Avonlea's birth

We tried so long for a baby...for our Avonlea Janell Richardson. We tried for 2 1/2 years. After that, I decided I never wanted to try again. I hated the disappointment every month. A month after we decided the gap was too big between Alyvia and another baby, I found out I was pregnant. :) Jonathan and I were going away for our anniversary, and I took a test. Jon came home right after and I tried to walk out of the bathroom normally...but my face must have looked weird or freaked out, because Jon asked me what was wrong. I said nothing, but he didn't believe me. I hugged him, and then he got more freaked out...:) He kept asking, so i handed him the test. He was so excited. We all were. We gave the kids easter eggs with a piece of the puzzle, saying we were having a baby. They were so excited!
Well, fast forward 9 months...almost 10...(I got enduced 2 weeks late). Dr. Coss game me cytotek?...It started my labor and I didn't have to do pitocin. I did hypno-birth with her (the book) and I can honestly say I did not feel any pain at all. I kept telling my nurse and Dr. that I wasn't really at an 8. Dr. Coss broke my water then, and then yes, I ate my words...:) I had one hour of extreme pain. But i was able to have my 9lb baby totally natural on December 19, 2014. She even had an arm up by her head during delivery. It was a wonderful experience that i am glad i got to do. She was our Christmas miracle.
She is now 2 years old, and the most fun, sweet, crazy, wild, sensitive, strong, most beautiful little girl you will ever meet. We all LOVE our sweet baby we prayed so long for!

Just to remember Avonlea's funny personality!

Tonight was the best night ever! We totally let the kids sing with the karaoke machine. And Jon and I sang too....it was so fun. Avonlea was devestated that she couldn't sing let it go from frozen the whole time...her 2 year old heart was broke...;) all the kids had fun. It was a moment I loved....

I have to document that JT broke his arm going snowboarding the first time...:) he is ok and will miss about 3 weeks of wrestling (spring) he did well at state wrestling. We were so proud of him.
He doesn't love school like he usually does. Darn it. His teacher and his personality don't mix well I guess.  I am glad he has good friends to keep his spirits up.
Avery is playing basketball and is amazing at it! Seriously! She is aggressive and confident.  She amazes me! She loves school and has good friends. She also is playing piano and is amazing at that! She also is still Avonlea's little protector and spoiler.  Avonlea is lucky to have her avery.
Evanna is playing basketball, and rocks it! She shocks me with how aggressive and how willing she is to try. She needs to work on making baskets, but is doing really well! We are all impressed with her! She is doing paino as well and does great! That girl will hear a song and then go sit at the piano and just figure it out...amazing! She loves Titus so much. Her 2 teeth are finally starting to come in. She will look so different with mama teeth!
Alyvia isn't doing anything right now. Thank my lucky stars....;) she did piano for half the year with aunt jenn, but decided not to do it until jenn does it again after having her baby. Lyvi is so fun and bossy right now. She is so athletic. When she gets old enough to do sports, she will be amazing! She loves school, is so smart! She is still so scrawny and still looks so much like Nelly!
Avonlea (boogs) is still running the roost. She makes everyone do what she wants. Her voice is so cute. She talks so well. She loves tituth....:) it's just her and titus and me while kids are in school. We have our schedule...breakfast, masha, toys, laundry, pick up, lunch, baba (nap) play, get ready to get kids...thats her favorite part. She loves the kids...Ave still is her little mama..Ave....I need ave...she wants to go everywhere with her. Her heart breaks when ave won't play with her or she is gone. She got 4 top teeth fixed, her hair is starting to grow and her favorite thing to say is "no way"....yep, that's our avonlea...
Titus if 5 months and getting big! Rolls everywhere, laughs and smiles constantly, rarely cries, babbles and squeals all the time, nurses, plays with toys, loves baths, loves being tickled and eaten, lost most his hair...:)
Jon is working like a mad man..2 jobs. I miss that man so much! I am so grateful for the time we get together. He does so much for us.
I am just being mom...:)

Well, he is here! Has been for 5 months...:) Titus LV Richardson was born on September 14, 2016 weighing in at 8lbs 10oz and was 22 inches long.

