Trials and Blessings

You know, Adam and I have had an easy go of it lately. Infact, when I look back at our marriage, we have had very few major issues and most were within the first 5 years we were married. Everyone said that building a house was the closest they had gotten to divorce, and we sailed through it. Sure, there were stressful times (ie what colors to choose, what flooring to choose, staying in the budget), but from the beginning I always felt like the Lord was directing us to this location and I knew that it was supposed to be. I think that made it easier, even if it was in my own mind. So, we Barnetts have coasted pretty easy for awhile and it has been rather nice I must say. And then came September...

September 5th Adam was laid off from his job. We knew his work was planning lay offs, but when he survived the first round back in April we thought he was safe. Then the day before "dooms day", Adam came home with a box of things from his cubical. I think he knew then. He wouldn't officially get any news until the next morning. I sat on the stairs and wept for him. He had put so much of his time, energy, and life into his job. He worked overtime, holiday, and even 24hrs straight. Why him? The best answer he got was that his project was wrapping up and was easier to let him go than to transfer him... Awesome. The first week or so after he was let go was hard on Adam. He felt angry and he missed the companionship of the friends he made there. I also can't imagine the weight of responsibility that he must have felt. Here we had built this beautiful new home and without a job, how could we survive? Lucky for me, my husband is just amazing. He went to workshops, job fairs, career counselors, met with placement agencies, interview after interview. And then a job came around at Beijer Electronics that sounded perfect for him. He interviewed and knocked it out of the park; he thought for sure it was his...and then he didn't get it. That was a blow. I remember praying for Heavenly Father to help Adam. To give him direction. Adam frequently attended the Temple and I saw him praying often. A couple weeks later we were talking in the car and I said, "Adam, you loved Beijer, maybe you ought to just apply for anything they have available." A few days later, he felt like instead of applying for the entry level position there, he should just give them a call. What could it hurt? He called and the HR rep said, "We are impressed that you called us; it just so happens we may have something for you." The next day he had another interview, the day after a phone interview, and by the end of the day a job offer. Seven weeks after he was laid off, he had found an amazing new job. One that he finds exciting and loves. Adam has gotten e-mails from others who were laid off asking what his secret to success is. We know that Adam did everything he could to find a new job and the Lord made up the rest. That is what he promises us and we saw and felt it through this time in our lives.

Now what I didn't mention was that normally during times like this, I would be a stark raving mess. When there is something wrong, I need it to be fixed immediately. My mind races and I have trouble focusing on anything else. My poor husband has to put up with this. However, while Adam was laid off, I had no anxiety. None. I know that is how the Lord blessed me personally during this time. I knew that if we had Faith, no matter how long the wait was, He would help us.

So, back to the trials. Besides my broken ankle (yeah that was awesome) we also had some wonderful news. Three days before Adam was laid off, we found out I was pregnant. We were beyond excited. Having a 5th child was something we had discussed for awhile, but it never really felt like the right time until the end of this Summer. So, even with the job lay off and the broken ankle we had that little ray of sunshine in our lives. The kids could not have been more excited. I wish I would have taped their reactions, because the pure joy on their faces was priceless. Everything I hoped for. Then the trial again.. Monday the 28th of October I started spotting. I called my doctor and he said not to worry. I tried not to worry. Halloween night it got worse and we decide to call our doctor after hours. He said there was nothing I could do but to come in the morning and check to see if everything was ok. So, November 1st, my 30th birthday, we went to our doctors and received the news. We had lost our baby. I was 12 weeks 2 days, but the baby was measuring a couple of weeks behind and there was no heartbeat. I know right? Man is it difficult to keep it together as you walk out of a doctor's office with many pregnant women in the waiting room. We got to the car, and I lost it. This was something that was not even on my radar. I have four beautiful children and never experienced a miscarriage before. Why now? I still don't know the answer and I don't know that I ever will. Adam was so wonderful and I continued on with all my wonderful birthday plans. He surprised me with an appointment to get my hair cut and colored, we went up to Logan and ate at The Elements restaurant (which was amazing), and we stayed the night at the Anniversary Inn. I am so thankful to my mom for watching my kids that night, because for many hours I sat in Adam's arms and cried. It has now been 10 days since we found out and it is still hard. I still cry. I still hurt. I am trying to rely on the Lord for his comfort, but I found that it is easier for me to pray for someone else's comfort than for my own.

I didn't think that this was something I was going to share, but I've been having a harder time with it than I thought that I would. I just felt like I needed to get it out. I am not looking for anything, I just needed to put my feelings down. It's hard and it sucks and I don't know where to go from here. But, I do know that I will keep going. I do recognize my past and current blessings. I couldn't ask for better children than the ones I have. The Lord has blessed me and will continue to bless me. He has his reasons, even if I don't agree or understand them. I trust Him, I love Him, and I know that He loves me. Thank you to everyone who has shown me so much love. It is much appreciated.

