Christmas Candids

We had a wonderful Christmas this year! The boys had a ball decorating the house and really enjoyed our advent calendar and turning on the outside lights and Christmas tree lights each night! Although it felt like it snuck up on me, we really enjoyed how excited the boys were this year! We hang our stockings on the staircase and the boys were thrilled to be able to see them chock full from the top of the stairs! They didn't even pay any attention to the tree room (living room) but when they finally looked...what a reaction!! Greg's mom and sister gave them the GeoTrax airport to go with their train set and they went nuts! My parents showed up around 8:30, just in time for breakfast and to watch the boys open their gifts. Among their favorites were their real golf clubs and a golf bag, a football game, a Hummer and Georgia uniforms...and boy do they look adorable in them! :) Just wanted to share a few photos of the day! Hope yours was happy!!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Today was Greg's birthday! Being the great daddy that he is, when presented with the choice of going out vs. staying in, he decided that he would rather spend his special night with his boys. He did, however, request a rain check on the dinner out, so we will have a date night sometime soon...we are both looking forward to that! We had a steak dinner and the boys helped me make brownies for daddy...and we had a fun time celebrating the best daddy in the world! Happy Birthday Greg!!

The most wonderful time of the year

We have been having so much fun learning how to work as a family of 5! Mathis is an absolute dream baby! It is true what they say...it is SO much easier to go from 2 to 3 than from 1 to 2! The boys are incredibly sweet with him and love to inform me of every little thing he is doing...especially Tanner. "He crying...get him Mommy!" "He have hiccups...that funny!" Pretty much everything he does is funny to Tanner! Landon loves to hold him and burp him...all of a sudden he is so big! Of course, we have had the occasional outburst and selective listening...but I'm not sure how much of it is new baby related, or holiday related or just plain "two" or "four" year old testing. None the less...Greg and I are pleasantly surprised at how Mathis just eased on into the family...who knew one little person could add so much! :)

Mathis is growing...though he still seems so tiny compared to Landon and Tanner at this same age! Although he was born at 7.14, he was down as low as 7.3 in the hospital and they were threatening using formula...but I begged to give me until discharge and by the time we left he was working his way back up to 7.6! On Thursday the 18th we took him in for his first well check at the doctor and he was already up to 7.9. The doctor also felt that he was still looking jaundiced and sent us to the lab for a check. We discovered that his bili count was at 14 which is not crazy high, but pretty high, especially for a 6 day old. He didn't' feel like we needed the bili lights but suggested we try to get him in the sunlight to try and break down the bili...and we would have, had it not rained for the next 4 days! When his eyes still looked yellow, I took him for another weight and bili check. Great news was he was 7.15 (a good goal is to regain birth weight within the first 2 weeks of life, which he did!), not so great news was his bili was still 10.5...very abnormal for a 14 day old. When the doctor called she suggested that I stop nursing for 24-48 hours and just use formula and that would break down the remaining bilirubin (sp?) in his gut and take care of the jaundice. Ugh! Why would anyone want to use bottles and formula? It is an incredible amount of work and I am soooo thankful that I have been able to nurse Mathis and the other two boys! So, after 48 hours of pumping, making bottles, washing bottles, sterilizing bottles and feeding...and LOTS of burping...we finally got back to normal. He already looks so much better and his beautiful blue eyes are so clear and bright!! We are so thankful!

We are really looking forward to tomorrow. Chadd and Topaz (my brother and his wife) and their two girls, Gabby and Farrah drove down from Michigan to spend the holidays in Atlanta with our family and Opelika with Topaz's parents. Lord willing, we will all (Mom, D, sister Lisa and her husband Scott and their 4 and Chadd and Topaz and their 2 and us) be together at my parents on New Year's Eve and will celebrate our Christmas morning on New Years Day. The kids are pretty much insane at the thought of spending 2 whole days with each other at Grandmommy's and Grandy's! Oh yeah, might also have something to do with opening more presents! :)

We got our biggest Christmas gift on the 12th and are so thankful for our healthy, adorable son! We are so proud of and thankful for our two big boys and are having a great time getting into our new normal! I am so appreciative to still have help from Millie and Cori, as I am still having some pain...though less now from the surgery...I think mostly from the 17 weeks of being in the bed! But each day is getting better, and I am looking forward to the day that I don't look at the trip to Target as a workout!

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

Love, The Powells

Falcons Fun!

Our dear friend, Jess Johnson has season tickets to the Falcons and has spoiled Greg with at least one game/year for a while. When he and Rebecca headed off to spend the holiday with family, he graciously offered his tickets to Greg...which he was more than happy to make good use of! Greg and Landon went to the Falcons'/Rams game on Sunday the 28th...Landon's first NFL game! He had a great time and thanks to his new football guys game he got for Christmas, he is really starting to understand the game! Jerious Norwood moved up in his ranks, though he still says Matt Ryan (the quarterback) is his favorite! When I asked him his favorite part of the day, he said "the train (Marta) ride and popcorn"..."and the game was cool too!" He is already asking to go again...although I am not sure who had more fun, Landon or his daddy! They both look pretty psyched in the photos! :) Thanks Jess!

Gift of God

Mathis Cooper Powell

The name Mathis means "Gift of God". Cooper was a name that Greg loved. It took us right up until discharge to decide on a name-much to the delight of family and friends. There is a long story behind how the name found us, but we just couldn't resist the opportunity to share just how God blessed our family with this little boy...he is a gift indeed...and God is good!

SO worth the wait!

Oh, we are having the best time! Landon and Tanner have been so wonderful with "their baby" - so sweet and gentle! They both love holding and kissing him and have been good about kissing him on the top of the head and playing with his piggies, but not getting right in his face. Which, by the way, turns out to be a life saver because this evening, out of nowhere, Landon started really sounding full and said that his ear hurt. After a visit to urgent care we learned that he had an ear infection that was caused by a bug that was causing the drainage. Thankfully, the doctor went ahead and started him on the antibiotic tonight, so he will hopefully be on his way to feeling better by the time he gets up in the am. We are just praying that he hasn't shared it already with Tanner. The baby should be fine due to the fact that he is nursing but we will take tomorrow off from visits just in case. Poor Greg was so disappointed to miss the night with the baby but we decided it would be best for Landon to have Daddy home...a snuggle with him can really help you feel better!

