Momentous Monday

A Moment Cherished

My little Eden-girl is turning 5 in a week.  Yesterday as we sat together on the recliner we discussed what she wants her birthday cakes to be "themed" in the coming years.  This year she wants a castle cake.  Then she says, "When I turn six I want a monkey cake; when I turn seven I want a cupcake cake like Jasmine is having when she turns three, when I turn eight I want a flower cake, when I turn nine I want a butterfly cake....when I turn thirteen I want a phone cake..."  And as she went year by year, I could almost see her growing up before my very eyes...my little girl slowly becoming a young woman.  It was humbling because I know that it really will pass almost that quickly.  Already I have blinked and my 5lb 14oz baby is about to turn 5!!  I smiled at her as she talked of all the birthdays to come with a little lump in my throat and I squeezed her a little tighter and kissed her cheek a little more deliberately...soaking up her *still* four year old sweetness while I still can. 

"Your life is like the morning fog--it's here a little while, then it's gone."

James 4:14  NLT


Isn't she beautiful?

April Showers

At the end of April, I took some photos of my girls in the hats that my grandma crocheted for them, sweaters and a bubble umbrella...hoping to capture some cute "April Showers" themed pictures of them.  Because of all the photo shoots I've been doing for other people lately I hadn't had a chance to edit them until yesterday.  Here are a few from that session.  Click HERE to see more.

Even more cute things my kids have said

April 15, 2010:  I said something about going to see Seattle & Eden said, "Is that a little girl?"

April 15, 2010: Jasmine was in the van with Daddy & said "The van smells like toot."  He asked her, "Did you toot?"  "No."  "Did Acacia toot?"  "No."   "Did Woobie (her stuffed "lovey"-half bear, half blanket) toot?"  She answers, "No, Woobie isn't big [enough] to toot!"

April 17, 2010:  Eden & I were talking about how caterpillars become butterflies and I went into detail explaining that God created it that way as a metaphor for how we change from yucky sinners and are born again so that we look as beautiful to God as a butterfly looks to us because we become more like Jesus.  At that point Eden speaks up and says, "Yeah...except Jesus can't fly."  

April 22, 2010:  Jasmine said about the thunderstorm: "It just keeps laughing at me."

April 25, 2010:  Partly cloudy night...Jasmine observed, "The moon is soft."

April 26, 2010:  Jasmine was so excited to get her first pair of pink "flippy flops".

May 3, 2010:  Jasmine: "I'm not tall enough to reach the sky."

May 5, 2010:  Eden: "Our baby is cuter than other mamas babies." :)

May 7, 2010:  Jasmine: "See, Mom? The trees are naked."

May 8, 2010:  Acacia's first word-- 'Daddy' !  :)

May 9, 2010:  I kept trying to get Acacia to say "Mama" but she'd just smile at me and say, "Dada"...little stink! :)

May 11, 2010:  Eden & Jasmine came out wearing crowns and Eden told me "They gave us crowns for killing the bope." Me: "For what?" Eden: "For killing the bope." Me: "What's a bope?" Eden: "It's kind of a cow...I mean..a moose."  I was then informed that the full name of this cow-moose-like monster is a "Bope Shock" and that "they are so hard to kill!"

May 12, 2010:  Eden wasn't obeying me so (in the way of mommies) I asked her "How many times do I have to tell you?" She replied, "Two."

Before & After--"Marbles"

Pixel Perfect Blog Hop

Before (SOOC):

After (Edited):

I have a Canon Rebel XT and edit using Jasc Paint Shop Pro 9.

One Year Portraits: L.

I took this sweetheart's one year portraits on her birthday and she was soo cooperative.  Isn't she a sweetie? 

Senior Portraits: Tasha

A few photos from my first senior portrait session!  I had so much fun...thanks Tasha!

To see full gallery--Click HERE.

I Heart Faces: "Celebrating Moms"

To my favorite moms...

Happy Mother's Day!

My Mom--

My Mother-in-law--

My Sister-in-law, Sarah--

My Sister-in-law, Jeni--

My best friend--

And my Grandmothers--

I love you...I'm so lucky to have so many great mothers in my life!

