Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!  We had a wonderful holiday full of family, parties, way too much food and tons of fun!   In spite of all the trials and heartache that are afflicting our family and friends and that surround us in this world, a brand new baby made our Christmas truly special.  And for that we will forever be grateful.  Porter enjoyed his first Christmas sleeping through most of it, while Miko found all the decorations, presents, and food quite enjoyable.  Tom and I were spoiled with all of our gifts and loved having time to spend together with our new little family.

 

Porter and Kai in their matching outfits from Nanny

      

Playing Catch Up

Not that I even really dare to follow a post like that from Tommy, but I thought I would update the blog with some cute pictures of Porter and all his many visitors. We are now home from the hospital and enjoying every minute of being parents.  Porter had his three day check up and has already gained back all the weight he lost in the hospital. We have a very happy and very healthy baby.  He only cries for two reasons:  when he is naked and when he is hungry, other than that, he basically sleeps!  They say that the baby usually has the same disposition as the mother, but for those of you that know me, you would realize that that is definitely not true.

Porter has had a very busy first two weeks of life.  Attending a surprise party at the Jazz Game in the Suites was one of his first experiences on the town. Which also provided another opportunity for his uncle Justin to spoil him by buying him a Jazz Jersey.       

            

Here is Porter sitting on Santa's Lap at the Ward Christmas Party.

 

Last Saturday was the annual Friend Christmas Party with all of my friends from highschool.  We have been doing this for at least 10 years!    It is incredible to realize all the changes all of us have experienced over the years from immature 8th graders to adults with careers and husbands and children!

                         

Thankful Hearts

First off, I apologize that Jessica isn't here to to the bloggin', but I thought I would try and give you all an update. So please cut me a little slack. And, I hope you all protect me from Jessica for putting up a picture of her and her awesome belly. Happy reading to all!

Well, what an overwhelming week this has been. As most of you know Jessica has been pretty frustrated that the baby had decided to make such a late entrance to his own party and I have been out of work for the past four weeks. So, we decided we were going to make it an extra special "fast Sunday". Needless to say, the Lord hears our prayers! On Sunday afternoon we were with Jessica's family and I was talking to her father when he told me that he wanted to offer me a job as a production and installation manager at his cabinet mill in Ogden. I was pretty amazed that I would find a solution to one of our dilemmas that very same day. I felt good about going to work for him and Monday afternoon I got a call from another complany I had interviewed with and they offered me a job as well. I never imagined I would have to make a decision like that. After a lot of careful deliberation, prayer, a blessing from my dad, and some negotiation I have decided to go work for Carl.

Just when we thought that it couldn't get better we went to our appointment on Monday and found out that we would go in Tuesday night to start the induction process. It was a long slow process because Jess could only eat ice cubes and I could only eat McDonalds and Paradise Bakery, but we made it through the night. In the morning the nurse came in and told us that with the Petocin we would probably have the baby Wednesday evening. YIKES!! Jessica was so upset, but, the doctor came in right after that and broke her water to help speed things up. From there it moved right along. Jessica started having really regular contraction and the baby started moving into position pretty quickly. At about 2:45 the nurse decided that we would try and get the doctor to come over to start the delivery. The doctor got there close to 3:00 and we (jess) started pushing. Right after she started pushing I could tell that the doctor was getting a little nervous about something, but I didn't know what it was. I then noticed that inbetween contractions the baby's heart rate was dropping to dangerous levels. I could also sense the doctor's urgency and I got a little more nervous even though he didn't really say anything. He then very quickly went into some spiel about forceps and vacuums and how these things could possibly hurt the baby but that he might need to use them. By this time I wasn't really sure what he was trying to say but he just told Jessica to push some more. Once the babys head cleared I could see that the cord had wrapped around Porter's neck twice and it was so tight that the doctor couldn't even get his scissors in to cut the cord. I could see Porter's little face and it was completely purple. I am sure most of you could imagine the instant feeling of helplessness and terror that I felt in that moment. All I could think was, "Heavenly Father help my child." The doctor was able to get Porter out and into the hands of the nurses who were standing by with oxygen for the baby and from there everything seemed to go fine. Jessica and I are so proud and humbled to announce the birth of Porter Thomas LeBaron born on December 5th at 3:19 p.m. weighing 8lbs.14oz. and measuring 22 inches long. A beautiful, BIG, and healthy boy. And yeah, you read it right, Jess was only pushing for about 20 minutes.

