Get The Scoop on The Russell's

New Blog!!

2011-04-01T19:18:00.004-05:00

Here is the link to our new blog, Our Blessed Chaos!! Still playing with themes and you'll see there's still tweaking to do, but that's the fun of it, little by little I can customize it to fit our family(as time allows of course!) I'll be posting on this site from now on so if you 'follow' our blog scroll to the bottom(of the new blog) to subscribe to this site name as the other one will not show updates.

As for the name change, I didn't want to change from 5scoops to 6scoops because well what if more flavors get piled on top?!! As Ben and I have been praying and searching the scriptures we know that God wants our hearts to mirror His and He tells us over and over that children are a blessing and not a burden. He is the one who opens and closes the womb, and having a large family is not something that we should prevent out of fear (of which there are many forms, maybe that's for a later post). Anyhow as the Lord works on our hearts and our family the name 'Our Blessed Chaos' fits us just nicely regardless if more children are given to us!! Thanks to my good friend Angie who came up with the name!(She knows us well!!)

So as often as you visit, sit back and enjoy the chaos!!!

~Seeing Jesus in the midst of it all,

Jeni

365~84 ...to the snow He says, 'Fall on the earth,"

2011-03-25T12:29:00.000-05:00

"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven

and do not return there but water the earth,

making it bring forth and sprout,

giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;

it shall not return to me empty,

but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,

and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.1

Is 55:10-11

365~83 "Meanie-Tiny-Mo"

2011-03-24T12:53:00.005-05:00

My kids love rolls and to their delight daddy brought home a big bag of them the other night! Well with lunch today Gabe was buttering them up and the younger kids were fighting for the first. Jake came out disappointed and told me "Moooom we did, 'My mom told me... meanie tiny mo', and Madi was 'it' and she took mine"! Oh they learn so young!

He was still thrilled to have the next one!

365~82 SurpriseSurprise

2011-03-23T12:24:00.000-05:00

So I put on a jacket this morning that I haven't worn since late last summer(while I could still fit in it!) And whudda ya kno'... There's chocolate!! Though I did find it in the presence of my kids so I HAD to share! ;-( But still I was thankful for my 'one' piece!

365~81 Cloth for the dollies!

2011-03-22T12:17:00.000-05:00

Her dolls are even sporting cloth diapers!! She's a pro at changing her baby as well as Alison!(and she's 5!!) I'm amazed at her nurturing instinct. She just 'loves' taking care of little ones and is a huge help to mama!!

365~80 3 months old!

2011-03-21T12:15:00.000-05:00

She still looks so small in our big bed! Oh how fast these days go by. ;-(

365~79

2011-03-20T22:00:00.000-05:00

A day at the cousins' being very silly together!!

365~78 "Chicken"

2011-03-19T23:58:00.000-05:00

Braden and his cousin playing Chicken! A super fun dice game!

365~77 No Magic Shell

2011-03-18T23:56:00.000-05:00

We ran out of 'Magic Shell' so the boys decided to melt chocolate chips and drizzle them on their ice cream! Worked like a charm, they loved it!

365~76

2011-03-17T23:53:00.000-05:00

Pretty sky, even through the tree in our front yard!

365~75 Mixed Drinks!

2011-03-16T12:18:00.000-05:00

Every Wednesday after art class we go to Grandma's coffee shop. It's a highlight of the week! Well the kids get to pick whatever drink they want... soda, hot chocolate, smoothie, etc. Well for a few of them that choose soda they like to experiment and for the last few weeks they've filled their cups with equal amounts of each flavor (minus diet coke): Coke-Sprite-Root Beer-Lemonade-Orange. Sounds gross but they insist it's delicious!!

365~74

2011-03-15T20:24:00.000-05:00

We have an acrobat!

365~73

2011-03-14T20:10:00.000-05:00

Ethan LOVES his little "Clairabelle" (his nickname for her)! And check out the belly! I ran out of pants to go with her onesies so I put these(0-3mo) on her til her 'stretchy' pants were dry!

