Arlo's Birth Story

Nearly two weeks have passed since we welcomed sweet Arlo into our arms on October 13th. It was a joyous day & could not have gone more smoothly. Here is the play by play...

I had an appointment on Monday the 12th & was already having contractions. They had been doing their job well to move things along so we opted to come in the next morning & have my water broken. It was SO fun to tell the rest at the Nest that their newest baby brother would be here the next day. The boys responded with "No, it not October! He come in October!" with scowls on their faces. I reminded them that it was October & then they smiled & said "I hold him?" When I said yes they joined in the happiness. The girls were squealing & as usual Charlotte was saying "Are you serious? Are you kidding me? I am so excited!" That combination always makes me laugh. Eloise was just as excited & talking about seeing his baby feet. We did tell them that it might not happen until night time.....little did we know we would be having a baby in time for lunch.

I had contractions all night long & at one point thought I would be waking everyone to load up & head south to the hospital. Polish doula Jenny messaged back & forth with me through the night since it was daytime there. She encouraged me to rest if I could so I tried to fall back asleep. I think over all I ended up with around 4-5 hours of sleep broken into 40 minute segments & the contractions slowed down. I felt tired but when the alarm went off at 6 we jumped out of the bed ready to start the day! Everybody woke up early & were excited as we waited for Bob & Jeannine to arrive & take over responsibilities around here.  We were out the door & at the hospital before we knew it! Here is one last picture of me & baby #5 on the inside. I love how hospital gowns make pregnant women look like they are carrying multiples. 

My mom joined us which was so wonderful. She & Jeannine were both in the room when Charlotte was born. Jenny made it for Eloise's delivery & it was just us for the boys. My mom was thrilled when we invited her to be there & came into town well before my due date to make sure she didn't miss any of the action. We chose a doctor that I worked with last year at Texas Health Dallas & absolutely loved her. She was extremely supportive of my goal to VBAC which was a major priority when finding a physician for my prenatal care. The choice of physician meant that I would deliver in the Labor & Delivery where I worked when we first moved back, woohoo!

Although every patient is treated with the utmost importance, I felt extra special having known many of the staff in my short time as an RN there. I was able to pick my nurse, something I have done with every baby....one of the many perks ; ) Her name was Lauren & I was so thankful for her! She & her husband have known one of my cousins for years through a youth ministry & last year Stan & Lauren planted a church in a suburb of Dallas.  My cousins Kelly & Jon along with (another) Lauren who is married to Jon are extremely involved with this newly established church that the Lord is quickly building person by person. She had a nursing student with her that did a fabulous job as she practiced keeping monitors in place along with other things. I always loved having students with me & I think Lauren did too. 

Back to how this baby came into the world. Dr. Light arrived promptly at 8:30 to break my water. I was about 3cm & almost completely effaced. One highly recommended part of my care was to have an epidural catheter placed right away so in the event of an emergency (ie a ruptured uterus, a very small risk) I could avoid being placed under general anesthesia. I had it placed, tested & left alone with no medication. Within about 30 minutes of my water breaking I was feeling uncomfortable but was still able to smile with this guy that I have been married to for 11 years come December, my favorite person to spend time with & one who makes me laugh harder than I thought possible. Plus, he is extremely calm....that's important in a labor room ; ) 

I have basically become a pillow snob & take my Tempurpedic pillow anywhere I might be sleeping. I grabbed a pillowcase to throw on it. This shirt was bought at a place called Value Village in Houston that we all became obsessed with shopping at for "cool" vintage clothes in the late 90's. This shirt says "Angels" on the front is my second favorite to a green drilling company shirt from Victoria, Texas. When I flipped it over we noticed there was a "7" on the back which must have represented The Valentine Seven that we were about to become....why else would that seven have been there?

My Dad decided early that morning that he would jump in the car & make the trip to Dallas. It was a surprise to me when my mom mentioned it just a couple hours before his arrival. I was partially surprised but thinking back, he came into Orlando for each baby or babies....he just can't stand to miss it & I can't stand to not have him there so it worked well for the both of us. He caught me just in time for a smile. I'm thinking he arrived just an hour before Arlo was born. 

Jenny & I had been messaging back & forth since we got to hospital & at one point Karis (age 5) told me to "have a good time." She is the cutest little thing. Karis & Isaac wanted proof that I was there so Uncle Rob recorded a video to send to Poland. In closing I told Karis that I was was having a great time because it is really special for mommies to have their babies.  Karis replied via her mommy that it wasn't really fun for her mommy remembering the pain faced pictures of when Isaac was born. I laughed out loud & wrote back that the image of Jenny's pain stricken face is forever stuck in Charlotte's mind too. 

Smiles & videos quickly turned to an extremely serious face.... at least every third minute. My mom & Rob were amazing keeping me calm, reminding me to relax as much as could through contractions & providing encouragement. It felt awful to be in bed so I was walking around or sitting on a ball. Even in the pain it felt so peaceful in the room. I was so aware of the Lord's presence in helping me enjoy the experience of birthing another baby.  As I have said many times before, 7 years ago I would have laughed if someone had told me that we would have five babies in six years. What a gift it was to be carrying another baby boy in the womb & know we would be meeting him very soon. 

