, only waking to eat and most of the time going right back to her deep sleeps. Maybe once a night she enjoys an hour or so of wake time to visit with daddy. He really enjoys this time alone with her and I really enjoy the rest. We went out and about yesterday and she seems to enjoy her car rides. This is good since one of our favorite things to do is take long drives and explore. She did have us stopping quite frequently to eat, but she was like that most of the day yesterday...eating frequently. Maybe her first little growth spurt.

Everything else is good. We hope you all had a happy and safe new years eve. We intended to sleep through it as we were exhausted by the end of the day but Hayla had us both awake by midnight to welcome in the New year with her first meal of 2009!

We are excited to spend today lounging around the house with her and maybe pretending to like watching football here and there!

Happy New Year from the Arthurs!!

Your Daily Hayla

2008-12-31T21:14:00.001-08:00

~Three days old~

A Funny story...so far every single time Colin has gone to change a diaper it has been clean still!! So this means mommy has had ALL the poopy diapers, and even pee diapers. Even funnier..Angelo in all his excitement and effort to help has assisted in changing two poopy diapers. How crazy is it that our 6 year old has changed more poops than daddy ?!! Colin sure does look cute trying though huh?

Touchdown!!!

2008-12-30T16:11:00.000-08:00

Hayla in pictures...

2008-12-30T15:37:00.000-08:00

Thank you Cami for getting some info on here for us. We will get to telling the story of Hayla's arival in the next couple days but for now wanted to share some photo's of her with everyone.

Her birth was amazing, she was birthed at home as planned in the tub and her daddy helped to deliver her. Also as planned, we headed to the hospital later that evening to get my bottom checked and make sure the fluid in her lungs was not going to be a problem. Everything checked out wonderfully but we decided to stay and relax a couple days and get waited on by the navy!! It was a fun experience and we just got home in the last couple hours.

I will post her story and more pictures soon!!

~Hayla Lavender only moments old~

Welcome to the world Hayla Lavender!!!!

2008-12-29T10:34:00.000-08:00

Jeanette's friend Cammy writing here.

Hayla Lavender was born last evening at home in a birth tub, delivered by her Daddy! She weighs 9 lbs 3 oz and is 21 inches long! Jeanette and Hayla went to the hospital this morning to get a newborn exam.

Hayla Lavender, you are such a lucky girl to enter this world in the peace and sanctuary of your home with the loving touch of only your closest family!

Having fun and relaxing....

2008-12-28T16:24:00.000-08:00

My last belly shot...mid contraction by the way!!

Tubs full and the house is like a sauna!!

I'm still moving freely and comfortably but the rushes are getting to where I enjoy them more if I stop what I'm doing, close my eyes and let my mouth be loose and smiley. I could continue activity through them and most definitely still hold an active conversation but I am getting high on just closing everything out and imagining how they are opening my body for baby having. Colin and I are enjoying each other and joking around, having a glass of our home made blackberry wine together.

Ive been timing here and there and we are anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes apart. I know that sounds serious to you veteran baby havers but when I truly labor I tend to start out there rather then working my way down from 10mins apart. No question labor has officially begun, but it could still be a while. I will throw out my guess and say she will be here with in the next 8 to 12 hours.

Captain Genius strikes again

2008-12-28T14:45:00.001-08:00

I have to thank my sister Manessa for her suggestion. Boiling pots of water are now filling the tub!!

DUH

Send me Labor Dust!!!

2008-12-28T13:24:00.000-08:00

For the last couple days since Christmas I have continued to have rushes, mostly in the evening and each day they get stronger. Last night I was having the rushes all night off and on and needless to say did not get a lot of rest. Unlike the last couple days, this morning when I got up and began moving about with my daily chores the rushes have continued noticeably and continue to gain strength. So they are not stopping with activity now...this is good news! I have not started timing, as I am just kind of letting things happen and puttering about. I also had a little bit of 'show' over the last hour or so. I hope I am not jinxing anything but I do feel as if our labor has begun.

When I woke this morning I got the wild idea to clean my yard, carport and back entry way. Colin made a pot of coffee and upon my search for milk in our holiday cluttered refrigerator I discovered another chore! After the fridge was cleaned top to bottom I had a wonderful breakfast my sweet husband made me and then he put together our birthing tub in the dining room. We are having a hard time filling it as the heater can not be turned on until its full and had to stop half way when the hot water tank turned cold. So we are waiting for it to get hot again...and as we wait the pool temp is getting cold. I believe the heater on the pool only maintains heat rather then heat it from cool, if that makes any sense....so maybe my water birth wont get to happen. Wish us luck on this issue.

Colin or I will update here as soon as anything significant occurs. We appreciate all of your love and thoughts!!

I am feeling magical...I feel like I'm floating....I feel like having a baby today...or tonight...or tomorrow...or later.....haha

2008-12-26T14:10:00.000-08:00

Christmas was peaceful and relaxing for us. We stayed home and had my sis and mom and all the little ones over and just cooked and lounged and spent the day visiting. It was exactly what it should have been. Still being pregnant began to have an affect on my mind in the afternoon. I have continued to remain fairly positive through the last couple weeks and keep reminding myself that every woman has her own gestational period and there should be no boundaries set to when Hayla should be here. I am still well with in a normal pregnancy length. Through the day we had several phone calls with family who are of course as eager for Hayla's arrival as we are. And there is always the conversation at the beginning of each phone call 'Is the baby here'..'Is the baby on the way'...'Is anything happening'? Believe me, these conversations are welcome and I'm blessed to have so many people excited with me. I guess In a way I just began letting it get me down that I was still pregnant and that my Christmas baby had yet to arrive. I became grumpy and started feeling sorry for myself. I started complaining and even whining at Colin about it. I felt like I needed to regroup and connect with Hayla so I decided to lay down a while and read one of my Ina May Gaskin books to get my mind right about growing my girl. I layed on the couch a while and read some stories from women who had birthed on the Farm and others who had Farm midwives at home with them for their birth. I felt my body loosening up and relating as I read of the changes these woman went through in laboring and the amazing sensations of pushing their babies into the world. I quickly got back into my mode of really enjoying every moment of growing my baby and knowing I would have her soon enough. When this time with her in me is over, its over for ever and I have to love every second like its the last. So I read and relaxed and felt myself mellow and eventually I began having rushes. They began as mellow tightening in the top of my belly and after a few worked there way down into my bottom. I never timed any of them but I know I had six in about a 45 minute
stretch. They were sensational and every time I had one I would close my eyes and smile. I never really felt like they were the beginning of anything I was just excited that I was able to put myself into that place that my mind and my baby muscles connected and relaxed together and it was almost like I was telling my body it was ok to work. Through the rest of the day I would be up and around helping mess in the kitchen, cooking, visiting, being with my family. Here and there I would take a while to lay back on the couch again and read a couple stories from the farm and every time I would start having the rushes! I never timed them and I didn't say much about them to anyone. I was really enjoying them and the ability to relax myself this way and did not want to make a big deal with everyone.

Later in the evening after Ness and the kids left and I had been having these rushes off and on all day I layed back again read some more. The rushes continued and I started paying more attention. They were beginning to feel stronger. I would not say painful in a way that made me cringe, but a few of them did carry a little of a punch here and there. I started thinking maybe it was the start of something and then felt like there were a few things I wanted to do if I was going to spend the night laboring. Pretty soon mom and Olivia went up to bed. Angelo had fallen asleep on the couch with me and Colin carried him to bed. I vacuumed the floor and straightened the place up a bit. I got the batteries charging on the cameras. Again the rushes stopped while I was moving and I missed them so I decided to just lay down for the night. I read a little more until my eyes hurt and started timing the contractions. I only timed three and they were exactly 10 minutes apart. I felt sure something would start last night and decided to get some rest. I woke a few times feeling the rushes and got up to pee. But, eventually morning came and the contractions ceased. I have been busy all afternoon around the house with laundry and visiting with my little family and nothing has picked up.

