Thanksgiving, and Super Doug to the Rescue

For Thanksgiving this year the kids and I went to CA, while Jim stayed home to work. He did go shooting and eat turkey with his family, it wasn't work EVERY day - just most of them. We had a great time in CA. The boys went mini golfing with Papi, had slumber parties on Friday nights with Maddie (Megan's oldest), made a movie with Uncle Chris, painted with Harrison, and just had tons of fun. I had a great time, too...we O'Neil ladies keep ourselves busy! Check out Riley and Jill's blog http://rjoneil.blogspot.com/2008/12/thanksgiving-with-oneils.html for pictures and a list of all the fun.

It was such a nice treat to be able to go home, despite all of the sickness we all had during and after the visit. (Sorry, and thank you, again, Mom-O for all of the extra wash and cleaning you did because of the sickness) It was really nice to be home and get everyone (except Jim) together again. Good times!

Jim picked us up at the airport and we drove home, to have the car die pretty much as it made it into the garage. We were very blessed to make it home, with our battery light going on and off the whole trip. We thought it would be something like the alternator going (again), but then as we turned off the freeway and heard the sound and felt the shake of the car, we knew we were in some other kind of trouble. To make a long story short, I was stuck at home for a few days (which was fine, cause I broke my toe the next AM and wouldn't want to go shopping anyway) - until Jim let out an SOS call to Uncle Doug....who came to the rescue when Jim was only 2 freeway exits from home and the car was dead (on the way to Uncle Doug's house for repair help).

The problem: the spring on the tensioner was gone. Repair: new tensioner and a belt while we were at it. Cost: $20 for car repair manual, $80 for parts, and being forever in debt to Uncle Doug who came to the rescue. Thanks Uncle Doug! Here are a few pictures of our superhero at work.

Sibling Pictures

November 16, 2008

I decided that it was time for some pictures of the kids all together, looking respectable. I started with a few shots of Kate by herself, in her new purple dress with brown polkadots (that has a matching brown sweater that just makes it so adorable!) I guess I'm way into her clothes because they are so cute! I've always said that it is boy toys and girl clothes....and now I have a girl to talk about her adorable clothes. But, we digress... Here is Kate, ready to go to church.I love this picture. The buttons on the dress are flower shaped! (those adorable girl clothes...) And, I just like this picture with her feet sticking out.

Then, enter the boys. They did pretty good, all considered. Its not that easy to get 3 kids to all be looking good - or even normal - in a picture. I have chosen a few pictures to share that highlight their personalities.

Eric - trying to do what I ask. Michael - chumming it up.

What a sweet little boy Eric is!
Michael - as if he's telling us the true story, while Eric opens his eyes on command.

Kate's starting to loose her cool while Michael gets fresh - and Eric has that cute look in his eyes!

Here it is - on the of the last shots, and the one that I would most likely frame and put on the wall. Look at those blue eyes and happy smiles!

Those were all taken before church - which starts at 1:30 pm. After church we usually come home, change, and eat fast. We were on the fast track to dinner when we realized that Michael was missing, and didn't respond to us calling him. Then I realized...I told him to put his shoes in the shoe closet (aka the coat closet), and he never came back. This is how we found him - in the closet, with the door closed, asleep. He doesn't nap anymore, so he must have felt like it was a long day!

First Bath and Trip to the Park

On November 3 we (I) gave Kate her first real bath, since her cord was finally gone and daddy was finally around to take pictures.

Before bathtime, I took a few pictures of her...look how cute she is! And, see her good neck muscles! Maybe you are distracted by her blue eyes?Bathtime started out nice and leisurely - and in true O'Neil fashion - in the kitchen sink! She seemed to enjoy being in the water.She started to get a little concerned when I put soap and water on her head.Here she is, all "safe" and dry - and clean!

November 8th was Kate's first trip to the park. We went with the Farnsworths and had a great time. Here is Kate, soaking up some sun to help with her Jaundice. She did eventually get out from under the blankets, but not for long because it was a little chilly.The boys both enjoyed the swings. Here is Eric.

They were climbing the tree. Boys will be boys. The funny thing is that they were holding pieces of bark that they got off the tree (or the ground), and using it as a little pick axe, thinking it would help them climb. Eric, Michael, and Arhan - I think they were also trying to climb up to the squirrel that we saw. (The squirrel later climbed into the trash can and was thumping around, and the kids all surrounded the can trying to see the squirrel)Caper, after eating some cheetos.Michael, on the staticky slide.

