Watching out for her

Today when we were getting ready for swimming lessons Luke and Harlee were in my bathroom telling me what I had missed from the day before. I was not there because it was Erika's turn to drive. So Luke was telling me that Harlee was going to jump off the diving board. He said that she had cried a little bit but then with bravery jumped. Then he said Harlee come here. They left the bathroom and went into my room. They were still close enough for me to hear their cute conversation.
Luke said "Harlee you do not need to cry today. If you go to jump off the diving board, do not be scared. I will go right behind you and you will be safe."
Harlee then said "OK Luke."
What a sweet brother. I truly hope that this protective nature of his carries through all their years. If I can count on Luke to always watch out for Harlee, I can be a little less worried!

His own icee?

Nash is at that age where he feels he should be able to have the same things that Luke and Harlee get. Long gone are the days where they could get ice cream cones and he would be satisfied with a little sucker. So we went to get icee's today and this was the outcome. I am feeling completely inspired to have put the dark navy blue shirt on him today that will hopefully not suffer the spill! So the icee soaked through his shirt and stained his belly. Not so fun to clean up but he loved it!

Another Option

Gray is a great baby but not one of those that just likes to lay in one place and look around. He really loves to be held. So today we broke out the Baby Bjorn. Now hopefully I will be able to get a few things done while holding him at the same time. With the four kiddos it is all about multi-tasking or nothing would ever get done. Let's hope he likes it!

Fashion Sense

Lately Harlee has been on the tank top and legging kick. I think her motto is the tighter the better. Each day after swimming she finds her special outfit and is happy as can be. Should we be worried about modesty in her teen years? Is this a sign of things to come?

Seriously, who is in charge?

I have heard that you get a little more lax with each child but I think this has gone a little too far. I have never heard of a 19 month child having free reign of the pantry. Because we have the lever doors Nash feels like he can help himself to whatever he wants whenever he wants it. I would like to try to be mad but it is actually pretty funny. And how can you be mad at a face like that??

Tonight...

... we enjoyed some of this,

and some of this,

and even more of this,

all because mom took away her big diet dr pepper. I guess I probably would react the same way!

Is that a smile?

Gray is starting to come to life. I love this stage! So fun to see them crack a smile yet so hard to catch it on camera. I love this picture because he is just smirking a bit. What a cute baby! I cannot believe how quickly he is growing up. I cannot wait until the smiles are a daily occurrence!

Cowabunga Bay

I have been promising Luke since last summer that we would go to Cowabunga Bay, the new water park they built in Draper. Riley's mom promised Riley so her and her husband were going to take Luke too. Well her husband could not go and it was Joey's half day, so we made it a double date. It was so fun to watch Luke have fun. That kid seriously has no fear. He went on the big water slides over and over and then relaxed in the lazy river. Erica and I got our big cokes and sat and chatted all afternoon. Luke had a blast and it was so relaxing for me. Thanks so much Joey for watching the other kiddos so Luke and I could have this fun time together. I think we will make this a tradition!
*Not the slimmist in the pic. Who dares put on a bathing suit when your baby is 7 weeks old. Definitely taking one for the team!

Another Milestone

Gray is growing so quickly. Since he is our last I feel like I want to stall every moment. I think I would give up the sleepless nights, but everything else I want to enjoy to the fullest. He is starting to try to make sounds and every once in a while I catch a smile. I cannot wait until the smile is a daily occurrence, that is my favorite. He had now been introduced to the 3 month clothes. I cannot believe it is almost time to put the newborn clothes away. Time is going too fast. He will be 8 weeks on Sunday. How lucky are we to have Gray in our family.
Even though life is crazy and going anywhere with four children feels impossible, I would not change a thing. I love each of these little ones so so much. They each bring something different and special to our family. Even on the most stressful days I still feel that motherhood is such a blessing. I would not change this time for anything.

What is going on in Primary??

Her face says it all... What is going on in Primary? Sunbeams, none the less....
She came home from Primary today and told me the following:
"Thomas got a time out today."
"Why?" I asked.
"Tuz he spanked my bum and kissed me!" Harlee said.
Are we started this boy stuff already? Joey then reported that several little boys were flirting were her. I know she is super cute but I was hoping that this boy/girl stuff would have waited until at least 10!

New Fun- Success???

Gray is starting to be awake a little more. He would love to be held all day but when you choose to be the fourth child in a family of little ones, all day is not an option. He does not love to just lay in his bed so we brought out a new option- the swing. Nash did really well in the swing so we are hoping Gray will love it too! So far so good...

He Did It!

Gray did it! Or it is probably better said- Mom did it! I have a little bit of a hard time letting go! At any rate, Gray slept in his own bed. He is no longer in between mom and dad on his little mattress. He slept really good and so did we! Next step is to get him in his own room. Don't expect that update for a while! Baby steps!

