6 years already?!

6 years ago today our first baby girl, Emma Marie, was born at 3:20pm, weighing 7lb 7oz and 19 1/2 in long! Here she is in our birthday princess hat, every year each girl gets a picture with the hat (including me).I usually do a huge slide show, but many of you have seen all the pictures!!! I can't believe she's that old, but then again I can't remember life without her? My parents always made sure we felt special on our birthdays...we woke up to the "Happy Birthday" sign, presents and balloons and we've done the same for our kids! Jody had to leave for work before she woke up so she had to wait to open her presents until after he got home, but this is what she woke up to...
A handmade sign by her daddy and we hung up balloons! Thank you to everyone that called and sang Happy Birthday to her this morning, she loved it! Tonight we are getting together with family to celebrate by going out to dinner and Saturday she is having a few friends over for a fairy princess party! Oh, and this is what she picked out for breakfast, she asked Jody for breakfast in bed too...she's so funny!!! She got some money for her birthday too. I asked her what she wanted to buy and of course she said she wanted to go to Target to see what they had. My mom and I have taught her to spot the red tags at target because they mean clearance and it means we are spending our money more wisely, so she did just that. Here is a picture of what she bought with her money and here's the breakdown:
Jeans: $8.99 (orig $17.99)
Black Shoes: $4.24 (orig $16.99)
Gold Sparkly Shoes: $4.98 (orig $19.99)
Black Dress Shoes: $3.74 (orig $14.99)
Brown HSM t-shirt: $2.24 (orig $9.99)
Grand Total: $25.88 vs. Original Total: $85.55, a savings of $59.67!!!
Almost everything she picked up was 75% off, she is quite my bargain shopper!!!

Sunday our fellow AWANA workers threw Jack a baby shower! It was so much fun! We ate yummy food, played games and the girls were able to help open all of Jack's gifts! We received so many nice BOY things! We are very thankful for all that we received. Thank you to everyone who helped coordinate, plan and attended the shower! Here is a slide show of the event...

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Girls in Shades

I met my mom, Matt, Diana...can't forget Ashtyn...for a late lunch yesterday at the mall. While we were there "Wanka" bought all the girls sunglasses, they were so cute we had to snap some pictures!!! Here's a picture of Anna, Ashtyn & Emma...

Lizzy was in our stroller...Jack was too small for sunglasses!!!

This is a conversation I had with Lizzy last night when we got home from church...

Sarah: "What did you learn tonight at Puggles?"
Lizzy: "DO NOT HIT!"
Sarah: "Lizzy, did you hit someone tonight?"
Lizzy: "Yes, Miss Hannah...and Anna"
Sarah: "Did you tell them you were sorry?"
Lizzy: "Yes, sorry Hannah and Anna for hitting" (Anna was asleep & Hannah was at her house)

After we got her jammies on I decided to ask again...
Sarah: "What did you learn tonight at Puggles?"
Lizzy: "DO NOT SCRATCH!"
Sarah: "Lizzy...did you scratch someone tonight?"
Lizzy: "Yes, Miss Hannah"
Sarah: "Did you tell them you were sorry?"
Lizzy: "NO!"

I decided not to ask again what she learned in Puggles!

Don't worry she will be punished if she did hit and scratch...we'll find out the truth from her teacher Ms. Linda! Believe it or not Lizzy gets in trouble quite often for pushing, hitting, scratching and just being mean to her sisters...you wouldn't know it from her angelic face!!!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

1st Trip to Church

Here are my two favorite Guys, all dressed up for church...Jack took his first trip to church today, he looked so cute in his "little man" outfit, cords, long sleeve button-up shirt and sweater vest!
In his bouncer seat, ready to get buckled in his car seat...

Here are a couple more we snapped this afternoon...

So sleepy and cute!!!

Family Update

I said I would do better about blogging and I really haven't, sorry :-( Jack is still doing great, eating, sleeping, pooping.

Emma & Anna are doing well too, a little ancy due to the cold weather and not being able to get outside and play as much, but good helpers to mommy!

Lizzy is much better than even a few days ago. When we first came home she wouldn't sleep in her own bed...she would cry for hours (seriously) up against her bedroom door and wake up a couple times during the night and end up in our bed. I was so tired from getting up to feed Jack and not wanting to wake up Jody (who had to work early the next morning) that I would let her get in our bed. I was done with that after about 2 nights, I refused to let her come out of her room and made her stay in her bed. She now will only cry for a few minutes or not even at all! She doesn't seem as jealous, although she does have her moments here and there.
Jody is doing well and loving his BOY! He is so proud of him, the few times we've ventured out with Jack he has to show him off!!! He works during the day but does have a break to come home and help out for a little while some days.
I'm doing pretty good...I forgot how draining it is to have a newborn, they are completely helpless and so dependent on you and since I'm nursing it's magnified. So far having 4 isn't much different than having 3...we'll see as Jack gets bigger, more awake and mobile!

Blog...what blog???

OK, so I did just have a baby 11 days ago, but for those of you who don't get to see us very often I owe you more posts...I will try to do better this week! I also realized I didn't blog much about Christmas or New Year's?!?!? We got some new gadets to help with me losing/breaking camera cords so I can't get my pictures off my camera and for our cell phones so it shouldn't take me long to get pictures on here! Maybe tomorrow will be a better blogging day...for today I have changed a 3 year old 3 times, a 2 year old twice, a newborn once...this is only clothes...today's diaper count I believe is 7 and I'm about to change another one, (scratch that, 2)....oh the joys of poop and the non-potty-participation of a 2 year old!!!
Can I add here that I was able to fit back in my jeans today!!! This is not bragging by any means, but simply a great pick me up since I've been wearing lounge pants, t-shirts and slippers everyday!

