Another Angel -

Anxious parents:

He's here!

7 lbs 8.2 0z

20 inches long

14.5 head

(Right before they pulled him out The Beloved asked me to guess how much he'd weigh and I said 7 lbs 8 oz - how cool is that?)

 

The C-section went divine and our new little baby couldn't be healthier or more perfect.

His name surprised us so e-mail me at camlaka@yahoo.com if you want to know the dirt :)

The boys think he's the coolest and have been wonderful little helpers.

Little C could hold the baby all day long and be perfectly content. He feels jipped he has to attend school all day while the rest of us hang out with our new family member.

Our other baby (the 2 yr old who we need to re-blog name) doesn't necessarily want to hold him but likes to hold his hand. He keeps saying, "baby tired?" And freaks out with joy when this new addition opens his eyes.

Lou is in love and has stated that this new baby is his. Little C can have the old baby (the 2 yr old). :)

The other day at the hospital Lou was quite interested in watching The Beloved change the new baby's diaper. He was peeking over the newborn cart when "His baby" caught a little draft and began peeing galore . Well, this newly released liquid went everywhere including Lou's astonished mouth. Lou was perfectly heartbroken and offended. He walked over to my hospital bed and put his head on my lap. After a moment, once he regained his composure, he walked over to the new baby, pointed at him very matter of fact like, and said,

"You do not pee on me."

Then went on loving him as if nothing offensive had previously occurred.

Never a dull moment. :)

What an honor to be blessed with all of these fine young sons!

I am thrilled that boy #4 has been sent to our home.

We  are so ready to love and get to know this sweet little fellow.

Preparation

The Pedicure -

an essential part of baby arrival preparation.

Too pretty not to share, right? :)

Below I've copied an article I read in the Mormon Times about embracing postpartum. I felt I could relate to many of the examples listed -

Anway, hope you enjoy. -

Tribute to Childbirth (and Postpartum):
Author: Linda and Richard Eyre

If there is one event (and what could be a better word) that I (Linda) don't want to miss, it is the birth of a grandchild. It was a close call this last time.

Our daughter Saydi, in Boston, was ready to deliver, and Richard and I were still in Toronto for a speaking engagement. Saydi managed to hold off, though, and we made it. This was her fourth; it was a water birth, and it was remarkable.

There are few things in the world that Saydi loves more than labor and giving birth. She views birth as a natural miracle and has her babies at a birthing center with a midwife and a doula (the mom's labor and delivery coach). The hospital is just across the street in case there are any complications. She is also trying to view postpartum in the same lovely way, but that part is proving to be quite a challenge.

Not every mom can be like Saydi, whose labors are brief and whose births are relatively easy, but we thought we would share a post from her blog because the language and the sentiment toward the miracle of bringing new life into the world (and especially what follows it) is so beautiful. So here it is in Saydi's words (and with her permission). To see pictures surrounding the birth, go to bostonshumways.blogspot.com.

"I love giving birth. I love the pain and intensity of it, I love how real everything is, how alive you feel. I love the challenge of it, the preparation, the connection with other women … you get the idea, don't want to be too redundant here.


"My little secret that I haven't fessed up to is that one of the reasons I'm sure I like birth so much is that I get a lot of positive attention for the work I'm doing as I go into and through labor. There's glory there, everyone showering me with praises, telling me what an awesome job I'm doing, how strong I am, how capable my body is. … I'm even telling myself these things over and over again. Everyone listens to me and is focused on me and I get to act however I want and say whatever I want. I'm surrounded by people who are forgiving of anything I do, accepting me even if I'm not composed or kind, encouraging me, and cheering me on. I am queen.


"And then, after a few days coasting on the highs of all that birthing glory and drinking in the beauty of new life, reality sets in. My body is empty and exhausted (and un-showered, sweaty, stinky, engorged and leaking). My brain has turned to mush. My emotions are a wreck. I'm cranky and unkind and my patience is nearly non-existent. And I start complaining and wallowing.


