My Biggest Girl

My big kindergartener.  She did great and goes to school part time and homeschools part time.  We've had one day on campus and one day at home and loved it.  Lainie did all the homeschool work with us and did everything!

 

 

On our way.

The Story of you-Isaac

I suppose I better try and write this all down before I forget.  When you combine grief with 2 big girls and a newborn, you might as well zap any memory I had left.

Isaac, your due date was July 13.  On July 9th, Ruthie told me you would be born tomorrow.  I've learned to trust her.  Our incredible OB, who is such a gift to us, told me to call in the morning of the 10th to see if I could come in to break my water (I was already at 4cm and almost completely effaced) so we wouldn't have to worry about a rapid delivery and the possibility of you arriving in the car.  I started praying on Thursday you would come on your own so we wouldn't have to decide.  I also found out our pastors wife was working (L&D nurse) on Friday, another thing I had been praying for.

After you lose a child, you're faced with all sorts of new issues, one of the harder things is small talk.  I knew how emotionally hard this was going to be anyways and I didn't want to have to go through the small talk with people who didn't know me, which usually goes something like, how many kids do you have, how old are they, etc.  Its a layer of hurt I didn't want to add to this experience, having our Pastors wife as our L&D nurse eliminated that because she knew us and knew the emotion that would come with this.

Anyways, I called the hospital at 5am (which we had not been to since losing Ellie) and they were full.  About the time I got off the phone the contractions started.  I texted my doctor and told her they were full but I didn't think I could wait much longer.  She immediately called me back and told me to come in, they had worked it out and there was a space for me.  I decided to take a shower, probably not the best idea because of the speed at which everything intensified, but I did. 

The girls were up and with my parents and we left about 7:30, Ruthie was so excited that she was right, it was Isaac's birthday!  We left and the car ride was very intense.  Joel was doing his best to get us there as fast as possible.  Another gift was the pain of the contractions going into the hospital.  Like I said, we hadn't been back since that horrible November day and going back was not something either of us was looking forward to.  The pain was a welcome distraction.

We got there and got into our room and the anesthesiologist arrived pretty quickly.  When we got there I was 6-7cm.  After the epidural was in, things slowed down a little bit.  Our doctor came in about 11am and broke my water.  Pretty soon after that, it was time to push and Isaac was born shortly after 12pm after pushing for less than 10 minutes.  It felt like an eternity and I think was the longest I've pushed with any of them.  To those of you that push for hours, I salute you.  That is no joke.

Answered prayers:
-you are here and healthy
-our favorite, amazing ob was working
-our pastors wife was working
-I went into labor on my own
-gigi and papa were here to take care of the big girls
-supernatural peace going back to the hospital

Here is a slew of pictures that I usually would put throughout the blog but I don't have the energy to right now.  Isaac, you are so loved.

Golden Birthday

This year was Ruthie's Golden Birthday and she was pumped!! She was outfitted by our incredible friend Trinie, down to the golden crown and most all of the party decorations were from here also.  Here are pictures.  

The best.

So proud.

Kitty curled Nay's hair and it was beautiful!

Girl Cousins!

The Golden setup

Handmade with Love by Trinie, who can do anything.

Pink cake with strawberries, marshmallows and golden sprinkles, designed by the birthday girl.

Pin the Tail on the Donkey, Lainie crushed it and won by a landslide.

Cousin fun

New Bike Tires, she is pumped!

Pinata Time

Gigi was the one who crushed the pinata!

Outside fun

Just before she ran off

Happy Birthday Ruru!

Incredible

This girl isn't even 3 1/2 yet, riding a bike without training wheels like a pro!

More

This girl is getting me with the cuteness lately.

BFF's

I just can't

Church on Easter

Grandma and Yasuhiro come to visit

 Our current favorite dresses.  They Twirl the best of any.

Easter Pictures

Still working to keep at least the pictures up, the content isn't coming to me very easily, so for now, pictures will have to do. 

Preschool Easter Egg Hunt

Nays artwork

Going to see the Easter Bunny, only I didn't realize the picture cost $18! So this is what we got!

Easter Sunday in their beautiful dresses that perfectly twirl!  Thanks Gigi!

Grandpawpaw

Aunt Nana

Visiting Nonnie at School

 Easter Egg Hunt again

Finally, a free picture with the Easter Bunny at church!

Happy Easter! This is one of 2 Holidays I couldn't be more thankful for.

Older Pictures

I guess when you don't blog for close to a year and a half you have a lot of pictures to choose from.  Here are a few that popped up today from quite some time ago.

They love each other 95% of the time genuinely.  It is a gift.

 Spending time at the flower spot before getting the marker in.  This was from a really long time ago, but we go there a lot and it surprised me to see just how little they are in this picture.  Its hard to realize just how long it has been since losing Ellie since it feels like just yesterday and an eternity all in the same moment.  

Me and my big girl in our yellow shirts last summer.  

Birthday

I'm trying to make myself blog again, so its easiest to start with just pictures.  A few weeks ago we celebrated Joel's birthday.

Snuggling up on the swing during preschool.

Joel is the best selfie-taker in our family, this is me, scratching shingles.

More fun at defy gravity

Best birthday dinner!

 Happy Birthday Daddy!  We all love you.