Thank you so much for all of your sweet calls and emails and messages! We are so looking forward to introducing P3 around! Please keep praying for the name to come to us...this is what I get for making fun of my sister and her husband for not being able to decide on a middle name! At least her baby had a first name! :) We think we are getting close. It seems to be down to about 5 names in various combinations...so we'll see!

Hope you all are doing well, we appreciate you all and your prayers!

Love, The Powells...all 5 of us!

Welcome P3!!

Oh happy day!! Today God blessed our family with a healthy, beautiful baby boy! He was born at 10:23am, weighed 7lbs 14oz and was 20 inches long. He is amazing and looks a lot like Landon did, only with lighter, wavy hair and what looks like blue eyes! He has rolls and folds and the cutest double chin...and we have only heard him cry 3 times so far! He is a really sleepy eater and we are praying that he will wake up and be more interested in nursing! Just wanted to share a few photos...we are in love and God is so good!!

Right, and please pray that we can decide on a name...for now he is still P3 or as my mother affectionately calls him..."ole what's his name".

Twas the night before...

meeting P3 and I can't sleep!! All my boys are having sweet dreams and I am still wide awake! Just can't believe that the big day is here...it is the 12th! (It's after midnight). We are leaving around 6:30 to have plenty of time to get down to Northside by 8...and I'd like to stop by HRP on my way to say a final thank you for their assistance getting to delivery!

We had an awesome day! I didn't have help today, but the boys were angels! I rode with Lisa to take them to school and then we went to Landon's Christmas program at school this evening...so fun! We were so proud of our big boy! Tanner and Landon waved at each other throughout the singing and as Landon walked back down the aisle after the program he stopped and gave his little brother a big hug and Tanner said "good job bubber"...they are going to be the best big brothers...P3 is one blessed little one!

Thank you so very much for your part in the story of P3! We are so thankful for you and the many prayers you lifted on our behalf! Please feel free to lift a few tomorrow too...the delivery is scheduled for 10, but they'll start with blood work and IVs and stuff around 8 and epidural at 9:30, ugh!

Stay tuned for details!!

We love and appreciate you all so very much!!

Love, Greg, Kristen, Landon, Tanner and P3

PS...did you see it? My boys are famous! They had their photo with Santa and Mrs. Claus printed in the AJC community section! Thanks for letting us know Cathy! They were so excited! :)

Counting down...

Holy cow! Has anyone else noticed that I am scheduled the day after tomorrow? I cannot believe it! Well, actually, I can but I am stunned that it is here already! It is insane...and so very cool! :) Thank you all for your prayers and well wishes these past 4 months. We are certain that they and the grace of God are the only reasons we have made it to this point!



Today Greg came home at lunchtime to take the boys to "cookies with the Clauses" at the Alpharetta Community Center. This is something that we started with Landon way back when he was 1, and it is so much fun! The boys loved taking some toys to put in the Toys for Tots box and meeting Santa and Ms. Claus. Landon asked for a Georgia football uniform and Tanner asked for a "choo choo train book". After visiting, they got a candy cane, a Christmas cookie (a VERY decorated cookie) and played some games in the auditorium, including a version of musical chairs using hula hoops on the floor, which they loved! Needless to say, after that sugar high, they both took fat naps! :)

We are looking forward to a nice family night together...our last of 2 as a family of 4! God is so good! :)

38 WEEKS!!

38 Weeks! It feels very surreal to be writing an update with that number included! We are so thankful to have made it...full term for a "normal" pregnancy...with our little miracle! God is so good!

Yesterday was so full, and yet another not so gentle reminder that I have been on bed rest for 17 weeks! We got up and went to Waffle House for breakfast, which, believe it or not, was delicious. I learned that the boys and I can no longer share an All-Star breakfast (when did that happen?). Each of them ate 1/2 a waffle, raisin toast and bacon...and Landon even ate some eggs! I love my boys, but I draw the line when it comes to my cheese eggs and raisin toast, so I got my own! :) When did they get so big? After breakfast, the guys dropped me to get a much needed haircut. I cut off my hair (12 inches) to donate back in May and had my first "styled" haircut in years...but without a cut or trim in 5 months I was beginning to look a lot like Gidget, so we needed to take care of that! :) I am now ready to meet this baby - haircut, toes done - I think I should be okay until we get through the initial 4-6 week "4th trimester" stage!

On the way home, we made the not so brilliant decision to take the long way around to 400 and stumbled on the Alpharetta/John's Creek Founders Day parade. It was really fun to watch the boys reaction to the bands, horses and, of course, Santa...but with only 1 way in and out, we were pretty much stuck until it was over...over an hour later. At this point I had been upright for almost 4 hours...and I was feeling it! By the time we got home, I couldn't wait to get some Tylenol, a heating pad and my bed! I paid for my outing with an incredibly sore back and constant contractions all day! It even got to the point where I called a neighbor to see if she would be "on call" just in case I couldn't get them under control with water and rest. Obviously, I did! And believe me...it was worth it! It was so fun to be out together as a family, sitting at the table eating a meal together and admiring my boys in action! I am so thankful to be at this point (and I think Greg and the boys are too!)

Last night we had another reminder that we are at that delicate stage with Tanner called "the twos". He is all about doing things himself and we straddle that line between wanting to teach him how to do it himself and being worried that he will actually be able to do what we teach him, on his own, anytime. Example: it is wonderful that he wants to wiggle into his own shoes by himself...except when you are running late and trying to get out the door! Last night, long after bed time and Landon was fast asleep, I heard Tanner calling out for me. Greg was downstairs and heard it too and we met in the upstairs hallway headed to his room. Of course, Greg beat me in there and I could hear him busting out laughing. Tanner was standing in his crib, holding his pajamas, looking so proud of himself! Oh, the joys of having a two year old! :) It was pretty funny!

