New Family Photos!!!

Ellie is Eight!!!

This beautiful young lady turned eight!!

Ellie was baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on Saturday, we are just so proud of her for making this decision, and so grateful for her example of faith and trust in our Savior, Jesus Christ! 

Caleb

I haven't officially announced Caleb on the blog yet, so here he is! (6 weeks old on his blessing day!)
 He was born on August 21st at 2:07pm.. 10 lbs 1oz 22 inches long. He took his time getting here, and I was sure that we were going to have to induce him, in fact, he came on a Tuesday, and the induction was scheduled for the next day.
I am going to quickly write down the birth experience, if I don't do it now, I will forget details....if I haven't already!
Dad and Pam came up a few days after Caleb was DUE, unfortunately, Caleb decided not to come on his due date...so Dad and Pam entertained the other 3 kids and we had a good week to sit around and look at each other, and play a few games at night! Well they were set to leave on Tuesday (the day he actually came), I started having contractions on Monday night, but since I had been having contractions pretty consistently over the week, I really thought that they would stop as soon as I went to bed. So, I decided to head to bed around 9 pm, I actually just sat in my bed and watched some Hulu and time the contractions, and they kept coming, nothing that was too painful, but they didn't stop!
Around midnight I started to change positions in bed and I felt what I thought was my water break...and sure enough...it was! (This was a whole new sensation for me, as my water has never really broken before.. I thought my water had broken with Spencer, and when we got to the hospital, apparently the bag of waters had sealed back up) So, I called the hospital and we were on our way...my contractions at this point were really not painful at all, but consistently coming. They admit me to the hospital and I opted to try and get some sleep,  instead of walking around (which I would have done had I been home and had it not been 1 in the morning) Hindsight...I should have walked around, it may have sped things up a bit. But as of 4 in the morning when they finally checked me, I was still only dilated to a 1...so NO PROGRESS...so the nurses left us alone for a few more hours, but by 8 am, they checked me again and I think I was only at 4 or so (which, to be honest, for me, was nothing) I was feeling frustrated that things weren't progressing faster...I had been at the hospital  for 8 hours and I was only at  a 4 (the last two births that I had already had a baby by hour 8, so I was frustrated. I was also frustrated, because I was feeling quite a bit of pain, to the point that I wanted an epidural, but I was only a 4. I felt like a wimp, I didn't get an epidural with any of my other kids till I was a 5 (with Ellie) 6 with Isaac and a 7 with Spence...so, here I was ONLY at a 4 and I wanted an epidural, what they heck was wrong with me? Well, enough self-pity....I got the epidural and I tried to get some real sleep, but I was interrupted a lot, because Caleb just wasn't happy in any position I was put in, so they kept coming in and turning me around a bit. Caleb also wasn't descending like he should have been...(like the other kiddos...he was happy staying as high as he possibly could be)
Fast forward a couple hours...1pm...they check me, I was about a 9, they decided that there was still water in there, so they decided to break the waters again, and almost immediately I dilate to a 10, but he hadn't dropped at all, and I wasn't feeling any urge to push, so they wait around...I start to feel my contractions, like my epidural had worn off, so they pushed another dose...unfortunately it was a really good dose and it numbs me too much, so about 30 minutes  goes by and I need to push to see if I can coax Caleb down...and when I do, I push and push and push...I was so exhausted, I couldn't feel when a contraction was coming on, so I couldn't time it and push with a contraction...I couldn't keep my eyes open between pushes, they had to give me oxygen, to try and give me some sort of energy to push again. I felt like I pushed forever, and finally at 2:07pm, he makes his appearance. He was face up and he head was looking to the left, that is why he took some hard work to get here. (I was once again getting very frustrated at how hard I had to work to get him here, the boys pretty much slid out, like I coughed and they came..so what was wrong with me that I couldn't get Caleb here? I was seeing stars, getting really really light-headed had I been sitting up, I would have passed out. why was this one so different??)
Well, because he was face up, that is why it took so much effort to get him out, but he came out completely pink and crying! I was so incredibly exhausted, and soooo hungry (mind you...this was hour 14 in the hospital and they didn't give me any food for that entire time, and I really hadn't slept at all either.) You usually get some sort of burst of energy for a few hours after baby comes...but I did not...I was pretty much a zombie for the whole time we were in the hospital.  And it didn't help that you have someone coming into your room all night long, so since Caleb and I were doing great,  we came home the next evening and got to spend the first evening at home without any of the other kids home.
The older kids all came home the next morning and it was so nice to be all together again, I sure missed the other kiddos!! Its amazing how much things changed in a matter of one night!! You know whats funny...is that you plan on this happening, you know that a new baby is coming into the family, you have 9 months to prepare yourself, but when it happens, and you come home even if you have only been gone for 24 hours, everything seems so different.  All the other kids looks, and feel, and sound years older than the day before!
Everything has changed, for the better, and we are all finding our new normal, our new schedule, and our new rhythm! I love it!!!

