Tyson - January 2012 - 1 Month

That month went by crazy fast bud.  I'm sure it had something to do with the fact that your dad was home with us all month, and the time he has off during the winter usually goes by fast anyway, but add to that the fact that I had a newborn who seems to change every day this year January FLEW by.

Since I was slacking on the pictures a bit with your first letter I'll make up for it today.  This was one that I took during our extended vacation in the hospital.  I happen to agree with people who say that newborns are sweet but not exactly cute EXCEPT when it comes to mine.  I know, I know I sound a little biased, but really, seriously, look at this picture and tell me that you aren't adorable.  Ok, you've got a bit of that newborn look but still so, so cute.

And one with the lights.  You HATED the lights for the first couple days so we had to keep them around for a couple more.  When I finally figured out that if I kept you dressed but just unzipped that you'd stay in there longer you started losing your yellow color.  The poor lady at the lab at the hospital HATED taking your blood, and when she saw me at the hospital for your 1-week appointment she told me if we were there to get your blood drawn she was going to go on break!  I think everyone was glad when your bilirubin levels went down and we could be done with the lights, hospital visits, and blood draws for a while.

You are chunking up quite nicely little man!  At your 1-week appointment you were back up to your birth weight of 7 pounds 9 ounces.  By the next week you were 8 pounds 3 ounces.  We don't take you back to the doctor to get an official weight until you are 2 months, but both your dad and I got on the scale and weighed ourselves and then ourselves holding you and you added 10 pounds each time!  Your dad loves when you are laying with your head to one side because your chubby little cheeks hang down.  It is pretty cute.  I LOVE chunky babies (although my back doesn't), and I wouldn't be hurt at all if you decided to pork right up.  Although it isn't your best look, I had to get a quick picture of your post-feeding, burping face because I love it.  I've got to try to get one of the post-feeding, "I think I'm drunk" face for next month's letter.

You've got the double chin going sometimes too.  Dad says this means you are definitely a Veater.

I caught a little gas smile the other day.  I know that all these little smiles and giggles that you give right now are supposedly due to the gas rolling around in your belly, but I swear sometimes they are in response to something someone in the house is doing funny.  Ok, so maybe that's a little far fetched, but I do think sometimes they really are due to having good dreams or memories of the world you just left.

You've been a pretty decent sleeper so far.  Most nights you wake up about 3 times, but last night you must have decided to give your dear old mom a 1-month present because you slept for 5 hours straight!  I'm not crazy enough to think that is going to happen again tonight, or anytime soon for that matter, but it was appreciated!  You have a bit of a fussy time usually right around the time I am ready to go to bed myself, which I'm not surprised by.  Before you were born I would try to hit the hay around 9 or so in order to be up early to work, and it never failed that as soon as I got in bed you would start kicking and flailing around.  The other night you had a particularly fussy night and I realized I had eaten a candybar that night.  Hmm....  Then I asked your dad if he could remember if you had a fussy night when we had his birthday chocolate pie, and he thought he remembered you had.  Well buddy, I'm hoping that's coincidence and has nothing to do with the chocolate or we could have some serious problems until that belly of yours gets settled.  Still nothing sweeter than a sleeping baby, once you finally do settle down...

Getting in a quick nap with dad.  Don't mind the handlebar mustache action.  This isn't the 1970's, and it didn't last long.  Probably because the first thing I said when he came out of the bathroom after shaving was "No.  No, no, no, no, no."  Your dad, he's a funny one.

This first month with you has been pretty awesome.  We had people bring us food and offer to help, I had meals in the freezer, your dad was AWESOME at trying to keep up the house and take care of your brother and sister, and it was just nice to have him home so that I didn't have to worry about hauling you around all over whenever an errand needed to be run.  Plus I finally feel like I have a clue what I am doing.  I guess that's what happens by the time you have your third kid.  That confidence along with all the other things have really made this time just perfect.  It doesn't hurt that your brother and sister have decided you are pretty awesome too.  I can't wait to see how you change and grow in the next month.  Thanks for being such a sweetheart so far (keep it up!).

Love you Ty,
Mom

My big boy at 1 month old.

