YES, I have completely neglected our blog. Between having a baby, Nathaniel leaving shortly after for JRTC for a month, trying to keep my independent two year old out of trouble and trying to prepare for nathaniel's up coming deployment, life has been...well...CRAZY!
But I was telling my mom a story about Camden today and she thought it was hilarious and asked if I wrote it on my blog/journal so I would remember it. And I though, geez I haven't written in ages all of these fun memories are going completely undocumented. haha! SO.....
Camden is growing up way to fast if you ask me and lately he thinks because he is tall that he can do anything. So this past weekend we went camping and Nathaniel was climbing a huge tree and then I handed Camden up to him, well Camden wanted to keep climbing higher and Nathaniel said that he was to little to do it and Camden looked at him and said, "NO NO NO" and puts his hands above his head and yells, "TALL, TALL, TALL". Well this alone is hilarious but even more so because Camden is in speech therapy and is just learning how to speak, so we of course laugh at his persistence that he can do anything because he is, "TALL TALL TALL". So fast forward to last night and he wanted to do something and we once again said he wasn't big enough and he of course said, "NO NO NO, TALL TALL TALL" and we laughed at said, "yes you are tall but you are not old enough", and looks up at us and gives us a look only two year olds are capable of doing and holds up two fingers and says, "NO NO NO, TWO TWO TWO". So apparently if you are two and tall you can do anything you want. haha!!!

Hannah Abigail Clark

Hannah Abigail Clark

July 20th, 2012

3:52 a.m.

9 pounds 2 oz.

Birth Story.

I assume at one time or another everyone who has been pregnant feels like they will be pregnant FOREVER and at a week past my due date I was definently no exception. We had an induction date set for the 20th and at exactly 8 in the morning I called labor and delivery and was told they were FULL! so no induction. I was quite disappointed. my body felt DONE. I felt done. and I couldn't wait to hold and snuggle our little girl.

But there wasn't anything I could do but wait and for some reason I felt at peace. I realized I wouldn't be pregnant forever and I told Nathaniel, "we aren't being induced today but I feel like we are going to have Hannah very soon. Today feels like the day." I am sure he just smiled and nodded as we both felt at that point that Hannah was quite comfortable staying where she was.

Camden and I ended up having a great day together and that night after Nathaniel got home from work and we ate dinner we decided it would be a lot of fun to walk to the park as a family. That's when the fun began! I noticed at the park that contractions were coming every 5 to 7 minutes, but I just kind of shrugged it off - I had been having contractions for weeks by that point. When we finally decided to leave the park about 10 seconds later I was hit by a pretty strong contraction and I told Nathaniel that this might actually be it - followed by me saying, "but it can't be my body apparently doesn't know how to go into labor again." - I believe that is what denial is called! Well we made it home and the contractions kept coming over the next half hour but they never felt as intense as with Camden so I still assumed that I couldn't be in labor. But Nathaniel convinced me that we needed to take Camden to my sister's house and head over to the hospital. At this point I was still thinking, "I can't be in labor. The contractions aren't that intense. They aren't coming consistantly. And when we get to the hospital they are just going to send us home." But Nathaniel was adament about going, so we loaded Camden up in the car and headed out.

We arrived at the hospital about 9:30 p.m. and I told the nurses at the front desk that I thought I was in labor. I am sure they were thinking, "yeah right...who "thinks" they are in labor and is actually in labor". But we head over to triage and I get hooked up to the monitors. and I have ONE contraction in the next 10 minutes and it wasn't even that strong. So the nurse comes in and says that he is going to check me and while he is checking me I say, " have I changed AT all", and he asked what I was at my last appt. and I laughed at said a one to two, but I am pretty sure my midwife gave me that two to make me feel better" and he laughed at said well you are a SIX! that's right I had already made it to a six and didn't even realize I was in labor.

So I was admitted and then I met my nurse, Becky! She was AWESOME! This labor so far was completely different then Camden's. I was able to breathe through each contraction and laugh and talk in between them. It was very relaxed. But I knew I still wanted an epidural. And I was in luck, within 20 minutes of being admitted I met the anestigeologist (sp). He was great and so nice and as we talked we also found out that his wife was from Utah as well! About this time I met my midwife, Michelle. AND yes once again I lucked out and she was Amazing. We were so blessed with everyone who helped deliver Hannah and who took care of me.

After I got the epidural everything progressed smoothly and steadily and by 3:30 a.m. I was a 10! Time to meet Hannah. I had one practice push with my nurse, who then called in my midwife right away. I then pushed for about 8 to 10 minutes with my midwife coaching me and Hannah was born at 3:52 a.m. She was placed on my stomach right away and I instantly feel in love and couldn't hold back the tears. My midwife then said "look at all that hair" and I laughed while crying and said, "I can't see anything through my tears". l.o.l! Later as they were cleaning me up I finally got the nerve and asked how bad I had tore, and she looked at me and said, "you didn't tear at all". Which means healing from this delivery has been a breeze.

As Nathaniel and I were later talking we both said we felt so blessed and amazed how smoothly this labor and delivery was. We are madly in love with our daughter and can't believe she is ours. Being a parent really is the greatest blessing our Heavenly Father has given us.