Around 12:10, Lauren checked me again & I was 6 cm dilated. I figured that giving anesthesia a call to get some medication flowing through that empty epidural catheter would be a fabulous idea. 

I was having a hard time keeping my chin from quivering & thought with each passing contraction that surely I would not survive one more....but I did. When it hit I was very appreciative! That probably happened around 12:30. 

I was feeling increasing pressure & Arlo's heartbeat dropped a little bit. My blood pressure was fine so when it dropped again Lauren checked me. At 12:40 I was 10 cm & ready to get that boy out! She made the necessary phone calls while in the meantime, Arlo was playing the "how low can you go" game which often happens when the baby descends rapidly. It actually wasn't that low but after 9+ years in labor & delivery my eyes can be closed while listening to the monitor & know exactly what the strip is going to look like. From what I was hearing, I started feeling a bit nervous & a few extra people arrived to our room. My doctor was scrubbed into a surgery across the street so long story short, one of her partners ended up scrubbing out of a surgery in labor & delivery to come check on us. There was no time to waste. I started pushing at 12:50 & he was born 5 minutes later!

I am a labor nurse & still had to be told to open my eyes! Glad I did because that precious little face (like four others) made my heart skip a beat, my eyes fill with tears & changed the course of life here at the Nest forever. 

 

Arlo Benton Valentine

October 13, 2015 at 12:55 pm

7 pounds 7 ounces & 20 1/2 inches long

I kept him skin to skin for quite some time while we all got a good look at him. There is something about a new baby that makes the world feel as though it is at a standstill...

Rob got his hands on Arlo as soon as I finished nursing & was beaming ear to ear.

Grandparents got in their snuggles which I'm sure were not long enough....we've got to keep them coming back for more ; ) 

Then I stole him back for another long look.......

There he was, touching my fingertip, looking at me & melting my heart more each second. We were laughing about how the amount of hair on his head equals more than the other four combined. We looked at his darling face & decided his features resembled Eloise more than the rest of the bunch. We talked to him & told him how much his big sisters & big brothers already loved him. We thanked God for the provision of another to be added to our family & relished in first hours of Arlo's life outside the womb.

It's almost baby time!

We are in the final weeks of waiting on Baby Arlo to make his debut. As of today I am officially 38 weeks & 3 days & feeling extremely excited to meet him.  This is another wordy one which is expected when only three updates are recorded for an entire pregnancy ; ) 

A couple weekends ago my Aunt & Uncle took the girls for 24 hours while the boys went to Grammy & Papa's house. It was SO relaxing! We did our own thing for a bit then headed out to find something for Arlo to wear on the way home from the hospital. It is relaxing to shop with just the two of us. I got a Frappucino that I didn't have to guard from four other mouths & then I went home, showered, took my time getting ready & walked out the door without orienting a sitter & hoping that the kids would be well behaved. We went to our favorite Sushi place down the street for a long leisurely dinner. In one year & 4 months of date nights while in the current Nest it is the only place we have gone! We always talk about going somewhere else & then decide it's not worth it. I AM looking forward to eating raw fish again & enjoying some hot sake with my meal. What a great place though! Robby took my picture before we left saying that I have not taken nearly enough belly pictures this time around. True story!

Arlo is as healthy as healthy can be with all his wiggles & receiving an A+ with every visit to the specialist. The weekly ultrasound appointments have revealed up close views of his sweet face. We were all laughing watching him practice sucking. He was moving his head back & forth sticking his tongue out like he was ready to nurse. The sonographer said he looked as though he was ready to come out for a meal! I figured practicing the inside would be of great benefit...the earlier he can learn to eat quickly, the better it will be for all of us ; ) I have a feeling we are going to get really good at nursing in the Ergo while I am at the kitchen counter or pulling those big brothers off of things they should not be climbing on. What a great option this time around versus feeding two at once! 37 weeks he was estimated to be just under 7 pounds which can be off a bit in either direction. His head looked a little fuzzy like there might be some hair.We would be shocked if it was any more than fuzz like his older siblings. I think I love pictures of arms, legs, fingers & toes just as much as I love ones of the face. What a reminder of God's beautiful design....little baby tootsies....

