Hazel update...

First camping trip

She slept like the baby she is...only one night feeding and keeping with the other Edge babies, she slept great in the tent. I think our kids like to all be snuggled up in the same place. To be honest, I don't mind it too much either. Too bad it is so uncomfortable to sleep on ground or maybe we would do it on a permanent basis.

Caught!!! This baby girl keeps finding that thumb and seems to know just what to do with it. I'm not exactly encouraging it, but then, it is pretty cute how she wraps that finger around her nose.

Human Chia-Pet

She is totally this human chia-pet. Her hair is all coming in at the same time and almost all of the longer stuff fell out. People keep asking me if I buzzed her hair...nope, just a little fuzz head. I have to admit that it is PRIME binking real estate.

Ahhh...warms my soul when I see my littles all together. They even tolerated mildly letting me take thier pictures. Hazel seems to like her big sibling too.

And as you can imagine Poppy can't help but love and snuggle and maul the babe.
Little Hazel girl is such a dream baby to have around. She just goes with teh flow and tolerates all sorts of situations. Seriously, I suppose like most parents, our family just wouldn't be right without her.

Mom my face hurts...

That was how Poppy greeted me this morning at 6:30 am. Because I was still in bed, without glasses, it took me a minute to figure out that indeed her face was all swollen and red.
Later she would tell me "My face feels crunchy"...
After a little dose of Benadryll not doing the trick, and little blisters beginning to beginning to form, we made a trip to the Doctor's office. He said it looked like she had touched something and then her face, multiple times, and her skin was reacting to it. He prescribed some steroid cream and tonight her face is looking much better...but still a bit crunchy.
We are still trying to figure out what she touched...probably a plant in our yard. I guess we will just see if it happens again.
Poor pop's she looked so sad all day. She was however a sweet girl all day and we even went out for ice cream and dance class...what a trooper. I'm still a bit shocked that the Benadryll didn't knock her out...

Oscar Birthday swap

By Request the Volcano cake was back....Oscar has been asking me to make the cake for the past year. The last time I made it was two years ago. The morning I was getting it ready for his class party, he said "I think it was bigger last time"...last time I didn't' quite have it figured out and i ended up making two cakes and piling it up with a bunch of frosting and put a cup in the top for the dry ice. This time I totally had it engineered so that I used a spring form pan, a metal bowl and a ramekin cooked upside down in the top so that it all came together much better. I didn't factor in that Oscar would be missing the chaos factor of the previous cake.
He still loved it and I think his class though tit was pretty awesome too.

This Past weekend we went to Spokane for a birthday swap. Oscar wanted to go camping for his birthday and Ricky had a marathon to run last Saturday. We therefore decided we would do a birthday swap. Rick's birthday is this weekend so we swapped daddy's marathon for his birthday and tomorrow we will head to The trail of the Coure de' lanes fora little camp out/mother's day ride for Oscar's.
They spent some time decorating the road where daddy was soon to run past...
Had a couple doses of Ben and Gerry's super yummy ice cream...A carousel ride...
And Oscar still got his birthday climb on the REI climbing wall. He had hoped to make it to the very top, but made it to the first bell instead. I suppose it leaves him room to grow for next year.
As I mentioned before, we got bumped to a mucher nicer hotel than what we are accustomed to. Not that I mind a nice hotel, I just like it better when there is more bed space for our family. Oscar and poppy ended up like this in the morning. Oscar slept in the "crack" of the beds. We pulled the roll-in bed next to the king sized bed and he decided he would sleep in the crack. By morning he was turned horizontal.

I'm thinking this must be Mr. Davenport himself...Oscar thought he would check out the morning paper with him as we waited for the valet to bring our car around.
Overall it was a great weekend and as always it was fun to cheer on our super dad...nicework Ricky!

My boy turned 7...

I'm still processing the idea of it...Man he is/was such a cute boy!!!! I planned to blog pictures of his seven years and I'm having a hard time narrowing it down. Soon to come will be O' pics and pics of our birthday weekend festivities...
Note on said festivities...Being bumped from your hotel of choice (that would have included TWO queen sized beds and a baby bed, with park yourself and load your own bags which totally feels comfortable to our family of five)...to a fancy-shmansy hotel with obligated valet' parking (where you have to call to get your car each time you want to leave the hotel) ONE king sized bed, a roll away bed and baby crib, no bathtub, just a fancy shower and super nice furnishings isn't exactly my idea of a good trade.
I'm pretty sure they didn't intend those fancy drinking glasses to be used as lucky charm cereal bowls...
I say give me the familiest friendly hotel, with a family friendly pool, continental breakfast, comfy beds that are nice a clean (preferably TWO queen sized beds), with the easiest convience of getting in and out as quickly as possible my idea of a good hotel...call me crazy!
Maybe if I were on a getaway with the hubby it would be a nice exchange ...but when all we have packed is runningshoes/casual attire (meaning shorts and tee shirts) and multiple children to find a cozy, yet not too close sleeping quarters...fancy shmansy is not my idea of comfortable. Especially when it is my child who decided to run down the hallway yelling and laughing...
Oh well...I'm sure the bellboys had a good laugh.

