Take me out to the ballgame....

The kids had two games this weekend to closeout their first season of Blastball. Saturday's game was early before it got hot but Sunday's game was a real scorcher at 12:30! The first two pics are of Chase on Saturday in his baseball outfit, then last 3 are of the kids on Sunday, man they were hot and sweaty. Chase had his red baseball shirt on and baseball shoes but I couldn't capture them in the pic. Kate was voted most improved player over the course of the season, wahoo! Can't wait until next season!

Family of Five

Things are going well here at the house adjusting to our new family of five. Me and Stan have gotten the hang of things and have even managed to leave the house here and there and seem somewhat normal. On Tuesday night Stan took the kids to swimming while I stayed home with Chase to get some good bonding in and unpack us from the hospital. On Weds I stayed home all day with Chase while Stan took the big kids to the library and the grocery store. Then my family came over to celebrate my nephew's 2nd bday and meet Chase. Afterwards they all ventured to Chuck E Cheese while again, I stayed home with the baby. I have enjoyed all this alone time with him though, it just seems so much easier the third time around! On Thursday we spent most of the day at home together. In the morning he had his first well baby visit. He weighs 7lbs 15oz now and had a jaundice level of 15 (not good, we have to have another test done in the morning to see if its getting worse or better). Later, we had a visit from our pastor and she brought a prayer blanket for the little guy. Chase also had his first bath and was held by his brother and sister all day! Then we ventured out to my mom's house for dinner and then up to swimming for our last lesson. Everything went really well, and we survived another day! Today we took the kids to the park and have begun cleaning for Stan's parents' arrival tomorrow morning! It has been a busy and exciting week, here are tons more pics!!

Weds pics:Thurs pics:Stan doing some sun therapy on Chase for his jaundice:Fri pics:

Austin and Chase sunning:

At home at last!

I miss the hospital dearly but it is good to be home! We were greeted yesterday about 3PM by Katie, Austin, MeMe, and Castle! We were supposed to leave the hospital a bit earlier but got delayed with lactation consultants and pictures due to the holiday. As of the time we left, Chase did not have any jaundice worries so they couldn't keep us any longer but I think he is definitely getting it, we will just have to see tomorrow how bad he might actually have it now. Since we came home, both kids are adjusting well, Austin did better than Katie at first, but now both seem to enjoy him being here. We have taken a bazillion pictures, so its hard for me to pic which ones to post. Last night was our first night with Chase not being in the nursery so there were plenty of adjustments, but all in all it wasn't too bad of a night. Now that we have the hang of it, hopefully tonight will be just a little bit better. Enjoy the pics and everyone needs to come out and visit him, he is getting cuter everyday :)

Our three babies

So here are the pics of Katelyn, Austin, and Chase in that order. This is the only one I can find of Katelyn on this computer so its not exactly similar pictures but it gets the point across. Chase looks alot like Austin but with Katelyn's hair and possibly eye color. He seems to be a hybrid of their skin tones although Chase is a bit splotchy from mommy's hormones!

Meeting Chase Matthew

Oh boy!

