Weighall family

Olivia's first pictures

2009-03-30T11:41:00.000-07:00

Taken by my friend Amanda, of Amanda Anderson Photography!

It's really a girl!

2009-03-30T11:18:00.000-07:00

The doctor wasn't certain, but I felt all along that it was a girl. Thankfully I was right, since I got a boatload of girl stuff at my shower! Olivia Jennifer Weighall was born Monday, March 9 at 7 in the morning, weighing in at 9 lbs. 3 oz! I'm still getting used to the idea that I actually have a daughter. I've been in boy-land for so long that it's definitely an adjustment. Diapering is different, and a lot of other things are different so far as well. A big one is the fact that she will sleep without being held, and be awake without crying! We've had our share of sleepless nights but it's night and day (pardon the pun) compared to my boys!

Labor and delivery-- I was hoping all along that I would deliver early, and I wish it could have happened that way. Four days after my due date I finally went into labor. My contractions started about 10pm Sunday evening, but because this had already happened several times I told Mark we should wait a while to make sure I was really in labor before we had to get someone out of bed to come over and watch our kids. As a result, by the time we got to the hospital (about 1am), I was already dilated to an 8 and contracting really hard. That's a mistake I won't make again! After pushing for an hour or so (I think), the Dr. said that the baby wasn't moving and if we hadn't made any progress by 6am we would have to consider an alternate method of delivery. The baby's heartrate also started to drop every time I had a contraction, and as it turned out the placenta was pushed up against her head. When she was finally born and weighted at 7:10am, the Dr. said it was unlikely I would have been able to push her out. I wasn't very happy about the C-section, but she was born healthy and that's what is important. We are so happy to have our baby girl!

The waiting game

2009-02-27T06:11:00.000-08:00

I've been having contractions here and there for several days now, but nothing has come of it yet. As you would expect, I'm feeling very uncomfortable and ready to be done, although I'm still unsure about how this is going to work with three kids and a new baby! I'm really enjoying sleeping through most nights and I'm not looking forward to going back to getting up several times a night every single night. I went through a period the last few weeks where I couldn't stop cleaning stuff. I cleaned out and vacuumed my closet, which probably hasn't been done in three years! I'm telling you, "nesting" is not imaginary!

My great friends Brittany and Susan threw me a baby shower which was incredibly sweet. Also, my sister drove up from down south for the shower and stayed overnight with us, which is always fun. She's such a big help when she's here, and of course the kids love her!

My friend Amanda Anderson from Evan's school is starting a photography business and needed some maternity shots for her portfolio, so we took the kids down to the park and took a bunch of picutres. It was really fun, and she got some beautiful shots!

Grandkids

2009-02-26T06:45:00.000-08:00

Mark's brother and sister-in-law Rob and Kristy flew in from Alabama to visit this week with their two boys, Logan and Grant. It was the first time I have met them! It was neat to get all the grandkids together for a picture, and we even got some of them to smile. When we were in Utah for Christmas, we also had a chance to spend some time with my brother and sister-in-law and their boys. It was the first time all my mom and dad's grandkids have been together as well, and we happened to take a similar picture.

The Weighall grandkids (minus Adalai, the first girl, born in Nov.)

The Bigler grandkids
Isaac, Conner, Leland, Evan, Andrew and Bobby

Nothing like an impending birth to motivate you to get things done!

2009-02-25T13:08:00.000-08:00

Last week Mark and his dad put a brand new laminate floor in our dining room. We figured this would be preferable since things get spilled daily in that room, and the carpet takes a beating! The Saturday morning project (Mark's estimate) turned out to be about a three-day project, but the result is great! Mark's dad also put a wall in where I've been wanting one forever, but unfortunately I forgot to take before & after pictures of that one. We also got new (bigger!) cabinets to put our toys in, and are getting new cabinets for my craft stuff (which is plentiful, as we all know).

