Sunday, February 28, 2010

SOOO in love...

I know it has been forever since I have blogged about anything, and I have about 500 things to blog about. But as most of you know, and for the two people who still might read this thing, the biggest event of the past month has been the birth of our little Taylor Rae.
She was born on Wed. February 17th. She weighed 8 lbs. and 12 oz. She is the sweetest, most gorgeous baby I have ever seen. (But I am a little biased!) :) We are ALL so in love. It was no secret that when I was pregnant I wanted this second child to be a boy. I think that the thought of a little girl scared me a bit, and I was just a tad disappointed when we found out it was a girl. Which I feel really bad about now. Anyway, it took me a while to get into the girl thing. The point I am trying to make is that since she has been born I couldn't be more happy to have this little lady in our family. I love her more than I ever thought I could love a child. :) But you know how that goes... I was worried with two children that somehow it would be different, but it's a little crazy how you just fall in love instantly and it hasn't taken anything away from Tucker. Speaking of Tucker, he loves her so much. It is really cute, he always calls her his little lady. He has adjusted to the role of big brother very well. He is so sweet with her and wants to help me all the time. He is definitely a stinker, and stubborn and thinks he is always right about everything, but I can't tell if that is because he is three years old, or because of Taylor. And he is really only like that with Ben and I. Lucky us! :) And I think you can tell from the pictures below just how much Ben loves her. :) He is such a good daddy and loves her so much! And he is the only reason I am not a walking zombie these days.
Anyway, enjoy the pictures...
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{Here she is right after delivery...I love those big ol' cheeks!}
I am going to share the birth story just so I have it written down for posterity sake. And if anyone wants to know how it was that Taylor came into this world, they can read on. :)
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{Taylor and her daddy...notice the big smile!}
So I went in for my weekly appointment at 37 weeks, it was while Ben was in Hawaii, and it was the first of my weekly appointments of when they actually check to see if you are dilated or not. So, he was checking and Dr. Brown says, 'well, I can't find her head... I'm sure it's in there, but I'm just not feeling it anywhere. It's definitely not down where it should be.' He said at that at this point, I still had a month left, so she had time to turn around and get in position to be ready so not to worry about things yet. If she didn't ever turn head down into position, then there was a possibility of a C-Section if I go into labor on my own and she hadn't flipped yet. Or, I would have to go into the hospital to have him turn her manually. And sometimes in that situation, the baby is so disrupted that they just induce labor to get the baby out. But I didn't need to worry...yet. So, I went back the next week, and he checked me again, and this time Ben was with me. And Dr. Brown told us that she had turned, and actually Ben had to help him move her a little bit to get into place but that she was ready to go. I was very relieved that I wouldn't have to go into the hospital to have Dr. Brown turn her. Which I've heard is very painful.
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{Our little baby girl}
Well, I went back the next week, at 39 weeks and the stinker had flipped back around! I couldn't believe it! Dr. Brown was a little worried about her moving around so late in the pregnancy. He told me that most of the time the baby doesn't have any room to move, let alone flip from being head up to being head down back to being head up. So, he wanted to do an ultrasound to make sure the umbilical cord wasn't wrapped around her neck. Luckily, it wasn't and he told me that I would have to go to the hospital so he could 'man handle' her into place. Since she wasn't being very cooperative! :) And since I was 39 weeks, that he would just induce me. This was on Tuesday, my actual due date was on Sunday, so I just had to basically decide which day I wanted the little girl to be born. I SO wasn't ready. I had yet to get anything organized in her room. We did have the crib up, but other than that there were just piles of random girly and baby things piled up in her room. He had told me that the earlier we do it the better, so I just said, how about tomorrow. After my appointment I called Ben and told him we were having a baby the next day. I don't think that it had really hit me yet, because after my appointment I went over and had lunch with some friends, and was just enjoying my time with only one child. :) My very best friend from high school was in town and I just wanted to spend as much time with her as I could. I remember after a few hours, I casually said, 'well, I better get home and start doing some laundry...' Little did I know...
Yeah, we were up all night doing laundry and getting things packed and in order for this little lady to come home with us.
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{Our first family photo as a family of 4}
