What the Hale?

Birth Story (part 1)

2015-11-11T06:24:00.001-08:00

My pregnancy with Henry was very smooth. My only complaints were the heartburn, morning (all day) sickness that lasted the entire pregnancy and the overall aches and pains that come with being hugely pregnant.
Since I had Winston and Tommy 5 and 3 weeks early, we all thought that this baby would come around 2 weeks early. My mother in law came into town on October 6th to help me get ready for the baby. After a few days of her being here, and no baby, I started getting desperate to start my labor. I was incredibly uncomfortable and not getting any good sleep. I went to a dr appointment on October 7th and discovered that I was really not progressing. I cried real tears. My mother in law and I started walking for about 2 miles every day to try to get labor started.

On October 14th I had another dr appointment. It just so happened that Steven got to come with me to my appointment, something I was really happy about.
At the appointment my dr told me that I was dilated to a 2 and a half and he was able to strip my membranes to try to get labor started. Since I was 39 weeks, we decided to schedule an induction for the next morning at 5:30.
After the appointment I didn't feel any cramping or contractions and was fully anticipating being induced the next morning. I got everything packed, put the big boys to bed and gave them extra snuggles. Steven set his alarm for 4:30am so we could get up and get ready to go to the hospital on time.
At 3:00 in the morning I awoke suddenly and went to the bathroom to pee (for the thousandth time that night). While I was in the bathroom I realized that I was having contractions. Not wanting to wake up Steven, I stayed in the bathroom to time my contractions. By 3:30 they were 5 minutes apart and I was in so much pain. I somehow got myself in the shower, shaved my legs and got myself ready to go. By 4:00 I went and woke up Steven to tell him that we needed to go, and I went scurrying about getting all the last minute things done. My labors have been very short and fast and I was nervous that I would have this baby in the car. I was in a hurry to get to the hospital. When I went back to get Steven, I discovered that he had fallen back to sleep. Apparently when I woke him up, he looked at his clock and realized that it was too early to go to the hospital for my induction (I forgot to tell him that I was in labor…). When he finally woke up, we rushed to the car and took the slowest drive ever to the hospital.
The walk from the car to the second floor of the hospital while having contractions was awesome. When we got to L&D the night guard asked us for our ID's so he could make badges for us. Not only did he take his sweet time while making our ID's, he totally butchered Steven's name.

It was pretty funny. When we got to the front desk, I told them that I was scheduled to be induced but was already in labor. Luckily they already had a room set up for me so I did not have to go to triage. I got settled in and got checked. I was at a 4. Officially active labor! To be continued…

Picture taken in between contractions after getting settled in.

Picture taken during a contraction. It was Steven's idea. He calls it a "contraction selfie."

Introducing...

2015-11-10T12:13:00.001-08:00

Henry Patrick Hale

10.15.15 at 8:27am

8 pounds and 20 inches of perfection.

Baby Number 3!

2015-04-23T21:27:00.001-07:00

In January we decided to start... trying to have another baby. Since it took us 9 months to get pregnant with Tommy, we thought that it would take a while to have another one. However, it didn't really work out like we planned. We ended up getting pregnant before I even had a period after getting my IUD out... So it was a little unexpected.
I was in Arizona when I had a feeling that I should take a test. I was sure it would come out negative. I'm still in disbelief that the test came out positive.
Steven was still in Texas so the next morning I face timed him and showed him the 2 positive pregnancy tests. He too was shocked.
We are so excited but Winston might be the most excited about this little baby. Everyone thinks it's a girl, especially Winston.
October is when this little one will get here. Yay!

Easter 2k15

2015-04-23T21:00:00.000-07:00

Easter is my favorite. This year I got the idea (from pinterest) to talk about what happened every day the week leading up to Christ's resurrection. Winston LOVED it! I'm surprised by how much he learned and retained. I'm really proud of that crazy little 4 year old.
We were able to go to 2 eggs hunts, dyed Easter eggs with some friends and on Easter Sunday we had some friends over for dinner. I must say, we made some pretty delicious food.

Big move to Texas!

