Trunk or Treat!

Tonight we went to our ward's Trunk or Treat. Here are the boys in their costumes before going to the church.
John stayed at the van to pass out candy, while I took the boys around to all the other cars. Bentley had a great time. He ran ahead of us and somehow managed to get a little more candy than his brothers.
Here are the boys with their loot. Jonah dove right into his and wouldn't stop to smile for a picture. Maxwell and Bentley were kind enough to humor their mother before chowing down on their candy.

We hope everyone had a fun Halloween!

Halloween Party 2006

Today the boys and I hosted our 3rd Annual Little People Halloween Party. This year we chose a pumpkin theme. (fitting since I'm big and round) :)

After lunch the kids broke into groups. They took turns decorating little pumpkins with stickers and markers.

The others played games -

- pin the nose on the pumpkin, a pumpkin bean bag toss, and a pumpkin walk.

We ended with a pumpkin toss - the kids took turns throwing the pumpkin pinata until it finally opened. Then they raced to get their pumpkin fruit snacks and goldfish crackers.

I think the party was a success, and I'm glad it will be another year before we do it again. :)

We invite all the kids in our ward who are Bentley's age and under, so every year the party gets bigger. This year we invited 32 kids and 27 came, so our house was packed! Luckily a few of the moms stayed to help and were willing to be put to work running games and monitoring pumpkin decorating. I think everyone was ready for a nap by the time the party ended. :)

The Name Game

Leslie started this game yesterday, and Ginger tagged me, so here's the question and my answers:

What did you name your kids and why?

(With each pregnancy, we have chosen not to find out the baby's gender before it's born, so we had to come up with two names each time.)

Bentley John - When I was pregnant with Bentley, I had a long list of names that I'd started before we got married. John didn't really like most of them, so we started over. I put a notepad by the computer in our apartment and started a list titled "Baby Names." Bentley was the one and only name that John contributed to the list. I thought it had a nice sound to it, and that it would be cool to tell our little boy that his Dad picked his name. The middle name, John, is of course after John. :)
If we had had a girl, she would have been Emily (what my parents planned to name my little sister until their two year old - me - preferred the name Mindy).

Maxwell Larry - Max is a name that I've liked for years, but I didn't really consider it as a name for one of our kids until after we had Bentley. I thought Maxwell complemented Bentley's name, (my brother says they're "butler" names) and I liked the association with Elder Maxwell. My Dad's name is Garth Larry, and most of the time he is known by his middle name(when he isn't called by his even more common nickname -Homely). I wanted to name this baby after my Dad, so we chose Larry. Somehow it seemed more acceptable than Homely, even though that was what I grew up thinking my Dad's name was. :)
If we had had a girl this time, she would have been Nora, which I got from Lorna, the name of my maternal grandmother.

Jonah Dail - For our first two children, I'd wanted to avoid "J" names. When John and I introduced ourselves to people, they'd say, "John and Jenny, how cute," because both our names started with a J - like we'd planned it our something. :) By the third baby, I thought we'd be safe to consider J names. Early on in the pregnancy, we decided on Ruby for a girl (Ruby May Maxfield is one of John's Great-grandmothers, and we like the name). We had more difficulty with boys' names, and I was pretty sure the baby was a girl. While we weren't too worried about it, I still wanted a boys name for backup. One night I was browsing baby names online and decided to look at the J list. Jonah stood out right away, and John approved it, so that became our backup, "just in case" we had a boy. :) We wanted to name this baby (if it was a boy) after John's Dad, Brent Dail. We chose Dail because a) it was his middle name and we'd used my Dad's middle name with Maxwell, b) Andrew was already "Brent", and c) it is also John's middle name, as well as the middle name of his Grandfather.

