So, Catching Up!

I feel like it's been a long time since I've updated our blog. Shame on me!

Let's see, Miss Piggy got a cold that lasted for 4 weeks! Poor girl was just not feeling well. Usually when one kid gets sick, they pass it to another... right? I've never had my kids do this. They are usually both sick together, but it's always been sick with different things. Miss Piggy's cold included a fever and a cough followed by a runny nose. Kermit came down with a stuffy nose. That's it. (and thank goodness because with his asthma colds are so hard on his body) Then Baby Girl got sick and for the first time, I had two kids sick with the same thing. Kind of. Baby Girl got the fever and the cough, but then she got this crap streaming out of her eyes. Lovely. We took her in and she had double pink eye and an ear infection. Miss Piggy also had her ears checked because she was really having a hard time hearing. Her ears were stuck full of wax. Fun! So, everyone is better now life can go on!

Christmas was fantastic. The kids had a blast! We had our nice dinner on Christmas Eve and ate on our China. We wanted to eat on our nicest plates for our Saviors birthday. Then we watched Joy To The World and talked about Jesus. Finally we went for a ride to see all the lights. Master Chief and I enjoyed it. The kids were just DYING to get home to open up a few presents. Our Christmas tradition is to have the kids open a present from us (jammies)and for the kids to exchange ornaments they've purchased for each other. This year Kermit gave to Miss Piggy and she got Tinker Bell and Fairies. Miss Piggy gave to Baby Girl and she got a moon with a baby sleeping on it. Baby Girl gave to Kermit and he got a Shrek and Donkey one. The kids made ornaments at school for Master Chief and I. They were so cute! Christmas morning was great. Kermit tore through all his gifts and then was searching for more to open! Miss Piggy just read the first letter on the tags and since she and Baby Girl have the same first letter, she opened a few of Baby Girls presents. Baby Girl was totally LOVING the whole thing! She loved all the new toys but her favorite was her Water Baby from Gram Gram, Papa, and Uncle Nino. She took that baby and automatically put the bottle in her mouth. Where she learned this, we have no idea as she has never seen a bottle in her life! We spent the day playing games and just enjoying each other.Baby Girl is nearly 7 1/2 months. She's tiny still. When we took her in, she was 7 months 3 days old and she weighed 12lbs 10oz. Only 2oz more than a month ago, so we will be taking her in at 8 months for a weight check just to make sure she's gaining. But I suspect she is as she's feeling heavier! She is now sitting up and getting more and more vocal! She also started to eat baby biscuits and loves to feed herself!Master Chief will be promoted this next week. No pay increase yet though. If the economy can get better we will cross our fingers for a raise! The good news is that he will be switching work schedules and will be working the back end of the week making it so he can go to church with us!!! He's such a hard worker and it's nice to see that his company can see it too.

As for me, I got a new sewing machine for Christmas and my time is spent sewing and dreaming up new things to sew! My first project is an apron for Miss Piggy's birthday. I've taken a pattern I found online and I'm chaning it up and making it my own. I'm having so much fun, but it's frustrating to only be able to work on it at night when the kids are asleep so I don't ruin her present!

So there's the updates. We feel extremely blessed and joyful. I wonder what 2010 will have in store for everyone!

Merry Christmas... Dear Everyone!

Dear Everybody, December 2009

I’m not sure how I got this job; something about being the youngest and having no responsibilities. I don’t know what they’re talking about. I’m super busy. I have to learn all sorts of important things. Like, why does everyone get so excited about that fat guy in the red suit? I’m also busy rolling all over the floor and starting to sit up all by myself…. I think I’m busier than the rest of the family put together. I am the only one that gets so exhausted that I need several naps every day. Oh, and don't forget I have to keep practicing the things I learn, too. Mom thinks I’m really cute when I talk but her favorite thing I do is when I see her I squeal and get really excited.

Anyway, mom says I should talk about everyone in this thing. So how about my dad. I think he’s the greatest. He goes to work and then he comes home and scoops me up in his arms and wants to play. Sometimes when I wake up in the night I see him up playing that x box and talking to the TV. Mom tells me he’s playing Halo with his buddies but I think he’s just weird. He also loves to rub his whiskers on my feet and it makes me laugh so much.

Mom is with me all day long and we play a lot. Sometimes she is working with small shiny things that she calls beads. I’d love to get my hands on them, but mom says no because I’ll just put them in my mouth. Mom also plays in the kitchen with food. My favorite is when she makes me rice cereal and sweet potatoes.

My big brother Kermit is 5 years old and he makes me smile. He’s just so silly. He likes to hold me and let me play with his cars. He says he’ll help me to play baseball someday or teach me all about (insert our college football team here) football. He loves to go out and ride his bike. I wish I could go with him, but mom says I’m too little. He can write him name now and he likes to tell me all about the letters he’s learning in school. He’s so smart. I hope I’m as smart as he is when I grow up.

My big sister Miss Piggy is 4 years old but is counting down the days until she turns 5 in January. She has the coolest toys and she’s great about sharing them with me. Her ponies are my favorite so far, but her babies are also fun. She helps me to hold her babies. She can also write her own name and draws me all sorts of pictures of princesses and then tells me about the stories she reads in school. She pretends she’s a princess all the time and wears such pretty dress up clothes. I can’t wait to wear her dress ups and look just like her.

Well, this wore me out. I need to go have some lunch and take another nap. Merry Christmas and don’t touch the tree. (that’s what Mommy tells me all the time)

Love, Baby Girl (7 months)

Miss Piggyness

Miss Piggy has said a couple funny things, so I had to share.

Master Chief overheard her singing the song Teach Me To Walk in the Light. And this is how she ended it...

Teach me,
Teach me,
To not have head lice.

And the other funny is that I've trained her to answer people when they ask "How come you're so cute?" with "Because I look like my Mommy." And she's very good to use this answer each time. Then last night as she was walking away from us to go to bed I said,

M - "You're so cute."
MP - "Yep, that's cause I'm cuter than you are."

Then she turned around and left the room.

Master Chief and I about died laughing!

How To Cook A Turkey, By Kermit and Miss Piggy

The kids came home from school today with a paper telling how to cook a turkey in their own words. They crack me up.

Kermit - "Put it in the oven...Cook for 30 minutes...Cut it with a big knife, then I eat a bone."

Miss Piggy - "Put it in the oven...Put turkey on it...Eat it with the bone up."

