She is eating...kinda

Well as some of you may know my babies don't eat! Well they eat, but just from the breast. Neither "A" nor "O" ate baby food. They would gag something awful, and just had no interest until they were about a year old.

But "J" is showing a bit of promise... I made banana the other day and today I made carrot baby food so I thought I would let you in on the exciting times

of feeding an adorable 6 month old baby girl!!!

Can You Tell Who's Who?

Obviously the Date on the last one might give it away!

But the first one is Olivia, the second is Julia and the third is Annelise!

Don't we make cute babies!!!

And... she is Rolling!!

Well I have other posts I needed to do to get this blog up to date...mainly Olivia's birthday, but I had to post this!

Julia just turned 4 months old on the 7th and she is officially rolling! She's quick too! I tried to get progress pics but she is too quick!!

So here are the pics of her rolling! My parents warned me that she may be more active than Olivia...watch out!!

Here she is on her back...

Arrgg..she is trying to roll...

Almost...almoooost..

And she made it! Even with big sister excitedly crawing around her!!

yes she has a stain on her outfit but it's not fresh and too cute so we wear it at home!

Heres my big girl on her belly like no big deal!

I have to say that later she did several in a row and ended up where the girls are! Could it be that my just turned 4 months old baby is already trying to travel!

It is exciting, but in the same instant sad. In one moment I lost my baby baby! Now she is moble. And on time flies from here!

Christmas Day 08

Merry Christmas!!
I am cramming it all into one post!! We kept it pretty low key this year and it was very refreshing! We started off Christmas Eve Day with making sugar cookies. It was great fun! The girls had such a blast, I will let the pictures speak for themselves!
We went to a local Episcopal Church for Christmas Eve service with a pagent. It was great to experience a liturgical service like the ones i was used to growing up, and Annelise and Olivia were enthralled with the children acting out the story!! And Of course they were thrilled to wear their gorgeous christmas dresses that Daddy bought for them. Dont they look gorgeous! Julia's outfit was given to me by a postal worker when I was mailing our Chrisatmas cards! She had been watching for a baby girl Julia's size to give the outfit to, isnt that amazing! I love how the Lord provides for even the little things!!!

Daddy Fox posting here!

On Christmas Eve, after trying to get the girls to go to sleep forever. Annelise woke up about 11PM and said to Steph, "Mommy, the first thing I am going to do I when I wake up on Christmas morning, is run in to see... ( Steph just knew she was going to say 'what Santa brought me') if Baby Jesus is in the manger." That was refreshing! (Steph here: It was just what I needed cause I had a little pit in my stomach when Annelise spent so much time making sure the cookies and carrots were just right for Santa! Does anyone else feel this way! I mean Santa isn't real!! Jesus IS!!!)

Although we chose to produce a light Christmas this year, my mother and brother blew in to town with a car full of gifts, and bought the girls a trampoline!! Yes, so for the first time ever on Christmas Eve, I spent it outside in the cold and dark, other than the floodlight, putting together a trampoline, which by the way, had way WAY more steps and parts than the one we had growing up!In the morning, as tradition, we came to the tree in the front room that has the manger under it, the girls were very excited to see that baby Jesus had arrived. (we keep him hidden until Christmas morning) We read the Christmas Story, this year only once. Last year we read it 5 times before we got to the presents. Then they wanted to see if Santa put anything in their stockings.

Here are the girls discovering that the cookies had been eaten and the carrots are gone!!

Now I have to say on this note that we already told Annelise the Santa was a real person in history and he did give children toys and so on, but he died as all men do, and now people just pretend that he is real and give gifts in his name etc etc, but that the real story about Christmas is Jesus. Well, she decided that she would believe in Santa anyway! Funny.
So our main gift this year, a kitchen, we bought on craigslist. We actually already had a wood kitchen that we bought from our neighbors behind us at their garage sale. The girls wanted a plastic kitchen like the one they have at the church. So we sold the wooden kitchen on craigslist for more than we paid for it and bought this plastic one which is almost brand new on craigslist.

Well our big gift was trumped by the trampoline of course. We asked the girls if they wanted to take MeeMaw out to get the eggs from the chickens and she walked out and didn't even notice it at first until she had almost walked all the way past it. Then it was surprise, shock, awe, and lets play!!! Thanks Uncle J and MeeMaw for the trampoline. We love the gift of being active!

It turned out to be a great day. My ham was good, the pies were good, everything turned out well and it was a beautiful day, actually maybe even a little on the hot side. It was a great Christmas! Merry Christmas Everyone and Happy New Year!!!!!!

