handsome little man...

new arrival...

Jase arrived Tuesday afternoon after a very long, intense labor and delivery. Because he was posterior (face-up), his head was not positioned right to cause my body to progress. But, the pitocin was creating regular, hard contractions. For hours, I dealt with really bad back labor, with no epidural (we don't have insurance and couldn't justify the expense). After Dr. McNeal broke my water, we were expecting a quick delivery because with Brighton, we had 15 minutes from the time my water broke until she was born. So, you can imagine my frustration when hours later, I was still enduring labor with no end in sight. My cute nurse brought in a labor ball, which is basically just a big exercise ball and had me sit on it and rock back and forth. Eventually, the movement caused him to shift into position. He finally arrived at 4:14 in the afternoon. He weighed 7 lbs. 6 oz. and was just over 21 inches long. He has dark eyes and a lot of dark hair. That evening my Mom brought the girls out to meet him. And, Dave and Char came to visit. The girls could not get enough of Jase. They had been so excited to get their little brother...and now he had finally arrived! We were talking about how Jase would get plenty of mothering. Dave (always ready with a clever, witty comment), added "...and maybe a little smothering!" So true!

He loves to sleep and aside from waking up to eat, he has slept for the past 48 hours straight!

Sorry it has taken me so long to post, but between Thanksgiving...

and Addy's birthday......I was a bit tied up at first.

Then, I got mastitis and have been ranging from sweating and super hot to freezing and a temperature of 103.5. Dr. McNeal prescribed me antibiotics last night and already I notice that I feel a little bit better. Thank goodness!

Anyways, we are so thankful to have our little guy here safe and sound. We love him!

the countdown...

...is on! Six days left until we get to meet our new baby!!! AND...only six more days to be pregnant. I know that is a *duh* statement, but I am REALLY looking forward to not being pregnant anymore!!! Since Karli is overdue and I get to have my baby early, my Mom said that these two little guys are probably up in heaven planning their big arrival together. But, with the scheduled inductions, they will be four days apart. So, I'm up for Friday instead of Tuesday! Could someone please tell my body that it is safe to go into labor now? That would be great.

reflecting...

I am finally posting a picture from our little birthday shoot (two months ago...sad, I know). We only took a handful of pictures and for some reason, I really like this one. She is not normally so serious, but her look kind of reflects my feelings. I can hardly believe that she is so grown up! Where did the time go?

trick or treat...

On Halloween, our ward held the annual chili cook-off/trunk or treat party. Of course, the girls love Halloween. They get to dress up like princesses and run around collecting bags full of candy! What could be better? Oh, and check out those awesome pumpkins! David carved them...I just took the picture :) We didn't even carve a pumpkin this year (gasp!). I am blaming it on graduate school and bed rest...bad combo. However, I am officially off bed rest now. As of today, I am 36 weeks...wahoo!

literature day...

On October 31st, Kennady celebrated literature day at school. Each child got to choose a book, then dress up like the character in the book. Since Kennady had already decided to wear her dance costume for Halloween, she chose to bring the book "Angelina Ballerina and the Costume Ball." Then, the children paraded around the school in their costumes carrying their own pumpkin sidekicks.

I've been tagged...

...by Becky to list 6 random things about myself. I think I have done this once before, so hopefully I can think up some unique things. Here goes:
1. I love my laundry system. I have six baskets in my closet and everyone separates their own dirty laundry into the correct basket (supposedly). Then, every morning as I leave my room to start the day, I take the fullest basket and start the load. Then, it goes straight from the dryer to a clean clothes basket in Addy's closet where I fold/hang it when I get a spare second. I am hardly ever behind on laundry!
2. Of any room in the house, I least like cleaning the kitchen.
3. I only have three Christmas gifts left to buy and then I will be done. I have wrapped almost all the gifts I already have (yet another thing I could do to entertain myself while on bedrest).
4. I LOVE to read. I read a 400 page book in the past two days.
5. I just got released as the Primary second counselor (after serving in that calling for almost 3 years). It seems very strange to have no church responsibilities at the moment.
6. I really like clean sheets. If I had a housekeeper, I would have new sheets daily. But, since I am the one who has to do the laundry and actually change the sheets, I only have clean sheets once a week.
Okay, there you have it. Sad that most things on my list are cleaning related. Can you tell I am going through withdrawals? Who would have ever thought?

bed rest...

