Birthday season begins here and more

His birthday present from us, he LOVES it!

This past weekend we celebrated Gabriel's second birthday anniversary. I don't like to call them "Birthdays" because we all only ever have one real birthday. Friday September 21st was Gabriel's official birthday anniversary. Prob,Gabriel,Dominique and myself celebrated by going to a place called Pump it up.The big kids were at school. This place is a kids dream with many giant inflatable bounce houses, slides and mazes. It was his first time there and though cautious at first, it didn't take him long to discover the fun!

Sunday we had a family party at our house. Lots of family and a few friends came over to celebrate Gabriel. Olivia and I made a pinata for the party since Gabriel loves candy! I really enjoyed making the pinata as it gave Olivia and I something to do together and I always feel like handmade things for the ones you love are just that much more meaningful (not to mention at times much more affordable.)

Dominique's newest favorite thing to do, climb in the car bin

 Gabriel's festivities are just the beginning around here since all of our children have close birthdays with the next 3 in October. It gets a bit overwhelming with so much going on this time of year.

 Right now I am also working on some tough love with both my little guys. I can tell you im sure its harder on me than on them and I just hate it. This is definitely something that needs to be done in order to establish some peace around here, mainly for me. A few things we are working on are; weaning Gabriel, teaching Dom to self soothe during nap and Gabriel to stay in bed at bedtime. More on these things later.

In my last blog post we were in the process of hopefully getting into a new home since we have more than outgrown our current one. With a lot of wasted effort on our part, it doesn't look like it will happen until next fall. I am so sad and defeated feeling about the whole situation, this was all I wanted for our family. The whole time though I guess I have been feeling like we could make this happen since we wanted it so bad. I think im finally realizing that I didn't leave it in God's hands and that is the problem. I know God has a plan for us and just because we want this NOW, he knows when the time will be right and I have to be ok with that.

Rome's first flag FB game

His first visit to the dentist

With that said more organizing, donating and rearranging has to happen so I can keep my sanity. One project I did yesterday was make a craft area in the basement just for Olivia. A place she can go where no one will disturb her. A place if only small where she can create without little brothers(or a big one) bothering her or her creations.

A new life begins

What a different experience from last year. A very different experience from my first 3 labor and deliveries. Finally

My water broke about 7pm on October 5th  while celebrating Romeos 12th  birthday at my mothers house with all of us, my mother and grandmother. After getting to the hospital and settling in everything went smoothly from there. I got my long awaited epidural and delivered my beautiful baby boy. It was such an amazing experience to go through without all the pain and suffering. I almost had no pain at all. I think the worst was getting the IV'S and the allergic reaction I had to the antibiotics they had given me. After the placenta delivered we had a bit of a scare with a rapid blood loss, low blood pressure and a case of the after delivery shakes. The very well trained staff got it under control with some medications and fundal massage though and everything was ok.

A Moment you wish could last forever

Dominique Nisay(Cambodian for, " Loved from afar; love at first sight") was born October 6th 2011 @ 5:24am weighing 7lbs 6oz and 20 1/2 inches long. We spent 3 days at the hospital because of jaundice in the baby, he had to be treated with the phototherapy and was sent home on a "Bilibed" for continued jaundice treatment. We have been to the doctor everyday to have bilirubun levels checked and they continue to rise. His hemoglobin also has dropped a bit. Tomorrow if the levels are up he will have to have more aggressive treatment with the hospital grade phototherapy but the pediatrician said the medical supply company can bring that to our house.

Its a bit hard because the only time he has been able to be out of the therapy bed is to be fed. Hopefully his numbers start going down so we can all snuggle him soon and hold him all the time. His jaundice and hemoglobin problems have been related to the whole antibody issues we had during the pregnancy. I never would have thought that would affect him after he was born but I think its just a small bump in the road. He'll get better and be ok.

This time around breastfeeding is going smoothly, the baby is latching great, gaining weight and thriving. While we were at the hospital my mother did all of our laundry, cleaned the house and welcomed us home with great meals. She even exercised the dogs. I don't know what we'd do without her. Prob also had and has been doing a great job taking care of the older kids, nurturing Gabriel and loving me. We were having a bit of a rocky road before the baby was born but his birth has been such a bonding experience for us. I saw a quote the other day that fits just that;

 “Children make you want to start life over.”

