August's Birth Story

August Terrence Renner.

The story of the day my little sunshine baby was born.

Friday, January 25th 2019. I woke up to a cold morning, small snow flakes dancing in the sunshine out my window. We had been anxiously waiting for this day. We woke up knowing we would be welcoming a new baby in to our family! My induction had been scheduled for a week and a half because of how things went with my delivery with Alder (quickly) and I was already pretty far progressed, but we thought August would come on his own since everything about him was not quite according to our plans. A week earlier there was a lunar eclipse and a super moon. I thought he was coming that night, but he graciously waited until my Mother in law could be back in town and my Mom was over a cold so they could both help with the big boys and so we could have everything settled and ready.

At 10 am we took one last picture as a family of 4 and then Drew and I loaded up the car and waved to Aiden and Alder out the window as we pulled away. Being induced is just such a different experience from actually going in to labor. No rushing around or panic. No having to hurry and make a plan for the kids. Drew compared it to going to pick out a piece of furniture. You want a couch, you go purchase one and come home with said couch. Induction is similar. A baby is coming, you go to the hospital and have it and come home with said baby. This was my third induction so we were not complaining about being able to calmly say bye to our boys, have someone we trust to watch them, etc.

We arrived at the hospital and checked in at 11, I was hooked up to pitocin by 12:30. Then we waited. Drew went and got lunch in the cafeteria, I ate a popsicle and blissfully listened to August's steady heartbeat on the monitor and tried to soak everything in knowing it would be the last time I would experience the wonder of childbirth. The nurse came back in and broke my water at 1 and things started happening after that.

My contractions started picking up and the plan for me was always to get an epidural, but I wanted to wait on the epidural until I felt I absolutely had to have it. There's just something about feeling the pain of contractions, knowing you are that much closer to meeting your baby. I felt like i needed to "work for it" at least a little bit (as if carrying the baby for 9 months wasn't work enough). I bounced on the ball for a while and walked around the room, rolled on some Stress Away and then we watched HGTV to pass some time. 

Around 4, the doctor came in again and I was really starting to feel stronger contractions. I was 5 cm, 80% and the doctor suggested if I wanted an epidural to go ahead and call for one in case things picked up quickly (good advice because spoiler alert, they did.) 

I was given my epidural from the sweetest man ever. He was 75 and could be retired, but chooses to continue to work because he loves it. I know a lot of people have issues with the amount they can feel after an epidural, but this man did his job right. I did not feel clumsy and still could feel pressure, but no pain. Glorious. Good work doctor. Around 5 o'clock I started feeling a ton of pressure. Basically it felt like I had a bowling ball just pressing down on my uterus. I thought maybe the epidural was not quite working properly, but then the doctor came in and checked me and all that pressure...that was the baby ready to get the party started. I was fully dilated and 10 cm. With each of my babies, when I know they are about to physically enter the world, I can't help but cry when I think about actually meeting them. It is so surreal knowing what you have been anticipating for so long is actually happening. So many happy tears. 

The doctor started getting her scrubs on and the nurse asked me to do a practice push. So I started pushing and she immediately yelled to STOP because she could see his head. So the doctor finished getting her scrubs on, I pushed twice, the doctor told me to open my eyes and our boy was here. He came out yelling and ready to eat at 5:13 pm.

That feeling when they put your baby on your chest is a feeling I won't ever forget. And since August is our last baby, it is something I am sad that I won't experience again. I already miss his tiny body scrunched up on my chest. It is very euphoric getting to meet your baby and be in such a natural state with them in their first moments outside the womb. It is the closest to heaven I feel like you can get on this Earth.

I spent the next hour skin to skin with my boy soaking him in and studying his tiny features. He had no trouble latching and wanted to eat and eat and eat. Then they took him to get measured and it was Daddy's turn to hold our boy. August looked right up in to our faces as if to say, "here I am Mom and Dad!"

Our nurse, Anne told me that she felt like angels were in the room all day because everything went so smoothly and I was so calm.  Everything about the day was wrapped in sweetness from the kind nurses to the anesthesiologist. I'm forever thankful for being able to experience pregnancy and birth one last time. Staring in to August's face for the first time I knew that he was always meant to be part of our family. What a gift he already is to us.

