Happy Anniversary, TJ

Today is TJ and my anniversary. We have been married for 10 years! We have experienced many things together in these 10 years that we've been married (and 12 9 months together). We've had ups and downs, good times and bad. I am very grateful that all these experiences have been with him, he truly is my best friend. The things we've experience have just brought us closer.

Thank you for everything, TJ! I love you!

Terrible Fatal Accident

This accident happened on Sunday morning near Payson, Utah. A baby was sitting on the lap of it's mother and was thrown from the vehicle and died at the scene. This is such a sad thing to happen, but I think we can learn from the mistake these parents made.

It helps me remember why I insist on using car seats. I am a stubborn car seat user. I remember when I first had Audrey and people (my parents and grandparents mostly) complained about me strapping her in her car seat so tightly. My grandparents would say things like "We never put our kids in car seats and they are just fine". But I didn't budge. I know how important it is to use car seats, no matter what. Even if your baby is screaming, don't hold them while in a moving vehicle! A baby won't die from screaming in a car seat, but they could die if you get in an accident and they are on your lap.

Using a car seat isn't always enough though. For a car seat to be effective, it must be installed correctly. Car seats come with instruction manuals with all the information to install and use the car seat correctly. Here are some car seat safety tips:

1. Buy the right car seat for your child's size and age
   
2. Read the manual before installing the seat
3. Infants 0-12 months and smaller than 20lbs MUST be rear facing. Some safety experts recommend keeping babies rear facing till 35lbs. http://www.childrestraintsafety.com/rear-facing.html
   
4. Make sure the harness is buckled snugly around your child. Keep the straps over your child's shoulder. The harness should be adjusted so you can slip only one finger underneath the straps at your child's chest.
   
5. Place the chest clip at armpit level. I see a lot of babies with the chest clip down by their stomach.
   

Here are some car seat references:

• http://www.parents.com/baby/gear/car-seats/6-car-seat-safety-tips/
• http://www.aap.org/family/Carseatguide.htm
• http://www2.nsc.org/traf/sbc/sbcchild.htm
• http://www.iihs.org/laws/ChildRestraint.aspx

Protect your most precious cargo and put your child in a car seat!

Happy Birthday Ethan!

I can't believe Ethan is 6! It's just crazy to me how fast kids grow up. Ethan was born on Valentine's Day. He loves that his birthday is on Valentine's Day. After having Audrey 4 weeks early, at 39 weeks pregnant with Ethan I was ready to have him. However, he was not quite ready to come. At my 39 week check up I was dialated to a 4 and was 60% effaced. The dr told me to come back either Thursday or Friday (after I was over 39 weeks) and he would break my water. TJ had school on Thursdays at the time so I picked Friday. I didn't think about it being Valentine's Day. I went into the hospital around 10Am and the dr broke my water sometime in the afternoon. After getting the epidural my blood pressure went down and my oxygen levels were low. It started to bother me that I couldn't feel anything or move around so I had them turn the epidural down. When I had him at around 6:30PM I could feel the pressure of him coming out. He cried so much. I got to hold him for a long time before they took him to check him out. I remember he wouldn't open his eyes. He was 8lbs 10oz and 21in long. He was so chubby. It was so different from Audrey's 6lbs 2oz. He slept all night in the nursery and was up bright and early. He was the first baby up at around 5AM. Having not had him all night I woke up and went down to the nursery. The nurse had just given him his bath and gave him to me.


Ethan has always been such a ham. He likes to make people happy and adores his big sister. When he was a baby he would always rub my arm. He's always been a mama's boy. Ethan has also always been an early riser. He still gets up bright and early. He's usually up at 6:30 before anyone else.

I love having Ethan in our family. He's a great brother and cares a lot about others. Love you Ethan, Happy Birthday!

Baby Isaac is ONE!!