Dining room before

The boys "helping" daddy

About half way there

Now we can put all our toys away! And our floor is always clear! ***chortle snort****

Blue Skies....smilin' at me

2009-02-03T13:27:00.000-08:00

Our house is near the edge of a plateau or bluff, and when you look over the edge you see a town called Oildale. This town, as the name implies, is full of oil pumps and so the view isn't exactly breathtaking. After a huge rain storm in Dec. I was driving along Panorama which runs along the edge, and I saw a sight I had never seen. Oildale--not shrouded in pollution! To give my friends and family who don't live here an idea of how bad it is, I took some pictures that day and some more just the other day when the view was what I normally see when I drive down Panorama. Now to be fair, I don't drive this way every day, but in three years of living here I have honestly never seen the view like this. I never knew what (if anything) was beyond that wall of haze.

A rare blue sky

A typical day here in good ol' Bakersfield.

Snow fun

2008-12-31T15:51:00.000-08:00

It snowed plenty while we were in Utah, much to Conner's delight! He wore his snow pants around the house almost all the time, and refused to take them off except when threatened! We were really fortunate, though, because we traveled on days where the roads were clear and dry. Had we driven up one day earlier or later it could have been really scary. It was nice to have a white Christmas, and two weeks of snow is enough to last me until next year!

This is the view of my parents' back yard the morning after Christmas.

Conner and Mark's snowman

Evan tubing on his belly! (Still wouldn't wear a jacket!)

Conner going down the hill with my Aunt Amy

Christmas adventures

2008-12-26T12:06:00.000-08:00

Yes, we survived our annual Christmas trip to Utah. It started out less-than-enjoyable with a violent case of stomach flu. The night before we were supposed to leave, Evan woke up at 10pm throwing up and threw up every 20 minutes until four in the morning. It hit Mark and I in the night as well, and Andrew the next day. We sent Conner over to Grandma's house in the hopes that he might not get it, but he did and so we left two days later than planned. Andrew kept throwing up for about 10 days and it turned out that he had pneumonia, bronchitis and an ear infection. Conner and Evan also got ear infections, so we pretty much all had a course of antibiotics before the trip was over. The kids did have a lot of fun on Christmas, of course, and really enjoyed staying at Grandma and Grandpa Bigler's.

Present time!

The light sabers were a big hit!

Andrew throwing the classic tantrum. How do kids know how to do this? I think they're born with it.....

Evan's newest thing is pretending to be a dog, and sometimes he asks for "a drink of water like doggies". The other two have to join in on the fun, of course!

This is a sight you'll see at my house most every day. What is a girl going to do??

Andrew warming up his own snack.

Christmas Light at CALM

2008-12-15T15:42:00.000-08:00

The Christmas Lights at CALM are a fun annual event, and the kids seemed to enjoy them. Evan was really fascinated with Christmas lights this year, but unfortunately he has flat out refused to wear any type of jacket or coat since it started to get cold! He was also afraid of Santa and wouldn't sit for a picture (stubborn little bugger!)

Jaidyn turns 5

2008-12-07T09:56:00.000-08:00

Jaidyn had her party at Pump It Up this year, which the kids always love!

Making Christmas cookies

2008-11-19T12:30:00.000-08:00

I know it's a bit early for this, but for some reason I just got the bug to make frosted sugar cookies. Maybe it's that whole nesting thing--who knows! After I get going I always wonder what I was thinking, but the boys did have fun!

See, we do get fall leaves.....in November

2008-11-19T11:43:00.000-08:00

I took this picutre on Nov. 19. Seriously. Leaves are changing all over the place here!

Evan really doesn't want to go to bed

2008-11-16T12:25:00.000-08:00

I told Evan it was time to get his pajamas on and went to get them. I set them down and went to do something else, and then I couldn't find them. After looking around for quite a while, I finally figured out that the little bugger had thrown them behind the couch. Evan really didn't want to put his pajamas on!

