Here is Karen, Alivia, and the finished product! 
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Car Seat Cover
I have SO enjoyed having Karen up here to help me and spend time with the kids! She is so talented and creative, so while she was here I took advantage of her talents and asked her to sew a car seat canopy for Alivia's Car Seat. The one I have now I am borrowing from a friend, and I wanted one that was our own. We found some cute material, and today while Carson was at school she put it all together and it turned out super cute! 
Here is Karen, Alivia, and the finished product!
Not only did she help me with this and helped keep the kids entertained, she also helped with laundry, dishes, vacuuming, and it was great to have some great Adult conversation as well! Today after Carson got home from school, she even took him to his gymnastics class for me. With Nick going back to work, I was a bit worried about getting back into reality, but it was so great to have an extra hand to help with the kids and house stuff. Thank you SO much Karen for everything, we all really appreciate it!
Here is Karen, Alivia, and the finished product! 
Yummy Bunnies!
On Tuesday, after we dropped Kaylee off at Preschool, Karen and I picked up Carson from school and headed out to run some errands. After eating lunch at Costco, we did some shopping there, then headed to Joanne's and Brooks Fabric to find some fabric for Alivia's blessing dress and a new car seat cover. After picking up Kaylee from school, we headed back out to get a few things from Walmart and Roberts Crafts, we made a quick stop at the Grease Monkey to say hi to Dad and then headed back home for some much needed rest. It was only a few hours, but I was exhausted! (It was the first day I have ventured out of the house since Alivia was born). So while I took a break, Karen and the kids headed back up to the Grease Monkey to get the oil changed on her car, and it gave me a chance to sit down and put my feet up for a bit and also to change out of my levi's (they were really irritating my incision). When they got home, they made dough for some Easter bunnies, using the recipe out of Aprils Friend Magazine. They were so cute all decorated with frosting and candy. They were SO good too. They tasted like a sweet roll with a bit of orange in it. Again, leave it to Grandma Karen to come up with so many fun things to do! 
Yes, that is Frosting Kaylee is eating! Karen was nice enough to watch ALL the kids while Nick was at scouts so I could go to Bunko. It was a good little break for me! I just wanted to share this cute pic of Kaylee eating Speghettio's....and this is why it is funny....this is the 2nd day in a row she has begged to have some of these, but it is not even 10 AM yet! And yesterday she spilled them on her shirt, even though I had put an apron on her, so today we decided it was best to just have her take her shirt off, which to her was pretty funny! She was just so cute so I had to take a picture!
Yes, that is Frosting Kaylee is eating! Karen was nice enough to watch ALL the kids while Nick was at scouts so I could go to Bunko. It was a good little break for me! I just wanted to share this cute pic of Kaylee eating Speghettio's....and this is why it is funny....this is the 2nd day in a row she has begged to have some of these, but it is not even 10 AM yet! And yesterday she spilled them on her shirt, even though I had put an apron on her, so today we decided it was best to just have her take her shirt off, which to her was pretty funny! She was just so cute so I had to take a picture! 
Snuggle Time!
Lately we have been spending a lot of time snuggling! We just can't get enough of Alivia! Here are a few pictures from the fun we have had holding and loving this little girl! 
The kids are so cute, they are always asking to hold Alivia. And every morning they are so excited to see her and give her kisses. I hope this excitement and love for her continues for a LONG time! 
Of course, while Grandma was here, she made sure to get some good snuggle time in too!
Even Uncle Matt stopped in today and took some extra time to give Alivia some snuggles! 
Since I probably spend the most time snuggling with Alivia, I can tell you it is the best way to spend the day! I might not always get a lot accomplished and I hope she doesn't get too spoiled, but I just know that babies get so big so fast and I want to cherish this time with her while she is new and little and such a good snuggle bug!
The kids are so cute, they are always asking to hold Alivia. And every morning they are so excited to see her and give her kisses. I hope this excitement and love for her continues for a LONG time! 
