Happy Birthday Aedan

To my sweet boy:

Every woman is forever changed when her first child is born. She is no longer just a woman; she is a mother. When I had you I was just a girl, not yet a woman. Honestly I had no way to prepare for your impending arrival. I had no idea what was really coming. You arrived only 5 days after my 18^th birthday. To say I was naïve would be an understatement. To say I was utterly clueless would be an understatement. To say that I was a complete idiot would be an understatement.

But here is the beauty of it: you changed my life in every possible way. I had to grow up, and fast. I had to work extra hard to graduate on time and with good grades. I had to get my priorities right. I had to not only be a teenage girl, but I had to learn to be a woman, a mother for you. Your dad and I had to learn to grow up together, in love.

I often think about what my life would be like if I hadn’t gotten pregnant at 17. I’m sure by now I would have my college degree. I would probably be traveling all over the world. I’m not even sure if your dad and I would have been together. But I never want those things more than I want you. I am so glad you came into our lives, because your dad and I really are perfect for each other, though at the time we might not have seen that. We’ve been together now for 9 years! All thanks to you!

You are so smart, so talented. I look at you, and I swear there is no way I made you. You have such joy always, and you are so patient. I see a leader when I look at you. Every time there is a chance to help someone you do it. I can always count on you to help me with your sisters, or with some house work. But I’d much rather see you play: football, Legos, running, video games, Pokémon, or rough housing with friends. You have never-ending patience when it comes to your sisters, especially little Corah June, whom you’ve always been so gentle with since the day she was born. You have a natural curiosity for everything, and I hope it never ends. You are smarter than your years. Every day I am impressed by you and proud of you.

I can see you in the future; though it breaks my heart to see it. You will be such a good husband, an incredible father. An amazing leader of men. Maybe a college football star? Maybe an entrepreneur like your dad? I wish you could be my little boy forever though. You are really growing too fast.

Thank you for being my sweet boy. Thank you for making me realize everything I’ve ever wanted from life. Thank you for making me grow up. Thank you for making me love your dad. Thank you for making me the woman I am today, I am so grateful. I couldn’t be who I am without you.

Happy 8^th Birthday to you Aedan. I love you more than you could ever know.

The day we found out you were a boy

two months old, chillin in your crib

Five months old, my sweet boy

That face! Six months old

Daddy is home from Iraq and finally gets to spend time with you. 8 months old.

Christmas time in 2007. 1 year old.

Just me and my boy. 1 year old.

Two years old

Driving with papa, two years old

that sweet face, two years old

First movie theatre experience, 3 years old

First day of preschool, 3 years old

Loving your sister Morgan, 4 years old

4 years old

You are the best big brother in the world, 4 years old

On your 4th birthday

Fishing with daddy, 5 years old

First day of 1st grade, 6 years old

6th birthday

7 years old, that smile!

1st day of 2nd grade! Getting so big now!

You love your seahawks! 7 years old.

I love you so much Aedan, you will be my little boy forever.

 

Summer: a paraphrase

I haven’t blogged since July. That’s so sad. My laptop died a heroic death, but unfortunately it took everything with it. I’ve always had a passion for writing. It gets all my ideas out of my head and helps me keep my sanity. Im not to keen on the desktop though, but I guess I need to get over that. So much has happened since July: So incredibly much.  I honestly don’t know where to begin.

To save all the hassle of writing up all the blogs I should have in the last 3 months, I am going to paraphrase.

JULY: Florida: 4^th of July. Many days at the beach. Mini golf, the kids first time ever. Sam’s birthday. Dave Matthews Band Concert. Art museums, yes I’m that girl. St. Augustine. Gater farm. Clearwater. Incredible white sand beaches. I don’t ever want to leave. Meeting old army friends. Shark teeth. Back to our new home in Salt Lake City: Settling in. MY SISTER MOLLY HAD HER BABY!!! A beautiful baby girl named Zoey. School started so early for the kids. Girls started Kindergarten. Since when is that okay? Pool time with Corah while big kids are at school. She had a hard time adjusting to being without her siblings.

