Three months

Our Haddie girl is 3 months!  She sleeps through the night and is so easy going.  She smiles all the time.  She especially loves her siblings.  

Merry Christmas

Family photos

We had pictures taken by Brian Fleming Photography.  We were really excited about getting some great shots of our family of 6.  Ellie had other ideas.  Brian is AH-MAZING and was able to capture some great shots.  He caught our family in all our glory and truly got our personality.

I love all those feet

Pretty much how Ellie felt about the entire session

Every once in a while, Sassy decided to throw us a bone

He.is.so.big

This man, ya'll, this man.

Our crazy family of SIX!

I love railroad pics

Handsome big boy

The newest member of the fam

Halloween 2013

Haddie spent her Halloween pretty much like this

Ellie refused to wear a costume.  I mean, all kinds of a fit.  

Ben the fireman

I can not believe I have 4 kids.  

We trick or treated with our small group friends again this year.  

Ellie walked up to each door, said please, then ran away saying "Kank-kou" before any candy could be put in her bucket. She ended the night with no candy and no costume.  I guess she made up for me sticking her in 3 costumes last year.

Haddie pictures

First bath

Itty bity girl

Shelton girls all together

Hadassah Lucille is here!

Well, things don't go as planned is what we have learned after 5 pregnancies and 4 deliveries.  We *planned* for baby girl to be induced on the 10th.  I *planned* to not have an epidural.  I *planned* for it to be my best labor and delivery, after all it's the fourth time and my last.  But our girl had a different idea.
I went to the doctor September 30, for my regularly scheduled appointment.  I was 37 weeks and 4 days.  We had had a great relaxed weekend because our biggies had gone to spend the weekend with the grandparents (thanks ya'll).  I had a bit of a strange occurence on Saturday.  For about a 45 minute period, my hands and mouth went numb and I sort of forgot stuff.  I couldn't recall things like siblings, neices, or nephews names.  I was able to remember my kids and Spence, but just was struggling.  I assumed maybe baby girl was on a nerve weird or something and once it passed, thought little of it.  When my blood pressure was high at my check up the nurse told me I would be going to the hospital.  I still just thought it would probably be for monitoring and then sent home.  Then I told Dr. Brannon (best doctor ever, we love that man!!) and he was shocked at my pressure and at what had happened.  He was stunned that I hadn't called him over the weekend and I truly believe that if I had called we might have had a baby a few days earlier.  He told me to go straight to the hospital because we were having a baby.  If it were my first pregnancy, he would be doing a c-section, but because we know how quickly I labor he decided to induce.  I called Spence as I headed over and we tried to work out the logistics of getting the boys home from school.  Thankfully my mom was already at my house to watch Ellie while I went to the doctor.  (Dr. B also called Spence and explained how serious things were, but I wasn't told this until later)
Once I got to the hospital, I changed and was immediately hooked to magnesium.  That is the worst stuff ever, I felt like I had the flu, and was weak, but also burning up.  We had a throw up tub with ice water that we dipped a washcloth in so I could cool myself down.  Spence got there, the the doctor broke my water and they turned on the pitocin (this was probably about 12:30).  We quickly moved to needing an epidural and turning the pitocin down.  I was in the most pain I had ever experienced because my epidural only took down one leg (awesome right?) and the babe decided to park herself in my right hip and lower back.  Finally, I felt the urge and crawled out from hiding behind my hands to peer out at my poor hubby and yell that "this baby is coming out!" He yelled out because my nurse had left my side for a potty break.  Three nurses came rushing in and refused to let me off my side until Dr. Brannon could get there.  (he may or may not have ran lights and driven on a sidewalk to get there) 2 pushes and our biggest baby had arrived.  Haddie was born at 4:58, weighing 7 pounds and 3 ounces and 19 inches long.  She is our only baby that did not have to be vacuumed, which is nuts because she was almost a pound bigger than Ellie!
My blood pressure continued to be a bit crazy the whole time I was in the hospital, so the kids only visited the night Haddie was born.  (For those that are wondering, I did have preeclampsia.  Thank goodness I went to the doctor on Monday.  My placenta had stopped nourishing our girl, and things could have gotten really scary really quickly).  Spence came and hung out some each day.  Our parents came for short visits as well.  One friend that came, captured these pictures for me.  I will be forever grateful to have these sweet pictures of our girl.

Ben's Tarheel party

We celebrated Ben with a UNC party.  We were a bit crazed, what with a newborn and all, but the party went awesome.  Shout out to the grandparents for bringing all party snacks.  Spence did a great job organizing our obstacle course because all Shelton parties include one.  

Our awesome neighbor Tracy made the cake.

This girl

Happy birthday buddy!

He was so excited about every gift. It was so cute!

We got him a football uniform with a helmet.  He flipped!

Wolf in sheep's clothing

Our Tarheel 

He immediately put the whole thing on

Our family of 6

This girl with her daddy

Favorite Four year old Tarheel

Ben loves
all things Tarheel
Carolina blue
Racing
Football
Zeke and Max
Wild Kratts

Annabelle and Haddie

Matt, Tori, Levi, and Annabelle came to meet Haddie.  (Well, Tori, Levi, and Annabelle came to the hospital.  So, Uncle Matt came to meet Haddie).  Annabelle is almost exactly 3 months older than Haddie.  I can't wait for these girls to grow up together.  It's going to be so fun watching them.

Whoa, Matt holding two girls.  

Little Shelton girls

Going to the lodge...

Before school started we went to The Great Wolf Lodge in Concord.  We stayed for two nights.  We will definitely be going back.  We stayed in a room that had a little private bunk bed area for the boys.  Ellie stayed on a pull out couch bed.  The first night everyone was exhausted and fell right to sleep.  The next night however, Ellie learned to get off the bed.  Spence and I spent a great deal of the night walking her in a stroller around the waterpark.  Despite all that, we had such a great time.  The most shocking thing of all was Zeke.  He was so brave and loved everything he tried.  He went down water slides, loved the wave pool, crossing the lilipads, and just splashing and swimming around.  Ben enjoyed sticking close to mom and dad but still enjoyed the wave pool.  Ellie had a blast in the baby area, but really wanted to be in the wave pool.  We loved how safe each area was.  There were multiple guards who never stopped moving.  They provided vests for the kids to wear while swimming.  The boys can not wait to go back.  Oh, and Ellie who kept us up all night, literally fell asleep while I was carrying her in the park.  Yes, on me and my big ol belly.  

First Days of School

The boys are attending a new school this year, TLC for Preschoolers at Tabernacle Baptist Church.  Zeke is going 5 days a week and Ben goes 3 days.  I am loving that there will be low numbers, the kids eat lunch there and they have specials classes (music, science, yoga, Spanish).  And bonus we have lots of friends there. 

Zeke's first day was September 3.

Ben's first day was September 4.

He insisted on me taking a picture of his backpack :)