Jones' new born pictures

The boy turns 3!

An awesome "super hero" party was in the works for Cash's 3rd birthday. Jone's decided to come a little earlier than expected, so having a week old baby, I decided to keep it low key, and maybe next year I'll follow through.

One of Cash's most favorite things of all time is go to the movie theatre. I swear the kid doesn't blink while he's watching. So we took him to see "The Lorax" and of course a hot dog for lunch. He could live on hot dogs if I let him.

That night, the grand parents came over for pizza, (another of cash's favorites) Lightning Mcqueen cake, and presents. It turned out to be a pretty sweet little party, Cash had every ones attention to himself, and when that happens he takes full advantage and puts on a show! After we ate, we sat around and chatted for a good hour or two while Cash played with all his new toys, and Jones got passed around and kissed. After our parents left, I was feeling very grateful for such good parents and in laws, who love my kids, and I genuinely love to be around.

Gifts this year include: pretty much every thing Cars. You name it, he has it. A balance bike, which he is getting really good at. He hasn't quit grasped the concept that the bike stays in the garage, for the first few days, he wanted it on the couch with him, in his bed, etc..

Some cowboy boots, and a bat and ball.

Cash has a huge imagination. It is a rare occasion that he is just "Cash". Throughout the day he switches from Woody (which is probably 80% of the time), to Lightning Mcqueen, to Buzz, to Puss (from puss and boots), to superman, and the occasional Monster or Dinosaur. But the thing is, as soon as he switches characters he has to have the coordinating gear and toys. Like the whole cowboy get up, or the superman cape and mask, or some random object that he pretending is his rocket. As I type this now he found a pack of batteries that is currently rocket ship. So there is a lot of clothes changing through out the day.

I love to watch him play, and see his little brain at work. The older he gets, the more fun he is to be around. He's a comedian like his dad, and is always making me laugh.

Happy Birthday Buddy!

He doesn't mess around when he's eaten a hot dog!

Favorite Color: Green

Favortie Food: Toast

Favorite Movie: "Shrek, shrek is green"

Favorite toy: Lightning Mcqueen

Favorite thing to do: I love to fly airplanes!

Best Friend: Kade (Marriott) Macy (Green) Sawyer (Salmon)

Favorite Book: "Bears, its scary!" (We're going on a bear hunt)

What makes you happy: "Dad, he jumps" (not sure what that means..)

Favorite Song: "You got a friend in me" (he sings this all the time and I love it)

Jones

I went to the Doctor Monday morning for a routine Non-stress test at 37 wks and 1 day. Everything looking great, dilated to a one, but no other action up to this point. Went through my day as usual, feeling pretty good, very pregnant but thinking in my mind I still had 2 more weeks to go until my scheduled c-section on the 5th. Monday night I started feeling really hot, like I had the doors open (30 degrees outside) with the rest of the family bundled up, and I was still sweating. But other than that, felt generally fine. Went to bed, only to be woken up at about 1 shivering so bad! I could not get warm, no matter what I did. As I was trying to get warm in the shower for a good 20 min. or so I started contracting. So I started feeling pretty miserable with the shivering, contracting, and just really achy all over. At about 3:30, we decided it was probably best to just go in, totally thinking they might give me and iv, and send me home! My mom arrived at about 4 ish.. I'm sorry mom! As we were checking in to the hospital, those contractions started getting stronger, at this point I was a little irritated with all the insurance questions, paper signing, etc.. is this really important right now?

As soon as they got us in a room, they quickly realized I had a fever of 103 (which explains the shivering) and Jone's heart rate was quite high. I wasn't really worried, until my doctor came in and said that it is very rare for an adult to have a fever that high so it was an indication of an infection somewhere. With Jone's heart rate as high as it was that we should expect to have a baby in the next half hour! oh wow. I literally was going to go that next day and get all the last minute things I needed, diapers, onsies, binkis, etc..

Ready or not.. I was hoping to do a vbac ( i had a c section with Cash) but under the circumstances it was another c section. Next thing I knew I was in numb as can be, asking Mason to tell me everything that was going on. The anesthesiologist heard me asking Mason for a play by play, so he asked me if I wanted to watch in the mirror... um no thanks I'm good. I don't really want to see all my guts hangin out. And before I knew it, little jonesie started screaming like crazy! This kid had a serious set of lungs. They showed him to me for about 2 seconds and them whisked him away with Mason following. I could hear him screaming all the way down the hall. As I layed there for the next 1/2 hour I was so anxious to see him and hold my baby boy. I had tears streaming down my cheeks the whole time they were sewing me up. The nurse kept asking if I was ok, or if i was in pain, and I just kept telling her they were tears of joy, and that I just really wanted to hold my baby! Finally they wheeled me back in to the room, where Mason was just chillin with Jones. Needless to say I was pumped full of antibiotics and the mysterious fever went away. I think it was just Jones' way of telling us he was ready.

Its amazing how your heart just makes more room to love another child. He has been such a sweet baby. The first night we were home, we all sat around to eat dinner. I felt so content with my little family. He was meant to be in our family, and heavenly father has blessed me with more than I deserve.

As Mason puts it " I got a good feeling about him, I think he's going to fit in around here."

Well good...

Meeting (and smelling) him for the first time:

It makes me cry to think about all our family coming to visit. This little boy is so loved.

Cheers to Jones! Jemaica and Troy were so cute to bring some sparkling champagne, so we made a toast to Jones!