So here is the story of little Chase Matthew's entry into this world! On Saturday, my mom had taken Kate and Austin with her to my nephew Ryan's 2nd bday party down at Cedar Creek. I couldn't travel that far so me and Stan stayed behind just in case. We went to Carters for their Memorial Day Sale, Victoria Secret for a great underwear sale (nothing fancy, plain cotton ones I promise!), and then had lunch at Chuy's. I didn't really have anything spicy so no this is not why labor happened! Then we went home and did some house chores and took the dog for a nice walk (again not necessarily for the labor possibilities but because it reminds us of what we used to do before kids). Then about 9 we went to my mom's to pick up the kids after they had been exhausted from a day of water sliding and sun. We took them home and showered them and put them to bed about 10:30PM, super late for them. Then I went to bed about 11:30 and Stan followed at 12:30AM. By 2 AM I had gotten up several times already to go to the bathroom, not so much unusual. But at 2 I realized my contractions (that I have been having every night for 5 weeks now) were a little more uncomfortable than normal. So I just turned over and went back to sleep. A little after 2:30 I had two "uh-oh painful" contractions 3 minutes apart. So I woke up Stan and had him call my mom over. My contractions were at 2-3 minutes apart from then on and not so nice feeling. By the time she got there we were waiting for her outside to get out of there. We got to the hospital about 3:30 and they checked me and I was 7cm and in the worst pain of my life (even worse than Katelyn's labor which I didn't think was possible). I kept asking for the epidural but I had to get an IV run and answer a million questions for the computer. I was in super agony and behaving like one of those mom's on A Baby Story where you go, why are they screaming as if that helps, and no you aren't really going to die lady. I was screaming, cursing, praying, and pretty much hysterical in pain. Now remember I experienced 7 hours of 5 minute or less apart contractions with Katelyn without an epidural and I was in pain but I wasn't screaming at anyone. This was different, I had no control over anything I was saying, feeling, doing. So long story short I finally got the epidural in at 9cm shortly before 4AM. About 2 minutes after the glorious epidural went in, things went far South again. My blood pressue plumited down to 55/29, not good, not good at all. It all the sudden became an episode of Grey;s Anatomy where tons of people appeared in the room and the doctor keep shouting "Push another 10 of epi now!". I was short of breath, about to faint, and so not caring because hey I had that epidural and wasn't feeling those contractions anymore!!! Finally they got me stabilized and I was fully dilated pretty much by this point (an hour and a half after starting this crazy labor). But since the baby was still high and I was still enjoying my epidural, they told me not to worrying about pushing the baby out now, just relax and let him move down. So we did for about 2 hours we just chilled out and then we pushed 4 times and little man had arrived without pain, feeling, or complication at 6:39AM. So last Tuesday my baby size estimate was 6 and a half pounds, maybe even 7lbs. Yeah he was so 8lbs 4 oz (my others were 6lbs 14 oz and 7lbs 1oz born about the same gestation). He was the same length as Austin at 20.5". So I did not have to have an episiotomy like the first two but I managed to receive a 2nd degree re-tear of one of my old ones. So we had to stitch that up. Then a couple of hours later they discovered another 1st degree laceration that had happened at some point too. So I got another dose of meds in my epidural making me numb for another 3 hours and more stitching. So it took me a long time to make it to my postpartum room but now we are here and doing so much better. So thats mommy and Chase's story about how we finally met. I can't wait for everyone to come meet him, he is truly a man that works on his own timetable and he is such a sweet blessing to our now completed family of five!

School's Out For Summer

So Thursday was the kids' last day of preschool for this year. I have never been so sad about something of the kids' ending before. This has been the best experience for all of us. First, it gave me some much needed time away from both kids to not only get things done, but to keep my sanity!
Katelyn had really great teachers, made some good friends in her class, and learned so much. Her social skills have started to improve, so much so, that she spoke to her Sunday school teacher this past week (it was a new lady she had never met before)! I am so thankful that her teachers were so patient with her throughout the schoolyear, especially having never heard her speak until this Spring! I am praying that Austin will get her teachers next year because I thought they were incredible ladies!
Austin had a great year too, his social skills have really started blooming. He is not near as shy as he was before he started. He loved both of his teachers (as did I!) and always talked about them at home. My favorite thing he started saying was "my teacher said I (then fill in the blank)". Usually it was, "my teacher says I don't have to nap anymore." or "my teacher said I can have ice cream for dinner". It was never anything I actually thought his teachers would have said! They were so patient with Austin and his "potty training" that is still in progress. I don't know why a kid can be so difficult! He is doing well and no matter what I have to do he will be potty trained so he can start school again in the fall.
I think the hardest part of the whole thing is that the kids don't understand how long it will be until they get to go back to school and that when they do go back, it won't be the same classrooms, teachers, or friends. I am also sad that they formed these bonds with their teachers and now they have to go 4 months without seeing them. I am just so thankful for our church and preschool and these 4 wonderful teachers that have shaped my kids in such positive ways!

The Chuck

Today we ventured out of the house for a morning at Chuck E Cheese. I want to go at least once more before school gets out for summer, it is just so nice to go and pretty much have the place to ourselves. It was just us and one other girl with her mom. Here are some shots of the excitement: