Christmas Fun with Friends

We've been sharing the Christmas cheer with friends these past few days. This weekend we went to The Heard Museum in McKinney and walked the Trail of Holiday Lights. It was a little chilly, but was nice to get outdoors and stretch our legs with friends. They had live music and a play area at the end of the trail. Last night we shared a meal, decorated cookies and sang Happy Birthday to Jesus. It was a nice and relaxing evening!

Frosty Challenge

Before we had closed on our new house, our kids were signed up for gymnastics. Ha! And actually, they had their first class the day after we closed. It is a homeschool class that meets on Friday afternoons, which is nice because it does not take up an evening.

Last month they advertised they would be doing a "Frosty Challenge". I had missed a couple of practices due to a new baby, and I wasn't exactly sure what all the challenge would entail, but we went ahead and signed the kids up. $25 a pop! Ha!

I had also seen that this past week was Polar Express week and to wear your pajamas to class. I was a little confused with the challenge and pajamas, so we wore our pajamas and we brought extra clothes just to be safe. Ended up they were the only kids in pjs, but they looked so cute and rolled with it! Plus Ally had on her Frozen pajamas, so fitting for the Frosty Challenge. To be honest it is about the only pair of pajamas that is not a princess dress!!

The challenge was more of a time for the kids to show their skills to their parents. We were able to go out on the floor and walk around and watch, which was pretty cool. I loved walking on the floor, so bouncy. If I wouldn't have had Mae on me in the wrap, I may have broke out in a floor exercise, complete with cartwheels and dance moves! Hahaha!

Super proud of these kiddos. They both have improved since starting and they also enjoy it. The gym is first class and we love all of the teachers. Only thing is that it is 30 minutes from the house, which isn't terrible, but just wish it was closer. Below are some pictures of the kids in action.

Here are some videos of the kids.

Jase on the pommel horse.

Ally doing a series of exercises.

Jase on the bars.

Ally doing a handstand.

Ally jumping off of the beam by herself, in slow motion.

Jase on floor exercises

Allyson on the beam.

Below is the group of 6 gymnasts that participated in the challenge. Their class is four times this size, but I guess we were the only ones up for the challenge! ha!

Great job Jase and Allyson!!

So this is Brandon, Ally's friend. Every Friday they see each other and it is the cutest thing. The first hour of class is structured and teacher-led. The last 30 minutes is open gym/free time and the kids love it. They get to run around and do whatever they'd like. For the past month and a half Brandon and Ally run around together for the entire 30 minutes. And sometimes they'll even hold hands. It is really sweet and innocent. On our way to class she'll tell me "I can't wait to see my friend, Brandon."

Check-up for Mae

I took Maebry to the doctor today for her 1 month check-up. She was 8 lb 15 oz, which meant that she gained 1/2 a pound in a week. The doctor said that normal weight gain for this age is 1 pound every 2 weeks, so 1/2 a pound in one week is right on track. She is now 22 inches long and her little head is still tiny at 14.5 inches. The doctor thought she looked great; very alert. Praise the Lord!

Our new pediatrician does things a bit different than we are used to in Deer Park. The check-ups for 1 month, 6 months and a year are group appointments. Meaning that she is seen one-on-one by the nurse and doctor and then we {us and other babies Mae's age} meet in a large room to discuss things pertinent to her age. All of the babies are within a week or two of the same age. She goes over items and then opens it up for a Q&A session. It was very casual and informative. And I would imagine I will be seeing the same parents at future group visits. It was different, but I liked it.

 

Here is a pic of Maebry yesterday; trying to stay warm. It was 40 degrees and raining!

And here she is today with her big bub, Finn. All of them love holding her and I am thankful for that.

Shawn captured Finn singing "Jingle Bells" to Maebry; it was the cutest thing!!

 

Time with family

This past weekend we had family in town to spend some time with us. Shawn's sister, Kimberly and two of her sons, Coby and Lance, came up along with Shawn's parents. It was really a nice weekend with them. And Jase was reunited with his best buddy, Coby. They did just about everything together this weekend: played basketball, rode bikes, played Legos, played pirates/adventurers/explorers, fished. I know Jase thoroughly enjoyed this time.

