Dalin David Hansen

He's Here!

Our sweet little man came 3 weeks early, On August 27th, 2010!

I went into labor on my own Friday morning but didn't believe it was real. So I went about my day. At about 4:00 I decided that the contractions that were coming every 2-3 minutes were real and that we better head to the hospital. I was still in major denial and knew that they were just going to send me home. We took the kids to a friends house and headed to the hospital. I had been dilated to a 3 for the last couple of weeks and sure enough, when they checked me at the hospital I was dilated to a 5. I was in labor and we were having a baby that day.

I had an epidural put in a little while later, and while I couldn't feel the contractions anymore the epi made me really sick. Good thing it didn't take him much longer to come after that. I only pushed for about 10 minutes.

Dalin was born at 11:36pm. 7lbs, 110z, 20 inches long. He is healthy, and has a full head of beautiful brownish-blond hair. He is the most loved little boy ever, and we couldn't have asked for anything more.

First Day of School-

The kids all started their new school. It is the first year that this Montessori Charter school has opened. They were all very excited! I kept asking if they were nervous and they all said, "No, just excited!" They all looked so cute and had a great first day.

Second Day of School-

This day was a little bit more adventurous. James went to pick up Baily from kindergarten in the morning and was told that the school was in "lock down" because some idiot in a house behind the school was shooting at his sister who he was in a fight with. When police arrived at this guys house he barricaded himself in and was in a stand-off with a swat team pretty much all morning and afternoon. So there was no one coming in or out of the school. The lock down was called off at around 1 pm when the guy decided it was a better idea to kill himself.

CRAZY!!

The school did a beautiful job at keeping the kids safe and for the most part clueless as to what was happening. I was very pleased with their efforts. Besides Tyler looking out his window at the exact time a SWAT guy did a "cool army roll" over a hill into the back yard of this guys house, they really didn't know what was going on until they got home and we talked about it with them.

Sooooo- Schools back in session. Malia gets to spend a lot of time with me and James, or "My Daddy" as she like to say. We are patiently (I use the word patiently very lightly) waiting for the day Dalin decides to join the family. Besides the fact that I am dilated almost 4cm and having constant contractions pretty much all day, we are hanging in there.

UPDATES

Quick updates on the Hansen's...

I had a good doctors appointment today. I told my mid-wife that I was feeling a lot of pressure and was continuing to have some strong contractions. She decided to check me and found that I am dilated 3cm and 70% effaced. She said my cervix was also very soft. I was shocked because I truly have believed that this little man will never come out!!! It was just a relief to know that my body is doing what it is suppose to and that I am advancing.

I am fully aware of the fact that being this dilated doesn't really mean anything, and I could go the rest of the 5 weeks before he comes, but I am okay with that. I will just be a third of the way dilated when he actually comes.

Here I am at 35 weeks...If "huge" is the first word that comes to your mind, don't worry, you are not the only one...I hear it EVERYDAY.

James is surviving the IRS, and though he doesn't love it, he endures it so well. He has fixed 2 fuel pumps in the last week (the burb and the truck). That was not fun. He is a trooper and on top of all his responsibilities continues to be a great dad and husband and takes very good care of his family.

Kylee, Tyler and Baily are really excited (yes, excited) to start school. I think I bored the heck out of them this summer and they are ready for a change of pace and interaction with other children. They start on the 23rd, and I think it is safe to say that we are all excited to have school start again. The one line from the Christmas song "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" that says..."and Mom and Dad can hardly wait for school to start again..." always offended me as a child. Why in the world would my parents want school to start again and want me to leave them for 6 hours a day??? I get it now.

Malia has grown up overnight! Don't get me wrong, she throws a fit like no one you've ever seen, and thinks EVERYTHING belongs to her, but she is growing by leaps and bounds. I had pretty much given up on the idea of potty training her before Dalin arrived, because she would have nothing to do with peeing in the potty, but one day she asked if she could go to the bathroom, and she actually did, and from that point on she has been potty trained. She literally trained her self. I had nothing to do with it. It has been awesome. She is also sleeping in a big-girl bed and has done that exceptionally well also. Good stuff.

I am so grateful for my family. How I adore them. I had a day and a half a couple of weeks ago when my sweet sister, Tara took all the kids and had them spend the night with her. It was weird because I had nothing to do. The house stayed clean. The laundry didn't multiply like rabbits before my eyes and I found myself bored. That is something that I never am. It made me realize how much I love being a Mom. There is nothing better.

