Dallin

At ONE month old

Dallin is our little "Turk" with fluffs of hair just like off Tarzan! We are so lucky to have him in our family, he has been an incredibly easy baby. He loves to be held and cuddled, LOVES to eat, and has gained weight like a champ! I love sharing him with the other kids, they love him to pieces! Emily loves to hold him and has such a unique way of soothing him. I love how Easton lovingly says, "hi baby Dallin", and how he gets mad at him if he is being too loud..=) Dallin is such a joy and is growing so fast!

Welcoming the new comer!!!!

Yay!!!! Dallin Gary Wiley joined our family Sept 28, 2009 at 8:05 AM weighing in at 6 pounds 10 ounces and 19 inches long. After dropping off Emily and Easton at Grandma and Grandpa Wiley's on Sunday, Nate and I checked into the Hilton in Salt Lake City for one last night of peace before the new arrival. Monday morning we had to be to the hospital by 5:30 am for check in and prep. Everyone is doing great and Emily and Easton are really excited for there new brother. Here are a few pictures of the little guy!! Don't worry there will be more to come!!

Look at all that dark hair!!

Cute toesies (spell check)

Grandma Wiley with Emily, Easton, and Dallin

Here is a proud Grandpa Wiley!

Emily is super excited for her new brother, and Easton wanted to hold the baby :)

Aunt Monica
Uncle Rivers

Annabelle & Aunt Sarah holding Dallin

posted by Monica on behalf of Dianna

28 Days

Quick update: My c-section is scheduled for Sept 28th. Yipee! But I am soooo nervous for some reason. I've done this 2 times before, but I am really freaking out! One thing is that I get very sick after the whole procedure, and the whole needle part with the IV, Spinal, etc, is something I can do without..okay, well maybe not. I just am getting to that nervous part where I realize, "Oh my, it is right around the corner..am I ready??" Still need diapers, need some onesies, need maybe some jammies, I'd like a cute robe, need to clean and wash the infant carrier and stroller, yada yada yada.. Are you EVER ready though for baby to come? I doubt it. I've never been completely ready, either with the material stuff or just the mental aspect. It's a huge responsibility, and I don't know what to expect with baby #3. All I know is this little guy kicks my guts a little too hard, my back and hips feel like they will fall apart, and the heartburn. Oh the heartburn. I need to invest stocks in the Tums business. =) Well these next few weeks I think I should just chill out, and sleep as much as possible.. Regardless of all my worries and concerns, I am thrilled to pieces to meet our little guy!! Can't wait to see his scrunched up little face and kiss his newborn skin..and smell his newborn smell. Those things I look so forward to and cannot wait for!! 28 more days!!

*VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED*

So this is what happens when you try to climb down a 15' ladder with arms full of a portable Grill, and the ladder slips out from under your feet. . . .

I was laying down taking a rest when I thought I heard a commotion. Didn't think too much of it, until Emily came frantically running up the stairs to get me. I could just hear it in her voice and see it on her face that whatever it was, was NOT good. I ran down the stairs, well, I toddled down the stairs as fast as I could go to find Nate squatting out on the patio with blood dripping everywhere down his face from his head. The first thought was to call 911, but thought I better investigate the problem. I ran back into the house to get a towel to soak up the dripping blood. He had a pretty deep and wide laceration on the top of his head, pretty obvious that he needed medical attention. So thanks to our sweet neighbor across the street to watch the kids, we took off to the Urgent Care where he received 6 staples!

Here's how it all happened:

He was trying to get things packed for our weekend camp out, and needed to get some things from the attic loft in our garage. The only access to this loft is with an ancient ladder that isn't too stable. Obviously. As he put his weight on the top rung to get down, it slid out from under him and down he came. Grill and all, and he landed on his back/side and doesn't remember hitting his head. We have some nails on the wall that he landed against so we are thinking it had to be a nail. So along with staples he also got a tetanus shot just to be safe. Man. What an ordeal. I'm just thankful that he didn't get hurt any worse! And luckily Emily was able to come get me before Nate passed out with all that blood!!

