Welcome...Oren Monroe Waite

I had a doctor’s appointment when I was 38 and a half weeks and found out that I was the furthest thing from going into labor that I could be at 38 weeks.  This casted doubt into the mind of my OB and made him wonder whether he should actually induce me on the 13th as planned.  This stressed me out he most because the 13th was the best time for Patxi and his crazy-busy schedule and also for my mother who was taking tons of time off of work so she could help me with the kids.  The next week I tried everything I could to prep my body for labor hoping it would work.  My OB checked me on the 12th to see if I had progressed at all.  I had...a little bit.  When I told him that this was the same story as my induction for Boston, which labor was about 4 and a half hours, he told me to see him at the hospital bright and early the next morning.  I was so relieved.  

My mom arrived late that night so she would be there when the kids woke up in the morning, and I packed my hospital bag.  Patxi and I arrive there at 7:30 am with an expectation that we would have a baby by mid-afternoon.  Boston and Valin went so quickly and since I decided to do it “un-medicated,” we thought it would go very quickly.  My OB checked me and gave me meds that would ripen my cerex so that I would go into labor.  After a few hours of nothing, Patxi turned on the college football games while I walked the halls, trailing my IV on wheels.  They upped my pitocin intake so that finally, around 1:30, I started to progress.  This early labor lasted until 4:30 which was when the baby had finally dropped low enough for my OB to break my water.  This was 4:30 in the afternoon.  I had planned to be holding my baby by then! Luckily I transitioned into active labor and things started happening.  The contractions were stronger and I really had to concentrate on breathing.  I started to get major lower back pressure so I had Patxi push his fits into my back to try to counter it.  I do have to say it was weird being able to go to the bathroom and move into other positions because usually at this time I had an epidural and was bound to the bed with a catheter.  Patxi and I watched football and then when I would have a contraction, I would call his name out and start my rhythmic breathing.  Around 5:30 I told Patxi to go get dinner thinking that I could handle his absence then instead of later when it would get worst.  I tried a few different positions, and when nothing seemed to help or make a difference I took to the bed and held onto the hand rails.  

The best way I can think to describe the contractions at this point is to liken it to someone setting my pelvic bones on fire.  I would say it was like someone was branding my lower abs and lower  back, but since I’ve never branded before, I can’t say I know what it’s like.  I really don’t know if the rest of my uterus was feeling pain, because the pain from my lower back and pelvic region eclipsed it.  I still had Patxi pushing his fit into my back, but to tell the truth, it wasn’t doing anything to help.  I guess I just wanted him there and actively participating.  I had replaced my exhaled breath with “owe!” or “this hurts!”  and some times, “don’t touch my spine!!!” to Patxi.  

At about 6:30 I was checked and was told that I was only dilated to 5 cm.  Five, that’s it! I was beyond irate.  I couldn’t imagine much more of this pain! I reasoned with myself that I would labor for another hour and if I wasn’t anywhere closer, then I would screw the little white board that said, “unmedicated,” and get some relief.  Another hour of excruciating pain later and I found that I had barely gained another centimeter.  I was furious and could care a less about my desire to experience “natural” child birth.  After the next fire-burning contraction I asked about my medication options.  Patxi tried to remind me of goal, but wisely backed off  when he saw the look I gave him.  Finally the nurse gave me same fentanyl in my IV, which was to make me sleepy between contraction and take the edge off the pain.  Well, it did make me sleep, but I felt all of the pain. Soon, I started to feel pressure and ask that the doctor check me. When I exhaled, now I would say things like, “get it out!” “this hurts!” and “make it stop!”

