Here We Go Again!

About 7 weeks ago, Sam and I opted to have my blood drawn by our maternal-fetal medicine doctor to check for chromosomal abnormalities in our 11 week old fetus. We had decided that even though insurance wouldn't fully cover this particular test, we wanted to know for sure if our baby was "chromosomally healthy" (a term I made up). We were not offered this test when I was pregnant with Banner; we were given statistics of his chances of having Downs or Trisomy-18, etc., but we were not given a clear-cut answer "yes" or "no" back in "those days" - yes, only two years ago. For this pregnancy, we had more options available, and we wanted to take that opportunity. Since we would only have to wait about 10 days for the results of the blood test, which would also tell us the sex of our baby if we wanted to know, we decided to let the MFM doctor go ahead and make a gender prediction based on the almost 12-week-old body structure. We had this same prediction at Banner's first trimester screening, and although the sonographer and doctor have a 95% accuracy rate, they were wrong with Banner - telling us he was a girl. For 8 weeks, we thought we were having a girl, and I really had a difficult time once I found out that she was, in fact, a he. I had bonded with my girl, imagined my life with my daughter, and thought about only girl names. But, when we saw that "turtle" on the screen with Banner, both Sam and I were shocked, and it took some getting used to the idea that we would have a boy not a girl - and it certainly made picking a name a bit more challenging after having our minds made up for our little girl.

But, THIS time was different. We went into it with eyes wide open - kind of like I think we will enter into parenting this new baby! We were more prepared for a wrong prediction and didn't get our hearts or minds set on any one gender.  This time around, they predicted "boy" right away. We all could see exactly what the doctor was seeing/explaining to us. And, about 8 days later, we got a phone call with the blood work results. The nurse told me that the blood work was 99.4% accurate that we were having a baby boy.

Sam and I were fully prepared this time around! And, when we had our second trimester anatomy sono today, we were not at all taken by surprise when we saw yet another "turtle" on the screen - indicating that our baby was a boy for certain! We had already shared this news with our families and close friends - sending this short video to them. We decided we wanted to have Banner go "visit" his Bubbie at the cemetery to include her in the exciting news that she was going to be a grandmother to yet another grandson. It was emotional for us to "share" this news with her and to be at her graveside when sharing the news with everyone. She won't get to meet this grandchild, so the least we could do was have her help us make our announcement.

Of course we had dreams of Banner being a big brother to a little sister, of getting to experience being a parent to a boy and to a girl, of using the name we had chosen for our daughter, but we were ecstatic that this baby was healthy and growing. Our biggest challenge is going to be finding a name for this kiddo! If you've read my previous posts, you know I put quite a bit of (over)thought into this decision. :)

We are mostly so happy that Baby Boy J (BBJ#2) is healthy, strong, growing, and doing well as we finish the first half of this pregnancy. Having a boy again will be awesome from a financial standpoint! We have just about everything we need thanks to hand-me-downs from Banner, Caden, Brycen, Colby, and Nami! Most kids born into this family are boys, so BBJ2 will have plenty of older male cousins to play with! In fact, he's the 4th boy of 4 grandkids on Sam's side of the family, and he's the 9th boy of 10 great-grandkids my Grandpa would be meeting if he were still living!

But, yes, there's a part of me that wishes I could control what sex our children are. It's really one of the only things in life we have absolutely no control over - unless you spend a fortune selecting a gender during medical procedures before conception, which I'm not sure I believe in. As a favorite first grade teacher says, "You get what you get, and you don't throw a fit!" Which is true. I only want healthy, happy kids! But, one day, I'd love to experience what it's like to have a daughter, to mother a girl, to watch my boys play with their sister. Sam and I would both love to know what it's like to braid hair, paint nails, have a tea party, have a kid who will watch Annie with me, and watch dance recitals in our living room! While I'm completely stereotyping and fighting with the grad student inside me who is beating me over the head with a stick right now for even typing those words, I just want to know what it's like to dress a girl, to see more pink in the house, and to read about Barbie or Cinderella - and not trucks and trains!

