2 weeks

We have made it 2 weeks with 3 kids under 4. I am very impressed. I thought it was going to go a lot worse because I had been on bedrest for 3 weeks (which I still believe is cruel and unusual punishment for someone expecting their 3 child). Even with the 3 kids I have found the time to start cleaning the house again.

We had Taylor's 2 weeks check up today and it went well she is happy and healthy. I was supposed to bring her newborn screening card and I forgot so I had to go to the doctors twice today which was not my favorite pasttime. She is now back to he birth weight even though she dropped a lot of weight at the beginning and she grew 2 and a half inches. (I think someone measured wrong because isn't that a lot for someone so little?)

We took family pictures yesterday . . . that went well. We shall try again. Lily was a monster she wouldn't listen to anyone and then she accidently kicked Taylor in the head which ruined Taylor for the rest of the pictures cause she was pissed. The only one who looked great in all the pictures was Owen because he wanted his gummi bears when we were done so he did everything we asked. I'll have the pictures Friday so you can see the marvelous wonders we got.

I'm so glad when daddy comes home . . .

Monday night I got a call from my mom and lately if my mom calls at night its bad news about dad. I was expecting another tale of what was going to happen next when she said your dads coming home Wednesday. I was and am still in a state of shock. For his birthday just over a week ago was the first time he walked and now he's home. I guess yesterday had a few ups and downs because when I called in the evening to see how things were going she had called Sarah twice already to help. I hope today is a better day.

On another daddy note we made it through Chet's first day shift and we now have almost 5 days with Daddy. Hip hip hooray. Lily was already in bed when he got home last night so it was so cute when this morning she asked for daddy and I said he's right over there and she was trying to see out the crib to find him. I picked her up, took her around the corner and she nearly leaped out of my arms to see daddy. It makes you feel all warm and tingly when you see that kind of love.

100 posts!!!

Here I am on my 25th birthday, 100 posts on my family blog and 3 kids all snug in their beds. We had a nice and peaceful day of course I had a post pregnancy mental breakdown and needed to walk away and take a long shower but after that we had a great time. We had some friends over for dinner and I got a chance to have real live adult conversation without child interuption. The kids were so excited to be outside with kids to play with it was AWESOME.

Thank you to all those who wished me a Happy Birthday today. It was funny a memo seemed to go out around 12 and 5 because they streamed in waves, I had to laugh. Thanks again and have a wonderful evening!

And then there was 5

With all the commotion of the last week I didn't get my chance to post about all the amazing happenings of August. In the Porterhouse August is the most happening month there could ever be and who thought we would add to it.

August 12th - Our 4 year anniversary. If anyone would have asked me four years ago or even 3 years ago if this is what I pictured our lives turning into I would have laughed. It still feels like we are newlyweds and we have 3 kids to cherish and help through this tough little world. We didn't have amazing plans for our anniversary we just knew that that morning the doctor said any moment we could have Taylor so don't go to Salt Lake. Well instead of Salt Lake we went to Pocatello because I wanted Red Lobster. We took the kids with us and had a very nice calm early dinner that everyone enjoyed. I think it was the best way we could have spent our last evening as a family of four.

August 16th- My dad's birthday. I didn't get to be there with him in California but I am so excited to annouce that he is now 'walking' again. With the aid of a walker he was able to walk 100 feet for his birthday. I wish I could have been there to cheer him on. I can't wait until he is mobile again so that he can go back home and life can return to some sort of normal for them again.

August 17th- Chet's birthday. He turned 27 this year and its hard to believe that we have only known each other a little over 4 years. I love him with everything I have and with all the hardships that we have faced together through 3 rough and tumble pregnancies, 4 moves and his crazy schedule that no one can follow, I wouldn't change a thing. He is a wonderful loving, caring husband and father who does everything he can to make sure me and the kids are taken of. I LOVE YOU, CHEDDAR!!!

So cute!

