Bringing Home Baby

You’ve just had your third baby.   Everything seems so wonderful when you’re in the hospital, and then  on the way home you feel the tears and emotions starting to set in.  For the first time in months, all the ‘build up’ from expecting your baby is over.  For me, it feels like leading up to Christmas; you have your wonderful present, but can’t help feeling sad it’s over. 

I just had our third baby two weeks and five days ago.  Coming home to my two older girls and now having the added responsibility of my wonderful newborn son seemed really OvErWhElMiNg!  Not to mention but after having a baby, experiencing blood loss, hormones stabilizing, recovery, and lack of sleep, you may even have moments where you don’t know how you are expected to manage your new life.  Tears come and go, and you might feel yourself losing control.  Here are some things I have learned over the past two weeks to help see me through this time of adjustment and roller coaster of emotions.

First of all, timing is everything.  Looking back, I wish we had our baby in the later spring or early summer because it’s still too cold to enjoy the outdoors, rainy, snowy, and cloudy much of the time.  However, getting pregnant on a schedule is sometimes easier said than done and I have to grateful Liam came in March and not January (I contend with January blues every year, let’s not add baby blues on top of that).   Here’s how I am coping;

• Know that the first 10 days of recovery can be hard, with the first 3-5 being the WORST. After 10 days of normal baby blues, you should start feeling dramatically better.  I have heard of baby blues described as up and down, but if you feel yourself going down and not going back up, you may be developing postpartum depression and should consider contacting your doctor for help.
•  One thing that would have helped me would have been planning the accommodations for my older children better during the hospital stay.  My attitude before the birth was that this was between my husband and our mothers.  Little did I know that the lack of planning would interfere with my time with my husband at the hospital and it seemed that our kids were struggling with not having proper planning.  If I had to do it over again, I would have asked each parent to take a day to help the kids the entire day, with Shayne only staying with them at night.
• Since baby blues lasts 10 days to two weeks, I think every new dad should try to get the first two weeks off of work to help their wife through the hardest part of the adjustment period.  Shayne had a week off of work, but ended up taking 10 days because I was simply not ready for him to go back to work so soon.
• Keep it simple!  You aren't going to get back into your usual routines the first day being home.  For this, I suggest taking meals and help when they are offered to you.  Remember that paper plates are your friend, and have simple breakfast and lunch ideas ready.  We bought some small boxes of cereals that our older kids loved, Hot Pockets and small bags of potato chips for lunch.  I was lucky enough to think ahead and have some freezer meals prepared beforehand. I only wish I made meals that my girls would eat more willingly.
• My doctor suggested walking in the sun to offset some of the hormones.  I like the idea of natural remedy’s to help with depression; fish oil, vitamin D/calcium supplements, exercise, laughing, Wild Orange oil or Balance from DoTerra, and talking to friends and family when I need them.   Every afternoon I watch a funny movie to give me a laugh and break up the day. I have always been sensitive to medications so a medicine free alternative is my way to go.
• Nursing is wonderful and demanding.  My son, Liam, nurses every two hours on demand.  My sister in law suggested I start watching a show to help me get through these late night nursing times.  I have been watching The Wonder Years on Netflix to help me through.  One episode is approximately 24 minutes long and about the exact time I need to finish feeding my baby.
• One thing we do to bring the family closer and wind down at the end of the night (and I really look forward to it too) is to have a family movie time.  Around 7:00 we are all ready for bed and we sit down together around the couch for a family friendly movie.  Each of us gets to take our pick of the movie of the night, and we eat popcorn and snacks while enjoying our new baby and time together.  I don’t know how long we will have this around.
•   I was lucky to have a gift card from my sister that I saved for something special from Christmas.  I am glad that I hung onto it because online shopping helped me a lot through those first days.  I look forward to the day it comes in the mail too so it’s like a bonus.  Getting anything in the mail those first few weeks are wonderful.  I looked forward to the occasional card or package from friends and family.
• While I am not doing everything that I used to, I am doing a lot.  I am trying to tell myself to be forgiving of the things that I am not doing or perhaps not doing right and focus on the things that I AM doing right.  Keeping the right attitude is important. 

