What about Spence?

I wanted to give a little (haha, just joking, it's big) update about what Spence has been up to! He's a busy guy these days...

At the end of August my boy turned 6! This kid is just growing up fast! His birthday was on a Sunday, so we had a fun family dinner, and then cake and ice cream with some friends and neighbors.

Also, at the end of August, Spencer started Kindergarten! He is loving it, and I am loving that the school is 2 blocks away, and that we get to carpool with some other moms in the neighborhood. I have been working in his class this month, and have been very pleased to find that Spencer is not the squirrely-est kid in class! You wouldn't know it from the above picture, but he is on task, he follows directions, he works hard, and has lots of friends.

This fall was Spencer's first season of outdoor soccer! (He's done 1 season of indoor soccer.) His team was not the most winning team you ever saw (I think they won once, maybe twice), but they were cute, and improved a ton over the 6 week, or so, season. It was fun to watch him play, and improve. Dave helped coach the team during some games, and he loved that too. That's Spencer with the ball above!

Speaking of improvement, Spencer has also been taking swim lessons for the last few months. I love his teacher! She is wonderful, and has helped Spencer, not only start to swim, but also to have the confidence to try new things - in and out of the water. It has been amazing to watch his transformation - wanting to just play on the steps for most of the summer, to swimming by himself in the deep end!

Cool lego helicopter, built all by himself.

Loving and being so sweet with his little sister.

This kid LOVES superheros! Here is his superhero wardrobe displayed nice and neatly. He'll put all of this stuff out, and then just sit and admire it. Oh, don't worry, he'll put those costumes on and fight crime too. I feel pretty safe around here.

Wolverine.

(Chopsticks as blades. Seriously, some of the best toys are the cheapest.)

Cornbelly's was a blast!

(Except for the scary maze Dave took Spence through...he did not enjoy that one bit. On the way home he said, "I'm never going there again." And later, "I hate halloween." He forgot about the scary maze once the trick or treating part of halloween started.)

Had to sneak in a picture of the cutest little bundle of joy. =)

GO COUGARS!!

All of the goings on sure make for one tired kid. He does have a bed...but the window bench and a body pillow are comfy too =).

Finally, here are a couple of cute videos. The first is of Spence riding his bike without training wheels, and the second is of Spencer tickling Kinsey - it is seriously the cutest thing! If you are going to pick one video to watch, pick the 2nd. But both are short, and awesome.

A Happy Halloween and a Haircut

Halloween 2011 was a blast!

In the morning, Kinsey and I went to Spencer's school to see the costume parade. There was lots of fun, cute, and creative costumes. Spencer got a Thor costume for his birthday, and was proud to show it off for Halloween. When he saw me at the parade, he excitedly pointed me out to his friends, "Look, that's my mom!" So sweet. Being excited to show me off to his friends sure isn't gonna last forever, so I gotta soak it up!

Cutest. Ladybug. EVER.

I saw this costume back in August (which is, I'm sure, when it was at it's most expensive), and I had to have it! So glad I got it.

The Trick or Treaters. Uncle Peter (a guy with a moustache?), Chloe (the wicked witch), Spencer, Bailey (a spider), Dave (a wall street occupier. His sign says "End Capitalism and corporate greed. Oh, and gimme your house!"). They had lots of fun and got lots of candy! The weather was pretty good, but Kinsey still came back with hands and feet like little ice cubes. Dave said she didn't make a peep the whole time, but just enjoyed being part of the excitement. My sis-in-law, Amanda, and I enjoyed staying warm, chatting, and passing out candy. I didn't dress up, cause I'm a slacker. But I did make some good wassail (thanks to Jessie's recipe!), so I felt a little accomplished =).

Also, here is a cute video that wouldn't download all day. But it's proof that you don't need to open a piece of candy to enjoy it!

http://s290.photobucket.com/albums/ll247/AndSassy/?action=view&current=fall11034-1.mp4

Also, this weekend, I got a haircut! Like a big one. This may be the shortest I've ever had my hair! I'm still getting used to it, but I like it!

Sadly, I don't know how to take a picture of myself without it ending up looking creepy. Oh well! (Speaking of creepy, did you see Dave in the pic above? So nevermind, my pics are fine.)

Halloween Crafty-ish-ness

For some reason, I decided to get crafty. Well, I guess the reason was that I couldn't find the exact right halloween wreath for our door, so I got brave and decided to make one. And then a friend gave me an idea for the spray painted pumpkins, and I thought they were so cute, and seemed easy enough for even I. I have a like/hate relationship with crafts. Sometimes I like making crafts, but sometimes it's just stressful. Sometimes I like the way my crafts turn out, and sometimes I just don't. This stuff really wasn't hard, and didn't take too long, and I'm pleased with how they turned out, but I am yet to decide how soon it will be before I am crafy-ish again!