{Here is the ladder, with the loft above, he fell from the very top}

{Here is the after shot of his staples}

{And one of the pools of blood in the garage where he fell}

From now on there will be no climbing to the loft in the garage without another person to hold the ladder.. Sorry hon, you are not Mr. Invincible!!! Just thankful you are still alive to tell the tale. And don't ever scare me like that again!!!! I love you too much to get hurt like that!! {Poor Emily is traumatized I think, she does feel so proud though to have "saved daddy's life" as he told her.. }

Cherry Hill 2009

The end of July was our family trip to Cherry Hill for an extended family reunion. It turned out to be a great time, the weather was perfect, the food amazing, and with the Wiley's and extended family never a dull moment!! We had a blast playing in the Ball pit, and climbing the "rock".. Although my favorite was the lazy river..since that was the one thing that I could do. We all had good laughs watching everyone try to climb the rock, even Emily had a go at it. Easton about drowned once going down the rapids with Nate..I watched nervously and wanted to hug the lifeguard who so quickly pulled him up out of the water! Nate had his share of going down the slides, rotating each child so they had equal turns.. I loved watching all the people, I could do that all day. Although at Cherry Hill, don't count on a good night's sleep. I was glad to get home to my bed and have some quiet.. Loved meeting and getting to know more of Nate's mom's side of the family. We had a great time, and want to go back next year!!

{The kid's just love Uncle Kent, he's just like a Grandpa to them!}

{Posing in front of the fountain}

{Climbing, playing in the ball pits}

CHERRY HILL 2009

Chloe's Sunshine Playground

I need to pass this along. I feel so privileged to know Tara Mann Bennett. She is an amazing mother, wife and friend. This new endeaver she is taking on is huge, and one worthy of some attention. So feel free to check it out and pass it along!! http://obyandtarabennett.blogspot.com/2009/07/newspaper-article.html

Our summer so far...

Okay Okay... I can take a hint. So here I go in attempts to update as best I can. It is a daunting task for me, as is anything nowadays. Might be the heat, might be that I am now 30 weeks prego and can barely make it up my stairs... So the thought of sitting at the computer, going through a million pic's to decide which one's I look the best in, is scary. Needless to say, the summer so far has been great. I cannot complain. We've done some fun stuff, celebrated both the kids' birthday's, and have enjoyed (or I should say 'endured') the heat of summer so far! For the sake of time and space, I am going to collage some of the main trips we've done this summer.

To get a better look at the pictures just click on the collage. Just don't look TOO closely!

{My little brother graduated HHS, with honors! Go Rob!!}

{Summer fun at the neighbor's pool across from G-ma Duke's}
{Camping fun, with the Duke's up by Flaming Gorge, complete with fishing trip down the Green}


{Trip to Yellowstone, Jackson, and the Teton's with the Wiley's}

{More of Yellowstone}

{Here at Kepler Falls, Yellowstone. Did I mention that we did Yellowstone in one day? Yep we were in the car a total of about 14 hours..but the kids were phenomenal the whole time! Emily said she will remember being in the car during our Yellowstone trip!}
July is such a busy birthday month in our families! We were a bit birthday'd out, since I was nice and gave each child their own party plus a combined party with family. How we ever timed their special day only 4 days apart is beyond me.. However, it was a success, the kids loved every minute of each celebration. Thanks friends and family for making it such a memorable year for them!!

{And here is our 6 year old!!!}

{Proud little 3 year old!!}

{Loved the "combined" cake, it was much easier this way..}

{Excited for her new bike! We are hoping the training wheels come off this year..}

{Easton loved his party at the park!}

{Love this smile!}

{G-ma Wiley got Emily rocks for her collections!}

{Emily's party, slip-n-slide, and pinata were a hit!!}

{And last but not least, my big belly! Excited for the new arrival coming in Sept}
We've been ultra-busy, with work, and play, and are grateful for the opportunities that we have. I cannot even begin to understand how our lives will change once baby is born, we are so excited and nervous for the change. The countdown has begun, and I think that might be a bad thing since every week seems to take longer and longer. I am just thankful for my family, and for being a mom, it brings lots of smiles and laughter. We are hoping to get through a couple more camping trips, before the end of September, and maybe somewhere in there we will get things ready for the baby!! Oh and maybe I will be more on top of getting this here blog updated! =)

What should we name him??

