The Real Jesus

If you follow me on Insta or Twitter, or Facebook, or any other social media, then you know that Emmalee has been in swim lessons this week.  She has never feared being in the water, but she does fear going UNDER the water.  A few summers ago she would jump off diving boards and seemed to be fearless, but things have changed since she is a little older now (because 4 is the new 14, ya know).  So I thought it was important to put her in lessons so that she can learn to survive in the water by herself without her floaties if she ever needed to.  

A few weeks ago we were swimming at our neighbor’s house and we were trying to get Emmalee to jump off the diving board (arm floaties on, of course).  She absolutely refused.  She would get up there, and start to bounce, then run off.  She was so terrified of actually jumping in.  She finally agreed that she would jump if I was right below her, arms outstretch to instantly catch her so she wouldn’t go under.  So I swam to the diving board, treaded water with arms outstretched for what seemed like an eternity, and she still couldn’t overcome the fear.  

So I sat down with her so we could talk about it.  She said she was just scared.  I asked her if she trusted me…she said no (insert punch to the gut).  So I asked her if she trusted Jesus…she said yes (insert smiling mom because maybe I’m doing something right).  So I asked her if she trusted Jesus, then would she believe that Jesus would give me the strength to catch her and not let her go under?  Again, she said no.  She wanted “the real Jesus” to catch her.    

I sat speechless for a moment, not quite knowing how to answer.  I began to think of the things that I would do if “the real Jesus” was there to catch me, too.  Would I get out of the boat and walk on water if I saw the hand of “the real Jesus” beckoning me?  Would I talk to Him more if I saw Him listening intently to my heart?  Would I make decisions based solely on the words that He spoke to me rather than listening to everyone else?  I know for certain that I would introduce Him to everyone one I met so that they could see Him too.  But that is, of course, if I saw “the real Jesus.”

But the truth is that I don’t have to “see” Him because I know that He lives inside of me! So why is it that I, sometimes, have such a hard time believing Him, and trusting Him, and living for Him? It’s fear.  But I know that TRUTH overcomes all my fears.   

And here, my friends, is the TRUTH:

My faith is in Christ Jesus. And in that faith, I have an assurance of things not seen (Hebrews 11.)  The assurance that “the real Jesus” IS right beside me no matter where I go; the assurance that “the real Jesus” has His hand outstretched beckoning me to get out of the boat; the assurance that “the real Jesus” WILL catch me if I fall.  

But oh, what would I do if I saw “the real Jesus” face to face, in ALL of HIS glory? What would you do? What is the fear that is holding you back from getting out of the boat?  What is the fear that keeps you from jumping off that diving board? My prayer is that we all proclaim the TRUTH and live as if we are standing right beside "the real Jesus." 

And just in case you were wondering, that sweet little girl DID jump off that diving board! And those swimming lessons?  They're going great! 

But I Will ALWAYS Be Your Mom

The past week this sweet, yet sometimes sassy, 3 year old has turned into a full-fledged 13 year old!  The attitude and the sass are about to KILL me!  But I know she is three and I know she will (hopefully) grown out of it.

But I read this article today and loved it!  It's titled "9 Things We Should Get Rid of To Help Our Kids."  Number 5 got me!

I, in general nature, love for everyone around me to be happy.  I find myself often giving into my kids because I want them to be happy.  I want them to enjoy life and be in good spirits, especially during the Christmas season (mostly because it is my very favorite season and I don't want scrooges living in my house!) But the truth is that it's not my job to make my little dears happy; it's my job to be there mom.  

Last night's drama brought this whole truth to light. The scene played out like this.

All Emmalee wanted was to get down and play.  She hadn't eaten much dinner (literally A chicken nugget) but claimed she was full.  Being the wise mom that I am, I knew she was not in fact full, and that if she got down from that table, she would come to me in 30 minutes asking for a snack.   The compromise:  eat 2 more chicken nuggets and you may get down.  For over 20 minutes, we battled with her to eat these chicken nuggets.

