A behind the scenes look

It started off so peaceful...Alan was letting me sleep in on Saturday morning! The night before, I had finished baking 5 pies for the PI party I was hosting at 7:30 that evening and I had planned on making 5 more pies through out the day as well as finishing cleaning the house. No biggie.


At 8:30 I awoke thinking I had just peed the bed, and within a matter of seconds discovered that was not the case but in fact my water had broken. I yelled for Alan....and the mayhem began!!

• Our friend Amy was called to watch the kids.
• Joseph, after getting dressed and shoes on, came into the bathroom convinced that the baby was in the toilet. (If only it was that easy!)
• Peter just came and stared at me in wide-eyed wonder.
• Hannah came at me with a hundred questions.
• Eden was just excited to "Go"!
• Alan brought a suitcase up so that I could actually pack all the stuff that had been set out to bring over the last few days and then jumped in the shower (of course after making sure that I was OK with that in terms of time).

I was beginning to worry because there were absolutely no contractions, just this constant drip.

Amy came, we loaded up the kids, and they left to go to a practice for Hannah at the church. Alan and I left shortly after to head to the Holy Cross Hospital. Alan made the off hand comment about going to the DC Temple and I thought, hey, why not, I am not feeling a thing. So we stopped by the DC Temple and Alan practiced taking pictures with our new camera. It felt strange doing that when all the times before it was very important to get to the hospital ASAP.

When we got to the hospital I was questioned about how I knew my water broke. I was at a loss of what to tell the nurse. Finally she asked, "How many kids have you had?"...Five, I answered..."Oh, well then you would know!" was her response. I would think that if you had a constant drip wouldn't anyone know that their bag had ruptured??

After being checked to make doubly sure that I was being truthful about my water breaking and going through their 200 questions plus meeting the doctor and having him check me. I was dilated only to a 2 and was still only about 30% effaced. This was going to take awhile, especially since I wasn't having any contractions. Alan was bold and asked the doctor if he could deliver the baby. The doctor's reply..."If you wanted to do that, you should of stayed at home!"...end of discussion. They put me on antibiotics for strep B even though I had only tested positive with Hannah and the test on Tuesday had came back negative. They weren't going to start me on pitocin until I had my second dose that would be given 4 hours later. They encouraged us to walk to see if we could get this labor going. Much to my horror, while walking in my beautiful gown we were spotted by a maternity tour group.

I have never been on pitocin before and I truly believe after this experience that it is the most wicked drug on the face of the earth. I had been on the "pit" for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours and was feeling like I was dilated to a 7 or 8, having contractions that would have brought any of the previous four children into the world. The doctor checked me and I was only dilated to a 3 and 60% effaced. I became a different person, I began crying and wishing for a swift death. Needless to say the next hour was the worst hour of my entire life...as soon as the nurse left, contractions came one on top of the other. Poor Alan was trying his hardest to bring me comfort, nothing helped. Alan called the nurse in an hour later. I told her the baby was coming, she calmly called the doctor. Alan went to the bathroom. The doctor came in, he asked, "Where's the dad that wants to deliver this baby?" When Alan came out I announced that the baby was crowning, they handed Alan some gloves, the doctor told me to just breath and try not to push. Side note: For all of you who don't know this little trick about me....I have babies with really small heads, which I am extremely grateful for. Back to the story....The nurse walked over and told the doctor, "I don't think that is possible!" That was the end of the beginning, Alan was able to catch this little one (they didn't take off the end of the bed, just in case he dropped the baby it would have a soft landing!), announce that it was a girl (I had forgotten by this point that we didn't know the gender), and cut the cord. Way to go Alan!! I have never been so grateful to be done with anything before in my life! What a horrible experience...with a happy and beautiful ending!

the Party must go on

It is wonderful to have such friends that you can call them and dump a party their laps at the 11th hour, along with making the rest of the pies for our PI day! (Thanks Debi and Amy!) From everything that people have told us, it was a huge success. We were sad to have missed it, but were very glad that everyone came and had a great time. Nothing like having friends gathered around waiting for you to announce what you had. Only I could have pulled off an announcement party for our sweet little baby :D!

Happy 38th Birthday, Alan!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

March is here, and soon so will a little someone

Here I am at 35 weeks rip roaring and ready to be done!! Not that I am normally a complainer but I am the biggest I have ever been with any of my pregnancies, it would be nice to stop being kicked in the ribs and everywhere else, to be able to have a little bit more energy, and to be able to move without having it be a huge thing and to think so hard about it. Also the emotions that seem to flow even when my mind is thinking, "why are you crying, you don't need to cry about this" would be an added benefit. You would think that with this being the last one that I would be taking it all in and be happy with every little kick and movement, and that I would be treasuring this experience one last time....not me, I am counting down the moments until I am done!

