Welcome, little Girl!

Eve Lynn Whitaker

8 lbs, 5 oz, 21"

born 3:28 am, September 27, 2010

I'll have some better pictures when we get home (I forgot to bring my card reader to the hospital), but Evie is here, safe and sound and beautiful! I finally decided to take castor oil and kick this labor into gear if I could (since I was scheduled to be induced Tuesday). Much to my surprise, it worked!

Regular contractions started around 10:30pm, we got checked in to the hospital around 12:30. I was so shocked to discover that I was already 8 cm! My midwife broke my water to get my contractions going stronger, but I hung out at 8cm until 3am. She mentioned the word "pitocin" at that point, but I said I just wanted to rest. Did that for 20 minutes, and suddenly it was time to go! It was by FAR my easiest labor, but pushing is still horrible. :) Fortunately it only took 4 pushes for her to arrive into the world.

She looks just like Isaac, except 1lb heavier and blonde, and I think she takes after Vance's mom's side of the family. The "big kids" are totally in love. They both held her almost constantly when the came to visit: Isaac showered her with sweet kisses, and Claire immediately took charge as the little mamma. I think they're going to do great... :)

More on her name later, but we are healthy, happy, and so grateful to have a sweet, healthy baby girl in our arms. God is so overwhelmingly kind.

Patience is a Virtue

...or something like that. Do you see these cute pictures of my 2 kids? They're still accurate. Because I still have only two children available for photo shoots. The third is in hiding.

This has been a pretty emotional week. Just ask Vance :). I went into labor on Monday, but after 4 hours it petered out, and I was devastated. I was SO convinced it was the real thing, and so excited and ready and then I just felt like the rug was pulled out from under me. I've gotten progressively more stable as the week has gone by, but every series of contractions gets me wondering. Darn prodromal labor.

The good news is that all these contractions are doing something--my midwife commented that at this rate, I'll just wake up one morning with a baby next to me :). I guess that could work fine.

It's certainly been an exercise in patience and trust and helplessness. I know there are things you can do to speed labor along--and I HAVE DONE THEM ALL. All, I tell you! Except castor oil, and I might try that on Saturday if I'm still baby-less then. But ultimately, this is just an area where I'm not really in control. I don't like that very much, to be honest. But it's a good reminder that my whole life is really pretty much like that. So I'm learning patience, one contraction at a time.

Hopefully soon, though, I'll get to learn something new, like how to juggle life with 3 kids :)

Eviction Notice

Dear Baby Girl,

In case you are not aware, let me inform you of an important fact: TODAY IS YOUR DUE DATE.

I know you are your own person. I know you have your own agenda and your own personality. I'm getting over the fact that my third baby is going to be the first overdue one. Really, I can deal with it. Mostly that's due to family sickness this week--I'm actually kind of glad that you haven't decided to show up in the middle of our sore-throated, ear-infected, head-pounding, exhausted week.

But as I'm starting to climb out of my sickness-induced fog, my dissatisfaction with the current situation is growing. It's time for you to leave, dear. There are bigger and better things in store for you. Let's get on with it, shall we?

My hips are no longer interested in holding you. My arms are. See you soon!

Love,

Your mother

PS - I don't know what you've got going on tonight, but I'm free...what do you think??

Trundle Love

Recently we got Claire a big girl bed, and it has been true love ever since. Isaac was thrilled to put it together, but for Claire it represented a new level of intimacy in her relationship with her daddy. SO many times while he has put her to bed, she has hugged him and whispered, "You built this trundle bed for me". He has earned serious Daddy points.

She loves that it's a trundle bed...for now it stores her toys away, and when Baby Girl grows out of her crib, she'll get the trundle. I scored some cheap bedding on clearance today, and although she's still sleeping on an air mattress, Claire couldn't be happier.

Oh, and if you're wondering about Claire's outfit--plaid skirt with brown polka dot shirt--that's just what happens when a 2.5 year old fashion maven begins dressing herself. I'm sure I'll see much more exciting outfits in the future :)

In Claire's World

Claire's version of "I'm in the Lord's Army":

"I may never march in the -- YES MA'AM!!!!"


