The Babes - which is which?

I changed the picture of Chloe. This is when she was a month old or so.

Joshua Matthew - His Birth Story

Joshua Matthew joined our family on January 23rd at 7 lbs and 20.25 inches long. We are so blessed to have him with us now and are so thankful for a quick safe delivery! If you don't want the details, just skip the next part... :)

Joshua was born on his due date, which only happens about 3-5% of the time, so they say. It was a Sunday and that morning I started having contractions about 20 minutes apart. Though I'd had contractions since week 28, I think, these were actually on the mark, every 20 minutes. That gave me the first clue that we'd probably have a baby within the next 24 hours. They weren't bad; I didn't have to stop what I was doing or anything. Throughout the day, they got closer together... every 15 minutes, then every 10 minutes. They were about every 6 minutes by the mid-afternoon. I decided to lay down for a nap on the couch and they went back to every 10 minutes.

Contractions aren't comfortable, but they are even less comfortable when your 4 year old is trying to brush your hair and your 2 1/2 year old is climbing in your lap and pushing on your belly. I was having to push them away sadly, but they weren't understanding. So I sat there, after my nap, in labor with my girls glued to my side. It was very hard to concentrate on being relaxed as they got more intense!

I went ahead and told my parents that they could make their way here since they had a 3 hour drive and it was getting late in the day. Matt's mom called just before 6pm to see if she could take the girls for us. Matt declined since we didn't really know how much longer it would take. Well, not 5 minutes later, I had a very intense contraction and my water broke! I immediately hit the floor, on my hands and knees, thinking first about messing up my couch! I quickly realized that was the least of my concerns because my contractions went from 10 minutes apart to 1-2 minutes apart!! And they became VERY intense! I could hardly get to the bathroom. Matt called his mom back right away and I finished gathering a few things, barely able to walk, and then headed to his truck to wait. Lyn got there within 15 minutes, if not sooner, but it felt like an eternity. All I could think about was trying NOT to have the baby in the truck as I had contraction after contraction with only about 30 seconds in between them.

Finally, we headed for the hospital and I made Matt keep his hazards on. (Some people are just so rude by the way. You'd think that a person coming up behind you with their hazards on and on the road that takes you to the medical center, that MAYBE you should move over and not create a blockade with the car next to you!) Anyway, Matt pulled up to the ER entrance because we knew I couldn't walk; the security guard tried to tell us that we needed to drive around to L&D, but Matt wouldn't have it. Matt had to go park the truck so the security guard, who I don't even know, talked me through the two or three contractions I had on the way to L&D. He was very kind. Within 10 minutes, I was in a delivery room. The nurses hopped to it once they realized how quickly I was progressing. I was only dilated 5 cm once they finally checked me, but within 15 minutes, as I let my body relax more, I was already to 10. I asked for some pain meds but no epidural; there wasn't time anyway. The nurse said it'd only take my pain level down to an 8 from a 10, but I really prefer them for the effects they have AFTER delivery. Thankfully, the doctor on call, who we couldn't get a hold of initially was found and he got there just in time.

At 7:05pm, I started pushing, but it took a few times and lots of readjusting to get comfortable. Once I was where I needed to be, it took two major pushes and out he came at 7:25! The doctor let Matt announce to me that it was a boy and I was thrilled! ... also a little bit scared as our new life of raising a little BOY flashed before my eyes! Matt had picked Joshua's first name, but he let me pick the middle name, so I chose Matthew, after his daddy.

Here are some pictures...

My favorite moments after having a baby are finally holding them in my arms and being face-to-face with the one you've been getting to know distantly, in a way, for the past 9 months.

Happy Daddy!

The girls LOVE, LOVE, LOVE their new brother! Hannah kept singing Happy Birthday to Joshua and Chloe kept saying, "I finally have my brother! See? I told you it was a boy!"

I don't think she could be more excited!

Hannah had separation anxiety from Mommy, so she sat in my lap most of time they were visiting. She didn't want to leave my side for a while.

Chloe feeding Josh. I made a bottle especially for the girls to have this experience.

A funny story... I was burping Josh one time and Chloe said I wasn't doing it right (I guess because it was taking a while for him to burp). She asked to hold Josh so she could show me how to do it. As I supported him, she showed me how to pat his back, which is exactly what I was doing, and now takes full credit for teaching me to burp him. She said, "I showed you and now you can do it by yourself next time!"

