Clifford WAS a runt too....

I have to say that the first couple of days being a mommy to 4 was.... well..... a bit scary. 

I believe that I was mostly worried about Caleb and how he was going to react. He did prove me right, however. I knew that the 17 months between  them was just not enough. I knew that Caleb would still want to be my "baby" and in many respects he still is. 

It was a little difficult introducing Caleb to Alex and as I had thought, he doesn't seem to be too fond of him. I am sure that with time it will become easier. But for now I will  embrace having 2 babies that really do need me. 

I am sure that with time they will grow to be best friends, right now, not so much.

Zoe had been at Nana's for a week and boy! was I glad to have that little booger home. I really did miss her. She came back a tad chunkier ;) and a tad sassier but none the less still so sweet and spunky. I missed my little side kick. We are greatly out numbered in this house of stinky boys so we must stick together. 

Alex went for his 1 week check up today... can't believe that he is a week old already. 

He is doing beautifully! He is back up to his birth weight in only a week and the jaundice (the mild case that he had) seems to have cleared up. While he is little I can see the potential of him growing quickly and becoming a big boy. I can't help but think (in my mommy wisdom) that Clifford was born a runt and grew into a BIG RED DOG, that is rather famous among the preschool nation :) 

We also did his newborn photo shoot, my dear sweet friend Anna, took his pics and we had so much fun. I can't wait to see the finished product. {please, remember her, she lost her dad a couple of weeks ago suddenly and could use the added prayers}

So Happy One week to my Alexander the Great. Mommy is looking forward to watching you grow in the coming weeks. 

I am loving these summer days. I vowed that my kids would be outside as much as possible this summer. At the beginning it was a little hard seeing that I was so miserable, but now, MAMA'S BACK!

The past couple of days they have played and played and played until they were dirty and sticky and disgusting. All the signs of a good time. Braxton and his little friends have played in the water and had water gun fights and played in the dirt and just had a good ole time these past few days and at night with in no time they are out cold... I'm loving every moment.

Cabby loved those Popsicle's probably ate 4 of them. He was a mess by the time we came in.

Braxton and his good pal, Westin, obviously mine is the mean one with the gun pointed at the photographer. 

You know they have had a good fun filled day when the bath water is extremely murky and they skip lunch 

Happy Summer Y'all.

Happy Father's Day

Growing up my dad was never in the picture. As I've gotten older I know that I was better off without him. I always envied all my friends that had "daddy's" but given the circumstances I know that somethings just are for a reason. 

My mom, was fabulous with us girls. As a result I have a HUGE amount of respect for single moms. She worked multiple jobs to provide for us. And while sometimes we didn't have exactly what we WANTED we always had what we NEEDED. My mom is wonderful and today my mom and sister and I are amazingly close and I wouldn't take anything for that. 

When I married Eron I "inherited" a fabulous dad. Eron's dad immediately took me under his wing and I just think he is amazing. As do my children, who are amazingly blessed to have such a fabulous Papaw. He has patience and loves being with them. He plays Candy Land with them at midnight and takes them to Walmart for a "toy run" at 8 in the morning. He buys them ponies and works extra hard so he can give all 7 grand children their hearts desire. He is selfless and just awesome. We love you dad/Papaw!

Now, for the man in my life... my wonderful husband. From the very first time that he found out he was going to be a daddy I have watched him transform into a new man. I could instantly see the wheels turning in his head thinking of all the things that he was going to do with his children. With each addition he has become more and more amazing. He's firm but they don't doubt the love that their daddy has for them. Our kids think their daddy is the coolest and he is for sure their hero. He is rough and tough with the boys and sweet and gentle with his little princess. 

When Braxton was his sickest I can remember hearing him pray through tears in the middle of the night, a fervent prayer. He teaches them Godly principals and always puts church first. He makes sure that they use their manners and he for sure "takes the bull by the horns" when he has to. He works extra hard to provide for our family so that I can stay home with them. He is all together wonderful.

Today I am so thankful for the amazing man that God has blessed me with. My soul mate, my helper, a WONDERFUL father, a fabulous provider and my amazing best friend. 

Watching him daily with our children has made up 10 fold for me having an absent father growing up. I love watching him with them. I consider it a special blessing to have him in my life. I hope that one day my children will really appreciate all that he does and look at him with eyes of wonderment (even more than they already do).

Our memorial day trip to Louisville

Teaching Braxton to ride a bike

We love you Eron... hope your Father's Day is amazing!

The first thing that Alex heard was a prayer from his daddy

A BIRTH-day, Birthday and Anniversary

Monday morning I went to the hospital after contracting all through the night. By 8am I was so tired and miserable that I thought for sure something had to be going on. So, off to the hospital I went. After being put on the monitor and getting a bag of fluid it was chalked up to pre-labor and I was sent home and told to follow up in the office on Tuesday. 

SO... Tuesday I saw the doctor and after he checked me (I was still just one) he decided that because I was so miserable with back pain that I should probably go ahead with an induction since I was right at 39 weeks.  This was something that I really didn't want to do because after 2 inductions I decided that they were not my favorite thing to do and that I would have much rather labored at home and went in when the time was right. But doctors orders are doctors orders. 

Sometimes, we just have to listen to the little "pushes" that we get in life. I only prayed for a healthy baby and that God would place his hand on us. 

We got to the hospital Friday morning at 6am and they started on me right away. I was put on the monitor, checked (still only a 1) and the pitocin was started. I began the long process of laboring.... stuck in the bed... laboring. Dr. Brown came in and broke my water about 7 and then we waited... and waited .... and waited. 

OK, probably didn't wait that long but it seems like forever when you are hooked up to machines and you want to meet this little person that you have been "growing" for 9 months. 

8 hours later....

After pushing for 3 minutes, he entered the world.... nameless, but none the less, here. 

I love my doctor, he's so cool and calm and collected, but my experience in OB taught me that when the doctor starts talking to the nurses under his breath that something is out of the ordinary. Come to find out my sweet little boy had the cord wrapped around his neck 2 times. It was loose enough that it didn't cause him any distress but still .... scary to know. I keep thinking what would have happened had we waited. 

Eron and I have "debated" literally for months over a name. We thought that for sure we would have something figured out by the time that we had him. Well, 6 hours after he was born we still had NOTHING!! I am assuming that the more kids you have the harder it gets to name them.  That is the case with us for sure. 

As he was leaving the hospital I got a text from him and so our nameless "baby Omega" was properly named. :)

Introducing ... Alexander Blake Adkins

born June 14th 2013

at 3:15 pm

Weighing 7lbs 1.6oz

19 1/2 inches long

He is truly a blessing and in many ways a miracle. 

I am glad that I listened and that with the guidance of a MIGHTY GOD, he was born with no complications. 

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Friday was a big day in our house....  It was also our anniversary.... 10 YEARS!!!

It's so hard to believe that we have already been married 10 years, that we now have 4 beautiful children and that we have literally grown up as much as we have. 

SO, to the love of my life....Happy Anniversary and thanks for being such a wonderful, husband, father, provider and leader of our home. 

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AND... it was also my wonderful Mother-in-laws birthday. Through the years she has truly become one of my dearest friends. I love her so much and I am blessed to have her in my life. Thanks for sharing your day yet again mom, hope it was a wonderful birthday. 

We love you.

The proud big sister, the one and ONLY princess in this house. 

She looked down at him and said "we shall call you Peter Pan", she is so funny. 

She is spending a few days at Papaw and Nana's, she needed to get away from "stinky boy territory".