As I look back on all that happened today. I keep coming back to that feeling I had when I saw Porter with the cord around his neck and knowing how fragile his tiny life is, I know that I would have given anything to keep him alive. While I have been thinking about this, I think of our Heavenly Father and His Son. Can we even fathom the agony and heartache and even more than that, the love, that He has for us to let His son die? It is wonderful to me. As I mentioned at the top this is a time to be thankful. This scripture has been in my head a lot lately and I think it fits well with my feelings today.

Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel.

One Final Update

First of all, let me assure you all that I would not just have a baby and fail to call anyone. Which is why I am writing another update. It is getting a little frustrating to get phone calls and texts every five seconds asking if the baby is here. The one thing I have to do in this pregnancy, (give birth) I apparently am failing at. Oh, and has anyone else noticed that my baby counter on the right is now beginning to count upwards again? Four days until baby, um no, try four days since the baby should have been here.

Well, Tommy and I went to the doctor this morning. Not surprisingly, I had not progressed much. The doctor originally told me we could look at inducing me on Thursday, but I think after the look he saw on my face, he decided to offer Wednesday as a possible induction date. After realizing that that still wasn't good enough, he consented to bring me in Tuesday night to begin the cervitil treatment. For those of you from the older generation of birthing, this is different from pitocin and takes about 6-8 hours to induce labor so they give it to you in the evening and expect action to begin early in the morning. So hopefully the baby will come Wednesday morning! From the beginning of my pregnancy, my brother Justin told me that I would have this baby December 5th. Kinda scary that he is going to be right. We will keep everyone posted and be sure to upload pictures of the newest addition to our family.

Still No Baby Yet

Well today is my official due date, November 29, but not surprisingly, the baby does not want to cooperate. The baby counter at the bottom of my blog says that my baby is too-cool and wants to arrive late to his own party. My next doctor's appointment is Monday. Hopefully then we can talk about inducing me. However, the doctor said I was not even close enough to even think about inducing as of last Monday. I am not having any contractions, which is a bad sign, but what can ya do? The doctor told me that things like castor oil actually work, but they wouldn't work for me. I am actually that far away! Sad, but we will survive. It can't go on much longer, right? Although, once again Grandma Adams comes to mind who had Ruth Ann a month and a half late. Luckily, I don't think they allow that to happen any more. Hopefully my next post will be exciting news with cute pictures of the baby, but we will see!

No Baby Yet

As of last Tuesday, the doctor informed me that I was not even close and that if I showed no signs of being ready that they would not induce me by my due date. (Bad news on the insurance end, I know) Oh the misery of the last week of pregnancy! Any of you out there that have been through it know what I mean. Everything is miserable, you're too fat to even stand up on your own, everything is uncomfortable, nothing fits, nothing tastes good and there is no room for it to fit in your stomach, and you have pretty much given up on caring about anything but getting that baby out any way possible. You start googling things that induce pregnancy on the internet. I've read that pineapple, bumpy roads, long walks, and castor oil are among the many ways people have tried. The bad news is that most of them are useless unless you are close, which the doctor informed me that I am not!

The Final Baby Shower

We had another baby shower on Friday night with Tom's side of the family. It was tons of fun and we had lots of yummy treats. Everyone in my family is so creative and talented, they put me to shame with all of their creations. Baby Emergency Kits, blankets, bath towels and the awesome creation by Ruth Ann of the diaper cake. I am blessed to have such great people in my life that are so supportive and have such great advice about being mothers. As the time slowly draws near to finally have this baby, I am amazed by some of my relatives that were able to do this so many times! And I'm just talking about pregnancy, we haven't even started on the raising of the child. Seriously, Grandma Adams had twelve kids, and Ruth Ann had eight! How did they do it?

