Young boys should never be sent to bed, they always wake up another day older.

The time has come for the big boy bed. I know I lament too much on the time that has passed and that my kids grow while I blink, but I remember how tough it was to watch Havely climb into her new bed for the first time, and this is my last time for the crib to be used, and that makes me a little more nostalgic. Each milestone in our kids lives is bittersweet, we are excited for the new things, but sad about the romance of the past that we remember. We chose to purchase bunk beds, so that we could have an extra bed for sleep overs, and for the nights when an illness falls and we need to be within arms reach. I remember the evening that Havely bounded into her new bed with excitement, so happy to reach the "big girl" status. I wonder if she realized that meant leaving behind being the baby girl. I am not ready to give up nuzzling their apricot cheeks, and loving on the marshmallow like arms and legs, or stroking their soft blonde curls. The good thing about transitioning from crib to bed is that snuggling is easier. I love to curl up with my kids and talk to them about their day, feeling their body relax beside me, letting their legs intertwine with my arms. I love sharing a pillow and looking into their eyes so filled with spirit and imagination, taking in everything. I am hoping their are gazing at me knowing how much my eyes are telling them that I love them to every last drop. I am excited for them to share weekends spending time with each other, sleeping in each others rooms, and cuddling in one bed together to get through a Texas rainstorm, that are loud enough to wake the dead. Tonight I will get tears in my eyes as I tuck him into bed, his big boy bed with his new car quilt, but the great thing is when I go to check on him every thirty minutes to make sure he is sleeping ok, I will be able to crack the door and be able to see his sweet face and know that he is dreaming big, and is safe in his bed. Every part of life is faced with fun and sorrow, but I am lucky to be able to relish and enjoy so much of it! Sweet Dreams Son. 01.18.12

Having a two-year-old is like having a blender that you don't have the top for.

I remember the day I saw the little turtle shape on the ultra sound screen the surprise that skipped into my heart. I am having a boy, a boy, wait I have no idea what to do with a boy. I come from a female dominated society, I was raised in a estrogen overloaded household, we even had all female animals growing up, wait maybe I think the turtle was a dude...anyway, most of my surroundings as I ventured into adulthood were female monopolized. In college I lived in a house with 60 other girls, and my life following that, sans my husband, has been pretty pink. Now my pink was to be dotted with blue, and come to find out not just dotted someone was about to splash a whole lotta blue on this damsel. My son was born with ease and he captured my heart the moment I met him. It was weird, it was like he was the missing part that I had been waiting for but didn't know I was missing. I learned how to work with the different set of tools that were located in the diapered region. I got peed on, walls got peed on, clothes got peed on, I am pretty sure everyone was inducted into the urine hall of fame by time he was 2 months old. As he grew I realized quickly that raised a boy is far different from raising a girl, even a girl like Havely who is a tomboy at heart. She used to play with things, pick them up set them down, move onto the next. He scoops things with fury, slams them down with a vengeance, or just tossed them across the room to move onto his next kill. I sit and watch this with amazement. I feel like Jane Goodall just staring in amazement at this creature and his activity. I am in awe, but slightly afraid of his behavior, while at the same time I love it and it makes me smile wide. I am excited for new adventures to see how he acts and to watch his lack of grace that my daughter displays. My family always comments on how expressive he is and how he is full of energy and fun, I couldn't agree more. While he is outgoing and very expressive, he is also so caring and loyal that he has me totally captured. Early mornings on the weekends, we cuddle on the couch cloaked with a blanket and we sit and read. He pushes his back deep into my chest and fits his soft curls right in the crook of my neck and we go through story by story, usually never reaching the end of any of them, because he is eager to move to the next. Then once he is fully awake and usually ready to eat, the energy is fully recharged and he is ready to expend it all. The other night we had just finished dinner and I was in the kitchen observing him through the opening like a sit com that was my life. He was holding cars above his head and running in circles with them clutched as far in the air as his arms could reach. He was also making his own sound effects as he danced about, some screams, manly of course, I heard grrr, groans, and some grunts. And then without regard he suddenly flipped the cars into the air, and came running into the kitchen toward me. He stopped short of me with a jolt, and posed with his hands like claws, one arm posed above his tipped head, the other jutting out from his crotch and grrrred at me with gust, then quickly re morphed to a different position and grrrred again even louder. I stood and stared at him in amazement trying not to snicker, and once he was off again, I let loose, and told myself, this is it, this is boy, this is raging testosterone, and your house is stuffed with it. I delight in the fact that my home is a blue and pink yin-yang. We are loaded with macho, balanced with dainty. But within the swirls are the dots, the men have their soft side, and us girls can certainly hang with the boys. A boy is trust with dirt on it's face, beauty with a cut on it's finger, wisdom with bubble gum in it's hair, and the hope of the future with a frog in it's pocket. wonder. dream. play. explore. find. discover. And I love it. 01.18.12

