4th of July

I love the 4th of July! I love being with family and friends and having a nice big BBQ. The past few years we have gone to a Texas Rangers Baseball game and watch the fireworks after the game. This year we went over to our friends, the Wilde's, home and had a big party there...swimming, BBQ and fireworks. So much fun. The best part is we got to do some fireworks! The boys have never done any before...they loved every second of it! Thanks Wildes for a great time!

Caden, doing sparklers for the first time.
All the kids mesmorized watching the "snakes" grow bigger and bigger...so gross.
Noah shooting off some fireworks.
Mommy and Connor...he was such a good sport. He just slept through the whole thing.
Ben and I...Connor is in the backpack.
Caden, Noah and Popie.
Noah with the sparklers. It worries me a bit that there was absolutely NO FEAR of all the fire and loud noises;)

Big Brother, Little Brother

I found these adorable shirts for the boys (Big Brother and Little Brother) and I had to have a little photo shoot of them before Connor got too big for his onesie! My Dad brought up his amazing camera and we put some sheets up in the garage and just snapped away! Connor just slept the whole time:) Caden made up most of the poses and Noah fought them the whole time. At least I was able to get these pictures!! No judging on the pictures...totally new at this!!

Connor's 5-Day Old Photo Shoot

I just had to post the link to see Connor's photo shoot! My friend Ambyr took them and she did an AMAZING job! I have to keep going back to look at them! Let me know what you think!! Thanks Ambyr!

Ambyr Porter Photography

Baby Name Change...Say What???

Meet:

CONNOR DANIELS THATCHER

Not Ethan. Why the change?? On Saturday night when I was with him, I just couldn't call him Ethan. It just wouldn't come out! When my mom and Ben came to the hospital on Sunday morning, Ben was saying the same thing...he was calling him Evan and other things. My Mom was also having a hard time calling him Ethan. Well...when Mommy and Daddy are having a hard time calling their son his own name...it just can't be right. So, we starred at him and starred at him and finally decided on Connor. Which was always at the top of our list (Ben was still pushing for Sawyer...never gonna happen:) After we decided on the name change, we all felt so much better! It easily came out. Phew!

Now the hard part...changing the name!! I had already signed the Birth Certificate and it had been submitted! We were just hoping it hadn't been certified yet. So this morning I was able to call and hopefully nothing had happened...so we were safe! It is oficial...his name is Connor. It just fits him better.
Here is Connor...2 days old, getting ready to go home!

Daddy and Connor

Mommy and Connor

In his car seat, ready to go home.

My 3 Sons...all together:)

The boys LOVE their brother! They just want to hold him all the time! For the most part they are doing very well with him. They like to share their stuffed animals and smother him with kisses. Noah likes to throw t-shirts on his face and stuffed animals on his face. I'm really going to have to watch him!!
Connor looks just like his older 2 brothers...in the eyes and mouth. His nose is his own:) He is changing so much everyday!

First night home went really well! I am REALLY hoping he stays on this schedule! He only woke up TWICE! He was up every 3.5-4 hours. That was last night...we all know how newborns are!!

Now...for my records, I just want to write down all the details of his birth. Don't feel like you have to read it...It's all for the 2009 blog book!!

On Thursday I was moping and whining and grumpy that I was still pregnant...I even blogged about it!

Thursday night @ 11:30 pm I started up on my first contractions...they were every 15 minutes. They started getting stronger and STRONGER!! Ouch.

An hour later they were every 8-10 minutes. We were just waiting and wondering if we were going to have to wake up my neighbor!

At about 1:30 am on Friday morning the contractions were 2-4 minutes apart and very painful! That was when we decided to book it! We called my neighbor, Shannon, who lives 4 doors down had been on baby watch for us that whole past week. So we called and dropped the boys off and made the 30 minute drive to the hospital.

We got to the hospital the contractions of course started to slow down...I was freaking out because I did not want to go home! Thank goodness they checked me and I was at a 5 and 90% effaced. They asked tons of questions, got all the wrist bands put on, got lots of sympathy because I am allergic to Ibuprofin, Vicodin and Hydrocodone, and got my IV in. Then just waited patiently for my epidural.

At 5:30 am I got the epidural...and unfortunately it took the guy TWO times before it finally got into place. I was dying. Not cool to do: ) By now with all the IV and epidural my contractions REALLY slowed down to about every 15 minutes.

