Baby Ally

She's here!


















Little Allison Kae was born last Sunday, August 9 at exactly 1:00 p.m. She weighed 7 lbs. 7 oz and was 20 inches long.


Here are the proud parents before surgery. It was such a relief to have such a smooth delivery.
















So far, we've survived the first week, but only with lots of help from Grandmas, aunts and uncles.

Cole and Keith managed to set off the alarm in the elevator and 3 alarms in the recovery room, all within the first 25 minutes of being in the hospital. Needless to say, their visits were brief. I missed them like crazy and was anxious to get home, even though my activity with them is still limited.

Ally is doing really well. She's a really good eater and seems to take her brothers' endless hugs (translation: death grips), kisses (translation: maulings), and body-part-inventory (translation: poking, squeezing and naming all her facial features) in stride. All I can say is that she is going to be one tough chick. She has no option. It's a matter of survival.

My only struggle is that she won't sleep alone. Brent doesn't mind at all. He sleeps with her at night and even for naps when he is home. I just hope she doesn't get a lopsided head like Cole did when Brent slept with him for so long.

Ma'm-hood

It's happened. I've officially become a "Ma'm". I don't really know when, how or why this happened, but it cuts like a dull butcher knife. The worst part is that it has even happened when I don't have children with me. For awhile I used that as an excuse.
Do pregnant woman automatically warrant a "Ma'm" label? What has triggered the "Ma'm" label spewing forth from the Rite Aid cashier, the Albertson's bag boy and the Drive-thru chick? I don't feel any different than I did 3 years ago. I don't think I look that different (well, okay, with the exception of my current pregnant silhouette).
When does one become a "Ma'm" anyway and more importantly, how do I reverse it? Am I in denial of the fact that somewhere along the road I've crossed the line into full blown Ma'm-hood?

Well the good news in this quagmire of self-pity is that I certainly cannot deny the fact that I have two adorable little boys and an equally precious little girl on the way. I guess if that's the price I must pay into Ma'm-hood (aka Outer Darkness), than I have to say that it's worth it.

We need to talk...

I feared these words tonight as my husband spoke them to me. Uh-oh. A zillion things went through my brain, each option more disastrous than the first. In my final 4 days before our baby is born, there is a lot on my plate and I wasn't sure I could handle whatever was weighing on Brent's mind. He continued with the following:
"There's too much pink in my Man-cave."
Clearly, not following his train of thought, I asked for clarification. Apparently he would not be able to concentrate on his work tonight due to the amount of baby girl clothing piling up in his den. Wow. To think I even stressed for a nano-second over that is ridiculous. How horrible that he would have to deal with baby girl clothes taking over his den for a few days while I organize a few things. So, while he sulks in his Pink Man-cave, I decided to update our blog while I mull over the scenarios that qualify as disasters in my husband's mind...

To recap on the past few weeks:

(Bucky and cousin Cohen getting reaquainted.)

We've now officially welcomed Uncle Buck (Dallin) home from his mission in South Africa. Cole and Keith affectionately refer to him as "Bu-bee" and "Buh-ee" respectively. He's been hanging out at our house for the past week or so in search of a car and after finding a sweet ride, he left this morning. The boys have been asking for him all day today.
We had a blast in Yak-town as the entire Burnett family was together. Buck hadn't met 4 of the 5 grandkids yet, so it was quite a reunion. Even Great Grandma (GG) got to come visit, which was extra special.

In an effort to beat the heat that has been setting records throughout the Northwest, I stayed at my parent's house an extra few days after the Burnett get-together. When temps are in the hundreds and you are pregnant and chasing toddlers, air conditioning is a requirement. A pool also comes in handy.
Luckily, Grandma B and cousin Jade joined us for a few days of swimming. Jade was absolutely fearless of the water and splashed until she was completely soaked.


It took Keith and Cole awhile to warm up to the idea of swimming, but after a few days, we couldn't get them out. They were fiercely independent of any floaties and absolutely loved blowing bubbles.



Grandma and Grandpa S had a blast teaching them all kinds of new tricks, including standing on the third stair with their chins barely above the water.

So, now we are back to reality which is a pretty good life, I have to admit. The temps are cooling, thankfully, and I'm getting the things finished up that I need to before I go in for my c-section on Sunday morning. I'm still nervous about handling 3 little people but also relieved to not be pregnant anymore and most especially excited to finally meet this little girl! Even though this has been the shortest pregnancy on record, I'm still just as anxious to get her here.
I'll post pics as soon as I resurface and adjust to our new addition.