The Parnells

The Tale Of Two Mornings

2012-01-30T10:53:00.002-05:00

Or the tale of all mornings, really. Poor guy gets smothered with more kisses than he knows what to do with.

Sunday, January 29.

Monday, January 30.

But he's not complaining.

Absolutely Glorious

2012-01-19T17:17:00.000-05:00

I love to snuggle Micah right up under his neck. I want to breathe in as much of his sweet smell as possible, so I get my nose as close to his little neck crevices as I can, even when I know it's mixed with some formula and a little lint.

Hannah Kate, she can give the best hugs this side of Texas. I love it when I'm sitting Indian style (is that okay to say anymore?) and she runs to throw her arms around my neck. Her little body almost knocks me backwards and her little face finds the perfect place between my shoulder and neck. And sometimes, she's just too excited and she squeals and almost burst my ear drums.

And my sweet Elizabeth. She is getting so big. She's finally mastered the art of not giving sloppy kisses. Well, that's if her nose isn't running.

It was in the middle of the chaos of three little children running around and a very messy house that I knew I wouldn't trade anything in the world to be here. Here, still in my pajamas, hair not brushed (but thankfully the teeth were) in the midst of the three diapers I haven't had a chance to throw away yet.

I'd rather be deaf from hearing Hannah's screams of delight and feeling her warm body embrace me than any 5 figure salary.

To have this perspective tomorrow will be if-y. There's nothing very romantic about motherhood. Or glamorous, for that matter.

But glorious? Absolutely.

Auto-tuned Bed time Song

2012-01-17T12:17:00.001-05:00

Thanks to this app!

Catching up with the Parnells

2012-01-13T16:13:00.000-05:00

The last month has been a whirlwind. Here's a little catching up (in pictures mostly):

Uncle Joel came to visit.

Then Grandma.

Christmas morning happened.

and then she turned 4!

Poppy, Granna, and Uncle Aaron came to visit.

He shaved.

She got cuter, if that's even possible.

And him?

Well...

He grew.

UP!

OVER.

NIGHT!

Oh. and we bought a house.

and yes. this is our amazing backyard.

Also, in case you haven't noticed, I became a .com. So now to get here, all you have to do is remember my name: www.MELISSAPARNELL.com .

We close on the house February 15 and will move in shortly afterwards. We are excited. And nervous. And I'm a little sad. There are lots of memories in our sweet duplex. But if you know of anyone in Twin Cities area looking for a place to rent the first of March, we know some pretty awesome landlords.

Happy Birthday, Elizabeth Grace!

2011-12-26T15:53:00.000-05:00

Happy 4th birthday, my sweet, imaginative, free-spirited, extroverted, artistic, pays-attention-to-details, glad, particular, compassionate, and affectionate little girl!

You have filled our family with such gladness and joy. And our lives have been forever (happily!) changed because of you.

May Jesus make his face to shine upon you. May he be your portion forever. And may your heart be intensely satisfied in your Maker!

I love you to the fairies and back, my darling!

All things Hannah Kate

2011-12-13T16:23:00.000-05:00

Hannah went in for her two year appointment. She is currently 34 inches (45 percentile in height) and 26 1/2 pounds (42 percentile in weight). We were pleasantly impressed by the 3 lbs she packed on since June. Overall, she is growing and developing wonderfully--something we certainly don't want to take for granted.

Some other random things about our dear Hannah:

She refers to herself as "Hannah Tate!"
She calls Micah "ga-ga" and if she refers to him as Michaiah it's "me-ga-ga"
She calls Elizabeth "la-la" but more recently she will randomly say "wit-a-beths"
She moved from saying "da-da" to "daddy". It melts my heart.
Sadly, she has started to abandon mama and resorted to mom. She is 2 going on 15.
She takes apart her sandwiches.
She likes to string her string cheese.
She loves bananas.
And elmo.
And Woody.
and Wendy (from Peter Pan).
and princesses.
She also likes shoes. and jackets.
She doesn't like to wear mittens.
And she likes to touch the snow.
Yeah, not a good combination.
She loves, LOVES the "kismas twee."
And I love to hear her say it so much, I may never take it down.
This kid has some hilarious dance moves.
Her first question in the morning is always, "where daddy?"
And her favorite question is, "why?"
She counts like this: one, TWO, free, nine, TWO! It's too cute to correct right now.
She's a really great helper. She will take shoes to the front door, try to hang up her jacket, grab a diaper or the wipes, and throw diapers and trash away.
And if I can't get her to do any of those things, Woody gladly does it for me.
She likes music.
And she likes to wear big sister's pajamas.
She knows most of the animal nosies. But if she doesn't know, she will say "meow"
She quivers her chin when she says "Naaayy."
She is loaded with personality.
She likes to say, "A-MIN!" for amen.
She is currently cutting all 4 of her 2 year molars. Poor girl.
She gets the most compliments on her hair.
And the next, being those big blue eyes.
She's a cute one. and she knows since "Wook at mee!!" is a common phrase.
If she gets caught disobeying, she freezes. except her eyes. They are moving up and down and side to side with big blinks in between.
She hates getting her hair brushed.
If she doesn't like her food, she likes to say, "eww! uck!"
She's a hoarder. She would hoard her food and toys if we let her.
She likes to snuggle.
And put her cheek next to yours when you slow dance.

And these are only the beginning of the things I love about her.

Photo taken by Jordan Cave

Our Christmas Card

2011-12-06T11:34:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas!

Love, Hannah Kate

Thankful That He Prays

2011-11-14T14:42:00.001-05:00

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail."

(Luke 22:31-32a ESV)

In the nitty, gritty moments of my stay-at-home mom career I need to know that Jesus died for my sins. This job exposes a lot of dirt. And even when I remember my sins are atoned for, sometimes I can still feel discouraged. An important part of the gospel I like to think about in moments of my weakness is that Jesus is constantly praying for me. He is at the Father's right hand interceding for me. He is praying that my faith would not fail.

In the moments of fighting a hard headed toddler to wear a coat in freezing temperatures (and loosing my cool after hearing 15 solid minutes of whining). . . in these moments when I forget all aspects of the gospel and the last thing I feel like doing is praying for myself. . . in these moments the gospel still prevails. Jesus died was buried, and then was raised and enthroned. And it's by this victory that he secures the never-failing sustenance of my faith, even when the flame becomes a flicker.

Not because of how well I can articulate it or coach myself to believe it. But only because in my weakness the Spirit intercedes for me, and my great High Priest pleads on my behalf.

We all know Peter denied him. And we all know more times than not we deny him too in how we display grace to our children. But remember Who is keeping you.

Mom, when your patiences runs out and Jesus seems far away, make it a time to recall his Keeping power. He's praying for you then. Let your kids know there is a hope outside of you— outside your ability to mother well. Jesus is the author and perfecter of your faith. We really are jars of clay and the treasure we possess makes clear the surpassing power comes from him. This is beautiful: being vulnerable and exhibiting a needy life dependent on his grace.

I told Elizabeth I ate all her Halloween Candy

2011-11-03T23:24:00.001-04:00

This video...

...inspired this one.

**feelings were only briefly hurt in the making of this film.
***Elizabeth thinks it's funny to watch the video. She also refers to herself in the 3rd person as she watches herself pick her nose.

Micah: 6 months old

2011-11-02T23:28:00.001-04:00

Micah is such a pleasant baby. His red hair is falling out and it's growing back in blonde. It's the softest fuzz my cheeks have ever snuggled. His blue eyes seem to be getting bluer and his little personality is emerging along with two bottom teeth.

He loves to kick, smile, turn over, and laugh. Sometimes he is bashful. He thinks his sisters are incredibly entertaining and hilarious. Daddy's already his hero. And mom puts a sparkle in his eyes.

He is 6 months today. And it's been the sweetest, most difficult, delightful, joyfilled 6 months of my entire life. My heart has quadrupled in size and my arms are overflowing with such wonderful gifts!

Micah,

May Jesus be your great salvation. May he satisfy your every desire. May you taste his steadfast love that never ceases. May he be your portion forever. And may your joy be ultimate because Jesus claims you as his own.

I love you, my precious son!

A visit with Uncle Joel

2011-10-04T17:36:00.003-04:00

Uncle Joel came to visit us again this past weekend.

