Warns & Holl's

Love this

My friend Heather made this. I love it.

Christian's Camera

next two weeks

Facetime

Too sick to want hospital visitors...this is how the boys caught their first glimpse of holland. 

Sent from my iPod

Cinco de Mayo Surprise

Friday I sent my parents this email:

So sick. Caught Mudgie's fever. Praying for a quick recovery...and no baby until my strength returns. Ugh.

Love you both!

Steph

I felt the chills and aches and pains coming on Friday afternoon.  We had a dinner party and a church baptism planned that evening and after going back and forth, I finally conceeded that surely I was contagious and only getting worse, I decided to stay home and rest.  I felt awful.  Downright awful.  Cold and hot, aches and pains, sore throat, and a hacking ugly cough.  But I had time on my side.  I was only 37 1/2 weeks . . .  

Eric got home from the dinner party and baptism where he gallantly filled in for me; as requested before he left he had a movie in his hand for us to watch together.  The moment he put it in the DVD player I felt a contraction.  This wasn't unusual, I had been getting those in the evenings for a couple of weeks now, but the one that followed three minutes later and the next one three minutes later and the next one, and the next one, and the next one were a smidge alarming.

I kept leaning over to Eric and saying, "I'm having contractions three minutes apart and I'm not in the mood."  or "Not tonight, please not tonight."  This went on during the ENTIRE movie.  Contractions anywhere from 2-3 minutes apart, I'd push the button on my watch, note the time, and roll my eyes.  Despite my protest, I knew that this baby was coming whether I had the strength or not.  I gathered a few belongings and we jumped in the car.  I knew I was still several hours away, but I was determined to get an epidural this time.  

I'll spare you the mundane details. . .but yes, I was giddy when I got the epidural.  Yes, I TRIED to sleep for a few hours.  When my water broke I was dilated to a 7.  Three minutes later I was ready to push.  The doctor was frantically trying to get to the hospital.  I breathed through several contractions (by this time I think the epidural had worn off completely on my right side) and finally with one push welcomed Holland Bednar Bacon officially into our family.  7 lbs. 6.4 oz.  20 3/4 inches.  Slightly low blood sugar (thus the bottle).  The most hair on any of our newborn baconbits.  First impression was that he reminded me of Talmage.  

It has been a whirlwind since that moment.  My fever has spiked and broke and spiked and broke.  I've coughed so much I'm convinced that everything around me is covered in an inch of germs.  I've gone through three packages of kleenex, a bottle of advil, and most of a bottle of tylenol.  And that is just the sickness, not the delivery recovery/nursing/sleep deprivation etc.

So it's been a unique couple of days.  Eric has been my champion.  Catering to my every request.  Bringing me food.  Calling the doctor for me when in a irrational moment I stopped taking the tylenol and advil in an attempt to get warm which only made me achy and unable to sleep and frustrated and emotional.  He went to the neighbors and got movies and a humidifier.  He woke up Sunday and took the troops to church & then Monday morning got the kids up and off to school.  Life was good and then Eric came downstairs and announced, "I've got the chills . . . I'm getting sick."  We smiled.  By that afternoon all three of us were in the bed with fevers (Talmage's fever is lingering).  I'm trying desperately to keep the baby away from a coughing Mudge.  We are a sight for sore eyes.  

Today was better.  As long as we are drugged up, we can function and for now functioning is good enough.  We can only hope that tomorrow will be better than today.  I've leaned over to Eric and said several times in the past 48 hours, "I've got a fever and I'm not in the mood."  and we just smile.  Mood or not, this is life.  Can someone pass me some Advil?

37 weeks

Here I am at 37 weeks.  Measuring 37 inches.  Weight gain 9 lbs (a shocking difference from the usual 35+).  Still adhering to a fairly strict diabetic diet.  Exercising daily--M,W,F walking for 45 minutes, T&Th just switched from playing basketball to bike riding.  

Sugar for me equal heartburn.  Baby gets the hiccups a lot, especially in the evening.  Everyone has an opinion on the gender and tells about their friends/neighbors/relatives that have 5,6,7,8, boys and then got a girl.  It is getting old but we smile.  They mean well.  I really just want another boy.  My dream has always been 8 boys.  

Hy's Birthday

My "Hy-Guy" turned 7 in April.  We had a small and perfect party at home.  He invited Korben and Keaton from school and his best friend Corbin.  They jumped on the trampoline, at ice cream sandwiches, opened presents, and raced around the house and yard on a treasure hunt to find Lego cars. . . every activity planned by Hyrum.  He was in heaven and so was I as I sat in the recliner in the living room and participated in the party primarily as an observer.  

