Share a Smile

Here is my little Aria and her adorable smile!! I knew I would get around to posting it sometime. I went off milk for a week and it didn't seem to do much except the last couple of days she seemed a little better. We saw her Dr. for her two month appointment (she weight 10lbs 10oz) and he said he thought it would be more a coincidence that she was getting better. I tried milk again on our vacation to Island Park/ Yellowstone (more to post on that later) and she still seemed about the same. I think she is just in the Purple crying phase - look it up if your interested, and she will just slowly get better. Which I think she has over the past couple of weeks.

Last week was an up and down sort of week. Heather bugged be about happy pills. Some call them crazy pills, but I call them happy pills, because when I start on them they throw me through the roof and I am a 10 on happiness. I have been worried about taking them unless absolutely necessary because they don't know what it does to the baby when you nurse. After reflecting on the week and having a long discussion with Marcus I decided to try them again. I took one and then ended up with strep throat this weekend and stopped because I was so miserable. I think I will start today with it, as I am feeling much better, my throat is still sore but not as bad. So hears to a good week on happy pills and maybe I won't feel like I am drowning in my own busy life, or maybe I will just drown with a smile on my face.

As a side note that really made me think about taking pills. Last week Landon was sick and stayed home from school. I was sitting down nursing Aria and Tannen was being himself, happy, buggy and into stuff. I don't remember yelling or anything, but feeling overwhelmed - a typical feeling over here. Landon said "Mom you seem to be having a hard time." Me "Yes I am." (here is just the sweetest boy) Landon "Is there anything I can do to help you?" Me really taken back. I became thoughtful about it. Part of me thought yes quit bugging your brother, etc etc. But he is sick I really shouldn't have him do anything for me. I don't remember thinking or noticing those kinds of things as a kid. Maybe I could stay off happy pills for a year but would I be hurting the other kids with a really irritable mom. (I don't get all depressed and suicidal, I just get really short with my kids, irritable, and don't like to touch or be touch by my kids. Which is really big because I love showing love though touch.) Then after all my thoughts I looked over at Landon and he was playing with Tannen. I love that kid.

On a happy note I set Aria down on her tummy this morning on my bed and went in my bathroom to brush my hair real quick. When I came out she was on her back again. I was pretty excited for my little roll over bug. I will just have to keep an eye on her for the next time.

Story of my life

I just can't believe how busy life got. I think it has to do with having two kids start school and having a baby all at the same time. I think I am trying to adjust to having more then just a baby, but having to get up at 7:00 in the morning to get Landon off to school. And he needs someone to keep him going all morning long. "Eat your food, you only have 10 minutes left until you need to get dressed. Hurry and get dressed. Hurry and get your shirt on. Don't forget your homework folder." It goes on all morning long until he is out the door. Then a couple of hours later I do it again. Kylie doesn't seem as bad, but it also isn't 7:00 in the morning trying to get her ready. But we have to do lunch and pretty much change what she put on in the morning because it is weird and doesn't quite match. Then we need to get her hair done. Lots of time Tannen sits by us and pulls her hair or bugs on her. We get her our the door and then it is time for Tannen to take a nap. And hopefully Aria too. For a while I was taking naps with them but the last couple of days I have been low on sleep so then I can't fall asleep. I get too worked up and have been trying to think soothing thoughts but they always seem to get interrupted with other things.

Plus I think something is off with Aria. She cries constantly. I was reading about colic, and they say it is for three hours in the evening but if they are crying all day long it could be something else. She is really bubbly in her stomach. I have tried mylicon drops, working with peppermint drops, and now I am going off of all milk products. I read and a friend told me that she needed to go of milk because her baby was so fussy. The baby could have an allergy to the milk protein. Next week she has her wellness visit, and hopefully by then I will know if me going off of milk has helped. I really think she is a happy little bug, but I only seem to see little pockets of it. She has been smiling for the last few weeks, and the last week has been doing it daily. She is also really close to giggling. She is starting to use her little voice besides crying and I love those moments. But wish I got them more than just moments. As a side note why do people bug you when your baby is crying and ask you what is wrong? Is she hungry, tired? Don't you think I would feed her or put her to sleep if that was the case? She is just fussy and I can't do anything for her except hold her. Do you just want me to leave?

Marcus this morning was amazing for me because I haven't been able to nap at all this week. When it was time to get Landon up for school I had already been up for an hour with Aria I asked him if he could stay a little bit and take all the kids and get Landon out the door so I could sleep. I was so tired and scared I wouldn't be able to take a nap today, I just couldn't face the day. He did and I was able to sleep an extra hour and a half. It was wonderful. I woke up to a trashed house (I went to sleep in a trashed house), but somehow it seemed okay.

