Just to Remind Myself

Last night was one of those sleepless nights.  The kind where kid after kid is crying or needs something.  The kind that you start praying for the night to end while knowing that the morning will bring a zombie like state and perhaps a bit less patience for your kids than you would hope.  While browsing the web last night during one of Addie's feedings, I came across a post a mother had written to remind herself about all the things she loves about her two year old.  So in an attempt to keep my sanity and patience level on high, I am going to follow suit and remind myself of all the reasons I love my two year old (I do love my 3 week old and 4 year old too but that will be a different post)

1-  I love what a problem solver you are.  Your mind works in a way I cannot even fathom and along with your determination, you will find a way to conquer anything.  From climbing the shelves of the fridge to reach the top and rescue the sword that is in time out to scaling the shelves in Addie's room to reach the Winnie the Pooh nesting doll you have always found a way.  You've learned that the oven door provides a valuable step stool to the counter, stools can be dragged around the house to give you the extra height and if you don't like what Porter is doing you can sit on him.

2-  I love how independent you have become.  If you are hungry, you don't wait for me to assist you.  At the age of 2, much to my dismay, you have already mastered the art of making the perfect peanut butter sandwich.  Luckily, lately you have been choosing the butter knife over the knives from the knife block and have given up on the sticky honey.

3-  I love how thoughtful and loving you are towards your siblings.  When it is time to get in the tub, you always inform me that Porter should be first.  You test out all of Addies binkies for her just to be sure they are safe to suck on, and you always share your food with the dog (ok not a sibling but close enough)  But in all seriousness, you always offer to share your food with Porter and always get him a bag of fruit snacks when you get one for yourself and you insist on holding Addie and bringing her stuffed animals and blankets and rocking her cradle while she sleeps.  My heart melts when you gently bend down to kiss her head and softly say, "my baby".

4-  You are my little shadow and side kick and I love the time we spend together taking naps, playing blocks and going on walks.  You love your daddy but I think it is safe to say you are a momma's boy through and through and I wouldn't have it any other way.

5-  I love that you still have baby breath.  I know it sounds weird but you haven't reached the stage of stinky breath and that was really important while I was pregnant.

6-  I love that although you have horrible problems sleeping at night sometimes, you can never go without your nap and will take it anywhere you can find a place to rest your head: grocery stores, movie theaters, and sacrament meeting just to name a few.  Your most recent nap was at Costco with your head propped up on a coat.

7- I love that you are an eater.  Most parents struggle with getting their kids to eat or at least getting them to eat healthy, but you will eat whatever I give you.  Your favorite foods are bananas, grapes, pasta and string cheese.

8-  I love your fearless and adventurous spirit.  Nothing scares you and nothing holds you back.  Ok well maybe the new lock on the front door that keeps you from roaming the neighborhood or running to Finn's house, but other than that, nothing.

9-  Although your speech may be a little slow in coming.  I love hearing you speak and watching you learn new words.  You are constantly surprising us with words we didn't know you knew.

10-  I love how social you are.  You may not always be the best at speaking tangible words and often find the other kids staring at you with a dumbfounded look on their face, but you love playing with your friends and trying to make new friends at the park.  Pictured above is Jack having Finn feed him Cheetos.

Jack, you are larger than life.  You keep me on my toes and have me on constant alert for fear of what will happen if I take my eyes off of you for more than a second.  You try my patience and work me to the point of exhaustion and since the day you were born I've had many sleepless nights and shed many tears.  But Jack, I wouldn't have it any other way.  I love you so much it hurts and feel blessed to know that God trusted me to raise your sweet little spirit.  I hope you never lose your adventurous spirit and excitement for life.  I hope you always stay a mommy's boy and that I can be inspired to know exactly what you need and how to make you happy.

Baby Adelaide

Adelaide Gwen LeBaron

I really believed that this labor would be much different than the others considering I had made some progress on my own this time, but instead it was very reminiscent.  We arrived at the hospital at 12:30 to be admitted.  They started me on pitocin at 1 pm and we waited.  At 5pm, they check me and I was dialated to 4 cm.  Wait, didn't I start at a 3?  This process was slow going.  They administered my Epidural which was the best one I have ever had because I still had control over my legs but it made me horribly sick and caused my blood pressure to drop and my lips turned blue and I had to be put on oxygen.  This oxygen then became my security blanket for the next few hours.

