Maylin Viv Huenefeld

This is the story of our daughter, Maylin Viv Huenefeld.

When I last wrote, I was 38 weeks, 4 centimeters dilated, and trying to convince myself and everyone else I was waiting very patiently. I went to my 39 week appointment on May 20. When my doctor walked in she admitted she did not expect me to make it that long. I measured 5 cm and asked how long I could possibly walk around at 5. She said, "Longer than you'd think." I told her not to tell me that and we both laughed. She did another sweep, but I didn't have any hope that it would do anything. I was still not ready to talk induction, so we scheduled my 40 week appointment for the next week and both hoped I wouldn't make it that far. She said, "I can't bet on it, but I would be shocked if you don't come in before then." I left my appointment feeling optimistic and ready to get this baby moving. 

I did what I could to help things along, like long walks, but I couldn't even induce a string of Braxton Hicks.. I've had false labor every single pregnancy, except for this one. I have always had hours of contractions late in pregnancy that have mimicked early labor and made me think it was go-time. But this pregnancy had none of that. I'd have a contraction here or there, but there was no consistency, and it was always very short-lived.

I was eager to have this baby. Not for the typical 9 month pregnant reasons. Sure, I was uncomfortable, my back hurt and I had a hard time wrangling the toddlers, but I felt better than I ever have at that point. I was sleeping so well, only ever waking up to use the bathroom, but none of the insomnia or inability to get comfortable. I was managing fine. However, emotionally I was struggling. With each week that passed in the third trimester I felt more and more anxious. I couldn't exactly pinpoint what I was nervous about, but I just had a sense of dread. It took me weeks to even acknowledge that it was there. I was scared. As I processed it with James, I came to understand delivery was bringing up trauma. This was the first time I had two full-term pregnancies in a row since Trevin and Myla. Even though my history has been early loss, I was still terrified grief was coming for me. The closer we inched towards the due date, the more nervous I felt that my time of joy was running out. I spoke truth to myself over and over again. I knew it. I believed it. I trusted it. But my body remembers the pain I went through and the nature of self-preservation is strong. Anytime I thought about delivery, I became uneasy. It took over. Prayer was the only combatant. No amount of "positive thinking" was going to cut it. It boiled down to surrender. Holding this baby with an open hand. Recognizing God's sovereignty and power and choosing to believe what is true. He is good and he is faithful. My circumstances may change, but He will never change. It was a daily battle to rest in that. So, while I was nervous for what was to come, I longed to be on the other side of delivery so this weight could be lifted.

This was my last picture pregnant! I don't even remember which kid took it. I started having a few evenings of nausea. I thought surely this was a sign baby was near. My dad's birthday is May 22nd and he made it clear that he wanted a new grandchild for his birthday. We went out to Gary's for wings with them on that Wednesday night to celebrate him. It was probably a little risky for me to go, knowing I was 5 cm dilated and how fast Myla's delivery went. Grafton is in the opposite direction of the hospital I was planning to deliver at. I had even packed all the bags in the car in case we needed to leave the kids with my parents and dart to Grand Island in the middle of dinner. It didn't matter. There was no change, nothing, nada, none. We went home and went to bed, a little surprised and sad that another day had passed with no baby.

I felt nauseous when we got home that night, but that wasn't uncommon at this point. I slept hard until a contraction woke me up at 3:45 AM. I checked the time and quickly fell back asleep. Then another contraction 13 minutes later. I dozed off again, and another contraction 13 minutes later. I think my eye actually fully opened when I realized they had both been exactly 13 minutes apart. I wasn't about to get my hopes up yet, so I closed my eyes again and wouldn't you know it, 13 minutes later another contraction. At this point I started to let myself have some hope that this was the start of the real deal. My mind had fully woken up, so I decided to get up and walk since I wouldn't likely be able to fall asleep as easily. I walked laps in the kitchen and living room, just waiting to see what would happen next. I had a couple more contractions at 12-13 minutes apart. This was the first consistent string of contractions I had had, so I was hopeful it was baby day. Historically, I've walked myself into exhaustion in early labor, so I opted to be wise and soak in the tub for a little while and prepare for the day ahead of me. 

While I was in the tub, I tried to calm my mind which was now trying to elevate my heart rate out of fear. I spent time praying and listening to my Bible reading. Really just trying to saturate my heart with truth and gratitude. My contractions dropped to 6 minutes apart almost immediately after getting in the tub. After about a half-hour, James came in to check on me and I told him I thought it was time to start working towards leaving for the hospital. I got out of the tub at about 5:45 and started to gather the last few things in my hospital bag. I sent my mom a text telling her what was going on and after a decent contraction I told James we needed to get serious about loading up. He informed me he had to run down to the shop for something. So I busied myself around the house making sure I had everything accounted for. When he returned the contractions picked up and I asked how long before he would be ready to leave. My contractions were consistently at 4 minutes now. He asked if he had time to eat breakfast. I'm sure I shot him a look. As he fried himself a couple eggs, he asked if I wanted any. Food did not sound good at all, so I declined. My contractions were really picking up and I was having to tune out my surroundings and focus through each one. Myla woke up (unusually early for her) around 6:30 and stated, "I can't believe there's still no baby!" as she made her way down the hall. I was in the middle of an intense contraction at the kitchen table, so I barely acknowledged her comment until it passed. She was giddy when I told her it was baby day, but I could feel her eyes on me with each contraction. I tried to appear more in control than I felt because I didn't want to scare her. I made sure to smile at her and crack a few jokes in between to assure her everything was alright.

