My Precious Firstborn

"...you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power."

Genesis 49:3

Oh how I love telling these stories! It is so much fun to stop and let yourself go back years ago to that one day that changed your life in every way... to relive the emotions that rolled like a freight train over your heart at the first breath your newborn took.

6 years ago today my life changed forever.

I became a mommy.

My pregnancy with Jake was the hardest 9 months of my life. I was very sick the entire time. I was in and out of the hospital with vomiting and migraines. I honestly think, at times, 2-3 weeks would pass without my leaving the house. Needless to say, I didn't have the pregnancy "glow"!

I was due on July 24, 2003. Being my first pregnancy, I was ecstatic when my ob offered to induce me at 38 weeks, on July 11. Looking back, I'd never recommend someone to be induced for no obvious reason at 38 weeks. Jake may have been developed enough to thrive, but he just was not ready to enter the world.

On July 11 at 7am I went into the hospital and was started on pitocin. I was joined by the fan club of a firstborn child, firstborn grandchild on one side, and first grandchild in 7 years on the other! We filled up the waiting room! The day was uneventful despite my water being broken and getting my epidural (before I even felt a twinge of pain).

We had named the baby several months earlier. He was going to be "Jacob Cole" and would be called "Cole". At some point during the day, I remember Michael deciding that it would be nice to have his son named after him. I agreed (because I had tried to talk him into that months ago but he thought there were far too many Michael's in the world!). So, on that day, we changed his name to "Jacob Michael". To avoid having yet another Michael, he would be called "Jake". We kept that little secret until his arrival!

By that evening, I was definitely in labor but still not close to childbirth.

Evening came and went and finally at around 11:00 the doctors decided I was ready to push. By now I was feeling much, much more pain as my epidural was wearing off. I was told that I could not be given any more medicine. They said that I should have a baby before the day was over.

Nope. We still had a loooong way to go. I started running a temperature, which is a no-no in the labor room. I had to be given antibiotics. Jake's heartrate was dropping quickly. A monitor was put directly on his head via the birth canal. I was given oxygen to help him out (which is a horrible feeling...trying to keep that mask on while birthing!!) and was made to turn from side to side while enduring ever-worsening contractions. By that time, my epidural had completely worn off. So had my patience.

I felt each and every pain of the next 3 hours of pushing. That is NOT something you want to feel.

3, yes, 3 long hours of pushing later, at 1:59 am on July 12, "Jake" entered the world. He came with knotted cord and the biggest cone head you have ever seen!! His little head had a huge hematoma (fancy word for big huge bleeding boo-boo) where it had been pressed on the cervix for oh, so long.

At 2 am, our fan club was still going strong. They piled into the room for the first glimpse of baby Jake. He did not disappoint. He was a living, breathing, perfectly formed combination of his daddy and I.

I remember the first days at home with Jake. I remember the genius contraption we had that he slept on, and how it promised to sound an alarm if he stopped breathing (I was a bit paranoid). I remember the first time it went off in the middle of the night. Not. Funny. Michael and I both were literally on top of that poor child within a second. He was wide awake now and not too amused. Neither were we.

5 days later, (right after his picture session thank goodness!) people began to comment on his perfect complexion. I wondered where he might have gotten that beautiful skin tone. Oh, is that what jaundice looks like? Shoot.

We went directly to the hospital to have a "consultation" with the lactation consultant (since eating and pooping are apparently related to a newborn's jaundice). He didn't seem too enthused by the idea of breastfeeding. She couldn't get him to cooperate either. She sent us directly to the pediatrician because he didn't look quite well and was under 6 lbs now. They drew blood and determined that he needed to go back into the hospital because his bilirubin was too high....he had jaundice pretty bad.

I had a mommy meltdown. You can't send me home with my precious newborn and then take him back!! He was thankfully admitted into the NICU (instead of the PICU) which is not normal procedure since he had already left the hospital.

Thank our good Lord we had chosen Mary Black. The beauty of that hospital is that we were both given a room to stay in so that we did not have to leave his side. We stayed at the hospital like it was a hotel, and I was able to continue nursing him while he returned to normal human pigmentation, as opposed to the pumpkin color he had achieved! :)

After that, life resumed and our baby boy began to teach us what life as parents was all about.

He was the most precious chubby, bald-headed baby you had ever seen. He had only white fuzz on his head until he was about 2. The nursery workers at church all nick-named him the "cabbage patch baby." They must not have been far off because at a drive-through once, the lady asked me if I had a Cabbage Patch in my carseat. It must have been one of those rare moments when he wasn't crying!! :)

There has not been a dull moment in Jake's six years. He has kept us on our toes every minute. Jake loves to play tricks. He will hide your keys in a heartbeat and probably forget where he hid them! He loves to tell jokes and laughs big belly laughs at every one he tells.