*An old picture, but I don't have very many with the 4 of the them together! Goobers. :)

Beginning of Summer

As I was looking at my blog and how pathetic it is, I thought I should do another post. And while I know that these posts are really just for myself, I know it's important to do them. As with most people, I feel like my blog is more of a journal than anything. Life goes by so quickly that sometimes we just forget things that have happened. The sad thing is that I hardly even take the time to get my camera out. I do take pictures on my phone, but well, we all know how good those usually are. So, here we go with the events that I remember from the last little while.

REESE

I realize that I haven't even written about my Ruby's baptism day. How sad it that? Reese was baptized on November 5th. She was absolutely beautiful that day and I was so proud of her for choosing to become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  She has the most sweet spirit and she truly knows the gospel. Reese is like a sponge and she definitely soaks up anything and everything she is told (which can be a good and bad thing). So, she loves learning about the gospel and asking questions. She always wants to be the one to read at family scripture and she loves writing down what we have read. Reese's baptism was also pretty special because it was the first time that Adam had ever baptized anyone. The next day, November 6th was actually the day we blessed Liam. Adam bore his testimony that day of how strong the spirit was when he baptized and confirmed Reese. It was really wonderful to see and feel the spirit around us those two days. I am so thankful for the gospel and the joy that it brings into our lives.

Reese was in 2nd grade this year. She's our little genius. Everytime I would go in for parent/teacher conference, her teacher would just go on about how creative, smart, and kind she is. Random story: while we were at the Kaysville Light Parade, a boy from Reese's class came and sat by us. He said, "Hi," to Reese and then turned to his dad and said, "Dad! That's Reese! She's the second smartest kid in my class!" Then I overheard him say that Kate Sargeant is the smartest. It made me chuckle.

Reese also was in a pre-comp dance class and tumbling this year. I am so proud of how much she has improved in her dance and tumbling this year.  I really hadn't notice much of a chance in her skills the other years, but this year she has really grown by leaps and bounds. Her recital dance was to Selena Gomez's "Love Song Baby", which she loved because she is slightly obsessed with Selena Gomez.  We are preparing for those tween years and can already see the attitude creeping in every so often. It should be an adventure...

This year was the last year Reese decided to play soccer. I love my daughter, but she is not a runner. She is more of a sprinter, so soccer was not her sport.  Adam and I had many a conversations about her walking or not paying attention on the field. I think that her long legs play against her in that department; she's just still is a bit awkward when she runs. She'll figure it out some day, but until then, she's decided to pass on soccer.  However, in her final game of the year, literally in the final second of the game she ran up and kicked the ball as hard as she could scoring the winning goal! Her coach said she just kept saying, "I've never scored a goal before!" and the coach told her, "Reese, you didn't just score a goal, you scored the WINNING goal!" She was so excited. We were so happy for her, and honestly, in a bit of shock.

In addition to all the other wonderfulness that is Reese, she is also a great big sister. She is always looking after and playing with Camryn. I am so grateful to her, because sometimes I don't feel like it is possible to keep up with Liam and Camryn and Reese is right there to take Camryn to play Barbies. Reese and Noah have a little bit more of a love/hate relationship. She has kind of hit that point where sometimes she just doesn't want to play with Noah, which is hard for me to explain to him. However, they still can laugh harder than anyone and play like they are best friends. If only it could be like that all the time. Reese is so sweet with Liam. She loves to talk to him, try and teach him how to do new things, and above all make him smile.

NOAH

Noah, Noah. He is one big ball of energy. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Reese and Noah could not be more opposite. Reese never had a problem playing on her own; Noah is constantly asking for someone to play with him. Reese was fairly even tempered; Noah's emotions are always at the surface. Reese is very shy; Noah will talk to anyone and everyone. Reese is terrified of a lot of the rides at Lagoon; Noah will go on anything. And the thing about Reese and Noah is that they are either best friends or cannot get a long to save their lives. Anyway, Noah is a great friend to others. We constantly have his friends' parents tell us how much they love Noah, that he is the sweetest boy, and they could just keep him for their own. Luckily, this wonderful little boy is mine.

Noah was able to play soccer for the first time this year and he absolutely loved it. He is small, but man does that kid have fire. He always tries his hardest and really improved in the Spring games. He also got to play coach pitch baseball this year. He did so great! He did get a little restless when it was his team's turn to be in the outfield, but I say it was par for the course at this age. 

Along with Noah's energy comes his zillion questions. I mean, Reese asked questions, but Noah is just non-stop. And I spend most of my day answering his many questions or hearing, "Mom! Mom! Mom! Mommy! Mooooommmmmyyyyy!!" At least 3 times a day I hear my self say, "NOAH! I heard you the first time! Once is enough son!" I have a feeling his many questions will lead to some interesting conversations (i.e. how does the baby get out of your tummy?).

I think the general theme when it comes to Noah is that he tries really hard at everything he does. He is struggling with his reading, but he really wants to read and he works hard at it. Another example is him practicing his running. He is so funny; to practice his running he has us time him running down the hallway that is the length of our house. I must say though, he has improved his time greatly since this began. And now my favorite example: one day when I was picking him up from primary, the chorister stopped me and said, "Your Reese is just such a beautiful singer, she does so well. And Noah...he just tries so hard." Adam and I still giggle about that because it is so true of him. Whatever Noah does he is trying to his best.


