Hello Miss Magnolia

She is here!  Baby #4 made her grand entrance into this world at

4:44 pm on 

October 22, 2016

She weighed 7 lbs 15 oz and was 19.5 inches long.  She was the same size as Jensen at birth and only beat Declin by an oz (he was 7 lbs 14 oz at birth).

Her birth story is a huge blessing in my life.  Reflecting back on it each piece of it worked together perfectly to create a wonderful birth experience for me and Magnolia.  Ofcouse in the actual moment it all feels confusing, long, and stressful since you don't actually know when or how it will all turn out.

Unlike my other birth experiences Magnolia's labor process started several days before her actual birth day.  With my other 3 kids I have never dilated or had any real labor signs before the actual labor process started.  I assumed this time would be the same so I almost did not even have my midwife check me at my 39 week appointment.  In the end curiosity got the best of me and I ended up having her check.  I was 1.5 cm dilated and 50% effaced.  Not much, but progress.  It at least made me feel better about all the pain that I had been feeling.

Fast forward to my due date, October 20th.  I was checked again and this time I was dilated to 3 cm.  Sweet!  But I still knew that it could be a while till baby came out.  Also at that appointment I had my midwife strip my membranes for the first time ever.  She was confident that I would be in labor soon.  Me... not so much.  I was mentally at the "this baby is never coming out" stage.  Things were pretty painful the rest of that day, but still no "real" labor contractions, just a lot of downward pressure and braxton hicks contractions.  Friday night (the day after my "due" date) my parents came to our house to spend the weekend with us.  Ofcourse we were all hoping that I would have the baby while they were here since that would be very convenient to have them there to be with our kids.

Saturday morning, October 22nd around 4 am I had my first "real" contraction.  The ones that start in your back and wrap around your stomach.  The contractions stayed 15-20 mins apart until around 9 am when they moved up to around 10 mins apart.  My mom and I decided to go for a walk to see if we could keep things moving.  The walk was hard for me, but still the contractions did not move much closer together.  I was pretty confused by this point and not really convinced that I was in labor.  After the walk we sent my dad, McKay and the kids to the store.  I had planned to finish packing my hospital bag while they were gone, but ended up just sitting on a chair since standing and walking felt too painful.  At this point I was very grateful that my parents were there to help take care of the kids since I was pretty much not able to really focus on them at that point.  While the boys and kids were gone I realized that when I was standing my contractions were about 2-5 minutes apart, but when I sat down they were 10-15 mins apart.  I decided that we should just go to the hospital and get things checked out, even with the possibility that they might send us home since my contractions were not consistent.  So when McKay got home I told him we were going to the hospital!

We packed our bags and headed out.  We got to the hospital around 1 pm.  I had to have a wheelchair ride upstairs since walking was a challenge at this point.  When they checked me I was 6 almost 7 cm.  No going home wohoo!!  All through my pregnancy my goal was to not get my epidural until I was a 6 or a 7.  Not sure why I had decided that... I think I just wanted to keep control of my body and the situation for a bit longer in case I needed to move, walk, or do anything to help keep baby in a good position for birth.  So when I heard that I was a 6 I was so ready for the epidural!  The IV process was pretty dramatic and took 3 tries to get one to work.  Ouch!  In the end the NICU nurse had to come in and do it since she was used to hard veins.  After the IV was the epidural.  Even with all of my hypnobirthing knowledge I did not stay very calm through the process of giving me the actual epidural.  I was very nervous and tense which surprised me since I had not felt so nervous the last time that I got one.  But in the end the epidural went great and it was amazing to not feel pain after that!  Seriously! After having Declin naturally I did not take the epidural for granted this time around.  I just layed there for the rest of her labor amazed.  I was having contractions and about to meet my sweet baby girl and I got to ENJOY it.  Funny I know, but I was happy.  Magnolia did so great through the whole process and never once did her heart rate make us get worried or anything.  She was a champ!