Claire going to a friend's house:

C: "I'm going to Pattea's house"
Isaac: "It's not Pattea, Claire. Her name is Mattea."
C: "No!!!! Her name is Ka Puh.... Ka Puh.... Ka Puh...(obviously struggling)"
Vance: "Pattea?"
C: "Yes! Pattea!!" (we now call Claire's friend General Petraeus :)


Claire, upon seeing me with curlers in my hair (a rare sighting!):

C: "Mama!! I see your hair! It is LILLY LILLY LILLY pretty!! Do you, are you, do you have Twizzlers in your hair?" (Note: she liked my hair better with the curlers in than out :)

Rich

It's slowly starting to cool down here...not during the day, but in the mornings and evenings it's getting fun to be outside. Especially with Daddy.

Isaac is spending much of his time as a soldier these days. The biggest and strongest one in the world, actually! He uses his powers for good, though--mostly in protecting Mama and the baby.

Soon to be big sister.

Pictures like these remind me how stinkin rich I am. Yesterday was a fun day--new books from the library, a relaxed afternoon, lots of time wrestling Daddy in the front yard, movie date night in after the kids were in bed. It was one of those days where it was easy to enjoy my job. I needed that.

I feel like I've spent a lot of time lately grasping for control in my life (especially my parenting), and the attempt has made me frustrated and also not very fun to be around. I've spent a lot of time trying to correct: "don't talk like that! wait your turn! be patient! please move! I told you to speak kindly! No whining! Come here, I said". So much time correcting that I haven't had much left for other things, like enjoying, giving thanks, and praying.

I've been re-reading A Praying Life (for the third time, and I highly recommend it!), and he was saying that we are often prayerless in our parenting when we think the answers are obvious. I don't need to pray about Isaac's impatience, because the answer is obvious: he needs to wait his turn. I don't need to pray about Claire's whining, because the solution is obvious: she needs to just stop it. Guilty, guilty, guilty.

So I'm working on requiring obedience without becoming a control freak. I'm working on being a little more patient, slowing down enough to enjoy the kids instead of just being the boss. And I'm working on praying for my children instead of just assuming I know what the problems and solutions are. Easier said than done...but I've been grateful for the grace I've been given the last few days to do that. And you know what? Not being the tyrant in the family is...fun.

Nice Catch

Today was a big day in our adjustment to FL life: Vance got to go fishing with a friend from work. They went kayaking in the mangrove swamps by the Gulf, and apparently only caught one fish within the weight limits: everything else was too big to bring home! Some men bring home the bacon--I'm happy if mine brings back the fish. And fillets it, batters it, and cooks it up for me. That's just the way I like it.

Apparently, that's the way our kids like it, too... :)

"Surgery is SO FUN!!"

Seriously, that is what Isaac said to me at 6:30 this morning when we were headed out the door to All Children's Hospital. We dropped Claire off at a friend's house (she was super pumped about that, too), and Isaac reveled in his alone time with Mama, Daddy, and the very-friendly staff.

They had a little flat screen in the pre-op room, and Isaac got to watch Diego track down gorillas. Heaven, I tell you. Who WOULDN'T want to have surgery?! They even special-ordered a wheelchair to take him to the OR, since he asked for one.

Aside from a lot of waiting, everything went just about as smoothly as it could have. The surgeon said everything looked great, although it will take 6 weeks or so to know conclusively how his eyes are responding.

I was curious if the recovery process would take the edge off of Isaac's excitement. Not too much. His only complaint was, "I have sand in my eyes," and once he commented that his left eye hurt, but I heard no more complaints after the nurse brought out the "big" popsicle he had requested.

He was reading on the drive home, has been eating like a horse, and generally has been acting full of energy and completely normal. We have been overwhelmed by all the texts, phone calls, and messages everyone has sent us--thank you so much for all your prayers, everyone.