Don't get me wrong - I've learned a whole lot from raising Banner this far. I can name all types of vehicles with their technical names, I am finding the joy in letting my boy get messy and dirty as he explores the flowerbeds, and I'm learning to love tripping over Hot Wheels and Batmobiles. The thought of having two boys is both scary and wonderful. Banner will have a best friend, a great playmate, and a partner in crime. But, Sam and I question how much energy we have for two energetic little men! Sure, I bet playing house, finding spilled nail polish, losing bows and ribbons, and playing beauty shop over and over again would get old after a while, too. I try to think of these things when I am saddened that we don't/won't (yet?) have a daughter.

I've joked with my mom about how I'm this strong woman with feminist values and opinions and no daughter to share them with. But, quite honestly, maybe that's what God has in mind for me. . . to share these values with my sons, to make them amazing men who care deeply for girls and women and who seek equality for themselves and their female friends. I keep thinking that God only gives us what we can handle, that He knows what is best. And, I also keep thinking that there is no way I'd ever trade Banner in for that girl I thought I was bonding with. So, BBJ2 is exactly right for our family. He's a welcome addition who I can't wait to meet! We already love him so much, and we're so incredibly blessed to have seen him today - healthy and growing just right! I can only hope and pray that he stays that way.

In the meantime, we are preparing Banner for a baby brother. We are reading books about babies, talking about "Banner's baby," and considering other ways to make this life-change easier for big brother. Banner has heard BBJ2's heartbeat a few times and says, "Heartbeat" when he hears it. He is gentle with his baby cousin, Nami, when we let Banner hold him for a moment. He's well aware there is a baby in Mommy's tummy (although he doesn't understand that one day he'll actually meet this baby!).

As for me, I'm surrounded by amazing women who are the mothers to two (or more) sons. (Mischelle, Lissa, Robin, Marla, Gayle, Aunt Karen, Hilary, Casey, Julia, Laura, Jill, Misty, Sharron, Rebecca, Lindsay - just to name a few of the "sisterhood of the brotherhood.") They remind me that brothers are the best, that two boys are twice the fun, that boys just LOVE their mommies. I'm honored to be among these women who are outnumbered in their homes and surrounded by more testosterone than any woman should have to endure! And, I'm so so so in love with my Banner Boone and his little brother already! Boys or girls - it doesn't really matter. The smell of my sweet boy waking up from his nap, the feel of his tender skin against mine, the sight of his adorable smile, the sound of his angelic voice, and the taste of his sweet kisses - well, that about does me in! Because - Oh My God - I love my baby and know that his gender matters not to me! So, I say - here we go again!! Bring on the joy that is having a baby boy!

Such a Boy

Dirt, trucks, cars, trains, dirt, balls, sweat, scraped knees, running, dirt, messes, building, shoveling, and more dirt! That's what Banner was into today - kind of like everyday. This kid is "all boy" as "they" say, and here are some photos to preview what I'm sure our summer will look like!

Grandma's new landscapers

Getting dirty and chalky in the backyard

First skinned knee

Learning how to bat

Snack break

DIRT!

Dirty, sweaty, and thirsty - but still Mommy's beautiful boy

22-Month Newsletter

Dear Banner,
Where to begin this month? You're not two-years-old yet, but man, you sure do act like it - in so many ways! From tantrums and meltdowns to showing your independence and showing off your smarts, you are very ready to turn two! It was another big month: we went to the zoo with lots of your friends, Nami was born and you got to be there to meet him on his birthday, you participated in Passover sedar, you had another cold, we celebrated Grandma and Uncle Brock's birthdays, we attended a St. Patrick's Day party at Ryan's house, and you met Zaide's parents (Mamaw and Papaw) and his sister, Diane, and her husband, Ron. That was such a special week we had getting to play with them while they were in town! They were in awe of you, and they thought you were such a funny, smart, handsome little boy (and they're right!).

So, what else have you been up to this month?

-You now request hugs and kisses. The first night this happened, you, Daddy, and I were sitting at the dinner table and you said, "Kiss" and raised your hands towards Daddy's face. As he got closer, you put your hands on his cheeks and pulled him towards you. Then, you did the same to me. Oh, what a treat! Melt.my.heart!

-You are saying three- (and sometimes four-) word sentences! Some examples include: "Here it is," "I tired, Daddy," or "I tired, too, Mommy," "No more shoes," and "Come home, Mommy!"

-You can name the letters of probably two-thirds of the alphabet! Honestly, I have no idea where you are picking up all this information. Grandma and I "quizzed" you last night, and we were both so surprised at how many letters you know. If my memory is correct, you can name: A, B, C, D, G, H, K, L, M, O, P, R, S, U, X, and Z - and you know the names of others but mixed them up (E and F, V you called "U", Y you called "Z", and a few others never got your attention enough to know if you knew them: Q, T, I).

