We're Home

Well, it took us 40 hours to get there (we had to stop and sleep some).

As we were getting ready to leave the hotel on Saturday, Dad called to tell us Mom had passed away that morning. We were really disappointed, Steve really wanted his mom to see Tara.

Dad is sad, but determined not to wallow. He was stoic, handling all the details calmly. Mom had written her own obituary before the open heart surgery and made known her desires for her funeral service.

Everything went well. She had many friends and family who will all miss her greatly.

The kids travelled well and I think were a great comfort to Papaw.

Going Out of Town

Yes, I know, it's too soon after the baby and c-section, but it's necessary.

Steve's mom is very sick. She had open heart surgery 3 days before Tara arrived. She came through that just fine. Now, she has pneumonia and had a heart attack, so is back in the hospital in ICU. She is not doing too well.

We are headed to West Virginia for a few days to be there when she wakes up and to help/comfort Dad.

Pray that we get there safely & that Steve's mom gets better if it is God's will. Peace for all of us would be a blessing as well.

Bluebonnets!!

If you have even heard of Texas, then you probably know that we are pretty proud of our state flower, the bluebonnet. Families will trek out onto highway roadsides for the perfect bluebonnet pictures. We are lucky enough to live near a home where they grow them and let us take pictures in their yard. It's still a roadside, but not a trek.

It was very sunny!

Wildest of them all.

Not even 2 weeks old and she's making faces at the camera!

Finally, some pictures!

Ryann helping with the laundry. She likes to put clothes in the dryer.
Daddy with his little girls.
Our pear tree in bloom. Maybe we'll get a pear this year.
Sleeping Beauty. She's more awake at night (of course).

The blooming aloe.

I know, I know...

It's been a while. I've not had much to post. I am doing better, getting feeling back where the incision was, so I've some added pain, but I'm managing well (talk about run-on sentences).

Tara is a doll, she only cries when she needs something or is uncomfortable. She poked herself in the eye (too quickly for me to prevent) and she was quite upset. I am pretty sure she will be a strawberry blonde.

Ryann loves helping with the baby. She always wants to cover Tara with a blanket. Yesterday, I asked Steve to bring me a Tara diaper and Ryann slipped upstairs to get one for us (we have a stash downstairs), it was really sweet, even though she is not supposed to go upstairs alone. We have been amazed at how BIG she is, two weeks ago, I was still picking her up like it was nothing. Now, she's huge! She is quite a little beauty.

Kyla has been pretty helpful herself. She wants to hold the baby all the time, but will help with anything related to Tara. She's been practicing her piano and I am so glad that we were able to get her one, she has quite an ear. She's been playing songs from her recorder book on the piano. I can't believe how quickly she has picked up reading music.

Brendan has been working so hard. With dad home, he doesn't get away with much. I'm also trying to get him to read something besides Star Wars and he hates it. He just finished his first GA Henty book, said it was boring. I have started using this list but not having a lot of luck finding the books in our library system. Steve and I have told him that he needs to try reading different stuff (not comics) and broaden his horizons. Luckily, he's a very good reader and he can get through the books fairly quickly. I proofed a book for him a couple of days ago called "The Chosen" and I can't decide if I should let him read it.

I am so glad that Steve has been able to stay home for so long. He's supposed to go back to work on Wednesday and I dread it. I have been able to rest and take care of Tara. I have been kind of bored though. I can't wait until I feel up to taking a walk or going on errands. I'm not supposed to drive until Thursday, so I depend on him. I think he likes his new baby girl. He's been really patient with my hormonal outbursts (tears mostly). I have a great husband!

Last night, we watched "One Night with the King". I really enjoyed it. They kept to the biblical account, but filled in the blanks. The acting was very good. I'm glad we bought it.

Oh! We also bought "Facing the Giants", the kids really liked it. Steve and I went to see it in the theater just to support a Christian film, and ended up really liking the movie. I love the Georgia accents. I've seen it three times now, and cried in all the same places each time.

