High School Musical 3

One of our fun family things is to watch a movie and have a theme. It keeps the kids entertained, it is cheap and we always enjoy the time together. On Saturday night we did High School Musical 3. Our menu theme was high school food. We had cheese Zombies and Tots along with some corn, Jeremy assured me that was school food. We were going to have chocolate milk but I forgot. Then for dessert...well we ran out of time and we never got that far to decide, it was probably going to be chocolate chip cookies.

After all movies there are music and credits so tradition would have it that they all danced while I filmed. Seriously music and coordination are not my gifts, but I sure do enjoy watching others enjoy them!

American Idol

Well I couldn't help but laugh. We got rid of cable about a year and a half ago. Surprisingly we don't miss it. I can't lie and say I don't miss a few shows, mostly American Idol. For that I am extremely grateful for the Internet. I get to watch the performances, which I love, but I miss the judges response. Yes I am bummed about that. I am embarrassed to say I miss Simon's honest and harsh words. I miss making comic relief of absent minded always kind Paula, and Randy, well, the name dropping and "Dawg..."

For those of you who don't watch it I thought this performance while totally a joke, was hilarious. I have never seen a performance like it. It really was a breathe of fresh air. The sad part was that someone who would take it seriously missed their chance, but again I am grateful for the lightness of this guy.


It isn't the best quality but tell me you didn't laugh and mean it.

Lauren Likes It!

I just want to share this because I will probably forget that she ever did this when the next cute/annoying thing comes along!

Lauren still isn't speaking in a discernible language. She does get her point across, usually after verbally abusing you with ahh's and yah's, with a few taps to the arm. But when you, meaning I, finally figure out what she wants she nods her head with emphasis, smiles and then ends with a round of applause. Jeremy put it really well when he said "I am not sure if I should think its cute or be insulted." It is adorable when you little darling claps at your stupidity for not understanding her very specific request. Here's a guide to her desires:

Ahhhhhh followed by pointing and hitting your arm=I want Barbie and the Diamond Castle

Ahhhhhh followed by pointing and hitting your arm=I want my water/milk cup

Ahhhhhh followed by pointing and hitting your arm=I want my blanket

Ahhhhhh followed by pointing and pulling on your arm=I want you to get off the computer and follow me!

Ahhhhhh followed by pointing and hitting your arm=I want you to put down your book and feed me or else I will get it myself and you WON'T like it!

So you see where the confusion lies and the round of applause is extremely necessary. It may not be a good system but it is our system and it works.

On another note. I do a babysitting swap with a friend. Last Thursday she had my kids so I could work in Logan's classroom. She had made some cupcakes for Young Women's and they were on the counter. Brittany started wondering where Lauren went, sure enough she managed to grab a cupcake off the counter and was sitting quietly in the corner eating her bounty. I am pleased to know her sneaky-ness does not end at home. What a girl!

Jackson in Action

I just love how Jackson responds to his sisters. They will start talking to him and he gets this big grin. He loves them almost as much as they love him. I was able to catch in on video.

I just love him! Who knew a heart could hold so much!

What do girls like?

One of the girls favortie movie is Barbie and The Diamond Castle. We love all the Barbie movies but this is my favorite.

You can find the real soundtrack here. For their birthday Haylie and Hannah gpt the Soundtrack. They absolutely love it. Their favorite thing to do is to sing and dance. I got this video with a few different songs I love it. I love that our kids love music whether they are dancing or just listening. I look forward to the time when they can share that passion through choir or band.

DDR

So one of the games I insisted on getting for the Wii is Dance Dance Revolution. Last week I tried to get Jeremy to play it but it was not cooperating. He was hilarious to watch I really wish I had recorded it. Chris pushed it down to expert which means only a die-hard can possibly keep up. It was crazy and gut wrenchingly funny. So Friday night I got him to try again. What he didn't see was that I had recorded the whole thing.

As you can tell, he was not thrilled that I recorded it and was going to delete my awesome capture. I begged and pleaded and was about to whip out the tears when we came to an agreement. I could only put his reaction at the end. He does have to approve this post, so if you are reading this it does have his approval.

One of my favorite parts was when Jeremy had been boo'd a couple of times. One thing he kept doing was missing the back arrow, he was stepping off of the mat. He said "Oh I just have to get used to the mat. Actually the mat has to get used to me!"

Jeremy is a pretty good sport and lets me embarrass him frequently, I am equally blessed that he does not do the same for me. I can dish it out but I can't take it very well!

A first....

We have our first completed family picture. Logan is star of the week and needed a family picture so w set up our camera and used the timer. Pretty impressive considering the attention spans we were dealing with.

Just because we are talking firsts I thought I would post this since Jackson is smiling now. It isn't his first smile but one of the first we got on camera. I love when they learn to smile and they scrunch their nose and open their mouths real wide. Too adorable!

A funny conversation

Today on the way home from church Logan (and the rest of the kiddos) were confused as to why we didn't have a typical meeting. Usually we go to sacrament meeting where they start by passing the sacrament. Then when that is over we go to different classes. Today was Stake Conference. So it is a two our meeting, today's conference happened to be a broadcast from Salt Lake City. We tried to explain the difference to Logan and he says "Oh I get it, like a 3-Hour Breath Mint"

Jeremy and I look at each other trying to find the connection. Logan quickly adds "only less time." Neither are related but he picked up on the length of time. It was pretty funny. We keep this "treat" in the car so there is a frequent request for these lovely mints. We go through them quickly.

One already...

One month that is! Can you believe it? Jackson was one month on the 8th of February, it kind of got overshadowed by the twins birthday but that's OK. Jackson seems to be thriving. He is suffering through the acne/hair loss/cradle cap syndrome. It is getting better. It is like living through three stages of life at once: cradle cap=newborn, acne=puberty, and hair loss=senior living! Poor kid. He is still adorable and is smiling now, especially when I finally get the hint to change his diaper. He is fairly low maintenance as long as he is nursing and I am holding him, it works out well because it gives me a justifiable excuse to read! We have been able to have lots of home cooked meals and maintain some family fun as well. I am sure it won't feel this way everyday all the time, but this is a good time in my life. I look forward to the next stage as well.

Words are great but pictures are so much better. Here are some recent snap shots.

We have two presents that we haven't given from Christmas time. They have now both been un-wrapped by Lauren. Who decided to congratulate herself by eating a Go-gurt, well trying anyways, she hasn't managed to open those yet. That is probably on the agenda for next week. She is extremely smart or busy. On Sunday I just went to the bathroom and to change out of my church clothes. Do you want to know where Lauren was? She got three DVD's put one in the DVD player and was getting ready to put two in to our CD changer. After feeding Jackson I come in to the family room and she is at the computer with the keyboard pulled out and the monitor turned on. I know mimicking is part of a developmental stage of childhood, but seriously there should be a limit that she can show me only a few of my faults not all of them.

This is my most relaxing time of the day. When she is asleep! As much of a little turkey she is, I can't help but love her to pieces. She is the whole package: personality, energy, cuteness, and loves to snuggle. How can you resist such a combo?

Thinking again...