I'm sorry this was so long with no baby in the end....I just wanted to share my magical little adventure with Ina May's book and my pleasant little rushes.

I don't know when this girl will come, and I am truly fine with that. But I do feel like my body is working toward her birth every minute, and most importantly I have my mind back on track to enjoy each of those minutes as they come....and not rush any of them.

CAUTION: X-RATED

2008-12-23T16:35:00.001-08:00

....ok, not really...but a little more skin than Ive shared here so far!!

41 WEEEEEEKSSSSSS......

Still Growing

2008-12-19T14:36:00.000-08:00

~Getting the Christmas tree at 38 weeks~

Still pregnant. I have had 2 sets of 3 massive feeling rushes on two seperate occasions if that makes any sense....other then that Hayla is still chilling soundly. I was thinking this morning about a song Chris Cornel wrote for his children and wanted to share...

Dandelion

Settle down now and sit with me
Let me tell you how this all came to be
A yellow flower with your petals to the air
And flying on paper wings that brought you here
Summer rolls on in the lazy hours
An ether dream way
Of hummingbirds and clouds
Midnight swims in the cool back waves
And you in my arms as it rolls away

Little dandelion
Let your heart keep time
Now the clouds are gone
All of your tomorrows shine

Born of restless night the moon as a pearl
Playing games down inside your soft warm world
Hear my voice I know that you can
You're the fire in my eyes
The sun as a man
Seasons come along and seasons go
And what they'll leave behind
I don't pretend to know
I'm afraid that all I have missed
Will loom very large when the darkness lifts

Little dandelion
Let your heart keep time
Now the clouds are gone
All of your tomorrows shine

I will ride by your side
Wherever you go
I won't run I won't hide
Just letting you know

Little dandelion
Let your heart keep time
Now the clouds are gone
All of your tomorrows shine

Making Sense of the World

2008-12-16T17:39:00.000-08:00

I found this on my Cafemoms 'Birth is Normal' forum, thought it was interesting and wanted to share....

The five senses – sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch – are mostly developed at birth. Your baby begins using his or her senses immediately to make sense of what is going on in the world.

Sight: Although newborns have blurry vision, they can focus fairly well on objects at about 8 to 14 inches – the distance from your baby’s face to your face when you are holding your baby in your arms.

Smell: Newborns have a very well-developed sense of smell that makes them very choosy about their favorite scent. In the first days of life, a newborn can recognize his or her mother’s natural scent and likes it best of all.

Taste: Newborns also have a well-developed sense of taste. They like sweet tastes. Nursing infants sometimes refuse to nurse when they taste garlic or heavy spices in mom’s breast milk.

Hearing: Babies can hear while they are still inside the womb. At birth, they can recognize their mother’s voice – because they have heard it for several months.

Touch: Gentle touch is a true pleasure for your newborn. It stimulates physical development while relieving stress. Fussy babies are sometimes calmed by a “baby massage” – some baby lotion warmed in your hands and gently applied to baby’s arms, legs, and back.

Brain Fact

Thanks to new imaging technology, scientists are actually able to watch the brain at work. Research confirms that the most active areas in the newborn’s brain are the areas concerned with sight, smell, taste, sound, and touch.

These areas “register” the world as the baby senses it. Then the signals are sent on to memory or emotion. In this way, the newborn connects the sight and smell of mom and dad with the pleasant memory of comfort and gentle handling

She's Almost Here!!!!!!

2008-12-11T06:08:00.000-08:00

It's getting closer and closer to little Hayla's due date and I could not be more excited!!! Mom and Dad sent us the armoire we were wanting and man it is so appreciated...now just to put it together! The realization that in a matter of what could be a few days I am about to be a father...there's no greater feeling! Momma's feeling good and looking beautiful. I'd be lying if I didnt say that Im going to miss seeing her pregnant! But Hayla, come on girl its to time to come out and hangout with your old man!

Full moon

2008-12-09T13:57:00.000-08:00

I dreamt all night last night about laboring and birthing. When I lay down last night I said a prayer that nothing would start. I was so exhausted. The night before I got NO sleep and was not able to catch any naps all day yesterday. I could not have imagined being able to find the energy to endure birthing last night. So instead, I slept pretty well most of the night and dreamt about it!

The full moon is this Friday. The story is that a full moon can have the same affect on the bag of waters that it has on the tide. The problem can be that it is known to cause waters to break with out the onset of labor rushes. So it can be an exciting thing to be due around a full moon, but also causes a lot of woman to have to go through induction. We shall see what happens. Either way, I am really still enjoying my baby belly so if its a couple more weeks I am fine with it...but if the moon gives her a tug we are ready. I got the labor kit together last night, we get the pool tonight or tomorrow. We are set.

Today's checkup results...

2008-12-05T15:22:00.000-08:00

Our appt went well. Colin was able to come with me. We saw yet another new midwife, accompanied by a resident who 'may be working L&D when we deliver'. Poor girl. We asked the midwife to stay for the exam, a good move considering the girl guessed Hayla to be transverse and could not locate my cervix during the exam. Where do they find these people? And then I was supposed to be confident in her decision making skills should she be working the night we deliver. Heaven sake!!!

Anyway, the MW found Hayla to be head down still and dropped down fairly low into the birth canal position. My abdominal measurement was much smaller this week due to this relocation of the girl. At first the MW seemed a bit concerned with the measurements but after a good squishing around of my tummy detirmined that while Hayla is on the smaller side still it was just because she was down so low already. She estimated Hayla to be 7 1/2lbs or smaller still. I can't imagine delivering a baby that small after my 10pounder Angy!!

So I am about a centemeter dilated and 50% thinned out. Does not mean a lot as far as how and when labor will begin and progress but a good sign that my primrose oil is working on me.

Got my fetal doppler and can't hear enough of my lil love!! Thats all for today....

"If you don't know your options, you don't have any." - Diana Korte, A Good Birth, A Safe Birth

2008-12-04T08:32:00.000-08:00

Only 8:30am and what a productive morning already!!! I JUST got off the phone with local home birthing midwife. I called her inquiring about borrowing or renting a birthing pool and she is going to call me back with a number of another midwife who has one I can use. GLORIOUS!! Colin just turned up the water heater yesterday so I could get longer showers and deeper baths in our little puny tub so now it looks like he has another jaunt to the basement to crank that sucker up some more when labor begins. Can you tell how excited I am? A water birth is my dream but with out being able to get a midwife I thought I would not be able to have one. YAY. And.....right as the phone call was ending it occurred to me to ask her about a fetal Doppler. I spent allllll damn day yesterday calling around looking for one to buy or rent and came up with nothing. She happily offered for me to use hers!! Thank you Jesus. What a great way to start my day.

I have to throw in here a couple things from last night. First off I have been taking my evening primrose oil to prep my uterus. I had not thought about it until this morning, but I now realize its working. A couple days I have forgotten to use it but the days I have been I am having noticeable menstrual type cramps all throughout the day. So I have to apologize to my momma who I called the other day and told something may be happening. I hope you didn't lose any sleep that night!! Yesterday I used my oil and all afternoon I was cramping. I cleaned my kitchen like God would be eating off the floor!! I thought for sure the cramps may be leading somewhere. This morning while I was taking my oil I realized what's been going on and now I am going to relax about it and be patient.

Also, funny thing....last night while Colin and I were watching a movie I could NOT get comfortable. Something about the way lil miss was laying and moving. She kept bulging out the right side of my belly button and disfiguring my entire abdomen. She really seems to favor that side. Problem is, so do I and now I cant get cozy laying on my right. So then last night it took me a while to get comfortable enough to sleep but once I was out I guess I completely forgot I was pregnant. Twice I woke slightly to change positions and gave no thought to my normally slow progressive movements. I sat up or turned quickly and immediately was laid back painfully by my giant abdomen. The only way I can think to describe the pain and shock is if you imagine running as fast as you can across a field and running into a clothesline. I think Colin may have thought I was in Labor once I was moaning in pain. Pretty hilarious now!

