Cookout

It has been nice being home but besides taking the kids so school or going to the grocery store I really haven't been out of the house. So Javan suggested we go on a cookout. Javan and Armondo (Javan's brother, Aaron, we have to call him Armondo because it gets too confusing with two Erin's (Aaron's) around.) went riding their motorcycles all afternoon and when they got back said they were too tired to go on a cookout. Oh no, you did not just say that. Crystal and I had spent a few hours making salads and getting stuff ready, not to mention the whole stir-crazy in the house thing, and that the cookout was Javan's idea. So yes, we went on a cookout.

But I settled for the good old Walter C. Lyman park. I haven't been there for years. This is a park that we used to frequent as kids, for ward parties and the like but it's kind of run down and somewhat forgettable these days I guess. It did bring back a lot of memories though, too bad the witches hat is gone. (I am going on and on about this park, it's less that a mile from my house, it's just a lot cooler when you're a kid I guess.)

Ashlynn, Ally, and Ethan on the merry-go-round. They loved it. And surprisingly wanted Javan and Armondo to push them fast on it. Ethan was very brave.


Ryan loved the cookout, as you can tell. There was a tree nearby that was swarming with bees, I'm not kidding, the whole tree looked like it was moving. And after watching a documentary on killer African bees, Ryan got to spend the rest of the cookout in the truck. Especially after we started cooking, they really started to come around. Javan took care of them with his torch though, the smell of their friends burning must have scared them away cause they didn't bother us after that.


Ethan, Ally, and Ashlynn eating their delicious dinner. Remember being a kid and just getting filthy dirty, with not a care in the world and loving every minute of it. Those were the days.


Javan and Armondo tried to see how fast they could make the merry-go-round spin. It was going pretty dang fast. I couldn't get a picture that didn't come out blurry. (Speaking of being a kid again.)


Ethan on the swinging teeter-totter.


Javan helping Ally climb on the "jungle". I don't know why she was calling it that.

Random Pictures

My sister Amber is feeling sad that she hasn't seen Ryan and wants lots of pictures so I am just posting some random pictures.

Holy cow! Look how chubby he is getting. You can almost watch him getting fatter. I can believe it though, I feel like that's all I do all day long. (Amber, he's going to be huge by the time you see him.)


It's been so nice to be able to have a nap during the day. Javan came home from work and caught Ryan and I catching some zzzz's.


I guess it was nap day, here is Ally and Ryan napping. Can you guess where he gets his cheeks. (If you really want to know where he gets his cheeks from I'll post of picture of me as a child, Javan loves to show them to people, he thinks they're hilarious.)


This picture didn't quite turn out how I had it pictured in my mind, but little toes are cute.

2 Weeks Old

Ryan had his 2 week check-up. He weighed 8 lbs 13 oz, and was 20 1/2 inches long. He is gaining fast. We had to take Ryan in and get his foot poked to check his biliruben and also for his PKU (not all in the same day, some were last week). I had taken Ethan and Ally seperately to these appointments and both of them cried with Ryan cause they were sad he was crying and both of them got cold and clammy looking at the blood. Geez, I have sensitive kids. It was cute that they were so sad for him though.



Ethan thinks he is big enough to carry Ryan around and hold him whenever he wants. I will get Ryan settled down for a nap and go do something in the other room, then awhile later I will go into check on him and Ethan will have him out of the bassinet and be holding him on the bed, or he'll bring him into me. He does pretty good, but he forgets to hold his head or not bend his arm backwards. Poor little Ryan. He's going to be a tough kid if she survives his brother and sister.

Ally's First Day of School

Ally had her first day of school yesterday (Sept. 16). I put her in the preschool at the college, The students that are taking early childhood classes teach it, Ethan went to this school his first year. She was so excited. I had been telling her she was going to go to school for a few days and so yesterday morning she was excited to get dressed in "school clothes" and get her hair combed, and take pictures. She was excited until I told her it was time to go and then she got all scared and sad. She sulked the whole way down to school and wouldn't let me leave her. I finally just had to go. I took Ryan to the doctor and so Javan picked her up. He said she was happy and running around and playing. She says she wants to go back, so that's a good sign. And she was so proud of the little book she made. She is such a big girl.


I'm sure this happens with everyone but since we had Ryan Ally seems so big. It seems like she grew up overnight. She is such a good little helper. She was so cute wearing Javan's giant work boots.