The girls were thrilled to spend time with him again. Uncle Joel proved to be an excellent tent maker and Elizabeth loved when he was also a 'wuf' (wolf). We did have to have a few conversations with the girls that Jesus gave us Uncle Joel to share...mainly with our middle child who apparently forgot she could walk when he was around. Micah was also pretty excited about chillin' with him, when his sisters gave him a chance to.

Micah + Uncle Joel

Hannah Kate laying claim that he was her Uncle Joel

And I'm pretty sure she just finished laying a big wet one on his check.

Sadly, during picture time, Elizabeth was having a hard time.

So this was the best I got of the all the kids with Uncle Joel

And here's the guys taking a break from watching the Cardinals win

Last night when we were putting Elizabeth to bed she asked Jonathan what we were going to do today (I'm guessing she meant tomorrow) and asked if Uncle Joel would be coming. Hannah, randomly, walks throughout the house calling for him. Needless to say, we already miss that guy!

Thanks, Joel, for joining in on all our craziness!

Our joy is certainly increased because of our friendship with you!

First Days

2011-09-20T11:21:00.001-04:00

Last Thursday was officially Elizabeth's first day at preschool. She was so excited about riding the bus. She watched for it the entire morning from the window until we decided to go on outside. When the bus arrived, she hardly looked back. I was just thankful she got off the bus without crying when it returned. Oh, and I cried, of course. Then I spent the rest of the morning in disbelief that my little firstborn 6lb baby was old enough to be doing all this.

When Friday rolled around she was as equally excited about riding the bus and going to preschool.

BUT...not only was Thursday her first day of preschool, it was also her first day of ballet/tap class! They had a groupon for dance classes and our best friends, the Tongs, signed up their little girl, Ju-Ju (Juliana). A great deal + a friend = a no brainer!

Elizabeth is actually more excited about her dance class than preschool. In fact, as I'm writing this blog, she is practicing with the used tap shoes we got her and asking me (the tomboy as a kid) for some help with her ballet moves (youtube here I come...).

Here's a little video I got of her class:

I know, I know. She's a natural, isn't she?

Elizabeth's Preschool Orientation

2011-09-12T12:27:00.001-04:00

This first picture has nothing to do with preschool. I let Elizabeth pick out her outfit one day last week, and I couldn't get over how well she matched (or how well she cooperated with me to get this picture!).

Beautiful girl!

Ok, back to the preschool thing.

She had an open house at her preschool this past Thursday. For the first hour we played with our kids in the classroom. For the second hour the parents had a meeting right across the hall from them.

How did Elizabeth do?

Elizabeth did fine. She didn't cry when some of the kids cried when the parents left to go to the meeting. She cried when I came back from the meeting and told her it was time to go home. It was no surprise to me. She is our social butterfly and she loves being around other children (not to mention she does this from time to time when we pick her up from nursery at church).

How did I do?

Well I cried when I received the letter telling me about the orientation. When we to get her school supplies the day before the orientation, I was really excited! She has been so excited about starting preschool. After getting the supplies we ran into a mom in Target parking lot who told us that she just drop her little girl off at Kindergarten. A huge knot formed in the back of my throat and tears came to my eyes. Maybe it was the look on her face or me just imagining sending Elizabeth to Kindergarten, but it made me realize I'm a little more emotional than I thought.

We will put her on the bus this Thursday and that is what I'll consider her first day of preschool. I'm just hoping I'm not ridiculous. Oh, and homeschool seems like a probable solution to not ever having to face sending her to Kindergarten. :)

Random things

She already knows some of the kids in the class. Morrow, the little guy who lives upstairs, will be in her class and will ride the bus with her! I'm really excited about that. And then there's Abigail, who plays with her sometimes in nursery, she will be in there too!

Elizabeth wore a skirt to preschool. It reminded me that we need to work on the whole 'sit like a lady' thing.

Also, the night before, she got a mosquito bite on her butt. So not only was she not sitting like a lady in her skirt, she was also digging at the bite! It was really hilarious to me.

"Elizabeth look at mama and smile!"

"Look at mama!"

She's really quick to listen to me.

Sitting beside Morrow

And now, Abigail.

Taking it all in.

Note to self: Don't send her to school in a skirt.

Excited about going on a bear hunt!

Hannah Kate and her hair!

