Mother Of The Year

I am sure you all think this post is about me...but it is not.  Ha Ha Ha!  

It is about this woman right here...

My Mom

My Mom came to take care of us for the first week after we were home from the hospital because Seth had to go back to work.  Since I had had surgery, I was not supposed to drive or pick anything heavy up, and my mom sure didn't let me.  My mom always comes to help out for the first week after we have a baby and she has always been so helpful.  This time though, she just took care of everything without being asked and she went so above and beyond.  

I know what she wanted to do was to come in and hold the baby all week.  However, I don't think she even got to hold Paisley much because she was so busy doing everything else. She let me take care of my new baby and she did everything else: dishes, laundry, washed sheets, dropped off and picked up big girls from school, grocery shopped, took me to the doctor, drove us to Paisley's doctor...twice!, cleaned, cooked dinner, etc.  It was exactly what our family needed to be taken care of.  

The best part is that we also had a fun time just being together!  My mom and sisters and I are like best friends that just have the very best time together!  So this week was so fun and enjoyable that I didn't want it to end.  When my mom was leaving on Friday after a hard week's work, we both cried because we were sad that it was over!  (She may have been crying because she was GLAD it was over!)  Thank the Lord that she lives just a few streets away.  If she were getting on a plane to go somewhere far, I don't think I could survive!   

Mimi and the rag doll

tiny little bum

Coming Home From The Hospital

 We had such a wondeful stay in our hosptial suite, that coming home wasn't nearly as fun as it usually is!  I could have stayed there forever and let people take care of me.  But, they wouldn't allow that, and we headed home on Sunday.  

Let me just tell you that our Coming Home day was one of the worst that I can remember.  If something could have gone wrong, it did.  First of all, the baby stopped nursing completely that morning.  I was already stressed about that, and then the baby nurse told me that Paisley had lost too much weight.  (Why couldn't my nurse have delivered the same news to me????)  So, I was crying and upset about all this bad news, while preparing to go home.  My parents brought the two other girls up to the hospital to help us get home because Seth's parents decided to head on home earlier that morning.  When my parents got there with the girls, Jules was NOT in a good mood because she had been sick...she was crying pretty much the entire time.  Jillian was just so excited about the baby, that she had a million questions and was talking non-stop.  It was CHAOS!  

We finally got all the crying/loud kids home from the hospital and all HELL broke loose.  My house was all out of sorts when I got home because there had been different people in and out all while I was gone.   Then the baby would not stop crying because she was hungry...but wouldn't eat.  My pump that I borrowed from a friend, also was not working...at all.  This had me crying too...a lot!  Then wouldn't you know it, but Jules SIMULTANEOUSLY threw up and had diarrhea?  Seth and I were panicked.  And thanks to my hormones, I was a crying fool...I just couldn't stop. I kept thinking...what have we done??? Luckily, we had my parents and my sister Summer there to help out.  We would NOT have made it without them.  My dad and I  were putting sheets on the beds.  My mom was unloading/loading the dishwasher.  Seth was cleaning up a HUGE mess from Jules and taking care of her.  Summer was reading the directions for my pump and talking me off the ledge. 

 But, after a couple of hours of crazy, things calmed down and everything turned out fine.  They all went home and all the girls chilled out and our night was a lot less stressful.  By the next day, we had everyone well and eating again!  We knew we would survive!  Here are a few pictures of us coming home.  

 The star of the day...Miss Paisley Kate

 Looking so sweet in her coming home dress and her own sweet blanket that Mimi made.  It is the sweetest and most feminine little dress ever!

She must know what the day has in store...

Two girls that are SOOOOO ready to have Dad, Mom, and Baby home with them

Jillian just cannot get enough of her baby.  Seth and I are constantly having to tell her to give the baby some space.

Packing up

Doesn't this seat look so sweet and cozy?  I sure wish P thought the same.  She HATES it!  She cries all the time in it.  I guess someone forgot to tell her that she is a third child and will be spending quite a lot of time in the car and in that chair!

Here is Seth...Dad of the year.  

He is so great with our girls and has really just stepped it up because I have needed him to. 

We are four very lucky girls. 

I imagine that right at this moment Seth was thinking back to our college days and wondering how we went from those carefree days to married with 3 kids in just ten short years!  

 Isn't that just precious????

 

 Our first family picture

Okay, I am AWFUL looking in this picture.  I pretty much look as good as I was feeling at that moment.  I wouldn't normally share such ugliness with the world...but what do you do?

Hospital Pictures

Here are some of my favorite hospital pictures of our family and visitors that we had!

 Here I am in one of my final pregnant moments.  I would love to look like one of those glowing and beautiful pregnant woman...but really I just look swollen and FULL TERM!

 Our last moments as a family of 4!  I know the girls were a little worried here seeing me hooked up to all the machines. 