Logan - January 2012

Whew!  What a difference a month makes, and it sure has been busy since your last letter.  Your dad was still in Texas when I wrote last time, but unfortunately your Great-grandma Veater passed away, and he was able to come home a few days early to make it to the funeral.  We went to St. George after school one day, but I didn't tell you and Tessa why.  We drove all the way out to the new airport in  St. George, and you had no idea what your mom was doing.  "Why are we driving out here, mom?  There isn't anything out here."  We got to the airport right in time and just had to wait a few minutes before the passengers on dad's plane started to make their way into the airport.  The look on your face when you saw your dad walking toward you was pretty funny.  We had a paper chain counting down to Christmas, but we were also using it to count down the days until dad got home, and you knew you still had 4 more chain pieces before dad was supposed to be home.  You were pretty surprised and happy to see him.

We went to Grandma Darylene's funeral the next day.  I wasn't sure how you and Tess would handle it, but we tried our best to explain how Grandma D. was already in heaven with Jesus and Heavenly Father and we were just going to say goodbye.  Grandma Lori reminded us how you and Tessa always took some of Grandma D.'s favorite mints to her when we would visit her in the nursing home, so you each took one to put in the casket with her.  I'm sure she appreciated you bringing her a treat one last time.  I'm so glad you have been able to know some of your great-grandparents.  I never did know any of mine, so I think it is a pretty cool thing even if you may not remember too much about Grandma D. as you get older.  She always commented on how handsome you were when you would visit.  I'm sure you reminded her a lot of your dad when he was little.

The day after the funeral was the Pollock Christmas party, and you were sure excited to get to hang out with your cousin Quade and then go to the party and see Santa.  I guess I should have written this on Tessa's letter, but I just remembered it now, and it is too funny not to share.  You and Quade were playing with Lincoln Logs at grandma's house when Tessa wandered over, said "excuse me," and tried to walk between you guys and the chair.  You two weren't very nice and told her you were building and she had to go around. She just turned and walked away, grabbed a toy bat from the corner, and came back and smashed you and Quade's house to pieces.  The look on your faces was so funny.  I think you two might figure out real quick that she isn't one to mess with!

Anyway, you were so excited when Santa got to the party and weren't afraid at all to get on his lap.  We still kind of tried to coach you into what you were going to ask for, but you had a few of your own ideas as well.  You asked for a Transformer construction set (a Transformer made out of Lego's), and a B.B. gun.

We hung out with my side of the family on Christmas Eve with everyone at our house, and then settled in to watch a movie for a bit before going to look at Christmas lights.  This is one of my favorite parts of Christmas right here...

Of course the next mornnig you and Tess slept in.  You NEVER sleep in!  Your dad and I were so excited we finally went and woke you up around 7:30.  You were pretty excited by all the stuff in your stocking and the other presents you opened.  You got a giant box of crayons, Chutes and Ladders, puzzles, long underwear (which you LOVE), and a Cars 2 track.  The "family" also go the Mario Kart game, but I'm pretty sure that you have claimed that for your own since you LOVE to play it.  You got a container of BBs in your stocking and kept asking us what they were.  We had to play dumb until dad noticed that Santa had left your BB gun and Tessa's baby nursery hidden in the corner under a blanket.

 Daddy also got a new gun, so we had to get a picture of the boys with their guns...

Later that day we went out and shot the guns.  You're not quite strong enough to cock yours on your own (which is fine by me...), but you did have a good time shooting it and having dad help you hold it and aim.

Three days later baby Tyson was born.  I don't have a picture of you holding him because I think the ones we have are all on dad's phone, but you do like him all right.  You especially like him when he has his "wide open eyes."  There were a few rough spots the first few days when people would come over to visit when you acted up a little bit, but it seems like for the most part you've decided he is okay and we can keep him.

After 2 weeks off of school I think everyone was ready for you to go back - but you most of all.  You really do love going there, and I think the structure plus the time with other kids and the break from us does you a world of good.  This makes me nervous for the summer!

I'm so glad you have settled into having a new brother.  It has made things a lot easier for me knowing that you don't resent him or hate me for the time I have to spend taking care of him.  I think my wish for us to settle in easier with Ty than we did with Tess has come true so far.  I just hope that you can continue to be a good sport and later on be a good example when all that little brother of yours wants to do is be like you, hang out with you, and use your stuff.  Cut him a break if you can buddy, because if you work it just right he'll grow up to be one of your best friends.  And the two of you be nice to Tess too.  If  the story about her smashing the Lincoln Log house doesn't convince you that she'll take matters into her own hands if you aren't nice, I'm sure you'll have dozens more by the time you are able to read this.

