tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52202243611811909682024-02-06T20:14:27.852-08:00Erickson Entertainment WeeklyAshleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092041845855802938noreply@blogger.comBlogger133125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5220224361181190968.post-61070175143544291112013-04-23T13:32:00.000-07:002013-04-23T13:32:47.608-07:00Butterfly Bandaids, Singing, Food, and Love: One Grandma's Specialty <br />
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Thankfully the three of my four children that are home are all napping right now which is allowing me to come to terms with losing my beautiful and loving Grandma. It's also allowing me to do the ugly cry without worrying them too much. I'll be honest, even though I had several days to prepare myself for this, and at times even wished she could go so that she could have her mind and health back, I am not handling this well. Sometimes I think we don't realize just how much someone meant to us until they're gone. <br />
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My entire childhood I grew up right next door to my grandparents. So many of my childhood memories involve them and the joy I felt as a child. I can still hear the slamming of the chain link gate as I would run next door to visit for a cookie or creamsicle or a butterfly bandaid to make my owies all better. Or I can hear the slamming of the gate which meant we would soon have a visitor walking through our back door. I can still see her beautiful pink peonies in full bloom right next to her back door. I can still hear her beautiful humming that would lead me to her somewhere in her home. I cherish the memories I have of our family singing four part harmony to FHE hymns, "Down By the Old Mill Stream", and even "Happy Birthday". (Our family can really rock "Happy Birthday".)<br />
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Her home was always filled with happiness and food. She would bake for days in preparation of her kids and grandkids coming to visit. At holidays the counter would be filled with cookies, chips and dip, nuts to crack, and popcorn. Her puffed rice was a specialty and always served in her avocado-green bowls. Sunday dinners were around her large kitchen table and her scurrying back and forth between the stove and table until we had to force her to sit down and eat. Her home was filled with comfort, love, happiness, and peace. <br />
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My grandma was a true foundation in my life. She was the ultimate example of true love to her spouse, service, love of family, purity, and so much more. I honestly can say that I do not ever remember hearing an unkind word towards anyone cross her lips. She and my grandpa are the epitome of true love. They were always holding hands and speaking softly to one another. She was my grandpa's "beautiful bride" and his "queen". And she too knew how to make someone feel loved and special. Every time I would leave her she would look into my eyes and tell me just how special I was to her and that I was her ray of sunshine. These past several years as I would say goodbye to her she would include, "You're such a good little mother." Sometimes I would tease and tell her that she didn't see what kind of mother I was at home, but it always made me want to live up to what kind of mother she thought I was. <br />
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I will forever cherish the memories of my grandma. Not many are as blessed as I to have lived and loved so close to their grandparents. I also cherish my knowledge of the plan of salvation and the knowledge that I have that I <em>know</em> I will see her again. I look forward to meeting her again and seeing her big, beautiful smile and hearing her tell me how happy she is to see me.<br />
Ashleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092041845855802938noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5220224361181190968.post-10397628113092965142012-09-07T22:52:00.000-07:002012-09-07T22:52:48.480-07:00I See YouLately motherhood has left my overwhelmed, exhausted, short-tempered, and... exhausted. In fact, the other night the boys told Bryan that "mom is angry more than you." Ouch. And of course in my mind I had a bunch of reasons to try and justify why. <br />
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Today was different. Today I got to see my kids. Really <i>see<i></i></i> them. I don't know what made the difference. Maybe life slowed down a little bit today that I was able to relax and see them for who they truly are. <br />
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Here's what I saw.<br />
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As Jace walked up from getting off the bus today he told me he now had two lunchboxes. He happened to notice that his friend had left his lunchbox and had already left for the day. So he decided to grab it for him and take it to him. Not that big of a deal, right? But that's just it. That's Jace. Thoughful, tender hearted, astute, always trying to be the best he can be. I have no need to worry about this boy. I saw his heart.<br />
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At lunch today Cole told me something that made me cry tears of love and tears of sadness. He told me that he cried at school today because he missed me. After lots of questions, it came down to the fact that he really did just miss me. I asked if his teacher saw him and he said she did and so he was able to sit in the rocking chair and rock with Kermit the Frog until he felt better. Then he was able to run out and finish recess. Heart wrenching and heart swelling all wrapped in one. And that's my Cole. The boy who always wants a hug and always tells me how much he loves me. The boy who wants to be so grown up, yet really he is just a little boy who still needs his mom. <br />
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Today as we were outside, Lily was playing: moving from one toy to the other, in and out of the house, trying to hula hoop, mothering her baby sister. "Watch me, Mom" she begged. And I did watch her. I saw the wonder and innocence in her. I saw her imagination. I saw her determination. I saw her desire to go to preschool as she wore her backpack for most of the day. I saw her toe-headed beauty and her bright blue eyes. She's losing her baby chub and starting to turn into a pretty little girl. I saw the passion she carries in her eyes and her expressive eyebrows. I saw her.<br />
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Today I saw much less of Kate's glare that I've seen too much of lately. (Thank goodness.) I saw a little glimmer of that happy baby I know she can be. As I was putting her to bed and singing to her, I heard and saw her desire to be recognized and understood as she said, "Mamma? Mamma? Mamma?" until I would stop my singing and answer "what?". I saw that no matter her young age of 15 months, she wants to be heard and recognized just like the other three. <br />
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As I stood at the kitchen counter tonight rolling out the pizza dough, I realized that this was a day that I desperately needed. I neeed to see beyond the frustrations of raising four children with different personalities. I needed to see beyond the sheer exhaustion of motherhood. I needed to see beyond the unnoticed aspects of my responsibilities. I needed to see beyond the day to day rutt of things. <br />
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And I was able to today. I <em>saw</em> my children. I <em>saw</em> what a huge blessing I have. I <em>saw </em>that this is what I'm supposed to be doing and what I want to be doing.Ashleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092041845855802938noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5220224361181190968.post-15211561651822315132011-08-08T11:25:00.000-07:002011-08-08T11:43:54.141-07:00Do I Really Have To?Some days I wonder, "Do I really have to be a mom today?"
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<br />It might be because of a sick, whiny child.
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<br />It might be because of a child who is grounded because of their fits and disobedience. And then while they are grounded they whine and boob that they are so bored and they have nothing to do that I am then tempted to <em>un</em>ground them because their punishment is a greater punishment to me.
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<br />It might be because I'm feeling overwhelmed by all of my mom responsibilities of the day.
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<br />It might be because I'm just plain tired.
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<br />It might be because I've already heard my name said over a thousand times and it's not even noon yet.
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<br />It might be because after I clean up one room and move to the next, the first room is already destroyed again.
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<br />And it just might be because it ALL happens in the same day.
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<br />Ashleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092041845855802938noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5220224361181190968.post-40431961858202815512011-07-14T14:25:00.000-07:002011-07-14T15:54:47.948-07:00Kate's Blessing: July 3, 2011<div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0jdTumdAPo6A8_JsOAfCe2xd1wYGQn-IVuWDC8d9iqRzdX8xEEYpL0XE5EARCwIFFlk6R9wFgmrbrfr6GjMJhxHy2ZwMBYC2epoKOyqZWDITPizcRunWa2KxjWZiifmhLTXV1x5HFVt6h/s1600/Kate%2527s+blessing+075.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629331516374416242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0jdTumdAPo6A8_JsOAfCe2xd1wYGQn-IVuWDC8d9iqRzdX8xEEYpL0XE5EARCwIFFlk6R9wFgmrbrfr6GjMJhxHy2ZwMBYC2epoKOyqZWDITPizcRunWa2KxjWZiifmhLTXV1x5HFVt6h/s320/Kate%2527s+blessing+075.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />We decided to bless Kate earlier this month. She was only going to be three weeks old, but we were also going to have Rob and Lindsey in town (my BIL and SIL)and so we thought it would be a great time to do it. I was a little worried about her blessing dress. My MIL, Pam, made Lily's blessing dress and at one point when I was pregnant with Kate she said she would make her's as well. However, with only 1 1/2 weeks before the blessing I thought it wouldn't be very kind of me to ask Pam to make Kate's blessing dress on such short notice; especially since she was very busy with other sewing projects at that time. Kate wouldn't be able to wear Lily's because she was so much younger and smaller than Lily when she was blessed. I thought I could have her wear my blessing dress, but it wasn't my ideal choice.<br /><br />Pam came to the rescue. Pam completely volunteered to make Kate's dress with only a week before the blessing, and I must say it turned out absolutely beautiful. She had to make some adjustments on the size to fit tiny Kate, but it turned out simple, long, and elegant. I loved it.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629329119390358514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVOO5FJ4fpP2LiZ7xVA2NDqKiHZqwy5i-v1xjTr2A39AUuNkZyxhJJYxBJJLHABcA9Efj_ImBaS6PYk-ZvP5s2xyg8J-4OsXK4-WLJM6RAra8OTmGw_LAs4HJK9KKWv-NGoxKdh-0qNlX-/s320/Kate%2527s+blessing+135.JPG" border="0" /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">The Seamstress</span></div><br /><div align="left"><br />Bryan gave Kate a very sincere, beautiful blessing. I told him I thought it was the best one yet. After church we came back to the house and celebrated with family and friends while eating some great food. We are so blessed to have both of our families so close and so supportive. I can't thank them enough for all that they did to make her blessing day memorable.