CRUSH

The boys imaginations have been full tilt lately. I love it! I love hearing them talk to each other when they are in bed at night and I love hearing them talk to themselves at nap time. I need to do a better job of writing these things down.

Recently they have been into animals. We have many different types of animals living with us. Usually it is baby chicks. However, we have had many tiger, gorilla and and baby lion sightings. Usually they do OK with these creatures. Peyton recently was HYSTERICAL that there was a baby gorilla in the corner at nap time. Luckily this was on a weekend and Chris was able to rescue him from this horrific sighting. Their favorite cohabitant of ours is baby chicks. They carry them everywhere with us. Many times I will look to see them walking around with their fists clenched shut....carrying the baby chicks of course. They were in the backyard playing one morning and had me absolutely convinced there were baby chicks in the woods. They had sticks they were poking the ground with and I was worried they really were hurting these little birds they found.....nope, nothing there.

I have these preschool books for the boys that I am filling out to help us remember this time in their life. I was asking them several questions about school to help fill the book out. I asked Parker who was his best friend, fully expecting him to say Peyton......AvE. AvE? Who is that? He gets this silly grin on his face and repeats the name. Hmmm. I look at the class list and realize my baby has his first crush! Avery is a little girl in his class this year. I was not sure who she was and was looking forward to Wednesday when I walk them in instead of using the drop off line. Well, today I meet Avery. I must say he has VERY good taste. She is the cutest thing. Long, full blond hair and the most darling outfits. Little does Avery know but she has been napping with us, eating supper with us and coloring with us. Today he was walking in with his fists clenched.

Me: "Parker what is in your fists?"

P: Looks at me and then looks at his teacher who is standing beside his true love

Me: "Who are you holding on to there buddy?"

P: Looks at me and grins

Oh sooo cute. Miss Beth and I just laugh. I learn that he and Peyton were fighting over her yesterday at school. Te he he. Would have loved to be a fly on the wall for that one.

First day of school picture 9/2

Showing off their new shirts

Not sure about the weather at your house, but it has been delightful here these past two days. We leave a bit after 8 to go to school and it has been in the 60's! Ahhh, fall is in the air. I've been up to midnight the past few nights and needed a pick me up this morning after dropping the monkeys off. Two of my favorite things. I dug around in my money dish in the van and came up with some $1 bills. Found my gift card to 4bucks coffee...mmmm pumpkin spice latte.

Love all those $1 bills. They really add up:) We have a deal that Chris gives me all his change...ones and coins. My friends call them my stripper ones cause I save them up and usually have a nice pile floating around. Sara has seen quiet a few of these...I use them to fund our picture sessions. Shh, Chris might change his mind once he sees how quickly they add up:)

The only thing that would have topped off this mornings treats would have been a Jamba Juice! Yes the one refered to in the movie Baby Mama...it is a real place! This was my absolute favorite treat when we were living in So Cal. They have THE BEST smoothies. Orange Dream Machine is my favorite. We went to Colorado back in April (pic above) and found them there! I was in heaven. Sadly the closest one to us in the terminal in the Charlotte, NC airport. Two problems with this. 1) That is 2 states away 2) You have to be flying b/c it is IN the terminal. Killing me people. My dear husband has been known to travel for work to said area AND to fly all the way home bringing me the above treat! That one scored major deposits in my love tank:)

This is why I've been up to midnight lately and running around like a chicken with it's head cut off. Chris has been working long hours and kid duty is in my court. No this is not my laundry pile (that hasn't been touched this week) but all the clothes that I am selling in a consignment sale this weekend. I have not one but two to get ready for! It's the big thing to do around here and a lot of fun. Many of my girlfriends are in on this too. Great deals and Good times. I do have to get my clothes together and price tags on them ALL.

Don't leave your lap top around monkeys or it might look like this! Held together with packing tape.

We headed to God's country over the weekend (Clemson). Though it felt like a lot more like another place than I imagine Heaven feeling like. It was HOT!!! Chris' roomies from college were all in town. Two of the roomies have twins, one is married to a twin and another that was not there also has twins....what's in the water people?

Nothing like a prime potty spot for the monkeys. Gotta love potty training and being on the road. They were thrilled when we pulled into a truck stop for our break.

Can't have a post without pics of Miss Priss. Taken yesterday on our first cool morning. The Baby Legs were perfect for a quick fix to the cool temps as we were walking out the door. I had just enough time to change her diaper, pop in a bow and pull on the leg warmers....she had slept in the onsie:)

Look at those thighs! Grown on double A's my friends:) Guess I can stop feeling guilty that the boys also got breast milk yet remained peanuts. She ain't afraid to show those things off. I call her pork chop...affectionately of course. Loving all those rolls...guess they wont be so cute come spring break freshman year. I love them now though!

This one's for you

Breath...again...now take another one. Yes, you really are seeing an updated post from us. My bedtime has come and now gone, BUT...our blog is updated AND has new pictures. They are from the past month too! WOW!

Excuses, excuses is all we have. Some of them are pretty darn good too. It's too bad I can't share them all right now seeing that this is a public blog and all. Stick around and it will all come out....pictures too. March has come and gone...taking my sanity with it. Three kids under 3 will do that to ya you know.

