I've decided to create a blog for each of my kids.  I'm filling them with pictures, stories, and memories of them.  My plan is to make them into a blog book when they each graduate from High School.  It's kind of time consuming to get them all started and up-to-date. (I don't have any blog posts from when Hayden was born until he was 2-years-old).  Hopefully, I can keep up with these blogs for the next 11-18 years. :)

Torrin Quotes

I packed away my quote book a while ago, so I wanted to write these down before I forget them.

Allen has had a lot of 'fun' experiences with Torrin in a rest stop outside of Baker City, Oregon.  It has become our favorite rest stop. (It's the same one we waited at when Steph, Jay, and I got in a car accident back in our college days.  I remember drying my socks on the hand dryers in the bathroom there).

Once Allen took Torrin in and as he was sitting on the toilet, he said (in his not-so-quiet Torrin voice), "Hey! That guy's going #2 like me!  I know because his feet are pointing the same way as mine." (Chuckles from the other men in the bathroom.  It was really crowded that day.)

Another time at the same rest stop, Torrin tooted really loud and he exclaimed, "That was me!  That was me, Dad! That was me."  On the same day, some men came into the bathroom speaking Spanish.  Torrin said, "Dad, those guys are speaking something like Spanish.  They must be Mexicans!"

Not a funny one, but kind of sweet (for me, not for Darci)--Darci said to Torrin, "I love you," and Torrin replied, "I love my mom."  I'm sure he'll like that one when he's older.  ;)

My sweet 5-year-old.

Torrin is such a sweet and sensitive kid.  Tonight Allen was putting the boys to bed.  He was laying on the futon in their room, and he looked over and saw tears streaming down Torrin's cheeks.  Allen asked what was wrong and Torrin's reply was, "I don't want to leave Mom."  Allen asked him to elaborate and Torrin said, "I don't want to leave Mom when I go on my mission."  Allen reassured him that he wouldn't have to worry about that for a long time.  Bless his sweet little heart.  I love that boy! (And yes, it totally brought tears to my eyes when Allen told me.)

Torrin on his 5th birthday.

First grader!

Hayden started first grade on September 4.  He is in a 1st/2nd split class this year.  There are 52 students in his class!  14 first graders, and the rest 2nd graders.  His teachers are Mrs. Wilkinson and Mrs. Hancock.  So far Hayden is doing really well.  We haven't had quite as many struggles with homework this year (YET!), but maybe that's because it's more his level.  He doesn't have a problem doing the 2nd grade curriculum.  I just worry about next year.  He will be in 2nd grade and learning the same stuff all over again.  I'm not sure how that's going to work.

I didn't cry on the first day of Kindergarten, but I did on the first day of 1st grade.  I guess because he is gone ALL day now.  It's been an adjustment and we have a very tired boy at the end of the day (and especially at the end of the week).

I just wanted to add--Hayden also turned 7 last month.  I can't believe he'll be getting baptized next year!

Cassidy's Blessing

We blessed Cassidy in church on September 2, 2012, and it's a good thing too.  If we had waited until next month she wouldn't have fit into her blessing dress.  We were happy to have lots of family with us.  My parents were here visiting, along with Allen's parents, brother Shawn, and his sister Kari and her family (Ryan, Cameron, Connor, & Callen).  Allen's brothers, Robert & Curtis, and their wives (Courtney and Courtney) and our nephews, Carter & Owen were also able to come for the blessing.  She looked so sweet in her blessing dress and she didn't make a peep during the blessing.

After sacrament meeting, Torrin gave his first talk in Primary.  He had a big audience there watching him.

You can tell how sleep deprived I am!
We didn't get a family picture like we wanted, but that's ok.

I give props to any photographers out there.
It is really difficult to get good shots of an awake newborn!

Welcome, Cassidy Diane!

Allen and I went in Monday morning at 9:45 a.m. 8/27/12 to see my midwife, Gretchen.  I was 38 week, 5 days.  The plan was to have her strip my membranes and then for us to walk around for a while to see if labor started.  When she checked me, I was already “about 5cm” but still “kind of thick.”   She didn’t want to send me home at 5cm because we live 45 minutes from the hospital, and she knew I’d go fast once my water broke and might not make it back to the hospital.  She asked us to walk around for a while and then check in to labor & delivery.  We walked around Temple Square for about an hour.  I was getting some contractions.  They were about 10 minutes apart, but not consistent.  Allen confessed that he didn’t actually believe we’d be having a baby that day, so he didn’t come prepared (with his netbook and some food. LOL).