Our last vacation as a family of three :)

This bed is SO comfortable, even better after being stuck in my car seat for four hours

The picture is a little blurry but Camden was SO excited to ride the merry-go-round!

Exhausted after a long day at NASA and the Houston Zoo.

Notice the cookie he is holding in his neck.....well he got a hold of the package of cookies we packed next him in the car (oops) and that is where he decided to hide one of the cookies from me. l.o.l, he thinks that he is very very sneaky!

Camden had NO fear of the ocean at all!

After a FUN day at the beach Camden was tuckered out and fell asleep in his daddies arms!

This past weekend Nathaniel had four days off of work and it also happened to be the last weekend I can travel more then an hour away from the hospital, so we took FULL advantage of the last chance we would have to vacation as a family of three! Thursday after Nathaniel got off of work we packed the car up and headed for Houston. Thankfully Camden is a wonderful traveler and we made it there in less then four hours. The day we went to NASA in the morning....it was CRAZY, we didn't realize that every school in the vicinity would be taking a field trip there that day! But we had fun! We then went back to our hotel room for a little rest and then we went to the zoo! Nathaniel jokes that I like the zoo even more then him OR Camden, and he might just be right! We had a great time as a family though! The next day we went to Galveston for our beach day! it was GREAT! We got there in the morning and spent the next five hours playing in the water and sand! We are SO happy that Camden loves the beach, especially since his mommy and daddy plan on taking a beach trip every year :) We then spent one more night in Houston, went to Church there (where Camden made friends with the nice lady sitting next to us on the bench) and made our way home!

Monday was also a FUN day! A bunch of us got together for a Memorial Day BBQ at my friends house. We let the kiddos play in the water and us adults had a great time hanging out.

F.H.E.

The other week for F.H.E. we had a great lesson on families and followed it up by making our own strawberry milk shakes. They were DELICIOUS! Camden thoroughly enjoyed "helping" make them (and yes that picture where he is about to eat the strawberry, well he decided to lick it instead and add it into the mixer. YUM!!! :)



Father and Sons Campout

Camden had a GREAT time camping with his daddy. Nathaniel was just as excited to take Camden because he has SO many great memories of father and sons campouts with his Dad. They enjoyed fun games, good food, and great company! Camden loved sleeping in a tent and actually slept through the night for Nathaniel! I know they both cant wait until their next campout!



I can't belive I am already in my third tri-mester...and yes this is about the only picture I have of my belly so far, my family has been asking for a picture and I finally remembered right when I was getting ready to go to Combat class at the gym!
This pregnancy has definently been different then Camden's:
Positives:
1. My sciatic nerve isn't hurting as bad this time
2. I haven't gained as much weight with this one (so far... :)
3. I have definently worked out more with this pregnancy then I did with camden's.
4. This pregnancy is FLYING by!
Negitives:
1. My belly feels so much bigger and sooner then it did with Camden, making sleeping quite uncomfortable.
2. I definently felt pretty with Camden ; maybe the old wives tell is true, "girls take the beauty away from their mothers"
3. I am more tired and more nauseous with this one then I ever was with camden.
4. and last but not least...I don't know how to explain this one, but there are two places on my belly that if Hannah kicks, punches, pushes, it causes me severe pain for a second and then it is gone. Strange yes, annoying definently, but my doctor doesn't seem concerned.

Two nights ago Nathaniel and I were getting ready for bed and Hannah was moving like crazy so I told nathaniel to put his hand on my belly and for the next few minutes he got to feel her hit him with her elbows, hands, feet, head, etc. I love moments like that. Nathaniel says that feeling her move around like that makes it so much more real for him, I think he is already smitten with his little girl :)

Here's to hoping the next two months fly by!

Where's Camden???

Little.....

Miss Hannah will be joining our family July 2012! Yup that's right we're having a GIRL, I think Nathaniel was a bit shocked, but he is SO excited about his little girl, I just know she will have him wrapped around her little finger in no time!
I am almost 21 weeks and can't believe how fast this pregnancy is flying by. At my last appt. my blood pressure was a bit high just like it was with Camden, thankfully I had a safe and healthy pregnancy with him so we are crossing our fingers that this one will be the same!
She is definently a MOVER! The first time I felt her for sure was about 16 weeks and since 18 weeks I feel her move each day - it's to the point now when I am laying in bed at night I can look down at my stomach and see her moving! This is the FUN part of pregnancy....No more morning sickness (which I had until 16 weeks), I finally have more energy and I'm feeling her move around each day - that part definently makes the pregnancy seem more real :)
Pregnancy symptoms right now include HUNGER.....thankfully mostly for meat, I LOVE meat especially if it is steak, YUM! Also if I move a certain way to fast I have shooting pain down my leg - BOO Sciatica! Other then that no symptoms....Except a GROWING belly, I thought to myself today, Was I this big with Camden at this point? But I am loving it!
What does Camden think so far? Well besides me asking him where baby Hannah is and him pointing to my belly and then me asking him where is big boy Camden and him pointing to himself I dont think he really gets that soon he is going to have a baby sister! But he is a sweety (for the most part :) So I think he is going to be a GREAT big brother!
We are definently excited for the summer to come so we can hold our sweet little girl!