Happy Birthday Andrew!

Andrew turned the big 4 on April 26th. My parents were in town for my brother Craig's graduation, so we had a fun birthday weekend. Andrew of course had to go to the Brick Oven, just like Anna.

Getting Big

Nathan has had a massive growth spurt. He weighed 6.5 pounds when he was born (9%) and was 20.5 inches long (45%). Well, at his 4 month check up last month he weighed 17 pounds (86%) and was 26.5 inches long (92%). He is definitely now a big boy! He is so much fun. I have a feeling he is going to be trouble when he is a toddler just like Anna and Andrew. He is always moving and wants you to carry him around so he can see everything that is going on.

Andrew is in a super hero phase. Everyday when he gets dressed he asks what super hero he is dressed like. He loves transformers, cars, and GI Joe too.

A couple of weeks ago, I took the kids to see a musical put on by the 5th and 6th graders at Anna's school. They did the play Sleeping Beauty. Danny was out of town for work, so I was on my own. Anna and Andrew decided they wanted to sit up front on the floor, so they could see better. I was near the back of the gym with Nathan. Well, it got to the part when the witch gets Sleeping Beauty to prick her finger and she falls asleep. All of sudden I hear crying and someone saying, "This is too scary" over and over. Instantly I knew it was Andrew. I was trying to figure out how I could get to him as the aisles were packed with parents filming their kids. A nice woman in the front tried to comfort him, but once Andrew starts crying it is pretty hard for him to stop. He then came running back to me and we made it to the very back of the gym where he could calm down.

I guess there will be no horror movies for him when he gets older!

Anna is your typical first born girl, basically she is Andrew and Nathan's 2nd mom. Nathan adores her, but I think Andrew thinks she is a bit too bossy. She also has an admire at her school. He wrote her a note asking if she would be his girlfriend and she had to either circle yes or no. Anna told me she didn't know what to do because she likes him as a friend, but doesn't want to be his girlfriend. I told her to tell him that she is to young to have a boyfriend, but that she still wants to be friends with him. After she said this, he looked at her kind of funny and asked, "How old are you?"

Easter

On Saturday, Anna and Andrew participated in the city of Provo Easter egg hunt. It was lightly raining, but that did not take away from the fun. The Easter eggs also had some great prizes - Anna got a free pedicure in one egg and Andrew got a free meal at Chili's.

We then headed over to Macey's to meet the Easter Bunny and go on a Easter treasure hunt throughout the store.

Look who's 32!

Danny wakes up each morning at 5:30 AM and immediately gets on the phone to talk with his co-workers in India or on the East coast. Usually around 8:00 AM he is done with his calls and will come and have breakfast and take a shower and get ready for the day. For his birthday today, we had birthday breakfast cake ready for him after his calls (Anna and Andrew couldn't wait and had some cake before as you can see from the picture). We then opened up presents real fast before Anna had to go to school. Tonight we will celebrate some more by going out to dinner (thanks Brandon and Amy for watching the kids).

India

Two weeks ago Danny went to India for a week for business. Luckily I was able to talk my parents to come down for a visit that week, so I had plenty of help at home. Danny enjoyed India and meeting with some of the people with which he works. His only complaint was that he feared for his life every time he drove anywhere. He has never seen such bad driving. I was also disappointed that he did not try any food. He ate granola bars everyday for breakfast and Pizza Hut for lunch and dinner. I don't know why he is so afraid of food!

Outside the hotel room



An Indian Mosque



Danny with some of his team



Anna and Andrew with some clothes and new toys from India

Crock Pot Recipes

Every month a group from church meets together and shares recipes. This month the theme was crockpot recipes. Here are some of my favorites from the night:

Crock Pot Applesauce (Trina Smith)

5 large apples, peeled, cored, and diced 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup water 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice 4 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp. honey
1 tsp. vanilla

Turn crock pot on high and put 2 Tbsp. butter in bottom. Butter melts as you're preparing your apples. Mix all ingredients and pour in crock pot. Bake 3 hours on high, or turn on medium before bed and wake up to warm applesauce for breakfast. Mash to desired consistency.

