Happy Birthday, BO!

Oh my sweet, sweet Boden. I can't believe you're one! You light up my life and bring peace and comfort to me daily. Your sweet demeanor is just what I need! There is something about you that is so out of this world. I'm amazed by your calm personality. It is a constant reminder to me of what life is all about. There is no reason for contention, the need to rush through life or for irreverence. Those are just a few things that your peace teaches me.

Thank you for balancing out our family so well. You melt my heart. 

Here are a few of your latest accomplishments:

You walk! 

You are eating everything we eat.

You LOVE to snuggle with Lucas.

You also love to play chase with him around the house - but you're not so fond of him picking you up.

You weighed in at 25lbs, 8oz

height: 2'5.5"
You have 8 1/2 teeth.

You love bath time and RUSH to the bathroom at the sound of running water.

You LOVE LOVE LOVE music and dancing.

You love watching airplanes and being outside.

Your favorite thing to do is put things on your head. Hats, blankets, shirts, cups... anything and everything goes on your head.

You say Momma, Dadda, when looking for something, you hum to my tune, "Passie, where are you?" You blow and say "tah" for Hot.

You love to point to my nose and eyes.

Every day you learn new things and it is so fun to watch.

I love you, handsome boy.

Happy Birthday!

hugs&kisses,

"mommy"

10 Months

Oh sweet baby Bo, you are getting to be SO fun and SUPER active! You just weighed in at 24.5 lbs - but the funny thing is, I think you look like you're slimming down! You crawl everywhere and FAST with the most perfect form, might I add. You pull up onto all things vertical. Walls, chairs, you name it. Today I found you in the dish washer. You are keeping me on my toes, That's for sure. I love it when you follow us from room to room. You love chasing Lucas around and look like you're just begging for him to play with you. He loves it too. He says you're like a puppy. (He's always wanted one!) You're better than a puppy. You will someday grow to be Lucas' buddy and will be able to run and play with him.

You are learning and doing so much. You clap and say "Ga Ga Ga" Which to me sounds like "Clap, Clap, Clap!" You just learned to dance and showed off your skills during the sacrament hymn today. You say Mama and have for a while. That was your first word. If all that doesn't impress you, listen to THIS: You know how to WHISTLE! You are constantly pursing up your lips and blowing which makes the cutest little whistle. I have yet to get it on camera.

What melts my heart most is your sensitivity. You are such a softie. If you hear a loud noise, you look to me to make sure it's ok. You startle so easily. When you are getting into something you shouldn't, I say "Boden, please don't do that." in a soft voice, and what do you do? You look at me, wrinkle up your face and sob. It's like you already know what punishment is. I have to apologize to you every time I ask you not to do something. It's pretty pathetic/adorable. 

This summer has been action packed with trips, camping, family in town and reunions. You don't like when you're not in your crib and with all the new environments, you have been very clingy to Momma.  I am 100% okay with that. You are also teething and I can tell you're just uncomfortable. You love Ice and I often freeze bananas for you to chew on.

You will be walking very soon - I can feel it. (and I am scared) Please go easy on me.

hugs & kisses,

"mommy"

Oh my goodness. Mr. Boden, you are half way to your YEAR mark! 

You are sitting up, jabbering tons, you love to eat Momma's face and love every second Lucas is in the room. :)

You weighed in at 20lbs 4oz and are 2' 2.5" long. 

You  love solids and right now your favorite foods are sweet potatoes and yogurt. You smile in-between bites and wait in anticipation for the next. You have let me know more than once that green beans are not on the preferred list by blowing them right back at me. They're my favorite, so I'm determined to change your mind. :)

Here are some of your latest photos as well as a couple from your 6 month shoot.

First Time in Grass:

 "Beach BUM"

We love you, Bo Bo! Happy 6 months!

hugs & kisses,
"mommy"

Family Home Evening at the Seattle Temple.