AUGUST: I started training for my half marathon. Intense. In awe with the mountains, every day. Corah turns two. Wait, what?! My lovely friend Tiphani came to stay with me for two weeks! We took full advantage of the Utah sun and outdoors while she was here. Hiking. Beaching. Crafting. And silly drinking game nights. Enjoyed every minute and cried like a baby when she left. Continued to soak up summer sun. Talked with an old friend. Magic. Lavender fields. Still training every day for that marathon. Kayak on the lake.

SEPTEMBER: Football season starts. Are we the only Seattle fans in Utah? Apparently not. Still training. My kids are settled in school and have friends now. Makes me happy. I don’t get to go to Canada to see my new niece, so sad about that.  Flag football starts for Aedan. That’s entertaining. I get some much needed alone time. Heart break ensues. #41.  Sam started a new job at Morgan Stanley. So proud of him! Dave Matthews has his own wine? Why didn’t I know about that? I have too much free time. Grey Street. Fall décor. More Seahawks games. More training.

OCTOBER: Its already October? How? Kids are out of school for a month. We’ve been playing. Reading. Walking. It’s still warm here? This is so weird. Flag football ended for Aedan. He loved it. Sam and I have been having nightly walks together after the kids go to sleep. Works wonders. Sky full of stars. I still have too much free time. Looking into going back to school. My half-marathon is in 3 days!!! I leave for my brother’s wedding in Virginia in 5 days!! Excited to see my family! And to be at a wedding that’s on a vineyard… Wine does equal happiness.

We have packed so much into a short amount of time. Not only was it a lot of activities, but it was a lot of life changes. A lot of heart changes, a lot of up-rooting and rearranging my entire life type changes. Damn it was a summer.

I will write more, I promise. I’ve missed it too much.

What Memorial Day Means to Me

A lot of people see Memorial Day weekend as the start to summer! Many people are firing up the grill, going to the park, or going to the lake. Still others are taking advantage of store sales or spending time doing absolutely nothing.
For the few of us who have had loved ones in the military, or who served themselves, Memorial Day is something completely different.
Sam left to Iraq a mere three days after we were married. He had only been there a few months when his best friend died. He witnessed things that no 18 year old young man should ever see.
Every Memorial Day I am vividly reminded of how close I was to losing my husband. It was almost 7 years ago that my husband sustained many injuries do to an improvised explosive device while on a raid in Bagdad Iraq. If the vehicle was less than a foot closer to that bomb, Sam wouldn’t have his legs today. He likely would have bled out and died on scene.
So when people tell me, “Happy Memorial Day,” of course I am polite and say Thank You, but deep down I know this is NOT a happy day. This is the day when mothers of killed soldiers are reminded that their boy is not coming home. This is the day when widows feel their loss most deeply. This is the day when families of the lost soldiers visit the graves of their beloved.
Please take this day to HONOR those who have fallen. Please take this day to say a prayer for the grieving families. Please take this day to visit a national military cemetery. Please take this day to teach your children about the sacrifices made for them. Please take this day to donate to the Military Order of the Purple Heart or the Wounded Warriors Project. Let’s put action behind our words. Let’s give honor where honor is due. “We might not know all the names of the fallen personally; but we know their sacrifice intimately.” – Pastor Brandon Stewart.

Here are some images to reflect on.

All of the above photos were taken from GOOGLE images from search: Memorial Day National Cemetery.

