Welcome to Our World....

What's Truly Important in Life...

2010-05-16T16:57:00.001-07:00

We dropped the boys off at my mom's on Wednesday night to stay on "Grandma's Farm". They love going to my mom's house. She has some great acreage with lots of fun little boy tasks to do. I love the attitude the boys have with helping with "chores", especially ones they've never had the pleasure of attempting. I get updates from my mom each day with all the things they've been up to such as sanding, weeding, playing sports, watering plants, hammering nails into boards, etc. Last summer they worked hard on planting an apple tree, weeding, gardening, harvesting the blueberry fields and painting Grandma's trellis. The boys absolutely relish these opportunities. They look on them as exciting adventures and accomplishments that only "big boys" can do. I love the effort they put into helping with so many things at Grandma's and home and love seeing the confidence that builds in them from accomplishing such "hard work". :)

So while I know that Grandma adores them, and they are having such a great time... even within minutes I come to miss them. I know this is special time that they will look back on with fondness, but they are my babies none the less. Each silent morning absent of the little pitter-pat of their feet aches at my heart. Their laughter and daily discussions, their snuggles, all are things that make me realize what is really important in this world- family. Heavenly Father has truly blessed me with a beautiful family and wonderfully amazing children. I am so grateful for every second I am given with them. And the immense privilege that I have of watching them grow, develop, creatively experiment, and gain complex little thought processes. Tonight is my last night without my baby boys and I can hardly contain my excitement for their return. Is there anything better than breathing in the smell of your sweet child as they hug you?

I am so thankful for my opportunity to be a mother to these beautiful children.

Dropping off the face of the planet...

2010-05-06T11:44:00.001-07:00

Boy! It's been quite some time since I have been on here! I apologize for forgetting that there are groups of people out there that mainly get to check up with me through our blog. It took one great friend checking in on me to remind me that I should probably try to write on here more frequently than once a year. :) A lot has happened since August of last year, I'll try to sum some of it up. Again, sorry for dropping off the face of the planet.

We have been absolutely enveloped in growing and gaining an education together as a family. With homeschooling it's become such a blessing to re-experience things with my children. Most rewarding is seeing the beautiful world we are given by our Heavenly Father through my children's awe-filled eyes. You never realize how much you take for granted until you slow down and look at it from a simpler perspective. We have so much to be grateful for. Making this a lifestyle really does take up a lot of time, so while I apologize for not being as easily accessible online- I know that I'm doing what's most important.

Dom was in gymnastics and swimming lessons this year, and has enjoyed both. While he's struggled to overcome some of his motor-delays, we have truly seen him blossom in both. His confidence, willingness to try new (and unstable) things has increased greatly and he's not AS concerned about his balance and keeping a sure foot. In fact, we've seen gymnastics moves incorporated into his "dance moves". Swimming is something we want to continue long-term as we feel it will help all of our kids be more prepared and have another activity to enjoy.

Isaac is very into insects and animals. He has a voracious appetite for reading and learning in any form when it relates to these two subjects. He seeks them out and will sit for hours each day pouring through encyclopedia's and books we obtain from the library system. I love the library! What a great, free source of education! We spend a lot of time with all of the kids observing, exploring and appreciating. I am also blessed to live so close to a zoo that we can make it a bi-weekly trip (weather permitting). Zoo memberships are also 100% tax deductible, as they are a non-profit organization.

Both of the boys are passionate about reading. This absolutely tickles me pink. Reading has been such a large part of my life for so long that I really wanted to pass down my excitement about it to my children. A large part of our homeschooling journey involves the "Thomas Jefferson Education". This includes using a lot of classics to instill values, morals, and mental challenges for our children. This meant making the leap to chapter books, while I had been still back at picture books with the boys. We started out with "Charlotte's Web" by E. B. White, and the boys truly surprised me. They ate it up! Since then we have explored many books, among them "Mr. Popper's Penguins", "Stuart Little", "Aesop's Fables", "Book of Mormon for Latter Day Saint Families" , and "Little House in the Big Woods". I love having our whole family snuggled up on the couch or in our bed reading "just one more chapter" together. I'm hoping it's a memory our children will cherish as well.

Jasmine is doing fabulous. She's almost two and a half now, and it makes me tear up seeing how fast time goes by. She is probably our most fearless, laugh in the face of danger kind of child- but a self declared princess. Or, "Pincess!" as she says. She plays right along with her brothers and will engage in all sorts of boy games and activities, but absolutely loves her "babies". She'll play dress up for hours, and is very particular about what clothes she wants to wear. Her favorite colors are pink and purple. She loves to have her hair done and sings songs all the time. We tried for so many years to not stereotype gender roles or allow gun toys in our home, but have eventually given in when we've discovered that boys just tend towards boy activities and will create them out of anything (legos, sticks, etc.) and girls just tend towards girl things. Our kids know they are fully capable of doing both, but I believe they can take pride in the roles they were created in. Having a little girl has truly blessed our family. She brings such laughter, joy, and tenderness into our home. I can't imagine what our life would have been without her sweet spirit. Jasmine has a very fiery personality. Absolutely unbelievable charm, charisma, and explosiveness all rolled into one adorable package. :)

T.J. began working at AFLAC in November and is loving it. He enjoys being part of such a great company, and especially feeling like he's really helping people with something that will truly benefit their lives. We are so grateful for this opportunity that we were given. So those of you that want to know more about AFLAC, or are interested in talking to him more about- please don't hesitate to ask!

We are expecting our fourth child in a few weeks. I'm due in June and we are totally uninformed as to what gender we are going to have. It's going to be a wonderful surprise!

I think that's pretty much all for now, I'll try to start updating at least once a month. Pictures to come!

Big Girl Bed!

2009-08-23T09:04:00.000-07:00

Here is Jazzy in her "new" big girl bed. I'm so happy this bed has lasted us through three kids and is still just like new! The boys had both been started in this bed long before her, but with Jasmine's personality we were a little cautious to try it before we were sure she could handle it. It worked like a charm. She crawled up into it herself and grabbed her snugglies (her lion, teddy, and carebear). She walked with me upstairs to be tucked in for nap and didn't make a peep. After a half hour I decided to check on her and she was just sitting up, quietly looking around. She then layed down and went to sleep. Sweet girl! My "baby" is no longer a "baby".. *sniff sniff* she's a toddler!

Passion for Science...

2009-08-20T21:04:00.000-07:00

One of the things I want to cultivate a passion for, in my children, is science. We decided to start this year out with doing nature journals and encouraging the kids to color, draw, or write about anything they saw that excited them. We plan on doing this for experiments, hikes, and other trips we take. This trip was as simple as our own neighborhood. There is an place in our neighborhood that has section devoted to habitat preservation. We decided to take the kids down to it, let them draw anything and everything they saw that interested them. We discussed a little bit about what habitats are, what they help do, and what kinds of animals live in wetlands. The boys were actually excited to explore on their own terms...

It's a Pizza!

2009-08-20T20:58:00.001-07:00

This was one of our family home evenings/homeschooling activities with the kids. We decided to let them make home-made whole wheat pizza crust and our own home-made pepperoni (or paparoni, depending on whom you're asking) pizza. It was lots of fun and they really enjoyed kneading the dough and watching the yeast grow in the water.

I absolutely love Isaac's little flour nose. The hardest part about this activity was trying to keep Isaac from constantly eating all the flour off of the table. He kept licking his lips and saying, "But it's GOOD!" How can you resist that? : ) And the crust was so great, the kids didn't even flinch eating it!

Playdough Time!

2009-08-20T20:50:00.000-07:00

Playdough time is something my kids absolutely love. Since it works really well at developing fine motor skills, we try to encourage it as much as possible. Jasmine has finally reached an age where she is playing with it more than eating it... and she enjoys joining in with her big brothers most of all. Here are some pictures of our playdough time (which also works well at keeping everyone happy while Mom cleans for a few moments).

Our Homeschooling Journey...