My OB walked in and checks me around 8:45 and told that I’m not quite a 10 yet. I was still not there yet! I was close to certifiable at this point.  He leaves to answer a page and the pressure on my lower region becomes too much and I announced to the room that I had to push.  Patxi was the smartest one there because he ripped the covers off me while my nurse told me not to push.  Like right!  If you feel the need, you push.  Nothing was set up and the bed wasn’t broken down so I understand why she asked, but I could wait anymore.  When I pushed, I start to feel the most intense pain in my life, like someone was ripping open my pelvic bones, tarring them apart.  I now know what it feels like to have a compound fracture! This was the crowning of the baby’s head, which is what happens as the head passes through the pelvic cavity.  Needless to say, I was screaming at this point.  It was a good thing that I did, because it brought the doctor in time to see the baby’s head.  He then bent me in half, with the help of Patxi and the nurses, and yelled at me to push again.  I was in so much pain that I just wanted them to use the salad spoons.  But on the next contraction I pushed with all my might and soon felt the release as the baby came out, at 8:53 pm.  

Soon Patxi shouts out with unbridled excitement and a fist-punch, “It’s a BOY!” And then they placed the baby on my stomach.  I was overwhelmed with love for this little baby and had no problems telling him that I loved him.  He laid there without crying.  He was probably still surprised, as I’m sure the rest of the room was also, at how quickly he came out.  My OB and nurses took turns guessing his weight and we were all surprised when the scale read 7 lbs and 14.5 oz.  My biggest baby yet.  Interesting how it took even less time to push him through, even though he was bigger.  

Anyway, We started to talk about names right off.  When Patxi suggested Calhan Monroe, it was the best one we could both agree on, but every time I said it or texted it to someone, it just didn’t feel right.  So when they wheeled us into the recovery room, I asked Patxi if he would be willing to change the name.  He was and I suggested Oren.  We decided to pray and sleep on it and then I would make the final decision when I would fill out his birth certificate in the morning.  Patxi then left to sleep at home so he would be ready for his shift at the Keizer Fire Station.  In the morning I made Oren Monroe official and we were really happy about it. 

My stay at the hospital went really well, except the fact that Oren had lost 7% of his weight.  I realized that I should have fed him more on each side.  One of these days I’m going to get the hang on this nursing thing.  We’re still having a little bit of trouble.  He did regain his birth weight by 2 weeks (which is the healthy goal) so he is getting enough, but just not an abundance.  I am going to talk to a lactation specialist so I can make sure we’re latching alright and to get tips on making nursing quicker.  With two other young kids, it’s hard to sit on the couch for an hour every 3 hours nursing a baby.  I thought that we might have Thrush since I’m still really sore and there is whiteness on Oren’s tongue, but after five days of medicine, nothing has changed so it must be something else. 

Everything with Oren is going great.  When he was 3 days old, he smiled for the first time and absolutely melted my heart.  He has such an adorable smile.  We had him circumsised about a week after he was born and I made the wise decision not to be there for it.  Patxi and I were there for Valin and hated it, but I was still planning on being there for Oren.  But when the nurse shared her story of leaving the room while her son was circumsised, I decided I would leave too.  It was perfect because he left -not crying and came back, not crying.  I didn’t even hear him in the small operations room.  He is healing great.  

My mom was here almost 11 days after Oren was born since Patxi has two 48 hour shifts within that time.  She was absolutely amazing.  We are still eating meals she froze for us.  We all missed her when she left.  

Adjusting to life with a newborn is going alright.  It of course has its ups and downs.  The  kids utterly love their little brother and I can hardly set him down without him being swarmed.  the hugs and kisses continue whenever he is awake and even while he is eating.  They ask about him first thing in the morning and will tell me if he wakes.  We are all trying to deal with mom’s lack of time with them, but things are going better then I thought.  I’ve found that I stuggle the most with productivity.  I’m a very task-orianted person and gain great satifation on checking things off my To-Do list.  But now that I can’t seem to cross off “shower” from my lists most days, I’ve been having a hard time.  But I know that things will get better and that I just need to take it one day at a time. 

