I bet I have the best prize in my Easter egg....

So Hobby Lobby had these gigantic Easter eggs and my sister bought one and I said to her that I think I could fit my baby in it and guess what....she does fit in it! I didn't actually close her in it, but I could have. Ryan thought it was pretty funny so I tried to get him to sit in it and then it wasn't as funny. I guess it's always funnier when it's not happening to you.

In other news, we finally blessed Chloe! It was awesome. Dax always gives such sweet blessings. I hope my kids realize what a good dad they have. Also, it snowed quite a bit her the other day. Ryan was so excited when he woke up that he ran in and woke Dax (who had been up until the wee hours of the morning doing homework) and yelled "Dow dad dow!" (Dow is what he says for snow.) And today I let Ryan color eggs and we had fun. I was a little worried though when he saw the dye and yelled "Juice!" He didn't try to drink it though, thank goodness. Since I boiled so many eggs we had egg salad sandwiches for dinner and Ryan actually ate it. I was a little surprised.
For and update on the kids, Ryan is starting to talk much better and just seems to be growing up so fast. He is good big brother....most of the time :) I love the times, like today, when we get to have fun times together, just me and him. His new favorite thing is Buzz Lightyear, even though he hasn't even seen Toy Story. But he always spots something in the stores that has Buzz on it. Chloe is almost 3 months old! Holy Cow! She is finally starting to outgrow her newborn clothes and can fit most 0-3 month things. She is such a happy baby. Even when she is starving she still smiles and talks. She loves Ryan and any time she hears or sees him she smiles and laughs. I hope it's always like that! Today I had her doing tummy time and she rolled over twice to her back. She just seems to young to be doing that. She really hates tummy time so I guess she figured out how to roll so she wouldn't have to do it any more! I have such a wonderful family and I love them so much!



Happy Easter!


Chloe in her blessing outfit


Ryan checking out the snow


I know it seems like his is probably in his diaper a lot, but I didn't want him to get dye on his clothes and he won't wear a bib or apron.


So I bought some new church outfits for the kids and wanted to get a picture and sadly this is the best one we got. I didn't know a simple picture could be such torture!

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.