he's here!

This is the Mommasissy (aka-Darby's twin sister, Erika)...

Baby "John" (no middle name yet, but his first name is John) arrived around 1:40 this afternoon. He was 7 lbs, 10 oz and 20.5" long. He is ABSOLUTELY precious and perfect!!! Praise the Lord!!!! He is very quiet... wrapped up like a little burrito and sleeps a lot. Darby is doing well, she is such a trooper! Surgery went well, her doctor took great care of her and baby is very healthy!

Here are some pictures of today's events:

Justin snapped this of Darby before leaving the house this morning...

Mommasissy & "Mom" (grandmother) left in charge, and we caught the girls trying out baby brother's things... Paige patting Morgan on the back, as if she was a tiny baby.


Paige being so quiet had found some markers.

On our way to the hospital... 3 car seats in the backseat of Darby's car now!

Here comes daddy and baby brother!!!

Morgan and Paige meeting their brother for the very first time:

Morgan was super excited, Paiger wasn't quite sure what to think:

Then daddy heads back to the nursery with baby brother to get him cleaned up, weighed in, etc.

Here's M&P with their other Aunties...

I shot this picture just as the nurse was discovering that he must be related to his Mommasissy... the baby has a great big brain!
Snoozing in the room with his momma...
I am not sure if Justin took this picture before or after surgery... but there's the momma!! So proud of you Darby!!!!! You are amazing!
I know Darby was soooo grateful for all the prayers today... tomorrow she will likely be more uncomfortable... please pray that she won't be in too much pain!

She'll be home on Thursday!

Will update if they officially have a name for him...

xoxo

mommasissy

I SHOULD be packing!

Hey Guys,

Thanks for all your encouraging words and prayers!! We are certainly appreciative of them! Mom made it safe this evening, MommaSissy is coming in the morning and DaddyBoy is coming in a few days!

I'm feeling a little anxious {imagine that} about the big day! We (especially ME) would love your prayers tomorrow {the c-section should start at 12 noon CST}...

a. for peace for me and that I will trust in my Heavenly Father... Isaiah 26:3 "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you."
b. for baby boy to be delivered healthy, without complication and that his lungs will be fully developed and have no signs of respiratory distress {the chances are slim but still possible at 37 weeks}
c. for no complications during or after the c-section and for GREAT pain management {something that was lacking with my c-section with Raiger}

Thank you all for all your well wishes and prayers! We can't wait to introduce him to you!

Loving you all!! Good night!

ps- I did finish the Nappy Bag but am too tired to share pictures. His nursery is mostly done... according to UPS tracking the curtains should be arriving tomorrow... good thing MommaSissy will be here to install them for me, right Sister!? The drill, hammer, and screws are all in the cabinet in the den... :)

I'm still here and very pregnant...

Sorry folks... I've left you hangin' for a few days. I've been in a "nesting mode" especially since he'll be here in just a few days! Monday @ noon is the plan! I honestly can't believe it and we seriously have to have a name before we get to the hospital.... heavy medication and naming a baby could prove disastrous for the little man. I haven't been able to relax at the OB's office... perhaps it's the pressure of "your BP needs to come down or we'll do a c-section"... but "no pressure to relax"... ha! Yeah right. This morning before I left it was 114/68... that's like 1/2 dead & when I got there 146/92 that's the other extreme of 1/2 dead. Oh well! At least she believes me that I have some mental issues and thankfully not some 'preeclampsia or toxemia' issues! :) He's coming into the world a little over 2 weeks early which makes me a tad nervous but the ultrasounds are showing he's 7+ lbs so hopefully he'll be ready for life outside the womb.

I wanted to have a VBAC and that's not exactly what has been decide upon and I'm trying to be ok with that, the Lord is helping me get there. A c-section sure does hurt really bad though. I've done it both ways and I'm finally convinced there's no easy way to get a child out of my uterus. Morgan was 8lbs 1 oz and this is what her trip through the pelvis did to her...

The nurses were smiling (probably because they were just glad my 3 hours of pushing was over) and I was mortified and afraid I had given birth to some creature not of this planet. Thankfully her head became more normal in shape and she resembled a human baby within 24 hours of being born. That's not to say that her birth wasn't traumatic. She had 104 fever when she was ripped from my body by vacuum and had a first apgar score of 4; all of which resulted in a 10 day hospital stay.

Paige was an elective c-section just 23 short months ago and just 20 short months after Morgan was born (you can do the math= I've pretty much been pregnant or breastfeeding since February of 2004... I've certainly become accustomed to sharing my body with another human being). I thought it would be a breeze. Ha! A breeze it wasn't but she at least looked a little more normal after being born.

I look at these 2 precious little creatures and I'm so thankful for them. I can't imagine my life without them and I'm equally excited to meet their little brother. I'm not sure they'll know what hit them when he makes his way home but I know they'll love him!

