New Eye Mask?

Petunia fell asleep in her cradle before church while I was blow drying my hair. When I found her, this is what we saw:

Her head band can double as an eye mask apparently.

Pretty Petunia

This is what I call her....don't ask my why----I am the "nicknamer."

Three's Company

I can't wait until she smiles....and not because she is drunk off of breastmilk. A real smile. She has dimples and I hope she doesn't lose them.

For some odd reason I might have assumed that my most recent labor was going to go the way I had it all planned. The baby was going to eat the way I assumed my other babies have eaten and when I wanted her to eat. The baby would sleep when I thought she should sleep. My body would perform the way I assumed it should perform. And everything was going to be hunky-dory.
But this has been the LONGEST three weeks of my life. For those of you who prefer c-sections over the more "traditional" method of delivery.....for the record, I think you're nuts. (Prepare to hear me whine)
I have been slightly miserable. (My husband would say thats an understatement)
How many more times do I have to be told that "I just had major abdominal surgery?" I guess I needed to be reminded since I never in a million years thought it would be happening to me and never did any kind of reading/studying on the topic. I still have done little reading on the recovery and just decided to wing it. Not the smart approach, but the approach I took. Ignorance is bliss...at least temporarily. When Jiggs was 2 weeks old I began having a few "issues" with my incision. I guess if I would have read a little bit I would have known it was "normal." I think its strange, the doctors say its normal.
I then began getting headaches and I was feeling really, really tired. SLEEP was my friend and my head felt like I was in a fog. Fever soon came. I attributed it to my body being out of whack and hormones. After a few days of that I woke up to a very bad pain in one of my breasts. For sure a clogged milk duct. I was dedicated to the nursing thing and I knew this was just one side affect. But it hurt a lot. I did a little research on the internet to find some answers and went to the Urgent Care.
Turns out I have Mastitis.
Holy Cow. I never had this problem when I was nursing before. It turns out the flu symptoms I had been experiencing was a symptom of the infection. So---after a nice shot of antibiotic (in my booty...thanks) and a prescription for more antibiotic I was set to go. I knew the fly symptoms weren't in my head and as miserable as I was, I was happy to know where they were coming from. All of this pain so that I could feed Baby Jiggs! I thought about quitting, but I just couldn't stand the thought of it. Pain or no pain the show must go on! :)
I am up a lot at night these days. As expected I guess. I have my best premonitions as I sit on the edge of my bed at all hours of the night feeding Baby Jiggs. Then when daylight breaks my brain turns to mush. (All I can seem to worry about is when will Jiggs take that LONG nap so that I can catch one too)
I am waiting for the day where I feel like I have everything down and its "easy." Don't all laugh at me at once.
Maybe its because when I look around me to other new moms with babies they make it look easy. Even though this is our third, I feel like its all new again. I want to know their dirty little secrets and tips. ---Or I want an "Easy Button." Yes....I will take whatever I can get.

Where do I begin?! I can hardly believe that Baby Jiggs is almost two weeks old.---Probably because the past two weeks have almost been a complete blur. A complete blur, but yet I can recall every little detail. Strange how that can be.

I am wondering how long it will be before I forget every painful moment from the day Jiggs was born and the days that followed. Let's see---

Tuesday - Induction Day! I am not exactly thrilled about it, but the hospital calls at 9am and says to eat breakfast and be there at 10am. Grandma Hogue arrives at the house bright and early to take care of the boys for the next few days. After we arrive at the hospital they begin to give me antibiotics (for GBS) and tell me that at 5pm they will give me the Cervadil to start the induction. The boys come to visit us for a bit. By 9pm the contractions are irregular and nothing exciting going on. I watch Big Brother with Luke and Julie from my cozy hospital bed.

