Surgery

Surgery went well yesterday. Jaxen had gangrene of the appendix, and it perforated. So, he is stuck in the hospital until at least Saturday, maybe even Sunday. He is walking around and doing really well.

I think he is surviving fine with the cable channels, movie channels, and all the board games he has been playing with one parent or the other.

He is on a liquid diet at the moment (although in recent developments he was allowed some saltines). He is a hanging in there.

Tomorrow he should be able to start on simple solids. Nothing to heavy.

It is definitely interesting finding good times to go up there. Shaun has been staying over night, it is hard, because as the mom you feel like it should be you...but you can't do it with a nursing baby. Jaxen wanted me to stay tonight...but I think it is just because he dad snores. Shhh...don't say anything. ;)

New Children's Hospital...

on Dobson is very nice. Wish I didn't know that, but glad never the less.

Jaxen is in surgery right now to remove his appendix...glad it happened after we got home from our trip up north and not while we were there. His stomach started hurting up there on Sunday afternoon. We thought it was something he ate or a stomach bug. It wasn't until this morning that the pain moved to the right side and I got concerned. Took him right to ER and they were convinced it was appendicitis pretty much right away.

He is hanging in there like a trooper. Feel free to send prayers our way. It will definitely be interesting with a nursing baby on how this visitation will all work out. They don't allow children in the rooms, even if they are related.

Scripture Study

Who knew that scripture study could be so riveting? I lost them, one at a time, from youngest to oldest.

Dear Family and Friends,

Is it just me, or does Christmas seem to come every six months?! It doesn’t seem like it should be that time a year again, yet here we are staring Santa in the face. This year has been about as eventful as they come. Thank heavens we are no worse for wear, but we had our fair share of unusual, unexpected moments.

In July of this year we welcomed the newest member of the family, Kaysen James. He came late (no surprise) and weighed 9 pounds 14 ounces (big surprise). He has been an absolute joy. He sleeps well, smiles often, and gets along great with his brothers and sister. Owen absolutely adores him and is overall very sweet with him.

Owen has a run in with a door in June, a few weeks before we were anticipating the arrival of our yet named baby boy. His finger was shut in the hinge side of the door. He broke the tip of his right pinkie and had to have stitches. It was pretty terrifying as a parent; I think he handled it better than I did. All has healed well and he will maintain all five fingers for future use. Owen turned two in August. Oh, how time flies. He had a ball themed birthday because at the time he was obsessed with balls. He has moved on to other things lately and really enjoys reading.

Ember turned five this year and was finally able to start school.This girl has been asking about school since she could talk! We love her teacher and think she is doing extremely well. We decided to put her in full day kindergarten because she definitely has the energy to go all day. She is doing very well. Ember started soccer this year and did really well. She scored several goals over the season and it was fun to watch her grow in her soccer skills.

Jaxen turned seven this year and entered second grade. He is excelling in everything and his teacher is having him tested for PACE (accelerated program) in January. She is really good about challenging him. Jaxen also played soccer this year. His team, the Blue Fire Devils, were undefeated for the season. They scored over 80+ goals for the season with all the other teams scoring a combined 7 points. It was an exciting year.

Shaunton is still plugging away at work. He took the PE and we hope to hear good news come Christmas. I think that would be the only thing he really wants for Christmas is to pass that test…and maybe a Wii.

Overall 2009 was an eventful year. We had good times, bad times, scary times, fun times, and now is a time to reflect on all those times. We have grown, loved, and worked together. Hopefully next year will be full of the same for us as well as you and yours.

Sincerely,

The Davis Family

Dear Mom,

You know I love you, right? Well, I wanted to share a secret with you. You know that saying, "You learn something new every day"? It's true!

I found out that if I stick my finger in Kaysen's mouth so he can suck on it, he will get sick too.

I found out that just because I can climb up a short ladder doesn't mean I can climb down by myself.

I now know that bubbles on a wand don't taste very good.

I found out that when you leave the room to brush Ember's teeth after giving me Cream of Wheat, I can make a big (but silent) mess.

I now know what your shocked face looks like. Have I seen that one before? Hmm, can't remember...

I now know that Cream of Wheat is not so easy to get off a two year old, the walls, the floor and a highchair. I even had it in my hair for extra credit.

I now know that somehow you had the patience to do that, and then feed me something else for breakfast (and clean me up again).

Mom, I love you! Just think, in two more years you will be having this same kind of fun with Kaysen and I will know everything!

Love,

Owen

When You Reach Me...

I just finished this book, it was a quick read because it is a juvenile fiction. Without getting into the story too much, there were a few parts that I could take from the book and thought they were rather profound.

"Mom says each of us has a veil between ourselves and the rest of the world, like bride wears on her wedding day, except this kind of veil is invisible. We walk around happily with these invisible veils hanging down over our faces. The world is kind of blurry, and we like it that way.

But sometimes our veils are pushed away for a few moments, like there's a wind blowing it from our faces. And when the veil lifts, we can see the world as it really is, just for those few seconds before it settles down again. We see all the beauty, and cruelty, and sadness, and love. Bust mostly we are happy not to."

Wow. I sometimes think that these books don't get the credit they deserve. They may be geared toward a younger audience, but there is definitely something for the adult to take away. I think about this and how true it is. We do walk around, not really knowing anyone else, or showing ourselves to really anyone. Who really knows us? Who do we show ourselves to? What do we really want to know about what is going on around us? Isn't it easier not to know about other people's problems?

Here is another meaningful section:

"Sometimes you never feel meaner than the moment you stop being mean. It's like how turning on a light makes you realize how dark the room has gotten. And the way you usually act, the things you would have normally done, are like these ghosts that everyone can see but pretends not to."