2011-09-07T17:39:00.000-04:00

When I go to playgrounds the number one response I get (other than, they're all yours?!) is look at all that hair (referring to Hannah Kate). Her hair is ridiculous. Some people thought she'd be our little brown headed child, but as of late her hair is turning blonde. My brother can't get over this, so I decided to document Hannah's hair since birth. Elizabeth's pretty much did the same thing–black to blonde. And although Micah's hair for now has a red tint, we aren't holding our breath that it will stay that way.

October 2009

January 2010

February 2010

March 2010

April 2010

May 2010 (starting to see some blonder hair)

June 2010

July 2010

August 2010

September 2010

October 2010

November 2010

December 2010

February 2011

March 2011

April 2011

May 2011

June 2011

July 2011

August 2011

September 2011

All Hannah's 'new' hair is growing in blonde. So she'll probably rock the same highlighted look her big sister rocks.

Our Hannah Kate

2011-09-06T17:27:00.000-04:00

She is so funny to me. Here's a video of her imitating daddy doing push-ups on his swivel push up bars

"uck, mommy! uck!"

She always has her water bottle and toys with her in the car

She's a Ham. Biscuit!

She loves to copy big Sister

It never fails--she always falls.

She's the kid who wants to play with everything other than the playground

She also likes to eat dirt.

And wear sun glasses

and is pretty content with just a bucket.

I love every ounce of personality this little girl adds to our family. She flavors us with delight, and my heart swells up in gratitude that the Lord would give us such a happy daughter. I love every bit of you, my little girl!

Happy 4 months, Micah!

2011-09-02T11:37:00.000-04:00

What does a day in the life of this 4 month old look like?

8:00am- I wake up 'the dude' and feed him.

9:30am-He goes down for a nap.

12:00pm-Wakes up and eats bottle.

1:30pm-Goes down for another nap.

4:00pm-Wakes up and has another bottle.

5:45-6:00pm-Goes down for another nap.

6:45-7:00pm-Wakes up from his cat nap.

8:00pm-Has last bottle and goes to bed

I know. It's a hard life for the both of us. (only kidding!)

And it looks just like his big sister Hannah (when she was his age) and will eventually look like Elizabeth (she was almost 13 months when I wrote that).

For the past month Micah made the jump from sleeping from 10:30pm-8am to 8pm-8am. And for almost a week, he has shared a room with his big sisters! They all go down for their naps around 1:30, and then they all go down around 8 for bedtime. The transition has gone surprisingly well.

What has this 4 month old been up to this month?

Nappin' by the lakes while my sisters swim with daddy.

Nappin' in big beds

Chillin' at the parks

Flirtin' with mama!

stop. it!

Meeting my best bud

Posin' as batman.

Hangin' with the sistas

Gettin' loved on too much by those sistas.

It's been 4 months full of kisses.

Seriously--too.many.ladies in my life.

And some crazier than others.

How much does this 4 month old weigh?

Well, I'm not sure. Last time (towards the end of July) he weighed 9lbs 7oz. Our next doctor visit is September 14th, so I'll keep you posted.

But what I do know is that he isn't my little 4lb baby anymore....

little guy

big guy!

Micah, dear, it's been 4 months of pure joy with you in my arms. Thanks for tripling the size of my heart!

I love you 'little dude!'

A birthday poem to the greatest woman ever!

2011-08-26T23:20:00.005-04:00

On this day, 29 and some years ago (you are welcome!), a baby girl was born to the proud parents of Otis and Marilyn Darnell. They named her Pamela Camille and they called her Pam. Later in her life, she became my Mama and since becoming a mother myself—my hero (in all the non-cliche ways). She wrote me a poem for my wedding titled “I hope you have a daughter just like you,” so for her 29+ birthday, I wrote her a poem:

I Hope to be a Mother just like You

I often see glimpses of you, Mama, in my mothering.

From phrases I say, to quarky little things I do.

I used to dread how inevitable it seemed, but I’m beginning to understand.

I hope to be a mother just like you.

Remember feeding me at 2am when I was a newborn?

I don’t, but I remember you telling me later it was the sweetest time for you.

Just you and me—you holding your baby girl and me smiling behind a bottle at you.

I hope to be a mother just like you.

Remember when I went off to see the kittens at our neighbor’s house without telling you?

You had gathered a team to go searching for me, and I met y’all in the church yard as I was coming home.