James finished his breakfast, my mom was on her way, and I knew I didn't want to wait any longer to leave. We woke Trevin up so he could hold down the fort until my mom arrived. We said our goodbyes with hugs and kisses and left the house at 6:45 AM. This was the first time we had ever gone to the hospital in the daytime. It felt strange driving in daylight, but that only occurred to me for a second because my mind was elsewhere. My contractions were painful, but I wasn't panicked that we wouldn't make it to the hospital like I had been before Myla's delivery. I knew I had some time, but I was definitely working my way towards a baby. I was forced to concentrate during each contraction, doing my best to keep my body relaxed. In between contractions, I was struggling. The fear that had been gnawing at me for weeks came to a peak. I didn't feel franticly scared, but I felt a sad heavy weight that I couldn't shake. Tears began streaming down my face. James sensed what I was feeling and prayed for me as he drove down the interstate. The weight still remained, but it was lighter and less intrusive. I was able to take a deep breath and I knew I was ready to face delivery. 

As we drew nearer to the hospital, James reached over and rubbed my belly. I looked down and it dawned on me that these would be my final moments of pregnancy. I did my best to soak it in. Our baby would be here so very soon.

We arrived at the hospital at 7:15 AM. I had to stop in the parking lot to let a contraction pass before we we made our way inside. James had called to give them a heads up that we were on our way, so the staff was waiting for us when we arrived. We started the routine check-in protocol. I got into a gown and began answering loads and loads of questions between contractions. When they checked me, I was at 6.5 cm and contractions were about 3 minutes apart. I was asked if I wanted an epidural and, similar to Carver's labor, I was managing fine at that point and had no desire to jump to an epidural. I declined and hoped I had the stamina and strength to face the challenge ahead of me.

Several nurses were introduced to me. I could tell one was new, maybe just out of school. She was the one that attempted to start my IV. She told me I have great veins. I let her know that I hear that all the time. As she looked up and down my hand and forearm I knew I was in for it. She seemed very unsure and took her sweet time rubbing and looking and rubbing some more. I wouldn't have been surprised to hear that I was the first patient that she tried to start and IV for. My contractions were intense, but I had the grace to give in that moment and was ok with letting her try, even though I knew it wasn't likely going to be very enjoyable. She finally attempted a vein in my left forearm and after a couple times in and out with the needle, the vein blew. Thankfully, the more experienced nurse stepped in to try again on my left arm. The next vein rolled and eventually blew. I was having contractions probably every two-ish minutes at this point, so I had to stop them several times until it would pass. They decided to move to my right arm and they had to do a little "fishing" but they were finally able to get it in. They apologized a million times, and I didn't hold it against them at all. It finally occurred to me after this instance that I have fat juicy veins that trick people into thinking I'm an easy prick, then they roll or blow and give an evil laugh and I end up bruised beyond belief. This has happened at least two other times. So I place no fault on the nurses. It's me, not you. 

Bruising on one of my arms a week after delivery.

When the IV was finally placed, I was able to focus a little more on the labor. My contractions were intensifying but I hadn't felt much pressure down low. I worried that I would stall out like my last two labors if baby wasn't moving down. I had James apply pressure to my back, because I was so uncomfortable. I remember the resident doctor saying that I had great breathing through the contractions. I laughed internally and thought maybe the 5th labor is when I really get things figured out. It was certainly progress from holding my breath through contractions during Trevin's birth. 

I was really starting to struggle through the contractions about the time my doctor came in a little after 8:00 AM. She checked in on me and we talked about trying nitrous oxide (yes the happy gas we all got as kids at the dentist) to help with pain. This was the first time I had been offered this in delivery, and a pretty new option at this hospital. I wanted to try it. My breaks in between were much shorter now and I felt myself tensing up and not able to relax my body. I thought the nitrous oxide would help. A few nurses worked to get it set up and I asked my doctor to check me and see how I was progressing. I needed a little encouragement that things were moving along. I was at 8 cm. She offered to break my water and made the comment that she thought that would help baby drop the rest of the way and could help speed things up. Knowing my history of my water bags of steel, I was fine letting her break them to help relieve some of the pressure and get baby into position easier.