As far as things go with this waddling mama, I am feeling surprisingly great & energetic most of the time. I do bump into things constantly & have contractions when the boys come within 2 feet of me. We had a little "is the baby coming?" night a couple weeks ago. I was just over 36 weeks & had a very low key day at home with the kids. Rob walked in the door around 3:45 & mentioned all of us going for a walk. I had been having contractions here & there but thought I was good to go. By the time everyone was ready he walked back into the kitchen finding me leaned over gripping the counter top. I looked at him & said "I don't think I can go on a walk." He took the bunch minus Eloise who helped me finish prepping dinner to put in the oven. I started having contractions every 5 minutes with most of them stopping me in my tracks. Eloise was thrilled to have some alone time with me & wanted to play a game. I reminded her that mommy needed to rest on the couch & drink a gallon or two of water. She said "Hold on mom, I have the perfect game we can play!" She returned holding up the Twister box....I laughed out loud. I told her that in a few weeks that would be a fabulous game to play when we were ready to get this boy out but that I couldn't participate. She said "No mommy, you don't have to do the part on the dots. You can lay down like this (as she demonstrates flat on her back) you can put the spinner on your belly & then tell me what to do." Oh my goodness she is sooooo cute! She opted to snuggle me on the couch instead which is on her list of top three ways to spend her free time. 

The contractions continued & worsened over the next hour. Robby was feeding everyone & I said I was going to our room for a minute. I returned more like 20 minutes later & he asked what I was doing. I said "I just packed a bag to take to the hospital." He looked at me like I was crazy (with ear deafening screams coming from the next room) & said "What? Are we going to the hospital?" I said that I had called our friend Kate & let his parents know we would leave in about 20-30 minutes. I guess I forgot to relay that to my driver. It was pretty funny as we acted like it was our first baby, freaking out to get out of the house. We had not even talked to the kids about what to expect when mommy is expecting & had a speedy explanation of what would be happening in about three seconds. The kids know Kate but the boys were both crying as we walked out the door. We were checked into triage in no time at all & the monitor proved there was contraction after contraction. Over the course of a couple hours I changed 1-2 centimeters & was still really uncomfortable so I was admitted to Labor & Delivery, my favorite place : ) Over the course of the next four hours things slowed down enough I could snooze for a bit & by morning I was back to irregular contractions that were noticeable but not painful. My cervix was the same so I got to go home. We were thankful to be going home instead of considering the possibility of another babe in the NICU.  

I was STARVING & had been talking about biscuits all night long so we stopped at Cafe Brazil where I ate three large biscuits with raspberry jam & two heaping portions of a hash brown casserole. I can only imagine how many carbohydrates that was ha! My belly was full though & after a a quick hello & snuggle with the kiddos I drifted off to sleep for about 7 hours while Bob & Jeannine hung out with the kids. I was awake for about 2-3 hours that evening & went back to sleep for another 10 hours. That was amazing! I should go to the hospital overnight more often ; ) It was funny though because that day I had a picture of me & Owen where I looked super energetic & by early afternoon I could barely hold my head up & said yes to many a show for these four while I joined them on the couch...then the contractions started. 

I guess the practice trip to the hospital was good because we had an opportunity to review the items in our poorly thought out bags & repack the following weekend. We could actually have a conversation with the kids about some different scenarios of what could happen when Arlo is coming (for real).  It also jolted us into prep mode. I pulled down the infant car seat thinking we would just throw it in the truck. It basically looked like I had fed one of the boys an entire back of goldfish they crunched up & left in their seat. SO glad I could remedy that with a good washing before we actually needed it! I got all of Arlo's things packed along with charging batteries to electronics. We felt better after that. One other thing I did that was frowned upon by Robby happened one night that he was working a bit in his office. I had wanted to set up the pack n' play in the guest room but also wanted all the furniture rearranged. My mom turned me down saying we needed more help & Robby agreed it would be smarter to move the bed with someone else mostly because it is old & needs to be moved properly.

Robby always laughs at me about two things regarding furniture. The first goes all the way back to college when Cheryl & I were moving into a new place. We were so excited to plan how to arrange our furniture but the only problem was that our furniture was not there yet. So being the extremely smart & creative girls we are, we measured all of our furniture with yarn, cut it to the correct lengths & brought it over to our new place where we laid it all out on the carpet & switched it around until we found the perfect spot for each piece of furniture. The night I was asking Rob to help me move he said to just wait & that he was sure I would have yarn all over the room showing him where to put things. Haha! I love Cheryl! The second thing that makes him laugh is how I can often be short on muscles to do things around the house but when I get in the mood to move furniture I get superhuman strength. I inherited this from my mother as well. I can't remember the circumstances but I am guessing my dad was out of town & we decided we were going to move an extremely heavy & awkward couch down the stairs. It got stuck or we couldn't handle it & we had to call for help.

Back to the superhuman strength mover of furniture & nine month pregnant mother. No need for details...bottom line, the room was perfect in no time at all. I closed the door & thought about keeping a secret till morning but spilled the beans at breakfast starting with "I did something last night but when I tell you, you can't be mad or lecture me." He was in disbelief  & lectured with a smile on his face. I defended myself by saying I didn't even have any contractions. Plus there was no going back & the room looked fabulous.

