Christmas Pictures

Here's a shot of the whole family. Joseph was a little busy with all his presents.


Josh and Laura holding Shae. They came over for breakfast Christmas morning.



Joseph and Shae helping Shawn open a present from Mom Harwood. We spent Christmas Eve with Jacob's parents.

Evil Credit Card Companies

It's all over the news, but I never thought it would happen to me. So, I noticed on my Bank of America on-line statement for November that the evil credit card company was going to TRIPLE my interest rate! (7.9% to 22.9%) It also told me I had until December 9th to opt out and close the account. Mind you, it was December 19th when I found this notice. I finally called them today and the first representative I spoke to said that I actually had until February to opt out and I didn't need to close the account as long as I don't use the card anymore. (It was shredded a long time ago). How freaking easy was that? I hate that these companies bank on un-informed consumers. My other credit card company also tripled our interest rate, but we had a 12-month promotional 3.5% that will now be 11.9%. I will never get another credit card in my life!
I keep thinking about going back to work to help us get out of debt faster. With Jacob in school full-time and working full-time and with Joseph and Shae, there just isn't any time. I am hoping to add a few more piano students and put all that money towards debt. On a happy note, our car will be paid off in just a few months!!

Joseph singing

Joseph loves the song at the beginning of the movie Wall-e. It's from "Hello, Dolly!" and I got a pretty good video of him singing along.

Snowman and Gingerbread and Boys

Pictures!

Joseph's favorite song is "Once There Was a Snowman"

Jacob, Shae, and Shawn at the Gingerbread Display at the Mormon Trail Center

The whole family at the Gingerbread display - Joseph slept through the whole thing.


Entirely made of candy!

Joseph loves cuddling with his baby brother

Twins? No, but definitely brothers

Shae is 2 months old!

Shae had his 2 month check-up earlier this week. He weighed 11 pounds 8 ounces and measured 22.5 inches (I still say he's taller than that). He's holding his head up and smiling - very cute. I think Shae looks quite a bit like Joseph did when he was a baby. Here's some pictures to compare.

Tolerance?

You can read the article written by a LA police officer and church member and see pictures of the protestors by clicking this text.
This is a picture from inside the temple grounds in LA. The protesting caused enough conflict that the temple had to be closed one day.

Playing in the leaves

Joseph thought raking was so fun! It was almost 70 degrees out, but really windy.

He kept asking grandma to pile the leaves up so he could jump in and cover himself.

Happy Halloween

I also made a scrapbook page with these two pictures.

On a quest for the unattainable

It's been years, it seems, since I last got a good night's sleep. Obviously, with a newborn, it's to be expected. I just think if I had a genie to grant me 3 wishes, my first wish would be 8 hours of uninterrupted REM sleep. The other 2 of course would be to end world hunger and war, but not before I get my rest ;) I've gotten more sleep on the couch than the bed because I fall asleep nursing Shae a few times a night. There's been a few nights when I fall asleep nursing Shae and wake up a few hours later only to switch him to the other side and nurse him and fall right back to sleep for a few hours. I guess I should be grateful for a really comfortable couch. Shae is definitely growing! Here are a couple pictures.

Another new bumper

Courtesy of another driver, we are getting a new bumper on our car . . . again. Jacob was rear-ended on his way to work Monday morning. He's got a little whiplash and our car has a long crack in the bumper. It's already in the shop and we are using my mom's van since they are in Hawai'i until Saturday. We also had to replace the boys' carseats. It was kind of fun shopping for new carseats knowing that we wouldn't have to pay for them.

Do you like candles?

If you like candles, you will love Scentsy!

Just in time for Fall and the Holidays!

You're all invited to . . .

What: A Scentsy Candle Party

Where: Online

When: Between now and October 24th

Time: 24/7

RSVP: Just visit http://www.scentsy.com/pmorton

Here are a few reasons why I LOVE this product:

They are like candles without the flame
Children and pet friendly
Wax only gets as hot as body temperature so it won't burn or harm anyone
Each bar lasts 60-80 hours, and are inexpensive
They have tons of different scents . . . there is something for everyone

If you live by me, feel free to stop by and see a warmer and smell samples my sister left.

