Merry Christmas from Our Family!

2009 has been a great year! In February we travelled to Philadelphia for Mystery Man’s Grandmother’s 90th birthday party! She is doing great and still lives on her own. The trip was extra exciting because MM was together with ALL 5 of his siblings (Glummie, Ossian, Gesualdo, Thurston, Cosimo) for the first time in many years. We also enjoyed seeing MM’s aunt, Mary Lou, and her daughters Shannon & Lindsay. Our kids enjoyed playing with their cousins Bronwyn, Tristan, Wayra, & Indra, as well as their second cousin Connor.

In May Jen’s brother, Jeff, was married to Tiffany. Jen was a bridesmaid and Ephraim was the ring bearer. We had a great time visiting with everyone in Iowa throughout all the wedding festivities. Tiffany is a fantastic sister-in-law and we are so glad she’s in the family! We traveled again to Iowa in late June and enjoyed canoeing down the Raccoon River and visiting with Jen’s family. In August our kids convinced us to take another trip to the Wisconsin Dells, which was the highlight of their summer (simple pleasures, right?)

In September the kids went back to school. Azael is in 3rd grade, Ephraim is in 1st grade, and Silas is in preschool. What do they do for fun when not in school? Azael finally convinced us to let him and Ephraim play Club Penguin on the computer. Silas prefers pbskids.org or lego.com. Lorelai, age 2 ½, just learned how to play Teletubbies on the computer. We start them young. J All our kids enjoy playing outside, playing with friends, going to Chucky Cheese or various parks around town, and doing the other things kids do.

On November our daughter, Jane, was born. She weighed 9 lbs, 10 oz and was 20.5 inches long. She is a sweet baby and she has helped add a special calmness to our home. All our kids love her and have been enlisted to bounce her bouncy seat when Mom needs to cook or get something done. I refuse to purchase a swing because we have no space. In fact, we have so little space that we may try to move to a bigger house in 2010. Mystery Man would like a house located next to a park (just like this one) or an acreage. We’ll see what we can find…

MM continues to love his job. Jen still enjoys running a web business and is happy to report increased profits this year. Life is going well.

Well, time to close this letter… until 2010! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Love,
Mystery Man, Jen, Azael, Ephraim, Silas, Lorelai, & Jane

Azael's Prayer

Today Azael prayed the following:

Please bless me to have a GREAT day
and everyone else to have a normal day.

It's great to be 8, huh?

9-1-1-, the Concoction, and Snow

This morning, while MM was making lunches for school, the answering machine picked up and he heard the following:

Good morning. One of the younger members of the family called 9-1-1- and said something along the lines of "this is awesome" etc. I'm obligated to send the police. They're on their way. If you could kindly call us back and let us know there are not any problems, then we could avoid having the police come over there. Thank you.

Needless to say, MM called them back to cancel the police visit. And he interrogated the kids, finding out that Ephraim was the culprit. We didn't even have to punish him, because when we told him the police were on the way, he was FREAKED OUT! LOL! Lucky for him Daddy was able to call the police in time and rescue Ephraim from jail... :)

Later this evening, more fun occurred... MM went into the kitchen to find Lorelai "cooking." This is a photo of her concoction, which consisted of cinnamon sugar, chocolate chips, strawberry jam, and peanut butter. Yum yum!

And finally, here's a photo of last week's blizzard... MM didn't have to go to work, so he and the boys built a monstrous snow fort with all the snow from the driveway (the pile to the right).

Video of Jane

Enjoy cute baby Jane's video!

What Matters Most

When Jane was born, I took 2 weeks off to "hang" with Jane (read about it here).

Thankfully, I've been able to maintain that calm and relaxed mentality.

In fact, my new motto is this:

Do less.

Do less of the unimportant things.

You probably won't be surprised when I tell you

this has made my life much better.

And happier.

Everyone in our family is a bit more calm

and things are just... peaceful.

Do less of the unimportant things,

so you can do more of what matters most.

Like family time. And Enjoying the

TRUE meaning of Christmas.

I love this video clip about what matters most.

And here are some random photos of our calm, relaxing, and fun week...

and these are the things that matter most to me.

MM with Jane

Ephraim and Azael on crazy hair day at school.
Silas giving us his Princess Diana expression.Lorelai enjoying the snow.
Another shot of MM
Me. Sitting. And doing less. So I can do more of what matters most.

Azael's Shopping List

I have a whiteboard where we write down the items we need to buy on our next shopping trip. Apparently Azael felt the need to add some things to it. I guess we'll be eating the "good stuff" around here...

Toilet issues

Go ahead. Judge us.

Label us as "bad parents."

But the fact is, we're at a loss....

After scolding, begging, pleading, talking, and every other "ing" we could think of, we've given up.

We're locking both the bathrooms now because our 2 year old keeps doing stuff like this:

Oh, yes, she thinks it's hilarious.

