Charlie is FOUR months!

4 months down! Goodness you are getting so grown Charlie! You are the hungriest little human with your long eye lashes and long hair, let's just say you already have me wrapped around your little slobbery finger! Yes, slobber! A lot of it! No teeth yet, but I think you are definitely working on them! So, I don't know if it's the tummy ache or the teeth... but buddy you don't like to sleep long! This mama of yours is ready for those beloved 12 hour stretches at night! Right now you are still eating every 2 hours and sleeping maybe a 7 hour stretch at night! 

You love:

-standing up!

-your paci

-being swaddled

-gas drops

-laying on your back and looking at your activity center 

-snuggling your daddy

-looking at your mama

-eating!

Your big sister is smitten over you! I am so thankful Little Lucy hasn't been jealous of all the extra love and attention you get! She loves bouncing her babies along with us as we bounce you! She loves singing "ballgame" and "happy birthday" when you are sad! She will say, "Charlie needs paci" or "Charlie needs bottle!" Lucy, you are such a sweet little mama!

You are fascinated by your toes little buddy! You haven't quite figured out how to put them in your mouth!

Charlie is TWO months!

Happy 2 months of life Charlie! Oh we love this gummy smile with your raspy voice! This month has been a fun month of this smile, we definitely prefer it to you crying when you or hungry/sleepy/tummy ache! Charlie, you are so precious with your big blue eyes and trendy hair style! Your mama loves kissing you! Your daddy loves going on walks with you! Your sister loves making sure you have your paci or every toy in the house in your swing! Speaking of swing... we don't know what we would do with out the beloved swing!

Fun Charlie facts:

-He has started to smile!

-He sleeps through the night every other night... let's make that a habit!

-In 8 weeks Charlie has been to the beach twice and to the mountains once!

-He is growing out of 3 month clothes!

-Lucy loves giving him his paci, blanket, or any toy! She really is the best big sister!

-He still has blonde hair and blue eyes 

Letter to Charlie: 

Dear Charlie,

I still can't believe you are mine!! Oh what a privilege it is to be your mama! I love holding you and thinking that one day a long time from now I will be looking up to you! It is an honor that I get to be the one to feed, rock, and kiss your little tears goodbye! I love you oh so much Charlie! 

Charlie is ONE month old!

Charlie, Charlie, Charlie!  You are so precious!  You are so loved, but oh buddy you cry a lot!  I hate it for you little man.  Reflux is real... I am sorry your tummy hurts all the time, I wish I could take it away from you!  So, I have taken all dairy away from myself to help your little belly aches and thank goodness it has helped!  So, I can legitimately say "I love you more than Ranch dressing, ice-cream and queso." <-- and that is A LOT!  

Fun Facts about you Charlie:

You love:

-your paci!

-to eat

-your swing

-your swaddle

-to be snuggled on your side

-your big sister loves you

You hate:

-to be hungry

-to have an upset stomach

-spitting up

-being on your belly

-being sleepy

  

It is fun to see how you and your big sister are starting to look alike!  Here is a side by side comparison of Lucy and Charlie!

Charlie is here!

One of the last pictures of BIG MAMA!

Charlie is here!  It's a BOY!  I thought it was a boy, but I knew it was a girl... haha!  I still can't believe we won't have all girls!  So fun we have a SON!

Charlie's story of coming into this world.

Long story short: I was induced at 40 weeks and 4 days.  I had pretty bad anxiety leading up to his birth while pregnant and wasn't progressing, so my kind kind kind midwife allowed for me to be induced.  You hear horror stories of people being induced, but I kind of loved it.  It felt like checking into a hotel.  Going to sleep on Sunday, March 26th we knew that we were going to wake up and have a baby.... it was great!

So, the alarm goes off at 4:30am on March 27th... we load the card and head to Greenville!  Clint called on the way to the hospital to make sure there was still a bed available for us to be induced and they let us know that we were all set and we were on "Side A," this means you have the BIG birthing rooms that you labor, give birth, and recover in!  Everyone wants to be on this side!  So, I started doing jumping jacks I was so excited!

Look at this HUGE room!  Getting all settled!

