Life is All About Family

A First Birthday

2011-12-01T22:14:00.000-08:00

As I sit down to write this tonight, I'm counting down to the minute this little cutie came into our lives. Just a few minutes more until you graced us with your sweet presence.

While I'm excited to see you grow and do new things, it has all happened just a little too fast for your mom. Your oldest sister was just in your place not long ago and this mom's heart knows all too well how fast how your childhood is going to go.

Happy Birthday to my beautiful little girl. You have brought so much joy into our lives, in a time that you were truly needed.

I love you to the moon and back......

Rub a dub, dub...

2011-11-06T10:31:00.000-08:00

This little cutie likes to get clean in the tub.

Sweet Sixteen

2011-11-04T22:08:00.000-07:00

Kelsey turned 16 on the 2nd of November. Time sure does fly. I think my baby should maybe be turning about 12. I wanted to do something special for her, so we planned a surprise party for her. Thankfully her friends were able to keep the secret and no one spilled the beans.

Happy Sweet 16 Kelsey!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-04T21:46:00.002-07:00

One cute little bug...

One boy who's always wanted a real afro...

A nerd, cowgirl and a pretty black kitty...all had a fun Halloween night.

Eleven Months

2011-11-01T22:04:00.000-07:00

First Halloween

2011-10-31T16:38:00.000-07:00

10 Months

2011-10-02T13:56:00.001-07:00

Kendall turned 10 months old the 1st of October. This little girl is growing up so fast. The last month has brought about so many changes to what Kendall is able to do.

Kendall can say quite a few words. Mama, Dad, Nana, ball, dog, hi, woof and no. She is just crazy about the dogs and loves to sniff and pant like a dog. When she sees other animals she makes dog noises at them. She waves hi and goodbye and claps her hands if you ask her if she's happy.

In the last week Kendall has learned to crawl, pull up alone on to the furniture and take a few steps while she is hanging on. She also has learned how to get into a sitting position from laying down.

Kendall had a little crash in the bath tub a few days ago and hit her head on the drain plug that has a knob on it. She had the biggest goose egg right above her eyes for a few hours. Thankfully, all that remains is a bruise.

Her top teeth have been coming in the last week, which now makes 4 teeth altogether. Kendall's hair is really starting to fill in and she wears a bow most days to try to keep it a little less messy. We think she weighs around 26 pounds. She is a lot of fun entertainment for the whole family and we are excited to watch her grow.

She's Crawling....

2011-09-23T20:57:00.000-07:00

We weren't sure if Kendall was ever going to crawl, but she finally decided to get moving. She's been rolling every where that she wants to go instead of trying to crawl. I guess it's been easier to roll her chub around.

A New Driver in Town

2011-09-02T20:53:00.000-07:00

Our friends are letting us borrow one of their little cars to use for Kendall. As you can tell from the pictures, she thinks this little car is a blast. She bounces herself up and down and makes a funny noise that sounds like a strange cat when going for a ride.

9 months

2011-09-01T22:21:00.001-07:00

Kendall, today you are 9 months old. We set you in the grass to take your picture and you weren't sure what you thought of it. We really couldn't get you to smile for us because you were so concerned about what you were sitting on.

You are getting all over the place by scooting and rolling every where. You can get yourself onto your hands and knees, but don't travel anywhere yet that way.

In the last week, we have taken you twice to swing at the park and you think it's quite fun.

Nana and I took you to the doctor for your 9 month checkup and you eyed the doctor's every move. I don't think you think very highly of him, but he's a very nice guy. You weighed in at 25.9 pounds and are 27 and a half inches long. Your head is 18.5 inches around.

Your cute little personality is starting to come out and we all enjoy watching you grow and change, even if it's all happening a little too fast.

We love you sweet girl.

First Day of School

2011-09-01T19:44:00.000-07:00

My School Promise - author unknown

Each new day I'll do my best and I won't do any less.

My work will always please me, and I won't accept a mess.

My writing will be neat and I will not be happy, til all my work's complete.

I will always do my homework and try my best on every test.

I won't forget my promise, to do my very best!

(Kelsey 10th, Emily 8th and Jacob 5th grade)

37 Weeks

2011-08-23T21:21:00.000-07:00

37 weeks in......

and 37 weeks out.

Still loving every minute with you.

Brett and Sheena's Wedding

2011-08-15T22:03:00.001-07:00

My younger brother was married on August 6th.

One look, one smile, one touch,

one embrace, one kiss, one love.

Two people, two minds, two souls, two destinies.

One road, one journey, one ending together.

-Melissa Higgins-

Wishing you both love and happiness......

Birthday Balloon Release

2011-08-12T16:48:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that another has come and gone since we were out here doing a balloon release for my Dad's birthday. He would have been 66...

My Dad's sister Jan was able to be here this year with us. Also Mike's sister Jenny and our niece Gianna.

A lot has changed since he left us. It's good and bad I guess that life goes on. I just wish he was here to spend it with us. Dad has a new granddaughter and two new daughter-in-laws he will never meet.

I wish I could change all of this, but it is what it is. A year and a half later and I'm still waiting for him to come on home.

A Double Digit Birthday

2011-08-12T10:54:00.001-07:00

Jacob celebrated his 10th birthday on the 26th of July. It was a pretty busy day for him. He went to work with Mike and had to leave pretty early in the morning to tag along. He got to go out to lunch with Mike and even went to a gourmet cupcake place in downtown Seattle. When Mike and Jacob got home we went out to eat for his birthday dinner at Blazing Onion.

Jacob is growing up to be a nice young man if I say so myself. He practically lives at his Nana's house. I'm pretty sure Nana feels like she's raising her third son!

Jacob loves anything sports related and spends a lot of time learning all about the NLF draft, players etc. He loves watching World War II documentaries on T.V., which drives his older sisters crazy.

He enjoys riding his new scooter all over the neighborhood.

Kendall thinks that everything Jacob does is hilarious and he's a good big brother.

He requested a chocolate and cherry cake. The cake and the cake platter met an unfortunate ending when Nana called with a request for a slice the next day. Kelsey somehow knocked it over and broke it and the cake was sitting in broken glass... whoops!

Kendall had her first taste of cake and seemed to rather enjoy it. By the size of her you'd think we fed her cake all the time.

Happy 10th Birthday Jacob...

We love you!

8 Months

2011-08-11T21:55:00.000-07:00

Kendall turned 8 months on the first and I have just been too busy to get around to posting. All of the 8 month pictures are taken with her little comb. She wouldn't let us take it away from her.

8 months of age has brought so many changes at one time.

Kendall is scooting all around on her bottom, rolling all over the room and getting herself stuck in odd places.

She has even started saying words. She loves to say "Hi Dada" and "Hi Nana" in the softest little voice. At first we weren't sure if we were hearing things correctly, but sure enough.. that's what she's saying. Mike says it just melts his heart when she does it. Our other girls were very early talkers and I guess she is going to follow in their footsteps of being a little chatter box.

Kendall is clapping (which she learned on Jacob's b-day) and does the cutest little wave hi. Her first two bottom teeth came in a few weeks ago. She thinks it's quite fun to pinch people and it's actually rather painful.

She is a good little mimicker and loves to say achoo and sing ahhh when people ask her to. Kendall can pull to a stand when holding someones hands and stand against something when she has something to hold on to.

We think she is weighing in around 25 and 1/2 pounds. She gets mauled by people when we go to the grocery store. I find it rather strange that so many strangers come up to her and touch her... so out come my cleaning wipes when the people are out of sight!

I know that I say it every month, but my baby is just growing up too fast. She's going to be running around before we know it.

Seven Months

2011-07-08T20:19:00.001-07:00

Kendall - On July 1st you turned seven months old. You are just growing up too fast for your mom's liking. It hardly seems possible that you have been with us for more than half a year already.

You are weighing in around 25 pounds. Strangers just love to come up to you and tell you how cute and adorable they think you are. Some of them even touch you and squeeze you.
You have decided that you don't think much of strangers. At first you would just stare and not smile at all. Some people make you burst into tears.
You are sitting up pretty good now and have discovered that you have ears that are good for pulling on.
You have taken your first trips this past month, one to Cannon Beach, Oregon and the other to Salt Lake City, Utah. You behaved really good on both trips.

You were able to meet your grandpa Layton for the first time and let him hold you for a minute or two.

You still have no teeth.
Your diaper size is now a 5.
Most clothing that you wear is between 18-24 months.
You just adore your brother and sisters. You are sleeping around 11-12 hours straight at night.
We just love you a lot sweet girl.

Kelsey's Photos

2011-07-07T20:12:00.000-07:00

Kelsey would much rather be behind the camera than in pictures. She shot a lot of pictures of Kendall on our trip to Utah. (I think that Kendall has quite possibly taken over the blog, I really do have other children!)

Salt Lake City or Bust

2011-07-04T22:09:00.000-07:00

Last week we took a road trip to Salt Lake City to visit with my dad. I think we were witnesses to a small miracle in the car when Kendall didn't cry once the whole way there.

We stayed up in Park City while we were there.

Emily did a great job of keeping Kendall entertained in the car. She's such a little mommy.

It took Kendall about three days to warm up to all of the new people she was meeting.
Kendall sitting with my cousin Mary, who had a good finger to chew on.

