Sunday Pictures

I finally took some more pictures of the kids today. I'm so jealous of all of you who have a really nice camera that takes like 10 pictures per second and capture every facial expression. I swear, by the time my flash goes off I've missed the moment.

Anyone live by me that has a nice camera that wants to take pictures of my baby for me???

I did get a couple cute ones of Paige. I had to take like 20 before I could find a few I liked. This one looks like she's almost going to smile!

Cute sisters.

This is the first picture I have of all of my kids! And it's not even very cute. I'm going to do professionals later this summer when paige looks like a baby and not newborn. And when I have the patience and no post-partum hormones in me. Pictures are about the most stressful thing I can think of...I'm sure to cry if we tried to do it right now!

Last Sunday was sunny and 70 degrees so we took the family over to Tubbs hill to hike around. It was so great to get out and enjoy the sun! Sundays often feel like we are all cooped up inside and the boys go crazy. We had a fun time walking around together and enjoying the beautiful views! Tom and I get to carry our girls and the boys ran ahead and explored every rock and cliff. Paige slept the whole time in the Moby Wrap. Jane loved the backpack.

We left the camera in the hiking backpack all week long. I thought I lost it. I was about to go buy a new one when Tom found it...happy day! Here's an updated picture of Paige. She's about 2 1/2 weeks here. Today she is 3 weeks old! How time flies. She's still as itty bitty as can be.

I had to get a picture of Paige in her carseat. She looks so itty bitty in there! I'm not going to lie, when she's awake, she is often unsettled. She has to be held and her binky is her new best friend. Tonight I gave Cameron and Braden the job of holding her while I put Jane to bed. It's so nice having big helpers! Majorly different than when the boys were little.

I finally put a bow on Paige's head for the first time today. Nothing fits her tiny head, until I found this one and found a flower to attach. Isn't she darling??? Bows and flowers totally make all the difference!

Our first walk. Just me and the girls! It was 70 degrees today which was heaven!

Jane loves Paige. She hasn't been mean to her once...yet!

I will say, Jane has been giving Tom and I a run for our money. She tells us "NO" all the time and tests everything, every boundry, and is making me a little crazy! She is so opinionated all of the sudden. Yesterday I took this picture of her (below). She got herself dressed and came down and said, "I look so pretty, mama". Yes, she is so pretty! Pretty naughty! I will say, she does still have her sweet side. She will whine and cry and then instantly turn it off and say something sweet to me. Oh, that Jane.

more paige

I took a little video of Paige. I don't think that pictures do justice to her tini/cute-ness! It is oh so sad that they have to grow!

Don't let the cute, innocent face fool you...I got to love this little one this morning from about 1:30am till 4am...

Good thing I love her oh so much!

paige

It's A ...

baby GIRL!!! Paige Elizabeth Dance...6 lbs 12 oz...19 inches.

She came last night about 5:00pm and is absolutely perfect. Of course, I was very surprised! Now I know why Tom and I couldn't come up with ANY boy names we liked!

We feel so lucky to have this little on in our family! Pictures don't do justice. I'll post more later!

antsy...

No, this baby is not here yet.
Yes, I am ready!
5 days till my due date, however, I'm going in on Saturday for an induction if baby doesn't come before (which I'm sure he/she won't). Tom works all next week and it's stressing him out thinking about rescheduling 50 patients on any given day if I go into labor during the day. So with him stressed out, it stresses me out, and I tell my doctor, and he tells me I can watch general conference at the hospital!

I think I am just so antsy b/c braden was 10 days early and jane 12 days early. So for the last week I've been thinking "any day now". Now I'm sick of saying that. Now I can just say, "Saturday is the day" and I don't have to answer the phone with "no, nothing is happening yet."

Will post results shortly, along with a picture of this new little one!

Basketball & More

This is the first season I've signed the boys up for basketball and they have really loved it! They were definately not too good at the beginning, but that would be my fault. I am a lover of the sport, and actually have played every wednesday night with a great group of girls up until about 2 weeks ago when my tailbone just gave out on me (due to the fact that I was 36 weeks pregnant).

So you'd think I would have taught the kids something about the sport...well, I haven't. But I will say, they are atheletic boys and by the end of the season, they were both doing great! Cameron was one of the best on his team, and Braden, well, he's great on defense and he scored his first basket the last game!

I'm really proud of both my boys. It was really fun (and also REALLY frustrating at times, but more fun) watching them play this year!

Here is a cute picture I took of Jane last night. I just die over her curls. They are either so cute, or so out of control. Totally suits her personality!
My friend took this picture of me after I told her I have a total of THREE pictures of me pregnant! I don't know why I would even want to document being huge and pregnant, but hey, it's 9 months of my life! Only 2 1/2 weeks till my due date...which means I'm hoping to deliver next weekend, about 9 days early (Braden was 10 days early and Jane 11)! But honestly, I'm not that anxious. I'd be happy anytime. It's pretty unreal that it's already here.

Fun in Seattle

While Tom was in Guatemala, the kids and I decided to take a trip to Seattle. Chan met up with us there (Dave was with Tom) and we had a wonderful weekend just playing and enjoying cousin time!
We attended Jonny's first soccer game. It was a cold one, so we bundled up warm and had a great time! Jonny even scored a goal for us! Not bad for a FRESHMAN on the varsity soccer team! Only one of two to make it! He's a hero in my boys eyes!