Well, seeing as the post literally took me months to finish (as since I wrote about Reese and some about Noah we have sold our home and we are living at my mom's while our house is being built), I think I'll post and come back to Camryn and Liam at another date. So much more to write about, especially about my two youngest and craziest. Those two certainly keep me on my toes!

Sorry again for the novel, if you got through it that is. :)

Liam's Birth

Well, I may have a minute between feeding/changing/wrangling kids, so I think I'll finally take this chance to write out Liam's birth story.

Saturday September 10th, I started having contractions. They were pretty strong, so much so that I didn't make it to Reese's soccer game. I stayed home to shower, get ready, and pack a hospital bag. They were getting stronger, but where staying 15 mins apart. After Reese's game was over Adam picked me up so we could run to the store and grab some things for the hospital and kids. I had never gone into labor on my own before, so I wasn't sure this was the real thing, but I wanted to be prepared. Next was Noah's game...contractions still 15 mins apart...My mom came to the game and was convinced today was the day. I was still skeptical.

After the game, we decided to go to Cafe Rio and grab some lunch. The contractions slowed, but the couple I had were really strong. Still hoping, when we got home I started walking. I walked up and down my hallway, up and down my stairs, out on my deck, anywhere really. Contractions started to fall back into a pattern of 10 mins apart. Adam gave his mom a call and gave her a heads up. For hours they stayed 10 mins. Some were strong, some not so bad. At 9 pm, Adam convinced me to go to the hospital just to get checked out. My mom came over and sat with the kids and up to the hospital we went.

When they checked me I was 4.5 centimeters...better than the 3.5 the previous day...but not really effaced more than 70%. My doc was "on vacation" until midnight that night. Great. So, the on-call doc said to watch me for an hour and if I had changed I would get to stay, if not I would be sent home. An hour later, no change. They sent me home with 2 ambien and told me to rest because I would probably be back the next day (yeah, yeah).

So, I went home at midnight and fell asleep immediately. At 3 am I woke up with contracations 3 mins apart. Adam wanted to go straight back to the hospital. I was so tired, and not wanting to be sent home again, I said I wanted to go back to sleep and if it got so intense that I couldn't sleep we would go. The next morning, Sunday, September 11, I woke up with nothing, absolutely nothing. It was all a false alarm, I thought. I slept and rested most of the day. At 2 pm I asked Adam to make me a grilled cheese sandwich. He seriously makes the best grilled cheese sandwiches ever and that day was no exception. After that I started to feel a few contractions here and there again, but didn't really say anything to Adam. I went back to sleep in our bed.

At 3:30 I woke up to my strongest contraction yet...holy moly...so I said Adam, I'm gonna take a bath and relax and see if they get stronger or fade away. I got in the bath and it was like everything moved into warp speed. My contractions quickly jumped to 5 mins apart. By 4:15 Adam wanted to call my mom and I wanted to hold off because I didn't want to be embarrassed again by another false alarm trip to the hospital. 4 mins apart...ok, I'm starting to get nervous...I get out of the tub and yell, "Adam I'm having another one!" "What?! That was only 2 mins apart!" "Well, Hun, I don't know what to tell you but I'm having one and it hurts!" So, he called my mom and she hurried over.

When she got there, I tried to act all casual, "No really, I'm fine. It's probably nothing." Then I sat in my bar stool and had a contraction that brought tears to my eyes. My mom assured me that it was time to go to the hospital. On the way up, they continued to be 2 mins apart and were very painful. When we got to the hospital, me being a dork, said, "Adam, lets just wait a few more mins, maybe walk around the hospital?" It's amazing how inbetween contractions you can feel completely normal. He told me we should just head up. When we were about to walk in the hospital I had another contraction and said, "You better call the Monsen's (to replace my mom) and your parents." This was just after 5 pm.

On the way up to maternity I had a contraction so bad I couldn't walk out of the elevator and awesomely there were people standing outside the elevator doors waiting for us to exit. Uh, hello, I'm in labor! So, I got out of the elevator as quickly as possible. I got into the maternity triage and they checked me 5cm and 90%. The nurse said, "You're definitely in labor, I'm calling your doctor." She had another nurse get the IV going while she was filling out the paperwork (sensing the urgency). I did have it pretty much together still, but was deseperately hoping for that epidural. I told the triage nurses, "just so you know, when my water breaks, I always deliver my babies within an hour." They replied, "Oh really? That's fast, wow, ok." I never know whether they ever really believe me or not, but they would soon find out....

At 5:45, I was finally ready to go to a room. They had called the anathesiologist, but he was at home...awesome...so he was "on his way". They asked me if I wanted a wheel chair or if I could walk to my room. I thought to myself, "I'm between contractions, I'm feeling good, I can walk." I stood up and my water broke. CRAP! I thought, but what came out was, "Uh-huh, I think my water just broke!" They hurried me down the hall and to my room. This is where things started to get a little surreal. The pain was crazy and it only took 5 mins before my nurse said that she needed to check me. 9 cm and 100%. The pain was sooooo bad.

