let the holidays begin

Our family...in spider form. 

Isaac...the sword fighting skeleton!!

Evangeline...the super cute adorable Halloween baby!

A scary duo!

Our family...in actual form. 

what's in a name?

Dear Evangeline...

Choosing a name for you was no easy task.  As with your brother, we could not come to a final decision until we actually met you...saw your face.  A few names were in the running, but once we met you, we knew.  Evangeline, your name is very special to us.  We wanted your name to tell a story...our story...and someday your story too.  We wanted your name to mean something more than just "we liked the sound of it".  We wanted it to represent the kind of person we want you to become.

I originally fell in love with the name "Evangeline" after reading Uncle Tom's Cabin.  The angelic heroine in the novel that befriends and loves Uncle Tom is Evangeline St. Clair, or "Little Eva".  After Tom saves her from drowning, she convinces her father to purchase him for their household as a slave...and she and Tom become fast friends.  Eva has a pure heart and never sees Tom or any of the other slaves as unequal.  She speaks love and forgiveness and shares her heart with them all.  She was a beacon of light and hope and kindness where there was often none for the slaves.  Such a beautiful girl, inside and out.

But your name took on a whole new truth when we looked up it's actual meaning..."bearer of good news".  For you, my sweet girl, could not have brought gladder tidings to our lives.  After praying and trying for more than 2 years for another child...after suffering a miscarriage...after being told by doctors there was no way we could get pregnant again without expensive medical intervention...and after deciding that we did not want to walk down that road...the surprise of YOU was the best news we had received in years.  After living every day with the weight of infertility, you were a gift of light and JOY, and, as far as we are concerned, a miracle created by God.

Evangeline...every time I say your name I am reminded of what a special gift you are to us.

I love you sweetie!

Mommy

How she came...

Our alarm went off...just like any other morning.  Keith and I rolled out of bed, got dressed, grabbed our things, and left for the hospital.  Outside, it was still dark.  All was calm and quiet.  Sleep had been a distant companion the night before.  I lay awake most of the night wondering, praying, and anticipating the arrival of our baby girl the next day.

The drive to the hospital was very different from my last experience.  With Isaac, I was also scheduled for an induction, but he decided to make his entrance on his own 2 hours before I was scheduled to be induced.  I was 7 cm by time I got to the hospital, which means I felt EVERY bump, crack, and tiny pebble Keith drove over.  This time, we rode peacefully, holding hands, listening to calming music.  It was all too surreal.

We arrived at 6 am.  They started the induction at 8 am.  My doctor came and broke my water at 8:30 and said she would check in again around lunch with a possible delivery around 2pm.  But shortly thereafter, the contractions became more regular...and quickly quite intense.  Keith was urging me toward epidural...but let me comment on that...

I am EXTREMELY phobic of needles!  Always have been.  If there was anything one thing I feared most about having a child it was the epidural.  So, my twisted logic was if I let the pain get a little worse, then I won't care about that very LARGE needle going in to my back!!  Finally, Keith quit listening to me and marched out of the room to notify that I needed the epidural.  I could barely sit up by that time, was shaking from pain and fear while I leaned forward on my hubby for support.  (Aside...how do women have babies without husbands like Keith by their side?  His support, tenderness, energy, and optimism 100% got me through! Shout out to you babe!  I love you!!!!)

The next contraction I had after they lay me down was one of "the ones".  If you've have a baby, then you know which "ones" I'm talking about.

"Whoa, that felt really different!" I shouted.

My nurse said she would come back to check me in a minute.  No meds had been injected at this point.  The anesthesiologist was still double-checking placement.  Next contraction...OH MY HEAVENS AND ALL THINGS HIGH ABOVE!  Keith saw the panic in my face and ran to get the nurse.  She checked...I was 9.5 cm and practically ready to push.  It was only about 10:30.  She called my doctor who came rushing over from clinic.  I'm freaking out because this baby I swear is about to come out!  Somebody get down THERE!!!!

Doctor rushed in, threw on some gloves, checked me, and told me to start pushing.  I'm still feeling everything people!  EVERYTHING!  I heard the nurse comment something about giving me the "delivery dose".  Does that still matter if I am in the midst DELIVERING?  Apparently not, because I did not start to feel any slight relief until after she was out.  About a half hour later...my legs were completely numb and I couldn't feel a thing.  Nice.  Thank you Mr. Anesthesia.

She was born at 11:12 am.  Safely, healthy, perfect, and beautiful.

Please join us in welcoming Evangeline Marie DeSonier to our family.

Born October 2, 2012 at 11:12 am

7 pounds 7 ounces

19 inches long

More pics to come once we are home!!!

From 3 to 4

Tomorrow morning our baby is scheduled to come in to this world.

Tomorrow morning.

I'm pretty sure sleep will not happen tonight...then again...I haven't really been sleeping lately anyway.

These belly pics were taken a little over a month ago by a dear friend...before I got to the beached whale phase of pregnancy.