Side note about my doctor: My doctor had never delivered any of my live births up to this point. It crossed my mind while we drove to the hospital that this would be the first time she'd deliver my baby because it was a Thursday morning and she'd be the first call. I had even mentioned it to the nurses when we had checked in how glad I was. This was actually really special for me, call it trauma-bonded, I don't know, but I've built a deep relationship with my doctor. When we met, I was a young, pregnant 18-year-old. Over the years, she was there on some of my darkest days of loss and on some of my sweetest days of celebration when we confirmed healthy pregnancies. I was excited to finally have a healthy delivery with her present. What I didn't know is that she was excited too. There was a resident doctor that was helping with my labor and delivery; I had met him shortly before. The nurse told me (after the fact) that he had asked my doctor if he could take lead on my delivery. She told him no. He was a little taken aback and she said, "Not this one. This one is mine." 

She broke my water at 8:22 AM and planned to do rounds at the hospital really quick before it was baby time. She said they'd call her immediately if things got close and she'd be right back. As soon as she broke my water the contractions hit the ceiling. I shifted to my knees and leaned on the back of the bed that was raised up. I was totally zoned out. The contractions took over and everything else in the room blacked out from my mind. In between contractions, my body would collapse onto the pillow I was leaning against until the next wave took over. 

It felt like ages waiting for the nitrous oxide, (it was a new machine and they were having a little difficulty getting it running.) I remember them bringing the machine to the side of the bed. In my foggy state, I told them after a contraction that I thought I felt a little pressure. The nurse quickly asked, "Do you feel like it's time to push?" I said no, it wasn't time. I just had felt so little pressure the entire labor, that as soon as I started feeling an ounce of something I vocalized it. The next contraction came, and they handed me the happy gas mask and gave me instructions to take long slow breaths. This was the most intense contraction yet. I took two breaths, handed the mask back and firmly declared, "Fentanyl!" The nurses said okay and began to scurry to make that happen. My main nurse was at the monitor next to me placing the order in the chart, but it wouldn't matter. I had the shortest rest, and then another contraction rushed in. I was still on my knees and I knew this was a biggie. I yelled, "Pressure!!!" and literally one second later I yelled, "NO. BABY!!!" It happened so fast. The closest nurse ran to the bottom of the bed and "opened" my gown and yelped, "We have a head!!" I don't think she even finished her sentence before I knew the baby was completely out. Later James told me that baby basically landed on the bed with the nurse only really catching her head. Thankfully it wasn't a far drop. James said, in hindsight, he should have reached for the baby because he was the closest one. 

We had told the nurses that we wanted to be the ones to look to see if it was a boy or a girl. Because I was on my knees, facing the top of the bed, I couldn't see anything. I thought about trying to flip around, but I honestly didn't know if I could do it by myself physically... not to mention the monitors attached to me, the gown twisted around me, the umbilical cord, and the nurses helping the baby at the foot of the bed. I looked at James and said, "What is it?!?" He said, "I don't know! I haven't looked yet." It had been such a rush, because it happened so fast. He looked and said, "It's a girl!!! At least I think that's what I'd call it." Then the nurse confirmed, "Yes, it's a girl!" I remember being thrown off by James' answer and actually couldn't stop laughing about it the first time I recounted the story. I asked him why he had answered that way and he laughed and said it was hard to see with the nurses rubbing her to get her to cry and the umbilical cord in the way, so he wanted a nurse to confirm it before he told me wrong. We've had a good laugh about it. 

The baby let out her first cry. They got me turned around, and I held our daughter for the first time. Our hearts leapt at the sight of her. She was finally here.

Maylin Viv Huenefeld was born at 8:30 AM on May 23, 2024. 

7 lbs 9 oz - 19 3/4"

"Mavie"

She came fast and furious, 8 minutes after they broke my water, 1 hour and 15 minutes after arriving at the hospital. Another doctor was at the desk, right outside my room, and she rushed in to help, but lo and behold, baby was already here. My doctor showed up a minute later and we both were in disbelief that she missed it. My second baby delivered by the nurses. These girls of mine sure like to rush out.

Trevin and Myla were headed on a church day trip to celebrate completing their memory verse books that day. They were supposed to leave a little after 9, so we thought we could Facetime them quick to let them know the news before they left. The best part of the day was meeting my second daughter for the first time. The next best part of the day was telling my first daughter that she finally had a sister. Myla was so so happy. We said quick goodbyes and I snuggled in with our new baby and desperately attempted to soak it all in. Unfortunately, things took a turn after that.

I nursed Maylin and she did great - latched immediately and seemed to have the energy to work at it. I started to notice the nurses checking on me more and more. They had changed out the pad underneath me several times. They started to converse with each other and with me about my bleeding. They were measuring it all and shaking their heads. I tried to tune it out and attempted to memorize every bit of our sweet Mavie. As time went on, more people were pulled into the room. Lots and lots of pushes on my stomach. Questions and concerns, but no answers. Eventually, they told me they really wanted me to empty my bladder. Apparently a full bladder can lead to postpartum hemorrhage. I handed the baby off to James. If I couldn't empty my bladder, I would need a catheter. They asked if I could make it to the bathroom, but I didn't know if I felt that strong yet. They wanted me to try a bedpan. Yeah, that didn't work. Next, they brought in a portable toilet stand. I was able to get on it, but I couldn't empty my bladder. Now that I was kind of up, I said I thought I could make it to the bathroom with some help. (I have a history of passing out when I get up to use the bathroom for the first time after delivery.) I had a nurse on each arm and I felt good all the way into the bathroom. I sat on the toilet and I said I was good. The nurse stayed with me, and thank goodness she did, because within a couple seconds I started feeling light-headed. I voiced this and as I did, everything went black. 