We got to the hospital the next morning at 6:30am. My dad came over to watch Tucker, who was still sleeping when we left. I got all settled in and Dr. Brown got there around 7:30am to do the inversion (turn her manually). I was really nervous because I heard it was so painful, and it was him and three nurses all ready to manipulate my belly. But it wasn't really that bad. Well, it only lasted like 10 minutes and she was turned. He did tell me that she flipped really easily. Who knew that she had so much room in there considering that she was 8 lbs. and 12 oz.! :) So, it WAS painful, but since it didn't last very long it wasn't as bad as I was making it out to be in my head. But they did have to wrap the top of my belly in this stretchy fabric to keep her in place, head down. So, 8:00ish they start the pitocin to get my contractions started. And then we just waited, and waited, and waited. The nurse would come in periodically to check on my contractions and I wasn't having any. So they would slowly add more and more pitocin. Finally at 10:30 they were checking how far I was dilated and I don't remember how much I was dilated, but I guess it was enough for him to just go ahead and break my water while he was there. :) So, 10:30 they broke my water, and around 11:30 they gave me my epidural. I was probably the most nervous about the epidural, just after what happened with Tucker. (It ended up falling out and then they put it in again and my face went numb and then they had to take it out and I didn't even end up having one during the hardest and most painful part of the delivery with him.) But this time it was awesome! From noon on I was feeling good, taking a nap, chatting with people as they were coming in and out. My mom had gotten here in the meantime. My dad had brought Tucker and my friend Sharlene and her little guy, Carter came by to visit. And I was having a grand time as my contractions were getting bigger and bigger. Finally at around 4:30 I was at a 10 and Dr. Brown got there and I started pushing and she was born at 4:57pm.
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{Tucker loves his little sister}
Thinking back on it, it was a pretty easy and painless delivery. The honest to goodness worst part is that I tend to throw up a lot during pregnancy, and since they wouldn't let me eat, it was just dry heaving all day for me. It is the absolute greatest feeling when she was put on my chest and I just got to hold her and comfort her while she was crying. And I was instantly in love with her. I just want to hold her all day everyday.
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{Entertaining his sister again}
So she is now 2 weeks old. I took her in yesterday for her two week appointment and she was back up to 8 lbs. and 15 oz. I did not breast feed Tucker. We tried. I ended up supplementing too soon so as not to starve him and then he just liked the bottle a lot better than he liked me so after a few weeks of being in denial that Tucker was bottle fed, I accepted it and then embraced it and was totally not planning on breast feeding Taylor. Well, I always thought to myself, I'll try, but I kind of secretly hoped it wouldn't because it is really convenient to bottle feed. Anyway, Taylor is a champion eater just like her brother, but she is also a champion latcher, and breast feeding her has been actually very easy to pick up on. It was very very painful the first week, and there are still some days where I question if I REALLY want to breast feed or not, but for the most part I actually really like it a lot more than I thought I would. And it is a lot easier for me than I thought it was going to be. Anyway, before my milk came in we took her to her 3 day appointment, it was that Saturday morning, and she had lost 12 oz. She was down to 8 lbs. I, of course, was freaking out and worried thinking that I was starving my child. Luckily, that night and the next day we got the breast feeding thing down and when we went back in the next Monday morning she was already back up to 8 lbs. and 5 oz. And obviously we're doing something right, because she is back up to 8 lbs. and 15 oz. (things only a mother cares about)
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{Taylor in her bassinet at the hospital}
My mom was here for a week after I had her and it was SO nice having her here to help out with Tucker and do our laundry. She was a life saver in that department. I still don't know what I am going to do about the laundry. There are only 4 of us, but I swear, the laundry multiplies daily! I don't know where it all comes from! We joked the whole time that she was here that we had turned into vampires. We didn't really leave the house at all that first week, And I had a lot of great family and friends come and take Tucker for the day or the afternoon so I was actually able to sleep. Taylor has been a great baby. In fact sometimes I have to wake her up to feed her. She sleeps really well and eats really well and is just the sweetest little thing. We are absolutely in love!
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{Taylor was not happy about being put in her car seat to go home from the hospital!}
This time around, this whole baby thing has been so much easier. Maybe it's just the knowledge that this phase of having a baby isn't going to last forever! :) I think it was two months before I was able to function like a human being after Tucker was born, and he was a good baby, too! So I think that having a three year old and knowing a little bit more about what having a new born entails, has helped me wrap my head around this two child thing. And having the Olympics on 24/7 helped a lot. When tucker was a newborn I got addicted to 'Americas next top model' because they were having a marathon of all 12 seasons and I watched like every episode during the first week of Tuckers life. I definitely prefer the Olympics to Americas next top model. :) OK, I am tired, and I can't even think anymore. I am sure there are some things I left out that I wanted to document, but really, I'm just glad that I've gotten this much down. (If anyone is still reading this...)
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{Our beautiful baby girl!}
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{Taylor and her daddy-she looks a little concerned! :)}
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{My two little babies--I love them SO much!!!}