That was the most memorable spanking, for sure, but I remember your tight hug and your watery, thankful eyes when you knew I was ok.

I hope to be a mother just like you.

Remember when I went to Kindergarten and didn’t want you to walk me to my class?

You allowed me to be independent and encouraged me to be confident.

But you followed me to class without me knowing, crying with every step I took.

I hope to be a mother just like you.

Remember when I’d ask you to take me to a friend’s house or if I could have someone spend the night?

You saw friendships valuable for me.

So you never hesitated to say yes even though it wasn’t always convenient.

And you let me stay or let them stay even on school nights, when it wasn’t ideal.

I hope to be a mother just like you.

Remember when I used to make you drop me off a mile from the door when I was in middle school because I didn’t want my friends to know I actually had a mom?

You would do it with such a sense of humor and had confidence to know it was only a stage.

I hope to be a mother just like you.

Remember all my sporting events?

You would, because it didn’t matter where they were or what time they were, you’d work hard to be there: whether that meant to go in two hours earlier or to work on a Saturday. You wouldn’t miss cheering me on for the world.

I hope to be a mother just like you.

Remember when I went through that wild teenage stage?

And remember how you didn’t kill me?

I hope to be a mother just like you. :)

Remember when you got that phone call at FoodLion telling you we’d been in a car wreck?

You told me about how awful the drive to the hospital was not knowing much of the details.

I had never been so thankful to see your face and to hold your hand.

I hope to be a mother just like you.

Remember when you dropped me off in my dorm at college?

I cried and didn’t want you to leave. You hugged me tight and fought back all the tears.

You knew I needed you to be strong and you resisted all that was in you to pack my stuff back up and take me back home.

I hope to be a mother just like you.

Remember when that boy asked you for my hand in marriage?

He told you he couldn’t promise you where your grandchildren would be raised.

You still told him yes and then lied to me about him not talking to you so it would be a surprise.

I hope to be a mother just like you.

Remember when I told you Elizabeth was an Elizabeth?

You were so certain she was a Micah. You cried. You had finally gotten the wish—”I hope you have a daughter just like you!”

I hope to be a mother just like you.

Remember when I went into labor with Elizabeth on Christmas of 2007?

At 11 o’ clock at night you drove four and a half hours back to Raleigh.

You stayed with us for a week doing all the dirty work like the dishes and laundry, so I could hold and enjoy my newborn.

And I never had to think about a meal because you had it covered.

I hope to be a mother just like you.

Remember when Jon and I packed up all our stuff, including your 8 month old granddaughter, and moved to Minneapolis?

You never discouraged me not go and you felt peace in the midst of your heart crushing because you believed we were doing what God had called us to do.

I hope to be a mother just like you.

Remember when we tried to tell you about Hannah by making Elizabeth wear a big sister shirt?

You were just too excited to be here to even pay attention to what she was wearing. We basically had to tell you.

And knowing you wouldn’t physically be here for another grandbaby never diminished your excitement—you had TWO granddaughters!

I hope to be a mother just like you.

Remember this past April when I was having all my stomach pains?

You jumped on a plane to stay a week with me and help me out around the house.

I hope to be a mother just like you.

And do you remember when you got that phone call a few weeks later, telling you my water had broke?

You jumped on a plane again and was here for the long haul.

You took care of my children and my house even though you longed to be by my side. But you trusted my steadfast husband to stay with me.

You stayed 6 whole weeks, taking every single one of your sick days without thinking twice.

I hope to be a mother just like you.

You see, Mama, I’m beginning to understand all those things I thought were once so strange. I understand now why you cried when our vans came back from camp. Or the bittersweet reasons you wanted me to have a daughter who acted just like me. Becoming a mother helped me understand all the reasons you do all that you do: because you love me and you want the very best for me.

And one day when my babies are grown and big, I want sacrificing to be like second nature to me. Just like it is for you. And when our girls get mad at me for being too mothering about their mothering, I’ll send them an email (or whatever it will be by then) apologizing and encouraging them, and telling them how I wish I could just shut up and not say anything. Then, I’ll call you and laugh and say, “Well, I’ve completely turned into you!” . . . with a grateful heart towards Jesus for giving me a such a wonderful gift I call my mother!

I love you, Mama!!

