Silver Lake

 While we were in Washington we rented a house for a month of that time.  Some friends of ours own a house up in the hills of Whatcom County and let us use it... and their boat :)  It was a really nice, peaceful place for us to stay and wait for Ingrid to be born.

Lots of time spent on the lake, kayaking, boating, fishing, swimming.  Lane had a blast!

Lane caught a crawdad in the lake, cooked it up and ate it :)  If you click on this picture of Lane you can see some pretty gnarly stitches in his finger.  The second night we were there he mangled up his finger on a dirt bike chain.  He broke it and got 8 stitches in it.

 This log provided a lot of entertainment!

 Gorgeous views!

 Lane and Will had lots of fun jumping off the dock.

So thankful we had a place like this to stay and take Ingrid back to!  I wasn't able to keep up much on facebook, instagram or blogging while I was there because there was no cell service or internet, but that was actually pretty nice! Minus some people not knowing for a few weeks that I actually had Ingrid :)

Ingrid Faith

 Here she is!  Ingrid Faith, born on her due date, weighing 9 lbs 3 oz and 21 1/2 inches.

 I love this moment, right when she came out.  I finally got to see who'd been moving around inside of me for so long.  I didn't get to have either of the boys on my chest after I had them.  Lane was a c-section and Case was a little early and not keeping his blood oxygen levels up so they took him from me.  Estelle and Ingrid went straight to my chest though and I loved it.  I finally had an all natural birth this time too!  I had wanted that with Lane, but between a long labor and finally a c-section, it just didn't happen.  With Case and Estelle I was just happy to be having a VBAC after that c-section with Lane.  So I decided to do it naturally for a few reasons and I'm so glad I did.  It was fast so it was painful but didn't last too long.  I went from a 6 to a 9 in about 15 minutes and at that point my contractions were so intense and right on top of each other.  I couldn't help but push with every one.  I had been started on pitocin at 6:30 pm and she was born at 11:21 pm.  

 The next day around lunch time Mop, Grandma Barb and the kids came to visit. Estelle decided she did not like the name Ingrid and that she would call her Tessa. Then the next day it was Abigail. When people would ask her what her sisters name was she would say "My family calls her Ingrid, but I call her Tessa (or Abigail depending which day it was).  I didn't care... she now calls her Ingrid.

 Lane is an awesome big brother, that's all I have to say.

Love my family!  Fun fact: my camera stopped working AND my phone broke while I was in the hospital.  So the pictures are kinda pieced together here and there from other people and Reese's phone.

 Grandma Barb came all the way from Illinois this summer to spend a couple weeks.  So happy she got to meet baby Ingrid.

Ingrid is such a sweetheart.  Although our family will probably never feel "complete" with out Case here, I think she rounds it out pretty nicely.  Now that we are home after spending 7 weeks in Washington, we are finally settling in a little.  Being in WA and not at home kinda threw me off a bit.  But I'm trying to get back into the swing of things and enjoying my little beauty.

The Fourth

We went to my aunt and uncles for the fourth. They live on the beach and all the neighbors put on big firework displays. Estelle loved the fireworks and spent a lot of the night freezing things like Elsa. She has such an imagination. Lane found some new friends to hang out with around his age and I hardly saw him all night :) The lanterns were a big hit. The neighbors just a few doors down had a ton of lanterns let go all at the same time. So beautiful! 

My aunt Barb does such a great job putting a big party together! She has such energy and enthusiasm! This picture  captures just a bit of that!

Washington Pics So Far

The kids and I got to WA on June 25th. Since then we've been seeing lots of friends and family and even made a trip to Moses Lake to see Michele's family.

We stopped by the Dutch village mall to check out the Koi and do a little shopping.

On our way to Moses Lake we stopped at a Disney Store! I knew Estelle would love it! But what did she pick out? Not a princess doll or a dress, but a Brave bow and arrow!

Estelle and I doing a little thriftin' in Moses Lake.

Estelle bossing some kids around at a park, not surprising.

Aunt Cortnae has a lot of baby bunnies that the kids love to hold!

We went to the waterslides with Lesha and her family. The boys had so much fun and went non stop!

We stopped at the good old C shop in birch bay too. I have so many great memories if that place!

The Girls Room and 34+ weeks!