Hannah and Josh. These two are going to be great together! Hannah already says, "I can't wait for Josh to get bigger and he can jump wif me on de bed!"

Mommy trying to spend time with the girls and keep things as "normal" as possible, although they really aren't.

Our new little family of 5!

The girls are adjusting well! Chloe is always incredibly happy having Josh around. Hannah has more of a rough time not being able to come sit in my lap when she wants to all the time. But I've tried really hard to make it a point to snuggle with her when I have empty arms!

Joshua is sleeping fairly well. He's now making it 3-4 hours at night versus 1-2 at the beginning. At first he was constantly hungry and I thought I would never make it if that was how he'd always eat, but he's leveled off now.

We are excited about the dynamic a little boy will bring to our family! Thanks to all of our family and friends who have provided meals and child care over the past few weeks as we adjust! We love you!

Matt's Half-Ironman - My Superman

Matt fearlessly conquered his first Half-Ironman in November. It was only his 3rd triathlon ever; the other two he did in July- a sprint tri- and October - an Olympic tri. When the man dreams big, he dreams big. He did it in about the time he hoped for, slightly slower, but only by 30 minutes. Considering the first place man finished in 4 1/2 hours, I think Matt did an excellent job finishing in 6 1/2 hours after less than 6 months of training. I mean, the man just got a bike last April and just learned how to swim with proper technique this past summer. He has also been finishing his Bachelor's degree, started a new job this fall, and practically cared for all three of us girls this summer while I had morning sickness. And he did it all while not neglecting his family. If you need a lesson in Balance, talk to him! He seems to have mastered it! He is just amazing to me. :)

Here are some pictures of his day...

Hannah helping Daddy get ready.

Realizing how freaking cold the water is going to be.

He was one of the only ones who opted NOT to wear a wetsuit.

Getting ready...

There he goes!

He says his body went into shock when he hit the water. He couldn't breathe or move for a minute.

Check 1 - Finished the 1.2 mile swim.

Now for the 56 mile bike ride.

His bike at the transition area after he left for his run.

Now for 13.1 miles running... or jogging, I should say.

A smile on his face as he finishes.

What a haus! :)

(That was actually on his high school letter jacket... "Haus." ;)

Still standing, a little bloody, but he did survive...

...enough to make the 1/2 mile walk back to the car.

I am SOOOOO proud of you, my love!! You challenge me and inspire me and push me to a whole new level in all areas! I am thankful to have that constantly in my life.

Our First Sleep-Over

A little while ago, we had our first sleep-over. Our friends, The Hvass', let us keep their girls for a night while they enjoyed a childless evening and morning. It's something that my mother-in-law does for us on a regular basis so we thought we'd pass the favor along since we enjoy it so much. The girls had a really good time together and I think they REALLy enjoyed having friends to play with the moment they woke up. Since we have the crib set up and an extra twin bed in there that are not yet being used, it was the perfect time to host a baby and a toddler. Everyone was very well behaved. The only hard moment was when Chloe took a hard fall outside and scraped her knees and hands pretty badly (for a 3 year old, at least). Here are some pictures from our morning...

The girls watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while I fed Natalie her bottle.

I tried numerous time to get a picture of all four girls together, but these are the best I took.

After watching a show, they all decided they needed to dress up for breakfast. We have Hannah H., aka Fairy Princess, Chloe, aka Snow White, and Hannah T., aka Sleeping Beauty and of course, Baby Natalie, who looks like a real-life babydoll. We had a royal breakfast of toast and jam and fruit. :)

Flour Power

You see, Matt looks so sweet and awesome in this picture below with Chloe and Hannah; they adore him. And he is pretty wonderful... for the most part.

But then, he has this evil, cruel side of him that preys on his pregnant wife when she is trying to play an innocent game of hide and seek with her children; the woman who can't move quick enough or run fast enough to get away from his torturous schemes because of the life growing inside of her that will bring him more daddy-adoring offspring.

