Juliet's blessing!

Juliet received a name and blessing on December 28th! Her daddy blessed her and she was beautiful. There came a point where she was done being in her dress! Great Grandma Carter made her blessing blanket! Thanks Granny!
"I hate everyone but Jesus!"

Thanksgiving!

Brandon wants to do a puzzle for Thanksgiving every year! I HATE it because I am in the kitchen working away and he is having a blast with a puzzle party! He is still really great to help! Here we are enjoying our dinner!


We were soooo lucky to have Nana with us!

Big Sister!

Juliet LOVES her big sister!

Juliet ..... 11 weeks all ready?

Juliet is getting soooo very big! She is now 11 weeks and I am still squeezing her into her Newborn onsies! (notice how stretched they are!) She can be very serious and in an instant very smiley!




















The other night we layed her down facing this Eliot doll and she spit her pacifier out and smiled at it then cooed at it for the next 5 minutes! So cute!

Done with the photo shoot!

As you can see Juliet is sick of her picture being taken and just wants to be held ...NOW!

Jeffords Nativity

This is from the Annual Nativity display at the Stake Center. We didn't want to bring Juliet being just a week old but we felt like we needed to go. We quickly went through all the rooms trying to avoid too much human contact. As we started to leave the kids broke down crying because we didn't go to the gym to make our own living nativity scene. It was their favorite part last year. We're glad we did it. And....yes, that is Juliet in the manger.

Santa 2008

I'm sorry but this Santa kicks some serious butt! Suzy takes the kids to the mall every year to see Santa and take a photo. This guy has me believing all over again. When I was a kid, he was more like the Santa from the movie Elf - "You sit on a throne of lies. You're not Santa. You stink. You smell like beef and cheese." I also love how each of my kids personalities are aptly represented in this picture.

Piano Recital

Darby played "March of the Christmas Toys" and "Joy to the World" for her first piano recital. There were about fifty or so people in the audience. She played them first as a solo and then as a duet with her piano teacher. With only six weeks of lessons she did a fantastic job. I would post the video but I recorded it sideways. I was using my new camera phone and thought I'd get a better composition that way. (Yes, this is Brandon posting this.) So, unless you want to turn your computer monitor clockwise ninety degrees, it will be uncomfortable to watch. Darby’s piano teacher is Sister Butler from our Ward. Afterwards she gave Darby a “grand piano” ornament for our tree.

Happy New Year!

We have so much to blog and so little time! Do I blog or shower? Do I shower or eat? Do I do laundry or wear dirty undies? Do I bathe the kids or make dinner? So here I sit blogging, sitting in stinky undies next to stinkier kids that are hungry and so am I! All is well though because we have a fun addition to our family and we are all healthy and together! We will blog all the lost time we had in the next couple of weeks (after the showering and changing of the undies!) Until then, we hope you all have a happy and safe new year!

Bonding Time...

I can't say more than these pictures do.

Juliet's Birth (Dad's POV)

I thought, after reviewing the scarcity of blogs as of late, that I should probably step in and add my first post. Appropriately, I will give a detailed account of Juliet's birth from her father's eyes.

November 30th 2:34pm - We were in the middle of Sacrament Meeting when Suzy signaled to me that her contractions were now two minutes apart and had been for a while. Being just a couple weeks ahead of the birthing schedule is Suzy's forte. So we immediately grabbed kids, bags, and pregnant woman and headed out the chapel doors. At the hospital we found out that Suzy was only dilated to a three; only a step up from her last doctor's visit. Needless to say, after a few weeks of miserable third trimester blues, the prospect of being sent home didn't set too well with Suzy. We sat and waited, listening to buzzing and bleeping of various monitors and watching Sunday afternoon television on their huge five inch screen. After a couple of hours and a few more rubber glove violations we arrived at barely 3 1/2 to 4 centimeters. So the nurse called the doctor and the doctor said....(drum role please)..... "Admit her." YAY! So off we went.

We were immediately upgraded to the L & D suite upstairs; complete with a door, two extra seats, and a TV remote tethered to the bed. I kind of like that after eight years and four kids that the only thing that's changed about the hospital is the menu....wait never mind its all the same. And there we waited - Suzy, Suzy's mom, me, and Hilary Boyer.