Even though our hospital experience was a great one, there is something about seeing your son laying on a guerney with a hospital gown and a bandage over his eyes that twists at your heart. It gave me a tiny little window into the lives of people I know who have had much more traumatic and life-threatening things happen to their children...more sympathy and understanding for the parents who have sat in other waiting rooms helplessly while someone else fights for their child's life and health. It makes me grateful that God gives more grace to those in need of it, and grateful that for today, at least, he has spared us that experience.

Going Under the Knife

My little man is having eye surgery tomorrow morning. And it's my fault. Rather, it's my genes' fault.

Those of you who have been around Isaac in the last year and a half or so have probably noticed that his eye increasingly crosses in. We first started noticing it when he was 2.5, and it has been getting worse since then. After seeing three different opthamologists, we're finally convinced that surgery is the best way to go. So tomorrow morning, at 9:30 am, Isaac's eye muscles are going to be readjusted. Please pray for peace for all of us (probably me more than anyone!), skill for the surgeon, and a completely successful operation that would NOT require subsequent surgeries. Unfortunately, this kind of surgery comes with a 20% chance of needing a second surgery...which we would obviously like to avoid.

One day, probably when he's 8, I'll give him all the gory details of how they pull out his eyes, sever the muscles, and reattach them. He'll think it's cool then. For now, he just knows that he's going to the hospital, the doctor will give him some special medicine to help him sleep, and when he wakes up, Mama and Daddy will be right there, and his eyes will be fixed. I told him his eyes might sting later that day, but that I would make him a special treat for dinner. (He is his Daddy's son, and has already chosen pasta :).

I had a similar issue at birth, and had this surgery at 18 months old. Thankfully, I only needed one surgery, but because of it's early onset, I lost my binocular vision (a source of endless wonder and entertainment for some of my friends in youth group days). I'm really glad that Isaac's outlook is a lot brighter, but very aware right now that we are at the mercy of a surgeon's hand and our God's mercy on Isaac.

Thanks for your prayers, everyone. We'll post an update tomorrow.

Lemon Blueberry Bread

I have two very eager helpers in my kitchen. They are both short, clumsy, and a little too inexperienced to function as good sous-chefs, but I'm trying to be a good mom and let them help anyway. Our kitchen, while no longer microscopic, is still a little short on counter space, so it takes a little extra patience to let them haul in chairs and crowd me out of my own space. But it's a good cause, right? I want my kids to help one day, and I want to involve them in the cooking process. But sometimes it just seems like more work than it's worth...

Like on the day I decided to make lemon blueberry bread. I don't make it that often, but Mom made tons of it for my wedding, so it has a lot of good memories attached to it. Plus, it's really yummy. In a moment of brilliance, I figured we 3 could whip up a double batch of blueberry bread before I got dinner on the table. I know all you moms of preschoolers are laughing about now. But everything was going pretty well, until I started squeezing the lemons. After laboriously juicing the too-small lemons I had, I finally had enough. That's when Claire leaned over to grab something Isaac had, Isaac batted her hand away, and ... CRASH! Down went my lemon juice on the floor, into a million pieces went my measuring cup.

But I"m working on being patient, right? And kids are kids, right? So I heroically sweep up the glass, get out the mop, clean the floor, and head to the fridge for another bunch of lemons. Isaac, convinced now that the purchase of a new measuring cup is going to put us in the poorhouse, is too intimidated to cook any longer. But Claire forges on. She is motivated by the reward of licking the beater at the end.

After juicing another batch of lemons, I remind Claire once again, "DON'T TOUCH THE LEMON JUICE." And she tries, really she does. But she lost her balance on the chair, steadied herself on the counter--and wouldn't you know it--the measuring cup. Down goes the juice. Did I mention that I had just mopped the floor earlier that day?

ARGH! But I mop the floor again, look at the clock, which reads, youreallyshouldbeinthemiddleofmakingdinnerrightnow, and get out another 120,00 lemons. This time I don't let go of the measuring cup for even a second, and the juice miraculously makes it's way into the bread. Victory! Except that Claire leans forward, pushes the chair a bit on the slick floor, and faceplants on the tile.