His favorite gift hands down was a gift certificate for Build-A-Bear Workshop.  He had been talking for weeks about how he could work the into his Birthday regimne for the year. The result was Soldier Bacon, a camoflauged bear complete with a camoflauge outfit.   [The Build-A-Bear Workshop store was an adventure all of its own. . . it is where I quickly learned that our van is taller than 6'7 as I clanged my way past the height restriction bar and BARELY (like a quarter of an inch) made it through the parking structure to the exit.  I about had heart failure and later happily shoved my six dollars in a parking meter on the street.]

Me and My Warns

Warner is a snuggler. And while that sounds fine and dandy he is also
a wiggler. He is the wiggliest little soul which makes snuggling more
of a workout of patience and long-suffering than of bonding and bliss.
But every now and then he'll hold still for just a moment. . .

odor

We were having a conversation with some friends about the odor emanating from our teenage boys bedrooms in the mornings.

Eric chimed in and said, "Yah, the other morning I walked in and it was so foul in C&T's bedroom . . . so I cracked open the window and even the fresh air refused to come in."

update

Yes, it's been a while since I've posted.  And lots of people have been asking.  

Yes, I do have Gestational Diabetes and to be honest it has probably been the best thing in the world for me.  It has forced me to give up my candy addiction and to really look at what I eat.  I'm sure I'm eating the healthiest I have in my entire life.  Vegetables, Cottage Cheese, Triscuits, Eggs, and Whole Wheat Toast are my daily staples. I cannot eat an evening snack, as suggested by the dietitian, or I pay dearly with heartburn but otherwise follow a fairly strict diabetic diet.  I honestly feel like I'm doing a bang up job keeping my glucose numbers exactly where they should be and will hopefully avoid delivering a 13 pound baby in five weeks.

At my last doctor's visit I lost 6 pounds.  My doc looked at me and I just shrugged and said, "That's what happens when you give up a pound of candy a day."  A pound of candy is an exaggeration, but probably not by too much.  All told I've gained 9 pounds this pregnancy which for me is a personal best.  I attribute a lot of that to diet and exercise.  This is the first pregnancy that I've exercised the entire way through.  It helps when you are the only person in your basketball group with church keys and when you know your best friend Megan is waiting in your driveway on the other mornings to go walking.  Every morning at 5:40 I groan and force myself out of bed but an hour later I feel it was worth every ounce of effort.  These days I'm not much of an asset to my team on the basketball court but still enjoy running up and down the court and making as many shots outside the key as I can (outside the key simply means I don't have to run all the way under the basket).  

I can tell this baby is getting stronger.  Everyone in the family has felt him/her except for Tanner who is dying to feel anything.  I have one more trip to Washington in a week and then will become anxious for this little one to arrive.  5 more weeks.  According to Bacon standard arrival I'm planning for the 15th'ish of May.  Hip hip hooray.  

Bacon, bacon, bacon

Sam just decided on this design for his pinewood derby car.  Hopefully it turns out to be a sizzling racer! 

Ice Fishing

Sam and Hy went ice fishing with the Speaks boys.  Three hours on the ice, three fish for the Bacons.  

It was cold and Bob, our neighbor who lead the adventure, brought and shared hot chocolate and girl scout cookies.  At one point he asked Hyrum, "Isn't this the best hot chocolate you've ever had?"

"Kind of," Hyrum replied.

"Well, isn't Ice Fishing the best?"

"Kind of."  

Sam however thought it was the best.  He LOVED catching his fish which we'll be eating for dinner tonight.  

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen goodbye.

I'm going crazy.  I'm an addict experiencing 100% withdrawals.  Tuesday seems forever away.

Last week I failed my one hour gestational glucose screening.  Again.  I failed three years ago while carrying Talmage and the memory of the 3 hour glucose screening still haunts me.   I've said goodbye to one of my best friends. . . sugary sugar.  Goodbye to the Good and Plenty, the Hot Tamales, the Chocolate cake sitting on the counter.  Goodbye to the recently delivered Girl Scout cookies, the Tootsie Pops, and the handful of animal crackers.  

Life isn't fair.  Case in point:  my sisters get to eat king sized snickers bars for their glucose screening. . . I get to chug one of these.  

Oh how I'd rather eat a snickers bar or two.  

100g of sugar on a empty stomach is brutal . . . but perhaps it is another reminder that you'll do just about anything for that little one growing inside of you.  Anything.  Even if it means laying on a bench in the lab's waiting room for three hours.  Even if it means getting poked over and over again.  Even if it means saying goodbye to your best friend.  So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen goodbye.

robbers

Hyrum is obsessed with robbers.  He wants to know "Who robbers rob?  How many robbers are in Alaska?  Why do they drive black cars and black wear masks?"  Robbers keep him up and night.  We have several weekly conversations about robbers, and how robbers usually only rob houses with expensive things and houses that don't have people inside.  We talk about our great house (which doesn't hold a single robber appealing item) and our great neighbors and Hy's great big protective brothers that sleep in the bedroom next door.  I'm trying to reinforce the truth but I'm not sure it is helping.

