Grant Woodrow Swain

It was supposed to be a planned delivery.  We were scheduled for induction on May 11th (My due date was May 18th).  But this boy had other plans.  :)  I started having pretty regular contractions on Wednesday the 8th, they woke me up around 4 am and persisted for most of the day.  Patrick stayed home from work, just in case.  But they weren't horrible, just uncomfortable.  So we went on with our day, went to Jackson's baseball game and everything.  Then that night they got to be about 3-5 min. apart and stayed that way.  We called a really really great friend ;) who came over to sleep while we went to the hospital.  We got to TMC at about midnight Thursday May 9th.... we got home at about 4 am.... still pregnant, obviously.  :/  I was 4 cm dilated, with contractions 3-5 min. apart, but I wasn't progressing fast enough to admit.  Frustrating, especially when the hospital is 40 min. away!  But what can you do?!

So we went to bed at 4 am and by noon Thursday contractions weren't uncomfortable anymore, they were painful!!  We waited a couple of hours, just to be sure (hahaha), and then called another really really great friend to come hang out with our kids. (Uncle Kenny wasn't coming until Friday.) We got to TMC at about 5 pm, we were admitted by 6 pm.  :)  Thank heavens too, I felt like I had been in labor forever, I really wanted it to end!  haha.  I was at 5 cm, my contractions were 2-3 min. apart and he had dropped from a -3 to a -1.  Things were looking good!  :) 

Unfortunately, because I was technically more than 7 days away from my due date, they couldn't "start" or "help" me.  Which meant is was slow going.  They wouldn't break my water either.  So I got to find out what it's like to actually "go on my own".  Patrick and I decided it's totally overrated, it takes FOREVER!  hahaha.  I've never had a labor longer than 6 hrs., start to finish, but I've always been induced.  So this was new for us, and we were mildly impatient.  hahaha.  (It was actually a good thing we had all that time, because this baby still didn't have a name!)

I got my epidural fast and got settled in.  Laboring all night.  By 5 am we were ready to get the party started.  Everything went really well!!  Which is always a huge relief!  A couple of pushes and there he was!!  :) 

May 10th at 5:27 am, weighing in at 7 lbs. 6 oz. and 19 in. long, we welcomed Grant Woodrow Swain into our family.  :)  He is even a little strawberry blonde!  Our biggest baby, he is the perfect final piece to complete our family!! 

Proud Papa!  I love him SO MUCH!  He was a trooper!  ;) Especially because I kept getting sick.  If you know Patrick, you know that true love is him holding my hair back while I puke and not gagging or leaving the room!  :) Yep, he's a keeper!   

In hindsight, I have to admit that going into labor on my own was SO much easier on me afterword!  Even after 18 hrs. of labor and not having slept more than 4 hrs. at a time in the last 3 days, I felt the best I think I ever have after having a baby!  Tired, but good!  :)

The Swain Gang! The kids were super excited to meet him!  :) 

It was overwhelmingly crazy how big all 3 of them seemed when they walked in the door! Holy cow, it almost made me cry!  ;)  They loved getting to hold him.  It just melts my heart!

Oh, I love my family! What a blessing they are!  I can't believe how very lucky I am to have them!  Healthy and happy (mostly) and my whole world!  :)

***And just because it is so stinking funny, here is Patrick's post on FB:

At 5:27 am and 7.6 lbs. and 19 inches We welcomed Grant Woodrow Swain to our family after 50+ hours of labor. My back is a little sore from the hospital bed and my left knee is still sore from baseball last week, but I'll be okay.

Oh....Jen and Grant are doing great too!

Moments....

I haven't been very good at catching moments lately, I really need to do better.  But these are a few that did happen to get caught.  :) 

Reagan has been making so many improvements lately, eating has become so normal and easy, I LOVE IT!!  :)  It also means that she gets to enjoy the awesomeness that is normal food...  Like spaghetti for the first time. I think she liked it! :)

Patrick and I also made a commitment this year to get in shape (after baby, of course) and try to spend more time together as a family.  So for our 10th anniversary we got bikes!!! :)  They are so pretty!  hahaha.  And my parents got us a cool trailer for Reagan and baby boy!  So after Patrick got it all put together, they had to take it for a test ride. ;)  (This also happens to be Reagan's first bike ride!)  :)

Bubba.  Love this Harrison kid!  I'm already nervous and weepy about him starting school in August!  He is such a good kid and so much fun!  (Reagan will miss him a lot too!)  But man is this kid not a happy waker-upper!!  haha.  School mornings should be super fun!  ;)

I love that this is my life, day in and day out.  Wonderfully small things that make me smile and remind me why this is the greatest job in the whole world!  :)  And it's always good to have those reminders because there are days (especially when you're about to give birth) that you need the reminding!  ;) 
 

Hoot & Holler!

