Happy Birthday, Pyper!

It's hard to believe that my girl is 2 today. It feels like yesterday that I looked down at this little thing and fell in love with her. But then again, I fall in love with her every time I look at her. Here, she is only a few hours old. 5 months old, and learning to sit up on her own.

One year old, and is Raggedy Ann for Halloween.

And now...2 years old! My budding artist, dancer and comedian. Happy Birthday, sweetheart!

At Long Last!

It's been a long time since I have had a chance to post. I thought while on maternity leave, I'd have plenty of time to take pictures, post blogs, and do crafty things. This never happened. I was either too worn out from chasing a near 2 year old, or so exhausted from being up at all hours of the night from our newborn. Needless to say, we have been busy. BUT, we were able to have some fun in the last 6 weeks.

Pyper was so excited about going to the pumpkin patch with her buddies. Above, she is looking out ahead of the tractor waiting for the patch to appear.

It was all that she had hoped for and then some. They all had so much fun picking out the perfect pumpkin.

Raegan and I relaxing after a long day. I love her little smile. It makes it worth getting up 2-3 times a night to feed, comfort or cuddle. She is such a sweetie. She's 4 weeks old in this picture.

That weekend, Shannon and Raegan had a chance to catch some zzzzz's while watching TV. I love how snuggly she is.

Pyper does too. Pyper is such an adoring sister. She does show some signs of jealousy, but it's typically directed toward us, and not Raegan. She loves to hold her, and states often, "I hold it!" or "MINE!!!" She kisses her, pets her head and holds her hand when she can. I hope they are always close.

Some very exciting news from the chicken front is that I found THIS beauty in one of the nesting boxes on Oct. 22! It's such a small egg, with a light buffed brown color. I also got another one yesterday, and it was larger and darker. I'm concluding it came from a different lady, as the size and color were so different. I wish I knew who to thank and congratulate for these little treasures!!!

Here is just a random shot of Pyper at the pumpkin patch. I thought it interesting that they also had a row or decorative gourds at the patch, and Pyper liked them due to their size.

Happy Fall, Ya'll! I hope you have such a blessed season. We have certainly enjoyed it this year!

Raegan Ellis arrives...FINALLY!

September 12, I went in to be induced at Bristol Regional Medical Center. We arrived at 6 AM, and I wanted this picture taken of me as a preggo momma for not much longer! I was 39 weeks, 5 days.

Big sissy Pyper arrived around 8 AM. Still waiting on the Dr to break my water, so it was uneventful from 6-9 AM. Pyper was so excited to be a big sissy.

My Dr broke my water around 9 AM and I was shocked at how quickly I went into labor! I started really feeling strong contractions within 10 minutes of my water being broken. Instead of getting my epidural immediately, I decided to just get some pain medication to take the edge off. It did...for about an hour. Then the pain became unbearable. I had no idea my labor would progress so quickly. Pyper's took 29 hours. I had figured 6-10 hours for this one. Yeah, right. In this picture, above, my dad decided to take a picture of me during one of these painful contractions. Evil man. I got an epidural around 11 AM, and it worked for a few minutes, but then it stopped. The nurse said I had to wait a half hour to push the button for more medication, and I couldn't wait to hit that button!!!! Finally, I hit the button, and when the pain wasn't alleviated by the medication, the nurse checked me. I had progressed to 5-6 cm, and apparently was progressing faster than the epidural could pump medication.

The pain became so unbearable, I just held on to Shannon's hand and screamed and cried. The pain was the worse thing I have ever felt in my life. Finally, around 12:30 PM, the anesthesiologist pushed one last dose of medication into my epidural, and I was ready to push! The nurse checked me and told me not to move, that she had to call my Dr. Dr. Scruggs showed up with little fan fare, and pretty much told me to push. I pushed once, and out came Raegan's head. I pushed again, and her body was out too! We welcomed Raegan Ellis at 12:44 PM. She was delivered in 45 seconds according to the video taken. It was the quickest delivery! All in all, I was in labor 3 hours and 44 minutes. Wow!

Some skin-to-skin bonding right after she was born. I fell in love with this little angel immediately! She weighed in at 6 lbs, 2 oz and was 18 1/2 " long.

Shannon and Raegan just a few hours later...

