Wednesday, December 2, 2020

Today I found this blog post in my drafts and decided to post it. I wrote it 3 years ago.

It's been 2 years since I've updated this blog. I now use Instagram primarily for memory keeping but Ive missed blogging, just can't seem to find the time to do it. So much has changed and yet we are the same. We have traveled a lot in the last two years. Drew and I went Chicago, and Norway, Sweden and Copenhagen, As a family we've traveled twice to Utah, texas/ Louisiana for 2016 spring break arkansas (for last years thanksgiving)  and most recently Florida, we took the kids to disney world and universal studios during hurricane Irma. We still love exploring and are planning on some fun adventures this year.

Some new things that have happened. September 2016 Drew found out he had made partner with his law firm. As much as he loved working at Dinsmor in March 2017 he got a job offer with Tempur Seally just felt right and started working there in April and has absolutely loved every minute of it. Im still getting use to all the traveling he does. In July we found out we were expecting baby number 5. We are so excited to welcome baby girl millar sometime around March 15th. Though all the ups and downs the last 2 years have been pretty great.

Saturday, March 24, 2018

Violet's Birth Story




Our sweet Violet was born March 15th at 12:42 am.

Leading up to Violets birth our life was a bit crazy. Drew got a new job in January (director of HR over west region)  which entails a lot more traveling. Then in the first week of March we sold our house. Getting the house ready to sell about did me in but we ended up selling the house in one day and getting what we asked for. Now we are in the process of finding a house which is a little stressful as well. Praying we find one in the next week. So as you can see our life was crazy and this being our last baby I had a good idea of how I would like Violets birth to go. I didn't want to be induced and wanted to labor mostly at home and have a natural birth.

The weeks leading up her birth I was progressing and just praying that I would go into labor so I would not have to be induced. Well the week of her due date came (due date was March 15) and still no baby so we set an induction and scheduled my moms flight for that Friday. Tuesday I went to my doctors appointment dilated to a 3 and the doctor stripped my membranes. That night I started having contractions nothing hard or consistent but contractions. I went to bed thinking maybe tonight was the night but woke up disappointed but still having small lite contractions that morning. So I went to the gym got a good workout in all the while feeling those contraction. Well that went on all day and around 4:30 I decided to start timing them. They were anywhere from 10-20 minutes apart. I called drew and gave him a heads up. He picked up pizza and I began cleaning, doing laundry, preparing the house, trying to keep my mind off labor. The contractions started getting closer together but still nothing painful or long. We got the kids to be early and drew and I hit the streets and walked 2.5 miles and the contractions were 6-8 minutes apart but only every other one were painful and lasting 40 seconds. I was still able to talk and walk through the contraction but we felt like we should probably head to the hospital so we called a friend to come sleep at the house and we headed to the hospital this was around 9:30.

We stopped at kroger, contractions were still coming but not as painful so I took a small swig maybe a tsp) of castor oil. We got to the hospital checked in and I was dilated to a "I'm going to be super conservative and say you are dilated to a 6"- nurse. They monitored me for 20 minutes. Contractions were picking up and then I started bounce on the birthing ball and walk and sway. In about 30 minutes the contractions got painful and I was having a hard time standing. So I went to the bathroom and I climbed into bed. The next contraction made me shake and the shaking didn't stop- I was in transition. Drew gave me a blessing and then ran to get the nurse. As the nurse got ready to check me my water broke and I was dilated to a 10. She ran to call the doctor and I felt violet slide down and crown and I just started pushing. The nurse came in and said "No! just pant, don't push" and I pushed anyway. Her head and shoulders were out and the doctor came in to deliver her feet and placenta. It was the most intense experience but perfect in every way. She came out screaming and purple, really purple. She was bruised- it looked like she wasn't breathing but it was the bruises. The birth was so fast and hard  her face was bruised badly. Other than that she was healthy and perfect in every way. Weighing 7 lbs 13 oz and 21 inches long.

I can't say enough how amazing Violets birth was for both drew and I. I couldn't have done it without Drew and he was the perfect partner.

We came to the hospital with a few names on our list. Nina and Sadie being the top with Jane as an alternative but after seeing her none of those names felt right so we went to our original list of names and when I mentioned Violet we both felt like that was her name. She has been such an easy baby. she sleeps hard and eats fast. Puts up with the constant hugging and kissing from her siblings and has the sweetest disposition. We love our sweet baby Vi.



Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Walt is 1


The fastest year of my life! Walt is 1!!! Oh how we love our little Wally. Walt is our little shy flirt- gets someone's attention and then shyly smiles. The day after Walt  started crawling, I had left him in my room (down stairs) to go wake up Annie. Came out of Annie's room (upstairs ) to find him sitting there! So he has mastered the stairs and walking along furniture. He loves animals and has no fear around them. Says "da dada" for everything especially when he sees his dad. Signs more and food and does the cutest "come here" with his hands. He's our champion eater and will eat everything- so different from a month before! One year stats ... Weighs 23.2 lbs 55% and 31.5" 90%. He's our little runt- haha














Get outside

We've had such an amazing fall, we couldnt help but take advantage of it! 

Veterans park


Raven run- catching craw dads



Red river gorge




I think it's important to mention some of the hard things that go on in our family. it's  those times we see Gods hand in our lives most. Drew has ankylosing  spondylitis it's kind of like rumortoid arthritis. It causes fusing in the joints, targeting the spin. Drew has it mostly in his knees, hips, ankles and shoulders. He gets his medicine infused every month- there are not so great side effects but the good out weighs the bad. After drews hip replacement last year. His right knee started having more problems- which is common. So he got a knee surgery last September but it really messed up his right hip. His right hip and knee continued going down hill fast. His knee wasn't able to heal because his hip was so bad. October was a rough month for us especially for drew. Most days the pain was 9 out of 10 so he wasn't sleeping at night either. He worked from home most days. The doctors  felt like it was time to replace his hip, his knee would not get better without a hip replacement. Because of his procedures and surgery the earliest they could get him in was the end of December. This was hard to hear- 2 more months of this pain. I hate to admit but I wasn't handling things well either. It was hard to see drew in so much pain and doing everything myself, I missed the help and I felt guilty feeling these feelings especially since drew was still happy, not letting the pain make him angry. I felt helpless watching him. Our neighbor is a nutritionalist and had incouraged us to put drew on a gluten free diet. Study's have shown gluten can cause inflammation. We were desperate so I started cooking gluten free and drew had a good attitude. Halloween night drew drove to get a movie. On his way home he got in a car accident and totaled his car. Both cars were totaled  and no one was hurt- thankfully! This was the tip of the iceberg. The next morning was a Sunday. He woke up early for a church meeting and after got a blessing from president Krebs. In the blessing he said that drew would be able to get the things he needs to get done. The next night Our friend Brian came over to do some intense physical therapy. By the end of the week drew was walking with a little limp and was in considerably  less pain. He was sleeping at night and was able to work all day. In fact he hadn't felt this good in months! We witnessed huge blessings that week and continue seeing them. I know that prayers were answered. As of today (12-2) drew is doing great. 

Saturday, November 28, 2015

Halloween

The Thursday before Halloween we carved pumpkins Annie and make both drew their own designs while g picked one out...



G's 
Annie loved hoes hers turned out. Can you tell its Belle?


October 30 Tates creek ward trunk or treat. 
Spent Halloween with our back door neighbors the Polices. Mac- werewolf g-vampire Annie- Ariel Walt- frog 
Drew wasn't up for walking so he handed candy out with Walt. 

Friday, November 27, 2015

Sunday drive

Sunday drive- Kentucky was absolutely beautiful this year.