Mason James- Blessing Day

We blessed baby Mason a few weeks ago here in our ward in Danville. Gordon did a beautiful job and it was a really nice day. Uncle Troy, Vince, Jared Christensen, Jeff Myers and Bishop Stone stood in the circle with Gordon and Mason was a champ- no crying! We didn't get many pictures. Acutally we only took a few before church and just of me holding Mason. We are SO bad about taking pictures. Oh well. Here are the few that we have.

Where does she get this stuff?

Abby said to me the other day, "Mom, isn't Christmas the greatest. We get all these new toys and stuff and because Santa brings it you don't have to use any of your own money!"

She is a thinker, that one!

She is trying all kinds of tricks to get to stay up later. She just recently started the "I'm hungry!" routine at bedtime. Tonight she tried that, and when it failed she tried the "I'm scared!" routine. Being in a better mood than usual at bedtime, I indulged her momentarily by asking, "What are you scared of?" She hesitated briefly, probably shocked that I didn't immediately bark "Get in to bed" at her, and then, in the most pathetic voice you can imagine said, "What if a tiger breaks through my window and comes to get me?"

What!! Seriously? A tiger? She obviously wasn't prepared with a more believable "fear". But, she recovered quickly saying, "I keep having bad dreams that I don't have a family anymore." I looked at her and she continued, "because of a fire." Ugh!!! For those of you that don't know her well, she is miss drama queen extraordinaire with an incredible imagination. She used to be scared of fires, but that was a few years ago. But, she knows we took it seriously, so now she is digging it up in a vain attempt at a few more minutes at bedtime.

She's seven. She should know by now, bedtime is the one thing in this family that is absolutely non-negotiable. But you've got to give the girl credit. She keeps trying- almost every night!

She's a thinker and a persistent excuse creator! And hopefully she's asleep.

Oh how I love my boys!

Brotherly bonding. Are they not just the cutest things around? I think so.

One Burrito Baby - To Go, Please

I have a special talent. Swaddling babies is my special talent. I can even do it, "to go." It's probably not the safest, but I am not one to wake a soundly sleeping baby just because we need to go pick up kids from school. Besides, he's in there so tight, he's not going anywhere. And an added bonus is that he is much happier now that his naps are not being interrupted by the shuttle service we have going on here with three kids on different school schedules. (it's not as bad as it sounds thanks to a wonderful, amazing, marvelous thing called the BUS, but we still do preschool and kindergarten pick up.)

Happy napping everyone!

For Gordon

Gordon is out of town right now. He is in Texas, and apparently his client is having serious doubts about the fact that we have children. Gordon has no pictures with him, on his computer, in his wallet or anywhere else. Not only that, but he doesn't know how to access this blog, facebook or anywhere else that I have posted pictures of the baby. It's not that he couldn't figure it out, he just isn't interested. And the fact that he has no pictures with him is really due to the fact that we are horrible picture takers, not that he doesn't adore his kids (because he does.) So these pictures are for Gordon and his client, and anyone else who is interested. And hopefully the link that I email Gordon will work, otherwise these pics are just for you!

(below) Pre-baby pictures. Gordon and the kids making pizza. What a good dad!

(above) Amanda, Madi, Abby and Chase on the 4th of July. This is one of only two pictures that we took of me pregnant. I felt huge, and this picture does not really do justice to just how big I felt!

(above) Chase, Madi and Abby watching with great wonder at Mommy getting her blood pressure checked in the hospital. Baby Mason didn't hold a candle to the noisy automatic contraption velcroed tightly around Mommy's arm.

(below) I think Abby was pretty nervous to hold the baby. She has such a serious expression.

(above) Madi on the other hand was all smiles and very excited to be a new big sister.

(below) Chase wanted to hold the baby mostly because the girls were doing it. He was really more interested in getting drinks from the "refreshment room" in the hospital.

(below) Cute baby Mason sleeping peacefully.

(below) Those hospital binkys are huge and a little strange. You can see here the scratches Mason gave himself. It's amazing how long their fingernails are when they are born! What a cutie! It's been so fun having him here. We all just love him so much!

