Beach with Aunt Jamie

In February, my sister Jamie came to visit us for the weekend. We enjoyed her being here so much, that I made a personal goal to go out and visit her family and Jodie's family all by myself to just be an aunt for a while, without being distracted by my children.

While she was here, we played at the beach.

James mostly spent his time snoozing.

Here is Katie looking like she belongs on Survivor.

Jamie mostly TOOK pictures or else I'd post one of her too. :)

RSV Season

Apparently the RSV season hit pretty hard a few weeks ago. James had a cold and when I noticed him wheezing a bit we decided to take him in because he was only 4 weeks old. He had a fever when we showed up to the ER so they ran a million tests on him (blood test, urine test, chest x-ray, spinal tap) and determined he had RSV. They admitted him (due to him being only a few weeks old) and we spent the next 3 days under observation to make sure no secondary infections developed.

They ended up giving him 2 rounds of antibiotics (silly, in my opinion) some IV fluids because he wasn't nursing too well, did a breathing treatment to try and help clear his lungs, vacuumed out his nose a million times, and gave him oxygen.

I was never too worried about him. It was really all precautionary and we're glad that it didn't turn into anything worse.

I'm grateful for all of the help I received for my other kids during those three days, and now he's as good as new. Chalk it up to our first hospitalization.

Vaccine Reaction

Millie had an 18 month checkup on Friday. She's 21 pounds (8%), 29 inches (27%)
She got two shots - Hib and Pneumoccocal. One of them (most likely Hib) gave her this reaction:

It's really ugly (as you can see) and super swollen. The weirdest part is how hard it feels when you touch it - like there is tons of pressure inside and it is also hot to the touch. I'm just glad this is her last dose of both of those vaccines. I'm really bugged by how her body reacted to it. This is listed as one of the "mild" side effects.

6 Weeks old

Just a little picture update to show you what the child looks like. He definitely looks familiar. I feel like I am raising Ryan all over again, except that James might have blue eyes like Millie.

He doesn't smile yet, but he's close. I see the dimples a lot more often. He is also filling out a bit. He weighs about 11.5 lbs.

Any BYU Basketball fans out there? It's hard to resist calling him Jimmer or Jammer. :)

Announcement

These three big kids...

Would like to introduce you to the newest little addition to our family.

James Franklin Bayles
8 lbs 7 oz
20"
born 1/16/10

He ended up arriving 12 days later than expected and definitely had us on our toes the last 2 months. In the weeks leading up to his due date, he flipped from head down to breech more times than I can count. He finally got into position (and stayed there) four days before he was due. Then began the two weeks of waiting - which really ended up being two weeks of trying to do everything possible to induce labor naturally so that I could avoid a hospital induction. Mercifully, two days before my scheduled induction, the little guy was born.

Labor began around 5pm on Saturday. At 10:00pm we arrived at the birthing center and I was dilated to 6cm. Things went pretty quickly and he was born about 90 minutes later. It was my first water birth and it was just as wonderful as I had hoped it would be. My recovery has been so quick - no tearing or excess bleeding and I feel fantastic! It has been such a blessing.

We were VERY surprised and incredibly pleased to have a BOY! Derek and I were so convinced that we were having a little girl - he even came home in a PINK carseat. :) He has been such a sweet baby (they all are) and I can't get enough of his little dimples.

Check my Mom's blog for more darling pictures. She is amazing!

Might as well add another since these ones are so cute.

This is a VERY small sampling of some of the darling pictures my Mom took while she was here last. It's so hard to pick my favorites!

Keeping Us Busy

Our lives got quite a bit busier when Ryan started school. He also played soccer this fall for the first time.

I didn't think that he'd enjoy it at all. He's told me for a while, "I don't really like balls." However, he ended up surprising me. He never once said he didn't want to go to soccer practice or a game, was happy to play, and worked pretty hard.

In fact, Derek told him that if he scored a goal in a game, he'd buy him ice cream. Lo and behold, the boy has scored one goal in every game he's played (except for the one where his grandma and grandpa came to visit). He only has one game left of the season.

Katie has been taking swimming lessons for the past few months. I hate to admit it, but it's been a horrible bust. I don't want to add up the money we spent on lessons when she is hardly any closer to being an independent swimmer. I'll have to teach her myself next summer. *sigh*

She has enjoyed doing something for herself, but wants to do dance lessons or gymnastics when swimming is over. Really?

First Day of Kindergarten

Ryan started Kindergarten yesterday. He was very excited to go to school, and went right over to line up with his friend, Bryson, a friend from soccer.

He was also glad to see Kelsey, our old neighbor. He knows 5 of the other kids really well and I think that helped him to not feel nervous. Once they started following the teacher inside, he didn't even turn to say goodbye.

They all sat on the mat while their teacher read them a story about the first day of kindergarten. The parents were invited inside to take pictures, and then at the end of the book, the kids waved goodbye.

He had a great time and was looking forward to going back. He told me that he liked the "homework" which was an art project on apples, and he gave me the run down on a bunch of the rules of kindergarten. He was a little disappointed that I didn't get him a backpack with wheels, though.

Today, started out by us meeting some friends at a local park before school. About 4 minutes before we needed to leave for kindergarten, Ryan came over to me and said that the kids thought it would be funny to spit water at each other at the drinking fountain. He was soaked! Yeah, good timing Ryan. I sent him off to class drenched. Also, Katie did NOT want to walk from the car to Ryan's classroom, so I had to literally drag her screaming and crying all the way there, while carrying Millie and being 6 months pregnant. I'm sure we were an awesome sight. :)

Upright

About a week after her birthday, Millie decided to join the walking club.

Now's she's officially allowed to become a big sister.

Is This a Surprise to Anyone?

I'm pregnant.

Due January 4th.

That makes me 21 weeks along (if you like it in weeks) or 5 months pregnant (if you like it in months).

We have decided to keep the gender of this baby a surprise until birth, but we are predicting another girl.

(I know, old news to plenty of you, but I figure that there are some people who read my blog, but haven't found out about this news by word of mouth or Facebook, so I thought I'd post it officially here too.)