The 4th...Fun, Friends, Family and Fireworks

In 2006, so 9 years ago, our 4th of July tradition began.  

The twins were born, but other than that no babies were in the mix.

Fast forward to this year, 2015, 

a lot is still the same.

Our friendship continues to be so special.

Each of these girls were bridesmaids in my wedding.

Some things are the same,

but a BIG change since 2006 is...

we have MULTIPLIED! 

A total of 15 kids now call us Mom.

It melts our hearts when we see our kids 

bonding with each others kids.

We pray our kiddos will have Godly, dear friendships forever,

just as we have been blessed with.

The Fourth of July never disappoints. 

It is just wonderful, family fun!

Jed and Austin 

 My cousin Luke and his adorable family

 My brother and his wonderful family

 One of the silliest boys I know.  :)

 Auntie Blair with her favorite niece and nephews

 Our family of 5!

 Dad's club

 See...I told you he is super silly.  

I said give me a pose and this is what I get. HA!

 Jesse and Jed

 Blake and Austin

 Dinner time!

 Cousin time!

 My favorite three fireworks.  :)

Our favorite 4th of July crew...

Our world over here lately...

It's 3am and I am awake because contractions woke me up.  I am due with Baby #3 in 4 days.  This pregnancy has by far been the toughest one yet.  I feel like this pregnancy I am constantly saying, "I never had this with the first two pregnancies!"  It has been tough to say the least.  I have soooo much to be thankful for, but these past few months have been really tough with the curveballs this pregnancy has thrown.  I had to take pills for nauseousness until almost 7 months along.  I didn't ever take any meds with the first two.  This pregnancy I became anemic.  My doctor had to put me on iron supplement pills to boost my iron levels.  Never had that with the first two either.  Low iron is so incredibly exhausting.  Some days Blake would come home and I was sleeping on the floor because I couldn't make it to the bed.  Absolutely over the top exhausted.  Not only exhausted, but feeling so, so weak.  Weak like you have the flu, but thank goodness no other flu symptoms.  Most of the pregnancy I wake up in the middle of the night or from a nap, with my heart racing.  I mean really racing crazy, pounding, making me feel completely out of breathe and out of control.  Not fun.  Actually very scary at times.  I had one hospital scare.  I was so weak Blake took me to the hospital in tears.  I couldn't breathe normal.  I felt so weak, I needed his support to walk.  After hours of tests, the hospital pumped me with two bags of IV fluid and my body started to come back to normal.   Now near the end of this pregnancy I have varicose veins like you would not believe.  Painful.  Debilitating.  Makes my legs feel numb.  My feet, especially the right foot has swollen more than I ever thought possible.  And oh my feet hurt.  I don't remember having any of this with the first two pregnancies.   On top of all of this, just the normal pregnancy pains, kicks, Braxton Hicks and extreme uncomfortableness one would expect.  

None of this is to complain.  More so, just to document this season in our lives.  God knows how truly thankful I am for His amazing plan.  I know His plan is way better than any plan we could come up with.  I know way down the road, or maybe even the moment I hold this baby for the first time in a couple of days, I will know and feel all of this has been worth every second of struggle. 

We don't know boy or girl yet.  We have four days until our due date.  Our due date is Super Bowl Sunday.  Not sure friends or family want to watch the game at a hospital and I KNOW Blake would prefer to watch the game on a comfy couch, but God knows His perfect timing.  Aubrey Rose was two days early.   Austin came 8 days late.  I am ready for this one to arrive.  

As the days come closer and closer to our due date, I have become a little anxious.  Where will I be when the big contractions begin?  Will Blake be with me?  Will I be able to get a hold of him in time? Will my water break this time?  It never has before, but this pregnancy has not been like any I have experienced!  I am just praying if my water does break before the hospital, that it happens in the comfort of my own home, rather than out in public.  I also have worries about the kids.  Will it happen in the middle of the night and then we aren't home when they wake up.   Will they have school in the morning?  Should we take them out of school for that day?  All these questions as I sit and wait and wait for this little one to arrive. 

While I am at this, I might as well update a little.  We found out we were pregnant at one of our friends houses.  It is a memory I bet we will never forget.  I made one comment about being late and off to the store my girlfriend and I went.  We left our hubbies at the house and we went to buy a couple of pregnancy tests.  Came back to their house, I took one test...positive.  It was quite a surreal moment.  The following days I took a couple more tests to just to make sure.  

One of my sweetest memories was sharing the news with my favorite sister.  I told her we were pregnant with number three and she quickly said to me, "Years and years down the road, when you sit at your Thanksgiving table, you will forever be thankful for having three kids."  I love my sister!  It was at that point, I knew God's plan was even greater than any plan I could have created.  