Spencer

 

Spencer...I know this post in months old, but things got a little crazy these last few months. I am sure I have said this before, there is nothing like going back over the past years photos to make you fall in love with your kiddos all over again!! Spencer is no exception, man this kid makes me laugh. He is such a fun guy to have around, full of personality, and usually is always happy.

 

 

This is the kind of stuff that makes us laugh...he is very secure in who he is, so he can pin all of his sister's clips in his hair and rock it!  Or put on his sissy's ballet dress and eat chips and know that he is the man!

I don't know why, but I have the most pictures of Spencer while he is sleeping, and usually always in the car, the kid can fall asleep anywhere!

Here is one of the very few photos that I have with Spencer and "his Lola" (my mom) While we were in Utah, we lived with her, and they bonded...very closely, he was often found in Lola's room, in fact, before he would come and see me in the morning, he would go in and snuggle with her. Maybe because he got this kind of treatment...snuggles in warm blankies, books, and usually some kind of treat!

My sister had a rabbit for a while, and Spence thought it was so fun to terrorize the poor thing, good thing it was fast!

Happy 2nd birthday!!!

Halloween, he was a bat! We were very lucky to be able to have Daddy with us this night, he was driving truck for the whole year we were there, and it wasn't very often that he was home, it just so happened that he was home for trick or treating!!!

...(I just want to mention the trick or treat bags...thats right...I made those!!! I don't want to toot my own horn or anything...but I am awesome!!)

Happy 3rd Birthday!!!

Grandma Martinson made him this awesome Mater cake...he loved it, but was a little weirded out that we cut him up and ate him!

This was my mother's day photo shoot with the kids...when I have tried to get nice posed pictures of Spencer...this is usually what I end up with, hence why all most of his photos are totally candid!

I cant get this photo to rotate, but we were so lucky to have some of our cousin's come up this summer and Spence and Isabelle just loved to hang out together!!

Sleeping, once again!!! I love this photo, I love the lips, the sunglasses....everything!

Spencer is finally a BIG brother...he it totally excited...(can you tell??)

This photo, you can totally tell they are brothers!

As I was going through my photos...I happened on to this one, I didn't take it, I am pretty sure Isaac did, but he caught Spence in the act of getting into the snacks!
One of the many things that have made me laugh these past few months has been Spencer's attempt at being sneaky. He will ask for a treat or fruit snack and if I say no, he looks around and then tells me..."Mommy...you need a nap, go take a nap!" (so he could have some 'alone' time with the snack basket!) as if I would let him out of my sight now!!!

 

This last photo is, once again, not turning, but is a picture (again, one of many) of him sleeping, he fell into a Cheetos coma!!! I sure love this guy!

 

Spencer is really loving his little brother, and loves that we get to be together all day, now that the older two are in school all day...But he really does miss Isaac a lot, at about 1pm everyday, he looks up from what he is doing and asks to go pick up Isaac and Sissy! He is a helper, always looking to make someone laugh, friendly (most of the time), he loves to go on walks with me and the baby! He is such a good sport about entertaining himself...an all around pleasant kid to be around all day, I am one lucky momma!

Isaac

Isaac!!

Its hard to believe that this was him just 2 summers ago...right after we made the move to Utah (its wierd that Spencer is currently wearing that outfit)

Isaac started out this year in pre-school, he loved going to the same school as Ellie, he was super excited! (you can tell by the silly grin on his face) While we were only there for 1/2 the year, he was awarded student of the week, and he was getting really good and writing his name and spelling the word, MOM!!! (I love it) it seems like all his drawings and pictures were always dedicated to me on the back!