August at a Glance

The month opened with a symbolic kick in the face when we got hit with a three-digit degree heat wave.  The summer had been filled with clouds and nothing above 80.  And then suddenly, the first weekend of August it reached over 102 degree.  Add the fact that we have no a/c with me being seven months pregnant, and I was absolutely miserable.  It was the first time in this pregnancy that my feet and hands were swollen and flaming hot and I had no relief.  That saturday night, it finally cooled down (maybe got in the 80s) around 4 in the morning.  I know, because that was when I was able to finally get to sleep.  That next day, I mentioned to my friend (who had her baby a few days ago) that we didn’t have a/c, and she offered to let us borrow a window a/c they weren’t using.  We picked it up and installed it right after church, and I was in heaven. I could finally sleep!  Even with the a/c, we had to battle the heat for the next two weeks.    The kids did great, not complaining once about the heat, even though Boston and I both had to deal with heat rash.  Luckily the heat wave has left us and we might have reached mid-80s this last week.  It’s been wonderful! 

Boston’s second birthday was this month.  It took me a while to decide what to make her birthday cake into, whereas deciding on Valin was way easier.  So I decided to find pictures of cakes I thought she would like.  After she looked at them all, she picked a princess cake, one of those cakes that uses a barbie with her skirt being the cake.  That seems pretty easy enough, so I decide to make a “Belle” cake, from “Beauty and the Beast.”  She had shown a little interest in the movie before, but after I decided to make the cake, suddenly all she wanted to do was watch that movie.  So I ran with the princess theme.  I bought her a tiarra, and printed off Beauty and the Beast coloring pages and used them to decorate.  My parents came up to celebrate it with us and it was the first time they had seen our apartment, so it was a fun/fast visit.  I think she like everything we gave her and loved the cake.  She even asked about the cake days after. 

Boston also got pneumonia in the beginning of August.  Valin and I had battled a cough last month, so I wasn’t too shock that Boston got it too.  But suddenly she started getting a fever and the cough never got better.  She made everything worst because she flatly refused to swallow Tylenol.  It was so frustrating seeing her suffer and yet refuse to take the thing that will make her feel better.  Finally after seeing her ask for her chewable multi-vitamin, I realize that I should try giving her chewable Tylenol.  It totally worked! We finally get her to take something to help her fever in time to take her to the doctor who diagnosed her with pneumonia.  So now we had to be creative to have her take anti-biotic.  She is such a stinker!  I tried just with the spoon, but then applesauce worked for a while until she got tired of the taste.  We still had three days left on the medicine so we tried mixing it with juice, and she threw that up.  Then we tried mixing it in yogurt, which worked a little bit.  I was truly praying that the Lord would makeup for the missed medicine doses.  We took her to the doctor a week after and she had clear lungs, a true miracle.  

We also went to the Portland Zoo this month.  One day a month the Zoo has a discount day were admission for everyone was four dollar, Boston was actually free.  It was crazy busy and Boston threw up all over herself as we looked for a parking space. Because of that, she was naked besides her diaper for most of the day.  A few of the animals were gone, but besides that, the kids had a great time and I felt surprisingly good after a whole day on my feet.  Toward the end, the kids didn’t want to stay in the stroller much, so while we were walking Valin grabbed Boston’s hand and they walked together.  I was pretty cute, I admit, but that sweet gesture caused a stir as we walked.  It was as if people hadn’t seen a brother be sweet to his sister before.  My kids are pretty amazing and do love each other.  I am one blessed mother. 

We’ve been trying to can peaches this month.  The same farm that had blueberries also have three different kind of peaches.  About in the middle of august I picked about 20 pounds of Sunnrest and Veteran so we could see if we like them.  But we really wanted Elbertas which would be the best for canning.  So we’ve been waiting most of the month and yet, they are still not ready.  Hopefully I’ll get some canning done next month. 

