4 Weeks of Pictures!

Wow! Time Flies! I can't believe that Kaitlynn will be 4 weeks old in a couple of days. It's been a busy few weeks! I am starting to feel like we are settling into a bit of a routine. I still feel like I am in survival mode most of the day. But we are all doing fantastic.

Adysen loves Kaitlynn and is always wanting to hold her and play with her. A couple of weeks ago Adysen decided that she was ready to start potty training. So, along with having a newborn and trying to figure out how to be parents of two, we have been trying to figure out the mystery of potty training.

Needless to say, I feel like I have had no time to update the blog. So, I decided to just do it today. here is one really big post with pictures from the last four weeks. They are in reverse order newest to oldest...here you go:

August 16th -- My matching girls, reading a book before bed.

Adysen is becoming such a great and loving big sister!

August 14th:

August 12th:

August 11th:

August 10th:

August 9th:

Adysen loves her elbows.

August 8th:

Adysen spent the weekend in Idaho with her Grandpa and Grandma Smith and Anessa.

She had a lot of fun, but we were sure excited to have her back home again.

August 5th - 2 weeks old:

Great Grandpa and Grandma Leyshon came down with my parents. It was great to see them.

First ice cream cone!

So Sleepy!! Adysen likes sitting in the baby bouncy seat.

August 3rd:

I made myself a baby wrap using $5 fabric from Walmart. Pretty cool if I do say so myself.

August 2nd:

July 31st:

What a tired Daddy! He fell asleep bouncing Kaitlynn!

July 30th:

Great Grandpa and Grandma Alexander came to visit. It was nice to be able to spend time with them.

July 29th:

July 28th:

July 27th:

July 24th:

Kaitlynn's Birth

For those of you who are interested, here is the story of Kaitlynn's birth:

On the 22nd (my original due date), I had a non-stress test scheduled in the morning. I had been having contractions all night and was still having regular contractions every 10-15 minutes. So, we left Adysen with a friend and went in for the test. Sure enough, the test showed that I was having regular contractions about every 5-7 minutes. They weren't too bad yet, so we decided to go eat and walk around the park. After a couple of hours, the contractions were getting stronger and more painful. I decided we better go in and check my progress. Around 1 pm, we got to the hospital. I was at 4cm and 80%. I was a little disappointed because I thought I would be a little further along. They decided to admit me but said I could leave and come back since I wasn't planning on having an epidural.

We walked around the hospital and outside for about an hour. I started getting really self conscious because the contractions were way strong and it was so obvious I was in labor. We would stop walking and I would rock back and forth while leaning on Alton. Finally, I was ready to go to my room so that I didn't have to worry what everyone else was thinking. When we got back I was at 6cm. Which was way exciting for me. The nurse was shocked because I was just talking and smiling between the contractions and then when the contractions would come, I would breath and concentrate on relaxing.

I then decided to try out the tub. It was nice to be able to relax between the contractions in the warm water. However, after an hour or so (I have to admit my sense of time was a little off so I really don't know how long), the doctor wanted to check me again. I was at 6.5cm. So, we decided to break my water and speed things up just a little.

They told me that the contractions would be a lot my painful after my water broke. I have to admit that I didn't really believe them. But they were right...the contractions got really painful. It seemed like it was only a few minutes (but it was probably more) and I was feeling ready to push. I told the nurse and she got the doctor. When they checked me I was "complete." I was confused and I asked them a couple of times if they were sure. I couldn't believe how fast that change happened.

The next couple of hours (maybe three) is a bit of a blur to me. Once again, my sense of time was a little off and I can't figure out where the extra couple of hours fit into this timeline.

Alton was great and kept cheering me on and helping me breath and relax. The nurses were awesome. One was way encouraging and told me I was her hero and she was amazed by me. She would tell the new nurses or doctors who walked in how great I was doing. She really helped me feel empowered. Even though she probably says those things to everyone (and I hope she does), it helped me feel like I was doing an awesome job.

At the beginning when I was pushing, they checked Kaitlynn and realized she was face up (normally the baby turns face towards the mothers back when they are born), so I tried some positions to help her rotate around. This made for some really painful back labor. Later when they checked, they realized that Kaitlynn had a brow presentation, meaning her forehead was coming first. The doctor told me that my baby needed to tuck her chin down or put her head all the way back. If she didn't change her head position in 15 minutes, they were going to have to do a c-section. This was a hard 15 minutes for me. But luckily, when they checked her again she had tucked her head. I was so grateful. Soon (relatively) she was born. Which I have to admit is the most amazing experience in the world to see a child enter this world.

I was so glad I spent time reading about natural child birth and preparing for a non-medicated birth. It was amazing. I never even considered having medication during the labor. Even when the contractions were painful, the option didn't even cross my mind. Probably because I had such good support with Alton and the nurses. I was up and walking to the bathroom on my own right after the birth. I only stayed in the hospital for 24 hours (I would have even went home sooner, but they said they needed to do the PKU test for Kaitlynn at the 24 hour mark and I didn't want to go back into the hospital). Recovery also went a lot better this time around.

All I can really say is it was an amazing experience and I love my little girls and wonderful husband!

Introducing Kaitlynn Alexander

We are so excited to introduce our newest addition to our family -- Kaitlynn! She arrived July 22nd at 7:38 pm. She weighed 9 lb 3 oz and is 22 inches long!

Here is our first family picture--about an hour after Kaitlynn was born. We are still in the labor and delivery room. :) We will post more pictures soon.

Maternity Photos

I have been avoiding the camera for the last few months. Actually, we just don't take a lot of pictures and when we do, we take pictures of Adysen. A couple of weeks ago I realized that if I wanted any pictures of being pregnant this time around, I better hurry and take them. So, I told Alton that he could be my professional photographer. These were taken just before 37 weeks.

June Overview

Here are just a few pictures of June.

Adysen has discovered that she prefers to drink her milk directly off of her tray. I'm hoping she grows out of it soon!

We bought a new rocker/recliner for the nursery -- YAY! Adysen loves playing with the box! Alton made a window for her and a little back door! She has lots of fun playing with her house box. She likes to peek out the window or door and say "Hi!"

Adysen likes helping us with our wire business. She enjoyed "helping" Alton take pictures of our new products.

Adysen loves shoes!! She is an expert at putting on her own shoes. I think she was even saying "shoes" in this picture. :)

So Sleepy! I realized that I can french braid her hair. It is so cute...but I had a hard time getting a good picture of it.
Adysen and I went to the park with our friends. Adysen especially liked playing in the little house and with the wood chips.

I made homemade freezer jam for the first time by myself. I am beginning to realize how many things I should have learned while I was still living at home. However, the jam turned out great. This is rhubarb raspberry jam. I made a few batches of strawberry. Yummy!