The Details…

So the funny thing was that I didn’t even know I was in labor when I went to the hospital on Saturday.  So I know you are wondering why I even went in…  Well, the story really starts Friday night because we went to dinner with a bunch of our friends who have gone on this spiritual retreat Murray and I did about a month ago.  One of the ladies there is a friend of ours from church who is a nurse in L&D who works at the hospital where we were going to deliver.  She told me and Murray that if we were ready to meet our little girl just to come on in because she was working Sat. and Sun. and would get things going.  Well, Murray and I really went back and forth over whether we should do this or not, but, after I could hardly sleep at all Friday night because my back hurt SO badly and realizing that my parents were going to be in town already so they could help with Cole, we decided to go in. 

Last belly shot at 39 weeks

I was nervous about how the whole process would go, but, when they hooked me up to the monitors, I was really in labor!  Haha.  So weird! My contractions were already only 3 minutes apart at the most so I guess my back was hurting so bad because of that.  It was just so different with Cole because I never had any warning with him.  My water just broke so I knew I was in labor.  Well, by the time (about an hour) they moved me from triage to a L&D room, I could definitely feel the contractions.  They did break my water to speed things up… I think because it was Derby day in Louisville.    My total labor process was right at 5 hours, and I only pushed through 2 contractions- not even 5 minutes.  Granted I had an epidural pretty soon after they broke my water, but I have to be honest and say that it was pretty easy! 

Jordan was born at 5:52 and was a good girl right from the start.  She was so alert, ate well, and was so content.  My parents brought Cole up, and Murray went out to bring him back to my room.  I was really eager to see if he put 2 and 2 together and how he reacted to it all.  I have to say, he really couldn’t have been better, sweeter, more appropriate, or into his new baby sister.  He nearly jumped out of Murray’s arms when he saw me, and, with the biggest smile, ran up to my bed and said Baby Jordan!  He was a little hesitant about all of mommy’s tubes and weird bed, but as soon as someone else (not in the hospital bed) held Jordan, he was all about checking her out, doing “this little piggy” with her toes, and giving her kisses. 

To say that Jordan was well visited is a major understatement!  We had 18 people in our postpartum room at one point.  All our immediate family came, a few extended family members, and several of our good friends from church.  Everybody loved on our sweet girl and thought she was precious.  Of course mommy & daddy agree.

We came home on Monday, and things have been going really well with Jordan.  She eats great, sleeps way better than Cole did at this point, and just has such an easy-going disposition.  I know it could change, but for now thank goodness! 

All dressed up to come home…

Professional pics before we were discharged.

Big brother Cole came up to the hospital to help take Baby Jordan home.  He had to teach her a few things first- like how to show off your rhino horn.

Giving her eskimo kisses and telling me we needed to paint her fingernails.

Such a good big brother!

Pretty weird to have 2 kids in the backseat.

Our welcome home Jordan sign.

Our only real drama is that Murray and Cole both started running fever on Tuesday.  Cole’s is a virus, and Murray’s is bacterial.  Cole luckily only ran fever about 24 hours, but poor Murray was still running fever as recently as this afternoon.  It has been really hard having to keep everyone separated and for Murray not to get to hold or spend time with Jordan.  Definitely not how we pictured our first week as a family of 4 being, but I guess it is just real life.    We are very thankful that so far (knock on wood & lots of prayers) Jordan and I seem to be ok.  It could be so much worse! 

It has been fun to see Cole with Jordan (before he got sick & now that he is better).  He is really attentive to her, wants to take care of her, likes holding her, etc.  At her follow-up visit with the pediatrician, he watched everything they were doing to her to make sure she was ok.  He would say “You otay (ok) baby?”  When the lactation consultant took her out of the room to weigh her, he ran to the door saying “Sissy? Sissy?”  So cute to see him already looking out for her.  He loves to show her all the things he does.  He will say “Watch Jordan” or “Watch Baby Sissy.”  By the way she got a great report at the doctor.  She was already gaining weight back, looked perfect, and ate like a little piggy.  Apparently she ate enough for a 10 lb baby even though she is just over 7 lbs now, and that was with me cutting her off!  We may have one chunky little girl before long!