Bed rest wasn't in the cards this time, which I couldn't be happier about. I have to start going to the doctor weekly, because I am now dilated to a 2 and 30% effaced, but I would prefer that to having to lay in bed all day everyday. My team of doctors just want me to go until 36 weeks and then it can come whenever it so desires, of course they would prefer later. We are hoping for sometime the week of the 15th of March (Alan's spring break).

A little history of birth times:
Hannah - 36 weeks
Peter - 35 weeks
Joseph - 38 weeks
Eden - 37 weeks

I can't say that I am happy that I have waited to not find out. I will have to let you know if it really is as exciting as some say it is. Alan is thinking that he choose the more expensive route because I have to have boy and girl things for the new little one. Why I couldn't go neutral...I don't know but I didn't. But we are no closer to a girls name (the deal was if we didn't find out what gender our baby was Alan would agree on both a girls name and boys name before the baby is born) We already had the boys name picked out, but we are really struggling to find a girls name that we can both agree on. Any ideas will be welcomed, time is ticking....

Valentine's Day

Our Day of Love happened one day early, with the school parties and our Stake Valentine's Dance. The kids loved their parties, and Eden was my little helper and tagged along with me. She is adored by all of the kids. Its funny to me that she is such a novelty to most of the kids in the school, let alone the fact that I am carrying around a little one and that I am going to have another one so soon!! In Peter's class a kid yelled out, "Your going to have another one!"

This time I didn't go into Joseph's class...and he was so disappointed....His teacher came up to me when I went to pick him up to warn me that he was really upset because he kept saying that his mom was in the school and that she was going to come to class, even though I told him I wasn't going to be able to. Being the party mom for Hannah's class makes it hard to leave in the middle to go to other classes. I will have to make sure that next time we go and eat lunch with Joe before the parties start.

The kids enjoyed all the Valentines and goodies from school and home that they were able to partake of. Valentine's Day just isn't Valentine's Day without chocolate dipped strawberries!!

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Alan and I went to the Stake Dance that evening....Alan did a fabulous job DJing it! Yes it is my fault that he was doing it, but he loved it and had so much fun!! He not only enjoyed the "performance" night, but the planning that led up to it as well. The theme was "Valentine's Through the Ages." Being the ballroom dancer that Alan is, he was able to play music that people who knew how to dance could do: swing, foxtrot, waltz, salsa, Chacha, etc., but for those that didn't know how to dance, they could still get out there and move and dance around. It was really interesting seeing the songs that people danced to and the one's they didn't. And the requests that people made that didn't ever cross our minds but would have been good...oh well it was a great night and we had lots of fun dancing!!


Happy Love Day!! Thanks for all your love!!

Little Helper

It is usually craziness in the mornings as we are trying to get everyone ready for school. While the kids are eating breakfast, Eden is usually drinking her "Baaaa BA" while I am making lunches or getting backpacks ready. This particular day I was making lunches, and I guess I am pretty focused, because the next thing I knew there was a stool pushed up to the counter and Eden was standing on it, happy as can be, as you can imagine.

She had brought the stool in from the playroom and climbed up onto it. It cracks me up how quick kids are and how they know what they want at such a young age. I can't wait for all of the climbing that has just begun.

Ice Storms

Even ice storms can be a lot of fun when you have no school and the roads (at least the main roads) are clear! Especially when you go sledding with friends who came up from VA.
This has to be my favorite picture of the day!! This is Maggie Tippets, you can't get much more adorable than this, even if you tried!

As proof from this picture...the kids had a great time!

This was a great day to go sledding because it was pure ice, I know it looks like snow but that's not the case. It snowed first and then turned to a freezing rain during the night, turning the snow into ice. It put a couple of inches of ice everywhere. Nice and slick to go super fast, even down little hills!

There was about 2-3 inches of solid ice on the driveway which made a great slide for all the kids to just sit down and go!

Eden didn't know what to think.....look at those beautiful eyes!

size difference

Kind of crazy how BIG Peter is compared to Joseph, who is only 18 months younger then he is.
What might be even crazier is how close Peter is to passing Hannah, who is almost 3 years older than he is.
Sorry the pictures are so dark. Well have to do these comparisons again in the light!

Happy Birthday Pirate JOE!

What a fun, entergetic, hungry kid! I love his quick smile and his ablity to love and to share all that he has with those around him. I won't lie...he drives me batty sometimes, but he always does something to make all of that disappear. He randomly says the most wonderful things without prompting, "Your beautiful Mom," or "Thanks for helping me," or "Your the best mom ever," or "Thanks for dinner, it's really good," or "I love you Mom." How did I get so lucky? What a joy Joseph has been in our lives.

