Stapley Family

SLEEP

2012-01-19T15:59:00.000-08:00

When I was younger I had the wonderful talent of being able to fall asleep anywhere. One of the best places was on our boat under my mom's feet in Lake Powell. People would wonder how I could sleep while it was so bumpy. Like I said it was a gift. As I got older I realized how much I liked sleep. I would try to squeeze in a nap after school before I had to go to work. Needless to say I love to sleep. After marrying me poor Brad came to realize not only do I love to sleep but I am no fun to be around when I don't sleep (a lot of crying and being really emotional and so on).

Well one thing that comes with being a parent is a lack of sleep. I accepted that early on with Ryker. So when I finally felt he was ready to sleep through the night I geared myself up for a lot of sleepless nights, because everyone said it would be hard. So one night when he woke up I went to put his pacifier in and left, he continued to cry and so did I because I felt bad. Half an hour later he was asleep and has slept through the night since.

So for the past 6 months I have been looking forward to the day the twins slept through the night. Well it hasn't happened... Between the two of them we were getting up for feedings ever couple of hours. Remember how I said I am no fun to be around when I am tired. It was starting to wear on me. I decided time for some sleep training. I know how important a night routine is so we have been doing that since they were born. We got ready for bed I kissed them good night and so it began. Now they go to sleep just fine, it is the waking up in the middle of the night we have a hard time with. Later that night when Beckett woke up I went in and gave him his pacifier; he wanted nothing to do with it. Like an article I read said I went in every 15 minutes reassure him, give him his pacifier and leave the room. This lasted from 2:45 to 5:30. It was a really long night.

Well after that it helped I guess... Beckett would fall asleep if I gave him his pacifier however, I was now getting up every half hour to put in someone’s pacifier. Not so great. I don't think my body even remembers how to deep sleep. So I finally decided to go cold turkey, not even go in the room. Beckett got up at 1, I wanted so badly just to go in and give him his pacifier because I knew he would stop. But I stayed strong. Some of you may be judging me, and calling me a terrible mom but they need to learn to sleep and I need to sleep. I woke up every hour and he was still crying, sometimes harder than others, sometimes it was just a little whine. He did this until 5 and I felt horrible...

The next night they slept pretty good and I am hoping it keeps up. The point of this story is I love sleep and if anyone has some good tips I could use send them my way. I have read parts of "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Baby" I don't know how I feel about it. What works for you?

6 Month Monsters!

2012-01-16T18:35:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that my babies have been with us for half a year! Some days it seems like just yesterday we got them and some days it feels like forever! I am not ready for them to be so old.
Beckett the bucket is an eating champ, he LOVES rice cereal. He can roll over and loves to roll around the room. However, he gets very mad if something blocks his way so he can't roll anymore. He hates his car seat and sleeping through the night. He can be very stubborn (he must get it from his dad ;)) He has the cutest smile and is starting to coo a lot more. Jessica says when he laughs he sounds like an old man. He thinks it is funny when we kiss and tickle his chunky cheeks. He is a moose and we love him.
Length: 27.25 inch (75%)
Weight: 15 lbs. 15 oz. (25%)
Head: 43 cm (25%)

Soapy Sophie wants nothing to do with rice cereal. We will put it in her mouth and she just drools it out. She sleeps sometimes other times she doesn't. She loves her mobile and loves to talk to it. She likes to be sitting up, when we are chillin she likes to be up and looking around. She still likes to cuddle which makes me happy because she will fall asleep on my chest. When she wakes up from her nap or in the morning she leans forward and opens her mouth for a kiss. She loves to give wet kisses and I can't get enough of them. I love her big smile she is our princess.
Length: 25.9 inch (50%)
Weight: 14 lbs. 2 oz. (10%)
Head: 42.8 cm (50%)

Twins cane be tough, there are a lot of sleepless nights. I think night time is the hardest time. During the day they give me lots of smiles which make it worth it. They love to hold hands when they lay by each other. I feel like they are aware of what each other is doing. It is fun to see how they interact. Ryker also loves to play with them and bring them toys. One morning I was lying in bed and when I got up to go check on the twins Ryker had put toys in each of their cribs. Ryker will wipe their noses and throw away diapers for me. He is a great big brother and loves his siblings.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2012-01-06T18:29:00.000-08:00

We went to Temple Square with my family. It snowed a little (some of the only snow we have seen this year). It was fun going to dinner and walking around to see the lights. On the 23rd my family had a Christmas party it was fun to get together with the family. Cindy did a back to Bethlehem theme, she had fun crafts for the kids and we had a cousin gift exchange and Santa came. Ryker wanted to get on Santa's lap.

I had a busy month of December, I made 84 Reinbeers (for my family and my mom's friends), 6 sock monkeys, a Christmas head band and tutu for Sophie, 20 neighbors gifts and lots of treats.

For Christmas we opened presents at our house. We had to wake Ryker up; he didn't want to come downstairs because he wanted to get dressed. So he went sulking into his room, it was pretty funny. Brad got some work clothes, a CD, a DVD, and some shoes. I got a Kindle Fire, some clothes, a sweet pot, and some other cooking things. Ryker got some clothes, toys, a bicycle, and a computer. Beckett and Sophie both got toys and some clothes. We had a wonderful Christmas. After we opened presents my family came over for breakfast. I loved having them over. We went to Brad's parents after my family left. Todd called and we got to Skype him, it was neat to see and talk to him.

The week after Christmas Brad had some time off so he spent the week at home. It was fun having him home and we just relaxed. The kids loved having him home and playing with him.

For New Year's Eve we went to my parents’ house. We ate yummy fondue and other treats. Around 10:30 I realized how tired I was, so we did fireworks and went home. Sadly we were in bed at midnight... We must be getting old :) Well we had a great Christmas. Here are some pictures, sorry there are no captions my blog has been loading pictures on funny so I can't see them.

5 months

2011-12-15T16:58:00.000-08:00

Twins are 5 months! They are growing like weeds! They have gone back to waking up during the night, it makes me sad. Beckett has started some solids we tried for the first time the other day. He is getting better at it. He has the cutest smile with one dimple. Sophie tried food but wasn't a fan. She likes to be sitting up. Both can roll from their stomachs to their backs. Both have been pretty close to rolling from back to stomach, so I imagine it will happen soon

Thanksgiving

2011-12-15T16:49:00.001-08:00

For Thanksgiving we went to Park City with my family. It was nice to get away even if it was just to Park City. We nicked a deer on the way up. It was pretty scary and I feel bad for the deer. It only dented the front of our car a little. We were very lucky. While we were up there we played games and shopped and swam. We had a blast!

Halloween

2011-12-15T15:46:00.000-08:00

We had a Halloween party back in October. I love having friends come over and get together. We ate some yummy food and played some games. The costumes and food were great.

Best Friend

2011-12-15T14:48:00.000-08:00

So I thought I would update on one of my best friends. He is pretty stinkin cute! Ryker is such a fun kid. I love being with him. He is my shadow; whatever I am doing he is right there doing it with me. He loves to help me cook; he has to have the apron on, standing on the chair or sitting on the counter. If I am sweeping the floor he is right behind me with the mop helping. When I shower he has to get in and is right under the water with me. When I am getting ready and putting on makeup, he wants some too, much to Brad's displeasure. (Don't worry I don't really put any on him)
When he is sad he says "a hug". One of his first full sentences was to Brad saying "I shot mom in the bum". He had his nerf gun out and shot me. He says quite a few things now. A lot of things I don't understand. Brad has to have me translate a lot of things.
He is a little OCD about something (thanks Jess), the doors have to be closed, certain lights have to be on, his wash cloth has to be in the right spot, and food has to be in the right place and so on. He is also in the stage where he has to pick what he is wearing, Pj’s and clothes alike. I bought him a shirt for family pictures and he refuses to wear it. His favorite shirt is his BYU jersey and if it is clean he has to wear it. He also likes this blue button down shirt.
He is my little man and I love him! He is at such a fun stage in life. Well I took him for a checkup a month ago and here are his stats.
Length: 37 in (90%)
Weight:32 lbs. (96%) (84%)
Head: 51.5 cm

4 Months

2011-11-16T14:57:00.000-08:00

My babies are growing up to fast! Some days it seems like we have had them for ever. Other days I can't believe how much they have grown. They change daily!

Beckett- has a cute smile with one dimple. He is not as willing to share his smiles but when he does it melts your heart. He is easier to get to sleep but tends to wake up more. He sleeps from 10 pm to 7 am. He loves when daddy tickles him under his chin and has a funny little laugh. He has more of a temper and turns red when he is mad. He loves to cuddle his blankets and has to hold it and snuggle his nose into it. He is very active and always kicking his legs.

Length- 25.5 in (68%)

Weight- 13 lbs (10%)

Head- 41.25 cm (24%)

Sophie- Has a huge smile and will share it with almost anyone that will talk to her. She loves to talk, Brad was trying to get her to take a nap and she just sat there and talked and talked. She will also laugh when tickled, her laugh sometimes sounds like she is going to cry. She loves her mobile and will talk to it on a regular basis. She is harder to get to sleep but will sleep better once she is asleep. She sleeps from 10 pm to 7 am. She has the tightest grip which makes cleaning inside her hands really hard. She is still very much a daddy's girl. She doesn't doesn't liked to be undressed.

