Bennihana

This summer we had the rare and delightful opportunity to have Ben live with us. He came to Vicksburg to work for the Army Corps of Engineers and to hang out with us, because we're that cool. He was a tremendous help during those bigger months of my pregnancy when we were learning to manage a new home and Erik was at firefighter training for more than 8 hours a week on top of his day job. His stay was truly a blessing for us!

While Ben was here he did the dishes every night and mowed our lawn once a week with Bouncing Betty on our hilly and rolly lawns. He cleaned up unmentionable animals.

He went to fun pageant parades down town.

He accompanied us on a temple trip which was crowned with Po Boy from Po Boy's Express.

He went to work every day and ate those honey chicken biscuits from What-a-Burger (I didn't introduce him to those.)

He helped cook dinner and reintroduced us to lemon spaghetti.

He played with Alyssa and drank kool-aid. Hand grenades!!

He endured a trip to Natchez complete with Windsor Ruins and another house tour and that fried chicken place that supposedly has the best friend chicken...but it didn't.

He let us take him on a tour of the National Military Park located in our very on Vicksburg locale. There ain't no finer place in all of M'ssippi.  

But most of all, Ben was a friend during summer of 2015. At the beginning of the summer Alyssa told one of my friends that her brother was coming. She was referring whole-heartedly to Ben. She loved having him here. They played together. She watched him the whole time he was mowing the lawn, every time. She was always excited when he came home from work. Ben was her "brother", her friend. 

It was also fun for me. The last time Ben and I lived under the same roof, he was 14 and I was 18. He's no longer 14, which can be a little hard to remember from an older sister point of view. However, he is quite an amazing 22 year old. I am glad I got to know him better as an adult and strengthen our friendship during those months.

Christmas Time

Mom came to visit for a week after Taft was born. I cannot say enough how wonderful it was to have her here! Her help during that time was invaluable! She did the laundry, cooked, played with Alyssa again and again, held Taft, talked to me, and maintained a general atmosphere of sanity for us during that first week home! 

While Grandma was here we made gingerbread. I attempted a sled. I burned the pieces to it horribly, which made it so brittle that one side shattered when it was accidentally dropped! I attempted to put it all together again and even decorated, but by the time we were all done, it was a lump of burned sugar goo on a plate, so I threw it away!

 

Christmas celebrations started early this year! We set up our tree before Thanksgiving. I was ok with this because I knew once Taft was born, it would not be as easy to be on top of Christmas festivities. Alyssa was very excited to put up the tree and all the decorations we had! She particularly loved getting out the nativity "activity" sets. We played "activity" over and over again. Eventually the story included a crazy camel who wanted to act as the angel or Joseph! On Christmas night we reenacted the show ourselves! We even had our own Baby Jesus actor!

Christmas was a beautiful day. Alyssa was so excited for Santa to come! Despite her enthusiasm, she slept until 8:30 AM! Santa brought Alyssa a watch and some books. He was a little messy and left ashy foot prints on the floor in front of the fireplace!

Giving and opening gifts was the highlight of the day for Alyssa. She had wrapped random things from around the house for Erik and I. The Tooth Fairy and Sugar Daddy brought us Captain Crunch and Life (sugary cereals)! We played games and enjoyed a nice, relaxing day at home! 

It was incredibly warm the few days around Christmas. The day after Christmas I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt and we went for a walk! Only in Mississippi!! 

Erik took the week after Christmas off and we drove to Dallas to visit the Archibalds! While in Dallas we went shopping, visited a train exhibit, ate a Neiman Marcus cookie - that's about the only thing affordable in the store unless you feel like $900 for jeans is in your price range, watched Shrek in the hot tub, went for walks, did one of those dancing Wii games, played games, went to Dave and Buster's with James and Camille, went to Bass Pro Shop where shooting took place, and had an overall pleasant time! It was fun to get away and spend good time with family. I am thankful for the time and attention our families give Alyssa. Doug and Maria were stars and playing "activity" with her and participating in other Alyssa-esc activities.

 

Yay for Christmas time, family time, and all that jazz!

