Abigail is 2

Abby turned 2 on June 4th and I like to do a birthday post for each one of my kids birthdays and I am finally getting around to Abby's special birthday post. Looking back on the day she was born a few things stand out in my mind. She was a scheduled cesarean so I know it was a Wednesday because that is the day Dr. Ainsworth, our doctor does C- sections. We didn't know if she was a boy or a girl and we only had a boy name picked out which was Christopher Ian after my nephew Chris, Leah's son and of course Ian. The anesthesiologist was named Christopher so he was really rooting for a boy. When you have a c-section there is a big sheet between your head and stomach probably to keep you from freaking out but you can actually feel all the pulling and tugging that is going on. Really it is quite a strange experience. When they were pulling Abby out, one of the nurses said, "oh it looks like a football player.........no it's a cheerleader." And she was here all 9.4 lbs of her. I was so happy to get a sister for Grace. I was really wanting to name here Ruby before she was born, but Ian would never agree to it, thankfully because she has turned out to be a red head. My dad had been doing lots of genealogy and there were all kinds of Abigails and that just seemed right so we went with Abigail Kathryn as her name. Now she is Abby and every so often Abs and Aunt Leah throws in a Gail to mix things up here and there.
There are some definite thing I adore about Abby
Her crazy curly red hair, sometimes in the morning before it has been wet and brushed, it cracks me up.
Her big brown eyes that she talks with sometimes, it's hard to explain but she does this kind of blinking thing that is so cute.
She wants to do things herself, I often hear,"Abby do it" from her and she usually surprises me with all she can do. You have to love independance.
She loves to give hugs and usually will greet people she knows well with a big hug.
She is tough, it seems since she broke her arm and then was in the hospital with an IV and all the needle pokes there, that all the day to day ouches don't bug her a bit.

It is so fun to hear her learning to talk and all the funny things she does. I'm thankful the Lord trusted me to have her. I know I fall short as a mom so often but truly there is nothing else I would rather be than a mom.
Happy Late B-day my little red caboose.

Life

I know, I know I'm way behind but it has been a couple months of craziness. Not just the end of school, baseball and swimteam have been consuming our lives but we have had sickness after sickness. It first started with Abby in the middle of May when she could not keep anything in and got very dehydrated and had to spend a night in the hostpital and was sick for two whole weeks. It then moved to Bradford but luckily he was only sick 5 days and seemed to handle it much better. Then it moved to Ivan who was also very sick for 2 whole weeks and lost alot of weight for his already skinny body. Poor Ivan missed some practices for All Stars baseballand went to practice for a week while still being sick. He just now seems to be getting his strength back and looking more like the old Ivan. So enough with all the excuses, That's life and I will do better!!