Love you bud,
Mom

Tyson - January 2012

Welcome to this crazy family Ty.  I wish I had some good advice on how to handle us as the start of your very first letter, but at the moment I don't.  I guess maybe that is what the successive letters through the years are for - reminding you and me of memories from when you are too young to remember and also trying to slip in some advice here and there when it hits me.  For today though, I'm going to take the easy route and just write down the story of how you got here while it is still fresh in my mind.  It's probably going to be more information than you may want to know, but it was a pretty traumatic experience for me and your dad and if we are ever going to use it as a reason to give you a hard time then you better know the details.

I had a doctor's appointment on the 27th, and he told me that I'd be more likely to have a tax break than a New Year's baby.  I guess you must have heard him because around 1 a.m. the next morning I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep.  I ended up on the couch in the toy room playing on my iPod and having contractions here and there for an hour or so before finally getting back to sleep.  Your dad had been planning on going ice fishing that morning depending on how I felt, and I told him that he probably better stay home.

Well....the contractions went away.  Pretty much completely.  Your dad just kept looking at me like he was waiting for something to happen... and nothing ever did.  Finally that afternoon I loaded up Tess and took her for a walk around the neighborhood to see if I could get things started again.  I may have even jogged a few steps here and there.  When I got home the contractions were back and starting to be a little more regular but still nothing to be too concerned about, so we still waited.  Finally your dad couldn't take it anymore and we all loaded up and went for a ride in the truck.  That must have been the trick because by that time I'd been timing the contractions and they were about 3-5 minutes apart and starting to really make me have to stop what I was doing.  We were only home for a few minutes before I called Grandma H. to see if she would meet your dad halfway to pick up Logan and Tess.  I still didn't think you would come until much later, but I didn't want anyone driving in the middle of the night.

Pretty much as soon as your dad left I knew I wasn't going to last at home until he made it back to drive me to the hospital.  I tried to clean up a few things around the house for a few minutes before I got in the car at about 4:15 p.m. and sat there until I had a contraction.  As soon as it was over I started the car and got about halfway to the hospital before I had another one.  Not too bad considering the hospital is only 5 minutes away.  I walked in and told the girls at the desk I was having a baby and they took me right in.  To my surprise I was at a 5 when I got there and figured you'd come sometime in the middle of the night.  I texted your dad and told him to meet me at the hospital and settled in to wait for the anesthesiologist and my epidural.  They had a monitor which showed in a number value the strength of the contractions.  Baseline was about 20, and mine were at about a 40 and I was pretty sure I was going to die.  The nurses got the room set up since they said that with a third baby you can go from 5 to go time in a hurry, and your dad got there pretty soon after that.  I told the nurses that my babies have a habit of coming at shift change, about 6:45, but thought that we'd be safe with you.

About 5:20 or so the epidural man got there, and I told him how much I loved him, and he got to work.  By that time the contraction monitor was reading at 90.  Oh buddy, I know you will never experience that pain but ask your dad how to help when it's your wife's turn.  I'm pretty sure he's got a sprained finger or two from me but by that point I couldn't think of anything but how to get that needle in my back faster.  The poor guy had been flying his plane out over Zion when he got the call.  I heard him tell the nurse she was lucky he got the call at all.  He told me too that I should encourage you to be a pilot since that's what he was doing when I needed him.  I will enroll you in pilot school the minute you say the word if that is what it takes to repay that man for his lovely skill at making pain go away.  Pretty soon I was feeling much better and was getting ready to relax and enjoy some time with your dad before it was go time.

Dr. Ott came in after finishing up at the Clinic around 5:45 or so and checked me.  He said I got the epidural just in time and that I was ready to go.  All we had to do was wait about 15 minutes for my antibiotics to finish up, and we'd be set.  They finished getting the bed ready and we waited just a second for your dad to finish up on the phone with the grandparents before it was time to push.  I have NO idea how women push for hours on end.  With your brother and sister I only pushed a couple times, but that's where the trouble with you started.  I still probably only pushed for 10 minutes, but I thought I was going to die of exhaustion!  At 6:35  you made your appearance, and they put you up on my chest to meet you for the first time.  After a few minutes they took you to the warmer to clean you up, and your dad went over to take some pictures while Dr. Ott finished up with me.

