for the quote board

Daniel has some important words of wisdom for all of us on this snowy day:


"...The most important thing about throwing snowballs is aim and action, especially action. But mostly aim."

Stella-brate!

We've all-- even Lincoln and Daniel-- had that "Celebrate" song (by Kool and the Gang) stuck in our heads lately. Only our version goes something like this:

"Stella-brate good times, come on!" and "It's a Stella-bration."

You should see Jack shake his little booty when we pull the music up and all get to singing. It's awesome.

And Stella? She acts like she's too cool (or Kool?) to know that she's the reason for the par-tay. Meh.

the poop factory...

...or "why I picked the wrong day to switch back to cloth diapers".

Jack really likes his sister

Aren't these two cute? So adorable and sweet that you just want to smother them with kisses, no?

Well, there just happens to be a somewhat insidious side to this delightful duo. Namely: poop.

Yesterday, I changed 19 diapers between the two of them, most of them #2, if you know what I mean. And it didn't just stay in the diapers; we had 6 costume changes between the two of them because of blowouts (5 for Jack, 1 for Stella). To be fair, Jack accidentally got a little milk earlier in the week, which he is allergic/intolerant of/highly sensitive to, so life in the diaper arena is normally much calmer (and cleaner!).

Yesterday was also incidentally the day that I decided we were ready to switch back to cloth diapers. In only a few hours, we blew through a stash that's supposed to last us a couple of days. Ha!

(in other news, Stella had her 2 week check-up yesterday and she was declared fit as a fiddle. She now weighs 10 lbs 13 oz and is 22 1/4 inches long)

Stella's first photo shoot

These last few days have left me wishing that I could slow down time and keep our sweet Stella little for longer. I'm not ready to lose that newborn deliciousness: how downy her hair is, the way she blinks slowly as she falls asleep, the satisfied noises she makes when she's nursing, the look of extreme contentedness and the way the milk dribbles out of her mouth when she's finished a feeding.

I love to bury my nose in her neck and inhale that sweet newborn smell and feel the velvety softness of her skin. I love her floppy ears, her ever-so-slightly crooked nose, and the dimple in her chin. I love the way her tiny little bottom fits perfectly in my cupped hand, and how she folds her body into such a tiny little package.

Today we are all thankful for Stella.

there's someone we'd like you to meet

Stella Jan Hadfield made her grand appearance this morning at 7:00 am (11 days overdue!). She weighed 9 lbs 14 oz and measured 22 inches long. We think she looks just like Daniel did at this stage. She's been charming everyone so far with her calm and alert nature and her stinking cuteness. (the brothers are all absolutely smitten)

The birth was wonderful. I did end up with excessive postpartum bleeding, so we decided to make a non-emergency transfer to the hospital about three hours after the birth. We got a wonderful doctor and nurse who treated me competently and respectfully and sent us home about two hours later when it was clear that my bleeding was under control and I was doing well.

Thanks everyone for your kind thoughts and prayers.

the overdue update: some funnies

Still no baby, but at the rate that people are being nice to me, I'm starting to be okay with this whole overdue business. Last night, my visiting teachers brought me some "we're-sorry-you're-still-pregnant cupcakes" from The Sweet Tooth Fairy. They were so good (especially the red velvet). The lesson I learned last night: there are few emotional troubles that a 3 hour bubble bath, a half dozen delicious cupcakes and a good book can't fix.

Also, I finally bit the bullet and booked a massage for myself this afternoon. I hadn't done it before now, because I wasn't sure how soon they could get me in and I was worried about having to cancel an appointment because I'd had the baby (ha!). Well today must be my lucky day because I called this morning and they were able to fit me in this afternoon-- maybe they picked up on the desperation in my voice over the phone.

Now for the funny: yesterday an elderly neighbor stopped by to bring us a pot of chicken noodle soup and some fruit salad, and then asked to see the new baby. That probably would have been understandable if I hadn't been the one to answer the door. How can you reply to that with a straight face?! The best I could manage was a slightly amused smile, instead of outright laughter. But she figured it out soon enough and we got a dinner out of the deal, so I think everybody can be happy.

