Happy, Healthy, and Sleeping Through the Night!

on our way home as a family of 8!

I think with Fallon being my 6th and last baby. Wait, back up...We've all heard me say that before.....

I think after Faith, I said she was my last and every baby after that...SO, to be safe, lets just say....

I think with Fallon being my 6th and possible last baby, I KNOW how fast this time goes. These precious first weeks have been spent snuggling my possible last baby:) and a little packing here and there....

It seems to be the popular thing to say when friends and family meet Fallon. They "ooo and awe" over her and then it comes...I just know what they are going to say.

"Are you guys done?"

To which I say, like I always say, "Yeeees, I think (6 or fill in the # at the time) is enough!"

I think they can tell in my uncertain voice, oh no, she's not sure! Which shouldn't be a bad thing, but I've learned in this day and age very few are excited about more babies. For curious minds, like I told my doctor, it's not the number of children I have, it's the number of surgeries that scare me. It was a rough recovery and I'm not sure my body could handle another surgery.

We don't plan on any more kids but you never know what the Lord has planned. I trust him and cherish what he has blessed me with each and every day!

I took a little break from blogging as some of you have noticed. I do want to get back to blogging about all that is going on in our life. I plan to at least blog once a week . I want to thank you for the messages and emails checking on me and letting me know how missed I was:). You are all such an encouragement to me as well. I often thought of just journaling on my own where no one can check my spelling and grammar and just have it for our own memories. After taking some time to consider if I should continue to share our family on the Internet or not, I have decided to keep going and share our life God has so richly blessed us with....

Sorry to keep you hanging.

Here we are about to leave the hospital. Kids just got back from Austin's 1st football game. Dad coaching and Faith cheering. It was the hottest day of the year. I got texts of the play by plays. Sorry to have missed their first game but was nice and cool in the hospital holding my baby,getting room service. Believe it or not, Redlands Community Hospital has amazing food! If only I wasn't in pain, I felt like I was on a mini vacation!

I had my 6th week check-up and I am healing wonderful. I have let my body heal better this time around. I have tons of help with the kids, so I was able to take it easy the first couple weeks. Even with Daddy going back to work right away. Some amazing friends brought dinners the first couple weeks and that was a true blessing. Thank you!!!

It has been such a busy season in the Ryan home. We got a new home (again) and are adjusting to life in a new neighborhood as well. We took the whole month of Sept off of school to spend time with Fallon. The kids still learning all about babies. Fallon is such a good baby! She started sleeping through the night her first night home. I didn't. I checked on her, I think every hour haha..She is still sleeping through the night. hallelujah!!!

When Fallon was about 6 weeks old I started getting really bad tooth pain and found out I had some exposed nerves in my back molars. I don't know what was more painful, birth or my teeth! Or the packing and moving with a newborn?! Ha! Or, the dental bill!!!!! Then the dry socket that followed. Many weeks on pain meds:( I still managed to enjoy my days snuggling my yummy smelling newborn:)

So, needless to say, we made it through and we are all happy, healthy and sleeping through the night in our new home!:)

Fallon reminds me a lot of Farrah when she was a baby. She is beautiful just like all her big sisters:) She was born with lots of dark hair, now she has blonde roots coming in. Light eyes that I'm sure will turn brown like her Mommy, Daddy and siblings. Her eyelashes are getting so long and her skin is so beautiful. My wonderful Grandparents had the kids while I was in the hospital. They kept them for a week while I was there. Justin worked during the days and came back to be by my side after he finished his long days. Summer is our busiest time for the business so he couldn't take many days off:(

4 generations!

I felt sorry for him, I know how much he missed her during the day. To leave us in the hospital while I was still recovering and Fallon was only days old was hard. As soon as he would get back to the hospital he would make sure I was doing ok. Then he would take Fallon and just hold her and stare at her.

My Grandma,with the help of big sister Faith brought all the kids in their big brother and big sister shirts. They all had their hair combed and bows in...I was over joyed at all my babies coming to see me everyday! They would come for a short time then go back to my Grandparents. I was at the hospital most of the time with just Fallon. I enjoyed what I knew were going to be rare moments of just us.

Being that I was "open" for 3 hours in the surgery room I had a lot of air trapped. I know tmi. It made for some very painful shoulder pain. You Mom's that have had c-sections know what I'm talking about! I think that is the worst pain ever!!!!

This is one of my favorite pictures from Fallon's birth. After surgery, I went to the recovery room and did skin to skin which I was super happy about. The last 2 c-sections they wouldn't' even let me see or hold the baby in recovery. Then I was wheeled up to our room where the kids were anxiously waiting for the call from Daddy to come up and meet their new sister. They walked in and this picture pretty much explains what happened.....

My Grandpa kept saying, "Thank you Lord, what a blessing..." Austin looked at me with such a proud look. Landen and Farrah were in awe of her. Faith was taking a million pictures with her phone and saying how cute she was. Finley was more interested in the balloons and flowers:)

I love the above picture of my Grandpa who just celebrated his 77th birthday yesterday. Holding Fallon for the first time, he is so proud and always makes sure to tell me how proud he is of me. I will never forget the excitement he showed when we announced our pregnancy with Fallon. Many weren't as happy. It was special to have him there. I missed having my own Dad there. He has always been a big part of my life and has never missed the birth of one of my babies. It was hard to go through this special time not having my own Dad by my side. I know one day my Dad, with lots of prayer will come around. I just wish he wasn't missing out on such wonderful times.

I love my husband more and more with each child we have! I think we become more laid back parents, in a good way. We know our children are eternal so we try and focus our priorities with an eternal perspective. Sure helps:)

Another picture I love, the kids helping Dad change her diaper. I'm telling you I have so much help, these kids almost fight over who gets to hold her or burp her etc. Faith even volunteered to have the night shift if I was to tired to wake up. She is such a good little mini Mommy. They all are!

4 days old....so alert!

I will post some updated pictures. These were all pictures from the hospital. Fallon will be 12 weeks tomorrow! She has changed so much!

My half a dozen, my mission!

M= Mothering with passion!

I= Inviting God into every situation I face today!

S= Serving with joy, even in the routine and mundane!!
S=Saturating my husband and children with love and encouragement!

I= Intercepting the devil's attacks with prayer and praise!

O= Overflowing with joy and thankfulness!

N= Nurturing my children with God's anointing!

Thanks to Nancy from Above Rubies http://aboverubies.org/ for all her encouragement. (for some reason my link isn't working.) See, I take a few months off and I forget how to blog:)

See you soon, I mean that:)