Our Chaos

We thought that our household was chaotic with three children.  We didn't really know what chaos was, I guess!  Now we know chaos!  But it is wonderful chaos!  Its amazing to think that just 6 years ago, life was so simple with just Nate and I going and coming as we please.  6 long years later, we have created 4 miracles that have drastically changed our lives.  Everything we do now is for these 4 miracles, and less and less for just ourselves.  We are blessed to have this chaos in our home.  We are blessed to have such beautiful healthy children who teach us so much each and every day.  I have learned more about myself through being with my children than I have every before in my life.  I am so grateful for my kids and for the simple joys they bring into our home.  Our home is a very busy place.  Someone is always needing something; and often all four are needing attention at the very same moment!  It is challenging, but the challenge is one that is rewarding at the same time! 

A Newborn Baby

Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing and butter the bread,
Sew on a button and make up a bed.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I’ve grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue
(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
(Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).
The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo
But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo.
Look! Aren’t her eyes the most wonderful hue?
(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).


The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
For children grow up, as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

--Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

Grandma Hutchinson

We were so lucky to have Grandma Hutchinson come out to visit when Baby Dawson was born.  It's special for her to be able to come for a new baby since she lives so far away and cannot spend lots of time with her Indiana grandkids.  So to be here for a new grandbaby is a special occasion.   She was a wonderful help with the boys and Kaylee allowing me to spend time with Dawson.  Of course the kids adore her and all her fun activities that she does with them.  She got to spend the most time with Kaylee since she doesn't go anywhere to school yet and Kaylee really got to know Grandma well. They painted together, colored together, read lots and lots of books together, and sang songs together.  She would request Grandma to put her to bed and woke up in the morning asking where Grandma was.  Its wonderful to see her little personality and her desire for her Grandma.  

Grandma and the boys love the dollar store!  She took the boys there one afternoon to spend $5 each.  This is what Cooper came home with =)  He was a pirate from head to toe!  Thanks Grandma for all your help and support.  We love you and appreciate you coming all the way to Indiana to be with us and to get to know Baby Dawson, your 8th grandchild!  

A New Brother

Jaxton loves babies!  He has enjoyed watching Kaylee grow and learn new things.  He is super gentle and soft and cuddly with his new brother.  He is proud to have a new baby brother and was telling his friends at school about Baby Dawson.  He is also very able to help take care of him and calm him down if he's crying.  When he wakes up in the morning, the first thing he wants to do is usually spend some time with Dawson who is always awake and happy about the time the kids wake up.  Sometimes he will even forget his morning chores because he is talking and playing with his new brother. :-)

Dawson is Cooper's MiniMe.  Their baby pictures are identical.  By looking at the newborn pictures of both of them it is very difficult to figure out which is which.  These two looked subtly different at birth than Jaxton and Kaylee.  I imagine that Dawson will look a ton like Cooper as he grows older with blond hair like his brother, but probably blue eyes like his sister.  Cooper was a little bit indifferent about his new brother at first.  He didn't seem to notice him very much and his little world didn't seem to change much.  He definitely likes to hold his brother and he is very very good at putting in his pacifier. It bothers him when Dawson cries a lot.  It's sweet because Cooper feels sentimental towards him and genuinely is concerned when Dawson can't be calmed down.  Dawson is very lucky to have such wonderful big brothers as his example throughout his life. 

Kaylee is absolutely thrilled to have a real live baby in the house!  She is not one bit jealous of this new bundle of a baby.  Rather, she is just excited to help take care of him.  She loves to "Change You Dawson" and she loves trying to put his pacifier in upside down.  She always wants to hold him and touch him and smother him with love.  Sometimes I will lay Dawson down on her bed while I'm getting her ready for bed and she will want to lie down right next to him and snuggle him to pieces.  He is her live doll!  When he gets his diaper changed, she wants to get her diaper changed right next to him on the floor.  So I often do double diaper duty, two at a time.  One time we were at the YMCA and Kaylee was in Childwatch.  I had Dawson with me, but I always keep an extra pacifier in the diaper bag.  The workers at Childwatch couldn't get Kaylee to be happy, so they found an orange basketball pacifier in the diaper bag and gave it to her.  The funny thing is, she took it!  So when we came to pick up the kids from Childwatch we find Kaylee with Dawson's orange pacifier in her mouth.  LOL.  It was just way too funny.  She hasn't had her pacifier since she was just barely 1 years old, at least 8 months ago.  She knew Dawson takes it when he is sad.  So since she was feeling sad, she willingly took it!  Too funny!  Dawson is also very lucky to have such a loving big sister who will always take care of him!