There is still a lot of playing baby around here which I love. Eloise rigged up her own baby carrier with a swaddle blanket. I was impressed even though "baby Arlo" was strapped in by his neck. I love her face too. That day the girls were on my tail all morning long asking for bottles, burp cloths, Arlo's diapers, nursing covers & even swiped some nursing pads (without asking). I first noticed those nursing pads when the girls looked a bit more developed than I remember from breakfast time. Definitely not ready for that yet ; ) We put the boys down for naps so we could start our afternoon schoolwork. They came around the corner looking a bit nervous to ask if it was okay if they nursed their babies during math because they were getting a bit fussy. I said "I sure hope that's allowed because as soon as Arlo is here he will be spending quite a bit of time doing that along with other daily duties!" So they nursed & burped their little ones & we continued on with school.  

I don't have a picture of the boys with "baby Arlo" & "baby Lucy" but they are excellent big brothers so far minus an incident here & there.  They have watched an episode of Daniel Tiger meeting his sister Baby Margaret about 200 times in the past couple months. It is really cute but the girls now burst into tears when I turn it on for them yet for the rest of the day we hum the songs until Char pipes in getting ALL the words right. They spend all day long with their babies, nap with them, set them in a chair while they eat etc. I was sitting on the floor in the boys room the other day while they were in their beds which have now been turned back into cribs since we are moving backward instead of forward. Baby Arlo fell out of the bed & Anson screamed then he reached through the bars so he could reach Arlo's foot. He said in his sweet baby talk voice "Are you ready Arlo? Goin' up!" as he slowly lifted him up the outside of the crib while saying "don't be scared, I gotcha." until the baby reached the top. He gave him a huge hug & whispered "good job, you brave Arlo." Owen is really particular on how you cover baby Lucy up at bedtime & he panics randomly saying "She crying! Baby Lucy crying! Where is her?" We think we may just put Arlo in there once we are home from the hospital. That team should have things figured out in no time at all! Owen also got to feel quite the commotion from Arlo (the real one) last week. Since then he is very interested in my belly. 

I mentioned in my last baby update post that my mom had come into town & we made Big Sister, Big Brother & Little Brother shirts but I failed to post a picture of them. You may notice a 6th shirt in the background. Rest assured we are not holding back information when we say there is only one baby in there. We just made an extra for Arlo that is more of a 0-3 month size instead of newborn so he can wear it longer. 

I had a very specific idea in mind about the style shirt & after my mom did some looking around she called me from the fabric store & said she was buying fabric to just make them....of course she decided to do that. She can do anything with fabric & a sewing machine. We found a quilting stack of fabric that had an equal amount of Cowboy & Cowgirl colored fabric. We figured we needed to carry on with the "buckaroo" theme since he will be a new roomie with the original buckaroos & is our only Texas born babe. We had two ideas on how to make these- #1 use the embroidery attachment to my machine making it extremely easy or #2 cut the fabric letters out on my Silhouette Cameo. Neither worked & we quickly decided to go on with a new plan. After looking for a text to print letters we could trace, I grabbed a sharpie & drew out my own. We ironed the fabric onto a fusible fabric, traced the letters backward on the other side & got to cutting. We have a hard time sleeping when we have a project going so we were tired during the day but it was well worth it. Once the letters were on we took turns sneaking into my room & doing a zig zag stitch around each letter. It was painfully difficult with curvy letters like the stupid "s" oh my! All said & done we really love them & couldn't believe we cut out & stitched around 36 letters. Glad that's over with!

Jenny has become my overseas doula. We are communicating through an app called HeyTell that has been great. Day after day she has written "how are you today?" & I fill her in on details. She asked me one day if I was tired of her asking. I said no & the next day she sent me her professional looking picture & asked again. I sent the next picture back saying "pregnant & great!" 

From time to time when I think their family needs a little pick me up Robby records me dancing in the kitchen to some "rockin' music" as the kids call is & we send it to them. After 5 hours at the fair & learning how to do the "Whip Nae Nae" with Rob & the kids the night before, I did a three minute practice & had him record the real thing. I almost died & figured if that combo didn't put me into labor Arlo was staying put.

We had another "is baby coming?" moment yesterday when I woke up really early with contractions about 5-7 minutes apart. My doula was 7 hours ahead so I started messaging with her. In some ways I feel like this is my first pregnancy which I know sounds strange but it is my first following a cesarean. Jenny had a cesarean with her first due to silly Karis trying to come out bottom first. She then went on to have two successful VBAC's. Not only that but she delivered both without any anesthesia....like a rock star. That being said, even after years in L&D, she is my go to gal when it comes to natural labor. 

One major difference for me this time around is that my body has to kick into gear & not need any help to keep contractions going all the way through delivery.  So, being reminded of what I can do naturally once early labor starts or what I can do once in the hospital is important & my doula (pictured above) is the perfect supporter. So that early morning, we messaged back & forth about ideas. I decided to do some squats with contractions & take an extremely long walk which I had already done 10 hours before & the night before that. It certainly kept contractions going & for about 3 hours, I was thinking we would be calling in the troops again although I feared being "rejected" (as Robby called it) twice & sent home. Ha! 