Length- 23.75 in (25%)

Weight- 12lbs 9 oz (20%)

Head- 41.5 cm (59%)

Beckett Sophie Bentley

Sophie cuddling Grandpa

Beckett and Sophie

Beckett, Sophie

Akoy, Lily, Beckett, Sophie, Ryker

Lily, Beckett, Sophie

Circus and Carnival and Park

2011-10-25T15:28:00.000-07:00

We had a fun filled week a few weeks ago. 1st Ryker and I went with Jessica, Kyler and Kason to the Piccadilly Circus. Frankly it was really lame and only had a few animals but Ryker seemed to think it was cool for a little bit.

Then we went to my old schools carnival. They had a train ride and games for the kids to play. I was fun to see some of my old students and Ryker had a good time.

The weather has been wonderful the past few weeks, I love it. We took advantage of this one morning and walked to the park by our house. I was going to read while Ryker played on the play ground but I had to much fun watching him. He would go down the slide and then run and do it again.

Big Little Little

2011-10-25T15:26:00.001-07:00

3 Months

2011-10-25T15:09:00.000-07:00

Ah I have been lazy, so I am late writing about the twins being 3 months. So here is an update with some pictures. Haven't been to the doctor so I don't know how much they weigh and all that jazz, we will find out next month at their check up. Fun and exciting facts include Sophie loves to smile and to talk, Beckett is a little more sour but will smile. Sophie does not like to be naked or to have a messy diaper. Beckett loves the bath and pees quit frequently when put in water (ask Cindy :)) They wake up two times a night. They both are very good at following people with there eyes. They love to be held in the evenings and to snuggle in the morning. We still have good days and bad days, but I think I'll keep them around.

Twins

Sophie's Smile

Love how fat he looks

Island Park

2011-10-06T08:35:00.000-07:00

We went for a family get together in Island Park Idaho last week. It was a lot of fun. My dad rented a cabin, it was beautiful. We got up there late Friday night, Cindy and Jessica's families were already up there. Brad's dad came up with his little bother as well. Brad spent the first few days fishing with his dad so we didn't see much of him until Monday. On Sunday afternoon everyone went to raft down the river. I stayed back with the twins. On Monday we drove up to Yellowstone. It was a lot of time in the car :( The twins did a pretty good job. On Tuesday we celebrated Brad's Birthday. Wednesday we went to Big Springs and then Brad went home. On Thursday it was back up to Yellowstone. On Friday we came home. It was fun being around my family, it was also really nice to have lots of help with the twins and Ryker. Here are lots of pictures...

My little man

Resting after a long walk

Bison

Everyone walking by the stinky pots. (Ryker kept saying stinky)

Riding in the back

Sophie

Beckett

Beckett and Sophie

Jess and Kayson

Only way I could get them to sleep in the morning

Birthday Boy

Brad by the falls

Waiting for Old Faithful

Twins and Mom

Walking with Grandma and Grandpa

To many boys

How Sophie spent the day

How Beckett spent the day

Model Shot in front of a hot pot

Grandma and Ryker

Floating the River

Jessica and Kayson fishing

Letting the fish go

Ryker's first fish

Right after he caught the fish

Jessica and the boys waiting to fish

State Fair

2011-10-06T08:13:00.000-07:00

It has become a tradition to go to the Utah State Fair. I was hesitant to go this year, it is a process to go anywhere with the twins. They also don't like the car very much. However, we went with my family and Mike and Lindsay and had a lot of fun.

We started at the little farm, Ryker had so much fun. It is a little "farm" that the kids have to work on and they go through the process of planting, and farming. Then the kids can get a treat when they are finished.

Then we ate dinner and it was off to see the animals. My dad had the boys ride the horses, Ryker didn't want to get off.

Getting Food for the cow

Getting some eggs
Collecting Wool
Driving the Tractor
Planting seeds
Mike wanted to milk the cow

Tractor Ride

Ky riding his horse

They must have seen Ryker's short legs, so they gave him the short, stumpy horse.

Sophie Two Months

2011-09-12T21:08:00.000-07:00

Sophie's 2 month stats:

Height 21.7 in (90%)

Weight 8lbs 15.5oz (50%)

Head 37cm (50%)

Sophie Rae is my princess. She has two cries, sad and angry. She loves to sleep with her hands by her face. She likes to be spread out and is very stiff. She also likes to cuddle but is more restless. She can hold her head up and follow me with her eyes. She is on the verge of smiling.

Beckett Two Months

2011-09-12T20:13:00.000-07:00

At Beckett's 2 month check up here are were his stats

Height 22 in (90%)

Weight 9lbs 15.5 oz (90%)

Head 38 cm (90%)

Beckett likes to cuddle and to be held tight. He has one cry and its angry. He doesn't like his car seat and if he starts crying he doesn't stop until he gets what he wants. He can hold his head up and can follow me with is eyes. He is my little butter ball, he likes to curl up tight. I love his fat cheeks!

2

2011-09-12T19:53:00.000-07:00

Ryker is now 2! We have been trying to teach him to show us on his fingers how many 2 is but he still won't do it. Ryker loves to watch movies, mostly Toy Story and Tangled. He loves Mickey Mouse as well. He is so fun to watch when he is playing. He likes to put toys in the back of his Mr. Potato head and gets upset when it doesn't fit. He is now talking a lot of jibberish and will sometimes repeat what you say. He likes to say "stop it" and he still calls everyone mom. He is sensitive in the fact that if you get mad at him he will cry. He is a pretty good listener and will do what he is told to. He loves to shower and take baths, rarely am I able to hop in the shower with out him coming and dumping his toys in there and then trying to get in himself. Whenever I vacuum he has to get the broom and follow me around the house.

For his birthday we went to the Legacy Center and went swimming. I think he had a good time. The only picture I got is when it was time to get out.

Cotton Candy birthday ice cream

Playing with new toys

Fun lunch with Grandpa Gadd at the park

Opening presents

Toy Story birthday cake

Time to get out of the pool

Invisible Mom

2011-08-29T21:44:00.000-07:00

So today was my 1st mom twin break down. I had a tough day.... It started with not a lot of sleep, I know, I know all new moms don't get sleep. Today Ryker felt he needed my full attention, so wherever I was he was there and on top of me. Both Beckett and Sophie wanted to be held or they would scream. I changed nursed and fed all day. I was lucky I got a shower (didn't get ready, just a shower) By 4 I was exhausted and Sophie and Beckett decided they just wanted to cry. So after an hour of them screaming and me trying everything I could, I cried too. So there we were all three of us crying and Ryker sitting on top of me. At this point I thought of this story my dad sent me...

I'm invisible - The invisible Mom.
Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more.

Invisible Mothers

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store.

Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?'

Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all.

I'm invisible - The invisible Mom.

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more.

"Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?"

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?'

I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?'

I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner,celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well.

It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription:
'To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built,
and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man,
'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof?
No one will ever see it.'

And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does.
No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will
become.'

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on.
The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime
because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Great Job, MOM!

Today I felt like something to sit on, A food supply, A pair of hands to change diapers and nothing else. I know I was feeling sorry for myself. But then I thought of this story and I thought to myself God sees, He sees and loves me. So if you ever feel like an invisible mom and need to feel sorry for yourself call me and we can cry together.

4 Weeks

2011-08-10T14:50:00.000-07:00

The twins are home and 4 weeks old! Sophie came home on Wednesday the 3rd. It has been interesting have two babies at once. Beckett is more of a squawker and Sophie likes to grunt. They also like to play the game where one will cry while in their room, so I will go and check on them and both will be asleep, so I don't know who it was. (We play that game a lot) Night times are hard but Brad helps out a lot. We love them and are glad they are home.

23 Months

2011-08-10T14:32:00.000-07:00

My baby boy is going to be 2! Can you believe in only one more month he will be 2! I Sure do love that kid. He is saying more wordsbut I can't think of all of them at the moment. He is a wonderful sleeper, he plays great by himself, he likes to watch movies, if he hears a song on the radio he likes he will point at it and say mom until I turn it to that song. He likes to play with my make up, play with Gorgon, and go outside. He loves to play with the buckles on carseats, we always find the twins buckles done up. He loves fireworks and says wow every time he sees them.

2 Weeks and a Few Days

2011-07-29T14:36:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Sophie and Beckett are almost 3 weeks old. Last week (18-25th) Beckett worked on nursing and coming off of oxygen. It took 2 days for him to get it down he kept falling asleep, apparently it is a lot of work to eat :) After that the doctors bumped up his feedings every day, so by Saturday I was at the hospital every 3 hours to feed him. They also tried him off of the oxygen again on Saturday. By Sunday (the 24th) he was ready to come home, breathing and eating on his own. We were worried he would have to come home with oxygen which would be scary. His first few nights home I forgot how hard newborns are in the middle of the night. (I like my sleep) Now he is doing pretty good, he definitely eats more then every 3 hours like he did in the hospital, but I think we will keep him. He loves to be held and he loves to tuck into a little ball.