I'm having a dilemma in sticking to a name for baby boy. Nate and the kids seem stuck on one certain name, but I want your opinion to see if you think the same as they do! Just take the poll to the right to help me out.. Maybe I'm being too picky, I just can't settle yet on one name!!

Record!

Bet YOU didn't gain 7 pounds in one month!

Bring on the poundage baby! {Just hope it comes off just as fast!!!}

Much needed Time-Out!!

It's 6:30pm and my kids are in bed. I figured it was safer for everyone since my temper has been on the loose today.. They really have pushed my buttons today and I can't tell you how many times I've yelled or pleaded with them. Been there?? I hope I'm not the only one. So with them in bed, regardless of if they are asleep or not, I am going to MY time-out!

p.s. why is patience so hard to come by while pregnant? My poor family. I love them dearly. Momma just needs a break!!

Oh boy!!

Last night I couldn't sleep. Tossing and turning, for most the night, thinking, thinking, and then thinking some more. It didn't help that Nate was working until 2am, so then I started wondering when he'd be home. I finally got up at 2, and watched TV for an hour until he got home. Finally, getting into the deepest sleep, pure state of bliss, only to be awoken by the alarm going off at 7:30am... IT WAS TIME TO GET READY!!! I jumped into the shower with more enthusiasm than I normally have at that hour, because today is the day we have our ultrasound!! My nerves and excitement were enough to make me gag, and I could barely handle it!! Man I am in a good mood!! Which is a rare thing considering I didn't get much sleep!!!

Long story short, we are having a BOY!!

It was a sure thing, I saw it first, it's really hard to miss, and I was the one to announce what we were having. Yeah!! I was right about my instinct. I have felt all along it would be a boy, my pregnancy has mimicked Easton's to a T.. Emily is excited despite my previous concern, she was talking about how we'll have to have a cloth ready when we change his diaper.. Some things stick to memory like glue apparently! We are thrilled, and will be tossing more boy names around in the air until we find one that seems to fit. We've been going with the letter E, but really I can't think of any other names that I like with E for a boy. I'll be glad to hear all your ideas!!

Random update...

I am loving Spring weather. It is wonderful. I love being able to hear the birds, the kids playing outside, and the smell of fresh cut grass.. My favorite is opening the windows in the morning and listening to all the birds! I told Emily that they can get me a bird feeder for Mother's Day, just so we can attract all the pretty sounds of birds. I am really looking forward to these next few days and Mother's Day. Mainly because Nate is home. He's been working non-stop, with crazy hours for the past week and we are excited to have him home until Sunday! Yes, Sunday, he took it off for me! How special do I feel? All I know is I don't need any gift's, just to have us all spend time together is gift enough for me right now!

We are looking forward to May 14th. That is the day my ultrasound is scheduled and we are so hoping that we find out the gender of our baby. Emily draws pictures of her and her baby sister, I am somewhat worried that if it's not a girl she will be devastated. I've told her that it could very well be another brother and she just nods her head like, so, I am still hoping it's a girl!! Whatever the sex is, we will be so excited!

Speaking of the baby, check out the size of my belly. I feel so big already! I'm only 18.5 weeks, and I am afraid of how large I will be by 39 weeks!!! I am loving it though, baby is moving, and kicking me, and I LOVE when I can start to feel that! The other day Emily asked when the baby was coming out and I told her Sept 29th, and Easton then wanted to see my "baby", meaning my belly.

So I showed him.. He then pointed to my boob and said, "let me see THAT one"!! I laughed so hard, he really doesn't "get it" yet, and I don't think he will until the baby is actually here.
He just doesn't have the motherly instincts that Emily has.. He will be a great big bro regardless!!

