Not enough time in the day...

Man, I have really been bad at getting posts up lately! So much has happened with the holidays, there is NO way I can get it all on here. Not to mention, we have our hands full with these two little boys. If I'm not feeding one, its the other. If I'm not changing one diaper, its the other. If I'm not rocking Cruz, I'm playing with Maddox...you get the idea! My life is so consumed with my babies!

So where should I start...December 20th was David and I's 5 year anniversary and first date night since having Cruz. We left the boys with my mom and dad and had dinner at Ruth's Chris...my first time there. It was SO good, but very pricey, so I'm sure it won't be anywhere we frequent on the regular basis! David got me a Nikon D60, thank God! I have been wanting a new camera forever! Now my problem is that it is the pictures are so high quality, it takes forever to download. I've got to figure out how to fix that! I gave David a Playstation 3 (I was so bummed he didn't want a Wii) and some golf tees (this was because you are suppose to give wood as a gift for 5 year anniversary). Still can't believe its been 5 years...and still can't believe all that has happened in those 5 years!

Christmas was great. We spent Christmas Eve day with Davids mom, her fiance, and grandmother. Maddox loved having company and Cruz loved getting held so much! That night we went to the Christmas Eve service at our church (Church at Pinnacle Hills) with my parents. There was no childcare, so Maddox went to big church with us. He did so good, he sat in between my mom and dad, or in their laps, the whole time. He had fun flirting with a lady behind us and really enjoyed the candle lighting part. He kept looking at the candles saying "Hot!". So cute!

We had Santa at my house Christmas morning and my parents came over early to witness Maddox first seeing his all of his new toys. He was so cute! He was all smiles playing with his new stuff. My sister Kim and her family came up that afternoon and we opened gifts and had Christmas dinner with them. Our family goes WAY overboard for Christmas...however, none of us would have it any other way. We have had Christmas's where the kids actually get tired of opening gifts...how crazy is that!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and will have a Happy New Year! We are low key this year...Mom and Dad are keeping Maddox and we are going to dinner with friends...and Cruz!

Here are some pictures from our Christmas Eve:







And here are just a FEW from Christmas day:





Here is the view from the top of my stairs down below...this is aftermath of Christmas morning:). Most of the trash was already taken out! Ha!

Santa

Yesterday we took Maddox and Cruz to visit with Santa at the Pinnacle Hills Promenade. I knew Maddox would either love him or hate him. At first he walked up to him...slowly...but on his own. Of course, Santa was waving a sucker at him to get him to come over. Maddox got in his lap, and then when I walked away to get Baby Cruz, Maddox lost it....and never really got over it!

What made it even worse, the camera the mall had was not working. So we took pics with our camera and then had to go BACK about 20 minutes later and see Santa again to get the other pictures. It was so funny, though. Why is it so fun to torture your kids?

David got it all on video, which I can't wait to watch! Before we left home for the mall I got the video camera out and asked Maddox, "Are you going to be scared of Santa?". His immediate response was a big smile and a "YES!". Not sure if actually knew what I asked, but funny none the less!


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Family Pictures...

Monday we went to Fort Smith for a photo session with Raye Law Photography. She is always so amazing! She also let me use a pic for my blog, which I was so excited about. Usually its all copyrighted and you can't use it anywhere else!

I love this pic of the four of us. Maddox was hyper and crazy and ONLY did what he was suppose to as long as she kept feeding him Smarties. I think you can kinds see one in this pic, but thats my Maddox!



Here is a link to her blog. We're the family under the title "Those Lips". Little Cruz has quite a set! Ha! Enjoy... http://www.rayelawphotography.com/blog/

Here's the pictures to go with my previous post:

Here we were trying to get a picture of the boys, Maddox wasn't having it!



Getting ready to go home. It was such a cold day, snow flurries when we left the hospital!



Big Brother Maddox was happy to welcome home Cruz!



However, we are learning not to steal paci's from Cruz:).



Maddox loves to hug and kiss on Cruz!



Maddox also likes to point to all the parts of the babies face. Its a little scary when he points to his eyes! Ha!



Here is Cousins Sloan and Margaux with Cruz. They love holding the baby!



Cruz is already addicted to the paci just like Maddox.



And just for fun, here is Maddox dancing to his singing snowman. He turns this on and dances to it several times a day! So entertaining!

Labor Day

So last Monday, December 1st was our scheduled induction day...2 days after my due date which was November 29th. David and I got up at 4am to get ready to leave for the hospital. Davids mom stayed at the house to keep Maddox while we were in the hospital. We got there around 5 am and they immediately began hooking me up to all the machines.