Finally at around 6pm my doctor showed up worried about some dropping in the baby's heart rate.   And so it began.  My anxiety levels began to rise as I began my worries over yet another baby with heart rate issues during labor. My poor husband has dealt with these anxieties for weeks leading up to this day and now they were coming true.  My doctor checked me and decided I was at  a 7 but something was keeping the baby from dropping and I couldn't progress anymore unless the baby could drop to put pressure on my uterus to keep things moving.   I mentioned the trouble with the umbilical cord wondering if it could possibly be that (although all the while praying that it couldn't possibly be that again) when the doctor re-lived those births with me and realized that was exactly the problem. Yes the umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck which was preventing her from dropping and also causing her heart rate to drop.   I have had umbilical cord fears since I found out I was pregnant and really ever since I had Porter.  I began to cry but trusted that the incredible blessing Tom had given me the night before would be true and she would be okay and strong and healthy and that everything would work out.  To complicate things further, this little girl was also posterior.  Luckily my incredible Doctor whom I am wholeheartedly grateful for and trust handled both of these issues in his calm and business like fashion.  I began into my anxious over-reactions worrying about doing a C-section and other complications while he came up with a better solution.  He had me lie on my back and had the nurse and Tom push my knees up to my chest while he essentially reached in, turned her the right way and helped her find her way down. I didn't even know that you could do that without forceps or any sort of instrument but my doctor has obviously had a lot of practice and wasn't going to let either of those issues keep this baby from a healthy delivery.  (can we just imagine for a moment where I would be in life without modern medicine?  I'm not sure I would have any babies at all and I might just be dead) And I must say I am definitely feeling those drastic measures in this recovery. 

And then, we were ready to push!  This caught me off guard and I was a bit terrified to all of the sudden have this moment here after all those hours of waiting and making no progress.  So although I was just at a 7, I gave three pushes and she was out with a tightly wrapped umbilical cord, a grey face and blueish hands and feet.  The only calming element was that she was crying (well that and the beautiful dark hair!) She definitely has a set of lungs.  They whisked her over to the nurses station where they had concerns over body temperature and heart rate while the doctor stitched me up and informed me that the chances of having all three kids come out with tightly wrapped umbilical cords was something he had never had in his career (after Tom discussed with him he concluded that in his life he had delivered enough babies to populate a small town) and was quite rare.  

Adelaide Gwen LeBaron 

was born at 

7:41pm

 weighing in at 

8 lbs. 9 oz. and 21 inches long

Her temperature was quite low so I snuggled her against me under layers and layers of heated blankets and we have been snuggling her ever since.  I'm still in a bit of shock that she is mine, that I have this new little life to care for and that I have a little girl. 

Porter absolutely adores his new baby sister and loves to hold her and nuzzle her.  Jack is smitten with her as well. . . for about 1 second at a time until he's ready for something new.  I can't even comprehend the craziness that will now be my life and am incredibly grateful to have Tommy home for a week while we try to adjust to this very different life.  

Thanks to everyone for all their love and support.  I've had incredible friends that have helped with my children the past few months and especially the last couple weeks and I don't know where I would be without them.  I am also incredibly grateful for my amazing husband: for his worthiness to hold the priesthood and for the calming and comforting blessing he gave me the night before I went to the hospital.  He's already been great at running errands, taking care of the kids and doing anything he can to help me.  Our parents have also been wonderful through all of this and I'm grateful to have them all here so close. 

More real pictures to come, these are just from the phone!

The Latest

If you are looking for a baby update, sadly there isn't much to report.  I've been dialated to a 3 for a week and a half and am pretty much stuck there.  Twice at night I have felt like maybe I was going into labor, but alas, nothing.  I shouldn't be that shocked since I'm just barely about to reach my due date and we already know I usually go over, but I have NEVER dialated on my own before so I've become much more anxious.  Although, I don't quite know why.  If I can hold out (or rather, keep her in) until the 26th, Tommy will get 2 weeks PAID paternity leave!  That is his 1 year anniversary at Ernst and Young.  If she decides to make an appearance before that day?  We get 3 days of Paid Leave.  Still better than anything we have ever gotten before (Tom started a new job the day after Porter was born and left me to my own devices) but I really want those 2 weeks!  So we WAIT.  My doctor is actually out of town right now so no induction could even occur until the 24th so we are guessing the 26th will be the day.  (although I'm the master of ALMOST, so I'm guessing she will probably wait and come on her own on the 25th just to spite me, yeah, I'm cynical like that).  But man alive it feels like I have been pregnant for a year and my belly and back hurt so bad all I want to do is sit which doesn't go over well with my boys.

In other news, Porter is back in Preschool and it is WONDERFUL!  Four days a week  I drop him off and come home for Jack to nap for 2 1/2 hours and then we pick him up.  Here's hoping this little lady will cooperate too and give momma some me time:)  But Porter absolutely LOVES preschool.  Although for some reason I feel like it makes him more naughty when he comes home.  He must be so over the top obedient and well behaved at preschool that he then has to get some naughtiness out.  Jack, however, hates that Porter goes to Preschool.  Everyday we go to drop him off and everyday I leave with Jack in my arms screaming because he wants to stay with Porter.  (might I add that every day then is filled with a giant contraction as I carry my HUGE baby and my GIANT belly out of the building)

Tommy has been a building machine lately.  Bunk Beds, refinishing a dresser, building a darling A shelf for baby Adelaide.  He is quite talented I must say and has been a great sport the past few days when I can barely get through the day.  I've been blessed with an amazing husband!