On Saturday we decided to get out of the house, all of us. The only thing we needed to do and that the weather allowed since our kids are feeling under the weather, was grocery shopping. So that was our outing. I got through one aisle and Jackson decided he was not going to make it through the whole store and he wanted to eat NOW! He is such a boy already. So I took Jackson to the car and Miranda wanted to go with me. As I was feeding Jackson and talking to Miranda I realized, not for the first time, how many people are probably still shocked that I have so many kids. For Jeremy it is probably not as shocking, he always wanted and lived to be a father. I, on the other hand, looked forward to having two kids, having a career at some point prior to children. I don't want this to be confused with I didn't want my children, every single one was planned and wanted, well except Hannah (wanted yes planned no!) she was completely a surprise, ha-ha!

Right after we had Logan I had a hard time adjusting, I cried and it was hard. I thought two was my limit. Jeremy and I talked, he still wanted more. We came up with a deal and I accepted. Then we had twins, Holy cow! It was not as hard maybe because Miranda had Logan while I had the twins. That adjustment was surprisingly easier, then it was "what's one more?" Don't get me wrong, twins is hard but emotionally it was easier.

Back to my original thought, I was talking to Miranda and realizing, while I am her Mom and have the responsibility of being such, she is one of my best friends. I have 7 best friends built right into my family. How lucky I am to have a party with the people I hold closest to my heart everyday. In the beginning, when I knew everything in my late teens and early twenties, I only had panned two kids, who would have thought that not only would I have so many kids but enjoy them. I didn't baby sit much and when I did I did NOT enjoy it. They have their cranky moments and get into trouble, especially that Lauren (NOTE TO SELF: She's almost TWO and is the first to experience terrible twos). Overall they are exceptionally great kids. I love them so much. As much as I like to take credit for them I know Heavenly Father gave them their personalities and I just got to reap the benefit of them.

I feel abundantly blessed. While my kids are what I do 24/7 minus a few hours here and there. I couldn't do it alone and if it weren't for an extremely supportive and involved husband I am not sure I would have the same joy and happiness. I am grateful for him, for his friendship and love that he gives me. It has been a rough adjustment since Jackson has been born. He is a pretty good baby but we haven't had the normal alone time at night after the kids go to bed. It will happen at about three months, 1 down two to go. Not only the baby but the time Jeremy gets to dedicate to his church calling. It has taken a chunk out of family time, so it makes what we have left very precious. There are some days where he doesn't get to see his kids except for when he is shoveling food down so he can get to his next commitment. Luckily it is only three days a week. At least it isn't tax season where he will not see them for 3 months, or military duty where he ships off. We are lucky that he gets to be flexible with his work schedule and help with doctor appointments, sick kids, etc. He gets a generous amount of vacation days which allow for family vacations and random days off for birthdays, etc.

My overall point was that I may surprise you by having 6 kiddos, I even surprise myself since I didn't see it coming, but Heavenly Father knows best and knows this is what I need and how to make my life more fulfilling. This isn't to say that smaller families aren't, I am all for doing what is best for you. Challenges come in all shapes and sizes and so do personal limits. Do what you can and be proud, I am!

An award for ME?

I was given my very first award. Thanks!

I have received the Kreativ Blogger Award! I want to thank Rebecca at A Long Time Ago in a Galaxy Far Away for presenting me this award! Sorry it took so long to acknowledge it. Now I nominate (in no particular order):

Jeremy

Hunter

and anyone else who reads my blog. I am sure I read yours too and enjoy it! I love all the parenting stories, craft ideas, and just plain old life experiences you share. I would list you but it would take a while. So here's to you!

This is what you need to do. Thank the person who gave the award to you, post the award on your blog or on a post, nominate 10 blogs which show great attitude/gratitude, link to the people you chose on your post, and comment on their blogs to tell them about the award!

The Twinnies Party.

Amongst our birthday traditions, donuts, dancing, going out to dinner, we do a family birthday party. At that party the guest(s) of honor get to pick the menu. This was a unique request from the girls but Jeremy said lets do it! So for dinner they asked for cereal, more specifially Lucky Charms, Reese's Puffs (it is the best!), and Cinnamon Toast crunch. For dessert they asked for vanilla ice cream. As parents we added a fruit salad and bear claws. With all that sugar I am suprised they went to bed on time without a sugar high! Hopefully they will remember this and that we scored some points as the coolest parents ever.

As always the girls were spoiled, the got a few games (the old fashioned kind that have pieces and stuff), some games for the Wii, clothes, money and puzzles. They also got bikes. Our new goal is to make sure our kids can ride a bike.

Here's a little video of the girls.

Lots of updates...

February 1st was the day Jackson was blessed. We didn't take too many pictures, actually we only took one.

Jeremy gave our little caboose a beautiful blessing. The people in the circle with Jeremy were great friends. We are extremely fortunate to be surrounded by so many people who will be a part of our lives and a good example to Jackson. In the circle there was, President Score, Bishop Lopez, Uncle Chris, Rossi, Tim, and Matt.

I took Lauren for her 18 month check-up, it's late and I was pre-occupied. She weighs 24lbs, that's the 30th percentile for her age. For her height she was in the 95th percentile at 34.75" tall. She still is our lollipop, tall, skinny with a beautifully round head.

Logan lost his second tooth, it's been loose since September! While rinsing it off in the sink it went down the drain. Brave Aunt Tamra dug through grossness to no avail, the tooth is gone. 1 week later and the silly tooth fairy has still not come even though there has been a note explaining the situation. The fairy needs to be fired.

Haylie and Hannah turned 4 yesterday. We began celebrating by getting traditional birthday donuts and dancing to Happy Birthday from the Splash Dance CD. We ended the day by going to Mimi's for dinner. Just the 8 of us, and it was enjoyable and the kids were awesome. After we came home and watched Igor. The girls opened a few presents but will get their big presents tomorrow when we celebrate with family. If I get some time I will put together a video to the Happy Birthday song. It's really catchy.

And just for kicks since most people only put the good stuff on blogs I will share a good story about me. Today as I was leaving for church with Jackson in arms I slipped on a hanger that was haphazardly lying in the hallway. We were both unharmed, with the exception of my ego. I picked up the hanger and threw it down the hall, it broke. I then lectured the kids on why they need to put stuff away. Seriously folks I am a klutz with out the help of objects. So we get home from church (yes to be spiritually uplifted and all that jazz) and the kids are to finish cleaning up the mess they made before church (it is amazing what two hours with out dad at home can do to a house!) So Logan comes out to show Jeremy a broken hanger, he threw it in his room. Jeremy said, where did you learn that? Logan's mumbled response "from mom!" To defend my self a little the kids were in the car when I threw the hanger so it was not in anyway directed at them. They just happened to be looking at me threw the windshield! Maybe this is where Lauren has learned to throw fits?!

With that I am signing off until next time when I have something worth while to share. And for kicks one last picture of my beautiful girls.