Of course, while Grandma was here, she made sure to get some good snuggle time in too! 
Even Uncle Matt stopped in today and took some extra time to give Alivia some snuggles! 
Since I probably spend the most time snuggling with Alivia, I can tell you it is the best way to spend the day! I might not always get a lot accomplished and I hope she doesn't get too spoiled, but I just know that babies get so big so fast and I want to cherish this time with her while she is new and little and such a good snuggle bug! Balloon Animals!
On Monday, we were lucky enough to have Grandma Karen (Nick's mom) come up to spend a few days with us. The kids spent the afternoon with her shopping, playing at Carl's Jr, and playing with some new toys they got. It gave me a good break to get a few things done and get some rest while Alivia slept. On Monday night, we had FHE and the kids were so happy to have Grandma Karen there to participate with us. After our song, scripture, and lesson, the kids were excited for the activity. While they were out shopping, Karen had found the funnest thing for the activity. Making Balloon Animals. The kit contained balloons, a pump, and even a book to show us how to make them. Dad was great at figuring out how to make them and we made quite a few different things with the balloons. Here are some pictures from our fun evening! 
You can tell we had a blast and it was such a fun activity! We enjoyed some yummy cookies that a neighbor brought us for our treat. We can't wait to do this activity again!
You can tell we had a blast and it was such a fun activity! We enjoyed some yummy cookies that a neighbor brought us for our treat. We can't wait to do this activity again!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Lucky...
We are so LUCKY! We have the 3 cutest kids in the world! Being a parent isn't always the easiest job, but it is one that can be very gratifying when you have kids as cute as this... 
It has been a crazy week having a newborn in our home. There have been a lot of late nights, tears, tantrums, and change. But today was a good day and I was able to edit some pictures of Alivia I took during the week. I also took some quick pictures of Carson and Kaylee before they left for church. As I was editing them today, I had a chance to sit and think about how lucky I am to be their mom. Even after hard days, I still feel SO blessed! I love these three little munchkins SO much!
It has been a crazy week having a newborn in our home. There have been a lot of late nights, tears, tantrums, and change. But today was a good day and I was able to edit some pictures of Alivia I took during the week. I also took some quick pictures of Carson and Kaylee before they left for church. As I was editing them today, I had a chance to sit and think about how lucky I am to be their mom. Even after hard days, I still feel SO blessed! I love these three little munchkins SO much!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Frontrunner Field Trip
On Thursday Carson's kindergarten class went on a field trip. They rode the Frontrunner from Woods Cross to Salt Lake and back. Since Nick was home this week, he was able to sign up to go with Carson's class. The school is just a short distance from the Woods Cross station, so after a short walk to the station they boarded the train for their Transportation Field Trip.
The plan was to stay on the train and just ride it back to WX, but when they got to SL, they made them get off the train and board a new Frontrunner to go back to WX. I am sure that stressed the teacher out a bit, but they handled it well and the got all the kindergartners back on the train to go to WX.
Even though it was a bit rainy for the walk to and from school, the kids didn't seem to mind a bit. (And it was better weather than it was today..since we had snow today!).
Nick and Carson said they both had a fun time and I was happy to see all the pictures and video they took! It worked out perfectly for Carson to have a field trip while dad had the week off, I know it meant a lot to Carson to have his dad there!
The plan was to stay on the train and just ride it back to WX, but when they got to SL, they made them get off the train and board a new Frontrunner to go back to WX. I am sure that stressed the teacher out a bit, but they handled it well and the got all the kindergartners back on the train to go to WX.
Even though it was a bit rainy for the walk to and from school, the kids didn't seem to mind a bit. (And it was better weather than it was today..since we had snow today!).
Nick and Carson said they both had a fun time and I was happy to see all the pictures and video they took! It worked out perfectly for Carson to have a field trip while dad had the week off, I know it meant a lot to Carson to have his dad there! Home Sweet Home!