I don't think I was out long, but I definitely had a hard time coming back. I had never passed out that hard before. I tried opening my eyes, but everything was blurry. I was still sitting on the toilet, but my entire upper body was draped over the nurse. I remember being able to tell that there were a lot of people and there seemed to be a panic in the room. I think someone brought me an alcohol swab and stuck it to my nose. I kept my eyes closed and wondered if I could sleep here for awhile. I felt so weak and tired. They kept saying my name, asking me questions. I didn't want to respond. I was too weak and tired. I knew I was supposed to try and wake up, but I just didn't want to. It was similar to coming out of anesthesia after my surgery with Auden. I'm not sure how long I sat there, probably not as long as I thought. Eventually, I felt myself start to actually wake up and I lifted my head slightly. I started to answer some questions and could tell that I had emptied my bladder in my unconscious state. I guess I'll take that as a win. When I felt more stable, they brought in a wheelchair and got me back to my bed.

The next couple hours are incredibly hazy. They continued to monitor my bleeding, but it was still mounting concern. I remember feeling so tired. I was reclined in my bed, trying desperately to keep my eyes on my newborn from across the room. I just wanted to stare at her, but my eyes would close or my brain would go foggy. I don't believe I actually slept, just rested and tried to regain strength. They offered me something to drink. I took one sip of apple juice and then quickly threw it up and anything else that had been lingering in my stomach. Any ounce of energy I had was now totally depleted. James had asked me if I wanted to hold Maylin again, and I had to tell him no. I didn't trust myself to hold her safely. I felt like I couldn't even lift my arms. As much as I longed to have her near me, I didn't want to risk it.

There was still no answer for my bleeding. No tears, no clots, nothing to explain it. They decided to try a medication that would hopefully slow the bleeding. They warned me that it could have some not so pleasant side effects on the bottom end, but thank goodness it didn't affect me that way. After some time, the bleeding slowed and everyone was very relieved. They offered me a little food and I was able to keep the applesauce down. It was probably close to 11:00 AM and I finally started to feel like I was snapping out of it.

As soon as I felt able, I snatched my baby back and tried to make up for lost time. She nursed again and we snuggled in for quite awhile before I decided it was time to shower. I still felt weak, but I was able to get cleaned up and dressed on my own. I felt like a new human when I got back to bed with Mavie in my arms.

Around 4:00 my parents brought the kids to visit. They had thought about coming earlier, but I had been so out of it, I needed some time to recover. The kids took turns holding the baby and I don't think it was possible to get the smile off of Myla's face. 

The little boys quickly got antsy. James took them for a little walk to calm the chaos.

Our family of 7 was gathered for the very first time.

The rest of the day was smooth. We were moved to another room and we settled in for the evening. We filled out some paperwork to help speed along the check out for the next day. Maylin wanted to nurse about every hour from 8pm-1am. Finally, I opted to try the pacifier and she took it immediately. Then she did a 4 hour stretch and I was able to get some rest. James ran for some breakfast the next morning and brought back a breakfast burrito and a donut for me. I'm still thinking about that burrito. 

My parents got to hold Mavie while they were there the first day, and James' mom came by a little bit later. James' cousin, Caden, stopped by the next morning after his shift and it helped pass the time until we were able to discharge. We finished the last of the paperwork, did the final rounds with the doctors, and checked out at 9:45 AM. This meant we were only in the hospital for 26.5 hours total from the time we walked in to the time we walked out. It doesn't get much better than that! 

It was time to take our daughter home.

A sweet note from Myla to her new baby sister when we got home.

Grandpa came to visit when we got home.

The next couple of nights were very similar to the first night, cluster feeding and then a longer stretch. For the next week she was only up twice most nights between 10 pm and 6 am, one was usually a quick feed and the other was a longer wake time. I felt pretty thankful for that and seemed to be managing well. It made for a smooth transition to baby #5.

She didn't have a bath at the hospital, so her first bath happened at home a few days later.

She started smiling almost immediately. Always in her sleep at first, but by 3 weeks she was flashing us smiles when she was awake. Now, at 2 months, I can almost always count on a smile whenever I talk to her.

My recovery has been fairly easy this time around. There were several days about a week postpartum that I thought my tailbone was out of place again. Thankfully, the pain subsided and I haven't seemed to have any issues since. I've had good energy, especially considering my blood loss, taken very few naps, and have felt my body regaining strength each week.