Have lots of kids = lots of stories

We have a broken washing machine in our back yard and I was changing our laundry and notice the lid was up. Being that it is surrounded by rocks I knew that couldn't be a good sign. It is broken already so they can't do more damage to it but still. So I asked the three likely suspects, Logan, Haylie and Hannah. Logan looked a me with his big blue innocent eyes and promised me it wasn't him, Haylie and Hannah also said it wasn't them. So I pulled the one of you are lying since obviously the rocks don't climb in themselves card. Hannah quickly ratted out Logan. He denied it at first then realized that he was busted. He took his punishment with out tattling on his sisters and I went back out in the garage and realized that the twins do everything with Logan and he is smart enough to have an accomplice so he won't get in trouble alone. I call Haylie and Hannah back (this is the funny part I promise!) and asked if they put rocks in the washing machine too. Hannah shook her head with a guilty no, Haylie nodded with a guilty yes. Realizing that the other didn't give the same answer they switch, Haylie with a guilty no and Hannah with a guilty yes. They were right next to each other but didn't look at the other. It was comical that they responded unknowingly the same way. I asked again and the same thing. You would be proud at my ability to keep a straight face. I wasn't mad so it was harder than you might think. I asked a third time they both bow their heads and look up at me with pleading green (or are they hazel?) eyes and both nod in agreement. Needless to say they are in trouble for lying not the rocks. Little punks! At least they are mine, they are cute, and they can still make me laugh!

Drive-Thru Thursday

When we had a change in our Bishopric, the former Bishop's wife talked about Tuesday meeting nights. Since he had meetings that night she got out of cooking dinner and they created Taco (Bell) Tuesday. Miranda picked up on that right away. When Jeremy got called into the bishopric it meant that he had meetings/visits on Tuesdays and Thursdays as well as Sundays. Miranda got excited and exclaimed "now we have Taco Tuesday!" Since the time on Thursday is a little earlier we decided to instill Drive-Thru Thursday, we didn't want to be limited to tacos, ha-ha!

So here's to Thursday and me not cooking. It is lousy timing when I am trying to loose baby weight, oh well. I guess I may have to get Wii Fit to balance out the fast food! Besides it is for the betterment of our family.

Wii are family

So we have had a busy few weeks of adjustment. I am proud to say we have joined the craze of about every other average and not average American family and are now proud owners of a Wii. I think Jeremy got tired of me asking for one and telling everyone that he doesn't want video games in our house. Great Grandma June gives everyone money for Christmas so we (just our household) pooled all our money and bought one. Wa-Hoo! We got it all set up yesterday. Everyone got to try it out. After the kids went to bed Jeremy and I tried our hand at tennis then bowling. It was like a date. Funny thing is that our score looked very similar to what it would be had we actually went bowling. It is a whole ton of fun. I look forward to the family fun time we get to have.

What games are a must have? Looking for suggestions, especially ones that Haylie, Hannah and Miranda would like, they have birthdays coming up real soon!

A few changes

The best news, I got 5 hours of solid sleep last night. Then when Jackson woke up he nursed. It has been almost 24 hours with out a bottle wa-hoo! We went to his 2 week check up yesterday he is now weighing in at 9lbs 8oz. He is doing well for him self. He is in about the 75th percentile so he is a decent size kid!

If today is bliss yesterday was just about the opposite. The baby is still adorable, and it is a good thing too. I was so beyond tired, I could be found doing something silly. I ended up with a headache, blurry spots in my vision, and at the doctors appointment I had a hard time focusing on the questionnaire, hopefully I answered the post partum questions correctly! I came home and Jeremy took the kids from about 1pm to 5pm while I slept and rested. It was much needed and felt awesome. It feels like Jackson has been in our home forever, like there was not life without him. It's hard to believe it has only been two weeks.

In other news, the day Jackson got circumcised, Lauren got her shots. She has been having a mild fever earlier this week and this morning I changed her diaper and discovered this

She has been cranky and a little fever, and not eating. So when we saw the rash we were able to say a-ha, here's the reason...other than a new baby to change her place in the family, of course! It fits in with a reaction to her immunizations so hopefully it will pass soon. She has been so sleepy. We have been giving her naps but by dinner time she is beside her self so we put her down for another nap. She will sleep for 5:00pm until 6:30 or 7:00 in the morning. Luckiy it's not contagious otherwise Jackson and I may need to evacuate the premises, maybe someplace like Hawaii. A girl can dream right?!

Lastly, my helpmeet is going back to work on Monday. I am sure going to miss him. Not just because he has been letting me not help get the kids ready for school, making them lunch, cooking, cleaning, cleaning, cooking, shopping, staying up late with me. I am just complete when he is near me and it is always an adjustment when he goes back to work. I am such a baby. He still will get to come home for lunch and will still be off by 4:30 most days, and I will still get to sleep in on Wednesdays. So with all the rambling, thank you Jeremy for making this tough adjustment with me, for being supportive and comforting. Thanks for taking the time off of work while you watch the pile grow in your absence. I am not sure I could have made it through this last week without you by my side. I love you!

That's Right He can be Taught!

Today was another church day. The talks were lovely and there ended with about 15 minutes or so left in Sacrament meeting. Jeremy in his new calling got to speak off the cuff for the last little bit. Hopefully the message I got was one that he shared but none the less I needed to hear. he talked about Jesus being our friend. Not just any friend but one we "have never met in this life" and one who has felt every sorrow, burden, trial, etc. knowing that we can never be that kind of friend, He was the only one capable of that. With my "nursing woes" it reminded me that he felt my sorrow and is here with me. It is a message one can't hear enough. Our Savior loves each of us and he HAS been there and he loves us unconditionally no matter how imperfect and undeserving we are. It was a good reminder.

So I came home from church, it was a little crazy, we are getting into the new routine of after church with out dad. Jackson pooped out of his diaper at church, I had a half ounce of milk for him to drink. He fell asleep and I didn't want to change him until I had a meal to give him. I know obviously not a first time mom, and a mean one too! As soon as we pull up to the house the kids are asking 1,000,000 times, can we eat our candy (our new bishop has a sweet selection! Junior mints!) Of course everyone needs to get changed, I need to use the restroom, Jackson needs attention, yada, yada, yada! So I get Jackson changed, he pooped again right before I changed him, then as I was changing him he gassed on my hand, my heart started racing, beads of sweat accumulating and I wanted to duck and cover. (I haven't needed a Pee-Pee Tee-Pee yet!) I was safe and he was secure if you know what I mean! He got cleaned up, I washed my hands THOROUGHLY and grabbed the little half ounce bottle and sat down to feed him. He drank his bottle with a great latch, tongue under the nipple...then I tried to nurse him. Wouldn't you be surprised he latched on and actually nursed, albeit slowly, but stayed on for 25 minutes. I truly contemplated how awkward it would feel if I left him there and knew that would never work. As he was nursing, I knew that Heavenly Father loved me and wanted me to know that He hasn't forgot about me, which I never did doubt. It was a little reminder that Jackson will get it and it was a little encouragement to keep me going. I was also reminded that Heavenly Father has a ton of blessings waiting for me as long as I am obedient to His commandments. So this was a withdrawal from my never empty blessing bank, or credit union...

Thanks to everyone who left encouraging messages on my previous post. It was great to see so many kind words and thoughts.

Nursing woes

I never know if it makes people uncomfortable using the word breastfeeding or if nursing is the better term, either way this is what this post is about, so if it makes you uncomfortable you may want to skip this post. I have been lucky that I have had no problems with nursing, besides of course, the nipple soreness and cracked skin, etc. I assumed that this would be a piece of cake, I had been successful 4 other times including twins. When Jackson was born he latched on immediately and seemed to be eager. I would say he latched on the best of any of the kiddos. In leaving the hospital things continued to go well, with the exception that he had tongue-tie. I figured the uncomfortable latching on, was normal. As it turns out it is a problem. By Monday I was engorged with milk and had a big blood blister on the tip of my nipple. I had been pumping which is awesome when you are engorged, I highly recommend renting a pump for the first month. We gave him the bottle, which he takes, just not very expertly. Now he doesn't latch on and goes on and pulls off and cries and kicks his little leg like he is in pain. I cry, he cries and the cycle continues. Yesterday we got his frenum clipped, he latched on right away and I cried, do you sense a post-partum pattern? I was thrilled. Jeremy kindly stated that it doesn't mean everything will be perfect, and he was right. He hasn't nursed since. Although now he will sort of latch on, he will not suck.

