"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.

Cousins together at the Zoo.