Wednesday, August 31, 2011

dimple love

Check out Mr. Beckett's dimple.
Is that not absolutely precious?  I love it.  He's a doll baby.
*********
And I can't leave out his cutie pie sister...in all her yogurt loving, cheesing glory!

Saturday, August 27, 2011

the story of beckett lucas field

I will try not to make this too long, but I am writing it for my records and memories.
I promise to include pictures for those of you that are only interested in that kind of thing :)

At my 38 week appointment with Dr. S, I had still not made any progress.  I was honestly not disappointed, but I was just slightly nervous that if Beckett was as big as his sister and we didn't have him early that it might result in a c-section.  So, we talked with Dr. S and decided to have an ultrasound the following Monday (8/15) before my appointment so we could check on the size of the baby.  He also went ahead and scheduled an induction at the hospital for August 16 just in case so they would have room for us.  Chris and I had so many things on our minds.  We didn't want to force this sweet boy out if it wasn't time, but we also didn't want me to have a long 6 week recovery ahead of me if we could help it.  We spent a lot of the next 5 days just praying and praying that the Lord would grant us wisdom and clear direction about what to do.

Monday rolled around, and I spent the morning with my Micah girl just playing and doing things she loves to do.  We went to the park.  We got a cookie from McDonalds.  We played in her little swimming pool in the backyard.  I wanted to take advantage of this day in case it was her last as an only child.  We headed to the appointment that afternoon, and it was confirmed in the ultrasound that our baby would be about 8 pounds at that point.  So, Chris and I decided that regardless of the progress, we wanted to move forward with induction the next day.  Much to our excitement, my body had already begun to make some progress on its own.  Dr. S was excited and told us to be at the hospital the next morning at 5:30am!!!  It was somewhat surreal leaving the office knowing that we would have a new addition to our family the next day.

That night we went to Freebirds for dinner as a family of 3 and to Spoons {a frozen yogurt favorite of all  3 of ours!}.  We spent time soaking up our girl but so excited for her to enter the world of having siblings.  After we rocked her and prayed over her, the frenzied last minute prep began, and we were in bed by 10:00.  I don't know how much I slept that night, but I don't think it was much!  I was up at 4:30am, getting ready to meet my little man.  Here is our last picture together before his big entrance to the world.

We got all settled in at the hospital, and Dr. S came by around 6:45am to break my water.  I was at a 2 at this point, which was some progress from even the day before.  
They started the pitocin about an hour later at 7:45am or so.  The contractions got stronger, but there was plenty of time between them that I felt like I could hang on a little longer before getting the epidural.
Micah got up to the hospital around 8:45am or so along with most of our family.  I loved seeing her!  She was a little unsure of all the machines at first, but she warmed up quickly.

The nurse {Heather} came in to check me and said that Beckett was face up, and we needed him to be face down.  So, they turned me on my side to try to get him to turn.  Those contractions that were fine before started to get pretty painful when I was on my side, so I went ahead and called for my epidural since I was at a 6.  I definitely didn't want to miss my opportunity!!!
Once again, I got the most amazing epidural, and everything went perfectly numb at about 10:00am.
I had to keep switching sides to get this boy to roll.  During this time, Chris and I listened to some worship music and just rested together.  I think that was probably my favorite time of my whole labor experience.  I loved just being with Chris in the quiet and silently praising our Creator for life.
I was dozing in and out, at my other nurse's {Amanda's} suggestion, when she came in at 11:30am to check me and said try to push.  I gave a little push, and she said let's have a baby!
Whoa!  That was super fast.  So, Chris ran down to the waiting room to get my mom.  Dr. S came in, they wheeled the table out, and I began pushing at 11:35am.
Beckett Lucas arrived at 11:40am.


He was absolutely perfect.
I could not believe how much he looked like Micah when they first showed me his sweet little face.
His labor and delivery was such a blessing, and I know that the Lord showed us complete favor in how smooth the whole process was.  5 hours of labor with only 5 minutes of pushing, while feeling absolutely NOTHING, was seriously a dream come true.  I am still thanking God for His grace and for the health of my sweet baby boy.  Childbirth is truly a miracle.

