Baby Love

Well, I am back. Many props to Brandon (and Kadon) for their blogging prowess. The family is doing great. Kami and Cooper absolutely adore their little brother. For Cooper it is all kisses and loves and Kami is the ultimate mini mother.
To clear up any confusion still about, here is the low down on the newest little one in our family. Landon Brent Bowen was born January 29th at 11 something pm. The labor went fast. I was supposed to go in for an induction, but when I got there I was already dilated to a 4 (completely unbeknown to me) and so instead of inducing me they just broke my water. I had him 2 hours later. I only had to push once (or half of once), just enough to get his head out. Labor pains were intensely horrific, at least for me...but I am a baby when it comes to pain. Unfortunately epiderals don't cover the bladder pain you get when you have a stent and kidney stones with all the pressure of having a baby push down on them. So, while my epideral did it's best to keep me out of pain, my stent/kidney stones wanted to give this pregnancy one last who rah. But guess what, it only lasted about 30-45 minutes and so all is well!
Landen doesn't look like either of our other two. He is dark like Kami was and has a little bit of dark hair (a little bit more than our kids usually have). So far the concencus is that he looks more like a Hatch than a Bowen. I think he resembles an old Mexican/Maori man. Of course, every day is different.
As far as temperament goes, he must still be deciding. Yesterday he never made a peep. He would even be hungry and as soon as I picked him up in my arms he would decide he'd rather just sleep. Last night, however, he preferred to scream every few minutes unless he was being fed or I was trying to feed him. Most the time he wouldn't even eat (because he wasn't hungry) he just wanted to make sure I was ready to go. Thank goodness Grandma was here to take him for a couple hours last night so his mommy didn't fall asleep while feeding him and squish him.

We are very excited to have him home. Everything still seems so strange and even though he is our 3rd, it all seems new again. Brandon is a great father (as always). He definitely loves the little ones. He will randomly come up to me and take Landen from my arms just to hold him. (Or he will go in and get him out of bed....little stinker)
Anyway, thanks to all for your support and congratulatory phone calls. We accept gifts by UPS, USPS, and even that new carrier service, the yellow one that I can't remember the name of now. Also, hand delivery is always accepted....he,he. Totally kidding! All of our love.
Kadon, I must say, I am a little disappointed. I almost expected something a little spicier from you. But, it sure did confuse the heck out of millions of faithful blog stalkers so I guess you did good. Ironically, Henry really was a contender for the middle name.

Here are the pictures

He is here

Well here goes my first attempt at blogging. We had Landen last night at around 11:00. He was 7 lbs 1oz and he was 20and1/4 inches. Both Brittany and him are doing well. As for the previous blog that was compliments of Kadon. We will have pictures posted later.

Charles Henry III

That's really all I have to say about it. We decided on that name when Kadon, my brilliant little brother, recommended it to us. We don't really have anyone named Charles Henry in our family so the "III" is to make it sound cool. Also, we could call him Chuck or Hank. I will give more information later.

And We're Off

Well, I just recieved the call. It is 6:00 pm, Tuesday the 29th and Labor and Delivery has just called me and told me to come on in. AAGH! I am a nervous wreck! Wish us luck. Now I just have to remind myself to breathe.

Little Cooper Man

Yesterday, while taking the pictures for the previous post Cooper caught wind of what was going on and came and tapped me on the shoulder. He then proceeded to ham it up as best he could for the camera (totally reminded me of Wyatt) However, he preferred to be so close to the camera that this was the only photo that "turned out". It just made me laugh so I'm posting it.
He is such a crazy and loving little boy, I can't get enough of him. I can't wait for another one!

