New school year

Back to school time! The kids are so excited to be back in school with friends and new teachers.

Caleb said his favorite part of his first day at school was...eating school lunch. That's our growing boy! He's in second grade this year and he went right back to playing soccer every recess with friends. He really likes his new teacher and he's having fun with his friends.

Felicity started school a day late because she was sick on Monday. How sad to miss the first day of 4th grade! She's been the most excited that the teacher lets each table earn points for good behavior. Her table is currently tied for the most points and she loves to relate the struggle the two tables are having to stay on top. She's started up her own little "school" in her bedroom again. The boys get to have recess, story time, and practice writing their letters. Her discipline is pretty good, too.

Joseph starts kindergarten tomorrow. I'm glad because he's been asking when he can go for about three months now, he can't wait to get started. He's going to love being with so many kids all the time. I just hope he can remember to quietly listen to the teacher instead of doing handstands on the tables. Kindergarten should be very interesting this year...

Our camera forgave our computer

Our camera and our computer haven't been communicating for a long time, but I tried to fix it again yesterday. I'm not sure what I did different this time from time past, but whatever it was it worked and here's some pictures of sweet Abigail!

First pictures in the hospital, all wrapped up.

Sleeping on the quilt I made for her. I'll post some pics and hows later.

She was born in the Chinese year of the rabbit, just like her aunt Nicki. Nicki and Melissa got her a rabbit stuffed animal and we'll use it to take pictures of her every month to see how she grows.

Joseph loves to hold his baby sister. And he loves cameras, he's our cheesy grin boy.

Big proud sis Felicity.

Little Abigail

She's here! And she's no longer nameless! Little Abigail Rachel was born on August 11th, two weeks and five days early and the day after Felicity's birthday (like Nicki says, now we can have 48 hours of PAR-TAY! Felicity was excited after we assured her that they would each get their own cake). It is also my mother and father in law's wedding anniversary, I think Gary sent her down early for it. It certainly surprised us! I'd been having contractions a few times a day for the last few days, but on Tuesday my doctor told me that she hadn't dropped and I had only dilated to a 3. With the last three pregnancies I'd been at a four for a couple weeks before they came. Then she said, "But you're about 90% effaced, so when this baby comes, she's coming quick!" Ummm, yeah. By Thursday I wasn't feeling very good, not terrible, just a little weird. I was still able to do my usual things, I took Felicity into swim class and ran a couple quick errands and got a start on laundry and I even told my mother in law that I thought the baby would be coming "in, oh, about a week." But at 3:00 I got a contraction that felt a little more intense than just a normal Braxton-Hicks, but still not bad at all. I wasn't worried, until about twenty minutes later I got another one. Then twenty minutes later I got another one. This time I called Farris and said maybe we should go towards the hospital, just in case. I also called my sister in law, Tarilynn, to come get the kids. By the time Farris got home twenty minutes later at 4:20 I'd had two more that I could tell were real contractions, no more fooling around, we needed to move fast! We had about a twenty-five minute drive normally to our hospital and it was getting close to rush hour time so I was a little nervous. Tarilynn was driving from her house about 30 minutes away but we didn't think we should wait so we herded the kids over to a neighbors house and took off. Luckily, traffic was only bad getting on the freeway (lovely construction) and it then it didn't slow down again until right before our exit, so we made it. But the last ten minutes or so I was having contractions every three minutes. When we saw the hospital it was a relief! The nurses jumped to it, my doctor came and in a little less than an hour, at 5:58, she was born. She weighed 7 lbs, 8 oz and the nurses loved her little bit of red hair. They were a little nervous because I had tested positive for Group B Strep. To stop the infection from spreading from mom to baby, they give the mother antibiotics during labor and delivery for at least four hours...but we weren't in labor for four hours. They tested her for it and it came back positive but she had no signs of an infection, so they retested her 24 hours later and this time the test came back negative. So glad! She's been very healthy, even scoring a 9.5 on her Apgar test, really great for being almost three weeks early. Tarilynn brought the kids down to the hospital to see their new sister and they loved her all over her. They also enjoyed all the buttons on the fancy hospital bed and when the nurse brought in snacks for them it just made their day even better. As for the name, we thought and thought and got opinions from everyone. Even the nurses wrote up a list of all the American Girl names they could think of, since they knew Felicity was the older sister. We finally decided to leave the hospital on Saturday without a name and call back when we had it figured out.
Tarilynn brought the kids back home a couple hours after we brought Abby home (and she thought we were in such a nice, quiet, calm house. And then ka-boom!) and we've been settling in our new family since then. Felicity and Joseph love on her as much as they can, except Joseph is a little more... ummmm...enthusiastic when he does it and Felicity is a doting big sister. Caleb loves her but is still a little bit nervous around her, he likes to hold her but spends more time looking at her than holding her. It took us awhile to convince Seth that this baby is the baby that was in Mommy's tummy, and he's still not too sure about that. He's been a little jealous and a little put out with all the time she has in my lap (he told me the other day to "put the baby on the table" so he could sit on my lap), but he's adorable when he snuggles up next to her and examines her face. I think in time he'll like having a little sister around to play with, especially with Joseph starting kindergarten this year.
Her first week went by with help from my mom and lots of wonderful people bringing meals and yummy treats and cute baby things, and we still didn't have a name. Felicity wanted Amy; Caleb wanted Lily; Joseph wanted Daisy; Nicki wanted Chester Nicole. Felicity vetoed Chester--but I do think it would be fun nickname. Farris thought Lydia was nice, and I liked it too, but we still couldn't quite decide. Then on Thursday the hospital called, they needed to turn in the paperwork for her birth certificate by Friday. Now our deadline was here, but instead thinking about it we went to the county fair. We (me mostly) were so tired by the time we got back it was mostly just fall on the bed asleep. The little bit of talk we had was deciding between Lydia and Abigail. I started leaning toward Abigail, I love how it means Father's Joy, I love that it's a classic name but it has a cute nickname and it's not too popular. It seemed to fit her a little better than Lydia. So Friday morning Farris woke me up right before he headed into work, and I said "How about Abigail?" and he agreed. The middle name is Rachel after Farris' grandma. My sisters and I and my mom all had no middle name, so Felicity didn't either. With Felicity's blessing (we didn't want her to feel bad that she was the only one without a middle name), we gave Abigail one to honor Great Grandma Larsen.
Now she's two weeks old, she's starting to sleep much better at night and have more awake time during the day, it's fun to see her little eyes peering out at the world! She doesn't like the sponge baths I've been giving her (no real baths yet because her belly button hasn't healed, Joseph is worried about that strange thing on her stomach), I'm remembering how to give them really fast. I'm also remembering how to do things (like type this post) one handed and how to nurse in the middle of the night without waking up all the way. I've had to change the sheets twice and wash the bedspread once--I forget how fast you need to change newborns diapers to prevent accidents. It's been fun (and a little crazy) getting used to having a newborn around again, but those wearing pjs all day, extra laundry, who's cooking dinner since I'm busy nursing, diapers and spit up everywhere times are worth it! And now it's nap time. =)