Wednesday - By 1am the contractions are 2-3 minutes apart. I am still only dilated to a 2 so no epidural. The doctor comes in to check on me and he says he will give me the epidural once I get to a 3. (I like this guy) They give me some kind of pain medicine that let's me sleep for an hour. They say I can have 6 doses before the epidural so I am going to get as much as I can so I can get some sleep. I end up getting another dose at 4am. Still only at a 2. Another dose at 6am. The nurse checks me at 6:30 and I am at a 2.5. By this point I am quoting "Smalls" from the movie "The Sandlot" and I mumble "I can't take this anymore!" Luke is sleeping as comfortably as possibly on his couch. Its close to 8am and the nurse finally breaks and agrees I am a 3 and ready for the epidural. The anesthesiologist does his thing...and I am numb. Numb all the way up to my chest. a headache ensues and vomiting. He looks worried....which makes me worried. Within 5 minutes of the epidural I am at a 5-6. The doctor checks me and my water breaks. She suspects the baby is breech. I can't feel a thing! Two minutes later they are performing an ultrasound....and it appears that sometime in the middle of the night the baby changed her mind and turned around. The doctor informs me we have to do a C-section. I turn my head and look at Luke---and I start crying. Not a c-section!

Ugh!

Within 5 minutes I was being wheeled into the OR for a C-section.

Within a few more minutes I heard crying.... and I started crying. It was her...finally. In the midst of everything going on over the past 24 hours I seemed to have forgotten that I was going to be getting a baby out of this deal. Once I heard Baby Jiggs cry, it all became clear again.

Within 2 hours the boys were at the hospital to meet their sister. They were very excited---to say the least. I was so happy to see the boys so happy that their sister was here. I was starving---and ready to grub. I had decided not to eat dinner the night before because I thought FOR SURE I was going to be delivering a baby through the night. As Luke is about to take my food order I am informed by the nurse that I cannot eat anything for 24 hours. Ugh!

Thursday - We made it through another night in the hospital---this time with a baby. I am ready to eat---when I am informed by the nurse that breakfast will consist of water, chicken broth and Jello. UGH! I am ready to have Luke smuggle me in some real food.

By 2:00pm the nurse comes into the room to do another Jaundice test on Jiggs. Shortly therafter another nurse returns and says they are taking Jiggs to the NICU because her Bili Ruben results were high. I am confused and assume she could be back in hours.

Friday - Jiggs is still in the NICU and go over every 3 hours to visit and feed her.

Saturday - I am released from the hospital. Jiggs has to stay. Not the way I wanted to leave the hospital...but I am trying to tell myself that there are a lot worse scenarios. Tubbs is crying all the way home. I pretend to be happy and tell him that she will be home soon. Thankfully my mom and dad arrive in town shortly after I got home. They would make everything better. My parents head over to the hospital with me late that night and my dad gives her a blessing.

Sunday - Got our hopes up after we met with the doctor in the morning. If the Bili reading was under 10 at the 3pm blood draw she could go home. Results came in at 4:30....and it was 10.2. Had to leave the hospital empty handed....again.

Monday - First day of school. I wouldn't miss this---even though I couldn't drive. My mom drives me and the boys to school and Luke meets us there. I call on the way to school to get the results from the 6am Bili draw. The results--- 10.1. Ugh. This was killing me. I went over to the NICU at 9:30 with my mom to feed Jiggs. The doctor gets the results and decides to let her go home. Joy---overwhelming joy is all I feel. Baby Jiggs is coming home. The boys get home from school and see Jiggs sleeping on Grandpa's chest. They are so excited to have her home! Yay!

Tuesday - Let the real fun begin.

Naps for Jiggs and Grandpa

Grandma and Grandpa (aka chauffeur, chef, message taker, door answerer, bug-sitter, errand runner and baby snuggler) and the kids the morning they left to head home.

My little cabbage patch doll

Another Snugglebug to Love

Scout Marceille

born August 19, 2009

8:56 am

9 lbs 5 oz

21 inches

Don't let those juicy lips fool you.

The nurse in the NICU used sugar water and a pacifier to get her to stop crying. She would put a drop of sugar water in her mouth, I would stick the pacifier in her mouth and then pull it out really quick for the shot. Out of all the pictures this one was our favorite.

First Day of School

My two "little" boys.
Like every other parent I am surprised at how big my boys are and that its time for another school year to begin.