Lots and lots of change going on around here. Yes, we are ahead of schedule in that department:) 2 years not quit here yet and here we are making changes. I'll get to that one too. I hope I'll be getting to all this stuff I keep promising. I keep telling Chris that I need library day worked into my job description:) You know...a day where I can catch up on phone calls, answer emails, update our blog, think in full sentences. Oh and I need some sick and vacation days added too. While your at it, add a clause for conferences....I'll take one on a sunny island with lots of sand and crashing waves. What might this conference be about you may ask? Leisure reading and tanning of course. Anyone interested? I'll be paying for the single room rate...not sharing my bed or room this go round:)

What prompted this return out of the blue? A dear old friend from So Cal:) It was so good hearing from you. You MADE my night:) I thought to myself answering the phone...this sounds like Tammy Brown...but it couldn't be. I just adore out of the blue surprises like this. God works in marvelous ways. I've had a rough go at "mommy" this week and was just telling Chris that I was letting it get me down in all areas of my life. I was feeling the need for a So Cal fix and would he mind me skirting out there for a few days.....Thanksgiving break....Christmas? So Cal is getting back to my roots of who I have become today...of who Chris and I have become as a couple and of who I am as a mom. I was needing a refresher and I got one in the least expected way. God is so very cool. It came straight from the source. We went to Southern California with Chick-fil-A...but God used that to bring us to a very cool church...Sandals Church to be exact. Without writing a novel....This church was instrumental in changing Chris and I in many ways. Our hearts are forever changed because of the vision of this Church. Teaching you, leading you and showing you how to be REAL. It wasn't just all talk either. All this to say...a dear friend called me tonight to say HI and it was sooo soo good to hear from her. It is so hard to stay connected to long distance friends. It is so nice to pick up where you left of though.

So this post is for you Tammy...thanks for the updates, the smiles and the encouragement. It is such a blessing to hear how well things are going and the growth that you are seeing in many areas. Thanks for sharing your heart and for reaching out. Chris and I miss you and Matt greatly. Send our love and our hellos. See you in February for sure:) Instead of emailing you some pics, I'm putting them here. I meant every word I said. We left California changed because of the work God was doing in your lives and in a church called Sandals. Thanks for all the sacrifice y'all have made as a family to see this vision through. We take a piece of Sandals everywhere we go. The 3 years there is a defining moment in our lives. God is so good. Miss you girl.

Can you believe how big they are! Just think of the tiny p-nuts you held many a times. I still think of the day you and Heather showed up at our door step to surprise me with a night out with my hubby. I left you with a mess of a house and two screaming babies. I came home to a spotless home and 2 sleeping boys. Not to mention the time you cleaned my home after we were attacked by the Rota virus...love my friend...pure love.

This is what we here in the South call "smocking". Yeah, and we dress our children alike on purpose:) You would just laugh...not too worry, the boys have plenty of Quicksilver:)

Daddy is all the kids want these days...fine by me:) Working long hours and he comes home to this:) A good man...cleaning the kitchen AND entertaining the kids:) I really can't complain!

Can you believe what a chunk she is...I like to call her pork chop...just b/c I can:) The boys never made it to this status. 6 months old and 17 lbs!!! I kid you not....she has fat rolls like you can't imagine. She is not even eating food yet! Did you ever think a Darley baby would be so plump:)

She made it to her first Clemson game...it was awful, don't ask. Just thought you would enjoy all our orange. That is an orange Tiger paw on her cheek.

Thanks for the call tonight. It was WONDERFUL hearing your voice. Sure do miss you. Send me pics of the kiddos...I can't imagine how big they are getting.

March Madness

Oh my oh my...where has time gone? Am I really only at March pictures. Say it ain't so. Now that I have FINALLY gotten them off our camera AND uploaded to blogger....they are all out of order and not in the right place. They are supposed to be in the middle, not on the left side. Ah, well...I guess that just sums up our days now...all out of order, nothing in the right place:) Who knew 3 kids could be this complex? OK...someone out there did and they just forgot to let me in the loop! Slowly, VERY SLOWLY we are getting back in the swing of things...I think:) So please excuse our absence and the chaos of the picture order...I am just beyond trying to organize it at this point. It's been long enough. For those of you still out there, here we go.

Easter was nice. Didn't make the first service...late to the 2nd but there non the less. Trying to get a family photo is a riot these days. Guess we will have to commission Sara again:) My mom and Chris' mom joined us for the weekend. Actually my mom was still here helping out, thank goodness. Who knows what kind of shape Chris would have found us in if she wasn't here. A month was not nearly long enough! I even tried to convince her to buy the house next door:) To think we headed out to California 4 1/2 years ago to give it a go on our own...which we loved every minute of... and now I am pleading with my mom to at least buy a house on OUR STREET! My, my...how things change. I think Chris breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't take me seriously:)



Don't be fooled by this sweet angelic SLEEPING baby... we did not get many like this during the first month. By 6 weeks I was done convincing myself it was just a bad day, bad feeding, bad hour. Off to the Dr. we went. Just like her brothers, Miss Priss has reflux. Our faithful old friend has returned:( Was living with us for 20 months not enough with the boys? Alas...some meds latter and we have a totally different baby:) She now lives up to this picture:) She really is a good baby, we just had a few rough nights (um days) OK a really rough go at it at first. I do now recall that I do NOT function well on little sleep. Not such a nice person...nope, not at all. 6 months of round the clock every 3 hour feeding with the boys sent me to a very not so fun place. You see that ment only 30-45 minute stretches of sleep at a time. 10 months of weekly marriage counseling later (thanks Bobbi) and I/we were good to go:) Thankfully, I am adjusting much better this time around and PPD does not seem to be a part of it! Praise the Lord:)





All geared up to watch the ACC tournament. Yep, starting her out at a young age:) This picture makes me laugh b/c Peyton (left) looks like the biggest redneck! Oh, if you could only here him talk! You guys in Cali would die. Lets just say he fits right in with where we are living. I think I've been spending a little too much time at Walmart! Hey...the groceries are MUCH cheaper there!