"I never feel prepared for this part. Sure, toward the end of pregnancy I remind myself it's going to happen and going to be hard. But I'm always a bit shell-shocked by the reality of it all. "I have a great post-partum team, my mom, Jeff, Jeff's mom, great friends who are helping on every front. But, in the middle of the night when I'm up with a gassy baby, so tired that I can hardly lift up the little guy, no one is sitting by my side, holding my hand and telling me how totally awesome I am. During the day my kids aren't standing around me in awe at how I'm handling the pain of those first few seconds of nursing, telling me how great I'm doing. And I'm certainly not telling myself many positive things (I'm mostly feeling pretty sorry for myself and pretty lame that I can't keep everything together). I don't feel much glory in the work I'm doing. I mostly feel, well, empty and exhausted.


"But sometimes exhaustion brings me my best thoughts and this is the one I had the other night as I was up nursing: post-partum work is every bit as hard and demanding as childbirth, and it's also just as important and stretching and amazing … and I need to treat it that way. Somewhere in my journey through motherhood I've decided to revere childbirth. I need to attach the same importance and glory and respect to the work I'm doing right now. I need to recognize what this challenge is doing to me … how it's connecting me to my baby, how it's making me stronger, more resilient. How it's stretching me and connecting me to mothers all over the world. How it is giving me experience. Sure, I'm sacrificing a lot right now, but, holy cow, I'm helping a new little soul start off a life. I'm helping him understand his body and the world and how the two connect. My face and voice and chest and his gastrointestinal tract are his entire universe right now. And this little soul, fresh from God is totally reliant on me to navigate this new territory.

"Grace. Through a lot of preparation, education, mental exertion and some really lucky good genetics I feel like I've figured out the path for me to graceful childbirth. I want to be able to bring the same grace to the post-partum work I'm doing right now. Mostly I think that means I need to suck it up, stop seeking all that glory. Accept that things are going to be hard and sleepless and squalid. I'm going to smell like spit up and have a nice little mommy gut and big bags under my eyes for a while. And my kids are going to watch TV. But what I'm doing is pretty amazing. The sacrifice is small when you look beyond it to what I'm actually doing. I'm starting off a life!"

The Baby Turns 2 -

Good morning Birthday Boy!

The Celebration:
(Party attendees: Our little family and Buckabu and Papa)

 You gotta love those cheeks!

Dear Baby :),

Tomorrow we're going to have to come up with a different name for you on our blog because you won't be the baby anymore... but here's the insider secret,
you'll always be my baby. Just like Little C and Lou -
I love my babies!
But this post is about you -
You, my adorable little toddler, turned 2.
I can't believe another year has gone by so quickly and my,
how you have grown up!
You're still a Daddy's boy though,  if you couldn't tell from the pictures :), but once in awhile you'll give the rest of us attention too.
In the mornings if I am not quick enough getting you out of your crib you'll start calling for Little C. He's the early bird in the family and has a super soft spot for you in his heart. He always tells me, "Oh Mom, he is so cute!"
You and Lou have a love/hate relationship :) which is probably typical when you're only 18 mos apart. One moment you're playing dragons so well together and the next you're pulling on his shaggy hair as hard a possible. I'm not saying you're the instigator - it is a great defense mechanism - but try and be a little gentler, you're one tough kiddo. :) Plus Lou loves you an awful lot.... he just may not show it extremely well after you've ran off with one of his toys.
You love experimenting with your voice - going very, very low and then super, super high. Lately you've been singing the words "happy, happy, happy" as deep as your tiny voice will let you and I am in love with it. We all are :) even Papa and Buckabu can be caught repeating your cuteness in their deepest adult voice, "happy, happy, happy". We love you so much you've made us weird. :)
You love music!
You can hardly hold your body still when a good beat comes on. You start shaking your hips and head from side to side, open your eyes as wide as possible, and then lip sync some words your wonderfully creative brain has come up with.
In spite of all of this you still find time to be my little menace. You are the destroyer of the world my little friend and it is hard to keep up with you while being stuck in this pregnant frame. But, by some tender mercy, I have recently found a threat that seems to contain you. The other day I combined two things that you hate - Spiders and Poop.
The other day you were picking your nose and I said, "Buddy you need to stop. You'll get spider poop up there." And immediately those perfect, chubby fingers departed from your nose.
If you begin to terrorize a cupboard all I have to say is,
"If you mess up the cupboard you'll get spider poop all over you."
And you are out.
I know, so naughty but what a blessing. :)
You love to say prayers at the dinner table and before bedtime. At night you kneel on the ground, push your chin down as far as possible, and then peek from side to side out of your expressive, amazingly long eyelashed lids, while repeating what we say. 
I am obviously peeking out my lids too,
 because you are way too adorable not to check out.
We all adore you!
Happy 2nd B-day!
Love,
Mama