Kindergarten and booster seats

What a week. In four days I feel like time has aged me a year or more and my kids became older in a blink. Havely became a big Kindergartner this week. On Monday, wait rewind, on Sunday night the kinder clouds rolled in and the tension turned high. I was trying to prepare her for the week and becoming a school kid, and she of course was finding ways to talk me out of it. We picked out an outfit, snuggled, and read "The Kissing Hand", and as I read about little Chester being brave and going to school, my eyes stung with hot tears that I quickly wiped away. I tucked her in, and told her how exciting the next morning would be, turned on the noise and walked out of the room. I then headed down the stairs and grabbed the nearest phone for mom support. She comforted me, just as she had always done and then told me it was going to go great, Havely is going to love school. I went to bed that night with anxiety and awoke at 4 am, going through my mental checklist making sure everything was going to be perfect. At 5 I finally got out of bed to begin the execution of my list. First get me ready, it's the first day of school, I have to look good walking her up there right? Next go wake up the big school girl, OK this is where things started to go south. I snuggled up to her and said, "good morning my little kindergartner" and she immediately started crying. She told me to go away she needed more sleep, then she sternly stated that she was not going to kinder and that was that. I helped her feet to the floor, directed her to the sink, brushed her teeth for her, and got her dressed, all while she cried and pleaded with me to not go to school. I got her downstairs and attempted to do her hair perfectly to match the outfit that I carefully picked out the night before. We made her favorite breakfast and then I gave it my best shot to take some first day of school photos. She fought me every step of the way. Then we began the walk up to the school, and half way there Havely starts dragging her feet and of course I get worried that we are going to be late, and not on the first day! I asked her if she wanted me to push Grant and her dad could carry her. She simply stated, "no mom, I want you to go get the car!" Jaaron scooped her up and carried her to the corner of the school grounds, walking up the hill, she turned to us and said, "I think my batteries are running out." This kid cracks me up! We headed into the school and as we walked through the halls, I felt her hand tighten on mine. This is when mom's heart starts to hurt. I knew she was truly scared. We got to the class and it was time for us to say goodbye, and she panicked. She was in a place that she hadn't really been before with complete strangers, and we were about to turn and walk away. I assured her that she would be okay and gave the tightest hug I could. I kissed her hand and told her to hold onto it tightly, and I would be with her all day. We left and I just felt empty. I didn't cry, I just felt lost. We had breakfast and I just hung around the house waiting for the clock to turn to 2:20 so I could head back to the school and pick her up. I was anxious and excited and ready to reclaim my child. We waited in line and they brought them out and she ran and jumped into Jaaron's arms. I couldn't wait to hear all about her first day. We got in the car and I started asking questions and she just shut me down at each one, then told me she really didn't want to talk. We came home and she headed upstairs to play, and she just wanted to be alone for a while. I was at a loss, I just wanted her to blab to me all about every detail, and she just wanted to decompress from the day. The rest of the week was pretty much the same daily routine, and I was really getting worried that she was going to just hate school. I was trying to keep a positive attitude and show my happy face the entire week, but it was starting to break me down. On Wednesday I came home later than usual and found that Jaaron had fed Grant at the table and he did great. He was happy and told me about how Grant is ready for his own seat at the table and that we were done with the highchair. It was at this moment that I lost it. I suddenly knew why the black cloud was following me all week. My babies were growing up and I did not like it. I couldn't believe we were at the point of having a kid in school and another that was becoming so independent. I know that this is a common theme in my blog, but I really just feel like I have blinked and weeks go by. In the moment it feels like you are just living, but when you look back it happened so fast. I am happy that my kids are doing so well and becoming these little people that can do so much, but I just wish I could sometimes just cuddle and love on them or revisit times in their lives. I am glad that I started this blog, it will give me something to always look back on, and something that my kids can read and smile about. Ferris Bueller said it perfectly: Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. 08.26.11

