Details of our exciting day

Shayla loving on her new little sister

Dad and Aria bonding

Our happy family of six now

Mommy and Aria

Liam and Ammon having adventures at the hospital Coming home outfit

I went in to get induced on Friday, Aug 28th, in the morning. I took a couple of pills that are supposed to jumpstart things and nothing worked. So I started pitocin around 3:30pm-ish and had the baby at 6:10pm. I went too fast for an epidural, but did get a different shot in the spine that numbed me up so much I felt like my legs and stomach weren't mine...I loved it! Aria was born sunny side up, and all in all we are fine and dandy and back home today.


The kids came to visit us while we were there (special thank you's, hugs and kisses to Colleen and Grandma J for watching our little sweeties for us!!) a couple times, and both times Shayla wanted to hold Aria the whole time, while Liam and Ammon preferred scoping out the hospital room for adventures. We also had other special visits from family and friends, and it was so great to see everyone! We love you guys!


Josh was a great labor coach and switched into his role as sleep deprived dad very well. Aria seems to love the party lifestyle, being up all night and sleep during the day. Maybe if I would've done that kind of life the last few weeks of pregnancy she'd be on the right schedule now. Hm..something to think about for the next one...wait..next one?!


All in all, it's wonderful not to be pregnant anymore, and to have this sweet angel in our family. Josh gets to be home for a week now and help out, and I think we'll have a fun week of adventures ahead of us for sure. Yay!

She's arrived!!

Aria Belle was born on Friday August 28th at 6:10pm!! Yay!! She was 8 lbs 2 ozs and 20 inches long. She's the sweetest baby ever, of course! Just the darkest and prettiest eyes, cute and petite little features, and a cry that can drown out any sound her siblings could create. I've tried about ten times to upload pictures of her on here from the internet connection at the hospital but something is wrong and I can't do it, so I will upload them from home tomorrow, with more details about the fun-ness of delivery and being a family of six now. Wow. We are blessed!

Umm...No comment

Background to this conversation: I'm 40 weeks and 3 days pregnant, sitting on the couch after church (me leaving early, I couldn't make it past sacrament meeting...sorry..)

Josh: Oh, did you hear Vanessa R. had her bab...
Laura: Don't even tell me...*sigh*....ok....when?
Josh: This morning.
Laura: That's nice (in a very polite tone of course). She wasn't due for 2 more weeks. (again, a very pleasant voice..lol)
Josh: I wonder how Leanna and Alex are doing....
Laura: She probably had her baby too (she's due Aug 28th)
Josh (thinking out loud, still not aware of the venom headed his way): Maybe I'll call them this afternoon and see how they're doing.
Laura: How about how I'M doing? Maybe you should give me a blessing or something? (ok maybe a little sarcasm is sneaking into my otherwise angelic voice)
Josh (a little apprehensive): Um...Do you need a blessing?
Laura: (dripping with acid, I have to admit it) DO I?????
Josh: I think what you need is an exorcism.

Clear From California

Our awesome friends from California came to visit for a couple days--Mike and Teesha, and their three kids, Samantha, Jacob, and Makenzie. Our kids had a hay day playing with them from sun up to sun down, and we parents felt a little like Jon and Kate plus 8 (pre-breakup) with all the little ones under foot.

Ammon bonded with Mike, following him around everywhere and referring to him only as "my best buddy". The girls had fun playing princess while the boys trucked around looking for manly activities.

Mike was even able to stabilize our shelves in the garage that had been leaning a little worse than the tower of Pisa, and now it feels great to have them bolted down and secured. (see what happens when you visit us? We put you to work!)

Teesha and I tried to be pre-child wild, staying up Monday night until about 3am talking, but since we are both very much post-child-sleep-deprived-already, we were draggin the next day and making regular visits to my personal live-in physican, Dr. Pepper. We even tried to play games like old times, but Rummikub ended up being a lesson in numbers and matching for the older kids and stacking and throwing for the younger ones. Things are very different three kids ago for us both, but we wouldn't give up our kids for anything. They keep us young!

It was a great trip, and ended with a short visit to Cabela's, a shrine to all things holy for Mike. It was his first visit, and he was drooling...and the kids all enjoyed looking at the stuffed real animals (the dead zoo as Kayrena calls it). We loved having them over and hope to see each other more often than every 3 years. We miss you guys!!

Cutest Apron EVER

I made that ruffle apron yesterday (don't make fun, I'm nesting ok?!) that I posted a few weeks ago, and I think it turned out SO CUTE! So course, I'm showing it off. Here it is. Love it! And I managed to only eat one Snickers bar through the whole thing. Nice huh? (um, that's not my body, that's Josh's pillow the apron is on. You don't want to see it wrapped around this body)

The Baby Shower of the Year!

A few of my sweet friends treated me to a wonderful baby shower last week. Colleen, Kayrena, and Sarah worked like busy bees and planned the most relaxing and enjoyable evening ever. There were massages for everyone (wow!!!), beautiful and tasty treats of all kinds (I can't even narrow down my favorite), fabulous friends, and hilarious games. Everyone also made scrapbook pages for the baby book..what a great idea! I was treated like a queen for sure that night and wish we ladies could all have an evening like that about once a month! We deserve it right?

Thank you thank you thank you from the bottom of my little heart to my ultimate party planners (I love you guys!) and my sweet friends and family that came (love you too!) I just feel so spoiled and now I'm more ready than ever for this little baby to come...*drumming fingernails*

The party planners-Sarah, Kayrena and Adelaide, me, Colleen

Marci, Allyson, Denise getting ready for the games

Juliet and Adrina during the choco-poo game

Jenn, Kristi, Shauna-- post massage?

Ali and Anna relaxing and enjoying