HappyMom

Back to school has a new meaning for our family this year.  Our oldest child Laney began Kindergarten a few weeks ago.  I have to admit I am not so excited.  I am having a hard time with the idea of school.  We are excited for Laney to attend the World Language Academy that opened last year.  She is in the spanish immersion program, and she loves it.  After only a month of school she is siging in spanish and excited to learn more.  Hopefully by fifth grade she will be able to read, write, and speak spanish.  What an amazing opportunity!  She is also being exposed to manderine chinese.  I love the dress code at the school.  Here are a few pictures of Laney in her favorite school dress the first day of school.

Carley means "strong" and that pretty much sums up our little Carley.  She may be small but she is strong.  Weighing in at barely 21lbs she will take on Laney and Brayden without a blink.  She can take Laney down and she doesn’t even flinch when Brayden flattens her with a tackle.  She is not only strong but very funny.  She keeps us laughing.  When asked about her birthday party she requested "Belle".  Her favorite princess!

Friends and Family

What can I say about Laney?  She is beautiful, sweet, smiley, smart, and very danty.  Five years ago this evening, I was at home walking the stairs and sitting on the birthing ball patiently awaiting the birth of our first child.  Early the next morning, we went to the hospital and Laney was placed on my chest two hours later.  How beautiful!  How amazing!  WOW!  How life has changed since then.  My days of barely making it to church play group by 10am make me laugh as I now workout at 5:30am and can be out of the house by 8:55am on Sunday morning with four children and myself, an hour after daddy has gone.  I wouldn’t trade it for anything. 

When it came to planning Laney’s 5th birthday, it was "girly" all the way.  She asked to have her party at our friends nail shop, Classy Nails & Tan.  It was a blast.  The girls had their fingers and toes painted.  We also fixed them up with rockstar glasses, tatoos, and funky hair.  The mom’s even enjoyed a pedicure.  It couldn’t have been more "Laney".  Then we headed back to the house for some hot pink nail polish cake made by my super-talented cake decorating friend Rebecca Moon.  Yummy!  Laney had a wonderful, fun day!  So big!

From a very young age, I remember swimming, boating, and skiing on the lake.  I learned to ski the summer after I turned 5, which I thought was pretty good.  Brayden put me to shame this week when he got up on skis at 3-years-old.  Laney, who will be 5 shortly, also managed to ski a short distance. 

Brayden

Laney

All the kids enjoyed the new boat.  The verdict is still out on Cade.  I am not sure you could call it enjoyment for the human buoy.

Laney and Brayden caught their first fish.

Carley was asleep for the fishing, and was not quite old enough for skiing, but she sure did enjoy the sprinkler!

We hope to return to the lake again soon!

The summer is flying by.  We have managed to stay prett busy.  The older kids have been taking stroke swim lessons.  They are quite the accomplished swimmers.  Carley is not too far behind.  The kids and I took a trip to Sandersville to visit family and swim at my aunt and uncle’s pool.  Carely decied to potty train herself on the trip.  Panties are pretty and she wants some!  So thanks to Carley I can check that off my list of things to do.  Carley’s vocabulary is expanding every day. Cade has rolled over and cut two bottom teeth this month.  He is growing up so fast. 

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May went quickly.  The kids are growing so fast.  Cade is now able to sit in the door jumper.  All of our kids have loved that thing!  Carley is talking a lot these days.  She is hilarious.  Laney just graduated Pre-K, bitter sweet.  Brayden is like the energizer bunny, exhausting.  I only wish I had half the energy he does.  We are looking forward to a fun summer of playing in the backyard, swimming at the neighborhood pool, going to the beach, maybe a few trips to the lake, some playgroup fun, and relaxing.  Here are some pictures from May……

Cade hanging out in the jumper.

    Pre-K Graduation.

Laney’s last day of Pre-K.

Washington Farms

Carely is a very determined little girl.

Life with four kids is certainly crazy but fun.  There is not much time for blogging or atleast I haven’t figured out how to fit it in.  Cade is almost three months now.  He is a sweet, happy baby most of the time.  Here are some pictures I took over the past week.  He giggled for the first time today!

We had these done last Friday.

Cade David Walters    February 5th, 2009    1:20am     7lbs 9oz   20 inches

The kids come to meet their new little brother.  They all loved him!

The kids welcome Cade home.  Still love him!

The proud new big sisters and brother.

Our sweet new addition!

For anyone intersted here is the story of Cade’s arrival.

       
You would think the fourth time around we would have this labor thing down.  As I look back I would say my labor started last Sunday.  Contractions continued all night and became very intense.  We thought we were on the way to the hospital.  We packed our bag, called my mom, and got ready to leave.  I wanted to wait until the doctor’s office opened so that we could go into the office.  As soon as it opened my labor seemed to stop completely. 

We waited around on Monday thinking things would pick back up.  Tuesday came and my contractions continued but still sporadic.  Wednesday came and my contractions became more intense but still 30 minutes apart.  We put the kids to bed and watched some TV.  I had a doctor’s appointment Thursday morning which I was looking forward to.  I was curious what was going on. 

At about 11:00p.m. my contractions seem to be creeping closer together.  By 11:45 they were 5 minutes apart and very intense.  We called my mom and got things ready to leave.  We left the house at 12:25 a.m.  and my contractions were now 2 minutes apart.  We called the doctor to let him know we were on the way. 
The ride there seemed to take forever.  My contractions were now 1 minute apart.  We pulled into the hospital and my water broke.  This was concerning because in the past when my water breaks I am pushing.  David ran into the hospital and grabbed a wheelchair.  I didn’t think I could make it.  The rushed me back and I saw a nurse that I know.  I told her, “He is coming!” 

We got into the room and the nurse checked me.  I was 10, at plus 2 and ready to have the baby.  They looked at me and said, “Can you wait on your doctor?”  I thought they were crazy.  My doctor was just getting in his car and he lives in Grayson.  Somehow I managed to breathe through the next 10 minutes of contractions and Dr. Pohl arrived.  Cade was born 10 minutes after he got there and only 25 minutes after we got there.  Birthing is so exciting, exhausting, and amazing.  It has to be the most intense pain followed by immediate relief and the most amazing feeling of having a newborn placed on your chest.  What an amazing creator we have.  Our body knows exactly what it doing if we just let it. 

You can only imagine the challenge of capturing the perfect family photo with our crowd.  This year was no different.  Laney feel asleep on the way, Brayden does this cheesy smile every time he gets in front of the camera, and Carley would have been better off without the feather in her face.  None the less here is what we got.  We hope you all have a Merry Christmas.  

Laney 4, Brayden 3, Carley 16m, Liz 30 weeks pregnant.