Clarke is 3 months!

Our Sweet Clarke,
You were 3 months old on September 20. Three months have gone by too quickly, but here we are. You are a healthy 3 month old, and after what we went through together during my pregnancy, that is the most important thing to me. We've been able to begin weaning you off of your iron, which is an answered prayer.

You are such a perfect gift from the Lord for this family. We never, ever knew how much we needed you until you came along. We were a perfectly happy family and thought we were complete, but thank goodness the Lord had other plans that included you.

You are a great sleeper. Well, in my opinion. I know some babies make it 12 hours by 3 months, but 6.5-7 hours for a nurser is great to me. And I selfishly don't mind getting up with you to nurse. I love that time with you so much.

You are wearing size 1 diapers, and 0-3 month clothes. You take 4 oz. of formula first thing when you wake up and 4 oz. right before bed. Sometimes you will have a bottle during the day if Minnie is having to keep you because I just can't pump alot! You nurse the rest of the time though.

You had to go to the pediatrician this month for your two month checkup and vaccines and then again because you finally caught Simms and Cope's cold. You weighed 12lbs 12oz at the last visit!

You are so happy. You smile alot. You are beginning to coo. You have Cope's dimples. You look alot like him.

Simms and Cope are obsessed with you. They really are. They love you so much.

You still love the sling. I love having you right there with me.

You went to your first gameday in Auburn and were a complete angel the whole day (12pm-1 am..long day)

You will be baptized on September 29.

We have enjoyed everyday of the past 3 months with you. Each day I was pregnant with you I wondered, "What is this going to be like? 3 kids? Can I do it? Will our family adapt ok?" Well precious baby, it has been everything I had hoped it would be and more.

We love you, Frances Clarke!

Clarke is 2 months!

Clarke was 2 months on August 20! I really cannot believe we are already at this point! The newborn days have flown by. It is funny because when I was pregnant with her, and as my pregnancy became riskier and riskier to her health, I would think to myself, "I'm just ready to be past the newborn stage, at 8 weeks old or so." Now I would give anything to go back to the day she was born and start all over. I can honestly say I've enjoyed this stage more than I did my other two. With Simms it was all so new, and I worried constantly. With Cope, I had a horrible bout of post partum depression. So with Clarke, with none of those other issues, and overcoming the scary last 10 weeks of my pregnancy, and her arriving healthy at 37 weeks and not 28, I just take her in as much as possible. Take in these days that fly by so quickly and that I will never do again! Dear sweet baby Clarke, Thank you for making the past 2 months a joy for our family. We all adore you. We all want to hold you, and kiss you, and talk baby talk to you. You are marvelous. You weigh 11 lbs now, and your anemia from the Parvo has almost gone away! You are in size 1 diapers finally! You are an excellent nurser and you also take a little formula each day too. I thank God for you everyday. I don't even know how many times. My perfect miracle baby. Thank you for being a sister for Simms and being another sister for Cope. And for being our second daughter. We are so blessed. These are in no particular order. Blogger is still giving me fits!

The First Day!

August 13 was a BIG day in our house. A first for Simms and Cope occured. Simms began Kindergarten, where she stays ALL day, and Cope started 3 year old Kindergaretn (3K) where he goes half a day. They are both at Flint River, on the same little hall (which makes my life so much easier) and so far they've both loved it. Cope is still working some kinks out on his personal space (no hitting) but other than that he has adapted very well to a "school" setting, thank the Lord. My days are alot quieter, but thank goodness I have sweet baby Clarke at home with me. And this family does much better on a schedule! Here are the pictures from the first day!

I have a few more pictures from the first day but blogger IS GIVING ME MAJOR PROBLEMS and I cannot get this post finished. Nor can I get Clarke's 2 month post up. Ugh. Hoping it is fixed soon!

Clarke is 1 month!

Sweet precious Clarke..it has been one month since you joined our family. We love you so much. We all want to hold you all of the time, sing to you, stare at you, we are just crazy about you! You have been the sweetest little baby. You have the calmest demeanor so far. Our family is beyond grateful you are here with us and healthy! Mommy loves you so very much. I don't know if I have really processed all we went through together. Those were some tough 9 weeks. Scary and unpredictable. But the Lord protected you. He heard our daily, nightly, constant prayers to keep you safe from that horrible virus. I am so thrilled to have another daughter and it be you. I am so thankful Simms now has a sister and that Cope has 2! Here are some weekly pictures we've been doing of you!

