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

Logan - December 2011

Well buddy, once again I'm writing you your last letter before we add another member to this family.  So far you seem pretty excited, and I just hope that will still be the case when I am writing your letter next month.  The other day I was talking to you and Tess about how I needed you guys to help me out with the new baby and do things like bring me diapers and wipes and check on him when he is in the car and make sure he has his binky, etc.  Every time I have brought it up since then you and Tess have argued about who is going to do what.  What a change from when Tessa was born.  I remember begging you to peek in on her to see if she was sleeping or breathing or doing okay when you were in the car and you wouldn't even look at her!

For Thanksgiving this year we went to Grandma Lori and Grandpa Rob's.  You had fun playing with Quade and Bosten, but I'm pretty sure you didn't eat a thing on your plate when it was time for dinner!  The next day we went out and found our Christmas tree and actually got the best looking one we've had in years.  The next day we got to go to Hurricane while dad helped Grandpa build a fence and I did some Christmas shopping.  You and Tess hung out with Grandma Hillier that day, so I'm pretty sure those 3 days with your grandparents were the highlight of the month for you guys.

Your dad started his winter break in November this year, and the first week he was off he decided to take you coyote hunting.  We weren't sure how you would do since it would be early and cold and you'd have to be somewhat quiet, but you weren't out for very long before I got a picture message on my phone with you and your first coyote.  I was pretty jealous so I went out with your dad after Thanksgiving and wasn't as lucky as you, and come to think of it, I don't think dad's gotten once since that day either!  You must be a good luck charm.  After your dad shot the coyote it was still alive so he got closer to finish him off and missed a few times at close range.  This is my favorite part of how you tell the story because you are so excited about how dad shot the coyote and then you go on to say, "And then he shot at it and missed, and he shot at it again and miss, and then he shot at it again and missed AGAIN!"

Dad was able to go back to Texas again at the beginning of December, so I knew I had better try to plan some fun things to do to keep us from going crazy now that it has been too cold to go to the park.  One thing I am going to try to do with you guys every year is make Christmas ornaments.  These were some apple cinnamon ornaments we made and then decorated.  You guys had a lot of fun and I just cringed and kept my mouth shut while the glitter went flying!

And of course you guys jumped at the chance to break out the Santa hats and play Santa. That is probably one of your favorite things to do all month is bring me things stuffed in your Santa hat and have me open my present.  I'm not so sure why your shirt is tucked into your underwear, but those Grinch socks only come off after a lot of discussion about how you can't wear the same socks two days in a row!

Earlier this month you had woken up around 5:30 a.m. and went into the bathroom to pee.  Your dad was out on the couch because I was in our room working on the computer, when all of a sudden we heard a horrible scream coming from the bathroom.  I went running and by the time I got down the hall to where you were I could hear your dad laughing pretty hard.  I thought for sure he had heard you go into the bathroom and decided to scare you, but it turned out instead you saw a mouse!  Even though we have caught the culprit and you watched him get flushed down the toilet I'm pretty sure you are forever scarred by that event that morning. You are always hearing things and asking me what certain noises are and asking me to come to the bathroom with you.  You even have Tessa go with you sometimes!  It doesn't matter how many times I reassure you that we have gotten them all and that they are more afraid of you than you are of them.  I really hope we HAVE gotten all the mice in this house because I'm not sure what I am going to tell you if it happens again!

The other day I was reading one of my favorite blogs, and she was talking about her boy who started kindergarten this year and it reminded me a little of you.  She said, "I swear, this is such a weird age.  I love it, but it is just so strange.  He's half teenager, half toddler.  He is so big, but so small (so smart, so dumb).  He's got one foot out there in the big scary world - and the other is still clad in a pair of feetie pajamas."  That pretty much hits it right on the head.  Sometimes the things you say and the way you say things make me wonder how old that soul of yours is, and other times you come out dressed wearing a Santa hat, Grinch socks, and red shirt tucked into a pair of shorts in December!  There have been rumblings here and there of some girls at school taking quite a liking to you too.  Already?  It makes us laugh now, but I feel like the girl/teenager/real world thing is coming at me at warp speed.  I don't want to stop you from growing up because it is SO much fun to watch you tackle these new things in Logan style, but let's at least keep the girls away for a few years!