Hope you all had a fun, restful weekend! Make it a great week!

Love, The Powells!!

Liberation!

Happy Friday! It is so good to be at the weekend! We'll have Greg home for two whole days and have lots of fun time together! Oh, right, and , Lord willing, this is our last weekend until we get to meet P3! We couldn't be more excited!! Tomorrow we have a big morning planned...Waffle House and then the guys are going to drop me to get a haircut! A haircut! My first in 5 months and I am so looking forward to it (it's the little things I miss most! :). They'll head over to the park while I am at the salon...they all got their haircuts yesterday...have to look handsome for the photos with the new baby! :)

So my sweet friend and neighbor Lisa, who has driven my boys to and from school pretty much every day for 4 months, was feeling a little under the weather when she showed up on Tuesday. I called this morning to see how she was feeling and though she said she was fine...I could tell she was telling a story! So, I decided that it would be a good time for me to start returning her help! I drove Landon and Eli to school today!! Can I just tell you that it is ridiculous how something so silly and small could totally set me free!! Now don't get me wrong...I didn't "do" anything. All I had to do was sit in the car, drive to school (5 minutes away) and pull through the car pool line. I'm not sure I would have been as brave if I had to get out of the car and walk them in...but the way I figured it...it was less time than I used to sit up in the wheelchair, so it would be fine! As soon as I dropped the boys I called Greg who immediately asked if I was in labor...and I told him, "no, I'm liberated!! I'm on Main Street right now!" It took a minute or two to convince him I wasn't delusional and was actually driving and for a minute I thought he might be upset, but he laughed and told me he was happy for my new found freedom and to enjoy the joy ride! Millie, our babysitter, had stayed home with Tanner and seemed really relieved when I returned home! Very fun!

I have to print a retraction from an earlier blog and also offer apologies to my sister...SHE made the turkey! Apparently my dad just checked the temp and she was responsible for everything else about the delicious bird...my most sincere apologies to the chef! :)

On a somber note, a few weeks ago I encouraged you to take a look at Stephanie Vest's blog, which has a link on our page. It is an incredible story of a very special young wife and mother and her courageous battle with cancer. Stephanie went home to be with the Lord on December 3rd. Please keep her husband Eric and her children Zach, Cole and Gracelyn in your prayers and if you have the opportunity to read the blog from the beginning, you won't be sorry and you'll be forever changed! May we all leave a legacy like Stephanie's!

Make it a great weekend! We love you!

Out of the mouths of babes...

Thought I'd share a couple funny things the boys said recently!

Today, after waking his brother from his nap after only 30 minutes, Landon was sent to his room to take a nap himself. When he awakened, he came into my room, as always, and got up in the bed to snuggle. We have some of our "serious big boy talks" after naps! As soon as he got settled in, he sat up and said, "I think this should be our last baby." When I asked him what made him say that, he told me because he didn't want for me to have to stay in the bed again for another baby. He then excitedly talked about all the things I would be able to do once this baby was out of my belly, "walking around all the time, and hiking and stuff". It was very sweet. Then he mentioned again how much he wanted a baby brother. Hmm...what to do since we can't guarantee that?! So I asked him what would happen if this was a baby girl, and he said then it would be alright to have one more baby...that he really wants another baby brother. Oh my!

Tanner has really started talking lately too...and has a lot to say! He is not quite to the point where he can "say" his prayers at night, so instead he sings them. We got a CD of Bible stories and songs a while back and listen to it while we are in the car. Of course, I haven't been spending a lot of time in the car with them lately, but apparently Tanner has heard the songs enough to sing them on his own. Where we once would hear "Jesus loves me" or "Oh how I love Jesus" as his prayers, a couple of weeks ago he started singing something I just couldn't place! It took a little investigation, and some of Landon's translating to figure out what he was singing. On the CD, after the Bible story of Jesus healing the lame man is a song that tells the story of the man "walking and leaping and praising God"...Tanner's translation goes a little more like "walking and yeeping and crazy God"...priceless!!

Hope you all are doing well!! Make it a great day! :)

No news...

Hello all! Happy December! It is so fun to have the sights and sounds of Christmas all around, even if it does feel to me like we went from 90 degree days and swimming at the pool to winter and Christmas around the corner! Very surreal! The boys are having a fun time working themselves into a tizzy of holiday cheer! We have a few of the classic TV specials from when we were kids and much to our amazement...they love them. Greg and I just look at each other over their heads wondering how those cheesy shows captivated us for so long!? Do any of you feel that way? A new tradition in our house was a gift from Lisa, Scott and their kids last year...the Elf on the Shelf. My family actually had one of these little fellows when we were kids (they actually still show up each year) and my parents told us that he was reporting our behavior daily to Santa...now some brilliant local woman actually wrote a book about it and sells it along with your very own elf for your shelf...why didn't I think of that?!? Anywhoo, I was hoping that this might impact their behavior for the better...so far, not so much! Oh well. We are starting with the advent calendar that my mother made for us in addition to the ones the boys made at school...nothing like a count down to whip kids into a frenzy! We also have another tradition which will happen this weekend. The boys get to go through their play room and fill a big box full of toys that they have enjoyed that we can share with someone that doesn't have toys of their own. We then take the box to North Fulton Charities or Must Ministries to share...last year Landon was so proud and surprisingly shared some toys I never thought he would let go of...it sure does make a mommy proud for her boys to understand how much more important it is to give than receive! We have been so blessed and it is important for the boys to learn to bless others!