Baby #4 - This time we're waiting to see what the baby looks like before narrowing our lists to one boy or one girl name, but I do have middle names picked out. For a girl, the middle name is Jeanette - my middle name, my paternal grandmother's middle name, and my great-grandmother's middle name. For a boy, the middle name will be Fisher, after my Great Grandpa John Floyd Fisher. I was lucky enough to live two blocks away from him until I went to college, so I knew him well and love him very much. He died during my second year of college, almost 10 years ago, and I decided then that I wanted to name a son after him. My brother "called" the name Floyd, and we already have a John, so I chose Fisher. Hopefully we'll get at least one more boy, and I'll get to use the name. :)

I like baby names about as much as birth stories, so this ended up being longer than I thought it would - s0rry. :)

I tag Cleo, Elizabeth, and Lara.

Hey Emma!

Maxwell can walk on his toes, too! Click here to see him in action!
Or here to see Emma do it.

Super Jonah

Jonah's latest "uniform" - day or night, with clothes or pajamas - consists of his shoes, his orange sweatshirt with the hood on, and a Superman cape. Today he jumped off of the couch, over and over again. Each time the landing was rough, but he's Superman, so he was ok. :)

To watch one of his fearless jumps, click here.

Square Pumpkins

Tonight we went to Arctic Circle for dinner. It's an annual thing for us because of their Square Pumpkin kids meals. The boys don't really love the food there, but they really like the little flashlights that come with the meal.
They insisted on having the house dark when we got home so they could run around with their flashlights. With any luck it will be a day or two before the flashlights break, and in the meantime, they are having a great time. :)

BYU vs. UNLV

Today I got to go to a BYU football game! (The last time I went to one, I was pregnant with Jonah.) When I was a student at BYU, I attended almost every home game, so it was a lot of fun to go back. Spencer is a manager for the team, and we went to the game early so we were able to see him hard at work. (he stopped to say hi to Mom)
The main reason for attending the game today was to see my brother Mikey in action. In the above picture he's one of the trombone players at the top of the field. The band looked and sounded great! (just like our football team today!)
I snapped a quick picture of Mike as he and the other band members headed back to their seats after the half time show. Looking good Mike! :)

Mindy, Mom, and me at the game.

(My Dad and Greg were there, too. It was a family affair, with only Warren and his wife Becky not at the game.)

Meet Mia

This is Mia with Maxwell.

Spencer and Brianna brought their new dog over tonight to meet the family. She's a lot smaller and a lot more relaxed than Brady, their other dog.

Jonah and Bentley brought Mia peace offerings in the form of balls. Jonah tried to give her a small red one, while Bentley showed her the large Elmo ball.

Welcome to the family, Mia!

Full Circle

Many years ago . . .

. . . a college student named Nathan spent the weekends at his cousins' home. There, he was able to do his laundry, and to play video games. He was assisted in this second activity by two small cousins - Mikey and Greg.

These little boys were video game experts and were glad to share their expertise with their older cousin. To encourage his continued participation in their games, they even let him win a time or two.

This afternoon . . .

. . . a college student named Mikey came to his sister's home to do laundry and to play video games. His willing assistant is his nephew, Bentley.

Bentley gladly shared his knowledge of monster tracking with his Uncle and gave him some pointers when Mikey was defeated by the witch.

Both times, I watched and laughed as the college boys tried to be patient with their little helpers. It's not easy being bossed by a 4 or 5 year old. :)

Baby Sophie!

Hurray for baby Sophie! We're so glad she made it safely! We think Sophie is adorable and can't wait to see more pictures!

Fighting Monsters

There is a reason the boys are wearing these "uniforms" today. They have been eating special Halloween Go-gurt. The packages have monsters on them, and a web address to track those monsters online.
Once you get to the website, you can choose to be a boy or a girl. The boy is wearing a green shirt and blue pants, so . . .
all three of my boys are wearing green shirts and blue pants. They are ready to track any monsters that come their way.

(Bentley successfully tracked and captured all 8 monsters this afternoon, so the world is safe once again.)

Nature vs. Nurture

Does Jonah do this because he has watched his older brothers play fighting games, or is it just what boys do?

