Fun Times at Our House!!!: Happy Birthday, Chandler Bates Brannan!!!!!!!!! December 6, 2010

Right when we got to the hospital to be induced!!!

On Monday, December 6, 2010 at 7:53 p.m., God blessed our family with another PRECIOUS miracle - Chandler Bates Brannan. He was born at Northport Hospital in Northport, Alabama weighing 7 lbs. 11 oz. and was 21 1/2 inches long! We could hear him crying before he was even born - it was neat! We are SO thankful for three healthy boys to raise! We hope and pray that they will be the best of friends and that they will all 3 love God with ALL of their hearts! It's always a miracle when a baby is born - especially when you have four dr.'s tell you you will never have children and you have three with you and three in heaven :) We are still debating number four but we are SO thankful for our three! This was by far the easiest and best delivery yet!!!!!!!!!

This is about 6:00 in the morning on the day he was born! It was FREEZING cold outside so I just dressed comfy :) I was induced that day! I was super excited to meet him and thought he would come quickly...but he didn't! It still wasn't a hard day...it was actually pretty relaxing!

Caden and Calder came to see us while we were waiting on Bates to arrive! LOVE these little guys! This was their last picture without a new baby brother! Mimi and Poppy took them to eat Japanese for lunch (their choice - Calder calls the restaurant Fried Rice), they rode the train at the mall and picked out big brother gifts! Calder wanted a new lovie and Caden wanted a play doh set!

First picture of Bates! I know it's a little bloody but how precious to see a baby right when they are born!!! It made my heart melt to see him for the first time and hear his sweet little cry!

First time for Mommy to hold him! Life is such a miracle to me! I'm thankful God has entrusted us with three little guys to raise!

Getting all stretched out for the first time! I am sure it felt nice to be able to straighten those legs :)

I LOVE baby feet!!!

AND baby hands!

Getting all checked out!

Spreading his toes like Mommy does!

His weight!!! 7 lbs. 11.2 oz. Caden weighed the exact same thing!

On the scales!

All bundled up on the warmer!

Sweet baby! He looked just like Calder to me!

Dr. Edwards, our OB, who was WONDERFUL the entire time! Definitely the best pregnancy and delivery experience we've had. All three of our boys were born in different cities and this was by far the best! I must admit, I was a little nervous because of the smallness of the hospital but the nurses were great and I couldn't have had a better dr. He goes to our church and is way more than just a Dr. to us! We are thankful for his whole family! Bates and I were blessed to be in great hands!

Cass, Dr. Edwards and Bates after he was born!

Mommy and Bates!

Still trying to figure out why nobody fixed my stray hair for several hours! Oh well...it is like that in every picture! SO proud to be holding my baby boy!!!

I ate so much ice in the hospital I got frostbite on my tongue! Isn't that horrible!!!

First time Caden held Bates!

Calder didn't know what to think the whole time. He was looking at him but he mainly sat in a rocking chair and ate goldfish when he was visiting!

Caden is SOOOOO proud to be a big brother!

Kisses from Calder!

Love that he is smiling at his baby brother!

This is PRECIOUS to me of all three of them!

Sweet boys!!!

Opening their big brother gifts from Bates! They got little cars that move!

Opening another big brother gift...The Tickle Monster book!

Daddy and Bates! SO thankful for all of Cass's help :) I am a lucky wife to have such a great husband and they are blessed to have such a great Dad!

Poppy and Bates

Mimi and Bates

Calder would come around every now and then and want to see him!

SOOOOO in love with his baby brother!

Sweet kisses!

Calder eating his bag of goldfish...all he wanted to do!

I had them shirts with little brother and big brother and their names on them. SO cute! Bates actually had a gown :)

Bates first bath!!! We asked them to wait until the boys got there to bathe him so they could watch!

Having his hair washed!

All clean!!!

Mommy and Caden!

Mommy and Calder!

Opening their gifts to Bates...his lovies!!!

Eating the cookies we handed out at the hospital!

Cookies! We ordered these when each of the boys was born to hand out at the hospital. The nurses and visitors always like it!

Sweet boy in his first outfit!!!

All bundled up!

I am trying hard to have him take a pacifier! It's REALLY hard but he's starting to like it! SO sweet of him with his first pacifier!

Cookie basket!

Our first family picture as a family of FIVE!!!

This is SOOOOOOO sweet to me!

Trying to give him one bottle of formula in the hospital because he seemed really hungry and I wasn't filling him up...he did NOT like the formula!

Our door at the hospital with Bates wreath on it!

In their matching Christmas shirts!

Calder LOVED the rocking chair!

The hospital does sibling parties for the big brothers and sisters. The nurse was getting their party ready!

They were REALLY excited about it!

We rolled Bates over to join them for the party!

Calder LOVES a party! He was all about the cake and Caden was all about the jello...Caden isn't a junk food eater!

They had A LOT of fun riding on my bed with me! We would raise it up and lower it. Of course, I only let them do this a few times but it sure did make them smile BIG!!!

A very tired Daddy with his new baby boy!!!

Getting ready to leave! What I brought him to wear home was going to be very cold so I opted for second choice! It swallowed him but was still cute! At least he was warm in it!