Bye-Bye 27

My 27th year was filled with many exciting events!
Finding out I was pregnant with Baby #2...the entire pregnancy leading up to the birth of Levi was very calm and stress free. :) Loving another baby as much as I've loved his big sis has been extremely easy:) We celebrated being in our new home for one year. Slowly getting decorations up, and adding our own personal touches to each room of the home has been something I've really enjoyed doing this past year.
Discovering that I have a friend in my daughter, as she is growing and communicating more and more. It is so much fun to chit chat with my sweet Emily.
Finding that I can't do it all on my own, and my husband's patience and calm character are exactly what I needed in my 27th year :). Supporting him in his new passion for Real Estate, motivating and giving a listening ear when things seemed to be a little too overwhelming at the time.
Witnessing the birth of my sweet niece Eva Elizabeth, being in a room filled with so much love for one precious baby. I will always cherish that I was a part of such a miracle.
As our family grows, we realize that we need His love in order to make our love for each other better...making goals and plans to keep Him at the center of our family dynamic in my 28th year. Feeling good about myself and taking care of myself, physically, spiritually and emotionally is the greatest gift that I can give my family.
Good-bye 27...hello 28!:)

Levi's Birth Story

Levi's birth story is in 2 different parts, I was in early stages of labor over several days....enjoy:)
9/30
I had my weekly appointment with Dr. Wong on this day, and when she checked me I was dilated to a 4+ and 60% effaced. She laughed and told me to guess how much progress I had made, I guessed I was maybe dilated to a 2..when she told me a stretchy 4 I was in shock!! I felt great and went home to finish my daily duties with the little miss:) After I put her down for a nap I felt like I was leaking....the nurse told me to lay down for awhile and if I was still leaking or felt a gush to come in right away. Since I was already dilated so much I was pretty anxious, I envisioned delivering Levi on the side of 5-12 on the way to Good Sam. Todd and I arrived at the hospital at 3pm, and I was having random contractions. The checked me and my water was not leaking, but I was dilated to a 5 and 60% effaced, started having contractions and the shakes, which is pretty normal. My blood pressure and my heart rate were high so they wanted to monitor me in triage for awhile before admitting me...they told me to walk to see if I could get contractions stronger and closer together. I did not want to get set home so I was on a mission, walking...more like sprinting around the halls of labor and delivery. After walking for an hour I was checked again dilated to a 5 and 70% effaced now, the doctor felt like I was so close to going into active labor and did not want to send me home, so I was admitted. I got all set up in my room...IV, signed forms for baby, texting family and friends...woo hoo baby is coming sometime soon!! After a full night of trying to get labor going naturally, the doctor decided to discharge me.....BOOO.....oh well, I knew Levi would be here very SOON!!!!

October 4, 2011
I spent the day going to my first MOPS meeting...funny thing was I dropped Emily off with my mom and she made the comment 'You look really pretty today, I think you will go into labor.'

5pm - My first REAL contraction, like the take your breath away, oh crap this is it, contraction! Emily was just starting to wake up from her nap, and Todd was showing a house in Little Rock, a little over an hour away from our home. I immediately called Todd to tell him I needed him to please hurry, because this was it. It was time! Apparently there was no service in Little Rock...I tried getting a hold of anyone and everyone, no one was answering. So now I'm envisioning myself having the baby on the kitchen floor while my toddler watches...I know a bit dramatic, but that's how I was in those last few weeks of pregnancy.:)

6pm - Todd arrives a little after 6, along with my Mom, Papa Stone came to pick Emily up to play at their house while we made our plan as to what was going to happen. My contractions were slowly getting stronger, but pretty far apart still. I went to sit in the tub to see if I could get things moving quickly.

7pm- contractions are lasting 50-60 seconds about 2 minutes apart. Time to go to the hospital!

7:45- leave for Good Sam...car ride was great, Todd was a very calm driver:)

8:45 - checked into room 5 at the hospital, 6 cm dilated and 90% effaced.

9:00- IV for pain meds...Sarah and Craig come and visit with Eva:)

9:45 - Breathing through contractions, Sarah was coaching me on a breathing technique and it helped a lot, we were waiting for the doctor to come and give me my epidural.

9:55 Got the epidural, Dr. Mitchell broke my water, Levi was much lower and doctor thought it could be within the next 2 hours.

10:30 Our birth photographer Keren Fenton arrives!!

11:45-12:35- tried pushing in several different positions...didn't feel like I was making much progress so I asked if I could rest awhile until I felt intense pressure to push.
12:45 - Craig, sarah and Eva came to visit again while I was resting
1:20- really felt pressure to push again, started pushign
1:47 - Levi is born!!! He was crying MUCH louder then Emily did when she was born, I remember they put him on my chest and he grabbed right onto my hospital gown:) It was so cute.
After he was born I had some excessive bleeding as my uterus was not contracting back as it should. They gave me some pitosin in my IV to encourage contractions. I got to watch Levi get cleaned up, Daddy gave him his bath and we got lots of pictures!:) My blood pressure dropped pretty low, so I don't remember too much after he was born, we were so thankful for Dr. Mitchell, he kept things under control, the nurses and doctor had to work on me for quiet some time to get things under control....I really just remember my mom standing next to me and holding my hand. Thanks Momma:)
Our sweet Levi has really changed our family dynamics in such a wonderful way. He is so calm, laid back and a very smiley little guy. Emily got to meet him in the comfort of our home and asked to hold him right away. Todd and I were a big blubbery mess, seeing our two babies. My heart was full of love and I was so proud of my family in that moment. Now we have our little boy and little girl...it has been very crazy trying to get everyone back into a routine, but I'm slowly getting the hang of things.

