A Fun Giveaway

I found this giveaway from Dax's cousins blog and thought it was a great idea. She just asks you to share a story on your blog about a selfless act of service that someone has given you. Go here for more explanation http://www.fairlyhappy.com/2010/03/pay-it-forward.html

My story:

This isn't really a specific thing, but since I had Chloe I have been thinking more about all of the things my own parents have done for me. I know I wasn't the easiest child, but I always new my parents loved me because of all of the sacrifices they made for me. I feel bad it has taken me this long to realize what they have done for me. My parents always made sure we had what we needed and I'm sure they went without a lot of things they would have liked to have. My parents wanted all of their kids to be happy and would do anything to make sure we were. I am very grateful to have such wonderful parents. They are great examples and I hope I can be a good parent to my children like they have been to me. I don't know if their is anyone that gives more selfless service than a loving parent. Thanks dad and mom!

Oh and now that my wheels are turning....The other day we had a ward party and since Dax works evenings he just took his lunch break and came for a little bit. Ryan was a little extra crazy that day and was really testing my patience. So Ryan was running wild with the other children when I decided it was time to go. I figured it was going to be a struggle, so I was trying to decide how I was going to get a carseat, a jello salad, and a screaming toddler all out to the car. I started attempting it when a sister in the ward came and said let me help you out with that. It was a simple thing but it was extremely helpful! This sister was actually in charge of the party and probably had things she needed to take care of. It makes me realize that no matter how small the act of service, it always makes a difference. I need to be so much better about offering service even though I may not be able to offer much!

Family Happenings

So the kids are sleeping and instead of cleaning like I should I decided to blog :) So here is what has been going on the last little while. We were supposed to bless Chloe this last Sunday but both kids had RSV and Ryan had a really bad ear infection and Bronchilitis. Hopefully everyone will be happy and healthy so that we can bless her this Sunday. Ryan is growing up so fast. I can't believe how big he is. He is a cute big brother and he even calls Chloe "sister". His new thing is to stack anything he can. This morning when I went to get him out of his room he had stacked all of his dirty clothes. When I walked in he was very carefully placing a tissue on the very top of his pile. I guess I should get him something better to stack other than dirty clothes. Chloe will be 10 weeks old this week! I can't believe how much time flies. She is such a happy baby. She always wakes up with a smile....even at 2 o'clock in the morning. If you can't tell by the pictures I love her smile. I always try to take pictures of her smiles. Dax and I celebrated our 4th Anniversary on the 11th. He is a great husband and I love him very much. He works really hard to support our family and he is a great father. I'm really lucky to have him. Well Ryan just woke up so I guess I'm done. And yes the pictures are mostly of Chloe but it's not because we love her more. Ryan just wants the camera whenever he sees it or the pictures I get are blurry because he never holds still. Hopefully I can get some more of him. I was supposed to go have their pictures taken but of course they had to get sick when we had things to do :) So hopefully soon!
My happy girl




Two cutest kids ever!

This is a dress my sister gave her and she looked way cute in it!

Happy Baby

So this is going to be quick, but I just wanted to show off my cute little baby and the blessing dress I decided to make her. Chloe is 7 weeks old today...I still can't believe she's already that old! She has been a very good baby, even though she wants to always be held. She loves to cuddle and we usually fall asleep cuddled up on the couch waiting for Dax to come home. I love that she loves to cuddle, but at night she doesn't like to sleep in her bed, she wants to sleep right next to me...and I'm bad and always give in :) Whenever she wakes up she is full of smiles. She is a very happy girl. So here are a few pictures I snapped, but I haven't been quick enough to get her big smile. My vote might not count but I think she's quite a cute little thing.








We are planning to bless her on the 14th of March. (We wanted to do it on the 7th but that day is our ward conference so our fast Sunday is now on the 14th....which just so happens to also be my cousins homecoming, of course). I was going to have her wear the same dress I was blessed in, but then I decided to try making a dress and this is what I made. I think it turned out pretty good. It's a little big, but I figure too big is better than too small right? I would post more, but it's the time of night that I get to go cuddle with my baby!

Family

My parents came to visit the other day and they brought my cute little niece and nephew. It was so good for Ryan to have someone to play with since he has been a little bored lately.


Maddie was excited to come see the baby but was a little scared of her at first, but she liked holding her.

I was so surprised how well Drew was at holding her. He held her head really well and it was so cute how gentle he was with her.

