Highs and Lows

5 days old

I can't believe it's already been 9 days since Kellen was born. Is there a pause button somewhere out there that I can press to keep these precious newborn days from flying by so fast? I really want to cry, knowing that he's already growing and changing so fast!

I just love love love having a newborn in the house. He's like this little piece of heaven that I get to smell and hold and love on each day. He's a smiler, for sure. I don't know who ever said that newborns don't smile, but this little boy smiles all the time -- and I know it's not gas.

He's still sleeping most of the day. God is so good to make babies this way, and ease us into mothering a new little life. Can you imagine if babies were born as toddlers?! What a life-changer that would be! As it is right now, things aren't too overwhelming. I can kind of count on Kellen sleeping through the kids' bath/bedtime (hardest part of the day) and try to give T and L as much attention as I can while K is sleeping. Of course, I've had plenty of help with all of that this week ...

If you ask the boys (and me!!) what the best part of this week has been, it would be that Daddy has been home ALL WEEK! I can't even begin to tell you what a gift his help has been to me! For three whole days last week, Jon took the boys out of the house on an "adventure" all day. They had the BEST time, and I got to just savor some quiet moments with my newest love. I felt like I was a mother of one again during those days. It was just me and Kellen ... I SO appreciated the PEACE around here, and just knew the whole time how precious those hours were with JUST him.

Tanner has been smitten with the little guy. He is VERY good with him and loves to hold him several times a day. I'm hoping to introduce an occasional bottle sometime next week, and I think I'll give Tanner the honor of feeding it to him. I can already imagine his delight ... :) He talks baby talk to him ALL DAY LONG and I can tell he is totally in love -- what a good big brother.

Landon has had kind of a hard time. He doesn't really care at all about the baby, which is totally fine. I get it. But his behavior has been so bad. Just so not like him. He also doesn't really want to have anything do to with me, and I think our interactions have been mostly negative all week. I think I've cried about it every day since I brought the baby home. My mom says his behavior probably has a lot more to do with the fact that he's turning 3. He's not a baby anymore. He wants to be independent. I probably agree with this a little. But it still makes me sad.

Tomorrow is Jon's first day back at work. I had kind of a trial run today with all 3 for an extended period of time. Jon had a muster for the Army that he had to report to. (He's still in the Independent Ready Reserves and has to report for a day here and there). But, he was home by 4:30, and by then I was already close to the end of my rope. I'm a little bit nervous for tomorrow, but I'm also looking forward to establishing a routine, getting Landon back on a nap schedule, etc. I'm praying so hard that Landon's attitude will change, and that God will give me huge reserves of patience and kindness for my sweet middle boy.

That being said, I should probably do my part by getting to bed at a decent time and waking up as well-rested as possible. First, though, a few more cuddles with my newest. He's such a little angel-baby. No chance he'll grow into a sassy, stubborn 3-yr-old, right? ;)

Baby Love

We're so excited to announce the birth of our newest love! This little guy entered the world with a bang and has completely stolen our hearts in the last 72 hours!

Kellen Patrick Hall

March 9, 2012

8:06 am

7 lbs, 5 oz

19.5 inches

I still can't believe that he actually arrived on MARCH 9!!! Remember this post, where I told you how I selected that day weeks ago to be the perfect day for his arrival? For some reason, that day had been on my mind for a while. However, after Thursday's doctor's appointment, I was pretty sure that date was out of the question. Oh little Kellen, already working hard to make Mommy happy :)

Want to hear how it all went down? Excuse all of the minute details, but I wanted to make sure they are all there for posterity's sake!

As I wrote Thursday evening's post, I was feeling some random contractions, but nothing regular or painful. I just chalked it up to more Braxton Hicks after a long week of taking care of the kiddos. We hadn't even seen Jon since the previous Sunday. He was at an overnight conference Mon-Wed, then class on Wed night, and a work function on Thursday night. I woke up around 11:30 Thursday evening not really feeling well, but didn't really think I was in labor. At 1:30, I woke up again, this time having real contractions. Jon came to bed soon after and I told him we were probably going to have a baby the next day. Poor guy had a HUGE work meeting Friday morning, but considering the length of my other labors, he thought he might just be able to make it.

I started timing my contractions using a nifty little "Contractions" app on my iPhone. They were pretty regular from the start (4-5 mins apart). I sat in the glider in Kellen's room and tried to just relax as much as possible. I held out until 4am, then decided I should probably call my mom, who was planning to come later that morning, and ask if she could go ahead and start making her way here (2.5 hr drive). At this point, my contractions had been 3-4 min apart for at least an hour. However, I still thought I had lots of time. With Landon, I labored at home for 12 hours, and was still only 3 cm when I finally got to the hospital. I went and laid down in bed for about an hour, and my contractions seemed to slow down a bit.

At 5:30, I got up to start showering and making sure things were in order for the hospital. Things got a lot more intense from there. My contractions seemed a lot closer together and more painful. It took me forever just to get through showering and drying my hair. Jon left for work as soon as my mom arrived around 6:30. By 7:00, I was in a lot of pain, but I still had some things to get together before I could go. The problem was, I could hardly do anything because I was in so much pain. I know what you're thinking right now, "You are a stupid, stupid woman." I fully agree.