Well, that's the news from here. I'm hoping and praying that Mom & DaddyBoy can get here by Monday. The Raiger continues to keep me busy. If all I did all day long was walk behind her and pick up after her I'd never stop. I do love her precious little soul... despite it's fiestiness! :) She thankfully has refrained from covering her body in toothpaste for the last several days.

I started this yesterday and I'm hoping to wrap it up along with his nursery by Sunday! We'll see if I can do it!

Going Bananas

Today is one of those days that I feel as though I'm going bananas. So, instead of losing my mind {if I have one left to lose} I decided I'd eat bananas. Besides maybe they'll give me some relief from these oh so lovely "charlie horses" that love to creep up in the middle of the night.

It's a rather tasty and extremely simple little concoction:

1 large pkg instant vanilla pudding
2 C cold milk {pkg calls for 3C but use 2}
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 small tub of whipped topping
Nilla wafers {I like the "minis"-- you get more per bite!}
bananas {I only needed 2 large}

Mix the milk, pudding, and vanilla in blender until smooth. Pour in large bowl and fold in 1/2 of whipped topping. Layer Nilla wafers and bananas in bottom of container and pour pudding over top. Layer Nilla wafers and bananas again and pour pudding over top. Top with whipped topping... chill and enjoy! Mmm!

Crabs, Monkeys, & a Duck!

{pardon the appearance of this outfit... I dug it out of the dirty clothes pile!}

Several of y'all asked about the crab outfits the girls have on in these pictures. I bought the fabric at the Bernina Connection (a quilting shop) in Tallahassee, FL a couple years ago... and unfortunately it was a "closeout" special and no name on the selvage... argh! If I see it again anywhere I'll let you know. As for the pattern for the tops... here's what I did. I took a "Pillowcase Dress Pattern" (I honestly think it came from ebay) and changed it a little. Basically I cut the armholes to size 12 month because I didn't make the casing at the top of the dress for the ribbons. I followed the pattern (w/the exception of making it "top length" rather than dress length) through finishing the armholes with prefolded bias tape from Walmart/JoAnn's etc. Rather than folding down the top and making casings for the ribbons, I sewed 2 gathering stitches along the top at the front and back and gathered it according to what I thought looked appropriate on the girls {Paige age 2 is gathered to 6" in the front & 7.5" in the back. Morgan age 3 is a little bigger! :)} Then cut TWO 2" wide 35" long bias strips (2" strips cut on the diagonal of fabric) to use as the ties. Folded them in 1/2 and pressed and then turned the raw edges towards the center fold and pressed again. Then pinned to the top and sewed to form the ties. I hope that's exact enough... if not email me and I'll give more precise instructions. And the shorts are: Creations by Michie: "Diaper Shirt & Shorts".

Despite a rough start to the weekend... it's been better. I haven't decided what to do about Morgan's hair. The lovely "chopped" part will still pull back in her barrettes so for now I'm leaving well enough alone. I have managed to put my new sewing machine to use this weekend. And OH DO I LOVE IT! It sews beautifully and is oh so quiet! And what a treat to not have to disassemble my Viking every time I go between sewing & embroidering! Leslie always talks about that "dreaded fabric pile" that haunts anyone who sews. It's a pile of fabric that you buy because you think it's cute and have every good intention of putting to good use but for some reason don't. Well, slowly but surely I'm making my way through mine... these little monkeys have been hiding in my pile for over a year and I thought they'd be cute w/that Simplicity pattern I tried a couple weeks ago! I can't wait to see my 2 funky monkeys in their new monkey dresses!

And somehow in the last week or 2 I've managed to smock & put together a little daygown for brother to come home in...

Somebody help me! {Another dear child!}

This time it's her sister. She's cut her long beautiful hair with a pair of "cloud scissors". Justin's been gone this morning and I honestly think I might lose my mind. Anyone have any suggestions? {These scissors were placed on a high shelf in a closet and apparently she used a chair to reach them!}

When I uploaded these pictures of Morgan's new hairstyle... there were some pictures of Paige from yesterday with her "Outlast Lipstick" on...

This Dear Child!

It's quite confusing to me that someone who appears to be so angelic can turn into such a little trouble maker! It's been a rough week with the Raiger. First, it was the tooth paste... you can see from the pictures that this time she chose not only to eat it but rub it all over her entire body. Then it burned so she screamed bloody murder while I bathed her.

Yesterday it was the shampoo... all over the carpet in the playroom and all over her. And today, it was mommy's "outlast lipstick" that dries like paint on your lips... well, it dried like paint to her face... and it was all over her face. I simply cannot turn around with this one. I guess these are the type things that "middle children" do!? Well, she's wearin' me smack out.