2015-04-07T20:49:00.003-07:00

In September that Hale family packed up our beloved home in Mesa, Arizona and moved 15 hours away to Dallas, Texas. Specifically Allen, Texas, just north of Dallas.
Why did we move?
When Steven was getting ready to graduate, he started looking around for jobs. He was offered two solid jobs. Both with a big 4 accounting firm, both would be great for his career and both paid about the same. One job was in Phoenix and the other was in Dallas. Though it seems like the answer there would be obvious, we decided to pray and fast about it. After that we both got the same answer. We needed to be in Dallas.
This was the hardest decision I have ever had to make. Leaving my family and taking my children away from their grandparents and cousins has been heartbreaking.
However, we have made a home in Allen. We bought a house and have made many new, great friends. We love the parks, and museums here and the town is very family oriented. There is a lot of green, BBQ, and trees and football. We have been given callings in the ward, me in the primary presidency and Steven in the young mens presidency. Though we miss Arizona and our families, this little time on our own has helped us grow as a family. We are happy here.

Tommy Boy

2015-04-07T20:28:00.008-07:00

Though Tommy has been with us for over 18 months, he is almost completely missing from this little blog. How sad. He has been such a light in our family. He is so happy and content 90 percent of the time. He is in the 5th percentile for weight, 70th for height, and 95 percentile for his head. So obviously he's a smarty. He is the biggest momma's boy and is happiest when he is in my arms. He loves eating and he loves any animal that growls, including dinosaurs... He's super into playing the piano and singing. He loves his big brother and thinks he is the coolest. He loves books, getting into everything and climbing so he can sit in the sink. I don't know... Tommy is the most adorable little toddler and I'm so glad he's mine. And now for a ridiculous picture overload of my cute boy. You're welcome.

Pip, pip cheerio!

2015-04-07T20:10:00.003-07:00

On Feb. 17, 2015 my grandma, Patricia Ann Hancock "Bama" passed away. My boys and I flew out from Allen, Texas to spend her last days with her. By the time we got there she was completely unresponsive and only showed signs of life if she was hurting. Which happened pretty much anytime she was even gently touched. She wouldn't open her eyes, she just moaned quietly. For two days before she passed, I was able to sit by her bedside and hold her hand. It seemed like she was holding on for something and my mom was going crazy trying to figure out why... We still don't know the exact reason... The morning of Feb. 17th, Bama's caregiver was with her and she came out and announced that it was time. My mom and I went to be with her and everything was so... weird. The room was so still and peaceful. I felt an incredible amount of emotion. Most of all I felt relief. Relief that she was finally free from her failing, painful body.

The night before Bama died I found out that I was, unexpectedly, pregnant. Bama told me, a few months ago, that her dying wish was for me to have a baby girl. On Feb. 17th I went into her room, alone, and I told her my news. It was minutes later that she passed. I don't know if she heard me or if it was just coincidence, but either way I'm glad I told her.

Bama lived at my parents house for over 7 months before she passed. I was able to watch my mother show me the greatest example example of service. My mom was with Bama every step of the way, caring for her and making sure that she had the best care. My mom basically put her entire life on hold to care for her dying mother. I will never forget that.

Bama's funeral was short and sweet, just like her. I was able to play Ave Maria on the violin (a song Bama requested I play, multiple times) and my mom, uncle, cousin and I were all able to say a few things about our beloved Bama at the funeral.

Everyone loved Bama and we were so lucky to have her in our lives.

Bama-isms

2014-08-26T22:49:00.000-07:00

Hi. I know I have been the worst blogger ever. I have no excuse. Except that having 2 kids is a lot harder than having one for me. But that is another topic for another day.
There is a lot that I need to catch up on but I really feel that I need to write about my grandma right now.
So we decided to sell our house, pack up and move to Dallas, Tx. A place that we know almost nothing about. In the process of finding a new place to stay, I have been living at my parents house with our boys while Steven has been house hunting and working in Texas. We have been here at mey parents house for a little over a month. 2 weeks after we moved in, my grandma(Bama) had to move in as well. She is 80 and her body and mind are starting to go. According to her Dr. she does not have much time left. This time we have been able to live in the same house with her has been such a blessing in disguise. I am so glad that we are able to spend some serious quality time with her before we leave.
Even though she is starting to go she has not lost her sense of humor. We have been able to sit around and talk at nights and I really wanted to record some of what she says. I know that my writing won't be able to it justice even a little bit but my hopes are that I will be able to preserve my memory of her.

Bama can not remember my name or who I am. Even though she doesn't always know who I am, I think that she knows that I am important to her. She treats me like she loves me. Bama also has a hard time finding her words or figuring out where people fit into her life... Ok, now I feel like I am ready to share our almost daily conversation.

Tonight I was talking with her and she said;
"I know I should know... but who are you again?"
"Bama, it's me Emily."
"Oh. How do I know you?"
"I'm your granddaughter. Remember?"
"Oh... how?"
"I'm Tracy's daughter."
"No...! You have to write that down for me, I don't think I heard you right."

On a piece of paper I wrote;
Emily (25) is your granddaughter.
Winston (3) and Tommy (11 months) are your great grand children.

She was shocked.
It is kind of fun watching her discover every day that she is a grandmother and a great grandmother. Sometimes she doesn't believe me.

He hears me.

2014-01-17T07:24:00.000-08:00

For some reason Winston has been getting scared going to bed lately. We have been talking to him about praying to Heavenly Father whenever he is scared or needs help. Now of course I think just about everything I teach this 3 year old goes in one ear and out the other. It's frustrating, but part of the gig.
Last night I heard Winston crying at 1:00 in the morning. He doesn't usually wake up in the middle of the night anymore and when he does he just goes right back to sleep. But, I could tell this cry was different. We have kept his door locked from the outside for a while, but lately we have been keeping it unlocked because he has been doing so good not climbing into bed with us all hours of the night. The fact that he was in his room crying and not in our room, was a big indicator that something was wrong.
When I walked into his room he was sitting on his bed in a big puddle of vomit. He was so confused and shaking and crying and it was almost enough to break my heart. I got him and his bed cleaned up and took him into our bed to sleep.
As soon as we snuggled up into our bed he looked at me and said, "Mom, Heavenly Father heard me. He answered my prayers."
Tears.
I am not sure what he prayed for or how it was answered, but the fact that he recognizes that he can count on Heavenly Father to help him, and he answers our prayers is more than I can ask for.
He ended up throwing up 4 more times only to act and feel perfectly fine by morning time.
However, his little prayer discovery trumps anything yucky that happened last night.
I think that watching my childrens testimonies of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ grow will be the highlight of my life.

Winston is 3!!!

2013-12-31T09:33:00.003-08:00

Take deep breath. I have a 3 year old. He turned 3 on Dec. 22nd.

He is my little buddy. He talks non- stop, still obsesses over trains, loves super heros, toy story (anything pixar actually), is the sweetest and best big brother, almost counts all the way to 20, loves singing/ dancing (hates when I sing or dance) loves his grandparents and hanging out with his uncles. He is a rowdy little boy with so, so, so much energy. He keeps me laughing all day every day. This year he started pre school and he LOVES it. He loves his friends and starting on Sunday he will be a sunbeam in church. Can't believe it. I love him more than I can say. I am so lucky to be his mom.

This year we celebrated his Birthday all weekend. We started out by going to a train track that is set up in a mans backyard down the street. The next day we had a little party at his favorite park, "the train park" where we had cupcakes and went on a train ride (no pinterest parties over here), then went to chick-fil-a for lunch (obviously). And on his actual Birthday we had a Birthday breakfast of whole wheat pancakes and a homemade pizza dinner with family.

3 Months!!!

2013-12-31T08:24:00.002-08:00

Can you believe it? My baby is 3 months old! He is such a good baby. He started sleeping through the night at 8 weeks, moved into his own room at 9 weeks and has been so good. He is super smiley and is babbling more and more! At 2 months he was 10 pounds and 23 inches long and perfectly healthy. He does not have another appointment until next month but I am guessing he is about 14 pounds. Love this little cutie.

first day of church- 3 weeks old

twins

walking with mom

My amazing dr. who delivered both my babies.

tommy and bama

could snuggle this boy all day

Blessing

2013-12-31T07:58:00.004-08:00

On December 1st Steven blessed our baby boy in church.

Thomas Steven Hale was blessed with intelligence, to serve a full time mission, to find a special woman and marry her in the temple, to able to come to his parents for counsel (especially his mother), and to be a good example to others among other things. He is such a special little boy and we are so lucky to have him as part of our family.

He was blessed in the blanket that Winston and I were blessed in which I think is pretty neat.

Thanksgiving!