Flag Football

The boys were in flag football this fall.  They're not super into football, but its important to at least know how to play the game.  And once they learned some of the rules, they actually really enjoyed watching BYU football on TV because they better understood what was going on.  Jaxton was reluctant at first to play until I assured him that he would have a "tail" called a flag and that instead of tackling him, the players would just pull off his "tail."  He was ok with that!  But I did tell them both that they would actually be very good at tackle football, seeing how they tackle one another in their daily wrestling matches at home. :-)

 The boys were practicing their quarterback catches and running a touchdown!

 They played on a YMCA team called the Wildcats and their team color was purple.  Jaxton was #1 and Cooper was #2.  They loved their team huddle where they put their hands in and yelled "Gooooooo Wildcats!!" 

Dawson's First Bath

Dawson didn't really like his very first bath.  He was just too cold.  He had to have a sponge bath since his cord is still attached.  But once he was able to be submerged in the water, he absolutely LOVED his bath!  He fits just perfectly in our bathroom sinks, so I fill it up with warm water and let the faucet run over his belly to keep him warm.  He just loves it!  He is so wide-eyed and happy in the "tub."  And after his bath, he is usually worn out and goes right to sleep into dreamland.  

First Few Days

 Dawson has been a delight and a joy thus far during his first few days being alive on this earth!  It is so interesting to realize that babies have to learn how to be alive!  They are born knowing how to suck, a survival skill that's inborn.  But other things are so new to newborns that it takes time and practice.  No wonder they cry so much.  Dawson was having a hard time swallowing. It was a skill he hadn't mastered in the womb.  So the first few days, he would burp up some milk and just could not swallow it back down.  It worried me!  I was afraid he'd choke or be unable to breath in the night.  So I kept him close by me at night so I would hear any and every grunt or noise, just to make sure he was alright.  If I helped him sit up rather than lay flat, he could get it down.  But it was a challenge for his little body.  We made sure to prop him up when was in his crib so he'd be laying at an angle instead of flat.  However, after about 4 or 5 days, he mastered this new skill and was doing great!  

The nurse came to our house to do our home visit and checkup, since we left the Birthing Center so soon.  It was realllllly nice not to have to pack up my newborn and go to the pediatricians office.  They just came to me instead.  They weighed Dawson and he had only lost about 4 pounds from birth!  That was excellent!  They also did his PKU newborn screening pokes on his little feet and did a hearing test on him.  I'd never seen this done before, but apparently its standard in the hospitals.  I've always been laid up in bed with numb legs with my other babies, so I never got to see this done.  It was very interesting.  He was sleeping, which made it all the easier.  They put sensors over his ear and over his forehead and played sounds and vibrations.  The test measured his brain activity during the sounds and he passed with flying colors.  

 Grandpa Hutchinson, my dad, sent these adorable chocolate covered strawberries as a Welcome Baby gift.  What a surprise!! It was so fun to receive these in the mail, a most unexpected baby gift.  We all got to enjoy a strawberry or two decorated in cute blues and browns for baby.  Thanks Dad! I couldn't help but take a picture of them since they are so adorable!

Dawson Jeffrey Routsong

Dawson Jeffrey Routsong entered this world at 6:54pm on Thursday September 13, 2012.  He was 7 lbs 15 oz, and 21.5 inches long.  He is our biggest baby yet!!  He has grey-blue eyes and his features resemble Cooper the most, but he shares the same look as all of his siblings.  He has 10 fingers and 10 toes, a perfect little turned up nose, and tiny little ears.  He is absolutely perfect.  His skin was pink and healthy the moment he arrived.  As much as I want my babies to come early, I am so grateful that he was able to develop fully inside me and come to us healthy and strong and ready for life.  His middle name is after his grandpa, Jeffrey Hutchinson, and his first name is a name that Nate and I loved.  