Saturday afternoon Jase had his first basketball game. His team has only practiced twice, so I wasn't sure how the game would go. Well, it didn't go very well to say the least. His poor team could not get past half court with the ball. Jase played great and hustled up a storm; I was really proud of him. We did score 1 basket, so we were not shut out. Ha! This past week at practice another coach came to help run things and help the boys out. Thankful for that. We shall see what this Saturday holds!

On Saturday Shawn had a work Christmas party to attend. I was a little torn on what I was going to do. Go, don't go, go and bring the baby and put her in my sling. I knew that a 3 week old wasn't the norm for this type of party, but I was still only solely nursing. We ended up asking Shawn's sister to join us and sit with Maebry up in the hotel room and to text me if I needed to come up and nurse. It was really a great night with Shawn and I'm glad I was able to go and have a good time. You should have seen everyone's face when I told them we had a 3 week old in a room upstairs. Ha! A special thanks to Kimberly for keeping Mae and to Shawn's parents for keeping all the others back at home.

After Church on Sunday, we all grabbed a bite to eat at Rosa's Café for a little Mexican food before they headed back home. We'll see friends and family again soon at Christmastime!

1 month

I know I just posted about Mae being 4 weeks old just a few days ago, but I couldn't miss her 1 month milestone! Miss Mae is 1 month old. She is growing like a weed. I took her to the doctor Wednesday afternoon for a weight check and all is well. She was 8 lb 7 oz, and 21 1/4 inches long, so she is definitely growing. Yay! The doctor was fine with this increase and I am to keep on keeping on.

Below is a video of her earlier this week. She was having a little tummy time on my tummy. She is getting strong!

And her is another of her and Finn a couple of weeks ago. So cute.

4 Weeks

Today our baby girl is 4 weeks old. While some days are long, they are flying by. I'm still trying to figure out how to juggle everything at home with a newborn and hopefully will get there soon. I have definitely been praying more that is for sure.

She is really a great baby and is attached to her mommy. We are still nursing and that is going well, definitely better {supply wise} than the other 3. I take her in tomorrow for a weight check to make sure she is gaining enough weight to see if I need to supplement any. I did give her 3 bottles about a week and a half ago and it completely backed her up for 3 days; poor baby girl. I'm still trying to figure out if my supply is sufficient or if she just likes to nurse or if she is just fussy at times. You'd figure I'd have this down pat the 4th go round, but all babies are different. And I'm not stressed over it, just want to make sure she is getting enough to eat.

After snapping a few shots this evening, she decided to poop through her diaper, so into the bath she went! She really loves taking a bath. I think she is my calmest baby yet in the bath tub at this young of an age. She loves the running water.

It's hard to tell what her hair color will be. By the looks of her eyebrows and eyelashes it could lighten up some. As of now her eyes are still a blueish tint. Love you sweet Mae Mae!

Thankful

This year we were not going all out on the food, just keep it simple. And I think we say that every year, but it never ends up that way. I read something last week that said the worst thing about Thanksgiving is that the two days of preparation and work is over in 15 minutes. While that is totally true for our house, I am thankful for the two days. I always enjoy the kitchen time with my family, especially my mom. She is an awesome cook and there is always something I can learn from her.

Allyson loves to take selfie pictures. I decided to take a few with her on Thanksgiving. Notice a couple of our pirate pictures! Arg Matey!

My mom was up for a few days and my step-dad, brother and his girlfriend drove up for a couple of days. We missed having my sister with us this year. Below, the kids just had to eat outside...getting their daily dose of Vitamin D! We tried a new sweet potato recipe this year, oh my goodness, it tasted like candy and I will definitely be making it again! Thank you, Pioneer Woman!!

We got a couple of family pictures that evening on our bed. I think this is our first family photo since Miss Maebry has joined us.

I didn't get the silly face memo! Even Mae knew what was going on!

Maebry Leigh, such a sweet little girl. We just love her so much. Below she is wearing the same onesie and tutu that Ally wore on her first Thanksgiving in 2009! I'll have to find that picture and post it. I blogged about it, but it was on my old blog and for some reason they have archived all of my posts. Boo!

Ok...I found my archived blog!! Yay!! Only thing is that not all of the pictures were archived and it only saved 100 posts, so only the newest 100 posts were saved {missing when I was pregnant with Jase and when he was a newborn}. Better than nothing for sure. I found myself reading and reminiscing 5 years ago when Ally was born. Goodness. I cannot believe it has been that long ago! And wow, I had no idea how much Ally and Mae favored each other. Sisters, so sweet!