So, good luck cooking your turkey's this year!

Thought I'd Share Our Adoption Story!

November is Adoption Awareness month, so with that in mind I wanted to share our adoption adventure with you. I recently shared our adoption story on another blog, and this is what I wrote.

My husband and I were excited to find out we were pregnant with our first baby. Then, at 25 weeks along, I became sick with severe pre-eclampsia and HELLP Syndrome. I was hospitalized, the baby was given steroids to help develop her lungs, and I delivered my baby at 26 weeks. Severely premature, she weighed 1lb, 12oz and was 13 ¼ inches long. She was beautiful. Angel Baby broke all the rules in the hospital for premature babies, breathing on her own so early, not needing blood transfusions. My husband and I got to hold her three different times by the time she was eight days old! Then on her 9th day of life, she contracted an infection from the bacteria in the air, and she passed away on her tenth day of life. We were devastated, heartbroken and so empty. We have a blessed knowledge of where she is and that there is a special plan for her, but our arms were extremely empty, and our hearts were shattered.

As soon as my doctor gave me the ok six months later, we tried to get pregnant again, but there was a bit of a wait; it took eight months but we were excited to be pregnant again! We went into this new pregnancy with hopes that things would go better this time. However, after our daughter passed away, we learned that I have three different blood clotting disorders that make it inevitable that I would have pre-eclampsia again. At 11 ½ weeks along, I miscarried. We were so confused. Why should anyone have to suffer so much? All we wanted was to raise a child, to cuddle them in our arms, to teach them to tie their shoe, to help them with their homework, teach them to play baseball, teach them to drive a car and watch them get married and have their own children. Doctors told me that it was not a good thing for me to be pregnant. I was completely hopeless.

My thoughts turned to adoption, which had been in our minds from years before. Growing up, I always believed being adopted would be cool. A few times, I even asked my mom if I was adopted! When my husband and I were first married, we often talked about adoption and how neat it would be to adopt a child; though we didn't plan to adopt until we were done having children of our own. After much thought, my husband and I talked about our dream to adopt, and after prayer we knew that the time had come for us to proceed with adoption. We received the paperwork two days after my miscarriage, on October 17, 2003, and I was feeling hope once again. I just knew that we would be blessed with a beautiful child that would be just right for our family.

In February 2004, we became certified through the state to adopt. Wahoo!!!!! We posted our profile and were so excited at the idea of adoption finally becoming real. I happened to meet a young woman in Florida who was expecting. We became friends through communicating online, and she asked me if I could send her my profile, and that she and her boyfriend wanted to place their child for adoption. “I’d rather wait until I can afford to buy my baby Nike’s, and not worry about where we are going to live and how we will survive,” she told me.

On Mothers' Day 2004, the young woman and her boyfriend contacted our family and asked us to raise their child. We were overjoyed! Of course we would! The baby was due at the end of July 2004. Then, one month before he was born, the birth mom changed her mind and chose to raise him herself. I expected to be devastated once again. I expected to be heartbroken. And while my husband and I were upset over this, we also felt a peace about it. We had faith that there was a baby who needed us.

Two weeks later (July 2004), our case worker called and told us that he had a letter for us from a birth mom. We rushed over to his office and opened up a sweet letter from a birth mom. “Congratulations, you’re having a boy!” the letter said. Oh wow! The birth mom had found our profile and felt like we were the family her son needed. Things just felt so right. Our birth mom also included her picture. She was so pretty! My husband and I were overwhelmed with gratitude for her. We couldn’t wait to meet her. We were so lucky, our birth mom lived in our state, 45 minutes away from us, and we shared the same case worker. Our meeting day came. I had butterflies in my stomach. Would she like us in person? Would she still want to place her baby after he was born? She brought her parents, her sister and her niece with her to our meeting, and after introductions, both my husband and I felt such a love for each member of her family and to our birth mom. Not only did we feel love, but we felt like we were a part of each others' heart.

MJ(our birth mom) and I communicated daily through emails, getting to know each other and sharing our days with each other. As an adoptive mom, I cherished this as it was a way that I could get to know her, so someday I could share things about her with my soon-to-be son. MJ was very open with us and welcomed us right into her life. We are so blessed to have her in our lives. Before MJ gave birth, we met for dinner one more time. It was so much fun to see her again, to laugh with her and truly enjoy her and her family.

The day my husband I had been waiting for finally came. Kermit was born on a Saturday evening October 2004, one year and two weeks after receiving our initial paperwork. I remember his birthday day so clearly. We bought a dresser for his room and had our car seat checked to make sure it was installed properly. Kermit was born at 8:08 p.m., and we received a phone call around 8:30 p.m. from our case worker. “All, I know is that the baby is here, MJ is asking for you to come, but she’s in tears.” We hurried--I’m not sure if hurried is the right word, rather, we raced to the hospital. We entered MJ’s room and I just wanted to cry for her. I imagined she’d been through so much. As it turned out, MJ was in tears because Kermit couldn’t be in her room; he needed to be monitored in the nursery for some medical concerns due to his birth. After all we’d been through with our children; she wanted to give us the perfect baby. Oh my gosh, she did give us the perfect baby! My heart was overwhelmed once again with gratitude and love for MJ. She was the most selfless and charitable person I’d ever met. We are so thankful to her.

We got to meet our little boy soon after that. Oh my goodness, he was so cute! He was so precious to us. When the nurse placed Kermit in my arms, I wept. It felt so good to have not just any baby in my arms, but my baby in my arms. Words just can’t express all that went on in my heart. Joy, healing, relief, humble, peaceful, ecstatic… the list goes on.

I had the privilege of staying in the hospital with MJ, and then due to the minor medical issues when he was born, MJ and I, as his two moms, sent him off to another hospital. We were able to join Kermit very shortly and the next day he was released and able to come home. I asked MJ if she would like to help me dress him, and we worked together to get him ready to go. Then it was time to leave. At this point I could no longer hold in the tears. This sweet and selfless mother was giving her son the best gift ever-- a mother and a father, a family, and that family was mine! I’ve thanked MJ before, but I’m not sure that I will ever be able to express my most sincere thanks to her for her sacrifice. This birth mom changed my life. She changed my husband’s life. She filled a hole that nobody else could fill. We will love her forever.

Birthday's, Halloween, Dr's appts, Rice Cereal and Baby Girl, but not all at once!

