A week in the life of Bryce...

welcome to my world little man! It has really gone by quickly. The stay at the hospital really was wonderful. My nurses treated me like royalty, the food was great, and I had my laptop, a few books, visits from friends and very little unwanted interruptions. The night before I went home, my sweet kids came for a visit and I was reminded why I needed to be in the hospital to recover. Thank Heavens for a mother who was willing and able to take care of Dallin and Emily. I will admit that the drive to my house was very scary. I didn't know what to expect or how my kids would react knowing that I was home, but couldn't do very much for them. They are absolutely in love with Bryce and I love watching them with him. Emily is much softer than I thought she would be, thanks to all of her practice on Baby Alice.



My dad was at my house when I got there on Thursday and that was awesome!! He was very tired, but was able to spend a lot of time with the kids. He asked them for a kiss every night before bed, and it was so sweet to see him with him. I don't think he will ever know how much it meant to me to have him there. We went to the park on Friday night for a birthday party for a friend and it was beautiful weather. Dallin rode his scooter, and Emily finally was able to wear her "Ariel water shoes" in the water. My mom kept checking on the kids, so I was able to relax. It was also fun to see Bryce next to his "buddy" Spencer. They are only 2 months apart. We know they will be good friends because they have no choice!




On Saturday, Jeff's parents came into town and we had fun teaching them all about the WII. We will be sad when we have to give it back to Erik. It sure has been a lot of fun to have at our house. Jeff called me outside to show me a "surprise." I had no idea what he was going to show me. I walked out the door and saw Dallin cruising down the sidewalk without training wheels!! He had the biggest grin on his face! He was so proud! I had no clue that's what they were outside doing, but Jeff said he learned in less than 10 minutes. We had taken off the training wheels in September and he tried for a few days and got frustrated. So, he got a scooter for Christmas and that is all he rides. Now, he can ride his bike!! It was such a cool surprise!!

The Meltdown- My poor mom had the bad luck of taking me shopping. She had brought me a new skirt that actually fit, and I had cute new shoes that Sarah had been sweet enough to buy me(that match hers!), and I thought surely I would be able to find a shirt at Target that would fit. Wrong!! 5 days after having a c-section is not the time to buy new clothes. I started bawling in the Target dressing room when nothing fit. My mom was very sweet and tried to reassure me, but I was very depressed. I left very upset, just reminding myself about the cute new shoes.

Sunday went perfect. I found a shirt in my closet that I had forgotten about and all was well. :-) It was so neat to have both sets of Bryce's grandparents at the blessing. Jeff did a wonderful job and it was just a beautiful blessing. Every time I look at Bryce, I am just still amazed that he is even here. After the blessing we had a few good friends over to share in the joy with us. What a great Sunday. Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to my mom and dad, but I am so grateful they were able to share this week with us. My mom has truly been an angel, the kids had an awesome time with her and never put up a fight. Emily especially loved being with Grandma and it was sweet watching them together.






Today, we spent the morning searching for a Wii with no luck. Then we went to downtown Portland for a great lunch and took Dallin's bike for a spin on the waterfront. It was a beautiful day and we all enjoyed the weather. We took Grandma and Grandma Marker to the airport for another sad goodbye. I am so glad they were able to be with us also.


We ended the day with a picnic in the park with Sarah and her family. I just sat and chatted with Sarah and Nikki while the kids played. I didn't actually see Nikki's baby because he was in the carrier and I didn't move from my seat, but our boys are only 2 weeks apart so it will be fun to have the 3 babies together this summer. Now, Jeff has taken the week off and he has already started laundry- good job!! I look forward to a great week with my new little family of 5! Reality won't set in for one more week. So far, Bryce is a sweet little baby. He is eating and sleeping well, let's just pray it lasts!