Also, another neighbor of ours, the unofficial grandpa of the neighborhood, teased me about still being pregnant this morning. I'll forgive him because he gave me a funny comeback line: he told me about a friend of theirs who was very pregnant with her 10th baby, when someone at church asked her, "haven't you had that baby yet?" She calmly replied, "Yes, and I've already got another one in here." I think I'm going to have to start using that.

And for those of you who might be worried about the safety of the baby, we're monitoring her carefully, and she's still doing very well-- apparently she's just a kid who needs a little more time.

If I haven't had the baby by next Monday night, my midwife will be coming over to do a "natural induction", which involves voodoo chanting and lots of chicken blood. I'm totally kidding-- just seeing if you were still paying attention. It actually involves a vigorous sweep of the membranes, some herbal tinctures and nipple stimulation (too much info? sorry!). She says it usually does the trick for those 42-weekers. Hopefully for me and the little miss that means we've got an end in sight.

For those of you waiting with bated breath...

... no baby yet. We did have a pretty convincing bout of false labor last night, but apparently that was just practice.

I'm trying to be a good sport about it, but if one more person asks me when I'm due (last week) or when I'm going to be induced (I'm not), I swear that heads are going to roll.

Consider yourself warned. (wink)

random October pictures

Football obsessed Jack playing his favorite game with his favorite person.

Halloween 2010. Lincoln was a soldier (in a costume he very proudly purchased with his own money), Daniel was a very convincing racoon, Joe was a burgler (although everyone thought he was a Chilean Miner), and Jack was a cute little beagle who'd already gone to bed when this picture was taken

More Halloween 2010: my sister Kaley as Rosie the Riveter

Lincoln, self-portrait

We got a weird idea one day to make pictures that looked like we were flying.
This was our best shot: super-hero Lincoln flying up amongst the clouds

the final countdown

Well friends, our due date is tomorrow and if the Little Miss follows in the footsteps of her brothers, we can probably expect her sometime this weekend. Ironically, as we've gotten closer to the end, the Braxton-Hicks contractions I've been feeling for the past 20 weeks have mysteriously vanished, leaving me with the irrational feeling that I'm going to be pregnant forever.

I know this is not possible, but I've been looking for a scapegoat for my embarrassing and also irrational feeling of crankiness today, and I like to think that I've found it. I have lots of reasons not to be cranky right now, so let's focus on those.

First off, my mother is here now. She pulled up in her big white diesel truck last Friday afternoon, bringing with her all kinds of assorted treasures, and an energetic willingness to be useful. She's already scrubbed my kitchen clean, and won Jack over completely.

(note: If you want to impress Jack, you should probably start driving a truck. The bigger and noisier the better)

Having been longer acquainted, the big boys were already in love with her (they're at the Bean Museum this very minute) but they've been happy to find that the reality of Grandma Jan is even better than the memory (they've been hatching sneaky plans for next summer involving Indiana and house-building and chickens).

I'm mostly excited about the food prospect of my mom's visit. On Sunday night she roasted up one of the chickens she brought with her from Indiana (raised, butchered, and cleaned by her --and my dad's-- very own hands). Tonight we'll be enjoying it's sibling in a hearty chicken noodle soup (with homemade Amish noodles!).

We've already devoured one chocolate cake with caramel icing, and I'm sure there's another waiting in the wings, since I've pretty much insisted on having a very large piece available just as soon as I'm done with the work of giving birth. There's also a lovely and very special jar of maple syrup waiting to be enjoyed. Maple syrup that came from the trees in my parents' yard.