Once I relaxed a bit, they slowed down to every 15 minutes where they stayed the rest of the day. By the afternoon my legs felt like they were going to give out due to my 7-8 miles of walking & all the squats in the previous 36 hours. It's not like I was in fabulous shape before this pregnancy anyway. So, orders are to return to triage if I am having them 5-7 minutes apart and/or if they are painful. This is mainly because they want me monitored with a prior c-section due to the (low) risk of uterine rupture. Only time will tell as to when & how he will come out to meet us!

One of my favorite photos as of lately is this...what life looks like for me looking down & what life looks like for Anson looking up. 

We as a family are SO enjoying this pregnancy & look forward to having Arlo in our arms but are resting in the truth that God has already picked the day & exit route for this little guy. Scripture tells us there is nothing to be anxious about but to bring our requests to the Lord & he will provide peace so great we cannot even comprehend that will guard our hearts & mind through Jesus. I so need to be reminded of this day after day. 

When I think about peace & rest I pray that we experience that in the midst of daily chaos or the concerns during labor about how things will happen. I'm so thankful he knows our hearts & is not surprised by our requests or our fears. We are experiencing this in moving along with daily tasks & with him near asking us to call on Him. A tangible way we are experiencing physical peace & rest is through our parents. My mom is in town now for the long haul while Bob & Jeannine are a short trip down the road & are ready & willing to be here at a moments notice or to spend time with our family lightening the load (laundry or kids). Bob must have helped fold laundry the other day because he asked where on earth are all the matches to the socks. I had no answer that day but when I cleaned out the girls closet this week I found at least 15 random socks hiding, no kidding. 

He knows each person in our family & is already preparing hearts to receive another sweet baby in our home. We are experiencing this in Him providing precious moments with our four to snuggle, talk & recognize the unique ways he has fashioned Charlotte, Eloise, Owen & Anson. We also see those hearts being prepared in simple ways like a 6 & 4 year old needing to care for their new baby during school along with Owen & Anson making sure all is well with baby Arlo & Lucy.

The days ahead are precious whether with our current bunch or that plus one. 

Thankful to be where we are. 

the State "Fair-O"

Owen & Anson started saying they were going to the "Fair-O" early Saturday morning & we just couldn't tell them it was "fair" because they were so darn cute! So we loaded up & were on our way with a happy bunch...even mommy & daddy. It is often a feat to get everyone ready followed by getting everyone buckled without meltdowns but somehow we managed with all smiles. Our first favorite thing about the fair was not even within the gates. We were about to purchase tickets when we saw three security guards yelling "Get'em!" as they chased down a family of four including a child riding in a wagon. We were staring like "What on earth could they be doing to excite the security team to that magnitude?" The next thing that was stated in a loud voice, "SIR you cannot have a selfie stick within the park! Take it back to your car or throw it away immediately!" You might have thought they had a bomb! They looked completely dumbfounded at the extreme reaction & for a second I thought we might be on Candid Camera. Anyway, I found it hard not to laugh which was a little confusing for the girls but I explained what a selfie stick was & why it is banned at the Fair & we moved along.  

Once in the gate we banded the girls with their name & our phone number. We reviewed our "what to do if you are lost scenario" & I quizzed Eloise on some things we had previously spoken about such as "Lolo, what if someone you don't know comes up to you & invites you to go somewhere with them. Do you go?" She said "No, I yell & run away!"Then I gave her the real test...."Lolo, if someone comes up to you & tells you that if you follow them you can have the biggest bag of Cotton Candy you have ever seen? Do you go?" She actually paused for a second before offering the correct answer. I applauded her & laughed inside thinking how I might go with a stranger who told me I could have the biggest funnel cake I have ever seen. We were off to a good start & made a bee line to meet Grammy & Papa. 

It's always nice to be greeted by this handsome fella when you arrive at the State "Fair-O" of Texas. He was completely surrounded so it was difficult to get a picture with him but the boys were hilarious as they saw what we tried to describe that morning. Before we arrived they were asking if they could hug him & I said that he was too big to hug but he could talk. Anson had some serious issues with this & immediately started saying in his deep growly voice with a scowl on his face "I do not want him talk to me!"  Once we were there they were talking about how big his hat & boots were & how he says "Howdy!" Big win for those two. 

Once we met up with the ring leader Grammy who has twins attached to her anytime they are near we were at ease to walk around & explore. They had also been to the fair earlier that week so they were our direction givers....never looked at a map!

There was lots to see, plenty of fun things for the kids to explore & great views of the iconic Ferris Wheel the kids yell excitedly about when we drive past Fair Park on our way past downtown. It's so much better up close. Charlotte makes me laugh the hardest, her head turned perfectly to look natural in her selected spot & it looks like Eloise just slapped Owen upside his head. 

Here's the Valentine Six (almost seven) like within two weeks!! I was just a day away from 38 weeks & felt comfortable enough to get moving to coax Arlo to begin his exodus in the coming days. I was shocked at how great I felt the whole time, five hours of walking & chasing kids with no swollen ankles or any major contractions. It was wonderful. We did hear phrases such as "Whoa girl, looks like turkey is done!" or "Are you trying to walk that baby out today?" about 20 times. I don't blame them....he is just about done & I was just beginning to "walk him out."