Dear Boden, 

I hope that you can learn the teachings of the gospel and have a good understanding of where you are from and where you are going. As members of the church, we have such assuring blessings of clarity. Heavenly Father sent us here knowing that we would have a hard time. He knew there would be people around us making bad choices and he also knows that we will make bad choices at times. That's why he sent us the scriptures to teach us about Christ and his atoning sacrifice. He wants us to return to him and misses us more than we can comprehend. He is proud of you, just like your Daddy and I are. I know that he has a special love for you. Please remember this. Also remember that the closest place to heaven on earth is the temple. Please make it a goal to get there. Your Dad and I worked hard to get there so that we could start an eternal family. We have seen great blessings by staying temple worthy. I have also had many, many answers from Heavenly Father in the temple. I hope that you can build a relationship with God and make and KEEP sacred covenants with him. You will be blessed as I have in my life. 

I love you, sweet Boden. I want the best for you and this is why we teach you these things. The BEST that life has to offer can be found when we work hard to remain worthy of the temple's blessings. 

hugs & kisses,

"mommy"

5 months old!

There is not a day that goes by when I don't think about just how happy I am to have you. Every time you wake from your nap, you give me HUGE snuggles and nuzzle right into me while squeeling. You are such a happy boy. You're always so excited to see your Momma. It melts my heart. 

You are 5 months now!
You are starting to sit up, eating solids... We started with Bananas and rice cereal. You aren't too crazy about the cereal, but you LOVE bananas, carrots and pears. I have to be careful with bananas because I don't think your system is quite ready to digest them. ;)

You weigh 19.5 lbs and are in the 98th%. I am so glad to see you growing and eating so well. 

You sleep through the night, sometimes getting up just once. This is a Mother's dream. Thank you for being such a wonderful boy!

Your brother LOVES you so much. He can't keep his hands off you! He's always talking to you and assuring you that everything is ok. He is a great helper and always brings you diapers and loves teaching you things like: rolling over, which tractors do what and sings you songs.

We love you so much, Baby Bo!

hugs&kisses,

"mommy"

you.

There's nothing more fulfilling than watching you so calm and comfortable in my arms. You often times fall asleep staring into my eyes. I'm the last thing you see when you fall asleep and the first thing you see when you wake. I love that you need me and want me. I know you'll grow out of it - so I'm cherishing every second of your dependency. Rocking you is oh so therapeutic. Nothing calms me down more than having you in my arms.

There are things that come along with your dependency. You get to come to work with me, you are at countless basketball games sleeping in your car seat while I play, you get to run every errand and sometimes cook right in my arms.

You are 3 months old already! Time flies. I am proud to say that you are already 17 pounds! That's wonderful! Lucas was a much different baby - very skinny so I'm glad to have a baby to squeeze! You sleep through the night and have from the start! This is every Mother's DREAM. Your record is 12 hours but usually you sleep 9-12 hours. There is not a day that goes by that I don't thank you for sleeping so well. :) Yesterday I got you chuckling! You have been trying to laugh but no noise comes out. You figured it out - and it's the best sound ever!

I want you to know how grateful I am for you. I hope that you can understand just how deep a Mother's love is someday. Please know that I am here for you. All your life I'll cheer you on and do everything I can to help you through this. It's not easy. I know you're coming to the world at a very scary time - I'm prepared to see you through. I'll help you learn gospel principles that are sure to bless your life.

Thank you for coming to our family, sweet Boden. I can't imagine my life without you.

hugs&kisses,

"mommy"

Your Birth Story

I had plans for the weekend. Like pumpkin patching, hanging curtains, laundry catch-up and birthday parties. None of that happened. Unless you count the unexpected birthday that was celebrated at Valley Medical Center on Sunday afternoon.

I was 37 1/2 weeks along. It was a peaceful Saturday morning. We cooked a big family breakfast and lined up our plans for the day. Meanwhile, I had been having contractions 3-4 minutes apart. This wasn't rare. I have had them a ton throughout the pregnancy, but they started to get more and more uncomfortable. I couldn't discount them because with Lucas I felt no pain until my water broke - and he came in just 2 short hours. I'm not a fan of highway deliveries, so we packed our things and headed to the hospital.