Dreams, or rather Nightmares Really Do Come True

Call it pregnant intuition, but maybe those crazy dreams I have been having mean a little more than I thought. Probably I'm just paranoid, but my crazy dream about Tommy losing his job came to light. Don't worry though, I hardly believe that means that we will be evicted from our house. (see below) I guess sometimes the Lord works in mysterious ways. I thought we didn't move into the Lindon home was because something better was in store, but really, it was just to help prepare us for what was to come. Tom lost his job yesterday, but on the bright side, we didn't blow all our savings on the down payment for the Lindon home and have a higher house payment and live further away which would cost us more in gas and maybe I can talk my doctor into inducing me if this baby even thinks about coming late so that my insurance will still be in effect. And surprisingly, I am not even worried. Once again, it must be a side effect of pregnancy because that is not like me, but Tom already has some great prospects thanks to the connections of Neil and Carl, so I'm sure all will be well. But seriously, how often do your dreams, or rather nightmares, come true?

HALLOWEEN FUN

Saturday evening was the LeBaron Family Halloween Party. All the kids were dressed in absolutely adorable costumes which once again made me excited to have my own little one to dress up. Although Tommy and I are party poopers and didn't dress up, that didn't stop some of the family coming out in true Ugly LeBaron Fashion. We had tons of fun activities: decorating pumpkins with mr. potato head faces, a fish pond, a pumpkin dance for the kids directed by Carrie, and great food. Ruth Ann made pumpkin cheesecake, my favorite! Tiago and Bentley helped me blow out the candles, and as you can see from the picture, Tiago needs a little more help distinguishing the difference between blowing air and spit!





Saturday was also my birthday! My best gift? A washer and dryer. Yes, Tom and I have managed to live two years without one, but we decided that with a new baby on the way, it would be in everyone's best interests if we invested in one. We had been holding out until after the move, but it looks like we will be staying here in Murray for now.

Halloween Fun

Sleepless Nights and Crazy Dreams

I can't sleep, and when I can, I am afraid to go to sleep! Everytime I even dose off, I have horrible nightmares and messed up dreams. Last night I dreamt that Tom lost his job and we were evicted from our house. The night before, Akita (my parents dog) ate my baby. I've been pregnant in highschool, worn too tight of pants that cut off my circulation and harmed my child, and I have also forgotten that I'm pregnant and missed my delivery by 3 months! And the worst part is, when I wake up, I can't tell what is reality and what was just a dream. I wake my poor husband up about 5 times a night to clarify reality and tell him about my dreams. Between that and the bathroom runs, sleep is not an easy thing at our home. I guess the only up side is that this will all soon come to an end. Soon I won't have a 5 pound baby sitting on my bladder and I'll get to sleep on my stomach. And most importantly, hopefully the dreams will end.

The Scarecrow Festival

Family Night at the Scarecrow Festival with the LeBaron Family,what a perfect way to kick off the fall season! I love this time of year, (and not just because it includes my birthday and the fact that the end is in sight of this pregnancy). The smells, the crisp autumn air, the hot chocolate, the bright fall colors, and all the fun family get togethers make this a wonderful time of year. The kids were darling in their Halloween outfits and it made tommy and I even more excited for our little baby to join this family!




For all the Pictures, click here

Scarecrow Festival Take 2

Let the Countdown Begin

I thought this was funny and informative.

Already in Diapers

Although I am not a mom yet, I am already jumping right into parenting mode. Miko is now going through heat. And let me tell you that this is not a fun thing for her or me. My only option to deal with the mess was this lovely little diapering device that she absolutely despises. The good news is, she can't get it off, so it will protect my carpet and clothes for now. For those of you that have never had this lovely experience, dogs go through heat for up to three weeks! (imagine that girls!) And its not just a diaper, I also have to protect her from male dogs. This really is like parenting, isn't it.

