an arrival fit for a queen...

and her three little princesses!!!! this is what jeffrey (aka "our prince") wanted all of his leading ladies to ride in on our way to welcome ava ashley price to our home! the big girls had a BLAST! we were able to ride around for an hour or so and their daddy had thought of everything! he filled champagne flutes with ice water to toast our new addition, brought along all their favorite tunes, and had installed all three car seats into the limo (cause he knows mommy has a major issue with car safety!!!!)!

the nurses said in all their years, they had never seen a patient (itty bitty or big) leave in a limo! it was truly an experience that we won't soon forget...

and we thank "daddy" for making us all feel so special! he has his work cut out for him for sure...but he is also loved to the moon and back by all his girls...and that's got to count for something!!!!!

this is what the "newbie" did during the whole ride home!!!!

welcome home baby ava!!!

mommy with her newest baby girl

"cheers"

look at this sweet little face!!!!

two happy "big sisters"!!!!

wordless wednesday...

then there were three...

precious price princesses!!!!!

it hardly seems possible that we have already been blessed to spend 9 days with our precious ava ashley...for so long she was "the baby"...and now here she is, in all her "adorableness", for us to love, snuggle with, steal sugars from, and dote on!!!! she fits into our family perfectly and is such an easy baby (although she does L.O.V.E. her mommy's arms!!!)...we truly give thanks to God for such an amazing gift...for He knew exactly what our family needed...another baby girl!

jeffrey and i checked into the hospital at about midnight on monday october 5th/6th so that i could get a good nights sleep before the big event! i had been up most of the night sunday with steady contractions...but when i went in for my appointment monday morning...there wasn't a great change! dr. w just thought i would get better rest at the hospital...and he was so right! ambien does wonders! after a wonderful almost 6 hour siesta, it was game time!!!!

they started pitocin at about 7:15 and dr. waterfallen came in to break my water at about 8:30. since he believes in very little pain, he had the nurse go ahead and call for the anesthesiologist to come on down and administer the epidural...i will have to say...this is definitely the way to have a baby!!!!! it was smooth sailing the whole way through...and then my nurse denise came in and said at about 12:45 that i was going to start pushing soon! HA - not much pushing happened at all! i pushed ONCE and "the baby's" head was out. dr. waterfallen barely had time to put on his gown and mask!!!! i kept asking if i needed to do anything and i heard a resounding "NO!"...which made me laugh...and they told me not to even laugh or i might sling her across the room!!!!! i suppose it was for dramatic effect...but it felt like it took forever for us to hear the words "IT'S A GIRL!!!!!"!!!!

birth is just simply amazing...and every time, i am utterly amazed at how you can love someone so much in just an instant. of course, i had convinced myself that we were having a boy...so it took me a little while to wrap my head around the fact that we had three daughters...but no doubt, i was totally and completely in love with this little baby. my ava ashley...our third little girl!!!!!

she entered this world at exactly 1:05 pm weighing in at 7 pounds 11 ounces (what i weighed at birth) and was 20 inches long. she felt so tiny to me...i guess that's what happens when you've got a 5 and 2 year old at home...




so many family members were waiting anxiously to find out if we had added a boy or a girl to our family...and jeffrey got to introduce them to our newest bundle. all i could hear when the announcement was made was ella saying "it's princess time!!!"! such a priceless moment that i will never forget. those two little girls knew the whole time that we would be welcoming another sister to the mix!!!!!! they got to take their cameras (that ava had given them) and take pictures of her getting her bath and her first assessment! ella wasn't too sure about sweet baby ava having to get a shot...and maddie didn't like that someone made her cry!!!!! i have no doubt that it was instant love for them too!

unfortunately, maddie and mom got very sick the night ava was born...so things were a little crazy for a few days! jeffrey and i were basically quarantined from everyone...so we just took advantage of spending some quality time with our precious little ava! i got to spend lots of time snuggling and taking in every feature...her precious nose, her sweet little lips, her velvety soft feet, her perfect ears, her scrumptious smell...all those amazing miracles that should never be taken for granted!

jeffrey always looks at me and says "you just love newborns don't you?"...and i really do!!! she has proven to be an extremely easy baby. we've had a couple of nights of fussing...but other than that...we hardly even know she is here. unless you want to take note of the countless diapers we have already gone through, the night feedings and daytime nursing, and the endless laundry that little bit is already requiring me to do!!!!!

as i am sure all mommies do, i am constantly worried about ella and maddie. i want to make sure that they don't feel neglected...while at the same time, assuring them that these changes are normal. they have done amazingly well so far...and LOVE to give ava LOVE!!!! i would have to say that madeline is pretty much infatuated with her new baby sister!!!