365~72

2011-03-13T19:30:00.000-05:00

Mmmmm Down-home cookin'...

Making my mom's Chicken N' Noodles

365~71 Doing Sports God's Way

2011-03-12T21:10:00.000-06:00

Braden went to a FaBuLoUs football camp with the FCA! I was immensely impressed with the gospel-centeredness of the drills! Everything they did pointed to Christ and His atoning work on the cross. All the while urging the boys to trust in Him and live for Him!!!

365~69

2011-03-10T13:08:00.000-06:00

Oh the bond!

Thirty-Two Things

2011-03-09T13:59:00.010-06:00

Thirty-two things I'm thankful for on my thirty second birthday:

beauty of snow resting softly on the pines

the voice of my mom singing 'Happy Birthday' to me over the phone from a thousand miles away

a dad that lives close by when you're at art class and your three year old doesn't have good aim so you need a change of pants

the first attempts of a belly laugh from an 11 week old

muffled conversations of preschoolers under countless layers consisting of blankets, couch pillows, and a Hello Kitty umbrella

a tug of my shirt and I turn to find an awaiting kiss from my husband

laundry basket full of cloth diapers: Better for the bottom line (pun intended)

slowing wiggles of little ones cuddled next to me during naptime

the feel of my little boy's fingers tangling my hair as his lids fall heavy

the gasps of baby's breath when the bath water splashes over her belly

that "just one more" kiss goodnight

evidence and design of God's creation

chocolate chip muffins

vanilla flavored coffee

a hand-written card from my 5yr old

("Merry Christmas" too cute-she said "because we had fun at Christmas"!!)

God's word in our own language

a husband who leads his family in God's ways

grace that's lavished on me, sufficient for me, and always given at precisely the right moment

God's mercy when I fail to rely on said grace and instead follow my own way

sweet encouraging words from a friend

the cold side of the pillow

the click of my camera

(my gift from the kids)

homemade hot beef for lunch from my step-mom

the freedom and privilege of teaching my kids at home where I can focus on their hearts as we learn about God's world

a sweet text from my husband

my salvation in Christ

bubbles on a baby's lips

buds on trees reminding me of new life

wide eyes of a child saying "OOHHHhhh now I get it" over his math work

closets full of neatly folded clothes (doesn't happen often and I'm still thankful for the messy ones!)

the way my little girl says 'ith' instead of 'if', too cute

a blog to record all the big and little moments of life!

365~68 Another year older!

2011-03-09T13:04:00.001-06:00

I turn 32 today! I'm enjoying my many blessings. God has been exceedingly gracious to me. I pray that I would be grateful for 'every' thing in life(blessings and trials) and that if He gives me another birthday I would be a different person than I am today by His grace!

365~67

2011-03-08T23:13:00.000-06:00

Family game night! My mom bought a great game for us, Wits & Wagers Family. The great thing about this game is all the answers are numbers so it's easy for the younger kids to guess, ie How many gallons of water does an elephant drink in a day? How many inches across was the largest hail stone in U.S. history? How many mph was the fastest wind speed ever recorded? How many pieces of Pez does a Pez dispenser hold?

50 gallons of water is consumed by an elephant a day

Hail stone 7in: found on June 22nd, 2003 in Aurora, NE

318mhp The speed was recorded in 1999 in an Oklahoma tornado

Pez holds 12 pieces

Alison Week 11

2011-03-08T21:23:00.000-06:00

70 days old

I snapped this on a whim at my dad's while buckling her in her car seat. Love her!

71 days

READY for bed, with her kimono top, baby legs, and totally non-matching purple diaper!

72 days

I'm amazed not only at my infatuation with her but daddy's as well! It seems to me that as we grow older(or just have more kids!) we sense a feeling of the speed of time. We desire so dearly to grab and stop the ticking yet we can't. All we CAN do is take in fully the moments God gives us in the now. So that's what we do...

73 days

Oh the rolls!

