He is Here!!!

He is here and he is super cute!!!

I was scheduled to come in at 6:30 this morning, but at 6 when I called to check in (like they told me to) they said they were full and to hold off. They called me back soon after and I was told to come in. We arrived at around 7:15 and was hooked up and ready for business by 7:30. At 8 am they started my IV with antibiotics , because of the strep B test and told me I would need that in my system for 4 hours, but they started the Pitocin along with it so I could progress while the antibiotic was working. The pitocin is NO JOKE! I was have contractions every 3-5 minutes and strong! I got my epidural around 11 ish and took a little nap. They checked me at noon and I was between a 4-5. So the doctor broke my water at 12:30 and guessed I would deliver around 3:30. Within a few minutes my contractions were every 2-3 minutes and the nurse came into to see how everything was progressing. At that point I was at 6mm. After that one of the nurses came in to ask a few questions, I told her I could feel my contractions and they were quite strong - she checked again and said I was already at a 9 - within a matter of 15 minutes! She started getting things ready and told me she had to grab the "cart" and she would be right back, but if I felt any pressure in my lower back to page the nurse because it might be the baby. No more then about 15 seconds after she left I felt a strong pressure in my lower back and told Jared I thought we needed to page her back, he laughed and said "she just shut the door" so I pushed the button, she came back in and I told her, she checked and the baby's head was crowned. Luckily they had already called the doctor and he was walking in, she let him know and he quickly got things ready. As soon as I was in the right position they waited for a good contraction and told me to push, out came his head! Next contraction they had me push again and there he was - seriously it was TOO easy! He is so cute! He has TONS of hair and chubby checks, he reminds me of Emma when she was born. He weighs 8lb, 3 oz (just a ounce shy of what both Emma and Carson weighed when they were born), he is 20 inches long and just so perfect! He is nursing like a champ already and so we think he is surely in the right family because he loves to eat!

We are so grateful he is here and everyone is doing fine! We love you all and will let you know as so as he has a name!

PS if you are on Facebook and are one of Jared's friends there are pictures there - I haven't uploaded any to this computer, but I will as soon as I get home, which should be tomorrow.

The Cast is Off!!!

Today it has been 4 weeks since Carson got his cast on. We returned to Primary Children's for a follow up xray and removal of the cast. Carson did not like the xray, or anyone in scrubs, or anyone who looked at his leg up close... it was a lot of fun! After the doctor reviewed the xray that showed 2 healed up bones the nurses took the cast off. His reaction is so funny sometimes. First he simply hid his face (his universal defense mechanism), then he watched behind his arm as they removed it, not really bugged at all (Emma was more upset by the "saw" then anyone). But, when they actually took the cast away from his leg he got so upset. He cried and tried to wiggle away from them. The nurse (who had 2 students with her) laughed and told all of us that his reaction was the opposite of most kids reaction - they usually wiggle and cry with the "saw" and like the cast coming off. After it was completely removed they handed it to him and he actually tried to put it back on, like he does when we take his socks or shoes off - it was really funny.

The doctor did say he would probably walk funny for up to a month, but that was totally normal. After that, there are no long term problems to worry about. His leg is dry, but after a little lotion he will be good as new!

Yeah, no more dead weight, no more extra 5 pounds to carry around and no more using his cast as a weapon - just in time, incase you can't see in the picture (which would tell me you can't see at all), I am HUGE - this baby needs out soon!

Fourth of July

The 4th of July, was not only a fun day with parades, food and fireworks - it was also kind of the "last ho-rah" with Jared's family, or at least the ones who were still here. We have had all of his siblings here for the last few weeks for a last get together before his parents left as Mission Presidents to Russia (I still need to blog about this). Steve was the last to leave, he left on the 5th and so we used the 4th to celebrate "all together" also.

Jared and Eric got up early that morning (4am) and got a great seat for the Provo Parade. It was great, not only was Steve's and Eric's family there, but so was Liz's parents and our good friends The Rasbands, they have twin boys and live across the street from us. We all had a great time.

After the parade we carried on a greasy Pratt tradition with KFC for lunch, we all went back to Pratt Central (Grandma T and Big Grandpa's house), where Eric and Liz are now living, for yummy food and fun games. After a long fun day we all split to "freshen up" and get ready for the fireworks.

Liz's family goes to the Provo Temple to steal a glance at the Stadium of Fire fireworks and the last few years we have joined them. This year we also were with Cammie's family in a big group. We had great seats to see the fireworks and tons of room for the kids to run around and play while we waited for the big show. Also great blanket space for Carson and Logan to have a cute game of catch (Carson is NOT a grass person - in case you might not know). Some dark rain clouds threatened our fun, but never really got us - we were lucky and had a great time!

Thanks for all the Fourth of July Fun everyone! Emma and Carson had the best time playing with their cousins and their Aunts and Uncles.

Swim Lessons

I know this is the second "pool" entry in a row but...