About two weeks ago, I was on the phone with Sarah and was mentioning how many contractions I was having. She started timing them and they were coming every six minutes. If I sat down and rested, they slowed down considerably. But, the second I got up to do anything at all, the contractions started back up again, six minutes apart.... Of course, I mentioned it to my doctor when I went in for my appointment and fully expected her to tell me just to take it a little easier, drink more water, etc. But, after checking me, she perscribed terbutaline and put me on bed rest! You cannot imagine the shock I experienced! So, I have been on bed rest for a week and a half now and have one more week to go. They want to be sure the baby will not come before 36 weeks, then after that the restrictions are lifted and whenever he decides to come, he can come!
When I was first put on bed rest, I was overwhelmed with how I could take care of the girls and take care of this baby at the same time. I wanted to follow my doctor's instructions, but at the same time, the girls still needed attention. So, I would have to get up to help them in the bathroom or get them food and then would feel guilty. But, I didn't know what else to do. The girls still needed their Mom. All I can say is that I am thankful for people who stepped in to take care of my family when I couldn't do it. It is hard for me to let go of control and know that I can't take care of everything by myself. But, I had to get past that. And, I am SO thankful for everyone who has helped our family! Char and Dave brought dinner a couple of times, Char came and cleaned my kitchen, Charai swept and dust-mopped my wood floor, Sarah and David had our family over for meals and playtime, Chantel brought dinner, etc. And then, my sweet Mom came into town to help me. She came Monday morning and stayed through this morning (Friday). I can't even begin to tell you what a huge help that was! She did everything...literally. She made all the meals, cleaned my entire house, did my grocery shopping, entertained the girls with books, walks, trips to visit Karli and Garrett, and so much more. The girls are already going through Grandma withdrawals! And, my Dad is coming to help me next week! I am so blessed to have such supportive family and friends!

first day of first grade...

Yesterday was Kennady's first day of school...and she loved it! The night before, she helped me pack her lunch, load her backpack full of supplies and set out her clothes. Then yesterday, at 6:00 in the morning, she woke me up to ask me if it was time to go to school yet. She could hardly contain her enthusiasm/impatience over the next 5 hours awaiting her actual start time. When the time finally arrived, I went into her classroom with her and helped her get settled in. For one brief moment right before I left, she had that look like she might cry. Up until I saw that look, I really hadn't worried much. Had this been a year ago, I probably would have been the teary Mom who couldn't believe her child was so big, venturing off into the world, etc. But, doing kindergarten homeschool cured me of that apprehension and sentimentality. I realized that she was ready for school, anxious to be a part of that environment, ready to make new friends, etc. It is also a huge comfort to me to know that her best little friend, Emma, is in her class. Even though I can't be there all day, I know she has someone there looking out for her...what a blessing! Well, despite "the look," I needn't have worried. When I picked her up that afternoon, she was bubbling over with excitement and told me all about the fun things they did that day. In fact, today when she had only been home from school for an hour, she asked me if she got to go back to school again today. Can you imagine a child wanting to go to school twice in one day?
We feel so thankful to have Kennady enrolled in such an incredible school, where they instill a love and passion for learning from the beginning. I hope Kennady always loves school just as much as she does now!

picking flowers...

Brighton woke up first from our traditional Sunday afternoon nap. Since she has a hard time being quiet, I decided to take her on a little outing. The second we got home, she ran into Addy's room (where Addy was still sleeping) and exclaimed, "Addy, I pick wowers. See?"

Hold me Mommy!