-I would bet by next month you'll be able to count 1-10 without any problem. This month, you can count 1-10 but you skip 3 and 6 every time! Not sure why. And, sometimes, you throw in a random "twelve" or "thirteen!" Again, no idea where you even learned those words!

-My word count list I've been keeping on the computer is well past 175 words right now - and I can't accurately keep up with your growing vocabulary anymore! Words that appeared this month (in addition to so many more) are: heavy, ground, floor, wake-up, cut it, cooking, you're welcome, do it, touch it, pet, coming, dark, bright, shopping, pudding, tricycle, tall, cement (for cement truck), numbers, oval, circle, square, dinner, colors, later (as in "see you later"), alright! (as in "way to go!"), and (the ever-so-important) penis and vagina ("gina")... You are easily past 200 words.

-You are naming colors all the time: blue, yellow, purple, green, black, red, orange, brown, white, and pink with great accuracy. Just yesterday you pointed out all the colors of the cars driving near us, and most days you like to point out the colors of the signs we are passing.

-You are WAY more difficult to put down for nap and bed this month, but I'm hoping this passes soon. You are sleeping a little later (back to a 7:30-7:40 wake-up time the past couple weeks), as long as we stick to a strict bedtime - starting bath around 7:15ish - and eat a "somewhat-decent" amount of food at dinner. You are requiring a bit more cuddle time before bed, and for both bedtime and naptime, you like for Daddy or me to rub your back ("Back?") for a few minutes or more. Your pacis have also become bait for us; you throw them out of the crib if we have left the room before you were ready - and we "fall for this" every time. . . I'm just not ready to take those pacis away yet - since they truly are your only loveys. We've learned if we spend more time with you before walking out of your room, you don't throw them, though.

-Speaking of loveys, you might be developing a little connection to a little bear you received as a gift from Aunt Carol shortly after you were born. Out of nowhere, you named him Thomas, even though his sweater says "Banner" - which you asked me to take off of him. You talk to Thomas, give him your pacis, and ask for him in bed. I think this is precious. . . and I'm glad you have a friend in him.

-Separation anxiety may be at a peak this month, too, as you follow me (or Daddy) around wherever we go (unless we WANT you to stay by us, of course, like on a walk or in a store!). If I leave a room of the house to go to another room, you will immediately get up from your play to follow me. You like for us to be nearby, which is just fine with me! You had your first major separation cry when Daddy left to go to the lake with Zaide a couple weeks ago. Even though we were home, and you were with me, you did not like Daddy taking off with Zaide (and taking Zaide's truck away with them!). When NaNa babysat a week later while Daddy and I went to Uggy's art show, she told us you cried for me for about 30 minutes.

-You love your tricycle, ask to go to the garage ("gee-raj") all the time so you can play out there ever since Daddy cleaned it out so well (THANK YOU, DADDY!), are doing great with jumping on your trampoline, are sharing better, and have full-body tantrums when you don't get your way. You are no longer hitting/swatting at us (thank goodness), but you growl when you are angry - stating in your "exorcist" voice whatever you want or don't want ("DOWN!" or "OUTSIDE!" or "NO SHOES!"). Luckily, if we are good at distracting you, you can easily calm down and redirect your attention away from what is upsetting you.

-A few weeks ago, you cut your lip open on the edge of the coffee table after slipping on your sock and falling face-first into it. It happened right in front of me; I was only a foot away. I immediately panicked and tried to figure out where the blood was coming from. I had been talking on the phone to Daddy, practically hung up on him, and then called him back after you stopped wailing to figure out what to do. I wasn't sure if you needed stitches or not, so I called the doctor's office, and they were able to fit us in that afternoon. After Dr. B got a second opinion, the two doctors decided against stitches, telling us that the cut at the corner of your bottom lip was so close to the perimeter of the lip that a stitch could actually make the healing worse. But, Dr. B also told us that you would most likely have a scar there as he turned to you to say, "But, Banner, chicks dig scars!" Not exactly what a Mommy wants to hear - but you are beautiful no matter what!

-My favorite expression of the month: "Mmmm, so GOOD!" as you enjoy a food you like.

