Two weeks...

So, my sweet girl is already two weeks old (almost three). In some ways I feel like she's been here forever. It amazes me how fast it feels normal to have her here, like she's always been part of our family. She is a beautiful, sweet baby. Unless...

She's been awake for more than five minutes and I haven't fed her yet. She can be quite impatient. But even the screaming fit face is cute to me!

Hanging out with daddy, going to church for the first time. She was great, she slept the whole time we were there. Never even got out of the car seat!

Big girl bath time. I think she likes it!

This is my favorite sleeping face she makes, with her tongue sticking half way out. So relaxed!

Sister holding her after her first real bath. Avery is a big help!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Halloween

So, since it's almost Thanksgiving I figured it was time to catch up and post some Halloween pictures. We had a fun Halloween. The kids are fun ages for holidays like that. I was so ready to have a baby that I was walking fast all over the place. (for all the good it did!). Anyway, we had a trunk or treat at our church. The kids and I stopped by for a while, Cody was working. Then on Halloween night, we went to Cody's parents. They have a great neighborhood for trick or treating. It's a small gated community, so it's quiet and safe. Not too many kids live in the neighborhood, but the old people that live there love to spoil the kids that come. So, it works out pretty good!

This was the first year we didn't have a princess. Avery was a cute little cheerleader. Liam loves Ninja Turtles and even knew exactly which one he wanted to be. (don't ask me because I still have no idea) This is cousin Wyatt who is a dragon/dinosaur (we're not quite sure) But very cute little green thing.

Cody's mom taugth Avery a cute halloween cheer. So, she was performing for everyone.

Here is Avery with pirate cousins Kendi and Davin in front of Gammy Janes cute witch.

Growing already...

It's me again, so this post won't be nearly as entertaining as the last one. I was cracking up at Cody's first blog attempt. I think he should do it more often.

Well...our sweet girl is almost two weeks old already. She is a super sweet newborn. She hardly makes any noise unless she's hungry. And when she is you better stand by because she gives you about two seconds warning before she starts throwing a huge fit! She definately likes her food. We took her in for her first check up when she was 5 days old and she had only lost one ounce from her birth weight. So, the chubbiness Cody craves isn't too far off! She looks so different already. The kids are doing great, they love loving on her. It was an interesting moment when Liam discovered how she gets her food. He knows that babies only drink milk, so the first time he heard her crying and I told him she was hungry he said "ok mom, I'll get the cup, you get the milk" it was cute. Then he saw me nursing her and was really confused!?! So, I explained to him that mommy makes milk for the baby. Then, I tried to put it in terms his three year old brain could understand. I told him that cows make milk for the baby cows, and and sheep and other things he has seen. Then he said "ohhh you're the cow", so thats where we left it. Moms the cow, at least he doesn't think it's weird anymore!! They have both been really sweet with her, which isn't hard because she is so soft and lovable.

Today is Cody's first day back to work. It was so nice having him home. He doesn't think he helped too much, but he did. He may not have done too many dishes...or vacuumed my floor (which would have been ok with me!). But he was great with the kids, he took Avery to school and picked her up so I didn't have to leave the house. Today was my first day on my own and she was late for school. I had to take her through the office for a tardy pass. Not used to feeding a baby, taking a sleeping Liam to the car, and getting Avery ready at the same time. I need some more practice I guess. I will say that my yard looks great, and he got lost of errands done that he never has time to do!

We finally got rid of our huge beast of a truck and got another ultra cool mini-van. It was great timing. We found the van the day before Emrie was born. So, I never had to put three kids in the back of that thing!! So, Cody also made sure it is in good working order, registered and insured. Which are all things I would have had to do sometime, if he weren't at home. I miss him already, it's been very quiet around here today. It was nice having him here to just hang out with us. We don't get to do that too often.

We have had so many visitors and people bringing food, and offering to bring food. I've had people offer to help with Liam. I'm very grateful to everyone who has helped us. We have awesome family and friends. Our ward is wonderful too, I know there are lots of people around if I need anything, and that is a huge comfort to me. I'm grateful we're all home and healthy and have this perfect, sweet addition to our family. I'll post more pictures, when I figure out where cody put them on the computer :)

And Then There were Three

Emrie Jane Carmichael was born on November 5th at 250 in the afternoon. She was 7lb110z and 19" long. Everybody is well and if this Blog sounds different its because I (Cody) am writing it and I'm no blogger, well guess I am now. Emrie is so chubby, she was born with these huge cheeks and is sooo hungry. I have always told Candi I want another baby like Avery was, you know roll on top of roll and just as chubby as can be. So feed that girl honey!!!