There are other people excited too.  I think the most excited is Aubrey Rose.  She is already practicing to be a little mommy.  I am not sure I will have to do too much for this new baby.  I am pretty sure I will have quite the little helper from this girl.  Aubrey Rose gives this baby kisses multiple times a day.  She talks to the baby and loves on the baby (or my belly) already.  It is the sweetest thing.  Actually the cutest thing is almost every time she comes close to me for a hug or to kiss the baby, this baby wakes up and starts kicking and moving.  This baby already loves her!!  I promise she will touch my belly for one second and this baby knows it is her and starts to move.  Aubrey Rose thinks it is the funniest thing in the world. She starts talking to the baby, the baby moves more. It really is the cutest thing, but goodness it hurts me!!!  This baby can kick!

Aubrey Rose is not the only child in the house who is excited.  Austin is too.  We have a couple of friends lately who have brand new babies as well.  I am often shocked at how tender and adorable he reacts to the babies.  When I tell him our baby is hurting me or kicking me, he often tells me to just go like this and get the baby out already!

So here we are, four days away from our due date, we have the bassinet ready to go in our room.  All baby things have been brought out again.  It kind of makes me anxious to go down this newborn road again, but I know it will be worth it.

The crib has been built. It is in Aubrey's room for now, since she sleeps every night in the bunk beds with Austin in his room.  Swings are out and baby clothes are ready.  We just need to know if this is a boy or a girl in order to make things a little more permanent around here.  I can not wait to know!

I should probably go back to bed in case this baby decides today is the day.
Ahhh, another contraction! Ouuuuch!! How many more days??  Or hours??
I wish I knew, but we are as ready as we will ever be!

Aubrey is 6!!

Time is flying and we can't stop it!  Good thing we have pictures and videos to look back on.  I can not believe our little girl is 6.  

It feels like it was just yesterday that I was taking these pictures,

but then again, when I see these pictures, it feels like forever ago!

Although I do prefer this age much more than the baby days,

She still does her laundry all by herself.  This routine started when she turned five years old.  She has done great with it, although for some reason folding the clothes and putting it away has become quite the challenge to tackle, but we push on!  I know in the end this will be very helpful!  I do know that it is a blessing to have one less person's laundry to do.  When I do the rest of the laundry I just don't pick up hers.  When her basket gets full then it is time for her to take care of it.  It is still a lot of consistency on my part, but hopefully it will be worth it.  One time, she was out of clean underwear and Blake said I needed to help her out and do it while she was at school.  As much as I wanted to, I didn't have much sympathy.  Mean mommy!!  She got it done though!!

My girlie girl loooooves hers (and my) accessories!

Oh loosing her first tooth.  This will forever be a wonderful memory to look back on!

Our little Kindergartner!  She loved going to school, even the first day she was anxious and ready to go!

Here is when Aubrey Rose turned:

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

Austin is 3!

It feels like just yesterday Austin was born.  

Okay maybe not yesterday because at the same time, 

I can't even remember what life was like without with this little ball of energy running all around.

Austin you are spunky, silly, incredibly expressive with your personality and also so very sweet.

You are a lover of everything with wheels.  

Cars, airplanes, tractors, trucks, trains or even big "humungous Monster" trucks.

Austin, you love to make messes.

 

Not just messes, 

I am pretty sure you take pleasure in breaking things.

Why???  

Your Daddy and I have no idea.

 You might just want to test Daddy to see if he can really "fix" the problem.

You have bent back and ruined more books than I can count.

You choose to often bend your toys until they pop and break.

We are trying to teach you how to respect your things (and our things) every day.

I hope the lesson will soon sink in.  :)

However, with the struggles of raising a two year old, now three year old,

comes great joy too.

Austin, you are a ball of energy,

running in circles around the house.

You make me giggle and laugh all throughout the day.

Sometimes even just your silly smirk makes me laugh.

We are so very thankful you figured out how to go to the bathroom in the toilet.

Your sister just decided one day she was done.

She was done with diapers for naps and night all in one day.

You didn't ever want to get rid of diapers.

But, one day Daddy and Mommy decided for you and you have not looked back.

You have rocked that new challenge and we are soooooooo very thankful!!

We aren't 100% through naps and nighttime, but we are SUPER close!

You have some big shoes to fill, but you can do it with that big grin 

and the way you love with all your heart!

Your Daddy might be your FAVORITE person on Earth.

However, that might be highly debatable.  :)

Then again, that might be debatable as well.  ;)

You have been telling us since last summer that your "birthday is COMING!!"

Well, your birthday finally came.

You are officially THREE!

Austin James, I praise the Lord every day that you were born.

You sure are my favorite little boy.

You are so very loved.

Not just by your daddy, your sister and myself, 

but by sooooo many others.

Most of all, God loves you even more than I could ever imagine.

I am so very thankful for God blessing us with YOU!