Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Ammon's Birth, Part II (Photos)

Friday night (May 9th) before my scheduled induction we had a nice family prayer and Rich gave me a blessing. Then we took some crazy pix with my four kiddos.
Addie, Heidi, James, and Niles surrounding Mommy

Sillies! Niles hiding my big belly

At 8am Saturday morning (May 10th), we headed in to have our baby.

Our friends and fellow ward members The Klings were there with their 3-day-old tiny,
Callen. He was only 4lbs 9 ounces (ish). We visited as I walked the halls. I pretty
much walked all day, with a break to sit and watch edited-for-TV
"Bridesmaids" on USA network (ha!). I was still up and around
20 minutes before baby came!
Ammon came out squeaking and purplish...I was a little concerned...

...but we rubbed him and got some cried out of him and he pinked up
Holding my baby for the first time is a feeling I wish I could have a million times.
It never stops being so magical, and it's the greatest relief and joy you can ever experience in life!!!


sweet little squishy



We had nearly an hour to just gaze at one another...I love those curious little newborn eyes!

SO HAPPY!

You can see Ammon's skinned-up face...I pushed him out so quick, he took that last corner
a little too fast and skinned his nose and bruised his forehead. It was gone the next day, though.

Twinners!
They even weighed the same!

excited Big Brother!

Sibling Love!

Auntie Love!

Aunt Laura had her son Gabriel 20 years earlier, this same day!
(Yes, Ammon was born on Gabe's 20th Birthday)

Ammon finally REALLY cried when he had to get weighed, at about 45 minutes old.


sweet face

Big Sis Heidi

Addie, Niles, and Ammon

Happy to be meeting

My Three Sons

Loving Big Brothers

James is so good with Ammon



Ammon found his thumb with Daddy

Carrie and Callen came to visit when Ammon was about 30 minutes old

Aunt Laura showing off toes...Ammon was so big next to Callen!

A moment of peace when the kids went home, before the nurses came
 and got me showered and moved to recovery

getting to know one another

sweet baby snuggles

After his bath and my shower, settling in for a hard day's night.
We both worked hard all day and were so happy to rest together.

Monday, April 28, 2014

FAMILY LETTER 04.27.2014

Dear Loved Ones,

 April is almost over and boy it has flown by with all the activities and holidays! It has been exhausting, but tons of fun. We loved hearing from Mom & Dad Melin this week and all your adventures and pretty spring pictures! Also loved seeing and hearing about Brother and Sister McCann…what a nice connection to make. We won’t have any good spring pictures for a week or two, but it’s definitely starting to look “NOT DEAD” out there after all the rains we got this week…the green is winning!

Last Monday was our last day of Spring Break and the kids spent most of the day out on the trampoline eating popcorn and popsicles. Everyone had a friend over at some point, and then we worked on the yard in the yard for Family Home Evening. We got our blue spruce planted and Rich finished the gates to the back yard. He also scored some sod for us from the new house down on the corner. We offered to buy it, but they just gave it to us (we had run out last fall and had about 200 sf on the side of the house by the chimney that needed some grass).

Tuesday was Earth Day and we felt so very green, having planted grass and trees the night before, hahaha. Tuesday also marked 20 years since I came home from my mission to North Carolina. I posted some old pix on Facebook and had some fun messages from old mission friends. Rich continued his work on the shed, trying to beat out the evening rains. He’s working on the inside and waiting for a dry forecast to paint it.

Wednesday morning my brother Michael and his wife welcomed their second daughter, Autumn Belle. She’s a cute little chunky monkey and they got some sweet family pictures at the hospital--so happy for them! Wednesday night was YW/YM and Scouts. Apparently the boys did the girls’ makeup for the youth activity. The boy who did Addie’s face did a pretty good job, actually—she looked pretty fancy when she got home!

Thursday morning I had a checkup. I lost 2 pounds last week, but baby grew. I’m measuring a little over 36cm/weeks. My Group B strep was positive so I will have to get antibiotics after all—bummer. The doctor found baby’s head and he is burrowed in and ready for launch. My bp is rising but not drastically, and blood sugar is still fine. So we will wait and see, no definite plans right now, but a tentative induction date of May 16th—Grandma Becky’s and Cousin Larkin’s birthday—fun! I also got a haircut and highlights Thursday, so I’m all set for the next few months.

Friday I did laundry and got the house ready for Carrie Kling’s baby shower on Saturday. I put away all the Easter décor and also started making some food. I made cookie bars for Addie to take to YM/YW Game Night on Friday night. They were a big hit, so I am sharing the recipe. While Addie went to her activity, Rich watched Indiana Jones with the kids and I rested. It was a cozy rainy night, perfect for a movie by the fire.

Saturday morning Jennifer and Michaela Claar came over and finished up the party prep. Addie finished the cutest cupcakes and I made pinwheel and croissant sandwiches. The shower was from 11am-1pm and we had about 30 people attend. Carrie got lots of nice gifts and lots of love. We also got the news that Melinda Lowe had her twin girls in Billings on Friday. Babies London and Kennadie were healthy but a month early and just under five pounds each, so they will be at the NICU for a while learning to eat and breathe. But it sounds like everything went well and Melinda is fine—EXCITING! Saturday afternoon after the party, the girls had some friends over to play xbox and basketball (Izzi and the Johnson boys). Friends went home and Rich took us all to Mark’s In-n-Out for dinner and we came home for another rainy movie night.

