Category: General

    LaZy DaYs

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    I have been lazy lazy lazy since Raymond was born. Proof of my laziness = I have read 3 books! (all the Bayern books by Shannon Hale) More proof of my laziness:

    basketball on the big screen in the middle of the day!!

    I do love college basketball. I never watched any sports until I was in college and then I never really watched until I had kids – now I can’t play as often so this is the second best thing. So basketball and reading on my Nook are the two perfect activities for sitting and holding an adorable new baby 🙂

    my snuggle bug - if i keep up with these 2 activities I will have another 20 pound 4 month old

    One of the days I wasn’t SOO lazy. I let Cali call a bunch of the cousins and we had a random movie play day. It also happened to be Sam’s birthday so the kids were all hyper and happy.

    batman shirts are the coolest - especially if you are turning 5 this year

    Movie Party!

    Ben is contributing to my lazy days… he encourages my basketball watching and gets more books for my Nook. When he is home he is super dad and picks up all the slack that I am leaving behind. Mostly he finds himself  playing with the kids.

    family home evening

    Raymond getting some daddy time - the tummy rub

    In keeping with my laziness I let Ben take the 3 big kids to the school Art festival on Thursday. The kids had a great time. They really just wanted to do the Soda Pop walk so they did and out of 4 winners that round, 2 of them were our Packer and Cali. They must have their dads good luck. Benji worked hard on his 2 Liter Soda and made a Whale Trail theme. If you have an electronic gaming tablet (like Ben’s new Transformer Prime) you might want to check out that game – its fun.

    Whale Trail

    and we got to buy Benji's art! I love that he named his flower Raymond.

    Speaking of Raymond… I thought I’d put on his cute little bear shirt, socks and mittens and snap some pictures, i did just that. too bad he looks pretty doofy. i was thinking cute in my mind but it just didn’t happen…

    little doofy bear boyÂ

    not as doofy monkey boy - Ray is getting big already

    Categories: General, Jana

    Other Stuff besides just new baby…

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    Rose is finally feeling better!

    Rose and Cali playing before we get Rose out of bed in the morning 🙂

    Packer getting some baby time.

    trying to take a picture of Raymond, got 4 of my babies instead.

    Packer being cute.

    Benji and Packer being silly.

    Rose loved digging in the garden yesterday.

    the other day Ray was crying and when I came downstairs I found this... Cali had picked him up and put him to sleep!

    It is finally snowing in Utah – I’m hoping we get a lot of good snow in the next few days and then we can get ready for spring. I’ve actually missed the snow but now that it is March I don’t have much desire to have the snow come and stay. I spent all day yesterday waiting to hear if my sister had her baby – it is their first so it was super exciting – Cedar LeeAnn Lewis finally came that evening! I have AMAZING family and friends – I have had a great 2+ weeks because everyone has been super helpful. I have 3 sister in laws that keep taking my kids so that I can relax and my mother in law has been over several times! It is awesome. I haven’t had to be crazy, tired, stressed out mom because everyone is helping me so much – so to those commentors that said I made this sound easy it’s because I have lots of help from people who have been there before and know what my needs are. Rose is better but now Raymond is fighting a cold. He has a little runny nose and is stuffy and he’s just so little so every little thing makes me worry. I finally cleaned out my refrigerator – gross. Now I’m itching to watch some basketball – good thing its tournament time and March madness will be here soon. I asked my Dr if I could start playing soccer at 4 weeks instead of 6 but he didn’t go for that 🙁 This has turned into complete rambling so I’ll be done. Good night.

    tracie and cedar

    Categories: General

    Thursday February 23, 2012

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    1:30 to 3:30am Raymond is wide awake wanting to interact with mom 🙂

    this was not at 3am but it might as well have been 🙂

    5am Benji comes and finds us crashed out on the couch to tell us that Packer just threw up! Ben cleans up nastiness and puts the boys back to bed.

    7:35am – Benji is still asleep and needs to be to school before 8 – fast mode out the door…

    8am – get Rose out of bed and she is covered in throw up! stinky… So that was our morning/start to a new day… since then things have slowed down. Rose is sick so we are trying to keep her away from baby. Packer seems fine.

    My sick little girl!

    She's actually really sweet when she is sick...

    Packer in chill mode this morning.

    Cali has been doing puzzles to keep herself busy - she likes me to time her on my watch. Her best is 30 seconds.