Look how big I am getting!

Shae is growing so fast. I've already packed up some clothes that he has grown out of. I weighed him a couple of days ago and he was a little more thank 9 pounds. It is hard to believe he is 4 weeks old today!
My parents left for Hawai'i this morning. I can't wait to see all the pictures of the islands. They will be gone for 10 days. It is a much-deserved vacation.
~Shawn

I feel like a . . .

That's right, I feel like a dairy cow. Without going into too much detail, Shae hit his 3-week growth spurt right on schedule. It seems like he is a bottomless pit! I am just grateful that I have been able to keep up with him. Whenever he does sleep, I try to eat and drink as much as I can!
~Shawn

2 weeks

I can't believe Shae is 2 weeks old already. He is a good baby so far. He only fusses when he is hungry or needs a diaper change. He is a really good eater which was determined today at his check-up. He weighs 8 pounds now and is 20.5 inches tall. The dr was surprised at his height increase and actually measured him twice to make sure. Here are a few pictures!

More pictures

See Shae's Birth Announcement

A couple of pictures of Shae

If you want to read the birth story, scroll down.

Shae's Birth Story

For those of you who like to read happy birth stories . . . It might be a little long.



So, a little after 2 am on September 9th, I woke up with some contractions. They weren't really painful, but they were consistently 5 minutes apart. It hurt more when I way lying down, so I decided to just watch some TV. I let Jacob know what was going on and watched a few episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air on Nick at Nite. Around 4 am, Jacob came out to check on me and I told him I thought I should call the hospital and talk to the midwife on call. He decided to get in the shower while I called. My contractions were still 4-5 minutes apart and getting a little bit stronger. I was sure they were going to stop because I felt completely fine in between the contractions. I left a message for the triage nurse and she talked to Anita (the midwife). They told me to come on in. So, around 4:45am, I told my parents we were headed out. We got to Labor and Delivery and Anita said I looked way too happy for someone in labor.

We got checked in and went into an exam room so I could be hooked up to the monitor and see what my contractions were doing and check the baby's heart rate. Everything looked fine and my contractions were consistent. Anita checked my cervix at 5:50am and said I was about 3 cm and 80% effaced. She suggested I walk around the hospital for an hour and come back. So, Jacob and I walked around and he got some breakfast. I ate a protein bar and drank some water. We headed back to to Labor and Delivery and Bridget was now the midwife on call. We went back into the exam room and Bridget checked me. I hadn't progressed at all. So, she said we would monitor me for about 15 minutes and I could go walking again.

The monitor showed that Shae's heart rate was dropping with my harder contractions. This concerned Bridget, so she kept me on the monitor a little longer. I was moved into a delivery room and they continued to monitor Shae's heart rate. I sat on a birth ball while Jacob pushed on my lower back. Shae's heart rate was still dropping with my contractions, but Bridget agreed to let me get in the bathtub for about 15-20 minutes. (We were planning a water birth, but the hospital's birth pool was broken the night before.) Around 8:30 or 9, I got into the water. It was relaxing, but the contractions were actually more uncomfortable. I had 2 contractions in the tub and I felt/heard a pop just below my belly button. I told Jacob, "I think my water just broke." I stood up, but I couldn't tell for sure. The next contraction I had was A LOT harder. I had 3 more contractions just getting out of the tub. The monitors were hooked back up and I was squatting through the contractions. Very quickly, my contractions got really hard and were really close together. I was not able to focus in between them in order to relax. Bridget was growing more concerned about Shae's heart rate. She checked me again and I was about 5-6 cm and almost completely effaced. She thought maybe getting some fluids in me through an IV would help Shae and me. I agreed and got an IV. The nurse knew that I really hate IV's, so she did a really quick job of it. I was having so many contractions that I didn't really notice her putting it in anyway. The OB, Dr. Z, came in to consult and was concerned about Shae's heart rate, also. I needed some relief from the intense pain and pressure and asked for some pain medication. Shae's heart rate was dropping dangerously low (62 bpm) and I was feeling the need to push.
The Dr. and Bridget put the continuous fetal monitor on Shae and saw that he wasn't quite turned face down and was a little high for me to start pushing. I had to sit up in the bed for the anesthesiologist to administer the 2-hour epidural shot. Bridgit and Jacob pushed on my knees through the contractions so that I wouldn't push down - it really helped. After three tries, the anesthesiologist could not place the shot in my back. It was only about 5-10 minutes of sitting up, but it helped Shae descend the rest of the way. I felt like I was sitting on his head and I felt an incredible urge to push. I rolled onto my side and, sure enough, he was ready to be born. I pushed through 3 or 4 contractions and he was born. The umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck. That was why his heart rate was dropping. His apgars were 8 and 9 and the NICU alert was cancelled. I had a small 2nd degree tear and a small episiotomy along my old one. Overall, this recovery has been much easier than my first.
What has amazed me the most about this birth is how Heavenly Father makes our bodies. My body knew that Shae had to be born quickly because of the cord being around his neck. If I would have had a slower labor, he would have been in distress longer and may have needed to be delivered surgically. Going from 3 cm to holding my baby in 3 hours is pretty intense, but I am so grateful that despite the distress he went through, Shae is perfectly healthy.

