Love At First Sight

Garrison and Austin arrived back home from a stay with Nana and Pops on Thursday night... the day we got to come home from the hospital. We were SO ready to see them and have them home! I missed my big boys lots. And the situation with the weather and them not being home at our house with grandparents like our original plan didn't help things. (More on all that later when I finally get around to Layton's birth story.) Anyway, they finally got home Thursday night and I will cherish the memories of them walking in and meeting Layton. Most PRECIOUS thing EVER.

I didn't cry but I wanted to. They were so sweet and so excited and so in love I just about melted into a puddle. God has totally shown us favor with the reception Garrison and Austin have had to Layton. They love and adore him like I never could have predicted. And so far the newness hasn't worn off. =) They ask to hold him 10 times a day and kiss him and check on him and touch him about 50 times a day. We have to keep a close eye on baby brother but I am beyond grateful at just how smitten they are over him. *Big, contented, grateful sigh.*

Here's a peek into big brothers meeting baby brother...

They walked in the back door and immediately started searching for mama and Baby Layton. They were so ready to see us too. And they were in love the second they laid eyes on their baby brother.

 

There were lots of hugs...

 

And holding...

And sweetness...

 

And smiling... and excitement... and pure joy in those first few minutes.

They all wore their adorable shirts I had made and were absolutely precious. Now I just need a posed picture of all 3 boys in their shirts.

LOVE.

 

I'm telling you, PURE JOY.

 

Melt my heart.

All 4 boys. =)

(Please ignore our walls in the background. Things still aren't quite back to normal around here after our busted pipe.)

 

The introduction of my big boys to my baby boy could not have gone any better than it did. It was such a sincere, joyful, celebration of love at first sight... like I said, I could have totally melted into a puddle. And we are praising God from Whom ALL blessings flow because it is His doing.

 

Every good and perfect gift is from above... James 1:17

He's Here!

Our third baby boy is here! Layton Thomas Selph arrived Wednesday, February 12th (exactly one week after his biggest brother Garrison's 5th birthday) at 3:00 PM. It was snowing when he was born. =) He weighed 7 pounds 15 ounces and was 19.25 inches long.

We are overwhelmed at God's goodness and faithfulness to our family!

 

We made the decision to be induced on Tuesday night so that I could beat the winter storm and avoid a c-section. It was a very stressful decision because of the weather and not knowing what was best for our big boys, but in the end God blessed us with a safe delivery and healthy baby boy. And everything worked out just fine with our big boys too.

 

And just like that we became a family of 5. =) The big brothers are smitten over Baby Layton.

Good, Bad, and Crazy Weekend

*Good: Terrell didn't have to work late Friday so we enjoyed delicious take-out at a decent hour AND let the boys watch 2 shows after supper while enjoying a bowl full of snacks. They were so cute eating their Cheez-Its, cereal, and mini m & m's combo. Garrison has now requested they get to do that every Friday night. =)

*Bad: Austin woke up around midnight Friday holding his ears and crying his eyes out and needing mama. Bless his heart. Both boys have been fighting a cough and cold all week and apparently the ear infection was a result of that.

*Crazy: I decided to take Austin to the Saturday clinic at our pediatrician's office so he could go ahead and get some relief. We got there before it opened and there was already a large group gathered outside waiting for the doors to open. We ended up being number 9 in line. Wow.

*Good: Austin was diagnosed and given ear drops and we were able to enjoy the rest of our Saturday... beautiful weather, time outside, and an early Valentine's Day for Terrell and I. We got our traditional Long Horn take-out, dessert from Dairy Queen (because we're members of the Blizzard Fan Club... duh), and rented a movie! Our first rented movie in months and months.

*Bad: Everything went great about the whole evening (including the first half of our movie- Captain Phillips- which I highly recommend) until our big boy woke up holding his ear and crying his eyes out. Broke my heart. We got him taken care of and settled again before turning the movie back on...