Emily is seriously doing so well with reading. We went to the library the other day and got a bunch of new books for her to practice, and she did awesome!! There were only a few words that she needed my prompting on, the rest was all her! She loves the thrill of doing it all by herself, and she loves to read to her dolls and animals. The cutest is when I'm busy and I'll find her reading to Easton, that is the best! We are excited for her to start 1st grade, still in shock over it, but excited. She will do awesome!! Oh and we got a glimpse of what her teenage years might be like..
She was outside playing when a friend from kindergarten rode by on his "motorcycle" bike. He stopped and they were talking for seriously ever, and then they started chasing each other around the yard. It was so cute! After he left, she kept saying, "I can't believe Nicholas lives by us!" Oh what we have in store..

Easton is such a funny boy, his personality is so big and bubbly, and he's so quick to laugh and just pull the funniest stunts.. He loves to do this "man oh man" dance, he came up with it himself, and he does it quite frequently, whenever he is feeling the urge. Mostly when he's getting undressed and feeling "free".. I was telling my mom about it and she wanted to see a video so here it is..It still doesn't do it justice, it's much funnier in person.. He's our little comdedian!

Mr. Fix-It

The last couple days have been unreal. I'm not even exaggerating when I say that one problem after another has occurred. But the funny thing is, is that it's only those things that Nate has touched. It's like he's being punished for some unknown reason, and it's really getting old!!!! Usually, for disclaimer sakes, he is really good at fixing things!



Just a run down of the latest within the last week:

• Nate takes Emily to school, brings her home, and the garage door opener stops working. He tries to fix it, and realizes after a couple hours that it's shot. Not even fixable. I take a trip to Home Depot, buy a new one...$$$

• Nate decides to check our sprinkler system. Finds eight heads broken. Home depot again, with a whole yard full of new sprinkler heads. $$$

• Nate begins to grill some hamburgers on our gas grill. Realizes the propane is out, tries to take the can off, and the hose regulator is rotted and breaks into pieces. Home Depot does not carry that old of a part so we buy a brand new gas grill. $$$

• Nate has to take down the old garage door opener for the guy to install the new one. Tries to fix a wheel that is loose and the whole spring system comes apart. One corner of the garage door is dangling from the frame, about 2 inches from crashing into the car. Many swear words later, a professional is here to fix the problem. $$$

(The new garage door opener works like a charm bytheway, we are praying it lasts for a really really long time!)

Can we just get a break?? Not literally, just a break from all the breakage??? We are beyond exhausted with trying to fix everything, and our checking account is hating life right now!! As the saying goes, "when it rains, it pours"!!! We are praying that everything will be alright at least for awhile. Bad Karma? Maybe, or maybe it's a jinx of some sort, who knows. All I know is that Nate is staying away from fixing anything for awhile.. =)

random

Kids just say the darndest things. I keep intending to grab a notebook everytime I hear them say something worth jotting down, but I've been lazy. This one however, I need to remember, I thought it so innocent and genuine! Emily just came in from being at a friend's house, and we were discussing what games they played etc. I was sitting indian style on the couch, when she pauses and says, "you look kinda fat today." Yep. That's my girl. Man I feel so great about myself, and it's a DANG good thing I'm pregnant otherwise I wouldn't be laughing about it right now!! I do have to admit that the shirt I'm wearing today does accentuate my fat belly right now. I just have to warn Emily not to say anything about the lady in the store that might NOT be pregnant about her size.. Kids do say the darndest things!!

Oh and bytheway:

I had the honor of naming this little filly!

Yep, that cute little thing I named Cadbury, because it was born on Easter Sunday.. My good friend, and horsewoman extraordinaire, chose my name idea and boy don't I feel proud. Now if naming rights came with owning rights I'd be on cloud nine!!! So say hello to the brand new filly, Cadbury, or Caddi for short.


Oh and just as a side note, I have plenty of pic's to post and write about. It's the motivation to get them on here that's all. I've been bit by the anti-blog bug lately, so apologies to those who keep tabs on me. I promise, we've been really well, and just trying to get other things on the list done is all. Here is to some NICE spring weather..hopefully if the sun shines a bit more, I might find that extra bit of energy to get going!!!