I remember screaming (yes, and I'm still embarrassed) 3 times. I remember saying the cliche, "I can't do this!" and I remember the nurse saying, "Yes you can, but you have to breathe!" That was seriously the last thing I was thinking about. All of a sudden I knew I had to push, which I also shouted, and was told to go ahead. Three big pushes later and my Liam was born at 6:03 pm. I remember crying hysterically and saying, "My baby! My baby!" as I held him in my arms for the first time. It was definitely the most emotional 30 mins of my life. The funny thing is, it is what I was afraid of happening the entire time I was pregnant. But he was here and he was beautiful. 7lbs 4oz, 19.75 inches. My tallest and 1oz smaller than my heaviest.

Some fun fact:
-The nurse delivered Liam, but my doctor made it to deliver the placenta.
-The anathesiologist was still at home when he was born.
-The nurses officially inducted me into the "Pop and Drop Club" since it was 18 mins from my water breaking till he was born.
-Adam's parents had only made it to Spanish Fork, which is 10 mins from Payson, by the time we called to tell them Liam was born.
-My mom made it for my last scream and mins before he was born, but it was a very close call.

Now for the pictures:

Catching up...again.

I feel like such a slacker. You know what, I'm gonna blame it on the fact that I lost my camera for like 6 months. So, here's the break down of the Barnett Family lately:

1. We are selling our house! Adam and I have struggled with this decision since Camryn was born. We knew we would probably have another baby not too long after Camryn and so we had to figure out what our next move was. We LOVE our house and we LOVE, LOVE our neighborhood, but we knew that we didn't want to finish the last two rooms in this house. We have invested enough into this house and we didn't want to invest any more knowing that we were definitely going to move at some point. We looked for a property to build on for close to 8 months. We were stubborn and kept insisting that we stay on the East Side of Kaysville. We love how convienent it is for Adam to jump on 89 and get to work; we also love how easy it is to get to Grammy's house. After all those months of looking, Adam really liked one property in particular and I just could not get on board. The property was at the top of our price and not much bigger that the land we have now. We finally decided that maybe we were looking in the wrong place. So, West Side we went and I absolutely fell in love with a particular property. It was a good amount less than on the East Side and almost .48 acres. Yeah, we knew it was where we were supposed to be...the next question was when? We decided to put our house up and many weeks went by with no interest at all. Last week, I was particularly frustrated; we have our house plans ready and we are seeking bids from contractors, but what good is it if our house doesn't sell? I drove out to our property, parked in front of it, and prayed. I just wanted to know if we were making the right decision...1 hour later our realtor called to let us know we had our first showing. Call it coincidence or a sign or whatever you want, but I told Adam that I think the Lord is trying to tell us to be patient. No, the people who came did not put an offer on our house, but I have faith it will happen when it's supposed to happen. More importantly, I was reassured that we are making the right decision.

2. Baby Boy Barnett is on the way!! We could not be more excited, and honestly nervous, to add this little boy to our family. I can already tell he is gonna be a nut. With the other 3, I really didn't really feel them move a lot till about 20 wks. Even crazy Camryn was pretty quiet till then. I have been feeling Lil' L since about week 15! The other day Adam and I were finally able to see him moving from the outside, which was really fun. We call him Lil' L, because he doesn't exactly have a name yet. We've narrowed it down to Liam Smith or Lucas Smith. I prefer Liam, honestly, but Adam can't decide and I'm letting him have the final decision. He goes back and forth almost daily. I know whatever name he picks, it will fit him and fit in the family and we will love it. Oh and my due date is September 26th, Reese's birthday. I hope he comes 2 weeks early!

3. We are busy!! Between dance, soccer, t-ball, being an activity days leader, school, etc, we are just plain busy! Reese has been doing great during Spring soccer. We love to watch her play. Noah and her are already signed up for soccer in the Fall. Since Noah will be going to Kindergarten this Fall, he final gets to play and he is SOOO excited. Noah also just started t-ball last week. I don't think he has stopped talking about it since his first practice. Tomorrow is his first game. I'm not actually sure how the games work, because there are not strikes, outs, or runs. Hmmm, oh well, we are excited. Reese's dance recital is in 3 weeks. This is the first year that I have no idea what the song is and have not seen any part of the dance. The only thing she has told me is that there is a cartwheel in it, which she is super stoked about.

I think I could make a whole post about how busy my Lamby (Camryn) makes me! I think the best way to explain it is that I have never baby proofed before, but with Cam, we have the super door locks on cabinets and every outlet definitely has a safety plug in them. If she can, she will get into everything and anything. She also is clingy. She has her days where she is literally attached to me. I don't know how that is going to work when the baby comes, but we will just roll with it. Lamby is also a goof! She has THE biggest personality. She knows what is funny and frequently uses her goofy/funny/cuteness to her advantage. Favorite phrases I hear Camryn say: "Wah Doh" aka Let Go, "IGiChu" aka I get you, "Nini" aka Grammy, "Tank Chu" aka Thank You. One of my favorite things is singing with her. I'm going to try and find the videos of her singing her favorite songs; it melts my heart every time I watch them. We do not know what we would do without her crazy bum.