After he was born and all cleaned up, Chris and I prayed our first prayer over our Beckett Lucas and cried tears of joy and thankfulness.  Then, Chris went to share the news of his arrival with all of our family in the waiting room and reveal his name.


Big sister Micah was the first to meet her baby brother.  What a sweet moment that was!  I am so blessed with such amazing kids and an awesome husband.

 We had lots of visitors throughout our stay at the hospital.  I am so thankful for all the friends and family that came to love on our newest addition.
my three favorites
  LeeLee
 Mimi and Pappy
  Pops and Grandmommy {MomMom}
 Granny and Jojo
 Angela
 Pops and Cade
 Cameron and Jen
We are loving our precious little guy so much!

I am still in awe of the Lord's goodness and faithfulness to us on that day.  I couldn't be more overwhelmed with love when I see our little family of four.
My cup runneth over.

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon you.  He has anointed you to bring good news to the poor, release for the oppressed, sight for the blind, freedom for the captives, and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
Luke 4:18-19

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

one week

Beckett is one week old today.  It is seriously hard to believe that it has been a week since we were in the hospital and first laid eyes on our sweet boy, but our lives definitely feel more complete now with him here.
I have so many things I want to post about, including the story of Beckett's entrance into the world and sibling love, but to be honest, blogging is not at the top of my list of priorities right now {or even close}. 

For now, we are just loving getting to know this precious little man.
He is seriously the sweetest baby.  
He rarely cries, and when he does, he is easily soothed.  
He is an amazing eater, just like his big sister.
He sleeps well and doesn't require being held to fall asleep, which is completely new for us!
He loves his swing and is becoming more of a fan of his bouncy seat.
He will just lay wide awake and take in what he can see of the world around him.
He is gassy.  Really, really gassy.  But, it never upsets him.
We are in love with this little guy.  How could you not be?
And, his big sister is pretty smitten with him too.
She loves to give him kisses every time she sees him.
Makes this momma smile.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

he's here!

Introducing...
Beckett Lucas Field
August 16, 2011
11:40am
8lbs. 6 oz., 21.5 inches

We think he's absolutely perfect!
We are home and enjoying life as a family of 4.
Lots more pictures and posts to come...

Monday, August 15, 2011

a letter to my baby boy

Dear precious son,

On the eve of your birth, I am filled with so many emotions. Mostly I am just so excited to meet you! It seems like just yesterday we found out you were growing in my belly, and now we are just hours away from laying our eyes and hands on you for the first time. We are already delighted to call you our son, and we know that God has great plans for you.

It has been such a wonderful journey carrying you in my tummy. Even though our beginning was a little rough, I have loved every moment of getting to "know" you these past 39 weeks. Your daddy and I could not have been more thrilled to see the little positive mark that told us our family would be growing again. You were such a wonderful early Christmas gift. I don't think we will ever be able to top that news. Your grandparents and aunts and uncles were already beside themselves with excitement at the thought of you.

As the weeks went on and I began to feel better, my belly began to grow too. That is one of my favorite parts of carrying you is seeing you and feeling you grow inside of me. I love when people ask me about you, and I am already so proud of you, my sweet son. The day we finally found out that you were indeed a boy was such a fun day. I immediately began dreaming about all the blue :) And, your daddy and I began dreaming about the boy and man you would be become.

Then, my favorite part of pregnancy came...feeling you roll and kick all the time. You are much less active than your big sister, but I have loved your more gentle movements. I love knowing you are growing and getting stronger. I cannot wait to see and kiss those little toes and fingers that I have been feeling for 20+ weeks.

I am so very excited for you to meet your big sister. She is so excited to give you a hug and kiss, and I know you will love her. She will love you too. I am excited for the friendship you to will have, and I am praying already for the bond that will form between the two of you. I know you will love playing together and encouraging one another in life and in the Lord. She will be such an amazing blessing in your life as you will be in hers.