They weren't exactly thrilled about getting up and going to school but it was more of an attitude like "what the heck....we have nothing better to do." :) Tubbs started Kindergarten this year and he was not the least bit hesitant about his new school. I think his two years of pre-school prepared him well for making new friends and a new environment. Bubba started 2nd grade and I think he has officially entered the mode of "mom-is-the most-embarrassing-person-ever." It makes me a little sad.

Right before we left the house

Good bye bugs from brother
There was a little shadow hanging over us on Monday morning. Baby Jiggs was still in the hospital in the NICU and it was going on Day 4. We thought we might get to come home Sunday evening so we could start the school year out on a good note. The doctor said Sunday morning that if her Bili blood draw came back under 10 she could go home. We got the results that afternoon at 5pm and they were 10.2.

We had to come home empty handed AGAIN.

The next draw was Monday morning at 6am so we called on our way to taking the boys to school and it was 10.1. I was going to freak out.

I couldn't take another day being at home without her. After the boys were at school my mom drove me over to the NICU to feed her and visit. While we were there the nurse talked to the doctor and surprise-surprise he said we could take her home. I was so shocked (and thankful)! We gathered up her stuff and we were outta there as fast as we could move. It was the perfect addition to our first day of school---the day Baby Jiggs got to come home!

Last Supper

Where would you spend your last supper?

Well, tonight was Scout's last chance at some decent grub---at least for a while. We headed to Dewar's. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

She picked out a 2 scoop banana split with chocolate sauce and caramel.

I asked the guy what the difference between the ice cream and the ice milk was. His response was that the ice milk had half the fat but 9 times the sugar.

I didn't know which one to pick---but just to make Scout happy I chose the ice milk.

Probably the wrong choice considering she has no more room to move around from her sugar high.

The boys picked out one scoop sundaes and Luke got a George's special shake...but was disappointed because he didn't read the fine print that listed all of the ingredients. He said it tasted like one of his breakfast shakes. Poor baby.

Welcome to the "Crib"

Welcome to Scout's "crib." Its alllllllllllmost complete.

There are a few more items we need to find for the walls, but I think we are about 90% done....and Luke can finally put the drill and laser level away!

People have asked what our "theme" is for the nursery. I can honestly tell you I have no idea. Luke's only request was no princess "stuff!" I had to agree.

Grandma Hogue designed the bugs/flowers on the window shade and Grandma Baer is cross stitching a Holly Hobby birth announcement for above the door. We know it will all come together once we get our act together and completely finish the room....and hopefully Scout will love her pink room as much as Luke and I have enjoyed working on it.

Ready or Not...

So---we got an ultrasound this morning. We were excited to see Scout again for the first time since March. (Of course we couldn't see much because of cramped quarters) The first thing the technician said was she had a good size belly. This really comes as no surprise and Luke and I laughed because we knew she had been eating good. As long as her big belly doesn't get stuck on her way out, I am OK with it.
After getting checked by the doctor later in the morning, everything seemed the same as every weekly check up over the past month. I was still only 1.5cm dilated and her head is high. She asked me what I wanted to do and I had to concede that having the baby BEFORE school starts on the 24th would be more convenient for me. We agreed that either Tuesday or Thursday morning would work good for an induction. She scanned over the results from the ultrasound and suddenly became concerned. My placenta was a stage 3. Whatever that meant. She ordered a stress test to track the baby's movement and suggested an induction this evening.
WHOA!
Remember my last post?! This baby was never going to get here. I certainly didn't expect to go to the doctor this morning and wonder if today was the big day. I called Luke during the stress test to let him know what was going on. He of course was on cloud 9 and ready to rumble. Me---I was too pre-occupied thinking about what I was going to eat for lunch and making sure everything was set for home if I had to be induced. I was not ready. Thankfully the stress test came back good. I go back Sunday morning for another stress test and if thats normal I go back in Tuesday morning to be induced. At least I know I have potentially 3 more days of rest before the little one gets here. I am not worried about her surprising me and making her entrance on her own this weekend. She knows I need a good pedicure before she arrives. :)

