Benjamin is here! Here's the story...

Well, that was fast! I got off of bed rest on the 12th of November. We quit the terbutaline pump on Monday, the 17th and by early Thursday morning Benjamin starting making his way into the world. I contracted all morning long while the girls were at MDO not knowing for sure if I was really in labor. My contractions were eratic...never really taking a pattern and they didn't hurt that much.

Andrew came home just before 2 o'clock to go pick the girls up from school and that's when the situation became more clear. My contractions picked up substantially and we decided it was time to get to the hospital. We met Grandma and Grandpa Graesser at MDO where they took the carseats and the girls home with them. We sped on to the hospital and made it just 90 minutes before Benjamin was born. It happened very quickly...so fast in fact, that there was no doctor present for the birth. My nurse caught Benjamin. My doctor didn't get there until about 10 minutes after he was born. Hard to blame her...she'd been told just an hour before that I was only 4 cm.

Anyway, it was fast and furious and a little scary. Benjamin came on November 20th at 4:17pm (36 weeks and 1 day). He was 5 lbs 0.3 ozs and 18 inches long. He looked perfect...was assigned an 8-9 Apgar, but then his breathing became labored. He was grunting a bit trying to get good breaths, so they rushed him off to the NICU where they got him started on some oxygen. His breathing came under control within a couple hours and they got him off the oxygen by about 7pm. We finally got to go be with him in the NICU around 7:45pm. The moment I saw him I was in love. He's so sweet...I just marvel and the blessings of God's creation.

We got to feed him at that point and visit for a while. We have continued to go back for each feed throughout the night and this morning. The nurses seem confident that he will go home with us on Saturday. We are looking forward to getting him to ourselves.

Thank you all for your prayers throughout this pregnancy. God has given us peace throughout this time and through our family and friends, has blessed us with His mighty provision. We could not have made it through this time so well without you all.

Thank you God for our precious baby boy! He is an amazing blessing to our lives, just as his sisters have been. Thank you for loving us so much.

Here's our sweet little boy...







Benjamin's blood pressure cuff. So tiny!


I finally got to meet Benjamin!


Benjamin and Daddy. My what a big head you have Daddy!

Baby Belly

I don't know why, but I feel weird taking pictures of my belly. There have been a few requests to see this growing mountain...so I caved. Here it is in all it's glory at 35 weeks.

Two Birthdays and a Halloween

October absolutely flew by...even on bed rest. The girls both had their birthdays. Hannah turned the big 04 on the 22nd and Ellie hit the 2 year mark on the 31st. They had a party with friends. It was very pink and all about the princesses they are. They had a lot of fun, especially Hannah who has been talking about her 4th birthday for the last six months! Here are a few pictures from the party.

Hannah Grace and Ellie enjoying the candy from the pinata. It was a very girly pinata...no hitting. They each pulled ribbons from the bottom and one lucky girl (Lauren) tugged on the one that opened the door at the bottom. Don't know that any of them would have been strong enough to actually whack that think open! Well, maybe Jacob! Either way - Candy for everyone!!


Hannah and Lauren pulling ribbons from the pinata.



The birthday cupcakes.


Sugar comma in 5...4...3...2...

Halloween was fun this year. Of course they got to celebrate twice dressing up for "circus day" at mother's day out and again on the 31st. For Hannah, this meant that she could be a princess and a ballerina for Halloween. What a deal!

Princess Hannah


Ellie the lady bug.


October 31, 2008

Even though Ellie was initially scared of the pumpkin (she would point at the huge orange thing and cry, "Hunkin, Mommy! Hunkin!"), she got over her fears in time to de-gut and carve! Again, there was girliness all over this holiday...we carved a flower in the pumpkin upon Hannah's request.