And baby makes four…

 

April 25th, 2012, two days after his older brother, Jones Lane Larsen – at 19 inches and 8lbs 7oz – decided to join our family! Its been a whirlwind ever since which is why its taken me 3 weeks to sit down and upload some pictures. But I’ll try to remember all the deets…

So the night of april 24th I was sitting in bed reading Anne of Green Gables – one of my fav books of all time – pretty much just enjoying a quiet house. Lane took Locke to feed the milk cows and I had about 2 hours before they got back – have I ever mentioned what an amazing dad Lane is? seriously the best. On a side note, Lane tends to keep a distance from our new babies mainly because he has no idea what to do with them, but absalutely loves the toddler stage Lockes at. Locke brings out a soft side in Lane I rarely see, it is the neatest thing! Lane will cave into anything for that little guy….

Anyways, I’m in bed, still on semi-bedrest and trying to pass yet another night of being huge, pregnant, and uncomfortable. With Locke I comepletely skipped the last month of pregnancy so….it was pretty rough for me at the end. I have a HUGE respect for any girls who go over their due date – I can only imagine….I got so much bigger at the end with Jones. Not a single stretch mark with Locke, but Jones wasn’t going to let me off so easy. In the last 3 weeks before I delivered they suddenly appeared all around my belly button. the dreaded stretch marks. – I’ve nicknamed it my Tree of Life.

So back to me on the bed. I was just sitting there, in perfect silence, when I started to feel very calm. Like eerily calm. and I got a VERY distinct impression that the baby was going to come that night. And that he needed help to get here. I have never had a spiritual experience like that my whole life, but there was no mistaking whatsoever the message that I had – felt?? its so difficult to put into words! But I knew that I needed to do something. like NOW. so I jumped out of bed, but I had no idea what I was going to do! I just felt a bit like a robot, just mechanically doing whatever I needed to. And I needed to walk. and jump. and climb. It was the weirdest/craziest experience ever. Lane came home an hour later to find me huffing and puffing up and down our stairs. It shocked him pretty good – remember I was supposed to be on bedrest! I told him what had happened and in his quiet way helped me by putting Locke to bed while I did squats in the living room…seriously whatever came to my head I just did it. and knew it had to be done. Lane was concered I was “forcing” things, he likes thing like labour to happen naturally – and for the most part I agree! But my intuition told me otherwise in this situation. So after about 3 hours of different exercises, LOTS of walking, and bumpy car ride, we laid down in bed, or I CRASHED into bed. To go from bedrest to insane activity at 8 months 3 weeks preggers is draining! so I laid there and………..

 

NOTHING.

 

NOt a single contraction.

 

Did I not listen right? was I crazy? did I just hurt the baby? did I hurt myself? Did I just have cabin fever? What the HECK!! I was so confused. But I didn’t have long to think because I feel right asleep at about midnight…..

And woke up at 4 am writhing in pain. OH MY. labour hurts. it hurts a lot. there was no mistaking that it was the real thing. We headed straight to the hospital, with Locke! I ran in to the OB department, got checked in and found out I was 4 cm dialated. Lane dropped off Locke and came racing back! It was so fun this time because Lane was there for everything – with Locke I didn’t get to the hospital till I was 6 cm dialated and had already gotten my epidural by the time Lane got there. I think Lanes eyes were as big as saucers when they gave me the epidural this time!! he started to tell me what was going on and how big the needle was….but I stopped him right there. I didn’t want to know anything, just to lessen the contractions! I didn’t care HOW!

After the epidural I waited 2 hours and didn’t feel anything! it was wonderful! I even took a cat nap – oh how I love modern medicine!!! but then…oh man. I started to feel contractions. THROUGH the epidural. and they slowly got worse and worse! When I started crying from the pain, the nurse checked me and I was ready to start pushing! it didn’t take long for Jones to come after that! It was so different this time because he was full term, they handed him over to me RIGHT after, and didn’t take him away at all! with Locke I didn’t see him for about 2 hours because of all the tests they did with him being so early. So it was really fun to be there for his first few hours – and be the first face/voice he was with.

And now he is such a good baby!!! he is a DREAM compared to Locke, I swear it is night and day to compare them together. He isn’t fussy, eats like a champ, and is so much chubbier! I love his little rolls, he is the cuddliest little guy ever!