Well they got you cleaned up and the doctor was still working on me.  Then your dad handed you back to me to try to feed you, and he was still working.  He kept asking for light and pretty soon they were asking for more gauze and then more gauze.  Then they started asking for my vitals every couple minutes, and I could see the doctor and nurses starting to look a little more frustrated.  It was a little comical to me because one of the nurses had this HUGE flashlight and she kept trying to put it where the doctor needed it, and then he would move his head so it was right in the way again.  It looked like a funny dance.  I also kept looking at your dad who kept asking me if I was okay, and I kept telling him not to worry that it was no big deal.  A few minutes later I had to ask him to take you because I was getting lightheaded.  As soon as that happened they dropped the head of the bed and put oxygen on me, and I'm pretty fuzzy on the details there with the exception of your dad's face.  I have never in my life seen such a look.  I felt so bad and tried to keep it together because there he was standing next to me holding this tiny baby with a scared shitless look on his face, but I remember telling him once or twice I was too tired to answer his questions, and I just wanted to take a little nap.  By that time it had been an hour and a half or so since you had been born and they couldn't stop the bleeding I was having.

The doctor explained that he didn't have the light he needed to be able to find and stop the bleed, so he was going to take me to the OR where he would have better light.  I remember feeling better by that point and understood what was going on and wasn't nervous, but your poor dad still was.  By that time your Grandma and Grandpa Veater had gotten there, and I'm so glad they did because I don't know how well your dad would have done alone.  They took me in the OR and gave me another dose in my epidural along with some blood.  That was the thing that weirded me out the most - seeing someone else's blood going into my arm through the IV, but I was still pretty calm and not worried about the whole ordeal.  I was in the OR for about 3 hours.  They gave me just a light sedative, so I was awake on and off throughout that time and chatted here and there with the anesthesiologist.  At one point he brought your dad to the door and said, "Kim, tell your husband hi and that you are okay," which I did.  After they were done I heard them doing the sponge count and the anesthesiologist and nurse were kind of joking together about how many sponges there were.  The nurse said she was about done counting and had just gotten to 45.

They took me to my room, and your dad looked a little better by that point.  They brought you back in and I was able to hold you, and I had your dad take a picture.  It seriously makes me laugh every time I look at it.  I look absolutely horrible, but you look adorable!  I LOVE this picture.

My face is so puffy, and I have an IV in each arm, the heart monitor on my finger, blood pressure cuff on my arm, and various bandages from needle sticks.  Pretty quick they added some oxygen too.  I was seeing double and so, SO tired.  I was hungry and thirsty and tried to eat some ice chips but even that ended up coming back up.  I don't remember a whole lot about that night.  I know I tried to feed you and wanted you with me as much as possible, but I did get some sleep that night.

The next morning I still wasn't feeling great and was looking forward to breakfast, until they brought it.  I was so hungry and all I got was clear liquids.  Jello, cranberry juice, and chicken broth.  I ate the jello and that was it.  I was still so nauseous and afraid I was going to lose that too.  They made me get up and try to walk to the door and back and I took my throw up bag along just in case that short journey was enough to do it.  I was still seeing double and feeling crummy so they gave me 2 more units of blood and let me eat a decent lunch.  It's amazing the difference the blood and some food made because I've been feeling back among the living ever since.  It was funny to go to the hospital with you yesterday to get our blood drawn.  The girls at the lab were so excited to see me with color back in my face and a few other people we saw from the ward and the Clinic couldn't believe how pale I looked.

Day 2

When I asked Dr. Ott how many stitches I had he said too many to count.  Apparently your head came out just fine but you decided to put your elbow up when your shoulders came through and that is most likely what did all the damage.  You've also got jaundice just like your brother and sister (under the lights as I type), so between the two of us with our lab work and medications and what not this definitely has been a more difficult transition from 2 kids to 3 than expected.  We are so, SO glad you are here though.  In all reality the complications I had were nothing.  I would much much rather the complications be with me than with you, and  I feel incredibly blessed that I have had 3 healthy babies.  After a couple extra days cuddling you in the hospital (did I mention your dad got sick with the flu, so we stayed an extra night?  Poor guy!), I was feeling ready to have a handful more kids.  There's something about a brand new baby snuggling up on your shoulder with that beautiful new baby smell that really can't be beat by much in the this world.  Your dad on the other hand says he is 110% sure that we are done having kids.  I think maybe that was your plan - if you caused enough trouble coming into this world you knew your dad would make sure you were the baby of the family!

