Welcome Lydia Nicole!!!

Well, I have been meaning to do a pregnancy update post for several weeks now, but I guess that is no longer necessary because . . .

SHE'S HERE!!!

This is the last photo I have of my pregnant self, on Halloween, at 36 1/2 weeks

I hit 37 weeks on Sunday, November 4.  I was actually feeling pretty good this day, just tired and sore as usual.  I went to Sacrament meeting, then took Lucy home because I didn't want to send her to nursery with a runny nose.  It turned out to be a fairly relaxing Sunday.  That evening we had dinner with Kenny's family because his parents just got home from their mission!  Yay!!!  We are so happy to have them back!  We got home about 8:45, and went to bed about 9:30.  I had a feeling that I should just cancel drill practice the next morning, so I did - and boy was I grateful!

I woke up around 11 PM, having contractions; nothing serious, just enough to keep me awake.  With nothing else to do, I timed them, and they were consistently about 5 minutes apart.  I figured they would stop and tried to go back to sleep, but couldn't.  Finally at about 4 AM I decided to get up and take a shower, just in case the contractions got more intense and I decided to go in.  When I got to the bathroom, I found that I was bleeding.  Following my doctor's orders, to come in AS SOON as I even THOUGHT I might be in labor (bleeding being one of the signs), I decided to go in.  I had Kenny stay home with the kids, and told him that I would call him with an update.  I arrived at the hospital around 4:30 AM, but by the time I got in, filled out the paperwork, and got changed and situated so that the nurse could put monitors on me and check me, it was after 5 - probably a really long 35 to 40 minutes for Kenny!

They checked me and I was dilated to a 4.  The contractions were still steady and consistent, but not too painful.  I told Kenny to go ahead and come down, since they said that at this point I was probably not going to leave the hospital without a baby, and I kind of wanted him there:)  It seemed like it took FOREVER, since my last baby was born 40 minutes after I entered the hospital - so they can't say I didn't give them enough time, I came in early!  They asked if I wanted an epidural, and I told them no.  The pain was still not too bad, and I was able to talk through the contractions.  At about 9 AM the doctor checked me again and I was dilated to an 8, so he decided to break my water.  Then things really started happening!  The contractions became more intense, and I was thinking, "the doctor better hurry and get back in here because this baby is on her way!"  I kept telling them that I felt like I needed to push, but the doctor wasn't back yet, and they hadn't even taken the bottom of the bed off.  Finally I just stopped trying so hard NOT to push, and out she came, right there on the bed, the time was 9:33 AM.  Luckily Gina Shumway, the nurse, was on hand to catch her.  She then set off the alarm, and that finally brought the doctor in . . . a little too late.  He made it in time to cut the cord and stitch me up where I had torn a little, so I was grateful for that.  Kenny came over with a big grin on his face and said, "she is very pink (meaning that she was breathing just fine - a huge relief after my last one)".  I could see her there across the room, and my first thought was that she had really big hands.  The next thing I knew she grabbed right onto the little oxygen mask they had on her and held it to her face . . . a precious moment with no camera, oh well!  The nurses said, "she looks like Kenny, and she is bald."  I didn't care, as long as she was healthy!  It turns out that she is not bald, but actually has quite a bit of white blond hair that they couldn't see until they got her all cleaned up.

About 45 minutes after she was born they brought her to me and said, she is looking for something to eat!  And she was, she latched right on like a pro - I wish my first one could have been like that!  We hadn't decided on a name yet, and still couldn't decide after seeing her.  Needless to say, her coming before everyone was ready made for a pretty big mess, and it took awhile to get it, and me, all cleaned up.  During that time Kenny held the baby, trying to get her to tell him her name, but she didn't.  When I was finally cleaned up and settled in, he handed her back to me.  "I like Lydia," I said.  "Me too," he replied, and that was it.  We had wanted to use Nicole for a middle name, since my middle name is Nicole, so there it was.  He filled out the paperwork and we gave it to the doctor.  Just a few minutes later Kenny's parents came in to see the baby.  The doctor said something to them about her name being Lydia, and they were shocked.  He apologized, thinking that maybe he wasn't supposed to say anything, but it was totally fine, we just hadn't told anyone else yet.  They got a little emotional and said to Kenny, "did you know that you have an ancestor named Lydia?"  Of course, he didn't.  They told us how they had just been studying up on her since she lived in New York, right near where they were serving their mission.  She was married to Newel Knight, bishop of the Colesville branch, and a prominent member in the early church.  We decided that we are definitely going to have to find out more about this girl!

So here she is, 

Lydia Nicole Black

5 lbs, 10 oz

18 1/4 inches long 

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She was three weeks early, but you would never know by looking at her.  Everything seems to be fully developed properly, and she has cute chubby cheeks and a double chin - what more can you ask for?

It was all worth it!!!

Lydia and her mom, both doing great!

 Since we don't have insurance, and a hospital makes for a very expensive hotel, we asked the doctor if we could leave that night.  We had to stay at least 12 hours, but he said if everything was good after that, we would be free to go.  Everything checked out, and we got home at about 10:30 PM.  Kenny's dad was there with the kids, and since they had both had naps, they were still awake - waiting to see their new little sister.