I am not one to believe that nursing is the only way to go when feeding your baby, it is what I want for my newborns though. As I was trying to nurse him and he was pulling away crying, I realized how bad I want this to work. I know he is not rejecting me but it feels like I am broken. I can't describe it, like I am having an out of body experience. It has worked so effortlessly before and now I have no control. I also know that Jackson is my last baby and I want to be able to bond with him that way.

I finally got on the net today and looked up a few related things. I was encouraged to come across a story that a lady had dried up and wanted to nurse again. After 5 months she was able to produce milk and her baby latched on. It was a long road and she persevered and it eventually worked. My endurance is not that great but knowing it happens is encouraging. I talked to the Lactation consultant at our hospital and she also gave me some good advice and encouragement. She explained that since his tongue was basically chained to the bottom of his mouth, he needs to learn to use that muscle in a new way. Then she gave me homework!

I am truly grateful for the time that we live, for the information that surrounds us. I know there are lots of things that would make me wish for a safer time, but I know this was the time I was meant to live. I am grateful for the people I come into contact with that have had their own experiences that put mine into perspective. If Jackson never gets the hang of nursing he will not suffer, at least he eats and he is still getting breastmilk. I know those two things are a blessing and I am extremely grateful. Not nursing will not have him end up in a hospital, he will continue to be in my care. I do love this little guy, I know I have said it a ton of times, but he is gorgeous. I am not just saying that because he is mine, well maybe I am!

Thinking back we have had concerns with each of our "healthy" children. Miranda was born with Hip Clicks. She was in a brace for the first month, then we got to ween her down by the third month. Logan was fairly normal. We had to deal with the circumcision, which was new for me, I came from a family of all girls, boys are weird. His belly button bled a lot and his eye had tons of discharge. Again, these are normal but we spent a lot of time with the advice nurse. (when he was older his rectum would push out, luckily that is just a muscle weakness and has since corrected itself). With Haylie and Hannah it was mostly the beginning. They weren't getting enough food and I had no idea, I thought they might be colicky. Nope, I was starving them and didn't know the signs. Lauren was born at such a large birth weight that I needed to make sure she was fed every two hours. It was a concern that she couldn't regulate her blood sugar. And now with Jackson it is breastfeeding. None of these have any life long repercussions, but all caused tears and fears for a short time.

When all is said and done this will pass and I am sure I will wonder why I was so worried.

A Video about the baby!

The Grand Finale

...The Jacobs Caboose, The Cherry on Top of the Jacobs Family Sundae, our baby!

He's here and we are home! our family is complete. Everything went well with minor complications. I don't think he enjoyed being to close to the birth canal so he stayed head down just not "engaged." They were afraid to break my bag of water for fear that his umbilical cord would get pinched and it would end in an emergency c-section. Finally they let it be my choice if I wanted to take the risk. I did, I wanted to get the show on the road! I got the epidural, it worked wonders for most of the painful parts. There were two spots that it wasn't touching. The happy-dural lady tried to help even it out and she was able to take the edge off of the pain. In about 3 hours I went from 4 to pushing, 15 minuets later little dude was here. He was born January 8 (Elvis' birthday, we will allow you to call him "The King" if you want).at 5:50 pm. He weighed a mere 9lbs 2oz, and was 21 inches long. His head was 15" round. He looks a lot, well exactly like Logan did in his baby pictures. His name is Jackson Ralph Jacobs. Jackson after my Great Grandpa Jack (although his name was really John, I really don't get the nickname) and Ralph after Jeremy's Grandpa. Both men were remarkable.

We have all our kids at the same location and had mostly great experiences. This one was by far the best. My doctor actually delivered my baby which is unusual. It is usually whoever is on call. The nurses in Labor and Delivery were fabulous and the ones who were in Post-Partum were equally fabulous. It was good enough that I almost would do it again, but not really that good.

Both me and Jackson are doing well and healthy. Jackson is what they called tongue-tied. The little skin that attaches your tongue to the bottom of your mouth goes all the way to the end of his tongue. I guess it is really no big deal we can have it snipped if we want. We will see how breastfeeding goes and go from there.

Our favorite quote before Jackson was born Logan was telling Jeremy what Jackson would say when he was born:

In case you can't understand Logan says "Helllooo Lay-tees" (Hello Ladies!) We have a picture of Jackson with his hands in a similar position. He just had his Vitamin K drops in his eyes.

He is an awesome baby and is doing well all his siblings are excited to have him be a part of our family. Lauren took some time getting used to him. I realize now that she thinks he is her doll. She was extremely possessive of him and when she wanted his hat on or off him. She was also a little bossy about how his blanket would cover him. This is going to be fun! Logan can sit there and hold him or just look at him for hours. The other three girls adore him and will want to do everything they can to take care of him. This is going to be one loved little cutie!

The Green Light

I got the go ahead and have an 8:30 am appointment with Pitocin. Ya-hoo! Wish me luck, and wish grandma luck as she will have sole responsibility of 5 children! I hope she still likes us when it's over...although she may need a vacation.

Now on to the next question...Epidural or not? I fell again last night and pulled a groin muscle, man does that hurt. I am walking like I am 80, most people probably think it is just because I am unusually large in the belly region!

I love Curlz

Last night I decided to give the girls a bath since the mornings are getting a little tight for time. I motivated them by putting sponge curlers in their hair. It was a first for Haylie and Hannah. This morning I took Miranda's curlers out and most of her hair went flat right away. The girl has lots of hair. So hers didn't work out so well. I took Haylie's out first then pulled the curls down, it seriously looked like a really bad perm. It was so frizzy at the ends. Then Hannah's I just took the curlers out and left it. I worked Haylie's curls a little so it looked a little less fizzy. Here are some pictures. Hannah is first since that is what both heads looked like pre-running my fingers through it.

I didn't take any of Miranda because she was at school, plus it was mostly straight anyways with a few stubborn curls. I may take a few pictures later when and if the curls relax a little.

This is 18 months ago, so the girls were a bit over two. They had beautiful little curls. Then they started growing up! Now they have natural ringlets...immediately after a bath!

The change...