My sweet boy, we have prayed for you every single night since the day we knew you were being knit together inside of me. Our greatest prayer for you is that you would live an anointed life, full of the Spirit, and bringing the kingdom of God with you wherever you go. I will be sad not to carry you inside of me anymore, but I cannot wait to see your sweet face and get to know your little personality. Your daddy and I are so excited to meet you. Happy birth day eve, my little lovey.

I love you to the moon and back!
Your Momma



Saturday, August 13, 2011

dear Micah...

My sweet girl, you bring me so much joy! The moment you were born I fell in love with you, but I had no idea how much that love would grow every day since. Now, as I think about you becoming a big sister, I am filled with so many emotions, and I am certain that watching you in that role will make my love increase even more.

When we first found out we were going to have another baby, I was a little sad. Not because we were having another baby because I always knew I wanted you to have siblings but because I realized you wouldn't be my only baby anymore. I knew that the time with just you was going to be over soon, and I wasn't sure I was ready for that. I love being with you, and I have loved being able to give you every bit of my attention. So, in some ways, I had to grieve the loss of you as my only baby.

But, in God's goodness and faithfulness, He has quickly given me glimpses of how wonderful it will be to see you as a big sister. You love to play with your friends and have come to really desire that companionship. You get so excited when your cousin, Cade, comes over to play. I can so easily see God's provision in developing that desire in you, and it just shows me how much you are going to love having a built in playmate in your little brother.

You have always loved babies, and you are so sweet with them. I have always melted at this quality in you. Lately, you have taken a much bigger interest in your brother that is growing in my belly. You always want to say hi to him and give him hugs and kisses. You will rub my belly and tell him you love him. You already want to share your snacks with him too :) Those are the sweetest moments of my day.

I know you will be an amazing big sister. I have no doubt that you will adore your baby brother and that you will want to play with, hold, love on, hug, and kiss him all the time! My prayer for you, Micah, is that you will have a great friendship with your little brother that will last your lifetime. I pray that the Lord will bless you during this time of transition with joy for the sweet guy entering our home and that He will fill you with peace when you are uncertain about this baby taking some of your mommy and daddy's attention. We know that your baby brother will enrich your life in ways that we never could, and we are so thankful for that.

You are my first baby, and I have loved being able to spend every moment soaking it up. But, I am so excited to share you with your brother. I know you will bless him just as you've blessed your daddy and me. You are one special and precious little girl. I am so thankful for you! I am so thankful that you get to be a sister soon. Get ready :)

I love you to the moon and back!
Your Momma



Thursday, August 11, 2011

embrace the camera

I cannot wait to watch Micah be a big sister.
She already loves her brother and showers him with hugs and kisses every day.
It is seriously one of my favorite things.
 I love both of them so much.
They make my heart happy.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

all things baby boy

We are really getting close to our sweet little man's arrival, and we couldn't be more excited.
With both this baby and with Micah, turning the calendar to the "birth" month is so surreal.  Getting to August was quite monumental, and it is the month we've been planning for and dreaming about since before Christmas.  I cannot believe that it is actually here, and that in less than 2 weeks, I should be holding our precious son.  What a gift.

Things are still going well with this pregnancy.  I am beyond thankful for the ease with which I carry babies.  I definitely take it for granted sometimes, but I am trying to really thank God for His goodness to me in that.  It is hot, sure, and people ask me at least once a day how in the world I am surviving the heat.
The answer that usually goes through my head is, "the same way you are surviving it, I guess..."
I mean, honestly, what choice do I have?  I stay inside as much as I can, and I try to drink LOTS and LOTS of water.  But, it's truly not that bad.  There are many women who have serious complications when they are pregnant, so if the worst thing that happens to me is that I'm in my third trimester during almost the hottest summer ever, I'll take it.
This belly is getting bigger by the day, and it feels like it's stretched as far as it can go.  Almost every time this sweet baby moves, I can see it across my tummy.  
I can't wait to kiss each one of those toes and fingers.
We have been doing weekly doctor's appointments for a couple of weeks now, and there is really nothing to report.  No progress here.
I am honestly not disappointed.  I know that he will come when the time is right.
And, I was making progress with Micah at 35 weeks, which sounds glorious, except that she stayed put for a month longer.  So, I don't put too much stock in progress.
The thing I love about going to the doctor so much is that we get to hear his heart beating away every time and find out that he's doing great.  LOVE that!  I go back on Monday, and we get to have an ultrasound to check his size.  I can't wait to see him all smushed up on the screen.  I wonder so many things about him.  Will he have chubby cheeks and a big belly like his sister?  Will he have lots of hair or just a little peach fuzz?  I cannot wait to learn more about this little mister that God is creating in my belly.  Such a blessing!