Birthday
Kermit had a birthday! Our little boy is 5 years old!!! He is such a sweetheart. We got him Toy Story toys, Woody, Buzz and Jessie. He's been asking for them for weeks now! Then we got him a bigger bike! The picture of course shows training wheels, but we took those off right away! His birthday party was that same day. It was a bowling party! We had 9 kids there and only one injury... lovely blood running down a friends neck... ya we felt like great people! The little boy tripped over a step while holding a bowling ball, and cracked his chin open. Aside from that, it was an awesome experience. Kermit is a really good bowler and scored 94 points! He's got a mean arm on him, but he is naturally athletically talented.
After we got home from the party he was suprised with Gram-Gram, Papa and Uncle Nino showing up and then we went out to Chinese, one of Andrew's favorites! He's got a love for spicy food, and thinks orange chicken is fantastic! Oh, he's a cutie!

Halloween

Halloween was fun this year. Kermit took to the streets in a run while Miss Piggy walked very princess like from house to house. About 20 minutes into it, Kermit was pooped and ready to go home. Miss Piggy was not about to stop as she was not tired at all! Kermit's Pumpkin, Uncle Nino's Pumpkin and Miss Piggy's Pumpkin - complete with a bow on top!

Miss Piggy was the most beautiful Ariel Princess, all decked out in make up even.Baby Girl was the best smelling skunk around!

Kermit was the most active Luigi ever!Aren't the kids cute!Dr's Appointments

We scheduled all three kids for their well checks at the same time. Never do that! It was way too much information to take in all at once! All three kids were fantastic until shot time came! Baby Girl and Miss Piggy each got 4 shots, Miss Piggy also got the flu mist, while Kermit had to get 5 shots, since he can't have the mist due to his asthma. Oh my goodness, you'd have thought the world was coming to an end. The kids were prepared for the shots, well I should say, shot, not shotS. We thought they'd only get one. We thought Miss Piggy was going to break the table with her heels when she kicked so hard! Kermit was so strong he lifted the nurse off the floor with his legs! But when it came down to it, Miss Piggy was able to count to 10 and be calm about it, while Baby Girl and Kermit screamed. Poor kids. Here's their stats though...

Kermit
43.6lbs 70%
44 1/2 inches 80%

Miss Piggy

30lbs 3% (can you believe she finally hit 30lbs!!!)

39 1/2 inches 10%

Baby Girl
12lbs 8oz 3% (dropped from 10%, but the dr is not worried)
24 3/4 inches 20%

Kermit and Miss Piggy both had their vision checked out, they are both 20/30. All together it was a good appointment, but long... 2 1/2 hours long!

Rice Cereal and 6 months old!

We finally started Baby Girl on rice cereal. That first night she loved it and went for a second bowl. She's not been a fan of it since. Master Chief gave her some green beans the other night and that first night was okay, but once again is not a fan anymore. We had to include the pics though! Oh, and she's still not sleeping through the night the little stinker! She is 6 months 1 week old. She is still the happiest baby ever, but she doesn't get a chance to be upset, her big brother and sister don't let her make more than a half a peep before they are at her side playing with her!

First Rice Cereal! 6 months 1 day old.Finger licking good, I'll have more please!Green Beans has been all three kids first veggie!Baby Girl LOVES to play in her ExerSaucer, much more than big brother and big sister ever did! Of course her time would not be complete without Kermit sharing his hat with her!Baby girl is also rolling over both ways and that is her new mode of transportation. She starts at one end of the room and ends up in the next in a matter of minutes! She's also found her feet and thinks they are quite tasty! She of course learned all this new stuff in one week. She is growing up way too fast!

WINNERS to the Sassy Jewels Giveaway!!!

I can't figure out how to put the picture of the Random.org numbers that were selected,so I'm going to just announce the winners!

Stacy and Aimee!!! Aimee is the winner of the Taffi EarringsAnd Stacy is the winner of the Nikki EarringsI will be mailing out your earrings very soon! Congrats and Merry Christmas!

SASSY JEWELS GIVEAWAY!!!!!!! 2 WINNERS

Alright, the time has come for my first blog giveaway. Many of you know that I have my own jewelry business, so it's time for me to share some fun with you!

I am giving away any pair of earrings you choose. Go visit my website http://sassyjewelsbyjami.com/ and pick a pair out!

Here is a fun pair... What about these? You may enter my contest 3 different ways.

1. Enter here which earrings you want, include your name and email address please!

2. Link my blog giveaway on your blog, then come back here and post your blog, name your favorite earrings, and include your name and email address.

3. Post my giveaway on your Facebook status, then come back here and tell me you did that, including your favorite earrings, your name and your email address.

It's that easy. Winners will be chosen using random.org and winners will be posted here on Tuesday November 17, 2009.

Earrings are a perfect stocking stuffer, or what about spoiling yourself?!!!

Getting Caught up

So things have been busy here. Visitors coming and going, a birthday, halloween, new tricks, and jewelry giveaways. So stay tuned... I'm almost ready to blog all about it!

Fire Trucks, Piggy Banks and a Career Change

Another fun Saturday experience at Home Depot! This month is Fire Safety Awareness Month and we had such a cold and fun time! We made fire station piggy banks, one fire man was really into helping Kermit out with his piggy bank and then he gave us a really fun tour of the fire truck. So here we are, with the Home Depot Guy and then with the fire truck!

Kermit used to want to be a Police Man when he grew up. Today he wants to be a Fire Man!

Guess Who's 5 Months Already!

Baby Girl is already 5 months! We just can't believe how fast times flies now that we're not pregnant! Baby Girl is 12 1/2lbs per Mama's grandma's scale last week! She's doing better with her sleeping, going about 6 hours at night. We are gradually getting back to our full nights sleep since starting her Prevacid for her silent reflux. The good news is that the Prevacid is working and she's doing so much better with eating!!! Baby Girl is not rolling over yet, per Mama. Master Chief did have her on her tummy on our bed and with the downward slope towards him, she rolled, and while he calls that the official first time Mama is waiting for her to do it on a flat surface!

Kermit and Miss Piggy would tell you that Baby Girl talks your ear off. She loves to babble, it's just so cute. She gets too interested in looking at the phone so she doesn't babble to grandparents very much yet! Baby Girl has a pretty consistant schedule of being awake for 1 1/2 hours before taking a nap for 1-2 hours. We haven't started her on cereal yet, Mama is not ready for her to grow up and wants to wait until 6 months. She's not been acting interested in foods yet so we figure she'll be just fine to wait 1 more month.