Joseph had a great birthday and he couldn't wait to go to school to get a crown and to bring his treats!! He also couldn't wait to give Peter a card that he made. Knowing that he would be getting presents and cards, Joseph wanted to give a card to Peter, so he could have one too.

We had a little family party the night of his birthday where he got his "pan" and his own food! He also got some great gifts from his grandparents. He couldn't be happier.

Sadly, we had to cancel his orginal party because he was sick and we didn't want to send home more goodies then the ones we bought for his friends. We were able to have it the following weekend. It was fun to have his little friends from church and school come over and celebrate and become pirates as they searched for the treasure! It was a lot of fun. The hardest part was to keep Hannah and Peter quiet while we would read the clues, to let Joseph and his friends figure it out. The whole party was one big treasure hunt with activities and/or prizes at each clue. Alan was hilarious! The kids loved when he would start talking like a poyrat (pirate). He would read the clues and got the kids all excited! Swab the deck ye scurvy dogs!

Joseph was very disappointed that I made a treasure chest cake intead of a "marriage" cake which is what he really wanted!! One day, all to soon, he will get his marriage cake. At least Peter thought that it was a really cool cake!

8 more days!!

My sweet Joe.....needs so much sugar in his blood stream just to keep being sweet!!

Joseph turns the big 5 in eight more days....he couldn't be more thrilled. Every day he asks if it is his birthday, and how many more days until it is! We finally made a chain for him so that he could just go count by himself how many more days and we can stop the madness.

I asked Joseph a week or so ago what he wanted for his birthday. He thought for a moment and then replied...."I want a pan, like the one that Hannah broke at school, so that I can make brownies and cakes in it." I smiled thinking it was just a passing thing. Two days ago I asked him again what he wanted for his birthday. "I told you already...I want a pan so that I can make brownies and cakes." We went to the grocery store, and he started adding to the list...."I also want gummies, and my own chips, and lots of food that I can put into my room." (side note: food to Joseph is any type of junk, cookies, candy, chips, goodies, etc.) We walked past the cake section and Hannah asked if he should pick out his cake. I said no, that we still have time. Joseph then said, "Do you know what kind of cake I want for my birthday?" "No Joe, what kind?"....."A wedding cake"...With a giggle I told Joseph this is your birthday, not your wedding! Then he said with a totally strait face, "Well we could invite over Julia (a little girl from his pre-K class)." Now I have known for a long time that he has wanted to marry Julia, because he is quite vocal about it. But the question I have is, what does a wedding cake look like in a 5 year olds mind? Continuing with the shopping trip....He also wanted a Scooby Doo movie and another movie that has slipped my mind. Then as we were checking out, he proclaimed...."I don't want any toys, just my food, and a pan, and movies!"

I am very inclined to grant him his wish.....but the tale is not over...

On Sunday during Sacrament Meeting, he saw a picture of a Razor Scooter. He looked at me and said, "Mom, I want one of those for my birthday!!" I said "Would you rather have a Razor or a pan and food?" He thought for probably 2 minutes and came back with "BOTH." I shook my head and said that he had to choose which one he wanted, that he couldn't have both. Three to four minutes passed and he looked at me and said, "I want a pan."

I couldn't believe it!! This kid is killing me.....he is 5 and he is so obsessed with a pan so that he can make his own brownies and cakes and how he wants his own food in his room. It cracks me up. I keep thinking this eating thing is just a stage and that one day he will shoot up from his short stature and be taller and not eat constantly. But he has so much energy that he has to have something to feed his fire!

Ice Skating

Joseph has a problem with listening and this post demonstrates it perfectly. "Hannah, Peter, and Joseph get your socks and shoes on, please." "OK, make sure that you have a coat, hat, and gloves, and then go get in the car." We pull up to The Gardens Ice House to participate in their free skate day. We get all the skates, go to put them on, and Joseph is not wearing socks. Nice!! Took a deep breath and asked him if I had asked him to put on sock and shoes. Yes....OK so we are going ice skating with no socks....good. Everyone now has their skates on, making sure they are all bundled up. "Joseph where are your gloves?" "In the car, I didn't want to carry them." Another deep breath. Okay, we will skate without gloves or socks!! Maybe he will get cold enough that next time he will listen!

Hannah and Peter have never been ice skating before and they LOVED it! They thought that it was so fun and awesome!! Joseph was convinced that the ice would break and the he would fall through and drown. I tried to explain that it was only a couple of inches thick, but it fell on deaf ears. Joe and I went around twice and then I left Joseph to take Peter around once, and then we watched Hannah and Peter go around. There were other friends there to watch as well. Mom also got to try out her new camera, which was a lot of fun!!
Joseph did get cold and was crying by the end to go home....hopefully the lesson is learned. I can always hope!!