<br /></div><br /><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629332769131643698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeDHc1Z97sbLyJKmyQiiC3VFnJwjHfilRbg4H2-_uRo9rrUEtoIIrbt-NGD-odnafJ_94uKVrUwRWWRdUcmhQSBnlls9c17XkMzKBj4G0n7O02v5gFy8Yx8wv6asn-RzmAd1AcYCtLO2VW/s320/Kate%2527s+blessing+030.JPG" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629338052337412514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKic6I8Rq2cFY-GV6WhZxY4_WZPdG1ak22z0_6EIkxg1_owAz1cdvDvC56hPhT7Xjc_blwsZdyzKhNFXTVhcpfszXJ51Vs4xRF5iBi99yhwq1rpGXHNzJB_-UI5PHGzXN7vZiSlghuK9et/s320/Kate%2527s+blessing+055.JPG" border="0" /></div><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="left"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629330989978653538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitXre87R0EeYvtVehOYn4w1Vza6rKIZtZgxT2ZldN1jFaQIxAZIpvL-FwTYZiifwh9_mahZFTZ3vhUr0cOzSdMJ5wX6FJDGpPGYdpPoUd0xSAUyvLI-SXNjljc2dxKps1ybbVWinyYwP8J/s320/Kate%2527s+blessing+132.JPG" border="0" /></div><br /><br /><p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">Marissa's gifts to Kate. The shoes were so big on her tiny feet.</span></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629339330232114866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5cdXCbH4Jk35hf-CAttlMGttIi9M4PX5xahaFo8s-f2E6SgGRsjMSyJa6vRPHDCG8EtNFReoVWlTJQtzWWj_vdZ5rwCg7MxJ4F8AdqZ2YmNvRSNPpAdE3VtzowI8DWjSd7qNQR9UvDS7W/s320/Kate%2527s+blessing+130.JPG" border="0" />Ashleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092041845855802938noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5220224361181190968.post-58282149406622762712011-07-14T13:24:00.000-07:002011-07-14T14:24:48.166-07:00Kate in 1,2,3,4<div align="left">I cannot believe that Kate is one month old! Time has gone so fast and yet at the same time I feel like we've had her forever. Since I had her, we have been on the go, go, go. We've had <em>multiple</em> doctors visits (mainly for Jace's arm), playdates with cousins who have been in town, her baby blessing, 4th of July activities, and so many other day-to-day tasks. Life has been super busy, but we've managed and are doing well.</div><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left">Kate has been a great baby and has made adjusting to life with 4 kids pretty darn easy. Here are some little factoids about her:</div><br /><ul><br /><div align="left">She has started to smile and coo and I love it. </div></li><br /><div align="left">She has acid reflux and so she is on Prevacid like two of her older siblings were.</div></li><br /><div align="left">She has <em>only ever</em> had one night feeding - 2 am. She is a <em>great</em> sleeper.</div></li><br /><div align="left">She has her fussy time of night from about 7:00-10:00 which doesn't allow me to blog and do some other things I would like when I want to while the other kids are asleep because that means I'm holding her.</div></li><br /><div align="left">She is so long and skinny.</div></li><br /><div align="left">She has a VERY loud pteradactyl-esque/raptor-like scream. It has mellowed some as she's gotten older. (When Bryan and I first heard it in the hospital we compared her to the Mandrakes on Harry Potter.)</div></li><br /><div align="left">Her siblings ADORE her: Jace and Cole beg to hold her and Lily is constantly trying to give her her binki and <em>constantly</em> saying, "Hi, Kate!".</div></li><br /><div align="left">She still has her dark hair and dark complexion and I believe will have brown eyes - so different from the other kids. </div></li></ul><br /><br /><p align="left">She has been so much fun (for me because I <em>LOVE</em> newborns) and I could literally spend all day snuggling with her on my chest, which just happens to be her favorite place too. </p><br /><br /><div align="center">ONE WEEK:</div><br /><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629315640334863458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivuq1FLA4MUcbuAwanEuljCjkLYm7_dYLK7ptZdD-JeozBIN16aGldZfxgZsAISvQiTALtzkZH8yM4rQ0yaasooAr5wZlgGK1pcX_YzuFuMXYHQo5OdJAtsZnUlr87zbb4BrRa88qy_lgP/s320/1+week+old+%25283%2529.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629315641502590162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVgfGWYk5PQzkc6H8-XltzeXM7MdWoYCOZLBe9M-McattvYBnHZB5JAEAs_Nf191f_XMeLxyH7amcr122K2xz6wPb4JXKso8nalDsMwW8-G9T8hHC5LdELCgp6G_DWSubr8ML3O50I2PWo/s320/1+week+old+%25282%2529.JPG" border="0" /> </p><br /><br /><p align="center">TWO WEEKS:<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629318617303886994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 216px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNzpewJFks1fdCRSkuJv4nJwqXUgB9lJQR0S1f99yb9lN4nYCybh51etO-3ptBc9K305V0nWyDwAuQosWxpu1vjgda5GKACGVPDSudO0x8zz7qvEEf5PDvFobnl8JB009j6Z-560DFJDIn/s320/Kate%2527s+blessing+021.JPG" border="0" /></p><br /><br /><p align="center">THREE WEEKS:<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629318622513682354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimAZQP-ngKR9YAGaPsfnJKcSFMqTlnUanj7H4aDb3jCsIaVB2EQ2ymRUa1-bJ6Gisykm9BASJ3cmYKFyFMsqWNfqmKdxVMFnF2vKgertMOrAyke7JGeOE7ZnZpNpk6dGYKSTpEzQyERpoP/s320/Kate%2527s+blessing+075.JPG" border="0" /><br />FOUR WEEKS:<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629318632445543010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHF998zCQI5E1hahB9j-NBLpiH4EVI4szcytuecakoTi1w7vlyvWkLLzm-6w_DNYp25JEn2QN9tyJ8dtv0hhHa7eEJF75bflVRxNExBl70mveqcjmwUYlhqAgvxBUnEF4wDf-57oJHhUKD/s320/1+month+old+%25281%2529.JPG" border="0" /></p>Ashleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092041845855802938noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5220224361181190968.post-27242055818305155732011-06-16T14:50:00.001-07:002011-06-23T07:11:39.936-07:00Kate's Birth Story<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtodWJxvtcbQCudsGOkc8MKFgTHGjGrgH9VBgwJMjrfJu5sUWa2ilWQBnboxhHCvBuTsLgtcLYN5v6x4XcDDwsA1WjjXRS-ohtmkDOHpBH5ZsA-APNAm1CJWphwtQmnroK-cZeEAIHzFQA/s1600/Kate%2527s+Birth+046.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619250840762489586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtodWJxvtcbQCudsGOkc8MKFgTHGjGrgH9VBgwJMjrfJu5sUWa2ilWQBnboxhHCvBuTsLgtcLYN5v6x4XcDDwsA1WjjXRS-ohtmkDOHpBH5ZsA-APNAm1CJWphwtQmnroK-cZeEAIHzFQA/s320/Kate%2527s+Birth+046.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> One day old</span><span style="font-size:85%;"></div><br /><div align="left"><br /></span>When I found out that I was pregnant with Kate I knew that I wanted to have a natural delivery. I had had an epidural with all three of the other kids, and as Kate was "our last", I really wanted to try the natural route. I never had a bad experience with any of my previous labors or epidurals, I just wanted the experience of natural childbirth. Bryan thought I was crazy and was very vocal about it. According to him, he didn't want to see me suffer and he always asked me why I would want to put myself through voluntary pain. For me, I wanted the experience. That's as simply as I can put it. I figured that God created women to give birth and so why not experience what we were created to do? Yes, I am completely aware that many people, including family members, think I'm crazy and that this isn't a good enough reason; but for me, it was.<br /><br />I planned all along to go natural and I prepared myself by reading a book on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">hypnobirthing</span>. It helped put my fears aside and gave me a "method" to get through labor. I always hoped that I would have a fast labor so that I wouldn't have to endure the pain for a long time, and talking to my doctor and a family friend that was an OB, based on my previous labors, they both felt that I would have a fast labor, a labor that would probably be 1.5 hours. Well, yep. They were absolutely right.<br /><br />So here is the very detailed version of Kate's crazy, <em>fast</em> birth story.<br /><br />I had a doctor appointment on Thursday, June 9, at 4:00. I was officially one day overdue. As I went to the doctor, I had my hospital bag packed and the kids' suitcase packed in the car to stay overnight at my parents just in case. I had a feeling that that night might be the night she came, so I was prepared. At the appointment, the doctor checked me and I was dilated to a 4 and 75% effaced. He stripped my membranes (again) and told me that he wouldn't be surprised if I was back later that night. I told the doctor to keep in mind that I lived in Eagle Mountain (and we had to make it to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Riverton</span> hospital) and asked him how far apart my contractions should be when I needed to go to the hospital. He told me I needed to come in at 5 minutes apart because he felt that I would go fast.<br /><br />That evening I was having contractions here and there and we decided to leave the kids at my parents' house for the night. This ended up being a very wise decision. Bryan and I went home and relaxed. Okay, not really. (*<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Sidenote</span>: I went home and started vacuuming. Bryan refused to let me "ruin my hearing" with our <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">extremely</span> loud vacuum. He made a quick impromptu trip to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">WalMart</span> to buy a new vacuum while I relaxed and breathed through contractions. He came home, assembled the vacuum and I finished vacuuming. Classic Bryan and Ashlee story before a baby is born.)<br /><br />I was still having contractions that evening. They would be regular for a bit and then stop for an extended period of time. I wasn't really able to fall asleep because of the contractions, and at 11:30 pm I started having regular contractions at 8 minutes apart. As much as I had prepared with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">hypnobirthing</span>, that went out the door. I didn't feel like the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">hypnobirthing</span> was working for me and I felt I could get more relief various other ways. I got out of bed and walked around the house, played Solitaire on my phone, and tried to breathe through them and relieve them in various positions while Bryan got a little bit of sleep. Pretty quickly to contractions went from 8 minutes to 5 minutes. At that point I went in the bedroom and woke up Bryan and told him that we needed to go, to which he woke up with the reply of a very loud, "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Ughhhhhhhhhhhh</span>!" To which I replied, "Excuse me? What are YOU groaning about?" Apparently for him it wasn't "good timing". Ha!<br /><br />Bryan quickly grabbed the things he needed and we loaded into the car and headed out. It was about 12:40 am, and as soon as we got going the contractions dropped to 4 minutes apart. As we got to Camp Williams on Redwood Road, the contractions were then 2 minutes apart and getting harder. I wondered how much longer I would be able to handle them. They were intense. We turned onto <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Bangerter</span> and when we did that, the mother of all contractions hit. WOW!! This contraction came and it kept going and going. I think I howled in pain - no, I <em>know</em> I howled in pain. I ripped my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">seatbelt</span> off, put my foot up on the seat and pushed up off it to try and help relieve <em>something</em>! I always wondered how I would know when I went into the "transition" stage of labor where the baby would drop down into the birth canal and I would be in the final stage. Well, now I knew. This contraction went on "forever" and brought a sharp pain with it and I literally felt the baby drop.