Flood of 2011

Did ya'll know that it rained in our town last Thursday? It did! And as much as I would love to be blogging about my sweet babies, I'm blogging about the flood. Unfortunately, the rain didn't benefit anybody. Well, I guess it did add moisture to the air. Which we were desperately trying to add with humidifiers. But now...we are waiting for some dehumidifiers to be delivered. Thursday, around 1:00 pm, I was in the living room, playing with Owen, when I heard water running. We have had frozen cold water pipes since Tuesday, so I figured they had finally defrosted and started running. We had been leaving the faucets open waiting for them. I walked into the hallway and saw water everywhere. Like 2 inches of standing water. I looked in the bathroom thinking I must have left the tub on, hahaha. Our bathroom mats were floating islands. And our toilet paper didn't stand a chance! I realized I was hearing the water further down the hall. I sloshed my way to our bedroom and saw the rain falling. Our ceiling fan was like a waterfall. I was able to get the water and electricity turned off, and Neil headed home as some friends of ours and I got the room empty. Four days later, and our bedroom carpet is still soaked, even without the padding underneath, and the ceiling is still dripping. Carpet Tech came out to clean it up, but they didn't do a good job, so our insurance adjuster is sending someone else out tomorrow to actually get us cleaned up and dried out. They will remove the wet insulation from the attic and leave us with fans and dehumidifiers. So, we will be contacting some contractors to get estimates on the damage, and hopefully, we will get this all taken care of very soon! We have moved in with Owen. Poor guy, finally get his "boy" room, (another blog) and we come crashing in. Neil said the other day, "Son, thanks for letting us move in. I promise it won't be for too long." I laughed and said, "Remember this when he is 21 and wants to move back in with us!" So, we are displaced, with our stuff everywhere, but where it's suppose to be. Our closets are full of stinky clothes, and Neil's shoes are wet. But in all of this, we are extremely thankful! We are trying to praise God even in this. We are feeling very blessed because with everything that got damaged, NOTHING got destroyed that could not be replaced. I had a shoe box full of Emma's baby pictures, from when she was born, to around 1 1/2 years old, one foot away from the waterfall, and not one single picture got wet. If you've read my blog before, you know how precious my pictures are, so with that I thank God daily! We were watching the news that night, and on there, some renters had the same thing happen. But for them, they lost everything. Everything was a total lost. They had no insurance and were going to have to start all over. I just wanted to cry. That's when I realized how blessed we had been. What was lost, fixtures, carpet, mattresses, walls, ceilings, all completely replaceable. Nothing but 2 books and some magazines were sent to the trash! I was just amazed! I was having some problems with the "what-ifs." What if Owen had been in his cradle, which was right under one of the leaks. (Don't worry Teresa, I saved it first and dried it off!) What if those pictures had been ruined. And so on, but Neil prayed that night, and actually thanked God for the pipes bursting. I started laughing, which I had been doing to keep from crying all day. And he said "I'm trying to be thankful for everything." I was so proud of him. Because it says in the Bible to praise Him for everything. So God, even though I'm not having much fun with this...thank you for our pipes bursting! It has shown me in so many ways that I am so blessed! I have everything I could ever want or need in my family. And our things, well they are not important. They are just icing.

Right beside the bed where Owen slept at night.

You can see the wet brick at the bottom. Our fireplace looks like this in the hallway.


Water ran out that closet and made the ice mess.


Doesn't look too bad. Fortunately, unfortunately (?) the insulation has absorbed most of the water.

I just took these. Bad picture with no light. But this is one of the worse places on our bedroom ceiling. Neil had poked those holes to let the water run through. The ceiling is very noticeably sagging here.



Hard to see, but it's still dripping here.


Neil took up the carpet, and our concrete slab is still very wet.


This is the attic. A little funny, Neil took the camera up to get pictures to show the insurance guy. A little while after he got down, he asked for the camera to show the pictures to someone. I didn't have it. So we started the hunt for the camera. He just kept saying, I hope I didn't drop it up there. Well, he did! We just got lucky he saw it sticking out of the insulation.


Wet insulation

So, with our new metal roof going on in the next few weeks, lost to a hail storm in October, the new exterior paint, new master bedroom, new carpet, and remodel of our bathroom, (hopefully with a new shower), it's gonna feel like a whole new house! I had jokingly asked Neil if we could use the leftover insurance money from the roof to buy new carpet, he said NO! Well, Neil, I think God decided I needed new carpet!! Praise God!!