Be good to your new little brother buddy, and please be patient with me while I try to figure out life with another person in the picture.  I remember the transition last time was less than stellar, but you weren't quite old enough to remember much of it (thankfully!).  This time I have a better idea of what to expect, but you also are more aware of what is going on.  I hope those two things work for me instead of against me.  You have such a heart of gold though that I know whatever mistakes I do make you will (most likely) forgive me for.  Thanks for that buddy.  I know that you and that great personality came first in this family for a reason.  Keep that heart of gold.  I absolutely love to watch you with other kids when you let that trait shine, and I know it will be one of your best assets in your life if you stick with it.

Love you bud,
Mom

One from last month when you and Tessa played in the "snow."

Tessa - December 2011

Well missy, we've had more than one big milestone with you in the last couple months, and as embarrassed as you may be by this one, I can't believe I didn't write about it last month!  For some reason I decided to potty train Logan, and it was no different with you.  I'm not quite sure why I do that to myself, but you were actually quite easy!  Everyone told me with Logan to wait until he was ready, and of course I didn't.  I wanted him to be ready because you were born and I didn't want to change 2 bums.  Well that didn't go so well, but when he decided he was ready it was really easy.  So with you I waited and waited and waited (even though the little potty has been in your bathroom since last spring) and finally decided I'd just give it a shot and see how it went.  Well, it went!  You did pretty well and had a few accidents here and there, but you were completely day and night potty trained in no time!  It is no fun for the first few weeks, and we've made our fair share of runs to the bathroom in the grocery store, park, and library, but you were nice enough to give me about 3 months without having to change diapers.

I also love that you call the toilet "the pot."  I'm not sure where you picked it up, but it's funny.  "Mom, you need to help me sit on the POT!" or, (and your cousin is going to love me for this, sorry Bost!), "Mom, Bosten says he is scared to sit on the pot."  It's pretty cute.

We also decided it was time to move you out of the crib and into a big girl bed.  We were worried how you'd do since you LOVE to curl up in the corner of your crib in your stink bug pose, but once again you've done fine.  You haven't once fallen out, although the other night when I went to check on you it looked like you had crawled out of your bed and fallen asleep on the floor - go figure.  You and Logan continue to make some of these parenting things too easy for me, but I'm not complaining!

Your first night in your new bed...

Your dad's truck was in the shop for a couple days, so we had to take him to work one day when it was snowy weather.  Well you guys would NOT let me keep you inside after we got home, so inside we went to bundle you up, then back outside you 2 went to play in it.  There was only about half an inch to play in and it was gone about 20 minutes after I made you come inside, but you had fun while you could!  I'm actually excited for a little bit of snow this year so I can send you both out in it again and make a snowman that is bigger than 6 inches!

We moved you and your big girl bed into what was my old office and moved the computer into me and dad's room after my computer and the internet connection decided not to get along so well.  The other morning I heard you coming through the kitchen  after waking up so I turned to say good morning and then about fell off my chair laughing when you appeared in the doorway with this hair...

It was so much better in person too!  Then another day I let you have chocolate milk and toast for breakfast and was surprised to see this when you were done...

I'm not quite sure how you ended up with a huge smear of chocolate on your face, but I can assure you that we get plenty of laughs at your expense in the morning.  I'm so glad you are still at a stage where most of the time you will laugh with us instead of getting mad.

Speaking of laughing at your expense, the other day your dad and I were giving you a hard time about something and your dad said to you, "Tess, you are a genius." to which you replied, "No I'm NOT!"  You may not have proven it right at that moment, but you sure are a smart girl most of the time.

I'm so excited for Christmas this year and hoping that you get into it more this year than last.  Once again I've kind of taken advantage of how easily persuaded you are and convinced you that you want a crib for your babies for Christmas.  I really do think you will like it though, and I'm hoping that you will be content to take care of your babies while I am taking care of your new brother.  I keep telling you that you are going to be my helper when he comes, so hopefully that is getting planted in your head too.  I am nervous about him coming though since it was quite a bit transition for me and Logan when you arrived.  Luckily I ask Logan about that now and he doesn't seem to remember too many details, so I'm hoping that if we have a rocky start with 3 that you won't remember that part of it.  As long as he survives the two of you I think we will all eventually find our places again without too much of a problem.