The grand kids all love Grandpa!


I put up two other posts, so keep scrolling to see cute pictures of the kiddos :)

Best Big Brother

I was worried about how Ryan was going to adjust to the new baby, but he has turned out to be such a good big brother. He always comes up to me and puts his hands out because he wants to hold her. He loves to look at her and pet her head and occasionally give her kisses, but she isn't too fond of them. He is so good at being soft with her. Tonight Dax asked him where his sister was and he pointed at Chloe and smiled, it was really cute. He has been good to keep himself entertained while I am busy with the baby. He has grown up so much! I couldn't ask for better kids!



I told him to hold on to his sister and when I went to take the picture he let go and moved away from her. He really does like her...even though it doesn't look like it in this picture.

I gave him a haircut today and we tried using the razor for the first time. It turned out pretty good and I was surprised how well he actually sat still with that loud thing by his head.

I heard him moving around after taking a nap so I went to get him and this is how I found him, sitting in the window seal. I'm surprised he stayed there long enough for me to go grab the camera, but I am glad he did.

His new thing is to put his helmet on to ride his little bike. It's still to big for his head but he loves it. There is never a dull moment with him. We love this little guy!

3 Weeks Old!

I can't believe Chloe is already 3 weeks old! So far she has been a very good baby. She isn't much of a crier, she mostly just grumbles. She loves to be held and loves to cuddle. At her 2 week appointment they told me she had gained 13 oz. in 10 days, so she is definitely growing fast. She smiles all the time but I can't ever get the camera ready fast enough so I always catch it too late. It's been interesting adjusting to 2 kids but Ryan has been pretty good...other than sleeping. I think he wakes up more than the baby does. I'm hoping it's just a phase and once life settles down we will all get more sleep :)



Our friends, the Meadows, gave us some way cute clothes and with them were these sunglasses....and of course we had to try them on her :) (Dax says it makes her look like an old lady.)

This is how we look most of the time. We like to be lazy and I love to hold her.

This isn't the best picture but I just wanted to show off her hair. I love it and I hope it doesn't fall out! It pretty much does the mowhawk thing by itself...I do help it a little bit though.

We are so excited to have this sweet little girl in our family!

Chloe Ann Larsen

On Thursday, January 7th, little Chloe joined our family. She decided to stay breech so she had to come via C-section. She weighted 6 lbs. 13 oz. and was 18 inches long. We were so excited when we saw her little head was covered with black hair. She is a really good baby. The only time she really cries is when the cold wipes touch her skin, and it's still not much of a cry. Ryan loves holding her and so far has been really good. He likes to pet her head and kiss her cheeks. I haven't been able to get a picture of it yet but hopefully I can get one soon I can't believe how big Ryan seems now. We only got a few pictures in the hospital because our camera battery died, but I'm sure we will be taking a lot more to show this little cutie off.

Update

Well I had my final Dr.'s appointment today and the baby is still breech...yay. I am going in tomorrow at noon for a C-section. I'm not excited about the C-section but we are are excited to finally hold this little baby. I think the scariest part about the C-section is not seeing Ryan for like 3 or 4 days. That just makes me sad. Dax and I took him to do some fun things today since it will be the last time as the three of us. I love my little man and I am way excited to see him as a big brother.

I haven't been great at posting but here are a few pictures from the past little while.

I took this today, it's not the best picture but I wanted one last belly shot. It's hard to get a decent picture when you are taking it yourself. I didn't realize how much I have grown in the last few weeks!


Ryan found his sunglasses in his toy box the other night, so he thought he needed to wear them around the rest of the night. He is such a little stud...even though the glasses are a little small!


We almost didn't get a Christmas tree this year, but then we decided you have to have a tree for Christmas! I went to the dollar store and bought a bunch of plastic ornaments so Ryan could decorate it. He had fun but got lazy towards the end and just set them all on one branch. But every morning he got up and reorganized them. I'm glad we got a tree because he had a lot of fun with it.

Baby Update...

Well I had my 37 week appointment and didn't get the news I was wanting. The baby is still breech but they are going to try and turn her on Saturday morning. The doctor made it sound like it is going to be pretty painful since she has already dropped. So he is going to have to push her up out of my pelvis first and then try to turn her. Sounds fun huh? Merry Christmas to me :) If that doesn't work then he will try turning her again at 39 weeks and if she turns they will induce me right then. If she doesn't turn then C-section here I come. I am already progressing quite a bit so I'm hoping to not go into labor when they turn her Saturday, because there is a chance of that. Normally I wouldn't mind, but Dax's work is sending him to Delaware on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Isn't it great how babies just do what they want and not what you plan? Well she still has a strong heart beat and we are grateful for that!

