Dear 2010,

I'm much better at writing simple little anecdotes about the funny things my toddler does, or how cute my baby's dimples are. I can write a short caption to a picture and be done and feel like I've left something for my family to read. Tonight, though, I'm feeling a little more nostalgic and its surprisingly hard to get out what I want to say.

Personally, I blame this whole "New Year" crap. Every year we set out to be better. I always make my resolutions, with high expectations of myself...lose weight, be a better mom, study the scriptures, pay off our credit cards, catch up on scrapbooking...I could go on. And always at the end of the year, I think, "Where in the hell did the year go?" Usually I'm so disappointed in myself.

Not this year, though.

I didn't get our credit cards paid off (we're in more debt at the end of 2010 than we were in the beginning).

Thanks to our many adventures this year, I'm even more behind on my scrapbooking. But seriously, I had a dang fun year.

I didn't read scriptures every day like I set out to, and we didn't have Family Home Evening every Monday. I did, however, make it to church every Sunday I could, and I was pleased to tell our Bishop we're a full-tithe paying family. I didn't get to the temple nearly as often as I wanted to, but I've gone as often as I could and I've worked hard to make our home our spiritual haven.

I probably wasn't any better of a mother to Annie than I was in 2009, but the good news is...I'm pretty sure I didn't get any worse.:)

I lost weight, thanks to being pregnant with Emily. I haven't gained it all back yet, either, which is a nice way to start 2011.

Here I am, pretty much right where I was last year. It's okay, though. I learned a few things in 2010 so I'm a little more prepared.

• I learned how to be patient (sort of...I'm a work in progress).
• I learned how to deal with a car-sick toddler (Hello, Febreeze!)
• I learned what its like to be a stay-home mama (P.S. It's WONDERFUL!).
• I learned what an amazing husband I have.
• I learned that my mom has got to be sitting in heaven teaching my kiddos amazing things, like how to be cute when I am mad, and how to say funny things when I'm sad, and how to smile just so perfect to make my heart feel like it felt the first time I saw them.
• I learned that I'm probably never going to stop missing my mom, but that having an incredible mother-in-law kind of heals the hurting.
• I learned that my heart is much bigger than I originally thought.
• I learned how much I love simple things.
• I learned how to ask for help (it's not as hard as I thought).
• I learned that some friends are worth having, and some aren't (and it's okay to say so).
• I learned that in order for me to be a good mom, and a good wife, I need a little time to myself every now and then.
• I learned that I could have a baby without an epidural (and live to tell about it). I also learned I probably won't have a baby with an epidural ever again.
• I learned that every day I decide how my day is going to go, and my attitude affects all the other attitudes in my house.
• I learned that I still have so many things to learn.

So here's to 2010...a year in which I accomplished a lot of things, most of which I didn't set out to accomplish - a year which I wouldn't change at all. And here's to 2011...

December...What We've Been Up To

My cute girls:)

I don't know how people keep their blogs updated...especially people with more than one kiddo! Add that to my list of New Year's Resolutions, I guess. I shouldn't try to squish a whole month of fun into one post, but here I go (in no particular order)!:)
I can't believe how quickly the month has gone, and how next week it will be the start of 2011. Really, it just seems like it was March when we went to Idaho and discovered that Annie is a carsick kid, or April when we found out we were pregnant with Emily. It has really been a fun and eventful year for us.
This month we have been very busy. Grandma and Grandpa H have been here since November, so we have been trying to do some fun things with them. They helped us decorate for Christmas. Truthfully, we didn't do much decorating. Our tree is only decorated from the middle to the top, since we have curious little hands in our house. We did hang some lights on the outside this year. They are fun and do make me feel festive. I can't believe how much I start to miss SLC during the holidays. I don't love snow, but it just doesn't seem like Christmas is complete without it.

He said he would smile AFTER they got the lights hung up.:)


Last weekend was our Ward Christmas Party. Last year it was just me and Annie (Kris was working), so I was really glad he was able to go this year. We had baked potatoes, pulled pork, rolls and fruit salad...and some dang good dessert. The dessert is my favorite part.:) Annie was restless the whole time, so we took turns running her around the church's hallways. She did SO good sitting on Santa's lap this year! Last year was this...


