Where has the time gone?

Oh my! Where has the time gone? I can't believe that Lola is already 8 weeks old today! My little girl is growing up too quickly...but we are enjoying every minute of it. She really is the sweetest thing. And her brothers definitely think the same. I'm actually surprised how easy the transition to 3 kids has been. Then again, Garrett is in school all day and Lola is still sleeping a lot. So talk to me in a few months and we'll see how well I'm faring.

So much has happened in the past two months. Not only did we celebrate Lola's birth on March 5th, but we also celebrated Isaac's 3-year old birthday on March 15th! And since Lola was only 10 days old, my mom graciously put on one fantastic birthday party for Isaac. Full of balloons, dinner, gifts, and a yummy cake and candles. Thanks, Mom! And Happy Birthday, Isaac! If I'm shocked that Lola is already 8 weeks...it's even crazier to think that Isaac is 3!!!
We officially moved into our new home (that we are renting from my parents) a week after having Lola, which we absolutely love! I was so nervous about "leaving the nest" (aka: my parents' home), since living there is all we've known since moving here. They are our best friends, our full time entertainment, and our source of comfort at all times. It was surprising how fast my mom fell into the roll of "mother" again, and I the "daughter." She took such good care of all of us...I knew I was really going to miss her. But considering the fact that our new home is exactly one mile from my parent's house, and after a small adjustment period, which also included a new baby and unloading WAY TOO many boxes, I think we are finally to a point that we can recognize a normal life again. We have our schedules down pat and everyone is good to go!

Here are a couple pictures of the new place...Just looking over them again, I'm reminded how much work we've already put into the place painting, painting, and more painting. It being a brand new home made for a lot of white walls that were screaming to be painted! So paint we did! I think Jeff finally had to put my mom and I in "painting time-out!" as it seemed as though the painting would never end. But it finally did and I think it all turned out amazing! The house is not quite as large as our Dallas home, and for that I am SO grateful! We had to be a little creative as to where we placed all our Texas-sized furniture, as well as how I organized each closet, but in the end it works perfectly. And now I only have 2 bathrooms to clean instead of 4! And no stairs to climb!!! And did I mention the yard work? Jeff can literally mow the lawn in about 15-20 minutes. It's wonderful to have simplified our life tremendously.

A few weeks after Lola was born, my sister-in-law (and best friend) Natalie (married to my little brother, Kent) brought her two kids (Ethan and Ella) out from Sunnyside, Washington to visit us and Grandma and Papa. It's not an easy trip to make...as it takes 3 plane rides and over 12 hours to get here! So I so appreciated her willingness and excitement to come visit. And as always, it was so fun to be with her and the kids! Each of our first two kids were born around the same time: Ethan and Garrett are only 12 days apart and then Isaac and Ella are 3 months, 12 days apart. (Sadly, I was on my own this time around with Lola's pregnancy.) But even with a combined 5 kids, we had a wonderful time together and I missed her even before she left. We kept busy the full 9 days she was here, taking the kids to the park, the pier, the bookstore where Grandma loaded up each kid with their favorite books, the mall's playground,and the MOSH (Museum of Science History) where we were able to experiment with all things Science (how bubbles are made, how magnets work, etc.),play in the museum's play area filled with a huge tree house,and an area filled with water where the kids experimented making their own dams,meet a live box turtle and possum,and even walk through a life-sized replica of the human body, starting at the mouth and finishing...well, you know how it goes. :)

We also went to dinner at one of the best restaurants Green Cove Springs has to offer: O'Charleys! (it's our favorite because kids eat free AND they have the 2nd best rolls ever...nothing can compare to the rolls at Texas Roadhouse!)and visited The Landing in downtown Jax where we went to lunch right on the St. John's River.And if that wasn't enough I had a huge to-do list I made sure Natalie knew I needed help with! She is, after all, the next up-coming Martha Stewart! There's been so much pressure (self inflicted, of course) to decorate the perfect nursery for Lola (come on, this is something I've dreamed about for years!)...and I knew I'd never get it right without Nattie's input, personal touch, and amazing eye for putting colors, patterns and material together. So I literally put Lola's room on hold, didn't buy a single thing for it, and waited until Nattie was here to help. And I'm so glad I did. I was not disappointed! She helped me refinish an old dresser/armoire that my mother-in-law had given me, which I love, but just needed a little updating. We painted it black to match Lola's crib and it turned out awesome.Then, with Cassie and my mom's help as well, we all made the 2-hour visit to JoAnn's Fabrics and picked out the perfect combination of material for the drapes and bedding (thanks, Cassie, for finding the "main fabric" which is my favorite piece). And finally, I had Nattie take some pictures of Lola that we'll hang in her room. Although we are almost done, it's all still a work in progress. But don't worry, I'll post pictures soon. Thanks again, Nattie, for all your help! Love you! Miss you! Come visit again soon!