We also got the chance to meet up with my good childhood friend Allison and her cute kids.
The weather made the visit into a more memorable event when it decided to rain really hard, thunder and lightning, along with the temperature being around 96 degrees. We were at an open air mall and at one point had to take cover from the rain and got separated from Allison's boys for a few minutes when they ran ahead of us trying to take cover in the children's museum. I can always count on a few good laughs when we get together.
We made a trip to the Olympic Park in Park City where the 2002 Olympics were held and watched some kids learning to jump on the ramps that the long jump skiers use to practice on. Wow, these kids were really good and I don't think they were very old. I think one of these kids was no bigger than Jacob.

We had a nice visit with my dad and wish that our trip didn't go quite so fast.

A First Vacation and New Furniture

2011-07-04T21:17:00.000-07:00

On June 20th Mike and I celebrated our 18th anniversary. We took a quick little trip down to the Oregon coast. It's around a four hour drive to get there and Kendall tagged along with us and decided that riding in the car wasn't too bad. Her good behavior gave Mike and I hope for our road trip that was coming up.

Kendall decided that after being in the car for about five minutes, that it was a good time to fill her pants after a week long absence in that department.

We visited the Tillamook Cheese Factory and the Tillamook Air Museum. We make it down to the coast about once a year for the last decade or so. Kelsey always vetos the cheese factory because of her dairy allergy. Since she wasn't with us, we decided it was an opportune time to check it out.

It was kind of neat seeing exactly what all goes into preparing, cutting and packaging cheese. It kind of reminded me of an episode of Mr. Rogers on PBS when he would go to visit places to teach kids about different things. The thing that I learned was that I wouldn't want to work in a factory of any type. The jobs that every single person did were so repetitive.
Kendall and Mike posing in front of Mike's favorite war plane, a P-51 Mustang.
The building that the museum is in is the worlds largest wooden building and was used during World War II.

Kendall enjoyed hanging out on the bed at the hotel playing with her toys.
Kendall wasn't sure what she thought of her hat when we went to Cannon Beach. She must have hung on to it for a good two hours.
The day before we went down to Oregon we put together Kendall's new bedroom set. We decided to get her a set that would grow with her.

I stayed up two nights in a row until about 2 a.m. painting these little bird pictures to put above her crib. I think it was probably the first time in a decade that I have painted anything.

Happy 4th of July

2011-07-04T20:43:00.000-07:00

Relatives Visiting?

2011-06-06T22:32:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I decided to mop our hardwood floors. (I will be honest, since having Kendall some of my cleaning chores have been put on the back burner.) Jacob was watching me and says to me "Why are you mopping? Are relatives coming to visit?" I guess that's the only time he thinks I clean!

Six months

2011-06-01T22:43:00.001-07:00

My sweet little girl is growing as fast as a weed.

Just look at the comparisons between her one month photo and now!

Kendall's six month stats:

At birth: 7.9 pounds

19 1/2 inches

and now...

23.13 pounds (99.99%)

26.5 inches (75%)

Thankfully Kendall had only gained 1 1/2 pounds since her last doctor's appointment two months ago. She'd been averaging about three pounds a month since birth, so I was so happy her weight gain is slowing down. (I have been avoiding putting her on our scale at home in fear of what it might say!) Kendall's now sleeping in her own room and is sleeping around 10-11 hours straight through the night.

She is working on things like sitting up,

but still needs some assistance.

She dislikes tummy time, but I think she looks cute practicing her baby push ups.

Kendall moved on up this week to a big girl car seat.

We didn't have enough bedrooms in our house for all the kids, so we had to remodel part of our house to give Kelsey her own room. We finally just finished her room after months of work, so Kendall took Kelsey's old room. I made the bird mobile and painted the tree limbs on the wall. I ordered little crocheted flowers and leaves off of Etsy that I pinned to the wall. I still have to add Kendall's name in vinyl to the wall that my friend Allison gave to me as a gift. (I have to wait for the paint to cure.)

This crib is old, the one we purchased for Emily. We still had it in the garage. (My brother claims I am a little bit of a hoarder. I disagree, I just have a hard time parting with my baby things!)

A Partially True Biography

2011-05-14T22:16:00.000-07:00

On Friday afternoon I cleaned out Jacob's backpack and came across a poster that Jacob had made in school. It was a poster that he had filled out that asked questions and then he was supposed to answer them. It went something like this......

Just the facts: I am 9 years old and I am in the 4th grade. My teacher is Mrs. Burkhardt. The members of my family are me, mom, dad, Emily, Kelsey and Kendall. Some of my friends are Mason and Kaleb. My birthday is July 26, 2001.

A few of my favorite things: P.E., baseball and peaches.

My favorite book of all time is: Diary of a Wimpy Kid the Last Straw.

My Hero: Tim Weber (He is the pilot for the Geico plane who performs in air shows, Jacob met him last summer.)

Something you might not know about me: I love snowboarding. (He has never been snowboarding, he wants my brother Brett to take him.)

My mini-autobiography: One time when I was 7 years old, I was snowboarding and I jumped and hit a rock and I broke my leg and my snowboard. (fiction)
I asked Jacob about the fictional parts and he said he thought it made his biography more interesting. Thankfully his teacher didn't ask about his broken leg, that would have been quite the tale to tell.

5 Months

2011-05-01T12:31:00.001-07:00

This sweet little girl is 5 months old already.She is growing up too fast for her mom. At Kendall's 4 month check-up she weighed 22.6 pounds. She has decided that riding in the car isn't quite so bad. Emily does a great job of entertaining her in the car.This month Kendall has started to sit a little on her own.She loves her baths and has decided her thumb is a pretty good thing to suck on.This was her first time trying out her little booster seat. She sits in it every night at dinner and gets a little meal along with the family.First taste of bananas.Kendall is getting quite a bit bigger than her little brown bear. She isn't sleeping through the night yet and still thinks that she must have a meal by 3 a.m. Pretty quick she will be moving on out of her mom and dad's room and into her own room. We all just really love this little girl.

4 Months

2011-04-01T10:23:00.000-07:00

Kendall, today you are 4 months old. I know I say it every month..... I don't know where the time is going.

You are weighing in around 20 and 1/2 pounds. I hope you will be getting a lot taller soon, because you just may be the chunkiest baby I have ever seen. You get a lot of attention when we are out in public because of how chubby you are. It's amazing how much people like a fat baby.

This has been a LONG month with you. Kind of a cranky month..... You had a UTI infection and are getting ready to get two bottom teeth. You have decided you NEVER want to ride in the car... EVER. You scream your head off the entire time in the car and I am trying my hardest to be patient, but it's getting to be rather annoying. (I wonder if it's illegal to wear ear plugs in the car? I'm assuming yes... ) Could you stop doing that soon please?

Even though you are a stinker in the car, I love you to pieces.

This month you have discovered your hands. In the last 1-2 weeks you have really started to grab a hold of your toys and bring them up to your mouth.

You have done a few little giggles for your mom starting last Friday (3/25).

Emily has started taking you on little walks through the neighborhood and you really seem to like it.

You have also started watching the dogs and seem to find them interesting to watch.

I think I have spoiled you a little by holding you too much, but I can't help myself. I love to snuggle with you. So, the past week I have been trying to make you sit in your little bouncy seat a little more than usual. After all, I do have to pick up our messy house every once in a while.

You did try a little bit of pears last week and ate the little bit that I gave to you. I don't think we are going to start you on food just yet though. I was just curious to see what your reaction would be. You really like to watch us eat....

We all love you a lot and look forward to seeing what the next month has in store for you.

Love,

Mom

A Cheeky Situation

2011-03-24T08:53:00.000-07:00

Did you know that yesterday in the grocery store parking lot a lady stopped her car and rolled her window down to tell my mom what cute big cheeks I have? Then inside the store, three more people complimented me on my cheeks as well. This has been happening a lot lately. If I could talk, I would tell everyone if they wanted cheeks like mine to eat every three hours and sometimes have a snack or two after midnight.

My mom says that if people think I have big cheeks, they should see my thighs.

A Little Chub In The Tub

2011-03-15T16:55:00.000-07:00

Missing Him

2011-03-10T21:09:00.000-08:00

One year ago today we said goodbye.

Three Months

2011-03-01T19:58:00.001-08:00

It's hard to believe that this sweet little girl has been with us for three months already.

A few things about Kendall at three months:

-We think you weigh around 18 pounds according to our scale.....that is huge. You have quite the rolls going on. I think you are trying to take after your brother who hit the twenty pound mark at four months. Your weight gain seems to be slowing down a little which is good. Your first month you gained five pounds, the second month three pounds and this last month two pounds.

-You love to talk to us when you are in a happy mood.

-One of your favorite places to hang out (besides in your mom's arms) is on your changing table, you always seem to be happy there.

-You hate your car seat and cry almost every time you get put in it. You cry for a few minutes until we get going in the car, the freeway seems to make you happier.

-You have a clogged tear duct in your left eye (just like your brother did) and your eye needs to be cleaned quite often because it gets goopy. -Your hair is starting to fill back in. It still looks light red when the natural light hits it. I think your uncle B is very excited to possibly have another red head in the family.

-You are going to bed earlier in the evening and randomly wake up at different hours to eat. Sometimes you go six hours and sometimes three.

-You are wearing a lot of 6-9 month clothes already because you are so round.

-Daddy likes to call you jelly bean and mommy tends to call you sweet baby girl.

