Date night...

It looks a little different than it used to, but we enjoyed it nonetheless. Coffee, cards, and two less kids. It was a win.

TBT {week one}...

I thought I would jump on the Throw-back Thursday bandwagon. Not sure how long this will last, but it might help in my quest to blog daily in 2014...

Recently I've been reminded of how lucky I am to have so many life-long friends. My life is richer because of them. I'll love these girls 'til the day I die.

*This picture was taken on October 3, 2003 

Dinner party...

Last night I went out with some of my girlfriends four our 3rd-annual "Mandy's Cookin' Dinner" party. We dined on lasagna and amazing cupcakes and filled our evening catching up with friends we just don't see enough. 

This little guy tagged along with me. He spent his time playing with his giraffe and sleeping in Lisa's arms. Aside from a little fussiness when he got sleepy, he did a pretty good job on his first (and perhaps last) girls' night out.

 *And yes, this was the only picture I took all night. Oops.

My grandma...

This is my grandma. She was beautiful. She was fun. She loved her family fiercely. And more importantly she loved Jesus.

It has been 13 years since my grandma died.

The pain of her absence isn't daily, but I do miss her. I missed her when I graduated from college. I missed her when I got married. I missed her when I bought a house and was picking out paint colors and new carpet. I miss her during the holidays. I miss her when watching the Rose Bowl. But most often I miss her when I am with my kids. She would have loved her great-grand kids (there are seven now!) and boy-oh-boy would they have loved her.

*This picture was probably taken during the summer of 1982. I was about 2 years old and my cousin, Geoff, would have been just about one. 

My {not-so-little} brother...

Today is my little brother's birthday. He isn't really that little anymore. In fact, I think he has towered over me since he was about 12. In my totally unbiased opinion he has always been sort of a brat. He was, after all, a youngest child... and we all know those types, right? But you know what? He would do anything for me. Anytime I asked. Day or night. No matter what was on his schedule.

Here are some of my favorite things that he went out of his way to do for me...

• I once missed a flight and he, not only drove me to the airport, but did so at such a speed that we were almost able to catch my plane. =)
• He has painted parts of my house when I was too pregnant to do it myself.
• He showed up at my house at 3 am to stay with Grace when I was in labor with Claire. 
• He missed one of his collegiate soccer games for my wedding. 
• He has willingly done hours of yard work for us. 
• He generously shared Mono with me in high school. 

You see, he really isn't that bad. You might even say that he has turned out to be a pretty good guy. 

Happy Birthday, Craig. I hope this year is grand. 

PS: Don't you love this picture? It was taken at Craig's wedding, which happened to be an outside event on the hottest day of the year. By the time we thought to pose together at the end of a looooong afternoon, we were sticky, sweaty messes. Nevertheless, I'm glad we did. 

We "mustache" you a question...

When Aunt Melissa shows up with mustache tattoos what is one to do exactly? 

Well, apply them. Naturally. 

And yes, two days later Claire's mustache is still on her upper lip.

Snapshots {week 7}...

I heard a song this week - one that I've heard before, but never really listened to the lyrics. I think this song could have been written for me. 

These lyrics are from "Every Good Thing" by The Afters

I tend to be busier than I should be

And I tend to think that time is gonna wait for me

Sometimes I forget and take for granted

That it's a beautiful life we live

I don't wanna miss the moments like this

This is a beautiful life You give...

As I look back at this week, that sort of sums it up. Life is busy. It isn't easy. There are moments that I want to throw in the towel. I'm doing everything halfheartedly because I have too much on my plate to give 100% to anything. 

If I had to give one reason why I'm blogging daily (or trying to) this year, this is it. I don't have time to blog. I just don't. But I also can't afford to not remember these moments. The little things from every day that would get missed and forgotten. I know that my blog readers don't need these posts. You don't need to see my "garbage" pictures - the ones that aren't important enough to merit a separate post. But these are the moments that make up my days and weeks. "I don't wanna miss the moments like this..."

That naughtiness that is normal and {almost} comical. (Claire was supposed to be standing right next to Merrick... She is protesting).

The big sister loving on her little brother. 

The way the baby changes monthly weekly daily.

The Way Claire wants to be just like Grace - down to what she stores in her identical nightstand.

The way this turkey loves his toys, and spends most of his awake time playing.

The way Claire tries to squeeze every minute of sleep out of her mornings.

The way she cackled as we were picking out a birthday card for her uncle - mimicking my reactions even though she didn't really understand the jokes.

The baby in the car, again, but content with his toys and a sister on either side.

The way quick shopping trips turn in to play dates that turn in to lunch dates.

The easy-going nature of this guy.