6:36pm - IV and pitocin drip begin.
8:03pm - Suzy is violated once again; this time by a long plastic hook and random doctor that breaks her water and has a weird crush on Suzy's mom.
8:16pm - we scramble for a good boy's name. We both think it will be a boy. The name will probably be Stixon.
7:46 - 9:31pm - Various probing by other masked, rubber gloved vigilantes.
9:45pm - Suzy makes a new friend and possibly a new eternal companion - her anesthesiologist!
11:59pm - the effacement and dilation counts reach an all time high. We are on the edge of our seats.
12:46pm - Nurse says its time to start pushing. Little does she know that Suzy's an old pro at this. Suzy pushes once and the nurse says, "Okay, let's wait for the doctor."
1:05am - A young female doctor comes in. Her and her assistant had to be between 25-30 years old. They were awesome. Pushing.....pushing...pushing. (Sorry this is the man's POV, I make it sound so easy. Well Suzy makes it looks easy.)
1:20am – The head is out, umbilical chord is loosely wrapped around the neck. The doctor unwraps it with ease.
December 1st, 1:25am- a baby comes out...umbilical chord is covering the babies sex parts... long 30 seconds passes...doctor says, "Oh, you don't know what it is yet, do you?....It has....girl parts!" Juliet is born!

This is the where the story gets interesting. Juliet looks like smurfette. Why?....because she's BLUE! Her one and a half foot journey left the markings of a 15 round heavy weight boxing match. On top of that, her breathing was labored. Mommy held the baby briefly and then it was off to the nursery.

So... "stressed out Dad" left "stressed out Mom" and went to the third floor with "stressed out baby". At the nursery my fears were relieved by two wide-eyed nurses that thought, by her appearance, that Juliet was dead. They hooked her up to the respiratory and heart monitor. Her breathing changed a bit but remained too fast. I went down to Suzy's room to help alleviate her worries and try and get some sleep. It was a long night. I told Suzy everything would be fine...I had no idea. I was out of my league and knew I needed assistance. I called a friend to help give Juliet a blessing. They transferred her to the NICU in the morning and we gave her a blessing there.

I watched her for a long time in the NICU. This is where Dad's have a total advantage. I get to see everything first hand and Suzy has to wait in her room for updates. Fortunately, this story has a happy ending. Juliet was fine. Her breathing was labored because she still had some fluid in her lungs. She was soon breathing normal.

12:32pm Juliet was in Mommy's arms again. (still blue though)

The nurse told us to be careful when we walked around the hospital with her because the staff would probably think she was not breathing. We found out later that the bruising on her face and the fluid in her lungs was due to her rapid descent. I guess in "birthing speed" that was considered "fast". So I'm talking with Guinness about a "Fastest Womb Descent" category in their next addition. I'm also talking with Revlon about a line of newborn cosmetics for those stressed out, lizardy, battered (sometimes blue) looking babies that need a little gussying up. On the positive side I think everyone's first photo should be their worst. That way you've got plenty of room for improvement.

2:33pm - Suzy and Brandon argue over the spelling of her name. Suzy texted a few friends and "Juliet" wins over "Juliette". (for the record that was my choice)

2:34pm - All is well. Happy Birthday Juliet.

Juliet is here!

Juliet Zuzu Jeffords was born on December 1st at 1:25 a.m. She weighed 6 lbs 12 oz and was 21 1/4 in long. She is a precious addition to our little family and we are so glad she is finally here! We will post more on mommy and baby soon! Hope all your holidays are going as wonderful as ours! We love you! Brandon and Sue !

Quote of the day!

Tonight after Max was done with his bath and brushing his teeth he came down stairs for scriptures and was eating yummy candy out of the Pez dispenser that Nana had bought him. I said "Brandon didn't he all ready brush his teeth? Why is eating candy 30 seconds before bed?" Brandon looked at Max with raised eye brows expecting and answer!

Max: "I finded a little midnight snack!"

How does any parent argue with that? (at 8 pm....not midnight) :p

Thankful Heart (9)

There are really so many things to be thankful for and I thought I would do this every day. The days seem to be slipping away and now that my mom is here (thankful) I have even less time to get on the computer! Today I am truly thankful for humor. Brandon makes me laugh every day. We make each other laugh. Commercials make me laugh. My good friends make me laugh and of course my kiddos crack me up. With out humor I would be lost! It makes all the ugly seem not so ugly. Even in the ugliest of moments! I love the "Love to laugh" part in Mary Poppins! Humor is really something to be thankful for!