• Make time for yourself; this is the hardest one and the one I still struggle with.  You need time for yourself, even if it is a small thing every day.  For me, it can be as simple as watching a movie while the kids play, going on a walk (even to the mailbox), having a short date out with someone, taking a longer than usual shower, letting Shayne watch the kids so I can lay down, or writing a blog (like this). Doing things for yourself will help you be a happier person.  Don’t let yourself feel guilty about it.

This seems a little like a no brainer and I get this advice a lot too but enjoy your baby while they are newborns because it only lasts for such a short while.  Take pictures, snuggle longer, and slow down.  I was joking with my cousin about losing sleep and planning ahead every night to make sure I get enough rest saying, “no more late night movies!”  To which my insightful cousin who has helped me so much during the past two weeks with her positive attitude said, “There’s plenty of time for that later!”  So true!!!  This simple sentence helps me keep everything into perspective.  There’s plenty of time for that later (whatever it may be)!  The time to enjoy your newborn is now.

Of course we are still having our good days and harder days, but all in all I am happy with the progress we are making towards being a functional and happy family of five.  Every day keeps getting better and I know before long we will be able to function without thinking about it so much.  I heard a quote once that something to the effect of, “these are the best days of our life and we don’t even know it yet,” and I believe it.  So while my life may be far from perfect, I love my life and the people in it.

I hope this blog helps someone get through those first days better than I did at first with my third child.  I am so lucky to be feeling better now with only a few set backs from time to time.  I can’t thank my friends and family enough for being there for me whenever I need them.  I am eternally thankful for Shayne who helps me daily and let me talk and cry whenever I needed him. I am thankful to my mom who came every night for the first week and a half just to pop in and see if anything needed to be done.  I am thankful for my cousin, Kristl, who sends me text messages every day encouraging me and keeping me focused and upbeat.  For my special friends and family who were aware of my hard time and still check in to see how we are doing.  I have felt so loved and I know that the reason I am doing so well today is thanks to the love all around me.

Welcome Baby Liam

10:00 March 28, 2013

I was anxious for my 41 week appointment.  I had tried almost anything safe to go into labor naturally on my own without any luck… For the past three doctor visits I was a “one and thick.”  At my 40 ½ week, I was finally a “two and thick,” and I had my membranes stripped.  All I hoped for from my 41 week visit was to be a four and thinned out because Dr. Crouch agreed to break my water and induce my labor if I were.

During my pregnancy, I was adamant to try for a v-bac, vaginal birth after cesarean.   I wanted a v-bac for several reasons but mostly because I didn’t want to slow down my life after having a baby.  I didn’t want the long painful recovery, and I wanted a better birthing experience like I had experienced with Ellie.  However, v-bac comes with its own strict set of rules.  First of all, you have to go into labor on your own.  Pitocin raises the risk of having a uterine tear by 15%, so many doctors and hospitals will not allow using it during v-bac.  I wasn’t going into labor though; at the time it seemed helpless but electing to have the c-section didn’t feel right.  I carried on two weeks past my c-section date hoping for the best but prepared for the worst.

Every day during the 39^th and 40^th full week was uncomfortable and long.  It seemed like all I could think of was “making this v-bac work.”  I walked two miles a day, ate strange food, endured painful acupressure, drank labor promoting tea, primrose oil, clary sage oil, skipping, and just about anything else that was deemed safe for naturally inducing labor.  Nothing was working, and it took everything in me and the help of my friends and family to stay positive.  The way I saw it, I was going to spend the next 18 years with this baby so why rush it?  Many people tried to help me cope with the idea of having a c-section, but I wasn’t going to give up without a fight. My best hope was to stay positive every day, keep praying, and keep up with the crazy labor inductions even if they weren’t working. 

It all came down to this 41 week appointment.   I knew Dr. Crouch wouldn’t advise I go much further.  “Well, you are almost a three but still thick.”   CRAP I thought.  I didn’t make it; looks like I having a c-section this weekend. Then Dr. Crouch pulled out his note pad and a pen and wrote out three options: 1. Monitor and Wait, 2. Balloon – break water.  3. C-section.  Dr. Crouch asked if I wanted to go home and think about it,  but I already knew that option one wasn’t an option, and neither was option three without trying option two.  “What would you do?” I asked Dr. Crouch.

