Avalyn Noelle-The Gift

For those of you who don't know already, we had our little girl on April 12th at 12:52 in the afternoon. Here is her story: Avalyn, or Ava, as we call her was a surprise baby. We were using precautions and we ended up with a little surprise. We weren't sure how to handle it, having just had Addy, but the Lord knows better than we do, so we just kind of go with the flow. I let Jame have a say in naming this baby, more so than I have before, which is why her name is Avalyn and not just Ava. I decided that her middle name should be Noelle because it is French for "Christmas" and she is the gift that we have been given, a gift we didn't know we wanted until we got it :) The BIG day: The day Ava was born was stormy and rainy here in Wyoming. My parents were leaving on a flight to go to Texas and my father-in-law, Ned just happened to have the day off of work because they were going to go hiking, however, that didn't happen. I started having quick contractions at about 4:30 in the morning. I tried tossing and turning over, hoping that they would go away, but they didn't. I decided to get in the shower to try to relax, that didn't help either, but it did feel good to take a shower by myself, I just have to be up at 5:00 in the morning to do it :) I got myself dressed and ready and went and poked Jame, who was asleep on the couch, and told him that I thought I might be in labor. He mumbled "mmm, huh" and went back to sleep. I went and laied down on my bed and tried to relax again. Ashlyn came in at around 7 and saw me in pain, she went out and told her daddy that something was wrong, she actually got him to wake up!!! He told me that he hadn't heard me at all!!! He started running around nervously, making sure everything was ready to go and that the kids were all ready and dressed, just in case we had to go. At around 8:30, I thought that maybe it would be a good idea to go out to the in-laws house and drop the kids off. I had already called them and let them know what was going on and I had called my mom and dad, while they were on their way to the airport, and let them know. My dad said, "Are you serious?" Ha, ha!! They weren't expecting it, but neither was I. We hung around at the in-laws for a while and then at around 10:00, I thought that maybe we should head to the hospital. We go to the hospital in Powell because I like their doctors better and I just think that they give all around better care than the Cody hospital does. I called my doctor's office to see who the doctor on call was, because Dr. Bohlman conveniently planned a little Hawaiian vacation the week before my due date!! I was a little worried about who it was, I hadn't heard good things, and so I wasn't in any hurry to get there, Jame was however. He always speeds to the hospital and we always get there just in time, I think he just doesn't want to have to deliver a baby! We got to the hospital and got checked in. The nurses checked me and I was dialated to a 3, so they asked us to walk around for a half an hour. We walked around the hospital for a while and then I got checked again. I was dialated to a 6. They asked me how I had planned my pain management. I have never had an epidural, I've heard good things, it's just never happened. I decided to just get the Fentanyl that they usually give me. Jame warned the nurses about 3 times that when they gave me my pain meds, they should have the doctor ready because everything happens very quickly after that. They listened to him and soon the doctor was in the room. The attending nurse tried twice to get my IV in and finally had to ask for help. I had to sit still while I was in pain and then I was being poked multiple times on top of that. It was probably the worst part. The doctor told them to give me the Fentanyl and then he would be back. Jame warned him to not go too far because within about 30 minutes, I would be ready to start pushing. When they put the pain meds in I got a little sleepy, but it didn't seem like the pain went away all that much. Jame says that I had a better disposition after that :) The doctor got back just in time and I began pushing. He got ready just in time and I pushed for about twelve minutes before Ava was out. She weighed 6 pounds 7 ounces. She is our smallest baby. The minute I saw her, Irealized the great gift that I had been given. She has dark hair and opened her little blue eyes to me right away. She is so precious and we love her so much. Since Ava has been home, things have been a little crazy. I still had school to finish, which is now done!!!! I also have three other little people that need things like food, sleep, baths, attention and love. When I was younger, I didn't know how mothers with more than two kids could have enough to give all of their children. I have found a way though. Jame has been very helpful and willing to do almost anything that I ask of him. He watches the kids (all four) while I go work out or go to the grocery store. He also gives baths and puts kids to bed. It has been a juggling act, but so very worth it. I'm not sure if our little family is completely complete, we'll see what happens in the future, but for now our hearts are very full!!

Addy-Addy

Addy is our third child and a joy to have around. The girl definently has a personality. She is very entertaining. Jame and I ofthen find ourselves watching her, even when the television is on. She is a good little sister and she is teaching Breckin how to treat women. She abuses him and messes with him and he just takes it. It's good practice for marriage :) Addy loves her new little sister...more about her in another post. She is always kissing her and wanting to hold her and touch her. We have to be very careful about her, but the worry that I had about her being jealous was just unnecessary because she loves her very much. Addy is very outspoken. She doesn't say much, but she lets you know that she is in the room. The girl definitely has a set of lungs on her. She is mostly a happy baby, unless she's sick or tired or hungry. Then she lets you know what she wants...NOW!! Addy is the most cuddly baby I have ever had. Breckin was cuddly for like a second, Ashlyn was to busy exploring her world and being independent to come and cuddle with mommy, but Addy LOVES to cuddle. The girl will have someone pick her up and she will wrap her arms around their neck and lay her head down on their shoulder. She will stay this way for a while. She just loves to touch and be touched. At bedtime, she cuddles up with Daddy on the couch in a special reclined position and usually falls asleep this way. Addy is a very compassionate little girl. I can see how she has already developed empathy and sympathy. Whenever someone is upset, she will approach them with her brow furrowed in concern and either pat them or hug them so that they can feel better. I remember one day when I was upset and crying on the floor and Addy toddled up to me with the look of concern on her face and climbed up into my lap to cuddle and make me feel better. She is such a sweet little girl. Addy fits perfectly into our family. She is a sweet little sister and a loving big sister. It is a gift to be able to watch her grow and entertain us everyday. She is one of the happiest babies that I have ever had or met. We love her so much!!

