~*~ Austin Family Newsletter - December 2010 ~*~
We are pleased say that 2010 has been a year to remember! We have had many good times as well as many trials. All have enabled us to grow closer as a family. We went into the beginning of the year pregnant with our second baby! We had been told it was a girl… then a boy… We decided to pick out a name for each gender, just to be sure!
In March, Caitlin celebrated her very first birthday with a huge party at our house! There were about 20 people crammed into our living room to sing her happy birthday and watch her open presents! She had a huge pile of presents to open and received many more over the weeks after her birthday! We were in shock to see her turn 1 year old! It seemed crazy that Carie was due with baby #2 in 8 weeks! Shortly after Caity’s party, we found out that we would be expecting another little girl! All three of us were very excited!
On May 21, Carie’s due date, Carie went into the hospital to be induced. Dr. Gerdes broke her water and 4 short hours and 3 pushes later, we welcomed our second daughter into this world! Rosalie Cadence Austin was born at 1:17 p.m. and weighed 8 lbs 7 oz and was 20 inches long. It was the first time Carie delivered a baby without any sort of pain medication! Painful, but worth it! It was truly a heavenly experience! Caitlin warmed up to baby Rosie really quick! She has been a wonderful Big Sister since! We were very blessed to have two little girls, who are a few days shy of 14 months apart! It still seems crazy!
Shortly after Carie’s 6 week post-partum stage, we were told she had an abnormal pap smear and would need further medical care. In August, she had a small surgery to remove the precancerous cells in her cervix. Everything went well and we will be able to have more kids! But we aren’t planning on it for a while yet! (Carie needs a break!)
In September, Charles was lighting a brush pile in the back yard with gasoline, he went to light it when a flash fire burned his whole right arm and the right side of his face. He dove out of the way, but still suffered 1st and 2nd degree burns. He was able to run inside and shortly after, we went to the ER. It was a hard time for both of us. Charles was off work for a little over a week while healing. We were at the doctor’s office every day and he had physical therapy. He has since healed without scarring. Charles was very blessed in his recovery. So please, do not light fires with gasoline.
Since then, the rest of the year has seemed to fly by! Caitlin and Rosalie are in the 90th percentile for height and weight! Caitlin has been learning her ABCs and colors! Rosalie is scooting around our living room floor! She seems days away from crawling! Our girls amaze us daily and it never gets old! They are a blessing!
We are looking forward to 2011 and the things the Lord has in store for us. We encourage you to remember the true meaning of Christmas, Jesus Christ, and to always thank the Lord for the many blessings in your life! We are thankful for your friendship!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,
Charles, Carie, Caitlin, and Rosalie