Once again. I read this over and over again. It just makes sense.It makes me think about what people do know about us, and what people expect you to be or do. Do certain people ever do anything that surprises you? Or is is just, oh yea, that's just how so and so is, or I would have expected that from him/her? Are we that easy to read? Is that a good thing or a bad thing? It just goes to show how important it is to be an example to others and to live what you believe...so, at least if someone expects you to be someway, it is a positive and not a negative.

Definitely a book worth reading, a little predicable, but there were a few nice surprises.

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Have you seen me?

My name is Apple Shiny Sparkles and I am a Yorkshire puppy. I answer to Apple Shiny, Sparkles, puppy, and pretty much whatever name my owner decides to call me for the day. Hmm, that might make it hard to know if it is really me or not.

I ran away, or was possibly puppy-napped from my home. I was last seen sporting this trendy faux fur collar trimmed in the popular color of the season, lime green. I was last seen conspiring with between four and eight of my canine companions also residing at the same address. We either ran away (or were secretly puppy-napped) together.

My owner, although loud, is quite sweet. She loves us, maybe a little too much. Others think we might have ran away sighting undue stress of being dragged around by our collars, being dressed up, and/or put into cute doggy carry bags like we ourselves are accessories to be interchanged based on our owner's (she is quite sweet) mood. Granted, she can bark louder and whine more annoyingly than we do/can.

Rumor has it she misses us, but has given up hope. I heard she has moved on to cats (ewww)! Her owner mother is holding out hope we are out here (there?) somewhere and will come home soon. She spends nights (not our owner, the owner's mother) wondering where we could have gone. She has even gone so far as to look in the same place twice as if we will magically appear in the very spot she last looked.

If you, or anyone you know, has seen or heard from me, or my renegade friends, please call and let my owner...OK, my owner's mom, know that I am OK?

If you find me and I beg you not to send me back to that forsaken place...please pass on the word that I moved to California to be a star!

Signed,

Apple Shiny AKA Sparkles

My Monster

I just got back from Kaysen's 4 month check up. He tips the scales at just over 17 lbs and is 27 1/2 inches long. Definitely a big chubby boy!

Interestingly enough I pulled out the baby books for my other little ones.

Jaxen, at 4 months, was a little over 17 lbs as well but was only 25 1/2 inches long. Pretty impressive considering he started out 2 lbs lighter than Kaysen did at birth.

Ember, at 4 months, was 15 1/2 lbs and 25 inches long.

Owen, at 4 months, was 9 lbs 10 oz and 20.7 inches long. He didn't reach the 17 lb.mark till around 9 months.

The Slow Agonizing Road to Insanity

I am walking that road...and it's a long slow annoying one.

Do you ever have the feeling that something is crawling on you? You start swatting like crazy and come to find out it is your own hair? Well, I have been doing that a lot lately...and I can still feel them (the hair, not bugs) all over my body as I type.

One of the perks of post-pregnancy-hormones-still-working-themselves-out phase is the hair loss. I dread each morning waking up to a bed full of hair. I dread brushing it, which leads to a brush full of it. I dread washing it,which has the same results...only wetter.

I have hair clinging to random parts of my body at any given time of the day. I have my hair clinging to random parts of my children's (and husband's) body (blonde is not a good color on him).

Hair in diapers, in chairs, and under necks (recent discovery...poor Kaysen). Hair here, there, everywhere! Hair on the tile, hair on the floor, soon I won't have hair anymore. This could lead to a Dr. Suess style book on hair loss.

I wish I could just pull out all the hair that is taking it's sweet time falling out so I can stop the madness of the invisible hand/bug running over by body.

So, if you see me with a wild look in my eyes...feel free to pluck off any loose hair you see.

Just for Fun

Defying sleep...or at least trying to. Jeez, you could at least fold those before you crashed.

This is what Kaysen looks like when I "try" to fix his hair. At least for the next few minutes until it dries. Then it looks "normal". At least my version of normal. Normal for my kids. Are my kids normal? Okay, where was I?

I guess I could have gone with an Oz theme for Halloween. He's got the basket and the shoes and....the hair. Might as well mention the elephant in the room! No we aren't cutting it, so don't ask.

Happy Halloween!

This would be the year the kids want to decorate the house. This would also be the year that had a few days or really strong winds. After initially being disappointed that our decorations were ruined, Jaxen decided that now our house really did look scary.

This would be the year that we carve the pumpkins for Family Home Evening (Monday night) and they didn't get lit until Halloween day (Saturday night). It was just way too windy for most of the week. At least it was cold enough at night to keep them from composting before Halloween.

This would be the year where the kids have a hard time choosing between two costumes. Darth Vader or Harry Potter? (I personally think he wanted to be Harry Potter so he could get out of cutting his hair. He told me Harry Potter has longish hair.) Unicorn or Dog House? Ummm, don't ask.

This would be the year that the only costumes you can find are different versions of witches. In addition to your traditional Wicked Witch, you have every other witch you can think of, white, black, elegant (no kidding!), rainbow. It was a witch's paradise at Wal-Mart. They (witches) could wear a different outfit each day of the week.

After checking out Cosco...which surprisingly only carries costumes up to 36 months...and incidentally are the only costumes my daughter really wanted (think unicorn and puppy)...we were left without many options. Off to Wal-Mart where I couldn't convince Ember to be a cowgirl, one out of ten of the witch sisters, or the red queen. So, with little time and options, we were stuck with the create a costume.

You know...the one with the tail, bow tie, and ears.

You know...the ones the young women like to pair with a leotard and call a costume.

At this point I am asking myself where are the animal costumes are! So, once we get our "costume" we head off to the clothing section to find some clothes to go with it. Because, of course, we don't have black pants or a black shirt at home. So, at least part of her costume is reusable. Actually, all of it is. She now can be a cat for dress up. Gives a little variation on the animal theme at our house. Although I am sure her meowing is just as loud as her barking.

Owen was a cute giraffe. It has a stuffed tummy and bottom. It was size 2-3 but it fit him a little tight. Of course Jaxen helped me out by ripping of the tag before I could think about taking it back.

