Tagged

My very best friend,Carole, tagged me, so here goes:

What was I doing 10 years ago?
Oh my… Well, ten years ago I had just graduated from Garland High School in Garland, Texas- so I was recovering from that whole experience. I was hanging out with all my girlfriends before we all went our separate ways to college. I was also working as a summer camp counselor for a childcare center in Plano. I was doing a lot of stupid things too, but we won’t get into all that! :)

What are five things on my to -do list today?
Hmmm…
Breastfeed.
Get all the maternity clothes out of my closet and all the regular clothes back in.
Have Matt help me get my bathrooms cleaned before he goes back to work all day! :(
Help Isaac work on his reading.
Breastfeed again.
(I know I listed that twice- but it takes up half of my day, so it counts twice!)



What snacks do I enjoy?
Oooo… I like a lot of Carole’s snacks.
I would Definitely take a coke from Sonic (or Chili’s) over really any food.
Ice Cream
Chips and Salsa
Triscuits and cheese
Hmmmm… I’m on a watermelon kick lately.



What are some places that I have lived?
Garland, TX., Waco, TX., Denton TX., Ogden, UT, Layton, UT.


What things would I do if I were a billionaire?
I would give lots of money to charity- tithing, I would give money to help schools.
I would build my dream house and pay for homes for my family.
Go shopping!

Our First Week Home

This is Victoria just before we left the hospital... she already has a double chin! Victoria was born Friday Morning and we came home Sunday around noon. My mom was visiting while Victoria was born and she graciously helped us with the older children so Matt could stay at the hospital with me. I definitely needed his help as the recovery from my c-section was much more intense than recovering from the births of my older children. This is Mom with the baby just before she left for Texas on Wed. Thanks, Mom!
Just being cute in her bouncy seat!
Victoria's bilirubin count was a little high when we left the hospital and she was a little jaundice because of that... We had to take her in and have her little foot poked daily to make sure the bilirubin wasn't going too high. Isaac and Daphne both had this problem and had to be treated with bilirubin lights, which is no fun. The baby has to be only in a diaper and is supposed to be under the lights 24/7. All a sweet little newborn wants is to be wrapped up and cuddled, so this is not an easy thing to do. Isaac, in particular, was very jaundice. He had to be readmitted to the hospital and was under the lights for almost two weeks. Daphne was treated with lights for just under one week. Victoria's count was staying just borderline, and I kept telling her that she had done everything else different so far, so just keep it up with the bilirubin count. :) We tried to put her in the sunlight as much as possible (in very short increments, of course.) Here she is relaxing and sunbathing on Daddy's lap. By Friday, the count was going down and we never had to use the lights. We are so grateful to God that she is healthy and that we were spared this small trial. We need all the help that we can get now that the children outnumber us!

The Grandparents

Victoria with Nanny (Matt's Mom). Victoria is their 11th grandchild- they have had five grandsons and five granddaughters, so Victoria is the tie breaker or the odd ball, however you want to look at it! Victoria with Calvin, Matt's dad
Victoria with GiGi, My Mom. She is GiGi's 5th grandchild and fourth granddaughter!

Know this, Victoria Grace... you are very, very loved!

Baby Victoria is Here!!

We are thrilled to announce the arrival of

Victoria Grace Hunter

born June 6, 2008 at 8:44 am

7 lbs., 10 oz.

20 inches

She is healthy and happy and nursing like a pro! We will be posting more info and pics later!

Very excited big brother and sister...

Before I knew your Name....

Dearest Victoria,

I wanted you to have a few pictures of us as a duo before you were born. I want you to know that I love, Love, LOVE being your Mommy and I loved every minute of carrying you in my belly. Even the painful ones. Promise.

Daddy and I prayed and prayed for you and were ecstatic to find out He was sending you to our family. In January, we found out you were a girl. From that day forward, we called you by your name, Victoria Grace Hunter.

February 2008, 5 months: March 2008, 27 weeks:

About this time, we started feeling a little worried that you were turned around inside my belly, with your bum first. So... we went about trying to get you to turn. I took herbal supplements and went to the chiropractor and laid upside down on a 45 degree slanted ironing board. We tried and tried and tried, but you were nestled in there snug and sound with no intention of turning.

