Introducing Graham...

Born Wednesday, June 19 at 10:33 in the morning. He was 6.14 pounds, 20 inches long, and absolutely perfect. His big sisters are already in love with him and we're all doing well. More to come on his birth story later...

Update on Graham

I'm now 30 weeks pregnant and cannot believe that in two months we will have a baby boy in this house full of girls. I feel like I'm starting all over having babies since I'm about to start a new adventure with a boy. I'm so excited to see how different he is from his sisters and to see what Jeff is like with a son.

I still feel completely different with this pregnancy than I did with the girls. I've gained less weight so far, but that's probably because I'm not allowing myself to eat whatever I want like I did with them and because I barely have time to sit down during the day because I'm too busy. I've been a lot more tired and physically achy. I'm carrying much differently than I did in the other pregnancies. Because he's so low, I'm experiencing a lot of back and hip pain, but not the rib pain I did with both girls. By the end of the day I am hobbling around the house and was convinced that he was a giant baby because of the size of my belly and the amount of pain I'm in and still have two months to go. This was confirmed at my last appointment when I was told that he's measuring three weeks ahead. The doctor says that if I deliver around 38 weeks (which I doubt will happen because I've never really had my babies early), he will probably be around 8 1/2 lbs. That's doable. But, I'm afraid he'll stay in there and chub up until the due date and be 10 lbs. Maybe not. Maybe he's just average size and it's all the way I'm carrying, but it will be interesting to see. But, I do know that I already love this little boy so much and all this pain and what I will face is more than worth it.

Something funny about him: I feel him get hiccups several times every day. And every time he does, he gets so upset and starts kicking in every direction and making huge movements until they stop. They always only last for a couple of minutes, but he seems to really hate them.

My sweet friends are having a prayer shower for me in a couple of weeks to pray over both of us. I know it will all really set in when we're praying for specifics and I'm getting little boy clothes and things. I'm so excited! Last night we moved the crib into his room and I am slowly starting to get it ready for our son. Can't believe I'm saying that!

Heidi's 2!

Our precious Heidi,

You just turned two years old and are such a sweet blessing to us. Your personality continues to change and I laugh as I think of how funny and sassy you've become. Here's more about you:

-You weigh 24 lbs and are in the 60th percentile for height and 25th for weight. Daddy and I were both surprised by this because we don't think of you as being small in terms of weight, but in height. I guess maybe you're not going to be so short after all.

-You have a HUGE personality. You love attention, to be silly, and to make people laugh. You can also be sassy and independent. You're learning to share and be kind and are very active.

-You have started pretending and love to play dress up and with your baby dolls. Your favorite baby is still your Minnie Mouse and she's always with you.

-You love to imitate everything your sister says and does. You get along so sweet one minute and are fighting the next. I guess that's the nature of sisters. I pray for you to be best friends and to have a wonderful relationship as you grow up. Sisters are so special.

-Something funny you do: We listen to a particular radio station in the car and during their breaks they sing the name of the station (KSBJ). Every single time they sing it, you finish by singing the J. It's so sweet hearing your little voice singing behind me as I drive and it's so funny that you never fail to do it.

-You've also started singing about Jesus and that's my favorite thing to hear you say. I pray for you to know Him at a young age and that you desire to glorify and serve Him all of your life.

-I'm interested to see how the transition goes when Graham gets here in a couple of months since you're so attached to me. You're still my baby and love being held, carried, and rocked, so I'm not sure what you're going to think when Mommy's carrying around and rocking a new little baby. But, you seem to understand that there's a baby in my belly because you are constantly rubbing it and saying "baby Graham."

-Speaking of my belly, when you see it you laugh and say "belly" in a deep and funny voice, like the image of my bare belly is the funniest thing you've ever seen.

You are such a precious little joy, Heidi Reese. I cannot believe the ways the Lord has blessed your daddy and me with such a sweet family. I'm so thankful for the two years He's given me with you and I look forward to many more!

Love,

Mommy

Ansley's 4!

My sweet Ansley,

You're four! You've grown and changed so much in the last year and I just can't believe how much all of our lives have been changed and blessed since we first met you four years ago. You are such a sweet girl, full of love and always willing to help. Here's more about you:

-You are still very tall. We haven't been to the doctor yet, but you are quite a bit taller than most other children your age. You're wearing 5T, but the dresses are a little too short. You refuse to wear shorts or pants and have told me on many occasions that princesses only wear dresses, skirts, and leggings. I'm not sure where this came from, but I love how girly you are.

-You amaze me all the time with your vocabulary. You will hear something once and usually figure out what it means and use it in a sentence, or will try to slip it in anyway. You're learning to write and sound out the letters of the alphabet and can write most of them on your own. You can write your name without help and ask all the time how to spell your friends' names so you can write them. You love to learn and "do school."

-You're so sweet and patient with your sister. Heidi is still learning how to share and treat other people and you usually ignore her outbursts or try to kindly correct her. She is learning so much from you and I love seeing you two play together.