This is the Chubby I want....This is Avery...I just love my babies like this. This is a whole new baby chubby. You can loose all kinds of stuff in that kind of chubby. Giving them a bath is like moving a couch cushion, you can find spare change, cheerios, goldfish crackers, fruit snacks...Its awesome. Then there is the tan lines. The cracks between rolls don't get any sun so you can straighten out their legs and they are all tiger striped.

SORRY, I got lost in Chubby talk....Back to the birth.


The birth went well. "I didn't feel a thing", unfortunately Candi's epidural wasn't very good so she felt quite a bit. I think watching your child be born is one of the most spiritual experiences you can have, I am amazed every time. I am so thankful for a healthy and beautiful baby and wife. How lucky am I???I mean look at me I look like a Grateful Dead Roadie or something, and I have been blessed with such a great family.

Liam and his baby sister....He loves her, but has been sure to let us all know he would have rather had a baby boy and wants to name him Tyler. (don't ask me.Tyler??.the kid is random)

"FEED ME MAMA" I got about 18 rolls of loose skin I gotta fill up.



The picture on top was about 5 minutes after giving birth, I think Candi looks great. She seems to be glowing...It looks like I am that guy behind the news anchor lady that is just trying to get on tv...haha.

On the bottom is my lovely clan. Avery cant get enough baby time and is so proud.We will post more soon.

Remembering...

When I was pregnant with Liam, I remember looking at my sweet first born Avery and wondering how I could love anything as much. Well, as anyone with more than one child knows it's easy. They come into your world and your heart melts as much for the second as it did for the first. So, now as I prepare to welcome #3 I know that I will love her just as much as I do Avery and Liam. But this past week as I have been trying to get ready, and hoping my body is getting ready something funny has been happening. I find myself watching my beautiful children in amazement, and loving them more than ever.
Cody and I sat and played with Liam the other night for hours it felt like. It was late at night, Avery was long asleep. Liam should have been too, but he was being so sweet and funny that we just played and laughed with him. He was singing every song he knows to Cody and trying to teach Cody the words. Being unbelievably bossy and demanding, but so hilarious at the same time. I was watching him sleep last night, with his impossibly long eyelashes spread out over his face thinking how perfect he is, and how huge and grown up he is going to seem when we bring this new little one home.
And Avery seems so grown up already. She just finished her first soccer season, we just got her first school picture back, all these "firsts" that she still seems too little for. We were looking at all of the hundreds (maybe thousands) of pictures we've taken of her on the laptop the other day. She loved it and wanted to hear the story behind every one. I watched her grow up right before my eyes on the screen. She is so loving to her family, and every one for that matter. She is getting so smart, she has so many questions. Her little mind is thinking and working all of the time. On Saturday night we went to "light the night" it was a fundraiser walk for Leukemia/ Lymphoma society. Cody's sweet ten year old cousin Hannah died from Leukemia last December. Avery knew her well, and we had to explain a lot about life and death in the time she was sick. Avery talks about her all of the time and wonders what she's doing now. She misses her a lot. Well, we were walking and she very seriously asked Cody "How does walking two miles help Hannah" she didn't ask in a bratty, I don't want to be here kind of way. She really wanted to know. So, he just told her the truth. That it won't directly help Hannah, but it raises money to help other people with the same disease. And that we think it would make Hannah happy to see us all there together, doing something to remember her and to help others.
I love my family so much. I love watching my husband play with and love his children. And even though I'm nervous to have three little ones, I'm so excited to meet this new person and see who she is. I've often wondered who she will look like, if she will favor Liam or Avery, or be completely different. I wonder what her personality will be like and who she will become. I'm excited to see Cody with another tiny baby, and to see how Liam and Avery love and take care of her. I know I'll be spread thinner and that will be hard sometimes, but I feel so blessed to get to raise and influence another sweet spirit. I know this is long and rambling, I guess it's a product of too many mommy hormones!!