Splish Splash

We took the kids to the free splash park in Rexburg on Monday with a couple of my sisters and their kids. My kids LOVED it! It was great. The pictures speak for themselves so enjoy!

This was where Saydi spent the majority of her time. She didn't like the big slides!

Miss snagged this picture and man oh man, do I love it! It is the perfect summary of Weston's day. He loved every minute.

Saydi went down the slide twice with daddy coaxing her down. Or pushing her down. Whichever you want to call it.

This picture melts my heart. Saydi loves her daddy. And the feeling is mutual.

Buddies!

On our way out we stopped at the carousel and let the kids go for a ride. Saydi didn't want to sit on her horse.

But then daddy snuck her up there when it got going and she loved it. The cuteness was too much to handle! There's nothing better then watching your kids experience things for the first time and seeing how much fun they have.

Where was Jonas most of the time you ask? In here. =)

And I chopped my long, unhealthy hair off to help me enjoy the summer festivities more. So far, so good.

Facts and Fotos

I have so many pictures of Jonas that I just love and even though I should probably not post every last one of them I'm going to do basically just that! He's just too cute for me not to. So here are pictures and some of the things we've been finding out about our newest addition.

Jonas is a really good baby. He definitely has his moments but he is very easy going. He likes to be held all the time and will do good on his own only if he can see or smell mommy. He spits up a ton like Weston did which makes for lots of messes. Saydi was the victim of one of his incidents and she said, "Jonas spilled! Get da wipes, get da wipes!"

He goes about 2 1/2 to 3 hours at night and during the day so we still don't have much of a set schedule since I never know which one he's going to prefer. But he is getting better at having long periods of time where he's awake and content which we all love. Weston and Saydi love him so much. They always want to hold him and I swear Saydi gives him kisses about 20 times a day. We love our little squirmy guy!

This picture makes him look so chubby! He is about nine pounds already and we love that he's so healthy looking.

My flash made Mark and Jonas squint and make practically the same face. Ha! Love it.

My sister, Sarah made this onesie for Jonas. Adorable.

He laid on the couch and slept like this for about 10 minutes one day while I was trying to load the other two up in the car. Patiently waiting his turn.

He loves to put his hands by his face. I still have to swaddle him tight if I want him to stay asleep and not hit himself. When he gets his hands out though it usually results in some cheek squishage like this picture shows.

Life with three kids is definitely an adjustment but has been easier for me then when I went from one to two. I've been so grateful for Jonas and the things he's taught me already. I've definitely been less anal about my house and whether it's spotless or not. Just not possible with three kids three and under! And yet we still survive despite dishes in the sink. =)

Summer and Stuff

Well, summer is officially here which means I'm officially grumpy. I know, I know. I'm a weirdo. But summer is most definitely my least favorite season. I definitely do enjoy all the fun things you get to do, but doing them in ridiculous heat with sweat dripping from every orifice does not a fun time make...in my book at least. So to combat my dislike for heat and also my semi comatose state from being up with Jonas and then getting up with kids now that Mark is back to work, we have been trying to fill our days with summer "fun". Doing things like:

Holding our sweet baby Jonas (and sometimes smothering him a little too much!)

Doing some kind of cheer? "G-O, Weston go!"

Swimming. And looking adorable while doing so.

Going for walks. Especially to the park.

Enjoying the rare gloomy days and rain that leave beautiful rainbows like this one in our back yard.

And just generally being cute and happy!

Jonas, Jonas, Jonas

We're learning a few things with our new baby boy around. Like, you can still get water in your basement from a faulty foundation; your house doesn't care if your baby is only five days old. And boys still need to get circumcised and two year olds still need vaccinations even if mommy has a raging fever from an infection in her uterus. But mostly we're learning that each time we have a baby we fall head over heels in love and we always know they are meant to be in our family. Jonas is no exception. Here are lots of pictures and some things we're still figuring out about our new little guy.

Life can be too much for a tiny little guy.

Saydi always wants to "hold it" and Weston is starting to join in. Jonas NEVER cries when his siblings hold him.

He has big hands and feet and looks a bit monkey-ish when they're out. =)

Throwing up the peace sign and making a funny face to help pass the time.

Cuddle time with daddy is one of his favorite things.

He's just plain cute!

And sometimes confused.

I don't mean this in a bad way toward my other kids but Jonas is the best baby we've had. He is extremely low maintenance and doesn't even use a pacifier. He just calms down on his own. He eats every 2-3 hours and just sleeps in between or stays awake and just looks around. There's no fussing, crying or grumpiness from this guy EVER. He does have a terrible rash on his bum from all the diaper changes (we're seriously going through 15 to 20 diapers a day) and that makes him scream like crazy when I change his diaper but that's really the only time he ever cries or is upset. My other favorite thing about him is that he is my first baby that only nurses for 20 to 30 minutes and will quit on his own. Weston and Saydi used to never stop on their own and they never seemed full. He's just plain delightful! We love him so much and he just fits right in.