    Raymond is a day time sleeper. He wakes up a little bit here and there and eats but most of the day he lets me put him down and get things done. Night time is ok – not good or bad yet, hopefully he’ll switch to a great night time sleeper sooner than later. In the mean time I am getting a lot done during the day and enjoying our snuggle time in the evening.

    amazing how you love them so much from the first second

    I had soo many offers for help with the kids today. I love having family and friends and people that are aware of your needs. Ben decided to come home early and take the kids to Trafalga – they were SOO excited. Rose, Ray and I are home resting. Dinner will be brought to us soon (love that :)) and we will hunker down for another evening. Ben has scouts and there is a BYU game later…

    the kids at Trafalga - RIGHT NOW - thank you cell phone technology - I feel like I am there with them!

    Categories: General

    kids meet Ray

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    Raymond is so cute. We just sit and look at him all day while he sleeps, and then i hold him all night so that he will sleep… why do they always have day and night backwards? Good thing they are so cute and snuggly and good thing Grandma’s come and help so that we have time to sit and look at new baby while they do all of the work. 🙂

    chillin at the hospital

    precious

    Tuesday Ray and I played at the hospital and welcomed visitors. LaNell came and Tara and Brinlee. We waited all afternoon for Ben and the kids to come. I was super excited for them to meet Ray and they were all excited too. We all called him CLYDE way too many times so it is his official nickname 🙂 Raymond is Ben’s Maternal Grandfather and Thomas is my Dad’s name. I think it fits him perfectly. I loved watching the kids meet their new brother:

    Cali begged to hold him first!

    yes it was valentines day 🙂

    the oldest and the youngest, Benji wants to know if his eyes will be blue cause he doesn't want to be the only Blue Eyed Boy.

    Rose went right for the face so we are both trying to hold her arms back.

    Tuesday evening Ben took the kids home and Kelsey, Joel and Sean came to visit. My mom drove all day and got to the hospital around 7pm to meet the little guy! Michelle and Udine’s family stopped by later in the evening and that was our day.

    Look at all those kids! I think we ARE ready for this 🙂

    On Wednesday morning my Dr was in early to clear Ray and I for going home. We both have been really healthy. Ben came and spent the morning at the hospital and enjoyed some cafeteria food with me. I actually do enjoy the food there. They have a full menu and let you choose whatever you want to eat – yum. Anyway, we left the hospital around 2:30. Came home at 3pm and spent the evening with family. New baby time is great because you get to see all of your family. Grandma and Grandpa Nettesheim came right over and Matt’s family. Brady, Sean, Joel and Kelsey came over. Carol and Larry came. And Amelia. On Thursday Grandma and Grandpa Johnson and Aunt Di stopped by, Pete’s family and Ryan’s family. On Friday Shannon and Brad came down from Idaho… So… Little Ray has met most of his Utah relations 🙂

    i love this picture of Ben and the kids - I'm sure the hospital loved having us there all evening 🙂

    My mom is here taking care of us until Monday the 20th… I wrote this all last week – now Monday has come and gone. Time for a new post.

    Categories: General, Raymond

    Meet The White Mallow!

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    We did it. We bought a new van… new to us, not new. We can not fit 5 car seats in our current mini van – we have officially outgrown the mini and needed something bigger. We thought about the really BIG vans – 12-15 passenger. We enjoyed test driving the luxurious SUV’s but we came home with “The White Mallow”. A 2004 Chevy Astro!!!

    Our New Van!

    Here's the old ride... anybody need a 2001 Grand Caravan with 177000 miles??

    the kids at our favorite car place - Safety and Emissions then to the DMV

    OK – I love basketball BUT I have never felt like my stomach was truly as big and round as one. Right now it is. Today is/was my due date and I am ready for this baby to come. This week was the laziest week ever. I was beyond tired and uncomfortable and just begging him to be born. Today I have tried everything on the get the baby to come list and just finished the night at 10pm with some of the spiciest food ever. I can’t tell you yet if that has started labor (my fingers are crossed that it will) but it has got this baby kicking and pushing like never before – OUCH.

    Do you see the basketball?? hopefully this is the last big prego picture of me for a while!

    A few more pictures:

    Packer giving Clyde and I hugs on one of our lazy days this week.

    Rose LOVES her blanket right now.

    Cali is still our crazy one. Love her.

    my date, last night we went to Thai food with LaNell and Dan Brown

    another cute toddler picture

    Categories: General

    Toilet Paper

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    OK! where do you find the best deal on toilet paper?? I am asking and wanting answers. Costco? Walmart? what brand?

    TP

    We have been a very moderate using toilet paper family BUT now that Cali uses the toilet we seem to be flying through the paper product. Like all 3 bathrooms are always out. She is such a big girl that she insists on doing the toilet paper herself. Anyway, If I am going to be buying triple the amount of toilet paper then I am going to need to be more conscious of what it is costing and getting a good deal. (I will never go the route of homemade cloth toilet paper that I really did see a show about last week – biggest cheapskates or something like that) But girls are obviously more in need of toilet paper and my girls are starting to grow up so again I ask – – what is the best TP deal out there??

    and some cute pictures of the toilet paper crisis culprit…

    my big 3 year old

    Cali loves to sing and Dance these days - so cute.

    and she still loves to do the "Spirit Cheer Leading Cheer"

    This girl has personality.