I can't even begin to tell you how much I love this little boy. There is a very unique bonding power that comes with feeling your baby emerge from your body, being the first person to touch them, and having the warmth of your body be the first thing they feel outside the warmth of your womb. It's not that I don't love my other kids, but I feel a unique bond with him.

He has the cutest personality. He is pretty much always happy, even when he is tired he finds it in him to smile. He is very curious and active. He can't stand to be contained. Out of all my kids, he has been my best sleeper, in fact he falls asleep much better in his playpen or crib by himself than he does with me holding him. He rolled, scooted, crawled, walked and got teeth sooner than my other two kids. He is such a joy and great blessing to our family. He continually entertains his brother and sister. They laugh at everything he does! When we go out in public he tries to get the attention of any one who will give it. I think he just assumes he should get all the attention since he gets all the attention at home.

I am so thankful for the beautiful experience of birthing him and for all the joy he brings to our family. I literally think about his birth every single day. Every moment of his birth brings me such delight and sweet serene memories. I can't wait to be able to experience another birth.

Here is Isaac's birthday invitation that I made. I drew the dinosaur and I also put the dinosaur on his cake and on a little shirt for him.





Couldn't wait to get his hands on the cake



Loved the cake!


going at it with a fork.


this is what was left of the cake.

His present from mom and dad.



Poor kid is all worn out!


He is such a fun kid and I look forward to experiencing many birthdays with this kid.

Reba and Kelly Concert

On October 10th Audrey and I went to the Reba and Kelly Clarkson concert. Audrey LOVES Kelly Clarkson. I started listening to her after her 1st album came out after she won American Idle. I can't remember how old Audrey was, maybe 5. She loved all the songs and would sing them. It was really cute! We had a really fun time. Audrey loved the one on one time. About 20 minutes or so into the concert she asked when we could go home. Audrey is use to going to bed at 8:00PM, so the lateness of the concert was hard for her.



Audrey's favorite song is "Behind These Hazel Eyes". She was singing the whole time, it was cute!

Happy Birthday Audrey!

WOW, I can't believe it's been 8 years since I had my first child. Audrey turned 8 years old on Saturday. I remember the day she was born. It was a total surprise that we would be having our baby girl that day. I was only 36 weeks pregnant, not due until January 23rd, 2001. Two days after Christmas was my 36 week appointment. Apparently, my body decides to dialate REALLY early. I was 5cm dialated and 80% effaced. Not feeling anything at all. The dr was surprised that I wasn't feeling anything. With more information about birth and pregnancy now, I realize that I could have remained at 5cm and 80% for some time without actually being in labor. Although, I was having some contractions, that I didn't feel until after I was lying in bed at the hospital, they weren't regular or very strong.

I had been trying to get pregnant for almost a year when I found out I was pregnant with Audrey. My pregnancy was a bit rough. I had pretty bad morning sickness and at 16 weeks thought I had a miscarrage. I woke up with wet undwear and pajamas in the middle of the night. It was dark, I went to the bathroom and when I sat down I saw that my underwear was wet with something dark, I turned the bathroom light on and it was covered in blood. It scared me so bad! I woke TJ up. I had to pee so I sat on the toilet. When I did, a large piece of bloody flesh came out and fell into the toilet. I thought it was my baby. TJ got it out of the toilet and put it into a container. I called my mom and we headed to the hospital. In the emergency room they told me to go up to labor and delivery since I was so far along. They said the thing that came out was a piece of my endometrium. They tried to find the baby's heart beat with the doppler. They couldn't find it. We were so worried. I was so mad at the nurse that was with us. She kept saying how hard this must be for us, that she was so sorry we had lost our baby. She was so negative, without any proof that we had actually lost our baby. They did an ultrasound and there she was just kicking away! It was so amazing to see the baby. Unfortunately we don't have pictures from that ultrasound, the printer didn't work. The dr figured that the placenta had moved and pulled off a piece of endometrium (the lining of the uterus) and it came out.

The day after Audrey was born.