The Experiment

For the last few months, Jonah and Bentley have been sharing a room. For a while it looked like that situation was going to work pretty well, but lately Jonah and Bentley have had a really hard time being in the same room and going to sleep.

So . . . this weekend we are experimenting with Maxwell and Bentley in the same room. We weren't ready to commit to the new arrangement, so we moved only Bentley's mattress, not his entire bed (which would have to be taken apart to move it to a new room) into Maxwell's room. Despite the goofiness shown in this picture, they seem to be doing ok so far. We'll have to wait a little longer to find out whether this is the solution to our sleeping dilemma.

Maxwell's Birth Story

Maxwell's birth was nothing like Bentley's. To begin with, Bentley was born 6 days after his due date; Maxwell was born 6 days before his due date. Bentley's labor progressed predictably, while Maxwell's was kind of confusing. I was scared and very unprepared for Bentley's birth. Before Maxwell was born, I took a doula training course, read books on labor and delivery, and educated myself. I was still nervous, but I was much more prepared for Maxwell's birth. Unfortunately, his labor and delivery didn't give me the opportunity to apply most of what I had learned.

Maxwell's due date was August 28. When I went to bed on August 21, I was having Braxton Hicks about every 3-5 minutes. They continued all night, but they were very weak, so I was able to sleep through most of them. The contractions were still coming every 3-5 minutes the next morning, but they were still just the uncomfortable Braxton-Hicks kind. John went to work, while Bentley and I ate breakfast, got ready for the day, and walked to the park near our home (at about 10:30am). (something we did almost every morning) While Bentley was playing on the toys, I noticed that the contractions were getting stronger. We walked home, started a load of laundry, and went to Target to get anything that might be needed at home while I was in the hospital with the baby.

(Bentley at the park the day Max was born)
After lunch, Bentley took a nap, and I tried to rest- frustrated because things did not seem to be progressing. Soon after I got comfortable, a big storm came in. The sky got dark, the wind howled, and rain began pooring down. I ran around, shutting windows, and looking in the backyard for Bentley's swimming pool which had blown across the yard. The contractions finally started getting more painful, so I decided to take a shower. Of course, Bentley woke up before I could get in the shower, but he patiently waited for me. After my shower, I called John at work around 3:30pm and asked him to think about coming home, because it was difficult for me to focus during contractions while Bentley was dancing around me. John had a few more things to finish up at work, so we decided I'd call him back if I really needed him. Half an hour later, I was on the phone again, asking him to come home.

When he got home (just before 4:30) he called our friends, the Ellingfords, and asked them to come watch Bentley. My contractions were still all over the map. 8 minutes apart, 3 minutes apart, 10 minutes apart, 5 minutes apart, and on and on. We weren't sure I was ready to go to the hospital, but decided to drive over anyway. As the Ellingfords arrived at about 5pm, I called my Mom to let her know we were going to the hospital. When we left for the hosptial it was rush hour, and the storm was still going, so traffic was bad and it took us longer than normal to get to the hospital (it's usually only a 5-10 minute drive).

We parked way out in the boonies (just like at Bentley's birth) and walked into the maternity ward. I'd had to stop a couple of times in the parking lot because the contractions were getting really difficult, but I was in between contractions when we got inside. The nurses smiled, and asked,"Can we help you?" Maybe they couldn't tell I was in labor? They said the storm had sent lots of women into labor, and they didn't have a room available right then, so would I mind waiting in the hall for a minute? Great. Luckily, it was only a few minutes before they sent a girl from the "check and send" down the hall for an ultrasound to check the status of her baby. The nurses had me change into a gown,and at that point the contractions were very intense. I managed to change, and waddled over to the bed where the nurse (who happened to be our nurse with Bentley) checked me and announced that I was dilated to 9+. Immediatly after that I felt the urge to push, and a midwife (who was there with another patient) rushed into the room to deliver our baby. (My doctor didn't get a phone call until AFTER Max arrived.)