I first took a pill to help get things going, then they broke my water, and then started me on petocin (sp?). I think it was around 11am when I decided I was ready for the epidural. I was having TONS of back pain and it seemed my contractions were getting regular. I was so scared to wait to long to get it, I've had friends who made that mistake and then it was too late. After the anesthesiologist gave me the epidural I told him I hoped I hadn't gotten it to early. He said not to worry, the worst case scenario is when people get it too early, it wears off, and then they need a c section. Otherwise, it would be fine.

So, as the day progressed I NEVER made it past a 3. Every time they would check me it would still be a 3. At 5pm when they checked me and said it was still a 3 I knew something was up. I asked if there was a chance this wasn't going to happen on its own, would I need a c section...when the nurse didn't immediately say no, I just knew it was going to happen!

At 7 pm my epidural was pretty much GONE. I was in so much pain, crying out of control! They came in and said that Dr. Sarver was on her way and I would be getting a c section, I was just devastated. I have a one year old, I just didn't know how I could go home and take care of him after this! They also took me off the petocin which quickly helped with the contraction pain. Thank God!

The next dr. came in to give me a spinal (I think that's what she called it). Of course, my anesthesiologist words were replaying in my mind about the worst case scenario. I knew I had gotten the epidural too early, it wore off, and now a c section. When they took me to the operating room I got all hooked up and they put up the curtain so I couldn't see what was going on down there. I felt the dr. pinch my stomach in 3 places, I told her I felt it. Then I felt her rubbing my belly and pinch me again. I told her I was feeling everything she was doing. They next thing I knew, they told me I was going to have to go completely under, the spinal wasn't working since I had been on an epidural all day. They put the mask on my face, I got really hot, and the next thing I knew I woke up in a different room with two nurses walking around.

I could barely get words out to ask them if I had the baby. They told me yes. I was so scared something went wrong, was he okay? They reassured me he was fine, told me his weight, time he was born, which was 8:22 pm. The clock now read 9:30. Then I asked was my husband there when he was born, they told me he was not aloud back there, but that he was with the baby now. I was kept in that room till around 10, then they finally wheeled me to my room where my mom, sister, David, and little angel baby Cruz where waiting on me.

I must say Northwest Medicals staff was amazing and so nice. I actually had the SAME nurses as I had with Maddox! I felt like I was in good hands since we had been with them before.

Cruz is now a week and one day old. I am feeling better every day, but I must say the first few days at home were tough. Getting in and out of bed was the hardest. Our bed is so high, I missed my hospital bed with all the controls!

I still cannot pick up Maddox, which has been the hardest thing! It breaks my heart when he comes to me with his arms up and I can't hold him! However, I now let him sit in my lap on the couch, which makes me so happy! I also can't drive for another week. David has taken off work and been such a help! He is in charge of Maddox and I do the baby. We are such a team!

I have lots of pics...but Blogger is being SOOOOOOOOOO annoying tonight! Not letting me upload pics....I'll try again tomorrow, so check back with me:)!

Cruz David Welborn

Here are a few quick pictures. I'll post the delivery story once we are home and settled in! Thanks everyone for your prayers. He arrived December 1st at 8:22, weighing 8lbs. 2 oz., and 21 1/4 inches long! It wasn't an easy delivery, but he's here and perfect and thats all that matters!! Enjoy...

I've been a slacker!

Haven't been posting as much lately. I've just been waiting until my appointments to update and post any pics. I had my LAST appointment before delivery today. Of course, I have nothing new to report. Still dilated at a 1. I must confess I was a bit depressed leaving the doctors office today. I get my hopes up that I'll have made a lot of progress, and every time I get let down.

I really don't think that he will be here early, or on my due date, or the day after...which is why we are definitely inducing Monday, December 1st. Praise God, there is an end in sight. I'm going to have my mom stay the night Sunday night since we have to leave for the hospital at 5:30 am. She'll stay there and let Maddox sleep. We are going to try and keep him on as close a schedule as possible, but I want him up there for when the baby arrives.

Maddox has no clue he is about to have a brother, people ask me that all the time. He's not going to understand at all! I am feeling a little sorry for him. I get a little sad when I think about him not having David and I all to himself. I know it'll be okay, and I know as soon as Cruz gets a little bigger, they will be best friends!

Here are a few recent pics of Maddox. I have been slacking on pictures because I keep my camera in the suitcase for the hospital. I've missed out on some cute stuff...but here are a few:

Here are Michelle and I at the hospital holding little Eden. My friend Heather who has been pregnant with me had her about a week and a half ago. Should I mention again that we were due 2 days apart...here's her sweet bundle of joy, still waiting on mine:)...


I just had to get a picture today of Maddox checking out this truck. We got a new sectional for our game room delivered today. To distract Maddox away from the movers trying to work, we looked at their truck. He is SO into cars, trucks, and trains. We walked up and down the truck, checked out the wheels, looked in the cab. He was in heaven!


This is Maddox and Sadie. She was over at the house the other day with her mom and new baby sister, Maddox just loves her. If she sat in a chair, he wanted to be right there next to her...to cute!


Hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving! Please keep me in your prayers for a safe delivery...I'm getting a little nervous...

The latest...

My 38 week appointment was today. Some better news than last time. I'm am now dilated at a 1 (not much, but still progress) and 50% effaced. Yay! For some reason, I still don't think Cruz will be here early, so we discussed inducing today. If I don't have the baby by November 29th, our due date, then we will induce Monday, December 1st. It feels good to know it won't go past this. I even think maybe it will be good to have Thanksgiving be one last relaxing holiday before the big birthday! We shall see!

I haven't posted any pics in a while, so here are a few from Maddox's first trip to Build-A-Bear. Toddler Toes is a play group we recently started going to. It meets once a month and so far always is a blast for Maddox. Maddox was more interested in the computers than he was anything else in the entire store. I just kind of let him do whatever... here are the pics...
His favorite part, the computers to make your birth certificate:

Picking out his bear:

Playing with sound station...at least he was trying to! Ha!:

Ready to take home bear:

Dragging his bear through the store:

12 days to go....hopefully less!

Well, as I sit here typing my good friend Heather is in the hospital getting ready to welcome baby Eden into the world! The preggo friends of mine keep having babies one after the other, and I can't help but feel stuck!...even a little jealous! Not that I am not SUPER happy for them of course! Especially since Eden is destined to be Cruz's future wife:)! Ha!

3 nights ago I thought for sure I may be feeling labor pains. I felt aweful, but was so excited that "this may be it!". After about 2 hours of random contractions, it all stopped and went away and by 10:30 I was feeling my normal self again, ugh! And since that night, not many contractions at all!

Next dr. appointment is Wednesday....keep your fingers crossed that we'll have some kind of progress! I am getting just a tad impatient if you can't tell...:)

37 Week Update

I had my weekly doctor appointment today while Maddox was at Mother's Day Out. I tried to not get my hopes up that I was dialated, but secretly I thought FOR SURE I had to have made some progress already. Unfortunatly, I'm 0 dialated and 0 effaced. I already feel like I'm gonna have a repeat experience of what the last weeks were like with Maddox. In case you forgot, I went a miserable week late and when they induced me I was STILL 0 dialated and 0 effaced. I have been hoping that Cruz would be my early baby!! So far, he is in no rush to meet us. He is probably already scared of Maddox...Maddox is CONTANTLY sitting on me, elbowing my belly, pushing himself off my belly, kicking my belly...its insane...poor Cruz!

I did have a bit of a scare at my appointment however. Let me just go ahead and say everything is totally fine before I go on...Anyways, I am measuring at 34 weeks. My doctor decided to order an ultrasound to make sure everything looked good. She quickly tried to reassure me that nothing was wrong...BUT, that they would check my amniotic fluid levels, and the size of the baby. My appointment was at 9:45 and the ultrasound wasn't until 11:00, so I had plenty of time to let my mind run wild with all the possible terrible scenerios of what could be wrong. I was even planning what I would do if they sent me to the hospital to go ahead and deliver. (Have I mentioned I'm a worrier??). Thankfully, Cruz is wieghing in around 7 pounds, 7 ounces. My fluid levels are perfect. AND, the ultrasound showed I am actually measuring 5 days ahead of schedule. Turns out that the baby could have just been in a wierd position, dropped down, or that I am carrying him more on the inside than the outside "belly". Thank the Lord! Now, if I could only make it 17 more days...

OH, almost forgot. As I was leaving the appointment today, I noticed the Duggars checking in...you know, the Springdale couple with the 500 children and counting? Actually, I think she is on #18. Anyways, they see the same dr. as me. As I rounded the corner I totally came face to face with a TV crew following them. You may have seen there show on TLC. So we'll see if I make my television debut! Ha!

Sometimes I Just Need to WHINE!!

I just feel the need to vent about how awful I am feeling! Three weeks to go, and I don't feel like I can make it. Here's the latest and greatest of what pregnancy is doing to me: I have been having this very weird pain to the left of my belly. Its always in the exact same spot. I feel like I have to keep my hand on it so it won't hurt. I thought at first maybe Cruz was kicking me there and making it bruised, but the longer its gone on I realized it had to be something else. I told my dr. about it today and she said that it sounds like my muscles are so stretched that I probably have a tear in my muscle in that spot! Doesn't that sound fun!! What makes it worse is having a 1 year old that I constantly am picking up...it always gets worse when I'm lifting and bending over. She told me to take Tylenol for now and if it gets worse they will call in some pain meds for me. I'm tempted to just say, "ITS WORSE" so I can get some real medicine!! :)

I'm also scared that it WILL only get worse, since I am only going to get BIGGER! Ugh. Only good news from the appointment: gained no weight this week, which I couldn't believe after the mass amounts of Halloween candy I have consumed....and cookies...and chips...and any other junk food I have been able to get my hands on!

