Logan Turns One!

Oh this sad, neglected blog. I just can't keep up with it anymore...but as per tradition. On a first birthday, I will post their birthday story to remember.

To be honest, I didn't write all the details right after he was born like the others so it's a little fuzzy remembering every little thing.

This pregnancy was...long. I remember thinking it wasn't near as bad as being pregnant with Gavin. But I think it was just as bad, just different. I was still sick most of the time although I didn't throw-up near as often. But this time I hurt! Those last three months, he was sitting just right so I could barely walk. Every time I stopped walking and then moved again felt like my leg was on fire. Thank goodness Dr. McCulloch believes in inducing at 39 weeks! I went in at 38 weeks to see if I was dilating enough to be induced. I have never felt so much relief that I was dilating so I didn't have to wait longer!

Mom came to stay with the kids the night before we went in. Everything was all ready to go we just needed to call at 5:30 in the morning to see when we could come in. Wide awake at 5:00 we called right at 5:29 hoping to be the first to call. We were told to come in at 6:30. So we showered and puttered then told my mom we were going and we were off. That quiet drive in the early morning hours with the horizon just barely starting to get light is very calming. We went the same time with Gavin and it was the quiet time I needed before going through labor. I tend to freak out with doctors and that sort of stuff so that 15 minute drive is a great thing.

Upon arrival we went up to the 2nd floor and told the nurses we were here to have a baby. The hospital was quiet and they got me right into a room. Ruth came in and introduced herself as my nurse. I LOVED Ruth! She was calm, competent and knew just what I needed. She looked at me and said, "Your third baby? This is going to be smooth sailing. In my experience third babies are always cooperative!" She was right!

I got all hooked up and let nature take its course. I don't remember much about the beginning of the process. They checked me every few hours and when I was about a 4 around 10 in the morning I got the epidural. It didn't hurt as much this time getting it in which I was grateful for! Ruth figured baby would get there around 3:00 that afternoon, so we settled in to wait.

Dr. MuCulloch came to check on me about 12:30 before she headed into surgery. I was at an 8 then so she figured she'd have enough time to get the surgery done and head back. Ruth checked me 5 minutes later and he was ready to come! She ran to get Dr. McCulloch before she went into surgery and everything started to be a blur. Everything was a whirlwind to get things all in place in time. They put the oxygen mask on me and all of a sudden told me to push. A few seconds later he was here at 12:43!

I was bewildered that it was all over already! I hadn't wrapped my mind around that he was coming right then instead of in a few hours. They handed him to me and it took a few minutes to get my bearings: I was a little lightheaded and shocked from things happening so fast. Everyone kept asking me questions and I felt like I couldn't get a good look at him!

They say that with every baby your fear of something going wrong gets stronger. I felt that with this baby more than the other two. With being out of it for a few minutes it almost looked to me like he had Down's. After my head cleared and things had calmed down I actually got to unwrap him and take a good look at him. And he was perfect!

He was calm and quiet from the very beginning. He cried a little but not much. He just looked around like he was taking in the world. We deliberated over names for a minute but we knew he was Logan!

His blood sugar was low so Chase went with him to the NICU while Ruth cleaned me up and took me upstairs to our room. It took FOREVER for Chase and Logan to get back! I was starting to worry that something was seriously wrong, but then they came in. They gave Logan some sugar stuff to get his blood sugar up and I guess it took him awhile to eat it.

Nursing was easy for him from the start which I was so grateful for. I didn't know how I was going to pump with three kids! It was kind of nice that no one really bothered us much. I guess they figure by your third baby you have things mostly figured out. I was going nuts just sitting in the bed so Chase took the bed so I could actually sit in a chair. All the nurses laugh at me that I'm supposed to be the one in the bed. But by the time that baby gets here I am so sore and tired of being pregnant, that not being pregnant anymore feels absolutely wonderful and I want to move!

Mom brought Lauren and Gavin to meet Logan. They weren't quite sure what to think of him and were more intrigued by the buttons on the bed than they were about their new brother. :) Dad came to visit the next morning and held Logan for a long time while we watched Indiana Jones on TV.  We went home later that afternoon.

Mr. Logan, we needed you in our family. You are so happy and bring light wherever you are. On those days where I feel like I'm drowning, I hold you and you make me feel like I am the best mom in the world. We love you so much! Happy Birthday little mister!

Gavin turns 3

Holy cow this kid makes me tired! He's grown up so much in the last few months, physically and mentally. He's been so much braver trying new things and talking better. But sheesh! He is really testing my patience. He is so sweet though when he wants to be and I love to hear him talk.

 We celebrated at Bear Lake again this year. He wanted mac and cheese and hotdogs for his birthday dinner, then we had cake!

