It's a Girl!!!

Emma Lee Sarine

1/10/2012 3:11am

7lbs 4.4oz and 19.5in long

It's Baby Time!!!

Ok, we're officially starting the process of bringing Baby 4 into the world! I will be updating this blog every so often, probably once per hour unless something significant happens.

Contractions started at about 3am on the 9th about an hour apart, but they didn't change much until around 3pm. From then on, they got to be more like 30-45 minutes apart. We brought the kids to Nana and Pop-pop's around 6 while Rebecca and Nana went for pedicures. Stayed in Summerfield until around 8:30 and then headed back home. By then, contractions were only 10 minutes apart, but weren't very long. My friend, Jimmy, came over to watch the BCS Championship football game while Rebecca talked on the phone with friends and puttered around on Facebook. After the game, the contractions really started getting more intense and closer together. This is where we'll start the timeline:

1/10/2012 12:30am - Contraction lasted 2 full minutes and was only 5 minutes after the previous. Called Tanya (our midwife) and let her know things were progressing. She said to hang out for a couple hours and see if they subside or progress.

1:30am - Contractions are pretty intense now. Rebecca's having to breath through them. They're varying in spacing between 5 and 10 minutes, but are consistently 1.5 to 2 minutes long.

2:00am - She's nauseous now. Called Tanya and updated her. She said to head on in to the hospital, so we're on our way!

2:30am - at the hospital. checking in.

2:54am - back in triage. 8cm. nurse runs off to call midwife. water just broke. nurse runs back in.

3:05am - wheeling us into the delivery room

3:06am - Rebecca really needs to push! (she is still standing, barely makes it into the bed and sort of sideways) Tanya has not made it to hospital yet.

A Moment To Capture

:)

Waiting on Our Newest Little One

The Littlest One has decided to keep us waiting. We have had tons of warm-up contractions and some periods of false labor. But 4 Baby remains warm inside of mama. Rebecca was 39 weeks 4 days when she went into labor with Olivia, 38 weeks 3 days with Gabe, and 39 weeks with Ezra.

Fun With Cousins, Part 2 - The Park

We met up with the cousins at Lake Daniels Park for some fun times.

Olivia loves to climb trees

Gabe and Ezra kept pretending they were running in the swings

One thing we love about this park is all the toys that are just left out there for anyone to use. The kids particularly love this one.

Mama trying to put herself into labor.

Daddy takes his turn.

Yet another tree for Olivia. I think she's half squirrel

Ezra and the other kids love bouncing on this one.

Max headed down the slide backwards.

Gabe makes a go at it.

and once he's down, he wants to climb up the rock wall to go again. Pop-pop helped him.

Pop-pop and Max in the sandbox.

Ezra taking his turn on the slide.

Fun With Cousins, Part 1

My sister, Danielle, her husband Rudy and their twins, Max and Vivi, are in town for a couple of weeks over the holidays and we're getting to spend some time goofing around with all the kiddos.

Ezra using Rudy's head for a test track



Max, Vivi and Olivia played "Pile on Mommy/Aunt DD"



Ezra playing the Dirty Diaper blues.



Olivia, Aunt DD and Vivi.



Gabe attacking through the Rainbow Tunnel.



Our Favorite Light Display

Here are the lights we went to see along ridgeway drive this year. I think we went through 4 times at the kid's request. Each year, it seems like they get bigger and higher! There were some that had to be 70 feet in the air or more!

Happy New Year, Everyone!

Candlemaking

Olivia got to make candles at home last week. We had some candle making supplies from trying it out just after Rebecca and I got married. Olivia made two candles layered in different colors to give as gifts.

This was inspired after a trip to The NC Candle Factory a few weeks ago. Olivia said this was like being on the show How Its Made. She had lots of questions for our guide but seemed to like the color/scent room and the burn room the best.

And these lights remind us of the True Light and that we are to reflect that light.

 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”John 8:12

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16

I then used the leftover wax to make something I've been wanting to try for a while: homemade firestarters

I had a bunch of oak shavings from a candleholder I made and so I put them in the egg crate and poured the hot wax into each egg holder. Once they dried, they worked great. :)

Hanukkah - The Feast of Dedication



We've been celebrating Hanukkah this week. No, no, we aren't Jewish. :) (Although, we do love the Jewish people. And we believe in a Hebrew God and Messiah.) What an amazing story and celebration. It is a story of standing up to religious persecution, of God doing amazing miracles, lighting lights to remind us of those things as well as the TRUE light of the World, being able to worship God and study the Bible freely. Thank you God for your light and miracles in our lives!



A simple candle holder based on the Hanukkah Menorah. Just a simple piece of oak with holes drilled in it. The candles are actually nothing but olive oil with wire wicks. The lampstand or Menorah in the Temple (only 6 lights) was oil burning. And one of the miracles of Hanukkah surrounds the provisions of 8 days of oil from just 1 day's supply.

  We took Olivia and the boys to a storytime at the library where they got to hear traditional stories, recipes, play the dreidel game and songs.

Ezra found himself a little chair that was just right for him. I seriously considered stealing it because he looked so cute in it.

Rebecca also found a great resource called Jonathan's story by Heidi Cooper at www.torahfamilyliving.com. We read a part of it each day and did the suggested activities (bible reading, marching with our instruments praising God with the Psalms, the Songs of Moses and Miriam, and our own made up songs, praying blessings over the children and how God would one day use their little lives, making a family crest together, and reenacting the battle between the Jews and the Greeks--just to name a few) Also, we have been using Robin Sampson's A Family Guide to the Biblical Holidays which is another great resource. We have generally been having a good time as a family and with friends. We had dinner and then hot chocolate and cookies. We tried our hands at making latkes.

One craft that O really enjoyed doing was making a family crest with 4 things we think are important. She picked (from top left clockwise): God's Word (in the form of a scroll), our family, the Cross, and God's creation.

Wondering why we would celebrate? Well, it has been a process but this article will is a pretty good introduction to the reasons.

Family Visits

This week, we went to visit both sides of Rebecca's family: the Fenskes in Durham and the Baldwins in Concord.

On Friday, we got to go visit with Rebecca's mom's family in Durham and see her Uncle Charlie, Aunt Nancy and cousin Sarah. Also got to see Grandma Jean and Grandpa Bill, but for some dumb reason, I didn't get a picture of them....

Then on Saturday, we went and had lunch with the Baldwin side down at Aunt Bethany and Uncle Phil's in Concord. 

The kids getting some help from Hunter, Matthew and Great-grandpa.

The 5 Baldwin Cousins. The last time they were all together was at our wedding in 2000!

4 Generations of Baldwins.

We had a wonderful time at both places and we hope to be able to see everyone again soon!