Happy New Year!

Love,
Neil, Camie, Emma, Lily, and Sleepy Owen (:

Merry Christmas!!!

I have had an absolutely amazing year! Sorry about the shortage of posts. But I've been too busy living and LOVING my life. It seems whenever I have a chance to sit and blog, my girls or little boy decide they need Momma. So, hopefully, in the new year, I'll have more time to post. But until then...

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Enjoy!

Halloween 2009

Halloween 2010

He rolled under the tree and was loving those ornaments!

Big tree!

Brrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!

Ready for church!

Helping Daddy put the star on!

I can roll over now! And I drool...LOTS!

Two peas in a pod. Thankfully, Emma wore lots of dresses as a baby, and Owen doesn't (: or I wouldn't know who is who in their baby pictures!

Grandmas and cousins...Owen and Samuel 2 1/2 months apart

I get lots of kisses from my sisters!

Halloween 2010

Mommy's favorite past time!

Such a sweet smile!

Happy boy!

I always seem to have a case of bed head. (:

I am so in love with my sweet little family! I am so content and thankful for what God has given me!!

The story starts with the "Baby Time!!" post, so scroll WAY down there first. Hope you enjoy!

IT'S A BOY!!! Lots of pictures!

We kissed the girls good-bye and left them and my parents in the waiting room. We sat at the doors to the OR and talked with Dr. Lampkin, the nurses and my anesthesiologist. Then, Neil kissed me good-bye and I went into the OR. They immediately started my spinal, and then I immediately started having a panic attack. I wish I were kidding. The nurse let me squeeze her hand while they did my spinal, laid me down, and I started panicking. I remember trying to get out of my restraints and yelling that I was "freaking out!!!" And then...Neil was kissing me hello, and I looked behind him and saw my baby. Yea, they knocked me out! My anesthesiologist thought I needed a time out, so he gave me some wonderful medicine and I went night night. I could have swore I slept for hours, but he promised me I was only out for 30 seconds. I woke up with Neil in my face, and I told him "I'm SOOOOOOOOOOO glad you're here!" Then my doctor told me I had to have a moment to myself, and I kept telling him over and over "I'm sooooooooo glad you did that! Thank you!!!" I'm sure he was used to it, but I felt like an idiot afterward. I was still a little, ok, a lot drugged up from my little nap, and I kept repeating myself over and over. Neil still laughs at me about this.

Unknown to me, they had already started my c-section,

and actually, by the time I realized Neil was there,

Owen had been born.

We actually have the picture of his birth, but I will spare you the pictures. They are awesome, but very graffic! Anyway, I looked behind Neil's shoulder, and I saw our sweet little baby. I never heard Dr. Lampkin say "It's a boy!" but someone repeated it for me, and I was just shocked! I kept repeating over and over, "We have a boy, we have a boy!!!"



I just knew in my heart I was carrying a boy, but I just couldn't wrap my mind around the fact we had a son!



In a lot of his pictures, he is screaming, but I just don't remember him doing much of that. Actually, the medicine they gave me to chill out, made him very sleepy. His APGAR score was 7 and 8 because of him being sleepy. When he was laying down, he'd just completely relaxed.

I've always made Neil get in my face to distract me during the c-section so I wouldn't panic. Well, since I had gotten the panic attack over with before he got in there, I think he was able to enjoy it a lot more.


The nurse put Owen's footprint on Neil's cap. It was so sweet! I'm gonna have to frame it!

Such a proud Daddy!
I don't know how many times I told him, "You have a SON!!!"
He finally started saying, "I know!"
Hahaha!

Finally getting to see my little man up close! I couldn't believe how big he was!
So chunky already!



I was so relieved to just touch him. The whole pregnancy I'd been waiting for the floor to drop. Even up to the delivery. So, to know he was safe and sound was such a HUGE relief!!
I just kept crying.



We are so, incredibly proud of our son!



I was so thrilled that they let me hold him. I wasn't allowed to hold the girls until I was out of recovery. I just couldn't get enough of him. But, with the drugs they had given me, my arms were so weak. I kept asking Neil, "Do you have him???" I was so scared I was gonna drop him. But I sure didn't want to give him back!



