First Day of School

Conner started second grade last week.
Caleb and Colton started kindergarten/preschool today.

And I have started nap school again with Carlee.

The teachers this year are fabulous.  Conner (I think) has another crush on his new Chinese teacher... although to his dismay she was married a couple weeks ago.  Drats.  I guess we will just have to stick to the second grade girls. 

Caleb's teacher (Mrs. Stokes) is a cute lady in our neighborhood and ward - he is going to have so much fun with her.

Colton gets to go to school at Jon's house!  Jon is one of Conner's favorite friends and his mom teaches preschool out of her home.  She is a fabulous teacher.  I am excited for Colton. 

Carlee likes to sleep in the afternoon and I am learning that the bed feels amazing at 1:00 in the afternoon.  I think I am going to pass my school with flying colors.

Don't you love the boy's socks? The rocking socks are China gifts from Spencer and Teresa.  I love how they compliment their outfits.  And yes, Conner has tried to wear his pair every day for the last week. 

four truths and no lies

1.  In the words of Caleb, "we finally got ourselves a cute cute baby."  Caleb may believe Carlee to be the first cute one, but I believe that all four of my babies have been super cute.


2.  Caleb is five-years old.  Where has the time gone?  Sometimes I have to remind myself to look forward to the future.  I been blessed to have five happy years with this kid and there are many more to come.

Caleb - I love you.




3.  Thanks to Uncle Preston and Aunt Becca, Conner and Caleb are finally riding around the neighborhood on "two wheels."  Preston and Becca need to move back to Utah and teach the boys other important life lessons... like how to tie shoes and why only married people can share a bed.

4.  "I want to get married.  Today." said the three-year-old Colton on the day of Uncle Spencer's wedding.  In a last minute rush, he called his aunt-to-be and requested her hand.  Teresa still married Spencer as planned and Colton is over the heartbreak.  Teresa might have said "no" to him, but great-grandma said "yes."

Spencer and Teresa were married on the eighth of August and left on a graduate school adventure to Ohio just a couple days ago.

First Outing

We took Carlee on her first outing last week to University Mall.
I am excited for the day when she will walk and browse with me.

Carlee Amira

quit while you are ahead?

When my darling soon-to-be-sister-in-law sent me these face fusion images...

I held my breathe.
And said a major prayer of gratitude.

Lucky for Conner, Caleb, Colton, and Carlee - their fusion turned out much much better.
And maybe... just maybe.. Nate and I should quit right now while we are ahead.

may the "sis" be with you...

Colton - the boy who has ignored the existence of his sister - has fallen in love.
Anyone - and anything - the size of his Star Wars lightsaber deserves respect in his book.
May the "sis" be with you...

Carlee Amira

"You have until 2:00 a.m. - baby girl - and then I am done."  I whispered through the contraction.  Labor pains had kept me at bay for two entire days and I was done.  Completely done.  This baby either needed to come out right now or plan to stay inside for another couple weeks while I booked an unplanned vacation to Alaska... or Canada... or someplace much much colder than the unreasonable heat.

At 1:40 a.m. the midwife raised my epidural-heavy "dolphin" legs, with the help of the hospital nurse and Nate, while I pushed with all my might.

At 1:50 a.m., I declared that I had ten minutes left to give.  And if she didn't come out... well, I was going home.

The midwife didn't laugh.

Forget the machines with pleasurable non-grape-flavored epidural juice pulsing through my body.  IV's are a cinch to remove.  Come 2 a.m. - I was prepared to roll my way out of that hospital.  Even if she was crowned.

Somehow.

At 1:52 a.m. she appeared.  My little miracle.  If she does nothing - absolutely nothing -  to obey me in the future, I will always be content that she removed herself from my body before 2:00 a.m. on July 22nd.

The anesthesiologist was a complete genius.  After a completely natural delivery with Colton, I believed that it was only fair that I experienced this labor with absolutely no pain - no pain whatsoever

The epidural only worked on one side for the first couple of hours.  When the nurse checked and told me that it was time to prep for pushing, I panicked!  I didn't want to feel ANYTHING.  Pain was not part of my birthing plan this time around.

The lovely anesthesiologist came in and gave me one very large dose before the pushing.  It was amazing.  I didn't feel anything - yet - I could push.  Miracle.  I actually laughed when she entered the world in place of my traditional scream-my-guts-out.

And I didn't do anything crazy like bite my amazingly hot husband or break his fingers.

But this is where we can skip the details about being a beached whale for the following couple of hours and my nastily embarrassing incident with a bed pan.  I am pretty sure the entire hospital heard about it.

So. Embarrassing.

The boys came later that morning.
Colton couldn't stop clapping.
"She is here!  She is here!"

Conner held her with pride while Caleb gave her his heart.
Colton wouldn't stop clapping.
And he doesn't want to take a moment to hold her.
But that is okay.
 

We had a lot of visitors in and out of the hospital for those 24 hours.
Aunts and Uncles and Grandparents.
This little girl is definitely smoothered in love.

 

  
Carlee Amira:
Born July 22, 2013 - 1:52 a.m.
6 lbs. 4 oz.
19 inches