Fifth

I had a hard time settling on a halloween costume this year but this seems like the BEST one I could have had!

Baby #5 (and the final) will make it's debut in early May.  My due date is the 10th but my doctor delivered Lily 11 days early so I will just plan for very early May.  

I am 12 weeks and looking forward to my evening nausea going away and feeling like I need a nap every afternoon when life is the most crazy around this place.

I called my doctor as soon as I found out and I have been getting my blood thinner shots every day.  I had an appointment on Wednesday and the baby looked great!

We are not particular about whether this one is a boy or a girl since we are tied at 2 each.  But this will be one very loved baby that is for sure!

Flashback Friday Halloween Edition

I believe this idea came because of Joey's red hair but here we are:

Barney, Betty, and Bam-Bam.

And yes, I am looking way pregnant in this!

He was a really cute little cave man!

Crossing the Great Divide

Lily wants to be like her older siblings.

She will follow them out to the van, the only problem is crossing the great divide.

 She has mastered the little lip at the end of the garage, where the door comes down.

 But this deep chasm poses the problem.  She will stop and stare at it and inch her toes closer to it.

She will eventually step over it. As you can see her little foot is just bigger than it is so I can see the distress. 

She will more willingly cross it if someone holds her hand. 

For quite awhile, she would side step along the side of the van so as to avoid the smaller line that runs parallel with the van.  Then she would get down and use her hands to bear crawl over the deep abyss. It is really cute!

Flashback Friday

We loved having Jon around and he fit in to life pretty smoothly.

 Like I said, Peter loves to snuggle with babies.  He still has this shirt although it is now his work shirt.

 Joey used to come up to Peter and Jon and lift up his shirt.  Then, Peter would move Jon's little arms and "punch" Joey's tummy and say: tiny fists of fury.  Joey would laugh and laugh.  Jon was too little to really to respond but he did not cry. 

 Brothers

When Jon was 4 weeks old he got RSV.  It was awful.  He was diagnosed on a Friday and we spent the weekend doing treatments and he seemed to improve.  I took him in on Monday for a recheck and we were lucky enough to get an ambulance ride from the Pediatrician's office to the children's hospital were he stayed for about 30 hours (between ER and floor).  It twas so sad!  I could not nurse him which was really hard because I had just been diagnosed with mastitis.  

The day after he was released Joey became sick.  We took him in and he had RSV and an ear infection.  We spent the next week doing breathing treatments every 4 hours, antibiotics for me and Joey, tylenol and motrin as needed for fevers for Joey, and Jon would nurse about every 2-3 hours.  I do not look back on that time as a particularly pleasant time but I was so grateful for good doctors and a baby that had been sick but not so sick he was on a ventilator and in the ICU.  

Jon I hope this was an experience only you have.

Weekend

Friday:

*I shopped at Aldi for the first time. It was nice and some great prices! Milk for 1.69!

*Made a new chili recipe for the Ward chili cook off.  It had sweet potatoes in it.

*Had about 1/2 to 1/3 of the chili spill out in the car on the way to the chili cook off.  Getting scalding liquid on my seat, all over my phone, purse, and diaper bag, and some splashed on Joey's wrist.

*After cleaning it up, we had a great time at the chili cook off.

Saturday:

*In the morning, we worked on a few things around the house. I made bread and organized the remainder of our storage after filling the storage under the stairs.  Peter worked on Scout stuff and road show scenery.

*Joey had his mid-term testing at 1.  After you get your 1st degree black belt you have to wait a year to test for your second degree and you have to test half way through as your midterm. 

Joey did great! The owner will ask questions and try to stump the kids but Joey knew the answer and even pointed out something that neither the owner or Joey's instructor had realized. 

 *Check out his amazing round kick to the head! Go Joey!

*Jon had soccer pictures and a soccer game at 1:40 so Peter and I had split up to get kids where they needed to be.  Jon did great and learned about sportsmanship.

*I had a baby shower that started at 3 but I got there at 4.

*The kids had their primary program practice at 5 and so Peter and I took Lily to run a few errands. It was almost like a date.

Sunday:

*Peter made a great breakfast for the kids so they would be ready for their program. 

*We put finishing touches on lessons. I taught my family history class and sunbeams and Peter taught his deacons quorum class.

