Birthday Weekend

Hard to believe another year has flown by! Feels like I just turned 30 about 5 minutes ago. Turning the big 3-1 wasn't hard at all this year. I'm grateful for each year I get to spend with my family. I'm especially grateful for this past year.....for all that I have been richly blessed with. Obviously our sweet daughter joining us this year has been the highlight for me.

I got lots of phone calls and birthday wishes on my actual birthday. Our great friends the Koppings came into town on Friday night. Their son had a karate competition over here so they came over for that and to hang out for a couple of days. They made me a birthday cake and we enjoyed a nice BBQ.

Friday we picked up some delicious Gator Jacks and headed to Rigby Lake for the evening. Even though the weather was nasty when we first got there, the sun eventually came out and we had a great time chatting and laughing on the beach while the kids played in the sand.

Saturday was a RAINY day here in Idaho Falls. I've never seen it rain so much over here. That evening we packed a ton of snacks and went over to the drive in. We were worried about all of the rain but actually ended up really LOVING it while we were all cozied up with blankets in the cars. We saw BRAVE and THE AVENGERS. It was so much fun and there was hardly anyone there due to the weather. We couldn't help but laugh at the people who were trying the watch the movie in the backs of their pick up trucks or sitting on the hoods of their cars. Seriously....SO much rain.

Sunday we went to church...well, Sacrament meeting only for me. Baby sister looked SO cute in her very first church dress.

 AND...here are some more pictures of Nate LOVING on his daughter.

Oh, and here is one more from tonight. Anna took a little bath tonight and looked so cute all wrapped up in a towel. It isn't obvious that we are crazy in love with this little girl, right? ☺

I had such a great birthday. And I loved LOVED snuggling my little birthday present all weekend long. I also love that I get to share my birthday month with my little girl from here on out.

First 10 days

Sweet Anna Banana. You've been with us now for 10 full days and we can't even IMAGINE life without you now. You are so sweet. So pleasant. So even tempered. What a HUGE blessing you are to us. You've had a very busy first 10 days of life. There has been lots of outfit and bow changes, tons of snuggling with mom in bed and lots of passing you around between your brothers. Here are some of the things you have done in your first 10 days on this earth:

* You went to your first baseball game to watch your big brother Parker play in his last game. We almost got hit by 2 foul balls and Parker was getting really mad. He yelled, "DO NOT HIT MY MOM AND BABY!" Protective of you already I see. ♥ We opted to move to another place on the bleachers.

* You went to your first movie. I took the boys to see Misfit Pirates and we sat in the back row. There were only about 10 other people in the theatre and you slept through the whole thing. It was nice to get out of the house and stay somewhere cool since it was almost 100 degrees out today.

* You went on your first date. Well, with mom and dad. We went to Chili's to celebrate my birthday (a day early). You were a great date. You slept through the entire dinner and slept through a quick trip to the mall as well.

* You had your first photo shoot....as I mentioned in an earlier post. SO excited to get those pictures back soon!

* You have been an excellent sleeper. You sleep about 4 hours at a time and as soon as you're fed and changed  you are fast asleep again. AMAZING.

*You already have your dad wrapped around your little finger. He has come home for lunch just to see you and he has come home early from work a couple of times just because he MISSES you so much. You lucky girl.

* I can hardly even stand to set you down for a few minutes. I don't care if I spoil you by holding you all day long. I am so in love and so content just starring at you all day. I love you tiny sister. Thank you for coming to our family. We are so happy you are here.

Sneak Peek

Baby had her first photo shoot today! Here is the sneak peek picture. My friend Amber took the pictures and she is so talented. I love that we have found someone over her in Idaho Falls who is great with a camera. ☺ I can't wait to see the rest of them!

I'm still in awe....is she REALLY mine?

Anna's Birth

Last Monday Nate and I went in for my 39 week appointment. Dr. Leavitt told me I was at a 3 and 100% effaced. WooHOO! I was so excited to have made so much progress in a week and a half. He asked if I wanted my membranes stripped and I told him yes. YOWTCH! We went ahead and scheduled an induction date for July 5th and Dr. Leavitt said he thought we probably wouldn't make it that far anyway. ☺I felt a little crampy the rest of the afternoon and wondered if that would jump start things or not.

We took the kids to Texas Roadhouse for dinner that night. We called it our "last supper" as a family of 5.

That night while laying in bed Nate and I started taking ridiculous pictures of each other using the camwow camera app. We were literally laughing so hard I think that is what got my contractions started!