The mid-week visits with grandpa... a big time bonus of their house being so close to school.

The carpool line.

The post-nursing smiles.

The little big sister loving on her brother... a little too much perhaps.

The great Lego creations (that for some reason warranted 10 blurry photos and 2 videos on my phone).

The way I get any blogging done at all.

The boy discovering his toes because this was the first night in weeks that we took off his socks.

The funny survey I did at Taco Bell that resulted in a free lunch and bonus gift card!

The quick stops at the park because the sun came out it wasn't raining.

The dinner dates and ice cream sundaes with our lovely neighbors.

The way he folds up in my lap when he is done eating.

The first night that he fell asleep in his crib.

The creativity of a four year old.

The Thanksgiving feast birthday bash for my little brother.

The happiness that exudes from him when he is being held.

The sunsets that stop us in our tracks - in the Costco parking lot.

The kicking and flapping and splashing that this guy does in the bath.

There will be days that give me more than I can take...

It's our family, it's our friends

Its the feeling that I get when I see my children smile...

Don't wanna forget or take for granted

That it's a beautiful life we live

I'm not gonna miss the moments like this...

Out of the mouth of...

Claire.

She's a funny one. I love the stories she tells and the way she spins things. She is a sponge - soaking up e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. she hears. She recites song lyrics, movie lines, phone conversations (well, the one side she hears). We have to be pretty careful when we talk within ear-shot of her these days.

In the past I've posted many funny things Claire has said. It has been a while. I think that as she gets older she has less and less one-liners (or perhaps I'm just so used to them that I don't even notice). You can read some favorites here or here. I do have a few things I want to record for us to remember, even if they only make sense to Merrick and me.

• She has this way of saying "Fine!" that doesn't come across nearly as snotty as it might seem. 
• She says "anyways" at the beginning of sentences, usually after Grace has tried to one up her or proved her wrong on a topic.
• She uses the phrase "no worries" from time-to-time. No one else in our family every says that, so it is extra funny to me that she picked it up. 
• When Isaac what really young we used white noise to keep him calm and help him sleep. She called it "baby white stuff."
• The day we cut down and brought home our Christmas tree I was trying to get the kids in the car while Merrick was putting the tree up top. Claire was frustrated that she had to get in the car and I didn't understand until she said, "I want to watch him sew it on." She wanted to watch Merrick tie the tree on to the roof rack and couldn't do it from inside the car.
• When Isaac was first born he made little bleating sounds that were very goat-like. Claire latched on to that and would say, "Don't cry goat... you're a goat!" It makes no sense, but she said it a lot.
• One night she prayed for a long list of things and then ended by saying, "Thank you God for everything, except for the things that are made out of wood."
• A few weeks ago there was a flock of seagulls on the field at Grace's school. I explained that sometimes the seagulls come towards Portland when the beach is going to be stormy. I guess she remembered the conversation because the other morning Claire exclaimed from the backseat, "THERE'S A STORM AT THE BEACH! THE EAGLES ARE HERE!" 
• On Friday morning, after a long week of driving back and forth from school, we had this conversation:
• Claire: We really should buy a house that is close to Gracie's school
• Hannah: Yeah, that would be a good idea. Which house should we buy?
• Claire: That gray one.
• Hannah: Hmmmm. That one isn't for sale.
• Claire: Well, let's just go make friends with them. Then we can just sleep therm. 

She's a kick. Really. She has hit a rough patch recently, and isn't nearly as easy to parent as she used to be, but she is so funny and unique and feisty... and those are the things that I don't want to forget. Ever.

Sleeping comes easy...

Following in the footsteps of his sisters, this guy can (and will) sleep almost anywhere. He still loves to be wrapped up tight - either swaddled in a blanket, snug in someones arms, or in his car seat - and he always falls asleep with a binky.

Lately he's been doing a lot of floor sleeping. 

Sometimes I'm jealous.

His birthday...

Today Isaac is 5 months old. In honor of that I thought I would revisit the night he was born and {finally} write out his birth story.

Tuesday, September 17th: The days leading up to Isaac's birth were busy. We had soccer, a birthday party, church activities, an ultrasound appointment, Bible study, an appointment with my midwife, a home inspection, soccer team pictures, family date night... and that was all in a 48 hour period. By Tuesday night I was pretty worn out. We got home from dinner at Baja, put the girls to bed, and crashed on the couch. I remember having the thought that I should do some dishes and clean my bathroom, but the exhaustion won. By 9:30 that night I was heading to bed and by 10 pm I was sound asleep.