Then it happened.

"Emmalee, I know you are not happy, but your tears will not help you in this situation.  If you want to get down from this table you MUST eat the other chicken nuggets on your plate."

With the tears falling down her cheeks, the saddest little eyes looked up at me to say "Mom, you're not my best friend anymore and I thought you would be my best friend forever."

And there it was.  A knife the size of Texas pierced my heart.  All I wanted to do was bend down and promise this precious little child that I would always be her best friend.  But that's not the truth.

The truth is that I will not always be her best friend, but I will always be her mom.  And sometimes being the mom isn't fun.  Being the mom means keeping my children healthy and protected.  Being the mom means making the not-so-fun decisions.  Being the mom means teaching and worrying and praying.  Being the mom means not always making her happy, but she will always be loved, and cherished, and prayed over.  And these are the things that I told her...

"My sweet girl, I know that I may not be your best friend right now, but I will ALWAYS be your momma.  And being your momma means that I want to keep your healthy and I want your tummy to be full so that you can keep growing to be big and strong.  No matter what, I will always love you and I will always want the very best for you...."

When it was all over, the chicken nuggets were eaten and we snuggled up together on the couch to read books with baby sister.  No, it didn't make her happy but I guess being a mom is not about always making our kids happy. 

Day 12: 31 Days of Calm the Chaos

I'm sure that any parent completely understand how your house can go from nice and pretty to completely destroyed in a matter of seconds. When life is busy and work is busy, adding our little darlings just adds to the business.  It seems that children, no matter what their age, can always bring a little (welcomed) chaos into our lives. 

Which is the exact reason I love Cara's 31 day series over at Red House Dry Goods:

Cara begins her series discussing the "why" she decided on this topic.  She address issues such as to-do- lists, knowing your limits, adjusting your expectations, and just how to simply get a little more organization for your life.  One of favorites new quotes came out of day 11: 

I LOVED this!  Let's be honest, how often do we, especially as moms, say "Yes" to too many things?  I do it all the time!  "Yes" to hosting baby showers, "yes" to baking for the school bake sale, "yes" to being a room mom, "yes" to sewing an outfit for a friend, "yes" to volunteering at the church event... I can admit is, I am a "YES" girl!  But it adds so much added stress, and often makes me run around like a chicken with my head cut off.  Its ok to not participate in everything!  It's OK to set limits!

So I hope that you enjoy Cara's series as much as I did, and learn a bit too about how to calm some of the chaos that surrounds your life.  Just think, the less chaotic, the more we can to truly ENJOY our everyday surroundings!

Day 10: 31 Days of Toddler Chores

So this may be a touchy subject for some, but I think its a great one!  Any momma (whether a SAHM or working mom) knows that keep a clean and tidy house can be a daunting, and some might say impossible, task.  If you're anything like me, from the time you get home to the time you go to bed, you find yourself making dinner, cleaning up, bathing kids, cleaning up after kids, picking up toys, putting children to bed, picking up all the other "stuff", then you get to go to bed only to wake up and do it all over again.  It's hard, it's exhausting, but we do it because we love our kids, our husbands, and a clean home. 

So when I found today's series, I was really excited.  Nikki over at Intentional Homeschool did a great 31 day series back in 2013:  31 Days of Toddler Chores. 

I love the fact that Nikki starts this series by first addressing why toddlers should do chores, then proceeds to give us 25 days of chores that toddlers can do.  Now let's be realistic, a toddler may not do the best job at it, but it's something! 

Just this past weekend, Sunday evening to be exact, I looked at my sweet dear husband sitting on the sofa as I was trying to pick up every item in my house that was out of place.  I decided that I was only going to pick up for 10 minutes, then I would be done...just done!  I WAS going to relax and enjoy just a few minutes snuggling beside him on that comfortable while my girls played.  And the thought occurred to me that I could get a lot more picked up if I had 4 hands versus 2, so I ever-so-sweetly asked my husband for a "10-Minute Pick Up."  Then, Emmalee came in the room and I decided 6 hands would be even better than 4.  So we deiced to establish the Williams Family 10-Minute Pick-up!

