Sierra's Birth Video

I have been wanting to make this movie for a very long time. Life has been.....wonderful, but at the same time, I feel like I am treading water and sometimes drowning with all that I have to do to help all my little kids. I guess it will take a little longer then a month to bounce back to normal. ;) The hardest part has been my little Ava. She is trying to potty train herself and it is so hard to keep up with that and take care of Sierra at the same time. I'm grateful my kids are patient (as they can be) and forgiving because it is so hard to attend to everyone's needs. This weekend my sister in law Amy took the kids for not one, but two nights and it has been wonderful! After walking around Tai Pan trading for 6 hours yesterday with just Sierra, and with a little cleaning time this morning I am now ready and refreshed to try again to be a mother of 4. Thank you Amy!

Sierra Roxy Stanger

She's here at last in all her sweetness! Sierra Roxy Stanger. I've been asked, why the Roxy? Mark really doesn't love it, but loves me, so is letting that be a part of her name. Roxy has been one of my favorite names for a long time. My happy place is on the beach and the Roxy clothing brand is beach, sunshine, fun, etc... I wanted this last baby to have a little something extra fun about her name, a piece of me and my happy place. That's why the Roxy. Sierra is first because it is a beautiful name, Mark likes it and I've always wanted an "S" name for one of our Stanger girls. "S" names sound like a news reporter, or a movie star when put with a last name that starts with "S". When we got to the hospital a nurse had on a Roxy jacket that had "ROXY" 5 times on the back. I knew it was a sign and made me give the final push to ask Mark if we can include that in her name. ;)

I wish pictures could capture her softer then velvet skin and her sweeter then flower fragrance. Every little squeak and sigh she makes just melts your heart, especially when you see her dimples. I can't get enough of her. Every time I flip on the light at night to feed her my heart leaps because she is so beautiful. It's hard not to lock myself in my room all day so I can be alone with just her while Mark handles the other three. Luckily the other three are cute too. It is very hard to share though.

These pictures a sweet nurse took for us at the hospital.

So here's how the delivery went down. Around 2 pm on Thursday contractions FINALLY started. And I tried everything to get them started. (Except for drinking scary substances). I taught Zumba on Monday at the gym, Tuesday morning at 6 a.m. I drove to SLC and lifted a heavy mattress onto my car and put together the guest room that day, Mark and I completely moved the office around on Wednesday and that night we put our tent up in the backyard and ordered pizza with the kids. She came on her own time...and the timing was perfect. It has been so nice to have two days to recover with Mark not working. I'm a little nervous for when I have to handle all 4 kids all by myself next week.

So after contractions started, we stalled for two hours. I tydied up the house, hung a few more pictures, curled my hair, etc... Usually I feel contractions for hours before going to the hospital so we were worried about going in to early and getting sent home. Around 4pm our two oldest girls went to gymnastics with a neighbor and Ava went to feed the baby kittens across the street at the Thompsons. On the way to the hospital (15 minutes away) Mark pulled over on dirt road to give me a blessing and then we arrived at the Brigham City hospital at 4:30pm. The nursers were there ready and waiting for me and when they checked me, they told me I was only dilated to a 3.

I knew it would be quick, but they wanted to keep watching me. My water broke after 20 minutes and they still wanted to take things slow. That was when the tears really started to flow because I knew the nurses were not going to listen to me...they were going to wait too long and I was going to have to feel everything. Luckily Mark was there for me to squeeze the life out of his hand and cheer me on all the way through it.

Sure enough, I set the new record for going from a 3 to a full 10 at their hospital. My doctor was of course out of town and the anesthesiologist didn't have a car to get him to the hospital in time. He said he had to ride a motor cycle from his house. I was cursing his name. ;)

When the anesthesiologist finally arrived he had me sit up and try to "hold still" to put the epidural in. At that point I should have told him to stop because it was too late. The baby was pushing out while I was sitting up. I kept saying "THE BABY IS COMING OUT!" but everyone kept their focus on the epidural and getting it in me. As soon as he taped the epidural in I sat back into the chair and the baby's head popped out. I'll never forget how good that felt.

An on-call Doc (Doctor Starr) showed up to pull her out shortly after that. Then 5 minutes after that the epidural kicked in and my body went numb litterally from my head to my toes. I couldn't move a thing and my head was so dizzy. After an hour or two it finally wore off.The girls checking out their new baby sister. They bought her a little bear that lights up at Walmart just before coming to see us and each brought me a pink rose.

I'm so grateful it is all over. It feels amazing to have Sierra out laying on the bed. I feel so much better physically. And I can now take allergy medicine and pain killer. Yes! Luckily we had no tearing or stitches this time...somehow my body was just fine with the fast delivery.