we are all so incredibly blessed...new life is such a miracle. to know that ava was formed so perfectly...just to fill a whole in our family that we didn't even know existed until she arrived is mind boggling. i can't wait to see how this tiny little person fits into the "girly mix" we have going on around here...what princess she will want to be, what song she will want to perform for us, and what lip gloss color will be her favorite!

all those special little things that come along with being on this incredible journey of motherhood...

pink is my favorite color...and i guess that's the way it will always be!

merci & gracias...

a HUGE thanks to all of my fabulous friends that are always so encouraging and supportive! i really appreciate all the sweet comments about the auction pieces...i was extremely apprehensive about them seeing as i am new to the school...but you guys made me feel so much better!!!!!

there's nothing more special in life than great friends...and i seem to have some of the BEST!

(and no - i have NOT forgotten about "friendship friday"...i plan to resume that whenever life slows down a bit...whenever that may be...because ALL of my friends deserve to be recognized!!!)

again, thanks for making this heavily stressed, largely pregnant lady feel better!!! love you all!

a little change of plans...

after seeing dr. waterfallen today...we determined that it was too risky for him to properly check me...seeing as he is going to be out of town AGAIN tomorrow...so i am going to go back on monday for him to royally check me out! i am now scheduled to go in on tuesday for "birth day"!!!! i'm a bit sad that my sweet gran's birthday may come and go with no baby price...but i certainly want to do what is best for sweet pea!

he says that my cervix seems extremely soft, but he just doesn't want to make a rash decision without really making sure! gosh, i just think he is the greatest!!!!! he is so conservative yet so relaxed!!! just what i need in a situation like this! all i have to do is hold on until saturday and all will be well!

baby's head is way down...so he seems to think that things will truck right along...but we just want to err on the side of caution!!!!

i can hardly believe at this time next week...we will be home with a brand new baby. my mind has just now slowed down enough for me to really begin thinking about what that means. the girls are no doubt anxious...and excited...but there have been lots of requests for "mommy to do it"...which is fine by me because i may be out of commission for just a bit!!! ella cried throughout her whole ballet lesson yesterday because "she just wanted mommy"! for those of you that know her - SHE HAS NEVER BEEN LIKE THAT!!!!

i know that we will soon adjust as a family of five...but entering any unknown brings with it some apprehension. i hope that jeffrey and i can create as safe and loving an environment as possible...so that all THREE of our children feel secure and extra special!

so...

unless something happens, we'll be sharing with the world on october 6th whether a sweet baby boy or girl has joined our family!!!!!!

going once, going twice...

hopefully, SOLD at the FBCS fall carnival silent auction this coming friday night!!!!!

what am i speaking of you might wonder? well, let me explain!

about a month ago, i was asked to help with the kindergarten's art project that was to be auctioned at the school carnival on october 2nd (yes, three small days before i give birth)...even though jeffrey thought i was nuts to take that on...i decided it was "doable", and gladly accepted the challenge! they wanted each grade to have a theme that incorporated each child's hand print, fingerprint, or thumbprint!

well, what started out as helping out with k-5 quickly turned into meredith painting ALL of the art projects for k-3, k-4, k-5, and first grade!!!!! i think i could take up residence at first baptist, and maddie officially thinks she is enrolled in gran's class as a four year old!!!! thankfully, i LOVE this kind of thing...and while the timing has been a bit unfavorable, i finished the last one yesterday!

i think they turned out pretty cute...and hopefully, all the moms and dads that will be bidding will think so too!

k-3 : "where the wild things are"

k-4 : "garden of knowledge"

k-5 : "we're all a buzz..."

1st grade : "ABC's & 123's"

extra...extra...read all about it!!!

for all of you "labor and delivery" enthusiasts (i happen to be one of them!)...just thought i would give the update from yesterday's doctor visit!

things are in motion...which makes my stomach flip for multiple reasons!!!!!

for starters, dr. w is out of town today and tonight & next friday...so please say a prayer that baby price does not decide to make his or her debut without said doctor's presence...that would make said mommy E.X.T.R.E.M.E.L.Y sad...ok, enough about that - it just simply cannot happen!!!!

and...

for that fact that i haven't gotten a car seat, washed a single item of newbie clothing, set up the bassinet, etc...ok, enough about that too!

anyway...

(if you think that "stats" about certain "parts" are TMI - quit reading)...

i am dialated to about 1.5 cm, effaced about 50-60%, and baby is head down in +1 station...

at least at this point, we are still "on" for a birthday of october 5th!!!!! G.U.L.P.
(and so very excited to meet our new son or daughter!!!!)

i go back on monday and thursday of next week...just to make sure everything still looks favorable...

until then...

we're 9 1/2 days and counting!!!!!