Sibs

So, having three kids is fun. We just feel more like a real family. Not that we didn't feel like a family before--just more so now.

For the most part, Kayli and Bryce have made the adjustment pretty smoothly. They're very helpful (sometimes a little too helpful) and they think everything about him is so cute.

And they LOVE to hold him

He isn't always a big fan of this, unfortunately

I can't believe he's already 8 days old! I'm a little sad about it. I so don't want him to grow up. I know that's completely selfish of me, but he's just so cute and tiny. And he is unbelievably sweet. I love the way he curls up on my chest or shoulder to sleep and how completely relaxed he looks. I love the feel of his fuzzy little head against my face. And I love all the cute sounds he makes--especially if someone bothers him while he's eating. It's so cute!

Anyway, I'm so grateful for Kayli and Bryce and what great older siblings they are being.

Here they are happily watching his first bath at home (and Kayli snuck into one of her daddy's shirts again. "Daddy's Girl" doesn't even begin to describe her obsession with her papa).

Kayli loved her baths as a baby. She would always fall asleep when Blake washed her hair. Treyton doesn't seem to feel the same way about bath time.

And check out that faint patch of yellowish brown on my arm at the bottom of the photo. That's from my IV. It's got some purple patches on the other side you can't see and it's swollen. Still. I've been stuck with needles my fair share of times, but I don't think I've ever seen one that did this much damage. It seriously looks like I've been abused. And Bryce got a bit of a shiner somehow, too. So we try to not go out as a family for fear that someone will report Blake.

A friend made him this cute, over-sized towel. He looks so cute all wrapped up in it. Still not happy, though.

Perspective

We have an interesting relationship with our dog.

On the one hand, she is the world's worst dog.

Think Marley & Me. She has chewed up half of our deck, all of the wiring to our sprinklers, a few of our rain gutters, and is digging a hole under the fence. But her latest and most egregious transgression is that she keeps getting into the garden and digging it up. We anticipated this and put a fence up to keep her out.

It's not working.

WE. ARE. MAD.

And if you're thinking she just needs some training, you're probably right. I have worked on training her, but bear in mind that I've just finished a rather difficult pregnancy and now have a tiny little newborn. Plus, I'm the mama of two other young'uns and I have a household to run and a husband to keep happy. I don't really have time to sit at the window and wait for her to jump in the garden.

On the other hand, she's the world's best dog.

When we went to the shelter to pick out a dog, we had some pretty specific requirements: small with short fur (for minimal shedding) and I wanted an older dog who would be more mellow.

Well, you've all seen what we walked out with. A large puppy with great potential for becoming larger with lots of long fur. And did I mention she was a puppy? I've heard that when you go to pick out a pet, there's just a connection and the pet sort of picks you. That certainly was the case for me. We made eye contact and I just knew she was the right dog for us. Even though she was all wrong.

But she's been great for our family. The kids are learning responsibility as they help care for her. She makes us laugh. She follows me around all day and makes me feel special. She's soft and beautiful. She's very forgiving and eager to please. She gets us out on walks more often, as a family.

And she puts up with this. I'm convinced that any other dog would have taken off at least a few of his fingers by now, if not the entire hand. We are trying our hardest to get him to treat her better and it is sinking in. Slowly. But she is so patient and gentle with him.

And there you have it. My emotional dilemma with this crazy pup.

More Photos

For those of you hungering for more Treyton:

We always like to get a picture of how tiny they are when we bring them home from the hospital

His eyes were open until I turned the lights on to get a photo without using the flash (and blinding our new little guy). It was really cute. I love the bewildered look they have at this stage whenever their eyes are open.

And then I decided to try a wannabe photo shoot

Mostly, it was a disaster

But I think I got a couple cute ones

And then he was done and would not put up with any more of that nonsense

Should We Keep Him?

Bryce posed that question during their first trip to the hospital to meet their new brother. I'm not really sure what made him think that that was up for discussion.

I, for one, am so happy he's here and I could never ever ever give him up. Ever.

Not quite as big as Bryce, thank goodness.