36 Weeks.....

So when I went in for my 36 week appointment yesterday I was thinking I was going to hear what I had heard with Ryan. He had already dropped and I was progressing pretty fast, fast enough that the Doctor told me that if I had any contractions to go lay down so I didn't have him too early. He pretty much told me I could have him any day. Well, I was pretty bummed to hear that that wasn't the case this time. During the examination I hear the Doctor say, "Wait, that's not a head, this baby is breech." Not what I wanted to hear. He told me that only 4% of babies are still in breech position at 36 weeks. They he started to tell me my options. Again, not what I wanted to hear.

So pretty much if she doesn't turn on her own, I can either go in in a couple of weeks and they can try to turn her from the outside, or I am having a C-section. My sister in law is going to be a nurse and was actually present when a patient was having the baby turned and told me that it is going to be pretty painful. Yippee. But if they can get her turned, they would induce me right then to make sure she wouldn't try to turn back. I do not want to have a C-section. It kind of scares me. The only surgery I have ever had was when I was 6 weeks old, so I don't even know what to expect. Plus Dax starts school on the 11th of January. The week after I would have the C-section. So we are praying that she will be a good girl and just turn on her own so I don't have to stay up at night worrying about what to do :)

This was a bummer to hear but I am grateful that she is still healthy and growing well. I know things could be worse. Hopefully this next appointment will go better though :)

Silly Ryan and 35 Weeks

So I bought Ryan a set of watercolor paints and he really enjoyed them the first couple of times. I think he started getting bored though because last time we took them out he decided to pour his water over the paints and then drink it. Lot's of nutrients in there I'm sure. So this is what he looked like after I took them away to clean him up. He was mad, but I couldn't resist taking a picture of him.



Speaking of messes, he also found a Sharpie. Why is it that kids always find Sharpie's? They have a 6th sense about them I think. I have my markers all put where he can't get them but apparently there was one in with the pencils. Thank goodness the only place he drew was on his legs. I was really worried about how to get it off with Ryan's sensitive skin, so for anyone that has kids, I found that baby oil takes it off quite nicely.



We had our first decent amount of snow the other day too, so I decided to take Ryan out. I hate being cold so I assume he does too and I bundled him pretty good. As you can tell by his face in the picture...it wasn't exactly his favorite thing. Once we got outside he was just fine, and had a blast. He loves to stand and look out our front window and watch the snow. Now I just need to toughen up and be willing to take him out in it more often.





And finally, this is my belly shot at 35 weeks....ok technically I'm not 35 weeks until Thursday, but close enough. The baby is doing well, but I am very tired of being pregnant and just ready to have her here. I hoping she will come sooner than her due date, but we will take her when she comes. I am getting more and more anxious as the time gets closer...but most of all I hope Ryan is sleeping better by the time she comes...otherwise I am never going to get any sleep!

Birthday and Halloween

So I'm a little slow but my baby turned 2 last Tuesday! I still can't believe it! We had a fun time celebrating. We invited family over to have cake and ice cream, but Ryan decided to take a late nap and was still asleep by the time everyone was here. We woke him up and he was really shy and confused why everyone was staring at him. He wasn't really excited to open his presents because he was a little out of it so Dax got to open them for him. But he loved his Elmo cupcakes that I made, in fact he tried to get on top of the stove to get them and he almost did it.

Ryan is such a fun boy and even though he completely wears me out most days I wouldn't change a thing. We never have a dull moment at our house. Everyone always comments on his amount of energy and how hard it must be to keep up with him. It is hard sometimes but I love that he is so happy and loves life. He is such a caring little guy too. Whenever he sees a baby he always wants to give it a binky and pet it's head. He is so gentle with them and I am excited for him to be a big brother. I am so glad that we have this little guy in our family! He brings so much joy to our home and I can't imagine life without him! I love you!


Eating cupcakes and ice cream



Wondering why everyone was staring at him...


