June 20, 2008

I thought that the little quiz might be fun. We got quite the kick out of thinking how similar the four kids looked. For those of you that looked at the picture it was somewhat evident that it was the baby boy in the striped pajamas that was not one of ours. It was in fact Bridger, Mecale and Jeff's newest edition. Believe it or not, Bridger was born almost two months after our three blessings. Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Jim have been blessed with five new grandchildren since October of 2007.

Some of the most frequently asked questions are:

1. Are you getting much sleep?

I am, however, Melissa and her mother are lacking. I have no idea how they do it but they have my utmost respect. They have developed their own system and it seems to work. No need of me ruining perfection.

2. What can you use the most?

This question usually gets referred to Melissa without hesitation. Refer back to answer #1 as I choose not to mess with perfection. After 12 years of marriage I would like to think that I have learned a little... Or enough. You get the hint.

3. How many diapers do you go through in a day?

The babies have somewhat shifted to a four hour feeding schedule. This has helped to limit the diaper changes to a minimum of 3 every four hours for a total of at least 18 diapers a day, usually a couple more than that.

4. How much formula do you go through?

I love the look on people's faces from this answer. Melissa is a very goal orientated person. She is currently feeding the kids herself. Carmen gets four fortified bottles in a 24 hour period. These bottles are usually saved for the night time feedings so that all three kids are fed at once. This helps to minimize "uptime" and gets everyone involved back to bed in a timely manner. Melissa was told by many different people that she would not be able to feed all three herself. This has been a challenge to her but one that she enjoys as once again, the reactions are priceless.

I cannot express my wonder and amazement as to the things that Melissa and her mother do on a continual basis. The Good Lord knew exactly what he was doing when he made a mother. The mantle of motherhood is something that Melissa has and something she takes very serious. Her constant strength and vigilance shows her dedication as a mother. What more can I say, she is quite the woman!

Friday June 13, 2008

It is Friday the 13th and only bad things happen to superstitious people. Granted, there were some things that happened today that were not within our control, but none the less, we are still surviving.

Ayden had the surgery to repair the hernia on his left side today. We were not told what to expect and thought that we would be back in Hagerman tonight to make our trip on the Burley that much shorter tomorrow. However, as Ayden was about to be taken into surgery we were informed that he did not meet the proper criteria to be considered out patient. This small piece of information would have been very useful to Melissa and I for planning purposes. Things are working out as I am trying to keep Ayden happy as the two of us hang out in the Casa De St. Luke's once again. If he makes it through the night without an Apnec spell then we will be free to leave tomorrow and head for home. Melissa and her mom are currently with the others kids at Mecale's for the night. Thank heavens for understanding family to allow us to bombard them once again for another night.

Ayden faired well with his surgery. We were happy and surprised to see that he now weighs in at 10 lbs 7 oz. Just an estimate for Breagan and Carmen but Breagan must be about 9.5 lbs with Carmen around 6.5 lbs. The kids are doing awesome but we continue to be vigilant at keeping the kids in doors as much as possible.

For those of you that think that you know the kids I have a bit of a quiz for you. In this next picture are you able to tell which one does not belong:



Please feel free to post your answer in the comments section.

Once again, another picture of Ayden's Suite in Casa De St. Luke's.

Sunday June 1, 2008

Melissa is once again on the road. Taylor and I are spending some quality time walking on the canal bank, dancing to music in the living room, and watching T.V.

Melissa took the kids and headed to Hagerman to be with her family for tonight. Tomorrow Melissa and her mom will continue on to Boise for Ayden's surgical consult. Ayden is clearly agitated by the hernia but for the most part has done fairly well. When he gets upset it tends to put pressure on his lower abdominal walls and pushes the hernia downward. If he gets too upset the hernia usually gets fairly solid. Once he calms down the hernia retracts while Melissa and I breathe a sigh of relief. The last thing we would like to do is cause an emergency situation if the hernia does not retract.

Breagan and Carmen continue to grow. The boys are both just under nine pounds while Carmen is just under six pounds. The kids' personalities continue to sharpen as they try to mimic us and often return a smile. It is amazing how their personalities are so separate and independent.

Melissa has been and continues to be amazing. The energy, the ability to continue with little to no sleep, and the patience. It truly shows the mantle of Motherhood and the selfless endurance that she has been taught from childhood as she admired and watched her own mother. The greatest of all lessons learned was that of example.

We continue to reap the blessings of family and friends. As we continue each day we thank the Good Lord above for the people in our lives. We are eternally grateful for the love and support that we are continually shown and hope that we may be able to keep the cycle going by showing the same to someone else in due time. Thank you and we love you! Please feel free to join us for the blessing of the kids on Sunday July 6th. We look forward to sharing this special time with family and friends.

We have seen a common trend lately while holding babies. Here are a couple of moments caught in time regarding this...