Our Tiger Cubs!

Miss Priss on Easter morning. Mimi made her dress:)

Anna Claire's first Easter egg hunt
3 weeks old...such a rough life!
Mmmhm...there is some in this one too. (Parker)
I wonder how many more sweets I can sneak in.... (Peyton)

Remember I was saying earlier Peyton was sounding a bit "southern"...this outfit doesn't help matters. WOW! thankfully they are just PLAY clothes:)...very soon I am sure I will loose that battle too! Until then, I get to pick out our "going out" clothes. :)

Parker so proud of his book! He picked it out all by himself for going poop in the potty. That's right folks...the Darley boys are....NOT potty trained:( He got his book and that was it...nothing more since then! Great! Bless her heart...my mom followed them around with the potty the ENTIRE month she was here. They were making great progress....with the watch and EVEY 15 minute bribes. Not so much once she left. A 4 week old and just me home with all 3... you can see where this didn't go so well.



Sadly, we had to say goodbye to our video camera. The thing didn't even make it 2 years! AND...it broke before she got here:(...with a tape of the boys in it! They wanted more money to extract the tape then the camera was worth...let alone fixing the thing. I just wanted the tape of the boys out! Chris did a nice job:) and it was FREE! Uh,no...the camera did not go back together again... much like "Hunkie Dunkie" as Parker calls him.



2 1/2 year old play is exhausting! We frequently find them like this at night:) So, so sweet. Peyton must have been really tired b/c when Parker crawls in bed with him and brings all his stuff...Peyton usually gets up and crawls in Parker's bed...or stands at the door and calls for us. Reminds me of when they were babies and shared a crib.


This my friends is the lovely sight I woke up to that first day after my mom left. Once I stated cleaning it...it only made it worse. Peyton walks into our room to wake me up and is COVERED in soap suds. I follow him into the hallway, the den, the boys hallway and their bathroom....COVERED in soap suds. I wanted to cry but could only laugh...Until I started to mop. Then...I cried. It only made the mess bigger. This was all before 9am. I called Chris asking about boarding school:) If only I knew what the rest of the week was going to hold. By Friday Chris had assured me that military school would in fact enroll 3 year olds. We only had to make it to the end of June!

Monday-soap fest...Peyton trying to clean up the M&M mess they first made...then decided that soap suds were indeed a fun early am activity.

Tuesday-diaper wipe decor...brand new pack of wipes ALL over my den and couch VERY wet.

Wednesday-exploded diaper...ever try to clean the stuffing up after a VERY WET diaper pops...nearly impossible.

By Wednesday at 9am my floors had been moped EVEY morning!


OK, OK...so I don't really want to send my kids to boarding school or military school. I would miss them terribly and it would make me sad not to see them everyday. I certainly don't want someone else raising, shaping and molding my kids. This after all, is why I CHOOSE to stay home:) A break, however, would be great! Enter summer camp here. Yes, that is right folks...the boys are headed to summer camp. No not overnight (sigh)...starting in July they will attend a summer "camp" put on by the church preschool they will be attending this fall. Two days a week for 4 hours a day they will be at camp. 6 whole weeks of this:) A much needed outing for them and a wonderful break for me!

Hooray for Summer Camp!



Boys will be boys....the vacuums they received for Easter are now officially car transporters. Who knew? They even occasionally (when mom is busy with baby sister) become scooters! Oh boys...you are aging me much too fast. I love to see your creativity and imagination come out...I just need to remember that you are boys and have LOTS of pent up energy. We must harvest this in good ways!

**Chris got a taste of my day not too long ago. It was one evening after supper when he was taking a few minutes to clean up the kitchen. I was feeding baby sister and the boys...well, they were up to their usual mischief when they are unsupervised for less than 30 seconds. We hear Parker screaming "Daddy" in a very panic stricken voice from their bathroom. That's right folks...the ever famous Parker in lightening quick fashion has managed to flood the entire bathroom and hallway in under a minute! His Frisbee was "dirty" and needed to be "washed"...so he plugged up the sink and went about his cleaning...until the water ran over...the rest is history. Chris, welcome to my days:)**

Fabulous

Fabulous is just one word to describe the pictures Sara took for Anna Claire's newborn session. I always look forward to seeing her work and she never disappoints. We were able to get in to see her when Miss Priss was 12 days old. Of course the boys came along...and their cars. I don't think we have any pictures of them without some type of car in there. All 3 of our sessions with Sara have included their cars and trucks. I love it because it will remind me of this time with them as I look back over the years. It captures who they are.

I love, love, love how the pictures turned out. Check out her blog for the previews. I've sent many of you the password for all the proofs. I hope you enjoy them as much as we have. One of my favorites is the tutu. I plan on using it in pictures as she grows:)

You may remember these pictures from last summer. Our maternity session turned out just as fantastic. If you are looking for a great photographer...you've found one! She knows how to get those perfect shots that capture the personality beautifully. I look forward to her capturing our life for years to come. I love looking at my walls and seeing the personality of the boys shining upon us. It brings a smile to my face and laughter to my heart. Once we get the new ones on our walls, I will have to take a picture of all of them for you to see. I was anxious at first with getting professional pics of the boys. I knew there was no way they were going to sit posed. I have fallen in love with her style of photography and could not imagine my boys and now baby girl being shot any other way. Thanks Sara for the gift you have given us to enjoy for many years to come. A gift we can pass on to their children.