My favorite picture of you from this month! :)

I still love hearing you say, "I love you!" every night, but the past couple weeks, you like to shout from your bedroom "I LOVE YOU, TOO!" to whichever parent is not cuddling in the glider with you before bed. You repeat it over and over again, "Moooommyyy, I LOVE YOU TOO!  . . . . I LOVE YOU TOOOOOOO!" It's entirely impossible to walk away from that, my little manipulator! And, it's a sound I hope will stay ingrained in my brain forever! But, just to be sure, I recorded it tonight to always have - to hear that sweet, little voice booming a big, powerful message!

My sweet angel, you can test my patience on a daily basis, but I could just eat you up most of the time! I'm constantly impressed by you, always proud of you, and forever in love with you. I am so blessed to be your mommy, and I am truly grateful to have a happy, healthy, handsome, smart, funny, friendly, loving, joyful little boy like you. More importantly, I hope you can feel how loved you are just for being you, my precious Banner Boone.

Happy 22 Months, sweet boy!
Love,
Mommy

*************

Here are some other pictures of some fun memories from this month:

At the zoo with our friends

Ready to meet your new cousin

Meeting your newest cousin, Nami Mayes

Meeting your great-grandparents

Fun at Zaide's - hamming it up for Mamaw and Papaw

Playing ball with Mamaw

Loving the blocks with Uncle Ron

Oh, how this woman loves you!

Flying a plane to Aunt Diane

This is what I get when I ask you to smile these days! :)

Bubbles app with Uncle Ron

Playing with Papaw

You love your Zaide

4 Generations

A Drive in the Rain

When Caden was born, we anticipated his name being "Taylor," - not Caden. (Taylor became his middle name, and I think Caden Taylor is an awesome name!) A few weeks before he was born, Kira and I made him a lullaby CD called "Taylor's Tunes." Several weeks ago, I came across this mix CD at my mom's house, so I took it for a while to play in my car with Banner. As I predicted, Banner doesn't really want to listen to lullaby songs while in the car and asks, "Please?" when I play any of it - his way of asking me to turn it off. Therefore, I never really get to hear all the songs on it.

Tonight was different, though. Sam picked Banner up from me at my mom's house and took him to his dad's house for a visit, so I had the rare (and very special!) opportunity to drive home alone. Normally I use times like these to call friends or at least turn up my music really loud and belt out some forceful notes in a concert all my own. But, tonight was different. I've had a minor headache all day today, so I decided to turn on "Taylor's Tunes" and get some lullaby relaxation as the rain fell on my windshield. This was just what my headache needed.

About halfway home, though, I realized that I'm 16 weeks pregnant today. Something made me remember that it's around this time that hearing begins to develop, and suddenly I had a flashback to the first time Sam and I played music for Banner when I was pregnant with him. All of a sudden, I was overcome with emotion as I sat at a traffic light listening to this beautiful instrumental piece of music. Tears sat on my eyelids as I recalled how emotional Sam and I both were that snowy day we put headphones on my pregnant belly and played "All My Loving" followed by "In My Life" by the Beatles. I couldn't wait to remind Sam about this later in the evening and play some songs for THIS baby!

After this realization and the excitement of being able to start sharing music with our little nugget, the emotion continued as I got SO excited to do this baby thing all over again! So much of the time, I have been worried about how I'll manage a toddler and a newborn, how Banner will feel with a new sibling, how our lives will change as parents to two kids, how much work (and sleepless nights and emotion and energy and frustration...) it will take to "start all over again" with a new baby. But, as hard as it is and as much as I'm worried (and anxious and nervous and stressed...), oh my goodness it is so worth it!

The rain continued to fall on my windshield as I sat in our driveway enjoying the instrumental music, the sound of the rain, the peace and quiet from the back seat, and just being alone for a few minutes with my thoughts and my tears. From the driveway, I looked in the empty garage in front of me and remembered the belly laughs Banner gave as Sam swept the leaves out of it this time last year. I've never seen such joy from such a trivial chore; Banner thought the sweeping motion (or sound?) was the funniest thing and had us all giggling. I looked at the fence next to me, and I remembered all the summer fun we had just behind it last year - running through sprinklers, trying to chase bubbles, laughing while sliding on the playscape and slipping all over the wet grass, splashing in the wading pool. I looked towards my neighbors' house, and I could "hear" Banner coming around the corner from the front of the house, helping to drag the branches Sam had just cut down in the front yard. So many memories - and that's just in this one little area of the house! I got so excited and overwhelmed with joy at the idea of being able to do this all over again, to add another little human to this family.

