Things Continue to Move On...

Shockingly, we are settling into a new normal.  No tardies (yet) for Bennett, beds are getting made (most days), I am keeping up with laundry, and the house looks (key word) pretty clean and straightened.  I kept hearing that something would need to give with three kids, but so far that hasn't been true.  The only thing that has occurred, which happens to everyone when they have a baby, is I am not always able to get out of the door to run errands or go to the gym when I want to, because Walker may be hungry or fussy.  However, he is an awesome baby, and so stinking cute...so we aren't too upset about those things.

Bennett and Preston still love to hold and feed him, so that continues to be a huge advantage of having older kids.  Here are a few pictures from the past week or two.


Trying to recreate a photographer's pose...never works out like you think

Hello blue eyes!

Cathy came to meet Walker!

My boys taking a siesta

The kids snuggling in our bed one night

Walker hanging out in his crib, happy

Mimi's Birthday!

We didn't let freezing temperatures and a newborn keep us from venturing out to celebrate Mimi's birthday last week!  We all met up at Mexico Lindo for a good ole Mexican fiesta!  Everyone enjoyed cheese dip, and I got to have my favorite swirl margarita in Birmingham (that is too strong to partake in while I am pregnant).

Walker got passed around like a party favor the whole night, and he slept through the entire thing.  We tried to wake him up, but he refused (so we paid for it later that night).  That is alright though, we all had a fun night out.

Happy Birthday Mimi!

Big Kids Are Special Too

While my parents were here, they decided to take all of their "big grandchildren" on dates.  Nene took Henley and Bennett to get manis and pedis, followed up with ice cream.  When they finished, they came back here and the girls played with their American Girl dolls.  They had a big time together, as they always do.  They were so cute with their matching nail colors.

 

The boys, on the other hand, skipped the pampering and chose to attend the monster truck show.  Steve and Brian accompanied them, and the five guys had a blast!  The kids had $12 snow cones in fancy cups and ate popcorn, all while watching huge trucks run over things.

Preston was pumped to see his favorite truck...the Grave Digger!  He even was anxious to tell me about one of the trucks that tipped over, and needed help to get right side up again.

Pres is SO excited about his snow cone

two years in a row for these two

Pres and Christian with Poppy

 

 

Thanks Nene and Poppy for such a fun afternoon!  Everyone had a blast, and we all enjoyed hanging out with you.  

A New Year...Coming Home!

A new year marks the beginning of many things....new resolutions, new goals, new memories and much more.  For us, it marks the beginning of life with three kids.  When Steve and I first got married, we discussed how many children we wanted, and agreed on three.  Sadly, we met later in life, so we weren't young enough to have much more than that.  We agreed to get started on our family right away, and shortly after our first anniversary we welcomed Bennett.  Sixteen months later, we brought home Preston.

Life with two children certainly posed new challenges for us, so we decided to wait until Preston was a year old to begin trying for number three.  Several years later, we were still without, so we sought the help of a fertility doctor and an acupuncturist.  Between the two, we were able to get pregnant, but couldn't carry the baby past a couple of months.  Just when we were ready to throw in the towel, we gave it one more try since we had already purchased the fertility medicine.  And wouldn't you know...it worked!!  The pregnancy went very smoothly, I only gained 21 lbs, and nine months later we welcomed Walker Joseph Mizerany!


On January 1, 2014, we were able to bring Walker home!  So for us, this new year means so much to us.  We have had a long, tough road to get this little guy, but now we are all older and even more appreciative of his existence (if that can happen)....Bennett and Preston included.  They love to hold him, and are big helpers to us.  Everyone was excited when we came home, and our new life of "zone defense" has begun.  My parents agreed to stay and help for another week, so Steve and I were able to relax more and ease into it.

Going home!

welcoming Walker home

Poppy and Walker

The first couple of days, I was pretty sore, but by Saturday...I had rounded the corner with my pain.  In addition, Walker is proving to be a wonderful sleeper!  He has had several long stretches within the first couple of weeks, and has even made it from 10:00PM to 6:30AM one day (yippee)!

We have had many visitors since being home, several baths, newborn photos taken by Lindsey Smith, Walker's one week well visit, and a few outings...all before the two week mark.  Things have been going great, but we have had a lot of nice friends bring us food and offer to help with the big kids, so the transition has been easier.

1st bath at home...not a fan



ready for the AL-OK bowl game

photo we took during newborn session

doesn't Beckham look so regal?

my little helper, she's a great big sister

even Preston likes to feed him

sweet friends, Lily and Kadie Fry

We sure hope things continue to go as well as they have been, and Walker continues to be a great sleeper!  We are all in love with this sweet baby boy.

the first smile we could catch with a camera

New Years Eve!

Dr. Przybysz checking on us

Tuesday (New Years Eve), started off great!  We had a quiet morning with Walker, and then all of our immediate family visited in the afternoon.  Even though Steve and I didn't sleep well, we were riding on an emotional high most of the day.  Walker did great nursing, and was wetting more than enough diapers.  Our pediatrician said he looked "perfect," and my OB said my sutures looked good.