I was nervous about checking myself in to L&D because I knew my options were 1) Pitocin to get contractions started (I am not comfortable with this route since I’ve had a previous c-section), 2) break my water IF baby had dropped low enough (she was still a bit high before and none of us felt comfortable enough breaking my water at that point), or 3) wait around in L&D until things got started on their own, which could have been hours.  We got there close to noon and I expressed my concerns to Gretchen and the nursing staff.  We decided to wait and see if my body would take over.  We walked around the unit for a bit, and then went back to my room.  Lying in bed did nothing except stall the contractions; but I did feel some (about 9 minutes apart) while I was standing, so I asked for the birth ball and sat on that for a while.  Allen watched NCIS and football while I surfed the web and got on facebook.  LOL  I couldn’t focus on anything else, so this passed the time.

The contractions started coming consistently 6 minutes apart and they were getting stronger, but not bad enough that I had to breathe through them.  I was comfortable enough at that point to know I was in active labor and decided to stay.  My midwife checked me at 4:18 p.m. and I had made progress.  My cervix had thinned out to 80-90% and baby’s head was low.  I was only at 5+cm, though.  At that point, Gretchen broke my water, and I knew baby would be here in a couple of hours. 

Contractions really picked up then.  They were much stronger, though still not very close together.  I labored for about an hour, while Allen made some phone calls.  I was feeling a lot more pressure with the contractions, so I knew baby was coming down.  Gretchen checked me and I was at 8cm, so she started getting her cart ready.  Allen did put his phone away long enough to help me through transition, which is really all I needed from him.  It didn’t bother me before that he was watching TV and making phone calls, though I think I did have to tell him that it was time to put the phone away and get into position once I had to breathe and vocalize through contractions.  (Might have been a bit awkward for anyone he was talking to who could hear me moaning in the background).  He held my hand through the really bad ones.  

Once I felt pushy, Gretchen checked me and I had a tiny lip left.  One more contraction and I was ready.  I was determined to get her out quickly.  I pushed for only 20 minutes with Grayson, and that was really tiring. (I know 20 minutes doesn't even compare with the 3 hours I pushed with Hayden, but it makes a big difference when you don't have an epidural.)  I only had to push through two contractions and Cassidy Diane was born, weighing 7 lbs 2 oz and 20 inches long.  She has golden blonde hair (and very little of it) and she is just the sweetest little thing.  When they placed her on my chest after she was born, I felt something warm and wet dripping down my side.  She peed on me!  Gretchen and the nurse said she was “such a pretty baby.”  I did have a small tear, but I’m not nearly as sore as I was with Grayson and Torrin.  Most of my post-partum pain is in my tail bone, which I hurt a few years ago falling down the stairs. 

We are home now, and Cassidy is doing great! She is nursing like a champ and sleeping great.  She had a tough time sleeping in the hospital, but now that my milk has come in she is letting mom sleep more.  J  We are just thrilled to have her and can’t believe we now have FOUR kids.  We’re definitely outnumbered around here.

38 weeks

Hanging out on the birthing ball.

First bath.

Grayson's reaction.  He opened his mouth in shock when he first saw Cassidy.

Gretchen and Cassidy

We took our traditional dad & baby picture at home since Allen wasn't feeling well when she was born.  (Was worried he might have had strep throat).

Guess what.

This is going to come as a shock to my faithful blog followers (all three of you).  I'm human.  Gasp!  I know, I know.  It's hard to take in, but let's call this confession time.  I am NOT super mom!  IF they remember this summer at all, my boys will remember it as the one they spent in the sprinklers and in front of a screen.  We didn't do swimming lessons, we only went to the park three times, and we rarely left the house.  I didn't even sign my boys up for soccer this fall.  I let them watch WAY too much TV and play WAY too many video games.  My 2-hour rule was thrown out the window back in June.  My house is a mess most of the time.  I get by doing what's absolutely necessary.  I haven't really exercised for months, and most days I live in scrub tops, Allen's shirts, and yoga pants with hair dye stains on them.  I probably do my hair and makeup once a week--Sundays--IF then.  I've been a total hermit, and it will probably stay that way for another two months until I get the hang of having a newborn again and get my rear end to the gym.

It's always amazed me the difference exercise makes.  When I'm not exercising and taking care of myself, I have very little energy to take care of the other things in my life.  At least I can see this and admit it, and I know I won't continue to be a hermit forever.  I'm not sure my boys care or even know what they are missing.  I think they are just happy to be here (Oh! To be a child again!).  They don't seem to care when I'm being lazy and the bathroom isn't cleaned, or there's a pile of unfolded laundry on the living room floor that I've been avoiding for too long.  I know what they are missing out on, though.  I know how things *could* be.  But in the end, will one lazy summer really make a difference in their lives?