Most of you think that the change I am referring to is that we are now a family of 8. That will be the NEXT change but not the one I am referring to. At church Jeremy has served for the last almost three years as Elder's Quorum President. Which means he "over sees" all men 18 and over, until they are High Priests (generally the older people but it isn't by age), along with the families that it encompasses. He has truly enjoyed it and I have supported him with mostly a supportive attitude. There have been a few late night calls, lots of moves (in and out), meetings, confidential stuff, as well as some fun stuff too. Last Sunday Jeremy and I were asked to meet with our Stake President. (In our church you have a Bishopric that consists of a Bishop and two counselors, they oversee the whole ward, then there is the Stake Presidency which consists of the Stake President and his two counselors, they over see several wards, then it goes on from there in a similar manner, up until the General Presidency which consists of the President of the Church and his two counselors. They "over see" the whole church world wide. Right now it is President Thomas S. Monson with Henry B. Eyering and Dieter F. Uchtdorf who serve as his counselors. In each presidency the Bishop or President do the main duties while his counselors are mainly there as support. Now back to the change, I just thought this might be helpful if you don't understand the structure of the LDS church) So we got called in by our stake president, I knew I was safe but also was aware of some changes happening in the stake presidency as well as our ward's Bishopric. I looked at Jeremy and knew it was a meeting I wasn't going to be thrilled about, I am still very selfish. Jeremy was asked to be the second counselor in our Bishopric. He kept his smile and I smiled as tears over flowed. Need I remind you I am very pregnant. I said I will support him and I will. So this Sunday he was called and sustained, so not only am I married to a Counselor in the Bishopric but a High Priest, one of the OLD guys. I am too young for that! With all that being said this isn't about me it is about Jeremy. I am excited for the growth that will come for him and the spiritual strength his is for me (I know it is always about me), my family and for those around him. He really is a good guy and I am proud to be his wife, in a humble way of course! I have been told that being a counselor in the Bishopric is a "walk in the park" compared to Elder's Quorum President so that was a relief. The biggest thing is that he has a couple extra Sunday meetings and he won't be able to sit with us during our first meeting at church. I am blessed that we are in the ward with Jeremy's mom and brother so I will not be alone taking care of our kids (AKA keeping them quiet). We have already had lots of people offer to help as needed. We are abundantly blessed by the amount of people who adore our family and are willing to help out. I can't tell you how good that feels to be surrounded by such good people.

Baby's Location

I had my appointment this morning, so as you can tell baby is still enjoying his little suite for a couple more days. I am dilated to 3cm, 50% effaced with a favorable cervix. Baby is definitely head down. So we are looking good. He thinks the baby is on the normal size. In my memory he may have used the word small but that could just be what I wanted to hear. He did some stretching and WOWZA! that didn't feel too good. Jeremy said it was like watching a guy get kicked in a tender place. (He was near my head). The nice doctor asked if I had a date in mind, and said I could easily go another 5-10 days. I looked at Jeremy for a date request, he said "waiting is not in her vocabulary right now" so I said Wednesday or Thursday. He came back and I have an appointment with pitocin on Thursday at about 7:30, given they have room for me. So we will get to meet our baby boy real soon!

I do have a funny story though. When we pulled into the parking garage at the hospital it was backed up and I had two minutes until my appointment. Jeremy suggested I get out so he could park and I would still be on time. I got out of the car and waited for a couple of cars then a nice lady waved me across. I was SUPPOSED to step over the cub but my toe caught it. From previous experience I learned it hurts less if you don't try to catch yourself. As Jeremy was watching in his rear view mirror I disappeared. The nice lady opened her door as I slowly got up I tried to catch her before she got out of her car, but she made sure I was OK. I smiled trying not to cry out of embarrassment. It only hurt my pride, my knees are a little skinned up and my hand has a little rock in it but my jeans held up great. So there you have it. There were a few witnesses but I think most people were annoyed with the already congested garage and didn't notice, phew!

When the doctor walked in he asked how our holidays went, we told him we had the flu, it was a little rough but good. Having forgot that conversation, when he left he shook Jeremy's hand and said "Sorry about the diarrhea." Then walked out. Jeremy looked at me confused and the first think I thought of was that stretching causes that to happen or maybe I made a mess. Jeremy was thinking he made a mess or that he really shouldn't have shook the doctor's hand. He then looked at me and I put it together with the previous conversation. It was a real quick passing of thoughts but it made us laugh none the less.

A Due Date to Celebrate

This is a first, not that I am passing a due date, that is the standard procedure for me. We did actually have a busy day and ended with a date.

I started out the day with a nice breakfast with the family, then went to a friend's baby shower, I guess this kid didn't want me to miss the celebration of his friend! Then we went to Costco as a family. Came home, and I cooked the kids dinner. Then Mom J. came over and watched the kids so Jeremy and I could go out on a final date before this little boy joins our family outside the womb. We went to Guadalajara Grill. I was tempted to drink the spicy salsa to see if it would help with labor. I figured it would be inappropriate. The we went to see the movie Yes Man with Jim Carrey. It was good but had a couple parts (one mostly) that grossed me out enough to worry about the rest of the film. I wouldn't recommend it. It was a first that we went out on a date when I was 40 weeks pregnant. Yeah!

Monday we have a doctor's appointment and then hopefully I will have an ending date. Or at least some more hope that this will not be a 41+ week pregnancy. Here are a couple of pictures that I took in honor of the day.

I think the kids are excited, Haylie told me that Jackson was taking a bath. He wants to look his best when they meet him.

And Daddy can't wait to meet his second son. I think Jackson was telling him he felt the same way.

Christmas Pictures

Link to Video

Here is for family that wants to see a glimpse of Christmas with 5 little kids. It is probably not as chaotic as you may thing, but we do have our noisy times.

Miranda Funny

It is not too often I get to report on something funny Miranda says. She cracked Jeremy and I up this morning. One thing about Miranda is that she is our pickiest eater. Textures bother her a lot and she has the mental capacity to make her self throw up just so she doesn't have to eat something. She is the one that will ask to go to the bathroom with a mouthful of food so she can spit it out in the toilet. She was caught now we do a mouth check before she can go potty during meal times. This morning we gave her some cereal, Lucky Charms. She will only eat a very small amount, like 1/8 cup with no milk. She was eating it then decided she didn't feel well. With the stomach flu going around we were a little hesitant but knowing her track record, we thought she could finish it. She got really pouty and sad. Everyone else finished and Jeremy asked who would eat Vienna Sausages. She brightened up and said she would. We looked at her and said but you are full and not feeling well.

"I was just saying that so I didn't have to finish"..short pause...smack herself on forehead "I just tattle-taled on myself!"

Jeremy and I started laughing and Miranda did too. Then Jeremy said that is a blog moment and I whole-heartedly agreed. That was when Miranda started crying and saying it wasn't funny. There were real tears, but I am too mean and it really was funny. So here it is in blog form, she may or may not ever know. **Hear wicked evil laugh here**

An update on Jackson

He's still living the suite life in my womb. I went in and am dilated to 1.5cm, good news right? But my little cervix that should have the process down by now is uncooperative. It has not softened or shortened. He was willing to "stretch" things but due to the unsoftness (? is that how you say it?) he couldn't. He felt around and thought maybe Jackson was no longer head down, turns out he is still head down but not "locked and loaded." Which made the doctor nervous. I wasn't terribly surprised since Lauren was still moving up until she was bound head down 4 hours before she was born. So we will not be having a December 2008 baby. My next appointment is January 5th, two days after my due date. He is still very aware of the size of Lauren so he is trying to make sure I don't have that same experience again. I am measuring right on, so I am hoping he is not growing too rapidly. Here's hoping that he will be here soon, healthy and a normal birth weight.