<br /><br />Bryan really started speeding at this point and we were only a few minutes away from the hospital. We hit a red light one stop light away from the hospital and I yelled at Bryan to turn right and go a different way. We were a few blocks away when another contraction hit and oh boy, the "pressure" contractions set in. It was if her head was right there and I cried, "Oh my goodness Bryan, she's coming!" Panic set in on Bryan and he REALLY started to speed because there was no way he was going to be delivering that baby in the car. We pulled up to the hospital doors, Bryan turned off the car, grabbed the bag, and raced into the hospital to try and find a wheelchair. Luckily there were two security guards to assist us, one got a wheelchair while the other got the elevator. Meanwhile, I got out of the car and started walking into the hospital and made it between the two double doors when another contraction came. Bryan turned around to find me hunched over with my hands on my knees and groaning. I literally looked at the dirty floor mat and contemplated getting down on my hands and knees hoping to find some relief from the pressure. The pressure was crazy. Like women have said before, it felt like I needed to poop REALLY bad. But at the same time I knew even doing that wouldn't bring relief. It was like there was a heavy balloon filling up inside of me and expanding and pushing down on my bum. (Graphic enough? Well, that's what it felt like.) They wheeled me up to the Labor and Delivery floor and as we turned the corner there were a few nurses standing at the desk. When they saw me the charge nurse, said, "Oh we have one." I gave her THE look and she said, "Oh, okay. Let's get you in here and check you."<br /><br />I got into my delivery room and my nurse, Wendi, told me that I had to get undressed so that she could check me. I literally threw my jacket off and all modesty went out the window as I stripped down in front of three nurses. In fact, I ripped my shirt off forgetting that I had put my bra on and I got all <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">entangled</span> in it with my arms pinned up by my head. Awesome. So finally after getting undressed the nurse checked me and I was of course fully dilated and engaged. The nurse told one of the other nurses to call my doctor and to call him at home. He only lives in Daybreak and so he should have been able to get there quickly.<br /><br />I laid on my right side and gripped the hand rail and held on while the other contractions came. As Bryan said, he thinks I left imprints on that hand rail. Wendi, my nurse, sat by my side and coached me through the contractions. At this point it was the pressure that I had to endure, and I held on and "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">ooohhhhhed</span>" my way through them. I'm proud to say I wasn't screaming and hollering, it was just a low moan and I was able to remain in control. Wendi just kept saying,"Don't push Ashlee" as I held on and breathed. They were just waiting on my doctor. I didn't care if the doctor was there, I just wanted to deliver this baby!<br /><br />The pressure kept coming and soon I got to experience "The Ring of Fire". And yes, it is just what it sounds like, a. ring. of. fire. The burning sensation wasn't as "hot" as I thought it would be, but it was still quite uncomfortable. On one contraction my bag of water partially came out which I thought it was the baby's head (and it felt like it), and I asked, "Is she here?" Bryan and the nurse told me no, but that they could see her head. At that point the baby's <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">heart rate</span> started to drop and the nurses then said, "We need to deliver this baby." My doctor hadn't arrived yet and that didn't matter anymore, she was coming. There was no more waiting for Doctor Slowpoke.<br /><br />Wendi took control and told me that I was going to push with the next contraction. Two contractions and three pushes later, Kate made her way into this world at 1:15 am on June 10, about a whole 15 minutes after arriving at the hospital. What a whirlwind! She was beautiful, healthy, and tiny. She was 6 lbs. 8 oz. and 20 inches long. She had dark hair and a dark complexion and looked nothing like our other three, but she was beautiful just like her siblings.<br /><br />The doctor finally made it in time to deliver my placenta! He came in to do all the clean up work. I actually tore a little bit and had to have a couple of stitches and so he stitched me up. No, I did not feel the actual tearing. I had no idea. I actually felt fine after delivering her. The pressure and burning left with the baby, and I had no more pain or discomfort. It's amazing how fast it all left and how back to normal I felt. It was great to be able to move my legs on my own, sit up on my own, and just feel normal. The way a woman's body goes through labor and recovers so quickly from childbirth truly is miraculous.<br /><br />Of course I had some tenderness and soreness over the next few days, but I felt better quicker than I did with the other kids and when I had <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">episiotomies</span> versus this time when I slightly tore. Truly the worst part of this recovery was the contractions and cramping I would get when I nursed. I felt that was a little unfair since I already went through labor <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">unmedicated</span> and every time I nursed I felt like I was going through it again. Any medication I took was to relieve the pain and discomfort of postpartum contractions.<br /><br />So the question is: Would I go natural again? I have to be honest and say that if I had hours worth of labor, I most likely would have gotten an epidural. That is why I am grateful that my labor was only 1 hour 45 minutes long and I didn't have a choice even if I <em>did</em> want an epidural. It would be extremely difficult to not get an epidural if it was hours worth of hard contractions. However, IF I were to have another baby (and I'm not planning on it), I can't say I wouldn't go natural. The fact is, if I were to have another and I was not induced, but went into labor on my own, it would most likely be even faster and I wouldn't have the chance to get an epidural and would have to go natural again. If you're wanting to go natural, it's kind of nice to be forced into it and not be able to back out. So, would I go natural again? Possibly. Probably.<br /><br />Maybe it's my outlook on life, maybe I have a high pain tolerance, or maybe I just have a bad memory; but as crazy, insane, and intense as my labor was, I would never say it was <em>absolutely horrible</em> or <em>one of the worst things I've ever experienced.</em> I'm grateful that I was able to experience natural childbirth and I'm proud to be able to say that I did it. For me, it was worth it.<br /><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619249564298032018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy8TsUZLt7UzDHVO7JX4t1kl9bxg8i6wx28dSsHk_Wfk7v6XgkZAFGr9HlnCl801E2Vf2ukC8k_UNCbGsDoFLCIc0p3wUkc_wy_VU2FuZg37U7mmBzJ8uj2YpD7IsNIqZ10u7HjkJaEUbO/s320/Kate%2527s+Birth+013.JPG" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619251635654110002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_cER62DtHSYOCOGFDZ3tPGp8sCnzM-Hw5-KmpJTltHX6A65i_ZQnVJuPoLaI-g213isjp_ZG-EGq_CYegA21rhNWdnP0JdLdI_EcuP8RZdlsyETkjdD8YO3QjLHo735svK0AkGmtPoJah/s320/Kate%2527s+Birth+012.JPG" border="0" /> <br /><p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">Minutes old.</span><br /><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619249572707328258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9_7bLujEbLTIIr9Sp3C65ZstTDUtsBKpqYAnvMFh1Hyq6se1cqzxaDy_PLZFU33cU24b5QfT2cuDiU8GIw7wtpepqLK3jUqMMDAJPrlhw6HJLZ20I0FrxpNlrMDxVc5K3I2fJKR1-J6wW/s320/Kate%2527s+Birth+015.JPG" border="0" /> <br /><p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">My <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">rockstar</span> nurse, Wendi, and the deliverer of Kate.</span><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619313854097687506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmy5pYOuYePYZbOmjJ4MdalEdLnZqK7QmaTAJInL8txH-O1ZYYFfxqznbjG5XIXBt_pJK1u09-xjlI497jsQ5E8f8VcHePQoT-cbpAl2VtDaZY60vNjsZ2lJNCTQukKEOoLpNZOUIYXZxd/s320/Kate%2527s+Birth+028.JPG" border="0" /><span style="font-size:85%;"> Our first family picture.</span></p><br /><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619249574333348514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5d1LnPA-8obwnrC8y8bKehvQqdJAdQR7-mIq2hLZQBQnMX9v4619yFC-J6Gz5QplAe3d-7v5uelOdNBDxvgPDYm5-bRD_LyVVyM6WmbyWih-kyYQaa-9kIYh9ApNpyodr_gMjHqBzfa0/s320/Kate%2527s+Birth+025.JPG" border="0" /></span></p><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619250834433045202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHf4kEhNtj4Zq2qRMKsPPb4Jwyn3HVQyNFJvLstxDFxt7G-o3HWx7Vn_ZPIBMA5kd6_9HeNa3t1hT2huerB_ZDOQIyZdb5SImKo-ZGprHd8myib09CZLhwX4M7UUIRin1eC5KmxzBp1XuY/s320/Kate%2527s+Birth+030.JPG" border="0" /></span><span style="font-size:85%;">Hours old.</span></div>Ashleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092041845855802938noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5220224361181190968.post-29498742026000436032011-06-16T11:18:00.000-07:002011-06-16T12:54:41.160-07:00The Beginning of an Exciting Week<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618886419556178498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 195px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWv51e1N6RBhyQqN0o5QnAM_WoHZlp28a8YecGPSbYw9fuwXlexxBfhFI-aL-IB-NFDGu81Anlu1RUTFBmfz9p8HSycpIhhUz51Y_4-fnu5BIzj3Hp5jRjrZkMzasHgeL2GL-e438m8fSf/s320/Jace%2527s+broken+arm+010.jpg" border="0" /><br />The week Kate was born was an interesting week, to say the least. Sunday, June 5, our family went over to my parent's house for a family dinner. When I walked into their house, I had an awesome surprise waiting for me: Rissa and her family decided to make a surprise visit and were here to stay for a few weeks. She was going to be here for Kate's birth! Yay! (And I can't even begin to describe what a life saver she's been while she's been here.)<br /><br />We had a very fun dinner all together to celebrate my dad's birthday and all of the little cousins were having a great time playing together on the teeter-totter. One of the smaller cousins would sit on one side of the teeter-totter while Jace would then push down the other side, stand on the seat, and then jump off leaving the other kid to slam to the ground where they would laugh and laugh at being jolted. All of the adults were getting quite the quick out of the kids' reactions and everyone was having a good laugh. Until...it was done just one too many times.<br /><br />Jace went to jump off the seat and his feet got entangled in the handle bar and he fell off the teeter-totter, landing on his arm. I knew immediately that he had done something very wrong. I ran over to him and he rolled over holding his arm crying that it was broken. Sure enough, I took one look at it and saw that it had a slight bend in his arm just above his right wrist. Travis was kind enough to splint his arm and we took off for Kidscare at Riverton Hospital at 9:15 at night. At the hospital the x-rays confirmed what we already knew: a broken arm.<br /><br />All the while, Bryan had been sicker than a dog the last few days and was still not feeling well on Sunday. He had a sore throat of all sore throats and felt absolutely miserable. AND, I was due any day. The week was starting out to be very interesting with much more to come...<br /><br />This picture is on Wednesday, June 8-my due date-and also the day that Jace got his cast on.<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618888318652944274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 155px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJv1DcrVpLGw7buGWSbCfaLKIDoOzW_7iL0ApktP-WmKXs9pYro-ulEFwvFUXIYeaCkN5Jy3VKNaLkRiBoGSHSnnCxD_V4_NQSZwpImv4c6Xe9_oQTjM0xDWBJWqFncy4Cfi4tYS11I48T/s320/Due+date.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />And this picture is thrown in just for fun because it pretty much sums up mine and Jace's relationship lately. I get this look quite often these days.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_rlrO3BInhAYeog_cFZKdWdjaDJkppf6eSAzueHosf1Pk0WCh3ge7FKh1wyEwro7SBRvZFkXzS-WMHiChUN3UUJ9ELOhlBjqEiDwh1x8QKBo82CK3ymnlFhNOyHepb0ZSvTlUSFMeRs7r/s1600/Cole%2527s+4th+birthday+013.