That's the way...

Everyone sing along with me now... That's the way... uh-huh, uh-huh... we like 'em... uh-huh, uh-huh... That's the way... uh-huh, uh-huh... we like 'em... uh-huh, uh-huh (sleeping that is). Okay so I changed a lyric or two, but what a blessing a sleeping baby is :)

We're all still here, learning what it means to be a family of four. We would love your prayers over the next week for Grant and I as it seems we have an abundance of doctor visits (just routine, but still...) and we're scheduling his circumcision for next week as well. It's done a little different here since most babies are not circumcised, so it will actually be an outpatient procedure that we have to go to the hospital for... so prayers not only for Grant that he'll come through everything just great, but also for the Mommy and Daddy, that we'll handle our baby having his first "surgery" well. Thank you for all your prayers that you've already lifted up for our family, the peace that we feel even amidst the craziness we're experiencing is a testimony to your faithful prayers! God bless!

Introducing...

We started off Thursday morning at 8:30 am inducing labor with Grant and Gary just couldn't help but take a picture of the big Clinica Copacabana (yes I said Copacabana :) embroidery across my prego belly :) We were really blessed in our entire experience (although it would have been even better if they had given me my epidural more than just an hour or two before actually giving birth... this laboring until you're at a 7 or 8 and then giving you your epidural (with lots of drugs inducing labor thing I might add) is highly overrated!

If you look closely you can see my face and I think it's saying... you want to wait how long before you give me drugs? (That's my OBGYN and she was a great great great Dr. We were so blessed! When your OB cancels her afternoon patients to come and labor with you... even hold your hand... now that's a great doc!)
Nathan's big brother visit the next morning! He's going to be a great big brother!
How handsome is he? Big Brother kisses... we're working on the word gentle :)
And introducing...
our newest little Bull... Grant Thomas!

He's here...

Just a quick update as my firstborn is stirring and second born is sleeping beside his daddy so peacefully :) Grant Thomas Bull arrived late Thursday night at 10:15 pm after a full day's worth of induction. We found out at my doctor's visit on Wednesday that she would be traveling this weekend to La Paz and I really didn't want to deliver with another doctor and so we decided to induce. The delivery went really well, Grant weighed in at 7 pounds and about 7 ounces and we're trying to find the piece of paper that said how long he was :) He's doing great and his big brother hasn't sat on, squished, or poked eyes out yet :) We're came home Friday afternoon about 2:00 pm and all had a pretty good night over all last night. I promise more details and pictures to come, just wanted to let everyone know! Thank you so much for covering us in prayer! There are so many ways that I can tell you they were answered... and I will... I promise, just after my nap :)

It's working :)

Okay, so on the baby update, well there isn't one :( Grant keeps getting lower and lower, but no real contractions and all is still intact, so we're playing the waiting game... I know he'll come in his time, but I just wish his time was sooner than later! This last week we had a specialized ultrasound just to make sure that the cord wasn't wrapped around his neck or in a compromised position. It really was such a blessing to see in such amazing detail my little boy's brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, I could go on and on, and then to see in doppler with all the colors in the cord and movement of fluid throughout his little body. All that to say we're in the clear, no cord wrappage and all looks great. I will say that after an hour of laying flat on my back on a table that might as well have been a two by four at 9 months pregnant I was so ready to be done with the whole thing. The doctor was great, but I think he loves all the "gadgets" of his ultrasound equipment a little too much... so he took forever (are you envisioning Squints from the the movie Sandlot?) to finish the ultrasound. We're just so glad that all looks healthy and ready to go for our second little man :)

In regards to our first little man... he pottied for the first time tonight! Now mind you, we're not potty training because until now he's shown us absolutely no signs that he's ready. Most pediatricians I've talked to have said not to push the issue with it being so close to Grant's birth since he'll probably regress after the birth even if we were fully potty trained at that point anyway. But tonight he looked at his daddy and said, Come on... so off they went running down the hall and spent the next few minutes on Nathan's potty (Nathan that is... not Daddy).

Apparently in the first few moments on the potty Nathan went #2 and then looked down into the potty and realizing what had just happened, looked up at Gary and said... It's working! Oh how I wish I had been there... I think in my fragile 9 month pregnant state I would have needed to potty too :) How funny are our kiddos? I am so blessed to be Nathan's mom and even though he's been super cranky today (sinus infection = antibiotic = upset tummy and constant crankiness) it was all redeemed in that hilarious moment :) Hope you've had a few laughs today as well and hopefully there'll be news to report soon of my second little family comedian to come into this world!

Forget Love... I'd rather fall in Chocolate :)

One of my favorite Christmas gifts to open every year is my Mary Engelbreit calendar from my mom. My mom is great at remembering that special gift every year and I love sitting by the tree looking at all the new artwork for the months to come. This February has to be one of my favorites. A sweet picture of a little girl falling into a huge vat of chocolate with the words... Forget Love... I'd rather fall in Chocolate! Now don't get me wrong I love love as much as the next girl... romance... flowers... good chick flicks and the like, but yesterday was a day when I lived out this motto.

It was one of those: I'm ready to have my body back (as in not share it with the every growing little boy inside), I'm ready to walk normal again, I'm ready to breathe normal again, I'm ready to sleep normal again, I'm ready to be able to sit on the floor gracefully again, I'm ready to wrestle Nathan again, I'm ready to not cry at the drop of a hat again, I'm not ready to go through labor again (what woman in the world truly enjoys the experience of labor I ask you?), I'm not ready to go through labor in a hospital I haven't worked in and don't know half the staff in, I'm not ready to inhabit the land of infancy all over again, I'm not ready to give up my one on one time with Nathan yet, I'm ready to shoot the water company (who bring our big jugs of purified water) who have now told me for two days they were just minutes away with my water and of which I have not yet to see a drop, I'm not ready to have Grant without my mom here, I am a little excited to have the experience of adding a little one to our family with just the three of us here (oh the contradiction of pregnancy hormones in the brain), and the list went on and on and on...

So after a meltdown with my husband first and then Katie later, who in all her precious new momminess ventured out with Jubilee and Malakai to come visit us... I did what any intelligent and good problem solving female would do... I made brownies :) And not just any brownies... when desperate times call for desperate measures there is only one recipe of brownies that will cure the problem and it's my dad's.

As I add the mounds of sugar, flour, oil, eggs (I know... such a healthy treat huh?) I am reminded that all will be well again in just 30 short minutes... they were great beater licking for Nathan, bedtime snack (and breakfast - shhh don't tell my doc!) for mommy and therapy for the soul! So love, yes, there was definitely love involved in the baking last night... but last night the remedy for my conflicted heart was falling into chocolate :)