BABY SHOWER

And so it begins, we can finally start the countdown to the arrival of our little baby boy. I had my first baby shower last night with all my highschool girlfriends. As you can see from the picture, I am not the first to have a baby, neither am I the only one that is pregnant. Although, with one exception, all of my friends that have kids or are pregnant have baby boys. It must be the year of the boy! Tommy and I are so excited for this baby to come. We have less than two months left! (I have read, however, that it is caucasian women that are having boys that usually are overdue, my sympathies to Michele who just recently contributed to that statistic!) Thanks to everyone for the wonderful gifts, all the fun clothes make me so excited!

Cafe Rio Recipe!!!!!!!!

Ok, so I know there have been lots of recipes out there trying to duplicate the Cafe Rio Recipe, but I believe that Tommy has mastered the Cafe Rio Pork Salad with the Creamy Dressing. I came home from work the other night to the wonderful smell of the Crock Pot and had a delicious meal cooked by Tom. So here it is:
The Pork:
1 lb. pork tenderloin
2-15 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1 can of coke
1 garlic clove, diced
1/4 c. cilantro, minced
Place all ingredients in Crock Pot on Medium for at least 4 hours.

The Creamy Dressing:
1 pkt. Hidden Valley Ranch Mix
8 oz. Salsa Verde Green Salsa (La Victoria Brand)
1/2 bunch of cilantro with the stems
2 cloves garlic
3/4 c. mayo
3/4 c. sour cream
1/8 tsp. hot sauce
Mix in Blender. If needed, thin with Buttermilk

The Rice
8 c. water
8 cubes/tsp. chicken bouillon
2 tsp. cumin
4 cloves garlic
12 Tbsp. butter
12 sprigs cilantro
4 c. rice

I've Been Tagged

I have been tagged!

My husband...
What is his name? Thomas Neil

How long have you been together? We dated in high school starting our Junior Year, Tom went on a mission, and then we dated when he came home. We've been married since August 2005.

How long did you date? 3 1/2 Years Maybe? (with some other dates in between)

How old is he? 23

Who eats more? I guess that all depends, but we can both certainly pound a Cafe Rio without blinking, and I've gotten worse since being pregnant.

Who said I love you first? Tommy, Ironically on a day that we broke up. (that's another story)

Who is taller? Tom

Who sings better? Tom, hands down!

Who is smarter? That depends on how you define it. Tom has way more street smarts and I have more book smarts I'd say.

Who does the laundry? I try to most of the time, but we both fold the clothes. At the moment, the basket gets too heavy for me to carry up the stairs, so tommy.

Who does the dishes? Both of us.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Tom.

Who pays the bills? Tom, although he thinks that I wouldn't know what to do if I had to do it myself.

Who mows the lawn? We don't have much of a yard at the moment.

Who cooks dinner? When we have dinner, I usually cook. Although lately I just want Macaroni and Cheese, so Tom is sadly left to fend for himself.

Who drives when you are together? I make Tom, but he hates to drive too.

Who is more stubborn? Definitely me. Tom is too easy going.

Who is the first to admit when they're wrong? We usually always do the apologies at the same time, but I have more of a temper, so Tom, I guess.

Who kissed who first? Tom kissed me. That was my first kiss, but definitely not his.

Who asked who out? Tom and I hung out a lot, but he asked me out first.

Who proposed? Tom! He sang of course!

Who is more sensitive? It would be hard to say, but since getting pregnant, I'm a big bawl baby and cry about everything.

Who has more friends? I'd say we're about even.

Who has more siblings? Tom, he's a LeBaron!

Who wears the pants in the family? Hard to say, but I'd guess me? I guess in the end its easier to give in to me than fight with me.
I'll post pics later!