Okay, well dinner is almost ready, so time to wrap up for now. Steve just took some pictures, maybe I'll upload them after dinner (I don't have to clean the kitchen).

A BIG Sister Now

After Ryann's bath last night, we asked her if she wanted to hold Tara. Her whole body lit up. She got on the couch and was ready to hold the baby. She was soooooo cute.

Holding little sister.
Kissing little sister.

To answer a question...

I did not choose to have a c-section. I do not like them and wonder at women who actually desire surgery over natural birth. I admit to being terrified of natural birth when I was pregnant with my first, but did not think a c-section was an option.

We did not plan to have a c-section, my son was somewhat large and did not comply with the delivery staff - he turned breech while I was in labor. I did not know very much and trusted the doctors to make the best decisions, therefore thought that a c-section was best. He and I came through just fine.

Child #2, Kyla, was expected to be an uneventful VBAC (v*gin*l birth after cesarean). Things did not go as planned again. The doctor, fearing I had ruptured, insisted on a c-section right then (her dad missed the first 5 minutes of her life). Again, all turned out well.

When Steve and I found out that #3 was on the way, we just accepted that c-section was the only way. I was not thrilled with my lack of options, but wanted what was best for baby and me.

After this birth, I learned about homebirths and birthing centers and longed to go back and try to do things more naturally. My doctor did not think I should attempt a VBAC at all when I found I was pregnant once again.

I spent much time in prayer asking God to keep me from fearing the surgery. He was/is faithful. I got the advice of other godly women and was able to stay mostly calm during it all. Again, baby and I are well, my recovery is going slowly, but it is going.

I hope that I will be able to go through it all again, if it is God's will for my family to have more children.

Thank you for asking, Anonymous. It is a perfectly logical question.

More Pictures of Tara et al.

She's Here!!

Tara Patrice

March 8th

6lbs 12.1oz - 19 inches long @ 8:22a.m.

Everything went very well. I keep thanking my Lord for His infinite goodness to us! The only unexpected (aside from how WELL everything went) was that Tara was transverse, but it wasn't a "problem" at all. Her temp did not stabalize at first, even that was not cause for alarm, just an opportunity to practice patience.

I am doing so much better. I was in lots of pain after the epidral was first taken out. The worst part is standing up after sitting too long.

She is a good nurser and napper!

I will add more pictures soon.

Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I love ya tomorrow...

I always wanted to play Annie, I think it's the red hair.

Well, all I have to do now, is wait. Isn't that what I've been doing for the last 9 months? Anyhow, I had my pre-op and last prenatal appointments today. Everything went well. I've been dreading the 3 day stay and my doctor said she would use stitches instead of staples so that I could go home sooner.

I still need to pack. I did lay out my clothes. I don't have the diaper bag packed for Tara yet. Or a bag for Ryann to take to Nana's!

I'm trying to cook dinner and get the kids ready. Brendan is working on a writing assignment that I was hoping to e-mail to his teacher by tonight. Kyla is emptying the dishwasher that should have been emptied this morning but someone forgot to put soap in it so the dishes were not clean. We have another load of dirty dishes waiting to go in. Ryann is already in her seat at the table eating the cheerios that she dumped there at lunch. Whew!

I did manage to make 2 more loaves of bread. I think we'll have enough for the next week atleast.

Stay tuned to see pictures of Tara and hear about how precious she is (except you, Mama & Daddy, you get to meet her in person tomorrow).

Baby Tara Will Be a PIG!

Made you look! Actually, in Chinese and Korean astrology, this is the year of the pig. Not just the pig but the red pig, not just the red pig, but the GOLDEN PIG. Read this if you are confused.

Steve works with a Korean man who informed him of this. He told us we were lucky to have a baby born in the year of the golden pig. I hope you read the article to find out why.

We do NOT buy into this. We believe God's blessings do not depend on the year you were born in or what stars were out when you were born. God blesses us when we trust him in everything.