A funny thing happened the last time we took you to Home Depot. I tend to carry you in a wrap since you hate your car seat (yes...this kills my back after a short time.) I saw this man staring at me as we walked up to the entrance. When we got closer to him he told me that you had the biggest cheeks he had ever seen and that he thought his sons cheeks were big, but yours were bigger. He then did a cowboyish "whoo-hoo." Your daddy and I started laughing our heads off as soon as we got inside the door. Three months

Two months

One month

Twins?

2011-02-25T11:00:00.001-08:00

I can't get over how much these two look alike.

Mohawk for a Day

2011-02-04T16:56:00.000-08:00

It was crazy hair day at school yesterday and Jacob's request was for a mohawk. Since he was due for a haircut, I told him that he could have one for one day. (He ended up getting to wear it for an extra day because I didn't have a chance to buzz it off last night.)

Two Months

2011-02-01T22:16:00.001-08:00

As you can see, my sweet little baby is not staying so "little".

(2 months)

I can't believe how much a baby can change in a single month.

(One month)

A few things about Miss Kendall at two months:

-At your two month check-up you weighed in at 15 pounds and 12 ounces, that puts you off of the weight charts.

-Your head is measuring 16 inches around.

-You are 22 1/2 inches long which is about average.

-You did pretty good getting your shots and you only cried for maybe about 30 seconds. (But it still made your mom sad.)

-You have a lot of smiles now and like to coo at those around you.

-At two months old you wear a size 2 diaper, but barely.

-Your clothes are still mainly 3-6 months old and you fill them out pretty good length wise.

-You still make a lot of noise when you nurse.

-Everyone in the family is pretty crazy about you and you get A LOT of attention.

-We are very thankful to have you in our family.

Student of the Month

2011-01-21T15:18:00.001-08:00

Emily was chosen to be the Student of the Month for 7th grade.

The recommending teacher wrote this nomination for Emily:

"Emily is always determined to do her best in whatever endeavor she is facing. She does so in a focused manner. She is kind to those around her and always sees the best in any situation."

That's my Emily! Way to go!!

Emily's Party

2011-01-19T13:36:00.001-08:00

Emily was pretty insistent that she needed to have some kind of celebration for turning 13. It took me a while to say yes and then more time to decide when I might feel up to it. We kind of did a tea party theme, only without tea. Emily basically ran the whole party, which was nice for me. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, so I guess we will call it a success.

7 Weeks

2011-01-19T13:21:00.001-08:00

Just how big are those cheeks going to get?

Say Cheese.....

2011-01-11T21:26:00.000-08:00

5 weeks & 6 days old

One month stats

2011-01-07T10:30:00.000-08:00

Kendall had her one month well baby checkup on Wed. She is doing great!
Weight - 12 lbs. 10 ozs. This puts her in the 95th-100th percentile for weight. That is a 5.1 pound weight gain from her birth weight. Can you tell she likes to eat? She still makes a ton of noise when she nurses, sort of like she is getting the best meal ever.
Height - 21 3/4 inches....that is 2 1/4 inches in a month and this puts her in the 67th percentile for her height.
I'm happy that she is doing so well....but I would have liked her to be tiny for a little longer.
Clothing size - Mainly 3-6 months.
First real smile - Kendall has been smiling in her sleep since birth, but the first real smile goes to Kelsey. Last Thursday (12-30-10) when Kelsey was talking to Kendall, she gave her a smile when she was awake. We tend to get a smile or two from her each day now.
Disposition - Kendall is a very content baby. She rarely cries and when she is getting hungry she gives me quite a bit of warning by making little grunting sounds. She is always making the cutest little sounds when she sleeps.
Sleep - She likes to sleep most of the day and is going down at night between 1-2 a.m. This is a little hard on her mom, considering my first trip up to the bus is at 6:50 in the morning.
We are all still just enjoying every minute we get to love on this little girl.

Miss Em's 13th Birthday

2011-01-03T08:50:00.001-08:00

Emily had her 13th birthday on the 4th of December. It will probably always be one of those special birthdays. Besides turning 13 and becoming a official teenager, her new baby sister came home that day.
Her birthday was celebrated on two different days. First she opened a few presents on Sat., then on Sunday my mom made Emily a birthday cake.

A few things about Emily:

-She is still pretty sweet.

-She would probably take over all mothering duties for her new sister if she could.

-Enjoys playing the flute in two different bands at school.

-Is a very good student, she had a 4.0 all through last year and this year is looking to be the same.

-Has a beautiful singing voice and loves to act in plays.

-Is a very good friend.

-Loves anything that has to do with Twilight.

-Still likes to act like a drama queen sometimes ;)

-Is very loving.

Happy Birthday Emily!

One Month

2011-01-01T23:51:00.000-08:00

Today I am one month old. Everyone says that I am growing so fast and that they can see my cheeks getting bigger by the day. My mom says she is going to take my picture with this brown bear every month so we can see how I change from month to month.

I still like to sleep almost all of the time and my next favorite thing to do is eat....a lot.

My brother and sisters like to spend a lot of time with me. Sometimes they wake me up because they can't stop kissing my round cheeks. I'm starting to grow out of my 0-3 month clothes already, that makes my mom a little sad. She wants me to stay little for a while.

Last week my big brother told me that he loves having a little sister. I'm glad that everyone loves me so much.

Kendall's Birth Story

2010-12-29T21:59:00.001-08:00

Today it has been exactly four weeks since this sweet little girl came into our lives. I've wanted to sit down and write about this day before too much more time goes by. It is kind of long, but this is really for my memory.
Before we left for the hospital, I had Mike take a few last photos of my baby belly. Here I am at 37.5 weeks pregnant (but measuring 12 weeks further along....I don't miss that belly.) We have some bare belly shots, but Mike forbid me to put them on here ;)

We checked into the hospital at 7a.m. and Dr. Bartels arrived around 8:30a.m. to get the show on the road. Everything went smoothly with him breaking my water. He put a tiny hole in my amniotic sac with a long needle so the fluid would slowly leak out. It took about ten minutes for him to do it and it was a long uncomfortable ten minutes. The nurse started me on pitocin to start me contracting and instructed me to go ahead and start walking the halls. First she put a grown-up diaper on me to try and contain all of the excessive amniotic fluid that was coming out. After a few laps through the halls, I was banned to my hospital room after I started leaving puddles all through the halls that the nurses had to mop up. I don't know how many "diapers" and socks I went through, but the amount of fluid that came out was quite amazing and comical. I left puddles and puddles of fluid every where that I moved. You could literally watch my stomach get smaller and smaller throughout the day. My doctor did rupture my sac a little later in the day after he felt like it was safe, you wouldn't believe how much fluid was still in there.

The first half of the day went pretty smoothly and Kendall's heart sounded good and her heart showed no more signs of the irregular heart beat. I got my epidural a few hours into the induction when I was tired of being in pain. I was glad that I got my epidural when I did, because not much later did I start having double and triple contractions right on top of each other. Kendall did not care for this and her heart rate began dropping into the 80's and sometimes lower with each contraction. They don't like to see a baby have a heart rate lower than the 120's. This was around 3p.m. and I got to where a lovely oxygen mask for the next 7 hours to try and give extra oxygen to Kendall. I was constantly having to be moved around from one side to another trying to keep Kendall's heart happy. I hated hearing her heart rate get too slow because I was worried it would stay too low and that they would have to do an emergency c-section.

Sometime around 4p.m. Dr. Bartels discovered when he was checking to see how dilated I was, that Kendall's head was starting to get a cap on it (I was only 4cm dilated at this point.) I knew this wasn't a good sign. A cap is different than a cone head. A cap is when the baby's head is stuck and is swelling up. Dr. Bartels seemed a little confused as to why this was occurring since I had already delivered three baby's without trouble. He told me he wanted to give me more time to see if I would dilate more and maybe her head would rotate into a better position.

Around 7 p.m. my epidural started to wear off and it didn't feel good at all. Dr. Bartels checked me again and I was 7-8cm's dilated. Kendall's head still hadn't moved. The nurse called and asked to have a extra dose of medicine for my epidural. The only problem was that it took over an hour for the doctor to get there. By then I don't even know how much relief I was getting...not much. The doctor topped me off, but it only took the pain away in my abdomen. I had so much pain in my bottom that it felt like Kendall was going to make her appearance out of the wrong exit. I had to continue laying on my right side at this point to keep her heart rate happy. All I could do was breathe, grip the side of the bed and mumble the same thing at the peak of every contraction...."Holy crap that hurts." My tail bone still isn't the same....

Around 8:30p.m. my doctor came in and I had made no changes and Kendall's head hadn't come down at all. So I was told that that I had to have a c-section. It took about one hour and 45 minutes before they could do the c-section because we were waiting on the anesthesiologist. I was in so much pain and so exhausted by this time that I was falling asleep in between contractions on the operating table. I was so happy to finally get the spinal, which I had to get since the epidural wasn't working. After getting the spinal the pain went away quickly, but I was pretty sure I was going to be sick to my stomach; which they gave me some medicine in my i.v. for. C-sections are strange because you can feel the sensation of everything that they are doing to you. The initial cut feels like someone is unzipping your stomach. There is a lot of pressure when they pull the baby out, but that wasn't bad. I could even tell when they were putting my uterus back inside of me, which was uncomfortable. I'm not sure why they pull it out, to inspect it or sew it up? I even asked the doctor if that is what he was doing and he said yes. At some point things started to hurt and my spinal wasn't quite working, just like the epidural. So they had to give me some really good drugs. Those drugs kept making me fall asleep and not breathe very well, but I don't remember that part. Mike told me they kept telling me to wake up and breathe. When my doctor pulled Kendall out, he explained to me that there was no way that she would have ever been able to be born vaginally. Her head was turned up, instead of her having her head and chin tucked down.