Family Time in Moving Chaos

Family time is important for any family in any stage; however, during a chaotic move with huge looming transitions, I think family time is even more critical. Samuel has had a business trip every weekend for the last 3 weeks, and to have him home this weekend means a lot to us. Every Friday night there is NO social media, NO blogs to write, NO homework to do, NO deadlines to meet, NO calls to make. Our family gathers around the table like every other night, except this night, its PIZZA! I have invented MANY different ways to make pizza. Ever heard of the pizzadilla? Well, it’s incredible. I’ll blog about it later! Everyone looks forward to it all week (Especially me, because it is my cheat meal of the week!). After dinner we play together and chat while I clean the kitchen. After that its MOVIE night! But this isn’t your average family night. We make a fort! We make beds on the ground! Popcorn is always involved. We all cuddle in and watch a movie as a family. Thankfully Corah is getting old enough to hang for most of the movie before she has to go to sleep. A few weeks ago, she even participated in making her own pizza. It was mostly pineapple 😉 We are trying to keep this important family time EVEN while moving. It’s been interesting, but it has really kept us close as a family unit. It also helps us to make sure we always have something to look forward to after a stressful week! What family traditions do you have? Do you have a “family night” once a week too?

Summer Boredom Busters

Schools out for summer! What a fun time for the kids! Summer break is welcomed by all; at least for the first two weeks. Soon after the honeymoon phase, boredom sets in. What’s a mom to do?

6 incredibly EASY ideas anyone can do:
1. Let the kids wash the car! They absolutely LOVE this. Seriously, they could do it all day! Free child labor!! Get some buckets, different colored sponges, and huge bubbles! Make it a relay race! “Which one of you can clean a tire the best?”
2. If you are like me you LOVE growing things. And let me just say, children absolutely love learning about plants, animals and the circle of life. Why not give them tasks that help you and teach them at the same time? Water plants, weed the garden! Pick the lettuce! Pick the berries! My children go and do this without me even telling them. They absolutely enjoy it! Join in the fun! Hopefully you will find a lady bug or a slug along the way and teach them about their roles in the garden! If you don’t already have a garden, plant one! Go a step further and get involved in YOUR local farms! Take your kids to farmers markets as well! Teach them about the food they eat and where it grows!
3. Cooking with children can be stressful sometimes: I admit I’m a clean freak, but honestly, if you have nothing else to do on a too hot to go outside summer day, then why not let the littles get some time in the kitchen? There are some pretty cool plastic knives out there that children can use to chop produce. Why not make a summer salad? Let them set the table! When children are allowed to help in the kitchen, they are far more likely to eat whatever they made.
4. My kids absolutely love scavenger hunts! Do different themed ones! And outdoor scavenger hunt might look like this:

5. Reading time in your local library is a great way to keep your kids engaged in their education over the long summer break. A lot of libraries have reading programs built specifically for your child’s level that includes fun prizes along the way.
6. Help the children make a summer bucket list! They can feel involved in the summer plans and have a visual check list they can display. You might be surprised to know what your kids want to do this summer! Here’s one idea from Pinterest:

3 things to do if you live in the South Puget Sound Area:
1. SPRAY PARKS: This is a fantastic and fun way to beat the heat! Click here to see a full list of all the spray parks in the Tacoma area.
2. Free Museum days: There are many lovely museums here in the Pacific Northwest! But don’t pay full price! Plan ahead and go on the free days! Firstly, the Tacoma Children’s museum is by donation only, which pretty much means VERY cheap! All the downtown Tacoma Museums are free on the third Thursday of the month. This includes, the Museum of Glass, The Washington State History Museum and the Tacoma art Museum. If you want to trek up to Seattle, you will be rewarded on the first Thursday of the month at the Seattle Art Museum (all day) and the EMP (5pm-8pm only). Also the Pacific Science Center in Seattle is free on the first Monday of the month for the first 1000 entrants. Take advantage of these huge resources! Your child will love them!
3. Drive-in Movie theatre: This was one of my all time favorite things about summer when I was a kid. Luckily there is still one open in the South Sound Area! The Skyline Drive-in theater in Shelton is open Fri-Sun with a double feature each night. Bring blankets and jammies and snuggle with the kiddos! They won’t forget it! Click here for more information.

AND finally, a sign to show the kids what they should try before telling you they are BORED:

Enjoy Summer Mamas!

Talkington Clan 2013 Wrap Up

Talkington Clan 2013

What an incredible year 2013 has been for the Talkington household. 2013 was full of so many exciting and memorable moments in our young family. We laid a lot of ground work for 2014 to be a very good year.