Wednesday, September 18th: At 2 am I woke up and headed to the bathroom. The baby's head was resting on my bladder for the entire third trimester, so 4-6 bathroom visits each night was normal. It was on my way back to bed that my water broke. This time, more so than with either of the girls, I knew it right away. I sort of wandered around my room and bathroom quietly trying not to disturb Merrick, but it wasn't long before he woke up and figured out what was happening. The difference this time around is that I wasn't having any contractions. Zero. We went ahead and got ready to head out - loaded the car, sent a slew of emails, took a quick shower, etc - but then I decided that I would get back in bed and see if/when the contractions would start.

I don't think I ever fell back to sleep, but eventually decided to call the hospital just to check in. They told me I needed to come in. Because of having a previous c-section I'm at a higher risk of problems and the baby needs to be monitored constantly to ensure that nothing bad is happening to baby (or me). It took another hour or so, but we eventually got ourselves out the door just a little before 7 am.

Once at the hospital I was pretty quickly checked in, put on the monitors, and moved to a birthing room (#323). At this point I was having contractions, but they were still mild and sporadic. We got settled in to our room, got my IV started (on the third try), and tried to rest.

And there I stayed... for the next 8 hours. I walked the halls, sat on the birth ball, watched TV, visited with the nurses, listened to baby's heart beat, but no contractions.

At 2 in the afternoon my midwife came in. Though baby looked fine, she was concerned that my water had broken 12 hours previous and I was showing now sign of active labor. She agreed to give me one more hour to wait before starting Pitocin. Merrick and I spent that hour walking, praying and talking about our options. As much as I didn't want a Pitocin induced labor, I really didn't want to have a c-section. I wanted this baby to come naturally, in his own timing. At the end of the hour there were still no measurable contractions and no signs of labor. We decided to go ahead with the Pit.

It took some time for the orders to be written and the drugs to given. I think it was about 4:30 when the Pitocin actually started dripping into my IV. They upped the dosage every hour. At 8 pm I was at the highest dose they would give a VBAC patient. By 9 pm I started having real contractions that I was breathing through. By 10 pm I was having difficulty staying comfortable miserable. (Once my body decided it was time, things moved really quickly.)

The downside of Pit is that contractions come on unnaturally fast and strong. I decided that I wanted the Pit to be turned off so that I could try to labor on my own without the brutality of medicated contractions. I also wanted to get into the tub to relax, but they wouldn't let me do that while I was being administered Pitocin. Again, it took a long time to get the orders to stop the drugs. I wanted it to be instant. When they were able to undo my IV's I slid into a super hot tub. I remember when I was in labor with Claire that the hot water was almost magical - washing away so much of the pain and discomfort of labor. It wasn't the same this time around. Everything was just happening too quickly and my body couldn't relax.


Thursday, September 19th: I don't think I lasted long in the tub before the midwife said it was time to head back to the room and have the baby. I was almost fully dilated - about 9 cm when I got back to my room. It took about six more contractions to get to 10 cm... those were some of the longest and most painful minutes of my life. Soon it was time to push and the rest of the experience is a blur. I don't remember many details. I do remember people coming in and out, and amazing nurse that stayed by my side and held the other hand (the one that wasn't squeezing Merrick) and never letting me go. I remember the sounds of Sarah's camera snapping and thinking to myself how horrible I was going to look in all of the pictures she was taking. =) I remember thinking the baby's head was stuck. I was sure he was never going to come out. I think I said some pretty ridiculous things, though you'll have to get those details from Merrick because I'm not willing to humiliate myself on my own blog.

And then it happened. At 1:06 am - nearly 24 hours after my water broke - he came. Screaming, pink and perfect. I reached for my boy immediately and held on tight to his slippery little body.

The next hour was a blur - and I was totally preoccupied with my son.

At some point Merrick cut the umbilical cord.

And eventually I gave him up and let Merrick have a turn. It was short lived.

We called Gary and Margaret right away because we wanted the girls to come up and meet the baby first - before anyone else even knew he had been born. They whisked the girls out of their beds and brought them up to the hospital (at 2 in the morning!). Merrick brought them in to the room and it was perfect. We waited to do all of the weighing, measuring and bathing until the girls were with us. It was important to me that they were very involved in as much as they could be.

The girls stayed for a few hours, took turns holding their nameless brother, and inspected every aspect of the delivery and recovery rooms. When it was time to say good-bye they were sad. It was hard to see them go, but I was so tired and hungry and they needed to get back to bed.

If I were to write out my perfect birth plan, this wouldn't have been it, but I am so thankful that Isaac came in his timing and was completely healthy. And in the end, that is all that really matters.

*Note: All pictures were taken by Sarah Williams Photography... and I am forever grateful to her for being with us for nearly 20 straight hours and then capturing every detail of Isaac's birth.