6 Weeks Later.....

In the hospital right after Mckay was born things were a bit crazy. Mckay was having a hard time breathing and Dr. Weibell had to hurry back to his office to see patients so I didn't get a chance to have their picture taken together. So, at my 6 week check-up I took Mckay with me and finally got a picture of my baby with the best Obstetrician in the whole world.

The Dinosaur Zoo - aka: Thanksgiving Point

Each summer we take the kids to Thanksgiving Point. My kids call it The Dinosaur Zoo because seeing all of the Dinosaurs is their favorite part. They especially love being there and having fun with their cousins.

Cousins: Dallin, Madi, Lexie, Macie and Andrew


Cousin Lexie


Cousin Dallin


Cousin Macie


Madi


Andrew


Macie and Madi


Dallin


Dallin, Madi, Macie and Andrew

Locks of Love

Madi asks me at the end of every school year if she can cut her hair really short. I love when her hair is long so I've always just let her cut a few inches off but this past summer she told me that she wanted to cut off enough hair so she could donate it to Locks of Love. She said she wanted them to make a wig out of her hair for her Grandma. (Howie's mom has been fighting cancer for quite a while now and sadly Madi has had to learn a lot about it at a very young age.) How could I say no to such a sweet request? As Madi was getting her hair cut she told the hairdresser all about her Grandma Beattie and that she was sending her hair to Locks of Love for her. It was so cute and you can see from the pictures below how darling she looked after 10 inches of hair was cut off.

Madi Celebrates Her Birthday at School

Because Madi's birthday is on June 18th she is never in school to celebrate with her class. So, she took birthday treats in to her class a month early on May 18th. She was so excited!

Madi telling her class about the red, white and blue mini cupcakes she was going to give them at the end of class.


Madi answering questions about what she is going to do to celebrate her birthday.

Our trip with Grandma Tyson to St. George

When Mckay was just a month old - Madi, Grandma and I went to St. George to visit Great-Grandma Gamble while dad and Andrew went to a Father and Sons campout with Grandpa Tyson. We stayed in a hotel and swam, visited with Great-Grandma, visited with Uncle Steve & Aunt Kristy (who were visiting from Washington) and went shopping at the Outlet Mall. It was a fun little trip and nice to be away for a few days.

Grandma Tyson giving Mckay a bath at the hotel.

Great-Grandma Gamble holding Mckay.

Madi shopping 'til she dropped at the Outlet Mall.

Auntie Ashley came to St. George a day later and shopped with us.


The last night we were in St. George we went to dinner with Great-Aunt Karen, Great-Uncle Steve, Great-Grandma Gamble, Grandma and Great-Aunt JoAnn


Great-Aunt Karen pushing Great-Grandma Gamble on the swings at a splash park.

Andrew's last day at Crosswinds Pre-school

Andrew started pre-school as a 3 year old in January of 2010. His teacher's name was Miss Jamie. Miss Jamie was wonderful. She loved all the kids and they did a lot of fun things. Andrew loved going to pre-school every Tuesday and Thursday. His friends and classmates were Chloe, Asher, Atilyn and Tricia.

On the last day of pre-school Miss Jamie had a party at the park for the kids with a big, bouncy slide. Andrew had so much fun and played on the slide the whole three hours.

Madi loses her first two teeth

It took Madi a long time to loose her first tooth. Most of the kids in her 1st grade class had lost both of their bottom teeth and Madi was super excited when she finally lost hers. She would not let us pull her teeth so they were hanging by a thread and she finally lost them while she was eating. She is now patiently waiting the loss of her top front teeth.

Great-Grandma Gamble & Great-Grandma Tyson & Great Uncle Mike

Great-Grandma Gamble with Mckay

Great-Grandma Tyson with Mckay

Madi and Andrew with Great Grandma Gamble and Great Grandma Tyson

Madi, Howie & Andrew with Great Grandma Tyson

Great Uncle Mike with Mckay, Madi and Andrew

Great Grandma Gamble with Andrew and Madi

The Great Grandma's and Uncle Mike came for Ashley's graduation. It was fun to have them over to our home for a visit and to get some pictures.