Sophie has had some battles of her own. I have had numerous nurses tell me how shocked they are that Beckett did better then Sophie because girls tend to do better then boys. Last week she got taken off of the ventilator and put on a high flow oxygen. They started her at 5 liters per hour and had to bump her up to 7 because she started to show signs of a clasped lung. After a couple days they started to take her liters down each day. By Sunday she was off oxygen and air completely. So Sunday night they let me try to feed her. At the Provo hospital they weigh the baby before and after they eat to see how much they ate. A full feeding for Sophie is 47ml. The first night she did 23 ml. I thought to myself great she will be home in a couple days. Well Sophie had other plans. Monday she didn't eat, she would sit there and stare and me and wonder what I wanted her to do. The Doctor wanted me to come 3 times a day and try with her. Tuesday it was the same thing, she would just sit there, maybe suck 2 times but that was it. I was starting to get frustrated with myself for not being able to get her to latch on and stay on. Tuesday night I had a nurse sit in and watch me feed her, she told me she was grading my nursing (that freaked me out). On Wednesday they had the lactation specialist come in. Now that was awkward, don't get me wrong it was nice to have her help, but nursing is a private personal thing and having someone sit there and watch and grab your boob is a little uncomfortable. She gave me a few pointers on what we could do. Also during this week I have had multiple doctors and nurses tell me I could get Sophie home sooner if I just bottle feed her. Well I don't want to do this cause I wanted her to eat from me, not have to pump to eat. (I am not a cow and don't want to nurse all day everyday) By Wednesday night I was ready to give up, it was emotionally draining and physically draining. I was driving to Provo 3 times a day to have Sophie sit and stare at me. Great for bonding and I was happy to see her but I wanted her to make progress. On Thursday I did what the lactation specialist told me to to do and Sophie did a little better. Thursday night she did 15 of her 47ml. Friday morning (this morning) she did 28 of her 47ml. It has been a long and slow process and I hope she continues to do well. (I think she likes the mommy Sophie time). She is doing everything she needs to do all she has to do is eat and she can come home. I am hoping that by this time next week she will be home :)

Sorry this was probably boring but now I have record of what happened. Here are some pictures to make up for it.

Sophie Rae

Almost Ready to come home

Cute big brother

No more oxygen

Ready to go home

1 Week

2011-07-18T21:28:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that our babies are 1 week old. It has been a crazy week to say the least. Tuesday morning I finally got to hold Beckett, it was so nice to hold him. On Wednesday they gave me permission to go and see Sophie at Utah Valley. It was so great to finally get to see her. It was hard to see her with so many cords and things hooked to her. She was put on a ventilator so any time she cried she couldn't make noise, you could only tell by her face and heart rate that she was crying. It broke my heart to see her cry. Brad also took me down to see her on Thursday too. Beckett was off of his IV and up to full feedings by Thursday so Friday I got to try non nutritive feedings. I left the hospital Friday afternoon, it was really hard to leave my baby. On Saturday I got to try a nutritive feeding with Beckett and he did great. Sophie however was having a hard time digesting my milk (it is really fattening). The nurses in both hospitals are very impressed with my milk supply and call me the "Dairy Queen".

Since I have been home from the hospital I go to try to feed Beckett twice a day. After the second feeding Brad and I make a trip down to see Sophie. I am so happy they are both making progress.

Sunday Sophie was taken off the ventilator and put on a high flow nasal prong. She was having some problems at first but they have found the right amount of flow and she is stable.

Today they are 1 week old! Beckett ate from me for his feeding! (Normally he falls asleep as soon as he is in my arms) I was so happy! To make the day even better Brad and I were able to hold Sophie for the first time tonight. It was amazing, awesome, wonderful and prefect! While we held her her heart rate went down and her breathing leveled out.

I am so thankful that they are improving and are stable! We have had so much support from our friends and family and we are so grateful for all the prayers and thoughts sent our way! Thank you!

Brad and Sophie

Me and Sophie

Sophie showing us her beautiful eyes

Our Princess

Handsome Beckett

First diaper change done by me

How Ryker spends his time when we take him to see Beckett

Us with Sophie on Sunday

Babies

2011-07-12T20:31:00.000-07:00

Me and Beckett

Beckett

Sophie

Ready or Not pt 2

2011-07-12T11:16:00.000-07:00

So after my melt down the anesthesiologist came in and explained how they would be giving me a spinal block and asked if I had any questions. I was still in to much shock to realize what was going on. After he left Brad gave me a blessing and told me that everything would be OK. The nurse brought in paper work for me to fill out then told me we were ready to head down to the OR. I had to get a shot in my butt to help make the babies lungs develop (that hurt like crazy). Apparently I don't have a high tolerance for pain :( They got me me ready for the spinal block, Brad had to stay back and get his cute scrubs outfit on. (I am sad I didn't get a picture of him in it (still in shock)) The nurse probably thought I was crazy cause I started counting while he stuck me in the back. I needed to get my mind off of the pain. After I was supposed to be numb for the spinal block he started the block but I wasn't all the way numb and got a nice zing down my back. (I am sick of being poked and prodded and hit with pain)

They laid me down and started to get my ready. Brad came in and sat with me. I am pretty sure everyone in the hospital was in the room while I laid there exposed to the world. Guess you can't be shy when you have a baby. Dr. Lind got right to work. I am not sure how long it took, it seemed like awhile. Around 5 pm Beckett greeted the world butt first, he had a deep cry. Sophie wanted to be like brother and also greeted the world butt first. It took her a little longer to cry. They got Beckett cleaned up a little and brought him over so I could look at him. I have never wanted to hold a baby so much in my life. He had the cutest cheeks ever! He weighed 5lbs 6 oz and was 17 in long. I only got to see Sophie for a few seconds. She weighed 5lbs 3 oz and is 18 in long. Brad left with the babies while I got sewed up. When they moved me it was weird to see my legs being moved and not being able to feel it at all.

I had to go back to my room to be watched before I could see the babies. My parents came and kept me company while I waited the hour and a half before they took me down stairs. Once down stairs I still had to wait before they could roll me into the nursery. Once I finally got in there I found out I couldn't hold them. They were both on machines that were helping them breath. I also was told that Sophie wasn't doing to hot and would be taken down to Utah Valley Hospital. (Beckett and I would be staying in American Fork) Wow was that really hard to handle and again I had another break down. I had one short sweet hour with my princess, all I could do was touch her toes. Brad gave Sophie a blessing with the help of the pediatrician. It helped calm me down and I know it helped her. They took her shortly after that. It was hard to watch her go and to know I wouldn't see her for 4 days. I also felt bad that she was going to be alone. I had Brad follow her down and stayed with Beckett for a few more minutes.

I went back to my room with my mom. She stayed till my sister came and took her to go get some things from our house. (We had nothing) My friend Amy came over and stayed with me while they went back to my house. Ryker stayed with Amy and I, he sat on the bed with me. When they checked my blood he watched the nurse very closely. He also had to have the finger monitor put on his figure too, it was cute :)

Brad came back and spent the night. As of right now Beckett is breathing on his own. The next big hurtle for him will be eating. They took Sophie off the ventilators for a few hours but it was to stressful for her so she is back on them for the next 12 to 24 hours. We are praying for both of them. I got to hold Beckett for the first time this morning it was wonderful! He has a lot of hair in the back and it has a little curl.

I love my babies and I hope that we can all be together soon. They probably won't be able to come home for another 2 to 3 weeks :( Keep them in your prayers! Pictures to come as soon as I get my camera back.

Ready or Not pt 1

2011-07-12T07:49:00.000-07:00

On Sunday night around 7 pm I started to have some cramps and back pain. I didn't think much of it cause people cramp all the time during pregnancy and I figured my back hurt because I over did it with the house cleaning on Saturday. Well I went to bed that night had a few more cramps, not contractions. Woke up Monday decided I better call the doctor just to see what he said (I am only 34 weeks). Much to my disappointment they told me to go to labor and delivery just to check and monitor the babies. So I called Brad freaking out and crying like a crazy person (I am a little emotional :)). I showered and got ready while Brad came home from work.

We got to the hospital went up to the 3rd floor and told them why we were there. I figured we would be there for a couple hours and they would tell me to come home. We didn't have any of our stuff, I grabbed out camera just in case but thought nothing of it. Well they got me hooked up and the babies were moving like crazy (which is a good sign). The nurse decided to check to see if I was dilated. I absolutely HATE being checked! It hurts worse then contractions. Well the tiny hand nurse checked me and I was a 3. Last Tuesday at the doctors I was still closed, so apparently my cramping did something. They gave me some medicine to try and stop me from progressing. Next I needed and IV. Joy :( They let some med student, bless his heart (idiot), do my my IV. First he tells me that the place they are putting the IV is one of the most painful places to do it. (great) Well he pokes me and says my vein "rolled" (another way of saying he missed). Well he decided to go fishing for my vein. I wanted to scream. After digging with the needle in my arm for 5 minutes he decided to try again. He pokes me again and says got it.... Well actually no he didn't get it and therefor dug around in my vein again. By this point I was crying and shaking it hurt so bad. The nurse came in and said she would do it. She got my other arm ready and had it in first try no problems and very little pain. I now have a huge bruise on my arm from that stupid kid.

