Family update

I am so blessed.  I have such a wonderful family.  Billy is now home and won't have to work again for 3 months.  Yay for 12 week paternity leaves!!  We LOVE it.  He is still gone in the morning for school but then it is so nice to have him home the rest of the day.  He is such a good Dad.  He actually wants to hold that sweet little bundle and have his turns.  He actually changes diapers and takes turns feeding him.  We also take shifts at night.  I sleep from like 9:30p- 2am and he sleeps from 2-6:30 and during our shift with the baby we sleep here and there.  It's working out pretty good.  Anyway Billy is so wonderful and I love him so much!

Will is on Fall Break this week and it's nice having him home.  He has been so sweet and nice and loving lately.  He has been playing really good with his sisters and it actually seems like less work having him home then more b/c he has been entertaining is sisters so well.  He has come along way since school started with his socializing and sharing, and learning to obey and accept answers.  Things that normally he would have tried to argue about in the past, he just accepts that that's the way it is, and it's so nice that he is so sweet and has such a good, fun personality. 

He has had his problems in school since it started.  He has gotten sent to the Principal's office numerous times and we have even had to pick him up and bring him home twice b/c of his misbehavior.  I think school has just been a big adjustment for him and he acted up at first and didn't always want to do what the teacher asked him to do.  He would get a frowny face or the OK face almost every day at first.  But these last 2-3 weeks we have seen an improvement.  He is doing the work and coming home with mostly smiley faces.  So it is a relief that things are improving at school, and before I had Jaren I was volunteering once a week for the 2nd half of the day at his school.  I want him to know how much I love him and that I want to spend time with him and be with him.  I think it was really good for him that I came to his school.  And I love how he is so young that he is actually proud of me as his mom.  When I come to his school he hugs me and wants to hold my hand and be by me.  So anyway, I am able to see first hand what they are working on and how he does in school.  And I think I have a very smart boy... but he needs to listen and follow directions so his teacher can see how smart he is.  She will hand out worksheets and while she's going over the directions he just starts coloring or drawing on it.  Sometimes he'll try to do the work but if he doesn't know what it's all about he doesn't always do it right.  So when I was there I could stand by him and tell him to listen and explain things to him.  At home I sit RIGHT next to him to work on his schoolwork/ homework and I know he knows his stuff.  The only problem is he doesn't always show it in school.  His teacher sent home a progress report that had mostly N's- needs improvement and -'s (emerging).  There were columns such as letters (capital/ lowercase), letter sounds, patterns, writing, identifies numbers, shapes... some of him he got emerging (like a C) others he got Developing (a B).  Will has known his letters since he was 20 months old!  And when he was 3 he learned capital and lowercase very quickly.  He should have gotten 100% on that part.  He knows all the rest of that stuff too.  I know b/c I've been working with him for years, and I still sit and work with him on his school work almost every day.  During this fall break we've been putting in an hour or 2 every day.  I've done letters and letter sounds with him- and he knows every one of them, I've printed out worksheets so he can do different letters, I've worked on his high frequency words with him, I've done patterns such as 1 circle followed by two squares then I say what comes next?  And he'll draw the rest of the pattern and then I will say and what pattern is that? and every time he knows the answer.  There are 4 choices: ABAB, ABB, AAB, and ABC.  He has gotten it right every time... So I know exactly what to go over with him and I know he knows it.  I just hope he starts showing that he knows it in school soon.  He's a good kid and very smart and he is improving a lot in school I just hope it continues to improve so his teacher can see what I see. 

So I have now made this very long but I hadn't written anything about Will and how he's doing in school yet... SO as for the rest of the family- Adalynn and Tessa seem so big now.  They play well together (most of the time).  Adalynn very rarely throws a fit- but Tessa has pretty high emotions right now.  Although Tessa can calm herself down by going in her room and laying on her bed.  She just comes out when she's ready.   Tessa is talking in complete sentences and says everything- she is getting easier to understand too.  She is a funny girl and always wants to do something- and do it fast.  She is busy and fun.  Adalynn is very talkative lately.  She is my little copycat.  She just wants to repeat everything we say back to us.  Like I'll say "Jaren can't talk b/c he's a little baby."  And she'll say, "Yeah, Jaren can't talk b/c he's a little baby."  Instead of just agreeing she'll say the whole thing back to me how I said it.  Or if I'm saying something to Will or Tessa she'll repeat what I said to them like she's trying to be the little Mommy.  She also talks a lot about what will happen when she's a grown up.  And she sings a lot- she knows a lot of songs!  She's a good, sweet girl and can be very cuddly and mild mannered. 
And Jaren- he's a good baby!  I think he is the easiest one so far.  He still just wakes up once during the night to eat.  We feed him during the day about every 3 hours (more or less) and at night he goes about 4 hours sometimes more.  We usually feed him at night at 10:30 (Billy does that one) then 2:30 (my turn) then 6:30- I usually do that one.  So really it's not too bad.  He has a good amount of awake time during the day and wants to sleep all night.  He is really calm and sweet, he wants to be held most of the time still but I usually don't mind b/c I like staring at him and feeling his special spirit.  He has such a little cry, doesn't spit up or have any major problems.  And he just went in for his 2 week checkup and the doctor was very pleased with his weight gain.  Usually but 2 weeks it's good if they've reached their birth weight.  He went in for his check up at 12 days (b/c the doctor was going on vacation after that) and he has surpassed his birth weight.  He is now 7 lbs 3 oz.  At birth he was in the 10-25% and now he is in the 25%.  So he is doing wonderful. 
So as you can see- I LOVE my family!  I am so blessed!  And I'm so happy our family is complete- it feels so good.  It just feels right.. oh and we just got a van so I am SOO happy about that too- now we can all fit in the same vehicle and no one is squished or feeling claustrophobic.  :)  It's awesome. 