Sun is shining....blue sky....smiling me.

Thank you all

2008-12-03T09:23:00.000-08:00

We just want to post an official Thank you to those that have gifted us with baby items so far. Since we didn't have a shower and basically started with nothing for little miss we are especially Thank full for every thing we have received.

Steph and Rick, Christy, Cammy and Gerry, Jennifer and Cameron...Thank you for the outfits, burpies, bibs and blankies!

Miss Jane, thank you sooo much for the time you put into the blankey and booties you knit for Hayla.

And Momma...thank you for helping us with the buggy and carseat! We got it over the weekend, and cant wait to show it to you!!

Thank you thank you thank you.......

Today.......38 weeks pregnant.

Up to this point I have been counting down to D day by weeks, but I think now it will be a daily recognition of how close we are. I was remembering back to this point how miserable I was with Angelo and I can't for the life of me understand why. Right now at this moment I feel happier, more loved and more beautiful then I ever have for another moment in my life. My momma mentioned on the phone yesterday how I would spend the first couple weeks falling in love with my new daughter. After I hung up from that phone call I think it really hit me. I am going to be a momma. I am going to have a baby girl. God is laying her in our lives at any minute now and the last thing I can think of right now is being miserable, or uncomfortable or 'sick' of being pregnant. I am revelling in every moment I get to spend with her. I want to be selfish with this time when I don't have to share her with anyone. Its just the two of us right now and we will never have this together again. I love being pregnant with her and though I want so badly to meet her I am going to be so sad to have it end.

I was also thinking of a funny story with Angelo's pregnancy. I was overdue, I don't even remember how many days for certain...but as I mentioned above I was hating life for the last couple months with him. I really don't understand it now, I guess it must have been my life situation at the time that was keeping me from completely connecting with that pregnancy in any way other then negatively. When I think of it that way I make my self sick with anger which I don't want to feel right now so instead lets replace it with gratitude that God gave me the opportunity to change my life and the future for my children. Back to the story, I was over due, miserable bitchy and most definitely a terrible person to have to be around. I am sure my family was more then ready for the birth as I was such bad company. Sunday came along and we went to church. I had about had enough of the comments 'any day', 'when he's ready' etc... As I was leaving the sanctuary to use the ladies room I passed pastor Jess in the hall and he said sarcastically 'your still pregnant'? I guess it was the last straw because I began sobbing uncontrollably and could barely stand or breathe. I was choking and bawling an all these people were looking at me like the nut job I now believe I was. Poor Jess. I bet he never makes a remark like that again though!! Well, I guess the Lord felt sorry for me because with in the next 24 hours I was in labor.

Soooo...if worse comes to worse and I feel like I am done waiting, I guess a good healthy temper tantrum in the house of the Lord will bring things along!

Getting to be about that time....

2008-12-01T07:43:00.000-08:00

Sooo... we are full term! It could be any day now so we want to let people know that when labor starts we will post here to let everyone know. As long as we are at home we will continue updating on labor progress and when she is born. Sooo....

Stay tuned in the next few weeks! Remember our due date is December 17th!

Also, we picked up our car seat and buggy yesterday. Another major item checked off the list.

I have to mention again how great I feel, most of the time. I think I have mentioned it but this pregnancy has been the most pleasant and care free of them all. No problems, not much discomfort...I guess getting older has made pregnancy easier for me. I have just really enjoyed moment. If you woke Colin right now and asked him he may have a different story since I spent most of last night tossing and turning, moaning and groaning! I don't think either of us got much sleep!! He said yesterday that he is ready for her to come now. He has been saying he is excited to have her here but he is really enjoying me being pregnant. But now, he is really anticipating her arrival.

Any day baby!!

Doesn't She Look Great

2008-11-26T12:30:00.000-08:00

Momma's at 37 weeks and she and Hayla couldn't look more beautiful! Just in the last couple of weeks Jeanette has started looking really pregnant to me. It's amazing being able to see my daughter growing inside of Momma's belly...its been a privledge for which I am very grateful! As it is getting closer and closer to Jeanette's due date we're finishing up the last touches for her and preparing ourselves mentally for our little bundle of joy. Christmas time is finally here and we're all getting in the spirit!

Pappy

Belly Shots!!

2008-11-25T10:09:00.000-08:00

Here is the 37 week belly!!

36 week apt.

2008-11-21T16:11:00.000-08:00

We missed our 36 week appointment last Thursday due to yet again more Drama. I think I bawled for about three hours. Colin had been waiting for me at the OB and was able to get them to move some things around for us so we could come in Friday morning.He takes such good care of me. It was the strangest feeling, after crying that hard for that length of time. When it was over, I felt better then I had in a long time. I felt energized and healthy and clear. I guess I needed to get some tears out to cover a month of junk that had been building up. The best part about it is now I don't feel I have a care in the world other then my little family and our baby...which is what I had been reaching for all week. All the negativity is shut off and I am just plain happy.

Our appointment could not have gone better. It was short and sweet and pleasant. We met another midwife who we had not met yet. She was wonderful. She acted like a Midwife! She reassured us of a few things and let us know that she supported us and our decisions. Although the chance she would be there when we deliver was Nil, and the hospital would still respond negatively on our choices. At least it was nice to not have to spend yet another appointment defending our selves and just focus on baby. Our goal is still ultimately to birth at home. I have not gotten into it a lot here. Colin and I have been researching and reading a lot over the last month and we are preparing for an unassisted home birth. We are both well aware of all sides of this issue, and of thoughts that could be rolling through the heads of who ever may read this. All we can say is this is our birth, our baby, our experience. Our choice. We hope it is respected, and if not respected, then not mentioned. Just know that we will go to the hospital if absolutely necessary.

I feel Sooooo good. I feel healthy. The MW measured me and mentioned that I should not expect another giant baby. Angelo was so big, but this girly is measuring like she may be in the 8lb range. Just what we suspected.

We scheduled all of our appointments for the remainder of the pregnancy. My next one is friday December 5th at 9am. This will be the first apt Colin has to miss, he has a class graduating that day. He talked about missing the graduation but I insisted he go, I know it looks better for him to be there. Sooo...if any one would like to come to the appointment with me I would love the company. That day I should expect to have an exam to check if I have any dilation. It will probably only be a 15-20 minute appointment...call me if you would like to come.

Angelo's birthday is tomorrow!! My baby boy is turning 6?? Where does the time go?

37 weeks this Wednesday.....

Big Brother and Big Sissy

2008-11-19T07:28:00.000-08:00

Angelo felt the baby move in my belly for the first time. He had not previously been patient enough to hold still and wait for her to move. Night before last I had him put his hand on me at the perfect time and she gave the biggest jolt against his palm. The look on his face was one of a kind amazement. I have never seen him that excited. He looked like he could almost cry with a grin stretched so tight his little cheeks turned white. His eyes got all watery and squinted nearly shut and he hollered 'she kicked me'!! It was one of the most awsome points in this pregnancy!

He has been so interested in everything, especially watching my tummy grow. He has been lifting my shirt in anticipation of a round tummy every since we found we were pregnant. He rubs his hands all over my tummy and tells me how big it is and how big she is growing. He kisses on it and lounges on it and talks to her a little. The other day I asked him what he was getting me for christmas and he said 'A verry verry verry new, verry verry special baby Hayla'. Can you imagine a more genuine gift? I love him.

Olivia is baby wise. She has seen babies birthing! She was with me when Angelo came out. She was 4. She sat at the edge of the bed near the end with her chin cupped in her hands watching patiently, fearlessly. I had prepared her to a point, but Olivia being the Old soul that she is had a handle on it no preparing could have given her. She was not there for the birth of Cousin Michael, but he was Manessa's first and it was a private personal time. But, by the time Graceann came along she was there and again with Gregory. Manessa mentioned that with Gregory, Olivia showed signs that it may have been to much for her. I believe it to have been more of an interest in exploring the birthing center which was filled with books and toys and photo albums of hundreds of births. It's true the Gregory's birthing may have been a little much for her by though. By that point she may have been a little over it. But now, I believe her to be ready again.