The countdown is on!  I leave for WA in 3 days to have this little girl!  No I won't be having her in 3 days, but I do need to travel down there before 36 weeks.  So I will probably be there around 6 weeks, maybe less if she decides to come early.  I have been nesting just a little.  Shampooing the floors of my car (a little out of character for me), picking invasive weeds out of my yard by hand... you know.  I have finally got the girls room done.  We added a crib and an extra dresser.  The room is a little tight, but that's why we have a playroom downstairs.  It's not like Estelle plays in here a lot.

 No name banner for this little one yet, mainly because she doesn't have a name.  But when she does have one, her banner will go just above Estelle's I think.

 I bought an old beat up dresser with hopes to sand and paint it, and make it just beautiful... it was a huge pain in the butt.  We tried to strip it.  I tried first with a stripping agent that was not supposed to be harmful to breathe in.  Well, it didn't work.  Then Reese did it with a more heavy duty one, ehhhhh it kinda worked.  Then we sanded it and scrapped it and sanded and scrapped it.  Finally we got the paint on and it turned out pretty well.

 I ordered the knobs from Hobby Lobby.  I ordered 9, I needed 10.  Pregnant brain.  So I had some green ones in Estelle's room already.  I just used those on the two end drawers, adds to the whimsy I guess. So this will serve as Estelle's new dresser.

 And last but not least, my 34 week belly.  I am super uncomfortable some days.  Other days I feel pretty good. She is super low and it hurts when she moves.  I am not looking forward to taking 3 different flights with the kids to get to WA.  Hopefully that will be a day I'm feeling pretty well (fingers crossed).

The Past Month and a Half

 Haven't been much of a blogger the last couple months.  So I'll start after Easter.  Copper joined our family when Reese's parents came up for a visit and brought him up for us.  He's pretty a cute, a big pain in the butt though.  Says the 71/2 months pregnant, stay at home mom who gets to deal with him all day.

 We had fun with Reese's parents being here.  A little hiking and site seeing etc.

 Mop and Poopa (Grandma and Grandpa) got to go on Estelle's very first field trip! It was to the Coast guard base and we got to check out C130's and the helicopters the rescue swimmers use.

 Pretty much Estelle's expression all day...

 Lots and lots of baseball! Lane is having lots of fun with his team and his coach is great.  And to top it all off we've had WONDERFUL weather for him to be playing and us to be watching in!

A fun Spouse Appreciation Event at a local salon, complete with deep conditioning, blow out and style, manicures, and 15 min massages, with these fun ladies!

 Lot's of time spent with Emmy and the rest of her family before they moved :(  Estelle and Emmy = BFF's!

 Lane sold Krispy Kreme's at Crab Fest, such a cutie!

 The girls on their last day of preschool.

 Lane and his buddy Kyle at their end of the year field trip to Mill Bay.

 Daddy and Estelle at the Crab Fest parade.

Lane IN the Crab Fest parade with his team.

We've had a busy couple months and it's about to get busier!  I am hunkering down getting everything ready for baby!  I am coordinating the Mothers of Preschooler's group here next year.  I am trying to get a bunch of things done for the year before I leave to have the baby at the end of June, so I don't have to do it all when I get back with a newborn!  So lots of projects for me, kids to take care of and a dog to kick around look after.

30 weeks

Time flies! All of a sudden I am 30 weeks! I feel like I look about the same as I did with Estelle.  This little one likes to move.  Her head is down and her butt is sticking out constantly on my right side!  I am so thankful that this pregnancy has been totally normal and uneventful so far.  I think the doctor that I see (who was a little freaked out at first), is feeling a lot more relaxed about me being pregnant on this remote island in Alaska!  I leave in about 4 1/2 weeks to get up to WA to have this little one!  I have lots to do before then!

I haven't had a lot of time to be nervous about having another little one in the house.  But a few times this past week I have been waking up during the night and can't get back to sleep.  First I think about all the stuff I need to get done in 4 1/2 weeks!  I also wonder if I'm going to be a little crazy having another little baby.  Will I check on her constantly, be anxious??  I was with Estelle way more than the boys (understandably).  I just don't want it to take over and be something that gets in the way of life and enjoying my kids.  So I am praying and hoping that God will give me peace and strength to get through those little baby stages.