I honestly felt like my energy was pretty good this go-around. But I found out I was probably more tired than I realized one night at supper that first week. We were all eating at the island when someone said, "Oh goodness." Then there was a pause. Trevin looked at me and said, "Oh goodness what?" I looked up and questioned him saying, "What?" James informed me, "You said, 'Oh goodness.'" I adamantly said, "I didn't say that." Everyone was now looking at me nodding, yes you did. I was sure that I had heard someone else say it, but didn't remember saying it myself. We laughed and I told them it was probably time for me to go lay down.

Maylin quickly became the most popular family member.

Maylin Viv:

We knew we were going to use Viv for the middle name, after my mom. Each child's middle name is after a side of the family (Carver was the exception, named after my hometown.) but Viv was always going to be the middle name of our next daughter. My mom has the most incredible servant's heart. Never have I known someone who will go so far above and beyond for the ones she loves. I've told her before, but she makes it impossible to outdo her in kindness. She's constantly putting others above herself and loves our kids to the max. She not only loves them, she desires to spend time with them and misses them so much when she doesn't see them for a week. I think it actually pains her when she doesn't get to be with them. I've been taking notes for years on how to be a good grandma; she's given me plenty to emulate. We love her dearly and are so grateful for her.

Maylin Viv was the name we had picked out for Macklin if he was a girl. We both really loved both names, Macklin and Maylin, but I told James that whatever name we used for that child, the other name was out. Macklin and Maylin are too similar. We ended up with Macklin Paul. When it came to naming Carver, James had suggested Maylin and I shot it down and reminded him of our deal. We came up with another girl name for Carver, but neither of us felt like it was quite right, so we were thankful Carver was a boy. That meant we were back to square one with names again this time around. James again suggested Maylin and I said no. Every other name I suggested, his response was always the same, "I don't like it as much as Maylin." I agreed that I loved the name, but I just didn't know if we could get away with it. We also knew that if we used Maylin, it would be a nod to Dori as well. Her middle name is Lynn and it was hard to pass up the chance to honor both grandmas. The more I thought about it, the more I realized maybe it would work. It's honestly only a few short years where you're under the same roof as your siblings, and with them being a boy and a girl, and not right next to each other in our family line, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. I finally agreed to keeping it at the top of the list, but I was still working behind the scenes to see if something else would stick. 

We landed on a boy name, and suddenly I started panicking about the girl name a couple weeks before my due date. I came across the name Mavie (pronounced May-vee) and it stopped me in my tracks. As soon as I said it out loud, I teared up. (Pregnancy hormones? Yeah, probably.) I told James and he said he liked it, but we both didn't love how it felt with the middle name. Mavie Viv was a mouth-full. The more we talked about it, the more James dug in. He felt very strongly that our next daughter would be Maylin Viv. He was more attached to the name than I realized. And let me tell you, he has never felt strongly FOR a name, only against. So when I saw how adamant he was, I knew he was right. We realized Mavie could actually be used as a cute nickname (May from her first name and V for her middle initial,) and all of a sudden it just clicked. We've never been the family to name our kids one thing and call them something else, (except the natural shortened nickname,) but this just seemed to fit. Call it a compromise, or call it the perfect scenario, either way, we know we made the right decision.

Maylin Viv has a piece of both grandmas in her. She's so very lucky.

4 days old

Maylin, Mavie, Baby Mavie, May, Mave, and Trevin's favorite - The Mavester.

The only thing better than having a baby, is having a baby at the same time as your friend. Maylin and Zephyn are two weeks apart and it didn't take long for him to surpass her in size. 

June 13 > July 22

There was a hard week where I really struggled to get her into a deep sleep. I would bounce and rock  and shush and sing and she would easily doze off, but within 5 minutes she would wake back up whether I continued the bouncing or not. There were a few really difficult days of her not napping for hours at a time. She would get so exhausted, but couldn't seem to settle. Hours of rocking or bouncing and just at a loss for how to get her to sleep. (This started before I added caffeine back into my diet, so I couldn't even blame it on that.) The hardest part was that she was that she was happy and content, but the longer she was up, the harder it was for her to go down. There was hardly ever any crying or screaming; she was just happy to be hanging out. But a 2 week old should not be up for 3 hours at a time, no matter how happy they are. I finally just laid her in her crib when it was "time" for a nap and she dozed off and slept for two hours. THAT WAS IT. All she wanted was to be left alone. We've continued that pattern and sometimes she'll fuss a little, but most of the time she puts herself to sleep in a hurry.

We had so many people bring us food and meals after Maylin was born. It was incredibly generous. The meals just kept coming and it was helpful to have that off of my mind for so many weeks. Our people love us so well.

1 month of Mavie

She accidentally started rolling at 1 month. She's gone tummy to back and back to tummy. It's not a regular occurrence, but it's happened multiple times both directions. 