You cannot see it, but he drenched all of us, including his poor children, with the hose. The sweet little ones did not know how to react to their father laughing cruelly at them as he hosed them down. Then, as if to seem apologetic, he retrieved towels from the house, yet it was all part of his evil plan for he returned with a hidden bag of flour amongst the towels and proceeded to dump it on me, the little girls' mother, in front of their eyes. The poor souls now have no idea what to think of their father for he has played a mean trick on their mother. Thus, their rose colored glasses are scratched and they must now face the reality of HE who is their father... a man who started it all, over 10 years ago, when he dumped out a bag of leaves that I had just raked from the yard just so that I'd go to lunch with him. What the heck was I thinking?

Just simple silly stuff

Chloe has a weird imagination when it comes to making up names. She will definitely NOT be naming our new baby. :) Few people get to experience this with me, but this weekend, at my parents' house, they witnessed it. Matt became "Sha-nini from Tanini" which, she explained, is in China, and he was also my mom's cousin. For some reason, I couldn't stop laughing and I began to cry. She became concerned and got a Kleenex to wipe my tears, which then made me laugh more. It was just one of those moments that ended up being funnier to me than it probably was to any one else. But it was good opportunity to teach her that some people cry "happy tears."

Tonight, Chloe called me into their room because Hannah had taken off her diaper, which is a common occurrence at night now that she's potty training. I go into their room and Chloe has changed into her outfit for tomorrow; Hannah is buck-naked and trying to put socks on. They have such a great time in that 1-2 hours before they fall asleep at night. We don't restrict them to their bed because they really have no other time when they are "locked" (not really locked but required to stay in there) in a room together, forced to work things out themselves. It happens to usually be the most peaceful time for them too, when they seem to get along very well. I wish I could be a fly on the wall sometimes to hear them interact in that room.

Tonight, I also dropped my cell phone in their room and didn't realize it. Chloe brought it to me after a while. Matt, who came home after they'd gone to bed, walks in the door with a big grin on his face and tells me he'd just had two conversations on the phone with Chloe and that his mom had tried to call me to say that Chloe had just called her too. :) I asked Matt if he told Chloe to bring me my phone, but he said that she kept saying she'd get in trouble if she came out of her room so she would not bring me the phone. I suppose this means I should tell her to never use my phone without asking either!

I can't remember the other stories I wanted to write down. Maybe tomorrow!

Trouble with the tongue

I'm writing to share that Chloe burnt her tongue on a candle today. I was thinking she was a tad bit smarter, but obviously the attraction of the flame was just too much. After blowing the candle out (which she had to get up on stool to even see), she touches her tongue, for some unknown reason, to the glass jar that it was in. Maybe it's because it was a pumpkin pie candle and she was hungry... I don't really know. She spent the next 20 minutes with her tongue in a glass of ice water and that seemed to take away the pain completely. So if ever this happens to you, you know what to do now!

A few pictures of the munchkins who love and "hate" each other more and more everyday...

How Chloe fell asleep the other night

Cheese!

Everyday, I ask myself, "What am I going to do with that hair?!"

Can I stick to it?

I so enjoy reading other peoples' blogs, keeping up with their crazy lives and somehow feeling better about myself afterwards, now knowing that I am not the only one who has issues. I'd really like to chronicle the lives of my growing children and of their mom and dad, who figure the parenting thing out day by day, or sometimes maybe not at all. I'd really like to chronicle God in our lives and be able to look back and remember, like in Nehemiah 9, the good and the bad times, but always the consistency of Him being there. I hope I can stick to it. I am not so good at sticking to things unless I have some accountability with people expecting results. I'd say I give myself a lot of grace when it comes to not following through. We'll see how it goes. I make no promises though once Baby #3 comes in January. Right now, I'm hungry and need to shower before MOPS tomorrow. Adios!

Picture Post

These are just random pictures of our last few months. Enjoy!

That little girl LOVES her daddy!

Just had to share this face with you.

Visit from Aunt Amy

Hannah loves to tickle her own belly-button. Here she is saying, "Tckle, tckle, tckle."

Camping with Brad and Lauren

Notice the little person at the other end from Matt who is trying to help.

Chloe had them trotting like horses through the "rainforest" as we looked for Diego. ;)

Lauren is trying to attract the local wild life.

Chloe enjoys her first Smore. She thought it was yummy!

Fun Outside

Halloween