*Crazy: We were able to watch the entire second half of the movie in 10-20 minute increments because both boys woke up approximately 17 times uncomfortable or in pain. Finally I just cried with them because I felt so helpless and hated to see them hurting so bad. Plus it was just exhausting. At one point we were rushing the crying kid out of the room in an attempt to not wake the sleeping kid and taking the crying kid to the nursery to rock and comfort. Not sure what we'll do once Layton is occupying the nursery. We finally made it to the end of the movie... which took us about 4 hours to finish... not exaggerating. Sigh. The whole idea of an at-home date night is nice and special, but the reality of an at-home date night... not so much.

*Good: The whole house was in bed and asleep around 1:00 AM and we all slept the whole night. It was an early Valentine miracle.

*Bad: Now it looks like I have whatever the boys had all week. A cough and cold. Boohoo!

*Crazy: We had to miss church. Again. Maybe one day we can go every week again.

*Good: The weather was beautiful yesterday and the boys got to play outside most of the afternoon. We also did some house-cleaning and are trying to make things as normal and ready as possible to welcome Layton home. (Even though we'll probably be right in the middle of replacing carpet when he comes home. How fun.) AND, last but not least, everyone slept good last night. Yay!!!

And that sums up our good, bad, and crazy weekend.

Big Day Recap

Yesterday my birthday boy had a day full of fun. This was the first birthday he really, really made the most of... with his very own requests and ideas for his big day. The night before his birthday just after putting the boys to bed we even heard Garrison and Austin both singing 'Happy Birthday Garrison'. It was too funny.

We started the day with balloons (5 in all for our 5 year old... although we would've done more if we'd thought about it before the last minute of right before he woke up). He was thrilled. So was Austin.

 

Then we had donuts for breakfast and sang Happy Birthday to him and let him blow out 5 candles. He made a special request for Dunkin Donuts for his birthday breakfast and asked to eat on his birthday plate from his party at Let's Paint Pottery that all his party guests signed. He has been soo proud and adorable every single time anybody has sang Happy Birthday to him.

 

The donuts were a hit!

Little brother thought so too! And kept asking when his birthday was.

I put a special "Happy Birthday" message on his napkin in his lunch box for school and was thrilled when he saved it. He never saves his napkins. Then he shared cookie cake with all his friends right after lunch. The cookie cake was a huge hit! His little classmates gobbled it down and asked for more. I think we made the right decision to do something different than cupcakes. =)

He also got to pick out his favorite color "Tickle Feather" and got 5 tickles for his birthday. It was so cute and he was SO proud.

 

This picture turned out super fuzzy but it's of his face while his class sang to him so I just couldn't resist. He LOVES any and everyone singing Happy Birthday to him. I hope he keeps this pure joy on his birthday for years and years to come.

 

He got cards in the mail after school which was super special to him, and he got phone calls throughout the afternoon and evening. He was quite popular... And he loved every second. =)

I let him pick his birthday meal for supper and he told me he'd like chili or "that Pioneer Woman recipe" aka Sour Cream Noodle Bake. He wanted to be surprised so I went with chili because it's easier. And he requested we sing Happy Birthday to him again after we finished saying the blessing. I'm telling you, this birthday was BIG and he definitely made the most of it. After we ate there was a few slices of cookie cake leftover so we let the boys have it for dessert as one more birthday treat.

Garrison's 5th birthday seemed to be special, fun, exciting, and a really big deal to my oldest baby. Yay!! I'm thankful he had such an awesome day full of celebrations and love and attention from family and friends. He is very blessed. =) Happy Birthday again to my absolute very favorite 5 year old!!

The Birthday Boy

Happy Birthday Garrison Cade!!

 

Today at 12:33 PM, YOU, our very first baby turns 5. A whole hand. I can hardly believe it. And I am so grateful God chose me to be your mama. SO grateful. What a blessing. One of the biggest ever!

Here's a few fun facts about you as you turn 5 YEARS OLD:

 

*You love and adore your little brother. (Even Layton who you haven't even met). You play with him, encourage him, comfort him, wrestle with him, and fight with him. Y'all are best friends (with some rifts thrown in) and that makes me sooo happy!