BIG BOY BRADFORD

Bradford had his birthday Monday, April 26th. I can't believe it has been 4 years. He was a planned Cesarean because Grace had been an emergency Cesarean, so the safest bet is to just go that way from then on out. He was about a week early of his due date because that's how they schedule those and Doctor Ainsworth, our doctor for all the kids only does those on Wednesdays, It was early in the morning at about 7:00am. Probably the biggest thing I remember besides Bradford's weight 10.9lbs. was that the Friday before he was born Ian had to get his appendix taken out. Prior to that happening I was so excited because he finally had a job where he could take some time off to help with me and the baby. With all the other kids he had to get back to work the next day so this was going to be a real treat. Wrong! He ended up coming home the Friday before the scheduled birth in pain and spent the next day getting his appendix out and in the hospital for a couple of days. Ian was there for Bradford being born and all but was really not feeling well and probably doing way more than he was supposed to.
I remember the weeks leading up to Bradford being born I could tell he was big and I kept asking the doctor how big he thought he was, he just kept saying, he'll be around 8lbs. Then when Bradford was born the doctor came back in to see me while I was in recovery and he asked how big I thought he was, of course I had no clue but he seemed to beam when he told me 10.9lbs. When I said "you told me he would be around 8lbs" he quickly replied, "that was a few days ago, he gained weight since then." Funny!
While I was waiting in the recovery room they gave Bradford some sugar water and formula because I wasn't there to nurse him and they said his blood sugar was low. This made for a rough start with nursing him. The nurses kept saying things to me like, "well since you are diabetic......" Finally when Dr. Ainsworth came to check on me a few days later I asked him if I was diabetic and he told me, "no, but people always assume that when you have a big baby." Bradford also had jaundice for about 6 weeks. His little eyes were so yellow and I was taking him to the doctor over and over because I was so worried. And setting him in the sun of the windows every chance I could, I would move him around the house as the sun moved during the day. I think all the stress I was feeling plus Ian having just had his appendix out and my expectations of how nice it was going to be to have Ian home for a while with this baby made for a very hard couple of weeks with lots of panic and crying on my part. Oh those early struggles of motherhood!
Now that my baby boy is 4 I want to share some things that are so funny and special about my guy.
He has the best sense of humor, seriously a very witty little kid.
He is soooo smart, if watched him do a puzzle, his favorite thing lately, you would be as amazed as I am. He also loves to color and comes up with some amazing art work, must be because he's left handed.
When he wants his way with something he threatens me with things like, I'm going to get unbuckled then, it's pretty funny and the way I can always threaten him back with things like, then Davis, (his best buddy and cousin) won't be able to come over then and his reply is always the same "Oh fine" So funny!
He has been the only one of my boys to ask me to marry him and is always bringing me things saying, "this is for you mom." He's so sweet. He also says thing to Abby all the time like you are beautiful and the other day in the car he said, "Abby your eyes sparkle like diamonds." Not quite sure where he got that but I loved it.
He loves for me to tuck him in and will always say,"lay down by me, it won't take very long." When I do he usually after a little while will say, " okay you can go now, I told you it wouldn't take long." So I guess he's a man of his word.
He is so tough. Saturday he was helping Ian and that night when I gave him a bath he had a huge scrape on his rear end, not just something little but like road rash the size of my hand. When I asked what on earth happened he didn't know. Now that's tough.
He loves to help his Dad and Uncle Erik outside and do all the kinds of things little boys love like hunting and riding the quads which is often included in his prayers.
I love that too, how he says what's on his mind in his prayer and they can be so funny , I'm sure Heavenly Father gets a real kick out of his prayers.
Recently he mentioned to me how Grandpa Warren has big ears and later in his prayer he said he was thankful Grandpa Warren has big ears. Funny kid. Speaking of Grandpa he said he wants to be like grandpa and have glasses but not a green toe.
Anyway I think I have written enough for posterity sake. I love my big boy Bradford and am glad to have him in our family.

Here is an example of some of the treasures Bradford brings me, what girl wouldn't want a "rock" instead of flowers, right?

Happy Birthday Buddy!!

Easter dresses

This year I didn't buy Easter dresses for the girls, we had some that we had been given and I just bought the ribbon so they would kind of match. I love these curly haired girls. I know I'm their mom but seriously, they are beautiful.

I got some good news and I got some bad news.....

hmmmmmm, what do you want first. I think the bad news then I can end on a high note. Ivan broke his finger at our family Easter Egg Hunt Saturday. He and some of his cousins were on the.... yes you guessed it.... trampoline. Ben who is 12 was trying to jump over Ivan's head, (a game called steamrollers, with a name like that what do you expect!!) but as Ben jumped Ivan stuck up his hand and it caught on Ben's clothes and snap. Ivan was really very tough about it, in fact we continued on with our day and I think I turned into my father because I told him we would wait a couple of days and if it still hurt we would take him in. As the party was drawing to a close I could see he was still in pain so we called Brother Cherry, a chiropractor in the ward to see if he would take x-rays. He did and yes it was broken, not just cracked it was all the way through. Ian took him to Urgent care and when the lady was rude about him bringing his own x-rays he left, we experienced with Abby that they just put a splint on and you go to an orthopaedic doctor the next day. He went to Walgreen's and got the goods to take care of the finger and came home. When Monday rolled around we took him to a Doctor and were told he would need surgery. Thank goodness Ian has the spirit and priesthood to know what is best for our family because he decided we should get a second opinion and this doctor along with his partner, who he consulted said there was no need for surgery. I feel much more at ease with this prognosis. So the bad news is that Ivan broke his finger and the good news is no surgery and he will get the cast off in 3 weeks. He will miss 6 baseball games but will still have 9 left.
Another bit of good news was Easter and General Conference. We were able to spend Saturday with my family and Sunday at Ian's sisters home. General Conference was awesome and gave me a desire to be a better mom. We shared the resurrection of Christ story with our kids from a book that mom Pietz gave us Easter morning before the kids, daddy and uncle Erik searched for their baskets. It was my favorite part of the whole weekend and will definitely become a tradition. All is well, all is well.
Ivan sporting his sea blue cast.

