Katelyn

Katelyn at birth
3 weeks old.

1 month old in the dress my mom wore as a baby. My mom's great grandma Mary made it for her! Each of the girls have worn it.

2 months old at our family photo shoot

3 months old opening her first Christmas present

4 months My cousin made this for an invention contest. it is a mosquito net bassinet for babies. Katelyn got to model it :)

In a few days she will be 5 months old! my how time has flown!

Self Photo shoot

Hadley found my camera. She somehow turned it on and was taking pictures of her self. when I uploaded them I had to laugh. silly girl!

riding a two wheeler

We have been talking about taking Ellie's training wheels off for awhile but we couldnt decide if she was really ready and we didnt want it to fail and her be scared to try later. She tends to not forget so a bad experience would stick with her. Well on February 4 Ellie decided it was time. She begged jess all day long to take the training wheels off her bike. So he told her if he took them off he was not putting them back on. Five minutes later she was riding it without training wheels! The next day she decided to show and teach the neighbor girl how too!

I will admit as I watched her ride away I thought of her as a baby and how big she has gotten. Made me cry and I know a few blinks and she will be driving a car and then off to college! Time is just flying.

*disclaimer she always seems to wear her bike helmet (even not riding a bike) but for some unknown reason we were all so excited we forgot that step. she now wears the helmet all the time :)

I love you because.....

well hello my good friends. how have you been ? I know it has been awhile but give a momma a break she now has three kids! in reality it is just to hard to blog from my phone and ellie hogs the computer and if she is in bed then I am too busy winding down (aka too lazy!)
anyways I found an idea on pinterest (yes I am addicted) that shows a frame where you enclose a paper that say I love you because _____________________________ and after you frame it you can fill in the blank by writing on the glass. I love it and plan on making it soon! But the idea got me thinking. Do I tell the people around me I love them enough? But more importantly do I tell them why? I know when I hear I love you from anyone in my family it melts my heart but when they add why it brings tears to my eyes. It reminds me that I AM LOVED. what I do is appreciated. what I do matters to them. And God gave me this moment to find JOY in all he has given me. Im trying hard to not just stop with I love you but adding why. I dont want those words to get overused. i want my family to know why I love them.

Im going to share a few that I have been really feeling but without getting too wordy ;)
Jess I love you because you are my best friend. I may have some really great girlfriends but you are my true best friend. I know that no matter the obstacle you will be right by my side to hold my hand or help me up.

Ellie I love you because you make me laugh. You say the funniest things that have me laughing out loud months after they happened. You get this from your dad. I love that about him too. You are everything I ever hoped for and more.

Hadley I love you because you are most like me. You are so stubborn and although sometimes it has me so frustrated I know that you will grow to be a strong woman who will not let others change what you know is right. Stand strong my love (but please, PLEASE stop being so stubborn and just go poop on the potty!)

My dearest Kit Kat. I love you because you melted my heart today. A simple game of patty cake turned into loads of giggles from both of us. Making you smile and laugh is one of my favorite parts of the day, even if it is at 4 am :)

Introducing Katelyn Ione Mickle

Just going to share my birth story of the day Katelyn arrived. It was a very exciting one!

I had been having contractions off and on for days but at my last appointment on September 15 I was dialated to 3 and was 75% effaced the same as the week before. I woke up Monday September 19 and took Jess to the train station at 7:15 am. I then headed back home and had to knock on the door because I was locked out! Cindy let me in and I sat down and was talking to her. She jokingly told me if I had remembered my key I wouldnt have been locked out. I laughed and then all of a sudden I felt warm fluid. I looked at Cindy and said I think my water just broke. (7:30ish) I was scheduled for a c section on Wednesday so i had given up hope I would go on my own. I had accepted the csection finally and now I was a bit nervous because Jess was on the train. Cindy called Jess and finally he answered and got off the train in Buena Park. Cindy called a friend who came to stay with me and the girls and then left to go pick up Jess. I was not having contractions so I waited to call the doctor until I knew Jess was on his way back home. I went upstairs and packed my bag and got ready to go. My contractions started about ten til 8 and they were not strong at all and they were about 7 minutes in between. I was talking through them so I didnt feel the need to hurry. Jess called and said they were on their way about 8:30 so I put a call inot the doctor. She said to head to the hospital when Jess got there and they would be waiting for me. At about 8:50 My contractions went to about 3 minutes apart but they still were not that bad at all. I still could talk through them. Jess walked in the door around 9 and went upstairs and changed and then we headed out. A few miles down the road I had a really strong contraction. When we got on the CA 55 the contractions were strong and constant. no time in between and very painful. We arrived at the hospital about 9:25 and decided we needed to Valet park because there was no way I could walk from the parking structure. walking to the elevator I had to stop for a contraction. getting off the elevator I had to stop for a contraction. getting to the desk I had to stop for a contraction. The people in the waiting room after seeing me told Jess to push the call button because the check in lady was on break. a nurse came and decided I needed a wheelchair because I could not walk anymore.