We don't.

We're going to get even with her though.

This photo will be blown up and featured at her high school graduation. And her wedding.

Paybacks are fun, Lorelai!

Oh, and if you want to visit us, the bathroom key is hanging above the door where none of our kids can reach it.

Although it's getting old, unlocking that door EVERY time one of our 4 toilet trained children needs to go.

I know what I'm asking (and praying) for this Christmas.

O Christmas Tree

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

How Lovely are Thy Branches...

Our Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

What are we thankful for today?

Jen: That Mystery Man made such a great turkey!

Mystery Man: I don't know. (said while holding stomach).

Azael: My Card-Jitsu Card for Club Penguin.

Ephraim: My Card-Jitsu Cards.

Silas: Nothing.

Lorelai: blank stare.

While our meal was delicious and pleasant and I love spending time with our family, I'm embarassed to admit that our kids clearly need to begin weekly manners training. Yikes! I left the table feeling a little horrified to see bones, peas, and other random foods strewn around each child's plate. Two kids used their shirts as napkins multiple times. Ephraim dropped the same bite of potatoes onto his lap 4 times, reloading that same bite onto his spoon with his fingers each time. Lorelai made some type of sculpture with her yams. In the photo below, Ephraim is playing us a rhythmic pattern with his knife and spoon. Notice the bones around his plate and covering his napkin? Can't blame him for needing to use his shirt, right? Any advice from the trenches?

How do you help kids learn manners without making the meal a negative experience?

In any case, now we'll settle in for some R&R - my favorite part of Thanksgiving! :) Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Candy Cane Jane

Candy Cane Jane

(outfit courtesy of MM's mom)

Jane and I went to see "New Moon" on Friday with about 30 of my friends. It was fun. Jane slept the whole time, even at the restaurant afterwards! :) Here's a photo before the outing. My shirt says "Well, the wolf's out of the bag now," which is a quote from the movie. Several of us sported these super awesome shirts... It was fun to feel like a teenager again, at least for a night!
I also thought I'd share this photo of my Mom holding Jane. It was sad when my mom had to leave... we loved her help and miss her!

Lying In

For the past 2 weeks, since Jane's birth, I have tried to adhere to the classic "lying-in" period. Lying-in is an old childbirth practice involving a woman resting in bed for a period of time after giving birth, usually between 2 weeks and 2 months.

My midwife recommended a two week lying-in period divided as follows: 5 days in the bed, 5 days on the bed, 5 days around the bed. This practice makes sense because it allows your body to use all available energy to heal, to focus on the mother-child bond and on breastfeeding, and it contributes to the mother's overall emotional and physical health for several months following the birth of the child.

How did I like it? Need you ask? :)

This is what I wrote in my journal last week, after week 1 of the lying-in period.

"I've tried hard to rest a lot this past week. Officially it's called the 'lying in' with the baby. While I'm not done yet, I can sense a big difference in myself from doing this:

-I'm healing. I feel such a peace, physically and emotionally.
-The typical frenetic energy of life isn't there when I calmly relax and rest adequately.
-Jane is calm. I love being with her. I feel I can 'read' her more easily.
-I'm just so happy and feeling so blessed.

I'm going to focus on resting frequently in the next few months, especially in the next 6 weeks. I don't need a rushed, frenetic lifestyle anymore. It's time to stay grounded and find that healthy peace every day." (Jen's journal, Nov 8, 2009)

Now that week 2 is over, I want to say a bit more. All that rest and relaxation was somewhat life-changing for me. I realized I don't have to achieve, achieve, achieve, do, do, do, accomplish, accomplish, accomplish.... It's time for me to abandon some elements of my former "Type A/Pull Yourself Up By Your Bootstraps" personality and just RELAX, even if it means the house is messy or I'm not getting anything done. Balance and tranquility must come first. Everything else comes second. Will this be easy? No. It's contrary to what I learned growing up. But I'm excited to change and continue to experience increased calm and peace. When Mom's happy...

What are your thoughts? Is this hedonistic? Is this contrary to the popular idea that we must "lengthen our stride" and do just a little bit better and just a little bit more every day? Comments welcome!

Meet Jane

Meet Jane.

We've known her a week now.

She is calm, peaceful, and sweet.

She has stolen our hearts.

The Story of Jane's Birth

My pregnancy with Jane was by far, hands down, my most difficult pregnancy. On October 29th, at my 38 week appointment with the midwife, my blood pressure, which had been creeping up throughout the last trimester, was getting too high. Additionally, the midwife thought the baby was already over 9 ½ pounds. She suggested we might want to think about getting labor going. I agreed to begin taking an herbal blend which helps prepare the body for labor. The herbs in this blend were commonly used by Native Americans to help prepare for labor and to bring about an easier birth. The herbs began to work immediately; I noticed a big increase in cramping over the next few days.