Today Porter informed me that I should definitely be ready to have a baby because my life is so easy!  So I guess that means that we are ready for Baby Adelaide to make her appearance in our family.  Wish us luck on this new journey with a baby girl!

Just Plugging Right Along

IT'S HOT!

 And in case you didn't remember I'm REALLY pregnant.  Like I only have 7 weeks left and it has been one of the HOTTEST summers we have had in a LONG while HOT.  But we are surviving. . . Just barely.

We've been braving the heat at Porter's T-Ball games.  We showed up the first day to find no other dad's there so Tom got the unlucky assignment of coaching.  Porter would disagree and thinks that having his dad as his coach is the greatest thing ever.  T-Ball is a perfect sport for this little boy and despite the heat, he is loving it!

We've also been spending a lot of time in my parents nicely shaded and cool backyard enjoying ice cream sandwiches and time in the swimming pool.

In other news, I went into the Bishop's office Sunday hoping to get released from my calling as I'm having a hard time finding any sort of balance in my life with work, kids, pregnancy, and a busy husband that will be in the midst of a tax season when this baby girl makes her appearance, but instead I was called as 1st Counselor in the Relief Society.  So I'm trusting the Lord on this one and hoping that I survive.  Wish me luck!  Let the countdown for this baby girl begin.  (does that mean I need to actually need to start getting ready for her?  I guess it's now or never!)  

Random Summer Days

Summer is flying by and we are trying to squeeze out every bit of enjoyment we can!  Mind you pregnancy may be slowing us down slightly, but I would certainly say that our summer has been far from boring so far.  Here are a few RANDOM pictures from my phone of what we have been up to lately.  

Here are the plethora of grandkids swimming at the Rec Center.

And here is the whole slew of LeBaron Grandkids (for a few more months) Yes Jack looks so happy to be part of it doesn't he?  I wouldn't be either if someone rudely snatched me up from a peaceful and quiet rest on Nanny's soft bed after an exhausting day of church and threw me in a picture either.  But in this family I have learned that pictures take precedence so snatch him up I did knowing full well this was the best we could hope for.

I've noticed I have an abundance of sleeping pictures of Jack.  It seems he is set on making up for all his lost sleep for the first two years of life and now sleeps and naps better than any child I have ever seen (well as long as bedtime is done in his own bed)!  I guess I should have known that he inherited his mother's strong will and had to come to things on his own terms at his own time.  I think that is just how things will be with Jack.  This is how I found him the other afternoon all snuggled up in the basement tuckered out after playing the math game.

 And call me a bad mother, but here is our first trip to the dentist. (never mind my child is 4 years old) Porter LOVED it and can't wait to go back.  Jack wasn't as fond of it but we still managed a teeth cleaning and a flouride treatment.  They both were awarded Super Hero Capes and Masks for no cavities!  On our next visit we will receive another piece of Super Hero gear so as you can imagine Porter is counting down the next six months until we can go again.  (man this dentist has really got it figured out!)

Prophet Sheets

Have you met Porter?  He is somewhat, well, unique may be the best word to describe him.  If you know him then this story won't entirely shock you, but in case you don't know him then let me say he LOVES the Gospel.  He looks forward to General Conference and makes better preparations for it and listens intently to the messages better than most adults, he wishes he could say every prayer at every meal and every occasion and sometimes cries if he can't, he has given a talk more times in one year in Primary than most kids give ever, he begs to have a Family Home Evening lesson every night and he has an incredible love and affinity for the Prophet and Apostles of the church and wishes that every bedtime story be about one of them in their youth.  

Back around the time of General Conference Porter and I had been discussing ideas for his new shared room with Jack.  We had decided on colors with a touch of Super Hero theme, but then, General Conference happened and Porter declared that he wanted Prophet Bedsheets.  Taken off guard, I explained that I would see what I could (knowing that this request was an impossibility because last time I check Desert Book did not market anything of the sort because even if they did, who would buy them?).  What sort of 4 year old requests prophet and apostle bedsheets over superheros?  His LOVE of the gospel continues to amaze me and I wish that I had even a tenth of the enthusiasm Porter has for this church.  Fast forward a few months and Tom's talented Aunt Andrea had heard his unique request and set to work to make Porter his very own Prophet Bed Sheets.   Now like I said, for those of you that don't know Porter maybe this seems a bit blasphemous, but in Porter's case this desire was with respect and admiration.

And now, may I present. . . 

Prophet and Apostle Bedsheets

Tom's dad informed Andrea that after the grandchildren saw what Porter received that she would have many more requests.  Truth be told I think Porter may be the only child in history that has a desire for these sheets.  He's pretty lucky that Andrea loved him enough and was talented enough to make his dream a reality!

(pardon the odd looking dressups, yes Tillie is wearing a wedding dress)

Pardon the ghetto looking room, we are in the process of rearranging and adding bunkbeds for the boys)