74 days

(A thousand words)

75 days

Chewing once again

76 days

We had a wonderful visit with my Grandma today. The kids can't stop talking about tractors when you mention Grandma Jeanne. They simply love the quiet of her house, the cookies(m&m's- what have you!)and of course THE TRACTORS. Today was no different though for Alison she'll have to wait a couple years to enjoy that part of Grandma's house. In the meantime she'll just giggle and smile when Grandma gives her her undivided attention(something she dearly loves!) Love you Grandma!!!

365~66

2011-03-07T23:09:00.001-06:00

Tractors everywhere!! We had a great visit with Grandma Jeanne today! The boys just love going to her house and the first thing they get out is the tractors(really the only thing) It occupies them the entire visit. They set up their zones and play away! Such fun memories they're making!

365~65

2011-03-06T22:12:00.000-06:00

Gabe bought himself a new bible today and couldn't be more excited about it!

It's funny how a new bible causes you to be in the word more. When really we should be diligent about studying in all circumstances and not give in to the temptation of passing our bibles by yet another day. Oh the Rom 7 struggle!

That our children may one day walk in the truth would bring us much joy!

365~64

2011-03-05T22:10:00.000-06:00

Loungin' watching a Saturday morning video!

365~63

2011-03-04T21:50:00.000-06:00

Today we mourn the loss of Aunt Carol. She had a lung transplant about 14 years ago an the doctors gave her 5-7 years. She far surpassed that. Though not actually related we grew up with their family. I have many memories of her and her family. Such as our weekly get-togethers to watch America's Funniest Home Videos. Our taking turns jumping out of a backhoe bucket onto the trampoline below(not wise as that's how Uncle Dave broke his back-and I don't think Carol did this). Enjoying the great outdoors on, too many to count, camping trips, as well as a vacation to the Black Hills & Yellowstone! My goes out to her family. She is dearly missed by many.

365~62

2011-03-03T21:43:00.000-06:00

Gabe trying out daddy's respirator mask. A handy thing to have in a house with many boys!!

365~61

2011-03-02T23:27:00.000-06:00

LOVE this!!! Heated leather seats in the new(new to us) van!

365~60

2011-03-01T23:20:00.000-06:00

Home schoolin' at it's best ;-)

Alison week 10

2011-03-01T20:06:00.000-06:00

63 days

She's folds her hands a lot! I pray she becomes a prayer warrior!!

And that the Lord fills her with joy all the days of her life!

64 days

Sad day... Shot day

On the upside she's at the 75% for weight(12lb) and height(can't remember-I'll have to fill in later ;-) She's super healthy and the Dr. says she'll keep her blue eyes.

That will be two out of six to get blue eyes.(two have brown, two have green/with a touch of brown)

She also has a definite hint of red in her eyebrows and hair. Not sure if it will stay or not, we'll see.

Just look at those adorable camo band-aids!!!

65 days

A series of photos of sisters...

66 days

Madi dressing her doll ;-)

same day... another diaper change

68 days

Crystal blue eyes that we hope she keeps!

365~59

2011-02-28T23:18:00.000-06:00

Family devotions in 1 Samuel! Love this time!!!

365~58

2011-02-27T23:15:00.001-06:00

Now a sick day for this guy! Though this is after Motrin, he's looking not as sick here as he did an hour earlier!

365~57

2011-02-26T22:53:00.000-06:00

Snack time!!

365~56

2011-02-25T22:29:00.000-06:00

A peak into our kitchen. Math test today!

365~55

2011-02-24T22:10:00.000-06:00

Sick day for this guy, though he's never too sick to cuddle with his pup!

365~54

2011-02-23T21:58:00.000-06:00

Braden's latest art project he made at Hidden Acres! He absolutely loves everything he's learning! He's very creative and loves art. He has a great smile too!

365~53

2011-02-22T21:39:00.000-06:00

Studying for Children's Truth Academy! Even though we've missed the last several weeks due to some of them being sick. :-(

Alison Week 9

2011-02-22T10:39:00.000-06:00

57 days old

Tonight Madi walked a tired/fussy Alison around and about 10minutes later we had this result!!