Introducing Treyton Blake

With goobery eyes, thanks to the nurses and that stuff they put in

He was born at 2:52 AM Thursday morning. So, he did follow tradition after all. He was born on a holiday (Earth Day totally counts). And he even worked around a sporting event for his daddy. Only this time, it was Elder's Quorum basketball at the church. And I did make Blake come home about 15 minutes early. But then I decided to try to go to bed to get some sleep and make labor stop until morning.

Turns out, Treyton didn't want to wait any more. My contractions were only coming about every 15 minutes, but they were unbelievably excruciating. I knew something big was going on and I was scared because Bryce came so fast (45 minutes after we got to the hospital). So, I woke Blake up and told him we needed to go even though the contractions weren't all that close. Of course, as soon as I got out of bed and started getting things in the car, they began coming only 4 minutes apart.

So, we dropped the kids off at some friends' and headed to the hospital in the wee early hours of the morning. I think Blake said he was born about and hour and 15 minutes after we got to the hospital, so we didn't cut things quite as close as we did with Bryce. Plus, this time we were smarter and we told the front desk that I was in serious labor and to skip with all the paper work and stuff. They obliged. Good thing because I was already at a 7 1/2 by the time I got all decked out in my gown.

I had planned on going natural this time since the recovery after going natural with Bryce seemed so much easier than after the epidural with Kayli. But I didn't. I've tried to figure out if it was because the contractions came on so suddenly or if it was because I was mainly feeling them in my back and my hip and I just wasn't ready for that kind of pain there, but it was way more than I wanted to take. The pain was causing me to shake before I'd even left the comfort of my own bed and it only got worse from there.

So, even though I was incredibly close, I asked for the epidural and they gave it to me. It didn't have time to fully take before I started pushing and Treyton was born, but it took the edge off enough for me to handle it. Fortunately, my doctor made it in time this time and then he was born. He had the cord wrapped around his neck, but my doctor quickly got it off. He was super purple when they placed him on my tummy though. So, they didn't let him stay there for very long.

They took him away and called in a NICU nurse and gave him oxygen. Fortunately, this was enough and he was okay. But they did have to take him to the nursery a couple times because he wasn't keeping warm enough.

Finally, he warmed up enough that they could give him his bath. This was the first time I got to be there to watch.

Good thing he wasn't any bigger, or he wouldn't have fit in the tub!

You can tell how much he was enjoying this

Is there anything better than a newly washed newborn? I especially love feeling their hair!

Later that day Blake brought the kids back

They were so excited to meet him and get to hold him

Bryce is constantly coming up to Trey and saying, "Awww... He's so cute."

A huge shout out here to my friend Anna for watching our kids for 2 1/2 days while we were in the hospital. It was so nice to be able to have Blake there with me and to know that my kiddos were in fabulous hands. THANK YOU!!!

Poor, sleepy papa. Can you tell the nights have been a little rough?

Anyway, we are so happy to have him here. He is the cutest, sweetest little baby. If you want to know more about my obsession with him, feel free to check out the Abiding Joy blog.

Thank you for all the well wishes!

We Made It!

The baby arrived safely early (way too early) this morning. Pictures and more info to follow if I figure out how to upload pictures at the hospital.

Yes, I was in very early labor when I typed up that last post. But I had already thought of the title days before labor began.

Thank you for all the well wishes!

Quick, Before the Baby Comes!

So, I hardly documented any of it with photos, but on Saturday we went on a little bit of a frenzy, trying to do everything we possibly could.

We started off with a fun trip to the gym. I was too tired to workout, so I got to play personal trainer and make sure Blake got enough of a workout in to count for the both of us.

Then we headed to the donut shop to satisfy my craving from the day prior.

Then off to the zoo! It was opening weekend and the kids have really been missing it.

They fed the mama goat while the poor little baby kept trying to get some food itself. Of course, in another week or two, I'll probably have a lot more sympathy for the mama than for the baby.

Then they got to be spiders on the giant spider web

And then monkeys. Notice Daddy looking on quite longingly. If only we could be kids forever...

But playing in the sand at the dinosaur dig appears to still be the activity of choice

"Are these real dinosaur bones?"

And then we headed out for lunch. Mostly so Blake could try this. Gross. He enjoyed it though. Actually, it tasted fine. But the concept still grosses me out.

Then we stopped at the garden shop to pay ridiculous amounts for dirt, moss, and poop.