Jaren Andrew Fenter

Our sweet baby boy has now joined our family, and it feels so good to have him here.  We love him so much!  I was scheduled to be induced again (as I have every time).  They scheduled me for 9 am on the 28th but of course they called and said they had no beds available and we could call back later for an update.  A couple hours later I anxiously call, and still no beds- but they said they were predicting early afternoon. 
We were pretty impatient- Billy and I had woken up that morning and gotten ready before  the kids woke up and then after they woke up we excitedly told them it was Baby day! and we were going to get to meet there new baby brother.  Will stayed home from school... I got them all dressed in nice clothes... my mom and brother had the day off work and my sister was able to come.  Everyone was anxious, excited and ready... but still no room in the hospital.  As it got later in the day they said they would be able to get a room that evening but my doctor would be gone in the evening and she wanted to be there to deliver the baby... SO they told us to come in at 3 am.
So 2 am rolls around after a short, light nap and we get up and go to the hospital.  I tested positive for Strep B and they wanted to give me 2 doses (4 hours apart) of the antibiotic before starting the patosin.  So they started the first dose and then we waited... and slept... and waited... I progressed slowly but surely.. Around 10 or 11 I was at a 5 and around 1 My mom and sister and Billy were looking at my contractions saying you are having them right on top of each other- they look pretty intense.  I had an epidural but could still feel a little.  I told them that I felt like something was going on and that maybe we should call the nurse..it had been awhile since they had come in.  Then my doctor and nurse came in, checked me and said "You are +2"  It was just funny how I went from a 5 to +2 without them checking me.  It's a good thing they came in when they did b/c he was RIGHT there!  They prepped as fast as they could and then she said "ok, you can push."  I pushed (like half a push) and she said "OK. Stop!"  And there he was. 
I held Billy's hands as tears streamed down my face.  There was our baby boy so sweet and perfect and beautiful.  Our little boy whom we felt so much love for right away, the one that now completes our family.  They placed that little bundle in my arms and I studied him and fell in love with him.  He had dark curly hair and a combination of everyone it seems- yet he is his own person.  He weighed 6 lbs 15 oz... although he peed on the doctor twice right after he was born and once on me when they gave him to me, so she said if he hadn't done that he would have been 7 lbs.  haha.  He was 21 in. long. (our tallest one so far- although Will was close to that).
He is such a good little baby. His siblings love him so much and want to watch him do everything and hold him and help feed him. He doesn't cry that much- really only during diaper changes. And he's so far our best sleeper at night. He actually sleeps at night- we haven't had one night where he is crying and up and won't sleep. He sleeps- even if it is restless and he wants to be held. And he goes 4-5 hours between feedings at night (on his own- I've had to wake him up to eat before). He is very calm and sweet and we are so happy to have him in our family.



                                   

Day 1- the first time his brother and sisters saw him.

Day 2 at the hospital.

Tessa wanted to hold him and be right by him wherever he was.  It was so cute.

Adalynn holding Jaren.

Will loves having a brother!

Daddy can't get enough.

Going home.

ANOTHER addition!

4 kids and 2 pets.... we are crazy!  We got a little puppy over the weekend.  On Wednesday my friend told me that her sister had some dachshunds that she was giving away for free!  Billy loves dachhounds and had 2 growing up.  As soon as he heard that she had a baby daschund for free he was like"I want it!"  He was so excited about it he wanted to take the family and go look at her that night.  Billy and the kids LOVED her.  They wanted to take her home that night but I had my reservations and thought that we should talk about it and think about it for a couple days. 
Billy tried really hard to convince me that we should get her- the main argument being when would we ever be able to get a daschund for free again?  At the pet store they are over $1,000 and off the streets usually $300-500 and she was beautiful, and short haired (so easy maintenance) and girls are great with kids and more mild mannered.  She was soft and cuddly yet playful and fun.  So I agreed with all his points and I'm like, "I really want her too, and I know the kids would love her... I'm just concerned about the timing."  With the baby coming in a couple weeks it just seemed like it was not the right time. 
I almost convinced Billy of that as well but then he said that he used to play with his dogs for hours every day and he had so much fun with them.  He also said they'd comfort him when he was sad and he loved them.  And he said when the baby comes, it'd be nice for them to have a puppy to play with when I'm giving so much attention to the baby. 
So... we always said we'd get a dog someday and specifically a girl daschund, so I decided OK, let's do it.  So we picked her up on Friday.  And everyone loves her!  (Except for Cozette, our cat- which is a little bit of a problem but I hope they learn to get along soon)  Anyway, the kids are SO happy following her around and watching her sniff things and playing with her and cuddling with her. 
And I have to admit it almost makes you happy just to watch her happily trot into the room- cute little thing.  Indoor dogs are so different than outdoor, big dogs (which is what I had as a kid) and so different than cats.  So it's so fun to have her around.
Here's some pictures:

So, I did this post last night.  And today things are a little different.  So I mainly put the positive things about the dog in my post, but I had been going back and forth for the last 3 days about whether this whole situation was really going to work.  Last night it actually started stressing me out b/c I had had some contractions and I felt like the baby might be coming sooner than we thought and we won't have enough time to have everyone adjust to the situation and get the dog fully potty trained before the baby comes.  And our cat and the dog DID NOT like each other.  We could not have them in the same room, we tried many times with one of us holding the cat and the other holding the dog and they would hiss and bark at each other.  So we took turns having one of them out at a time- for the most part we kept our cat in our room and kept the dog out but then I'd feel really bad for our cat that she was stuck in there the majority of the day.  And I'd feel bad for the dog when we put her in the other room and let the cat out.  Not only that but Sophie (our dog) loves Billy and would pretty much only go to him.  So last night I started stressing out that he was going to be gone all day every day and leave me home with 2 pets who don't get along (one of which I'd have to take outside often to go to the bathroom) and 4 kids- one of which will be a newborn.  It just did not seem like it was going to work.  

But we love the dog and didn't want to just give her back to the people we got her from and never see her again, so we have the best solution!  My mother-in-law loves Sophie too and is single and living alone and she's been wanting a pet.  And she lives just down the street!  So Sophie is going to live with her and we will be able to visit her whenever we want.  I am really happy with that situation, b/c that way she stays in the family and the kids can still see her and play with her often.... I don't think they were quite ready to have her for a pet yet anyway.  So it works out!  I'm really happy with this situation.   

Top 10 Likes/ Dislikes of being pregnant

As I near the end of my last pregnancy ever, I thought I'd make a list of the top 10 great and not so great things about being pregnant.

Let's start with the things that I am NOT going to miss:

1)  Being nauseaus all the time... not being able to keep any food or liquid down.  (I used to get so jealous of people that could take a drink when they were thirsty- I was like "You don't know how good you have it.  I only wish I could just drink something."  I was thirsty all the time but every sip would come up.
2)  Not being able to move b/c I might throw up and I'm too weak.
3)  Not taking care of the kids and the house like I want to.
4)  Being poked with IV's/ needles over and over again due to my "condition".
5)  Heartburn
6)  Back aches
7)  Feeling big and awkward
8)  Feeling so much pressure in my stomach and on my bladder (and not being able to breathe)
9)  Jumpy legs- My legs spazm/ twitch when I'm really tired (every night)
10)  And, I'm not going to miss the times when I can hardly walk b/c I'm so tired and it hurts so bad to take a step.

Things I have enjoyed and will miss about being pregnant:

1)  Seeing those two little lines- It's so exciting!  And giving my husband a huge hug b/c "We're going to have a BABY!" 
2)  Annoucing to friends and family- such a happy, exciting time.
3)  Actually thinking it's cute to have a growing stomache, and being able to show off how big it is.  lol
4)  Getting ultrasounds and hearing the baby's heartbeat.
5)  Finding out if it's a boy or a girl.
6)  Having older siblings rub my tummy and talk to the baby.
7)  Getting ready for the baby and seeing all the cute tiny clothes.
8)  Being able to eat whatever sounds good- not dieting.
9)  Having an excuse why I'm overweight.
10)  Feeling the baby move and knowing that I am so lucky to be a woman and that I can carry a child.  It is such a miracle.  And I am so lucky that I get this special time with my baby to get to know him before anyone else can b/c he's a part of me- and I can feel everything he does.

So even though I have some hard times when I am pregnant and in general I really don't like being pregnant (they have been some of the hardest times in my life)... The good really outweighs the bad, and I am so excited about this new life that we will be bringing to our home soon.  I am so grateful that I have been able to carry 4 children.  I love them so much and wouldn't trade them for the world!

10-10-10

So Billy and I were talking as the kids were playing at McDonalds (they eat two $0.99 hamburgers between the 3 of them- not bad.) and Billy starts school soon. So we were talking about when is the earliest we can have the baby where he would still get finals off work. We are SOOOO lucky- he gets 12 weeks paternity leave this time! So he figured it out that it'd have to be the very end of Sept.- and I'd be 39 weeks.

