Sammer Jammer

 Oh this boy is busy! Go, go, go is his game...he has a temper, he's thrown a few tantrums lately and he's a binky lover (we're working on this.) Our baby is definetly the baby...getting what he wants, when he wants it. Sam is a joy and provides us many hours of entertainment. We can't get enough of him or his cuteness!!!

Let's get caught up!

Sam is now 16 months! He's starting to talk and mimic us, which is super cute and we love getting him to say "dora", "oh man", "uh-oh", "ooh ya". He catches on really quick and keeps us entertained! Sam's a great eater but a petite little guy...his nickname from Papa was "Stubby" since he has the shortest legs of any of our kids, maybe taking after his grandpa?

 Maddie just finished up Hoopster Tots...she enjoyed it but had to sit down and catch her breath a couple of times at each practice. She's satting in the upper 80's now which is ok- wished she was into the 90's, maybe she'd have a little more stamina. I'm glad she's learning to self-monitor herself and she's not afraid to tell me or the coach that she needs a break. She turns 5 on Wednesday and we're busy gearing up for her party!

Jace won 2nd place at the Scouts Pinewood Derby...thanks to Dad and our cousin Bud for helping him build a fast Hot Dog car!

We enjoyed a little get-away to Silver Mountain in Kellogg, ID in February. The kids absolutely love this place- skiing during the day and swimming in the evening! There were several families from Royal who went as well which made it such a fun trip!

 Maddie even tried out skiing one day! I wouldn't say she loved it but she's given it another go since! We'll see...I'm not super pumped but Daddy would love her to be able to ski.

Preschool is keeping us busy! This is my last year...I'll miss it but my family keeps me busy enough :) These kids are so social and a blast...lots of characters in this class!

 My mother-in-law treated me, her sister and my sister-in-law to a fun weekend trip to Las Vegas. I hadn't been there in 13 years and whoa, it's changed! We enjoyed shopping, the warm weather & seeing Carrie Underwood in concert. Lesa and I also went to Bodies...so incredible. I highly recommend it! Amazing seeing the many hearts, especially a fetus' heart- made me cry.

Have I mentioned we've taken on skiing as a new hobby? We've went more this season than I have probably skied my entire life! We've made a lot of fun memories with the boys this winter. Caden is a spectacular skiier. Really. He's a natural and now enjoys going over jumps, skiing backwards, doing 360's down the hill as he skis. He'd also like to race he tells us...

I can't keep up with these guys anymore and frequently hear them yelling, "Come on Mom!" Cautious, that's me with these three dare-devils :) Fun times!

this little turkey...

likes to sleep all day and wake up every 2-3 hours at night. Yes, we're still on that newborn-type schedule. I don't know if you can predict "personality" at 1 month old, but this guy knows what he wants, when he wants it. There is no "talking him out of it" and he can be impatient and fussy or super sweet and cuddly!

We had a really relaxing Thanksgiving at Grandma and Papa's...enjoying family, good visits and of course, lots of food!
these 3 cousins have become quite the trio--they are much louder than I ever remember the little boys. They sure know how to have some fun! And, no, we did not coordinate their outfits, turned out so cute though!
Our cutie pie Sam was one month old last week!
And big sister was 6 months post-op from her Fontan surgery on Thanksgiving day. So, so grateful that a half-year later, we're here. I'm thankful for this...and so much more.

Sweet little Sam

I'm in love with this baby. I love breathing him in, love listening to all of his sweet little sighs and grunts, and I've loved being able to breastfeed again. He has the cutest little toes & stubby boy fingers, and when he's awake and being talked to, his eyes get extremely big and alert, as if he's taking in every word that I say. But what I've enjoyed most is catching tiny glimpses of each of our children through Sam...ways that they resemble one another, reminiscing about when Jace, Caden or Maddie were newborns. It's like re-living that time again but getting to share in it with them now.