Fall Family Campout

2008-11-09T09:26:00.000-08:00

The cub scouts fall family campout was Nov. 7, 8 and 9 out at Lake Ming, which is only about 15 minutes away from our house. It was great because I could bring Evan and Andrew out during the day. I don't think we're quite ready to all brave it in a tent; I'm pretty sure there's no way we would get any sleep! Conner had fun though, until a storm blew in Saturday night and they got rained on!

Push-carts!

Phillip, Conner and Evan at the flag ceremony

Halloween

2008-10-31T13:33:00.000-07:00

We had two Halloweens this year, because trunk-or-treat at the church was Thursday night and we also went out for a bit on Friday night. Conner chose a clone trooper costume and Evan went as a 3-year-old. Last year he threw a screaming fit when we tried to put a costume on him, so this year I decided I wasn't going to bother getting him a costume unless he said he wanted it. Even at the school's Halloween festival with all the other kids dressed up, he just wasn't interested! Evan did get really into the trick-or-treating this year, which was cute.

Conner's parade at school

Cub Scouts

2008-10-27T13:24:00.000-07:00

Since Conner broke his arm again and couldn't do soccer this year, we decided scouts might be a good alternative. He also has a good friend who is in scouts so that makes it even better! Conner earned his first badge on their campout, but since I didn't go on the campout there aren't any pictures of it. But here is Conner getting his first badge!

One week down....

2008-09-08T16:49:00.000-07:00

Something posessed me last week and I decided it was time to make Evan go cold turkey with the binky. To say that it's been a rough week would be a major understatement. Every naptime and bedtime has been a huge fight with screaming and kicking. Also, he has woken up screaming every night in the middle of the night, sometimes 2 or 3 times and doesn't go back to sleep for a while. Nothing will comfort him so I'm not sure what to do.

Feeding the ducks at Hart Park

2008-09-05T09:41:00.000-07:00

This was a fun Friday event organized by the preschool, so a few of the other kids and parents were there as well. Evan and Andrew thought the ducks were pretty interesting, and I tried not to cringe too much as they wandered around in large quantities of bird droppings! There were quite a lot of birds and they were pretty bold.

Evan starts preschool

2008-09-04T09:35:00.000-07:00

This is a red-letter day! Two days a week, Evan will be in pre-school for 3 hours. I have to work at the pre-school once every other week so that means I have about 6 days a month where I'm down to one child for a couple hours! Doesn't it sound like heaven? Think of all the possibilities! Evan is enjoying school so far; they do lots of painting and he has started to make friends and interact a lot more socially, which is really neat to see. He's getting more independent too, although we still haven't gotten far with potty training!

This is after Evan's first day of school. You can tell they do a lot of painting - and he loves it!

Oh no....not again!

2008-08-25T16:48:00.000-07:00

Yes it's true, Conner broke his arm. Again. The same week the poor kid was supposed to start soccer. He fell on the playground and landed on the same arm he broke before, breaking it in the same place. Boohoo!

First day of First Grade

2008-08-18T11:46:00.000-07:00

I have been waiting for this day for weeks. Conner....not so much. He did say that he enjoyed his first day, though. They put him in a 1/2 combo class, so hopefully the work will be challenging enough for him this year!

Conner and his friend Phillip.

Conner's new class.

Potty training - a new adventure!

2008-08-17T12:00:00.000-07:00

So I was getting Evan's church clothes out this morning and he came in and told me he had peed on the floor. I asked him to show me where, and he led me into the bathroom where he had actually pooped on the toilet lid. How he managed this, I'm not sure. Every day is an adventure!

Hurricane Harbor

2008-08-15T16:45:00.000-07:00

We took Conner to Hurricane Harbor twice this summer. The first time we brought along his friend Phillip, and the second time we brought Ellie. Evan also came on the first trip and had a great time. More pics to follow as soon as I get the water cameras developed!

'nuff said

2008-08-02T13:02:00.000-07:00

I love Baby Blues.

New bikes

2008-08-01T15:55:00.000-07:00

This was supposed to be a birthday present for Conner, but he had a broken arm at the time and couldn't ride bikes so we got the bike in August instead. Evan got a new little bike as well, and they had fun "helping" daddy put them together.