 

Here is the picture of Ally in the same onesie and tutu as Mae above. Ally was almost 3 months in these pictures and Mae was 2 weeks {the onesie was super big on Mae}. And Jase below...reminds me of Finn!

Here are a few pictures of Ally when she was just a young pup. Again, I see Finn when I look at Jase's picture below. And maybe because this is the age that Finn is now, chubby cheeks...I love it!

Ok, a couple more and I'm finished!

 

Turkey Craft

While Nanny was up over Thanksgiving she did a little turkey craft with the kiddos. It involved a little paint, a little glue and a lot of patience! Ha! The kids love crafting and really enjoyed this time.

Loom City

With the birth of each child, we have always bought the big brother/sister gifts from our new arrival. It usually consisted of a book or small activity. Something small from the baby, letting them know they are loved by their new sibling. One of the gifts from Maebry was a little band-a-loom set to Allyson. We waited a couple of weeks to open it, to make sure either Shawn or myself could sit with them and help. Last week while Mae was asleep, we broke it out and it has been a hit since then! I realize we are a year or so late on the loom train, but the kids are loving it. And Jase is into it the most I think. He has searched YouTube and taught himself how to make two other types of patterns as well. $5 well spent!

And then there were 4!

Somehow I blinked and bam...I have four children. Crazy town! Time always flew by when I was a kid, but man, when you start having your own, it goes by that much faster. Jase is 7 and a half, Ally is 5, Finn is 2 and now we have Miss Mae at 2 weeks old today. Goodness. Feeling blessed and overwhelmed at the same time!

Dear Lord, please guide my every step while raising these children. Thank you for entrusting Shawn and I to nurture and shape them. Help us to turn to You in all that we do. May our actions never be about furthering our agenda, but your kingdom and for your glory. Help us to live a life pleasing to you, and not just on Sunday or in the public eye, but everyday here in this home. Thank you for your grace {unmerited, undeserved favor} you have poured out on us. Help us, in return, to show this same grace to our own children and people around us. Thank you for loving us unconditionally.

In Jesus' name,
Amen.

A Baby Story: Maebry Leigh

A week ago today, I delivered our baby girl: Maebry Leigh French. Mae was my Nana's middle name {whom I was super close to; she passed away in 2011} and I wanted to use it somehow. When I came across Maebry {it was spelled differently} I knew that was it and Shawn was a fan as well! And Leigh is my middle name...so I'm passing it on. :-)

To catch you up on baby current events, I went to the doctor last Monday morning and I was pretty emotional. What can I say, I was past my due date and as ready as it gets. My doctor had me come in early Tuesday at 8:45 am and he told me he was going to have the hospital monitor the baby for decreased fetal movement. Now this wasn't a lie because during the last week her activity did slow down, but probably because she was out of room! He said he was not concerned about the baby, but this would get me in labor and delivery and hopefully they would keep me. {I was still on the waiting list for the induction list.} When he checked me I was 3 cm dilated and 80% effaced.

Shawn and the kids stayed close by and ate breakfast while I was at my appointment. Here is some footage of them in the car that morning...love it! I walked over to labor and delivery at the hospital {it is connected to my doctor's office}, got changed and connected to the monitors around 10:00 am. My nurse monitored me for an hour and did not see anything out of the norm at all. Such a blessing to know that all was ok. I did have some contractions on my own while being monitored, but they were not consistent. She called the doctor to let him know of the results and see what he wanted to do. She told me that she told him that she did not want to release me {which is what he wanted to hear}, so I was admitted! Here we go...baby day!!

I called Shawn and let him know what all was going on. He drove the kids out to couple's house from our home group. Such a blessing and huge relief. I was hooked up to an IV at 11:15 am to help keep me hydrated. At this point in time I was really wishing I was not such a rule follower and would have ate something for breakfast! I wasn't sure what the plan was, but I decided not to eat, just in case I went to labor and delivery. Ice chips it is!! My nurse started Pitocin at 11:38 am. Shawn arrived shortly after this. I started to have some contractions, not too painful, but I could fill them. Then at 1:00 pm the doctor came in broke my water. That definitely sped up the process, as there was no more barrier. Oh and the liquid was clear, no meconium {stool} in the amniotic fluid. I was surprised since I was over a week late {there was meconium with Allyson}.