2013-12-31T07:47:00.004-08:00

This year we spent Thanksgiving with Steven's family in Flagstaff, Az. We rented an amazing cabin and and had so much fun playing in the left over snow. I am a weenie and it was so cold for me but my gosh! Flagstaff is beautiful! A few of us drove to Sedona and ran the most beautiful 5k ever! I was pretty proud of myself... My baby was 10 weeks old, the trail was amazingly hilly, the elevation was way higher than I was used to and I walked so much but I finished in 45 minuets. Room for improvement but I can't complain! When we got home the rest of the family was there with a banner and silly string to welcome us home.
It was fun for us all to be there making the big Thanksgiving meal together. The day after Thanksgiving we all went to visit Santa on the Polar Express. It was amazingly fun, as always (this was my 3rd time).

Baby Tommy- PICTURES!

2013-12-31T06:37:00.003-08:00

When Tommy was 10 days old my good friend came over and took some darling pictures of him. I really can't believe how beautiful my children are. My heart is so full.

Catch Up- Halloween

2013-12-31T06:26:00.004-08:00

I'm here. I'm alive. I gotta tell you- having 2 kids it is much more challenging to find time to do anything. But despite some challenges here and there I am seriously enjoying it. Really. These boys kinda light up my world and give me purpose. I really like them.
Now, I know I am a back tracking a bit (a lot) but give me a break. I am catching up now.

Halloween.

Halloween has become Winston's favorite holiday. He was obsessed with the movie, The Nightmare Before Christmas. Yep. That is probably one of the creepiest movie ever and my kid LOVES it. He never acted scared of it so I figured it was fine.
Winston could not decide what he wanted to be until the last moment. For a while there he told me he wanted to be the ghost form It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. Which I thought was adorable (and cheap). But as time progressed he changed his mind and ended up being Buzz Lightyear- Toy Story, another obsession.
So we all went along with it and Tommy was a little green alien (again, adorable!) and Steven and I were Ken and Barbie from the 3rd Toy Story.
That day we went with some friends and my mom trick-or-treating down main street. It was our first time doing this and it was so fun! Can't wait to do it again next year!

Later that day we had a neighborhood block party where we set up a booth with a bean bag toss. My parents came and sat with us. It was so fun. Winston had a blast going from booth to booth- getting cotton candy, hotdogs, and spending lots of time in the bounce house.

A days before Halloween we went with my mom to a pumpkin patch. Winston was in heaven there.

Bringing Tommy Home

2013-11-05T08:48:00.004-08:00

I wrote this when Tommy was 2 weeks old and was just waiting to add some pictures. Thought it was time to post it since he will be 7 weeks tomorrow...

The day that Tommy was born we planned for my dad to take Winston to preschool and then they were gonna come to the hospital afterwards.
The moment Winston walked into the hospital room I felt a change in our relationship. He was no longer my only little buddy, and I know he felt it too. He took one look at me in that bed and became instantly shy. My painfully clingy and loving momma's boy did not want to be around me. And it broke my heart a little bit. We tried to show him his brother and he showed little interest. And that's ok. He is one who has to warm up to certain things for a while before he is comfortable. He finally felt good enough to snuggle with me on my cool hospital bed. And I felt good about it.

Tommy has been nothing short of a dream boat since he has been in our home. His first week was a little rough just because his nights and days were mixed up but now I put him down at 11:00pm and he wakes up around 3:30- 4:30 and goes back down until 7:00am. It really is a pretty sweet gig. Once I get passed the grogginess of being up at such a hateful hour, when he first wakes up, I LOVE it. It's dark outside, Winston and Steven are asleep, the house is still, and it's just me and my snuggly Tommy Boy. No distractions. It is just so peaceful.
Winston leaves Tommy alone for the most part but when he does interact with him he is so overly sweet and loving. I can't wait to see the 2 of them run around together someday.
Nothing could have prepared me for how challenging things with Winston would be once we brought the baby home... He is so sweet and nice to the baby but is acting out at me. Like, he is having a hard(er) time listening, has started to push other kids and is having a hard time with bed time... But I know that things will work out as we work with him.
Steven is in full time school finishing up the MAcc program in May, full time work and basically a full time calling in the bishopric. He is very busy. Days with him home are few a far between. Even the day we got home from the hospital he had to go into work for a half day. I have had plenty of wonderful help from so many people (mostly my mom) but for the most part I have had to transition to being a mother of 2 on my own. Steven does help any and every chance he can. He is such a hard worker. I love him.
Regardless of the challenges that come with having a newborn and a toddler we are extremely happy. Sometimes I will have an especially challenging day with Winston and then he will climb onto my lap and tell me that he loves me. That's when all my frustration melts away... and I have remind myself that even though I feel like I fail him as a mother on the daily, I must be doing something right.