Mama has decided that Baby Girl has been one of the key pieces in healing her broken heart (Adopting Kermit being the other). To go full term and have a baby that looks and sounds like her big sister Angel Baby is something that words can not describe. Perhaps comforting, peaceful, exciting, and bittersweet covers a portion of what she feels.

Baby Girl is such a bright spot in our family. The kids can not pass her without kissing her, talking to her or tickling her. Baby Girl shows each of us that she loves us with her big smiles. Happy 5 month birthday Baby Girl! We sure do love you.

9 Years Ago Yesterday I Married My Best Friend

Sorry, this is the only picture on my computer.

I just wanted to make note that Master Chief and Mama celebrated 9 fantastic years of wedded bliss yesterday! Here's a short timeline of our lives...

Sept 1999 - Met in college

April 2000 - Started dating

July 2000 - Master Chief proposed by waking Mama in the middle of the night to suprise her with the ring!

Oct 13, 2000 - Sealed for Time and All Eternity in the Logan LDS Temple.

Honeymooned in Bear Lake, Las Vegas, Disneyland and Universal Studios.

May 2001 - Moved to a bigger apartment

March 2002 - Found out we were going to have a baby!!!

May 2002 - Moved to a new apartment

August 1, 2002 - Had our first Baby, Angel Baby

August 10, 2002 - Angel Baby passed away

May 2003 - Vacation in Nauvoo

September 2003 - Found out we were expecting again

October 15, 2003 - Miscarried

October 17, 2003 - Had adoption paper work in our hands

October 2003 - Master Chief Graduated from college!!!!!!!

October 2003 - Bought our first new car together

July 2004 - Found out we were pregnant with Miss Piggy

July 2004 - Moved closer to Master Chiefs job

July 2004 - Found out we were adopting Kermit!!!!!!!

October 30, 2004 - Kermit was born!!!!!!

January 11, 2005 - Miss Piggy was born!!!!!!

February 11, 2005 - Miss Piggy came home from the hospital!

February 24, 2005 - Legally adopted Kermit!!!!!!

March 26, 2005 - All of us went to the temple and sealed Kermit to our forever family!!!!!!

March 26, 2005 - Blessed Kermit and Miss Piggy

November 18, 2005 - Moved to our current city for Master Chiefs new job

December 8, 2005 - Closed on our first house

July 2006 - Attended Master Chiefs 10 year High School Reunion - won award for most kids!

August 2006 - Vacation in Flaming Gorge

November 2007 - Officially launched Sassy Jewels http://sassyjewelsbyjami.com/

July 2008 - Attended Mama's 10 year High School Reunion

October 4, 2008 - Suprisingly found we were expecting Baby Girl

October 9, 2008 - We were told the pregnancy wouldn't last due to blood work, thought it was eptopic.

October 9, 2008 - Found a beautiful heartbeat right where it was supposed to be!

May 15, 2009 - Baby Girl is born full term!!!!!

We've been through a lot together, but it's only made us stronger. We have the very best family and couldn't be any happier!

What is wrong with this picture?

The heart on her pants goes in the front!

Another Kermit Hair Cut!

This kids hair grows like a weed! We can mow it down one day and 2 weeks later he needs to be clipped again! Kermit has his very own opinion about many things. He will only wear certain clothes and shoes. They have to fit just perfectly, not too big and not too small. So when it comes to his hair, we've been very lucky Mama convinced him to buzz it for the summer. Well, wait I guess Uncle Paul was the one who started that, remember this? So Kermit has asked for a mohawk. He kept asking for one! And then Uncle Nino got one.So then Kermit was sure that is what he needed. Master Chief told him we should spray paint it blue and orange, Kermit was all over that idea! Mama said "NO WAY!!!"

When mohawk day arrived, Kermit told Miss Piggy and Mama that we had to stay in the house (they were cutting it outside) because he didn't want us to see him get it cut. He made sure to even shut the curtains so we wouldn't see!

And then he showed us what he'd done.
Mama was speechless to say the least. She wanted to be really mad at Master Chief for going against her wishes of no dye! Good thing she was totally speechless! Then Master Chief said, "Would it make any difference to you if I told you it was halloween WASHABLE dye?"

So here is our silly Kermit. They couldn't find any orange dye, so blue it was. He wore it to school (without the dye) and then we buzzed it off for church on Sunday!

And of course here with no blue dye!

If You Have Kids...Most Important Blog Post Ever!!! DON'T MISS THIS!

Carseats are something that I didn't know much about until I met my friend Alicia. She is a Child Passenger Safety Technician and she changed my outlook on carseats. I used to think, I can't wait until my kids are 20lbs so they can be forward facing. We even turned Kermit forward facing 2 weeks before he turned 1 because he was 20lbs. Then I met Alicia! I wish I knew then what I know now. Needless to say, Baby Girl will be rear facing until 2 AND 30lbs for sure! So without being too preachy I wanted to share some extremely important facts about carseat safety. My kids and your kids are just TOO important to not follow the guidelines. Many thanks to Alicia for helping me put this together.

Never use an expired carseat! Carseats expire 6 years from the date of manufacture. http://home.comcast.net/~dcbsr/test/Britax_GMTV_Check_It_Fits_Child_Facing_Forwards_ten_years_old_seat.mpeg

Always sit children under 13 in the backseat! It’s twice as safe as the front seat.

Following your state carseat law does not mean your child is safe! Laws are a bare minimum and are not the safest for our kids.

Infant/Rear-Facing toddler seats
1- Rear facing
2- Straps at or below the shoulders
3- Check carseat manual to see if the handle is allowed to stay up. Some can, others must be down!
4- Straps should be untwisted and ‘snug as a hug’ with chest clip on the CHEST, not the belly!
5- No bulky clothes or jackets in the carseat. Use blankets or put on jacket backwards AFTER the straps are secure. (http://babyproducts.about.com/od/carseats/a/carseatcoat.htm)

Rear Facing
1- The old recommendation of rear facing until 1 year and 20 pounds is OUT! New American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation is 2 years and 30 pounds minimum!
2- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRP7ynNI8mI
3- Rear Facing is about 4 times safer than forward facing.
4- The consequences of forward facing too soon can be deadly or paralyzing—Spinal cord injuries can occur.
5- Long legs with bent knees are okay! Kids are comfy that way and while there has never been a case of a broken leg in a rear-facing child, better a broken leg than a broken neck!

