Halloween Pictures 2009

Here's our pictures from this years Halloween.  I stayed home Friday night with the baby while the rest of the family went to Walker Butte Elementary for their Fall Festival and then next door for the Ward Party's Trunk or Treat.  Saturday we went into Mesa to go to the old ward's Halloween party with Bestamor and Bestafar.  I was going to eat and run since I had Baylee with me but we ended up taking turns hanging out with baby in the car. 

Baylee Loella Hughes

  

HOW IT ALL GOT STARTED

I went walking with my friend Amy at Fiesta Mall to help induce labor on Thursday.  I had been feeling pretty strong contractions for a few weeks and was ready to have this baby girl.  I got home kind of late and started separating out some scentsy orders.  I was almost finished when the contractions finally started to pick up so I paged the doctor and she wanted me to get to the hospital.  Christian and I made quick arrangements with some friends to watch our kids and made our 40 minute drive to Banner Gateway.

The contractions were definantly doing something but labor was moving so slow.  The nurse monitored us for a long time but was unsure of what we should do since we lived far away.  About 1:00am the nurse called Dr. Sodoma and she said to keep me there (for those who know the story about my labor with Melody...this was a very good thing).  7:30 am I was dialated about 4.5 cm so Dr. Sodoma came and broke my water. 

The hard labor contractions started instantly which I wasn't prepared for at all.  I told Dr. Sodoma she better stick around because I was already feeling the hard labor and I wanted her there (for those of you who know about Eva's labor story with Caleb...I didn't want that same story).  I was going to go without the epidural like I did with Melody and Aaron but after the 1st hour I was so exhausted.  I hadn't slept AT ALL.  So I asked for the epidural at 8:30 am.  My mom in law was there before I got my epidural and she was so helpful.  She got me ice chips which helped me to handle the first hour of contractions.  My mom got there right as they were administering the epidural.  When I felt Baylee pushing down I let the moms know they better move to the corner of the room if they didn't want a view.  It took 3 pushes and Baylee was here.

Baylee tried to come face first, the doctor saw her nose and face and had to rearrange her so her neck wasn't fully extended and so she would come head first...ouch!  I had to stop pushing for a bit because the cord was wrapped around Baylee's neck twice.  When she was finally out, Dr. Sodoma held up the cord to show me where Baylee had tied herself a "true knot" in the umbilcal cord.  I think everyone in the room looked at it in disbelief.  We were so lucky that knot hadn't been pulled any tighter or Baylee would have been cut off from everything.

So that's Baylee's birth story!  I hope that wasn't to graphic for you.  We are SOOO happy she's here!  She's been a really mellow baby.  Her jaundice count was high so she spent the first few days under lights to help get the numbers down.  The numbers kept getting higher but stabalized at a 12-13 finally so the hospital let us go home on Monday.  We were home by 8:00pm and we're so thankful to have dinner waiting for us from the Bailey's.  And we were so thankful for my mom-in-law who stayed at our home and took care of our other kids. 

The Homemade Know-How

Hey sisters and friends! I thought I'd start showing you a few things that I like to make while at home. I look at something and then make it the way I think it would be easiest and most economical to make. Or I'll learn easy tips and tricks to things I've been making for a long time...and I wish somebody would have told me earlier. These are all of my own tried and true techniques... through trial, error, and some simplification methods.

http://geekycraftster.blogspot.com/
THE HOMEMADE KNOW-HOW

Hopefully my crafty friends won't be mad at me for sharing secrets...or maybe you crafty friends need these tips and tricks like I did. I started off with easy pinwheel bow instructions...more to follow.

Optimus Star Wars Prime

Dane was running around this morning chasing Melody and Aaron before school with his light sabor and Optimus Prime helmet. What made it even more funny is the helmet will alter your voice if you speak through it so you sound like a machine. So he was running after them continually making these noises while swinging his "sword" at them but what you can't see is...he can't see! The helmet is so big he has to move it to the side so he can see out one of the eye holes with both his own eyes. What a super cute kid I have.

Calling all X-Men

I always look at my blog and never know what to write so I move on to reading everyone elses! Which I of course love to do. It never seems like what I have to say is ever as interesting as reading my friends and family members blogs. So here's the Hughes family update! finally...

This past summer has had its challenges but Christian and I are learning to laugh at things and then move on to what's most important. Here are the things we've learned to laugh at.

We've had a finicky upstairs A/C unit that we've been babying through the summer. Van troubles where we've taken the van into get repaired 3 times in the same week (all taken care of though). The A/C in Christian's car went out in June so he's been commuting in a hot car after spending the entire day working outside each and every day (he's holding out for winter). I've been upset with my ex-husband and have been preparing to take him to court yet again. A broken dishwasher (as of Sunday). And the lawn mower is about to give up the ghost. The lawn mower is actually what has inspired me to write this blog today.

My husband is really good at counting our nickels and dimes. He's good at making things last that should have been replaced years ago. The lawn mower we have is one we inherited from my grandpa Crandall who kept it running for a long time. I think due to the summer heat the lawn mower can't function the way it's been jimmy rigged to do :). It takes Christian at least 3 days to mow the back yard because the engine overheats and dies on him. Yesterday Christian was so close to finishing the yard when he could feel the lawn mower choking again. So he quickly mowed a big X on our lawn, calling all X-Men. I don't think we'll be planting any winter grass.

But the things that are important are happening. I've been volunteering in Aaron's Kindergarten class which we both love. I'm getting to know his friends and am doing what I can to encourage him to do his best in school. Slowly but surely I'm preparing for our little baby girl to come in October. I'm gathering up items here and there and have had success in rearranging bedrooms (that was actually kind of stupid on my part, I kept praying not to go into labor while I was moving heavy dressers). We have had Adrianna which has been a really special experience for our family. My husband has a job and he is really good at it. And there has been a lot more than just these things to be thankful for.