Monday, February 15, 2010

Valentines day weekend...

We celebrated Valentines day this year the entire weekend. One night we got together with a big group of our friends for a fun night of games and food. Some of our good friends are the owners of the Spokane Shock, Spokane's arena football team. We were able to all go to their practice field and have some good ol' fashion 'feats of strength' games. It was SO much fun! It had been a long time since I had done anything like this. Not that I could participate being 8 1/2 months pregnant, but it was just fun being there with good friends and good food! :)
We did participate in the M&M relay race, this was done as a couple...
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Then there was the three legged race, which we opted out of :)...
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Here is Karen, who won the prize for best fall of the night, flat on the ground! :)
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The boys foot race...
Ben is ready to win it! :)
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And the girls...
I didn't participate, for obvious reasons! :)
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Ben and I also decided to try our hand at the 'don't drop the balloon race'. Notice we are in last place here, and things didn't change by the end. :) I might look like I'm in pain, but I was really laughing!
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And my lovely friends, Meg, Sharlene and Laura...
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We won the prize at the end of the night for funniest couple... Imagine that! :)
The next night we went out to dinner. Valentines day isn't too romantic when you are 8 1/2 months pregnant, so we decided to do dinner with Eric & Sharlene! :) PF Changs is delicious no matter who you're with or what your celebrating, and of course, we had a great time with the Enloes! :)
Before we left for the night Tucker got a hold of my camera and we had a little photo shoot...
And for some reason we were in the room that was being transitioned from our office to the baby's room, that was a total mess. I'm not sure why! :)
Here is our little family of 3, soon to be 4!
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And me and my little mini Valentine...
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And on Sunday, the real Valentines day, I was officially 39 weeks and ready to get this little one out already! :)
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All in all, Valentines day was a success this year! :) It may not have been the most romantic Valentines day we've ever had, but we sure had fun being together, and I guess that's what really matters, right! :) I'm guessing that it may be awhile before we get a chance to celebrate Valentines day properly! :) Life just keeps on getting busier and busier, and I'm sure this is just the beginning. :) But I wouldn't have it any other way! I don't need a lot anyway. Just get me some good chocolates, and I'm happy! :) (And being pregnant, I've been getting that stuff for myself regularly anyway!) :) But actually this year, Ben surprised me with a gift for Valentines day and got me a new netbook. I love it! Since we had to move our computer downstairs to make room for the baby, he got me this little netbook so I could get on line or do photo stuff up here if I need to. I love it! :) Thanks Babe!

Friday, February 12, 2010

Baby Shower...