59 days

Her cry is seriously so cute. And don't worry no one around here lets her cry for very long at all!!

60 days

So serious.

61 days

She gets lots of conversations with her siblings.

62 days

Love her soft cheeks!

365~52

2011-02-21T23:01:00.000-06:00

To explain.... my littlest boy loves mommy's hair! It's like his security blanket when I lay down with him for afternoon naps. He used to run his fingers through it as he nodded off, but now he just tangles his fingers up in it to the point that when I go to get up he gets dragged with me! No joke! So today I just had to document the result of naptime with a toddler!! Love that boy!

365~51

2011-02-20T22:56:00.000-06:00

A new addition to Ali's nursery from Grandma Paula!! It fits perfectly!! Thanks mom!!

365~50

2011-02-19T19:14:00.004-06:00

We've finally found a vehicle suited for us!!

365~49

2011-02-18T19:05:00.000-06:00

Shopping trip to Costco! Is it possible to spend less than $500 here?

365~48

2011-02-17T18:56:00.001-06:00

Editing a newborn session!! Isn't she a cutie!!

365~47

2011-02-16T10:19:00.000-06:00

At the airport picking up my mom! She's here for the next 5 days!!

365~46

2011-02-15T18:19:00.005-06:00

Anything look unusual?

Of course not it's Jake! This is to be expected right?

Monkey see Monkey(try to) do...

Jake didn't give much thought to how this decision to swing on the Monkey Bars would play out! He stepped off the platform and was immediately stuck. He couldn't reach his feet back to the gym and can't swing across, so there he was just hangin' there!

Thankfully I was right at the back door and Gabe slipped on some shoes and ran out to rescue this little monkey!

Alison week 8

2011-02-15T16:59:00.009-06:00

49 days old!

Bath time

50 days

Braden changing her diaper!

51 days

Ethan getting some cuddles during break time!

52 days

She seems to be filling up her changing table quickly

53 days

Love my baby's baby legs

54 days

Snuggly cozy!

55 days

One of these things is not like the others!

Just look at those cheeks!

365~45

2011-02-14T10:13:00.000-06:00

Enjoyed a glass of Sweet Red Wine with my sweetie on this Day of Love!!

365~44

2011-02-13T17:30:00.000-06:00

Madi was thrilled to have her hair braided by Mrs. A during Care Group tonight!!

365~43

2011-02-12T16:46:00.000-06:00

Madi was excited to match her sister's birdie shirt! Just so you know(according to Madi) the pink one is Madi and the blue one Alison!

365~42

2011-02-11T16:34:00.000-06:00

Enjoyed a night of Settlers!! This game is very old (about 11 years or so!) We may need to upgrade in a year or so as it's kinda falling apart! Bummed I didn't win but glad for my friend who did!!

365~41

2011-02-10T16:27:00.000-06:00

LOVE this girl!!!

365~40

2011-02-09T16:22:00.000-06:00

Madi and Jake helping to bathe Ali! They were great helpers and Alison didn't mind a bit!!

365~39

2011-02-08T16:17:00.000-06:00

Just a swingin'!! Yes the swing is my babysitter, what can I say I have things to do!!

Alison Week 7

2011-02-08T13:45:00.000-06:00

42 days

Love my silly brother with all his silly bands!!

43 days

Me and Papa

44 days

not too young for some bunny ears from big brother!

45 days

Totally missed this day, probably because she spent about 10 hours in her carseat sleeping today(with short breaks to nurse) while I had 2 photo sessions and then Daddy and I went to a chili cookoff! Gotta love a 6-week old during times like these, a 16 month old would be a whole nother story!

46 days

Mommy woke up this morning(Superbowl Sunday) with Mastitis. Those of you who've had it can sympathize. So daddy and the boys had her ALL day while I was out of commission!

47 days

The next day she spent almost entirely in her swing as mommy was VERY sick still on the couch!

