Our little Man

What a handsome man.

Our little Ethan is turning into such a little man. He is so cute and we love having a little boy around the house. I have to admit it's a bit different than a girl, but I love every bit of it. I also have to admit that changing diapers is a bit more difficult than changing a girls. I seem to be the only one that thinks that but there is just to much to worry about. Yes, I have been peed on a few times and every time I just have to laugh, because when it happens I just freeze I don't know what to do. By the time I find something to cover it he's done and we are both wet. It's pretty funny and very different from a girl. If I can remember correctly I don't think Hollie ever peed when I was changing her diaper, I guess I was lucky.
As I said in a couple posts back I would tell you about what we have been going through with Ethan. He has been a pretty fussy baby and while my family was here a few weekends back we all decided that we needed to take him into the doctors because there is something wrong. So, on Monday March 24th I took him in and we were able to see the doctor. We went over his signs and symptoms, which are, contiual crying (screaming) when he eats and after he eats. His body stiffins when eating and he turns red. He was very gassy and his poop wasn't the normal color, yellow. His was dark green and we knew that wasn't to good either. He wasn't sleeping at night and would just cry, nothing would sooth him. It was breaking our hearts and we new something wasn't right. We switched his formula from Enfamil to Good Start because we were told that was really easy on the stomach. Well, it didn't help him and we were kinda lost at what to do next. So thankfully this doctor was able to help us and wanted to run some tests. He feared that Ethan had blood in his stools so he tested that and thankfully it came back negative. He also wanted us to get an x-ray of Ethan to see what his bowels looked like and if they were positioned the way they were suppose to. Oh my heavens, our little guy was only 3 weeks old and he had to get all this stuff done, it just broke our hearts. Without the x-ray done yet, the doctor came to the conclusion that Ethan has a protein allergy to the protein in milk and that is what's making his stomach upset. So away he sent us with this wonderful formula called Neutramigen and it's $27 for a small 16oz can!! Ryan and I said, if it works and helps him it's TOTALLY worth every penny. I just can't believe that they can charge that much for such a small can. So far he has done great! He is sleeping better at night, not so fussy during the day and he is definetly not as gassy and his poop has turned the right color. I know you all wanted to know that, haha. Anyway, he is doing great and will sit in the swing and not cry. Oh, I also took some advice from friends and put him in the swing at night and boy does he love that. He doesn't like his bassinet, so the swing and bouncy chair are heaven sent.
Ethan is also quite the eater! This kid started eating about 2 ounces when he was born. We are now at 4 ounces every 3 hours. It takes all we can to push him to 3 hours, it sometimes falls at 2 1/2. He is getting so chubby, especially his cheeks, and he is just so cute. I love chubby kids. My brother and I were both chubby kids, so we love it. His thighs are getting little rolls and so are his arms. We love his cute little double chin too. Anyway, here are a few pictures. Enjoy

I caught him giving a smile. It was so cute and perfect!!!

Oh, how sweet. I just love it.

My Baby Girl is 2!!

Oh my goodness, where does time go? I cannot believe that today our little Hollie turns 2. She has always been my baby and now she is showing LOTS of signs of being a little independent girl. I clearly remeber the day we saw her in the hospital, 3/31/06. She was absolutely beautiful. She had lots of dark hair, cute little chubby cheeks, her skin was so perfect with not one imperfection, her tiny little hands and feet where the cutest things ever and her beautiful blue eyes just glowed. Now she has achieved so many milestones and continues to each and every day. She is so smart. Sometimes she really suprises us with things she knows, it just shows us how observant she is and how well she pays attention. She has been like that since she was born and we have always known she was going to be smart. I love watching her grow and learn it's so much fun. I love trying to teach her new things and then the most rewarding part is watching her do it on her own. She makes me proud and I love her so much. She brings so much joy to my life and I am so grateful that Heavenly Father sent her to us to be her parents. I couldn't imagine my life without her. HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY HOLLIE!!!