I was starting to really feel the pain, so I had my nurse check me at 2:47 pm and I was 6 cm. I was still back and forth on getting an epidural since I still felt pain with Ally and Finn with an epidural, but I wasn't sure if I was ready for delivery without one!! At this point in time I opted for some pain medicine in my IV. It toned down the pain some. Contractions were every 2-3 minutes. My nurse said that you will usually dilate a cm an hour on Pitocin, which was what I had done. I remember saying that I have another 3 hours or so until I am complete and ready to go. Geez!! Really considering the epidural at this point. Pain is increasing. I asked the nurse if the pain will get more intense, can I handle it, what should I do?? She said it will definitely get more intense the closer I get. Contractions were pretty close together, every 1.5-2 minutes. I had my nurse check me at 3:07 pm, just 20 minutes later, and I was at 9 cm. No epidural it is...all natural on this one! My nurse called the doctor and told him he needed to come. Almost go time! Did I mention I was feeling some pain?! Wowsers. My eyes stayed closed most of the time, trying to block the pain out. For the record, I am not a screamer. You can ask my hubby. ;-) 

Whoa, then the pain got worse just minutes later and I felt the urge to push. It's amazing how your body tells you what to do. With Jase, they had to tell me to push {I was in epidural heaven}, and with Ally and Finn I felt the contractions coming on, but I don't think I felt the urge to push like I did with Maebry. My nurse checked me just 3 minutes later at 3:10 pm and I was 10 cm dilated and complete...this baby was ready to come out. The doctor showed up shortly after that, maybe 5 or so minutes later. I had to fight the urge to push until all was ready to go. Once I got the ok to push, I pushed during two contractions and our little blessing entered this world.

Maebry Leigh French

11/11/2014 at 3:25 pm

8 lb 2 oz

20 inches

Such a sweet sweet baby. Tons of light brown hair. And since I rarely had any indigestion with this one, this throws out the old wives tale of indigestion indicating a head full of hair. Eye color is still hard to tell. Some days they look blue and others they look brown. My oldest two have brown eyes and Finn has blue eyes. Time will tell. 

Daddy left and picked up the kiddos and they just love her. It is really sweet to see them want to hold and touch her. Finn is not sure what to think about her when she cries and he usually ends up crying too. Poor guy. We just keep reminding him that's what babies do. It has definitely gotten better over the past week.

We are so blessed that Miss Maebry is here with us now. Praise the Lord for a good pregnancy, safe delivery and a healthy baby girl. She even has a cute little nickname: Mae Mae.

Psalm 127:3-5

Children are a heritage from the Lord,

    offspring a reward from him.

Like arrows in the hands of a warrior

    are children born in one’s youth.

Blessed is the man

    whose quiver is full of them.

They will not be put to shame

    when they contend with their opponents in court.

41 weeks, oh my!

{FYI: This post contains more information than I usually share. Please feel free to laugh, with me!}

I got this notification this morning. Why thank you, Baby Center! There is hope that she will come out after all!

I was hoping that my next blog post would be introducing Miss Maebry to everyone, but as you can see, I am not in control. Ha! 41 weeks and taking it day by day. Wish I could say 41 weeks and going strong, but let's be real!

Last thing I posted had to do with my two weekly appointments this past Tuesday and Thursday. My exam or any of the home remedies I have tried since then have not helped induced labor whatsoever.

Speaking of home remedies for inducing labor, let me share one with you on NOT to try. I searched exercises for inducing labor and came across a post that mentioned a Yoga Dance that helped some people. Hey, we like to dance over here, let's check it out. I came across a couple of videos when searching. Here is the first one.

Did you laugh? I died watching it. Rest assured, I did not try that one. And I tried to picture myself doing that dance, having Shawn record it and then posting it to YouTube. Not in a million years.

Then I found the one I had read about. It basically suggested that you rub your belly counter clockwise for 1 minute and then do wide leg squats for 3 minutes, then repeat. Here is the video for that one. There was not a whole lot of dancing going on in my end...I was trying to get through the squats! I ended up doing 2 reps: 2 minutes of belly rubs and 6 minutes of squats. This was late Thursday night.

