Parker's Newborn Photo shoot

I had some of my amazingly talented friends take Pictures of Parker the week he was born. I felt miserable because of my breastfeeding struggles, but it was really important to me to have pictures done of him. A huge thank you to my friends Larissa and Stephanie for them taking their time to photograph my sweet baby. I cannot say thank you enough times, nor could I emphasize how grateful I am!

Parker's Birth Story

Parker tried to come into this world at 34 weeks. This was very scary because that means that he would have had to go into the Niccu. I ended up spending the whole day at the hospital as they tried to stop my contractions so that I did not go into active labor. Eventually the efforts paid off and I was free to go home. For the next several weeks I took it very easy to assure that Parker had enough time to develop. I had many people from church as well as close friends helping me through this tough time, so that I could rest and stay off my feet. I was so excited when I reached 37 weeks and Parker was considered full term.

At this point I was doing everything in my power to put myself into labor, but nothing seemed to be working. Parker was just awfully comfortable, I guess. I felt like everything was progressing perfectly and everything was in my control as far as birth decisions. That changed when I walked into my 39 week apt. I could feel a lot of pressure at the top of my stomach, and there was the big bulge sticking up. Not thinking much of it I casually asked my midwife what body part that was. She was not 100% sure but she said that she thought it could be a butt, since she was not positive we decided to do an ultra sound just to be sure. That is when we realized that Parker had flipped and was now head up, or breech.

That is when my head started spinning. How could this happen to me. I had an all-natural home birth with Levi, and I had every intention of having another all natural birth. I knew this would be impossible since breech babies are automatic c-sections. I just wanted to cry, but I held myself together in the Dr. office so that I could go over the few choices I had. We decided I had a lot of things going in my favor if I were to decide to do an inversion. An inversion is when you go into the hospital and they try to manually flip the baby by pushing on your stomach. Since I am so small it would be easier to push the baby directly, I also had lots of fluid still in my stomach, Parker flipped so late in the pregnancy there would be a good chance he could do it again, but at the same time I was 39 weeks pregnant and the further you are the harder it is. I decided I had nothing to lose by scheduling the apt. We made it for Thursday morning, which was three days later. As soon as I got out to the car I just lost it and became an emotional wreck. I could not stop crying. I called Morgan and my mom to tell them about the apt, and they could not believe that Parker would go from being head down at 38 weeks to breech at 39 weeks. My mom immediately got her plane ticket changed so that she could arrive Thursday afternoon in case Parker was to be born early.

Meanwhile they gave me a stretch to do that would help encourage the baby to flip back. I had to sit with my feel elevated in the air, and my back and head to the ground. It was highly uncomfortable, but I did it religiously. I also read online that if you put heat on the bottom of your stomach where you want the head, and ice on the top that also motivates them to move towards the heat. These methods both helped I am sure, but I think the thing that made the greatest difference was the fast that took place within our family. Morgan and all his family as well as my brother in law Thomas all fasted for me on Wednesday that Parker would flip back and be head down.

We got up at 4:30a.m. Thursday morning because we had to be at the hospital by 5:30 in order to get everything ready for the procedure. I was crazy nervous. I felt like I wanted to throw up and I had a bazillion butterflies in my stomach. I am not sure if I was more nervous for the IV or if I was nervous for the procedure that was about to take place, but either way my heart was racing. When the first nurse came in to do my IV I told her not to miss because I had a huge phobia of needles, and of course she missed, and it hurt so so so so bad. Right after she missed Holly the nurse who was going to be taking over the shift came in, so they decided that she would be the next one to make the attempt at my IV. I was very hesitant to let them try again with my arm, but I knew I had no choice. Let me just say Holly was amazing. It hardly hurt. She had that needle in and out so fast. My arm was throbbing from the first attempt, but felt fine where Holly did it. I talked about Holly’s IV skills for the rest of the day.