More songs continued to play, and some of them reminded me of being in the hospital only hours and days after Banner was born. Some songs reminded me of rocking Banner to sleep or putting him down for a nap when he was an infant. As hard as those days may have been, and as much as I felt like I had no idea what the hell I was doing, those days went by too fast, and just like I knew I would - I do long for them. My boy is still so young, and I still continue to embrace these early years of his childhood, but just stopping for a minute to take it all in, to listen to those songs, to watch the rain... it was one of those moments I needed to remind myself how amazing it all is, how truly blessed we are, and how I can't wait to do it a second time. I'm really hopeful that I'll be able to truly enjoy the second time a little more - to know what's coming, to feel more confident in my parenting and my abilities as a mother, to give up "sweating the small stuff," and to know that "this too shall pass" when I'm overwhelmed with any negative feeling. Because, just as I always knew with Banner, "this too shall pass" applies to the tender, sweet, joyful moments - and I'll be wishing they were mine again before I know it.

I'm so thankful for my drive home today - for the rain, for the music, for the memories, and for the feelings of pure love and gratitude. In moments of concern and worry about our changing life, I need these reminders of the amazing times to come! My heart is so full, and I'm already so in love with this baby. Tonight, I have every intention of playing music for Baby with Sam by my side. While I'm not positive that the baby can actually hear it, and I'm sure Baby can't really make sense of it yet - I'm sure it will be a moment I'll never forget, and I'm sure it will make me cry all over again!

Second Trimester: Hallelujah!

14 weeks as of yesterday! Can I get a hallelujah?!?! While I'm not feeling 100% yet, my nausea comes and goes - rather than being a constant companion - and my energy level is starting to improve. It was at this point with Banner that I began to feel like eating again, when I stopped throwing up, and when I didn't want to crash after work every single day. I'm hoping to feel the same way with this little one soon! For many women, the second trimester is their most symptom-free time, so I'm really hoping to agree with them once again!

At this point in my pregnancy my biggest complaint is my reflux/heartburn/indigestion which has been starting around 1 or 2 in the afternoon no matter what I eat. By late evening, I'm sick of that feeling and a nice few (okay, many!) spoonfuls of ice cream help cool off the fire in my chest. I have reflux anyway, so being pregnant just exacerbates it. I had a hard time with it while pregnant with Banner as well, so I'm not surprised. I just have to be extra careful with eating anything that would make it even worse: spaghetti sauce, spicy foods, citrus-y foods. Another complaint is my very sore boobs (sorry if that's too much info). With Banner they felt better by now, although they started hurting much earlier with him. With this pregnancy, they only started hurting a couple weeks ago, so I guess I have a few more weeks of this annoying pain. And, finally, I have been getting awful headaches for the past couple weeks. Only one or two have been debilitating, but I've had about 6-7 of them that just put a damper on the day, and I certainly hope those are on their way out soon!

In other news, I have an annoying belly. It's not a pregnant-looking belly, but it's getting rounder. It's at that in-between stage of just feeling and looking pretty bloated. I started wearing maternity clothes with Banner when I was 15 weeks pregnant (or at least that's when I finally felt like I had to go shop for some). This pregnancy, I begged Sam to go to our storage unit last week (at 13 weeks) for my bin of maternity clothes. Not that I've been looking forward to the fashion statement that is maternity wear - but what a feeling of "AHHH!" I felt when I could actually wear clothes all day and not feel like I was suffocating my belly. So much more comfy now!

We also got to share the results of the blood test we had a couple weeks ago with our family and close friends. I won't share that publicly until we get another confirmation in a few weeks at another sonogram, sorry! But, we were more than thrilled that the blood test showed no chromosomal abnormalities! Everything came back perfect, thank goodness, and that's the most important part! I will also tell you that the doctor's prediction based on bone structure and the blood test were the same - so we're pretty sure the test is right.

As this baby and I enter this second trimester together, I am so anxious and excited to start feeling some movement - my absolute favorite thing about being pregnant! Those flutters-turned-jabs are the most rewarding part, making the first trimester sickness, pains, and worries so worth it. I'm so ready to really feel this little nugget and to start "playing" with its movements! I can't wait for Banner to actually feel his little sibling in there, too - maybe helping him understand that we are not just making it all up and saying crazy things like, "There's a baby in Mommy's tummy!" I mean how insane would that sound to a toddler!? It's gotta be confusing!