While you are on her blog, check out her new high school senior promo. Sure do wish we had this option when I was this age. So much fun! The video is fabulous too. The talent in her family is amazing. How neat to have a brother with this talent. Too much fun.

4 days old...poor girl has yellow eyes from her jaundice.

a tribute to our So Cal friends

Getting ready for the ACC tournament

I Know, I know...

Wow, what a slacker I have been! But we have plenty of excuses:) My mom was here for a month...you would have thought I could have gotten something posted!


Our lap top was in SC trying to get "healed". The boys had dropped it and the screen is barely hanging on. The packing tape is working for now. We call it our Dave Ramsey computer as it cost more to fix than it is worth but we are not really in the market to buy a new one right now. Then we got the computer back without the cord...and a dead battery. OK, so that makes 2 excuses. There are more. I ended up with 2 infections: a mild uterine infection and cellulitis at and below my incision. Not really fun at all. Thankfully my mom took the boys to SC for almost a week and I was able to rest some. However, in doing that, she downloaded all the hospital pics onto her computer....and then I couldn't post them:( I think we are up to 5 excuses now. My run of antibiotics for the infections brought on thrush for Miss Priss which she kindly passed onto me through nursing. Talk about painful nursing. Oh my! Now at 5 1/2 weeks we are STILL trying to get rid of the yeast and I am hear to tell you that clearly when the Bible was translated into English they forgot to include in Genesis the part of painful nursing when they spoke of birthing pains for the women....Clearly, this is a form of midevil torture! It is so wearing on you mentally but I am to stubborn to throw in the towel. We shall see. I see my OB on Tuesday for my 6 week check up and we just might have a come to Jesus talk about getting rid of this yeast. I never knew something could be more stubborn than me:) How is that for excuses? I hope to have the hospital pics soon....we were to get them this weekend but my sister got a tummy bug and we didn't head to SC. Yep, last excuse!

Sooooo, thanks for sticking around and coming back. I will try to stay updated. The perfectionist in me hates it when I get behind. Then when I do....I just don't do it if it can't be done right. Oh the control issues I need to get rid of. How I survived life with twin infants is beyond me:) Lots and lots of help and letting go.

Here are my last prego pics.

32 weeks with the boys: 2 days before they arrived

38 weeks 6 days with Miss Priss: day of delivery

One day old. I fell in love with this hat that had a big pink bow attached. I guess one forgets how little a newborn is...the bow was bigger than her:) It still doesn't fit! I think it might be 96 degrees outside before it fits her. Not to worry, I will still get a picture:)

Miss Priss catching some rays:)

Introducing...

Anna Claire Darley

"Anna Claire"
Thursday February 28, 2008
7:44 am
7 lbs 6 oz
20 inches


We are home and doing well. The overnight IV fluids worked well. Her bilirubin was down this morning and they sent us packing:) We will update more in the next few days and of course post more pictures. Thanks for all your prayers and support. God has been faithful and many, many prayers were answered.

Joyfully in Him,

Chris, Martha, Peyton and Parker

Spring Break

Obviously Miss Priss thinks she must be preparing for Spring Break. Guess we should tell her it is a month away and her tan will be faded by then. Maybe she is just preparing for Sara's photo shoot. I guess if I knew someone was going to be taking naked pictures of me to hang on the wall then I would want some color on my lily white legs too:) Yes, she is still under the bili lights...2 now. She is all sprawled out spread eagle in her bed with her sunglasses on. Really a cute picture but we will have to share later as it takes FOREVER to upload pics here.

Her levels only went down 1/2 a point this morning at 6am so she bought herself another light. She did get to spend the day tanning in the room with us. She was able to nurse some and then also received supplements of formula to make sure she was getting enough to eat to help flush the bili out of her system. In theory the more she eats, the more she poops and the more the bili can leave her system. Obviously she is enjoying her tanning, although expensive, session. Somehow not peeing or pooping for 12 hours does not rest well with the docs. Soooo, she bought herself another night in the NICU and an IV! Hopefully the fluids will help keep her hydrated under the lights and she can start working on dropping her bili levels. At 2pm they had come down some but not enough. Plan is to check them again Sunday morning at 6am. Looks like we may be staying until Monday now. Much easier to take care of this here then at home.

Besides, Chris and I feel like we are on vacation! Nothing like coming to your local hospital to get some good R & R. No monkeys to chase, no dishes to wash, no meals to cook...plenty of time to talk, sleep, read a book...Not a bad deal after all. Though I am sure Hawaii would be just as expensive but we could all be working on our tan there:)

We are extremely thankful that all we are facing is some sunbathing and high bili levels. Much easier than the surgery we thought she would be facing. God is good...a bit humorous, but good non the less.

We did enjoy her party today and she was able to join us before they started her IV. She even got to wear one of her cute outfits:) The boys especially enjoyed the chocolate cake and presents for them. Smart girl...brought presents for the boys. Peyton warmed up to her today and was really sweet with "baby sister". Parker was delighted that he got to hold her by himself...the look on his face was priceless. Wish we could share the pics with you now.