I also just have to say how grateful I am for Mark being such a good husband and dad. I don't think Wes and Saydi will want him to go back to work ever. Since he's been home they have gone swimming, to the drive-in to see Panda 2, to lots of parks, the library, the mall to play on toys, grocery shopping (which they love), and played with lots of cousins. Mark's been amazing at keeping them happy and helping them adjust to the fact that mommy is always locked in her room feeding a baby or sleeping. It's really helping them transition and it's helping me get better faster so that when he goes back to work (not for another week and a half!) we will all be better off. He's amazing and I love him so much for all that he does for our little family.

Jonas' Birth

This post will probably be terribly long but I like to remember all the details of each of my children's births so the blog is the best place for me to keep track. Plus I don't know why but I like reading other people's birth stories so maybe other people like reading mine. =)

Tuesday night was the worst night and I had a lot of contractions that kept me up so when Wednesday morning rolled around I was so incredibly grateful to go in for my induction. We got to the hospital around 7 and they got me in a room with an i.v. but they had a lot of babies coming so they had to wait for some personnel to free up before they would start my pitocin so it was 10:00 before that got going. They checked me and I was only at about a 2.

I told Mark the night before that I wasn't going to be a hero and I would be taking my epidural as soon as I felt like it. This last month of this pregnancy was really hard on me so I was just plain done and wanted some relief before we launched into a whole different kind of pain. Around 12:30 I felt like the contractions were severe enough that I was over it and got my epidural. I had felt SO much pressure with each one so I really thought that maybe this time I was dilating past a two on my own but they checked me after my epidural and broke my water at about 1:15 and sure enough, I was only a 2 still, just like with Weston and Saydi. My body literally is not capable of going past that point on it's own!

When Dr. Leavitt broke my water he said there was quite a lot of meconium. I also had a lot of thinning out to do still so I wasn't really encouraged by the progress we were making. Around 3 Mark's mom came by to meet Miss there and exchange our kids. My plan was to just say hi to the kids for a second and then send them on their way and they would just meet Jonas the next day. Well, at 3:15 they came and checked me again and I was only at a FOUR. I was frustrated. But she said I only had about 10% more to efface and then she thought I would probably go quickly after that. Literally 15 minutes later I felt this tremendous cramping low in my uterus. A lot like menstrual cramps. It was really intense and I paged my nurse and told her I was thinking maybe my epidural was wearing off or something and she said she would just check me again really quick. I was super irritated by that because I was in a lot of discomfort and that was the last thing I wanted her to do, especially since she'd just done it fifteen minutes ago! So she checked me and said, "yeah, it's time to have a baby". WHAT?! I seriously thought she was joking. A four to a ten in 15 minutes? So I called Mark in from the hall, told him to send his mom to the waiting room and text Miss to go there with the kids when she got there and come in so we could have a baby. He said, "What? They're going to have you push before you're at a ten?" I said, "Uh, I AM at a 10." It was pretty funny how shocked we both were. =)

My nurse was getting last minute things and I was literally holding the baby in waiting for my doctor to come in. I told her I was not going to even push once until the doctor was there because my last one came out on the first push. So Dr. Leavitt got there and told me to go ahead when I felt I was ready. I did and I immediately felt Jonas coming out and let me tell ya, I've never felt so much relief!! It was awesome. Dr. Leavitt even had to tell me to go easy because Jonas practically came shooting right out. Our NICU nurse was running down the hall because there were lots of other babies that day and he just plain came out so fast that nobody was really ready! Jonas Glenn Carlson was born at 3:43 pm on June 22nd.

Mark and I both admitted to each other we were a little disappointed to find out he weighed 7 lbs. 7 oz. because he just felt so big in there and I looked so big! But I think it was just the way I carried him. Anyway the poor little guy had two black eyes and a swollen, black nose for the first day or two because he came down so quickly. But he still was adorable to us! He had a little bit of a hard time breathing during those first several hours because of the meconium and he spit up for a long time afterwards but there were no other complications (including no jaundice for the first time! yea!) so we were home almost exactly 24 hrs. after he came out. I hate hospitals and was so glad to leave and spend the night at home the next day.

He has been a really good eater and now that my milk has come in he's sleeping a lot better too, although days and nights are still very mixed up. I'm so grateful he doesn't have jaundice. He does however have really bad gas and his stomach makes these rumbling noises that I've never, ever heard in a baby before and it seems to make him uncomfortable. I feel bad for the guy. He was that way before my milk ever came in so I really doubt it's something in my diet or whatever but he's going in tomorrow for his circumcision (boo) so we'll see what the doctor says about it then. Other then that things are going well and we are so in love with him already!

The kids are kind of on the fence I think. Saydi always says "I wanna hold it" when I get him and when she saw him for the first time I asked her who he was and she immediately said "Jonas!" Weston really doesn't want much to do with him but doesn't mind looking at him. They both kind of just act like he's always been around. They've been a LOT more emotional lately but luckily they're not showing any hostlity towards the baby or anything like that. It's hard to believe I have three kids now and at the same time I'm not sure what I would do without any one of them. We feel very fortunate to have such healthy, beautiful kids and to have the means and good fortune to get to bring them into the world!

