Out of Desperation

My little sister Sammy, is always trying to convince me to start crafty projects. We talk about all the cool things we see and how we could make more a lot of it. Well, she finally convinced me of a project worth while - a quiet book. Making it through a whole sacrament meeting is quite a challenge for our little family so "out of desperation" to do so, I started this project. We've spent many hours on the phone discussing different pages, what works, our sewing machines, and all sorts of other issues. I can even say that I've lost sleep over this silly little book, as I lay in bed thinking of other pages I could do, and how to do them. Sammy explained on her blog that it was a good thing she wasn't a perfectionist, or else this project would never be completed. I second that. So here Sam, this is my final result (even though I'll be adding more pages later).The front cover

Shoe-lace page

Counting beads and apple (snap) tree - Kimball's favorite

Road Pages (the red thing is a pocket/garage for the hotwheel car)


Button flowers and Barn w/ finger puppets.

Mailbox and Notepad/pen

Velcro gumball page

So, miracle of miracles, I finished a sewing project. The good thing about this little book is that I can keep adding to it. I just consider it finished because the covers are finished, so it's functional. But as my sister and I have become quite obsessed, we keep finding ideas of other pages from other peoples blogs. Thus, more pages will be added in the future. Oh, Sam, I would recommend that you sew all the way around the gumballs on the velcro page, they take quite a beating being pulled on and off. The felt is already separating from the pellon.

Learning to see

This is truly a face only those who really see me could love. Please feel free to laugh as hard as I did when I first saw this pic. (I tried to make this picture as small as possible to lessen the scariness of it.) To explain, this is what you get when Kimball learns how to work the camera. I'll dedicate a whole post to her and how she sees life through the camera later. But this post is going to be about some deep thoughts (sorry, for anyone that actually reads this blog, but for journaling purposes this is what I'm choosing to write today, even though it's a little nervous to actually record these thoughts .)

To explain the title of the post, Jason and I were having a very in depth conversation about seeing people and loving/understanding them for who they are. So, I've been on this whole "seeing" idea. Then a TV show that we have been watching had a scenario where a mom was offered a chance to return to the career she left after she had kids. Her husband was very understanding with whatever she decided to do. The mom decided not to return to a pretty cool job after hearing about the adjustments that would have to be made. She said something about how she was needed at home. She got a little emotional (as I did while watching) as she explained that it was just nice to be seen differently than as a mom and wife.

Well, I got to pondering on this, and why it was so emotional for me to see this character on some TV show make this choice. I tried to explain to Jason (in my dolphin squeaky ugly crying voice) that I love being a mom and getting to stay home with my kids and that I wouldn't change it for the world. At the same time, it's hard to think that's all I'm seen as - another Mormon mom with short hair, driving a mini-van when I know I'm so much more... how can I get people to see that. Then, the thought came to be... who is it that I want to SEE me? And in turn, do I take the time to really see those around me? Or am I so busy trying to make other see how cool I think am? (Can I really learn to not be that self-centered? :-) I hope recognition is the first step.)

There's a couple of conclusions to these moments of pondering (but nothing is ever final in my head). Never in my life will I regret the choices I've made to be part of this mom in a mini-van. I should be so lucky to be included in as part of this bunch. I love being a wife and a mother, and I want my husband and kids to know how important they are to me!!! I love that I get to see them, for all of eternity!

It's also important to learn to see those around me and learn from them, and not dismiss anyone because I think I know more or am cooler for whatever reason. There is something to learn from everyone.

Ultimately, I know that Heavenly Father sees me for all that I am (good and bad) and more importantly who I can be. He doesn't care that I may look like all the other moms in my ward, or in the whole world. He sees me.

Tod and Easter Updates

Yes, we're still here. Tod is getting bigger every day (9 3/4 lbs now). I keep telling him "you're a real boy" because he'll make eye contact and smile, and if I'm lucky he'll start cooing. He's a good low-maintenance baby. He just needs food and sleep. We love him. He may be the favorite. However, the poor kid has had the worst case of baby acne I have ever seen in my life. It has been more traumatizing for me than for him (of course), but maybe this means he'll have clear skin as a teenage. Here's hoping.






Kimball and Jack have been keeping us on our toes. They had a fun time Easter morning with little bags of treats. We kept trying to explain about the meaning of Easter, but I'm afraid they haven't quite caught on yet.










Kimball decided to make her own fun by playing "How many Easter Egg candies can you fit in your mouth at the same time"? This was the result.








Tod got to meet Grandma Great this week. It's fun to see our kids get to know some of their great-grandparents. I only have vague memories of meeting one of my great-grandma's, so I'm grateful that our kids are having a chance to get to know a few great-grandparents. I hope pictures of these moments will help our kids remember these amazing people that are so much apart of who they are.