Ethan and Ally have been into washing their own hair and bodies in the shower recently. A couple weeks ago they dumped 2 full bottles of shampoo and soap out in their bath. @$%^#$#!! I was so mad. So they had a stern talking-to about wasting and are doing better but you can see they are still over-using. All those bubbles are from their shampoo and soap. What you can see is what bubbles were left over when the water was drained out. They thought they were pretty funny "Bath Santas".


Ryan (and I) didn't not sleep a wink the night before this picture. I don't know what the matter was, but he was so exhausted the next, and so was I. I tried to wake him up all day so we didn't have a repeat sleepless night again. He did much better last night

Javan's New Toy

I told Javan as soon as the garage addition was done and we remodled my bathroom he could get a motorcycle. Hum, what happened? I hate him having a motorcycle. He had one before we were married and he used to call me at school in Cedar City and tell me what he had hurt of which bone he had broken or that he just had a head-on with a car and had to go to Cortez in the ambulance. He does not have a good track record.

The kids think it's awesome though and they love to go on rides. At least they are wearing their helmets.

Ethan and Javan


Ally and Javan

We have other kids too.

With the new baby Ethan and Ally haven't got much of my attention. Thank you to Shan and Bayley for taking them so I could get some rest and spend some alone time with Ryan. I has been nice. And I still love you Ethan and Ally.

They have been so good with Ryan. Of course they want to hold him non-stop and for the most part they are very gentle and careful with him. They are absoutely facinated with everything he does. They just love him so much.

Ally got these fingernails when she went to stay with Bayley, she loves them. We take them on and off several times a day.

Ethan took the saddle off his play horse and saddled himself up to take Ally for a ride.
Ethan and Ryan
Ally and Ryan

Ryan Pictures

Here's some more pictures of Ryan. He is so cute.


Yes, he's already smiling. He loves me.
So cute.
"No more pictures Mom"
Ohhhhhh!
My poor sweet boy has to lay under the bili light. I guess bili levels are supposed to be under 12, his was a 19 this morning so they sent over this light. I hate it. It's so sad to leave him in there, when I want to be holding him. We have to go back to the clinic tomorrow and they will draw blood again to check his levels.

Ryan Halls Shumway

Well we did it. Yeah!!

Ryan Halls Shumway was born on September 3, 2008 at 3:45 pm. He weighed 7 lb 14 oz and is 20 1/4 inches long. (Big boy!) He is a healthy, happy, good, little baby.

We got to come home yesterday (Sept. 4). Ryan's first night home went well, he woke up every 2 hours to eat, but he is a good little nurser, and such a good baby so far. He is so sweet.

I am doing fine. I still look like I am about 6 months pregnant. Ally asked me if we were having another baby, when I said no, she said my belly was still fat. Thanks, I'm aware.

Anyway, here's some pictures.

"That was hard mom"

Ethan and Ally love their new baby brother.

Our first family picture.

Ready to come home.

Relaxing on mom's bed.

Whoa, big boy.

It has been a tradition in our family that Grandma gives the kids their first bath. My Grandma Bailey did this for all of my brother's and sister's and we have carried on this same tradition with my kids. So here is Ryan's first bath. He didn't like it very much.

All wrapped up warm and cozy in a towel. This is much better.

Ethan taking good care of Ryan.

38 Weeks and GO TIME!

I am just posting one last picture before we have this baby. I had an appointment this morning and measured 41 cm. Dr. Fisher gave me 2 options.

Option 1 - I could have the baby today. He would give me a pill to start the conractions, then when they got bad enough I would go to the birthing center here in Blanding to have the baby, but you cannot have an epidural there.

Option 2 - I could have the baby tomorrow. I could go to the hospital in Monticello tomorrow morning at 7:30 and he would start me on pitosin, and I COULD have an epidural.

I elected option 2. I figured since I have already had 2 kids without an epidural I deserved to have one this time, no need to be too tough. I am also afraid that since I am measuring the same with this baby that I did with Ethan, that he will get stuck like Ethan, and I will have to have the horrible vacuum again. I don't want to go through that again without an epidural.

So tomorrow we should have a baby. Yippee!!

Thanks Ridge!

I decided to squeeze in a few more posts before I SQUEEZE out this baby.