It was GREAT.  Emmalee at first at me like I was insane, probably because my eyes were about to pop out of my head from sheer joy at the whole family's (minus the infant) participation in cleaning the house, but she quickly bounced into action picking up her shoes, toys, clothes, and anything else we asked her to do.  It was fantastic!  After 10 minutes, we all felt a huge sense of accomplishment, and this momma was beyond thrilled!  The next night after bath time it was daddy who said "Okay, time for 10-minute pick-up" and again we all helped get the house before we all went to bed. 

It was during all of this that I think I realized that my 3- year old is quite capable of chores.  She needs to learn responsibility and a hard work ethic, and now is the best time to begin instilling these principles in her. 

So I hope you enjoy Nikki's series as much as I did!  If you have any other chores that your child does, or that have been helpful in your home, PLEASE let me know!  I'd love to know how your toddler helps you!

Day 9: 31 Days of Kids and Money

Oh my word today's favorite 31 day series is so close to my heart.  As a family who strives to make smart financial decisions, it is definitely something that my husband and I want to instill in our children.  So today's series is one written by Kimberly over at Living in the Sweet Spot.  Today's 31 Days of favorites is:  31 Days of Kids and Money.  

If you are raising children, then this is a MUST read.  This is series is all about teach children the value of a dollar, and the biblical principals about financial stewardship, giving, saving, and wise spending.  It starts out by the parents sitting down to address their own debt, and developing a family financial mission statement.   Quite a few of the posts contain free printables and resources that parents can use in their teaching. 

Its actually kind of funny because Brant and I were discussing giving Emmalee money just the other day.  If you read my first 31 day post, then you might remember the behavior chart at Emmalee's school.  I am a big believer in praising and rewarding children for going above and beyond...especially if its for great behavior.  With the number of pink and purple days that have been rewarded for, I'm afraid that keeping ice cream in my freezer may make me gain back the 20 lbs that I've lost, so we started discussing a new "system."  I said that I thought we should reward her with $1 for each pink day, $0.50 for each purple day, then $0.25 for each blue day.  Brant thought that might get a little expensive if she starts getting pink a lot - that could potentially be $5 a week just for good behavior.  However, my thought process is that it was a perfect opportunity for us to reward her for good behavior, but also teach her important lessons in money management.

So needless to say, I'm so very excited to put many of these posts into practice, and I hope you can too!

Day 6: 31 Days of Homemade Gifts for Everyone On Your List

If your anything like me, then you might LOVE the holiday season.

Not just love as in I heart...but LOVE as in cannot wait for it to get here and you're already planning new decorations for the tree, you're starting to get the decorations down from the attic, you already have your Christmas cards designed, and of course you've completed the gift list and you've already started Christmas shopping!!!!!!

So that's why I love today's series:  31 Days of Homemade Gifts for Everyone On Your List! 

Gifts are completely my love language!  I love giving and receiving.  But the best part (for me) about receiving is that knowing that someone thought about me.  And having a homemade gift means not just that I was thought about, but someone actually put their own talents to work to put their blood, sweat and tears (maybe some exaggeration) into something for me. But I also love making things for other people!  So this series is definitely a personal favorite of mine! 

This series covers everything from gifts for babies, to mommies, children of all ages, dad's, the book-lover, the writer, and even the foodie!  Its GREAT!  One of my favorites posts in the series is the hot chocolate mix. This is the perfect kind of gift that I love giving to co-workers.  It's simple, yet unique, I can make a dozen of them inexpensively, and they can even keep it at the office to use on the next cold or rainy day.  It's a win-win all around!