Welcome to Shae Everett

Shae Everett Harwood joined us a 10:17AM Tuesday September 9th. He weighs 7 pounds, 7 ounces and was 19" long. We are doing well recovering at the hospital and will hopefully head home sometime tomorrow.

We're headed to the hospital!

I've been up since 2 am with contractions. It's 4:30 now and we are headed to the hospital! Here's hoping labor keeps going. We'll keep everyone posted!
~Shawn

Zoo trip

This past Monday was Labor Day and we went to the Zoo. We have been getting a lot of use from our zoo pass. We decided to stick to the north part of the zoo, which was much less crowded than the other side of the zoo. We saw the bears, the aviary, feeding time with the sea lions, the elephants, a flower garden, and the Garden of the Senses with the exotic birds. Joseph had a great time and the weather was nice. Here's a video of Joseph saying hi to the Sun Bear.

Why kids are the best

So, I'm sitting here, 40 weeks pregnant, getting ready to read an article about inner peace. Joseph is playing with his blocks as I start reading and all of a sudden, he walks over to me, looks me right in the face, and starts giggling for no apparent reason. It's the kind of giggle that you can't help but laugh along with because it's so darn cute and funny. I'm glad he knew I needed that!
~Shawn

Belly slide show - updated 9/2/08

30 weeks, 3 days

32 weeks, 3 days

34 weeks, 3 days

35 weeks, 3 days - Do you think he's dropped?

36 weeks, 2 days

37 weeks, 2 days

38 weeks, 2 days

39 weeks, 2 days

Nesting

So, I thought I had experienced nesting, but nothing topped my day yesterday. I vacuumed the living room, steam cleaned the carpets downstairs, finished re-upholstering my glider, re-arranged the bedroom so the bassinet and glider are next to the bed, re-packed my hospital bag, and folded three loads of laundry. To be totally honest, I did most of that work hoping that it would put me in labor. It did not work. At least I have a clean room!
~Shawn

Thoughts and prayers

Just a quick post today - Jacob's mom is in the hospital. She was admitted Wednesday morning and the doctors are not sure exactly what is wrong, but they are ruling out pneumonia and/or sepsis. She is at Midlands hospital in Papillion and the nurses are taking very good care of her. We would appreciate any prayers on her behalf and also for Jacob as he is dealing with not only a VERY pregnant wife and sick mother, but is also working almost full-time and starts a full load of classes at Metro this Tuesday.
~Shawn

Holy cow!

I just looked at my baby countdown and noticed that it said "Only 16 days to go!" WHAT?!?!? That flew by a little. I guess because I am due in September it sounds further away than it really is. My sister and her family will be here on Saturday, so hopefully I will go into labor shortly after they get here.
I got to see Suzzanne, Emily, Matt, and Will yesterday. I haven't seen Emily and Matt since their wedding and this was the first time I saw their baby Will - who will be 2 in October. I was awesome to see how happy they are! Hopefully I will see Suzzanne at least once more before she leaves for the UK. I am excited for her and totally jealous because I would love to go to England!
Keep an eye out for a post titled "We're Leaving for the Hospital" in the next couple of weeks!
~Shawn

Surprise!

