Big Sister and Things Mommy Has Learned!

When Maisey first came to the hospital to visit, she was pretty scared because I still had an IV in my hand and she knew that her mommy just didn't look right. But after I let her sit on my bed and after I talked to her a bit she warmed right up and acted just like she was at home. She raised and lowered my bed several times and pressed the "Call Nurse" button 3 times. Hospital rooms are just not made for toddlers! Maisey's initial reaction

She LOVES her brother so much

She brought a present to the hospital for him. She picked out a book that you can put pictures in. She loves to read it to him. Gage gave Maisey some new Color Wonder coloring books and some markers! She is really enjoying them.

Mommy's big helper!

Family of 4!

She just couldn't get enough! She would even say, "My Baby!"

What a poser!

We finally let her hold him all by herself (with a tiny bit of help from daddy!)

Since we've been home, Maisey has been such a BIG helper. She is always so concerned about her brother. She likes to push him in his swing (I'm surprised he hasn't fallen out yet!), She likes to lay on the floor by him, she likes to help me change his diapers (she LOVES to stick her fingers in the Vaseline), She shares her toys and books with him, and she likes to help him with his paci! Let's just say we don't leave them in the same room together unattended!

Facts I have discovered in the last week:

*

*

*Adjusting to 2 kids is work! We came home from the hospital on Saturday around noon but last weekend was our Stake Conference and Elder Russel M. Nelson came. So Shaun went to the priesthood and adult sessions on Saturday night! Talk about having to adjust quickly. I had both kids at home, but it went surprisingly well.

*

*Between 2 kids you go through TONS of diapers. I feel like all I do is change diapers, and feed kids!

*

*Maisey is a giant! She is actually in the 50th percentile for both height and weight, but once you hold Gage, then go back to holding Maisey she feels very heavy and looks really tall.

*

*You can plan all you want, but sometimes Heavenly Father knows what's best for you! I had all of my days jam-packed full of things that needed to get done before I was going to be induced, including a baby shower and grocery shopping. Well, my baby shower was cancelled, and I still haven't gone to the grocery store! But that's ok, because we get an extra week with Daddy before he starts his new job and we are enjoying every minute of it!

Gage Shaun Grimmett

Gage was not born yesterday as originally planned. He came on his own a week ago, and I am now just getting around to posting. We have enjoyed spending time together, just relaxing as a family this last week.


On Wednesday, April 22 (my dad's birthday), I was having really bad contractions all day. But I just kept doing all of my normal things. I babysat that day, I pulled weeds, and I went up to the airport to pick up my sister. By the time we were at the airport, I was having pretty bad contractions and my mom joked that she better not have to deliver the baby on the side of the freeway. The contractions got worse through the night, and finally at 4 am we called my mom and sister to come over to our house to stay with Maisey.

We got to the hospital at 5 am. I was already dilated to a 6. At 6:30 am the doctor broke my water and I got an epidural. It worked this time (with Maisey I had 3 attempts and none of them worked) and at 8:00 am I started pushing.

Gage Shaun Grimmett was born at 8:08 am and weighed in at 7 lbs. 12.6 oz. and was 20 3/4 in. long.

This is experience was so different from the birth of Maisey that I told Shaun there is now a possibility of a third child. This couldn't have gone any better!

Baby Gage just after he was born.

Our little bundle of joy!

Just hangin out!

I will post more pictures later today!

Job and Baby Update!

What a crazy week it has been. Here is the latest update:

Last Tuesday morning Shaun went to the temple. When he got out of the temple he had a voicemail on the phone from a company wanting to set up an interview. Shaun called them back and they talked on the phone for a while. At the end of the conversation the guy asked Shaun to come to their office on Wednesday for a personal interview. So Wednesday afternoon Shaun had an interview with them and he felt it went really really well. On Friday they called him and set up a second round interview for Monday evening. Shaun went to the interview Monday at 4:30 pm. Once again he felt it went really well. We ate dinner Monday night and Shaun was giving Maisey a bath (with her new Dora Bubble Bath, which she was really scared of -- See previous post) when his phone rang. It was this company that he interviewed with and the guy offered him the job, but the salary that they offered was significantly lower than what we were making.

