a little photo session, poor unsuspecting Emory

I realized that little Emory is going to change so fast and i needed to catch some fun newborn pics..

And Camiron was not going to be left out of this. So of course we had to get some sister pics, and then an unsuspecting Braden came home from school and had to be roped into the mix....

so here are a few we captured in our quick session

Emory Mae

After a terrible round of the flu- I went to Labor and Delivery on Monday with 2 problems- a cough that 

was ripping apart my muscles because my stomach was so big, and palms that itched beyond control.

The resident or pa who saw me finally agreed to give me some medicine for the cough but told me he 

had never heard of itching palms or a problem I looked up called Colestasis.  So I was sent home with out any tests done.  That night the itching spread to my feet and I called and set up an apt for the next morning with a doctor (tuesday).  When she saw me and i told her I thought I had Colestasis she explained that it is very rare, but normal for pregnant women to have itching. She agreed to run the tests I think only because Troy was a physician there and I told her he thought I might have it too.  So the first tests came back showing my liver was off- but we had to wait for another test that had to be sent off.  In the meantime my whole body was uncontrollably itchy and I could not sleep at all- at all!   When the results finally came in on Friday morning she called me immediately and said that I did in fact have Colestasis of Pregnancy and they were going to induce me on Sunday.  

(Colestasis only happens in pregnancy and effects your liver.  The itching is because your liver isn't producing the bile correctly and it is toxic to your blood.  It is also toxic to the baby and often results in still birth so they like to induce at 37 weeks to have the baby out rather than at continued risk)

I called my parents and they were amazing and flew in the next day!  yipee... my cute church friends gave me a surprise shower that night- and then i went in on Sunday morning.  

It went amazingly well for not really being in labor yet- i was already dialated to a 3 when they started the Pit that morning around 9.  I got my epidural (i love you) around 12 and they broke my water around 2.  Around 2:45 I was feeling a lot of pressure they had me start pushing a few minutes before 3 and she was born at 3:04pm.  I really didn't push at all- she just came on out.  

We were sooo glad that she was strong and healthy being 3 weeks early and all. she was breathing on her own and doing great. She is our smallest at 6pd 8 oz.   We didn't officially decide on Emory Mae until we had to hand over the birth certificate information but she is our little Emmers already.  

first look

her first washing

we were finally released and made it home Monday night for her to meet her brother and sister.

poor camiron we were trying to get home as fast as we could because it was her birthday!

She is my big 4 year old now!!  I never thought they would only be a day apart-  thank you Emory for not coming on the same day! 

First tub at home

home for a day....

the flu hit

the flu hit our house and it was miserable.  Braden brought it home from school.  he spent 5 days with a terrible fever, aches, puking, coughs- the whole nine yards.  He of course handed it over on a silver platter to Camiron who fared about as well as he did.  Who then handed it over to me.  I wanted to die.  At 36 weeks pregers, there just was not much I could take.  I actually called troy in tears and asked him to come home from work.  I have only done that one other time.  I had chills, migranes, body aches, and a cough that just about killed me.  coughing that pregnant made it rip some of the muscles in my stomach so it felt like I was being stabbed in different parts of my stomach every time I coughed.  the cough is still around.... but this leads into our little emory being born.....

my little b-ball boy

My little Braden is playing his first season of basketball and of course loves it.  He has so much energy and gets really into sports so he has been excited to play basketball for a while.  

The funniest thing is that we will say he is slightly vertically challenged- he really is a little guy, but

he made 9 of the 12 baskets for his team in the first 4 games.  I guess sometimes it is good to be small- gives him a little more coordination than some :)  

Ice, ice, ice = no school

Just after Braden headed back to school from Christmas break, we had another snow storm.

It is different on the East Coast when it snows... the world stops- unless you are a doctor.

So the first day it snowed about 4 inches, so everything was cancelled, the next day it rained and turned 

everything to ice and everything was cancelled.  on day three- it was cancelled, just because.

The ice really was amazing, our back yard looked like a big ice rink and the kids had as much 

fun playing in it as they did playing in the snow.  

The biggest bummer- me- at 8 months pregnant I was not up for the three of us being trapped at home for 5 days while troy still had to work. It was one rough week that is for sure.  But very beautiful. 

SNOW

My Hawaii babies are not used to snow and have been asking for it all season. Well the day after Christmas it was delivered!  It snowed most of the day.  We headed over to the Mayberry's house to play in the snow together and the kids were so giddy.  

With some help from the dad's they made a huge snowman.  we added a grass skirt to it from the Christmas tree and I somehow never caught a picture of that!  What a great Christmas present :)

christmas festivities

Braders school had a pj day which is every kids dream day!  and they put on a sing along.  too cute. 

                                    Riley and Braden

we spent christmas eve with our good friends the mayberry's.  it had been a rough week leading up to christmas, both kids came down with a terrible sickness and we had been trapped inside for the whole week.  Thankfully the mayberry's had their own sickness to bring along so they were still up for getting together and sharing the germs :)  the kids had a great time playing, making cookies for santa, dinner and being excited!

                                  Ben, Camiron, Eathen, Kevin and Olivia

                                                   E-E tasting the goods!

Christmas morning was so much fun with the kids this year.  They were just so excited for Santa and all the fun new toys.  Braden tore through his presents while Camiron loved to open, play a little, try on some things then open some more.  

and the best gift of all was a new piano from Nana and Papa.  Now we all need to learn how to play!