Those are the days where I just have to laugh, because the day is getting too ridiculous to do anything else. And I make sure, when Vance bites into the bread he loves, that he knows how much it cost :).

37 Weeks

I knew I should have gotten Vance to take a few pictures about a month ago, when I was still feeling cute and pregnant. Right now, I mostly feel ready to explode. But that's okay, because I hopefully don't have that much longer...right, Baby?! Do we have a deal?

Even though I feel massive and increasingly like an 85 year old woman trying to heave myself off of furniture without any functioning abdominals, I feel pretty healthy overall. I'm still trying to work out as much as I can, and we're swimming a lot in the pool. We are all very impatient to meet this new little Whitaker, although I am starting to have bouts of intimidation at the thought of the impending craziness. I've felt a bit overwhelmed with the parenting challenges that I already have, so adding another baby on to that can be pretty scary. I'm trying to prepare myself for a rough transition period--but after going from 1 to 2, I do know that it is just that: a period.

I already can't imagine our family without this new little mystery girl, and I can't wait for all the cuddles a few weeks will bring my way!

La Playa

This is Florida, after all, so when we get a chance, we head down for some white sand, blue water, and free fun.

Teaching the kids how to make drip castles was our latest activity. They really got into it!

Summer on the Porch

Although Isaac still insists (on a nearly daily basis) that when he grows up, he will be "a farmer and a daddy", he still has plenty of room in his heart and schedule for construction. He found this foam block in the trash and went to town. It took days to get all those little foam balls out of the lanai, but it was worth it :).

And speaking of finding time, Isaac has plenty to spare. He often wants to go swimming right when I'm getting dinner on. The resulting conversation usually goes something like this:

Isaac: Mama, can we go swimming now?
Me: Honey, I don't have time right now...I'm making dinner. I'm sorry, honey.
Isaac: But I have time! We can go swimming! I have 5 pounds of time!
Claire, these days, is more occupied by serenading anyone in a 2-mile radius with her latest extemporaneous vocal compositions. My shyer child comes completely out of her shell, even around strangers, if she is holding this miraculous device in her hand. It doesn't hurt to wear the "dancing dress" (the ultra-touristy flamenco dress we got her in Spain--a total hit). She's got lungs, that one. And remarkably good pitch for a 2 year old. She may have a future in the performing arts :)

But her fortissimo arias tone down into hushed lullabies when she is putting her babies to bed. She loves her babies these days, and is constantly seen rocking, singing, walking, and comforting them. She sings them her favorite songs ("Jesus Loves Me" and the "Gospel Song"), pats them and says, "Don't cry, sweet-heart" when something scary is going on, and changes lots of diapers. She's also quite the disciplinarian. It looks like she has another future in store for her as well...

I'm Back

No, we didn't move to Timbuktu, or get drowned in all our FL rain, or have a baby, or fall of the face of the earth...

But I did lose my camera card reader--and with it, all motivation to post. However, I finally hauled myself, my larger-than-life baby bump, and 3 kids (one was borrowed, for all you math majors out there) out to Best Buy in the pouring--and I mean POURING--rain to buy a new card reader. So I'll put up a few pictures from our summer, and try to catch up on life before the next baby arrives and chaos descends again :)

Isaac's Prayers

My boy is growing up. I see it all the time, now...he's thinking and talking and interacting on a different level. It's fun. It's intimidating. Because now that I feel somewhat comfortable dealing with the needs of infants, I have a toddler and a preschooler on my hands. They're always one step ahead of my competency :).

One of the best parts about Isaac's age right now is having more significant spiritual conversations with him. We've started encouraging him to have his own devotional time if he wakes up while we are having ours. He sits on the couch and looks at his children's Bible while we read and pray. Obviously he's not getting a ton out of it, but I do think he's starting to understand that God needs to be the first priority in his day.