2009-08-19T22:30:00.000-07:00

So we have finally stepped forward and cemented our decision to homeschool the kids. We've been toying with the idea for some time. After lots of prayer (many years, actually), discussion and various moments of the spirit guiding us, we decided it was truly what was right for our family. Anyone who knows me knows that I don't just jump into something completely unprepared, I'm a planner through and through. So I started researching, researching, and researching some more. I found a wonderful LDS homeschooling group in our county that gets together for so many social things. Homeschooling is definitely not the preconceived notion that I had of kids only knowing their family and being stuck in a house doing textbooks all day! We have decided to use a blend of "Thomas Jefferson Education", classical education, and unit studies. So; while I don't feel this choice will fit every family, and I do not feel like everyone *should* homeschool- I will be sharing my exciting experiences and thoughts with you along our journey. For those of you who are excited by this, I am thrilled to share any information with you- and feel free to use any ideas of ours that you like whether you are homeschooling or not. I'll be photographing the entire way. Happy trails!

So much to tell...

2009-08-16T16:35:00.001-07:00

I have absolutely no hope of really catching up on this blog, so I'm going to share a few pictures, and then just try to keep it updated from here.

We've mostly been enjoying our summer and enjoying the warm weather Washington has ACTUALLY been having. I couldn't help but share these pictures, they're just too cute!

Jasmine Rayne Ducette was blessed!

2008-12-05T09:57:00.000-08:00

Here are some pre-blessing pics. I have some cuter ones on my phone, but have no idea how to get them on here.

I am so Thankful....

2008-11-27T09:31:00.000-08:00

I really love the holiday season, not just for the spirit of things and all the pretty decorations- but for the inner reflection you almost can't help but have. Today being Thanksgiving really gives me the time to reflect on all the many blessings the Lord has put into my life in the past year. All of the people that have blessed our lives, all of the obstacles we've overcome, the ever present strength we've had surrounding us as we have been going through the toughest experiences yet with one of our children. I feel very blessed that as upset as I was with moving so far away from everything I enjoyed, I know it is where we are supposed to be. Without this move we would not have had such qualified doctors to specialize in the areas we've needed. We were lovingly placed in a ward that truly understands the journey we've been going through since June (because quite a few of them have gone through it themselves in various ways) and have been such a source of understanding and support in the times we needed it most. I am really thankful for my visiting teacher(s) as one in particular has kept up with me above and beyond her monthly visit. Her phone calls, visits and notes have really helped to comfort me in a time where I felt I needed to isolate myself a bit. I'm thankful for my husband, and my family. That we are truly able to get though anything together and for his support in changing things to help our children. I'm grateful for all of this and more. I encourage everyone to really sit and ponder the blessings in their lives and take the time to thank their Heavenly Father for the role he's played in imparting them to us.

Interesting...

2008-11-12T19:45:00.000-08:00

Just changing one of my answers that I was torn between kept switching me between a Bella and an Alice.... I think I'm a little bit of both.

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

Two pirates and a cheetah...

2008-11-12T09:59:00.000-08:00

Sugar and Spice...

2008-11-12T09:54:00.000-08:00

Jasmine has recently become obsessed with dolls. We didn't expect it this soon, so she didn't really have any yet. Some friends of ours came to visit and Jasmine started throwing fits over HAVING to have their daughter's doll. This made for two very cranky girls and it was more than all of us could handle for an entire weekend- so we bought Jasmine her first doll. It's a preemie waterbaby and she was instantly HOOKED. When we ask her where her baby is she searches for it, and often times she doesn't even want to go to sleep without it. It's so cute to watch her hug and kiss it. So adorable! These pics are of at the zoo when we first gave it to her. She wouldn't even let go of it!

Jasmine's getting bigger!!

2008-11-12T09:45:00.000-08:00

These actually ended up being in order of newest to older... so you'll have to keep that in mind. It just blows my mind that in a little over six weeks Jasmine will be turning a year old! She's growing in leaps and bounds! You can get a good look at her little teefers in this top picture, but you can also see some of her developments. I love how much of a ham she is for the camera, but now that she's mobile it's hard NOT to get one that's a close up. LOL. And yes, she has learned how to climb the stairs to her brothers' rooms. When we barricaded the stairs off (so the boys could still get to their rooms) she figure out how to climb OVER the barricade. I hope she figures out the walking soon so we can just get rid of the barricade.

We know who wears the pants in this family....

2008-11-12T09:43:00.000-08:00

I came downstairs to find Dominic wearing a pair of TJ's pants. I thought this was hilarious!

Our first time in the Portland temple!

2008-11-12T09:27:00.000-08:00

It was night out, so a little more challenging for me to take pictures (I'm definitely not a camera wiz) but really gorgeous! We were so excited to finally be able to have the opportunity to go to the Portland Temple as it was this was the temple we walked around together as a brand new family and set the goals to be active members and work towards our sealing. What a journey it's been, we have been so blessed!

Be patient with me... (Aunty Michelle comes home!)

2008-11-01T12:44:00.000-07:00

Things have been SOOO swamped... so you'll have to bare with me on how often I post and when I can put pictures up... but I'm going to try to do a few while I have a second.

This is some pictures of my BFF Michelle Falcetti who is in the US Air force. She got leave for a little bit before she had to leave for Afghanistan... and she always makes time to stop by to see the kids. I was so glad to get this time with her and really glad about the bonding experience the kids got to have with her. Dominic especially enjoyed time with his "Aunty Michelle". Praying for you to come home safely every day Chetti!

Seriously?!

2008-10-10T12:22:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update on the blog so you can hear it from the source rather than through the grapevine... on the 25th I was in a car accident. I was stopped at a stoplight and so was the guy behind me when a drunk driver hit him going pretty fast and sent him flying into me. My neck, right shoulder, and right arm are very messed up and I'm in a lot of pain- but Heavenly Father protected me from anything major like death or broken bones. The expedition is totaled and we are going to have to find another vehicle for us all to get around in. Thank goodness for PIP because going to the chiropractor is helping me barely survive in between visits. So if I'm grumpy or such when anyone calls... you know why. I also want to thank the people who chased down the drunk driver when he tried to run and held him down until police were able to take him into custody. Thank you. You are in my prayers.

Really cool contest!

2008-08-20T09:41:00.000-07:00

Who wouldn't die for a chance at one of these?

http://www.alongfortheride.biz/Win-a-Free-Beco-Butterfly-and-
-Beco-Toy-Carrier-s/49.htm

From now till September!

Future Tooth Fairy Client....

2008-08-10T11:47:00.000-07:00

Last night while watching the Olympics Jasmine was gnawing on my finger... then she CHOMPED down. And I felt it. A TOOTH! It finally popped through, and totally explains the waking every hour the other night. Then this morning, another one just about all the way through. You can SEE it and FEEL it... but I don't think it will pop through till tomorrow. Yay for cute baby teeth!

Spreading the Word...

2008-08-08T09:56:00.001-07:00

This was introduced on one of my mom's groups, and I felt inspired to share it with as many people as possible. I don't know of anyone that has the right blood type, but I figure spreading the word might locate someone who is willing to help this poor family! It makes me so sad to think her son is the same as Dominic and she has a newborn as well. My prayers are with this family. : (

http://www.kidney4beth.com/

The Dinosaur Exhibit...

2008-08-06T13:50:00.001-07:00

This exhibit at the zoo was absolutely amazing! They dinosaurs were animatronic and sooo lifelike! They did a wonderful job creating the atmosphere... you feel like you are right in Jurassic Park! While the boys love dinosaur toys, movies, and anything with dinosaurs on it... they actually weren't so pleased about the exhibit we thought they would find fun.

Here is TJ trying to show Isaac the first dinosaur..
Isaac kept his eyes covered pretty much the whole time...
He kept saying, "I can't like a scary dinosaurs..."

TJ trying to get Isaac to go near the little dinosaur...

Dinosaur feeding...
Another dinosaur..
I think this is another by brachiosaurus..
Baby brachiosaurus...

This tyrannasaurus just about made the kids pee their pants...The tyrannasaurus... REALLY LOUD...
Cute little guys...
Some more cute little guys..
Dinosaur feeding...

This was a totally gross reality... Baby stegosaurus..
Mama stegosaurus...
A life size stegosaurus back plate..
The triceratops...

A spitting dinosaur... I tried to catch the spray on the camera, but the lighting didn't help.Two dinosaurs fighting..
A misty entrance..
The neck of the brachiosaurus..
The body of the brachiosaurus...

Two dinosaurs guarding their eggs..The eggs beginning to hatch...
Peeking out of the eggs...
Another dinosaur...
This is the spitting dinosaur before he spits..

At The Zoo....

