It's the little things.

With everything as crazy as it is and Matt getting ready to head out on a boat for a few months I'd like to take some time to state a few things that I'm thankful for.

We'll start off with some big things:

1. My kids. Not just them but for my ability to be a SAHM and teach them and learn from them. I have found that I am happiest when I am with them. They are the biggest blessings I have every recieved and I am grateful that God believes me to be worthy to be their Mother.

2. Husbands. For all their hard work and long hours and their willingness to come home and make time for the kids. I know my Husband works hard and I am very thanksful that he has the drive to be such a great provider for our family.

3. Mommy vans. As we have recently purchased one of these I have to say I love it. I never realized just how squished we were in our little Subaru until we got this massive thing with all it's space.

Straw & Sippy Cup Cleaner

Now for the little things:

1. Car Seat Bases. This might seem silly but until we got our van there simply was no room for the base. My life is so much easier now that all I have to do is pull that lever and take the car seat out. With all the in and outs of the car with my kids I can use all the help I can get!

2. Bottle Cleaners. Not just the big long brush for cleaning inside the bottle. I'm talking the little cleaners that clean the irritating parts of bottles and sippy cups. Whoever made those is a genius!

Boba Carrier

3. Drying Racks. Specifically for bottles. Totally cleans up my counter top space so I don't have little bottle parts everywhere. Again genius!

4. Baby Carriers/Slings. Amelia LOVES these. She would spend all day in it if I let her. I love the hands free holding and she loves to be snuggled. It's a win-win.

5. Binky's. Specifically, glow-in-the-dark ones. It's so much easier to find the glow of these at 3 in the morning than to rummage around for one in the dark.

Now I know most of these are baby related but that's what my life is surrounded by. All things baby! :) 

Amelia Janet

So I know, I know I never get on here anymore. I am really bad at this blogging thing I guess but as always, I will try and do better.

We started the new year off with a BANG by welcoming a new baby. Amelia was born on January 3, 2012 at 6:50pm. She weighed 7lbs. 5.3 oz and was 19 3/4 in. long.


The birth story...

After months and months of pre-labor and being in and out of the hospital, once she could finally come, she wouldn't! So we scheduled an induction. At the time Matt was waiting to be called out to work so we were hoping and praying that he wouldn't miss her arrival. My induction date was the 3rd of January. We woke up early, around 4:30, on the morning of the third. We had to be at the hospital by 5:30. We packed everything up and went to start the car and it wouldn't go! We ended up calling our friend Brandy to come and get us. (She was watching the boys for us while I was in the hospital.) Once we finally got to the hospital and I'd gotten my IV and done my paperwork I was given medicine to help get things going. ( I had been swiped at my Doctor's appointment the week before.) This was around 7:30. After a few hours of no real contractions the Doctor was going to break my water but couldn't. The baby was still high and I still wasn't dilated past a 1. :( So they gave me some more medicine and after about an hour I started having regular contractions. So much so that I asked for some help with the pain. (This was probably around 3pm. With the help of the medicine I was able to nap for an hour or so before the contractions became painful again. The nurses prepared to give me some more medicine (but not my epidural.) By then it was too late. The contractions were a minute a part and unbearable. I asked for my epidural and they told me they were waiting on the anaesthesiologist. I could see the nurse prepping the items the anaesthesiologist would need. Meanwhile my water broke. Then the anaesthesiologist came in. They sat me up and I tried to be patient while he tried to stick a needle in my back. It was very hard as my contractions were unbearably painful and I hadn't expected to be able to feel them and would sorta freak out every time one would come. (There was a lot of screaming!) Once they had given me my epidural I remember asking how long it would take to kick in. Then I could feel the baby. I screamed at the nurse because I knew she was coming out. The nurse looked down and said, " There's her head, someone get the Doctor!" I am still waiting for the medicine to kick in while I watch my Doctor wash her hand and prep to deliver the baby. She came over and Amelia plopped into her lap. No pushing or anything. (Guess she was sick of hanging there waiting. )

My labor with Amelia was hard, very hard and I can't see why anyone would refuse the drugs after having her the way I did. It was traumatizing and I have to say I'm already a little nervous about having another one. That's not to say it wasn't worth it, because it absolutely was. She was worth the pain and screaming and unbearable contractions. The nurses must not have believed me when I told them how it would go. I'm really slow at the start, until I get to about a 4, then it goes lightning fast and the babies here. I am just greatful it didn't last any longer than it did.

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Long time, No talk!

Well, I sure haven't been keeping up with this like I was hoping I would. So as usual I'm gonna give the short version. Tristan is a walking and talking machine. Ethan already tries to roll over and only likes to be on his belly. Mathew went out on a boat and was out for a month before coming home for a visit.

Matt came on the first and stayed until the 18th. While he was here we all went to the cabin as a family trip. Mathew, the boys and I went down a day before the rest of the family. We left on Friday and they followed on Saturday. Because it was Labor Day week end they stayed until Monday and we traveled back through Spokane and stayed a night in hopes to catch some diving companies and see if anyone was hiring. [Mathew is hoping to find a job closer to me and the boys.] We had a blast! The boys went kayaking. We went to Ione and rode the train and got some delicious monster ice cream cones. We also drove around spotting deer and visited the Caves. It was nice to get away all together. It's the only vacation we've been on all together with the babies.

Train Ride

Caves

Walking!

Well, it's about time kid! We have been waiting for him to start that old walking thing for months now; but he just loves to crawl like a stink bug. I guess the problem has been living with so many people willing to pick up the baby. He has done it though. He's been walking a few steps at a time for a while now. Recently, though, he has decided to try and walk for longer periods of time. I know it won't be too long before he is running all over the place. We're very proud of him. He's getting to be such a big boy.

On a totally different note, Mathew's gone back to work. It's come as a relief because he hadn't worked for a month before he finally got the call. He's very excited to get back out there. He loves to be out on the boat. We are hoping that he will be able to work for a while and make some money so that I can move and be with him. Now that the baby's here we are just waiting for a chance to all be together again.

P.S. I have a video of him walking, I just can't get blogger to upload it. So I put it on my Facebook.
http://www.facebook.com/bonnie.wick

Ethan's Blessing

Well, I remembered to post about Tristan's haircut but forgot to update about everything else that was going on. Ethan was born on the 13 of June and Mathew flew in the next evening. He stayed for two weeks and while he was here we blessed Baby Ethan. He was a whole week old and it was Father's Day. The blessing was beautiful, Mathew did a great job. We had a great turnout of family and friends. I am so glad that Mathew was able to come up and be with us and bless our new little boy. [For a while i was worried that it was gonna be a while before we;d be with Matt and be able to do it.] Ethan is a great baby and a wonderful blessing. We are very thankful to have him here.

Tristan's first haircut

So Tristan's hair finally grew enough that we had to cut it. It was starting to turn into a mullet! The funniest part was that the whole time my Mom was trying to buzz him he was trying to get her to hold him. He was convinced that I had the clippers not Grandma.