Our youngest daughter Corah continues to provide us with endless amounts of joy and entertainment. Corah literally began running the day after her 1^st birthday and continues to advance accordingly. She is obsessed with her mommy and loves family time. She cries when mommy drops the girls off at Pre School and really loves “melmo” (Elmo). Corah’s personality and determination will continue to take hold in 2014.

Morgan is doing very well for herself in both school and at home. She started preschool 4’s at Cascade Christian. Her teachers describe her as “very intelligent and thinks a lot before making any decisions.” Morgan participated in spring ballet this year and enjoys everything about being a 4 year old girl. Some of Morgan’s favorite activities include riding her bike, coloring, school, and watching Netflix.  Morgan has and will continue to make strides and inspire everyone she is around.

Kenley is still growing at an incredible rate. She has been in the 90^th+ percentile for height since she was 1 and is projected to be 5’11-6’1…. Holy Smokes. Kenley is a fireball that doesn’t stop spinning or dancing. She also started preschool 4’s this year at Cascade Christian. Her teachers describe her as unwavering curiosity personality who loves to be a mommy with her friends. She participated in ballet this past spring and continues to excel and amaze in everything she does.

Aedan is in 1^st grade at Cascade Christian Elementary.  Aedan is a natural born leader taking command of the situation when it arrives both at home and at school. He really enjoys going to school and working hard. He tested extremely high in his 1^st grade math equivalency test and the sky is the limit for this young man. When Aedan’s not in school he is participating in T-Ball, basketball, or watching the Seahawks dominate on Sunday’s. Superbowl party at our house 😉

Jenn is doing extremely well and is the backbone of our family. She continues to be an amazing mother ensuring all our kids are taken care of. She is an artist! I love watching her create things: photography, party planning, crafts, and home projects. She always has something she is working on artistically. She has also gotten very involved in serving at our Church primarily through volunteering in the toddlers-5 year old rooms every Sunday morning. She will never get the credit she deserves and I just want to emphasize that nothing would get done without her handling all the behind the scenes work.  We will be celebrating out 7^th anniversary in 2014! An incredible 7 years with this woman!

2013 was a year that everything in my vision began to really take hold and shape our future. I finished my Junior year at the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington–Go Dawgs! I only have 6 more classes and I will have my bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance!  The opportunities the University of Washington provides for me and my families future are incredible. In addition to school, my first business venture Strideline-Spokane has really taken off. We are currently being carried in 10 different stores throughout Eastern Washington and Idaho. This year was incredible both academically and professionally and will only continue as I expand my operations into Salt Lake City, Denver, and Phoenix beginning in February.

 

What’s ahead in 2014?

2014 is going to be a very productive and enjoyable year for all of us. Kenley and Morgan will officially finish preschool this year and Aedan 1^st grade.

I will be graduating from UW’s Foster School of Business in June of 2014.

I will also be continuing my Strideline operations in Spokane and Idaho as well as expanding into Colorado, Arizona, and Utah.

Most importantly, we will be moving to Utah sometime in early July shortly after I graduate.

 

Have a blessed 2014!

 

The Talkington Clan

You are my Sunshine!

This time last year as I was in the hospital with my newest bundle of joy, my sister in law Molly took the 3 older kids to the Blueberry Park to fill their bowls full of the delicious berry. We have four of our own blueberry bushes at home so it’s fair to say our family is obsessed with Blueberries. When I was considering places to have Corah’s first birthday party, it seemed fitting for us to have it at the park that her siblings were on the day of her birth. Especially considering her party was ON her actual birthday! That almost never happens!

This sweet little girl has brought so much joy to our family. She is an absolute blessing! So the theme for her party was a no-brainer: You are my little Sunshine. I spent a lot of time on the little details and I thoroughly enjoyed crafting this party all by hand. It turned out just like I pictured it in my head! Gotta love it when that happens! The weather was PERFECT even though there was a rain storm the night before! SO thankful for that!

Here we have Corah’s Cake and Favor table, decorated with her “ONE” banner that I made for her door for her birthday week.

