Another summer gone.

Well another summer is almost over.  This is the unofficial last weekend of summer and the pool will close after Labor Day.  This usually makes me very sad, but we are already well into our back to school "routine."  But I am sad, that due to the rain left over from what was Hurricane Isaac, it looks like this WON'T be a good pool weekend.  sigh.

Luke started second grade on the 15th.  He has the same wonderful teacher and the same class of kids for second that he had for first.  I love this looping thing they do.  So, he eased right back into school like it was no big deal.  He just loves school and is doing so well.  Andy is also coaching Luke's soccer team again, so that is keeping us busy as well. They've been practicing for a few weeks and games start next weekend. I love watching Andy coach Luke's team... such great bonding time for them.  Again this year, Luke has asked he to come into school each day and pick him up instead of using the car line.  I am doing it again, because I know before too long it will no longer be "cool" to have mom come in and get him.  He even still lets me hold his hand in the parking lot.  Such a sweet sweet handsome boy.  love him.

Miss Emma will start preschool the day after Labor Day.  She will be going to Garden Gate where Luke went.  Luke loved it and I know Emma will as well.  Emma is becoming such a wonderful young lady.  She makes friends so easily.  She made so many new friends at the pool this summer.  I am so proud of her for that.  I have no doubt she will make many friends in preschool.  She also started back to dance class last week.  She is now the oldest in her class... and this year she really looks and acts the oldest as well.  She still loves dance class and has already made a few new friends in her new class, since many of her friends have moved up to the next class.

And my sweet Isaac just keeps growing and getting cuter and cuter.  At his two month check-up (two weeks ago) he was 14.1 lbs (85%) and 24.75 inches (99%).  So he is a big boy.   He is smiling and laughing and "talking" to us a lot.  He is sleeping through the night as well.  I love this age.  He is such a chill baby and for that I am thankful.

Well Andy survived another round of layoffs at Lexmark and for that we are ALL thankful.  He is staying super busy at work, being a soccer coach and still leading the DTS at church.  That man is a Saint.  love him.  I'm staying busy being mom.... nothing else I'd rather do.  We are blessed. so blessed.

Isaac's Birth Story

Time to get this one out there, before I forget.  :)  So my OB thinks I am one of those women who doesn't go into labor on her own.  Luke showed no signs of coming, neither did Emma, so I was induced with both of them.  Also,  my mom carried my sister 3 weeks over and me almost 4 weeks passed her due date.  So, due to the many complications that can occur if baby comes too far passed the due date, I was induced again.

At my 39 week appointment there were NO signs Isaac was ready to come.  No dilation, no thinning out... nothing.  This was a stubborn Johns' boy already.   So I was scheduled for an induction the following Tuesday morning, the day before my due date.  Dr. Steele said she would let me go up to a week passed my due date, but she felt like the baby was already a pretty good size and I was ready. 



That is a picture of me with the kiddos before we left for the hospital.

We arrived at the hospital at around 12:15AM.  After checking in and the like... they tried some natural methods to get labor started, but that was not doing much.  Then I was given some prostogladins around 2AM.  I felt like this was really working and I was hoping I would NOT need pitocin this time.  When the nurse came and checked me around 6AM... I was just sure she was going to tell me I was at least 4-5cms.  I had been feeling some pretty good contractions... nothing terribly painful.  My body had done this before, so I was just sure this baby would come quickly.

The nurse told me I had thinned out and was at about a 1 or 2... and Dr. Steele would be here to check on me and then we would start the pitocin.  sigh.  really?!?!  At this moment I KNEW for sure this baby was a boy.

So we started the pitocin around 8AM.  Emma was born very quickly after the pitocin started, so figured we'd have a baby soon.  Dr. Steele came back and checked me again around 10AM... still just 2-3 cms.  So... she broke my water... so painful.  I had my water broken with the other two... but I also had the epidural with them.   She felt very confident this baby would be here fast now.  12 PM... 4-5 cms... still moving slowly.  DEFINITELY a BOY!  Somewhere about 3-4PM... I starting feeling LOTS of pressure like I needed to push... I told the nurse and she checked me and I was only at a 6.  She looked a bit concerned.  She told me to lay on my side. So I did.  She came back in and checked again.  still 6.  double sigh.  WHAT IS GOING ON?!?   I flipped to the other side.  checked again... still 6.  At this point she said the baby was trying to come, but was face up.   which makes it very hard for the mom.  The back of the head should come first, not the face. She suggested I get up on all fours and rock back and forth.  I did this for 30 minutes y'all.  30 minutes.  I remember rocking back and forth and praying... praying hard this baby would flip.

