Easter, The Baskets

The Easter Bunny hides the basket from the kids. So Easter morning the kids have to wait to go downstairs and search for their baskets. Love seeing those girls with curlers in their hair - so cute! Caroline received Elsa. So impossibly hard to find that barbie in the stores. Maddie Mae received Flynn Ryder. Topher received the most Easter-y thing you can, The Witch King.

Easter, Dying Eggs

My mother-in-law, Pat, thinks my children have had a neglected life. I have never dyed eggs with them. She set out to remedy that this year.

I watched from the couch. I have to say, I have no intention of ever dying eggs with them. If grandmas/mimis want to help save my children from a life of depervation they may, but I will not sign up for that mess willingly!

My 29th Birthday

I am not huge on parties. And I know that even after 9 years of marriage Tyler is still slightly confused as to why I don't really care what I do or get for my birthday, but I don't. This year however was my 29th birthday. I figured it is the last year in my 20s, my last year to still be considered young, so I wanted to celebrate.

For my birthday I wanted to celebrate all week. Kicking it off the weekend before my birthday by going out with Tyler's family. I requested J Dogs for dinner and Captain America for entertainment. Friday night we went out. I can't prove this, but Pat bought the tickets for the movie and I know how ready she is to see her new little grand baby, but our seats were way up top. So after walking up and down the stairs (I am pregnant, you have to go to the bathroom during the movie with someone sitting on your bladder) a few times I just didn't feel right. 

The next day we met Tyler's family for ice cream. It was close to the hospital and I asked Tyler if he minded if we ran over and I got checked out by Labor and Delivery. An hour later I was in full labor. They loaded me up and transferred me via ambulance to Utah Valley in Provo where they have a more equipped NICU. They loaded me up with a litany of drugs to stop labor and after four hours of labor it began to slow down. 

I had an ultrasound the next morning that showed he was footling breech and they (the team of doctors I met down there) felt uneasy about letting me go home. So, I was put on hospital bed rest until I delivered or he flipped. 

I spent my actual birthday there...a total of seven nights and six days. How totally boring. He flipped Friday morning and I was released to continue bed rest at home. This was week 32 of this pregnancy. A little early for him to make his grand entrance into the world.

Here are some pictures of the one visit the kids took to my hospital room. Kids and hospitals are just a bad idea. Chairs with wheels, buttons galore and cupboards full of things we don't have at home just makes for a bad combination. I think this visit lasted around 20 minutes. 

 I should throw this in though, there are only two Krispy Kreme shops in Utah. One in the airport and one rather close to the hospital. I did get a dozen donuts for my actual birthday. So perhaps it wasn't a total loss!

Happy Birthday Topher

Topher turned 7 this year! One more year and I will have a kid baptized and in cub scouts! Tyler actually enjoyed cub scouts so Topher, at the very least, will pass off cub scouts. Personally I think it has something to do with pine wood derby.
Anyways, I am not sure I took any pictures of Topher opening his presents. If I did I will add them as I find them, but he recieved money, Ranger Rick, Darth Vader (that Maddie Mae uses with her barbies as a dad), football cards, and a few other things.
This year Topher had one request, not for a gift, but a cake. A Star Wars cake. He wanted it to be half chocolate for the Dark Side and half vanilla for the Jedi. I was actually impressed with that so I agreed. Tyler and I stayed up way later than I like and messed with fondant for the first time. I have to say that the homemade cake (chocolate cake had 2 cups of brown sugar) was totally awesome. And it didn't look too bad either!
I enjoy birthdays. It causes you to reflect on the time you have had with the kid and time time you will have with the kid. Topher finishes first grade in three weeks. He is growing up so incredibly fast. Sometimes I love that I have this big kid to play with. Who reminds me that I need to be sitting down because I am on bed rest. Who when he helps out around the house is actually useful. But I really miss baby and toddler Topher too. He was the best baby I could possibly have had. He made my transition to motherhood easy. I will have to quote my mom and say, "I just thought I was a great mom." He slept throught the night by 3 weeks old! He was happy, thoughtful, and kind. He is still those things just with a little more sword chopping and football tackling! He is such a blessing to us and I am so incredibly glad he is my son.

My Springtime Ranting

One thing I really dislike about living in Utah are the springs. Spring was always my favorite season in the south. I loved seeing everything come back to life. The bright greens and flowers (tulips, pear trees, azaleas, dogwood trees, wisteria, everything seems to bloom). Yes, there are cool wet days, but for the most part you are able to enjoy blue skies and warm sun. But, here in Utah we have a day in the 60s followed by a week of snow. I am so sick of snow. It is April 1st and it is snowing! On top of the snow I have allergies I never had in the south. So I find myself looking for jobs in the south from January through April. I know in the next 30 days winter will leave us for good, but I am just so sick of being in the house with my kids.

As I said you find a rare day in March and April that is pretty. Those days we forget homework and chores and spend as much time soaking up vitamin D!