max

Something happened yesterday morning. (early, early in the morning)


We are pretty excited about it.

Max Henry Bowen
7 lbs 3 oz
20 1/2 inches long
naturally adorable.

Here we have the last 24 hours in pictures
(but not in chronological order because that takes too much time)

Baby is happy and healthy.
Family is happy (and has colds...)
Parents are unbelievably happy.
And a little unbelievably tired.
I'll share more later.

Au Natural

Getting 3 children ready for church in the morning by myself always has it's perks. I've been doing it for a little over 3 years now, so I am mostly adjusted.
Although, some mornings just throw you a curve ball.
Take, for instance, this morning:

Actually, let me preface this by saying I much prefer 9 o'clock church. Right now we are on the 11 o'clock schedule and, I'm sorry, but there is just far too much time for things to take a turn for the worse... far too much time.

So, this morning, after bathing all three children I had lined them up in their room getting them dressed.
Cooper was the first out of the bath so he got my help first.
I had just finished pulling on his suit jacket when Kami says

"Landon just peed on Cooper's church pants."

Sure enough.
My 3 year old (potty trained) son climbed out of the bath and while standing mere feet from the toilet decided to take full advantage of his exposed nature and peed on his brother's church pants.

Completely natural.



Good thing Cooper has more than one pair of church pants.


I'm just not sure about these boys.
They're a little disturbing at times if you ask me.

Just so you know, according to Landon,
Cooper told him yesterday he was going to 'pee on his church pants',
and "We don't say that, that's naughty words."
So, I mean, he totally had a viable excuse... WHAT?!

worms

Cooper came running inside to me

"Mom! I can't play outside because there is a worm! Right by the swing set! I hate worms!"
(and yes, it did warrant that many exclamation points)

I find it odd for a boy to be scared of worms... but we'll go with it.

I told Cooper Landon would pick it up and move it for him.

Landon was happy to oblige as long as he had a wet wipe so he wouldn't actually have to touch the worm.

I had put the battery in my camera backwards so I missed the action shot...



the after shot
(by the way, the worm was dead and dried up... definitely not going to attack my boy.)

But, since I had my camera assembled correctly I thought I'd take some quick shots of my boys.
And can I just admit right now that I must be the worst picture taker on the face of the earth. Just saying.


This is what Cooper thinks a smile looks like right now.


As always, this is what Landon thinks a smile is



I told my two boys to stand together so I could get a picture of them before the baby comes.


I can get them to do anything for the baby

This is cute how Landon is leaning in closer and Cooper is interested in something on the ground it seems...


This is my favorite. It just sums up my boys.
Someone really should teach those Bowen children how to smile for a picture though....


Do you know how I mentioned I could get the boys to do anything for their soon to come baby brother? Cooper came in, "Quick Mom! Take a picture of me like this. Baby will love to see it. He will laugh." Brand new babies find pictures of popsicles hilarious.

My Morning

This morning when Landon woke up he was happy. For anyone who knows my Landon you know what a rarity this is.

Sometimes my husband (and by sometimes I mean all the time) likes to make up songs and sing them really loud and obnoxious like. (Keep in mind, obnoxious means adorable) He always picks one highly off-key note and then holds it forever and ever.

This morning, Landon joined with him. Cutest moment ever to have my two boys joining together in ear splitting harmony. It truly was adorable. I hope and pray my sons grow up to be just like their daddy, so obviously this was a special moment for me.

Kameryn and Cooper both had school this morning. They were both convinced that it wasn't a good day for them to go. I think Kami was hoping to be sick and Cooper, well, he didn't want to go because he wasn't going to be the line leader... bah! Somehow, using my miraculous mothering powers I convinced them to make the decision to go to school. (I might have also mentioned that if they stayed home today, when the baby came they wouldn't get to come home from school... maybe)

While doing hair this morning we sparked a debate on whether baby would have hair or no hair. Kami and Brandon immediately answered no hair. While Cooper and Landon thought it utterly ridiculous that baby could be born without hair. When asked for my opinion I submitted the following research to back up my no hair stand:

Kameryn Grace: no hair

Cooper Jay: no hair (and yes, Kameryn Grace: still no hair)

Landon Brent: no hair

I rest my case.

After doing Kameryn and Cooper's hair I casually asked Landon if I could maybe do his hair too. His response "Okay, if you be good to me." Isn't he the cutest? He wanted his hair combed straight and spikey. We took a picture for your enjoyment.

And finally, when I woke up this morning and looked in the mirror I had a "holy moly!" experience:

This is baby today (week 36 and change)

(please pay no mind to my facial expression, apparently taking a picture of your own pregnant belly is hard work)

Oh, and by the way, Landon has returned to his normally grumpy nature, so, no need to send out any alarms, all is at is should be on the Bowen front.

when upon lives billows you are tempest tossed. when you are discouraged thinking all is lost. count your many blessings name them one by one. and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.
so amid the conflict whether great or small. do not be discouraged God is over all. count your many blessings angels will attend. help and comfort give you till your journey's end.

be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake to guide the future as he has the past.
thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake; all now mysterious shall be bright at last.
be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Yesterday we received some really rough news. (Our home appraisal wasn't good. Catastrophic is more the correct term.) It was/is a real blow to our dreams. Kind of like a real hearty kick in the crotch. It's still rough and the pain is awfully raw... it's hard to describe. But mostly you feel all together crushed.
We are definitely still reeling and have no idea where to go from here or what to think. We had a lot of "plans"/dreams riding on what we felt was a fairly certain outcome only to be drastically "put in our place" as it were.
For me I feel stupid for having thought it was a feasible solution. I feel very much "put in my place" which feels very much like a place of shame and little worth. And I feel like the light at the end of the tunnel as it were keeps getting further and further away, where it seemed so close now it feels that even if I squinted I couldn't quite make it out. Mostly I feel without hope, without the desire to dream because it seems pointless. It's a gross feeling.

These two hymns are what I am holding on to. I still know that my Father in Heaven is mindful of us. I still know He has a plan for us. And, in no way, do I feel cheated or robbed by the Lord. In the exact opposite, I feel like my cup "overfloweth" with His blessings. I know these material dreams don't really matter but I still feel very hurt and confused and, yes, literally crushed from the inside out, but that is not His fault. It's not really anyone's fault except maybe my own.
I pray not that the Lord will make it all better but that He will make me all better.

A parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule fell into the farmer's well. The farmer heard the mule 'braying' - or - whatever mules do when they fall into wells. After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together and told them what had happened...and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.

Initially, the old mule was hysterical! But as the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back...a thought struck him. It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back...HE SHOULD SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP! This he did, blow after blow.

"Shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up!" he repeated to encourage himself. No matter how painful the blows, or distressing the situation seemed the old mule fought "panic" and just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF AND STEPPING UP!

You're right! It wasn't long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, STEPPED TRIUMPHANTLY OVER THE WALL OF THAT WELL! What seemed like it would bury him, actually blessed him...all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity.

THAT'S LIFE! If we face our problems and respond to them positively, and refuse to give in to panic, bitterness, or self-pity...

The adversities that come along to bury us usually have within them the potential to benefit and bless us!

"SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP"