Tuesday, December 20, 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQEFOOCT8yM&feature=youtu.be

Picture overload

The internet is working well this afternoon so I'm getting lots of pictures uploaded. They're not really in order - but at least they're here, right?
Caleb's favorite game at this time is washing dishes. He will ask to wash dishes - pull up his stool to wash dishes - and play in the water. He gets very distressed when I can't drop whatever I'm doing to "play" with him.
Brothers

Caleb and Dad hiding in the hamper

Caleb with Tey and Emmett.
Caleb playing with some of his favorite characters - Lightening Mcqueen "cha - kow" and Mater "dad-gum"

Emmett in his new outfit from the Tietjens - I love this color on him.

I don't think Caleb knew he was laying the same way Emmett was - but it made me laugh.

I don't think Caleb knew he was laying the same way Emmett was - but it made me laugh.

About 2 weeks old
Caleb proudly showed off this trick the other night - He got up here and said "Caleb's flying!" Personally I thought he looked more like a beached whale.
When I laid Emmett down on the floor the other day Caleb decided he needed his own blanket so he could lay down next to Emmett.
My boys under the Christmas tree.
Brother love

More brother love

Playing with Dad - Caleb decided they all needed to be hiding.

Mom and the boys

Emmett is king of scratching his face. It seems like no matter how short of a time we have the mittens off his hands and no matter when we last cut his nails he manages to scratch his face. This was the worst though. I think he was about a week old when this happened. In fact - I think it was the day before I took his 1 week pictures. Thank heavens for photoshop.
Emmett all wrapped up in the Christmas blanket I made for him.

When Santa came to visit - 12/6/11 - from a student ward on campus and he brought Caleb an orange truck that he absolutely loves. They brought some other presents that are under the tree too.

Friday, December 16, 2011

2 weeks old

The first of Emmett's bucket pictures:


He now weighs 6 lbs 4 oz and has grown an inch.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

1 week old

So proud of myself - I pinned an idea for doing pictures like this on Pinterest - and I did it!!!
Off to add this to my Pinned It & Did It board.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

I remember

Christmas time is a magical time of year. And having a new baby at your house is pretty magical too. But when you combine them together you get something pretty special. It’s often said that Christmas time is a time for remembering. And usually we rejoice in that remembering. Remembering our Savior and his life and sacrifice for all of us. Christmas time is a time for rejoicing.

But for me, December 8th is a special day for remembering, remembering the day we lost our first baby. I know she was gone before that date, but that’s when we knew she was gone. It has been three years now. It seems strange to think that much time has passed already. That little baby has been especially close to my heart this year. I’ve been dreading this date for months now. Mostly I was hoping Emmett wouldn’t pick today to come. I’m so glad he’s already here.

In the past few months I’ve had 3 friends lose babies – and all 4 of them were boys. My heart aches for these mommies. It is so hard to have to say goodbye to a baby you haven’t even really had a chance to meet.

As much as these stories break my heart they rarely made me worry. I’ve often had the impression that Emmett was going to be ok. That he was going to be a fighter. Even when he tried to come back in October, I didn’t worry. Somehow I just knew inside that he was going to be ok. That he would be strong when he did come. Because he was 3 weeks early the hospital staff had all kinds of oxygen set up in case he needed it. His head was barely out before he started crying. I have never heard such a sweet sound as that first cry. Within seconds the nurses reassured me that they wouldn’t even need to test how well his lungs were working because they could hear by as much as he was crying that he was ok and had strong lungs. I suppose it is fitting that Emmett means strong.

Stacy doesn’t mean strong though and I feel right now I am particularly not strong. It still hurts and I can’t imagine that hurt going away. It is one of those experiences that teach you things you cannot learn any other way. It teaches you patience, faith, and love like you can’t imagine. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt. But I needed to write a post to let that baby know, and to remind myself, that no matter how much it feels like no one else cares – I remember that baby. I know she is happy in heaven and that someday we will get to meet her, that even though she isn’t here with us now, she belongs to us and will be a part of our family forever.

Isn’t the principle of eternal marriage wonderful? Isn’t it amazing to be able to have our families forever? I don’t know how people survive without that knowledge.

And here is a little excerpt from an article by Joseph B. Walker called Explaining the Inexplicable: “…Sometimes there is no explanation. Sometimes during our precarious journey through life stuff happens that defies explanation. It just happens…Thankfully, our success in life isn't determined by our answers to "why" questions. When it comes right down to it, success, peace and happiness have less to do with external forces acting upon us than with how we choose to react to those forces. It's a matter of attitude, not platitudes. Because the fact is, none of us can control what happens to us. We can't bottle sunshine, or lasso the wind. But we can control our responses to the stuff that happens. And if we can control our responses and reactions, then it doesn't really matter what happens.”

Saturday, December 3, 2011

New Baby

Emmett Steven - born 11/30/11 - 4:43 p.m. - 18 inches - 5 lbs 13 oz



Baby Emmett has the most loving and excited big brother I've ever seen.