This baby girl has been long awaited by Olivia. She is 10 years old now, and has been asking about a babys sister since I was with Angelo. There were several years there that I promised that her wishes would never come true as I was done having children. I am so happy I listened to the Lord and felt him telling me that he had more for us. Hayla is God's connection in our family, the one who brings the four of us together and makes us a complete family.

Through this entire pregnancy Olivia has been helping plan, reading the baby books, picking out clothes and baby items. She and I filled and arranged Hayla's dresser after Colin and I put it together. She spends a lot of time thinking about what out fits she would like to see on Hayla. She is going to be an amazing sister, I am sure a wonderful helper and in some ways part of the parent team for little Hayla. I love that I have her, I love that she is so excited about this baby, I love that I am sharing this with her and who she has become.

I will get some pictures of the kids with my belly soon and have them up here. I would love to have had professional pictures done, but I dont see how we will find the time between now and D day....

Belly Quakes

2008-11-17T14:36:00.000-08:00

When she moves, she lets everyone know. Well me at least. She can't shudder in her sleep with out shaking my belly these days. She is so cramped in there, I feel every little move she makes. I am so excited to have her in my arms, but I already know how much I will miss spending quiet time watching her move inside me, feeling her little legs pushing up against my ribs. I love how she dances inside me. We are so in tune. I feel like I can already read her emotions by her movements. I feel like I know when she is squished, uncomfortable and irritated about it. I feel like I know when she is waking and stretching, exploring her little space and looking for a more comfortable peaceful place to curl up. And, I know when she is sleeping. If I lay as still as I can, and just watch my tummy...I can see her moving me in a rhythmic sleeping motion up and down or back and forth. Her hiccups are so sweet. They are different then they were with my other two babies. When they had the hiccups my whold belly would rock. Hayla's hiccups are soft and secret, only she and I know. She already seems so much more slow and gentle then my other two babies. Olivia was such a happy, energetic baby and very independent. She always had plans, even when she was tiny she knew what she wanted. She was happy and playful, but on her own program much of the time. She has always been like a little grown up. Angelo on the other hand was exhausting as a baby. He was never comfortable, never felt good, always had to be moving and required constant attention. There was not a lot of sleep with him. He was jerky and easily agitated, overly sensitive to his surroundings. He has grown into a very happy guy, but as a baby he was so sickly and sad. I feel like I sort of knew these traits in my babies when I still had them in the womb. And I feel like I sort of know how Hayla may be when she comes. I feel like she will want to be held more then not, but when she is in our arms she will be peaceful, calm, mellow. I feel like she will have a sort of sweet calmness about her. Contentment. But, on the other hand I feel like when she is not happy she will put her whole heart into letting us know. She is so funny sometimes the way she wiggles slowly searching for a good spot in there and when she can't find it right away she starts flipping and kicking and vibrating my whole abdomen until suddenly she just stops, falls silently still and falls asleep. Sweet and mellow, but feisty and demanding. A wonderful combination of her parents.

Aaahhh....Its nice to sit here and think about her. Just to silence everything out, zone in on her. It seems like there has been something ridiculous everyday for a couple weeks now to distract me from completely enjoying my baby and belly, my husband and my children. I know how I am, that it tales a mole hill for me to see a mountain sometimes. It's something I really hate about myself. That I allow simply stupid things to get such a rise out of me. I love Colin's ability to soothe that part of me sometimes. But lately, things are building up. I know that I am emotional, an excuse all pregnant women seem to enjoy turning to. But It's really quite a lot more then that. I just want to turn off and tune in to my husband and children for the next month. I want to relax and enjoy what we have. Everything is going to change so much with the baby. Of course in a good way...but this is the last month of our family of four, and I want to focus on that. I don't want to even recognize any outside stress from other people right now. I am over it. Sooo....that is what I am going to be focused on from here on out. After the new year, we can start dealing with the crap, but for now I am going to be selfish. Its all about us. Its all about our last little stretch before Hayla, enjoying each other and preparing for her.

And on that note!! Hayla is growing nearly an ounce a day!! She should be around 6lbs by the end of this week and anywhere around 18-20 inches long. She is shedding her fuzz and vernix and swallowing it, this will be making up her first poop!! This Wednesday marks our 36week marker. One week from this Weds Hayla will be considered full term at 37 weeks!! Unbelievable! I gave birth to Olivia at 37 weeks! So really, she could be here any day. I know that I am ready, I hope she is. I know she is head down, because now when she has her hiccups I feel them in my groin. and I know this big bump out my right side is her booty.

Physically I still feel good most of the time. I have been exhausted a lot of the time over the last week. Just no energy and always up for a good nap. Last night I spent a couple hours with a constant menstrual type cramp in my lower abdomen and groin area, but after some tylenol, dinner, lots of water and laying down it slowly subsided. Today I have not felt it at all. Overall, I am still insanely comfortable for this stage in my pregnancy. I am going to be sad when its over.

Bitter sweetness : )

35 weeks coming up

2008-11-10T08:14:00.001-08:00

These are pictures of the 34 week belly. Still not really out there : )

This Wednesday will be our 35 week marker. We are so close now we are starting to get antsy to have everything done. We STILL dont have a carseat...let alone a buggy. We are looking at ordering the travel system this Friday and hopefully it will arrive before Hayla. I would also like to get a cradle swing, not sure when we will get to it though. No worries.

My battle with Heartburn has ended. I finally found a flavor of rolaids I can handle. Life has been much more comfortable since. Last night I even made...and ate lasagna! I think the fact that I ate waaaay to much was what kept me up half the night this time.

We spent the weekend cleaning upstairs. Everyone got their rooms spic and span. Colin and I moved all our furniture and dusted/vaccumed. We are in the last stpes of prepping for baby!!

Not to much longer....

CANT WAIT!!!!!!!

2008-11-05T08:37:00.000-08:00

Momma is at 33 weeks and the anticipation of our little Hayla is almost to much to bear!!! Momma's belly is getting big and she couldnt be more beautiful than she is right now, and I could not be more happier than to have this woman having our baby. When I think of Hayla all I can see is Jeanette's face, her personality, her humor, her need to have me. I love the life that I have right now, the wife I have in it, our two kids and baby Hayla on the way. Its such a joy to know the life I get to live, with the family I get to live life with.

Pappa

Baby Maker 3000

2008-10-27T19:54:00.000-07:00

Here is our virtual Hayla!! Hey, It was just for fun...

We found this virtual baby maker on the new VW Routan site...it is based on a picture of both parents.

Click this link to see her making faces and looking around. Pretty funny!!
http://www.vw.com/vwhype/babymaker/en/us/?mId=28468922

Childbirth is scary and dangerous!!!!!

2008-10-24T10:53:00.000-07:00

We had our 32 week checkup yesterday. It went well as far as Hayla and I getting another clean bill of health. I gained 2lbs from my last apt and so far only 22 in my entire pregnancy. This is good news for me since I worry about it to no end. Baby is growing right on schedule, and my 3 hour glucose was again confirmed to come back normal and in fact very good.