*Joey helped get dinner in the crockpot to sign off a Bear requirement.

*The program was fabulous.  All of our kids did their parts great and completely from memory. I love the primary program.  It always has such a wonderful spirit!

*Classes went great!

*We had snacks after church and I took a nap- lovely.

*The kids discovered that the storm during the night had blown the pool out from behind the grill and it landed in a perfect spot to catch all of the spill over from the rain gutter and from the roof and grill. It was full!

*Lily was in heaven and the kids splashed around a bit even though it was freezing water!

*Dinner was great! 40 clove garlic chicken!

 *Lily putting the water on her head.  Then she would gasp a little because it was so cold.

*It was a great weekend! I hope you had a great one too!

Flashback Friday

Jon was born on Dec. 15, 2005 at 11:01 pm

He was my biggest baby at 7 lbs 8 oz and 20 1/2 inches long. 

I had contractions on and off all day and finally we decided before it got any later we would go to the hospital to see.  I was nervous about how fast I would deliver and I needed antibiotics since I was strep positive.  My contractions basically stopped after getting there but just before they were going to let me go, Jon had a deceleration in his heart rate and they let me stay.  I was given antibiotics, my water was broken after that and I was started on pitocin.  Jon came 1  1/2 hours after my water was broken.  The doctor had gone home so Jon was my first to be delivered by the nurses. 

 He came really fast.  I was only in labor for an hour and a half.

 I will never forget that when his head was out it was as if he used his feet and pushed himself out the rest of the way.  He was ready to be out of there. 

Poor Peter had to go back to work.  My cousin was watching Joey for us.  Peter had just made it home about 5 am when they called to say he had woken up and was crying so he went and picked him up.  

Peter was one really tired guy.  We were thankful when my parents arrived later that day (the 16th) to help out.  

 Jon really had a distinct look to him.  Joey loved him instantly and was so excited to meet him.

 Jon had to stay for exactly 48 hours and so I stayed that long too.  But I was more than ready to leave even though it was 11 at night because I had been in a shared room and was ready for some peace, quiet and privacy.

 First night home.

 Peter loves to snuggle with newborns and Jon was really good at snuggling. 

His announcement picture. 

Pink

So Joey's Taekwondo school sold pink casual uniform shirts.

He got his today and I stole it to wear under my scrubs tonight to work because I thought it was so cool.

 

 Joey is not so convinced about wearing it but it is the only casual shirt allowed for the month of October. 

Breast Cancer awareness is great! I think this is an awesome saying.

A lady that I worked with died about a year and a half ago from breast cancer and she fought an amazing fight.  She had a 7 year old son that she left behind and so you know she had one goal and purpose in her well fought fight- him.  Whenever I see breast cancer awareness stuff, I think of her.  So, Stacy you fought like a girl and a mother and that means everything. 

Flashback Friday

I found this at the grocery store today and had to buy it. 

It is a banana squash! 

Peter and I have tried growing this in Las Vegas and here in Texas without any luck- heat, squash bugs, etc.

This squash is a flashback because it fills me with memories of my childhood.

My parents have always had a garden and this has always- as far as I can remember- been in it.

My mom would usually cut it into pieces and steam it and them we would put butter, salt and pepper on it.  Oh the deliciousness! My mouth is watering. 

The funny thing is that I have mentioned this squash to people here and they have no idea what I am talking about unless they are from Utah.  Also, most people call squash bugs stink bug s or shield bugs. 

I remember my mom or dad saying that they were losing this squash plant or that one to squash bugs.  They would dust with sevin and squish them and sometimes save the plant.  

I love squash of all kinds! Finding this today has made me long for fall days in Utah but this weekend as I enjoy conference and now some tasty squash I will feel a bit more like I am there.

Baby Guac

We had guacamole the other night for dinner.  

Lily loves avocados and we forgot to save some plain for her so we just gave her guac.

She loved it-smart girl!

 We had just put a spoonful on her plate and she kept squawking for more and so another spoonful and finally, we just gave her the nearly empty bowl. 

As you can see from the pictures that is really what she wanted.  

Happy baby! 

"Mile"Stone

Oh, my beloved Odyssey you have given us so much!

75,000 miles (actually a few more it had 24, ??? when we bought it).

 We have some great memories from the past 6 years.

I am really hoping to get another 100,000 out of you!