Easter

We gave both boys this tie.  James' tie is a regular tie that Hiram has to tie. (I refuse to learn) We bought Lindsay a beautiful Easter dress too. Why isn't there a picture here? Because she did what babies to best and she threw me for a loop.  Hiram was the executive secretary for our Bishop and was at church early for meetings and to find a couple people to say the prayers.  This left me to get all the kids ready on my own and do my best to be on time. I sorely lost this battle on a weekly basis but always managed to get it together enough to make it well before the sacrament was passed.  On Easter morning I was doing pretty well until I started to grab Lindsay out of her car seat.  It was a mess EVERYWHERE! It was so terrible I quickly took the boys into the chapel and dumped them Hiram while I help baby girl at arms length all the way to the mothers room. I spend the next 10 minutes frantically doing my best to make her presentable enough for me to slip into the chapel with enough time to take the sacrament. After it was over I had to dash home with all her clothes that I had just hand washed in the sick in a plastic bag to grab a new dress for her to wear at church. So, after all that she was in her brand new beautiful Easter dress for a whopping 7 minutes.  Hardly enough time for a glamour shot. Oh well, we will have many more years of new Easter dresses to take pictures of.

Great LOVE

The day we brought Joey home from the hospital he looked at his little brother for the first time as if too say where have you been, I've been waiting for you. Then, when Lindsay joined the pair they immediately gathered her into their hearts and their mischief. When they aren't arguing they radiate with love for each other. When James is being punished Joey often interjects himself to tell me to leave his brother alone.  Its so endearing that I often let him off easy just because his brother stood up for him.

 We often find them snuggling in the same bed in the morning as well. When Joey tells James he is scared of the dark, James will invite Joey to come down and sleep in his bed where its safe.  Its cute in the morning but a problem at night when we are trying to get them to sleep.

Visiting Sister Holt

Haleigh served a mission here in our lovely state among our spanish speaking neighbors. The Christmas before she went home we went down to her apartment and dropped off her Christmas presents which included all the fixin's for monkey bread. However we were very careful to leave it on her doorstep and didn't risk seeing her.  We didn't want to break any rules. The first time we saw her was at the temple as part of her departure.  Hiram arranged with her mission president to meet here there without telling her so our visit wouldn't be a distraction during her last weeks. It was great to see her even if it was only for a few minutes.  We had a great time during our trip down there as well.  We played at the hotel pool and did a bit of shopping. The boys still remember the visit and especially getting a chance to see and touch the temple.

PINK EYE!

Last winter we got pink eye 3 times. The worst of it was the first round but I don't think my eyes have recovered yet. Joey had the very worst of it all.  The down side to huge beautiful eyes is when they are infected they create a huge ugly mess.  Poor guy.  I wiped and cleaned his eyes and they wept so much that all the skin around his eyes was chapped and dry.  I was constantly spraying lysol, wiping with clorox, and cleaning our hands to the point of insanity. I was determined to keep Lindsay healthy.  At the peak of puffiness Hiram gave us blessings. After Joey's blessing I broke down and sobbed.  I knew the next day he would be clear. The next morning when I woke him up his eyes were once again bright and clear.  I broke down again and thanked Heavenly Father to healing my sweet little boy and his big eyes.

Pictures of Lindsay

I haven't blogged in over a year. I don't feel guilty about it either. I have been knee deep in my 3 little kids imaginations and we've had some great adventures. However, I don't want to forget what a great year it was and most of all I don't want them to forget that their mommy plays along side them. These pictures don't have a narration to them except I don't want to forget how lovely our little girl has always been.

Joey's 3rd Birthday

This year Joey didn't have a birthday or even a birthday week. We celebrated our little man for 10 days! We went to the Children's Museum everyday we could, played at Chuck E Cheese and Snappers, and tried to make every meal his favorite.  Each day we opened a new birthday present and had fun before bed. For closing ceremonies we had Grandpa Doug and GrandGinny as our special guests. They brought a firestation, angry birds, a lightning McQueen and the boys have loved playing with them. Our wall in the living room is now filled with Hot Wheels wall tracks he got from Christmas and his birthday from Grandma and Grandpa Holt.  He and James LOVE them.  We are glad that Joey had such a fun birthday.  We don't want him to feel his birthday is overshadowed by the holidays and so we put in a bit more effort to make it extra special.  We love him and all the joy he radiates in our house each day. I don't think he could be an once cuter than what he is.