Jaxen was Darth Vader. He absolutely loves the costume. We only had to hit up three stores to find one his size.

Poor Kaysen. He went the way of the pumpkin. Sadly unoriginal, but really cute.

Shaunton and I dressed up as hippies. It was a little last minute, but fun.

The trunk or treat theme was Harry Potter again. The kids loved the wands they got, and we had to have a little chat on appropriate wand etiquette. (Owen is still trying hard time with the no hitting policy.)

Overall we had a fun night and enjoyed spending time as a family.

Milestones

Kaysen is three months old today. He tips the scales at 16 1/2 pounds. I think the hair makes up the half pound.

I hate to admit it...but...he fell of the bed this morning. Granted, all of my kids have fallen off of the bed. Why should he be any different. I am sure you are amazed that my ginormous son can already roll over. Alas, he can not. He had help of falling off the bed. Or rather, he was pulled by his feet off the bed. Give you three guesses on who thought he needed to come down and play. I can give you three because all the kids are on break, so they are all home right now. I am sure you only need one.

Owen.

Gotta love him. It was a slow fall...if there is such a thing. Maybe it was me watching in slow motion? Anyway, he is alright. No more leaving him on the bed, sleeping or otherwise. I guess his right of passage (rolling off the bed) isn't going to happen as planned.

Into the crib you go when I need to set you down. I would much rather Owen join him in the crib (which he did yesterday too) than pull you off the bed...or lay on him when he is on the floor. Nice.

On a totally different topic. I am an Aunt today for the....let me count really quick...7th time. Lucky number 7. Speaking of lucky numbers we have lots of thirteen birthdays. Serenity (my niece 1/13), Kaysen (7/13), TJ (my BIL 8/13), and my newest niece (10/13).

What do other people think?

I don't often ponder this question...but after reviewing this in class assignment (see #2) it makes me wonder.

Too bad not everyone knows that I am the Activities Leader in the ward and that I work with young girls (or young women as Jaxen would like to call them). Maybe this would be where a picture would be helpful in clarifying...

I just went back to check it out and noticed number 10. I am so proud that this is important enough to him that he thought to write about it at school. (There is even an exclamation point!)

What is Motherhood?

Parenting Magazine is having a contest on this topic. People are to enter a 300 word or less essay on what motherhood means to them. I wasn't planning on entering, but have been thinking about this a lot, so decided to enter for fun.

Here is what I submitted:

Motherhood means being woke up each morning at six even though your alarm is set for six-thirty. Motherhood is carpooling. It is pizza dinner and soccer practice on Tuesday nights. It is running through all of your children’s names before calling your child by the right one. It is not noticing when you call them the wrong name until they point it out.

Motherhood is finding out (the messy way) that gum really doesn’t stay in your system for seven years. Motherhood is the anticipation of the weekly grocery ads that come in the mail and preparing your menu around the sales.

Motherhood is answering a million important questions…many with “I don’t know” or “That’s a very good question” (followed by a Google search). Motherhood is learning something new from your children every day. It is reading Goodnight Moon to your toddler over and over again even though you just don’t get what the fascination is with that book.

Motherhood is being able to nurse a two month old and brush your daughter’s teeth. Motherhood is counting your kids every five minutes in public places. It is being able to fit your to-do list for the day into the first hour of your children’s nap so you can crash with them the second half.

Motherhood is getting your children to bed and then getting things ready to start all over again tomorrow. It is picking up your sleeping newborn to snuggle just because. It is going back through each of the rooms and kissing your children goodnight again even though they are sleeping. It is being thankful each day for the gift each of your children brings to your family. Not wanting to change a minute of it…even when it isn’t always a walk in the park.

Caught

Because Crystal had such a great idea for a blog...I had to copy it!

Guess who I caught on camera?

Hint #1 This person likes babies.

(Pretty cute pic, huh? I confess, I knew about these picture.)

Hint #2 This person takes pride in their artwork.

(Music notes people...where are your minds?!)

Hint #3 This person likes to take pictures of random household knick-knacks.

(If only this person got along with their siblings this nicely...)

Hint #4 This person enjoys school and school related paraphernalia.

Hint #5 For those that need a hint number 5, this person wears glasses. That narrows it down, right? (Don't worry the picture will help.)

Compare for yourself

I guess I should have figured that with cheeks like these at 34 weeks...


...that Kaysen would look like this come arrival. Notice any similarities?

Kaysen

Kaysen has been smiling a lot over the past few days. I thought I would share the happiness. Consider it Thoughtful Thursday.

Smiley Face

Serious Face

I lost 3 pounds instantly...and so can you...

if you step on my bathroom scale...which according to my child's doctor's office runs three pounds heavier than normal. Don't ask me how an electric scale can be off my three pounds. I don't question it. It just means I am three pounds lighter than I thought I was! How is that for weight loss?!

So step right up, step right up, and loss three pounds instantaneously. Bring a pair of pants a size smaller than what you come in, don't want those pants sagging.

Oh, and for the record, since this post was going to be about my gargantuan son, here are the one month stats:

Weight: 11 lbs 10 oz. (90th to 95th percentile)
Height: 23.5 inches (above the 95th percentile)

Here are Owen's two year stats:

Weight: 24 lbs (5th to 10th percentile)
Height: 32.8 inches (5th to 10th percentile)

These stats don't worry me...at least he in on the charts...which is right were we want him to be given he has 3 more months to be adjusted to two years. Once they hit two years they don't adjust anymore, although my doctor never did. He just said he had to be caught up by two (being caught up being a good sign).

No worries...Owen will have a playmate his size in a few months (if he keeps growing at this rate!)

Owen goes in for his eye appointment next month and we will see if the prematurity will necessitate glass right now. I know he will end up with them...they all do...but unless it is severe enough to warrant them, they usually wait until 3-4 years. One can hope...either way...he will look cute with glasses!