Forward Facing
1- This is a step down in safety, so only when child can’t rear face any longer
2- Straps at or above shoulders.
3- Straps should be untwisted and ‘snug as a hug’ with chest clip on the CHEST, not the belly!
4- Use the top tether! This reduces ‘head excursion’ in a crash and better protects your child.
5- No bulky clothes or jackets in the carseat. Use blankets or put on jacket backwards AFTER the straps are secure.

Boosters
1- Minimum age/weight for booster use is 4 years AND 40 pounds
2- Meeting above requirement doesn’t mean a child is ready for a booster. When your child is mature enough to stay seated properly (without turning, leaning out of the belt, unbuckling, etc) for the entire trip every time, then a booster is okay.
3- Need to stay in boosters until they are 4'9" or until the child can fit properly in the adult seatbelt. Most children need a booster seat until about age 10.
4- Use the ‘5-step test’ to determine whether your child no longer needs a booster- http://www.carseat.org/Boosters/630.pdf

So please keep your kids as safe as can be. It only takes a few minutes to make these changes and it could save your children's lives. Please feel free to link this post in your blogs. Pass on the word of carseat safety!!! If you have any questions, please find a Child Passenger Safety Technician in your area.

Baby Girl's Stats

We took Baby Girl in for her 4 month check up this week. She's growing like a weed! At her last appt she was 3 1/2 months (we were there for what we thought was an ear infection, we found she has silent reflux instead) and she weighed 10lbs 8oz. So just 2 weeks later at her 4 month check she was 11lbs 8oz. She gained a whole lb in 2 weeks! Guess the new reflux med is working!!! So at this weight, she is in the 10%. Her height is 24 inches putting her in the 45%. She must get her height from Papa! (Mama's dad).

So this month, she is really into giggling, smiling and talking our ear off! She blows raspberries and jabbers all day long! She is a social eater, meaning she'll take a swallow, then talk, take another swallow and talk some more! She just started playing with toys. She'll reach for her hanging toys and pull them to her mouth. Thankfully she's starting to be happier in her carseat. She used to cry most of a car ride. Now as long as she can see her sister next to her or she isn't too hot she is a happy passenger! She's not rolling yet - she hates every minute of her tummy time every day! You'd think she'd learn to flip over!

She adores her brother and sister. Whenever she starts to get hungry and Mama can't get to her right away, all Mama has to do is call for Kermit or Miss Piggy (if they aren't there all ready) to talk to her and she happys right up! Kermit and Miss Piggy fight over who gets to hold her during the day. They contstantly are trying to share toys with her and she just loves the attention!

We are so blessed to have such great kids and the kids are so lucky to have each other! We can't believe our baby is 4 months old already! Time just flies by these days, but I think that just means we are having fun!

Oh So Cute, Baby Girl!

Just had to share! She'll be 4 months on Wednesday! Where does the time go?

Finally, the day the kids have been waiting for! Preschool!

The kids started preschool again. They have been so excited to go! They just love school and are looking forward to their new school. Last year when Mama dropped them off at their 'big' preschool she did a dance and went shopping! This year, she had tears in her eyes. Kermit and Miss Piggy are just getting so big and it feels like the beginning of the end of their lives before they venture out into the big world. Anyway, we are so proud of our kids and can't wait to see what this last year of preschool brings!

Millions of Peaches

Master Chief and Mama have been busy this week. Not pictured are the pears and green beans!

New Family Pictures!!!

Check out our sidebar! Aren't our kids cute! Okay you don't have to admit it, but we're happy with our pictures!

Keeping up with Kermit

Just a few notes about Kermit!

• After many times practicing, Kermit can now tie his shoes!!!!
• And just this afternoon, he declared that he swatted a fly with the swatter and HIT it for the first time! Got it on the first try!
• Kermit is a fantastic baseball batter, thanks to his Uncle Nino for teaching him. Kermit almost never misses a ball when pitched to. Yesterday Mama spent lots of time in the backyard shielding herself from his balls! She only got hit twice!
• Kermit is going to make a fantastic daddy someday. He loves to hold Baby Girl and when she cries it's not problem for him. He just finds her binky and sticks it in her mouth. He's so calm with her!
• When Baby Girl cries, if Mama or Master Chief can't get to her right away we ask the kids to pop the binky in her mouth. So the other day Miss Piggy was crying over something and Kermit declared, "Where's Miss Piggy's binky? Just put a binky in her mouth." Um, that's funny!

We sure do love Kermit. Oh, and he gives the best kisses!!!

Laughs in Lego Land

The kids pulled out their blocks today and started to build... this was the result.

Kermit made a 'deer'.Miss Piggy made a 'cemetary'. (odd, I know!)

Baby Girl turned 3 months!

Time flies when you're having fun! Baby Girl hit 3 months already and is getting so big. We don't take her back to the dr for another month so we don't know how much she weighs, but Mama would guess she is about 10 1/2 lbs or so.

Baby Girl is giggling, especially when she's tickled on the neck. She is sleeping the same, if not a little less at night though. But we're not complaining too much... yet! She hates a dirty diaper and loves to be changed. She chews on her hands like a dog does a bone. We have to put socks on her hands because she has ecxema on her hands and her chewing flares it up. Our rule is no hand chewing, that is what the binky is for. We can take the binky away later, but we can't take her hand away. She is giving us a run for our money on this one.

Baby girl has had a bit of a cold, then a fever, then a rash - which ended in what we think was roseola. She still has a yucky nose at night, but she's doing pretty good.

Mama's favorite thing is her eye contact. Baby Girl loves to look at Mama. Just yesterday at church, a friend was holding her, but her eyes were on me. It just warms my heart.

Baby Girl is not rolling over yet, but that's okay, we're not ready for her to grow up yet. She does however love her side and will arch her back and roll to her side.

Baby Girl loves to be sang to and loves to play Patty Cake!