Just moments after getting home from the hospital.

Our first night at home with Tommy.

Brotherly love

first family walk, 2 days after getting home.

Tommy's curly Q's after a bath.

1 week old!

sleepy smiles.

peeping Tom

At the Dr.'s office moments before the business to his boy parts took place.

Secret admirer.

Birth Story Continued...

2013-10-17T09:18:00.001-07:00

Something I forgot to mention was that as I was pushing, my Dr. looked... down there, and could see Tommy's head. She announced the he had a lot of hair (something I was pretty sure would happen considering Winston's hair and my constant heartburn). Then she looked again and announced that it was light, almost a slivery color. We were all surprised that I had another light baby. Well this one was born much lighter than Winston was. I was sure that Tommy would be darker... I was also sure that he would be a girl so... My Dr. was obsessed with his hair and wanted my nurse to give him a bath as soon as possible so she could come back and see what it looked like washed. She cracks me up. And his hair is pretty awesome.
After Tommy was born I had the experience of having him placed right on my chest. Something I had missed out on with Winston who was born early. He hardy made a sound and just laid there, looked around and quickly fell asleep. I was immediately obsessed and was taking pictures like crazy. I very quickly posted his birth announcement on various social media. I was so excited and wanted to shout from the rooftops that HE WAS HERE!! The rush of adrenaline I have experienced after giving birth has been uncanny... Another thing that was new to me was basically as soon as he came out he was licking his lips. Showing that he was a hungry little guy. Since Winston was born early he had a hard time eating. Something that we are still dealing with today. The kid could care less about food. How he could go an entire day on no food and still poop the way he does will never make sense to me...
Anyway.
As soon as I was done getting cleaned up my nurse wanted me to try to feed the baby. In all honesty I completely expected that he would not be able to latch, or get any food from me and need to be bottle fed like Winston. I had issues feeding Winston and I was dreading going through the process again. But, I felt that it was worth it to try.
So, I brought him up to my chest and without any assistance he latched right on and began eating. I was so happy and relieved I think I shed a few tears. He has been a champion eater ever since. He is not a fan of bottles, hated formula the only time he had it in the hospital overnight, and is not really a fan of pacifiers. I must admit that, despite the pain the first 2 weeks, I LOVE breastfeeding.
A few hours after having him my nurse wanted me to try to use the bathroom (which for anyone who has done this after giving birth knows that this is a terribly scary experience). Since I got the epidural I could not feel my legs AT ALL. But it had worn off enough by this point that walking to the bathroom sounded like no big deal to me. My nurse helped me swing my legs to the side of the bed. With her help I stood up and I heard her tell me to lock my legs. So I did. And then I took a step, bent my knee and came CRASHING to the floor. She meant for me to keep my legs locked while I walked... stupid me. My legs were noodles. I am not going to lie, it was a hard fall but since the medication was still pretty heavy I could not feel it a bit, and just laughed it off. On the other hand I think my nurse was on the verge of tears. She felt so bad.
And I need to wrap this up I am needed elsewhere...

