our happy life....: and then there were five.

It is still very weird to me that we have FIVE kids!! I think when I started out on the journey of motherhood, I had no idea what having five kids entailed. Life is crazy. Period. I start out the day with high hopes but by the end of it, I find myself crashing into bed just as hard as the night before. But.... as cliche as it might sound, I wouldn't trade it.

So, I know everyone is DYING to see me in my final days of pregnancy. I will oblige. I believe this picture was taken a day or two before I went into labor. I felt gargantuan.

So the labor story, quick version... I had been having steady contractions all day long. I got to the hospital around 9 p.m. or so and ended up having Joshua Max on February 5, just before midnight. The cool thing? He was born on the anniversary of the grandpa he was named after. Because I was group B strep positive, they were waiting as long as possible for me to deliver so they could get as much of the antibiotic in me as possible. When I saw the clock creeping closer to midnight, I asked them if they could go ahead and deliver me so he could share a special day with some special people. And we were blessed he was delivered when he was. There was meconium in the fluid and they had to have respiratory therapists come and check him over when he was born. He was okay.

I only had to push one and 1/2 pushes and he was out. I didn't even have time to think about what was happening.

Here is proof of the small giant that was in my belly.

I had to include this picture to show off his umbilical cord. He was well fed during his stay.

Our newest family picture. P.S. Can you tell Ashley was sick?

It was actually very sad around our house with many sickies when we came home. Ashley got to hold Joshua a couple of days after we brought him home. She had to promise to wear the mask!

Here's my favorite picture of our newborn little buddy!

Jacob l.o.v.e.s. his new brother. He holds him quite often and loves to play with him.

We had Josh blessed the first week in March. It was a very nice day filled with lots of family, plenty of food and good, fun conversation. Shauna took several pictures of our family after the blessing. This was truly the best one out there. I love how Katie is laughing in the picture. True Katie style.