I love Target

Although...my kids are awfully darn cute, so any photo center would be lucky to photograph them.

It's Quiet

Okay, not really, but it is quieter.

Shaunton went into work later today so that he could go with me to take the kids to their first day of school. I felt bad because we promised them plenty of playground time and then on the way to school I remembered that I forgot the camera...and we had to turn around. I have to have pictures!

So, tomorrow.

The kids were really excited. I am a little worried about Ember, but I just kissed her and said goodbye at the door. Trying not to make a big deal out of the fact that my baby girl is in kindergarten and I won't see her all day. I am sure she will be fine. I tried to talk her out of going to school. I told her she could stay home with me all day and I would teach her...she didn't fall for it.

Hard Questions

As we were traveling to a family gathering the other night, we decided to do our scripture study in the van on the way. Usually we do it during dinner, which is when I have the most attention and content children shoveling food in their mouths. I know, not the most ideal, but at least we do it, right?

Anyway, back to the story.

Our lesson that night was on what people view as important. You know, money, houses, careers, things of that nature. We then talked about what was really important (scriptures, etc.).

I asked Ember and Jaxen if we could take our house and our money and things like that with us when we die. "No, we can't" (smart kids). I explained that what we could take with us was what we learn and study.

After the lesson Jaxen asks from the backseat, "Mom, if we can't take our house with us, will we have a house when we get there?"

I know the answer to this one..."Of course, Heavenly Father has prepared a mansion for us." I feel quite proud of myself.

"Mom, will we have beds in our house?"

Okay, wasn't expecting that question..."I think so..."

Which got me thinking...do we sleep? eat? swim? play?

So, what do you think?

Turning Two

Two years ago today I was sitting in a hospital bed preparing to go home on bed rest. Little did I know that is a few hours time, I would start bleeding heavily once again (not that it ever stopped, but it had lessened) and our son would be born via emergency c-section at 6:25 PM. Owen came into this world quietly, but with his eyes wide open. He had a head full of hair and was so tiny. Tipping the scales at 2 pounds .3 oz.

Owen holding mom's finger

It is hard to believe that my little boy was ever that small or was even in such a precarious position in life. I look at him now and would be none the wiser that he was a preemie. He is strong, healthy, loud, clumsy and so darn cute.

Owen in the kangaroo hold with mom

Owen and his gear

He likes to pinch his sister and brothers, pull his sister's hair, and yell at the top of his lungs. He likes to play outside, stack knock down blocks, use cell phones, and ipods, and get into whatever he can reach. He loves balls, and any toy that any other child is playing with at the moment. Pretty much your typical two year old.

He loves to love on his little brother. He gives kisses and tries his best not to pinch, scratch or poke eyes, but "accidents" happen. He loves to hold the baby and gets upset if he doesn't get to hold him long enough.Owen and Kaysen

He does not love to love on his sister or big brother. Probably because they stopped giving him lots of love and attention when he outgrew the baby stage and started getting into their stuff. It sucks being the smallest. No one wants to play with you...and then they get mad when they do want to play with you and you don't want to play with them because you are so used to them picking on you or leaving you out that this has to be a trick, them wanting to play with you, so you scream at them to leave you alone. Try saying that in one breath.

Owen with his Harry Potter scratch courtesy of Jaxen and a lightsaber accident.

Happy Birthday Owen!!!

You think I would have it figured out by now...

Ember starts kindergarten this year. I am really torn on whether to put her in full day or half day. I am at home all day, and have a degree in education, so it isn't like I need her to be in kindergarten all day. What would you do? I have listed some pros and cons of each. Let me know what you would do if you were in my spot. Can you think of any other pros and cons?

Full Day
Pros
-Is at the same school as Jaxen.
- school schedule: 8:50-3:30
-One car trip in the morning, carpooling with another family.
-Won't have to cart a newborn around.
-She wants to go to "Jaxen's school".
Cons
-My niece went full day and she was exhausted by the end of the day and would fall asleep around 5.
- Not sure if it is really enough transition from preschool two hours two days a week to full day every day.
-She will be in school the rest of her life, does she really need to go full day for kindergarten?

Half Day
Pros
-She could play with Owen in the afternoons.
-Easier transition...she didn't go to preschool but for two hours two days a week.
-Jaxen went half day. (I know all children are different, but I felt it was good for him.)
-She knows most of her alphabet and sounds and can count to 30 easily and can write her name. So it isn't like she is going in with nothing. (Yes, some children go in with nothing.)
-I could supplement at home.
Cons
-8:25-11:50 (give or take) The time isn't bad, see next con.
-Two trips a day (Once in the morning dropping of her and then Jaxen) and another to pick her up around lunch. Both trips done before 12 AM making for a busy morning.
-Different school.

Kaysen James

Kaysen James was born on July 13, 2009 at 11:21 a.m. He weighed 9 pounds 13.9 ounces. Yes, you read right, 9 pounds 13.9 ounces.

I had been having contractions that continued to get closer and harder the night of the July 12th. By morning, they were about 5 minutes apart. We called Grandma to come and watch the kids so we could get ready to go to the hospital. I decided to take a last minute shower. As I am in the shower, I have a really hard contraction and literally feel Kaysen move down. I got out of the shower and Shaun said my stomach was definitely lower.

After the shower the contractions stopped...and were spread out more like every 30 minutes. Grandma came and we decided to go for a walk. Shaunton and I walked around Fiesta Mall with all the old people and new mothers trying to get into shape. I think I was the only one stopping every now in then trying to get through a contraction. We were deciding whether or not we were going to go to the hospital or just wait to see if things picked up.

I had thought my water might be broken (just a tear), so by 3, we decided to go and get it checked out, just because we didn't want to wait and have a stalled labor with an empty sack.

We get there and get checked. Yes, my water is broken and they are going to keep me. At this point it is 3:30 and I am fully effaced and two centimeters dilated.