Halloween

Well this year for the second year we've had our church LifeGroup meet at our house for Halloween. We roast marshmallos and hand out treat bags with tracts inside. It is alot of fun! Its the only time the whole year when we see and visit with all our neighbors, and its loads of fun! Unfortunatly we didnt get many pictures of the whole event but we did get some of the girls. Olivia decided to take her costume off...oh...20 seconds after she had it on so no pics of her in her costume!

here is our adorable little pumpkin! Olivia with her pumpkin shirt and new crooked smile that she does ALL the time!

Annelise as a beautiful princess! We borrowed this dress from a neighbor and Annelise added the veil herself!
This was our first year carving pumpkins and the girls had a blast! (Kevin did all the work!)

Fox Family Girls

Well my good friend Sarah did it again! She took some beautiful pictures for me to give Kevin as his birthday present. I know there is a ton, but I love them all! It was hard to pick which ones to post! The last picture is the one I gave kevin in a frame for his birthday.

Enjoy!

Baby Fox Is Here!!!

Julia Christine Fox
8lbs 10oz, 19 in long
Sunday September 7th, 6:37 in the evening

So today Julia has been with us for 2 weeks so I figured it was about time I announced it on the blog!!!
WARNING!! Birth Story Ahead! Don't read further if you don't want details!!!

I woke up early the 7th with cramping but was afraid to think it was labor cause I wanted it to be so badly. The weather had been so pleasant in the mornings, cool and breezy, and I had been thinking it was perfect baby having weather, but you know how we second guess ourselves...

So by 6:30 I was pretty sure it was the real deal so I called my parents since they have the farthest to drive and then called the midwife so she'd have a heads up and told her I'd keep her posted. Then I tried to just wake up Kevin and tell him "We are having a baby today!", but Annelise apparently has super hearing even in her sleep cause she was up in an instant! We all tumbled out of bed and put on our clothes and I started walking the street outside our house to try and get those contractions really working! Annelise swung and watched me, calling me every time I went too far. Soon Olivia was awake and my walk turned into a mini parade: Me waddling along, Annelise and Olivia skipping along side, and Kevin with watch in hand, timing contractions. I'm sure the neighbors were curious!

I went in for a shower and Kevin started making calls, or really I think he did more texting! The contractions became awfully close together during my shower so I told Kevin he'd better tell Laurie (our midwife) to go ahead and come.

Meanwhile I kept walking around. When Laurie arrived I was already 6 cm dilated! YAY! So I felt very accomplished! But then I started getting very sleepy so I decided I needed a nap. Now with Olivia I took a nap and woke up ready to push, so I had the mistaken idea that it would be the same for this birth. It wasn't.

I was at 8 cm for a long time. Turns out little Julia was posterior which means she was heading out face up instead of face down. This is not comfortable, nor is it the easy route. Julia knew this, as she is so smart, and was trying to turn before she descended into the birth canal. So now she is kinda sideways and I'm having serious discomfort! Not only am I having serious discomfort, I am unbelievably emotional during this labor. Crying, crying, crying. Feeling so unsure of becoming a mommy of three...Kevin was so reassuring and Deb was too. We had a pow wow in the bathroom while I was laboring and they prayed for me! Anyway, eventually Laurie decided to turn the baby during my contractions. I have never wanted to quit during labor: you know women say that, but I never had that feeling, until then. Then I wanted to quit!!

I begged Laurie to stop. So she gave me a break and watched my progress during labor and decided that I could push this baby out posterior. She told me I could do it. So I believed her and steeled myself for a long road ahead because I had read and heard that posterior labors last a long time. So I pushed to get rid of the cervix and went from and 8 to 10 in three contractions. So then the work of getting the baby out began, but I kinda didn't realize that till I felt the tell tale burning sensation! It was so quick! I was so glad.

Laurie helped me push her out so gently, that is what I'm most proud of when I watch the video: my control at pushing her out. Of course having Laurie in my face encouraging me totally made it possible! So Julia decided she would turn as I pushed her out, so she came out the right way after all, only with her fist on her head. Which would explain why in the video I look like I am trying to stand up and leave during the crowning!! LOL

Then she was out and in my lap and just looked so big and chunky to me. She has dark hair just like my other two but she didn't have the long swatch of hair on top like my other two did so since I couldn't get to the cord to move it (they were messing with the IV in my hand) I just knew that meant it was a boy! Funny how our mind works! But Kevin took a look and announced that we were blessed with another girl. YAY!! Three girls!!