A Fun Filled Weekend

This weekend was absolutely fabulous! I don't even know where to begin. Well, I will start from the beginning. My dad and Janene came out this weekend and they arrived on Friday evening. Hollie was so excited to see her Papa she wouldn't let him out of her site. She followed him all over the house and would yell, "Papa" if he wasn't giving her his full attention. It was really funny and we all got a kick out of it. Well, Friday night was a late night because there was a big suprise coming to our house and that was KC and Brookie. My dad was turing the BIG 55 on Sunday and we wanted to suprise him so we flew KC and Brookie down and boy was he suprised!! It was really funny, but that totally made his weekend, he got to have his kids with him all weekend and that was awesome! Saturday was a busy day. We had our family portraits done and then had a combined birthday party for my dad and Hollie. Hollie's isn't unil the 30th but we thought we should celebrate while family was here. We didn't tell my dad it was for him till some family arrived because he didn't want anything. Isn't that a typical man. It was fun and he loved sharing his birthday with his sweet grandaughter. We bought my dad a cake and made Hollie little cupcakes, we figured that would be all she wanted anyway. And to our suprise Hollie loved her cupcake this year. Last year she didn't want anything to do with it and didn't like it one bit. I think she has grown to love sugar. I wonder who taught her that one? I think I may have to take the blame on that, oh well, every girl needs a little sugar and chocolate!

Last year

This Year
Hollie was one lucky girl on Sunday because the cute little Easter bunny came to visit and left a few fun things behind for her. We then went to church came home, hung out as a family, then girls took naps while the boys watched basketball, it was great!! Later on that day we all loaded up and headed over to my Aunt Kathy and Uncle John's for dinner a Easter Egg hunt and a treasure hunt. It was so much fun and Hollie loved finding her eggs. All she wanted to do was open them and eat what was inside. In our beautiful Arizona weather the chocolate in the eggs was quickly melting so it was a quick and fun Easter egg hunt. The treasure hunt was fun too. At the end of the treasure hunt each kid got a big egg and inside the egg was a swimming suite. Oh, the kids couldn't wait to get in the pool. They wanted to swim, but we don't swim on Sunday's so they all had to wait and were very good about it. We tried getting pictures of Ethan and Hollie, but neither one of them really wanted to cooperate. I do have their portraits back and I will post those soon

Hollie in her pretty Easter Dress, oh such a girl!

The Easter Egg hunt

That evening KC and Brookie had to head home to Utah and get back to school and work. We were sad to see them go but were glad that they got to spend the weekend with us. I love you guys lots and miss ya TONS!!!

Sunday night came and Ryan and I were exhausted!! My dad and Janene were so awesome because they took Ethan for the night and let Ryan and I get a good nights rest. It was just what we needed. Ethan has been a bit fussy at nights and it's been a little bit rough. I will explain later.

So, a little suprise came my way on Monday morning when I woke up and that was a morning at the Spa!! Yup, you read that right my dad and Janene took the kids and sent me to the spa for 3 1/2 hours!! It was absolutely fabulous and sooo relaxing it was just what I needed. I got a 1 1/2 hour massage, a facial, manicure and pedicure. Let me just say that I left there feeling like a whole new woman. On my way home I turned the radio on loud and sang "A New Day" from Celine Dion. It was great!! I was sad to see my dad and Janene go, but I knew they had to get back to life and work. I was so glad that they got to come out and hang out for the weekend. They were a great help and thanks again guys for the morning at the spa, I love ya!

Life is Awesome!!

Sorry, it's been awhile since I have last posted. As many of you know 2 children is a bit busier than 1. A quick update. Things are going great!! I am the happiest mom in Gilbert, AZ with my two beautiful children. As I was driving down the road today I was thinking to myself how lucky I am to have these 2 sweet miracles and the biggest smile came across my face and it just stayed there, it was awesome. The same thing happened while is was pushing the double, limo, stroller through the mall carrying Ethan in my arms and pushing Hollie. All I could do was just smile and think to myself life is wonderful!!!!! I take it you all get the point, I am loving life!