In Denial

I don't know how else to put it, but I am beginning to really doubt that I am pregnant and will deliver a human within the next 5 days. Maybe its an alien...or a tumor that has grown fingers and toes...and long legs that like to kick...?!
Yes, the countdown clock tells me my due date is 5 days away, but I just can't believe it. I wouldn't actually say the past 9 months have gone by fast, but I can't believe its here. I am ready to be able to bend over without an enormous amount of effort, BUT I don't know if I am ready to have an infant in my arms again...and attached to my chest (Gotta keep it PG). I am sure you are thinking, "Well...you should of thought of that 9 months ago." Its just seems like its been so long for us since we had a baby in the house. Tubbs is almost 5 1/2 years old and our little man is starting Kindergarten in a week. Thankfully he was out of diapers at 2, so its been a while since I have had to use a diaper or a wipe! I know once Scout gets here everything will be fine. I am just getting nervous thinking about it.
I was induced with Bubba on his due date and he was 9lbs 9 oz. I was induced with Tubbs at 41 weeks and he was 8 lbs 1 oz. So, I am anxious to see what the doctor is going to say tomorrow morning after my ultrasound...and I have a feeling we are in store for another induction. My kids never want to come out on their own. Maybe if I ate a little healthier they would have an incentive to pick breast milk or over whatever I was stuffing my face with. But, that's not really the case. (Yesterday I just had to stop at Sprinkles cupcakes in Beverly Hills on my way home and pick up 12 cupcakes. If she is like her mama, she is no idiot.--- She is waiting until I eat every last one until she considers making her way down the birth canal)
I have been on maternity leave officially for 14 days now. These last few days have been a blur as I feel like I am running out of steam. I think I have everything I need to bring a baby home, but I keep racking my brain thinking I am missing something. I pride myself on being the "planner/scheduler" in this house and I don't want to miss something obvious. Luke laughs at me...as usual. I know its still possible to go to the store and buy what we need even AFTER the baby gets here...but I like to be prepared. Since its been a while since our last "delivery" Luke and we find ourselves forgetting a lot of the details. He asked me the other day if we need to bring our own diapers to the hospital for the baby and I couldn't remember. Just to be safe, I have packed a few outfits and some diapers. I think they provided some kind of beanie for the baby's head, but heck if I can remember so I picked up a few today just in case.
My mom calls to check on my every day or two and see how I am feeling. I assure her that the baby is not coming on her own and give her my estimate. She asked me if I was having an "elephant" pregnancy---which I guess is something like 2 years long. Heaven help me if I was an elephant, even though I feel like one right now.

Smug's Treasure

Thank goodness we have Luke to spice up our lives around here. I don't know how the boys or I would survive without him. He is always thinking of ways to surprise the boys and make things interesting. One thing the boys like to do with Luke is go on a "secret bike ride." Sometimes they go alone with Luke, sometimes they go together. Its a good way for Luke to talk privately with the boys because they all ready seem to think their mom is lame! :)

Anyways, on these "secret" bike rides they explore areas that are out near new construction and mostly dirt and fences. There is a new rod iron fence put up around a dirt field near the park and the boys call it the "secret passage." Luke thought it would be fun to put together a treasure map and hide a treasure box somewhere near the "secret passage." I think almost any idea he has is great so I agree that the boys would love it.

So, last Thursday Luke is home a little later than usual so that he can go hide the treasure box. When he gets home he is in a hurry to eat dinner because he doesn't someone else to find the treasure box. After dinner Luke nonchalantly drops a wad of crumpled up papers in the front yard, one of which is the treasure map. When Bubba comes outside for the bike ride he asks Bubba to throw away the trash he found. Bubba starts looking through the papers and finds the treasure map. The boys get all excited and the three of them take off on their bikes. They were gone for about 30-40 minutes. When they got home they were so wound up and excited...and hot. They told me ALL about the treasure and the map they found. It was so priceless to see their faces and how excited they were. Bubba was so good at reading the map and the clues, he kept talking about how lucky they were the rest of the night. He even slept with the treasure box.

The Treasure Hunters....

Treasure box!

Eight dollars....the boys are rich!