About a month ago, Vance was reading the crucifixion narrative to Isaac at bedtime--they talked about why Jesus had to die, and what he accomplished for us. As he was putting Isaac to bed, Vance asked if he was ready to pray. Isaac said that he wanted to pray by himself. So Vance left, put his ear to the door, and heard Isaac pray, "Jesus, please save me from hell. Thank you for dying on the cross for me so I wouldn't be punished."

Wow. That's all I could think when Vance told me.

Is their a "moment" when a child becomes a believer? Is it important to know it? How can you tell when a child understands enough to repent of his sin and put all his hope in Christ? These are big topics, and lots of books have been written about them. For our family, I don't want to put too much emphasis on one defining moment (he wasn't an angel the next day or anything!). At the same time, I would hate to "despise the day of small things" and blow his prayer off. Instead, I have found myself praying, "God, hear his prayer. Give him eternal life with you. Give him eyes to see you." And I've been rejoicing that, young as he is, he gets it. Not everything, of course--wait, neither do I! But he knows that he does wrong. He knows his sin has to be addressed. He knows he needs a new heart. And he knows Jesus came to rescue him so he could go to heaven one day.

Time will tell the fruit, but for now I'm grateful for moments like that one. And I'm excited about getting to talk about significant, life-changing things with my (not so!) little people.

Kids' Top Baby Names

In no particular order, the kids have suggested:

1. Azalea (the baby doll's name)
2. Fluffy (!)
3. Claire (guess who chose that one :)
4. Baby Terri

Hmmm.....any other ideas? :)

It's a ....

We had our big ultrasound yesterday! It was really fun (despite being really early in the morning), especially because it was the first ultrasound the kids could participate in--without being the subjects :). They were really excited about meeting the new one, and Isaac talked about the baby the WHOLE drive to the hospital.

Everything looked great, Baby checked out exactly with my due date, is a healthy 13 oz., and is a--wait for it--GIRL! I told the tech that we wanted to know, but I wanted to try and figure it out for myself first. Our little lady showed us her gender last, and she was a little wiggly by that point, but I got a pretty decent view and gasped, "It's a girl!" I was so surprised. I had really started assuming that it was a boy. I don't know exactly why I kept thinking that, but I did. So seeing girl parts on the screen was kind of a shocker for me. Still is, a little!

I turned to Isaac and said, "Isaac, you're going to have a little sister!" To which he wailed, "I didn't want to have a SISTER!!!! I wanted a GIRL!!!!!"

I'm still not sure what he meant by that. But it was pretty funny :).

Being the mother of not one but two girls is starting to make me realize what a big responsibility I have as a mother. Somehow I have to model what it looks like to be a godly woman for them. Intimidating. And what about competition, inferiority complexes, endless comparison, estrogen spikes?! Yeesh. But intimidation aside, I am so excited to get to raise sisters--I'm looking forward to all the talking and teaching and giggling and slumber-partying.

But first things first--mostly I'm looking forward to cuddling a sweet little lady in a few months!

Chicken Stock Epiphany

I know, I know. The language is a bit strong...an epiphany over chicken stock?!

But if you've read much on nutritious cooking, a good homemade stock pretty much gets #1 on the list of must-haves. It's full of minerals and valuable electrolytes, it's easy on your digestive system, promotes digestive healing, reduces allergies, helps your body get every bit of value out of the protein you eat, boosts your immune system, and is frugal and easy to make. Basically, it's a wonder food. You just have to know how to make it right.

My mom taught me how to make chicken stock when I was a teenager, and I had always used a relatively similar process. However, the nutrition experts said to simmer the stock for 6-24 hours to get the full nutrition from the marrow, and by then, my stock smelled so overcooked I didn't even want to taste it.

But I have overcome. And you can too. (if you care, that is). The secret is to simmer the bones for 6-24 hours, but add the veggies in only at the very end. It was the vegetables that were getting nastily overcooked.