Finally it was time for the procedure. The Dr. came in to meet me and explained the way everything would work. They would have to move me into the operating room, just in case while they were pushing on my stomach the placenta detached and they would have to go straight into and emergency c-section. Before they moved me they did one last ultrasound to check  Parkers position. At first look we were pretty sure that he was still breech, and my heart sank. I was so disappointed. But after a minute of looking we realized we did not see the head. Finally we found it…and it was down! His head was sitting super low. I could not believe it, he flipped again! I was beyond happy, not only did I not have to get that procedure done, but I would also have another chance at a natural child birth. I know that heavenly father was watching over me, and that our family’s prayers and fast was answered.

I now had a very hard decision to make. I could be induced, right then and there and ensure that Parker would not flip again. Or I could go home, and wait for labor to start naturally, but if he flipped again I would end up with a C-section. We figured since he had flipped twice now in my final week of pregnancy there would be a high chance that he could do it again, so even though I knew that a natural child birth would be much more difficult with an induction I decided that it was my best shot. I have never liked the idea of being induced and I have always believed that my babies would come when they were fully developed and ready. I knew that Parker was not fully ready to be born, but I did not want to chance him going breech again, so considering my options that is what I decided to do. Parker was going to be born, and I was very excited. I was also very nervous because I knew that the labor was going to be extra tough, since I was going to be starting it artificially

I was not dilated at all, and his head was still sitting at a +2, so not much was going in my favor besides that fact that I had a super soft cervix. (I attribute this to an amazing cervix softener I take starting at 36 weeks.) We decided that we would start with Laura, my amazing midwife, stripping my membranes. After that I walked around the hospital for two hours to see if I could start labor somewhat naturally. After two hours nothing was progressing, so I had get hooked up to Pitocin. I was very hesitant and nervous about this, but I fully trusted my midwife and knew that it would be the only way to start labor that day. After several hours I was having very routine contractions about 2-3 minutes apart, I was dilated to around a six, but Parker was not dropping. At this point my best friend Anita came down to the hospital to support me through my labor. I was so excited she was able to come and be with me during this time, because talking to her made time move so much faster. I honestly think we could talk all day and never get bored. Every couple hours they would come in and turn up the Pitocin, and the contractions were slowly becoming more intense. I kept pushing everyone to let me go and labor in the tub, but in order for them to let me do this they would have to take me off of the Pitocin. So they checked me again and I was dilated to seven, but Parker still was not dropping. Laura said they would take me off the Pitocin and if my body could maintain the contractions on its own then they would move me to the tub. So after thirty minutes of no Pitocin I was still contracting so they let me move into the tub. On my way to the tub, my mom arrived to the hospital. Dean, Anita’s husband, was able to pick her up from the airport. I was very excited to have my mom there with me also. From there the contractions slowly started to fade over time. I remember sitting in the water just having a grand old time. I was still contracting a lot, but it was not bad. I was able to talk through all the contractions. I just remember we were all laughing a lot and having a lot of fun. I think this was the highlight of the labor, not counting the actual moment Parker was born of course. Even though we were all of having such a fun conversation, we knew the contractions were not intense enough if I was feeling so chatty and cheery. Laura checked me and I was still at a seven, and Parker still was not dropping and my cervix was still super high. That is when Laura suggested she break my water. I really did not want her to do this, because I knew that would bring on really fast and hard contractions, but the only other option was for me to get out of the tub, and go back on the Pitocin. Since I knew I wanted to stay in the tub for as long as possible I decided to have her break my water to see if that would progress things. By breaking my water that would drop Parkers head down, so that the contractions could be more effective in helping me dilate.