Chris was able to go home for a bit and spend some time with the boys. My mom stayed and hung out with me at the hospital and we had some great girl time. My parents and sister have bent over backwards for us to make this an easier time. They took the boys on a "road trip" today to the Atlanta aquarium. I think they had more fun than the boys. My sister went and ordered the cake and picked up the balloons. Chris' mom spent the day with us and Miss Priss at the hospital. We have AMAZING families that are more than willing to do ANYTHING for us. We are so blessed to have this and I hope we never take them for granted. Any of them would drop anything they had to help us or our kids out. God has blessed us in many, many ways.

She is snoozing in the NICU tonight under her lights. Thanks for all your support and prayers. We will keep you updated and look forward to sharing our pics with you soon.

Joyfully in Him,
Chris and Martha

Rejoice

"Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice... Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things... And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:4,6-9

Our families and the boys watching Miss Priss through the nursery windows.

Baby girl Darley arrived yesterday morning (2/28) at 7:44. The day could not have gone more perfectly! The Lord has given us one blessing after another. Martha's C section went beautifully. So far she has had the delivery and recovery she so longed for after the emergency, chaos and rush of the boys delivery and 3 week NICU stay. She was awake and alert during the C section and Chris was able to join her and share in the arrival of their daughter.

As you may have seen from our previous post, there were a lot of uncertainties heading into our day. We had been followed weekly for high amniotic fluid levels and a probable bowl obstruction in Miss Priss. Prayers were answered and the high fluid levels did not cause preterm labor or complications for our little one. Upon delivery she was taken to the NICU for some abdominal xrays for a better glimpse into the dilated bowel they were seeing on fetal ultrasound. We were able to spend some time as a family with her as Martha was in the recovery room. This was a pleasant surprise as we thought we were not going to get this special time with her. Martha longed to nurse her as she was wide awake and rooting around. We knew we had to wait on the results before feeding her. We were just delighted to get this unexpected time with her. Our families came back to see us and her. We were able to see the boys and share this time with them. They had seen her through the nursery window but did not quite understand what was going on. They just wanted their daddy and did NOT like him behind the glass!

It was precious seeing the boys with her. Parker is just smitten and loves loving on her. "see baby, hold baby, kiss baby"...he even shared his monkey stickers with her:) Peyton so far has not been to keen on baby sister. He just wants his daddy and will occasionally ask for her but will not have anything to do with her. Parker does not like mommy lying in bed, "mommy get up"...he will climb in bed for a good snuggle though:) We showed him my boo boo and big band aid. Now he asks to see my "bandoo" and is quite concerned with all the hospital bracelets on my wrist.

The greatest blessing of all and amazing answer to prayer...once we were moved to our post partum room the pediatrician came by....the bowel and gas patterns of her intestines looked normal!!!!! We could feed her and watch to see how she tolerated her feeds. Making sure she had poops and no large spit ups or vomiting! I could feed my baby:) No pumping this time around:) Normal mommy stuff! Praise God for such good news. She thanked the Dr. with a LARGE poop before he left the room. Never have I been so excited to see poop in my life:) Things were moving through her bowel and getting out! "Unlikely" that there was going to be an intestinal obstruction that would require surgery was his response...we will take that. What a joyous moment in our day. I was waiting for someone to pinch me and awake me from this wonderful dream I was having. I could not have planned the day any better. Finally...a "normal" birth experience and newborn bonding. 2 1/2 years later, God answered my prayers and filled the longings of my heart. Through this whole process I had finally come to terms with my hopes and dreams of a normal birth and bonding process possibly not being a reality for us. I had let go and accepted that He may have other plans for us. Did it take away the pain and disappointment from the boy's delivery? No, there will always be a piece of my heart not mended from that and I have learned to be OK with that. This side of Heaven there will not be a full restoration. I also realized that this current pregnancy was not meant to take the place of or fill the void from my pregnancy and delivery with the boys. Only Jesus can heal that, not another child or pregnancy. All this to say...the day was perfect and beyond my imagination or dreams. He is faithful and full of mercy and grace. I wanted to soak in each and every moment...capture life happening in every minute.

It was wonderful having our families with us. Grand parents and great grand parents alike. Everyone relishing their time with this baby girl we have been praying for. Aside from the huge smiles on mine and Chris' faces, I think Pa Pa (Chris' grandfather) had the biggest grin of them all. This was one proud great grandfather. He has wanted a granddaughter for 29, almost 30 years now. The Lord blessed him with a great grand daughter yesterday. He has been talking about this moment since the day Chris and I got married. Now she has to meet her Uncle Greg (Chris' brother) and Aunt Betsey, cousin Josh and another set of great grand parents Pops and Betty (Martha's grand parents). We feel blessed that our children know and are able to spend quality time with 2 sets of great grand parents. We even went to Hawaii with one set before moving from California. Since the boys were born in California ...and 8 weeks early at that... only Martha's mom was able to see them at birth. What fun we had having our families with us this time around.

She had a fabulous night. Lots of poop:) and only small normal spit ups. We are out of the woods today:) We have a healthy and precious baby girl...still no name:) We are having her birthday party with the boys tomorrow...she will have a name by then. Her billi levels were high today so she is currently "sunbathing" in the nursery...sunglasses and all! This we can do...I will take sunbathing in the nursery over surgery any day of the week. We should be leaving the hospital sometime on Sunday.

