I have two main deployment goals to begin working towards:
1.Getting my Childbirth Educator certification.
2.Getting my Lactation Consultant certification.
I fully realize that these two goals could very well take a couple of years to accomplish, but it is something that I would like to begin working towards. Cayleigh-Grace is not going to be home with me forever, she will be starting school the year we move and I would like to be prepared to get a job while the she and the boys are in school.
Then there are the many smaller and less life changing goals that I hope to accomplish.
complete the many quilts that I have in various stages of completion.
Make the quilts that I have had the material to make for the past couple of years.
Go to the Gym on an almost daily basis.
Join a Pilates, and an Ultimate Ab class.
Work on cardio and strength training big time.
Work on creating a nice garden area around the house and in the back yard.
Read at least 52 books while KS is gone. (So far I have already read 4) Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn.
Purchase Cayleigh-Grace's new dresser as well as a headboard or full bed frame for KS and I's bed.
Work on my photography.
Research becoming a doula.
Sell our house back home.
Knowing me I will be continuously adding to this list as the time goes on, but this is a good starting point. I am actually looking forward to going through this list month by month to see how it will grow and to watch myself mark things off bit by bit.
I was bored (imagine that) and messing around with some old pictures today when I got a crazy idea. Why not make some collages of the kids at the same ages. So here is what my boredom turned into. Left to Right,
Kiale, Colin, and Cayleigh-Grace
At Birth
Six Months Old
One Year Old
18 Months Old
Two Years Old
What did I learn from this little exercise? Cayleigh-Grace looks so much older then her brothers at all of her different stages after the first year. I wonder why that is... its like my boys retained their baby faces longer and she developed more a little girl face at a very young age. I know one reason for that is she is so much bigger then the boys ever where at any of her ages. It was a running joke that my kids get their legs late, because that is exactly what happened. Their legs didn't start getting longer until they hit three. Did you notice how short Colin's legs were at 18 months? That right there proves my point. Then you have Cayleigh-Grace who goes and blows that theory clear to the moon. Obviously it didn't pertain to our girl only our boys. I remember when it came to buying clothes for Kiale it was super easy, whatever age he was was whatever size clothes you bought for him. For Colin his pants fit his age, but had to be rolled up, and his shirts where a year ahead of him. Cayleigh-Grace is another thing all together she already fits into size 3t pants. The boys couldn't wear that size pants until they were about three and a half. She will also be wearing size 4t shirts very soon and she will be two and a half in March. I have a feeling the girl is going to be at least as tall as my sister, and she just hit 5'11. I already have my fingers crossed that she will want to play volleyball when she is older, lets just hope she plays better then her Momma did!
Its official and I just want to shout it from the roof tops, I am an AUNTIE!!! That is right KS's sister officially made KS and I an Uncle and an Auntie today with the birth of her gorgeous baby boy. 7lbs 14 oz and 19 1/2 in, he is even sporting his first Mohawk at not even a day old! I cant wait to see him, although it will probably be Christmas before I get to hold that sweet baby, but that is what happens when your family stretches out across the U.S. I better get started on that blanket now....
Dream what you want to dream; Go where you want to go; Be what you want to be, Because you have only one life And one chance to do all the things You want to do.
May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, Enough trials to make you strong, Enough sorrow to keep you human and Enough hope to make you happy.
The happiest of people don't necessarily Have the best of everything; They just make the most of Everything that comes along their way.
The brightest future will always Be based on a forgotten past; You can't go forward in life until You let go of your past failures and heartaches.
When you were born, you were crying And everyone around you was smiling Live your life so at the end You are the one who is smiling and everyone Around you is crying. ~ Anonymous
I am so excited, I received Cayleigh-Grace's Baby Be Blessed doll in the mail today!! I cannot wait until Christmas so she can open and enjoy it!! I let her hold it and boy was that a mistake, she did NOT want to let it go, but it is safely tucked away in its box waiting on the big day. I cannot wait to share this doll with her, and the scripture that I included on the doll is so important and special to me.
"A woman giving birth to her child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets her anguish because of her joy that a child has been born into the world." John 16:21
Pregnancy and childbirth is something that is so close to my heart. It is a truly life altering event, and I can only hope that one day I am able to share with my daughter the joys that I have found through it. During my pregnancy and after having Cayleigh-Grace my mind was opened up to an entirely new aspect of childbirth and pre as well as post natal support. I found my calling in life after giving birth to Cayleigh-Grace with the assistance of my midwives. I realized that I wanted to bring babies into this world not only from my own body, but also to help support laboring mothers in birthing their own babies. One day I will fulfill my dream of becoming a Midwife, and maybe I can help bring my own grandchildren into this world by giving their mothers the peaceful birthing experiences that they so rightfully deserve.