My boring blog....

2008-07-31T10:32:00.001-07:00

So I've been trying to figure out how to add different backgrounds and all this cool stuff that other people have on their blogs, but unfortunately that requires sitting down, reading, researching, and learning new stuff. And all of that takes time. The time I spend putting content up is really more than I have already; I'm sure you can tell that I don't keep up very well. So perhaps my blog-savvy friends who have spend a lot of time doing this will consent to helping me! :) I need a crash-course!

Toddlerhood - the ultimate juxtaposition of extremes (ramblings on parenthood)

2008-07-30T11:39:00.000-07:00

When you live with a toddler, there is never a dull moment--lots of exasperating, euphoric, infuriating, joyous, frustrating, elated, tender moments--but never a dull moment. With a 2-year-old there are new revelations every single day; a million different "firsts" and every one gives you joy. Watching your child learn can be the most sublime experience, until their learning turns to frustration, and their sweet toddler sounds turn to full-voice screaming. When toddlers are happy they are the most enjoyable little people in the world. Their bright little smiles have the power to melt your heart in a second, no matter how dispirited you were feeling before. It's almost indescribable how wonderful they are. On the other hand if things aren't going their way, they will not only let you know, they will let the whole neighborhood know. And this happens frequently. Screaming and whining have become as much a part of the background noise at our house as Baby Einstein.

Evan goes potty

2008-07-26T10:42:00.000-07:00

Today my 2-year-old unexpectedly peed in the potty for the very first time. Unfortunately, I don't think this was a case of my hard potty-training work paying off, but rather a lucky confluence of events: his diaper was off, he happened to be standing in the bathroom and he felt the urge to go at that particular moment. But whatever the reason, I'll take it! It's a first step anyway.

This picture isn't from that exact moment - I was unable to fetch my camera in time to capture it. But I thought it went with the story well!

Box Elder Campground

2008-07-02T10:53:00.000-07:00

While in Utah, we went up the canyon for an evening of roasting hot dogs and marshmallows, something the kids have never done before! We had a great time with Grandma, Grampa and Grams, and my nephew Isaac came as well. The kids ran through the creek and hiked up the hill on the other side and generally ran amuk. They loved it!

Isaac is only about 6 months older than conner. Crazy, eh?
Andrew and Grampa
Grampa hiking up the hill with the boys

Evan "helping" gather the wood
Evan preferred to eat his hot dog right off the stick, and cold.
Mommy & Andrew enjoying a s'mor

St. George

2008-06-28T14:47:00.000-07:00

On the first leg of our Utah trip, we stayed with Carrie and Johnny for a couple nights. We always have a good time visiting our S. Utah relatives!

Evan playing peek-a-boo in Carrie's pantry

Conner playing giant checkers with Carrie

Andrew "helping" clean the floor

Bakersfield Play Center

2008-06-17T14:37:00.000-07:00

Conner went to a great summer camp in June, and Evan went a couple days as well. They did music, art, science and water games of course!

Conner's cast comes off!

2008-06-16T10:32:00.000-07:00

I can't tell you how excited we all were for this. We were getting pretty tired of hearing how it's not fair that we can all get wet but Conner can't! He was a trooper, though, and didn't even flinch when they cut it off. He'll be wearing a brace for the next few weeks but it's a big improvement.

Conner's birthday party

2008-06-14T10:11:00.000-07:00

We all had a great time at Conner's birthday party, even though it was more than 2 weeks after his birthday. The ironic thing is, the doctor said it would be better for him to keep the cast on for the party, so they wrapped it with a little foam. Grandpa had as much fun as the kids going down the big slides!

Life in the back yard

2008-06-11T14:56:00.001-07:00

Now that it's nice and hot outside, we've been spending a lot more time in the back yard. Besides sanding the playhouse, we lost a shed and Mark laid new sod. Whether it's Conner running amuk, Evan climbing into any container that can hold water or Andrew learing to climb the ladder all by himself, we always have some fun! During the summer I often feel I spend half my day putting sunscreen on someone. Trying to cover all the exposed bits of little boys who never stand still is no easy task.