By Halloween I had not gone into labor yet; I went to bed relieved that we didn’t have a Halloween baby. However, at 1 a.m. that night (Nov. 1) I awoke with real contractions. Ouch. I always forget how much they hurt! They seemed to be 15 minutes apart for about an hour. I woke Mystery Man up and told him. We both went back to sleep. It seemed throughout the next several hours I only woke up a few times, so perhaps I had one contraction per hour or so.

In the morning, I called my friends Stacy and Tabitha to ask if they could each watch 2 of the kids if I actually began real labor. I couldn’t tell if labor was starting or not, which was confusing for me because for all my past births I always started and ended labor in a period of about 2 or 3 hours. This was already over the time limit! I decided since I wasn’t in labor, we could probably still go to church (it was Stake Conference). However during the last hour of church I again had contractions every 15 minutes. We sent Azael and Ephraim home with Stacy; Mystery Man and I took Silas and Lorelai home for a nap. MM and I both took a nap as well. During the nap I had no more contractions.

After our nap I called Stacy and apologized for no “results” and thanked her for watching Azael and Ephraim. Mystery Man went to get them. While he was gone, I called the midwife and told her what was happening. She suggested I come to the clinic and get checked to see if I had dilated further. I called Stacy again and Mystery Man was still at their house. I told him we needed to go to the birth center; Stacy graciously agreed to watch our boys again (in addition to her own 4 kids!). MM and Lorelai came back home and picked me up. At the birth center, the midwife checked me and I was dilated 5 centimeters. She said, “You’re going to have a baby tonight” with a smile. I said warily, “Oh boy. Am I ready for the pain?”

We drove home and found a TV show to keep Lorelai entertained while Mystery Man began filling the birth tub with water. I called Stacy and asked if she’d please keep the boys a bit longer, as it appeared I really was in labor. She graciously agreed. She even decided she would come get Lorelai, and she was at our house in 5 minutes and took Lorelai with her.

The midwife arrived at our home and I settled into bed for some contractions. I had a heating pad on my belly, which was very soothing. After the birth tub was finished filling, I got into the water. The water was very soothing. I stayed in the tub for the rest of the birth. The pain was manageable until it was time to push. Pushing was very painful because it was SO FAST. Jane’s head and body came shooting out in one push at 6:32 p.m. The midwife lifted her out of the water into my arms and I just sat there in shock and pain. I asked, “What is it?” The midwife said, “Take a look, mom.” I couldn’t. I hurt too much to move. So the midwife looked under the umbilical cord and said, “It’s a girl!” I was happy it was a girl and happy birth was over.

I sat in the water holding Jane for a while. We took some pictures and Mystery Man cut the umbilical cord. The midwife commented that the umbilical cord was one of the fattest she had ever seen and the placenta was huge. Jane was very pink and chubby. Mystery Man and I both thought she looked a little like Ephraim and Silas. To our amazement, she weighed 9 lbs and 10 oz, and was 20.5 inches long with a 14” head. How big would she have been if she hadn’t been born 10 days early? We were blessed she came when she did! Thank goodness for a gentle intervention that helped induce labor in a safe way. Midwives are fantastic at what they do!

Today is day 5 since Jane was born. I have thoroughly enjoyed cuddling with her these past few days. I love her chubby pink cheeks and her cute mouth. She is very calm and sweet. I think of her as “Baby Jane, our Sweetheart.” Mystery Man often has a soft smile on his face and a coo on his lips when Jane is near. Life is good. We are so happy she’s here!

Note: this is the short version of Jane's birth story. If you have interest, you can request the more detailed version.

Welcome, Baby Jane!

Baby Jane Annabel Eden has joined our family!

She was born at home.

And she is beautiful.

9 lbs., 10 oz.

20.5 inches

Ephraim, Silas, Azael, & Lorelai meet their new sister:

Daddy enjoys holding her:

Mommy holds her right after her entry into the world:

Our Midwife holds Jane up to test her stepping reflex.

Look at those fat rolls! And so strong. And mad!

We love you and are so glad you're here!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from our family to yours!

Fleeting, but Timeless

I'm into black & white photos right now. Somehow they make everything seem so timeless and profound -like when I saw MM and the boys playing Lego this past weekend and just had to snap some photos... I realized all those days of building Lego with Daddy will be a memory they'll have forever. Enjoy the photos. Oh, and maybe this means sorting the Lego by color & shape was all worth it.

Like this expression? Somebody was tired of my photography. I think my Mom would agree that I had this face quite often as a kid. Ahh, the circle of life.

A Very Brave Moment

My brave moment of the century, for all the blog world to see:

Just 2 weeks left!

Adorable Leaf Collector

This morning Lorelai and I were home alone, so we decided to go on a walk. Lorelai collected some big leaves. And looked adorable...