Gifts

Cameron smiles all the time.

He sleeps through the night - most nights.

He is a gift.

I am married to a man who I can honestly say is my best friend.
We are gifts to each other.

I feel very blessed to have these 8 beautiful children.

Our family is a gift.

My goal in life right now is to take care of myself and my family.

To raise our children to be kind and loving and to always be thankful to God for what they have and for who they are.

I love my life. I am thankful.

 It is because of the people God has blessed me with.

I have always called Thomas - Boo or Boo Boo. He was always bumping into things when I first met him. (Size 13 shoes!) And Tom has always called me Goose. (It was Silly Goose - and now probably more like Mother Goose.)
With each child we have come up with their own nicknames.
Brandon - Bobo.
I called him Bobo because his favorite book when he was very little was called "Where's Bobo?" It was a lift-the-flap book about a little boy looking for his toy clown. Brandon's favorite toy was his clown named Popcorn. (And later his stuffed Elmo and his gray blankie.)
Ethan - Eepy.
I kind of copied the name "Opie" from an old tv show. We usually call Ethan just "E", but I needed to make it a little longer. Ethan wants to write children's stories, scary ones, and call them Eepy's Creepies.
Noah - Snowman.
Noah is a bit of a risk taker. He needed a cool sounding nickname. We would naturally call him Snowah in the Winter time - so I just lengthened it to Snowman. Sounds like he should be doing jumps and flips on a snowboard.
Rachel - Ray Ray.
Tom's middle name - and one of the reasons we picked her name (besides the character on Friends that Tom and I both loved.) We would call Rachel our little Ray of Sunshine. She is almost always smiling! Very happy, kind little girl.
Leah - Leah Pet.
Because it sounds like Chia Pet, so we could sing this name to her. She loves music and enjoyed when we would sing her name when she was little. Plus, it's just a cute name.
I also call her my blonde squirrel because she collects everything! She loves purses and bags and you will find everything in them. If something is missing, you'll probably find it in one of Leah's bags or purses.
Sarah - Sare Bear
(and sometimes Sarahcuda - like Baracuda.)
She is a sweet little girl. Very shy. Definitely a Daddy's Girl. She loves to cuddle with her Daddy the most. She can also be very stubborn and sensitive. She will do only what she wants to do.
Jacob - Faba.
I am not sure where this came from. I think Brandon started it and we all followed. We thought it would be Jed because of his middle name, but Faba has hung on.
Cameron - CJ (A select few call him Ocho - he is #8!)
CJ is from his initials. It fits him.
And all together - The Sherman8ors!
Or Shermies.

First Days

I held Cameron in my arms.

I looked him over. Beautiful.

I had expected a dark-haired girl and here I held a bald little boy.

(In my heart, I believe the little girl who hugged me on my bench and walked into the garden was our baby we had miscarried. Her name is Veronica Rose.)

Cameron James was a sweet little baby. Adorable. I was actually thrilled that Jacob had a little brother. His closest brother in age was Noah, and there is over 8 years between them. Jacob and Cameron would get to do a lot of "boy" things together. I was, I am, looking forward to it.

We called our children and let them know they had another little brother. Our girls had wanted a sister - mainly so we wouldn't get outnumbered by the boys, but they were still very excited to hear about CJ.

Unfortunately, a couple of our kiddos had fevers, so not everyone got to meet Cameron at the hospital. Sarah and Jacob had to wait until we went home.

The other 5 came back with Tom and our neighbor the next day. Our neighbor / friend

is a photographer, so she came and took some adorable pictures of Cameron in the hospital. Better get used to it - I love taking photos!

The one concern I had was with Cameron's eyes.

The moment he was born, I noticed something in his eyes. I tried to say something right away, but no one else could see it.

The next day I insisted that the pediatrician look at his eyes. She saw something too. I "begged" her to have an eye doctor looked at him as soon as possible. I couldn't sleep. I was worried.

An eye doctor came in and told us that Cameron had cysts in his eyes. He had several in one eye and a few in the other. We would have to bring him in and keep a close eye on the cysts. I told her that when Brandon was born I saw one on his eye, but no doctor would ever look into it and find out what it was. Now we knew. And thankfully it has never bothered Brandon.

We pray that Cameron's cysts don't cause him any discomfort or threaten his eyesight. And at first, whenever I looked at his eyes, that is all I could focus on. But in reality, Cameron has big beautiful blue eyes.

He is a very happy baby who is very loved.

He fits right into our family.

Cameron James

June 10, 2011 Tom and I woke up very early.

Tom's mom came over to stay with our children while we headed to the hospital.
We stopped by the store to buy the newspaper so our baby could see what the headlines and stories were the day they were born.
We have done this for all of our children.
When we got to the hospital they took us to the same room we were in for Jacob. It was one of the old rooms. Tom mentioned getting one of the new rooms and our nurse looked to see if one was available. There was, so we moved to that one. It was a little nicer - definitely more comfortable seating for Tom.
Our nurse got me comfortable and she started the induction.
My doctor came in. He checked me and I was 4 cm. He broke my water.
It was kind of funny because Tom and I both had our phones out and we were both texting family and friends when my doctor walked in.
We actually texted a lot during this labor. It made the time go by faster and kept my mind from getting too nervous.
Tom even had a "joke" bet going on with his friend on what time our baby would be born. If his friend was correct, he would get to name our baby.
(Ocho Octavius - because this is our 8th child.)
Still, it's a nice nickname.
Anyways, labor was going slower than we were thinking it would.
After awhile with pain, I got an epidural. The Anesthesiologist was awesome. He was very kind and made me very comfortable.
Around lunch time my nurse checked me. I told her that I was starting to feel pain again. She had the Anesthesologist come back in. He adjusted the medication and it helped a little, but not completely.
It is very frustrating when you have been pain free and then all of a sudden you are right back to having pain.
I was checked and still sitting at 5 cm. I had been that way for quite awhile.
Tom was getting hungry for lunch, and the cafeteria was about to close. It was around 1:15. I told Tom he should go eat - our nurse and the Anesthesiologist told him he should go too. I was only 5 cm.
Tom went to the hospital cafeteria, the doctor left my room, then my nurse left telling me to call her if I needed anything. I was alone in my room when I had another contraction. This one hurt! I put my face into my pillow and cried - and breathed. I pushed my medication button. A couple of minutes later, another contraction. Again, I put my face in my pillow and cried. I pushed my nurse's button. I could barely talk when she answered. I told her I was in a lot of pain. She told me she'd be right in.
Then another contraction. This time my nurse came in while I had my face in my pillow. When she came up to me she saw the tears streaming down my cheeks and was surprised. All day we had been joking around, and all of a sudden I was in some serious pain and crying.
She told me she would call the Anesthesiologist again, but first wanted to check me. She did. Then she asked me when concern in her voice, "Did your husband take his phone with him?" I said, "Yes I think so."
She told me I was complete and I needed to call or text him to hurry back.
I texted Tom. (It is still on my phone.)
At 1:30 I texted Tom to come back to the room.
At 1:31 he texted that he was coming. In fact, he had just taken his first bite of the sandwich he had bought.
A couple of minutes later, Tom came in. He held my hand while I was crying through another contraction.
Soon I heard my other doctor's voice - there are 2 in the practice I go to.
Both had been in the OR together, this doctor was able to leave more easily.
I heard him tell me I could push - I did. Out came a little bald head. Another push and I heard Tom say, "It's a boy!"
It was 1:39.
Jacob had a little brother.
We named him Cameron James - aka CJ.

