Summer 2013

Belle loved all the swimming time she got this summer.




She took 2 sessions of swim lessons this summer and loved it. It helped that she knew the instructor so well (Madison Petersen). She was very worried about putting her head back in the water to do a back float, she was so nervous that she would go under. By the end of the second session she was definitely doing better with and not as nervous. The last day of lessons they take the kids down the waterslide and Belle loved it so much!

Jarod's mom was visiting for a couple days and got to come to the first lesson.

 

John Deere had a fun day of getting trying out their gator vehicles (kind of like dune buggies). They were so fun. Kellie and I drove on together on the track they had built that had hills and jumps. John Deere also had little tractors for the kids to drive. Belle and Emma were in heaven!

 

 

Helping Papa

Belle decided to help Papa wash his car a couple of days ago.  It wasn't too long before all her clothes were soaking wet so what better to do than take them all off.  The outside water tap is warm water to help wash the cars (Papa is just a little interested in his cars...).


 

 

 

 

More Pictures

Clara is getting so smiley now.  She loves to smile a ton first thing in the morning.  She had her 2 month checkup on Wednesday, April 5. She is 11 lbs and 21 inches long.  They had to measure her 3 times because they were sure she couldn't be that short.  She is in the 42% for weight but only the 1% for height. I guess Jarod and I just have shrimpy babies-Belle was little for a long time too.  I think Clara looks a lot like Belle did at this age.  Clara does have darker hair and eyes and her eyelashes seem really long too.

 

 

 

This is Belle at 3 months old. I think you can tell Clara and Belle are related!

 

Easter!

Easter was wonderful this year.  Our sacrement meeting with testimonies was so good-everyone had wonderful things to say and the spirit was so strong.  Easter is such a great time to reflect on our Savior and all he did for us.  We had a lot of fun enjoying the warmer weather that comes with Spring too. Belle got to have 3 different egg hunts, one with our playgroup, one from the Easter Bunny with our dyed eggs, and another one at Grandma and Papa's house with the cousins. She knew just what to do this year (after picking up the first egg she found and throwing it back on the ground).



Getting ready to dye eggs-she thought it was so fun.  I let her decide how long to leave each egg in and how dark she wanted the color to be.

The girls in their Easter dresses-matching dresses are a must! Clara was not thrilled about taking pictures.

 

Not too bad of a picture of my sweet babies.

 

Sweet Pictures

Here are a few more pictures that were taken at the hospital of Clara.



Sisters getting to meet for the first time-Belle wasn't keen on holding Clara but whenever she would come over and look at Clara, she would talk about 5 octaves higher and say "Oh look at the cute baby" and really draw out the word baby. 

 

Happy Papa meeting Clara.


This was when we were all ready to finally go home-too many days in the hospital.

My sweet big girl!

 

Chirstmas Dress & Cattle Drive

Here is Belle in her cute Christmas dress. She even wore a poofy petticoat under it that was my sisteer Tiffany's when she was little. Belle is looking so grown up lately and her hair is getting really long.




She had a sweet red pea coat this winter.  She loves to snuggle her stuffed animals. My mom found this panda a little while ago that used to be mine when I was little-I loved pandas. 

One of the perks of living in the country-having a cattle drive pass your house.  A rancher was renting some of our cornfields this winter and they were moving the herd from one field to the next. Lets just say they were much more coordinated than our cattle drives have ever been.  They had five cowboys on horses and a couple of cow dogs helping herd the cattle along.

 

 

Clara Jean!

Say Hello to Clara Jean Rollins born 2/3/13 at 11:23am, 8lbs 3oz, 20 inches long, head circumference 36 cm, chest circumference 36 cm

We are so happy to have Clara join our family, we feel very blessed that Tanya was able to avoid a C-section, won't give everyone all the details, but after having her water broken for 24 hours without enough progress, the risk of infection increases and the likelihood of needing a C-section increases also, not what we wanted. Approaching the 24 hour mark we realized a c section was the best option. We were prepped for surgery and I was putting on my scrubs when another lady came in possible needing an emergency C-section so we got pushed to the back of the line and had to wait an hour. Tanya had been dilated to 5 cm for hours with no progress, when it was our turn for surgery the Doc checked Tanya one more time and said ok, she's complete she can start pushing, everyone including the nurses did a double take, no one could process what she just said, so I asked "you mean she's dilated to 10 centimeters?" the doc said yes, so Tanya pushed for less than an hour and now we have a beautiful baby girl. Miracles happen every day!


 

 

 

 

When Clara was born she had wet lungs and she wouldn't cry to clear them out-she just kind of grunted. They had to put her on oxygen to get her oxygen levels up but after 24 hours she was doing great and they took her off of it. She had lab tests and chest x-rays done and it showed that she had an infection possibly pneumonia but the tests for pneumonia take 48-72 hours so they automatically start antibiotics even before they are sure what is wrong.  Her 48 hour test was negative and they check it again at 72 hours but the doctor said most likely it will be negative too based on the 48 hour results. Her breathing has improved and she is doing well. She has to have an IV to get antibiotics for at least 5 days since the initial lab results and chest x-rays show some build-up/infection in her lungs but we were told in the beginning her stay could have been as long as 10 days so we are happy about 5 days. All in all Clara is doing great.  The doctors all think she sounds great and is very healthy just needs to get some medications for another couple days. She is nursing like a champ and seems pretty happy (unless we are poking her for the hundredth time!). Thanks for everyone who has been thinking and praying for us-we have felt so blessed over the last few days with all that has happened despite the emotional roller coaster we have been on.