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This says it all

No one else will ever know the strength of my LOVE for you. After all, you're the only one that knows what my heart sounds like from the inside.

It's a Boy!

Mike and I want to let everyone know that we welcomed a new peanut into our family this morning. Levi Alexander Steele was born at 12:13 am. He is 8 lbs 14 oz (big guy!) and 21 inches. He arrived very quickly - short 7 hour labor. I'm up and about, feeling good. And he is eating and snuggling.

Levi is named after my mom - Saralee. All of my mom's grandchildren affectionately called her Nana Lee, her nieces and nephews knew her as Aunt Lee and to her closest friends she was Lee. Levi means "joined or attached". She is forever joined to us and forever in our hearts.

Alexander translates to "Ray of Sunshine". We look forward to adding more sunshine to our hustling and bustling family.

Please "join" us as we welcome this new sunshine into our lives!

Week 36

I've got a really bad cold and can barely breath. Between the baby being all up in my lungs and this congestion, I am not in a good place. I keep thinking I will feel better tomorrow, but when tomorrow comes that isn't the case.

We had a nice Memorial Day weekend. Had neighbors over on Saturday for pizza and "Aunt" Sara and "Uncle" Dan came over for lunch on Monday. It was pretty relaxing (other than this cold).

Still stressed out about baby names. We would like to name the baby after my mom using either an "S" or "L". Her name is Saralee and close family and friends called her Lee so we could go with either initial. We have lots of girls names that we like for naming the baby after my mom. BUT if it's a boy, we are really struggling for names. Don't like any "S" names and "L" isn't going any better. Only a few weeks away and I don't like not having names picked out. It isn't for lack of trying.

I'm Here

Wow, it has been a while. Too much has happened. Will forever be mourning the loss of my mom. I'm in a daze that doesn't let up much. Thank goodness for my two beautiful boys and wonderful husband. They are the only way I ge through each day. Baby #3 is arriving in early July. It's a mix of emotions. Certainly excited to grow our family and meet our new child. Grappling with how I am going to get through it without my mom. I know I will. I just do. But I don't want to.

33 week appointment is this Friday. Should be uneventful!

Long Overdue Update

Well it has been a LONG LONG LONG time. A lot has changed since my last post. Noah is now a big brother. Mike and I are the parents of two! We moved to the burbs. Mike is working full time at his soccer business, Elite Soccer and I am working part-time. Lots of exciting, loving, stressful and challenging changes.

So the most important one first. Gabriel Edward Steele was born September 24, 2009. He is exactly 25 months younger than Noah. Gabriel entered this world ten days late. But full of energy and gusto.

If you remember when I was pregnant with Noah I was preparing for natural childbirth. That did not happen and I ended up having a c-section with Noah because he was breech (so coincides with his personality as we know it now). So my doctors told me I did not have to have a mandatory c-section with #2 since breech is not considered a reproducible condition. I figured there was no way and took the whole thing in stride (read: did no birthing prep at all this time around).

Low and behold Steele #2 was born naturally!!!! Thanks to some very talented acupuncturists at The Nest I went into labor at home around 10 pm and delivered Gabriel at 1:01 pm the following day (at the hospital). It was PAINFUL, beautiful, painful, exhilarating, painful, empowering, painful, rewarding and I don't want to forget - painful. And would I do it over again - ABSOLUTELY!

Here are some pictures of my wonderful boys.

Post Work Out

Refueling after a tough work out.

Eventually I will figure out that I need to use the other end to brush my teeth. Speaking of teeth, I have four with five and six on there way in.

AHHHH - I love the tub!