 

*You love sports! ALL sports. You will watch just about any sport on TV and ask questions the whole time and pick a team or person to "go for". You are definitely our child. =)

 

*You are so, so thoughtful and have the biggest heart. You ask to mail cards to your grandparents without any prompting at all from us. You ask how sick family members or friends are doing. You are concerned about people and things around you... even our poor carpet that's being replaced. You told me just last night Mama you're gonna feel all better once the baby is out. You also told me recently, You're the best mama in the whole wide house! Oh, how I appreciate you!

*You are very passionate.... which sometimes means a short temper and very little self-control. I'm praying God uses this for good because you can be quite intense at times. =)

 

*Your absolute favorite show right now is Jake and the Neverland Pirates. You've also taken a new interest in TV shows altogether. TV time is a new big deal to you. We're thinking you're ready to go see a movie at the theater soon.

 

*You are loving board games right now. You still enjoy card games, but board games are your game of choice lately.  

 

*You are becoming very curious and concerned about Kindergarten. I think you inherited some of my anxiety traits... sorry! No matter where you start your "big school" career, I know that you will be great.

 

*Playing outside is one of your favorite things to do. You still love to drive your car around and play soccer or baseball with daddy, but you also love to dig. And explore. And rake leaves. And pretend. And get really, really dirty.

 

*You have a big time sweet tooth. It's huge. Just like mine.

 

*Your favorite team ever is the Braves. You are a huge Chipper Jones and Freddie Freeman fan. I'm already excited about our summer tradition of a game at Turner Field.  

 

*You love the beach. You're talking about our trip already. You aren't a fan of big waves but you love the sand and the ocean when it's calm and just about everything to do with vacation.

 

*You love celebrating birthdays. Family birthdays, kids birthdays, grown-up birthdays, you name it. It's one of your most favorite things.

*You are so smart. And I'm not just saying that... you really are! You retain and comprehend information so well. I love to hear you tell us about what you learned in Sunday School. Because you really get it!

 

*You are loving your Magic Treehouse chapter books right now. We're on book 6 and they have you hooked. =)

 

*You still like to play and work with your hands. You build and tie and stack and create all kinds of things with different toys. 

We have loved you since we knew you were on the way and have loved watching you grow! We are so thankful to celebrate this birthday with you! You are our pride and joy and we adore you! Happy 5th birthday to our oldest baby boy!!

38 Weeks!

This morning we had our much anticipated doctor's appointment and ultrasound. And thankfully they didn't send me to the hospital, so hopefully Garrison and Layton will not have the same birthday.

To make a long story short, the ultrasound showed him weighing in at 7 pounds 10 ounces. Whoa!! Talk about making me nervous. Garrison's and Austin's "weight prediction" ultrasounds were very accurate so this weight is scary to me. HOWEVER, ultrasounds aren't totally accurate and my midwife is convinced he's closer to 7 pounds... possibly just under 7 pounds and that my delivery *should* be easier because it's my third. Obviously nothing is 100%, but for now we've made the decision to wait. We stayed in the doctor's office forever discussing pros and cons and delivery options and finally decided to just wait. I'm dilated to a 1 and 70% effaced (very similar to what I was with Austin at this point when they had to induce) so technically he could come on his own anytime.

For some reason I'm just super nervous/afraid of a c-section. If I knew for a fact that was the best option then obviously I would do it. But since we don't know and it is major surgery and the recovery is long, I'm praying I can deliver him naturally... without a bad tear! We may still have to have a c-section, but I'm not ready to make that decision just yet.

For now I have my 39 week appointment scheduled for next Wednesday and I'll be checked again and we'll see what my progress is and what his weight estimate is (at this point he should gain about half a pound a week) and from there I can choose to be induced, or to schedule a c-section, OR to keep waiting. I would love for him to come on his own... but if he keeps getting bigger and bigger I'm not sure that's an option. It's pretty stressful to try to make a final decision, but for now I'm at peace. I know everything is in God's hands and I just have to trust Him. Prayers are appreciated.