(such a proud moment!)

sorry for the bad picture...its the only one I have of the boys :(

For Halloween last year, he wanted to be a vampire...unfortunately he got strep throat so he couldn't go to school that day, but he was a happy camper otherwise!

These pictures are one of the couple of trips we had to take to the doctors for the strep throat that Isaac kept getting...he was a trooper through the whole thing though!

So, we move to Washington, and when the sun finally started to shine, after what seemed like an endless winter, we went to the beach...Isaac loves to throw the rocks into the water, and of course, likes to find whatever is living under the rocks! He and Spencer sure like to hang out together and the love it when their cousin, Hunter, joins in the adventures

This last picture was taken during our snack time, the seagulls were very interested in our crackers, and the boys got a huge kick out of throwing the crackers and seeing them flock around us!

 We did an Easter-egg hunt at the karate studio the kids were attending. Isaac had a great time, but as usual, half-way through the excitement, he wanted to go home...he doesn't do to well with large crowds for an extended period of time...(he is like his daddy that way)

Isaac had a harder time adjusting to this move, he was quite clingy to me, but I have just been amazed at how much he has grown. He loves to be outside, I wish I had the pictures on this computer, but a couple of weeks ago, he wanted his training wheels off, so Daddy took them off. Looking forward to teaching him how to ride his bike, he got his video camera out, but before he could even turn around from getting the bike all set up, Isaac was off....never even looked back, didn't wobble, didn't struggle, its like he has been riding a two wheeler his whole life! It was a bittersweet moment for Dad, he is proud that his boy is such a natural, but then kinda sad that there was a missed teaching moment...but to be honest, I really wouldn't expect anything else from Isaac, he is constantly surprising us at his natural ability to do things and handle certain situations. Its a lesson for me, to maybe let him spread his wings a little more often and see just how he can fly!! As long as he still climbs into bed with me in the morning for his snuggles, I am ok with him stretching those wings now and then!
Isaac, like his big sister, has discovered his love of playing in the woods, frog hunting, searching for salamanders, picking up slugs, bugs, spiders....anything of the sort! This hobby of creature finding is driving Mommy nuts, but Daddy was nice to bring an old aquarium home, so the creatures can all stay OUTSIDE!!!

I just can't believe how fast this little guy has grown up, he starts kindergarten in the fall. He says that he is ready now, before, he said he didn't want to leave mom, and he still gets that way, but I think he is maturing and ready for some adventures! 

Just some notes for my own record keeping...Isaac just loves music, and he seems to have a natural ability to remember lyrics to songs, even if he has never heard the song before. I catch him singing lyrics to songs that have only been played in background, or songs from shows he has seen. The other day, I heard him singing a song from the "veggietales"...I heard him singing, "God is bigger than the boggey-man" it was awfully cute!!!
He loves to come in and get snuggles in the morning, and he reminds me half-way through the day if we haven't had our snuggles, and he insists that we get our snuggles in!
He loves to see things crash, anything from toys, to cars, to trains...anything that crashes he loves, but he does not like the noise! He is still deathly afraid of fireworks, but he loves to look at them from a distance! Other than that, he has no fear of anything else, he is quite the dare-devil. He thinks he can do pretty much anything the older kids are doing, stunt riding on his bike, scooter tricks, he even wants to start trying tricks on a trampoline! He falls down a lot, but he is never one to not want to try again, when he falls off his bike, he comes to mom for a bandaid and a kiss and he is right back out there!
Isaac has a very tender heart, and is very interested in just about everything, he asks a lot of questions, about big things, like God and death, birth, heaven, etc... I was talking to one of my friends the other day, and telling her about Isaac, and I said that sometimes I wasnt quite sure how to answer some of his big  questions, and she said, "Well, maybe he is preparing you for the questions that you need to know how to answer without hesitation..." (food for thought)
He wants to know all about how things work, how the water gets through the pipes, how our hands work, our toes work, how the computers work, anything and everything. Needless to say, we do a lot of you-tube watching how things work or are made!
He doesn't read yet, but you can often find him in his bed, or on my bed reading though books, he does love to look through them, and can pretty much tell you whats going on from the pictures!
Isaac is a really good friend, he includes everyone, and makes sure that everyone is having fun!

We sure love the addition he brings to the family!