The nurses called the on-call Dr. to see what he wanted to happen...start me on pitosin or what. He told them to just let us sleep and wait for my Doctor, Dr. White, to come in and deliver the baby. Which I am glad it happened that way, I love my Doctor.

So we decided to take a nap and call family and let them know what was going on. Ben was FREEZING the whole time and walked around with blankets on...since we both had no sleep, we were both just cracking jokes and laughing the whole time.

My Doctor made it into the room at 7:30 am, checked me...I was at a 6. He informed us that he was going out of town at noon, so he wanted to get the baby out ASAP...which was fine with me! He said it was going to happen quickly and I would have him by 10. He broke my water and they started me on Pitosin. The contractions started right away to every 4 minutes, then right away to 2 minutes.

At 10am, they checked me and I was at a 9 and 98% effaced. The nurse told me to push and BAM! that made me a 10 and ready to start pushing! They called Dr. White in and got everything ready for him to come!

I started to puch at 10:10, pushed 2 times and he was here at 10:14 am on Friday, June 26, 2009. I also want to add that this date is my older brother, Eric's Birthday! How fun is that!

Ben got to cut the umbilical cord, they cleaned off Connor and then I got to hold the sweet thing for awhile and nurse him before they took him away to give him a bath. He nursed right away with no problems! Yeah!

We got into the recovery room after that...I have to say that I had an amazing room. The nurses call it the VIP room. It is at the very end of the hall, away from the nurses station and ice machine and everything else and it had tons of windows that faced pretty scenery...not the parking garage:) I guess it is the coveted room!! Lucky me!

We had lots and lots of visitors the first day:

Caden

Noah

Grandma Thatcher (Ben's mom, who picked the boys up from my neighbor)

Logan

Phil, Jennie, Landen and Nathan

Pam Sears

Sharla Wilde

Mom and Dad

Curt and Whitney

Ann Santos

Chris, Ashley and McKenna

Funny story...

Ben's mom took the boys to JCPenney to pick out an outfit for Connor. Everyone was still waiting to see if the baby was here yet and the boys were so excited! While they were there, Ben called his mom to let her know we had the baby and Noah yelled, " Has the baby popped out yet?" Tons of people around just laughing. I thought that was cute.

Anyway...Thats the story! Sorry so long, but I don't want to forget anything!

Baby video clips at the hospital

Bienvenue to Ethan Daniels...

Yes - It is true. A day after Summer was complaining on this very blog that she was still pregnant, our little guy decided to make nice and "pop out" as Noah says. So yesterday, June 26, our third little boy was born at 10:14. He weighed in at 7 lbs. and 4.8 oz, and is 20" long. He is a very calm, peaceful, and quite baby - not crying very much at all. It has taken Summer until this morning to decide on a name, and after much debate and analysis of pros and cons (which included the whiteboard in Summer's hospital room, and a last minute push by me to persuade Summer on the name Sawyer) we have chosen to call him Ethan Daniels. So here are a few pictures from yesterday.

The boys are quite excited to be a big brother, especially Noah.

It only took Summer 4-5 minutes of actual labor before Ethan "popped out"

Summer's doctor and nurse.

Baby Update...

Just wanted to give family and friends an update on Baby #3 (yes, that is the only name we have for him so far...maybe that's why I'm still prego??). So...I am still prego. I have not had any contractions. I am at a "4" and 80% effaced and no my Dr. will not induce me yet:) I am scheduled to be induced on June 30th...as long as some other prego people have their babies before then. I am 2nd in line for that date. According to my Dr. office, the people that are scheduled for that day are women who are overdue and usually 1/3 of the women drop out of a date for some reason or another. With that being said...I'm not holding my breath. I'm just praying he comes before then:) My Dr. thinks that by June 30th, baby will be about 7.5 lbs. But we all know that that is usually wrong!! Although, I should just take that because my due date was upped to July 8 because he is so big! (Oh, to clarify...first due date...July 15. New due date...July 8th. Induction date...June 30th.) I guess anything is better than July 15. Its like REALLY HOT here, like 105 hot. I don't really care to see what our electric bill will be for the month!!