In Light of Mother's Day...

Grandma Dilworth (my mommy and Hazel)

I love to see the grandma's holding my babies...something about how the cycle of life continues on. I'm continually reminded that the most influence i will be able to have in this life will be to the children I raise. I truly hope I don't break them!!!!

I love this picture of Ricky's mom...it seems like it is taken at about the same phase of thier life as where We are right now. Oncea gain that cycle of parenting...

Oscar's school play was today and it was great to see such a fun little fairy tale theater. He was one of the woodsmen who save Little red Riding hood and the grandmother. The best part was when Little Red and the grandmother went to give him a hug...he turned away. It was great!

O-Man with the flowerpot he decorated for me in school...

Two months old! I love the fuzzy hair that is all coming in buzz style.

Poppy has taken to the big sister role quite naturally. Poppy is a natural leader. I'm beginning to learn that I have to work with each of my kids individually...she is one I'm still trying to figure out. Her drive for life and enthusiasm is great. I really love her sparkly fun personality.
Great Grandma Dilworth...the woman who taught me to draw and love the scriptures, among other things...
To all of our mommies and grand mommies, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! thank you for all that you have done for us!!!

Spring...stuff

Ladies ride...my odometer read 40.5 miles at the end of the ride...
All I can say is that these ladies were tough!!! Seriously we had a head wind for 3/4 of the ride. That is we only got a small break at the half way point before a storm blew in and made us push the rest of the way home!! It was a nice intro back into real life.
The Hazel girl slept the ENTIRE ride!! from eatign at 8:15am she slept until 1:30 pm. It was awesome!!! This bodes well for the up-comming mother's day ride.
Ashely, Maren, Me (Hazel), Betina(Georgia), Kristin...Sadly not pictured was Camille who met us a couple of miles down the trail. She was the one who kept reminding us that the wind resistance was "more calories ladies!".
Poppy is fitting well into the middle child...slightly neglected and self sufficient. I know this role well being that I'm #six of eleven. I do love how handy she is. Always so resourceful. Lov'in the outfits!
We also made a visit to Oscar's class so they could all meet Miss Hazel. It was a great day!

hmmmm...

Man I love this kid!

Tonight after coming home from a evening of learning to cook Indian food, I stopped by Oscar's room and he was up tinkering with some things. I said hello and said "Hey kiddo thanks for being such a great kid. I sure love you."
To this he responded: "Why did you say that?"
Me- "I dunno because I do?"
O-"Oh, I was just wondering because you usually only say that when you were mad at me."

Me-(Insert all sorts of guilt laden feelings...I'm sure i say it more frequently than that...Don't I????)
"Well, you know I love you all of the time, right?"

O- "Yeah mom"

Me- "I do love you, have a good night, and turn your light off soon."

O-"night mom"

Am I seriously this mom who only tells him I love him after I have been mad at him??? I suppose that isn't the worst thing. I mean, at least after I have been angry with him, I tell him that I still love him. That should mean something Right?

Note to self: shower that boy with hugs and kisses until he can't stand it!!!! No more of giving him his first grader space...He MUST know that I have adored him since he was born! He must know how much I love him! Sometimes I love my kids so much it just hurts!!!
I hope that he knows that I adore the way he takes on this world full of curiosity and kindness, with a soft heart and an eager mind. He should know that I miss him when he is at school and I long for the days when we used to go hiking for hours, just him and me.
Is all of that forgotten? Am I becoming too distracted for him to realize just how much I can't imagine this world without him being a part of it????
Well, at least one day when he is grown and he looks back and remembers his childhood, maybe then he will read this and know that yes, I do love him and that the majority of my days are spent trying to create a place of Love, joy and safety for him. without sheltering him too much.
I'm sure this is just the beginning...but he can expect a lot more hugs in the near future!

Bee Man

The Rickster is lovin his new hobby...

He loves to look at the bees and doesn't even wear gloves. Here he is holding the queen bee's box before she ate her way out. Surprisingly the bees are pretty docile and you can just stand around the hive and they will fly around, sometimes land on you but then go away. We have only had one sting and that was Oscar who started batting at the bees when one landed on him.

Saturday Oscar did his first ever three mile run. He finished in about 37 minutes...we are so proud! Rick ran with him and the girls (it seems funny to type "Girls") and I did the 10K with a couple of other friends.