Another Dream

We were due in June.

Since we are an "older" couple, there were more tests.

The tests went well. We had a few ultrasounds. I loved seeing our baby moving around. At one of the ultrasounds, I was laying with one of my arms over my head - the technician smiled and told us that our baby was laying the exact same way. And it was hard for Tommy, but I did not want to know the gender of our baby. So we didn't find out. The way I was eating, I really thought we were having a girl.

With our other girls, I would eat healthy - with our boys, I would eat lots of sweets.

And then there was the dream of the little girl.

I saw a dark haired girl in a garden of beautiful flowers.

Then I saw myself sitting on a bench (my bench from before) with my face in my hands, crying. The little girl heard me and came running. I felt her by me and when I looked at her, she put her little arms around my neck and hugged me tightly. Then Jesus appeared. The little girl got off the bench, still smiling at me, and took Jesus' hand. Jesus smiled at her and they walked back to the garden.

Before we were even pregnant, I told Tom I kept dreaming about a little girl trying to get on my "dream bench." The little girl was having trouble getting up on the bench. I couldn't tell why she was struggling.

After our 8th child was born, I felt I had an answer to this dream.

I will write about that later.

For now, this pregnancy was going well. Again, we did the nonstress tests for the last 2 months. This little one usually cooperated - it was the machine that didn't always work right.

I went in with Tommy to my appointment when I was close to my due date.

I was 3 cm dialated.

My doctor told me I could choose when to come in if I wanted to.

School was out that week, so we decided to go in on Friday - 2 days later.

My parents would be here to watch our other children.

It was all perfect timing.

Thankful

This pregnancy started out a little "shakey."

I went in and my doctor confirmed that I was pregnant.

(When I called to make my appointment, the reception joked that I had to stop letting my husband touch me. They knew us well - had seen me often at this office.)

My doctor had me schecule an ultrasound and bloodwork.

I remember no one being too joyful in the office. I could tell they were concerned about something.

My numbers came back low and my ultrasound showed me at 5 weeks.

We thought I was at least 7 weeks along.

At first I didn't worry too much because I saw our baby's amazing little heart beating on the screen.

5 weeks. A beating heart. Life.

But then they wanted me to go in and have bloodwork done every couple of days and my numbers were ok, but still lower than they thought they would be. So I started thinking back to when we had had the miscarriage.

The next week when I went in for another ultrasound, I was scared.

All I wanted to hear was "There's your baby's heart beating."

That is all I wanted to see.

And I did. And the measurements showed that our baby had developed another week. That is when they told me that the previous week they really didn't think our baby was going to be ok.

We sat with my doctor and looked at the calendar.

We figured out that we got pregnant "off" my schedule.

God had planned our baby.

What a beautiful, loving, and amazing gift.

We were going to wait to tell all of our children, but when a few of our neighbors found out, I was afraid that our oldest 2 would hear from someone else. I decided to tell them. Brandon was usually good at reading me. He usually guessed I was pregnant before I'd get a chance to tell him. This time, he did it again. As soon as I told him I needed to tell him something, he knew. I then told Ethan later that day.

The rest of our children had to wait. We wanted to make it memorable. We decided to tell them on Thanksgiving Day - since this was something we were very thankful for.

Everyone was in our Family Room (Tom's mom too) after eating dinner.

I handed Jacob a piece of paper and told him to take it to Rachel and Noah.

They opened it up and read it outloud. It said, "I am thankful that I am going to be a big brother." Their responses were wonderful. Noah was funny - he acted like he was in a daze and asked -- What just happened? Our girls were excited, even little Sarah. I got lots of hugs and kisses and tummy rubs.

(We have the whole thing on video.)

We were all thankful for the gift God had given to us.

We were thankful that the tests and ultrasounds all looked great. 

We couldn't wait to meet him or her.

September

A few months went by and we would kind of "joke" that we were

going to get pregnant again.

At this point, not really possible yet - until July. My body went back to it's "monthly schedule" in July. Thankfully it was after Wisconsin.

Then in August I was a few days "late" but that was it.

(It was on Jacob's first birthday.)

Jakey's first birthday was spent with family and a few friends. We had a party at our home and we had another party at Tom's dad's home. Jacob and his grandpa share a birthday. We celebrated Jakey's 1st and G'pa's 75th.

Anyways...

In September, I was a few days "late" again. I figured it was just my body adjusting, but after a week I decided it was time to buy a test.

I told Tom that we should check, so we did the test together.

Negative.

Wasn't sure what was going on, but decided that it was still my body just getting back to "normal."

After another week, I was talking to my friend on the phone. I told her that I knew I wasn't pregnant because I had taken a test, but I still didn't feel right. I had bought a 2-pack test before, so I told her that maybe I should just make sure. She said she would stay on the phone while I did the test.

The next thing she heard was me crying, "Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" And all I could hear was her saying ,"I'll be right there!"

She ran over - and so did my other neighbor. She was scared because I was sitting down crying with my phone in my hand. Then I showed her my other hand with the test still in it.

How would I tell Tommy about this one?

Well, without giving too much information on here, let me make it short.

Since my body was not on a regular schedule, we were always wondering after being "together" if I was pregnant. Apparently we are a very fertile couple.

Well, the next night Tommy made a comment about wondering if we might get pregnant and I just said, "Well you can't get me anymore pregnant than I already am." It took just a moment for that comment to sink in.

There was some confusion, maybe a little panic, and then acceptance.

We were blessed with another child.

And now to tell our other children.