Corah’s Cake and Favor Table

Close up of her favor jars. Each jar (recycled baby food jar) is filled with jelly beans!

Favor Jars

The food table! Photo Frame is holding a graphic that says “You are my Sunshine.” Yes those are empty starbucks mocha drink jars! Me and my hubby drank about 40 of these over about 4 months before the party! That’s dedication!! I wrapped these jars with custom labels!

More food! My favorite things! Veggies and Fruit Skewers! BLT Skewers and PB&J’s.

The whole table on display! Along with her photo banner from Pregnancy to 12 months. My favorite thing I made for this party!

Guest of Honor set up! Hand painted antique high chair, “You are my Sunshine” Banner and tissue pom poms.

Yes, another photo banner! This is of her 1st Birthday Lemonade Themed Photo Shoot.

Easy Peasy Table Centers: Flowers in a vase filled with cut up lemons. How cute!

My sweet Birthday girl!

Another view of my hand painted master piece! Blog post about this High Chair to come!

Rocking Horse gifted by a girlfriend! Also a hand painted piece! SO special!

Corah’s Smash Cake: I made a vanilla cake with cream cheese frosting topped with a beautiful flower!

Cake for everyone else: Same cake as above just bigger and with more flowers. Simple and summery!

Daddy, Mommy and the princess. Happy 1st Birthday my sweet!!

She had a fantastic day. She was all smiles!

So I leave you with pictures of her digging into that cake! Tasty!!

ooo squishy!!

Happiest Baby alive!

Being one is delicious!

What’s in a name?

In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare’s Juliet says:

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as
sweet.”

The meaning of this quote is that we should love the person, not the name. Juliet loved Romeo, but their families were in a long-standing feud. She asked him to refuse his name and be her lover, and so he did. She loved him despite his name.

However, I tend to think that names actually have great importance.

My favorite thing about having a baby is choosing a name! It is such a fun part of being pregnant. The name you are given is so important to who you are. I have had the pleasure of naming four little ones. Sam and I picked each name with a ton of thought, and prayer.

Aedan Grant: Our first-born. Our only boy. Born 11.27.06. While many people have heard the name “Aiden” not a lot of people have seen it spelled the traditional way: Aedan. This is an old Gaelic name (traditionally Irish Peoples) meaning “fire.” When I was pregnant with Aedan, I noticed from the beginning that he was a very active baby! I first felt him move at 14 weeks which is VERY early for first time mothers. From those first butterfly movements to full on kicks, he was always moving. Before we decided on his name, I always thought of him as my little fireball, and so when I saw this name and meaning I knew this was a perfect choice. Little did I know “Aiden” was going to be a very popular name and it shot up in 2006! A ton of people have that name, and I was trying to get away from popular names. OH WELL! I still have not seen it spelled the traditional way. Grant is Samuel’s middle name. I am not a huge fan of juniors so I didn’t want to name our son Samuel, so giving our son Sam’s middle name was a good compromise. Grant is latin for “Great” which works really well with his chosen name meaning of “fire” as he is my great fire! My great passion for life! My beautiful son!

Aedan Grant, 5 years old

 

Kenley Leona: Our first-born daughter. A twin sister. Born 03.11.09. I have never heard the name Kenley before or since our choosing it. I have to admit naming twins was a huge challenge. I didn’t want the names to rhyme or match. While pregnant, the twins were always in the same location, Kenley on the bottom, Morgan on top. Kenley was a lot more active than Morgan, and was quite a pain in the butt—literally. Between the two girls, her personality showed through the pregnancy. She seemed outgoing, as she would kick me back any time I touched her. We thought of her as our little princess! When searching for names, we looked for name meanings that pointed towards princess or royalty. Sam is very English and so we decided to go for an English name. Kenley means “the king’s meadow” or “royal meadow.” It is also a place in England. For a middle name, we decided to keep with a family name as we did for Aedan. Because Aedan was our first-born boy and received his dad’s middle name, we did the same for our first-born daughter. Leona is my middle name and it is Hebrew for “my strength.” This middle name fits Kenley very well because she has a very strong female personality!