Another exciting event is that my parents and 20 other family members were able to travel to CHINA for 12 days. My mom, and sister Alison (who actually lives in Shanghai), worked with a travel agent in Utah and prepared the most amazing travel itinerary anyone could ever dream of. It took soooo much work, but paid off exponentially! We would have loved to have gone along with them, but having just had a new baby and a new move, it definitely wasn't possible this time around. So we've had to live vicariously through my family's stories and pictures...which you can find on my mom's blog, my sister, Alison's blog, and my sister-in-law, Natalie's blog. Please take the time to read their travel journals...you WILL NOT be disappointed!

We also enjoyed celebrating Easter...with our 3 kids! Unfortunately we had to do it sans-Grandma and Papa George as they were still in China, but we had a wonderful Easter morning and did the best we could at getting a family picture after Church.Sorry, Jeff...by the time we tried to switch out the parent in the picture, the kids were done for. Maybe next year.
And if the last two months weren't busy and hectic enough, I thought I'd throw in one more life-altering event...potty-training Isaac. Looking back I honestly don't know what I was thinking! I didn't potty-train Garrett until he was 3 years 9 months!!!!! Embarrassing for both of us, I know. So with Isaac turning 3 in March, I wasn't planning on doing it until this summer, you know to give him (uh, me) some "more time." But with my parents out of town and "a lot of time on my hands (yeah, right!)," one day I just went for it. And I've learned that once you start the process, there's no looking back! I can't even tell you how many times I cursed myself for boarding this one way train! But even though there were numerous times I wanted to give up, I just kept thinking: if I can just get through this week, he should be good to go. And what do you know? He was! And we're done. Now we've got only one child in diapers...which is the way it should be. So here is a big congrats to Isaac (shown here with his potty-trained goal prize: "big Prime toy") and an even bigger congrats to ME!!!!!

And lastly, our April could not be complete without Jeff and I celebrating our 9th Wedding Anniversary! Yea for us!!! We were able to have a wonderful date-night, full of shopping at the amazing St. John's Town Center and dinner at my favorite, Cheesecake Factory! And most importantly, thanks to my mom, we were able to do it ALONE! NO kids were invited. For 4 hours we were in paradise...and then got to come home to heaven. Thanks again, Mom, for watching all 3 kids! I do have to say itt was entertaining to leave her with a long list of "this kid likes this" and even longer "to-do" list, but without fail, she was the perfect Grandma and the kids loved being with her as always. And to my "Love," thank you for a wonderful 9 years. It's definitely been a roller-coaster ride...but one I wouldn't want to take with anyone else. I love you more than I ever thought I could and am so grateful for all that you've given me...2 amazing boys, 1 little princess, and a father and husband I could only dream of long ago. Here's to another FIFTY-9 years!

As always, I've left you with a novel to read. So I promise it won't be as long next time around!

Loving this little girl

It's only been a few days, and I'm still not over the fact that we have ourselves a little girl. I'm not sure why I'm still not convinced...it's not like we had 6 boys and then finally got a girl. I guess for me, it's just the simple fact that I can say that I have, not just a girl, but a daughter! A dream come true forsure!

All in all the pregnancy and delivery could not have gone smoother. I feel great and have bounced back even quicker than I thought I would. I guess you have to when you have 3 kids to attend to! A mother's work is never done...

Garrett and Isaac are still getting used to her. I think Isaac, especially, is finally understanding why my belly had gotten so big and that we weren't kidding when we said that a baby was on its way. It will be fun to see how they become accustomed to her being around. And hopefully it will help Isaac become a "big boy" instead of staying "baby Isaac" forever. We'll see...

Anyway, here are some pictures of our special day. I love to look over them often, as I've always loved the whole delivery experience. And even though there is often lots of pain and anxiety that goes along with it, I still hold that day's memory as such an emotional and spiritual moment in time. I have no doubt Jeff and my mom would say the same. Each time a little spirit enters this world, I ask myself how someone can not believe that there is a God and that we are all His children. I'll forever thank my Heavenly Father for once again sending me such a beautiful child and am so grateful that He has entrusted me to be her mother.