Love you my little buddy!

Summer Life

Lauren is the best big sister and loves to take care of Logan. Logan lights up whenever he sees Lauren and Gavin.

 Holding his head up very well!

 Lauren and Gavin found my stack of National Geographic magazines and went through a phase wanting to read them for bedtime stories. That worked fine until they came upon an article that had some gruesome pictures. Oops. I thought I'd looked through them to make sure there wasn't anything to terrifying but I guess I missed some!

 Logan had an incident of pink eye. Lauren and Gavin both had hand-foot-mouth disease for a few weeks but thankfully it wasn't too bad. I got the flu on Chase's birthday and so far we've been healthy ever since!

Gavin has taken off riding his trike! Although now it's almost too small since he finally hit a growth spurt and grew almost 3 inches!

4th of July

We are not spur-of-the-moment people. But I convinced Chase that Lauren would be devastated if she didn't get to see fireworks. So we put the kids to bed and woke them up when it was time to go. We told them we had a surprise and it turned out so fun! We parked in an empty lot a block down from the stadium and had a perfect view! I was proud of us for doing something spontaneous.

On the 4th we headed up to Tony Grove for our traditional canoeing/picnic/play in the water day. It was a great day!

Little Fish

Lauren finished swimming lessons! She loved it and was quite sad when I told her they were over. I'm contemplating signing her up again for another session. She did so well and has improved a ton since last year! She even jumped off the diving board without any help!

I did sign Lauren up for another session which she loved. I moved her up two levels this time since the last session was so easy for her. She did fairly well even though she was quite a bit smaller than the other kids in the class, but I think we'll try that level again.

Gavin, Logan and I hung out poolside and ate fruit snacks. I didn't even try to sign Gavin up this year. Someday, maybe next year; he is getting braver!

Sneaky Fingers Strikes Again!

Sneaky Fingers has been very creative lately. First the bean-bag beans, markers on the cushions... well now it was the attack of the tortilla chips.

While Logan was sleeping and the kids were watching a show, I was hurrying to get some cleaning done. I heard the pantry door open and close very quietly, but didn't think much of it. I finished up the cleaning and headed downstairs to check on Lauren and Gavin.

Well, I should have been more suspicious of the pantry door opening. Sneaky Fingers had snuck an almost full bag of tortilla chips downstairs. To eat them? Of Course not! He was conducting an experiment by spreading every single chip all over the floor, then jumping on them to see what it sounded like. When I found him he was mid-jump and proclaimed that they were, "Crunchy Mommy!"

Seriously kid. Don't let that innocent cheese-grin fool you.

The Busiest Time of the Year Continued

This May marked 10 years from graduating high school, so our group of friends decided we needed to do something special. After taking into consideration work schedules, school, babies and traveling for 11 adults and 7 kids we ended up hanging at our house. But is was a blast! It's amazing to see where life has taken all of us, yet they remain some of my closest friends. I only managed to get one picture of everyone competing to see who could crouch Japanese style the longest, since we're just cool like that. ;)

 

A few weeks ago we had a bout of hand-foot-mouth disease. Gavin started with a fever Monday night and Lauren woke up with one Tuesday morning. I was convinced they had strep since Lauren had every symptom, but it ended up being hand-foot-mouth. Thankfully they really only had fevers for a day and just a few sores in their mouths. At least Lauren did, Gavin would never open his mouth to let me look. :) So they were ornery and we stayed home for a week. Logan got the little blisters all over his feet, but they went away quick and didn't seem to bother him, thank goodness!

 

Father's day for Chase was a bust. At least I felt like it was. Kids were still sick and tired so the day was spent taking naps and then Chase went home teaching. I hope he felt appreciated, at least he got a nap, I guess!

 

 This last weekend we went to Idaho Falls to visit Chase's parents and see the community play, Joseph and the Amazing Techni-color Dreamcoat. The play was awesome and so fun. We took Lauren with us and she was delighted with the whole thing. She squealed with delight when the confetti cannons went off at the end and showered us with rainbow confetti.  Chase was in this play years ago with his best friend, Ben. They were Pharaoh's guards and while bowing at the end, the two of them lifted their skirts and "mooned" the audience with sparkly boxer shorts with their phone numbers on them! Oh Chase. :) It was fun because some of his friends were in it playing the same parts when he was in it.

We went to the zoo while we were there too. Lauren liked the otters.

 And Gavin was mildly impressed with the giant tortoises. :)

 And Chase and Logan were thrilled to have their picture taken.

 

 

Logan has been so fun. He is such a happy baby... as long as you are talking and paying attention to him... at all times. :) His squeals and giggles make us laugh.