He's here!

While Jerod is still my number one love, there is a new man in my life who is not far behind, Charles Jeffrey Hoffman entered our world on Sunday, Feb. 22nd, 2009 at 11:43 p.m., 8 lbs, 4 oz, 20 1/4 inches, born via C-Section after 11 hours of labor, he was just too stubborn to be born natural.

After pushing for about 50 minutes, my Dr. looked at me and broke the news that she thought he was face up and just wasn't going to come down naturally. I asked her to wait and let me try a little more and than decided to throw in the white towel because I was exhausted. I'm so grateful for all of my sweet support team that was there; Jer, my Mom, my sister, my mother in law and sister in law Jill. My dad and Grandma Verna waited in the hallway, making little appearances here and there. My sister did leave at 9, to get my girls settled in to bed, and thanks to my brother in law Mark who babysat them all day long with some relief from my Dad & Grandma for a few hours of help. I'm proud of my Mom, she was brave and it couldn't have been easy on her, because when we decided on the C-Section, I had a meltdown and just couldn't stop crying, I felt like I hadn't done all I could, but all of my lovies encouraged me that I did all I could and it was ok.

Dr. Pardini was fabulous and got the ball rolling, and I believe it must've only been about a 1/2 hour from the time they wheeled me in to the time he was born. The Dr. announced, it's ok Michelle, I'm looking at a face, the most probable cause of his stubborness to be born. When they pulled him from me, I heard he's so cute and he's so big! All I asked was, It's a boy than? Jerod said yes, and he's fine. The Dr/Nursing staff were guessing at his weight, thinking he had to be at 9 lbs or maybe a little more, but when they put him on it read, 8 lbs, 4 oz (my biggest one.) My Dr. even said the scale had to be wrong :) He had a pretty big head, and some chubby little cheeks, but he was absolutely perfect. Daddy went with him, and he was greeted by all the family who was there, the nurses let them all come into the room while he was checked out, cleaned up, etc... I was greatful they all had the chance to hold him and love him, a small reward for not being able to see him actually be born.

I had a rough time those first few hours, but everyone was wonderful, especially Jerod and I was well taken care of the entire time of my stay. I never knew what a C-Section felt like and to every woman who's had one before me, I commend you, it's a whole different experience. We got to come home on Wednesday morning, and I was relieved, but tired. Our first night was less than ideal, lots of fussing, crying, but he's so perfect we got past it, and pray our 2nd night goes a little smoother. Jerod looked at me yesterday and smiled and said can you believe we have a son? No, it's still sinking in.

Thanks for all of you who've expressed your congratulations and kind words, they mean the world to us. I'm so excited for my 3 girls, they are in love with their brother and are sure to spoil him for the next 18 years or so! I'll keep updated pictures every few weeks, as he's changed so much even since his birth.

Love you all! Michelle

I'll miss this...

So, with only 8 days till my due date, and me being awake at 3 a.m., I figured I would leave this note to my unborn child, but you can all read too if you like, but it might be a snooze fest for you..

I will miss being pregnant (except that last 2 nights when sleep as eluded me!) This is my 4th child in 11 years. The first 3 are 11, 9, and will be 7 in April, it's been a while...

I so enjoyed the first time I was pregnant, 11 years ago! The 2nd came so soon after (10 months) and the 3rd, was a blur, because I was taking care of two young children at the time. About a year ago I was diagnosed with some female problems that left me with the knowledge I would very soon (within a year) need to take care of those problems, and leave me all done having children. I was ok with this, I had resigned myself to the fact that Jerod & I had a complete family with our 3 beautiful little girls.. We had prayed about having 1 more, and after 2 years of nothing, I was ok with this.

So last May I prayed 1 last time, knowing that I would need to have surgery by the end of summer, I took it to my Heavenly Father and basically asked that this was it, if I was meant to have one more than the time has to be know. Lo and behold to my SHOCK and 3 tests later in June I found out I was pregnant. I still denied it until I went to my first Dr's appt. on 8-1-08 and she got out the Ultrasound machine to prove it to me! All I could do was cry, I was overwhelmed (literally, with both scared and excited emotions.) I was just 2 weeks shy of turning 35 years old, was going to start working full time in the fall! How in the world was I going to do this??