Kate's Blessing

We blessed Kate on November 11, 2008. It was nice to have family and friends join us. Grandma and Grandpa came down, and brought Brian, Matt, Suze and Alex. We were also lucky enough to have the Seavers come down to join us for the event. Kate was blessed by her dad with Grandpa, her 2 Vinton uncles, Jay Seaver, Matt Farnsworth (our neighbor), and Bishop Hatch. It was a nice blesseng - as far as I could tell. I was very frustrated that the microphone was not close enough to Jim's mouth for us to hear. I think we would have been ok if it weren't for some very loud children in the crowd behind us. It was a sad thing for me to have to struggle to hear, and miss some of her blessing. But, all in all, it was a nice day. It was really good to have friends and family join us. We didn't get pictures taken of everyone - shame on me! But, here are a few of Kate.

Here she is in the dress Grandma made for her.Here we are, staring at each other. I thought it was cute that Jim got this on camera - I love how she (and all babies, but you know) will just stare at and study my face!Here she is on dad's shoulder. How cute! There is something just adorable about a baby looking over a shoulder - especially my cute little Kate and her dad! So, here is the rest of the story. She messed her pants, and the onesie, and the dress - before I got very many pictures taken. I never did get "the picture" of her in her blessing dress that day. So, a week later I put it back on her and took some more pictures. I'm still not sure I got "the one" but at least I have some! Here is the full view.And, this is her little bracelet that Aunt Jenny made for her. Adorable! (I have one to match! Thanks Jenny!)

Sabotage

I know I haven't posted Kate's blessing yet, or other pictures in between. But, the kids and I are in CA for Thanksgiving and Uncle Chris and other helpers made this video of the kids. Eric particularly enjoyed being in it and wants to sign autographs on the copies of the video that everyone is taking home. We think it's pretty funny... enjoy!

A fence and a dirt pile

We decided it was time for a fence around the back yard. There were many reasons "for" a fence so we went ahead with the plan. We were lucky enough to hire our friend (and back door neighbor) Matt to do the work for us. There was just no way Jim was going to have time to do it - and by no means was I going to be able to. Thanks Matt for doing such a great job!

Here are some picture of the boys playing on the wood we had delivered for the fence. Michael had a great time watching the fork lift bring it all into the back yard from the truck one Friday AM. One day he and Ahran (in picture with red sleeves) were playing in the back and I saw Michael climb on one of the stacks of wood. Then I heard Michael tell Ahran to come up "on the stage, like on guitar hero." Here they are on top of one of the stacks, being boys.Here they are again, up on top being tall.

Eric, jumping off the stack. He would start his jump facing the house (backwards) and do a turn in the middle of the air. I love how my camera could get mid-air pictures of the kids! Michael, nervously looking down as he contemplates the jump. It is uncharacteristic of Michael to worry about physical things like this. He did finally make the jump - and did it a few times after that!

This is a look that we see quite often on Eric's face. I had to share it - for those who know the look, and for those who don't. The thought behind it is something like "I don't think we're supposed to do that?"
I also need to give an ode to the dirt pile. Behind our house and over by one house, there is an empty lot between 2 houses. It had a dirt pile on it that had become the neighborhood hang out. The boys would spend hours and hours out there. They would dig, build a fort, look for hidden treasure, "bury" hidden treasure and mark it with an X, meet the neighborhood kids and play games...etc. They were kids at the dirt pile. During the summer they spent most of their days out there. I was able to supervise them from my kitchen window, the table window, or my couch by looking out or back door and windows. It was a great thing. If you didn't know where the boys were, you first checked the dirt pile.

Well, it was leveled yesterday. I watched as the guy in the machine slowly tore it apart. I'm not totally sure why they decided to level it, but we do think it might have something to do with vandalism at the house next to it. Michael and I watched as it was taken apart and spread throughout the lot it sat on. It was the end of an era, I was sad to see it go. Jim says we just need to make a dirt pile in our backyard, but it will never be the same even if we did pile some dirt. I guess we'll have to make a new neighborhood gathering spot, with some dirt to let their imaginations go. We'll miss you, dirt pile.

Halloween

On Monday the 27th we carved our pumpkins. Eric got right in there and started getting the insides out. Michael was hesitant and didn't want to get yucky. Here is Eric, scooping out his pumpkin.

