The new world of having a 3 year old!

I knew things would be different as Cooper approached 3. I was warned by parents of 3 year olds and from my weekly parenting emails! I look back on the past year of him being 2 and I know we had struggles but all I remember are the good times........the first time he told Milt that he was his best friend, all the times he kissed my belly and said "i love you baby Reid" while I was pregnant, and watching him learn things he didn't know the day before!
  Cooper turned 3 last Saturday and all of a sudden he is more independent, smarter, and wittier than he should be (without getting in trouble .........most of the time)  It makes me feel like I am quickly running out of time to have my say on the person he will be when he grows up. It reminds me of all the things that I wanted to do with him and as a family the past year that we never got around to. Having your kid have a birthday is like a having a parent's New Year's. I made "Cooper's 3" resolutions! lol This year I will try to read with him more, take him outside more, and let him call the shots some days on what we do cause most of the time he has amazing ideas! Most of all I will be more patient with him. He may drive me crazy sometimes but Cooper is the most thoughtful, loving, hilarious little boy I know.
  I'm hoping that this time next year I can say that all I remember are the good times and that I made the most of everyday we spent together!
  

Cassie Ruth

  My beautiful sister moves up to Knoxville tomorrow!!!!!! I am beyond excited to have my Cassie 5 miles away. I was lucky to have grown up with a super close family and it has been hard to not to see them as much since moving to Knoxville. (they live in Alabama)
  Cassie just graduated from Troy University with her bachelors in Psychology and is about to start her graduate work at Johnson. She is going to be an amazing counselor!!  She loves people and honestly cares. I can't tell you how many times I have called her and she has given me advice beyond her years. 
  This photo speaks for itself but I have a little boy who is smitten with his aunt Cass. They gave a bond that I see continuing through Coopers adulthood. Cassie spoils the socks off of him and he in return thinks that she hung the moon! 
  I'm looking forward to dinners, movie nights, shopping trips, and just great sister time while Cassie is in Knoxville. God is going to use her to do some pretty awesome things and I can't wait to be right there with her!                     Love you sister <3
  

  
   

Reid's Birthday : Part 2

   Here is the second half of Reid's big day! I left off where Milt and I were headed to the hospital.................(also, be warned it was such a whirlwind from here that I don't know what time it was from on thing to another!)

   Milt pulled into the front of the Women's Pavilion at St. Mary's where our doula was waiting for us. I got out and went in with her while Milt parked the car. I think Danielle wanted to laugh at me as we went up the elevator to the L&D floor cause I was still in the excited stage but stopped to have contractions then went right back to chatting and smiling. I have never been so excited to be in labor! I had waited 9 months for this, to deliver Reid the way that we wanted to :D

   Once we got upstairs they took us into a triage room to check me and make sure that my water did break and that I was truly in labor. It hurt so bad to lay down for this but I new I would be in a room and hopefully in the birthing pool soon. The nurse said that I was still 6cm and that my water did in fact break (No duh! I wanted to say, cause it's still running down my leg LOL) They got us into our L&D room and we waited for our midwife to come while they got us checked in and got my vitals and Reid's heart rate. They very quickly set up the birthing pool cause they were afraid that I was about to have a very quick delivery. One of the nurses joked to me, "I'm setting this pool up so you better use it! :D" I let her know that I would sit in it with Reid after I delivered if he refused to wait till she was finished. From the moment that conversation ended with the nurse my contractions starting coming fast. I was still able to stay on top of them but I don't think I said another full sentence until Reid was delivered. I was in full concentration mode. Milt was wonderful! He was there to encourage me, rub my hair and just let me know that I was doing amazing and that he was so proud of me. Milt's and Danielle's encouragement really kept me focused on the goal and kept me calm! I had about three contractions before I could make it up to get into the pool. The water was such a great relief but only for a short time. 
   My contractions started coming in twos and were not letting me have a resting period at all. My doula and midwife noticed this and realized that Reid was turned the wrong way and that was what was causing my contraction to couple like they were. They told me to get out of the pool and into the bed so that I could get into a position to try and encourage Reid to turn into a better position for delivery. This was incredibly uncomfortable and I let them know I was not to happy about it but I would do it anyway! LOL This was about the time that I had enough of Milt rubbing my hair and snapped at him during a contraction. Thank goodness he understood and didn't take it personally :D Reid did turn the right way so I flipped over to start pushing. Unknown to me as soon as I flipped over Reid did to. Milt said Reid continued to flip back and forth the entire time I was pushing and was born in a corkscrew fashion! Once he crowned my midwife saw that the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck twice and was the reason he was flipping back and forth. (they didn't tell me this at the time and I'm so thankful for that LOL) Once she unwrapped the cord I pushed one or two more times and Reid was here!
    I was completely amazed at what I had just accomplished. Somewhere in the back of my head I think I felt like having a natural birth would just be a pipe dream for me. They placed Reid on my chest and he took his sweet time crying for the first time but was so calm and content. I just kept saying thank you over and over again to our doula and to Milt for helping me. Reid then nursed for the first time like a pro! It was just one more confirmation to us that we did this birth the right way for our little man. The positive news just kept on coming. While I was feeding Reid my midwife went to do repairs on me. She jumped up and said, "Well, you don't need any stitches! Way to go momma." (considering how Reid came into the world that was quite a feat!) 
   My water broke at 9:30 that morning and Reid was born a short five hours later at 2:30pm. Reid ended up surpassing Cooper by a few pounds :) Reid was born a hefty 9lbs 1oz and 20 3/4 inches long. I would not change anything about that day and will always have amazing memories of Reid's birthday. I am forever thankful to our doula, and midwife but without Milt's support and knowing me so well, I could have never made it through. Milt has told everyone that he knew I could handle a natural birth and that I was stronger than I thought. His faith in me is the reason I kept going when I wanted to cave. I love that man!

  Our family of four is amazing and I'm already forgetting what it was like when it was just the three of us. Happy Birthday Reid! I love you <3