Boo!

My little punkins
Cutest Fireman Ever

Our littlest punkin

Well, we had a great time celebrating Halloween with or beautiful bat fairy and our handsome fireman. Carter was festively dressed, but no costume this year! Our neighborhood was full of kiddos on the prowl to fill their bags with treats. This was Jackson's first year to really get into it and seeing his face light up when we hit that first house and they handed him candy was priceless. He just couldn't believe that was just for him! I love it!

Happy 2 Months!

Happy 2 Months Carter!

Hard to believe he's 2 months old now!

We are loving his sweet smiles and little "goooos" when he talks to us:)

He weighs 11 lbs. 9 oz. and is 23" long!

Wow - October already!

My Beautiful Indian Princess

Bath Time!

Cutest. Thing. Ever!

SO SILLY!

GRANDMA MARY and her newest love

It's hard to believe October is already here and baby Carter will be 2 months old soon. Kylie is doing so well in first grade and is really enjoying horseback riding lessons and her weekly dance class at school. Every day I ask her what was the best part of her day and it never fails for her to answer "outside". She loves to play outside and chase the boys (I think that's what she really likes).

Jackson is doing really well at school too! He's now in school 4 days a week - two days at Bannockburn and two days at Westlake Presbyterian. I actually think it works really well to change things up a bit and not go to the same place every day. We sometimes hear that he has a hard time with "kind hands" which always makes me sad, but I hope it's something he will grow out of. Basically, if someone has something he wants, he has no problem using force to get it from them. He really has such a sweet heart, but he uses his strength to get his way when he needs to. He's talking up a storm too! We get tickled at him all the time over things he says. It's like he's just sponge soaking up every word he hears. It's amazing! And, here I was worried he wouldn't be a big talker. Proved me wrong!

Carter is growing and growing. We are still having some issues with his tummy and trying to figure out what it is that has him so uncomfortable. We've tried different meds and I've cut out just about everything from my diet, but he's still very sensitive and wants to be held 24/7. It is puzzling and frustrating to not know what is bothering him, but I am hopeful things will turnaround soon. Now, it's time to decide if he needs to see a specialist or just continue doing what we're doing. His hair is slowing falling out, but I still think we have a brunette, brown-eyed hunk this time! He loves being outside and his warm baths. He smiles when Kylie and Jackson talk to him, which is so precious. I think he gets overwhelmed by them sometimes, but I can tell he knows who they are.

Adam has been so busy taking care of Kylie and Jackson and working. He's really stepped up and is doing a great job! Having three kids is a whole new level of activity which requires some serious stamina. I am now back working full time, so Grandma Mary has now become the caretaker for a third time. She's like super woman trying to manage hers and everyone else's schedules. I don't know what we'd do without her.

I'm so looking forward to Fall activities with Halloween and Thanksgiving... just one step closer to Christmas!

I can swim!!!

Jackson has really caught on to swimming this summer with the help of Grandma Debbie and Big Pa. And, when they put him in his vest, he was off on his own! He could swim across the whole pool with his vest and jump in from the side too. We are so proud of him! It is so nice to have a pool we can use right down the street that is small and private. He loves to say
"I go underwater!"

Yay Jackson!!!

Introducing Carter James Biehler!

He's here! Our healthy, beautiful baby boy is here.

He was born at 12:38 p.m. on August 17th and weighed 7 lbs. 7 oz. and was 19 3/4" long. Just a perfect little guy. He has pretty dark hair and it's even got a wave to it! So, we'll see if it sticks or if we end up with a third blonde-haired kiddo.

The delivery went pretty well. Dr. McIntyre and the nurses, etc. were all amazing. I wasn't really that nervous at all. I will admit this surgery was a bit more intense than the others. I felt quite a bit more tugging and pulling than ever, which was a bit unsettling, but it didn't last too long.

Carter is doing really well. He's gained back all his weight from birth and is eating like a champ. He wants to be held all the time, which is quite challenging for me, but I know he still so young. I just hope he gets over that here soon!

I'm not getting much sleep, but I know sooner or later this little guy will be snoozing the night away (wishful thinking I guess!).

Kylie and Jackson are the best sister and brother ever. They are both so adoring of Carter and love him to death. Jackson is still learning how to be gentle, but he loves giving kisses and gets the biggest grin on his face when he sees his baby brother.

Kylie is a great helper and can even hold him for me sometimes so I can do a few things. I love it!

It has been a huge relief to get a break from the stress of work as well. A very much needed break for my brain! It's going by too quickly though!

I'll do my best to post often as these sweet kids of mine continue to bless my life every day. I love to share my greatest blessings with friends and family!

Happy Baby Eve!