I would just stare at him, and start crying all over again.
I think I was afraid to let myself believe everything was ok, so finally holding him in my arms and seeing his sweet face, I was finally able to be joyful! I kept thanking God over and over. I still am!



Neil was so sweet! He was so patient with my fears this pregnancy, and I think he was just as relieved and happy as I was!



One last kiss before he meets his big sisters!!



Happy Daddy, not so happy Owen! (:



This was right before they pressed the Lullaby button! My dad actually caught the song playing on the video as he taped the girls and my mom playing around. Emma goes "AH! That's the song that plays when a baby is born!!" And then she runs to the door and sees...



...her daddy and her brother. Of course she didn't know it was a brother!



And here is the picture of Neil telling them it's a boy! Lily was a little shy about it, she had wanted a girl. But she is absolutely, completely in love with her baby brother.



Siblings meet for the first time.



Breaking hospital rules by taking Owen out of his bassinet. (:



Memaw and Papa showed up about 5 minutes after Owen was brought out. The girls loved telling them we had an Owen!


Walking their baby brother down to the nursery.



Watching Owen get his assessment. If Owen could have looked up, he would have seen these sweet faces staring at him for the next 10 hours. I think the girls, Daddy, my daddy, mom, and in-laws held a vigual for Owen. They only left to eat, check on me, or to give me updates. It was very often I'd look up and ask, "Where's my dad" and the answer was "watching Owen." No one wanted to leave him alone, so they just stood at the window and watched the nurses care for him. I wonder if the nurses ever got paranoid...


Still feeling the effects of that wonderful loopy medicine they gave me, but I was starting to hurt, and itch like crazy! I had scabs all over my face the next day from clawing myself.


The nurse took such good care of Owen. I think she thought she better, with all the eye witnesses. What's neat about her, is that she was actually my nurse when I had Emma AND Lily. So that was so cool that she was with us once again. With him being in the nursery so long, I ended up having to pump twice so they could feed him. I was so heartbroken, but I was so glad they gave me the choice to do that. He only had to have 5 cc's of formula because I didn't catch enough the second time. I ended up spilling half of what I pumped on my gown. I was so upset with myself, but Owen was just fine with the formula. While I was pumping his first bottle, I wasn't getting anything. I was so upset and thought I wasn't going to be able to give him anything. But my sweet Prince Charming saved the day, and grabbed the camera. He started showing me pictures of Owen, and it worked! I was able to pump enough milk for Owen to eat. I was so thankful to Neil, because that was the one and only thing I could do for Owen at the time.



As you can see, he was completely satisfied with his meal.



Getting a bath so he can finally come see his family. They had to warm him back up and take his temperature a few more times. But she brought him to me 30 minutes earlier than she was suppose to so I could nurse him.



She said I had waited long enough! I agreed! So, she double swaddled him and told me to keep him very warm, and I did! There was no way I was letting him go back now that I had my hands on him!


She was telling me all the things I needed to know, like about the suction bulb, but I really don't remember much of what it was. I had my baby boy! She did inform me that it was time to feed him and that he was a very willing eater. So I ripped open my gown and got him into position. I had been told that he didn't have much of a suck reflex and that it might be hard to nurse him. Well, let me tell you, they were WRONG!! This boy latched onto me and went to town. He was hurting he was so strong. The lactation nurse walked in and looked at us and asked, "Is he latched on?" I said "YES!" So, she just turned herself around and said "Y'all don't need me!" And she walked out. I was such a proud Mama!!


I just marveled at him.


Love this picture. Love this man. Love this baby.



The girls each gave Owen a teddy bear that they received from their sibling tour. They were so proud to give it to their brother.


These sweet people, and several others had to watch me cry for Owen all day, so they were very happy to finally see him in my arms. It was such a rough day for all of us. I would just stare at Owen and sigh. I was so happy. Neil said "It's all better now!"



I don't know how long he nursed for the first time, but it was a very long time! He was so sweet to watch.



Then it was the sisters turn.



Owen is sucking on Emma's finger here. He still loves to do that.



And here is Dr. Lampkin holding my son that he brought into this world. I give God the glory for Owen's life and thank Him for allowing Dr. Lampkin the knowledge to help Him place my sweet angel in my arms. When we got home, I was laying in bed, just basking in my happiness, and I told Neil, he's healed my heart.