Well that’s pretty much it…  I know y’all just want more pictures and videos anyway… 

First family walk

So fun to dress her up!

Nothing like some good snuggle time!  Naps together are the best!

Our happy girl!

Singing to his baby sissy…

Our pretty, bright-eyed baby girl- even Cole wanted to take pictures of her. 

Showing Jordan how to play baseball… listen for the “watch baby.”

I have been so overwhelmed this week with how incredibly blessed I am.  To have 2 healthy, precious children is unbelievable.  God is so very good to me.  We have a good friend who jokingly told us that you don’t ever love your 2nd kid as much.  (He is expecting #4 in a couple months so he is totally just kidding.)  I can honestly say though that Jordan is no less amazing and special to me than Cole, and seeing Cole with Jordan has only increased my amazement and love for him.  Thank you God for your wonderful gifts and PLEASE help me to be the mom they deserve.

Jordan Kelsey Butler!!!

5/7/11  7lbs 10oz  20.5in

So glad I caught up on our last weekend because this one definitely did get busier!  We ended up heading into the hospital on Saturday around 12:45, and we were officially parents of 2 as of 5:52!  Boy was that a fast 5 hours!  Jordan is absolutely wonderful, and Cole couldn’t be a sweeter big brother.  I cannot wait to put up more pictures and the full story later, but for now this will have to do.  Things are busier as a mom of 2. 

Our Weekend Continued…

I figured I should finish documenting our last weekend before this one got too busy!  After the park Saturday afternoon, Murray and I got a baby sitter for Cole and headed to Churchill Downs for opening night of the horse race season.  We went with a  couple of friends from church and some of their work friends.  We had never been before, and it is definitely something everyone in Louisville needs to experience at some point or another.  We had a very fun time… even if I did get crazy looks and told that I looked ripe.  The things that come out of people’s mouths sometimes.  Haha.

Sunday we enjoyed playing outside in the pretty weather too.  Mimi and PopPop had given us some money a while back to get Cole a motorized toy.  After riding Davis’ cool one, we decided Cole needed a 4 wheeler too.  He was so serious on it!  Enjoy the videos below… we still are working on figuring the steering out. 

 

Also… these didn’t happen last weekend but a couple of quick, funny Cole stories.

First he was playing with one of my old cell phones the other day, and I asked who he was calling.  First he told me his buddies which I thought was so cute.  Then I asked him which ones, and he said Daddy.  I said oh that’s good.  Cole held the phone out, pushed the keys, and said 345-Daddy.  Haha.  Didn’t know that was Murray’s number, but it sounds good to me!

Second, this little guy doesn’t miss a thing.  Call it nesting or whatever, but I have been on a cleaning, organizing kick lately.  In part of the process, I had Murray put Cole’s toy keyboard up in the attic to have more space in his room.  The next day, Cole gets up and says “uh-oh, where piano is?”  I told him we had to put it in the attic, and he said “ok, I get it.”   Needless to say, the piano is back downstairs now. 

Hope you all have a great weekend!

When Mommy’s kisses don’t make it better…

Thank goodness for a Daddy who can keep his cool and take care of both his babies!  I hate to even share this because I am really having some major guilty feelings, but I know you will see the bandages in pictures so I have to explain ahead of time.  Today at lunch I was cooking Cole some macaroni & cheese.  He loves to cook with  me so I always have him get a chair to stand on beside me.  I always have my bowl, and he always has his.  We have never had a problem with him trying to mess with my bowl, but, today when I turned to stick the butter in the fridge, I heard him say “Mommy’s bowl.”  I instantly turned back saying “No, No, No.”  Only to be met with a stunned face and then instant screaming.  Yep- he grabbed the incredibly hot pot as he was trying to dump salt into Mommy’s bowl. 