Maybe I didn't need to put 2 wreaths together...but our front door is pretty big, so I didn't want a wreath to look too dinky.

We made some stencils and just used some spray paint for these. I thought it was such a cool and cute idea, and Spence had a blast "helping." My friend and I did it together, and I am certain we got high from the spray paint fumes. Ahh, good times.

All in all, we have a pretty cute and festive front porch! Bring on the trick or treaters!

Bed Rest and Newborn Pics

As you may all probably know, Spencer was a premie, he was over 7 weeks early. You probably also know I was on bed rest with Kinsey from 31 weeks to 36 weeks. (Is bedrest one word or two?) Even though you know, I'm gonna write all about it anyway. Cause that's what blogs are for. (Yes, I know what blogs are for, even though sometimes I go 6 months without proving it!)

So at 31 weeks, with Kinsey, I had a teensy bit of spotting. But because of what happened with Spence I was extra cautious (some may say paranoid), so I went in and got it checked out. It was Sunday, so I had to go to the hospital. They told me my cervix was effaced to 80 or 90% (I can't remember which now, isn't that funny? Either way, not so good. And I was having contractions and didn't even realize it. They said my uterus was "irritated." So they were small contractions, but still, not good. So because of my history, they sent me home on bed rest, and had me on muscle relaxers for the contractions.

Yay, great, sitting on my booty all day, letting people wait on me sounds awesome, right?! Ok, maybe for like 3 days. And then it's just kinda sucky. Watching someone else do everything, while you lay there feeling guilty, and thinking that any minute your water will break (cause that's what happened with Spencer). Yes, I had to lay there, on my side, all day. The doctor told me I could get up to use the bathroom, and to take a short shower each day. Otherwise, I had to stay laying down, so as not to put any more pressure on my cervix. Ok, but really, don't feel too sorry for me. I had great help, and my baby ended up being full term! I'm just saying, bed rest isn't a bed of roses...but yes, it could be a lot worse!

You would think I would have so much time to blog, or write emails, and such. But my laptop sorta crashed. We do have an ipad, which I did use quite a bit...but have you ever tried typing on a ipad while laying on your side? Not so easy, and gets old really quick. But, I did read 5 books! Which for me is a ton! I probably haven't read 5 other books in the last 2 or 3 years combined. I did catch up on Glee and Modern Family, and got to watch lots of movies! I did get to play dinosaurs with Spence and read him stories. I did get to have Dave working from home most days. I did get to have my in-laws come every weekend. My mother in law would catch us up on laundry and housework, while my father in law would make us delicious dinners. Can I tell you that I basically hit the jackpot when it came to in-laws? I did have a brother in law come and get Spencer ready for, and take him to, school EVERY morning. I did have a sister in law come and take Spence to her house, to movies, to pizza, and other stuff to entertain him. (See? In-law jackpot.) I did have lots of friends have Spencer over at their house to play. I did have a sweet friend give me a pedicure! I did have a number of ward members (of the ward we had JUST moved into, and our previous ward) bring dinners, and notes, and treats for us.

It is amazing all the love and support you realize you have, when you are in need. People are wonderful. And we are surrounded by wonderful people. We are lucky. We are blessed. We are blessed to have great friends and family. We are blessed to have kept that little baby girl safe and warm until 37 1/2 weeks. We are blessed she is so strong and healthy, and that she is pretty much the most beautiful baby ever =).

The doctors told me I could be off of bedrest at 36 weeks, and let whatever was going to happen, happen. I was certain that by the end of the first day off of bedrest I would go into labor. The first day off of bedrest I actually went to a business dinner thingy with Dave. I was SO nervous that my water was going to break at the table, in my cute dress, in front of like 200 people. But it didn't =). I lasted another whole week and a half. And it was great.

Here are some pics from Baby Bella Photography, that were taken the day after Kinsey was born. Enjoy!

Yeah, that was a lot of pics...be glad I cut it way down to just these! =)

She is real, and she is really here!

Well, it's FINALLY time to get back to blogging! I mean, it has been like 7 months, sheesh. Let's start with the best thing ever - my baby! This will hopefully be the first in many posts to get updated (ish), so we'll start with the birth story =). Hooray!

Welp, on April 10, 2011, I was 37 1/2 weeks along and I felt like I may be leaking fluid, so I called my midwife and she told me to get it checked out. This was at like 10pm, but we packed my overnight bag and left for the hospital - since I was thinking I was most likely having a baby that night. I was right, after some tests they told me it was amniotic fluid and they gave me some pitocin to induce labor. I think I was dilated to a 2, but Spencer came pretty fast, so I felt like this one would be pretty fast as well. For the first couple of hours the contractions weren't too bad, so I let Dave take a little nap (oh, poor sleepy Dave...). I was just glad he was there for this one! (He missed Spencer's birth because he was out of town, and Spencer came unexpectedly 7 weeks early!)