Lots of walking and talking and laboring later, and my labor stalls at 7 centimeters for quite a few hours. The nurse comes in and talks about getting an epi to help me (and my body) relax so it can open the rest of the way. At this point, I had been doing well with the contractions, but decided to go ahead with the epi in an effort to avoid a c-section at any cost.

At about 6 am I am checked and I am only a 7. My bag of water is bulging out and his head is against it, so hence the stall. The doctor breaks the part that is hanging out. There is a little meconium in it. We continue with the labor.

Two hours later the nurse checks, I am at an 8. This time, the bulb from the catheter is blocking. They push it behind his head.

A few hours later, I am at a 9. A few minutes later I have a trial push and it was decreed that I was ready and the doctor was called.

The doctor comes in and we start with the pushing. I had an epi, but by the time we were ready to push, I could feel contractions and the urge to push.

I pushed for about 20 minutes before little man was born. As he was being born the doctor told me to look at his head. At first I couldn't see past my stomach, but then I was able to see his head, and was able to watch his shoulders come out along with the rest of his body. It was a neat experience. He was immediately laid on my chest. I mentioned out loud how heavy he was. The doctor said I hid him well. The nurses took him to do all the vital about 15 minutes later and they actually weighed him twice to verify. I think more because I am "small" then because he didn't look that big. I guess he dropped a big one before he got weighed, because they were sure if he waited to go, he might have been a 10 pounder.Late babies are like lizards, and shed lots of skin. LOL

He is a hefty one. He has taken to breastfeeding and I have to wake him up right now because he likes to sleep.I have a second degree tear and pretty much feel fine, it not just a little sore. So, even though I ended up with a medicated birth, it was still ok with me because my ultimate goal was to avoid another c-section.

Baby Update

The real update is that there is no baby yet. But here are the details.

My doctor is willing to let me VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section) if I go into labor on my own. As you can see, apparently my body has other plans. This comes as no surprise seeing as how two of the three children I have now were induced at 42 weeks.

BUT, if I don't go into labor on my own before 42 weeks, they will not induce, I will have to have a c-section. This is because the medicines they use to induce could cause my uterus to rupture. I guess the fake stuff is a lot more different than what your body produces.

So, here is to hoping that this child of mine, can be the first to come naturally on his own. No induction, no c-section, just plain old natural painful (yet not as painful as with Pitocin) labor. Send me your labor vibes.

I have tried everything (you really don't want all the details do you?) to get this baby of mine moving on out.

I bought Castor Oil...but have been too chicken to use it...I will probably get desperate enough as the weekend approaches.

I had the doctor strip my membranes the last two times I have gone in...and even called today to schedule a last minute stripping for Monday. Anything to avoid a c-section.

I even walked the zoo today for 5 hours in the heat...with three kids...did I mention the heat???

My c-section is scheduled for July 15th at 10:30 am. (Which will put me at 42 weeks and 1 day.)

Hey, I knew he was going to be a July baby...just not mid-July. Now I will have baby birthdays in May (5th), June (12th), July (TBD) and August (3rd). (Their birthdays should have been April, May, June and November, but what is a few weeks/months?)

My Baby

My baby (which is still in utero) has feet that measure 3 1/4 inches long from heel to toe. The lady asked if all my other kids had big feet. Um, no.

I am so glad...

that I am not famous. I am not a huge MJ fan (he has some really good songs), but I feel bad for the guy. I have been thinking about this a lot since there really is no escaping the media on this.

Most of us are lucky enough to pass on due to old age and have those we love surround us. For others, something tragic maybe, but we are still remembered lovingly by our family and loved ones and our life is celebrated.

Most of us are not put under a microscope and our whole life analyzed over and over again. Every misdeed, every error, every questionable judgment reviewed again and again. I mean, even those of us who didn't live the best lives, who weren't the best people to those around us, who weren't the best mother/father/sister/brother/friend have the ability to die and move on without the recap, at least a very public one.

I guess it just got me thinking that I am glad that I don't have to worry about such a national public outing of my life in review. The good, the bad, and even, the ugly. My family will get to remember me and celebrate my life.

I guess you could say it boils down to choices, but even then, we all make choices, and most of us don't have to have each one covered by the national media. I guess you could say it goes with the territory of being a celebrity, but then, isn't everyone deserving of some privacy and respect once they die, no matter what the cause may or may not be? No matter how they chose to live their life?

Don't Ask

Yes...I am still pregnant. I think Kaysen James is holding out to be a July baby.

Naming Baby #4

Finally, we have come to a conclusion on a name. So, whenever you are ready little one you can come without worrying about being Baby Davis forever.

Turning Five

Five years ago today I was laboring to bring my little girl into the world. Again, I was induced at 42 weeks. Apparently, I have a really comfy womb. This time, the labor was faster (10 hours) and she was born without an epidural. (Trust me I was screaming for one come 9 centimeters!) She was born with a full head of black hair and chubby cheeks and weighed 8 lbs even (and born at 10 PM on the dot).I was very nervous about having two little ones, and lucky for me, Ember made the transition easy. She was a very good sleeper.

It was so fun doing her hair up in little pony tails and dressing her up all frilly. Now, I can hardly keep her still long enough to throw her hair in a ponytail. Even when I do, it starts falling out 10 minutes later.Ember has loved animals ever since she was little. She has been into ponies for the last couple of years (three out of the last four birthdays have been pony themed). She has also really gotten into dogs and cats. She loves to pretend she is a dog, wants to wear a leash (a couple of necklaces linked together) and have someone be her "owner". Because she can't read, I can tell you that we got her one of those kiddie leashes that go on like a backpack and have a tail for the parent to hold. She really wants one, and we figure it is the safest "collar" out there for a five year old. Maybe we can use if to Baby #4 or Owen later.

Ember is very easy to play with because she tells you what to say, whatever the game is. Mom, pretend I did this and you said...all I have to do is repeat whatever she says. Nice.