I called the doctor around 7:15. By 7:30, we decided that we would go ahead and get the kids in the car. Here was our plan: my mom would take me to the hospital, where I would have the doctor check my progress before I called Jon away from his meeting. Then, she would drop Tanner off at preschool. It was an important day for him and I really didn't want him to have to miss it. It was his show-and-tell day, which means it was also his day to bring a snack, be the weather-watcher, and the calendar helper.

By the time we actually got in the car, I was already starting to wonder if I would make it to the hospital before having the baby! My contractions were only 1-2 minutes apart and extremely intense. I was feeling so much pressure. I've heard people talk before about feeling pressure, but had never really felt it before, so I didn't know that's what it was at the time. To me, it felt like my bladder was going to explode and I was going to wet my pants.

My poor mom. She had no idea how to get to the hospital and had to rely on me for directions. I was trying so hard not to act like a crazy woman in labor because I knew I was already scaring my kids who were in the back seat. The traffic was horrible, and we were stuck behind a school bus most of the way to the hospital. On the way there, I called Jon and yelled into the phone, "If you want to see this baby born, you need to get to the hospital, NOW!! I don't know if I'm going to make it!!" Almost 30 minutes later, we were finally getting close to the hospital. I called the doctor again in a panic and told her I didn't know if I was going to make it and that I would definitely need a wheelchair because there was no way I could make it in the door and up to labor and delivery by myself.

A few minutes later (8:00 am), we pulled up to labor and delivery, where Jon was waiting at the door for me with a wheelchair. They got me up the elevator as fast as they could, and we were met by several nurses who wheeled me into a room right away (8:01 am). I cried all the way up to the unit, and then into my room, where I looked in my doctor's eyes and said, "I really wanted an epidural!!!" The nurses were literally undressing me as they wheeled me in, pulling off my pants and shoes as they took me out of the wheelchair and helped me onto the bed. As soon as I laid down, the doctor checked me and confirmed the head was right there. I couldn't help it, I just had to start pushing right away. My water broke at 8:03. And little Kellen was here at 8:06.

I was a mess. The crazy lady in labor, screaming and crying that I wasn't going to be able to do it. At one point the nurse got right in my face and said "Stop screaming!" Jon looked completely shell-shocked. He told me afterwards that he felt like he was in the middle of a combat operation. Even after giving birth, I was still traumatized for a while. I think I was just so scared by the whole thing ... the drive, no pain meds, etc. This wasn't exactly how I envisioned my labor would go :) I was basically shaking and crying for the first 30 minutes after Kellen was born. I didn't even hold him for an hour or so after he arrived.

Finally, things calmed down a bit. My nurse was awesome and kept reassuring me that I did a great job. I just remember that she kept bringing me really warm blankets to cover up with that felt so good! My mom and the boys were able to come in and visit as soon as visiting hours started at 10am. They boys were so adorable with Kellen. It totally melted my heart to see them check him out and hold him for the first time. Tanner was especially over-the-moon, looking at his newest brother so sweetly. My heart literally wanted to burst.

I do have to say, even though I probably wouldn't have chosen to deliver like I did, the recovery has been amazing. Once I got over the initial shock of the whole thing, I felt great right away. I was up, moving around, snapping pictures of the boys, etc. Our time in the hospital was really fantastic. My nurses were wonderful and took excellent care of Kellen and I. I so enjoyed the peace and quiet and sweet time with my new little man. I can't believe how quickly I've fallen in love again. He is just so new and fresh and soft and smells like heaven. I can't believe that God has blessed me once again with such a perfect little miracle. I know the next few days and weeks will fly by, and soon he's going to be as big as Landon -- who, by the way, was still a baby to me until just a few days ago. I'm already wishing I could just stop time for a little while.

Thanks, everyone, for all of your prayers and well-wishes! We are so thankful to have added another healthy little boy to our family.

Countdown

Yesterday, Tanner and I made super-yummy oatmeal cookies with butterscotch chips.

Then I dipped them in melted chocolate.

I'm allowed to do that, you know, since I'm STILL PREGNANT. Actually, the way I look at it, I'm entitled to dip anything I want in chocolate before I eat it ... until I have this baby :) And, if I want to eat an ice cream sundae AND a cookie at night because I can't decide between the two, I CAN. Pretty soon, I'll have to start losing the 35 lbs I've gained, so for now, I'm determined to enjoy myself. (BTW ... that's 10lbs less than I gained with both of my other boys, so I'm feeling pretty good about that.) And ... just in case you're worried about me actually gaining another 10 lbs before this baby comes, I have some good news ...

I'll only be pregnant for 4 MORE DAYS at most!!!

At today's appointment (39wks 2 days), I was still only 2 cm dilated. She disagreed with last week's effacement of 60-70% and felt like I was only 50%. She said everything is looking good, and she saw no reason to make me go past my due date, so she asked if I'd like to go ahead and schedule an induction. I was totally caught off guard by that, assuming they'd make me go to at least 41 wks. I asked her when the earliest was that I could schedule and she said Monday, so Monday morning it is! I call the hospital at 5am, and as long as they have room for me, I'm getting induced at 6am.