In the kids area the boys loved looking at the newly hatched chicks that were extremely adorable.

The girls had a blast "helping" which meant choosing the color for the man to squirt as they made spin art around Big Tex.  They turned out cute though!

We showed back up at the ticket stand about 3 times to give them as much money as we possibly could & made sure we had enough tickets for the girls to pick a few rides. We searched for one the boys could ride without Rob since I am out of commission in my current state & came across these swings. Anson was a little apprehensive which was not a surprise. I think he only smiled when he passed a special Grammy that said "Scootly-Bootly." I'm not even sure how that started but it gets everyone a little giggly.

Charlotte was in shock when we walked up to the bumper cars to see that she is actually tall enough to be the driver & carry Eloise as her passenger! We were pretty excited for them. Charlotte panicked right as they were about to give the man their tickets. She looked at me with great concern & said "but I don't know how to drive!" I assured her that she would learn before the collisions officially started. The guys working that ride were so sweet to the little ones giving instructions on how to get out of the huddle of cars in the middle who were driven by children 9 & under minus one 70 year old man who was cruising around with his sunglasses on....not sure how he snuck on there!  They did alright though & were very proud of themselves when exiting. What cutie patooties!

Next on the agenda was filling the bellies of all the Valentines so as to insure cooperation for the rest of our visit. We took yet another trip to the ticket stand to stock up.  We found a great table in the shade & took turns grabbing meals to bring back. Robby & I would have loved to find some more award winners for 2015 but some things are hard to come by with us plus four so we settled with giving the Smoky Bacon Margarita a try. I did wonder if they would sell it to a pregnant woman. I assured her that it was not for me but I could have sucked down that thing in about 2 seconds! Rob was laughing at me as  I took my four sips exclaiming how delicious it was. He thought it was decent but we decided that the reason I thought it was so delicious was because I have only had a sip or two of things of that nature in the past nine months....I figure if Arlo comes before his due date I might swing by for a drink ; ) 

Once lunch concluded, these four headed off to the Ferris Wheel while Jeannine & I took the little guys to the petting zoo which was horrendous due to the amount of people crammed in a small space. The boys loved it though & that's all that counted in that 30 minute span. 

We bought $5 worth of feed for the animals but it was pretty much like Thanksgiving Day & the animals were completely full so we dumped ours all into a bin for a cow. The boys thought we were magicians....mean ones that made all of what they wanted disappear. Owen was excited to pet some piglets & they were precious all snuggled up & sound asleep.  He loved how the mother pigs' tail was so curly. Today at the park he saw a dog from a bit away & said that he liked their piggy & that piggy's like to go on walks. I was wondering what he was talking about until he brought up the piggy's (dog's) curly tail. Haha!

I couldn't really get any pictures of the boys because we were all packed in there like sardines which kept me within inches of them the entire time. I did happen to get a picture of a mama & baby goat that made me ready to have Arlo in my arms. I know I will not snuggle him by laying the weight of my body across his neck but knowing the sweetness & comfort for both....ahhhh, I could just melt.

I thought the llama we saw last year was the strangest & least attractive animal we had seen until we came across this guy.....

Yuck, Really yuck, that's all.

We met back up with the Ferris Wheel riders & had hit the four hour mark. Bob & Jeannine headed home while we continued to mosey on around. No one had lost their marbles yet but even if they had I would have still stopped for a funnel cake. It worked out perfectly because the boys drifted off to sleep just as we rolled up to the stand meaning I lost two addicts I would have to share my funnel cake with. Funnel cakes & french fries are the two things I have great difficulty sharing, even with my own children. We parked the boys in the shade while the girls & I devoured our delicious treat. I must say, a white top was the best choice of the day.....no evidence of my messy eating other than the powdered sugar coating the lower half of my face & my hands. We added up the amount of funnel cakes I ate over three weeks between Oktoberfest, a special night at the Valentine's where Bob hooked me up & at the fair. It was probably about 7-8. Gosh those things are good! I could eat two more as I write this!

Once it was time to head home the big girls were lagging behind a bit & begging for a ride so their muscle man Daddy loaded them up. Charlotte helped push the stroller. I love the looks on the peoples faces just behind us. They look concerned like many others who talked to us during our visit.

We were so thankful that by God's grace we had such a lovely day. The kids were in great moods & so were we. Five hours away for us in this setting with me 9 months had the potential to be extremely NOT fun in any way but it was the opposite. The "FAIR-O" was a success!  It is refreshing to have days like that. They offer a little glimpse into days/years ahead where our time together will look different. But for now, difficult or not, outings with these four are sweet & special. 

We made it home around 3:30 & were all exhausted so we snuggled up on the couch, watched a movie & some of us got a little snooze in. I could not have been happier with all four of my boys within inches of each other. Love each & every one of them!

