This week I a will have a 1 MONTH old & a 3 YEAR old...

I can't believe little Reagan is almost a month old. If only pregnancy would go this fast! I am SOOOO enjoying this time as I try to suck up each moment with her knowing that this stage will be a distant memory soon. I am actually typing now as she is falling asleep in my arms, HEAVEN. Her tiny fingers and white
eyebrows are almost more than I can take as I well up with emotions, mostly gratitude for the opportunity to be a mother. I am so THANKFUL to have these little ones, (and now I am going to get MUSHY) they are my WHOLE life, my color to a dark world, my sweet to the sour, my CHINESE food, okay you get the point I really like being a mother;)

Reagan has been a little more fussy than the other two, from about 7pm-9pm she needs a little more love and attention, and she sleeps for about 4 hours straight and then wants to be up for a while. I am not complaining, not even a little bit, not even at all, I know that's not bad and I just adore this stage, so come what may. She seems to still be sooo tiny about 7.5 pounds now and still in some of her preemie clothes. She loves her passy and to cuddle in the Moby Wrap with her mommy or daddy (and Justin looks great in the moby;) The kids adore her, Brin wants to help with everything and Owen is very much her Superhero protector, thinking he will wart of any bad guys that may want to harm his baby sister or "the sister that can't walk" as he puts it. Owen is always in his role as a Superhero. We are getting into a routine (hallelujah) and life is adjusting surprisingly well.

Owen Man turns three next Sunday and I am still in shock!!! The kid has grown up waaaaaay too fast. He was early with his words and I think that speed things up too quickly for us. He still is using those words as he doesn't stop talking (mostly about bad guys, and Superheros) I would be surprised if he didn't ask you after seconds of meeting "Can you be a bad guy?" There is no end to his play or his imagination so that can be sort of exhausting. This kid certainly keeps us laughing, he is our family Clown (well I guess him and his daddy tie on that one.) For as tough as our little Superhero is, he is just as sensitive. He hates to disappoint us and especially "Sister" Brinley means a lot to Owen and so does her approval. They get along rather well playing constantly. Brin sometimes wants alone time and that very much bothers Owen. He would be joined at her hip if possible.

I have a kindergartener...

Brinley started kindergarten this week, where did all the time go...

Brinley in the hospital right after I had her...

NOW

At her desk...


We are so proud of you sister!!!

Reagan LaRae Lensch

Thursday at 8 am we checked into Banner Estrella Hospital with so much anticipation and excitement. After getting prepped for surgery I walked into the operating room and 10:21am out came our little Princess Reagan. I could tell from the moment I saw her that she seemed to be smaller than my other two. She weighed 6 lbs 12oz and was 19.5 inches long. I have had a wonderful recover thus far, and am able to sleep quite a bit as Reagan is a good sleeper. I am loving this baby thing!!!

Getting my socks on for the freezing Operating Room!


Meeting her for the 1st time

Hello Princess

Daddy cuddling Reagan as we wait in the Recovery Room.
Her 1st Bracelets

Sisters

I LOVE BEING A MOMMY!!!

T - 5 Hours

Its baby day and I still have no signs of nerves, just pure excitement as I anticipate holding our daughter in just a few hours. I realize that I am just trading in pain at this point. I have trouble getting my shoes on, going up stairs, and rolling over in bed and I its not going to get any easier after I have the c-section HOWEVER the pain is dulled by the fact that I will be made a mother again. It is never short of a miracle to bring these spirits to earth, I think more this pregnancy than the other two I have been even more aware of that fact (also I know just how fast they grow.) I don’t want to rush through these next few days but take it all in knowing that (God willing) I will recover, I will sleep again one day, I will be able to reclaim my body, but for now I will give that ALL up to hold this sweet baby girl.

REAGAN ready or not here you come, we can’t wait to welcome you home!!!

Love your Momma

Almost done...

Well, I am still pregnant although I haven’t been talking or blogging about it much, hoping that that would speed up time;) However, I did want little Ray Ray to know how much her family is looking forward to her arrival, just because I haven’t been taking all sorts of pictures and talking constantly about her due date (maybe because it’s the third) every night before Justin and I go to bed I tell him just how excited I am to be having a baby again. We then talk about all the fun we have in store (along with the sleep deprivation.) We have been wanting baby Reagan for sometime now and as the time approaches my excitement grows along with my belly and my impatience.
Brin loves to feel the little kicks of her sister and wants so desperately to hold her and love her. Owen is very aware that he will soon have “two sisters” and that Reagan is already a part of our family. I do still have so much I want to get done before the big arrival but we are almost there Reagan. Enjoy your last few weeks in a safe and solitary womb because you will soon be mauled by two loving siblings, adoring parents, amazing aunts and uncles, and wonderful of Grandparents! Can’t wait to meet you!!!

This maybe the only belly picture I have taken the entire pregnancy it was taken with three months left so about a month and a half ago!

May Happenings...

We were able to go to a baseball game. Taking the kids was fun and we even sat through ONE inning, no joke ONE inning. The rest of the time was spent playing and eating with the kids. I didn't mind, but I am sure Justin would have loved to watch a bit more of the game.

Our garden is growing like CRAZY! It is so nice to pick something fresh out of the garden and eat it for dinner. This is a one day bounty, Justin and the kids may get a little sick of squash variations for dinner each night;)

And my baby finished her last day of Preschool and lost her 1st tooth. The toothfairy was terrified that he would wake her up and had to wake me up to let me know that his heart was beating so fast as he stole that tiny tooth. Oh the joys of parenting!

I SEE...

I have recounted this story many times but for memory sake I will again retell the story of Brin and her new glasses…

I have been aware of the fact that our kids may have problems with their eyesight because of Justin’s terrible vision. So, being sensitive to this I have been watching Brin from the time she was little. But, there were no signs that she had any problem seeing; she is well advanced socially and mentally for her age. Her Preschool teacher said she had no problem understanding or participating. However, about a month ago as we were watching TV I asked Brin to change the channel to 8 and that is when she said “Mom there aren’t any numbers on the TV!” Well, yes there were and I could see them as clear as day. I told Justin about my concerns, he let me know of a free eye exam for kids and off I went.
We took Brin to do a prescreening (to see if we really need to get an appt.) She sat down and stuck her little head into a machine and the operator than asked her to read line 6. Nothing was uttered by Brinley, the operator than asked me “Does she know her numbers and Alphabet?” “Yes,” I answered. I then stuck my head in there and I could see just so clearly all the way down to line 10. So I asked Brin to read the biggest line. Perfectly she read line one and then line 2 after that she said it got blurry. SHE COULD ONLY SEE LINE ONE AND TWO!!! The operator promptly signed a paper for an exam.

We set up an appt for her exam and I was so glad that we were going to get to the bottom of this and get her seeing well. We meet with the Optometrists, and toward the end of the LONG exam he explained to me that she had a stigmatism in each eye, she was far sighed, and that she has NEVER seen clearly even up close. Her whole life she had never seen really anything clearly. I was so saddened by this news, but thankful that we were going to be able to help her. The Dr. then informed me that he wouldn’t get the to 20/20 that day because it would cause her headaches, he made an appt for October to see her and change her prescription again. Every time we would meet with anyone and they saw her prescription they would stop and say, “Wow, she does need glasses!”

As we walked out to get into the car Brin looking down at the feet said “Mom, I can see my shoes from way up here.” Since this incident we have heard many interesting observations from Brin because of her new found sight. Like “Mom I can see Mountains!” “The TV works from even way back here.” And just today “I like all the colors I can see when I wear my glasses!”