Dog Days of Summer

I have no idea who came up with that saying or what it exactly means. We have had over 45 days of over 100 degree heat here in south Texas and there is no end in sight. Hurricane Don began to head our way, but apparently it was no match for extreme drought and ran off into the gulf. We have not been able to do too much outside, but we have taken advantage of the summer fun and enjoyed some family time outside as well as inside. The kids are growing just like the sunflowers outside, quickly and everyday it seems that they blossom more. Havely is already 5 and is enjoying her last summer before she become a big Kindergartner in the fall. I cannot believe how much she has changed and how smart she is. Sometimes her wits add so much to the day, but sometimes they turn on me and can light my nerves on fire in an instant. She is gorgeous, and her skin is tanning and those blue eyes of hers just sparkle. She is testing at a second grade level and I think school will go well for her. I am just worried she might not be challenged enough and get bored. A bored Havely is one who wanders and talks and gets into a bit of trouble. I am gathering things for her to begin this adventure. This past weekend Havely, Angela and I went school shopping. We had a fantastic day. Lunch then shopping, and hearing Havely tell us that certain items were wonderful and gorgeous, I love her expressions. Today I ordered her dinosaur backpack, a pink one with spikes, she will surely standout.
Grant is changing even faster. He is not my baby anymore, he is a little boy that collects cars and plays with bugs. He is talking and is interacting with us for many things. He also signs and that is helping with some of his frustration with the words not coming out quite right. He loves his cars. He will carry up to 6 of them around at once, having them stacked in his chubby little arms and hugging them to his chest. I love to engage in play with him just as much as I like being an observer to his world. He is so smart and takes everything in before he makes an decision or takes action. He has already figured out the baby gates, goes up and down stairs, and can climb on most things. He has even figured out if he can't reach something to push something over to it, to use as a stool to reach it. He is the cutest boy I have ever laid eyes on, and I am not the only one to voice this opinion. He has so many expressions and I am sure that when he gets older and has friends, he will be the life of the room with them, just as he is to us right now.
Havely and Grant's relationship is like a roller coaster, but with mostly ups. They fight as most siblings do, most of the time it is because Havely is being bossy and tries to control him, and he in turn takes a chunk of that nice blond hair and yanks it. He is holding his own the best he knows how, but Havely better get all the jabs in while she can because in about two years he will be able to squash her like a bug. The moments that take my breath away are when they sit and read together, or spend hours playing together. Lately they have been playing in the game room in the kitchen, Grant is the screaming short order cook and Havely is the waitress. It is simply hilarious. I love going to the cafe to get bowls full of plastic food and watching them play, it is one of the best places in town.
Jackson and Genevieve are growing quickly as well, seems to be the theme around these parts. They are talking like crazy and are close to becoming somewhat mobile. I really hope Angela and Keith are ready for a dual tornado, because those kids are about to rock their world. They know their general surroundings now, and have also become familiar with me and my family. We have been spending a lot of time together recently and I love that when those kids hear me or see me they grin and get chubby cheeks and do the baby excited kick and arms flailing, basically it says, AUNT MACK ROCKS!!! Watching the kids grow is only half of the equation that I love right now. Watching my sister and Keith grow as parents has been just as delightful. They handle the duo well and I am proud of how they work together so well. It has been so satisfying to see them with their kids and watch all four of them as a family unit. It makes my heart swell and I also dream of the days when all of us can pack up the runts and head out on vacations and mini adventures together!
Overall summer has been good, we have gotten in load of pools day, Havely is now a proficient swimmer, can dive for rings and even can now do flips underwater. She has amazed even herself with her aqua abilities. Not to be outdone, Grant is a little waterbug too. We had to get him a puddle jumper just so he could keep up with his sister. He has no fear of the water, which fills me with terror, and jumps in all on his own. We are going to attempt swim lessons with him this fall, with hopes of the possibility of putting a pool in the backyard come springtime. A large investment, but I know it will get it use.
The other night we spent time playing outside in the evening and enjoying a "cooler" day (I think it was only 92). We colored on the sidewalk with chalk, ran around with the dogs and just enjoyed the night. It's summer nights like this that I thrive on. The nights were for just a bit, life seems damn near perfect. The time when you just live in the moment and take every bit in, in hopes that it will become permanently imprinted in your memory for later. We ignored bedtimes, we ran without shoes, we got dirty. The dogs ran around without any restrain, and the kids laughed in delight as they rounded the house chasing each other. Jaaron and I just laughed and got right into the mix. This is my definition of the "dog days of summer". 08.02.11

