Owie-O - 1 Month Old

Our little bundle is 1 month old today! My how time flies. I can't believe how much he has changed! Here he is on the day that Chloe and Jake met him, just 4 days after he was born:

Notice his skinny legs

Here he is at about 10 days old:

10 days after that:

Chloe loves the swirl that his hair makes.

Jenn took this picture for her:

Here is our big boy, just a few days ago. All of these pictures are amazing, but this first one is my favorite:

He has grown so much! Today, he weighs in at 8.5 pounds!! He has gained a pound and a half in just two weeks! I don't think he is going to stay pint sized much longer.

Jenn Dabb took all of these pictures (except for the first two which I think were taken by Kevin). I have many more from the most recent bunch that I will post some time soon. Thanks so much, Jenn, for capturing this precious stage for us. It goes by in a flash!

Baby O, you have already changed our lives. By God's grace and generosity, we've been able to enjoy you for one full month and pray we'll get many, many more! Your brother and sister adore you and love to shower you with kisses (you're not crazy about it). You've already gotten many nicknames: Owie-O, Baby Owie, Baby O, Sweet Owie, etc. Chloe and Jake have named all of their babies and animals Owen in honor of their favorite baby. God has used you to teach your Mama to trust Him more and to depend on Him more and to love Him more. Thank you for bringing glory to God, your Creator, by simply being a baby and doing what babies do. Your Mom and Dad are learning a lot! We love you!

Snow and Cupcakes

Today Kevin decide to take the kids out for some special Daddy time. Usually he does this on Mondays, but not this time. So, they bundled up (it is 18 degrees afterall) and headed out. Not very long after they left, I got this picture:

Yikes! It got really messy really fast! When they left, it wasn't doing anything.

Then, I got this picture:

This is Georgetown Cupcakes. Note the pink boxes; that's how I knew where they were. The original is in, you guessed it, Georgetown. This one is brand new and is closer to home (unfortunately for our waistlines) in Bethesda. Kevin LOVES these cupcakes. Chloe does too.

See how excited she is. She is one happy camper. Whenever Chloe "makes" cupcakes in her kitchen, she always says they are Georgetown Cupcakes. Daddy loves having an excuse to go. He comes out looking like a hero for taking her there AND he gets to have a cupcake!

Of course, Jake loves them too and enjoys getting to pick one out. I understand the ladies who work there gave them stickers which is a simple way to win the hearts of our (easily bought) children.

Meanwhile, I'm home with Baby O enjoying the beautiful snow fall... though I'll be happy when the rest of the family gets home safe and sound!

Janu-hairy for Gary

Apparently it is a tradition for the guys in the PC to grow their facial hair all January long. Then, on an appointed day the last week of January, they all shave into mustaches in honor of Gary Ricucci, the Director of Student Affairs and our pastor this year. We wives are not huge fans of this project, but the result sure is funny!!

Here is my sweet, humble, slightly creepy husband:

Wow. He was hard to resist this morning. Sweetheart, the 70s are calling...

He got those shoes yesterday at the Salvation Army for $5. Oh yeah baby!

Today, he will return a clean shaven man. I can't wait! But, I am glad to have these pictures!

Sweet Baby O

Kevin's parents have taken the kids for us every weekend since Owen was born. What a huge blessing! Today, I took advantage of the quiet - and safety! - to get some pictures of Baby O ...and to update this blog! Enjoy!

all of our babies have loved to be swaddled

love those lips!

i want to remember these tiny toes

hangin' out

Oh sweet Owie-O! How we have fallen for you! Your mommy and daddy and brother and sister adore you! Father, thank you for this Blessing. Thank you for allowing me to care for him and for giving me joy even in the middle of the night. You provide grace for every moment and enable me to care for 3 precious little lives. What a privilege!

Our Hospital Stay in Pictures

Baby Owen, Day 1

I love how his hand is above his head!

Great hat, ugly blanket

Naptime with Mommy

He isn't much bigger than the information booklet!

Daddy getting him dressed to go home

I think he looks happy to be leaving

I love how Kev looks at him

Kisses before heading out

First time in the carseat - not a fan...

maybe this isn't so bad after all!

The hospital lobby. It was a beautiful time to have a baby!

Owen Michael Rogers

Owen Michael Rogers

12:59am December 31, 2009

6 lbs. 1 oz.

19 inches

As I was praying the other day and thanking God for all of the circumstances surrounding Owen's birth, I was overwhelmed by God's faithfulness and his abundant blessing upon us. Then, I felt lead to look up the meaning of the name Michael. It means, "Who is like our God?" Isn't that fitting!? I was brought to tears as I realized that we had named him that before we even knew what would happen. We picked the name Owen Michael for a couple of reasons. First we decided on Michael, after Kevin's brother. We were torn for a while about the first name, but settled on Owen after Kevin was assigned to read John Owen for class. We read him together and were both affected by his writing.

It was sweet to find the meaning of his middle name after experiencing such tenderness from our Lord. Just another example of God's kindness and his attention to detail. Who is like our God?!

Father, thank you for Owen Michael. Thank you for the many ways you answered our prayers. You truly gave us the desire of our hearts. Be glorified in this boy's life. Grow him into a man who loves you and spends his life for you.