Sunday I missed church because I didn’t sleep much Saturday night, but I got some rest and felt better that afternoon. Rich and the kids went, then came home for naptime. In the afternoon, our home teacher came, then we had some friends over for tortillas and cheese and let our kids all hang out and visit for a while. My PT/friend/former neighbor Meg came over with her family, and our friends the Roberts came, too. They kids got all their Sunday crazy out playing with friends and the grown-ups had a fun visit, too. Addie had some forgotten math homework, so I helped her instead of writing this letter last night. She is trying so hard to keep up as that class moves pretty darn fast for her. We are really proud of how she has adjusted to middle school.

So that’s our week! Hard to believe next week is MAY and I’ll be writing on Summer’s and Jared’s BIRTHDAY! Hope you all have a happy, healthy, sunny, spring-y week. Remember we love and miss you!

Love, Rich and Jamie and Family

Plants on 4/21

My Hairdo on 4/24





Carrie's Baby Shower on 4/26



Addie made cupcakes



Carrie, guest of honor




Catch of the Day Party Favors-Goldfish and Swedish Fish


Carrie, Michaela the Unicorn, and Aron Kling

Sunday, April 20, 2014

FAMILY LETTER 04.20.14

Dear Loved Ones,

Happy Easter!
And Happy Birthday to Sariah and Kaylee today, our two cute nieces turning 9 and 7 on Easter Sunday…what a fun day!



Last Monday for FHE we went to Home Depot and picked out a fir tree for our front yard, some succulents for an indoor succulent garden (so mommy has some desert around her), and a few last things for Rich to build our shed. We also let Heidi choose a restaurant for her birthday dinner, so we had Chinese Buffet.

Tuesday was Heidi’s 10th birthday. Rich made her pancakes and bacon for her birthday and she opened presents at the breakfast table. It was rainy and cold, we watched Maren, and the kids just hung out and did art and played games. The Bakers went in to have their twins on Tuesday morning and stopped by the hospital to see them. The twins weren’t born until 3am on Wednesday, but they were delivered naturally, about 5 and a half pounds each. We are so happy for them! Heidi had a friend over for the afternoon for birthday fun, and then we had Navajo tacos for dinner and watched a movie.

Wednesday was another day of mixed rain-sunshine weather, another day of a lazy Spring break. We did chores and played in the yard in the morning, then napped after lunch. Young Women and Scouts were cancelled for Spring Break, so Rich took advantage of a sunny evening and finished our fence and the kids helped.

Thursday we had a big chore day. We got the house cleaned up, then finished all the laundry and cleaned out the laundry room. I took 3 bags of old linens and clothes to the thrift store. We took care of our friends’ dog on Wednesday and Thursday, just letting him out a few times a day and running around with him. The kids really liked that. We had a Low Country Boil for dinner that night and Niles decided that shrimp are “gross.” The rest of the family gobbled it up.

Friday morning Addie babysat while I went to the doctor and had an easy-peasy checkup. I had a groupB strep test and my bp has risen considerably (145/90, and a second reading at 138/80). I don’t have the strep results yet, but it sure would be nice to not have it this time and not have to get antibiotics when I go have the baby. This week’s milestone is that I’m pretty much full term and from now on I can deliver here in Livingston. Later on Friday I met with Jenn Claar to plan details for Carrie Kling’s baby shower, which Jenn is hosting at our house next Saturday. It’s going to be so cool—Michaela Claar has planned the shower as a 10-hour YW project and she and her mom are making it really special. That afternoon Addie went over to Izzi’s house for a late night, Niles, James, and I napped, and Heidi did tons of art. We had a yummy broccoli beef stir fry for dinner and Rich took the kids to rent a game and check out the Livingston Kite Company in the evening. I had some random annoying contractions and took a nice soak. It was a nice mellow family night.

Saturday was Rich’s designated SHED DAY! He got up around 7am and worked on our little shed until the sun went down at 9pm! POOR DADDY! (Actually, he took a break from 3-5 to take the big kids to see a matinee of Rio 2—pretty much their only “special” Spring Break activity). Niles and I took a nap, and then I helped the Easter Bunny get baskets ready. We had some great homemade pizza for dinner followed by Saturday night baths. We got our Easter dinner ready then snuggled up downstairs to watch “HOP.”

Sunday the kids woke us up early to get into their Easter Baskets. We had a nice, though sparse, sacrament meeting—The Blakes spoke. They have been called as service missionaries to lead the addiction recovery program and Wayne is so excellent for that calling. They talked about their new calling and how it ties into Easter and new beginnings. I sang “I Stand All Amazed” and it went along with their talks so well. After church we had a nice ham dinner and Helen Sims joined us—we told her we needed a Grandma this Easter, lol, so she obliged. We had nice naps and are now just relaxing together. I think we will take a walk since the sun is so beautiful and warm today.

Hope you all had an equally glorious and sweet Easter. There are no words for how grateful we are for our Savior, this day, and all it means.

Love, Rich and Jamie and Family

Niles at Heidi's Bday Breakfast 04.15

Heidi opening gifts at her Bday Breakfast 04.15

Sweet Baker Twins


Niles, Addie, Heidi, and James- Easter Eve

Easter Melins

Niles and Heidi Cuttin' Up

James and Niles- cutie brothers

Silly Brothers

Lady Killaz

Heidi and Addie- so grown up!

Heidi Laugh

Crazy Lynners' striking a pose

Addie Rose

Addie in profile



FAMILY LETTER 07.28.19

Dear Loved Ones,                                                                                                        We have just ...