Jakob's Future Career Choices

Doctor or Dentist:


Architect or Engineer:


Tattoo Artist or Chip-N-Dale:
(it's hard to see, but Jake drew Spiderman on Brock's tummy as well as his own)

Micah, Come on Down!

My cute sister Kar had her baby yesterday! Little Micah Hale S. made his debut at 5:45 a.m. Friday morning. Kar had been having Braxton Hicks all through the night Wednesday, so she didn't really sleep well. Then Thursday all day she continued the Braxton Hicks, but they were really intense, and turned into labor pains Thursday night. She said everything went really well, he's already eating like a champ, and Kar seemed to be doing and feeling really well. He is 7 lbs. even, and 21 1/2 inches (I think...). My mom told me Dylan kept saying, "We can't name my brother Micah; that's a girl's name." Dylan and Sadie both seem excited about their new brother.

I didn't get very many pictures because my camera batteries were dying, but here's what I got:

Here's Ben kissing his cute son:


Proud papa:


Little Micah:


And Kar's newest family picture:


Congrats, Kar! P.S.-we're thinking of doing a joint baby blessing, tentatively planned for June 22. We'll let everyone know for sure if that's the date, and which ward we'll end up doing it in.

Have Mercy!

The poor girl gets mauled at every turn! But we just can't help but kiss her, and kiss her, and kiss her...







...even her feet aren't exempt from kisses!

Bet you wouldn't be able to keep your lips off of this face, either!

I'm still trying to get the hang of doing the girly thing with the hair. And right now, this look...


...still kind of reminds me of this look...


I hope I get better at it!

The Graduate

Today Jakob graduated from preschool. To give you an idea of how it went:

My son is SOOO not a performer in front of a group. Singing in the primary program? Forget it! His class did the Pledge of Allegiance, and a thing called Zoophonics, and sang a few songs. And Jakob stood by my side the whole time. Yeah, glad I went to watch all the other hammy kids do their thing.

The funny thing is, Jakob can be a super ham at home. He's always pulling faces for the camera and being spazzy with his brothers. Here he is at the park:



And here he is as Ironman. He figures out things to wear to make him into different superheroes. So creative!






I guess I only have myself to blame. My mom told me that's exactly how I was. I would shy out when it came to performances of any kind. And maybe that's why I enjoyed piano, because it was just one on one, and performances (during which I usually choked) were only a couple of times a year. So, we'll see how T-ball goes for him.


Here he is with Miss Karla after it was all over. And there's his super smile, because it wasn't in front of everyone! *sigh* Jakob has learned so much this year, and grown a ton. Look out, kindergarten!

Oh Happy Day!

Guess what? I'm back in my pre-pregnancy jeans as of today! I'm a little muffin-toppy, but right now that doesn't matter. It's nice to have something feel normal.

And, I needed to give a shout-out to my sister-in-law Kelly. She had her boy Jack last Tuesday. Here are some pictures of the cutie (thanks, Amy!). Congrats, Kelly and Mark! Hopefully it will be sooner than later when we get the chance to see him in person.

Also, I promise when I get the chance and am feeling in control a bit more, I'll post more pics of our Ivy. Right now I still feel a bit like her:

My Milkshakes

So...this is the new me. Well, it was a couple of days ago. Sans tattoo, sans 30 pounds of makeup. Okay, I looked like good ol' Pamela Anderson between the throat and the waist. Because even if you're not nursing your newborn, your body still insists on making milk.

Some of you may wonder, "Why in the world would you deny your baby her mother's milk? After all, 'Breast is best'!" I love my baby, but honestly what I've found works best for me is not nursing. Let me take you through a little history of my experiences with nursing.

Jakob: He ate every hour and a half. And during growth spurts, it was every 40 minutes. My land, just feed me hay and call me Bessie! FYI to those of you who have never had a baby: EVERYTHING is emotional, from getting your mail to what you had for lunch. So feeding him that often really took a toll on me emotionally. We did alright though, but when I started him on solids at 5 1/2 months, I started formula, too, and felt...light and free.