Tommy's Birth Story

2013-10-07T08:57:00.001-07:00

It all started on Sunday the 15th. I was at church and practicing songs with the Primary aged children for the program that was happening the following week. One of my goals this pregnancy was to make it to this program. I would be 38 1/2 weeks and I knew the possibility of me having the baby before then was pretty likely. We had been working hard to learn all the songs and the kids sounded so good, I was super excited to see them preform for their families the following week.
While I was standing up, directing the music, I was feeling some tightness in my back which would lead to tightening in my stomach. Braxton hicks.
On Monday I felt like crap. My back was killing me. I even went as far as to call my mom to ask her for her heating pad. No, I do not own, nor have I ever used one. That should tell you how desperate I was for some relief. My mom (who is a labor and delivery nurse) asked me if I was having contractions. Since I was only 37 weeks I laughed, told her no and brushed it off.
That night Steven got home from work and he could tell I was not well. My aunt was throwing a Birthday party for my 1 year cousin that night and I was determined to go to try to get my mind off of myself. Steven tried to convince me not to go, since he was pretty sure we would have a baby soon, but I tried to convince him that I was totally fine. He was doing everything he could to try to make me admit that I didn't feel well, including having me drive us the 20 minutes to my aunts house, getting Winston in the car...
When we got to my aunts house I plopped down on the couch and hardly moved.
Tuesday.
I woke up feeling great. I had an appointment that morning and my mom met me at my dr.s office to hang out with Winston.
My dr. determined that I had progressed to 3 centimeters 80% effaced. The previous week I was 2 centimeters and 50% effaced. My dr. told me that she did not think that it would be much longer. Scary.
I went home and just had a feeling to pack the rest of my bag and get everything for Winston ready. About an hour after my appointment the pain came back. This time I felt more cramps than I had before. I laid down and put on movies for Winston pretty much the entire day while the back pain and cramping continued off and on throughout the day. Around 5:00 the guilt of ignoring Winston got the best of me and so we walked down to the playground to spend some time together outside. I could not enjoy myself and it started to dawn on me that what I was feeling was probably contractions. I downloaded an app to track my contractions and decided that I would start to time them when we got home. After we slowly made our way back home I started. They were about 10 minutes apart.
I made dinner, got Winston ready for bed, got him to sleep and waited for Steven to get home. Steven had to stay late at school and got home around 7:30pm. At that point I had him time my contractions. They were about 8 minutes apart. We decided to watch a show and my contractions were getting more and more intense, painful and closer together. By the time they were 6 minutes apart I decided to take the longest and most painful shower of my life. After I got in our bed in the fetal position, waited for a contraction to pass and called my mom. She told to go to sleep and see how I feel. Impossible. I am a weenie and was on the verge of tears with each contraction. After my contractions were 5 minutes apart for 1 hour I was so ready to go. Around 10:30pm I called my mom to tell her I was going in and to send my dad to stay with Winston. We called one of our good friends to sit with Winston while my dad made the 30 minute drive up. No, I could not wait for him.
My biggest fear was that I was not really in labor and they would send me home.
We got there at about 11:00pm.

The worst part of getting into the hospital was all the questions I had to answer while being in pain. That is all.
I was dilated to a 4 and they told me they wanted me to walk around for a while and then they would check me again...
After being in triage for a little bit my mom met us there (at about 12:00am), walked in while I was having a contraction, walked right back out and told them that I was going to be staying and to line up the anesthesiologist for my epidural (!!!).
Almost immediately I had a few nurses come into my room, and put in an IV. I was so confused and couldn't believe what was happening. I asked 2 or 3 times, "So does this mean I staying?" They transferred me into a room and shortly after I was getting my epidural. Sweet relief and I felt like I was able to be back in the world after getting it.
Really, my head had been spinning and it was all such a whirlwind.

My water had not broken yet. My dr. was not on call that night and would be available again at 7:00am. We decided to not do anything to break my water so that I could have my dr. deliver. Around 2:00am I sent my mom home and Steven and I tried to get some sleep.
My cute nurse (who worked with my mom) told my mom that she would text her as I progressed. Around 4:30 my nurse checked me and told me that I was all ready to go but my water just needed to break. She called my mom to come in and decided to call my dr. on the off chance that she would come in.
Luckily my dr. was more than willing to come in. She told my nurse to call her as soon as my water broke...
After nothing happening my dr. came into my room around 6:30am and said she was too anxious to wait any longer.
So she started prepping, broke my water and by 7:10 I was pushing. Before I even start pushing I was an emotional wreck and so, so excited to meet our little baby.

My husband was the best support and stood by my side the entire time. I as also lucky to have my mom in there with us.

At 7:24 Thomas Steven Hale was born. He has the most beautiful little face, most amazing blond locks, and is just perfect.

7lbs 8.6oz 20in

We are so happy to have his sweet little spirit in our home. We feel so blessed.

Introducing...

2013-09-26T12:00:00.004-07:00

THOMAS STEVEN HALE

9/18/2013
7:24am

7 lbs 8.6 oz 20 inches

Full head of blonde hair and perfect!