Ryan and his 2 cute cousins at mom and dad's ward Halloween Party


For Halloween I made Ryan a skunk costume and I must say he was the cutest little skunk I have ever seen! My favorite part of this costume was watching him run and the little tail wiggle behind him. We took him trick-or-treating in grandma and grandpa Larsen's neighborhood and he absolutely love it. If we skipped over a house because they didn't have a porch light on he would kinda freak out. He loved running up to the doors and after he got his candy he told everyone thank you and bye-bye, then took off running to the next house. He kind of got imaptient a few times and tried to open the door. He was so dang cute though! I'm just afraid now everyone time we go outside he is going to go knock on doors and expect candy. Here's a cute video of him trick-or-treating.

Brave

So I decided to be brave and let Ryan help me make some pumpkin cookies. I usually just think about what a mess it will be if he helps me, but we actually had a lot of fun. He wasn't even too messy. His favorite part was eating the dough after it was mixed. The nice thing about this dough is that there are only 3 ingredients and there are no raw eggs. I have been trying to be a better mom and let him learn new things even though it might be messy....and so far so good. We have had a lot of fun together.

21 Weeks and Hilarious Videos

My 21 week belly shot. I didn't take any with Ryan (mostly because I was in that "is she fat or is she pregnant?" stage for a long time) and now I kind of wish I did so I could compare the two.


Ryan loves to climb our entertainment center and he usually gets in trouble but this time I was laughing too much to get him down because he was kissing the people on the TV. The poor child is going to be very confused because one time I'm telling him to get down and the next I am laughing about. Super Nanny would be very disappointed in me!


When we went to the zoo we stopped by McDonald's to get Ryan a Happy Meal, and I think this is the most fun we have ever had with a box :) (It had been a long day and we were tired so this may not be as funny to you as it was to us)


So Ryan loves to sneak back and play my organ. He has figured out how to set the rhythms on it and this is what I looked over and saw so I had to record it. He is my little Stevie Wonder! I love that he loves music and gets so into it. There really is never a dull moment with this child! (Oh, and that little squeak in that background is my sister laughing...it took me a second to figure it out.)

It's a....

GIRL! If you haven't already heard, baby #2 is a girl. We found out like a week and a half ago but I have been slow to post about it. I wanted to put some ultrasound pictures up, but Dax just built a new computer and it isn't compatible with our old printer. Maybe eventually I will...but no promises. We didn't get any great pictures anyways. She really had her head buried right into me...which explains the little pains I have been having. The lady doing the ultrasound got kindof rough trying to get her to move her head, but the more the ultrasound lady poked the more the baby burrowed her head. I have felt her moving a lot lately, so hopefully that means she is getting it all out before she comes, or I am going to be a very tired person. I don't know if I can handle to very active children :)

When we were pregnant with Ryan we had lots of girl names picked out, and now that we are having a girl we can't think of any. We should have wrote them down! We have one that we have liked since we were first married, but I think it's too close to what our last niece was named. Are Kaelin and Daelyn too close? I think so, but Dax says it doesn't matter. I think I am going to keep pondering on more names.

And as for Ryan, I swear he gets bigger everyday. I was holding him today and realized how fast he has grown! I think it goes by way too fast! He has been around a couple of new babies lately and is so cute with them, which makes me even more excited for the next baby. I never knew he could be gentle, but he can thank goodness. He did get pretty jealous though when I held the other baby. He just had to sit on my lap too. I like that he was jealous, I guess that means that I haven't messed up too bad and he still loves me, right? I think he will be a great big brother. I have some hilarious videos to post of him when I get this new computer figured out. There is never a dull moment with that child. I LOVE my family!

The Zoo

So Dax had this wonderful idea to go to the zoo Saturday since it would be the last time for a while that we could do something fun as a family before school starts. Ryan absolutely loves animals so we figured he would love the zoo..and he did. We had a ton of fun! About halfway through Sardine Canyon we realized we forgot our camera so we stopped by Dax's parents house and borrowed theirs. Thanks again! (They are used to us always forgetting something!)Ryan just decided to look away in about every picture we took, but he is still cute as ever. His favorite part was the Leopard. It was pacing back and forth in front of the glass so Ryan followed him back and forth thinking it was a game. He kept trying to get the Leopard to follow him and thought it was hilarious when it seemed like it actually did. He also really liked the monkeys. It's probably the first time he has ever seen a living thing as crazy and active as he is.






Dax said everyone has to have their picture taken drinking out of the lion's mouth.

Dad looked...

Then Ryan looked...but I couldn't get them at the same time!






Ryan and the Leopard...