Well, I went to pick up Allison and Aiden at the airport on Friday, and they had a stow-away with them - Jared! He surprised us all by coming in town for the weekend. I think he just about gave his mother a heart attack. He and Jacob decided to wear similar outfits when their parents came over and see if they noticed. Jacob asked his mom and dad if they wanted some water and went into the kitchen while Jared brought the water out. His dad saw that it was Jared right away, but his mom just carried on her conversation without noticing. A few moments later they both came out of the kitchen and their mom screamed. It was pretty funny!

The pictures are before Jared took us all out, including my parents, to a really nice dinner at Omaha Prime steakhouse. Josh and Laura watched Joseph for us because it wasn't exactly a kid-friendly restaurant.
~Shawn

Quick update

I've been updating the belly slide show weekly now, so if you scroll down, you can see just how large my belly is now, or rather, how big the baby is. I begin my weekly appointments with the midwives today and it is strange to think that I could have 4 more appointments before I have a baby! There is a storm front and a full moon this weekend, so there's a slight chance I could go into labor this weekend, but that is probably just wishful thinking.
Jacob just started the new school year (for work) today and is working almost full-time with the school district this year. He starts his classes at Metro on September 2nd and is taking 3 classes on-line this quarter. So, it will definitely be a busy fall for us! We have Allison coming to visit this weekend and then my sister and her girls (and hopefully Jeff) will be here the following weekend. It will be quite a whirlwind around here and then Jacob and I and the boys will be all alone in the house after everyone leaves and my parents head to Hawaii in October for 10 days.
By the way, I have been watching a lot of the Olympics the last few days, and I think my favorite moment so far has been the US Men's swimming 4x100 m relay race! Go USA!
~Shawn

Getting ready for baby

Joseph is good at lounging - which allows me to take it easy, too. Here he is watching his favorite show "Word World".
So, I got the new Twlight book Breaking Dawn in the mail yesterday. I'm on page 232 - a little behind pace for me. But, I have been taking breaks while reading to make sure I move around a little bit. I read too long yesterday and my feet got a little swollen. After that, I decided to finish washing and sorting the rest of the baby clothes. So, everything is ready for our baby boy to arrive. If you check out my belly shots, you can see how much he has dropped in the past week! My sister is hoping to make it out here in time, but I'm not worried because I am still planning on going late. My mom is requesting a weekend birth - I told her I would try my best to schedule that. My SIL Allison is coming for a few days next weekend, so that should be fun. I am excited to finally meet my nephew Aiden and hopefully Joseph will be nice to him - a little baby practice could be helpful.

Trip to the zoo

Well, last Saturday, Jacob took his parents and Joseph to the zoo. They saw the new butterfly exhibit, which is really neat. I sat out this trip because I am not ready for all the walking. I will probably venture out when I am 37 weeks and trying to go into labor. Anyway, here is a picture of the trip and if you go to my scrapbooking blog , you can see a page I made with a few more pictures.

My list, so far

Here's a list of things that are not so easy to do when you are 32+ weeks pregnant:
-Tie your shoes
-Shave your legs in the shower
-Cut your toenails
-Change a 2 1/2 year-old's diaper
-Roll over in bed, or get out of bed
-Take a trip to the store without using the restroom 3 times
-Resist chocolate or sweets in almost any form
-Climb over baby gates
That's the list so far. Feel free to add to it!
~Shawn

Cute!

I saw this onesie at Target today and I couldn't resist. "Stinker" was my nickname as a child.

Sewing project

After many months of complaining about how uncomfortable my glider is, I finally bought the cushions and material to fix it. I thought it was going to take forever (which is why I put it off), but it only took me about 2 hours! The fabric and foam cushions were also 50% off, so it only ended up costing about $30. Anyway, I still need to fix the ottoman, but the chair itself is so much more comfortable now!

Is it September, yet?!?