We have so much to be thankful for. We are counting each blessing He has given us. You are among them. We have been richly blessed to have you in our lives. Your prayers, support and words of encouragement have blessed us in many ways. We have experienced first hand the body of Christ at work. Words can not fully express our gratitude to you. So many of you have been there for all 3 of our kids and their difficult "growing times" in utero and for their amazing birth stories. We love you and are forever indebted to you. You are forever a part of our children's lives. You have covered each of them in prayer. You have surrounded them with your love. You have made eternal investments in their hearts. For this we are grateful.

Hope you enjoy the pictures below. We have a very slow Internet connection here at the hospital and it is taking forever to get pictures uploaded...we will share more once we get home.

Chris brought the boys back to recovery to see me and the baby. Peyton (on left) is not so sure about this whole baby thing. Parker is offering his sucker:) How many times am I going to walk in the room to find him sharing not so infant friendly things? Whew, look at the chubby face on me:)



I love, love, LOVE this picture of my 3 boys and Miss Priss. Soooo sweet. Parker (on left) is absolutely smitten with her. He was sooo excited to "hold" baby sister:)

Finally, Miss Priss herself. Of course we dressed her properly for her big debut:) Big bow and all. Thanks Kim for accessorising our little girl!

Miss Priss

February 28, 2008

7:44 am

7 # 6 oz

20 inches

lots of dark hair!

Sorry it has taken so long to get this post up. I keep getting interrupted and falling asleep...got to love all those drugs! My pain management has been so much better this time around. I'm up and moving...just a bit slow. The nursing and right shoulder pain hurt more than my incision!

I'll keep sending out emails until we can post easier on the blog at home. It's hard to upload pics to email so it may be Sunday before we get pics out again.

Please join us as we rejoice in the Lord that she is free of any bowel obstructions and is a healthy full term baby. We also have a few prayer requests over the weekend.

1. Nursing is going MUCH better this time around. I am still having a good bit of pain though. Pray we are able to move past this and my emotions and frustration don't get me down. We have a wonderful lactation consultant working with us. I really, really want to be able to nurse this time around and not have to pump all the feedings. I did this for the boys for 9 months and just can't imagine finding the time to do it again this go round. I told Chris the pain is so intense it makes me burst into tears and if it were not my sweet child seeking nourishment...it is enough to make you want to throw the pain causing item across the room.

2. Her bilirubin levels are up:( They took her back to the nursery this afternoon to put her under her "sunbathing" lights. Pray this will help bring her levels down and she can soon rejoin us. We are still bringing her out to nurse. They will recheck her levels at 6 pm tonight. I hate having to send her away but this is much better than what we were facing. I'll take billi lights and a short nursery stay over surgery and a weeks recovery in the NICU any day. God is good.

3. That God will still continue to work in the lives of those around us as we are able to share her story.

Joyfully in Him,

Chris and Martha

***8 pm update: They rechecked her bili levels at 6pm and they went up instead of down after being under the bili lights:( Still a much brighter situation than we were facing. So she still looks like a pumpkin and is now sunbathing on top of and under bili lights. I'm telling you she is quite the drama queen already. She is doing everything like her brothers already:) We did make the decision for her to stay under the lights tonight and not come to the room to nurse. She was taking 45 min to an hour to nurse and the more time under the lights, the better for her. I am going to pump tonight and she will still get all the liquid gold:) We can even go to the nursery to feed her ourselves. They will recheck her levels at 6 am Saturday and hope to find them coming down. It was hard sending her down the hall...better down the hall than to another hospital like we originally thought. We can do this. At least we will get some good sleep tonight:) We need her to eat good and poop, poop, poop! We are having her birthday/celebration party tomorrow evening. I hope she can attend:) We will save a piece of cake for her:) Chocolate of course. Maybe if we could just name her she would quit acting out! We've got it down to two names. I just can't decide. Thanks again for your prayers***

"The joy of the Lord is your strength"

Nehemiah 8:10

Faith, Praise and the power of Prayer

Here she is all comfy and cozy in her ocean of fluid as I like to call it. This was taken last Friday February 22 at our last high risk ultrasound appointment. As you can see, she is quite the drama queen. A majority of the weekly profile shots we have are with her hand propped up on her forehead! Oh, baby girl...giving it to us already.

I think even at this late hour I am in denial that we are welcoming our 3rd child into our family tomorrow morning. It really has not hit me yet that she will be here tomorrow. It definitely has not hit the boys yet...poor little fellas, they don't know what is about to hit them. Maybe come 4 am when we are getting up it will hit me:)

We could not have made it this far without many of you. Your thoughts, prayers, words of encouragement, emails and many phone calls have brought great joy to us. The Lord has been gracious and provided us with all the support we have needed. He has held us tight and guided us along the way. When we realized our dreams and hopes for this pregnancy and potential outcome were not to be...we were able to lean heavily on His mercy and grace knowing that His will would be done. Only by our faith in Him and His undeniable love for us have we been able to let go of our dreams and hopes and cling to His plan. There has still been hurt and pain but ultimately this season of disappointment in our lives has drawn us closer to Him. It has allowed me to see his love, compassion and body of Christ in ways I might not have been able to. I have learned that my dreams are separate from my faith in God. Just because my dreams do not come true, does not affect my faith in Him.

Not my will but Yours be done. There have been many days this was much easier to say than cling to. I am sure tomorrow a flood of emotions will rock my boat but in the end it will not capsize.

A friend sent me an encouraging email along this journey and it was perfect for us.

