It's getting COLDER!!

So a few years ago we lived in Kansas. It was awesome there. We loved the weather, the changing seasons, the snow. Our favorite part was all the STORMS we got. It rained there all the time. Our very first weekend there the tornado sirens went off. We were amazed. Chad LOVES weather. We were outside watching the storm. It was so awesome. You could TOTALLY see the clouds swirling around. It was really cool. We had neighbors come over, they were like we know you are new here, you need to get in your basement. We were stupid, we stayed outside and watched. It was so so cool. A tornado touched down about 20-15 miles away. It was one of the coolest things ever! Anyway, anyone who knows Chad knows he has a fascination with weather. If we are driving to Utah or somewhere, most people check the weather for storms to know not to go that way. Chad checks for storms so we SHOULD go that way. Before we had kids, when we were bored, Chad would check the radar and we would drive to where it was raining. Sometimes drive for like an hour, JUST to see the rain. I know we are CRAZY! Chad just loves rain. Chad makes sure every prayer in our house, involves asking for rain.
So yesterday, we went to church, and it was pretty hot. We were wondering when it was EVER going to cool off! So we got home we watched Newsies. It is cool enough to keep the windows open, but it is still warm. Anyway ALL OF A SUDDEN we got the COOLEST storm EVER! Maybe not as cool as the tornadoes, but the coolest one we have had in AZ! It was POURING! Then it started HAILING! It was so cool. Our grass was pretty white, covered in Hail. Our kids could not believe it! Chad was so excited. Our house was crazy everyone loved it! Carter didn't like it though, he was scared hearing the hail hit the windows was scary to him. So here are a few pictures of the cool storm. We NEVER get storms like this here! It was really cool!
This last picture was from the back of Chad's truck! This morning was pretty cold, today is the first day Carter and Anna wore pants to school. FINALLY!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

It's Anna's Turn! Happy Birthday!

I know it was just Gracie's birthday! Anna just turned FIVE today!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Every birthday I like to think back to the day that they were born and look at all their pictures! So 5 years ago today? Lets see. We were living in Goodyear, I went on bed rest starting at 25 weeks with Anna. I had to take Terbutilin, not a fun thing, every 4 hours 24 hours a day. All night even! Any way, Anna made it to 37 weeks! YAY! When I was in the hospital having Anna, Chad, my mom and Chad's mom were all in there. Anna's heart rate kept dropping way to low. I tested positive for strep B, So I had antibiotics, the epidural and Pitocin, all going pretty high. I had a little Seizure type thing. So they turned all the machines off, gave my a few shots of something that knocked me out for a couple of hours. I woke up and we were ready. Anna's heart rate was super low, we did not feel right about something. So I pushed her out in 2 pushes. She was face up. Any way she came out COMPETE LY BLACK. The cord was wrapped around her neck twice, and also around her tummy. She had no pulse, no breath, she was not crying NOTHING. She was completely limp. Right away a team of Doctors started resisitating her, massaging her heart, her feet, her arms, trying to get the blood pumping. We were all so scared and holding our breath. Her first apgar was 0, she was not there. They kept trying to resisitate her, next apgar 0. I was so SCARED. She was still black, no blood pumping, no oxygen. Next apgar, 0! Normally, they give up after 3 apgar tests! Our Doctor was LDS, my was over by Anna watching and Praying. She asked the Doctor to give her a blessing, Chad was with me, SCARED, not knowing what to do. So he gave her a blessing, we heard an instant little whimper start from her. When the blood started pumping, she got a little color right by her nose and then just started coming back everywhere! She started Crying, 4th apgar (remember they normally give up after 3) was a 3. Then with in very few minutes it was a 9!!! AMAZING! That was the MOST scary few minutes of my entire life!!! The Doctor was worried she might have brain damage from lack of oxygen...NOTHING wrong with Anna. Anna is my healthiest child. She had RSV when she was 10 days old, got pretty sick, was admitted. Other than that NOTHING! She is healthy and strong! So know you see when I was talking about Gracie, her heart rate started to slow down, I JUMPED on a C-Section! So now Anna is five years old!! She has more personality then all of us put together! She is so social, and so fun to be around! She can make any situation good or bad, FUN!!! Today for her birthday, Carter and Anna both missed school, we went and saw HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3!! Then we went on a picnic at the park and played a little, then we went to Chuckee Cheese for some games! We came home and opened presents and ate cake! FUN DAY! Happy Birthday Anna! Here are a few pictures of Anna getting bigger! I LOVE YOU ANNA BANANA!

Happy Birthday Gracie!!

What was I doing three years ago? Let me see.... Three years ago we lived in Olathe, Kansas. Every pregnancy I go into preterm labor, I go on bed rest, all of that. It is always fun! Anyway when I was pregnant with Gracie, I saw the high-risk doctors. I went every week, even in the beginning. I had an ultrasound every single week, to make sure everything is on track. Chad had to give me a shot once a week to try to prevent preterm labor. So I made it to 27 weeks, I was admitted to the hospital and got Magnesium. That is THE WORST feeling ever!! Well, it stopped my labor. When it got near the end of the pregnancy, we were getting ready to move back to Arizona. We were getting worried that she would not be born before the move. So I asked the Doctor to induce me. So we went to the hospital to be induced at 37 weeks. The heart rate was not right, dropping way to low, for too long, etc. We had a very very scary experience with Anna, when they asked if I wanted a C-section, I said yes, we did not want what happened with Anna again. So they decided on the C-section, and she was born 11 minutes later. We lived in Kansas with no family, the family had all came to help during the hospital stay and after. So no family could come to see Gracie. It was hard for me, no one to show off my new baby to. The only person to come see us was the AWESOME family in our ward (who was watching our kids) to let Carter and Anna come see her. Thank you Marie! So we moved back to Arizona when Gracie was 3 weeks old. I had to get something from the Dr. for the airlines to say it was okay for her to go on a plane SO EARLY in life. My Mom was awesome. She flew to Kansas and didn't even leave the airport, she arrived and just got on the plane with me to help me with Carter and Anna back to AZ. It was so nice of her. So three years ago I had a lot going on. Gracie was such a good baby, never cried, good sleeper, always happy. Gracie is by far my easiest child. When Gracie was 3 months old she was admitted to the hospital. We do not have good luck with medical stuff, but this one was scary for me. She had RSV, both ears infected, and a urinary tract infection. She was in the hospital for 1 week. They had to do her IV in her head, us red heads have thin veins, except our head! During that hospital stay they did many tests, because she had a UTI, it is unusual to get them that early. We found out that she has Urinary Reflex. That is where her pee goes into her kidneys. So since that visit 2 1/2 years ago she goes every six months for them to check on that and make sure her kidneys still functioning normally. She is supposed to take antibiotics every single day, to prevent UTI's. Maybe eventually get a surgery to permanently fix it. when Gracie was 2 she broke her arm, she had to get 2 casts on it, and it was casted for 3 months! Gracie is such a good baby. She loves to be with the big kids, she has always thought she was one of the big kids, she is very tough. Gracie is so fun to be around. Gracie is so special to me, I know there is something about her that is different from my other kids. I knew it while I was pregnant with her. Gracie has such a strong spirit. She is ALWAYS so happy. I am lucky to have Gracie home with me all day while Carter and Anna are at school. I love my Gracie Girl! Happy Birthday Gracie!! I LOVE YOU!!