I don't know about that! I feel huge!! I have already gained all the weight I want to have gained and I really don't want to get any bigger. I already feel awkward; I feel like this baby is bigger than the girls were at this point. And I really think it's a boy thing. All my kids were in the 7 lb range but the girls were born when I was 40 weeks (I was induced) and Will came during my 37th week. He was 7 lbs ll oz at 37 weeks. So I'm thinking that boys are bigger- or at least my boys. And if so I don't want a 10 baby! Sorry, but that scares me a little.
But then I told Billy that I DID think 10-10-10 would be a pretty cool birth date (which is over my due date). And he said "Yea! That'd be awesome- and then I won't have to go back to work till beginning of January!"
Then he said, "The baby could be born 10-10-10 at 10 pm and he will be the 10th grandchild (on my side) and he'll be 10 lbs 10 oz. Ha! That would be pretty funny.... I don't know if I can wait that long, but we'll see! It's sort of not up to us. :)

(That's Will when he was a newborn)

Getting ready for the baby

Well, these last couple weeks I felt like the kids room really needed to be organized and decluttered and I also have been really anxious to start getting stuff ready for the baby.
So 2 weeks ago we had the big project of organizing our closet (it was such a mess) and selling some things on Craigslist. Then we got enough money to buy some things we needed to reorganize the kids room. We were hoping for enough $ to buy another set of identical bunk beds. I thought it'd be nice for Tessa just to transition to the bottom bunk of the bunk bed like Adalynn did- it's a twin bed and Adalynn had no problems adjusting. Plus those beds would last for a long time and then there'd be one for Jaren someday too. BUT we didn't have enough money... maybe someday.
So we got out Will's old toddler bed which is kinda falling apart, but it works. So last weekend Billy set up that bed and put it in the kids room. Will, Adalynn and Tessa are now sharing one big room. We put the little toddler bed inbetween the wall and the bunkbeds so Tessa is sandwhiched in like the crib. The kids love it! Then I went through all the toys, donated some to the thrift store, and reorganized all of them. We bought 2 big tupperware cart things for the toys and I printed out pictures to go on each drawer to help the kids keep their toys straight and know where everything goes. We also bought two small "3 drawer carts" for Tessa's dressor. We already had 1 small one for Tessa's dressor which we need for Jaren, and we had a big white one we already used for toys. Those were the cheapest possible things to buy for storage/ dressor space. They're like $10 a piece.
So now we have

A big dressor (that used to me my mom's, and then me and my sister shared it and now Will and Adalynn shared it- it's old but sturdy) and then two little white tupperware things for Tessa's clothes- works perfect. And then there's the 3 beds close together.
Then we have

a girl "toy chest"- w/ Adalynn's loving family set, followed by kitchen/ food stuff, followed by dress up clothes, then the white one is all baby toys, then the blue one is Will's building stuff. Then we have 3 "chairs" which get lots of use.
Here's the closet:

There is no closet in the baby's room and it's a really small room so we have all the baby's stuff in here too. Toys and clothes for 4 kids in one room! So Jaron's clothes are on the top, Will's clothes are on the bottom- b/c he can dress himself so I wanted them where he can reach them. Then the girls dresses are on the right. We only have nice clothes hanging up and all other clothes in dressors. Then the white tupperware cart in the closet is Jaron's.
I was actually able to fit all his clothes in there!

Here's his onesies. They are so tiny!
And then Billy installed these shelves in the kids closet and our closet.

So there's one on each side of the closet in the kids room. And then 2 in our room.

I think we did the best we could w/ limited space and funds! I am actually excited about all the work we did in getting everything organized and making room for all the baby's stuff. I know it's not the prettiest room but it's the best we could do on very little money. :)
I mentioned that last week is when we did the whole reorganizing project, but I actually didn't put the baby stuff away till today. I washed all his clothes, blankets and bibs yesterday. That was another big project but so fun. I could really picture my little baby when I saw those tiny onesies and folded all the swaddling blankets. I am getting anxious to meet him.
I know it's a little early to be totally ready for his arrival (I'm almost 33 weeks) but I'd rather be ready early and just wait rather than rushing right at the end and being stressed out.
So now that my house is all organized all I have to worry about is keeping it clean and kept up (which I have been slacking on a little with all these projects- so I need to get caught up.)

