3 Months Old!

Dhylan is 3 months old. Boy does time fly. I swear with each child time goes by twice as fast. It overwhelms me to think that is getting so big.

I am an emotional wreck pretty much every day. I was telling my sister-in-law that I think my sister and I have swapped personalities. She used to be the more emotional one, cry over everything. Now that's all I do is cry. Tears of joy mostly.

Anyway, Dhylan is the cutest little girl and makes me smile everyday. Brady complains that she is way too spoiled. Even more than her big sisters. He tells me all the time, " Nicole, she needs to cry it's good for her to know how." I just can't bare it.

Dhylan is so fun to watch, she makes the cutest faces and I love to see her smile.

At 3 Months Dhylan:
Smiles, she smiles all the time. The best smiles come right after she wakes up. She just looks at me and smiles. Almost like saying, "I love you mommy".
She still sleeps a lot. Usually 5 hrs. at night and two long naps during the day, and one right after dinner.

She loves to snuggle and bury her head into my arm or under a blanket.

She loves to sit in her vibrating chair and bounce.

She is starting to play with her toy gym that stands over her. She hits the toys with her hands and can enjoy doing so for long periods of time.
She coos all the time. I love it. She puts so much effort into each one. When Kendahl or Payton hear her they always yell for me to let me know Dhylan is talking.
She loves to stand.

Loves her silky.

Really loves to eat her hands. One night she would suck on her hands and then lose them and then start screaming. I would then grab her hands and stick them back in her mouth and she would stop. It was hilarious.

She loves the camera. The moment she spots it she can't take her eyes off of it!

She loves the swing and takes most of her naps there.

She also loves being swaddled, the bath, falling asleep... anywhere, listening to her sisters talk or sing to her, to eat, daddy, and of course mommy.

There are very few things she doesn't like. Once she is ready to be held she lets you know and when she is tired she wants to go to sleep.

She truly is the best baby and if they were all like this (and if I had the means) I would have a whole lot of kids!!!

I thank Heavenly Father everyday for blessing me with my babies.

Happy Birthday Dhylan with many more to come.

Future Stars...

These two little sweeties sing all the time. My family can attest for that. Payton was singing to Dhylan and of course Kendahl wanted to do it too once I had the camera out. She is such a show off for the camera. I just had to share it so the first is both and then just Payton cause with Kendahl she kind of drowns out. :)

Tag

Sweetheart Tag!!
The rules are posted at the beginning. Each person answers questions about their sweethearts. At the end of the post the person then tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they are tagged!!

WHAT IS YOUR HUSBAND'S NAME? Bradon Kerry Howell
HOW LONG HAVE YOU GUYS BEEN MARRIED? 6 yrs.
HOW LONG DID YOU DATE? Almost 4 yrs., for the record I would say we are still dating even though we are married!
HOW OLD IS HE? He will be 27 in January.
WHO IS TALLER? He is!
WHO CAN SING BEST? He can. I have a terrible voice!!
WHO IS SMARTER? Definitely HIM!
WHO DOES LAUNDRY? Me of course!
WHO PAYS BILLS? Again, ME!
WHO SLEEPS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BED? If you are looking at the bed, I do!
WHO MOWS THE LAWN? Brady, I tried when I was prego and that didn't go so well. I made it around our huge backyard maybe 3 times and gave up. Given it wasn't a self propelled mower.
WHO COOKS DINNER? I would say this is a 60/40. 60% of the time I do. 40% of the time he does.
WHO'S THE FIRST TO ADMIT THEY ARE WRONG? Probably me.
WHO KISSED WHO FIRST? This is a tough one. We kissed a lot before we were actually dating. When we were officially dating he did. It was our 1st official date (yup I kiss on the first date) and he asked me if he could before doing so. What a gentleman!
WHO WEARS THE PANTS? Me for sure!

I tagged Natalie, Lisa, Brooke, Brandi, Blakely, and Leah

Halloween Fun

Well if you can't guess Kendahl was Wonder Woman and Payton was Batgirl or sometimes Batman. She couldn't make up her mind. She is a hoot!
Dhylan just wore a pumpkin shirt and a tigger sweat suit. Me being a crazy, busy mom didn't get a good pic. of that. Oh well!
Kendahl also was able to dress-up for school. Look how cute all these kids are.
It was the first Halloween we actually knocked doors.
It was a lot of fun and a nice Halloween for Idaho. We were lucky this year, NO SNOW.