God's Plan

We were now a family with 3 daughters and 4 sons.

We joked that the boys "won" after Jakey was born.

He was our little tie-breaker.

Sarah learned to love her little baby brother right away.

She is so petite, so it was sweet to see her hold Jakey.

He looked so big next to her.

The two of them became great friends.

Noah was also excited to have a little brother. He had 2 big brothers and 3 little sisters. Now he had a brother he could teach "boy" things to.

I remember peeking into the playroom one day and seeing Noah in there with little Jakey. He was showing Jake all his dinosaurs.

Noah is very into dinosaurs.

It was cute watching him share his toys with his little brother.

He had waited a long time for this.

Every time I had a headache, people would start thinking I was pregnant.

I had a small touch of the flu once and there were whispers going on around us.

I don't mind that so much. I can joke around with friends, because they know that Tom and I have complete faith in God knowing what is best for us.

It's the other people who make rude comments or make us feel irresponsible that get me down. I know there are many who are nice to my face that talk nasty about me behind my back. I was/am surprised when friends from our church ask us if we're "done." Sometimes it is more like "You are done, right?"

And sadly, we noticed that with each new family member, we were invited to fewer people's homes. Fewer get-togethers.

But I get it.

With 7 children, we're a big number - and we're very busy.

Jacob was born right when the new school year started. It was hard to stay organized at first, but somehow we got through.

As Tom likes to say, "We always do."

And he is right. Somehow we get through everything. Our family is very strong.

And God has a plan for us.

The Bench Dream

Jacob was a sweet little baby. So cute.

It was fun to have a little boy again. I think I was sort of expecting a boy

this time. The baby book we bought was blue. We bought him a stuffed dinosaur while we were at a special "dinosaur" display at our zoo while I was pregnant.

And then there was the dream while I was pregnant.

I read once that there is a bench where your children you will have someday sit. I had a dream about this bench. I saw a bench with a little boy sitting on it. I went up to the bench and said hello to the little boy.

He just smiled. He had beautiful eyes that were full of joy.

He sat with his hands on his lap and his legs were rocking forward and back. He was so excited. So happy. I asked him his name, but the boy wouldn't talk. He just had a huge smile on his face.

I told Tom about my dream. Could this be our child I was seeing?

The next night I saw the boy again.

I went up to him and I asked him about the child we had lost by miscarriage.

He gave me a sweet smile, then reached down next to himself and picked up a seed that was on the bench. He held the seed in his hand then blew on it softly. The seed floated in the air and went over a tall white fence into a beautiful flower garden. The seed landed on the ground and then it grew into a big beautiful flower - the prettiest I have ever seen.

I looked back at the boy and he just smiled at me.

I can still picture that little boy - and Jacob does remind me of him.

Jacob has the most beautiful eyes. The most beautiful smile.

He is a very happy boy. A very quiet boy.

After my dreams, Tom wanted to know if I saw anymore children on my bench.

Jacob Edward

On the morning of August 19, 2009 Tom and I drove to the hospital.

We did our usual stop at the convenient store to buy the newspaper so our child could see the headlines and events that happened the day he/she was born. Tom had to buy a few this time - I didn't like the headline on the first paper he bought.

We arrived at the hospital and I was hooked up to the monitor and made comfortable. I find comfort in listening to our baby's heartbeat. I enjoy watching the lines go across the screen that show me when I am having a contraction - especially after I have the epidural.

I get an epidural everytime. I like to enjoy our children's births.

This time however, the epidural wore off. After hours of being pain free, the pain came back. Big time!

I was crying and telling the nurse I was in a lot of pain.

She called the anesthesiologist to come in. He was in the OR, but

would come help me as soon as he could. Then the nurse decided to check me. I was complete. She called my doctor and he was on his way.

My doctor made it to the room right as the anesthesiologist was walking in to check my epidural. Tom was holding my hand and trying to keep me calm. I was in a lot of pain - so when my doctor told the other doctor not to worry about my epidural, I was not a happy woman. My doctor told everyone that I just needed to give a couple of pushes and my pain would be gone.

And he was right. A couple of pushes and Jacob Edward was born. Our beautiful 7 lb baby boy.

I got asked many times if we named him after Twilight. In the series, Jacob was the name of the werewolf and Edward was the vampire.

I enjoyed the books very much, but it was a cooincidence.

Our 3 girls were named after women in the book of Genesis in the Bible. Jacob was a man in the book of Genesis. (Rachel and Leah were both married to Jacob.) And Edward is my father's name. Jakey was born on Tom's dad's birthday - Jakey got my father's name. Seems fair.

One of my favorite all time pictures is Sarah holding Jacob for the very first time. She just looks very "bothered." Everyone else was excited to hold their new baby brother - and Sarah loved having a little baby brother soon after he came home. She loved holding him. 
And I was filled with joy having another boy to raise.

With this child, our tie was broken. No longer did we have 3 boys and 3 girls. The boys won!

That is what was on our Christmas card that year.

(Leah held up a sign in the photo.)

Tom had a busy couple of days while Jacob and I were still in the hospital.

School was starting.

I missed watching Leah get on the preschool bus for the first time.

She was excited to go to school.

It was wonderful having Tom home for a week when I did come home with Jake. Life was busy. We had 5 children going to school everyday. That makes for crazy busy mornings and crazy busy evenings with dinner & homework having to be done. I always worn Tommy not to call home between 4:00 and 6:00. It is very loud and I am usually being pulled in many directions.

Snuggling with our newest little one always made the end of the day peaceful.

One Day

With this pregnancy, I was a little more nervous. With Sarah being born premature, we were a little worried that this baby would be too.

We never really had a "solid" answer on why Sarah was born early.

She just stopped moving around - so we think the placenta stopped working. So this time I started having non-stress tests at the end of my 7th month.

I would go in every week for one. Usually it took about an hour.

Our little baby didn't want to cooperate all the time. He/she would nap during the test. A chocolate chip cookie or a handful of m&m's would do the trick most of the time.

While I was pregnant with our 7th child, I was reading the Twilight series.

I had not completely read a "just for fun" book since Brandon was born.

The Twilight books are long, but so good.

(And the name of our child is a coincidence.)

Right around my due date, I went in for my weekly check-up.

Tom was with me when my doctor checked to see if I was dialated at all.

I was 3 cm! I clapped and smiled.

My doctor asked us if we wanted to have our baby the next day.

We answered with a very happy "Yes!"

My parents were in town. They were at our home when I called them to see if they wanted to meet their newest grandchild the next day.