I have a little patient, Ridge (whose mom now works at the office) that I love. He is always so cute and such a good boy. When he found out I was having a baby he drew this picture for me and brought it with him to his appointment. (You may have to click on it to enlarge so you can see better.)

I love it. I love how I am just huge in the picture (cause that's how I feel). Dr. Miller noticed that he was bigger than the rest too. I love to see kids perspective on things.

Then he knitted this hat for the baby. He entered in the fair too. I don't know if he won anything for it, but it sure is cute. And very sweet of him.


Thanks Ridge!!

Dinosaur Museum

The kids and I have been bored this week. I think it's the longest week of my life, since I am done working and we are just sitting around waiting to have this baby. I can't do very much in the way of playing with the kids, it about kills me to get up and down from the floor with them. So we decided to go to the Dinosaur Museum. I think Becky takes them pretty regularly but everytime we drive by it on the way to the grocery store they want to go.

Anyway, I haven't been in a long time so I consented to go. We walked around and around and saw all the dinosaurs about 10 times each. Then of course we had to stop in at the gift shop and pick a prize. It killed about an hour of our afternoon so I guess it was worth it.



Ethan was trying to lift Ally up to see some of the things in the cases. He told her "Mom can't lift you, I have to do it." I guess he's heard me say that a few times.

36 Weeks

Well it was a very disappointing and sad day. I don't know why but I guess I just had my heart set on having this baby early, I am so tired and worn out. So today at my doctor's appointment when he checked me and said I wasn't progressing or even doing anything and that he wouldn't do anything for 2 more weeks I was very sad. I know technically I am only 36 weeks but I measure so big I thought he might like to help me out. So it looks like we will be having the baby the first week in September, which is what I have been planning all along. I guess I just shouldn't get my hopes up like that again, I'm not the doctor, or the baby.

Backyard Swimming Pool

Since school started the public pool hasn't been open for us to go swimming anymore so Ethan begged Javan to fill up the pool in our backyard. Ethan and Ally have been having so much fun. When we first filled it up Javan hooked it directly to our water heater so the water was warm but they have still been swimming even now that the water is freezing. They are both getting pretty brave and will go under the water. Ethan thinks he is pretty cool with his goggles on, they are giving him quite a bit of confidence actually. A little of the swimming action.

Don't mind all the weeds in the yard, we've been busy with other things. And yes, that is a drinking fountain in the backyard, that's what happens when you husband is a plumber.

Ethan's First Day of School

Ethan started preschool again this year on Aug. 14. He was supposed to start on the 13th but due to funerals and babysitters he didn't get to go the first day. He was pretty bummed. So he was way excited on Thursday when he got to go. He kept telling Ally that he was going to school and she didn't have school, which of course made her sad. He says he loves school, and is excited to go every morning instead of fight me about it. He goes to 4-day pre-school this year to prepare him for kindergarden.

I can't see you!

Can you guess what the giant red thing is? That's right, my huge round belly. This is my view looking down. Ally is just the right height that she fits right underneath my belly and so this is what I see quite often. I just thought it was kind of funny.

Hot Tub Party

Grandpa and Grandma Young have a hot tub that they filled up for the kids to play in. They had a blast because it was warm (it wasn't full hot tub temp. more like bath water) and they could touch. Wouldn't it be great to be a kid again.


Here is Ethan under the water. This is a pretty big accomplishment for Ethan. He is not brave. So finally getting him to go under water on his own is huge. Way to go buddy!

Dentist Appointments

I brought Ethan and Ally over to the dentist office to have their check-ups last week. The is Ethan's 3 time and Ally's first. I'd just like to remind everyone that on Ethan's 1st appointment he wouldn't open his mouth and we didn't get anything accomplished. On the second appointment he threw up all over my mom, me and the floor. This time he did much better we got most of what we needed to done without hassle until it was time for flouride and x-rays. Then we had to wait for Javan so Ethan could sit on his lap for pictures. Such a stinker.


Ally on the other hand was a perfect angel. She didn't make a peep the whole time. She had a smile on her face and cooperated with everything I needed her to do. What a good girl.


Letting Dr. Miller count her teeth.

34 Weeks

Here is a picture of me at 34 weeks. I just put in on even though tomorrow is 35 weeks, I've been a little slow. At my Dr. appointment on this day I measured 38 weeks. Dr. Fisher said we'll just take it one week at at time. I don't really know what that means, but hopefully he is in my same mind frame about getting this baby out soon.