Boston had a wellness appointment were she had to have three shots.  I told Valin what was going to happen so that he would know why she is cranky and not wanting to be touched.  The when we put Boston on the table, Valin insisted that I put him on the open space next to her head.  When he told me it was so he could help comfort her, it was hard to object.  The nurse gives her the shots and I took a quick look at Valin as Boston gets her last poke and he is just sitting there, hands over his ears with a scared look on his face.  So much for comforting.  But Boston was such a trooper.  The kids got stickers as we left and without prompting from me and with tears still in her eyes she said “thank you” and “goodbye” to the nurses.  

This month, the kids and I have been spending our mornings doing some kind of lesson and then walking with my friend Erin and her two daughters, (one four years old, and the other about 20 months old).  I get to exercise, the kids get to play at a playground with their friends, and I get to talk to another adult.  Everyone wins!  My kids have learn a lot about how to play and other social graces.  I can’t express what it has done for me. It means so much to talk with someone who knows what I’m going through, with kids around the same age as mine and most importantly to get out of the house.  Plus, Erin is so much fun and we have a lot in common.  Her mother was a high school drama teacher, just like my mother.  Hanging out with Erin and her kids has really made my “load” from Patxi’s busy schedule so much easier to bare.  I hardly think about how “hard” things are and it really has saved my sanity. Erin is such a giving and wonderful person and exactly what the Lord knew I needed right now.  I am sooooo blessed!!

 Valin is such a funny kid.  He loves to make us laugh, but most of the time, it’s when he’s not trying to be funny that he cracks us up.  At dinner one day he started to tell me a story of the “Bully Goats Gruff.”  It was so cute that when we told me he wanted to tell me a pig story, I decided to capture it on film.  I had to prompt him a few times, reminding him about the three houses and what they were made out of and then after dinner, we watched it.  When he got to the part of his version where the “little pigs kill the big bad wolf,” he let out this disappointed and almost surprised expression.  It made us laugh hysterically because he was listening to his own story and yet he was disappointed by the ending.  

Valin is also learning so much about letters and their sounds.  Now, he can hear a word and tell me the letter it starts with.  Patxi is also starting to help him sound out and spell small words.  He is doing great and impresses me everyday. It makes me excited to teach him even more.  Valin is also becoming a wonderful helper.  He is going to be the best older brother, well he is already.  Sometimes he is a little too pushy, but we’ve tried to teach him to rein things in a bit.  When he wanted to play with Boston, he would grab what ever toy she had and run around the room so she would chase him, or he would chase her.  I finally had to point out that that wasn’t the best way.  I told him that he should just go up to her, and ask if he could play with her, and asks if he could play with one of the toys she was playing with.  Luckily Boston is great at sharing and when asked, will almost always share.  Because of this, Valin learned quickly that asking was a better way.  I even saw him do it when we are at the discovery room in our library.  There was a girl playing with a doll house and Valin knelt down next to her and simply asked if he could play with her.  She even gave up on of the toys she was playing with.  I love it when lesson I teach sinks into the heads of my kids.  

Valin has been getting more involved with the “baby in mommy’s tummy” this month.  Sometimes when a soccer kick to the ribs sends a cry out of me, he likes to come over and kiss my “owie” or asks if I’m alright.  He also has turned a few of his animals into babies and loves to put them to sleep.  He also likes to help Boston with her baby she got last Christmas.  And every time they both see or hear a real baby, they have to run over and ask to hold it.  They’re getting more excited about this baby then I am.  I hope their excitement says, but will more likely fade when they realize that all this baby can do is cry, eat, potty, sleep, and take mom’s attention. We’ll see what happens.  I’m curious to see their reactions.