So, we went to the doctor today and...nothing. I have gained yet another 3 pounds (Holy cow! Will it ever end?!), but the baby sounds great and the doctor thinks it is "approaching 7 pounds". Look, for how much weight I have gained, this kid better come out weighing closer to 20 pounds! We also got to visit with Dr. Sharon, who will deliver me on the 12th and he answered all our questions. We feel very comfortable with him and have heard rave reviews...I am hoping he is open to taking a little extra skin during the surgery! :) I feel like I have earned a tummy tuck, don't you?! And that is that...no more doctor visits unless something comes up...I just show up next Friday am at 8 and, Lord willing, we'll have a baby by 10:30! WOW!

Thank you all again for your prayers, words of encouragement and help along this journey. We feel very blessed to have friends and family like you and appreciate those of you who have requested prayers on our behalf...we are so grateful! God is SO good!

Love, the Powells!

37 Weeks!!

This is getting a little redundant, eh?? God sure does have a sense of humor! I spend the last 17 weeks on bed rest, trying to keep from delivering and now it can't come fast enough to suit any of us! :) Our newest game is trying to guess which day the baby will come. Landon is on thin ice with me because he said the 11th! Actually, that would be true to form for my babies because I am scheduled for a c-section on the 12th. Landon was a week overdue and they had told me no matter what they would have to induce me on the 7th...and my water broke on the 6th! With Tanner, they had encouraged me to have a scheduled section but I was fighting to try a VBAC and finally convinced them to schedule the C-section after my due date so I could at least have a chance at labor (what was I thinking?) and so my water broke on the 26th, the day before my scheduled section date! Landon first had suggested that the baby would come on the 4th, which would be next Thursday...next Thursday?! I just cannot believe it is that close! I cannot wrap my brain around not being stuck in the bed 24/7 anymore!

Sleep is sketchy at best these days...not just because I am up 4-10 time a night, but I find myself very anxious lately. It is so strange...during the "darkest" days of not knowing whether or not we would be able to carry the baby to viability I felt peaceful and confident that God was working His plan and it would be fine...now we are at a point where theoretically, the baby is term and would be fine and I am having more trouble with anxiety. What the heck is that?! I am exhausted and so over being confined to the bed. Yesterday we had some friends and their son come to watch the GA game (what a waste of a trip downstairs...not the friends, that was fun, but the game was pitiful!). Anywhoo, I stayed downstairs after they left and parked myself on the living room couch so I could watch Greg, Landon and Tanner decorate the tree. It was pretty comical because Tanner put almost every ornament I handed him on about 4 limbs all together...but he was so proud to be helping. At first he would say "I can't do it", but Greg showed him how to make it work and then every time he would hang one he would say "I did it". It was so cute! Cuter still was Landon saying "Good job brother...you are a big boy!" It made me so proud. I also got a little frustrated and sad that this was yet another thing that I was watching and not really getting to participate in with them...Landon was worried and asked me what was the matter and the only way I could explain it was with time out..."Do you know when you make a bad choice and have to sit and think about what you should have done? And everyone you were playing with is still playing, but you just have to watch until you can calm down and explain what your bad choice was? That is how mommy feels. I feel like I have been in time out for the last 4 months, just watching you and Daddy and brother having fun and making memories and I didn't even make a bad choice. So it is frustrating for me." And just like that, my little 4 year old got it...and it became clear to me...this has been my time out. God has been showing me that I don't always have to be in control. I don't have to be the only one there for my boys. I have a totally competent and loving husband who is an amazing father. It is okay for me to take a little time every now and again for me (maybe not 17 weeks, but...). And lastly, I need to learn to be content, wherever God has me. As frustrating as it is...God's timing is not my timing...but it is perfect. I need to trust that whatever the reason for the bed rest and now the waiting...it will become clear, or if not clear, it will just be worth it when I hold this latest gift. God is good...and I am thankful...despite my impatience!

Make it a great week...and feel free to suggest what day you think we'll meet this little one...might as well try to make the waiting fun! :)

So thankful!

Hello all!! Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We have so much to be thankful for this year!

We had an amazing day with family yesterday - even if it was not typical. Greg and the boys and I arrived at my parents house around noon...and with my mother still not feeling well, my sister, yes the one who has a 3 month old and three other children, basically did the entire dinner by herself! My father helped with his famous mashed potatoes and the turkey, but by and large, Lisa totally outdid herself! Everything was delicious and we were all pleasantly stuffed! Mom felt well enough to make a couple appearances during the day, and after we finally talked her into taking one of the pain pills was able to stay out and visit for a little while. We all missed her but managed to have a fun family day...and we look forward to making up for lost time just after Christmas when we will again celebrate with the whole family, including my brother, his wife and their 2 girls!

One of the best moments of the day was when Scott Patrick and Noah (Lisa's 7 year old twins, and my boys' heroes), Mary Claire, Landon and Tanner went out in the back yard to get decorations for the dining room table. They wanted to surprise us and so we stayed out of the room while they decorated and when we walked in were greeted with a table covered with pine cones and pine straw...it was really so funny...and they were so very proud of their handiwork!

We still are patiently awaiting P3's arrival, well...maybe not patiently, but waiting just the same. It is so hard to believe that our scheduled date is just two short weeks from today!! We are in the final countdown and so excited to finally meet this little one! Just one more reason we are so thankful this year! Hope you all had a wonderful day too! God bless!

