I guess that I've let my blog go a bit these past few months. It is easy to explain why...I've been pregnant and super tired and especially in the last trimester not feeling that great. Pregnancy sure does a number on my physical and mental health not to mention trying to keep the house running and 3 other kids organized and on task. It has been a busy time and things haven't slowed down much since the addition of our newest family member.....Jason Spencer --June 9-- 9lbs 6oz.--22" long....apparently I don't make small babies.
Here is the whole gang seeing their new brother for the first time. They each enjoyed holding him. I started to go into labour Sunday night and had contractions through out the night. I was scheduled to go to the hospital on Monday morning for induction....but Jason decided to come on his own (thank goodness)....so instead of going in for an induction we arrived early to the hospital for a natural birth (as natural as you can get with an epidural). Things went well and moved very quickly when I asked the doctor to break my water. Within minutes and a few pushes he was here. Finally!
This is in the hospital...getting ready to head home.
The summer was so hot especially for me being pregnant and with the unusual amount of humidity that we experienced. The day we brought him home it was cool and rainy. Most of the outfits that I bought him were cool, summer appropriate, but we had a cool down that first week and had to wear warmer clothes and use our blankets.
I feel like this picture pretty much sums up what most of my days felt like.
We have slowly been getting aquatinted with each other and adjusting to life with a new born. You know ....trying to run on very little sleep, diaper changes, the holding and rocking and trying to figure out the crying....despite all of these things we feel very blessed and supported from those around us. So many people have helped us and we are greatful....freezer meals, a baby shower, kind words, people substituting for me in my church calling.
We have been doing fairly well and a month later we are adjusted even better. By the time school starts up again I hope to be back to full functioning motherhood and by that I mean getting up to help my kids get ready for school and have breakfast and then drive them to school.
Here are some of the highlights that we don't want to forget and the moments that we've celebrated in these past few months....
Cold running days that result in icy lashes. Spencer had only a few slips on the icy sidewalks until he started running on the road that were better cleared. I kept reminding him that he wouldn't fall as much if he used the shoe grips that I bought for him!
Valentine's Day celebrations. We wrote a positive note to each kid for the week leading up to Valentine's day. Some days it was a challenge to think of something positive but hopefully it was a boost and something that the kids enjoyed. The boys awoke each morning to find the new heart on their door. Megan of course was a bit more casual but enjoyed it just the same.
Aaron handed out Valentine heart shaped straws for his preschool class and we used up a bunch of cards that we had sitting around from previous years that never seem to get used up. You know what I'm talking about....you have a class with 26 students and you can buy cards in boxes of 24....so you have to buy 2 boxes and then you have left overs. I stopped buying cards, cause they only get thrown away....we print off little labels/cards from the computer and attach them to a non candy treat usually.
If ever there is a reason to have their hair color sprayed....they would do it. So this is what we do for St. Patricks day. Along with a green themed lunch and dinner or we do a more traditional Irish dinner.
Here is part of our Easter fun. The annual Easter egg dying. One year I just need to go all out and make a whole flat of hard boiled eggs....the only problem with that is that is a lot of eggs to eat afterwards. I usually like to keep the eggs out on the table because they are fun to look at -- the only problem is they are usually going moldy on the inside by the time I get around to wanting to eat them.
Yup, the Easter bunny came and brought some treats both sugary and non sugary. The kids had fun searching for eggs....I think we found them all this year so there will be no surprises later on.
Mother's Day. Ah...Mother's Day. The kids made some nice cards, Aaron's preschool had a Mother's Day tea that I attended, the primary kids sang to us in sacrament meeting, I received a lovely breakfast that I didn't have to make (but I do think that I helped clean up). I got a griddle and a some gifts of service that day and lots of love.
We went with my sister and her family to the street performers festival. The older kids were in school and it was just Aaron and I and I don't like to miss out on the fun so being 9 months pregnant I decided why not and off we went for 1/2 the day. I love this festival. In the past I have taken my kids out of school to attend this event. It is fairly inexpensive to go and lots of things to see and do and try and the best part it is all kid friendly.
Aaron and his cousins attended this workshop...the drum/percussion man. He talked and showed them all sorts of different drums from around the world that he has collected and they got to participate with different percussion instruments. Aaron had a great time and at the end he received his own Kazoo. (YaHoo!)
Father's Day and Spencer's birthday are very close together and since we just had the baby at this point in time and Spencer was off work for paternity leave and holidays he thought it was a good idea to build our fence and landscape our yard. So in honor of this great idea...he received some new tools to get the job done. Maybe not the most exciting birthday but practical very practical...I made him a delicious dinner and he received some other nice gifts and acts of service.
We had two graduations in 2014. Aaron finished his preschool year and is looking forward to kindergarten. It was nice for him to have sometime away from a tired and sick-ish pregnant mom and to practice his listening and sharing skills with other little people. We actually picked up another little boy from a daycare home so he could also attend preschool and got to know him a bit better. Aaron did extremely well and I think enjoyed his time there....now he too can reminisce about his preschool days like his older siblings can.
Our other graduation was Megan. Leaving the elementary years behind and so ready to embark into the junior high world. We attended the ceremony at her school and presented her with some flowers and a charm for her necklace. This was a bit more challenging of a year for Megan....having moved in her last year of elementary school....getting to know a new school, teachers, principal and friends. She did really well with all of that and in her school work.
Some other holidays we celebrated....Canada Day. We attended the pancake breakfast and then the parade. It was a hot day.
Jason is about 3 weeks old here.
The parade is always really good. The kids got a ton of candy. It is always super crowded and so are the celebrations afterwards in the park. So we skipped those celebrations and hung out at the spray park and had a BBQ.
We'll pause here....so we don't get overloaded with pictures.