Lyndi was on her way to school when she saw the baby for the first time and the sweet nurse took her picture and printed it out so she could take it to school with her. How thoughtful is that!


Sierra in her going home outfit in the car seat.

Things to do in Elwood.

Help dad mow the lawnJump (Ava says "dump!")
Read stories to each other
Help with trimming the flowers

Color
Have a tea party.
Hula Hoop
Play doctor.
Swing
Swim in a pirate ship.
Pick flowers for mom.
Play in the rain.
Ride on the Thompson's (across the street) airplane.

Swing some more.
Hold baby kittens (also at the Thompsons across the street)

Explore Hansen park.


And trim more flowers.

Poor mom and dad need all the help they can get.

Summer visitors

We've had more company visit us in Elwood in one month then we've had in two years in Apple Grove. We love having visitors!

Below are a few pictures from a marshmallow roast we had with Jason and Amy's family. Jason is Mark's brother.

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Grandpa Stanger has been down a few times from American Falls, ID.



We finally got to see Esther, Emma and Liza and their parents from Twin Falls.



Thank you Emma for taking the time to drive up and see us. I can't believe I some how missed taking a picture of you and Max. Here is Ava with her buddy (use to be next door neighbor) Malia.
Ally with Lyndi and Ashley.

Box Elder County Fair

The Box Elder County Fair came in August this year and it was just a few miles from our house. It was fun to take the kids to see the animals...and to learn a little more about what 4H is all about. Ava has absolutely no fear when it comes to animals. Even if they are 10 x's her size. I think she gave these poor cows a heart attack when she marched right up to them and tried to feed them.
There were all kinds of cute lop eared bunny's and beautiful variety's of chickens. Our favorite were the ones with crazy affro feathers on their heads. Ava kept saying "funny mom, funny!" when she saw them. Lyndi especially loved the large gorgeous roosters.



This is Ava with her buddy Taylor who lives across the street having some pizza at the fair.

Our nice neighbors, the Couches invited us to the parade. We were lucky to be with them because they have been attending the parade for years and years and knew just where to drive to avoid traffic, just where to park and right where to sit.

The kids and I entered the art contest at the fair. It was so fun to be a part of something small town. It was very low key and we all got money for entering and winning ribbons. This is Ava with her "black bug" water color painting. She was sure proud.

Lyndi and Ashleys were way up high so I will describe them to you. Lyndi painted a picture of a Halloween trick or treat cat. Ashley painted a candy factory.


This is my drawing of an ivy leaf.

Ashleys Birthday

We just returned from celebrating Ashley's 4th brithday in Pleasant Grove. Ashleys birthday wish was to be with her old friends and Ahlstrom cousins at Grandma "by the G's" house.


Ashley wanted a Beauty and the Beast toy collection, Lyndi bought her a painting set where you paint ceramic dolls and Grandma bought Lyndi a Disney Tinkerbell doll and a few new outfits. Thank you so much! Ally and max brought a Snow White picnic set and all the Ahlstrom cousins brought Ashley a set of cool pens, a notebook and a hello kitty bag.

Dixie and Aliea brought Ashley a picture frame that you color and put stickers on and took a picture of them together.

Starting school bash!

Lyndi planned a starting school party and even designed the cake for her and her cousins on the Stanger side. She made a jelly roll style ice cream cake and covered the roll part with blue frosting like an ocean wave. She made strawberry fish for the water and we put sprinkles on the sand. Ken, Mariposa and her Kung Fu Panda Tiger Pez topped the cake.
Poor Emma and Ashley were teased for licking the dolls clean from off the top of the cake.
Emma is in the green shirt with the Ken doll. Ashley has Mariposa.


Sweet Lyndi has started school at last. She is attending McKinley Elementary school and gets to ride the bus every day with one other girl, her new best friend Libby. Lyndi's teacher is adorable and has already established that they share the same favorite color. Lyndi picked these flowers from our yard and gave them to her the first day.


Riding the bus.

Lyndi's classroomLyndi with her new teacher Missy Michaelis (in the checkered sweater) and classmates.

Receiving a fathers blessing during Family Home Evening. The girls decided to dress up because Mark was in his Sunday clothes to give the blessing.




The girls also started gymnastics this week! Ava still gets to watch, but is learning from watching and is showing me her "Coo twicks" already. The new gymnastics class is way ahead of what they were required to do at their last gymnastics place. Even the warm up was more intense. They are loving it and don't seem to have any fear. I'm really proud of them.