2008-08-06T13:24:00.000-07:00

Look at the size of this kelp!A sea lion sunbathing..
A cute little squirrel ornament that TJ swears has my cheeks... LOL
Playful polar bear...
Monkeys in the trees...
I loved learning about the chimpanzees in Jane Goodall's books. Seriously recommend them.
The boys had more fun pushing the stroller...
I was hoping to see the seals... but no luck.
Black bear snoozing..
Five turtles on a log... too cute!
A fake polar bear foot through the ceiling... Isaac was shocked...
A polar bear lounging...
Elephant skeleton..
Elephant dressing display in the Elephant museum..
A bike a performing elephant used to ride...
An Eagle...
And frustratingly, I lost three pictures in the process of posting them... waterfalls, birds and such... sorry!

Yes I'm a Twilight Addict...

2008-08-06T13:21:00.000-07:00

and breaking dawn totally ROCKED. I read it in less than 24 hours while taking care of the kids. I couldn't help myself. It was just too good and too suspenseful to put down. I absolutely love the ending and even though Stephanie Meyer's SAID it was her last book from Bella's perspective... I hope the story continues on. I also hope the entire series gets made into movies. This was definitely the most impressive book of the series, next to Twilight. I just can't get over the greatness of Twilight. Anyhow... enough geekiness for one day... LOL

Oh...

2008-08-02T22:12:00.001-07:00

and by the way... "Breaking Dawn" is finally out! I saw that Target had it 30% off! For any of you twilight addicts...

A Fun Day at The Zoo....

2008-08-02T22:10:00.000-07:00

We took the kids with my mom to the Portland Zoo today and had a blast! There was some really cool sights to be seen and some pretty amazing exhibits. I took a bunch of pictures and will try to post them tomorrow... SO cute!

I'm going to be an Auntie!!!! (Again)

2008-07-31T10:48:00.000-07:00

While I have some very adorable nieces from TJ's side of the family, I have not had the pleasure of enjoying a niece/nephew from my siblings. My brother is much too young of course, but my wonderful little sister and her husband are expecting their first child in March. I've known for a while, but was waiting to share my excitement until she had made a public announcement herself. I am thrilled!! I can't wait to meet my little cutie in March! The feelings I have are overwhelming. I want to protect her, help her, teach her, but at the same time I know I need to stand back and let her learn things for herself and make the decisions that are right for her. All I can do is keep her in my prayers and encourage her on her path to motherhood. Yay for little babies!

My beautiful children...

2008-07-30T16:03:00.000-07:00

I'm sure that most of my posts reflect either absolute adoration or complete frustration when it comes to talking about my children. The frustrations are usually fairly small and pass easily. The two emotions are very entwined in my heart as being a mother is wholly fascinating and exasperating, yet so rewarding.

Some moments are so hard and I have to say silent prayers to help me get through each minute until it passes. I think I pray daily for patience to understand them and their needs and help them in the best way that I can. But mostly they are a lesson unto me from Heavenly Father. Of that I am sure. They teach me so much and have helped me to grow in leaps and bounds.

Each day they grow older and more independent, and become a little more like the adults they will blossom into. The most rewarding experiences for me is watching them grow closer together as siblings and to see how lovingly they interact with one another.

Isaac, who was previously not really seeming to notice that Jasmine existed, has began to interact with her and respond to her. He brings her toys and talks to her. One long car ride home from Camas he even held her hand the whole way home. It's like a light went on and he was like, "Oh wow- there's another person in our house!" LOL

Dominic has been thrilled to be at Jasmine's side at all hours of the day from the moment she was born. I think that including him in the pregnancy and the labor/birth, combined with the education that we gave the boys about what to expect during each really helped to make him feel included in the process and the miracle that occurred. Of course sometimes I worry that she won't be able to breathe from the lack of personal space, LOL, but she actually seems to love the attention. It is very visible the bond that Dominic and Jasmine have together. The minute he walks into the room or says something to her she lights up!

Jasmine is changing so much in her personality and you can see her little brain ticking and figuring new things out each day. I love watching her adore all the little games her brothers play with her and watching her play with things toy and non-toy alike.

Someday I will have days where they won't get along so well I'm sure... but today I am choosing to reflect on the beauty of families and the truly amazing gift that we are given to enjoy each other eternally. For that gift, I am so incredibly grateful.

We're Done!!

2008-07-29T11:11:00.000-07:00

After taking a fairly long break from potty training (I just couldn't handle it in the hotel and wanted to wait to settle into this house) we began potty training Isaac again about a month ago. He literally figured it out in a couple days! Thank goodness for singing potties and yogos. We also kept a little potty in the car for when we were out and about (he's terrified of big toilets) and plastic pants he colored pictures on (to get him to wear them) just in case he had a bit of accident while we were out. We got rid of those about a week later. Here he is showing off his big boy self!

Here is our little cutie sitting...

2008-07-29T10:58:00.001-07:00

Haven't been able to share pictures for awhile, so I thought I'd share some pictures of Jaz sitting up all on her own.

My little brother actually graduated!!! Congrats!!

2008-07-16T21:32:00.000-07:00

As frustrating as family can sometimes be... I do love watching them interact with the kids and have meaningful conversations with me. My little brother graduated highschool this year and we celebrated with a BBQ at my mom's house. The kids had a blast hanging out with their Aunty and Uncles. (Thank you to my sister Amber for capturing any pictures of Mathew that she could as he is as hard to capture as Big Foot.)

No animals were harmed in the making of this picture...

2008-07-16T21:26:00.000-07:00

Preparing to leave for my little brother's graduation party we discovered a snail on our tire! I have never actually seen one of these guys so big, and Isaac (who actually pointed it out to us) was absolutely enthralled with it.

Check out the size of the Rock I got for Mother's Day! LOL

2008-07-16T21:19:00.000-07:00

So after a week long of beautiful weather, TJ decided to surprise me with a mother's day picnic and hike. He took me on one of the most beautiful drives I have EVER been on along the Lewis and Clark Hwy (HWY 14). I had no idea where we were going until we got there... and then his sweet plans were semi-ruined. The weather was really windy and cold and starting to rain! We knew we couldn't hike up Beacon Rock with the kids in that weather... so we just stopped at some beautiful scenic spots and took some pictures and then went home and played with the kids. This rock is HUGE! I tried to capture how big it was, but the picture does not even come close to doing it justice. I SOO have to go back and climb it with him sometime. Can anyone say date night? : )

Woops! (Happy Birthday to Me)

2008-07-16T21:12:00.000-07:00

So I guess I am doing the post backwards in sense of time... I'll post these as the pictures of my birthday! I feel so old, and am yet so young! All they had at DQ for ice cream cakes that I liked was Tinkerbell.... so that's what I got! Don't count the candles! LOL I also got to get some fabulous Thai food to go (so I wouldn't have to cook) and we discovered Dom shares in his father's obsession for good "shu-shi". He ate six pieces himself! He also had some pad thai, and used his chopsticks to eat it with. We all had a blast!

Dom's Birthday at Ocean Shores....

2008-07-16T19:37:00.000-07:00

Okay, they aren't in order AT ALL... but you can get the gist of it. We had a blast playing on the beach, eating ice cream cones, and Dom got to go with Daddy on a special "slick track" go-kart. He had a BLAST! ( I was terrified the entire time and worried he would be scared.) He keeps asking to do it again. And I just have to say... Jazzy is SOO cute in her little tankini. (or is it halterini?)

Beautiful Video...

2008-05-23T14:16:00.000-07:00

*Partial nudity (as in swim suits and nursing mothers...) inside.

Totally made me cry- WHAT a GREAT movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E-wULAaD50

Stupid Technology...

2008-05-23T07:56:00.000-07:00

I have no idea how to get my new scanner to work... so I can't upload pictures of Dominic as a baby... and right now, I actually can't find my digital camera- so no uploading all the recent pictures I wanted to show everyone. You all will just have to keep waiting... LOL

Back on the Potty Training....

2008-05-23T07:53:00.000-07:00

With the move, living in a hotel, and such ... it's been way too hard to potty train. So we just started picking up again with Isaac. He's so cute. Every time at nap he won't let me put a diaper on him- he wants to stay in his "undies"! LOL. He's doing pretty good, but for some reason I forget each time how much energy it takes to do this. It's like I have to keep my eyes on him EVERY second... and needless to say, that's a little challenging...

Happy Birthday Dominic!!!!