One year ago I met the most adorable boy

Happy Birthday to my baby boy. Grant is now a year old, my little guy is growing so fast.
That one line I had written before I left to go have dinner and celebrate Grant's very first birthday, and I intended to finish this post later that evening when he was sound asleep in his bed. I had no idea that we were about to face the most frightening night as parents.
We went to dinner that evening to celebrate BG's first birthday, and how happy we are to have him in our family. Life is just better! As we sat at the table and discussed our day with each other, I fed Grant and then he began coughing. Well he has a horrible gag reflex and before we knew it all the Gerber goodness was all over me, him and the floor. I began cleaning him up, told the waitress to box it up and we headed home. When we got home he seemed fine and we were sure the coughing is what lead to the eruption at the restaurant. I went to put him to bed and then he became fussy again, not just I don't want to sleep, but I am in pain help me fussy. I gave him Tylenol thinking that it was his teething, and finally he drifted into dreaming. I laid him down and went downstairs to relax. After this moment everything is basically a blur. He woke up screaming 45 minutes after being laid down. From this point on we could NOT get him comfortable. He would pass out from shear exhaustion on us and then when we laid him in his bed, BAM crying again. Finally at about 11 that evening I threw in the towel and told Jaaron I was just going to sleep in his room and watch him. I laid there for about 3 minutes when I heard his breathing change. I was sure he was going to throw up again so I jumped up and sat him forward. As soon as my hands slid under his tiny arms, his entire body began to quake and his gaze was far off and distant. I screamed for help and it seemed like minutes before my husband came bursting into the room. Through panic and tears I stammered, "I think he is having a seizure!" Jaaron swept him from my arms and we immediately got him in the car to head to the hospital. Our neighbor came over and watched Havely and we were off. The drive to the hospital again seemed to last forever, it was like I was frozen and things were just moving to slow. Jaaron held his hand on the drive and he seized several more times. When I parked I told him to get Grant and meet me at the desk. I stepped out of the car and set out on a dead sprint. I don't think I have ran that fast since I was timed in High School. They took us back immediately and took his temperature. 105, he came in at 105. All of a sudden I felt like I was from the outside watching this happen. I know kids die or have permanent damage from fevers this high, how did I let this happen. We were rushed down a long hallway and taken to a room where we were met with a team of nurses and a physician. He was given meds immediately. Grant was still in a far off stare, it was like he just wasn't present, no crying, no big response. Over the course of the next few hours we put our son through x-rays, blood work, urine analysis, two IV's, one round of potent antibiotics, a cat scan of his head, and the one thing that almost killed us as parents, a lumbar spinal tap. During all of these procedures I felt completely helpless, but when it came time to do the spinal tap, I truly felt like my heart was just being stomped on repeatedly while I heard him scream in fear and pain and I could not be there to comfort him. The nurse who held him sang in his ear to try and calm him and I fell into my husbands arms hoping that my son was okay and that this nightmare would end soon. As soon as they finished I scooped up my son and assured him that I was there for him and turned to see my husband sweating and flushed. He just turned and walked out of the room. Grant finally calmed and I silently cried, while i repeatedly kissed his head and traced his face with my shaking fingers. My husband appeared back in the room after about 15 minutes. The whole incident was just too much for him to handle and for the first time ever, he almost passed out. This is a man who pulls mangled victims from car accidents and encounters people on a daily basis at the worst point in their life-and is usually unscathed. Having your child go through pain and fear just does something to your heart as a parent and messes with your mind. Finally Grant took one big yawn and fell asleep against my chest. I finally felt a bit of peace. In the next couple of hours the mood in the room slowly begin to change from fear to hope. Each person we encountered had good news regarding test results, and we were quickly coming out of the dark hole I felt that we were sinking into. After all was said and done and going through a night in the ER, and a morning at the pediatricians and a couple more tests we finally got home at 1:00 pm that next day. The cause of this whole horror was bilateral ear infections. How horrible did I feel, I am an ear specialist and missed this? Guilt ridden and exhausted I finally crashed and put the entire event to rest, and so did the little boy who was now a year old. What a crappy birthday, certainly one to remember, but for all the wrong reasons. Next year I demand a do over, my guy deserves so much more. I love you Grant and tonight I was tested to the extreme as a parent, but it was clear to me that I would do anything for you, and always will. 01.26.11