A Christmas Dream

Up through Tuesday we had the ideal Christmas. Then our Christmas dream became a nightmare. At about 3:00am Christmas Eve it went down hill. Jeremy woke up with VIOLENT tummy troubles. "Both faucets on" is how he put it. That lasted for about four hours before it slowed down. I was able to go to my Doctor appointment (report to follow). We had babysitting planned and Jeremy was going to go but was more worried about how he was going to survive. Our good friends were willing to take on four of our kids so Miranda could go with me to visit the doctor. By the time I got home around 11:30 I was in the midst of the same illness, although not with the same violence as Jeremy. We spent the rest of the day among the land of the dead. The kids were absolutely fabulous. They got along well, watched movies and stayed pretty calm and not needy. They were amazing. We were unable to go to our family Christmas Eve dinner, but pity was taken on us and they went and got Happy Meals for our kiddos. Nothing like Christmas with McDonald's. The kids were just as pleased although they missed their cousins. Jeremy and I tried to make the most of it and read Luke 2 to the kids while they acted it out. Then thankfully parenthood was over for the night. We put them to bed after putting out cookies and milk for Santa, and Carrots and a bowl of water for the reindeer. Those were disposed of rather quickly in a nontradional way! It was a toss up as to who had the least amount of energy.

After the darlings were asleep we had required duties to take care of. I truly contemplated telling the kids Santa did not want to come because he couldn't afford to get sick when he had so many deliveries. Luckily we had just enough borrowed energy to get things in order. We didn't, however, get our presents out. On the way back to bed I knew I was going to loose it. Well I did, all over the bathroom floor. Luckily, if you can say that, it was all on the linoleum and all that I had was water so it looked like the kids got a little crazy with the sink. When we woke up this morning we were feeling considerably better and were able to get everything in order before the kids woke up.

We had our little family Christmas with no major incidents, then went to Mom J.'s house for presents. We got there at noon and the kids enjoyed opening presents and playing with their cousins. At about 2:30 the kids ate lunch. Jeremy and I were still on the "I won't eat if it's the last thing I do diet." About 15 minutes later Haylie experienced the same lovely illness as Jer and I. Again luckily, it was over the hard wood floors. Unfortunately, her Aunt's brand new, less than a month old, Genuine Ugg boots received some splatter, UGH! Can you clean those? So our Christmas celebration came to a quick close as we told everyone of our kids to hold their breath, not to pass on germs, and get in the car really quick. Everyone was very nice about it, I can only hope that this ends with our family and we didn't infect anyone.

This has been the most nontraditional Christmas. The kiddos have been so good and we have heard "This is the BEST Christmas ever" lots of times. Jeremy and I just look at each other and laugh. It at least goes to show our kids have low expectations. As of now I just can't help but dream of a healthy Christmas next year!

Jeremy thinks I'm Silly!

It is no secret that I am counting down the seconds until my due date that will inevitably pass before I have this little tyke. I keep hoping and planning what I will do if I were to spontaneously go into labor. I know it's a pipe dream. As labor and delivery loom near I start to panic. I know it is silly considering I panic every time and it has been a great experience, surrounded by pain of course. I have heard horror stories frequently in the last few weeks and I can't help but think "what if that was me?" A friend who is expecting in May said at her 20 week appointment her baby was measuring the size (at least length) of a 30 week fetus. She said she ripped in three directions with her small 7 pound baby and ended up with something like 175 stitches, HOLY COW! Another friend was pushing for over 2 hours, I DO NOT HAVE THE STAMINA for that! I have been lucky that in that sense too I have had a maximum of 15 minutes of pushing mostly less though. The twins were 10 minutes for both. More recently a friend had an 11lb 3oz baby boy! A few people were prepped for a c-section then able to have their child the "normal" exit way, only after having to freak out that the heart rates of their child had dropped.

In all these cases, while painful, scary, or exhausting, all babies and mamma's were healthy. Why do I fear? The birth process is a miracle and dangerous yet I have heard more good stories and happy endings than the other.

I have only had an epidural with the twins and it was mostly for their safety. It was a pretty simple delivery, no complications, no stitches and virtually pain free, and the actual labor was quick. I didn't like the swelling afterwards or being cold. With this being my last pregnancy I debate whether to get the epidural or not? It's not that I don't get an epidural to be a hero, I kind of feel that the doctors/nurses help to move things along or take me more seriously when I say I need to push. With the twins I couldn't feel anything. In fact the doctor came and checked and said "you're ready, there's a head" I had no idea! I couldn't feel contractions, but I could still control the pushing aspect. I guess that is good. I also don't like the feeling of not being in control of my body and being numb is certainly not being in control. On the other hand when I had Lauren with no pain relief, I almost lost control mentally, I started to freak out. I no longer wanted any part of the birth process, which unfortunately was kind of mandatory. I had made the commitment when we decided to have another baby. There were a few nurses who wouldn't let me give up (just a note Jeremy was on the fence) and within a few minutes my little linebacker GIRL was born.

So maybe I am silly for being worried but I am nonetheless and can't wait for it to be over. The aches and pains have been tolerable through pregnancy but they are getting more difficult, sometimes I think I might cry, but I keep plugging along hoping that the activities that cause the pain such as cleaning, and walking, will help with spontaneous labor. Then the next day I feel the uncomfortable results and wonder if I may not be silly just crazy!

After all is said and done, I just want to hold a healthy little boy really soon, kiss his little forehead, and let him wrap his fist around my finger. It won't be too long before I am wrapped around his little finger! I am sure I won't be alone at least four of his older siblings feel the same way as me. As for Lauren we will see. Then there is Dad, I don't think he can wait too much longer to have two sons to teach and embrace.

Happy Birthday, SON!

Yesterday was Logan's 6th Birthday. I can't believe he is growing up so fast. All he could talk about was his spider cake that he was getting for his birthday. For the record I couldn't fit 8 legs per spider just so you know I am not teaching him incorrect spider facts! He said it was his best birthday ever. We celebrated his birthday with extended family on Tuesday where he got spoiled. His cousin's birthday was that day so they got to celebrate together.

Here is the video link. I couldn't ask for a better example for Logan to look up to, but I couldn't be more proud that Logan wants to be like his Dad.

Happy Birthday Logan J!

Another Craft Project

I have been feeling very crafty, and it works especially well when I either have the supplies or can get them very cheap. I found this project here. I was inspired. So I got all the supplies and did it QUICKLY. It is a very simple project.

For some reason it won't rotate right but it is a close up of the M. Now I just need to figure out how to hang them on the wall. I may need to get a tiny shelf to put it on!

Want, Want, Want!

I use that word too often! I came across this website tha sells aprons and the patterns. They are adorable. http://www.epicureanstyle.com/. This is my favorite:

Isn't it adorable? I amnot a bird fan but I really like the style and pattern. Who wouldn't feel like a modern June Cleaver cooking with this apron? Here is a link to the post with pictures of various styles. You can also go to her store at the above website. You can buy either the already made apron or buy the pattern!

That's just gross!

We were sitting in church on Sunday and Hannah so gracefully and with perfect manners picks her nose. Yes folks, you know the chain of events, in her mouth it went. While trying to contain my gagging, pregnancy has led me to the toilet frequently in these kinds of situations, I had to think of how to tell her not to do this. So I whispered in her ear that boogers are made of germs and when she takes them out of her nose and puts them in her mouth she is putting yucky germs in her body. I am sure too deep for a three year old but whatever. She looks at me and says "But I like them!" Hurl, gag, giggle! At least she was honest!

