It's Quiet on Here

With the birth of a new child, it should almost be expected for things to be quiet on here. That isn't necessarily the case in reality for me. Our household is busier than ever and I am constantly demanded by my 3 children. It's beautiful and draining and crazy busy.

In the last few weeks, we continued to bond as a family and enjoyed having my husband home. We had a snow storm hit our area which gave us the opportunity to enjoy snow.  Our kids are obsessed with sledding, eating snow, digging snow caves, and building snow men. On repeat.

After 6 weeks at home we had to unfortunately send my husband back to work. We are so, so fortunate that he works for a company that gave him so much time off but we still weren't ready for him to make the return. Our house became a bit quieter in some ways but the workload piled up for me as I took on the days solo again. His presence has been greatly missed.

With so much sickness continuing to go around in our area, we continue to stay home as much as possible. I have found many inside activities to keep us busy and we try to sneak out for 10-15 minute intervals. I seem to spend more time bundling up the kids than we spend outside but it's totally worth it for a bit of fresh air.

We did sneak away to the park during one warmer afternoon to take a look at the ducks.

I stayed in the vehicle with Jayden as it was still too cold for him. In many ways, I think we are all looking forward to spring!

Jayden continues to grow and we love taking turns taking care of him. It's been amazing to watch my children bond with each other.

We've had family visit the last few weekends but this weekend will be a quiet one for us. I wouldn't have it any other way and can't wait to hang out for a few days with these 4:

They are demanding pizza and movies, as usual. I'm thinking we may tie this in with a game night as well.

Happy Friday!

One Month Update on Baby Jayden

Well, little baby Jayden, we made it 1 whole month. It's been fast and crazy and came with all the emotions that a person can possibly have. We are so glad you're here. We can't stop staring at you and watching you grow. 

The first half of your month was spent in the NICU and came with so many challenges and blessings for our little family. We spent the last half of the month at our home as a family, the way it should be. Baby boy, you bonded our family more closely than I could have ever imagined. We are so thankful to God that he chose you to be in our life.

You are so expressive. It's very clear to us that you love having your siblings around. Sissy loves to hold you constantly and picks out most of your outfits. Your big brother pats your head, kisses you, and likes to remind you of who he is. 

Since Jayden endured so much during the first few weeks of life, our doctors have recommended we try as hard as possible not to get sick as this could cause major issues for Jayden's health. It has been a challenge being home so much but it has also been so sweet to just be together as a family. When the weather is good, we all get outside for fresh air.

I carry Jayden in a baby carrier and have him so snug and warm that he typically sleeps the whole time. A snow storm came in yesterday and we are now stuck indoors. The big kids have been staying busy with coloring, school work, play-doh, and any other activity I can find for them.

We did sneak out last week to get family pictures done. I took this picture on my phone:

This picture makes me so, so excited to see what the photographer got. I think she is going to give us way too much good stuff to choose from.

If you need us, we will be found at our home snuggling our beautiful 1 month old baby boy!

A Review of Our 2017

Happy New Year! We had a blast celebrating with our children at 6PM with dinner together, some sparkling grape juice (served in fancy wine glasses), and family game night. We knew I wouldn't make it to midnight (and I surprised everyone by making it to 9:30) and the kids stuck to their early bedtime routine. I actually can't think of the last NYE that I made it to midnight.

Each year, I make a video of our year and the result always ends up making me shed a few tears as I watch. This year does not disappoint. It's long though so be warned. I had the hardest time cutting my videos down for this one. This has been quite the year for our family and God has been working so hard on us all. It's hard to leave anything out when there were so many ups and downs.



It's a beautiful life. We wouldn't trade it for anything.

Another year of dancing like nobody's watching (or not caring if they are), singing, game playing, and loving each other hard. It was a also a year of being surprised with a 3rd pregnancy, finding out we were having a boy, and then going through the ebb and flow of emotions while in the NICU with our newest baby. It's something unpredictable and in the end is right.

We are having the time of our lives.

2017, you were a good year. We can't wait to see what's in store for us in 2018.

Our 2 1/2 Weeks in the NICU

It is so hard to believe that we only spent 2 1/2 weeks with our baby in the NICU. In so many ways, it felt much much longer. Jayden was in good hands though and we trusted the staff that helped us during our stay.

Staying away from home for so long was especially challenging but we tried to keep the 2 big kids entertained. We were very fortunate to have my mother-in-law help us daily with our children and my husband had family living in the area. They were a lot of help as well and hosted Christmas for us.