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618886430476419218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_rlrO3BInhAYeog_cFZKdWdjaDJkppf6eSAzueHosf1Pk0WCh3ge7FKh1wyEwro7SBRvZFkXzS-WMHiChUN3UUJ9ELOhlBjqEiDwh1x8QKBo82CK3ymnlFhNOyHepb0ZSvTlUSFMeRs7r/s320/Cole%2527s+4th+birthday+013.JPG" border="0" /></a>Ashleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092041845855802938noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5220224361181190968.post-11902742268610369952011-05-06T12:01:00.000-07:002011-05-06T12:48:59.416-07:00The Patience VacuumListen. Do you hear that? <br /><br />No? Well, I tell you what it is. It's the patience being sucked out of my body. Or maybe it's being sucked <em>into</em> my womb. Wherever it is, it's not where I need it. I have hardly any to give to my children. (Particularly one child.) <br /><br />It seems that this little person growing inside of me is also known as the Patience Vacuum. Since Day 1, I swear my patience level has gotten lower and lower and my annoyance level has gotten higher and higher. I've really noticed this trend with the last two pregnancies.<br /><br />I mean really, why should I be annoyed that after <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Jace</span> just ate a sandwich, carrots, veggie chips, graham crackers and milk, and goldfish, that he's still hungry? Why should I be annoyed with a simple request to refill a water bottle? Why should I be annoyed with a child's choice of shoes? Why should I be annoyed with <em>everything?</em><br /><em></em><br />And then, one of the most interesting things about the little Patience Vacuum is that as soon as she's born, the patience immediately flows right back into my body and goes to all of the right spots and seems to fill up my patience reservoir. It is unbelievably <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">noticeable</span> to me.<br /><br />It's such a strange phenomenon, but maybe it's necessary. Maybe the patience is sucked out of me and stored up somewhere (again, maybe in the womb with the baby) and it's returned to me when the baby's born because that's when I need it the most. I need it the most when there is a newborn with <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">innumerable</span> needs, other children demanding my needs and affection, a body trying to make its way back to normalcy, and so many other factors. Maybe this happens for a reason. Maybe it really is a blessing disguised as a mean trick for 9 months. <br /><br />If that's the case, I just feel sorry for my poor little family for those 9 months. And that little Patience Vacuum better bring some extra patience with her because I have a feeling that 4 kiddos is gonna be a little bit of a rough adjustment.Ashleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092041845855802938noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5220224361181190968.post-61655954600749091992011-04-29T17:05:00.001-07:002011-05-06T12:00:12.707-07:00Life is GoodI have been in blog-hibernation. Life has been busy, and I have been blog lazy. And before life gets incredibly crazy with a newborn around, I better update on our family and what has transpired over the past three months. And that's lots. So hold on for a long update.<br /><br /><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">JACE:</span></strong></div><br /><br /><div>Jace turned 6 years old in February. 6! Yikes, he's getting too old, which means I am too. He got some great presents and later that night we went to dinner with both sets of his grandparents to celebrate. This year he chose a Robin cake (as in Batman and Robin). He thought I was going to make Robin's face, but he had to settle for the symbol instead.</div><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601209892788652898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDhQX_rarVGC63vQEOoAX9dYXnMLrBEfNA6UWnQvDrQVLmAdLf1Cc9ruqwDK0Udn2xhr43WPjQFzNAZmpkrdGeuxOFqHjQ-JDXyrzXDQBTcWDLr1uAf29hnKlpGPrs87kS0HdxNwqJS39x/s320/Jace%2527s+6th+birthday+059.JPG" border="0" /><br />At 6, Jace is such a little smarty. He is reading at a 2nd grade level and his comprehension is incredible. His favorite books right now are The Magic Treehouse series chapter books. I was pretty impressed with him when he finished an entire book in 65 min. one day. He's an amazing speller and is doing great at learning math. He loves to learn about animals and has developed quite the love for stuffed animals and rubber insects which he has to have lined up on his bookcase every day. (Something that annoys me to no end because I can't have "clutter" but I have to walk away since it's his room and I have to allow him that.) He enjoys playing with his friends and catching lizards in our backyard.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601209889871773938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_OTybjNeh3epGPgZBkmjAJWzqyCCVta5FxLP78EXEQlQRc6Vas-h43S-Ov7EYeas2IQMKRL6BS2Dmcxlo6XdxQzjPY-hQSEIl91DOrb95ZyVbmhiOVyPZZbkFASQO0RyD5pf272wCJ8uT/s320/April+2011+030.JPG" border="0" /><br />He is such a soft-hearted little boy who has a lot of love in his heart for his family. Almost every day he tells me that he loves me the most in the family. He gets pretty jealous if Cole is getting some snuggle time and he isn't, and then the fight is on as to who gets to snuggle with mom or dad. He is extremely stubborn and he still knows how to throw quite the fit. I'm wondering when that stage is going to end.... He and I make quite the stubborn pair and we have quite the standoff at times.<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">COLE:</span></strong><br /><br />Cole just turned 4 yesterday! I can't believe he's 4, he grew up so much this year. He does so much with his brother and plays at his level that sometimes I think he should be 5! For his birthday he got a "big gun and little gun" - a rifle and a pistol-which he was absolutely thrilled about. He also got a remote control car that he played for hours with yesterday. I think we hit the jackpot with those presents. He chose to go to Incredible Pizza to play laser tag and games and then to In-N-Out for dinner.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601209906201019234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqenUkIGZA1etGV8JoERTmquv0tjs72hRGYn8rb8YvCJrfqFgwmojasuYdfLuIg5C0N2hHhm8CUKvsZELZ9Izjfg1ZMy_fMl-SkS_FrbATxIegXhPt6Koe1eQhgjZd4SyxV7FU6vR759OM/s320/April+2011+048.JPG" border="0" /><br />Cole is always keeping us laughing. He has developed quite the humorous personality lately and is always saying silly things. He definitely has his father's sense of humor. For the last few months he hated Sundays. He would wake up almost every day and ask if it was Sunday: cheer when it wasn't and cry when it was. Then if it was Sunday, he would ask throughout that day if it "was still Sunday"? However, within the last month or so, this has changed and he has really started to enjoy primary. It's fun to see him transform and he now sings primary songs, knows scripture stories, gives amazing prayers, and is happy on Sundays.<br /><br />Cole is also quite the smarty pants, he's just different in the way that he and Jace "display" their knowledge. He knows all of his upper and lowercase letters, knows all of their sounds, can almost count to 100, can identify all of the numbers up to 100, knows his address, phone number, and more. He also is great at writing his name and loves to spell it out loud and acknowledge that that is his name.<br /><br />Something else about Cole is that he is ATTACHED to his dad. Whenever Bryan leaves the vicinity without him in public, Cole goes <em>berserk, </em>starts crying and screaming for Bryan, and chases after him no matter what. For example, last night at In-N-Out, Bryan got up from the table to get a refill, and Cole launched into his panic attack. Some may see it as endearing, but to Bryan and I it is extremely frustrating. He sure loves his dad.<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">LILY:</span></strong><br /><br />Lily is at such a fun stage right now. She is extremely happy and content. She lights up the room and can make ANYONE smile. Everyone is always commenting on how happy she is and how much fun she is to be around, and I must say, it's true. She has the best toothy grin and always has a smile on her face. She will wander around the house and entertain herself and play with toys for hours. She is so easy at home, but out in public it's the same story as months ago - she is a busybody and we can't keep her contained.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601213503465514178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipsek0MvxMnhUXHhIK3keIAbUBDLyHirYdCbi6OC5azea0GlUFXJvCz7mmX-DEwBGPKxBBRNlEFgVNCPLg4T3xCk0P8JuOYepyOLL8IttyKhLQcN5c1fnw6fmqClCcHORLYl4uxZByrczr/s320/untitled.bmp" border="0" /><br /><br />She loves music and loves to sing and dance. I love to hear her sing her own little sounds and words to whatever we may be listening or singing to. We think we might have some sort of entertainer on our hands, whether it be a singer or dancer. She loves shoes and will bring whoever's shoes laying around to us and say "I ont shoes," which means she wants us to put them on her. Something else she loves is to give kisses. She will make her kissing face (which means she pulls her bottom lip up over her top and raises her chin up high), says "mmmmm" and wait for anyone to kiss her. She has to give everyone in the house kisses before bedtime. And no one can deny her.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601212567007991058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LFhBdx93LULs0Y4VrzK7yD9AS7GRnbO6TJ8chLhK5XHKXEH3BP2LQJRjGN7zwhmygiDaT5Vw5Uk9tf4MwKptSDmpG7LXIGbvcj8ZZM7vqICwM5KpMEGQAbCc-N8NLvk2e-nJGjBjQkZx/s320/April+2011+061.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />Her hair is getting curlier and curlier but not much longer-musch to my dismay. Her face is also starting to thin out, but she definitely still has her ghetto booty and awesome belly. She also still sucks her thumb and is very attached to her "Boo" - her floppy stuffed bear. She also jabbers all the time and has quite a few words and phrases that she says. We love having her around and she gets quite a bit of attention from all of us, and so I know that having this new sister around is going to be a big adjustment for her.<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">ME:</span></strong><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Me? I'm just pregnant and one year older. I turned 29 this March and had a fantastic birthday. Bryan did an amazing job at planning a birthday date where I was able to "choose my own adventure birthday". I chose my birthday activity and dinner based on clues and I was given many options for each. It was a lot of fun. </span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601213505669645762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ULcTdwUC3QslRAy8VuzLeUG2NMfZckctHMEXlAUD3BGkbXJXcSjZWBFwhG7bDjHzE4vh9pCv5nEWQECZdVr1-77ZzpEVi0tLzriYAYt-GVr2nKel7SjTFPLK_2AAZngYzo6Uythe3eJH/s320/untitled2.bmp" border="0" /></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">I am 34 weeks and time is getting CLOSE. I am not ready for this baby nearly as much so as I was with the others. I still have a lot to do and shop for, but I can't bring myself to do it. I guess I'll just wait for the "nesting" stage to kick in and really go to town.</span><br /><br />I feel pretty good. I get Braxton Hicks contractions which are getting more frequent and heavier. I'm still planning on going natural and Bryan still keeps trying to talk me out of it. Now I think I'm even more stubborn about doing it just to prove him wrong.<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">BRYAN:</span></strong><br /><br />Bryan just celebrated his 33rd birthday. We were able to celebrate it in California (actually the day of his birthday we were driving home from California). We decided to take a last minute trip to visit Bryan's brother and his family. We had a ton of fun in the warm weather where we went to the park, hung out, shopped, went to a movie, and went to Six Flags, and just played. It was a great time and we love spending time with Rob, Lindsey, their girls, and also Lindsey's family (our second in-laws).<br /><br />We were able to celebrate Bryan's birthday with Lindsey's family because it was her dad's birthday a couple of days before Bryan's. I made Bryan "Angry Birds" cakes since he has been addicted to that game lately. (And if you're wondering, he has 3 stars on all the levels.) Yes, he could use an Angry Birds support group. However, the last couple of days it has turned into a Solitaire addiction.