Sleeping Baby 6 Days Old

Daddy and Tommy

Tommy's Big Entrance

 September 4, 2015.  I decided after much debate to be induced 3 days early.  I'd stayed awake many nights with regular contractions thinking it was time, only to be disappointed when the contractions stopped a couple hours later.  I was sick of the drama.  Here are a few pics from my bed that I snapped after I'd been hooked up to the IV.  I was trying to get the settings right on the camera and give Devin a crash course in photography.  Turns out I kind of like the photos.  They tell a story.  The empty bassinet that would soon have a baby in it, the hours of watching tv waiting for the contractions to pick up, Devin hanging out at my side.  We started the pitocin around 9am, I got the epidural around 3 and Thomas was born at 5:30 after a few good pushes.  He cried and cried when he first came out.  And we were all surprised to hear he weighed a whopping 9lbs. 12oz.!  That explains why I could hardly walk for my last month. 

 Nothing compares to the feeling of meeting your baby for the first time. 

 Tom and Joan brought the girls in to see their baby brother.  They were so excited and totally smitten. 

 Here are a few pictures from our short 24 hour hospital stay.  It was so crazy in there we had to get out.  But still, it felt like a lifetime.  I love this cute little chubby, brand new face.  Tommy was super good for me in the hospital and has been since.  Sweet, sweet little boy!

Waterton Trip

  Waterton is always worth the effort.  My kids just love their yearly trip up there and I can help but want them to have the same magical summers that I had.  It was a bit challenging physically for me this year being so far along.  There were lots of things going on and lots of adults so if I wasn't feeling well I could usually send them off on an adventure while I hung back at the cabin.  Eva had been talking about her Waterton lemonade stand for and entire year so that that was project numero uno when we got there.  Michelle's boys had built this awesome lemonade stand.  She made 30 or 40 bucks plus a carriage ride that afternoon. 

 We caught the last few days of the Johansen reunion.  It had been years since my last one.  I loved being with all these amazing people.  I was the only grand child from Mable's line.  We have a reunion every year in Waterton plus we all take turns at the cabin so its had to get my cousins to go to all the extended-extended reunions.  But I had a great time reconnecting with second cousins that I knew so well from my teenage and college years.  Ben and Alicia were there with their 6 kids.  They are two of my favorite people in the world.  Alicia was my roommate and Ben was a second cousin that we hung out with a ton during BYU years so it was only natural that they get married, right?  It was so fun to see our kids all play together. 

 

 Eva had always wanted a ride on the International.  My dad has told her multiple times that it's a Johansen reunion tradition.  So when she put two and two together she was so excited.  It was a beautiful night and ride to the head of the lakes.  (It's really just one lake but for some reason we call it head of the lakes.)

 Fun in the tub and fun with old photo albums.  (cousin David and then two of my parents.)

 Then we found out my Uncle Brian and cousins Chelsea and Justin were staying on a houseboat 3 hours away so we went over for the day.  It was super fun! 

 Julie, Ryan and Gracie came for the second week.  Julie was awesome and took my kids pretty much for the week.  They sure love their Auntie Julie! 

 Bike rides, ice cream, shopping trips, McGrath slip n slide, Bear's Hump, boat rides, Red Rock, Pass Creek, more lemonade stands and shopping for silly putty, lots of fun with Jensen and Pollock cousins and Sophie and Sohpie Sue!  What a fun trip!