BABY Lowell (I love you)

   So I won’t go as far as saying that I am responsible for Beau and Grace getting pregnant because that would just be creepy, but I am fairly 100% certain that I played a part… For one thing, (not to make this all about me, but hey! It’s my blog) I’ve always wanted to throw someone a baby gender reveal party and for another thing, I was desperately wanting a friend to be pregnant with out in Cali.

   Some of our amazing friends Patrick and Courtney said that despite holding adorable Theo, they are not ready for a baby (probably because I couldn’t guarantee that any baby would be as cute as him). We also have these these other friends Kyle and Katrina that chickened out too, so that naturally left Beau and Grace…

   We were in the same marriage small group at Bethel and there is a whole big chuck of teaching about sex… there is even ‘homework’ (no details)… but before we were dismissed for the week, the leaders shared many testimonies of how the Lord had blessed couples with children during this time in the class (couples who did the ‘homework’ that is…) and they prayed over all of us that this would be a fruitful season of growth in everyones marriages (what they were actually saying: that everyone would get busy and have babies). Paul and I are over-achievers and had done the homework 7 months in advance and were ALREADY pregnant- very pregnant! During the prayer time Paul and I nonchalantly extended our hands towards Beau and Grace and they laughed assuming we were joking… I laughed too in order to throw them off my trail (I didn’t want them throwing up any counter prayers to what I was about to do). I  confess to you that I literally prayed one of my all-time best prayers that they would get knocked up and guess what?!? IT WORKED!!!!!!!!!!

   So yesterday was very significant as I got to host a gender party announcing the impending arrival of BABY LOWELL and revel in the fact that Bethel was worth every cent because God gives me what I want now ;) (jk).

Yay! LOWELL! you are a boy!!!! Theo's buddy!!

See that bump?!? I did that!- Well, no, but you know what I mean...

Omaha with Theo.

   My baby is changing sooooo fast! I love it, but it makes me cry. He is becoming more and more responsive to us and has even started bringing his hand to his mouth and trying to eat it (I'm thinking he is going to be a finger sucker once he figures it out!). Being in Omaha was so much fun because I got to share these new milestones with my family. My mom and I would lay Theo on his back on a blanket and just play with him as he kicked his legs, cooed, and tried to eat his hand. The simplest things keep us entertained ;)

Mom's bday lunch!

3 Generations... me and my best friend mom.

Theo flirting with Nonnie.

Theo chillin' with PopTart.

Loves kicking his legs

 Theo also met a buttload of extended family members due to my cousin Laura's wedding being the same weekend as my trip home...

Cousin Alys

More cousins!

Theo with the BEAUTIFUL BRIDE!

Smiling in his sleep :)

Great Aunt Marge.

Great Grandpa and Theo

4 Generations!

Aunt Julie

Theo also met his cousin on the Lanphier side of the family (oh wait! those are the only ones he has!) They were very loving! Cousin Josiah did try and pull his hair, but that was the only set back ;)

Cousin Averey helping feed Theo.

Theo and Josiah

Cousins!!!!!!

Josiah going at it! lol!

Many friends got to meet Theo as well. We really packed it in this trip!!!!

Theo and Mindy!

Theo with his Thomas family!

love!

Uncle Nic and Aunt Ang :)

Melinda 8 months pregnant with Theo's GF Brooklyn :)

Cain Cousins!

Aunt Lindsey!

Love having these pics to document a great trip! It was so fun to be home as a mom for the first time!

Airplane Schmarplane

   So I've had a pretty crazy week. Yes, I am proving to the world that 'I still got it' by not being one of those moms who falls of the face of the planet once they have a baby and only takes up hobbies such as cleaning, knitting, and pinterest. I spontaneously flew out of Cali Thursday after my father (saint of a man) offered to fly me home last minute for my mom's birthday. Some of the siblings were bemoaning not coming, but I sweetly reminded them all they had to do was push out a 9 lb baby and they too could have been airlifted to Omaha.
   I had AMAZING week. My cousin Laura's wedding was this last weekend which means a ton of extended family was in town that Theo wouldn't have otherwise met. My grandpa and his wife have been here (Theo is my grandpa's 1st great-grandchild!) and my dad's sister and brother-in-law (Uncle Mike and Aunt Julie) who live in Florida and are not in Omaha very often. So it has been super special and even though Theo's little eyes have been dilated countless times by the flash of the camera he is still a great sport!
  I write about the family fest it has been this trip because this is what I had to keep in mind while traveling with my infant child on Thursday. Since becoming a mom I seem to have developed into somewhat of a clean freak. I seriously feel lightheaded when my brother Turner cooks in our kitchen because I'm worried he will get raw meat on some part of the kitchen that I won't (secretly) disinfect once he leaves. The 1st-errr --2nd thing I ask Paul when he walks through the door is if he has washed his hands (he works at hospitals though so you can understand...) I will tell you that being a clean freak is NOT what you want to have happen when your baby child happens to have a blowout at the beginning of a 3 hour flight in which he desecrates his clothes, your pants, and nostrils of all rows within 50 feet of you. Let me just tell you that you do NOT want to be a clean freak when you are FORCED to change his little diapey in the airplane bathroom that stinks to the high heavens with his baby arms and legs flailing around due to being stripped.
  Oh my gosh, it was not fun. I balanced my baby, diaper bag, and sanity all in my lap in the TINIEST airplane bathroom (seriously! why are to sooo small?) I was probably in there a good 20 minutes since I had to strip him and wipe him down (we are talking a full-scale blowout). It took me forever to dig around in my diaper bag one handed while balancing it and Theo on my legs as I sat on the closed toilet seat. Once I was finally done I made my way back to my seat triumphantly because I knew if I could make it through that then my life was pretty much downhill from here ;)