We made it home Monday afternoon a little after 2 PM. It gave me a chance to take a quick nap before Ted & Karen got there with the kids around 4:30. They were so excited to see their baby sister and to get to hold her!
We enjoyed the evening with Nick's Mom, Dad, and Brother Ryan.
Monday night was a little crazy getting everyone to bed...the kids were pretty wound up and excited having Alivia home, but we finally had them all in bed by 9, including Alivia, so we also headed for bed knowing we would be up in a few hours with Alivia. Nick was such a sweetie, and actually took Alivia the whole night to allow me to get some good sleep in my SOFT comfy bed. The next few nights we tagged teamed it and it worked pretty good! The rest of the week we had a few visitors from the neighborhood stop by and visit, bring gifts, and dinners. Our good friends, Brian and Kristi stopped by and not only brought Alivia a cute outfit, but also the kids some fun lego toys and rings. The kids thought that was pretty cool!
We have enjoyed having Dad home this week and it was really hard to have him go to work today, but we survived! We did a lot of cuddling with Alivia and the kids loved playing with him out in the garage.
On Wednesday night, Matt, Nat, and Hallie came down and visited and brought us a meal and also some great books for the kids. Now they just aren't a book, these are great activity and learning books Natalie made herself! They are so cute and creative and the kids love them! Thanks Nat for being such a great aunt! You are the best!
Before they left, I had nick put Carson in the tub. So while Natalie and I were talking in the family room with Alivia, Matt and Nick and Kaylee were in the Alivia's room (not sure why) talking. The next thing we hear is Carson yell "Mom...Hallie is in the tub!" Yes, Hallie fell into the tub with Carson. We all came running and sure enough there she was standing there in the tub soaking wet! I am not sure how none of us noticed her even go into the bathroom...luckily it wasn't serious and it was actually quite funny! We let her borrow a pair of Kaylee's old PJ's so she could at least drive home dry.
Today has been a week since Alivia was born, and it has just gone by so fast! But I am so glad that we are home and we are finally getting into a good routine! There is nothing like sleeping in your own bed, that's for sure!
We enjoyed the evening with Nick's Mom, Dad, and Brother Ryan. 
Monday night was a little crazy getting everyone to bed...the kids were pretty wound up and excited having Alivia home, but we finally had them all in bed by 9, including Alivia, so we also headed for bed knowing we would be up in a few hours with Alivia. Nick was such a sweetie, and actually took Alivia the whole night to allow me to get some good sleep in my SOFT comfy bed. The next few nights we tagged teamed it and it worked pretty good! The rest of the week we had a few visitors from the neighborhood stop by and visit, bring gifts, and dinners. Our good friends, Brian and Kristi stopped by and not only brought Alivia a cute outfit, but also the kids some fun lego toys and rings. The kids thought that was pretty cool!
We have enjoyed having Dad home this week and it was really hard to have him go to work today, but we survived! We did a lot of cuddling with Alivia and the kids loved playing with him out in the garage.
I just had to share this cute picture of Kaylee. She has been my baby for the past 3 years, and when I saw this picture it made me realize just how big she is getting! I can't believe it!
On Wednesday night, Matt, Nat, and Hallie came down and visited and brought us a meal and also some great books for the kids. Now they just aren't a book, these are great activity and learning books Natalie made herself! They are so cute and creative and the kids love them! Thanks Nat for being such a great aunt! You are the best!
Before they left, I had nick put Carson in the tub. So while Natalie and I were talking in the family room with Alivia, Matt and Nick and Kaylee were in the Alivia's room (not sure why) talking. The next thing we hear is Carson yell "Mom...Hallie is in the tub!" Yes, Hallie fell into the tub with Carson. We all came running and sure enough there she was standing there in the tub soaking wet! I am not sure how none of us noticed her even go into the bathroom...luckily it wasn't serious and it was actually quite funny! We let her borrow a pair of Kaylee's old PJ's so she could at least drive home dry.