  “Oh I would definitely try the balloon induction.” 

I answered back, “I think so too!  When would we do it?” 

“You would stay overnight and we would break your water in the morning.” 

“Let’s do it.”

I went home that day hopeful that the balloon would work and relieved that Dr. Crouch even had that option!  I have never heard of anyone being induced that way, so this seemed strange but worth it.  That day I painted my toes, took a long bath, shaved my legs, washed my hair and made it pretty for the next day.  Mom was to meet me at my house around 7:15, and I was to be checked into the hospital by 8:00 that night.  Shayne would meet me at the hospital and sleepover when the girls were in bed.

Kaitlyn was crying when we said our goodbyes for the hospital.  I started crying too.  I felt bad leaving Kaitlyn.  We had only been apart one night since she was born.  I knew it would be hard on her.  I also knew that when I came back home that our world would be completely different.  It was a very emotional moment.

I was really nervous checking into the hospital.  The first hard tackle of the day would be getting my i.v. put in.  With the girl’s births, this part was almost worse than the epidural.  I warned the nurse that I was worried about it and asked if she could put it anywhere else, other than my arm.  That’s when I learned that they can numb you first!  With the numbing, the i.v. went in almost too easy!  My first tackle of labor was complete!

Dr. Crouch met me at the hospital around 9:00.  He had the balloon folley ready, and I was anxious for the next step.  I only wished I went to the bathroom first.  If I had to describe how it felt to have the balloon folley put inside my uterus, it would be uncomfortable; like having a full bladder, and it’s getting fuller by the moment.  It was almost painful, but mostly extremely uncomfortable. Luckily, once the filling process was done, I was comfortable again.   In fact, I could walk around, use the restroom, and do everything normally until the folley had done its job and dilated me to a four. 

That night I tried to sleep despite a blood pressure cuff going off every 30 minutes, the baby’s heart rate monitor beeping, and blaring lights from the computers.

March 29, 2013

It must have been 4:00 a.m. when I woke up and asked Shayne if he could help me get comfortable in my bed.  It was at this time that I coughed and felt the balloon coming out.  I worried at first that I had done something wrong, but the balloon had done just what it was supposed to do!  The nurse let me know that I was a four, and that Dr. Crouch would be in the morning to break my water and let the real induction begin. 

Dr. Crouch called around 6:00 a.m. to let me know that he would be in soon for the induction.  Grateful for the warning, I put on my makeup and got myself all ready for the day. I was very happy that I decided to take a shower and do my hair the night before.  It’s the ONLY benefit of knowing the day you will have your baby… that  - - and arranging child care.

Breaking my water didn’t bother me as much as I expected.  I expected labor to start quickly, and I knew that I would need an epidural (since I was a v-bac) so rather than wait around for the pain, I opted to get my epidural and catheter put in right away.  By 8:45 a.m. I was pretty comfortable, watching Shayne eat his “Dad breakfast” and waiting for the labor to begin.

Once labor started, I started to feel sick.  I was feeling awful, probably from the epidural the nurses said.  Luckily, they could give me something to help with the nausea I was feeling.

10:04; Six centimeters.

11:38; Eight centimeters. It was around this time that I started having my first visitors arrive.  Dad had already been in the hospital for a half hour, and I texted Sarah, Mom, and Mom M to let them know that now would be a good time to come to the hospital.  Baby was close to coming.  I was not effacing as fast as I hoped however, so it was unpredictable how soon everything would happen.  By 12:30, everyone who would be there for the birth had arrived and we were just waiting for the big moment.

Around 1:30 p.m. Mom and Dad had left to grab some lunch while they still could.  The last time I was checked, I was still an eight with some effacing to go so we figured we had some time.  Being shy, I decided to take the opportunity with less people in the room to be checked one more time.  I remember being checked, the nurse turning to her computer and saying, “well smarty pants, you’re fully dilated.”  I immediately called my mom back to the hospital room and we got ready for pushing.

