Christmas Day

 

We had a wonderful Christmas day. It started off by opening presents at home. We had fun seeing what Santa brought and everything else.  The kid's had a blast and each year as they get older I find Christmas morning more and more fun.  The kids were so excited. We then packed up really quick and then headed to Pagosa Springs for Christmas dinner. It was fun being with family and hanging out.  A great Christmas for 2012!!

Christmas Eve

We had a great Christmas Eve. We opened jammies, left out cookies and milk, and then went for a drive to look at Christmas lights and drive by the live Nativity that our four wards put on every year for that last 20 some years and while looking at it in the car read the Nativity story. 

Christmas Cookie Time

We had a fun night making cookies!! We even got Tyrel to join in on the fun during a bronco football game!!  They were ahead by a lot so it wasn't too hard for him!! 

Sledding Time!!

Sunday before Christmas

 

Everyone ready to go church. Only a couple pictures so we weren't late for church, but at least I had documentation!

Fun Day!!

This last Saturday we were finally able to get a tree!!  This was my favorite year going to the mountains  to get a tree because I wasn't pregnant like one year and my kids are getting older.  We had a blast driving up the mountain and hunting for a tree.  And yes we are in the mountains at over 9000 ft in the middle of December in Colorado and yes there is no snow!! The kids had fun playing in the few crusty patches of snow and hauling the tree down to the car.  We then headed home, unloaded the tree and headed to see Santa. Cooper actually told Santa what he wanted and took a picture.  Trip went up next to Santa with me in between and took a picture and kind of told Santa what he wanted only because he really wanted a candy cane. Peyton got no where near Santa and a candy cane what not worth it to her either.  We then headed to a baptism my friends daughter and for a friend of Cooper's. Then came home decorated the tree and had pizza and pop! This is the first year that after the lights and ribbon I let the kids put on all the decorations. They are uneven and 2 to three on a limb, but it's actually one of my favorite trees we have ever had and decorated.  It's my favorite tree from the mountains and the kids had so much fun decorating it!! Even though I had all my decorations up and no snow on the ground it finally feels like Christmas with a tree up!! 

1 week old

Precious Moments

Rowdy Kent Ross

 

6 Ib 14oz and 18" Long.  Nov 29th, 2012

 4 weeks early!

This is Rowdy's great grandpa John Kent Ross where we got Rowdy's middle name. While they visiting at the hospital Tyrel's grandma said that when Grandpa John was little they called him "Little Johnny Kent, the rowdy one"  So after I heard that I really loved his name!  

At the hospital Trip was all over Rowdy and had a huge grin the hole time and even home is still just in love with him and will just stare at him

Cooper loved holding Rowdy, but has a deep fear of hospitals.  He hates seeing me in a hospital gown and hated seeing Rowdy with an IV in his hand (glucose for low blood sugar).  After he left he kept having grandma reassure him Rowdy didn't have it in his hand anymore. 

Peyton fell asleep on the way to the hospital and had a hard time waking up.  She just layed by me the whole time.

Cool fact of my kids birthday dates:  Cooper's 28th, rowdy's 29th, trip 30th, and peyton 31st.