I made this and I thought it was good, but a little sweet. I think you could halve the sugar and it would still taste good.

Crock Pot Lime Chicken Tacos (Lisa Jensen)

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken

Put chicken in slow cooker on low 5 to 6 hours. Shred chicken and cool slightly.

Combine:

3 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 cup corn
1 cup chunky salsa

Stir salsa mixture into shredded chicken.

Serve in tortillas with favorite taco toppings.

Very good!

Anna hits the jackpot

Back during the holidays we participated in an office pool for the college football bowl games. Anna actually ended up winning the whole thing which amounted to $315.00. She decided to use her money by buying an American Girl Doll, donating goods to children in Russia where my brother is on his mission, and putting the rest in stocks. Here are some pictures of her with her new favorite doll which she decided to name Amy.

The next picture is of Nathan who is getting huge. He is not quite the scrawny thing he was when he was born. I am interested to see how big he will be at his 4 month check up next week.

The last picture is funny to me. Nathan had fallen asleep on the couch and Andrew was watching a show on TV or so I thought as I was hurrying to get stuff done.

Nathan 2 months

I can't believe Nathan is already 2 months. I was anxious to see how much he weighed at his appointment. He was skinny when he was born (in the 8th percentile), but average for height. Well, he has done a good job of gaining weight and is now in the 58th percentile, so pretty much average now with his height and weight. He continues to be a really sweet baby. As long as his tummy is full and he is not sleepy, he is happy to just watch the craziness around him.

Nathan still has blue eyes. I think they will either stay that color or be a green or grey color. I thought for sure all my kids would have brown eyes.



We could only get him to smile if I was holding him, so here you go.



Anna walked in when we were taking the above picture and wanted to be in a picture too.



And finally Andrew came in yelling, "Don't forget about me!"

Anna started piano lessons this year after I realized that me teaching her would not be a viable option. She had a piano recital the Monday before Christmas which was nice because my parents were able to come. She did great at her first recital.

I also forgot to post the pictures from Christmas of the kids with Santa, so here it is. Luckily they were pretty good this year and got the presents they asked for.

The Saturday I came home from the hospital with Nathan, Danny took Anna and Andrew to the Dinosaur Museum at Thanksgiving Point. They had a blast and it was nice to have a quiet house for a little bit.

Danny also took Anna and Andrew down to St. George Thanksgiving weekend to see his mom, Ally, and Jenny and her family. One of the highlights was to go to Zions National Park. I wished I could have gone, but again it was nice to just stay home in a quiet house with a newborn.

Anna and Andrew with cousins Ben and Lucas

Anna's Art

Back in November Anna was honored at her school for some of her artwork. She entered the contest all by herself. I knew about the contest, but didn't want to worry about it since I knew I would be having a baby around that time. So, I was surprised when I got a call from the school saying she had won and would be moving on for her age group. Anna has always been really artistic, which is nice since I have no artistic ability at all.

Anna with her winning piece of art. A sculpture of a ballerina made out of a paper plate, cup, spoon and forks.

Anna loves to dance. She has been taking lessons this last year from the Ruby Shoes dance studio. It has been great! Anna was able to perform in Peter and the Wolf as a baby bunny and then in a Christmas nativity as a star. She can't wait to start taking lessons again in a couple of weeks.

Christmas 2008

We had a fun Christmas as usual. It was fun to have my parents here with us. They are really my best friends and my kids love them so much. On Christmas Eve we had french dip sandwiches for dinner. We played the chimes (Anna could have done this all night long), read scriptures about Christ, and sang carols. The kids then got some pajama's from Santa. Christmas morning was fun to see all the presents from Santa. Anna's favorites were a telescope and a Barbie Jet. Andrew loved his train set and transformers. Danny and I love our Blendtec blender from my parents. I love that it can grind wheat and it makes great ice cream.

What have you done?

What have you done?