My baby shower!!! :) My wonderful friends decided to throw me a baby shower, despite my protesting, and I am so glad that they did! I have such great friends! It was such a great shower! I got SO many cute cute cute clothes for this little baby girl! I can't wait to put them on her! :) At first I was thinking that I didn't want one because we already have a kid, and we had most baby things we needed, but this shower was the perfect thing to get me in girl mode. I was seriously lacking in the clothes department and I didn't even realize it. Luckily my friends and family pulled through for me and I got SO many cute things! Seriously, I was expecting sleepers and onesies, which were totally needed, but I got like CUTE things. Like dresses and actual outfits. It totally got me in the girl mode. Seriously, after the shower, I couldn't stop buying girl clothes. :)
A very bad picture of some of the decor. ..
I really wish I had a better picture of this food table. It was full of my most favorite foods and the decorations were so cute. Oh well, this is all I've got! :)
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Opening up presents...
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Gorgeous dresses! Can't wait for these ones to fit!
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Love the boots!
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My fabulous friends! I wish I would have thought to get a picture before like half of the people left!
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Tara & Heather... Love these girls!
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My aunt Kathy and little cousin, Trinidy, came up for the shower! I was so glad that they came! Here are Trin and Carter...
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Thanks Katrina and Cherie for the great party! I think it's your turn next Katrina!! :)

Thursday, February 11, 2010

grandmas visit....

After my mom watched Tucker for the weekend while we were in Seattle, she decided to just bring him back up to Spokane and stay with us for a week to visit and to be able to go to my baby shower. We had so much fun while Grandma was here. I was glad to have some help while I was as big as a barge. :) I knew that she was going to come after I had the baby, but it was nice to have someone during the last homestretch. I actually had a long list of things for us to get done before the baby came...organizing, cleaning, moving etc... None of which got done! :) We just were having too much fun playing! :)
We went to Chuck E Cheese one day.
Here are Carter and Tucker playing the dance game at Chuck E Cheese. This is his 'Best Friend' Carter. Now that he has a cousin named Carter, he has to differentiate the two. There is 'Baby Carter' who is his cousin, and his ' Best Friend' Carter. :)
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We also had playgroup at our house the week grandma was here:
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It was my last week of having playgroup at our house before this baby comes. They are giving me a maternity leave! :) These boys are so cute. I love that Tucker has such good friends, he loves them! And they usually get along so well...most of the time! :)
We also, of course, got lots of playing time with this little guy...
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Tucker also loves him some 'Baby Carter'...
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They even got to take a bath together one night...
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We watched Carter one day and my belly was the perfect seat for Carter. He loved to look at himself in the mirror in our bathroom :)...
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Tucker and Carter getting ready for bed...
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Funny how these are the pictures from when Grandma was here, but I have no pictures with Grandma actually in them! :)
Thanks so much for coming Grandma, we had so much fun! Tucker would cry for you in the mornings for days after you left. I am just not enough for the kid! :) I am always 2nd choice after Grandma when she's here. :)

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Swimming lessons...

In an effort to entertain Tucker while being 8 months pregnant, I enrolled him in swimming lessons at the Y. He loves the water, so I thought that he would love this. We had a season pass to Wild Waters last summer and he loved going. He also loves going in our Hot Tub and wants to go in it like every day. It took him a little longer to warm up to these swimming lessons. We did it with his friend, Carly. When we got there on the first day he didn't want to get in the water at all. Once he got in (because I had to force him) he was fine and wanted to come back for more. But on that first day he really didn't want to do it. I don't know if it is because he just forgot because it had been so long since we had been swimming or what. He also hates to go underwater. Maybe he thought that he would have to go underwater. Anyway, it was 6 weeks and he enjoyed it. I think it was kind of a waste of money. I think that he got more out of going to Wild Waters this summer. I'm not sure if I will put him in another YMCA swimming class. I feel like I could just teach him the things that his teacher 'taught' him just by going to the pool this summer. We will see! :) Oh, and don't tell Tucker this, but he also didn't pass the class! :) At the end of the session they get report cards, and his teacher wrote in it that he needed to work on going under water and that she suggested that he take the class again! :) We didn't tell Tucker that, no need to break a little guys heart! :)
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{Tucker and Carly in the pool}
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{Tucker learning to float on his back, notice his stiff body and the scared expression on his face!:) }
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{And the 'airplane' swim move, not sure what this is for...}

{My mom was in town during the last week of his lessons and you know that whenever she is in town there is an abundance of pictures taken!:)}

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Cassidy's Blessing...