It was exciting!

Tom and I decided to go look for some music at the store. We always bring music, but never end up listening to it at the hospital.

The only one I really remember is Coldplay for Noah. I think the song "Yellow" will always remind me of being pregnant with Noah aka Snowman.

This time I couldn't find anything I wanted. I think I was just feeling a bit nervous. We went to Ruby Tuesday to eat lunch and talk about what was going to happen the next day. Also sort of a "tradition" -- We had a few with restaurants. We would take a name book out with us (usually Red Lobster) to look for a name for our baby, going out to lunch and eating something spicey to try and start labor (usually On The Border), and on the way home from the hospital we'd stop to eat lunch with our new baby (usually Panera.)

It was nice to know when we were going to go to the hospital.

No big pressure on getting there on time or finding someone to watch our other children when labor started.

We went home, my mother stayed the night, and we tried to sleep.

We were one day away from meeting our child.

Another Blessing

Normally it would take me a while to start telling family and friends

that we were expecting again. With the first, second, even our third child it was so exciting to tell everyone. Starting with our fourth, people's reactions weren't always what I was hoping.

But this time I had to tell my family right away. My parents were packing up to come help me with our children during and after my surgery.

Now I wasn't having surgery.

I called my mom. Before I could even get it out, I just started to cry.

I think she was fearing that there was something wrong. Once I got the words out that I was pregnant, my mother was very supportive over the phone.

I needed that. My father called me back later that day to congratulate us on another blessing.

Yes. Money is an issue. We try hard to just keep up with our bills.

Our children can't have everything they want. Tom and I can't get everything we want. We only go on one vacation a year - Wisconsin with my parents and family. And it is the best vacation. Our children look forward to it every year. I am glad we have taught our children how important family is, and that "things" are just "things." God has provided so much for us. Maybe we don't get everything we want, but we have everything we need.

Sometimes I wish we had more room - meaning a bigger house, a finished basement - but in the end, I love our home. Our home is filled with much love and care and noise.

I have a sign in our family room that says

"Our home is just a little house, but God knows where we live."
Tom and I decided to tell our other children on Christmas.
We have a "pickle" gift each year. You hide the pickle ornament on the Christmas tree and whoever finds it gets to open the pickle gift - for us, that is a gift for the whole family.
This year we had three. One pickle gift for our girls and one for our boys and one for everyone.
The one for everyone was Tom and I telling them about our baby.
Our children were all shocked when we told them. It took a little while for it to sink in and for them to be happy.
(But to this day, our girls still talk about the best pickle gift ever!)

Another Test

Our family was growing.

Sarah was such a little baby. Amazing to watch her grow.

Our children were very good with her.

That following December, I was going to have surgery on my legs. I was all set to go in on Wednesday.
The Saturday before, Tom's company had a Christmas party.

Tom and I always looked forward to this party. It was a night out with

other adults - chatting, dancing, eating and drinking.

The years we didn't have a little baby at home, we would stay the night.

The parties were usually at hotels.

This year, we felt Sarah was too little, we planned to go home.

I was so excited this year because I was able to go out and buy a great outfit.

Black high heels, a black blouse, and black - size 4! - tuxedo pants.

Thinking I was "sick" during the last few months, I lost a lot of weight.

I remember having a whiskey coke and thinking - should I be drinking?

There were a few people joking with us about having another baby. Ha ha!

Little did Tom know...I was planning to buy a pregnancy test on Monday.

I wasn't "late" but I just had that feeling again.

We had a lot of fun that night. I didn't feel the need to tell Tom what I was thinking. He'd find out soon enough...

Monday morning I went into the bathroom while Tom was getting dressed for work. I watched the test as the positive sign appeared.

I came out of the bathroom shaking and crying. Tom came rushing to me and asked me what was wrong. All I could do was mumble some words about the test - then I just handed it to him.

Tom was shocked. He looked at me and asked me what made me think I needed to take a pregnancy test.

(As if not taking the test would make me not pregnant.)
I told him I just had a very strong feeling that I needed to.
I was supposed to have surgery in 2 days. That would not have been good if I would have gone through the surgery while pregnant.

Tom left the room and went outside to shovel the snow that had fallen during the night. I went downstairs and sat in our Family Room and just cried.

When Tom was done shoveling, he came in and came over to me.

I looked up at him with tears streaming down my face.

I stood up and we just hugged. We were going to be ok.
That night I went to mass at our Church. It was December 8th, the day we celebrate Mary being told by Gabriel that she is going to be the mother of God's son, Jesus. The Immaculate Conception.
I loved sitting through the readings that night. I have such a love for Mother Mary. I felt like the readings were speaking to me a little more than usual.
After mass a few of my Bible Girls came up to me. They were telling me that they were praying for me that my surgery would go well.
I wasn't ready to tell anyone so I just told them that I was going to have to postpone my surgery for a little while. Thankfully, no one really questioned it.

Reminders and Prayers

I felt I was on the right path, but I admit I was a little nervous.
I tried my best to keep my faith strong and not let fear take over.
One day,
I had to drop Brandon off to Tom so he could go to his neurologist appt. On the way home, I was driving by St. Mary's, our Church, and started crying and whispered "God, I need a sign that you are still with me." I pulled into my garage a couple minutes later and what did I hear? My tire going flat. That might make some people angry, but I had to laugh. Hearing and seeing my tire going flat (safely at home) immediately reminded me of the last time I had a flat tire. ("Losing Air") I've always believed that with that flat tire, God had guided me to stay with the man I would happily marry and raise a family with and got me to a doctor/place that got me healthy again. When Tom got home and went out to change my tire I asked him if he remembered the last time I got a flat tire. This may sound kind of silly, but I believe God was reminding me that He has always been right by my side guiding me.
The following month, my parents came to our home to stay with 5 of our children. Me, Tom, and Sarah left for Mayo.
We got to Minnesota safely and I had my appointment.

The doctors wanted to run more tests.

Unfortunately I would have to wait a few days to have the tests done.

Tom and I decided to drive back home with Sarah for the weekend then return for my tests.

Once back, I had my tests done. We had a day with nothing scheduled, so we went to the Mall of America to do some shopping. That was a good day.

Walking around the mall with our baby in her stroller was relaxing.

The next day we went back to the doctor to get my results.

I had been misdiagnosed before. I was fine. The doctor took me off all my medications. I was very thankful. It was a long journey, but it was worth it.

Between home and Mayo we found a little place of prayer. It was mainly for unborn children. It was a very pretty place.

There was a prayer walk and a chapel and a little shop.

