Neve Monroe Hukee

Neve Monroe Hukee was born on March 8th, 2015 at 5:34pm.  She weighed 7 pounds 12 ounces and to be honest, I don't remember how long she was.  Lets just say she was the perfect length!  Perfect in every way!

After contractions started at 3am, I though for certain I would be holding my baby a few hours later since she is the fifth child after all.  My last two labors, also started at 3 or 4 am, and I was holding my baby by 8 or 9 am.  Neve had different plans.  My contractions were not quite long enough or often enough to go into the hospital so I labored at home until about 3pm and then checked into the hospital at about 3:20pm, my water broke in triage which kicked things into high gear as it usually does, we got a room at about 3:50pm, I passed wall to wall in my room and she was here at 5:34pm.  Then, I held her ...

...and the world stood still.  

Wynnlee was so wonderful with her.  Right from the first moment she came in, she was infatuated with Neve and wanted to hold her, and smile at her and giggle at her.  

I knew this charming character named McCabe would be quick to hold her.  He is so compassionate towards Wynnlee that his love for Neve was expected and yet so sweet and precious.  I don't seem to have a photo of Brooks loving on his new babe, but I tell you, He was great!  I wanted to be close to her and was such a gentle boy around her.  Brooks did a good job. I have no doubt that she will be loved and protected but all of us!

Leighton is big smiles here, but he refused to come near me or Neve.  I'm not sure if he was afraid he'd hurt us but he sure kept his distance.  

My midwife, Pam Jach delivered Neve. She did a good job encouraging me and she was certainly much more calm than I was during pushing. I absolutely hate the pain I feel in my back when I lay down during labor, which is why I walk during the whole labor.  I delivered Neve on my side, which is surprisingly much more relieving that being on my back.  It was more comfortable to me and Pam, was so flexible with me.  She was very compliant to my natural ways and even spoke to nurses on my behalf a few times.  I am very thankful for some of those little things and I noticed her concern for my wishes.  Pam said that Neve's cord was quite possibly the longest cord she had ever seen as she astonishingly keep pulling more and more and more out!  She also said it was one of the most powerful.  Even after 1 minute of delayed cord clamping it was still pulsing quite a bit.  And even after that, when it was cut, blood squirted to the walls, windows and even the ceiling which obviously means it hit the people that were even closer.  It was at that point that I questioned, why do I have a baby in the hospital?  It has to be so dirty!  The cord was wrapped around her neck once which I didn't know until later since it wasn't much of an issue.  Although this labor was harder and longer than I wanted it to be, I am thankful for a healthy baby, I am thankful for a fast recovery, and I am thankful that this labor was different than the last and stands out to me.  You'd think after 5 kids that it would be less exciting, that there would be less love to go around or something, but it is entirely inaccurate.  Just like a fifth labor can be extremely different, stand out, and be marked by unique facts and feelings, so to can the baby.  She is extremely different, she stands out to me, and she is marked by a unique personality, traits, smells, and life.  God made her one of a kind!  And God has once again expanded my heart's capacity.  Honestly I think adding another baby has made my heart stronger for all of the kids, for my husband, and for God too.  

So I guess the PG version of the story has been told and some facts have been shared now so I'm signing off now.  There are too many snuggles to be had to remain here for long. I can't bring myself to set her down or share her very much.  Becoming a mom is just as amazing the fifth time round.  My heart is so full.  So very full!

Introducing Wynnlee Rae

Happy Birthday Wynnlee Rae

June 21, 2012

Psalm 11:2-4

"How amazing are the deeds of the Lord!

All who delight in him should ponder them.

Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty.

His righteousness never fails.

He causes us to remember his wonderful works.

How gracious and merciful is our Lord."

We are constantly amazed by God's goodness in our lives and continually stuck with awe when we contemplate his glory, his righteousness, his mercy, his deeds, his graciousness, and his majesty!  

Birth is an incredible time to reflect on the scope of God's power, his creative abilities, his fine-tuning skills, and his faithful love.  The birth of Miss Wynnlee Rae, was nothing short of this kind of experience for us.  

Meeting my daughter, met me with a flood of emotions and a great love for her.  I was reminded of his wonderful works.  I was touched by how deep his love is for us.  We are delighted in her!

 Wynnlee was 7 pounds 5 ounces and was 19 inches long!  Most importantly, she is made in the image of GOD!

The birth story follows and is posted mostly for my memory since all 4 deliveries already blur together, so skip it if you want!

I had been dialated to 2 cm for about 10 days.  At 3:30 am on June 21, 2012, my water broke.  Grandma Julie came over and we were off to the hospital. We check into the triage room (which would eventually be where we would first hold Wynnlee and where she would first hear us and feel us and see us) since all the rooms were full.  I was still 2 cm.  We walked the halls over and over again from 5:00-7:00, praying through each contraction that God would prepare my body, dialate me, efface me, relax me so I wouldn't fight against the contraction, and remind me of his goodness.  At 7:00 am I was dialated to 8 cm.  A few contractions later, I was a 9, and a few more later, I was a 10.  My midwife, Justine, had to stretch a portion of my cervix that was still in the way, and then I started pushing!  She was born at 7:43 am!