Well she broke my water, and sure enough the contractions got much more intense. I was no longer the one leading the conversation, but instead I was the one listening to the conversation. This was fine because even just listening was still a distraction. Pretty soon my labor took a hard turn, and I started to loose confidence in myself and my body. I was about to enter what I consider to be the hardest part of my labor. The contractions were getting to be extremely intense and close together which is fine because that is how it should be, but the discouraging thing was that I was still not dilating past a seven and Parker still was not dropping. I felt so defeated. I had been up since 4:00am had eaten hardly anything all day. It was probably close to seven and nothing was progressing.  The contractions were becoming more and more unbearable and I had nothing to show for it. Had I been having hard contractions and been progressing it would have been much easier to bear, but I was just so exhausted. To top it all off the tub did not get very warm water, so I was freezing cold and shivering. At his point I was running out of options and energy, so Laura recommended I get out of the tub and go back on the Pitocin. I remember I agreed if they would wrap me in warm blankets when I got out. I just loved the blanket warmer at the hospital. So I moved from the tub to the bed.

As much as I did not want to do this I was ready to try anything that would get Parker out of me. She also checked me again at this point, and parker had turned again. I was still at a seven, and he was not dropping. Since he was no longer in the correct birthing position, Laura laid me on my side with a huge ball between my legs in order to help Parker get into the correct position. At this point I was completely wiped out, and I was asking for an epidural. I just felt so depleted and discouraged. I wanted to give up. That is when my mom, Anita, and Morgan all just started to encourage me and help motivate me through those last moments. They cranked up the Pitocin and I had three of the most painful contractions I have ever experienced. I remember I punched Morgan in the head like three times during one of them because it was so intense.

Shortly after that I started to feel a strong urge to push. I was telling Laura I was pushing and I could not control it. At first I don’t think anyone fully believed me since I had wanted to push through the whole labor, but I could feel that this time was different. I asked Laura if I was close to delivering the baby and she said I need to have a more extreme push then that before it would be time to have the baby, but she said to listen to my body. Sure enough the next contraction I had a very extreme push, and everyone realized Parker was really coming. I remember pushing like crazy but I could not get his head through. At this point Laura told me she could see it and asked if I wanted to touch it. I said no, haha. Once people could see the top of the head I think everyone realized that this was going to be a BIG baby. With Levi as soon as his head was though his whole body literally just slid out, but that was not the case with Parker. Once his head was out, I remember yelling he is stuck! And I could not push him out any more. Laura told me to do one more big push, and she pulled and twisted and finally Parker was born 9 pounds 3.8 ounces.

The original plan was for Parker to be put on my chest right away so that the cord could pulse, but this was not an option since Laura felt like there was a chance he could have a broken collar bone because he got kinda stuck and had to be pulled out. Also since he was so big there were also potential risks.

I need to brag for a minute about how awesome my midwife Laura was, and also my little support group. Laura was able to get Parker out without hurting him, and left me with just some very minimal tearing that left me walking around that night. I had a bruised Pelvis from where his shoulder got stuck, but outside of that I felt great. I could not even feel the stitches. I will say I preferred the stitches more than the numbing stuff. The numbing shot was worse than the stitches. So Laura stopped giving me the numbing medicine upon my request. She acted quickly and was amazing. I did not feel like she was just my Dr. but also my friend. She was with me through the whole birth and was such a great support. In addition to Laura I had my mom Morgan, and Anita also there. They were incredible. Laura referred to them as the dream team, and said I had one of the best support circles she had seen. They all motivated me, loved me, and most of all believed in me. I cannot say how grateful I am to have such supportive family and friends.

I know that heavenly father had a hand in my child birth, and I know I could not have delivered Parker naturally without him. Had he gone to the same term as Levi Parker would have been over ten pounds and may have not fit through the birth canal. Just the fact that he was able to flip weighing 9 pounds blows my mind, but heavenly father knew that would be the only way I would agree to an induction. Parkers birth was 13 hours and it was rough, especially at the end but I am so grateful for the end result. Thank you to everyone who prayed and fasted for me, and to everyone who supported me through my birth. We love Parker so much!