Love, The Powells

Home for the Holiday

Hello all! Thank you for all of your calls and emails to check on the doctor's appointment yesterday and I'm sorry that I have been so slow to fill you in. The morning was crazy from the get go...My mother usually keeps the boys on Tuesdays but when she arrived it was obvious that she felt terrible...so we sent her on home so she could get to feeling better. I then called Andrea, one of the HRP nurses that sometimes helps us on her days off. Thankfully, she had been called off but was still on call, so she tentatively could help us until being called in...if that even happened. She even went as far as to meet Greg and me at the doctor's office so she could drive me home in her car and he could stay down at the office. It worked out rather nicely...and when I told Greg I would run into Babies R Us to use the ladies room, he ran over to Chickfila for his lunch. I got a phone call a few minutes later letting me know he was parked outside the door...and where was I?? Well, I guess the new found freedom got to my head and I came out with a bag full of stuff! (Man, it was nice to be out and about...even if it was painful!). I bought a few new nursing shirts and pajamas and a couple pairs of maternity jeans. Yes, I know that I only have 2 weeks left, but if you had watched the spectacle that was me trying to find a pair of pants that fit to wear to the doctor, you would understand!! My dear friends have been so generous to share what they have...unfortunately, most never got as big as I am now and for those precious few pairs that were big enough in width, they were also about a foot and a half too long!! So Greg very kindly said nothing of my shopping spree (he DID witness the spectacle and I think was stuck somewhere between pity and pain from holding back gales of laughter! It WAS pretty funny, by the time we left, I was dripping sweat from the effort and begging for the AC in the car...and it was 38 degrees out!). I paid the price for my little rebellious outing and spent the rest of the day lamenting that I had cheated! It felt as though someone very large had taken a sledgehammer to my lower back and I am pretty sure that I will be a lot more conservative from now on!!

Anywhoo, the doctor's appointment went well...I am still pregnant and still home, which is wonderful for the baby, but I must say, I feel like I am ready to pop and admit to being the slightest bit hopeful that he would suggest sending me to deliver yesterday. He didn't. And, he said they wouldn't consider delivering me before the 12th without doing an amnio to determine the lung development. Well, there is no way I am doing an amnio, so we will continue to twiddle our thumbs and laugh at how big I have gotten! It is insane!

Great news is that the doctor agreed that I could handle driving over to my parents house for Thanksgiving. We are going to head over late morning so that I have time to lie down for a while before dinner, but he said that I could even sit up at the table and eat with the family if I was feeling up to it! I am so excited! Landon and Tanner are beside themselves...they haven't seen their big boy cousins since Bennett was born 2 1/2 months ago and they miss them so much! It will be fun to be all together! The last time we were all together was back for Mary Claire's birthday party on August 10th...the day before I was admitted to the hospital!

Well, that's all the news that's fit to print. We hope you all have a wonderful holiday and are overwhelmed, as we are, with the many blessings in your life! We are so appreciative of you, your support and your prayers and we know that we have seen our great God at work through you!

Happy Thanksgiving!

36 Weeks!!

We've made it!! 36 weeks!! It is a miracle and we are so thrilled! Although, technically, 37 weeks is considered term, we are on some fairly sturdy ground at 36 weeks and there is a great possibility that the baby would be born healthy and be able to come home with us. Praise God!

Thank you for your prayers thus far, and we ask that you continue to pray for our little P3. That the delivery goes well and that he/she will be able to come home with us when it is time to leave the hospital. Please also pray for the boys and their transition to having a little one in the house (though they talk about the baby constantly and seem so excited!). Please also pray that they will be fine during the time that I am in the hospital...oh, and that we can decide on a name! :)

Stay tuned...I've been having more contractions lately and though they are more frequent, they don't feel strong enough to make me think it is "real" yet. Truth be told, I am getting a little nervous about the actual delivery and recovery...not to mention having a newborn and no strength due to 4 months of inactivity. And of course I am wondering how I will be able to balance the needs of my boys and the new baby and the need to allow my body to recover. So selfishly, I am also asking for prayers for me to be able to fully rely on God to continue this good work He has started...and to trust that everything will be not just fine, but wonderful! He is able and faithful...and we are so thankful!

We love you...The Powells

35 Weeks!!!

God is so good!!

Fourteen weeks ago Greg and I were dealt a huge blow when we were told there was a chance that this baby might never make it to viability...let alone term. Now, here we are...just over three weeks from our scheduled delivery date and anxiously awaiting meeting this blessed gift from God!

The past 3.5 months haven't been easy, but they have been so very valuable. We have learned that God is able, and He is good and He is faithful! We have so enjoyed watching our boys learn how to pray with fervency for their sibling and for my body to do a good job! And we have been humbled and so very blessed by the outpouring of love, support, encouragement and help from our families, dear friends and even new acquaintances that just heard of our situation and were moved to help. From the initial shock and sometimes hopelessness of those first few days, we have been overwhelmed by a peace that could only have come from our Heavenly Father. He placed the right people in our path for the boys' care and made loved ones available to help the boys with the transition of not having mommy home.

I could go on and on about the seemingly little things that all fit together to make these past weeks not just possible, but even easier to handle than we ever could have imagined! The care our neighbors have taken of Greg and the boys with their meals and offers for care has been so incredible. My only concerns are that 1. The guys have gotten pretty fond of home cooked meals and 2. That I will never be able to match all the dishes, Pyrex and Tupperware back to their original owners. We have accumulated quite a collection and are trying to figure out what goes where...but if you are still missing something, please don't take offense, and please shoot us an email with what it is so we can get it back to you.

So really, the only reason for this entry was to reiterate how important you all have been during this journey to P3...and to sincerely thank you ...as if that could ever be enough! We have been so blessed and are so thankful for the opportunity to see God's church the way He originally intended. We are looking forward to the opportunity to "pay it forward" and are thankful for all of your selfless, thoughtful and supportive examples of how to love on people!

May God richly bless you and your loved ones, and may we all remember that God is in control of everything...and life is so much easier when we stop worrying, get out of His way and trust Him to work all things for good!