Nate was able to raise the flag outside the center to announce the arrival of a new little boy into this world.  A proud moment for him!!  

Stephanie Vanderhorst, my certified nurse midwife, was absolutely wonderful.  From beginning of pregnancy through to the end, I could not have asked for a kinder health professional who catered to our every need.  When Kaylee was born, since we don't have maternity benefit coverage, we bartered an alarm system in the brand new birthing center for my prenatal care with Stephanie.  This time around, Stephanie wanted to barter again, an alarm system for her personal home in return for my prenatal care.  Thank you Stephanie!!

 After Dawson was born, I felt pretty good.  He was super healthy, nursing well, and sleeping peacefully.  We just watched the rest of "What About Bob" till about 11:00 at night.  At that point, we were just hanging out, eating our homemade bread, and Stephanie suggested that we might as well just hang out at home and get a good nights' sleep.  So we did.  We headed home at 11:00, when Dawson was just 4 hours old.  I never would have imagined doing that before, but everything seemed ok about it.  It was really nice to take him home to an empty house and spend a couple peaceful days with just baby, mommy and daddy.  

Its amazing how our love grows.  We fell in love with this tiny little boy the moment he was here.  Our love for our kids doesn't seem to get divided between them, rather, it just multiplies somehow.  We love you Dawson so very much and are so glad to have you here in our family.  You are a precious son of God that has been entrusted to our care, and we will love you forever.  

A Blessed Journey

We had been waiting anxiously for any sign of baby.  The day before his due date, he let me know that today was the day.  I was ready.  I felt as prepared as I could be for this experience.  I had bloody show and started feeling pain with my contractions around 3am, just like all my other babies.  These contractions were definitely painful and strong, unlike the painless ones I have all throughout my pregnancies.  I got excited!  And I started practicing getting through them with different techniques I had studied.  I knew they would just get harder and harder, so I was glad to start practicing.  Unsure exactly what to do, we decided to send Jaxton to school and go about our day normally, that way I would not be focusing on the pain all day, rather, I would be focusing on the kids and our normal daily routines.  So by the time Jaxton came home from school at noon, we had arranged with Nate's dad to take the kids.  We packed up our bags and headed up to Kendallville and spent a couple hours at their house.  It is amazing how my mental state changed the way I was able to deal with the contractions.  I remember with Kaylee I wanted my pain medicine, so the contractions were just absolutely horrible!  But this time, my goal was different, so I was able to manage the pain.  I figured out how to internalize the pain.  I just turned inward.  I had to close my eyes and almost "look at" the pain and when I did that, it was bearable.  And it was pretty amazing how I felt in between contractions.  I felt amazing!  We stopped in at a small market in Kendallville thinking we'd walk around a little bit and I felt great.  I wanted to go walking around to pass the time.  But when a contraction came, I couldn't move, couldn't talk, probably looked ridiculous in the store.  We decided to not walk around after that.  But it was amazing how good I felt in between the contractions, like I could go and do anything!  Stephanie called it a state of euphoria in between contractions.  It truly was like that.  And its amazing that the body allows that break in between, its like a gift during such a difficult experience.  The human body is truly amazing. 

