HELP FIGHT CANCER!

This summer has been a crazy one....we have had too many encounters with cancer. My amazing Dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 Melanoma skin cancer. The prognoses was very bleak, and I was quite scared. Stage 4 is terminal, and I did my research on the internet, and it didn't look good. Being stage 4, the doctors were sure the cancer had spread into his organs. Through much fasting and prayers, and an amazing priesthood blessing, he had both a cat scan and MRI, and there was no sign of the cancer in his organs. He went through 3 surgery's, a 9 inch wide by 4 inch deep incision in his back, took out the lymph nodes in his arm pit, and the cancer is gone. Wow, I feel so blessed, and I know my Heavenly Father answers prayers. My testimony of faith has really grown this last little bit. I know that through faith and the power of the priesthood, the prayers of my family were answered. I am also so thankful for good friends whose family and kids prayed for my dad, without even knowing him. I know that this helped!

So then about a month ago, Jordan's brother found out that he had a tumor the size of a tennis ball on his brain. He had a severe seizure that led the doctors to do a cat scan, where they discovered the tumor. We went to Idaho, and were with his family through the surgery. They removed the tumor, and he is healing well. We were extremely blessed again.

Both my dad and Logan are great examples to me. They both have such positive attitudes, and such strong faith.

My brother Brad wanted to do something to show our gratitude for the blessings we have received lately. He is doing a fundraiser for cancer research. He is Stand Up Paddling (SUP) October 1, 2010 24 miles from one end of Utah Lake to the other, and raising money for cancer research. The goal is to raise $10,000. That may seem a lot, but really its just 1,000 people donating $10.00. Here is the link to donate

http://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=325373&supId=303097270.

Also you can join the group on facebook at this link.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Stand-Up-for-Health-and-Healing/129251390455845?ref=mf

Any donation will help! Let's fight cancer, and stand up for health and healing!

Chubby....what?

I don't think Baylee is a chubby baby....do you? Ha Ha, she is too cute! I love this picture of Hunter, he constantly makes me smile!

4th of July

I know its September, but someday I want to print out my blog, and so I need to catch up a little! We had a great 4th of July, went to the parade, the kids went swimming, and had a great BBQ at our friends house. I love celebrating Independence Day. I am so grateful for the FREE country that we live in. I am so thankful for all of the men and women who fight to keep that freedom, and sacrifice their lives. It was so fun to be together as a family.Baylee is growing like crazy, she grins all the time. I love this stage, when she is alert and smiles, but will still rock and snuggle me! She is starting to reach for things, and loves her little moose that hangs from her car seat. McKinlee and Hunter are great with her, they love their little sister!Hunter is a hoot with talking, my favorite thing he says is "Dats because." I ask Hunter why he did something, his answer, "Dat because I wanted to." He is hilarious. He can't say his "S's", so conversations with him are a little difficult if you aren't used to the language! He loves his woft blanky, and idolizes McKinlee. He will do and say anything that she does.McKinlee is so stinkin smart! She amazes me everyday. She loves to learn, and at 5, is so eager to read. We go to the library and all she wants to check out is books that she can read herself. She is so excited for Kindergarten. She still LOVES to sing and dance, and knows every song on the radio! She loves to help me with Baylee, and will be a great babysitter someday!

Hunter and the Bink....

I had to post about this....have I ever mentioned that Hunter LOVES Bink, Blank, and Moose?? We'll I had a goal before Baylee was born to get rib of that stinkin bink. We were down to him just having it at nap and night time, but I was done with it! He got potty trained before the baby, moved into a bunk bed, why not rock his world a little bit more by taking away bink!! My friend had this posted on her blog, and I thought it was a great way to get rid of bink....

For about a week we had been talking up giving up bink. We told him about the bink people in the sky that REALLY wanted his bink, so we had to send the binks into the sky! So we did it, Hunter and I went to the store and bought a bouquet of balloons. We tied all 4 binks onto the strings (but that weighed it down, so I secretly threw 3 of them away) and went outside. Hunter was SO excited, he let the balloons go, and kept yelling by binks!! He missed bink a little that night, but was a champ after that! Why didn't I do this sooner? So I am sorry if you ended up with a bouquet of popped balloons with a binky tied on the end in your back yard!