One Month

Taft is a month old! It is incredible how fast our lives changed and how beautiful that change has been. 

The first few days felt a little bit like this:

But now we are getting back into the routine of life! 

Taft is an excellent baby. He sleeps at night averaging 6 hours in a span, which makes having a baby so much easier! He loves his binky and being swaddled and primary songs.

Erik has a peculiar way of soothing Taft. It usually involves making as much rhythmic noise as possible with either the drums or the piano. To each his own!

What a fun first month it has been!

Taft Lawrence

 Taft Lawrence joined our family on December 10, 2015. There is so much I want to say, so let's walk through some pictures and then I will sum up.

Taft was due December 9th. I had supposed I would naturally go into labor like I did with Alyssa and this time I had a plan. Me and the shower were going to be good friends and I was going to be strong, yea, even mighty and in control. 

Yet my mistake was in the assumption that this labor would start like Alyssa's. It didn't. December 8th came and I still had no signs of contractions. After consulting with my doctor combined with some incredible fears I had concerning the well being of this baby, I was convinced to be induced on December 10th. 

We went in at 6 AM. Emily Stephens kindly came over to watch Alyssa. I ate a bowl of oatmeal even though I wasn't supposed to and then we were off to the hospital! I was wearing my pregnancy uniform - Teen Age Mutant Ninja Turtles shirt and stretchy pants! It was a foggy, humid humid morning.

By 8:30 AM the petocin had begun and the epidural was on its way. Erik and I engaged in a good game of Scrabble, which we finished before I gave birth. I won 272 - 260. By 11:30 AM or so the epidural was wearing off and I could feel the contractions. This was fine with me because I didn't want to be a 100% wimp. I was smooth and in control. I did manage to master that part of my plan. No shower though...darn. 

At 12:39 PM Taft entered our lives in this air breathing world. They put him on me and he was BIG and swollen but alive and I was so happy and so relieved!! He weighed 11 lbs, 1 oz and was 21.5 inches long. His head was 15.75 inches in circumference! His weight made him famous in the medical world here in Vicksburg for a few weeks after!

Alyssa came to visit shortly thereafter. The adjustment didn't seem traumatic, but she was a little weary of her new little brother.

After two days in the hospital we finally got to go home! I love home and I was so grateful to be taking my little man with me!

Now let me sum up by sharing an excerpt from an email I sent Claire:

"My heart is so full of gratitude and appreciation that Taft is here safely. I have had a really hard time being totally excited because if he hadn't made it, I would have been devastated. But he did make it and I see that God's hand has been in it. I also feel such a strong appreciation for the Savior and His Atonement. It is important and related to everything. He strengthens us through His grace. He is real! And our Heavenly Father is real too. It is a feeling that goes with knowing that the conception and birth of Taft is a manifestation of His love for me and the desire He has that I be happy!

So I wanted to go natural for awhile. That seemed to be the most exciting thing...ya know, the drama of sudden pain and anticipation ending because the time to work was finally here! But after seeing the doctor on Tuesday, which was an ordeal in and of itself because she was delivering babies during my appointment and I had to go back later, I realized scheduling to be induced would be smart. That and I felt as I prayed about it that Heavenly Father knew my desire to go natural...at least start that way, and if there was a reason I shouldn't, then the induction would be set up. 

His heart rate was fine during labor. It was all uncomplicated and I'm not totally sure why God helped me be induced...but he also helped me have a wonderful experience. He blessed me with a great nurse, he blessed Taft's hand to be by his face so she could pull it out and it allowed the rest of him to slide out without complication or c section. He blessed us with a giant, healthy baby! I am thankful for that."

I really did and do have an overwhelming feeling that God wants us to be happy. The blessings we desire do not always come the way we want them to, but they come. I haven't been unhappy in my waiting for Taft. These last couple of years have been magnificent and we have had wonderful and joyous experiences. And now I am even happier with my wonderful children and the joy and light they bring into our lives!

We had a baby, shout HURRAY!

Taft Lawrence Archibald was born December 10, 2015 impressing us with his 11 lb, 1 oz physique! We are happy, so happy he is here!