Though Walker wasn't even a day old yet, I began asking to be discharged on Wednesday.  Though I knew I would still be sore and in some pain the next day, sleeping in my own bed and being with all of our kids at home is much better than staying in the hospital.

Both doctors thought that wouldn't be a problem, so I was happy.  The Banta's arrived first, and all of the kids wanted a turn holding Walker, even little Lucy.  In fact, she was very jealous when her mommy was holding Walker and not giving her the attention.  She stuck out her bottom lip and got teary-eyed...it was adorable. 

Lucy pouting

look how much I have changed!

 

By the time it was her turn, she was more than ready.  She did great, and we snapped this adorable picture with all four of them.  After they left, our kids arrived with my folks.  They were both anxious to hold Walker, but Preston was more excited about the toy we promised he could pick out that afternoon.  Though Christmas had just passed, we thought the kids would be a little jealous of the attention the baby would get, so we told them they could get a small toy of their choice.  This made Preston's day, and was all he would talk about it.

 

sweet brothers bonding

little momma in the making, a few tears don't bother her

Though Preston was ready to leave for Toys R Us shortly after he arrived, Bennett wanted to stay longer and hang out with Walker.  So, they were still there when Goo and Shell came by.  Since Michelle had to work on Monday, and never made it by, she and Louis came that afternoon. 

Then Steve's parents stopped by for a visit.  Myra was anxious to hold Walker, but Papa decided he would wait until he came home to hold him.

When Preston couldn't wait any longer for his trip to the store, Steve left with my parents to take the kids there, and then go grab dinner.  I used the break from everyone to catch a little nap with Walker.  So by the time Steve returned that evening, I was feeling much better.  He brought back a couple of miniatures of bourbon for him to ring in the new year, and a small bottle of champagne for me.  What we didn't realize was that the champagne was cheap (and bad tasting), as well as flat (due to its age), but we toasted each other and Walker's arrival with the hospital's Styrofoam cups anyway.  Surprisingly, we both were awake when the clock hit midnight, so we kissed each other and little Walker. 

Wow, what a year 2014 will be!!

12-30-2013

The day FINALLY came when we got to meet the little person who has been stirring in my belly for the past 9 months!  The final days leading up to the delivery seemed to drag on endlessly, but Monday finally arrived and we were ready!  Since the C-section was scheduled for 12:30 PM, we were able to sleep in (yeah, right), and leisurely get ready.  We left for the hospital at 10:15, and arrived promptly by 10:30.

Things couldn't have gone better that morning, we immediately went to a room where I was hooked up to a monitor and began the paperwork process.  Just hearing the baby's heartbeat made me begin to relax...I knew the baby was okay and I was in a hospital full of talented people that could help me if something changed.  While we waited, Steve and I tried to finalize the girl's name, just in case.  Then my OB and Anesthesiologist stopped by to check on me, and before I knew it, things started moving quickly.  Steve got dressed in his scrubs, and I was wheeled back to the operating room.  I got my spinal block (which always makes me cry because I get scared), and then oxygen, and then they started cutting.  Steve was brought in, and before I knew it...we heard crying!  That sound is always music to my ears, and that is when the tears started to flow.  The OB announced it was a BOY (which I felt it was from the very beginning), so it was just perfect.

He weighed 7lbs 13oz, was 20 inches long and otherwise just perfect!  They allowed me to hold him right away, and then he was whisked away to get cleaned up, weighed and footprints done.  While he was having all of that done, we all waited around for the general surgeon to arrive to repair my umbilical hernia.  She finally showed up, did her surgery in about 5 minutes and then the OB closed me up.  When we finally got settled in our room, I was able to nurse and just cuddle Walker Joseph Mizerany for a few minutes before all of our family arrived. 




Steve and I decided we wanted to involve just Bennett and Preston first, so he brought them in to look at him, and told them what we were going to do to find out if "the baby" was a boy or a girl....which was to have the kids open his diaper and do the big reveal when everyone was in the room.


quiet time before everyone arrived

Daddy grabbing the big kids

All of the kids patiently waiting

first photo of our three kids!

pulling back the diaper....

 

Everyone shouted, and the kids were all excited.  Henley had bet Shannon that it was a boy, so she was happy because she won a dollar!  Our family all thought it was a boy, so the kids weren't too surprised.  Everyone wanted a turn holding him, but it was a little chaotic with everyone there, so a few people took the initiative, and everyone else left for the day with promises to return on Tuesday.

Bennett did not want to go, and insisted on staying all afternoon.  She ate dinner with us, and finally was brought home by Lauren Tanner after her visit that night.  Here are pics from Walker's first day:

Pres already sick of the crying 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Steve changing the first meconium diaper!

Welcome to the family Walker!  Words cannot express how much we love you already.  We have been praying for you before your conception, and we are so blessed to finally have you in our lives! 



Our Family of Five!