And this year was...
She wasn't really impressed with Santa, but at least she didn't cry!!

On Sunday we blessed Miss Emily in church. It was really special and I was reminded what a sweet spirit she is. I feel so blessed to have her in our family.



Danielle and her girls came for Emily's blessing, and we had a fun time hanging out with them. This is Danielle's baby, Kylee Elizabeth (named after me!). She and Emily are 2 months apart.


Here is Addi (she and Annie are 5 months apart), Kylee, Emily, Haley and Annie.

We've been busy baking at our house...caramels, peanut butter balls and chocolate chip cookie dough truffles. Annie loves them!

Family Pictures

Since we decided to get Emily's newborn pictures taken when she was a week old, we thought we'd get new family pictures too (needed to have an updated family picture with our latest addition!) These are some of my favorites (thanks Sarah!).

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was at our house this year (where else would it be?). It was our little family, plus Grandma & Grandpa Hunter, Grandpa Whipple and Auntie Ruth. I'm so glad we got to share the holiday with our families, especially Kris's parents. Since we live far apart, it's hard to get to spend holidays with the Hunter side.
This year I was grateful to not still be pregnant on Thanksgiving! Right at the end of my pregnancy, I got full after about 5 bites of my food. That would've made for a very sad Thanksgiving dinner (or a very long day of snacking, I guess).

Kris & Annie waiting (patiently, sort of) for the food to be done

Me & Grandma H. working hard on the food that Kris & Annie were waiting for:)

Carving the turkey!

Still waiting patiently...:)

My cute sleeping baby...

My other cute kid, eating olives just like Mom!

We had a fun day together as a family. I will really treasure this holiday, since we got to have everybody with us and a new baby too! Thank goodness for lots of pictures.:)

More Emily!

Emily is almost 3 weeks old, and seriously, I can't imagine what life was like without her in our family. It's interesting how a little person is born and they just fit right in, like they were meant specifically for you (they are, of course!). Even with all the sleep I'm missing, I feel so blessed to have her. She's a good baby, for the most part. We're still working on our nights and days and getting them in order. Emily is very alert and interested in everything around her, especially her big sister. Of course, Annie is very interested in Emily, too. She loves to get on the couch and sit next to her, give her kisses and pats, and we even have her saying "Emily" (okay, it sounds more like "Emmy", but whatever).

We are having lots of fun with Grandma & Grandpa Hunter here visiting. They have been so much help to us. I know its probably hard for them to be away from the rest of the family in Idaho, but we're (especially me!) SO grateful they could be here during this time. Annie has had a ball getting to know Grandma. They sing songs and dance and read books. Not to mention, I haven't had to do dishes once since they arrived. I hate dishes, so I feel pretty lucky to be getting taken care of so well!

Here's some pictures I'm finally getting off the camera...

Grandma & Emily

Grandpa W. and Emily

The morning we left the hospital - Can I just say...I SO love that I have babies with hair! It's only fair, since I had such awful heartburn for the whole 9 months! It's like an extra little reward.:)

Emily & Annie - she loves her little sister!

Annie with her baby, and Kris with his babies...aren't they cute?:)

I have the same picture with Annie in the bouncer. Emily seems a lot bigger than Annie was, but still so tiny in that big ole' chair!

