Living the East Coast Life

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Chocolate Gingerbread Houses

A few days after Christmas, Grandma Sheffield (my mom) brought over these yummy Christmas Gingerbread houses to decorate. Maddie knew exactly what they were, as she had helped her Grandma with a few houses several weeks before. She was so excited to assist in putting it together and decorating it.

I would have to say her favorite part about these chocolate houses, came when I announced that the kids could eat part of the yummy house. Maddie was amazed that we weren't giving it away to the neighbors (we had already made lots of goody plates earlier in the month and I would constantly remind her that they were for the neighbors). I set the timer for 10 minutes and let them go to town. It is easy to see how much they enjoyed their time with the chocolate house! Even now whenever anyone asks Maddie what she likes to eat she will proudly say that she likes ice cream and chocolate houses :)

A Toronto Family Christmas

CHRISTMAS EVE:

Maddie has become OBSESSED with Care Bears as of late. This is her infamous "Good Luck" Bear that tends to follow her everywhere. During the day she carries on conversations with the bear, makes beds and food for him, you name it.

Do you think this is why Adam is by far their favorite Uncle?

(don't worry Ben, Tyler, and Brett....the kids still love you too!)

Christmas this year was much different than in years past. It was the first time in our six year marriage that we pretty much just stayed at home for the Holidays. With both of our families living in the East Valley, we normally find ourselves dashing from one house to the other for the Holidays and come home exhausted with even more exhausted kids.

With Eli being born three days before Christmas, we had both families over to our house instead and I have to admit it was so nice to be home to relax. On Christmas Eve, the Toronto family brought us a yummy dinner and the kids played with their Aunts and Uncles. Then we did our yearly tradition of opening up new pajamas and slippers. Maddie loved her Tinkerbell slippers and still wants to wear her pink and brown heart pajamas every night to bed and Robby loves his Cars jammies and Spiderman slippers. Then it was off to bed with all of us dreaming about Christmas morning and Santa coming to visit our house. Maddie told everyone that Santa was going to come through our front door to bring us presents and candy (we don't have a chimney) :)

Robby sure loves his "Papa" Toronto! Grandpa is always letting Robby climb all over him.

Attack of Uncle Adam by both kids....another example of why they love him so much!

Aunt Abby holding our precious little Eli

CHRISTMAS MORNING:

Maddie came in our room a little after 7am on Christmas Day and announced that it was time to see if Santa was at our house. When she found out we weren't going downstairs until Robby was awake, she promptly went in and woke him up. Unfortunately he wasn't too happy about getting up (he is a SLEEPER and will sleep in until 8:30-9am most mornings). Eventually we all made our pilgrimage downstairs to the presents. Maddie actually thought that Santa would be there waiting for us, so she was momentarily confused to not see the Jolly Man himself.

We had a great time opening up Santa gifts and eating breakfast before Jesse took off for his parents house. His brother, Brett, called from his mission in the morning so he went over to talk to him. While he was gone, my parents, brother and Uncle Jeff came over to keep me company with the three kids. Maddie and Robby LOVED all the attention they received from them.

Uncle Jeff (my dad's brother) with Baby Eli. He comes every year and stays for Christmas with my parents. I have so many great memories of him at Christmas. He used to help us put together our new toys and was always willing to jump in and play with us!

When Jesse got back from talking to Brett, he decided to practice some wrestling maneuvers with my brother Ben. It was pretty funny to see them rolling around on the ground together. Robby and Maddie got a kick out of it as well, except Robby started to get scared after a few minutes of watching this. He looked like he was going to cry and kept saying "daddy?" Finally they stopped and Robby went over to his daddy and gave him a big hug. He was so concerned that his daddy might be hurt.

After my parents left, Jesse's family headed over to our house so that our kids could open up presents from them. Robby fell in love with his new train set and Maddie loved getting more Care Bears. It was fun to see his family again and spend more time with Adam (he lives in Boston). We had the kids open up a few presents from us as well, before it was nap time. While they were sleeping Jesse and I opened presents from each other.

Christmas evening my family all headed over to our house for dinner. It was so fun to have my parents, Ben, and Lori and Tyler over with my sweet niece, Kaylin. We had some yummy food and then proceeded to open up presents with my family. It was a little chaotic with all the gifts being opened, but so much fun. Robby was totally present-ed (not sure if that is a word or not) out by this point and wouldn't open up a single gift. He was still completely obsessed with his train set from Aunt Esther earlier that day.

I was so blessed to have my Mom over to help me a lot during the first week that Eli was born. She is an amazing woman, and oh so patient with my kids. She sat and played with them, so they wouldn't feel ousted by their baby brother.

Random Pre-Xmas Pictures

Maddie loves to help with Eli. This is a picture of the first time she held him "all by herself".....well at least for a few seconds anyways :)

Maddie doing her cheesy camera smile at daddy's work Christmas party.

Maddie in her traditional Sunday Christmas outfit. Unfortunately there isn't a picture of Robby because he was taking a nap during picture time and by the time I remembered again he had completely destroyed his outfit. Oh well, there's always next year right?!

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Hospital pictures of our BABY ELI

The first moment I layed eyes on my precious Eli, I knew that I was in love all over again. It is always a miracle to see a child take their first breath to enter into mortal existence and I cannot think of anything else that so magnificently manifests Heavenly Father's divine power.

I have to say out of all my labor/delivery/recoveries I have experienced this was my easiest thus far. It was so nice to have it all planned out. My doctor scheduled me to be induced on Sunday, December 21st at 9pm. I arrived and they got me all settled in and got me started on a low dose Pitocin drip for the night. My nurse (she was amazing!!) said that I was already having some contractions when I first arrived which was great because it didn't take much to get me feeling my contractions.

With Robby, I had a miserable experience with the anesthesiologist and my epidural. It took an incredible amount of time for him to place it and I was in so much pain and couldn't keep anything in my stomach during the whole procedure. I was fairly weary walking into this pregnancy, hoping I would not repeat that experience. With Eli, I was lucky enough that one of my coworkers husband is a nurse anesthetist and happened to be working the same evening that I was induced. He was fabulous and ended up placing my epidural sometime around 1 am. He only took 2 minutes to get it done and I wasn't really in too much pain at that point.

My doctor arrived around 6am and broke my water. After that everything went very quick. I dilated from a 4 to a 10 in about an hour and a half and still felt great due to my epidural. The only sad point to my day was the fact that my mom was unable to come and be with me at the hospital. She was getting over an upper respiratory infection and couldn't come. Luckily my sister and mother-in-law were there, along with Jesse.

A little after 8am, my doctor came and checked on me and said I was ready to go. Two pushes later and my little bundle was out and mine to keep! It was a dream labor and delivery, which I hope to repeat with the rest of my babies.

Proud daddy with his new basketball player as he always reminds me

Loriann and my mother-in-law in the delivery room right after Eli was born

Maddie loved to meet her newest little brother and kept telling me "look at his eyes, look at his little eyes. Look at his nose, etc..."

My good friends from work, Heidi and Tammie. They were working at Banner Baywood the morning I had Eli and so they came over after work to say hi and meet him.