Then after naps Tannen wakes up and gets snuggle time. We hang out and wait for the kids to come hope. Then we need to look over school work, do homework, try and clean. Let the kids run around outside, get dinner ready, eat, play a little more, and get ready for bed. All the while doing this with a fussy baby and a little toddler who has a knack for getting into everything you could possibly imagine, seriously.

Last week was my birthday and I didn't even seem to have time to figure out what I wanted to do. It was the big 3 0!! We had Aria's blessing on Sunday. Then I had to do a huge activity for Relief Society on Wednesday. (My calling is a whole other long thought. Just this week so far I have had two meetings in the evenings to go to. 2nd counselor in Relief Society is so busy!) The activity turned out really nice. The next morning I still just had no energy to think about what I wanted for my birthday. Marcus had been bugging me what I wanted for my birthday for the last couple of weeks, and I have been too stressed to worry about it. I told him after the activity I could think about my birthday. Marcus called at 4:00 and told me that work was doing free flu shots. I hurried up there. We waited for a while because all work employees brought there families. Then Landon pretty much ran away because he was so scared. I think he would have been fine if we could have just walked right in and had it done, but the longer he thought about it the more worked up he got. We were there for about an hour and a half, and I left really mad with Landon. We didn't have time left for anything else that night. We just needed to eat dinner and put the kids to bed. I was hoping to take the family out to eat, even though it would be crazy and then the kids wanted to buy me presents. Marcus came home with Landon and he had bought me earlier in the day a huge gorgeous boutique of flowers because I hadn't come up with anything. We order in Olive Garden and ate and sent the kids to bed. I decided I wanted some fun hair products and a haircut. So Marcus told me to go shopping and get some. I did, and was happy with that as long as I can get my haircut sometime soon. He still wants to get me more stuff. But for now I am fine. I have decided with the money from parents that I now live in an area that has snow half of the year and so I need some really great trendy boots.

Anyways I really don't know where I was going except there is a small view of my life right now. And Aria is crying again so I better go. Sometime I will get up the pictures of Aria smiling - she is really cute.

Aria's Blessing

We blessed Aria last Sunday September 26th. We were very happy to have family come and share the occasion with us. Marcus was able to bless her. My mother in-law wrote down the blessing. We were able to have Grandpa Simons, Uncle Matt, Grandpa David, Uncle Justin, Uncle Brendon, and Uncle Brandon in the circle.

Blessing for Aria Wendi Simons given by her father Marcus on September 26, 2010


Our Father in Heaven, by the authority of the Holy Melchezedik Preisthood we give a name and a blessing for Aria Wendi Simons. We give you a blessing that you will have strength in mind, body and spirit. We bless you that you will know our Heavenly Father’s plan for you. We bless you that you that you will recognize the spirit in your life and heed its promptings.

We live in a great day and age. We bless you with the spirit to understand Heavenly Father’s will for you.

We love you and we give you this blessing in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen


I love the blessing. She did cry the entire time (and she hates binkis), so it does seem shorter than the other kids. But Marcus figured Heavenly Father knows what he wants to bless her with, and it isn't the only time he can give her a blessing. My mother in law thought that it was short but was full of important blessings.

After the blessing we all headed down to Adams Park for soup, rolls, veggies, fruit and desserts. Thanks to Mom and Dad, Rochelle, Justin, Tiffani, Candice, Marilyn and Floyd, Hollie, Matthew, and Kimberly and all of your families for coming and sharing the occasion with us.

And thank you to Aria for coming and being apart of our family. We love you so much and are happy that you complete our family for us.

Busy Busy Busy

Life has been so busy since Aria has come. We have done Dr. appointments, waking up at 7:00 every morning, homework, bread making, cookie making, grocery shopping and getting case lot sales, school pictures, book orders, library visits, play group, lessons, talks, tumbling class, walks, 2nd grade, kindergarten, snuggles, crying, throwing up, laughing, and lots of family time.

School for 2010-2011

Kylie had her first day of Kindergarten yesterday the 24th. She has been ready for so long and so excited to go. She came home and was so happy. She made a new friend, loved her teacher Mrs. Broadbent, and had fun at school. She told me school was the funnest place. I am glad that she has loved it already. She really didn't seem that nervous. But she did tell us she was. I am hoping that she has a wonderful first year of school.








Landon had a great first day of school last week. He started on the 18th. He had one boy that was in his class from last year and other than that has a whole new class. His teacher is Mrs. Wright and so far we are doing good. He came home and was very happy after his first day of school. He gets to walk to school with a friend and walk home with him too. We are really hoping for a better year than last year in the friend department. Only time will tell.