Will's 1st day of Kindergarten

Yes I cried! My baby's at school... and he'll be in school for a long time now- no going back. I can't believe it. But I love this picture of my handsome boy cheesin' it up. haha. He smiled that way in every picture- the biggest possible smile he could manage. And of course the girls wanted to wear their backpacks and be in the picture too. I love how in this one they have the same pose/ expression.
So here's the details of Will's first day of school:
I had a restless night sleep the night before and I think some others might have too- I sure heard Tessa moving around a lot (kicking the wall). Then they woke up at 5:40... um, no... I don't think so. I told them it was still night time and they went to bed only to come out again at 6:20, so I don't know if they really went back to sleep. They used to wake up at 7:30, but since Tessa's moved to Will and Adalynn's room it's been earlier. So anyway, we decided to start the day. I excitedly told Will it was his first day of school and we talked and talked about that. He was really excited to help me pack his lunch and get in his brand new school clothes, etc. (speaking of the school clothes- he has to wear either red or navy blue shirts, so I just bought the smallest size shirt from his school and thought they would work. I didn't even try them on him till the first day of school and they are really big. So I have ordered new ones that should fit him better from Walmart. com- only $4!... I guess I should have tried them on him sooner)
So we had an extra half hour or so after getting every one fed, dressed, teeth brushed and lunch made. It was kind of nice not too be so rushed. So I had some story time with Will and cuddled him as close as possible until I had to let him go... Then came the hard part. Our whole family got in the car b/c neither his Daddy or I wanted to miss saying goodbye to him at the school on his first day. Billy said goodbye to him at the car and I could tell he was getting a little emotional- which got me started! I walked him into the school where all too soon I met his teacher and had to hand my son over too her. *sniff, sniff* It's so hard. She's so nice and I think she is going to be an awesome teacher, but it's like "Here's my son that I love so much, take good care of him." Well, she let me have a moment to say goodbye to him. I gave him a big hug (didn't want to let him go) and told him that I love him and then said goodbye before he could see me ball. I tried to hold the tears in till I got to the car which is when I lost it. And then Tessa didn't help matters any by saying "Will, Will." over and over again. Finally when I could talk again I told her he was going to stay there for awhile.
Wow... I missed him. BUT on the flip side, it is so much easier at home with only two kids! Adalynn and Tessa play so good together when it's just the 2 of them. They still have high emotions so it does take work to parent them, and I like spending quality time with them throughout the day, but it is a lot easier with 2 kids (and soon I will change that- adding another one to the mix- I just didn't want to keep it simple. lol)
So yesterday when I picked up Will I was so happy to see him and he was happy too. He seemed overjoyed to be home and to tell me all about school and his teacher and what he did. He showed me something he had colored and we talked about the rules in his class (his teacher sent that home) and that got him started talking more about school. It was just so fun to hear all that he wanted to tell us, and I was so happy to have him home. And then I played with him for a little while and he was playing so nicely with everyone- it's like he appreciated us more b/c he was gone for the day.
This morning was easier and I am actually really happy that he's in school. I know he needed to go to school- he needs to socialize and make friends, and play and have the structure of the classroom setting. It's fun for him too. I can't wait till he starts learning how to read and I can't wait to see all the things he'll excitedly show me when he comes home from school. I think he is going to a great school. The principal is someone I have known for a long time, and he is awesome. The teacher is so great, and I love her system. They do language arts curriculm and then hands on stuff and then the math curriculm and then hands on/ application (which I think is play oriented for this age). Everything sounds great, and there's only 17 kids in his class! So I am happy with the school and Will is happy and I am looking forward to more time with my girls before the baby comes!

Someone needs glasses!

So Tessa's been doing this for awhile now:



We kept thinking it would go away, but it didn't- it just got worse and then she started alternating which eye she crossed (it used to just be the left) and we started getting a little more worried as time went on. So we mentioned it to the pediatrition the last check up and she reffered us to the specialist. We finally saw him last week and he gave us some interesting news.
First of all, she's far sighted (as most kids are) and she has trouble focusing when things are close, so she crosses her eyes. It's actually a good thing that she alternates which eye she crosses b/c that means that she's not just weak in one eye. When an adult crosses their eyes they see double, but when a child does it, they have the ability to just shut off that eye and they can still see out of the good eye. I didn't know that! So anyway, she needs glasses, and what that'll do is help her eyes learn to work together and not strain which should fix the problem. And if it does fix the problem then she won't need glasses anymore (best case scenario). So I'm glad we are know now what's wrong and how to hopefully fix it. Let's hope it helps!
She has such pretty blue eyes, I almost don't want to cover her face with glasses... but I'm sure she'll still look cute- and if it helps we'll do it!

Our 2 year old

Tessa turned 2! It seems like she's been 2 for awhile b/c she's so developed for her age, and plus we celebrated her and Adalynn's birthdays together a month ago. BUT she is officially 2 now.
We get a kick out Tessa's personality and her love for her family. She is very loving and happy and gets excited about things. She loves to see "Annie" and Cozette first thing in the morning- she gets so excited when they come into her room. I love to hear her little voice. She is saying more sentences now and it is so fun to not only hear her say new words but also putting words together. One of our favorite words to hear Tessa say is "Thanee or Danee" That's Thank you in Tessa language. She says it often and it is so cute. Even Adalynn has started to say it sometimes b/c she likes to talk like Tessa now and then. Also, the other day I was talking to Billy about something and we said the word baby. Tessa stopped playing rubbed my stomache and said "Hi Baby!" She loves saying hi to the baby in my stomache.
She has gotten past her hitting stage and now she loves hugs and cuddling, so I'm so happy about that. She is a joy to have in our home and she's so smart. Sometimes she does or says something and I think Wow, that's early for her to start doing that. One example is that she pretty much potty trained herself- she's barely 2 and there have been many days where she'll stay dry all day.
We love our little girl and wouldn't trade her for the world!

Adalynn's first haircut

Adalynn got her hair cut! I love it... when I told Billy I wanted a cute little bob (around chin length) he got sad that I was going to cut his little girl's hair. He didn't want it too short... BUT it's summer time, and we got rid of all the straggly ends and it just looks so cute and healthy. I keep wanting to get pictures of her, but it's kind of hard to get a good picture of my kids b/c they move and then all I get is blurry images. But here are some pictures:
Before

The day of the haircut- we were posing together b/c we both got haircuts.

Right after they chopped it

On the way home

All dressed up. She had such a pretty dress on, but I couldn't get a good picture of her standing up. She's our pretty girl, though!