2008-05-18T13:20:00.000-07:00

My beautiful baby boy is four years old today!! It has been wonderful sharing all of his little moments with him, and each day he becomes my little best friend even more! I know I said I would post some pictures today... but I'm only logging on to share this quick post. I think my time is more prudently spent by being with him and doing the things he wants to do. I'll post tomorrow or sometime over the course of this next week.

Devastated...

2008-05-15T08:30:00.000-07:00

I'm just having a very hard day. I don't want to go too much into it, but I am really depressed about some major stuff going on for a family I care very much about. How much tragedy can one family take. For some reason I didn't think it was going to hit me this hard, but I am having a really hard time processing it. I feel like I'm in shock since I heard the news. Saying prayers for the mother... I hope she is comforted through this... and prayers for the victim's family, as their loss is probably great as well.

Happy Birthday to Me!!!

2008-05-13T09:15:00.001-07:00

I turn twenty three today! Not that this is anything super special, two years from now I get a discount on insurance... but for the most part it's nothing big. LOL. TJ is getting me a bunch of my favorite thai food so that I don't have to cook dinner tonight. And a coldstone ice cream cake. I'm actually very excited for those. Getting the house clean to celebrate now...

Ahhh.... Rest

2008-05-08T10:16:00.000-07:00

TJ got back early last night. He made it here by eight. I actually got to go to bed by eleven. That was really nice, and refreshing.

Only four more weeks of school and then I get summer quarter off! Yay!! I need the rest and I need the time to be able to read my OWN books, or go on a date, or go to bed early, or watch a movie late. A sense of freedom, that's what I need. LOL

And then back on the road again.

Alright... time to clean house...

So tired...

2008-05-07T09:43:00.001-07:00

I have no idea what was going on with Isaac last night, but he was throwing screaming fits and temper tantrums until 5:30 this morning. Nothing comforted him, even the things he asked for. So frustrating. I am exhausted now since everyone woke up at 8:30. Three hours of sleep is SO not enough. And TJ won't be home until late tonight... so if I get to see him, he still won't be able to relieve me and let me rest. Oh well. Maybe this weekend I can catch up?

I see that Mother's Day is coming up this Sunday... anyone have any special ideas that they have used in the past for their mother's? I want to do something really nice, but relatively feasible for my mom.

I'm such a wimp...

2008-05-05T19:10:00.000-07:00

I'm totally missing TJ... and he's only been gone for a few hours. Technically all day, because he went to work this morning- but that's our usual time being apart. He won't be home till late Wednesday night and the time is NOT going fast enough. I am a pitiful sleeper without him here. *Sigh* Just needed to whine a little... : )

Reflecting on the past...

2008-05-05T11:32:00.000-07:00

Every time one of my children nears another birthday I become very sentimental and reflect back on my experiences during their pregnancy, birth, and my first moments with them. Each time is so deeply treasured by me, and I consider each such a miracle. It's that time of the year again, Dominic will be turning four on the 18th. I can't believe time has flown by that quickly, it still seems like yesterday that I held him in my arms for the first time.

He is very excited for his birthday, and since the move happened shortly before his birthday, we will probably not be having anyone over but my mother it looks like. So I think we're going to take him somewhere fun and out to eat instead. Stay tuned for pictures through the years that I will post ON his actual birthday.

My how she's grown...

2008-05-03T10:57:00.001-07:00

I'm just so in love with her little feet!She's starting to love playing on her tummy...
So cute...
Big brother often spends a lot of time encouraging her, and joining her for tummy time.
We've figured out the sling and she loves it.

Here is her cute little face peeking out of the sling...

The kids...

2008-05-03T10:51:00.001-07:00

Here is the boys almost ready for church...Jasmine playing on the floor...
The boys eating in the finished dining room...
Jasmine has learned to pull out her binky, look at it, and then she tries to put it back in. Here she is at the beginning of the repeated behavior... LOL

Here's the house....

2008-05-03T10:43:00.000-07:00

This is the boys' room. This is the first half... fairly messy with all the toys starting to get unpacked...This is the beginning of our room...
This is the boys' room a little cleaner, the other half depicted a little better...
This is one half of my living room...
The kitchen and dining area...
And everything on the bottom floor is out of the boxes now. Mostly. :)

The Beginning of our Journey...

2008-05-03T10:34:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures that highlight some of the points of our journey...

These are the little guys that welcomed us on our first night being introduced to the first house we were supposed to get. Needless to say, we decided against it.
This is me in the car at our hotel on the way back from the zoo. Everyone always says I never take pictures of myself... so here's one.
This is Jasmine relaxing in the hotel on the first day warm enough for her to wear a dress outside.
This is Isaac, he fell asleep after taking the couch cushion down to use as a "mountain" to drive on with his cars.
This is Dominic who, as you can see, had it the hardest while we continued to move into our new house and clean it.
More to follow...

I see dates in my future.....

2008-04-30T13:21:00.000-07:00

So I decided to try to introduce Jasmine to the bottle today so that hopefully TJ and I could get to the temple in the near future, now that it's only 10 minutes away... and possibly date as well. So I pumped an 8 oz. bottle and she took it like a champ! She's drank 6 oz. already! I'm so excited! Wooohoo!

We're Here!!!

2008-04-29T07:43:00.000-07:00

I took all these pictures to show everyone who's been asking about our new place... and then Blogger got all messed up and wouldn't let me post them. So you all will have to wait for pictures. We're in, we're fairly settled, and all of us got to go to church together this last Sunday. Our new ward looks great. Huge primary- I guess just like we all had babies around the same time, this ward had a bunch of four year olds. So Dominic will have lots of people to hang out with. And Isaac escaped from nursery. Apparently they haven't learned his face yet and he just opened the door and went wandering the halls until we got out of class and found him. And thank you to Jen and Jake, Jasmine made her debut in your beautiful dress you got us. I'll have to take pictures and show you. She looked so cute! TJ kept calling her "little miss strawberry shortcake". LOL. Well, I have kids pulling on my arm now... gotta go! Pics later...

Only Two More Days!

2008-04-14T08:43:00.000-07:00

Then we will finally be in our house! I can't wait! My mom should be down here today to help us watch the kids while we load and unload the truck.

Isaac is so cute... yesterday he looks up at me all sad and says, " I wanna see Emiwee. Wanna go to Emiwee's house". So there you go Emily, the boys have NOT forgotten you and they eagerly wait to see you again. We'll have to schedule another time to visit.

The zoo rocked by the way. Way cooler than Woodland Park Zoo- but WAY busier. Parking took nearly an hour as we had to spend an extra fifteen minutes driving over to a shuttle to take us there. CRAZY! But, now we know... so we can plan ahead for next time. Isaac's favorite was the "baby jagwire" (actually an ocelot, but he watches too much GO, DIEGO, GO in this hotel! LOL). Dominic loved seeing the bears. And Jasmine pretty much loved eating her hands the best. That's about all she noticed. LOL.

Uh-oh! Fussy baby... better go!

So Excited...

2008-04-11T14:33:00.000-07:00

Fridays are always a good day in my book because it signals the coming of the weekend. A time of relaxation, but most importantly- family time. This Sunday will be our first week attending our new ward and I'm so excited that we can finally make it official! It'll be nice for the kids to meet some kids their own age in our new ward. And tomorrow we are going to go with some friends to the Portland Zoo. I think we are also going to go to OMSI, which is the most spectacular science museum I have ever been to- BY FAR. It has a whole floor dedicated to young kids exploration. So many cool exhibits! This weekend is dedicated to our little ones because they've been putting up with being in the car constantly since we moved. House hunting, traveling up to the old house to clean it, Easter and other such car rides. Well... off to study....

FINALLY!

2008-04-07T13:38:00.000-07:00

I now have access to blogging again people!

We haven't gotten settled into a house yet... but we will on the 17th. We got down here only to discover the house we were going to rent was infested with bugs. They looked like little cockroaches... but apparently, according to the exterminator, they were boxelder beetles. The landlord's attitude made us decide, after some prayer, that we would rather cut our losses and find a new place. Thankfully, we didn't have to. He was completely understanding and gave us our deposit back. Now we have found a great place that will work for us for the one year lease that we'll have it. It doesn't have any yard really, but that is it's only downfall. And the little subdevelopment it is a part of has three little parks... so I think we'll be fine. That, and Vancouver really has so much to do with the kids- I'm sure they'll be fine. I hate being so far from my mom, but there's lots of cool stuff to do down here... and I've gotten a beautiful warm welcome from some forum mamas that I know. (that's you mmf's!) I'll take pictures of the new place as soon as we move in!