There was a pathway with stones you could write on. I wrote prayers for my family and for my Bible Girls. I had gone into the shop and I purchased a prayer card. It was a prayer for health. Mainly it asked for my body to be healed so I could do God's work. I told Tom that I had prayed that if my body was healed I would be open to carrying another baby for God.

I have always felt very blessed that I am able to give birth. I am thankful.

I truly believe that my body belongs to God.

Minnesota

Sarah was home! She was so small.

She looked like a little babydoll - especially when Leah held her. Leah was just shy of turning 2 years old when Sarah came home.

A couple of months after bringing Sarah home, I started having some health issues. I went to an ENT who had an opinion on what was "wrong" with me and he prescribed medication. He told me I could not nurse while on this medicine. I sat in my car with Sarah in my arms and a prescription in my hand. I needed to be healthy to take care of my family, but I wanted to nurse my daughter. Being preemie, I felt she really needed what I could give her.

I sat in my car and called the lactation consultant at the hospital.

I cried over the phone to her.

Together, we came up with a way I could still nurse.

I would have to do a lot of "pumping and dumping."

But I would have done just about anything to be able to nurse my baby.

I continued on the medication, but didn't feel any better.

I remember one night I actually kind of "challenged" God.

I saw a commercial for restless leg syndrome. I was like - I could handle that better than what I have. I could handle some pain.

That night, I woke up with the worst pain in my legs. I could not stand it! I went into our bathroom and laid down on the floor. I could not get into a comfortable position. I started to cry and said outloud - "Ok! I get it! I can't handle this pain." - And the pain went away.

A church nearby was having one of the boys who has been visited by Mary in Medjugorje come speak. I went with a few of my Bible Girls. It was amazing. I could smell the roses while sitting in the church. There was a place to put your prayers for Mary. I wrote a prayer for courage and strength to do what I had to do.

After my next visit, I was sent for more tests. The tests came back as something a little more serious. I was scared. I got the phone call while I was having tea at a shop with Tom and Sarah.

I told Tom I had to go home and search online for an answer. He told me I could only go to the Mayo Clinic site - since they had already helped me in the past with my lungs. I agreed. The internet can be informative, but it can also be scary - there is so much misinformation on there too.

I looked on Mayo and there they had an article about what the doctor told me I had. They were doing a new procedure to possibly help people with this condition. I immediately called Mayo Clinic and they gave me an appointment. It was for a few weeks later, but it was perfect timing.

Yes, I wanted to get there right away, but this way my parents would be back from Florida and able to stay at our home with our other 5 children while Tom and I and Sarah traveled to Minnesota.

One night I felt overwhelmed. Tom was working late, I was exhausted after getting our 6 children to bed by myself.

I decided to take a bath to see if that would help calm me down. It didn't. I got out of the tub and just started to cry. I cried harder than I think I've ever cried. And I prayed. I prayed harder than I think I've ever prayed.

I was down on my knees. I was begging God. I told Him that I knew he wouldn't give me more than I can handle. And this was something I just couldn't handle. I couldn't be a good wife and mother while I was worrying about myself. I needed this to go away so I could focus on the family He had blessed me with. I put my head on the floor and sobbed.

Suddenly I heard our garage door open. I was so happy to hear Tom was home. I grabbed my robe, wiped my tears, and ran down the stairs. As I came into our Family room area, our door opened. It was my mother and father.

I was so surprised! I was so thankful.

I was expecting them the next day. Plus, they never stop by our home this late at night. They go straight to my sister's home - 35 minutes away. They knew their grandchildren would be in bed, yet here they were.
I feel God knew I needed them at that moment. My heartfelt prayer was heard by God and He whispered to my parents to come to my home that night.

I always joke that my mother has a direct line to God.

Before leaving for Minnesota, I made a CD with about a dozen christian songs that I love. We listened to it all the way there.

I had also made copies for my Bible Girls. These songs were helping me get through this difficult time and I felt that they might help others too. Music can really lift your spirit. I think singing is a wonderful way to praise God. I was happy to share it with others.

(And I am still thanked for the CD to this day.)

 

Sarah Home

The next 12 days were tough.

I had 5 other children to take care of and our preemie daughter was 40 minutes away at the hospital.

Sarah was doing well, but they still had many tests to run and she was jaundice so she was under the lights.

Tom left for work very early every day so he could go give Sarah her morning bottle.

I had my friends from church help me with childcare for my 2 other girls. Someone would watch them mid-day so I could go sit with Sarah and nurse her. Then at night I would go back to feed her and tuck her in.

Three different times while Tom or I were there with Sarah, "Sarah Smile" by Hall and Oats came on.

That is now her song. Sarah and Tom will dance to this at her wedding someday.

 "And when you feel you can't go on, I'll come and hold you. It's you and me forever. Sarah, smile..."

We took all of our other 5 children to the hospital to meet Sarah. They went in the NICU and held her. Brandon even gave her a bottle. Leah was a little unsure how she felt. Though she soon loved her little sister just like everyone else did.

One night I was going to go to the hospital. I was so exhausted. I fell to the floor in our laundry room and cried. Tom told me to just stay home. Sarah would be ok. I was too tired to drive the 40 minutes there and back.

Tom called the hospital - used our password "Precious" - and handed me the phone. The nurse told me Sarah was doing well and she promised me that she would sit with Sarah and rock with her and give her a bottle that I had left there. She would take extra special care of Sarah for me and I should get some sleep.

Even though I didn't have our sweet baby at home, I still had to get up every 2 hours and pump so that my milk would come in for her. Plus, I wanted to leave bottles at the hospital for Sarah.

I did stay home and went back the next day.

Sarah's "crib" had her name on it. I had taken a photo of our children sitting on our couch, each child had a letter in their hands and spelled S-A-R-A-H. There was also a little stuffed monkey we gave to Sarah from her big sisters and brothers.

Sarah's tests all started looking good - there was a time they were thinking of transferring her downtown, but she didn't have to. Then they taught me how to give her massages. She loved it! She would stretch out her little legs and toes. They had us bring in a car seat to test how she fit and if she could breathe well while in it. Once she passed that test, she could go home the next day. We went out and bought a new seat for her and she passed. The next day, Sarah got to come home with us. 12 days old and still 4 lbs.

Sarah Christine

At the office they hooked me up to a not-stress machine.

I sat there for awhile. I was supposed to push a button every time I felt our baby move. There was some movement, but no much. After awhile my doctor decided to send us to the hospital for an ultrasound.