That's right, one day it occurred to my mom that they had a bunch of silver maples in their yard, and it would probably be a fun experiment to try tapping the trees and making their own maple syrup. So they did. And now they're hooked on the process and will probably be making syrup every early spring from now until forever. Who says Vermonters get to have all the maple syrup fun? (incidentally, my mom claims that a decent syrup can be made from Box Elder trees, a hypothesis that we may just have to act on in the near future)

Reason to Reject Crankiness #2: My sweetheart called me up this afternoon and asked me out on a date. The Cougar Marching Band (also known as The Power of the Wasatch-- yeah, baby!), is having their annual concert tonight. Maybe you didn't know that I'm a former member of that very band (french horn), and still very much a band geek at heart, even though I haven't picked up a horn in eight years. So, while there's a very small chance that the loud music will inspire Little Miss to get this show on the road, I plan on ignoring that possibility and thoroughly enjoying the show for the music's sake.




Reason to Reject Crankiness #3: A very kind (and talented!!) neighbor snapped some impromptu shots of Jack last week when she came by our house on a walk with her own little boy. She brought over a cd of the pictures that very night and I've finally gotten around to looking at them today. They're just precious, and even more so because of the fact that we've taken very few pictures of Jack, being the third child that he is. Thanks Kayla!

She happens to do professional photography, so if you're in Utah County and in need of a photographer, you should check out her website.

And finally, Reason to Reject Crankiness #4: I got to take a two hour nap this afternoon and finish reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (which I highly recommend). How's that for luxury?!

ugh.

It's been one heck of a ride for the Hadfields lately. As of today, we've been slogging through a case of the stomach "flu" for a full week. Daniel and Joe are (mostly) over it, but the rest of us are still yucky.

So. Much. Fun.

In spite of all that, I've got two particular things to be grateful for this morning:

#1: The events of this week have cured me of my strong impatience to have the baby early. She's welcome to take her time now. Heck, I won't even complain if she comes late. I really want us all to be healthy and to get the puke smell out of my house before she makes her arrival.

#2: I'm grateful I'm not a giraffe. Did you know that giraffes are pregnant for 15 months and that they give birth to 6 foot tall, 150 lb. newborns? Or that they give birth standing up, so the baby giraffe makes a 6 or so foot drop to the ground upon his/her entry to the world?

Thud.

(the birth junkie in me feels obligated to note that standing can be a great position for giving birth, provided there is someone available to catch the baby.)

for the quote board:

"Daniel, are you tremendous cold?"
~Lincoln (after messing around with the temperature controls in the shower)

"There's poop on the loose!!"
~Lincoln
(the lesson we learned today: there is such a thing as too much Raisin Bran for Jack)

gems from Daniel

These quotes are all a few months old, but still just as funny as the day they were uttered.


"Fate is cruel."

"Money is no object."

"Jonah is an Israelite."
"Where did you learn that?"
"I just know it. Yeah, it's written on his soul. I don't have a soul. Nobody has soul. Except music."

On hearing that Ammon hacked the arms off of the robbers who stole the king's sheep.
"They could still kick him."

In Sacrament meeting.
"Mom, if you would just let me draw, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

"When I'm a grown up, I will buy your basement and live in it."
"What if your wife would like to live somewhere else?"
"If she was thinking that, I would just tell her and she'd say ok. We won't have to buy a bed. We could just hitch me and Lincoln's beds together."

While poking his tummy with a pained look on his face...
"Whenever I do this, my tummy hurts."
"Then don't do it."
"I'm not doing it. My body just is."

Imagining being a father with a career as a paleontologist-artist...
"I would teach my two year old to say 'Dino. Dino. Dino.' His mom will say 'There's no such thing as dinosaurs.' I will say, 'There is such thing. I have a job about that.'"

some things I never want to forget

Lincoln and Daniel have recently taken to referring to each other as "Lincoln-buddy" and "Daniel-buddy".

Last night they stayed up talking to each other for an hour and a half after they were put to bed. I'm not sure what they were so excited about, but I did hear mention of a flamingo. They're probably not getting enough sleep lately, but it's hard for us to put a stop to such an enthusiastic sign of their friendship.

The big boys have been learning the song, "Beautiful Savior" for the primary program at church. Last night Lincoln asked Joe to accompany him on the piano and help him learn the last two verses. The way his sweet little voice rang through the house brought tears to my eyes.