This week with Tommy has flown by.

More to come on his birth as soon as I feel like posting again.

As for now, please excuse me while I snuggle my little boys.

We sure do love our Tommy Boy.

Baby Sprinkle!

2013-08-25T07:31:00.000-07:00

So when I was pregnant with Winton I scheduled my baby shower pretty late in my pregnancy. I did this because I knew that Steven's family was going to be in town for Christmas and I really wanted my sister in laws and mother in law to be there. Sadly only his mom and one of his sisters was able to end up coming... Anyway I was due in the end of January and we scheduled my shower for Dec. 27th. That was an awful date because of the holidays. My best friend was not even able to make it. Also, since Winston was born so early, he too came to the baby shower! Which felt so weird not being pregnant at my baby shower. It ended up being really fun and great- my mom did a great job. However, I didn't feel like I had the real baby shower experience.

So, when I found out I was having another boy I still wanted to have a baby shower, even though it does not really follow tradition. But when I heard about a baby "sprinkle" I knew it was perfect. Basically it's a mini baby shower. More of the gifts are just the basics and I did not register for anything. It was perfect. My friend Tara hosted it at her cute house and my friend Maddie and my mom helped out. I loved it!

Dear Baby- 25 to 32 weeks

2013-08-12T11:34:00.001-07:00

You can pretty much tell how I am feeling about being this pregnant right now in the last picture.
This has been the longest summer of my life.
Also I am pretty sure that this baby is either already 15 pounds or there is a lost twin in there. He is a wild one. Just like his brother. Except I am pretty sure this one is going to break my ribs. He is very strong.
I am in a constant state of being exhausted (which could be associated with my iron deficiency) and keeping the house cleaned and entertaining a toddler are becoming more and more difficult.

I have been giving myself a pep talk the last few days that goes something like this... "You can do this! 8 more weeks is nothing. Just keep breathing."

With that being said, I am still so thankful to be blessed with another baby. I just can't wait until I can hold him and love on him and in a very selfish way, have my body back.

how far along? 32 weeks 4 days

total weight gain: I don't believe in looking at the scale anymore.

maternity clothes? 100% with the exception of a few maxi skirts and dresses.

stretch marks? Not yet...

sleep: Not nearly as much as I would like.

best moment this week: There is a lot to update. One of the most exciting is that we have settled on a name! Waiting to reveal to the world wide web, but we are very happy with it and feel it will be a nice name for our baby.

I set up the crib (all by myself).
So far I have been almost perfectly healthy! This is so encouraging and I am looking forward to delivering much closer to my due date this time.

miss anything? Getting up from a sitting position without striking back pain, sleeping, seeing my toes, holding my 2 year old without feeling like I am going to pass out...

movement: All the time and all over the place. Like I said, this baby has to be HUGE!

food cravings: Anything and everything that can be considered as junk food. Thai food... And now onto a different subject I would like to call, Cravings That Are Not Food. Yes. I have heard of this happening and always thought it was made up. A few months ago I started to get some SERIOUS cravings for... carpet cleaner, ice, gasoline, sharpies, laundry detergent, wet cement, new car, any and all cleaning products (the more chemicals the better)... Now, I am not stupid and I would never eat this stuff but every time I thought about these things I would salivate. In fact, I am right now. Truth be told I am still craving this stuff, hard core.
Well, when we get our glucose tests done apparently the blood they draw is also tested for other things. Like iron levels. My iron levels have always been on the low end my entire life. Which means that I am anemic.
Turns out that my iron levels are dangerously low while pregnant and that makes me crave really weird things.
So as soon as my blood was tested I got a call from my Dr. office to come down ASAP to get some supplements. And apparently craving these weird things is not going away... I will say that I have never had so much motivation to clean the carpet or the car before... It's pretty bad.

anything making you queasy or sick: The nausea that I experienced in the beginning is starting to come back.

labor signs: Just good ol' braxton hicks.

symptoms: Heart burn, minor swelling, back pain, and sometimes some pelvic pain...

belly button in or out? Out!

wedding rings on or off? Off

happy or moody most of the time: The more uncomfortable I get, the moodier I get.

looking forward to: Having this baby!

Steven's Birthday!