BTW she got her hair cut like a week and a half ago. So I'm a little behind. Tessa's birthday was a week ago.. coming up next. :)

Summer update

So I haven't done an update post for awhile, and as you could see in the last post I finally figured out how to get pictures from our new camera to the computer. So I had a bunch of picures to organize from the last 3 months.
So starting back in May- Will graduated from preschool, and his preschool graduation was so great. I admit, I got a little teary-eyed seeing him up there with his class in his little ducky shirt and hat. He has been singing the 3 duck songs that he learned in preschool ever since them. He's really good at them- he does the motions and everything and it always makes me laugh. I will try to get the video posted here soon- yet another thing I need Billy's help with... he's so smart. :)
After preschool graduation Billy and Will went to their first Father's and Son's camp out- and the first time Will has ever gone camping. He was SOOO excited about it! And when he gets excited he talks non-stop in a loud and hyper voice. Billy said he was talking the whole car ride there and the whole time they were camping. He was telling everyone who would listen about their tent and sleeping bags and roasting hot dogs, etc. haha. He made some friends with the older boys in the ward there too, and I thought it was so cute to here stories about them and to hear how nice they were to my little boy. :)

So we are going to try to make camping a yearly family tradition. We plan to go as a family in a couple weeks- for the first time. We had never been able to afford vacations before but we figured if we buy all the camping stuff and go camping once a year- it'll be the cheapest vacation we could do and we think the kids'll love it.
So, we've also celebrated Will, Adalynn and Billy's birthday. Just one more this Summer and then the next one will be when our baby's born! Me and the baby are the odd ones out w/ Oct. and Nov. birthdays.
So Billy's birthday was a lot of fun. I took the kids shopping and they helped me pick out a new hat, belt, and shirt for Daddy. The shirt I wasn't planning on but it was only $3.50 and it made me laugh. It says stud muffin. Billy wore it all day- including on our date- haha. It worked out perfect that I got 3 gifts though b/c then I let each of the kids carry a present to give to Daddy. They seemed just as excited to watch him open presents as they get opening presents. I also bought his favorite cake: carrot cake. Walmart has a really good carrot cake! I learned that it's actually cheaper to buy it then to make it. So ok! This was the first time I had boughten a cake for a birthday- usually I make them. But it was so much easier and so good!

Our date was the perfect ending to a great birthday day! I love going out with Billy. I love that it never gets old. I seriously cannot spend too much time with him- if he was home all day every day I'd love it. AND I love that we have 2 Grandma's that live so close now that are willing to babysit! It is so incredibly awesome and wonderful to have them close. We missed them when we didn't get to see them as much. Now sometimes the kids will even have both grandma's come over at the same time and they think that is like the most incredible thing in the world- TWO GRANDMAS! haha.
So Billy used to work from home (for about 3 yrs) and it was so nice b/c he'd save time and money on not going into the office and he'd be here if we ever wanted to talk to him. And if he had a slow time he'd just come out and be with us. He almost always was able to eat dinner with us and be with us during family prayer before bed. I miss that. He now has new management and can no longer work from home. :( His new shift is 11:30-8 and he leaves the house at 10:30. So the morning goes by really quick and he's not usually home by the time the kids go to bed. So we miss him, but we are getting used to it. At least he's on summer break from school. He was thinking about taking some summer classes but with the new training and...stuff it didn't work out, and I am glad to have him home.
So when Billy's gone I don't have a car- we are sharing one car. Which is one thing that we really hate about the fact that he has to go in the office. I'd love to be able to take the kids places whenever I want, but oh well. Like I said, at least he's home in the morning for a little while- so it's not so bad. And hey, at least he has a job! Plus, he will be using some vacation days here and there soon b/c he has to use them up before Oct (when the baby comes) and then he will get a 12 WEEK paternity leave!! Yes!! We are SO lucky that he has a job that gives him a paternity leave. It's so nice. It was 8 weeks with our other 3, but after we had Tessa they changed it to 12. So we are excited about that. We have always had good sleepers too. So if this baby does what our other 3 did then the last month of the paternity leave will be really nice- we should be getting good sleep by that point. I hope! :)
Anyway, this is getting really long- I know I'm wordy and I ramble, but get used to it! ha.
So.. so far this summer has been really nice. Our kids go swimming in our little $10 pool outside probably every other day. We are making it to the library now probably once a week and even the mall occasionally. It is so fun to see them having fun and running around and just being kids. They have there moments where they fight but overall they seem to get along really well lately. At times (especially the girls or sometimes Will and Adalynn) will seem like Best friends. They are starting to play really well together lately- where I can actually be in the other room and just let them play in their room. It is so nice.
I will update more later on the kids individually. But here's one more picture of my kids being happy!

Adalynn's birthday!