We got into a room around noon to enjoy our daughter and visits from friends and family.

 

 

 The Hukee Family of 6 (plus 1 monkey balloon) doing our best to all look at the camera!

 I enjoyed a lot of quiet reading time.  My handsome husband took this of me!  I also enjoyed some date time with him.  We got to talk for hours and I loved every minute of it!

Bringing Wynnlee home has been wonderful.  I was so glad to be reunited with my boys and they are all doing surprisingly well with her.  Everyone wants to hold her and kiss her.  Leighton loves to look at her. McCabe loves to tell her that she is made in the image of God.  Brooks actually asks to hold her the most (but would also wrestle her or sit on her if we weren't careful).

 And here is grandma, cuddling with Wynn!  Grandma got to snuggle her a lot but also spent a lot of time cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, chasing the boys, and being an extra set of hands.  We were so thankful to have her here for a week.

Happy Birthday Baby Brooks David

Yesterday morning my water broke at 5:15 am. We went to the hospital and got to welcome Brooks David into the world at 9:13 am. I was only dialted to a 2 at 7:00 and by 9:00 I was pushing ... literally a couple minutes after the midwife arrived.

I know it was my third delivery in 2 and half years so many could call it a coincidence that it all went that fast but I must tell this story because it highlights God's goodness in our lives. I have been struggling a lot with the fear of Labor so I have been praying in general that God would prepare me for it. In the last couple of weeks some Mothers and I have been meeting before 6 am once a week to memorize scripture with one another before the kids wake up. I have been so blessed by those women and profoundly impacted by the verses that I have tried to meditate on, claim and abide in daily. The first verse we memorized was John 15:4-8.

5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

It was a challenge for me to put this into practice daily in my life. During labor, God really pressed it upon my heart to remain in him, let his words remain in me, and to in faith, ask him for anything I wanted. Though some of the contractions got the best of me, I tried hard to say portions of this passage and then pray the same thing over and over again. What did I pray? Here is a sample: "Lord, you say that if I remain in you and your words remain in me that I can ask for anything I want and it will be granted to me. Lord please help my cervix line up quickly, help me dialate with each and every contraction and Lord please allow me to have this baby by 9 am." I prayed this from about 6:30 until 8:45. At 8:45 I lost faith, I stoped claiming the verse and saying that prayer because the pain was so intense and I mentally and spiritually lost control. There was a distinct change in my contractions and the pain level at 8:45. I felt defeated. My midwife arrived just before 9 and decided to check my dialtion. At about 9 oclock, she said, "Girl, you are ready to push, lets get this baby out!" Wow. I know he wasn't born until 9:13, but I totally believe that God did not fail. I believe he listened to my prayers, and I believe that he got me ready to deliver the baby 13 minutes before and that the only reason he was born after 9 was because I didn't know I was dialated to a 10, didn't ask to be checked, didn't say I felt I needed to push and because the midwife literally wasn't in the room yet! God is sooooooo good. He is so personal, gracious, and available. He is so loving. And not only did God listen to my prayer and meet me there in that hospital, but I also got a beautiful, healthy baby boy. What a morning of blessings and what a sweet opportunity to know more about the Lord in an experiential type of way. To intellectually know God's character is important, something to strive after, something to meditate and something able to transform me, but to truely expereince his character is quiet an awesome thing that leaves you humbled, challenged and grateful.

We are so excited about Brooks and love him soooooo much. He is such a precious gift!

Pround parents after delivering him ...
Footprints ...

A warm bath to get clean and show off his long hair .....

The whole family! Leighton and McCabe came to visit a few hours later. Leighton was pretty skeptical, sad, reserved and quiet. I got a very sweet kiss from him before he left so I know we will get through it! McCabe was totally clueless, thought the room was just another playground, and even hit his brother for the first time treating him like a new toy! Uh oh!

On the second visit up to see us that evening, Leighton was a little more open to the idea. He held Brooks for about 4 seconds and he pushed his crib around the room!McCabe finally showing some emotion about the potential new baby in mommies world!On their third trip up to see us this morning, they brought a huge balloon. Oh course, Leighton took it right back home with him since it was really more for him than Brooks.

And finally that afternoon, we decided to come home. The quiet was great, the food service was great, and the care was great but I miss my boys way to much to stay away from home. Luke, Brooks and I, checked out at 3 in the afternoon.

Now, all three of the little ones are sleeping and precious and sweet. I am trying to enjoy this time to clean up, unpack and blog, but I really just want to go wake up my babes and enjoy them.

Home Sweet Home ...



God is so great!