Angela's Visit, Leaf Collection Day, and Ayden Turns 5!

James and his wonderful Auntie Angela who came to help us out for a week. I hope we can survive without her. Thanks Angela for everything!

Ayden: On the last day Ayden cried because Angela was going home after lunch.

We finally have a chubby baby!!!

Cutest onesie ever.

I'm 6 weeks old!
My sister just can't stay out of this photo-shoot!

The leaves we raked from our yard...and a few other yards as well. We didn't actually rake many leaves because our wonderful neighbors all pitched in to help us out.

Claire enjoying Ayden's birtday cake.

The birthday girl

Ayden wanted a fancy shmancy cake with a princess on top. I forced her to have chocolate frosting because I didn't want to go to the trouble of making a cake that we didn't want to eat. She was happy with the results. Phew.

Pippi's Bad Influence and Halloween Fun

I set James in the laundry basket while I transferred clothes into the dryer then I tucked in the girls for bed and when I got back he was fast asleep.

We read Pippi Longstocking together and then checked out the movie from the library. Ever since watching the movie, Claire has been reenacting everything that Pippi did. When it was bath time Claire looked at me and said, "Pippi takes a bath with her clothes on." I knew what was coming. I decided it wasn't a battle worth fighting. Luckily she hasn't wanted to climb on the roof like Pippi...yet.

The one picture I got before the girls took off trick-or-treating. We made the mistake of putting out our pumpkin the night before Halloween and the squirrels enjoyed it. Claire told me it was "cracked" and I thought some hooligans had broken it until I saw for myself.

James was a U of M fan for Halloween.

The day after Halloween.

Ayden experienced her first school party. They got to paint pumpkins and play games and one of the dads came in to play his banjo and sing silly Halloween songs. They also got to do a Halloween parade through the school.

Claire ate candy all night Saturday and all day Sunday and then finally finished Monday morning. She didn't eat any food all day Sunday and by Sunday night she was acting like she was on drugs. She was saying the funniest things...until we tried to put her to bed. She was out-of-control. Monday night she ate at least half of a can of green beans with her dinner. She just kept asking for more.

2 weeks along and the latest in baby carrying technology

Glowing from my deluxe salon treatment complete with a blow-dry to both bum(for the diaper rash) and head.

James and Grandma Butler

A Claire Original: Don't have a baby carrier? Try this innovative and free alternative: BabyWear. The underwear way to wear your baby. Claire came up with this all on her own. I might have to find some Daddy-size underwear to make this work for James.

Ayden narrating: Since James is so little we have to give him a bath in the kitchen sink. But he's already getting too big so we're gunna have to put him into a real bathtub.

James got his first bath from Grandma Butler. She was here for a week and we miss her! Thanks to her we have some pictures of James' second week.

Claire making rolls with Grandma Butler.

Still enjoying the tree trunks in the backyard.

One Week Old

Sweet baby James is just as sweet as can be. He is a little angel.

Three generations of West boys.

Ayden with Grandma West and baby James. Yes, you can call him Jimmy, but so far I call him James. Mom and Dad West have been here all week and boy have I felt spoiled. Dinner every night and they got Ayden off to school every morning, not to mention dishes and loads and loads of laundry. Because we are still breaking out from the poison ivy we have been washing everything in the house that might possibly have been exposed. I think the washing machine and dryer have been running non-stop since we got back from the hospital.

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for everything!

Claire and Ayden are still enjoying holding James. It really is nice because they will hold him for quite awhile until he falls asleep.

Sweet Baby James

Me at 5:20 Friday morning before leaving for the hospital. I decided not to wear the holey Mickey shirt:)

Our guardian angel babysitter and long time friend of the family from CO, the Jessica formerly known as Price. All night long I was hoping I wouldn't have to call someone in the middle of the night. I didn't know how long it would take for me to find someone who could come over we went to the hospital earlier than I normally would have just to be safe. Thanks Jess! She even managed to get Ayden to Kindergarten in the rain. Andrea Richards from the ward watched them Friday night. Thank you!

Jeremy and I remembered to bring along our cream for the poison ivy. Poor Jeremy had oozing poison ivy all over his arms. Luckily, mine isn't very bad.

James LeRoy West

7 lbs 9 oz

20 inches

Born: October 2, 2009, 3:23 p.m.

We got to the hospital about 6 a.m. and got checked in. By the time I got settled in the delivery room my contractions had stopped. We walked but nothing happened. We didn't want to go home and send Jessica home only to have to turn around and rush back. I was dilated to a 4 or 5 and considering that it was my third delivery and I needed to be on antibiotics

3 and 70%...Ahhhhh!

I had my last check-up today and I'm dilated to a 3 and 70% effaced. I started to panic when she told me because I am anything but ready and Mom and Dad West don't get here until Sat. afternoon. PLEASE STAY IN THERE!

I've been feeling strange all day. Every time I move around I feel the braxton-hicks start up and then I have to use the restroom...again. I think I've gone about 80 times today.

My obstetrician also noticed the itchy rash on my leg and said, "Poison Ivy, huh?" So the mystery of the terribly itchy rash that Jeremy and I have has been solved. She gave me a prescription for some cream so I wouldn't have to see another doctor. Now we just need someone to come to our backyard and show us where the poison ivy is so we don't get in it again. I've tried looking at pictures on the internet but I need a real-life tutorial.

As for prego pics, I promise to take one before the baby comes. I just don't feel like it tonight in my Mickey's workout club t-shirt that has holes in the armpits and my bright red sweat pants:)

Also, for my own records, I want to document the interesting night's sleep I had on Monday. I started out in my own bed. Sometime in the middle of the night I heard Ayden crying. Her ear hurt. Claire also said she was having a nightmare about a mean squirrel chasing her. Jeremy gave Ayden a blessing and then the girls wanted me to sleep with them, which I did until I couldn't stand it any longer. I went back to my bed and after awhile finally fell asleep. Then I was awakened again by Ayden crying because her ear hurt again. She came in to sleep with me in the baby room. After we finally fell back asleep Claire woke up and wanted me to sleep with her. Since Ayden was asleep I snuck out and finished off the night sleeping with Claire.

Why do ear infections always strike in the middle of the night?

Homework in Kindergarten?

I'm not sure how I feel about Ayden getting homework when she's only in Kindergarten. Fortunately, she is thrilled about it. On Monday, when she got her first homework packet, I discovered later that day that she fully expected to stay up late with Daddy in his office to do her homework. Dad does his homework at midnight, why shouldn't she?

Even though she doesn't get to stay up late, she is still excited about it. Tuesday night at the dinner table she was talking about homework with Jeremy and I mentioned that she still had one more assignment. She said she already did it and I asked when? Apparently she snuck out of her room during nap-time, got out her homework and worked on it and then put it back and went back to bed. I guess I should feel lucky that she's sneaking around behind my back to do homework.

In general, Ayden is still thrilled with Kindergarten. She bawled when I told her that she couldn't go to school because she was sick. She had to miss two days and when Friday came she was so disappointed that the week was already over. I had to reassure her that there would still be plenty of school days by naming off all the months of school left.

Today was the Primary Program at church and Ayden was still feeling sick but she couldn't bear to miss out on speaking into the microphone. We decided she could go and at least do her part and then Jeremy could take the girls home. She ended up throwing up on the sidewalk as we were rushing from the car into the church. Of course, she felt much better after that and insisted on being in the program. I felt bad letting her go up and sit by the other children, but it turns out that half of them were sick as well. Jeremy did take them home after the meeting and she is doing just fine now.

We are still enjoying our new ward. Thirty new families moved in for the start of fall semester. Apparently the slowing economy has convinced more people to continue their education because they usually only have 15-20 new families. It's nice because it's easier to make new friends when 1/3 of the ward is new and looking to make friends as well.

No news about the pregnancy. I'm due in a week and a few days and feeling great. Besides having a hard time sleeping at night, I really don't have anything to complain about. I'm content to try and complete a few more projects around the house this week. However, as soon as Jeremy's parents get here on Saturday I'm going to start walking and I'm not going to stop until the baby comes.