Win a trip to Disneyland

This is pretty cool, all you have to do is enter and maybe you'll win. I really hope we will. Our family needs a little get away. Well so does everyone, but it would be nice.

www.sweetlifeinthevalley.com
www.outandaboutwiththefamily.com

One month old

I cant believe my newborn baby is already 1 month old. He is getting really big too fast. I measured him myself (so it might be a bit off) but he weighs about 11.4 lb and about 23 inches. He is such a good baby I couldn't be happier. He usually only wakes up once between 12am and 6am sometimes longer. He only cries when he is getting hungry, but then I just feed him and he stops. He doesn't even usually cry when he's getting poked and prodded by his SISTER (mainly) and brother, which happens a lot. Well just thought I'd let you all know how he's doing.

some more baby Will pictures

I know this picture is just of Zoe and not baby, but I think it's so dang cute! She put on daddy's glasses.

Uncle Bob with Will about 3 days old.

After seeing Uncle Bob hold Will Jase finally really wanted to hold him too.

Daddy and little Will. So cute!

I absolutely love when they stretch.

Jase wanted me to take this picture. He came to me and said "mom, take a picture of me and Will he's laying in his crib looking at me." So I did and it's so cute.

Sleeping boy

Grandma and Grandpa Sparks with baby Will. We gave him to Grandma to hold and he just stared at her and was as happy as could be.

I love this picture. Keldon took it while I was sleeping and Will wouldn't. He looks like he is a couple months old to me but I think he was only a week old at this point. I love the smile on his face.

Zoe loves to od (hold) the baby.

Reading

If you want to teach your kids to read, this book is WONDERFUL!

I have been using it with Jase and he has been doing sooo well. I also know a few other moms who do homeschooling and have used this book. Their kids are on higher levels of reading than most their age. It make learning to read so easy.

Jase's new school

Jase is now in a new school. So he had another 1st day of school.

He now goes to Mountainville Academy and he loves it. He doesn't really care to wear his uniform but he doesn't complain. He just really wants to wear his cool skull shoes and can't. As much as he likes it I love it too. He now has a friend in his class and a friend in the next class too. He is in a carpool so me and his friend switch off weeks for taking them to school and there are 4 of us for pick up. I only have to pick him up one day a week unless it's my Friday.

I think my favorite part of him going to this school is the curriculum. I love the reading program. They learn the sounds not just memorizing words. And for reading they put them at their own level with others at the same level, so no one is held back or pushed forward.

He has been so much happier since he's been at this school, life is wonderful.

William Kason Stephens

So I am really late with posting this, but I've been busy (kinda). I think it's more I haven't quite gotten back into the swing of things. For all of you who like to hear how the birth went I'll tell you my story, because I like to tell it. It was my dream delivery!

Wednesday Sept. 16 I went in for my midwife apt. I was about 4 days overdue. I was ready for little Will to come out so I asked her if she would strip my membranes. But because my appointment was later in the afternoon she said no but I could come in Thursday morning and they would do it. (they don't like to do it later in the afternoon so that you don't go into labor in the middle of the night..... little did they know). So I went home thinking it wouldn't be for the next couple days.

At about 3:30 when I went to pick Jase up from school I started to have some contractions (very little, but they seemed different from braxton hicks). During dinner and while we were putting the kids to bed they started to get stronger. They were strong enough that while I was reading scriptures and stories to the kids I would have to stop every now and then to breath, but still not horribly painful. I tried to lay down and get some sleep after the kids were in bed and rested for a little, but kept being woken up from the contractions. So I decided to take a bath (baths are wonderful for contractions). It didn't feel so bad so I tried to get more sleep, but that just didn't work, so I got back into the tub. By this time it was probably about 11:30pm-12:00pm or so. I stayed in there a while and the contractions were starting to come often and get stronger so I wanted to time them. I got out of the tub and went to the computer where I found a contraction timer online. I sat there and tried to distract myself with playing some computer games. Every time I would have a contraction I would start the timer, then stop when the contraction was over. While I was having the contraction I couldn't sit anymore. I would have to get up and lean over my bed and try and make myself comfortable. After doing this for a while and my contractions were about 3 min apart or so and lasting 2-3 min I decided I should call my midwife. Of course while I was talking to her I didn't have a contraction so I sounded fine. She told me to go to the hospital to be checked. I called my mom to have her come down and watch the kids for me (at about 1:30am) and me and Keldon were off to the hospital.

Once I got to the hospital Keldon dropped me off at the front and parked the car. By the time I got to the elevator he was there. We went upstairs and they had me go into the room to check and see how far I was. I finally layed down for them and I was at 8 cm dilated. They sent me to a delivery room, which was just a few steps away. As I was standing by the bed (I did not want to lay down on that bed) they told me they needed to put an IV in my arm but as she was trying I was standing putting my weight on my arm. Needless to say she couldn't get the IV in. They kept telling me to get on the bed and I told them I didn't want to. They decided to check me again while I was standing there and I was fully dilated and then my water broke. There was maconium in the fluid so they called in more baby nurses. They told me I really needed to get on the bed or I was going to have the baby on the floor. So finally I got on the bed. I told the nurses I needed to push and they told me to go ahead. So I did, and after some major pain and just a couple pushes, there was Will. They had to take him right away because of the risk from the maconium. But he ended up being fine and while I was stitched up I got to hold my little guy. My midwife finally got there about 10-15 min. after Will was born and they had to call in the Dr. that was there to stitch me up. The wonderful nurses were the ones who delivered my baby.

Little time line for you:

*call mom to come downstairs 1:30am

*got to hospital about 1:40-1:45am

*upstairs at hospital to be checked 1:50am

*William was born 2:06am

After about an hour they decided to send me and Will down to mother-baby so I got up and walked to the bathroom then got in the wheelchair, and we went down together.

I didn't get to see Will again until about 7am because he was having some respiratory problems. They took x-rays and did blood tests. I went into the nursery and they wanted me to feed him then see how he was breathing. He did fine so I got to take him to my room. He just had some of the maconium in his chest which made him breath faster. He's fine now though.

He weighted 8lb 11oz and was 21in long born at 2:06am

Me in the nursery making sure little Will is okay.

Jase holding he baby brother for the first time.

Zoe holding her baby brother for the first time.

Grandma Julie and Will

Grandma Stephens and Will

Zoe giving baby brother kisses. She LOVES him.

Going home!