That's a long story I could have made shorter (I could have made it longer too!), but I want to remember.  Maybe it's knowing how fast the other 2 have grown up, or maybe it is knowing you are my last, but I don't want this time to fly.  I want it to crawl.  No doubt it is a hard time.  It's stressful, it's tiring, it's chaotic, it's emotional, and it's painful, but I don't ever want to forget it.

Thanks for the things you've shown me this past week - the experience we had taught me a lot.
Love you baby Ty,

Mom

Tessa - January 2012

I'm not THAT late, but I don't have pictures.  I can't find my camera, which has all of our Christmas morning pictures on it, but we'll do the best we can with what we've got for now, and I'll add them later.

Dad went back to Texas for a big chunk of December, so we did whatever we could to stay busy at home.  It wasn't very easy!  We made these apple spice ornaments and we also made some cute ones using your thumbprints in paint to make some cute reindeer.  I hope I can keep finding cute ideas for ornaments because I love the thought of having a tree that is full of ornaments you guys have made.  You absolutely loved the tree this year, and I would put you and Logan to bed and go into my room to work only to come out a few minutes later and find you out there by yourself with the tree plugged in and an ornament in each hand rearranging things here and there.  I'm still pretty sure there are ornaments all over the house that I haven't found yet.

Christmas was definitely fun with you and Logan again this year.  You "get" it a little bit more of course, and I did a  little idea planting to make sure you got what you asked Santa for.  You like to play with your dolls in their stroller and the few toy horses that you have, so Santa made sure to get you a baby nursery set with a crib, high chair, etc., and I also raided Grandma and Grandpa's storage to find some of my old Barbie horses and wrapped those up for you too.  That may seem cheap - but it is fun for me to see you play with the horses that I spent so many hours playing with when I was little.  Don't be surprised if you get a few Barbies and some outdated clothes in the next few years too...

 You were all smiles at the Pollock Christmas party and not one bit afraid of Santa.

On Christmas Eve we had Grandma and Grandpa Hillier and Aunt Lisa and Uncle Joe over to our house for dinner.  We had a lot of fun eating, playing, and opening our presents and stockings before it was time for them to head home.  Then we got you guys settled down and in your Christmas penguin PJ's I made with my new sewing machine and we watched a little bit of Alvin and the Chipmunks before heading out to look at lights.  We thought with all the excitement of the day that you would fall asleep sooner than you did, but I'm pretty sure your dad and I ended up going on nearly ever street in Kanab before the two of you finally gave up and fell asleep.  We got you home and tucked you in and got on to the fun part of putting out Christmas and stockings.  The next morning your dad was out on the couch sleeping and I was working when I finally decided to head out to the front room to wait for you guys to wake up.  Well I ended up sleeping another hour out there because you two slept in!  Of all the days for your brother to sleep in it seems like Christmas is always one of them!  We finally woke you both up around 7:30 and opened stockings and presents.  You got Logan a monster truck from the dollar store, and he got you some more horses and a Barbie car, which you promptly put your horses in.  Dad got me a new sewing machine and a speaker/charger for my iPod, and you guys got him an Arizona hunting license and we surprised him with the gun he's been wanting.  Overall it was a pretty successful Christmas!  We went to church and came home and played and overall enjoyed the day.

I don't remember the story behind what you and I were doing when dad took this picture or how on earth I managed to get up off the ground, but I do remember us blinking back and forth at each other like nerds for a few minutes before I finally got you to give me a kiss.  You are such a sweet girl when you want to be.

Your little brother made his appearance a few days after Christmas.  I was so sad that you and Logan weren't able to come in and take the new family picture, but your dad was able to take you guys around to the window outside and wave at me and Ty from there.  I missed you and Logan a lot while we were stuck in the hospital!  You have been really good and haven't seemed to really act out too much yet.  You get in your bad moods where all you say is "NOTHING!" in the grumpiest voice you can muster, but overall I've been pretty impressed by your ability to take the new baby thing in stride.  I hope that continues!

I'm so grateful for your funny personality.  You make your dad and I laugh every single day with silly little things that you do, and we've needed it with the stress in this house over the last few days.  We love you sis, even when your name is Nothing.

Love ya,
Mom