Well, I think those are the major things happening with us, and I have probably tired your eyes out with how long this post is, so until next time!

Miss Reese

I realized that I am seriously lacking in the posts about my Dolly. Maybe it's because she is so "grown-up" and responsible. Or, maybe it's because she isn't changing as often as the other two, but I feel like I need to right this situation.

Reese Donna-Lyn

Age: 7 1/2 yrs old

Favorite Colors: Blue and Pink

Favorite Food: Steak and Rice-a-Roni Box noodles, spaghetti, carrots, salad, any veggie really. She genuinely wants to be healthy and talks about it a lot.

Favorite Person: Camryn, definitely.

Loves: Dance, school, reading, Webkinz, Barbies and Barbie movies, helping Mom

Reese is really getting older. She is in the transitional age between little kid and big kid, so she is just starting to watch older kid shows and listen to Taylor Swift and is phasing out of Disney Princesses andsuch. She is so funny, because she can get so serious about things. She always feels really bad when she hurts anyone's feelings or does something wrong.

She is an amazing reader. It is rare that she runs into a word that she cannot read. When we had her SEP conference after the first term, her teacher said they didn't have anything to teach her and just didn't know what to do with her, because she just does her work as she is asked and gets done quickly. She is a wiz at math and scored the highest in the class on the state assessment, she also was one of the first in her class to understand addition of several numbers vertically.

Funny thing I often hear from Reese: "Ya know Mom, sometimes when Camryn is alseep, instead of going to bed, I get up and clean my room." She complains a lot about having to help clean the basement or Noah's room (if they've made a mess in there), but she really enjoys having a clean room and at least once a week I hear her say she needs to "organize her dress up closet."

Reese has an amazing memory. Out of nowhere she'll say, "Mom, remember when..." and she'll tell me something from 4+ yrs ago.

One thing that Reese struggles with is being scared or nervous about a lot of things. She gets out of bed and checks if we are still here if we are in the basement and she is upstairs, she is terrified to pierce her ears (eventhough she really wants to) because she is scared of how much it will hurt, she will not ride 99% of the rides at Lagoon, she believes anything people tell her even if it is a crazy made up story about how their family is all vampires... my tender-hearted little girl just honestly has been a little sheltered. I'm very particular about what I expose my kids to and some may think we're crazy, but we want to keep our kids, kids. Anyway, she's getting better about putting things into perspective and she is getting braver.

I really couldn't ask for a better daughter. She is just so darn sweet. She tells me she loves me, that I'm beautiful, and that she loves being in our family. I love my Dolly to pieces and love having her in our family!

Camryn Walks

So Camryn has basically been able to walk for 2 months now. She would walk a few steps, up to 10, to things and occasionally back and forth from me to Adam. Well, tonight she just took off. Just shows the little Sass has a mind of her own.

We love you Camsy.

Annual Elf Yourself

Camryn's 1st Birthday!!

Ok, I know I've skipped like the whole summer, but in all honesty, besides the family reunion in Bear Lake, nothing has really happened. Adam worked a lot of late nights and I survived having three kids from sun up to sun down. So, we're gonna do a little Camryn blogging.

My little Camsy-Wamsy turned 1 and I can't believe how fast the time is going. I decided on a cupcake theme for her party. Seeing as cupcakes are so stinkin' popular right now, I knew it would be easy to find stuff for the party. I made her shirt by ironing on a cupcake and her name. I thought it turned out pretty cute with her tutu and her cute bow. I made three different kids of cupcakes for the party: Red velvet with cream cheese frosting, chocolate chocolate chip with a chocolate ganache, and strawberry with strawberry buttercream. It seems like everybody had their favorite cupcake. I went back and forth between the chocolate and the red velvet. I also made Cam a giant cupcake cake which turned out pretty cute even though I decorated it at like 2am. She loved opening her presents but wasn't entirely sure why we kept taking them away from her after she opened them. Overall, I think the party was a success and thank you to everyone who came!!

Ok, I little bit about my Cams before I go...

You tell Camryn to say "Dada" she says "Dada", tell her to say "Mama" and she says "Dada", tell her to say "Baba" and she says "Dada". Basically, everything to her is "Dada". Although in the last day she has picked up "Uh-Oh" which is about the cutest thing I've ever heard. Last time we checked Cam weighed 17 pounds. She's still a little girl but she packs some sass in that little body. She crawls extremely fast and you cannot turn your back without her being gone. She loves her sister and brother and the LOVE her. They want to be around her all the time, which is helpful to me, I'm not gonna lie. Her favorite foods are cereal bars, yogurt, and bread. She really adds a very special spirit to our family. We love our little Cams so much and we are so glad she's in our family.

Lets Talk About Noah

Noah, my Noah. What can I say about you? That little boy can be such a charmer and then such a terror in the blink of an eye. Although 99% of the time he is the charmer who has me wrapped around his finger. I cannot believe that he is already 4 yrs old! He was Camryn's age when we moved to Kaysville and I still tear up when I think about him taking his first steps down our hallway. So, Noah just turned 4 on Monday and here are something that he is in to:

Favorite Food: Hot dogs, mandarin oranges, and peaches

Favorite Color: Orange

Favorite Shows: Phineas and Ferb, Spiderman, Mario, Pokemon, and Bug's Life

Favorite Things to Do: Play with Reese, smush and hug Camryn, play the Wii, play with his sword or light saber, and ride his 4wheeler/bike/scooter.