Easter 2011

Let's just say that Easter morning we created a monster:

The Baby's hair had gotten a little long and The Beloved decided to have some fun with it by spiking it out all over his head. It's a decision I don't believe we'll ever repeat. The Baby became one with his hair - turning into CRAZY MANIAC CHILD - (yet still so utterly adorable in a wild animal like fashion. )

Here are his calmer, older, reverent styled hair brothers - who held still long enough to pose for an Easter picture.

Too Cute!

After church the boys went on a Scripture Easter Basket Hunt.

(a fun tradition from my childhood that we've carried over)

We give the boys a clue that has a scripture reference listed. They then look up the reference and try to find a word in that scripture, that clearly stands out, which will direct them to their next clue.

The Beloved reading the scripture reference from his Blackberry -

Example -

The word in this scripture was plant, so they ran to the plant to find their next clue.

This word leading them to this location was throne.

And they finally found their baskets in the backyard after reading the word earth over and over again in a scripture. Sometimes you gotta reach a little :) apparently prophets weren't big on the word "backyard" back in the day. :)

Seriously, do you see Mr. Crazy Eyes playing with his Easter spoils...

The Beloved spoiled me with some beautiful flowers -

And he ate his heart out to a little Sara Evans.

Did I mention he loves her by the way? She's probably a close second to Flow from the Progressive Commercials.

Yes, it's that serious. 

Side note: when he taught at the high school he convinced his students that Sara Evans was his ex-girlfriend whom he broke up with to go out with me.

So Romantic.

If only it were true :). 

That little trickster.

Update: The Baby received a haircut and things have calmed down drastically at our house :)

But we love him either way.

We are so thankful we can celebrate Easter and be reminded of the sacrifice our elder brother, Jesus Christ, made for us and for his glorious resurrection on that third day after his death.

We  are blessed to know of Him, to have the knowledge that we may be forgiven for our sins and that one day we'll return to live with Him and our Father in Heaven again.

The Hunt

My little dad is many wonderful things, but three things he truly enjoys are surprises, fun, and a little healthy competition -

which makes him the perfect man to put on the Annual

Family Easter Egg Hunt.

He sets up two different egg hunts -

One for the kiddos in the backyard and another for the adults in the front.

Surprises = candy/money in the eggs

Fun (well that one is pretty obvious)= Easter Egg Hunts are F.U.N.

Competition= which adult can collect the most eggs with the most money. It gets dangerous.

Watch out for this one - she's all smiles until the whistle blows.

It was actually The Beloved I had to watch out for this year. He would quietly follow my lead and then at the last moment pounce on the egg I was reaching out for. Naughty, naughty. But, no need to worry - I am a professional, even at 9 mos prego - I totally whipped him :).

(Beloved, let me brag a bit - it's the only thing I thing I ever beat you at.)

Here are some unattractive pictures I thought I'd still share and maybe you can imagine their potential:

It was a little sunny out :)

Thanks for the fun Mom and Dad!

We enjoyed ourselves immensely.

Does Your Husband...

 have more shoes than you?

Trivia:

Which style of shoe is The Beloved's favorite?

Answer:

That part is my favorite. :)

I am in so much trouble. :(

I love you dear.

Be Kind.

Remember, I am "with child". :)