May 2008, 34 weeks:

A few days before this next picture was taken, Auntie Raegan took me to the hospital to have the doctor try to turn you in a procedure called an External Version. This was almost as excruciating as natural childbirth... but I was determined to try everything I could to have you naturally. They twisted and turned and pushed and nudged and you just wouldn't budge. Perhaps you are just a stubborn girl... we'll have to see!

Here we are on June 1... 5 days before your birth!

I wanted to try and get you out myself, but the hospital's insurance companies won't allow that anymore, so they scheduled me for a C-section on June 6th....

But we want you to know something...

This is a song I love singing to you every day, and I hope you know I mean every word:

Angels fly above you

They know that

I love you

so.

I watch you dreaming now

I wonder if you know...

Before I knew your name

Before I saw your eyes,

Your skin and your nose

Before I counted your fingers and toes

I asked Heaven for someone

as wonderful as you

And every prayer and wish came true

I dreamed of you Before I knew your name.

Baby Bump!

I don't have any clever stories or comments for this pic- I just thought I would show one more picture of little Victoria before she is born! I now feel uncomfortable almost all of the time and feel huge, so I don't intend to take any more pictures of us as a duo. This was taken last Sunday, and I will be 35 weeks pregnant tomorrow!

Soccer Boy!

Well, we have officially moved into a whole new phase of parenthood. I am now a chauffer and soccer mom. Isaac started playing soccer last fall and is playing this spring as well. He has also begun T Ball this week, so our Saturday mornings are booked for the next little while. He's doing really great and we are so proud of him!Here you can see how my son compares to the other children on the team. Sometimes I wonder if the parents on the other teams wonder how come our team has a huge 8 year old playing with the 6 year olds!
Here we have an awesome action shot of Isaac kicking the ball past the Green Dragons. The week after this we played the red dragons and last Saturday I believe it was the Orange Dragons. Isaac's team is the Blue Thundering Horses, which is kind of a mouthful, but at least it is original.

Some Days are Diamonds....

We have had a rough couple of weeks with Daphne- She is (I hope it's just this) trying to figure out how her life is changing with the new baby coming and has been much more challenging. Now, many of you know that Daphne has a very "intense" personality to begin with, and you throw in the stress of a new baby, school ending and lots of changes and we are in for a whole new kind of roller coaster. Isaac, my easy-going son who lives in the land of oblivion much of the time, has been pretty much unaffected thus far. I know I am babbling a bit, but suffice it to say that Daphne has been banned from markers, pencils & chapstick; she has now also regressed to eating her meals strapped into her toddler booster seat. I have spent many of the last several nights in tears and the last several mornings praying for guidance so that I don't completely ruin my daughter for life. Anyway, we have has some wonderful days with Daphne and I wanted to share a few pics of those days- perhaps that will help me focus on the positive!
Daphne is very creative and she LOVES painting. When we come to school, she spends the first hour or so in my classroom with me and painting is one of her favorite things to do. Here she is with her rainbow.

In my classroom, we had (much to my chagrin), baby chick eggs which sat in an incubator and then hatched. This is a wonderful process for children to see and enjoy, despite the stinky, gross, bloddy mess that I have to deal with ! :( Yuck! Anyway, Daphne was so excited to see the chicks hatch and enjoyed holding them when she came in every morning.

Our school has put on an Art Show for the past few years and this year it was held at the Art Gallery on campus. Daphne worked for 3 days painting this giraffe for the Art Show, which is quite a long time for a 3 year old! Our local newspaper did an article and Daphne's picture was featured in the newspaper (out of the 120 students at our school)! We are so proud of her!

Hmmm... that was cathartic, after all. I don't want to give the wrong impression- being a mother to these children is my greatest joy in this life and I suppose I just wanted to find a way to rejoice through the bad times!

Easter Weekend 2008

Okay, well I didn't intend for this to be the first picture, but here we are just starting the 3rd trimester, 27 weeks on Easter...