Anyhow, maybe Tara can collect stuffed (pink) pigs.

Two More Days! Two More Days!

Well, today has been productive - no baby, but productive none the less. Let's see:

I made a quadruple batch of pancakes and vacuum sealed them.

I browned 10-ish pounds of ground beef, 2/3 of which I seasoned for tacos.

I made 2 more loaves of bread (there are now 6 in the freezer).

Got the kids to clean out from behind the couch, where we found the skeleton of a small gecko.


You'll have to look closely. I zoomed in, but he's hard to see on my grey carpet (amidst the other stuff). The kids decided not to keep him, atleast they threw him away.

I did have some Braxton Hicks at lunchtime. They went away when I took a nap.

I still need to pack for my hospital stay. I hope it's only a couple of days.

My very good friend brought be a basketful of bath and shower stuff today from Bath and Body Works. I was tempted to go get in the tub right then. Everything is orange-ginger scented. She is too generous! She loaned/bought me almost my entire maternity wardrobe! Thanks, Pickle Lady!

Adventures in Aloe

Not very exciting, I know.

Four years ago, these aloe were all in ONE 4" pot. I bought them after having my eyebrows done and the lady used aloe to sooth the skin where she'd ripped out part of my eyebrows, but I digress. I transferred them to larger and larger pots until I decided to plant them in this bed.

I have done NOTHING to help them grow. I may have covered them once when a freeze was predicted. The luggage carrier fell over on them (empty of course) and they all started growing at a more pronounced angle. I haven't even weeded their bed (or swept the sidewalk) as you can see. I have done nothing at all. I am no gardener, that's why these aloe surprise me.

This one is my favorite. She has lots of babies growing around her now. But best of all....
she's going to bloom this year! Aloe don't bloom annually so this is very exciting for me. I have seen blooming aloe before and got very excited, but the plants were much more mature. I did some research on the internet and the bloom may some shade of coral. The ones I saw IRL were yellow. I can't wait to see. I will post more pictures. Hopefully, she will blossom before I go to the hospital on Thursday.

Don't know why I thought differently...

My favorite grocery store had a sale on jumbo shrimp and we decided to get some for dinner. So, I brought it home, baked some potatoes and boiled up the shrimp. We set the table and sat down to eat. Brendan was surprised that the legs were still on the shrimp and that I did not plan to peel everyone's. So, I gave him one with his baked potato and he didn't touch it. We tried to talk him to atleast trying it, but he wouldn't budge. He said it used to be alive, we told him the potatoes were alive until I cooked them, chicken was once alive, etc... Finally, Dad suggested I peel one for him so he could atleast taste it. I did, he ate it, then decided it wasn't worth the trouble.

No, he's never been very adventurous when it came to eating, but I knew that he liked shrimp. How does one go 12 years without ever peeling a shrimp for himself?

He's happy that salmon was also on sale and I bought 2 filets. He will just have to wait to eat it, because I had porkchops out for tonight so we will have to eat them tomorrow.

Morgan's 1 - Squirrel 0!

We have a bird feeder out back and love to watch the birds gather and feed. There are usually sparrows & doves (eating what the sparrows drop). For the past couple of days, a cardinal has been visiting, I love to watch him. Last year a blue jay came often, they had a nest in the oak out front.

Anyhow, we have a squirrel who likes to partake of the birdie buffet. He is not welcome, he's too greedy and the birds won't eat until/if he leaves. We send the dog out (but the birds don't like her either), we open the door to scare him off, but nothing really works for long. Then, I remembered that the squirrel repellent in the store was mostly cayenne pepper. So, I took a jar of the red stuff out and shook it all over the bird feeder, especially where the food comes out.

We waited and watched. He was back in just a few minutes. He ate some seed off the ground, then climbed the pole to the feeder and started to eat. He jumped off and ran away! He won't be back for a while, but I'll be sure to keep the cayenne handy.

The birds came back, but they've gone again. I hope they'll be back soon.