Picture Tag

Tag: Open your 6th picture file, and find the 6th picture..then write about it. I was curious to see what mine would be and of course, my kids. This picture was taken out near Grantsville, on a random 4-wheeling trip we did. I love that my kids are die-hards when it comes to "wheelin", and we can be on them all day! I am looking forward to our Easter trip, can't wait to get out in some fresh air! I am glad that my kids can grow up hopefully reminiscing of all the 4-wheeling memories we are trying to make for them..

Okay, so who is tagged next?
Alysia D.
Tanielle
Heather N.
Erin J.
Tara B.
Monica P.

This is fun, brings back memories!!!!

Sweet Reunion

My sweet Grandma Duke, nearly 95 years old, finally got to be reunited with her husband yesterday. It is a bittersweet feeling to lose her, but yet so sweet knowing she is free from mortal pain and discomfort. Grandpa has been waiting 19 years for her, and I'm sure he was waiting with open arms to greet her yesterday. Grandma Duke is such a legacy in our family, I can't even count the number of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and even great-great-grandchildren that are her amazing posterity.

I feel rather spoiled to have had the opportunity to live so close to her. When my family moved to Hurricane when I was 13, my dad built our house. And also her house which was like a "mother-in-law" apartment built right onto ours. But you'd get chastised if you ever called her home an apartment.. =) So needless to say, she was right there all through my growing up years, on to high-school, and then on to college. She was always busy "twiddling" or crocheting, knitting, you name it she made it. Every Sunday she would step over for dinner and always have a scrumptious dessert in hand. We always looked forward to what she would bring, and we'd often give her our requests. One thing she was very talented at was growing plants. African Violets are her favorite, and every time I see one, it reminds me of her. Her little home was always thriving with green beautiful foliage, even to this day. She usually always seemed to be in a good mood. Never would I hear her complaining, it just wasn't like her.

I learned so much from living next door to Grandma Duke. Sometimes late at night when I'd be getting home from a football game or being with friends, I'd peek in on her. She'd still be up, not a light on except for her halogen bulb, and she'd be crocheting away at some project or other.. It is a legacy in our family that every one of her children and grandchildren, including spouses, have a hand-made Temple apron that she made. I still get comments whenever I am in the Temple, on the beautiful hand-crafted apron. There are so many more memories of her that have flooded my mind during the last day. I will cherish those moments spent with her, and learn from her example.

Grandma lived a very fruitful life, one that we all can try and emulate. We'll miss Grandma, and her spirit of love and giving. It does my heart good to picture Grandma and Grandpa together again. I love you Grandma!!

Wanted: Peace and Quiet

Do you know what I want to do? I want to check into a hotel, all by myself, and stay in bed alllllll day! With no phone calls, no demands of my services, no doorbells, no laundry, etc. Just some peace and some quiet! Every time I say that phrase in my house, "I just want some piece and quiet", Nate comes back with the wise crack, "I'll be piece, you be quiet".. Haha very funny, BOB! (come on people, it's from the movie, 'What About Bob!') Don't mess with the pregnant woman alright?! So anyway, I try really hard to be nice, stay positive, and well, sometimes I come off as fake. At least to my family. They must really love me, I tell ya, I am so lucky. But there are days, such as today, that I would've gladly taken room service at the Marriott!!

On another note, I grounded Emily this morning for some really rotten behavior she so freely demonstrated. I decided to follow through the entire day and not allow the option of earning her privilege back. Man, it was tough. I don't know how many times I heard, "I'm so bored!". I told her that she needs to learn to play with her brother better, and get along.

(oh so cute, when they'd cuddle together. Notice all the binkies? Check Emily's hands..)
So to my surprise, they both went outside and as I eavesdropped through an open window, they were talking and playing so nicely!! I thought maybe she should be grounded more often so she knows that Easton is just as much a friend as anybody else!! It's not ideal, because after awhile it was back to the torture they both like to inflict on each other, but for a nice half hour they played.

So in a nut shell, my day went by, regardless of if I was nestled in a bed in some secluded hotel room, and I am glad to say I can go get in my own bed for another quiet night's sleep. That is one thing I am taking in while I still have it, are my nice long quiet nights. Both my kids sleep through like champ's lately!! Aaahhh... good night!