Lucy's Birth

Shortly after we celebrated Ben's birthday, it was time to celebrate another birthday...baby Lucy's! I was set to be induced the morning of July 30, just a few days before she was due. My labor pretty much went like all the others, fairly smooth and quick. I'm so thankful for modern medicine. Once I get my epidural, I'm relaxed and ready to roll...or should I say, push! Lucy Ann Hafen made her big debut at 1:06 pm and weighed in at 8 pounds, 4 ounces and measured 19.5 inches long.

As soon as I saw her little chin quiver across the room, I immediately thought she looked most like her big brother, Matt Mo. Of course, it was love at first sight for everyone who met her...

After lots of snuggle time, she got her first bath right in my room...

She was not really a fan, but was happy as could be once she got swaddled back up.

Thankfully, Granny Sylvia came into town to help with the older kids at home. She brought them up for a visit a little later that day. They were all so excited to meet her!

Before we knew it, we were bringing her home!

The rest of the month of August is kind of a blur. All I know is there was a whole lot of eating and sleeping on Lucy's part and not nearly enough on mine. I was just trying to survive until the boys started school a few weeks later.

Ben turns 7!

As soon as the boys got back from Winnipesaukee, it was time to celebrate Ben's birthday. Of course, he wanted everything Lego themed...he's obsessed!

7 Things About Ben at 7:

• He's a great student. He excels at spelling and math, and he has beautiful penmanship.
• He obviously loves Legos. He can whip out a completed set in no time (if he can find the pieces) and he also likes to make up his own pretty impressive creations.
• He loves the great outdoors. Camping, hiking, and biking are favorites...just like his dad.
• He's good at sports. He loves soccer and has recently become interested in basketball and football. He's a natural!
• He's a great helper at home. He actually asks for us to give him chores!
• He's sometimes shy in social situations, and his teachers at school and church think he's a little angel. I can assure you he is quite loud and a little bossy at home!
• He can be a really sweet big brother when he wants to be, especially with Sadie. He'll play dress up, give horsey rides, or do anything to make her laugh. He and Matt are good buddies and do most everything together, but they also fight a lot because they're so close. He has a strong desire to do the right thing and will be a great example to his siblings as he continues to grow and mature.

We sure love our Benny Boy and we're so thankful for him!

Lake Winnipesaukee

When we planned a big family trip to Lake Winnipesaukee with John's brothers a year in advance, we didn't know that I would be almost 9 months pregnant when it came time to go. So our summer family trip became a boys' trip while Sadie and I stayed home and got the house in order for Lucy's arrival. John and the boys had the best time, but who wouldn't at a place like this?

The boys loved to just paddle around in the boats and jump on the trampoline with cousins.

They spent most of their time in the water, but they also made some day trips to explore the surrounding areas. They took a chairlift ride...

And they spent a day on the coast in Portland, Maine...

They even got adventurous with the local cuisine...

John said the boys would just crash in bed at the end of every day...the true sign of a GOOD vacation.

Next time, the girls will go too!

 

Summer Catch Up

Yep, folks, I'm 6 whole months behind on the blog so buckle up and let's go!

We kept the boys (and mom) busy at the start of the summer with soccer camp and swim lessons. Both were a big success! I wasn't sure how they would do with the camp since it was quite a chunk of time each day, but they absolutely LOVED it. The coaches were all British and really fun with the kids. We'll definitely do it again next summer.

They also really enjoyed swim lessons and learned a lot!

We celebrated the 4th of July with cousins Luke and Stella at the FC Dallas game. We all had a blast and we had perfect seats for the fireworks show afterward.

The rest of the HOT Texas summer was spent either indoor or at the pool...

We even made a trip to the dentist. The boys were actually excited to go - they have all kinds of fun stuff for the kiddos there.

And, of course, I made lots of trips to the doctor as my baby belly got bigger and bigger. Here's the last belly shot I took a couple days before Lucy was born...

To be continued...