To be honest, I have totally mixed feelings about this. On one hand, I'm completely excited. I feel a HUGE sense of relief being able to set up help with the boys ahead of time. I've been wearing myself out this past week worrying about all of the different scenarios that could happen as far as getting to the hospital and getting someone here to watch Tanner and Landon. My mom is going to come tomorrow and stay for the weekend. If I haven't had Kellen by Sunday, my mother-in-law will be here to watch the boys while I'm induced and during my hospital stay. Childcare is essentially covered by the two best grandmothers in the world. Jon will get a full week off of work. Then, the next week my mom is off of work to watch my niece, Lanier, so she can come back to help, which means two full weeks of help for me. So ... those are the positives.

On the other hand, I'm a tad bit nervous about the actual induction. I haven't been induced before and I just hope I'm not rushing things along. I really don't have a good excuse to schedule an induction other than convenience. I'm still feeling pretty good. I'm not majorly uncomfortable. I haven't been sleeping well, but that's only because my mind is racing at night ... not because I'm uncomfortable. I'm also thinking "OH MY GOD!!! This is for REAL ... I'm going to have a BABY in 4 DAYS!!!!"

But, I do know one thing. I've been praying so hard about this and working to trust in God's perfect timing. So, hopefully, this opportunity to set my anxieties aside, enjoy these last few days of pregnancy, and fully prepare my family for a birth in the next few days is a gift from Him.

Okay, better get to bed now. Only 4 more full nights of sleep and then it's on to nighttime feedings for months and months!!!

38.5 Weeks

Less than 10 days to go, and I feel like I could not possibly get any bigger. There is no room left for this little guy to grow, but still, he's growing!!! I'm finally starting to feel very ready to have this baby. My back hurts, my hips hurt, I feel like my lungs are smushed. House is mostly clean (not sure if I have it in me to mop my floors again before giving birth -- maybe if I get REALLY desperate), hospital bag is packed, all four of us are VERY excited to meet this little man. The only problem is, since he didn't come this weekend, now he has to wait until NEXT weekend to come. Do you think he's getting the memo?

This week is really busy for Jon -- finals for school, a big three-day conference for work. Not to mention, weekends are much better for calling the grandparents to come and help!! I decided a few weeks ago that March 9th would be the perfect birthday for little Kellen. At the time, I wasn't sure he would hold out until then, but now I'm wondering if this baby is actually going to be LATE rather than early. Trying to trust in God's perfect timing ... he always has a way of coming through :)

No Girls Allowed ... Except in the Kitchen

Today was supposed to be my morning to sleep in. In reality, it's only 8:00 and I'm upstairs laying awake in bed. It took a while for the boys to get Jon out of bed ... A loud, noisy while.

Tanner just came in so excited:

"Mom, all the boys are going to see a movie today!"

"What?! What about me? Don't I get to go?"

"No, but you get to cook us lunch."

Awesome. Wondering if this will be my reality with three sons in the house.

March

Tanner's been asking me for a few days now when it was going to be "March." This morning, he was playing a game at the computer while I fixed breakfast.

Me: "Guess what, buddy ... "

Tanner: "What?"

Me: "Today is March!"

Tanner: (wish you could see the look of sheer joy and shock on his face) "Kellen's coming today?!!!"

Me: "Probably not today, buddy, but anytime ..."

These boys are so excited for the littlest guy to make his entrance -- they make it so much fun for me! Today was my weekly appt (38wks 2 days). I haven't made much progress since last week. Still 1-2 cm dilated, 60-70% effaced. No signs that this baby is in a hurry to arrive, which is quite alright with me. I'm still feeling relatively good, and am enjoying my huge ice cream sundaes every night without having to feel guilty about them just yet :) And also enjoying the calm before the storm -- my nerves about having a brand new baby to take care of are just starting to kick in. I feel like these last weeks are exhausting, mostly due to the anxiety of wondering EXACTLY when the baby will come, where will I be, how long will labor last, will our help be available, etc. Thank goodness I'm too tired at night once my head finally hits the pillow to lay awake worrying about it all! LOL!!

I'll keep you posted on any new developments!!

Fierce

Over the past year, I would say that my boys have become each others' best playmates. They do fight, of course, but for the most part I would say that they truly are best friends. Just a few minutes ago, we had a "moment" that I wanted to make sure to write down before I forget it.

We have been really trying to take advantage of the unseasonably mild temps here this winter, so we decided to take a bike ride down to the park. Our park has a large walking path that runs all the way around the playground equipment and sports fields, and past a small pond. After playing for a little while on the swings, we decided to get back on our bikes, and ride around to the pond to see if there were any ducks. Unfortunately, as we came upon the pond, we saw that the water had overflowed heavily onto the walking path and we wouldn't be able to cross it.

Tanner, of course -- stubborn as a mule, refused to turn around and wanted to ride through the water. This child is so strong willed, we had a real fight on our hands. He is definitely too big for me to pick up and carry home, so I was trying to reason with/threaten him. (I know -- probably not my best mommy moment.)

"Why don't we ride our bikes onto the grass around the water? We can pretend we're on a bear hunt, just like the song!"

"Tanner, that water is a lot deeper than you think. If you try to ride through it, you could get hurt."

"Tanner, I'm not coming in to help you if you get stuck."

"Tanner!! You will definitely get spanked if you go into that water!!!"