Our first night

On the first night with a new baby I always go into it with the worst expectations so that if it goes that bad I still wake up in the morning happy. Well, last night was a miracle. We went to bed at 11 pm and she didn't even make a fuss. We slept until 3 am, when she squeaked for a few moments to be fed. It took a little bit of wrangling but by 4 she was out again. And here I am at 8 am sitting in a quiet house about to go wake her up so we can start our day. That was the easiest first night home we have ever had. The only drawback to not being awake the whole night with the baby was it still wasn't time to take pain pills when she woke up so I decided to wait until the next time we got up expecting it to be in an hour maybe hour in a half. When I woke up at seven I could barely move Chet had to help me around and get my pills for me. Who knew a sleeping baby would cause me pain.

Finally here . . .

After weeks of false starts Taylor once again decided to try to grace us with her presence and it worked. If you don't want to read the baby story this is it turn back now . . . Wednesday morning at my regular appointment I was told that if we could get contractions going again we could have the baby that night, so we went to the mall and walked around I chased the kids instead of Chet and nothing. We went home and packed bags organized the house as much as possible and went on with our day. That evening Alyssa and I went on our nightly neighborhood walk and when we were done I had my first contraction so we timed it and 8 minutes. The doctor didn't want us waiting until they got that close together so Chet calls his dad and we get set to go to the hospital and the contractions stop. I decide to walk with Alyssa to her house to get whatever she needs and the contractions start up again (whew!).

When we got to the hospital apparently it was the day to have babies because we had to wait for a room. When we got set up it was 12 am, I was already at a 6 and having contractions every few minutes so the speedily got the IV going and the epidural started and we expected a baby very soon. By 3 am the contractions had stopped and I was not getting any closer to having a baby. (To go back in time, over the last few weeks it was the same story 10:30 pm I would start having contractions by 3 am, they would stop.) They started the pitocin to get the contractions going again and they said the doctor would check on me during his rounds around 7. Well, we got a great nights sleep but still by 8 when the doctor came to see me I was still a 6. He broke my water and we expected a long day. I started feeling funny a few minutes later so everyone came back in and Taylor was on her way. She had just been waiting for someone to break my water. She was born at 8:25am with no complications at all. Cute as a button, she started screaming right away and didn't stop until her story was told. We still haven't figured out what color her eyes are since they are still very dark but they look blue green. She is just the sweetest baby there is.

Taylor Jean

Taylor Jean Porter

August 13, 2009

8:25am

8 pounds 2 ounces

19.5 inches

My pride and joy

I never thought something even in its unfinished form would bring me such joy. As I was sitting in my little plastic garden chair I was so overly happy to watch Chet put the first pickets on our fence. I couldn't believe how good it looked and that it was actually going to be done this year despite the holdups of being pregnant with our third child. I was also so glad to know that this was the easy part. We already have all the posts in (I'm sure the neighbors have been thinking for the last month are they going to just leave it that way or actually finish the project), it only took a little while for Chet to find his groove of how to get this done. Here is what he did in one day up to the point he ran out of pickets. He was able to buy 45 in our first run to Home Depot, we all know during a project there is the first, second, third . . . run to Home Depot, but we bought all the straight pickets we're hoping today to get some more there or at Lowe's.

Here are some pictures one from the front and one from the soon to be enclosed backyard. :)

The big behemoth

Probably ever since the first day I met Chet, (you know like a week before we got engaged :), true story) he has wanted a truck. The rational side of me always said no until we moved into this house. With all the projects we've done and wanted to do Home Depot has been our second home and almost all of our purchases barely fit in the van or we have to call someone for help. I therefore caved and he started looking for trucks. When I first saw the listing for this truck I was intrigued but I was still putting it off, hoping maybe we could get by a little longer. Well, we couldn't wait surprisingly I couldn't get the truck off my mind (every husbands dream his wife wants him to get what he wants).

So we rode-tripped to Salt Lake and drove into the car lot and saw 5 red Dodge trucks. We saw 2 that we thought were the one we were looking for then we saw parked right in front of the building a truck the size of the office. That was our baby. Not having anything to judge size against at the time it didn't seem so bad but imagine this, we took it for a test drive Owen and Lily were in the back seat there was enough room for 2 small children in between them (Taylor's car seat will have wiggle room if we ever take it on a family trip). Here is our baby . . .

Cute little thing isn't it. :) I made Chet stand next to it for a little perspective on the picture. He's 5'10, as a prego woman trying to get into this thing it's quite an experience.