 There is nothing like your mom and sisters helping you take your mind off things!  We always have a great time laughing and making jokes!

 The girls in their big sister shirts anxiously awaiting their baby sister!

 Aunt K and Jules

 Summer coloring and entertaining Jillian and Jules

 Paisley's fan club

 Big girls checking out the baby

 Seth looking so relieved that the baby is here and healthy.  I am sure he is telling a really funny story here!  :)

 Baby girl with LOTS of hair

 Looking just like her DADDY!  No doubt he is for sure the father of this one!

 This was my favorite picture of the baby.  She looks nothing like this now cause she lost all the baby fat in those cheeks!  I am working like crazy to get it back on her.

 Baby feet

  Mimi

Papaw

B-Pa

CC

Macy

Emmy

Ansley

Great Papaw and Great Memaw

Aunt Carol

Ms. Cheryl

(Ms. Cheryl brought her daughter Brooke and granddaughter Addison, and somehow I didn't get a picture...boo!)

Uncle Layton

Great Aunt Lynn

Great Uncle Tommy

The Pattisons

The Popes

Paisley Kate is Here!

 I would love to announce the birth of 

Paisley Kate Patterson

February 24, 2011

8:18 am

7 pounds, 8 ounces

19 inches long

 Paisley had a FULL head of dark hair and came out looking just like her big sister Jillian did.  We instantly fell in love with this precious girl and she, along with her two big sisters, has kept us very busy over the last month.  This might explain why I am just now announcing her birth even though she will be 4 weeks old tomorrow!  How can that be!!!! 

Now, let me fill you in on our story of Paisley's arrival.  We had to be at the hospital early on thursday morning.  I was so nervous this time...even though this was my third c-section!  Everything went just fine though and out came baby girl at 8:18!   She came out fighting and screaming...not a good sign!  :)  She did have just a small issue breathing, so they took her and Seth away to the nursery and left me alone in that big operating room.  I didn't know what was wrong as I lay there getting the rest of my surgery...and of course I was only thinking the worst as the next 30 minutes went by.  Everything was fine though, and the baby was 100% healthy!  That screaming I told you about, has not gone away though.  All of the nurses were laughing at how opinionated and loud this little baby was when she was not happy.  GREAT...3 loud and opinionated girls!  Where is my laid back one?????

Jules turned out to be NOT so healthy that week.  She came into my room to see me after the baby was born, and as she is walking towards me, she throws up everywhere!  She spent the rest of the week sick and had to miss out on most of the hospital fun.  This is fitting since Jillian got rotavirus right as Jules was being born!  I don't know what it is about my girls, but I am guessing they don't want to share the spotlight!  Jules did tell me on her way out of my hospital room, "Good Job Mom!" and gave me the thumbs up!  What a sweet girl!

The hospital where I deliver has this suite that you can rent while you are there. It comes with several ammenties, the most important being a sitting area with big screen TV for all visiting guests.  Well, my Dad decided at the last minute to upgrade us as a treat!  It was the nicest hospital room EVER and provided plently of space for all of our visitors along with plenty of privacy for me whenever I needed to nurse the baby!  Seth and I enjoyed the suite so much, that I really did not want to check out!  I could have lived there.  I will post some pictures soon of our digs!  Thanks Papaw for hooking us up!  

Anyway, here are just a few pictures of our little family at the hospital.  I will try and catch myself up on here in case anyone still reads about us! 

My mom threw a Pre-Partum Paisley Party the night before her arrival for all of the family.  Here is the cake that we shared.  Yes, I am very swollen and pregnant.  That is the only time I will warn you/mention my appearance in this blog...I promise! 

The last picture of our family of four!

The girls are SOOOOO excited for baby sister to come!

Here is Seth and I in the operating room.  We didn't get the cute picture of the three of us because they had to take Paisley quickly after she was born to help her breath a little.  She was fine, but we didn't get the picture that I love!

Here she is looking chubby at 7 1/2 pounds!

She is such a skinny-looking girl now!

Look at all that hair!  I do NOT know how us two blondes create these babies with tons of hair!

Seth showing off the baby to their sisters!

I FINALLY got to hold the baby after a few hours in the nursery! 

Isn't she sweet!

Jillian LOVES her new sister!

Jules is so proud to be the big sister finally...and not just the little sister anymore!

Me and my baby girl!

Such an angel!

Jillian just can't get enough of her sister!

This is the first picture of all three!  Of course, Jules isn't feeling well, their hair is a mess, and no one is in matching clothes!  But, I guess that is real life, huh?

My little girl NOT feeling well!  Sad!

Sweet sweet baby!  Isn't she adorable?

She is VERY alert!  Have I mentioned that ALL of my babies hold their heads up in the hospital and look around?  I swear they are nosy just like their mama!

First headband!

Sweet sisters ready to take their baby home!