Grant is walking!

We knew it was close, Grant has been pulling himself up and walking around furniture since the beginning of November, and each day the little guy became increasingly more daring and faster at the task. I have watched him take one step from the table to the couch, or reaching out for me, but then he would just fall into me and laugh at his accomplishment. The other night we were all in the family room playing and I was farther away from him and he turned, smiled, took in a big breath and started walking to me. He took four steps and then fell into my arms with his 8 tooth grin so proud and happy with himself. Then Jaaron and I sat across each other on the floor and watched him stumble back and fourth between us, increasing the distance slowly. He was walking! It is so amazing to watch your kids reach their milestones in life, but it is also bittersweet. My little baby is growing up so fast. As we sat and watched him walk, I remembered Havely's first steps when i was on the phone ordering Chinese take-out, she was so little, and now it seems like so long ago. I looked over and there is my little girl encouraging her brother to walk to her as well, and cheering him on. I couldn't help but beam with happiness when I watched this, and I laughed out loud when Havely said, "Santa is going to be so proud of him!" This was a great night in the Thomas house, and I am so glad that I have a front row seat in my child's lives, watching them grow, even if it is too fast. 01.06.2011

Wind Chimes and Baby Breath

It's 3 am and my last week of maternity leave. I should be sleeping, but I don't want to forget my moment tonight, so I am writing at 3 am...

Grant woke up at 1:30 and I lay in bed for a bit wondering if he was going to fall back asleep. Then I just smiled when I heard him making his ooooo noise. This is the noise he makes right now when he is happy. I love it. I go over to get him and he sees me and gives me the gummy grin and makes another oooo noise.

The feeding doesn't go so well, lots of spit up. He pukes all over me and himself, I have to change both of us, but while I am changing him he starts his oooo noise again and then giggles while I am trying to get his arms in and out of the sleeves. He can turn me from frustration to melting my heart in a matter of seconds and he is good at it too, watch out ladies this little guy is going to break some hearts.

Finally after two bottles he is full and relaxed and I bring him up close and put him on my shoulder to burp. The house is quite and dimly lit. The wind is blowing slightly outside and I can hear my wind chimes making their rhythmic melody. I can hear his little breaths coming out and I can feel them on my cheek. I love this moment. I want it to last forever. I could sit here all night and just take this all in.

I sat there for almost an hour holding him and thinking about the time that I have gotten to spend with him, just our time at night. I know he will start sleeping through the night and I will be thankful for that, but right now I am thankful that I have these moments. Soon enough he will be too antsy to let me just hold him and feel his breath on my cheek. So I have to write about it when it is fresh in my mind so I can re-visit this anytime I want and get just a small sample of this moment back and he will know how much the small things mean to me. 04.30.10

Who hit the Fast Forward button???

One week left, how is that even possible? I went on maternity leave the last week in January and I was looking forward to enjoying every second of the next three months. Here I sit with one week left and I feel like I blinked and the entire thing just vanished...