Today has been a week since Alivia was born, and it has just gone by so fast! But I am so glad that we are home and we are finally getting into a good routine! There is nothing like sleeping in your own bed, that's for sure! Thursday, March 24, 2011
Our Hospital Stay
So here is the story of our hospital stay when we had Alivia....along with a LOT of pictures! It started early Friday morning...I got up at 4 AM to get ready and packed to be at the hospital by 6 AM. Nick took this picture before we left of my preggo belly.
We got to LDS hospital right on time. My friend Jana, our photographer for the day, followed us there. It was early for all of us!
Once I got there, I got checked in with Labor and Delivery on the 4th floor. They got me hooked up to the monitors, got my IV in (after a failed attempt that almost made me pass out), and got me all prepped for surgery.
Then Dr. Chen, the medical resident, came in and did an ultra sound to confirm the baby's position. Then Dr. Petersen, the anesthesiologist, came in and went over some medical stuff before we finally walked to the operating room and got started!
Dr. Stowers started the csection shortly after the scheduled 7:30 start time, and by 7:57, Alivia was born. I remember hearing her cry when they got her out and Dr. Stowers said "Wow, she has a good head of hair!" and I thought he was just teasing me until I saw for myself she did have hair! He held her up over the curtain so I could see her face for a moment...which is such a surreal experience!
They took her over to another part of the operating room and got her weighed and monitored her breathing before wrapping her up and giving her back to Nick to bring back over to me. It took about another 30 minutes to finish putting me back together before wheeling me back to a recovery room. There we stayed for a bit before being moved to the postpartum room. It was there Nick told me that he didn't think the baby looked like an 'Ashley', which was the name we had picked out for her. So I asked him what name he wanted to name her, and he decided Alivia Marie. I agreed and that was that! It has taken a few days, but I am finally getting used to calling her Alivia. I was happy that Jana was there with us that morning! She did a great job taking pictures and nice to have her there!
They finally got me into my room and Nick was able to go with the nurse while they gave her a bath and got her all cleaned up. They even put a cute purple bow on her head!
We were able to hang out for a few hours before we started having visitors. My mom had stayed the night so she was able to get the kids up and ready for school and dance. They had lunch at McDonalds before coming to the hospital to meet Alivia for the first time! The kids were so cute when they first saw Alivia! Both kids were so excited to hold her! Both Grandmas were there to see her and hold her too. We also had our friend Lindsey stop by to visit! It was a fun afternoon!
This is our first family picture we have as a family of 5!
Later that day after everyone left, and I was finally able to feel my legs, I was able to get up and go for a short walk. Then that evening, I ventured out again and took Livy for a walk around the floor. It felt good to get up and stretch my legs.
Nick went home and slept Friday night at our house and went to work for a few hours Saturday morning before coming back to the hospital. Alivia stayed in the nursery most of the night, other than one feeding at 11:30 that I asked them to bring her in for. The other two nights we decided to have Alivia stay in the nursery since we knew when we got home, we wouldn't have that luxury! On Saturday, we mostly hung out and adored our new little girl. Karen had taken the kids home to Holden with her until Monday, so we didn't have much else to do or worry about. Saturday Evening, my parents and Matt & Nat came down to visit.
The rest of our hospital stay was pretty low key since we didn't have any more visitors. It was nice and quiet and actually a little boring. Nick rented a few redbox movies for us to watch and we even had a 'date night' and not only did I order me room service like normal, but Nick did too so we could have dinner together! By the way, I love that the hospital has a menu that you can order from. It was really quite yummy food and since I had to be there for 4 days, it was nice to get to pick my own meals the whole time I was there! Call me crazy, but I liked the food! We took lots of pictures of Alivia, took quite a few walks, and just enjoyed hanging out.
Finally Monday, after a visit from Dr. Reese, the pediatrician, and Dr. Stowers, we got discharged! After Alivia got a bite to eat and got checked out by the nurse one last time, we got her in her car seat and finally headed home!