Going home!

So whats the big deal?

It took Cash about a week to warm up to him. But now that he has, I have to keep my eye on him because he is constantly kissing, smelling, hugging, laying on Jones.

Cash piling a few toys on top of Jones in hopes that he'll start playing with him.

Flippers

When it started to get cold last fall, probably Sep/October-ish time I was trying to think of something for Cash to do on a regular basis to get his energy out, get out of the house, and give him something fun to look forward to all winter. I decided to sign him up for a little gym in Kaysville called Flippers Gymnastics. When we started he was 2 so we started in the Mom/tot class, where I would go with him and and help him do everything and just make sure he was staying on task. Well I am so glad I decided to do it. It has been the funnest thing for him, and something he talks about all week. Not only is it great for him to just run around and get his energy out, but its been great for coordination, to follow rules and wait his turn, and just socialize with the other kids. At the start of this year, I put him in the 3 yr. old class... because he's so smart and talented of course. So now he just goes by him self with the other kids, while I wait on the side and watch with the other moms. Im not gonna lie, the first time I took him and he just went by himself.. I kinda wanted to cry. He just looked so cute, eagerly sitting there so anxious to do whatever his teacher told him. I called Mason as I was sitting there and said " I kind of want to cry right now, He doesn't need me anymore". I know.. Im going to be a mess when he goes to school. I just loved the time when I would go with him and he would look to me for what he was supposed to do next and look for my approval for everything he did. I guess thats what having kids is all about.. teaching them, and then learning to let go.

33 WKS

At 33 weeks I'm feeling pretty good.

Bladder control..not so good.

Started the Non stress tests this week, which I complain about but secretly really love because I get to see him and hear his heart beat every week.

And a cute lion that can never resist the photo booth app or any camera for that matter.

And yes that is his halloween costume that he's had on for a few days now.

Green Christmas Vacation

I of course didn't get enough pictures of all the fun things we did over Christmas to do it justice. But we had great time including black Friday shopping with the girls, ginger bread making, Nord family ornament luncheon, of course the first "peeking around the corner" Christmas morning shot, and Cash showing off his new gear with the best super hero pose I have ever seen.

A few things I did not get pictures of this year is Christmas eve eggs benedict with the Salmons, and Christmas eve lunch at Lambs Cafe with the Greens.

This year was a little bit of a different Christmas with Sue in the hospital for most of it, fortunately she was able to come home for Christmas. But there was defiantly more of a feeling of gratitude for all the miracles we have seen in her recovery. I found myself thinking a lot more of what is important instead of having the "perfect Christmas" with all the parties and everything going just according to plan. I was reminded of how good people's hearts are, and how challenges and struggles can bring a family together with devotion I will never forget. As I sat in sacrament

meeting Christmas morning I was reminded again at the love our Savior has for us, that he knows us, and gratitude for the peace that comes with this knowledge.

Epic

A week before Thanksgiving, along with Morgan and Amy we took a week long cruise on the Norwegian Epic cruise ship. At least 2 months before we left there were count down text messages going on between Amy and I.. "50 days until we leave!, 30 days until the party starts!", etc.. We were just little anxious and excited!

I would say it lived up to our expectations and more, we had such a blast. We first stopped at St. Martin, where we decided to just find a beach and take it easy that day. We found ourselves a nice little spot with a good view (of the nudies next door at the nude beach!) and a friendly little restaurant behind it. Little did I know that our cruise ship only served Pepsi products.. ahh man! But to my surprise this little restaurant had all the diet coke I could ask for. We had fun just reading and lounging.

Stop number two was St. Thomas, where we decided to catch a taxi and went down town to make a shopping day out of it. I'm not sure why but St. Thomas was full of Jewelry stores, I'm talkin' every other store was a jewelry store. So me and Amy had fun going in quite a few of them and trying on ring after ring while the boys just stood there and laughed at us.. we had fun dreamin. We grabbed some lunch at a fun little fish house before we got back on the ship, and were off to the the Bahamas!

In the Bahamas there is this incredible resort called the Atlantis, with probably one of the biggest water parks I have ever seen. We decided to buy tickets to the water park. With tons of crazy slides going through shark tanks, a mile long lazy river, a delicious burger joint, we made a good decision. We were all loving this resort so much. The only down fall to the day was leaving. We all wished we were actually staying at the resort, so we made a vow right then and there that we would be back to stay at the resort and make a vacation out of it in a couple of years.

Aside from all the fun stops we made, we also had a blast just being on the ship. Taking full advantage of the spa, playing games, ordering room service for breakfast pretty much everyday, spending a good 2 hrs or more at dinner just talking, and then realizing we could probably eat again so ordering another round of appetizers and desserts! I will always have such fun memories of this trip, and its mostly because of the the great friends we were with. If anyone knows Mason and Morgan when they are together it is literally one non stop comedy show! They feed off each other like you wouldn't believe, and lucky for me, I love Amy just as much as those two boys love each other. I sure did miss my little Cash man though, Mason and I always found ourselves saying things like "oh Cash would love this", or I would see a little boy about his age and start missing him like crazy. Thanks to Jem and Nana he was in good hands.

-Next stop, Atlantis resort 2013!

* And there are still text messages going on between Amy and I.. "I could really use a Pina colada right about now", or "remember when Morgan was dancing around with nothin but his speedo on"..