Halloween Weekend 2011

Halloween has to be my favorite holiday. This year it was even more special because we were able to spend the weekend with family. We blessed Iain on October 30. My dad was able to come along, as did Greg's parents and his oldest sister Stephanie's family. We had a great time and hope to have visitors again soon.

Madi's Phineas pumpkin

Payton's Ariel pumpkin

Payton, Sam, Alex, Cole, Madison

Chad, Stephanie, Alex, Greg, Jody

Fun at the Shark Reef

Iain in his blessing suit.

My handsome boy!

The family after the blessing.

Halloween Day!

Fall Activities

October is my favorite month! Fall is upon us and I love it! We spent Friday night at our friend's school carnival. It was so fun.

Today we went to a pumpkin patch because it is a family tradition.

Payton does not love animals. The rabbit was the only animal she would pet.
Madi was excited to pet all of the animals.



Payton loved the swing.
Against our better judgment, we let Madi go on the tea cups after the swing and she was sick the rest of the evening. Oops, she is turning into her mother. I get so sick on these rides.
Iain the sheep, Payton the horse and Madi the cow!



I can't wait until next weekend. Halloween is by far my favorite holiday!

Family Home Evening

Yesterday Greg had to pick something up from the Bellagio. We decided that we could not go there without the girls. We end up on the strip twice a year. We go to the Haunted Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay every Halloween and we go to the Bellagio for the fountains and conservatory, usually during Christmas break. Now, yesterday was not the optimal or normal time to go to the strip, having a new little baby, but I wrapped him in the sling and no body took a second glance at me or him. He was a lot better off there, then at the grocery store. I think this is because nobody was looking at me, but they were to consumed by the glamor of the strip. The girls were so excited to go to the Bellagio, unfortunately it was pouring rain outside, (yea for the rain!), so we just visited the conservatory. The Bellagio decorates their conservatory every season. It is way to hard to go on the strip just to go here, so I believe this is the first time I have ever visited the Autumn set up. It was so amazing. Everything is made from real plants and flowers. The apples on the ground were made from roses and all of the pumpkins were real. The pumpkins weighed about 750 lbs each. But, the best part of the set up was the smell. It was amazing, it smelled like apple cider. The girls were on such a high from going to the strip, it took me forever to calm them down to do their homework. I just love Autum!

Baby Iain

Iain was born on September 23. My doctor induced me because of the gestational diabetes. I was to report to the hospital on Thursday the 22 at 10PM. So after not sleeping well the night before, working all day, going to the doctors, going on a mile walk, picking my mom and sister up at the airport and eating dinner, it left us with no time to sit and I was so tired. We got to the hospital at 10, but were informed that they did not have a bed ready for us. They told us we could wait or come back in two hours. We decided it was not worth it to make the 20 minute drive home just to sit for an hour and come back. So we sat in the waiting room. They ended up calling us back at 1AM. They put me in my room and then set to work setting everything up. After asking me 50 questions, which my mom was very helpful for. (I always find out interesting medical history when I have a baby). They finally started the Pitocin at 2:30. By 2:45 my contractions were hard and I was in active labor! I asked the nurse for the epidural. Within 5 minutes my water broke and the nurse still had not come to my room so I paged her again. This time she came running. She told me that the anesthesiologist was on his way. She checked me and I was dilated to a 5. After the epidural was in, the contractions were still hard. She told me to wait a few minutes. I told her the pressure was still 1/3 of what it was and so she paged the anesthesiologist again and he upped my dose. This all happened before 3:30. She checked me again and I was at a 9. She paged the nurses station to call my doctor and stopped my Pitocin. I could feel him crowning, but I was exhausted and with the epidural making me very comfortable, I fell asleep at a 10, with the baby crowning! The doctor showed up at 4:45, she suited up, I pushed twice and he was born into the world at 4:51.

Here I am waiting for the Pitocin, Greg kept making me laugh.