Watching the boys & Maddie with Sam has brought us many smiles. "Our baby is loved" is an understatement and I'm thankful that his older siblings feel this way about their baby brother, even if it's a bit "aggressive" at times! Can you guess who gets lectured on being more "easy, gentle, soft" with the baby? As I was giving Miss Maddie a quick reminder one day about not picking Sam up, she looked up at the ceiling, hands thrown up in the air, and through a frustrated sigh said, "Why can't you just be nice?" Yes, I've been a bit short with her on this subject...

Sweet little Samuel is a blessing. And he fits the meaning of his name--"Heard God; asked of God." We are so grateful for our healthy baby, for the joy he's brought to each of us, and the Lord certainly heard our prayers.

It's a...

BOY!!!

It's true, our baby was born! We welcomed Samuel Wells Allred a little early (2 1/2 weeks) on Friday, October 21st at 7:54 am by c-section. He weighed 6 lbs. 5 oz. and was 19 inches. Bryan and I had a tough time deciding on names for this guy but quickly came to the conclusion that he just looked like a Sam and it fit perfectly. His middle name is after Bryan's Grandpa Allred.

I started having contractions Thursday evening and by 11 that night, they weren't just "Braxton Hicks" like I had been convincing myself. So since I couldn't sleep, I decided to do dishes, a load of laundry, pick up the living room, finished packing my hospital bag and then finally called the hospital. Since I was a scheduled c-section for 11-1-11 (no VBAC at our hospital) they said to come on in. By this time, they were about 7-10 minutes apart. After arriving at the hospital, my doc was called and the c-section was scheduled for 7:30 Friday morning. I was monitored through the night, given IV fluids and luckily never went into active labor so I could withstand the contractions coming 5-10 minutes through the night...was just uncomfortable and unable to rest. I've always needed the help of Pitocin to get my contractions really rolling with my other babies, so I figured they'd just stay the same and they did.

The c-section went great, I was awake for it this time (Maddie's was a crash c-section and I had been intubated & out for it) and we did really well. I was a little nervous and shaky but tried to enjoy the birth of this baby and not let what happened last time overtake me. When Sherry pulled him out, we were a little surprised...I hadn't gotten very big with this pregnancy so we'd convinced ourselves it was a girl, as did most of our family but we're THRILLED he's a boy! God knows what we needed and it was another baby boy. How I love my boys. He had great APGAR scores and his cry was so beautiful and strong...I'll never forget it.

Sam did have a little issue with keeping his respiratory rate regulated throughout the morning so the nurses monitored him in the nursery but allowed me to come in there on the stretcher to be with him. His sats were 100% and he looked wonderful with no heart murmur, so it was determined it was more of an "early baby thing" and by lunch time, he had figured it out and we were able to come back to our room as a family. Mom brought in the kids and watching them meet their new baby was so special... How lucky little Sam is to have siblings who adore him. There is never a moment this baby isn't being held around here between those 3, Bryan and I. We are relishing every minute of it and I'm afraid he's going to be pretty spoiled!

Sam & I were discharged Saturday afternoon, we like to do things quickly. It's been so nice being home, he's nursing well, his milk supply came in last night and he's waking every 3 hours on the dot to eat. The first night, I set an alarm and Bryan asked me why...I mentioned that I'd need to wake him up and he laughed. My brain is still in "heart baby mode" at times...He was right, Sam let's me know when he's hungry and so far, he hasn't missed a meal. He's already back to his birthweight today but he's a little jaundiced so we are checking his bili levels. Hopefully tomorrow we'll start to see the number go down, it was at 10.7 today and up from 5.3 on Sat. We're all very much in love with this little guy and the word blessed doesn't even begin to describe how we feel right now with our newest addition. These past few days have been incredibly healing and my heart is so full of joy.

firsts...