Emma started swim lessons on Monday. She was very excited about it. She did pretty well, but is not interested in putting her head under the water. I am pretty sure it has something to do with her tubes, but either way, after 2 days of her teachers trying nicely, today after class I was swimming with her and just took her under, I don't even think she knew what happened - she just looked at me like "what was that?" I think I am going to try it after or before class everyday... so if she needs therapy because of her fear of water - put it on my tab! :) I really do think this is a great way for her to get more comfortable in the water - she loves going to the pool and I love being outside playing with her in the pool - a great summertime activity!

She is a funny little girl though, here are some pictures of her with her buddies Andy and Tony, who are taking the class with her. (They took classes last year and rock the free world at going under the water). She loves her 2 teachers Missy and Heather and beams when they give her a high 5 after she does something new. So far her favorite thing is to throw the water toys in the water (a game to get them to go under) and watch as it drops. She reaches down and then waits as one of the twins get it for her - so funny! They also play "ring around the rosey" - another example of her not giving in - she DOES NOT fall down. She simply watches everyone else go under like they are fools, I have yet you capture the facial expression when they "fall down" - it is like she is disgusted with them. Funny, but a little scary - already she is so stubborn!

The AF Pool

There are a ton of great things for the kids to do in the summer time. We live in an area where you really could do something almost everyday, today we went to the American Fork Pool. Reva, my good friend and neighbor came along with her twins Andrew and Anthony, two boys that are so fun and we are certain if we still live close will be one of Emma's future boyfriends. hahaha! Sarah, a cute little neighbor girl, that is one of Emma's only girlfriends came with us too. (I am serious, we have SO MANY boys in the neighborhood, but only 2-3 little girls her age!)

The kids had a blast! They were immediately all over, running, splashing and "swimming"! Andrew and Anthony took swim lessons last year, so they were way brave with their "head dunking" while Sarah was the bravest on the blue covered slide - she continued up and down that slide a good part of the day. The BIG red slide was not something we ventured on today - 5 kids, 2 adults (one very pregnant) - maybe next time!

Carson was funny too, he saw the water and was so excited, but then he realized we were going in and clung onto me like a baby monkey - sometimes I think he is trying to climb back inside! After lunch and a little water warm up he was a little more excited, but still glued to my hip - which is fine with me, he is so dang cute! By the end he was having a great time too, even going down the little slide, with help of course. But I was glad, because Jared thought I should leave him home - but I always feel bad, leaving him and taking Emma - just because he is young doesn't mean he can't have fun too - I did take Emma when she was that young... so thanks little buddy for helping me not regret my decision! Also - Thank goodness his cast is water-proof, that makes life so much easier!

It was so relaxing to sit in the pool and visit with Reva. The kids are at a nice age, where they are happy to play on their own, so we stayed close, but were able to visit and relax ourselves. Whoever invented "kiddie pools" and "beach entrances" is a genius!


Thanks for the fun everyone, we will plan another trip really soon!!!

WAY BEHIND!

It is funny how much can happen in a month of no posting... I am going to catch up soon - hopefully before the baby, wish me luck!

Until then...

Happy 4th of July Everyone!!!

Yesterday Carson had a little spill. He likes to try to get in the shower with me and in his attempt to visit me the floor got wet and he slipped. He cried for a little but, we thought he may have bumped his head or just got scared. Then we noticed he was favoring that leg. He actually had sprained that leg about a month ago when I mopped the floor - taking another spill on the wet. Anyway, we decided we would "watch" it and see Monday if there has been any improvement. That afternoon we were over at Jared's parent's house and he wanted to get down and play with some toys on the floor. He took a few steps (which was really the first time since his morning accident that he had even given a try) and fell almost immediately. His cry was way more severe this time and we decided to take him to Urgent Care right away. After an xray and exam they let us know he had broken his leg - in two different places! He has a spiral fracture at the base of his Tibia and a straight fracture in the middle of the Fibula. Because of the type of fracture and the placement in the bone, they sent us to Primary Children's Hospital in SLC to meet with a Pediatric Orthopedic Specialist. After a few hours there they concluded that neither fractures were in the area of the growth plates and his healing should be straight forward. They let us know that they didn't expect any long term problems or growth issues - which were were so grateful for.

We kind of think that his Spiral fracture may have happened in the morning with the shower - because the doctor's said that is the more painful of the fractures, but only when pressure is placed on the foot (which he didn't all day). Then his fall at Grandma T's house probably is what happened to the Fibula, because I heard a pop when he fell - the Fibula is not a weight bearing bone and it was trying to do all of the work and with all the pressure plus another fall, it couldn't take it either.

Regardless, he is in a hard splint now, to let the swelling go down and watch for a few little issues that can come from his kind of breaks. Wednesday he should get his cast on and start a 5 week healing period. Until his cast is on he is supposed to be immobile - which is already bugging him.

He is doing good though and we expect to have a completely healed up little boy in time for the baby to come. Wish us luck in the next week!

The bottom photo is a teddy bear his nurse gave to him to hold on to while his splint was put on, a process nobody was looking forward to. The wrap on his teddy's leg is the same design as his splint. Carson of course, just wanted to play with the big tag on his ear. Since it has gotten to our house, Emma has volunteered to take care of the bear until Carson feels better.