Anywho...long post just to say that I HAVE NOT HAD THE BABY YET:)

Magic in the Middle Cookies

So I am just patiently (well, somewhat patiently...ok, not at all patient) waiting for #3 to come. Everything is pretty much driving me crazy and I'm pretty bored. The boys are sick of being stuck indoors (thankfully they have been to some friends homes to keep them from driving me nuts!!). So, to cut the boredom today, we made some homemade cookies and cream ice cream, watched a movie and made these cookies. Wow...they are good! What's not to love about chocolate and peanut butter? Who knows...maybe it will make me go into labor?? If not...I get to wait until Tuesday. We will see:)

Magic in the Middle Cookies
from King Arthur Flour Blog

Chocolate Dough
1 1/2 cups (6 3/8 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar (plus extra for dredging)
1/2 cup (3 3/4 ) brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk

Peanut butter filling
3/4 cup peanut butter, crunchy or smooth, your choice
3/4 cup (3 ounces) confectioners' sugar

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.
2. To make the dough: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
3. In another medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the sugars, butter, and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and the egg, beating to combine, then stir in the dry ingredients, blending well.
5. To make the filling: In a small bowl, stir together the peanut butter and confectioners sugar until smooth.
6. With floured hands or a teaspoon scoop, roll the filling into 26 one-inch balls.
7. To shape the cookies: Scoop 1 tablespoon of the dough (a lump about the size of a walnut), make an indentation in the center with your finger and place one of the peanut butter balls into the indentation.
8. Bring the cookie dough up and over the filling, pressing the edges together cover the center; roll the cookie in the palms of your hand to smooth it out. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
10. Roll each rounded cookie in granulated sugar, and place on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.
11. Grease the bottom of a drinking glass, and use it to flatten each cookie to about 1/2-inch thick.
12. Bake the cookies for 7 to 9 minutes, or until they're set and you can smell chocolate. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

I have been wanting to post this recipe for awhile...but keep forgetting. I got this off of Allrecipes, and I have to say....AMAZING!! I am one who loves anything with heavy cream though:) And the sauce...so good. We loved just dipping our bread in it!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 6 slices Swiss cheese
• 6 slices ham
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Pound chicken breasts if they are too thick. Place a cheese and ham slice on each breast within 1/2 inch of the edges. Fold the edges of the chicken over the filling, and secure with toothpicks. Mix the flour and paprika in a small bowl, and coat the chicken pieces.

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the chicken until browned on all sides. Add the wine and bouillon. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Remove the toothpicks, and transfer the breasts to a warm platter. Blend the cornstarch with the cream in a small bowl, and whisk slowly into the skillet. Cook, stirring until thickened, and pour over the chicken. Serve warm.

Grandma and Grandpa's House

The last couple of weeks have been going by really quickly...thanks to my family and Ben's family!! 3 weeks ago I was at my parents house for a week for some relaxation and lots of swimming. I totally forgot my camera, so I'm going to have to beg my sis-in-law, Whitney for some pic's:) The next week we were at Ben's parents. I was there for 2 days and the boys for 4 days. We had fun making bread, shopping for fabric (we did some projects and can't wait to post the results!!), feeding horses and swimming.

The boys feeding apples to the horse.

Logan walking on water...Wow...your amazing Logan!

Logan has a friend, Brayden, and we got to swim at his pool everyday! Loved it!

Caden doing a Cannon Ball!!!!

All the cousins swimming...Molly, Noah, Logan, Caden and Will. We are so lucky to have cousins so close to us!!

Caden's Last Day of School

The last day of school...Caden's class waving good-bye. Let the summer begin...

Kindergarten Scrapbook

I just wanted to share a few of the pages that I was in charge of doing for Caden's Kinder Scrapbook. I think they turned out pretty cute! The above picture is what the final book looked like.

It's Random Man!!

I wanted to write down some things that Noah has been doing and saying. He is so very "random". Which is why we have been calling him "Random Man".

The other day the boys were helping Ben in the backyard...Ben found tons of earthworms on our retaining wall and gave them to the boys to put in our flower bed. Well...they did it a few times and then Ben saw Noah take one and pull it in half. Yeah...disgusting I know. So Ben talked to Noah about how we don't do that to Heavenly Fathers creatures and that they help our flower beds, etc... The next morning Noah came running to Ben and asked, "So Dad...why does God hate me again?"

A conversation between Caden and Noah:

N: Caden where is my brain?

C: It's in our head

N: Oh...cause I thought it was in my leg.

My neighbor, Shannon, has a little girl, Maddie, that is Noah's age. They were over at our house all the kids were in the kitchen doing a craft and Shannon and I were trying to get the Kindergarten Scrapbooks together. All of a sudden we hear Noah: "Maddie, your hot!" I wonder where he got that phrase??? We have been working on that...he now says: pretty or beautiful.