But it was all worth it when we (mostly Blake) put it all together to have this

instead of clay. So far we've transplanted our peas and our green beans. I think we'll try the spinach next. It's so fun having a garden!

And then we were all very very tired and went to bed.

Okay Baby, we're ready.

No Birdies Here

This is officially the longest I've ever been pregnant. Kayli was kind enough to come 8 days early. I wonder how much longer this will continue?

In the meantime, we're trying to have fun and enjoy ourselves. So, last Friday we took the kids to a nearby miniature golf course.

I think Napoleon Dynamite might have stolen his dance moves from this sexy man of mine

The kids are lucky to have someone so skilled to teach them the right moves

Having your hair in your face does NOT, in fact, improve your golf swing

They humored Blake a bit, but mostly they just liked to run around and do their own thing

I got in on the fun too. Two interesting facts for you: 1. It is more difficult to swing a golf club around a very protruding belly than you'd expect and 2. Don't be critical of my odd fashion sense--I have very few shirts that still cover the belly and I'm not about to buy more when I'm almost done! (Recognize this shirt, Dad?)

Goofing around and having a good time

Bryce tried to do things our way for a couple holes and then came up with a "better" way. He would just march down to the hole, place his ball beside it, and swing. Amazingly enough, he still managed to miss the hole a couple times. Then he'd just pick up his ball (and any others laying nearby) and drop it straight in.

Efficiency is king around here.

And this is Kayli's technique. She would scoot it along in a way that reminded Blake and I of the curlers at the Olympics. And she would count the entire way, sometimes ending up with a score over 20 for one hole--even though she never actually swung the club.

Guess how many holes we actually kept score of?

Happy Anniversary!

To the two people who gave me life

And taught me to love and learn and grow

And are most responsible for making me weird.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! I love you!!!

Most Comfortable Uterus

I think my baby has awarded me with that prize. That's only from his perspective, of course. For me, my uterus has become most uncomfortable.

Bryce asked if today was the baby's birthday. I told him I'm pretty sure it won't be.

I'm guessing April 29th. Yes, you read that right. I'm predicting I will be going overdue.

Blake guessed this upcoming Tuesday. But I don't think he was taking my little game seriously. Or, he may have been afraid to upset me by guessing a date too far off. I'm sort of easily upsettable these days. So don't bother telling me that isn't a word.

Anyone else want to take a guess? If you guess correctly, you can name our child.

Okay, not really. But you can feel really proud of yourself.

I really need a donut. Most of the time, donuts make me ill. But when I'm pregnant, they are like manna from heaven. Mmmm... donuts.

My Apologies

To those of you who receive my posts by email--

Sorry! I did not have the baby. Those were photos of Bryce and I just accidentally posted them before writing the text for the post.

Like I said before, if you ever get a post without any text, wait a little while and then check the blog. This is me we're talking about here. I always have something to say.

Whoop-di-do Wednesday

12 days to go, according to my ticker.

Bryce was born 12 days early. And he was already over 9 lbs. at that point. I think I've finally come to peace with the idea of this baby staying where he is for a couple more weeks, but I just don't want another big baby. I can't handle what it takes to feed a newborn of that size.

Anyway, on to cheerier matters--I finally feel up to doing a Wednesday post.

V-Day

From my journal:

"I really ought to be writing more often since this is a pretty significant time in my life but I like to spend all my free time with Blake. Go figure.

"Things are going really well there. I think there's a part of both of us that just wants to be married, but we're not really ready for that yet. I brought up the question of "when?" a couple weeks ago. It kind of took him by surprise but he said he was thinking August. I told him I had been thinking June but August would be okay too. But the idea of June is growing on him, especially when it comes to saying "good night" every night. The other day he joked that we should maybe move it up to March. Crazy kid.

"We've barely begun planning things and it's still sinking in how much we need to plan and figure out. Amy brought up birth control yesterday. I don't know how we'll ever be able to discuss that without feeling totally weird. But these things won’t take care of themselves. Unfortunately. The thing is, I feel silly planning without a ring on my finger. I'm pretty sure that will happen soon though. His grandma told him that he couldn't propose to me until she met me and last night he said we should go to his grandma's house for dinner on Sunday. But Aunt Karen said I'm not allowed to accept a proposal until she has met him and that hasn't happened yet either. Mostly, life is really great. I love Blake so much. It doesn't matter what else goes wrong as long as I'm with him. I can't believe this is real. And he is so incredible."