I feel so fortunate that even though Bubba is seven, he is still my little boy and would never guess it was his daddy who put the whole thing together. I love that Luke's imagination and creativity helps spark the same thing in Bubba and Tubbs. I am also thankful for the little bit of peace and quiet I get while they are on their "private" bike rides in the evenings. I can lay on the couch with my feet up in complete silence and read---which is something that I won't be able to do that much longer. :)

Thank you Luke for all that you do for our little boys. I can't wait to see what you come up with for our little girl! LOL

Call it "Nesting"

I officially started maternity leave Thursday at 4pm. (Holla!!) :)
Since Friday I have been on this cleaning/organizing rampage. Going through every closet (nook and cranny in the house. I wouldn't say I have this burst of energy, but the thought in my mind is that once this baby gets here I am not going to be able to do much. Having all this time off work ahead of me, I am trying to squeeze in as much as I can now, hoping that the baby is still a couple of weeks off and I will still have some time to relax. I am probably kidding myself, but I am trying to humor myself. (No one else will!)

Yesterday was Luke's first day back to work and the boys weren't exactly thrilled about it. I knew they were going to miss big papa A LOT! When we all rolled out of bed I sat them down with the "plan" for the day. They humored me and went along with it. First it was breakfast...next was cleaning out their toy drawers and closet. The incentive was, the more they got rid of, the more $ they earned toward a "prize" from Toys R Us. My bribery worked very well and they worked hard. I think it only took us an hour to go through everything. We had a HUGE trash bag of stuff to toss and three smaller bags of items to donate.

After we were done the boys were motivated to get showered and dressed so we could head to Toys R Us. Surprise, surprise the boys both picked out Legos. I don't mind Legos much anymore because they keep them all in this huge plastic bin in their room. Thank goodness I only found small traces in their toy drawers.

The enthusiastic trash collectors---aren't they cute?

Give away-o-give away!

My master Lego builder. (After some persistance on Tubbs' behalf he put together Tubbs' set for him) Thank you Bubba.

LIFE

Wow---where do I start?

How about I start with the best news---maternity leave!

As of 4pm today I am a free woman. I do love my job and I work with great people----But I am thankful that after today I can nap whenever I feel like it. And yes I am going to take at LEAST one nap everyday. Every woman who has been pregnant can relate to the sleepless nights, especially in the last trimester. I sleep so terrible I don't even need an alarm clock to get up for work. But now I can still wake up early, do my thing and take a mid-morning. I cannot wait! Now--nobody better start jinxing me by saying that Scout is going to come early--like tomorrow. Girlfriend has 18 days left to bake...

Anyways, Luke and the boys knew how excited I was for maternity leave. When I pulled up in the garage after work I found a sign on the garage door:

When I walked in the house the boys yelled "Surprise" and had a card and some treats for me on the counter, wrapped in foil: A piece of peach pie, cookies, and a Slim Fast shake. They also had some flowers in a vase! I am the luckiest woman alive!

I am excited to be home with the boys and the baby until the first of January! Yaaaaaaaay!

Now the not-so-happy news---Poor Luke does head back to work on Monday! Poor baby is down to his last 3 days of his 8 week summer break. The boys are going to miss big papa. They have had quite a busy summer.

Twilight-

I am now addicted. (Yes, I am weak) This book series has also been affecting my sleep since I now dream about all of these characters---(lame I know).

My friend Julie loaned me her book in June and after letting it collect dust for a few weeks I decided to go for it. I read a chapter here and there for a while and got really annoyed. Is Bella whiny and annoying or is it just me?! I actually thought about quitting about halfway through. But about 3/4 of the way through it got good. The night I finished it I asked Luke to drive me to B&N to get the next book---"New Moon." I am about halfway through now (and annoyed once again). Luke surprised me yesterday with the next book in the series so I need to hurry up with "New Moon" so I can quit hearing about Jacob. I am just not that interested! But I am now REALLY looking forward to watching "New Moon" when it comes out later this year---especially if Edward is in it at least 5 minutes :)

Baby Jigs - (aka Baby Scout)

This is Tubbs' name for his baby sister. I think its going to stick. Its because he likes to jiggle my stomach and says its "jiggly." (Thanks Tubbs) He is constantly trying to shake my belly and putting his face on it talking to the baby.