Owen's Arrival - Part 2

The rest of the story:

I'm not sure what time it was, but it was probably around 11pm, I felt a strange pop. I had no idea what it was, but it definitely felt weird. I told Kevin about it and then went back to reading. Kev started getting ready for bed while I started having stronger contractions. I decided to spend sometime praying and journaling. I began to realize that my contractions were regular. I prayed, "Father, I think I may be in labor. If I am, give me strength! Give Kev and I wisdom! Lord, fill my with a very clear awareness of your presence! I cannot do this on my own! I am fully dependent on you, Creator God. You made me for this! Be glorified tonight!" With that, I got up and began walking around. The contractions got less intense and shorter, leading me to believe they were just Braxton-Hicks. I told Kev I thought the contractions weren't regular enough to be real contractions, but he got up and started getting things together anyway. A few minutes later my water broke. Wow! That's 3 for 3! The bag of waters only breaks first in 15% of labors. I have a 100% rate! I was very grateful because that meant we would go immediately to the hospital.

We got there around midnight and were taken straight to a room - praise God! As I was walking down the hall - stopping every minute or so for a contraction - I was praising God! I was in labor and it was December! God was clearly answering the many prayers I had prayed about our December baby. I was filled with gratitude. When I got to my room I changed into the hospital gown and then got into bed. The first time they checked me, I was 7 centimeters dilated. Yes! Definitely moving at lightening speed. Now, when I was in labor with the other two, I HATED being in the bed. I was dreading it now too. However, while I was pregnant this time, I study the Bradley Method. I read two books and, honestly, wasn't sure I would actually be able to use it. I was way wrong! Laboring in bed was easier this time than when I was out of bed. Amazing. God was indeed giving me strength.

I didn't use the breathing techniques I used with Chloe and Jake. I used the Bradley Method. I concentrated on relaxing my muscles so that my contractions could do their work. With each contraction, I could feel Owen moving down. It was really incredible. They were still painful, but the pain was manageable. Very soon, I was ready to push.

Let me take a moment here to praise my husband. He has coached me through 3 natural, drug-free child births. He is amazing. With Chloe, he breathed with me through 8 hours of labor and was more exhausted than I was when she finally came. With Jake, he helped me to maintain what little focus I had. With Owen, he answered the annoying questions hospitals have to ask a woman in labor, he kept reminding me that every contraction brought us one step closer to Owen's arrival, and - what sticks out most in my mind - he reminded me of what I would need to do to push effectively. He leaned over close to me and calmly gave instructions while the doctor and nurses, whom I could see just over his shoulder, just stood by and waited patiently for him to finish. When Kev was done, the room sprang into action. It was amazing for me to see a doctor wait for a husband to direct. That is a sweet memory for me. I truly could not have given birth 3 times without drugs if Kevin had not been there to keep me focused and to tell me what to do!

So, I pushed through the first rather weak contraction. Then there was an awkwardly long break before the next one started. We laughed at the situation and then got ready for the next one. One more contraction and Owen's head came out. At this point, you are supposed to stop pushing so that the doctor can sweep out the baby's mouth. When the doctor swept Owen's mouth, he started chewing on her finger!! He was a hungry fellow! Then, one more push and he was here! 12:59 am on December 31, 2009. Our December Blessing.

Owen's Arrival - Part 1

So, I thought it was about time for me to fill you in on Owen's arrival. Here is what I looked like on Tuesday, December 29, 2009.

I had a doctor's appointment that day and I was anxious to find out if I had made any progress. On the way there I asked God for peace and for strength to trust him no matter what the doctor said. Dr. Apgar confirmed what I already suspected: no progress at all. Wow. At that point I began to accept the fact that it could be 2 weeks before we met our little guy. By God's grace, I did have peace about it. I still had faith that God could bring Owen in December and continued to ask that he would, but I was at peace with the waiting.

Kevin and I began to make New Year's Eve plans and to consider what to do with the rest of his break. Wednesday was a great day. We all slept in until 8:30! That is WAY late for Kevin and I and a little late for the kids. We made a feast for breakfast including farm fresh eggs and bacon, gravy and homemade biscuits. It was amazing! Kevin is a great cook - especially when it comes to breakfast! By the time we finished cooking, eating, and cleaning up, it was noon! We put the kids down for nap/quiet play time. Kevin and I enjoyed the quiet time and just being together. I eventually took a nap while he got in some reading. That evening we just enjoyed being together. I loved watching Kevin play with the kids. He ran around the house with them which was rewarded with screams of delight from our kids. Kevin left just before bedtime to enjoy a guy's night out with old college buddies. The kids and I snuggled up on the couch and read several books, including their bible. It was such a sweet time! After that, I tucked my little one's into bed and said goodnight. Little did we know that it was the last day we would be a family of 4!!

I camped out on the couch with a book while Kevin was gone. He had forbidden me from cleaning up the kitchen, so I was enjoying the extended time to read and rest. Kev got home around 10:30 and we continued to read. Now, here is where things begin to get interesting.

But I think I'll start a new post so this one isn't too long. I suppose you'll just have to keep reading to find out what happens!