Kendall came out screaming at 10:25p.m. and got a 9/9 for her apgars. I think the first thing that I asked was what color hair she had, to which someone in the room said red. Mike could see her well and told me she looked perfect. The NICU team was in the room to access her and I could see them trying to stick a tube down her throat to check her esophagus to see if she had a fistula. They told us right away that everything appeared normal and she was healthy.

The whole thing felt like a strange dream. I think there was this part of me that was just really expecting that something was going to be wrong with her after all the unknowns with the sonograms. Instead the doctors were busy talking about what beautiful lips they thought Kendall had and how healthy she looked.

Kendall in all her naked glory weighing in at 7lbs. 9ozs.

A very relieved and happy mom and dad.......

First bath....

Getting to hold her after her bath.

The kids came with my mom early the next morning before school so they could meet their new little sister.

Snoozing away in her mom's arms....

All packed up and ready to go home....

This pregnancy was a wild ride, all the way up until delivery. In some ways it's hard to believe that it's all over and that everything turned out fine in the end. C-sections pretty much stink, but every bit of pain was so worth this sweet little girl. I look at her and just can't imagine her having to have any type of surgery, I'm so thankful for the good health that she was blessed with. Everything about her is just a blessing....she is a little piece of heaven.

First Official Bath

2010-12-28T23:50:00.001-08:00

Kendall had her first bath in her little tub today. She seemed to find the water that came out of the faucet quite interesting to look at. As you can see, she is gaining a lot of weight! She is not going to be tiny for long....

100% Sweet

2010-12-28T23:45:00.000-08:00

3 Weeks

2010-12-22T20:33:00.001-08:00

Well, I'm not sure where the time has gone.....but this little cutie is 3 weeks old today.

1 week

2 weeks

Everyone in the house is pretty crazy about you. Your big sisters think it's a lot of fun to be constantly taking your picture with their phones.

You still like to spend a lot of time snoozing away the day. Your Dad would like to spend as much time napping as you do.....

3 weeks

You are getting so chubby, it's almost like we can see you putting on weight every day. I tried to see what you are weighing in at by getting on our digital scale with you in my arms. On Monday the scale said you were 9lbs. 6ozs. That is a 2 1/2 pound weight gain in 2 weeks.....I think maybe you like to eat a little too much :) Last week when we saw Dr. Bartels, the doctor that delivered you; he wanted to know if I was feeding you cream.

I wish that I could keep you tiny for just a little while longer, everything is just going too fast. I'm loving every minute with you.....

One Week

2010-12-08T17:09:00.000-08:00

All pictures in this post were taken today on your one week birthday.

Dear Little Miss Kendall,
Today you are one week old. You sure have captured the hearts of the people in your family. You have your mommy and daddy's hearts wrapped around your tiny little fingers.
You are a very easy going baby who really never cries, only when you are getting your pants changed. You are very predictable, you always begin to calm down the more dressed you get after a diaper change. You get so red when you cry that it's funny to see.
You spend all of your time sleeping, eating and pooping. I don't think I have ever seen a baby that sleeps so much.
After having such a difficult pregnancy and delivery with you, it's amazing how wonderful your first week has gone with you as a part of our family. We couldn't have had a sweeter girl than you come into our family.

You spend a lot of time smiling in your sleep and we all love to watch you snooze the day away. You make the sweetest little sounds when you nurse. We took you in to the doctor on Monday to see how you were doing since you were a little jaundice after birth. Your coloring was looking so good, that you didn't have to have your blood checked. You weighed in at 7lbs. 4 ozs. Before we had checked out of the hospital, your weight had gone down to 6lbs. 15ozs., so you only have a little more to gain to get back to your birth weight.

Dad and I gave you your first official little bath today. Up until today, I had just been wiping you down with a warm wash cloth. We thought for sure that you would cry because you were partially undressed. You were awake for the first part while I wet your head down, and then you went right to sleep as I soaped up your hair. Dad and I laughed at you and joked that we deserved one mellow child.

I think that your dad is quite taken with you, as he is always making little oohh's and ahh's to you and talking about how sweet he thinks you are. We are so thankful to have you in our lives.

Introducing......

2010-12-05T17:13:00.000-08:00

Kendall Diane McKean

Arrived Wed. 12-1-2010 at 10:25 pm

7lbs. 9ozs.

19 1/2 inches long

and is healthy and beautiful....

A baby will make love grow stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for.

-Anonymous

We Have A Date!

2010-11-29T17:54:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, December 1st we will get to meet our new little girl! I'm very excited and nervous.... :)

Latest Baby Update

2010-11-24T14:14:00.000-08:00

(The following information is from an email that I sent out today.)

I thought I would send off an update from the last two days of doctor's appointments.... The baby thankfully always gets an 8 out of 8 on all the things they have been monitoring her for, which basically means that she looks great and is thriving in the womb. She was weighing in around 7.2 lbs, so she shouldn't be very tiny for coming out a few weeks early.

The one new thing that was seen on Monday, was that her stomach looked a little too small. This has never been mentioned before, so I'm thinking that it was something they were seeing for the first time on Monday. This doesn't mean that the size of her stomach is too small, just means that there wasn't a normal amount of fluid in there to expand it to it's normal size. Her stomach is something they always take a look at, so I'm a little unsure what to make of this. The doctor said it could mean something or could mean nothing....that is the same answer I get for everything there at the perinatologists office and it drives me crazy. Every week a different doctor comes in and gives me their own quick consult on the things that can't be ruled out by sonogram. I find this to be quite unnecessary; do they think that I forget from week to week? I have now met every doctor in that office. I still don't understand why this doctor couldn't have spent an extra few minutes to look up whether this was the first time the stomach looked too small. I'm hoping that was my last time to ever step foot in that office.

The two things that they always love to remind me that they can't rule out are: a narrowing/blockage in the baby's intestines - this would mean that the baby wouldn't be able to poop. Second, a fistula in the baby's esophagus. This would be a hole going from the esophagus into the trachea, which would cause milk to go into her lungs making her not be able to eat. So there is a small chance that the baby could need to have a section of her intestines removed or her esophagus repaired. Both of these conditions can cause excessive amniotic fluid. If she has either of these conditions she would need surgery within the first 24 - 48 hours after being born. I try to keep into perspective that the chances are higher that nothing is wrong, than the possibility of her actually having something wrong. At the same time it's hard to know what to be prepared for, a baby that will come home with us next week or a baby that could be going into surgery. She is still having the irregular heart beat like she was, just at a more spaced out rate. This is not related to anything else though, mainly due to an immature electrical system in the heart.

On to Tuesday's appointment with my regular doctor (who is such a relief to see after the other office). I have dilated a little more, but haven't thinned out anymore. My doctor narrowed down his plans more with with me. Monday morning we will do the amnio to check for lung maturity. They do this by testing the amniotic fluid for certain cells....they do not touch the baby at all with a needle....only me. (Some people have been confused by that.) If we get the results back Mon., we have a baby Tues. If we get the results on Tuesday we have her on Wed.

He discussed in more detail his plans for inducing me. When he breaks my water he will not be removing his hand from inside of me. He will keep his hand there until the fluid stops flowing out and the baby's head comes down and sits on my cervix. He will be feeling the whole time to make sure the umbilical cord has not come out. If the cord does come out, he will push the baby's head up and away from the cord and keep his hand there while someone else performs a c-section. They will have an O.R. booked for me just incase it's needed. He said that once we are past that, he expects that the rest of labor and delivery will take place in a normal manner. I did discuss whether or not a c-section would just be easier to do, and he really felt strongly that it wasn't necessary. He did tell me to not be losing sleep over this situation, that he really feels like everything will be fine and under control. He did say that a team from the NICU will be in attendance when the baby is born to access her condition right after birth. Hopefully everything will check out fine with her and she can stay with me instead of having to go to the NICU.

I'm hoping this will be the last update of this kind and I will just let you know which day we are going to get to welcome this little girl into our lives. I've attached the picture that we got last week of her profile. The sonogram tech told me this week that she thought it looked like we were going to be having a very cute baby...I would have to agree :)

Thank you for keeping us in your prayers. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Jamie

Baby Update

2010-11-11T15:31:00.000-08:00

I'm officially 34.6 weeks pregnant. My uterus is measuring 47 weeks according to my doctor. This baby girl feels like she may fall right out of me. I can't quite explain how miserable my body is feeling. Two weeks ago my doctor asked me to stay off of my feet because I'm constantly contracting, it's not helping much.

I'm at the doctor twice a week now because the baby's heart beat has been irregular since week 32. Nothing very serious, just something they have to keep an eye on to make sure her heart doesn't start to beat too fast. If her heart was to start beating too fast, it could become a very serious matter. I've been told that normally babies with this condition will convert to a normal heart rhythm after birth. They said this is another one of those fluky things. I had a 1% chance of this happening and a 1% chance of having the excessive amniotic fluid. I can honestly say I'm starting to become a little paranoid over this pregnancy. No more 1% chances of anything else please.

