4 weeks

Dear Hallie~
I can't believe you are 4 weeks old today. You had a very busy 3rd week of life here--you smiled at mom, had your first stomach flu, your first Christmas, and rolled over for the first time. Your mom still doesn't know how you did that one and hopes it doesn't happen again! I set you on the floor on your belly for tummy time, went into the kitchen to unload the dishwasher and when I came back, you were on your back! Your older sisters were downstairs, so Grandma thinks maybe Tigger helped you out, but I just don't know. I want you to stay little and snuggly forever, so don't grow up too fast. When we got on the scale this morning, it said you were 10 1/2 pounds, but you still seem little to me. You sure love to sleep and have the sweetest little personality. I am so lucky to be your mom.....I love you!

White Christmas

It was really fun to wake up to a White Christmas. It snowed just a little bit, but it was nice to watch it from inside our warm house by the fire.

Peek-a-boo!

Look at that--a veggie snowman!
Little snow angels.
The girls came in our room around 8:15 am, so luckily it wasn't too early. Samantha went downstairs and saw that Santa ate all the cookies and she was very excited. We opened stockings and then let the girls go to town. New dress-ups. They do this everyday!Santa even brought Tigger a toy, but he was in heaven just playing with the wrapping paper.Sometime during the night, Santa brought Brandon the stomach flu and he had to make a mad dash to the bathroom while the girls opened presents. So, I didn't end up making Christmas dinner because I had no one to eat it--sad! Later that night, Samantha threw up too, but all in all, it could have been much worse and we still had a fun Christmas.Hallie slept through all of Christmas morning.Later in the week, we got all of Brandon's cousins together that were in town and Brandon got electronic Monopoly and they played for hours. Even Scott loved it--I've never seen him play a game that long EVER!Look at all those bottles of Sparkling Cider.That is one cute baby and one cute Angela! GQ Cousins.Dylan squeezing the guts out of Samantha and Amy. He was so cute when he left...he said to them, "I sure love you guys!" We love you too Dylan!

T'was the Night Before Christmas

Christmas Eve was pretty low key this year. Santa brought us an early present--the stomach flu. Guess we were on the naughty list! We had dinner and then watched Joy to the World, read the nativity and let the girls hold the nativity pieces while we talked about it, drank hot chocolate and read T'was the Night Before Christmas, and let the girls open one present--matching PJ's.Samantha modeling her new kitty cat jammies.Then we made cookies for Santa and left them out where he could see them, along with a glass of milk to wash it down.I'm pretty sure someone stole one of the cookies! Then it was time for bed, but that doesn't mean there was sleeping going on! Samantha kept coming out of her room making up excuses and didn't stay in there until we finally told her that Santa wasn't going to come if she didn't go to sleep. When I went in to check on the girls later that night, the blinds were pulled open because Samantha was watching out the window to see Santa. Christmas is so much more fun with kids!

Hallie Noelle

This is a really long post with lots of baby pictures, but you wanted details, and I'm journaling, so here goes: We woke up around 4:30 am on December 1st to get to the hospital by 5:00 am. I thought that I had had my last puke.....boy was I ever wrong!
The before.....The during.... (I really have no recollection of Brandon taking this picture. Must be some good drugs!) The anethesiologist had a hard time doing my spinal block because he didn't want to interfere with my scar from my back surgery. Once he finally got it working, I didn't feel so great. Brandon wasn't in the OR yet and I started to freak out just a little because I really needed to throw up, but I was numb. He finally came in the room just in time to hold the puke bag for me. Throwing up without feeling my stomach is such a weird thing! I had the same reaction with Amy--I threw up right before I had her, and right after she came out. And then for about an hour after she was born. This time was way worse. I threw up right before Hallie was born and then for another 12-13 hours after that. I couldn't keep anything down and they thought it was just a reaction to the medicine--that and all the itching.
The after..... All the puking and itching made worth it to see this beautiful little baby girl. Hallie Noelle was born at 7:22 am and weighed 7 lbs 6 oz (the exact same as Samantha) and measured 19 1/2 inches long. She is my smallest baby yet. After an 8 lb Amy, I thought I might be doomed to have each baby get bigger and bigger, but I could tell being pregnant with Hallie that she wasn't quite as big. She had some fast breathing when she was born and her temperature was down a little, so they had her in the nursery for the first few hours under this helmet looking thing that was giving her oxygen. I didn't like not being able to see her, but I was also loopey and so the time went by pretty fast. I guess c-section babies sometimes have extra fluid in their lungs because they don't go through the birth canal to get it all squeezed out, so she needed time to transition. She is perfectly fine now though, and we are so grateful.

Proud daddy.
Brandon's parents stayed through Thanksgiving to help out and they watched the girls while we were in the hospital. Thank you so much for all your help! Samantha was very excited--she wanted to wake up early and go to the hospital with us!
Samantha holding Hallie.
Amy holding Hallie. Amy LOVES babies. Whenever Hallie cries, Amy comes running and gives her a binkie.
Grandma was sick so she had to wear a lovely mask. I think with all the people we had at our house for Thanksgiving, all the germs got passed around and pretty much everyone got sick except for Hallie and I. I'm still trying to fight it.

Proud Grandpa. Blake finally shaved his moustach while he was at our house after having it for 40 years! He looks like a young buck!
My sister-in-law, Erin, who will probably kill me for posting this picture, but I just love her, so I had to show her off. She was a big life saver for the past 2 weeks. She came down before Thanksgiving and we got to spend a lot of time together. She cut and colored my hair, took care of my kids, and made me a fabulous hooter hider and some other cute things. She even stayed an extra day so that she could pick up my mom from the airport. Her baby is due at the end of January and I can't wait to see him. Thanks so much for all your help Erin! Love ya!
Brandon's cousins, Kimm and Angela. Thanks for coming to see me in the hospital!
Cute little Kate bug holding her cousin for the first time.
My fabulous friends, Shayla and Beka and all their kids came to see me too! Thanks to Katie and Dana for coming to see me on the first day! That day I was really out of it, so I didn't take any pictures, and sorry you ladies had to see me puke too--not my finest moments!
How can you not love her????

On our way home from the hospital.
Samantha and Amy were waiting anxiously in the window for us to come home! They couldn't wait to see their new sister.
Christmas cutie pies. We actually went to church on Sunday because my mom was there. We only got to take the Sacrament and then left, but I figured I'd better get in some church while I can because we're going to be stuck in the house for a while. Thanks mom for all your help with the girls. We miss you!
Hallie's first bath--not the biggest fan!
But she liked to snuggle mom when it was done!
Fuzzy hair!

Well, there you have it! We are so excited to have another little girl to love and squeeze and dress in pink. I'm sure there will be more pictures to come!