Tanner continued to be stubborn and inch toward the water on his bike. This is when our little "moment" happened. Landon ran over to Tanner, threw his arms around him and tried to get him to stay put. Tanner shoved him away. Landon is now panicking that Tanner might go into the water, so he stands in front of the bike, straddling the front wheel and pushing on the handlebars.

"Don't go in the water, Tanner!!" he's screaming as tears run down his little cheeks.

At this point, I come to pick up Landon so that he doesn't get hurt, but he's fighting me so hard that I have to put him down. Tanner inches a little closer to the water. Landon grabs the back tire and holds on for dear life, screaming and crying for Tanner not to go into the water. By now, Tanner is crying (his natural reaction to hearing me say "no" to anything), Landon is crying, and I am almost in tears witnessing my almost-3-yr-old try to save my 4-yr-old from what he thinks is certain disaster. My heart was literally swelling as I watched this display of love and concern between brothers. Finally, I got it together, removed Landon from the back tire, picked Tanner up off of his bike, and carried both bikes around the water to the other side, where we continued our ride and started heading home -- both boys still in tears. Tanner was now upset that we were going home. Landon, I think, was still scared that Tanner was going to get hurt.

This one was Landon's moment to be tenderhearted, brave, and concerned for Tanner, but I have seen Tanner do the same for Landon in the past. There is nothing that makes my heart want to burst more than witnessing my sons' fierce love for one another. So happy to be adding another little guy to the mix.

Counting my blessings ... :)

A Few Things ...

1) 36 wks 4 days pregnant. Only 24 days to go???? Feeling like I really need to get focused on having this baby. Time is FLYING and I am NOT mentally prepared. I've been obsessing with the little re-decorating project going on in my master bedroom. Just have to sew 2 pillows and make the headboard and I'm done. Then on to finishing touches in Kellen's room, picking up some diapers and toiletries for him, and packing our bag for the hospital.

2) This week's baby check: 1 cm dilated and head is "right there."

3) For posterity's sake: the other day I asked Jon if he would PLEASE answer his phone at work if I promised only to call him when I was going into labor or if there was an emergency with the boys. He said the best way to get ahold of him was EMAIL. No, I'm not kidding. (Actually, email is probably the fastest way to reach him, I just had to write it down because it sounds so absurd that it's actually funny.)

4) Note to self: Don't get your hair cut by somebody new less than four weeks before delivering your baby. You are SURE to be disappointed, pay WAY too much, and spend most of the day crying -- UGLY crying. It's really not worth it. Wait until AFTER the baby comes, and you can go back home to have your normal person give you a fabulous cut at half the price. Even Landon cried when he saw my hair today -- probably because he was freaked out at my ugly crying, but still ...

5) Jon and I are gearing up to watch the movie Courageous. I hear it's a good one -- so happy to have a night at home with my man -- he's been a busy guy lately.

Here's hoping for a wonderful rest-of-the-weekend! :)

This Is What Happens ...

... to little boys who stay up past 10:00 talking and playing around in their bunk beds.

... then make their way to mom and dad's bed at some point through the night.

... only to wake up for the day at 5:45 when Daddy gets up for work.

... several days in a row.

My plan was to keep them up without a nap all day, then put them to bed EARLY, hoping they would be so exhausted that they'd stay in their beds ALL NIGHT until our normal 7am wakeup. Clearly, that isn't happening. Both boys passed out in the car on the way home from preschool. I let them sleep for a little bit, then woke them up and brought them in the house -- only to find them like this 10 minutes later. At least someone's getting their beauty rest! I'm thinking God must just be using this to prepare me for life with a newborn in a few short weeks. I don't know what I need more at this point -- coffee or a glass of wine! LOL!

Six more weeks.

SIX MORE WEEKS??

The counter at the top of my page tells me only 40 days left until our sweet little Kellen is set to arrive. We are so stinkin' excited here in the Hall house. And a teensy bit scared, but mostly just excited. These are the sweetest days of pregnancy for me. There's something about knowing your life is about to change forever that makes you cherish the precious few moments you have until then:

• Sweet time with just two boys (although I'm thinking three can only be better!)
• A laundry pile I can almost keep up with
• A full night's sleep with only minor interruptions
• Loving the miracle of how my body can accommodate growing a little human -- I love my big pregnant belly! (not looking forward to the big non-pregnant belly that will be left behind)
• A schedule that is somewhat normal
• Enjoying the anticipation of how much more WONDERFUL and FULL our lives will be with the addition of another little boy to LOVE!!

So ... as excited as we are to meet this sweet baby, we are also trying to enjoy every day of these last six weeks as a family of four.

It seems like the boys have been sick a LOT since Christmas. We've finally had almost an entire week of relatively good health. (READ: gross snotty noses and coughs, but still able to leave the house) Tanner was able to make his bowling field trip for preschool last week. I didn't chaperone because I knew I would have Landon with me, but we did stay to watch for the first half hour, and it was SO adorable! I just love watching Tanner interact with his teacher and classmates. They used bumpers, of course, but it still took each child's ball around 90 seconds to make it all the way to the pin. Tanner was delighted to be paired with his best friend in class -- Scarlet. :)

Landon has been quite the character lately -- showing a lot of attitude, which has not been his personality up until now. I'm wondering if it's a phase or if he's just starting to grow up a little bit. It's not that he's being mean or nasty really, he's usually just trying to be funny and get a reaction out of somebody (me). His speech therapy teacher warned me last year that he's a good-time Charlie and will do anything to create a little bit of fun, and she was totally right. He's also wanting me to carry him constantly these days. He's not that heavy, which is good, but by the end of the day my back is killing me. I know I need to just say no, but at he's still my baby at least for the next few weeks, and I do love that he still wants me to hold him.