Alder Jacob {11 Months}

Month 11 with Alder was all about continuing to see his personality come out in big ways. This kid, you guys. He is strong and mighty and very opinionated. Good thing he can communicate with us so well. He is always pointing to things that he wants (this food, not this one, that book, this toy, etc.) and his vocabulary has exploded! He has also started giving his brother a piece of his mind. Haha. The words he is saying will definitely tell you somethings about him...Mama (duh), Pup Pup (his stuffed puppy), Pooh (he is obsessed with Pooh Bear), Bye Bye, BOOK (he requests books constantly), Uh-oh (he is always dropping things off his high chair tray) and then he of course can say most of his favorite foods-Apple, Nana, Puff (as in a cheese puff).

So, back to the "M word"...he has a very clear and focused Mama radar. When Drew takes the boys downstairs so I can cook dinner, he stands at the bottom of the steps and yells "Mama!" When I actually get to shower with the door closed aka the weekend when Drew is home, he stands outside the door and yells "Mama!" When he runs out of food and is still hungry, he yells "Mama!" I can't help but love how much he loves his Mama.

He is getting a lot more physical with Aiden. They love to roughhouse (typical boys) and chase each other around the house (Alder is a super quick crawler) but he is not just sitting back and smiling anymore when Aiden does something he doesn't like. He will now push Aiden or even grab a chunk of his hair and grunt. He gets this wild look in his eyes, grits his teeth and clenches his fists. When that happens, RUN. Haha. Regardless of his newly developed attitude, he continues to go with the flow of our busy lives, is great with change and is such a sweetheart. He still loves giving anything and everything "pat pats" including Mama and Dada, his brother, the cats and all his toys. And his little sweet, satisfied face right before I put him in his bed at night makes me tear up every single time. He blesses me in such big ways.

This month Alder went sledding for the first time (and second and third time), he also graduated out of the baby tub, started drinking out of a cup with a straw, had his first smoothie, celebrated his Dada turning 34, had his first taste of ice cream and had some fun playdates.

A few stats about Alder at eleven months: 

Weight: ?

Height: ?

Size clothes: He is in 12 month clothes and is wearing so many of my favorite old outfits of Aiden's!

Sleeping: He still loves to take naps in his swing. I really don't know what we will do when he outgrows it, which is very close to happening. He has had another good sleeping month, thank you Jesus, minus when he was sick at just wanted Mama.

Random stuff only parents want to know:

Nicknames: Alder J, Baby J, Big Baby, Sweet Baby J.

Likes: Vrooming cars with Aiden, the word NOODLES, Pooh bear, the Veggie Tales theme song, solo bath time, destroying things, throwing things he doesn't like to eat off of his tray, being read to, the song "If You're Happy and you know it", being held by the same volunteer at church every week (he loves Ms. Evelyn!)

Dislikes: The vacuum, not getting his favorite foods fed to him first, his brother being all up in his business (which is almost all day, everrrryday, haha.)

Here are a few of my favorite pictures of Alder from this month...

Life with you is just so sweet baby boy. Time slow down.

Watch Alder Grow...

            One Month Update                        Two Month Update                       Three Month Update

 Four Month Update                        Five Month Update                    Six Month Update

 Seven Month Update                        Eight Month Update                    Nine Month Update

See Aiden at ELEVEN months here!

Alder's birth story

On January 29th, 2017 at 2:47 PM our sweet Alder entered the world kicking and screaming. It was a perfect day and as I sit here thinking back on it, I am brought to tears. Giving birth is a beautiful thing. It's messy and painful, but it is a privilege, an honor and one of the most spiritual things I have ever experienced. Here is the story of the day my second son was born.

Let's rewind to my 38 week appointment. I was 4 cm dilated and 80% effaced and the doctor brought up induction. Since I was two weeks late with my first, she mentioned considering going ahead and scheduling an induction at my next appointment just to have it in the books. Honestly, at that point I really didn't want to be induced. I wanted the "real" experience this time. I wanted to make that call to my husband in panic mode saying "Hunny, get home now, my water just broke!" Don't ask me why, but I wanted all the crazy that comes with the contractions at home and scrambling around. It seemed exciting and I wanted it to happen naturally this time. Well my 39 week appointment came and I was progressing quickly. 5 cm and 85% effaced. The doctor brought up induction once again and was worried that if I didn't schedule an induction within the next few days, that I could end up giving birth in the car on the way to the hospital because she said when it happened, it would be quick. It was the doctor who delivered Aiden so she said nonchalantly, "I'm at the hospital on Sunday (it was Thursday) why don't you come in then, I'll break your water and we can have this baby." Those words sold me and I called to schedule my induction for Sunday at 10 am.