Hy is my kid with anxiety.  Lots of anxiety.  He doesn't like new things.  He doesn't like to be the center of attention.  He's shy.  And he worries.  Worries about monsters and robbers and the dark.  Worries about fires and bad guys and nightmares.  Worries about noises and things hiding in his closet.  Lately he's complained about tummy aches and I wonder if it has anything to do with those pesky robbers.  

Eric grew up with a whole heap of anxiety, but this is an entirely new concept to me.  I grew up easy-going and carefree.  My biggest fear as a child was getting a dead arm from my sister Kari or getting caught sneaking to Macey's to buy candy . . . both could easily be avoided with a certain amount of stealth.  Compassion isn't my greatest strength and I fight the urge to say, "Get over it." and to replace it with long talks and longer back scratches. 

Hy's a brilliant kid.  He's feisty and creative and sensitive.  I suppose if robbers are his big hang-up right now, then robbers it is and we'll have to face them head on, day by day, together. . . one evening at a time.

Snowiest Winter

I believe we are 18 inches away from breaking the Alaskan Snowiest
Winter record. (We've already survived the coldest summer, the
wettest summer, the coldest January, and now the snowiest. . . could
we be so blessed as to enjoy the warmest summer?)

Here are some pictures of Warns and Mudge playing outside in our piles
and piles of snow. While I was in California the older boys made
several amazing snow caves (Warns is pictured laying in one of them).
It is fun to have our "Bacon Mountain" in our front yard and the boys
have spent hours playing king of the hill and creating all sorts of
death defying sled runs.

screen saver

My littlest ones are Alaskan born . . . and you can tell. This is the
screen saver on my laptop. Everytime we point to it Mudge will say,
"Mickey Moose."

Tables Turned

Some friends brought over ice cream toppings and the kids were
dreaming of all sorts of ways to consume them. The whip cream, in
particular, was a hot item. Tanner suggested for family home evening
treat we spray some in each of their mouths and then whispered that I
should get Christian's whole face. That evening after FHE the kids
were hungrily eyeing the whip cream and I humored the whip cream in
the mouth idea. Unfortunately for Tanner I couldn't resist giving him
a little "extra" . . .

Family Fun

The boys had a blast doing this FamilyFun inspired play.

Cub Scout recommendation

I got this email from Sam's Bear Leader.  

I'm glad you like the idea about the letter. It actually comes from the manual.  Sam is a great kid. He has a positive influence on his friends, and is natural leader. You can be proud of him. Good to hear from you.

Ryan

Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater. . .

One evening at Disneyland Warner had to use the restroom just as we
were boarding It's a Small World. We broke away from the group with
plans to meet up at Aladdin via Toontown. So after our own viewing of
It's a Small World we headed to Donald Ducks Boat and then to Goofy's
House. Warner immediately fell in LOVE with this pumpkin and happily
played in, on, or near it for about an hour. It was the perfect
evening. . .the lights turned on, I had a comfy park bench, toontown
was all but empty, and my little boy was fascinated by a pumpkin.

Flapper

Email from Eric (2/7)

Now for some bad news...or rather not bad news but just not so great
news. Mudge was crawling around the chair by the fireplace and slipped
and hit his nose on the corner of the stone seating area. He cried and
kept saying "Owie! Owie!" I could tell it hurt him but thought it just
bonked his nose. But as I dabbed at it to clean away the blood, the
bottom of his nostril shifted unnaturally. It lacerated the very edge
part of his right nostril. I gave him some Tylenol and he stopped
crying and started acting normal again. There was very little blood,
which surprised be but I called Dr. Guapp's office to make sure. Of
course, they were out to lunch for 3 and half hours or so (what is
this Spain???) and Amanda called me back and reassured me that it
should probably heal on its own if it is not to deep and not
continually bleeding, but to call back or take him to the emergency
room to get stitches if it got worse.

So, I think it will be okay, but he is on watch for now. He played for
quite away like normal but I could tell the cut was having a hard time
staying put long enough to scab over. So I put him down for a nap and
hopefully it will give it a chance to seal together. Kind of a tricky
spot and I really don't want to have to get stitches there. It's got
to be painful! So here's to praying for the body to heal itself.
Otherwise it could just heal loose and we could call him Flapper.
Nope, won't happen. It should be fine.

Ninny

Oh I love this kid.  And I love Splash Mountain.  But unfortunately Warner and Splash Mountain didn't get along.   1st time he loved it.  2nd time he smiled and cried and smiled some more.  3rd time he went ballistic and I spent the entire time just trying to keep him inside the log as he screamed and screamed and I'm pretty sure had a panic attack.  He managed to wiggle himself off the bench and laid on the floor during the scariest parts.  Poor little soul.  I had no idea he was going to be so traumatized.  From that point on whenever we mentioned going on that ride the would cross his index fingers in an x and wouldn't even entertain any discussion. 

(aside from Warner on the floor, check out Denise and especially Tyson's expressions. . . priceless)