A New Baby

It was Friday, (July 17th), and I was determined. I had an appointment in the morning, my membranes were stripped, and I was off and walking in 100+ degree weather up in the hills of Walnut Creek. It was so hot. I came home got on the treadmill and walked for an hour. I walked up and down the stairs. I walked all around the house. I bent over a lot and picked stuff up off the floor (an activity sure to give me contractions). And by 7pm I was having irregular contractions every 10 minutes. Not really labor, but I was impatient and tired of being pregnant. We decided to take the kids to their Aunts house for the night and on the drive over I decided to call my doctor just to see what he would say about my irregular 10 minute contractions. Can I just say, I love my doctor! The answering service lady told me that he said to come on in to Labor and Delivery. I knew by the way she said it he was already at the hospital, and that I would be having the baby that night.

We went in and I actually was contracting every 4 minutes, but I could only feel every other one. My dr broke my water and started Pitocin and at 7:58am baby Mason was born. He was a little stuck and after 1.5 hrs of pushing he came into the world with a little help from a vacuum(sounds worse that it actually is.)

He weighed 8lbs 4oz and was 20.5 inches long. He has dark hair and looks nothing like Chase did as a newborn. He is so cute*** and we are all having so much fun with him.

*** Chase was also very cute as a newborn, just to clarify- they just look so different to me, but both very cute!

The Ever Shrinking World

First of all, no baby yet. I need to get some serious walking going on! Too bad is was 104 degrees today. We are going to try and walk around the Lafayette Resevoir tonight when it cools down a bit. Do you think if I have Gordon push our three kids in the triple jogger (which we are trying to get rid of by the way) that it will slow him down to my 9 month pregnant pace?

isn't it lovely? would you like to buy it, or do you know anyone who would?

So I just made a phone call to the hospital which struck me as really funny. My parents are in Africa serving a mission for our church. They have been there for about 20 months and have about 3.5 months to go, so they will miss being here for the birth of our baby. We have been able to communicate frequently with my parents using Skype and they love watching the antics of my crazy kids on the webcam. I was feeling bad that they were not going to be able to participate when our baby is born, then it struck me that we could just use skype on a laptop at the hospital (with the webcam appropriately directed at my head!) So today I downloaded Skype on my sister-in-law's laptop, located an old webcam we had, found the software and made sure everything was working. Then I realized we needed Internet access. I don't know why, but it struck me as so funny to call the hospital and ask if I could get wireless Internet access in my room when I come in to deliver my baby. And then, when I found out I could get Internet access, I just sat amazed for a moment that my parents in Africa could actually participate, in real time, in this amazing event in our life. Wow- how amazing. The world is getting so small. Don't you think?

The Update

Today I am exactly 39 weeks pregnant. I was scheduled to be induced on Wednesday, the 15th, but got a call on Friday that I was bumped for another pregnant woman with more medical needs?!?! I was near tears the rest of the day! They were able to reschedule my induction for the 20th- ugh! I am due on the 19th. So that is the scoop. I am ready, and my doctor comes back in to town tomorrow night, so from Tuesday on I will be walking, eating spicy foods and praying that this little boy comes soon.

"Are you a good witch or a bad witch?"

This witch was last seen on 6/8/09 at approximately 6:30pm Pacific Time. This witch was going to "rescue the girls and fight them with my big sword." The jury is still out on the good witch vs. bad witch controversy.Oh WAIT- you're not a witch at all!!

This particular Cinderella was last seen 3/3/09 at approximately 3:00pm. Just like the witch above, Cinderella was also, "going to rescue the girls..." but I think a rescue rope was involved rather than a sword. I wonder how much the girls enjoy being rescued?

They probably enjoy this much more. The Witch/Cinderella did not enjoy this quite as much as the girls and stood in that exact position for most of the afternoon, wanting to try but just lacking a little bit of courage.Isn't it great that they make 3 lane slip and slides? Anything that comes in 3's is a good thing in our house. Taking turns HAPPILY (is that a word?) isn't always the easiest task in our home. Now we are just waiting for the weather to heat up again so we can slip and slide the summer away!!!!!!!!!!

Nanny needed now!!!

Ok - so I've come to the realization that several things about my summer, when added up are not likely to equal a very fun or happy summer for our little family.

Tired, anemic, pregnant mommy + Apraxic kid + ADHD kid + no meds + intensive speech and OT therapy for one kid+ art therapy for another kid + one kid with a thyroid disorder + daddy working late, but hopefully not traveling + Nana and Grandpa on a mission in Africa + a desire to maintain a schedule and a decently clean house + A NEW BABY = Nanny needed now!!!!

I am on a search for a nanny for the summer. We have a cleaning lady, so that part is ok. So, if you know anyone who might be interested let me know. I am thinking around 30 hours a week through the summer. I know it sounds like a lot, but that's what I am going to need after the baby comes to get everyone everywhere they need to be! So we'll do it for a few weeks before the baby comes too.