I still fully expected to go into labor on my own, but it never happened. So Saturday night I got to rock my sweet son and sing to him one last time before he would become a big brother. I got to cry some tears I'd been holding in and pray for his heart. I got to take my time packing the car Sunday morning, shower, eat breakfast and relax on our car ride to the hospital as snowflakes fell around us. It was serene and peaceful and wonderful.

We got admitted at the hospital, I got into my robe and got hooked up to Pitocin. We listened to Alder's heartbeat on the monitor and waited. At 11:40 the doctor came in and broke my water and then the contractions started.

With Aiden I got an epidural shortly after my water broke, but this time I just wanted to feel more and while it was painful, I kind of enjoyed it. Drew read the monitor and told me when I was at the peak of a contraction and helped me breathe through the pain. I had Hillsong on in the background and focused my energy on what was to come. I had no plans to do a natural birth so when I couldn't bare it anymore I asked for the epidural, then bliss. 45 minutes later, and 3 sets of pushes later, he was here. I was a Mama again.

Those first few moments after your baby is born, when the doctors hand them over to you and you look them in the eyes, is the closest thing to heaven on Earth that I've ever experienced. Meeting the life you've been growing inside of you for 9 months, the little human that prodded you in the middle of the night, that you felt hiccuping at all hours, that you sang to and prayed over...the moment you've dreamt of, prayed about and longed for is here. This thing that has been part of you, but is now separate from you is now breathing on his own and staring you in the face. It truly is a miracle.

After he spent the first hour of his little life laying on his Mama's chest, he was whisked away to be weighed and measured. 7 pounds 9 ounces of love. 52.5 cm. The entire time, just like his brother, Alder was looking around and taking in this big old world.

Then it was Daddy's turn to hold Alder and we simply stared in awe at the newest addition to our family. We were officially a family of 4 and we couldn't wait for Aiden to arrive to meet his little brother! Those photos are coming soon and they are absolutely adorable. My heart has never felt so full.

Views from the weekend

My weekend was a good one. My book club got together on Friday night. We drank wine, ate appetizers and talked about our latest read, The Nightingale. It's a book about two sisters in France during WWII. They both handle the presence of the Germans in their home very differently. I highly recommend it, especially if you are a fan of Historical Fiction. If you read and loved The Girl You Left Behind, you will love it! Our next book: The Boston Girl. Have any of you read it?

In our house, weekends equal big family breakfasts and staying in our jammies until 11 because we can. Saturday we woke up to snow....in April. We took Aiden to a Discovery Center inside a new shopping center, which meant play time for him and shopping for me. If you take in a bag of old/worn clothes to H&M over the next few weeks, you can get 30% off your purchase!

Sunday we booked our flights to South Carolina and spent some time looking up restaurants and places to site see. I can't wait to be on the beach again in less than two months!

What were some of your favorite views this weekend?

Oh hey there blog world...{Life Lately}

So I've been a little MIA around here lately. No reason in particular, but life is just busy and my time has been filled up to the brim with my little family and some changes at work. So I thought I'd do a little life lately post.

Lately...
I've been wearing...My new Girlfriend Chinos from GAP (I'm also loving that I got them for 50% off)

I've been watching...11/22/63. You guys. This show is amazing. The book is one of my absolute favorites and I was so worried they would mess it up when they turned it into a show. But it is exceeding my expectations! Thank you James Franco. New episodes stream on Mondays on Hulu.

I've been drinking...Island Green Smoothies from Tropical Smoothie Cafe. So good. I think I have a problem when every time I go in, the cashier knows my order and says "See you tomorrow!" Haha.

I've been dreaming about...our summer vacation to South Carolina at the end of May!!!

I've been listening to...a lot of Disney music. I have a Disney Pandora station that Aiden and I like to have dance sessions to in the afternoons.

I've been reading...books like crazy. I'm obsessed. I'm almost always reading one book and listening to another. My current favorites: The Girl You Left Behind by JoJo Moyes and All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.

I've been laughing at...these mom comics. They are spot on and I think I've done every single one.

I've been cooking...irregularly. But when I do, it's almost always something from Pioneer Woman, Chef in Training or Mix & Match Mama!

This recipe is quickly becoming my all time favorite. And this one is a close second. Both are easy and delicious.

And because Aiden is growing up way too quickly and I haven't posted any real updates since 12 months, I'm including a few of my current favorite Aiden pictures. He is so much fun and has quite the personality. The kid could just live outside!

Shirt from Shop Jumping Jack

What have you been up to lately?

Catch me up!