Oh Rosie....sigh

It all began on August 8th when Robby & the girls headed to get the Expedition washed & swing by Petsmart for some dog food. They had not been gone for long when I received a picture of the cutest little American Pitbull Terrier just staring back at them. Our texting went something like this...

Me- Where are you? For sale?

Rob- Petsmart, she is for adoption & will be put down if no one adopts her

Me- Please don't tell me things like that! Do you know anything else about her? 

Rob- Let me check- She is 3 years old & fully grown at 38 pounds.

Me- She looks exactly like Bennett!

Rob- I know! I thought the same thing.

Me- 3 years old, that sounds amazing to avoid house training (mind you I had just thrown in the towel after 2 months of "attempting" to potty train the boys) & to have a smaller dog! Should we get her?

Rob- Are you seriously considering this?

Me- Maybe, get her if you want her followed by the "wink" emoji"

Rob- We are going to pet her for a minute. Next text had a video of the girls petting her asking if they could bring her home....heart melted!

They showed up about an hour later (dogless) so Daddy could make sure I had taken my brain medication that day ; ) After a few minutes I said I wanted to go see her. Robby replied "You should be aware that if you go see her, we are coming home with a dog. You won't be able to say no." I said, let's hop in the car! The girls were in shock when I called Petsmart & asked them to "put her on hold" if you can do that with dogs.  The girls & I got to play with & give plenty of scratches to a precious calm little doggy. We walked out & I said "we'll take her!" In no time at all the paper work was done & we looked like this...

We got her in the car & she was just as nervous as she could be but calmed down when she hopped in this cozy lap. 

We were headed out for the evening so we paid her some attention then crated her before we left. The first day was mostly bliss & then she really opened up & we found that she was more like a puppy than a 3 year old dog. This was confirmed a couple weeks later by the vet who said her teeth had recently come in (within the last 6 months) meaning she could not be more than a year old. Liars...they were just trying to get her adopted! FABULOUS we thought....she's going to be a maniac! Our guess was fairly adequate & she started with the idiot runs around the yard, being jumpy & taking nips at everyone. She was (and is) clumsy on the slippery tile & could not be still for more than 3 seconds. We laughed thinking we were definitely in for it. We also laughed about how only weeks before I was yelling about how obnoxious it was to have a dog in the first place & after Bella died we would be a NO DOG FAMILY (exclaimed loudly) for years. Thinking back, maybe I did forget a dose of my medicine or two leading up to that fateful day in August ; ) 

We are total nickname people at this house & so far Rosie has been called: Rosie Posie, Rosie girl, Rose, my little rosebud, crazy Rosie & Rosie Posie Puddin' Pie, 

The last one comes from the old nursery rhyme that goes like this:  "Georgie Porgie Puddin' Pie, kissed the girls & made them cry. When the boys came out to play, Georgie Porgie ran away." We switch the words around to "Rosie Posie Puddin' Pie, eat my couch & then you'll die" or change the word couch with anything else you hold dear. She has actually done well & has not destroyed anything other than a mini delectable toy such as a tea cup or pretend silverware. We do pull a fair amount of things out of her jaws. Char & Lolo have actually come up with a tag team method where they can remove just about anything in a matter of seconds. 

I don't get too many pictures of this dog that aren't blurry since she runs like a deer all over our yard. Here she is on the left with Bennett on the right.  Benny's ears were often perked up just like Rosie's & we often think they look so similar. She has even chased her tail a bit....our favorite of bad habits back in the day.

Here are some of the kids reactions & comments over the past couple months:

Owen: For awhile this kid would correct us when we called her "Rosie Posie." He would get this grumpy look on his face & say "is not Rosie Posie, it just Rosie" with a little growl. He has warmed up to her but has not asked her for a ride...probably a good call. He is happy to sit near her now as long as Bella Bella guard dog is close & saddled up. 

Charlotte: She was & is most excited to welcome Rosie into the family. She has been diligent to walk her daily with Robby & helping her practice how to sit or lay down. She still angrily says (sometimes)  "I just want to take her back to Petsmart! 

One thing about this whole experience that makes us laugh hard has to do with Char. The day we got Rosie we bought a cute new flowered collar & a pink leash. When we got home Charlotte was adamant that we kept the flimsy little leash from the shelter because Rosie would miss her life there. Robby told her that we were going to throw it away because it was from her old life & now that she was adopted into our family she has been given a new name, a new collar & new leash. Charlotte was frustrated & Robby told her "Honey, a shelter is a scary place." She asked why & Rob looked at me like "should we tell her?" I said we should. We explained it simply. A shelter is a place that takes dogs in that their owners did not care about or could not care for. If they are not adopted they have to be killed. She looked horrified. 

We hopped in the car & I could tell she was processing. She finally asked "do they hit the dogs on the head with a pot or something?" Holding back laughter we explained a bit more about the dogs receiving a medication that makes them really sleepy & then they die.  She processed some more & then said "Do they have shelters for humans?" Oh my goodness, more laughter withheld while we explained the difference between a shelter for people & a shelter for animals. 