So the Doc was a little wacky! I don't know if it's just Colin and I and our immense presence (that was sarcasm) but we really seem to intimidate these people. Not intentional. The lady we saw yesterday was new to us, we had never met her. Apparently she is in Family practice and OB midwives were short so she was covering a shift. It was cool to meet her since any given family practitioner, midwife or student doc could deliver the baby if we do end up at the hospital. But, she did not seem all that comfortable with us. AS soon as she walked in the room, she took a look at us and started stuttering and stumbling and attempting to introduce herself. She commented on our firm handshakes and began rambling on about who knows what making silly jokes and asking us questions unrelated to the baby. It was just off, she was nervous. So a few minutes into the appointment she seemed to ease up and we got on with the show. We went over my stats and baby and then she asked us about our birth plan. We wrote one up before the last apt, went over it with the midwife and that was that. This Doc was concerned because in the plan I had refused an IV. I told her we had already gone over it with our MW and that we are well aware of risks and concerns and that our decision was not with out research. She went on about it and started to become pushy so again I reiterated that our decision was final and really not up for discussion. She started making it seem like its mandatory and I Colin and I again both told her we are final on it and we know it is our choice. So finally she stopped pushing it but then began telling us how dangerous and scary childbirth is and that we need to take all precautions and medical help to prevent a terrible catastrophe. "It's soo sooo scary" she kept saying! So finally I told her calmly and happily "It's scary?? I'm not scared! I have no fear of delivering my baby, why are you scared?" I told her that I had two babies with no IV or medication or intervention and that my body loves being pregnant and knows how to deliver a baby and I am not afraid. The Doc got all skittish again, and finally we moved on to another subject. Measuring my belly and listening to the heartbeat, which was a whole other issue of the Doc not knowing how to use the equipment and having no idea how to feel the babies position. She needs a refresher course at med school or something.

Other then that mess.....we are good. Not much news.

31 Weeks, 9..or 10..or 11 to go....

2008-10-16T13:32:00.000-07:00

My goodness!! 31 weeks sounded impossible 29 weeks ago. But, here we are.
My bump is still fairly minimal. A couple days this week I have woken in the morning able to button my jeans again. But by mid day she has popped back out. I have seen a couple people this week here and there that have no idea I am pregnant and they never noticed. No complaints...I am enjoying my minibump. I have a couple maternity shirts that are still way to large, I doubt I will ever wear. Should have l;eft the tags on!!

Hayla is well. She is getting hicc-ups now, but nothing incredibly distracting. Just little bumps on one part of my belly lasting 2-5 minutes. Her movement is much bigger now. She spends a lot of time with a big portion of her little self chilling just under the right side of my rib cage. When she is up there I have a hard time eating or sitting up right.

Nights have gotten to be rough. I remember when it was like this during Angelo's pregnancy. Only it started around 5 months with him because I was huge. I have been laying awake from the time I go to bed until around 2 am, then waking again for good when Colin gets up..around 4am all week. Not getting much rest and not able to nap during the days is building up. I can feel myself getting grumpier and grumpier and the laundry is starting to get backed up....and that's what I lay awake worrying about half of last night!! Typical for me. Hayla has been moving so much through the night that I think I worry if I sleep I may miss something. I want to soak up every moment of our communication.

Colin is graduating from his martial arts instructor coarse tomorrow. We will both be glad its done. It is quite an accomplishment and a very high strain, extremely physical class and he has been like a zombie now for 3 weeks. It has been hard on us since we are so used to our cuddle time in the evenings and he is just to tired. I miss him. I feel like I haven't seen him in months. I kept wanting to wake him up all last night and make him spend time with me and the butterfly. Poor daddy, works so hard for his girls.

My girlfriend Cammy, a daycare momma, had her baby early this morning. She is one momma I feel I can be my completely open self with when it comes to my simplicity and non eccentric views on childbirth. I was so excited for her and family to experience a birth this time around that was relaxed and noninvasive with no interventions. Well...they did it!! They were preparing to leave for the birthing inn when babies head began to crown. Daddy and momma delivered baby right there in the living room of their home! After a visit from the midwife, they lounged through the morning and then got to the pediatrician who assured them baby is doing well. I am so proud of Cammy for letting her body birth the way she did and hope I can be calm and do the same.

Well....31 weeks and counting! Hayla should weigh around 3 1/2lbs by now and is going into a growth spurt here shortly. She should be plumping up!

You asked for it!! Our baby registry...

2008-10-07T09:51:00.000-07:00

Many of you have asked about a registry for Hayla. Since we are not having a shower we never got around to putting one together. But since our friends and family near and far are wanting to send Hayla gifts or help out with anything else we need, we decided to do a small/basic registry on target. You can access it at the following link: (hold mouse over and double click)

Hayla's Target Registry

We also have a smaller registry at Baby Universe:

Hayla's Baby Universe Registry

Diapers are always a welcome gift as they are the one thing you seem to fly through with a new baby. We are using chlorine free diapers from 7th generation. I know you can get them at Toys R Us and Fred Meyers and you can look at their webpage for more locations...here is a link:

Chlorine Free Diapers

Thank you so much EVERYONE for your kindness and interest in showering Hayla with love and gifts. We are so happy you are all as excited about our little girl as we are!!

Nursery is done!! Sorta...

2008-09-30T09:45:00.001-07:00

Finally. Last week we got the dresser put together and the nursery is semi complete. We are happy with it for now and it looks great. I went online to order the armoire that matches over the weekend and the damn thing is out of stock so now I am scrambling to find another one in our price range...tough though. Send a prayer.
I know an armoire sounds like a little much for a baby. The thing is our home is early 1900's and closet space is limited. Hayla's area has no closet at all, so just having a dresser is not quite enough storage space for all that can come along with a baby. It will all work out.

Also this week we had a diabetes scare. I tested on the high side for my one hour glucose test last Thursday so I went I had a high carb diet all weekend, fasted Sunday and had a three hour glucose test yesterday. It was tough because I couldn't get to the lab until late morning and by the time I was done it had been over 24 hourse since my last meal. GOOD NEWS IS!!! It came back completely normal so no gestational diabetes for me and once again nothing in this pregnancy to worry about. Back to smooth sailing, thank you Jesus!

This week daddy is working hard in his martial arts instructor training. He is learning to be an instructor and is taking a beating for the next couple weeks gettting the qualification. Last night was the most warn out I have ever seen him. Poor honey!

With the nursery done I am pretty much just puttering now. I have down sized daycare to pretty much only part time so I have more time to rest and grow a baby. I am planning to spend a couple days a week at school with Angelo. Olivia and her Nonnie are heading out on a trip this weekend and the kids dad will be back from working in San Diego for the last couple months so Angelo will be off with him. Just momma and papi time coming up! Been a while!! Thats all the news for now I suppose!

Not to re-run pictures but here is an updae on the nursery!

~This Ginger bread family was given to us by Colin's momma Diane. They are from Colin and Brandon's nursery! I think they look wonderful in her room, thank you gramma!

Hayla wiggles

2008-09-22T13:30:00.000-07:00

This week Hayla's movement has become much more controlled. It has lost the flutter and now is more of like long hard pokes and rolls. She is exploring her space and stretching and playing in there and we are enjoying every moment of my ever changing belly.
This week Colin is away at his rifle range, the last step in his qualifications for Sgt...which he will pick up next month. It has been tough having him gone and reminds me how much I depend on him. It's so funny, every since we first began dating it has been us. We rarely do anything seperate and never enjoy it as much if we do. Life is just so much more full when I have my partner in crime by my side. I still get emotional when I think about the fact that we found eachother. That God created someone like him for me, and that now we have created a life together which bonds us for eternity. I am so looking forward to meeting our little creation....and it's getting closer and closer!!

This week we are at 28 weeks. By now Hayla has started opeing her little eyes. It is crazy to know that if she happened to be born now she would have a positive chance of survival. In a pregnancy, getting to this point is an accomplishment. Especially if you have experienced loss in carrying a baby in the past, which I have. Knowing that I have safely brought her this far and that my body has accepted her and the responsibility of growing and nurturing her is yet another thing to thank our wonderful God for.

So the nursery is still in the same state. We are expecting the dresser to be available for pick up tomorrow and plan to spent Weds evening putting it together. That should be a fun story after the crib experience! After that we are pretty much set! Well...sort of. We still don't have the carseat, bath tub, buggy, and I suppose it wouldn't hurt to start stocking up on diapers. I guess there are a lot of little ends we still need to cover, but not having a shower that stuff just has to come when there is extra money. We still have a couple months, so I'm not worried.