We had a rough night last night too...

10:48 pm- Paige falls out of her bed (pushing the siderail all the way to the ground

between that time and the next episode I take about 3 potty breaks

2:00 am- Paige falls out of her bed again & Justin brings her to our bed

several more potty breaks

3:30 am- Morgan is coughing in her bed... I go in and offer water, she doesn't move

3:45 am- Morgan comes in our room and wants water now; gets water and walks into the wall in our bedroom OUCH! Lots of tears.

4:00 am- Morgan is back in her room and realizes Paige isn't in her bed... Morgan comes back in our room crying because she said she was scared to sleep by herself... Morgan enters our bed. {That makes a 30 year old, a 3 year old, a 23 month old, and a 37 week pregnant Mama all in one bed!}

4:30 am- I get a KILLER leg cramp in my right calf jump out of bed and stretch while screaming "No, no, no!"

5:30 am- After laying in bed for an hour in a total state of "discomfort" I decide I'll just get up.

With that said, my morning started with a cup of coffee and chased it with a diet coke!

So... no sleep + coffee + diet coke + a trip to Target w/ both children {did I mention it's 97 degrees outside} before going to the OB= high blood pressure at my 12:15 appointment! Argh!

So, 3 hours later they let me go home, only after taking it numerous times, telling me we're getting closer to having a baby {which that statement alone would make my blood pressure go up}, and doing a non-stress test on the baby {which the baby looks great!}. Now, I go again on Tuesday and Thursday of next week. My OB told me she thought we were pretty close to having a baby... but her preference is a c-section, which isn't necessarily mine but I trust her and her "medical expertise"... now, if she can just give me a couple more weeks to finish some things up before she insists on doing it! I think we'll have another ultrasound next week... and I'll certainly hold off on the coffee, diet coke, and trip to Target before my appointment.

Hope y'all all have a wonderful weekend! I'll leave you with some pictures of the girls before Mother's Morning Out this week...

"Again! Again! Again!"

Morgan was our "Olympic Hopeful" last summer... now Paige has filled her shoes bathing suit. Thankfully daddy has the strength to do this and she is simply fearless and loves every minute of it.

Sudden Sense of Urgency

Thanks, Sister for all your linen samples... I've put some to good use today!

Within the last 72 hours or so I've had this sudden sense of urgency to get ready for the baby. Why didn't I think about this over the last 9 months and work at a snails pace? Now, I'm paying (physically and literally) to put together a nursery for a little guy who will hopefully make an appearance sooner than later. On top of a nursery... I've started about 4 projects that "have" to be done before he gets here! I'm certain there aren't enough hours in the day and perhaps that's why I'm awake every night at 3:20 running my list through my head while eating Yoplait Custard Style Yogurt in bed (seriously!). All I can say is "Mother's Morning Out" (which started this morning) is so good for my mental health!

Sewing, Embroidery, Etc.

Photo from FLICKR

A lot of y'all have asked questions regarding sewing and embroidery etc. Some questions I can answer... some I unfortunately cannot. But nonetheless, I'll do my best. I will start with sewing and move to embroidery...

I started sewing just weeks before Morgan entered the world 3.5 years ago. I was using Justin's grandmother's 1960 Singer Touch 'n Sew. When it bit the dust and wasn't worth repairing we decided we'd bite the bullet and go for a Viking Platinum 950E {which is no longer made-- so I won't link to it}. It is a sewing machine that also embroiders. I bought it on ebay {risky business & wouldn't recommend anyone else do, nor would I do it again!!} for $1100 in 2004. It came from Canada, took weeks to get to me and once it arrived it had no serial # plate on it {not good!}.

If you are interested in learning to sew but don't know where to start... this is my suggestion: First, see if you can borrow a sewing machine {perhaps from your mother or grandmother, MIL, etc}. I don't think anyone should run out and buy a machine to learn on. Once you try a few patterns {which I recommend you try anything that says "Easy to Sew"} and know that you like it and think you will continue to do it then I'd buy a machine. And from the "Queen of Cheap" please don't go too cheap. I'd recommend you buy from a local dealer who can offer you assistance with your machine and service it for you. Both sewing & embroidery machines should be serviced once a year. Now, with that said, I will contradict myself by saying that Kenmore (Sears) has fabulous sewing machines (and I'm not just saying that because my dad works for them). A friend of mine has one of their "computerized models" and I have borrowed it on several occasions and I absolutely LOVE to sew on it. It is a quiet machine, sews very smoothly, has a great bobbin winding system, and the buttonhole foot is simply a breeze to use {and practically does it all for you-- you drop the button in the buttonhole foot and it makes the buttonhole for you!}. FYI: Kenmore sewing machines are made by Janome. In fact, Erika just mentioned what a great gift giver Daddy Boy is, and I'd have to agree because for my birthday he got me this one which should be in on Wednesday and I can tell you more about it after I spend some time sewing on it.