Well, it's been a month but I'm finally getting around to pictures of Adalynn's birthday! She was so excited to turn 3. Before her birthday I kept asking her what she wanted and she would almost always say chocolate cake even when I was asking her what kind of present she wanted or what food (meals) she wanted- she just wanted chocolate cake. So- ok, that's easy! BTW, if you remember last year she used to not like chocolate and now she loves it! haha. She also really wanted a balloon for her birthday, and I wanted to surprise her with it. So the morning of her birthday I woke up early and went to buy a birthday balloon. When I got home she had just woken up and she was so excited to get a birthday balloon. And all day she was talkng about how it's her birthday and she's 3. It's just so cute and fun to hear her talk, especially when she gets excited about something.
She opened her gifts after breakfast and her favorite thing was the Loving Family Car we gave her. It came with a dog and groceries, and we bought a Mom and daughter to go with it. Then later from her aunts she got the rest of the set- we now have a Grandma, Mom, Dad, older brother, 2 sisters and a baby- just like our family. :) It's so cute. They love to play with it. We also got a gift card from Uncle Heber & Chayo and they wanted a bathroom (out of all the rooms you can buy) So we make a little house and it has 2 baths, a toilet and a sink. So they've gotten lots of play time out of it. It's fun to see them pretend- especially Adalynn b/c she'll act out coversations, like "Do you want to take a bath? OK,let's take a bath. There all clean." And she'll narrate everything she's doing.
Anyway, so then we decided to go to San Tan Mall and the kids had lots of fun at the splash pad there. Later that day we met with our friends and had Pizza- Adalynn's choice. You can see the pictures, it's so cute. We ate outside and all the kids wanted to sit on the same side- they have 3 kids too(2 yr old twins and a son that's almost 4). So the kids had fun. It was a good day!
The next week, we decided to do a combined birthday party for Adalynn and Tessa since Tessa's birthday is coming up soon. I figured since they are turning 2 and 3then they'd probably like a lot of the same things and have fun doing a combined party. I asked Adalynn about it and she was all for that idea. So we had it at Aunt Summer's house. The girls got a lot of the same gifts which is great. I like having 2 of the same thing for them b/c then they don't fight over it, and they have a lot of fun playing together. They both got shopping carts and backpacks. They like pretending to go to school or the store. It's perfect! They also got 2 similiar art kits which is also really good for them- we lucked out! We got a lot of great variety, and they've had fun with their new toys this last month.
Infact, my kids are getting along really well lately! It makes me so happy! They are like best friends sometimes. They all play together and pretend together and we sing songs together. The other day Tessa and Adalynn were holding hands and laughing and I don't know if there is a better feeling as a parent than to see your kids getting along so well and being happy.

Baby Names

I have multiple papers with babies names written down and even a saved document. I was sitting here about to do something else on the computer and I looked down at my list and thought- I'm going to put my list on my blog, and maybe my blog readers can even vote again! That's always fun. So I think I'll do a poll just for the fun of it.
OK, I have been pretty set on the name Jaron, and when I was about 6 weeks along Billy and I were talking and I said, "What boy name do you like?" He said Harrison, and I said Jaron. Then I asked Will, "Will which name do you like better? Harrison or Jaron?" And he said Jaron. And ever since then he has been saying that he's going to have a brother named Jaron- even before we knew it was a boy. Sure enough, he was right about the boy part. He also called Tessa's name too- he knew it would be Tessa before we decided on it. So maybe he has some spritual intuition or insight.... Anyway now Adalynn and Tessa have caught onto it and they are already calling him Jaron. Adalynn will say "Mommy, mommy, mommy!" Until she has my attention, and then, "Jaron's in your tummy." And they'll rub my tummy and say, "Hi Jaron. I love you." It's really cute. I would love to just get in and start calling him by a name too, even if it's a different name it'd be nice to call him a name. But Billy hasn't given in yet...
So we are still debating on a name... but I think the kids would be really confused if we all the sudden changed it on them.
So Billy really likes the name Dastan. Which I really like too, and that's why I'm confused. I can't picture it like I can Jaron- I'm a little more set on that name, but I do like the name Dastan and I could definetly come around to it, so it most likely will either be Jaron Andrew Fenter or Daston Andrew Fenter.
Other names we like are: Trevin, Dayne, Treston, Ammon, Davin or Trenton. Dayne just kinda sticks out there b/c it's the only one that doesn't end in "on" but Billy likes it... although he really likes Dayne Jaris (say it fast... dangerous...) I don't think so!! haha.
So that's our dilema right now. It's on my mind a lot lately. I used to think it'd be so fun to pick a name for your kids, but it can be a little stressful to. I mean he'll live with this name the rest of his life...

Hilary Weeks lyrics

My favorite CD is He Hears Me by Hilary Weeks. I have had it since High School and the songs and peaceful, inspiring music have brought me to tears numorous times over the years. For the last couple of months I've been listening to this worn out CD at least a couple times a week, and it always gives me peace.
Here's some of the lyrics: (It was hard to choose one or two songs b/c all of her songs are great.)

All My Days lyrics
CD Title: He Hears Me
Hilary Weeks


Love
And Grace
Brought Him here
A world to save
He suffered all
He felt our pain
He knew it was the only way

He understands
When I'm unsure
He knows the plan
And when I'm tired
Losing my way
He picks me up and gives me strength
And I will praise Him

All my days
All my days
May my voice ring out in praise
For Him who died
To give me life
I will glory in His name
All my days

He sends His love
So patiently
He teaches me
Step by step
Leading me home
It's the greatest love I've ever known
And I will praise Him

Chorus

And when I see Him again
I will bow down and say

Chorus


He Hears Me lyrics
CD Title: He Hears Me
Hilary Weeks


Here I am again, down on my knees
And with every pleading word, Thy comfort I seek
Though the words are slow to come,
My thoughts are racing by
Peace fills the room, Thy spirit is night

He hears me
When I'm crying in the night
He hears me
When my soul longs to fight
Till the morning will come
And the light of the dawn reassures...
He hears me