Thankful Heart (8)

Hot Chocolate! My mom sent us a bunch of Stephen's Hot Chocolate! Seeing as our high temp today is only 51, we have enjoyed the Hot Sha Sha ever so much. It is not only the Hot Chocolate I am thankful for, it is also the modern technology in which I have to heat it! My brother gave me a hot chocolate maker last year for Christmas making it ever so easy to make! When you add that to the washer and dryer I used today and the microwave and the carpet cleaner that is coming a little later, the heater, the grocery store up the street, the refrigerator, the computer, the phone and cell phone, don't forget the t.v./babysitter, the car, the running water, hot water, and so many other things ...... I feel very blessed and thankfull to live in the time of technology and hot chocolate!

Thankful Heart (7)

I am so thankful for Brandon. He is helping me get ready for the baby and my mom coming. He is picking up all the slack that I can't handle. AND he refuses to let me have guilt! (It is still there he just refuses to listen to it). Tonight he brought me home a "Willow Tree". It was called "Cherish", it is the figure of the pregnant woman with her hand on her belly. No reason, just because. I broke down in tears. He said "I figured we weren't going to be doing this again, so you might like this." I could go on and on with all the things he does and has done for me but the bottom line is that he is my best friend and I am his. I would do anything for him and I know he would do the same for me. He is good for me and I am better because of him! I love that man!

Thankful Heart (6)

PLAYGROUP! I have loved it since we moved to Texas. I have met and made some of my closest friends their. It is a life saver to be able to vent and discuss EVERYTHING! We have laughed and cried together, held each other up, babysat, shared, over-shared, had spiritual moments, learned how to parent, learned how not to parent and anything else you can think of. I am forever grateful for this brake every Tuesday and would be lost without it. Anyone who has been a part of it can testify that it is for sure something to be thankful for!

Thankful Heart (5)

Today I am thankful for my mom! She makes me laugh and smile all the time. She called me today and left a voice mail that said "the blankets are folded! I repeat the blankets are folded." It is code that she sent us a package. She does it with every package but it changes depending on what is in the package. (It is supposed to be like "the eagle has landed") It is kind of dorky but I love it. I am so grateful she is coming to be with us and all though we are "taking" her away from everyone in Utah for 2 holidays it is darn time we get her! I wish we all lived closer! She is a great example of love, tradition, and comfort. I talk to her every day usually more than once. Anyone that knows her knows she is the best! I am thankful that she is my mom!

Thankful Heart (4)

Today I gave my visiting teaching message on this exact thing. Having a thankful heart. It has been really a great thing. So many things that would usually get passed by as I focused on the negative or a busy life have been seen because of this little challenge. Today I was thankful for my V.T. companion. Dee Dee Durrett. When we first became companions I was excited because she is really nice and I sort of knew her from the gym. Getting to know her from our visits though has been a real blessing. She is really great. She has a super kind heart and is genuinely interested in you when you talk to her. She always has a positive attitude no matter what is thrown at her! I am really lucky to have gotten to know her on a more personal level. I am thankful for Dee Dee.

Quote of the day!

Today Darby played with Dash while we worked on home repairs! They road bikes and she would push him up the street so he could ride down! She went a got a couple of lawn chairs and water bottles for their "brakes". When I asked her what she was doing she said:

Darby: "I am getting us some stuff to relax with because I am sure that Dash is just Poofed!

Mom: "What is Dash?"

Darby: "You know,Poofed!"

(It was REALLY hard to correct her and let her know the word was "pooped" because her word was way cuter!)

Thankful Heart (3)

Our neighbor came over today to help Brandon fix the garage door. He noticed we were putting in a new microwave above the oven said he would help with that too. Brandon had to get parts at Home Depot for the bathroom and David went with him and offered to help with the bathroom too. He simply came over to help with a 30 minute problem and he ended up staying for about 4 or 5 hours. We tried to give him a gift card for our thanks and he said it would ruin everything he had done if we gave it to him. He gave up so much time and energy and in the end his comment was "it was a Saturday well spent!" What a great example of service. I was so thankful for his time and energy he offered us. I know that Brandon could have done all of those things alone but it would have taken 3-4 weekends because we don't have all the tools or know how! David saved us time by giving up his and I am Very Very Very thankful!