So hop on over to this series and tell me what you'll be making for the special one on your list!

31 Days of 31 Day Favorites

I have to admit that although I'm not very good at writing these 31 days challenges, I do love reading them.  In all honesty, I love reading blogs.  I love getting ideas and recipes and parenting wisdom and party ideas - and I just love all of it!

So, I decided that instead of really writing a 31 day series, I will show you my 31 favorite 31 Day series.  These may be from this year or any of the years past.  And if you have a favorite series, let me know what it is because I love discovering new blogs to read.

I hope you enjoy my new "play" on the 31 Days!!  

Today's favorite series is "31 Days to Happier Children" from Pete & Buzz. 

Click Here

I love this because all of us want happy children, and as parents, I love hearing others' ideas on how to encourage happiness in our children.  This series covers topics such as modeling happiness for your children, praying together, teaching your children values, celebrating together, and so much more.  

Personally, one of my favorites from the series is day 23: Celebrate Together.  I've recently tried to really work on this with my girls.  In Emmalee's new school the teacher has a behavior chart.  Everyone starts on green, and you can move up the chart: blue is a great day; purple is a fantastic day, and pink is the very best day that comes with a special prize for those who achieve it.  Of course, if they are not behaving, they can move down to yellow which means they need to turn on their listening ears, orange which is for really think about, and red means mom and dad have a phone call. Emmalee usually has green days, but has also had a couple or yellow days.  I told her on Monday that I wanted her to try and have a green or blue day.  When I picked her up I was elated to see that she didn't just have a blue day, she was on purple!  So we celebrated with a trip to Purple Berri Yogurt (fitting, I know :)) .  I loved celebrating this special day with her - and of course I took pictures so I can scrapbook it later.  It made her so happy that she had another purple day on Tuesday!!  

All of this to say, I really enjoyed this series and I hope you do, too! 

31 Days of 31 Day Favorites

Day 1:  31 Days to Happier Children

Happy First Birthday, Madeline Grace

I'm not quite sure how my baby went from this

to this practically overnight!   

Madeline Grace,
You help make our family complete.  You are such a sweet baby who loves momma, daddy and big sister Emmie.  You love Dax and the kitty, too.  Your big blue eyes can light up a room and brighten any bad day.  Your precious smile can and silly faces and bring joy to the gloomiest times.  You are simply a little ray of sunshine and you are treasured more than you'll ever understand.

You're walking everywhere and always on the go; you never seem to sit still.  You eat almost anything too, except carrots and avocado - you are not a fan of either.  You go to bed around 7:30 every night and sleep until 6 or 6:30 in the morning.  You go to Ms. Donna's during the day while momma & daddy work, then we have lots of fun and play time when we get home.  You love playing in big sister's room.  You love books, baths, your bunny, and watching Mickey Mouse Club House. 

You wear 9-12 mth or 12-18 mth clothes, and are in a size 3 diaper (although I think you'll be moving up a size soon).  We have your one-year well check on Friday, so I'm excited to see how much you weigh. In October we go back to see Dr. Pinto to monitor your reflux and see if your kidneys are still growing and developing.  Daddy and I continue to pray that the Lord will heal your little body so you don't need surgery; but not matter what we know that you are His child and in His hands.

My prayer for your sweet girl is that you will grow up know how loved and cherished you are, not just by me and daddy and Emmalee, but by the Lord.  You, my sweet child, are a daughter of the King and I pray that you will learn to know Him and fall in love with the One who first loved you.

Happy first birthday sweet baby girl!

Love,
Momma

Life Lately

Most of you know that I love to scrapbook, but I have been so bad about keeping up with it.  But for some reason, the past two weeks I have been on a scrappin' craze!!!!!  Here are a few of my favorite pages that I've been working on.









 

 





 

Rain Rain, Won't You Stay...