Conner's graduation

2008-05-28T09:29:00.000-07:00

With much pomp and circumstance, the 4 kindergarten classes at Eissler Elementary celebrated.....well.....completing kindergarten. There were so many parents and family crowded into the cafeteria it was practically standing room only, and so many cameras it felt like the paparazzi.

Andrew turns 1/Conner turns 6

2008-05-27T15:39:00.000-07:00

Grandma, grandpa and great-grandma came over and we sang to the boys on their birthday and opened a couple presents. Aunts Kendall and Courtney came to visit bearing gifts and we got to see Kendall's boys too. Conner got phone calls from Aunt Jenn and Grammy and Pappap and some other cards and gifts, but of course his big B-day bash is scheduled for June 14. Andrew looked pretty pleased with his birthday cupcake--a little cupcake for a little cupcake!

Conner's broken arm

2008-05-19T13:06:00.000-07:00

Our rambunctious 5-year old decided Saturday, April 26 would be a great day to hurl himself off our brand new pool ladder and break his arm. I'm pretty sure he decided that was the day because I had just paid a $100 non-refundable deposit for his birthday party at Pump It Up on May 24. The party has been rescheduled to June 14 - hopefully he'll be all ready to jump and break something else by then!

He has about three weeks left in the cast, and then he'll be happy to be able to get wet again (especially since it's been over 100 this week).

Zoo Days

2008-05-19T11:32:00.000-07:00

The K classes at Conner's school had to do a report and habitat for a zoo animal this year. They went to the Fresno Zoo for their field trip last month so this project tied in with that. The habitats were displayed for parents and the rest of the school during "zoo days". Conner (and mom) had a good time learning about rhinos. Conner was the only student to choose rhinos in all four K classes--guess that proves he's one of a kind!

Bowling

2008-05-17T20:19:00.000-07:00

For some reason, Evan is really fascinated with bowling right now. We have a little play bowling set that has been used and abused so much that I fear it's near the end of its life. Occasionally we try to take him real bowling (Conner loves it too) so Saturday we ventured out in the world in search of some "family fun". Unfortunately, Andrew spent the entire time trying to get to the pins, and would not be deterred from this goal. Persistent little bugger! After carrying him back from the lane 20 or 30 times we gave up and held him while he screamed. But here is a cute video of Evan's wind up.

Magic Mountain

2008-05-16T16:03:00.000-07:00

Mark and I had a rare opportunity to get away and do a "couple" thing instead of a "family" thing. So rare in fact, that it was the first time since we've been married, unless you count going to the temple once. We've been to dinner a handful of times, but being gone all day from the kids was a first! A friend of ours took the kids for half the day and Linda for the other half. It was a lot of fun, but strange!

Mother's Day Weekend

2008-05-11T08:50:00.000-07:00

Our Mother's Day weekend was fun. We decided to be ambitious and sand the playhouse and seal it with Thompsons (a project that was long overdue). Jenn came to visit us which was so great, she's always a big help and the kids love to see her. We had dinner at Grandma and Grampa's house to celebrate Mother's Day and Mike's birthday.

Mother's Day Tea

2008-05-09T15:46:00.000-07:00

On Friday, Conner's school had a "Mother's Day Tea". It was a cute little treasure hunt for all the moms, where we followed the clues in to different rooms and there were little homemade gifts in each one. When I was growing up, I remember thinking that the gifts we made for our moms and dads were so cheesy, but I have to admit that I cried like a baby. Those little homemade presents really do make you feel special. It's so incredible being a mom. At the end of the treasure hunt was the "tea" with refreshments and a program, of course.

First Post

2008-05-08T11:49:00.000-07:00

Although I have already have a multitude of pictures and videos up at various sites, I thought I would try my hand at blogging as a way to share family events and news. Besides, I feel downright archaic not having a blog already (I don't have an iPod yet either, what's wrong with me?).