Stetson and Lydia

Lucy and Lydia

 I wasn't sure how they would respond, but they were super excited.  You could tell that they fell in love with her immediately.  Stetson is amazingly soft and gentle with her, and has turned out to be a big help.  Lucy, on the other hand has a really hard time being soft and gentle - even her kisses are a little rough!  But, she loves her, and she still loves me (some kids get angry at their moms for bringing a new baby home).

I can't believe I am the mother of three!

 And there is the proud papa!  Man, I love this guy!  I couldn't ask for a better dad for my kids, or a better husband for me.  He has been so patient and understanding through everything.  I know he loves these guys just as much as I do!

I am so blessed!!!

Happy Halloween!

Not everyone likes to celebrate Halloween, but it has always been a big deal in our family . . . especially since my brother Jade was born on Halloween - 19 years ago!  Happy Birthday Jade!!!

Stetson LOVES preschool!!!  The week before Halloween, they learned about spiders, and he made this cute little spider hat.  If you think this one little spider head is cute, you should have seen his whole class outside Miss Lana's house sporting these bouncy hats (where is a camera when you need it?).

We started the Halloween celebrations off early with a Halloween Party with the cousins at Grandma Grover's house.  We got all dressed up for the occasion:

Stetson as Batman

Lucy is a cupcake!

 This day was also the last day of the deer hunt, and Jens had been out hunting.  When he got back, Lucy was so excited to show him her cute costume.  I don't think he meant to come to the party dressed up, but his hunting gear worked great!

The hunter and his cupcake

 These two are the best of friends, so of course they had to dress up the same for Halloween.

Look out - here comes the Batman Duo!

Stetson and J.D.

 By this time our little cupcake had lost her cherry on top, but she still looked too cute!  And how about that cute little bumble bee?  Do bees like cupcakes?  I think so!

Aspen and Lucy

 In my opinion, the best part of the party was the food!!!

Halloween Oreos and Rice Crispie Pumpkins

Bones and Blood, a Halloween Chex Mix, little Mummies, and Pizza

The kids dipped and decorated these apples themselves!

 On Halloween morning, we had to get up bright and early.  This kids came with me to Drill Team practice at 5:30 AM.  When we got home, we were hungry!!!  So we made the kids' favorite - pancakes!!!  I attempted Halloween-themed shapes, and let the kids decorate them.  They were a little sugary, but super cute!

Excited to eat those yummy pancakes!

 All ready for trick-or-treating!

Trick-or-treating with the cousins

Zach, Grandma Palmer, Aspen, Paige, J.D. Stetson, Lucy

Happy Halloween Everyone!!!

Happy Birthday Stetson!!!

I can't believe Stetson is already FIVE years old!!!  This birthday was special because it fell on a Wednesday, the very day of the week that Stetson was born.  I set my alarm for 5:05 am, which is the time he was born.  I didn't have the heart to wake him up that early, but it was nice to take a minute and remember that special day, 5 years ago.

The birthday boy in the crown he got from preschool

 We let him open one present before breakfast . . . 

. . . of course I took the liberty of choosing which one so that he would be able to wear his new shirt on his special day.

This shirt has all the "action super heroes" as he calls them

 Stetson loves to help in the kitchen, especially when we are making something he likes . . . like French Toast!  Stetson is not much of a breakfast person, and would probably be happy with just a glass of chocolate milk in the morning - don't worry I try to get him to eat more than that!  If he had to choose his favorite breakfast food, it would be French Toast and eggs, he doesn't really like cold cereal at all - crazy kid!

Cooking French Toast for his birthday breakfast

 So I asked Stetson what he wanted to do for lunch; I suggested that we could go out to eat or pack a picnic lunch and go to the park - he chose the picnic lunch at the park.  We went to the store to get some food for our picnic, I was thinking something from the deli, like chicken strips or something.  Nope, Stetson is a simple guy, "let's just go home and make ham and cheese sandwiches", he said.  For real?  At first I thought he was kidding, but he was totally serious!  We did buy a bag of chips, some juice boxes and doughnuts to go with our sandwiches.  And then we went to the park!

Stetson likes to slide down on his belly

Lucy LOVES the swing

 Actually, they both love the swing, and would probably do it all day if I would stay and give them underdogs all day.

I wish you could hear their giggles as I was taking this picture - sheer joy!

 My sister and her kids met us at the park to play and eat lunch.  My kids LOVE their cousins!

Building a sand castle in the shade

Lucy - Aspen - J.D. - Stetson

 Stetson has been saying for months that he wanted matchbox cars on his cake.  So I envisioned a race track with cars going around it.  He picked his cars and we started decorating; suddenly he started talking about his football cake . . . what?  "I thought you wanted to put these cars on it", I said. "Yeah, I want a football cake with cars on it", he replied.  We settled on a football field with a dirt racetrack around it.  Maybe something you would find in Radiator Springs.  The football cupcakes for the kids in his preschool class tied it all together.