Now I am going to make yummy mac and cheese for my two kids who have been watching way too much Noggin and my one child who just practically impaled herself with a very long stick while pretending it was a trumpet and now has some nice gashes on the roof of her mouth and tonsils. Gross huh! Why would a long stick be in her mouth you wonder? Ahh- if you knew her you would not wonder. You would tell me to get a Nanny!

It's all tied up now.

The line can be drawn, the big room repainted, the teams are now equal. Yes, the future holds many boys vs. girls activities for us, 3 on one side, 3 on the other. The baby is a BOY!!!! I am so excited. I wanted a boy, and believe me there is no mistaking it, this baby is a boy. Even I could tell. He was not being shy, or modest for that matter. He was wiggling all around, and isn't it the cutest thing when you see the baby inside of you sucking on his little itty bitty hand! You can hardly feel he is there, but boy oh boy he is sucking, swallowing, practice breathing, and doing all kinds of acrobatic feats inside you! What a truly amazing thing. What a blessing- one I truly doubted I would ever get to experience - way back when. Now I just have to convince Gordon that the name I like is the one and only perfect name for our new baby boy. I'll let you know if my powers of persuasion are successful.

Our Favorite Things

Life has been a little trying lately and whenever I feel like posting I am afraid I will just end up complaining. So, I have decided to think positively and pull the good out of the last few weeks.

Chase- his favorites right now are scissors and knives, "Don't Break the Ice" game, sleeping on the floor in Mommy and Daddy's room, wormy worms (gummy worms) and calling everyone stinky. He loves to be part of the group and can easily convince his sisters to play Captain Hook with him using clothes hangers as his hooks. He as a pretty cool scar from the cut on his head that required 4 staples to close up. He looked like Frankenstein for a few days, but didn't cry a bit when the staples were removed. And, no, he didn't get the cut from the scissors or knives he is obsessed with (we strictly limit him to plastic play knives, and we take the scissors away when ever he gets his little hands on them.) He actually cut his head while colliding with a corner of the cinder block wall at church while I was getting the gym set up for the Blue and Gold dinner. Lots of blood, not much fun!

Madi- she has always loved stuffed animals and cuddly things. She seems to have a split personality and can be sweet and affectionate one minute and then screaming like a crazy person the next minute (and she's not upset, just playing!) She loves oatmeal, and wearing her jacket all day long. She has a BFF at school named Drew, but she is good friends with most of the boys in her class. She loved coming to the Blue and Gold dinner because her BFF at church is one of our scouts names Ryan. We are a little worried about her teenage years given her propensity to befriend the boys.

Abby- have you ever read the book "Raising your Spirited Child"? This is Abby in a nutshell. She loves everyone and everything, but if you tell her no she will let you know you have "ruined her life forever!" She is one of the most creative beings I have ever been around and sees potential for fun and excitement in every thing she sees. She likes to get messy and she adores her sister and brother. In the past few weeks her favorite things have been going out to dinner at Benihana with just mom and dad, making scrambled eggs all by herself almost every morning, helping daddy take care of Dutch by taking him to the vet, and teaching us an impromptu lesson all about temples at FHE (apparently you get to have a party in the temple when you get adopted or married, but at the party you have to sit still, be reverent and fold your arms.)

My favorite thing right now is Peanut Butter Cup Perfection Ice Cream from Cold Stone. Yum! And I am so excited for my 20 week (I will actually be 21 weeks) ultrasound next week. We will share the news- what do you think- boy or girl? My obgyn keeps saying its a girl based on the heartbeat range, but I don't know. (He doesn't either, he is just teasing me.)

Gordon's favorite things- right now he's pretty happy that he still has lots of work. Given the economy, we are all happy about that! He is in Miami right now, so I can't ask him his favorite things. Here's a short list- sushi, the tv show "Chuck", dreaming about a new truck, and his beautiful and incredibly talented wife! Hee Hee.

Happy Tuesday to all of you!

Interesting Information and Issues

Last night Gordon and I had a big long discussion about some serious issues with our children. Yes, they all have issues (some more serious than others). Anyway- he shared a tidbit of information with me. He said he has worked more in the last month in a half than than he ever has in the same amount of time at any time in his career. Never before has he had such a busy January and February. Yikes- that's scary considering how much he does work in general. No wonder we all have issues! Remarkably, for me at least, I never would have come to that realization on my own. And usually I am the first to notice how much he is working. Maybe my issues with his workload are being replaced by the issues of my children. Ah, life is all about issues!!! Sometimes good, sometimes not so good. How can such little kids have such serious issues. Maybe they just feel serious because I am their mom. When I have more time I can explain a little better, let's just say therapists, doctors and trips to the principals office are not always fun!