I have to admit, I cried a lot that night. This has been a VERY stressful ordeal for me. We had discussed other options, such as moving to Wisconsin for a job, or moving back to Utah. Oregon is just a big black hole for jobs right now. They have the 3rd highest unemployment rate in the country! It's just crazy here! I was having a hard time figuring out what to do. We really like living here and we LOVE our house! But how could we make our budget fit a salary that is $15,000 less than what we were making?

I woke up Tuesday morning with the puffiest eyes and face. But for some reason I just felt like things were going to be ok. We talked a lot more on Tuesday and I wasn't as emotional. We went to the temple Tuesday night (one week after Shaun went to the temple) and spent a lot of time there. When we got home last night we talked some more and decided that after going over our budget and finding things that we could cut Shaun would call them back this morning and make a counter offer.

So first thing this morning that is what Shaun did. He was really nervous because the job market here is so competitive and we should be happy that he was even offered a job. The guy he talked to said they would have to discuss the counter offer and that they would get back to us. Well, this afternoon, we got the call saying that they would accept our counter offer! So. . . that means we are EMPLOYED again! YAY!!!!!!!!!!! Shaun signs papers with them tomorrow morning.

So one small problem. I am due May 2nd (Saturday) and his first day of work is Monday, May 4th. Um... I am not going to have my baby with out my husband there. So I had an OB appointment late this afternoon after we found out about the acceptance of the counter offer. So I talked to my Doc and we scheduled an induction for April 29th at 7 am. WOW!!! That is in 2 weeks! That is just crazy!

I always have to have some kind of plan. I hate the unknown, and I hate spur-of-the-moment things. So I have a huge sense of relief that we have a JOB and an INDUCTION DATE. But now I am extremely anxious and nervous because I'm not a huge fan of being induced because of the increased risks that come along with it. But at least I know that Shaun will be able to be there for it! All the thoughts in my head are just ready to burst out!

I do have to say that my testimony of the importance of temple attendance and doing the things that you are supposed to be doing has increased tremendously! I love attending the temple and I love the peaceful feelings that I get when I am there. I know that because we are following the commandments and the council from our leaders we have been tremendously blessed. I am so thankful for the direction and guidance that we receive from The Spirit.

I am also so proud of all of Shaun's hard work and persistence. He has sat at our computer for the last 4 weeks for 8 hours a day searching for and applying for jobs. I think he applied for over 80 jobs! That's just crazy! Now I am looking forward to spending some quality time with him and Maisey for the next few weeks before our world turns up side down again when we have our baby and when Shaun starts his new job!

Easter Activities

On Easter, we all slept in until after 8 am! I have to admit it was pretty nice, even though I was awake at like 5 and just laying there (that's the story of my life the last few weeks). Once Mais woke up we got out of bed and went out to the family room to do Easter baskets and our Easter Egg Hunt. Maisey got some Dora Bubble Bath in her Easter basket and she got a spring outfit from the Easter Bunny. She was very excited. Then we did the egg hunt, which she mastered the day before. We all got ready for church and Maisey was bouncing off the walls because her daddy let her eat candy and fruit snacks from her Easter Eggs. Maisey wore her pretty Easter dress and purse to church. She was super hyper during Sacrament meeting. She has been SO good the last few months but today she was climbing all over the pews, talking really loud, and she even sang during the special musical number. No more candy before church!

After church we came home and we all took naps. I have been trying to fight a sinus infection and I lost my voice, so I was really enjoyed my nap! Once we all woke up we headed down to my Mom's for Easter dinner, another egg hunt and then to our Stake Easter Fireside. It was a pretty nice day.

I made this yummy bunny cake for our dessert!

Maisey's Easter basket and outfit from the Easter Bunny!

After church, Maisey was still SO hyper. I am sure they gave her pure sugar for her snack in nursery. When we got home from church I told her to go to her room so she could take her nap. Instead she went to Mommy's room got my p.j.s and got on my bed. She thought she was so silly!

She found an egg at Grandma's house!

Giving Grandma loves for her egg hunt and her other Easter goodies!

On Monday, we had some friends from our ward over to watch the NCAA championship basketball game and then to do FHE. UNC won (that's who Shaun picked!). We had a great time, and I did this fun Easter lesson for Maisey and her friend Porter. It was about the Atonement and Easter. Maisey kept saying, "Again, Again!" So I have redone our Easter lesson several times this week and Maisey loves to see that Jesus was in the tomb and then an Angel came and rolled the rock away and Jesus woke up after 3 days and now he lives again! She loves Jesus and she loves to learn about him. Her Grandma Grimmett sent us the new Gospel Picture Kit (along with some other fun Easter things) in the mail and Maisey really likes to look at it! It makes me so happy that she loves to learn about the Gospel.

Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival

The town that we live in holds a big Tulip Festival every Spring. My mom and my sisters have been before, but I have never been. This year, I decided that we would go and take Mais to the Easter egg hunt. It was pretty windy out, but Mais had a great time and really understood how to collect eggs. And, she would totally shake them when she put them in her basket to see if there was something in them. I don't know where she learned that from! Grandma and Daddy were showing Maisey how to do the Easter Egg hunt.

I think she got like 8 or 10 eggs. Not too bad for how many kids were there. She was so happy and excited. She kept saying, "Again, Again!" So Daddy found a spot where there weren't any people and took her eggs out of her basket and hid them in the grass so she could do it "Again, Again!"

Maisey and Mommy wearing the big Wooden Shoes!

Maisey smelling one of the millions of beautiful tulips!

Check out my 2 cuties!

They had a whole kids section that had some fun things to do. Maisey and Daddy went down a giant slide, and they raced rubber duckies. There were pony rides there that I thought Maisey would love, but we asked her like 10 times if she wanted to do them and she very adamently kept shaking her head "NO!" So we were going to just let her pet one and she was pretty scared to even do that. What a funny girl!

Even though it was COLD and WINDY, it was really fun and I think we might make it a tradition to go every year on Easter weekend.

Papa's Princess Pinwheel

We had such nice weather last week, so we decided to go visit my dad's grave. We haven't taken Maisey for a long time because she always gets so muddy and it is just more stressful than it is enjoyable. Maisey had gotten a Disney Princess Pinwheel the weekend before, but wanted to bring it for Papa. Here are a few pictures of Maisey at the cemetary. She was such a big girl and helped me put the pinwheel in the ground. (She didn't understand that it was staying... so her mommy went and bought her a new one!)

Should a 3-year old watch child birth?

My sister sent me this story. . . and I laughed!

Due to a power outage, only one paramedic responded to the call. The house was very dark so the paramedic asked Kathleen, a 3-year old girl to hold a flashlight high over her mommy so he could see while he helped deliver the baby. Very diligently, Kathleen did as she was asked.

Heidi pushed and pushed and after a little while, Connor was born. The paramedic lifted him by his little feet and spanked him on his bottom. Connor began to cry.

The paramedic then thanked Kathleen for her help and asked the wide-eyed 3-year old what she thought about what she had just witnessed.

Kathleen quickly responded.
“He shouldn’t have crawled in there in the first place...smack his bottom again!”

If you don’t laugh at this one, there’s no hope for you.

Gavin or Gage's Room

First thing -- we have narrowed down names to:

Gavin Shaun Grimmett

--or--

Gage Shaun Grimmett

We probably won't pick one until he is born!

But we are pretty much finished with his room! I have worked on this since December, and I am so excited that it is done, and I am so happy with how it turned out!

This is a close up of the bumper! We bought a plain white bumper, and I sewed 3 bands of ribbon on to it.

A close up of the valance that I sewed. I found a football curtain rod at Wal-Mart. How perfect!


A close up of one of the shelves in his room. This shelf has Pac-10 mini football helmets, and a Lavell Edwards autographed football that I gave my dad a few years ago for his birthday. My mom gave it back to us to put up in the baby's room.


The other shelf in his room. This shelf has the MWC mini football helmets, and an autographed BYU football from 1979 that was also my dad's.

I sewed the duvet cover. It actually turned out better than I expected!!!

We repainted this dresser to match the color we painted the walls. This dresser used to be my mom's when she was growing up!

This is where we put the shelves. We are going to put up a BYU Football Penant in between the two shelves. My sister is going to bring it home in a few weeks.

Above the changing table, we put up some hooks with one of Daddy's hats, and one of Papa's hats. You can't see it very well, but I also made the crib skirt out of the same BYU material that I made the duvet cover and valance out of.

A view of the room from the door. Kelsey bought us that BYU football rug that is in front of the changing table.

I am SO happy with how everything turned out! Now all we need is a healthy baby boy, and we will be set!

This room would have been my Dad's sanctuary! I only hope that our son will have the same attributes, qualities and passion for BYU football that my Dad had!