Not Done With Two Kids

You have your boy and your girl, you're done right?

I can't tell you how many times I heard this shortly after my daughter was born.  I had two kids, a boy and a girl, so that had to be it right?

For a little bit I thought maybe it was; with a high strung two-year-old and a newborn everything seemed overwhelming.  But with time and patience, I began to know, that no we were not done with just two.

We decided that there was another baby that was supposed to be part of our family.  Seven months of trying and ups and downs, and finally the exciting news that our family of four would soon be five.   My pregnancy felt pretty routine, the unfortunate Sciatic nerve pain I first experienced with Alex returned along with a major hernia.  The vein in my leg near my groin bulged out over a inch at times.  Thankfully my other two were a little older this time around, as I was not able to lift anything  heavy.

We realized with a July due date our usual trip to Utah would have to be changed, instead opting for a trip in May.  Lucas would miss a week of preschool but he would be back in time for preschool graduation.

The trip began normal, about halfway through the trip I felt the baby shift, it made me waddle even more.  We went to the Jordan River Temple, and right in the middle of a session, my water broke.

This video tells that story a little more

The next month was a total roller coaster, with time split between the NICU and being with my other two kids.  The day he was able to come home really came more quickly then we ever thought it would.

And now this Saturday, that little baby who came 8 weeks too soon will be six.

He is funny, he has the best curly hair- which trust me he always tells me "Don't cut my curls", he is excelling in school and makes friends easily but also likes to keep to himself.  He has his sister's face but his brother's hair.

One-year shoot

We often say he is the perfect balance of his older two siblings.   He is my cuddler and still comes and sits on my lap to show me his "papes" when he gets home from school.  

At Preschool Graduation last year

From when he was little he has always had amazing coordination and could hit a ball with a bat at two-years-old, yet now when he plays soccer he runs almost in slow motion and understands the game but is often run right by.  
He always makes us laugh, saying the most clever and funny things and he knows he is funny.  He says prayers reluctantly always saying he doesn't know what to say, but does perfectly when giving a talk in Primary.   He plays really good on his own and rarely asks to watch TV, instead playing some imaginative game he created.  

He is and will always be my baby, which he has just barely not objected when I tell him so.

To my Ryder, I love you and am so glad you are in our family, no we were not done with two,  I couldn't imagine our family without you. 
Happy 6th Birthday