Sports of all kinds are his true love - much to his daddy's delight! He has had a passion for football since he could stand and hold a ball. He can already throw a mean spiral! He looks forward to the start of football season each year when he and his daddy go to every game they can, regardless of the team! It is the rare time when he sits without moving to pay close attention to the game.

He asks more questions than I could possibly ever answer. And if your answer doesn't quite match what he had in mind, he will quickly inform you that you are wrong and give you the "correct" answer.

His favorite playmate is his sister, but he doesn't admit it often. He would rather play outside than anywhere. He owns Clemson, Florida State, and Carolina Panthers football uniforms and on most days you will find him in the front yard sporting one while practicing his plays. His absolute favorite time to play football in the yard is if it is raining! It never fails that if we are out and it starts raining, he begs to go home so he can play.

He has a huge imagination and can dream up elaborate games inside and out. He prefers those games to toys any day!

He is friendly to a fault and there isn't a stranger in this world. He often offers up more information to them than his mom cares to share! He also asks more embarrassing questions of them than mom would care to remember!!

He is often complimented on his sweet southern manners when we are out and about and he loudly calls out for a waitress or a cashier, "MAM, MAAAAAAMMMMMM!!!". They overlook the loud, persistent calling since he is afterall, calling them mam. :)

He is as strong-willed as the day is long and independent is his middle name. He has been desperately trying to be "big" since he knew how to walk and talk.

We often find him in our room sleeping in his sleeping bag or at our bedside begging to come snuggle. He often says, "Mom, after daddy leaves for work, I'm coming to cuddle with you." He curls right up with you and must be touching you in some way while he sleeps. He knows exactly when to rub daddy's back to make daddy forget all about bedtime!

He is a succer for anything that has to do with water. Don't dare leave him alone with a sink or a water fountain....he will quickly find a way to cover himself and anything or anyone around and leave it dripping! Likewise with anything liquid or semi-liquid in form...he'll squirt it, sling it, spit it, or spew it before you can shout, "Jaaaaaaakkkkkkeeeee, DON'T!!!!!" ;)

He keeps us on our toes but we would not trade him for anything in this world.

His sweet cuddles and "I Love You's" make up for every little trick he pulls.

Genesis 49:3 is absolutely my verse for Jake. He was no doubt the first sign of my strength. There is a bond that you have with your firstborn that is like no other. Your firstborn teaches you what it means to be a mom. He teaches you what it means to love and give beyond what you ever thought you were able.

He is the first child his daddy and I ever loved with every ounce of our being and will always be....our precious firstborn.

Happy 6th Birthday Jake!! We love you!!

Momma, Daddy, and Ella Kate

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Adding to the Family

Made you do a double take on that one didn't I!?

A couple of weeks ago, Michael was cutting grass when he came upon....a SNAKE!!!! He also found a turtle but they aren't nearly as scary to me!

Snakes are on the top of my "DON'T" list so I decided it was time to take the plunge and let the kids have their first pets. Eventually they will grow up to be the perfect snake/rat/mice hunters!

I facebooked about my mission and had so many good friends to offer their kitties or their friends' kitties....we took the first 2 that we found!!

Introducing....

"Dot" Waddell (as in Polka-Dot)
and "Harry" Waddell (as in Harriett...my mom's name)

I decided that 2 kittens was the best way to go since it would allow the kids to claim one as their own and the kitties would also have a buddy to play with. Jake chose a boy and EK chose a girl. I'm going to have the boy fixed right away but I may let the girl have a litter first. I'm thinking it would be a wonderful introduction to sex ed. ;)

They will have to be outdoor kitties because Jake's allergy is too bad to keep them indoors. That's just as well with me....I'd kind of like to keep my leather couch in one piece as opposed to in shreds and it's probably much easier to fight the varmints out there too!

They really are some of the best kitties I've seen...they are SOOO "kid-friendly"! They put up with lots of totin', and lovin', and pettin' and very rarely strike with their claws! I just hope they stick around for a while and learn quickly that the road isn't a nice place to play!

Happy Birthday America!

The Fourth of July calls for nothing more than a relaxing day on the lake!! We spent a wonderful day with our sweet friends, the Laneys. It was perfect weather and, surprisingly, not terribly crowded. The kids had a great time swimming and riding the jet skis and moms and dads had a great time doing absolutely nothing!!!

We enjoyed the Boat Parade!

The girls were pooped after all the water-play!

(Brynn)

(Ella Kate)

(Addie)

We went back to the Brandon's parents house for a cookout and fireworks.

Zac better get back into town quick!! ;)

Fireworks were GREAT..from all angles!! :)

Brynn thought so....

But Addie didn't like them as much...she spent the evening running from one lap to the next trying to find a good hiding place.

Her daddy thought it was funny to see her get so scared!!

Happy Birthday America!! We thoroughly enjoyed your birthday celebration! :)

Daddy's Day 2009

Happy Father's Day to our most favorite daddy in the world!!

We Love You!! All of my favorite daddies....