I did all I could think of to calm him down, but nothing was working.  He would stop crying for a couple minutes and then all of a sudden say “Mommy it hurts” and hold his little hand up for me to kiss.  All the kisses in the world couldn’t have fixed this boo-boo, and, when they didn’t help he would cry and say “Daddy, my Daddy.”  So of course I call Murray crying and trying to see if he can come home.  I felt SO bad.  Luckily he was able to come home, and he had the level head to look up how to help it on the internet.  FYI- soaking the burn in cool water helps a ton!  Unfortunately every time we took his hand out, he cried again.

Here is a picture of Cole’s 2 fingers.  It’s taken with my phone so it’s not the best, but you can see the blisters on the tips and halfway down his index finger.  His thumb is also blistered, but the 2 fingers are the worst… even more so since they are the 2 he always sucks when he needs comforted or is tired.

I ended up calling the pediatrician, and we went in to have his fingers checked out.  She said it was fine, but they would be sore for a while because of all the nerve endings in the tips of our fingers.  She gave us a prescription for cream to put on it and told us how to wrap it.  Luckily Murray is quite good at that stuff too because of work, and, as much as he may not be a fan of taking call at a peds hospital, I can testify that those parents are SO blessed when he is the one on call and who comes in.  He is awesome with little kids… especially when they are hurt.  Cole wasn’t a fan of the bandage and kept begging me to take it off.  Here is how Murray helped Cole be ok with the big bandage.

We gave gorilla a band-aid and of course then Mommy & Daddy needed one too! 

Ever since he got up from his nap, he has been much better.  He still complains about it occasionally, but all in all he hasn’t been too fussy about it.  He is one tough little guy, and I am one grateful Momma that it wasn’t worse than it was because in my opinion this was definitely bad enough!

Completely Undeserving, and Eternally Thankful to be His

The time is coming very soon when the Three Musketeers becomes a family of four. Recently, our conversations have been dominated by how excited we our about Jordan's arrival. The bigger Erin's belly gets, and the closer our due-date creeps in, the more anxious we seem to be. But I was watching Erin and Cole go through their nightly routine of reading books, praying, and singing some songs when I was suddenly overwhelmed by how wonderful life is. My wife Erin is such an incredible mother, wife, and Christian and no where is it more evident than in my sweet son Cole. He is super smart, beautiful (or handsome or whatever), such a people pleaser, a singer, a dancer, a cuddler, and so genuinely sweet that I can take ABSOLUTELY no credit for his personality. I love how he stomps in puddles, sucks his two left fingers while running his right hand through his hair (or Erin's), marches through the house blowing trumpets til the walls of Jericho fall down, clasps his hands to pray in church and yells AMEN like a Penecostal Revival preacher, how he's so excited that he starts crying when we walk in the door, he belly laughs when you say peekaboo no matter if its the first or fiftieth time, praises the ground Elmo walks on, plays basketball with the neighborhood 'big boys,' and smacks when he kisses us. These are just a few things that make each day so wonderful because of my wonderful wife and sweet little boy. I can't wait to see how amazing the outpouring of God's blessings on this family are because of the little girl He is bringing into our lives.

The following is a Praise of the Most Holy God I am reading from Psalm 8.

"O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens.

Out of the mouths of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and avenger.

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,

the moon and stars, which you have set in place,

what is man that you are mindful of him,

and the son of man that you care for him?

Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings

and crowned him with glory and honor.

You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;

you have put all things under his feet,

all sheep and oxen, and also all the beasts of the field,

the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,

whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

O Lord, Our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!"

 

When I read this I am reminded that all of these things are undeserved gifts to the adopted children of a most loving Heavenly Father. Who am I that He is mindful of me?

 

I am His child. My son and my wife are constant reflections of God's gifts freely given, and I cannot wait to see Him in my little girl!