No More Diapers!

At least, for one of my kids. Sayer is finally potty trained! We started around Christmas so it's been about four MISERABLE months. I just about gave up a few times because he just didn't seem to be getting it. But last week, I realized one night that we were out of diapers so he went to bed in underwear (he's been sleeping in diapers this whole time). He did have a few nighttime accidents, but that seemed to do the trick and he's only had a couple of daytime accidents. The last four nights he's been dry! The big thing is that I don't have to remind him anymore; he just tells me when he needs to go. Yay for Sayer! I never thought I'd be so happy to see him out of diapers :)

I just can't help myself...

So Kandice and I finally got around to doing Sari's pictures. We invaded my mom and dad's house today since they're in HAWAII (brats!) and they have a nice, big, empty bedroom with great natural light they haven't filled yet. Kandice is experimenting with a trial version of photo editing software and still has to finish some other pics she took a few weeks ago, so I knew I would probably have to wait a day or two before I'd get to see some.

But she couldn't wait.

And neither can I.














Aren't these awesome! Kandice got the brilliant idea to pull out my wedding dress and do a few with it and the wedding rings...I was so excited I just had to post these! More to come!

Sari's Blessing

This weekend was Sari's blessing day. We had about fifty people there to share her big day and almost all of them were immediate family! It was fun to get everyone together; all of our families were there except for one of Jake's brother-in-laws. The blessing circle was pretty big and one of the counselors in our bishopric joked to me that he felt like he was in stake conference and not just testimony meeting because there were so many visitors! Jake did a great job of blessing her and I was reminded once again of the blessings of having the priesthood in our home.

My mom and dad offered to host a dinner for everyone afterward, so we got to test out the new digs once again. It was quite a test with all of the McBride's and all of the Lilya's, but there was plenty of room and we all had a great time visiting and enjoying each other's company.

Here are some fun pics of the big day:


Say giving "Sissy" kisses


Sari was far past being amused by the uncomfortable dress at this point.


Sari with Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa Lilya


Grandma and Grandpa Lilya


Grandma and Grandpa McBride


Aunt Jen and Sari-this was the first time Jennifer really got to spend time with Sari. It was also the first time my brother Boyd had ever seen her so the two of them had a few arguments over who got to hold Sari :) They had a lot of fun together! Plus, Sari got out of her blessing dress and was much happier in this pic.


My Grandma Louise and Grandpa Gene were able to come down for the blessing as well. It was really special to have them there, not only because Gene was able to stand in the circle, but because Sari is named after Grandma Wowo and it was really important to me to have her there for Sari's big day! She wasn't feeling well and almost didn't come, but she was a trooper and made it. I was so grateful and made sure Kandice got some pics of the two "Louise's" and it's something I'll always treasure.




Grandma was so funny; anytime Sari made a sound she got this look on her face. It was cute.


Kandice made sure to get this four-generation photo too. My middle name is Lou, which is a tribute to both of my grandmothers (Louise and Luella). My mom was also named after her grandmothers.


These are some pics Kandice took a few weeks ago. I love this one of Sari's face! She is so cute. I also like how my mom's nails match her outfit :)




It was a great day and we had a lot of fun! Thanks to Kandice for sharing her talents with us :)

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

Today is my mom and dad's 28th anniversary!


My mom and dad were married March 4, 1982. Today, they have five kids and sixteen grandkids, with two more on the way! We love these two so much and appreciate everything they do for our family. I am especially grateful that they made the commitment to go to the temple and we were lucky enough to be sealed to them on August 8, 1992. I know that this experience is what gave me such a strong testimony of temple marriage and the blessings that come from it! Love you Mom and Dad!

Random pics

This is what happens when you clean off your phone pics:





Dewey-just wanna pinch his lil' cheeks!


Jake's grandpa made this sweet train to pull behind a four-wheeler. Say had to have the John Deere car!