~Muhammad Ali

I like that, and that's how I feel, like Dominique is a new start for us, our relationship, our family. A new start for me with a better experience to remember and best of all the beginning of a precious new life. We may not have expected for our family to grow so quickly but I guess we never know where life will take us and I am glad we are here. Welcome to the world beautiful Dominique, Welcome.

This and that

It's been awhile. Been so exhausted I could barely function. Nausea, driving kids to and from school, taking care of a baby, house,animals and much more in the midst of the first trimester of pregnancy has been alot. I am finally starting to get a little bit of energy back (just a little) and the nausea is definitely getting better.

We celebrated Prob's 33rd birthday on the 15th and we got a rare night out alone to one of our favorite places, Mancini's restaurant, it was a short date but it was nice.

I was the parent volunteer this past week at a girl scout meeting for Olivia's troop. The girls came up with ideas for a community service project and then voted on their favorite. Helping out at the humane society was the top choice. Gabriel came with and he was a big hit with all the girls. Olivia however did not like sharing her baby brother and was so worried about the way the girls were holding him.

 I have been so proud and happy lately when I watch the kids with Gabriel. Olivia especially. She has always been such an overachiever, good helper, rule follower, amazing child and definitely wise beyond her years. Since Gabriel has been born she has been an amazing help and wonderful big sister. Today she was giving Gabriel a massage. She is always making him things, the latest being a book dedicated to him. She knows how much he loves smiley faces so if she isn't making him one at school she is pulling up an image online when he is fussy while playing lullaby's in a separate tab to keep him happy while mommy is busy doing something else. He loves her so much already. When he sees her his whole face lights up and they already have an amazing bond, even though they are 8 years apart. She is something else and is the kindest person I know. I love all the children so much and am so blessed to have them.

Feeding her baby brother



Spring break this week for the children, which is very nice when I don't have to drive them to and from school. It is supposed to be nice and the children have really been enjoying being outside so hopefully they can get alot of that in. The snow has finally melted enough too so that the dogs aren't walking over the fence which means they get to be outside more too, which is much needed.

That's just a little bit of whats been going on around here, haven't been taking many pictures because my cameras aren't great, my new phone actually has a better camera on it then my camera. A new one is in the plans soon but I want to do alot of research before we  buy one so we'll see, sometime before baby #4 is born, we have some time.



BEST FAMILY EVER!

A new Journey we have begun

Perfect baby Gabriel is here, well he has been for 8 weeks now. Theses last 8 weeks have been filled with so much joy along with a lot of tears and unexpected things. I haven't had a moment to blog but now as my little angel naps in his swing I thought I'd attempt it.

 I went in for my ultrasound on Tuesday September 21st and the doctor decided to monitor the baby for 20 minutes. Toward the end the baby's heart rate began to decline from a steady 160 all the way down to 80 ad stayed that way for 2 minutes. The doctor decided it best not to wait any longer since I was considered full term at 38 weeks and 4 days. He sent me straight to the hospital for an induction. My cervix was considered not quite ready so they put some medicine on my cervix at about 6pm to ripen it for induction the next morning...but my body had other plans. Labor took off with contractions 2 minutes apart right away and by 8pm I was in so much pain and was ready for the epidural I got denied with my last 2 children. Once again I got denied and suffered so much, I think worse than with my first two even though this labor was much shorter, I really wondered how I would live through it. I did though and once my beautiful baby was in my arms I completely forgot it all. On September 21st 2010, perfect baby Gabriel came into our lives at 11:21pm. He weighed 7 pounds 7 ounces (pretty lucky I thought) and was 20 1/2 inches with a head of 14 inches and beautiful thick black hair that no one can get over.

In the weeks to follow I had surgery for once again retained placenta but luckily there were no complications from that. I have struggled with postpartum depression, breastfeeding trials and my little baby had to have surgery last Sunday from a condition called Pyloric Stenosis. He is doing much better now. It has been quite an interesting 8 weeks but I feel like now we are finally getting somewhat back to normal and I just look forward to watching my new baby grow and learn things and I so thankful for the wonderful family I have been blessed with.