By now its 2 and I am starving so is Brad and I want them to just let me go home. No such luck. Brad went to get some food while I continued to sit and starve to death. They had to do a quick catheter to get a sample (that's not fun either, when you can feel everything). By 3:30 I was going to punch someone. We still hadn't heard if I was going to be able to go home or if they would just admit me. Finally at 4 the on call doctor came in and told me the medicine hadn't work. Oh and did I mention the small handed nurse checked me 2 freakin more times. By the last time Brad said I let out a few choice words while she stuck her arm inside me. (to much info) Doctor Jones told me they were going to do the c-section after I signed the papers. I was NOT ready for that! I didn't want to do a c-section I knew it was to early for the babies and to early for me. He left and I went into full freak out mode! Poor Brad had no idea what to do with me.

Summer Fun

2011-07-09T16:45:00.000-07:00

We have had a fun and eventful summer thus far. We have been swimming, playing, having picnics up the canyon, hanging out with friends, going to parades, going to games, going to the drive-in, and just having fun. Here are some pictures of what we have been up to.

I caught him on the counter eating M&M's

Eating pizza at the drive in

Playing with the phone

He fell down and was wounded for about 15 minutes

Sitting with Grandma and Grandpa up the Canyon

Cooking Smore's with dad

Waiting for the tin foil dinners to finish (Brad, Ryker, Garrett, Erika, Lindsay, Micheal)

Mom and Me swim lessons

Big group for the 4th of July

Logan and Lorrie

Real Soccer Game (Karl, Jessica, Kiley, Tyler, Brad and Me)

Sad Cowboy

Waiting for the Parade

Swimming at Amy's

32 Weeks Skinny

2011-06-28T21:05:00.000-07:00

Well I have made it 32 weeks with twins! Go me :) I am feeling pretty good except for some aches and pains. I haven't really "craved" anything, I do love Sonic Limeades, Chick-fi-la lemonade, white peaches and Smart Cookies. (Yes I do weigh the same as a whale :)) I went to the doctor today everything looks great. Both babies are healthy and active. Only bummer is Ernest is breech, which at this point means he probably won't move, which means c- section :(. I will keep praying that he changes positions. I also had a measurement ultra sound, Ernest weighs around 4lbs 10 oz and Thelma is around 4lbs 7 oz. Thelma decided she didn't want her brother to get his picture taken and put her bum in the way of the picture (yes she was sitting on his head). Since Ernest couldn't get his picture taken she didn't want hers taken and turned her back to the camera. These kids are already working against me. After the ultra sound I had to do a "non stress test" (It was a long day of doctors and hospitals today). They hook you up to some monitors to check the babies heart beats. Well Thelma decided she didn't care to much for the monitor and punched it until it was no longer on her. Then she decided to help Ernest by kicking his off. Can you tell which one is the boss? Anyway I am happy they are healthy and going strong. I get to go to the doctor and do the non stress tests once a week from here on out. I hope things continue to go well. Both my doctor and the ultra sound doctor think I'll go around 36 weeks and they will weigh around 7 lbs. We will see :)

Big Boy!

2011-06-05T20:32:00.001-07:00

Ryker is now in a new room in a big boy bed! It is sad that he is growing up so fast. He did a really good job of staying in bed and only fell out once. (We are going to get a bed rail tomorrow) Ryker loves to run around outside and play with his dad. He now thinks it's funny to run when we tell him to come here. He loves to be chased, daddy is better at chasing him then I am. He has to have his blanket with him. When he is in the bath tub he likes to line his toys up on the side. He is now saying please, cookie, buzz, and oh no, along with the other words he said before. He can tell you what a dog, horse, cow, and dinosaur/ monster say. He can give high fives and do bones. Today he hit my mom in the bum and said "hi ya" because she wasn't paying attention to him.

Today Daddy buzzed his head

Ready for church

Watching Toy Story at the bottom of the stairs

Helping Daddy in the yard

Gave up trying to carry it and decided to pull it

Playing with Daddy

Last Day

2011-06-05T10:09:00.000-07:00

Friday was my last day. I did pretty good until I had to turn in my keys and computer. After the kids left I had one of my student's mom come in and tell me what a difference I made for her student this year. It was a great way to end teaching. We then had a faculty luncheon. Each team has a chance to say something about the people on their team that are leaving. Well Lindsay wrote this wonderful poem about me.

An Ode to Amber

By: Lindsay Malouf

At first I knew you as a girl who called herself, "Danger"

Back when you were still kind of a stranger.

That was when you were still Amber Gadd

Before you were one of the best friends I ever had.

I remembered you as the chick who used to tickle my husband's back,

You were scared of me, and thought I might attack!

But we quickly became friends as we taught, laughed, worked and played

We made some great memories that I would never trade.

Like the time you giggled and your pregnant belly dribbled like a basketball,

Or all the times just meeting in the hall.

Grey Pants Wednesdays, Jean Skirt Tuesday, you made every day unique

And you put up with me, even though I am a geek!

You were such an asset to our team and weren't afraid of any chore,

Planning field trips, singing, dancing, making copies, and more!

Now you are off to raise your family, going from three to five,

I will miss you so and be hoping you do survive!

One boy and one girl, how lucky can you be!

Oh wait! Aren't you giving one to me?

The students and faculty will miss your smiling face,

Freedom Elementary won't be the same place.

So you must promise to visit so I don't cry!

It will be weird without you, I'm not gonna lie!

Though you are a great teacher, I think you're an even better Mother,

So enjoy your time with Ryker before he is a big brother,

And get ready for craziness when you have not 1 but 3!

There might be times when you want to crawl up a tree.

But with your strength and your wonderful sense of humor,

I know you can do it, and that's no rumor!

You were chosen for this job because of the wonderful person you are,

And remember if you need help, I don't live far!

So this is good-bye as a coworker, but not good-bye as a friend,

I'm afraid you will be stuck with me until the bitter end! :)

Good luck in all you do,

And know that we love you!

Me and My Boss

My Best Friend

Me and Jenny

Erika and Me

Third Grade Team

Baby Shower

2011-06-05T09:41:00.001-07:00

My friend Lindsay through me a baby shower last week, I am sad I didn't get any pictures. We played a game where everyone made up as many names for the babies, using the letters from mine and Brad's names. Here are a few (not all of them, just the "jems").

Boys Girls

Ernest Thelma

Ray Nida

Woodrow May

S.I.T Ethel

Maximu Helga

Minimus Ulna

Dickie Barbie

Gunther Girl

Karlos Oprah

Hippo Kinka

Guido Gertrude

So what do you think? Any winners?

20 Months

2011-05-15T17:47:00.000-07:00

For being such a serious baby Ryker sure has decided he is the funniest kid ever (which he is). He likes to make funny faces and then laugh. He loves his blanket and is rarely without it. He like to karate chop drawers to close them... HI-YA! He also likes to pretend his arm is a gun and shoot people. He loves to play outside. Whenever we go to my moms he has to have a chocolate milk and cereal. He loves to watch Toy Story in his chair, he watches it while I make dinner or while I am cleaning the house.

26 Weeks

2011-05-11T09:34:00.000-07:00

26 weeks pregnant with twins and I feel like I am 38 weeks pregnant. People need to realize unless you are telling a pregnant girl how great she looks or how little she is, you shouldn't say anything. I can't tell you how many time people say your only that far along you look twice that. Not something you want to hear when you already feel huge. I understand that pregnancy is a blessing and should never be taken for granted. However, this pregnancy has been killer, on my body and on me. I feel like every symptom you can have while pregnant I get. My poor legs are about to give out on me, gaining so much weight in such a fast time has been hard on them. Baby B likes to hang out up in my lungs which makes it hard to breath, as if I don't feel big enough as it is, I now get winded going up stairs. I feel like I have no control over my body, which can be frustrating. I love feeling the babies move and knowing that I am helping them grow by providing a safe place for them. I hope that I am strong enough to carry them until they are a healthy and strong. I have so much respect for any mom, moms of multiples are a amazing!

Our new car, it has captain seats and a bench in the back. Hopefully this car will last us a little bit longer then our last car.

Then Brad.... He is slowly beginning to accept the fact that we are having twins. He is such a good husband. He has to hear me complain daily about something else that is wrong with me. He has been working hard to find a job that can support our family so that I can stay home with the kids. What a great guy!

