More than a memory....

I am so happy with where my life is right now. Kaidrie and Kason are such blessings and I couldn't ask for more. God has amazing plans for their lives and I'm excited to watch it all unfold. Even though we will never understand why some things happen, I can't help but be so grateful to our sweet baby Korbin for sacrificing her life so her brother could live! We would be celebrating her first birthday around this time, so I just wanted to take a little time to remember her short life that made all the difference in Kason's life. God bless you sweet Korbin, we still think of you often and love you so much.

This was our first peek at Korbin. I was a little nervous after having an early miscarriage a few months before so my Dr was wonderful and did an early ultrasound to calm my fears. Everything looked perfect... we saw our tiny little gingerbread baby. So sweet.

After the Dr assured us that all was wonderful this time around we were so excited to tell our families! They were so excited that we were once again going to bring a new life into the world! We were thrilled and as the weeks went on I put my fears behind me and embraced this new little life!

Kaidrie was so excited she was going to be a big sister! She loved looking at the picture of the baby and here she is giving her baby a hug!

I'm about 12 or so weeks in this picture and starting to get a little tummy - okay okay, so maybe you all don't see it, but if you know what my tummy looked like before you would notice!

Every month I would take a belly shot to scrapbook for the baby to see how mommy grew. Kaid wanted to show us the baby in her belly too! She was convinced!

This is the last picture we have of Korbin. Here she is about 14 weeks. I will always cherish this picture.

Here I am at 16 1/2 weeks and Kimmy with Isaiah (I think she would have been around 26 weeks). I was already starting to pop! The best part was that I was already feeling her move! I feel so blessed to have felt her moving. She was an active little thing and I started feeling flutters around 14 weeks!

A few days after this picture was taken, on June 20th after a long day at work I wasn't feeling all that great but after a little couch time felt fine again. Although I didn't realize what was going on at the time, I later came to find that I was in labor - even though I wasn't in pain, my cervix had silently dilated. The next morning, June 21st, we got the most heartbreaking news that I would have to deliver our baby girl. She was 3 1/2 ounces 7 inches long and absolutely perfect. We held her in awe of the tiny finger nails, toe nails and we laughed - through tears - that she had her daddy's forehead.

The hospital gave us a tiny blanket, hat and her perfect footprints.

We aren't sure medically why all of this happened. Somehow my cervix was weakened and when she started to put on weight and as I was on my feet allot my cervix couldn't stand up to the pressure and opened up. Incompetent Cervix is the medical term, and once your cervix is weak - it's always weak. Although her life had barely begun she had a huge impact on so many lives. As much as I would have prayed we would never have to go through something like this, I am a better person because of her. Heaven seems a little closer when I think about our baby girl.

A few days after we lost her, Randy and I put together this collage with pictures and her birth certificate that will hang on our wall all the days of our lives. She will always be our child - even though she is not here on Earth with us - so we wanted to dedicate a special spot just for her.

After losing Korbin my Dr passed me onto a high risk OB and with his help we found the key to helping us bring another baby into this world! We found out I had some genetic blood disorders and although he doesn't think this had anything to do with losing her, took Baby Aspirin and Lovenox during my pregnancy with Kason as a precaution. I also had to have a cerclage placed and was on 21 weeks of bedrest to keep my cervix closed. I had weekly Progesterone injections to prevent me from having contractions and going into labor early. We had so many WONDERFUL family and friends that helped us out so much during this time that I will never be able to repay!

Anyway, just remembering my sweet girl on what would have been her first birthday. Instead of celebrating with us, she's dancing in streets of gold and playing with all of those who have gone before us! I'm sure all of her great grandparents are loving on her!

We little knew that morning

God was going to call your name.
In life we loved you dearly
in death we do the same

It broke our hears to lose you

you did not go alone.

For part of us went with you

the day God called you home.

You left us peaceful memories

your love is still our guide.

And though we cannot see you

you are always at our side.

Our family chain is broken

and nothing seems the same.

But as God calls us one by one

the chain will link again.

Although you were only in our arms a short while, you will be in our hearts forever.

We love you sweet Korbin,

Mommy, Daddy, Kaidrie and Kason

Lazy Saturday afternoons

Woah - check out those eyes! Yikes! That's my girl - likes her cool whip! Yummy!