The firsrt 12 weeks were uh, ok.. I had morning sickness feelings all day long, which made life miserable in the hottest part of the summer, but once I hit 12 weeks, that feeling went gone as did all of the tiredness. I actually felt really good, and with working 8 hours a day, working on homework, driving the girls to dance, I've managed to stay busy and enjoy it this time! When we told the girls, they screamed and Taylor cried, my growing belly, the first time I felt a flutter, the ultrasound in October, the babies first "unofficial" Christmas where the people who love us the most spoiled him already, the girls kissing my belly and talking to the baby, some very sweet people in my life telling me I look great, even though I feel huge, my surprise baby shower at school, my sweet husband talking to my belly a week ago and telling the baby to hang in there but it's ok to come out now, me talking with the baby telling him PLEASE come out now, hearing the heartbeat every time I go to the Dr (it never gets old), getting the room ready, agreeing to Mossy Oak Camo bedding, realizing that if the U/S was wrong, this poor girl is wearing blue, green or brown for the first 3 months of her life!!! I really have tried to cherish every moment, because I know this will be my last time.

I can't wait to meet the baby, but a part of me is sad, because for right now he's all mine, tucked away sweetly in my belly, just waiting to make his entrance into this big, bright world!

I love you already Charles Jeffrey Hoffman, and I can't wait to look into your eyes to tell you so!

XXOO Mommy

Picture frame & my baby is growing up!

Here's the picture frame that Mrs. Klotz & the am/pm 4k Class made for me, isn't it adorable??


Here's a picture of Brooklyn, my little girl is growing up! She so wanted to learn to ride the mini-snowmobile so that she can compete in the Radar Runs next year (she'll also have to teach her baby brother how to ride it in a few years!) She was so proud that she made a pass up and down the sledding hill!!

I feel so blessed!

So, I'm getting ready for work yesterday and Brooklyn says to me, Mom there's a surprise in your room today, and it's not for you but it's for someone you know. I being tired & 9 mo's pregnant smiled at her and said ok, Brookie.

I proceed to walk into the classroom that I work and there are streamers and balloons and I look at the teacher I work for and ask her, "Did I miss something?" She says yeah we're having a party today. I asked her for what? She says you, it's a baby shower. I was completely shocked. She asked if I had really had no clue and I told her no I didn't except that Brookie said something to me about a surprise.

We had a fun time in both the morning and afternoon classes, played a few games, the kids made me cards with pictures of everything I will need for Charlie when he's born from diapers to bottles to a crib to toys! We than used yarn and candy to measure how big Mrs. Hoffman's belly was around, I'm officially 32 chocolate hearts around (don't laugh, they are small hearts!!) :)

I than was given several gifts from my teacher, the little ones and a few of the parents even came, and also gave me some wonderful gifts. My favorite was a picture frame from Mrs. Klotz & the kiddo's, on it is a spot for Charlie's picture, than it has 2 pictures of my belly with all the am students and than one with all the pm students hands on my belly, on the bottom are little flowers, and the petals and stems are their thumbprints, and it says "Thumbody Loves Me" it brought me to tears (I'll post a seperate picture of it)

I felt so very loved yesterday, by some very special people.. I'll miss my little 4 and 5 year olds when I have the baby, but am happy I'll get to come back for a few weeks at the end of the year before they go off to kindergarten. So to Mrs. Klotz, Mrs. Brady, Mrs. Hohensee, my little friends and their parents, thank you so much for making my upcoming arrival even more special!!

1st Radar Runs

So being that we live in Wisconsin, and winters are basically brutal, you have unusual happenings such as today, the annual Radar Runs on a small lake right here in our metropolis of a hometown ;)

Jerod decided at the end of last winter to buy the girls a mini snowmobile that they can buzz around the yard with and they've enjoyed doing so. Well, this year he convinced them to "race" in the radar runs (it's not really a race, everyone gets a trophy!) So they did so after with some reluctance.

The big event was today, and the girls did pretty good! Taylor was a little slow of the start, not realizing the flag man was waiving the flag for all in her group to go, so Daddy had to tell her to "GO!" Kenz was next and took off as soon as the flag dropped, winning her race!

We were proud of the girls, and Brookie says she's going to do it next year, as Taylor will be too big, her knees are already coming close to the handle bars...

Speaking of Brookie, she was a trooper after being sick 2 days and last night, she went to support her sisters, telling us she felt better, but this afternoon she woke me up from a nap to tell me she felt sick again, and yes got sick again..I really DESPISE the rotovirus!!!!!! So she's been sleeping for the last hour on the bathroom floor with blankets and towels, I hope she overcomes this bought quickly, she's far to tiny to be that sick!

We are looking forward to Feb. for obvious reasons, 4 more weeks till Charlie's due to arrive! I feel like a mini version of the good year blimp, but after my Dr's appt yesterday, he's still a little to comfortable right where he's at!

We'll keep you posted when the happy event arrives (soon I hope!) in the meantime, here's some pictures from today's event!

Here, here!