Noah is a morning boy, like his Dad. He gets up between 7 and 7:30 every morning and jumps in bed with me; I, not being a morning person, have to tell him that it is not morning until the alarm goes off (at 8) and that he can turn on the tv in my room until then. Noah also loves cereal, eggs, pancakes, and any food breakfast related. He is enjoying going to preschool and I think that it has really helped him to grow and learn a lot. I feel badly that I don't have as much time to spend with him on reading and other things that I was able to with Reese; however, he is doing really well and can read most of his letters. We have been working a lot of the letter "L". Noah usually says "L" with the "W" sounds, but we is getting much better at saying laaa.

Oh goodness, what else can I say about Noah besides that he is a boys' boy. He loves superheros, collecting rocks, play fighting, golf, baseball, gums (that would be his play guns that I don't entirely approve of. For some reason he calls them gums), and teasing his older sister. My buddy is just such a cute guy and he has Mom, Dad, and Grammy wrapped around his finger. I just want him to know how much I love him and how glad I am he is my son.

All About Cams

So, I'm feeling bad that I don't really do baby books, and I'm terrible at documenting those milestones that I probably should...so in an effort to do something I'm dedicating this post to my beautiful Camsy.

Nicknames: Cam, Cams, Cami, Cammers, Camsy, (I rarely hear anyone call her Camryn but Noah)

Favorite Food: Pears, applesauce, and sweet potatoes. She does not like bananas! She will, however, eat anything else you give her. Although she might just make funny faces at you while doing it, like this:

Favorite toy: Flower rattle. She will how ever accept anything! She loves my cell phone and the tv remote. She also giggles everytime I fast forward the tv...I don't know why... Oh! and an ultimate favorite may be straws. Why is it that kids don't enjoy the toys you buy, but random objects?

What she is doing right now: Cams is just getting the hang of sitting on her own. Two days ago I was sitting outside watching the kids play on the swing and she sat on the grass by herself for 20 mins. Way to go baby! She loves to roll and roll, but she tends to get herself stuck on furniture, then she gets upset.

Other people's comments: I have so many people that stop and stare at Camryn and tell me how cute she is, but the number 1 comment I get is about her big, beautiful blue eyes. This picture doesn't really do the color of her eyes justice, but you can see her lashes which I am totally jealous of.

Personality: I tell people that Miss Camryn has a bigger personality than my other two had as babies combined. She is sooooo smiley! I hope that I can get a video of her wiggle dance, because it is the funniest thing. When Camryn is happy (like when I come in to get her from her crib) she does "the wiggle" which is her shimming her shoulder and her hips so she looks like a little worm. It is hilarious. She really only gets upset when she is hungry or tired or when brother Noah gets too rough with her (which happens more often than not). Poor Noah just loves his little sister so much that he can't help but smush her head, hug her tight, pat her belly, and just love her the way an almost 4 year old knows how. Makes extra work for mom keeping her safe, but it is good to know that he loves Cams so much. Cam is also very interested in everything I'm doing and frequently just stares and studies...and then grabs

in this case it was the strap on the camera.

Thing that is cute now, but will most likely cause problems in the future: Camryn sucks her thumb. And while it's cute and it is helpful when she is going to sleep, I know I will be a problem to break her of it. We do try to avoid her sucking her thumb, but she has a way of sneaking it when she wants to. For example, the other day she was playing on the floor and I went down to switch the laundry, when I came back upstairs I saw this:

I know, what do you do? Take the thumb out of the poor baby's mouth and wake her up? We'll just have to wait and see how this plays out.

Lastly, I will include some the only current stats I know of her. She was weighs 15 lbs, she is starting to fit in 6-9 month clothes, and she is cutting down to three 1.5-2 hr naps a day.

My goal is to update on Reese and Noah soon. We'll see how that goes! Love you Cammers!

Where Have I Been?

Well, ok, I have absolutely no exuse. Except finding out that having 3 kids completely throws you for a loop (at least me). Honestly, there hasn't been much going on. Adam is working full-time and is taking one class up at the school. He applied to Arizona State's Masters of Enigneering program which is all online, so it's pretty awesome. He didn't have the best grades, so we're not sure if he'll be accepted, but at least he'll know what he needs improve if he's not. Reese is working on her recital dance which is to "Almost There" from Princess and the Frog. She's also doing so great in school. Noah is as active as ever. He is really starting to grow up and I cannot believe he turns four in less than a month. Camryn is rolling and smiling and laughing and eating and just being cute overall. She like to say, "Dada" and "Baba". She is such a Daddy's girl! She follows him and cries if he walks away from her. I haven't really been up to much lately besides lovin' on my kids. Adam and I did go to see Brian Regan two weeks again for our anniversary. He is so hilarious and literally our heads hurt from laughing by the time the show was over. I've also started to try and make new recipes lately; tonight I'm making chinese food for the first time tonight (General Tso's chicken and ham fried rice). I hope it turns out ok. Well, as pictures are much better than words here you go:

This is what Cams did while the Reese and Noah went to church in their matching Easter outfits. At least she was smiling, between coughs, sneezes, snot, etc.