Okay so I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but since Kaid, Kason and I will be out of town for quite a while next week, if I didn't do it now it wouldn't get done for a while! It looks like Santa threw up in the house already! Kaid is loving it - Oh, but she doesn't want Santa to come. She doesn't even care if she doesn't get presents, she does NOT want him here!

Sweet little man will be 5 months old tomorrow! He is a noisey thing. Loves screaming, squealing, grunting, laughing... He's rolling over like crazy. As soon as we lay him on the floor, he's on the move rolling and scooting any way he can!

What a silly little face - this is him in screaming action! Notice the little tongue curl!

Kaid trying to get him to show us his teeth!

And there they are! Two cute little teeth there on the bottom. He's been kind of fussy at naptimes so I'm thinking he's working on another too. Slow down bubby - you're growing up too fast!


Miss Kaid LOVES the camera now...

and has figured out the art of making faces at it... great...

I hope they always get along this well and love eachother so much... I know all of you with older kids are laughing at me now for even hoping! :)

Here's a little peek at some of the fun things Mr Man is doing now, chatting up a storm and rolling over. Enjoy - it's not very long...

Oh way back when

Okay so I guess it wasn't THAT long ago... but since I have my camera back I'll post the pictures from when we were home a few weeks back.

We started off the weekend with LeeAnne (friend and roomie from college) and Joe's wedding. It was a great time and mom and dad even took the kids back to their house so Randy and I could enjoy a little grown up time for a change! Oh what fun!
The new Mr. and Mrs.!

Great picture of mom and dad!

Right before the kids went home... I'm not sure why I never ended up with a picture of the college girls. Bummer!

Looks like a serious chat here, actually I think he was just asking her for a dance! So sweet!

The next day we spent the afternoon at grandma and grandpa's and took family pictures, then the evening at mimi and pop's.

Avery and Kaid - Two beautiful cowgirls!

and one silly bouncing boy...

Big news at our house!

Well, no pictures this week because stupid me forgot our camera at mom and dad's last weekend.... BUT had to share.... Mr man has his first tooth! He had a big day yesterday, 3 shots and a new tooth and he was still as pleasant as could be! Today he was a little fussier than usual, but still not bad for all of that! He's about 4 months and 2 weeks and weighed 16lbs 14oz and was 26.25 in long! He's quite the big boy! He's bigger now than Kaid was at 6 months! Oh my! Hopefully I'll have my camera back before long and I'll be back in business!

My family is My Everything...

What a BEAUTIFUL fall afternoon for a photo shoot! Randy's cousin, Rhoda loves taking pictures and asked if she could shoot some of our family for practice. She did an AMAZING job as you can see and we got some beautiful pictures. She captured some real life moments that I just LOVE! It was so hard picking only a few... okay so more than a few... pictures to post on here!

Such a precious shot of Kason -

It's so hard getting little man to look where you want him to look, so we got some great "natural" shots!

I love these pictures! Even her sparkle shoes made it into the one picture!

What an amazing moment she caught here! Such a sweet little smile!

Kason's usual pose - fingers in mouth!

BOOOOooo

The Princess and the Pumpkin - the kids had a great time Trick-or-treating last night and after Randy and I eat all the candy we will each have gained 15 lbs!!

Drew and Courtney stayed with us for a little over a month while they were here from Texas doing insurance claims from the windstorm damage. It was great to have them here with us! We are so glad they have arrived safely back home and we hope to visit them next summer!

Miss Kaid doing her favorite thing - playing baby! Now since she started school she is always playing teacher with her "kids."

Kason had rice cereal for the first time 2 nights ago! I was so impressed with how well he did eating it and ate every last bite! THe boy's an eater!

Kaidrie's preschool had their fall program. All of the kids dressed up as community helpers and Kaid wanted to be a doctor... even though when it came down to program time she wouldn't wear half of the outfit! She did so great singing the songs and doing the motions - it was so sweet!

When I ask her who she played with at school, she always says "Just the girls, not the boys!" Yet every time we see her she's closer to the boys than the girls! She said she sat over by the boys this time because she was nervous for the program and wanted to sit by her teacher.