During my rocking back and forth on all fours,  there was a knock on the door, it was a high school friend who is a nurse and she was coming to check on me.  I'm in a hospital gown on all fours rocking back  and forth... kind of not my finest moment... but she was nice.

When the nurse came back and checked on me I could tell she was worried.  She told me that the baby had turned and I was 10cm.  She was going to call Dr. Steele. The rocking on all fours had done the trick.

At this point the pressure was SO intense.  I kept telling the nurse I was feeling LOTS of pressure.  I swear I think Isaac was about to fall out. 

It seemed like it took Dr. Steele an eternity to get there... though it probably was only about 20 minutes... I really have no idea how long it took.  She got everything ready and I started to push...

3 Pushes... the baby is here!!  "It's a BOY!"  Andy yelled.  :)   5:58 PM.  June 12th.  8 pounds 11 oz. 21 inches. Almost 18 hours after our arrival at the hospital.  He was absolutely perfect.

At SJE, they do what is called "kangaroo care" after the baby is first born.  The baby is put on the mother's chest for the first hour after birth.  That was an amazing hour of time with him.  He hardly even cried.  Such great bonding time.  While laying on my chest the nurses cleaned him up, then everyone left.  It was just me, Andy, and sweet Isaac.  He nursed just moments after he was born... like a little champ.


 Donna, my mom and the kids were out in the waiting room.  Andy went and told them, "It's a boy!"  He loved being able to say that to them. Then they all came back to see him.  The kids absolutely loved their little brother.   So many special moments I will never forget.

You really could not wipe the smiles off those little faces.  They loved their little brother.  Emma kept wanting to touch him and she showed him an outfit that she and Granny had picked out for him.  so many special memories. We are now a family of 5 and couldn't be more happy!

Isaac Michael.

I have totally neglected my blog... and my house it's a mess.  But I have been busy snuggling and loving on this sweet little boy.  :)  He's perfect.   We are blessed.  Isaac is sleeping through the night, starting to smile and coo.  We are still smitten. :)  Love love love this little guy and his big bro and big sis.  His dad isn't too bad either.  :)

Best Dollar I've ever spent.

It seems like lately several people have mentioned about what a strong marriage Andy and I have... so we are going to share our story.... all of it... the good, the bad and the ugly.  It's been on our hearts for some time to share our story, so we are doing it... holding each other accountable.  He is writing his part and I am writing mine.  Andy prefers to actually write his in a notebook... the old fashion way.   And I would rather type mine here.  We hope to put it all together and share it with our kids or whomever someday.

Junior Year- The Best Dollar I've Ever Spent

My seventeenth birthday.  One of those uneventful birthdays wedged between 16 and 18.  But my 17th was the start of something special.  I was walking down the steps between 1st and 2nd block when Andy smiled at me and said, "Happy Birthday!"  That small gesture meant the world to me.  Andy and I had passed in the same hallway during our Junior year of high school for two months and he always smiled or said hello, but for some reason that simple, "Happy Birthday!"  was special.  I wanted to know more about Andy.  I knew he played soccer. We'd had a few classes together, so I knew he was a smart guy.  His mom was a teacher. And he had those beautiful eyes (that ALL our children now have).  He wasn't the best dressed, but he was cute.  :)  At that moment I knew I wanted to know him better. 

About this same time, the Beta Club was having the annual "Beta Bachelor Bid-Off."  Since any Beta Club boy involved got extra "beta points," Andy volunteered to be a bachelor.  It was a silent auction that went on in the cafeteria during all three school lunches.  I think it lasted about a week, and by the last day Andy didn't have any bids... neither did many boys... except for a few of the "super popular" boys.  So I decided I would bid on him.  I won him. for a dollar.

A few days later I remember walking up to him after school and telling him I'd won him.  He replied, laughing, "I bet you had to pay a lot for me!"  He was dressed in his soccer shorts and headed to soccer practice.  I liked him even more at that moment.

Well  I paid my dollar, but I didn't take him out for a date immediately.  Maybe I am old fashioned, but I didn't want to ask him, so I made him ask me.

more on that next time...