Stop Growing!!! A Reflection of My Growing Babies in 2014!!

My kids are growing so quickly!!! 

Bella is learning to read, and she's doing a fabulous job! It is getting to the point where Lee and I can't spell things out to each other anymore because she will know what we are talking about. 

She's a pro at riding her bike. She makes friends super easily, and she loves playing with the kids on our street. She still loves to sing and dance, and life is definitely better for her when she has an audience! 

She is an adventurer! She loves being outside and playing in the snow!! When we are ready to take the task of taking 3 kids up to the mountains, we are going to get her snowboarding lessons! 

Brennan is all boy! His curiosity is piqued from Bella learning to read, so he's interested in learning his letters and sounds for now. 

He loves all things ninja turtles, and he can often be found with swords in the back of his shirt. It's quite entertaining! He looks forward to his dad getting home from work so that he can begin fighting and wrestling with someone who will fight back and he won't get in trouble for it! 

He is a mischievous little boy, and I absolutely love it!

He is so different from Bella in so many ways, and learning what works with him keeps me on my toes. 

Breelee is a hot mess. She LOVES to make people laugh. She's super silly and sweet. She loves Minnie Mouse and wants anything that her older siblings are playing with. She has an amazing vocabulary, and she seems to talk non-stop! 

She is pretty much out of the breath-holding spells. It's been a very long time since she's had one...and the threat of them happening are pretty rare...usually just when she gets hurt...which is rare! She's a tough cookie!

We are so blessed to have happy, healthy babies!
They get along well (most of the time) and love each other very much.

Bring on 2015!!! 

Interruptions

I've started writing about half a dozen blog posts and then stop...

Some kind of interruption...something is going on.

Everyone has been sick - except for Breelee thankfully! - Bella was even too sick to participate in the kids' song for our Christmas production. My song was the next song after that, and I ended up taking the kids home as soon as I was finished. It wasn't what I thought it would be for sure!! But I'm glad it went well!!! We had the largest crowd since our launch day in September! That is exciting!!!!!

The week has just been hard. Bella's teacher said yesterday that she noticed Bella wasn't her usual self. This sickness has just wiped all of us out. I feel like I can't catch up on cleaning anything...

But thankfully last night was a vomit-free night...the first in a week.

We've had to adjust to Lee's work schedule too. With the training and then the holidays, he's stayed busy, and we know that will slow down after the new year. He is only working part-time...so our financial support team members & other friends who have given to us are helping us be able to be a part of the church plant.

I've only felt overwhelmed a few times. It is at night when we are all getting tired and Lee isn't home yet...that is when it's a little hard. And Breelee has had some fussy evenings.

But we are making it. Again, this is the best I've felt after having a baby. It's a true blessing that I don't want to take for granted. If I would have been the way that I was after I had Bella...it would not be a fun time for any of us.

But I'm able to go out with 3 kids - even to the mall. I like going with Lee before he has a shift or even meeting him on his lunch break and eating with him. It's on my way out alone that I usually get looks and comments of "you have your hands full..." or "you are brave..."

Well, thank you...I'll take that as a compliment! I do feel brave, even when Brennan starts screaming as we leave a store. If I wasn't brave, I would stay home all the time, and I just can't do that. I don't want to do that.

I'm considering getting one of those sit-and-stand strollers. That way I'll be able to contain 2 and Bella can walk along side of it. Right now I can carry Breelee in my ring sling, which is wonderful and easy, but like today, I didn't have it in the car like I thought I did...and I carried her around the mall instead of Brennan running around and having to chase him. Thankfully she's still pretty light and Brennan stays in the stroller for the most part!!!

It really is interesting being a mom of 3. Again, it is a blessing from God that I don't want to take for granted...I know there are many women who would love to be in my shoes...even on my craziest of days...

I have my challenging moments...but I mean, I had challenging moments when Brennan and Bella were newborns.

Bella is a wonderful helper. Brennan is too. They both love love love Breelee so much. so much. And I know that it could be a lot worse. The biggest problem is when Breelee is screaming and Brennan wants to be held and Bella needs help putting on or taking off her princess dress. Or when Brennan and Bella are chasing each other and screaming...all in fun...until someone gets hurt.

