Priceless!

The Automatic Bouncer by InGenuity........$49.99

8-Pack of "C" batteries..................................$10.50

Ian not having to be held............................PRICELESS!!!


With so much family around lately, Ian has decided that he really likes being held...ALL the time. He despises the couch, cries on the boppy pillow, and pretty much hates the swing. My friend Amanda made me a sling, but we're still trying to figure it out. He's a great baby in arms, but I just can't hold him all of the time. In a pile of mail that we forgot to actually look at, we just found a heaven sent gift card to Target from Jason and Erica. Off I went to find a bouncer. It was worth a shot! I decided to go out on a limb and try a new one that doesn't vibrate, but actually bounces the baby. Accompanied by the sounds of the ocean, we have found great success! Okay, so this is the first time we've tried it, but here I sit typing - all by my lonesome.

Another worthy note - Ian let me sleep for 4 whole hours in a row last night. That was quite the accomplishment, given that I've been averaging 4-5 broken up hours of sleep a night - total.

Given these two new developments, I'm off to happily do some laundry!

Peace during Troubled Waters

Ashlyn has stopped sobbing, the boys are finally settled down, and the baby is asleep on the couch after insisting on me dropping all else to rock him. Eric's at work, my house still needs to be picked up, I haven't even started getting things ready for our 6am departure to Thatcher for my Uncle's funeral, and I'm exhausted. Yet, somehow, I'm okay. As I was rocking Ian, I was looking around the house at all the beautiful pictures of my family and felt an overwhelming sense of peace and gratitude. I have a feeling that life is going to be upside down for awhile. There is so much I want to do without the time to do it. Most of the time I struggle to get the necessities done. I've had a breakdown or two (or three or four), mostly due to my misalignment of priorities. I've been running on fumes for the past three weeks. I tell everyone that I'm doing great and all is well, but am deeply grateful for the insightful friends who bring dinner over anyway and invite my children to come and play. I'm forever indebted to a sister who dropped everything (and a brother-in-law who picked it all up) to come and take a baby shift through the night so I could get some much needed sleep and then worked all day to help me get ready for company. I love my guests who send me off to nap and give my kids some much needed attention. I'm thankful for a husband who takes the time to tell me that I'm doing great and that he thinks I'm amazing - even when I don't feel like I'm doing so hot.

I love my family. I'm crazy over the tiny little person who has thrown my life into a whirlwind and wouldn't trade him in for anything - not even sleep! :) My house may not be perfect (has it ever been?!?), I may not make it out of my pajamas before bedtime, and my kids may be a little out of control sometimes, but I have the best life! So many wonderful things have happened these last few weeks, and I hope to make the time to write about them so I can remember them forever, but it might not be as often as I'd like. Be patient with me - the baby just woke up and he's hungry....

Who would have thought?

Isaac turned 8 on January 19th and his first cub scout activity was on the 21st, when I was scheduled to be in the hospital having Ian. Of course, it had to be the Pinewood Derby! We got his car kit about a week before, but didn't have a chance to get to it until the night before. His car became a whole family affair. Between Isaac, Eric, my father-in-law, me and my dad, we finally got it finished for the big race. Of course, me knowing he was turning 8 and starting cub scouts, never thought in advance that he would need a scout uniform. So Dad and Cindy stopped at the scouting store on the way into town to pick up everything he'd need and Cindy very graciously sewed on all of the patches. The shirt's a little big, but it will last him!

I felt horrible about missing his first pinewood derby. I wanted someone to go with him, but felt bad asking because everyone had come to town for the baby (which we were still waiting for!). I had arranged for Isaac to go with a friend, but when I called my Dad to tell him the plans, he said "No, I need to be there for Isaac. We'll take him." I was SOOOO relieved and grateful. What wonderful parents I have!

When they got to the weigh-in, they discovered that Isaac's car was too light. Dad noticed another man breaking weights off of his son's car, so he asked if he could buy a few off of him. He gave them willingly for free, so Dad and Isaac taped the extra weights onto the car. Stylish! Good looking or not, it worked. I kept getting giddy phone calls from my Dad with the latest updates. "Isaac hasn't lost a race yet." "Isaac is 12 out of 12." "Isaac took first place in the Wolve's Den" "Isaac's car just beat the Bear's car." "Isaac is the grand champion!"