A couple things I have learned lately is one, NEVER put your toddlers blanket in the washing machine while she is standing there next to you. Okay, so many of you are probably thinking duh Kerri, what were you thinking. Well, she wasn't looking at the moment and was pre-occupied with something else and that thing NEEDED to be WASHED!! So, I thought what the heck. Oh, that was the biggest mistake I have ever made. Hollie screamed and threw the biggest fit I have ever seen. She kept pounding on the washer and saying nana (that's what we call the blanket we are TOTALLY attached to). I felt horrible. I tried everything to calm her down and the only thing that worked was chocolate milk and smarties. Those lasted long enough to get the blanket out of the washer and in her hands. The blanket never made it to the dryer, but that was ok.

The other thing I learned was NEVER make an appointment for 9am that you have to drive a half hour to. Yes, I was up at 6:30am and thought I will easily be out of the house by 8:30, hahaha. I would have been out of the house but Ethan pooped his diaper, Hollie was way to interested in playing with toys and then I pulled out of the driveway and forgot a paper I needed, oh it was really funny. I sat in the car on my way there and just laughed. I was 15 minutes late, but they understood and I was soo glad. I am learning a few things slowly but surely and one of these days I will get it all right, haha.

Today was a fun adventure and that was taking our adorable kids to get their Easter pics done. Yes, it turned into a 2 hour adventure at JcPenney. I tell ya, I love how they take pictures, but they are always so busy and never on time. With a two week old and a, almost, 2 year old I really didn't have the time to hang out for 2 hours but I did anyway. Well, let me explain. We had our appointment at 2:20, we didn't go back until about 2:50, then once we took the pictures they then have to "modify" them and then put them up on the computer which took another40 min and we didn't leave JcPenney until about 4:15pm. I do have to say that it was all worth it. The pictures turned out ADORABLE and Hollie was so cooperative and cute. I cannot wait till I get them back. I will definetly post a few of my favorites. Well, that's about it. I better get to bed. I think we wore Ethan out today because he is now out cold and I better take advantage of that myself and get to bed. Enjoy the pics and I'll post more soon.

Our sweet little princess. She is such a grown girl.

And now our little prince. He is growing so fast and is getting so big. Isn't he just the cutest thing you have ever seen, we think so.

Such a little man.

We are Home!!!

We made it home! The good news came on Monday evening and we were able to fly out of Salt Lake on Tuesday evening. Let me tell ya, the reunion of returning home was fabulous!! I really missed being gone and away from my home for 4 weeks, but I do have to say that I enjoyed and loved every moment I had to spend with Amanda. It was amazing and I wouldn't have traded that for anything.
The flight home was good. Hollie and Ethan were champs and perfect angels. Hollie has loved being home and has gone through just about every single one of her toys and has just been the happiest girl. Ethan is going great too. Today was a sad day because he got circumsized, but he seems to be doing great and is one tough little guy. We are adjusting well and we are just so happy to be home together as one big happy family.
The kiddos are currently sleeping so I am trying to catch up on a few things. I will attach pictures later. Lots of love.

Pictures

Sorry I didn't post any last time. I had to go because Ethan was hungry and we were all going to bed, so here are some adorable pictures of our little man. Love to you all.

One of these days I will figure out how to do a slide show!!

HE'S HERE!!!!!!!

Ethan Cade Larson has finally made his GRAND arrival into this beautiful world! He arrived on Tuesday March 4, 2008 at 3:53am. He weighed 7 lbs 15oz and is 21 inches long. We are overjoyed with his arrival and he IS the cutest little boy we have ever seen.