Then they were caring for me while I tried to get her to latch on. I've had an issue with each previous birth of bleeding a little too excessively so because I went into this pregnancy already anemic they were wanting to be sure that was not an issue. So thanks to answered prayer and fabulous midwives I had no issue with bleeding this birth!!

Soon we were all settled in and Papa brought the girls back from McDonald's to see their new sister. It was wonderful. I was so glad to have my mom and Sandy and Deb there. There is something really amazing about being supported in labor by women that you know love you. And of course Kevin was the best birthing partner ever. I use the word partner rather than coach because he is much more of a partner. We are really good together, and he knows just what to do and say. So yes this was the most difficult labor I have experienced, but I would never trade it, 'cause there is just something about having my baby at home with my family and my midwife who I now call a friend... and being able to say I DID THAT!!! There is nothing like it!

So now what you really want: pictures!

Our new little family of Five!!

Laurie getting ready to weigh my little chunky monkey!

The girls each getting a turn to hold the baby and kiss her goodnight!

Baby on the Way!!

I just washed all the diapers!

I am so proud because many of these will be on their third rotation and when I unpacked them, I discovered the elastic was shot in most of them. I thought "Oh no, we will need new diapers and we can't afford them really..."

But then, and this is why I am proud, I figured out a way to revamp them a different way so I could replace the elastic!! Yay!!! --Hopefully they will all be just as leak proof as they were for previous babies!

So here is a fun picture of them all hanging on the line. Today was the perfect day, sunny (and of course hot) but windy too, so they won't be too stiff for my sweet new baby to be!

Prayers Answered!!

So first off, the great news!! The baby is head down!!!
YYYEEEEEAAAHHHHH!!
YYIIIIPPPPEEEEE!!!
So it seemed like such drama getting into the Docs office. I guess we were just dealing with a nurse who just didnt know what to think of a person under the care of a midwife. We always do the first couple months care at the Docs office and then transfer to the midwife. So I already have a relationship with this office, SO... I really thought it would be no big deal. But it took a couple calls and a call from Dr. Deb, AKA good friend (been at her births, shes been at mine) to call as my 'physician liaison'. She made herself available to answer any concerns or clear up any questions so I could get an apointment quickly. That was last week.
SO today I went in and the Doc was so kind and considerate and right away saw that the head was down. So then it was to answer Kevin's heart desire: Was this a boy?
Now before I tell you, I must relate to you the first time we went to the midwife once this baby was big enough to feel moving around. She had to move the little Doppler 3 times cause the baby would kick and move away. So our joke was that the baby was very private.
Well turns out he/she really is. We could not get a single look at this baby's 'parts'. Its feet were up in my ribs and knees were together so we got a good look at it's bony little booty, but that's it.
So it is still a surprise!
And Kevin is still in suspense!

Prayer Request

Well we went to the midwife today, which I always enjoy doing. It makes for a nice little day trip cause we get to go to Austin and sometimes we do something after we visit with her. The girls love going to these appointments and hearing the baby's heart beat and chatting Ms. Laurie's ear off. I love going and chatting Ms. Laurie's ear off!
I am 6 weeks away from the due date and the baby is still head up it seems. I had suspicions that that was the case, but what do I know!--turns out I might know something!
So Laurie, our midwife wants us to go get an ultra sound to find out for sure if it is or isn't breech. We don't even know for sure that there is something to be concerned about yet.
This pregnancy for me has been a constant test of me just trusting, and I am ashamed to say I have failed the test I think. I have spent a lot of this pregnancy being anxious at least under the surface. If any little thing arose, I became anxious, and yes each time I exerted much effort to choose to trust in the Lord, but yet the next test arrived and I would face it once again with anxiety. SO this is no different, and although my good friend Dr. Deb assured me that there is every likelihood that this baby will turn on its own by the time the day arrives, our plan for home birth has to take this into serious consideration and prayer.
I would love all of you to pray with me for this baby to be head down when we do get an ultra sound, and if it isn't that it would turn.
I would also ask that you all be supportive in prayer and words what ever we feel comfortable doing as the birth of this baby draws closer. I am sitting here debating whether or not to even post because I am afraid of having to be on the defence of what decision we may make. Of course I know you all love us and any concerns you express would be with the best intentions, but you understand right!? I did hours in the library researching before Annelise was born at home, and of course will be just as educated in this instance. But the most important thing to me is that what ever decision be made based out of trust and not out of fear.
So all that to say: pray for this baby to "turn, turn, turn"--get it?!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lgtCJAWfrk&NR=1
Kevin put this song on today and said it was for the baby, so we all laughed and danced in our pajamas--- well the girls were in theirs!