I started Spring quarter three weeks ago. I'm taking Psychology, American Literature, and Art History this time. It's going much better now that I finally have my VERY OWN laptop! I'm so excited. That's how I finally have computer access! I can't wait to be in my own home and be back on track of my homework!

The kids are doing okay. Yes, they enjoy hotel life- but they get a little stir crazy. We do have a two bedroom suite... but when they're used to a house- it's not that big. They can't wait to have a home either, but they are excited to have t.v. shows to watch finally. Yes, we are limiting the amount... LOL. Jasmine is three months old and growing so big! She's still pretty wobbly... but trying to sit up on her own! I couldn't believe it! None of the other kids were this quick! She'll be sitting in her bouncy and just flex her little abs and sit herself up! I need to catch it on camera. She's also laughing like crazy and is very bonded to Dominic. As soon as she sees his face near her she breaks out into a big grin. Dominic can't wait to get back into preschool... he really misses it. Isaac is Isaac, what can I say? LOL. He wants his own space back. Such an independent child- he doesn't like having such little space and so few toys that he has to share.

That's all for now... jaz is awake and we have to go sign papers on the house!

See ya'll later!

A Beautiful Cause...

2008-03-12T09:35:00.000-07:00

One of my close friends, Nikki had a beautiful little guy that inspired her to do a very noble and generous thing. His name is Layne Winters and he was born premature and had lots of stuff that he's needed some help for- like physical therapy once a week. There are so many little guys as beautiful as him that rely on the help from the March of Dimes to pay for those and many other treatments. Nikki has decided to do a walk for the March of Dimes and has set up a donation page to raise money. Her goal is $1500 dollars, but every little bit helps! And since it's tax time I thought I'd let as many people know as possible so that people could help out! One donation could be as much as half the pair of cost of a good pair of jeans... but helps so many little ones! Check out the link and donate! Don't forget to leave a message of support!

http://www.marchforbabies.org/walkingforkyler

It's Out!!!!

2008-02-28T11:17:00.000-08:00

"The Business of Being Born" is out!! It's available on dvd from blockbuster and netflix. A beautiful movie... As soon as I got it in my mailbox I tore it open. Couldn't resist! They did a Phenomenal job!

More Bow Shots...

2008-02-24T14:53:00.001-08:00

This is my little Lina and Aislyn. Lina fell in love with Jaz's hairbows... so I had to put some in her super cute hair!

Here is Jaz.. recovering well from RSV... just sleeping with her cute new dress on.

Jasmine...

2008-02-24T14:35:00.001-08:00

Out of sheer frustration I am not taking anymore time to try and rotate the following two pictures. You'll just have to turn your heads. LOL. Emily, this pic is for you since we haven't been able to make it to church in your dress. The second one she is smiling.

I wanted to get a picture of her with her bows... so here are a couple..

Some pics of the boys....

2008-02-24T14:27:00.001-08:00

This is Isaac's pistachio pudding face...

I love sharing childhood memories with my children. However tacky, this is my children with "olive fingers".

As you can tell.. Dom was really sick and miserable. This is him after fourty eight hours on the anitbiotics. Before them his eyes were almost swollen shut and he wouldn't even stand. Poor baby! He did cheer up long enough to make me show him the shot I got with the camera. LOL.

This next few are really special to me. I tried to capture the intensity of Isaac's focus when he is coloring... but I don't think I got it. He LOVES to color. Has to do it at least once a day. And he will sit for two hours just coloring and focusing on his artwork. I refer to him as picasso regularly.

Dominic has always been my big helper. His enthusiasm has given Isaac the push towards wanting to potty train. Potty training is such a love/hate relationship with me... but He's doing great! I hope it continues to go as well.

Build-a-Bear Boxes are So Fun!!!

2008-02-24T14:24:00.000-08:00

Despite being in love with his new "triceratofs" Isaac also thoroughly enjoyed the box.

It's Official....

2008-02-24T07:02:00.000-08:00

We're moving. TJ got a job promotion in another area... so we are moving to Vancouver, WA by the 16th. We're incredibly sad to leave everyone that we've come to know here, but hoping that this holds a big opportunity for us. I'm really upset about leaving my mom, but I have to support my husband- you know? And we'll hopefully visit as much as we can. We'll keep in touch! Luckily my schooling is online. I'm able to finish the last two weeks out and then I can even attend next quarter completely online until I get my financial aid set up elsewhere.

Jasmine is doing amazingly well and really starting to kick the RSV. No more choking, just coughing. You can hear her breaking up the stuff that's in her lungs. Such a relief. The progress she's made yesterday and today already make me confident that she'll probably be over it within another week or less.

The boys are already doing fabulously better also. Other than the hyperactivity of course from the renewed energy. LOL.

Well... gotta go make breakfast.

Update....

2008-02-22T17:51:00.000-08:00

Jaz quit breathing on us twice last night in just a half hour. She choked and turned blue and that was the last straw for me. She's so congested and her chest is so rattley that when she has a coughing attack she just chokes and gags. We went straight to the E.R. and they gave me a whole bunch of useful information. (Not to mention harassment about not being current on her vax- what the heck?! She's only 8 weeks old!) They put her on a nebulizer with saline to try and moisten her up so she could breathe better. Then they asked me when that same on call doc we had problems with last time diagnosed the RSV. I told them that day and they asked what swab he had done. Uh... no swab. :irked: So they did the nasal swab on her and monitored her. We made it home early (or is it truly classified as late?) last night. Today she projectile puking... which includes some mucous in it... but- that's a good thing. Essentially she has to clear it all out of her lungs. Really scary to watch and experience though. Poor baby. Thank you all for all of your prayers... I appreciate the support. Forgive my rambling... I have only two hours of sleep in me.

Off to make dinner for the kids...

Off to the E.R. Again....

2008-02-21T22:35:00.000-08:00

Jaz quit breathing on us shortly for two times in the last half hour. Enough fear to send me and TJ to the ER again. I'm just so scared for her... I don't want to risk it....

And it just Keeps Coming...

2008-02-21T17:16:00.000-08:00

Isaac was up crying every half hour last night.. Fever wouldn't go below 103 degrees even WITH tylenol in him. Jaz was having major breathing problems (they've just started and been getting worse for the last couple of days) and wouldn't nurse all night because she just plain couldn't breathe. This morning I haul the kids back into the doctor (yes... same on call doc) and he discovers that Isaac has a double ear infection and Jaz has RSV. He urged me to watch her breathing and if it got any worse to rush her to the ER for oxygen treatments. I'm so worried about her. She just sounds all weezy and rattley in her chest. Poor baby. I swear... I have no idea what Dom will bring back from preschool next. It's like a tidal wave of sickness. Bleh. So Isaac is on antibiotics and probiotics and I'm taking probiotics just in case anything else comes up that I will be subjected to taking antibiotics also. I don't want to get thrush on top of everything else.

So... prayers for our babies please. I'm just worried about them.

UNCLE!!!!!!

2008-02-18T15:34:00.000-08:00

I give up. Maybe when I give up then everything will quit going wrong. LOL.

Thursday Dom woke up with a cough.. didn't think much of it. Sent him to school. Friday he woke up miserable... I pack up all three kids myself to go to see the on call doc at his office since his doc is not there that day. This may sound like fun to other people- but not for me. Doctors offices are no place for one parent and multiple children. The assistant calls you back into a room full of interesting things that little inquiring hands should not be touching, just to have you wait until the doctor decides to see you. Why don't they just let you wait in the reception area where the kids can play with toys until the doctor is finally ready? Anyways... I inform the doc that last time Dom had a cough that sounded identical to this it was strep throat. He checks him out, asks if Dom had a fever, I reply "no, not yet". He informs me it usually has a fever to accompany it, so no strep culture because he doesn't think that could be it. His golden advice? "Put a humidifier up in his room, give him a nice seamy bath before bed." Pearls of wisdom I already knew without the hassle of dragging the kids in. I ask why we can't do the culture and he replies that he doesn't think that's it because of the lack of fever. He says to me, "Go ahead and bring him back in if he does get a fever and you still think that's it. " Thanks. Sounds like loads of fun. The kids actually did really good for the most part this time, but sometimes I swear it is like playing russian roulette trying to take all three of them someplace by myself. You never know when it is going to be the time they all go crazy.