The best part about this run is the jet-boat ride back to the starting line. Poppy and I sat in the back of the boat with Missy Hazel. It is so nice to be running again, albeit pretty slow! Thanks to Ashley and Linda who convinced me to do the 10k it was nice to feel a little bit back to normal.

Wheels are a turnin'...but not blogging

We are still alive, I have every intention of posting about a million blog posts...yet I seem to never find the time. Very soon you will get an eyeful.
Still to post about...Yesterday's Seaport River run with friends (believe it or not I am beginning to be able to run again!!!).
Bee updates...Ricky's new hobby
Hazel updates...I must cath her smiling!
garden updates...cold stuff is in (minus the peas, note to self...get them in!)
Oscar and Poppy updates...They have been quite the silly kids. Poppy is mildly obsessed with people dying...must update about our conversations and her prayer routine. Oscar is a zip line king!
Ahhhh....I'm sacrificing blog time for real life. Sorry!

Pretty soon I hope to resume normal capacity. Meanwhile the good news is that the #3 transition is going much better than expected but I am having to prioritize my time a lot more.

No comments just pics...sorry

Catching up...part one: Grandma's Funeral

In an attempt to Document some of the important events of our family life, I'm going to play a little bit of catch up.
We recently went to Utah for the funeral of Grandma Kayser.
We had planned to bless Hazel on March 29th and Rick's parents came for the blessing. They cut their trip short on account that Grandma Kayser passed away the 28th. They headed back home that morning and we followed them back to Utah the following week for the funeral.
The funeral conveniently landed during Oscar's spring break which made it quite easy for me in the "planning things to do during spring break" department.
The funeral was very nice and just the way I'm sure grandma would have wanted it. After seeing this above photo, I could just see Grandma commenting on what a handsome group of men they were and how nicely they all looked. She always liked to look nice and I think it was so fitting that this handsome group of men were there to carry her to her resting place.
During the stay we were able to have a lot of cousin time. Poppy on Seeing Willie ran to him and they gave each other this big hug...I had them hold it a little longer for the photo but it was very cute! I'm sad I didn't get one of all of the grand kids together...maybe next time.


Arriving at the cemetery Poppy had fallen asleep...staying up late and all the hustle and bussel tuckered her out. Oh, and she stole grandpa's carnation during the funeral...I think he didn't mind giving it up.

Grandma Edge, despite all of her responsibilities of the funeral, found plenty of time to snuggle the grand kids. Hazel seemed to enjoy it too. On our way home we stopped in Boise and saw my Grandma Dilworth. She has always been a kindred spirit to me and it was so wonderful to see her. She loved seeing Hazel and Hazel loved looking and smiling at her.
I continue to hope that our kids will remember some of their great-grandmothers. I have fond memories of my Great-Grandma Johnson and love that I was able to know her and connect with her. There is something about knowing that grandmother, rather than her just being a picture in a photo album.
Overall the trip was great. Hazel did fabulously int he car and the other two did really well too. We have opted to not take the DVD player the last two times going to Utah and I think it is a good thing. They seem to fight a lot less.
Well her is the first installment of updates...hopefully soon I will catch up on Easter and other happenings.

Totally caved...

Rick made some of his delicious (and I mean soooo yummy and tasty) all whole grain, nutty chocolate chip cookies last night...I covered the cookie jar with a towel to pretend they didn't exist...I ate a million baby carrots...I drank a hundred glasses of water...ate a piece of gum even though it hurts my jaw...and then I caved.
I thought I could just eat one of them...nope!
I ran a couple extra miles this evening to justify it. I don't feel too guilty.

Regular Schedule...

Random picture Parallel Universe...this could be Oscar, Hazel and Poppy...but really it is Ricky, Emily and Meg...see the family resemblance?

Can you remember a time when you hopped on your bike, sunshine in the sky, not time constraints, just you the bike and the open road? Or maybe a time when you were driving with the sunroof open, music playing a song with a great beat, sunglasses on, open road and you felt like you could fly?
Yeah, I taught my first spinning class today since Hazel was born...It felt a bit like that. I actually got goosebumps during some of the songs because it felt so great to be back on the bike. ahhh...the feeling of getting back to normal.
That being said:

This week marks the first week of me resuming our regular schedule activities. Up to now since Hazels birth I have been doing a few of them but not all together. I have discovered that i like the slower pace better. I like not having so many other obligations and responsibilities out side of our house. I want to cut out some things but I'm not quite sure what...I"ll have to keep working on that.
Along with resuming the "regular" schedule, I decided it was about time to track my calories to get rid of this extra baby weight that is hanging around...I made myself a list of rules and have pleasantly been surprised at how great it feels to have a little bit of self control again. Don't get me wrong, going cold turkey on the junk food department has been a bit challenging...but no worries I haven't faltered yet.
I have thought of eating chocolate and jelly beans about a million times, but then I think of the photos of our family that were taken last week and I remember that I want to be back to my normal size!!!
The down side of the cold turkey diet is that I no longer have the sugar rush to pull me through the 3 o' clock hour. Honey toast has been working ok but it still isn't chocolate.
Rick keeps trying to peer pressuring me into indulging but when he mentions it i think it fuels my desire to prove that I can keep it up.

