Poppy and Gigi's Great Oregon Adventure

We had a great time when Mom and Dad visited. Mom was SO HELPFUL!! Thanks Mom!

I haven't figured out how to label the pix, so I'll just say here that all of the outside pictures are on our property. And, yes, that is Mom in a raft on the river. And Dad, too! Mom hopped in the raft with Jobe, and then Jobe convinced Dad that he couldn't miss out on the fun.

Click on the pictures to make them bigger.

Braedan is up to 8 pounds, 9 ounces! He's getting so chubby!

Birth of our baby

The big moment arrived Saturday, September 29th, 2007. I woke Jerry at 5:20am to tell him my water broke. Jerry jumped into gear getting ready for the trip to Grants Pass, and I got into the bathtub. My contractions were 2 1/2 minutes apart and lasting 90 seconds. When my midwife heard that, she asked me if I thought I would make it to Grants Pass. Not one to be deterred from my plan, we jumped in the car and headed to GP. That was the longest 35 minute ride ever!

Once at the birth center, I climbed into the tub and said "Oh yeah, I can do this!" Jerry and I had been practicing Hypnobirthing. A birthing technique that focuses on deep relaxation. I can say that I didn't feel pain. Yeah, it was intense, but not painful. It was an incredible and beautiful experience. Our birth was sweet and gentle. Shortly after the birth, I told everyone that I wanted to have 7 more!

A beautiful birth in the water brought our little boy into the world after just 4 1/2 hours of labor. He weighed just 6 pounds, 3 ounces, and was 19 inches long. He has a beautiful head of black hair and is as cute as can be.

His big brother, Jobe, cut the cord. Jobe couldn't be prouder of his new little brother.

We had a scary few days after baby was transferred to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. It turned out it was just a scare and he is as healthy as healthy can be. Thanks to everyone for your love, thoughts and prayers during our scary time.

Here are some pictures, I'll post more of our story later, promise.

Camp out on the land

We had our first camp out at the land to celebrate Sophi's 9th birthday - yes my first baby is no longer a baby! We had a bonfire and Jobe kept talking about how it reminded him of being at Poppy and Gigi's house. It was great fun to spend a full 24 hours on the property. Jerry even relaxed for a little while.


We explored the river and enjoyed just being there. We all agreed that peanut will love growing up there. I jumped on the tractor and tilled up some more garden space to grow some melons. What a pregnant woman will do for melons! (love that gut! looks like i've been drinking too much bud!)


While the baby has been growing, Jerry has been patiently working with the local agencies to get the permits. He has the patience of a saint! It has been a slow and grueling process, but with his sweet charm, he has broken through some barriers and we now (cross your fingers) are moving ahead with the process.

Jerry has also been patiently dealing with our neighbor who has decided to block our driveway with a few junker cars to prevent us from using it. We still have another way into the property, but it is much less scenic and the road isn't in very good shape. It looks like we're taking our neighbor to court - what a great way to start out a neighborly relationship! Luckily our other neighbors are great.