Love, Greg, Kristen, Landon, Tanner and P3

PS...We had a fun day on Sunday! While Daddy and Mr. Jess went to the Falcons' game, Rebecca and Jake brought yummy food and spent the day playing with the boys...for adorable photos, check Jake David's blog to the right! Now there are some handsome boys! :)

Boys' day out

Ah, Saturdays in the fall! Football, foliage, and yesterday for Greg and the boys, Furman's campus! Greg decided that he and the boys needed one more football game before the season ends (or before P3 decides to show) and headed up to Greenville yesterday morning. He debated about whether or not to go because of the recent rain and because of the chilly weather left behind...but with some encouragement from Landon, they decided to chance it! They headed out around 9:30 so they would have plenty of time to play before the game and just as they got there the sun came out full force and warmed things up enough to make it comfy. Greg said they got pretty chilly in the stands once the sun started getting low, but he was prepared with a blanket and one leg each for the boys to sit on so only Greg's fanny got really cold! What a good daddy! :)
I, on the other hand, had a very quiet day here at the house...well, except during the GA/Auburn game. My sister called to be sure that I wasn't going into labor (I guess she is taking up where the nurses left off) and we lamented over the lack of fire we saw in Georgia. We both, and I think all of Bulldog nation, expected it to be an easy win...which it wasn't. That's two games in a row against sub-Georgia teams where it came down to the final minutes...not fun!

Hope you all are enjoying your weekend...just wanted to post so that you could see these cute photos of my handsome boys...and the beautiful trees on Furman's campus...amazing! Oh, and so that I wouldn't be reprimanded for not having a post between weekly updates! :) Have a great week! We love you!

34 Weeks...

...and still at home! Yes, I'm late with the update again..,guess things really are getting back to normal! :) Sunday marked 34 weeks which was a goal that even the doctors were hesitant to expect in the beginning. We are so thankful and relieved! I am huge...but I love it...I am so proud of this "ginormous" (as Landon says) belly that God has gifted me with! My sister shared her Doppler so every night the boys get to listen to "baby haaht" (that is how my little yankee Tanner says heart). It is really fun. They think it is hysterical when the baby kicks and has the hiccups and they are always ready to kiss the belly! So sweet! I'm trying to store all these things up in my heart...and some on video!

I went to the doctor yesterday and surprisingly didn't have a cervical scan. The doctor feels that at this point I will automatically start shortening anyway just due to the size of the baby (I am guessing we are well over 5.5lbs by now). And, even more surprising was that they didn't want to see me for another 2 weeks. 2 weeks!! Wow...I almost feel like I've been dumped...ha ha! I guess it is encouraging though! I was stunned by how much weight I have gained overall...already more than with both the boys and I still have 4 weeks to go! I guess that's what bed rest does! Everything else looked good, measured right on 34 weeks, blood pressure was good and I even got to have Steak n Shake on the way home (oh wait...maybe that's how I have gained so much weight)... oh well...a happy day! At this point, unless or until either my water breaks or I start having serious contractions, we just continue as is. Wow...sounds like what you might do with a normal pregnancy...go figure!

Things continue to be a mad house at home! I feel like someone sneaks in everyday to shoot my kids up with adrenaline! Or maybe I just forgot how loud and crazy two little boys can be! :) I love it...music to my ears. And I like to think of it this way...if the baby can learn to nap with all the commotion that Landon and Tanner make...we'll have one heck of a sleeper!

So, last bit of news...as is evidenced by the poll...most of you are guessing that we are going to have some pink in the house. We have had fun watching the numbers but have realized that it would be even more fun to know who thinks what...so if you want official bragging rights, be sure to leave a comment and don't forget to suggest a name! We have so loved sharing this journey with all of you! The support and encouragement have been downright humbling and we are so appreciative! We can't wait to see and show the finished product of 4 months of prayers, patience, love and help from the best friends and families that we could have ever hoped for. Thank you and God Bless!

What'll ya have?

Hope this finds you all doing well and enjoying yet another beautiful fall weekend!! The weather here has been just amazing and is starting to go from Indian summer to true fall breezes and chill in the early morning! Greg and the boys have been really enjoying playing football in the yard and riding bikes...yes, even the peanut's little legs can finally reach the pedals on the trike and he is having fun trying to chase down brother! After the scare of my report on Tuesday, I decided to hang out upstairs all week and finally ventured downstairs today to watch the GA/KY game with the guys. Greg made some of his famous chili (yum...now THAT's fall football food!) and I even got to sit out on the back deck and watch them play in the yard for a while...it was blissful!

Well, this Powell baby is following in it's brother's footsteps and taking it's sweet time...Of course, we are still hoping to make it to December, but we have had a rash of friends that were supposed to be due in December with us go ahead and deliver! Congrats to Maria (hall mate on HRP) who welcomed Oliver, Stacey (friend from church) who welcomed Justin, Shea (the one I told you about weeks ago who was due the same week I was) who delivered Kara at 32 weeks, and Kelly (one of our helpers while I was in the hospital) who delivered a baby girl just yesterday (haven't even gotten the name yet!). Also, our friends who were adopting got news that their new daughter was delivered via emergency c-section at 33 weeks. They high-tailed it up to KY to be with her and to support her birth mother who was having a tough recovery...the baby seems to be in great health, but please keep Janie and her health in your prayers. Actually, please keep all these little ones and their families in your prayers! God is so good, His love for us is evident every time another baby joins us!

So, we were talking about the fact that it has been pretty even when it comes to boys/girls being born...and thought it would be fun to take a poll to see what ya'll think about this little P3! I know several HRP nurses and techs that will be really surprised (and maybe a little perturbed) if this isn't a girl, but we're still not sure and won't be till we meet him/her! Please check the right side of the page and vote if you think the Powells' new theme song will be "Pretty in Pink" or "My Three Sons". Should be interesting! Also, we are fairly certain on a girl name (Uh, have been since we were pregnant with Landon!) but are still perplexed on a boy name...so if you have any suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments! (And no D, we will NOT be using Nebuchadnezzar and calling him Nebby!)

Take good care! We love you!

Incredible!

Hello all...just a quick post...a few of you may have noticed my blog list to the right. Most of these are friends of mine through church, play groups, etc. One was sent to me by my neighbor. I have never met Stephanie Vest, though I feel like I know her and her family through their blog. I encourage you to take a break out of your day, start back at the beginning, and read this amazing story of love, faith and trust. I am praying for Stephanie and her family daily and hope you will join me! Remember to live each day to the fullest...whatever that means for your life...and make sure to tell those you love that you love them! You will forever be changed by their story! God bless you!

