Night Owls

Uh, has it really been one month already?  Time is flying by, the trouble is I've lost my ticket ;).  You wouldn't believe all of the cute cleaver stories I've thought of posting,  the trouble is - for lack of a better word BRONSON.  He is by far the cutest, funniest, one year old I know (when I'm not ringing his neck)  Just kidding I'm making is sound much worse than it is.  Bronson loves his little brother.  He is always climbing up where ever Levi is to see him.  In fact just yesterday he climbed into the tub while Levi was taking his bath.  After about the 5th time of getting him out of the tub I finally locked him out of the bathroom, at which point he started banging his head on the door, at which point Levi was screaming as I was trying to get him dressed, at which point I was looking for a door myself to start banging my head on.  We've had stories like this all month but we've also had a lot of fun.  Nobody can make me smile faster than Bronson. I live for his hugs and kisses.   

Levi is doing great, at his two week check up he weighed 8.2, he is getting so big.  Every time I look at him I can't believe that he was really inside of me just a few weeks ago.  What a miracle.  Some of his favorite things to do are grunting, smiling in his sleep, uh, passing gas, and waking up just as we are trying to go to sleep.  My new bed time is about 1 am, hopefully we'll get a better schedule figured out soon, I think Jared is ready to move to a hotel.  Thank you to all of our family and friends for your help and support, it would be impossible without ya.

So where are all of my cute pictures you ask?  I'll let you guess.  Yup, I've misplaced both of our cameras within the past week.  I remember the last time I saw them and used them but they seem to have vanished into thin air.  GRRRR.  So as soon as they show up I'll overload you pics I'm sure.  In the mean time I'm in love with three boys who keep me smiling. 

"Wait where was I?  Oh, playing songs on my guitar."

Sweet lil' Levi

Here he is, safe and sound.  Levi was born on Wednesday Feb 25, at 10:20 pm.  We arrived at the hospital around 2  got hooked up to the antibiotic and a very low dose of pitocin, by 3:30 my contractions were "getting excitin".  I was already contracting when we got to the hospital but the pit gave me a little jump start.  Epidural at 4:00 then hangin' out till 7:30 and the antibiotic was in.  At this point I was still at a 4 but when the doc came to break my water at 8:00 I jumped to a 5.  By 10:00 I was at a 9 and they called the doc, she came in my room at about 10:10 and said, "Oh yeah his head is right here."  Everyone came in and got things set up, two contractions later he was here.  I couldn't believe how fast he came.  It was awesome to only have to push for 3 minutes instead of 45.  So far everything about having a second baby has been much much easier than the first.  

7 lbs. 12  oz.   20 in.   blonde hair

Bright eyed boy 

it's tough to be a newborn

ya, everything has been easier except . . . . . no explanation needed

Levi and Daddy.  Jared was a real trooper and stuck it out with me sleeping on the floor.  The pullout bed was a nightmare.  He decided to go buy a twin air mattress for the second night but it only lasted about 2 hours until it sprung a leak, so back to the floor it was.

Ready to go home.

Thank heaven for moms.  My mom came and stayed with us Friday night and all day Saturday.  What a life saver, it's been so hard to not be able to take care of Bronson the way he is used to.  I won't say how many times I've cried I'll just say it's been an emotional past few days.  We missed Bronson a lot.  Here he is helping Grandma vacuum, he doesn't do that when I vacuum however, and as it turns out there are quite a few things he'll do for Grandma that he won't do for me.  Oh well, thanks mom for all your help and support, it means the world to me.

I can't seem to keep his arms in his blanket, he loves his hands. We sure love him a lot too, he can best be described as an - A -N - G - E - L !

tic-tock, tic-tock

Here is the office, finally looking like a baby's room. 

It's a little bit of Polynesia and a little bit of other stuff too. 

If anyone happens to run into a little blue or brown rugby ball 

let me know. Ya, I still need a dust ruffle for the crib too.

It was crazy to pull out Bronson's clothes considering he was just 

wearing them last year at this time, and they were just way to cute

to only be worn once.

So here it is, sorry we had to scratch all of your name suggestions.  We finally started having luck when we threw out all the name rules.  I said let's just forget all of our neighbors names, family names, and people we don't like names, what name do you really like?  And Levi it is.  Levi Benjamin to be exact.  Last Friday I was dialated to a 2 and 70% effaced. This Friday I was a 3 and the doc says he weighs just over 7 lbs. (just a reminder my due date is 03-04)  Bronson was 7.6 when he was born and I was only a 1.5 cm when I was induced with him just one week beforehis due date, kinda crazy. I promised myself that I would only be induced again if he hadn't come by his due date, but I may get desperate we'll see.  Now that Bronson is starting to feel better I'm ready ANY time.

I thought I would share a pic of myself looking all cute at 9 months pregnant, but as you can see I couldn't get my whole body or even my whole hand to squeeze into the frame.  Pretty pathetic that my ring doesn't even make it to my knuckle any more.  One day I'll get that sucker back on.

"Fluctuate?  You make it sound like I'm retaining water. 

 I've gained 40 pounds in a week!"