Theo enjoying life in the air...

 

5 Week Pics (for the Grandparents)

Supernatural Childbirth

   I've been hesitant to post about this book that I read throughout my pregnancy with Theo. I know many women who have had bad labor stories and don't want to seem like I'm being insensitive to what they went through, but I feel like "Supernatural Childbirth" was SUCH a blessing to me that I want other people to know about it! Please hear my heart as you read this because I'm just putting it out there and you can take from it what you want :) I found it in the bookstore here at Bethel and you can get it on Amazon.. I wanted to experience having my own baby before blogging about SC. 

 
   The whole premise of "Supernatural Childbirth" is believing the Lord for what He has already accomplished on the cross- freedom from the curse (especially the one about pain in childbirth). The book has many testimonies of women who experienced no pain- yes, you read that right- no pain during their labor and delivery. Jackie also leads you through the biblical grounds for a supernatural childbirth and backs it up with scriptures to meditate on. It was enlightening to read because I didn't  know that a pain-free childbirth was something I could pray for! The author herself had 3 painless labor and deliveries and she wasn't even medically supposed to be able to have children. There are a list of prayers and declarations enclosed in the back that you read leading up to having your baby. It's a wonderful tool that helps cultivate a positive, faith-filled mindset. Bottom line: the book helps take away fear associated with birth.
  So my story: I wrote about Theo's birth last month and you can read about it on this blog (under February 2012 posts) for more complete details, but I had an AMAZING first birth. Was it pain-free? No. Was it significantly better than it would have been had I not read the book? ABSOLUTELY! First off, I have a major issue with needles, IVs, pain, and hospitals in general. I literally pass out cold EVERY single time I get a blood draw. As a matter of fact, getting my IV in the hospital was a bigger issue to me than the actual labor and delivery. So when the time came, Paul held my hand, we spoke to my body and believed for supernatural peace and grace to handle it... and guess what?!? I didn't pass out, wasn't queasy, nothing! That was the first aspect of my labor that was so wonderful. 
  Another answer to prayer was that I went into labor on my own (something I had really been desiring). When we checked into the hospital Sunday night (the night before I was to be induced) I was already in labor! My water broke naturally and even though I was given Pitocin,  it was just standard procedure to speed along labor- not because I wasn't progressing.. that brings me to my next point- I progressed rapidly. Every time my nurse checked me she had good news! This was a point I had prayed into throughout my pregnancy that I would have a quick labor. From the time my water broke until I held Theo in my arms it was 13 hours... which I was pleased with. 
   Theo was a big baby for me- almost 9 lbs (so glad I didn't know that before hand!!!) and I had no tearing or stitches- I was told after the fact that this in of itself is supernatural! Part of that I attribute to having an amazing nurse who knew what she was doing, but I had prayed and spoke life over my body for months- believing that it was made to have babies and knew how to stretch and change without injuring me.
  Finally, I just want to acknowledge that EVERY birth is different and hope that sharing this doesn't cause anyone to compare their experience or think a difficult childbirth is due to a lack of faith- so not the case! My only goal is to give you a vision that bringing babies into the world doesn't have to be like what you see on TV. You can have a peaceful, joyful experience- I did! That is my favorite part of my birth story- there was such an amazing atmosphere of the Lord's presence and I never would have thought I could feel this way while pushing out a baby ;)
   So if you're curious, get the book, if you think I'm nuts, still get the book and let me know what you think! I would so LOVE to know other women who are reading it and believing for awesome childbirths (so I can pray for you and hear your stories)!!! I'm anticipating progressively better births which each child we have.. I've even started praying for our future children's entry into this world now.

Hanabella Maternity/Newborn Photos

   So I've been waiting to post maternity pics and newborn photos that we've had taken until I got birth announcements out... So now that my mom has called and told me she received her announcement she demands I unveil the rest :)

 

And Theo 6 days old :)