Thankful

It is Thanksgiving day.  Kaitlyn is a little over a week old and we didn't want to drag her out to be passed around by people.  Her pediatrician even told us that we should try to keep her away from groups of people until spring because there are too many illnesses going around right now.  Everyone has been understanding about it because Kaitlyn is so little.  We decided to let the boys go with Jacob's parents to Thanksgiving with the Astleys and then meet my parents so the boys could do Thanksgiving dinner with the Pearsons.  The boys are supposed to stay with my parents until Sunday.  The boys have stayed with their grandparents many times before and I have been fine with it--but today, it took a lot of effort to not just call everyone and cancel.  Sunday seems so far away and I missed them the second they walked out the door.  I found myself crying after they left--which is something I haven't done before.

We had Kaitlyn and I didn't get to see the boys much while I was in the hospital.  One night my friend, Sunshine, had the boys and she called and said they missed me and wanted to talk to me. I missed them too and hearing their little voices made me miss them more.  When I  got off the phone with them, I cried.  Poor Jacob has had to put up with a lot.  We got home from the hospital on a Wednesday night, the boys had school the next couple of days and then went to stay with their grandparents.  Having them leave again so soon after being gone (and knowing they will be gone for 3 or 4 days) wasn't something I was looking forward to this morning.

Having the boys gone so much and not getting to spend as much time with them as I am used to has really made me appreciate all the things I get to do with them and all the time I get to spend with them. I am thankful for that time!

So, in the spirit of Thanksgiving and being thankful I would like to say that I'm not only thankful for my three beautiful kiddos, but also for a husband who is understanding, encouraging, and puts up with me being emotional a lot lately.  I don't know what I would do without any of them.

Now We Are Five

It has been a big week in the Astley house.  We went from a family of four to a family of five.  It is funny how slowly pregnancy seemed to DRAG by and then BOOM . . . baby is here. Kaitlyn came into our lives on November 14th, wrapped her little fingers around Jacob's thumb, and has had our hearts ever since.

We will have plenty of stories to tell about the day Kaitlyn came into our lives.  We had to be at the hospital at 5:30 for a C-Section scheduled at 7:30.  7:30 came and the nurses had me ready to go--they were ready to go--and they kept coming in the room and saying,  "We're still waiting on the doctor."  The doctor finally showed up 30 minutes late and apologized--informing us that he had forgotten.  Let me just say that Jacob was more than a little angry.  

We finally went back to the OR to have the C-Section and the doctor told me that every time he hears my last name he thinks of Rick Astley.  The doctor then started singing, "Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down . . . " Everyone else in the OR started singing with him.  Ever have a moment where you wonder if you're living in a sitcom?  Yup--this was that moment for me!  Jacob was finally led to the OR and we began.  I laid there, thankful for all the drugs, while Jacob rubbed my head and held my hand.  Eventually, we heard some one say, "Wow!  Look at all that hair!"  Then, the doctor said, "Happy birthday, little one," and we heard Kaitlyn cry for the very first time.  She continued to cry and scream for about 30 minutes and I thought, "Oh no!  She's going to be a screamer!"  I figured she would NOT be an easy baby to take care of with all the screaming she was doing.  

She proved me wrong! She only cries if she is hungry or poopy and will just sit and stare at you--we have even gotten a few smiles.  She will sleep for four hours at a time at night which seems like a good amount of time to me.  I'll take it!  LOL  Her big brothers adore her and I know that our family wasn't complete without her.  She is a sweet baby.  

Alex is always eager to help with anything Kaitlyn needs or I need (for Kaitlyn).  Logan is never far from Kaitlyn and constantly comes to check on her.  They have been great big brothers! It has been fun for Jacob and me to watch them react to their new sister and see them, especially Logan, fall into that roll of the big brother. 

I know we have many adventures ahead of us . . . I can't wait!