Giveaway

Well it is not mine, but it can be found here.

She is giving away 4 place settings, you can choose one color or up to four colors. The values is $50/place setting. Way cute! She will be doing the drawing on Christmas eve. Here's to Santa giving me a gift of Fiestaware!

It's a miracle!

I have been very blessed to have an easy time conceiving, pregnancy has been a breeze (don't get me wrong it is not comfortable all the time and there are pains but no concerns or health problems), and delivery is almost perfectly story book. I have had this experience several times. As I am getting to the end of this pregnancy I have been reflecting on the miracle of life. It is still so unbelievable to me that there is this precious little life growing inside of me. It is incomprehensible in so many ways. It is amazing how the body can take care of a growing human life, and the human life can change and grow so drastically in such a short time. It also surprises me how often I can not remember I am pregnant. I will forget that this big belly can "squeeze" at all any more. So often I forget how far it is out there and I bump in to people. My favorite is when I am sitting down with Lauren standing in front of me. Normally I would have plenty of room to stand up but now I stand up and hit her with my belly and she falls down. OOPS!

I can't wait to meet baby Jackson. To see who he will be and how his personality will fit in with our family. I used to give Logan a bad time for his emotional outbursts, the twins had their mischievousness time two, Lauren is so much more strongly opinionated then any of our children. There is no secret when she doesn't want what you offer. She can't talk but she let's you know in an effective way, usually it involves swinging arms and a loud noise. Miranda was not perfect but I had nothing to compare her to so it is hard to see the little quirks she had. All of our kids are special and have so many fun qualities. They are like their dad in that they LOVE music. They love to play in a big group, small group and even by themselves. I think that is a benefit to a large family. They all have options. They love to do craft projects, I will claim that as coming from me. Miranda loves to read, while Logan has an amazing number sense. Before kindergarten he was using the clock to do math. he came up with that on his own. It will be fun to see Haylie and Hannah with their educational strengths. Time goes by so fast.

Parenthood is truly a miracle and a blessing. I am not the best parent and I have so many faults and fail at so many things, but I love my kids and by some miracle they love me too. Heavenly Father knows what he is doing when creating these strong bonds. I know what I feel towards my kids is only a fraction of what He feels towards each of us. It is hard to comprehend. I am grateful for that love too.

On the same note of parenthood I have been thinking a lot about the Savior's birth. I have been thinking about Mary too. Since both my boys will be born in the near vicinity of Christmas, it helps to understand the sacrifice Mary made. When I had the twins a weird thought came to me. They were child #3 and #4. The nurses will give the spiel about not giving your child to anyone without a certain name tag. I couldn't help but think some one would look at my "abundant load" of children, and think since I had two at a time they can take one, or even giving one up for adoption. It almost brought tears thinking of giving up one of them. It was a ridiculous thought I know but then I think of Mary. She gave birth to her son and knew from before conception that she would be giving up her son. She had a few years that he needed her, but He would be so much more. There would come a time in His young life that she couldn't teach him anything, He would be teaching her. It makes me appreciate my boys even more. While I am aware that Christmas is not really near Jesus' real birthday, it is a great reminder.

A Perfect Day

We are not a very involved family, no lessons, sports, etc. however, we do usually have social commitments or church, not to mention the regular trips to Targets and the things that just NEED to get done. It makes for very busy Saturdays. We wouldn't trade that for anything but it is nice when we have a good family day. This Saturday was one of those days. Jeremy had a couple things in the morning so I was with the kids. We got to finish up an art project. They each got to paint their own frame on Thursday then Saturday they got to stamp them and decorate them in their own way. It was fun and I got to help them all individually. Then Jeremy got home and I left to run an errand. He had things he wanted to do such as mow the lawn but he decided to play some games with the kids. One game was Pretty Pretty Princess. It is the funniest thing to see Jeremy with dangly earrings and sometimes a crown. This is one of the funny hazards of being dad to so many girls. These are the times when we know we are making good memories with the kids.

A Star is Born

It is no secret that Miranda loves to perform. Her strengths are a few of my many weaknesses. Back in September she got to sing with two older girls for our Primary program. She had no fear or at least it appeared that way. She did amazing. It doesn't take much talent to be in a required class play but it is still always a little nerve wracking getting up in front of people. She did it and she was fabulous. I love to see her in front of people and not be shy. Here she is in her class Thanksgiving play.

She also got to play Mary in a Nativity scene for our church (ward) Christmas party. I was "backstage" so I didn't get to see how it went. Thankfully Uncle Chris was there to represent with the camera. Thanks Chris for always being there to take pictures!

This is a post about Miranda but I had to add that Logan was one of the Wisemen, the green one!

His buddy Caden is the purple Wiseman. They are 6 weeks apart in age and happen to be in the same class in Kindergarten. Logan will be the next shining star. He will be in his class "Holiday" Performance on Monday, I will make sure to take pictures and post them soon.

Equal Representation

I love to listen to Haylie and Hannah talk. They have the cutest little voices. Although I can't understand a word they say some times...well maybe more often than that. So I got an opportunity to record the girls when they were in a particularly chatty mood. Actually Haylie was and I was able to get Hannah to talk a little too. Each video is about 2 minutes so this is for the family who haven't got to see the girls in a while!

This is Haylie, she also appears beside her sister in the second video. Note when she turns to the side she is looking how cute she is in the mirror, no she's not vain at all. I told her she was cute and she said yup!


Here's Hannah:

(If the videos don't appear click on their name and it will bring you to the video.)

Two for One

I will combine these next two posts. I realized that three posts of Lauren antics might be too much, but I wanted to post the pictures.

Last Saturday, Jeremy's work hosted a movie day as an appreciation to it's members (it's a credit union). For $2.00 you get to see a movie, a large hot dog, a bag of popcorn and a soda. We look forward to this event. We got to see Bolt. It was a cute movie. The kids seemed to enjoy it a lot. We, by we I mean Jeremy, had to take Lauren out for a brief period. He was able to come back quickly though and Lauren soon fell asleep. I took this picture at the end of the movie.

I just loved her cute pink cheeks and pouty lips. Thank you credit union!

Later that day Jeremy and I were getting clothes ready for Baby Jackson and Lauren kept getting kicked out of the room. She got real quite, which is a sign I don't pick up on too often. I decided to check on her and she was in her room doing what she loves best: "READ"

Lauren can be found most times with a book in her hand. All the other kids want to bring toys in the car to play with but she will usually have a book. It is funny. She could be following my footsteps and is a sign that I read too much, and the computer isn't as portable.

Sweet Lauren

The kiddos have been into playing games. It is nice since Miranda reads she can help the kids play games, which they all love. Today Haylie and Hannah wanted to play a game and introduce Lauren to the game closet which equals lots of little pieces. I looked down the hall and Lauren was looking in the closet. I told her no and then I looked up and she was gone. What an obedient child NOT! I walked down the hall and this is what I found:

She didn't walk away she walked into the closet and closed the door behind her. I was walking to check on her and the little imp was in there and proud of her sneakiness! I even walked back to get the camera and she stayed there and was ready to pose for a picture.

She had dumped out a game, luckily it is mostly cards and only one choking hazard, a large dice. We have been blessed with babies who are not extremely oral with the need to put things in their mouths! I am embarrassed to say even when she is devilish in her antics she is dang cute!

