Apples Apples Apples

A couple weeks ago my wonderful fam came over and helped me harvest my apple tree. No way I was going to get it done myself. From one tree, we got about 60 bags of apples. SIXTY! After about half of them were picked we stopped actually pickin' and just started shaking the branches to get them off...

My momma holding Brookie's baby, Sundee.

I love my Pappa!

THe kids had a ball playing around in our yard while we worked

Picking away!

Here they are...and you can't even see them all! I have been dehydrating and canning and juicing and making applesauce like crazy. I love that I have a tree that provides us with so much food, but boy is it alot of work. I am so sick of apples right now! And after all that and all the bags I have given away, I still have a ton left.

Anyone want to take some off my hands??

PLEASE??

Kiddos Photo Shoot 2011

So I finally got updated pics taken of the kids! Granted, it was back in February, before Conrad was born, but hey, better posting them late than never, right? There were some really awesome ones, but these were my faves. I certainly got some cuties for kiddos!

Picture Catch-Up

Conrad, 2 weeks old

Beautiful Bella. They don't come more precious than that...

Easter!! We had an awesome party the day before hosted by Becca and her cousin. The kids had a blast and they LOVED the easter egg hunt!

Easter Morning...

Conrad, One month Old on Easter Morn

Easter Sunday, all dressed up and ready to go! (B-rax is still learning how to hold Conrad...)

I have a very sweet and dear friend who decided to spoil my children and give them gifts. Brax and Bella both were given these totally awesome lounge chairs. They seriously sit in these anytime they are in the livingroom, watching tv, reading books, playing with toys, whatever. They are so in love with them! I could not have chosen a better gift for them myself. Thank you Nettie!! You are wonderful!! (They were actually saying "thank you" when I snapped the picture... :) )

My chillins, being posers for the camera. They are some good lookin' kids, if I do say so myself! :) Conrad - 2 month!

Here is a better picture of Conrad. 2 mo, and already trying to be just like his big brother! :)

These kids are growing like weeds!! Braxton starts swim lessons this Tuesday with Sis Rogers and will take them all of June. It will be so nice to have him swimming and not have to worry about him around the pool anymore. He already does pretty well with just his floaties, but you know there is always that worry about when he doesn't have them on, or if they snuck in the pool somehow, at least I know he is safe. Bella will be in them next year hopefully. Then he starts PRESCHOOL in Sept!! Wahoo! I am so excited for him to have something else other than me to stimulate his brain and social skills, but at the same time I am so sad. I can't believe my little baby boy is already about to start preschool. Then its kindergarten...and I cant even think about that yet. I start to hiperventilate just thinking about it! Bella is turning 2 in another month, and I swear she has grown at least 2 inches just in the past month. She is getting thinner and her hair is getting longer and she is turning into a little girl...no longer a toddler! She is all girl, loving the shoes and hair stuff and clothes and purses and dollies and make-up...I am already looking forward to the time when she and I can go on shopping dates and just have mommy-daughter time together!! :) She is so precious. Her answer to anything that I ask her right now is "cause I want to!" Bella, why did you take off your diaper? "Cuz I want to!" Bella, why did you take your shoes off? "Cuz I want to!" Bella, why did you drop your sippy? "Cuz I want to!" Bella, why did you leave your purse over there? "Cuz I want to!" As I said, ALL girl. :) I love her to pieces. Conrad is getting chunkier by the day and I love it! He is such a sweet angel baby. He had a few fussy weeks where he just cried and cried in the afternoons and evenings, and it was horrible. i thought it might be the dairy or chocolate I was eating so I cut both out of my diet....and let me tell ya... Nothing but the love of a mother for her child would make me give up dairy (frozen yogurt, cheese, milk, yogurt!!) and chocolate! It was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do, and I was so depressed that I might have to do it until I was done nursing. YIKES! Thankfully though it turned out it wasn't that, he was just having a few hard weeks, so I was able to eat my favortite foods again. I think I ate Fro Yo like 2x a day for two or three days straight right after I started eating dairy again. :) I'm addicted. So anyways, he is doing so much better and is just a wonderfully wonderful baby. I love love love him and adore smooching his fluffy cheeks and listening to him coo and flirt with me!!!