My Righteous Baby

Baylee at 2 1/2 months old....I went in to check on her, and this is what I found!

I must be doing something right...ok maybe not, but isn't she adorable!

Baylee's Blessing

Isn't she adorable!!

On June 6th we blessed Baylee. We had such great love and support from our family and friends, thanks so much for all those who came. Baylee was a sweet heart, didn't make a peep in the blessing, and Jordan gave such a wonderful blessing. I'm so blessed to have a husband who is worthy to give our baby a priesthood blessing!I love having a baby in our home, there is just a special spirit that comes with a newborn! She makes me so happy, and is such a good baby! She is growing up way too fast! Here are a couple pictures from that special day!

The Story

So Baylee is now 7 weeks old, and I decided its about time that I told the story of her birth!!

I wasn't due until April 17th, but I was ready to have my baby! So my sweet Dr. allowed me to be induced, after going to the Dr. a day before my appointment to see where I was. I was already dilated to a 3. So he set the appointment at the hospital for me to be induced at 4:00 AM! (I know I'm crazy!) So my amazing mom came down the night before, to watch McKinlee and Hunter, and we stayed up all night talking....so needless to say I didn't sleep much. Jordan was gone trapping sage grouse, so he didn't sleep much either! We had to call the hospital an hour before arriving, so I was up at 3:00, showered, and got ready to have my baby!

The hospital was pretty quiet, I don't know why there aren't many people up at 4:00! The nurses were great, and got me all ready, and immediately started me on pitocin, which was about 5:00. My Dr. came in around 6:30, and broke my water, and cranked up the pitocin! I started having some pretty strong contractions, and I wanted my epidural! So they gave me my epidural, and the anesthesiologist bragged about how good he is at them, and said "if you need to push the button for more meds...which you won't...push this button. And if for some random reason it doesn't work by 8:05, let me know....but it will work, I'm good!" Well he sure was wrong! By 8:05, I was still feeling EVERYTHING, and it wasn't pleasant! I had pushed the button several times, and it still wasn't helping with the pain! So they called him back in, and he decided to give me ANOTHER epidural. That stunk! But he guaranteed this time it would work. Well it didn't. I could still feel all of the contractions, but I was COMPLETELY numb from the hips down!! I was kinda freaking out, I'm not one for pain, and I was prepared to have this baby pain free with my epidural!! At this point, I was stressing so much, they had to put me on oxygen, cause the baby's heart beat was dropping. Finally they called him in for a 3rd time, and I was in good labor at this point, at about an 8, so he gave me a manual epidural in my back with a shot. The nurse checked me shortly after, and said, "Um there's the head, don't move, don't even sneeze, I gotta go and get the Dr.!!" Well I was seriously completely numb in my legs, but was still feeling the contractions. They came in to deliver, and I had no control over my legs. They told me to put my legs up, I couldn't do anything! I felt so helpless! I felt like my legs weighed a hundred pounds each!! Well with about 2 pushes, our beautiful little girl was born at 11:30. 7 lbs 7 oz. 18 inches long. Lots of dark hair, and strong and healthy. They immediately put her on my chest, which I don't remember them doing with my other 2. And they took care of everything, her vitals, shots, bath, right in our room. It was nice that they didn't have to take her to do anything.

We struggled with the name, like we did with the other 2. I really wanted Baylee, Jordan really liked Jacee and Hadlee. We took polls with the nurses, and asked everyone we talked to. All 3 were good choices. I am really stubborn, but Jordan is too! Finally the day we had to leave the hospital, Jordan suggested Baylee Marie Hennefer. (Marie after his Grandma Simpson)

So here's the story....next time (wait there won't be a next time) but if there was, I figure there is no point in having an epidural....I'll just have to do it naturally (again!) But this time I will be mentally prepared to do it natural!

And life with 3 kids, hard at times, not as crazy as I thought, ask me again when the summer is over!! No its really great! McKinlee and Hunter are great with Baylee, and Baylee slept 61/2 hours straight last night!