Mom started the 16 hour drive down as soon as she learned I had my epidural – and on the way picked up Kennedy at Skye’s house to be there the day before I got out of the hospital. I love that mom comes down for a while with the new babies! it is seriously the nicest thing ever, I have a really clean house and all the freshly juiced veggies I want!!!

 

Jones’s cute little take-home outfit – a hand me down from Skye. I remember when Maguire used to wear it!

Nothing is more precious then dad/son pictures. I am in love with Lane’s big tanned arms against our teeny tiny newborn – ugh! it is just awesome!

Lane would never say so, but I feel like he is so proud/happy to be dad to two boys!

It was SO FUN to have Kennedy there this time, she pretty much missed Locke’s first year of life because she was on her mission. But this time she wasn’t going to miss a moment! She is the best – a week before I delivered she got me a ton of snacks and izzy pop for the hospital, and it was the BEST thing ever! I ate ALL of it too! hospital food is just downright nasty….

This was the day we got home from the hospital – Jones is such a good baby! I can’t even believe it, as long as his basic needs are me, this little duffer just chills out or sleeps. he is a dream!

oh Locke, entertaining himself while everyone fawns over the baby! he has also been amazing through this big family change, its so cute when he kisses the baby and tries to shove his binky in his mouth….he is SUPER helpful, sometimes it’s a little much, but I guess it’s a lot better then him resenting Jones. Now, three weeks in, Locke is totally used to our new routine (especially in the mornings) of always having to include little Jones – I love my boys SO MUCH! I can’t believe how lucky I am to have this wonderful little family who all love each other so much, they are seriously my whole life – I love being a mom!!!!

Entered a fun photo contest!

So I did some fun things this week, its SO nice to be off bedrest and able to get so much done! A fun blog I follow is having a

 Multi Colored 

Photography Contest 

 and I actually entered a photo of little Locke. I thought it would be fun, even though I know my creative strengths come in making physical items, like my headbands and decorating.

This is the one I entered! back with his metal glasses that used to fall off ALL the time, even with chupps on the back. He’s my little einstein!!

I can’t believe the new baby isn’t here yet….

So here we are, still waiting on baby No.2. I would have never believed there was any way I could’ve made it this far!! 38 weeks on Sunday!! According to my baby ticker, the baby is now the size of a watermelon, YIKES!  Lane and I were so convinced when I went off my contraction-stopping meds at 37 weeks that I’d have him the next day. Well…since then I’ve been vacuuming, rearranging furniature, and even pushing strollers up ginormous hills – but….nothing. And I can’t believe how so many girls make it a week or two after their due date. I have a new profound respect for them. I realize my pregnancy with Locke was a BREEZE – probably so I would actually have more kids…now though, who knows. I’ll have to forget a lot between now and thoughts of another baby!! As much as I complain though, it is completely worth it, as evidenced by all the cuteness below:

Just hanging out with grandma, who is absalutely his favorite person in the whole world.

They are so cute, always laughing at each other – I love to just watch them play! Vicki is the best grandma Locke could ever ask for, at 60 she is willing to endure any abuse the grandkids put her through. We love her so much!!!

Kennedy came over this weekend and Locke loved it! however he didn’t like her to stop playing with him for one minute, even if it was to make him some homemade cinnamon buns….yum….so I pulled out my trusty bean/bowl activity. Lately it’s the only way I’ve been using my food storage…..

 

Notice he’s smiling at someone BEHIND the camera, auntie Kennedy!

Oh that little dimple, I just love it when he smiles!!!

The other day I came into the living room to find Locke trying to walk around with glasses on his feet?? he kept saying ow and then laughing to himself. I love all the new little things he’s been doing lately, hes really exploded out of his little shell and is showing off so much of his personality! I swear if I let him all he’d want to do is eat bananas and play in the car.

These two are so cute its rediculous. Lane is the biggest softie with Locke, just today Locke started bawling when Lane left to do evening chores so Lane came back and got him – even though the tractor he is using to feed right now is really hard to have any kind of passenger, let alone a wiggly two year old! but Lane can’t say no to him, I love it!

Just eating a fried egg….(an awesome farm fresh one courtesy of Elmo our mechanic!!)

and……showing it off to the camera. Thanks Locke. He pretty much refuses to look at me anymore, but I think you can start to see how silly he has been lately….

