Time to go to the hospital, we're having a baby...

So I was hoping the baby would stay in another little bit since Mikayla broke her collarbone and he did, for about a week.  On the 23rd, I felt like I was having a lot of braxton-hicks contractions during the afternoon while I was at the computer.  During dinner, I leaned forward to reach something and felt a funny sensation.  Nothing else happened so I finished my last little bit of dinner.  As I stood up, I knew my water had broken and ran into the bathroom.  Merril was answering the front door because he was about to leave with a friend.  As I ran past I said, "My water just broke!"  He ended up cancelling his plans.  So I stood in the shower and Maxine helped grab things to put in a hospital bag.  Merril called his parents who decided to come over and spend the night with the older kids.  Jack seemed really worried that my water had broken but I assured him that everything was fine and it was just time to have the baby.

So Merril and I headed to the hospital.

Everything went along just fine but I waited too long to request an epidural and it took longer than expected for the anesthesiologist to get there.  I was hurting.  But I finally got an epidural and like usual, it only took on one side.  But we finally got it working everywhere.

We were trying to hurry and have the baby on the 23rd so that he would share his birthday with his namesake, Merril's Dad.  Unfortunately, baby Mark was born at 2:31 a.m. on the 24th of October after 1 push.  I did my best to have him on the 23rd but he just wasn't ready until then.  He was 7 lbs. 15 ozs. and 20 inches long.

I love this shot of him.  Mark kind of has googly eyes in my opinion, something I'm sure he'll grow into after he puts some fat on his bones.

No complications, everything went fine.

The kids loved Mark instantly.  They all wanted to hold him at once.  Except for Mikayla, who didn't seem to notice him.  She was much too interested in the bed with all the buttons.

Speaking of Mikayla, she is healing from her collarbone break if everyone could just leave her alone.  The kids try and pick her up and she cries.  Merril's picked her up wrong a few times.  I picked her up off the hospital bed and she whimpered.  If left alone, she doesn't even seem to be bothered by it.  She just plays carefully and doesn't hurt it, unless she falls. 

A shot of baby Mark's dark hair.

 But now it's time for some sleep!

Mikayla's broken collarbone...

Oh no no no!  I'm going for parent of the year.  I was making dinner and gave Mikayla a snack.  Mikayla, who often stands in her high chair when she's finished eating, finally fell out of it.  She fell and landed on her side.  I got her silky blankie and sat with her on the couch and held her for a while but she was crying a lot and wouldn't calm down.  As I sat there for a half hour, I started looking up symptoms of a broken bone.  I pinched my way up her arm and as I neared her shoulder, she pulled away from me and whimpered.  

By then, Merril was home so we left Max in charge of the other kids and headed to the Instacare.  Luckily is was totally empty so we only waited for a few minutes. 

They took x-rays and sure enough, she had a broken collarbone.

It can't be put in a cast or even a brace.  They advised us to be careful with her and try to keep her from hurting herself and it should just heal on it's own.  After 2 weeks, she probably won't even feel any pain.  Oh, poor baby.  Now I need to stay pregnant for a little bit longer.

It's all about Mikayla...

Oh Mikayla.  I love you so much.  She's at that super cute stage, around 18+ months, where everything she does is adorable.  She doesn't backtalk and entertains us all with her antics.

She falls asleep in the car when I'm trying to get errands done.  It's cute as long as I'm on the way home.  ;)

She has a bath most days while I have a shower.  During this bath, she was able to reach her silky blankie and pulled it in with her.  She then told me it was, "All wet."

 And bubbles.  She loves bubbles and is pretty good at blowing them herself.

It's super fun until she spills them.  I keep a huge refill bottle.  Too bad she has to grow up.

Here she is helping me get my sales tax paperwork done before the baby comes.