At least a thousand times a day (maybe a slight exaggeration), Brighton says , "Ho-me-mommy!" If I am unavailable at that very moment, she follows me around the house crying. I offer to hold her hand while I do dishes or laundry or vacuum or...you get the picture. But, that doesn't cut it. She wants me to sit down, hold her and softly tickle her arms, legs, back and tummy. Her love language must be affection. She craves touch. During the day when I am desperately trying to get "stuff" accomplished, her constant neediness wears on me. I often have to tell her that I can not hold people right now. But, at night when she is sleeping so sweetly in her bed and I think about this stage of her life, I feel like crying that I ever feel irritated. At this moment, all I want to do is hold her and love her and snuggle her and tickle her...for as long as she wants.

third trimester...

I am officially in my third trimester now...wahoo! And, Dr. McNeal scheduled my induction for November 20th. So, the official countdown is on! 2 1/2 months left.

no regrets...

*THE MOMENT BETWEEN YOU AND REMARKABLE*
While in college, BJ planned to major in engineering. But, when it became too difficult to manage family, a full-time job, and several difficult courses at once (physics, calculus 3, and differential equations), he wondered if his dream was unrealistic and switched his major to business. After graduating with a Bachelors degree in Business Administration and working for a few years in the business field, he has been left wondering. Did he make the right choice? Does he really want to have to schmooze people, acheive sales quotas, appease unhappy customers, etc. for the rest of his life? Or should he pursue engineering...could that be the answer to finding a job that could be more meaningful and fulfilling? After much deliberation, he applied for a masters program in software engineering.
I found this quote by Seth Godin on Jeanette's blog (Crunchy on the Inside) and felt the reality of that moment...that moment we were in:
“That moment when you are sitting right on the edge of something daring and scary and creative and powerful and perhaps wonderful… and you blink and take a step back.
That’s the moment. The moment between you and remarkable....”
He applied for the masters program and was accepted. He wanted to change careers. But, the inevitable doubts and concerns started to creep in. I'll admit it. We did blink. We did take a step back. We were at the threshold of something big and exciting and terrifying and potentially incredible, and we stopped, paused.
I tend to think it is okay to blink and step back as long as we don't allow our fears to rule our decisions. We thought. We prayed for guidance. We weighed the pros and cons. We prepared. Then, we decided. BJ will begin the program on September 5th.
So, here's to following your dreams. Someone please remind me of this when I am exhausted from holding it all together at home all the time while he juggles work and school. Yes, I have grown accustomed to having BJ home for dinner every night, working as a team to get the girls to bed, having time to just sit and watch a movie together.... I realize that our lifestyle will change. I worry that my presence will not be able to make up for his absence in the girls lives. But, I want him to have a profession that he finds stimulating, challenging and rewarding. Well, it is past midnight so enough of my ramblings for now....

a very, merry unbirthday...

...to Kennady! Kennady and Addy love the mail. I am not very faithful about picking up my mail on a regular basis, so when I do pick it up, it is quite a load. They sit next to me as I open it and call dibs on the junk mail. They LOVE to open junk mail and collect all the fake credit cards/unused envelopes they can find. So, you can imagine the excitement when Kennady discovered that there was an actual piece of mail addressed to her! Bashas sent her a birthday card. She was excited to find coupons enclosed in the card and was interested to see what she could get. When she realized that one of the coupons was for a FREE birthday cake, she could hardly contain herself. She wanted to know how much it would cost to get her free cake. Apparently, she doesn't quite get the concept of free yet! Once BJ explained to her that it didn't cost anything, all she had to do was give them her coupon and they would give her a cake, she wanted BJ to drive her to Bashas that very minute to pick up her cake. Her enthusiasm was so contagious that he probably would have taken her that night if we had a Bashas closer to our house. But, she agreed to let him take her coupon to work with him the next day and bring her cake home with him. So, even though her actual birthday is still a month away, we celebrated last night! Not to worry, we will celebrate again in a month :) Happy Unbirthday Kennady!

thoughtful...