It's been raining here the past few days and when it was a light sprinkle this evening, I let Emmalee go outside in her rain gear to play.  I grabbed my camera just in case I could get a few pictures of her.  What I actually captured was something I can never replace.  These are the moments I hope I never forget. So if these are the things that happens when it rains, I'm ok if the rain is here to stay.

 

 

Happy 3rd Birthday, Emmalee Caroline

HAPPY 3rd BIRTHDAY 

EMMALEE CAROLINE!!!

Emmalee Caroline,
You are 3 years old today, and I simply cannot believe it.  It's hard to remember what life was like before you. You made all me dreams of being a momma come true just 3 short years ago, and life has only gotten sweeter.  

You have the sweetest spirit and love people unconditionally, especially your baby sister.  She is the first thing you usually ask for in the mornings and you're always telling me and daddy that you "want to keep her."  You love playing tea party with her and are always wanting to hug her, and kiss her, and help feed her and help burp her...you want to be involved in everything. 

You are so funny.  You constantly make me, your daddy, and your sister laugh.  You love to sing and are always making up songs for everything.  Sometimes I think you sing more than you speak.  You are so smart and incredibly inquisitive.  You ask some of the most deep questions and have a wonderful memory.  You like order - you're always wanting to know "the plan" and what is going to happen.  You are not a fan of bedtime, but still love taking baths or anything involving water.  You are a ball of energy that is constantly on the go.  You love the outdoors and playing pretend. 

Your favorite food is spaghetti.  Two days ago I asked you if you wanted to go out to dinner for your birthday or for momma to cook, and you said you wanted momma to cook.   When I asked you what you wanted me to cook, you quickly asked for spaghetti & meatballs, even though we just had it last week.  You were thrilled when I told you "yes!"  You also like most vegetables:  squash, broccoli. green beans, carrots, and tomatoes.  You like cheese, peanuts, vanilla wafers, and anything sweet.

More than anything, you fill our home with laughter and liveliness.  The Lord made you so special and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for you.  Remember that your mommy and daddy are always so proud you, and love you more than you will ever know.

Happy birthday sweet baby girl; I love you!
Momma

These Two Have Stolen My Heart

There are some days when raising two girls makes me feel run down and exhausted, and then there are days when it blesses my heart beyond imagination.  Saturday was one of those days when they did both.

Daddy was working a double header at the ballpark, and I was at home trying to take care of both girls, do the laundry, pick up the house, clean the kitchen, plan the weekly dinner menu, oh, and give my kids the attention they craved. It absolutely wore me out. 

But then this happened, and the joy in my heart outweighed any exhaustion.  Seeing the two of these angels together is the sweetest thing, especially when Emmalee has Madeline laughing.  

Pouring into the Next Generation

Brant and I have been doing going to a weekly Bible Study that is studying Kay Arthur's "Marriage Without Regrets" precept course.  It has been so enlightening to study what God's plan for marriage is and knowing the roles and expectations He laid out for man and woman.  On the other hand, it's made me realize the example that I want to be for my girls, and that my friends is definitely bringing some changes in my heart and actions.

Many of you may know, or read the blog of, Amanda Jones (AKA Baby Bangs).  Her dear husband Curtis once preached a sermon about being Godly men and women, and during his sermon he made one of the most profound statements that I will never forget:  When your children think about the most Godly woman they know, they should be thinking about you, their mother.  And when your children think about the Godliest man they they know, they should think about their dad! 

Wow!  What a powerful statement!  It was probably close to 10 years ago that I heard this sermon, but it made such an impact on me that I still remember it today.  The problem with this statement is that its PURE TRUTH!  If I want my girls to fall in love with their Savior and serve Him, then I have to do the same thing.  If I want my girls to be Godly women who are obedient to His calling; who raise their own children in a Godly home and show them what the "Proverbs 31 Woman" is, then I have to be an example of the Proverbs 31 Woman!