Several things stand out in my mind at that point. The other girl's things were still in the room, I remember her shoes were under the side of the bed. She'd been watching reruns of Friends, and the TV was still on. Normally I like that show, but it was driving me nuts so I asked if we could turn the TV off - they did. I started pushing, and John said, "Wow, the head's almost out." I thought he was just trying to keep my spirits up (lying), but after another push the baby's head did come out and the rest of him soon followed - 12 minutes after we arrived at the hospital. The midwife placed him on my stomach and I got to hold and touch him while John cut the cord. (while he was on my stomach Max wet on me - Bentley had done that to the respiratory therapist - what great starts)

(Maxwell Larry 8 lbs 6 oz, 19 1/2 inches)
Eventually someone checked out of the hospital, and I was moved to a regular room. I'm not sure what happened to the girl who was in the room I delivered in. Hopefully she wasn't sitting out in the hall. Her stuff was still there when I left. The funny thing about them not having room for me was that earlier in my pregnancy, I'd had a dream that we got to the hospital and they didn't have any rooms left. In the dream they had curtained off areas in the cafeteria and that's where they wanted me to have my baby. I'm glad it wasn't that bad in real life.

Maxwell looked very different from newborn Bentley. He had lots of dark hair, eyebrows you could see, and rosy dark skin. Bentley had blond fuzz, invisible eyebrows, and fair skin. Maxwell was a very accomodating little guy. After laboring all night with Bentley, I had decided it would be nice to labor all day instead, and to give birth in the evening so I could enjoy the baby for a few hours and then go to bed at a normal time. Maxwell was born at 5:38pm. While I was in labor, I was worried that the baby would wait till after midnight to come, and would be born on our anniversary. Because he came so quickly, Max gets his own birthday, and our anniversary is the next day. :)

(Maxwell, Bentley, and Mindy get acquainted)

Happy Birthday Grandma Haws!

We hope you have a great birthday!
We love and miss you!
Bentley, Maxwell, and Jonah

ps - Mom needs more pictures of you! This is one of you with Maxwell!

Grandpa Haws

Grandpa Haws got here yesterday. He brought the boys Superman headset walkie-talkies with special infra-red vision. They spent yesterday evening saving the world.

After their busy day, they mustered enough energy to take Grandpa to see the scary Halloween Decorations.

Today the boys ate lunch at Burger King with Grandpa Haws, and topped it off with a doughnut from Krispie Kreme. (both special treats usually reserved for Haws family visits)

Jonah's favorite part might have been the music at Krispie Kreme. Here's a video of Jonah dancing with his brothers while they watch the doughnuts being cooked. The best part is Jonah's solo dance at the end.

Uncle Greg

Greg was in town today for BYU's Marching Band Competition. We probably won't make it to the competition this year, but the boys (and Mike), and I went to the mall to see Greg. I guess the excitement over seeing their Uncle was too much for them; Max fell asleep and Jonah was close to it. We love you Greg!

Bentley's Chart

Bentley has his own chart that he'd like to share. He gets a sticker for doing his daily chores (making his bed and not leaving his clothes on the floor), and one sticker for brushing his teeth. To earn a sticker, he has to do these things without being reminded. Each Saturday his chore is to clean his room, and he'll get a sticker each time he remembers (on his own) to do that. Today was the first day and he earned two stickers!
Nice job Bentley!

Pumpkinland

Yesterday, we went to Pumpkinland and took the Corn Maze Challenge.

Our mission was to find the hidden Gourd House somewhere in the maze, and then correctly guess the weight of the giant pumpkin that we found there.

The trail was long and pretty muddy in some places, but we managed to find the Gourd House.

We were given the numbers 1, 2, 5, and 6 and told that the weight of the pumpkin was a combination of three of those numbers. We got four guesses because there were four paying guests. Bentley had the third guess and he got it right! I think it was 256 pounds. It was a BIG pumpkin.