Somebody's started preschool around here! Miss Maddie is officially a preschooler now...attending Apple Country Preschool (mom's preschool.) She just has to waltz downstairs with her backpack on and voila, she's at school! She's loving it and her class of ten 3 & 4 year olds is a fun one! Girls way out number the boys 7:3, so there are lots of "little mothers" in the classroom. I love this age and as their teacher, I'm learning just how long they can sit at a task, complete a project, and that many breaks and transitions for these little ones helps pass our two hours/2 days a week together quickly! Singing is Maddie's favorite part of preschool. I love having the opportunity to teach her and I don't know if I would have been ready to send her out to a preschool at 3...hence, another reason I'm teaching preschool now! Two sessions actually...with a total of 20 kids coming here, 2 days a week. Yes, it's keeping me busy.She is fortunate to have her two favorite cousins, Kylie and Jill at preschool with her...
These two boys started school three weeks ago...we now have a 2nd grader and a Kindergartner! They're doing fantastic and love their teachers. It's nice having them both in school...our days without them home are really quiet and Maddie and I have had plenty of one-on-one, girl time together which is nice, since baby will be here in 6 weeks! This picture depicts their personalities to a tee...our smiley, silly one and mister serious.
Cade also has cousin Randi Kay in his class...these two are quite the pair and really good buddies. We've learned how shy Caden really is this fall. He tends to stand back, watch and wait. Luckily, his cousin is more outgoing which is great for him, we're crossing our fingers that Randi can help Cade get out of his shell a little more this school year. He's doing awesome academically and we love seeing the work he's completed at school--Cade's a bit of a perfectionist and his papers show it with his beautiful writing, coloring and drawings. He's a bright boy and school is a great fit for him. He starts soccer tomorrow!
And his Kindergarten teacher??? Mrs. Stewart (aka Aunt J). He adores her and has already earned enough gold coins to trade in for her comfy, spinny chair one afternoon :) We're so grateful to have her...what a nice transition into formal school, having your aunt as your teacher! It's especially comforting for mom, knowing my little guy is always under her loving care and watchful eye.
Jace with his teacher, Mrs. Vermeer. What a wonderful teacher she is! He also has two cousins in class and lots of his buddies. I'm amazed at how much he accomplishes in a day in 2nd grade...he's doing great and is loving school too. Jace is also playing soccer this fall and started Cub Scouts as well. His schedule keeps us hopping!
And another first in our household this fall is "balallay" (ballet). Our tiny dancer waits all week, eagerly asking when she has ballet class again. This girl LOVES it. She tends to do her own thing though, gracefully moving her arms and standing on her tippy toes while admiring herself in the full-length mirrors. It's precious and I think she could acquire a talent for it with how much she practices at home :)
And #4...what a mover this baby is! I've felt belly-bruised this pregnancy from all of the kicks, rolls, and jabs! We do not know what we're having and I have no clue or hunch this time!!! I go back and forth on it's sex. We are still discussing names, trying to come up with two that we both like and agree on :) I'm really looking forward to this little one and eagerly await it's arrival--the c-section is scheduled for Nov. 1st. I had some cramping & contractions Friday morning for about 6 hours and after laying for a couple of hours, they quit and have not returned. After talking to the nurse, it's best that I drink more water and try to rest/sit down more...which is a bit challenging for me. But I'm taking this advice seriously- we don't need this baby arriving yet!
Here he/she is showing off one of those fierce kicks...how cramped it must feel in there! We're so grateful that this baby has been healthy, it's been healing for me knowing this and has also caused me to reflect quite a bit on my pregnancy with Maddie. I've been able to enjoy this pregnancy so much more, with little worry and stress (though I've probably complained more in the last month than I ever have with my previous pregnancies, yes, shame on me.) When I was pregnant with the boys, I took it all for granted. I am truly blessed with this baby and look forward to meeting this little one. The kids are also very excited, the boys are voting for a baby brother and Miss Maddie talks incessantly about her "baby sister" and what plans she has once it's out of my tummy. She can't wait to be a big sister and I look forward to watching all three kids with this baby. We have so much to look forward to and our surprise will be here before we know it!

a catch-up post!