Picture Update

Our sweet baby girl is growing nicely and everyone in the family loves her more every day.  Joey has become our chief photographer and his genuine smile brightens every room.

 James just loves her to pieces and can't seem to ever get close enough! 

 She sits snug as a bug in her car seat.  She travels very well for the most part and enjoys being lulled to sleep by a moving car. As long as its moving she is happy.

 Her sweet little toes! Sorry its a bit out of focus.  She didn't listen when I asked her to stop wiggling.

 I am pretty sure the only way I am going to tell these two apart in their baby pictures will be eye color and clothing color. James didn't wear pink very often.

 This picture is unique because usually anytime Hiram puts her face close to his she starts smiling and giggling because his whiskers are ticklish on her soft baby skin.

I might have a filtered eye but I am pretty sure she is almost always smiling. 

(That is when she isn't telling me its time to eat.)

Sweet Baby Girl

This is how she wakes up when she isn't sick.  She is such a darling! We can't get enough of her.

So here are 3 baby pictures of our kids. 

I hope you see the similarities. 

 James

 Joey

Lindsay

So the we have been singing "We are a happy family" at home with the boys. When they got their chance to hold her, this spontaneous moment happened. I'm really glad Lindsay Head was able to capture what she did. Here are the lyrics:

I love mother; she loves me.

We love daddy, yes sirree;

He loves us, and so you see,

We are a happy family.

I love sister; she loves me.

We love brother, yes sirree;

He loves us, and so you see,

We are a happy family.

It was a wonderful moment. But I also love when Alanna explains to James and JoeJoe that Lindsay is tired because she just had some milk to drink. The boys both love milk, especially chocolate milk so there should be no surprise by his next question! I loved it. The whole day was just wonderful.

How She Came

Hiram wrote some of the text and Alanna wrote some of the text.  Sorry if it is confusing who is speaking.

I woke up at 7:30 on Wednesday morning with contractions about 5 min apart.  They were consistent for an hour so we all packed up and headed out the door.  Joe and James went to preschool for a field trip while Hiram and I went to the hospital to welcome little Lindsay Dare to the family. 

My doctor was very kind and as soon as I wanted an epidural she let me have one.  I took well and I rested in bed for several hours until Lindsay was ready to come.

 Contractions BEFORE the epidural.

 Contractions AFTER the epidural.

Alanna confessed she loved the anesthesiologist

 more than me or her mom (who was also in the room). 

She came out and they placed her on my chest while they cleaned her up.  I watched Hiram cut the cord for the first time.  I don't know if he has cut it before but I hadn't seen it until Lindsay.

She was very alert and active.  Look every bit as beautiful as we anticipated she would.  I can't stop staring at her and saying a prayer in my heart for how thankful I am for her.  She is just so wonderful, dear, and calm.  

 Time to give Mom and Lindsay a break. No paparazzi please! (I didn't want the flash to hurt her eyes)

It was fantastic to have my mom there for the delivery.  We were sure to spell Lindsay similar to Linda and the two share my grandmother and sister's middle name of Dare.  

 

 So Alanna got to eat this delicious gourmet meal, but I had a HUGE Idahoan Baker's Potato! I'm gonna have to go back to the cafeteria to get a picture of one of them.  It was AWESOME!

Update: On our last day, I went back to the cafeteria and it was a sad sad moment seeing the gate down indicating it was closed. Farewell fellow Idahoans.

This girl knows how to appreciate a spa. 

She was crying right before this but quickly 

calmed down the moment they started doing this.

My sister Elizabeth came shortly after Lindsay was born and brought her little girl Ellen.  These two are going to grow up best buds!

I still can't get over how excited James and Joe were to meet her.  All they want to do it hold her and snuggle.  James had this same look on his face when he met Joe for the first time.

We are thankful to all be together safe at home as a new family of 5.