Everyone surrounded my bed and waited for the big moment.  The baby’s heart rate was dropping (sometimes as low as 60) and I was determined to get the baby out as fast as I could to avoid an emergency c-section.  Within three contractions in five minutes, our baby came into this world.  Dr. Crouch told me to “look down here Laura, look down!” and I noticed right away that our wish had come true!  We had a boy!!!  I couldn’t contain my tears and joy when I exclaimed, “it’s a BOY! It’s a BOY!!!”  Dr. Crouch put him on my belly and Shayne and I wiped him clean and cried.  As soon as our son was taken to the warmer, I held onto Shayne and cried the happiest tears ever. 

“Team Blue!! It's a BOY!!! LIAM MARTIN MUNN was born at 1:58 pm weighing 8 lbs 13 oz., 21 inches long!! and no c section :) Life is WONDERFUL!” – Facebook Status

For the next hour and a half we sat in the room with our son and our guests enjoying Liam.  I was beside myself that we finally had a boy.  To tell you the truth, I even wondered if it was possible after having two girls to even make a boy.  Seeing Shayne with his new son was touching too.  You could see the instant bond the two shared and the pride in Shayne’s eyes when we looked at his baby boy.  Our life really did feel more complete with a boy in it.  Life really was wonderful.

Liam has been such a wonderful baby.  He is easy going, a great sleeper, nurser, and fits in well with our family.  The noises of our family don’t seem to bother him, and he has adjusted to our life well.  I had a really rough first week full of emotions and the overwhelming feeling of having three children, but every day gets better and our life is starting to settle back into place again. It’s been a long two weeks since bringing him home (mostly because we are choosing to stay home for a majority of the first two months of Liam’s life), but we are happy and enjoying our new life.

I had so many prayers answered during my pregnancy with Liam.  First, keeping the pregnancy after we found out that I have low progesterone – after catching the problem a little late, it was uncertain if I would have another miscarriage.  Then I had the easiest pregnancy with no health complications.  I didn’t slow down much during the pregnancy which was a HUGE blessing for my family.  I came scary close to needing another c-section, but even that worked out for me.  The v-bac couldn’t have been a bigger success and I have Dr. Crouch to thank for that.  Then of course Liam being a boy and such a wonderful baby; I feel so blessed and forever thankful for a loving Heavenly Father watching over us. 

Welcome to the world little Liam!  We love you so much more than you know! Words can’t fully express our joy when you came into our lives.  It was a moment I will never forget.

31 Days!

Here we are; 31 days left.  I had my 35 week appointment last week, and other than the fluids looking a little lower than hoped, everything is going great with Thumper.  We are starting to make progress getting ready too.  I knew that the first step to getting ready for baby would be to find a space to keep his or her little things.  Kaitlyn isn't ready to share a room yet, and we already tried putting a baby with Ellie when Kaitlyn was born, so the best option is to put the baby in with us until Kaitlyn can move with Ellie this summer.

One of our favorite things about this house is the master bedroom closet.  Shayne and I joked that it could be used as a nursery because it is SO BIG.  Whatever your thinking, it's probably bigger.  I LOVE our closet.  It's as big as a room with TWO small doors and lots of storage space.  Putting our things on one half of the closet was easy!  Now Thumper has a space for clothes, diapers, and all the baby things he or she will need.  Shayne is going to bring up the baby boxes later and we can start sorting out, cleaning, checking parts, and making sure that everything will be ready in time. Although it's stressful, this is the fun part.

I will be REALLY excited when I can click "buy" on my Amazon shopping cart.  Realizing that our money might not be in until March 7th (13 days to due date!) I moved everything from my Wal-Mart shopping card over to Amazon.  My brother Evan and I have Amazon Prime together so everything that qualifies (which is everything in my cart) gets sent in two days for FREE.  I guess since I might have to wait until March 7th, it's good to know that it can get here in a couple of days and hopefully everything we already have will be all ready to go. It will be like a second Christmas to get all those packages!

Which reminds me; I need to pack my hospital bag... and get a hair cut... and maybe my toes done.

Time is flying.  I know the days will get longer from here, but for now, it seems like the baby will be here in a flash and I might not be ready.  I am really excited for my next appointment.  I will be 37 weeks, full term, and my doctor will start monitoring any progress I am making.  I am really hoping for a natural birth this time around and in order for that to happen, I NEED to go into labor on my own.  Never having this experience, I am hoping for the best in this situation.  Unfortunately, you can not be induced with a v-bac so I will be trying everything safe I can to help this labor happen when we are in the safe zone. Spicy food anyone? :-D

That's all the pregnancy updates I have for now.  I am getting more excited every day to see this little one and bring him or her home. THAT will be a good day.