Boston is doing great.  Learning colors, and counting and I swear she has better eye sight then I do.  She is the one who spots things out on our walk that we would have all missed.  She is such a fun, quirky, and loving little girl with an infectious grin.  She is now talking all of the time.  The problem is that it’s hard to understand her most of the time.  She has her own dialect, but as she talks more, the more I can train my ear and understand.   She also will repeat what she says, getting louder each time, until I acknowledge her or give her the answer she wanted.  She is starting to eat everything on her plate now.  Before he would mostly eat only fruit, meat, or carbs, with isn’t bad, but she wouldn’t even touch her vegetables and would throw a huge fit and battle us if we would ask her to eat them.  Then something wonderful happened, we asked Valin to help us get Boston to finish her food, by having him show her “how to take a bite.”  Valin was so excited to help us, plus it helped him finish his food to, and Boston loved to copy her brother.  So now, Boston doesn’t fight us much anymore when we ask her to take bites of her food. It’s been wonderful!!!

This last Wednesday, Patxi finished his second term of the Fire protection program.  He improved in so many ways from the last term and passed all of his classes.  That only leaves four more terms of the fire program, and three of the paramedic.  We are all so proud of him and appreciate his hard work and sacrifice.  He is always in our prayers.  It’s cute because, it’s a habit for Valin to say in his prayers, “Ask that Daddy be safe,” which we started saying when Patxi was gone for his shift.  He’ll say it even if Patxi is sitting next to him.       

Today, we spent the afternoon at the Oregon State Fair -one of the perks of living close to the State Capitol.  It was a blast! The kids got to see and pet so many different animals, which was Valin’s favorite part, next to eating ice cream.  We saw the normal ones -cows, sheep, horses -but I was totally surprised by an exotic animal exhibit  where we got to see tigers, lion cubs, alligators, snakes, and even pet a huge turtle.  It was a lot of fun.  Once, while we were looking at the pigs, we saw a boar.  As Valin viewed it from behind, he said, “That pig has a bum and a tail!” of course in reverence to the animal private part.  Patxi and I couldn’t help but laugh.  

While we were eating dinner, a man slowly walked by us holding paper antlers that could be placed on someone’s head.  Valin reached out to touch them because he was curious and the man gave them to him.  Valin loved them and called himself a reindeer.  He even had a funny walk that he decided was how a reindeer walked.  But when we got to the Artist’s village (a place where people make things to sell, like wood carvings, metal work, and ceramic pottery), I realized where Valin got his impulse to touch anything interesting.  Patxi couldn’t keep his hands off anything.  It got so bad, that both Valin and Boston were telling him not to touch.  But even though I am disgustingly tired and my feet ache, we had a great time.  

I guess I should give a baby update.  I’m due in the middle of October, so I’m about 33 weeks along.  Everything is going great and right on schedule.  I’m now entering that part where after 10 minutes in any position, I’m uncomfortable.  My back is just now starting to ache when I’ve been on my feet for too long.  In my other pregnancies, I can remember my back hurting a lot sooner, so thank you, P90X.  The baby has been moving a lot, which I remember Valin doing more then Boston.  But since the baby is getting bigger, it’s now a bit uncomfortable.  It’s like getting elbowed and kick by a boney little kid in the stomach, but from the inside.  Sometimes it actually keeps me up and once woke me up from a deep sleep.  The baby is really sensitive about its‘ space too because it gives me a swift kick in the ribs if I happen to be slouching, which improves my posture, I guess.  Next month is when I have a lotted time to start my nesting projects and I’m excited to begin.  It’s the normal things, cleaning, organizing, and finding everything I need to have. I’m getting closer and am so excited to meet the new addition to our family.  

Boston's 2nd Birthday!

 For three different reasons I decided not to make a huge deal of Boston's birthday, which was Saturday, August 11.  The Monday before she was diagnosed with a light chase of pneumonia (she's doing great now, completely over it), plus is was just so hot since it was the start of the two-week long three-digtial heat wave that hit Keizer.  Then it was only her 2nd birthday, she wasn't going to remember much.  But I still wanted to make it fun.  For Valin's 2nd birthday I made a Lighting McQueen cake from the movie Cars.  It was very easy to decided on that, since he loved the movie and anything that had McQueen on it.  But Boston wasn't attached to anything like that.  So I decided to find pictures of cakes Boston could want and have her pick which one she liked best.  She ended up picking a princess cake, you know, one of those that has a Barbie and the cake is her dress.  After that, ironically enough, she started to request the "Beauty and the Beast" movie every time I allowed them a chance to watch a movie.  She absolutely loves it.  My decision to make a Belle cake was settled.
 