Jake in the "big kid's" seat


From our trip to Denver...don't know how Sean managed to sleep like this








Say pigging out on spaghetti at Red Robin








Freakish hail storm-Jake and I were driving through Moreland and had to pull into the church under a tree because the hail was so big we thought we were going to break a window! I know, I know...we're geniuses for being under a tree in a bad storm. It was all we could find at the moment.


Maddie




I wish this was a little better-Hallie at her dance recital last year!






Ky


My beautiful kids this morning












So this is a hat I wore for Jennifer's wedding when I was six. Sayer dug it out of my hope chest, added the goggles and there you go!


My phone is the only camera I have right now. The camera that we broke in Denver is now MISSING so we can't even take crappy pictures! And I'm not sure when we'll be getting a new one. So I guess I can be grateful for Bluetooth and a halfway decent camera phone.

Loved you then, love you still...

Today Jake and I have been married for four years. What a journey it has been! I was thinking today about everything we have been through and I can't believe we fit it all into just four years. Feels like forty some days.

In the past four years we've had:

• Two beautiful kids
• Four moves (Five, if you count Jake moving me into our first home before we were married!)
• Three different jobs for Jake, four job changes
• Lots of fights
• Not a lot of money
• Lots and lots of blessings!

Today I'm grateful for so many things. I'm grateful he puts up with me on a daily basis. I'm grateful to have a husband who honors his priesthood. I'm grateful that Jake is a hard worker and has always provided for our family. I'm grateful for how much he loves our kids. Most of all, I'm grateful for the decision we made to be married in the temple. It took a lot to get us there, but since we've had kids I've realized just how important it was to bring them into a forever family! Love ya Jake!

Introducing Sari Louise Lilya

Sari is finally here! I have been getting bugged incessantly about posting pictures so I thought I'd better post something :)
This birth experience was completely different from my experience with Sayer. We had to be at the hospital at 7:00 a.m. on Friday morning, so Thursday night we went to my mom and dad's and my dad helped Jake give me a blessing. Friday, we dropped Sayer off at Grandma Lilya's and checked in to the hospital. Within a few minutes I was in a gown and had the monitors and IV hooked up, and I talked to my doctor and the anesthesiologist. I expected to have to wait awhile because there was a C-section before mine, so I turned on the TV to watch the news. But in walked the nurses to take me to the OR! They told Jake to change and they'd come get him when I was ready.
It was so relaxing this time!!! The nurses chatted while they got me ready and the doctor and pediatrician said hi before we got started. I heard Dr. Larson say, "Okay, here we go" and I had to remind them to bring Jake in! Within a few minutes I heard Sari cry and they took Jake to the other side of the room to watch her being checked out. She was born at 8:56 a.m. and she was 8 lbs and 20 inches long.
The only downside to this birth was that when I talked to the anesthesiologist, she decided that the reason I got so sick with Sayer was because of the Duramorph they gave me in my epidural. She warned me that it was a huge part of the pain control in a C-section so I wouldn't be sick but I would be in a lot more pain. She wasn't kidding! But it was still a lot nicer to deal with than being so sick.
Sari's oxygen levels were low so she spent a few hours under the hood, and she had borderline blood sugar so she had to have formula in the nursery. But she is doing great now and we are home trying to adjust to two kids!





Sari under the hood. How sad :(



Sayer didn't even hesitate when he saw Sari; he knew exactly who she was and made a beeline for her and tried to take her from Grandma! It was so cute how excited he got!











Sayer was so excited he couldn't stop smiling and giggling the whole time! Neither could Jake :)







Just had to throw in this one of Jake and Sayer. Sayer has really become a Daddy's boy lately and wants to do everything Dad is doing. So when Jake pulled out a "snowmo" magazine, Sayer climbed up on his lap and stayed there for almost an hour!



I am so blessed to have such great and healthy kids! Not to mention my husband; he has really been great. I came home to a clean house and new sheets on the bed. This is something he did for me with Sayer and it's kind of become our tradition; it's amazing how nice it feels to sleep on new sheets the first night home!