2015 in Review

I've been experiencing some guilt over not writing a Christmas letter. So this is my way of resolving that guilt. This year has been filled with all sorts of excitement or what ever you want to call it.

Christmas 2015:

Going to find a tree this year was traumatic for the girls. Or maybe more for mom since they all cried most of the time. May next year be a little more fun.

Christmas lunch

We started the year off by welcoming Shyla Jaymme into the family in a very non-expected way on January 1st at 1:24 am. Yes we knew she was coming eventually, but not in that hospital, before the on-call doctor arrived, and all natural. She was considered the New Year's Baby and so we got our picture in the newspaper.(Just what every post-partum mom dreams of... A full page spread of her picture.) Shyla is proving to be a go big or not at all kind of girl. The first nine months went as smoothly as a mom of three can expect. She was healthy, growing well, and we were adjusting fantastic. September thru December was rough. She experienced; 4 ear infections, numerous colds, a broken femur, Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease, the stomach flu, being weaned, and started getting her teeth in. She was healthy for the all the holidays and her birthday, and we are very grateful for that. Because of her trials in life the last few months, Shyla finally started crawling the first week of December. She is now trying to learn to pull herself up and is small for her age. Still healthy and doing well, just on the smaller side of the scale. She can say dad, mom, and horse. She thinks she needs a cell phone to listen and dance to music. She is a daddy's girl 100%. Who needs mom around when dad is here. She is usually the first to hear him come in the door and greet him by yelling, "Dad, Dad, Dad!" from the baby gate at the top of the stairs. She was born with red hair and still has it. I don't know whether to blame it on the red hair or from months of not feeling well, but she sure can tell you when she thinks something needs to be different. However, when she's happy, she's is totally content to play by herself.

 

Amid all that we buried my older brother, Christopher, unexpectedly in March and moved into a different house on the ranch for more space in April. April thru June we never plan on seeing dad much. It's his super busy season. That means me, myself, and I with help of some very nice neighbors and Beth moved everything except the furniture in one day. I had to brush up on my trailer backing skills. That had been awhile and probably good Bryant wasn't around to see it. Bryant rounded up help after a long day of work, and moved the furniture. That same week we celebrated Bryant's birthday and a week later was my big 30.

Making Shyla's birthday cake

This year I discovered a new joy in my life. I loved gardening. I started a lot of my own plants (both veggies and flowers) indoors and then transplanted everything outside in June. I'd call it a pretty good success except the strawberries never grew. Getting outside during nap time with a baby monitor attached to my hip was my saving grace this year.

Halloween 2015:

Shyla the Strawberry 

MaKatie the ballerina

Aimee as Minnie Mouse

Bryant still works for Deseret Land and Livestock. He was called into the Young Men's Presidency. That has been an adjustment for him. He claims scouts was a lot more fun when he was a kid and not the leader. I think he's still on the learning curve here. Bryant still enjoys making a good horse, learning new roping shots, leather work, hunting, and spending time with his family.



MaKatie turned five 15 days too late to start Kindergarten. She is attending Little Learner's Preschool here in Woodruff  two afternoons a week and LOVES it! She has also been doing an on-line preschool program. She is sounding out words and learning power words. In addition to school, she is back in dance at the new dance studio in Randolph. Social butterfly is her niche and there for is always begging me to be anywhere but at home with me. She thinks if I pester my siblings enough mom will let me go play with friends. (If only it worked that way.) But she is also a huge help to me! I couldn't handle 3 kids without her help. P.S. She will finally order something besides chicken nuggets to eat when we are out and about.

5th birthday... ready for school

She cut her tongue clear through with a pair of scissors. We were almost to the ER, when I thought to call the peds office and they said don't waste your time...no stitches needed.