Welcome Baby Noah!

I am so proud to announce the birth of my newest nephew Noah Allen Joesph Munn to my brother and sister in law, Patrick and Ashley.  Early into our pregnancies, Ashley and I  joked that our babies must have jumped down from Heaven holding hands destined to be best friends.  I was so thrilled to be having a baby so close in age with little Noah.  We were only six weeks apart in our due dates which made talking about our pregnancies very fun.

I wish I could say I was there when little Noah was born, but he was in Pennsylvania.  I like to think I was there in spirit though because Ashley and I communicated a lot through text messaging and at times, it felt like I was really there with them.  When I got the word that things weren't going as planned with the delivery and Ashley would need a c-section, I wished even more that I could be there with them. I knew that Ashley had the strength and courage to have the surgery, but I also knew how much she hoped for a normal delivery and it would not be easy to accept for any of us.  I stayed up until 2:30 in the morning with her sister Brooke over the telephone waiting for the word that Noah and Ashley were doing ok.

Noah came Feb. 13, 2013 at 3:37 a.m. weighing 8.08 lbs, and 20 1/2 inches long.  He is perfect and absolutely adorable!  I wish every day I could hold him and can't wait to meet the little sweetie in person.  Ashley says he is a such a good baby - he nurses well, sleeps well, and is full of so much personality already! He is a blessing to everyone around him.  Both mom and baby are doing well.  Patrick and Ashley will be amazing parents and Noah will be a happy and very loved child.

Welcome little Munnkey! We love you! 

"Making the decision to have a child - it's momentous 

 It's to decide forever to have your heart go outside your body." - Elizabeth Stone

Valentine's Day 2013

Our family doesn't usually make the biggest deal out of Valentine's Day but I was looking forward to the holiday this year. Shayne and I decided ahead of time that it would be the perfect night to try making our favorite soup at Olive Garden, Zuppa Tuscana, and have little Olive Garden inspired dinner right at home with our two beautiful daughters. It's always a treat when Shayne cooks us a meal, so I expected greatness.  He cooked, while me and the girls set up a fancy dinner table.  The dinner was AMAZING.  We even ate by candle light.  Even though it wasn't the typical date night alone, we loved spending it with the people we love most; our family.

I had a little extra fun this Valentine's Day by doing the girls hair in hearts, and buying them each a traditional yearly Valentine bear, balloon, and candy.  It's always fun to see their faces, even though they have come to expect the same kind of present every year.  Ellie came home with several candies, of course, and I loved hearing about how our home-made "monster" Valentines were the most popular of the class!  

Shayne and I never do much for Valentines Day, but I surprised him by having some chocolate covered strawberries and a balloon for him that said I LOVE YOU all over.  He got the the world's biggest box of Whitman's Sampler (MY FAVORITE!!!) and a rose.  We have yet to have our Valentine's date out, but even without we had a great Valentine's Day this year.  

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

32 Weeks!

January 25, 2013

When I start a pregnancy, I always think how close 32 weeks would be.  Now that I am here, I have to admit, it still seems a long 6-8 weeks away until we meet this baby.  I prefer to look at it as 54 days to go!  This makes it seem right around the corner, and when I think of it this way everything does seem close!

Every part of pregnancy comes with the usual whoa's.  I find the last trimester's hardest of all.  With every week, I am feeling HUGE.  Sitting upright, bending over, getting up from a sitting position are all getting hard.  With my belly so big and awkward, I find that eating has it's challenges too; I spill something on myself at almost every meal!  The next biggest complaint I have is the sciatic nerve pain that just decided to set in. Sitting wrong or on hard chairs, kneeling, sitting on the hard floor, bending over slightly, and sometimes just walking will make a pain SHOOT up my leg and into my bum.  Of course I am having a couple very annoying issues with my sleep and bodily functions, but they are best left without details.  Overall though, I am trying to wait out the next 6-8 weeks with a positive attitude.  