If you are interested in a "Quick & Easy" pattern for boys and girls, I'd try "Holly & Hunter" (A-line jumper and boys romper) by Bonnie Blue. It comes in a wide variety of sizes and would be a great place to start!

I order most of my machine applique designs from: SewManyDesigns or Designs by JuJu.

My monograms are done with a program called Monogram Wizard Plus and this "alpha pak" is my favorite (& is the font/monogram you see on most of the girls clothes). Monogram Wizard would be one of the software packages you purchase for your embroidery machine (in addition to the software you buy from the manufacturer of your embroidery machine--- can you see the $$$ signs adding up!?)

Another fabulous site for embroidery fonts (which is where you can find the polka dot fonts I use) is Heirloom Letters.

I buy a lot of the girls "blanks" (100% cotton dresses, shirts, etc) to embroider on at Dharma Trading. They have super cute dresses and great prices!

Embroidery machines are a lot like computers {& technology in general} and are constantly being made with more bells and whistles, more options, and since I haven't upgraded mine in nearly 4 years... I know there are bigger & better out there. So, if you are in the market for one here's my advice:

-buy from a local dealer who can offer you classes to teach you how to use your machine {they're NOT EASY to use or figure out on your own}

- buy from a local dealer that you can call and ask any question and have the answer in minutes

- do lots of research and be sure you understand what is included with a machine {& what is not included}

- when calculating the cost of a machine be aware the most machines do not include the software that is required on your computer to create and customize designs {such software can cost as much as the machine}

- if you buy a machine be sure to take a class to learn the in's and out's of embroidery {ie, stabilizing different weights and types of fabric, the type of thread to use (which I can say: DON'T USE RAYON), and there's so much more!}

- there are a lot of hidden costs to embroidery (this is why you pay so much to have items embroidered at stores): software, stabilizers, embroidery thread, bobbin thread, and TIME. These costs are why I have opted not to use my machine for business purposes and when I do "occasionally" embroider for others I stress out that something may go wrong and I fear ruining their items!

Ok, that's all I can think of for now. If you have questions ask them in the comments and I will respond to them in the comments. So, if this is a subject you're interested in I recommend you check the box in the comments section to receive emails when other comments are posted.

To Daddy & Daddy Boy:

Dear DaddyBoy & Daddy (Justin):

To the two men in my life who love to garden, work hard, play on tractors, look at trailers, talk about farming and love on their girls & granddaughters... Happy Father's Day & thank you both for being wonderful fathers to your girls!

I love you both!
Darby

It was GREAT!!!

Thank you all for your birthday wishes! Justin & I share a computer and when he takes it with him {which he did all day yesterday}... I have withdrawals! But what a treat last night to log on and find so many good wishes {between the bloggers, the emailers, and the facebookers}! A big thank you to you all!

My day was full and blessed and by the end of the day my stomach was full {really full} and blessed. There were lots of early morning "birthday" phone calls to start the day off right! And I had the pleasure of spending time with Tami & Judson yesterday and they even brought me a DQ Ice Cream Cake {& a birthday present}... mmm! For those of you who weren't around last summer... I'm a fan of DQ, especially their cakes... with that chocolate crunchy stuff and the fudge... mmm! I had 2 very sweet "helpers" all day yesterday. They are sisters and the daughters of a dear friend. They are 10 & 12 and love my girls and what a treat to have them around to keep the girls entertained {& out of trouble}. They even stuck around after the girls went down for their naps and helped me clean the floors and pick up the playroom!!

Last night my in law's kept the girls so Justin and I could enjoy a quiet dinner all alone! My pick... CONESTOGA steak house! The ambiance is less than desirable, the wait is long, it's crowded, but let me tell you.... there's none else like it! I had a 5 oz fillet {which is really too small}, a salad with ranch, and a baked potato with butter & sour cream and I left one happy camper! And Abby, I even saw your dad there picking up dinner for y'all! I hope you enjoyed yours as much as I enjoyed mine!

Post dinner, we headed to my in law's to join them for a little birthday cake & more celebrating. I walked down to the basement to find the girls surrounded by birthday presents and they simply couldn't resist helping me open them! I simply couldn't resist letting them! :)

And they helped me blow out my candles {& you can see they helped decorate the cake too}.
The evening was topped off with the last birthday present... an original by my mother in law's dear friend, Kathy Perreault! It's a beautiful watercolor {and I see some pen & ink on there too} of our precious dog, Eufaby. She did it from a picture taken at my graduation from Auburn {umm... 7 years ago} so you know I was surprised to see it! Kathy is a truly gifted artist and I'm so excited to find just the perfect spot for it!