What this precept class has shown me more than anything is what God actually intended for that woman to look; what her role for her family was to be; what characteristics she should possess.  So now I've started the journey of becoming more like "that" woman.  I want to be a Godly example for my children, regardless of the secular world we live in.  I want to show them that, even though there is darkness around you, you can still be the light! 

To add fuel to "my" fire, I watched all of the IF: Gathering videos last Monday (yes, I wanted them all in a day because I felt like I couldn't get enough of them).  How fitting that this was about running the race and pouring into the next generation.  Christine Cain just about hit the nail on the head when she said God wants "the wisdom of the older generation, the resources of the middle generation and the zeal of the younger generation all running together."  But we have to BE the generation!  We have to instill a sense of urgency in the younger generation to have that zeal because the Lord is coming again, and we MUST be ready. 

So as a Godly woman, the biggest "generation" I can pour into is my own children!  I want to pour love, and wisdom, and truth into them, but I cannot do it on my own.  So I praise the Lord that He gave us the Holy Spirit who can work through me.  So today, I'm starting with the little things.  I'm talking to Emmalee more about who Jesus is, and the love that He has for her; we pray as a family more; we talk about how Jesus likes us to act.  They may seem like small things, but my prayer is that they turn into life-long things. 

So if you're pouring into your kids to raise up the next generation, what are you teaching them?  How are you the example for them to look up to?  What are you instilling in them and showing them so that, in 20 years when they think about the most Godly woman they know, they think of you? 

Madeline's Birth Announcement

I have to say that making Madeline's birth announcement was so much fun, and so was the newborn photo shoot to get the pictures.  I know I've said it 100 times, but I'll say it again - there is nothing greater than having a sister who is an AMAZING photographer!  She knows how to capture just how small and fragile they are, and how precious and sweet.  I love it.

So without further ado, here is the birth announcement for our sweet and precious Madeline Grace.

front

 

back

We are beyond blessed by our two sweet girls.  Its funny because I never imagined my heart could be so full.  I'm reminded everyday how lucky I am to have my girls.  I still can't believe Madeline is 2 months old already, and I promise to do that post soon. 

If you're a mom struggling with infertility, know that I am praying for you.  I've been down that road; I've traveled that journey; I understand that heartache.  But know that the Lord's plan is always greater than our own...this baby girl is proof of that! 

5 on Friday

Emmalee was incredibly laid back and only cried when she was hungry.  She was one of the easiest babies I have ever known.  Madeline is different.  Madeline is a momma's girl and loves to be held by her momma.  She fusses quite a bit in the evenings and loves nursing, so it can make life and mothering a little more different than it was when Emmalee, not to mention the fact that I'm still trying to be a "hands-on" mom to Emmalee.  Having 2 is completely different than having 1, that is for sure! 

So today my 5 on Friday is all about the things that is making my life a little easier and manageable.

{ONE}

The Swing

I have the Sung-A-Bug Craddle and Swing and I LOVE it.  One of my favorite things about this swing is that it has a power cord that allows you to plug it into the wall so if you use it for hours at a time (as i do) then you're not constantly worried about having to buy stock in Energizer!  The swing also has several speed settings and can swing side to side, or you can switch it to a backward/forward motion setting.  Emmalee and Madeline both are "swing-babies" so this is one of my ultimate must-haves for baby.  I can sit Madeline in her swing just to "play" and look at the birds, or she'll nap here, so for me, this is one way that allows me some hands-free time.

{TWO}

SwaddleMe Blanet

  The swaddle blanket is my new BFF, y'all.  Emmalee was an incredible sleeper and I just swaddled, or tightly wrapped, her in a receiving blanket.  But Madeline is a wild-hands sleeper - she flails, like many babies do.  So I tried the swaddle blanket.  At first, she hated it and would scream.  Well, come to find out I was doing it wrong.  Once I watched a few videos and learned to tuck her hands down under her bottom, things improved - literally over night!  Now, Madeline loves being swaddled and sleeps GREAT!  She has consistantly (for almost 2 weeks now) slept for one 6 hour stretch, wakes and eats, then goes back to bed for another 4-5 hours.  So, I love the SwaddleMe blanket and it has greatly improved our quality of sleep! 