It was weird yesterday to have my two oldest gone. Tannen was down for a nap as soon as we dropped Kylie off. And I snuggled up Aria and took a nap with her. It was so quiet. I think it has been a few years (4 1/2) since all kids at home took naps. But I will take it and sleep too. Here's to a good school year.

Our Last and Littlest

Just before we left for the hospital


Getting weighed


Wendi and Aria


Marcus and Aria


Feed Me


Kylie and Aria


Landon and Aria


Just too busy at the hospital




Snuggling with Tannen




All dressed up


Small little leg

We finally got our little girl here. I was induced on Thursday August 12, 2010. We are supposed to call between 6:00 and 6:30 in the morning to see if the hospital can fit you in. I woke up at 4:45 and couldn't go back to sleep because I was too hyped up about finally having my baby. My mom had come down Wednesday night to stay with the kids. When I called in the morning they said they had 9 scheduled inductions that day and that I would be #4 on the list. They had a couple of medical induction and one from the day before that they couldn't fit in. Still feeling pretty good that I would get in sometime that day I laid in bed for a little while and then was up by 7:00 having breakfast. Tannen was up too snuggling my mom on the couch. I ate and packed up a bag for us. Then around 8 I decided to go back to bed. Marcus was up by then taking care of kids. I fell asleep finally and thought maybe they would call around 10. Right around 9 my phone rang and they asked if I could be in by 9:45. Of course I could. I was really excited and told Marcus. We finished getting ready and packed and off we were to the hospital.

We got the the hospital right on time. We were checked in and then given a room. I had talked to Tiffani before I went in and told her all the IV's I have had in the past were crappy and hurt the whole time. She pointed out a good vein and told me that would be the one she would do. I told my nurse and she used that vein. And of course Tiffani is brilliant and it was the best IV I have had. I was hooked up and had pitocin going at 10:20 am. I was really surprised because with Kylie and Tannen I was induced and it took about two hours before I was on the medicine. I started out at a 2 and 50% effaced. My doctor got there around 11:00 and checked me. He said I was at a 3 and 60% effaced and broke my water then. Marcus and I talked and played Uno. Around 12:00 I was check and was around a 4. Things were progressing great. I decided to get up and walk around. Marcus always like to tease me and says that I am the only lady he ever sees walking around the halls. But I told him he is usually in the room with me the whole time so what kind of judge is he. I had a nurse come in and tell me that the Anesthesiologist was going to go up for a Cesarean and he would be leaving around 1:00 and wouldn't be back for 1 1/2 hours. And if I wanted my epidural before we should let him know. After walking around my contractions really started to hurt so I decided to have an epidural. I was really nervous because the one I had with Tannen really hurt and I cried afterwards. He gave me my epidural around 12:20 and it was awesome. I was so relieved that it didn't hurt like the last one.

I was checked close to 1:00 and was at a 5. Marcus went to get some lunch. I got a new nurse at 3:00 when they were changing shifts. She checked me right around 3:15 and I was at a six. She told me to let her know if I had any deep pressure and that I might be ready. I remember telling Marcus that according to the book after you hit a seven you can get to a ten really fast. After about 10 minutes I started feeling really strong contractions - even with my epidural I could always feel the tops of them, but they never hurt. The nurse came in after about two and asked if I could feel them. Apparently the babies heart beat would drop when I would have a strong contraction and we thought I was ready to push. She checked me and I was. They got everything ready and called the doctor. He had three patients in that day and had just barely finished delivering his second baby.

I pushed just a couple of times and she came right out. She was born at 3:51 pm. We named her Aria Wendi. She was 7 lbs 3 oz and 19 inches long. She was my shortest labor 5 1/2 hours. (Landon was 16 hours, Kylie was 6 1/2 hours and Tannen was 8 hours.) She is also my biggest but we cooked her the longest. Landon was 15 days early with my water breaking and was 7lbs even. Kylie was 5 days early and my littlest at 6 lbs 10 oz. And Tannen was 6 days early at 6 lbs 14 oz.

We stayed at the hospital for two days and came home on Saturday. My mom took Landon and Kylie with her back home and then my mother in-law came and got them from her and had them for a couple of days. She is staying with us this week to help out. Marcus has been great. He stayed with me the whole time at the hospital and took care of us over the weekend and took Monday off and half of Tuesday.

So far Aria has been a great little sleeper because she is always sleeping. But man when she is hungry nothing seems to settle her down but to eat. The kids love her. We weren't sure about Tannen because at the hospital he was too distracted to even notice her. Way too much fun stuff to get into. But when we got home he held her and never wanted to give her up. Landon came home from school and the first thing he did was get Aria and hold her. I love it and am so happy to have her.