This last week we had an amazing visit with Grandpa Kevin. He was with us for 5 days. Colin got to spend a lot of free time just running around with him and I cooked dinners so we had the evenings all together as a family. It was so comfortable having him here, it was like he belonged with us and we hated to see him go. Hopefully now that he has come and knows how welcome he is we will see him again more often...and hopefully we will see some other family soon as well.

I guess that's the update for week 28! we have a midwife apt this Thursday, and then expect them to be every two weeks for the next couple months. Life is good, belly is growing.

Love you all.

Grandpa's coming Grandpa's coming!!!

2008-09-12T15:21:00.001-07:00

Grandpa's coming Grandpa's coming!!

Grandpa Kevin is arriving today! Daddy is on his way to pick him up now, and momma is busy doing what she does best....house wifing it! Cooking, baking, and playing with kids.
This visit is the most exciting thing to happen this summer, and it's supposed to be in the high 70's all weekend!
We can't wait to show Grandpa Hayla's room and show him around our lovely home and the town we love. YAY....

Last night was really special. Hayla has been pretty mellow the past week, not any big movement, just small waves. Last night Colin was sleeping with his arm across my belly and all of a sudden she bounced against my belly so hard it woke us both. We lay there in the dark together cuddling and feeling her dance in a rythmic bump. I love those sweet moments with my love and our baby, before she ever even enters the world. Just getting to know one another and bringing our love even deeper.

Looking forward to a wonderful weekend!!

J

Been a while...

2008-09-08T09:37:00.000-07:00

I apologize to those that read this and to little Hayla for not keeping updates here for the last month. Ive been in slow motion. First of all I had about a month straight of hives and skin irritations from allergic reactions to pretty much all of my regular old faithful products...lotions, perfumes, soaps. It was terrible. I was on some pretty strong antihistamines that wiped me out for most of the day and never seemed to work efficiently at night, so my rest was affected and when I was awake I was a dope. But, I am pretty near normal now with only a few problems left. And not feeling up to complaining about it any further so on to some more positive subjects!

Hayla's nursery is in progress. We got her crib and Colin and I spent an evening a few weeks back getting it assembled. What a fun night. We worked well together, putting parts together, taking them apart, putting them together the right way and eventually paying a great deal of attention to the directions and...WHALAAA...We got it up! It looks beautiful with the bedding we picked out to, like it was meant to be together. Then we spent the next weekend working our tails off around the house. Colin got the old blinds down and the new matching curtains up in the nursery and Olivia and I painted her name blocks, glued on the the ribbons and got them hung. All that's left is the dresser and armoire which we have not even ordered yet.

~Hayla's view of Blake Island, Seattle and the Puget Sound...

Colin worked outside a lot, mowing and breaking down firewood and I painted the bathroom and the playroom downstairs. Both rooms look amazing and like they are in a brand new house. I hung some new pictures in the bathroom an Colin put up a new TP roll holder. Little household things that make such a huge difference in the appearance of a room.

After all that hard work we spent the entire last week just lounging around and being lazy. Colin stayed home pretty much the whole work because we were having the Jeep worked on and with school starting we needed the vehicle close to home. So we spent the whole week cuddling and smooching and bickering and puttering....but most of all just relaxing and being close to one another. Our life is perfect.

Last Wednesday was the first day of school for Olivia. She is excited about this year and loves her new teacher. I am so proud of her for being so energetic about school. She is such a good girl. Then today, Monday, was Angelo's first day of kindergarten. He was excited enough but really just went about it like it was all just normal stuff. He has grown up so much and become such a sweet and charming young man. We have noticed over the last month how responsible he has gotten. He is very particular about his room being clean and bed being made and also his teeth, face, hands and feet being clean. He has become very obedient and a great listener. I really don't think he will have any trouble being a kindergartner!! I know this blog is supposed to be a pregnancy diary...I am a momma though to two other wonderful, smart, happy, funny, very well behaved children and I am feeling a little emotional about them right now. This baby will be welcomed by a 10 year old sister and a six year old brother. Amazing that I have been a momma for 10 years! I have not perfected it by any means, but I really feel like God gave me Colin to help me become a better parent, I really thing the Lord has revealed that to me in the last couple of days. He is such a wonderful father. So patient and so very kind. He has this calm spirit that resonates through our entire home. He is like my medicine. Angelo has become especially fond of him, and I love watching their relationship grow. And watching Olivia and Colin together is like watching a comedy show. I really really love my little family. I don't think any baby has it as good as Hayla.

This next weekend we are expecting Colin's dad for a visit. This will be the first time anyone from his family has been able to come see us and I hope many will follow. I love how excited Colin has been about this. He and his dad have a wonderful relationship and speak quite often and I hope his dad knows how much he means to him. So we are planning our meals and daily activity for dad...but really we are just excited to have him in our element, in our home. Its going to be good to finally get to share our family and lifestyle with someone from his family. We love our life and are so proud of our home and we are stoked to get to share it with him.

HAYLA news!!! I am now coming up on 26 weeks. That's just a couple away from the third trimester!! I tell you what, my sister gave me a lecture the other day and I am taking her advice. I am sooo comfortable, and not very big for 6 months (STILL!!) and I have been complaining about not looking pregnant. Well she told me to knock it off and enjoy that I am feeling so good and not overwhelmed yet by a huge rocking belly and all the ailments that can come along with it. And I am. I love my little baby bump, and I love being pregnant. The midwifes say she is measuring well along with our due date and that she looks and sounds perfect and that is really all that matters. So I thank my lucky stars that I feel like a teenager and that I could run a marathon still!! Praise Jesus.

~My baby belly at 25 weeks plus 5~

Well I guess for now, that's it...more coming soon!!

Jeanette

22 weeks..and a couple days

2008-08-15T14:03:00.000-07:00

Its Friday, so we are a couple days into our 22nd week pregnant. Not a big enough change this week to make much of a post. Hayla is still growing and changing...I, on the other hand feel as if I am BARELY growing or changing. There are still mornings I wake and my stomach is as flat as the day we found I was pregnant. Usually by the end of the day Hayla has moved out a bit so my tummy sticks out again, but I really still dont look all that pregnant. It really amazes me how different each pregnancy can be. With Olivia I was almost 7 months before I started showing, first baby and all. With Angelo it was like 12 weeks I already had a big bump and was in maternitiy clothes and obviously pregnant. And.....here I am! A week and a half from my 6 month mark and still no big pregnant belly. I love being this comfy still but I cant wait to start showing off my bump. HURRY BUMP!! So next week I will update on her growth progress and all that.

This week, today actually!!! We made our first significant nursery furniture purchase!!! So stoked to finally be at this point! We finally decided on our crib, a Graco Victorian 4 in 1 crib in Cherry wood. Its sturdy, elegant and very fancy and will convert to a toddler then full size frame eventually so she will have this bed for the rest of her years at home with momma and papi. We have picked out a matching wardrobe armoir and dresser and will purchase both of those items in a couple weeks. So....her little nursery should be all set to go by the first week of September or so!

We also have a few decorating plans. We are getting her name in wood block letters with ribbons to hang over her nursery and Colin has some wooden gingerbread people that will also hang on her wall. If anyone has any more ideas, please let us know. We still need to figure out a rug and light fixture cover that will go well with her decor...maybe a trip to Ikea will solve that!

STOKED!!!