We had gone into it hoping that he would win a race or two so that he wouldn't be too disappointed. We have a lot to live up to now. I don't know if I can handle the pressure!

The car is now sitting on top of my refrigerator in it's box so that it remains in tip top condition. Isaac is anxiously awaiting the District Derby....and so is his Grandpa! Welcome to Cub Scouts!

Happy Birthday Isaac!

On January 19th, Isaac turned the big 8! It's a special birthday for him, but I was so not in the mood to throw a party. My sister, Cari, saved the day by coming the day before and bringing cousins to visit and he invited a few friends over for a birthday "get together." I refused to call it a party so that there were no expectations. I was fully prepared to cancel it and have a baby instead, but we all know that didn't happen. A backyard, pinata, hot dogs, and cupcakes are really all you need for a successful "get together." My nieces approached me at one point to ask when we were starting the games and I said, "What games? You know the rules...this is not a party!" They were pacified with red rover.

Isaac got the first big hit on the pinata. Luckily it lasted for everyone to go through twice.

Ashlyn would only go near it if Lisa guided her. Who doesn't want to whack a pinata?

All the kids were very impressive with their swings. I got a picture of each, but decided my kids were enough to show!

Cupcakes were only allowed on the way outside. Have I mentioned how much I love having a backyard?

Bunch of cute kids....

even if they are a little crazy!

The kids have decided that donuts are the official birthday breakfast of champions. Isaac wanted to light his own candles. See the burn hole in the paper towel? Good thing he's starting cub scouts!

Isaac's birthday was actually a really busy day. After school he went straight to piano and then we picked him up to head to Chuck E. Cheese. He left at 8:45 that morning and didn't get home until the same time that night. The best birthday present of all was having Nana and Papa show up at Chuck E. Cheese for a big surprise. They weren't supposed to arrive until the next night, but decided they needed to see their Isaac on his birthday.

When we got home, we finally had the chance to open the rest of his gifts. His first BB gun! Wahoo!

This gift bag came a few days earlier with Grandma and Grandpa's present in it. I used it the morning of his birthday so he could open one present before school, and then used it again that evening. He had a birthday party a few days later and I had Papa put the gift for the other boy in the same bag, but on the way Isaac said, "I'm really going to miss that bag", so Papa stopped and bought a new one for the other party. I wonder how many more presents that bag will hold in our family!

I can't believe my baby boy is growing up so fast. He's so excited to finally be in cub scouts and can't wait for his baptism in a couple of weeks. He always tries to be thoughtful and will do little extra things, just to make my day better. We sure do love you, Isaac!

More Baby

The Story....

When you're pregnant, you come to discover that everyone has a cool birthing story. People see your belly and the conversation inevitably turns to their own experiences with child birth. It can't be helped and it's usually quite entertaining. I had a girl's night out with a few friends not long before Ian was born, and I'm sure the teenage employees of Cold Stone Creamery will never be the same again. However, I rarely have much to contribute. My story is basically, I was induced at X time and delivered Y child at Z o'clock with the variables changing only by times and the child. I was determined that this time was going to be different. Alas, I was wrong. My Dr. offered induction as an option and I had to jump on it. After all, nothing else was working!

So on the morning of the 21st, Eric and I take our last picture as parents of three, anxious and nervous about returning as parents of four. The short story is that I was induced at 1:30p and delivered Ian Joseph at 11:09p. The labor was mind numbingly slow. The more pitocin they gave me, the more the contractions slowed. Very frustrating! My sister Cari called everyone in the family to get their guesses on what time the baby would be born and most everyone's time had come and gone before I even got my epidural. I could embellish my story a bit with the anesthesiologist who tried to kill me, but I'm still too bitter to give her much of my page.
"No, I'm not just being squeamish from the pressure. It feels like you're shoving a knife in my back and there are waves of pain shooting down my right leg."
Had she not called me squeamish multiple times (all I did was tell her that something wasn't right) she would have already been forgiven and long forgotten. However, she did, so it may take awhile!
Finally the time arrived. Dr. Durfee got there about 10:45 and Ian Joseph Chapman was born at 11:09.

Perfect Baby Boy...