Brecky-Bear!

So, to continue the story of those three, almost four, perfect little things in my life, we have Breckin, or Brecky-Bear, or Baby-Breckin, or when he is particularly ornery, B-Rat!

Breckin is the only boy that I will probably ever have, unless Jame gets baby hungry. He is my special little boy. He is surrounded on all sides by girls and as a result has become ALL BOY.

Breckin is an amazing artist. He is constantly drawing, painting, sketching, whatever he can do that is artistic, he is doing it. He is so creative and smart. His teachers already have told me how well he can draw for someone his age and how his drawings really do look like what he intends them to look like. I don't have an artistic bone in my body and Jame's artistic abilities are limited to Spongebob animations, so I have no idea where he is getting this from.

Breckin loves music. He loves to sing and dance and he can hear a song a few times and know the general words to it. He really likes Katy Perry and Glee. He's silly that way. He also likes The Wizard of Oz. He can tell you every little detail of that movie and often dreams about the "scary Lion" and the "Witch" and the "Tin Man" and the "Scarecrow". He does get his musical appreciation from me, which I hope that he will pursue when he gets older. I think that if he can get over his shyness, he could be a great little performer. For now, we have to watch him perform when he thinks we aren't paying attention.

Finally, Breckin is very loving to his sisters, and he's going to have to be. I have seen how he loves Addy and puts up with her whacking at him and sitting on him and trying to wrestle with him. He tries to be as gentle as he can because he has this instinct that girls are fragile and need extra care. He and Ashlyn are best friends and worst enemies sometimes, but most of the time they are best friends. He loves all of his sisters, even the one that he hasn't laid eyes on yet. He kisses them and hugs them and cuddles with them. I know that one day there will be a very lucky woman that Breckin meets who he will treat with all of the love and respect that he has learned to treat his sisters with.

There are so many other things that I could say about my special little boy, but for me, he is just the perfect little boy. At times, he can try his mommy's nerves, but he is always so loving and caring that it is difficult for me to stay mad at him for very long. I am so grateful that I have this second little perfect person in my life.

The First Perfect Thing In My Life

This is the first part of a four-part series devoted to each one of my children. Jame mentioned to me that there are four things in his life that he feels he has done perfectly and that is our three, soon to be four children. That got me thinking about each one of them and how absolutely perfect they really are, to me. They may not be well-behaved all of the time, but because Jame and I worked together with our Heavenly Father to create them, they are in some part, perfect.

Ashlyn: She is the most intelligent little girl that I know. I have proof too! She is so curious about everything. Her favorite book to check out at the library is a pop-out book called ALIVE that gives different 3-D diagrams of the human body. She spends a lot of time digesting and studying the "Body Book". She has also been asking about the Eiffel Tower and France lately. As a result, we checked out some books about France and the Eiffel Tower from the library. She sat at the kitchen table for almost an hour studying about France and asking questions about the culture in France and the Eiffel Tower. Later, I got on the computer and we took a virtual tour of the Eiffel Tower and Versailles. We also went on a tour of Mary Tudor's castle. I hope that one day she can experience these things in real life. It seems as though it would be so unfair if she couldn't.

Ashlyn is also one of the most compassionate little people I have ever met. She is very aware of other's feelings and is empathetic to them. When she was in preschool in Laramie, her teacher told me that she had a special gift for helping kids with special needs. She had a way of talking to them that would make them understand what they needed to do. I chalked it up to being bossy and the other kids not minding her bossing them around, but I've been able to see her interact with some of the kids in her kindergarten class and I have seen this gift at work. She has patience for them that other children don't and she is very empathetic to the fact that they need a friend and she is willing to be their friend. The girl truly has a heart of gold.

Ashlyn is like her mommy and her Grandma Kathy in the respect that she feels that everyone should be treated fairly and even if it is hard, you should always do the right thing. This is probably one of the greatest lessons that I can give to my kids and I am grateful that my parents gave it to me. Of course she had her episodes of telling lies, which is developmentally appropriate for all children, but she has a very keen sense of right and wrong and has a great desire within her to do what is right. Her Mugga wrote the Indian name that she gave her on the inside of a book, her Indian name is "She Who Chooses The Right" and it's true. The girl is only six years old and she tries to do the right thing in almost any situation that she is in. She also encourages and influences her brother and sister to try to do the right thing. We talk often about different situations that we might find ourselves in when we have to choose what is right and what is wrong and she always gives me the right answer. I am so blessed to have such an obedient and helpful child. I'm so grateful to my Heavenly Father, that he sent her to me first. All of my children have a very special place in my heart and I think because Ashlyn is so much like me, her place is extra special!

Recent Happenings

So, yea, it's been a while.
Sorry about that...I've been a little busy. Three little ones, harboring another little life, cooking, cleaning, school, busing kids around, etc. I guess things got a little away from me. Right now my house isn't even in order, but dinner is on! So there have been a few minor developments that have occurred in our lives.

1. I GOT AN IPHONE!!! I love it!! I don't know what I did before Siri entered my life, she makes things so much easier. I don't have to try to remember a million and one things because she does it for me! I also have Instagram, which I LOVE!!! Sorry Droid users, it's not available for you :)

2. I've instituted donut dates with my kiddos. These dates occur when kids don't have school for the day, which means Breckin gets one every other week. This week, however, Ashlyn and Breckin both had Friday off, so we went down to Peter's Cafe and had a cinnamon roll date instead. The weather was beautiful and it was a nice way to spend the morning.




3. Addy is getting big, and smart. I asked her to throw a diaper away for me the other day and she toddled over to the garbage and put the diaper in there. Just a little while ago, however, she tried to throw her brother's book away. I'll have to keep a closer eye on what is in my garbage can now.



4. Speaking of smart, Ashlyn took an aptitude test at school a few weeks ago and we got her results this week. Apparently she is above the average for both her age and her grade level, so we have decided to investigate the StarGate Program that they have in the school system to see what is available for her.

5. I have Spring Break this week and I'm planning on using this time very productively. I'm going to try to get ahead in some of my classes so that when this baby comes in a month, I won't fall behind. I also plan on completing some of the crafts that I've gathered materials for, but haven't started yet.




Well, there's the brief recap of what you've missed. Nothing to exciting, except for the IPhone part :) I should be updating more this week, seeing as I have the time and I hope to be able to post some of the projects I've done.

Later...

La, La, La...

Two songs huh? I don't know if I can do that. My taste in music has changed so much over the years. There were the years that I was OBSESSED with the boy bands and then my friend Ricky enlightened me and took me to a Weezer concert and I really got into their music. I also really loved Dashboard Confessional. Now, I listen to a little bit of everything. If you've read any of my earlier posts, you know that I have a little bit of a crush on Bruno Mars so one of his songs is obviously in my top two:

2. Bruno Mars- "It Will Rain". This is a great song!! One of my favorites of his. He's super talented and there is something about his hair too :)


1. Lady Antebellum- "Just A Kiss". When I hear this on the radio I turn the volume up and sing along at the top of my lungs. I'm just as good as they are right? :) This is currently my ringtone on my phone and I really love it. It's sweet and romantic.

There are so many songs that I like, but some of the artists I'm digging right now are, of course, Lady A, Gym Class Heroes, Neon Trees, Katy Perry, Cobra Starship, The Black Keys, etc. Check some of them out if you like good music :)

Let's Go To the Movies!

Okay this one is actually really simple for me. I have had the favorite three movies for a very long time! Here they are:

3. Hot Rod. I know, you guys may not get my affinity for Andy Samburg, but this is one of the only movies that actually makes me laugh out loud! There are just so many funny things about it and laughter really helps my mood when I'm not feeling well. My friend Ricky and I went on a rampage one day on Facebook and just had a conversation completely quoting Hot Rod. It's the kind of movie that my mom would say is really stupid, but she didn't get Napoleon Dynamite either :)
-"You know, pools are perfect for holding water."
-"I needed to think about last night. So I galloped into a wooded glen, and after punch-dancing out my rage and suffering an extremely long and very painful fall, I realized what has to be done"
-"You have only to believe if you wish to achieve. That rhymed. Unintentional."

2. The Blind Side. I have read Leigh Anne Toughy's book and I'm now waiting for whoever has Michael Oher's book to return it so that I can read that too. This is just a great wholesome story and the best part of it is that it could have so many bad endings and it has a happy ending. I saw this in the theater with my sister-in-law and I didn't start really tearing up until the end when Michael Oher was drafted into the NFL. What can I say, that's my upbringing.

1. Remember the Titans. Jame hates this movie, for reasons unknown. I LOVE it!! It is definitely number 1. There is a lot to say about perseverance and overcoming adversity in this movie. I think that all of us have different adversities that we face and it's only through working through it together that we are able to come out alive. It doesn't hurt that the movie is also about football :)
-"People say that it can't work, black and white. Here, we make it work every day. We still have our disagreements, of course, but before we reach for hate, always, always, we remember the Titans."
-"I'm a winner. I'm going to win."

So, I've posted nearly every day now and I don't know what I'm going to talk about when I get done with this challenge, I'm sure I'll think of something though. Now I think I'll lay down and relax and see if Hot Rod is on :)