Changing Directions

2008-08-08T16:27:00.001-07:00

The wheel is motion to change providers. From the get go we have not been happy with the care we have gotten for this pregnancy through the Navy hospital, and at this point we are over it. It may be a month or so before our transfer is approved so we may still have a few apts at Naval but we will take them and use them as opportunity to check up on Hayla and otherwise be as impersonal with the staff as we feel necessary. There are several reasons we are making this decision. We have a pretty set birth plan, that does not need any tweaking by medical staff. We requested to only be seen by females, preferably the nurse-midwifes, and that was promised to us. Our last apt a male doctor sauntered in barely introducing himself fully prepared to put his hands all over me and my baby belly. Colin sent him packing and asked for the midwife. She finally came in to finish up the apt but brought the man with her, with no respect to our desires. We requested at the beginning that no men be present for our birth and we were told that since Naval Bremerton is a 'teaching hospital' they would not guarantee who would be present and that we could even have student Doctors, male or female...who ever was on shift. Also it would not be rare for any old Corpsman to let themselves in for the show if they please. This repulsed us and set the ball rolling in our mind to seek other options. Then we had our ultrasound. I knew going into it that it was not going to be a positive experience, as we had seen the ultrasound tech before. She did Colins spleen scan and was less then patient and more then rude. When we were walking down the hall to the scan room for his apt a lady pushing a wheelchair suddenly made a left turn in front of me and ran into my leg. I had stopped to assess the damage and was limping down the hall when the tech began yelling at me to hurry or wait in the waiting room. Knowing that this loud mouth fast paced grouch would be doing our baby scan had me stressing for a week before the apt. So we go for the scan, and immediately she is true to her character. My mom mentioned what a fun job she had and she announced how old it gets having to look at babies all day and she could think of funner things. That's nice. We are here for a life memory moment and she is pissed about having to be part of it. So she spends the first 10 minutes with the screen pointed away from me, not letting me have even one glimpse, not saying a word, no 'there's the heartbeat'...nothing. Finally I get to see my baby girl for only about 3 minutes and Its over. She had not even gotten a picture.I asked her to get us one and she hurriedly snapped a terrible profile, after we had seen some great shots through out the 3 minutes we got to see her. Colin was so disappointed. This is his one child he is going to have, he is so excited about all the milestones of becoming a daddy and all these little apts are so important to him...then this woman just bags us like a number. She SUCKED man!!
So we go to our next OB check a couple weeks later (actually I'm backwards, this was the apt where Mr. Doc rolled in) and at that apt we sort of complained about the demeanor of the tech and the shortness of our scan and they basically tell us to pound sand. So over the last couple weeks since the last couple experiences we have been in serious thought. What can we do? We can not get referred out by tricare to a civilian OB, they wont cover it. So I am not in the process of applying for Medicaid coverage, which is income based and your income determines your co-pay. I have looked into several options in our area, and want to do a midwife as I did with my previous pregnancies, so of course that is the road I am looking down. With Olivia I had Hypertension/pre-eclampsia that caused me to be on bedrest most of my 3rd trimester, and delivered her nearly a month early by induction. With Angelo, my pregnancy was healthy but he had a two (instead of three) vessel cord that raised issues with his health, and I was monitored carefully. So with both, a home or birthing center birth were out of the question...or so I was made to believe and being semi naive at those times in my life, I took the word of the medical staff. Well....this time, I would like to do things my way.

My body loves being pregnant. With Angelo I got big fast and was uncomfortable, but I generally feel good pregnant. This time I am really enjoying it. This pregnancy is healthy so far and I have good energy and I am so happy and enjoying each day growing little miss Hayla in my body. I am also very good at giving birth. My body just takes over. I go on nature mode. With Olivia it was almost like I was hypnotized through transition and her birth and with Angelo, I pretty much just let myself go as well. I don't need a great deal of assistance, I am really not aware of anyone around me except my family and my children. I don't need a bunch of Doctors and nurses running circles making the environment chaotic. I just need me and my baby and everyone else is a luxury. So this time...I am really positively aiming at a home birth.

As soon as my insurance goes through Colin and I will begin interviewing Midwives and explore further into our desire for a home birth. There are a couple birthing centers in our area, one my sister used twice and had two wonderful experiences. The only down side to that is they don't keep you over night, you leave with fairly soon to go home within reason. One aspect I like about the Hospital is getting to lounge for a day or two with out having to pack out. Hence the home birth. It would basically be all the care I would get at the birthing center, minus having to pack up and leave after birth. The midwife and her assistant would bring all necessary medical needs, we can rent a large inflatable tub and set up in the house if I chose to have a water birth, our family and children can be nearby and have the luxury of comfy beds and our own kitchen, the ambulance would be on standby would we have an emergency...and most of all, after Hayla's birth we will be able to lounge and linger and not have to worry about packing out. It's perfect.

So from this point forward, at a healthy 21 weeks pregnant...we will study more into this desire, weigh the pros and cons as time goes by and as we get near birthday if Hayla and I are in good condition we will birth together at home as a family. I am so excited to finally feel some sense of control over my body and the birth of my baby.

*Just a note* We understand that there may be some doubt or concern over our decision, and while we respect your concern greatly and love that you all want the best for us, we appreciate that you keep any negativity or doubt full comments to your selves. We are so happy, and have such amazing peace in our little family. We intend to continue our journey through this pregnancy with little stress, as it is proven to be hard on a baby in the womb to have a stressed and worry-some momma. So any negativity from outside is strongly discouraged and wont be heard. We just want blessings, respect and peace: )

21 weeks

2008-08-06T14:37:00.000-07:00

Hayla baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. I may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. I may also discover a pattern to her activity as I get to know her better. In other developments, Hayla baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if girl parts have begun to form as well!!

Baby Dreams

2008-08-06T10:09:00.000-07:00

I had a dream lastnight about my little girl for the first time! She was so beautiful...I dreamt of her first day in the new world. Momma was feeding her and our family was gathered around admiring our creation. It was as if I was on the outside looking in on the experience, and it was amazing! It made me want tohave my little girl come out now Im so excited to meet her! Its funny if you take just one minute out of your life to really stop...and think, and maybe even dream about the people and things that are the MOST important in your life. For me it would be my beautiful wife and kids, and the daughter Im anxiously awaitng!

Daddy's Girls

2008-08-04T09:13:00.000-07:00

This weekend I finally felt my daughter move!!! With a gentle hand over Jeanette's belly I felt Hayla nudge my hand for the first time and it was heaven!!! It absolutely was like falling in love with Jeanette all over again! Just to think that her and I have created a life of love and happiness together and that together we are bringing another life of our own creation into this world is absolutely amazing to me! We spent the past weekend shopping for Hayla and the girl's got a ton of hot duds waiting for her on the outside world. I don't think there is going to be a day in her life where she wont be wearing some kind of pink dress, big pink hat, and a big crappy pamper; daddy cant wait! Watching Jeanette this past few weeks has been heaven. Seeing my daughter growing inside of her as Jeanette glows more and more each day, I cant wait to see them together! I hope I can measure up to be the best father a daugther like Hayla will need. and I pray that I can continuously be the husband to support his wife's and families every needs.

Baby dreams and Butterflies

2008-08-04T08:32:00.000-07:00

Hayla is becoming increasingly active, although still not nearly as wiggly as her brother and sister before her. She is a mellow baby, moves slowly and gracefully. I pray that this is an example of her personality after birth. I pray she will be calm, mellow and sweet like her daddy. It is the most amazing thing to feel your baby growing and dancing within you. An almost indescribable bonding between momma and baby. Over the last couple days Colin was also able to feel a small nudge 2 separate times. The moments together feeling our baby made me fall in love with him all over again. I am so blessed to become a family with this man and this little girl.

I have had a couple dreams of Hayla. I remember vividly the different dreams I had during my other pregnancies. Since you have not held or met your child yet, I suppose a mother holds on to those dreams as her first memories of interacting with her child. Las tnights dream was crazy. Hayla was newborn, and a big girl. She had a nice cap of shiny brown hair with a few little curly wisps here and there. She was unhappy, and squirmy. I wonder now if I felt her moving in me a lot during the dream. I kept coming upon these scenarios where I would intentionally put her down for a moment, once to look through some garage sale things and another time at my grandparents house. I would then go about my business and completely leave her behind...going back later to look for her and explain to strangers that I was a new mother and had not quite gotten used to remembering I had her. In my mind, even in the dream I would rationalize to myself that I was still pregnant, it was only a dream and that she was safe....but still I wonder what it means. At one point I went with my family into a church on Christmas eve. It was pouring rain and we got in the church and were getting settled when I realized all I had cuddled against me was a blanket. When I went to find Hayla in the car still buckled in she was screaming and all these people I didn't know were gathered around her. No one was angry, they were all very understanding. But when I woke up I was worried that the dream reflected on my self esteem and that I think to much of what others think of me as a parent. I don't know how to explain it, fascinating.