Hello Epidural! Here I come!

As some of you may know, I had Baily and Malia without an epidural. It was fine with Baily, just what I wanted and great. Then came Malia. I don't know if it was because she was posterior, or because I was in the hospital ALL day and not really in labor until the end of the day or what but her birth was not so fun. Really painful!

Well, when I got pregnant with Dalin I was almost positive that I was going to get an epidural. But today at my Dr. appointment my "almost positive" turned into "pretty darn sure". Our little man's head is measuring almost 5 weeks ahead. His other measurements are about 2 weeks ahead. 2 weeks ahead...no biggy...but the size of this guys head...OUCH!

Celebrating our Freedom

We had our annual 4th of July Celebration at Layton park with my family. It was so much fun. Thanks for the photo's Tam!

This is what Malia thought of the parade!!

My sleepy man. He ran the 5k race that morning.


My kids and Tara's kids watching the parade, hoping for candy!!

My girls

Tyler and cousin Austin up a tree

God is GOOD

Just thought I would share...

Today was one of those days. From the moment I woke up I could tell that it was going to be a hard day. With our A/C going out the night before, money troubles, pregnancy aches and pains, lack of sleep and 4 rambunctious children in need of...well, everything!!! I was at a breaking point. My already frazzled pregnancy emotions couldn't handle the weight of my responsibilities.

Then, I got a call from a dear friend and neighbor in the early afternoon who can read me like a book. I was able to talk to her and unload some burdens. She then told me that on Sunday while she was sitting in Sacrament Meeting the spirit whispered to her that she needed to bring me dinner on Wednesday (that is today!) When she told me this I got chills from head to toe.

This I know...My heavenly Father knows me. He knew the exact day and the exact hour that I would need him the most. He told someone who was listening to his sweet spirit that I was going to need a little extra help. The spaghetti that she brought tonight was extra yummy, because I knew that it was a direct answer to my prayers and a direct message from my Heavenly Father that he cares.

Never doubt that God is Good, that he loves us and that he will not forsake us in our time of need.

My Summer Survival Items

If I think too hard about surviving 11 more weeks of being pregnant, I can get really down, so here are just a few of the items that I am relying heavily on to get me through this HOT, LONG summer...in no particular order...

My heating pad...I have 7 little words to say to you, O heating pad..."I love you, sweet, relief-bringing pad!" I don't know what I would do with out this baby. He gets me through the long days and all the back pain!

My 101 pillows. My poor husband has a sliver of the bed left after I get cozy.

Books, books and more books. I have read more books in the last 6 months than I have my WHOLE life!

All I can say if you are not currently cooking with a crock pot WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR??!!! There is nothing that makes me happier than to have a nice, warm, yummy dinner ready for me at dinner time. My brain and body shut down in the evening and I don't know what I would do with you this brilliant cooking contraption.

We just got a new pool for the back yard, and I am LOVING it. The kids don't fight in the pool, they don't make the house a mess when they are in the pool, and I get to sit in a lawn chair under and umbrella and read! What could be better?!

And LAST but not LEAST... My survival Item #1... My man! We just celebrated our 10th year anniversary on the 23rd! He is my support, my cheerleader, my sanity. He lets me sleep in, tells me I am beautiful and completely denies the fact that I am getting old and fat! He makes me laugh and keeps me grounded. He honors his priesthood and leads and directs our home in a peaceful, easy going manner.

When I first saw James at a singles ward in Layton, UT I knew that I knew him. Though I had never met him before I knew his face. I wracked my brain the whole church block trying to remember where I knew him from. As we became friends and started dating I quickly realized that he was my soul mate, my spiritual companion and that I did know him. The spirit bore witness to me that I had known James in the life before this one. I never questioned that I was going to marry him and be his wife.

We married young, I was only 20, but there has never been a day, not even on our hard days, that I have regret starting a life with him.

One wise woman once said that you know you have a good man when he will swim threw shark infested waters to bring you a lemonade. Yup...I got one!

Happy 10th James and here's to a lot more!

**Check out the latest "My kids say the darndest things" on the side for a good laugh and the next post about our fun camping trip**

Another Fun Summer Outing

My grandparents have a cabin in Logan, UT that we like to go to a couple of times a year. We spent 3 days there, with just our little family. It was so fun. We had a very relaxing time. On the last day we went to Bear Lake and spent the day there. Here are some highlights.