This was written two days before Valentine's Day. Even though there was a tiny part of me that was still aware of all things rational and practical, I was really hoping he would propose any day. And I thought Valentine's would be perfect--even though I would have found this way too cliché any time before this.

We had an excellent Valentine's.

I made a scroll listing 100 things I love about him and left it on his doorstep along with a stuffed snake (complete with heart spots all over it). I was in search of a nickname for him and at the time was trying out "BlakeSnake" to go along with my lifelong nickname of "Cherbear".

'Blakesnake' didn't stick, in case you were wondering. He had a dozen roses delivered to my apartment during the day--so sweet and adorable! Roses were (and are) my very favorite flower. And these were gorgeous pink roses. We went to Carrabas for dinner that night with some of his roommates and their dates. I ordered this delicious pizza that I still drool over the memory of. Then we went back to their apartment and made cookies. Blake wanted to have some alone time so, we headed back to my apartment which was conveniently vacant for the evening.

"He gave me my Valentine's Day present--a really cute poem he'd written and a hand-painted jewelry box from Russia. He told me that he had bought it with the intention of giving it to the woman he married. Yeah, he's amazing."

I was hoping to find a ring when I opened up the box, but it was empty. I should have been completely satisfied with the night, especially because he made it very clear that he intended to make me his wife. So, he appeared totally committed. But I still remember feeling very disappointed that the night ended with my ring finger still naked.

You get pictures of Bryce today because there still aren't really any photos from this time in our relationship. This is him at 4 days. Look how chubby he is for a 4-day old person!

My Version

So, we had discussed getting married and had even discussed dates, but I still hadn’t even proposed. Everything seemed to be happening in reverse order. Believe me, I really wanted to propose, but I still felt like it was a little rushed. After all, we had only been dating since November. I had always disliked how quickly some of my fellow Mormons jumped into marriage. Home from a mission for a few weeks and engaged. Or, just met a girl last week and getting married. It all seemed premature and rushed. I wanted to take things a little slower. There was also the missionary dilemma. I certainly didn’t want to be engaged and then lose my fiancé to a newly returned missionary!

All of this combined to make Valentine’s a very stressful time for me. What exactly would I do on this special day of love? Proposing would have been an obvious choice except for what I previously mentioned and the fact that it was very cliché. As the day drew nearer I came to the conclusion that I would not propose. How could I if I still didn’t have a ring?

I did spend a lot of time deliberating what to do to make our date as special as possible. I finally settled on a dozen roses, which was a big deal for me. Those things weren’t cheap either! I also decided to try my hand at writing a sappy poem. And to make things extra special, I decided to give her a Russian jewelry box that I had picked up on my mission. I had always intended to give it to my future wife, so why not now?

The day finally came. I was very surprised to find some gifts from Cheryl. On my doormat was a silly, stuffed animal snake that was covered in hearts. There was also a scroll that listed 100 things Cheryl loved about me. It was very fun to read and made me super happy.

Later that day the flowers were delivered to Cheryl. We then went out on our dinner date with my roommates Cody, Fred, and their dates. We had a great time. Cheryl and I then ditched everybody went back to her apartment where we talked for a while. I then gave her the jewelry box. I was pretty nervous explaining how I had always intended to give it to my future wife. She seemed pleased by it, but maybe a little disappointed to not be engaged. All in all, it was a good day. I still had to figure out when and how to propose to her…

Lucky for him, he was a very cute chubby 4-day old

The Valentine's Poem:

Three Months

(and counting)

Cheryl,

Just three months ago, I didn't know you that much

Life was a myriad of troubles and such.