The birthday boy with his balloons and cake

 Just so you know, Francisco is in the lead; according to Stetson, he is the fastest race car in the world!  Also note the edge of the football field, the blue and gold side is for the Broncos.

A close up of the cake

Stetson chose spaghetti and corn for dinner, his favorite.

The birthday boy eating dinner

 Here he is with his unopened gifts . . . 

And again in the same spot after all the gifts were opened.  He got a camera, chaps, a lego set, a coloring book and some irrigating boots to help his dad with chores.  He was pretty happy with his loot!

We invited all the family over to watch him blow out his candles and then eat cake and ice cream with us.  Stetson was so excited, it seemed as if he would burst!  And he put on quite a show blowing out those five candles.  He blew out one at a time the first go round; then, since I didn't get that on video we had him do it again, and he blew out all five in one blow!  I guess he just had to get warmed up.

A VERY happy birthday boy

 Thanks to everyone for coming and celebrating with us.  Thanks also for the wonderful gifts!  We love you all and appreciate your support!

Stetson is such a fun guy to be around.  He always has a big smile on his face, and loves to do just about anything!  He loves to talk to people, and is always telling stories and quoting movies.  My favorite thing about Stetson is his positive attitude, and his genuine concern for others.  He loves his mama, and is always there to give me a hug and tell me things are going to be okay.  He has a tender little heart though, and if I ever raise my voice, he leaves the room with his tail between his legs, just like a little puppy.  We made a deal, if he will obey, I won't raise my voice . . . sometimes we both forget, but we always forgive!  I love you Stet-man!!!

Check out those eyes

 Stetson was so excited when we got this package in a box he could fit in.  After it was emptied, he actually set it here by the front door, climbed in, and then knocked on the door so I would come to answer the door and see the package.  It was the cutest thing . . . and by far the best package I have ever received!

The best things in life come in small packages!

 One day I was tending my niece Elsie, and Stetson was such a great helper.  I hope this is the case with his new little sister!

Stetson and Elsie

 We love bath time at our house, especially when there are bubbles!

Meet the next Santa Clause - ho, ho, ho!

So I stole my sister-in-law's idea (I hope you don't mind, Alicia), and did an interview with Stetson.  Here are a few of his favorites at FIVE years old:

1. Favorite color: Blue

2. Favorite food: Macaroni and Cheese

3. Favorite drink: Chocolate Milk

4. Favorite animal: Rhino

5. Favorite number: 1200

6. Favorite letter: S

7. Favorite place to go: the motel (with swimming pool, of course)

8. Favorite thing to do: Play pirates

9. Favorite person: J.D.

10. Favorite book: Henny Penny

11. Favorite movie: Pirates of the Caribean

12. When Stetson grows up he wants to be a working dad.

What kind of work does he want to do?  Build houses like uncle Steve.

We love you Stetson!  Hope you had the best birthday ever!!!

On the Mountain

We were able to spend some time on the mountain this summer, and the kids loved every minute of it!  Here are a few of the things we did up on the Bears Ears:

Lucy and Stetson riding Stetson's horse Mater

Hauling water with dad

 We had to haul water from the pond in East Ears to several troughs on South Long Point.  The process took several hours, and had to be done every day - not fun!  The kids entertained themselves by throwing rocks into the pond.

Kenny was showing Stetson how to skip rocks.  Here he is with one of the 'skipping rocks' he found.

Lucy can throw with either hand, but her right hand is a lot more accurate.

 Riding Grandma Black's horse Shadow

Cowboy Stetson

Cowgirl Lucy

 Just hanging out at the cabin, playing in the dirt, and having fun

How do they get so dirty?

You gotta' love that dirty little face!

Riding our stud, Frosty

Branding at the corral

Stetson getting ready to rope a calf, ha ha!

Lucy stayed on the ground and helped with the tags - say cheese!

Just a few of the awesome helpers we had that day

Workin' on the Corral

Stetson was a big help in making improvements to our corral, and dad even let him drive the skid steer!

Are you sure you know how to run that?

Finding Pine Nuts

This year we introduced the kids to the timeless tradition of collecting pine nuts in the fall.  They caught right on, and were picking them up as fast as they could (the good ones, along with the bad).  Lucy liked eating them, but Stetson wouldn't even try one, he said, "it looks like they might taste like a nut."  I guess to him anything that tastes like a nut is not even worth trying, ha ha!

Lucy, supervising the boys . . .

. . . and finally getting in on the fun herself.

Getting Wood

I felt bad for Kenny as we headed out on our first wood gathering trip, knowing that it was pretty much going to be a one man show with a pregnant woman and two small children, but I was wrong!  These kids worked super hard, hauling wood and loading the trailer.  At first I thought, yeah, this will last about 5 minutes, but they kept going for a couple hours!  I'll admit, I was a little proud:)

That is one strong 4 year old!

Hauling the wood to the trailer

Check out that load of wood he helped with!  Way to go Stetson!

She may only be two, but she can haul wood too

She even carried it to the trailer, and only tripped a few times:)

My two amazing kids with our little load of wood

We love spending time on "our" mountain, as Stetson calls the Elk Mountain.