Evangeline's Birth Story

Sunday morning around 8:30 my water broke right after I had text Grandma to see if she would take the boys for a few hours after church so I could have some alone time before Evangeline's birth and maybe go for a long walk to help convince her to come out.  It wasn’t a huge gush, just a trickle so I wasn’t sure at first.  A few minutes later I had another small trickle and knew it was my water.  I took the boys to church and then they went with Grandma afterwards while I left for the hospital after church.

I was admitted around 1:00 Sunday afternoon and was only about 2 cm with very weak and sporadic contractions.  The OB on call was worried about my contractions being how they were 5 hours after my water broke, usually breaking of the water makes Labor come on fast and furious.  About 6:30 pm I was only around 3 cm and I was having a lot of pain because of the contractions and back laboring.  I decided to get an epidural because I was on the verge of crying I was in so much pain.  I couldn't even tell when I was having contractions because of the constant back labor pain.  The epidural was wonderful and I was able to rest and even took a nap.

Around 10 I was finally about half way there at 5 cm.  Surprised to be fully ready to push Evangeline out soon afterwards.  It took me 14 hours to get to 5 cm but only about 2 hours to make it to 10 cm.  The nurse set everything up, the OB came in, and I started pushing.  One contraction, 3 pushes later Evangeline was born at 12:55 am on November 24th.  She weighed 8 lbs 2 oz just like Patrick and was 20 1/2 inches long just like Colin.  She has lots of dark hair everywhere and is doing great.

Humbling Moments

Ever have your child chastise you?  First for me today.

It was lunch time and I was trying to get lunch made while the babies and Patrick were in the living room.  Patrick was playing with the baby gate that I had moved down stairs to put up over the stairs.  I had told him to quit playing with it before he knocked it over and hit one of the babies.

I was starting to lose my patience; trying to cook, keeping the babies out of the kitchen, keeping Patrick from playing with the fence or jumping on the couch, ect.  I had had it.

I was about to blow my top when Patrick looks at me and says "Mama, 'Have Patience, have patience, . . . '"  Instantly I smiled and this calm came over me.  I sang the rest of the song with him, gave him and hug and thanked him for reminding me to have patience.

I sing this song to him when he is starting to have problems waiting and he starts to cry about it.  Never thought he would use it on me.

"Have patience, have patience
Don't be in such a hurry
When you get impatient, you only start to worry
Remember, remember that God is patient, too
And think of all the times when others have to wait for you"

Preschool

Patrick and I have started doing "school" each morning since his 3rd birthday.  It's pretty simple right now, we do calendar and read a story about a certain topic each week.  We've done Penguins, Valentine's Day, Snow/Winter, and this week we are reading books my Ezra Jack Keats.

I wanted to do something for African American History month but thought the topic would be to abstract for him.  Instead I picked one author and we are reading his books.

Next week I plan to do Fair Tales with him.  I'm having a hard time picking the stories to read.   There are so many different ones.  I'm thinking either only animal fairy tales; 3 Billy Goats Gruff, Little Red Hen, ext.; or the classics; Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, ext.  I think he would do better with the animals.