2013-08-08T07:21:00.000-07:00

Steven is now 20 something! I don't keep track anymore... Anyway, we had such a fun time for his special day!
We started out the day with Birthday breakfast, of course. We then went to Steven's favorite dinner place, Pane Bianco in downtown phoenix with some friends. We then went to a baseball game.
I love my husband more than I can say!

50+ 1!

2013-08-01T07:07:00.000-07:00

Since my grandparents were on their mission for their 50th wedding anniversary, we threw them a 50th (+1) anniversary surprise party! We tried to make it as special as possible. Decorating everything in their wedding colors, hanging up wedding pictures, having delicious food, playing their wedding song and my talented aunt remade their wedding cake. I was able to make 2 slideshows for them. It all came together so well. I am so glad that I come from such special people.

BEACH!

2013-07-30T06:41:00.000-07:00

Following in the Tipton family tradition we made the trip out to Newport Beach, Ca this summer. I was nervous for this year. Winston is a very active 2 year old, I was 30 weeks pregnant, Steven was not able to take time off work to come with us, 2 of my closest cousins are on missions and my brother was not able to come either. However, Winston and I had a wonderful time. I think it was good for us to have some good quality time together before the baby gets here. I would get a tent set up everyday and Winston would take a nap in there. I was really surprised at how well he slept. The day before we went to the beach we went to Knotts Berry Farm. It was fun but I was only able to ride about 3 rides. And I was left swollen for the rest of the week after walking around so much. But really, it was fun. Here are some pictures that I love!

Hello there

2013-07-06T09:05:00.003-07:00

I do have some great things to blog about (Father's Day, 4th of July, getting a new car...) but instead I am going to write about what is on my mind right this very second. And it seems to be on my mind most every minute of every day lately. And that is my family.
I can't wait to have another boy. Can. not wait.
In my dream world I would have 1 or 2 more little boys.
Imagining them playing together is the sweetest thing ever to me.
Winston is now acknowledging that there is a baby in my belly but what that really means to him is just that he knows where to point when I ask where the baby is. His world is going to be rocked pretty soon. He is going to love it (I hope).
I feel so blessed to be at this step in my life. I really do feel like I can do almost anything (except bend over, run, put my wedding rings on...).
I am so excited for the future with my boys and especially with my husband. He treats me so well.
Winston is such a ray of sunshine in my life. He is now forming full sentences that are actually making sense. He plays really well with others (unless someone steals his toys. Then it's an all out brawl to get them back).

Winston with one of his best friends at the zoo.

He is showing a bossier and funnier side which will both be great for him in his role as a big brother.
He loves to sing. At church every Sunday he opens up the hymn book and pretends to read the songs and sings so sweetly.
We just transitioned him into a "big boy" twin sized bed. Whenever someone comes over he loves to show them his new bed. He is pretty proud.
He is also getting to the stage where he is showing more interest in the potty.
I plan on training him after we go to the beach in 2 weeks.
Since Steven is not coming with me this year, and I am pretty pregnant the thought of rushing from the beach to the beach house to make it to the toilet is not a good idea to me. Plus he will be totally out of his element and off his routine and I just think it would be more frustrating than anything.
The kid is OBSESSED with chick-fil-a. A true Hale. Whenever I ask him what he wants to eat it's also the same thing, "chick-fil-a, mom." Whenever we drive up to it (which is way more often than I would ever care to share) he freaks out. It is so exciting to him every time. His chicken is his favorite part of chick-fil-a but a close second is making new friends in the play place. He calls everyone he meets in there his friend. It's adorable.
He makes me laugh all day long with the things he does and says. Like,
me: "Winston, are you poopy?"
Win: "Yeah mom, P.U."

He has also been playing pretend in his room by himself more and more lately. All this kid needs is a good book and he will "read" to himself. I have tried to video tape this but he catches me every time and he gets embarrassed.

And back to the baby...
I am so excited that we have finally given this baby a name. It's a good strong and classic name that we don't plan on sharing until he is born. :)
I can't wait to see his little face and hold his tiny body.
We are so ready for him to be here. Seriously. Now that the crib is set up all I need to do now is wash and hang up/ fold his clothes.
We are so excited for the chaos and peace a new baby brings, and the added element of having a 2 year old will be even more of an adventure.
I love this family my husband and I are creating.
We are super duper lucky.