So Saturday rolls around and Dom wakes up with a fever of 103 degrees, his eyelids almost swollen shut and sounding like a barky little seal. Got strep much? His condition seems to be increasingly getting worse... so I call his doctor's office. Nope.. he has to go to the walk-in clinics or th E.R. because they are closed till Tuesday. The walk-in clinics don't take our insurance so it would be at least a $100 visit- for a stupid throat culture. Off we went to the E.R. with a three hour wait all to tell us that, yep- he's got strep. He's on the antibiotics now, but I am left incredibly frusterated with how it all went. Not to mention that Isaac and Jasmine seem to have caught it also. TJ had planned on letting me go to church with just Jasmine and Isaac... but they woke up yesterday with the same start of the cough... so I had to stay home. AGAIN. *Sigh*

Some months are a challenge. I took pictures of the kids though.. and I'll post them soon.

Jasmine is doing well despite being sick. She's so cute... she sounds like she's losing her voice though. Poor baby girl.

And a chemistry exam tomorrow. I will not being taking Chemistry in a fulltime courseload with three kids under the age of 4, ever again. Ever. I do not like Chemistry.

Other than that... things have been beautiful. We had a fun weekend away at a luncheon with TJ's Aunt Keri at Anthony's in Everett. The kids got to see their little cousin, Annabelle, and we all got to have a great meal and hang out. I can't wait till we go to Aberdeen in a couple weeks. I will be taking a vacation after spring quarter. A LONG one.

Love you all and hope everything is going great!

Thank you Courtney!!!

2008-02-14T14:06:00.000-08:00

So we go to pick out pictures at Courtney's next week and I can already tell we're going to have a problem... as you can see by this sample picture- we're going to be spending way too much cuz they are soooooooo cute!!!!

Absolutely stunning!

This is Jaz at six weeks....

Busy Bees....

2008-02-07T12:43:00.000-08:00

We've been busy busy busy so far this month with barely any time to catch our breath. Birthdays galore and appointments here and there.... TJ just got back at one in the morning from a business trip... March will call for some rest and relaxation.

Seriously.

Midterms...

2008-02-04T10:19:00.000-08:00

Midterms are evil... pure evil. That's all I have to say about that. I'm going to relax and go watch some episodes of House, M.D. to make me laugh.

Growing in leaps and bounds...

2008-02-04T10:10:00.000-08:00

All of our kids are getting so big!

Dom is at 34 pounds and 38 inches!
Isaac is at 33 pounds and 33 inches!
Jasmine is at 9 pounds 3 oz. and 21"!

We're so glad that Jasmine is gaining weight much better now, the oversupply issues have been interesting- but nothing we can't tackle. We just need to make sure she gets to the hindmilk so she can get some meat on her little bones! LOL. I'll post new pics soon.. she's jumping sizes so I have to order new bows for all the new outfits she'll get to wear! (Which means stay tuned for your dress Emily cuz her first dress debut will be in your dress for church!)

Love y'all!

Picturepalooza...

2008-01-17T12:41:00.000-08:00

For those of you who have been bugging me for pictures... below are a bunch of new posts with new pics of all the kids and such..

Love ya!

Hannah and Isaac sitting in a Tree...

2008-01-17T12:38:00.000-08:00

Isaac just loves to visit with Hannah.. when they aren't fighting over toys or personal space- they are very much in love. : )

The In-Laws came to town!

2008-01-17T12:22:00.000-08:00

I am so grateful that so many members of TJ's family take such an active role in their relationships with the kids. We love you all! Please excuse the mess.. Granpa always brings lots of stuff for the kids and it looks like christmas in the background.. LOL

Here is Grandpa Ted and Dominic looking at Dominic and Isaac's new presents..
Grandpa with the boys...
Gabe looking so cute!
One reason why it is hard to get a shot with toddlers..
Isaac in love with Uncle Justen and Aunty Jen's new puppy Lily...
Dominic trying on his dino feet..

Well at least Dom is looking.. LOL

Naked Sign Language...

2008-01-17T12:03:00.001-08:00

Some of you might not know.. but we've been working with the kids on sign language for the past couple of months. Isaac really enjoys it. This morning after undressing himself.. he wanted to practice some signs.. I thought I would share some with you all..

This one is peach... (minus my cell phone of course.. LOL)

THis is the one Isaac calls "ascares!" (scared)
And this shouldn't be too hard to figure out.. "grumpy" (notice he has a hard time not smiling though..)

Mr. C

2008-01-17T12:00:00.001-08:00

Dom has been learning the alphabet (uppercase and lowercase) through cute little dolls at school. This week was Mr. C- and Dom wanted to show everyone his "colossal cap". Isn't he cute?

We love our Jasmine...

2008-01-17T11:41:00.001-08:00

Dominic is always cooing to Jasmine. He loves to show her things and try to get her to look at him.

TJ is in love too. He loves trying all her little outfits on her.

She just woke up and doesn't look happy, but thanks to Grandpa Ted- she's sleeping like a dream even when mommy wraps her! World's #1 greatest invention: the swaddling blanket!

And another thanks to Grandpa- Jaz loves her bouncy seat.

Just lookin around...

Showin off the cuteness of her pink fitted...

Caught her in between a smile..

Appt Set...

2008-01-15T11:28:00.001-08:00

Jas' chiro appt. has been set. They were very nice and are a pretty popular clinic... so let's hope they are great and an adjustment really helps her reflux. Poor little buggy...

Wish us luck!

My little Helper...

2008-01-14T00:23:00.000-08:00

Dominic has been great at being so helpful in taking care of Jasmine. He's so loving and always wants to just coo at her, talk to her, bring her toys, put on puppet shows, and bring me anything I ask for that she needs (burp rags, prefolds, wipes, etc). I didn't realize how closely he's been watching me care for her however. I was letting Jasmine air out her bottom while I threw the last diaper in the pail and started a load of laundry. When I came back out I found Dom preparing the diaper and attempting to start changing her. Without thinking I yelled, "No! Dom- what are you doing?!" He took off running and yelling, "I was just changing her diaper!!! I know how!!!!" LOL. Cute little guy. At least he's willing to help. LOL. He also calls the prefolds "prefolders".

Little Jasmine....

2008-01-12T11:09:00.000-08:00

Well Jas was just about at her birth weight last night. 7 lbs. 12 oz. She's doing great in every other way besides how much she's puking. It's in pretty large amounts so we're thinking she has reflux like runs in my side of the family. On Monday I'll be scheduling her for a chiropractic appointment to try to help with it. It can't be comfortable... poor baby. It's worked wonders for many people I know... so let's cross our fingers it improves things for her. We'll be posting more pictures of all of the kids later this weekend... I have some really cute ones I want to share.

Woohoo!

2008-01-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

I aced a chem exam yesterday! I am so excited! Science is really NOT my forte. The instructor I have for this class is great though. She is really willing to help you fully understand the material. I am able to email her assignments before I turn them in and she'll check them over multiple times until I can correct everything and then allow me to turn it in. It's great- I just have to be able to find the time to continue to revise and correct things. *Sigh* Some days are great for studying, some days are not. All I can do is do my best. Who would've though that chemistry would be the subject I would be acing this quarter? LOL.

We have Jasmine's two week appointment tonight... I'll post back later with how much she's grown since birth. And maybe with a couple cute pictures to boot. If any of you like the hairbows that we'll be demo'ing on Jasmine... check out the link to the right. Babe's n Bows is my friend Leslie who has any AMAZING talent. She has so much variety and great colors!

Love ya'll!

My cutie...

2008-01-10T23:06:00.001-08:00

Here's Isaac's new use for my boppy. Too adorable- but man he needs a haircut!

Oh yeah...

2008-01-09T09:10:00.000-08:00

And I'll be posting a really cute pic of Isaac later... he found an adorable new use for my boppy. LOL

Flu Bug...