A Leap of Faith

2011-05-11T08:53:00.000-07:00

For the past 6 months Brad and I have been debating what we were going to do about me working next year. At first it was an easy choice, of coarse I won't work, how could I work with 3 children under the age of 2? Well as the months wore on I became more hesitant to quit, it is kind of a final thing to quit your teaching job. I love where I work and have been very spoiled my working there. I also love the fact that I am needed, yes teaching is tough and draining but it is also very rewarding. I have had a great class this year which made a huge difference. Well as the school year comes to a close I knew I needed to let my principal know my decision. There were so many "ifs" to discuss and the more I thought about it the more I worried I would need to stay working. For finical reasons, for benefits and for my own selfish sanity. Well on Monday night after much talking and praying Brad and I decided it would be best for me to stay home. So we are taking a leap of faith and putting our trust in the Lord, that he will help provide a way for us to make this work. It is a relief to have the decision made and final, but still sad. I know that everything will work out and that we made the right choice. I look forward to being able to stay home and raise my babies!

Mother's Day

2011-05-11T08:41:00.000-07:00

I know I am late starting this but it has been busy at our house. 1st of all I have so many great examples as to what makes a great mom. My sisters are wonderful examples on how to raise families, I am always amazed at the patients they show towards their children. I love my sisters so much (and brothers too), I am happy I am the youngest so that I can learn from what they do for their families!
2nd I have wonderful friends that are mothers or are going to be mothers some day that are also great examples. My friend Amy has some children that are a little older and I love and hope I have the same relationship with my kids that she has with hers. I also have many friends that have children around Rykers age, I love talking to them and seeing what they do to help teach their little ones. Then I have friends that don't have kids yet but I know they will be great mothers by the way they are willing to help me with Ryker and my future kids.
3rd I have a wonderful mother who is the best example as to what a mom should be. I was talking with my friend Lindsay about how much we love and depend on our moms. This pregnancy has been a tough one on me. My mom is always willing to help in any way she can. She goes to get Ryker for me so that I can rest. She is always checking on me to make sure that I am doing and feeling ok. Lindsay and I were talking about how scary it is to become a mom because once you are a mom you will always be a mom. Which is totally true, I am now 25 and still depend a lot on my mom. She is my best friend and I am so grateful I have her in my life to help me and to be a great example.
To all moms great job and keep up the good work, you are all so wonderful!

4 Years!

2011-04-28T08:05:00.000-07:00

~4 years of marriage by the numbers~

In our 4 years of marriage, we have had:

5- Places we've lived

3- Pregnancies

1- Beautiful child soon two more

6- Vehicles owned

5- Pets

1- College Diploma

10- Vacations/Stay-cations

16- States Visited
9- Occupations between the 2 of us (maybe 10 if all works out)

2- Trips to the Insta-Care
6-Laptops

4- Church callings

3- (about) Months spent apart from each other

4- Funerals attended

1- Fender Benders

2- Big screen TV's

MANY- Laughs and smiles

THOUSANDS OF- Hugs and kisses

LOTS OF- Friends and family that we love

AN ABUNDANCE OF- Blessings

1 Million- Amazing memories

...And all this was spent with the one I love. Happy Anniversary, Brad!

Florida

2011-04-17T20:34:00.000-07:00

As a warning there are a lot of pictures posted below, but that is the best part about vacations right? Well as you can see in the picture above Ryker was ready to go to the beach. We bought him some waters shoes and let him try them on, once we put them on he refused to let us take them off.
Our trip started at the early time of 1 a.m. Monday morning, it was a very long crowded flight. Ryker slept most of the way, we were worried because he had been sick earlier that day. We got to Florida at 9 a.m. got our mini van and headed for McDonalds for a "Egg Muffin" as Lindsay called them. We were lucky that our rooms were ready so we check in early and had a nap.

After sleeping most of the day we decided to head down the beach to look in a few shops and to find some dinner. We stopped at a place that was right across from the beach. The food wasn't that great but the view was awesome. Micheal had a hard time on the elevator and hit his head trying to look out the window. After we ate we walked down on the beach the water nice and warm. You can see Brad, Lindsay and Micheal testing out the water.
The next day we woke up ate breakfast then headed down to our beach. It was so nice, there weren't very many people around us. The water was great! Ryker loved playing in the sand as well as swimming in the ocean. There weren't very many waves so it was great for him. He loved going to Micheal the most, I think Micheal must give him treats :). Here are Mike and Lindsay laying out.
Playing in the sand the night before.
The next day we drove down to Miami to have some Cuban food. I wasn't as brave as the others, but I tried some of Brad's pork and it was really tasty. After we ate we took a long drive down to Key Largo. It was only supposed to take 45 minutes but ended up taking an hour and a half. Once we got down there we drove around to look at the houses, they were pretty cool. We found a fruit stand on the side of the road and got some mangos. The lady selling them cut off a piece for us to try. Mike thought you were supposed to eat the peel, oops. We found a little dock and decided to hop out and take some pictures.

On Thursday we went on an air boat tour of the Everglades. It was pretty cool, there were "guaranteed to be alligators" according to Brad. Ryker wasn't a huge fan of the heat but once the boat was going he did a good job.

After the tour Brad, Lindsay and Mike went to a gator show. This is a picture of the guy showing off his mad skills.
Later that night Brad really wanted seafood so I asked the front desk where a good place to go for fresh seafood. They recommended Kelly's Landing. Mike and Brad both got the steak and lobster (Brad's favorite meal). Lindsay and I stuck with the hamburgers. The waitresses there loved Ryker, they all had to come out and play with him and talk to him.

Ryker was tired after a long hot day and didn't want to be disturbed.

Brad taught Mike and Lindsay how to play poker.
Friday it was back to the beach.

Then we played in the pool.

Saturday we had to be out of our rooms by 11. So we packed up and headed to the Sawgrass mall. We walked around for awhile got a few souvenirs and headed for the airport. We had a really fun time and I am glad that we went!

It's A.....

2011-04-04T18:29:00.000-07:00

Today we went into the doctor for our 20 week ultra sound. Both babies are healthy as far as they can tell! Baby A weighs around 14 oz and Baby B weighs around 12 oz! They are already fighting for the spot light. We are so excited to have a baby boy AND a baby girl!!!

Happenings at Our House

2011-04-03T14:38:00.000-07:00

Oh Ryker what a funny child. He didn't want his picture taken today. I love this kid! He is so fun to watch. He is growing and learning so much everyday. He still isn't talking much but has his own way of letting us know what he wants. He understands most everything we tell him.

You can't tell by this picture but he loves to play with his dad. Brad had stuff to do the other day so he wasn't around much. When Ryker and I told Brad bye, Ryker started to cry cause he didn't want to leave his dad. He watches what his dad does and tries to do it too. Brad is in charge of giving Ryker his bath and getting him ready for bed. I love to watch them during this time, they have so much fun.

As for me, I am now 20 weeks along. Besides the pounding head aches and not being able to stay asleep at night, I have been feeling pretty good. We found out that one baby is a boy but the other decided it didn't want to let us know. We find out in a couple days hopefully what the other one is at the 20 week ultra sound. Twins is still sinking in, I don't think we will ever be fully ready for them.
Anytime I get the Swiffer out to clean the floor Ryker gets his broom out and follows right behind me.
Again he seems sad because I was backing up to take his picture and he wanted to see.
Everyday after school he has to have a snack, normally it is dried cereal. On this day I put his cereal on the table. He sat there for a few minutes then went and got a salad serving spoon and started using that to eat with.

18... Months

2011-03-14T14:24:00.000-07:00

I wanted to wait until we had gone to the docter with some stats, so here they are
Weight 28 lbs (75%)
Height 34 in (90%)
Head I think was 41
Ryker is such a great baby, sorry toddler. He is such a fun kid, he loves to play with toy guns. He likes legos and to build stuff but gets upset if they fall apart. He likes to play outside and to go down slides. He likes to play under my parents table. He likes to play with my laptop and phone (cause that's what dad does). It amazes me how much he learns from watching us. He loves to do what his dad does.

17 Months

2011-02-20T20:19:00.000-08:00

Oh Ryker, what a stud! He is such a great kid. He does a great job of playing by himself but he loves playing with his dad even more. Today Brad put down his head phones, Ryker went right over picked them up and tried to put them on. Then he tried to open up the computer to play games like dad.

He is still a good eater, he loves mac and cheese, pears, bananas, hot dogs, and pb&j. He sleeps from about 8:30 to 7:30. He loves to watch the Disney channel in the morning with his dad. He is so much fun and we sure do love him.

14 Weeks

2011-02-20T20:08:00.000-08:00

Well I made it through the first trimester! I still get sick every now and then, but it defiantly is a LOT better then before. I went into the doctor for my check up, everything looks great. I got to see them again. Yes there are still two of them in there. No we can't tell what they are yet. Both are measuring where they are supposed to be. They were in there moving and squirming around. It was fun to see them!

Surprise!