I love this picture from Saturday's hunt.

Davis and Bradford, best buds!!

Is Abby excited or what?

The younger Warren cousins, What good looking kids.



Erin and Charly's was WET, WET, WET, but FUN, FUN, FUN!!!

Sweet Abby...

So two and a half weeks ago our sweet Abby feel off the edge of the trampoline and broke her arm. I totally hate saying that because it sounds like we just let our 1 and a half year old on the trampoline, which would be idiotic, but she got put up there and within a matter of seconds fell off and I immediatly knew her arm was broken. At first being home without Ian and having all five kids there I was in a bit of a panic and couldn't think what to do. I called Ian and he told me to take newspaper to make a splint and wrap it with tape. I didn't know how I would do this since I was both holding her and holding her arm to keep it straight (it was very bent and bad). After getting off the phone I said to the kids,"let's say a prayer." It was so sweet to hear Ivan say,"I already did." We said one together then it was amazing that I was able to think clearer and order the kids around to get the things that we needed and they actually listened. I took newspaper folded it to make the splint then remembered we had an ACE bandage in the cabinent and was able to wrap it up good. We loaded up in the car and were able to drive to Yuba City, (about 40 minutes away) the whole time me saying to Grace,"are her fingers turning purple?" With her response of "I don't think so." Abby was actually very calm during the drive. Which on the way we saw a car flipped on it's side and Bev Ellyson from our ward climbing out, Craziness, she's fine.
Abby wore a big cast munster thing for two weeks until the swelling went down then Thursday she got her beautiful puple cast. Don't let her smile fool you, she went absolutly balistic when they were putting it on. She got one cast put on then before it was able to set up she pulled it half way off, had to get it sawed off and start all over. It took Ian, 2 doctors and I to hold her and get that cast on, she is one strong little girl. She finally calmed down when I got her in the car and she feel asleep. The picture is of her that night, all smiles. They said she'll only need it 2 and a half more weeks, the human body is amazing. Both bones in her arm were broken, one all the way through and one cracked so we are hoping and praying that it heals right and in 2weeks we get it off and never have to go through that again. Maybe I should have titled this Tough Abby.

Ammon's special day

Ammon was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, on Feb. 6th 2010 in the Yuba City Stake Center on Civic Blvd. in Yuba City. It was the Stake Baptisms and he was baptized with 3 other children one of which was his cousin Taylor Warren. Ian baptized and confirmed him, Grandma Warren spoke at the service and his Grandpa Warren and Uncle Kevin acted as witnesses. He had been waiting for a long time, (almost 2 months) which for a little kid is forever. He had the biggest smile after. I really didn't get to be in the service much because I was out chasing Bradford and Abby around, I think maybe I will get to enjoy Abby's baptism. It was a beautiful day and so nice to have so many friends and family there, but we did miss Grandma and Grandpa Pietz as they are on their mission. Here are some pictures, I just wish I could have taken more

Oh I dream about Mexico....

When I was a kid my dad had a song that we would listen to constantly called "Domestic Life" by John Connelly, and in it he sings, "oh I dream about Mexico, where all the pretty people go, but we're on a budget that just won't budge, not much money but a whole lot of love." I think of that every year when we get to go to Mexico, how very blessed we are to have parents that pay for our resort that we stay at..... all we pay for is our airplane ticket and food, otherwise it would be impossible to go on this yearly vacation. We hadn't planned on going this year, but it really is a special time for Ian and I that it has become a priority. (Thanks to all who watched our kids.)I'm also reminded how my dad's first trip to Mexico was about 20 years ago when he was in his 50's and how long he waited to get to do fun stuff like this. I guess I just feel very spoiled. This year we went to Puerta Vallarta instead of our usual Cabo. The thing I liked the most was I wasn't pregnant or didn't bring a nursing baby, that has been the case often the last 6 years. The thing I missed the most about Cabo was the little hamburger stand that we often frequent on our walk to town in Cabo. I must say I definitely prefer Cabo. Anyway I didn't get many pictures at all, things are different when you don't have your kids around. But here are a few.