Suddenly the contractions started to get worse, so I asked for the epidural. Turns out someone had just asked for one before me, and it was going to take the anesthesiologist like a half hour to get to the hospital, and then another half hour to do this other lady's epidural before me. Ugh. Next time, I'm just going to ask for the epidural as soon as I get to the hospital. So for the next 1 1/2 to 2 hours, my contractions were right on top of each other and HORRIBLE...somehow it was worse than with Spencer, I don't know why. But finally the drug man came - he made me sit and lean over, and then sign a paper - um, holy annoying! But he gave me the epidural, and then they decided to check me, for I think the first time since I had started the pitocin, and guess what, I was at a 10! That's now 2 epidurals that were given to me while I was already to a 10.
They let me rest for like 20 min before I started to push, because I thought I was pretty much spent after getting through the contractions. (sorry, I know a lot of people have hard contractions for more than 2 hours...but seriously, they took all my energy!) So I was ready to push, and the midwives (I was lucky to have 2 there - they were SO great) told me she should be out in like 10 or 15 min! Yippee!! So after an HOUR of pushing, and needing oxygen, I really was spent. I really didn't think I could push any more, so I started mentioning that maybe we should try something else...forcepts? Vacuum? Come on people! But I don't think midwives like to use those things, so they just kept telling me I "could do it!" Luckily within about 20 more minutes, my little darling was out! She was face up, which I guess is what made it so much harder. I don't know if/when they knew she was face up, but no one told me. Which is probably good. I'm glad we didn't use forcepts or a vacuum.

So Kinsey Kay Bateman was born on Monday, April 11, at 6:33 am. She came out screaming, and had lots of dark hair! So adorable! She was 6lb 2oz, and 18 inches long. So tiny, so sweet, so precious, so healthy =). She was able to nurse pretty easily right away, which is something Spencer and I struggled with for so long, because he was a premie. Having a full term (37 weeks is considered full term) baby is definitely much easier than having a premie...of course, I think your 2nd baby is probably just easier in general. Dave, Spencer, and I were just in love with this little angel at first sight. She is 5 months now, and truly is just such a sweet, fun, and bright part of our family. Almost every day, still, I look at her and cannot believe she is here - that I have a baby girl. We LOVE this baby, and she was SO worth the wait.

Pictures...

This is the day before Kinsey was born.

Kinsey Kay, just seconds old.

Mama and Kinsey's first cuddle =). (And oh, are we tired!)

My sis-in-law, Amanda, got this fantastic picture of Spencer meeting his new little sister for the first time! So sweet. This little boy LOVES that little baby!

Proud Papa and big brother. While holding Kinsey at the hospital, Dave said, "I just want to give this little girl everything she wants!" Oh yes, she has him wrapped around her finger and she doesn't even know it!

Welcome, welcome, Kinsey Kay...to the world, and to our family.

30 Weeks!

10 weeks left!! At least, I sure am hoping I have a full 10 weeks...ok, 8 weeks will be ok too =).

But, I like being pregnant.

Not winning any parenting awards around here...

Sad story...don't judge us...

Dave has been doing P90X (sorta), and Spencer likes to exercise with him. One day while they were exercising, Dave was doing push ups or something, and Spencer got on the treadmill. We let him use the treadmill sometimes, while we are right there, and when the speed is low, just for a couple of minutes...well, this time Spencer put the speed a bit too high and he lost his balance and rolled off the treadmill. Unfortunately, we had put the back treadmill too close to the wall, and Spencer got stuck there, while the treadmill was still going, and the belt was going and going and rubbing the skin off of his little arm! Dave said he grabbed him up within about 3 seconds, but the damage was done...poor, poor kid.
He had a bad burn (I guess is what you call it?) on his arm, and he cried for a good half hour. I would too!! Luckily, after that first night, he really didn't complain about it, unless we wanted to look at it, or change the bandage. I did call my brother in law, who is a doctor (hooray for a Dr. in the family!), and sent him a picture of the wound. It just looked so sad and kinda scary, so I was paranoid. We put some large, non stick, hospital grade bandages on it, and neosporin, and taped it up. Spencer called it a cast, and LOVED showing people his cast. Within a few days it was looking much better. By the end of a week it was scabbed over, and about 2 weeks later it was pretty much healed. I love that kids are so resilient, and heal so quickly! And, I think we've all learned our lesson about mixing kids and treadmills.

Sorry, is this too gross? It still makes me cringe to see it. And this picture was taken 2 days after the accident...so it really is healing.

This is his brave face...while we change the bandages.

All healed up, a little over 2 weeks later!