My Crowning Achievement

For those of you who know me even remotely well, you will understand why this is such a HUGE accomplishment for me. Hair is not my forte. I like to believe that for that reason alone, my daughter decided to spend the first 3 years of her life relatively hairless. However, even still her hair gets "longer" by the day, creating more problems for her mother.
Kameryn has a ... unique ... texture to her hair and combined with my prowess it makes for an interesting time creating a hairdo that it acceptable to the public. Sadly, even when her hair is done, it has this distinctly not-done look about it. I think it is all the frizz and wireryness of the whole mess.
I have tried to make a goal for myself to make our family more presentable on a regular basis. (Good thing I am having another boy, they generally just need a good face washing and clean, matching, clothes. Us girls, on the other hand, are a different story.)
Not being one with a large hair doing IQ, I often look outside to gain inspiration. Basically, it just means that I look at others (and their children) who look like they have it together and I try to copy what I see. The other day at the mall, while my children were playing in the "play spot" I was doing my usual people watching. I saw the cutest little girl with the cutest little hairdo. (Actually I saw 2 or 3 little girls with the same hairdo....she just happened to be the cutest) Since that moment, I have been trying in vain to recreate it on my daughter. The first three times it ended in screams of unhappiness (from both of us) She generally cried because "it hurt". I usually cried out of frustration and a sheer feeling of patheticness.
However, each time I learned valuable information. For instance, spacing and parting; it looks dorky if one pony tail is on the top of her head when the other is sticking out of the side. Also, parts should be straight, and likewise not on a diagonal (unless you are going for that look...which I wasn't) Another thing I learned, when you have hair the texture that Kameryn's is, it is best to do it when wet and then hairspray the heck out of it, this prevents/contains the flyaways and helps the parts stay long enough for you to get the elastic in. And lastly, the single most important lesson I learned, don't do the elastics too tight. I think this was my general problem from the beginning. Granted, her hair looked awful (so not cute) my first 3 attempts, it wouldn't have mattered anyway because she ALWAYS ripped it out within the first 3 minutes, crying that it hurt. I tried bribery, yelling, tantrums, you name it (I was frustrated, it took me a long time to make her hair look that ridiculous) however, none of it worked. Inevitably, she would wait until I turned my back and than she would rip it out.
I had almost given up on my quest for cute little girl hairstyles when I decided to give it one more try. This time, I implemented all my new found knowledge. I started with a wet head,. Then I made sure Kameryn looked at me when I put the first part in, making sure it was just where I wanted it, and perfectly straight, but not diagonal. As I placed each elastic in, I paid special attention to wear I put it, so I didn't have some on top and some to the side, they were looking harmonious. Lastly, the most important step, I placed the elastics in looser than I usaully would. I was concerned about this last step, but decided to give it a try and just make sure the last elastic I put in held everything in place.
Guess what!! It worked! Not only did it work but Kameryn looked adorably presentable and she kept it in for a remarkable 4 hours (long enough for church which was all I cared about. She took it out for nap time.) YAY!! So, I just had to post the pictures. This is my crowning achievement. (By the way, her hair looks adorable today as well, and it is in a different style from yesterday. I am so amazing I amaze myself.)
Sorry for the excess in pictures, but I was so proud....I'm sure you understand.



This last picture doesn't really showcase her cute hair, but it makes me laugh. Here she reverts back to her version of posing. Gotta love it!

Baby Boy

After getting stopped in the hall at church every 3 seconds yesterday, I decided maybe I should clue everyone in on what is going on with our baby. (Not that anyone at church reads our blog...so the questions will most likely still come rolling in.) But for all the rest of you who are still pretending to be interested, here is the plan.
I went in to the doctor on Thursday and he decided to induce me the night of the 29th. I'm not due until the 12th, but my pain is getting a lot worse and I won't be able to get the stent removed until 2 weeks AFTER I have the baby. My doctor made an executive decision that the baby should come now. At first I was very hesitant, but now I am super excited. I can't wait to meet this little guy and get to hold him. Tuesday seems a long way off, but still way too close.
Of course, with the way Labor and Delivery works here, I may not be able to get in on Tuesday...but I guess it is as definite as it can be. So for now, we will probably be having our baby on the night of the 29th or early morning on the 30th. So keep tabs on the blog for any exciting updates coming next week. It may be Brandon's first attempt at blogging.

Tummy Rumblings

Of course the video isn't doing justice to how hilarious this really was...mostly because once I finally got to the camera it had died down. But this was hilarious. My favorite part was that Brandon was laughing so hard he couldn't breathe. (Yet again, by the time I got the camera, he was perfectly able to breathe....curses) Enjoy it anyway...our blog needed an update.

Temple Trip

This morning, we woke up bright and early so we could take our own personal temple trip to the Rexburg Idaho temple open house. We were up at 5 and out the door at 6. However, much like anytime you try to make it to the temple, Satan was trying his darndest to keep us snug and warm in our beds. (Cooper woke up every hour throughout the night, my pain scale was bad, and my hip was out, not to mention the fact that I had to wake up early...not my thing right now.)

However, we made it and it was SO worth it. The temple is absolutely beautiful! It is probably my favorite so far. They have tile imported from Jerusalem and wood imported from Africa. All gorgeous. There are some of the most beautiful paintings, some I have never seen before. We loved the baptismal font, it was different than any we had seen before and so pretty. (It was Kami's favorite, Cooper's favorite was the sealing room. Random bit of information: the Rexburg temple has the biggest sealing rooms of any temple built to this day) The chandelier in the celestial room (or should I say the big chandelier) is 8,000 crystals and takes your breath away. My kids absolutely loved it. Cooper, in fact, was more mesmerized than Kami and kept pointing and "ooh"ing the whole time. Both children had a sense of reverence and we are very glad we took them. Such a beautiful temple and we can't wait to go back!

If you get a chance and live nearby, make the trip, it's worth it. (There are a lot of stairs, but as a pregnant woman I didn't think it was too bad.)

Once there was a ...

Snowman; or at least an attempt at one. Much like the Andersen's we attempted to make a snowman only to be dissapointed by the "unpackability" of the snow. Brandon, however, was determined and so they stuck to it and filled up my mixing bowls to assemble some sort of a snowman. I think it turned out great. Brandon is still not impressed.