Dane is a hoot as always. We moved him into Aaron's room onto the bottom bunk. He's in a big boy bed now and he sleeps in it! And he's able to put up with Aaron's talking at night. Our little baby is growing up.

Aaron is his usual. His talking, crying, yelling, and holding conversations at night (usually with Melody) while staying asleep is still pretty entertaining. He woke up Dane the other night and when I went into quiet Aaron down, he couldn't remember why he was sitting up in his bed. He loves school and is doing well. He gets mad at me if I don't pack him a school lunch everyday. If I don't pack him a PB&J sandwich from home, that's what he'll get in the cafeteria line but he throws the unopened bag of potato chips away. Either don't take them at all or give them to a friend right?

Melody has been a big help at home. She helps Aaron with reading books and doing homework. She hops to it when we need her help with the two babies. Melody is also doing really well in school. I'm really happy for the teacher she's gotten. It's Bro. Harris from the Johnson Ranch ward!

Baby Girl Hughes is due on Halloween but we're taking bets on when she'll actually arrive. It's gonna be fun times with 3 babies in diapers! And no I'm not complaining. I actually do find that rather funny. It fits us. Christian and I are still undecided on the name. This time around I think I need to see her to know what will fit her best.

That's our family update!

The Reunion and Our Foster Baby!

These pictures are from the family reunion we just had a couple weekends ago. Melody was off having so much fun we barely got any pictures of her! While we were up camping, Christian and I took the kids to the deer farm nearby which was kind of neat. The deer loved being fed and the kids weren't afraid at all. And we can't forget to mention how much fun Maggie had up there! That dog barely ate her own food during the whole thing she was fed so many times under the table.

And I think most everyone knows that Christian and I have had our foster baby girl going on 3 weeks now. For privacy sake I can't really post information about her on my blog except to say that she is absolutely adorable! She just turned 17 months a few days ago and we love having her here with us. When the foster kids come through our home it's always an eye opener for Christian and I. We get that subtle reminder that our lives really aren't so bad after all. Thanks so much Laurel and Tiffany for letting us borrow some baby girl clothes. She didn't come to us with much so we had to make do with what was available. Thank goodness we were already prepared with a crib and car seat!

JULY!!!!

This has been a busy month for me. (haha...like any month isn't busy for me) I think this time I'm really feeling it though. I'll be so glad when the kids go back to school next Monday. So far I've been away from home 8 days out of the last 13 and I'll be away another 3 for the Johnson Reunion.

We've been doing some Respit Care for foster kids during the week in between all the craziness. I totally love life though and am sooo glad I have Christian who is a good sport about it all. He would like it if I stayed away from Facebook a little more though. Anyways, I'm really sorry if you've been trying to get ahold of me. There were a few days where I was really tired and others where I wanted to throw my phone into the nearest body of water.

Here's some pictures of the family at Legoland California......

....and Mission Beach....

...and Sea World....

YAY!!! DARN!!!

This morning I woke up at 4:00 AM like I have the past few nights....darn. So I watched the morning buzz at 5:00 AM and the news and heard all about Michael Jackson's death again.

So then I thought to myself, what could I do before all the kids wake up this morning?....hhmmm. I know! I'll paint the front door! I'm weird like that. So I grab my pale of red paint and start painting the front door. Yay! But I run out of paint at the very end...darn. Well, I can't leave my door only mostly painted or else I'm sure to hear from the HOA. So I wonder to myself again..."I wonder if adding water to the can helps....hhhmmm". Well it works out, kind of. The paint, being very thin, runs down the door as I'm trying to paint and is doing so at a very fast rate. It's good enough to get me by though.

Then I get to admire my front door! From the porch, then from the street. Hopefully it doesn't stand out to much or look weird. I make a mental note to grab more paint TODAY, or else I'll never do the touch up paint.

The kids and I have a pretty uneventful day which is nice. I like having those every once in a while. We met friends at McDonalds and sat for a long time, talking and playing. When we leave, the kids and I decide we're going to buy daddy a betta fish for his fish tank and pick up the same red paint from Walmart while we're there. The cashier lady lets me pay with the rolled coins that are weighing down my purse. I had 6 rolls in there and they were heavy! But I'm grateful because she saved me a wait at the bank with all the kids to deposit them into my account. Lol....I'm so embarrassed to having admit that.

Then we get home. Dane has fallen asleep in the car and the kids have run inside the house, leaving all the van doors open for me to close...again. That's so irritating! Close the darn door on your way out of it! It's not that hard!!! So I grab the fish in one hand, put my arm through the plastic bag loop that's carrying the red paint, and grab a sleeping baby from the car.

Now being my lovely, pregnant, and tired (4:AM remember) self, I lean down to put the red paint can on the living room/dining room table. It falls. DARN!!!! Dane wakes up and there's a nice pile of red paint on my living room floor. (I never think to take pictures while I'm in the moment.) I wish I could have shown you guys this scary pile of red paint. I'm trying to scoop it up and not drip anywhere. I'm wetting all kinds of old kitchen towels but ya know...red paint doesn't exactly soak up into anything. I spent the next 3 hours on hands and knees scrubbing at this sucker, talking to Christian on the phone saying we either need to re-carpet or buy an area rug..."no dice" he says. Darn!

But good news, the red paint mostly did come up. YAY!! Not with carpet cleaner mind you...nope, that stuff just made it into a dull pink, kool-aid looking stain. Spray and Wash did the job. So great news Christian!! I won't be calling Express Flooring after all.

Now I'm really exhausted. Looks like frozen pizzas for dinner tonight...the kids won't mind.