2008-01-09T09:03:00.000-08:00

Dom has been sick for almost two weeks.. he puked all over our bed in his sleep on Saturday night after a pukefest on Thursday previous. We thought we had gotten completely rid of it. Then Monday as I was attempting to venture out of the house by myself with all three kiddos... Isaac starts puking all over inside the car on the way to Bellingham. Bleh! Everything got all screwed up because of that and I wasn't able to make TJ his birthday dinner or a cake or anything. We spent the night comforting Isaac who continued to puke at home and Dominic who ended up getting a ton of hives (symptom of recovering from the flu bug). Later that night after the kids got put down... TJ starts puking and getting horribly sick. That's the second time he's puked in the seven years we've been together. The guy just usually bypasses most of what the rest of the house gets. Not so this time. And on his birthday. Poor guy! He spent all day yesterday in bed trying to keep soup and fluids down. If there is anything positive to say about this... it's that Jasmine and I have somehow avoided coming down with anything as of yet.

And major thank you's to Emily and Alex Rossing for the amazing cookies and bread! And yet another major thank you to Sister Heezen for the awesome taco soup! It was the perfect thing for the evening!

I appreciate all the love and support from everyone- in person and online (MMF!) I am very blessed to have the support of many wonderful people whenever I am in a time of need. I thank Heavenly Father every day for all of you in my life.

Jasmine now...

2008-01-05T20:00:00.001-08:00

A glimpse of Jasmine shortly after birth....

2008-01-05T19:54:00.001-08:00

Thank you to the Hollanders...

2008-01-05T10:57:00.000-08:00

For the beautiful homemade enchiladas! They were awesome! I have to start collecting recipes from people! Our next door neighbors also made us a meal for us to bake when we need it. I appreciate all the help from everyone, it has been a little challenging to manage three kids when I have orders to not pick up anything heavier than baby for another week. Time will pass quickly, I know. I am going to work on posting some pictures of baby Jasmine later today...

Love to you all!

Special Thanks to Kay...

2008-01-03T20:07:00.000-08:00

for her wonderful (and healthy!) dinner she brought us tonight. Not only was it delicious, but it happened to be one of the boys' favorite dinners. Kay, we love whole wheat over here- it was great! Thank you so much! And the pumpkin cake was the BEST!

I started back at college full time today (all online courses) and so it came at a much needed time. I'm taking anthropology, history, and chemistry. I think this quarter is going to be easier because it is online... but it's challenging trying to study and work on things in little breaks (nursing time, nap times, coloring time). I wish all my prereq's were available like this though- because the boys seem much happier with me at home, even if I have to log on to the computer for awhile. Bed times are my most productive time.. and they give TJ the excuse to play x-box. We'll just pretend he's just supporting me in my studying efforts. : )

Jasmine is growing beautifully. She was a little jaundice- but nothing to be concerned about. We're waiting for it to go away to post some recent pictures of her. I'll be posting a slideshow soon- when I have the time to get it all put together. Other than being a little confused about days and nights... she's the perfect little angel and I'm enjoying every second with her. Every day she gets more alert and starts to focus on people's face who are holding her.

Well.. off to study for history. Wish me luck!

Announcing Jasmine Rayne Ducette....

2007-12-28T13:02:00.000-08:00

Our beautiful baby girl entered the world yesterday at 4:42 pm PST. She weighed 7 pounds 14 ounces (after she pooed all over everyone... LOL) and was 20" long.

She latched on in the first ten minutes and nursed wonderfully!

We had a beautiful homebirth and can't believe how much nicer of an experience it was for us. I'm doing well- no tears!- and will update the birth story later with pictures.

I just promised I would post when we had her.... so there ya go! Off to nap with my grunty little newborn! : )

Keeping us on our toes...

2007-12-24T17:10:00.001-08:00

So yesterday was a fun filled day. We thought we might have had a leak in my bag of waters... but it turned out not to be. The contractions stepped up full force however. They got consistently four minutes apart and two and a half minutes to three minutes long. It was very intense... but as with everything with this baby.... everything calmed down once it had everyone's attention. LOL. Here are some cute pictures I just had to share of Dominic being my little coach in labor.

He was saying such cute things like, "It's okay mommy, it's gonna be okay. It's almost over". And he would hold my hands and rock through the contractions with me.

Here he is coaching me through another contraction and telling me "I love you mommy".

And here is a cute picture of Dom in his new holiday outfit.

In any case.. we're baking sugar cookies and leaving milk and carrots out for Santa and his reindeer (per Dominic's request)... and we will update next when we have a baby!

Baby, baby.... where are you?

2007-12-18T22:43:00.000-08:00

Contractions started up really strong today after three days of strong cramping. I thought for sure if I went walking that would help things get closer together and help me advance... no such luck. I walked for hours today (hey- it was shopping! LOL) and all I have to show for it are swollen feet and sore legs.

It seems I'm on a progress track though... somethings definitely going on... I go to see my midwife on Thursday- we'll see how things are going by then. I'm off to go get some rest.

And Nikki- call me woman! Or send me the link to your blog so I can message you! I miss you horrible too!

My house is pretty much ready... just some surface cleaning that I could really care less about if I started labor and was unable to accomplish it. Looks like we're ready... just waiting for baby to be ready to make it's arrival!

And I'm Done!

2007-12-11T14:10:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I turned in my VERY last paper of the quarter. I managed to finish everything a little early and beat baby to the finish line. LOL. I can't believe how much it has relaxed things for me. Dominic is still in preschool during the day, so I hang out with Isaac- but other than that I have so many more opportunities to get other things taken care of.

I'm trying to get my house ready for a beautiful homebirth. I wasn't super excited until last night. We picked out our christmas tree. It's a huge like 10 ft. tall and full, fat tree. The lights are all up on it, and most of the ornaments. Everytime I walk out of another room into the main area of the house the gorgeous smell of pine surrounds me. What a romantic place to have our new little baby. The glow of the lights, the smell of the tree, and the specialness of it- makes me so excited. So once this house is clean, I'm ready for baby to be here. Only a little over a week left until my due date! I can't wait!

Winding down...

2007-12-06T09:13:00.000-08:00

I studied ahead and took my math final a week early. I should be able to know my final grade in that class as of tomorrow or by Monday at the latest. I finished my Biology paper and am expecting a fairly high grade there, now I just have 11 essay questions to finish for the review and the final to take (hopefully on friday) if I can finish it all in time. English I only have one big paper and one small paper left, first rough draft due tomorrow- final due Monday. If I can get most of this done by tomorrow I should only have cosmetic changes to make on my English paper and only have to go to school on Monday morning to turn it in. Then I'm officially DONE! As much work as this seems in one day- I'm not intimidated. I'm excited. Compared to what I've been doing, this seems totally doable.

Yes, I'm still here. Still pregnant. Contractions have been consistently ten minutes apart for four to five weeks now... all night, all day. I'm really getting exhausted, but I know it's for a good purpose. Baby knows best when to come and I'm not rushing things at all. The last thing I need is a new little one with underdeveloped lungs and such. Only two weeks left anyhow. It is getting very exciting to think about having a new tiny baby with the sweet newborn smell to snuggle with. And just think of all the teeny tiny clothes! Amy, looking at your little pumpkin of a granddaughter on her way here makes me so excited to enjoy that stage again. Every second is so beautiful- just how does it fly by so fast?

I remember holding Dominic for the first time and watching his little squinty eyes open and look at me. It seemed we'd forever be locked in that moment- but they grow so fast. He's going to be 4 in a couple months and I can't believe how big he is. I no longer have babies- they're children! : ( It's beautiful enjoying this stage too though as they begin to talk and hold conversations with me. I don't think a day goes by that Isaac doesn't say something to totally crack me up. Yesterday he said, "Check it out now!" and a couple days ago after Tj had said, "Let's Rock and Roll boys!" as we were trying to hurry out the door to something... we heard Isaac at bedtime yelling, "Rock and Roll Boys!!" over and over. LOL. Such a blast. Well.. off to work on my thesis for infant sleep methods- just in time right?

We're doing great...

2007-11-26T21:10:00.000-08:00

It really warms my heart to hear from all the beautiful people in our lives who care about us. Converting to the church has been such a blessing in my life and one of those blessings is the genuine compassion, concern, and overall kindliness of most of its members. I cannot count how many people have offered assistance and kind words upon hearing about me being put on bed rest. Thank you to all of you who care so much. We made it to the magic 36 weeks and will be at 37 later this week- so no more major concerns of health risks to the baby. I'm still being instructed to relax as much as possible, but baby is doing wonderful and so am I.