We've started getting Kellen's room ready to go, which has been fun for the boys and I. They helped me put together the crib last week:

They were also around as my mom and I took out the bins of newborn clothes and started to get everything laundered. Tanner literally picked up each outfit and said "AWWWWWWWWwwwwww! Mom, look at THIS one! So cute!" It was hilarious and heartwarming all at the same time. After going through everything, it's nice to see that we really don't need ANYTHING for this baby, except for a new monitor, since our current one has seen better days. I'll just have to go get diapers, wipes, and a few other toiletries before we're completely ready to go. One of the perks of having three boys, I guess. Our world would be turning upside down right now if we were having a girl, I'm sure! Instead of redecorating the nursery, we're going to redecorate our master bedroom :) We finally broke down and bought a king size bed, since our queen was having trouble holding four bodies by the time both little guys made their way to our rooms. It should be coming any day and I can't wait!!

Jon has been busy busy busy with school and work. Luckily, the master's program he's currently in isn't nearly as demanding as his MBA, so he's able to really enjoy the weekends with us. We all look forward to that special time we get to spend with him. He's currently addicted to The Bachelor. I can hardly stomach watching this season, but I'm toughing it out :) We make Monday our special "date" night at home, where we order in dinner after the kids go to bed and watch the show together. It's great to have that to look forward to each week.

Well, I better get a few things done while both boys are occupied. I'm never sure when that opportunity for free time will come again! LOL!

Honesty

Preface: I am not against the use of the word "butt" in our home when actually referring to the body part. This makes my own mom cringe -- she wants everyone to call it a "fanny." However, Tanner somehow began using the word "tootie" for that body part a few years ago. Just FYI ...

This morning ...

Tanner: Mom, you're tootie is getting soooo big!

Me: Gee, thanks!

Tanner: Mom, it's getting so big that it's making your legs huge, too! Just look! They're all jiggly!

Hmmm ... at least he's honest. ;)

Hello 2012!

Today is only January 10th, but is already seems like the holidays were AGES ago! What a whirlwind -- a week here at home, a trip into the city with the kids and some great friends, and then a week in Michigan with the grandparents and our siblings. I returned on New Year's Eve feeling so thankful for such an incredible family. I truly enjoy every moment I get to spend with my siblings and parents. They are so wonderful, thoughtful, and funny, and know and love me for exactly who I am. My in-laws are pretty spectacular, too. Their home is always such a warm and fun place to be. They are constantly showing their love for Jon, the kids, and I in generous ways. I am so thankful to have in-laws whom I love spending time with and who are constantly loving and encouraging me.

Last week was our first week home, which is always a little bit weird after a long time away. Most of the week was spent trying to organize all of our new toys -- LOL!! The weather has been unseasonably warm, so we've been trying to take advantage of getting outside when we can. I think it's only snowed here once so far this winter ... and it didn't even stick!! Temperatures have been hovering in the 40's -- almost like early spring. We're all kind of on the edge of our seats just waiting for some monster winter weather to finally hit us! Hopefully, this late start to the season doesn't mean it will still be snowing in June!

Tanner was sick while we were in Michigan, and then sick again for a few days last week. This week, Landon has been sick. As much as I've loved cozying up in the house with my kids and nothing else to do, I've got to admit I'm getting a little bit of cabin fever here! I miss seeing friends and getting out of the house! Hopefully, today is the last day of being stuck at home, as Landon has started to perk up a little bit. We've been playing lots of new games (thank you SANTA!!!), watching lots of TV (I'm so sick of PBS Kids, I can't hardly stand it), and taking nice long baths every day. I've decided that putting the kids in the bathtub is the best way to while away a late afternoon. I plop them in around 4:30, let them play as long as they want to, and then we cozy up in our PJs. By this time, it's usually 5:30 or so and time for dinner. Kids are basically ready for bed when Jon gets home. It's a win/win ;)

I've been seriously enjoying my new Christmas gifts. Jon surprised/spoiled me with a new MacBook for Christmas/Birthday/Having 3 babies :) (BTW ... I call him my MacDaddy now -- hehe!) I'm on a total learning curve, but really loving it so far. It might be the only thing in the whole house that's just MINE and nobody else is allowed to touch. And now, I can watch TV with Jon while I work on pictures, check emails, etc, instead of being stuck in a little corner of our kitchen, all alone at our desktop. I was SO surprised upon opening it ... I literally cried tears!