-This year you have been involved in gymnastics, ballet, and Cubbies. You've done great in all of them and love going to see your friends.

-You are so loving and affectionate. You tell Daddy and me that you love us several times a day and are constantly giving hugs and kisses. You offer to help Heidi and hold her hand. This is one of my favorite things about you and I hope we have many more years of it before you decide it's not so cool to hug us.

-Since turning four you have decided that you are much more grown up and mature now. You have told me that four year olds always help their momma, say yes ma'am, clean up when asked, eat all their food at dinnertime, and on and on. I'm not sure where this came from either, but hope it hangs around for awhile.

-Every night you ask where we're going when you wake up the next morning. You love to be busy and to see your friends. We have a very close group of friends and see each other several times a week. They are all such blessings to us and I'm so happy that you will have a group of friends from church that are learning to love the Lord with you.

Ansley, you are such a sweet blessing and pleasure to be around. We love you so much and are so thankful that God chose us to be your parents and are excited to start another year with you!

Love,

Mommy

Bluebonnets

Introducing Graham...

I've been waiting for awhile to write the first post about our sweet new baby so I could write about the gender and name. We found out yesterday that we're having a BOY and his name will be Graham Runnels. So, more about him and the details of the pregnancy from the beginning:

We found out that we were expecting number three on October 30. I didn't think I was pregnant, but there was the question in the back of my mind, so I decided to take a test to know for sure. After three tests, it began to sink in. We had been hoping to have another, so it was no shock, but emotional nonetheless. The only indication I had had before the positive tests was that during dinner the weekend before with friends, I suddenly got very nauseous when eating a steak. We told family and close friends in the coming days about our pregnancy.

At six weeks I made a spur of the moment appointment with the midwife at our clinic and the ultrasound showed the tiny little dot with the heartbeat and I was so excited to know that things were going as they should. My regularly scheduled appointment with my doctor was for the following week and thankfully Jeff went to that appointment with me. It started with small talk with the doctor, but as she began the ultrasound, I could tell by the look on her face that she was concerned. I looked at the screen and saw only a black void. No yolk sac, no baby, no heartbeat. Nothing. She didn't say anything, but continued the ultrasound for what seemed like five minutes. Finally, she scanned over something that flickered quickly. She said that she thought it might be the heartbeat, but that the ultrasound did not look normal. She wanted me to come back in a week to do another ultrasound. We discussed my options if there were no heartbeat the next week and in the back of my mind that is what I began preparing myself for. I had had a miscarriage a couple of years prior and been through this before. I would have never imagined I'd be doing it again. I left the office and spent the next week in tears, convinced that it was over. There were other indications that week that there was a problem, so I fully expected to see no heartbeat at the upcoming appointment.

During this difficult week, I sought the Lord constantly, knowing that He was and is the only comfort I could find. I prayed for Him to save the baby, to comfort and encourage me. I have a wonderfully close group of friends who lifted me up in prayer during this time, sat with me when I cried, and spoke truth to me. That was so good. I needed to be reminded that all I knew for sure was that I was in fact pregnant and that there was a little heart beating inside me. And that God was in total control of it all. I sat in the bath every night praying for the baby and just waiting to hear from the Lord. It finally occurred to me that maybe I was making Him too small, not trusting that He really could work a miracle and let everything be okay. After that realization, I felt such peace.

When the time finally came to go back to the doctor, Jeff was right beside me as she began the ultrasound. I closed my eyes and turned my head away from the machine, not wanting to see the lack of a heartbeat as I had before during my last miscarriage. It's just an image that is burned in my memory and I didn't want it again. My doctor said, "There it is. There's the baby." I looked at the screen and saw my precious little baby's body and the strong heartbeat. A head, arms, legs. The baby. Measuring perfectly. Amazing. Instantly I thanked the Lord because I knew He had answered the prayers of so many. The ultrasound machine used the week before was blamed, but whatever it was, I know the Lord had His hand in it.

So, I ended up changing doctors and clinics all together. I just didn't feel comfortable with mine and wanted someone who I felt went the extra mile and cared more about me and the baby. I found one that I'm so happy with. He discovered the reason for my complications, put me on progesterone, and I've had an ultrasound every time I've gone in. And, every time we see that the sweet baby is growing right as he should be and everything looks great. I feel his movements now and frequently lie on my back just to feel him wiggling. He gave the ultrasound technician a hard time yesterday though because the umbilical cord was between his legs and he had his legs crossed and pulled up, but she finally got the picture confirming that he is definitely a boy. I've kind of had a feeling all along because at the beginning of my pregnancy I was incredibly hungry all the time and was nauseous, which I didn't experience with either of the girls.

About the name: We've really only had a boy's name all this time. Graham is named after Jeff's grandmother, whom everyone called Gram. Runnels is Jeff's middle name and his mother's maiden name. The initials GRH have been in the family for many years. We love his name and that it has such sweet meaning. I'm so excited to add a boy to our family and experience being the mom of a little boy. Oh, how God has blessed us!!!

Halloween 2012