It's not always good days

2011-08-05T16:27:00.005-04:00

It's been a difficult day. Whiny kids. Bad attitudes. Harsh words. Oh, and that was just the first 2 hours of my morning. They were in the car for lunch. I should have just drove around, but Micah needed to eat.

We go home and I began feeding Micah. Elizabeth is yelling from the bathroom for me to come. It's never good when my children are in the bathroom alone. With Micah in one arm and the bottle in the other I barge in the bathroom to find Hannah Kate sucking on a tube of toothpaste.

I survive until nap time. And the girls began signaling all the signs it's 'that time.' More whining. More attitudes. More breakdowns. I read Elizabeth 4 books instead of just the usually 1 and bribe her with a prize if she takes a decent nap. It didn't work.

Nap time sounds more like a party, multiple disciplines happen, and after an exhausting hour and a half, I look down at my snoozing little boy and contemplate bailing out. Just the two of us.

Instead I opt to read some parenting book. I can't get through but a couple of paragraphs before I have to deal with disobedient children again. They go through seasons of thinking they don't need naps. At the age of 3 and 22 months they know better than mama. And then 6pm rolls around and all hell is breaking loose in their little worlds. The mere fact somebody looked at somebody causes major break downs. It really makes for a great way to top off such a WONDERFUL day.

I got on facebook to check out for a bit. I saw one of my friends was selling unused diapers and bottles and other baby things. And I completely lost it. She lost her little girl 3 months ago. She never got to use any of those baby things that once decorated her house in expecting hope of her little girl coming home. I don't know difficult days like she knows them.

It's another reminder of Psalm 39. Even though it's felt like a hard day in the motherhood, at least it's been another day. The fact they are able to whine, argue, and melt down is a mercy. It means their hearts are pumping and blood is moving and their lungs are filling. Oh, to have this perspective when 6pm rolls around will be a miracle. But I'm praying God would grant me the grace to see what sweet gifts my children are on the most difficult days. Because even the most "difficult" days with them is enough to make it absolutely wonderful.

Picture Thursday

2011-08-04T15:06:00.003-04:00

Sometimes princesses just need to have a fruit snack

and put on 'strawberry' lipstick.

I'm not sure what in my mind thought this was a good plan. My poor little Micah.

Hannah Kate has on the 'I'm about to mean' face. You can also tell by the location of her right (I think. I was never really good with my lefts and rights) hand wedging into the secure grip of her older sister.

See. Hannah Kate succeeded; and Elizabeth annoyingly says, "HANNNAH!"

The Highness rebukes. And Hannah says, "What?" trying to maintain her cute innocences.

Elizabeth, sweetie, get a picture of you holding your sister. Yeah, not sure why I thought this would work either.

Oh, well. I should just work with one kid, per picture.

Because they always end up so much better!

Psalm 39

2011-08-01T15:01:00.006-04:00

I think it was looking at this picture (we were only 19) and feeling like it was only yesterday I was hanging out at Goldston dorm with my, then, boyfriend. Or maybe it was today when I was feeding Micah and watching Elizabeth dance that it felt like only yesterday it was her I was cradling in my arms feeding. Or maybe it was this tear jerker of a book I read last night that confronted me anew that death is real and will take 100% of the human race at some point or another--including me, my husband, and children.

I knew for certain, though, that these thoughts were God ordained when I just so happen to read Psalm 39. A fleeting creature I am. A shadow. A mere breath.

It was this grace this morning that caused my heart to watch my kids eat breakfast and marvel at the fact that the Lord sustained all 5 beating hearts through the night. We woke up—a gift from God.

I realized this morning that not only am I undeserving to receive such good gifts, I am also undeserving to keep them. So once again, the Giver of all good gifts, lavished upon me these gifts for yet another day.

And this helped me embrace another full day of mothering 3 kids with a humbled heart inclined to gratitude towards a loving and good Father.

Big boy Micah

2011-07-27T17:28:00.003-04:00

Warning: This video contains a mama who excessively "baby talks" and continues to shoot due to excitement of catching baby smiling.

He weighs 9 lbs 6 oz and his hair is curly when we don't comb it. Tonight he is taking Mama out on a first date (along with daddy to give him some pointers) to the Saints game. I'm totally love-struck by this little fella.

