At the Park

I took the kids to the park yesterday. They love going there. It's hard to chase the two of them around, but they burn a lot of energy. Madison took off running across a field and did not stop. Thankfully, Geneva had her kids there and her oldest daughter, Aundra, ran and brought her back. A little girl came up to Madison and hugged her. Madison wasn't sure what to think. Porter saw it and was excited to find another "hugger." He likes to hug. So he took advantage and they both embraced in a long hug. I thought I had a picture of Madison, but didn't. So this one is just of Porter.

I also had my Doctor's appointment yesterday. We can schedule the c-section anytime after May 20th. Right now, we are planning on May 22nd. (Thursday) We'll have to get that setup for sure. I am excited. Mom is going to come over and that will be fun. We still don't have a middle name! I don't know what we will come up with.

The Hibbard cousins

The twins with their cousins on Brant's side:

(l to r) Porter, Madison, Jantzen Tenney, Aundra Tenney, Cambry Tenney, and Logan Hibbard

Shaking Hands

Last night we had the missionaries over for dinner. I went upstairs to get Porter. I knelt down beside him and said, "The missionaries are downstairs. Can you shake their hands when you meet them?" He just nodded his head. I said, "Do you know how to shake hands?" He nodded again. I said, "How do you shake hands?" He put his hands above his head and started shaking them.

They are still both having accidents and hurting themselves. Although, they've slowed down a little. A couple of days ago Porter was pushing a small metal toy shopping cart. He hit a bump on the floor and the cart went up and he went down face first into the cart handle. He ended up making his nose bleed and scraping the skin right between his nose and lips. He has a nasty scab there now that looks like he has a bad runny nose.

Last night Madison came up to Brant because she wanted him to hold her. He squatted down to her level and hugged her and said, "I have to help clean the kitchen. Then I can hold you. Go play and then I will come get you." She said okay and took off in a dead run to go play. She ran smack into the corner of the kitchen table and has a big goose egg on the corner of her head.

Tuesday Update

Here is a current picture of me and my big belly. Only 6 weeks until the due date. Hopefully, only about 4-1/2 weeks to go.

Late Sunday night and in the early hours of Monday morning, Porter had a high fever of 104 degrees. I was really worried because everything I have ever heard was that a high fever that won't come down could indicate something serious. Porter tossed and turned for hours and his fever would not come down. I finally woke Brant up and told him we should take Porter to the hospital--just in case. We took him to the hospital and it ended up that nothing was wrong with him. They said that a high fever is okay as long as there are not any other warnings signs like dehydration, incoherence, lethargy, unwillingness to eat or drink, behavioral changes, etc.

So fortunately, everything was okay, but it took up the whole night. I was so tired yesterday. When it was time to go to bed, I slept well. I also felt really sorry for Vicki, Jaden, Mom and Dad for how much time they have had to spend in the hospital. Ours was a short visit. I can't imagine days on end. They had to give Porter a rectal temperature. When they inserted the thermometer he said, "Uh-oh. Uh-oh." It was really funny, but I felt sorry for him. He was very friendly even though he was sick. He said "hi" to all of the nurses. When the doctor came in he shook my hand and introduced himself. Porter stuck his hand out and shook the doctor's hand too.

On Sunday, the nursery leaders (a couple) brought in their new puppy. The lesson was on loving animals. They said it was obvious that Madison had been around a dog. She was telling the dog (with a pointed finger) to "sit down" and "be quiet." (The dog wasn't doing anything.) They said that Porter (as usual) was scared of the puppy. They also said that our kids were always really good and they enjoyed having them. I was so glad. I can remember having nightmare kids when I was in nursery. They love going to nursery and don't even want to leave when it's time to go home.

They are getting very trying as they are nearing their 2 year old birthdate. They are so smart and we are constantly surprised by the phrases and words they use.

Today's Notes

Yesterday Madison fell off of the bed. I was holding her and asked her what hurt. She said, "My diaper." I think she hurt her leg.

Today is our 6th Anniversary. Hard to believe it's been six years. We went out to dinner Friday night since Brant was working today. It was a nice break to get away from everyone and to be alone. We decided to go window shopping in the new shopping center by our home and ended up buying a comforter set at Ross. It was only $25 for a California King. We also bought a baby doll for Madison and an electric drill set for Porter. They were really cheap. They both loved them and have been playing with them non-stop. We really shouldn't have spent any money, but it's been so long since we have been able to buy anything, we spoiled ourselves. Plus, we didn't have any bedding for our bed. We actually still don't have sheets and have been using a makeshift sheet that is too small, but it works. At least we have a very nice comforter and bedskirt now so it doesn't look as cheesy.