The Bili-Bed

A couple of days after Mckay came home from the hospital we found out that he had jaundice. So.....that brought us the not-so-fabulous bili-bed. Mckay did not like being stuck like that and we had to keep him in it as much as possible for about 5 days. He loved spitting up all over the bili-bed - especially right after we would get him in it. I would hold the bili-bed on my lap and try to snuggle him to keep him comfortable. It was a happy day when the doctor finally said we didn't need it anymore.

"Has anyone told you yet that he has an extra finger?"

About a half an hour after Mckay was born the nurses took him to the nursery to see if they could help him breathe better. After they left my nurse came over to me and quietly said, "Has anyone told you yet that he has an extra finger?" I thought she was joking but she assured me she wasn't. She told me that it would be an easy thing to fix because the extra finger did not have a bone in it. It was just a small piece of skin with a finger nail. The next day the pediatrician tied a string around it and said it would eventually fall off. It turned out to be not as simple as that but his extra finger is gone now. Everyone tells me that he will always have something cool to say when he is asked, "Tell us something unique about yourself." :)

Mckay just a few minutes old (April 19, 2010)

Mckay with cousin Brook

Mckay with cousin Brianna

Mckay with Auntie Tara

Mckay's Big Day (April 19, 2010)

The big day was finally here. We got up at 4:00am so that we could check into the Orem Community Hospital at 5:00am. Grandma Beattie, Auntie Tara and cousin Brook all got to our house the night before. We were so grateful to have Howie's family here from California to stay with Madi and Andrew and to see Mckay be born. As Howie and I walked into the hospital we heard the sound of new born babies crying and immediately I said to Howie, "I am not ready for this. We must be crazy." We got into our room and the nurses got my IV in and started the pit drip. Now the waiting was under way - and with me it is a long wait. After about 3 hours the anesthesiologist came in and gave me my epidural (I don't believe in trying to be tough but I admire those who are) so I would be comfortable when the doctor came in to break my water. And at 10:00am he did. I thought once my water had been broken that things would move along quicker but with no luck. We waited and waited. My epidural had been put in too low so as my contractions got worse so did my pain. I had no feeling in my legs but had lots of feeling in my stomach and my back. Finally around 3:15pm the nurse said that Mckay was ready to come. She called the doctor and once he got there things were ready to happen. Mckay was born at 4:07pm. He weighed 8 lbs and was 20 and a half inches long. He had a hard time breathing at first but after about a half an hour was doing a lot better. I have always had an audience when I have my babies. When I had my other kids the doctor's joked that I must have sold tickets for the event but I am glad that Grandma Beattie, Grandma Tyson, Auntie Tara, my nieces Brianna and Brook and of course Howie could all be there to welcome Mckay into our family.

Our favorite babysitter.....(March 2010)

I started working again at the copy center I worked at before Howie and I got married. I needed a babysitter on Tuesday afternoons and thankfully my sweet niece Brianna who is attending BYU said she would do it. My kids adore Brianna. Their favorite day of the week is Tuesday's because she is coming. (And by looking at the pictures you can see why.) I am so grateful everyday for Brianna. She loves my kids (and they can be a pain sometimes :)) and she plays with them the whole time she is at my house. They always have her undivided attention. Some of the things they do together are take silly pictures, make silly videos, go for walks, play games, play in the snow, watch movies...... Brianna has been back home in California for the last four months and we have missed her like crazy! Sunday dinners have not been the same and the kids ask almost every day when she is coming back "home". We have been counting down the days until we get her back at the end of the summer.

A picture of me through Andrew's eyes. (Feb. 2010)

Andrew was sitting at the counter one day drawing a picture. I went over to see what he was doing and when I asked him what his picture was he said, "It's you mom because you're chubby." (I'm grateful I was pregnant at the time. :)) I said, "Oh wow - thanks honey - I love it!" I then had to send a text picture to other family members and let them know that that was a picture of me through Andrew's eyes.