We had a really scary experience the first night we were there. We were roasting marshmallows by the fire, having a great time getting sticky. Tyler was sitting in a chair and bent down to pick up a stick off the ground. His chair began to tip forward, and before we knew it he had lost his balance and was falling face first into the fire! The fire was this big...I had him re-enact how he landed the next day (below). James reacted with lightning speed and pulled Tyler up, and I yanked his shirt off. To our amazement there wasn't a single singe on him. Not a single burn mark. It was too close to home for us because when Tyler was only 2 years old he fell into a fire when we were camping. The fire wasn't quite as big, but it was almost the same situation. He fell in, James yanked him out and I yanked his pants and shoes off. And again, not a mark on his body. This little man of mine must have something pretty important to do in life, because we have witnessed true miracles, TWICE! where he could have been badly injured. I am very humbled by these 2 experiences. AND--it will be a long time before we roast marshmallows again!!

We created a little lake with-in a lake for Malia to happily play. She loved it!

Family Fun and Cute Pics

Summer vacation has begun!


When I haven't felt like sleeping or puking...or sleeping...we have been having some fun!
We had a fun weekend with James' family at the Hansen reunion in Manti, Utah. We had a great time, and enjoyed spending time with everyone. Here are some pics from that weekend.

This is the "cabin" aka: mansion/lodge we stayed in. It is James' Aunt and Uncles cabin. Equipped with 9 bedrooms and every other thing you could imagine. It was in a beautiful location and we hardly noticed that it rained the whole weekend cause we were having so much fun.

Hot tubbing it

This is Malia's new funny face. Just try not to laugh...

Playing in the shower while Mom does her hair!

After our fun weekend we stopped by my sister Tami's house and had a picnic lunch. She is a great aspiring photographer and snapped these great shots.

Kylee and my nephew, Spencer.

Just an update on our little man still growing inside of me...HE IS GROWING! I get a comment or two DAILY on how big I am. I really have gotten huge. I feel like I should be delivering tomorrow, not 3 months from now! I just don't know where I am going to fit the rest of this growing boy! He is very healthy though and we are so excited to have him join our family.

MUD

The first sunny day in a long time + Rain the night before + dirt +my kids=

My Man

My man is 32 years young today!!!

There is no way I could do James justice in this post. For those of you who know James you know what a great guy he is. He is a wonderful father and from the first moment Kylee was put into his arms he took to being a dad so well. He has amazed me at how much he teaches, loves and serves our kids.

He is a better husband than I deserve, that is for dang sure! He helps me be a better person and loves, pampers and takes care of me effortlessly. He is patient, kind, and giving. He makes me laugh daily (most times unintentionally...). He is the best partner a girl could ask for.

Here he is (2nd from left) with two of his brothers and two friends. He ran the 7 mile leg of the Ogden marathon relay race. He did great!

Happy Birthday James, we love you!

Going Private

I have been wanting to go private for a while and am finally gonna do it. Please leave your email address for me (even if you think I have yours) so I can add you to my special super-dee-duper blog. Thanks and have a great day!

There's a Real Person In There

We had our half way target ultrasound yesterday. Dalyn is perfectly healthy. He was doing rolls and somersaults. What a wiggler! James and I are both so grateful and amazed that we have been blessed with 5 healthy babies.


He did measure 2 weeks ahead, though. The tech said that because I am so certain of my last period that they weren't going to change my due date. Sept. 5th sound a lot better than Sept. 17th, but I am sticking with the 17th so that I don't get my hopes up. It could be that he is just a big guy. They are going to keep a close eye on him and make sure that he isn't growing too fast. I kept telling everyone that I felt bigger and I could tell that he was huge, but no one believed me! =)


Here is the cute 3D ultrasound of our little man. If I have learned anything in my young life it is to never to get your hopes up...I don't mean that in a bad way, just a realistic one. I started to feel better for about two weeks and now I am sick again. Not as sick as before, but still yucky and soooooooo tired. No, I mean really tired. I can not keep my eyes open. So I am trying to keep my expectations low, and again, I don't mean that in a bad way...just in a realistic, survive the day, get up and do it all again the next day.

Half Way There...