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601210995497655218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 239px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaSc4Dc4W-YhCUIb21j_-F1BlM-WNk532vA0It8wxwOoahRpKQURN7brtqIjvMdIMP1OjzQfDq_juijwQQA5qLghMA4WtrHe-xd5OnS_r_GbQvJXzDM7pMKfGodis1N146l5nAG3qUc52W/s320/Iphone+pics+038.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601210990250955714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 239px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiChDjGbsmm0JwG9A7sVOrWagNConlKXVMaKJKSmWDezMRLkmBSMaFpvT6nv8H84bYsJrpSADmK9hpCaBZ64nJr1OH_MQ868KvqSR_NyHji-KX1YxUqW4MpDRr1UtQ4c9xu6z1F-mkzMvjM/s320/Iphone+pics+037.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601211004208546274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 239px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2VcMHcdXZS4VHO0eQWXGnWFTOHuybaPFZEzTuxEnXTI4_hxrpavNcASibc42nd88uAl01mMYGM0S02SHEKXo_QeMYALXmxgO8ffsOdN3JXEcRrHGcMCCY1oOndyen5wwNnut0hpJPpOp4/s320/Iphone+pics+041.JPG" border="0" /> Bryan starts a new job on Monday!! About 6-7 weeks ago, Bryan lost his job. This came as a surprise but in reality it has been a blessing in disguise. He was very unhappy at his job and had actually started looking for something new when he was let go. Three weeks after he lost his job, he received a job offer with the company he wanted to work for, and it is with a company that goes hand-in-hand with what he had been doing. Since he received the offer he has just been able to hang out with the family waiting for the new job to start.<br /><br />We have been so lucky to have him home with us these past several weeks. The kids have LOVED having him home and I'm pretty sure they will go through withdrawals when he starts again. I have loved having him home as well. It's been great to have the extra help around the house and with the kids, and really great to run errands without the kids. It's been fun to have him around to just be here and have fun with. There have been many hours playing games with each other, and we've turned into quite the gaming family (especially he and the kids). He will be missed greatly, but he is so ready to start and get back into a routine.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Whew! That was a lot, and probably a lot more in depth than most care to read, but hopefully it will pacify my father. Talk about nagging! ;) Now I just need to stay on top of blogging....Ashleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092041845855802938noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5220224361181190968.post-60681016031597300982011-01-24T11:56:00.000-08:002011-01-24T12:18:56.516-08:00How Many Times in a Day...As a mother, how many times in a day can you:<br /><ul><li>Sweep the kitchen floor.</li><li>Wipe off the kitchen table.</li><li>Clean off a high chair tray.</li><li>Wipe off the counters.</li><li>Pick up the same toys from your tornado, havoc-reaking one year old.</li><li>Wipe a snotty nose.</li><li>Wipe a bum.</li><li>Hang up the hand towel in the kids' bathroom.</li><li>Pick up the throw pillows from off the floor and put them back on the couch.</li><li>Push in the table chairs and barstools.</li><li>Wipe off smudgy fingerprints off the stainless steel appliances and black cupboards.</li><li>Get a sippy of milk out of the fridge.</li><li>Refill sippies.</li><li>Answer, "What?"</li><li>Say, "Please put _________ away?"</li><li>Say, "Be nice to your sister."</li><li>Say, "Did you wash your hands?"</li><li>Say, "Quit <u>(fighting, biting your fingernails, whining, complaining)</u>."</li><li>Say, "Go get back in bed."</li><li>Say the word "no".</li></ul><p>It's never ending, but I guess I would rather be doing these things countless times a day than sitting in an office working, away from them.</p>Ashleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092041845855802938noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5220224361181190968.post-57622667758216268102011-01-18T14:43:00.000-08:002011-01-18T16:08:10.811-08:00Its A... Wait, What?Today I went in for <em>The Ultrasound,</em> and as Bryan and I made our way down the long corridor, I think I was on the border of being cocky of what this little bambino was going to be. Because I have mother's intuition, you see, and I'm rarely wrong. <br /><br />We went into the darkened room, I laid on the bed and the ultrasound technician got started and looked and measured various parts of the baby. As I laid there, my confidence started to waver, and I started to wonder, "What if it's really not a boy?"<br /><br />But I was just so absolutely positive it was a boy. I dreamed about it being a boy. I had the "feelings" about it being a boy. I saw our family consisting of three boys and a girl. I thought about how there was just going to be one little girl, and we were going to be so close because she was always going to be outnumbered by boys. I was so 100% positive it was a BOY.<br /><br />And then it was time to find the gender... And there it is, right there between the legs. <br /><br />There's nothin' between the legs. Because it's a girl. <br /><br />Huh?<br /><br />I couldn't quite take it all in. I was in shock. It's really not a boy? But, I'd never even thought about two girls. Bryan was excited; he wanted another little girl. I couldn't even comprehend it. I think in my mind I even questioned the technician. It wasn't until SEVERAL more shots that I came to truly realize that yes indeed, it was a girl!<br /><br />Now that I've had time to process it, I'm excited. We're excited for Lily to have a little sister and one so close in age. I just hope they get along. (Rissa and I weren't the best of friends growing up, so I certainly hope they are.) The boys have been the best of friends and so I hope these girls will be too. Having another girl definitely makes things a lot easier in some aspects. Two and two - nice and even. That's what's in my family and I love it. <br /><br />Jace is <em>extremely</em> excited that it's a girl. When I told him, he jumped up and down and shouted "yay, yay, yay," and then quickly asked, "Can we name her Kate?" What's the reason Jace wanted a girl? So we could name her Kate. He's dead set on naming her Kate, which we like, but we're just not positive that's what it's going to be. Cole, on the other hand, was pretty upset. "I don't want a sister! I wanted a brother!" The main reason Cole wanted a brother? Because he wanted to name him Spike and he wanted a new brother to play Ninja Turtles with Jace and him. <br /><br />So it's a girl. <br /><br />Not what I thought I knew, but I'm happy.Ashleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092041845855802938noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5220224361181190968.post-70130636461903377362011-01-11T12:42:00.001-08:002011-01-11T13:57:53.470-08:00Lost in TranslationAbout 5 months ago, I posted about my love for the <a href="http://ericksonfab4.blogspot.com/2010/08/18-months-of-perks.html">18 months of perks.</a> At the beginning of that post I wrote a disclaimer stating that I may come to regret what I had written. Well I can't say I "regret it", but perhaps I should have waited several more months to write it; because apparently sarcasm is lost in translation with The Man Upstairs. <br /><br />You see, there was a line at the end of that post that said, "I'd get pregnant tomorrow just to not see her ugly face again." Well, I didn't get pregnant the very next day, just about exactly a month later. <br /><br />Even while I was pregnant with Lily I always knew there was a number four waiting to join us, and I always wanted a number four. I just didn't want/expect them this close. Lily and this new one will be 20 months apart and it is kind of freaking me out. The other kids have been 26 and 30 months apart and the spacing has been wonderful. I was never worried going from 0 to 1 kid, 1 to 2, and 2 to 3 kids; but I am really worried about going from 3 to 4. I know there are many other situations out there that are closer and harder than mine, but I'm just sayin - these are <em>my</em> concerns.<br /><br />And apparently Heavenly Father isn't the only one that has lost things in translation. Do you ever have those thoughts/premonitions that make you think, "This could be a possibility; a real possibility"? <br /><br />When I would think about having Number 4, there was this little thought in the back of my mind (premonition, maybe) that this little baby could come sooner than later, meaning sooner than when we were planning on having them join our family. I had the thought that Lily and this baby would probably be closer than two years apart. Apparently this thought and my math calculations were lost in translation too because I didn't realize that I would have to be pregnant NOW (and four months ago for that matter). I think that maybe these thoughts/premonitions were Heavenly Father's way of warning me to prepare myself mentally for this. <br /><br />But these thoughts were lost on me because I didn't prepare myself. I wasn't quite ready for the fact of being pregnant NOW. In fact, I was in denial for quite some time. I didn't even take a pregnancy test until I was three weeks late! I didn't make the pregnancy "public" until I was 15 weeks along - almost 16. I'm 19 weeks tomorrow. (Ever want a pregnancy to go by fast? Just don't tell anyone for 15 weeks. :)<br /><br />Now that I have accepted the fact that Number 4 is joining our family in June, I am excited. I am excited to have another little newborn in our family. I <em>love</em> newborns. They are in every sense, Heaven. Pure Heaven. I am excited to have our family complete and to move on to our next adventures. Yes, there are going to be challenges and struggles and LOTS of changes (an entirely different post) with another one right now, but it will definitely be worth it. And I cannot wait to see if it is a boy or girl (although I really, REALLY think this one is a boy). Call it mother's intuition. I guess we'll find out for sure next Tuesday!!<br /><br />So if you want to learn anything from my situation, I would say be careful what you ask or wish for and in the manner you wish for it. Because remember, sarcasm is lost in translation.<br /><br />Oh, and in case you were wondering? Yes, the perky perks are back. And for that I am grateful.Ashleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092041845855802938noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5220224361181190968.post-51927232165889557792010-11-22T13:13:00.000-08:002010-11-22T13:49:31.979-08:00Silly LilyOh, Miss Lily. So full of life and energy. When I was a little girl my uncle gave me the nickname of "Spitfire" because I could have quite the feisty attitude. Well, I think I've passed that down to Lily. She is so full of life and laughter and all out craziness. She loves to laugh and play with her brothers. She whines and begs to be picked up and as soon as you have her she squirms to be put down, and so you put her down and she whines and begs and the cycle goes on and on. <div><div><div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542491444292782610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpvGMLNVuQOejVCj0Yfe3wV7tUC3HLkfzLX1K0iiemg8bUAST8lXTBw_eq59A5qZ8IFL8fDC3iI6bJq3csAphyQH7xpSJjiUerhy4d1Qy7xm4xgSYO_NTUz319_sr9sohq9_d8L88e41Pn/s320/November+2010+004.JPG" border="0" /> <div>A lot of the ladies at church get a good kick out of her because of her craziness. She loves to turn around on the bench and laugh an talk to the people behind her. She lets out some really loud squeals and yells and she is ALL over the place and I can NEVER get her to sit still. I've devised a plan where we go to sacrament, during Sunday school we stay in the hall the entire time and I let her run off some energy so that that way I can got to Relief Society and get most of the lesson in. </div><br /><div></div><div>She loves to wag her little finger around and say "stop it." She has even started to sass back in her own little language and I get quite the kick out of it. She also has the most loving side to her. She says "hiiiiiii" in the softest, sweetest, girliest voice ever. It's my absolute favorite thing she says. She also LOVES to give hugs to anyone close to her size and in her proximity. She will crawl up to little kids at church and lean her head on them and try to give them so many loves. </div><div></div><br /><div>She has 12 teeth and they are so cute and goofy and I love her smile. And if she's being particularly silly she does this face where she smiles and scrunches up her eyes and she looks like Chunck from Goonies. </div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542491456465454018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdCHaKnNCIFg8Fovp7Z_Mpjr2GYgyX2JvNKoygX1VlgOycbKcqISs_Hp2fSqIKm-FAoCh9J3iYiU4-JRa0yVvgbMiIL4VNhVXZeqhTeoLGzBXZac1p03_SSr-HJHFKKQ1xE5vtzpUqZpUa/s320/November+2010+005.JPG" border="0" /> <div></div><div>She has her moments when she can be quite the handful but at other times she is the complete opposite and so easy going, can roam and play and keep herself entertained for hours. Yesterday I went to the bathroom and came out to find this:</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542491465492716274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglrLX9rCSnq1KCq0KWizu6k_hcft-NvyqF2E1XI42s4mjyb9pRbXrQfST4fJ432imxwqbRJMLvFJurUgHHk1eoDN9fJC58MTeNrYo9fRT_31DsVB8R-lGVXq-pPUpbeG2z8PM8M9YhOgRs/s320/November+2010+007.