Kenley Leona, 3 years old

 

Morgan Elise: Our second born daughter. A twin sister. Born 03.11.09. My poor Morgan was squished her entire pregnancy by her twin sister. She was on top, half in my rib cage! In fact, when the girls were delivered via c-section, the docs had to pull her out of my rib cage! Painful! During pregnancy, Morgan was not very active, but she played nicely with her sister. She seemed quiet and calm. We thought she would be our smart child who enjoyed reading. We had a hard time naming the twins, but one name always kept coming up: Morgan. This Welsh name means “great brightness” and in German, we say “Guten Morgen” to mean “good morning.” Morgan certainly is our sunshine or “brightness” of our life! She is such a happy child even with her challenges (which I promise to eventually blog about!). Her happiness despite her disability is what brings me inspiration; I wish we could all be like Morgan! In keeping with family names as middle names, Morgan got her Grandma’s middle name Elise. This name is French meaning “consecrated to God.” Consecrated to God means that you are set apart for Gods use or that you are special to God. Morgan fits this SO well because throughout her struggles, we can see that she is SO special to God. She was given specifically to us from God to teach us many many things. She was definitely used for God’s purpose and she will continue to do so.

Morgan Elise, 3 years old

 

Corah June: Our last child. Our third daughter. Born 08.10.12. Sam and I took a long time to decide this little girl’s name. We wanted to make sure her name “fit” with our other children. We didn’t want to go out of left field with this one. We really thought this little one was a boy, so we had many boy names picked out in the beginning. When we discovered we had a little girl on the way we were excited, but didn’t know where to start in the naming process. We also discovered some difficulties with the pregnancy during an ultrasound and we prayed to God she would make it through! We started looking for names with powerful meanings. We decided on the middle name first: June. This was Sam’s grandma’s name. She was a beautiful strong woman! Not only did it fit the family names for middle names criteria, but June was the Roman goddess of fertility and childbirth. As we discovered the tumor on the placenta, we agreed this would be her middle name because we wanted her to be healthy and strong. Corah was eventually chosen (although even up to her birthdate, we still were thinking “Claire” might be her name) and it means “heart.” Corah certainly has my heart! She is such a sweet baby, and we are so thankful that God gave her to us.

 

Corah June, 3 weeks old

 

 

 

 

 

Our darling daughter

We are so happy to announce that our daughter Corah June was born on August 10th, 2012 at 8:42am. She weighed 8lbs and was 19 inches long. She is such a beauty!

Corah June

The c-section was incredibly painful, and even a week later I was still in quite alot of pain. I am just starting to finally feel better. Corah on the other hand, has been a dream! She is so mellow! She is only a week and 2 days old, and she is already sleeping 6 hours during the night. She is a good nurser and it has been such a great bonding experience to nurse her. I have also been pumping my breast milk and amazingly I already have over 40 ounces of frozen breast milk! That is a ton! Its astonishing how a woman’s body works. Women are life givers!

Daddy with four children!

I cannot believe that we have four children! I mean, I knew it was going to happen, but its still a shock! When I see all four of them together, it blows my mind! I am such a happy mama! The kids are having a bit of a difficult time adjusting, especially Kenley. She is used to getting a lot of attention. She and Morgan have been pretty emotional lately. Aedan was really devastated to see me in so much pain. He was crying because mommy was hurt. He is such a mama’s boy!

My sister-in-law Molly has been here to help me, and I honestly don’t know how I could have made it without her. She has been cooking, cleaning and taking care of the dogs and the children for me! Since I was in so much pain, I know I couldn’t do it without alot of help. She is leaving in 2 days, and Im dreading it! I really need to get back to doing the dishes and laundry on my own before she leaves. I am so thankful for all of her hard work during these last 2 weeks.

Another person I am thankful for is Kay. She is has been organizing a meal train for me so that our family can enjoy time together without worrying about cooking. She brought together many women together to make meals and they have all been YUMMY and so thoughtful! I am very thankful for all her hard work too.