I've never had much intuition when it comes to my body, or my babies, or pretty much anything. But for some reason, I couldn't stop worrying about this baby and particularly, that the cord would be wrapped around him and cause problems. I spent many days and nights praying that all would be well and that I would deliver a healthy and strong baby boy with no complications. I even mentioned my concerns to my Dr., but she assured me that everything would be alright. During labor, every time I would have a contraction, the baby's heart rate would drop and the nurse explained that that could be caused by cord compression. Now I was really worried! When Ian was born, he was the cutest little present you've ever seen - all wrapped up tight in the umbilical cord. It was around his neck, over his shoulder, under his arm, etc., etc. It took them a couple of minutes to get him untangled. As frustrated as I was at having such a slow, low-key labor, I really feel that it was an answer to my prayers. Maybe everything would have been fine anyway, but I cringe to think of what could have been if I had had a fast and hard labor, especially if I had not been induced and monitored the whole time. I don't like those kinds of stories. But thankfully, everything is in the Lord's hands and Ian was born a perfectly healthy baby. My biggest so far at 7 lbs and 12 oz. We've liked the name Ian for several years, and Joseph is after my father-in-law, William Joseph Chapman.

The family photo shoot....

After seeing the baby, Carter didn't want to leave. They had to coax him pretty hard to go and get some lunch. He hopped right up on the bed with me and talked and talked about how cute his new baby brother was.

This was the first hospital I've had a baby at where there was no nursery, but you kept the baby in the room with you all the time. I wasn't sure how well I'd like that. It's kind of nice to have those last few hours of sleep before you take the baby home and that sleep is gone forever (so it seems). It turned out to be great. Ian was a champ. It was the nurses I couldn't wait to get away from! Thankfully, the pediatrician didn't make us stay the full 24 hrs and we were walking out at 6:30p the next evening.

Coming home....

Here's Ian as we were just about to leave the hospital. I think he was as nervous about going home as we were!

After sleeping so well at the hospital, we had high hopes for our first night home. Yeah right. Here is Ian as we are headed for bed.

Here is Ian as soon as we laid him down.

He didn't cry all night, but he sure didn't sleep either. Thankfully he has gotten a little better each night. My in-laws came from Texas to help out and they were life savers. I got to sleep, relax, and cuddle my baby for a week while my poor mother-in-law wore herself to a frazzle. We were really sad to see them go and the kids were already missing them the second they walked out the door. There will be a little more on their week later. My parents were also a great help with watching the kids all day long while we waited for Ian to arrive. We're blessed to have such wonderful family!

Ian is definitely all boy. He doesn't burp, he belches. He doesn't toot, he clears the room. And when he really wants to impress the ladies, namely me, he squirts milk out of his nose. It's going to be a rude awakening when he gets older and the women in his life don't kiss and praise him for his efforts the way his mother does!

He eats fantastic and has the diapers to prove it. You can count on him making magic in his pants every single feeding - day or night.

Isaac loves him, Carter adores him, and Ashlyn tolerates him. I thought that Ashlyn would be all over the baby all day long, but it's actually Carter who insists on holding him the most. He's been a great big brother and will hold the baby as long and as often as we'll let him. He only willingly gives him back when he starts to fall asleep himself.

My parents came up today to get the kids and take them back to Thatcher for the weekend (thank you!). When Cindy asked Ashlyn how she liked her new baby brother, she exclaimed "Not very well!" and dramatically threw herself across Grandma's lap. She doesn't appreciate being dethroned. It will take a little adjusting, but she will always be my princess!

Eric and I were talking about how interesting it is that Ian instantly felt apart of our family as soon as he was born - like he was where he belonged and there would be a big hole if he were missing. I think all parents worry as they go from one child to two about being able to love another as much as they love their first child. It's a wonderful phenomenon the way our heart doesn't divide or choose favorites, but grows bigger and bigger as each child is born and loves each one dearly for their own unique selves. Carter did ask me a couple days ago if he was rare, because Isaac might like to collect him if he was. I assured him he was one of a kind! We are so grateful to have Ian as a part of our family and are anxious to watch him grow and see who he becomes, but are content to hug and kiss and cuddle with him for now. We are so BLESSED!

Introducing...

....Ian Joseph Chapman! Born January 21, 2010 at 11:09 pm. He weighs 7 lbs 12 oz and is 20 1/2 in long. More to come later. We sure do love our new baby boy!

Weatherman Carter

Carter loves the weather. He has a lot of passions, but this one is closer to the top. He made a weather map the other day and wanted me to video him giving the forecast and then post it to weather.com. I didn't quite get it to weather.com, but I managed to put it on my blog!