Summer 2013

JULY 2, 2013

I cannot believe that June has come and gone! It is now July, and we are finalizing our 4th of July plans. It will be fun bringing Cali to see fireworks this year! I realize it has been a while since I've updated my blog, so I have some big things to write about...

BABY BOY IS HERE!

We finally decided on a name, the day after he was born. And it wasn't the one we thought we were going to go with. Ephraim Gilbert Walker was born just after midnight, May 25, 2013, at 12:16am. He weighed 8lbs 15oz and measured 20in long. Here are the more graphic details... if you can't stomach it, then I suggest you skip the rest of this paragraph! I went in on the 24th at 6pm and was dilated to 4cm. I decided to try to deliver with no drugs (no epidural) and do it as "naturally" as I could. It was WAY more painful that way, and I wanted to give up in the moment and just have them cut the baby out of me around 11:00pm that night. I had tested positive for "group strep b", which is no big deal, except I had to have to injections of antibiotic that last for a half hour each, and had to be given 4 hours apart from one another. So the second one was administered at 11:15pm. So at 11:45pm I was finally able to start pushing. The baby came out all in one final push... head and shoulders all at one time, so that was sorta cool! I had a small tear, which I am not recovered from. All in all, MUCH more painful than my first, but a much better delivery and recovery! Ephraim, pronounced [f-rum], is a really good baby. He doesn't cry much at all, and sleeps well, getting up at night at most 3 times to feed & goes right back to sleep. He is breastfed and all seems to be going well. God has blessed us and we are very thankful for everything He has done for us. 

Cali is now 21 months old and just loves her little brother! She is very "helpful" and enjoys giving him his passy when he cries. Every once in a while she asks to hold him, and it's just adorable! 

As if that wasn't enough excitement for one month, my sister had her first baby and made me an AUNT!! I am so excited! Reed Amon Schuiteboer was born 3 weeks and 2 days later (June 17), the day before Rachel & Rusty's anniversary! Rachel allowed me to be in the room when she gave birth, which was a surreal experience. I had never witnessed a baby being born (other than my 2, which is a totally different experience). I was/am thankful she let me be a part of that process. I am so proud of her and Rusty and know they are and will be great parents! This will be really fun watching these two boys grow up together and be tortured by their mothers who will want to dress them in matching clothes all the time. :)

GETTING OLDER

This June I turned another year older. This was a big one... it was the year I turned "29 again." I wanted a big celebration. I love to party with lots of loved ones around... but the timing just wasn't good for many people. So Matt and I went to Chicago and enjoyed the city last weekend. Our wonderful parents were able to watch the kids while we were gone. They really are the best!!

I really loved being in my twenties. It was a growing, at times tough, at times awesome decade, and I really was not prepared to leave it and enter a new one. But, I have come to understand that numbers to not determine one's age. I still have lots of learning, growing, and maturing to do! So I'll rest in that truth to keep me feeling young! 

I am on maternity leave for another few weeks. My dad is in town to visit his new grandkids. It's been great to see him! Our former exchange student, Bea, will be here in a few weeks to visit. I'm looking forward to catching up with her! Summer is not really summer yet, as the temps here in west Michigan are more like a good spring than a summer. That is sort of a bummer to me, as we didn't get away and travel south this past year, as we normally do. So I am hopefully anticipating some hot days ahead. 

Well that's all for now. Time to put my daughter to bed. Feel free to comment below! Thanks for reading. Enjoy the pictures. I hope you and your family are doing well! Take care!

2013 Update

Well, it is now January of 2013. The world didn't end in 2012 as the Mayans predicted. I have seen countless jokes about that on many social media sites! 

FAMILY LIFE

Our baby girl is now 16 months, and I am 20 or more weeks pregnant with a baby boy on the way, due May 29. Cali is amazing, and really makes me enjoy being a mother! She is so active, and is just now discovering that she can make really high-pitched noises. Yay for me. So I now have to balance allowing her to discover and explore all while teaching her that it's not always good to make those noises... especially in public! She has a contagious laugh, and a smile that melts your heart. I'm sure most parents think that about their kids, but it's so true. I love it when Matt, Cali, and I sit on the living room floor and just laugh at whatever is going on. She is able to repeat most words that we say, some of her favorites being cracker, backpack, sock, bubbles, and more. 

With only 4 months to go, Matt and I are struggling with settling on a boy name. If it turns out that this baby is a girl, we'll be set with the name. We have asked for suggestions on boy names. With the good, comes the bad. People feel they can tell us what not to name our baby. I don't care if 100 other babies were just named something, if I like that name, I will use it. So I ask you to only say positive things, please. We do have a private list of names we are making, but at this rate, I'm not ready to share any of them! We are praying that God just gives us a name that is easy for us both to decide on. 

Matt and I will be celebrating 6 years of marriage this May. Since we didn't do anything big for "#5", we may try to get away this time. Any affordable suggestions?

WORK LIFE

I am working at the church as the Children's Director. It has been a year now and I absolutely love it. I love the volunteers I work with, the staff I work with, and the children that I see on a regular basis. I have been volunteering in youth ministry helping Matt out with the worship arts ministry. He enjoys that as he continues to teach percussion lessons at Marshall. 

OTHER

God has been teaching me a lot over the last year. I feel I have grown a lot closer to him and have been challenged in many ways. The Passion conference is always a flame-igniter. Matt and I both went to it last year. This year he went with a group, and I stayed home with the baby. I listened to all the main sessions through the website's live-stream, though. I don't have things figured out. I'm just trying to make good choices by being obedient to God. I am trusting him as we continue on this adventure!

The Secret

Finding Out You Are Pregnant

The first few weeks are the worst. Because it’s too early to tell anyone, so you have to keep it a secret. But some of the side effects make it quite difficult at times. The nausea, the heightened sense of smell, the frequent trips to the restroom, and the constant tiredness make being secretive a tricky talent.

If you were to speak up and say anything about anything, your friends and family and those close to you might likely ask in a half-joking manor, “are you pregnant?” And you don’t want to lie, but this is not the way you wanted to inform them of your exciting news, so you either pause awkwardly, which usually gives it away, you lie, or you tell them.  Perhaps you just shouldn’t speak up! But it is hard not to at times, especially if you are one who is used to speaking how you feel or talking about new things in your life. And then, if you try to avoid it in conversation, it’s still in the back of your head. And if anyone looks at you for too long, you start to make an uncomfortable smile, like they know. And then it’s all down hill! (Okay, not really, but the secret is probably out at that point!)

Making it through the first few weeks (2-10) is the toughest. But once you are willing to share the news, what a weight that is lifted! You can now explain why someone’s pot-roast lunch, which normally you would do anything for, is making you leave the room. Or why you just can’t eat as much in one setting. Aha! The news is out! Now people won’t think you are going through a crazy distant phase in your life. Sure, they might be afraid of the pregnant version of you, but hey, at least they’ve been warned, right?