33 Weeks!!

Actually, I am a couple days late and I am really 33 weeks and 2 days as of right now...3 days in about an hour! I got so tickled because on my Facebook status I always list my weeks and this week wrote "Kristen is 33 weeks...but who's counting?" To which one of my friends commented "Who isn't counting?" ha ha! Thanks to all of you that are counting the weeks and even days with us...keeping P3 in your prayers! We are certain that is a huge part of the reason we are at this point and we really appreciate you! And yes...to those of you that I used to make fun of b/c you have a Facebook page, I sincerely apologize...the Scrabble on Facebook has kept me sane, not to mention humble, during the past 3 months! And I learned early on that just because I have insomnia doesn't mean that friends and loved ones do and the Scrabble is a sure way to pass sleepless nights! :)

So now that I am no longer in the hospital, my weekly scans are done...or not. I had my first check up since coming home today and was ready to hear my standard report "holding steady, looking good, let us know if you feel any changes or start contracting on a regular basis". Let me back up...Tuesdays and Thursdays are our "challenging" days of the week. With the boys in school in the am, we really only need help during the afternoon. And for some reason we have always had a time finding help for those days. While I was in the hospital, the boys and I spent a good bit of time with the nurses and techs (obviously). There were a few that the boys really took to and one even offered to help out on her days off. So, today the boys were very excited when Ms. Andrea, one of my nurses, showed up to play! They had a ball (and I think she may have too)! My mother came over in the am to visit, run some laundry, do a grocery run and then drive me to my appointment. A dear friend shared her wheelchair with me so that I could do my civic duty and vote on the way to the doctor's (Thank you Kim! and thank you Abbie for showing Mom how to assemble it). Apparently, the shower this am, voting (even though I didn't wait and only stood for about 3 minutes), the 30 minute drive to the doctor and the 40 minute wait at the doctor was a little too much for my slacker cervix. By the time I was seen by the doctor I was feeling quite a few contractions...OR it could have been brought on by him charging into my exam room wearing his Florida jersey, his Florida flag as a cape around his shoulders and playing that awful Florida fight song on a tacky pen...not entirely sure. Anywhoo, he suggested we do a scan just to be sure so off I went. On the way, I ran into Dr. Wooten (the doctor who delivered Tanner) who said he would be looking forward to seeing if I had been compliant with doctors' orders...uh oh. So, initially my scan looked good...still averaging 30-34mm, but when I asked what the measurement was from the stitch to the baby, she said there wasn't one. (back info...the numbers I give weekly are a total measurement. But as important to that total is the amount of length between the baby end of the cervix and the stitch, as if and when I start to shorten or dilate, this will be where the change is readily apparent). Needless to say, this was not an expected, or welcome answer. Of course, my initial fear was that once again, I would go into the doctors' office and not get to go home...but be put right back in the hospital. Believe me...I have been being good! Maybe not hospital good (keep in mind that our house is a little bigger than my 15x12 hospital room and has stairs), but good just the same. It is incredibly hard to be here and not be able to be me, but I also know that I need to do what I can to stay at home while still keeping P3 toasty a little while longer! So, to be sure that I wasn't in active labor, I was put on the toco monitor (to detect contractions) for 30 minutes...and only had 1 contraction - PTL! Both doctors agreed the scan was most likely a result of being up (sitting or standing from 1pm when we left the house until about 4pm) and that this was my warning and that I needed to be even more diligent about staying down or next week I would be moving back into HRP across the street! So there you have it! Enough with complaining about the state of the house and what I need to do to be ready for the baby or whatever...I am down for the duration! If you will, please pray for my boys and for Greg that they can stick it out a little while longer and please pray that P3 can too!

Well this has ended up to be one of 'those posts' and I apologize for being so long winded...I do sincerely appreciate all of your prayers and encouragement! Here's to another 5 weeks and 2 days of nothing! :)

We love you!!
The Powells

Don't tell my doctors...

but today I got to go see Landon's final baseball game of the season!! It was so fun and I was so proud of my big boy...especially when he kept saying "hi Mommy" and waving at various times during the game! :) He hit the first pitch each of his 3 times at bat and ran so hard! He even made two great stops and throws to first...which is a huge improvement since the beginning of the season when he only wanted to hit...not play in the field! It was great to meet some of the other coaches and parents and finally put faces with names and stories! Thanks to Amy for these great photos!!









When we got home, we were looking forward to continuing our great day with a Georgia win, but alas, Georgia forgot to show up today! Wouldn't you know it...my check up on Tuesday is with the only doctor in my group that went to Florida! I know he will be totally obnoxious...do you think it is too late to change the appointment?! We ended up having a great day with our neighbors, including a nice steak on the grill (now THAT's what I'm talking about!) and some great outside time for the kids! The boys were still wiped out from the late night Friday and Landon didn't have a nap today due to baseball, so they hit the sack early...let's hope that daylight saving doesn't find them up at 5 am!!

Happy Halloween!

What a fun Halloween we had! Greg got home early and got the boys all dressed up, got my chair set up on the front porch with a huge bowl of candy and I put the finishing touches on all my boys' makeup! Landon and Tanner were Thing 1 and Thing 2 from the Cat in the Hat and Greg was, of course, the Cat in the Hat! A dear friend shared the costumes which was a huge help, considering that Landon changed his mind about 30 times since I first asked him what he wanted to be for Halloween! They looked adorable and had a wonderful time! Before they had even left the house, their buckets were full...Tanner kept taking handful after handful out of the bowl and putting them in his pumpkin! Landon's buddy Eli from school and his daddy Brian joined Greg and the boys trick or treating, while Eli's mommy (and Landon and Tanner's school driver and all around life-saver) Lisa and their little girl Hayden stayed and kept me company on the porch. It was a fun night and they really seemed to enjoy themselves! Hope you all had a wonderful Halloween too!