Week 1

Week 2



Week 3

Week 4

Clarke's first few weeks

Our first few weeks at home with Clarke have been wonderful. I prayed daily once I found out that we were expecting that our family would have an easy transition from a family of 4 to a family of 5, and that I wouldn't have that cloud of post partum depression that I was under after Cope was born. I feel like I can honestly say our first four weeks with Clarke have been so great! So thankful for answered prayers. Our biggest hurdle has been Simms and Cope not understanding why she sleeps so much right now or why they have to be a lot quieter than they are used to indoors!

Our first night home Simms surprised Clarke with a cake she's been obsessed with getting for her..grocery store special :)

So tiny!

We took her to meet her great-grandparents when she was 4 days old. She gets her first name, Frances, from Meme & Goosie, who are both Martha Frances {Simms is named after them too, Martha Simms}

Leaving her checkup at 5 days old. She was born at 5lb15oz, was 5lb6oz when we left the hospital and was back up to 5lb9oz at this checkup!

Nothing sweeter!

Simms is the best helper! I truly am amazed at all she helps me do with the baby!

She went to her first baby shower at 9 days old!

We left for the lake after the baby shower and she spent almost 9 days there. We came home when she was little over 2 weeks. Our weeks have flown by with her. We've gotten into a good groove. She is a great baby!

I do as much of this as I can!

She had her first really good bath during week 2 after her belly button thing fell off!

Clarke had her 3 week checkup and weighed 7lb4oz! We also found out at this appointment that her hemoglobin had dropped below the cutoff for anemia. The cutoff is 10, hers was a 9. We've been watching it because it was trending downward (it was 15 at birth, 12.5 when we checked out of the hospital, and 3 weeks later was 9). As of now we are on iron drops and then on the 30th she will have labs done again. We are praying the drops correct it. If not we will more than likely have to do a transfusion. This is all related to my passing the fifths disease/parvo b19 to her! Please pray with us!

That sums up our first few weeks with our new little love. Our family is so in love with her. Her brother and sister love her so much and the first thing they both do in the mornings is go and look for her and start asking to hold her!

Frances Clarke's arrival~June 20, 2013

Well here we are 1 month and 1 day since Clarke joined our family. June 20th was such a wonderful day and I'd relive it a million times if I could. It was full of sheer happiness, excitement, thankfulness. Dru and I left around 5 AM for the hospital (after results from my amnio 2 days before indicated Clarke's lungs were mature). I was 37 weeks and 3 days. We prayed for Clarke's protection and a healthy delivery before we got out of the car, and then I was basically sprinting into the hospital.

My cesection went smoothly and before I knew it, I was hearing the most beautiful sound..Clarke's sweet cry. I immeditely had tears running down my face. I was just so relieved she was here.

I could not wait to see our precious miracle for the first time. After they weighed her and cleaned her up, they told me she was 5lbs15oz, 18 inches long, had Apgars of 9 & 9, her blood sugar was perfect and so was her hemoglobin. So many answered prayers revealed right there in a matter of seconds. I cried again and then Dru brought our beautiful daughter over for me to see. The past 9 weeks we'd endured together, Clarke and I, just seemed so distant in that moment. Once I saw her face and saw that she was here and healthy, more tears.

Dru was able to wheel her out to see her big sister and big brother, her grandparents and Aunt Sissy while I was still in surgery. Simms and Cope were so excited. They have patiently waited on their little sister!

They brought her to me as soon as I was taken into recovery and let me start nursing her, which I was so grateful for. I cannot even explain how wonderful it felt to have her in my arms.

I was in my own room within the hour and I couldn't wait to see Simms and Cope and let them really meet Clarke..

We were very thankful all of Clarke's grandparents were able to be there the day she was born also..

Aunt Sissy was there too. Here she is kidding with Simms that she was going to take Clarke home with her..

Our days in the hospital were wonderful. We soaked up every minute with our new baby. We had lots of visitors which we enjoyed too!

We were so thrilled two days after Clarke was born to be able to leave the hospital and bring our precious baby girl home to join her sister and brother!