Only two weeks left in school and then I'm free!! I can't wait to be back at home with the boys! Tonight is has started snowing and it makes me just want to snuggle with them, watching the flakes fall. I LOVE SNOW! Winter is one of my favorite seasons and I get a little moody when we don't have a white Christmas... it's just romantic to me. I'm definitely one of those holiday girls that makes some people sick. I could easily be listening to Christmas music in October if TJ would let me. LOL.

Well.. I really should be off.. I have two papers to write by Friday...

Braving the Supermarkets..

2007-11-21T13:50:00.000-08:00

In all my holiday nostalgia, bed rest, school, and life with the family I'd overlooked the fact that I forgot key groceries for certain special family recipes. I've enlisted some help to come with me and my mom and I will be braving the supermarkets the day before thanksgiving. Should be interesting. Off to dress for battle. LOL.

Ugh..

2007-11-18T09:16:00.000-08:00

So after some consistent contractions that are getting stronger as time goes on (the last month) and some other details I'm not going to discuss over the blogosphere... I've been asked to go onto bed rest. I wanted to get on to ask if anyone going to church would care sharing the message with me as Ted is staying home to care for the kids while I try and keep things from progressing. I have another week to go before they are comfortable with me going into labor.... Someone please tell me how it's possible to be on bed rest with two little kids (one of whose birthday party was yesterday) and a husband to try to take care of. Not to mention the four more weeks of school and teaching classes... *Sigh* So every second I can I'm trying to just chill out... which is very hard for someone like me to do... I'll be praying for patience for myself.

Alright Alright Already...

2007-11-10T18:30:00.000-08:00

After much harassment on the part of secret and not so secret blogger readers I figured I should do a blog really quick while I have a long weekend. LOL.

I've been literally swamped, sorry! I'm going full time at whatcom this quarter (maintaining my straight A's so far by the way), TJ and I are teaching childbirth classes, our car broke down and we had to search for a new one (okay okay... that's not so new), taking care of the boys and preparing for our homebirth. I had no idea the biology course I was taking was an intensive writing course- so I've been having to research and write up at least 1-2 papers a week between my classes on top of all of my regular homework. We're due around the same time as finals... so I'm seriously crossing my fingers that we don't go early. I barely made it to my due date with Isaac- and that was after they moved it up a week.

Only approximately 5-7 weeks left (depending on if I go overdue or on time) until baby is here! We're very excited, although I must admit I am a little nervous about caring for a tiny newborn again. Weirdly enough, I'm very excited to experience labor again. Using the Bradley Method last time was so amazing and made labor FUN- so I can't wait to see how it goes this time when we are actually instructors using the method. Plus I've gained a lot of education since last time. My entire family thinks I am having a girl, which only feeds TJ's hope. We came home from our last prenatal to a nursery painted PINK. My mother and sister apparently cooked up this plan and have their hearts set on imagining it into being that they promised me they would change it to blue if it ended up being a boy. *Sigh* That's what family is for right? LOL. I still have not wavered either way in what I would like to have this time. A boy seems so much easier and fun- but I HAVE to have a girl eventually. I'd love to have someone to take shopping, dress in cute clothes and do their hair.

Everything is going fairly great. I have been having pretty frequent and very strong contractions- but we're confident it's nothing to be worried about. If anything my body is just preparing- I've had prodromal labor before.

Dominic is enjoying preschool for the most part. He has a blast while he's there... but every morning when he gets up he says he just wants to stay home with me because he doesn't like school. Go figure. His teachers are great and he never expresses that or has a problem while he's there, so for now I'm just kind of seeing where this goes. Maybe he just takes a longer adjustment period.

Isaac is turning two is two weeks. Time has really flown by. I can't believe how much he's grown up already. He's talking like crazy and holding whole conversations now. Still our little daredevil- we're working on him sharing and being kind to others. Specifically Dominic and adults. He's been going through a hitting phase that we've been battling with talking about why it is not okay and giving him short timeouts. He's gotten really good at saying "I sorry".

So that's basically what's been going on with us... I'll be posting more in a couple weeks or during the holidays if I get time (since I won't have school then).

Cloth Diapers For Sale...

2007-09-06T17:12:00.000-07:00

Pay no attention if you are one of my typical friends and not interested. For some reason photobucket won't load any new pics for me... and this website will. So these pics are for people who are interested in buying them...

AngelWrap "Boat" Fitted

White Velour Cuddlebun

Fitted Cuddlebun

Large Mint Green Bug Peewell

Red Wonderoo

White Wonderoo

Deep Blue Wonderoo 1

Deep Blue Wonderoo 2

Yellow Wonderoo

Large Forest Green Happy Heiny's

Sea Blue Wonderoo

Large Lime Happy Heiny's

Medium Sea Blue Happy Heiny's

Large Sea Blue Fuzzi Bun

Large Turquoise Ella's Pocket

Large Stacinator

Large Forest Green Fuzzi Bun

Everybody Needs A Little Action....

2007-08-31T07:29:00.000-07:00

So last night was a night much like any other. We hung out with the kids, ate a wonderful meal, came home and put the kids to bed and then proceeded to watch a movie together. "Wild Hogs" was very cute by the way. Towards the end of the movie my brother in law, Justen's girlfriend, Jen opened the front door and her and I both mentioned that it sounded like it was pouring rain outside. As soon as she opened the door all I saw was flames all over the porch of the house across the street. I called 911 and the flames started spreading pretty quickly. TJ, Justen, our neighbor Mike, our neighbor Brandon and his friend, and a drunk girl all started trying to get hoses to reach their porch. The drunk girl finally got one to reach it all of them started putting the fire out. The lady on 911 told us to stay away from it if there was no one in the house. What the heck? Who wants to do that?! They all got the fire stopped before Lynden Fire Department could get there. Drunk girl was amazed and kept hollering, "Can you believe I saved everyone?!!!", "I'm a HERO! They should put this in the Tribune.", "I know everyone in this town!" Everyone could see she needed some attention, so they left it at that. It was really a beautiful community effort at 11 o'clock at night. The people who lived there previously had just moved out a couple days before. Their movers were over yesterday getting the last things. Apparently they felt safe putting a cigarette butt in a planter with sand in it. The ciggarette continued to burn all day yesterday and eventually melted through the planter. It's couple little sparks and hot plastic immediately caught the beauty bark on fire which in turn caught a tree/bush on fire. The tree then started the flames all over the porch and to the roof. SCARY! But now it's all good. Moral of the lesson- just another reason it's good not to smoke. And another reason I can justify my hate for beauty bark.

More pictures for everyone...

2007-08-30T12:53:00.001-07:00

My best friend, Michelle, who is in the air force stopped in Italy and got us a real italian chef's hat. The boys loved trying it on.

Dominic at the fair petting the sheep.

Baby pigs at the fair.

Isaac and TJ on their first ride... airplanes! (This is the before picture. LOL)

Getting better...

2007-08-28T18:04:00.000-07:00

We found the SUV we want to get and are waiting to hear back from the dealership if the bank will approve the deal. We literally cannot get approved on any decent van because of the prices and our credit/lack of down payment money. So hopefully by the end of the week we will have a new vehicle and all will be back to normal. Things are really picking up though- and we're staying positive. It seems the bumps always come at the inconvenient times, but there's getting to be far fewer of them. We'll even have our house back to ourselves by the 9th! That's going to be one big breath of fresh air. I really can't wait to get the nursery ready. Can you believe in two weeks I'll be starting my third trimester? Wow. The time has gone by so fast that I almost forget I'm pregnant some days. Dominic starts preschool on the 18th, I start back at college on the 24th. We were hoping for one last summer vacation over this Labor Day weekend... but with our car suddenly giving up on us- we've had to delay that so we can put money down towards the new SUV. It will be nice to have a vehicle that fits us all. Our anniversary is creeping up in October... so TJ and I will probably just do something fun together then. Gotta go make dinner.

Drumroll Please....

2007-08-22T16:01:00.000-07:00

And the verdict...

Our car is TOAST. Toast. We have to somehow get approved for a new car. And I just got back from the doctor... Isaac was running/driving his little dumptruck with his hands and it slid out from underneath him just as he hit the tiles by our front door. He faceplanted and split right underneath his nostril all the way up into his nose. :( Poor baby. I took him in and they said he could use two stitches, but they'd prefer not to because it wouldn't help as much as it would be traumatic for him. So they said keep neosporin on it to reduce the chance of a scar. Poor baby!