Here is little Iain at 6lbs, 14 oz and 21 inches long. He was so covered in "cheese" I thought he looked like an alien baby at first.
All cleaned up and ready for the world.
They took him from me for 3 hours to check his blood sugar and to clean him up. His blood sugar level was very low when he was born. They had to feed him and check it after two hours. Then they would bring him back to me.
I waited for so long to have him back. I finally fell asleep, Greg apparently decided to take a picture of me sleeping.
My mom and sisters brought the girls later that day. They love their brother. They fight over who is going to hold him and feed him.
I told the girls it was time for Iain to have a break, so I put him in his bassinet and I fell asleep. The girls watched PBS while I slept, but they became concerned when his eyes opened and I was not holding him. They woke me up and told me Iain was awake and that I needed to hold him. I asked if he was crying (Obviously I knew he wasn't, but I was so tired, and I was cranky). Madi told me he wasn't so I told her not to worry, he would be fine and I fell back asleep. So much concern for their little brother.
Emily and Maddox came to visit us in the hospital! Emily watched the girls while I was in labor! Thanks Emily!
My mom came to the hospital with Greg and I. She also has been a big help with the girls, cooking and cleaning my house. Thanks mom!

Sarah also came to visit.
Here is Iain the day he was born! I get so bored in the hospital and I felt great! I got dressed, dressed up Iain and took walks around the hospital! The nurse who helped me out with my delivery said that my delivery was every nurses dream delivery. It went so well. We are glad to be home now and ready to start our new adventure as a family!

Payton's Birthday

Payton turned 6 this past week. She was so excited for her birthday, she had me counting down since early July. We decided it would be easiest to do a party at Build a Bear. You have to have at least 6 guests and you can pay as little as $10 a guest. We opted for this option, since it would cost more to do at home and I did not have the energy to throw a birthday party and clean it up. Payton wanted only girls at her party. The girls had so much fun!

Build a Bear parties involve games as well as the kids making a bear. The kids loved every minute of it.
Here are the finished bears.

After we went to the food court and ate cake.
She had a Hello Kitty cake, which I forgot to take a picture of, of well.
We opened presents at home on the date of her birthday.
She wanted to take a picture of all of her presents. The Hello Kitty was not a present, but the bed and blanket were for Hello Kitty, so she had to be in the picture.
Payton loves dolls! She treats them very well. They have beds, pillows, and blankets. She brings them on walks and straps them in in the car. She is so cute, so different from Madi's video games and Legos. It is fun to watch both girls grow up!

First Day of School 2011

As always summer has to come to an end. But, with the new school year, means many new things. Payton is now in first grade. She was very scared on the first day because it wasn't until then that she realized that she would not be in the same kindergarten class. She was very upset and we barely squeaked out this smile.
Madi, of course, loves every thing and everybody. She was so excited for school to start and is loving her 2nd grade teacher and class. she has her hands up because she wanted to show off the blue nails.

Here is a picture of all of us. Madi told Greg that I was going back to school also, so I get a back to school priesthood blessing. It was very nice to get the blessing and I was not nervous about the start of the year at all.
Payton did not want to be in the pictures, so she took a picture of the family.

Summer

When you ask the girls what they did this summer, they will tell you they watched TV. I was horrified the first time they told someone that. I mean, as a teacher, I should be ashamed. But, it was the truth. This summer was very low key. We went to the free Regal movies, story time at the library, and we went swimming a lot, but we also took daily naps and watched a lot of TV. The reason we were lazy was because I have been so tired. I also was taking a graduate level on-line class in order to renew my teaching license. The class was a 6 week course and I spent 15 hours a week on the class.

In July we did go to Washington to see Greg's family. We spent a week over the fourth of July. It was a great week of swimming and spending time with the McClellan family.

In August I found out that I have gestational diabetes and the umbilical cord has a vain on it. This means that I go to a specialist twice a week and I am on a strict diet. I have lost 5 pounds since I started the diet. But, with the twice weekly ultra sounds, we can see the baby is roughly (as far as the doctor says) is about 6lbs 5 ounces. That was at 36 weeks. I am now 37 weeks and split between the wanting to have this baby TODAY! and wanting to wait for a few more weeks. I am so over going to the doctor twice a week. I go through so much gas in my car, I pay a copay every time I go in, and the girls come with me and sit in the appointments. The girls are so good!! I can not complain, I just feel bad they have to sit in the office with me for hours at a time. But, on the other hand, it would be nice to have him stay in for a few more weeks, so I can get things ready at school, the substitute that I have lined up is going to be out of town the last week of September, and open house is next week. So, for now I am just trying to make it through one day at a time and hope that when little Iain does decide to come, we will be ready. Which reminds me, I haven't packed my bag yet, I should really do that...

Here are so pictures from our great trip to Washington.
Our drive to Washington, the nothingness of Northern Nevada!

The girls and cousins watching intently as the boys set off the fireworks.

The fireworks were CRAZY, but we survived!
Payton with her face painting from a work picnic
Of course Madi chooses fire=)
Larry and Jody enjoying their ice cream.