And, I can never post without adding a video or two (really these are for my sister Abbey, who is always harassing me about adding videos and not blogging enough).

This is Kimball's latest trick at the pool... a back flip.
Notice how she even grabs her legs to get a good tuck.

Kimball and Jack have learned that bed-time doesn't necessarily mean that they have to fall asleep immediately. This is what these two were up to an hour after we put them down. Yes, they were playing quietly for an hour until their giggles got the best of them.

D-day Survival

I have officially survived the first day of Jason's return to work. In anticipation of his day (which I referred to as D-day) I started contemplating all the worse case scenarios which included the house burning down, me not showering, all three kids crying all day long, exploding diapers, and a various of other potential traumas. Thankfully, none of these imagined traumas occurred, and the kids and I all had a pretty good day at home. I actually made a real dinner, which wasn't a normal occurrence even before Tod was born. And, I even showered and got a batch of laundry done.

I was beginning to feel so empowered that by Tuesday, I accepted an invitation from some of the Hafen sisters and sister-in-laws to meet at a park. So I packed up all of the kids, and met them at park. I am grateful to have this group of awesome women to hang-out with and am always amazed at how much they are willing to help me juggle my little ones. And, I'm grateful to older cousins that are willing to help my kids too. The kids had a great time running around (Tod enjoyed his carseat - well, kind of) and I had a blast getting out of the house and getting some fresh air too.




Jack wanted to rock out on this four-wheeler the whole day, and Kimball was almost impossible to get down from on top the the playgrounds (until she discovered this pretty tall slide).







The week before Jason had to go back to work, we headed up to St.George to have my sis-in-law Kim take some pictures of the kids. She is AMAZING! I'm not kidding, she really is awesome. You can see more of her work at abeandkimphotography.blogspot.com. She managed to capture the kids in some great shots (as you will notice new pictures of the kids all over the blog). She even managed to capture a couple of shots of me holding Tod, which I had told her not to take, but she knew that I would regret it.. and she was right. THANKS Kim!




Tod is doing well and gaining weight. He is now officially 8 lbs 2 oz as of this morning. Look, he has a chubby cheek to lay on now. He is a happy boy as long as he is fed and has a comfortable place to sleep. Jason was saying it's like we have 2.5 kids, because Tod is so low maintenance. I'm thankful for that. After we got his eating figured out, he has been a very easy baby so far.




Kimball and Jack continue to enjoy their new little brother, but mostly they love each other. They keep each other busy and laughing as the run throughout the house and wrestle one another. Sometimes they head upstairs while I'm attending to Tod, and I always know there's trouble if it gets too quiet. Just today, it got quiet, and before I could get upstair to check on them, I see Jack on the stairs with black stuff on his hands and face. I thought they had found a black marker, nope... they found my make-up and my mascara. Good thing I don't wear water-proof mascara.

I can't wait until Tod is big enough to join in on the fun and bruises.

Road Trips, Bottles, Partners in Crime, and a Birthday Tribute

We can't be all together for weeks and stay home, so we took a road trip to my parents house. We packed up the new van and began our maiden voyage (or first road trip) and headed to Midway, UT. The kids loved the new van almost as much as Jason and I. Having all the extra space came in very handy as I could change diapers without opening the door, which was very nice considering it was snowing almost the whole way up. That's how desperate we were to get out of the house, we left 65-70 degree weather to go to 45-50 degrees. But it was a good trip, so we can't complain too much.

While we were up at my parents, I had joked about Tod and how he was my little Ethiopian, seeing as how he was so thin. Really I was starting to get worried. Turns out I had reason to be worried. His bout with jaundice made him very lethargic, and I didn't know that he wasn't getting the milk he needed from me. My mom watch as I was tried to feed him, and noticed his difficulty latching (this may be too much info for people, but too bad). She made me feel better and said I was doing it right, but that Tod was having issues. We got a bottle and watch him try and eat. Turns out he was rolling his tongue back and not being able to swallow anything. So after some maneuvering we got the bottle into his mouth and he finally began to eat. So my poor little underfed baby is now getting enough food with bottles. And I am very relieved! He just got back up to his birth weight a couple days ago, and is now almost 7 lbs.

Oh, and this is my Sadie Hawkins picture, because I accidentally dressed Tod and I alike. And, I had to take a picture with my new haircut. Really I told Jason that I needed to take a picture of my new hair but that I didn't want it to just be about my new hair cut, so this was a good excuse.

Meanwhile, people keep asking how Kimball and Jack are adjusting with the new baby. Really they keep each other so busy that they hardly notice Tod. They really are "partners in crime" as they chase each other around the house and just laugh and play. They even enjoy their breakfast together out in the backyard. People (me included) thought we were nuts for having our kids close together but it's really rewarding now.

