March 10!

It's truly amazing how wonderful life with children can be; it gets crazy having two, especiall close in age, but at this moment in time, I would not change it for anything!

~ Feb 2012 ~

Now in February, there weren't as many pictures taken as I would have liked but we did manage to remember to take a few! Richard got his 'Addisyn' tattoo on his left forearm in Feb & it turned out great! Great Grandma LaChapelle came from Oregon to play with her great-grandbabies & loved every minute of it - lots of visiting & catching up!

On Feb 24th, Aubree had ear tubes put into both ears - she had a constant ear infection for going on 3 months, with 4 different rounds of antibiotics! She was such a trooper! As the other kids were waking up from the anesthesia after their procedures were bawling - I was nervous to have Aubree seem to be in so much pain, not ready for it. Dr Beck came in first, told us that it was extremely infected & went over some go-home instructions with us. Then Aubree was carried in, still snoozing away. They said it would take some time for her to wake up & to expect the crying we heard from the other kids. Richard & I sat there for what seemed like forever (really only about 10 minutes) with our baby Aubree still sleeping. The nurses & Dr Beck came by to check on her a few time... no change, she was just enjoying this great nap! All of a sudden, a kid started crying again & Aubree sat up & said "baby?" I showed Aubree that her baby (Addisyn) was right here & ok; not crying. She seemed to relax & leaned against Richard's chest (he was sitting in the patient recovery chair with her). Rich & I looked at each other & he asked Aubree "you want your sippy..." She nodded & drank her entire sippy. We were so puzzled as to why she wasn't screaming but were not going to question why our child wasn't screaming! The day went on like nothing had happened! After 5 days of antibiotic ear drops, she was all recovered from her surgery!

~ March 1st - 10th ~

March started with some great weather! & when we have great weather, we better get outside! Playing on the playgrounds, taking walks & sliding on the slides!

Aubree has continued to go to daycare 1-2 times a week so see & get to play her friends & so we don't have to get her back into the routine of going to daycare! She absolutely loves it there!

2012!!! Are you kidding!? :)

I am SOO sorry to my friends & family that I haven't updated in a long time - my 2012 resolution is to attempt to update this blog every week!

A year is a lot to update in just one entry, so I apologize if this gets lengthy, but there are A LOT of pictures to look through!!

- March -

- April -

And Easter!

- May & June -

This was my first offical Mother's Day & I LOVED it! What a special day! & Grammy Dino was in town, so we were able to take some four-generation pictures!

Aubree got her ears pierced mid-May & was such a trooper, only crying for about 30 seconds!

SURPRISE! At the end of May, we discovered we were pregnant again! Without medical intervention, completely natural! It truly is a miracle that we thank God for - & of course our OB. We were told by the specialists that I should have my tubes removed, that it would be the safest route to aviod having another life-threatening ectopic pregnancy - Dr Madland just wouldn't even hear about removing my tubes!

May & June were busy, full of fun so there were lots of misc pictures!

At the end of June, Richard's dad & grandma came to visit & meet Aubree for the first time! So much fun having them all together!

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- July -

Aubree spent most of the July 4th holiday in the swimming pool & napping with mom & dad!

We also had our family pictures done at the end of July!

- August 2011 -

Roaring Springs was our new favorite hangout, now that Aubree was old enough to wear sun screen! & our first time at the fair with a baby!

- September-November 2011 -

Bring on BSU football season, more family pictures, Women's Celebration, finding out we were expecting another girl, Aubree getting her first boo-boo (a big bonk to the forehead that caused a bruise), Zac Brown concert, Pumpkin Patches, hockey games, Halloween, Dierks Bentley concert & meeting Jerrod Niemann, Thanksgiving, meeting Santa and, lets face it - a LOT of pictures! This fall & winter were packed full of fun!

Here are some pictures taken by Barbie Mockenhaupt! 9.7.2011

Gender Revealing Party - ITS A GIRL! 9.12.2011

Women's Celebration Run/Walk/Stroll 9.23.2011

Pumpkin Patch & Corn Maze 10.8.2011

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Misc Pics Sept-November 2011

Photo Shoot at Sears 11.8.2011

And we got to meet Santa before his busy Christmas Season! 11.18.2011

- Dec 2011 -

Aubree turns 1 & Christmas! Such an exciting time of year, for everyone! Aubree had a party with kiddie-sized cupcakes at daycare, a birthday party with friends/family & also a birthday party with the family - SUCH a great time!

-Here are some pictures from her birthday-

After her birthday, comes Christmas!! It was so much fun to watch Aubree get excited about the presents - really just the wrapping & paper bags! :)

-Here are some pictures of our Christmas festivities-

- Jan/Feb 2012 -

Time for some maternity pictures since it was getting close! These images were from 1.29.2012, taken by my dad!

It is now Feb 27th, 2012! We were scheduled to have a repeat c-section on 2-2-2012, but Addisyn had plans of her own... how does a c-section on Jan 30th sound, mom? I woke up around 2am on Jan 30th with contractions. So, I drank some water, laid on my left side... everything that the docs & nurses had told me previously to do. Well, it just wasn't cutting it. I got in the shower about 3:45am to try & get some of the tension out of my back - ended up making it worse. Even though I would have LOVED to stay home, that would be the worst case scenario; being home in Kuna, alone, with a 13 month old - what if something were to happen? So I went into work at my normal time (7am) & tried to work. It hurt to get up, hurt to sit down, having contraction after contraction.

After talking to a few nurses, I gave in & went down to Labor & Delivery at around 10:45am. I told Richard to stay at work until we know what is happening & if he needs to come down. My mom came down during her lunch.

Once checked in, the nurses started an IV & put both Addisyn & me on monitors to see what exactly was going on (no big concerns though, I was 38+ weeks along). I watched TV, texted my friends & coworkers like nothing was going on, starting to feel better wtih the fluids being given & tried to rest... until Dr Madland made his way into my room about 2:20. He said that there were experienced OB's & OB nurses watching the monitors & something just didn't seem right - possibly the same thing as with Aubree, that the placenta was just at age & not getting her the right amount of oxygen & nutrients she was needing at 38+ weeks along. Then he joked 'we'll see you Thursday' as our nurse Scotti & I had a shocked look on both our faces... he was just kidding though! He said there was no reasoning to keep Addisyn in, it would be for the both of us to have her out - It was time to get her out. I called Richard & told him to make his way to the hospital; it was time to meet our baby Addisyn!

At 4:16 on 1-30-2012, Addisyn Kaye McDonley was born via c-section - weighing in at 7lbs 12oz & 20.5" long! Addisyn & Richard went to NICU for about an hour & a half to watch her breathing & we met before I was even out of recovery! Next up was bringing in big sister Aubree to meet Addisyn - it was love at first sight! I have been so amazed by how affectionate & loving Aubree has been toward Addisyn; even now, 3 weeks later!

- Here are a few pictures from the first few days of Addisyn's life! -