My sis sent me an email that said "Happy Baby Eve" and I thought that was pretty cute!
So, tomorrow is the big day when we will welcome Carter James into our lives.
I just now packed our bags and I guess I feel like we are ready? I don't know how ready we can be, but I guess we are there.
If it's anything like Jackson's birth, we will go in at 10:30, I'll slip into a gown have my pulse and blood pressure checked and wait around for a bit - then off to surgery! It's actually a pretty low-key affair. Everyone loves Dr. McIntyre and you can tell. It's a pleasant, joyful environment. I've requested the same anesthesiologist I had for both Kylie and Jackson. He's kind and has been so great with the other two, of course I wanted him for Carter!
Nothing can really explain the way it feels to see your baby for the first time. What an amazing experience it is. I can't wait to hold him and snuggle with him.
No doubt I'm anxious about all the things that come along with a newborn and taking care of two other kiddos at the same time. It's a bit overwhelming, but one day at at time.
Here are my prayer requests:
A safe delivery of a healthy baby, a quick recovery, the ability to juggle schedules with school starting, the strength to make it through sleepless nights, and the ability to (despite how tough it might be to adjust) truly appreciate these three precious gifts God has given us. For one day, soon enough, they will all be grown up and we'll wonder where the time went. As much as we like to speed the time up, Lord please slow us down so we can enjoy our greatest treasures.
My next post will be of Mr. Carter! God be with us!

Mark your Calendars for August 17th!!!

Carter James will be arriving on August 17th (no earlier we hope) around 12:30 p.m. at St. David's Hospital!
So crazy to think that we are only about 2 weeks away from having another baby. Wow! I really love the idea of having it all planned. I can actually get up and get dressed (no breakfast - boo) and have a bit of time in the morning before we head to the hospital. If it's anything like Jackson's birth, it was absolutely low-key and not stressful at all. Dr. McIntyre is always a joy and I can tell nurses and other doctors really enjoy working with him, which makes a huge difference. I've requested the same anesthesiologist (Dr. Allen) I had for Kylie and Jackson. He is also amazing and helped me stay calm through both of their births! He even took some great pictures for us:) I remember when I was having Jackson they were discussing funny commercials and other just casual conversation topics. It really is quite amusing, and then all the sudden "here comes baby!".
I am so anxious to see what he is going to look like! And those tiny little hands and feet that are just the most precious site ever. I really do enjoy those few days in the hospital where Adam and I will be able to spend some time with Carter on our own. Kylie will hopefully be there for the birth and come to visit a bit, but then she'll be off to have her own fun adventures with friends and family. Mr. Jackson will get to meet Carter when he comes home. I'm not too sure he'll be comfortable with mommy lying in the bed with machines all around, so we'll just spare him that experience!
The house is pretty much done except for a few minor things here and there and I've finally gotten around to washing and getting baby clothes, bibs, blankets, etc. all washed and ready. Still have more to do, but at least we are making progress!
Jackson is doing really well in his big boy bed and really made the transition nicely, thank goodness. He still gets a bit hyper at bedtime and wants to play with his toys or heaven-forbid jump on the bed (which has already given us one bloody nose). Overall, I am very proud of him! He has changed so much just in these past few months. He went from not a whole lot of talking to sentences so quickly. My favorite things he says are:
"I love you so much"
"Thank you so much"
"Mommy, get up" (of course when I'm still wanting to sleep!)
"Hi, how are you?" he says this in the cutest little voice ever. It makes me smile every time!
"Mommy, pick it up please" any time he drops something.
It's really funny when he tells Kylie she needs to go to time out!
He really has a sweet demeanor to him and is actually a very polite little boy. So proud of him.
Of course, he likes to play with things he shouldn't and draw on pretty much anything, but overall he is a great kid. We just have to keep a good eye on him!
Kylie is growing up so fast. She's had a great summer of camps and spending the night with friends. She even put up a "DO NOT DISTURVE" sign on her door. Love it! She goes in there more frequently now for some alone time, which I think is really good for her. She'll play with toys, write in her journal (that she locks by the way), or read books. She is going to sleep on her own now, which took us literally up until this summer to make happen. Bad parents. I love our talks at bedtime, so we still have those now and then. Instead of laying in her bed until she falls asleep, I simply give her a kiss and tell her good night. She is really starting to show her personality... sometimes a bit more daring than I would like, and she can be quite the drama queen. We have some moments of talking back or just a snotty tone, but she seems to recognize our disapproval very quickly. I hope that she will really enjoy having another baby brother and being a part of it even more this time, now that she is older.
I'm preparing to take off some time from work which is always hard to do. I'll work up until Wednesday to get ready to be out. Quite stressful! It will be nice to have a few weeks to not be so focused on work. Probably a good break for my brain. Although, my brain will be a little wacky from lack of sleep, I'm sure.

Well, here's to what will hopefully be an uneventful next two weeks! We love you Carter James and can't wait to meet you!