48 days

Her sweet profile, button nose and all, cuddled up in daddy's arms!!

365~38

2011-02-07T12:32:00.000-06:00

She was in the swing almost all day when I was sick! I think she's addicted to the swing now!!

365~37

2011-02-06T10:34:00.000-06:00

Superbowl Sunday...one of the kids playing with the camera while I was sick as can be on the couch!

365~36

2011-02-05T10:32:00.000-06:00

Our chili took 3rd at our first Chili Bowl!

365~35

2011-02-04T21:35:00.000-06:00

Yes, the kids are still fighting over who gets to hold her!

365~34

2011-02-03T21:25:00.000-06:00

Yes, we've come to this!!!

365~33

2011-02-02T21:04:00.000-06:00

Love these goofy guys!!

Alison Week 6

2011-02-01T22:17:00.000-06:00

35 days

Winding down for the night!

36 days

Love her blue eyes!

37 days

Aaaahhh I missed this day

38 days

She gets MANY kisses from mommy!

39 days

So sad :-(

40 days

Again in the arms of her sister

41 days

Sweet dimples!

363~32

2011-02-01T20:57:00.000-06:00

Who doesn't love a flower on the tush!!

365~31

2011-01-31T20:47:00.000-06:00

First day back to school!! We have 4 solid months of school before summer break!! Praying we finish the year strong and stay focused on our hearts as much as our minds!!

365~30

2011-01-30T20:46:00.000-06:00

Lunch made for me by hubby!! Guess he's trying to make use of the Christmas m&m's!!

365~29

2011-01-29T20:40:00.000-06:00

Jakey loves watching videos on Netflix! He is able to turn on the computer and get on Netflix and find his videos all by himself! Dangerous I know!

365~28

2011-01-28T12:05:00.000-06:00

Planning school!!

We had a nice Christmas/Baby break and now we're gearing up for four months of school to finish out our year!!

365~27

2011-01-27T11:39:00.000-06:00

Madi snapped this as I was burping Alison! Love her wide eyes!!

365~26

2011-01-26T09:57:00.000-06:00

Here are the boys throwing eggs!! When we were stranded at Ben's brothers our fridge was left cracked open and a lot of things spoiled. I wasn't sure about the eggs so I was going to throw them out(in the trash), but Daddy thought it would be more fun to throw them in the snow (and at the slide)! Of course the boys wanted get in on it, I mean how often do your parents let you throw eggs!!!

Alison Week 5

2011-01-25T21:49:00.000-06:00

28 days old

LOVE the back of a baby's neck! So silky soft!

29 days old

Her hands are always in a fist... it's like she knows she's in a house with four brothers!!

30 days old

Talkin' to sissy!!

I'm One Month Old This Week!!

31 days old!!!

I'm growing fast

HHhhmmmm!

My 'Biggest Brothers'

My adorable owl diaper!

Love my carseat!

32 Days old

Cuddlin' my brother Gabe

33 days

Still has cute legs!!

34 days old

Alison was a little fussy so Braden walked her around and before you know it she's asleep! Braden laid on the couch with her for a nice long nap!! What a good big brother!!

Newborn Portraits

2011-01-25T16:00:00.005-06:00

Video at 3 weeks old!!

2011-01-25T14:18:00.001-06:00

365~25

2011-01-25T09:54:00.000-06:00

Sledding with daddy!!

365~24

2011-01-24T09:48:00.000-06:00

All ready for playing in the snow!

365~23

2011-01-23T20:57:00.000-06:00

Here is our van...

stranded...

for two days...

at my brother-in-laws...

because we lost our only set of keys in the snow as we all were scrambling to get in their house during the snow storm!

We ended up staying there for two days then had to have it towed to a Ford dealership. Nowadays they have to have the vehicle in the dealership to program the chip in the replacement keys. On Monday we spent $104 on two new keys, and on Thursday Ben's brother found them in the snow off their porch!!