I also got a new bread machine from my mom and dad. You have to know that when Jon saw this on my Christmas list, he thought it was so stupid and called me a total dork. But ... now he is LOVING it almost as much as I am :) So far, we've done pizza dough, bread, and over the weekend, we made these from scratch:

Mini Maple Cinnamon Rolls

Did I mention that my boys and I DIED over them? Seriously, that's why I could only take a picture of half the pan, the other half was gone in a matter of minutes. You can find the recipe here if you're interested in seriously spoiling your own crew in the near future :)

Some of my other gifts? A totally chic new purse from my in-laws -- I was finally able to throw away my ratty green Target purse from 4 years ago. And a new Starbucks travel mug that keeps my coffee HOT, not just warm, HOT, for at least 2 hours -- and I'm not even exaggerating. Love. It. So. Much.

Now that we're actually in 2012, I feel like I've turned a corner in my pregnancy. Like -- the end is just around the corner!!! As of today, I'm 31 weeks, and I just feel like the next 2 months is going to fly by. This might actually be my favorite part of pregnancy. I love the feel of a big pregnant belly ... it finally seems like there's actually a PERSON in there! I love the big kicks and movements that the baby makes all day long. I love the thrill that comes with setting up the crib, getting out the bin of baby clothes, and packing my hospital bag. We are all just beside ourselves with excitement to meet this little guy. The other day I came across a video that my mom took for us from when we had Tanner. The boys and I have watched it upwards of 20 times. It totally made me think about how some of our sweetest moments as a family were in a hospital, welcoming a new member. Can't wait to do it again :)

30.5 weeks

Sorry, buddy, there's nothing in there!

My baby for a few more weeks. You're so darn CUTE!!

Roomies

Well, I'm happy to report that we've made it two nights in a row with the new roomies in their bunkbeds. Barely ... but we made it. I wish I had a video of the setup process. They were SO excited about the move (in case you can't tell from the picture above). Jon was trying to set up the beds, I was trying to put on the sheets with my big pregnant belly, the boys were in and out of the room trying to be helpers. Once we finally got them in bed, all we could hear on the monitor was, "Hey Tanner, I'm on the bottom bunk. You're on the top. I'm on the bottom, Tanner!" Landon did try once to scale the ladder up to the top bunk, but Tanner put a quick stop to that. There was a lot of chatting, but surprisingly, Tanner fell asleep first, after about 20 minutes. (It WAS 10:00 at night by then ... so pretty much the time he normally passes out). Landon was sleeping soon after and the best part was that I didn't have ANY little bedbugs visiting me in the middle of the night.

Last night was quite the drama-fest. I read to the boys and put them in bed around 8:15. Soon afterwards, Landon started crying, saying he didn't like the bunkbeds. (You have to know that when Landon cries, it is SO sad! He totally breaks your heart.) He wanted to go back in his own room. I told him that he couldn't go back in there because it was the baby room and he is a big boy now. Then I said that maybe we could move him into the guest room if he REALLY didn't like being in the big boy room. By this time, Tanner was bawling. He said his feelings were hurt that Landon didn't want to be his roommate. Then Landon felt bad that he hurt Tanner's feelings. It was just all so SAD!!!! (BTW ... if you know Tanner, you know how much of a cuddler he is, how much he LOVES to be around other people. Jon and I remarked the first night how we thought Tanner was probably much more comfortable going to sleep in his room with Landon in there.) Finally, Jon went in there and settled them both down enough to get them to sleep. By then, it was nearly 9:30. Oh Lord! The good news is that both boys stayed in their bed ALL NIGHT again, which is huge.

Yesterday, Tanner and I had a "date." Well, I'm not so sure how good of a date it was ... we basically went to a bunch of stores and ran some errands together. But, we did have ice cream at Costco, which was definitely the highlight for the little man. It was so great to have time with just him and me. One of the things we did was go to the Disney Store so that Tanner could pick out a gift to give Landon for Christmas. I told him he had $10.00 to spend. It was so fun to see what he picked out, and he is on pins and needles waiting to give it to Landon.


Landon stayed home with Daddy and took a nap. When we got home, I gave the kids a bath and Landon said. "I missed you, Mommy! I missed my brother!" As a mom, I don't know if there's anything that makes me happier than knowing my boys love and enjoy one another. I just can't wait to have another little boy in the mix!

BFFs

Usually, I wait to write a new post until I have pictures to go with it, but as you can probably tell, I haven't even touched my camera in the last month. Partly because I was a little burnt out from all of my Oct/Nov photo shoots, but mostly because it gets dark here at, like, NOON!!! Okay, maybe a little bit later than that, but it sure seems like noon! Anyway, my flash and I don't really get along very well.

We've had a pretty good few weeks around here. It is COLD COLD COLD outside, so we've been staying pretty cozy at home most days. I've been really praying lately that God will help me say NO to the things that don't matter in my life and that I'll be able to just relax and spend quality time with my boys during this holiday season. I love to be busy, I love my hobbies, I love being out and about, but it sure has been nice to just be at home and have time to play, read, bake and snuggle with my favorite little people. Actually, it's been more than nice -- a little taste of heaven I think.

