Snapshots

Notice the good quality of these pics? They were not taken on my camera...but don't worry I am currently saving for a much better camera. These were taken at a cookout last week by Korin (a girl that was in our youth group). She's minoring in photography and just got a new camera and has been trying it out. I told her she is more than welcome to follow us around all summer and get in all the practice she needs.

Big Sister

Addie Kate has been doing a lot better than we expected as a big sister. She had a couple of rough days when we first brought him home but since then has been great. We try and make her feel very involved in helping with him and she loves it. He is a real live baby doll.

Owen loves Addie Kate! She can get the biggest smiles out of him! I love that they love each other and have seriously been praying that they would grow up loving each other.

Getting out with two kids is quit different than just one. I literally dreaded grocery shopping with both of them, but it really hasn't been bad at all (maybe because Owen sleeps the whole time). What has surprised me is how many comments I get when I am out. I had someone ask me the other day if they were twins and then someone else asked me if they were nine months and a day apart. I have also had people ask me if we were done having kids after this. Total strangers asking me that. Its not like I have five kids with me when they ask me that. It makes you feel kinnda crazy.

So far life with two kids is much easier than I had anticipated. When I found out I was pregnant with Owen, I literally did not sleep for a week. We had wanted two close together, but when it was actually going to be a reality it was really scary for me. I worried about everything I could have worried about. Would I be able to handle two kids? Would they get along? The list goes on and on. God has been so faithful during this process...everything from insurance to preparing our family for another addition. Being a mom is absolutely the hardest but also the most rewarding job there could be (especially with a toddler and learning to discipline.) I am so blessed to be Addie Kate and Owen's mom. I regularly pray that God would help me to be the best mother to them that I can be.

One month...already??

Okay so I am a little behind on blogging , but I wanted to put up some pics of Owen at a month old (even though he is 6 weeks old today). Six weeks has flown by and it really seems like we just brought him home yesterday. This might have something to do with the fact that we have already been out of town twice since he was born. At six weeks he has been to Alabama and Florida. Luckily he is a good traveler!

A House Divided....

When I was pregnant with Addie Kate, Gabe and I made a deal that if it was a girl she would be a Georgia fan and if it was a boy he would be an Alabama fan. At the time I was pretty confident that I was having a little girl so it seemed like a good idea. Who was to know that just nineteen short months later I would be having a little boy? Now I have to live with the deal I made which means living with two Alabama fans! Hopefully Addie Kate and I have a much better football season this fall than we did last!

Bringing Baby Home

Saturday afternoon we were able to bring our baby boy home. We were so glad to be able to come home Saturday because they had originally told us we were going to have to stay until Sunday. I requested an early discharge and so we were able to leave a day early! It is so nice to be home and sleep in your own bed, even when we were only there for one night.

So far Owen has been a really good baby. He has been sleeping four hours during the night, which doesn't sound like a lot, but really is at this point. This is such a sweet time, sleepless nights and all.

Gabe has been off this week and it has been so nice to have him home! I love watching him with Addie Kate and now Owen. He is such a wonderful father and I am so very blessed!!

It is hard to believe it has almost been a week since Owen was born. It is going by so fast already!

Owen's Story

Thursday night I started having contractions around eleven o'clock. They were not really regular so I laid down and tried to go to sleep. I slept for about fifteen to twenty minutes and woke up with more contractions so I decided to go ahead and get up and get some stuff done in case I was actually in labor. I washed some clothes, took a shower and finished getting my bags ready.

Around one o'clock my contractions were getting stronger but were still not completely regular. I still felt like I needed to call my mom and Gabe's mom (I was nervous to call because I knew once I called they would both be on their way and I didn't want this to be a false alarm) and let them know I was having contractions. I told them both not to come yet, knowing they would both be getting ready to walk out the down when I called.

By the time my parents and little brother got here is was after four o'clock. We loaded the car and I gave my dad and brother instructions on Addie Kate when she woke up in the morning. We got to the hospital around five o'clock and had to check-in/register (we were really suppose to do this before I went into labor, but had put it off).

When the nurse checked me around five thirty I was already 8 cm dilated! I was so glad it wasn't false labor. I had the most wonderful nurse who encouraged me to go ahead and go natural so I opted out of the epidural. By the time the doctor got there I was nine cm dilated and she went ahead and broke my water. It moved pretty fast after that, the pain intensified and it wasn't long before I was very ready to push. Unfortunately my doctor was in an emergency c-section and my nurses asked me to wait to start pushing. I held out at long as I could before I really had to push (at that point I wasn't too concerned about the doctor being in there or not). I only pushed for about fifteen to twenty minutes before Owen was born. He arrived at 7:45am!

It was amazing seeing him for the first time! I worried about feeling that again after already having Addie Kate, but it was still just as exciting this time! It is so hard to fathom being able to love this much.

Baby Boy!!

Our baby boy has arrived! He was born today at 7:45am and weighs 7 lbs 8 oz and was 21 inches long! We can't wait to upload more pictures soon to show off our little man!!