We will be doing an amnio a few days before Thanksgiving to check on the maturity of the baby's lungs. If her lungs are mature, she should arrive a few days after Thanksgiving. They will with draw some of the extra fluid out while they are doing the amnio to try and relieve some of the distention going on in my uterus. A normal pregnancy has about 1 liter of amniotic fluid, I'm carrying around 2+ liters. The doctor will not be able to break my water in a normal way, he will have to do a pin prick sized hole to create a small leak. With all the extra fluid in there, it increases the chance of a cord accident or the placenta becoming unattached if my water was to suddenly break. Either thing would require an emergency cesarean to save the baby.

The baby should be around 7 pounds when she is born at 37 weeks. She was weighing in around 5.4 pounds two and a half weeks ago. I'm still hoping and praying for a healthy baby with no hidden defects or health problems. I think maybe this little girl thought her mother needed a few extra gray hairs.

Somebody Had A Birthday

2010-11-11T15:02:00.001-08:00

Kelsey turned 15 last week. I don't know how that's possible, but it's true. It really only seems like a few years ago we were celebrating her 3rd birthday. That year she didn't want us to sing to her. We have all of these pictures with her frowning, tears streaming down her face and her arms folded in anger. We got a repeat performance of that behaviour for her 4th birthday as well.

We took her out to dinner with the family. She had to go with Mike to Home Depot to help him load french doors and drywall in a trailer. What 15 year old girl doesn't want to do that for her birthday? I can't believe it's finally time to teach her how to drive, I might leave that task up to her Dad. Happy Birthday Kelsey, we love you!!

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-01T16:35:00.000-07:00

Homecoming

2010-10-16T20:59:00.000-07:00

Tonight was Kelsey's homecoming dance at the high school. After a little hair drama, (I had curled her hair, which she thought turned out like pageant girl hair) clothing drama and makeup drama....she made it out the door. I don't know when my little girl turned into such a young lady.

Possible Eviction Week?

2010-10-08T20:07:00.000-07:00

30 Week Update

I went in for my appointment on Tuesday and the doctor told me I'm measuring 8 weeks further than I'm supposed to be. He said most of it is due to the extra fluid and only a little bit of it is from the baby being 2 weeks ahead in growth.

He said that if nothing transpires between now and 37 weeks, (like premature labor) he would induce me, as long as the baby's lungs are mature. That way my lungs and kidneys will get some relief. I don't feel like I look huge out in front, but this baby is very high and bothering my ribs quite a bit. It would be nice if ribs came with hinges, I'd like to pop my right side out just a little.

So maybe this baby will get her little eviction notice the last week of November, as I will be 37 weeks the day after Thanksgiving.

Good News

2010-09-27T14:19:00.001-07:00

Today I'm feeling very blessed and thankful. Everything looked really good with the baby. They couldn't see anything of concern, she looks healthy. The dr said that there are a few conditions that can't be seen on ultra sound, but she is not concerned about them, as they are very rare.
My fluid levels were just up slightly from last week, so hopefully that will not get any worse. They will not try to do an amnio reduction unless I get to the point of not being able to tolerate the high levels of fluid. I am still considered at high risk for premature delivery. I will be getting double checked for gestational diabetes, just in case I have developed that sometime over the last few weeks.

This baby is quite the little chunky monkey. Last Tuesday she was weighing in around 2.14 pounds. Today she weighed in at 3.6 - 3.9 pounds. I will be going back in 4 weeks for a growth scan. Thankfully the baby is head down already, as I could see her running out of room to turn pretty quickly. Thank you for all of the prayers that have gone out for our little one. I don't think we could have received any better news today.

Worried

2010-09-25T15:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday marked the 28th week of my pregnancy. I found out on Tuesday at my checkup, that I am measuring no where near 28 weeks. The doctor was first concerned that I have been having flank pain again and shortness of breath when I am sitting upright. He grew even more concerned after he measured me. I was sent straight to the lab to have blood work done and an ultra sound of the baby and my kidneys. The doctor didn't tell me how far I'm measuring, other than I am way too big. So I came home and tried to measure myself. The top of my uterus should be somewhere around 3 to 3 1/2 inches above my belly button, it's 6 1/2 inches (which is where it should be at 37 weeks.) No wonder I feel like I can't breathe.
I found out that there is a couple of issues going on. First, the baby is measuring in the 95th percentile. They classified our not so little baby at high risk for macrosomia (big baby.) I was also diagnosed with way too much amniotic fluid, which is a condition called polyhydramnios. I don't have kidney stones like the doctor thought. I don't remember what he called the problem with my kidneys. Basically, urine is backing back up into my kidneys because they are being smashed by my uterus. It also explained the shortness of breath, as my lungs are being squished as well.

None of these things are wonderful, the least concerning is my kidneys, as they will recover after delivery. My lungs could become a problem though. If that becomes the case, they will have to do a procedure to remove fluid from my uterus or put me on some kind of medication that would reduce the baby's urine output. If I have to do either of these things, I would have to receive steroids to mature the baby's lungs, as both of these things, along with the other issues, put me at high risk for premature delivery.

There are many things that we are worried about. The macrosomia and too much amniotic fluid alone, put the baby and I at certain risks. Unfortunately, the polyhydramnios does put the baby at increased risk for some very serious things that could be very wrong with her. These things are so serious, I'm not even going to write about them, as I can not let my mind hardly go there. While it's not super likely that there is something wrong, (since they didn't see anything at my 18 week ultra sound,) there are multiple conditions that will need to be ruled out.

On Monday morning I have to go back to maternal fetal medicine for another ultra sound and meet with a perinatologist. I have read that there is a correlation between big babies and too much amniotic fluid. I'm hoping that's all that is going on, a big baby producing a lot of pee. So if you wouldn't mind, we could use a few extra prayers coming our way, that all will be well with our little one and that my body will tolerate what is taking place.

Hopefully my next post will be full of good news....with a few new pictures, of our not so little baby girl.

A Little Cat Nap

2010-09-25T15:26:00.000-07:00

Everyone needs a little nap sometimes...

27 Weeks

2010-09-17T08:06:00.001-07:00

Hello third trimester....which means I'm slightly more than 2/3rds of the way to this baby girls due date. For some reason, it sounds like forever. Thankfully I haven't had any more "kidney stone attacks." The sciatica has calmed down and I only have random shooting pains on my right side, but nothing like what was happening a few weeks ago.

I really need to try and force myself to go to bed before midnight every night. Since school started, I'm averaging between 5-6 hours of sleep every night before my crazy morning routine gets started for the day. I'm naturally a night owl and have never been a nap taker, but I take a daily morning nap that generally lasts 2-2 1/2 hours during the school week. One thing I really miss is our old water bed that we got rid of about 10 years ago. (Ok, how 80's does that sound?) I really missed it when I was pregnant with Jacob and I really miss it now. There are no pressure points on the body with a water bed and it's heated. I never had trouble sleeping when I was pregnant with the girls, but I toss and turn all night with aching shoulders and hips with this pregnancy. So my 5-6 hours of sleep at night is probably a little less than that, with all the turning I do constantly and a few trips to the bathroom thrown in as well.

I had my gestational diabetes screening and test for anemia. I've never had GD with any of my pregnancies, but I was anemic with Kelsey. The test results were normal for GD and I thought the results were normal for anemia, but then the drs. office emailed me and said that I was anemic. The baby was measuring large 3 weeks ago at my last appointment. The dr. told me he thought I might be having a large little girl. I told him that I had been hoping that since this baby was a girl, she might be a little smaller than the last baby I delivered and that I really didn't want to have a big baby. (The dr. just laughed at me, and told me he has delivered quite a few big baby girls.....I don't know what I think of that.) Since she was measuring on the larger side at my 18 week ultra sound, and still is measuring large, I will probably have another ultra sound in a few weeks to check on her weight. I really am hoping for a 7 pounder when she arrives....hey, I can hope right?

I'm sorry that this post is kind of full of complaints. We women know what were getting ourselves into, and we choose usually to do it again a few times. Somehow, it never seems so bad and hard once our little ones our placed into our arms though. (I think I'm still in a little denial that I actually have to give birth to this baby :)

First Day of School

2010-09-01T09:50:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of school. Everyone was in a pretty good mood. I have been up since 5 o'clock this morning, not because I needed to be of course...just couldn't sleep.

Jacob was off to his first day of 4th grade. How is that possible?
Emily was off to 7th grade...wow!

Kelsey was off to her very first day in high school. I'm excited for her, but it makes me sad at the same time. She is growing up so fast. This morning I figured out how long ago it was that I started high school....22 years....what!?!

24 Weeks

2010-08-29T19:40:00.001-07:00

So I'm beginning to become a little concerned as to where this little lady is going to fit for the next 3 months. She is already spending a lot of time curled up under my right ribs and it doesn't feel very good.

The last few weeks have been a little trying to say the least. I have had kidney stones, sciatica, tail bone pain and lots of braxton hicks contractions....sigh.

I love feeling her kick, it's something I've always really missed after each of my kids were born. I can hardly wait to meet her :)

Summer Camping Trip

2010-08-29T18:39:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we took the kids down to camp down on the Oregon Coast. The first night we camped in Cannon Beach and the next two nights we camped in Nehalem Beach. Kelsey brought along her good friend Nicole (aka Nico.) The older girls camped out in the tent, while the rest of the family camped in our new/old pop up tent trailer.
Last spring, my brother and Mike bought this 1973 trailer. Besides the colors not being too beautiful, it really is in pretty good condition.