Mom and I with our little Ginger Baby. She has the most unusual dusting of reddish-blonde hair all over her head.

Dad and I admiring how Raegan has inherited our ears. It's apparently a dominant Sauls gene. Pyper has my folded right ear, just like my dad, and now Raegan has them too!

Nana and PaPa holding their new farm baby. I wonder if Raegan will love riding PaPa's udden-udden (tractor) as much as Pyper...

Our sweet fair skinned little girl. So unlike Pyper. This is going to be interesting to see what she looks like.

Pyper loves her little sissy. Here she points out all her facial features. She's so proud.

Once we got home, Raegan started sleeping in her cradle my dad lovingly made for his grandchildren. It's so pretty, and she loves it.

Here is Shannon holding Raegan for her first Dr's appts. She passed with flying colors weighing in at 5 lbs 14 oz.

Our sweet girl

The Great Thinker pose. All she's doing now is sleeping, eating and poo'ing. But she's thriving and we are loving her so much!

Waiting On a Woman, well, a baby girl...

My Dr put me on bed rest a week before Raegan was due. I really wanted to make my one year anniversary at the VDH so I could get my maternity leave, and having already had one pre-term labor scare, and another one the week before where I was admitted overnight, I had made quite a bit of progress. All for it to stop in the middle of the night, with with Dr sending me home 3 cm dilated. All to wait. So, I stayed with my in laws over Labor Day weekend (no pun intended) and then my mom came down on that Tuesday to help out with Pyper. That was the hardest part. Not being able to play, pick up, and be an active mom with Pyper for that week. But my mom filled in great, in fact, so much so, that Pyper prefers to play her crazy games with her than with me. I want to ask Pyper where she thinks I got it from??? On Saturday, once I had reached my anniversary date, we climbed the hill to pick apples and feed the ponies.

Dad came down on Friday because he said he was lonely. It's not exciting here on our farm, but it is filled with love and lots of animals to feed apples to. Pyper took to Pop Pop as though no time had passed and forgot all about Mamaw. Where you saw Pop Pop, Pyper wasn't too far behind. Here, they pick apples for the horses, being careful to leave a few for the chickens.

Best Buddies, climbing the hill to feed the horses.

The horses love to see us all coming up the hill bearing gifts.

Picking apples for the apple pie mom made that night....mmmmm....

Mom and Pyper were pooped after a busy day of picking and playing. Pyper loves to snuggle for her naps. I know she will one day out grow this, and this makes me sooooo sad to imagine. I love these moments.

End of Summer Randomness

37 weeks and counting!

Just waiting to meet Raegan! I wonder if she'll have red hair???

Pyper likes to play in the corn like the chickens do.

Here is a bucket of apples from our apple tree. Well, the truth is, the tree is our neighbor's, but he has let us adopt it...as we collect apples every night for the horses, chickens and us! I wonder what this bucket will make. Cobbler, pie, fried apples, apple sauce...Yes please!

Bubble Time with Daddy and Pyper

Whoa! Pyper tickles us with her facial expressions.

That's a good one, Daddy!

The 3 red heads. L-R Myrtle, StewPot, and Mable

Really enjoying free ranging...

Blanche striking a pose.

This is the cradle my dad made for Pyper and now Raegan. I love how beautiful it is, and how it looks like a piece of furniture. It was such a wonderful gift from Pop Pop to the girls. Hopefully, Raegan will sleep in our room for a few months.

This is the blanket a friend, Allison, had made for Raegan. What a wonderful shower gift! It's in her cradle, waiting for her! Can't wait to use it, and swaddle her up in it!
Thanks, Allison for such a thoughtful gift!

I've Missed You!

It's been a long while since I blogged, because our MacBook died. We got a new computer, so we're cooking with gas now. Here are some things that have been happening here around the farm the last few weeks.

The horses have eaten down the grass. I'm thinking we will have to start feeding hay soon. Luckily, we had a great hay harvest this year. 190 + bales from 5.5 acres. Not too shabby!

