Life is Good

Ok, I have to say that aside from having food poisoning and being up 3 hours last night writhing in pain close to that of labor, Life Is Good!

Where is some wood to knock on?? Things with the kids are going really well, and I am being blessed with the patience and love that I so diligently have prayed for...(don't quit now!!!)

Among those things that are going really well is Lindsey. I was so sad during the first two months following Tanner's birth, because Lindsey was really struggling - and I was really struggling with her. It was like all her happiness vanished away and she lost her adorable little devilishness. She has this grinn that looks like she is up to no good and she is in pure bliss. Well, it was missing for the past two months, and I am happy to announce, that Lindsey is BACK!!!!

Here are a few pictures that I snapped in the back yard a few days ago that show Lindsey enjoying her charmed life again!!!

The Blessing of Tanner

I finally have a minute!!! I can hardly believe that all three of my kids are asleep, and I am awake!!! Time to take a minute and share some thoughts and pictures.

This past Sunday in church, my wonderful husband Jon blessed Tanner with a circle of worthy priesthood holders. It was a really good experience for Jon and our family. Sometimes I can't tell if Jon has become super dad because he now has a son, or if he has just gotten better at it with practice. I'm gonna say it is because he is getting better at it!!!

So he fasted and did research on what to include in a blessing and read several talks from leaders of the church. I love to learn about what he studies and he loves to share what he learns. He learned about the significance of names we recieve throughout our lives and how each major step in our lives is associated with receiving a new name, and a promise, or blessing from God.

Tanner is a very sweet little boy, and I am glad Heavenly Father sent him to me and allowed me to give him the name he will be known by here.

Here are a few pics I took the morning of and after church. The cute little outfit he is wearing was loaned to me by my friend Meaganne - whose little boy James was also blessed this sunday. It was neat to have them share their special day with eachother.

Dino Day!

We went to the Heard museum today with Meganne, Reaganne, Taylor and James. The Dinosaur exhibit was outside and was done really well with realistic looking dinos of all shapes and sizes. They moved and made noises, and one even sprayed water. We four wheel drove our strollers on a rocky pathway for about 1/2 mile and chanted, "Going on a Dinosaur hunt, rawrrrr!". The kids got into it and we had loads of fun. Here we are in front of the museum.

Before we even got into the museum, Hannah fell in the parking lot on an unpainted road bump. I thought she took a face dive, but luckily she only scratched up her knee and hand. A bandaid from my purse made it all better. Lindsey fell next along the dinosaur path going down hill. She landed on her face - scratching up her cheek. She is really tough and just cried a little. Baby Tanner was great and took a pacifier the whole time we were there! So, no broken bones, and no one got eaten by the T-REX! We were pretty tired when we got home. After putting Lindsey down for her nap, I laid Tanner down on a pillow on the couch after he fell asleep, and Hannah cuddled up next to him. Good Day!

Clear baby skin

You wouldn't guess that this little guy had a really bad rash two weeks ago. It was so bad that it covered his face and head. We didn't know what it was, we thought it was just really bad baby acne. Then it started to turn a crusty yellow on his ears and forehead and head. My husband looked online and diagnosed him with a severe case of cradle cap. Turns out that the solution, given by our new Pediatrician, is a few washings with dandruff shampoo, and a consistant covering of the scalp with olive oil. A few hours after the first treatment, his skin was remarkebly improved.

These first few pitures are from today, and as you can see, he has beautifully clear skin. I had before pictures on my camera, but it seems that I lost them in the process of trying to download them. You can't see how bad it was, so it is sort of hard to appreciate my joy over his clear skin. Here I am applying some organic cradle cap oil my friend Heather gave me after his bath.

The girls take turns getting in the bath with the baby, and helping me bathe him. They love to help with Tanner and giving them jobs helps them to feel involved. Lindsey got the towel today.

Below is Hannah and Tanner, when he used to sleep half the day. The other day, I was letting Hannah hold Tanner and she said, "ok mom, you can leave now - I am going to babysit Tanner by myself!" She is just 4, but tells me she is 13 almost every day!

Lindsey holding Tanner and loving every minute of it.

Tanner and Us

Time really flies by - I struggle to get things done - and find posting in addition to everything else I want to do, a challenge. I have however, been able to take a few pictures of our family, each of us loving on little Tanner.

Hannah and Lindsey have really enjoyed baby Tanner - the hard part for me is lovingly teaching them boundaries about how to be gentle and treat a new little baby.

They say sleep when your baby sleeps - this is good for a first, and sometimes even second child, but by the third, I have found that when the baby sleeps, I have better give some loving and time to my older kids and let them know they are still so special and precious to me. Or else, they act out in rebelious and sometimes agressive ways.

I told my midwife about this adjustment period and how it causes me a bit of guilt, and she said, sometimes, you just have to ignore your kids. I am not good at doing that! Though, I have let little Tanner cry himself to sleep already - it only takes him 3 or 4 minutes when he is tired! I can't stand to listen for longer than that! It is hard to take in three little kids - I feel that even though I am a stay at home mom, I am missing things - my kids growing up - it seems to happen overnight. I wish I could just savor them in the moment more.