She loves to swim at Chandler pool and would go every day if I would drive her. I would be tempted to take her every day if I wasn't a whale about to give birth with an almost two year old with a broken finger who can't get wet. (Sponge baths anyone?)

She loves tape, and if she can't find tape, she uses stickers to "tape" things together. She also loves to wrap presents, which is usually something she finds in her room and wraps with the paper that I have left over from wrapping something else. If she doesn't have any wrapping paper, she creates her own out of the used recycle paper dad brings home from work. Some presents I have been blessed to receive are: the crayon container, colored pencils, ponies, cars, and books.

Ember loves her brother (Owen) so much it hurts sometimes (to be Owen that is). She is always barking in his face (she is a dog you know) and tugging on his clothes. She means well, and has taught me a lot about letting Owen grow up without coddling him. But, she just doesn't seem to get that when he gets annoyed, the sounds he makes are loud and annoying. I try to tell her that is his way of telling her he doesn't like what she is doing. My logic doesn't make sense apparently.When they do play together, I love to watch them interact. She is so loving and he loves to be like her. He always wears the hugest smile and his laugh is so hearty. The three of them together is magic (that doesn't happen often enough).
As I prepare for Baby #4, I thank Heavenly Father for blessing me with my daughter in the midst of all the testosterone He has sent my way. She is the only one I have, but He knew that we would create a relationship and bond that was perfect for just the two of us. I can't believe my little girl is five!

Happy Birthday Ember! I love you!

Owen finger update

Circulation is good, so it looks like he gets to keep his whole finger.

Frantic Friday

You know you should expect something to happen when you plan a weekend in advance.

Yesterday we had a packed day planned. A trip to the temple to watch a high school friend marry his sweetheart and then heading off to Flagstaff to pick up Jaxen and attend the graduation of a family member.

My SIL was to watch the kids for the hour or so it would take to attend the sealing. After the sealing, we start talking about what would be the fastest. Stop and get gas, then the kids, then start driving to Flag. We call my SIL to tell her the plan and that we would be there in a few minutes. We went into the store, purchased our drinks, and headed back to the van. I hear the phone ringing and we had missed a few calls. It was my SIL. I just assumed she wanted us to pick her up something on our way home. I call her and she says to get over there NOW.

My nephew had slammed Owen's finger in the door. She says it is bleeding all over and really bad. I figure she has to be exaggerating, people get their fingers slammed in the door all the time, right? A pinch, maybe a little bit of broken skin, something like that.

We get there, I take one look at it and knew we were headed for the hospital. I guess his finger got caught in the hinge, and to make matters worse he was pulling trying to get his finger out. My SIL had to open the door to free it.

Five hours later, we were ready to leave the hospital. Owen has a broken finger tip and stitches to close the gash that went all the way to the bone.

He was a trooper. He didn't cry at the hospital during the wait. He only cried when he got the IV put in for the medications. They had to put him under for the surgery. Something called conscious sedation. I had to have Shaun hold him because he is technically awake, but doesn't feel anything. His eyes are open and dart around. I couldn't watch so we went to get something to eat because we couldn't eat in front of Owen (he couldn't eat or drink) and I couldn't bring back food. So while they did the deep clean *shudder* and stitched him up we went to the hospital cafeteria. We thought it would take a while, but when we got back, he was awake. Still out of it, but awake. He slowly got the meds out of his system and was back to himself. He just wanted to take all the stuff off (pressure cuff, etc.) and go home.

He will need to see a hand specialist to make sure that the tendons and bone heal properly and doesn't need any therapy.

After we got out of the hospital, we drove to Walgreens to fill the prescription. Then picked up Ember and headed for Flagstaff. Owen passed out immediately, poor guy, and Ember watched a movie on the way up. So much for attending the Graduation. So much for attending the dinner afterward. We got there as they were cleaning up. We had dinner over at his Uncle's house at 9:00 PM and then turned around and started heading home at around 10:00 PM.

On the way home all the kids fell asleep, but then Owen woke up and just cried and cried. He kept holding up his hand and grabbed it every now and then. It was the longest 10 minutes to Camp Verde before we could even attempt to stop somewhere. We stopped in Camp Verde and the first service station didn't have infant Tylenol. What?! Who doesn't carry infant Tylenol? I was about ready to cry myself. We stopped at another service station, and thank heavens, they had some. At this point I would have paid $50 for a dose, but spent a measly $10 for a small bottle. (Worth every penny!) A gummy worm made going back in the car seat easier, and we were headed home. We got home at 1:00 AM. Worlds record for the longest and most eventful day in the Davis Family...at least in the last few months.

Owen is officially our first broken bone and stitches. Ember was our first serious burn. Jaxen was our first staple and Durabond kid. They each have their claim to fame.

It was great to see Jaxen again! He seems so much bigger, LOL.

Measuring Small

It never ceases to amaze me. I get all these wonderful comments about how small I am, how I am all belly, etc. etc. Don't get me wrong, I love these comments. It makes me stop thinking about the stretch marks that envelope my entire body from the belly button to my mid thigh. Not to mention those above. I wasn't exactly Pam Anderson before the birth of my first, so I had some "growing".

It also makes me stop thinking about my achy hand that hurts and tingles no matter what I do. Apparently carpel tunnel is common during pregnancy. Who knew I would get the pleasure of experiencing it during my fourth pregnancy. Who said they aren't all different? Let's not forget the swollen feet that have given more than one person a shock. At least my body is good for some laughs right now.

OK, I digress. Talking of measuring small. Every time you go in they take the measuring tape and measure you from your public bone to the top of your uterus. It is supposed to be the same number of inches as you are weeks pregnant. Follow me? I ALWAYS measure small, especially toward the end. This does lend itself toward some last minute ultrasounds to make sure the baby is still growing.