Felicity turns 9!

Yesterday was Felicity's 9th birthday. We can't believe that she was baptized a year ago, time has flown by! She's growing so much, though. When you compare her pictures from six months ago, a year ago, and two years ago, it's amazing how she has changed. She's growing more mature and has been such a help to me as I get more waddle-y ;). She loves to make up games and projects for the boys, her room often is filled with three or four "stations" with different activities that the boys can rotate through. Our little cruise director! The boys (usually) love it, and Seth loves his "Yissy" and gives her big kisses. It's sweet to see their relationship.

The books she has been reading are getting more mature, too. She recently finished all the Narnia books (and wants to name the baby Lucy now--which isn't a bad idea, better than when she wanted to name Seth Strawberry Shortcake!) In school last year her teacher was reading "Summer of the Monkeys" (love that book) and was so excited about it she came home and we hunted up our copy so she could read ahead of her class. I remember doing that for "Incident at Hawks Hill" in 5th grade. I can't wait until we are exchanging books back and forth like my mom and sis/sis in laws.

She's so excited about the baby and she has to kiss her every night before bed (although by the second or third kiss I think she's just trying to push bedtime back a little). She always asks me how I'm feeling and if the baby is moving and even tries to help me out of chairs. That makes me laugh, she's like a little nurse. If she just knew how to take my temperature and time my heartbeat she'd be doing that, too.

She still loves horses and dancing and riding her bike. We're doing her second year of swimming lessons and even though she still doesn't like getting her face wet she thinks it would be wonderful to be a lifeguard. I don't think she's ever seen one have to dive off that tower into the water! She's a social butterfly and the best way to get her to clean her room is to tell her she can't visit with friends until it's clean. In school reading is her favorite, of course, and math was high on her list until they started into the multiplication tables! She'll be starting forth grade in a couple weeks, it doesn't seem possible that she's already old enough for that. Pretty soon she'll be learning math that I can't do and science that I don't remember and I'll have to work on memorizing State Capitols again so she won't be smarter than me!

We love our little Lissy and we're so proud of how she's growing and the choices she is making. She's a wonderful, strong person already and I can't wait to watch as she grows and learns more, even though I'm a little sad when I think of her as a baby I was packing around the USU campus or two years old and chasing our Rez dogs or four years old and "reading" books to Caleb and how many other memories I have from when she was really little. Happy birthday sweet girl and I can't wait for many more!