Once the epidual was in we just hung out and waited for things to finish progressing.  McKay took a nap and I just relaxed and enjoyed those quiet moments before we met her.  I thought about sleeping, but was too excited to actually fall asleep.  My midwife was helping with a C-section so they were not really in a hurry to get her out which I was grateful for because I wanted to just let her move down on her own and keep the pushing part to a minimum.  In the end that plan worked great.  My midwife showed up an hour later.  We prepped everything, I gave two pushes and she slipped out into this word.  I could feel her coming out and a bit of pressure, but not any pain.  It was so wonderful to have her here.

She snuggled on my chest for a few hours after.  She kept showing signs of wanting to nurse so I nursed her for close to 2 hours which is the longest any of my babies have nursed for in the beginning.  Eventually we weighed and measured her, and McKay got a chance to snuggle her.  We texted family that she was here and we had lots of discussion on what we should name her.  We even wrote them on the board and started having all the nurses and doctors vote for their favorite name.  We seriously could not decide!  The 3 names that we were chosing from were Roselyn (nickname: Rosie), Bronwyn (Winnie), and Magnolia (Nola).  All through the pregnancy we were pretty sure that we would name her Magnolia, but then she came out and we weren't so sure anymore.  She has dark hair and to me Bronwyn was a dark haired baby so I started leaning towards Bronwyn.  The votes were pretty even for Bronwyn and Magnolia.  I was starting to get a little frustrated that we couldn't figure it out.  But then I showered and McKay gave baby girl a bath in the nursery.  When she came back and we were enjoying her cuteness it just kind of clicked.  She was our Magnolia.  So we decided about 20 mins later that she was officially Magnolia and we have grown to love her and her name more each day.

Her first bath

Once we got settled into our postpartum room it was bedtime and so we got ready and went to bed.  McKay slept, Magnolia semi- slept and I did not sleep much.  I just layed there very tired, yet not able to really turn my brain off.  Honestly between all of the interruptions and taking care of Magnolia I probably only slept 2 hours the whole first night.  But somehow adrenal keeps you going and I wasn't too tired the next day.  It was Sunday the kids and my parents came to visit us.  I was really excited for Adalyn, Jensen and Declin to meet Magnolia.  I wish I would have been more on my game and taken a video of it, but it all just sort of happened and I had the thought too late.  But the kids were cute meeting her.  They were really excited and started climbing up by her and asking lots of questions.  Declin was really animated and fascinated by her.  Jensen took a look at her and then started exploring the hospital room.  Adalyn wanted to hold her and love her right away.  She thinks she is the worlds best baby doll.  We took pictures with the kids, visited for awhile, and then sent them off to get ready for church.  This mommy was happy to see them, but it gets crazy with us all in one hospital room together.

First photo as a family of 6!

Our little pumpkin baby

Meeting Grandma and Grandpa

Taking over mom's bed 

 During my pregnancy I had been looking forward to the hospital stay as a mini vacation from the craziness of life.  They feed you, you get to snuggle a new baby, and stay in bed all day.  And while the hospital stay was a break from normal life I was reminded why you are there.  haha!  Recovering from having a baby is hard work, especially those first couple days.  So it ended up not being as relaxing as I had hoped, but it was nice to be able to recover some before coming home.  The worst part about those first few days was the cramping.  SO much cramping!  I dreaded nursing since that made them worse.  It was rough trying to manage the pain and figure out what would help with them.  My midwife suggested lots of baths.  So we took a few baths a day to help get through the worst of them.  Luckily by the time I went home the cramping was on the down hill and they have not been too bad at home.  They say the cramping gets worse the more kids you have and apparently that was true for me because it was BAD.  But nursing has been easier and I did not tear during delivery so recovery in other areas has gone better.  You win some and lose some right?

The 2nd night in the hospital I was exhausted and SO ready for some real sleep.  But Magnolia had other plans for us.  She struggled that second night a lot and never really went into a deep sleep.  She was fussy, gassy, and acted like she wanted to eat a lot.  She hated laying the little hospital bed/cart thing so she just wanted to be held all night.  McKay and I tried the best to switch off being up with her, but by the end of the night I was pretty frustrated and getting nervous about how things would go as we brought her home that day.  But after talking to the nurses they assured us that it is common for new babies to have a rough second night as they get rid of the extra fluid they may have swallowed and are getting hungry since moms milk has not come in yet.  After hearing that I felt a little more hopeful that things would go smoothly at home.  And they have!  She has been a wonderful baby and sleeps pretty well for a newborn.      