This morning I woke to find Hayla safe and sound in my belly. I have not forgotten or left her behind : )

Below are a few of Hayla's belongings and a sample of her Nursery bedding~ Now we just need a place to put them!!

Getting stocked!!

2008-07-28T13:39:00.000-07:00

We are busy getting thigs together for Hayla. We have a list all written out and are checking things off over the next couple weeks. Last Thursday Colin and I took a trip across the water to Bothel and picked up a beautiful Nursery Set. It included comforter, bumper, toy and diaper stacker, wall hangings, vallance and curtains and throw pillows...worth around 200$ and I found it used for 40$. This Friday we are ordering the nursery furniture...crib and dresser/changing table combo. I will post picks when we get it all put together. I also got a lot of things from Manessa that I had given her for Graceanne, so I am going through that stuff and all the little clothing items we have purchased so far and organizing them by size. I guess I am sort of nesting!!
I am feeling great this week. The last two nights I have had a hard time sleeping so I have been lazy during the days. I keep waking up and worrying about anything I can get my mind on. The kid's dad is leaving for a couple months TDY, not sure how much the kids will be able to see their little brother, worried about our future, where we will end up and worried about every second Colin and I have to be apart if he gets transfered next March. I will obviously have to keep roots here for the kids to see family and daddy...but we will have to work something out that we still get to be together as much as possible. Its going to be tough...but something I definitely dont wish to be worrying about while I am trying to grow this baby girl.

Hayla has started to be a little more active. She is giving me little flutters here and there, so far nothing I have been able to share with Daddy.

Our last OB was ok, a little frustrating. I am pretty adoment about seeing midwives only, and no male Doctors and for some reason a man came in during my last apt. I was pretty uncomfortable. I need to get something in writing saying it will only be woman present for our birth...except Daddy of course!!

Other then that...the week is good. Will be 20 weeks on Weds. Good heavens! I barely look pregnant so far! Got a lot of growing to do over the next 2o weeks!!!

This week....

2008-07-21T17:09:00.000-07:00

Here is an update on Hayla's progress this week:

Head to rump, she is approximately 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and weighs around 7 ounces. She's busy flexing her arms and legs — her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place.

We are into our 18th week, nearly 5months pregnant. Wow. It seems like it is all going by so fast so far. I am sure I will be singing a different tune when I am so big I cant move! Everything is wonderful. Since the ultrasound last week I feel like my belly is starting to push out a little finally. I am starting to get that pregnant feeling finally...like movement is a little inhibited, my breath is shallow and I am starving one minute but as soon as I begin to eat I get full.

Colin is wonderful. He is so excited for my tummy to stick out. He spends a lot of time rubbing and kissing my belly. I love how excited he is getting. I think getting to watch this man I adore more then my own breath get ready for his child is almost more exciting then becoming a momma again. When he looks at me, I know there is nothing more important in this world then me and this child and our little family. No matter what happens, what daily stress comes our way, people, nonsense, whatever...our little family blows it all away and none of it matters.

I did a little shopping today. Since this is my third baby, and I dont really keep in touch with girlfriends, I wont be having a baby shower. I dont mind, I am really not a baby shower kind of girl any more anyway. I am sure there will be a few sweet gifts here and there, but for the most part Colin and I are excited to do all the shopping for Hayla ourselves. We pretty much have to get everything since its been 5 years since there has been a baby in the house. We are thinking of dark woods for the nursery with several shades of pink or lavender and dark chocolate for the decor. Her nursery will be in the landing of our upstairs, just outside our bedroom. She will be the luckiest baby in town with a perfect view of the Space Needle and a backdrop of the cascades!! So today I went to Old navy and picked out a few outfits that will fit her next summer. We are detirmined that she will always be in dresses and look like a prissy little princess!

~Our Little Baby Girl~

2008-07-16T07:51:00.000-07:00

That's right! We had our second scan yesterday and confirmed that we are having a little girl! Her due date is also confirmed to continue to be on or around the 17th of December and she is growing well at around 7oz currently.

Her name will be Hayla Lavender.

No baby wiggle?

2008-07-14T09:47:00.000-07:00

I will be 18 weeks this Wednesday....and I have yet to feel the baby move. Colin and I thought that we felt movement back around mid June, but I was only about 13 weeks and since I have not felt a thing since, well Im getting impatient. I just want to feel my little love growing inside me. I want to feel babies personality so much. I feel like that will be the beginning of our bonding together and getting to know one another. I know you are in there little one....just give me a sign. A butterfly.

Today I got the remainder of my much needed maternity clothes in the mail. I am pretty much set now...I think. I got some cute stuff and I am excited to begin growing a baby belly. So when ever that is....I am ready! I think I was like 12 to 14 weeks with Angelo when I began to show? Man!! No baby wiggle, barely a baby bump...?!! This is frustrating! But mark my words, I bet a few months from now I will be moaning and groaning about my big belly and baby feet in my rib cage!

I really can't wait!!

Pappa'a Here

2008-07-10T16:55:00.001-07:00

Hey pappa here and very excited about my beautiful wife who's getting ready to give birth to our beautiful little ....well we don't know yet but soon! I could not be more excited, happy and thrilled to be having a baby with my Jeanette, the love of my life!

Welcome to our pregnancy blog!!

2008-07-10T14:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Wednesday was the 17 week marker for this pregnancy. Next Tuesday we will have our ultrasound and hopefully find our baby is healthy and maybe even get to discover the sex. We are eager to see our little baby and confirm he or she is healthy and growing.

One concern I have had is my weight gain. Since Colin and I met I have gained about 17lbs and at I started this pregnancy heavier then I was at the beginning of my other pregnancies. I gained normal weight with Olivia and was able to get right back to my pre pregnancy shape with out much effort, but with Angelo it was a whole other story. I gained a lot of weight in my second tri and sort of maintained gaining through the third. I struggled with my weight after his birth for about 2 years when I finally lost over 70lbs. So every since then I have been very aware of my weight, and maybe even a little obsessive. So I have to be careful and continue to give my body the nutrients it needs to grow this little one and still be conscious of my own health. So far I have only gained 5lbs and I am now around 4 1/2 months along, so thats pretty good. Since I have felt better I have been back to walking around 15miles a week. I am feeling pretty good, I think I will be ok.

So far in the pregnancy everything has been normal. As with Angelo, I had my share of 'morning sickness'. However, this pregnancy It was more evening sickness. I would have some occasional nausia and food aversions through out the day, but the big nasty hit around 5 or 6pm after all the kids had left for the day. Then I would crash out on the couch with Colin and he would rub my back and cuddle me. Right on schedule I started noticing I was feeling better just a couple days before our PA trip on June 12th. I had more energy and most of my food aversions were gone. With the exception of a couple days I felt great the entire trip. I even ate asian food again!!

Since our return from our trip its been life as usual. Summer had a hard time finding us but the last week has been sunny and fairly hot. I have been sunning my belly nearly everyday while the kids play. We have Vashon Strawberry fest this weekend and hopefully next weekend a camping trip to Sol Duck hotsprings with a stop at Lavender fest. I am looking forward to lounging near the river and floating on the lake!!

Jeanette

17 weeks

2008-07-10T13:47:00.000-07:00

~Our baby at 17 weeks~
The crown to rump length of our baby this week is between 4 1/2 and 4 3/4 inches, and weighing around 3 1/2 ounces. About the size of your hand spread open.

This scan was taken at around 10 weeks