Luke has another nickname for Scout: Baby Cita.

He calls me mamacita so I guess this was a natural evolution. Everyone has a nickname around here. If someone gets called by their real name, you know they're in trouble!

Baby Jigs' room is almost done. We have really procrastinated on getting everything set up and ready to go. Luke has been more of the go-getter on finishing it. Maybe its because it feels like this little girl is really never going to arrive. Hard to explain the feeling. I can feel her kicking/moving a million times a day, but it seems like forever still until I will see her face. We are just dying to know what she is going to look like! Only 18 days to go....give or take a few! :)

Swim Season is Over!

Yes, the boys had their last swim meet of the summer season on Saturday in Taft. Even though I was hot and uncomfortable I really, really enjoyed watching the boys compete this season. They learned all of their strokes and no matter what place they took, I loved watching their every move. They even received a few medals and ribbons! They really loved it. We are looking forward to having them continue to swim at BSC through the year and watching them compete again next summer with the swim club. It was also nice visiting with the Simpson's too during the practices and swim meets. A big thank you for sharing their canopy/tent with us.

Is my butt pregnant too?
I was sitting on the corner of our table in the formal dining area reading my e-mail on my phone. I heard a strange noise and I got up and turned around. Yes--my big butt broke the glass on our table. Niiiice! Luke and the boys were out of town so I had to take a picture to send to them.

Big Brother-

Are people really this retarded? Is it a requirement to get on the show? When the show started this summer we weren't able to watch on the night they came on, so we recorded them on the DVR. It comes on 3 times a week so were about 5-6 episodes behind when we had a Big Brother marathon. Luke got the lotion out and rubbed my poor swollen feet for hours while we indulged in our annual summer obsession. We have been watching this show every summer since we got married. I have to say that this season leaves a lot to be desired but its funny nonetheless. If Russell (the "love muscle") or Ronnie don't get sent packin' soon I think I may freak out though.

I think either Luke or I need to go on this show! :)

Best Wedding Entrance Ever!

Now--this is my kind of wedding entrance.....
Watch the video....