Daniel is officially a bookworm. At any given point in the day, I can find him curled up on the couch or in a corner with a book, totally oblivious to what is going on around him.

Quote from Daniel about how glad he is that my sister is living with us for the next few months: "Kaley, I feel so happy I could cry."

Adoration is not a strong enough word for the way Jack feels about his daddy. I never want to forget the way Jack wraps his little arms and legs around his dad and lays his head on his shoulder (at every opportunity).

a hadfield retrospective

Jack is as cute as ever and getting more grown up every day. He runs, climbs on the furniture, initiates wrestle matches with his brothers, insists on eating with grown-up silverware, and keeps the entire family well supplied with kisses and hugs.





We've instituted the tradition of Waffle and Water Wednesday. We make overnight waffles and eat 'em on the porch or under the maple tree.




We also make sure to include some water play in our Wednesday. Sometimes we run (or in my case: waddle) through the sprinklers, and sometimes we go to the pool, but we all love visiting our favorite spot by the Provo River. There's a sandy bank and the river is very shallow and slow there. We take along some friends and a picnic lunch and spend a few pleasant hours enjoying the river...



...there's also a gigantic old tree (with a swing!) that the boys love to play on. It's been a house, a boat, a rocket ship and who knows what else.




We're still a little weird, too. Makes life interesting.

for the quote board:

Daniel during sacrament meeting (not in a whisper):

"Mom, there's a golden eagle up there on top of that flag! I'll bet it's a bald eagle. Bald eagles are distinctly American."



(he also gave running commentary while he drew a picture of the Hindenberg exploding. Our sacrament meetings are never boring)

Ta-da!!

We did a little updating of the homestead this week. Can you tell what changed (besides the overgrown bushes and bigger trees)?

Before (circa: 2007)

After (circa: tonight)







Didja figure it out?




Didja?

The correct answer: we got some fancy-pants awnings and we love them. Not only did they up the house's cuteness factor, they've also done a great job of keeping the house cooler-- always something a pregnant lady can appreciate.

the name game (this one's for you Nana)

Even though the ultrasound showed baby girl, we're still in a bit of denial. After not even daring to hope for a girl for so long, our recent news hardly seems possible. Maybe thinking more seriously about names will help the reality of a daughter sink in?

So far, when people have asked us about prospective names they've been greeted with our blank stares and shoulder shrugs-- not because we're being secretive or tight-lipped on the subject, but just because we haven't really thought about it for reals.

We still may reserve the right to wait until after little Miss Hadfield arrives to finalize the name choice, but here's a list of a few we've been considering lately (meaning, the ones that I found today while perusing the SSA name index's most popular girl names from 1890 to 1940):


Tier I (most likely)*
Ella
Jane
Lucy
Margaret (Maggie)
Sally

Tier 2 (Steph likes, Joe could tolerate)
Ruth
Stella
Evelyn
Clara

Names that absolutely will not grace our baby girl's birth certificate**:
Gladell
Delightra
Blondeen
Faundaree
RaDawn

*Names are in no particular order of importance within their tiers.
**These real names came from the Utah Baby Namer website-- which I highly recommend if you're in need of a good laugh.

ultrasound results

We had an ultrasound today. Baby looks healthy and wonderful.

Oh yeah, we decided to find out the gender this time. Wanna know? Here's a hint:

for the quote board

A couple of weeks ago, Joe attempted to persuade the boys to pick up their toys and put them away before we began the Friday night movie.

"But I just can't do that, dad," moaned Daniel.
"C'mon, how old are you?" Joe asked.
"I'm one."
"Then you're too young to be watching movies."
"Oh, I'm like 49."
"Then you should put away 49 toys before we start the show."
"Really I'm just four."

to the mamas:

I have been richly blessed to grow up and grow into motherhood surrounded by wonderful mothering examples. I feel deeply indebted to both my own mother and Joe's mother for much of the happiness that exists in our little home-- the lessons on love and family that we learned at their knees has stayed with us and influenced the way we parent. I have grandmas and grandmas-in-law who are all strong, beautiful matriarchs, and there are so many traits that I want to absorb from all of them.