Happy Easter!

Locke absalutely will not nap in his crib. At noon I turn on some cartoons, give him his binky and I lay down beside him. He is out in under 5 min. everytime. He won’t even get off the bed! if he ever scoots off I just threaten that I’ll put him in his crib and he scrambles over to me and lays back down again. I’m not sure where his dislike for his crib came from, but I’m not complaining. Its fun to cuddle and watch cartoons with him – I don’t get that from him very often!

He is getting so big! and very independent. He won’t let me cut up anything before he tries to eat it himself. which usually ends up with a piece of fruit covered in drool with a couple tiny bite marks he pushes into my lap – “mama?” he always says it like a question. Like it explains everything, “mom, I couldn’t eat it, will you cut it up for me?”. so cute!

Just after getting back from chores with dad, happy. content. before we got him dressed in his easter sunday clothes….

 

which he was not happy about. We tried SO HARD to get one decent picture of him, I finished his tie last night! I’ve always wanted to make him one and I finally got one done – but we could not have had more of an unwilling model.

Locke whats on your tie? a bunny? - “baba?” I love how hard he is trying to talk right now. Its just taking him a while to catch on…

Trying to keep things together!!

So maybe I didn’t pick the ideal time to start trying to take pictures everyday – a lot of time is spent in the hospital or lying on the couch hoping the contractions stop….But its been great motivation to take my camera out a lot more! so anyways as far as this baby goes – I’m still pregnant! and Lane and I are super happy! its going to be so nice to have healthy newborn that we can enjoy without the billi lights and inability to eat…Hooray for getting closer to full term! But even with the extra time we are having the hardest time finding a name for the new little guy, Lane doesn’t want anything other than Jack, and I have a HUGE list of possibilities that he doesn’t approve of. I’ll keep you updated on that situation.

Mom took these awesome pictures of Locke last time she came down to babysit Skye’s kids while her and Ryan went on a cruise. He loves my mom so much! and even though we don’t see her very often, it only takes a few minutes before Locke starts calling her grandma and giving her hugs and kisses.

So here’s Locke enjoying a yogurt snack, singing some song I couldn’t recognize: (april 1, 2012)

the backyardigans theme song? are we lucky enough to have him remember one of the primary songs? who knows at this point.

My amazing friend Tai Grant came over and took some amazing maturnity pictures of me in exchange for some headbands I had made. Unfortuantely we had to take a break and clean up where her 3 year old daughter Lydia had pooped on the carpet….we threw her in the tub and she pooped again – and Tai couldn’t leave without wiping down my tub! she is so awesome. (april 2, 2012)

I think her photography is so neat, she has an amazing ability to capture a moment and its so fun to see what poses she comes up with! seriously she is fantastic! and we took all these shots in under 20 minutes with our four kids running around. Which speaks to her awesome talent!

The only cartoon Locke will sit in front of? Backyardigans, and anything that has a song playing the entire time. He is so into music, I got the cutest video of him this week – if I sing a song really enthusiastically he grins from ear to ear and dances around. He breaks out his dance moves everywhere – the supermarket, if my phone rings, anywhere. It is the most adorable thing – Locke you are the best. (april 3, 2012)

The other day Nicole invited us over to Kelly Mecham’s for a cupcake/egg decorating party! it was so fun! there were a couple of small babies there and it was really fun to see Locke try playing with them. He was so confused that they couldn’t get up and walk around.  (april 5, 2012)

Locke didn’t care about decorating the eggs so much, I dipped him an egg, (it was supposed to be red, not pink!) and let him go to town with a marker. Kept his attention for a few minutes…then he spent the rest of the time in the sandbox out back and petting the bunnies!

He has no fear of animals! he just trotted right over to the open cage, and was pointing and trying to climb inside with them! I wonder what kind of “pets” he will bring home when he’s older…I just hope he’s not like Uncle Shane and starts secretly keeping a drawer full of mice!!!

It was such a windy day, that combined with cupcakes and icing the first thing we did when we got to grandmas was throw the toddlers in the bath – Locke and Warren are the water babies in the family! they play so good together in there! (Lockes eyes still cross the minute you take his glasses off, which I guess is ok? as long as they don’t cross with his glasses on, we won’t have to worry about getting surgery again!)