Kevin Russell Richey

Our sweet baby Russell is here. We are so glad to have him in our family! The girls love him so much and so do Kevy and I. We are really excited to have a little boy in our home and see how that changes things. One thing for sure is that he will have plenty of mothering. Lizzy has already said that she is going to teach him to not pee on the seat and all over when he goes to the bathroom like all the yucky boys at school do.
He came earlier than expected and that is just fine with me. I was bigger this time around and I was really just so uncomfortable and really just ready to have him out! Although I said that and then when it did happen early I thought "but I didn't get everything done and ready. My house isn't clean enough!" I was scheduled to have a c-section on Friday the 21st. He was due on the 29th. On the 11th we were out driving and I noticed that it was a full moon and I said to Kevy "You know lots of women go into labor on a full moon." Knowing that would never happen to me.
Well I woke up that night around 2 and was having contractions every 3-5 minutes. But I didn't really think much of it because they weren't really too bad and that had happened before and then they would go away but I wasn't able to get much more sleep and they didn't go away. I got everyone ready for the day and I headed to the hospital to be monitored. About and hour later the nurse came in and said "you are having a baby in about an hour." I started freaking out a bit because I just needed Kevin there with me. Kevy arrived about a half hour later and then I felt ready for little Russell. He was born at 12:15 p.m. He weighed 7 lbs. 13 oz. and was 20 inches long. Good thing he did come 2 1/2 weeks early, How big would he have been if he had gone to term. I don't want to know. The c-section went pretty well, but Russell had a hard time breathing afterwards because he had fluid in his lungs so he had to go to the NICU. The one time that I actually could have the baby with me in recovery and he can't. I was pretty sad. I got to go see him after my recovery time was up but i couldn't hold him until they allowed me out of bed which was 12 hrs. after delivery. He was doing great by that point but they were worried there might have been an infection, so he was in the NICU for 48 hrs. Which was difficult, but after what I went through with Nellie, I was able to handle it better I think. At least with him I got to hold him and nurse him as often as I wanted.
We went home after 48 hrs. because they allowed him to and because I hate the hospital so bad that I go home as soon as they will possibly let me go. I just hate the constant scrutiny and the poking and prodding. I just always want to be in my own home in my bed.
It always amazes me that this perfect little person was just inside me. It is such a miracle!

After the first day I have felt pretty darn good. I think this time around has been the easiest recovery.

Most people so far have said they think he looks like Kevy. I am not very good at being able to tell but I think he does too.

Kevin's work sent us this cookie bouquet and this flower bouquet, it was so nice of them. The girls have especially enjoyed the cookies.

The girls were so very excited to see baby Russell. When they found out he was coming early they were thrilled. Nellie just kept hugging herself.

Jane is doing amazing. She had a hard time when I was in the hospital and seeing me there, but once we came home she has done so well. Very few fits, she is just so sweet. She will just go play by herself if I am busy feeding Russell.

Lizzy and Nellie love him so much. They are the best helpers too. If I need them to get me a diaper or something for him they start fighting about who's turn it is to do it. I know it won't always be that way, but it is nice right now.

Kevy is such a proud Daddy and so excited to be not quite so outnumbered anymore.

He is so handsome just like his dad.

We already love him so much and can't imagine our family without him!

Bishop's Pumpkin Farm

There is seriously the neatest pumpkin patch ever, not too far from where we live, and we didn't get to go last year, so I wanted to for sure make it this year. With not too much time left before the baby comes and soccer taking over our lives, I had to take advantage of the one week when both girls had morning games. Kevin is super busy at work right now and actually had to work on Saturday so he couldn't make it :( but Grandma and Grandpa were able to come and it was so fun to have them along. It was also a perfect fall day to go, the temperature was perfect. There were so many different things for the girls to do, we were there for quite a few hours and still didn't see everything. There was food and slides and a parade and pig races and animals and a train and forts to play in. All kinds of things.
They had the prettiest flower patches where you could go and pick your own flowers.

One of the girls favorite things to do was ride the train. They wanted to ride in the animal car. Such silly girls.

They loved the giant tires.

They had fun playing in the corn pit.

Poor lizzy is toothless right now. She is missing four teeth, with no signs of her permanent ones coming in. She has such a hard time eating, but not ice cream.

Janie wanted a shave ice rather than an ice cream and wouldn't you know she dropped it first thing. They were nice enough to give us a new one. But then she dripped some on the filthy bench and she started licking the bench, it was awful. There are some things as a mom that I just can't let myself worry about and germs are one of them. I just have to let it go sometimes. And you know what I think my kids are healthier because of it. They rarely get sick and I think it is because I just don't worry so much, who knows.

Nellie with her messy face. She is seriously the dirtiest kid I know. It doesn't matter what I do she ends up filthy.

There was this giant slide the girls got to slide down, but parents wern't allowed to take their kids sown it, so I was worried that Jane would be too scared to go , but she was the first one to go and she cruised down it. When she got to the bottom she said "Can I go again Mom?" It was so cute seeing her be so big.

My little jail birds. There were so many different things to do and explore. The girls kept telling me " Thank you so much for taking us mom, this is so fun!"