Halloween Party

Beautiful Sky

Bradon took this picture Halloween morning. I couldn't believe how beautiful it was. We are so lucky to have such a beautiful world to live in. Just wanted to share!

Paper Mache

Well I tried to be a creative mom so here it is. Nana, Kendahl, Payton, and I created a spider for Halloween. It actually turned out pretty good. It was a lot of fun, but the girls got bored very quickly and that left Nana and I to finish.

They did however love the painting process and gluing on the face. I hope I can keep my promise to myself and continue to do more things like this with my kids.

It was fun and a great bonding moment.

Sleeping With Daddy

Little Dhylan fell asleep in her daddy's arms. It was the cutest thing, I love it when you capture a strong man in a weak moment :) !! Brady loves his girls so much and this kind of thing just melts his heart. (Way to go Dhyly!)

Picking Pumpkins

Saturday, October 18th, we decided to take the girls out to pick out their pumpkins. We got there and I realized I had forgotten my camera. Brady knew I needed it so he was more than willing to drive back home to get it (all the way on the other side of town)! What a good hubby. However we did have a friend on that side of town so we gave him a call and asked to borrow his camera. He was more than willing, thanks DJ! We have such nice friends.
Anyways, so off to the pumpkin patch! It was a very windy moment of the day but we still had fun. I think I make everything more difficult than needed. I had to find the most perfect pumpkins. We searched two different fields and finally Payton said, " I'm tired of walking!" One of her many famous lines. At that time I realized who cares they are just pumpkins. So the girls picked their favorites with a little help. Payton picked two small ones, one for her and the other for Dhylan. Kendahl helped with hers, mommies, daddies, and nanas. What a big helper she is.
We also got to go through a little hay maze that was set up. The girls really enjoyed that.
These are definitely the days I will remember and carry with me. I love spending time with my family. More than anything else, I love to see my kids so happy!

Bad To The Bone!

Maddix, Dhylan, and Cohen

Look at these three little hellyans! Aunt Nat bought Dhylan and Cohen a skull and cross bones hat to match their cousin Maddix. Are they not the cutest? We are so lucky to have such a great Auntie! For sure these little babies are going to give their mommies a run for their money.

Payton is 3!!!!

Well we just celebrated Paytons' 3rd birthday. I can hardly believe she is 3. She still feels so much younger. My sister and I say almost everyday how hard it is to see our babies grow. I hate it. I want them to be little forever. What am I going to do with out them? I know it is many many years down the road but sooner than later they will not need me as much and I don't know how to bare the thought of that. I need them more than they will ever know.
Payton has such a strong personality. We have called her the bi-polar child or talk about her Jekyll and Hyde personality since she was a very little baby. She can flip her happy switch in a blink of an eye.

Yes, we might complain how sassy she can be, but we truly love her and her A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E!

The saying is very true, "Life is not measured by how many breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away!"

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIG GIRL!

Blessing Day

This past Sunday, October 12th 2008, Dhylan was given her baby blessing. This was such a special day for our little family. We are so lucky to have such wonderful family and friends who all came and supported our family. Dhylan was blessed by her grandpa Kerry, Bradys' dad. He is such a wonderful grandpa, father, and father-in-law. We are so lucky to have him in our lives. He has such a wonderful spirit and has been able to bless all of our girls.
It was truly a beautiful blessing to say the least. Special thanks to all who stood in the circle and blessed our sweet little Dhylan.

3 Sisters, Best Friends Forever ( Payton had a prema-stash from her kool-aid)
Maddix and Dhylan, Handsome little man (We missed you Cohen!)

Flower Child

Just want to show off my sweet little girl!

