Little Gobblers

On Thanksgiving we started our day with a turkey trot race.

Or rather, we started the day by making our children run a turkey trot race.  Our town had the second annual Little Gobbler heat to the adult turkey trot and we signed up our oldest four kiddos.  Memaw and Pepaw were there too, but managed to escape the pictures.

Tracey and Howard did well and had fun.  They ran together near the front until Howard broke away down the stretch to finish first of his siblings.

Caroline and Lee Lee ran with Mama and did run the entire race.  They finished dead last of all the children, but were happy that the finish line had not run out of doughnuts for the participants.  Lee Lee had fun and kept saying, "I running a race!"  Caroline, on the other hand, did not have the ball everyone else did.  She kind of whimpered the entire race and wanted to hold my hand for most of it.

She did spend the rest of her day, however, talking about the race and showing off her medal.

Oh, our little Gobblers. 

 

Little Thanksgiving Chefs

After two days of cooking and baking we enjoyed a relaxing Thanksgiving and delicious meal.

The twins especially love to help in the kitchen -- Caroline really enjoys it and if Caroline is having fun, Howard is not far behind.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Like Mother Like Daughter

I had just commented to Hubby that my neck was getting sore from how often I fall asleep nursing Hunter... within a few hours, we saw this.

Like mother, like daughter.

Perfect Timing

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas...

 Hubby and his dad worked hard on getting these lights hung, and we could literally see the cloud of snow getting closer and closer as they worked.  Within two hours of their finishing the job, the snow began to fall.

 

Rarely

Our little Hunter is rarely not

 being held...

and I rarely am at my computer...

Just FYI

Just FYI... here is what our week has been.

Friday 11/15: Take the kids to school, spend the day out and about, working, chiropractor appointment, taking a walk, all while timing intermittent contractions.  Pick the kids up from school, had a baby at 5:15pm.  Have kids come to the hospital around 7:30 for gender reveal and to meet their new sibling. (Full birth story coming later.)

Saturday 11/16: Day spent in the hospital, watched the Michigan v. Michigan State game.  Kids came to the hospital in the afternoon and Hubby left with them to help at home and sleep at home so only one of us would have a lousy hospital night's sleep.

Sunday 11/17: Came home from the hospital, within an hour or so started to realize that I was very tired and probably over-doing it a little.  Tried to take it easy.  Called my doc's office with some concerns and questions about if a few things were normal.  Spent Sunday night very chilled and awake a lot with Hunter but awoke sweaty Monday morning.

Monday 11/18: Took Hunter and Lee Lee to early doc appointments and started to get chilled as we headed home.  Called my doc's office mid-morning to report the chills and sweats and find out if these temperature swings were normal for two days postpartum.  Four hours later called the doctor's back because no one had returned my call.  Reported to them that my temperature was 101.7* and the nurse made me an appointment to see a midwife the following afternoon.

Tuesday 11/19: Spent the morning with Hunter, feeling achy and lousy resting and nursing Hunter.  Hubby took me to my doctor's appointment where the midwife examined me and with consultation from an OB decided that I was suffering from a uterine infection and needed to be re-admitted to the hospital for IV antibiotics.  Tuesday afternoon spent packing a bag for Hunter and myself and being re-admitted to the hospital.  Tuesday evening spent getting IV fluids, antibiotics, an ultrasound, blood draws, and vitals taken every two hours.  Tuesday night spent in the hospital.

Wednesday 11/20: Spent at the hospital with Hunter.  Initially I was told they would hope to send me home when I was 24 hours fever free -- Wednesday I was told that my blood samples were showing signs of a bacterial infection and I would not be going home Wednesday.  Throughout Wednesday I began to feel SO much better.  I have had three previous natural childbirths and I know how quickly I bounce back when there are no complications -- I kept waiting to bounce back, but I kept feeling worse every day instead of better.  Finally Wednesday I started to feel better and feel like I was bouncing back.  Wednesday spent getting more antibiotics, and Wednesday night spent at the hospital.

Thursday 11/21: The docs still had a few questions regarding my blood work, but were very encouraged by how well I was doing, my energy level, and how long I was fever free and so they allowed me to go home on oral antibiotics.  Thursday afternoon spent riding along with my parents while we all got the kids from school and watch the twins' Thanksgiving concert at pickup time.  Thursday evening feeling great and finally back at home.

So... as I'm looking through pictures to post or thinking about posting details of our being sent home from the hospital or about how the big kids are adjusting... it feels very incomplete to leave out this huge part of the story, which was how long I have been out-of-commission following Hunter's birth and how our kids (and Hubby and my parents) have had to cope not just with my recuperation, but my prolonged absence.

We are praising God that I am home now and feeling so well, and that Hunter was able to be with me and continue nursing the whole time I was gone.

Just FYI...

 

Gender Reveal

As you know, we did not know the gender of baby Hunter until he arrived.  So our kiddos spent six months (we didn't tell them I was pregnant until around 14 weeks) knowing that a sibling was on the way, but also knowing that we did not know if it was a brother or a sister -- only God knew.

We knew when they arrived at the hospital to meet their new sibling, they would have fun hearing if it was a brother or sister when they met the new baby... but I saw no reason that they couldn't experience a fun gender reveal when they met the baby.

Why are cupcakes or balloons with confetti only used before the baby arrives?

When you look at a newborn with a pink and blue hat, wrapped in a hospital blanket, you have no idea by looking at the face if the baby is a boy or a girl.

So... I've been brainstorming a gender reveal for out children that we could do at the hospital for a few months now.

The hope was to fill four balloons with pink or blue confetti and let our four kiddos pop the four balloons to see the confetti fly and know that the baby was a boy or a girl.

Well... the hospital does not allow any latex balloons, and mylar balloons are sealed so you cannot fill them with confetti.  So I found non-latex balloons on amazon that I thought the hospital would allow.

We didn't know until they were filled with confetti and helium that we realized they were going to be really difficult to pop.  I guess non-latex balloons are made out of something like plastic and we realized the kids were not going to be able to pop these by themselves.

But, we were not deterred... the kids were going to have a gender reveal somehow with confetti and balloons... and we weren't going to wait until the baby and I went home to announce his gender and name to the big kids.

So we put one balloon on the bed and tried to let the kids just push on it and pop it.

Well... ...

that didn't work.

Two of our kids could not pop the plastic balloon because the plastic was too tough and the other two were holding theirs ears saying, "No! Don't pop it! Don't pop it!"

So, then Daddy stabbed it with a pen...

and the balloon immediately deflated.  It released all its air and no confetti flew.

So then, Daddy said he would scatter the confetti and we'd all see at the same time...

Here is the video...

and here are some pictures...

It's a BOY!

Introducing...

Tracey, Caroline, Lee Lee, and I, 

and especially Howard and Hubby  

are thrilled to announce that

...
...
... 

IT’S A BOY!!

Introducing 

Hunter Nicholas Miller!

Hunter Nicholas Miller made a very quick arrival into the world Friday, November 15, 2019 at 5:15pm. 

Hunter’s a healthy little guy weighing in at 7lb 2oz, 19 inches long. 

His siblings and parents are overjoyed.