The best part of all of this was when we picked her up from her class on Sunday morning & she excitedly said "At the end of class it was me with five girls. I told them all about our new dog Rosie & how she came from a shelter & how a shelter is a scary place & when the dogs are not adopted they have to give them medicine & then kill them." Rob's head dropped & he said "oh man, I'm going to have to wait outside the door next week & apologize to those parents!" She has asked in front of people many a time "Can I tell them about how the shelter is a scary place?" Oh my, thankfully that has stopped!

She also wrote about Rosie in her journal for school...hahaha! "Fart" should actually be "favorite" but is an accurate word to describe a dog that has let loose on occasion leaving us to ask if she has been fed skunk stew for her last meal. Just for the record "grot din" is a great dane. She usually refers to Rosie as a Pet-bull which I guess is accurate too. 

Anson: He took a liking to Rosie fairly early but hates her when she chases him excitedly through the yard. She lays down to chew a toy or bone & he pays her some affection saying "Rosie you nice!" He also says "Crazy Rosie out" when she comes out of her crate. 

Eloise- She is not too comfortable around Rosie unless she has on a leash that is held by an adult. She likes to bring Rosie a stick or a toy but panics when Rosie gets excited & jumps to get whatever is being held.  She decided to participate in the the true test to show if Bennett had been reincarnated as Rosie. Bennett could eat a slice of watermelon down to the rind in one pass. Eloise decided to hold the watermelon because that was an item between them & also because her Daddy was right there. Rosie got the hang of it after a few slices. 

She's a bit of a wild one but is really just a puppy so what should we expect. Some things are annoying, some are hilarious, some are both. 

• when she drinks water she basically snorkels in the bowl submerging her entire snout in the water & lapping it up sounding like an animal that weighs at least 500 pounds- Hilarious but annoying because she drips water about 12 feet past the bowl all over the tile then puts her snout on our clothes & soaks us too
• when you try to wipe her paws off with a towel she attacks the towel & rips it out of our hands
• she runs circles around Bella while Bella reminds her who is in charge-Hilarious for us but annoying for Bella. That ol' girl makes us laugh with the way she stares at Rosie. It's the same way she stared at Bennett....her eyes say "what a waste of energy you stupid dog!" I stare thinking I wish I had that much energy!
• she grabs one thing after another, stuffed animals, toys, shoes that are left out dropping one for another that looks better - super annoying!
• she hides all her toys in the ivy that is in the back of our yard above the stone wall where she runs full speed & can leap a good four feet in the air & clear the top row. Once she is there & searching we can no longer see her. All the kids start screaming "Everybody run! She's gonna jump!" She literally bursts out of the bushes & you can't see her until she is flying through the air- Hilarious.
• Last one. Not long ago I filled her bone with peanut butter to have 5 free minutes at the kitchen table one afternoon. She cleaned that out & I heard her nibbling on the chair leg & then she moved to the curtain. I squeezed through an extremely narrow area for a pregnant woman between the table & the kitchen counter & leaned down to get the bone she had pushed away. While I was down there she nipped me on my tush which made me yelp & stand up quickly slamming my lower back so stinkin' hard on the counter. I kept my lips sealed but banged my hand on the counter top hard enough that it stung for awhile. ANNOYING- I was ready to return her too ; )
• She is mostly chilled out in the evening once the kids are in bed. She will lay on her back & let you rub her belly & paws forEVER. Sweet girl. -not hilarious or annoying  : ) 

These two pictures make me laugh....crazy Rosie & play dead Rosie....

We have laughed a lot since she joined us saying "why on earth did we complain about Bella?" She is the perfect dog minus having a bladder the size of a pea in her old age. She tolerates SO much attention around here & spends most of her day just relaxing wherever the sunlight pours through the window. 

Family walk fun has been kicked up a notch. Glad Rob has some muscles because he often ends up looking like the picture on the left while I waddle behind all by my lonesome self yet I am not lonely at all ; )

In closing, Rosie has added even more rambunctiousness to our little Nest but in many ways it has been just a blip on the radar with the way life is around here. She is darling & responding well to basic commands. Today I had her out in the kitchen with me while I did dishes & she got the hang of licking them clean just like Bennett used to do. I would tap the counter next to me & she would pop her paws up & peek over to see all the bubbles in the sink. She was giving me some sweet puppy kisses too. Made me feel like we are turning the corner. So much for being 3 & full grown, Rosie Posie gained about 10 pounds in the first month she was with us & has quite the stretchy blue coat to grow into. 

Blue pits have been our favorite & we love that all their markings are different. This girl looks like she ran through fresh white paint. At night when she races through the yard all we can see are those white paws flying above the grass at lightning speed. Everything that's white turns really rosy when she is hot. We say "Rosie, you're turning Rosy Rosie." Any guesses on what movie that is from? Hint "Violet, your turning Violet, Violet!"- Willy Wonka. 

Our favorite marking by far is this on her neck...

An upside down (or right side up depending on where you are standing) little heart. Charlotte says "she was always meant to be a Valentine." We think she is right!