Consistent contractions started at around 11pm and continued until 4am. They were about 8-10 min apart. Then they stopped. I was so bummed but at the same time I was so tired from contracting all night I was happy to finally fall asleep. When I woke up around 9:30 the contractions started back up again. Nate and I walked and walked around the neighborhood to keep them going. I WAS NOT going to go to the hospital to be sent home. They started getting really intense around 1:00 so we got the boys situated and headed for the hospital around 2:00.

Here is my very LAST picture as a pregnant woman! It was ALL I could do to smile in this picture. Ugh, I was hurtin!

I was checked at the hospital and already at a 6-7! I decided to go ahead and have an epidural. About 20 minutes after we checked in I was feeling MUCH better.

The epidural slowed down my progress and I was at a 9 for about 2 hours. I was fine with that becuase I knew my mom was trying to get there and I couldn't feel anything so I just rested and tried to take everything in. PLUS, we were waiting for Dr. Leavitt who was next door at the other hospital delivering someone else's baby. As soon as he walked in the door he looked at Nate and said, "You want to deliver your daughter today?" Nate said "SURE!" so he was all suited up with the gown, gloves and everything.

Dr. Leavitt told Nate where to put his hands and how to help guide her out. I literally pushed one time and our tiny baby Anna came right out. Nate did everything. He held her, got the cord unwrapped from around her little body, and set her on my stomach. It was such an amazing experience. Nate is still talking about how amazing that moment was. He was the very first person in the world to hold her. What a neat and sacred experience.

5 minutes later my mom walked in. She was SO close. She did get to see the baby being weighed and checked out though.

She came out, screamed for about 30 seconds and then just starred at everyone. Her little eyes were just looking into our souls. We all couldn't believe how much she looks JUST like Parker!

 3 very PROUD brothers. They all just adore her and want to hold her all the time. It is very sweet.

I love that she chose to come on the day she wanted. I love she wasn't born on the 4th of July...that she has her own birthday but that it is right next to my FAVORITE holiday. I love that while I was in the hospital I could look out the window and see the fireworks outside. I felt like the world was rejoicing with me. She was here, perfect, and absolutely beautiful.

 I love that she has been an angel since joining our family....a great eater, burper, sleeper, and she has honestly barely even cried since she has been here. I love that Nate is absolutely and positively head over heels about her....well, we ALL are lets be honest. ☺

I love that we named her Anna which means "Grace. God has favored me." She is my miracle baby and God really has favored us. I love that she is also named after her Grandma (Nate's mom. Her name is Lee ANN). We love Grandma Leelee and hope that Anna will grow up with many of Grandma Leelee's amazing qualities. Her excitement for life and her righteous example.

Her middle name is Elisabeth after my Great-Grandma Carlson. (Grandma EE's mother)  Grandma Carlson was an amazing woman who left her home, her country, and everything for the church. It is a classic and timeless name and I hope she loves it as much as we do.

It has been an amazing life changing whirlwind week. It feels like last Sunday was forever ago. I have lots of other pictures and stories from the first few days but a little girl is hungry......

We're so blessed. And I am so grateful.

Anna Elisabeth Starnes

 July 3, 2012

Our sweet Anna Elisabeth joined our family

6:17pm

6lbs 14 oz.

19.5 inches long

Delivered by her FATHER....Nathan Starnes.

Story and many MANY pictures to come.

Right now were busy loving on our sweet girl

and enjoying being surrounded by family and friends.



The waiting game

Countdown is seriously on.....any day now. ☺ My dear husband is chomping at the bit to get this little girl here. She is taking her time though......in 100% girl style! I have an appt. tomorrow and am looking forward to seeing if we have made any progress this last week. Crazy to think that next Sunday we'll probably have a little girl in our house. Squee!

So here is a little bit of what we have been up to lately.

Last week when everyone was here for the shower we had some fun going up to Rexburg and playing in the splash park with my fam and we rode the merry go round.

 We've been trying to stay cool. We've played in the backyard with sprinklers and friends:

 The boys LOVE to put the sprinkler under the trampoline:

 We've done some bug catching in the backyard. I think they found about 20 grasshoppers last week. Nast.

 We've watched more bike races. Nate took 2nd place last week and he only lost by a hair. It was crazy fun to watch!

 We went to Rigby Lake on Friday with a bunch of friends from the ward. It was SO much fun to sit back and visit with friends while the boys played ALL DAY LONG in the sand. We came home with some sun burns but had a great time.

 Saturday we took the boys to the batting cages. Parker has been in a bit of a hitting slump lately. Unfortunately the batting cages didn't help him out too much. Hopefully he will snap out if it soon.

39 weeks. Bleh. Just come OUT little one. I am so OVER being pregnant.