The cake as I was frosting it.

The "Belle" cake finished.

The cake looked pretty good except my writing on it.  I'm need to work on that.

I did decided to make a Birthday sign for her to greet us in the morning.  But I also surrounded it by pasting "Beauty and the Beast" coloring pages I printed off.  She loves to color.  It met its duel purposes to decorate/celebrate and entertain. 

I also got a teirra that she wore most of the day.  She was my sweet, Birthday princess!

 

Here is the video of us singing "Happy Birthday" to her.  You will hear my parents' voices.  They were so wonderful and came up to Keizer just to celebrate her birthday with us.  Thank you, Mom and Dad!!! I know Boston appreciated it!  

I think she had a great birthday and totally enjoyed herself! Another birthday a success! 

New pictures and things

There are a few pictures that really go with my last post since it was an overview of July, but I just uploaded them today so they get their own post. Well, here they are:  (prepare to for a long post of pictures!)

Valin being cute in his favorite crocodile pjs. 

Boston's camera smile

For some reason my kids thought it was hilarious to act like they were sleeping on the stairs

And they do it, every time I tell them to go up stairs and get ready for bed.

Patxi's body with Boston's head

serious face

this shows how messy my adventure with blueberries got one night. My fingers are died and my shirt is covered with blueberry splatters. 

I found this amazing blueberry syrup recipe that only has four ingredients, (listed in amount order) blueberries, water, sugar, lemons.  Tastes wonderful!!!! 

But it does create a lot of a mess

This mess is from drying blueberries

Yum!

The night would not be complete without a spill.  Aren't the splatter marks amazing?

Quarter jars full of that wonderful syrup. Here's the link to the recipe. http://www.simplebites.net/how-to-make-your-own-blueberry-syrup/

This was the craziest thing.  We spent the morning at a park, came home, had lunch, and then put the kids on quiet-time.  Then Valin came downstairs for something and I saw this huge, puffy rash all over his leg, stomach, and arms.  I almost freaked out (together enough, though, to snap a shot for prosperity) but then decided to give him an antihistamine and a bath.  Luckily within 20 or so minutes, the rash was gone.  Looks like Valin inherited my sensitive skin.  Sorry kid!

That's it for now.

July at a glance

July started with Patxi coming home from his two week A.T. (Annual Training) for the National Guard.  I talked about the moment he returned and my first Sunday school lesson in last month’s newsletter.  Since Patxi had been gone and I was going to leave with the kids on the 6th for my Grandfather’s 80th birthday, we decided to stay here with Patxi instead of going to the Hendrickson reunion without him.  Since we were in Salem, a friend invited us to a BBQ for the fourth of July.  We had tons of food, Patxi made an amazing Greek pasta salad, and then we did our own amateur fireworks in their driveway.  Boston didn’t know what to do with the sparklers, she tried to eat them or stick them in their yard. Valin couldn’t get enough, my little pyro.  The only bad thing was that I wasn’t prepared for how cold it got after sunset, so that put a damper on things.  We still had a great time.  