Well this is a little late, but I just had to post about it because little Cassidy Kay is so dang cute! :) She was blessed back at the beginning of February and we all headed down to Quincy to be there with her.
Here are the boys before the blessing:
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{Kelli's dad, my dad, Allen, Cassidy, Nathan, Ben and a member of the bishopric}
And the ladies...
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{my mom, me, Cassidy, Kelli and Kelli's mom}
And here are Keyton and uncle Ben...
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Keyton loves his uncle Ben and uncle Ben loves him some Keyton!
We tried to get a picture of the cousins, but this was the best we could do, Carter would not have it! :) (this was before Taylor was born)
Cassidy looked so cute in her white dress!
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And I love this picture of Cassidy and I. I love that she is smiling with me. She has the cutest smile, and looks exactly like my brother! I can tell already that we will be good friends! :) I am looking forward to being her favorite aunt! :)
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We had a great afternoon as a family down in Quincy, Kelli and her mom made a delicious meal and Tucker and Keyton played all day together. It was Superbowl Sunday though, so we had to head out a little earlier than planned to watch the game. (Allen & Kelli aren't football fans) :)

Monday, February 1, 2010

Last minute quick trip to Seattle...

When Ben flew home from Hawaii, him and the guys flew into Seattle and then drove home to Spokane. We decided it would be fun to have one last little weekend get away before this baby came. So instead of him driving with the guys to Spokane, I drove to him in Seattle so we could stay for the weekend. We asked my mom if she would take Tucker so as to really enjoy our weekend and when she said she would, it was a done deal. It was perfect timing because our good friends, Doug & Sadie, just adopted a baby boy and she was having a baby shower that weekend.
So, I made the drive over to Seattle, part of the way with Tucker because my mom was meeting us in Quincy, where my brother lives, and that is almost exactly half way to Seattle. It was a long 2 and a half hours with Tucker for the first part of the trip. After being together for a week straight with no daddy coming home at night, we were both ready for a little break from each other, if you know what I mean. I had to threaten many times that I would turn the car around and he wouldn't get to see grandma (he was very excited to stay with grandma for the weekend). But we survived, and we got to my brothers house and I dropped of Tuck and the rest of the trip was a breeze! :)
I feel like I am always having to either bribe or threaten him these days. Do all 3 year olds act like this? Is this normal? I really hope that it is a three year old stage, and I am really looking forward to this stage to end. I feel really guilty for feeling like this with him, but he has been testing us on EVERYTHING these days and it is driving me crazy!!! And he's not like this with
anyone else, but Ben and I. Anyway.... the weekend in Seattle sans Tucker was a much needed little retreat for me! :)
Ok, back to our weekend. I got to meet this little guy for the first time...
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Jacob Lee Agurkis! What a cutie! He is such a good baby, I couldn't believe it! He is a little sweetheart! We fell in love with him instantly!
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{After bathtime}
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{Just hanging out with the boys}
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{I got lots of cuddling time in with him}
Sadie's baby shower was a lot of fun, she has such great friends! I've gotten to know a lot of them over the years just from our trips to Seattle, so it was fun being with her and her friends during the shower.
Here she is with Katie and Joy, the two that actually threw her the shower...
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The Agurkis Circus... :)
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And all the girls at the shower...so fun!
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We went to lunch one day and Doug and Ben thought that I was walking too slow, (I guess being 8 months pregnant will do that to you) so they picked me up and carried me. This is NOT the most flattering picture, but it was just so funny, I had to post it. :) (maybe you had to be there!) :)
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It was a nice little weekend getaway, and I'm so glad we were able to make it happen since I am not sure when we'll be able to make it back next. Thanks grandma for watching Tucker for us! Having two children will throw a wrench in our weekend get away plans. Plus Tucker is going to be starting preschool in the fall and I am sure our lives will be more scheduled and full here soon! Thanks Doug & Sadie for having us and letting us love on that little baby Jacob! :)