Thankful Heart (2)

So I missed yesterday but I thought about it a lot. It was a bad day but there were moments of thankfulness! Today though I am thankful for my home. It is the first home Brandon and I bought together. I never thought I would own my home. It keeps us warm and safe and dry. My kids love it and feel at peace here. The back yard is their playground. Their rooms are their havens! I love to walk up the stairs at night and stop half way to look into the livingroom. It never fails, when I do I feel complete peace and hope. With in these walls we have lived, laughed loved, screamed, been sick, cried, had babies, boo boo's & blessings. There are stains and fingerprints, holes and leaks, rips and scratches and we are quickly outgrowing it....but it is all ours! I love it here and I can't imagine being any where else right now! How lucky we are to have a home!

Quote of the day!

When Darby was watching the results of the election with me she asked what was taking so long for the results. I told her they had to count all the votes in every state!

Darby: Man that is a LOT of votes. I sure hope the counters are counting in 5's or 10's!

She sure is a smart kid!

Thankful Heart

So I saw this on Sharlynn's blog and she challenged her friends to do this. I love her and want to be like her so that is not a hard challenge. For this month she is posting something every day that she is thankful for. She is creating a "daily Thanksgiving list" being inspired by friends and Elder Wirthlin who said "Living in thanksgiving daily is a habit that will enrich our lives and the lives of those we love". Then Sharlynn said Happy Daily Thanksgiving! I LOVE IT!

Today was easy. I am soooo Thankful for my good friends who inspire me to be better! They lift me and carry my burdens. They love me flaws and all! They make me want to be stronger and work harder. They make me a better mom, wife, and friend just by being in my life! Thank you to all of you who have picked up the pieces no one else would touch. Thank you for letting me be a part of your life and your families lives! I would be lost with out all of you and I love you very much! Thank you Sharlynn for stepping up to the plate and challenging us all! I hope this month to have a prayer in my heart, like Sharlynn, so I can have Daily Thanksgiving!

Elections....

The kids did "mock" elections at school yesterday and they had a great time. At first I thought it was really cool that they were getting them involved at school... but then my kids were repeating some of the things they had heard other kids say (that they heard from parents or older siblings). Darby was clear on who she voted for but was very concerned that it was secret because you aren't supposed to tell anyone who you voted for. Max was voting for McCain and Jason said he wouldn't be his best friend anymore if he didn't vote for Obama so Max tricked him and said he would but didn't! Dash was voting for Joroff MoBain! Which I think is some combo of the 2 men... some super human President. It was really cute until we watched the news this morning with the kids. We explained that the new President was Obama and we would all support him because he is a good person and he will do his very best to run our country! Max was VERY concerned because someone had told him Boroff Ovamana :) believed in poking babies until they die. How do you explain to a tender hearted 5 year old abortion, choice, and that nothing was going to happen to his mommy's baby? It is hard to shelter them from other children and their parents comments that are misconstrued. It ended up o.k. and I just hope the kids understood the importance of voting and not just the competition aspect of it. It was exciting to see them excited and being part of something bigger than just them. I

Wanna "Kiss"?

This last Saturday was a Halloween party that one of Brandon's co-workers invited us too. I didn't want to go at first because it was on Nov. 1st and I was done with Halloween. Brandon talked me into it because it was animators and not the executives of the company. I agreed because I love him..... then we searched for a costume for someone who is 8 months pregnant and had never met any of these people. I really wanted to be lame and go with cat ears and cute make up and hair or Jaba the Hut. Brandon had other plans for me and I ended up going as Gene Simmons from Kiss! It was a pretty rock and roll costume but I felt pretty lame once I got there and realized no one knew me or would ever recognize me if they ever saw me again. We met another couple from our stake that had just moved in and would be at stake conference the next day. All and all it was really fun and I think Brandon was proud to have such a "killer" wife! We did see our new friends at stake conference and it was nice for them to see me not so heavy metal! I REALLY love my hubby! (Yes, Brandon did the make-up, not me.)

NOVEMBER!

I am sooooo excited that it is finally November. I usually try to hold on to every holiday as long as possible, but this year I had taken down half of Halloween on the 26th. It didn't help that everything was so early. (trunk or treat 25th, parties, etc) Everything came way before Halloween so when Halloween FINALLY got here I was ready for it to be over. I think I am pushing forward with getting it all over too because the sooner it is Thanksgiving then the sooner this baby will be here. I know that they are easier in then out but I REALLY want by body back! My mom will be here in 19 days then Thanksgiving is only 5 days later. Then I can technically have the baby at any time and all will be well! Watch this one stay in full term just to spite me! When I think about all I have to do before my mom gets here and then the baby I get a little freaked out. Time to pull out the bassinet, pack hospital bags (couple weeks), pull out car seats, wash bassinet sheets, get baby clothes ready (boy or girl.... who freakin' knows?), clean house really good, buy diapers and back up formula, have Thanksgiving, help at the school, Piano recitals, chiropractor, flu shots for kids and B, finish Christmas shopping ....... HOLY CRUD! Where did Halloween go?