We checked in, got all unpacked into our room, started the IV (side note: I passed out during this and for the rest of our stay I was red-flagged as someone who might pass out...).  At about 8AM they started me on the beloved drug Pitocin to get things moving, it succeeded at it's job!  Then about 11AM they broke my water, and things REALLY got moving.  I'm asking everyone for the epidural at this point.... Thank you Dr. Jones for working your magic!  This was about 12PM and I was 6cm.  From there on out I was able to "labor down."  Little did I know how soon Charlie was going to be born!  Around 2:30pm I was calling in the midwife because I felt it coming if you know what I mean!  They brought the crew in, at 2:39pm I started pushing and then BOOM Charlie was born at 2:42pm!  He came out like a rocket!  When he was born Clint was the first to say to the room if it were a boy or girl and when he said, "It's a BOY!" I just started crying and kept saying "It's a Boy, It's a Boy, It's a BOY!"  Charles Clinton Rouse III weighted 7lbs 11oz and was 19 inches long.

Here HE is!

Sweet little boy!

First time Clint holding him!

Since he came out like a rocket, he didn't get a good "squeeze" on his lungs, so he had to go to the NICU for a couple of hours to get all of the liquid out of his lungs.  This was scary and sad that he had to be taken right away, but gosh SO SO SO thankful he was only there for such a short time.  My heart aches for all of those mamas and daddys that have their babys in the NICU.  Bless y'all!

Charlie also was born with a breathing conditions called laryngomalacia.  This is a big word for floppy cartilages  over his larynx that make him a noisy breather, eater, and sleeper.  He will grow out of this hopefully by the age of 1.  From here on out he will be known as our "recessive baby" with his BLONDE hair and BLUE eyes!

Oh Charlie!  I am so thankful to be your mama! I love that you will grow up and be bigger than me one day and I will look up to you, but until then I will rock you and kiss you and snuggle you!

You are SO loved Charlie!

All 3 Charles Clinton Rouses!

Waiting room filled with family!

Headed home!

Lucy is becoming a BIG sister!

The news is public!  It feels like Clint and I have been keeping the biggest secret of our life (for the second time...same feelings and emotions to when we were pregnant with Lucy).

YES!  We are pregnant AGAIN!  Praise the Lord! We can't wait to continue to grow the Rouse House.  It is such a privilege and joy to be carrying another life inside of me.  People ask several questions, was this an accident?  Does this pregnancy feel different?  Have you been sick?  Are you freaking out about having a newborn and a "terrible two" year old. 

And YES.  To almost all of those except this pregnancy was no accident. 

Clint and I both want to have a large family and to have our children close in age.  So, Lord willing we were able to become pregnant again.  Our hope and prayer is for Lucy and this new child to be CLOSE.  Not only close in age, but close friends.

YES...This pregnancy does feel different.  That have been several days early on that I forgot I was pregnant.  I had to stop myself from grabbing the cookie dough, deli meat, and sushi.  But, I have been more emotional time this time around (may be the hormones), but I am pretty confident it is because I know what is it come and IT IS SO SWEET... and so so so exhausting.

And YES, I have felt sick! yuck!  I have only thrown up once (sorry TMI).  But, boy have I been nauseated and have had zero appetite which made the sick to my stomach worse... Just nothing sounded tasty from week 6 to week 11.  But, now... BRING ON ALL THE FOOD.  

YES, YES, YES... I know we will have our hands full.  We will have 2 under the age of 2 for almost 3 months.  Pray for me.  The Lord is good.  I am confident in HIS timing and HIS goodness.  May this season draw me closer to Jesus and that I can depend on him all the more for all energy and patience.