Easter 2011 Maddie & Jilly had fun playing with colored bubbles at Grandpa & Grandma Allred's Easter dinner
Kylie & Maddie at Nany & Ba's Easter dinner, we had on Good Friday this year

The annual Mardon Easter Egg hunt: cousins Kylie, Jett, Cade, Jace & Maddie

And now onto the kids...make sure to read the bottom of this post for some exciting news!
JACE:
He's our busy 1st grader. Finished basketball in February, what a fun season with lots of friends and my coach from high school spear-headed a bunch of 1st grade boys. It was so fun to watch, those boys really showed some improvement over the season. His claim to fame lately has been his joke telling ability...he performed (quite well for that matter) at the school's talent show in February, telling a few jokes to a crowd of 700! He moved onto soccer and we watched his games from our car since our weather this spring has been so crummy! Soon, he'll be playing baseball, which is his favorite sport. He's doing well in school, latest report card had us grinning from ear to ear and he earned himself a book at the book fair for his hard work, choosing "Predator Showdown". He and Cade have loved looking at that book, trying to figure out which animal claims victory over another. They sleep together every night, not in their own beds which are in the same room, but in our guest room. I like it so I don't mind; it won't be long that they'll want to share the same bed. Someday they'll use their cute bedroom. They'd rather sleep in the mix-n-match, undecorated, spare bedroom. Jace is a great big brother, constantly coming up with games and things to play for he and Cade, always including little sis in the mix, even if she's not up to par with what they're playing. He and Caden loved going down to the ranch for branding this year, they even got to ride a couple of calves. He's growing up too quickly!CADEN:
Just finished preschool! He's officially graduated and registered for Kindergarten this fall. I loved teaching Cade in preschool this year. He is a very bright boy and quite the perfectionist. Artsy too. He's constantly drawing pictures, using up stacks of sticky notes while sticking them all over the house. Cade is our kid that never says "I'm bored." He finds things to do, makes plenty of messes, and is so creative in his play. Being the middle child, he plays great with kids but unusually well on his own too. He plays on his terms, so I'm sure that's why he's quite good at self-play. We've been so impressed with how much he loves and cares for Maddie. He talks to her in the sweetest tone, getting her toys, tries to lift her onto her swing outside, helps carry her up the stairs. She's a lucky girl to have Cade as a playmate and protector these days, boy is she going to miss him when he's off to school this fall. He's enjoyed riding a few times this year, only on his favorite horse, "Sparky Boy". We enjoyed a fun spring break horse back riding excursion with Derek & Carly's family on the ranch. Cade was a pro. Oh, and I must mention how tough he is...just had his shots for Kindergarten, 4 of them in all and he didn't cry, not even one tear. Also had two warts frozen off recently and never even blinked. Yes, he's our superboy and determined to be the tough guy.
MADDIE:
Prefers to not be called "Maddie Moomer" anymore. She corrects us if we say this by saying, "my name isn't Moomer, it's Maddie Grace Allred!" She's really a talker, loves watching herself in the reflection of the oven or dryer, chatting up a storm as she brushes her hair from her face and smiles. She loves to help me...especially with dishes. Water, bubbles anyone? I'm yet to master how to incorporate her help, while still getting my chores done and without the watery mess. She loves packing around a stuffed animal or baby, rocking them in her rocking chair, patting and singing to them. She discovered that her baby doll's eyes open and close, and whoa, "Molly her baby" took a lot of naps yesterday. Maddie loves to take baths, has constantly had rashes this winter; her recent rash was ring worm, which we have no idea where she got it from. She and Caden are just getting over a lovely case of pink eye too. Her nose has been runny most of the winter/spring and she's been on a couple of rounds of antibiotics from ear infections this late winter. She's currently healthy (knock on wood) and on "house arrest" now, not venturing out in public or in any groups of people for that matter, so we're keeping busy at home with projects and play. We need to keep her healthy for surgery. She and I were recently baptized at our church, First Presbyterian, the week after Easter. It was such a wonderful evening and having this sacred experience with her will always be a special memory for me. She was precious and my heart was so full.
and our big news is...WE'RE EXPECTING!!! I'm 14 weeks along and baby is due Nov. 6th, though with the c-section, looks like sometime around Halloween. We're all very excited!