By 6 weeks, she was consistently doing a 6-hour stretch, only waking up once somewhere between 3-4:00. Now, at 2 months, she's doing 7-8 hours most nights. She officially "slept through the night" this week, from 10pm-6am. I'm not banking on that every night at this point, but we're certainly on the right track. She's been the sweetest little baby. 

She's such a petite little thing, but she's been working hard on her double chin. Her cheeks are so kissable.

She's been a really happy baby. We found out pretty early that she doesn't love the swing or carseat unless she has her pacifier. She'd rather lay on her playmat to look at her toys or be held upright on my shoulder. But her absolute favorite thing is when someone is talking to her. She makes everyone feel special, because she generously gives out smiles to anyone.

It's hard to believe we've already had two months with our Mavie girl. She has been such a treasure.

2 months

This girl has brought a new light to our home. It's remarkable, that even after five kids, the joy that follows a new life is unlike anything else. We adore her, and we're so thankful for her precious little life. I'm taking every chance I get to smell her head, kiss her cheeks, and hold her close. She's absolutely darling.

Animals:

We told the kids we could get kittens this spring. It's been a couple years since we've had cats. A friend told us they found some kittens in their dump trailer, so James and the kids went over and caught four of them. We ended up with two longhaired gray ones, a shorthaired gray one and a tiger striped. We call them our dumpster cats. We couldn't believe how quickly we were able to tame them, considering they had never been touched by humans before. Mavie was one week old when we got them, so I opted out of all things kitten related.

They quickly became the best entertainment. The kids named them Lafawnduh, Hissifer, Long John Silver, and Pico. Hissifer was obviously the last kitten to warm up to us. Carver calls them all "Pico-k" and is happiest when he's carrying one around. Long John Silver went missing in the middle of the morning last week. We're not sure if it was an owl, fox, or a dog, but he disappeared at like 9 in the morning and hasn't been seen since. 

We had another broody hen, so we marked a few eggs and let her try to see what she could hatch. We found three baby chicks this morning! There's one egg left, so we'll see if we end up with another one in the next couple days.

Our farm count is currently: 5 kids, 18 hens, 1 rooster, two half-grown chicks, 3 baby chicks, one unhatched chick, and 3 kittens. All the while, Trevin is asking for a fish, Myla wants a rabbit, and I want more indoor plants. None of which should happen. Oh, did I mention that James ordered 80 broiler chickens that will arrive in August? Yeah. This needs to stop. But it probably won't.

VBS:

We kicked off June in the usual way with VBS!

The kids had a great time, as always!

This year looked a little different for me. I stepped aside and took care of my little two. It felt weird dropping big kids off and going back home, so we hung around at church a couple days and soaked in the week as best as we could.

Day Camp:

Day Camp followed VBS. This year was a change with Trevin going to Junior High Day Camp and Myla starting Elementary Day Camp. The kids were totally exhausted, but had the absolute best time. It felt like everyone was running in different directions the entire month of June and it was so sad. I missed us all being together and was happy to have my kiddos home when everything wrapped up!

Farm:

Middle of May to middle of June is always our busiest farm month. It's go go go nonstop. Until it rains. This meant lots of tractor hours for the kids so they could get 1-on-1 time with dad. 

And when they're not farming with James, they're farming the yard.

Wheat harvest usually happens the first week of July. It's my favorite part of our operation! 

Mavie got in on her first farm ride in the combine.

Mack wasn't thrilled that I took "his seat" when I would come to ride. I informed him it was my seat long before it was ever his seat. 

First time in the combine as a family of 7!

It became a full-time job shuttling kids and meals to and from the field. Carver really stepped up his farming game this spring. He wanted to ride every chance he got. Every day I would hear him say, "Ride broom daddy." Or "Bombine wif." He never rode less than an hour and usually made it closer to two hours before he was ready to come back home.

July always brings roguing season, too. We had a much smaller crew this year, because James said he did too good of a job killing the weeds with the flamer and cultivator. We usually try to treat them well with some snacks mid-morning. I like to keep the roguers happy, because then they'll keep coming back and I don't have to be out there with a baby on my back. So cookies, watermelon, and cinnamon rolls are usually on the menu during those long, hot weeks of roguing.

Macklin even got in on the fun this year and went several rounds with the big kids. It helped that we had beans on the field surrounding our house, so when Mack got up and saw they were already out there, he quickly got his roguing pants and mud boots on and joined in.

4th of July:

I took zero photos from the weekend, but my mom managed to grab a few from the Stockham gathering. It's one of my favorite days of the year. We were able to spend time with both sides of the family and we all had such a great time. 

Anniversary:

We celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary this month. James picked a bouquet of wildflowers for me and took me and the babe out for supper. 

It's crazy to think about those two young kids who fell in love all those years ago. We often look at each other and can't believe this is our life. It truly is the dream. The best man. 5 beautiful kids. A cozy home. And so much love. Really hoping the next 13 years go by a little slower.