"Be Open"

"Everything is possible for him who believes." Mark 9:23

"Be open to the possibilities...that these circumstances hold more than what I see right now.
Be open to the possibilities...of God's promise to grow good things in hard places.
Be open to the possibilities...of discovering new hope.
Be open to the possibilities...one day at a time.

When I look ahead, I have a choice: to fear the future or to stretch my imagination to embrace God's possibilities each morning.

Lord, I don't know what this new year will bring, but You do. Awaken me to Your possibilities, one day at a time."

Chris and I have both drawn so much from this time in our lives. It has brought great change in us as a couple, individually and spiritually. I will have to expand on this more at a later time as it is late and this post is getting long:)

OK, so now some of you are wondering what in the world is going on...aside from us having a baby tomorrow. I have been sending weekly and biweekly updates to many of you but it never made it to the blog. So much for me "linking" to my previous post at this point. Where oh where has my brain gone?

To recap the 2nd half of our pregnancy...

Our 20 week ultrasound looked fabulous and we found out we were having a girl this go round and reconfirmed there was only ONE monkey this time. We had a pretty good idea at 8 weeks or so that it was just one...but we wanted to know for sure:)

I delivered our boys at 32 weeks and we were being cautious as we approached this time period. We were never really sure if my cervix was the problem or if I was just done at 32 weeks since there were 2 monkeys in me and my uterus thought I was at 40 weeks. When we got to 28 weeks this time, we did another internal ultrasound to check my cervix and get a baseline to go on. Everything looked fabulous...nice and closed:) The ultrasound tech asked if I wanted a belly scan so we could see the baby's face and grab a picture or two. Of course! Well this happened to be a blessing in disguise. While she was looking around and trying to get Miss Priss to cooperate, she found something a little off. My amniotic fluid levels were a bit too high. The baby's kidney's, heart and facial features looked fine. Those can all have birth defects that would cause high or low amniotic fluid levels. Her tummy looked fine but her intestinal area was showing a questionable problem. My OB really felt like it was nothing but wanted the high risk docs to check it out and do a level 2 ultrasound for a better look. Insert 2 weeks of waiting here. The LONGEST two weeks of my life! It was over Christmas so we had many things and family to distract us. When we finally went for our appointment we received some not so fun news. Yes, my amniotic fluid levels were up, higher than the previous 2 weeks and the baby did have loops of bowel that were dilated. Meaning they were filled with amniotic fluid that was not getting through. As she swallowed the fluid like normal, it was getting blocked somehow in her intestines. On top of all this, they requested that I be tested to see if I was a carrier for Cystic Fibrosis. Many times when they find these types of problems it can point to CF. If I came back a carrier, then they would test Chris. It takes both parents being a carrier to pass the gene along that causes CF. More waiting.

The first two days after this appointment were REALLY tough. Thankfully my mom was in town. She was able to keep the boys for us. This allowed Chris and I to have some time together and I was also able to spend some time with my mom. By the end of the weekend I was in a much better spot. I quickly realized I had to let go...of many things... in order for the Lord to take the wheel and guide me. I was a wreck trying to do it own m own for those 2 days. Thankfully He was patiently waiting on me, His faithfulness never changing as mine did.

Prayers were answered and we found out my test results came back negative. This does not 100% rule out CF but the doctors no longer feel this is an issue. CF can cause life long problems and I hoped and prayed this would not be what we were facing. No, it would not change a thing in how we would love her or guide her...I did not want her to face the challenges that this disease can bring. I have taken care of many CF kids in the hospital and it was something I did not want to face with my child. As a nurse, I have said goodbye to several children with this disease and could not imagine having to do this as a parent.

We saw the high risk docs every week there after. High amniotic fluid levels can cause preterm labor and stress the baby. They wanted to monitor for both of these. Once again, prayers were answered and we have made it to 38 weeks and 5 days without any problems! She passed her tests every week with flying colors:) I think she knew how many ultrasounds we had with the boys and she wanted her baby book to be just as full:)

For the past 10 weeks we have been hoping and praying that everything will be great when she gets here. We will not have any answers until she is born and they can run specific tests on her. The ultrasound can only tell us that her bowel is still dilated (not normal) and my amniotic fluid levels are still high (not normal). This is why I like to say she is swimming in an ocean...maybe we have an Olympic swimmer in the making:) The docs are guessing there is some sort of webbing remaining in place from early on in development. In a fetus the intestines start out as a solid structure and open up into a tube...like mine and yours are. They are thinking there are parts that did not fully separate and thus the webbing causing a blockage. This can all be fixed at birth but does require surgery:( We are hoping and praying they will find nothing when they run tests on her tomorrow.

If they find a problem and it is going to require surgery...they will have to transfer her to one of the two children's hospitals here. Both are fabulous and ranked #3 in the country. There are two different campuses and it just depends on which one has an opening in their NICU. This is going to be the hard part for me (aside from my child needing surgery). She will be an hour away from me:( It is a stand alone children's hospital and they therefore do not do adults. The thought of shipping her off breaks my heart.

For those of you still reading this...you're a trooper. We will update tomorrow. I hope to get some pics on here and of course more info on what we find. Not quite sure it has fully hit me yet...the birth and the awaiting diagnosis. Seeing that it is after midnight, we have to be at the hospital at 5:30 in the morning and I am still typing:) Why start with sleep now:)

Here is a list of prayers we have been sharing with people. We would love to have you join us in prayer and thanksgiving during this time. We have already seen many prayers answered.