Blog Copying

Sometimes when surfing the blogging world you come across something that all should see. I came across this video from Natalie's Blog. I thought all would appreciate it so I copied it. Luckily it is on Youtube so I can do that! : ) It did make me smile. Merry Christmas!

Funny sayings in my life

The kids crack me-up sometimes. Hannah is always saying things that are funny hopefully I can communicate them so you can chuckle too!

Yesterday she picked up a Christmas card and said "What does this say?" I said like I always do "what do you think it says?" I love setting them up for creativity. She looked at the card and pretended to read "Dear Christmas, I love you, Santa!" I am sure he does love Christmas.

I can't remember the situation but Hannah said in her little three almost four year old voice. "I absolutely don't want to!" What little girls uses that word?

When she is done eating and still has a little left she never tells us No she won't eat it, she says "I can't know how to finish it!"

When we asked Haylie if she wanted homemade cookies last night or ice cream she said "I will have one of each, that OK with you?"

Although this was a while ago it deserves a mention. Jeremy and Logan were talking philosophically and Logan asked Jeremy "Where do Legs come from?" Jeremy trying to buy some time to think of a good answer said "what do you think?" Logan said I know, "from your bottom" Why didn't Dad think of that?

At Thanksgiving I was prepping the turkey and Logan asked what we eat on Thanksgiving I told him turkey so he asked "well what do turkeys eat?" I honestly said they don't, so Logan said that's right because they are cooked.

And lastly we were at Costco and Logan decided he didn't want to eat turkey for Christmas. I asked what did he want instead. He said "Pig" I think we might be a little too honest about what animal meat comes from.

Lauren although she thinks she says a lot he favorite command is "Na!" when she says it it is said with undeniable authority. Which means give it to me NOW! She also says Ka for sock and Zsh for shoes.

A coupon Redeemed

Stampin' Up has a now retired stamp set called Create-A-Coupon. My friends and I have had fun making coupons for our husbands and a few husbands have made some in return, including Jeremy. This is about a coupon I made for Jeremy. One of our new found favorite date nights is to eat dinner together after the kids go to bed and watch a movie. So I made a coupon for him that said I would make him a dinner of his choice, and the movie of his choice was assumed, even though he considers my opinion in that category.

His Menu:

BBQ Tri-Tip (Costco has the best pre-Marinated Tri-Tip)

Potato Cakes like those served at Claim Jumper

California Mix Vegetables

Snickers Salad (Thanks Hayley!)

and for Dessert:

Vanilla Ice Cream with Magic Shell (What can I say he is a kid at heart!)

I did actually BBQ outside in the cold, if I wasn't pregnant I would have said no way but being that I am perpetually hot the crisp air felt fabulous. The kiddos were asleep at 8:00, by 8:30 dinner was ready.

The Snickers Salad didn't turn out in the picture but it is delicious, I think like most fruit salads some may call it dessert but we call it healthy fruit! Just in case you are curious we watched The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. I made it though dinner but had to lay down because of my back, needless to say I snored, in a nice feminine was of course, through at least half of the movie. The dinner was delicious though and worth the work, plus Jeremy loved it. As long as he knows how much I love him that's all that matters. I love you Jer!

Baby Update number 5,872

OK I haven't really posted that many updates it's just that I have been pretty much pregnant for the last 8 years so it seems like a lot...We have good news folks. Jackson has a better sense of direction than Lauren did, he is head down. We got to see him with the ultrasound machine today. He has a visually strong heartbeat and is breathing well. The right amount of amniotic fluid too. The doctor said a good living environment for our little man. He said next time (38 weeks) he would see how my cervix is looking than if things were looking good he would do a little "stretching" at 39 weeks. I got my next appointment for 12/24. So that puts me at 38 weeks and 4 days. We will see what happens then. I am thinking after Christmas the "stretching" may happen. It is interesting not knowing anything. I thought for sure this stubborn little man, I can say that as it is a dominant trait in our family, was laying sideways so to see him head down was a relief and surprise.

By the way tomorrow is officially 36 weeks. I can't say time is going fast for the pregnancy since I am practically counting every minute, but life is flying by quickly. We have lots going on, lots of plans, shopping, cooking, eating, movies, friends, family....you know all the wonderful things that go along with this time of year. I am sure after it is all said and done it will feel like it flew by. This due date makes me feel like I have been pregnant for the whole year of 2008!

This cartoon is particularly funny since I always say that my children get eviction notices in the form of pitocin.

We have a new mode of transportation...

Not we, actually just Lauren, she is officially walking and doing it well. In fact someone even used the word fast, as her mom I wouldn't go that far. She is, however, choosing to walk and not crawl. So...YEAH for no more dirty knees!



Video Link (for some reason the video is not working so if you click on the link it will take you to the video.

My favorite thing she does so far is walk AND talk on the phone. I am a little scared for her teenage years in more ways than I can count! I had the cutest video but when I went to watch it I noticed Hannah in the background showing a little more than a modest girl should.

This post was started a month ago it just took me this long to get the video up. So for those of you clocking milestones. She was walking at the record age of 17 months just like her twin sisters.

friends from the beginning...

When Lauren was born there were three of us in our ward all expecting girls. They were born one month apart starting in March of '07, then April, and Lauren bringing up the rear in May. I get the opportunity to watch the girls once a week for about an hour and I realized that we haven't taken a picture of them together in a while, well since they were all barely one. Now they are all over 18 months (Lauren being 18 months). So I took the picture today. Here are the little cuties:

Welcoming Christmas

On Friday Jeremy woke up at 4:45 and did a little Black Friday Madness Shopping. He came home about 8:00am and brought edible gifts of donuts. That started our day. We then went out as a family and did a little more shopping. We came home and then went to get a beauty of a crooked tree! We have had a little tradition that Jeremy has had nightmares about since the day we were going to buy our tree. The tradition is one we want to get rid of and thus far have avoided. Our Christmas tree falls over. Usually after it has been decorated. Although battle damage has occured we have had no complete casualties. I have learned two things that, although they bug me, they don't bother me for any length of time. These two things bother Jeremy to no end, like he can barely think of anything else it bugs him so bad. Are you curious? 1) Ants and 2) The Christmas tree falling over. It is so bad he woke me up at 4:00am to tell me his solution to not having our tree fall over. Solution one which is reasonable. He said put the heavier ornaments towards the bottom. I agree although the most fragile are usually the heaviest and need the strongest branches wich are located where? That's right, towards the top. And the second which I think is unreasonable and he still believes it is a good idea, to anchor it to the wall! The second is slighlty in jest but i am sure if I agreed he would be all over it! It is enough to almost convince him to buy a fake tree, that is saying alot if you know him.

On Saturday night we finally decorated the tree. We made the kids sit on the step and wait until they could put the ornaments on. We had to get lights, tinsel (I always called it garland but Jer's family calls it tinsel) and of course the star on top.

I think I saw it on a movie once, Jingle All the Way, where the dad always did the star on top so I insist Jeremy do it too. It helps that he doesn't need to stand on anything to do it either.

So we bit the bullet, bought a smaller tree than last year and only used half our ornaments!

This is our tree before the ornaments. It stands a little crooked and the star wobbles like a bobble head on top but it is our perfect tree, it fits right in. We love it.