Today is the one week anniversary of my husbands 27th birthday. Yes I am a total slacker and I did not get this posted last Friday, but whatever. We cant all be perfect right!? This particular birthday was extra special for him, his best friends little boy was born was born on his birthday. At 1am on October 23 Patrick Christopher made his grand appearance. Needless to say KS was thrilled. We also found out on his birthday that we are going to be an Aunt and an Uncle!! KS's sister Trish is 12 weeks and counting!!
My sweet Niece or Nephew!! (I am so EXCITED!!!)
KS's birthday was full of his favorites, my spaghetti casserole and some Carvel Ice cream cake. The boys were in charge of wrapping his present and giving it to him. Overall he had a wonderful birthday. The picture of Cayleigh-Grace eating some of KS's cake was from the next night, I forgot to get a picture of the cake, before we all devoured it. Tomorrow we are having his 27th birthday/Going Away celebration at my parents house. I cannot believe that we are down to just a couple of weeks before he leaves for basic training, 15 days to be exact! This is going to be one heck of an adventure we are about to embark on!!
My cousin had her sweet baby boy on Tuesday the 24th at 10:35pm. He weighed in at 9lbs 12oz, 21 1/4in. and with a 15in head circumference! This was her first baby so she is starting out big!! He wasn't due until the 4th... he would have given Cayleigh-Grace a run for her money if he was term to see who was going to be bigger! Thankfully she was able to deliver him the good old fashioned way!! Congrats Kelli and Cody!! I cannot wait to meet him!!
"When the problems with multiple C-sections start to mount, we're going to look back and say, 'Oh, does anyone still know how to do VBAC?'" (excerpt from article)
11:10am~ I sit here watching the inauguration of president Elect Barack Obama and I am in wonder of the history that I am watching. I am in constant prayer almost, just begging God to keep him and his family safe, and to guide him with all that he has to do. I may not have voted for him, but I do support him 150%.
A close friend of mine will be delivering her son today via C-Section... could you imagine all those sweet babies that will be born today are coming into this world on such an amazing and important day. A day that our country will forever be changed, and a day that so many firsts are coming into play.
11:18am~ look at all of those people!! It is amazing the amount of people that are out there in the freezing cold waiting to see the upcoming president being sworn in. ... I just hope all goes smoothly. It is amazing to see all of the past presidents... so many generations of presidents is a wonderful thing to see.
11:25~ I cannot help but snicker as I see the Grandmother to the soon to be First Daughters... she is in red and purple. I know my Mema is happy... Red Hats support all the way up in the White house. Those girls are so precious, I hope God keeps them firmly in his protective grasp as these years unfold., and these girls grow and mature .
11:30am~ Could you imagine the nervous butterflies that the soon to be First Family could be feeling... I cannot imagine how they must be feeling... talk about nervous excitedness. I love seeing all of the service men, those that have been serving our country there in the line up, saluting all of the past presidents.
11:37~ I cannot wait to get a paper tomorrow.
11:43~ I have goose bumps... may the Lord guide him and comfort him with all that he has to accomplish...
11:53am~ Such a wonderful invocation. Its is so comforting to know that that prayer will truly be heard around the world. Such a wonderful witness!
11:58am~ We have a new Vice-President
12:03pm~ The music is amazing, they are so talented. I do love classical music.
12:04pm~ Here we go, the oath begins...she looks so proud of her husband... its official it is done He is now President Barack Obama.
12:26pm~ He truly is an amazing man, I hope and pray that he can so all that is is hoping to be able to do. I may not agree with some of the things that he wants to accomplish and some of the things he believes in, but his plans are many and his plans are great. I just hope that with the cooperation of congress and the senate he is able to do the things that our country so desperately needs. God bless that man and all he is about to do.