Aimee turned 2 in April. She loves pink and purple, macaroni and cheese, dancing, and being a cowgirl (minus being around the animals part. She loves them, but don't get them too close or you will hear her lung capacity.) This January she started dance class with MaKatie. She absolutely LOVES it. Independent is her personality and not just a phase, I fear. "I will do it!" is probably her favorite phrase. She wants to go potty, get dressed, and do her hair all by herself. Don't think you are going to help her either. She is very detail oriented. You only thought you could sneak a fake chip in with the toy dishes. That will not be accepted by her, it has to go into the toy food basket. Her independence matched with MaKatie's desire to be the boss, cause for some friction. That is one of my trials in life right now. She has also figured out that if I cry, I might just get my way cause its going to be assumed that I'm being picked on by MaKatie. She keeps asking for earrings and loves to do hair everybody's hair.

Did I mention she cut her own hair this year? Or sprained her knee on the trampoline and couldn't walk on it for several days?

I keep thinking because 2016 is here finally, I am going to get my life put back together. Maybe I'll finally finish unpacking the last of the boxes or figure out how to get three kids out the door on time without getting frustrated. I dream of being able to find my living room floor, kitchen sink, and the bottom of the laundry pile (both clean and dirty) on a regular basis. So far its just flying by too in a complete blur. That little change from a 5 to a 6 hasn't changed life a whole lot. But what's life without family... whether we are crazy or not. So maybe the real goal for this year should be a few more giggles and pictures to remember it all by.

Shyla Jaymme

   So we were preparing for baby #3 at our house. We knew she would be a girl, but the world thought we didn't know. It was the best of both worlds... knowing, but still having a surprise to share when she was born. This go around was a million times better than with Aimee. Occasional nausea, feeling good the second trimester, etc. Thanksgiving was very non-traditional at our house. We had all been throwing up and had horrible colds at the same time. I wondered if some of us would be throwing up for Thanksgiving. But luckily, it all ended on Wednesday and Thanksgiving was a recovery day. Our original plans were to go see family, but we thought we shouldn't share our germs. So our big Thanksgiving feast was Papa Murphy's Pizza. And boy oh boy am I glad that's what I did. Our little family of four didn't even eat half of a pizza. If each person even ate one slice a piece?

Making Neighbor Gifts...Dreaming of a White Christmas Soup Mix

   Life started getting very busy as the holiday season tends to. Note to self, if at all possible have a baby right before the holidays, not after. It was hard to relax and enjoy the Christmas spirit, because everything was a big to do list which covered any and all things holiday, baby prep, and nesting related. However, the Christmas tree went up the day after Thanksgiving. A first time at our house, and I loved it up that early! I wouldn't mind making that a tradition.

Poor guy had to cut the tree by himself, I wasn't up to hiking.
(But we did help him pick it out with binoculars from the truck.)

Aimee's version of helping with the Christmas tree...

And MaKatie's version...

   Sunday, December 21st came along... I started having contractions regularly, so we spent the day prepping to go to the hospital to have a baby. We checked in that evening with contractions every 2-3 minutes. To make a long story short... they sent us home saying we could have a baby in a few hours or in a month. Only time would tell and its up to my body. That was highly disappointing, and the contractions kept up for weeks every few minutes. I tried not to do too much or I was extremely miserable. My family started surviving on boxed mac and cheese and our house was disgusting (to put it politely). I was ready for an epidural already. But every week at the OB appointment, I was lucky if I'd gained a 1/2 cm. This baby was never going to come. Christmas came and I was so miserable. I'm sure my family loved living with me, not! I could hardly handle living with me. But the girls got to be in the town's Christmas Eve play and had a blast! (Also could become a new tradition at our house.) Christmas and Santa came treating us too well. We relaxed and enjoyed an easy lazy day.

Aimee is the cute monkey on the far left.

   An induction was scheduled for January 8th and a light was at the end of the tunnel. New Year's Eve came and I decided I had to clean. We'd be having a baby in a week. So I cleaned that morning and felt crummy that afternoon. (Remember, I'm still having contractions about every 3 minutes.) That evening we had dinner and played games with some dear friends/neighbors. I was a little uncomfortable, but life went on. We put the girls to bed at their house and planned on bringing them home after we enjoyed some games... kid free.