One night, some kind of little critter was up on the side of the trailer scratching away, right behind my head and Mikes. I think it was trying to figure out how to get inside.

After listening to it for a few minutes, I asked Mike if he was awake and did he hear what I was hearing. He told me yes and that the noise was really starting to freak him out. All of a sudden the sound was on the other side of the trailer scratching right next to our feet. I finally grabbed the flash light and shined it right where I was hearing the noise. The little critter must have gotten scared because it was silent after that.

There were a few things that went on with our camping neighbors that was a little annoying.

If you have a annoying, yappy, barking dog that is going to bark at every single person walking by....leave it home!!! No one wants to listen to it for 48 hours.

Just because you are having a family reunion and take up 3 slots, doesn't mean it's okay to make LOTS OF NOISE every single minute you are awake (along with your stupid dog.)

If your 3 year old accidentally poops his pants, don't sit and scold him for 10 minutes while your wiping his poopy bottom, where your neighbors have a full view of it while their trying to eat dinner. Take him out of view to spare us your child's poop smeared rear.

Don't come to a state park to set up camp after quiet hours have begun. No one wants to listen to it at 10:45 pm and 12.a.m., two nights in a row.

If you have really annoying neighbors, it's okay to smile while you use your air pump after quiet hours because you forgot to do it earlier....it's a little pay back.

Camp fire time...

and of course a little beach time.

Over all, we had a pretty great time and look forward to doing it again.

Birthday Balloon Release

2010-08-29T17:50:00.000-07:00

We've had a lot of "firsts" already. Easter, Father's Day, my parent's anniversary, 4th of July dinner and fireworks, and my Dad's birthday.

All which his presence has been missed, including each day that has passed.

We went out to the cemetery as a family and brought him some flowers and a little laminated birthday greeting.

We gathered around him and sang Happy Birthday.....

and released our balloons with little notes attached.

Off the balloons went together....heaven bound, into the beautiful evening sky.

(The little frog I caught in the grass.)

Memorial Day

2010-08-29T17:24:00.001-07:00

I have meant to post these pictures of the cemetery from Memorial Day weekend. The flags every where were so pretty.

Stars and Stripes Forever

by John Philip Sousa

Hurrah for the flag of the free! May it wave as our standard forever. The gem of the land and the sea, the banner of the right.

Let despots remember the day

When our fathers with mighty endeavor

Proclaimed as they marched to the fray

That by the might and the right

It waves forever.

He's a roof man, painter and gutter cleaner....

2010-08-29T14:55:00.000-07:00

I asked my brother Brett if he could come over and climb up on our roof and help us finish painting one small section of the house that we had been unable to reach last summer.
I'm sure it's exactly what he wanted to be doing on a Saturday. On top of painting part of a wall for us, he decided he needed to clean all of our gutters and blow the roof off for us.

I'm sure he saved us hundreds of dollars last week.Thank you again for your spider man skills Brett.

22 Weeks

2010-08-12T17:57:00.000-07:00

How come no one tells you how much more taxing on the body it is to be pregnant in your mid 30's than it is to be pregnant in your mid 20's? Is that why all the paper work at the doctor's office says I'm high risk and elderly? (Yes, it really says elderly.) All because I'm just a hair over 35....ridiculous I know.

This pregnancy is moving along so far at a pretty decent rate, although I think my poor body is already a little tired.

Can it just be December already?

Jacob's 9th Birthday

2010-07-26T20:54:00.000-07:00

Today, my not so little boy turned 9 years old....his last birthday with a single digit number.

We celebrated with chocolate fudge cake, with dark chocolate fudge frosting, decorated with junior mints, chocolate sprinkles and a side of mint chocolate chip ice cream.

While I was frosting the cake, I kept thinking about how much my Dad would have enjoyed this cake...with a glass of milk of course. When Emily saw the cake she commented right away how much Papa would have loved this cake....we all know how much he loved his chocolate.

Jacob was thinking he only wanted us to give him money this year, but I couldn't quite bring myself to only putting money in a card...so he got one present and a card with a some cash.

A little cash....

and a R2-D2 remote control thankfully brought smiles to his face.

The dogs were taking all the love they could get from their Nana....it was hot today and some pregnant lady that lives in the house wouldn't let them sit on her lap today.

Some clothes and some more cash from Nana brought some more smiles to this little man who is already planning his next trip to Target.

Happy 9th Birthday Jacob.....we love you!!!

18 Week Ultrasound

2010-07-20T22:22:00.000-07:00

We had our 18 week ultrasound today. Thankfully everything so far has checked out healthy for our little lady. As usual, this little one was moving around like crazy making it hard for the tech to get all the shots and she kept having to try over and over again to get everything that she needed....eventually she did succeed though :) The tech wanted to know what I had for lunch and if it was sugary. I told her no, just a tortilla with cheese and some cantaloupe....but then I remembered that I had eaten a small piece of lemon meringue pie in between breakfast and lunch...woops....the tech thought that might have been why our little one was acting hyper active.
She was weighing in at 10 1/2 ounces, which puts her in the 68 percentile for weight. I'm hoping that she will not be as big of a baby as Jacob. After delivering him, maybe this one will just slip on out!

Yes, my doctor was right...she is all girl. We are still working on names, but I'm hoping we are about there...I'm tired of her just being known as "she".

The little arrow is pointing to her left pinkie finger.

And last but not least...the lovely little alien baby picture...yikes!

My 18 1/2 week belly picture taken by Kelsey.

I have always loved this picture. This is a 18 week baby....it's hard to believe that our little one is so developed that she can suck her thumb.

For other news, I do really need to spend a little time playing catch up on things that have gone on over the last two months. The computer I normally use is acting up and almost all my pictures that I have taken are on it. I hate to post without pictures, so as soon as Mike works his magic on the kitchen computer, I will spend a little time updating.

It's a ......

2010-07-06T22:08:00.000-07:00

Today I went in for my 16 week check-up on the baby to see how everything was going. Mike was unable to get out of work today, so I asked Emily if she would like to go with me to hear the baby's heart beat. She has been super excited about getting to go. The last time I went in, the doctor found the heart beat right away and the baby was moving all over the place. Today, when the doctor went to listen to the heart beat with the doppler, the only thing he could find was a very slow, quiet heart beat.

I was concerned immediately about the pace and I said to the doctor, that the heart beat was way too slow. He told me that the doppler was picking up my heart beat and that he hadn't been able to find the baby yet. No matter where he put the doppler, there was silence. I looked over at Emily and she looked like she was going to burst into tears. I told her everything was fine, even though I was trying not to freak out myself. The doctor told us that he wasn't worried yet, but that we would need to go to a different room with him to do an ultrasound.

I think it took everything I had, to not burst into tears when I sat down on the ultrasound table. Thankfully, right away we were able to see the baby's heart beating and everything looked fine. I couldn't resist myself and asked the doctor if he was able to tell what we were having. I told him that I didn't think that Mike would be too upset with me for finding out with out him. We are supposed to have our big ultrasound on the 20th when I'm 18 1/2 weeks. He was able to tell almost right away and got a good little shot of the baby's bottom, where there was three little lines......I looked over at Emily and she was grinning from ear to ear.

Emily and I tried to think of a way to share our little secret with the rest of the family. So we stopped at Hallmark on the way home and picked up a cute little pair of baby socks. We wrapped them up and had Jacob, Mike and Kelsey sit on the couch together after dinner, and explained all about our scary adventure that we had.

Here is Mike unwrapping the surprise that would tell them what we were having. I love the looks on their faces. My mom already knew, because she was insistent that we tell her right away when we stopped by her house to tell about what had happened.

Can you tell by Jacob's reaction to the color of the socks what the baby is?

It's a GIRL!!!

Thankfully, Mike wasn't upset with me for finding out and told me he knew all along that it was a girl. Jacob is warming up to the idea, he had really had his little heart set on a little brother. He is actually taking it a lot better than I thought he would. He even told me tonight that he thinks he wants to be in the room when the baby is born. I don't know what I think of that yet. I've always had pretty smooth deliveries, but I would feel horrible if the kids had to witness something scary. The kids watch a lot of baby shows with births, so I think they would know what to expect.....but, I'm going to have to think about his request.

We didn't get a picture today, but this is what a 16 week baby would look like if you could take a peek.

Here is my 16 1/2 week belly. Don't look to closely at me....it was after 10 p.m. when Kelsey took this picture of me....my hair has gone flat....and all my make up has melted off. So far I've only gained about 2 pounds....I wish that I could count the weight that I have put on the last few years towards this pregnancy, but unfortunately it doesn't work like that!

8th Grade Celebration Dance

2010-06-15T19:00:00.001-07:00

"I hope your dreams take you.....
to the corners of your smiles, to the highest of your hopes,
to the windows of your opportunities,
and to the most special places your heart has ever known." author unknown

Kelsey graduates from middle school this week......We are very proud of all that you have accomplished. We love you!!

Our Little Jumping Bean

2010-06-07T22:18:00.000-07:00

Today Mike and I went in for my 12 week ultrasound. The baby was moving all over the place. At first its little arms were waving and then it kept bouncing back and forth, almost like it was kicking its legs and shooting itself backwards....it went back and forth the entire time the tech was trying to do the ultrasound. It even looked liked he or she had the hiccups! The ultrasound tech said that we have a very active little baby.