Isaac has been waiting patiently to meet his new baby sister.  He has proudly named her after his favorite rhinoceros at the zoo, Chalupa.  Keith and I have narrowed our choices down and have decided to wait until we meet her to make a decision.  I can tell you that it will NOT be "Chalupa"...much to Isaac's dismay.

He has been very curious about how Chalupa is actually going to come out....asking randomly if she was going to come out of my hand or my mouth.  Uh...no sweetie.  I respond by saying my doctor is going to help her come out...and then direct him to Keith for further explanation.  Eh hem.

We told him she was going to bring him a "big brother" present.  I asked if he wanted to get her a baby sister present.  His response:

"Yes I do.  I little baby Christmas tree!"

So, we made a trip a few days ago to Hobby Lobby where he picked out a tiny silver tree with pink sparkly ball ornaments, mini candy cane ornaments, and a pink fluffy tree skirt.  Seriously.  Sweet little man.

So...I'm signing off.  As soon as I can I will post pictures of our baby girl.

Tomorrow our perfect family of three will be an even, perfect four.

testing, testing, 1, 2, 3

So much time has lapsed since my last post...I know because we have since participated in our 2nd annual Race for the Cure.  I'm a little rusty on this blog...posting and such...I'm not sure I remember all the little tricks I had taught myself before.  These first few posts will be some trial and error until I get the hang of it again.  Since we are expecting a new addition to the family in just a few short weeks, I really wanted to get the blog up and running so our dear friends and family that live far can feel once again connected to our growing family here in Fort Worth.

I thought I'd start with bringing you up to speed on my mom since she was the highlight of my last post back in April of 2011.  She has been cancer free now for over a year!!  Lots of clean, healthy scans and a new pair of chimichangas to boot!  This year for the Race we created a team in her honor.  "Pat's Posse: Chasing the Cure!" walked the 5k strong and proud.  We even designed our own T-Shirts! Lauren and I made the Pink Honor Role last year as some of their top fundraisers.  This year, Mom made that list and blew us away!  You should have seen her face.

Enjoy some photos from Race Day!  We all wore pink bandanas and cowboy hats.  Several friends walked with us...including Isaac's current bestie, Ruby, who rode in style beside Isaac in the double stroller.

Alright...that about does it for this first post.  Stay tuned...belly pics to come....

pink POWER

Many of you know...some of you may still not...that my precious mother, Pat, was diagnosed with breast cancer in December. Of all the storms that have been blown my way in life, this one not only took me by surprise, but completely capsized my boat and left me gasping for air and struggling not to drown in despair. My mother? It could not be possible. She is the strongest person I know. She is invincible. She is the one that is able to outlast us all when it comes to energy and will. She is the glue in our family. She brings us together. She has, is, and will always be there when I need her. She is there for everyone. She does not know the meaning of "selfish". She does not deserve this! I was so sad for her. My heart was broken. I mourned for a few days. And then...I decided...NOPE! NOT MY MOTHER!!! She is going to fight and beat this and I will do it with her! We have rallied, as a family, as friends, and as a community to fight this battle. So many have stepped up to help Mom and Dad make it through these past months by delivering meals, sending gift cards, helping with transportation, and mailing loving cards and packages full of encouragement. We have been so overwhelmed and grateful by the response.

Since December, Mom has endured biopsies, tests, scans, a double mastectomy, 3 rounds of chemotherapy, and the start to her breast reconstruction. She has 3 rounds of chemotherapy to go, physical therapy, and of course, choosing her new set of Ta Ta's! My sister recently saw a t-shirt in a breast cancer boutique that stated, "These are not real...my first pair tried to kill me!" I am definitely getting Mom that shirt once she gets the final implants. And...just 4 days ago, she received amazing news...she will not need radiation after her chemo!! What a blessing! Just what she needed to give her an extra boost of JOY!

Saturday was the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure here in Fort Worth. My sister and I decided we were going to fund raise in advance as a surprise to Mom. We each set a goal of $500. I thought that was rather lofty. Yet, as a result of so many generous donations, our goals were not only met, they were doubled! On race day, we presented Mom with a list of all the people who would be "walking" with her and she was completely shocked that so many gave on her behalf. We were able to make a donation to Susan G. Komen in Mom's name for $2050! Unbelievable! We also surprised her by wearing signs that said, "Walking to Cure Pat Roe!" with a picture of her so all could see her beautiful smile. Isaac and Amelia were thrilled to wear Grandma's picture.

Here are some Race Day pictures. It was such an inspiring and empowering experience. I think there were over 20,000 participants. Pink warriors everywhere, rallying to fight breast cancer. Mom and Dad completed the 1 mile Walk together...hand in hand. Lauren, Keith, Amelia, Isaac, and I walked the 5K. (well, Lauren and I walked and Keith pushed Ike and Amelia. way to go honey!) We are already making plans for next year...and the year after...and so on. The fight against breast cancer is one that I will always be willing to support. None of us are safe until there is a cure.