Molly meets her family & friends at the hospital...

These pictures are pretty self-explanitory, so I thought I would just tag the person/people in each one.

Me and my girl!! My Dad (Baba)

Aunt Amanda

Uncle Casey

Ma (great-grandmother)

Big Brother Evan
Uncle Travis

Aunt Lauren and Grandpa Russ

Chris and Annamarie
Jill
Amanda, Payton, Casey, Molly, Page & Evan- all three grandkids on my side of the family. :)
Four generations of ladies!!
Kim and Clint
Sharla
There were other friends that came to meet Molly and see us during our time at the hospital... somehow we missed getting a picture of them (on our camera at least)... PaPa (my grandfather), Katie, Paul, Colette, The Abbotts, Amy Bowles, Whitney & Mekele. I hope I did not forget anyone. If I did- I apologize. Relying on the photos does not work when there are several cameras being used. :) Thanks to everyone who came to visit and support us & those who could not make it- we love you all!

Our Newest Blessing!

On November 8th, we welcomed our little girl, Molly Elissa Bleakley into the world. We had a scheduled C-section, so we knew the date and time and everything. We checked in at the hospital about 5:00 that morning & then waited for me to get the required IV fluid, and bloodwork taken. As much as I was hoping to have a natural delivery with Evan, it did not work out and we had a C-section after a full day of labor and exhaustion. I have to say, the 2nd time around was much more comfortable. I knew what to expect, it was not a stressful situation, and I was able to relax more and actually experience her being born. I like being prepared, and this time around, we were.

When we got the go-ahead to make our way down to surgery, Page and Mom were suited up and followed so they could be in the operating room.
It actually was great- I walked into the OR, got up on the table myself, hung out for a bit while the techs were doing their counts. Then I was given a spinal and everything got started. I had a little trouble with the spinal at first, and almost passed out once, but after my fluids were regulated, things went just as we expected. Mom took pictures of the delivery while she and Page watched it all happen.

Here is Molly right after the Dr pulled her out. She was born at 7:54am. She came out screaming, and as you will see- did not stop for a long while. :)
She weighed in at a whopping 9 lbs 1 oz and was 20 inches long. You can't see her face, but she was still screaming.

Molly and her proud Daddy. Look at those cheeks!!

Mom (Nana) also got to hold her for a little bit while everything was finished with me.

This was in the bassinet before she headed down for a bath.
Getting clean... gotta love how pink she turned!
That is better! Now she has on her clothes and her soft skin is all nice and clean. :)It was an eventful morning, but we were glad to see Molly completely healthy and to begin our life as a family of four.

Let the Chaos Begin!

On November 4th, my Mom & Dad, Evan and I headed over to Children's Medical Center in Plano to check in for Evan to have hand surgery. For background- we don't really know what happened, but at some point, Evan's left thumb became drawn up and would not straighten. He was diagnosed with what is called trigger thumb, and we were scheduled to have surgery to correct it. He was a champ through the whole process- Dr's appointments and the surgery itself. We checked in and were put in a holding room to get processed for the surgery to start.

Here is Dad with Evan in the waiting area by the check-in desk. I had to do the paperwork, so they stayed entertained with Evan's new truck & by looking at all of the fun stuff to see at a child-focused hospital. :)


Once in our room, we changed Evan into his baby scrubs & he had a little play time before the nurses gave him the 'silly juice'.


Reading with Nana...

He really did do great with the surgery. I have never seen his so sad and felt so bad for him as I did in recovery. It was tough to have to leave him in the bed and only hold his hand when he wanted me to hold him close. But, being the trooper he is, by the time we headed home and he got past the anesthesia, he was back to his normal 2 yr old self- and the cast did not slow him down at all!! :)

Our good friend, Annamarie came over to help with Evan when Molly was born (4 days after his surgery!) and painted on his cast. She did a great job of giving him a Lightning McQueen on the club part of his hand. In these pictures he was making funny faces, but you can see his cast & McQueen PJ's.

The cast went up almost to his armpit, so it was pretty tricky to work around. Thankfully, he was only in the cast for 2 weeks!

We decided to get out of the house and get some fresh air. Evan loved the acorns on the sidewalk & came home with several in his pockets. :)

Making Preparations

With Molly's arrival quickly approaching, I took advantage of having family in town to prepare the nursery. After the weekend of showers, we had all we needed to make this room adorable! I think everything in the room is handmade by friends and family, so it has many personal touches. I love looking around and thinking of all the people that have supported us this year & are excited to meet our little girl. This room turned out to be my favorite in the house & I feel like it shows my personality the best. Too bad I can't do my whole house in fun bright colors. :)

My grandmother did a fantastic job on the bedding and curtains. I can not imagine finding something I love more. I love that she has made the bedding for all 3 great-grandchildren & that they each have something unique & just from her. :)

In this view of the bedding, you also get a good shot of the tree behind the bed. The tree itself was great, but then after adding the personal touches made by Jill & Colette, it really took shape. I LOVE it!!

Just the tree...

Finishing touches...

This is the changing table and shelves above- note the little bird 'perched' on the table. :)

The shelves over the dresser hold many personal touches made by friends- bird houses, tree on top, framing of Molly's name.

And- the cutest mobile ever! Colette did a great job with the little birds- I still can't believe how adorable this is! :)

October in a Nutshell

I know I did a couple of posts that were from the month of October, but I also wanted to share some moments and pictures that were fairly random.

Evan is not a fan of the vaccum cleaner, well really just the loud noise of it. So, anytime we bring out the vaccum cleaner, Evan heads to his closet to get his ear protection. He got these last year when he went to an Indy race & also took them to the airshow, but this is where they get the most use. :) Also adorable- that he decided to go pantsless that day- the combination was quite a shot.
Page surprised me and arranged childcare for Evan while the two of us had one last date night before Molly was born. We went out to dinner and did a little shopping. It was wonderful- just getting the time to spend together was great. I have an amazing husband!

Evan has decided that naptime is not for him anymore, but he usually still needs a nap. So, instead of arguing with him, we have room time instead. He is supposed to stay on his bed and read books, but most days he ventures out of the bed to the toys. Here is one great pic (of many) where Evan literally fell asleep playing. As long as I have some down time, I am fine if he wants to sleep on the floor. :)

I just love that Page is willing to put Evan to bed & that they love spending time together. Evan loves reading & singing songs- especially the ones he and Page make up on the fly. :)

Evan & I were shopping one day and it had taken a lot longer than I had planned. We were in Allen at the Watters Creek area, so I let Evan run and play for a while to get out some energy. He was great. He played in the water with sticks-without even getting himself wet. That in itself was a miracle!

We were able to spend some time with my family over the weekend of my baby showers. While the ladies were all out, the menfolk tended the children. Evan and my niece Payton really had fun. Evan thought she was the cutest thing. It was like a little forshadowing of what life will be like in several months. Payton was born in March, so she and Molly are only a little over 7 months apart. They will be great friends in a couple of years. :)

Payton's pumpkin picture...

Ma and Payton- both having a great time...

Evan & Payton having tummy time...

and laughing at each other...

Evan loves to help around the house. I am so glad because I sure need the help with Molly being here. One of the newest tasks he is excited about is washing dishes. Anytime he hears me rinsing things in the sink he runs to get his stool and brings it over to help. He also loves laundry & putting his toys away. :) Gotta love that part!

I got pretty miserable at the end of my pregnancy, but it was still great & I am still in awe of what God created a woman's body to go through in order to accomplish the goal of childbearing. It may not be comfortable, but there is a miracle to be experienced at the end.