I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love.
When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.
I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.
There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
I’ve seen this quote tons of times, and I’ve always thought it was great, but now I can say I know how important the message is.
"Life's not about waiting for the storms to pass...It's about learning to dance in the rain."
Really.
To all my readers…you may have been wondering where I’ve been, or perhaps you know exactly where I’ve been :)
Three kiddos, a house on the market, the process of building our house in Florida, and the countless hours I’ve spent on the phone settling insurance/house/rental/school stuff HAS TOTALLY ROCKED MY WORLD.
I. DON’T. STOP.
I thought I had seen tough times, but what I’m learning is there will always be something happening. SO-although its been pouring I’ve been trying to learn to DANCE IN THE RAIN : ) But, those who know me best know I’m not very coordinated~very scattered brained~and can’t control my emotions for anything.
The other day I seriously sobbed through an entire spinning class…filled with emotions from every direction. It was quite therapeutic. I laugh thinking about myself doing that, but it’s the truth, and I share it with you…just to show you that embarrassing life meltdowns can happen to us all. Luckily it was dark and no one probably noticed.
Leaving the place where we started our family, moving to a new place where I know no one, and thinking about the fact that despite my attempts to deny it…Brad will be deploying within the year---I’ve found myself panicked. I will survive it, but I’m going to have to DIG DEEP.
On another note-here are pictures of my sweet peas and what we’ve been up to lately…
Madeline turned 2! We had a small family birthday party and it was awesome…short, simple, sweet & EASY!
Brad always wanted to have a crawfish boil here in San Antonio since most of the residents and our friends have never had crawfish before. It dawned on us that our last chance to do it happened to be the weekend before my c-section since Brad’s parent’s were coming in town and could bring live crawfish. So we had a crawfish boil on Saturday, and I had Brennan on Monday. I was super pregnant, but it was totally worth it. We had a blast!
We rented a bounce house, but to be honest the kids had more fun playing with the live crawfish!
Me and my friend Tiffany!
Last picture as a family of four!
What a few weeks it’s been! We have been so busy :) It’s been great though…especially with the help of our Nana, Pop Pop & Mimi! We are so lucky to have such wonderful parents who truly went ABOVE & BEYOND what we ever intended them to do while helping us transition to a family of 5!
This weekend we took the kids to our neighborhood EASTER EGG HUNT! It was super fun & a perfect reason to get the kids dressed up and snap some cute pics!
Don’t worry Brennan wasn’t harmed during this picture!
Miss Madeline Grace! Madeline is getting so big and actually turning two in a couple of days…she’s been terribly two for about two weeks now ;) but we still love her! She’s just learning to be independent…and with that comes a lot of “No’s” and little big tantrums when we attempt to get in her way of doing things in any sort of fashion.
She is really cute, and that helps the situation!
Jack has been such a great big brother! He tells me all the time “I’m so happy Baby Brennan came out of your belly!” and “I love him he’s so cute!” Jack is getting to be such a big boy. He’s turning four in July and that’s just too old…
Oh Brennan! He is such an angel…newborns are so easy! He just hangs out with us all the time, sleeps & eats :) We are enjoying him so much!
Did I mention that Maddy has a head full of curls…this little girl has some super curly hair. It has to be styled 3x a day in order to not turn into a rat’s nest…
As planned Brennan arrived Monday March 19th, 2012! Brad & I went in for my scheduled c-section(forced due to two prior c-sections) and by midday we welcomed our newest love into our lives! I was so emotional with this delivery…I think because I knew it was my last.
Shortly after delivery Brennan was taken to the NICU because he had “transient tachypnea of the newborn” or in other words he wasn’t keeping his oxygen levels where they needed to be. I was taken to recovery & then to my room without my baby :( I was in quite a bit of pain, but then the nurse came in and asked if they could give him a bottle or if I would like to get in a wheelchair to go nurse him. That was enough motivation for me to get myself in a wheelchair just a few hours post op to go see him and nurse him. I was in the most pain I’d been in my whole life. I had a morphine button I could push every 8 minutes but it just wasn’t doing the trick. Thankfully I was able to nurse a little bit before I got too sick and had to go back to my room.
Brennan spent the whole afternoon into the evening in the NICU, then they brought me my bundle of joy and he was absolutely perfect.
Since Brennan was in the NICU Jack & Madeline had to come back the next day to meet him. Jack was super excited and interested, and Madeline was a little unsure despite her love of babies. It took her a few days to warm up to her new baby brother, but now she helps me out by bringing diapers, clothes, blankets, etc. when I need them.
Adjusting to life with a newborn has been so easy for me. I am loving & enjoying every single moment of it all. I’m up every two hours at night but it doesn’t even bother me. I enjoyed all my babies, but I will say with…
Baby #1-You worry a lot more about what you are doing right or wrong & you can’t seem to get over the exhaustion of sleepless nights and just becoming a mom. It’s a true life changer, but a good one :)
Baby #2-You pretty much know how to care for a newborn now, but you are a tad overwhelmed trying to figure out how to balance life with two kids. It’s sort of stressful at times, but eventually you get the hang of it!
Baby #3(and in my case my last)- You soak up every single second, worry about nothing, and just enjoy your little one. I adore every moment with Brennan, Jack & Madeline, and I’m completely aware of how fast time flies!
I haven’t been happier in my whole life…I’m so thankful for my beautiful family, our health & all of the other blessings God has given us.
We Feel so blessed….
The last few weeks of pregnancy are gonna drag, but I’ve told them, “Nope…they are gonna fly by because every week lately has been flying by & before I know it IT’S THE END OF THE WEEK!” I’ve been so confident when I say this & rightfully so because it’s been true.
These past few weeks have flown by. Perhaps that what happens when you are hanging out with these munchkins :)
I am exhausted, swollen, my feet hurt SOOOOO bad, and I’ve suffered from terrible insomnia, BUT I am having a baby on Monday & a Crawfish Boil this weekend & soon enough my days of a baby in the belly will be over. Yes…you heard right we are having a crawfish boil on Sat. because Brad’s parents are going to be able to bring in some live crawfish & Brad’s been wanting to show all his friends what a crawfish boil is all about for the past fours years & it’s pretty much now or never~ We are super excited!
In two weeks from today, these two munchkins will be a big brother and big sister! I can’t believe it, but my pregnancy is already almost over & my “babies” are getting so big! Madeline turns 2 in a few weeks & Jack 4 this summer! We are all so excited to meet Brennan, and I really think the kids are gonna handle everything really well (at least I hope :)