Moving right along...

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along: 38 weeks!

Size of Baby: 7 pounds or so and 17-19 inches long. The size of a watermelon.

Total Weight Gained/Lost: I've gained 30 pounds. Eeesh. 

Maternity Clothes: Yes. And even those are becoming slim pickins'.

Gender: It's a boy! Layton Thomas Selph

Movement: He's still active but not as crazy as when he had more room. Some positions are not comfortable for mama but I love feeling him move. There's nothing like it.

Food Cravings: Anything sweet. Sigh.

What I Miss: Being comfortable, sleeping good, and being able to get my shoes on without it hurting. Haha.

Sleep: I'm sleeping okay. Some nights are better than others but I definitely wake up uncomfortable and to change positions quite regularly... it just varies as to how quickly I fall back asleep.

Symptons: Braxton Hicks, waking up with numbness in my right hand (and feeling it off and on throughout the day), slightly swollen ankles, feeling heavy, and going to the bathroom all day long.

Best Moment This Week: Getting ready for our baby boy's arrival and my big boys kissing my belly and getting excited about meeting their little brother. 

What I'm Looking Forward To: Celebrating Garrison's 5th birthday tomorrow! (And meeting Layton soon. =))

 

Austin was born at 38 weeks so his last update was at 37 weeks...

Big Brother Day

This weekend was full of high highs and low lows. We had a GREAT Big Brother/Happy Birthday Garrison Day. The boys had tons of fun and it was a huge success. I am so glad we made the time and effort to plan the day and go through with it. Lots of fun family memories were made. =)

It was also a really tough weekend. Our house is a total mess right now. A depressing mess. And it's been hard. We're trying to keep a good attitude and know it could have been much worse, but it still isn't fun.

We also went to see my Granny at the hospital for the first time. And that was really hard. It just isn't easy to see someone you love who has always been so full of life and energy, suffering and weak and not themselves at all. It was a difficult visit to say the least. Please keep praying for her... that she will eat, eat, eat!

So this pregnant mama had herself an emotional weekend. Being on baby watch, living in a mess, and seeing my Granny so sick just made for a HARD couple of days.

However, Saturday was fun and full of memories and something I definitely wanted to document. So here's a recap...

Ready for their big day!

 

Garrison took an interest to bowling recently so we decided that would be the perfect place to take the boys. They had a BALL. They would have bowled all day if we would've let them. They loved it and are already asking to go back this Saturday. Ha!

 

Checking things out. They were amazed when we first got there.

 

We got them the lightest balls possible and they were still big and heavy. Haha.

 

Garrison took a big interest in the score so it was tough when Austin beat him one game... but he decided bowling is super fun and he wants to go back even if he can't win every time.

After bowling we headed back to Covington to have lunch at the boys' choice of restaurants... Stevi B's!

 

I love this picture of Austin... I do not love this picture of me. Oh well. Your face just changes when you're 9 months pregnant. Sigh.

After lunch we made a stop by the store for a few baby items and so Garrison could spend some of his birthday money. This is the first time ever he's spent money that's been given to him. Normally, any money he receives goes straight into his piggy bank. And he loves it. But since he's turning 5 we decided it'd be okay to tell him he could spend some of his bday money. It was a tough decision but he decided on a few small items with money leftover for his bank. He was proud and so we were we. =)

 

After naptime we went to Scoops for a delicious snack. A special treat for the whole fam!

After leaving Scoops we had one more surprise for the boys... play time at Chick-fil-A! They were thrilled. And I got 2 good action shots while we were there. =)

We had such a fun day together as a family celebrating our birthday boy and both of our soon to be big brothers. The whole day was a huge blessing in the midst of some difficult days. And I'm so grateful.

*Tomorrow I'll be 38 weeks... and we have our ultrasound scheduled for first thing in the morning. If they don't send me to the hospital afterwards I'm planning to update sometime tomorrow.