Random Night

Well I am finally feeling up to blogging after what has been a crazy few days. The craziness began on Sunday night. Sunday was a normal busy Sunday. Joey and I took turns attending church. After which I had a visit for Relief Society. I rushed home from that and we went to Tara's birthday dinner at Jenna's. So fun to have her in town and have all the cousins play together. They loved it! After about an hour I started feeling a little sick to my stomach. I said that I needed to go home, quickly got the kids in the car, and drove home. When I got home I told Joey I was not feeling well, he had stayed home since Gray is in seclusion for the next I don't know how long! I felt nauseous and then had the chills really bad. Then I started having really bad pain in my stomach mainly on the right side. I thought taking a bath might make me feel better but no such luck. I got out and laid on the bed and just could not get comfortable. No matter what I did the pain would not go away. I told Joey that I felt that I could not straighten out my stomach, I just needed to stay in a ball. So I called the doctor while Joey searched online for some answer. I told the doctor that I had a baby six weeks ago and what my symptoms are. He suggested it may be some type of infection and I needed to the emergency room. So around 11pm I called Hailee. She was so great to rush over to watch the kids. We took Gray with us and headed to Timpanogas Hospital. By the time we got there I was feeling a lot better. Several times I asked if we could just go home. I felt so silly be there thinking nothing was wrong. The nurse came in and asked a bunch of questions. From what he gathered he thought I might have some complications from having a baby. He brought in a kit for a pelvic exam. When the doctor came in she asked if I was having a ton of bleeding. I said I was not having any bleeding just pain in my stomach. She felt around starting on the left side then lower abdomen, then when she touched my right side I about jumped out of bed. I told her it did not hurt until she touched it. She said she thought it might be appendicitis. So she ordered me to have a cat scan. The whole time I was feeling so dumb. So sure that it was nothing. So after the cat scan as we were waiting for the results, the nurse came in and said that my blood work showed a high level of white blood cells indicating infection. About 30 minutes later the cat scan results were in and it was appendicitis. It was about 4am at the point and the surgeon was going to do my surgery at 6am. So I sent Gray and Joey home and tried to rest for an hour. Around 5:30am they started prepping me for the event. I remember being wheeled into the operating room, moving to the other bed and then the rest is a blur. The next thing I know I was waking up in a recovery room. I could not believe it was done but the pain in my stomach and the oxygen I was wearing gave it away. Shortly after waking up Joey and the kids came to make sure I was OK. My mom and dad visited too. The rest of the day was a blur. I was so out of it. I was discharged around 4pm and came home to sleep the rest of the night. Joey was the best. He just sent me to my room and took care of everything. My sweet visiting teacher Mcall brought dinner. Joey cut up a piece of pizza into tiny pieces and brought it up to me. He is truly the best husband. He had to go to work on Tuesday so my mom and Jenna came to help. Mindi came on Wednesday and Darolyne came yesterday. I am so grateful for such great family so willing to do all they can to help. Today is my first day on my own but I am feeling so much better. Still really swollen in the tummy but feeling a lot more like myself. I am so grateful for little pushes of inspiration to go to the doctor. Had I waited then the whole situation would have been a lot worse.
*Day five and still looking about 5 months pregnant!

What an Angel!

Nothing more precious than a sleeping baby. I always wonder what they are dreaming about. Gray is growing and changing everyday. He really is a good baby. He has had a few bad nights with an upset tummy. I think he just needs to figure out how it all works. We are just loving him. It is hard to imagine our family without him. Here are a few pictures from the last few days.

Buzz Bros

After much coaxing, and Riley's buzz, Luke decided he would like his hair buzzed for the summer. He looked so cute and the maintenance is wonderful so we decided to buzz Nash too. I love their new looks and I love even more that I only have Harlee's hair to do everyday! She really wanted a buzz too but that is where Mom draws the line! Here is to a low maintenance summer!

Watched Over

If I ever doubted that Gray is suppose to be here in our family that was confirmed last night. We had a really scary close call. Joey had moved Gray's pack and play over by the bookshelf. He had been in there a lot of the night while we got the other kids in bed. We were getting him ready for bed on our bed when we heard a loud noise. A very heavy candle that is on top of the bookshelf had fallen. I would guess it weighs at least 20 pounds. It landed right in the pack and play. If Gray had been in there at the time, he would have been severely hurt. We immediately moved the pack and play. I prayed to Heavenly Father thanking Him for watching over our little guy. I immediately get sick to my stomach when I think of what the outcome could have been had he been in the bed. I am just so grateful for his safety and for the blessing he is to our family. I hope we do not have to experience any more of those close calls for a while!

Two Moms??

Harlee is in LOVE with Gray. She never hesitates to tell me that he is her baby. She reminds me though that Nash can be my baby. Today she was helping feed him for the first time. She was in heaven! She really is a great helper. I am so glad that she loves him so much.

Luke Starts Tennis

Luke has started taking tennis lessons at the Ivory Ridge Country Club. He is loving it and I would venture to say that Joey is loving it more. The tennis lover in the family loves to watch his son play his sport of choice. He is doing really well and we are thinking of signing up for year-round. He will be "our guy" instead of Roger F.!
*Funny Luke story:
I noticed Luke's teacher and said:
"Luke is that your teacher?"
"Yes", Luke said.
"She is really cute. Do you think she is cute?" I asked.
"A little." Luke said.
"Is she cuter than your mom?" I teased.
"You are the same." Luke said.
"It is ok to say your mom is cuter than the teacher!" I said.
Luke thought for a minute and then said, "You are the same."
He is such a funny kid!