Love, the Powells

First week home

Well, if the doctors wanted me to have a quiet first week home, maybe they should have kept me a few more days! Just kidding...but it has been quite and adjustment for all of us! I remember laughing at a friend from boredom busters when she told me I would need to rest the first time I tried to go up our stairs...who's laughing now?! It is incredible how tiring it is just to walk up the stairs! When I got home on Monday, I spent the afternoon on the sofa and headed up when it was time for the boys to go to bed. The next time I even attempted the stairs was not until Thursday morning! I felt a lot like a 97 year old...correction...a 97 year old that had been riding a horse for 47 years! Talk about sore and tired...unbelievable!! Thankfully, we have amazing help with the boys and I haven't had to do much of anything but rest. But I now understand why the doctors held me as long as they did...it is hard to be home and not be able to be myself! For the love of peete...I haven't cleaned my house in 3 months! I mean, the house has been cleaned, but I haven't cleaned it...do you know what I mean?!

Greg has had a horrific week at work, with budgets for 09 due along with all of his regular tasks, he has been getting up and going in at 3 and staying until late. We had another dear friend from Northpoint pinch hit for us and relieve Cory when she had to go to work. She stayed until 11 one night and 7 two other nights! Thankfully, it looks like the end is in sight. Most of his deadlines are Monday and then I think he can actually sleep for more than 4 hours in a night! He has been such a trooper...I don't know how he has managed! And, add a bedridden, slacker wife to his list of responsibilites and well, I think you can see why he is up for husband and father of the year! :)

It has been wonderful to have the boys come in from school and share what they have learned and listen to their play and laughter just downstairs instead of over the phone line! We have had many naps together and had a wonderful "family snuggle" this morning! I am so in love with my family...I have been so blessed!

Thanks to all of you who have called and stopped by to welcome me home! I truly appreciate you all! And have I mentioned how nice it is to actually get to taste the wonderful meals being delivered instead of just listening to Greg brag about how yummy they are over the phone?! :)
These past few months would not have worked had it not been for the help, support and prayers from you all! We are forever thankful...and have a new understanding of how God intended His church to act and interact! You have been that example to us and we are so grateful! May God richly bless you and your families the way He has blessed us through you!

We're HOME!!

Hello all!! I am writing from the comfort of the Powell homestead! God is so good! Today was a marathon...for all of us! I had a hard time sleeping last night because I was so excited about today's scan...so I started off at a deficit. Thankfully, my mother, sister and Greg came over around 1 to take down photos and finish packing up my room. I had the best intentions and had tried to send home as much as I could earlier...but I still had 2 carts worth of stuff to bring home!

The sonographer came in fairly early and we were able to get a growth scan in addition to the cervical check. Tenille, the same songrapher that did my initial scan on the day I was admitted, did my scan today, which was so fun! It is crazy how comfortable you become with your medical professionals after 3 months! She and Nikki, the PA with Maternal/Fetal gave me the good news that my cervix still looked good, as did the stitches and was holding at between 32 and 34mm! Great news and a pass to go home! Additionally, they shared that true to Powell style, P3 is quite the little porker!! I told them I thought it would weigh in at around 4 lbs just based upon how big my belly has gotten and how I can be getting clobbered at the hip and the ribs at the same time! While it measured 2lbs 12oz back at week 29, today it weighed in at a whopping 4lbs 8oz!! Such great news! We also got a bonus 4D scan of the baby's face...which by the way...is adorable! And no, I am not going to post it...you'll have to wait to see the real thing...but I will tell you that "cheeks" may be this one's nickname too!

Today was wonderful, and although I was so excited to come home, there is a certain sense of security that comes with the monitors and nurses and doctors being right there! It was also bittersweet to say goodbye to the wonderful women that took such great care of me for the past 12 weeks! They truly became almost an extended family...and Greg, the boys and I will really miss them and look forward to seeing them again when we go in for delivery! We love you girls!!

Greg and I headed home right around 3pm and the boys were just getting up from naps when we got home! They had welcome home balloons on the mailbox and a wonderful welcome sign and flowers waiting in the kitchen...I have the best boys! Greg did so much to get ready for my return and I am so thankful! We had some wonderful friends share a table and small fridge that is right next to my bed along with a tray table for me to use...Thank you Dusty and Julane!

My reunion with my boys was so sweet! I was already settled on the sofa when Landon came down the stairs and rounded the corner. He just stopped in his tracks and then broke out in the biggest grin and ran over to give me a hug...I just broke down in tears...I am so thankful to God to be home with my family! Tanner was having a hard time waking up and was pretty whiny and grumpy until Cory brought him into the family room and he saw Landon and me snuggling on the couch...then he, too, broke into a big grin and practically jumped out of Cory's arms to me! We all just snuggled for about 10 minutes...it was wonderful! Even when Landon said "Mommy, you sure are fat!"...I guess a lot has changed since last we three were on the couch together! It's just fine though...the Powells are together, under one roof again, and all is right in our world!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your faithful prayers that helped us arrive at this day! We are ever so grateful and excited to be together as a family. We ask that you continue to pray for our little P3, that he/she will continue to grow and mature and get ready for life on the outside! We also ask that you continue to lift Landon and Tanner, that my being home will be a good thing for them instead of another form of different...I am really hoping that we will all focus on the fact that we are together!

So, one last note about the hospital...although I suggested that they retire my room, kind of like a jersey...that idea didn't fly (although Judy suggested a little plaque! ha ha). However, they are in the process of renovating the floor and they were just waiting for me to leave to finally get to my room. My room will therefore be blocked for the next several days until they complete the work. When they are finished there will be a new mommy-to-be in my room, who I am sure, would love to hear from any one of you, but it may interrupt her rest...so I ask that you use my home or cell number from now on! :)

You all are the best! Thank you for your care, concern and prayers...we love you!!

Love, the Powells (all 5 of us!)