I got to visit with Vicki very briefly last Thursday. She decided to make a last minute trip out. I was on my way to a Doctor's appointment when she called so I was able to visit after my appointment.

I am still 7 weeks away from my due date. I hope it goes by fast. I am so ready to have this baby! I am getting really uncomfortable although it is not as bad as with the twins. Although, Vicki said she thought I looked about the same size as with the twins. I think she is right. I am much bigger this time. My next specialist appointment is on April 22nd. They will tell me how much the baby weighs then.

I wish everyone would write more on their blogs. It's fun to see what everyone it up to. I check them every day. It's a nice way to feel like your in touch with everyone else.

Naked Dancing

Fun Times

Monday

I woke up before my kids today. That's amazing. It's 8:15 and they are still asleep. They usually wake up at 6:30 a.m. I'm not sure what this will do to the rest of the day, but I have certainly enjoyed the extra 2 hours of sleep. Poor little guys have had so many changes in the last couple of weeks. We moved to a new house; started sleeping them in a big bed; and now I am reducing their bottles at night.

I am starting to feel really pregnant now. I could have the baby as early as 5 weeks. It's funny, I don't actually feel this pregnancy is as hard on me as the twins. However, it is harder because I have the twins to chase around. There is so much to do with them that it makes it really hard.

Porter gets another point

Porter fell off of the couch yesterday. He scraped and bruised his shoulder blade pretty bad.

Wayne and Rhonda purchased a bunch of outdoor play equipment for the kids. They love it! They have played outside all morning. It's a nice break for me. I can actually get a lot of stuff done. The only down side is that they get really dirty.

We are going to name our baby boy Lane Hibbard. We haven't decided on a middle name yet. I wanted to name him from someone on Mom's side, but haven't found any names that seem to fit just yet.

Madison gets another point

Madi fell off of one of the outside toys yesterday and scraped up her face. It's already looking better. Those two are really in a rut. They looked cute in their Easter clothes yesterday, but the bumps and bruises didn't look so good. They are starting to behave really well in church. They're getting so big. They love going to nursery and don't always want to come home when we pick them up.

The Smith family goes all out for holidays. Not something that I am used to, but the kids had fun. So, I guess that's what matters. Rhonda made breakfast and had the tables decorated with easter plates, cups, utensils, flowers, and a tablecloth. The kids all got new Sunday clothes from Grandma and Grandpa Smith. Brant put candy inside of the plastic eggs, so Madison and Porter had fun finding those. They also got toys, clothes, puzzles, etc. It felt like Christmas instead of Easter. For dinner Wayne cooked steaks and we had a full course meal.

Madison loves the Tenney's dog, Gracie. She goes out in the backyard to play with her all of the time. Yesterday she was saying "Five" to Gracie and put her palm out. Gracie would lick her hand and then she would say, "Knuckles" and make a fist until Gracie licked her hand again. She did it over and over. She has also told Gracie to say "I sorry" when Gracie knocks her or someone else over. She gets frustrated that Gracie won't say "I sorry."

Bumps and bruises and other stuff

Porter and Madison are in a mad race to see who can get the most bumps and bruises this week. It is very close. Madison ran into the square corner of the banister on the stairs and had quite a goose egg on her forehead. She also managed to hurt herself while sleeping in her playpen and has a lovely bruise on her left cheek. She's completing her abused child look with a few scrapes on her knees and one on her elbow.

Porter is, sadly, taking the lead. He has a cut (now scab) on the back of his head; a rock scrape on his right arm; skinned up chins; a bruise on his forehead; a scratch and scab (separate incidents) on his left cheek; and he chipped his front tooth yesterday. I told them to cut it out. This is not any kind of competition either of them should want to win.

Brant is really enjoying Yesco. He has moved into the mechanic department and is working as the Assistant to the Fleet Manager. He really loves what he is doing and is excited about learning more about mechanics. He is also still working as a part-time security guard on weekends.

We were planning a trip to Utah for Easter, but have decided to postpone it until we have a little more money. We are so grateful to FINALLY be getting a regular paycheck. Hopefully, things will look up. We have been really blessed with numerous "tithing" miracles as we have paid tithing and received much more in help than we have given. It's awesome. What a great investment of faith. We are so thankful.

