Halloween

Here are the kids Halloween night ready to trick or treat. We were lucky enough this year to have Ada, one of our sitters come with us. She carried Rainey most of the way as his little legs tired after 1/3 of a mile. Squawkerbox and dad stayed home to pass out candy. Then it was off to our friends the Moore's to roast marshmallows and gab until way too late.Here is Rainey with Kell (one of our sitters) at the ward trunk or treat

Our cute little cheetah

The isty bitsy spider

Our pirateWhat's a pirate with out a princess to save.

And daddy couldn't got without dressing up. We each got to pick something for him to wear and he wore it. He had a sword, PJ bottoms, and red hair- definately interesting....

Personalities

Yesterday morning I slept in. I forgot to set my alarm. Liza has her own alarm clock, and is very responsible each night in setting it and getting up each morning when it goes off. By the time I get out of bed she is usually up, dressed, and eating breakfast.

Yesterday, she didn't bother me until it was time for prayers before she had to go outside to catch the bus. She had made her lunch, combed her hair, even brushed her teeth, ready to go. I love how she takes pride in doing this each morning. She usually even sets out bowls for the boys breakfast. A big help.

Daniel on the other hand rolls out of bed in his lackadaisical way and putzes around all morning in his PJ's. He has no set order how he does things. The more I encourage him the less interested he is in doing anything. He has to be out of the house sometime between 1130 and noon to get to school on time depending on weither he takes the bus or I drive him out there. I have to start with lunch an hour before I need to leave. If I pick out his clothes that usually speeds the process up a few minutes. This morning we were up earlier than normal and he got dressed earlier than normal but some how we were still late for school. I don't understand the boy!

It reminds me of the days when my mother would send my sister Kim off to school well ahead of me. We lived only two blocks from school, but there was always something to discover on the way to school for her. Does anyone have any advise for my daudler? He is starting to get on my nerves!

More baby

We have been having a fun time getting use to our newest member of our family.She was the most perfect baby until we got thrush at three weeks. We fought getting rid of it for ten days with two different medications. After a priesthood blessing and a little personal revelation we were able to heal and get on with enjoying each others company again. She is once again the most perfect baby. We still have our NIGHTS but for the most part she is a great sleeper and very tolerant of her siblings, and our crazy life.

Currently we are having to adjust from focusing on the baby to equally dividing up our time with all four kids. Rainey has voiced his need to get a few more minutes of attention. So we have had to get creative with how to make them feel special on car rides, while putting them to sleep, while cleaning house, at dinner time, or any other spare moment we can find to do one on one time.

Not much really to blog about. Life is all about kids, school, and soccer. We are excited and starting our preps for Thanksgiving. We are excited to have so many family members to join us for Jake's promotion, Liza's baptism and Michael's blessing. Well here are a few pics of Michael in her new Sunday dressI had to post this one. People always ask how I can paint her fingers. Well this is how she holds her hands. Rarely does she hold them in a fist or grip someones fingers.

1 Month

Here are the one month photos of our Squawkerbox.

Daddy's little Snarky.

First attempt...

Ok so before I give you some Michael Amelia pictures I had to share. Last week Rainey spent several minutes outside picking "flowers" (weeds). (Notice he is wearing Liza's Tutu.) This was our conversation
Me-What are you doing?
R- I'm getting married!
Me-To who?
R- To my Grandma! She'll be happy at me, I pick her flowers. I call her?
So Grandma H. here is the pic of your adoring boy and his flowers for you.

So I attempted to take a few photos of the little girl this week. This is what we have so far. I know a bit redundant for those of you on facebook, but this post is mostly for Grandma and Pop-pop R. Hope you enjoy! Not too bad for her first photoshoot.

Michael is by far our smallest baby! Born at 7lbs5oz and was down to 6Lbs10oz on Tuesday. All her 0-3 month clothes hang on her. Thank goodness for the few New Born clothes I was given. I know she will out grown them quickly but in the mean while we are enjoying our very pettite little girl.

this is one Jake did

She's here!

Michael Amelia has arrived! She is named after my brother, whom I am told shared the same due date 33yrs earlier. After finding that out, if there was ever any doubt about naming her Michael it vanished. My brother never made it home from the hospital born six weeks early and contracting GBS. Our little miss followed in her name sakes footsteps coming three weeks early, but is healthy as can be!
Thursday the 17th, we were able to finish the last few things on my list of cleaning the house, I had one last blanket to finish, and the carseat my parents ordered for me arrived in the mail. The van was cleaned and the car seats were rearranged to accomidate #4.
On Friday the 18th during a routine Dr appt the Dr informed me that he would be seeing me back around the hospital within 24hrs, I was dialated to 4cm, 70%effaced, and she was supper low. I kinda laughed and held my breath, not really trusting him. I called our normal sitters mom and asked if I could put her on call to watch the kids for the weekend and had another friend lined up for early this week.
Sure enough right befor bed I started to contract a few times, and informed Jake. We went straight to sleep in hopes of catching a few hours of zzz's. I was awoken around midnight with infrequent contrations, but by 3am they were strong enough and regular enough to call Cathy Heft, our neighbour and sitter.
I was admitted around 5am with contractions every 2-3minutes. Sometime around 7am everything stopped. I was dialated to 7cm, our little miss had stage frieght! Finally sometime around noon they put me on Pitocin and broke my water. Within 30minutes I was back into strong active labor. Shortly after 1pm I asked for drugs, they barely took effect by the time the Dr walked in and said lets get this show on the road.
During a "test push" she crowned and it wasn't five minutes later she was here.
24hours after she was born we were discharged and on our way home. I am greatful for my own bed and the distraction of my kids- there is only so much hospital entertainment I can handle.

My last pregnancy photo. Liza took it before she went to bed. I weighed this much when I became pregnant with my other three, makes for a very different pregnancy!

My tiniest baby at 7Lb 5oz, almost 20inches long, born at 1343 on the 19th of September, 2009

Here she is shortly after the VERY slow and old nurse gave her to me (40minutes after she was born) only thanks to our favorite nurse of the day taking over and stealing her for me.Their first meetingMy little brood

My favorite pic of the weekend! You would think he gave birth the way he was past out!

Finished product and Liza's baby toy

Liza has been dying to make something for the baby. After taking to Jake the other night he suggested we make a few toys for the baby. One of Liza's favorite things to tell you about babies is that they only see black and white at first, then red and yellows.
Yesterday she stayed home sick with fever and chills, so I had her go thru my material and pick out a few pieces she liked. I cut them up for her then lined the pieces all up and she sewed them. She did a pretty good job! Better than my first patchwork! So watch for her finished project later on this week...

Here is the finished baby blanket! Quilted and bound.

The front all complete!

The back all done!

On a side note, had my 36week check up today. Because I am not actually 36weeks until tomorrow the Dr. was a bit apprehensive of checking me cause he can't omit me to the hospital here should something happen until tomorrow, but he did. He told me I am definitely 2cm dilated, possibly three (but he was being careful not to disrupt anything LOL), my bag of waters was bulging, and I'm 70-75% effaced, which had him concerned that this little lady won't hold off much longer. I laughed at him and told him how they put me on mild bed rest with Daniel and he was born 2days befor his due date. And that with Rainey I was dilated to a 3+ and 50% at 36weeks and he was only 6days early. No need for alarm! I joked saying he just ruined my plans of going on a 5 mile hike on Saturday. He told me just to "be good"- whatever that means.