HaPpY HaLLoWEeN

A Pumpkin Patch

 I had really high hopes that my next blog would be about all the fun things we did this summer, alas, this is all I could put together.  Our last 5 years of going to a pumpkin patch.  We must really like them because we keep going, every year since Jack was born.  I should say, I've gone every year with the kids, Jared has gone a few of the years.  (Poor Dads miss out on all the fun...).  This past weekend we went again as a family.  Fun, but too hot.  It's suppose to be cool in the fall isn't it?  Somehow the heat takes away from the nostalgia of it all.  I love looking at the difference a year makes in a little ones life.  They grow too TOO fast!

 (2007 in American Fork, Utah)

 (2008 in Modesto, CA)

 (2009 in Wheatland, CA)

 (2010 in Wheatland, CA)

(2011 in Wilton, CA) 

Jack and Kate doing the best they can to pose normally for a picture.  Today I look at it and smile, at the time I just wanted a good picture.

And then trying to get a good one of the 3 of them... (impossible),

And then a good one of Kate crying after Jared threaten to flick her because she wouldn't look at the camera... classic Kate..

We love them!!  Happy Fall Everyone!

Now and Then....

Kate is such a girl... she LOVES to dress up/change clothes as much as I would let her.  She's now into putting Rachel's clothes on.  If she sees them she MUST put them on or she is one sad little girl.  The other day I had some of the kids clothes out to iron and she saw this blue dress:

Kate: "That my pretty dress mamma?"
Me: "No Kate, that's Rachels."
Kate: "That mine mamma?"
Me:  "No Kate, that's Rachel's....honey, that won't fit you (as she's trying to put it on...)".

I give up the bantering back and forth because it never goes the way I want it to with her and just put the dress on....
She is one happy girl, and it just so happens that she looks pretty darn cute in it...

 And here she is when it actually fit her at 3 months!  My little girl is growing way too fast... 

We spent the 4th of July in Idaho Falls visiting my sister who lives there.  We tried to get family pictures as best we could.  It's not easy with all these little ones... my mom bought some candy to bribe them and it worked for some of them.. Jack was PERFECT!  What can I say.... the boy likes him some candy... ;)

Back Row: George Foster (12) holding Luke Routsong (8 mo), Tucker Wagnon (6), Arianna Foster (10) holding Rachel Rowe (3 mo)
Middle Row: Francis Foster (5), Taylor Wagnon (4), Daniel Foster (4), Jack Rowe (4)
Front Row: Price Foster (2) Kate Rowe (2), Tessa Wagnon (2), and Carson Routsong (2)
Angel Tyce Wagnon

We attempted to get a picture of our kids but by this time, the candy was gone and no one wanted to cooperate... :(  I'm still trying to get a  good picture of all 3 of them together!

Concert in the Park

This is a tradition in the Rowe family.  Starting in June, the Modesto Band has a free concert in the park every Thursday evening throughout the summer.  People set their blankets out the night before to save their spots!  You have a picnic and enjoy the music.  It's lots of fun, the music is great, and the kids just like being out past bedtime (it's a late night)

 We can't get a normal picture of this kid, I say cheese and he throws his hands up, sticks out his tongue, you name it... :)

Leave it to Jack to convince a stranger to download, and then let him play "Angry Birds"...

The Frogs are Back!!

A couple of weeks ago we went down to my parents for the day.  My dad had called and said that the frogs were back for the summer and that there were tons!  So we headed over and met my sisters and their kids.    My parents house backs up to a creek so the little froggies just infest the yard... but we don't mind. My sisters and I LOVED chasing those frogs around when we were kids. It's fun to watch our kids enjoying the tradition!  It's HOURS of fun!

 The little girls needed their own frog...

 Tessa

Kate

Sweet Little Rachel!

My friend Beth was kind enough to take pictures of Rachel for us.  She is a great photographer (check out her site) but says she doesn't do babies... I beg to differ!  She did a great job and was SO patient with us. We were at her house for 2 hours just waiting for her to be calm, not cry, go to sleep, whatever!  I am just so grateful that we got these pictures.  I feel like this time goes by so fast, those sweet little babies grow too quickly that it's nice to have some pictures to capture this time.  I love my baby!!

Thank you Beth!

Rachel's Birth Story..

Where to begin... When I went in for my 34 week appointment, my midwife told me that Rachel was breech.  She finally flipped at 38 weeks which was a huge relief.  When my midwife was feeling Rachel's position she briefly mentioned that she could be face up because of where I was feeling the kicks and other movements.  I didn't think about it again.

I went in for my last appointment on Thursday March 31 at 10:30 am, 1 day over due.  My midwife checked to see if I was close at all.  I was just about dilated to 3 centimeters.  She said that if I walked around a bunch that day I could go into labor any time.  She also scheduled me for an induction on Tuesday of the next week (office policy to only let you go over 1 week).  I really didn't want to be induced so I was hoping that she would come on her own.  I also wanted her to come before the weekend because I figured it would be the best time for Jared too!  Anyway, I left the office and later that day around 1ish I started feeling like something was different.  I guess I was having a few contractions ever so often.  It wasn't until about 10 o'clock that night that I felt like they really could be something.  I went and packed bags for the kids to go to my parents (just in case), made sure I had everything ready to take (just in case) thinking the whole time that I was going to wake up in the morning still pregnant.  At 11 o'clock I went and laid down in my bed and started reading my pregnancy books.  By 12 o'clock I felt like the contractions were finally becoming more regular.  I decided to time them for a half hour just to make sure.  I knew my mom would have to drive an hour to be at the hospital and I didn't want to call her without being sure... but I also didn't want to wait too long.  At 12:30 I called and told her I thought I was in labor and that I thought we would head to the hospital in 20 minutes or so.  I called down to Jared and said "I think something is happening...". He came upstairs and said we shouldn't wait we should just go, so he called his mom to come watch the kids.  By the time I stood up and got dressed, I KNEW I was in labor.  Contractions were more painful and it was hard to walk, talk, and I had to concentrate.  We got to the hospital, they gave me a room, and I put my gown on.  When I walked out of the bathroom it was 1:20am.
A little history with the births of my other children.  When Jack was born we got to the hospital around 5:30pm, the contractions were hard and I wanted an epidural.  I got the epidural around 7pm and he was born at 7:30pm (2 hours after getting to the hospital) only pushing for 10 minutes or so.  I wondered if I could have done it on my own.
When Kate was born we got to the hospital around 4:30am dilated to a 6, I wanted the epidural and by the time they gave it to me I had dilated to a 10!! I was a little frustrated because I felt like I had come that far... I could have done the rest.  She was born at 6:30am (2 hours after arriving to the hospital) after only pushing for a few minutes.