This was the first time the kids saw Jonas. I wasn't decent so you can't really see him because I wanted to be covered up but his little hat is poking out. =)

My dad with his namesake. His very first grandson named after him.

Jonas Glenn

We did it! He's here and healthy and beautiful. June 22, 2011 - 3:43 pm. 7lbs. 7oz. 20 1/2 inches. I will post the whole labor story soon but in the mean time we are home, healthy, and loving our new little boy!

Saydi's Birthday

Saydi had her REAL birthday yesterday and is now officially two years old! It's hard to believe and at the same time I feel like she's always been in my life. We started out the morning with opening the last couple presents Mark and I had for her. Her very first Barbie (which I somehow can't stop playing with)

and her very first tricycle! She's having a hard time figuring out the pedals but she'll get there!

Mark had just come off a night shift so he went to bed and I took the kids to the library to stock up on some Baby Einstein movies and then we went and got some balloons to decorate the house with.

Poor Weston's bike broke just last week and there had been some serious arguments but then Saydi getting a new one just sealed the deal and I couldn't take much more fighting! So we went and got him a new bike after lunch and naps. I felt a little guilty doing that on Saydi's birthday but they both enjoyed their own bikes so much more once he had his own! We also took the kids to the mall to play with the Thomas train table in Barnes and Noble that they love and then had dinner at their favorite place, Olive Garden, since I just didn't have it in me to cook!

After we were done playing outside (hence the ragamuffin hair, outfit, general look) we came in for cupcakes which Saydi at first was not a fan of

and refused to blow out

but then she got to tasting the deliciousness that is rainbow chip cake and frosting and pronounced "I yike it!".

I always do so good on my kids' birthdays until I put them in bed and then I cry! I can't help it. They grow so fast and I can remember each of their births like it was yesterday. We love you Saydi and are so glad we have such a Precious girl in our family! Happy Birthday!

Saydi's 2nd "Birthday"

I was really stressing about the birthday situation as Saydi's birthday and the birth of baby #3 were creeping up on me when one night at a primary meeting my friend Carrie mentioned that I should just have her party and be done with it since Saydi doesn't know when her birthday is anyway. I decided that was a fabulous idea so we had a little get together at the park today to celebrate her upcoming second birthday. Saydi got spoiled by all her aunties and friends and she had a fun day, although she became very shy being the center of attention! It was a fun day and here are the pictures to prove it:

This is while we were singing "happy birthday" to her. I love the combo of her shades and party hat. =)

Her first tea set! I've wanted her to have one for a long time but wasn't sure she'd get the concept. She did. Right away. She played with it for the longest time when we got home.

Proudly displaying her "orange" shirt. She tries so hard to tell me what colors are what but she is almost always wrong!

Her first purse!

Sporting her new necklaces and bracelets. Which she is obsessed with. She loves necklaces! And you'll notice Wes in the background being the great "helper" that he was. =)

Here she is playing on the toys with her bling on. She threw a lovely fit when I didn't let her sleep with them on tonight. Mean mommy doesn't want her to choke.

She was being so shy and cuddly and when she'd open a present this was the face she'd make. Always with the tongue. I guess that's her own little way of hiding her smile.

It was a fun party and I'm glad we got to celebrate our sweet girl before life gets too crazy with a new baby brother in the mix! Thanks to all those who came! And I just have to say that I am SO grateful for my sisters and the help they gave me with everything. I couldn't have done what little I did without them!

I wanted to post a few things about Saydi while I'm at it so I don't forget how special she is at this age and what a fun girl she is. She LOVES to play outside. Especially with her brother, although she is very independent and she is just fine to play anywhere by herself at any time.

It would take less time for me to write the words she DOESN'T say, she talks so good. She mostly speaks in sentences too and it is so nice to be able to communicate with her at such a young age since Weston took so much longer! She is my cuddle bug and I love, love, love it. She will sometimes crawl behind me when I'm sitting up on my bed or on the couch and ever so gently play with my hair. And when I pick her up and hold her on my hip she wraps one arm super tight around my neck, not to mention the crushing hugs she will give! She loves her babies and dolls and gives them random kisses as well as making sure they're wrapped up in their blankies. She does the "shh, shh, shh" thing still too and I'm sure that's bound to increase when baby brother comes! She never lets me forget to have us read scriptures after we read our books at night and she just started saying the prayer recently too, though not often. She is always the first at meal times to say "prayer!" and keep her arms folded until we're done, no matter how hungry she is. She is full of fun, laughter, and love and I honestly can not even imagine what our family would be like without her! She is such a sweet blessing and I'm so grateful that it's me she calls Mama. We love you Saydi bug!!

(This picture is blurry because it's from my phone and it's zoomed in but I HAD to post it because it perfectly captures Saydi's sweet, fun-loving personality. Love her.)