In other baby news...the nursery is complete!!!  We went with a vintage theme...old cars, trucks, tricycles, license plates, sports, etc.  We love it and feel like it is perfect for our little man.  
Let me introduce it to you...
{view from the door...I am in love with the radio flyer tricycle.}
 {view from the other side of the room.  the glider was micah's, and it is the best.  i have spent many hours rocking in it, and i'm looking forward to more.  the boppy cover was made by my mom...i love it.}
 {baby boy's life verse}
 {his crib...i love the simple, clean bedding.  his mimi made the quilt.  his uncle chris and daddy put together and hung the model airplanes.  the "b" is just a b...maybe his initial, maybe not :)}
 {love the license plate wall!  we have his name on a board in license plate letters that we will hang once he gets here.  the two outfits hanging from the bat are chris's from when he was a baby.}
 {dresser with micah's changing pad transferred over.  love the old signs we found.}
We were pleased with how it turned out.  Our sweet baby boy will make it complete!!!
We are praying for patience to wait well for our son to join our family.  We are also praying for a smooth labor and delivery and a healthy boy.  Can't wait!

Monday, August 8, 2011

splish splash

Last week, Micah and I met up with some friends at a splash pad in town.
Micah's only other experience with a "splash town" was at Schlitterbahn, and she LOVED it.  So, I had high hopes for her experience with the one in town.
And, she definitely had a blast.
This child loves water.  She cracks me up because she always approaches it so cautiously, like she is unsure of whether or not she will like it this time.  
By the end, she is soaking wet and running through {or sitting in the middle of} all of the water with no fear.
We are thankful to have friends that will endure the heat with us to have some summer fun!

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

whew.

What a week and a half it has been at the Fieldhouse.
Craziness.  Some of it good.  Some of it not so good.
That would be my excuse for a lack of posting for a week.  It's been the last thing I've felt like doing at the end of the day.  But, I think we are on the upswing now.  

It all started last Monday morning.  I was getting ready for my first weekly doctor's appointment for our little guy when Micah was overcome by her very first tummy bug.  
Poor baby.  It was pitiful.
Thankfully it only lasted for a little over an hour.  We spent the rest of the day cuddling and watching LOTS of Elmo episodes.
I thought we were on the upside of things on Tuesday, but then Wednesday came.  Micah was GRUMPY. She was running a little fever, but nothing {and I mean nothing} made her happy.
Other than the fever, she had no symptoms.  It was slightly frustrating because all I wanted was for her to feel better.  Our week basically went on like this until Sunday evening when she started to turn the corner.  It was a long week of screaming, crying {both of us}, and endless efforts to entertain her.
What I discovered in the midst of all of this was that her bottom two molars are coming in.
Her little gums were so swollen and red that it is no wonder she was so fussy.  So, we began the ibuprofen and cold teething rings.  This definitely helped.
The molars have finally broken through, and she is back to her happy, crazy self.  I missed her!
She may only have two middle bottom teeth, but those molars were determined to come on in.
Thanks a lot.

We did have a few happy moments in the middle of the fussiness.
Here she is guarding the dogs' food until it was time for lunch.  She had to make sure that they didn't try to get into it early.
Checking for the food that spilled over the side.  Love those chubby legs and tippy toes.
We pulled down all of the baby stuff from the attic, cleaned it off, and put it in the house on Saturday.
Micah was fascinated by it.
Checking it out.
Deciding she's a fan.
Trying it out for herself, just to make sure it's okay for brother ;)
And, we also decided to do this.
Yes, we are crazy.  
We are putting in new floors in our living room.
While our baby boy could make his debut any day.
We like to keep things interesting :)