Hamilton County Fair:

We left the traditional Huenefeld mark at the Hamilton County Fair. Trevin was the guilty party, once again, for going on a few too many ride and losing his supper in the grass... A deep tradition passed down from his father. I'm sure we'll be back next year to do it all again!

Trevin and Myla rode the train with the little boys and James said to me, "Did you ever think we'd fill up an entire train car?" 

Just like any normal parents of a 2-month-old, we took the kids to the demolition derby. Mavie slept through 95% of it which was quite remarkable. It was fun to see our friends there, too!

Summer:

This summer has been a slow busy. Days of picking cherries off the cherry tree in the backyard and making a pie, weeding the flowerbeds, and taking walks. I much prefer letting the days tell us what we're doing instead of the calendar dominating our agenda.

We also enjoyed many fun days with friends!

Myla and Mack completed swimming lessons in July. Myla rocked it this year and passed levels 4, 5, and 6! She was a trooper. Macklin passed level 1 and is probably the kid that has been the most comfortable in water at 4-years-old.

A lot of Sundays have looked like this. When it's really hot outside, you have a newborn, and it's a busy season of farming, Sundays are for napping and crashing on the couch. We read through The Hobbit in the last couple months. I am not the best at family read-alouds, but we've done a few. I really hope to make it apart of our rhythm going forward. It's really enjoyable for all of us, as long as I can stay awake.

 We also started watching The Little House on the Prairie series this winter and that's eaten up a good many hours. But currently, all we're watching is the Olympics. I love having babies in Olympic years. Nursing and snuggling a baby while watching the greatest athletes in the world compete; it doesn't get much better than that. 

We have done just the littlest amount of school this summer. It feels good to keep some things going. I had high hopes of completing a science unit this summer, but that's not looking likely. We are excited to get back into a rhythm in the next couple of weeks.

Trevin:

+ Each summer he takes on more and more responsibility. He shadows James a decent amount and is learning all sorts of new skills. He's also becoming an expert mower with all the hours he gets in - but not at our house. I will never give up my mowing job. Not even when I have a newborn. James made me wait two weeks to mow after I had Mavie, and it was painful sitting inside watching him mow my territory.

+ He's been staying up later and sleeping in longer - preparing for teenage years. It has been an adjustment for me. No longer am I mothering from just 7 AM to 7 PM. Now, it would seem, I'm on call 24/7.

+ He's entering a new stage of humor. He's always loved making people laugh, but he's becoming wittier by the day. The other day we came up to an intersection a mile from our house and Trevin said very nonchalantly, "Look at this 'corn'er." There was corn planted on each of the 4 fields surrounding the intersection. He's going to have the dad jokes mastered long before he is a dad. Each year with him gets more fun.

+Trevin opted to delay his birthday party to do something this summer. He originally thought he wanted to go to the lake or pool with friends, but after asking him for weeks, he finally decided he just wanted to go bowling and eat Fuji with the family. It was a really fun evening! Carver got to bowl for the first time. I'll have you know I beat everyone, but Carver came in a close second. Bumpers were heavily used by the majority of us. 

+ Trev can often be found singing to the chickens, making himself a brown cow, shooting hoops, or holding his baby sister. He's always loved babies. In the busiest weeks of farming, when I was solo-parenting every meal, Trevin was a huge help. He delivered many a meal out to the field and he was always happy to hold Maylin, so I could get a chance to eat. 

+ He finally got into his Invisalign this month. (Actually, it was the day of the fair. When he threw up. Into his Invisalign. Quite the way to break them in when you've only had them for 6 hours.) He was pretty sore the first couple of days, but he's feeling much better now. Here's to hoping not all 5 kids need the orthodontist.

Myla:

+ When we announced that we had a girl, the most common response was, "I bet Myla is so happy!" She's waited so very patiently for this sister. She still says as least once a week, "I can't believe I finally have a sister!" She's so cute. Shortly after we found out we were expecting, she made a sign for her door that said, "I wish to love a sister." I teared up when I saw it, and it certainly put the pressure on me to have a girl. Her prayers have been answered and she could not be happier.

+ She gets to start piano lessons next week. She's been waiting for several years and we're finally able to get her in.

+ Myla is always the first to ask if we can do school each summer day. When I'm not able to swing it, she can be found "doing preschool" with Macklin. They've been working on letters and numbers, and there's always loads and loads of craft projects happening in the school room. I'm so thankful for that space to let them use their imagination and more amounts of paper and glue than should ever be allowed in a day.

+ She has started writing for fun this summer. She's been writing short stories and they've been really well done. I attribute it to all of the reading she does, but it's been sweet to see her enjoy using her creativity in a new way.

+ Her love for baking is only growing stronger. She made zucchini bread this week with very little assistance. If she's not asking to do school, she's asking to bake.

Macklin:

+ Oh Mack. He can be such a quiet operator for hours at a time. He has intense focus and determination, but can turn on such a goofy side. I despise the movie Pippy Longstocking. It is the worst thing I have ever had to watch. Just cannot say enough bad things about it. But Macklin loves to tease me and say we're watching it or tells people that it's my favorite movie. He thinks he's hilarious, and now it's this inside joke if we're ever trying to pick a movie - he says that I want to watch Pippy Longstocking.