She's just so cute! This is a picture of Baby Girl helping Mama cook dinner this last week. She's getting so big! (taken on my phone, sorry for a bad pic)

Lol, Note to our readers

Master Chief loves to tease Mama. Mama's very least favorite song is "Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong. He sings it with a 'hairy' voice and it drives Mama nuts to no end. So one day while Mama and Baby Girl were out shopping Master Chief calls Mama up and says, "Hey, what's your password to the mix pod?" Mama gave it to him. Master Chief loves to put the kids favorite music on our blog, so Mama thought nothing of it. So she gets home from shopping and finds Master Chief, Kermit and Miss Piggy listening to our blog music. The song ended and the next one began... "I see skies of blue..." WHAT!!! "Red roses too" GAG, clear your voice!!! "And I think to myself, what a wonderful world". GAG

So dear Master Chief... you better sleep with one eye open because Mama is coming after you! With love, Mama

An interview with Kermit and Miss Piggy

I thought it would be fun to ask the kids a few questions and see what their answers were. So here you go!

Mama: What is your favorite dinner?
Kermit: Enchiladas and pizza
Miss Piggy: Quesadilla, Tootsie Toe Sandwich (grilled cheese), Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwich

M: What is your favorite color?
K: Blue and Green
MP: I love all of the colors

M: What is your favorite story?
K: Pinocchio
MP: Green Eggs and Ham

M: What do you want to be when you grow up?
K: A police officer
MP: A person who sells food at McDonalds or a Garbage Man.

M: What is your favorite movie?
K: Sandlot, Cars
MP: Little Mermaid, Annie

M: What is your favorite thing to do outside?
K: Ride my bike, mow the lawn
MP: Ride my bike, play on the swing set

M: What is your favorite primary song?
K: The Wise Man Build His House Upon a Rock.
MP: Head Shoulders Knees and Toes

This was fun! You should interview your kids sometime! I never knew that Miss Piggy wanted to be a food salesman at McDonalds or a Garbage Man. That was rather interesting!

August 10, 2002 - The end of Angel Baby's journey

Today our little Angel Baby completed her mission in life and returned to live with her Heavenly Father.

This morning we woke up to the phone ringing at 6:15. Master Chief answered it and it was Kristi, her nurse. There was still no change. At 6:30 the phone rang again. Another nurse was calling to tell us they had one last drug to try to help Angel Baby and that we should probably get ready and come down there. So we did. We got right up and threw our clothes on from the day before so we could hurry down there. While we were dressing the phone rang again. They told us to come NOW, and asked if we wanted to do everything to save her. Of course we did. We drove as fast as we could to the hospital. Upon our arrival we were told that our sweet little angel had returned to live with her Heavenly Father.

They took us back to her bedside and they put me in a rocking chair and they placed her in my arms. The only thing I could think of was that she looked so peaceful. They took us to the family room and we got to hold her for nearly 6 hours. The hospital took lots of pictures of us and gave us a beautiful white dress, some socks and booties. They also gave us a purple memory box with everything of hers in it, like her blood pressure cuff, her stethoscope, her bath soap. She was wearing a pretty purple dress and she was beautiful.

Handing her over to the nurse to leave was so hard. So final. They offered for us to help bathe her again, and to come back to the hospital at any time to hold her again. Then they took her away, cleaned her up, took more pictures (which were horrid, I wish we had a "Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep" person) and they made a lot of copies of her foot prints, even a clay moulding of them. They snipped a small piece of her hair in the back for us to keep. They did everything they could for us.

That afternoon we made our way to a mortuary. We picked a beautiful white casket that looked like a baby's bed. There were flowers, programs and arrangements like that to be decided upon.

Sunday we went to visit a cemetery with a baby land. I was so sick while I was there I wanted to throw up. I didn't know if it was because no mother should bury her baby or if it was just not the right place to lay my baby to rest. We visited another cemetery and while it was several thousands of dollars more, it was so much more of a happy feeling there. We picked the second place and even have plots for Master Chief and I to be buried with Angel Baby.

Monday I dressed Angel Baby. Both of her grandma's came to help me. We made her look so beautiful. In her white dress the sleeves kind of flared out and she truly looked like an angel with her little wings. We put a diaper on her, socks and booties. The final touch was a little white bow I had tied. I stuck it in her hair with a little honey. Then I placed her in her casket with her stuffed frog, moose and daddy's Teddy bear. Then I placed her pacifier next to her. She was surrounded by all the things she loved.

Her funeral was Tuesday. It was lovely. Both grandma's spoke along with Jared and our stake President. It was really the happiest funeral I have ever been to. It was knowing that Angel Baby is back living with her Heavenly Father, in the celestial glory she deserved. I know I will be with her again and that Master Chief and I will raise her after we are resurrected.

Angel Baby was laid to rest in a beautiful and happy cemetery on Tuesday August 13, 2002. As a tribute to her we all released pink balloons into the air after the ceremony. As the balloons were released Grandma (Master Chief's mom) said, "There she goes" and my Aunt said "Here she comes."

Angel Baby we love you so much. We can't wait for the day that we can all be back together again. We are so thankful for the blessings of the gospel and the knowledge of the plan of salvation. It really is the plan of happiness.

We have a huge blessing in our lives because of this experience. If we hadn't lost our Angel Baby we never would have adopted when we did. We now have our sweet son Kermit. He healed our broken hearts and filled our empty arms. He is such a ray of sunshine in our lives. We have a beautiful little Girl, Miss Piggy. She is such a joy in our lives and we have our newest arrival, Baby Girl. Baby Girl looks a lot like Angel Baby. She's got the dark hair, the darker skin, the same eye lashes. It's so neat to see the similarities. Our family is so happy.

August 9, 2002 - Day 9 in the life of Angel Baby

Today was not so good.

The hospital called me at home around noon (let me tell you, when you've got a baby in the NICU, each time the phone rings your heart drops for fear it's not a good phone call. Up until this point, the phone calls were all good). The nurse told me that Angel Baby had some type of infection and they gave her 3 different antibiodics to help her and they had to put her back on the ventilator.

I hurried and went up to see her. They were just starting a blood transfusion for her. It's a good thing too because she went from being my pretty pink baby to very pale but I watched her color come right back into her with the transfusion. Thank goodness, now we just needed to get all her levels up. I came home worried but comforted knowing that she wasn't pale anymore thanks to the transfusion.

Then around 4:00 I got another phone call from the nurse again. The medications weren't working and they were trying new meds. I was so scared. I grabbed our friend Philip and my mom and I met Master Chief at the hospital to give Angel Baby a blessing. In her blessing she was blessed with a slow recovery and that she would tolerate her mommy's milk. What a relief. I was still really worried and really scared.

