Sweet Macy Jane

Meet Macy Jane. My sister Josie had her third baby and first little girl just 7 weeks ago. I was able to meet her and take a few photos of her this past weekend. She is a very lucky girl to be getting Josie for her mama. Congratulations to Josie and Justin on their new arrival. xoxo

Thanksgiving

Every year for Thanksgiving we go to my sister Megan's home. It's hard to believe that just last Thanksgiving we announced to our family at the dinner table that I was pregnant . Here we are just one year later and I sat at that same table with baby Lily on my lap during dinner. What a year and how thankful I am to have a new member of our family. I love getting together with my family every Thanksgiving. This year we had a smaller group but it was still fun. I love that my kids were able to spend time with their cousins and I loved being able to hang out with my sisters. My sister Josie had a baby girl just 7 weeks ago. I was able to meet sweet Baby Macy and my sisters were able to meet my Baby Lily for the first time. We ate a lot, played a lot, ate some more, swam, jumped on the trampoline, shopped, went to a random petting zoo and ghost town, watched numerous "shows" that the kids put on and caught up on eachothers' lives. Megan and her husband Roger were soo gracious to put up with so many house guests and for that I am so grateful. Thanksgiving dinner was delicious and I did not take one photo of it. I even loved the 4 hour drive. We left late (both ways) so our girls would sleep the whole way. Jon and I had 4 hours of uninterrupted time together to just talk. That was a treat in itself. It was a wonderful week and I can't wait until next year. Happy Thanksgiving!!

My Little Turkey

Elle's kindergarten class put on the cutest Thanksgiving performance yesterday.  It was so fun to go to her classroom and to see her with all of her friends and her teacher.  I loved seeing her little face light up when I walked into the classroom.  She couldn't talk because they were all lined up in front of the class so she gave me a wink and of course I winked right back at her. They sang lots of songs and recited a few poems.  Elle even had a part where during one of the songs every time they sang about pumpkin pie she was the one that got to stand up with the pie and give a little wiggle.  It killed me.  After their perfomance I was able to stay and make a macaroni necklace with her and also eat some treats that she made for me with her class. Before we left she insisted that we go to the playground so that she could show me that she now officially knows how to pump on the swing.  She has been working hard at this goal.  We had so much fun together and I am already excited for her next perfomance.

Morning Routine

Elle had my camera while I was cooking her oatmeal this morning.  I don't even remember her taking my photo.  I ran across it tonight and I love it.  The messy hair, the pajamas, Lily in the sling, the bowl of cereal...a typical morning around here.  The funny thing is that I never knew that Lily had fallen asleep in the sling until I saw this photo.  By the time I took her out she was awake.  This third little girl sure has to adapt to what is going on around her. When I had my first, my life revolved around HER schedule.  If it was nap time, she was in her crib and I was at home.  My, how things have changed.  

I love the picture of Lily and Elle together.  Again, the messy hair and pajamas.  So cute.  Elle is a nurturer.  She always has been.  She loves to take care of her baby sister.  She changes Lily's diapers, dresses her, feeds her, reads to her and snuggles her. Lily was crying and I asked Elle to see if Lily needed her binky.  Elle looked at me and said, "mama, she does not need a binky she just needs love".  Elle quickly picked Lily up and smiled at her and Lily stopped crying instantly.  Love.  That's all it took.  I love my girls.    

Show Time

I walked downstairs this morning to find Gwen on the kitchen island.  She was in her pajamas (which happen to be mine from when I was a little girl...you can see where my great grandma stitched my name on the front).  Elle had turned music on for her from our computer and she was dancing and lip syncing.  Gwen even pulled out a rose for her microphone.  I loved it.  The girls are not allowed on the counter but how could I put an end to this? When I first came downstairs she was dancing to Beyonce's "All the Single Ladies".  There was bum tapping and some very funny moves.  By the time I got my camera however, Elle (our resident DJ) had slowed it down a bit and put on a song from the movie Tinkerbell.  Gwen calls it her fairy song.  She was VERY serious and I loved every minute.

Gwen's hair makes her look like a ragamuffin.  The reason:  I found scissors and a big pile of hair on the table the other day.  I can now check this off of my list.  I knew it was going to happen sooner or later.  I think it is a rite of passage for little ones. 

Lily: 15 Weeks

Answers to: Lily Pie, Lillers, Lulu, Lil 

Loves: her binky ('soothies' only), pink blanket, being swaddled, to smile, being held

Firsts:  holds her head up,  sits in the 'bumbo' (and loves it), awake and alert during the day

I frequently whisper in her ear just like I do to elle and gwen, "out of all the babies in heaven how did I get the very best one"?  3 for 3 is not a bad average.  

We LOVE our Lily.  