    Categories: Cali, General

    Netty News

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    Cali weighs 33 pounds.

    Packer weighs 35 pounds.

    Jana weighs 10 pounds more than previous birthing weights 🙁

    Rose Can Walk! (already blogged that but it is SO cute)

    Benji and Packer had their first Shower! (already blogged that too)

    FINALLY had our first snow day! (will blog that soon)

    Ben has been sick FOREVER, last week just fending off the sickness and this week in bed with Bronchitis – I don’t like having a sick husband.

    Cali kept her same panties on all day today and the day before! I’m tempted to say she IS trained!

    Benji’s teacher had lots of good things to say about him at his Parent Teacher conference this week… so I let him get a Pokemon book at the book fair on the way out.

    I am really liking the TV series “Revenge” – it makes it hard to sleep at night but I just got to know what happens next. “Alcatraz” also seems promising.

    Packer has become OBSESSED with Plants Vs Zombies on the computer, he is getting really good at it and will play all day if I let him.

    I woke up Tuesday morning at 6am with cramps in both calves – KILLER cramps. Of course it was the one night that I slept downstairs because I don’t want Bronchitis – so I was alone and couldn’t get any help or sympathy. My legs have been aching all week. YEs, this is the 9th month!

    We are looking for a bigger van… Anyone have a killer deal on a 8 to 12 passenger vehicle?? 🙂

    Tonight Ben and I got to go to a party to say goodbye to Andy. It was just what I needed after a long week. Those few hours of not hearing the name Mom called out were very relaxing and energizing, add yummy food, lots of family and Wally Ball and it was perfect.

    Categories: General

    The 3rd Bathroom

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    One of the things on my TO DO BEFORE BABY LIST was to get our new downstairs bathroom completely finished. Ryan did most of it and it was usable before he moved out in November but there were just a few final touches that had been put on the back burner until this last week. I went in and did the touch up paint and the trim paint and the caulking. We bought and hung some cabinets and then moved the tread mill in and finally I was able to unload the box of laundry room supplies into the new cupboards!!

    I LOVE THAT IT IS FINISHED AND I LOVE HOW IT TURNED OUT. Home Improvements are the best! not during the project but once you can enjoy the upgrade it is always worth it.

    basic but functional - we love it.

    Yes, the laundry is already piling up... but I love my finished laundry room!

    Categories: General

    Mandarins

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    I love Oroville Mandarins! I am savoring the bag I brought home from Christmas, tempted to drive out there and get another round of them 🙂

    best mandarins ever!

    a quote from Packer Boy: “corndogs aren’t my favorite thing anymore. It’s mandarins!”

    Rose wanted to ride in this cart SOOO bad - 1/2 hour fit about it - she does not fit no matter how hard she tried.

    explaining to Rose that the shopping cart is only for dolls to ride in

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Rose was so mad that she couldn’t fit in Cali’s new “doll shopping cart”. Our grocery store has these exact ones so I think she really knows what they are and assumed that she should be riding in it. Very sad and funny all at once.

    Rose is following her big sisters example and teaching herself how to walk. Potty training and walking are 2 big items on my get done before baby comes list and both girls have decided to take it upon themselves to accomplish their assigned tasks. I have been very tired and worn out so I am feeling blessed that these things are coming about on their own. Rose can walk BUT only if she doesn’t know she is walking. She walks 90% better and more often if she is carrying a toy or ball. I think she’ll be a true walker sometime next week. For now we are trying to video these first steps and get so excited every time she does it. On a side note, Cali is doing really well on potty training. She still has not mastered it and I rarely let her wear her panties BUT she is super close and the fact that I can’t remember the last time I had to change her is a great sign for me.

    our cinderella showing off her latest potty prize

    I had a Dr. Appointment for baby Clyde today. All seems to be well. I am down to 24 days! I am starting to get anxious. Mostly because I am getting bigger and bigger which is more and more tiring and makes for a grumpy mom. I took Rose to the Dr with me because she was up all night needing me to hold her. She has bronchiolitis. Medicine has been started so hopefully tonight we will both get caught up on our sleep. I also had my first round of Braxton Hicks contractions. I have had 4 babies but never the fake contractions. That was kind of weird but also frustrating if they are just fake. More rest and drinking more water seem to have helped stop them. Well, this did start as a Mandarin post, definitely didn’t end up that way… must be late. I’m going to bed.

    Categories: Cali, General, Jana, Rose