365~22

2011-01-22T11:54:00.003-06:00

365~21

2011-01-21T11:58:00.001-06:00

He enjoyed what hot chocolate actually made it in his mouth!!

365~20

2011-01-20T11:58:00.000-06:00

Being creative with pretzels!!

365~19

2011-01-19T11:50:00.000-06:00

First day back at Art School today! Ethan and the boys started a pottery project today!!!

Alison Week 4

2011-01-18T23:49:00.000-06:00

21 days

Making use of her new crib!

22 days

She is really starting to love her swing, and so am I! I hope this isn't hard to break her of later!!

23 days

One of MANY pictures of Madi burping/holding Alison!

24 days

Two of MANY pictures of Madi burping/holding Alison!

25 days

All bundled up(it's drafty next to the sliding door) in daddy's arms while he tries to eat dinner!

26 days

Her and Daddy ready for church!

27 days

My baby has moved out a snap in her diapers ;-( bitter sweet!!

Did I say how much I'm LOVING cloth diapers!! I wish I had done it with the others!!

365~18

2011-01-18T11:50:00.000-06:00

Ready for a fun evening with friends!!

365~17

2011-01-17T11:09:00.000-06:00

wtsbooks.com had this for 14.99!! 75%off !!

It's a great resource for parents!!

365~16

2011-01-16T11:16:00.000-06:00

Daddy and Ali ready for church!! Praying God saves her at a young age!!

365~15

2011-01-15T10:44:00.000-06:00

Favorite mug...Favorite Book!!!

365~14

2011-01-14T10:35:00.000-06:00

Tonight we enjoyed Big Fred's pizza thanks to a sweet friend!

A few firsts!

2011-01-13T18:05:00.000-06:00

First day home! And being very smothered!

My first bath: which I didn't like...at all

Ah that's a little better now!

I have to say that every other bath I've given her she's been very content up to the point that I lift her out to dry her off!!

My first Christmas! I don't remember much of it since I slept through most of it!

My first nap with daddy!

My first cloth diaper!

First time in my room:

Looking forward to many more firsts for our little Alison!

365~13

2011-01-13T00:13:00.000-06:00

Jake asked me to tuck his blanket in his shirt so he could be a "Super Hoop" whatever that is!!!

365~12

2011-01-12T22:55:00.001-06:00

Gabe is putting the last shelf on our new bookshelf that he put together nearly all on his own!!

Alison Week 3

2011-01-11T19:43:00.000-06:00

14 days old

Sweet precious face!

16 days old

It's hard to tell in the picture but her celery colored diaper matches her outfit today!

17 days old

All swaddled up in mommy's arms!

18 days old

Not the best pic but I guess not every day can be our best day!

19 days old

She's nursing like a champ and her cheeks look like they could pop!!

20 days old

Well she's fitting in with the theme of her room and looks like a baby bird here!!

365~11

2011-01-11T17:24:00.000-06:00

A little treat for mommy before diaper changes!!!

A visit from the kids!

2011-01-11T00:35:00.010-06:00

And the gang's all here!!!

Well little Jakey was the first to hold the newest sister!!! And he did great, he actually leaned to kiss her and not bite her (though I'm sure that day will come, just not today thankfully!)

He didn't want to be in the pic so he was leaning out of the shot!!

But then started to inspect the one who's going to steal some of his attention from mama!!

Giving her a nice rub on the head!!

Ethan has his turn!

Then Braden!!

For some reason(there's just too many of them!) I don't have a photo of Gabe holding her in the hospital. But I did get this one the next day at home!

Madi's 1st time holding her sister....

And her 2nd...

And just before leaving the hospital her 3rd!!! She sure loves her!!!

And just like my friend Heidi I too cannot get a decent pic of the kiddos on the first try but one try here was all I had. So here it is, lazy lids and all!!

365~10

2011-01-10T23:59:00.000-06:00

Madi was trying to show Jake how to do a cartwheel!! I should of had it on video!!!!

My big boys shoveling to help lighten the load for daddy. They were so excited to get out there and help out. And they did a great job.