 Going home.  

We are so grateful for the safe arrival of sweet Magnolia.  Bringing a new baby into the family is a lot of work and always brings with it a full range of emotions.  But in the end it is always worth it and a true miracle.

Taking a Break at the Corn Maze

These past few weeks have been interesting around here.  We were finally done with all of our summer plans and ready to buckle down and prep for baby.  McKay was out of town for week 36-37 of this pregnancy and so I just sat and stared at all of the projects that I wanted to get done while he was gone.  Because doing them with my big belly and three little ones was not going to happen.  By the time McKay got back I was a bit of a basket case and I put him to work immediately on painting and prepping.  We were both pretty overwhelmed by all that we wanted to get done and yet juggling life and projects just seemed so challenging.  I was realizing some of my projects and plans just might not get done.  To a nesting pregnant lady with crazy hormones that was a pretty sad thought
  
But then a tender mercy... My parents decided to come for a visit one week and they offered to help us with some projects.  Yes please!  They were SO helpful and got us going on our biggest projects.  They painted the baby's room and helped give us the boost that we needed to keep going with everything else.  So now most of our big projects are being finished up and I can handle the small details in the next few weeks or months.  So grateful for their help and support.  

Today the kids have beds to sleep on again and the baby's room is now my favorite room in the house and is coming along great.  Baby girl also has clean clothes to wear and a carseat to come home in.  Woot woot!  Things are getting real over here.  :)

So yes these past few weeks have been productive and long and exhausting.  On top of house projects I got a new calling at church and we dealt with some car problems.  My body is just SO slow these days and every little thing just feels hard.  My personality craves for fun and excitement in life.  I told McKay that I was feeling pretty down and felt like life was much too serious these days for my sanity.  So we planned a fun fall family night at the local corn maze last Saturday.  Every year I hear about this corn maze on the radio, yet this was our first time going to it.  It was a lot of fun and I think the kids needed a break from all of the "baby prep" as much as I did.  

The weather had finally cleared up from our rain and cold weather.  It was a beautiful fall night.  We did not do anything crazy or too adventurous, but the kids loved all of the fall acitivties and McKay and I enjoyed chatting and watching them have a good time.

We started out with the corn maze.  I thought that the kids would think it was boring since all we were doing was walking through corn.  Bu they loved it and thought we were on some grand adventure.

Later we headed to the barrel slides, bouncy house, and the train ride.  They all loved the train ride and Declin LOVED riding the wooden horses.  Even still today he talked about his horsey rides.  Daddy loved pushing Jensen around really fast on the go-cart since he could not reach the petals.  Jensen was actually a really good driver.

Adalyn loved leading us through the little hay maze and I loved the corn on the cob.

At the end we grabbed some baby pumpkins from the pumpkin patch for our fireplace mantel at home and I couldn't resist taking a pumpkin picture with my pumpkin belly.  39 weeks the baby is the size of a pumpkin.  We can't wait to meet her!
 

This was probably our last family fun night as a party of 5 and it was a pretty great night.  

Declin Turns 2!!

Declin turned two on Saturday, Sept 24th.  I have said it before, but I love 2 year old birthday parties.  They love anything you do for them, yet have no expectations for anything fancy.  This year his "party" was a bit scattered as we were all tired from the week before.  McKay had been out of town all week, we had lots of "pre" baby projects on our mind, and I was well... 36 weeks pregnant.  So we tried to make the best of the day and I think from all the cute smiles I got out of him, he had a good day.

His birthday started with some breakfast cake and eggs for breakfast.  He woke up on a good side of the bed that day and was happy to have all of the extra attention from everyone.