So it's Saturday afternoon and instead of mopping the floors, I'm filling out this questionaire from A Girl and A Glue Gun
http://kimboscrafts.blogspot.com/2011/08/youre-so-vaini-bet-you-think-this-post.html
(Hers is more humerous than mine, but so are her crafts) Anyone else want to join in?

Making: Taggy baby toys for a new baby in our ward. Thinking about more hair stuff for Lissy. And something to put on the wall downstairs. we've been here for four years maybe it's about time. Of course, it has to be something unbreakable because that's where Farris throws balls at the kids. Don't tell the authorities. They like it. Really.

Cooking: Yes, I am. Oh, you mean that kind of cooking...does putting a Papa Murphy's pizza in the oven count? Actually, because we accidentally unplugged our freezer downstairs (oops) I made a few loaves of pumpkin bread and a few dozen muffins and two apple pies (in two days). And that's my excuse for why we enjoyed pizza last night.

Drinking: Water. Lots and lots of water. 90 degrees is a lot hotter this summer!

Reading: You caught me between books (I'm practically lost), right now I'm just reading the new IKEA catalogue. Any good ideas for books?

Wanting: To go to IKEA. And the library.

Looking: For the cute headbands I bought for Baby Girl Without a Name a couple months ago. My pregnancy brain is giving me a hard time.

Playing: Super Monkey with Seth. He brings his stuffed toy to me, I put the cape on, he giggles. He takes it off. Repeat. Better than Candy Land! Also flipping coins with Caleb. He laughs hysterically every time I guess wrong. Wow, as I write this I realize what a fun mom I am. My poor kids.

Wasting: Well, since I'm doing this, obviously time. It is kind of fun, though.

Sewing: Those taggy toys. I'm making balls, and maybe a dinosaur, depending on how I'm feeling. I did just finish my niece's scripture bag, here's the tutorials I used: http://threebears.wordpress.com/2007/10/15/little-boxy-pouch-tutorial/

(I doubled the measurements, and it fits the Bible and Triple with enough room for other stuff girls pack into bags.) For the lining I used: http://www.twelve22.org/2006/07/zipper_tutorial.html
(seriously the easiest way to put in a zipper. )

Wishing: For the Baby Girl Without a Name to be here instead of in there.

Enjoying: Popsicles. Cheap thrills.

Praying: Yes.

Waiting: And waiting. And waiting. That 8th month is so fun.

Liking: That my brother and sis-in-law and kids are living down here now. They rock. And that we're not moving. And big fans.

Wondering: Allyson? Maggie? Bryn? Hailee? Decided definitely against Annette.

Loving: Farris. He's washing dishes right now. My boys. They're helping. I'm loving Felicity too, who is representing our family at my niece's baptism. {Taylor, so sorry I couldn't come, four hours in a car at this point would make me cry. And that's only one way, so I'd cry twice.}

Hoping: For more rain. Sorry everyone, but I've enjoyed our Seattle-ish summer here in Utah. Wonderful.

Marvelling: At the different shapes my stomach can stretch into. Seriously, it's bizarre.

Needing: Not much. Maybe another Popsicle.

Smelling: The hand lotion a couple girls in the ward made. They're good.

Wearing: The biggest clothes I can find!

Following: Usually Seth. He is a busy kiddo.

Noticing: That Seth is quiet somewhere...hold on a minute...

Knowing: That I will not turn the water on in the bathroom for Seth no matter how much he whines for it--you see, he's wearing goggles, and he told me he wants to swim in there.

Thinking: It's going to be bad when he can turn the water on for himself.

Bookmarking: Stuff from the Someday Crafts Whatever Wednesday linky party. Like: http://www.cherishedbliss.com/2011/08/fabric-tea-party.html
and
http://purplestpecalin.blogspot.com/2011/07/chocolate-ooey-gooey-butter-cookies.html

Opening: Windows. And doors. Trying to get air circulating. Oh for A/C!

Giggling: At my kids. Joseph told me the other day that he had had "gobs of exercise" The phrases that kid finds...

Feeling: Tired and happy. It's been a good summer. Crazy, but good.

