Landry Kate

Landry Kate
May 5, 2011

3:11 p.m.
7 pounds 6 ounces

20 inches long

Here is our precious little angel. Life has been wonderful and busy since she arrived. I've had sleepless nights, made dinner, changed kids' clothes and wiped bottoms one handed. I've changed many diapers, wiped up lots of spit and yet wouldn't change a thing!

(sorry for the weird spaces in this post. I can't get it fixed!)

Thankfully, I had an amazing labor and delivery. Thank you for your many, many prayers. I was quite anxious going into the hospital and flooded with emotions. As we walked to the elevator and pushed "3" it really set in. We were doing this again...having another baby. I was overwhelmed with so many emotions. The smells brought back so many memories. I saw the nurses I had when I delivered Graham. I wondered if I was going to be able to do this again. "How many children do you have?" I struggled to answer that question. This was/is my 4th child. Joy, fear, excitement, sadness. My emotions were all over the place. I had amazing nurses and midwives that day. They were absolute God-sends. My birth was amazing and obviously quite emotional. Landry came out alert and hungry and stole my heart immediately. She was here. Perfect and such a special gift to our family.

Each time I see this picture, I imagine it with our Graham in it. We felt his absence, but know he was looking down from heaven and smiling I'm sure.

It was SO important that my mom and sisters be with me soon after her birth. They have gone through the trenches with me and celebrated with me during this pregnancy. They had prayed for Landry for 40 weeks and 4 days.

She loved being swaddled and in her swing, so this is what she looked like (a hot pink burrito) when she wasn't eating (which wasn't much) the first few weeks.

The kids laugh so much at her funny faces. Here is just one of the ones the kids would get a kick out of.

They're so happy and proud!

James always wants to be right next to her which means he is usually in the pictures of her. I have to "kick him out!" :)

James is always kissing/smelling Landry's hair. It's pretty sweet. He has asked me on several occasions if he can marry her. I've had to try and explain to him that we don't marry our sisters. So then he asked if he could go ahead and marry me. I had to tell him we don't marry our mothers either. Poor kid was devastated :)

Here we are on the 4th of July celebrating America and grateful for the freedom
we have been given to live in this country.


Some facts about our Landry:

She is quite pleasant (the easiest newborn of the 4)

She gets greeted, kissed, hugged, and talked to by James and Lauren each morning the second one of her eyes opens.
She gets kissed at least 50 times a day... bare minimum.
She loves her play mat. Especially the blinking musical star that hangs above her.

She coos and smiles like crazy. This always makes the kids go nuts! They just love it!
She loves to be snuggled up and has gotten quite spoiled :)
She likes to be moving. She doesn't mind her car seat as long as the car is moving. Blast those red lights! :)

She still sleeps in her swing. It eases my mind a bit more than laying her down flat although we are hoping to transition her to her bed soon so she can be monitored.
She enjoys being outside and loves to take walks. Therefore, she fits in even more perfectly in our family :)

She loves to see what's going on and loves to be held facing out.

She loves to be in just a diaper.

She loves to eat, but is pretty petite like all of my other babies were.

We are so thoroughly enjoying his baby girl. She has brought our family a breath of fresh air. The kids just adore her and love on her all day long. I've had to stay on them about not trying to give her lovin' when she's asleep because she has started waking up. She often times has crumbs of food in her hair or something sticky because the kids just can't get enough of her even when they are eating :) Her hair smells like Cinnamon Toast Crunch each morning from James kissing on her :) I can't put into words the way I/we feel about her. I'm just so grateful for her. James tells me often times that he wishes Graham was still here and wishes Landry could see him. They both still talk of him to often. My heart still hurts. I too wish Landry knew her brother. I wish that she had one more brother to get kisses from each day and protect her from the boys someday. I still miss Graham in an unbelievable way. I still cry for him, ache for him, talk of him and wonder how he would fit into our little family right now. I will post on the grief side of things since there are some who follow this blog for that reason. I still grieve for him each day, but am so thankful for this new, precious life.