Well after working hard to keep Rowdy in as long as I could, I finally couldn't do it any longer.  I was put on strict bed rest at 31 weeks and was told to try and make it to 36 weeks.  It was really hard to keep my contractions under control.  At 33 weeks with my ward bringing me dinner and friends taking my kids for part of the day I finally had to break down ask my mother-in-law for help.  No matter how much I layed down, every time I got up to help my kids I felt my body trying to go into labor. So my sweet mother-in-law took Trip and Peyton for a week.  Then thanksgiving week Tyrel was around most of the week. But Tuesday before Thankgiving I felt my body change.  Doing nothing I really felt the start of labor.  So then at my next appt the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and just over 35 weeks I had my dr check me and I was at a 3.  She asked me to walk around for a couple hours and then get check again before sending me an hour back home since I am so early.  My friend and I got some Christmas shopping done and went back and I was at a 4.  So they kept me and Tyrel headed my way since he was 5 1/2hrs from the hospital.  Contractions progressed but I stayed at a 4.  Then about 9pm everything just stopped.  They wanted me to stay but I knew I was just in early labor and asked to be released so we could go stay at a hotel close by. They let me go as long as I didn't drive clear back home.  So then we went in the next morning (wed) and I was still at a 4 and contractions pretty far apart.  So I thought awesome I can go home and scrub my house top to bottom (which had only been done once in over a month).  So we got home about noon and didn't sit down once. I just started scrubbing and cleaning. About 5pm the contractions started hitting me hard and learned what back labor really meant.  So I just kept going and then we ran to walmart for something Tyrel needed. Then about 10:30 at night I told Tyrel I think we should go back. I figured 5 hours of 4-6 min apart contractions should be good.  We loaded the sleeping kids in the car and drove back. I was at a 6 and contractions close, so no going home.  My mother and father-in-law came and got the kids.  I got my epidural at a 6cm because she was already giving another women hers and was headed home after that.  So all night I kind of just sat at a 7. Then at 5:30am the dr broke my water and then I stayed at an 8.  The epideral was wearing off, but I didn't push the button because I didn't want to slow things down.  So things started to hurt and finally after dozing off and on at about 12:45pm I was jerked awake and after pushing through 3 contractions little Rowdy was here at 1:02pm!!  I feel so  great and feels great to be off bedrest. I feel better now than before and have been on my feet pretty much since I got home!! Got Christmas decorations all up and grocery shopping done.  Rowdy had blood sugar problems that kept us at the hospital for 48hrs and now is batteling jaundice.  He has had to sleep in his swing with a light blanket that helps it.  He has had his feet poked for blood at least 20 times. Today was the last day. Yesterday was day 5 of his levels going up and today finally showed them going down.  We are all anxious to hold him.  If he is not eating he has to be on the lights.  Cooper and Peyton both had jaundice. Rowdy has been pretty alert and eating ok so I haven't worried about it.   I am glad no going to get blood drawn tomorrow. We are ready for a day at home. My doctor has asked me to reconsider the thought of having more children as it's getting harder to carry them full term, but that is another discussion for another day! We are just greatful we got this one here healthy and pushed our luck again to carry another one to a safe term.  Tyrel and I had a quiet Sunday and Monday and then grandma brought the other three back and Tyrel headed back to work.  So back to reality and adjusting to 4 kids!!  I even made my kids a real dinner for the first time in over a month!!

Thankgiving

We headed over to Pagosa for Thanksgiving.  I only have pictures of the dinner because everything else they did I of course stayed on the couch.  I can't believe we were able to eat outside.  I know it was supposed to be our year to go to Arizona for Thanksgiving where we usually eat outside, but in Colorado! Not normal!!  The kids had lots of fun.  They all headed out early Thanksgiving morning for the Turkey Bowl.  The guys even let Cooper and Trip and my nephew Jayton play.  They had a blast trying to grab people's flag.  Then after dinner Cooper and Trip went with Tyrel, his brother's, and cousins to play basketball.  Everytime they got back from doing something they would ask me " did you move from that couch at all? Or did you stay there the whole time?"  Hey I had to eat and use the restroom, so I did get up some!!  Then the next day the little kids went to the park and then later that day the big boys shot clay pigeons. Then we headed home.  It was great and I was thankful to Loretta and Kristin for doing dinner. 

Tyrel turns the big 3-0!!

Well pretty much I bombed on a momentous birthday for Tyrel.  Due to being put on bedrest I was not able to go out and shop and get everything I had planned for his birthday and didn't have time to order it.  So all I did was have a friend pick me up a gift card for Tyrel and I broke a little of my bedrest to make him no-bake cookies in the shape of 30.  The kids made him homemade cards.  Luckily his sister and mom came through with great presents and made him feel special!! Oh I guess I had him pick out something from cabela's online for himself!! That was kind of lame on my part!!  So not my best birthday planned!  I guess some years I will get it right and some other I will flop!! But Happy Birthday Sweetheart! Love You!! And trust me I will tease you as long as I can about being 30 until I am shortly there with you!!

Getting Ready for Winter

I love Tyrel's work truck. It has any tool you could need pretty much and a crane.  We went on his dad's property where the electric company had cut down some trees and loaded them on our trailor.  They were pretty big pieces so it was nice to have his crane to lift them onto the trailor to bring home to split.  Also Peyton was thrilled to sit in dad's truck.  The boys get to all the time on the main roads because they are in boosters.  Her carseat doesn't fit so around the property she got to ride and was in heaven!!