As the the last post stated we went in on Monday night to get induced. Those that were there were, me, Ryan, Amanda's roommate Cassidy and ofcourse Amanda. We knew we were in for a long night and we were all prepared. We got there around 6pm and the doctors gave Amanda a medication called cytotec, to help soften the cervix at 8pm. We were told it would take about 4 hours and then they would check her and decide on weither she needed another one or if it was time for pitosin. So we all sat in this BIG delivery room wondering what we were going to do for that amount of time. Well, as many of you know Ryan he doesn't like to sit around. So, he decided we were going to have a little party and he was going to go out and get all the stuff we wanted. His first trip was to the apartment to get Cassidy's pillow, sudoku books and the game phase ten. Then he was off to the grocery store to pick up some propel, candy and whatever else he found. Then his next trip was to Dairy Queen to fulfill all of our Ice Cream cravings and while he was there we decided we wanted pizza too so we called him and off he was to Pier 49 to pick us up some yummy peperoni pizza. I just have to tell you we all about died when he walked through the delivery door with ALL this in his hands, it was quite the picture moment.

Then we gathered around Amanda and played a whole game of phase 10. Ryan wasn't doing the best in the beginning but pulled off the win and made sure he rubbed it in because he was the only boy. During the game we could see Amanda's contractions where becoming a bit more frequent but just not enough. 12:15am came and she was checked again and the doctor said not yet, lets give you another cytotec and we'll be back in another 4 hours to check you. We looked at eachother and thought maybe we should clean up and try to get some sleep. We were the only one's on the labor and delivery floor that night so we pulled 3 of those chairs that turn into beds into the room and had a slumber party for about 2 hours. Amanda was given ambien to help her get some rest and when 2:30 came around her contractions where getting pretty hard and it was time for the good ole epideral. Poor Amanda doesn't remember much because the ambien totally knocked her out, I guess that's a good thing. At 3:30 the doctor (resident) broke her water and at 3:53 our little Ethan entered into the world. Amanda's doctor just barely made it in time. Towards the end the doctor and nurse began to worry because Ethan's heartrate was dropping pretty low and it was time he came out. When he came out he was quite the blue baby, but that didn't last very long. It was because of the ambien they gave Amanda really relaxed him too, but he was good to go after a few minutes. Ryan got the privledge of cutting the cord and loved that. Let me just tell you, that was the most amazing experience ever! It truly is a miracle and amazing how these sweet spirits get here. I was just in awe the rest of the night, it simply amazed me. Ryan, Amanda and I all stayed in the hospital and that was a lot of fun. Everyone was so kind to us and understanding of our situation. They even put a extra room aside so Ryan could sleep on a bed and I could stay in the room with Amanda. The whole process was perfect and I wouldn't have changed a thing.

One of the neatest parts of the whole thing was telling people our story because so many people where asking because it is an unusual relationship we have with Amanda. Ryan and I wouldn't change it for the world. We love her so much and are so appreciative of her and for what she has done and given these two precious little angels. I truly feel that these children where to be ours no matter what and just had to come through a different avenue and I couldn't be more grateful that that avenue is Amanda. We love you Amanda so much and are so grateful that you are a part of our family and always will be, thank you.

TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT!!!

Wow! who would have ever thought we would come to this day. Let me give you a quick update on the past two days. As you know from the previous posts Amanda had the flu and so did her roommate. Well, guess what? I got it!!! I have never been sooo sick. Yesterday I couldn't even get off the couch and when I did I felt like I was going to pass out. I had the body aches (all day), fever, chills, stuffy nose, horrible cough, sore throat and no voice. Oh, my goodness it was bad. I am feeling better today and now my body is just sore, I still have a cough and runny nose, but I am going to see if good ole mucinex will help the cough. So, I have been here 3 weeks and I get sick just before Amanda is to be induced, go figure! Then last night our sweet little Hollie decided she was going to get sick and was throwing up! It's been an adventure, but hopefully we can all be better by this evening.
Okay some really exciting news that has helped these days be a little better and that is that my cute adorable husband suprised us and showed up at our front door on Saturday!!!! I couldn't tell you how excited I was. I just wanted to cry because he couldn't have shown up at a better time. I am so glad he has been here, I missed him sooooo much. Now we are just praying that he doesn't get sick because he has been taking care of his two girls.
Anyway, thanks for listening to me, I had to vent a little.
Well, I should get to the title of this post, Tonight is the night. Amanda goes in at 5:30pm to get induced and we should have our little baby sometime tonight or EARLY morning. We are so excited. I have to say it doesn't feel real, but I know it will the second he arrives. Check back soon and hopefully I will have some adorable pictures of our little Ethan. Love to you all and thanks for all your love and support.
Oh, one more thing. Sorry if this is all over the place, my mind is running fast as you could imagine and I just wanted to update you.