I hope everyone had a great Valentines.  I woke up Saturday feeling totally emotionally overwhelmed and for some reason I could hardly move my left shoulder.  It was only a matter of time until I started to cry not knowing if I could do it today ("it" meaning being a mom).  Jared was sweet and stayed upstairs with me until I got a hold of myself.  By about 11 he was finally able to start cleaning more of our basement out so that he can start working on finishing the family room and bathroom soon.  After Bronson's nap we headed off to Wal-mart where we spent 200 bucks on um . . . . . stuff and then when Bronson was all tucked in for the night he made us dinner.  Now that's real romance.  Thanks honey you're my kinda guy.

it's a hard knock life

To keep this from turning into a cry baby fest (literally) I'll just say we've had a rough couple of weeks with a very sick baby and a very pregnant mommy.  I'll let you do the math.  The good news is that he is getting much better, and sleeping better too. This picture of Bronson was last weekend.  We put together his wagon that he got his first Christmas, thinking that since we can't go anywhere we need something fun to do.  Well apparently Jared was a little too slow putting it together for Bronson's taste, he was mad.

I'm sorry to say that since Bronson has been sick he's started to watch TV and a lot of it.  I won't admit to how many times we've watched Cars the past two weeks but I'm pretty sure I've got the whole thing memorized.  I've always like this movie but to be honest it always put me right to sleep if I ever tried to watch it.  Not anymore, one night when Bronson was burning up we put it in to help calm him down and I started noticing lots of things I've never seen before.  With that I'll just say my new favorite car is Guido.  Next time you happen to watch just check him out, he's always in the background doing something totally hilarious, I was seriously laughing out loud.  Then again it was 3 am, but he's still pretty cute I think.

and as much as I love him when  he's wake I sure love to watch him sleep!  Thank goodness for his life size puppy, he's a real life saver.

How could I forget?

and Bronson - the one who makes me want to try a little harder to be a little better

A Mom's Mom

I was born Jan. 27 1983.  7 lbs 15. oz.  20.5 inches long, and

In honor of getting older I thought I would share a few 

things about myself that you may not know.

1. I have a very embarrassing disease called I can't control my laughter. 

(lots of stories to go with that one)

2.  I can say no to any treat until you put them in front of me.

(another good reason Jared should do the grocery shopping)

3.  Biggest peeves - itchy stuff and stupid parents

(ya I'm working on this one)

4.  When I sleep I'm pretty much barricaded with pillows

(even when I'm not PG)

5.  One day I'm going back to school to get my nursing degree

(don't you feel closer already?)

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday dear Michelle, you haven't changed much

since you were two.

I've come to realize the very sad truth, that you never really appreciate your mother until you become one.  So for my 26th birthday I would like to say thank you to my mom.  I am the sixth of seven children as is my mom.  A little mind boggling to me as I can barely keep up with one.  This is a picture of my mom's mom Ila, where we'll begin.

The Grandma where kisses and hugs never got old.  

She's been gone over 20 years, but I love and 

appreciate her now more than ever.

baby #1 - Jason   The one you want around if you ever need to knock someone's lights out.

#2 - Jeffrey   The one who's too smart for his own good.

#3 Amber - the one who cares.

#4 Stephanie - the one who shares.

#5 Melissa - the one you can trust.

#6 Me - the one who will let you fill in the blank.

#7 Camille - the one who understands me when I say things like

"Evelyn!  Which team do you play for?"

Historically my mom and I never got along very well, I was a smart

 mouthed teenager who knew it all and didn't need a mom.

  I'll never forget on my wedding day however when my mom 

reached over to hold my hand and I never wanted her to let go.

The sad truth is that the poor girl is still raising 7 children.  I don't know where I would be without her support, advice and babysitting skills ;).  Helping your kids with projects doesn't stop once they're out of elementary.  I can guarantee there isn't one thing that any of us have done that mom hasn't had a role in.  Thanks mom your the best.  I love just being able to hang out and talk with you, and I hope I can keep hangin' in there as you have always done.  I was thinking that somethings she used to do made no sense to me at all and drove me nuts, but now they are becoming a little too clear - for instance

~ crying because the house is a mess

~ reaching across the car to you when she had to slam on the brakes

~ dancing with and kissing my dad (a lot)

~ being the loudest mom in the crowd at sporting events

~ going yard selling

~family reunions

~ sharing meals at restaurants

~entering radio contests 

~ driving carpool in her pajamas

~ saying things like - "You're room looks like a bomb hit it"

~ taking care of others before herself

~ taking out frustrations on the poor dog

~not jumping on the trampoline for fear of wetting your pants

~ making us wash walls

 and one for my dad, 

~just watching the grass grow.

 I could go on and on, but I'll spare you.  

The point is I am becoming my mom, well maybe a very small version of her, but I'm so glad that I can always lean on her for strength.  I don't know what I would do with out her.  I saw a saying today, "Home is where you're mom is."  True, true.  One of these days I'll grow up and hopefully be a sliver of the person she  is.

Six kids ready for church and smiling.  How the heck?

5 girls ready for church with hair done and still smiling.

(I'm glad for now I have boys)

PS - Remember about a  year ago when I lost my camera.  Yup, it turned up at church.  For some reason Jared had mentioned it to a member of the bishop brick again a couple of weeks ago, and the bishop from the other ward recently asked them if someone had lost a camera.  Hooray, it was ours.  We had checked with people at church and looked around forever and nothing.  Crazy, crazy, that it shows up after almost a year. The sad part of the story is that when we were cleaning out our office to move things downstairs we seemed to gotten rid of battery chargers and cords to a camera that we thought was long gone.