Tate Henry Hawkins

 Introducing Tate Henry Hawkins!

Tate was born a week early, on November 11th at 12:05 am. He weighed 7 lbs. 12 oz. and was 20 3/4 inches long. He is such a sweet baby and we couldn't be happier that he joined our family!

It was my best labor experience so far and I'm grateful that everything went smoothly. I started having contractions on the afternoon of November 10th, following my 39 week dr. appointment. Once Josh got home from work we packed our hospital bags, dropped off Bryn and Mya at Jake and Tyra's house (the girls were so excited to have a sleep-over with their cousins!), and then we headed to the hospital. We checked in around 8 pm, walked and walked around the labor and delivery floor, then got my epidural around 11 pm. I had a perfectly light epidural this time, which made the delivery much easier than my previous two deliveries. By 11:40 pm I was at a 10 and the baby had crowned, but we waited til midnight to push because Josh and I thought November 11th (11/11) would be an easy birthday to remember - silly, I know. I started pushing at midnight and little Tate arrived at 12:05 am. 

Proud Papa holding his first SON

Poor Tate had just entered the world, and still looks a little shell-shocked at this point :)

I'm so glad Josh captured this moment - Mya's first time seeing her new brother! Ha ha!

 My sister in law Tyra was so wonderful to watch Bryn and Mya for the two nights we were in the hospital. It is so awesome living by family!

My cute nieces and nephews

I'm so grateful for a healthy pregnancy, a smooth delivery, and a good recovery so far. Tate is such a blessing and we love him so much already. 

Welcome to our family, Mr. Tate!

Quiet Summer Nights at the Park

Every night this summer at about 6 pm Josh would be on the subway heading home from work and I would be at the park with Bryn and Mya. Josh was having a lot of fun in NYC, but I think I might have had the better end of the deal because he missed out on some pretty cute moments with these two sweet girls! It's my very favorite thing to watch these two play and laugh together. Sometimes just watching them play makes my heart want to burst! Cheesy, but true! Bryn loves to push Mya on the swing and she takes her job quite seriously, but Mya just laughs and laughs the whole time. 

 Bryn doing an "Under-doggy" push to Mya.

Also, is anything better that those chubby leg rolls? I'm going to be sad when shorts season is over :)

Little Miss Cautious also worked up the courage to attempt the big slide. Going head first wasn't the smartest approach, but the fact that she went down it at all was a pretty big deal.

Mother's Day

 My first Mother's Day as a mom of two!

As I type this, I can hear Bryn and Mya giggling in the next room over and I can't think of any sweeter sound. They're supposed to be going to bed, but lately they've been having little giggle fests every night before bed. I used to try to calm them down and give them a speech about quietly going to bed, but now I just let them laugh it out until they fall asleep on their own. I love these two girls so much and am so grateful to be their mother. 

 It's been a wonderful Mother's Day, complete with breakfast in bed, six(!) handmade Mother's Day cards from Brynlee (they just kept coming!), a few sweet gifts from Josh, and lots of fun family time. Bryn was so over-the-top sweet today that I couldn't help but laugh. All day she kept giving me tight embraces and dramatically expressing her love for me. She kept leaving her seat in primary, giving me big hugs, and whispering things like "I love you, Mother! You are important and beautiful and special to me!" She also presented me all day with random toys and food items, wrapped up in blankets, and offered as Mother's Day gifts. She really went all out and it was so funny.

This is my first Mother's Day with this little fuzzy-haired chubba! Last year at this time I was in my 3rd trimester of a rocky, high-risk pregnancy, just praying with all my heart the little babe inside of me would be unaffected by the pregnancy complications. My heart is so full every time I look at this healthy little girl, and I'm so glad she's a part of our family. I am grateful every day for my two sweet, healthy girls and the chance I have to be their mom.