The contractions were getting harder and harder, stronger, and more painful.  So at that point, we called Stephanie, our certified nurse midwife and she met us over at the birthing center.  So we arrived at the Auburn Birthing Center around 4pm.  Nate and I were the only ones there with Stephanie and a nurse named Melissa.  The Birthing Center is set up just like a little house with a kitchen, living room, and three bedrooms.  It was such a cozy little place all decorated so neatly.  And it was quiet and peaceful.  The first thing Stephanie did was start the bread machine.  We'd smell the sweet aroma of homemade bread for the next several hours and by the time baby was here, we'd have delicious bread hot and ready to eat.  Stephanie checked me and asked what I thought I was dilated to after laboring all day.  I didn't want to be disappointed, so I suggested that I was hopefully a 3 or 4?  She said I was dilated to 8!  Wow!  I couldn't believe it!  I was afraid that all the pain I had had was not quite at its worst, but it really had been working my body all day!  I was so happy.  I knew my baby would be here in a matter of hours.  I got my dose of anitbiotics for Group B Strep and went walking around the place for a while.  Walking got hard, so Nate and I sat down in the recliners together and watched "What About Bob."  I felt like just relaxing like normal with Nate watching a movie rather than do any of the other things I had planned and prepared to do, like play relaxing music or manage the pain in different positions.  Rather, I just wanted to relax like things were normal.  At 6pm Stephanie checked me again and I was about a 9 and a half.  I had her break my water and then things sped up.  The pain was intense and I could tell things were happening inside my body.  Everyone has told me that water and the bouyancy of water in the tub helps to ease the pain and take the edge off.  So I thought, why not?  If its going to help take the edge off this pain, then I will definitely spend some time in the tub.  With the jacuzzi jets on, I felt like I was being massaged at the same time I was contracting, and so yes, it helped take the focus off the pain because my body was also feeling massaged!  It was helpful.  But all too soon, I felt tons of pressure.  Baby was coming.  And I had no desire to get out of the water at this point!  We would have a waterbirth...

Now this was the part that I was not fully prepared for.  I knew the pushing stage would be short for me, as it has been with all my babies.  I felt that pressure and I wasn't sure what to do!  I asked Stephanie whether I should start pushing or wait, and how would they know to be ready to get down by me to catch baby?  She said to push when I felt that urge to push and that she would know when to get down and ready by the tone of my voice.  By the tone of my voice?  What did she mean?  And then I knew.  This pain, I was not prepared for.  I had prepared well for the contractions, but this last 5 minutes was hardly bearable.  I could feel my body stretch and Stephanie helped me with encouragement and kind direction as I endured the intensity of the pain.  I knew it would only be a matter of minutes and so I just went for it and pushed as hard as I could so that baby would be here as fast as possible!  That was my motivation.  I just wanted him out and to be done!  And within a couple of minutes, it was all over, and he was here!  

Passing from water inside me to water outside me was very peaceful for him.  He did not even cry.  He was warm in the water and Stephanie just raised his little head out of the water, wrapped him in a towel in the warm water and placed him in my arms.  His eyes were closed and he was so peaceful there in my arms.  I never thought that a "waterbirth" would be beautiful or peaceful, let alone clean.  However, there was no blood in the water, just baby.  And seeing my peaceful baby, not stressed by the cold air, and comfortable in the warmth of the water and my arms, it was indeed a beautiful, peaceful waterbirth.  

I climbed out of the tub and Nate was able to cut the cord.  Baby continued to be totally at peace, no crying at all.  These were beautiful moments. 

 Nate was wonderful the entire time.  All week, he would ask me how I felt.  He had a hard time going to work, and spent a whole lot of time at home, just wondering if "today would be the day."  Both of us were kind of putting life on hold and he especially was just excited for this day.  He supported me through my contractions by just simply holding my hand, helping my hand to relax and not tense up.  That was his main role.  If my hand began to get tense, he'd help to shake it out, remind me to not get tense.  He was with me throughout the experience, making me as comfortable as possible and giving me encouragement and compliments.  I'm glad that he and I had the same goal, to allow my body to give birth the way my body was meant to do.  He knew I could do it, and that gave me further confidence that I could.  He was amazing.  And now he is a very proud new daddy again!

The Odyssey

 We are officially owners of a minivan!  Years ago I told myself I would never own one.  But we are at the point now that we can't NOT own one. LOL.  It just makes sense.  We need the extra seating, the extra space and the extra storage areas.  And we need a reliable vehicle with space enough to go on weekend road trips or camping trips together as a family.  And now, I absolutely love it! I love being a minivan mommy! We ride in style!  The kids love it.  It has 8 seats which will allow us to drive the kids friends every once in a while.  It's super convenient to have the automatic doors to drop off Jaxton at Kindergarten and shut the doors merely with a button.  Everything about it is great!  The good old Tahoe has been good to us for 7 some odd years.  But our family of near to be 6 makes us ready and excited for this new "minivan chapter" of our lives :-)