Questions about bumps

And the bumps I'm talking about are pregnancy bumps. As in my soccer ball sized stomach. And it actually is bigger than a soccer ball, I've compared. I'm a little afraid to compare it to a beach ball. Anyway, there are questions every pregnant woman gets, from both friends and relatives and from random strangers on the street:

When are you due? (and any day between June and August gets a sympathetic look and then is followed by "I'm so sorry, it must be hot." Yes-sir-ee-bob. I usually also get a look that says, "Your due date is that far way? Are you sure it's not twins, 'cause that stomach is huge." Yes, I have had the word Huge applied to my stomach. Y.W. can be blunt)

Is a boy or a girl? (With Felicity, we decided not to find out and be surprised. A lady in our ward asked that one, I said "Oh, it's a surprise." She looked at me like I was an idiot, and then said, "That happens sometimes, but do you know if it's a boy or a girl?")

Do you have a name picked out?
This question has been the hardest to field lately. I know I'm due August 30th (sympathetic look coming from the computer screen) and that it's a girl, but the name...not so sure. I've had LOTS of suggestions, which I do like to get, but then what do I do when I detest the name? It's hard to shoot down some one's suggestion and then get the hurt look because it belonged to a beloved grandmother (yeah, Bertha is not an option. I'm sure she was a wonderful lady). Usually I nod, and say, "that's nice" or something. But I do like to bounce off different ideas from people, so here's a list of what we like (or me anyway. Farris hasn't really offered an opinion, except for a couple that his eyebrows shoot up and he gives me look like "Are you kidding me?" He likes to name them in the hospital. I just like to have a handy list of suggestions to bring to the hospital) and what people have suggested (and sorry Nicki, De-De is not one of them. Way, way not one of them).
Lily or Lilianna
Britton
Grace (cute little Gracie)
Annette (Kind of going back and forth on this one)
Olivia (but I have a couple little neighbors named Olivia)
Mazie (My grandpa's sister name, she was the coolest lady, but we have also had a cat named Mazie, I don't want my daughter to have an Indiana Jones complex--remember he was named after the dog and look at all he's had to go through)
Ellie or Ella
Maggie (I've been telling everyone that it means a Father's Treasure, but it doesn't, sorry, it means a pearl. Which is still good. Maggie of Great Price. Ha.)
Abigail (this one means a Father's joy. Really.)
Bryn
Alleena (One of the branches of our family tree comes from the Allens, so getting creative with genealogy)
McKay (everyone says that's a boys name. But I think it would be fine for a girls name, too)
Alison, or Alice
Hailee (liked it better before I knew it meant "a field of hay." Hay fever runs in our family, so it might not be the best choice)
Brooke
Annie (too much red headed orphan vibe though?)
Emily
Megan or Meghan
Adele (But she'll have a cousin named Adalie, called Addie, so there might be some confusion)

My family, ever being helpful, has also suggested Far-Dee, which... yeah, say it three times and you'll see why that is really, really wrong. No can-do, Chad. Felicity likes Marigold, but I have to admit I don't like marigolds. She also thinks it's hilarious when she tells Joseph we're going to name the baby Josephina. He doesn't think so.
So anyway, any more suggestions? Any votes for or way against? We're working against a (sort of unknown, but still) deadline.

It's already August 1st?

Wow, July went by fast. So catching up:
We just got back last night from a trip to Idaho to visit the family. Farris loves to go cut firewood with my dad, and since Dad's shoulder has been having lots of problems this summer he can't go by himself. So Farris volunteered and spent all Friday up in the mountains. I spent the day sewing on my mom's machine--Bernina that she bought forever ago, inspiration for me getting my Bernina, which I LOVE-- and then we took the kids to the Lincoln County Fair. Hmm, never heard of it? It's probably the least populated county in Idaho, but a wonderful place to grow up. The fair is much smaller than when I showed my heifers (no, I don't mean my legs, silly, for those not versed in Dairy, that basically means a cow a little bigger than a calf, but not big enough to be a full fledged cow) and showed off my early sewing projects (thanks to my mom, she made sure my projects weren't going to fall apart). It was still fun to go back, and the kids loved the horses and other animals. They had lots of fun with cousins, too.
Saturday we headed over to Burley to spend time with Farris' family. More cousin time! and Judy's raspberries were needing to be picked, which my kids happily obliged. I'm going to be spending some time with spray-n-wash today, they get a little crazy in raspberry patches.
My nephew Tanner gave his farewell talk on Sunday. He's such a great kid. It'll be exciting to see how he grows on his mission, I'm sure the people in Ohio will be blessed to have him, as much as we're going to miss him! After church we headed home. We were going to stay until Monday, but Felicity starts her swimming lessons today and I was about finished with not being home, even visiting with people I love as much as Farris' family. The drive to Idaho wasn't bad, but oh the drive home...I think the longest drive I'm going to go on before this baby is born is to the hospital. I'm done. Luckily, I'm due in four weeks, and my babies come early, so hopefully in two weeks we'll be holding this little girl. Oh, I can't wait!!