(L to R) My daddy, my baby daddy (couldn't resist:)!), and my daddy's daddy (aka my papa)

We celebrated Father's Day this year by gathering at Granny & Papa Neal's house for dinner and ice cream. It turned out to be a beautiful day for dinner outdoors!

I may lose this card in the years to come but I think these little signatures are too cute to forget. Jake insists on using his last initial and if there is room, he puts his entire last name. Ella Kate doesn't disappoint in the girly department as she "dots" all of her letters. :)

Happy 30th KK!

I almost forgot that Sunday was Father's Day since it was also my little sister's 30th birthday!


Although we are only 17 months apart, it felt like an eternity while I waited for her to join me in our 30's!!


We celebrated with a family lunch at Mimi's Cafe and again at Granny & Papa Neal's that evening.

Happy Birthday KK!! We Love You!

Going Green

In 4K this past year, Jake's class spent some time learning about recycling. Prior to that, Jake had probably never heard of recycling. Jake came home every day during that time talking about recycling and begging me to let him start doing it.

I was reluctant, mostly because it was just one more thing to add to my list!

Once summer came and we were home a little more, Jake started going through the trash cans and telling me what things we could recycle. Rather than allow him to continue as a dumpster diver, I gave in and helped him start sorting things and teaching him which things to put aside.

By the time I got to the store to buy a container for our recyclables, our laundry room floor was full!! A friend mentioned that when her husband started their family recycling, it dramatically cut down on their trash. She was right!! We have much less trash now!

One question I do have....where can I take styrofoam to be recycled? The cups you get at McDonalds and other fast food restaurants have the emblem on the bottom, but our "dump" doesn't take them. Anybody know?? And which stores still have a place to put plastic grocery bags?

I have only made one trip to take our "recyclables" and I already am a HUGE supporter!! What was I thinking?!? By recycling, I am being a much better steward of the Earth that God gave us! And it took a 5 year old and his very smart teacher to help me to see that. :)

Shipwreck Cove

A group from our church visited the brand new waterpark in Duncan today, Shipwreck Cove. It just opened last weekend, so we thought for our June social we would give it a try. It is brand new, so there are bound to be some kinks that they need to work out, but overall, it was fun and not too expensive for a Saturday treat (with a group discount of course!!).

All the whities had to get lathered up before the day began (including us)! ;)

Brandon even made it back from his mission trip to West Virginia to join us...what a nice surprise!!

About 15 minutes after we arrived, Ella Kate decided she was tired. I thought she would sit for a little bit and get up a play again. Nope. She slept for at least an hour and a half!

All of the kids were big enough to use the slides except Ella Kate (who wasn't even interested in using them), Addie, and Hunter. You had to be 42" and Ella Kate is only about 39".

Brynn didn't try it for a looong time but finally got her courage up!!

It took Jake a long time to get the courage up too. In fact, we waited in the long line 2 times without riding and on the 3rd wait, I refused to let him get out of line and pushed him down crying. I know that sounds bad, but I could tell he was dying to do it and would absolutely love it if he tried!! I was right!! He is holding his shirt here because if you took your swim shirt off, you went faster...see, that nervousness didn't last long!

Zoe had no nervousness about the slides, but she did keep telling the lifeguard at the top that she could swim, so they were never prepared to catch her at the bottom. She had to flounder around in the water several times before they came to her rescue!! :)

Addie and those juice boxes...I think she went straight from the bottle to a juice box. ;)

Watch me jump mom!!

Muscle man....

Sleepy again....Ms. Summer has the best sleeping lap!

Peek-a-boo!

The lazy river was nice...even the smallest of kids could float around it.

Just a few words of advice if you decide to try out Shipwreck Cove:

1. Get there early. We went at 10 and the crowd wasn't too bad. By the time we left around 2:30, it was getting hard to move around. They do have new hours from 6:30-10pm (I think) where the rates are reduced and it may not be as crowded then either.

2. Bring a lunch and go out of the waterpark and into the playground right beside it and eat a nice, free lunch from home. They will stamp your hand so you can come back in (providing it doesn't reach capacity BUT....they will tell you if it is near capacity and today it was crowded but nowhere near!). It makes the day much more affordable and gives you a nice break in the shade. There is also a drink machine in the park that has much cheaper drinks in it than the concession stand.

3. Speaking of shade, there is a limited amount there. There are 3 of tents set up on the grass but they are the first things taken. There are several umbrellas scattered around but don't they are few and far between. We did see a group come in with their own tent and they set it up on the grass. We asked, and you ARE allowed to do that. Great option if you have something you can bring!

4. If you do get the group rate, you can get a menu with reduced price kids' meals on it but please make sure you order them one hour before you need them no matter how many you order!!

5. Also, the website says that flotation devices are prohibited. This does not include arm floaties or bathing suits with floats in them. We wore those all day and it made our life much easier!

Just thought I'd pass those tips along as we learned some of those things the hard way!! :)