Like arrows in the hands of a warrior....

"Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them."
Psalm 127:3-5

We are THRILLED to announce that Baby #2 is a BOY!

We were so excited to tell our extended family, ESPECIALLY Emily:) She will be such a wonderful big sister to her baby brother. Their relationship will be very similar to mine and my brothers, same age difference and everything. Todd and I feel like we are in whole new territory with 'boy stuff'. All we've known is GIRL for the last 2 years, so this makes this pregnancy all that more new and exciting for us.

Chloe

About a month ago we had the BEST day with Emily at the Point Defiance Zoo. She loved walking hand in hand with her Daddy on the designated path. Squealing in delight at the site of the sharks, and cautiously watching the large walrus swim closer and closer to the piece of glass that separated him from us.

She was all smiles all day long....when we got home we didn't notice anything ordinary, everything seemed normal. We had our normal nightly routine dinner, bath time, then Mommy and Daddy get to relax. The next morning Todd woke me up before he left for work, asking me if I had seen Chloe, our 4 year old kitty. I assumed she was hiding somewhere, maybe stuck in a closet or Emily's room. For the next few days we searched for our sweet Chloe. At the end of every day, as darkness approached I found myself getting more and more worried about my sweet kitty. I had a gut feeling that she would not be coming home. But prayed that we would get closure, so that we would not have to continue to search high and low for her. We had posted signs the day after she went missing, and 3 days after the signs were posted a little neighbor boy called us telling us he was very sorry, but he thought he had found our cat. So we drove to the spot he said he thought she was, and sure enough, it was our sweet Chloe:( She was hit by a car and we aren't really sure how she got so far from home. But we imagine she had a blast with the last few days of freedom.
It was terrible to find her that way, and we were both pretty traumatized. Todd took care of everything for me, and we had her cremated. Saved her collar and now Tucker wears her ID tag. Chloe was our first baby, we spoiled her like CRAZY! She had such a wonderful life and was the perfect first pet for us. She was so wonderful with Emily and Tucker and her had become best friends. Emily still asks where 'toey' is, and it stings a little every time she says her name, but it is getting easier.
We loved our sweet Chloe. But are thankful that we were able to find her, and bring her home.

#2!!

This post is way past due...get it....DUE:)

Our due date for Baby #2 is October 14!:) Emily is going to be a big sister! I get to be a Mommy again! Baby is doing great, we saw the ultrasound at 7 weeks pregnant, it is amazing to see the little flicker of the heartbeat, what a special miracle we have. To be blessed with 2 babies is what I have always wanted. I can not wait for Emily to have a playmate for life, another car seat to be in the backseat, and another room filled with precious baby things.

Emily hasn't really grasped what is happening and what is to come. She knows what babies are, but does not understand that there is a special baby, coming just for her!!:) I feel like the weeks are flying by, as we are staying busy with home projects, a busy/chatty toddler, and lots of fun in between.

More pictures and posts to come!!:)

The Dinnertime Dance

I don't know about you, but it seems like I never get to sit and eat dinner in one sitting anymore. Here is what a typical dinner routine looks like in the Stone home;

- Either Todd or I get Emily's plate all set up with her dinner, get her settled in her high chair and she begins eating while Todd and I get our plates ready.
-AH! Dinner at least , take a few bites.
-Oh wait, Emily needs her drink, up to the fridge to get her drink, give her her drink, give her a few more noodles, back to sit down and take a few more bites.
-Oh shoot, I forgot to get myself a drink...back up to get myself and Todd a drink. Back to sit down..take a few more bites.
- DONE DONE! yells Emily, as she dumps the remaining noodles on the floor. Emily, do you want a cookie? (An attempt to get a few more quiet moments were we can talk and eat our food)
-Up to get a cookie, clean up the noodles, refill her drink. Take a few more bites....
-DOWN DOWN! Now Emily is really done, can't buy more time with cookies...time to let her down. Hoping that at least one of us has scarfed down our food so she stays entertained while the other takes their last few bites.

Do you have a dinnertime routine? What does dinner look like for your family? We always try to at least say a small prayer and have a few moments were we are ALL 3 sitting down enjoying our meals TOGETHER. I think it is very important to make that effort every evening. Once you let dinner happen on the couches or in front of the TV, I think it is really hard to go back to the sit down dinners. Occasionally we will sit in front of the TV while Emily plays after we have gotten a pizza or take - out. :)

Happy Wednesday

Nothing like waking up to this sweet face every morning!