So, here we go - saying "ADIOS!" to the first trimester and giving a warm, much-anticipated welcome to this second trimester! May it go smoothly, be event-less, and bring only good things to our baby and me!

Welcome to the World, Nami!

Just yesterday, March 19, we welcomed my newest nephew to our family! Nami is the sixth member of my brother and sister-in-law's family: Brock, Mischelle, Caden, Mara, Brycen, and now this little baby! These are some of my most favorite people on the planet, so it was exciting to be a part of their celebration as they welcomed Nami into their hearts and lives.

I took Banner up to the hospital to see Mischelle before her scheduled C-section and to wish the whole family good luck as they awaited the cries of their littlest member only a few minutes later. When we arrived, we were shocked to see Brycen and Banner wearing their "Dr. Love" shirts at the same time again (the first time was on Valentine's Day). Too cute! Mom, Dad, and Brock were all eagerly awaiting the nurse to come take Mischelle back into the OR, where Brock would help deliver Nami, Mom would sit by Mischelle, and Dad would relay news to us. Kira, Caden, Mara, Brycen, and Bob waited with us in the labor and delivery room, and watching Brycen and Banner kept us quite entertained.

Sooner than we expected, my dad came into the room we were waiting in to tell us that the baby and Mischelle were both doing well. We were relieved to hear this great news, as well as to know that Nami's cleft lip and palate were pretty much exactly what we had expected to see based on the sonogram photos taken when Mischelle was 33 weeks pregnant. Although we know Nami has a tough road ahead of him to repair his clefts, we were thrilled to know that he didn't have any other medical problems.

After another short wait, Mischelle was brought back into the room with Nami. We finally got to see that sweet boy and to see for ourselves that his clefts really were what we expected and that he was just perfect! His tiny body was so pink, his black hair was fine and soft, his eyes opened and closed to occasionally check out his big brothers, sister, and cousin, his little fingers and toes spread way open as the nurse diapered and checked on him. Such a cutie!

A few moments later, he was given back to Mischelle who cuddled, cradled, and nuzzled his little face close to hers. Although I never cried, I fought back tears the whole time. I didn't feel sorry for him for his clefts like I thought I might. What I felt was love. Pure, emotional, raw, new love. It's the same way I felt when I saw Caden, Mara, and Brycen for the first time - the love an aunt feels for her nephews or nieces, wanting the best for them, wanting them to feel no pain, wanting them to know how lucky they are to be born into this amazing family, wanting them to feel loved and protected. I also had an overwhelming feeling of excitement knowing I'd be welcoming my own little one in 6 months. There was this "can't wait!" feeling knowing my little nugget is growing and on the way soon. I just can't wait to watch all these kids grow up together and to be in each others' lives.

All too quickly it was time for us to go so I could put Banner down for a late nap (which he never actually took!). But before we left, I had to get my quick chance to hold Nami. Banner was already in his stroller waiting to leave, and when that baby was placed in my arms - all hell broke loose! Banner wailed and cried and tried to get out of the stroller. He did not like seeing a baby in Mommy's arms! Uh oh!! We have some major preparing to do before September!

Later in the evening, Sam and I went back up to the hospital so Sam could meet Nami and visit Mischelle and Brock. Sam was in love! He kept saying how adorable Nami is! I think he, too, got a little more excited about OUR baby while holding his baby nephew!

We were ecstatic, too, to get great news that Nami is able to nurse without any special help! This was a big surprise to us since we weren't sure how his clefts would impact breastfeeding. We also found out that Nami passed his hearing test - another big hurdle to know that his hearing has not been affected by anything! We are all hopeful that everything continues to go smoothly for Mom, Baby, and Family! Nami has a long journey ahead of him, and so do his parents. But, this was such a spectacular day of good news, a beautiful baby boy, and a growing family!

"Dr. Love" checking on Baby

The other "Dr. Love" checking on Baby

Mischelle said to give Baby a kiss

Grandma goofing off before heading to the OR

Grandma with her "Dr. Loves"

My first photo of Nami

Caden, Banner, Mara, and Nami

Big brother watching over baby brother

I love him looking at her