Then you entered my world and you lifted my life

Took away the heartache, the pain, and strife

Built up my confidence, day by day

Broke down the walls that hid my dismay

Scared off the goblins, the demons, 'the others'

Dealt with the questions posed by my brother(s)

Made me feel special so often I cringed

Thought I was so hot my body just singed

Offered advice so wise and sincere

Relented the wall for my very first deer

Helped me to smile when life made me frown

Acted like a princess, all but the crown

Inspired to write poetry despite my bad grammar

'Well,' if I am to speak right I surely will stammer

Told me of Rascals, of Flatts, and of 'falling'

Sometimes around you I hear Broadway a callin'

Played for me songs of the stars and the moon

Took a ride in the 'love trap' and nearly did swoon

Beauty and grace you so masterfully blend

Kissed me... (sigh), I hoped it never would end

Introduced me to kindred, many, not a few

They really are lucky 'cause they're related to you!

Shocked when I told you I wanted children galore

Besides, how would life be if we had only four?

Encouraged me when my tests I did bomb

Hopeful that someday I can talk to your mom

And your dad, too, if he'll give me one thing

Your hand, your heart, and a father's blessing

But until that day comes, and I know that it will

Please stay by my side and walk with me still

Three months may have passed and I haven't a clue

But I know that I love you, I love you...

I do.

Easter Fashion

As promised, here are the kids in their super cute Easter clothes:

I love trying to get smiles

Look at their hands--this was their idea, but I think it's adorable!

Kayli's hair is wet, not greasy

I just think my kids are the cutest

And Bryce still loves his tongue, in case you were wondering

Attention Mac Users--Help!

Does anyone know how to burn an album from iPhoto onto a CD? I'm trying to send some photos to a friend and it won't let me select any of my photos to burn to the CD. If you do know how, please give me very basic, detailed instructions. My brain isn't the sharpest these days.

When I walked into my spin class this morning my instructor said, "I really didn't want to see you today."

To which I replied, "I really don't want to be here."

This sounds rude, but it's pretty much how all my conversations go these days. People are constantly saying things like, "I hope I don't see you again!" And I readily agree.

I just wish all of their wishes would come true. Because I'm tired of having to face everyone the next time I see them after such comments.

But I'm beginning to accept that the unpleasant hunch I had about 30 weeks ago about this baby going at least to the full 40 weeks may have been right on. That's when I began to realize that this pregnancy was going to be a lot more difficult than the other two.

So, we'll see.

In the meantime, my sister-in-law requested a recipe a while ago and I forgot to post it. So, here 'tis. And be prepared, it's kind of a funny one, so I'll share all of the author's little side comments. I don't think she intended it to be funny, so if you don't think it is then well, you and I just don't share the same sense of humor.

Marshmallow Fondant

16 oz. white mini-marshmallows--us a good quality brand

2-5 T. water

2 lbs. icing sugar--please use C&H Cane Powdered Sugar for the best results (don't disappoint the recipe!)

1/2 C. Crisco shortening-- you will be digging into it so place in a very easily accessed bowl

Melt marshmallows and 2 T. of water in a microwave or double boiler. Put the bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds, stir, place back in microwave for 30 seconds, stir again. Continue doing this until it's all melted. It usually takes about 2 1/2 minutes total. Place 3/4 of the powdered sugar on the top of the melted marshmallow mix. Don't mix it in yet.

Grease your hands GENEROUSLY--palms, backs, and in between fingers, then heavily grease the counter you will be using and dump the bowl of marshmallow/sugar mixture in the middle. ("By the way, this recipe is also good for your hands. When I'm done, they are baby soft.")

Start kneading like you would bread dough. You will immediately see why you have greased your hands. If you have children in the room they will either laugh at you or look at you with a questioning expression. You might even hear a muttered, "What are you doing?"

Keep kneading, this stuff is sticky at this stage! Add the rest of the powdered sugar and knead some more. Re-grease your hands and counter when the fondant is sticking. If the mix is tearing easily, it is too dry, so add water (about 1/2 T. at a time then knead it in). It usually takes me about 8 minutes to get a firm smooth elastic ball so that it will stretch without tearing when you apply it to the cake.

It's best if you can let it sit, double wrapped overnight (but you can use it right away if there are no tiny bits of dry powdered sugar). If you do see them, you will need to knead and maybe add a few more drops of water.

Prepare the fondant for storing by coating it with a good layer of Crisco shortening, wrap in a plastic-type wrap product (i.e. plastic wrap) and then put it in a re-sealable or Ziploc bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible.