Brock: We just couldn't get our act together at night. He was in a bassinet next to our bed, so I would just lift him out to feed him. But when it takes three or four tries to get a good latch going, in between I would be spraying him and myself and my bedsheets. So after finally getting it all worked out, and it was time for me to attempt to sleep again, I would have to either lay in my own milk or sleep in a position even contortionists would find uncomfortable. At two months I tried supplementing just one feeding, which quickly turned to two, and so on. I was never happier.

Troy: I started right off with formula. He was sleeping through the night at three weeks old (nope, not a typo-three WEEKS). And before that he would get up only once or twice during the night. He was a super chill baby, but also it takes longer for formula to digest, and it's easier for a baby to drink from a bottle. It rocked. I could one-handed feed while helping my other children with things during the day. I could even let other people hold him and feed him.

Ivy: Her brothers LOVE holding her, and feeding her. And they can! And because I had experienced the Pam Anderson look with Troy, I was more prepared for it this time around. Thanks, Vicodin and ice packs! So far she gets up about twice a night to eat.

Obviously, I'm pro formula, but that only goes as far as pro formula for myself. Each to their own. Some women love to nurse. Some women can't stand it. Some babies can't handle formula; some do better with it. I say do what you want; I'm just grateful that formula has come as far as it has so my baby can get what she needs, and I can get what I need emotionally. I still feel like I bond with my baby, maybe even more so with a bottle because she looks up at my face instead of in toward my armpit.

Yes, formula is expensive, but it's worth every penny for my sanity. And since there's very little of that right now (YAHOO for hormones!) I'll take every bit I can get!

And now I'll get off my soapbox.

More Ivy

A “poisonous” plant that can cause an itchy skin rash. A League of schools whose degrees are worth their weight in gold. A decorative plant that climbs up walls. An apparatus used to administer a fluid intravenously. The Roman numeral “4”. In a song with Holly. What little lambs eat. OUR DAUGHTER!

Hey, it's Nat again. I daresay that Pete did an amazing job of filling everyone in on the birth of our girl. Just a few side notes for ya:

She was 6 lbs. 13 oz., right in line with our boys. (Jake 6 lbs. 11 oz., Brock a hefty 7 lbs. 1 oz., Troy 6 lbs. 12 oz.)

She was 20 inches long, 1/2 an inch longer than all our boys were. Maybe she'll be one of those mile-long leg chicks when she grows up.

Yes, we realized her initials are IMP (a mischievous fairy). Her middle name, Marie is a combination of her two grandmothers' names: Marianne + Cheri. My middle name is a combo of my two grandmas' names, Jetta + Nellie = JeNell. We thought that would be a cool thing to pass on. And now you know!

Her brothers LOVE her. Love, love, love her. They can't get enough! But neither can Pete nor I. She's such a cutie! She loves to eat already, and I hope she packs on the chub fast, because I love baby chub. She already has the cheeks going, which gives me hope that she'll get and keep cheeks like Brock has. I still pinch his cheeks every day; he may end up having cheek issues when he gets older.

Well, I'm getting somewhat loopy, so I'll just put up some pictures, because that's what you really want, huh? And I aim to please.



So tiny! Pete won't let me put up any pictures of him with Ivy yet. He needs a haircut and shave very badly, so right now he's kind of a hairy beast. Maybe tomorrow after his haircut. P.S.-those are "newborn" size clothes, and they're drowning her!








Jakob has been the most aware of his baby sister coming. He started crying when he found out he wouldn't be taking her home that first night.












Here's the big helper again, feeding Ivy.








My mom and dad with Ivy. (Mom, if you want this or any of these pictures, I can show you the really easy way to copy them straight from the blog.)




Troy loves the "bee-bee"!














Brock is already so protective! He was the same way with Troy when he was born. He grabbed on and wouldn't let go. He constantly wants to hold her.














The good big older brothers. I feel bad for any future suitors-those guys will have a tough time getting through the three older brothers.

