First Walk

Double the load=Double the fun!

Can we say twinkies???

It is looking like we had twins that are two years apart! Ford and Olivia are looking a lot alike. Sometimes I look down at Ford while holding him and can remember the time that Olivia looked identical. Olivia looks like Hays' mini-me and I guess, Ford will too. Oh well, they are some gorgeous looking babies and their dad is not too bad looking either! :)

Home Sweet Home

We have been home now for almost a week and I cannot tell you how nice it is. That hospital room was starting to feel like jail to me after a long two days. The beds were uncomfortable, the air seemed to barely work and we were woken up it seems like every hour of the night.

Ford has been doing great since we got home. He is starting to show us that Olivia was not really a bad baby but maybe just hard to take care of the first few months. Ford is nursing wonderfully and is only waking once at night. I can remember not getting any sleep when Olivia was a newborn and the sleep we did get I was letting her sleep on my chest. That's the only way we got her to actually sleep the first few weeks. Ford sleeps in the bassinet next to the bed and we have to wake him for his middle of the night feeding! We are praying this is not the calm before the storm. Thank you, God for such a good baby! This is really helping my case with talking Hays into a third. :)

Sweet baby dressed and ready to head home.

Beautiful flowers we got while in the hospital. 

Hays is not fond of the newborn stage, I guess because all they do is eat, sleep and poop. I, on the other hand, absolutely love it. They are so cuddly and smell so good, I just wish it didn't go by so quickly.

Swaddling is key. Took us having two to figure that out along with many other things. :)

Olivia is the sweetest big sister. I really didn't know how she would react to a baby being in the house but you can tell she just loves him to death. She wants to hold him and kiss on him all the time. When he starts to cry (which is rare for right now) she will run to him and say "don't frrryyy" and tell one of us to hurry hurry and come look. She is just so gentle and caring, I am just waiting for the day that I come into the room to her dragging him out of his swing by herself.

Nano (my mom) is staying for two weeks to help us with the transition. What in the world would we do without her?? I'm not sure if we would be surviving. She has been cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, changing lots of diapers, occupying Olivia and helping me get rest. We are so very thankful for her and I really don't know what we would do without her! Everyone needs a Nano like ours!

Uncle Jay and Aunt Rebecca paid Ford and Olivia a visit. We really enjoyed seeing their faces. The house has been full of many visitors coming to see Ford. We are so richly blessed with many people in our lives that love us and more importantly, our children!

Bedford Hays Collins Has Arrived!!!

Bedford Hays Collins "Ford" arrived on February 26th, 2012 at 12:02pm weighing 7 pounds and 12 ounces and is 20 3/4 inches long.



 It all started when I woke up around 6:45 that morning. I was feeling mild cramping but didn't think much about it seeing that my water broke with Olivia and I was expecting that to happen when I would go into labor with Ford. Little did I know. We layed in bed for quite some time until I decided to get up and take a shower and get ready for church. The cramping was steadily getting stronger and more intense. I told Hays that I wasn't feeling right and I thought I was having contractions. We timed them for the next 45 minutes not wanting to rush to the hospital only to be told it was false labor and to come back in the morning for the scheduled induction.

We finally decided to go to the hospital around 10am after talking with the on call nurse and she telling us that it sounded like true labor. We arrived at the hospital around 10:30, they checked me and I was already 6cm. The nurses started freaking out just a tad. About 10 minutes later they checked me once more and I was 10cm dilated and ready to push. I didn't even ask for an epidural because I knew what the answer was. YES, ladies and gentlemen...I delivered this baby with no medication. Whew....that's all I can say about that. It wasn't nearly as bad as I ever dreamed it would be but I will say that I am so glad it's over. It was well worth that healthy baby boy they put into my arms.

I know...a little yucky but it is his very first picture (can you tell the on call doctor was just that. On call. She looks a little perturbed to be there).

Absolutely overwhelming is the only word that describes this moment in time.

Please disregard how awful I look. I mean....I just gave natural childbirth.

Is there any way you can be in love from the first instant, YES indeed!

 First picture as a family of four. My goodness...we are so blessed!

Pops A.K.A. Pots (for some reason Olivia calls him Pots) and Ford.

Gigi and Ford.

 Olivia is absolutley in awe.

 Papa and Olivia.

 She is the sweetest big sister.

The Park=Happy Girl=Happy Momma

Big Momma and Big Sister

I know I have been saying this for it seems like FOREVER but we are truly on the countdown to Ford's arrival. The doctor has set an induction date for February 27th if he doesn't decide to come before then. I am praying hard that he will come on his own time. I REALLY don't want to be induced, it sounds like absolutely torture to me. Sooo we have been walking, eating Mexican and pineapple and next on my list is to clean baseboards and eat Parmesan eggplant (I know...weird).

This is our big sister and her big momma! Ha!

I NEVER thought I would post pictures of my bare belly on my blog but these are just too precious not to have in my blog book. Olivia is finally acknowledging that I have a baby in my belly and will come up and kiss it often. The rest will be a total shock to her. I pray that her transition into a big sister will be a smooth one.

Olivia is saying "WOW, mommy! That's a BIG belly!"

I can't wait until she can kiss her baby brother on the cheeks.

Just Catching Up

Well, not a lot has been going on around here. We have just been waiting...waiting....and doing more waiting. We thought for sure that Ford would have already been here by now. When I went to the doctor at 36 weeks and was already 1cm dilated I ran around and got things prepared thinking he would be here any day. So we have just been playing, going to the park/zoo and playing some more. Hays and I cherish this one on one time we have with Olivia right now.

Trying to walk in Daddy's boots. She didn't get far.



 Apparently, she was taking twins to the grocery. Bless her heart :)

This is Olivia's favorite past time. She will swing for hours and has loved it since she was a baby. 

It rained ALL day here Saturday. I mean ALL day. Coloring the play house was one activity of many we found to pass the time.

I think she was looking for a t.v. for her bedroom. We told her we really didn't think so! :)

At a birthday party that was sports themed. She was one of two cheerleaders there. Poor thing has LOTS of boy friends. Of course, we had to cheer on the Saints.

Snuggle time with my girl before I have two little ducklings. I wish I could bottle these snuggles up. I know later in life they will be few and far between. I soak them up every chance I get.