The nurse wanted to check me in but a different nurse said I needed to go to triage. I was in a lot of pain and they took me off to a triage room but once we were on our way the nurse asked when my contractions started and I told her my water broke she yelled back to admit me. Duh lady! Anyways I got into a gown and laid down and they started asking ?'s that I could barely answer because I was in so much pain. I told them Im supposed to have a csection and she stopped asking ?'s and checked me and I was at a 7 with the head right there. The nurse said I might have a failed csection because I might not have time to get em ready. Things got very crazy from there. several nurses came in and were getting me ready. 5 minutes at the most past and I was really screamig (yes I was that lady!) The nurse said I needed to be checked again and in doing so she said something to the other nurse who quickly called for a delivery table and then 30 seconds later said we dont have time to wait lets roll her in this bed because we need to get to a room with an isolette fast! I felt like the room flooded with people quickly and off we went running down the hall. (jess says yes there was a lot of people but it was more of a fast walk not a run) LOL. In the hall I could not help but start to push. They told me to stop but my body could not. I was also tingly all over (I was hyperventalating they told me) and the doctor on call came in and said my doctor was not going to make it but we were going to have a baby very soon. The baby was crowning . In two pushes Miss Katelyn Ione Mickle entered our world. She had to be given oxygen and was very bruised but after a few minutes they brought her back to my arms. She weighed 8lbs 12oz and was 21 1/2in born at 10 am sharp. exactly 2 1/2 hours after my water broke and less than 30 minutes from getting a room at the hospital!

It was VERY scary happening so fast and all the thoughts of the bad things they told me could happen because of her size I was worried the whole time. she was not as big as they thought and I had no trouble at all with her birth. I was so excited that I actually had the birth I so very much desired. Not only did I not have a csection I also delivered with no drugs at all. It is everything I wanted and I thank God that it was his plan not the doctors.

First picture of our family of 5!!

Hadley loves her new sister. She loves holding her and the way she says Katelyn could melt your heart. SO cute!

Ellie is completely infatuated too. She is a great helper and loves to cuddle her. (note Katelyns very bruised face)

Katelyn at one week old. I caught a first smile. Thank you multi shot feature on my camera!!

We are so in love with her and she is just perfect. We couldnt have asked for a better baby!

And by the way Jess and I knew she was a girl since our first ultrasound. If you need someone to keep a secret we can do it pretty well!

changes

Since I have blogged last there have been so many changes in our lives. With the change in season we found out in January baby #3 was on its way. Funny how God just has things happen in his time. We tried forever for Ellie and quite awhile for Hadley so who would have guessed that after deciding we wanted to try for baby number 3 it would happen THE VERY FIRST MONTH!! We were shocked and very happy. We announced it to family and friends (and facebook) by asking lineman or cheerleader. How funny how some people got it and some people did not LOL
Anyway among all this Jess had made the decision to quit his job and start his own business. He leapt out of the starting gate very busy and was v ery successful. Then comes the big changes.
As we grow into adulthood we are faced with decisions that only we can make. You have to decide what is best for you, your spouse, and your children. Some decisions are hard to make and some are easy. On craigslist one day Jess found a job in LA that he decided to send his resume in on. we have always enjoyed CA. Well he was contacted back and asked to come in for an interview. So off he went and upon returning he was offered the job. We sat and talked and tossed around what was best for us. NOt our extended family, us. It was a very difficult decision but we decided that we had to do it. We could always return home if it didnt work out, if we hated living in CA or just to visit. Some paths you are only shown once and this just felt right (although very tough!).
Me being the chicken I am made Jess tell most of our family and friends. It was so difficult but we knew we were making the right choice when God kept having all the pieces just slide together. We have been here a few weeks now. it was not easy packing up our lives and moving 1600 miles away while being 35 weeks pregnant. I left my doctor whom I have the upmost respect for and had to pick a doctor out of the 1,000's listed in a ten mile radius. Upon coming I found out the baby is BIG, I have to follow a gestational diabetes diet (they say I have it I say I dont!), go to non stress test twice a week, weekly doctor appts, and the occasional diabetes training and ultrasounds. But we are here, I am going to deliver hopefully on my own at a beautiful and prestigious hospital that overlooks the ocean. The girls are happy and loving the beach and pool. Jess is liking his new job and all the opportunities this position will give him and soon we will have 3 great children that God has given us to raise and be good people.
Ill update more when I know more about baby number 3. We are hoping that the doctors are wrong and they wont be 10-12 lbs by delivery date and I can deliver without having a c section! Please keep the Mickles in your prayers as we live out of a few boxes til we can find a place to call home.

thankful 23

Today I am thankful for Jess and the 11! years we have been together :) I look back and the good times have far wout weighed the bad. We have grown up, together and even more in love. With failing relationships all around it makes me even more thankful to be so in love with him. What started as a cheerleader wearing a jersey to the championship game has become one great life that I am forever greatful for. From all the trials and tribulations we have been through we have held hands and prayed for hope. Our daughters are proof we can make it through. Eleven years is great but I look forward to the next 111 by his side.