I met my midwife in Triage where she checked and I was 4cm dilated and 80% effaced. This could mean anything, so she sent me on a walk to see what my body would do within the hour. I dilated some more and contractions were now right on top of each other, so she checked me into a room. After which, everything slowed down. Here I was dilated to a 7, still constant contractions - but less painful and checked into the hospital. Was I wasting time? I had things to do today!

This is where I start to cry. Not because of anything labor related. I had this image in my head of Lucas standing at the door, rain boots on, emergency over-night-back-pack strapped on his back, ready to come with us to get the baby. -Which is exactly how we left him. I started to feel like we were doing something wrong to Lucas by having another. I worried that he felt left out. He missed out on the pumpkin patch that he had so looked forward to which didn't help matters. My midwife is probably excited to deal with me now in tears, hubby confused with my emotions and I'm ready to go home and cancel this whole have-a-baby thing so I can hug my son and make him happy.

After much struggle, *emotions were in check*

back to the matter at hand...

Because I was still 2 1/2 weeks early, they hesitated to "help" the labor process. So, I went to bed. Jimmy and I slept beautifully. I woke up angry that I had slept in until 7:30 and that there was no progress. I walked that hospital like never before. Jimmy and I did stairs where we even almost got locked in the stairwell! There may have been a jumping jack or 2 somewhere in there as well. ;)

...Still contracting, but pain was minimal and no water breaking... Midwife takes matters into her own hands and strips my membranes. ...More walking... more nothing...

I thought back to the words from the blessing Jimmy gave me before we left. "WHEN THE TIME COMES, you will have a smooth delivery."
ANNOYED.

I was fine if the baby wasn't ready to come. I just didn't want to go home being dilated to a 7/8, completely thinned and wait for my water to break so I could rush back to the hospital. We debated, we waited and by 1pm Sunday we came to the decision to break my water. 

Just like Lucas, after the water broke the active labor only took about 2 hours. The pain was unmistakable and so intense. There's nothing that can describe it. No drugs this time-but I had Jimmy! He really helped me through the pain, as did my 2 Moms right by my side. I was not very responsive at the time, but I am so grateful for them! Jimmy was able to be very hands-on and he liked that. When it was time to push, the midwife let him jump right in, catching and handing me the baby. He delivered the placenta and even proceeded to dissect it. (Sounds disgusting - but that's my Biology major husband - and somehow to me it was cute.) We talked about how some people eat it in foreign countries or save it to plant a tree in... I know - I'm taking this afterbirth thing a little far. Jimmy thought it was pretty cool. 

What came from that complex little bag was life. I was so glad to be able to take my time with him after he was born to snuggle him and meet him for the first time. He didn't cry much. His eyes were wide with wonder as he stared into mine. He was completely calm and limp laying on my chest. This was the moment I realized that blessings come through sacrifice. That this immense pain that I just went through was to bring forth a blessing. A blessing that was LONG awaited and prayed for. I remember several times during hard labor, looking to my Mom and Mother-in-law in between contractions and asking, "why does it have to be this way?" or "why would anyone want to go through this?" My Mother-in-law came by my bedside and said something like, "we wouldn't know true blessings if we didn't know the pain." Our Father in Heaven made things this way. Life is one of the greatest blessings of all. Women carry babies for 9 months, some with agonizing pain and sacrifice. Labor is not supposed to be easy. Nor is any trial we go through. In this case the reward was so great, so the pain had to match it, I guess.

After over 24 hours at the hospital, 2 hours of intense pain and much anticipation, Boden is here.

We are so grateful for this addition to our family. He is perfect in every way. Here are some of his stats:

Born: 10/23/11 at 3:11pm

Size: 7lbs, 7oz  18 1/2" long  34cm head circumference

Appearance: Fair skin/hair - he looks strawberry blonde right now :) 

Interests: He's nursing like a champ and LOVES to sleep!

When Lucas met him he asked, "Is your name Santa Claus?" and Boden shot him a scowl. Lucas thought that was pretty funny. Boden has a brother who is head over heels for him and wants to be part of everything. Lucas even took the "first bath" with Boden. (Boden pooped in the water which made the moment *extra* special)

Faye and Mom

 Lucas: not sure what's going on

Welcome to the family, little Boden. We sure do love you!