Suburban For Sale

My in-laws have recently been called as mission Presidents to Russia and leave at the end of the month. They have an awesome Suburban that they are going to sell before they go - apparently shipping a Suburban to Russia is a little impractical. So if you or anyone you know is interested give them a call, it is a great car and perfect for a growing family and anyone wanting to tow anything - I am pretty sure it could tow your house away if you wanted it to. Below is a great description and some pictures.

This is a 1997 Chevy Suburban with 143ooo miles on it with a clean title, no accident and no mechanical problems. It has been very well taken care of with regular maintenance and very clean inside and out. It has great tires, fairly new brakes and a GREAT tow package. It seat 9 when needed and 8 very comfortably with a great trunk/storage in the back (as seen in picture). It has CD/tape player, power windows, power doors, luggage racks, side-step railing, zone-air conditioning, floor mats, directional function on rear-view mirror, trip odometer, cruise control, and tilt.

It is a great Suburban and priced nicely to sell - only $5,900! If you have any questions or would like to take a look, call Teri 801-224-3884.

Mother's Day with Jason Mraz!

I know this is about a month late, but I only recently acquired these pictures from the only person prepared enough to bring a camera on a little vacation to Vegas!

A few months ago a couple friends and I discovered that Jason Mraz (our mutual boyfriend) would be playing in Vegas - not looking at the date, time, day of the week, we quickly purchased tickets and started planning a little Girl's Overnighter to Vegas.

After all was purchased and planned Jared pointed out that it was Mother's Day Weekend that we would be gone... opps! Then the calendar for that month started to be planned and we found out the same weekend was when my in-laws were asked to speak for the pseudo-fair well talk (they are leaving for Russia is 3 weeks)...double opps! Not to mention the show was at 11:55 pm on a Saturday (we only really saw Saturday when purchasing) and so the concert did go into the next day - we actually didn't put that together until Dr. Payne asked about it a few days before we left (one of his daughters came too and he was concerned for her salvations hehehe)...triple opps! BUT DON'T WORRY - three strikes doesn't mean your out, when your tickets were purchase and trip was planned FAR before anything else... so off to Vegas we went!

Melissa, Leanne and I left Saturday morning and road tripped down to Vegas - we took the van, so I had planned for movies and everything for our entertainment, but really we had a fun time just visiting the entire way down. It is amazing for all the time we spend together at work, we still had PLENTY to talk about for our trip.

We stayed at the Tropicana - getting there mid day with plenty of time to wander around Vegas (getting creeped out by Donny and Marie in the mean time), spend some money, donate to the Casinos (some of us were more charitable then others) and even take a dip in the pool (with some very yucky drunk Marines - that is all there is going to be said about that - they were YUCKY!!!).

Then after a great dinner (and dessert), we got over to the Palms (The Great and Spacious Building) and prepared for the whole reason for our visit - JASON!!!

Melissa and I (along with our friend Becky, who didn't come to Vegas with us) had seen him in SLC a few months ago and were waiting for another great performance... he did not disappoint!

There was plenty of amazing hip and leg action (he seriously is the SEXIEST dancer I have ever seen!), lots of great music and even special guests!!! Both of his duet partners were there to preform with him - including Colbie Caillat, who sings Lucky with him!!! It was amazing!

We really had such a great time - we were a little in over our heads when it came to lack of sleep though - the concert didn't even start until 1 am (Utah Time) and we didn't get into our hotel room until about 4 am (Utah Time). Apparently when you are pregnant - sleep is a NEED not a want, both Leanne and I are both pregnant, but we were troopers! Needless to say we were really tired the next couple days - BUT IT WAS WORTH IT!!!

What I learned from this weekend...

1) While driving in Vegas - look straight ahead and nowhere else, if you can't look straight ahead (for one reason or another - not to ever be mentioned again!), turn at the next block - there is simple nothing else to do!

2) While there are nice, pretty things in Las Vegas - it is not a vacation for families... not husbands, not sons, not daughters, nobody - bad!

3) If you are in a hot tub and 2 boys with tatoos and beer come to get in also - IMMEDIATELY excuse yourself and say you were just leaving... it will save you a lot of time and annoyance!

4) If you are in love with a famous star - do not "Google" or try to find out information about them, they are better in your head. They don't swear or smoke pot, they cut their finger nails and they eat whatever you want them too.

5) No matter how short the trip or how hard Jared laughs at my packing skills - three girls are going to fill up the trunk of a van with luggage!

Still after all the fun, I am so glad I went and shook my Baby Belly in front of the Las Vegas audience in the Palms!

Thanks girls I had the BEST time!

Don't Tell Jared!

Every once in a while I lose my debit card - now is one of those times! I know why I do it - it is because I don't consistently put it back in my wallet and then it put it in my pocket or dump it into my purse and then it runs away because of neglect. Most of the time I find it in a pocket or in the depths of my purse in a fairly timely matter... but it has been a few days and I am starting to miss it.

I can't put "Missing" posters up, in fear that Jared will realize what has happened and then I will get "the talk" about responsibility when it comes to money and credit... I can recite it for you if you would like.

So if you are with me when I write a check or pay with change, now you know why. It isn't because I have been sucked back a decade, it's because I have lost one of my best friends - MY CARD!!!