Meeting Grandma Beth

   Well to make a long story short... by the time we left their just after midnight. We left the girls sleeping there, grabbed our hospital bags, and headed out. In the back of my mind I'm thinking if they send me home again... I'm going to more than cry this time. Half way to Evanston, I suggest we stop in Evanston to have me checked. You know make sure we can make it to Ogden. Bryant didn't seem to keen on the idea, but humored me. From the time they took my name at the ER Desk until Shyla Jaymme McMullin came into the world was 14 minutes. You've got it... no time for that epidural, the on call doctor to arrive, or even to put that hospital gown on. Not how I pictured this nice delivery, but I can't complain... a perfectly healthy, beautiful redheaded baby girl came into the world weighing 7 lbs even and was 20.5 inches long. (Not any pictures of her right away, because the camera was in the hospital bag still out in the truck along with my phone and its dead battery.)
   I will be bluntly honest, when I saw her I thought that can't be my child. My other two looked identical, and Shyla's ultrasounds looked just like theirs had. She had the same shape, but the light hair threw me for a loop. My kids have dark hair!

MaKaite and Aimee are great helpers and loved being this close for a month or so.
Luckily for my sanity, they moved on. ;)

   We adjusted much better than I anticipated. Both big sisters absolutely LOVE her! Aimee was fascinated but wouldn't touch her for the longest time. But its not all bad to have an almost 2 year old who doesn't really want to hold the baby. Cause you see, Aimee loves her dolls... so  I was imagining her trying to carry Shyla everywhere. She will now hold her 3 seconds flat and has the biggest grin. But you aren't going to get a picture, because that isn't long enough to push the button. MaKatie always wants to look at Shyla's beautiful eyes. Shyla is a good baby as long as mom doesn't eat ANYTHING with any sort of dairy in it. She's growing like a weed!




 

A little catch up... Easter until Father's Day! Lots of fun!

APRIL, was April seriously the last time I blogged. Talk about falling off the face of the earth. But we have been having fun around here, so what can I say? Maybe I will catch you up through June tonight...

Easter came and went along with an Easter Egg Hunt at the park!

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New Easter Dresses from the Easter Bunny! (Mom may love that skirt, but that means she can't. She's only worn it once. Crazy kid! If I'd of known how early some of this "teenage" stuff really starts, I may have had second thoughts about kids. Good thing I didn't really have a clue what I was in for.)

I think I'm in trouble when she gets older. I'm partial, but what a beautiful girl we have!

Being camera shy. The only picture I let my mom get in my Easter dress.

May 25th and we finally have some leaves. We also started a garden this year. Whose grand idea (mine) that was? To start in your husband's busiest season of the year. Tilling a new garden spot is not my favorite thing to do, but I got it done. Go me! Next year, we'll start earlier so he can have the privilege. ;)

Enjoying warm enough weather for shorts finally! 

Invested in a double stroller aka "the short bus." I love it! Should have gotten one earlier, you know maybe last year. Oh along with a thing called a baby monitor. I learned that its not for big houses, but if you plug it in and take it outside... mom can get time to herself early in the morning or during nap time. I should have gotten one of those years ago (you know like when MaKatie was born)!

We always love to go with dad to work. Especially anytime April thru June... his crazy busy season. We kind of like to see him every once in awhile during those few months. 

Riding horses is a must for this not so little girl of ours.

Celebrating Father's Day! This girl must have some of the Brown genes in her too. This is a favorite at Grandpa Brown's house, and she sure discovered why in a hurry too! Only down side is I now have to share the cake with more than one other person.

For Father's Day, we also announced the coming of baby #3 to our family. The little guy/gal is due January 13. First trimester wasn't bad. Only threw up a handful of times which is a miracle at this house. I forgot how TIRED, you are pregnant. My doctor informs me its baking a human while chasing two more that leaves you that way. Almost 17 weeks now and a daily migraine seems to plague me in the evenings, but I'll take it to throwing up and needing IVs any day. The gender is going to be a secret again this go around. So go ahead and start the bets. 

Well hopefully, I can keep the posts coming along more regularly now (that's always my intent)... But until next time! Hope life is treating you all well.