Merry & Bright

Christmas Eve is really one of my favorite parts of Christmas. I love the anticipation in the air and the excitement for what tomorrow will bring. After eating our traditional Christmas Eve dinner of homemade chicken noodle soup, we watched Santa Claus is Coming to Town, read the Christmas Story in Luke, and then tried to get some very excited boys off to bed. We woke up Christmas morning to find out that Santa had come and brought Carson a huge dump truck and Jonas a wiggle car.

But that wasn't all, he even left us a special note...

Want to know what it was?

(As you can tell, Jonas was more excited about the massive train track he had built with Daddy a few days ago.) The dome will be moved out to our back yard in the spring to join our airplane teetter totter. Gee Santa sure is thoughtful!

Santa brought Jeff a garage door opener and he's excited to get it put up in a few days when Grandpa comes and can help him out.

This is what Santa brought me...it has already made chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and four loaves of bread. And I'm thinking it will be making dough for cinnamon rolls tomorrow.

Since our house is overflowing with boy things, I've had a hard time deciding what to get Mason for Christmas this year. He really doesn't need anything besides the baby book that Mommy & Daddy already got him (oh and diapers, but who wants that for Christmas?). Nevertheless, I'm not going to skip out on him because he won't remember it. So I've decided to make him some things. First I made this baby car seat cover. And I'm working on finishing up these 3-6 month onesies. I just have some stitching left to do.

And if there's some time left over, I'm going to make him a little stuffed owl...similar to the one on the onesie.

How is your week before Christmas going?? Is anyone else rushing to get last minute presents done?

Plugged

It was about this time last year when I posted about Carson sucking up two very large paint brushes into my vacuum (read about it here). Well, my mischevious little man is at it again...this time with the toilet. Apparently yesterday he flushed this... down the toilet. Don't ask me why he thought the toilet paper holder should go down the toilet! Needless to say it didn't make it past the first few bends in the toilet. Tonight my handy husband tore into the toilet to fix it. He had to bend a hanger and try to coax it out...it took longer than you'd think.

I'm not sure what it is with Carson plugging up things! But I sure am thankful Jeff knew how to fix it and we didn't have to call a plumber.

Peace, Dude

Today I got this cute picture of Mason. It makes me laugh everytime I look at it. Doesn't he look like a spaced out hippie giving you the peace sign? He even does it when Jonas is trying to "love" him.

We are going stir crazy. We've been stuck inside the house almost this whole month. I still can't drive anywhere and I can't go outside to supervise my boys (who would run off if I just let them out...can't wait to get a fence!). So by now you should know that I have nothing better to do with my day than to sit around and take pictures of my boys. Everytime I try to get a project out (sewing, scrapbooking, etc...) the boys tear into it and make it a huge mess. I would rather avoid the stress of the boys scattering my stuff everywhere so I spend my time playing with them.

Here is Mason enjoying some floor time.

Thank heavens he's been such a good baby so far. He mainly sleeps and poops. I'm enjoying not having a colicky baby...yet. He even takes a pacifier sometimes! We'll see if he keeps up his good behavior!

Our Boys

The Past Two Years

There's something about having a new baby that makes you contemplate life. I am up late tonight and found myself looking through some old pictures. Not really that old I guess, just two years ago, but somehow it feels like that life was so long ago. Could it really only have been two years ago when I was under all the stress of student teaching and finishing up my time at BYU-Idaho? Was it really only two years ago when it was just Jeff, Carson, and I? Was it only two years ago that Carson was a crazy two year old who loved his red boots and throwing things off of our balcony so he could go downstairs and see Chandler?

We've been through a lot in the past two years. We added Jonas to our family...

And went from our homey apartment in Rexburg... to our moldy, crappy apartment in West Jordan...

and finally to our amazing new house.

And now we've added Mason to our family.

That's a whole lotta change in two years! Sometimes I still feel like my head is spinning from all we've been through. I remember how hard it was just to take care of Carson and now I have three little guys to watch out for. I feel like I have two babies because Jonas and Mason are so close. It's different to have added two children to our family in 18 months because we were alone with Carson for almost three years. After I had my miscarriage in 2007 I remember wondering if we were ever going to be able to have another child, and now two years later I have three children.

Its like I've lived three different lives in the past two years...our life in Rexburg, our life in West Jordan, and our life now.Its interesting to note that one thing hasn't changed and that is that we still live close to our good friends the Snedaker's. They may not be living downstairs from us anymore, but they are right up the road from us!

Through it all I know that the Lord has been there directing our lives and leading us to where we need to be. I've learned in the past two years that change is difficult...even painful at times, but if that change is done according to our Heavenly Father's will, then everything will work out how it is supposed to.

Christmas Program

Last night was Carson's Christmas program with his prechool. I was way sad that I couldn't make it, but I didn't want to take Mason out yet. Here he is getting ready to leave.

Here's a cute video of him singing!


And of course I had to throw in some cute pictures of Jonas and Mason.

Gratitude

While Mason was in the hospital, he had dropped weight down to 6 lbs 4oz because my milk wasn't coming in (the nurses told me its common with early babies for the mother's milk to be delayed in coming in). Also, his bilirubin count was moderately high (you can tell he looks a little yellow in some pictures). So on Monday we headed into the pediatrician's office and he is back up to 6 lbs 13oz and his bilirubin count is normal now. The doctor said that he was looking great...a big relief to me!

I want to thank everyone who has given so much time and energy into helping me! Its hard to feel so helpless while I am still in so much pain and heavily medicated and I am thankful for those who have stepped forward to help me out.

Random pictures from the week...

Can you believe Carson took this picture of Jonas? Pretty good photography skills for a 4 year old!

Coming Home

I love being a mom. Its seriously the toughest and best job to have. I love how a newborn brings such a wonderful spirit into your home. I also love how Heavenly Father blesses you to have instant love for a new child. I can't describe it...but everytime I've seen my babies for the first time I've just felt this overwhelming love for them. I felt the same way when Jonas came home (you can read about it here). Even thought Mason was a "surprise" I know that he was meant to be in our family. He just fills a hole we didn't know was there. He's ours...forever.

Christmas came early to our house this year and I can't think of a better Christmas present than my sweet little boy!

Mason Wynn Birch

Here's the newest member of our family!

Mason Wynn Birch

December 1, 2009

9:54 AM

6 lbs 15.5 oz

21 inches I started having irregular contractions at 8 o'clock Sunday night and went into the doctors office Monday and was dilated to a 1. At 10:30 Monday night my contractions became regular and we headed to the hospital at about 3:00 AM. When I got there I was dilated to a 3+. After observing me for an hour and determining that I was in labor and still dilating, they decided to go ahead and do the cesarean. He is different from Carson and Jonas in that he is bald and what hair he does have is very blonde (our other boys were born with dark brown hair). We are all doing well and will be in the hospital until Friday.