At 32 weeks this little one was approximately 4 pounds. At 36 weeks and 2 days (today), he is measuring at 7 pounds. Yeap, seven pounds. He has the cheeks to prove it (see below)! Guess who he gets those from? (I love you Shaunton!) If he stays in there and cooks, that puts him at about 8.5 to 9 pounds at birth. Right were I estimated him to be before even having the ultrasound. Oh, and he has hair.

Isn't he so cute!!!

Oh yea, he is still a boy. You know, had them check...just in case.

So, recap, just because we look small, doesn't mean we aren't packing the pounds on or that our babies will be tiny. (I have gained 32 pounds to date.) But, we still love the complements!

Grandma's House

Jaxen just needed to let it all out I suppose. He hasn't cried since the one time on Sunday. He called this morning at 5:30 (6:30 Grandma's time) to talk. I guess they are out doing their morning exercises. Jaxen ran around the cornfield 5 times. He said he is getting faster. They do morning exercises every day.

They go and clean the churches throughout the week. The wards/branches are so small, that it is easier to pay someone to come and clean them then to have members clean them I suppose. It involves a lot of driving to get to them.

Last week Jaxen said that he and TJ had to chase a cow off the lawn of one of the churches. So it wouldn't eat all the grass. Definitely not something he would have to do here. He talks about the lambs being born and watching westerns when they do get a night to watch a movie. Herding sheep isn't so easy with tired little lambs that want to sleep and big sheep that want to keep going to get to the good stuff.

He calls for family prayer each night (unless he falls asleep first), and I read him a story that he picks out the night before. Something we do every night when he is at home. I guess the familiarity makes it easier.

I am so proud of him. As he and his cousins (and uncle) get bigger they will be an even bigger help to their grandma.

Jaxen update

He cried today. He said he is doesn't think he can stay for two weeks because he is home sick. I want to go get him right now...

On His Own

We went up north this weekend to shear the sheep. Something we do every year on Memorial Day weekend. The only thing different is that we left our oldest up there.

We gave him a choice on whether he wanted to stay with Grandma with the Horses or take swim lessons this summer, he chose to stay at Grandma's for two weeks. It has already started as the longest two weeks of my life. I have never been away from him for so long (or such a great distance).

He didn't cry when we left, he didn't cry when he called last night. We did a family prayer over the phone and I read him parts of a book. (He asked if I would read to him, which I do every night, and he said he just knows he won't see the pictures.)
I spent part of the night crying my eyes out in the shower and putting it all back together when he called so that I didn't upset him. He is with his Uncle TJ (10) and his cousin Jaiden (8), so I am sure along with the sheep herding there will be a lot of fun mixed in.

I bought him the Magic Tree House series off of Craigslist and he took several of those with him...but I don't think the seven he packed will last past the next few days.

I hope he can hang in there....and I hope I can too.

Jaxen Greyhair

My baby turns 7 today. I can't believe how big he is getting.

It seems like just yesterday (or at least not that long ago) that I had this little monkey.

I went in on a Friday to get induced at 42 weeks. They tried Cervadil, which my body hyper-reacted to. They said they have read about that happening, but had never seen it happen. Let me be the first to introduce you to it. They pumped me full of IV fluid and decided to start with pitocin the next day. After 23 1/2 hours of labor my cone-headed, full head of hair baby boy was born. (I pushed for like 3-4 hours...hence the cone head.)

I remember asking Shaunton what his first reaction was to seeing his son, and he said, "He sure has a pointy head. It's not going to stay like that, is it?" Umm...I guess I was looking for something more profound.

We brought little man home, only to take him right back. He was running a very high fever and they kept him for another 4 days. At that time, it was the hardest thing I had ever experienced, not knowing what was wrong. He had gone to the bathroom while in utero, so maybe that had something to do with it?

Jaxen had the, uh, luck, to be my first born. I had no clue what I was doing, even at 23. Sometimes I look back and feel so bad, because I know that there are things I would do differently now (and did do differently with the subsequent children). I call him my practice baby. He seemed to turn out alright. I try not to ponder to hard on my mistakes and figure I learned from them, and Heavenly Father sent me a child who was willing to work with a previously inexperienced mother.

I watched him grow, and freaked out most of the time. I mean, where in the manual did they say kids started walking at 9 months? Where did that balance come from? He could "walk the snake" at Fiesta Mall before he was 12 months.

I watched him sort crayons by color instead of coloring with them. Line up cars the same direction, and catching the ones mom tried to flip opposite. All the time wondering if my child was OCD. It doesn't run in the family or anything...

We have had our fair share of blood and stitches (trampoline+sprinkler incident and a tumbling can of hairspray), and he is only seven. We have also seen him lose his first two teeth this year.

We have seen the days years of the dinosaurs, and have watched them become extinct. We have seen the superhero obsession, and the wain.

We have entered a new era (and galaxy... far, far away). Our son is Star Wars obsessed. I am a little worried that he has taken such a liking to the Dark Side, but always point out that Darth Vader turned back to the Light Side in the end. Although he did mention today that maybe his shirts (the bad guy ones) don't help him make good choices all the time. Nice try...but not a good excuse.

Where does the time go?

Now he is a school going, science fair winning, chapter book reading, stunt attempting, trampoline forward-flip jumping, Star Wars loving, video game playing, long hair growing seven year old.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAXEN, WE LOVE YOU!!!

Makin Babies

I guess you know you are done have kids when you can't think of names anymore...

I mean, talk about stress, the poor kid has to live with it the rest of his life. NO PRESSURE.

Tooth Fairy

For some reason the Tooth Fairy is always a day late to pick up teeth at our house.

Jaxen was more patient this time around.

I need to have a talk with her...

My New Dogs

I didn't realize when we got the chickens that they would become so domesticated. We let them roam around the backyard. At first it was for short periods of time. Then it became whenever they wanted to because they figured out how to get out of the pen, and I hadn't gotten around to fixing it. Instead of looking for insects like good chickens should, they spend a majority of the day sitting by our Arcadia door, dreaming of coming inside, and pooping all over our patio. Lovely. As soon as you open the door they run up to greet you. They will eat out of your hands and practically push you over to see what you are putting into their cage (whether it be food or water).