We were gifted (by a complete stranger to our family) certificates to Build-A-Bear with the mission to build a bear for Jayden while he was in the NICU. We all wrote notes to put inside the bear for Jayden to find when he is older. It was the sweetest gift that our family will treasure always. The timing was also impeccable as we completed the teddy bear the day before he had a big test to make sure he had no leaks in his esophagus from surgery. The next day, he passed his test!

Santa came to visit Jayden at the hospital and our 2 other children loved seeing all the Christmas trees set up at our housing site and the hospital.

After learning to drink milk from the bottle, Jayden was finally able to be sent home. We loved our views of the bustling city (quite the contrast from our country views) but it was time to leave that picture behind us and finally start adjusting to life at home as a family of 5.

Bringing our Baby Home

17 days ago, we endured the most traumatic event to have ever occurred in our lives. After giving birth to our 3rd child, he was transferred from our local hospital to a nearby hospital and then to children's hospital about 4 hours away and we were left with more questions than answers. We entered a world of the unknown and found ourselves in the whirlwind that is life on the NICU floor. It would be impossible to come out of this experience unchanged.

In the midst of this hard time and several setbacks, it was not lost on us how beautiful God continues to make life. Kind words and gifts from strangers, our children's sweet embraces, and the outpouring of love and support from friends and family was overwhelming. I can assure you your prayers were heard and answered and the many of you that provided us help will be forever appreciated. God was working incredibly hard on our family's life during this time and bonding is even closer together. Our path crossed with so many other families, some with shorter stays and others with much longer/more complicated stories yet to unravel. Each story gave us insight to how different each NICU experience can be.

It's one thing to know your entire life can change in an instant, it's another thing entirely to live it. Take the time to love those around you and standing beside you. You never know when your situation may change.

After 17 days, we finally came home! It felt long overdue!

Baby #3 Has Arrived!

Last week, baby #3 made his arrival into our world. He came a little early at 37 1/2 weeks but right between when his siblings came (37 weeks and 38 weeks into pregnancy). We are so excited and thrilled he is here.

Introducing Baby Jayden:

Shortly after giving birth, our medical team decided to transfer our son due to having issues taking milk. After being transferred twice, we ended up at a Children's hospital and learned that Jayden did not have his esophagus connected to his stomach. He has had surgery and is continuing to recover in the NICU.

This has been a lot for us to take on as parents as we had no idea there were any concerns during my pregnancy. We are adjusting and helping our family roll through the motions.

We pray for God to provide Jayden and the rest of our family with strength and hope to bring our baby boy to our home soon. 

“I'll love you forever,

I'll like you for always,

As long as I'm living

my baby you'll be.”

― Robert Munsch, Love You Forever

We wish you all a Merry Christmas!

37 Weeks with a Baby #3

We made it to 37 weeks and I am really starting to feel like I'm in the home stretch. No idea when this baby will make an appearance but we are excited to find out!

I wanted to get a quick update while it was on my mind. I had my first child at 37 weeks and my second at 38 weeks, so this could very well be my last post of my pregnancy.

How far along: I am 37 weeks, 2 days.

Maternity clothes: All maternity clothes and definitely feeling large. I have the waddle going and am feeling more and more uncomfortable by the day.

Sleep: I'm up every few hours to use the bathroom and change sleeping positions. I have to sleep on my sides and have to rotate frequently.

Best moment this month: Payton loves to kiss my belly and hug her baby. That has been so fun to see as she makes sure to tell him goodbye any time we part ways.

This weekend has also been a lot of fun as my mother came to visit. Monte and I went to his work holiday party and the kids wanted pictures taken prior to us leaving. 

These could easily be the last pictures we take before the new baby. It's so bittersweet to think about.

Worst moment this month: I am definitely much more uncomfortable than I have been with my other 2 pregnancies. I have slowed way down and spend a lot of my time dealing with pain management. That has been challenging but I know this won't last forever.

Miss anything: I continue to really miss keeping up with my kids. I can't always go outside with my husband and children or run errands with them like I'm used to doing and that has been challenging for me.

Movement: This baby definitely doesn't move as much as my other two, but he still has a lot of good daily movement.

Cravings: I really haven't craved anything or had any aversions this entire pregnancy.

Queasy or sick: Over the last few days, I have felt very nauseous, but it's so hard to say if it's pregnancy related or not.

Looking forward to: I am looking forward to bringing this little one home and the holidays!

Baby, you can come any time! We are ready and waiting anxiously for you!

I hope you are all having a great Sunday!