It's been a while (almost a month) since I've made a post, with work, the kids, extra curricular activities, homework, time seems to be flying by! We are getting into the final month of this pregnancy, and I'm probably the most excited, as these past 2/3 weeks have been tough, I can't really complain, from about week 12 on it was great, I felt pretty good, just a little tired, but now that this kid has pretty much staked claim on my entire mid section, I'm getting a little miserable.. Jerod asked me the other day if I complain at work as much as I do at home, I told him yes, I work with women, they sympathize ALOT (I tried to tell him we take it out the most on the ones we love the most!) He's been a real trooper though, he always feels sorry for me, and he's been helping out extra and as much as he can around the house. I also feel blessed because the girls are old enough to appreciate that they need to help me out around the house and also be a little self sufficient, Kenzie even made grilled cheese sandwiches for supper tonight, followed by cut out cookies (premade dough, but all the same, she got them on the pan & in the oven)

The girls and I have started drama club practices, I'm directing a play called the Gingerbread Girl (it's sort of an updated, softer version of Frankenstein) with 10, 1st & 2nd graders in it (crazy thing to do in the middle of having a baby) but our performance isn't until March 12th, so I'm confident in my students that they will memorize their lines. Kenzie & Taylor are participating in the Drama Club for 3rd - 5th grade students, their play is "Snew White" and Kenzie got the part of the Magic Mirror, while Taylor got the part of "Rose Red" who is the sister of "Snew White". So the past few weeks have been spent practicing lines in our house whenever their is free time.

Next weekend, Jerod has convinced the two older girls to race their mini snowmobile on a small Lake in Gresham at the annual Radar Run, I'll be a nervous wreck if I even go watch them, but they can only go 15 mph, so I know they'll do just fine.

We're gearing up for Taylor's birthday weekend (Valentine's Day) as we'll head to Green Bay for Disney on Ice, 100 years of Disney Magic..If we can't afford to go to Disneyworld every year, this is at least a slice of Disney that works!

Hope everyone in cyberworld is well, we officially have 4 weeks and 5 days left, I'm wishful thinking this child to come early, but in my case...that never happens so I won't hold my breath!

Christmas 2008

I POD SHUFFLES!

Brookie's Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

Snowcone Maker!

1/3 of the gang at Grandma Julie's

The start of opening presents at home.

Patiently waiting for Dad to be awake enough!

Well, Christmas has come and gone for another year. It's always amazing to me that we spend what seems like forever preparing, cooking, wrapping, decorating..for it to be gone in a matter of a few short hours, but that's ok, it is my favorite season/holiday. We had a very busy, but enjoyable time with our family and extended families. Christmas Eve day, the kids just played around the house, I tried to clean, Jerod worked. We went to his parents house with all of his siblings, spouses, and our nieces/nephews, for a wonderful dinner at 5. We than played a few games, the kids each opened a present from a cousin (they draw names) as they had already opened their presents from Grandma/Grandpa and Auntie Jili. Santa even made an appearance, he peeked his head into Grandma's window around 6:30 p.m.. We were ready to leave and go home for bed by 9, Santa called Grandma's and told the kids to get to bed, b/c he couldn't come to all of their houses until they did. Christmas morning the kids made it till 6 a.m., poor Jerod, he married an early riser and got 3 kids who are also early risers!!! I told them they had to let him sleep till 7, but after I made breakfast, they woke him up at 6:45. We opened presents rather quickly, each girl got 4, their "highlight" was that they each got an IPOD Shuffle. It was then, get dressed, packed up, Daddy had to plow first, because of course it snowed again (I'm rather sick of winter and it's only December!) then it was up to St. Bay for Christmas with Papa and Grandma, my sister and her family and Great Grandma Verna. We made our stop off at my other grandparents, as it's harder for them to go out, and they enjoyed a little time with the girls. It was 11 by the time we made it to my parents, Mom was busy cooking as usual, the kids were excited to see their cousin, Jordan, I was exhausted and ready for a nap! We ate a fabulous lunch, than opened gifts.. At 2:30, I took a nap and woke up 3 hours later... Jerod & my mom had found a Walgreens as Brookie had been coughing horribly while I napped.. We played a few games that night and watched the weather as more snow/ice was setting in. I got woke up at 4:45 by my Mom the next morning, to "Taylor has a really bad stomach ache" I thought it was all the Christmas brownies she ate, but no she had a touch of the flu, as she got sick about 1/2 hour later.. Worried we all would get sick we contained her to 1 area of the house. Luckily we didn't and by afternoon, she was feeling well enough to travel home. Now it's time to CLEAN, Jerod has painted the baby's room and gotten the crib up for me (what a great husband!) I need to finish putting the bedding on. We'll work on resting, I know Jerod would like to get out on the snowmobile trails this week if possible, my niece Jordan is coming to stay with us for a few days for New Years, than it's back to work! Baby is due exactly 60 days from today, I hope it goes fast!!

Much love and a Happy New Year to each of you!

Michelle