On the way, I called my parents and let them know what was going on. They were going to head to my home to take over watching my children.

At the hospital, I experienced one of the most scary moments of my life. They got me comfortable in a room, had a monitor on my belly to check our baby's heart, and then brought the ultrasound machine in.

We could hear our baby's heartbeat, we could see his/her heart beating, but there was no other movement on the screen. This went on for about 10 minutes. The tech was pushing on my belly trying to "wake up" our baby.

I closed my eyes. I squeezed them tight and had tears rolling down my face. I prayed the Our Father over and over and over again.

Suddenly the tech said "Did you see that?!"

I answered "No, my eyes were closed."

He told us that our baby's foot moved very slightly.

That was good sign.

Then our baby moved a little more.

At first my doctor said I would stay overnight for observation.

We made a few phone calls to family and friends.

A few minutes later he came back in and said he didn't like what he was seeing with the monitor. Our baby needed to be born as soon as possible.

We remade our phone calls. I had my "Bible Girls" start a prayer chain. (My mother's bible study group.)

My doctor said that as long as the heartbeat looked good I could be induced rather than have a c-section right away.

We started the induction.

Tom and I were visited by pediatric doctors. They explained to us everything we should expect with a preemie - everything that could go "wrong." They told us exactly what would happen once our baby was out. We learned about the NICU.

I was scared, but knew this was the right decision.

I don't think I would have been able to go home and not worry myself into a panic everytime I didn't feel movement.

Plus, we joked that our baby just couldn't wait to meet his/her grandparents. He/she heard they were in town for just a few days. Decided now would be good time to be born.

I was in labor all night long. Heartbeat stayed strong the whole time. The next day, August 31 (she was due October 15), our 4 lb baby girl Sarah Christine was born.

She came out screaming! Good girl.

Very dark hair. So little. So cute.

While we were pregnant, we were at a picnic with Tom's side of the family. We still didn't have a girl name picked out. Tom's cousin suggested we look up Sarah. We did. It means "Princess." Sarah is our little princess.

And we still didn't have a middle name, so I told Tom I wanted her to have my name.

But our princess needed to stay in the NICU for awhile.

They took her while I got cleaned up. A good friend of mine arrived with my father soon after Sarah was born. They had brought my camera and were going to pick up my car that was still at my doctor's office.

My father went to the NICU with me to meet Sarah.

She was so tiny. I wanted to hold my daughter so badly.

They let me. I spent as much time with her as I could. I even got to start nursing her the next day. I also started collecting my milk for the nurses to give to her.

On day 2 I had to go home. I panicked. When my doctor came to release me, I was pacing the hallway - having a little panic attack. He sat me down and told me he understood, but I couldn't stay. I had to go home. Sarah would be in good hands here and I could visit her anytime. I visited Sarah again, then cried all the way out. All the way home.

 

33 1/2 Weeks

This pregnancy went smoothly. No big surprises or concerns

- until we were 33 1/2 weeks.

Our little one would keep me up at night kicking. I constantly felt our baby rolling around in me.

Then one day my parents were in town. They were going to go on a trip overseas and stopped to visit us first. We spent the day together.

At the end of the day I realized that I had not felt our baby move very much. I tried not to worry. I thought maybe I had just been too busy to notice.

When my parents left to go stay at my sister's home,

I laid on our couch with a glass of milk and some chocolate.

There was a little bit of movement, but not much.

I went to bed.

The next morning when I woke up I told Tommy my concerns.

Our baby usually woke me up during the night with his/her kicks.

Not this night.

We decided I would call my doctor when the office opened.

I continued to make sure I felt something. And I prayed.

When I called the office my nurse told me I needed to come in for 

a non-stress test. I told her I could probably find someone to watch Leah and be there in a couple of hours. She told me I needed to come in right away.

I said I guess I could bring Leah with me, but right then there was a knock on my door. My neighbor/friend's little boy was standing at my door asking if Leah could play. I told my nurse I'd be right in and hung up. Then I went outside and ran over to my friend. I told her what was going on and she took Leah (who was only in a diaper) and told me to go and not worry about anything. I thanked her then ran to grab my purse and keys. Once I was in my car I just started to cry. I continued to pray. I called Tom and told him to meet me at my doctor's office. I was going to the office closest to the hospital. Tommy was leaving work and was going to meet me there.

Disney Souvenir

When Leah was 1 years old, we loaded up our van and headed to Florida again. This time we decided to spend our first week at DisneyWorld and our second week of vacation at the beach with my parents.
A little "vacation" after our "vacation."
We met Tom's sister and her four children in Disney.
We had a lot of fun - lots of wonderful memories were made.
It was the first of the New Year, so there were Christmas decorations still up all over the parks. At night there were itty bitty bubbles floating down from the sky - it looked like snow.
We had breakfast in Cinderella's castle. Very special for our children. Noah loved meeting Jasmine. Leah was not so thrilled to meet Snow White. Rachel loved meeting them all. Our boys each got a sword and our girls received wands. We also did a different meal with Mickey and another one with Winnie the Pooh.
Our family stood out a little bit. We all had on Incredible t-shirts a couple of the days we were there. It was nice to be able to quickly see each other in the crowds.
Meeting the Power Rangers was a huge highlight for Noah.
They make quite an entrance.
Near where we met them there was a huge scene of Baby Jesus in the Manger. It was beautiful and I was so happy to see something about the true meaning of Christmas at Disney.
We stayed in one of their new family suites - in the least expensive hotel.
We never feel the need for anything fancy when it comes to the hotel. We don't spend enough time in the room. Besides, every place in Disney is special. One thing we found funny was when we came home one evening from the parks. From one of our windows we could see a light on in our room.
We walked in and the tv was on. Our children's stuffed animals and dolls that they had brought to sleep with were on the couch watching the tv with a bowl of popcorn. Everything is a little magical in Disney.
After a week, we were ready to relax at the beach with my mom and dad.
We drove to Panama City. We spent a lot of time on the beach. One cooler afternoon we went to the bowling center, and another at the theater. Lots of wonderful, special family time. It was a great vacation.
Soon after we got home, Tom came home to find me sitting on the couch eating ice cream. Peanut butter ice cream.
I don't like peanut butter ice cream.
He asked me why I was eating it. I told him I didn't know, but I was really craving it. He said he was going out and buying me a pregnancy test.
Tom went out and came home with a test and a bag of dill pickle flavored potato chips.
The next morning, Tom left for work and told me to let him know how my test goes. When I got up, I took my test then emailed to Tom how good the dill pickle chips tasted.
We were expecting our 6th child.
An amazing "note" to this day...
I went through a special weekend at our church soon after Leah was born.
The weekend was so powerful.
At the end of the weekend, we were supposed to write ourselves a letter.
One of the women collected the letters and told us that they would be mailed back to us in the near future.
This was the day I received my letter.
At the end of my letter I wrote "May I accept all the blessings God has planned for me." I love how God reminded me of my own words.
The day I found out we were expecting our 6th child, I received a letter I had written myself about accepting more children from God.