Last Days as a Family of Three

It is crazy for me to think about how any day we are going to have two sons! I am so grateful that we will be able to raise two boys so close together. Levi has been the best toddler, and he is just bundles of fun! He is obsessed with balls, and I mean obsessed. He reaches for any and all round objects and then throws a fit until he gets them. It does not matter if it is the red round giant balls you find in front of a target, or a watermelon at the grocery store he wants them all the same. He does not only like holding the balls, but he loves throwing them too. I cannot wait for Parker to be a little older so that he and Levi can play catch together in the backyard. He had one of his first tantrums the other day at sports authority because I would not buy him this twenty dollar red Nike football. I felt like the meanest mom in the world when I had to take it away from him, and let him scream all the way out the door. Levi is just so sweet and loving which makes it very difficult to take things away.

He is also very good at playing catch. It has been easy to develop this talent of his since Morgan is always throwing balls in the house. Forget having a no throwing rule in our house because Morgan is equally as obsessed with balls as Levi. Levi seems to prefer to throw with his left hand, so I am excited to see if that sticks. He is going to be a great athlete one day and I cannot wait to start him in sports.

Every time Levi goes to bed I get to hold him while he drinks his sippy cup of milk. This has become one of my favorite moments in my whole day. He snuggles into me and just smiles, and it is the most precious thing. When I get up to lay him down I kiss his forehead and he just smiles so cute. Later when he wakes up I go in to get him and he just lays his head on my shoulder and gives me so much love. I just hope these moments can last forever, and that he will stay so sensitive and sweet.

Levi is also in love with his daddy. All I have to do is say daddy is home, and he runs to the door to look out the window. Once Morgan is inside Levi does not let him leave his sight. He chases him all over the house, and follows him anywhere and everywhere that he goes. If Morgan has to leave and do something outside of the house Levi will throw himself to the ground and have a huge tantrum because he misses his dad so much. It is so sweet to see how much he loves his mom and dad, I guess that means we are doing something right.

Levi went to nursery for the first time a few weeks ago, and he loved it. I was a little uneasy about taking him, but once he was there I did enjoy having my hands free for the rest of church. I forget what it was like to pay attention in Sunday School and Relief Society. Of course I went and peeked my head in to see how he was doing and I just saw him walking in circles with his arms full of balls. I would not have expected anything different.

Levi loves books too! In fact I would say that books are his next favorite thing after balls. He will bring me books all day long, and then he expects you to drop everything to read it to him. He will sit in listen to three stories in a row, and be completely entertained. I have also put some books in his crib so before and after he naps he is always flipping through the pages and reading them to himself. It is so so so cute. I have always wanted my kids to love reading, so this makes me very happy.

I have been taking Levi to the Ryme time at the library once or twice every week to help get him more socialized and use to being around other kids. This has been extremely successful, and he has been having more and more fun. The first time we went he hung on to my leg the whole time, and would not leave my side…not even for bubbles! After going for several weeks now he just runs into the middle of the crowd and goes crazy. He steals the librarian’s stuffed animals, and goes wild over the bubbles. It feels good to see my efforts paying off.

Levi is also at the age now where he can fully enjoy the park. He loves to go in the swings, and of course down the slides. He just runs all over and has a blast. It has been so nice to be able to keep adding more activities that we can do outside of the house. Levi loves to get out, and we try to do at least one outing a day.

I could talk about Levi all day, but I want to be sure to also talk about Morgan and I. We are very excited to welcome Parker into this world. We know it will be an adjustment to go from being a family of three to a family of four, but we are so excited for the change. It is fun to see our family growing, and cannot wait to see Parkers personality. We are prepared for the challenges that come from having a newborn in the home, but neither one of us feels stressed or over whelmed. We make such a great team, and are so excited for the adventure. We are so grateful for all of the blessings in our life, and love the direction we are moving. We cannot wait to see what Heavenly father has in store for us!

The Joys of Pregnancy

I am not going to sit here and sugar coat how amazing and awesome pregnancy is because right now I am sick of being pregnant. This will be a post of me complaining so feel free to skip it if you don’t want to listen to me vent. Also feel free to not read if you might get offended.

