The Look-a-Likes

God is a Giver, even in the seemingly unimportant details of life. One of the fun things about having just one more baby is finding out what he or she will look like. Now just so you know, we have never found out the gender of our babies during pregnancy. Call us old-fashioned, call us disciplined, or call us too shallow because we might start forming expectations in our heads of what the baby will be like before it actually appears. The truth is, we've never regretted waiting (although Tess's seven ultrasounds tempted us big time)...what excitement every time!

At around 20 weeks into Tess's pregnancy I experienced some placenta issues that left us praying hard for a healthy baby. And in the mix of those prayers, I thought I would go ahead and throw in a few frivolous requests while I was at it, just for kicks. In a spontaneous and selfish moment, I prayed for a baby that would look like Trey. It sounds silly, I know. And extremely unimportant during an uncertain time in the pregnancy. But as a Mom, you're tuned in to these things. Jack and Chase are my blondies, similar in looks and in personality. They hear it from people all the time. Trey is the middle child, and often marches to the beat of his own drum. Trey is unique and special in so many ways, but I get the feeling that he feels left out sometimes. And being a middle child myself (though not warped by the status!), I sort of sympathize. So I make sure to tell God that I understand if it doesn't work out, but wouldn't it be neat if Trey could hear someone say, "Oh Trey, that baby looks just like you!".

After we found out we were expecting our fourth baby, we would constantly get the comment, "Oh, I bet you're hoping for a girl this time." It's funny what people assume. Never considering a girl a possibility (and being perfectly content with boys), we would laugh and say we didn't need a girl since Trey filled that role already with his sensitivity and drama. Now it's hard to tell what Tess's personality will be just quite yet, but I love it that she's a girl and that she looks just like Trey. I wonder what the Lord might have in store for their relationship. Trey is certainly not above tea parties, in a manly sort of way, that is. God cares about the little things we moms ponder, I'm convinced.

SRS Post #4 - The Fair Tradition

We can't rewind our summer without including one of the boys' favorite gigs - the local 4-H Fair! This certainly has become a family tradition of ours - one that gets better every year. Where else can you sweat like crazy, eat really greasy foot long corn dogs, get super sticky on a bag full of cotton candy, smear your shoes with a lot of who-knows-what in the barns (wait, I think I know what), ride rides that you think you don't want to but end up having a blast on, and run into lots of your friends - all in a matter of a couple of hours?! Oh yeah, definitely worth the belly aches and round of baths when all is said and done!

I love this picture from the 2005 fair... Trey's face is so precious and sweaty! I look at this and am reminded that those sweet summers while they're little are going by way too fast.

Onto this year's fair, with our good friend Bjorn. Bjorn is our Small Group babysitter on Monday nights (although our family is currently on break to allow Tess to get into a more set schedule in the evenings). While we study downstairs in our home, Bjorn by some miracle of God quietly entertains the boys upstairs for two whole hours in one room! He helps our family in so many ways, and we are blessed by the wonderful role model he is to our boys. I love remembering the time we were eating supper before bible study and Bjorn told Trey to stop slurping his spaghetti and to eat "respectfully." So full of impact coming from a 13 year old cool guy instead of his mom (again). So when we need an extra hand, often Bjorn tags along... on the Avalanche, and beyond!

I can't believe Chase rode this roller coaster! He does things the older two never did at two years old, all in an effort to keep up with the big boys.

Tess was two weeks old at this year's fair, and it was nice to get out of the house as a family. In an incredible act of timing (which had to have been of God!), the hospital passed a paternity benefit just days before Tess's due date. The benefit was supposed to take effect on July 1, but Human Resources called Tyler personally to let him know that he would be included in the benefit even though I was due mid-June. How amazing is that? The best part of the whole thing was finding out that Tyler was eligible for four weeks of time off! He would receive half-pay with the benefit, and could use vacation time for the other half. You'd better believe that we took it!

These last two pictures are my favorites. Jack and Trey are often on the lookout for Chase, and are usually quick to lend him a hand. Just this past week I was feeding Tess when Chase woke up for the day, and Trey managed to figure out how to get Chase out of his crib all by himself! At first Chase was a bit hesitant and wanted me to get him, but Trey put it to him and told him that he "had a choice" (hmm...I think I know where he got that phrase!). Trey would turn the lights out and close the door so Chase could go back to sleep, or Chase could let Trey pull him out right then ("Mama is busy Chase, so you have to let me help you," said Trey in his best parental voice! I'm hearing all of this through the monitor while I'm "stuck" downstairs). It's probably a good thing that I didn't witness the process. All I know is that it involved a step stool and a lot of pulling. The two giggled all the way down the stairs and ran to tell me all about it.

Too bad the fair only comes once a year, but maybe that's how it stays interesting enough to keep holding our attention! And seriously, a person shouldn't eat one of those corn dogs more often than that anyway. And what do you know, the weather still feels like summer around here! So we'll keep rewinding for just a little bit longer...

SRS Post #3 - Boy oh Boy, It's a Girl!