This time... I decided that since both Jack and Kate were born within 2 hours of getting to the hospital, and because the epidural usually didn't kick in until right before they were born, I didn't want to have the anticipation of the relief from the epidural.  I just wanted to accept that I was doing this on my own and that I needed to just work through the pain.  So no epidural.  Around 2:30 I was dilated to a 9 and 100% effaced.  My midwife said if I wanted I could start pushing.  So that's what I did.  I pushed and pushed and pushed.  I pushed for nearly an hour.  I was beginning to wonder if she was ever going to come out.  I kept waiting for my midwife to say... just one more good push and she'll be out... but she wouldn't.  I wanted to yell at her and tell her to just grab her and pull her out... but I didn't.  I felt like she was stuck!!  I did not anticipate pushing for an hour because of my experience with my other kids.  Anyway,  when her head finally emerged I hear the Midwife and nurse say... "oh...that's why...".  Rachel came out sunny side up which usually means it's a little harder to push them out!  I thought back to my appointment and what the Dr. had said and wished someone would have prepared me for this.  I didn't think I could do it.  I was exhausted... but my little Rachel came out at 3:21am 2 hours after arriving to the hospital as perfect as could be (minus a little bruised forehead and nose, I'm sure she was in pain as well...).  She defiantly made an entrance.  I've experienced birth both with and without an epidural, and as far as I'm concerned, as long as my babies are safe and healthy that's all that matters to me!  I don't feel like there is any "wrong" or "right" way to have a baby.  Just do what feels right for you and your baby... that's my two cents for whatever it's worth!

Introducing.... Rachel Lynn

For any of you who still read our blog...: Our little Rachel is now 10 days old!  She was born April 1st (ugh) at 3:21 am.   She weighed 7.5 pounds and was 19.5 inches long.  She is beautiful of course!   I've been meaning to write about her birth story but it's hard to find a minute these days as I'm sure you can imagine.  And with the minutes I find, I'm usually using them to sleep.  Here are a few cute ones of our newest addition. :)

It's been a long time! We're alive, we're doing well. Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and hoping to get back into blogging soon. Kids are growing SO fast!

(Kate at my sister-in-law Jennifer's wedding reception, she'll be 18 mo. on Christmas Eve!)

(Our little man, Jack, 3 1/2).

I am IRON(WO)MAN

Has she lost her mind?  Maybe...she and 2000+ other people.  Does she fill her victims full of dread and send them running as fast as they can?  For sure...because she's pretty darn fast.  That's why she's the Ironwoman.

That's right.  Today my hot wife, aka Cindy, competed in The Great Race, aka Eppie's Great Race.  6 miles or running (aka misery), 12 miles of biking, (aka literal pain in the butt), and 6 miles of paddling (aka don't ever try this on the Provo River in freezing water, fyi).  Lots of people compete in teams, with different team members completing each leg of the race.  Not Cindy though; she did all three on her own.

She rocked the course.  I drove between checkpoints to help her with her gear, and I barely kept up with her.  Of the 118 ironwoman competitors in her age bracket (19-39), she was 28th.  All but 4 of the 27 ahead of her were younger, so they don't really count.  She finished the course in 2:37:13.  She would have been faster, but I held her up by getting her shoes to her quickly enough at one station; she also got stuck with a super slow rock of a boat (thank you Sport Chalet of Elk Grove for not knowing that a sea kayak is not that same as a river kayak!).

I am pretty proud of her.  I wish I had the self discipline to get up at 4:30am to work out like she does.  She's not just a super-mom, she's a super-woman.  

Here are a few action shots from the race.

Not an action shot.  These are some of the bikes of the ironwoman competitors prior to the race.  Most of these bikes were still sitting here when Cindy sped out of here on hers.

Our super fast camera caught every detail, including Cindy's cheesy smile, as she flew into the transition area at the end of the second leg.  Most other cameras would have captured only a blur as she flew past.

Almost an action shot, thanks again to Sport Chalet.  Cindy's in the yellow boat.  Is that a 2-man kayak? Maybe they don't have kayaks in Switzerland.

Here come the racers from the left.  That's the finish line on the river bank.  Those are volunteers bucket-brigading the empty boats to a open spot on the bank.  Cindy is probably somewhere in the group of boaters off in the distance.

Run with a life vest on?  Easy.  Here comes Cindy across the finish line.

Is that that my wife or just some random hot chick I'm trying to pick up by using my kids?  No woman can resist Jack and a cookie.  No worries though, that's actually Cindy.

Post-race.  Someone had to get the boat across the river to the loading area.  Cindy was the only one skinny enough to fit into the "universal" size life jacket provided by Sport Chalet.