MM Fondant will hold very well in the refrigerator for weeks. If I know that I have a cake to decorate, I usually make 2 batches on a free night during the week so it is ready when I need it. Take advantage of the fact that this fondant can be prepared well in advance.

Now it's time to start. Your cake should be baked, and completely cooled. If you have a shaped cake, you can trim it now and then place the cake on a prepared cake board. In other words, you are assembling the cake puzzle on the board. You can also place the cake on the board first and then trim (you must be extra careful not to damage the covered board). I personally find that shaping first is the easiest and transferring the cake.

Give the top and sides of the cake a nice thick 1/4" (not a thin 1/4") coating of buttercream icing. NOTE: At first I was wondering why needed to bother with this step. Well, there are a couple of reasons: The buttercream helps the fondant to "stick" to the cake and this cushion of undercoating icing helps to give you the beautiful smooth nearly perfect finish that you are looking for.

Next sprinkle a bit of cornstarch on your counter to help prevent sticking (rub it in. Give the fondant a little kneading to incorporate the Crisco coating). It will be pretty stiff when you try to knead it again, but it can be microwaved for 10 to 20 seconds, if necessary. Start off with 10 seconds and be please be careful. Items that have high sugar contents can get hot in the microwave very quickly. The fondant will soften right up and be perfect for rolling out and playing with. You want the temperature to be close to your body temperature.

Now is the best time to add your food coloring. I prefer to store my fondant in its natural color of white. Some colors can change the consistency of the icing. If you do need to store colored fondant, wrap each color very well in plastic wrap or Saran Wrap. Colors like red and burgundy are notorious for bleeding into other colors.

To make chocolate fondant:

Add 1 T. melted chocolate to the melted marshmallows and 1 T. cocoa powder to the powdered sugar.

Okay, as if that recipe wasn't long enough. Here are a few tips from me. But do keep in mind that I've only made this once and really, I was just helping the woman teaching the class.

You can also freeze the fondant. Just cover it in a good layer of the shortening and then double wrap it in the plastic wrap and put it in a Ziploc. The lady who showed me said it would keep for at least 3 months this way. Just make sure you give it ample time to thaw. I pulled mine out of the freezer a few days before I needed it and let it thaw in the fridge.

Don't use the drop food coloring or it will ruin the consistency of your fondant. Use the concentrated kind that comes in a little tub.

Don't confuse the shortening and the cornstarch at the end. This was my downfall. I tried rolling it out on a good layer of shortening and it cracked and fell apart. Then I thought I remembered something about cornstarch, pulled out the recipe to check, and discovered my problem. Once I switched to the cornstarch, it rolled out smoothly for the "beautiful smooth nearly perfect finish that (I was) looking for". Whew!

If you've always been intimidated by fondant, I totally recommend trying this. It was pretty easy and it looks so nice! And this fondant is worth it because people will actually eat it--unlike the kind you can buy in the store. Well, that's my opinion anyway. I'm sure someone somewhere thinks it tastes good.

Good luck!

Now's where you say you hope you don't hear from me again for a while.

Me too.

Easter Fun

Yup. I'm still pregnant.

So, I might as well make myself useful and try to at least stay caught up here.

Easter weekend was nice and relaxing for us. We listened to General Conference over the Internet and pretty much just chilled at home.

But of course, the Easter Bunny made a little visit, too.

The kids were pretty excited to discover Peeps in their baskets, among other things. You can kind of see their new Easter clothes on the couch behind them. Kayli has been talking to Bryce about this part of Easter for at least a couple months. And the Easter Bunny did very well this year--they look so cute!

But the Easter Bunny also forgot to take pictures, so you'll have to wait until after this next Sunday when I will try to remember.

Then on to the hunt:

Forgive the weird pajama combinations. And their ill-fit.

You've got to love the smiles that accompany their full baskets

I didn't feel up to making anything fancy for lunch or dinner, but this was our yummy breakfast

And I decided this year to finally indulge the kids in the experience of dyeing Easter eggs.

We showed them the rubber band trick

And what happens if you draw on your egg with a white crayon first

And we all had a lot of fun

This egg that Bryce and I made together was my favorite. I just like how the color stained in streaks and speckles

Here's the whole group