Update on the munchkins

Let's start with Jacob. Oh my Jacob. He's becoming such a big boy. I seriously look at him and want to cry. He's turning 4 in a few short months and I honestly have no idea how it came so fast. I know people say "It seems like yesterday" but it seriously feels like yesterday that we were bringing him home from the hospital in his preemie clothes, which now fit on his teddy bears :) He loves preschool and has had the same "best friend" since day one. He is so polite and respectful. He loves his baby sister so much. About once a day he tells me "Mommy, thank you so much for getting Emmerson out of your belly."

It has been an amazing thing to watch how much he has come out of his shell since starting preschool. I remember last year when we would go to playdates he would stay by my side and not play. But now he barely knows I'm there. I didn't think it would happen so soon, but he won't give me a kiss on the lips anymore either. He either gives me his cheek or forehead. My little guy is growing up on me. Pretty soon he will be slamming his bedroom or in my face :(
Logan, man what can I say about Logan. I have said from the very beginning that he was born a middle child. He has such a personality on him. Sometimes that's a good thing but it's also a bad thing ;) He can be such a sweet little guy at times. He loves giving mommy and daddy hugs and kisses and right when you think that he's the most sweetest thing you've ever seen, he runs by Jacob and smacks him. Seriously, Jacob will be sitting on the floor playing quietly by himself and for no reason at all Logan runs by him and just hits him. I swear Logan has been in time out 100 times this month already.

He loves his baby sister like crazy though. He wants to hold her all the time. Today though, I left her on the floor on a blanket and went to the kitchen, which literally was 10 feet away and came back 3 seconds later to find my 10 day old daughter with a piece of pop tart in her mouth. I explained to Logan that although it is very nice to share with his baby sister, she doesn't eat food yet. Of course that resulted in a full on temper tantrum on the floor :) I think it's safe to say Brad and I are scared to see what 3 is like with Logan :)
Now let's talk about this little princess that has taken over in our house. I didn't think I had enough love in my heart for another baby, but boy was I wrong. Don't get me wrong....I love my boys to death, but there is something different about having a daughter. I felt an instant strong bond with her as soon as she came out and it gets stronger everyday. She is such an amazing baby and she has her daddy wrapped around her finger already. I'll be holding her and brad will ask me "Do you want me to take her" and I'll say no and then he will say "What I meant to say is can I please hold her." It's so sweet. And he will hold her for hours.....

She fits so perfectly in our family. I feel so complete and I have never been happier. Can't wait to see what the next couple months hold for us <3

Welcome to the world Ms. Emmerson

I haven't updated in this in a while and it makes me sad because so much is happening and I really need to start recording all of these things before I forget about them. So my new goal is to try and write in here at least 3 days a week.

So let's start with our big news! Emmerson Nicole Bowen was born on Monday, March 15th, 2010 at 5:59am.

I went to the hospital on Sunday the 14th at 6pm to be induced due to my kidneys being backed up again. When we first got there they hooked me up the monitors and came back in 30 minutes later and said checked me and I was 4cm dilated (I was 2 three days prior) and was contracting on my own. So they went and checked with the midwives and instead of doing cervidil over night and then pitocin in the morning they decided to just start with pitocin. I remember looking over at Brad's face when the midwife said "Whose ready to have a baby tonight?" We were fully expecting him to go home and come back in the morning to get the show on the road.

Then anxiety set in. We have never left the boys before overnight so the thought of them sleeping with someone else besides us really got to us. I had my mini panic attack and then relaxed so I could "enjoy" my labor.

So about an hour after the pitocin I could start really feeling the contractions. They came in and checked me at 11pm or so and I was at 5cm. I asked for the epidural. (which is another entry on it's own) I felt awesome after that and decided to get some rest. I slept on and off for 3 or 4 hours and they came back in to check me about 4:30am and I was still at 5cm. I cried. I had this fear that the pitocin was going to slow my labor down and I was right. My midwife came in and broke my water (which was way less traumatic then having it break at home twice) and I immediately felt all this pressure. She told me to sit through 2 more contractions and she would check me.

I kept telling her "I have to push, I have to push" and she checked me and sure enough her head was right there. I was under the impression that an epidural would take away all the pain in labor, including the pushing but boy was I wrong. It all happened so fast and all I remember was screaming and my midwife telling me she was right there and one more push would bring her into the world and my mom telling me that she had the dark hair I wanted.

After 1.5 pushes she was here. I never cried after delivering my boys, but I bawled my eyes out when she came out. I don't know if it was because I was so relieved that after this horrendous pregnancy that she was out and healthy or if it was because the daughter that I have wanted for so long was finally here. Either way there were a lot of tears in the room that morning.

So now we are home and she is 3 days old. She's an amazing baby already. The first 2 nights she gave me a run for my money by not sleeping at all at night, but last night she did really well and only woke up twice to nurse. She needs to sleep laying right next to me and I swore I wouldn't do that again, but I believe Little Ms. may be our last baby so I'm enjoying every moment with her.

I feel like my little family of 5 is complete and I couldn't be happier!