February is my month to prepare.  By the end of February I will be 37 weeks.  Time to bring things upstairs, dust and clean everything and make sure it's all in working order by the time the baby comes.  Shayne and I sold our old car seat travel system and want to purchase a new car seat for this baby this month too. We are really lucky to have almost everything gender neutral already, but I am surprised at the amount of things we are buying... for example a playpen (our old one is pretty disgusting), highchair (our old one's straps broke), and I would like a double stroller, even a used one, at some point. Who can forget the annoying things you have to buy for each baby?  Soaps, lotions, bottle stuff, nursing items, pacifiers, a health and beauty kit, etc... it all adds up.  

My sister in law, Uurtsaikh, wants to throw us a baby shower... I suppose it would be helpful if we end up having a boy.  I am already overwhelmed at how much we are spending on this baby so help with clothes and diapers might be wonderful.  I haven't fully decided yet.   I feel kind of funny having a baby shower for my third baby although I know a lot of people do them.

One way I am happy to say I am prepared is with meals :).  Every time I have a baby, it seems I hold too high of expectations on how many meals to expect neighbors and family to help out with. Remembering that the average is only two meals, and with the possibility of a c-section looming I need to know that we will be taken care of - especially since Shayne only gets one short week off when the baby arrives. With this in mind, I have pre-made nearly ten slow cooker meals.  I find that slow cooker meals work out wonderfully for my energy level and I like having it ready whenever we want to eat it.  I am so excited to know that we have tasty meals ready to be cooked when baby comes.

My 32 week appointment was delayed thanks to a respiratory infection I got during my 32nd week.  At 33 weeks, I was so proud to tell my doctor that I had only gained a pound that month. My blood pressure was excellent, and the baby seemed to be doing great! Silly doctors though; when you tell them you only gained a pound, they get you back in ultrasound to make sure that the baby is still growing.  Luckily, the baby is right on target and I didn't mind seeing the little person again. 

My next appointment will be at 35 weeks.  35 WEEKS.  It's really snuck up on me.  To be honest, although I am uncomfortable much of the time, I don't feel ready yet and am overwhelmed with the amount of preparation that needs to be done.  I know that it will all come together... sometime.

Happy New Year 2013!

After a busy Christmas, I admit that the thought of a kid-friendly New Years Eve at home sounded like the perfect idea... and it was.  We planned a little 'party' for the girls, my brother David, Shayne, and myself.  Our party wasn't much more than pizza, a few snacks, soda, kid board games, a small firework show, and Wii games.  Kaitlyn went to bed around 9:00, so half of the night we were quietly welcoming the new year after that.  David there we had a lot of good laughs, and he seemed to add some excitement to the evening - much more than it just being the four of us.  At midnight, we quietly toasted to the new year with sparkling cider.  It was the perfect evening and the most fun I had on a New Years Eve in a long time.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town!

I heard that having Thanksgiving on November 22 will result in the LONGEST POSSIBLE CHRISTMAS SEASON.   I was loving it!  I secretly always wanted to have my Christmas tree up early, so by having Thanksgiving on the 22, I felt like I was finally getting my way this year.  I put my Christmas decorations up on Thanksgiving Day and our tree to follow the Saturday after.

Kaitlyn was hilarious about the decorating.  She had been running a fever all day, so instead of joining us for turkey, she stayed home with one of us during our Thanksgiving shifts.  Decorating was the highlight of her day.  Kaitlyn fell in love with Santa that night; "Ho-ho."  Everything delighted her but nothing more than some silly Santa suit stockings that she insisted she wear like a real "ho-ho" suit.  When she found the hats, she was in heaven; she had her new costume of the month.  After a week or so of wearing the Santa stocking, I decided an actual Santa costume would be better for her.  Kaitlyn was dressed as Santa the rest of the season... still is. :-/

Our season was filled with a lot of fun times.  For one, we did our second Annual Munn Family Christmas Party at Mom's house in Springville.  It was so great to get together, enjoy a meal, play some games, and see the kids light up when they saw Santa Claus in person.