Grandma K

One of the tests before Ricky married me was to meet Grandma K and to see what she thought of me...When we walked into her house she greeted me with a smile and a hug and I knew that I was in. From that moment I was blessed to have known such a fun, interesting, and quirky woman.
I loved to visit with her and see her insight and perspective on things. I loved to see her hold my babies and rock them back and forth and pat their little chins with their blanket. As they got bigger she would wrap little handkerchiefs so that they looked like they were a cradle for a baby and she would show them how to rock it.
I have so many fun memories and am grateful that I had the chance to know her. I'm going to miss her contagious smile and laugh.

Learning Curve and the Privledge Child

I can hear it now..."Mom was Hazel the favorite child??"(cue in adult Oscar and Poppy as they review the records of Hazel's life).
You see it isn't really the case, it just so happens she is the first child who was born while I was a blogger, first to receive an abundance of monogrammed blankets as gifts from friends, first to have "professional" baby pictures (Betina), first that I may actually document what I remember from their baby blessing.
You see, I'm not really playing favorites, it is more a result of the learning curve and very generous people.
Postpartum with Hazel has been a much smoother road this time around. I'm certain it has a lot to do with the fact that I have had two other children first, we are more stable than we were for the first two, and I am much more laid back than I used to be.
I remember when Oscar was a baby that people would say "oh, you won't worry about that with your third child...etc." I would roll my eyes and be certain that I would maintain the same level of parenting objectives as I did then. I would chalk up their comments to their disillusioned parenting. I would certainly have the same objectives, ideals, and parenting style as I did then... Yeah, I was wrong.
I don't particularly mind being wrong. I don't mind chilling out and discovering that baby #3 has been a much easier transition than baby 1&2. Hazel could be the reason, but there are seriously some big differences between her and the first two.

With Oscar and Poppy I experienced some form of postpartum or baby blues emotional breakdown shortly after their birth. Oscar's was over his belly button getting stinky, and Poppy was over her having to stay at the hospital a couple of extra days. In both cases the situation just seemed bigger than life. I felt as though the whole world was going to fall. Oscar I even had postpartum for about a year...it was just something I figured out after it was over (gotta love hindsight).
This time around however I haven't had so much as a few little tears of joy. I haven't broken down, I haven't felt like I was going to fall apart. I'm not sure why, it could be that Rick took the entire week off after Hazel was here, or maybe that we are more established...what ever the reason, recovery has been smooth in this area.
I am beginning to wonder this time around if my Postpartum is int he result of food addiction...seriously my body isn't going back to normal as quickly as before and I seem to not have any self control...So, I suppose maybe postpartum this time is in the form of junk food.
Here are a few other differences:
Hazel has not been interested in a binki...the other two were binki lovers from birth (once again I'm not sure if this is a result of me or them???).
Hazel is a back sleeper...Oscar and Poppy would not sleep on their backs, I tried I really did, but no they were good sleepers as long as they were on their bellies.
Hazel eats on demand rather than me scheduling feedings every two hours. I know this sounds strange but with Oscar and Poppy would just feed them every two hours. It was peace of mind for me to know that they were eating frequently enough and that I could schedule them and know that I could do certain things during those two hours before the next feeding. I realize this was entirely my doing, but with Hazel I have chilled and let her let me know when she wants to eat. I have discovered that this has been nice. I know I can't predict the next feeding, but I no longer worry about having to feed her in public. I don't mind having a two hour break one feeding to a 1, 3 or 4 hour break the next. I just do what I need to do and when she lets me know, I stop and feed her. NO BIG DEAL!
These all seem like funny differences but believe me they are pretty big when you consider that your life is dictated by these small little things and how your baby responds to them. I'm a much more low key mom...I never thought that would happen. I have taken my sweet o'l time getting back to normal routines, and I really don't mind. I like the calm side of just letting this baby #3 flow naturally. So far this has been a good thing.

Today Hazel was blessed...she was beautiful and the blessing was enlightening. I really listened this time, I actually jotted down a few thoughts from it. It may be the fact that we had no family here for me to be thinking about, or that I wasn't worried about dinner after church...what ever the reason (along with all the other differences) I was grateful that I am learning, growing and discovering that I really don't know how to be the perfect mom but I don't mind changing along the road. I hope Oscar has patience with me as he is number one on the learning curve. I hope Poppy will know that even as the middle child, who I don't remember what was said at her blessing, will know that I love her and think she is a great big sister. Lastly I hope that I will continue to learn and grow into a much more capable, moldable mother.