Playing at the park by Grandma's house

We celebrated Brighton's first birthday. That girl is so dang cute!
Jane was being so cute with Great Grandma Dance. She was being so funny, I was glad Julienne captured this shot!

While the husband's away...

the wife will paint, sew, and take a trip!

Tom went to Guatemala for the last 10 days on a little service mission with the CDA Eye clinic here and his two brothers. Tom did dental work all day (literally all day) and his brother Dallin was his assistant, while Dave was in the eye clinic doing surgeries all day. He had an amazing time...I'll post some pictures of his trip later.
While he was gone, I kept myself very busy! I didn't want to go crazy, 10 days is a long time with 3 kids, a huge belly, and myself. So I decided to surprise Tom with a few projects.
I first painted Jane's room pink...every girl needs a pink room!
It's really cute.
Here is the before:

Here is the after:

After searching every store here in Coeur d'Alene, and not finding any thing I liked, I decided to make my own curtains for her room. It was a little time consuming, and as you can tell, I was so excited to take a picture I haven't hung the 2nd rod yet (I actually have to still sew the loops on the other two panels and hem all 4 panels). But it was worth it. The material is white with white flowers embroidered and it is really cute! I think I may get some really cute pink ribbon and tie them back. I still have to decorate the walls, but paint was the first step!
Then I did my room. Before:

After:

I am working on getting a bed frame (there is a brushed silver bed from pottery barn I'm in love with), and I also have some silver curtain rods to hang. Again, I couldn't find any cute panels so I bought panels for my room too. They are white as well with some embroidery...really cute. I'll update when they are done, which will be very soon!I finished off with the boys room. they are in the bonus room so it's an odd shaped room, and very big. So I decided to only paint a few of the walls so far. Also, I ran out of time before Tom got home!
Before:

After:

I am going to get a desk or a cute bookshelf for this little nook right here. I have my eye on a two, so we'll see, hopefully soon!
We also decided to go to Seattle on Thursday. I drove over Thursday evening and we spent the weekend there. The kids had a great time. Channing and her kids came up (Dave was with Tom), and we got to visit with Kari too. It was a great weekend and really, I'm quite proud of myself for holding up so well without a hubby for so long! I only broke down once, and it was at like 12:30am when I was tired and my kids had an "off" day...the only one while he was gone. They really were great the whole time. It's like kids know when mom can't handle one more fit or button pushed. Plus, I was too busy to care about the little things like my house being picked up, dinner, if my kids eat 4 packs of fruit snacks in one afternoon...you know.
More pictures soon!
Oh, and only 3 more weeks till due date! Had an ultrasound yesterday to check baby's size (I was measuring abnormally small, yet again) and baby is just fine! Yeah!

Jane didn't want to take a nap today. I didn't want to fight her so I closed the door and told her to read books and have "quiet time" in her room. Well, moms know best, right? She was exhausted and after talking to my sister on the phone (okay for about 45 minutes), I went up there thinking it was awefully quiet, and found her...



Oh, and I finally cut the boys hair. With the pile on my bathroom floor, I could have donated to locks of love!

dreams

do you believe in dreams?
when jane was less than one week old I dreamed i had a new baby boy. we named him tommy. it was really real to me. i think it was a little vision telling me i wasn't done having kids, there was another special someone out there going to join our family some day. for those few minutes in my dream, i loved this little boy.

we don't know what we are having. but 2 nights ago i had another dream that I had a baby boy. this one was more brief, just a dream of a naked baby after birth...definately a boy!

then last night another dream! and another boy. last night was the first wierd one...the labor and delivery was a piece of cake, and then I saw him, and he had a tooth. random, i know! but I was in love with him. (Tom has had to pull a few teeth on newborns...really rare, but it does happen.)

So needless to say, if this baby comes out and is a girl, I will be VERY surprised!
7 weeks to go. 5-6 weeks to go I'm as early as Braden and Jane. Yes, I'm already counting because yes, I am starting to get uncomfortable!

February...so far

A post NOT about my kids. Thus the pictures aren't as cute as normal! :)
I went to upstate, New York for three days to visit my Grandma. I haven't been back to NY for over 3 years, so it was nice to go back to my hometown and even better to visit with my grandma. My cousin, Amy, flew out from LA the same weekend so it was a double treat for me. WE got to remember old times and catch up on life. It was really nice. It was really great to just hang out, make some dinners, desserts, and just spend time together!Amy caught this shot of Grandpa Gerry telling one of his stories. He is a talker! :)

Okay so I look REALLY pregnant in that picture above.

This one is me and my niece Hannah. Isn't she just a doll? She's a few days older than Jane.

We visited the house I grew up in. I knocked on the door b/c I really wanted to see the inside again, but no one was home. Sad for me. Oh, the memories!

I got home from New York Monday evening (after spending 12 hours in airports/on airplanes) and Tom left Tuesday afternoon for his Cat ski trip he's been looking forward to for the last year! He got home and said it was the best vacation he's ever taken!

Above: The CAT you ride up the mountain in. Below: Just one pic of a little jump. It was apparently breathtaking, amazing, the best skiing he's ever done.
Part of the group: There was 11 in the group all together. A few friends from Spokane, a few from dental school. Overall, an amazing group , amazing skiers, and TONS of fun.
I managed to make it through the weekend without him without going completely crazy. I got to deal with sick kids, and a FOUR day weekend. Not fair. Oh well. We're back to normal now, and hopefully I'll be better about taking some pictures, although nothing eventful is going on right now in the dead of winter!