Bradon and his Idol

If any of you know my husband, you would know how much he loves his music. We are very lucky to be able to go to a large array concerts. This particular picture is Bradys' favorite artists, Slug aka Atmosphere aka Sean! We have been to several of his concerts and he is a very down to earth guy. Brady was lucky enough to go to a meet and greet and talk with him. He also had him give me a call on the phone. He was so excited and I have to say it was fun talking to him! Kendahl and Payton also love this guy. They listen to some of his music with their dad, of course with a little editing of the sound here and there. One of their favorites is a song called "You" they sing it all the time! Very fun!

How does your garden grow?

Well I am definitely not a gardener but I did try my first hand at it. This is my artichoke plant that we grew this year. It was so fun to watch and we actually got 3 artichokes off of this big guy! I would love to try a bigger garden sometime. Who knows maybe next year, but I am so proud of my first attempt!

Bath Time!

Dhylan joins in on Maddixs' first bath! Dhylan enjoyed while Maddix screamed through his first bath. I can't tell you how fun it is to experience these moments together. It is going to be such a fun time for all of us new parents to share in moments like these for our new little bundles.

Dhylan and her new cousins

Just a few pics of all the new babies!

Holding Hands, how cute is that!

Maddix and Dhylan

Cohen and Dhylan

Welcome Little Maddix and Cohen

Well I have waited for the day that someone on my side of the family finally joined the "Parenthood Pack". That day has finally came. My sister Natalie and her husband Eric welcomed their first little one to the world on September 7th. Maddix Brian weighed in at 7 lbs. and 1 oz. Then just 6 days later on September 13th, my brother Dustin and his wife Lisa welcomed their first as well. Cohen Dustin weighed 7 lbs. and 6 oz..

It was the biggest surprise for all of us. The boys both came about two weeks early and just in time for me, their favorite Aunt Coley to witness their births. It is a funny story so I will tell it in the shortest way possible...

I arrived with my 3 girls on Thursday the 4th of September to celebrate the upcoming births of my nephews. That night we had a shower for Lisa. Then just two days later we threw Natalie her shower. Both Natalie and Lisa had been experiencing contractions for days but both had been to the doctor and it was told that those contractions were doing nothing.

Well just one day after Natalie's' shower, Sunday the 7th, also the day I was to be going home, I was awakened by Natalie saying they were going to the hospital. She had been having contractions all night and was spotting. I stayed at her place with my girls and gave the call to Brady, who was in Idaho, that I might not be coming home that day. Nat spent a couple hours at the hospital and then was sent home. She was told to come back if the contractions got any stronger or closer, at the time she was dilated to a 3. She came home around 11:00 a.m. and by 4:30 p.m. we were on our way back to the hospital. Maddix was born that night!

Maddix Brian

Needless to say it was a very crowded delivery room, which included myself and all three of my daughters present for the birth. We tried to get them out of the room but Kendahl burst into tears saying she wanted to see the birth. I warned her of the blood, but she insisted. I swear she will be a doctor. She was pretty much the doctors right hand. She stood at the end of the table and watched the whole delivery! It was amazing!

Of course then we stayed the whole week to spend time with the new baby and help out. We planned to leave Saturday morning. However, Lisa was having contractions all week and we didn't know what was going to happen.

Saturday morning rolled around and sure enough I got a phone call at 6:00 a.m. from my brother that they were at the hospital and Lisa was getting ready for her epidural. Yep, she was having a baby! We proceeded to the hospital and I put in another phone call to my lonely husband to inform him once again we would not be coming home that day. Cohen was born that afternoon!!

Cohen Dustin

First Day of School

I can't believe summer is already over! Kendahl had her first day of school. She could hardly wait. Last year she went to school in the morning so it was the first thing of the day. This year it is in the afternoon and it was pure torture to have to wait that long. She was so excited to see her awesome teachers Jana and Joan, she even colored pictures for them. However, when we got there she got a little emotional. That's my girl! Even though she cried when all was said and done she had a wonderful day and couldn't wait to go back. Only one more year of pre-school and then off to kindergarten. It makes me so sad. I would have to say she is the cutest 4 year old around.

First Bath At Home

We were finally able to give Dhylan her first official bath at home. Her umbilical cord fell off in just 6 days!! Yeah! She is a total water baby and loves sitting in the warm water. Of course it relaxes her so much she usually pees! :)

DHYLANS' ARRIVAL

Welcome, Dhylan Natalie Howell!!