I have many sweet neighbors and friends who love and look out for my boys, and who show me (without even knowing) things I can do better as I mother my sons. My life is richer because of their examples, their understanding and their encouragement.

I wish I could heap flowers and gifts on all the wonderful mothers in my life. Don't you?

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

some news

We were going to wait until after our midwife's appointment next week to make an official announcement, but I'm really bad at keeping secrets and I'm kind of tired of keeping track of who we've told and who we haven't, so here goes:

We're having a baby! (coming mid-November)

image via WebMD

Happy Birthday, indeed

Penny Simkin and Me

I had a fabuluous birthday weekend everybody. Thanks to those of you who sent birthday wishes my way. I've always secretly believed that the tulips and fresh new leaves and blossoming trees that have always shown up around my birthday were Mother Nature's personal gift to me, and this year she did not dissappoint.


Other highlights:

• I spent Friday and Saturday at a conference for childbirth professionals, and I got to meet Penny Simkin! That may not mean anything to you, but she's legendary in the natural childbirth world. She spoke on childbearing in social context and the emotional needs of women in labor (and how to meet those needs). If you ever have a large block of time to kill and want to philosophize about birth, call me and I'll tell you all about her speeches!
• When I got home from the conference on Saturday, Joe had takeout from the Bombay House for dinner and what may turn out to be the best birthday present ever: my very own Sobakawa pillow (as seen on TV!!). I've been sleeping like a baby ever since.
• My birthday card from the boys. Here's the text:

Dear Mom,

I hope you had a good birthday. Make sure to take lots of birthday
pictures. Happy Birthday. I'm gonna make you a chocolate cake. I love you.
You're extremely beautiful. Mom, I love you. Make sure to have fun every day.
Love you tons!

(signed) Daniel and Lincoln

"Hey look guys-- I'm a snorkeler!!"

(that's an uninflated punching balloon and an over-active imagination)

jack's birth story

One year later, it's kind of fun to look back on the day Jack joined our family.

Our baby was due March 18th, 2009, but I expected that I'd follow my typical pattern of going a few days past my due date. I was aiming for the first day of Spring, March 20th.

The weather had been really lovely all week and I'd spent a lot of time outside weeding and doing a bit of Spring cleanup in the yard. The daffodils had just bloomed and it seemed to me that mid-March was a wonderful time to have a baby.

On Friday the 20th I was making pizza for our regular pizza and movie night and the Braxton-Hicks contractions that I'd been having all week gradually became consistent and closer together. It was pretty obvious that the baby was on the way. I called our midwife Richelle to let her know what was up and she agreed to come over soon. We expected things to move pretty fast since my labor with Daniel lasted only two hours.

Richelle came at around 8:00 pm and started setting up her stuff and then turned her attention to me. She checked my dilation and found me to be at 6 cm. We figured it wouldn't be much longer before I had a baby in my arms, but the contractions didn't seem to pick up much in intensity and were becoming a bit erratic, so Joe and I headed out for a late night stroll around the neighborhood to see if we could get things moving again. We walked up and down our street, pausing for me to lean into Joe during contractions. We ended up at the neighborhood playground and Joe tried to convince me that swinging on the swings would be good for labor. I wasn't in the mood for swinging, but tried to sit down on a swing and relax for a bit-- it was way too uncomfortable.

The contractions did pick up a bit as a result of the walk, but they slowed back down again when we got home. We all agreed that rest would be a good thing, so Richelle gave me a nice. long massage (heaven!!) and then Joe snuggled up next to me and we slept/rested for a couple of hours. I couldn't rest through the contractions anymore at that point and I decided I was ready to get up, move around, and get the show on the road. Joe and I headed out for another walk around the neighborhood, again pausing for contractions, and laughing at how funny we'd look to anyone driving by: a hugely pregnant woman in a fuzzy pink bathrobe hanging from the neck of a tired skinny guy.

