WAY long overdue update

 Here is our house.  Our lovely, beautiful, second chance at life HOME!  We are all happy here.  The neighborhood is wonderful!  We have tons of kids for our kids to play with.  This was the right thing to do.

 Gavin's new room in the basement.  Thank you Uncle Tye and Aunt Ashley.  This was a gift from them to us/Gavin for Gavin's 15th birthday.  It looks even better with the trim Uncle Tye put in and with a bed in there!  I know Gavin is SO happy to not have to share with Rainier anymore.

 Happy 2nd Birthday to Pierce.  You have been a total joy to our family for 2 whole years now.  WE LOVE YOU!

 Happy Birthday Evelyn (Evie, Wee-Wee)!  You are 1 year old.  This year flew by despite all that happened this year.

 Dad and Pierce

 Dad and Evie

 Rainier, undoubtably wishing that this present was for him!  :)

 Evelyn and Addie.  The kids just got back from soccer games, hence their uniforms

Babies eating cake.  They were so funny.  Evie didn't eat THAT much cake but she made herself sick.  She threw up everywhere in her bed later that night.   I have never had a child do this before.  That girl is so silly!







So, we are plugging along here in Daybreak.  I am 2 nights a week in Labor and Delivery and one night over on mom/baby.  I hope to go full time L&D soon.  It's in my blood. 
Gavin managed to not get into any pictures but he is growing up so fast.  I hardly can believe what a change there has been in him since Evie was born.  He has girls all over the place!  HELP!
Addie is loving soccer and is an amazing player.  I had no idea she would do so well
Rainier is Rainier.  Hates school.  Likes soccer, friends and the PS3.

10 years

Happy 10th Anniversary (yesterday) to my husband Russ. You are the love of my life and always will be. I can't believe that it's been 10 years since you became my husband. We have been through ALOT in 10 years. May the next 10 be even better! Can't wait to move into our new home together and start our "new" life!

4 month update

So here we are, she is 4 months old. Miss Evelyn Ann is the sweetest little punkin. And by little, I mean she is TINY! At her 4 month checkup on Wednesday I discovered she weighs a whopping 11 pounds. Yep, you read it correctly. 11 pounds. There are newborn babies bigger than this tiny princess. She is 24 inches long. Little long and skinny Evie.
These two fingers have decided to become a permanent fixture for little Evelyn. She has them in her mouth ALL the time. (Except for when you want her to soothe herself, like in the car)
I love her SO much. She is starting to be so social. She smiles and laughs and sits in her bumbo chair. And she has the funniest little fuzzy brown hair. It sticks straight up in the air! She is such a good girl. Pierce loves her still and someday I hope to be able to get a picture of the two of them together. So cute!

2 months old already!

Oh Evie Ann........You are starting to smile and make sweet, happy noises. You may still be tiny, but you have grown so much! I love you so much. I didn't know how this was all going to work out, but here we are! And we are working!

Evie had her 2 month checkup and shots on Wednesday. I was worried that the doctor was going to tell me she was too small and that something needed to be done. I worried for no reason. He tells me she is growing fine and that she may just be a petite child. She got 3 shots and the oral polio vaccine and she did SO well. Hardly cried at all and then slept a ton! I am so blessed to have a baby with such a sweet disposition. Here are her 2 month stats:

9 lbs 5 ounces

22.5 inches long

Catching up: 3 am at work style

So apparently I loaded these in the wrong order..........but thats ok! Here is a quick update on our "little" family.
Pierce remains a sunshine and a joy to be around. He just makes everyone around him smile. We are so lucky he came to our family! I dont have any pictures of him with Evie, but he LOVES her. He kisses her head, he puts her binky in her mouth, he "pats" her head and back. He definitely doesn't act like he's been displaced as the baby of our family.

Gavin is the best son and big brother that any person could ask for. He loves the babies so much. He never complains about all the help I require him to give to me. He is a genuine blessing from Heavenly Father.

This picture I took Sunday morning when I got home from work. This was what I came home to.........Gavin took care of the baby because she would NOT sleep for Grandma Bunnie the night before. Little Evelyn slept all night and then when she woke at 6 am, Gavin snuggled her until I got home. I am so lucky.

Rainier just loves his new sister. I was really hoping he would like her after the reaction that he gave us all after the birth of Pierce. You can motivate him to do just about anything if you promise him that he can cuddle Evie.

Addie and Evie in the hospital. Addie is so glad to have a baby sister and not be the only girl in our famly. Evelyn was born in the same room at the same hospital as Addie. Such memories....

Evelyn Ann Alexander

Born: October 9, 2011 @ 10:15 a.m.

6 pounds 7 ounces

She is an amazing baby. We all love her so much. When I was pregnant with her I knew I would love her. I had NO idea I was going to love her as much as I do. She brings calm and peace to me. I'm not entirely sure how that works, being that she is a newborn with needs and demands, but she really does. I feel so much more certain that she was meant to be here for a reason.

36 weeks

I can hardly believe how fast this pregnancy has flown...........it seems like with Pierce, I was pregnant forever. I feel like I have had NO time to get ready for this little baby. Yet here it is, time to have a baby any time now.

I want to thank my dear, wonderful co-workers/friends. I truly could not have made it through the past 9 months without you guys. Thank you for all the support. Thank you for the listening ears. Thank you for the lunch dates out. Thank you for all the wonderful, beautiful baby things you have brought me to use. I feel so loved. Really, I do. I am overwhelmed by how thoughtful and kind you sweet ladies have been to me. I feel like the Lord is watching over me through you. Thank you.

Soon it will be time to meet this baby girl! I can hardly wait!

Starting The Countdown...........

So, here we are. I am 35 weeks pregnant, today. I am contracting like a mad woman and this baby GIRL is such a busy bee inside of me. She is pretty much active non-stop. I can't wait to see her little face, and smell her sweet baby smell.

This has probably been the hardest year of my life. There have been SO many downs, and not a lot of ups. I am really struggling to understand what and why. I know that this baby is going to be a wonderful blessing to me, I just wish I could see into the future a little bit. I need to know that everything is going to be okay. I need to know that I am woman enough to get through the trials that I have been given this past year.

I am afraid. I am very afraid. Maybe this little lady is coming to be my comfort. I just don't know.

I feel the need to tell my children how much they mean to me. I literally would not get out of bed every day if I didn't have them. Literally.

Gavin William: You are my right hand. I in NO way, shape, or form would have made it this far without you. I can always count on you to look out for me and to love me and to help me when I need it. You are becoming such a handsome man. I am sorry that I had to learn all my parenting lessons on you first. You deserve better. You are a blessing............I love you.

Addie Reece: You are such a joy. You are growing so much, you are becoming such a a little lady. You are so beautiful, I can't believe I made something so pretty! You are becoming more independent and sure. I know that you will be a great help when your little sister is born. I'm sorry that I am not always patient with you. You are a blessing............I love you.

Rainier Edgar: My little man. I love you so much, even though you don't think I do. You are so smart and strong and active. I miss your cuddles. I miss having you be my "baby". I hope that you will see the light when the new baby comes. I am sorry that my temper is short with you. You have NOT been replaced in my heart. You are a blessing................I love you.

Pierce Sterling: You are our sunshine. You have the ability to light up any place that you enter. You are warm and happy and full of life. I am so sorry that I haven't been able to enjoy every little minute of your 11 months here. I have been preoccupied. But I love you so much. I hope you will be okay when your sister gets here. I am so glad that Gavin loves you so very much. You are a blessing...............I love you.