Two Weeks in Pictures

It seems like any time I sit down these days to try to do something productive after Jake and Addi have gone to bed, this happens...

I immediately proceed to fall asleep - either that, or I am attempting to soothe or feed a fussy baby. (Tate, in my opinion, is a wonderful, pleasant baby...as long as he is being held. Unfortunately, the evening time when the other kids are in bed is when he typically decides he is not going to be wonderful and pleasant.) So, I'm not getting much accomplished in the way of blogging, or writing thank you notes, or reading, or just spending some quality time with Jay. I'm too exhausted. I feel fine during the day, but once I actually have some down time, I'm out. So, for a while, I will try to just get some pictures uploaded on here to keep you somewhat updated on what's going on around here. Stories will probably have to wait.

Our last couple of weeks in pictures...

Not quite sure what to say about that one.

Even if I don't end up jumping my cellulite away, this little purchase has proven to be a good method for soothing a fussing baby.

This is my latest used item purchase from Craigslist. I had heard that baby hammocks work well for babies who don't like to be put down and who will only sleep in someone's arms. So far, in the few days that we've had it, I have not found this to be the case. Apparently, it is no substitute at this point for my arms!

Jay had a day off from Biola, so we did a Disneyland day. I mostly hung out on benches with Tate while Jay and the kids went on the rides, but Tate did a great job in the baby carrier and everyone had fun.

After a full day at Disneyland, Tate was the only one awake on the way home...and he wasn't happy about it!

Nature day again with Mr. Mark. This is about the only picture I snapped of the day. Nature day is not as easy with a baby in tow.

Week One With Little Tater Tot

I'm sure that for a while my blog posts will consist mostly of pictures of an adorable, newborn baby. Because, really, who wouldn't want to see that?...Especially THIS adorable, newborn baby. :) There will probably be pictures of Tate stretching, far different, of course, than the ones of him yawning; pictures of him laying on his belly, not to be confused with the ones of him laying on his back. In this post, I'm even throwing in a picture of him praying. Yes, he is a very spiritual child already, evidenced by the picture I snapped of him when he was hanging out in the sling, looking up to heaven with his hands folded, obviously in prayer.

I will try to throw in the occasional story here and there, such as this one...When Jake first saw me nursing Tate, he did not quite know what to think. He looked very confused and said, "What in the world are you doing?" I explained that this is how I feed him. Addi then proceeded to lift up her shirt and ask me if she could please try feeding him next. Needless to say, they were a little confused.

The first week has been wonderful and I am completely smitten with the little guy. It's amazing how much more relaxed we are now with baby #3. There is definitely far less stress involved. When we first brought Jake home 7 years ago, I didn't have a clue what I was doing. Every little thing seemed so major and, therefore, stressful. We lightened up a lot with Addi, and now this time, things seem even more relaxed. Don't get me wrong, I have had moments of stress and feeling overwhelmed this week when Tate is screaming and Jake is needing something and Addi is needing something else, but overall, I have really just been in heaven loving on this little guy. I can't get enough of him.

Here are some pictures from his first week.

Tate's Home Birth Story

Tate Robert Herron

(Robert is Jay's middle name)

September 30, 2011

5:14 a.m.

9 pounds, 7 ounces

19 1/2 Inches

Birth attended by: Lindsey Meehleis, Licensed Midwife

Well, he made it! Tate joined us at 5:14 Friday morning, and is amazing in every way. We feel so incredibly blessed and are so in awe of our God for the miracle of how He created our bodies, the miracle of childbirth, and, above all, for the miracle of our little man, Tate.