February 28

A quick update from Idaho. No baby yet. That's right, we are still waiting for his sweet little arrival. The doctors appointment on Tuesday went good. The doctor tried to get us in for an induction but labor and delivery did not have any openings for us until MONDAY MARCH 3!!!! That's right, we are waiting till then hoping that maybe he will come before then. We did lots of walking on Tuesday and took a short drive to Idaho Falls where there are a few more shops and a bigger mall than here. Other than that we have been relaxing. Amanda came down with the flu, not throwing up, just a really bad cough, runny nose, fever, body aches, the whole thing. So we have been lounging around hoping she will get better soon. She is feeling lots better today and we hope she is on the up swing.
In the meantime our little Hollie went to spend some time with Nana, Ryan's mom. She flew in on Sunday and is staying with her sister in Rexburgh. Hollie went up yesterday and from what I hear she is having the time of her life. I received a picture text last night of Hollie sitting on a stool in the kitchen getting a pedicure and manicure. It's was sooo adorable. I know she is in heaven just loving spending the time with Nana. I spoke with Gayl, Ryan's mom, this morning and they were planning on going shopping and just having a fun day. Thanks Gayl!
Anyway, that's about it here. Amanda and I are going to hang out maybe eat some ice cream and see what else she may be up to. Have a great day and I will post again later.

Still Waiting

So, to give an update on all of our home remedies, NONE OF THEM HAVE WORKED!!!!!!!! We even took her to get acupuncture on Thursday and all that did was give her hard contractions and then, believe it or not, they went away. Well, since we have done every trick up our sleve the contractions have subsided and we are back to square one. I have to be completely honest, yes we are a bit frustrated, but really we have all laughed about it. This boy is one STUBBORN kid and he is going to come when he feels like it!! That's okay, we atleast know he is on his way and will come into this world when HE wants to. I always thought I was a patient person, but this is teaching me more patients along with a darling little princess I have here with me too. I think this whole experience is a patience tester for me and I hope I am passing and doing a good job. All I do know is going through a 9 month pregnancy would be really difficult for me. Hollie was 3 weeks notice and this little guy was 3 1/2 months notice, oh my heavens.
Anyway, like I think I said in the last post we have a doctors appointment on Tuesday and we will see what happens from there. He said he was going to go ahead and induce her if she doesn't have him by Tuesday but we are not sure of the induction date. No worries, I will keep you updated.
So, I have to say that my little Hollie is just the cutest thing ever. I know it's difficult for her to be here because we are in a small apartment and there really isn't much she can do, but we are doing our best. I let her play with my cell phone every so often and today she had my phone and was putting it up to Jesus' ear and saying, "Hello". (They have a small statue of Jesus sitting on their end table). It was the cutest thing ever. I told her that we can talk to Jesus through prayer and then she folded her arms, oh she is such a doll and soooo smart. I want her to know that I love her so much. My favorite part of the day is when we go to bed and I crawl in bed with her (her and I are sleeping on a twin bed together, yes quite the experience with someone who rolls ALL over) and I cuddle up right next to her and put my arm around her. She always puts her hand on my face and leaves it there. I am so grateful for my sweet little angel. I love her so much and just doing that and having her cuddle up with me makes every day worth it. I have to admit that will be something that I will miss when we get home. Hollie is talking so well and knows each one of the girls names here and every time they leave she always says bye. Then when they come home Hollie is right there to greet them. They love her and she loves them. I am grateful to them for making us feel so comfortable and letting us hang out here with them, thanks guys.
Well, I better get to bed. It's late and I need some sleep. Hopefully we have good news tomorrow