Roslyn

Our sweet little baby girl.  So she held on and got her own birthday.  On Evan's birthday after we put the kids to bed. Michael and I went for a special birthday walk with Evan.  It was the most beautiful night and yes there was a nice big full moon! During our walk my contractions were every 7 minutes or so but not painful.  (Partly our walk was because I did want the contractions to keep coming.) We went home and I went to bed watching the clock so I could follow how far apart the contractions were.  I slept well but around 10:30 woke up to stronger contractions, I went in and out of sleep but by 11:30 the contractions were a little stronger, so I watched through a few thinking if she just waited a little longer she'd get her own special day.  Right around midnight I decided to wake Michael up. we got everything ready to go and went to the hospital. They took me right back and checked me, and said I was a 7 and then said they would take me back. Contractions were definitely strong at this point but my water hadn't broken so they were manageable. As we were going back I kept saying I needed to go to the bathroom and then when we got to the room I asked the lady to get the doctor she then checked me, she said I was a 9 and still had further to go. I again asked her to go get the doctor and she said if it would make me feel better she would.  That's when I realized that the contractions were different at this point...they were pushing contractions. I realized that between contractions I felt great and could totally talk but the contractions itself were not fun...they were so different that I knew they were for pushing. I then decided that the next one I would push which I did, my water broke, probably was at 1:00 when my water broke and 5 min later the next contraction came and I pushed Roslyn out.  The doctor walked in just in time to catch her. She was born at 1:05 am.

She seemed so alert from the moment I held her, she just looked up at me and when she heard Daddy's voice she turned to look in his direction. Such a sweet little girl. I just loved being able to hold and her. (The nurse took her from me about 5 minutes after she was born and I was so upset, I almost walked right over and grabbed her back, I kept asking the nurse to bring her back but they just kept doing all of the things they have to do. The hospital where Evan was born, the nurses don't touch your baby until you have held them for at least an hour or two, so I guess I was just surprised to have her taken so quickly. They gave her back after about 10 min and then I got to hold her for quite a while.)

In the past we have always stayed the whole 48 hours at the hospital.  She was the first that I only stayed the 24 hours which was wonderful.  I was so grateful to be back home and to be home in time for Easter.  This is us just before leaving the hospital.

Back at home going for a little walk around the backyard. I believe this was Easter Sunday.

March

Sanding, sanding and more sanding! I have wanted to do a wood work project with the boys and I found one that would be perfect.  It was simple but also something I had wanted to do for our yard.  We have had a sandbox for a while but the boys often...almost always, forget to put the lid on it which is okay as long as it doesn't rain.  If it does rain it becomes a mud pool, mosquito magnet. Not what I want in my yard or having my boys play in, so we decided to make a sand box that had no bottom to keep that from happening.

Benson bird watching! Benson loves little animals and bugs.  He is often afraid of them but he loves them.  He has watched the doves on our patio, build their nest, sit on their nest, and the babies grow up.  This particular day the babies were looking like they were getting ready to learn to fly so he sat there for a long time just watching and waiting for those babies to learn to fly. (Eventually he did come in, and it wasn't long there after that they did take their first flight.)

Evan and the counters.  He's almost 2 and is a big climber.  He loves candy and now has figured out how to get to it.  I came into the kitchen to find this boy up on the counters looking for some candy in the cupboard.  He has an amazing ability to find candy anywhere in the house.

Benson wanted to make something all on his own and made this little car.  It was so creative.  He found all of the pieces and put everything together.  It was fun seeing all of the little details he found to add to it.

Baby Shower for our little girl! It was super nice all of the preschool Mom's got together and through this shower for me.  We just did it right after preschool which couldn't have been more perfect.  I didn't have to go anywhere or do anything.  They showed up with food and lunch and gifts. We had a great time visiting and letting our kids play and had some amazing food.  They even made gluten free cupcakes! I have felt so much love from them and others. This little girl is going to have quite the wardrobe!

Evan is growing up so quickly.  It is hard to believe he is almost my big 2 year old.  He isn't talking much yet but he lets us know what he wants. He loves to swing, color, read and do just about anything.

Evan's birthday! The boys couldn't have been nicer they did everything to help him have the best day possible.  One thing they did with him to start off was to play with the castle with him.  They helped him to everything and anything he wanted to do with it.

These pictures were taken in the morning and then shortly their after Michael and I went to the doctor for my last doctor's appt to check up on the baby.  I was thinking it would be a quick appt. and was hoping to be back home quickly thereafter so I could celebrate Evan's birthday with him.  (I kept it because I did want to know how everything was going as I was 4 days past due and hadn't been to the doctor for some time.) My doctor sent me over to the hospital to have an ultrasound and stress test...it took much longer than I wanted and I was not patient at all.  But finally we were aloud to leave!  Hallelujah! :) I was so excited to get back home hold Evan and just be here with everyone. ( I really don't like hospitals and I decided I wasn't going back until I was pushing the baby out.)

Having cake and ice cream, this boy couldn't have been happier.  I was having consistent contractions but not painful or anything but I knew our next little one would be coming soon and was grateful she waited so I could be there for Evan's birthday and I thought it might be nice for her to have her own birthday anyways...she just needed to hold on for a few more hours, which she did! :)

February

Valentine's Day.  The boys had fun going through all of their Valentines and taking some to others. It's always fun to have a day to make extra special!

Sitting and watching the puppet show theater!

All of these things above are the things Alden won by entering the Renaissance Fair writing contest.  He came in second place, he had written a short essay about Matilda.  It was fun for him to enter and win a writing contest!

Benson's soccer  team.  

This was the first time Benson was on a team all by himself and he did quite well.  It was fun seeing him play.  He was the one that came up with the team name of the Monkeys and the shirt was his favorite color of yellow. It was amazing to see how well everything worked out for him with this little team of his.

Evan loves books and seems to enjoy making piles of things...like his brother Alden did. It was fun on this particular day to see how he had them all nicely arranged to form a circle around him.

For my birthday I decided to go to the zoo with my boys! It was a lot of fun.  I had been wanting to go to take Evan who had never been because I thought it would be good for him to see all of these animals we talk about and I knew he would love it.  Which he did! But this was my favorite moment of all, it was visiting the new Murkat that they have.  Everyone was excited but Calvin was just so happy and excited and jumping to see a Murkat, it just made my heart sing. (Calvin has a stuffed animal Murkat that he loves and sleeps with every night, so it was fun for him to see a real one, and one that was full of energy and excitement that played a little game with them.)