Next was my Grandfather’s birthday celebration.  We originally wanted to celebrate it on his actual birthday this Halloween, but when we found out that I was due two weeks before that, we tried for a time durning the summer were we can all get together.  We decided to go to Park City, Utah at a resort my sister has a time-share. Our group included me and the kids, my parents (who we rode with to Utah), my sister, her husband and their three month old son, my younger sister, and my grandfather, of course.  To tell the truth, I wasn’t looking forward to it.  My Grandfather hasn’t been around children much and has a criticizing tongue sometimes, so I was worried about how he would react to my kids, just being kids.  They wouldn’t have been the only one he would criticize since I gain extra weight with my pregnancy.  Luckily we were able to get a suite at the resort large enough so that we had our own rooms.  That meant, when the kids needed naps, a timeout, or they got up early in the morning, we could stay in our room and not disturb anyone else.  There were two swimming pools, TV/ DVDs in every room, and a large wrap around balcony so the kids could run around while I kept an eye on them.  Boston made apple sauce when she threw an apple off of it (we were six levels up).  

We had a lot of fun during the week.  We got to play in the pool, walk down-town Park City, and visit three museums including one with exciting dinosaur bones and another where a mining explosion is replicated.  Valin loved it, he had such a cackle of glee as he pushed down the handle making the ground shake and lights flash.  

The above pictures were from the history museum at the University of Utah

These are pictures of the kids enjoying the fun animal hats in a downtown store in Park City.  Man! my kids are so cute!

This is a video of Valin "blowing up" the mines in the Park City Museum 

Valin is a prison cell in the Museum

Kids with a bear at Park City

This is a video of the kids dancing on an outdoor stage Downtown Park City.  Boston's dancing is running around in circles, and Valin...well, I don't really know what kind of dancing he's doing.

One night a crazy thing happen.  All of Park City and the surrounding area lost the electricity at around six in the afternoon till about midnight.  Luckily, my sister finished cooking her dinner right when the lights went out.  Because the TV was out of the question, we ended up talking as a family for hours.  It was one of my favorite nights, laughing together and sharing our thoughts.    

But overall, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I totally enjoyed it.  My grandfather had more patience then I thought and he actually played and enjoyed my kids.  Boston warped him around her little finger and he learned to have patience with Valin’s exuberance.  He called my mother as soon as he got home and asked if we could to get together next year.  This was saying something, coming from him.  I think we all had a great time.

I drove home to Keizer on the 16th, so we got to spend some time with Patxi before his fire shift the next day, yes on my birthday.  I was way bummed that I wasn’t going to see him at all that day, by my good friend, Erin, came to the rescue.  She bought me a cake, picked blueberries with us, and we eat dinner at her house.  She also babysat the kids when Patxi took me out to Olive Garden the next friday.   

This week and last week, we have been up to our eyeballs in blueberries.  There is a great u-pick farm just a few miles from our house where it’s a dollar a pound.  It’s a great because I can bring the kids and just let them hang around and eat all of the berries they want.  Boston grabs hand-fulls and shoves them in her mouth, while Valin catches lady bugs.  This is the first time I’ve had fresh blueberries to cook with and it’s been quite an adventure.  So far I have made four quart jars of blueberry syrup (and still have four more to make), dehydrated 7 cups, made blueberries muffins and waffles, and frozen over 20 cups to be used in smoothies, pies, or whatever else we can think of.  Bring on the anti-oxidants!

I’m 29 weeks along now, so I have about two and a half months until we add another child to our family.  This might sound strange, but the reality of it just hit me last week.  In less then three months, I’m going to have to push out another baby.  I’m going to have three kids!  I’m overcome with the feeling to clean everything, make other preparations, and figure out a birthing plan. The baby is moving a lot, sometimes randomly kicking so hard that it feels like it moves my whole body.  We are all getting excited.  Valin loves to interact with my belly, claiming that he can hear the baby, and slaps it saying that he was giving the baby a “high-five.”                                    Boston doesn’t understand it yet, but I’m sure she’ll love the baby when we bring it home. 

just some pictures

It's been a stinkin' long time since I've posted so here are some random pictures that I've needed to post.

This is of Valin and Boston having fun wearing hats.  Valin's is a cowboy hat we got for his last Halloween costume and Boston is wearing a "pumpkin" bucket that they carried their Halloween candy in.  Despite what you think, this picture was taken in May and not October. 

