Kate's 5th birthday

Kate's birthday celebration this year was a LITTLE early so we can have a PONY POOL PARTY! Her favorite show is My Little Pony, so we decked the party room with pink, purple, and pony figures of course.

 Here is Kate with some of her best buds...

And at home she got to open up even more gifts from mommy and daddy.

This has been a great year for Kate. She's grown to be such a loving big sister to Annabel, playing with her, and watching out for her.

And just this fall she started Kindergarten and soccer! It's been big changes for her (and me, quite honestly), and she's handled all of it in stride. 

We love you, Kate! Happy Birthday!

One year ago today...a birth story.

From my journal one year ago today:

Annabel Faith Snyder. 

Wow. I am still in shock and overwhelmed. I am in awe and my praise goes to you, o Lord. You sustained me when I could do it no longer. You gave me strength when I had none. Vision and endurance when I could not see the end. Thank you, Lord, God. For bringing me through it.

Let me just say, this is probably one of the hardest things, if not the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. And for the record, I don't want to give birth again! :) It's so hard!! 

4/30, 8 pm-ish I started feeling regular contractions. Earlier that morning the non stress test results were good, so even though I'm overdue, baby girl is doing fine! By 3 am the contractions were 5 to 6 minutes apart, lasting anywhere from 45-60 seconds. At 5 am I called my midwife and she told me to go into the hospital.  I had planned a water birth at St. Joseph's. But when we got there, the tub was not operational and all the newly renovated rooms in the birthing center were occupied! So...no water birth, no new room, and being far from my midwife's office were enough strikes to make us drive to Bromenn Medical Center (just another 10 minutes away). We arrived about 7:30am and I was in the birthing tub by about 8:15. I was 7cm dilated and smiling.  

The water felt GREAT. Then it got hot. Then I got tired from managing the contractions and keeping my head above the water. By about 10 am I was done with the tub and ready for a change of scenery. I wasn't smiling anymore, in pretty bad shape, and I told the nurse I would deliver in the room and not the tub! And by the way, I knew this nurse from Mom2Mom!

They checked me and I had just a little bit left to go to reach 10 cm. After some final excruciating contractions, Annabel arrived at 10:57 am. She was 7 lbs. 5 oz. and 20.5 inches long. She was...words cannot explain.

I have to admit, reading this entry today makes me laugh, especially the part about not wanting to go through childbirth again. That's because I said the EXACT same thing after Kate was born.

Her doctor's visit isn't until tomorrow, so I don't have any stats. But she is beginning to walk a few steps at a time (eight steps for grandma yesterday!). After her ear tubes were put in two months ago she has begun to sleep better too, but still wakes up about once each night. Craziest thing of all...she is STILL nursing. I never thought I would make it to a year especially since Ethan and Kate were done with me by about 9 months. This is an answer to prayer for me! I suppose my prayer now will be, "How do I wean her???"

Annabel, you have been such a joy and blessing to us. Happy Birthday, baby girl!

Ethan is 7 !

Seven years. I can't believe how quickly that time has passed.

In the past twenty minutes I have typed, erased, retyped, erased several sentences...it seems I can't even put into words how I feel, but yet I feel the need to record as much as I can. I have the worst memory, but everyday is filled with wonderful treasures...ones that I wish I would never forget.

Ethan is an amazing boy...smart, funny, high energy, imaginative, creative. He never ceases to amaze me with what he can make, whether it be out of Legos, or out of paper, scotch tape and markers.

Ethan can understand humor and jokes now...sometimes he and I laugh at life together.

He's tall (like his dad), and he stands just a few inches below my shoulder.

He's a responsible older brother and looks out for his two younger sisters. He keeps Kate in line (yikes), and makes sure baby Annabel doesn't eat anything she's not supposed to!

He likes to read and make things. He also keeps asking me for a Nintendo DS! In the meantime, he is wicked good at Rayman Jungle Run on my iPad.

Peanut butter and jelly, pepperoni pizza, and Oreo cookies are some of his favorite foods.

He is a creature of habit, like his dad. He gets a bit bent out of shape if we alter his routine.

He is vocal, like his mom. He expresses EVERYTHING with words.

I should mention that today is also Easter Sunday. For the past several weeks, Ethan has been talking about getting baptized on this day. What a cool thing! We've been careful to not jump the gun here (and no, he did not get baptized today), but the spiritual talks we've had have been inspiring. From a young age, he has asked questions about life and death ("what happens when we die?"). Star Wars has prompted discussions about good and evil (thank you, Anakin Skywalker). We can tell that he senses the tension between the two, and his desire to do what's right usually outweighs his desire to do what he wants to do (but not always). He has also shared with us that he has asked Jesus to "come into his heart."

Wow.

We are so blessed by Ethan. I can't wait to see what God has in store for him.

Happy Birthday, Ethan!