Our Easter weekend was wonderful! Here are some pics from our Easter Egg hunt at Nanny & Papa's house. Remember all those days of winter (and Spring) when I was so ungrateful and complaining about the pounds and pounds of snow? These are the days that make it all worth it. Look at those mountains! You can't see too much of the green here, but it is so beautiful here right now! The daffodils are blooming and it is just gorgeous here!



Here is Isaac at the Egg Hunt at our Church party- (He doesn't like to show his teeth anymore because of all the missing teeth!):

Isaac and Daphne are reading a book with "Granny Great", Matt's maternal grandmother. This is right after Daphne looked up at her and said, "You have wrinkly cheeks and poofy white hair." :)


I can't believe I didn't get any cute shots of them in their Easter duds, but hopefully you can see how cute they were in all of these shots!

On Saturday we had a Church Easter Party, which was so much fun! We had breakfast, egg dyeing, coloring, relay races, an egg hunt and an awesome family scripture Easter activity! Here they are squinting.
Here they are in the bunny hop relay race:
This is Daphne crying because she wanted to run to me instead of to the lady in charge of the relay races!
EGGS!

March Odds & Ends

My life is so fabulous! Every single day is brightened by my two sweet angels. I have so much joy from being their Mom and I am in awe of the fact that we will have another child in our family. I wanted to share some of the comments that have brightened my life this month!

On the way home from a Mommy Daughter trip to buy Girl Scout Cookies Daphne said, "I wish they had boy scout cookies so Daddy & Isaac could eat some."

After church one day, we were getting in the van and Isaac called Daphne a slow poke in a very mean voice. Daphne was upset (shocker) and I said, "Isaac, we don't call eachother names- that hurts feelings. How would you feel if Daphne called you a slow poke?" An indignant Isaac replied, "It doesn't matter." Daphne exclaimed, "REPENT, for crying out loud!"

Matt was watching Robin Hood with the kids one night while I was at church. The next day they were singing the song from the movie "Not in Nottingham". Then Isaac said, "Hey Mom, do you know why it is called Nottingham? Cause that sheriff is so Naughty!"

Here are a few pictures from March... This is Isaac & Daphne enjoying the GREEN Rice Krispie Treats we made for St. Patrick's Day! They particularly enjoyed turning the marshmallow goo green. Matt began a new job this month and had a few days off in between careers. I had been telling the kids it was Daddy's last day and that afternoon, Daphne said, "Today is Daddy's last day at work and then he gets to stay home with me!" Ummmm... that was a little sad to try and explain!
Anyway, we took a day and went to the Children's Museum and here are a few pics from there:
Isaac rock climbing:


Checking out the Helicopter... Okay, so there was a little theatre where the children could put on costumes and choose a backdrop and put on a little play. So we were making up the story while the kids acted it out. Here is Daphne being a "lonely leopard", because her brother wouldn't be in the play with her:
Now, the leopard is no longer lonely because Daddy Sunshine head is here to keep her happy! :)

Pinkalicious!

Pinkalicious! This is the hottest topic at our house right now. My sister recently gave this book to Daphne and 3 days later she began retelling this story to her friends and anyone who would listen. She remembers so much of the phrases and lines- it is one of the cutest things ever! A few weeks ago, Daphne' class went on a field trip to the Annual Story-Telling Festival, where her teacher was to be a Story Teller. As they were waiting to go into the auditorium, Daphne re-told the story "Pinkalicious" to her class-mates and several other classes! She did great and did get a little nervous toward the end when she looked up and realized that there were so many people watching her. These are some pics that one of her teachers took with her phone:

Hole In My Head

Well, Isaac lost his first official tooth this week! Many of you know that he fell in the bathtub when he was 18 mos and killed his top frotn tooth. We had to have it pulled when he was 4 1/2. But this week he lost the tooth right below the top one, leaving one very large hole in the front of his teeth! It has been loose for a while, and Matt pulled it right before bed on Monday night. He was very brave and didn't even wince (which is really impressive if you heard about his Kindergarten shots fiasco last summer!) Isaacwas incredibly excited to find a dollar under his pillow in the morning! The other top tooth, and the bottom one right next to it are both loose as well, so we could have one supersized hole in a month or so!