But, I am thankful that God has chosen to give us 3 happy, healthy babies. And if my blog writing slows down for a little bit because of some distractions and interruptions, I'll take it!!! I can always write more in the future, but I won't ever get this season of life back again. Bring on the interruptions!! (as I've been stopped writing this about a dozen times by Bella asking me to paint her nails...It is so special to be a mom!!)

So I Had a Baby...

Highlights of Baby Blakney #3


I would love to write the detailed story of Breelee Claire Blakney's entrance into the world, but honestly, so much has happened in the past 6 days of her life...I feel like in journaling when I haven't written for a long time and I try to play catch up...it's almost overwhelming...

So, I'm just going to write a few highlights and work on the story as I can...

1. My contractions started around 6:30 am on Thursday, November 1st...NOT Halloween...and I delivered her at 2:07 pm on Thursday, November 1st.
I am so thankful that it was a faster process than the last 2 times, but my word...it hurt.

2. I was able to deliver naturally...no medicine...no epidural. Oh my word it hurt...I screamed a whole lot more this time than I did in the last 2 deliveries combined. Lee had to help hold one of my legs while the nurse held the other. He did such a great job. He was a constant encourager and comforted me just enough during the whole process.

3. Breelee weighed 8 lbs and 8 oz and was 21 inches long. They let me hold her for a very long time before they took her over to take her measurements...and then they brought her right back. Her skin was so soft and smooth...she's perfect...and we decided her middle name at the hospital...

4. We have wonderful friends who took care of our kids. It was such a relief knowing that they were ok...they were happy and comfortable. Lara came over early Thursday to stay with Brennan while Bella was at school...and then she and Renee stayed with them that night...and Renee stayed with them at Shawn & Amy's on Friday night. It was so comforting knowing they were ok!!!

Lara and Amy brought Bella & Brennan to see Breelee at the hospital on Thursday (and they brought me & Lee Five Guys!!) The first thing both kids asked me was, "Mom, are you ok?" It was the exact time that Breelee came back to us from the initial nursery check in. Bella was interested for a few seconds...but Brennan was in love. In Love. He sat on my lap and said, "Mom, I want her..." and while I was helping him hold her, he put his hand on mine and said, "No, Mom, I want her..." Shawn & Amy brought them back on Friday, and they were just as thrilled...I'm sooo glad that my babies love each other!!!

5. My recovery was amazing. Girls, if you can go natural...do it!! I was up and walking around our hospital room within hours. (You cannot do that with an epidural...) We had a wonderful nurse, Emily, who got us all set up and spent a lot of time with us. I just felt alert...I was a little sore, but considering what I had just gone through...it was nothing! I just felt great...and I still feel great!

6. Our parenting confidence levels are out of the roof!!! Lee & I were so cool, calm, and collected. The experience of being parents of 2 has let us know that everything is going to be ok. Of course there have been a few new things with this little one, but we know that it's all going to be ok. Breelee nursed well, but not consistently. This drove me crazy with Bella...even with Brennan...but now I know that she's going to eat when she's ready...and if she's pooping and peeing...she's good! By the way...Lee changed her first poop diaper - just like he did for the other 2! He's such a great dad!!!!

7. We were able to share our story with nurses and doctors...and we feel really blessed with the doctors we have found here. They've been wonderful to us. We brought Breelee in for a routine 3 day check up. She is doing great...and there were a few concerns about mucus and gas (she's screamed for an hour every night - even in the hospital)...but the doctor put us at ease. That's priceless.

8. Lee's parents surprised us and flew in on Saturday and were here not long after we got home from the hospital. They were able to play with Bella and Brennan...hold Breelee...and Bro. Rob was able to help Lee with our new dining table project (which I will be posting about soon!) It was a great help and relief to have them here!

And thanks to technology, I was able to talk to my parents soon after the baby was born...plus we'll be able to FaceTime and Skype and keep up with us!!


9. Lee & I are referring to ourselves as Team Blakney and we are the Fantastic 5...we feel like we really are. We feel like we are blessed...we are going to have a blast raising 3 great kids to love and serve God. We know that we are going to have our challenges, but we also know that God has given us grace and responsibility to be a family of 5.

10. God has blessed us with another happy, healthy baby. She's beautiful. She's already gained 6 oz since she left the hospital. She sleeps a lot...she is nursing well...and after using the gas drops before every feeding, she had a wonderful night without crying...which means we all had a great night.

Go Team Blakney!!! Thanks for keeping up with the Fantastic Five!!!