Another fun and memorable night was doing our yearly Christmas light drive through the nearby cities.  This year we made the activity more fun by adding a scavenger hunt.  Ellie was proud and frustrated she got all but two; note to self - have a Grinch and Charlie Brown yard decoration someday for future scavenger hunters.

We also visited Santa, helped Nana decorate her Christmas tree, decorated sugar cookies, delivered neighbor gifts, David come out to Utah, went to the yearly Burrows Christmas party, and Ellie and I played in Mom's Christmas piano recital.

As for Christmas Eve... We had a wonderful meal with Mom and the LaTurner side, and then met Mom and Dad Munn at the cemetery to light luminaries for Grandma and Grandpa Underwood.  Momma Munn made us some coordinating pj's to wear Christmas Eve. They were comfortable, cute, and warm.

Kaitlyn didn't go to bed until 12:30 a.m.  She was a little excited that "Ho-ho" was coming.  I guess she didn't understand the whole "Santa can't come while you're awake thing."  After helping Santa, we finally made it to bed at 2:00 a.m.

Ellie wasn't allowed to wake us up until 7:30 - seemed fair to us, but then again we thought we would be in bed sooner.  7:33, Ellie woke us up.  She was very cute about it.  "I let you sleep in," she said.  The extra three minutes were really wonderful, haha.  I have to admit though, it was hard sleeping with the wonderful smelling slow cooker breakfast casserole cooking all night. Sometimes I joke that Thumper can smell food because he/she is always active around the smell or presence of food. We both didn't sleep that night.  

After breakfast, Kaitlyn woke up and we dug in our presents.  It was really fun to see the kids open their gifts.  It was fun for me too because I had forgotten many of the gifts I got the girls!  I started shopping in September and so watching them was almost like seeing them for the first time. The girls got so many things on their wish list.  We all were blessed this year.

Later that night, we hosted our first official all out Christmas dinner.  Shayne roasted a tasty turkey, and I made many dishes ahead to be warmed in crock pots.  It wasn't as stressful as I expected either.  Although I am not signing up next year just yet, I think another Christmas dinner may be in our future.

Overall it was a wonderful Christmas.  It was unusual and special also because it was our first time staying home all day.  Normally we do "the rounds" and visit all the families throughout the day. I loved staying home.  It felt right and so so much less stressful.  I hope to make staying home more of a regular thing while the kids are young.

As a side note; can you believe we will have another Munn next Christmas?!

So there you have it - our Christmas 2012 summed up. We look forward to next Christmas and more fun memories! I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas.

HaPpY NeW YeAr 2013!!!!

Here's some of what happened in 2012; 

• Found out Uurtsaikh was pregnant.
• Had a frustrating start to the year trying to diagnose why Kaitlyn threw up all the time. 
• Sarah and Jason got married.
• Daisy died :(
• Found out Kaitlyn had a COIN in her esophagus. Removed coin.
• Patrick and Ashley move to Pennsylvania. 
• Found out Ashley was pregnant.
• Evan moves to Texas. 
• Shayne graduated with his bachelors! 
• Found out I was pregnant with our third baby and kept secret to 12 Weeks. 
• Grandpa Underwood died :(
• Kaitlyn started food therapy. 
• Kaitlyn had her esophagus stretched. Success!
• Patrick and Ashley got married. 
• Laura turns 30
• Found out Jessica was pregnant. 
• PASSED my Praxis exam with flying colors in one try! 
• Elodie was born!!!  
• Ellie won the pumpkin decorating contest!
• Survived the Mayan apocalypse. 

Hopes for 2013;

• Patrick and Ashley become parents to baby Noah - January - February!
• Baby coming in March! Boy or Girl???
• Ellie learns to roller blade. 
• My sister Sarah gets married in April!
• Ellie is baptized! BIG PARTY. 
• Plant a pot garden around Mother's Day.
• Bender is born to Tyler and Jessica, making them a family of SIX!
• Baby blessing for Thumper.
• Hatch trip.
• Weight loss all summer!
• 10 YEAR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY! Big party? Or Second Honeymoon? Hmm
• Kaitlyn starts early preschool.
• New puppy!?!? (We'll see.)
• Vacation to Texas for Thanksgiving!!! 
• Conquest to find a permanent home - keep taking steps in the right direction.  HOME OWNERSHIP in 2014.