Hope everyone has a happy Memorial Day! Thank you to all those who have served our country so we can enjoy the freedoms we have today. Your sacrifice will never be forgotten!

Help!! And other random sentimental ramblings

So I need some help/advise from all you mommies out there.

Bella has learned how to climb out of her crib. She comes into our room multiple times each night and climbs into bed with Justin and I, and no amount of bribery or coaxing will get her back into her own bed. I have to wait until she falls back asleep (which sometimes is hours) and then take her back to her bed, praying she doesn't wake back up on the way. I wouldn't mind so much if I didn't have an infant that I was already waking up with multiple times a night, but if I now have to deal with Bella too I will be a walking zombie. I've done that before. Its no fun. Braxton was older when he started climbing out of his crib and was sleeping better at night than Bella is, so this is new territory for me. Plus I was able to go into his room to lay next to him to help him fall back asleep. I can't do that with Bella anymore...Conrad needs me more. (And because I am TIRED of being TIRED and not getting any sleep!) I am frustrated. We were FINALLY at a good place with her being able to put herself back to sleep after minimal crying each night, and the second she learned she could escape her little cage, that all went out the window! SO...what do I do?!?!

On a more nostolgic note, I sat at stared at the new toddler bed we got for her for a long time after putting it in her room and had to hold back the tears. I can't believe my baby girl is already almost 2, and out of her little baby crib. I'm not ready for her to be in a "big girl" bed yet! And Conrad is almost outgrowing his bassinet and will need that crib here soon. Why do they have to grow so fast? I try to cherish every precious moment I have with them, and still my sweet babies are slipping through my fingers and growing into children. Next thing I know they will be going on missions or off to college or getting married and LEAVING ME! While I watched Braxton fall asleep the other night I thought about what it will be like when he leaves on a mission, and I felt such panic already. My little boy is going to someday leave me to go into the world, and I won't be there to hold him or kiss his owies or wipe away his tears or tickle him or see his beautiful smiles and hear his bubbly laughter. And then he is going to come home and get married and ya know, for a moment while I stared at my little boy I suddenly understood why some mothers strongly dislike their daughter-in-laws! That boy is MINE! :) I have been here and cared for him, and will be here to care for him through every moment of his life, an to think that there will someday be another woman in his life that will be his world....it makes my heart hurt. I sometimes get impatient and can't wait for these babies to grow up so I can sleep a full night through again, or go shopping without having a meltdown, or pee without having kids screaming at the door, or have a clean house for an entire day...but then I have to remind myself that there will come a time when I long for these insane days, and I force myself to again cherish these moments, no matter how crazy they make me now. I am grateful to be the mother of these precious children. I just hope I can be the mother they deserve. I know I have a long way to go...

Thanks to my awesome friend Stacy for snapping a few shots of my new little man. She got some really cute ones...




How i love these goobers!


Yup...he's a keeper. And he's all mine. :) (And Justin's, of course!)