Christmas

The kids always make a gingerbread house usually for Family Night some time in December and then they get to eat it on Christmas Eve. It is usually hard as a rock but the fun part is destroying it. Apparently Bradford didn't like what was happening in this picture.
We always do the Nativity Story of Christs birth on Christmas Eve it is usually pretty chaotic but there is truly something wonderful about it. This is Abby as one of the wise men.
This is priceless of Ivan and Makenna as Mary and Joseph, you can just see the love.
The Shepperd's ended up looking more like Jedi, Bradford and Davis are too cute.
Isn't it just sweet.
This is Christmas morning as the kids unload the loot in their stockings.
Here is a special gift we got the kids, a little yellow lab. We named her Lacy, it has been about 3 weeks since we got her and we still totally love her. She is a really great little puppy.

It was a great year. We are so thankful for the many blessings we have received this past year, a lot of answers to our prayers. We are also looking forward to the last year of this decade. (I say the last year because it has been a joke between us, my dad says it is the last year because we haven't lived through 2010 yet, but the rest of the world says the end of the decade was the end of 2009. So that statement was for my papa.)

Ian had a birthday too!

You wouldn't know it but Ian had a birthday too! We actually went to Chuckee Cheese on his birthday and he didn't even complain. I just wanted to write a few facts about my Ian, just some small things that I admire and love about him.
1. He is confident, I admire this because it is something I truly lack, I am always second guessing myself even if I'm right but Ian can make you believe he is right just by the confident way he presents himself, it is a very good trait to have in a husband.
2. He likes people, he is always wanting to have people over and make new friends.
3. He is adventurous, likes to go new places, try new things and isn't afraid to do anything.
4. He is quick to say sorry, sometimes if he hurts my feelings, which is usually purely by accident he is very quick to just say sorry.
5. He is smart, this one is a double edge sword, but I wouldn't have it another way.
6. This one is silly but I love that he always turns his clothes right side out before he puts them in the laundry, saves me a lot of trouble.
7. A bunch of other silly little things that would probably totally embarrass him if I shared so I won't, this is mostly for posterity sake anyway, right?
Anyway totally love my 35 year old hubby. This is a picture of him doing something he totally loves.

Ammon

Ammon had his 8th birthday on the 7th of December so I need to catch up on that by writing a bit about him.
Ammon is my second child and when I was pregnant with him I decided I was not going to gain as much weight as I did with Ivan, my first born. I tried so hard to eat healthy and actually didn't gain as much as I did with the others but I was still huge. Oh the pain in my hips each time I stood and when I slept, I had to flip from side to side. I felt like he was huge and my belly was tight as a drum. When I started into labor I remember dropping Ivan off at Will and Lindsay's house and Ian and I driving in the dark and hurting really bad on the way, I think it was rainy or even a bit snowy on the way, it all seems like a dream as I think back on it now. I didn't have as long of labor with Ammon as with Ivan Probably 8 hours or so but I had an epidural when I was just 2.5 centimeters dialated. The most distinct thing I remember was when he was born the doctor saying, "whoa, he's big" He was 10.3 lbs and had the biggest head and cheeks. He had broad shoulders and a barrel chest. He was just big looking. And he grew like crazy, when I took him in for his 2 week appointment he weighed 12lbs exactly and the nurse carried him around to all the other nurses saying "2 weeks old, can you believe it?"
What a wonderful boy Ammon is, he wants to do what is right and really is just a good kid. He is now eight and will be baptized next month, what an exciting time for our smart boy. For his birthday we took some of his friends and him to do the Chuckee Cheese thing, again, he loves that. Here are a few pictures!