This past week has seemed especially LONG and tiring. Being almost 36 weeks pregnant its not only been tiring physically-- but even more emotionally.
Seven days ago I found out a friend I had grown up with had passed away from a degenerative disease he had suffered from most of his life. He belongs to a great family.--- Its a family we grew up with in Lake Isabella and went to church and school with. Its a family that everyone loved and admired.... and this was truly evident yesterday when my brother and I attended the funeral/memorial service. The service was a reason to shed tears but there was also many great stories shared that brought much laughter. As testimonies and stories were shared I not only thought of Joe, but I reflected on my own life and family.
A few weeks ago Luke took Bubba to the "Ear, Nose and Throat" doctor because we had suspected he had no sense of smell. With the numerous sinus infections over the past 2 years and sinus surgery last year we thought maybe something had gone wrong. The doctor ordered a full brain MRI that Bubba miraculously held still for last Friday. On Wednesday this week the doctor called with the results and left a voicemail for us at home. As I began listening to the message I thought for sure everything would be normal since he was leaving us a message with details instead of a message to call him back. Unfortunately I was mistaken. It turns out Bubba has "Congenital Anosmia." Basically, what it means it he was born without his olfactory nerve and he has never been able to smell. The doctor rattled off a few other things we weren't too happy about, gave us more information, and referred us to an endocronologist for further testing. A mixture of emotions ran through our minds and it was a long day.
I cried. I thought back to when Bubba was a baby---who never knew the smell of his mama. I cried because there was something different about my little boy that the doctor told me over and over in his message that "we just need to accept" and cannot fix. Because Bubba has never been able to smell he doesn't know what it means to smell. Luke was thinking sentimental thoughts as he told me that Bubba would never be able to smell his wife's perfume or the smell of his baby's head. I was thinking that Bubba wouldn't be able to smell his own body odor or smoke from a fire. Needless to say, after we played the message over a few times to catch all the details Luke call Bubba into his room. He sat him down and told him we got the results of his MRI. I could hear Bubba ask, "Can I smell now?"
I spent the rest of the day thinking about what the doctor said and left a message at his office for him to call me back. At the end of the day he finally called me back. His call didn't make me feel any better as I got more information that needed to be "googled" because I had no idea what it meant.
I had a mixture of emotions over the next 24-48 hours. I was thinking of my son who I love so much and is such a gift from my Heavenly Father. Earlier in the school year we received a letter from his school informing us that during a routine vision exam they identified he was color blind (like his mama). Now we knew for sure he can't smell. What else was going to come up? I don't want to know. As a parent, sometimes it seems that ignorance can be bliss.
But then I thought back to my friend Joe and his family. What emotions they must have felt when he was diagnosed as a child with the disease that taxed his body. Knowing the kind of person Joe was when he was here on this earth has helped me in many ways over the past few days as I prayed for strength (and so many other things). There is still more that is unknown about Bubba's medical condition but I know we will make it through whatever comes. I will not feel sorry for myself or wonder why these things have to be the way they are. Bubba is a perfect little boy who has a family who loves him and adores him. I cannot worry or cry about test results for tests that have not even been performed. Patience is the virtue I need and pray for.
I am thankful for the example that Joe has set for me. The one thing I will always remember most about him is his big smile and sly sense of humor. He was strong, even when his body was weak. His faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ was evident and he knew where he came from and where he was going. I know as I face the challenges that are upon me and my family daily that I will remember Joe and his example. I am sad that he is gone, but thankful for what he has left behind. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/bakersfield/obituary.aspx?n=joseph-maughan-kent&pid=129711955
There is a song that has played in my head several times this week from the hymn book at church:
When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings; name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

Count your blessings;
Name them one by one.
Count your blessings;
See what God hath done.
Count your blessings;
Name them one by one.
Count your many blessings;
See what God hath done

Feelin' the Love

June was a busy month. Scout and I were the party girls ---as we were the guests of honor at 3 baby showers!!

Let me tell you that when I walk into Scout's nursery I feel the love of all my family and friends. 90% percent of everything I see when I walk in that nursery is there because someone else cared. Scout has received four handmade blankets so far and every time I look at them I am in awe because someone took the time to make it special just for us. (I am also in awe because I have not one creative bone in my body and I neither know how to sew, crochet or stitch!)

I guess I just want everyone to know how much we appreciate anything you have contributed to our household for this new baby. After each baby shower I would spend time in the nursery putting items away in drawers and hanging up little outfits....and I would get very sentimental thinking about how blessed I am to have so many wonderful people in my life. Its been over 5 years since our last bug (Tubbs) joined our family and when we thought we weren't going to be able to have anymore we got rid of EVERYTHING. So--its been fun to borrow, receive gifts and purchase everything we need to welcome a daughter into our family.

Only 37 days to go! (Not that I am keeping track)

OK---baby shower #1

My oldest and dearest friend Julie hosted a shower for family, friends, and co-workers at Marie Callender's restaurant. The food was delicious and her aunt Marion made me the cutest, most delicious pink cupcakes! Julie's mom also played the part of "official photographer" since my camera went dead 5 minutes into the shower. What a lifesaver!

Thank you Julie. I love you and I appreciate all you have done for me and our family. When you have your next one (wink-wink) I will be planning your next shower! With two little boys I think its time you try for a girl! :)

Me and Jules

Even though its not pink--and not very feminine, this has to be one of my favorite gifts. A shirt that says: "I only cry when ugly people hold me." It made me laugh and laugh.

So fancy...and girly! What if she poops on it?! :) (Thank you grandma Hogue)

My cupcakes!

Baby Shower #2

My sweet friend Carianne (aka Supermom) organized a shower at her house. The food was scrumptious and her homemade Tres Leche cake (did I get that right?) was to die for. All my girlfriends from church (present and past) were there. We played games and I even won some "strawberry Whopppers" for having the biggest baby out of the group (Bubba was 9 lbs 9 oz) Yeah baby! Carianne, the planner that she is, even had the guests put their mailing addresses on envelopes for thank you notes. Another lifesaver in my life.