Fast forward to Friday afternoon. I started feeling not so great. Pain in my rear and thighs. {Here is your TMI warning.} The pain in my rear ended up being a hemorrhoid. Holy cow. I do not wish one of those on anyone. I think all of the pressure from the baby and the 6 minutes of squats created that monster. Shawn went to the store and bought some things to help me cope with the pain. And you know that feeling when you haven't worked out in forever, and then completely over do it and are sore for nearly 3 days?? That's me right now. I had thoughts about sleeping on the toilet so I would not have to get up and down to use the restroom in the middle of the night. Haha! Geez!!! Moral of the story: do not do exercises that you have not been regularly doing at 41 weeks pregnant! This too shall pass.

I called Labor and Delivery yesterday to check the induction list {on a desperate plea to be induced}. I was informed that I was on the waiting list for Monday - Thursday. Thursday...why in the world would I be on the list for Thursday?!? Dear Lord, please hear my cries. Not even kidding. I just called again to check on Monday and I am on the waiting list for tomorrow, not even on THE list yet. So, unless I go into labor on my own or unless some people ahead of me on the list go into labor on their own, Monday will not be the day.

Miss Mae, we are so excited about your arrival. Every morning Jase is disappointed to see me because he wants me to be at the hospital, delivering you! He asks me several times a day "when are you going to have Maebry?" I sure wish I knew. I know that you are being formed to God's perfection and you are beyond worth the wait {and the hemorrhoid}. Looking forward to holding you in my arms for the first time.

I love you a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck,
Mama

Waiting game

Late Sunday night I had some contractions, but they eventually stopped early Monday morning. They never became too painful and the frequency was inconsistent with my previous labor experiences.

Monday afternoon I wanted to go for a walk, so Jase took me on a tour of the neighborhood. He rode his bike and I followed behind him on foot. He and Shawn have explored more of the neighborhood than I have for sure. It was a sweet time with him. He would ride up ahead of me just a ways and then stop and wait on me. He did not want to leave me too far behind if something were to happen to me. We were gone for about 40 minutes and he took me on quite the trek!

When we arrived back at the house, Nanny was there. She flew up so she could be here for our new arrival and help with the kiddos at home while I was in the hospital.

A friendly game of battleship!

I went to the doctor on Tuesday afternoon. Not a lot of change since Friday. Blood pressure was good, heartbeat was in the 130's. I was dilated to a 3 and still 50% effaced. The doctor stripped my membranes, which separates the bag of water from the side of the uterus. I read that hormones are released when the water bag is separated from the uterus and that may soften the uterus and may start contractions and help the cervix to open.

I am trying nearly every home remedy I can to naturally jump start labor. The weather was pretty dreary on Tuesday and Wednesday, but Shawn and I were able to go for a couple of walks Wednesday evening and I could feel cramps from the walk, but no contractions.

This morning Jase and I went for a walk/bike ride early this morning. It was chilly outside, 48 degrees to be exact. Again, some cramping, but that's about it. It was a special time for Jase and I this morning. He again waited on me and did not want to get too far away from me. Sweet boy. On the second lap he put his bike up and we walked together, hand in hand. We talked about whatever he wanted to: Pirates of the Caribbean, Disney World, the Wii. I was all ears. 

This afternoon I had another appointment. Blood pressure was 104/70. Baby's heart rate was in the 160's, which was higher than normal. I asked the doctor about it, but he said that it changes so much and it was perfectly normal. I was still 3 cm dilated and 50% effaced. He stripped the membranes again and we are in a waiting game. I was put on a list this past Tuesday for an induction, if necessary. He said probably the induction would either be this coming up Monday or Tuesday, just depending upon the flow of patients. He said if he could take me to the hospital right now and give me a room to be induced, he would, but there are currently no open rooms for induction. Of course, if I were to go into labor on my own there are plenty of rooms available for that. Come on baby!! While he understands that I am ready, I am still in a good window of time when compared to my due date. He said that some practices in California will not even talk about inducing labor until you're 42 weeks!! Crazy town right there! It wouldn't be any different if I were in Houston at my old doctor. He set up an induction for me to deliver Ally at 41 weeks, but I ended up going into labor on my own that very morning.

Here are the kiddos in the car with their new seating assignment. Ally moved over behind the driver and Finn and Jase both got moved to the back seat. We entertained the idea of leaving Finn in the front and moving the two bigger kids to the back, but Mr. Finn can be a little aggressive at times, and we really didn't want to see how that would play out. Plus, Ally will be a good little helper. Hopefully Miss Maebry will be in her car seat soon enough!