Grant has grown so fast and is a very good baby. At our last checkup (two month) he weighed 13 lbs. and was 22 inches long. This kid does not miss a meal, believe me I feel like I am constantly feeding him!!! The pediatrician is amazed that he can already hold his head up on his own and is already trying to sit up on his own, in fact he hates to lay flat with you and pulls himself to a sitting position all the time. I think he is the cutest little boy I have ever seen and he is smiling and talking and making my heart melt everyday. I can't believe how fast he is growing. I can't believe he is 3 months old today...

Ok now onto the real time flying. Havely turned 4 this weekend, FOUR!!! We made this birthday one to remember since life with a new baby has been a little hard on her. We rented a bounce house and a cotton candy machine, loaded the kitchen with food and filled the patio with family and friends. On her cake all she wanted was a "giant four", no pink, no girlie stuff, so they put a little number 4 with pink and purple icing and a freakin tiara on it, well done HEB bakery. The party itself was amazing though and all the kids went home loaded with sugar to the max and exhausted from hours of bouncing. After the sun went down I lay with Havely in the bouncer and looked at the stars and told her I couldn't believe how fast she had grown. She gave me a giant hug and told me "mom today was a great day." I just hugged her back and held back the tears, because I know that time is just going to continue to go faster and my kids are going to grow way to quickly. I chose to freeze this moment for me to look back at and remember a little four year old with curly cue pigtails that had one of the best days ever and I got to share it with her.

We had professional photos taken on March 19, and I would like to share some of them with you and also a picture or two from Havely's party. It's late and I should be headed to bed, but I don't want to because tomorrow they are just another day older and I am one more day closer to not being able to stay home with them during the week and just watch in amazement as they grow. I really love this mom thing. 04.26.10

You are my Sonshine...

January 26, 2010

4:00 am: Wide awake, staring up at the ceiling looking at the time, today is the day that I will add an addition to my family. Today is the day I will have a son, a little boy, just thinking it sounds so weird to me.

4:15 am: Get out of bed finally. Takes me about 3 minutes just to be able to stand up. This pregnancy is brutal, my hips and back hurt so bad that I feel as if I am about 80 and have arthritis as bad as at gets, nope just really preggo and ready to have my body back.

4:30 am: Hot shower, relaxing and still a race is running in my mind. Do I have everything I need for the hospital? Is everything ready for the baby to come home? How will Havely do without me for two days? How will Havely react to having her baby brother home? When is the last time I scrubbed this tile in here?

5:15 am: Angela shows up and is pretty awake for this early in the AM. She is going to spend the morning with Havely and then take her to daycare so that Havely can have somewhat of a normal day. Now I am getting nervous, it is time to go, time to do this. I say goodbye to the dogs, make my husband change his shirt (there will be pictures today, one of us has to look decent), and go upstairs for one last moment with Havely. She is upside down in her bed as usual, I turn her back around, kiss her on the forehead and then head downstairs. The next time I come home I will be a mom of two.

The ride to the hospital is good, it is cold and raining today. Traffic is very light, and Jaaron and I talk about different things as we go down the highway, and discuss how excited we are to be parents to another child. We arrive at the hospital, and gather our belongings and check in. I sign all the paperwork and we are off to check into room 17. We are greeted by my nurse Kathi, who had one of the most welcoming smiles and personalities, I just knew today was going to be a good day.

6:30 am: IV is in and was done in one shot, with Havely I had many many problems with this and ended up with two horribly bruised forearms to hold a baby in, OUCH! So I was very happy that this went well, one thing down. Pitocin was started and the contractions came with it. The first hour was not too bad, they were coming every 4 minutes but it was nothing I couldn't handle, I was even able to keep up with the conversation.

7:00 am: Jessica arrived and was ready for the day. She even brought a bag full of snacks for the team and some activity books. She was ready to be here for the long run. Contractions were getting a bit worse by this time, but I was still doing pretty well.

8:00 am: Dr. Feinstein enters the room and is ready to get things progressing. I am only dilated to 3 cm. She takes a small hook and breaks my water. This is when things really get going. Contractions get worse and more frequent. I am trying my best to hold out and get through them, but by 9 am, I have decided that it is time to throw in the towel and get the epidural.