Full House

Five children. A handful.

This birth was a little extra special to me because I am the 5th child.

I made Tom a t-shirt with 5 playing cards on it. I put our 3 sons' photos on 3 kings and put our 2 daughters' photos on 2 queens.

Then I printed: "This Daddy has a Full House!"

I was so happy Rachel had a sister to grow up with.

Brothers are special, but sisters are too. Rachel loved helping me with Leah. She had a lot of fun picking out clothes for her little sister.

Brandon's tics continued - and after a year of seeing our neurologist, he told us he was going to have to diagnose Brandon with Tourette Syndrome. The one thing that really bothered me was the way the doctor said it. He told us in such a way that made us feel like our world was coming to an end. That and just this doctor's overall personality really had us thinking of finding a different doctor. We finally did. Brandon's new doctor was amazing! He talked to Brandon and found out how Brandon felt and what Brandon thought he needed. He was really good with him.

One day while I was googling I found a support group near us for TS and a camp nearby for children with TS.

We went to the support group once. It was for parents. The other parents were sharing their frustrations with their children's schools and everything was negative the whole night. Tom and I were blessed with support at Brandon's school and we were always trying to stay positive. We decided not to go back to the meetings. Plus, it was pretty far away. And not being allowed to bring our children just made it difficult to go.

The camp we found was wonderful!

Brandon went for a weekend in the Winter and for a week during the Summer. Children come from all over to this camp - and everyone has TS. The children, the counselors, the leaders,...So inspirational to see others doing well.

This camp was a blessing God had given us.

One night my dog, Justin came and sat on my lap. He had been acting different for a few days. He put his nose up against my ear, then just stopped. He passed away right there in my arms. Tom had just come in the door from working late. I was an instant mess. I had had Justin since college - along with my 2 cats, Spike and Simon.
Spike went to kitty Heaven when Brandon was around 3. That is when we got Moose. Simon is still with us.

Leah Marie

In the Fall, Brandon had a wonderful 4th grade teacher.

She sat with me, Tom, and Brandon to talk about Brandon's possible Tourettes. She wanted to know what we wanted the class to know and wanted us to set up an IEP so Brandon could get the support he needed at school.

What a blessing this teacher turned out to be. She really made an effort to help Brandon get through the year. She would play soft music during quiet times, she got Brandon a podium to stand at when his leg tics were active, and she communicated with me every week.

Brandon's neurologist was trying different medications with Brandon. Some had terrible side effects, but one did finally help with the vocal tics. In the beginning, it is difficult to find the right medicine.

On October 26th, our Chicago White Sox played in the World Series final game. Tom is a huge Sox fan!

We were at home, on the couch watching the game. I started feeling what I thought might be true contractions. I started timing them - then I started thinking how am I going to tell Tom we have to go to the hospital.

Soon, I had no choice. I told Tom that I was having contractions and I needed to get to the hospital. I was pacing, so he told me to sit down. Silly man thought if I sat still, the contractions would slow down. I went and called my doctor - he told me to wait maybe an hour to see if I was really in labor. (I have a feeling he was watching the same game.) So then I called my parents who were at my sister's about 40 minutes away. My dad said that he and my mom would be right over. I started to panic as the contractions got worse. I told Tom we had to go. I called my friend who lives across the street. She came over to watch our other 4 while my parents were on their way. Tom and I left. We listened to the White Sox win the World Series while in our car.

I think reality hit Tom while we were driving. As soon as we got to the hospital he was a little "snippy" telling the nurse to quickly get me a wheelchair and to please get us to a room right away.

The conversation between Tom and my doctor was a lot about the White Sox while I was focusing on my pain.

We joked about it.

A few hours later on October 27th (Simon Le Bon's birthday!)

our sweet 8 pound Leah Marie was born. While looking up names, we came across Leah (because of the song) and it said that in the Bible, Leah was the sister of Rachel. Well, there you go. Our Rachel now had a sister named Leah.

She was a beautiful baby! Blue eyes and thick, dark hair - which eventually turned bright blonde. She is our "Blondie."

And being so close to Halloween - her birthday parties are always fun!

Tics

Brandon had had a difficult year in school.

To this day he talks about how much he disliked his 3rd grade teacher.

And honestly, I was very disappointed in her.

I feel like I "fought" with her the entire year.

Brandon was having "troubles" but I didn't agree with her that it was all behavioral. I knew there was more going on inside my son.

Then I figured it out.

Brandon had "movements" that would just happen, then he started making sounds with his voice. I called his doctor.

I told Brandon's doctor that I needed to get the name of a good neurologist because I believed our son had Tourette Syndrome.

Of course, he asked me why I thought that.

I told him my reasons and he agreed and had me make an appointment with him first.

Brandon's tics got worse very quickly.

Brandon developed full body tics and the cursing tic, Coprolalia.

It was a difficult time. Here I was pregnant with our 5th child and our oldest was being diagnosed with Tourettes.

I read everything I could get my hands on.

I was going to do whatever I needed to do to help our son get through this.
I knew God wouldn't give us more than we could handle.

Disney and the Beach

Now to tell our other children...

One afternoon we loaded up our children to start the long overnight drive to Florida. We decided it would be best to pull an all-nighter driving with four little ones.

But along the way, we made one very important stop.

Next door to my doctor's office - to see the ultrasound technician.

I went in first, then I invited Tom and our 4 kiddos into the room.

The technician showed the sonogram to our children. I asked them if they knew what that was a picture of. Brandon smiled and softly said, "It's a baby."

Then he smiled and leaned down to give me a hug.

That got our other children excited.

There on the screen was their new brother or sister.

What a way to start a wonderful vacation.

We arrived very early in the morning at my parents' place.

When we were at the beach with my parents, it was time for a little relaxing. I remember eating a lot of cottage cheese (it soothed my tummy) and walking along the beach. It happened to be Easter weekend so our children got to enjoy an Egg Hunt in the sand. A restaurant nearby had a great set up. They let different ages go out into an area they had roped off, and all the children there got to go out with a bucket and find plastic eggs hidden in the sand. What a great idea!

