Anniston's Birthday

We were so excited to celebrate Anniston on her 2nd birthday!  We started off with a breakfast date, just Anniston, Mom, and Dad to Syrup.  At one point, Anniston decided she wanted to dance to the music playing in the restaurant...and more importantly, she wanted Mom and Dad to dance with her.  Anything for the birthday girl.  

In talking about what we wanted to do for Anniston's birthday party, we wanted it to consist of all of her favorite things.  So for starters, we knew that we had to have lots of balloons.  This girl loves balloons.

Then on to what she loves to do...she loves to dance and she loves to jump.  So we had a dance party with her favorite songs (Sing Sweet Nightingale, Hey Ho, Just the Way You Are, Jump, Bear Necessities, Deep and Wide, Joy Joy Joy Joy Down in my Heart...just to name a few) and we had a bounce house....and we danced and jumped.  Anniston had her two buddies Halle and Elijah come over to dance and jump with her.  Such sweet friends...

In addition to friends, balloons, bounce house, and dance party, we had her favorite treat- cake pops.  Yum!  It was such a fun day...everyone had a blast, especially these two- here's a shot of William Clay and Benton Clay taking a nap...

Anniston Joy, we love you so much.  You are truly FULL of joy and you bring an abundance of joy to our lives.  We love you sweet girl!

Life at home with 2- the first month

The first month home with my two little ones was great.  Anniston loves Benton.  She loves to cuddle with him and her favorite thing to do is to "check on Benton".  She is super sweet to him.  We just have to remind her not to pick him up by his head...

My days are about what you would expect- feeding, changing, and loving on a newborn while playing, reading, jumping, and dancing with a busy two year old.  I absolutely love it.  I love all the extra time I am getting with Anniston now that I'm not working.  I am so so so thankful for this time.  I feel so blessed that I have the opportunity to stay home with my kids.  I am also thankful for my amazing husband that is supportive of me doing so.  What an incredible blessing.  I find myself researching ideas for activities for Anniston and trying to come up with fun things to do together.  Most days are filled with arts and crafts of some sort, dancing, and playing with baby brother.  Not a bad way to spend your days.  Some pics of our first month at home.

Heading home from the hospital

Anniston loves to swing Benton

Some pics of my cute boy his first month:

Love this pic of the two of them...sweet siblings being cuddly in the morning

I guess Anniston thought Benton needed some friends in his swing.

Anniston putting Cinderella slippers on Benton.  The first of many times she will try to dress him up I"m sure...

I ran inside to check on Benton while Anniston was playing outside with her sidewalk chalk.  She peeked in the window at me...

 

 Cute girl

One month old!

So thankful for my first month at home with these two cuties!

Halloween

So we didn't want to do anything grand for Halloween given the fact that we had a 10 day old at home...but Anniston is finally to the age where she can go trick or treating, so we didn't want to miss the opportunity.  We were so excited that Elijah and his family agreed to come over and go with us.  It was perfect.  Two little trick or treaters and two little babes in their strollers....we walked a few streets and called it a night.  Happy Halloween!

Cinderella and an airplane hand in hand.  What cuties!

First door- hand in hand with Dad

After a few streets she was ready to take a ride in the stroller with her baby brother.

Benton's Arrival

Well, my little one has arrived!  With Anniston, we knew the time and day of her arrival.  We scheduled an induction and packed up and went to the hospital.  Everyone was at the hospital ready and waiting to meet her.  It was a perfectly planned day.  Benton's story is different.  We didn't know when he would decide to come. My doctor made the mistake of telling me to expect him to come early. Therefore I was ready.  I packed my bags weeks in advance, I got the nursery ready, I washed the clothes, I tied up loose ends at work.  I was ready.  Those who know me know that it's not my personality to be so prepared...but I was.  The only problem was, now I was ready and I had nothing to do but wait...and wait and wait...

Family and friends would check in and it was always the same story:  "Yes, I'm having contractions but nothing significant.  No new news"...for weeks.  No I wasn't miserable and no I wasn't even past my due date but that didn't matter.  It was still all consuming.  When would he come?  Who would be there?  How would it happen?  Would I be at work or would he come in the middle of the night?  The last week I was having contractions pretty regularly all through the night...but still not to the point where I felt like it was "time".  Then on Sunday, October 20th the contractions picked up.  More often and more painful (which I was actually happy about- I kept thinking "bring on the pain").  Then about two in the morning I woke up Jake up and told him I thought it was time to go.  We called Sara King and asked her to come stay with Anniston, we took showers, we got our stuff together, we were ready to walk out the door.

Then I chickened out.  I was afraid they would say I wasn't ready and they would send me home.  So I asked Jake if we could wait one more hour.  An hour later we drove to the hospital.  It was raining and cold.  I walked up to the front desk and said "Umm, I think I'm in labor".  I felt ridiculous.  I didn't look like I was in labor and didn't really look ready to have a baby...and I knew they were thinking "this silly girl is getting ready to get sent home"...but they sent me up to get checked out...and sure enough, I was in labor!  Dialated to a 6- no going home for me.  We quickly called parents and told them to head to Norman.  Three hours later, our little man had arrived!  Everything went perfectly.  Not everyone made it on time, we didn't have pictures to capture the moment he was born like we had planned...but it was still perfect.  Our healthy beautiful boy was here and we couldn't ask for anything more!  Welcome to the family Benton Clay!

Benton Clay Bauer

October 21, 2013

6:44 a.m.

6 pounds 14 ounces

20 inches long

So much hair!

We stayed two glorious nights in the hospital- where we had visits from friends, amazing nurses that took excellent care of me and of Benton, and a nursery where we could send Benton to get a little bit of sleep.  It was a great start!

Some pictures of our hospital stay:

The wonderful Sarah Denbow came up to the hospital the afternoon he was born to take some pictures.  Here's what she captured.