Before & After--"April Showers"

Another Thursday, Another "Before & After" blog hop from Pixel Perfect!

Last week I took some "April Showers" themed pictures with my girls but I haven't had much time to edit them because I've been busy editing other people's photos.  So far this is the only one from that session that I've touched.  My sweet Acacia under the crab apple tree with an umbrella. 
What do you think?

Before:

After:

I have a Canon Rebel XT and I edit using Jasc Paint Shop Pro 9.

Mother's Day Mania--Birth Stories

Today the theme for MamaM's Mother's Day Mania is "Birth Stories."  I have three kids & thus three birth stories.  Rather than choose one, I'll try to give a short version for my two older children...you can click HERE to read Acacia's birth story.

Eden's Birth:

Five years ago I was awaiting the arrival of my first little girl.  My contractions started after midnight in the wee hours on a Monday morning.  When we got up I was convinced that this was gonna be the day but knowing it would still be awhile I sent Russ off to work thinking I'd call him in a few hours.  He got to work the full day.  I was still having contractions but nothing serious...Russ let in a Kirby salesman and we bought a vacuum amidst the pain!  Finally, at about 3am on Tuesday morning we drove to the birth center.  I was checked (3cm, 100% effaced)  & was told to walk the halls a bit while they determined whether or not to admit me.  I threw up, was admitted & then threw up again!  I labored for several hours with minimal progress, they gave me some pain meds---I felt the effects almost immediately & not in a good way.  They took me outside of myself...I had a hard time focusing, I started giggling a lot but wondering inside my head what I was giggling for (couldn't control it!)  I ended up falling asleep for about an hour.  When I woke again, the nurses told me that my labor had slowed down and that they were going to give me some Pitocin to speed it up again.  When my doctor checked me I was still only at a 4 so my doctor broke my water to help speed the process up.   That is when the contractions started to become unbearable!  I asked for an epidural.  When the anesthesiologist hooked me up I told the nurse that that man was my hero!  The relief was unexplainable.

It wasn't long and I was at a ten and the doctor asked me to try pushing.  I wasn't really working so she told me to lay on my side for an hour and then she'd come back & we'd try again.  She told me she'd be back at 1:30.  By 1:15 I really felt like pushing.  Russ went to find the nurse but she was on her lunch break!  When she did get back at nearly 1:30, I asked her if I was gonna get to push soon.  Her response was, "Dr R will be back shortly."  That response really ticked me off.  When she left the room for a minute, I told Russ that regardless her answer should have been “Yes.”  Even if I don’t get to push for twenty more minutes she should say “yes you’ll get to push soon.”  Her response wasn’t even an answer to my question!  Finally my doctor arrived, just a few minutes after 1:30.  I immediately got into position and began pushing again.  It became clear that there wasn’t going to be quite enough room for the baby to get out so she cut me open a bit more.  Russ said that that was the worst part for him:  watching her snip me open.  They decided also for several reasons to use the vacuum to assist the delivery and speed it up a bit. The umbilical cord was wrapped around the baby’s neck so as soon as she was out far enough, the doctor cut the cord and got her out.  Obviously the pushing stage was a very short one, the second time around because Dr. R got there a little after 1:30 and Eden was born at 1:40pm.    After that last big push and I could feel her come out, I just started bawling.  I was exhausted and overwhelmed.  I remember feeling the warm weight of my baby girl on my stomach in those first moments but I barely saw her through my tears or thought much about what was going on.  I was just lost in my physical and emotional drainage.  Those are the moments when the connection between the physical and the spiritual is obvious...what a miracle!

Jasmine's Birth:

While Eden took all day getting here (she is the family molasses!)  once Jasmine made up her mind she was here.   I had a Monday morning appointment with my midwife...I was at 4 cm.  That night at about 10 I started having twinges.  By midnight I began to think that maybe this was really labor but I wasn't sure.  I called the hospital and they were going to have my midwife call me.  I waited for awhile--no call.  I decided that this was probably the real thing and so I called my parents to drive up (a 1-1/2 hr drive) to stay with Eden.  They were on their way...still no call.  By the time they got to my house at 3:15ish I was in pretty serious labor.  Russ drove me to the hospital (which was only a couple blocks away!)  Since it was after hours we had to enter through the emergency room door & walk across the entire building to get to the birth center.  I was offered a wheel chair but didn't take it...wanting to walk instead.  Dude..that was a mistake.  I had to stop every minute for a contraction.  When we made it to the birth center I found out that I had given the nurse that I called the wrong phone number (leave it to me to forget my own phone number while in labor!)  They hurriedly prepared me for labor.  I asked about an epidural and they told me it was too late...At hearing this (remembering the HOURS of labor with Eden) I started having a panic attack & began crying that I couldn't do it!  The nurses were super nice & reassuring.  They told me that I was ready to push & that I just needed to wait a couple minutes for my midwife to arrive.  

As soon as she was in the room, I was pushing before I had a chance to understand that I was really in that stage of labor.  I remember Russ telling me that he could see the head and I thought to myself, how quickly this was all happening.   I was in a lot of pain and reacted in a way I hadn’t expected from myself…by crying & screaming.  They kept trying to get me to calm down and focus on breathing.  I kept saying…”I can’t do this” & “It hurts.”   A few minutes later, at 3:59 am…it was over and baby Jasmine was born.  I didn’t get to hold her right away like I had Eden.  Russ cut the cord & they immediately took her to weigh/measure her and clean her up a bit. I was a bit in shock I think.  I was actually kind of numb emotionally.  I was disconnected from the fact that I had another baby and that the birthing process was over.  Physically I was stiff & sore all over.  My back & neck hurt really bad.  On top of that I felt soo cold & was shaking badly.  Shivering & shaking.  They piled on the blankets and I sat their shaking & talking to Russ while they dealt with the baby.  When they had finished Russ gave me Jasmine to hold but I couldn’t hold her very long because I was so weak & shaking so much.  So in the first hour or two of her life, I only held her for about 5 minutes.  But after I had cleaned up myself and we had been moved to our room I fell in love and I don't think she left my side the entire time we were there.
 

Mother's Day Mania...Whoopsie Wednesday

MamaM is having a Mother's Day Blog hop for the next 5 days.  Thought I'd give it a go.  Today is "Whoopsie Wednesday"  My goodness...what mom hasn't had some parenting whoopsies?  Except maybe the one who is just now looking into her firstborn's eyes at the hospital & vowing she'll never let anything remotely dangerous happen to her child.   We all know how that will turn out.  :)

There have been a few 'whoopsies' in my life...we've had our share of bumped heads & wedding ring scratches.  I never cut a baby's finger nails again after the first time clipping my firstborn's.  And I certainly wouldn't claim to be mother-of-the-year material...but over-all I think I'm a pretty good mom...I love my kids, I talk to them; I hug them; I tell them how special they are.

However-- I do have one BIG 'whoopsie' moment that I still tremble over when I think about it.  It happened a couple years ago when our 2nd born (Jasmine) was just a few months old.  We had been shopping at the mall with my sister-in-law's family all day and were at our last stop.  I had forgotten something in our vehicle so I took the baby with me as I ran back out to the van.  My oldest (Eden) was with my husband and all the cousins.  I sat the car seat down as I unlocked the van, grabbed whatever it was I had forgotten and then I ran back into the store.  I get just inside when I saw my sister-in-law.  She says, "Where's the baby?"  OH CRAP!  I panic!  I had left her in her carseat outside by the van!  I ran as fast as I could back out the door...she was still sitting there and an older lady, her daughter & her granddaughter were standing there making sure she was okay.  I cannot begin to tell you how stupid, careless, & HORRIBLE I felt...not to mention embarrassed & shook up!  It took an hour for my heart rate to slow down after that...I just kept thanking God that she was okay.

That was the biggest whoopsie I have ever had and hopefully ever will.  Thank God for mercy & grace during these crazy young parenting years.

I Heart Faces: "Then & Now"

This week I Heart Faces is taking its cue from the "young me, now me" website & is asking us to humiliate ourselves by recreating a photo from our childhood.  As embarrassing as this kind of is...it was also irresistible and I was compelled to submit a photo.  So without further ado...

Here is a photo of me from Halloween 1981 (I was 19 months old.)

And now...(oh, dear!  I can't believe I did this to myself!)