The Ivy Cometh

Ok, off the bat, this isn't Nat. This is her loving, kind and endearing husband Pete fresh from the hospital with pictures of our new bundle of joy. Ivy Marie P. was born this afternoon at 1:06 PM after two phenomenal pushes by her loving mother. It was good times. Here are the pictures to prove it.

So here she is. I think she looks a lot like Brock when he was born. Maybe a bit less hair, but those cheeks sure have chub potential.

Here's all of us at the hospital today with our new addition. Gotta admit Nat is looking really hot for having birthed a child today.

Here she is just moments after being born.

And here's another shot of her all cuddled up in her blanky. So cute! (yeah that was kind of girly, but I don't care)

Here's my girls. Nat is surely going to kill me for posting this one lol.

K, so this one is mostly for my mom to show her how much hair my Ivy has. All my kids were born with loads of hair. This is just another example of this phenomenon.

If You Don't Like Raspberries, Don't Look!

Yep. My boys love blowing raspberries. And my belly is the perfect firmness, ripe for the fabulous "ppppfffftttthhhhpppp" noise.

And, because you already think I'm super amazing, here's a little poem I made up that you'll love (or you'll love me anyway, in spite of my poem) :

'Twas the night before baby, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

The mom had cleaned everything,
Except the gross floor
Though her pelvis was hurting,
Then she said, "Hey, no more!"

The boys were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of baby sisters danced in their heads.

The dishes were done,
The hospital bag packed,
The camera batteries charged,
Not a thing did she lack.

The mom enjoyed her final moments with three
While baby girl kicked in her stomach with glee.

The excitement arises,
The moment has come!
In the morning I'll be drugged;
From waist down I'll be numb!

And then it's all over,
And soon I will birth "it"!
We'll see our new baby-
The waiting well worth it!


I know, I'm totally Dr. Seuss in the making!

Nesting Gone Wrong

Dear Duckie shower curtain:

I'm so sorry I accidentally maimed you. You were a good curtain. You've been with me since college. I've loved you, and moved you, and enjoyed the privacy you gave me.

I didn't want to hurt you. Actually, I was trying to clean you, and thought I'd take the easy route and put you in my clothes washer. I didn't know you would take it so hard.

Well, so long, Duckie. It's been a wonderful friendship. I'll have to try and replace the irreplaceable.

With love, your brokenhearted former owner, Nat

Name that Villain

Jakob: Dark Vader! (used to be Dark Wader)

Brock: Garf Weeder!

Troy: Raaar!

You know, I think it really would make more sense if he was "Dark Vader". After all, he doesn't join the "Darth Side", does he!

Baby Update

Guess what? My countdown thingy is officially wrong after today's doctor visit! My little girl has been resting her head on a nerve or something, and it's made what was a slight discomfort after long-ish walks into excruciating pain at all times across my pelvic bone and into both of my legs. So, my awesome doctor has taken pity on me and will induce me this coming Sunday-Mother's Day! YAHOO!!! Unless I go into labor sooner, which is a possibility given my boys have all come about 2 weeks early. But Sunday is the end of this long, long, long pregnancy! *sigh* I love modern medicine.

The Ghostlight

Do you own Cars the movie? If so, go to the feature "Mater and the Ghostlight". Very cute.

We've been setting up Jakob's and Brock's new room downstairs. Their new room is HUGE, and there's a ceiling light in the middle, but near Jakob's side it's a little dark. So we bought a lamp. It's a touch lamp, which reminds me of a lamp my Grandma Watts had when I was little-I thought it was the coolest thing that you could just touch it and it would turn on.

But...this light turns on by itself. I'll touch it off, and then a minute or so later I go in the room and it's on the lowest setting. What's up with that? I thought maybe it was the boys turning it on, but nope-they were out of the room this morning when it turned itself on. Kinda creepy. I tried the bottom plug of the same outlet, and same thing. So...maybe I'll try the other outlet in their room? Or we just live with a possessed lamp, I guess.

To Catch a Thief and Other Walmart Woes

Before I start, I just want to say "To Catch a Thief" is a good movie. Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, and directed by Alfred Hitchcock? Wonderfully classic.