2011-01-19T16:04:00.000-08:00

So rewind a few months ago Brad and I started to discuss when would be a good time to start trying for baby number 2. After much thought and pray we figured we would try for a few months to see if we could get the baby on my insurance, (it's really good and it goes until August even if I quit). Come December I woke up one morning and decided to take a test, low and behold it was positive! I was so excited, I went and crawled back in bed with Brad and told him. He was slightly shocked to say the least. Well I was feeling great no sickness everything was wonderful. I did have my doubts about not being ready to be a mom of two but I dealt with it. Come Christmas I was starting to feel crummy, nauseous all day. Few days later I could make it a day with out throwing up at least 3 times. Some days I couldn't even keep water down. I thought I was sick with Ryker but that is nothing compared to how I felt now.
Well I decided to try a new doctor. I set up an appointment with Dr. Lind. On Monday we went for our appointment, 9 weeks along. I wasn't even going to have Brad come because it wasn't that big a deal but we were going to see what the baby looked like. Dr. Lind asked me questions about my health and did the whole "fun" check up. It was time to see what this baby looked like.
Before he started Brad said "just don't tell us there are two in there". He put the goop on my tummy and asked me what I saw on the screen. I said I saw a bunch of gray. He said you are going to have twins. I laughed and said yeah right. Well I guess he wasn't joking cause right there on the screen were two little babies. I don't have a history of twins and never in a million years would I have thought we were going to have twins. So come August 20th we will have two new additions to our family. Not going to lie we are a little shell shocked but excited!

16 Months

2011-01-13T15:53:00.001-08:00

My Ryker is no longer a baby but a toddler. He is learning so many new and fun things. He is not a big talker still just momma, dadda, Ky, this, see,that ect. If he wants something he will point his hand at it and shake his hand. If he wants food he'll say ahmmmm. He loves to play with cars and little things he can carry around in his hands. He loves to get into my kitchen drawers and get out my measuring spoons and strainers. We have drawers at the end of our bed which he will play in and put things into. He likes playing with his dad. When we tell him to jump he will squat down and stand up, it is so funny. He has 6 teeth on top and 6 on bottom, he just broke his bottom molars.

Playing the drums

Just lying on the ground

Playing with Mom's make-up

Updates

2011-01-13T15:28:00.000-08:00

So I keep telling myself every night that I am going to update my blog but I have a hard time forcing myself to do it. Partly because I don't have much to say and partly because I don't think anyone reads this now that I am private. Anyway... updates. For Christmas time we had some fun, we went on the Christmas train ride which was cold but fun.

Waiting to ride with Dad

First time with Santa
Waiting with Grandpa

Riding with Dad

Then we had the Gadd Christmas party, we did the story of Christ's birth. Ryker was the cutest Shepard I have ever seen. However, he did not enjoy his costume very much.

We had a wonderful Christmas and I loved having two weeks off from school to play with my little guy.

Thankful

2010-11-22T11:55:00.000-08:00

I am so Thankful for so many things but I thought I would share a few of them with you.

First I am thankful for the gospel and the knowledge that I have. I love that I know that I am a daughter of God. I know my Father in Heaven loves me. I know that because I got married in the right place with the right person, I will be with my family forever. I know that everything I have is from my Father in Heaven.

Second I am thankful for Bradley. I love him so much! He makes me laugh so hard, he treats me like a princess. No matter how crummy my day is I know that Brad is there to make me feel better. He never says negative things about me and is always willing to help fix the situation. He is my prince charming and I love him

Third I am thankful for Ryker. I never imagined that something so small could bring me so much joy. I love how he gets in my face when he wants me to pay attention to him. He is such a good baby, he rarely cries (unless I am cooking dinner), he sleeps well and is so funny. I love watching him grow and develop. I thankful he is a healthy happy baby!

Fourth I am thankful for my parents. My parents have been so understanding and have taught me so much. They are great examples to me. I know that they would do anything for me and I am grateful for that. My dad is a wonderful man who has taught me so much about the gospel and life. My mother is an amazingly strong woman that I look up to and hope that I can be like her some day.

Fifth my family, I love that I come from a big family! I love that most of my family lives close by. I am thankful for the relationship that my sister Jessica and I have formed. She has been willing to watch Ryker while I am work and it gives me peace of mind knowing that he is being taken care of by someone who loves him.

Sixth my friends, I have had the opportunity to meet some amazing people the past few years. I have never been one to make friends with girls and I love that I can have a "girls" night every now and then. I have so many great friends however two of them have really been there for me lately. I am thankful for Lindsay and how she is always there for me. She is a great friend! I love Erika and her willingness to help me with the dumbest things. I have so many great girls in my life and I love being around them and seeing the amazing things that they do!

Seventh I am thankful for my house, job and transportation. With the economy "failing" I am thankful I have a warm house to come home to. I am so happy that in these hard times both Brad and I are able to work and provide for our family. I work at an amazing school with an amazing principle and teachers. I love the people I work with, therefor I love the place I work. I am thankful I have a way to get to point A to point B. We live a comfortable life and I am very very grateful for it.

I could go on and on but you get the general idea. I know that I am very blessed and I am thankful for that! Thank you to all the people that have made me the person I am today!

Family Photos

2010-11-02T18:35:00.000-07:00

Halloween

2010-11-02T18:05:00.000-07:00

We had a great Halloween this year! The Halloween train ride, parade at school, party at our house and some Trick-or-Treating. There is nothing better then walking around in a costume in front of a bunch of parents. Luckily I had a cute little monster to distract the parents from starring at me. Ryker came and walked around the school parade with me.

For our party we had some friends come over. We ate some yummy food then danced our hearts out. It was so funny watching the boys dance. After we danced for a little bit we had a Halloween scavenger hunt. The girls of coarse went all out, the boys however decided just to look everything up on the internet.

On Saturday we went down to my parents and went Trick-or-Treating. All in all it was a great Halloween!

Wizard, Witch, Monster, and Headless Horseman

Real grave, real graveyard
Biggest Pumpkin
Kim was a trouper and let us make her a mummy

California Here We Come

2010-10-19T18:07:00.000-07:00

For Fall break this year our friends Mike and Lindsay invited us to go camping in Carlsbad California. Wednesday after school we were off. I was slightly freaking out since I hadn't been camping for more then 1 night in like 5 years. We stopped in Vegas and then finished the trek on Thursday. We got to Carlsbad and went straight to Jaunitas, it was delicious! We set up our camp and went shopping. On Friday we went to Six Flags, they had the best roller coasters there. The lines weren't to bad either. Saturday we spent the day at the beach. It was cloudy but it was still fun. Brad's family came and joined us at the beach until Todd got stung by a sting ray. His foot swelled up pretty big. We went with them to dinner. We had a camp fire that night and roasted marsh mellows and made li'mores. (Recess, marsh mellow, and gramcrackers). Of coarse it was raining when we went to pack up which made things difficult. However, we had a great time! I hope we can go back sometime.

He loved this ride. That is his Whoa face

Jeeping with Dad

I want to ride the ride.

Batman ride
Waiting for X-Scream

Watching Mickey Mouse while camping

13 Months

2010-10-19T17:53:00.000-07:00

Ryker is 13 months. At his check up he weighed 24 lbs and is 28 in long. He is tall and skinny like his dad. He is officially walking! He loves to be chased, pull his socks off, and trying to get through the dog door. I don't think there is anything better then having him reach his little arms around my neck to give me a hug and cuddle. When he feels like it he will give you a kiss if you ask. He is such a stud!

SEP's

2010-10-07T08:07:00.000-07:00

Two 12 hour days! It's killing me. The stress of parent teachers + I miss my baby + not sleeping well= tired/ slightly sad me. It is hard to be here and have energy right now. :(

Happy Birthday Brad

2010-10-03T14:48:00.000-07:00

My wonderful husband had his 26th birthday on Monday! What a great guy he is. I surprised him with a fishing trip for him and his friends and family. I kept it a secret for a month and it almost killed me. But when I told him the Friday he left he was shocked! I hope he had a fun time! I told him to take a lot of pictures.... he took 4....

Baby Brad

4 years old

8 years old

15 years old
19 years old
26 years old
Fishing

1 Year

2010-09-14T13:27:00.000-07:00

My baby boy is no longer a baby! Ryker is now 1 year old! He is an amazing kid! He loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. He loves to push everything and anything along the floor, mostly books. He loves to hide things in drawers, like my flip flop in the drawer under the oven where the cookie sheets are. He sleeps for 9 to 7:30. He loves food, not a big fan of potatoes and some kinds of bread. He shakes his head no but I think it's his way of dancing. He loves to give me hugs when I get him out of his crib in the morning. He likes to crawl on his dad when he is trying to sleep. He loves our friend Michael Malouf and will crawl to him as soon as he comes over. He is in a front facing car seat and thinks it is neat. He can go up and down the stairs on his own. He can take a few steps by himself. He will stand up by himself then squat then stand, he must have strong thighs. He likes to walk behind his Buzz Light Year car.

For his birthday we had family over for cake. Ryker loved his cupcake he shoved the whole thing in his mouth and then stared at my dad expecting him to give him some more. He got a lot of presents which he loves to play with. He is loved by so many people!