We had plenty of practice for Easter egg hunting, as every day we tried to figure out where they were laying their eggs. Sparkles was a little more regular and easier to find, but for the longest time we couldn't figure out if (or where) Chicken Little was laying. We found the mother load the other day, seven light green eggs, in our garden. Between the two of them, we have found eggs behind the shed, under the coop, in the garden, and by the laundry room on the concrete floor. Nice. Who needs a thoughtful cozy nest when you can just pop them out anywhere?

Needless to say, the coop is fixed, and they are back to the infrequent outings.

We have eggs galore, and they have gotten bigger. Now they are more like a large egg, rather than a small, as they started out. Guess even chickens start out small and work their way to the harder stuff.

I would love to brag about how smart my chickens are, but apparently it isn't anything new. See here.

Jaxen is doing a report at school. He needed to come up with a topic. (He picked chickens.) He then interviewed three adults about what they knew about chickens. Then he wrote down 10 questions he has about chickens. He also wrote down 6 places he could go or look for more information. Now he is answering his questions to compile his report. He is working on his rough draft, and then final due in about a week. He needs to do something artsy and then he is going to present it to his class. I might see about bringing in Chicken Little that day, but I need to find a cage to take her in. I have a feeling the cardboard transportation system we currently have is inadequate.

Happy Easter

Every year for Easter we go up North. I forgot to bring my camera for the actual egg hunt (doh!). The weather held out until just after we finished hunting, and then down poured the rain, followed quickly by the snow. We played games indoors, in tight quarters, but that made it that more fun(ny).

It was cold, but fun, and the kids loved every minute of it. Herding sheep and playing with all their cousins.

Spring Break Vacation: March 14, Day 7

Happy Birthday Shaunton! What a sport to let us end a vacation traveling 6 hours on his birthday. What a good man.

Because I am cheap frugal, we went back to Disneyland (park hopper pass) on Shaunton's birthday. We planned it this way because if you go to Disneyland on your birthday you get in free. If you have a park hopper pass, you essentially get Disney Dollars worth the amount for the day. We Shaunton got $69, which he kindly used to buy each of his kids (he loved them at the moment...it was touch and go some of the vacation...you have kids....you know) a souvenir and his lovely pregnant starving wife a churro.

Speaking of cheap, while we were there we listened to an hour presentation on time shares (at the hotel) and got a $50 Visa card, that helped pay for the souvenirs and stuff. Nice...all the extra's were free!

Back to the story. Off the Disneyland we go. This time, we just wanted to catch the attractions we missed before. Apparently, all the good rides and stuff are on the East side of Disneyland, and the West is just kinda boring.

Shaun went on the Indian Jones ride, and we walked around, visited Tarzan's tree and went on a cheesy Winnie the Pooh ride. The kids then got to pick what last ride they wanted. So we hit up Buzz Lightyear, Star Tours and the Spinning Tea Cups.

We then went over the California Adventures to ride the Toy Story ride one last time, the jellyfish, and the roller coaster. It was a short day, but we planned it that way.

We ended the day at the Lego store, which has more Lego's then I had ever thought possible. Jaxen was in heaven.

Owen got his first pair of "ears". Which, he adores, as you can tell. He also got a ball. His favorite type of toy at the moment. It wasn't long before it had to be hidden because he kept throwing it out of the stroller.
Ember cleaned up with a cat in a carry purse (surprise choice I might add) and an Ariel dress up set. Cinderella is her favorite character, but that slip on fin sure is hard to beat. Jaxen finished off the rest of our money with a Darth Vader Lego Ship and a few Star Wars Lego figurines. All were happy and content to leave. Amazing what toys can do.

Jaxen's crazy dance on the way out.

The kids slept most of the way home, which was nice (and quiet). Owen decided he needed personal attention with about 45 minutes to go, so I ended up craned back to play with him until we got home.

Boy was it nice to get home. The kids miss our "new" home (and cable). For about a whole week after we got back, it was still in their prayers. Too cute. We did, however, decide that Disneyland is a once in three years kind a vacation.

Spring Break Vacation: March 13, Day 6

Because I am cheap frugal, I looked on-line ahead of time for deals. I was able to find a city pass for San Diego, that included a day at Universal Studios. This was not a destination of choice, but the pass was cheaper than a one day trip to Disneyland and Sea World, so we went with it.

We drove FOREVER to get there.

Upon arrival we had a hard time trying to find somewhere to park that didn't have a cone. Where we come from, a cone means you can't park there, apparently it takes on a whole new meaning in California.

We parked and went inside. We see characters. Dora, Curious George, Sponge Bob, the likes. We take a few pics and look for something to do. There isn't very much it seems.

We take in another pet show, and then venture over the Shrek 4-D movie. Not sure why, but I am pretty sure I have seen the movie somewhere. Hmm, OK, on to the next ride.


We went onto special effects show to see how it is done. Shaun gets picked as a volunteer. He gets turned into a tortured, turned into a skeleton, and has his arm sawed through. Pretty cool.

We took in Backdraft, talked about the importance of not playing with fires, matches, etc....seemed like a good time to throw that in.

Shaun rode the Mummy and Jurassic Park, the kids weren't tall enough.

We took in the Studio tour which was pretty cool. We saw Wisteria Lane, some scene sets, Jaws eat a scuba diver, experienced an earthquake, all without leaving the convenient cushion-y seats on the bus.

We planned to end the day at the Curious George playground, but alas it was closed. I felt so bad that I had promised them they could play on it "later" and when later came it was closed. :(

Overall, don't waste your money. I am glad it was essentially free (minus gas).

Don't get me started on the way home. It took us about and hour and a half to go 30 miles. It took us more than 3 hours to get back to the hotel. I thought our rush hour traffic was bad!