Lola Tate Barlow

I can't believe I am finally posting this announcement...but it's true, SHE is FINALLY here! Our sweet, little Lola Tate Barlow was born yesterday afternoon at 4:08 PM EST. She weighed a perfect 7 lbs. 5 oz. and was 20 inches long. She has the most incredible head of dark black hair that I have ever seen (even MORE than Garrett did)! It's unbelievable that she is mine! The whole day went so wonderfully. I had the best nurses, anesthesiologist, and support team (Jeff and my mom) that anyone could ever hope for. And being this our 3rd child, it was just as much of a miracle as the first time around...maybe even more! We are so in love already with this little girl...especially Jeff. It's amazing to see how much he's already taken to his little princess. Can you say "wrapped around his little finger" and "over-protective daddy?"

We are still here at the hospital until tomorrow morning so I don't have access to download my pictures, but my mom has graciously posted lots of pictures on her blog here. Thanks to all for your sweet texts, calls, thoughts and prayers. We are truly grateful for the many wonderful family and friends who have shared in the birth of our little Lola.

What will she look like?!

So the countdown has officially begun. With only 75 days (or 10.5 weeks) to go until our little girl joins us, I've started to let my mind wander about what exactly she'll look like! When I was pregnant with Isaac, I didn't really wonder much what he would look like because I seriously thought, what else can Jeff and I make, but a cookie-cutter replica of Garrett?! Boy were we wrong! We've always thought that Isaac has had his own unique look to him...and to this day many wonder where he comes from (I wonder that daily...but not because of his looks!). Then Jeff's mom sent us this picture of him when he was the age that Isaac is now, and the questions, for us at least, have stopped:Amazing.

Anyway, I was hoping to be induced with Lola a week early on the 4th of March, but that very weekend my sweet little niece, Sydney, is going to be baptized! Which means... my parents (lucky them) get to go to Dallas to see that amazing event. Which means...I won't have my mom home the very weekend I would be coming home from the hospital. Which means...I've decided to wait until my due date (never done that before), if I can make it, and be induced on March 11th. I'm not complaining...the middle of March is a great time to have a baby...I had Isaac on March 15th. It's not too cold, not too hot and better yet, March Madness usually hits the very week I'm in the hospital. Therefore, Jeff officially has an excuse to sit and watch ALL the NCAA basketball games while we are in the hospital. Go Gators!

Regardless of when she comes though, we couldn't be more excited to add a new little person to our family. And the thought of it being a girl is just too much! Now that my belly is officially pregnant, and the boys can feel Lola moving about, it's becoming much more real to them, as well. I'm a little nervous for how Isaac is going to adjust to not being the center of attention 100% of the time! But Garrett is going to be just as good as when Isaac came home, the only difference being that at least this time he can help out!

Until then, I've kept this picture in mind as a possibility of what my little girl will look like. If nothing else, at least I know her hair will follow the family 'do!And you wondered where the boys got their 'do!

Merry Christmas!

Love, The Barlows!

Thank you!

Wow! What a crazy couple of weeks it's been! And even though our days are currently packed full of "new resident" tasks...I can not go one more day without posting a formal "Thank You" to ALL those that helped assist us in our move.

So...after two weeks of packing, two days of loading up two VERY LARGE U-Haul trucks, two days of driving, and two days of unloading all our stuff into two separate storage units....WE ARE FINALLY HERE and (somewhat) settled! What a relief it's been for all of us. And we have so many people to thank for making this even happen!

First of all, thank you to my sweet friends who helped me pack: Kellie and Nikki...you owned my kitchen! I may not know where everything is now....but I know that it's all here (somewhere), safe and sound. And to Heather...who can always sense when she is needed...if even to share in a good laugh or an unforgettable story! Thanks you guys!

Thank you to the wonderful families who supplied us with a week's worth of dinners and more nutrition than we are used to: Pat Jones (the greatest Visiting Teacher a girl could ask for...love that woman!), the Franzen family (complete strangers until this week...and yet served us as though we were family!), the Laherty family (Lora was one of my Beehives...man, how I miss those girls!), and the Fleming family (again, we barely know them, but they didn't hesitate to serve where and when they could). Your service was VERY much appreciated by all of us...but especially by Jeff! It's been months since he's had a normal meal.

Thank you to my two, sweet sisters-in-law, Anne and Elaine, as well as to my wonderful friend and neighbor, Abby, who took my children at a moment's notice! Garrett and Isaac already miss their cousins and friends!