Entirely way too many pictures for one blog post, but oh well.

2011-07-22T15:19:00.007-04:00

Look at this precious little goofy face

and this sweet little face that kinda reminds me of...

...this used-to-be-litte face

oh, Hannah Kate, seriously, I love your cheese face..

Girls, give me some crazy faces!!!

My eldest adores my youngest!

see.

and my middle child ALWAYS wants in on the loving action..

...and it's just a little TOO much loving for my little man.

so I enforce the no touch policy

and it lasted long enough for me to get the above picture.

so I throw in an extra play toy in the tub for the girls

he's really cute!

volia, freshly bathed goodies! I can almost smell this picture.

Hannah Kate and Micah look a lot like each other

maybe it's their eyes and mouth

but regardless of who looks like who, I got 2 out of the 3 looking at me.

and then I captured 2 out of the 3 smiling!

see, I told you she ALWAYS wants to love him...

...a little TOO much.

Our hands are full--our bathtub is full--our house is full--of all these very, VERY good things!

Update: q & a style

2011-07-01T11:53:00.007-04:00

Were there any issues prior to my water breaking?

In early April I started having severe stomach pains. The baby seemed fine and nothing alarming came back on any test I had, so we thought it was a bad case of acid reflux. It seemed resolved for 2 weeks and then I had another episode. I was actually in Labor and Delivery getting help for my stomach pains when my water broke.

So, what caused my water to break?

We found out during delivery that I had an abruption. My placenta was separating from my uterus. We also discovered after delivery, that my abruption was an old one, so that means it didn't happen during delivery (which can happen). Since severe stomach pain is a symptom of an abruption we aren't sure if the pain wasn't really an abruption. (did I say that right?) Or if my acid reflux caused an abruption. It's kind of like the chicken and egg--which came first, we aren't sure. All we know for sure is that my body was telling me it was time to deliver. You can imagine how thankful we are that the only complication we had was a premature baby considering all the effects an abruption can have.

What does this mean for my next pregnancy?

If you have an abruption you are likely to have another one, but I wouldn't be considered high risk or anything. If it were the pain that caused the abruption, my doctor would closely monitor and heavily treat the pain.

How was labor and delivery?

I was incredibly anxious. It was my first time being induced. I didn't realize it could be a day(s) process. They started ripening my cervix on Sunday. By early Monday morning I had pretty consistant, noticeable contractions. At 7:30am I was 2-3 cms dilated. Around 8am, I got my epidural (thank you Jesus for epidurals!) and they started Pictocin. At 8:30am I was feeling tons of pressure and was feeling no contractions (Thank you epidural!). At 8:45am I got checked and discovered another bag had formed and I was already 9 1/2 cms dilated. At this point the doctor knew I had an abruption. Once my bag was ruptured, I instantly went to 10 cms. The room filled up with the NICU team and with a team of nurses. It was the biggest crowd I've ever had for a delivery. All was well, until I started pushing and could actually feel it! (no thanks, epidural!) My first time ever feeling that pain. Needless to say, I was completely shocked and quite verbal that I was hurting. Then a crying Micah was born at 9:10am.

So labor and delivery was quick, scary, shocking, and joyous.

What was wrong with Micah?

Since my water broke at 33 weeks, I was too late to receive the steriod shot to help his lungs develop. Because his lungs didn't have time to mature, he had what they call Respiratory Distress Syndrome. In short, his lungs didn't have surfactant so his lung would completely collapse. They had to intubate him, and since his RDS was severe, they had to artificially give him the surfactant.

When he was no longer intubate, he would have breathing spells. Essentially he would forget to breath. Scary, I know. They say, though, that once he goes a week without having these spells, he shouldn't have them ever again.

He was also jaundice and didn't know how to suck quite yet. So he had to learn to suck, breath, and swallow. This was the longest process of our stay at the NICU, which we are incredibly thankful for.

Will he have any lasting effects?

Not sure. RDS increases his chances of having asthma and developing pneumonia and other respiratory infections from simple colds. Chances are if anything develops from a cold, he would be hospitalized. So we have to be careful about being around people with colds.

How much did he weigh and how much does he weigh now?

He was born at 4 lbs 11.5 oz. He dropped to 4lbs 1oz. And now weighs a whooping 7lbs 15oz.