1.His glory and goodness will be seen during this time.
2. Pray we will not loose sight of this pregnancy and precious baby girl, that all these tests and findings will not overshadow the joy and hope of her arrival.
3. Pray that I can keep my nursing knowledge to a low roar and not create "what ifs" from my past experiences.
4.Pray for her arrival and the medical teams that will be evaluating her...everything will check out OK and no surgery will be needed
5.Pray that we will not loose sight of God's goodness and graciousness through this... that we may be a light to those around us and to the medical teams caring for us


This is certainly not the plan I would have chosen for our family, this pregnancy or our little girl. My plans are not my own...I all too often do not understand His...maybe never will. I do understand that He is there to carry my burdens and guide me along the way. Am I willing to let Him or do I cling tightly to the journey as I see it? He can strengthen and sustain me...that is just what he has done.

I will leave you with a quote from a quiet time I recently had. It spoke to me in perfect timing.

A Journey with God
Leah DiPascal

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” Psalm 55:22 (NKJ)

"One thing I am learning is that when we ask our Heavenly Father for something, the journey He takes us on while we wait on Him is often times greater than the answered prayer itself. I hope you will let Him carry your burdens today and trust that He knows what is best for you and those you love.

Remember, you were not designed to walk this path alone. He is right by your side to strengthen and sustain you each step of the way.

Dear Lord, help me to trust in You when life doesn’t make any sense. To know that You love me unconditionally and are always there to carry my burdens. Remind me to seek you first when trials and challenges come my way and to recognize Your faithfulness and goodness throughout my journey in life. "

Now I must run off to get some sleep:) ha ha. I think I have to be up in 3 hours...yep, I am in DENIAL that we are having a baby tomorrow the 28th...err today now.

Joyfully in Him,
Martha

$32 a month, it can change the world

I love finding new blogs to read. It's fun to see where my friends have friends. I'm now reading blogs of people I've never met before all the way in Texas, New York and even South Carolina. Many times I feel like I've gotten to know a little bit about them and I've never even spoken to them or met them in person. Usually we have something in common; be it 2 year old sons, a background in medicine or even a simular life story. My husband calls this an addiction...I call it broadening my horizons:) I mean really...how else am I going to meet new people with soon to be 3 kids under 3! Yes, we do get out and about...but many days the computer is my link to the outside world.

Soooo, if you are like me and enjoy "meeting" new people...err finding new blogs. Then join me on one amazing adventure with some friends of ours. They are fellow Georgians, also by way of Southern California. They were our California family and now they live "up the steet" from us in the big city. Already this week my heart has been touched. Tears have been flowing and prayers have been said. They are bringing Uganda, Africa into our home and into our lives via a blog. They, along with several others, are our eyes, ears, hearts and hugs this week. They are traveling with Compassion International as bloggers telling their stories. It has been amazing to see their pictures, hear their stroies and see lives being changed. Compassion is teaming up with these selected bloggers to help brighten the future of many children out there.

What can you cut out every month? 5-7 Starbucks drinks, a night out at the movies, one less trip to "pick up a few things" at the grocery store, the oh so many items at Target? Really, that is all it takes to sponsor a child. $32 a month. This provides them and their family with food and a child with an education. It provides a child with a chance to hear of Jesus' love and a commitment from a family to pray for them and love them from afar.

We sponsor an adorable little girl from Thailand. We have "known" Mai for a few years now and have enjoyed watching her grow. Her family was killed in the tsunami in December of 2004. In her short life she has been through so much. She always writes with excitment and thanksgiving. We hear what she is learning in school, how her sister is doing and the things she does to help out her grandmother. She sends prayer requests and often asks how she can pray for us. We can't wait for the boys to be old enough to write to her too. We often talk about one day traveling on a Compassion trip to Thailand to meet her in person. She is a blessing to us and we have enjoyed every piece of mail we have received. In this day and age of technology...it's always fun to get that piece of "snail mail" you have been looking forward to. Nothing can really replace seeing someones' handwritting...a peice of themselves.

Pop on over to see Carlos and Heather and their new friends in Uganda. They both have a wonderful blog that will keep you reading long after they have returned from Uganda. They keep it real and relevant. Never a dull day on Carlos' blog. Yep, I said a day because he has multiple posts a day. He is doing an incredable job of creating community through his blog. His goal: sponsor 100 kids through Compassion via his blog. Well, 300 really. He does have 3,000 visitors a day. It's not all about the numbers either. His heart wants to see these kids connect with a family that will not only support them financially but also commit to pray for them. Both he and Heather have a great outlet to use to help that happen. Their hearts are genuine and they love the Lord. When I think of the definiton of friend...Heather comes to mind. Stop by and say hello. They have some amazing stories to tell. While you are there, check out their adoption story of their son. Pretty amazing. Click on the "our adoption" link at the top of the page on Carlos' blog.

See, isn't it fun finding new friends? You'll love them I promise. Their pictures and stroies from this trip will warm your heart. There are some precious children on thier blogs. We've got lots of love to offer.

A "So Cal" night out in Atlanta. Some friend of ours from California were visiting both of our families during December. We took them out on the town to try and convince them to move here too! Is it working? Us, Carlos and Heather, James and Alyssa

Heather and me

*please excuse any mispellings...agh, spell check is NOT working and I am the world's worst speller. Yes, really. That may even go on my grave stone:)*