Emily Jane

Yesterday (November 15) we welcomed our latest addition...Emily Jane Hunter! I know...who has time to blog about a kiddo's birth the DAY AFTER, but seriously, who has time after they get home from the hospital?!:) And I wanted to get all the events down while they are still in my mind so nobody forgets what an eventful day it was!
We were scheduled to be induced Monday morning, thanks to some high blood pressure and a lot of begging and pleading with the doctor (hello...uncomfortable Mama!). Kris and I arrived at the hospital at 7:30 a.m. When my nurse first checked me, I was still only dilated to a 3 (no change from my previous appointment on Thursday). They started my IV and got my blood drawn, and then inserted some tiny little pill inside me to help soften my cervix and start me dilating more.
At 12:00 Nurse Vickie checked me again and said I was a 4. Dr. Tran showed up at 12:30 p.m. and broke my water. Bring on the fun!! Contractions started about 1, and it was all gravy after that. Okay, not all gravy. I was planning for Pitocin and an epidural. Guess who didn't get either!? At 2 p.m. I was in so much pain, I really thought I might not survive. I remember thinking there was no way I would be able to sit still for an epidural. Nurse Vickie was supposed to come in at 2:15 to start my Pitocin, but when she didn't show up, Kris called the nurse's station at 2:20 and told them I needed something for the pain. (I KNEW there was a reason I brought him along!:) )
She came in shortly after that, checked me and I was a 5. I heard her say something about Pitocin, so I thought she actually gave me some (in which case, I wanted to beat her head in...I was DYING!), but it turns out she didn't (she said I probably wasn't going to need any). She gave me a shot of something that made my head fuzzy, and took a little edge off the contractions.
I don't remember much after that, other than the CRAZY pressure that I was feeling, and my poor nurse trying to get the internal monitor on Emily while I was writhing in pain. Kris says it was only 20 minutes from when I was a 5 until I was screaming about the pressure and pushing a baby out. I heard somebody say that Dr. Tran was there, and that made me feel better (although seriously, getting the baby out was really the only thing to help me feel better!). I got told, "No screaming" by Nurse Vickie, and all of a sudden there was a baby on my chest.
Really, I don't know how she got there...I don't remember pushing hardly at all. The night before, Kris gave me a blessing and it talked about how I would have the physical and mental strength to get through labor. I wondered all night what that meant - now I know! I was really blessed to be able to do all that work with so much pain and so little medication.
Emily is a sweet little baby...it was love at first sight! She has the cutest cry and smells like she just came straight from heaven (which she did, of course!). Annie got to come for a visit last night and she just kept saying "Baby" and "Soft" and giving her little pats. She's going to be a great big sister.

Emily Jane
8 lbs. 3 oz.
20 1/2 in.
Monday, November 15, 2010, 3:03 p.m.

37 Weeks

Saturday we will hit the big 37...when Baby E will be considered full-term no matter when she comes. Of course, the longer she cooks, the better!:)
Today was our 37 week appointment. My blood pressure was a little high, so the good doctor sent us to the hospital for a Non-Stress Test (which is now going to be a twice-a-week occurrence!). My BP was crazy the first couple hours at the hospital, and Baby's heart rate was too high...so they poked me with an IV and decided they'd keep me overnight to do a 24 hour urine collection.
After awhile the doctor decided that maybe 12 hours would suffice. THEN they decided - 6 hours later - that I was just super dehydrated. They pumped me full of liquids and sent me on my way. Thank heavens for not having to spend the night in the hospital!
Hopefully my next NST will be a little less eventful.

Halloween

The plan was for Annie to be a pumpkin for Halloween this year. We got her all dressed up to take pictures to send to Grandma, but that's as far as her cute costume got! Mom and Dad ended up at the hospital on Saturday afternoon to check on Baby E and make sure Mom was okay. Good news....Baby E is doing good. Bad news....Who knows whats wrong with Mom?:)

Annie missed Trunk-or-Treat and the Halloween Carnival at the church, but she did get to prance around in her costume at Grandpa's house, and that was enough for her.

These are the cute pictures we sent to Grandma.

Numbers

Annie has been learning her numbers! Okay, she's just mimicking whatever we say, but still, its cute and we think she's a GENIUS!:)

Grass

We finally bit the bullet and paid someone to come take out ALL our weeds. There were some that were over 5 foot tall. That was on September 16. The next day Kris planted Rye grass in our backyard in hopes of maybe growing some winter grass for Annie to play in.

This is our grass after less than a week...



And this is our grass after a week and a couple days. It's actually growing!!

Color Me Blue

Annie got hold of Grandpa's blue pen this morning. I couldn't get her to turn her head...but she has pen all down the side of her neck, and then across her cheek! She did color a very pretty picture, though.:)