It was another quick labor and delivery for me, but I wouldn't call it easy. Jay and I didn't go to bed until close to midnight on Thursday night because he was working and I was just hanging out with him. I then woke up about an hour later, around 1:00, having contractions. I have never had the textbook labor where the contractions start mild and eventually get longer and stronger and closer together. As soon as contractions start for me, they are strong and close together. So, when I woke up, they were already strong and just a few minutes apart. This went on for about 20 minutes or so before I decided that they definitely weren't going away and needed to wake Jay up. I asked him to get up and get the birth tub ready because I was in labor. I don't think that he was completely convinced at first because he was moving a little too slowly for my liking, so I let him know that he needed to pick up the pace! I called my midwife shortly after that and she arrived at about 2.

The first few hours of labor were certainly uncomfortable, but very manageable. I sat in the tub pretty much the entire time and Jay sat by encouraging me and entertaining me and making me laugh. I can't even begin to tell you how wonderful he was throughout the entire thing. Lindsey and Courtney (my midwife and her assistant) just let us be and would come in and out occasionally to check on me and check the baby's heart rate, etc. As labor progressed, they then stayed in the room with us, but still were completely non-invasive and would just help to coach through some of the contractions and remind me to try to relax my body. Jay had put in one of my favorite CDs, Alan Jackson's Precious Memories. It is a collection of old hymns that I love, sung by one of my favorite country singers. It was very comforting to be listening to words like, "leaning on the everlasting arms," and "how great thou art," as I was working through the contractions.

Around 4:30 or so is when things really started to become increasingly painful and difficult for me, and by 5:00, I didn't think I could do it. At that point, I was up on my knees in the tub, with my arms around Jay's neck, clinging to him for dear life. I was literally screaming and telling him over and over, "I can't do it." It was more painful than anything I could have imagined. Again though, Jay was amazing. I wish I could somehow describe to you how wonderful my husband is. He just knelt there next to me, let me claw at his neck, stayed calm, and kept telling me over and over, "You can do it. God made your body to be able to do this. You're doing it. etc." I was pretty much unaware of what Lindsey and Courtney were doing at that time. I just clung to Jay.

That intense pain was then followed by pure elation at 5:14 when they told me to reach down and lift up my baby out of the water - this baby that we have waited for and prayed for and wanted so desperately for the past 4 years. Nothing about the experience was numbed for me. Yes, there was pain, but it was followed by pure joy. And yes, I would do it the same way over and over again. Nobody whisked him away from me to clean him up or weigh him or put him under a warmer or suction his lungs. I pulled him up to me myself and placed him on my chest and just held him and cried and thanked God for him. Everything about it felt right. The pain was necessary to appreciate the miracle on truly a different level...in a way, kind of like the pain that we've experienced over the last few years has gotten us to where we truly appreciate the miracle of this little life and the awesomeness of God on a different level than I might have ever done before.

Tate didn't leave my arms until about 7:00 when they weighed him and wrapped him up and put him right back in my arms. Jake and Addi woke up right as he was being weighed and got to walk out of their room and see that their new baby brother had arrived. I wish I had gotten a picture of Jake's face as he walked out. He couldn't stop smiling. And Addi is already anxious to be his second little mommy. By that time, Lindsey and Courtney had already gotten everything cleaned up and cleared out, and you never would have known that a birth had taken place there just a couple of hours earlier. Jay and I have absolutely loved being able to be at home these last two days, rather than in the hospital. It has been so much less stressful to not have anybody constantly bugging us and poking at us, and to be able to be in the comfort of our own space. Everything just feels relaxed and, well, natural.

We are so in love with this little one, who is already living up to his name, Tate, "He who brings happiness."

This is when Jake and Addi first woke up and came out to greet Tate. It was like waking up on Christmas morning!

Tate being weighed by Courtney. How great is that scale?

The First Family Photo

Little Mommy

Big Brother

Our Midwife, Lindsey

Tate's First Visitors

Our neighbors made the announcement to the neighborhood with this sign in our yard. They said that they didn't care how private we are, they were letting people know the news!

We have good friends who take good care of us. I hope I can do the same for her in a month from now!

I am completely and totally in love!

Jay is in love already too!

Our adorable, perfect little angel.

I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of Him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.

I Samuel 1:27-28