Reverse order....
Grandpa helping clean him up

After math
Every last bit

Really? For me?!
Really out of order... He likes to get in the dishwasher
Blow out the candle
Mickey Mouse
First time facing forward

Arizona

2010-08-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

Each year Brad's dad's family has a reunion. We have never been able to make it down due to different things. This year Logan offered to pay for us to go down. I must say sitting outside in the Arizona heat didn't sound like that much fun. But we got packed and took a quick trip down. We flew because I didn't think Ryker would do well in the car, or Brad and I for that matter.

Once we got down there we went to lunch with my friend Candace. It was fun seeing her and her cute boys.

Once we got up to the Ranch everyone was so nice! It was fun finally meeting the rest of Brad's Aunt and Uncles and some cousins. I actually had a pretty good time. It wasn't too hot either. It was fun watching Ryker crawl all over the grass and get dirty.

It was a nice quick little trip and it was great getting to meet such sweet people! Brad's Aunts, Uncle and cousins are so nice!

Great Grandpa Stapley showing Ryker his pocket knife

Grandma and Grandpa Playing with Ryker
Our little family
Ryker driving the tractor
Daddy and Ryker

2nd cousins

First airplane trip looking out the window

Cooking

2010-08-18T07:51:00.000-07:00

So I was starting to dread cooking, which is odd for me. I was sick of making the same meals, just cycling through our favorites. While we were in California my sister Cindy got a cooking magazine, "Taste of Home". I started looking through and realized all of them sounded pretty good. On top of that the magazine had picture as well as what to cook for sides. I love seeing what it will look like or should look like in the end. I also liked the side ideas because I never know what else to cook. So when we got home I got the magazine. I Love it! I has been so fun making new meals, not to mention meals that taste good. So for the past 3 weeks I have been trying different meals. I have also been getting ideas from Good Things Utah and Meals4Moms. I use different meats and ingredients. I have been branching out and trying new things. It has made such I difference, I look forward to cooking dinner. We have also found some new favorites. Tonight I am going to attempt to make funnel cakes, wish me luck!

11 Months

2010-08-18T07:36:00.000-07:00

At 11 months still no teeth, he has 6 that are ready to come out 4 on top and 2 on bottom. He loves to eat, sweets are his favorite, he doesn't like mashed potatoes and some kinds of bread. He is sleeping through the night. He likes to walk holding onto your hands. He crawls like a stink bug. He likes to try and eat rocks, weird kid. He says "ma ma ma" I am sure he knows what it means. He like to cuddle with me and play with dad. I can't believe he is almost 1!

10 months

2010-07-15T08:36:00.000-07:00

Ryker is now 10 months old! He is in size 24 month clothing, he is crawling like crazy, he pulls himself up but doesn't cruise yet. No teeth yet but we can feel them. He is working on sleeping through the night. He loves to play with the door, playing in the bathroom, unrolling the toilet paper and swimming. He takes after his dad and loves electronics. He loves to tell stories, the other morning he told me a story with a monster, someone with a high voice and someone with a low voice. He loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. He loves playing with dad and cuddling with mom. We sure love this little, I mean big guy!

Brad, Ryker, Karl and Kyler

I love this face!

Yes he is sleeping on his foot
Happy Father's Day

California

2010-07-15T08:07:00.000-07:00

We had a great family trip to California! We started the long trip to San Diego by driving to Las Vegas on Friday after Brad got off of work. Ryker did a really good job in the car. While we were San Diego we did a lot of fun things. We went and saw the seals, went to Legoland, Sea World, spent a day at the beach and ate lots of good food. The weather was a little on the cold side but it was still a lot of fun. I love going to San Diego!

Fun on the beach

Checking out the pool in Vegas
Waiting for Shamoo
Freezing after the boat ride
Racing with Brad, Amber, Cindy, Logan and Corbin
The peddle ride
Brad, Mom, Dad, Jessica
Fun Train ride
Our Dinosaur

Swimming/ Sleeping

2010-06-17T21:35:00.000-07:00

For the 1st two weeks of summer Ryker and I did a Mom and Me swim class! It was so much fun! I loved going out and being in the pool for a half hour everyday. Basically the class is to help get your child used to the water. I had no idea the first week what Ryker thought, he didn't cry, he didn't smile, he just sat there as serious as ever! It was so funny to watch him. The first time I dunked him I was ready for him to start crying but he didn't he just came out and started looking around. Towards the end of the lessons though he started to splash and talk, so I think he really enjoyed them, I know I did. I took the class with Mickelle, it was fun seeing her every day! I miss the classes already, I may just have to sign up for some classes in July.

Now for sleeping! (I had to share this) Now that Ryker has discovered he can move and crawl he is sleeping in some pretty crazy positions, I lay him down one way and when I come back to check on him I find him sleeping another way. Super cute but super uncomfortable.

He fell asleep eating dinner
Using his bear for a pillow
Sitting folded in half

Crawling position

Todd's Graduation/ My Birthday

2010-06-17T21:14:00.000-07:00

Brad's younger brother graduated from high school! We are so happy for him and wanted to support him so we went to his graduation! However, after calling about 100 names and still having over 600 more to go, we got bored. So we used our camera to entertain us! Here are some samples of the pictures we took.

Pretty Smile
Happy Couple
Probably one of the UGLIEST pictures I have ever taken
Handsome boy
Good job Todd!

Now for my Birthday! Anyone who knows me, knows my birthday is a big deal to me. After much fasting and praying I decided to go to Cheesecake Factory for dinner and a Drive in movie with friends Saturday night, yum! Dinner with my parents Sunday, and a BBQ up the canyon on Monday with my family and Brad's family. It was 3 days of fun! I had a such a good birthday!

Grandpa drying off Ryker's sock after getting it wet when they bent over to touch the water.
Grandpa Stapley helping Ryker slide into first base.
Playing baseball

Cutest boy ever!

9 Months

2010-06-17T21:00:00.000-07:00

Ryker has now been out as long as he was in! I can't believe it! He is doing so much now. About a week after he turned 9 months he started crawling. He pushes with one foot and drags his other knee! I love being out of school and watching him! He loves to play with the handles on our drawers (and has smashed his fingers in the drawers a few time). He is now in either 18 month clothes or 24 months! I have no idea what we are going to do when he grows out of those! He is such a "chill" baby, he kind of just goes with the flow. He is also becoming more vocal. I was shopping with him the other day and he was yelling at the top of his lungs as I walked up and down the isles. He is my little sweet pea and I love him so much!

So serious

Learning how to crawl but going backwards and ending up under the bed.

Daddy to the rescue!

Schools Out For Summer!

2010-06-17T20:43:00.000-07:00

The last week of school may have been the longest week of the year! Not only did we have snow the last week, Ryker decided sleeping was overrated! So the kids were crazy and I was tired not a good combo! Needless to say when the last day ended I was relieved. I love teaching but I had a tough class this year, not to mention I wished I was at home with Ryker rather then at school! After the kids left we went to a luncheon for the teachers. It was fun and sad, I am going to miss Kristie and Mickelle, it was fun teaching with them. I am very, very ready for summer!

Jim (My Boss) Ryker, and Akoy
Classic Erika, Amber and Mickelle Picture
Happy Boys
We all had our babies within a few months of each other!

Go 3rd Grade!

8 months

2010-05-18T07:42:00.000-07:00

I am a little behind on my posts. Ryker turned 8 months this month. He has changes so much! I know I say this all the time but I love just sitting and watching him. I love watching him discover how things work and how he learns things on his own. Here are some things he enjoys and some milestones:
Weight 20 pounds, Blows Raspberries, Sucks on his bottom lip, Can go from sitting to crawling position, Can hold himself in crawling position (can't figure out how to move yet), Scoots on his bum, Still loves to be naked and does a little bum wiggle every time we take his diaper off, Likes to eat his socks, Plays catch with his beach ball, He is a mama's boy, Says ma ma ma (I don't think he knows what it means yet) is in 18 month clothes, can clap his hands, loves to play with the drawers at the end of our bed, gives good hugs, is starting to wave bye bye.

Mother's Day

2010-05-09T20:30:00.000-07:00

What a prefect day! A day to celebrate mothers. This was my first real mother's day and I have to say I wouldn't be who I am or the mother I am if it hadn't been for my mother. My mother is an amazing woman and I hope that I can be as good of a mother as she is. She has done so much for our family. She has done so much for me. She takes care of me when I am sick, she held me when I was heartbroken, she cried with me when I was heartbroken, she listened to my stories, she never tried to change who I am but excepted me for me, she helped me get ready on my wedding day, she shared her stories with me, she is the peace maker of our family, she is my best friend. I love my mom so much she is a wonderful woman and a great example!