Soon to be the Queen No More

As my due date is slowly approaching, (only 2 months left!) I have begun to worry about exactly what I will do with Miko. She has been the spoiled baby in our lives for so long, I think she will get insanely jealous and deeply depressed when she is dethroned. We had a dog trainer come evaluate her yesterday who commented on what a head strong stubborn dog she is, so this is something we will definitely have to work on. I've seen her play with Sisi and she seems to understand that she needs to be gentle, but she is too curious with babies to leave them alone. And already Tom and I have seem that we will have a problem with Miko eating diapers, chewing on bottles, and licking the babies face. This will definitely be an adventure!
Oh, and speaking of the baby. He is now 3 1/2 lbs and growing quickly! (that is now only 1/2 pound over the average, so he is not so big anymore). I had another ultrasound on Monday and everything looks exactly perfect! We are so excited!
P.S. Let me explain the picture. I found this costume at Old Navy and couldn't resist it for Halloween. It fits perfectly since Miko thinks she is a princess.

LAKE POWELL

5 Marvelous Days in Lake Powell! Card games, great meals, perfect water and tons of fun! What more could you ask for? We went to Powell with my parents and brothers to join the Bouchers and the Redd's on their houseboat, the Whipporwill. The weather was perfect, hot during the day, a cool breeze at night. On Friday there was an incredible storm like nothing I have ever seen down in Powell. Moments after we pulled the boat in, the lightening struck and the rain poured down hard. Luckily we were anchored into the rock or we would have had a disaster on our hands. The boys had tons of fun on the lake and got some great water, slowly perfecting wake boarding, wake-skating, surfing, and tommy even pulled out the two skis! For all the non-skiers, we pulled out the tube for some mad tubing. And for the pregnant people, we pulled out the noodle so I could float. Floating in the Lake felt pretty good, in spite of all the dirtiness, but then the fish came out biting (and I am terrified of fish!). So needless to say, my floats were rather short lived. All in all, Lake Powell was nothing short of pure bliss.

Joseph's Surprise

Yesterday we had a SURPRISE birthday for Tommy's brother Joseph. Surprisingly, although many LeBarons cut it very close, it actually was that: a surprise. We met at Lifetime Fitness and went rock climbing and swimming and later had cake and ice cream. (Now when I say we, I don't mean me, I can't do much being pregnant but its my presence that counts, right?)It was fun to see everybody trying their hand at being spiderman for a day. I've posted some pictures, finally!

Hogle Zoo

Tom's company had their annual family friendly party at Hogle Zoo on Friday. Now as much fun as the zoo sounded for a Date Night, we decided it may be a bit more fun if we had kids with us. Turns out, my 19 year old brother Trent (who had been longing to go there) and my 3 year old cousin Sadie came with us. A day at the zoo is not the greatest activity for a fat pregnant woman with the heat, the sick smells, and the walking, but we managed to see it in its entirety in one hour! Impressive, I know. One of the highlights was the baby orangutan. This woman was playing with her through the glass. She would open up her purse and the orangutan would try to reach in it and play with the stuff. The cutest, though, was when the woman put on lip gloss. The animal puckered up her lips against the window in hopes of having a turn. It was so darling! I've never been the biggest proponent of the zoo, but I would recommend to those of you who haven't visited in a while to check it out.

Life in the Fat Lane

As the name so appropriately states, we are definitely livin’ life in the fat lane, although, hopefully, it is only temporary. While Tommy is on the downward climb, I am facing much the opposite problem. As my doctor so tactfully put it after looking down at my protruding belly, “Wow, your baby is growing REAL big, REAL fast!” At my last ultra sound, our little baby boy should have weighed in at 9 ounces, but he actually weighed 14! (for those of you with no grasp of measurement, that is slightly larger than a can of coke) Apparently, my child is choosing to take after his mommy and daddy in the skills of weight gain, and boy is he excelling. As much as I would love to share pictures with all of my posts, I would not love having a picture of my fat belly posted on the internet.