Jackson's school has started a yearly Hoot & Holler 5K/Fun Run and Carnival to raise money for the school.  It's a ton of fun and this year it was even bigger than last!  :)  Both boys wanted to do the kids Fun Run.  Here they are at the starting line in their racing shirts. 

(Neither of them happened to finish though, and one never even started.  :/  Harrison wasn't into the crowd apparently, and changed his mind at the last second.  Jackson had a really good start but collided with another student and had a pretty bad wipe out about 100 ft. into it.  Some tears and road rash later, we recovered and went to find some "safer" fun.  ;)) 

They got to do everything at least once.  Should I be worried that the tattoos were their favorite booth?!  hahaha.  They each got two. 

And Reagan tried some things out too.  :) 

Good times and family fun!  :)

Play BALL!

April - May 2013
Baseball, that is.  :)  Our Spring is pretty much spent at the park, not that that is a bad thing.  It's just busy!  :)  It's a family affair, Patrick even got to coach this year!  :)  And we were part of an amazing team (both the players and the families!)! 

Jackson had a great season!  He has a lot of natural talent for the sport, it was fun to watch him grow and improve! It was fun to be his fan club in the bleachers!  (Even Reagan got into the screaming every once in awhile.)  :)

I didn't get to see the end of the season, since we were adding another future baller to the crew.  But he finished strong!  And we are so proud of him and his hard work! :)

10th Anniversary

April 25, 2013
Patrick to Jennie via FB:

The Ol' Ball n' Chain! Lol! 10 years ago We began our journey together. A week later, I dragged you into a lifestyle that is difficult for anyone. You've been the best partner I could ever ask for. Although...I've been wearing a gun and badge for 10 years now, but I have yet to wear the pants in this family. Haha! Thank you for everything. You make me look good (literally because you still pick out clothes for me to wear.) I love you forever and ever.

PS- Sorry we couldn't do anything fun because you're 8 months knocked up w/ #4. Seemed like a good idea at the time...

Jennie to Patrick via FB:

10 years of awesome, amazing, wonderful, interesting, fun, crazy adventure! Patrick, I just want to say... You're welcome! Hahaha. And I love you forever and ever! Here's to decades more!! Happy Anniversary!!

Good times. :)  Lol!

Getting Older...

The Second Anniversary of my 29th Birthday happened.  ;)  I would have skipped posting about it at all, because really, it's so not a big deal, right?!  But I happened to get to do the coolest thing I've gotten to do in a long time!!!  I got to see WICKED!!  :D 

Patrick got me tickets for Christmas that happen to be for the show on April 6th, the day before my birthday Anniversary.  :)  (He thought he was really clever killing 2 birds with 1 stone like that!)  But it was the best Christmas/Birthday gift!!  The show was INCREDIBLE!!  I wanted to see it again by the end of the first act!  Hahaha.  (My handsome date!)

April 7th, my actual birthday was good too!  It was General Conference weekend, so on top of getting to listen and be uplifted, I also didn't have to stress about church! ;) It was a relaxing day at home with my cute little family, and at 8 months pregnant, that was my version of the perfect day!!

So here's to another year.  I'm feeling a little run down and busted physically right now, so I don't want to talk about how old I feel.... ;) ....But so far my 30's haven't been too shabby.  So, all those worry wrinkles I gave myself in my 20's were for nothing.  ;) 

And don't worry, I know I'm not really still 29!  Harrison likes to remind me and anyone he talks to that I am now 31!  ;)  I should have told him I was 29.... hmmmm, hindsight.  Hahaha.

2 Peas in a Pod

These 2 goof balls are pretty stinking funny sometimes!!  Harrison has become Reagan's best friend!  She has gotten a lot braver in her play with her brothers.  And since most of what she observes as "play" at our house involves violence (usually in the form of wrestling), that is what she thinks is fun!  :) 

So she waits until he is on the floor playing and totally not expecting it.... and she takes him down! Hahaha. (The sunglasses were on her head for about a week straight!  She even had to wear them to bed! Hahaha.)

They were laughing so hard it was hysterical!  :)

 I think she won!  :)  (Even if he let her!)  I love it when they love each other!  

Bend it like Harrison

Bubba finally got to start soccer!  (Jan-March)  It was a rough start for him, he gets so nervous about doing new things and he gets embarrassed when he isn't sure what to do.  But he got more comfortable as the season went on and he found his calling... Goalie!  He was a good little goalie, and he didn't have to run around, so he fell in love with it!  Hahaha.  But most importantly, he had fun!!  :)

It was fun to watch him play and get so excited about doing it!  :)  Love this kid!  Congrats and good job, Bubba!  We are super proud of you!!