+ He likes holding Mavie and is known for going up to her and saying in the sweetest baby voice, "Oh I wuv you Mavie my Baby." 

+ One day he tried to tell me a joke and said, "Mom. Knock knock. Who's there?" It took me a second and I was like, "Wait, what?" I didn't know if I was supposed to say "Who's there, who's there?" or if I was supposed to tell him who was there.. I tried to help finish the joke to the best of my ability, but it wasn't working. We giggled a lot and now it's a common trick played back and forth.

+ His favorite things right now are playing go fish, crafting, or "mowing" with his tractor in the yard.

Carver:

It's been a big couple of months for Carver! He's become a big brother, turned two, and experienced a little trauma...

+ He loves his baby sister. If he sees me nursing her, he often asks to hold her. If she starts crying hard, he thinks it's funny and he laughs. 

+ He's learning new words and saying new phrases every week. He started saying, "No no Tockham." It took me a little bit to figure out what he was saying, but apparently I say, "No no Carver Stockham" a lot. There were a few weeks where he would say "Hey!" for yes. I'd ask if he wanted to go outside and he'd yell, "Hey!" and take off for the door. I was bummed when that stopped, but it morphed into him saying "Kay" for okay instead.

+ He doesn't like dogs or airplanes. The first day that the neighbors were spraying their fields this summer, they buzzed the house on the first pass. It terrified him and now he comes screaming if he hears them flying, which is almost every day. He has even heard them when we're inside and he gets nervous. We will all be happy when spraying is over with.

+ He has definitely entered the "two" phase. A few more battles, a new found sass, and the cutes to go with it.

+ He hops in a tractor any chance he gets, even if we're out for a walk and we come across Grandpa. Grandpa is kind enough to give him a ride the rest of the way home.

+ At every mealtime, he says, "Ma. Hoo hoo!" We learned that he wants to play the animal sound game with her every time we eat. She reluctantly says with a sigh, "What does an owl say?" And then they make their way through all of the animals. We're not sure how this started, but it is now a staple mealtime conversation.

+ Carver turned two! We celebrated with a little family party.

He's such a joy and we love having him in our family.

It's so hard to believe he's already two. 

A couple months ago, I noticed a spot on his gums. It was an abscess above the tooth that he had knocked loose this winter. We chatted with the dentist and tried a round of antibiotics in hopes of killing the infection and being able to salvage the tooth for a little while longer. Unfortunately, the abscess returned. We found out the week before his birthday that the best option was to have the tooth pulled. 

In the past few months, he has gotten sick with about anything and everything he was exposed to. He also started having some skin issues that he hadn't before. We wondered if it was all related to the infection behind his tooth and if his body was just doing its best to fight everything. We made the hard decision to have the tooth pulled. The day before the appointment, I took him out and grabbed just a few photos of our 2-year-old with two front teeth. I still tear up looking at them. My sweet baby boy.

Thankfully, we have a dentist friend who was willing to try pulling the tooth in his office. We brought the iPad, some headphones, a few toys, and lots of prayers. James held him on his lap and I held the iPad. We started a show for him and he seemed pretty settled. That is until the dentist wanted to just take a look at his mouth before we got started. Screams quickly followed. He settled as soon as we sat him back up. Then it came time to do the numbing. This was by far the worst part. We had to collectively hold him down to get the needle where it needed to be. Lots of screaming. Some blood. And a broken mama's heart. Once we sat him back up, he settled down again. He was definitely more anxious after that. After a few minutes, we laid him back for the final time. It took less than 10 seconds and the tooth was gone. He didn't bleed much and he calmed down pretty quickly after that. His lip was pretty swollen and that seemed to bother him more than anything. I had a new toy waiting for him in the car and let him watch a movie on the way home. I gave him Tylenol once, but he didn't seem bothered by the pain so we didn't have to give him any more. He took a good nap when we got home and woke up his same happy self. 

It's taking a little time getting used to his new smile. I usually don't know whether to laugh or cry. I'm finding with each day we giggle more and more at his cute new grin.

Somehow he looks 10x ornerier than ever before. He has lost all innocence. Someday he will have two front teeth again, but it will not be any day soon. He'll struggle through sweet corn season for years.

He's such a trooper. His abscess is cleared up and we're very thankful to have it behind us.

It's been a terrific summer. The Lord's kindness has been evident throughout. What a gift it has been to bring Maylin into our family. There's been such a peace in this season, knowing that we're currently in the good ol' days. It's been a joy to be at home with these babies, discipling them, schooling them, and enjoying each year with them to the fullest. The days are hard, but my prayer is that my unseen work reaps a harvest in eternity. These souls are worth my investment, energy, and care. Forever grateful.

 

Mavie joins the family, growing on the farm...