Being pregnant of course is a blessing, and I am grateful every day that I am able to have the opportunity to have children. However, that does not mean that pregnancy does not bring challenges. For me I do not have to deal with much nausea or morning sickness. I also have not had too much back pain, and I have had no signs of any swollen body parts. Instead I have had the challenge of being small and pregnant. When I got pregnant I only weighed 100 pounds, and so far I have gained almost 40lbs. That is me gaining almost 50% of my body weight in a very short amount of time, and that comes with its own aches and pains. I have been so sore. My stomach is so tender, and sensitive. In addition to that I feel every movement the baby makes which is fun until they get stronger and those kicks start to really hurt. Bending over and picking things up is always a daunting task. I started having trouble putting my pants on in the second trimester, and socks well forget it. I pretty much have accepted I am going to be in a lot of pain and remain pretty uncomfortable until this baby is born.

The other challenge for me has been everyone asking me about the pregnancy. Don’t get me wrong I love attention, but I literally cannot even walk inside of Costco without 10 strangers telling me I am hiding a basketball under my shirt, and then asking me my due date, gender, and name I have picked out for the baby. It’s not that I do not enjoy talking about these things, but imagine having this same conversation 20 times a day; it can get extremely exhausting not to mention boring.

On top of that I am constantly being asked how I feel, and the truth is I feel miserable. I feel like people ask me that question expecting some fake cheery response like “life is all butterflies and rainbows” but really I just want to say…”how do you think I feel, I am 38 weeks pregnant.” I would rather they just acknowledge these last few weeks are hard, and then give me some words of encouragement. That way I do not feel the need to put on a fake smile. 

And last there is the challenge of never knowing when the baby is going to come, and that is hard in itself, because you want to be able to physically and emotionally prepare for the arrival of your new sweet baby, but every time you let yourself think the day is coming it doesn’t and then your left filled with disappointment just to wake up to a text asking if the baby came.

Pregnancy is rough, but it’s worth it. I am glad that mine is almost over and I will get to meet Parker in a few short days.

From Infant to Toddler

This has been such a crazy month. I can hardly believe how many changes Levi has gone through. He has pretty much gone to all walking. He loves to walk and explore…everything! I got him his first pair of shoes, and he loves them. I decided to get him a pair of stride rites because they are specially designed to help kids learn how to walk correctly, and I felt like that was very important. Every time I go to put his shoes on he smiles and gets excited because he knows that we are probably getting ready to go outside.

He has had a crazy huge growth spurt, and is now on the charts! He is in the 25% tile for height and weight. He has outgrown a lot of his summer clothes. We bought everything 2 sizes to big thinking that he would easily make it to the end of summer, but we were so wrong. He is really starting to look like a little boy and not like a baby.

His appetite has also decreased dramatically. He still loves food, but is not nearly as interested in it as he used to be. I think that a lot of that is due to the fact that there are a lot more distractions. He also insists on feeding himself. He will not let me feed him bites, but instead he needs to be holding the fork and be in control of what is going in and out of his mouth. In a lot of ways this is easier because it means I no longer have to sit there and feed him, but it also means that he pretty much needs a bath after every major meal. His favorite food still remains to be anything and everything that Morgan and I are eating.

Levi has found a new love for books! Denise came to visit it and while she was here she spent a fair amount of time reading. Levi immediately had an interest in her book, and was constantly reaching for it. Denise spent some time walking with him to his room and picking books off of his book shelf and then reading them to him. Ever sense she left he has been obsessed with books. He will walk up to me while I am sitting in the recliner, grab my hand, put a book in it, and then try to climb up onto my lap. He is not as interested in the words, but instead loves to see the pictures and flip through the pages. I am glad he is finding a love for reading so early on.