9:15 am: Where in the hell is the anesthesiologist? These suckers are brutal and I am ready to kill my husband for doing this to me. Good god how do women do this naturally? They must be crazy or already self medicated. Dr. Rhodes enters the room and I think he is surrounded by an aura of light, he is here to end my suffering, my knight in shining armour!

9:20 am: Epidural is in-this doc is not kidding around. He is quick like lightening and very good. In one swift move he puts in more meds and my legs go numb, ahh tree trunks and no pain. This feeling is so strange, I cannot feel anything from my sternum south, but the contractions are not blinding me anymore and that makes me one happy girl.

I cannot really give you much of a timeline right now, this is where things began to get a bit fuzzy. I could not maintain my temperature and kept shaking uncontrollably. I was layered in warm blankets but yet still shivering. I also felt like I was off in space a bit, just not myself really. Then the baby's heart rate would drop with each contraction. They told me that the cord was probably stretching when there were contractions so they needed to put me on some oxygen so that we could make sure he was getting all he could. This freaked me out a bit because I knew the cord was around his neck. Havely's was as well, and she is fine so I am trying to focus on the fact that they know what they are doing and if he was in danger they would make the best decision.

11:55 am: Dr. Feinstein is back to check on me. I am dilated to about 6 cm, but the baby is at zero position, so she wants the nurse to have me do a test push. She is off to check on her pre-op and will check in with me before she goes into surgery. Either this baby is coming now, or I have to wait about two hours.

12:00 pm: Kathi waits for a contraction and tells me to push. A count of ten and she tells me to stop. She announces that this baby is ready and calls the doc back up. It is time, I am going to have my baby soon, be able to see him and hold him. Jessica calls Angela to let her know what is going on, but Ang is stuck in traffic and is trying to get to the hospital as fast as she can.

12:10 pm: We are ready to go, doc is in place, nurse is ready, Jaaron is ready and Jess is a go. Wait for a contraction and GO!!! 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,...STOP. He is out. I can see him. The cord is wrapped around his neck, the doctor gets her fingers in there immediately and has Jaaron cut the cord. She then pulls him the rest of the way out and puts him up for me to see. He is perfect. So perfect.

Grant Robert Thomas was born at 12:15 pm on Tuesday January 26, 2010. He weighed 5 lbs., 12 oz, and was 19 1/2 inches long. At this moment I feel in love with a boy so deeply and more than I ever thought I could. He has me mesmerized by every move he makes. My heart sings with happiness just looking at him.

8:00 pm: Mindi arrives at the hospital with Havely. My son and my daughter get to meet each other for the first time. This is priceless, this is my moment. I watch her watch him and hold him and I see a change in her face. She is a big sister now and she will be one of the best. She is in love with a boy also and I know that my kids will share a bond so great and I can't wait to watch them interact in life. Yup this is all mushy gushy love stuff, but when you are a mom and have wonderful kids you will understand the mushy gushy stuff is the best. As a mom life little moments are just as important as the big ones, and I plan to cherish every bit of them.

While we try to teach our children all about life,
Our children teach us what life is all about.

It's a Boy!!!

We'll the viewing party (ultrasound) was September 24, 2009 and the Thomas family went with anticipation to find out who would be joining us. Havely didn't really understand what was going on, but she was so excited to see the baby that was in mommy's tummy. We began the ultrasound and with in minutes, my son opened his legs wide up and showed us what he had. Jaaron wasn't paying attention, he was dealing with getting Havely comfortable. I glanced over to him and said Jaaron look, it's a boy. The look on my husband's face was priceless. I could see that he was elated, while I on the otherhand was in total shock. I had been thinking for weeks that it was a girl and just mentally going through the pregnancy thinking I had ladybugs things to buy to decorate. We left the office, Jaaron feet not even touching the ground, Havely leading me to the door because I was in such disbelief. I just don't know what to do with a boy, we have been a group of all females for so long. After I got over the shock though I settled into excitement about the little guy that I would see soon. He is going to take my heart just like Havely took Jaaron's and Opa's. I have good friends with boys that are offering advice, clothing, and laughs. We are looking forward to meeting you Grant Robert Thomas, see you in January!!! 09.24.09