Thank you to all those from our ward who helped us load the U-Hauls...probably one of the hardest jobs of all! There is no way we could have gotten it all done if it weren't for all the buffed, strong men who helped us: Johnny Slavens (our wonderful Elder Quorum President) who was the man behind the plan, making sure that we were always staffed with packers, movers, and additional help on hand; Mike Fackrell (our Home Teacher) and his brother-in-law (not sure how Mike roped him into that "service"...not to mention our dining room chandelier almost took his head off...TWICE!); Kevin Billings (Jeff's Home Teaching companion); Ken Burningham (a great friend for many years); and Joe Atkin (I served with his wife who was our ward's Young Women President); Bishop Scott McClellan (who stopped by to help us pack for a couple hours before leaving on a date night with his wife) and his wife Tammy (who is the 2nd best Visiting Teacher a girl could ask for! Thanks for helping with the hardest part, the inevitable stuff that is always left til the last!). And last...but certainly not least, the "Tetris Man" himself...Jason Franzen. There is NO WAY we could have fit all our stuff into even the two trucks we had if it wasn't for his AMAZING packing skills and attention to detail. You would have seriously thought he was moving HIS own home. In fact, the Franzen family just finished moving their own life from Boise to Allen a few weeks previous! I can't imagine "paying that one forward" myself! Thanks to all! There is no way we could ever repay you!

To my amazing neighbor, friend, and realtor, Cindy Schipper, who stuck with us so loyally for over a year in helping us either sell or rent our house!...there aren't enough words to express how grateful we are for your thoughtfulness and sacrifice! We'd be honored to be your neighbor again one day.

To my wonderful brothers...Cameron and Craig, who helped with packing up the trucks (Cam) and unpacking the trucks (Craig). I'm not sure who had the worse job...but regardless, they were the muscle (Craig) and humor (Cameron) we needed at a VERY stressful time.

To my darling sister-in-law, Cassie, thank you for agreeing to be my co-pilot! She flew home to visit her family in Louisiana and was kind enough to allow me to pick her up on my way to Jacksonville to help me with the boys AND the driving. She ended up doing most the driving (she's a really good driver) and left me to "deal with the boys..." Thanks Cassie for the wonderful company and even better stories! PS: How MANY Dollar Generals do you think we really saw along the way?!

And especially to Mike, Jeff's brother, who at the very last minute agreed to drive the 2nd, unplanned truck, from Dallas to Jacksonville. Thank you so much for your sacrifice (and your family's) in spending two days on the road...all on our behalf!
Once we reached Jacksonville, there were even more people who helped. The missionaries from my parent's stake and a darling couple, Spencer and Jennifer Hill (who was 7 months pregnant), helped us unload the last of the trucks into the two storage units. Again, by this point there was no way we could have survived without their help.

Thank you to Jeff's parents, who kindly gave us a wonderful "moving gift." It came at a much needed time and we are so grateful for your thoughtfulness.

And last, but certainly not least, thank you to my parents, who have endured many long months of my daily (and hourly) phone calls...asking for advice and more importantly, needing a listening ear. I can't imagine where Jeff and I would be without your counsel and helping hand. We look forward to building a new life side-by-side with you!

This post won't mean much to anyone but Jeff and me...and hopefully to those that helped us, but I didn't want to ever forget the MANY wonderful people that stepped in and made our life, our move, and our adjustment to Florida, just a little bit easier.

IT'S A...

So the day finally came! I don't need to tell you how much I've been anticipating this day for quite some time now. And even though I'm only 16 weeks, I somehow (successfully) persuaded my doctor to allow his ultrasound tech (who is fabulous!) to do a little "peeksie" and see what she thought we were having. I was so nervous lying there! And it seemed to take forever...the little one is allowed to have it's privacy and all, but come on already! So knowing that my boys were "detected" seconds after we started our search, I knew we must be in for something different! And I was right!

So with that said, may I announce that the Barlow family has successfully turned the tide...and we are expecting a GIRL!!!!!! I had to write that in pink...just because I can!

We can't imagine how life shrouded in pink will change our lives. Up until this point, all we think about is boys, boys, and more boys (and it's not just counting my boys...on my family's side there are 14 grandsons and only 6 granddaughters)! But we are so excited to add a new dimension to our family...and I'm already planning out her dance lessons, prom dresses, and wedding reception! And did I mention the shopping we'll get to do?! Gracious Be!

I do have to say that this little girl is coming at a good time. With our move happening only four days from now, the thought of leaving everything I know will only be supplanted with the thought that I have something sooo exciting to look forward to.

Something new, something different, and yes, something PINK!