My boys have become best buddies as of late. They literally play together from the time they wake up until they go to bed. Upstairs, downstairs, in the basement. They are constantly entertaining one another. Usually, this ends in a huge mess of some sort. Tonight they TP'd the bounce house with a brand new huge roll of paper towels. Awesome. Yesterday they entertained themselves for a quite a while with all of the lotion, shaving cream, deodorant, dental floss, and band-aids they could find in my bathroom. The day before they were having a lovely time in their own bathroom emptying a container of bath bubbles all over the floor and having a "car wash" in the sink with all of their hot wheels. Jon always says the same thing ... "why weren't you watching them?" (I can't help but roll my eyes just THINKING about that last comment -- You're right babe, I definitely should NOT have been eating bon-bons on the couch, watching the Kardashians and painting my toenails while the kids destroyed the house.)

Despite the daily disasters, I am finding so much joy in watching them play together. They fight, of course, but growing up with 2 sisters totally prepared me for this, so I'm not quite as bothered by it as I would be otherwise. Landon just worships Tanner and if he loses track of him for a minute, you're sure to hear "Where's my brother?" The other day, Jon gave Tanner a spanking and Landon pointed at him and yelled "Don't spank my brother!!!" So dang cute.

This weekend, we're moving Landon into the "big boy room" with Tanner so that the little buddies can become roommates and we can start setting up the nursery for Kellen. The boys are just beside themselves, they are so excited (by "boys" I mean Jon, too). Of course, I can hardly sleep at night I'm so worried about the change. First of all, we're bunking the beds because there's not really enough space for two twin beds in the room. Secondly, Landon is the BEST sleeper, and Tanner is the WORST (sometimes still awake even when Jon and I go to bed!!!) I keep telling myself that families do this all the time and they make it work -- and we still have a few months to make it work before the baby gets here. I guess its just one of those new experiences in parenting that I have to get through -- like taking away the pacifier or moving a toddler from the crib into a bed. It all works out in the end.

I'm feeling really good right now in my pregnancy. Unlike when I was pregnant with Landon, I'm really not nervous at all for this baby to come. (Maybe I should be???) Sometimes I feel like things can't get much crazier around here. And this baby is so lucky ... 2 parents and 2 brothers SO excited to meet him! He will be well-loved, that's for sure! It seems like there was a lot of preparation going from one baby to two. For this baby, I feel like we already have everything. The only thing we need to do is set up the crib and get out the bin of newborn clothes to wash them.

As of today, I'm 27 weeks. On one hand I feel like I've already been pregnant forever. I found out just after 4th of July, which seems like SO LONG ago! But, on the other hand, I'm in no rush for March to be here and I'm cherishing these last sweet months with just me and my two oldest boys. I love watching my belly grow ... but hate seeing everything else get larger as well. I get so much joy out of every kick and little movement I feel. To me, this is the BEST part of pregnancy ... being able to feel a little LIFE growing inside of you -- what a miracle!

We've all been really enjoying the Christmas season. Fritz (our elf) made his first appearance shortly before Thanksgiving and has been keeping an eye on us ever since. If I had a nickel for every time I've heard "YOU'RE NOT GETTING PRESENTS!!!!!!!!" I'd be so rich. They say it to each other. They say it to me. The other day, Tanner got in trouble and yelled to me "You're not getting any presents, Mom!" By then I'd already heard this 5000 times and said back to him, "Really? Like, were you going to get me something?" He said no, of course. Then Landon comes into the room and says "I get you a present, Mom! You CAN get presents, Mom! You're a GOOD mom!" Seriously? Melt my heart, Landon. Melt. My. Heart.

Okay, it's way past my bedtime, so this update will have to end for now. Hopefully, I can fit in a few more before Christmas. WITH pictures!

It's a ...

BOY!!

Meet the newest member of our testosterone-filled crew:

Kellen Patrick

Isn't he just the cutest thing you've ever seen? I'm adoring this ultrasound pic of him and keep looking at it, thinking "I can't WAIT to meet you!!!" So sorry to keep you guys on pins and needles for an extra day, but yesterday turned out to be very busy as we left to visit the grandparents immediately following the ultrasound.

It feels SO GOOD to finally know who's in there! Everything looked good and Kellen appears to be a healthy little boy, which literally brought tears to my eyes. The 20 wk ultrasound is always an exciting event to look forward to, but I find the closer it gets, the more I worry that something will be wrong. What a relief to go through all of the body parts with the tech and hear that things look great!

I've decided that God is trying to compliment me as a mother by giving me another little guy. He must think I'm a pretty good mom of boys, which means I'm in good company (ahem ... Erin, Carolyn, B-Mama, and my own mother-in-law -- Henri). Jon is over-the-moon, as I'm sure you've guessed already. His chest has literally puffed about about 4 inches since yesterday morning. He keeps saying "This is so exciting! Aren't you so excited!!! THREE BOYS!!!!!"

We told Tanner after picking him up from preschool that they baby was a boy and he said "I knew it!!!" Too cute. Landon was in the ultrasound room with us, and kept saying "Tanner is missing out! Tanner is missing out!" Oh, how I love my boys and how blessed I am to have another one!

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Apparently, both boys had a baby in their bellies yesterday morning. Can't wait to see what happens once the breast pump comes out in March!

BTW ... our Ultrasound is Friday morning. Lots of prayers for a healthy baby! And a few extra prayers that we can find out the gender ... I don't know how people wait 40 whole weeks!

Get Your Shopping Done Early!

Great news for all of you early Christmas shoppers! All camera straps and key chains at Sewing for Lenses will be marked down from now until November 19th! Get your orders in early! :)

Happy Halloween!