Tanner's Home Birth

Makings of a Home Birth

Having a home birth is the Rolls Royce of birthing options - says my Midwife. Though I am sure that is a controversial statement, I have to agree with her. Mostly because you dont' have to go anywhere, but get to stay in the comfort of your own home, have only people there who you want to have there, and get to do what you want to, when you want to. When I tell people I am giving birth at home, they usually think that I am really brave, or really crazy or both.

To tell you the truth, after my first home birth with my daughter Hannah, I didn't think I would ever do it again. However, when I got pregnant with Lindsey, I couldn't bring myself to go the OBGYN route in a hospital, and decided to try a home birth again. My second birth at home couldn't have been a better experience. It went so smoothly, I was so relaxed, and just remember it being an almost spiritual event.

So, with my third, Tanner, I didn't even think twice. When I finally went into labor early morning on the 10th, I wondered how I could have forgotten how difficult labor is. There was deffinately a point - at about 5 am - with still two hours to go - when I told my husband Jon that I really wanted an epidural. In other words, I was being pushed to my limits and wanted the pain to stop! I was struggling to relax through contractions, and as a result, was experiencing more pain than I had during my last labor.

My midwife reminded me that every birth is different - though not very comforting - very true. And so, I will look back at Tanner's birth and remember how challenging it was, and how birth doesn't necessarily get easier with each child.

I have never been to a hospital birth, as I imagine most people have never been to a home birth. So I wanted to share these two videos of the time immediately after birth to give you an idea of what it is like.

In both of these videos, Tanner is still attached to the umbilical cord. The first video is right after he came through the birth canal - seconds really. Though I was in the tub and out of the tub, on the bed and off the bed, Tanner was born in my bathroom on a birthing stood - a low to the ground seat shaped like a horse shoe. I chose this position, because it uses gravity and shortens the path the baby has to travel. In the second video, I am resting on my bed, with labor technically not quite over because he is still attached to the cord and I have not delivered the placenta yet.

Hannah's 4th Birthday Party!

Hannah had a princess/knight themed party this year. She'd been looking forward to this day for many months! She invited all her friends from preschool last year to attend. We played some fun games, and below is a video of part of the game, Princess, Knight, DRAGON! (a form of duck, duck, goose!) Thanks to all the friends and family who came on Saturday and made her feel like a true princess!

Her favorite part - opening the presents!

I almost didn't make her cake, because it seemed pretty intimidating. She insisted on a barbie princess cake, even when I tried to convince her cup cakes were better! I went ahead and made the cake, and it turned out to be really easy. The hard part was cooking the rounded cake - it took nearly 2 hours in the oven!! Putting the cake together with barbie inside was easy - that took 10 minutes! Hannah helped decorate the barbie princess with the hearts and I did the little pink frosting dots and tadah!! A cake fit for a princess!

Hannah's first day of Pre-school!

The first day of preschool was pretty great. I didn't realize how stressed my little girl would get, but she had a furrow on her brow on the long walk into the center, and didn't want her dad to take pictures of her until she got to the room. She was asking me things like, will my friends be here? When I told her no, she would be making new friends, she told me that she didn't want to go if her friends from preschool last year wern't going to be here. There was no melt down however! And I think a big part of that has to do with the fact that her teacher is Molly Freestone, a good friend of the family, and a good friend of Hannah's! So, at least there was one familiar face in the crowd!

Check out the videos below for the walk from the car to the school and inside to her classroom. You only get a backside view - sorry!

As soon as we got to the classroom, the first thing Hannah did was make her way to the baby dolls and home play center! She LOVES babies!!!

Here she is, settled in doing a puzzle, willing to give me one more smile before I go...

Photo Shoot with Ku'ulei

A few months back, we had Ku'ulei Stephenson come and take some candid photos of our family. It was a great experience....so much easier than going to a studio, and I love the results. I highly reccommend using Ku'ulei's services. She is great with kids and families, and can really capture the moment on film. I finally have some cute family pictures hanging up in my house! Thanks Ku'ulei!

The four of us....

Emphasis on the bump! We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of baby boy - Tanner!

Sweet Sisters!



So cute and adorable Lindsey Brynn

As my friends call her - "Fancy Nancy" - AKA - my all girl little girl Hannah Shay!

My two little princess....

Lindsey and her baby doll

I have tons more shots that are so cute, but this is a pretty good example of our fun family photo shoot at home.

Following the crowd

So, this is new for me - Blogging that is. I feel a bit uncomfortable about it, but I think I am ready to give it a try. I have begun to do many things I didn't think I would ever do. Like, buying a mini van. I never thought I would drive a mini van. Partly because I do not like following the crowd and it seems like everyone has one. But, I have recently become a mini van mom because I realized that everyone has one because they are so convenient and nice and well, just a good choice for a mom expecting number three. Following the crowd was good in the case of me choosing a mini van, and I am hoping that I feel the same way about starting this blog. Not too long ago, I didn't think I would ever do it.(Blog that is) But, I have decided to keep an open mind - after I read several entries from some friends blogs, I wondered if they knew something good that I didn't. So, here goes my attempt to follow the crowd and find the magic in blogging.