The Story

My dear sister, Sister Alisha Speakman,

Hiya Sis! So, here he is. Your new little nephew!!! :) I don't know if dad or anyone sent you pics of him yet, so here are a few. He's a keeper, huh? :) He has already changed so much, its crazy. I wish I had time to go into detail about everything, and hopefully someday soon I will get it all written down and send a copy your way, but for now here is the quicky version. I was supposed to be induced Tuesday night, but when we got to the hospital all the beds were full so we got sent home. :( (Apparently they had left a message on Justin's phone, but we didn't get it before heading down there.) Bummer. But I had been praying and praying to go into labor my own, cause I just knew the labor would be so much easier and go more smoothly if I went on my own, so I thought maybe this was an answer to prayers in a way. (I was only wanting to be induced cause Aunt Angie was only here for a limited time and I wanted to take advantage of her being here after the baby was born as much as possible.) So Wednesday morning my doc found out I hadn't been admitted and called me to come in and strip my membranes again, (thank gooodness! Another answer to prayers. :) ) and three hours later I started having contractions. Wahoo! :) The kids and I met Justin and Angie and Swanson at Gecko Grill for lunch, then Justin and the kids and I just headed home and watched Tangled (LOVE that movie!). I put Bella down for a nap, did some cleaning, the usual stuff., just waiting for the contractions to get stronger and closer together. By 6:00 Wed night they were coming faster and harder and every 5 min apart, so we said goodbye to the kiddos, loaded up and headed to the hospital. I was so excited, and SO grateful I was going in on my own. Not only could they not turn me away, but I had the most peaceful feeling and was so relaxed and just knew everything was going to work out great. My little man was on his way! :) So by the time I got all checked in and into a room and got the epidural and all that it was about 8:30. I asked for my doc to break my water cause I knew that as soon as she did the baby would be here, and I was right! My doc got there about 9:40, broke my water, and I went from a 5-6 to a 10 in 20 minutes! I started pushing at 10:10, and two pushes later he was out! No ripping or tearing, (another blessing!) and the first thing I noticed about this little guy was his nice pudgy rolls and deep, throaty cry. I was already in love. 9 lb, 1 oz!! 21 in long. My biggest baby by far! He had tons of dark hair and he came out with a little mohawk! He was such a chubby little thing, with a cute double chin and everything. It was such an easy delivery, and I was really alert and aware of everything going on, unlike Braxton's birth. I tell ya, the Lord sure does hear and answer our prayers. I just KNEW that if I could go into labor myself, it would be alot easier delivery and that all would go well. I am so grateful the Lord helped that happen. And he is such a beautiful little angel baby, Alisha. I can't wait for you to meet him! He has been such a good baby so far, which I am SSSOOOOOOOO grateful for. :) I don't think I could do this if he were fussy or a bad sleeper. Again, the Lord knew I needed a good baby to keep my sanity. He had a hard day today, so I am hoping it was just a one day thing and he will be happy again tomorrow. He usually is happy all the time and only cries when he is hungry, and he smiles so much!! I love him so much already. Its amazing hpw quickly that complete, all encompassing love comes. What a sweet boy he is.

We were going back and forth between names. We couldn't decide between Brody and Brock, then all of a sudden we switched to Caleb or Conrad...it was such a hard decision!! A name is a big deal, ya know?? :) We had actually decided on Caleb the last night in the hospital, and then I tried calling him that all night and it just didn't. Finally, with the help of some awesome nurses, :) I chose to go with Conrad, and I'm glad I did. It fits him. Different and quircky, but strong and bold. Justin loves it, and calls the boys B-rax and C-rad!! He he he. Conrad Peter Caruso, Peter being after Justin's father.

The kids are doing pretty good with him. They love to hug and hold him, but of course Bella is having a hard time sharing me, especially when its time to feed Conrad or when she just wakes up in the morn or after a nap. Some days are harder than others, but for the most part, because he has been such a good baby, things are going pretty good. I am having a really hard time with breastfeeding right now due to multiple problems and issues going on, and that is causing alot of stress and pain for me, but thats another long story. I had a blessing and done alot of praying and the fam has helped out ALOT, which has been a lifesaver. I don't know how people do this without family nearby, I tell ya. They are so good to us. So hopefully the problems that I am having will be resolved soon and I can feel like myself again. Other than that though, things are good. I sure love ya and think about you alot. Its great to hear how you are doing and I can't wait to see pics of this new jungle wilderness you are livin in. :) You are amazing and wondeful. All my love,

Your sis

My little Man

The kids with their new little brother. B-rax was so excited to hold him!

Brand new baby boy

My AWESOME doc

True love

Waiting for the action to begin

CONRAD PETER CARUSO

He is here!! Our beautiful baby boy arrived healthy and safe.

We are smitten with this little guy. He is perfect in every way.

One day old. My little chunky monkey!

One week old. They grow so quickly...

This kid smiles so much, I swear he already knows how! He is always happy and content and pretty much only cries when he is hungry. He is my little angel baby! (The Lord knew I needed one after my first two crazy kiddos!!)

Check back soon for the whole story! (If your interested... :) )