Happy Easter

Nora Jane is 3!

For Nora Jane's birthday this year, we first went to Red Robin for lunch




Then we came back to our house for presents and cake.




















She got a dress-up Barbie Doctor's Coat (to go with her Doctor Kit)...





...a dress-up Belle dress...





...a new tiara, earrings, dress-up shoes...





(Tucker tried on the earrings too)





...some new sunglasses...








...and a Disney Princess scooter...





Also not pictured, this Barbie (from Grandma and Mark Pace):





and this super cute swim suit (from Grandma and Grandpa Olson):




We then went to see HOP...but that's all I have to say about that, cause it was no good!

Happy Birthday Nora Jane! You're a crazy wild woman...but we love you lots!! Looking forward to this next year as you get potty-trained, start preschool and dance lessons!

Graydon 2 Weeks Old

Thank you Graydon for taking after your older siblings and being such an easy baby, who just eats and sleeps! Mommy loves you! :)

Tucker giving Graydon bunny ears!

My Twins! (5 years apart)

Same Angry Eyes! :)

Tucker had more hair...

Grandmother and Grandfather Pace

We were really terrible about letting people know we had the baby.  Not at all on purpose, I think there were just too many things going on, with Tucker's allergic reaction and well, having the baby.  Unfortunately we did not get a call in to Daniel's Grandparents.  Luckily they called on there own to find out why I was so over due, only to find out Graydon was born 10 days before. :(  I'm still feeling bad.  They were very nice about it, and came over last week to see him.

Hospital Photo Shoot

These are the pictures from the hospital, when they came in to take his picture, I thought they were just going to take the one standard shot, like they did for Nora Jane...but to our surprise, the photographer did a whole photo shoot, and they turned out so great we bought the CD of prints, and now I don't have to stress about trying to take him somewhere to get newborn pictures taken.

The kids loving Graydon in the hospital

Nora Jane pulled the chair over herself, so she could see him.

Family Help

I still can't believe all that Daniel's sister, Annalisa, did for us, to make it possible for us to be at the hospital and have Graydon, and have our children taken care of at home.

She woke up Monday morning to my message from Sunday night, saying that my water broke.  She felt bad she had missed the call, but it really worked out perfect, because Daniel's mom was able to sleep all night at our house with the kids, and still make it to the hospital in the morning for the delivery. Thank you Anne Marie for running over so quickly at midnight! :)

Then Annalisa got my kids fed and dressed and to the doctor's office for Tucker's ear infection check (and to note his antibiotic allergy) all of this and taking care of her own daughter too.

This was the picture she took of Tucker and Nora Jane at the doctor's office, when she told them that Graydon had just been born.

Then she brought all the kids down to see us in the delivery room, just 30 minutes after Graydon was born.  It was so fun to be able to see my two other kids and have them there to see Graydon so brand new.  They were soooo excited.

Then she took them all to Wendy's for lunch and home for Tucker to go to preschool.  While the two girls were napping she made dinner for my little family, and when Daniel went home to shower and run to costco for us, he told me she was cleaning all my bathrooms!

After Tucker got home she loaded up all the kids and went to the grocery store for some last minute things for dinner, then came home and finished making it.

Tuesday, Annalisa had work, but Michelle came over in the morning to be with the kids, because Daniel had work meetings he had to go to.  So nice of her to do this!!

Wednesday Annalisa came over in the morning, so that Daniel could be with me at the hospital to be discharged and take us home.

She had the kids help her make this for the nursery!

Overall it was so nice to have all the family support and know my kids were all taken care of at home!

Graydon Johs Pace

Graydon Johs Pace

March 21, 2011

10:04 AM

7lbs 3oz

19.5"

My due date was March 26th, but my doctor decided she would induce me on March 21. For the whole week or two before I thought for sure my water would break at any second. So I've my hospital bags all packed and ready to go for about a month anticipating this. Also my Dr. and Anne Marie (mother-in-law) were out of town for the whole week before my induction, so I thought for sure it would happen then.

Sunday the 20 rolls around, we came home from Sunday dinner and I got the dishes done, and laundry folded and straightened some other things. Said my goodbyes to the kids when I put them to bed (cried with Tucker...he is the sweetest boy!!) And was all ready to go.

Daniel was downstairs playing the Xbox, his new favorite hobby, and I was laying on our bed watching a show. Suddenly my water broke, at 11:40 PM and I jumped up so fast to run to the bathroom (luckily grabbing my cell phone) because as many of you know, when my water breaks...it goes everywhere!! This time was no different. Every thing was soaked in a matter of seconds. I called our home phone 4 times, before Daniel "found" it and answered it. :) Good thing I had my cell phone because he was in the middle of his best game yet, and it could have been a hours before he came up the stairs to find me. :)

Then we called Anne Marie who quickly got dressed and came over. She stayed the night with the kids while we headed to the hospital.

We got to the hospital about 12:10 AM. They got us into our room, and I had the IV of pitocin started by 1:15 AM and got my epidural about 2:00 AM. Things were moving along very quickly which was nice.

The baby's heart beat was dropping when they had moved the pitocin up to 5, so they brought it back down and continued to put me in a series of uncomfortable positions to make the baby more comfortable. This was fine, cause I my legs were starting to numb up nicely, so soon i wouldn't be so uncomfortable, right? Wrong!!! Starting about 4:30 AM my hip and leg that I was laying on started to hurt more and more and I was hoping a nurse would come in very soon. Finely at 5:00, she did, and I told her I was uncomfortable, and so she rolled me to the other side. After she left, I realized I was starting to feel contractions. I felt every contraction, and started to gain all feeling back in my legs, until another nurse came in at 6:00. I was pushing the epidural button like crazy, cause I could no longer see the clock to just do it every 20 minutes. I told the nurse I had all feeling back and that I was feeling the contractions, and asked if the machine was even on. She looked closely and realized it wasn't, and went to get the anithesiologist.

Turns out he had not plugged in and programed the machine which gives you a continuous drip. So all I had was the starter dose, which had worn off. He got it all set up, and soon I was numb again and ready to go.

By 7:00 AM I was dilated to a 5 and progressing quickly. Anne Marie had just shown up, and Annalisa was now at home with the kids.

I think at 9:15ish, I was dilated to a 10 and the baby had dropped (which has not happened with my last two). My doctor came in by about 9:30 AM. And at 10:04AM Graydon was born.

His middle name is Johs (pronounced "yoos") This is after Daniel's Grandpa John Langeland, who is from Norway. His name was Johannas, and after moving to the states, changed it to John. His wife, Edna, still always called him Johs, which is just short for Johannas. I've heard lots of stories that include Edna calling out "Johs" over the years, and so in memory of Grandpa Langeland who died this last July, we decided on Johs for the middle name.