Tabby

Today I put Tabby on the floor. I put her on her tummy and she rolled over to her back, then I watched her and she was arching her back and kicking her legs. After a couple of minutes she rolled herself back over to her tummy. I was excited.

Bumps, bruises and black eyes...

Last Monday Azariah was playing on the trampoline with some friends. He tripped over the friend and hit his eye on the metal edge of the tramp and this was the result. I was thankful that it happened last Monday since we have family pictures this Saturday.

Azariah's Black Eye

Later that day Tirzah was coming in side and pulled the door shut on her finger and mangled it pretty good.

Tirzah's finger

Then on Monday Caleb Lotze, our 27 year old nephew got back at us. Twenty-one years ago, Gil went to Washington to see his sister's family. They were on a hike and Gil dropped his five month old niece. It was an accident and she was fine.

Well yesterday, Caleb and Isaac, our nephews ages 27 and 25, took the four older children on a four wheeler ride. As they were coming back from the ride they had to go up a steep incline. Tirzah was on the front, then Zeb was first on the seat, Talitha was next followed by Caleb. Zeb popped the clutch and made the four wheeler jump forward. (Zeb was not the one driving he was just messing.) Talitha who had been half asleep the whole ride popped off the four wheeler and then her arm and leg her run over. She is fine, no broken bones or anything, just a little bruise on her face. Caleb was shaken up worse than Talitha I think. And now my daughter who seems to be the one to always have a bruise for pictures will have one for our pictures on Saturday. And Caleb got back at his uncle Gil for dropping his sister 21 years ago.

This is Talitha's bruise, not bad for being run over by a four wheeler.

"In it..."

Gil is holding Talitha and they are looking in to the fridge. Tally is pointing saying "In it, in it." Gil is getting her some milk and he can't figure out what she wants in it. So he holds her up to the fridge and she points to jam.

He says "No we aren't putting jam in your milk."

The funny thing is that it isn't unusual for Gil to put jam in his milk to flavor it.

What's Happening

Well, Tabitha is a week and 1/2 old and is doing well, though she has a slight cough and snuffles. We are praying that she doesn't get any more of a cold. All her siblings are sick and it is hard to keep them from being around her and giving her their germs.

Talitha is in the midst of potty training. She is doing well, but get very mad if anyone else needs to go potty. If one of her siblings says "I need to go potty" That is her cue to run into the bathroom after them crying "potty, potty, potty" and want to go at the same time. The hardest part about potty training her is that she can't wear underwear because anything next to her skin will make her go potty in her pants. So she had been running around half naked for the last week. Hopefully we will be able to put underwear on her soon. She is doing a good job of going in the toilet.

Zebadiah, continues to want everything that his big brother has. He also adores his littlest sister. I can't wait until everyone is well again so they can enjoy holding their sister.

Azariah, made a profession of faith on Saturday February 6th. Now it is watch and see to see if it was truly a heart change and so far, it does appear that it is. He has given up what he wants more in the last few days than he has ever done in the past. I am truly praying that this is a true reflection of a transformed heart.

Tirzah, loves school and continues to do well with it. She gets her math and handwriting out and does them without me needing to tell her most days. She gets the idea that if she gets school done than she can have some free time. This is a concept that Azariah hasn't quite figured out yet.

Gil is planning to go to Africa with our church for a couple of weeks in May and June. It should be a good experience for him as he hasn't ever been overseas. He is also looking for a job. He has one offer for work and we are considering that and continuing wait and see if any of the other places he has put an application in call him.

I am enjoying my new little one as well as my older ones. It is always nice to cuddle and hold a newborn. I have been taking it very easy since Tabitha was born and greatly appreciate all that my husband has helped with around the house. He is amazing.

The Birth of Tabitha Zuriel Lawton

Tabitha was due on January 26th. However, she was very high so I wasn't surprised when I was late. If she would have been lower in my pelvis than I am sure I would have had her on her due date.

We were all wondering if this was going to be a January baby or a February baby. I was hoping for a January baby just because that would mean less days to be pregnant. Because she was so high, I had indigestion and her head was on top of my pubic bone which made things rather painful at times.

The last week and a 1/2 I walked about 1.5 miles each day and the last week I started binding the baby up so that she was off my pubic bone in hopes that she would drop down into my pelvis. Yesterday we went for a walk in the afternoon and I took a nice nap after we got back from the walk. Nothing really made me think that I would go into labor yesterday until the evening. I felt like I might be on the verge of labor.

Then at about 10 PM I started having some contractions. I was hopeful, but not too hopeful, because I had contractions like them off and on for the last week or so. But then at about midnight I started having regular contractions 6 minutes apart lasting between 30-45 seconds. This is a pretty normal pattern for my labors. I finally called my midwife at 1 AM and talked with him, but didn't tell him to come right then. He lives 1 1/2 hours away. I said I would call him at 1:30. By 1:15 I knew he needed to come. My contractions were more intense and I could tell the head had dropped behind the pubic bone into the pelvis. My midwife said he was on his way.

I waited until 2 to call the assisting midwife that lives about 7 minutes away. I told her to get here about 2:30 AM. Then at about 2:20 AM I called her back and said to hurry. At this point I was estimating my delivery would be at about 3:00 AM. Gil had started filling up the birth tub at midnight, but since our hot water heater is only 38 gallons, it wasn't very full. However, it was full enough for me to get in the tub after I got off the phone with Lydia. Gil started boiling water on the stove to add to the tub. The warm water really takes the edge of the contractions. It had enough water to help some and Gil was able to get some more into it right after I got in. (He is an absolutely wonderful husband!). Lydia arrived at about 2:30 AM , brought in her stuff and started checking everything BP, heart rate, questions, baby heart tones etc. I had called Bill at 2:20 after I talked to Lydia to see where he was and he was outside of Delta, should have been another 45 minutes. Well he made it in about 25 minutes. He arrived at 2:45 AM with one glove on, but it was rather ripped. I questioned him and he was trying to put it on in the car in case he arrived and I was pushing. It made me laugh. He made the 1 hour 40 minute trip in 1 hour 11 minutes. Lydia had things set up, Bill brought in a few more items and then at about 3:00 AM I was pushing.

Although her head was engaged, she was still very high. My contractions were a lot stronger, harder and longer then what has been normal for my other four. That is one reason I wasn't sure if my midwife should leave at 1 AM when I called or later because at 1 AM her head was still above the pubic bone. By 1:20 AM it had engaged and things really started heating up. I think that is because she was so high. I pushed about three times and out she came. (A little more pain than that, but I was glad to have her in my arms.) Instead of pushing on my ribs, stomach and pubic bone.

She was born at 3:08 AM. She weighed 9 pounds 2 ounces, 20 1/2 inches long, 14 cm head circumference. Large baby, but little head so it wasn't bad.

Gil was wonderful once again. He is a great nurse and dotting husband and father.

Tabitha and Mommy

Countdown

Here we go, the New Year... 2010.

I have 24 days before my baby is due. Now, knowing that it could occur before or after that date, it isn't much to countdown, but we are all excited about the new addition. Talitha loves on my belly and is going to be thrilled to have a baby to hold.

At the beginning of December we went with my parents to California. It was a good time to go. We left the morning it snowed 12 inches here and for the whole week we were in California it was very cold back home.

The Children enjoyed Disneyland and Sea World.