Christmas and Stuff

So, I'm gonna breeze through the bad things that have happened in the last couple weeks and then we'll move on to the fun stuff. My poor husband was hit by a semi while driving up to Idaho to buy my Christmas present (which I now know is a sweet elliptical machine).

As you can probably tell by the pictures, the truck was totalled. Thus, we move on and will be finding a new truck in the next couple weeks.

On to the awesomeness. ADAM GRADUATED!! So, my mom has all the pictures and I will post them soon. I am so proud of him I can't even tell you. He is still going to finish his second bachelors degree which will only require one class in the Spring and one in the Fall; however, he is also going to start a Masters degree that is all online through Arizona State University for a Masters of Engineering with an emphasis in Embedded Systems. More on that to come in the future, but he figured since his work will pay for some of it, why not continue? So, our life is not quite off the school track yet, but we know it is for the best.

Our Christmas was very different this year. We were unable to go to the Harward party because I was not feeling well and Camryn was definately not feeling well. I really wish we would all get better already. Then we went to Adam's parents' house on Christmas Eve not Christmas and to top it all off it was just Adam and me and my mom for Christmas Eve night. It was different, but good I think. Our kids go 4-wheelers (powerwheels, of course) from Santa and they are just loving them. I got my elliptical machine which I am totally stoked about and also a new digital camera. Adam got a surround sound system and new scriptures. So, overall it was a fabulous Christmas.

So to end this post, I must show you all my beautiful baby. She sings and coos literally all day long. It is honestly the cutest thing. So, here's my baby Cams.

Where has the time gone?

So, this is the thing...having 3 kids makes time go ridiculously fast!!! I look at my blog and cannot believe it has been so long since I've updated. For goodness sakes Camryn is 3 1/2 months old! So, here we go.

Adam: Adam has been working incredibly hard to finish up school. This semester he had 21 credit hours and was working 20 hours a week at L-3. His senior project left him working until the wee hours of the morning (2-3am) in an effort to finish and hopefully graduate. Since that was a success (video to come and maybe an explaination by Adam since all I can say is that it is a car that drives on its own to specific coordinates given to the computer), Adam now just has one more test until he completes his first of two degrees. Luckily he only has 2 classes to finish up the second, so we are really calling this the end of school! I think I'm more relieved he is done than when I finished. Adam was also offered a full time position as a Systems Engineer at L-3; I honestly cannot believe what a blessing this is. He starts full time next week and I'm looking forward to having what is hopefully to be a "normal" future.

Lindsay: Ha, why I even add this paragraph is beyond me. I'm really doing nothing but taking care of Baby, running Reese to school, dance, birthday parties, etc, taking Noah to preschool and trying to not let my house be a complete disaster somewhere in the middle of that. I'll tell you what, two kids was a piece of cake (for me at least), but Camryn has thrown me for quite a loop. It's not so much difficult, as busy.

Reese: Miss Reese is getting ready to start gymnastics. She has been begging me to sign her up for quite awhile and I just have not had the time (or brain to remember) to do it. She still is taking dance and enjoys it most of the time :) She's making lots of friends at school and is just as smart as always! I'm so impressed with her reading, writing, and math skills not to mention her fondness for arts and crafts. She's just my little girl and I can't believe how much she is growing.

Noah: Oh Noah, how I love this little guy. He can be a little terror sometimes (the terrible threes are no joke), but he is really one of the loviest, funniest little boys in the world. He always has to hug and kiss me goodbye, he loves to tell me how much he loves me, and I could sit and listen to him chatter on all day long. He, of course, is still very into boy things such as Spiderman, Star Wars, sports, and the Wii. The other day he came up to me and said, "Mom, you can call me Star Wars," and would not reply to any other name the rest of the night. The next day he wanted to be known as "Spiderman" and the next day for some reason he made me call him "Stripey." I have no idea what goes on in the boy's head, but I love it.

Camryn: Cammers (as I affectionately call her) is growing a lot. She is still only 10lbs, but she is a tall little girl. I'm having trouble fitting her into the clothes that Reese wore as a baby because even though Camryn is as skinny as little Reese was, Camryn is much taller. So I've had to buy clothes that I was hoping I didn't have to, but you can imagine how difficult this is for me ;) The poor girl is still pretty hairless, but dark brown hair with a slight red tinge is starting to grow in. She has been reaching for toys for the last couple weeks and she always wants to be sitting.

Overall, I think we are doing pretty well. I'm very excited for Christmas this year, even though Adam won't decorate till after graduation. 2 days to go and then we will be feeling the Christmas spirit in our home. We hope that you are all having a wonderful season and that you are happy and healthy.

Love,
The Barnetts

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4 Weeks!

I can't believe Camryn is going to be 4 weeks tomorrow!