My sister Jennifer had her first child, Nathaniel, in March and this is a picture from when we went down for his blessing in the beginning of May.  Boston loved and continually asked to hold him.  She loves babies!

Valin loved him too!

This is a picture of Boston's first French braid.  Her hair is starting to get long enough for me to do things with it, which I love to do.  It's barely long enough, to be honest, and it didn't last all of church, but it was fun to try.

Every morning I do "lessons" with the kids.  This is where I have one-on-one time teaching them things, ranging from the Alphabet to shapes and colors.  I do it so I feel like I giving them my attention and helping them learn, and they love it for that same reason.  I love to see them learn and grasp new concepts.  Valin even asks for it! I love that.  In this picture he is tracing numbers, which is his favorite thing to do.

Boston and I are working on identifying animals and their sounds with an educational toy.  

After posting these pictures, I've noticed that Boston has a hilarious picture face.  She squints her eyes and shows all of her teeth in a cheesy grin whenever I take the camera out and command, "say cheese!"

What a ham!

Pictures of our Park City adventure will be posted soon!

Funny quotes from my kids

Valin came to me after I picked him up from nursery this Sunday.
Valin: "Look, mom, I got wrote on." he said showing a pen mark on his wrist.
Me: Oh, no.
Valin: "But mommy, I'm not paper!"

Valin: "I'm a doggie!" he said after eatting from a bowl without his hands
Me: "I thought you were a boy?"
Valin: "I'm a boy doggie!"

I love Pinterest!!!!!!

I am soooo full! Even 3 hours after dinner. It tasted so good, that I couldn't stop myself.  A few days ago, I pinned a recipe of Homemade Gyros off my friend's board.  Since I've been having a hankering for some "Ya Ya, Niki's" I decided to make it today.  It was so wonderful, I had to have two.  

We made everything homemade: The pita bread, tzatziki (the "sauce" made of yogurt, cucumbers, and garlic), beef steak, lettuce, and onions.  Well, I guess we bought the vegetables, but the beef was from a steer we butchered, and the bread was homemade.  I was so proud of myself. :) 

It was so delicious!!!!!  We had to change a few things, like in the tzatziki, it calls for non-fat yogurt, but all we had was sour cream.  It turned out great and my favorite part.

Even the kids liked it. 

Here is the link to the recipe: http://annies-eats.com/2009/06/02/chicken-gyros/

Easter Morning Fun and Outfits!

As a tradition in my house growing up, we had a trail of jellybeans lead us from our rooms to our Easter baskets on Easter morning.  Sometimes my parents even dipped their fingers into flour and placed bunny paw prints on the flour.  We also hid our eggs around the house and search for them.  So, I wanted to try some of my traditions on the kids and see if they liked them.  Yesterday we colored eggs with crayons inside of dying them, something we'll have to wait to do until they're older.  It went alright.  Boston's interest lated as long as any of her other coloring experiences.  She mostly liked smashing the eggs on the table.  Valin liked the idea of coloring, but lost his desire when he smashed in two of his eggs because he pressed the crayon too hard.  So out of 6 boiled egg, only one remained whole, the one I did.  Then we filled plastic eggs with jelly beans, which I might have the easter bunny do next year.  Valin liked doing it, Boston mostly ate them.

Previous to this we watched the New bible video on the LDS.org website entitled "He is Risen" and the old 1976 tv special called, "The first Easter Bunny" on youtude.  I wanted to emphasize both parts of the holiday, secular as well as spiritual, so the kids can enjoy both.  I kind of found it hard really to explain the Easter bunny and it's connection to Jesus Christ.  Does anyone have suggestions? I've LOVE to hear them!

Here is a video I took of the kids waking up Easter morning:

Here are pictures of the kids in their Easter outfits:

Happy Easter everyone!