ALL SMILES from our two littles!!!

365~9

2011-01-09T13:57:00.000-06:00

Ben says she looks like she's gonna pop, cause she's chubbin' up so much!!

Alison's Birth Story

2011-01-08T22:23:00.003-06:00

The story of Alison's birth~

After making me sick for 9 whole months we were all excited to finally meet her. She was due to arrive on December 21st!

Saturday 12.18.10

I started noticing I was having consistent contractions as Ben and I were our out finishing up our last minute shopping before the baby arrived. They were definitely time-able at 7-8 minutes apart. We were hopeful that it may be labor as the kids were spending the night at Grandma & Grandpa's house so it would make the logistics of getting the kids somewhere easier if this was labor. I told Ben that the test would be when we go home and I lay down if they slow down then it wasn't it. And sure enough when I laid down they went up to 16 min. They kept coming all night but never progressed.

Sunday 12.19.10

I was trying to rest on Sunday after church, so Ben went to pick up the kids from G&G's at 3. Thinking labor was imminent there was one last picture I wanted, my belly with all of our hands on it! So as sunlight was fading Ethan took this shot with a remote. Though there wasn't much light to work with, I love how it turned out!

After that we headed off to church, it was baptism night! Love those!!!

Contractions continued about 10-15 min apart but still not progressing. SSoooo...

Monday 12.20.10

I woke up after 9 1/2 hrs of sleep and within an hour I felt like I'd been up for hours and needed a nap. I laid down for a couple hours and was feeling very fluish, headache, horrible body aches, and contractions that seemed pretty strong. As the day went on I just felt worse. When Ben got home around 5 I had just gotten up from another 2 hour nap. Thankfully I have wonderful kids that can keep the house running while I was out of commission for the day. I wasn't up long before I had to lay down again on the couch. I was in a lot of pain, and feeling worse. I decided to lean over the couch and try to rock my hips to maybe get her to put more pressure on my cervix to hopefully get things moving faster as I thought was in labor with contractions now coming 5-6min apart. I could only do that for about 10 minutes it hurt so bad! I thought a bath may help but I couldn't make it to the

bathroom without help. Ugghh 'this better be labor' is what I was thinking. It was then that I started getting a fever, I was shaking and contracting, not a good combination. By 10 that night my temp was up to 102 so around 10:45 I called the Dr and she recommended that I come in so they could monitor the baby.

Tuesday 12.21.10 DUE DATE!!!

A little after midnight we arrive at the hospital. Once on the monitors they could see that baby wasn't responding well to my fever. Her heart rate was averaging in the upper 180's into the 190's at times, which is higher than it should be. So the goal was to lower my fever fast. They started IV fluid, gave me Tylenol, and put extremely cold washcloths on me. If that didn't work I was going to have to lay on some sort of ice-bed, which they had waiting outside my door. I did not want to have to do that!! Thankfully after about 5 hours my temp was down and so was her heart rate. Too bad my bodyaches weren't gone ;-( , but the baby looked good. The nurses were talking about sending me home because even though I had been contracting continually for almost 3 days I hadn't changed from the week before, still 3cm and 50%. My Dr. came in in the morning and said that the L&D dept was swamped so she too thought she would have to send me home. But once she got the results from my blood work she said my white count was elevated and my platelets were low so she wanted me to stay (HUGE relief as I was ready to meet our little girl!!). She thought I may have a uterine infection and wanted to induce sometime that day!

They started me on Pitocin around 12:45pm(I think). Shortly after I got an epidural, and I couldn't have gotten it fast enough. Even though I would normally not want one this was definitely a not a normal labor. I was in a pain and extremely tired and could not have gone through it at that point. I remember telling Ben "it feels so good not to feel all the pain in my back that I've had non-stop for 3 days".