I have been reminded over and over again in pregnancy and raising a child that Jesus has given me this opportunity to nurture, guide, and disciple these babies that they may come to know Him ultimately.  I have been reading Missional Motherhood (shamless plug: everyone needs to read this book) and it has been so refreshing to my soul.  A few little experts that have changed my mindset on motherhood:
"Christ created motherhood for himself.  Since God is the creator and we are the created, God is the one who gets to design motherhood."
"He created human life in his image; so smile, mom.  Because God is profound, his design for your motherhood is profound."
"Being a disciple maker (aka a mom) means that the gospel is our one, main message...Making disciples is the priority of missional motherhood... The gospel is not good advice for moms; it is life-giving news."
AND THIS RIGHT HERE KICKED ME IN THE GUT>>>
" No maternal glory, missional ministry, or nurturing accomplishment can bear the burden of cleansing your sin...It feels like our biggest need is a car that runs better, or a child who obeys fully, or a friend we can confide in, or a husband who appreciates us, or a church that values our gifting, or a ministry that fulfills us, or a body we ar proud of, or a bank account that doesn't worry us.  Any one of those things may feel like the biggest, most pressing need we have.  But they all pale in comparison to our need to stand in the presence of God, to whom all glory, majesty, dominion, and authority belong forever."
(Ok... so have I sold you on this book?)

So, I will leave you with these simple prayers through scripture.  Jesus is so good.  He knows our desires.  He knows the hair on your head.  He is the creator and giver of NEW LIFE.  Not only new lungs being formed in my inner most parts, but He is the giver of NEW LIFE IN HIM!  Jesus is the giver and author of FULL life found in him.

Lamentations 3:21-24
" But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him."

1 Thessalonians 4:7 (The Message)
"God hasn't invited us into a disorderly, unkempt life but into something HOLY and BEAUTIFUL-as beautiful on the inside as the outside."

Oh, and here are some fun sweet pictures to announce this fun NEW FULL season.

(Photo creds go to the very talented Lindsay Corrigan!)

Lucy is 1 year old!

I can't believe this!  When did this happen?  Lucy is 1 year old!  12 months!  This has been such a great year!  I love this sweet little girl some kinda crazy.

Things I want to remember about her 12th month of life:
-She loves her daddy so much and she lights up the most when he comes into the room
-She is getting the best tan.  I especially love her tan lines around her wrists and arm roles.  At her 1 year doctors apt. her doctor said, "There's nothing wrong with a bronzed baby!"
-She is still rocking her curly rat tail.  I am hoping that it will grow out to meet the rest of her hair
-She LOVES the bath tub!  That is the first place she will crawl in the house.
-She LOVES the beach.  The sand and water doesn't bother her at all!  She is like a little sea turtle making her way from the sand to the water on the beach.
-If you say, "Lucy clap/splash!" She does it on que.
-She DEMOLISHED her smash cake at her birthday party.  She LOVED her cake and ate so much of it.

 How precious is this little girl?  I know right!?  Just about 2 seconds after I took this picture she face planted into the grass... #momfail

Lucy is 11 Months!

11 months! 1 more month y'all until Lucy is 1 year old!  This is becoming my favorite season mixed with Mother's Day approaching and Lucy's birthday!  I am having all the mama feels: from crying to laughing, from snuggles to escaping reality.  

I am clinging on to every moment.  Moments like holding Lucy tight while she has her bottle still filled with nutrients that my body makes (still amazed... but kinda SO ready to give her cows milk). Treasuring moments like when she wakes up at night because she can't find her paci and I get to rock her back to sleep.  Loving the times she looks up at me and says "dada."  The saying is true, "babies don't keep."

This 11th month of life has been FULL!  Oh, I love these days with Lucy!  We play hard, sleep hard, and eat hard.  REPEAT!  Oh, but I love it.  It is such a joy, honor, and privilege to be Lucy's mama.  

Things we have done this month:

-You have visited your second Young Life Camp for our first Family Camp at Carolina Point.  SO excited to spend a month there this summer.

-You spent two weekends at the beach!

-You went to your first Prom... well kinda!  We went to take pictures!

-On April 23rd you said "Mama!" <-----SO FUN

-You went swimming with friends at the Woodmen 

-You love giving High Fives!

-You clap and bounce while sitting and wave your arms when you get excited!

Things about you I don't want to forget!

-You will not sit still while getting your diaper changed.  To the point we had to order a "PooPoose" that is proven to keep a baby still while changing a diaper.  Best $60 we have spent.

-You LOVE Easter Eggs.  Specifically an orange one that you carry around.

-You still love your paci and bottle.

-You love Reynolds.  You get most excited when he comes in the room.  And are always looking for him.  He is warming up to you more.

-You love a book! 

-You love little details of things.  You are super observant!