Any hour, wherever I may be
In the silence of an empty room, or on a crowded street
Whether offering thanks, or in urgency I pray
I never go unnoticed, I'm never lead astray

Chorus

Any whisper of the soul
No matter how old
Father hears the call

He hears me
When I'm crying in the night
He hears me
When my soul longs to fight
Till the morning will come
And the light of the dawn reassures...
He hears me

The Ultrasound

It's a boy!!
We were so excited to see the ultrasound today. We decided we wanted the kids there, and then we invited both Grandma's- so we had a full room and it was a lot of fun. Will has had his mind set from the beginning. He knew it was a boy and there was no talking him out of it. We had even talked about names a couple months ago, and when he heard Jaron, it stuck. So he's been insisting for awhile that he's going to have a brother named Jaron. I'm so glad we didn't disappoint him.
We all thought that it would be a boy too, we had impressesions for awhile that we were going to have a boy. We were really hoping for a boy and we just felt like it would be, BUT I didn't want to rule out girl and totally get my hopes up either so I tried to keep an open mind. But when we saw the ultrasound- and it was for sure a boy- we were so excited. Now we really feel like our family will be complete. We kept saying this would be the last one... but if this wasn't a boy I would have wondered. We know this is how it is supposed to be. He was supposed to come to our family, and now our family will be complete.
We are really excited now to call this baby "he" and maybe even "Jaron" if Billy gives in. It is so fun to give the baby more personality, and to start getting ready for him. Yay!
We are one happy family!

Good Stand up Comedy!

Will's birthday

Does this look like the face of a 5 yr old?
I can't believe Will's 5! We watched a video today of Will's birth, and when I looked at him he just seemed so big! I am so happy to have him in our lives.
I admit, he tests us a lot. Maybe it's the age, but he doesn't want to accept our answer when it's not in accordance with what he wants. He will just argue and argue. And if we take something away and put it up high where he can't reach it he'll just get a chair and try to go get it. It frustrates me that he doesn't give up.... but I guess that could be a strength of his if applied in the right way.
On the other hand, he certainly can be such a good, sweet boy too. He is the ring leader among his sisters and I think he loves it. He'll have an idea about something they can pretend to do or be and they'll just follow right along like Will's the best thing in the world. They can really have fun together sometimes. Will can also be really sweet and loving. And I love to talk to him when he comes home from preschool. He gets so excited to show us what he did during art time that day! He is such a joy to us.
Here's a funny story about Will. The other day I took them to McDonald's and we were eating and talking about playing after. He started talking about how he was going to go make some new friends, and he said, "I will go up to them and say Hi. I'm Will. What's your name? And they'll say, 'That's a good question.'"
Haha! I thought that was so funny, and he just went on about what would happen next. And then when he was up there playing he was just chattering away- mainly about how this was a new Mcdonalds and the old one burned down. And then I saw him at the top and he looked down at me and yelled, "Mom, I made a new friend!"
Haha. What a funny kid. He gets so excited and happy sometimes.
So here's a couple pictures from his birthday:

Most of the pictures from his birthday party at the park turned out a little dark, but I liked this one b/c you can tell he's excited about this shirt he got from Grandma b/c it has a cowboy on it (like Woody). Later that day, he put it on and he said he was going to wear it every day. He also got new shoes and didn't want to take them off. We even let him wear them to bed that first night. I was actually a little surprised to still see them on his feet when he woke up in the morning, but he wore them all night. He's so funny.
And here's Will about to open one of his presents at home:

He got a cowboy hat among many other things

And it's interesting how excited he was to see this, b/c it's just something I picked up kind of spur of the moment- not as one of the main gifts. But he has really liked his cowboy hat.
It also turned into a magician hat one day

And his sister's like it too:

And speaking of the girls, they are also really into dolls lately. They feed them and "bathe" them, and change them, and take them for walks in their little stroller, and put them down for naps. It is so cute. Tessa is really talking more lately too. The other day she was playing with a baby and it was so cute to hear her say "Baby sleep. Shhh." And baby this and that. :) Here's her feeding a baby.

And here's a happy one of Tessa

She can be so happy and fun. I love to sing songs with her and see her do the little motions; some of her favorites are the wheels on the bus, the monkey & the alligator song, and if your happy and you know it. If I sing those songs she gets so excited; it is just so cute to see her little finger wagging on "teasing mister alligator" or on the wipers on the bus go swish swish. She is just so fun. And I love to tickle her and make her laugh. I also love to hear her little voice... But on the flip side- Oh boy! She has a temper! And she has a big problem with hitting lately. Oh, I have never had a kid hit like she does. If she is mad at the littlest thing she'll hit me, or whoever's closest. One time, when she was in a bad mood, she just fell down, and she got up madly, walked over to me and hit me, just to tell me that she was mad. I hate the moody days, when it feels like my kids are in time out practically all day. I hope this hitting stage passes soon...
So here's a couple of Adalynn and then I think that'll be enough for one day. :) Just can't leave out my beautiful, sweet little girl.

I just thought she looked really cute on the couch that day in her little pink dress with her pig tails.
And here's one after she sat up. Her hair's a little messy and she's watching TV, but I still thought it was a cute picture. :)