Every evening during the week, and in the mornings on the weekends, we let the girls--and guy-out to free range. They love it. They scratch, and peck and do fun little dances. On the far left, is StewPot. He is definitely a HE! I was able to catch him crowing the other morning. It was a sad sounding crow...but I know he was trying. Practice makes perfect. He was standing down in the coop as his harem of ladies watched from the bleachers (roosts). He performs every morning for his lady friends. And they adoringly worship him. So far, it seems that it's working out.

Last Friday, we watched my friend Jenn's two boys. Steven is 4 and Hunter is 21 months. He's only 2 weeks older than Pyper. I was so nervous to have 2 additional kids in the house, being 9 months preggo, and having Pyper, who is going through this lovely stage affectionately known as the Terrible Twos! Luckily, Shannon had off as well, and we were able to handle the 3 kids. The boys are such BOYS, and much to Pyper's delight, wanted to ride on Shannon's new John Deere lawn mower. They had a great time!

Today we finished off the pot of ham and bean soup. It's my grandpa Troy's recipe, and I think he would have gotten a kick out of seeing how much we enjoyed it. A pan of corn bread accompanied it, and Pyper practically licked the bowl. It's a big hit in our house!

The other morning Pyper woke at 6 AM, so I brought her back to our bed to finish sleeping with me. Needless to say, I ran out of room, because when Pyper sleeps with you, she hogs the bed. She's everywhere on the bed. Oh, well. I ended up having to wake her up at 8:30, so we could start our day.

Baby Bumps

I said throughout my pregnancy with Pyper how much I loved it. I wasn't working, I could take naps whenever I wanted, I didn't have one day of morning sickness, I didn't have a toddler to chase around, and was able to schedule my Dr appointments around Shannon's work schedule. I think he only missed one.

This pregnancy has been very different. I'm working full time, commuting 140 miles a day, chasing around a toddler, had morning, afternoon and evening sickness, have to schedule naps whenever and wherever I can, and I think Shannon has been able to make only 2 of my Dr's appointments. It's not that he doesn't want to, but I have to schedule them around my work schedule, Pyper's schedule, and of course, the Dr's schedule. It just so happens that Shannon is working on the days that is universally available.

I must admit this pregnancy has flown by. I think it's a combination of working and taking care of Pyper. I no longer have the luxury of reading every book published on pregnancy, pondering and contemplating every move, hic-cup, and muscle strain caused by the baby. I am just too busy!

I'm not too busy to enjoy this pregnancy though. Although it has been significantly different, I still love feeling Raegan move inside me, a feeling that I don't think I'll ever get sick of. It's truly a remarkable sensation. There are times that I wish Shannon could share this sensation, but I also really like the exclusivity of being in this club. Her hic-cups tickle me, both figuratively and literally. I love pushing down on her booty, and feeling her push back. I love watching her make my tummy roll like a sequence of waves when I'm relaxing at night watching TV. I'm not a fan of the heartburn, or the fact that I can no longer bend over from the waist. I don't like how my lower back aches 24/7, regardless of exertion. I don't like the interrupted sleep every night, because rolling over seems to be more of an Olympic sport instead of an unconscious maneuver. I've only gained 10 pounds at almost 35 weeks, and love that the Dr gave me a green light to eat whatever I want. Most of all, I'm really looking forward to meeting this little bundle that we've made from scratch. I wonder if she'll look like Pyper, with a black mohawk and crooked little butt crack. The ultrasound tech said she saw lots of hair, so now, it's just wondering what color that hair will be.

Please keep us in your prayers as we've already been to the hospital to stop contractions once. I'm already 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced, which doesn't seem to concern the Dr's much at all. They said it's pretty normal with me having already had a baby. What they are concerned about is doing too much, too much stress, and picking Pyper up all the time. The Dr on Friday suggested bed rest. I personally have made my mind up against this, as I would be more stressed staying at home watching Pyper and taking care of the house than working at my desk at work. So, I've been actively making it a point to relax, and unwind, letting Shannon pick up the slack as much as he can around the house. Yesterday, I went to my friend, Jenn's house, and the kids played, I ate a delicious dinner I didn't have to make, and I was actually able to put my feet up and relax. It's friends like Jenn that make relaxing feasible. Instead of picking Pyper up so much, I let her run into my arms, or savor her little arms around my legs hugging as tight as she can, snuggling up to me as we nap, or me just bending over and smothering her little round face with kisses. I'll never run out of those for her.