I've come so far...but have, oh, so far to go...

Heaven Help Me!

Baily's 5th Birthday

Geez...I'm getting old. My little Baily is 5! Baily came into this world April 26th, 2005. She has a smile that will make any ones day and a laugh that is so contagious. Out of all my kids she is the "mama's girl" and is by my side 24/7. Recently, when I am resting on the couch, she will come up and lay right by me and stick her arm under my neck and just lay with me.


Here are some things we love about our 5 year old:


-She says "I love you" to everyone, all the time.


-She is a natural "girl". She loves all things pink and knows how to bat those eyelashes to get what she wants (yikes...)


-She loves being outside.


-She says the sweetest prayers and always thinks of everyone in her prayers. Some examples: "Help Kylee and Tyler to stay in their beds" (at night), "Help Malia to learn everything." "Help Daddy to not fall asleep at work."


-She loves to help me cook. Aunt RaeLynne gave her a pink spatula, measuring cups and an apron for her b-day last year and she uses them daily.


-Her nicknames are Bella Blue (Malia and I call her this and it's so cute to hear Malia wondering the house shouting "Bella Blue!!?"), Belly (Tyler called her this when she was born because he couldn't pronounce Baily), Puffy (Daddy called her this when she had a bad eye infection and her eye swelled shut...it just stuck...)


Baily loves getting attention from her older brother and sister and will try to get it by any means necessary....which also makes for time well spent in the time-out chair =) She loves affection and is constantly seeking hugs, kisses and tickles.


She is looking forward to going to Kindergarten in the Fall and when I teased her about her not being able to go to school cause I would miss her too much she said, "Mom, but I have to go, cause I have to get really smart!"


What a joy and a blessing our Baily is. We love you!!!

We had a joint Family party on Sunday for her and her cousin Troy Jr., whose birthday is on the 21st.

Here she is on her actually birthday. We had those of James' family who could make it over for pizza, cake and ice cream.

The Saturday before her birthday she went to lick some cheese off of the stove top and drug her finger across a hot burner! OWW! She cried for the rest of the day and was in a lot of pain. There is a huge blister on her finger now. Poor girl.

Here she is opening her presents. Notice the blister on her finger.

New Bike!

I have a tradition that as soon as we find out what we are having AND I start to feel better I make a rag quilt for my baby. It helps me connect a little bit more, and have something tangible to get me through the back pain, heartburn and sleepless nights. I am truly grateful to be having another boy and little Dalyn is already such a big part of our family. The kids pray for him every night and the other night Baily said in her prayer, "Please help Mommies baby to be nice to her." Cute.

A Mothers Prayer

Have you ever just looked over at the child...whether they are a day old or 30 years old and had to take a double take because of how big they had gotten while you weren't watching? That happened today, TWICE...with Kylee and Tyler. It shook me to the core.

Kylee asked me if she could take a shower this evening...now that in and of itself is huge because she hates taking showers and the thought of getting clean and looking nice was a big waste of time until today...so that was monumental. She said she really wanted to look nice for school tomorrow. I just looked at her and got choked up at her maturity.

For those of you who know Kylee, know that was born mature. She has always been too big for her britches. It just hit me today how fast she is growing.

Then as Tyler is shoveling food into his mouth at dinner....and I mean shoveling food...I could almost see a teenage Tyler sitting at my table with his head in his hand, elbow resting on the table with only one thing on his mind, FOOD!!

He is a very good kid, the best, and he has always been really affectionate with me and always lets me know he loves me. Well after family prayers he put his hands on my knees and gets really close to my face and stared into my eyes for a couple of seconds and said, "Mom, I love you." It was so sweet and for the second time today I was hit upside the head that my kids are growing up. I am bringing new life into this world in only a few short months, and I am also raising little people. It is a such a big job, and one that I often feel overwhelmed with, but I am doing it, and I must say...I love it.

The words to a Celine Dion Song, that I love, say it best:

A Mother's Prayer

I pray you'll be my eyes

And watch her where she goes

And help her to be wise

Help me to let go

Every mother's prayer

Every child knows

Lead her to a place

Guide her with your grace

To a place where she'll be safe

I pray she finds your light

And holds it in her heart

As darkness falls each night

Remind her where you are

Every mother's prayer

Every child knows

Need to find a place

Guide her with your grace

Give her faith so she'll be safe