We went up to see Angel Baby Friday night to say goodnight and to tell her that Mommy and Daddy love her. They had put her sunglasses back on because she didn't want to sleep and they wanted to make it dark for her. She was so precious. Kristi, our favorite nurse, was on that night so we called to check on Angel Baby before we went to bed. There was no change but she was going to call us in the morning before she went home.

I don't think I've ever prayed as much as I did that day and night. We were so worried about our sweet little girl.

August 8, 2002 - Day 8 in the life of Angel Baby

HAPPY 1 WEEK BIRTHDAY!!!

The nurses wanted to increase the amount they were feeding her but decided not to because her stomach was a little bigger (they measured it each day) and they were worried about pushing her too much. Besides the night before her blood sugars had gone up but they were able to bring them right back down by adjusting her nutrients.

Angel Baby was so much fun to come visit. She knew when her Mommy would come visit because she would react to her voice and her touch. She also reacted to her Daddy. She recognized our voices and we felt so bad when she'd cried but it was so cute. It was also cute when she'd sneeze while on the CPAP. We love her so much.

Tonight Daddy was able to come up. It was Mommy, Daddy and Angel Baby. Our happy family. It was Daddy's big night!!! First Mama taught Master Chief how to change Angel Baby's diaper. He was so nervous but he did such a great job. He was so careful and thought it was fun. But that was nothing compared to the fun he had while holding Angel Baby. Mama has never seen Master Chief so happy in all her life. Master Chief told Angel Baby the story of the wide mouth frog. Angel Baby was so cute. She was really sleepy but we think she was trying to stay awake in her Daddy's arms because her eyes were so droopy and heavy but she kept opening them back up. Then Master Chief started to quietly say her name and the sound of his voice put her right to sleep. Master Chief was going to wait until Saturday to come up and hold Angel Baby but something told him on Thursday that the things of the world didn't matter, his family mattered and his family was eternal. So he chose to strengthen his bond with his daughter. What a great choice.

They stopped Angel Baby's feedings tonight because she started to have bile come out of her feeding tube. Mama was sad but we were told a lot of premie babies have problems with feedings so we figured it would get better soon.

After Master Chief got done holding Angel Baby we stayed to watch them try to put her catheter in again. This time it was a snap, we were so relieved. We really wanted those umbilical lines out - the chance of infection on those lines were really high. So they were pulled and we were feeling better about things.

August 7, 2002 - Day 7 in the life of Angel Baby

It was yet another fun and exciting day today. Mama made it up to the hospital to see sweet Angel Baby. When she arrived Angel Baby was just laying there. She asked the nurse why she was so quiet and the nurse said, "Oh don't worry, I was just in with her and she was very fiesty. Angel Baby has quite the attitude!" Way to go my little Angel Baby!!! She was taking after her Mommy already!

It was day 7 and Angel Baby had another head ultrasound to check for brain bleeds. This ultrasound came out clean as well!!! Things are looking so wonderful for her.

Mama got to give Angel Baby a bath this afternoon. It was so much fun. The nurse got a blue plastic bowl full of warm water and Mama carefully washed her face, taking time to let her suck on the cloth. Then she put a little baby soap on her cloth and washed her hair. This was Mama's favorite part. It was neat to see her hair move around! Mama's mom was on the side of the bed and was holding Angel Baby's arms and legs down because we didn't want her to use all her energy. Once Mama got down to her bottom and legs, she took off her diaper. Gram-Gram said 'Uh, there's a little spot on her bum, either she's already done something or she's about to!" Well, she was 'about to'!!! The nurse came over to check and all the sudden Angel Baby exploded! She pooped all over her nurse! Then it spread all over her bed and it went up and down her legs and feet! It was that blackish tarry mess. Gram-Gram was so glad that Mama didn't miss out on that part of motherhood! Lucky for Mama it wasn't hard to clean because it was fresh and she had soap and water to clean it with! Giving her a bath was so much fun. Angel Baby was so wiggly and she'd push her feet against Mama's hand. Plus if Mama put her finger inside Angel Baby's hand she'd squeeze it. She was so strong and it was such a delight.

When Mama left that afternoon they were going to try to put her catheter in again. They tried to thread it through her leg but it wouldn't thread, so we'd have to wait another day.

Mama got to hold Angel Baby again tonight. This time Mama told her the story of the Three Little Pigs. Then she told her about her family, all her aunts, uncles, grandmas and grandpas. She fell asleep on Mama while she sucked on her binkie.

Angel Baby started to get Mama's milk today. Mama got to feed her tonight and she could tell Angel Baby was hungry. She was restless, but once that milk made it to her tummy she settled right down. What a cutie!

August 6, 2002 - Day 6 in the life of Angel Baby

Today is FULL of fun things!

Mama went to visit Angel Baby before going to her own Dr appt to have her staples removed. The nurse told her that Angel Baby was doing so well that they were taking her off the ventilator. Also they had taken the lights off of Angel Baby and took her little sunglasses off of her eyes. She had the most beautiful eyes! They were a dark blue. She would just look around and try tot ake everything in. She had the most beautiful eyelashes. They were a golden brown color and they were long! Mama was delighted!!!

By the time Mama got back from her Dr appt Angel Baby was breathing all by herself!!! She was on nasal CPAP. That was such a big step for her and it would usually exhaust a premie, but Angel Baby was doing great. Infact, she was doing so well that after resting during the afternoon Mama got to do three major Mommy things that night. The nurse showed Mama how to make Angel Baby more comfortable. She showed her how to clean around her eyes, nose and mouth. Mama learned how to clean out her nose and mouth, and then the nurse showed her that when Angel Baby gets her mouth cleaned that she likes to suck on the wet cloth. It was like eating ice chips to her. Then Mama got to change Angel Baby's diaper for the first time. Mama carefully undid the stickies and gently pulled her diaper off. Mama cleaned her up and put a clean diaper on. Then after taking care to make sure Angel Baby was comfortable, Mama was rewarded!!! She got to hold her little girl for the first time!!!