Jim did Michael's pumpkin, and all the carving after the boys had traced their patterns on the pumpkins. Here they are! Unfortunately, by Thursday they were starting to mold, but I guess that adds to the spooky character of them?

Kate wearing her outfit - thanks to Aunt Megan! This was on the 25th, for trunk-or-treat. I need to get pictures of the boys in their costumes from Grandpa. The boys and Jim went to Longmont on Halloween to have fun haunting the old neighborhood while Kate and I stayed home to rest. Eric was Sonic the hedgehog and Michael was Knuckles, Sonic's friend. Jim made the boys' costumes this year and did a really good job at it.

Our traditional breakfast for Halloween - donuts on the cat's tail. The boys were glad to finally have some treats on that tail!

2 Weeks Old

Kate is 2 weeks old today! I thougth I'd give a recap of her first 2 weeks for those of you who don't live here...its been pretty busy! More has happened than it should have - we've been pretty busy for having a newborn around!

Eric has learned to ride his bike without training wheels! He actually did it on the 9th, which was the night before Kate was born. But, here is a picture of him having a great time, finally able to ride without those training wheels! As he was learning, he kept trying and trying, convinced that the only way to get started was going down the driveway of a house behind us - it was his magic charm that he used to get going. By the next day he could get started without the driveway, and he's riding all over the place now.
When Kate came home from the hospital, she brought the boys a present. They were so excited to get sparring gear - now they can really fight in the dojo! Here are the boys trying on their new gear! (Yes, it was right after they got home from church that they got to open the present, so enjoy their church clothes with sparring gear. Do I sense an internal conflict here? war or peace? hummm....)Eric had his turn for show and tell on Tuesday the 14th, so at 4 days old Kate went to school so Eric could show her off. He was so excited to show the class his new sister! After he showed her to the class, the children were allowed to ask Eric questions. My favorite was "Why do you like her so much?" The answer "Cause she's cute!"Grandma and Grandpa came to meet Kate on the 15th. We had a nice time, and Grandpa seemed to be especially proud to have a grandDAUGHTER.The 15th was my birthday! Yes, I am the big 3-0! I had a pretty relaxing day, and it was the first time I've had my mom around for my birthday since my 17th! She even made me my dinner of chicken devon and ice cream cake the real way - baked Alaska! Yummy! Thanks mom!This outfit was from Aunt Jenny...and gave the Dr. and his nurses quite the chuckle. As of today (when we got her checked, again, to see if she's Jaundice), she's had her bili levels checked 5 times, which means that she's been back to the lab quite a bit - and I've been out and about more than I ever intended to be after having a baby. Thanks again to Mom-O for her help getting where we needed to be. And, yes, Kate, you are not a boy!Kate at a week old.Here she is with Mom-O, right before Mom-O had to leave. Mom-O was such a lifesaver for us, I cried the whole way home from the airport shuttle stop. I don't know what we would have done without here here. Thanks for coming Mom-O!The other thing that has happened is that I can fit back into my clothes! This is an amazing thing for me, I'm so excited to have a "new" wardrobe to wear! I'm not back into my pre-Eric pants yet, but here I am in my pre-Kate clothes already! My body is doing much better after Kate than I did at this point with the other kids, it has made quite the difference in my life! I've been able to do things that I really shouldn't have at this point - I've been to Wal-mart, Costco, Target, etc...and I didn't feel faint every time I stood up for a few days after giving birth, which had happened with the boys. Yeah for feeling better than expected!

Also in the first 2 weeks of life, Kate met Uncle Doug and Aunt Layne. They came for a visit and even took the time to winterize our sprinklers for us! Kate also met her first friends - the Farnsworth family.

Kate is a very quiet, peaceful, and not demanding little girl. She doesn't cry when she wakes up to eat! She quietly looks around for food, and I wake up to little baby sounds. The baby monitor doesn't really work for her because she is so quiet I can't depend on hearing her through it! She has just in the last few days started to get a little loud when her body is struggling with gas - but even at that, she doesn't cry or scream as bad as her brothers did! She is the sweet, little, child that I deserve! And, despite being in pink clothes and sometimes pink blankets, Jim has taken to loving her just as much as I do (well, not just as much, but almost...I am the mother, after all!)

And now, a few more pictures of Kate - since I know that is why most of you were probably checking the blog today anyway. This one was taken at 12 days old.

I took Kate outside today for a 2 week old baby photo shoot. I didn't get "the picture" I was wanting to get, but I did get some pretty good ones. I think she enjoyed being outside, until the wind started to softly blow.So cute!Open wide and show the Dr. your tongue! ha ha ha I thought it was cute! How could it not be, she's an adorable little thing!

