Just a little note...

It's 1:10 am. I am holding my tiny baby. I should be sleeping, and instead I am just enjoying the feel of his little head resting on my chest. I just love the smell of baby shampoo in his hair, his tiny fingers, his sweet soft cheeks, his fuzzy duckling hair, and the tiny little mewing sounds he makes while he sleeps. :-) Now, we know all new mamas need their sleep, but these precious little moments fly by so soon...and this time around I am taking the time to appreciate the little moments. I want to remember this.

All Together Now...

This past weekend we had the privelage of enjoying my whole(immediate only) family for a couple of days. It was great, because we haven't all been together since Ryan left for boot camp last winter, and won't be again until some unknown time in the future after he gets back from his tour of duty in Iraq at least 8 months from now. It could be longer, but we never know for sure. Mom and Dad, Ryan, and Josh came out late Friday night, followed in a few hours by Matt & Melissa. They all crowded in and we tried to catch up as much as possible in 2 days. We got to hear some of Ryan's experiences, although I think he could write a book on what he has seen and done thus far overseas. Amidst the fun, we had an early Thanksgiving dinner and took some family photos. They turned out pretty great for 2 inexperienced ladies, 2 new cameras, and a tripod as photographers. I don't have time to type a whole lot right now (imagine that!) but I did want to share some of our pics with you. Here ya go! (Please pardon my still chubby self , as these pics are worth being in even if I am still only 3 weeks pp!)

Just some more pics...

Introducing Kendan Ross Lehman!

Kendan Ross Lehman was born on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2008 at 6:20 am. He weighed in at 7 lb 12 oz and is 20 inches long. He has a ton of soft black hair, with a blond patch on the right front side. He was 2 weeks and 1 day past my latest due date, so we were extra glad to see him make his appearance!

Labor was interesting...my midwife broke my water on Wednesday and thought we should have a baby within hours. Baby thought otherwise and decided to stay in my belly for a few more days...with only a few random contractions for those days. Since the norm for delivery after breaking the water is 24 hours, we started some cohosh(herbs) on Thursday night to see if we could get things moving. That didn't do too much either, but I did finally start having contractions Friday evening at dinner time. They were 10 minutes apart, 5 minutes apart, then slowed to 30 min and then an hour...so we thought it was a false alarm and went to bed around 2 am. I got up at 4:45 am and was shocked to have really strong contractions only 1 minute apart. It felt like it was time to have this baby, and the midwife wasn't even on her way yet! So, Ken called her and she got to our house around 5:15. I went ahead and got in the jacuzzi tub and labored there (the BEST pain relief ever) for the rest of the time. At 6:20 am Kendan Ross was waterbirthed into his mama's waiting arms! It was wonderful to have our baby come into the world at home, surrounded by the people who love him the most. Bradyn and my mom came upstairs to see him as soon as he was born, and Bradyn was a bit overwhelmed and went back to sleep. Hunter didn't want to wake up at all. Both boys have since decided that he is pretty cool after all and like to pat his head and tell me "the baby needs you" if he utters even a tiny peep. We are adjusting, and trying to get on a sleep routine...and loving every minute of having a tiny baby around the house again! We are all very much in love!

Josh is a Senior!

My youngest brother, Joshua, spent a few days with us this summer and I convinced him to let me practice my photography "skills" on him. I learned alot about my new camera, and we came up with a few nice pics. He was very patient and cooperative with his annoying sister!

The Gator...

This is the old, but new again, entertainment at our house lately. Ken brought this little machine home last summer for Bradyn and Hunter to play in as a surprise while they were at grandma's for a week. It was great fun for them then, but spent the better part of the summer in the garage due to a broken gear. I guess they don't make toy parts out of very strong stuff, but Ken decided to take it apart and have a look. Now, knowing Ken, you know he can fix just about anything that can go wrong with a mechanical part. So, a few screws and lots of Daddy grunting and muttering later, the gator is in working order again. It's once again their favorite toy, and Hunter is able reach the pedals this year. He even does a pretty decent job of shifting gears...if only he could get the steering down! It's a bit nerve wracking to watch him tear off around the house or down the sidewalk because he almost always waves at me and keeps waving until he almost hits a tree...or a fence...or my flowerbed...but he is SO proud of himself for being a "big boy" and I don't think he can cause any real damage. I never knew watching my kids enjoy their childhood would be so much fun. :-)