Everything looked very healthy and the baby was measuring 3 days ahead of the last ultrasound I had done. The girls are still hoping for a little girl, and Jacob is hoping to increase the male population in our house. I did get one quick glimpse of this little ones genital tubercle and it looked like it was pointing more north than south. All little girl and boy parts start out looking the same, but they do point in different directions.....boys more up....and little girls point more down. So just maybe....Jacob will be getting his wish. It will be fun to find out what this little one actually is next month. We are so thankful that everything is looking really healthy so far.
Above is our baby at somewhere between 12.3 and 12.6 weeks of life. Below are some neat pictures that I found on getty images of a 12 week old baby, so this is what baby McKean would look like if you could take a sneak peek at him or her. For those of you who don't know what the "CRL" means on the little baby ticker over to the right, that means how long the baby is from head to bottom - the crown rump length. They never measure the whole length of a baby until much later in pregnancy. Keep growing healthy and strong little one, we are so excited for you to be joining our family.

Our New Little Addition

2010-05-19T12:12:00.000-07:00

Okay.....so I've been keeping a little secret. We really haven't told many people, but we will be adding a new little one to our family sometime around Dec. 17th. My children have been busy telling the world, even though they were asked to keep the news quiet for a while.

This picture was taken 3 weeks ago, at 6 1/2 weeks. I have had the little baby craving going on for a couple of years now. We weren't trying for this baby.....just not worrying about if it happened or not. My lady system has been very screwed up for a couple of years now, and the nurse at my doctors office told me she was very surprised I was even able to get pregnant.

One friend wrote me after hearing the news, that this little one was "Our ray of sunshine...our little rainbow per se....after a crumby, crumby year." I loved that! Our own little rainbow after the storm.....we can't wait to meet you! We are loving you already!!!

First Track Meet of the Year

2010-05-13T20:42:00.001-07:00

Last Thursday was the first track meet of the season for the middle school. Both Emily and Kelsey are participating this year.

Emily and Fiona

Emily ran the 800 and survived.....

Nico and Kelsey

Kelsey ran the 4x200 meter relay race.....that is her to the far left just starting out.

Yikes....someone is about to catch up with her!! Kelsey's group ended up getting disqualified. The girl Kelsey had to hand off her baton to, started running too early.

When we were leaving, a whole family of deer walked all the way with us to our (very dirty) car.

Our Maui Trip

2010-05-12T18:36:00.000-07:00

Warning - lots of pictures!! Mike and I got back from our trip to Maui late last Wednesday. We had a really nice time and it was the most relaxed I've felt in a really long time. We stayed in a wonderful condo that was literally right on the ocean. We could not have had a more fabulous view. The condo was my favorite part of the whole trip. I spent a lot of time just laying on the couch looking out at the view and listening to the waves.
This is the view that we had from the lanai. We sat here a lot all through out the day and ate breakfast outside every morning. The water was so clear, that we could see fish and giant sea turtles swimming in the ocean. How neat is that!?!

This is a picture looking out to the right of the lanai. We swam in the pool a couple of times and only had to share the pool once with other people.

We watched for a few minutes as this giant tuna was gutted.

I believe this was called Twin Falls park (there were mosquitoes there - hate them!)

I took a ton of pictures of flowers, they were too pretty to pass up!

This was a really neat Banyon tree that was in Lahaina and it took up one whole street corner. It was amazing! I think it was some where around 160 years old. The tree sends down vines, and once they touch the ground, the vines turn into a new trunk. These new trunks then support the heavy branches that reach out. It reminded us of something at Disneyland.

We took a drive up to a winery on the island. The drive was pretty with rolling hills, miles and miles of lava rock walls and lots of pretty, purple blooming trees.

The winery has only been in operation for around 35-40 years and was originally the home site for some different wealthy people and different kings used to come and stay there. The grounds were filled with some really old trees that were just fabulous.

One thing that I was not expecting when we went to Maui, was how barren and dry it is there. The ocean was beautiful, but the land was kind of ugly. The places that were pretty, were really only peoples properties, hotel sites and at our condo we rented. I was always really happy to just go back to our condo and stare out at our view, it was the best view we saw any where.

There was a bad brush fire that started right south of the town we were staying in. We just happened to be coming back from our drive to the winery right after it had started. So we got to sit in some bad traffic and watch as the helicopters tried to put out the fire. The fire burned through the night and they ended up having to close the road into town. So the next day we couldn't leave the town we were staying in.

All in all we had a wonderful time. It was pretty warm and humid the whole time we were there. We just cooled ourselves off with treats like gelato and coconut milk ice cream - that stuff is great! We did have one little misadventure when Mike accidentally locked the rental car keys in the trunk of the car. Thankfully we were at the condo and not out somewhere. The rental car place drove 45 minutes to bring us a key and didn't charge us one penny. We just tipped the lady and called it good. It kind of made up a little for the car being a piece of junk. It was a 2007 Chrysler and it only reaffirmed our love for Japanese cars. So anyways, we had a wonderful time and can't wait to do something like this again.

Something To Look Forward To

2010-04-14T12:40:00.000-07:00

Lahaina, Maui (Picture taken from the Internet)

The morning that we were getting ready for Dad's funeral, Mike had to call into a meeting for work. I remember feeling slightly annoyed that they had asked him to call in. Mike has telephone conference calls that he does every Tuesday from the house. They involve people in his immediate office and also some of the head people in Atlanta that run the company. Mike wasn't looking forward to the call. He thought he might be getting a lecture on the fact that the group of people he manages, were slightly behind on their tasks. Little did he know, there would be no lecture in that phone call.

Mike's boss announced during the conference call who would be receiving the companies employee award this year. This award goes to an employee who went above and beyond their required duties. Mike was speechless when they announced that he was being given the award this year and that we would be getting a four day paid trip to St. Martin. When he told me about it after he got off the phone, I thought he was joking.

The trip was planned for the end of April with some of the people that are in charge of the company. We had the option of going on the trip or receiving the money that would be spent on the trip. We looked over the dates and details....two full days of travel....and two full days in St. Martin. We had a hard time deciding what to do. In the end, we decided to take the money and plan our own trip. When Mike and I were married....cough...cough...coming up on 17 years ago, we went to Hawaii on our honeymoon. We decided then that we would try and make it back for our 10th anniversary. Well, it never happened. All our trips are to California, Utah, Disneyland, the Oregon coast etc., (kid friendly trips.)

The end of April we will be heading to Lahaina, Maui and staying in a condo right on the beach, for six nights and seven days. It makes me smile to just think about it. I've been psychically and mentally exhausted lately, so I'm hoping this trip will be good for my soul. A chance to breathe, relax and spend some alone time with Mike. The kids will be staying with my Mom, so I'm sure they will be nice company for her.

So let the count down begin..... only 14 days until we will feel the warm sun upon us!

Four Weeks

2010-04-07T23:47:00.000-07:00

This evening marked four weeks since losing Dad. I don't know where four weeks has gone, and that kind of scares me. I think that I like the first stage of grief better than the second. Good old denial. It's much better than the next stage: pain. Over the last month I have thought a few times, that just maybe, I would wake up and Dad would still be here. I kept thinking that denial was a strange phase. Hadn't I just watched my Dad deteriorate before my eyes? My family and I held his hands for five days straight, we watched him struggle for every breath and then heard and watched as he took his final few breaths of life. How could I possibly feel that in any way what he or we had just been through, was all just a nightmare? Denial has a way of making you feel like you are a little wacky in the head.

I have to function for my kids. They have to go to school, they need their lunches made, dinner cooked for them, and their homework looked after. But I know that "I'm" not really there right now, I'm just going through the motions, my mind is a million miles away. I hear very little that is said to me. I'm preoccupied with the thought of my Dad not being here anymore....all the time. Almost like a red blinking light before my eyes....he's gone.....he's gone...... My heart aches, my soul is weary, and the rest of me just feels numb. I'm thankful that I don't have any guilt over anything. I have nothing that I would have changed or done differently regarding my Dad. I gave him all I had to give, and I think he knew that. I didn't just tell him that I loved him, I showed him the love that I had for him. That alone, is a small comfort in this deep sea of grief.

I remember a few weeks ago making a comment about feeling like most of the things that I pray about, that I don't get the answer I'm hoping for. I wanted Dad to some how just be okay, I wanted one more miracle for him. Last night I came across this quote, and it instantly struck me that I needed to learn from it. "People who pray for miracles, don't usually get miracles.....But people who pray for courage, for strength to bear the unbearable, for the grace to remember what they have left, instead of what they have lost, very often find their prayers answered.....Their prayers help them tap hidden reserves of faith and courage which were not available to them before." - Harold S. Kushner

Two weeks ago when I was mowing, I had this strange sensation that my Dad was walking beside me. I remember thinking that if his spirit was near, what an odd place and time for him to show up. I couldn't let the opportunity pass by though, and I whispered to him, ...."I love you Dad."

He may have taken a piece of my heart with him, but he will forever be a part of my heart that is left. "To live in the hearts that we leave behind is not to die." - Thomas Campbell-Leo Buscaglia

I love you Dad........