School Beginnings

Well, finally all three students in our house, Adam, Reese, and Noah, have begun their school year. I can't say which of the three was hardest for me. Adam started 21 credits of school 4 days after I had Camryn, plus he's working 20 hrs a week so that was pretty difficult. I think I'm finally getting used to him being gone so much. The saddest part is that he doesn't get home until 9:30 or later on Monday and Wednesday so the kids don't see him for more then an hour on those days, because they are in bed before he gets home. However, I keep telling myself that this is his last semester and I will survive. Hopefully he will too :)

Reese started Kindergarten this year and I can't believe how big she is. When they did the state assessment she was able to read all the letters and tell Mrs. Moore their sounds as well as count to 100. She's such a little smartie. She's already meeting new friends and she is so excited to go everyday. The hardest part is that it is morning Kindergarten and Reese and I are not morning people. Hopefully it will get easier as the year goes on, but we've been on time everyday so far.

Noah started preschool today. I was pretty nervous about him going because in my eyes he's still my little baby. He has been so excited to go. He picked out his "Superboy" backpack (which is what he has labeled every super hero, in this particular case it is actually Spiderman); however, the backpack is honestly as big as him. He looks so adorable though. He was so happy when I went to pick him up from class. He got to be the "special helper" today and he was so proud. The house was so quiet while he was gone, it was very strange and poor Reese was bored without him, but I'm sure things will start to even out as Camryn becomes more active.

Ok, so I can't go without updating on my little Camryn. At her 2 week checkup she was 6 lbs 9 oz and 20 inches long which is quiet a change in length from when she was born. The doctor thinks she might has been stretching a little and it was measured a little long. She is happy and healthy and the doctor said she is as alert as a 2 month old. Unfortunately now she and I have a cold. The poor girl is sniffing and having a hard time sleeping. I'm hoping it will pass by quickly.

No Shortage of Love

Reese literally sits and stares at Camryn until she wakes up. Noah always needs to know where the baby is and as soon as she starts fussing, he makes sure to tell me that she's hungry.

Welcome to the World Baby Girl!

Camryn is now 3 days old and I thought before things got too crazy I would blog about her birth. I went into the hospital at 7 am to be induced because my blood pressure had been elevated for the past two weeks and Dr. Bierer didn't want me to go past 39 weeks. Since I was Group B Strep positive (which I wasn't for Reese and Noah, so I thought it was weird) I needed to have antibiotics for 4 hours before she could be born. So, they started my pitocin at 8:30 and I started having contractions right away. The doctor said he would be back at about 11:30 to break my water; however, he didn't make it back until 1:15. Because of my other two labors going very quickly after my water broke, I knew I needed to get my epidural right away. I wasn't in tremendous pain, but I knew what was coming, so at 1:30 I had my epidural. I quickly realized that I like to be in a lot more pain from my contractions before I have an epidural (I like something to distract me), because Ouch!, the epidural hurt this time! I was soon relaxed and Adam thought it would be a good time to get some lunch. At 1:45 the nurse checked me and I was a 4...at 2:15 she came back in and said I was a 6+....then she asked me, "Now when you say you go fast after your water breaks, what do you mean?" I said, "Well, my daughter was born 2 hours after and my son an hour and a half." She said, "Did you discuss this with Dr. Bierer?" (because he had left the hospital and gone back to his office) and I said, "Well, I tried to." The truth is, I tried to tell him that morning and he didn't seem too interested; he wrote it off saying something about how 3rd babies are tricky and sometimes they take their time and sometimes they are fast. Well, in any case, the nurse decided to page my doctor and tell him how fast I was progressing. Then she said, "We might want to get dad back up here." 20 mins later I
was fully dilated and she actually used the the phrase, "Umm, girl, you better just keep those legs closed!!" She quickly paged my doctor and started calling other nurses and getting things ready. Adam made it back up to the room and the nurse said to him, "Yeah, this is a girl who should not be far away from the hospital when her water breaks, because she would be having the baby in the car!" After waiting 25 mins for the doctor to get there, because that's so easy when your fully dilated and feeling pressure, Dr. Bierer finally made it! I pushed once and then went to push a second time when he said to stop. She was born at 3:12 pm after what we call one and a half pushes. I just burst into tears; she was so beautiful! She weighed 6 lbs 2 oz (for the record I guessed that!) and was 17.5 inches. I call her my little peanut; she is so tiny.

Shortly after she was born we were told that she was SGA or small for gestational age. So, we needed to have her blood sugar tested every six hours for the next day to make sure that she was getting enough nutrients. I also needed to make sure that she ate every 2-3 hours at the most. Her levels were great every time and we were cleared to go home on Saturday morning. We did have to take her to get bilirubin levels tested again this morning, because she was in the "moderate high" level for jaundice. We are hoping to hear that everything is fine tomorrow at her appointment with the pediatrician.

All-in-all, she is a wonderful baby. She does like to eat every 2-3 hours throughout the night, but she has been eating and going straight back to sleep (knock on wood). Reese and Noah just love her! They want to kiss her and hold her and just look at her all the time. We feel so grateful that everything went so smoothly and that we have our healthy, happy baby Camryn home with us. We are looking forward to the adventures of being a family of 5 that are sure to come!