Now I am off to prepare for the big Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet tonight. Let's hope there are no issues with that!

Catching up!

I don't know why I have been in such a blogging slump. It's not like things haven't been happening. I mean what could be more exciting than being 14 weeks pregnant, having your husband out of town and having kidney stones! Not much, let me tell you.....

Now I am 16 weeks pregnant, no longer have a kidney stone, my husband is back in town and life is pretty much back to normal. So I guess I can resume blogging since nothing interesting is going on now! Life did get pretty stressful there for a while, but we are doing great now. Except for the small fact that I have not yet gained a single pound in this pregnancy and am a little worried about a teeny tiny underweight baby. I was kind of in the same position with Chase, but I think by now I had gained a few pounds (maybe three or four). By the end I gained almost 30 lbs, so maybe I am just a "late" gainer. And Chase was perfectly average- 7lbs 50z. But, I was told that if I don't gain in the next four weeks I will have to aggressively eat ice cream, cheese and fruit smoothies. So sad, huh? Except those things really don't sound very good at all to me right now. Isn't that the sad irony of pregnancy. You don't have to worry too much about what you are eating, but not everything sounds good. I haven't been too sick, I don't throw up, and I just can't quite figure out why I can easily gain weight when I am not pregnant unfortunately, but can't seem to do it when I need to.

We will find out in four weeks the gender of this baby. We are all so excited. Since the moment I found out I was pregnant I have been thinking a lot about the journey we have been through to have a family. Going from infertility, to a planned adoption, to a surprise adoption, to a surprise pregnancy to a planned pregnancy, certainly has been a journey. We've been able to experience a little bit of everything. Each child has come to us under such amazingly different circumstances, and our reaction to each has been so different. From absolute excitement (Abby) to absolute terror (Chase) and emotions in between.

We believe this will be our last child and I am so grateful that we have been given this chance to have one more. Our journey has certainly strengthened our testimony that Heavenly Father has a plan for us. We believe more than ever that Abby and Madison were meant to be our daughters. We've had lots of conversations lately about birthmothers and adoption. Madison is still kind of figuring it out. We were watching the food network together yesterday and she asked me if Ina Garten (is that her name? The Barefoot Contessa) was her birthmother. I had to laugh. Abby got impatient and said, "No, Emily is our birthmother." Then Madi gets a confused look on her face because her teacher is Miss Emily. Like I said, she is still trying to get it all straight in her head. Half the time they still call their birthmother their Godmother. Like they are Cinderella with a fairy godmother. Wishful thinking.

We still have several months (I am due mid July) but we are excited to see what #4 brings to our family!

And now, I will try to be a better blogger!

Funny boy.

Chase went to his very first day of preschool this morning. There were about 5 other kids starting this morning too. I felt like a bad mom because I didn't bring my camera along. All the other moms (and dads- oops I guess we messed up there too) were snapping pictures left and right of their little ones rolling playdough or playing with puzzles. I helped Chase find a seat at the playdough table, gave him a kiss and ran for the door. Ok - not really, but I didn't hesitate to leave once he seemed thoroughly engaged in whapping his playdough with a hammer. I guess since we have been going to this preschool for the last 4 years it just seemed like normal to take him and leave him there. I drove away with a little smile on my face and a few hours of NO KIDS ahead of me.

Speaking of Chase-he is such a funny boy. He is our best sleeper and we sometimes have to wake him up to go places. This last Sunday it was around 9:15am and he was still asleep. He had gone to bed at 8pm the night before so we were a little worried. Gordon went into his room and layed down next to him to try and coax him awake. I peeked my head in to see how it was going and Chase saw me. He kind of yawned, put his head back down and the first thing out of his mouth that morning was, "Momma will you help me to get Daddy out of my bed." I started cracking up.

Gotta love him!

We had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Christmas Eve Fun- we made pizzas and they were delicious. We also made Snickerdoodles for Santa and all the kids got new pj's and slippers.

Christmas Morning was pretty exciting. We had to wake Chase up, but once he heard Santa had come he was ok with getting out of bed.

Madison's face is so classic in this picture. My kids are the best to give gifts to. They love everything and act like every present is the coolest thing in the world. It makes Christmas and birthdays very fun!