To hold Angel Baby there were a few requests from the nurse. First she needed to hold her for an hour and she should be held skin to skin with Mommy. So Mama sat in a cozy chair, unbuttoned her shirt and Angel Baby was placed on her chest, skin to skin, so that she could hear the familliar sound of her heartbeat. Mama was in heaven - cloud 9 for sure! Angel Baby was so cuddly. They ask that babies are held for an hour because the process of taking a premie from their isolet to the parent is like a 30 minute cardiovascular workout for a premie as small as Angel Baby. Angel Baby did very well. Her heart rate sped up until she got situated on her mommy. Mama wanted to tell Angel Baby a story, so she told Angel Baby the story of Cinderella. Then she told her over and over again how much she loved her and how special she was to her and how thankful she was to have her for her daughter. That hour went by way too fast. When they took Angel Baby off Mama's chest she cried. She didn't want to leave her Mommy! That was also the first time we heard her cry. When she was on the ventilator she couldn't cry, but on nasal CPAP she could. Angel Baby had the cutest cry. It was really feminine and she would crinkle her forehead and give a scowled look. Angel Baby would also move her mouth like she was sucking so the nurse gave her a pacifier. It was purple and so tiny. Angel Baby loved it. She went to town on that thing.

Angel Baby was supposed to have a catheter put in her vein for her nutrients - then they could take the lines out of her umbilical chord. But the nurse couldn't do it that night, so it would have to wait until tomorrow.

What a joyous and successful day for both Mama and Angel Baby!

August 5, 2002 - Day 5 in the life of Angel Baby

Mama was dying to get back to the hospital today to see Angel Baby. When she got there Angel Baby's diaper was open so the lights could hit her entire body. Her diaper was clean, but after 5 minutes she had her first little poop! The nurse had told us the day before that tiny babies like Angel Baby don't have BM's. Well guess what? She was wrong!

Monday night Master Chief came up with Mama. We think she was so excited to see both her Mommy and her Daddy because she just seemed to be so content. What a sweet baby she was!

August 4, 2002 - Day 4 in the life of Angel Baby

It's Sunday today. Angel Baby's nurse came to Mama's room to chat with her. Premie babies always need blood transfusions within the first day. Angel Baby hadn't needed one until the 4th! Also there is a muscle in the heart of a normal baby that closes but in a premie it doesn't close, causing a murmur. They needed this muscle to close so they gave her a medication to try closing it. If that didn't work, they would have to surgically clip it. Angel Baby's little muscle closed on Monday! No surgery needed.

The nurse also informed us in premie babies they worry about bleeding in the brain and so they do ultrasounds on days 4, 7 and 10. Angel Baby had her 1st ultrasound today and everything looked great! We were so proud of our little girl.

Mama was released from the hospital today and it was so hard to leave. We went and saw Angel Baby before we left. Mama remembers telling her that "Mommy was doing better and that I was going home but that I would come visit everyday." Mama wanted to go back that night, but it was just too much for Mama, so we waited until Monday to go back up.

August 3, 2002 - Day 3 in the life of Angel Baby

It's a Saturday. Mama is still in the hospital. Mama was able to make two trips to see Angel Baby today. Angel Baby is doing very well. She's stable, and a very content baby! Nothing remarkable happened today. Mama was so proud of her little sweetheart though. It was so amazing to have such a perfect daughter.

August 2, 2002, Day two in the life of Angel Baby

This was such an awesome day! Mama got to meet Angel Baby for the first time! Mama didn't get to meet her until 8:45pm, and Angel Baby was already almost 44 hours old.

I was wheeled through the NICU with my oxygen tank and my IV med pole. Her isolet (incubator) was towards the back of the room. She was in the middle isolet in her row. Master Chief helped me to stand up to see her. I'll never forget that feeling (I can feel it now!) of seeing her for the first time. She was beautiful, and beautiful doesn't even begin to describe her! The feeling of an over abundance of love pouring out of me. A mothers love. A love I'd never experienced. It was so strong, stronger than anything I've ever felt. My heart was so full. This was my little girl! She had big hands and big feet! Her hair.... oh was it beautiful. Her skin was the perfect color, like velvet. Her tiny lips, so tender. Her nose was so tiny! Her eyes and ears were covered due to the biliruben lights, but I was sure she was just as beautiful with the coverings as she'd be without.

And then I sang to her. While pregnant with her I made up my own words to the primary song I Often Go Walking.

Dear (Angel Baby) I love you, my dear sweetheart (Angel Baby).
And I can't wait to hold you, in my arms so dear.
I can't wait to hold you, to hug you, to love you.
Dear (Angel Baby) I love you, love your Mommy dear.

I of course cried the whole way through the song. I put my hand inside her isolet and touched her velvet skin. She had several wires and tubes connected to her for her ventilator, her temperature, her blood oxygen levels, her blood pressure and all the blood lines in her umbilical chord stump. These didn't matter though, she was so pretty.

I couldn't stay long, but she gave me hope. She gave me the strength I needed to go on. I was so excited... she was MY little girl!

Happy 7th Birthday to our sweet Angel Baby

7 years ago today Master Chief and Mama's lives changed forever. Our first child was born. A beauitful little girl with brown hair, blue eyes, gorgeous eye lashes and velvet skin. Born at 26 weeks (14 weeks early) she weighed 1 lb, 12oz and was 13 1/4 inches long. Angel Baby was born at 1:12am via emergency c-section. Mama was terribly sick with pre-eclampsia and HELLP syndrome and about to die. The only way to save Mama's life was to deliver our baby.

Angel Baby came out screaming! She was soon placed on a ventilator just to make sure she was okay and able to breathe on her own. Master Chief and a close friend Jared came and gave her a blessing that morning. Instead of placing their hands on her head, they very gently touched her foot. She was an angel sent straight from heaven to our family.

Mama couldn't see her yet as she was too sick, but Master Chief made sure to get a couple polariods for her bedside. But Master Chief told Mama how cute she was and how perfect she was! Angel Baby didn't want to be on the ventilator. She' reach up and pull on the tubes to pull them out! The nurses had to tape washclothes over her arms and legs to keep her contained so she wouldn't pull her tubes out! Can you imagine having to contain such a little baby!

Mama is going to enter each day the milestones Angel Baby reached through her life. So check back in for her whole life story.

As a family we are having a birthday party for you today! I'll post pictures of your cake later, but it's purple, the color of your binkies and the dress you wore. It has a frog on it because you loved to cuddle up to your stuffed frog, and it has a princess crown because you were our first princess.
Happy Birthday Angel Baby. We love you. We miss you. We think of you so often. We wish you were here but we are so thankful you will be with our family forever.