1 Week Old

Jack is 1 week old today...It seemed like he would never get here!!! He is a great baby...eats, sleeps, poops A LOT, pretty normal newborn behavior!!! He likes to snuggle, be toasty warm, sleeps with his mouth open (like big sis Anna), he already seems pretty laid back, but we'll see as his personality develops! I am so excited to have a baby boy and he already has a special place in my heart!!

Emma is a really good helper, she is constantly kissing Jack or holding his hand. She loves to talk to him and help me with diaper changing, clothes changing, bathing, anything related to Jack Emma is right there to help! She also started carrying around one of my baby carriers today with her baby doll in it, so cute!

Anna is Anna, off in her world. Half the time she doesn't even notice he's there unless he's making noise or crying. She will hold him but is not as eager. She does like to help fetch diaper supplies or burp cloths when needed.

Lizzy is having a rough time, but is getting better and more adjusted with "baby shack" each day! She's not sleeping well and wants Mommy all the time, I still am not supposed to pick her up and it's hard for her to understand what's going on. She loves Jack, wants to hold him, kiss him, rub is head and help me with everything, but she is very rough. She keeps demanding she feed him, which is not possible since I am nursing, try explaining that to a 2 year old!!!

All in all we are adjusting to "Baby Jack" as the girls call him and he is adjusting to us and life outside the womb!

Jack's Birth Story....

When a friend of mine started her blog she decided to turn it into a book for when her kids got older. I thought it was a great idea and am planning on doing the same, so here's Jack's birth story!
I had been having contractions for weeks, these were real contractions as my cervix was dilating...slowly but there was change! Friday January 1st I began having them once again, but they would get stronger then space out again. I was exhausted from staying up for the New Year and Jody kept the girls busy so I could take a short nap, it turned out to be a 2 hour nap and I felt really well rested! Around 8:00pm the contractions came back and were consistently 10 min apart for the next 1 1/2 hour, then they stopped. I decided to get in the shower to try to relax before bed. We put the girls to bed and began watching TV. Around 11:30pm I had a really strong contraction, then 4 minutes later another, then another...I knew something was different because they were lasting a lot longer and weren't coming down. At 12:00am I told Jody to get the girls in the car, to call my parents and I was going to call my Doctor. Jody got the girls loaded and we were leaving our driveway when I talked to my doctor to let her know I was coming in. My parents met us at the hospital to take the girls and off we went to labor and delivery. I might add here that Jody was really nervous about getting me to the hospital and we made the hour drive in 35 minutes! I was admitted and was only 4 cm! At that time I was frustrated because I had only dilated another 1/2 cm since my appointment the day before! The nurse tried to start an IV and blew the vein, she went to the next hand and blew another vein. She called in 2 more nurses and they couldn't find a vein so they called for the IV team (who knew there was an IV team?). The problem was I was extremely dehydrated and they had to do bloodwork on me before they could give me any pain medication. The IV team came (which consisted of one very slow not in a hurry lady) and she used her doplar and finally found a vein after 3 more sticks! My labor nurse was very frustrated because she was taking so long and at that point as I was progrsessing very quickly and was shaking uncontrollably. I heard my nurse ask another nurse to get me stadol, a drug to help take the edge off, just in case I didn't have time for the epidural...I almost started freaking out...She got the IV in and immediately gave me the stadol. I calmed down a bit and she checked me and I was 9 cm! The anesthesiologist came in gave me the epidural and 3 contractions later I began pushing. I pushed for 5 minutes and out came Jack Tyler! I have to say I have so much respect for women who can have a baby naturally without any medication...I told the nurse I didn't know how women back in the day did it!
We found out later from my OB that although Jack was head down he was facing the wrong direction and that was causing all my back and leg pain, his head was also tilted a bit. He turned himself around as he was being pushed out...that was why I was dilating slowly, I didn't have him earlier in my pregnancy (I had been having "real" contractions since about 7 months) and what saved me from having Jack in the car! That was a little scary but God was completely in control! We are so happy to have our little Jack and the blessing of his older sisters!!! We are on cloud 9....

Click Here for more pictures of Jack!

Pics of Jack

Our Kids...can you beieve we have 4???

Proud Dad & Mom to a new baby BOY!!!

Proud Big Sisters!!!

IT'S A BOY!!!

In the blue corner, weighing in at 6lb 15oz, measuring 20 1/2 inches tall (long), "The Squirt," Jack Tyler Livingston!!

Another Check-up

First I have to say NO BABY :-(
Second is that there is an end date...
I went for another check-up yesterday because I hadn't felt the baby moving much (3 times in 2.5 hours) which is unusual for this active one. After a Non-Stress Test and a lot of cold water it started moving around like normal. They checked me again and surprise I was dilated between 3.5-4 cm, baby's head was much lower and still 60% efaced. They did go ahead and schedule an induction for next Tuesday if I haven't had the baby yet...Rex Hospital wouldn't schedule an induction earlier than 39 weeks (which I will be Saturday) for me and that was the next available bed. I of course could get bumped if there are too many patients already there...hopefully we'll already be there or been there and home. Just wanted to keep everyone updated...it's hard to call and text everyone with updates!

It's been a pretty busy past few weeks for us so sorry I haven't updated with an real family news or stories....hopefully I'll get some pictures on here from Christmas and News Years soon!!!