I could spend all day talking about Levi but I think I covered most of the big changes. Morgan and I are getting ready for baby #2 and we are beyond excited! We know it will be an adjustment to have two kids, but we are both excited for the adventure, and even more excited to watch the brotherly bond develop between Levi and his new little brother. I cannot believe that I am almost to my last trimester, and we are going to meet this little guy in just 3 more months! It is crazy how much times flies! Christmas will be here before we know it!

6 Month Overload!!!

So, apparently, the last time I blogged was January. That is embarrassing…I have just been so intimidated to start up again since I have gone so long without posting anything. I feel like there have been so many fun things that have occurred and I know that I won’t be able to cover everything. Therefore I am just going to try my hardest to outline some of our highlights.

Levi: Of course I need to start off with a Levi update! O my goodness he is getting so much personality I can hardly believe it! My little baby is growing and developing into a little toddler, and I love every minute of it! I am not going to lie, the newborn months were not my most favorite times, but I absolutely love these later months. Levi is finally walking! It only took him 15 months to start. I was starting to feel like the kid was never going to walk, and I was going to be carrying him around forever. I know that 15 months does not seem to incredibly late to start walking, but when you consider that he started crawling around Thanksgiving then that makes it seem like forever.  He started walking along furniture in January, and then just decided to stop there. That just goes to show that he has his own little agenda.

In addition to walking he is also talking! Most kids generally say mom or dad as there first words, but not my son. His first ward was “ball” and oh man is he obsessed with balls. He hugs them and cuddles them as if they are stuffed animals. He points to any semi round object and says “ball”. It is the funniest thing walking through whole foods and having him point to all the apples, oranges, and watermelons yelling and pointing “ball, ball, ball.” Levi loves to play catch, and loves to dunk the balls in his basketball hoop.  I ended up taking out Morgan’s bins full of professional sized balls and he has loved those as well. I would say that his most favorite have been the football and the volleyball, but we will see how that changes over the next several years. Morgan and I look forward to a future of sports with our little man! Levi also is saying “Thank You” , “Da-da”, “Love you”, “dog”, and whenever he wants something he says “what’s that”. I am sure he is saying more words since he talks pretty much all day (I am sure that characteristic came from my side of the family :) but those are the only words I have been able to clearly make out.

 He is to big for baby balls!

 Levi's version of Heaven

 Cant fall asleep without his ball

who needs stuffed animals?!

Levis is a very good eater, and absolutely loves to eat anything and everything. Pretty much if you sit down with any form of food he will be at your feet begging for bites. He loves broccoli, cheese, yogurt, asparagus, avocado, cottage cheese, smoked chicken, cuties, blueberries, green smoothies, smoked paprika and pretty much anything else that is edible. He does not like his food cut into small pieces but like to bite out of things that are whole. This makes me nervous at times, but he seems to handle it like a champ.

San Diego Visit: Back in February I took a trip out to San Diego to visit my wonderful family. Morgan was working some extra-long hours, so it was nice to have an excuse to get away. I stayed with my sister Wendy and we had so much fun! We went to Sea World on one of the days, and that was really fun. We also had lunch at Rossi’s with my dad and Denise and I really enjoyed that as well. I was able to go have brunch with my grandma and sister at this cute restaurant in Fallbrook that was in a garden.  My dad and Denise took me down to old town San Diego when I first arrived and we walked around and toured down there for a while. I was able to visit a few of the families that I use to babysit for, and that is always a real treat for me. I cannot believe how big all those kids are getting. I had dinner with my brother and his fiancé down in San Diego, and it was good to see him also. This section is a little jumbled but I am just typing things as I am remembering. I also had a good time visiting and catching up with my family and friends. I am grateful for the time I was able to spend in San Diego