Samuel is the most amazing dad ever! I am so happy he is here this time to enjoy his newborn daughter. No more deployments getting in the way! I love seeing him cuddling with her and changing her diapers. He has been helping me with nearly everything! I am so in love with him! I cannot imagine a more amazing man to do life with.

She was in my belly not two days earlier!

 

We are so blessed! For now, Im just taking it easy. I am spending almost every moment holding my daughter. I can’t put her down! She is such a sweet girl, and I was so happy she was healthy! She didn’t need any montitoring what so ever! This has been such a different experience than the one we had with the twins. Thank God for full-term babies!

 

One week away!

10 weeks pregnant!

We always knew we wanted a big family. We sped up the process by having twins! Everyone thought we were crazy, but we still wanted more children! We started to try for number four when I come home from my beautiful long vacation to Florida in September. It only took two months! We were so happy it happened quickly! We discovered we were pregnant on December 14th 2011.

Because this pregnancy was my third and also after twins, it didn’t take long for me to “show.” I felt like I was starting to show around 10 weeks, but we didn’t announce our pregnancy until 13 weeks, which was pushing it because many people had already guessed!

12 weeks pregnant!

We were excited to finally tell everyone about baby number four! Nothing really exciting happened until 19 weeks when we had our next ultrasound. We were excited to find out boy or girl. We found out we were adding another girl to our family! We also found out some scary information. The ultrasound technition discovered a tumor on the placenta, called a Chorioangioma. This was a potentially dangerous tumor that could kill baby, mommy or both. This type of tumor can potentially cut off blood supply to baby and kill her, or make her a super preemie. We were terrified! We already have had a horrible experience with preemie’s with the twins being born at 32 weeks. We did not want to go through that again!

Little girls toes, and underneath the toes is the tumor that looks like a black circle

I was put on bed rest and told to take it easy. They were going to heavily monitor this pregnancy from now on to make sure baby was growing and the tumor wasn’t. Bed rest with thre other children at home, is NOT easy. I was worried all the time, and very stressed. Four weeks later, I had another ultrasound.

3D ultrasound at 23 weeks.

The lead up to this ultrasound was SO stressful! We were terrified of getting bad news. We just prayed our daughter would be healthy! The news wasn’t good or bad; the tumor didn’t grow, but it was still there. Our daughter looked healthy though, and these 3D ultrasounds were so fun to look at. She was beautiful! I kept growing, and she kept growing! We waited 8 weeks for another ultasound.

3D ultrasound at 31 weeks.

This ultrasound brought great news! The tumor shrank by 2cm! We were so happy! Our prayers were answered and we were so thankful! At this ultrasound, we were told our daughter was a healthy 4lbs! We could tell that she looks alot like her sister Morgan! Aren’t 3D ultrasounds extraordinary?! We were still being monitored by the doc though, and were given another ultrasound at 36 weeks. This ultrasound showed the that tumor was so small that it wasn’t even measurable! WOW! God does answer prayers! Amen and Amen!

32 weeks pregnant!

Now that I am one week away from meeting her, I am very uncomfortable and I can barely walk! She is very far down and ready to meet us. I know Aedan is ready to meet his sister, but I still don’t think Kenley and Morgan really know whats going on. They know there is going to be a baby, but they don’t understand what that really means. I hope to make it as smooth as a transition for them as possible.

Luckily we have Sam’s sister Molly coming to help us for two weeks. This is MUCH needed, as we don’t have any close family members who can help full time. With three kids, and two hyper dogs plus meals to make and a house to clean, it would be WAY to much for me to do by myself. Sam has to go back to work about a week after the birth, and there is no way I could survive on my own after a painful c-section. We are so thankful she took us up on our offer, and agreed to come nanny for us! Now I can have much needed mommy/baby bonding time, healing time, and it will give us time to learn to breastfeed.

I pray the c-section goes smoothly, baby is healthy and I can recover quickly. I am so excited to meet our daughter! Wish us luck 🙂