Finally, an update!

Whew...it has only taken me 9 weeks since Josiah's birth to get on here and post something! Sorry for the long wait, it has been 2 1/2 months of illness for me, and with caring for the 3 kiddos on top of that, I have not had the time or energy to blog! :) Hopefully, all that will change soon.

So here are the details: Josiah was born on January 11, 2009 at 1:47pm. He weighed in at a big 8lbs 1oz for being two weeks early! He was 19 1/2 inches long with nice broad shoulders and a head full of brown hair. My labor was very fast -- 1 1/2 hours total and he came out healthy and happy!

After giving birth, I did hemmorage quite a bit and lost a lot of blood. At one point, my OB looked at me and said "We may have to wheel you down to the OR soon if your bleeding doesn't stop. I have to figure out where it is coming from and stop it." Of course, I was in full panic mode at that point and vividly remember looking past the doctor to my husband's face and seeing complete control in his eyes. He didn't say anything just then, but his face told me that it was going to be okay and that he would be there through whatever came next. I think I will always remember that look of strength and courage for as long as I live. We prayed and prayed for the bleeding to stop, and after 2 different medications, it finally did.

At about 8:30 that evening, I was allowed to get out of bed and try walking. I got to the restroom and back before just about passing out, but after another hour, they released me from Labor & Delivery to a normal Postpartum room. What a day! God was so gracious and good! At every corner, He would remind me that He was sovereign & in control and that He would take care of me. He gave us a beautiful, healthy, sweet tempered baby boy who did not have to have antibiotics given to him in his first days of life (which was a BIG prayer request for me). He stopped my bleeding and gave me the next few days to spend nursing and loving on my new baby boy rather than recovering from surgery. He is so good, and I love Him!

Josiah is now a very happy and content 9 week old boy, who is quick to smile at us and loves when his sisters join him on the quilt on the floor. He started sleeping through the night at 4 1/2 weeks (another blessing from God!) and generally doesn't cry much at all. His sisters have transitioned so well, and they are so sweet and kind to him. He has already acquired the nickname "Buddy" from them and they love to hold and kiss him.

We are doing generally very well as a family of 5, and it is a true joy to have Josiah as a new member of our family. I am reminded of a quote from our church's baby dedication prayer -- that we are but a nursery for heaven, caretakers of precious children that are not our own, but God's, and that our responsibility and joy is to raise them to know Him, love Him, and follow whatever His will might be for their lives.

And his name is....

We did decide on a name for this masculine bundle that constantly moves in my stomach! His name is going to be....

Josiah Scott Stake

We loved the name when we were pregnant with Hannah and it stuck with us! Josiah means "God is my support" which we are already praying for this little guy. Josiah is also a great king in the Bible, one of the few that loved and followed God. He became king at the age of 8 and as he grew, he loved the Lord and cast out the idols in Judah and rebuilt God's Temple. He also found the Book of the Law (1st 5 books of the Old Testament) in one of the walls in the Temple, and had it read to all the people out loud. As a result, the country turned back the Lord and followed Him and His statutes.

We are praying that our son would have this kind of boldness and courage for the Lord, and that He might use our Josiah for His kingdom in amazing ways.

We chose Scott for a middle name because he is our first son, and I would love to see our son grow to be much like his Daddy. My husband is an amazing man, and I admire him so much. He is strong, obedient to the Lord, courageous, willing to take a stand on what matters, incredibly intentional with our kids and me, and so loving. There is much more I could say, but it would take me all day!

So there you have it! We are looking forward to his arrival in just under 3 months and finally getting to meet this precious life that God has created face-to-face.

My Little Cloggers

Okay, this is the last one from North Carolina, I promise! :)

One night, we went into Asheville to the Fiddlin' Pig, a great BBQ place with live Bluegrass every night. We had gone last year to see Balsam Range play, so this year we went again and saw The Hominy Brothers. The girls were so excited about dancing and we got to meet the band before they started playing. They danced the night away, clogging with each other and dancing with Daddy. They even wore their black heeled church shoes because Abigail said that they were the most like real clogging shoes. Here are a couple pictures to enjoy and a short video to see the dancing queens.

More North Carolina fun

While in NC, we "hiked" at Max Patch, which is a beautiful grassy bald where the Appalachian Trail crosses through. The girls and I set up camp on a picnic blanket and the guys hiked to the top. It has a great 360 view of the mountains, and we hear that in peak leaf season it is just breathtaking. While we were there, the leaves were just starting to tinge orange, but the field was full of wildflowers. The girls had a blast picking everyone bouquets and running freely. We had a picnic lunch when the guys got back from their hike and enjoyed the gorgeous weather.

Here are the girls at the trail head, all ready for their big hike.

And, here they are playing in the wildflowers.

And, last but not least Scott and I taking advantage of the great photo op.

North Carolina Adventures

Well, we are home safe and sound from our week trip up to Wonderwood Mountain, North Carolina. We stayed with some retired friends who spend 6 months there in their cabin. It was the most wonderful week -- full of relaxation, beautiful weather, hiking, bluegrass music, and enjoying the simple things in life. We picked apples from a tree on the mountain and made applesauce, rode the ATVs up and down, enjoyed some live bluegrass while chowing down on real barbeque, and did all kinds of fall arts and crafts with the girls. I'll post several adventures over the next week or so.

Here, "Grandpa" Dave is leading the morning flag ceremony. The flag was given to his mother at his father's military funeral and now he puts it out every morning. Don't worry, I remember to flip the picture a few seconds into it! :)

It's A....

BOY!!!! We can hardly believe it! We are both so excited to welcome a little boy into our family. The girls are thrilled to have a baby brother and proud papa is thrilled to add a little more testosterone to the house!

To the right is a photo of our little man. It is his profile with a leg up over his head. Just above the head, you can see his little toes. Oh, to be that flexible!

We are praying that this little boy would grow up over the years into a strong man who loves the Lord his God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength. We pray that he would be a leader who serves sacrificially and one who stands by his faith and the Truth of the Word. Would you join us in praying for him? We are also praying that his birth would go smoothly and without complication and that his transition into our home would be seamless.

We will keep you updated once we choose a name for this new Stake man!

Here are a couple of pics from the ultrasound -- the left one is our "It's a Boy!" shot (the arrow is pointing to the proof) and the right is his little foot as he was kicking me.

Fun with Tropical Storm Fay

As you know, Tropical Storm Fay came through this weekend and dumped massive amounts of rain on us. After a day of being couped up inside, the girls were getting cabin fever. So, they donned their bathing suits along with Daddy and went outside to play in the rain. They had so much fun, I don't think they even noticed their shivering from the cold. Of course afterwards, they came in to a nice hot bubble bath. :)

Sorry the video is sideways, I am still new to this blogging thing!!