Quote of the day!

Darby came home with a paper on the White House. They are learning all these fact about it and it had little windows that opened up and said "the White House has 35 bathrooms" "the White House has 412 doors" and so on. In the front door Darby had drawn someone and so I asked her who it was.

Darby: "John McCain... I am voting for him".
Mom: "wow.... why"
Darby: "Because Oraff Obama (then she did quotation marks with her fingers) wants to FIX everyones jobs..... what if they don't want them fixed!"? Then she walked out of the room like she knew EXACTLY what she was talking about.

I think it's cute that they are talking and listening in school to each other. I don't know if I agree with all her politics but she is very passionate about what she thinks!

Things you never thought you would hear or say!

I will have to amend the title of this because I feel it is going to be a common theme! You will have to read below to see how it was created but OK so I JUST barely posted this afternoon about this and tonight I did it!!!!
Our kids LOVE FHE. Some weeks it gets put off a night or two and there is always tantrums and whining when it happens. Tonight I am tired and frustrated and DONE! SO I send them to get jammies on letting them know that we would just read some scriptures and the whining continued. Then the words came out of my mouth..... "I am tired of the whining and crying ! If I want to FART and call it FHE then it is FHE and no one will cry about it!" Yes I really said it. I am not sure why it came out of my mouth. I am pretty sure I meant to say something sweet like "love at home" or "I am soooo happy you are all soooo passionate about FHE".

We had FHE and when it was over Darby said "I have one more FHE to do...... (insert fart noise here)..... " Ha ha ha ha ..... the whole family laughed and now apparently I say things as wonderful as my kids. I will chalk it up to being REALLY tired and very pregnant and maybe even pretend it was Brandon that said it!

Trunk or Treat

Getting ready for Trunk or Treat! Dash has wanted to be tons of things. A fairy, a butterfly, a bunny, a cat, then a tiger. We were ok with the tiger but it didn't fit so he settled on a skeleton. Daddy does the BEST make-up so Dash was pretty excited. We weren't sure how he would do but.....he was REALLY excited when it was all done. He felt VERY scary!

He pulled MANY scary faces!
And poses!
Max was Indiana Jones! He was the BEST Indi ever! Brandon and I were really proud of the "idol" we had made for him. He was pretty excited too. He kept saying "Give me the whip.....give me the idol...." from the movie. Unfortunately he dropped the idol at trunk or treat and it shattered before it even began.
Darby wanted to be something really scary this year. We had a witch costume and spiced it up to be a "vampire witch". Daddy again did the make-up and she really was scary!
I wasn't sure how I felt about how scary she turned out but she was really really excited so I couldn't worry to much about it. Last year she was Hannah Montana.....this year.... well, scary!
My cousin Millie had slept over for Darby's party and stayed for trunk or treat! She was a secret agent! It was a super cute costume. Darby and Dash again pose as the "undead". Dash was happy to be Darby's skeleton cat! ???????
Darby and Millie again!
My three hoodlums! (Max traded the idol for a rubber snake).
This is what happened on the WAY to trunk or treat. Not even dark out side and we were all falling asleep!
Dash was fading and he kept being really careful the way he would lay down so not to mess up his make-up.
Once we got there we had to wait some more. Max/Indiana was just ready to get to the candy!
This little cutie is Caleb. I had to snap him because he borrowed a costume that my mom had made. My nephew Curtis wore it and then Dash last year. Caleb I think may be the cutest in it though. His dad liked the costume so much that he asked his wife if she thought I would sell it to him. Sorry Brother Boydston. One more baby then we will see.... but my mom made it so maybe not!
Now that trunk or treat is over I am trying to pass it off as Halloween and see if my kiddos will let us stay in and have a "Halloween Party". I think if they weren't in school, I might be able to pull it off, but I am sure Brandon will have to take them out for at least an hour. At any rate.... Happy Halloween to all and to all a good night!