This is my favorite picture from our day. Jonah wanted to hold Bentley's hand, so they walked the last stretch of the trail together. Maxwell is up ahead of them, and John is next to them. I love when the boys take care of each other, and that's what Bentley told me he was doing for Jonah.

A Pink Sticker

Yesterday Maxwell got his first pink sticker and his Superman toy. Both were rewards for "pooping" in his potty chair. Superman has been waiting patiently on our fridge since the end of June and he has finally been set free!
Our entire family is celebrating Maxwell's accomplishment! Let's hope he continues!

Decorations - Part 2

Here is a sampling of the decorations that a family near us puts out each year.

I've heard that they used to rent a building for a spook alley, but these days their yard is the spook alley. Every year, my kids are fascinated by the decorations. We drive by and/or walk by at least once a day. At night the things look really spooky, with smoke and lights. And every once in a while, the man that lives there dresses up in the scarecrow clothing and poses until people walk by - then he jumps out and chases them with the pitchfork. Really scary!

Decorations - Part 1

This is the extent of our family's fall decorations.

Baby Quilt - Progress!

Last night I finished peicing baby #4's quilt top! I've had a hard time this week wanting to do anything that isn't baby related. (not good for primary or joy school) When I went to my appoinment on Monday, my doctor had to leave to deliver a baby. So exciting! I thought about it all day long. :)
Today, the boys and I dropped off my pre-registration form at the hospital. I get so excited thinking about the sweet babies being born there! I guess the nurses and doctors must get used to it eventually, but I love to think about those sweet spirits coming to earth and getting bodies and joining families! I can't wait to meet our little one. Ok, so a two month wait is actually sounding good because I've got tons of stuff to do before then, but I think I'll be more than ready two months from now. :)

Dental Adventures

This morning I took the boys for their 6 month cleaning and exam at the dentist. Although we liked our old dentist, we tried a new dentist this time, because the wait at the old one was typically at least two hours. We were in and out today in about 40 minutes! It was great!

Bentley was very brave. The x-rays always make him nervous, but he let them take the x-rays and didn't cry. Then he had his teeth cleaned while watching "Brother Bear" on a TV on the ceiling. He thought the fluoride was gross, but he kept it in his mouth as long as they told him to. What a great kid! For his prize, he chose a Batman sticker. He was excited to also get a new toothbrush, toothpaste, and a flosser.

Maxwell has been very nervous for this appointment. It was only his second, and he really didn't like the first one. He didn't cry, but refused to have the x-rays taken, or to have his teeth cleaned. He did let the dentist count his teeth, but he wasn't happy about. He WAS happy about the prize he got at the end - a bouncy ball (and some coupons for a toothbrush, along with the regular stuff Bentley got).

Here are Bentley and Maxwell showing off their cavity-free teeth and their bouncy balls (Bentley already had one at home).

Jonah loved the dentist. He's too young for the x-rays or the cleaning, so he had a great time watching Bentley, reading books, and looking at the Nemo posters in the office. He picked out Maxwell's toothbrush for him, and then got to choose his own. He was smiling and relaxed until he heard someone say, "Let's look at Jonah's teeth next." That's when Jonah dissolved into a crying mess at my feet. Poor guy. He "let" the dentist count his teeth, and as soon as I put him down he was back to the happy, having fun Jonah. He picked a bouncy ball just like Max, but he didn't want to be in the picture with his brothers. This is him hiding from the camera.

30 Weeks

Today I went to my 30 week appointment at the doctor. I love hearing the baby's heartbeat, so I look forward to my appointments. After today, I'll get to go every two weeks. :)

My newsletter from the American Pregnancy Association says that I can expect some of the following things in the next 10 weeks.

• fatigue
• insomnia
• MOOD SWINGS
• back pain

A Yellow Sticker

Today Maxwell added his first yellow sticker to his potty training chart! That means that his pull-up was
DRY
all day today! Yesterday he got three green stickers and today he earned four green stickers for using the potty chair! We're so glad that he seems to be "getting" this. :)

Hurray for Maxwell!