It was a very fast LONG 4 days! We are so glad to be home now and we have had so many great friends and neighbors visit, bring food, and gifts. We feel so loved!!! That is a completely different post though, so for now, I think this post has been long enough!
We got to LDS hospital right on time. My friend Jana, our photographer for the day, followed us there. It was early for all of us!
Once I got there, I got checked in with Labor and Delivery on the 4th floor. They got me hooked up to the monitors, got my IV in (after a failed attempt that almost made me pass out), and got me all prepped for surgery.
Then Dr. Chen, the medical resident, came in and did an ultra sound to confirm the baby's position. Then Dr. Petersen, the anesthesiologist, came in and went over some medical stuff before we finally walked to the operating room and got started! 
Dr. Stowers started the csection shortly after the scheduled 7:30 start time, and by 7:57, Alivia was born. I remember hearing her cry when they got her out and Dr. Stowers said "Wow, she has a good head of hair!" and I thought he was just teasing me until I saw for myself she did have hair! He held her up over the curtain so I could see her face for a moment...which is such a surreal experience!
They took her over to another part of the operating room and got her weighed and monitored her breathing before wrapping her up and giving her back to Nick to bring back over to me. It took about another 30 minutes to finish putting me back together before wheeling me back to a recovery room. There we stayed for a bit before being moved to the postpartum room. It was there Nick told me that he didn't think the baby looked like an 'Ashley', which was the name we had picked out for her. So I asked him what name he wanted to name her, and he decided Alivia Marie. I agreed and that was that! It has taken a few days, but I am finally getting used to calling her Alivia. I was happy that Jana was there with us that morning! She did a great job taking pictures and nice to have her there!
They finally got me into my room and Nick was able to go with the nurse while they gave her a bath and got her all cleaned up. They even put a cute purple bow on her head!
We were able to hang out for a few hours before we started having visitors. My mom had stayed the night so she was able to get the kids up and ready for school and dance. They had lunch at McDonalds before coming to the hospital to meet Alivia for the first time! The kids were so cute when they first saw Alivia! Both kids were so excited to hold her! Both Grandmas were there to see her and hold her too. We also had our friend Lindsey stop by to visit! It was a fun afternoon!
The kids opened a present from us to congratulate them on being a new big brother and sister!
This is our first family picture we have as a family of 5! 
Later that day after everyone left, and I was finally able to feel my legs, I was able to get up and go for a short walk. Then that evening, I ventured out again and took Livy for a walk around the floor. It felt good to get up and stretch my legs.
Nick went home and slept Friday night at our house and went to work for a few hours Saturday morning before coming back to the hospital. Alivia stayed in the nursery most of the night, other than one feeding at 11:30 that I asked them to bring her in for. The other two nights we decided to have Alivia stay in the nursery since we knew when we got home, we wouldn't have that luxury! On Saturday, we mostly hung out and adored our new little girl. Karen had taken the kids home to Holden with her until Monday, so we didn't have much else to do or worry about. Saturday Evening, my parents and Matt & Nat came down to visit. 
The rest of our hospital stay was pretty low key since we didn't have any more visitors. It was nice and quiet and actually a little boring. Nick rented a few redbox movies for us to watch and we even had a 'date night' and not only did I order me room service like normal, but Nick did too so we could have dinner together! By the way, I love that the hospital has a menu that you can order from. It was really quite yummy food and since I had to be there for 4 days, it was nice to get to pick my own meals the whole time I was there! Call me crazy, but I liked the food! We took lots of pictures of Alivia, took quite a few walks, and just enjoyed hanging out.
Finally Monday, after a visit from Dr. Reese, the pediatrician, and Dr. Stowers, we got discharged! After Alivia got a bite to eat and got checked out by the nurse one last time, we got her in her car seat and finally headed home!
It was a very fast LONG 4 days! We are so glad to be home now and we have had so many great friends and neighbors visit, bring food, and gifts. We feel so loved!!! That is a completely different post though, so for now, I think this post has been long enough!
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