She has ARRIVED! Dhylan Natalie Howell was born on Saturday, August 9, 2008 at 3:35 a.m.. She weighed 5 pounds 10 ounces, and 19 1/2 inches long. Our BIGGEST baby yet!!

This was the position she held for the longest time after she was born! Pretty sure she favors this because it is the position she had in the womb!

It was an eventful day before she decided to let us know it was time.
The chain of events started with the decision to self induce on the special day of 8-8-08. We had planned this day as "IT" if I didn't have her sooner.

So sure enough it came and at 11:00 a.m. Dustin and Lisa hit the road from Utah. Natalie came earlier in the week when we had a false alarm and mom stayed in town instead of heading back to Utah. At 11:45 a.m. I drank the poison...Castor Oil. We then proceeded to do heavy activities to try and bring on the pain. We walked around the block several times, walked the mall, then walmart, though I did have contractions it was more of a tease than actual labor pains. NOTHING was working!

At walmart we ran into an old class mate and she suggested the medicine ball. I had never heard of this before and apparently if you BOUNCE for a while it will induce labor. So of course I went straight home and began bouncing! I bounced my first session for about an hour, during this session I ate fresh pineapple and did other home remedies to help move labor along. After this hour I did have contractions but not too crazy of ones.

Then after 40 min. we began session number two. I bounced for another hour and then stopped to time the contractions. Again, contractions but not close or long. Third session began! This time for another 45 min. I was having contractions sometimes 6-10 min. apart but only lasting about 20 seconds. It was 10:30 p.m. so we gave up, went to bed to try and get some sleep.
At 11:15 p.m. I was having very strong contractions and they were lasting a minute to two minutes long! I decided to get out of bed and pack a few more things, hoping this was it but with doubt in my mind. By 11:30 I thought I should call Bradys' mom just in case, she would have to drive from Pocatello so she needed a heads up. I told her I would call in an hour if it continued and she could hit the road.
Lo and behold, I had to call her back about a half an hour later to tell her to hit the road!
We rounded up the crew from the house, called a sitter for the girls, and headed to the hospital at about 12:45.
We got to hospital just after 1:00 and began the check-in process. When first checked I was a dilated to a 3. I was having really bad contractions and kept telling the nurse how fast my labor progresses so she would get the anaesthesiologist. She didn't take my concerns serious and continued to ask me question after question.

Finally, around 2:30 I got my epidural and felt some relief. Then like a hurricane the contractions came back. I told the nurse she requested more drugs. A half and hour later the relief came and the doctor was on his way. However he was delivering another baby first. So even though I kept telling the nurse the baby was crowning she said she would check as soon as the dr. was almost done. So at about 3:25 she checked and sure enough the baby was right there. I was dilated to a ten but my water had still not broken.
The doctor came in a couple min. later and broke my water and said "PUSH" immediately after. On my first push her head was out! Then he said, "SLOW DOWN!" I gave one more attempt to push and the baby, cord, and placenta were out. The dr. said he had never seen that before!

I still can't believe how fast it went. Four hours of labor, two and a half hours at the hospital, and two pushes we had our baby Dhylan.

Here is a picture of Natalie the moment she found out we were naming her after her auntie! We have kept it a secret for months, no one in my family knew. Right after she was born Brady said over the commotion, "Nicole, what is her name?" I hollered back, " Dhylan Natalie Howell!" I could hear Natalie say, "No sir!" The tears and smile said it all. I couldn't be more proud to name her after such a great sister!

Her big sisters are madly in love with her and can't get enough. Though they might be a little sensitive for the time being, Kendahl and Payton are the proudest sisters around!

Dhylan is doing great. We came on Sunday and are trying to get settled. Brady and I are so pleased and feel very blessed to have three healthy little girls. My heart is so full and I feel like the luckiest person to be a mom. It is the best job and gift I could ever have!

Dhylans' Room

Well we finally finished the nursery. It has been almost complete for awhile but the finishing touches were completed just a day before her arrival. Her name was determined and added to the wall to mark her territory. She was finally a name instead of just "baby girl". I love the way it turned out. Much thanks to my wonderful family for all their help. I am so blessed with not only great family members but their talents come in very handy as well.