We're getting more and more settled into our new home and things are starting to get regular. The weather is getting warmer--an expected 78 degrees for Easter. It's going to be a hot summer. The kids are getting on a good schedule and have spent the last two nights sleeping in a real bed. The only problem they are having is that they wake each other up in the night with their tossing and turning. Funny thing is that they don't want to sleep away from each other. They are very cute with their "best friends" thing they have going on.

I love reading everyone's blogs, so keep them updated. It's a lot of fun to see what is going on with everyone. Thanks for getting us all started Bobbi.

It's A...

We went to our specialist on Thursday for an ultrasound and found out that we are having a boy. We were happy to have either since we already have a girl and a boy. Everything checked out very healthy. What a blessing. We are very thankful. Only a couple of months left and we'll have him here.

Monday

I am so tired today. I'm sure almost every Mom says that.

We went to our new ward for the second Sunday yesterday. It is much different from our ward in Summerlin. I loved the ward in Summerlin; the people were so awesome. It seems that there are good people here too, however, it is a very different class. Summerlin is made up of extremely wealthy families. Their ward is ran so efficiently and every activity has all of the bells and whistles. The teachers are dynamic and also very prepared. The nursery was a miniature daycare. It was wonderful.

The Coronado ward, by contrast, is still growing. Our Relief Society President told us that the ward has grown so quickly that it has split 4 times in the last couple of years. As a result, the leadership is relatively new. You can tell that the families are much more middle class. There are 3 nurseries and less than 10 YW and YM. Can you believe that? It's obviously a young ward as well. We have felt welcome there and are working very hard to get there on time. It hasn't happened yet. Maybe next week...

Porter and Madison love nursery. They get excited when we tell them we are going to church. Hopefully that feeling will still be there in 10 years. The teachers always comment about how fun, cute, and charming Porter is. Madison is an afterthought. She takes after her mother--much more serious and less of a social bug. She also tends to be a bit bossy. Porter hugs and kisses everyone and is protective of Madison. He has his Dad's charm.

I am 28 weeks pregnant. My ultrasound in on Thursday. I should find out what we're having. My doctor said the heartbeat sounds like a boy, but she couldn't tell for sure. I'll let everyone know as soon as I find out.

We're still unpacking and settling into the house. The twins like to play in the backyard and boss the dog around. Daylight savings time has really messed up nap and bed time. I'm sure we will adjust eventually.

Another day

We are getting settled in to our new home. We love it! It's so nice to have our own little space. Porter and Madison love waking up to their cousins Aundra and Jantzen. Both Geneva and I have enjoyed having other children around to entertain ours. We also trade off babysitting so we have full-time babysitting available. It's really handy.

Brant's old boss at Yesco wanted to get him back on in Service, but didn't have any openings. He hired him anyway and has been using him as an administrative assistant. He's helping to catch up all personnel on their files. He has to organize each person's record and make sure they have all of their forms, licenses, paperwork, etc. He doesn't like it a lot, but he's making the best of it. I told him most people like "office jobs." He said he would rather be repelling off of casino buildings or climbing ladders. As soon as a job in Service opens up they are going to transfer him.

He also works weekends at a Movie Theatre as a security person. He has to wear a suit and a "police" badge. He looks the part--and has a lot of background in criminal law.

Madison and Porter are at a very fun stage. Their personalities get more entertaining every day. They both get so excited when Dad comes home. Yesterday morning Brant had left for work before Madison got up. She always runs in our room with her blanket. The first thing she said was, "Dad! Go, go?" She wanted to know where he was. Porter has learned that he can rough-house with Dad. He's loves wrestling and boxing with him. Brant has boxing gloves--sometimes they wear them and sometimes they just play fight. Last night I said Brant's name. Madison started calling him Brant.

Today is my first doctor appointment. I'm excited to finally get in. Hopefully, we will know what we are having very soon and can post our announcement.

Moving In

We have been so busy this past weekend trying to get into our new house. It's really nice though. We're so excited to have so much space. We are sharing the rent on a house with my in-laws and have so much more room now. And, of course, a lot more privacy. The kids love it and have been going all over the house.

This week I have my first doctor's appointment. Yes, I know, I'm a little late in getting to a doctor, but it has taken over two months just to get approved for Medicaid. Anyway, the baby is moving a lot and I have been feeling really well. I have been blessed with good genes, so I am sure everything will be fine. Hopefully, we can find out very soon what we are having and I will post it.

I don't have as much time to spend on this page as I would like, but as I slow down a little I'll get more on. Of course, before long I'll have a newborn and then don't expect much from me for awhile.