This is what happens when they're left to their own devices.

Jason celebrated his 31st birthday a couple of days ago, and I can't help but use his birthday as an excuse to brag about him. He truly is the best dad and husband ever, and he just gets better with age, so here's hoping to many many more years with him as my "partner in crime." He takes the best care of me (especially during maternity leave) and the kids. From trips to the park to delicious cinnamon roles and soups, we are lucky to have him. WE LOVE YOU Jason!
And yes, he had just come down this little slide with both of the kids on his lap. Just an example of what makes him so loved!

What day is it?

Since Tod came home 2 weeks ago, I have been so confused about the date. Who knew we are already in March? Everything has been one big blur. Thank goodness for doctors appointments and church. These help us remember what day of the week we are on.

Tod is doing well. He had jaundice and had to get his heel pricked everyday for a week and sleep with the Wallaby 3 (a light that he laid on most of the day if he wasn't in the sun). He is doing much better and doesn't need the light anymore. Now, if he would only gain weight. I don't worry about it as much as Mandy does. I figure he'll plump up soon enough and one day even complain about his weight.

Here are the latest pictures:



Here is what Tod came home to. Kimball was pretty excited, Jack not so much.



This is a picture of Tod's cousin Macade. He was born 11 days before Tod and weighed about 2 pounds more. What a difference 2 pounds makes.



It's amazing the difference in the size of noggins



Kimball loves Tod


Jack's getting used to his role as the middle child

And now for the sibling comparison:


Here's Kimball as a baby


Jack as a baby


Tod

I thought Tod looked like Kimball as a baby but now I think he's his own person. The 2010 model will not be a copy cat.

Baby Tod

Coming in at 6 lbs 10 oz and 19 inches long.... Please welcome Tod Ashton Hafen into the world!


Mandy did an amazing job. She went natural, which makes me wonder why they don't call getting an epidural going unnatural but I digress. Both mom and baby are doing great. Here's the story, my version.
Ever since Jack was born on 10-09-08, we thought we could plan what day our children would be born. Since Mandy's due date was March 8th, we thought having the baby on 02-20-10 would be an easy date to remember. Mandy's sister Sammy wants to be a midwife/birth educator so she wanted to come see the delivery. Arrangements were made, plane tickets bought, uteruses were irritated and we were off to the races on Thursday, Feb 18th. Needless to say, Tod had other plans.
Mandy experienced some contractions on Thursday night but then they subsided and I woke up Friday morning wondering why we didn't have an new baby. On Friday, Mandy went shopping with her mom, dad and Sammy for some last minute items and then we all went out to lunch at Cafe Rio. President Obama was in town so the 215 was backed up for miles. After going all the back roads, we enjoyed our Mexican food (part of what I like to call the macho combo of going into labor) and set out for home. Friday night comes and goes just like Thursday night. We experienced this with Jack though. He stalled out for about 2 hours and after some walking he was back on track. Tod, however, was not like this. As soon as Mandy sat down, contractions stopped.

Saturday came along and we had arrived at 2-20-10. In the morning, we received a call that my brother Jordon's wife Kortni was going to the hospital to deliver her baby Alia who was due on March 4th. We thought, how nice if the cousins could have the same birthday. Tod had other ideas. After a whole day shopping, moving watching, Cooking with Wendy, and a game of spades, still no contractions. Wendy and Sammy went back to the hotel around 8:50 pm. After they left, Mandy and I were talking in the kitchen and she looked at me and said "I think my water just broke or I peed my pants." After the wetness kept running down Mandy's leg we were pretty sure it was the water. The count down had begun.

Wendy and Sammy came back over and we stared walking the neighborhood. It was way to cold to be walking outside so we went inside and just like before as soon as Mandy sat down, the contractions went away. We all went to bed around 1am and told Mandy to let us know if anything happened. Mandy woke up at 3:30 am saying she felt a contraction and stared walking around. When she laid down the contractions stopped. Then at 4 she stared feeling the contractions coming quicker and stronger. This was the sign we were waiting for. We headed off to the hospital leaving my brother Austin to wake up with Kimball and Jack (Thanks Austin, you're the greatest!)
Finally, the moment arrived, as did Dr. Lewis, for Mandy to start pushing. Soon, I could see Tod's head and Dr. Lewis helped me deliver him. He came out with blond hair and just wondering what had happened. We are so excited he his here safe and sound in the hospital. I wonder how safe and sound he will be once he comes home to Kimball and Jack. Here's to having 3 kids under the age of 3!

Tod Ashton Hafen

The happy family


Nana and Sammy

Nana and Grandma