Richelle had been monitoring the baby's heartbeat since she arrived and things were looking great. After we returned from our walk, I got a nice belly rub with Clary Sage oil. My contractions were finally starting to feel serious. I walked around the house making my whale noises and swaying my hips from side to side. We decided this would be a good time to get into the birth pool (an inflatable kiddie pool that we'd purchased just for Jack's birth). Joe, my mom and Richelle started filling it up and getting it ready for me. It was finally filled and ready and I climbed in. I spent five blissful minutes in there before everyone else realized that the pool had a leak. Fortunately, we had plastic down under the pool, so no water had made it to the floor yet, but it was obvious that I'd have to get out and the pool would have to be drained. I put up a bit of a fight-- but in the end Joe was able to talk some sense into me in spite of my fuzzy laboring brain.

I spent the next little while crying about my leaky pool in the shower while the rest of the crew worked feverishly to empty the pool before it made a mess. I think Richelle gave me another massage after I got out of the shower and I started to feel better about things. I was finally tired of walking around and started spending more time draped over the birth ball in a modified hands and knees position. I felt so spoiled to have three people taking care of me. I had Richelle doing counter pressure on my back, my mom doing light touch massage on my calves and feet and Joe looking into my eyes and whispering encouragement. (my sister Erin was there to take care of the boys-- but they were asleep)

Around 7:20, Richelle asked to check my dilation again. I was still 6 cm. I was a little discouraged at that news. The baby was very low in my pelvis and Richelle suggested that it was possible that I needed to have my water broken to get things to move past that point. We agreed to it and there was a big gush of clear water (a great sign)

She wasn't kidding about getting things moving. Labor became very intense for me. If my labor support team had been nice before, they'd become an absolute necessity and I needed all the kind and encouraging words and firm touch they could provide to help me stay centered and grounded. I moved to the bed and assumed a side lying position and not long after, the baby started to crown-- everyone started to comment on how much black hair the baby had. I blurted out, "If it's a girl, her name is Maggie!" (we hadn't found out the baby's gender before-hand).

Lincoln woke up and came upstairs to see what was going on. Joe sent him back downstairs to wake Daniel so that he wouldn't miss the baby's birth-- they'd both been looking forward to this. After only a few pushes, the baby's head was out. I'll never forget the look of awe and delight on their faces as they watched the baby emerge. Once the head was out, the baby paused a little before rotating it's shoulders and coming free. I remember reaching down and feeling a tiny ear and soft little cheek. Once the shoulders were free, Richelle told me to reach down and bring up my baby.

And suddenly, there was a perfect little baby on my chest. He didn't cry much, but his muscle tone and color were great so we weren't concerned. I did a quick check between the baby's legs to see what we had and then announced to everyone that we had a boy! Lincoln and Daniel climbed up on the bed to say hello to their new brother. We waited until the cord stopped pulsing to cut it. My mom did the honors, just like she did when Lincoln and Daniel were born and then our sweet boy went to his daddy's waiting arms.

When the placenta came, there was a huge gush of blood immediately after. I was hemorrhaging. Richelle quickly gave me a shot of pitocin in each thigh and started firmly massaging my belly to get my uterus to contract and stop bleeding (my least favorite part of the entire ordeal). The bleeding slowed and then stopped and she started a saline IV to help keep my blood pressure up. Because I was stable-- I hadn't passed out or even felt dizzy or lightheaded-- she gave us the option to go to the hospital for a transfusion or to stay home and monitor my blood pressure and iron levels. We opted to stay home and start on a supplement regimen to get my iron levels back up. (I took Floridix and Chlorophyll and my iron levels were back to normal within two weeks)

My mom brought me a big breakfast of juice, toast, scrambled eggs and lots of fresh fruit-- I was sure it was the most delicious meal I'd ever eaten. Richelle weighed, measured and cleaned the baby and we were shocked when he weighed in at 9 lbs. 7 oz.-- he looked so tiny to all of us! After the baby had nursed well and it was clear that I was okay, Joe was finally overcome by exhaustion and went to sleep downstairs. Richelle and my mom got everything cleaned up and then Richelle headed home too with the promise to return the next day to check on us, but only after giving us lists of things to watch for in both me and the baby. I spent the rest of the day cuddling in bed with my sweet new little one. At some point in the afternoon, we decided to name him Jack Webster Hadfield. And the rest, you know, is history

uno

Remember this baby?