You are such a fun little turkey, and I am glad you are the middle child.  I don't think I will ever have to worry about you not getting enough attention because you are pretty good at making sure we know you are here...

Keep being the sweet girl you are, but maybe ease up a little bit on your dad.  He's going to need a daddy's girl here in a few weeks when he is feeling neglected by mom too.

Love you Big Sis,
Mom

Logan - November 2011

 The funny thing about your letters is that I was so much better about getting them out on time when I worked full time.  It seems like I had a lot more "downtime" then...

We had quite a fun month since your last letter.  After dad being gone for about 18 days in October, we were happy to have him come home just in time to carve pumpkins for Halloween.  I was especially glad because you had some very specific requests for how you wanted your face to look.  You drew it on paper first, and dad did his best to get it onto the pumpkin...

We had you pose with your pumpkins before taking them outside to light them.  You definitely have a better "scary" face than your sister does.  Pretty much all of the pictures we got of you have this same look...

We were also able to go to the Fish Lake cabin with Grandpa and Grandma Hillier for the deer hunt this year.  We walked down to the lake when we first got there and the first thing you did was of course pick up handful after handful of pebbles to throw into the lake.  I love this shot of you throwing bread to the ducks.  For some reason as soon as we got near the shore those ducks didn't stick around too long....

I found a note in my phone about something funny I was supposed to write down in your letter last month but didn't find it until after I'd written it.  While your dad was gone we ate cereal or pancakes pretty much every night for dinner, and that got old after a while, so we snuck out one night and went to Pizza Hut for dinner just the three of us.  We were waiting for our food and talking about the shapes that we could find in the restaurant and you looked down at the table we were sitting at.  It was a rectangle, but the corners on the aisle end looked like this...

(Your mom has mad Paint skills)

You asked me what shape it was and I was trying to figure out what exactly it was other than a rectangle with the corners cut off one side when you looked at me and said in the most serious way, "I know mom, it must be a Freaktagon!"  I about died laughing, which made the rest of the restaurant look at us funny, but it was so unexpected and you were so certain about it that it struck me just right and we laughed until our pizza came.

Last year I got your Halloween costume about a month early, and at the time you were pretty excited about it, but by the time Halloween came you had decided you wanted to be about 30 other different things.  This year I decided I would wait until closer to Halloween and see if I could pin down exactly what you wanted to be BEFORE buying the costume.  I tried to talk you into a bunch of things like a skeleton (your favorite Halloween book is called Skeleton Meets the Mummy, and I thought it would be easy), Mickey Mouse (since Tess was Minnie), and a bunch of other things I can't remember now.  I REALLY wanted you to let me make your costume instead of going the store-bought superhero route, but that won out eventually and we ordered your Transformer costume.  You were so excited to get it in the mail, and I had a hard time keeping you out of it until Halloween.  It was fun to dress you up and send you to school, and you had a fun time parading around the high school and trick or treating at the classrooms.  You told me that some of the big kids even gave you high fives.

You kept your costume on all day after school so we got Tess ready that afternoon and went to the trunk or treat where you got more candy to add to your stash from the high school.  I thought you made a pretty cute transformer...

One of the funniest things was when we got home and you and Tess dumped out your bags to see what you had.  There were two separate piles, and yours was obviously bigger from your haul earlier in the day, but Tess still managed to have a few things that you wanted.  I was getting dinner ready and heard you bargaining with Tess and listened closer to see how you two were going to work things out.  You wanted her M&Ms so you asked her for them and she just gave them to you.  Then you asked for her Skittles and again she just handed them over.  You were about to ask for something else when I felt like I needed to help poor Tess defend her ever-smaller stash!  I made you give her the M&M's and Skittles back until you'd worked out an actual trade where she got something in return. You were pretty happy with the way things had been going for you, and I don't think you appreciated me stepping in.  I wonder at what point Tess would have quit just handing candy over.  As much as she idolizes you I'm pretty sure she would have handed it all over.

