Meet Natalee Michelle....

Natalee Michelle entered this world on May 22, 2013 at 5:26am.

I started "different than my Braxton Hicks" contractions two days before she was born.  I thought for sure we'd have a baby on the 20th.  They were stronger and felt a lot different than the ones I had been having off and on for the last month...but they never got strong.  After a doctors appt on the 21st my doctor told me I'd have a baby that day and I should start regular full labor soon...it NEVER came!!  She then advised me to go on in the hospital and get checked.  I still was NOT contracting regularly but after getting checked, walking around and getting checked again, my water was leaking and I was staying!!  We were going to have a baby soon!!!

I walked and walked and walked!!  Still NO regular contractions.  Then they broke my water....and the contractions STARTED!!!  They got stronger and stronger!!  After 2 1/2 hrs they checked me again and NO change!!  I was so frustrated and was ready for it to be over by this time (not to mention it is now 3:30am!!) 

They had to start pitocin because of the no change and boy did I think the contractions were strong earlier!!  At 4:30 they gave me a Vistaril (a med that helps relax you).  By 5:15 I was ready to push and she here at 5:26am!!    

Garrett and Haylee came to visit a few hours later and was AMAZING!!  The look in their eyes and the smiles on their faces!!  They were instantly in love!!  Garrett wanted a boy so bad, but as soon as he looked at her he didn't care!!

  

Our family is now complete!!

...sorry this one isn't about Natalee

As many of you know we had our sweet baby girl, Natalee Michelle Wednesday morning....but I'm sorry this blog post is not about her!!  I am getting there and I promise my next post will be!! 

The week before she was born we had a very exciting week!!!  The weather was so beautiful about 2 weeks ago and the kids LOVED the kiss of summer!!  Garrett and our neighbor were playing with water guns and Haylee decided to join in!!!

 It was too funny!!!

Mother's Day happened to also be my birthday!!  Josh cooked dinner and invited some friends over without telling me!!  It was SO sweet!!!

Gene and Jody (Josh's mom and dad) flew into town a few days later.  They are staying here until we move to help with the baby and help us move.  Jody's sister came for the week to see Portland!  We had so much to do and so much fun!!!  

Haylee had a dance recital and danced SO beautifully!!!  It was adorable!!!

Her dance class!!

Haylee and her bestie Kathryn!!!

The girls and teacher Heidi!!

We also did LOTS of sight seeing while Teenie was in town!!  Jody took her to the Rose Garden (which was their favorite)!!  We also went to Multnomah Falls, Portland Saturday Market, Pittock Mansion, VooDoo donuts, Josh's school, and just drove around!!  A busy week but I feel like Teenie got a good week of Portland!!  I only wish we had the time and energy to take her to the Oregon coast!!

Admiring all the Portland flowers

 Saturday Market

 Dad's school

Hiking

 The waterfall at the end of our hike!!

 Trying to hike this baby out!!

 Multnomah Falls

I LOVE this picture!!

Sunday my WONDERFUL friends threw me this super cute baby shower!!  It was cookies and milk!!  Everything was so adorable!!  It think my favorite thing was the photo booth!!!  :)

Val, Jeanese, Suzanne, Marie, Dayloni, and Me!!  Thank you SO much girls!!

 They had these scratch cards where if you got three cookies you got a prize!  Sorry Lara!!

 The guessing board!!  BOY or GIRL and which day!!  

What a great and exciting week...leading up to the birth of Natalee!!!  Ok.....here is a sneak peak!!

I will try my best to post about her birth this afternoon!!

Redwood Vacation....Last Oregon Vacation

Last weekend we took our final Oregon vacation!!  Josh and his friend Markus have clinicals this week in southern Oregon, only 2 hrs from the Redwoods so we decided to rent a house for the weekend and enjoy the beautiful Redwood Forest!!!  Our house was right on the beach and the weather was beautiful (I'm talking 80-90 degree sunny weather....which does NOT usually happen in May in Oregon)!!!

We got to our house about bedtime Thursday evening but of course the kids wanted to see the beach!!!

Beautiful sunset!!  That is one thing I'll miss about Oregon...sunsets on the beach!!

The kids being weird!!  After 7hrs in the car though, they deserve to be a little weird!!!

Friday morning we woke up and decided to explore the Redwoods.  Because I am 35 weeks pregnant and 7 hrs from home we decided hiking was probably not a very good idea!!  We just drove around some back roads and pulled over and walked around!  Those trees are so HUGE and beautiful!!!

 

After our drive we went into Crescent City and they have this beautiful lighthouse you can only access during low tide!!  We went there with Nana and Papa our 1st spring break here and it was really neat to go back!!  

Exploring tide pools

.....and of course we had to go back to the beach!!!

"Would you please stop taking pictures and just let me play!!"

Markus has this tradition of running and dipping into water NO MATTER how cold it is and he always makes Dayloni go with him!!  Garrett decided he wanted to join them this time!!!

1.) Here we go!!

2.) Wait a minute this water is FREEZING!!

3.) Retreat!!!  I change my mind!!!

4.) I'll just sit right here and watch you guys freeze!!

And of course Haylee had to play in the sand!!

Saturday was another beautiful HOT day so we decided to go to the Smith River and PLAY!!  The river was a lot (well somewhat) warmer than the ocean!!

Markus and Josh swam over to that huge rock and decided to jump off....of course it was Markus' idea and Josh got dragged into it!!  

Garrett sunbathing after getting out of the cold water!!

Haylee and Markus planting "magic" sunflower seeds!!  Haylee took Markus' shoe to get the special river water to make the plant grow!!!

That was some water!!!

BRRRRR....that water was cold!!

We found one more beach that weekend to play on!!!

What a fun filled weekend!!!