Dinner with Aaron and Gina

 Sammy sitting on Levi

 Levi with his Grandma and Grandpa

 The Gardens

Seaworld 

 Gardens

Levi's first bagel

Utah Visit: The trip to Utah was pretty sporadic. Morgan got permission to go to BYU for a recruiting event with Deloitte and so that meant that his plane ticket was completely covered. We have both wanted an excuse to plan a trip to Utah because we have been missing all of our friends and family who live out there, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. I flew in a few days before Morgan so that I could maximize the time I had to spend with my grandma, mom, and sister. My mom and Ariel both picked me up from the airport, and I stayed with both of them at Ariel’s apt in Tooele. They were literally in the process of getting all of their stuff packed, because they were getting the keys to their first home that Friday! Levi and Amelia became instant friends; they had so much fun playing together. Amelia is Levi’s one and only cousin so he loves to spend lots of time with her. A couple days after being with Ariel I ended up going to stay with Grandma Price. Morgan flew in that same night. His flight was delayed three times so he ended up arriving at like 3:30 in the morning. Grandma and Grandpa were so sweet and offered to go and pick him up at the airport so that I could sleep. I was very grateful for that because I was extremely tired. We had a family gathering on Saturday, and that was pretty fun. I was also able to catch up with my old friends from 4-H while we were there and that is something I always look forward to. It was a really fun trip, and we look forward to another in the near future!

 Chucke cheese with Grandma

 Boxes!

 Playing with his favorite cousin!

 Model Picture!

 Love my sister!

Great Grandma and Grandpa!

Hannah Visit: Morgan’s sister Hannah was able to come down for a week to visit this summer! It was so fun to see her and catch up, and it was especially fun to see her interact with Levi. When she first got here we were in the process of trying to finish painting the full interior of our house. Luckily that did not take too much time after Hannah arrived. We did a lot of random things, and mainly just enjoyed talking and hanging out. We were able to take Levi to his first water park that week, and he had so much fun. I feel like Levi did not really like being in the water much before the waterpark but after it was like he found his love for swimming. He had so much fun. We brought his infant tube and put it in the lazy river, and he loved just floating around. It was so cool to see such a little person just going around the lazy river. He also loved the wave pool. When you first walk in the water it is really shallow and then the further you go it deepens. He had a lot of fun crawling around in the water. Let’s just say he thoroughly enjoyed himself. We were also able to go to the zoo, and that was also a nice outing. We spend quite a bit of time learning about elephants and zoos, so that was pretty interesting and factual. I think that Levi really enjoyed seeing the animals.

 Levi pet his first giraffe 

 Family Safari

 We loved learning about elephants

what can I say Levi's favorite animal is a gorilla.

My family visit: My family came literally the week directly after Hannah. I was able to see Wendy, Mike, Ella, and Grandma Paula. I was so excited that they were able to come and see our new home. We were able to do loads of fun things while they were here. I don’t think that there was ever a dull moment. We went to downtown Plano and had tea and that was so much fun. It was nice to have an afternoon cup of tea with all the ladies. We also went and toured an old farm house in Plano, and we learned a lot of historic facts about the area that I did not know. We went out to eat several times, as well as enjoyed several awesome home cooked meals. Levi is completely in love with his uncle Mike. He had so much fun playing with him. Mike was so sweet to give him so much attention. They played all kinds of games together and really enjoyed all their time. I am glad Levi has been able to have so much interaction with all of his family even though we live so far away.

 yes we are a patriotic family 

 Why couldn't Levi smile this good for my picture?

 My fancy tea cup...pinkys up

 Levi and his great Grandma Paula

 Levi loves his uncle Mike

The whole crew!

New baby boy: I am sure that everyone has seen the announcement at this point. We are expecting our newest addition to the family this November. Levi will be having his first younger brother. We are beyond excited. We really wanted our kids to be less than two years apart and so we feel like we are getting exactly what we wanted. I am sure that it will be an adjustment at first, especially Since Levi gets very jealous if we give any other kid any sort of minimal attention, but we are so excited for the adventure.  We cannot wait to meet our sweet new baby.

Love my announcement...my brother is amazing!