Adalyn was in full party planning mode that day.  She drew pictures to hang up, decorated with Christmas lights, and prepared a whole birthday party in the basement.  It was even complete with saltine crackers and princess music.  :)  

In the afternoon we headed to Leo's place that has a big indoor playground, arcade games and food.  We grabbed some fries as an appetizer and then the kids played on the games and playground.  We did not stay too long, but they had fun and it was nice to get out of the house.

After Leo's we had homemade pizza at home and opened his present.  Some friends dropped by that evening and were able to share the pizza and dessert with us.  Declin got some duplos for his birthday and they have been a big hit around here so far.  We will definitely have to add a few more sets to our collection soon since the kids are having a hard time sharing the few that he got.  

Declin really wanted to dance with mommy.  My big pregnant belly was not too happy about all the moving and groving, but we held out for a couple songs before I passed him off to daddy.

  

He got a fun little ice cream cake (store bought!) this year for his dessert and actually ate some of it!  win win for this mama!

He was so embarassed when we were singing to him and kept making funny faces.  Apparently he doesn't love being in the spot light.  But he did know how to blow out his candle.  Happy Birthday Declin!  What a lucky family we are to have you in our family! 

A few facts about Declin at two years old.  He weighs 23lbs and wears 18-24 month clothes.  

He is a talker!  SO fun!  McKay and I are amazed at the things he can say.  He REALLY likes the words "no thank you"  Which is super polite, yet he has started to yell it at us... which is not super polite.  He often says 3-5 word sentences and can sing all of twinkle twinkle little star.  

He loves to play with Adalyn and Jensen.  His favorite games are riding bikes outside in the middle of the road (!!) and playing puppy dogs.  He is the cutest puppy!  He also loves puzzles and duplos.  

He learned how to climb out of his crib this weekend so he gets a toddler bed now.  Sad day for this mommy!  So far he is doing ok with falling asleep in his bed (eventually), but then he keeps falling out of it in the middle of the night and that makes him cry and it takes awhile to get him to fall back asleep.  We are only on day #3 of the toddler bed so I am hoping things get better!  

His excitement for a new baby sister is not very strong and I think it will be a tough transition for him.  He loves for me to hold him and carry him around so it will be a big wake up call.  BUT he will adjust and love her just as much as he loves Addie and Jensen.  

He. Loves. Books.  I had McKay snap a few photos of me reading him his favorite book "The Wheels on the Bus" to document his excitement for story time.  He loves being read to and has some favorites that he asks to listen to over and over again.  

  Honestly his favorite things in life right now are movies and milk.  Yep, nothing makes him happier then a sippy cup of milk and his favorite show which is currently The Laurie Berkner Band DVD.  I am actually often amazed at his ability to sit and watch a movie for 30+ mins. 

He does not like to eat.  He really does not love food of any kind.  He eats a couple times a day and you never know what it will be.  He is super sensitive to taste and texture.  I think he will slowly grow out of it, but it is going to be a long road.  He does love milk and we let him have about 24 oz a day.  His pickiness towards food is exhausting and obnoxious I won't lie.  Hopefully we can continue to work with him and get things to a better place in the next year.  We were not picky eaters as kids and we would not have been allowed to be even if we were.  I really liked that and I want to find a good spot with my kids too.  It just takes a lot of time and patience.

In the last few weeks he has entered the terrible twos.  Up to this point I would say he has been a fairly mild toddler and usually just happy to keep up with Adalyn and Jensen.  Now he has found his voice and is testing boundaries and limits.  I would describe his current personality as determined, stubborn, and cranky.  He has a little temper and likes to get what he wants.  So I remind myself daily that he is learning and growing up.  Oh the many phases of childhood!  We still love you Declin!

Even with all of his craziness we adore him!  Adalyn's nickname for him is baby and will probably need to be changed soon!  We love watching him try new things and hearing him say new words.  He has been a very bright spot in my life the last few years.  The closer I get to having this new baby the more have been thinking back to his birth and him as a newborn.  Those were some beautiful moments in my life and I love that he is here and growing.  Children are truely miracles.