Here's my other thought about the muscle situation...it seems weird that it hurts this bad with baby #2...which leads me to think maybe Cruz is a BIG baby!! Dr. didn't say this, but of course the thought has run through my mind!! So needless to say, I feel like I am in bad shape. I know it could be way worse, but I'm pretty good at feeling sorry for myself! Not a great day today....BUT, want to know one of the things that can still totally make me feel better and take my mind off my misery:


Yes, my little stinker is such a Momma's boy! I taught him to say "yes" whenever I ask him if he loves me! It melts my heart everytime! He also says "mama" ALL the time, too. Its really sweet when he's tired and comes to me and really pitiful says "mama" for me to hold him...I love the lil guy!!!!

Trick or Treat

Here's a few pictures from our big night of trick or treating. Maddox got to trick or treat the neighborhood for the first time. He probably walked the most he ever has in his little life!! It took about 10 minutes to get from my house to the next door neighbors...NOT because our houses are that far apart, but because Maddox kept getting so side tracked. If other kids passed us, he wanted to turn around and follow them. However, when he realized he was getting candy at the doors, he quickly caught on. He immediately unwrapped the first sucker he got and ate it along the way. So cute!!

Here's me and my little man:

Dad and Maddox:

He was so excited!!

Eating his sucker as we go door to door:

Here's bucket of candy Maddox collected:

And here he is again with yet another sucker....

Cruz is getting big....

Here's the little stinker at 34 weeks....

Fun Filled Weekend

Our neighborhood does TONS of Fall activities this time of year. This is the first year we really participated. This past Friday we went to a "Build Your Own Pasta Night" and then a hay ride around the neighborhood. They also had a haunted house, which, obviously, we did not take Maddox. But, they did have one room set up called "Tiny Tunnels". There was a maze made of cardboard boxes, all the lights were out except for black lights, and lots of streamers. We thought Maddox would be to scared, but he loved going through it! That was all he wanted to do....he wouldn't even eat dinner! It was so funny!

There were two hay rides to choose from. A "Haunted Hayride" and the "Kiddie Hayride". As much as we wanted to go on the haunted one, we did the kiddie for Maddox. It was after dark and we just went on a big loop around the neighborhood. Maddox had a blast....mostly because a tractor was pulling us. Tractors and trucks are his new obsession!


Saturday we had to drive to Little Rock for my niece Margaux's 5th birthday party...which as I mentioned before was a unicorn theme. My sister had all kinds of activities in the backyard, including a bounce house, which ALL the kids loved...especially Maddox. He also had a good time on the trampoline with Ella, Brody, and David Austin...who are all older than him and can really jump. He just fell around and laughed the whole time. Here are just a few pictures from the party.
Here's Maddox and the birthday girl, Margaux, before the party. Once all the kids arrived, Maddox couldn't get in the bounce house...he would have been crushed!:)


Here are the boys of the party...

Fun times on the trampoline...Brody, Maddox, and Ella.

Have I mentioned the child loves suckers?? I mean REALLY loves a sucker!!


So while I was at the party my good friend Amber had her baby back in Rogers. I went to see her new baby girl that night. She was so precious, and all I could think when I held her is that I will have one of my own in 5 (hopefully less) weeks! Congrats, Amber!!!

Speaking of babies, Sunday my friend Michelle and I threw a shower at my house for our friend Heather. She is having a baby girl, Eden, around the same time I'll be having Cruz. We have had so many similarities in our pregnancies, but here's a funny one worth mentioning. At my shower, my sisters friend Kendall was asking what Heather was naming her baby. When we told her Eden she immediately pointed out that THE couple of the 80's/90's soap opera "Santa Barbara" was Cruz and Eden. I mean they were the super couple. There are websites STILL dedicated to this couple. Don't believe me....CLICK HERE! So I'm sure our kids are destined to hit it off..Ha!

So here are the three of us...Michelle, Heather, and myself. I really hate how swollen I look. I think I'm about ready to quit taking pics of myself until after this baby!!



And one last thing, David deserves Dad of the Year with how much he has helped me out this past week! Tuesday I also had a shower at the house and he took Maddox to Chuck E Cheese's for 2 hours! Today he took Maddox to the neighborhood costume parade and Fall Festival. He went with some friends of ours and their two sons. David is the best and I can't thank him enough! I must admit, I am jealous I missed the parade. David said it was so cute. I sent a camera with him and here are a few pics...
The boys, Christian, Nikko, and Maddox..all ready for the parade.


Ring Toss game:

David said they spent FOREVER at the fire truck! I'm telling you, Maddox loves some trucks!

Playing on the golf carts:

Dad and Madd...too cute! Thanks for being such a great Dad, David!! I love you!