two blogs in one... :) we're HOME!

for starters...this 'blog' is from when we were in the hospital, we just didn't have internet access...so this what I wrote yesterday...

First things first, our family of three welcomed our fourth edition into the world, Cash Isaiah Hodges! He was born Wednesday morning weighing in at 8lbs 4oz 22 inches long. (big boy!) What an exciting time…Tuesday night in the middle of night my water broke, but even after getting checked into the hospital, etc. I was still not having painful contractions, yet I was at 4cm. SO…they started me on pitocin to kick up the contractions and did it ever…I got my epidural around 7cm and after the epidural did it’s marvelous work, we delivered Cash what seemed like 20 minutes later. The birth went SO fast this time…it’s crazy how your body just knows what to do the second time around, we couldn’t believe how fast it went…So Cash was born not long after…and with literally five minutes of pushing! SO….needless to say we are on cloud nine…it’s amazing how your heart grows with more room for more and more love for your second child. Brent and I are ecstatic to have these two precious boys in our life! Here’s a picture of Cash…don’t let his purple face scare you…stories to come right after this picture.

As I had mentioned, Cash was born very quickly, causing extreme bruising mainly all over his face (as you can see!) He looked like he had been punched numerous times, the poor little guy. We were warned that his body might have a difficult time breaking down the bruising, etc. which heightens the risk for jaundice. So…through this whole experience God is teaching us patience and pruning me to develop something I’m missing because as silly as this may sound….it’s been one of the hardest weeks. (coming from my mother’s heart). So after receiving fairly positive reports from pediatricians, etc. Brent and I had our bags packed and were hopeful we were coming home on Friday morning…needless to say…I am writing this from the hospital right now and it’s Saturday night at midnight!

I do have to say…God’s timing has been perfect because had we come home when we wanted, Cash would’ve been in serious danger. His jaundice levels spiked to nearly 16 (15.9) on Saturday which is what they worried about, so he’s been under the billi-lights for help in breaking down all that jaundice! To keep from completely rambling for FOREVER….I’ll just say, his levels are going down and we should get to come home tomorrow…but this blog will have to be posted a bit later because we don’t have wireless in our room. So…as a mommy…here’s where I’m hurting. Our son Mase, we’ve missed out on a whole entire week with our boy…not only will we be bringing drastic change into this child’s life by bringing home a little brother, we have been away from him for so long right before. I know he’s been LOVING his week with his Aunt Mara, he’s been SO good and Mara took so much time off to keep him, etc`. He’s loving it! And tonight he’s staying with his grams and pops and Aunt Shannon which I know he’s LOVING, it’s just So hard…Brent and I were so excited to be home with all four of us…and now Brent and I are sitting in the hospital with neither baby!

Little Cash is in the nursery, just so he can be under the lights but we were informed that as soon as I feed him, we have to put him directly back under the lights, which we know is for his best health and it’s working with much prayer as well, to make him better and I know that in my heart, but it’s SO hard to leave him, too…and not even be able to hold him! So seeing Mase and saying bye to him, day after day has been hard…and leaving little Cash in the nursery while going back to our room without him etc. has been ever so trying as well. God has been with us, and has calmed my hurting, emotional heart right now but I am more than ready to be home and have Cash as healthy as he can be! Brent and I were joking this morning while having breakfast together by ourselves in the lovely hospital cafeteria about how different this week has been compared to what we expected our first week with 2 kids to be like. We’ve had lots of time to get to know each other better, HAHA! Laying on our hospital beds…watching tv, staring at the walls, etc. I guess we should just consider it the calm before the storm because once we’re home and in the swing of things…we’ll be missing our sleep and busy as ever! But we’re sure looking forward to that at the moment!

Thanks everyone, for all of your prayers, we appreciate it more than you know. We will post a blog of pictures with precious Cash when we get back home and have the internet again! Love you, ALL

OKAY...now we're to the present! we got to come home today! YAH!!! we're so excited and it was so much fun bringing home two babies in our back seat! here are some pictures of us before we left the hospital (excited to come home!!!) and then there are some of the homecoming, Cash and Mase, etc....sorry for the delay in the blog update, we finally are HOME! heheh!!! AH YAH! love you guys!
Mase and Cash meeting for the first time...Mason snuggling with him...

daddy and cash...so sweet.

mommy excited this morning when we got the good news we got to come home today!!!...Cash is passed out! :)

i love this one...sweet Cash...less bruised!

a quick one of mase in his dino costume, 'growling' as he walked around the hospital floor getting candy from nurses :)

mason snuggling with his new baby brother

the boys getting acquainted :) SO fun....

i think we're pretty caught up...more to come! :) love you all!