The day we went home (not quite 24 hours since I had her). She was so tiny her clothes and the car seat were too big!


Funny way to sleep.






Audrey was born at 6:39 on Dec 27, 2000. I didn't have to push very long. I didn't get to hold her right away, I think it was because she was early. After they monitored and cleaned her up I got to hold her for a bit. She wasn't breathing very regularly so they wanted to get her down to the nursery. TJ video taped her in there, she was screaming almost the entire time. It makes me so sad to see the video now. I just want to hold her and let her know that everything was ok and that she was safe.



Audrey has chosen to be baptized a member of The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints.

I am so happy with all the wonderful things Audrey is doing in her life. She loves school and is doing well at school. She is taking piano lessons and her piano teacher said she is lucky have Audrey as her piano student. Audrey loves to draw and is creating a comic book with her best friend Aiton. She is a fun older sister of two roudy brothers. Audrey loves horses and when she was 3 her Granddad Riley bought her a pony. Audrey has a tender heart and is kind and helpful to others. Audrey told me that she'd like to be a vet when she grows up because she loves animals so much.

I can't believe how fast 8 years has gone. The next 8 will probably go faster! Before I know it, she will be all grown up with a family of her own. She is amazing and I am so happy to have her in my life and to share my life and knowledge with her. Although, she has taught me so much in the short time she's been in my life. I am a better person for having her as a daughter. She has an amazing spirit and anyone who knows Audrey can feel of this special spirit she has.

Christmas Wish List

Around this time of year, people ask what I want for Christmas. So I'm going to make it easy. I'm going to list some things I like and wouldn't mind receiving as a gift.
First, my rubber spatulas broke this year. Pretty much every last one of them. I love to cook and use these all the time! I would like a spoonula (term coined by Rachel Ray). Here's some really pretty green ones:By the way, I really like green. Now, these don't have to be green, they can be white. What makes these rubber spatulas special is that they are a scoop shape. Hence the term, spoonula. If you click on the image you can see them on Amazon.com

Bath and Body Works. You could go to this place and buy me pretty much anything and I'd love it. My favorite scents include:
Japanese Cherry Blossom
Sensual Amber
Midnight Pomegranate
Velvet Tuberose

I prefer body splashes and perfumes to lotions. I also like the body washes.

Recently I lost a bunch of weight and now I need new clothes. I'm pretty picky about clothes and I don't really know what size I am (or will be when I'm done with my round of HCG). If you want to help me out with getting new clothes it's probably best to get me a gift card. I love Kohls, but they are expensive and I can't get very much there. Target is a great place to shop for clothes. They are affordable and super cute and trendy. If you insist on getting me some article of clothing I am wearing a size 12 in pants (or medium-large in pajama pants, although I'd really like some cute nightgowns.) right now, but they are starting to get a bit big on me. Medium shirts are fitting well.

I love religion books. Anything by C.S. Lewis (I'd really like to read the Screwtape Letters, but don't have it). I'm mostly interested in books that talk about specific doctrines. I do have a small wish list at Amazon.com.

Or Deseret Book is a great place to shop for me as well. Here is a list of books I'd like:
Inspiring Experiences that Build Faith by President Thomas S. Monson *
Hearing the Voice of the Lord by Gerald N. Lund
Press On: Messages of Faith, Hope, and Charity by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin
What's on the Other Side? by Brent L. Top*
A Constant Companion: Keeping the Spirit With You by Jack R. Christianson
Holding Fast by Robert Millet
Eloquent Witness by Hugh Nibley *
When You Can't do it Alone by Brent L. Top
Mormon Scientist: The Amazing Story of the Life and Faith of Henry Eyering (both DVD and book)
Building Forever: Making your marriage more fulfilling one day at a time. CD
He Hears You by Mary June Woodger

*I want the most.

Well, I hope that gives you a good idea of what I'd like for Christmas.

Merry Christmas!