This is my new method (my apologies to recipe lovers everywhere--just apply this method to your favorite stock recipe if you are into following rules and that kind of thing):

- Soak chicken bones in cold water to generously cover, along with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, for an hour or so. (The vinegar helps get the minerals and gelatin out of the bones and into your broth).
- Simmer on low heat all day, for 6-24 hours.
- An hour or two before you're taking it off, add two quartered onions (with the peel on), a couple celery stalks, several chunked carrots, parsley, salt, and whatever herbs you desire in the pot.
- Drain broth into a large bowl, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate overnight. You'll know sweet success if your broth has turned into a gelatin--this means you've gotten all the good stuff! You can skim the fat, but it's a good-for you kind of unsaturated fat, so I usually keep it.
- I freeze my broth in two- and four-cup portions, and make an ice cube tray of broth cubes for those times where you just need a 1/4 c. of broth.

I am now making stock every time I get a good bag of leftover chicken bones saved up in my freezer, which is about every week or two. Since it's so nutritious, I substitute broth in for the water in casseroles, rice, stew, and even pasta sauces. It tastes 10 times better than Swansons, and is infinitely more nutritious.

Just had to share my latest culinary victory!

Convos, Take Two:

A few more conversations from the last few days:

Isaac, to Vance on a walk, just after Vance had beaten him in a race (Isaac was biking):
"Daddy, you're full of slowness. I'm full of fastness!"

(He's confident. Not a very good grip on reality, but the confidence he has in spades :)

Isaac, to me, as I spilled a good bit of pudding cake batter on the counter, in a disappointed voice:

"Mama, I'm not very impressed."

(do I get at least an E for effort? I was making dessert for a weekday meal, for crying out loud! That almost never happens! :)

They just keep coming at me...

Talking with Little People

One of the best parts of my job has to be the crazy and curious little conversations I have with my little ones during the day. They frequently say such crazy things, or make me say things I never thought would come out of my mouth. I know I've posted some of these on facebook, but since this is my "official" family record, they need to be taken down here as well...

At dinner:
Vance: "Isaac, would you pray tonight?"
Isaac: "Okay. GOD!! (big sigh) Stop the hateness!! Give us loveness! Amen."

Again, at dinner (wherein all the items on his plate are things he likes, but my arrival to the table veggie in hand was met with a cacophony of "BROCCOLI!!!!!!" from my kids..as if I never feed them green things):
Isaac: "Mama, can I have some more broccoli?"
Me: "Um, sweetie, you haven't eaten anything else yet. Eat some potato, and then you can have more broccoli."

At bedtime (wherein Isaac wanted me to put him to bed instead of Daddy):
Isaac: "I don't like you very much."
Vance: "Oh. Well, I love you. Do you love me?"
Isaac: "Yeah."
V: "Do you like me?"
I: "No."
V: "Oh. Well, I like you, Isaac."
I: (sighs) "yeah, me too."

Talking about the new baby:
Me: "Isaac, do you think the baby is a boy or a girl?"
Isaac: "I think it's a girl"
Me: "Why do you think that?"
I: "Because I like girls. Girls are my favorite!"
(Lock up your daughters, ladies :)

Claire hasn't come out with such extended strange talks, but she has her own slew of cute-isms. She is the most encouraging two-year old I know. She is constantly exclaiming over things I do, saying, "Good job, Mama! Good job!" She told me that yesterday when I was making dinner: "Good job, Mama! You are a good cooker!" (I'm sure the fact that we were having pasta for dinner did not sway her judgment in the least :)

She also likes to call me "honey" or "Terri" at random times. It's particularly sweet and unexpected when she calls me honey or sweetie. She will do that to Isaac too, and if he is crying or whining she will run to find him, calling, "What's wrong, honey?"

Claire wants to be a big girl, and tries to keep up with her big brother as best she can. Isaac has been sounding out lots of things lately, and she's trying to do the same. After a car ride full of Isaac's " B says, b, b, Bicycle!", Claire decided to try: "B says b, b, stroller!

She's almost got it, I think.