Visitors, visitors!

We had lots of family and friends visit and help right after Avery was born. Our Avery is so sweet that we wanted to show her off to everyone.

We are so thankful for Grandma Connie who drove down the day Avery was born to stay with our boys while we were at the hospital. She and the boys came to the hospital and were Avery's first visitors.

Also at the hospital Cousin Riley, Uncle Aaron and Aunt Maddie came to visit. Uncle Aaron was very nervous holding little Avery.

More Aunts and Uncles came out to the house to see Avery when she was a week old.




Grandma Sandy came to visit and hold Avery.

Grandpa Bob and Debra who evaded the photo came on Sunday to visit.

So did Grandpa Boldt and Marie.

The next week Grandma and Grandpa Barnum came to stay and help out around the house.

We are thankful for their help and the boys sure did enjoy some Grandparent time.

Uncle Seth, Aunt Tia and some neighbors also came to visit we just didn't get any photos of them but we really appreciate the food and gifts everyone brought.

Birth Day!

Our sweet Avery finally made it on Monday February 28th at 11:09 am. I started having some stronger contractions early Monday morning around 4 am, they were about 10 minutes apart but I decided to start getting ready to go in case my labor really kicked in. We dropped the boys off and arrived at St. Joes by 7 am. It was a relief to be at the hospital. I was only dilated to a 3-4cm and had contractions every 6 to 7 minutes so it didn't quite seem like full blown labor yet but they were going to keep me since I have fast labors and we live far away.

Before my doctor came in to break my water 2 people checked with ultrasound to see if she was head down. Both thought what they were looking at was the back of the head. My water started to leak with my contractions but then my doctor came in and broke them the rest of the way. And then my labor kicked into to high gear with super strong contractions, I got an epidural in within 30 minutes.

My nurse decided to check me after I got the epidural and I was already 6-7 cm dilated, but surprise what she felt was a butt and definitely not a head. She ran to tell my doctor who was in the middle of another c-section at the time. We had to wait about 40 minutes for that c-section to finish up and the room to get ready for us. I was very uncomfortable and started getting the shakes and feeling pressure so I knew I was probably dilating all the way. They got me to the OR room and gave me more medicine through my epidural. They got the c-section going as quick as possible because I was completely dilated and her little bum was coming down. Someone had to push her back up the other way to get her out.

But she came out and was a healthy 7lbs 3oz. I feel like all my babies have to make a dramatic entrance, but really it was a blessing her being breech stalled my labor long enough for us to get to the hospital on time.

Here is my hubby getting dressed for the OR.

Mommy finally gets to hold Avery in recovery.

Daddy enjoying his sweet little girl.

Avery getting ready for a bath.

Eviction Notice

This is Avery's official eviction notice and hopefully some of the last pics of her in my belly. The last 9 months have been fine but it is time to come out now and let everyone else enjoy you too. Just a few requests before you make your departure: please be a girl-we have way too many pink things at our house now, take at least 4-5 hours coming out so mom can get to the hospital in time (dad does not want to deliver you himself), and most importantly be healthy!

Avery's Baby Shower

A week ago friends from Church, Courtney and Natalie threw Avery a baby shower. Yeah girl stuff! Here is a pic of some of the ladies playing games.

Here are all the sweet gifts she got, and yes I still need to wash and organize everything. She got lots of cute clothes in different sizes and a few blankets and burp clothes.

She also got this adorable hair accessory holder to hang up on the wall. It had lots of headbands and flower clips to get me started.

Here is the changing table/dresser Michael got from craigslist and the diaper cake from the shower.


Now a few belly pics. Avery is 34 weeks so we are getting closer. My weight is more than it was with Joshua at the end but I guess that's what I get from eating lots of holiday goodies for the past few months. My blood pressure is up too but my doctor isn't very concerned. My doctor also isn't talking about inducing me at 38weeks anymore. This is leaving me very anxious that she's going to decide to come quickly like Joshua and I'm going to give birth on the side of the road with no meds or docs. I guess we'll see, she's a little higher up than my boys so maybe she's planning on staying in a little longer. Michael and I are already joking that she's going to be 8 or 9lbs instead of little, like her brothers were. The doctor thinks she is already around 5lbs so if I go into labor he'll just let me deliver. Maybe 1 or 2 more weeks and I'll be totally ready for that. The weight of my belly is killing my back and my pelvis especially at work. I think you forget how miserable you feel the last month of pregnancy!

New Years

For New Years Weekend we were lucky to have family come visit. Grandma and Grandpa Barnum came and they brought Great Grandpa Barnum to stay at our house for a few days. I was supposed to work the holiday, but got cancelled. We stayed home and just had a small celebration with only a few brave souls staying up until midnight.


Before everyone came, my sweet boys helped mom with all of the scrubbing and cleaning.

We made a gingerbread house since we never got to it before Christmas.

And then of course we had to have some sparklers. The boys were really excited about staying for New Years. Joshua lasted until about 10:30 and Ethan made it until 11:30. We woke him up just for a minute a midnight to say Happy New Year!

Here is Baby Avery at 31 weeks. She keeps growing and everything looks good. Mom is getting tired of carrying all the weight around, but knows it won't be long until we have a sweet baby girl at our house.

Christmas Day

Here is just a smattering of photos from our Christmas Morning. Santa came with lots of great items, the Barnum Family must have been good this year.

Extreme excitement at the sight of all our gifts!

The Boys got lots of nice gifts from family too!

Josh giving his new bike a quick spin outside!

Ethan with his beloved DS, Santa delivered and he would play all day if we let him.

Josh with more fun gifts!


Dad getting a turn with the DS.

We had a wonderful Christmas, I didn't have to work so we were able to eat some waffles and stay home all day relaxing and enjoying the holiday. In the evening we had friends over for dinner and went to bed a little sad that the holiday had to end.

Christmas Eve

I can't believe Christmas is already over. You wait for it all year and then the time just flys by. We had a good christmas and were able to do most of the fun activities and visits that we wanted to.

A few days before Christmas we went to visit Grandpa Cole and Grandma Mary (I guess for the boys this would be their great-grandparents). Their Sun City community had some train exhibits and a Santa Claus to visit.

That brings us to Christmas Eve. We went to Grandma Sandy's house and visited with Grandma Connie, aunts and uncles and lots of extended family.

This me and my brother Aaron, who was very excited to see everyone for Christmas.

Michael and I, and yes I am starting to swell and have fat face.

The boys ate with all the other kids out in the front yard on blankets.

Me with my brothers Tayler and Caleb and their new tools I gave them.


This is the boys with their cousin Rylee and lots of other cousins in the background.


The boys got to play with some puppy dogs when we first arrived.

After we got home the boys opened just a few presents. They opened their Christmas jammies from us, so they could be ready for Santa to come. Then we let them open a gift from Grandma Connie. She made them some stuffed doggies to sleep with.

Finally with the reindeer food put outside and our Christmas jammies on it was time to go to sleep and wait for Santa Claus to come!