For you, Uncle Pat ...

Love,
Dash and Buzz

Checking In ...

No pictures, this post, sorry!!! Just checking in to let you all know we're still here!

A special shout-out today to my hubs:

Happy Birthday, Jon! I love you and feel so blessed that God has made you my partner in life! By the way ... did you know yesterday was the 15-year anniversary of our first date? Wow!

The boys are having a great time getting ready for Halloween festivities. Tanner seems to bring home a new Halloween door hanger each time I pick him up from preschool. Of course, I think they're all adorable, but I'm wondering if we shouldn't start sending some of these to the grandparents?? :) Pumpkins are carved, seeds are roasted, costumes have been carefully selected, candy has been purchased for our GIANT neighborhood (thank-you COSTCO!!) -- we are very excited to trick-or-treat in a few days!

Tanner's school party is on Monday and Parents/Siblings are invited, so you know Landon will be all about that. He continues to wheel his little backpack into the school every morning when we drop Tanner off. Tanner is still a little shy about entering his classroom and kind of hides behind my legs while he pushes me through the doorway in front of him. Landon, on the other hand, marches right in ahead of both of us most mornings like he owns the place. Too bad he has to turn right back around to get in the car!

Landon has been a breath of fresh air for me lately. He is so cheerful and funny. He's a total pain-in-the-butt because he's two and destroys everything, but since he's my second child, I know from experience that this will pass :)

Tanner, on the other hand, has been a TOTAL crankster. I just don't know what to do with him. I know he's EXHAUSTED, but he hasn't napped in months and won't nap for me no matter how hard I try. It's so obvious that he's tired, I don't know what to do short of putting him to bed at 7:00 every night -- not that he'd actually go to bed then, anyway. He would just sit up there and cry and whine. Oh LORD, please tell me this is a phase, too! I just cannot take the whining anymore! Today we were in the car and he was whining to me about something, and I asked him "Do you just not like Mommy?" Because, really, that's what I feel like :(

Needless to say, by the end of the day, I'd love a glass of wine! Not sure the itty-bittiest Hall would appreciate that, though, so I have a bowl of mint-chocolate-chip ice cream instead. I'm feeling really good these days. I'm just over 20 weeks and our big ultrasound is coming up a week from tomorrow. We can't wait! We just love finding out the sex of our babies! It's so much fun to know who's in there! I've been feeling lots of movement in the past week and I just love it. I'm not sure if there's a better feeling in the world, and it reminds me of why I love being pregnant.

I've been really busy with photo shoots and sewing lately. I have 4 more shoots before I finish up for fall and then on to my busy season with Sewing for Lenses. I feel like I'm learning so much with my photography and I'm really hoping to be able to continue in the spring, even after the new baby comes. I've got my eye on a better camera and I'm trying to justify its purchase by telling myself I need the video feature. Now, I just need to save up the $$$$! By the way, I have lots of new designs up at Sewing for Lenses, so be sure to check them out! Plus, all Camera Straps and Key Chains will be on sale now through November 19th, so be sure to get your Christmas shopping done early!

Hopefully, I'll have some Halloween and Prego pics up next week! Until then, Happy Halloween!

Haircuts

A little over a month ago, I decided I would be brave and start trying to save our family a little bit of money by cutting the boys' hair myself. Normally, I would go to Supercuts, spend $30 on haircuts, and still walk away unhappy with the results. I figured if I really messed up, I could always just take them in a for a buzz-cut -- one of the perks of having boys :) (That, and they can pee on a tree at the park if need be -- not like we would EVER do that ... :)

These homeade haircuts actually haven't turned out that bad if I do say so myself. I use scissors since I like their hair to be a bit longer. However, it takes me FOREVER to do, and the kids pretty much whine the entire time. Plus, I have to bribe them with so much junk food I'm not entirely sure if it's worth it. But, I've given them 2 haircuts a piece, the last one being early last week.

Not bad, right?

That's why I was surprised when Tanner decided, unbeknownst to me, that he needed another cut. I was using the bathroom when Landon ran in, yelling, "Tanner cut my hair!!" (Yes, I know what you're thinking ... I don't know if I've had a private moment in the bathroom in 4+ years). Anyways ... I checked out Landon's hair and it didn't look like anything had been cut, so I ran into the kitchen where Tanner was. Sure enough, there he sat at the computer desk with his preschool scissors in hand and locks of hair scattered on the floor around him.

Honestly, I couldn't help but laugh. He looked completely ridiculous and all I could think was "that was so stupid of you!!" (I didn't actually say it, just thought it.) And then I thought about how EVERY kid cuts their own hair at some point, and I was happy again that he was a boy and there wasn't really that much to destroy -- there's always the buzz cut to fall back on, after all. The thing is, if you know Tanner, you know that he has a major receding hairline thing going on. It's basically taken me about a year to grow out his bangs long enough to hide it. And then he goes and takes a big chunk out of the front. I know. Seriously.

The Damage

Just as I was about to put him in the car to take him to Supercuts, I decided to be brave once more and just try to fix it myself. Not perfect, for sure, but at least we didn't have to resort to the buzz.

P.S. This is why I've started photographing OTHER families. My kids are sick of having a camera in their face all the time. :)