Exactly one year ago today, we met Jack. It was love at first sight. We all thought he looked a little scrawny at birth, so we were shocked when the midwife weighed him in at 9 lbs. 7 oz. A big boy. I suppose we wouldn't have been too surprised if we knew what was going to come next:

The baby who started to gain weight like a baby whale.
The baby whose fat rolls had fat rolls.
The baby whose squishiness we just couldn't get enough of.

The baby who weighed 27 lbs and wore size 2T (due to a portly waist) at 6 months.

The baby who's slimmed down a little (lot) since he started moving around.
(he still weighs 27 lbs.)
The boy who got pink eye and a cold for his first birthday. (poor kid)

We kept things pretty low key today. Just a bunch of balloons and some of our traditional chocolate cake with caramel icing. And more presents than he knows what to do with (much to the delight of his big brothers). We had planned a hair cut too, but we'll put that off for another day. Maybe when he's not sick.

See here just how (not) thrilled Jack is to be put in his highchair for his cake.

for the quote board

"I love everything more than anybody loves something."

~Daniel

for the quote board

"Santa's nocturnal, right?"

~Lincoln

Documentary on Jack, narrated by Lincoln

the best day ever

Tonight as we were tucking the boys into their beds, Lincoln and Daniel decided that this was the best day ever. I heartily concur. It all started with a cheerful breakfast looking out over a lovely, warm, sunny morning. We saw happy little crocuses poking their heads up through the soil, and daffodil and hyacinth leaves reaching out to the sun.

Daniel declared it a blowsy day, so we found our kite and went to the park after lunch. The wind was perfect-- just strong enough that we didn't have to run to get the kite in the air. All it took was lifting it up. Like this:

And before we knew it, we had a kite "super-duper high up".

Jack couldn't take his eyes off of it. Don't be fooled by the solemn face; he was having a grand time.

After we'd been out for a while, heavy storm clouds gathered and the temperature dropped, so we headed home for a cozy read-a-thon. We put Jack down for a nap and made cookies and hot chocolate, lit candles in the fireplace, set up the play tents and snuggled down to read a couple of chapters from The Trumpet of the Swan. (this is about our 9th time through; can you tell it's our favorite book?).

Before we knew it, rain turned to snow and a couple of inches had accumulated. The boys pulled on their snow gear and went outside to make a snow dinosaur with some neighbor kids. We finished off the day with warm soup and fresh bread and hot baths for the littles.

After a couple of weeks of sick, crabby, housebound kids and a cranky and often impatient mom, this wonderful day was a Godsend. I just hope the memory of it doesn't fade too soon.

planning ahead

The following exchange was recorded by Joe:

As we were driving home from a family night outing, Daniel asked where I got mom's ring.

Steph: At a jewlery store.
Me: It's a place called Rocky Mountain Diamond
Daniel: Is it in this city?
Steph: No, it's up in Salt Lake.
Daniel: How do you get there?
Me: You take I-15 and go North.
Daniel: Where is it in Salt Lake City
Me: It's close to 200 West and... maybe 200 South?
Daniel: What is 200 West?
Me: Are you shopping for a ring Daniel?
Daniel: No. [long pause, then quietly] I just need to know where to get a ring for my wife. [looks away through the side window]

why is it...

...that the same food he refuses in his high chair....

... is irresistable off the floor?

stuff happens here...

Stuff happens here all the time. Here are some pictures to prove it:

Joe has been teaching Lincoln how to iron.

The big boys haven't been deterred by our pathetic lack of snow this winter.
They made snowmen out of silly putty.