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542491473433792914" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCmTPLtBch3uHb9TH4cO-9QMMSo6omq83kJ0W9nTAZMF8N3mrYXjH4f3ci9nxZ9ucwRk7NhA24-9hF1aheO4XJz1aJCRI4eD-6CJ5AFogO7XhDzaz4I_TypegovoWAQqWw9-vuYN4Mh0Zo/s320/November+2010+008.JPG" border="0" />Lily covered in peach yogurt and "Mmmmm - Mmmmmming."<br /><br /><div>Oh Miss Beans, what would we ever do without you? You are crazy and wild, sweet and cuddly, sassy and silly, and we all sure love you! </div></div></div></div>Ashleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092041845855802938noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5220224361181190968.post-37248739824341371652010-11-22T12:56:00.000-08:002010-11-22T13:13:23.839-08:00Toothless?<div align="center"><div>Jace lost his first tooth on November 11. (I know, I'm so on top of things.) It was discovered several weeks ago that he had a loose tooth, but behind that tooth he already had his permanent tooth growing in, and quite a bit. </div><div></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542484311367246194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm9-_BkNJrqSwZu9c3AapvvriAHpWj8H9db4x31HNj3UmxLLq789BFUzAxHuYEW1sAGAkih9fCvBtEY6idoKLuSVtI6yMlTUDx4Q-xkXl-bBHxjoj3l-YO_52swrIJDOL5eR0ktlXCVxzx/s320/November+2010+003.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div align="center">So we spent the next few weeks wiggling the tooth and we even tried to pull it, but it wouldn't come. So we went to the dentist worried about over-crowding. Sure enough, the dentist decided to pull it. Jace was lucky enought to have banana flavored laughing gas and they numbed him up, gave him a shot, and pulled the tooth. Thank goodness the dentist and hygenists were awesome and they never mentioned the shot and just told him he was going to get some "sleepy medicine" for his lips and teeth. They popped it out and he was able to take home his first lost tooth in an envelope!</div><br /><div></div><div>The Tooth Fairy came and left him two dollars, and you would have thought he won the lottery! That Tooth Fairy stuff is hard to remeber to take care of. Thank goodness Lily woke up at 3:45 am or else the Tooth Fairy would have forgot and Jace would have been devestated. </div><div></div><br /><div>So here's the proud boy with his not-so-much gaping hole. </div><div> </div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542484323971178930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQBDv5-nHdA1vtQkc39qeyhfnAeJHqat8_a9LAK9TkD8iZK0AKnd59R0wm84TCdWBBbKF-T8A6_woZfRpmT-Oy-hWhLCzxURX9bPSnuc5PvOQq6QcHFqjJ51BH7g1jNUdqJUBJ6uZYl_Nf/s320/November+2010+001.JPG" border="0" /></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">(He's going to hate me in future years for this picture. :) )</span></div><br /></div>Ashleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092041845855802938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5220224361181190968.post-52147778928374875922010-11-07T14:59:00.001-08:002010-11-08T12:39:15.987-08:00Halloween 2010The great debate was on this year to as what the kids were going to be. It was that constant changing of their minds as to what they wanted to be. So we sat them down a few weeks before Halloween and MADE them decide.<br /><br /><div>They decided on Batman and Robin. Jace took the high road and let Cole choose which one he was going to be. Usually, since Jace is older, he would naturally be Batman. However, Cole chose Batman and Jace was just as excited to be Robin. So then of course Lily had to be Cat Woman/ black cat.</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536957869884804434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnO2GQt9lEyhzCC457q_hO6FHD4iRXrHbCc2vcEbrijYs-frJ9r2XClRQ2ImLXUMWwyd4xqhQQHsgkLaIDyQRsAPRXB7VJq3NSK2O6jBYF-D4SnzlB6bvEKkjdWy672bYXT905ZQW0PswJ/s320/October+2010+063.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536955910712544754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNtAxzpUmZqRWGWzeIzbFLCh1Pqavp0grQRiMQX3rxOA0H1j5Wmky19BPGfuHV6rCnnO6A66c_8kwt3Sv4Xx4MubKcnC0s0Og08N4ggl1A3V0-3tM7wMhFpX8r3OKVWrH0M8pBymm4JztG/s320/October+2010+035.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><div></div>And when we go with a theme, we really go with a theme.<br /><div></div><div></div><br /><div><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536955918790448802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp32gH-dRnDqDJV6kgCJyMHg3EuCUloJS6SJsIPgR6nv7nzIg7KT79Q0BAbycSAWofl0GkRVtjEG6pLZd4JqrJlJoN0UBIy1BfNyQAm34i1mh5ATGrZnnUVB8LyNinNuiLhTv6BMgu1Dgo/s320/October+2010+045.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><div>We bought Cole's costume and I made Jace's. Lily's was pretty simple to put together, and really I only had to buy the ears. They had so much fun being Batman and Robin! Jace loved his costume, and when he put it on he said, "Mom, I think I look pretty darn awesome."</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536958757202002610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYOA5N-ZP5gCq5V7Xx9w0YkDV7JwqCB8LEEVynw-jWvi-MkIwGENyzlVDtdfifXH3UIYBgFS-kYVW5Ba8XQjVLQSQYywMxs7GRXWtAI2WcW0s8IFMxJxH6em6IRmdNuUsEz025DakbCe2/s320/October+2010+054.JPG" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537280752815070594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggHjw4i-PPD5aJ5y-lcw4HtBOCDyHQKtttifgEJcvZ6eG0NOGtV_vlXDHgblaObZu4vjaWI1RyXRONZ1hoF2UyUojjID-xAGKkkRlfJzcT7xmFhfbn3Oi-exs_mxcI1GwAcW89ILEt5SUi/s320/October+2010+056.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536957862253504018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWO7HJZdO4E8jLTXRDkXf5k_qvJeRLhhXuEIp9wkn_EyMGyb2fDii-dzzsdoGy4mqY7KOxNRc6KPyQGtjlc7OgjSmQn3HrAi16d_b_TT3WcrR8W-yAUkAkAZi6-0OTjZdW2zbpSbO2F2nY/s320/October+2010+048.JPG" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536957856243636962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif9rmb_QyVzS9rE9OCNbfi405yjO5yqOKWJ-TsaK41hzeiy5fiuedw2cQa-a31svn90_zKD4ChL7U8m85C9qEmzMxzD5TxONxtfsRrZ8HAbqLvHRHWSehyj5vEa7BCPbgCuT6PA-G0Z-SW/s320/October+2010+057.JPG" border="0" /> </div><div><br /><div>We did the trunk-or-treat at our ward Saturday night and it started pouring on us. We got home and the boys were soaked and they decided that they didn't want to go out for any more trick-or-treating; so they got in their jammies and stayed home. I love how easy they are! (And so does their dad because that meant he didn't have to go out either.)</div><div></div><br /><div>Having Halloween on a Sunday was not so fun. Dressing them up for school on Friday, trick-or-treating on Saturday, and a family party on Sunday did me in. Keeping track of all the little pieces of their costumes was annoying and I ended up having to make two masks for Jace because we lost one. Oh, the things you do for your kids. </div><div></div><br /><div>They had a blast being Batman and Robin, and now they are so excited and are planning their costumes of Harry Potter, Ron, and Hermione for next year. </div></div></div>Ashleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092041845855802938noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5220224361181190968.post-68199536183058324582010-10-05T20:17:00.000-07:002010-10-06T16:55:52.774-07:00Look Whooo Turned One!Lily turned 1 last Saturday, Oct. 2nd. How is it even possible that a year could go by that fast? I have truly enjoyed this past year with having a little girl in our family. She is so full of life and energy, has a smile for anyone. Besides when she is tired, she is always happy. And I mean <em>always.</em><br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524775013307381474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 198px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8AgC3VvVVLDe3TiokmeLMqPEa8QPC0zkncZo7cOYe8lJZVe-mCBtxPTmwYVbQ_58Rz4yZsq-_wtjEijEvhx91MlNwjNXmc_A6lf4W5vApdCGgvkXuhJt7mx9-sESpDKtOBX9g9MXmM-5/s320/IMG_3599+copy.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div>We celebrated her birthday with family and a few close friends Friday night. It was an owl theme, and it the night turned out perfectly. I went for a girly, whimisical, fall-ish theme. </div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524771082063973810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxpPFncOHQqQMWrNVpeU1fUsbz7iYQBVk42r9qbFH0bqbDlwxsWsDxhc4r5NjC9VzkXGr4W8lpNpLdVj1sAmszpbBsb1DAXVxjRODV_lV3HZb-NDLqk1496G3AmeItpS-awaRH9Dm5t5f6/s320/IMG_3486+copy.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div></div><div>We had chicken salad sandwiches, fruit, and veggies for dinner.</div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524772731966995730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYsF055A5-yt_s_sjEUydQy61u1j_GZ9md8OR6uFWgyqiPYF1nLvf5Y3boXdz_RbJvz8xlWNm3tVwUHzqP1B2gpsK-PWrU0ARhPhBhhLvV9alHo-4RyjU7GmH_8UXCWqKHEZrBMTSqu7cT/s320/IMG_3487+copy.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>Dessert was an assortment of vanilla and chocolate owl cupcakes and owl sugar cookies. </div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524771073342792258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHQ-_4uHjcjeCJ5q9jcZZW24_OOUBh1tofWh1lBih5yYoLHDfmwnUAXoTPBh7rodvUJ2VmLfxZGSp1LwNiUEhOYaPogDAD0GDlqCytGfD0guAvMjY_pvhkDgrsv5In5vAH6mV3a8_w5liF/s320/IMG_3475+copy.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>Lily had her very own mini owl cake. Thank you Joslyn, for teaching me how to do fondant.</div><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524771078929789250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisQGUXeVFxpvFoc6VjCvZUSyuR-2zVn6gPsZxkTrPkeJOgBknPZWHb_E3LNcOjbj8vUSWToLRuBzKShHAPUioHMThCdaEQqHNQKLF4oC5Kit53VYiRqnvd36LSwpay5mefuAJssndqrhO2/s320/IMG_3478+copy.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524772735387466306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijs-7pU50bmzt6x04U9xGqfMeZHkM9hwenibBkLFCkcjURrnyzeUBZwNCpnDBU8GIyUX97e22Lt-JNMnIXTjr6ioJGJnuQN-IiwAGXKGkWNH6mJ1gqlDgTjsd6ToRL7xM14nL8SMxc_q9c/s320/IMG_3511+copy.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>We had a few games for the kids of <em>Pin the Beak on the Owl</em>, <em>Bean Bag Toss</em> (thru the owl's eyes), and <em>Crack the Egg out of the Nest</em> (popping balloons).</div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524772746762998274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 314px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxwCux7Zh3BkaO7ejhukb7Artb_-NRJTt2O1lr6Sn881aG-rUVb_pwGLQLQiGwjRRhINTgUotxu6DvptlG79WgPmlNvGmtwQLe7-sUE-Xeq1mF2jnOonsDedd5s6PryXhvTlI_bO1pxSn7/s320/IMG_3570+copy.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524774118310566866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 235px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMTdjWWisi1WG5SUHCuEGseeXGLhQkkYDU76yW3TsyyiNIph5Xgt0iVwrOc9xYpoNDKPzB_wzEbHk9rS17oc8dTWeXVXC0huPDKe3S921QCrFV3x5aUs-kaBI63KYlM4_SDANqAv2aiXSx/s320/IMG_3576+copy1.