Picture credit...elizabeth. ( I told you she was good) 

My Miracle

I almost lost this one.  It still haunts me some nights when I close my eyes.  I picture the whole accident in my mind.  I can't believe it has been 9 months since she was hit by a car.  I recently had to read over the police reports and was reminded again of what a miracle it is to have her still with us.  I have not written down the events that happened that day and I do want to record it.  We were in a strip-mall parking lot.  I was 5 months pregnant with Lily and I had Elle and Gwen with me.  Gwen stepped off of the curb right as a truck was entering the parking lot.  My back was turned so I did not see it happen, but I did hear it. I ran to the front of the truck and Gwen was underneath.  Her body was under the truck behind the front passenger tire.  The truck was not completely on top of her but she was wedged underneath the tire.  I pulled her out and sat on the ground holding her.  Someone yelled that they were calling 911.  As I held her, she was quiet.  No crying.  Her eyes were rolled back in her head and she had blood coming out of her mouth.  Her little body was limp but she was breathing.  I just remember quietly whispering in her ear, "please, please, please don't leave me".  I repeated that over and over again.  Elle stood by me with tears running down her cheeks.  She tapped me on my shoulder and said, 'mama, I am sad about Gwen".  I told her to say a prayer.  I just kept rocking her in my arms not wanting her to drift away.  It was horrible.  The police arrived quickly as did the ambulence.  They put her on a stretcher and said I had to sit in the front seat and not with her.  There was not enough room for Elle so I had to leave her there with the police which was heartbreaking.  As we sped to the hospital with the sirens going I kept speed dialing my Jon.  I didn't even know what to say to him. When we got to the ER they were waiting for us outside. Gwen was not in good shape.  She had a collapsed lung, 5 broken ribs, a broken arm, dislocated elbow and severe road rash.  The doctors two main concerns were possible trauma to her brain and her collapsed lung.  She was having trouble breathing and they had to immediatley put a chest tube in her to drain the blood out.  The doctors had me stay in there with her and told me to keep talking to her.  She needed to hear my voice, they said.  I got a hold of Jon and he met me in the ER.  She was put on a ventilator because she was unable to breathe on her own.  After a few hours we were taken up to the Pediatric ICU with her.  They put her in a medically induced coma.  I kept going over and over the accident in my mind trying to change it.  I felt so responsible.  I had not protected her and that is my main responsibility as her mom.  I remember her going in for a cat scan. Waiting for the results was torture.  They were assuming that she would have pretty severe trauma to the brain.  When we were told that her brain looked normal, my heart felt so much relief.  Our new concern would be getting her to breathe on her own.  Many, many prayers were offered in her behalf.  For that I am forever grateful.  Our prayers were answered and my sweet Gwen pulled through.  I remember the day they pulled the breathing tube out of her.  We had tried previously, unsuccessfully, and those were hard days.  To see your baby struggling with something as basic as breathing, is hard.  We waited another week and they tried again and this time they were successful.  They took her out of her medically induced coma and I was able to see her first breaths on her own.  Without being connected to all of the machines, I was now able to hold her for the first time in 12 days.  I will NEVER forget that moment. 

   

I will also never forget the many, many people that sent us their love, that kept us in their prayers and were so, so kind.  I have not been able to thank everyone and for that I am so sorry. We were overwhelmed with love.  Your love.  

Gwen is our miracle.  She is in our lives.  It wasn't her time to go.  It just wasn't.  I get to continue to be her mom, to mother her.  For this gift I will be forever grateful.  

My Lily

These pictures are priceless to me.  The best gift ever from my dear friend, Elizabeth.  

Our House

Guess who came to our house this morning?  Elizabeth!  My dear friend Elizabeth is a professional photographer.  She's the real deal. Last week Elizabeth asked me to go to her home and take a few photos of her and her 4 week old little baby boy. I was sweating a bit but went for it. In turn, she agreed to come and photograph me and Lily here at my home. Well, let's just say it was not a fair trade. She is wildly more talented in the photography department than myself...but hey, who would pass up that offer?  She understands all too well that when you are the photographer in the family, there are not many mom and child photos. I will post a few of the photos that I love.  To start, this is one of my favorites... Elle, Gwen, Lily and me at our front door.  I love you, Elizabeth for doing this. Thank you!!!

Trick or Treat

       

I love Halloween night.  I remember being so excited about trick-or-treating when I was young that I would barely be able to eat dinner.  I also remember loving Halloween because that meant my  mom would put make-up on me.  Elle and Gwen lined up in front of the mirror before they headed out the door for some blush, mascara and lip gloss.  They were in heaven! Our neighborhood is a really fun one on Halloween.  Lots of kids, parents and grandparents trick-or-treating.  I love it.  We went to the pumpkin patch earlier in the day where the girls each picked out their own pumpkins.  While Gwen napped, Elle and I carved the jack-o-lanterns.  When it got dark, Jon took Elle and Gwen up and down our neighborhood streets while Lily and I passed out candy.  They came home with bags full of candy and very sticky faces.  A successful night for sure.  

Lily the Skeleton