I got this list from my sister-in-law Erika. It was really fun- just copy and paste it into your own blog, then bold or italicize the things you have done!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone. (the nose is a bone, right?)
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Made amends with someone who offended you
101. Flew in a small Cessna plan with just you and the pilot
102. Ran out of gas
103. Eaten fried okra
104. Swam in the Caribbean Sea
105. Peed in a swimming pool
106. Rented a beach house
107. Hosted an exchange student
108. Been a Secret Santa to a family in need
109. Worked on a political campaign
110. Coached a sports team
111. Gone kayaking in the ocean
112. Been on a nationally-televised game show
113. Been stung by a scorpion
114. Sucked your thumb

Now add something that isn't on this list and keep it going!

Today we blessed Nathan at church. It was great to have family share in this experience with our family. We were not very good at getting a group photo, but at least we got one with our family. Those that joined us were my parents, Brandon and Amy, Craig and Becky, Danny's mom, Jenny, Zac and their family, great uncle Fred and great aunt Mae, Carli, Christian and their family, Racey, Matt, Denise and their family.

Danny was nervous that he would start to cry, so we had papa (my dad) ready with the pacifier, but he did not need to use it. This was to the relief of Danny as Andrew cried during his blessing and it was hard for Danny to concentrate. It was a great day and we are thankful that we have such a great, loving family to share this experience.

Family Picture - I can't believe everyone is looking straight!

Nathan in his blessing outfit. This has been worn by my brothers (Brandon, Craig, and Jason) and by Andrew.



Anna and Andrew were thrilled to have cousins come over and play after the blessing. Here they are with Nathan on his big day.

This last picture is just to show that even though Nathan is a really good baby he still has his moments!

Nathan is a little over 1 week old. So far he is a great baby. He is easily calmed, a great eater and sleeper. Now we just got to put some meat on those bones, he is by far my skinniest baby. I wanted to write down the events prior to his birth, so I won't forget them.

I had some contractions off and on again during the day on Thursday, November 13th. I woke up around 1:30 in the morning with some harder contractions, but nothing too painful. I laid in bed for an hour with the contractions coming about 9 to 10 minutes apart. I then decided to get up and got dressed and went and looked around on the Internet for another hour. I wanted to wait as long as I could and let Danny sleep as long as he could. Danny woke up around 3:30 and asked what I was doing on the computer. I told him I was just wasting time until we needed to go to the hospital and told him we would probably need to go in the next 1/2 hour to hour, so he could go back to sleep if he wanted. He told me he could just get ready now and we could go. We got to Timpanogos Hospital in Orem around 4:00 in the morning. The nurse told me she would check me and if I was dilated to a 5 I could stay, if not they would watch me for an hour and see if I was progressing or not. Before she checked me she asked if I had a birth plan and I told her one word, "epidural". I didn't want to relive Andrew's birth again without one. She checked me and was surprised that I was already 8. She asked if I was sure I wanted an epidural since I seemed I was not in a lot of pain. I told her I still wanted an epidural because I knew the pain would get a lot worse. Over the next 1/2 hour I was checked by another nurse and my doctor and they each asked if I was sure that I wanted an epidural. I was starting to get worried that I wasn't going to get an epidural - Danny was getting worried too. I kept on thinking, just give me the epidural. Finally, the anthesialogist came in at 4:45 to give me the epidural. I should have told the anthesialogist how sensitive I am to medication. Anyways, when the epidural was in, my blood pressure dropped suddenly all the way down to 60 over 30. I thought for sure I was either going to pass out or throw up. I didn't feel good at all and was questioning if I should have got the epidural. Luckily, the anthesialogist put something in with the epidural and I felt better in seconds. They then checked me at 5:30 and I was ready to push. They got everything ready and 3 pushes later Nathan was born at 5:45 in the morning. I was so lucky to have such an easy labor and birth. So far my recovery has been great too. I guess Heavenly Father knows that I needed this if I was going to have any more kids. :)

Nathan Ryan Fellars is here! He was born Friday, November 14th at 5:45 in the morning. We are both doing good. Anna and Andrew love having a new brother.

Anna had her primary program today. She did a great job. She had to share an experience where her prayers were answered. She wrote her little "talk" all by herself. She told about a time when she got a ring stuck on her toe and she could not get it off. She went to her room and said prayer to help her get it off. She tried again to pull off the ring and was able to get it off. She also sang a group song with her CTR 6 class. They sang "Don't ever forget to pray".