How am I doing?

I am doing much better now that Micah is home. It was hard to always leave someone behind. I felt like I wasn't being a good mother to anyone. I couldn't 100% be there for our girls and I couldn't 100% be there for Micah. Mother guilt was eating me alive.

I am still in newborn baby fog. And I'm pretty sure my brain will never be as it was pre-children. They are worth every brain cell I'm losing. :)

How is Micah doing since being home?

Wonderful. He is eating like a champ. He is still pretty sleepy. So he eats and then for the most part goes right back to sleep. He is a pretty chill baby, except he has acid reflux. So when he's refluxing he cries for a minute or two, then he's done. The only other times he fusses is sometimes during his bottle (due to his reflux) and when his sweet sisters are loving on him too much.

He also is sleeping pretty well. Until Micah was 6 weeks old, we had to wake him every 3 hours even through the night. We just let him wake us to eat now. For about a week he'd have a bottle at 11pm and then wake up around 6am, but as of the last few nights, he has made it all the way to 8am.

How are the girls adjusting?

Great. They love him. Too much sometimes, but they are pretty sweet with him.

Hannah Kate is hitting the terrible two stage on top of adjusting to her baby brother. So she seems to be a little extreme. Sometimes she is super sweet kissing everyone, and the next she is screaming to the top of her lungs because Elizabeth is playing with the toy that she stopped playing with an hour ago.

Elizabeth has been caught trying to pick him up a few times because she said she wanted him to dance with her. And she also, out of the blue, started referring to him as 'dude.' In their eyes, he is definitely a keeper!

What exactly is his name and what does it mean?

Our son's name is a rhetorical question. His full name is Michaiah, which means "who (mi) is like (chai) YHWH ([y]ah)?" Micah is short for Michaiah. It works the same way as Mike is to Michael, or as Jon is to Jonathan. Here's our simple (I hope) MO on what we'll call him:

We'll generally call him both Michaiah and Micah (like how most people do the dual name thing with Jonathan). We'll introduce him primarily as Micah (because most people we meet don't know Hebrew and we don't want to be teachy every time we tell people our kids' names). The cool thing about saying his full name (for us) is that it evokes a heart of wonder and gratitude towards God.

In essence, we're not just saying a name that means something but we're actually speaking a sentence, we're asking a rhetorical question that rises from the hearts of those bewildered by God's grace that culminated in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Did I just answer that last question?

Nope, that was definitely Jonathan or Jon. But amen to what he said.

These are generally the questions I get asked. If there is any other question you'd like to ask, leave it in the comments and I'll answer it. Again, thanks to all who have prayed for us, sent us gifts, showered us with love, and served us with a meal, etc.

To my husband on his 26th birthday

2011-06-21T22:52:00.003-04:00

Husband of Grace,

These past 2 months have deepened my affections for you. You didn't hesitate to stay by my side as we awaited the unexpected delivery of our first born son at 34 weeks. You gladly waited. You held my hand. You hugged me as I cried. You gently pointed me to the gospel when I felt overcome by fear. You made me laugh. And you let me watch HGTV as much as I wanted.

You waited patiently with me, never grumbling about not being able to concentrate on your school work or about being cooped up in a hospital. You took care of our girls when I was unable to fully mother and you sweetly confirmed me in my temporary lack of ability to mother.

You were rock solid as the hour approached to meet our son. When I felt the pains of labor, you confidently coached me. You, after 2 other births, finally learned how to helpfully count to me. :)

You smiled relievingly with me as we heard our son's first cries. You faithfully stood by and watched our son struggle to breath. You took in all the information the doctor gave. And you cried as I cried in those first crucial 48 hours. You encouraged, confirmed, and comforted me as I struggled through life in the NICU and life at home.

It was a dark time for me and you unwaveringly stood by me. You have selflessly giving yourself to me for 4 years, but especially so in these last 2 months. You've stunningly displayed Christ's love for his church to me. And it's been remarkably sweet to walk with you in this difficult season.

You. What a sweet gift from the Lord!

So thankful for Jesus' life-altering grace in your life these past 26 years!

Singing with the animals

2011-06-14T19:17:00.002-04:00

One of my favorite princess inspired things that Elizabeth does as of late is when we go outside and she starts singing with animals.