3:18 am… September 3, 2008… Two days past one due date and on another due date I am awake, and not with the laying in bed too uncomfortable to sleep type of awake. No it’s the, I am having contractions and there is no way I will be able to go back to sleep, type of awake. I decided to get out of bed and see if these were just more of the Braxton Hicks that I had been having for the six weeks prior to this day. So I decided to make my sons lunches for school that day, since I had refused to make them the night before (I just love being stubborn.) As I was making their lunches I couldn’t help but notice that the contractions were 5 minutes apart… that cannot be right I kept thinking… they don’t start out that fast… (oh sweet denial…) so I finished the boys lunches and noticed that my microwave was dirty, might as well clean that while I am up I thought. So there I was having contractions every 5 minutes that were lasting 40 seconds or so and I was cleaning my microwave… go figure. Once I had finished that I thought maybe I should see what Kiale thinks, by this time it was about 4:10, so I wake him up…
Me- “Kiale, I think I am having contractions, they are 5 minutes apart…”
Kiale- “Go ahead and call the midwife I am getting up.”
Me- “But what if it is just Braxton Hicks again…”
Kiale- “Charity, call her now.”
So needless to say I called her, and who to my total delight answered the phone, Mary Anne!! I could not have been happier to hear her voice. I explained to her what was going on and I told her that the contractions didn’t even hurt that bad at all and that I thought they were just false labor… and what did she say “Charity come on in, this is not false labor, how soon can you be here?” And then it hit… what I had yet to accept the whole 9 months prior to that moment, I was going to have my third child. I was fixing to bring another sweet life into this world, oh the sweet life of denial that I live in…
After several other phone calls to my parents and Kiale’s mom, we were stuck at the house waiting on my sisters to arrive and watch our boys while we went to the Birth Center of Gainesville. By the time they got to my house it is about 4:40 and were are finally on our way. During that period of time my contractions were getting closer together but they still weren’t hurting all that bad. Once my sisters pulled into the driveway my water began to break, it would leak a little and then stop. This whole time I am humming and sort of singing (I don’t know how else to describe it) to get through the contractions. Did I ever mention how much I hate having contractions, and going through transition in a vehicle!! It is horrible. Needless to say my humming transferred into humming and taping my foot on the floorboard… as well as frequently grabbing Kiale’s hand for support. I hate that 45 minute drive to Gainesville…
Finally there it was… that wonderful BirthCenter. We had made it, those of you who are aware of the fast labors that I have (5 hours with KJ, and 3 hours with CH) will understand how relieved I was to see that building. It was 5:20… two hours since I had first woken up with contractions, and we were there. By this time my contractions were about a minute apart and still lasting 40 seconds. They never did get any longer than that for some reason. The pain still (Thank you God) was still quite manageable. I could not talk through them but it wasn’t excruciating. I just kept humming and tapping my toe on the floor. My Mom and Dad arrived at about this time, Kiale’s Mom went straight to our house to trade off with my sisters who had to go to school, there is no way she would have made it for the birth anyway because it takes her two hours to get from Jax to Gainesville. Mary Anne then got to water going for me in the tub, and Zoe walked in. I was so happy I had my two favorite midwifes there, what were the odds of that. I couldn’t have felt more safe or been more happy. Once I got into the tub, which by the way I highly recommend if you want the pain of contractions cut literally in half, my contractions were about 30-40 seconds apart and still lasting about 40 seconds. Mary Anne checked me and I was already 8 centimeters, granted I had been 4 centimeters for a whole month before this day. Mary Anne said that the only thing keeping the baby inside was my bag of water that had not fully broken yet, so I had her go ahead and break my water… that was at about 5:40, and then the fun began.
As soon as she broke my water I started pushing, I went from 8 to 10 centimeters within seconds… again (did the same thing with CH). I could not believe how long it was taking me to push this baby out. It took 10 minutes to push Kiale Jr. out, and 15 to push Colin Hunter out… and I was going on 20 minutes with this baby… I was also very scared and panicky. I do not do well during the pushing stage; I freak out… a lot. We knew that this baby was going to be big, I had measured 2 weeks ahead the entire pregnancy, although I was convinced that she was going to be about 8lbs because I was so comfortable during the entire pregnancy… boys was I wrong (once again DENIAL) As any woman who has given birth naturally or with a patchy or weak epidural you can feel when the baby slips through the cervix, and when I felt her slip through mine I totally freaked. This started my “I cannot do this” stage of my labors… I had my eyes closed tight, and one hand tearing up Kiale’s hand and one hand around my Mom’s hand. Once I was able to get her head out I looked down… bad idea… very bad idea. I panicked severely once I saw how big she was (she was huge!!!) and I refused to push any more. I flat out refused; I was not going to budge anymore. So I had my Mom and Mary Anne in my ear…
Mom- “Charity you have to push her out”
Me- “No! I cant do it!”