3 years

2010-04-22T20:28:00.000-07:00

On our 3rd Anniversary I thought I would write 100 reasons why I love Brad and some memories. I will share them with you in no particular order.
1. He is my prince charming
2. He is my better half
3. He loves me even though I am crazy
4. He gave me a beautiful son
5. SHHHH
6. We had date night at least once a week, even when I was in Utah and he was in New York
7. He is a nerd in his own way
8. His smile
9. His hugs
10. His kisses
11. He makes me laugh
12. The way he dances
13. He has a love of fixing things
14. He lets me be me
15. He listens to me
16. Driving across the U.S.
17. He has weird names for things
18. The death by pink house
19. Camping
20. His weird voices
21. He works hard
22. He is a good provider
23. He bares his testimony about the sun
24. He is laid back
25. He is a great father
26. He cares about other people
27. Water fights
28. Blowing raspberries
29. He asks me if things match
30. Cuddling
31. He bought me flowers my first day of work
32. He lets me have break downs
33. He tries to fix my problems
34. His hands
35. Our trip to Mexico
36. He tells me I am beautiful
37. Driving to Denver and back in a day
38. How he has the bladder the size of a two year old on trips
39. His knowledge of the gospel
40. The wonderful blessings he has given me
41. He is my best friend
42. The ABC game driving across the US
43. Head bonking
44. Going to concerts together
45. He comes to my class and helps me
46. He fixed our house up
47. He loves my cooking
48. He still wanted to date me even though I almost passed out on our first date
49. He stuck around even though I said he annoyed me
50. He broke a glass the first time he met my parents
51. He has a love of weird things like watches
52. He holds my hand in the car
53. His toes
54. How skinny he is
55. His crooked smile lines
56. His sexy body
57. He is good with kids
58. How he can't cook
59. How he compliments me
60. Swimming in the ocean
61. Going to Vegas the 1st time
62. How he loves food
63. How he looks when he sleeps
64. How he acts with my family
65. How thoughtful he is
66. The sweet notes he writes me
67. When he leaves surprise notes
68. How he researches things before he buys them
69. How he asked me to marry him
70. How he makes me happy
71. How he plays with Ryker
72. How he is scared of sharks
73. How he kept all his hockey gear
74. He is romantic
75. He tickles my back
76. He holds me when I cry
77. His style of clothes
78. How tall he is
79. He calls just to see how I am
80. His taste in music
81. He puts me first
82. How he loves Myth Busters
83. How he loves Dirty Jobs
84. When he "made" me breakfast in bed (cereal)
85. He is a great sells man
86. He is great with words
87. He rubs my feet
88. He has a love of electronics
89. He spoils me
90. His eyes
91. His lips
92. Going for walks
93. Holding my hand
94. His love of fishing
95. His love of jeeping
96. Tickle fights
97. He supports me
98. He wants the best for our family
99. He makes me feel good
100. I LOVE HIM

Spring Break Project

2010-04-18T09:55:00.000-07:00

I felt I needed to do something productive over spring break, so I paint Ryker's bathroom. It was a dark green color. So I changed it to a bright blue color! It was hard working on it since I had to watch Ryker too. I am very happy with how it turned out!

7 Months!

2010-04-18T09:04:00.000-07:00

I can not believe that Ryker is already 7 months. He is so much fun! I got blessed with a great baby! He can sit up on his own. We are working on crawling, he can push up with his arms he just can't get his legs under him. He loves food, he will eat a stage 2 and a stage 1 every night. He doesn't like vegetables as much since we introduced the fruit. He loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. (He kept trying to get cousin Kyler's Mickey Mouse shirt, Kyler didn't like that). He loves his mobile. He is getting really good at bucking himself around the room and rubbing the back of his head bald. He loves to play with his blocks and his phone. He loves to pat things, and he has learned how to clap.

He is so much fun to watch, we had spring break last week and I couldn't help just sitting and watching him. He has changed so much. He will make a funny noise and then look at me to see what I will do, I laugh of coarse. He is such a laid back baby. I love having him, he is such a fun baby.

Car

2010-03-21T15:24:00.000-07:00

As some of you know I was in a car accident a month ago. We took our car in to get fixed they gave us a rental. I thought it would be fun to drive a bigger car so they gave us a Jeep Liberty. Well that was a mistake, I loved having a bigger car. It was nice to have extra room, mainly in the trunk. Brad was all to willing to start looking for a new car. We looked at the 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe but we couldn't get the payments where we wanted. However Brad doesn't give up that easy and kept looking. He got lucky and found a 2007 model in Logan. So after much back and forth over the phone we made the trek up there. We bought it, it is in great condition and has so many cool features. I am sad to see our Elantra go, it was a great car we just out grew it!

One last picture with our car :(

Our new SUV! :)

Jenna

2010-03-21T15:15:00.000-07:00

My best friend left to live in New York! I miss her so much! We used to be able to get together anytime and talk for hours. Turns out that her power went out in her house, so her parents flew her back to visit. I was so happy to be able to go over and talk to her! I miss her so much and it was so good to talk to her.

Me and Jenna

Ryker and Jonah future best friends.

Daylight Savings

2010-03-21T15:09:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me, knows I hate waking up in the morning. Being a teacher I have to wake up early (not good). Well this past week we had to deal with Daylight Savings. Let's just say that Daylight Savings is kicking my butt! But can you blame me for hating having to get up, when this is what I have to see while I leave for work?

Wishing For Summer

2010-03-21T14:42:00.000-07:00

This past week there has been some wonderfully warm spring days. The kind of days that make me wish for summer. So I was longing for summer so much we decided to do something we love to do in the summer. We invited our friends over and had a bbq. It was so much fun to have Kristie, Clayton, Zack, Micheal and Lindsay. While the boys were outside being manly and grilling the girls enjoyed each others company inside. I love entertaining guests! We had quite the feast! Brad and I had so much fun, I hope our guests did too!

Everyone Sitting down to eat.

Zack and Ryker same size.

Lindsay, Me and Kristie and our babies (Lindsay's baby is hairy)

6 Months

2010-03-09T16:10:00.000-08:00

Daddy and Ryker (nice face Brad)

Bailey and Ryker
Having fun with cousins!

Ryker is 6 months here are the stats
Height 28 inches (97%)
Weight 18 pounds (60%)

Ryker has been so much fun I can't believe he has been with us for half a year. He has been sick for the past couple weeks, he had a cold that turned into pneumonia. We are hoping that things are getting better.
I love spending time with him and I never get sick of watching him. Some things he loves are; scooting on the back of his head, jumping, loves to grab noses and mouths, stick cloth in his mouth, watching tv, trying to sit up, playing with daddy, and helping mommy cook.
I love my baby boy!

Friends

2010-02-21T14:46:00.000-08:00

I was so lucky to find two good friends while I was in the education program at UVU. I was even luckier when those two friends got jobs at the same elementary school as me. I love having Erika and Mickelle at school with me. It has been fun getting to know them and become great friends. We decided that it would be fun to get our nails done on Saturday. So we met at the nail place and just sat and relaxed and talked. It was so much fun! I love these girls!!

5 months old

2010-02-21T14:34:00.000-08:00

Ryker is 5 months old. Here are some things that he loves to do.
-Loves faces, loves skin (he loves to touch skin), he is trying really hard to roll over but can't quite make it, loves to be naked, hates to get dressed, likes rice cereal, scoots on the back of his head, loves to be in his jumper, loves to put everything in his mouth, loves to play pat-a-cake.

Ryker

2010-02-09T19:38:00.001-08:00

5 months
4 months
3 months

2 months
1 month old
Ryker 1 week old

Happy Birthday

2010-02-09T19:22:00.000-08:00

On September 6, 2009, around 4:30 am I woke up with strong contractions. I didn't think much of it and tried to breath through them. When they continued I woke Brad up and asked him if I could just hold his hand. I decided I better go to the bathroom. While in the bathroom my water broke, lucky me. We got our things together and left for the hospital. After checking in and getting settled we started the process of waiting. My mom came to show her support. I remember that Hook was playing on the TV. At 10 they put me on pitocin to see if it would help dialate faster and it did. Around 2 pm I started to push. Dr Carn came and told us that he was face up and kept trying to turn him while I pushed. However, he was stubborn and would pop right back up to face up. After 2 long hours of pushing Ryker Gadd Stapley was born at 4 pm. He weighed 7lbs 8oz and was 21 inches long.

He is our pride and joy and always amazes me at how fast he changes. Here are a few pictures of him

Brad and Amber

2010-02-09T19:02:00.000-08:00

We have been married for 3 years this April. We have had many adventures together. We lived in New York and Chicago. We just bought our house in Lehi. I graduated in 2008 and teach 3rd grade. I love it! There is never a boring day when you teach 3rd grade. Brad used to sell alarms, hence living in New York and Chicago. He is now working for a IT outsourcing company and going to school.

Brad knows how to make me laugh and I love spending time with him. He is a wonderful guy and I am lucky I found him! We love to travel, we haven't done much, but what we have done has been fun.

Here We Go Again

2010-02-09T14:08:00.000-08:00

I started a blog 3 years ago but haven't been very faithful with keeping up on it. So I am going to try again. We have had a lot happen in the past 3 years. Some of the biggest things are: the new addition to our family (Ryker), my new job, Brad's new job, buying a house and making new friends!