After about a week, we headed to DisneyWorld.

I spent many Disney Mornings in the bathroom.

Being in your first trimester is a little tough at DisneyWorld.

But I still had fun watching our children have fun. One of the best parts was seeing the wonder and amazement on our children's faces.

And all too soon it was time to go home. We needed to get ready for our newest member. I also needed to figure out what was going on with our oldest child, Brandon. He was having a terrible year in school and I was fighting for him every step.

Number 5

We planned another trip to DisneyWorld.

This time we would be traveling with four children.

So this time we decided to drive instead of fly. We again planned to spend a few days at Disney and a few days with my parents in Panama City.

A couple of weeks before our trip, I started feeling a familiar feeling.

I went out and bought a test.

I took the test while alone at home - it was positive.

I walked across the street to my friend's house. My daughter was there playing with her daughter. After a few minutes my friend asked me if there was something going on. I guess I was acting a little "different." I smiled and then pulled the test out of my pocket and showed her.

I don't have much of a "poker face" when it comes to being pregnant.

It was easy to share my news with my friend, now to figure out how to tell Tommy.

My first try: It was a Friday so I knew Tom would be bringing home pizza for dinner. We would pick up freshly made ones and cook them at home. I decided to put a hot dog bun in our oven. "Bun in the Oven." Tom came home, opened up the oven, took the bun out, put it on the counter, then put the pizza in. (You didn't preheat for these pizzas.)

Nothing.

I stood there in the kitchen just staring in disbelief that the fact that a bun in the oven meant nothing.

My second try: After dinner I sat next to Tom on our couch. I put my feet on his lap. Tom started to rub them, but he never looked down to see that my socks were new and said "Baby" all over them in pink and blue.

My third try: Tom and I liked to play a game called Mad Gab. You have words that when read blended together say something else. We would write messages to each other on our bathroom mirror all the time - so when Tom went to our room to get ready for bed, he wasn't too surprised to see writing on our mirror. I stood back and secretly watched. I had written

"Whee harp Reagan ant."

Tom kept reading it. First in his head, then in a whisper, then outloud. He couldn't quite get it. I stood behind him out of his view and tried desperately not to laugh. I could hear what the message really was, but it took him many tries. Then I saw his face change. And heard a "No!" with a little bit of a laugh. That's when I joined in the laughter. Tom laid down on our bed and I laid down next to him. Tom was saying "No" with a huge smile on his face while I kept saying "Yes" with a smile on my face.

Another baby.

Angels

While Rachel was very young, Sulley went to doggie Heaven.
We decided to wait to get another dog, but 3 days later we had a puppy. A German Shepherd named Cody. We drove out to a farm very late one night and the owner let all the puppies out. They all went running around the yard - well, all but one. One puppy came over and sat by us. Cody had chosen us.

I must say that going clothes shopping for a girl is a lot of fun.

I loved dressing up my little boys, but I loved looking for that little extra sparkle and shine in girls' outfits too. I guess it also helps that I am a girl and was happy to have someone to share that with. I loved doing her hair and picking out the right jewelry and other accessories - and we can't forget the shoes/boots and little purses!

Rachel had a closet stuffed with dresses and skirts. The floor of her closet overflowed with shoes. A basket I kept in the bathroom was filled to the top with hair ribbons and bows. And I found a new love for pink.

Rachel Ann did become a "girly-girl." She loved to dress up. (Still does!)

She has always had a great sense of fashion.

She is so beautiful! She has her daddy's beautiful brown eyes.

My daddy used to tell me that he hoped I'd have a daughter someday that whined as much as I did. Well, I got her.

I remember saying how I know God gave me the right girl when one day she said to me that she wanted to wear all black.

Growing up I was what they now call "Goth." I loved wearing black - in fact, at my High School Reunion that is how many remembered who I was. I heard a lot of "Aren't you the one who always wore black?"

Rachel has my long dark hair - snarls and all - and she tells everyone that she looks just like me. I love that! I love that she is at the age where she loves her momma and loves that we look alike. She even told me to buy a sweater that was almost identical to hers because she wanted us to dress the same.

I pray our relationship stays like this for many many years.

Rachel is very sweet and kind and I adore her.

She is very loved in our home.

Our little Noah didn't talk very much.
Mama, Dada, and Baby were the words he said now.
Noah had had some interesting moments.
Even though Noah didn't talk, there were many times he would appear to be asleep, but his eyes would open, he would smile, and his lips would move like he was talking to someone but without sound.
He would do this in bed and in the car. Anywhere he could sleep. It would happen as he was falling asleep or as he was waking up.
I videotaped him one time. It was a little unclear because the room was dark, but a doctor we saw at the Children's Hospital asked me for a copy. He found it very interesting and had no answers for us. We saw this doctor because Noah had had night terrors too. He did a sleep study on him.
My answer - I believe Noah was talking to Angels he could see. He didn't appear scared at all during these times. He looked like he was having a nice conversation - and nothing I did would change what was going on. I could wave my hand in front of his face and he didn't see me. And the interesting thing is that when Noah started talking (with the help of a speech therapist)these special moments stopped happening. Noah stopped seeing and talking to Angels when he was finally able to talk to us. Maybe they didn't want our little Noah to repeat what they were saying.

Rachel Ann

On March 9, 2003 we went to the hospital.

I was having contractions in the very early hours of the day.

Tom and I rushed to the hospital. On our way there we called our friend who was at Noah's birth to see if she wanted to meet us at the hospital. It would be quite a drive for her, but she made it just in time.

I pushed and I thought for certain we were having another boy. But then my friend yelled, "It's a girl!" I could not believe what I had heard! I looked at Tom and we both just smiled with very surprised looks on our faces. Then the nurse handed me our little 7 pound blessing. I was so happy.

A little girl. We had a daughter.

It was a little difficult to tell everyone we were expecting - but it was a lot of fun to now call and tell everyone that we had a little girl.

Three sons and now a daughter too.

My parents were not sure when they would be able to come visit, but once they heard we had a little girl they came right away.

God had blessed us with a daughter for Tommy's birthday.

Tom brought our three boys to meet Rachel Ann. They all loved that they had a sister. Brandon had been waiting for a sister. He loved holding her. Ethan did too. And Noah thought Rachel was here just for him. He always wanted to hold her. Noah didn't talk much. He mostly said Mama and Dada. But now he added Baby to his list of words.

(And he called Rachel "Baby" for the first 2 years of her life.)