Mom- “Charity you are going to hurt her you have to get her out”
Me- “No I cant!”
Mary Anne- “Charity listen to me your body will not make a baby to big for you and you have to push her out now or you really will hurt her”
Me- “but I cant”
Mom-“Charity, yes you can no push her out now.”
Mary Anne- “Come on Charity she is almost here now push”
Finally I had done it my precious sweet baby girl was born at 6:18am three hours after I had felt my first contraction, and after 30 minutes of pushing; 10lbs 7oz & 21.5inches long. She was huge, beautiful, but huge!! Way bigger than anyone had expected. She was everything we had asked God for, and total mix of Kiale and I and she had dimples… she was perfect; our sweet Cayleigh-Grace. You know its funny... I remember looking at the clock as soon as I got into the tub and thinking to myself that she would be born at 6:18...
My goodness has the past four days been crazy busy! I honestly feel like I have been going non stop forever now, I think all of the busyness really caught up to me today. Talk about feeling overwhelmed and overextended... needless to say my house was trashed, and I was about 5 loads of laundry and 2 loads of dishes behind! And we are supposed to decorate on Friday... right... I still need to do all of the housecleaning that comes after dishes and clothes and that's a lot.
Sunday... was a wonderful day the five of us got up bright and early and headed up to Jax to go see my wonderful cousin, her husband, and her new baby Vincent at the hospital. I have never held a baby so small in my life he was 6lbs 12oz & 19 1/4in, all of my babies were big(7lbs 15oz, 8lbs 11oz, & 10lbs 7oz), he is so sweet and tiny. I have to admit, although you are not allowed to tell my boys, he is the cutest baby boy I have ever seen. He is just so incrediably cute!! He has John's nose, and in my opinion the rest of him looks like my Uncle Jimmy. Genetics are so amazing. Later that afternoon we went to my Niece/ 2nd cousin's 2nd birthday party. I cannot believe that she is two already, and so cute too!! The party was followed by a trip to two different puppy shops, although we came home empty handed, and dinner at our favorite Japanesse Steakhouse!
Monday... I got up and took the boys to my Mom's house for the day while I went back up to Jax to help out my cousin. She was, and still is, recouperating from her C-section. Not to mention she & Vincent had to figure out the whole breastfeeding thing. Which as any first time mom would agree is never easy. Vincent had a Dr. appointment that day also, so it ended up being a very busy day. We even squezed in a very short trip to Target. I am so amazed at my cousin Lindsay, I don't know how she is doing it with the section recovery. I think I would be layed up in bed, she is getting up and around wonderfully!!
Tuesday... The kids and I all headed back up to Jax again. It was such a wonderful day. The boys are very taken with their new little cousin. Little Kiale was such a big helper. Vincent was crying after Lindsay had breastfed him, and following his suppliment of formula, and Kiale couldn't find his pacifier so he decided that maybe he was still hungrey so he went (all on his own) and grabed his bottle and started feeding him what was left in it. Needless to say he was right Vincent was still a little hungrey. And Kiale new exactly what he needed. He is such a wonderful Big Brother/Cousin!! I am so pround of my little man!
Vincent Eric made his grand debut via C-Section at 7:45 tonight. Weighing in at 6lbs 12oz, and a full head of black hair. Mom, Dad, and baby are doing wonderfully!!
Today is a wonderful day. I woke up this morning with such a sense of hope and gratitude for what God has made. Today my cousin who is 5 months older than me and way more like a sister than a cousin will be welcoming her sweet son into the world (well it could be tomorrow). She will be heading to the hospital for her induction at 8:30 tonight, she is already 4cm and 60% effaced, so I am giving her six hours of labor tops... at least that is what I am praying for. This is her first child, and with that comes all of the fears of the unknown so please keep her and her husband in your prayers on this wonderfully blessed day.
Children are such a wonderful blessing that God gives us and it is so amazing to know that he has once again blessed our ever growing family with another member. Between family and friends by January of 2009 we will have added 5 new lives to our ever growing group. I cannot wait until Colin's birthday party in March when we will be able to get a group shot of all the kids again (we have forgot at the boys parties this year.)
Well I am off to Walmart, I am short on fabric, and I have a special baby blanket to make today for one sweet little man who will be making his grand appearance into the world within the next 24 hours... or so.