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><div>Lily received so many fun new GIRL toys: baby dolls, a purse, a tea set, and a stroller. She also received lots of fantastically girly outfits. Who knew it could make me so happy to see little dolls and girl toys laying around the house? The poor girl has been deprived.</div><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524774129004890594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 232px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRm76pmG38TWHgfyA9Yie4a9rhxvIgkHPEUa2zecoUvUPkTfDjsDNivXo5ug1WeFhJ-OThrfn8l2FAO1qXSmrBffzj9e4pj9LK38iMWOG0WQ_RiRys5h9YgbyNGsYpQ5st3B7pP8a4eZeQ/s320/IMG_3593+copy1.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div></div><div>Thank you so much to all of our family and friends that came and supported Lily and her first year of life.</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524776262941046962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yuaAtGalRSFTjEeHiHDmVSDkciaHacyn9JGlcqtt3jB4vzvKnWwW-kk8Cl7pAezu_jZUpuDjgmdPYvnOmLYJ02TKs4k1oQzxPHcspwAUstXaJHR56n18F0jNItU2w4nM9A-wKp0j7RRz/s320/IMG_3630+copy.jpg" border="0" /> <div></div><br /><div>Thank you Lindsey, for designing such an adorable birthday invitation and favor tags.</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524775008711427202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 258px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-nnSRHBus7c488dmYJ06CKvZDIYBJcU8JvXgWtRRxkTF_CeSdy7GC6nJqMGqb-0iUqJzcZYvfx7NvrC-lKdY35rmJf-hadPOJRhsyLsVuNRGNyTOC2k0X7rsWFGULhMDR9U56v8sXn5F/s320/IMG_3477+copy.jpg" border="0" /> <div></div><br /><div>Thank you Karlee, for taking such great pictures for me so that I didn't have to worry about that aspect of the night while trying to entertain the guests. </div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524774134619682930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4WvxBKziA4Z6UG3qHQ-4nX2Ei2QkM9J9coUAkneKeoJbcorhplEzOu4oDAp2Dpqr7QBqPVIetzGG8MVdS4QUpcWVYJL39d-HxOhNJOUe5a6cm_H5qA6maJwL_L5iz2BUTo2CghPkSS9Dv/s320/IMG_36251+copy.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div></div><div>At the end of the night, Bryan summed it up best when he said, "You know what? We're pretty blessed to have such great family and friends." </div><div></div><div></div><div>Yes, Dear; we are.</div><div></div><div>Lily, we love you so much and you have added so much joy and happiness to our family. Boy, Sundays would sure be different without you! Happy Birthday, Miss Beans!</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Ashleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092041845855802938noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5220224361181190968.post-56921780529507930382010-09-14T13:01:00.000-07:002010-09-14T13:22:50.950-07:00Dinner Time Entertainment<div align="center">This happened a couple of weeks ago, but I thought I would share. </div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">Here is our crazy, loud, and yet adorable, Lily. She truly is a wild woman. She NEVER sits still. I mean NEVER. She likes to make us laugh and she definitely knows how to keep us entertained at dinner.</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"> </div><p align="center"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='310' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzYlveGIiaD17-Rt0Qsd1HMkKqsyXJat-QEn5vOlT9_NQZQNhqTuHDO78BsTGHlBBV1Gg5uNdAfpiUnh-YeMA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p>Ashleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092041845855802938noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5220224361181190968.post-42065172848604392722010-09-08T14:07:00.000-07:002010-09-08T15:25:50.166-07:00Kindergarten and PreschoolIt's official. I have a kindergartner. And this wasn't easy for me to accept.<br /><br />Jace started kindergarten on September 1. He was so ready. I thought I was.<br /><br /><div align="center"></div><div align="left">I wasn't.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514662952032623634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldG3s3v54RQoGsQodlg40yi3fAJj7ipJHXsQm5ATKQs_jspf6ltmGyBT_5usPNNjRUzGICkz4R2P5TZhePpLELfOQer1Ka8ONcdZ0YihGSdFneP6skO5I23U87mT_0hKM4sceF12IrGzC/s320/August+2010+053.JPG" border="0" /></div><p align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">(Standing in front of our <em>back</em> door because the sun was too bright in the front)<br /></p></span><p align="left">I took him to school the first day and had to fight back the tears even before we got there. He was so excited, yet a little nervous and I could tell by the way he would walk around with his arms folded. That's Jace's "nervous twitch" - arms folded across his chest and eyes scanning the ground. </p><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514662959046123970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjToGKvupynnDsBHLQUiMCRV4XuusJQ4NcLgO6g-YyAvZpAGf2R5Wxa8kH2doiU3zsfF9u1_Y-eh9degCLcCu7KaAFVFGd2xqHYPVFQSZ0q1SIrwsYdDu3NSHbtFlW3vY7cB5f2P8tXKlkk/s320/August+2010+061.JPG" border="0" /><span style="font-size:78%;"> (Playing on the playground with his cute friend, Allie)</span></p><p><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514664552004971874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj56tN5ApI_tYR6FIAkE9lmGVwnDPF1gn2cH5QqwBGIwwB1WpId3zTIW8ALyd8fNbpNpcbuDJxIu1Iggz5Fm5GQt3iDLrpoozy103KRd27s-OzIUdbHZH35hJrNIAf32VY84JIsYDK4F_b/s320/August+2010+059.JPG" border="0" /> <p align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">(Standing in front of his classroom door)</span></p><p align="left">I did well until he went into his classroom and it was time for <em>me</em> to walk away.</p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514662978142457634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlFuTYG9W3qziX-wYunmv9PxVs0O3FlksTsfpgJm8zvGegNCKZaYVFPbLW4e5Pii3LfBLI33I8AhTk0ftaP5ddSohO4aBRs2nn3SNn_v9ihLFBtN6zXy2cHKTgrzVYEN074llD4Sa-zKjE/s320/August+2010+066.JPG" border="0" /> <p align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">(My friends thought it would be a great idea to take a picture of me crying. Luckily, you can't tell I'm a blubbery mess.)</span><br /><br /></p><p align="left">I cried off and on for the remainder of the day. And if I think about it too much, I still cry. </p>(Like right now.)<br /><br />He loves kindergarten so far and it has been fun to have him come home everyday and ask him what he did in class. I get to hear lots of new songs, I find out what kids had to "pull a card" that day, who he played with at recess, and if he earned a "caughtcha."<br /><br />I have this love/hate relationship with dropping him off at school. I love to see how big and responsible he looks as he slings his backpack over his shoulder and marches his way through the kindergarten gate ready to conquer the world. And yet, I hate to see him so big and independent, knowing that I'm not going to be right there with him to protect him from the harsh reality of this world.<br /><br />Cole misses his big brother immensely. Multiple times throughout the morning he asks, "When's Jace gonna be home?" He's kind of lost without him. And to be honest, so am I. I've forgotten how to entertain a child. It's been a dream to have Jace and Cole be best friends because they rely on each other for entertainment.<br /><br />Two days after Jace started school, Cole had to go off and start preschool on me too.<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514664555651115682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhihi06Mk2kQxpR5j9_r6TCZSP_QFVrvGwUSETQfj6TL5kDRskB4Plm7gTtQLBcGLyB1d7tLALd8hWuWrU3wPO9X7_Z7QBUwaQdt_eJ0CJBkkzwtvsaDiaVFuQTquFIgLkH2ZUObHSKEvE7/s320/August+2010+074.JPG" border="0" /> Sheesh.<br /><br />He, too, is so excited to be going to school. During preschool orientation, a week earlier, he was sitting in front of me while his teacher was going over the rules, when he turned around to me and whispered, "I <em>love</em> this school." He's been waiting for a whole year to be able to go to Teacher Nisha's.<br /><br />Surprisingly, I didn't have as hard of a time sending Cole to preschool as I thought I would. It was strange to leave him at school, yet fun to see him so ready to go and not be afraid as I thought he would be. He needs this independence.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514664568513465426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2lsyZUveBdljBHVGKXD1Pc68-aumh1L0xUVx5N1OA4bONgadlJJ3wBJY8GbkyXPbdI058Fge09vQusTBevDbZKCJVweySg4oef-PvyD8Dg74w-wy_Op5GQLPzvt-fZDZxSZuSfRTp-WZw/s320/August+2010+083.JPG" border="0" /><br /><p align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">(Cole on <em>his</em> playground.)</span></p><p align="left">I think I'm having such a hard time with this because I know their childhood is slipping by me so quickly. And I look back over the years and question if I've done enough, played enough with them, made enough memories with them, taught them enough, scolded and yelled too much, enjoyed who they <em>are</em> enough. </p>So with a new school year, there's a sense of renewal. Here's to loving them more, laughing with them more, reading to them more, yelling less, having more patience, kissing them more, snuggling them more, and <em>reflecting</em> on those moments more.Ashleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092041845855802938noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5220224361181190968.post-84671193242145145342010-08-18T14:56:00.000-07:002010-08-18T19:33:54.183-07:0018 Months of Perks<p><span style="font-size:85%;">I may come to regret this post, but I've decided to be honest about life and how it plays out; so here it goes.<br /></span><br />I have had the privilege of enjoying some benefits for the last 18 months since the time that I became pregnant with Lily until I finished nursing. I didn't quit nursing by choice, it just so happened that the milk producing department of my body put up the OUT OF ORDER sign.<br /><br />Since this has happened, it has caused me to reflect on what I've enjoyed over the past year and a half. I know that pregnancy and nursing have a very long list of miserable qualities; however, they also have their own "perks".<br /><br />When I was pregnant with Lily, Bryan once asked me this question (and while we were in the company of his brother), "Ashlee, do you know what my favorite part about pregnancy is? Pregnancy boobs."<br /><br />Yes Dear, you are correct. It's the best part for me too.<br /><br />You see, when my older sister stood in the "<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Bosom</span> Line" up in heaven, she took her fair share of the amount allotted and then she decided to be greedy and take my amount as well. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Nuff</span> said.<br /><br />So as you can see, pregnancy and nursing end up being a blessing to me in the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">bosom</span> department. Many women hate the added blessing. Well, not me. I'll take all I can get, thanks.<br /><br />A couple of other perks relate to Sundays. Two words: FAST SUNDAY. Yep, it's back to fasting full time. Is it bad to say that I didn't miss it? This also means a full three hour block of church. I always was able to cut Sunday school short because Lily was on such a set schedule that feeding time always fell then. </p><p>Wow, church sure has gotten a lot longer.<br /><br />And finally, on one of the greatest perks it brings is the long separation of a certain relative. Yep, that one annoying aunt that brings her presence around once a month. You know that's an aunt that I don't get excited to see at the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">monthly</span> family reunion. She's the one you run and hide from for as long as possible. She's the one that forces you to pack on a couple of pounds while she's around and you're crabby and not your self until she leaves.</p><p>I'd get pregnant tomorrow just to not see her ugly face again.<br /><br />[Sigh]<br /><br />I miss the perks. </p><p>Especially the perky ones.<br /></p>Ashleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092041845855802938noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5220224361181190968.post-40367704135242739182010-08-12T19:02:00.000-07:002010-08-12T19:11:51.820-07:00Hmmmmm.......