Carianne--I love you and appreciate the time and work you put into this shower for Scout! Thank you! And thank you to all of her "elves" who helped by preparing/mixing food and decorating.

The girls chatting it up!

Pink with polka dots---who can resist this sweet dress?! I want one just like it..with matching under pants!

Every girl needs a good pair of jeans. John Lennon (and myself) love this pair!

My most memorable shower gift---a gift for Luke! Thank you Joy! :)

Baby Shower #3

Family baby shower in northern California!

My mother and sister-in-law planned a family shower for me at my parent's house. Aunts/uncles/cousins/siblings/nieces/nephews were invited and it was so much fun.We had a big BBQ and the kids swam and swam...and swam. It was fun to visit with family and to be reminded how important family is. I came from a family with six kids and even though two of my siblings were missing, I always enjoy when we all get together to do anything. I hope and pray that my three kids will enjoy coming to visit Luke and I for family BBQ's and swimming as much as I enjoy my visits with family now.

Disney outfits from Aunt Sarah and Scout's new "wheels" and car seat next to Luke. Thank you Grandpa!

Scout gets her rag quilt from Grandma.

My delicious diaper cake with size 1 sensitive diapers!! Thank you Lindsay!

Scout's Cake.Mmmmmmmmmm!

The party girls! I am so lucky to have them in my life. The shower was awesome and I know you put so much time and and money into this shower---and all of the wonderful gifts. Thank you from the bottom of my heart (and Scout's!)

XOXOXO

Thank you!

Roller Babies

This was too cute not to share.

Holiday Weekend in Roseville

We headed north for the 4th of July weekend and to pick up our little bugs from a little getaway at Grandma and Grandpa Baer's house.

I love visiting the family up north and I love it even more now that they live in Roseville. There is always something to do and the shopping is so much better than what we have here. Luke would say he loves that they live in Roseville because its so close to some good 4-wheeling locations.

No matter --because since I am the author of this blog, shopping will always win!

So--as you may have guessed, this weekend getaway included....SHOPPING.

Thursday morning I took the boys and cousin Natalie out early for some breakfast and shopping--- and surprisingly ran into a dear friend I haven't seen in 11 years! So much fun. Later in the morning Luke and I then took the boys school clothes shopping at the Nordstrom Rack. I have always said my life would be complete if Bakersfield would get 2 things---a Cheesecake Factory and a Nordstrom Rack. I don't think my life will be complete anytime soon.

Thursday night included a quick trip with my mom to "Home Goods." It was a first for me and unfortunately since I was feeling so miserable I couldn't do much browsing. I think I sat down on every comfortable chair I could find on display.

Friday morning I pumped my mom up and we headed out to the Galleria mall with 5 kids in tow. We had my boys, nephews Cooper (9), Holden (4 months) and niece Natalie (6). I have never received so many pitiful stares as I pushed little Holden in his stroller through the mall. People were probably trying to figure out how far along pregnant I was and how old the baby in the stroller could be. It was almost humorous. But the kids did pretty good and we made it a whole 3 hours in the Galleria (heaven) before heading home to the guys.

(Tubbs and his cousin Holden. He couldn't keep his hands off him!)

Saturday----Swim Party/BBQ with the family!

The day started out with a nice nap for me! yay!

In the afternoon we began making food preparations and the doorbell started ringing around 5pm. Five out of six siblings were there and my parents were only missing one grand kid out of nine and one son-in-law. Not bad. I haven't seen my oldest sister in over 2 years so it was especially nice to see her and her family. But I loved spending the day with family. The kids hopped back and forth from the pool to the hot tub. They didn't come inside until the fireworks show started at 9pm. Thank you to our pyro-technicians Uncle Bob and Luke. They made sure there was always something on fire! We called it a night after 10:30. Surprisingly baby Holden fell asleep (yes, asleep) during the fireworks extravaganza.