So. On Saturday we went to Walmart. Some people hate it, some people love it. I'm indifferent, though their diaper and formula prices are lower than at Winco, and since I'm a one-stop shopper kind of person, that's where I head. I also don't like going to Winco by myself because they don't bag your groceries; so I just get done loading them up when the cashier finishes at the same time, and then I feel like I'm holding up the entire line while I attempt to bag my groceries myself, and then I just feel stupid. I like to feel smart while I shop, like, "Ha! The cashier put my bananas in the same bag as my frozen juice! I could totally bag better than that!" Catch 22, really.

While I was loading groceries on the belt and Pete was off finding a clothes hamper for the boys' new room downstairs, Jakob decided he wanted a Snickers bar. So he puts it in his pants. No, not in his pants pocket, in his pants, sandwiched between undies and jeans. Gross, I know. The lady in line behind me saw and informed me, thank goodness. So I bought it because putting it back would just be sick and wrong. We attempted to talk to Jakob about stealing, and what that means. And he replied, "But I just wanted some chocolate." Yep, totally my son, a chocoholic. I think he gets it now, that we have to buy stuff at the store when we want it; we don't just take it. At least we caught it before we left the store.

Second Woe: When I went to Walmart last Monday (sometimes I feel like I live there!), I was in a super rush, buying groceries while Jakob was at preschool. And since I can barely walk, rushing doesn't really happen; I go at a shuffle. So I'm attempting to load my groceries on to the belt as fast as my fat belly will let me bend, and Mandy comes into the line right behind me. I haven't seen this cute girl since high school! I felt really bad, because I wanted to talk to her, but I was trying to get everything done and not get to Jakob's class late. So I kind of feel like I blew her off, not really talking all that much. Mandy, I hope you read my blog, and I apologize for not chatting. We'll have to meet up sometime, just not at Walmart. Or Winco. Maybe we can share a Snickers bar.

For Sale!

Who wants to buy a husband and three kids?

GRRR!

Stuck

Sometimes my life seems to be like the movie "Groundhog Day", where Bill Murray lives the same day over and over, but with little variations every time. For instance, my little pregnancy countdown thingy on my blog by Lilypie.com. Isn't it supposed to move down? Although today I had the epiphany that I think it's moving UP, counting weeks finished instead of days left. But still, I kept looking at it, thinking, "MOVE, you silly thing! I want this pregnancy to be progressing one way or the other!" Okay, I'd prefer it progressing just one way, but you get the idea. Stuck.

Or cleaning my house for example. I'm continually looking at things and I'm like, "I JUST cleaned that, didn't I?" Last night I had the boys clean up their toys downstairs, and this morning at about 9:30 ALL of the toys were ALL over the floor. What's up with that?!?!? So instead of organization and cleanliness, I have chaos and messes. Always. Stuck again!

And my doctor totally hasn't helped the "stuck" feeling. Last week at my appointment I got checked for any progress. And he said, "Yeah, there's nothing. Looks like your due date will be right on." Huh? Come on! How about throwing a poor girl a bone? Like, "Well, nothing yet, but you never know, eh?" Although, I don't know which is worse: Comment A, as mentioned above, where you leave the office depressed, or Comment B: "We'll see you next week, if not before then in the hospital!", and then you leave all hopeful and come back the next week depressed. Maybe tomorrow he'll have better news for me. Like, "Well, you've done your misery time. How about we induce you right this second?" I know, I know-in my dreams!

To top it off, Mother Nature seems to be stuck as well. Just when I notice my cute little tulips getting ready to bloom, BAM!-we get snow. None of this get warmer, hopeful, springtime crap in Idaho, oh no! We need MORE winter, because this last one wasn't long enough! But, for all that, my kids decided they wanted to play "Snowball Fight" outside today. Eh, my freshly mopped floors weren't going to last much past lunch anyway, why not? They had a blast!

So, we can cross "stuck inside" off the stuck list! Thanks, boys, for showing me that we're still moving forward, even when it doesn't feel like it!