{THREE}

Moby Wrap

My personal choice for an infant carrier is the Moby Wrap. I was given a Boppy (sling style) carrier before Emmalee was born and she hated it, so I got the Moby.  Emmalee and I both loved it, so I've continued using it with Madeline. Since Madeline loves being held, especially in the evenings, I've been able to put her in the Moby and make dinner, fold clothes, play with Emmalee, etc.  It is definitely on my Favorites List! 

{FOUR}

Although Madeline doesn't have colic, I love Gripe Water.  It seems like Madeline ALWAYS has the hiccups - she had them 3 or 4 times a day while I was pregnant with her and she still has then a few times a day.  So, I always have a small bottle with equal parts tap water & Gripe Water that help so much when she has the hiccups, and can be a life saver when she is gassy. 

{FIVE}

My Crockpot!!

I LOVE my Crockpot, and if you have ever read any of my recipes, then you know I will cook just about anything in it.  This thing has been incredibly helpful in getting meals on the table.  I can put dinner on to cook in the morning (when Madeline naps the best), but can still have a reasonable dinner on my table with little effort by 6ish during her fussy period.  Its great, and I've been discovering so many great new recipes while I've been at home!  

So, what are some of the tricks or things you have up your sleeve to keep your life manageable with a new baby at home? 

Madeline's Birth Story

Our sweet Madeline Grace was born on Monday, September 16th.  Its crazy to think she is already ten days old - I'm not quite sure where those 10 days went. The days seem to already be flying by and I can only pray that the next two years slow down a bit, but I know I'm only kidding myself if I think they will.
 
My birth story with Madeline is pretty simple.  My blood pressure started to rise on Friday, September 13th.  I called and talked with my doctor's office about it and we agreed the best option was for me to take it easy (or, as easy as possible with a 2 year old at home) for the weekend and monitor my blood pressure every few hours.  I would have spikes in my blood pressure where it would be really high, then it would drop back down to normal just as fast as it spiked.  On Sunday, we went to triage because my BP spiked and I started feeling pretty sick.  By the time we got to the hospital and they checked my BP, it was back down to normal.  After a few hours of monitoring, they sent us home.

Monday morning, I had my weekly appointment.  When I arrived, my blood pressure was 150/90.  They decided to check it again about 10 minutes later, and this time it had spiked to 160/100.  So the doctor came into the room and informed us that we would be having a baby that day.  We were instructed to home, get my bag, and head straight to the hospital.

When we arrived at the hospital, we were directed to a Labor and Delivery room, and within an hour I had my Pitocin IV.  The drip started about 12:15 and contractions started occuring pretty regularly within 30 minutes.  Around 3:30 I was ready for my epidural, and my water was broken shortly after around 4:30.  Contractions really started to pick up after that!  I did feel quite a bit of pain on one side, but my wonderful nurse and anesthesiologist came in and helped get it under control.  Around 6:30, the nurse checked and I was complete, so she called the doctor and told him to head up to my room, and quickly! After 3 very small pushes, Madeline Grace was born at 6:48pm.  It was such a great feeling seeing my sweet daughter for the first time.

I have to give all the credit of an easy delivery to my L&D nurse, Monica.  She was amazing.  Because my delivery was pretty easy, so was my recovery.  We stayed in the hospital just over 24 hours then got to come home.  Madeline's billy ruben was slightly high, but we were just instructed to go see our pediatrician within 48 hours.

We are so thankful to be home and resting well.  Emmalee is adjusting alright.  She has shown a little more defiance toward mommy and daddy, but she absolutely LOVES her little sister.  I'm sure that things are going to be great as soon as this adjustment period passes.

 I am so thankful for my little family of 4!