Around 2 they checked me again (4 and 50%- a little progress) and broke my water. They gave me a little nausea medicine and I dosed off for 30 min or so. The nurse and resident Dr. came in and said the baby was having too many decelerations and they were going to have to switch my positions to try to get her heart rate stable or I would have to have a C-Section if we couldn't get her to stabilize. (Also my BP was low but once they rolled me over it went back up.) After having me flip from side to side they had me sit up, and at that point they were looking a little more worried so I immediately started praying for her with each contraction and it was amazing to see her heart rate stay steady throughout the contractions! God is gracious! It was just a few contractions later that I pushed the nurse button because I was feeling pressure. Sure enough when the nurse came back and checked me I was complete, just 2 hours after them breaking my water. The threat of a C-section was over. We were going to meet our little girl very soon!

Once the Dr. got there it took only 3 contractions and at 4:20pm our little Alison Claire Russell came safely into the world! She was beautiful, bald and wrinkly. She nursed right away like pro. Her weight was 7lb 9oz and 20in long. As the Dr. was trying to deliver the placenta the cord tore off :-0 Yeah not good. But as they were trying to get the placenta out I was very thankful for the epidural!! Ben was busy taking pictures of her as I started feeling bad again. My fever started going back up again, eventually hitting 102.6 by 8pm. They gave me more Motrin and started IV antibiotics and the on-call Dr. ordered some additional tests: Chest x-ray, 2 blood cultures, a CBC, and a few others I can't remember. Yet none of those showed anything so my Dr. still thinks it was an infection in the lining of my uterus. After they got my fever down on Tues night it never came back and the Motrin helped with the aches. I was feeling a ton better!

My wonderful husband brought me these beautiful flowers! I love the vase!!

and these!!! mmmmm We went here on our last date before baby arrived, just 3 days earlier. The cupcakes there are so yummy and he surprised me with a dozen for our family to celebrate Alison's arrival!! I should have taken a picture of the contents but they were going rather quickly!!

We are so thankful God has given us Alison! She is such a wonderful gift to our family!!

365~8

2011-01-08T13:29:00.001-06:00

Jake and Madi having a blast playing Mario Kart on the Wii that we borrowed from Grandma and Grandpa while we're on Christmas/New Year/New Baby Break!!!

365~7

2011-01-07T13:23:00.000-06:00

Madi took no less than 25 pics of me and the baby over a couple days so I guess I should post one!! She told me how to hold her, where to put my hands and how to turn my head. Hhhmmmm don't know where she gets that!!! :-)

A Few Maternity Photos

2011-01-06T20:52:00.004-06:00

365~6

2011-01-06T13:08:00.000-06:00

The baby loungin' on Braden while he watches a movie!! Doesn't she look so cozy in that fluffy blanket??!!

365~5

2011-01-05T23:51:00.002-06:00

Watching the Nativity Story as a family tonight, since we didn't get to on Christmas Eve like we usually do!!

The Nursery

2011-01-04T23:58:00.000-06:00

Alison's Nursery!

I am fearfully & wonderfully made!!

This is the tree and birds that a friend of mine(Kim) designed for her wall! Each bird represents a member of the family!!

Top to Bottom: Gabe, Ethan, Ben & I, and Jake

Braden, Madi & Alison (in the nest)

Here's the full view

Changing station and closet half filled with clothes half filled with diapers!!

It's been over 11 years since I've gotten to decorate a nursery. I only did one for Braden and the other kids used the same gender neutral theme (teddy bears). So while Ben was working 80+ hrs/week, I was having fun planning and decorating a baby room! It was a blast!!

Alison Week 2

2011-01-04T23:22:00.000-06:00

As you can see I didn't decide to do this until she was 2 weeks old so I'm missing quite a few days so far!!

9 days old

A favorite of mine from her photo shoot!!

10 days old

Not the best pic but it's the ONLY one of her this day!!

13 days old

Her sweet little fingers holding daddy tight!

365~4

2011-01-04T23:19:00.002-06:00

Super cute napkin holder that I found to hold my cloth wipes in the nursery!! Works great!!

365~3

2011-01-03T21:39:00.000-06:00

Madi and her sister!!!