Well bud, I've got to get back to work and this letter is long enough.  I hope you know how much your dad and I love you, and Tess too!  We were all just hanging out today after church, and you and Tess were playing a game where you ran from one couch to the other slamming yourself face first into the cushions one after the other.  You collided with Tess a few times in between couches, and she just laughed and laughed as she picked herself up off the ground.  I'm pretty sure there isn't anyone in this world (besides your dad and I) who love you more than that little sister of yours.  Keep that in mind when she is eyeing your guy friends in about 14 years.  We all love you bud and enjoy all the funny things you say and do that keep us entertained!

Love ya bud,
Mom

Tessa - November 2011

Yesterday you and I were just chilling (read: I was napping while you watched a movie) on my bed while Logan was at school, and at one point you got right close in my face and smiled at me and said, "You're my best friend, MOM" in your funny little way.  I loved it.  I still remember when Logan told me I was his best friend, and it melted my heart just the same to hear you say it.  Maybe more because I know Logan will most likely always tolerate me to some degree as he hits his teen years, but there will be times you DEFINITELY won't.  So as I sat down to think about what to write this month that was pretty much the thought that dominated my mind.  I can't even think of anything else funny or cute or annoying that you did this month, but I did want to make sure to remember to write that down.

I have pictures this month though!  Yay for holidays and mom remembering her camera on a trip for once!  Dad had been gone for most of the month to Texas on a detail, so were excited to have him come home so we could carve our pumpkins.  Grandpa Hillier donated the pumpkins he grew in his garden since the ones from our garden were all shrively when it was time to carve them.  You adn I worked on your pumpkin and I asked you what shape you wanted all the features to be.  Well, you kept saying "circle" every time I ask.  Why don't you think about how hard it is to cut out a circle in a pumpkin with a steak knife?  So you only got one circle eye because after that I was pretty good at persuading you to go with easier shapes.  I guess we'll have to get the fancy kits next year so you can get what you want.  You also told me you wanted your pumpkin smiley, so I did my best with a smiley face too.  Dad had you and Logan pose on the couch with your pumpkins and told you to make scary faces.  This is the "scariest" one we got, and it was only because I finally told you to make a grumpy face.  Your grumpy face is scary - your scary face is just funny.

See, this is you making a "scary" face, but there is a better view of your smiley pumpkin.

I had a deer tag this year so we decided to take Grandpa Hillier up on his offer to go to the DWR Fish Lake cabin since it had been redone (read: hopefully mouse-free).  You got to hang out with grandma and Logan while I went hunting with grandpa and dad, and we got to do a little exploring down by the lake and the spring that runs past the cabin.  We didn't see any bucks, but you made sure to ask me every time we came back, "Mom, did you get a BUCK?"

I spent a lot of time asking Logan what he wanted to be for Halloween, but I have to apologize and say I didn't give you much choice.  I am really hoping to stay away from the "princess" rut as long as I can, so as we were watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse one day I had a brilliant idea to put the idea in YOUR head that you wanted to be Minnie.  It worked, and you were just happy as a clam to go as Minnie, though I did hear you tell people from time to time that you were going as Minnie Mouse princess.  That works too I guess...

You've even got the mouse teeth look going on for you in these pictures.  Can you tell you were excited to go?

I have to say I think you make a dang cute mouse.

We only  hit the trunk or treat this year since I figured if we went around to friend's houses they would just be out getting candy themselves.  Then we found out your dad had his lip cut open at work and was heading to the ER before coming home, so we called it a night.  You didn't get a whole lot of candy, which was fine with me since you and Logan spent the next couple days constantly asking if you could eat it.  I was pretty excited when it ran out, and I might have helped put a dent in it too.

I love how much more fun holidays are with you guys around, and you are at the best age for it too.  While Christmas and Thanksgiving always stress me out, I am trying my best to remember to focus on you guys because I know that these fun years of wanting to dress up cute and believing in Santa won't last very long.  I DO hope though, that you will always consider me one of your best friends even when you outgrow the rest.

Love you Mush,
Mom