Baby Kate

Here is the not-really-so-long awaited, but very much asked for, blog about our baby Kate! She is only 5 days old today, but I have been harassed by everyone to put pictures up of her. I decided that I would send an email with pictures to my family memebers who did NOT bug me about it, and as everyone called and bugged me, I checked them off the list. ha ha ha The prize goes to Chris and Nicole, who are the siblings that did NOT pester me about the blog--so they can check their email for an exclusive peek at the baby! My dad (Papi) even started asking me "Aren't you proud of your daughter? Is something wrong with her that you don't want to show us?" ha ha ha Funny, dad. Of course I want to show you all the baby, but HELLO! I do have 3 children now, she's only 5 days old, we've been a little busy taking care of her, and I'm trying to do what I can to get by with the help of Mom-O. Mom-O has been a HUGE lifesaver as I try to heal my body and care for Kate all night, as well as take care of "normal life" with the boys. Thanks Mom-O for coming to take care of us all!

Ok, now what you're all waiting for...Kate's story.

I was in and out of labor for 2 1/2 weeks, which started to be too hard on my body and the family as a whole. So, on October 10th I was induced. It was time for baby to finally come! It was such an odd feeling, knowing that today was the day. I woke up, showered, did my hair, had time to take pictures before we went, and got the kids to the neighbors peacefully and calmly. Labor is much better if it comes naturally, but it was nice knowing when time was finally going to be up. So, despite having mixed feelings about being induced, but in this case it was just time. Here is the "before" picture:Here is the "after" picture. Baby Kate, officially named Katherine Nicole. The pitocin was started at 8:30 am, contractions were 2 minutes apart and I was at almost a 4 by 1pm, so the Dr. decided we could finally break my water to help things along. The Dr. was going into surgery and would be back to check on me around 1:45. By the time she got back I was ready to push baby out. The only problem was that the anestesiologist was busy too, and didn't make it until we were ready to push...no epidural for me! This was NOT the plan, but things moved along so quickly that I didn't have a choice. I do not recommend "going natural" to anyone, it hurts! But, here she is! Born 10/10/08, 6 lbs 9 oz, 2:03 pm, 13 1/4 head. Her first "bath" - as close as she will get until her cord falls off.How cute she is! I haven't decided who she looks like. She has long eyelashes, and I think her hands look like Mom-O's hands. But, other than that we have yet to determine the rest of her characteristics. I'm sure we'll figure them out as she grows and we have more time to study her! Cute Kate!Meeting her brothers for the first time! "She's cute" is what Michael thinks.What a good, experienced, big brother Eric is!
Kate and I had most of the day on Saturday without anyone around. It got a little lonely! But, we had a little photo shoot while we were "hanging out". Here are a couple pictures:

A full-body, almost naked picture.
Here we are, ready to go home on Sunday the 12th.Her first car ride, going home. She is such a small baby in a huge chair!
When Jim and I got home with Kate, the boys were at church with Mom-O. This is our first family picture, when they got home (they both fell asleep on the way home, so they look a little tired).
Before we left the hospital Kate looked a little jaundiced, and her levels were a little high, so we had to take her to the lab for another test on Monday. By Monday at 5 she was in the bili light, being "cooked". Poor baby. She came out of one oven to go into another! We had to do this with Eric, but it doesn't make it any easier to see your baby under the lights instead of in your arms! Here she is in her "suitcase oven"
We were also brought another kind of light to use while we hold her, so she can (theoretically) be under the light 24 hrs a day. It is a little box, with a tube similar to a vacuum tube, that has a little paddle on the end that we put up against her back. It makes her seem like she's glowing...notice the blue ET-like glow under the blanket as Jim holds her.Michael wanted to play with Kate, showing her some of the baby toys we have. This is as close as he could get to real interaction with her for a while...cute kid.

We'll go to the Dr. tomorrow to see how she is doing, get her weight, and hopefully be told that she is not jaundice anymore. Other than her being jaundiced, things are going pretty smoothly with Mom-O here to help. I'm worried about when Mom-O leaves, but I'm sure we'll adjust to life eventually. At least my body is healing and feeling better after Kate than it did with the boys, which has been a blessing. Thanks to everyone for all of your well-wishes and prayers for us as we went, and go, through this! We'll post more updates and pictures, sometime!