I know it's officially Fall, but we're still Rewinding Our Summer around here (you thought I forgot, didn't you?)! There were two weeks of swimming lessons and a week of VBS to make June go by a bit faster while we waited for my June 20th due date. I entertained Chase on the sidelines (and tried to explain that he would be old enough next year to "go with the boys, please Mama" ) while Jack and Trey moved up the ranks into full-fledged swimmers this year! I never did get a picture at the pool. I was lucky enough to keep track of an insistent Chase and Trey's ear plugs.

If you're a guy reading this, what came next is a baby girl. Her name is Tess and she burps like her daddy.

If you're a girl and you enjoy a good labor story like the rest of us, read on!

It's VBS week and I'm feeling a little guilty for not helping since the baby hasn't come yet and I'm still feeling so good. Each morning that I show up at church with the boys, half a dozen people come up to me and say, "What are you still doing here?!" I'm starting to wonder the same thing, since it's Wednesday and now five days past my due date. I mention something to one of the girls like, "I think I might have had a couple of contractions this morning, but I'm sure it's nothing." Because God is good, they offer to take Chase for the morning to give me a break (who doesn't technically qualify for VBS until he's 3), and I finally agree.

Tyler leaves work and meets me at my doctor appointment that morning, where we find out that I've really not progressed at all from the week before. Are you kidding me? Five days past my due date and going nowhere. Now that's depressing. And I'm thinking that Tyler is way more depressed than me. The truth is that Tyler wants this baby out NOW. A week ago actually. He's a planner, you know, especially when it comes to babies.

We get three options from the doctor: induce, wait it out, or have a non-stress test in two days to make sure the baby is still looking good. Tyler votes to induce, I vote to wait, and so we both walk out frustrated with a non-stress-test-compromise scheduled for Friday. Now to be fair, Tyler's desire to induce stemmed out of genuine concern for a lot of things: childcare for the boys, health for the baby, predictability for all involved (especially for me and the epidural I missed last time!), and the certainty that he wouldn't deliver our fourth baby in our driveway (Chase came 30 minutes after we arrived at the hospital). Oh, and nevermind that his mind officially checked out of work five days prior. He should have been on vacation by now, you know.

Now we're standing in the OB parking lot getting ready to go our separate ways: Tyler back to work, and me to the church to pick up the boys. Tyler really can't understand why I wouldn't want to induce, and I say something about God's timing and my body doing it's thing. It's rare that Tyler and I don't agree on something, so this is really starting to get to me. After a way too emotional discussion (argument is such a strong word, isn't it?!), I say that I'll call the office that afternoon to schedule an induction. I might have even said "...if it will make you happy," but don't quote me on that. :)

I pick up the boys at noon, and have to stop mid-sentence while I'm saying goodbye to a friend. I tell her that I think I might have just had a contraction. Sure enough, what seem to be decent contractions come closer and closer together the whole drive home (which ends up taking 45 minutes instead of the normal 15 since I65 is closed due to an accident and I have to backtrack through town!). Trey gave the play-by-play the whole way home ("She's havin' a cramp guys.... oh, man, she's havin' another one..."), and if I wouldn't have been driving and in labor, I would have wrung his sweet little neck.

We finally make it home by 1pm and I whip up some mac and cheese for the boys for lunch. They're starving don't you know, and I'm in major denial. I begin to write down the times on the contractions since they seem pretty frequent (and since I had to stop twice to breathe while scooping out the pasta). Everyone gets their food and I see that I have a new message on voicemail. I push play to hear Tyler's sweet voice, saying he's sorry for our conversation earlier, and please don't schedule the induction. Today will be his last day of work, and we can wait for the baby together. I laugh out loud, realizing that the last two contractions were only four minutes apart. Yeah, I'd better return his call.

Tyler heads home, calling the babysitter on his way. Her ETA is 30 minutes, but remember that little detail about Tyler not wanting to deliver our baby at home? He's not one to mess around. Before I know it, our sweet neighbor friend is in my kitchen with her two kids, ready to fill in until the babysitter can get there. I'm trying to get Chase to eat his last few bites of lunch, and Tyler tells me that - really - Nikki can finish the job. He won't eat for her, though, I think to myself, and then he'll be hungry. Tyler insists that we need to go NOW, so I reluctantly put down the fork, kiss my boys and head out the door.

Somewhere between our house and the hospital contractions get to be two minutes apart, and I remember praying to God for them to slow down. I also remember praying specifically for my attitude since I was sure I wouldn't get there in time for the epidural. I was not myself the last time that happened. Maybe if I could just prepare myself mentally this time around, then Tyler wouldn't have to hyperventilate from all the chaos.

You sure are a trooper if you've read to this point. This is really the end of the story guys...er, I mean ladies.

After 15 minutes in a room by ourselves, Tyler speaks his mind at the nurse's station to let them know that this baby is coming fast. No one is available but the OB Director of Nursing, so she helps to deliver Tess in her dress clothes about 30 minutes later (2:53pm... and the boys got out of VBS at noon!). And wonder of all wonders, my doctor arrived in time, and so did my epidural. Is the Lord good or what?

Her name is Tess Elena (Elena after Tyler's Meemaw Elene), and what a surprise it was when the doctor said she was a girl! In three short months she's already softened up every single one of these boys. How about that for a way to spend your summer? I'll take her over Disney World any day...