The 4th of July and Ellalyn's Blessing

We actually didn't do anything for the 4th of July but our ward did have a 4th of July party yesterday and it was a lot of fun. Our ward is awesome and it was great to visit with other families and eat delicious food.

Jared with the girlsMe with the girls

Ellalyn turned one month old yesterday. She still isn't doing much but eating, sleeping, and crying but she is getting bigger and cuter each day. Also today I think she smiled at me, though it very well could have just been gas. Either way it was super cute. We had her blessed today and Jared gave her a very sweet blessing. We wish that we could have had family here for the blessing but it was really nice regardless.

Isn't she beautiful?

We are really missing Landon around here. The house is so much quieter without him around. But it looks as if he is having a GREAT time with Grammy and Grandpa so we are happy.

A Visit from Grammy

Last Thursday Grammy (Jared's Mom) flew in for a visit. It was SO nice having her here. She was such a great help around the house and with the kids and the kids obviously loved getting to spend some time with their Grammy.We also had a ton of fun! Jared's mom is so fun to talk to and we able to do a little shopping while she was here too. She took the kids to the park, the Zoo, and Amish Acres which gave me some one on one time with Ella. I am so thankful to have such a great Mother-in-law and I was very sad to see her go today.

Landon and Jared at the Zoo. From what I hear Landon was not a fan of the Pony ride and cried pretty the whole time. What can I say my boy is a scaredy cat.

Grammy and Tori at the Park. I am so appreciative of all the attention that Grammy gave Tori. Tori has had a hard time adjusting to having a baby sister and having Grammy here helped a lot.

Landon pushing Grammy and Tori in the swing.

Fun at the park!

Cute kids with their cute Grammy!The girls love Grammy.

In other news not only did we say goodbye to Grammy today but we also said goodbye to Landon. Landon is flying back to Vegas with Grammy and he will be there for 4weeks before I fly out with the girls for my sisters wedding. I have not been away from Landon for more then a few days at a time ( while in the hospital after having Tori and Ella) and I am so sad that I won't see him for so long. I know he is in good hands though and that he will enjoy getting spoiled and being the center of attention in Vegas. I really am sad for Jared though. He will not be able to come out to Vegas with the rest of us and since we will not return home until the 24th of August Jared will have to go almost two months without seeing his son. We love Landon so much and it will be a little sad around our house without him.

Gone Swimming

Today, Jared, Landon, Tori, and I went over to a family in our wards house to go swimming (Ella stayed home with Grammy). Landon was pretty much afraid of the water but he enjoyed squirting the squirt guns and floating around in the boat. Tori was not afraid of the water and enjoyed playing in the pool. Jared played with the kids and I sat on the side of the pool and took pictures. It was a beautiful day and perfect weather for a swim. We also had a great time visiting with our friends Adam and Lisa, they are expecting their first baby in August and so they got a lot of practice in today playing with Landon and Tori.

Playing in the Rain

This morning it started raining and I figured I'd let Landon put his rain boots to their proper use (he wears them whenever possible, rain or shine). Tori and Landon had a great time playing in the rain and splashing in the puddles. I enjoyed getting some cute pictures of my kids. Win win win.

Ellalyn didn't join in the fun of playing in the rain but she did enjoy a nice nap.

Life with 3 Kids....

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while, I have been adjusting to life with a new little one and I have been SO tired. Today Ella is two weeks old and the last couple of weeks have been exciting and full of adjustments.
We got off to a little bit of a rough start after I got home from the hospital. Landon and Tori were both sick and extra grumpy and whiny. My kids are rarely sick and it figures they would come down with something right when we were bringing the new baby home. Tori was extra grumpy due to her sickness and it did not help that she is no longer the baby in the family.
Since the kids have recovered from their illness things have gotten much better and they are adjusting well to having a new baby sister. Landon is really not all that interested in Ella, I think once she becomes more interactive he will pay more attention to her. Tori on the other hand is really interested in Ella. She is always looking at her and wanting to touch her. Tori seems to like Ella a lot but I also think that she is a little bit jealous. I sometimes feel bad for Tori because I feel like she was cheated out of her time as baby of the family, but I know that she won't remember this time and in the long run it will all be OK.
The first few days of being home were tough for me and had me questioning why I ever thought I could handle three children. I am doing and feeling much better now and I think that I will survive;). Our ward has been really great with watching the older kids for us and with providing dinners, despite the fact that they all thought Landon and Tori had whopping cough (long story but the kids did NOT have whopping cough).
Ella has been a really good baby. She really only cries when she is hungry. She is getting cuter by the day and I look forward to when she becomes more interactive and starts to smile. She is a great addition to our family and I really look forward to seeing her personality develop. Here are some recent pictures:

All dressed up for her first Sunday at church
Sleeping babies are so sweet and cute

This picture made me laugh
What a silly boy!
I feel so blessed to have 3 beautiful, happy, and healthy children.

All because Two People Fell in Love...

Yesterday was mine and Jared's five year Anniversary. I can not believe that it has already been 5 years! We spent our day with me in the Hospital and Jared at home taking care of two sick kids. I know you are all probably jealous because really does an Anniversary get any more romantic then that? I think not ;).

Five years ago, I made the best decision of my life. I am so happy that I married my best friend, and I am more in love with Jared today then I was when we first got married. Jared is such a kind, loving, funny, and smart person. I am thankful for the husband he is to me and the father he is to our children.

In other news I am home from the hospital. As Jared mentioned early things went well and I am recovering well for the most part. In all honesty I am a little overwhelmed with the idea of having 3 children, but I think that is normal and that once we start getting back in to a routine it won't seem as scary. Ella is doing well. She has been a great baby so far and I am excited to watch her grow. Her are some more pictures for you all to enjoy!

Ellalyn Star Peterson joins the world

So Ellalyn was born today at 11:54 AM Eastern time zone (That's 8:54 for those of you in Vegas and Reno). She weighed in at 7 pounds, 7 ounces and is 19.5'' long. She (according to the nurse, I couldn't see it.) has reddish hair and appears to have less of it than our other kids initially did. She is also substantially more vocal than our other kids, and has spent the majority of her time with us yelling about the injustice of it all. That should change soon enough though we hope.

Kerstin did really well throughout the process and, despite her minor discomforts, I think this was quite possibly the best birth we've had, although the final call on that is up to KT and not me. Landon and Torilynn have yet to see Ella or their mom, but we will probably go to visit them tomorrow. KT probably will get lonely in the hospital though so if you want to call her I have a phone number that you can reach her at the hospital so ask and ye shall receive. (The phone in her room will only ring if you call before 10PM though. After that and you'll have to wait.)

Well, enough chat, on to the pics:

This is Ella shortly after she was born, when they had put her under the heat lamp. That stuff on her eyes is antibiotic.

The is Ella after she was cleaned up and bathed and what-not. While the nurse may or may not be right about the red hair, Ella is certainly red skinned though. You may think that this is the lighting or something making her look this red, but you would be wrong. She really was this red.

And no set of pictures would be complete without a picture of the mom and the baby. Awwww, how cute.

And, of course, we have to save the best for last. (And by best I mean, of course, a picture accenting that sweet sweet watch that I'm wearing and not the guy with the goofy grin.)

Well, I think I've covered all the bases here so that's it for me.