Easter 2010

2010-04-04T22:24:00.000-07:00

Today we had a Easter brunch at our house with our family, Nana, Uncle Brett, our nephew Trevor and our neighbor Parker (who's family was out of town.) After brunch we all headed over to the cemetery to take Dad some Easter flowers. Dad's headstone was up last Sunday when we visited, but it was pouring rain and we didn't remember to bring our camera. Hopefully they will get the grass in soon in this section. The wind was blowing and it had knocked over a lot of the flowers that people had brought. The kids enjoyed walking all over the cemetery fixing everything that had fallen over.

Something about seeing his name on this headstone is very surreal for me. I know he is no longer with us, but there is a big part of me that wants to think he is just off flying on a work trip. I guess he is on a different kind of trip. Dad's just flying with angel wings instead.

(Mom with Dad)

(Brett and I with Dad)

Emily made Papa his own egg.

Dad's Memorial Slide Show

2010-03-26T10:12:00.000-07:00

http://vimeo.com/10453078
On the far right corner of the slide show, there is a little symbol with four arrows, click on that to watch it in full view.

Dedicating Dad's Grave

2010-03-26T09:38:00.000-07:00

When we had Dad's funeral on 3/16/10, we were not allowed to go to the grave site. My brother Brett had to dedicate the grave where the service had taken place. Grandpa Layton advised that Brett rededicate Dad's site when we went back to see Dad's spot two days later. Brett, you did a wonderful job, Dad would be proud of you.

Notes to Papa

2010-03-26T09:18:00.001-07:00

One of Dad's co-workers brought balloons for the grandchildren to write notes to Papa and release them up to heaven after Dad's memorial service. I'm sure Papa enjoyed reading the notes as much as the kids enjoyed sending them to him. I think we may have to make a tradition out of this.

Dad's Military Funeral

2010-03-24T22:32:00.000-07:00

Kenneth James Childs military funeral at

Tahoma National Cemetery 3/16/2010 - Kent, WA.

The following poem was read during Dad's service....

Do not stand at my grave and weep;
I am not there, I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow
I am the diamond glints on snow.

I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the mornings hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.

I am the soft stars that shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there, I did not die.
by Mary Frye

My brother Brett dedicating the grave.

Trevor and Jacob inspecting where the guns were shooting.

All the family that were in attendance for Dad's funeral.

From far left - Scott, Kelsey, Emily, Aunt Jan (Dad's sister) Mom, Brett, Mike, Jamie, cousin Marshall, Grandpa Layton,

Front row - Trevor, Jacob, Aunt Deidre

In Loving Memory of Dad

2010-03-24T22:13:00.001-07:00

Kenneth James Childs

8/3/1945-3/10/2010

Afterglow

by Helen Lowrie Marshall

I'd like the memory of me

to be a happy one.

I'd like to leave an afterglow

of smiles when life is done.

I'd like to leave an echo

whispering softly down the ways,

Of happy times and laughing times

and bright and sunny days.

I'd like the tears of those who grieve,

to dry before the sun,

Of happy memories that I leave

when life is done.

Dad, we will miss you until we meet again.

We love you.....

CaringBridge Website For My Dad

2010-02-15T22:49:00.000-08:00

My Dad's health has been declining and I have decided to create a website for him on CaringBridge. This site is for people who have serious health complications in their lives. For those of you who are unaware of what has been taking place, you can click on "My Story". To get recent updates you can click on "Journal". Your prayers are welcome and needed at this time.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/kenchilds/journal

Bad Hair

2010-02-13T19:51:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when you let your uncle Brett style your hair. Jacob has been "growing" his hair out. He seems to think that if he grows it kind of long, he will get an Afro. I've had to explain several times to him that it doesn't work that way. I told him the only way he will get curly hair is if we give him a perm....so now he wants one. Sorry buddy, I don't think it's gonna happen. I'll be coming after him tonight with my scissors.

4.0

2010-02-11T17:09:00.000-08:00

Miss Em received an award today for having a 4.0 for the first semester of school. We are very proud of her for working so hard. It had been a goal of hers and we are so happy for her that she was able to achieve it. Kelsey just missed the award and brought home a 3.945 on her report card. Great job girls, you make us very proud!!!

Too Much Novocain

2010-02-10T11:38:00.000-08:00

I had a not so wonderful visit to the dentist this morning, which involved a little too much Novocain. It seems a little over done when half your nose goes numb straight down the middle.

Music Ensemble

2010-02-06T16:56:00.001-08:00

Emily was in a music ensemble today. She and her friend Fiona played a duet on their flutes. The instructor told them that they both were doing a very nice job and was surprised that they have been only playing since the end of September.

The ensemble was held at Stadium High School in Tacoma. This is the high school where they filmed one of our favorite movies, 10 Things I Hate About You. This is a public school and there are views over looking the Puget Sound throughout most of the school.

Adios Braces

2010-02-01T12:07:00.000-08:00

September 2007

Kelsey had her braces removed this morning. She has had them on since the week before Thanksgiving 2007. She was very excited until I told her I wanted to take before and after pictures. She informed me that I had plenty of 'before' pictures and that she didn't like it that I document everything. She managed to force a few smiles for me. It's kind of amazing to see how much my baby has grown up on me in 2 and 1/2 years.

Cranberry Pork Roast

2010-01-30T18:43:00.000-08:00

We tried another new recipe tonight, this one was also very easy, moist and yummy. It went over well with the kids too. This recipe and picture are from http://www.sisterscafe.blogspot.com/.

Cranberry Pork Roast

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

1, 2-4 lb pork roast

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 can whole cranberry sauce

salt and pepper

Place the rings of onion in crock pot, sprinkle the roast with salt and pepper. Place the roast on top of the onions. Pour the 2 Tbsp. of soy sauce on top of the roast. Dispense the cranberry sauce on the top of the roast. Cook on low for 6 hours. About one hour before serving, shred the pork with two forks. That way it will soak up all the juices and the roast will be very tender.

Red and White Baked Pasta

2010-01-30T09:58:00.000-08:00

We tried a new recipe the other night, every one really enjoyed it. The kids even had seconds, and that is a little rare in my house. It was also really easy to make. I got this recipe and picture from http://www.realmomkitchen.com/.

Red & White Baked Pasta

4 cups dry penne noodles

1 (15oz.) jar Alfredo sauce

1 (24oz) jar marinara sauce

2 cups mozzarella cheese

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (or 1 5oz. container)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook and drain pasta according to the package directions. Mix the two sauces together in a large mixing bowl. Add mozzarella cheese and combine. Add drained pasta. Pour into a 9x13 casserole dish and bake about 20-25 minutes until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle Parmesan on top and bake another five minutes. Sprinkle with fresh, chopped Italian parsley before serving.

The Mean Older Sister

2010-01-27T22:33:00.000-08:00

One of Kelsey's electives this year at school is a drama class. The end of the semester test is to put on a play for the student's families. Kelsey was given the lead in her play, she played the part of the mean older sister.

The part that Mike and I found comical about the whole thing, was that the teacher gave out the parts by matching the kids with what she thought would fit them most.

Emily thought she played the part perfectly....and so did we!

A Little Fort

2010-01-27T22:26:00.001-08:00

Jacob and Trevor spent the night at my mom's house on Saturday and built a little fort to sleep in. They spent the next day playing with Star Wars action figures under it.

One Loved Baby

2010-01-27T22:09:00.000-08:00

Gianna rarely was put down during her five day visit, she spent the entire time being passed between everyone.

Meeting Brett and Papa....
Papa loves babies!

A little cuddle time with Nana.....

and Aunt Jamie and Uncle Mike.

(I'm wondering if Gianna was having flashbacks of all the pictures I took of her when she was born? She will probably associate me with flashing lights! )

Meeting Gianna

2010-01-23T13:10:00.000-08:00

Mike's sister Jenny came up to visit this week from California and brought our new little niece Gianna. Everyone has been very excited to meet her. These pictures capture every ones first time getting to hold her.

Grandpa McKean

Grandma McKean

Aunt Kim

Emily has enjoyed Gianna a lot and seems to have a very natural mothering instinct.

We're going to miss her.

A January Sunset

2010-01-06T18:36:00.000-08:00

Tonight while I was cooking dinner, Jacob came in the room and said "Oh...look Mom!"

So I turned around and saw the beauty of the sky.
We don't get to see many sunsets this time of year in the NW.
It made me want to head south for the winter just a little less.

Christmas

2009-12-27T12:52:00.001-08:00

Another Christmas has come and gone.

(My oldest brother Scott and his son Trevor.)
This is the first Christmas in 18 years that all of us siblings have actually been together.

We gave the kids a Wii for Christmas. It's getting played about 8 hours a day.

(My right shoulder is a little sore after playing with the Wii. Does that mean I'm getting old?)

Christmas Band Concert

2009-12-18T08:41:00.001-08:00

Last night was the girls first band concert for the school year. They are both playing the flute, so now we have a grand total of 3 flute players in the house.

Emily is in the Beginning Band and practices all the time, and when I say all the time.....I mean ALL THE TIME. She was quite nervous last night before the concert started.

Kelsey is in both the Jazz and Symphonic Bands. She plays the flute for both and also accompanies the Jazz Band on the piano on a few songs. The Jazz Band practices before school at 7:25 in the morning twice a week. Even though she hasn't taken piano lessons for about a year and a half, she completely taught herself the songs, and they were not easy. Kelsey really seems to have a very natural gift on the piano and I really need to talk her into resuming her lessons. I can just picture her rolling her eyes when she reads this. She practices up in her room on a keyboard with the volume turned down so no one can hear her. (I think she doesn't want her mother critiquing her.)