Photo Shoot

After the temple, and while waiting for Daddy at work the kids and I engaged in a little photo shoot. Here is the outcome. Kami has really started trying her best to pose for the Kameryn. I must say, her stressed grin is slowly dissapearing into an adorable little upturned grin. Cooper is just pure joy. Hope you enjoy these.
Here are my favorites "blown up" for your enjoyment.

Strainers

Silly Kiddos

A while back I was in cleaning the kitchen and came out to this scene from my silly kiddos. It just made me smile. Funny thing, I know that Cooper was the one to initiate this episode of silliness. He has a weird fascination with my strainers.

Movie Review

I was a little hesitant to put another movie review on the blog, just because last time the picture didn't turn out and I had to look at the ugly "orangeness" for a week until I finally updated (lame reason, I know) However, this photo seems to be working.
The other day we picked up Surf's Up at the library and we LOVED it! So cute. It was done documentary style, which makes it enjoyable and funny for adults yet it still appeals on the cartoon level to children. And, I must say, way better than any of the other penguin movies out there (Blah on Happy Feet)
It has Shia LeBeouf and John Heder in it. I've always been a huge Shia LeBeouf fan, ever since Even Stevens. (Of course, I've only seen him in Even Stevens and Holes, but, in my opinion, that kid can act!)
So, if you haven't seen it, take a chance on it. Hopefully you won't be disappointed.

VIP

This just makes me so happy! How full circle is this? I remember dancing around to this song as a little girl. I would sing at the top of my lungs and march up and down the driveway. Kami got this music from her grandma for Christmas (at my request) and I don't know who is enjoying it more, me or her.
We love Brite music! (By the way, I believe Melanie sells Brite music - her blog link is Tom and Mel on the right)
I know my mom and sisters will love this as much as I do. Thank you mom and Kadon (for burning/formatting all the music for us) Now we just need to save up our pennies so we can by the Standing Tall series and Safety Kids (Also Brite music) So many wonderful memories involving this music. (Gina, do you remember "Straight home, straight aim, straight arrow..." or "She's about this high, shes taller than I... Aah Brite music is the best!) Enjoy my daughter. P.S. She has only heard this song maybe 3 or 4 times and she already is singing it as she dances around the house. Makes me so happy!!
(Can I just tell you how long this stupid video took to upload! in fact, Blogger never would load it for me, so I had to go to youtube. Even then, I had to remake the video for it to you. So I am just saying, you better think it is as adorable as I do...or I will be sadly upset.)

tub time

It has taken me way too long to blog about this and my family is probably wondering why I am so ungrateful. I have been trying to write down my feelings but my brain isn't responding very well lately and I have a hard time putting together coherent sentences, let alone anything that is enjoyable to waste time reading. (Please don't laugh if this is how you feel my writing always is because that would just be mean.) Anyway, here goes my best try.
Like my other pregnancies, I have spent the majority of the last 9 months in the bathroom. However, this time I have decided to equally divide my time between the two porcelain bathroom fixtures as opposed to just the one. I must say, the tub definitely has more to offer me than the toilet ever has. I am currently on the schedule of 1-2 or 2-3 baths a day. Luckily we have a set water bill...
We recently went down to Utah to visit my family. My dad is currently in the middle of a bathroom remodel...which was a little unfortunate for me...given my bath tub infatuation. When we got there the entire bathroom was gutted; the vanity was in the living room, the tub was on the back patio, the washer and dryer were in the family room, and all the bathroom neccesities were in the craft room. Luckily, my mother had convinced my father to leave the toilet for me so I wouldn't be making the long trip down stairs every 20-30 minutes (unfortunately, that is no an exaggeration the majority of the time)
When my mom informed me about the bathroom situation I jokingly responded "Well, bummer for me, I probably take 2-3 baths a day for pain. I will just have to figure something else out." My mom must have mentioned my comment to my father because he spent three entire days, his whole vacation, hooking up the new bath tub for me. He finished new years eve at about 10:00 p.m.
Now I know I am not the favorite by any means, but this act sure had my sister Alyssa worrying about her place in the family...(he,he) It also left me feeling more than loved and a little bit guilty. The bath was wonderful however.
So, a special thanks goes to my dad, my brothers (especially Jeron) and my mom ... but mostly my dad for all the sacrifice, time, and hard work that they put in so I could take a bath. Oh so spoiled. But it really did help me feel better. So thanks.
The infamous bath tub. (Notice the state of the rest of the bathroom. They really did put the tub in just for me.)

Life's Simple Pleasures

This morning (after my doctor's appointment) I came home and had....wait for it.... WAFFLES! I was so excited! Waffles are my favorite and I haven't had them for 4 years. Brandon and I have had bad luck with waffle irons. We got a Belgium waffle maker for a wedding gift, it broke within 6 months. Brandon's parents got us one for Christmas the next year and it broke a short 3 months later.
I have been looking for one (a waffle iron) like I grew up with and had almost given up hope since all I could find were Belgium waffle makers (I don't like Belgium waffles) Well, guess what, my mom found one for me and got it for us for Christmas. I've been counting down the seconds until I could make waffles. So yummy, I was not disappointed.