Jack's a very busy kid these days. Fortunately for his brothers,
a highchair tray full of soap suds keeps him occupied long enough
for them to play a round of Chutes and Ladders without the worry of a Jack-attack.

I bought a book on how to do vintage hairstyles and I've been
channeling Rosie the Riveter ever since.

pulling his own weight

We don't allow freeloaders around here. Not even baby freeloaders.

After Jack's done sweeping the carpet, he also has to scrub the toilet, fold laundry and reorganize my closet.

for the quote board

"Jack loves me the most. Whenever he sees me, he screams."

~Daniel

eulogy for a tree

Friends, a sad thing happened here last night. We had a ridiculously strong windstorm that blew the main branch off of our already struggling maple tree. Now the whole thing is probably going to have to go.

I was kind of surprised at just how deeply sad this made me. Yes, I'm normally emotional, but crying for a tree? Really?




I suppose it makes sense to be upset at the financial loss and inconvenience this represents. At the same time, though, I'm reminded now that this tree has been a quiet, steady presence in the midst of our family life for the past two and a half years.


It gave us shade in the summer time. Like when it provided shade for this impromptu munchkin reading circle.

We played helicopter with it's seed pods and stuck them on our faces to turn ourselves into pretend rhinos (or unicorns, or triceratops).

It served as home base for countless games of tag.


It made a great photo backdrop, especially in the Fall.

We made jumping piles from its fallen leaves.

We used those same fallen leaves to nourish our garden.



It made a great center support for snow forts and a shield during snowball fights.

Thank you Maple, for always being there. We'll miss you.


**Full Disclosure Statement: this tree lived in a joint custody arrangement. It is technically on our wonderful neighbors' side of the property line, so they have the final say in whether it stays or goes.

Happy 4th Birthday Daniel!

From the very beginning, we knew to expect BIG things from Daniel:

Most people were skeptical that there was only one baby in there. There was, he was just huge...

Exactly 4 years ago, he entered the world at 10 lbs 2 oz.
(after only 2 hours of labor!)
He came with a big personality to match that big body...

He's always had an infectious smile and giggle.

He was a wonderful sleeper, right from the beginning.

He's always amazed us with his vivid imagination...

Happy Birthday to our Free Spirit!

Joe and I spent some time tonight going through old photos, videos and blog posts. I wish I had the time and space to share all the Daniel-related treasures we found . Instead though, I've got one new little gem for you:

Dad: I love you soooooo much.

Daniel: I love you farther than outer space.

Dad: I love you hotter than the sun.

Daniel: I love you colder than the snow.

Dad: I love you wetter than the ocean.

Daniel: I love you harder than the sidewalk.

Dad: I love you bluer than the sky.

Daniel: I love you fluffier than the clouds.

Dad: I love you sweeter than honey.

Daniel: I love you how much nuts peanut butter have.

Happy Birthday DannyBoy! We love YOU how much nuts peanut butter have.

jack's first joke

We love knock-knock jokes at here at the Hadfield house, and lately Jack has been joining in on the fun. We finally thought to get the camera out after a long string of funnies by jack-jack, and we were lucky to catch his last one on video.

It all started like this:

Dad: Knock-knock

Jack: HOO!

and:

Dad:Knock-knock...

Daniel: Who's there?

Jack: DAD!!

high FIVE Lincoln!

My firstborn babe is five years old today.

Five. Years. Old. (sniff)

And while he's always seemed like a little man, he's just been so grown up lately. So, if you'd be so kind, please indulge this sentimental mama in a little trip down memory lane:

Lincoln when he was still just a big lump in my belly. This picture was taken just a few days before he was born.

All the hard work of labor was worth it for this perfect baby boy.

Lincoln was generally a very happy and easy-going baby. Maybe it was the rarity of his pouts that made them so stinking cute.

Or maybe they were just stinking cute.

Not much to say about this photo. I just love it.

He's always shown a deep interest in his surroundings.

He's always been a good big brother.

And always a Daddy's boy

He loves to run

He loves to go fishing

And we LOVE him!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LINCOLN!