<div align="center">Maybe I need to get this little girl a doll to play with.......</div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA-zwY6SvmQJHFg47-UHoTYCcvIwLRABpQKI8i2fKfztRNBCgO_RXvW6MNoFKJeToQOLXKOmjvZfoOxGIwQxhaqMvIeipdToJPb6RE99FaKuzM88QJOt4MDtFNnxWZ2jHmr1Gcm88UNxFP/s1600/002.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504710960490101314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA-zwY6SvmQJHFg47-UHoTYCcvIwLRABpQKI8i2fKfztRNBCgO_RXvW6MNoFKJeToQOLXKOmjvZfoOxGIwQxhaqMvIeipdToJPb6RE99FaKuzM88QJOt4MDtFNnxWZ2jHmr1Gcm88UNxFP/s320/002.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7NOxQXoo0AGxhcvCEoe5MWVLaDvN175jlFXKm0fPvcXbxZiUU_gTJ1_m0In8lEx5Yk1HnIiJF1Md46aX6lcvZb00K18Yb_BAuaCERcR6pGYmY1tg6qvaZ8u5z8eAO_oQ2FTVk1uWNG1K4/s1600/001.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504710946003929538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7NOxQXoo0AGxhcvCEoe5MWVLaDvN175jlFXKm0fPvcXbxZiUU_gTJ1_m0In8lEx5Yk1HnIiJF1Md46aX6lcvZb00K18Yb_BAuaCERcR6pGYmY1tg6qvaZ8u5z8eAO_oQ2FTVk1uWNG1K4/s320/001.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div>Ashleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092041845855802938noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5220224361181190968.post-84185554897620697322010-08-08T14:30:00.000-07:002010-08-08T15:15:37.127-07:00I Swear<div><div><div align="left">Sometimes motherhood just makes me want to swear - you know, REALLY swear. As much as I refrain from actually saying those colorful words, I must say things can run rampant in my head. (Do I get extra points for not actually letting them loose?)</div><div align="left"></div></div><div><div><br /></div><div align="left"><strong>There's the good swear</strong>: "You are so ******** cute!"</div><div> </div><div align="left"></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503163953467178354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNE9vE5_F8JRSD3pz1yNfjOpCXW174NRkVd-xPBJVdF-LmUlVbsxUsV_U1yVOWSlQE3fmy0rr2GGOdCkfbOqL3lynti-SVM-OPTS2e1H033VgysqquLdDymSxUEUdgNFXuey_CzalGYfXY/s320/June+and+July+2010+055.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><div align="left"></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503165357694100706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxwO8sEOD4ZRB8XxeKLKNqxkhSeDsdH1VtV9BNO472h7GVp7C6K7mcesC6QQdzM8VxYAxV_-_IdkR4UWMBuM8jo19Gc3SzJrDU_jg25O88QI9pkMaxhpzEqpaANt-3JyMfrFcJu_F6oXgk/s320/June+and+July+2010+030.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div align="left"><strong>And the not so good swear</strong>: "You little ******* you gave your baby sister a black eye?!!?!!"</div><br /><br /><div align="left"></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503163139220807714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9GEFWyjqcWquJZdGmN8baNuR9Lswb53jXHDJQqSrw_CxFKdyAg60olitTMvh2F-8gDiIcnIa3RSs6m7iBgTBJHz07i7ApNgK0zgbD0O7LPyPIHLZLSnKoGLtE2mhtS3E6_5vF6NwI4kmb/s320/June+and+July+2010+083.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">And of course there are many more <em><strong>'not-so-good-swears'</strong></em> that I just won't mention when it comes to the whining, fighting, tantrums, hour-long-dinner-eating-sessions, etc., etc. Now I know why my mom would just let them loose sometimes when I was growing up - it's just part of being a mom.</div></div></div>Ashleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092041845855802938noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5220224361181190968.post-16386446437654554422010-07-30T22:21:00.000-07:002010-07-30T22:32:24.260-07:00The Simple Things<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Jace's</span> Day:<br /><br />1. He regained the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Wii</span> back - he'd been grounded from it for three days. <br /><br />2. He got his backpack for kindergarten - I caved and allowed a Star Wars one. (I wish I could have gotten a picture of the two boys <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">struttin</span>' around Target wearing their new backpacks)<br /><br />3. I let him and Cole get a Ring Pop at the check-out counter.<br /><br />4. They got to watch a movie in the car.<br /><br />5. We went swimming for Bryan's company party.<br /><br />6. He got to have McDonald's for dinner.<br /><br />After all of this he declared, "This is the best day of my life, EVER!" I love that the simple things in life make him so happy.Ashleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092041845855802938noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5220224361181190968.post-30041166755386644572010-06-28T12:30:00.000-07:002010-06-28T14:00:59.135-07:00Neighborhood Hang OutA few months ago, my aunt and her family stopped by my house for a little visit while they were in town. While they were at my house (it was a total of about and hour) I had three different little boys over at my house to play. She asked me if my house was the "Koolaid House;" you know, the house that all the kids hang out at. Well, it kind of is. And I don't mind. It's nice to have the kids here and know where they are and what they're up to. It's kind of fun to see who all stops by and asks if Jace can play in a day's time.<br /><br />Well, apparently my house is super cool. Because not only are the neighborhood kids dropping by and hanging around, but the critters like to hang out too. Yes, I've talked about the <a href="http://ericksonfab4.blogspot.com/2008/09/can-you-saydisgusting.html">scorpions, lizards, gross bugs, and the tarantula</a>; the last couple of days a snake has joined the mix, and it really didn't want to leave.<br /><br />It started Saturday afternoon when I went to get the mail. I saw something sticking up out of the grass and thought it was a stick, but as I got closer I realized it was a snake "standing" up pretty straight and high in the air. I took a picture of it on my phone to show the boys and then Bryan and I chased it off into the neighbor's yard.<br /><br />Saturday evening, Bryan discovered that the snake was living in a hole behind a sprinkler head at the corner of our driveway. The boys and I found it entertaining to sit and watch it peak its head out of the hole and slide in and out. A couple of neighbor kids came over as I was getting up the courage to kill it with the shovel when the little 11 year old girl asked if she could catch it. So I let her. She patiently waited for about an hour but the snake never came back out again enough for her to catch it.<br /><br />Well, today things changed. As I was getting out of the shower, Jace came running into the bathroom and said, "The snake's on the front porch and Rusty's cats are attacking it." I wrapped myself in my robe and went out my garage and my neighbor was standing there with her son, another little boy, and her two cats were on the porch by the snake. Here's the story:<br /><br />She said she was in her back yard when she heard this blood curdling scream...and it wasn't stopping. So she sent her son to see what was going on. Apparently the other little boy had come to my house when I was in the shower, and saw the snake all stretched out across the step that leads into my house and he started screaming like a little girl. So she came over and brought her cats to try and kill the snake, but they lost interest and wouldn't do the nasty job. So there were six of us standing at the end of my porch watching this two foot snake. It had curled itself up and so my neighbor got the guts up and put a bucket over the top of the snake and said she would send her eleven year old daughter back over to dispose of it in a couple of hours.<br /><br />Well, I couldn't wait that long and so I called my neighbor boy and asked him, "Shamon, are you afraid of snakes." He told me, "No, I'll be over," without me even having to tell him what I needed. He came over and tried to get the snake into the bucket, but it just wasn't working out they way we had hoped. His mom then drove by and stopped and she ended up being the hero. She took the shovel and did a series of dragging, then scooping and throwing the snake down the driveway, across the street, and over the edge of the cliff.<br /><br />I am just a little puzzled as to why all of the nasty creatures seem to love my house. Enough already!! AND.... why is it that all of the critters like to play as Bryan's away? If we ever move, it won't be because we don't like the neighborhood, it will be because we don't like the creepy crawlies that COME with the neighborhood.Ashleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092041845855802938noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5220224361181190968.post-55310188170286774952010-06-11T17:12:00.000-07:002010-06-11T17:58:33.938-07:00A ReprieveAh, Fathers and Sons. <br /><br />The one night and morning that you look forward to for several weeks, maybe even a whole year, that guarantees you some "alone" time. Some time to do all (okay, some) of those things when you always think, "If I didn't have to take the kids, I would do that." So you can imagine how excited I was to enjoy this alone time. <br /><br />Well, as the day was going on and I was trying to plan out my evening of excitement, a couple of things hit me. The first was trying to decide what I actually wanted to do with all of my time. I even made a list. Should I go shopping, clean the house, work on a craft, call up a friend and go out, plan for trek, of just plain veg. So many good options because all of these are accomplished much easier when the kids aren't around. <br /><br />As I sit here typing this I still can't decide what I'm going to do with the rest of my time tonight.....<br /><br />Also, as I was taking down the tent (because it was set up in the basement), gathering blankets and pillows, shopping for their dinner and other necessities, and preparing some of their dinner ahead of time, I thought how ironic this Fathers and Sons thing is. Here the MOTHER is preparing and gathering and making sure they have everything they need so that the BOYS could dash out the door as soon as DAD got home so that they could go do some bonding. <br /><br />But then again, I guess I want to ensure they get gone for my own selfish desires.<br /><br />Well, this night has turned out to be even more ironic. The weather has not cooperated at all. Wet, cold, rainy weather is not going to be an enjoyable time for a five and three year old. So Bryan decided that they weren't going to sleep over, and unfortunately that brand new tent just isn't going to be used quite yet for some actual camping. Maybe basement camping is all that tent's going to see. He also decided that it would be best to feed to boys at home where it was warm and not so miserable. <br /><br />Which I have to agree with. He's absolutely right. I would do the same thing if I were in his shoes.<br /><br />However, now that I have spent my entire day preparing for them to go off and enjoy themselves so that I could enjoy myself, I am now left with dishes and a messy kitchen to clean from their Father and Sons dinner. <br /><br />And I can expect them back at 10:00-ish (or maybe sooner). <br /><br />So much for a restful night to myself, sleeping in, and a lazy morning. <br /><br />So much for my reprieve.Ashleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092041845855802938noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5220224361181190968.post-50923544150716576072010-05-28T15:41:00.000-07:002010-05-28T15:53:58.169-07:00Guess How Much I Love You?<div align="center">I love you <span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>18</strong></span> freshly ironed shirts.</div><div align="center"> </div><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476456121855018274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht7fHqFSAGKjxCSJ3FAjkbBDLG_PrwAtdbcY5AZtFw3UghhIN3XBtNopdYACbLMoJmSk4p7Cs_oFyhVv4i-LBqERikrEGHAzK8QvANyU90R8Mi6jXMxOauB01vcGZt9LlPY74CCxmVFpfk/s320/001.JPG" border="0" /></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(said Big Nutbrown Hare)</span></p>Ashleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17092041845855802938noreply@blogger.com6