He was (is) so cute! Like adorable cute! It was so fun to meet him. What I remember most about his birth is that  Jon and I were the only ones there. My mom didn't come because she was teaching seminary. I loved it just being us. It was so nice to spend time together with our last baby. It was a peaceful experience I am glad we got to have. I remember going in twice..yup, that's right, first induction didn't work...second one finally did since they were able to break my water. I did get an epidural, which made everything smooth and peaceful. Jon and I passed the time by playing candy crush and talking. I walked a lot.. (halls, stairs...ran some...:)) I was so anxious to meet my son. When it was time to push, I didn't push hard with the first contraction, because I was afraid of pooping...seems silly now. I even told Dr. Coss that and my nurses.. I told them I would push hard the next contraction, and he came quickly. He was amazing. I prayed he would be able to handle the enduction, and both times they endured me, his heart rate never droped once..he was strong. I knew he would be.

His hair was dark and he had a lot of it! His cheeks were chubby and he was beautiful. I fell in love with the baby that completed us. He made me whole...us whole.

He has been the best nursery ever. It never hurt to nurse him like the others. He was so calm and so relaxed, that while my milk wasn't in, I basically had to force him to wake up and nurse. My other babies tried sucking the life out of me trying to get milk. Titus, no, he just was content. Then my milk came in and he nursed great. It was awesome!

He was and is the happiest baby ever. I am pretty sure I have held him for 5 months straight...:)

He is rolling everywhere, wants to grab everything, and loves to scream (happy squeals) and babble. He loves baths, toys and being held and nursed... I couldn't ask for a better baby.

And did I mention that he is freaking cute? Like so cute...so so so cute! I could squeeze that chubby baby forever. I love the way he looks at me like I am the greatest ever!

The kids all love him...even....especially Avonlea. They all are so glad to have a brother.

Life really doesn't get better than this....

It's a boy! And they say he measured with the due date they had...September 16....I thought maybe beginning of October but September works! Jon and Avonlea and I went over to find out. It was pretty obvious it was a boy. :) everyone is so excited. J.T. fell on the flook when we had them open the pizza that had a b on it. :) all the girls are excited and Jon is SOOOOOOO excited! Life is pretty good. Book ends is what we'll have!

In 2 days we get to find out what our new little peanut is! I am excited and nervous! I hope the baby is healthy and perfect.
I am so grateful to be able to be having this baby. Jon and I both feel like this is our last one. Which is exciting, thinking this is our family, and also so very sad to me. Not because I want a million kids, or even that I want any more kids, but I realize this stage is almost over for us. A new chapter is starting. Which by the way, I am super excited about. But, oh how I will miss some of these things in this chapter. I will miss feeling the life moving inside of me... knowing there is a person counting on me. I will miss my husband rubbing my huge belly or laying his head on it and talking to our babies. I will miss watching my stomach look like an exorcism needs to happen. :) I actually will miss the terrifyingly wonderful moment when its time to meet our baby and knowing that jonathan is as excited and terrified as I am. ..for different reasons probably. ... I will miss those baby stretches and yawns. The baby smell. ..oh how I will miss the baby smell! I will miss the kids meeting their siblings and seeing bonds form that could melt my heart over and over. I will miss the moments of catching daddy asleep with the baby while supposed to be babysitting. :) I will miss the hippo teeth, the drunk from milk phase, the laughs and giggles of tiny voices, the moments I am sure life can't get any better while looking at my family that God blessed me with. I will miss the dressing themselves phase, the mobile vacuum they become, the pride even a baby feels in meeting milestones. The messy faces, the dirty hands and knees, nursing. ...I love nursing my babies! The bond with that is so strong if you take a moment to enjoy it!
There are so many moments I will miss. You see, most of my kids are out of this phase and it's true what they told me. ..I will miss it. So, even though things are busy, hard, tiresome and sometimes just plain stink. ..I will try a little harder to hold on to these moments. . . This last time. . . For a little longer.
I love every stage my children go through and will miss things from each. It is amazing and sad to see your children grow and do new things. . . Like. . . Start to care how they look, sing so loud, play outside with such imagination that I wish they could stay out til the sun comes back up, read books in bed even when lights were supposed to be out, seeing them sit together and talk like friends, even fight like enemies :), see them teach each other things like how to cast a spell with homemade harry potter wands, see them cheer each other on, watch them comfort each other when sad, see my children carry my babies around and take care of them with such love, seeing the love my babies have for their siblings, the tricks, the teasing, the messes, the fighting, the way they still want me to sing to them at night and want me to read to them.
You see, life is wonderful and I am oh so blessed. ..I will miss all of this. ..yet, I will enjoy all of this as well. ...:)