Beautiful Broyden

It was bound to happen sooner or later living in a house full of girlie girls! Demarie is sure taking advantage of the fact that Broyden is too little to fight back. Unfortunately, I'm sure this is the first of many instances where Broyden is going to have to submit to the will of his sisters. I'm sure he is thinking, "Why isn't my Dad rescueing me from this torture and abuse????"

Welcome Broyden Aaron Harris, 9/9/09

Broyden Aaron Harris was born September 9, 2009 at 8:47 am (we like to round up to 9:00). Doesn't he have the best birthday???? He was born at Valley Hospital in Las Vegas, NV via c-section. The doctor who delivered him was Dr. Sheldon Paul. We arrived at the hospital just before 5:00 am to check in. We ended up waiting several hours in a waiting area that was partitioned off. We were in the middle section and passed the time by listening to the conversations of the other women in labor and their significant others. It was quite amusing!

My entire pregnancy and delivery went so smoothly. I did not swell up this time like I did with my girls. When I was pregnant with Preslyn, a lady told me I must be pregnant with a girl because "Girl's suck the beauty right out of you!" I guess my boy was a little kinder to my body! Once again, Aaron videotaped the c-section, so if anyone wants to come over and have a movie night, we'd love to have you! It is rated PG-13 though and is not appropriate for all audiences. (One day this summer, Demarie was watching some family videos that Aaron had put on DVD. I walked into the room and she had the most horrid look on her face. It was then that I realized she was watching the delivery of Preslyn. Oops!)

Ever since he was born, Broyden has added so much to our home. I feel like he has such a strong spirit and is a very special individual. I was kind of worried about having a boy because we are so used to little girls, but now that he is here, I wouldn't trade him for the world! He truly has such a sweet spirit and LOVES his mommy (I sure hope he always does:) Here are some pics of that special day:

Holding Broyden for the first time!

Broyden weighed 8 lbs, 6 oz (that can be rounded up to 9 lbs too!)

Demarie and Preslyn were so excited to meet their new little brother! Preslyn kept saying, "My baby! My baby!" and Demarie held Broyden so tenderly. It was fun to have them visit me at the hospital. Preslyn stayed at the Jolley's home and Demarie slept at the Stirlings. They both enjoyed their sleepovers!

Our first family picture! Wow! There are five of us now!

Broyden had a touch of jaundice and spent some time under the bilirubin lights. The nurse said he loved it! Doesn't he look cute in his little "sunglasses"!

It was nice to have Grandma and Grandpa Moon visit me in the hospital. They moved to Utah this summer to get ready for their mission to Poland. I was sure grateful that they could come and see Broyden for a few days. They were such a big help with the girls and getting things put away from our move!

Poor Aaron! It was such a hard delivery! Can you believe he kicked me out of my bed just so he could get some rest??? j/k I love this picture of Daddy holding his little boy!

Coming home! We were finally released from the hospital at 11:50 pm on Friday. The doctor said Broyden might have an infection and wanted us to stick around for the test results, but everything was completely fine. Doesn't he look so cute in his little duck outfit and with his teddy bear? He looks so tiny in his car seat!

I had to post this picture even though I look so awful!!! Demarie and Preslyn sat by me and we all fed our babies together. It looks as if Broyden is going to have three moms! I hope he can survive in a house full of girls. Demarie already told me she can't wait to dress him up like a princess.

I feel like the luckiest mom in the world. I have three of the most beautiful children and such a wonderful husband. I'm so grateful that families can be together forever!!!

ps--Broyden, please don't be mad at your mommy for taking three months to post about your birth. It's not that I don't love you, but rather it's about survival!!!!

Last Night on Heather Ridge...

On August 7, 2009, we spent our last night in our house on Heather Ridge Road. It was with mixed emotions because this is our first home that we have ever purchased. We have made many sweet memories here and have worked hard to fix the house and yard up. We were not planning on moving, but we were blessed to find a home that is better for our family a few blocks away. We celebrated by eating icecream and having a family sleep over in Mommy and Daddy's bedroom. The girls were pretty wired, but we eventually all fell asleep. The next day, we moved all the big furniture and then spent the next three weeks taking smaller loads over to the new house. I don't know how we managed to move with me being 8 1/2 months pregnant, and Aaron starting his PhD all at the same time. It was a very stressful few months...maybe that is why I haven't blogged for so long:)

We are very grateful for those in our ward that helped us, as well as my parents who helped put things in their place when they came to see the new baby!

Which one is REALLY hurt????

Prize to the first person to guess which little girl in this picture is really the one with the "owie". If you guessed the one that is NOT crying, you are correct. Demarie got Preslyn out of the crib and tripped and fell and hit her head on the dresser. When Preslyn saw the band-aid, of course, she realized she had an owie too and needed one on her forehead as well. They walked around with the band-aids on their heads for a few days. Preslyn looks up to Demarie so much! She watches her likes a hawk and imitates everything she does. It is so cute to watch them interact... Demarie the big sister that gets frustrated at times for having a little tag-a-long with everything she does, and Preslyn the little sister who gets frustrated because she can't always do the things that her big sister does. Demarie asked me one day, "Mommy, did you want to do everything your big sister did?" I had her call Milisa and ask her. I know I drove Milisa crazy when we were younger, but I warned her not to share this information with Demarie. Instead, she told Demarie how it made her feel really special. Thanks Milisa!

Update on Preslyn

Preslyn with her physical therapist, Tiffanie Gaspar

Exploring at Gymboree

Preslyn with her Developmental Specialist, Jennifer Tseu

I can't believe I have let the whole summer pass by without blogging! We have had a very busy, crazy summer. One of the highlights has been watching Preslyn grow in her confidence and ability to walk---FINALLY!!!! She took her first steps after turning 19 months old, but still took some time to build the confidence to use walking as her primary mode of mobility. It has been a process, but now she is doing so much better. She can even stand up on her own when she falls in the middle of the room and maintain her balance during "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes". We have been taking her to a play group at Gymboree so she can practice walking on different surfaces and explore a variety of heights. She does so well there. I'm so proud of her!

First Day of Kindergarten

Saying "bye" to big sister!

Demarie and her teacher, Ms. Amy Keiling


Ready to learn!

Demarie was so excited to start kindergarten! Doesn't she look beautiful and happy on her first day???? I have to admit, I got pretty teary dropping her off. She goes to Antonello Elementary and comes home every day announcing that she made a new friend. One day she said to me, "Mom, there is a girl in my class who got made fun of because of how she looks, but I told everyone she is my friend." I'm so proud of her! Preslyn misses her so much. When we dropped her off, Preslyn said, "Dema? Dema? Come here Dema!" all the way home. I guess it's not as exciting hanging out with mommy:)

Hey B&J, Here's the Angel's Landing Videos Couldn't Email