We've Moved ...

... our blog. I wanted to do our own hosting, and unfortunately blogger doesn't work very well for that (limited layout editing and appearance settings). We apologize for the inconvenience, but we have moved the blog to http://jklawrencefamily.wordpress.com. I've also made a few changes to the website in general, including the ability to share many photos at once.

Weight check

Piper went in today to get her weight checked. She has gained 6 ounces in almost a week. That is a big relief since we had some struggling with nursing but all is well now. She also had to get her biliribin checked on Saturday and then again today. She went down and now is off the hook to get checked again. Things are settling down around here a bit. I am thankful to all those who have been there to help me out although I am still getting in trouble for not slowing down. I am doing my best!

Welcome Home!

We brought home our beautiful Piper today. We are so thrilled that she was born safely and didn't have to go to the NICU. Everyone is adjusting nicely and I can't seem to sleep because I just want to watch my beautiful girls interact with one another. Life is good!

Pictures ...

Here are some pictures of Piper. There are not very many right now. Her aunt got a lot of pictures, but we will get some of those posted later when we pull copies of them from her camera. Here are some of the ones we got:.

Announcing the arrival of...

Piper Suzanne... born at 8:41 pm. She weighs 7 pounds 2 ounces and is 19 inches long. She went into active labor at 5:30 pm and delivered at 8:41 pm. Everything went smoothly and she is fantastic. Since I am in the hospital we don't have the camera hooked up we will post pictures soon. Just let me tell you... she is BEAUTIFUL. Kathy is feeling great and enjoyed the short labor.

Another One to Post

Another fantastic day at the Doctor's. My appointment was at 8:45 am and I was back in the car by 9:06 am. I love it! My blood pressure was 106/61 and I lost 2 lbs. How is that? Aren't you supposed to gain weight the last couple of weeks of pregnancy? I wish I knew the secret so I could keep this up after the baby is born. I am dialated to 3 cm and am doing pretty well. John is still hoping that we will be surprised when the baby is born and it will be a boy. Gotta love him!

Mother's Day

I have been blessed to be raised by a FANTASTIC mom. She did a lot for us but also let us learn from our own mistakes. This past week I was given the best compliment from her... she told me that I was a good mom. I take that compliment highly and it makes me smile every time I think about it. I also found out that my oldest sister, Amy, told my mom that I seem to be a person who would be a good mom. A little background is that she is 9 years older than me and lives in Pennsylvania, and has been around me exactly 2 weeks since I have become a mother over 3 years ago. I know I am not perfect but it is nice to know that people who have watched me with my kids appreciate the love, sweat, and effort I put into being the best mom I can be. All I can say is it is because of my MOM that I am who I am. And in just a few short days we will be joined by baby #3 and I am so happy.

Happy Mother's Day to all those mother's that I watch and learn from who really don't know that I watch them. To my sweet little friend who is a new mom... Congrats, you are doing a fantastic job!

Feeling Good

Today was another Dr.'s appointment and it went well. I was in and out in 15 minutes. I love days like that. I am dialated to a 2 and 80% effaced. I was quite surprised by that but now understand the little aches I have had. I've got my mom on call and 3 outfits set out for the girls at any given time. We are prepared for our little Piper to appear and are now waiting til the moment she decides she would like to join us.

We are all feeling better finally! I wish our cold season wouldn't have come right when the swine flu made the news but good news..... we DIDN'T have it. I can't tell you how many people asked me if that is what we had. It has been a wake up call to me on what kind of stuff we should have on hand for when any of us get sick. Running to the store when you aren't feeling well isn't a good idea.

A fun post

Rules: Anything you have done has to be in colored, bold, and/or underlined. How much have you done? It only takes about 5 minutes…Just do it..it's fun!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a Praying Mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched an amazing lightning storm
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning...
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Ran a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible almost done
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (Corbin Allred--boy is he HOT)
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person (thanks to my hubby who is from S.A.)
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Visited Italy

If my counting is right, 31 out of 100. I am SO boring!

Baby Update!

Today was another Doc.'s appointment. I lost the 3 lbs I gained last time and my blood pressure is still perfect. I am feeling good and am down to the last 3 weeks. I am feeling things that are letting me know my body is working towards birthing Piper but I feel great. I get laughs from John and my mom because I waddle really bad and groan as I walk up the stairs. I love pregnancy! It is one of my favorite times.

Lots of Energy

Mallory started her dance class yesterday and we found out that one of her sweet friends from preschool is in it with her. Sorry the picture is so bad, but I think you can see how cute she is
anyway.

I woke up this morning with LOADS of energy ( for the 3rd trimester). Sadie and I walked Mallory to and from preschool, had a picnic at Grandmas's, headed to the mall and played at the Treehouse, then came home and made chicken parmigiana. After dinner was cleaned up I decided to make some things that I could freeze so we would be prepared for when I have Piper.
I made blender wheat waffles and homemade pizza pockets. These recipes came from http://everydayfoodstorage.net . I love that website. I have learned A LOT about food storage from it. Don't they look delicious?

Do dreams talk to you?

For a few weeks now I have been having dreams that the ultrasound is wrong and that I am carrying a boy. Now for those of you who know me, know that I am a planner, list maker, and pretty much try to control everything. I have had Piper's clothes hung and washed for weeks now and have been talking to my tummy like the baby is a girl. Is this normal in the last trimester? I don't remember this ever happening to me before. And on top of that my family and John said that they have all felt that the ultrasound was wrong anyway. This pregnancy has been 100% different than my other two and I was just counting it as a blessing, but could it mean I am having a boy? Has this happened to anyone before? Please let me know that I am not going crazy. :)

Party!

I am going to host a Stampin' Up Party on April 29th. If you would like to come leave a comment and I will get back to you with all the details. It is going to be a blast and I hope I can get a bunch of people there so I can have a last bash before little Piper arrives! If you would more info. on Stampin' Up let me know. Thanks!

You gotta love the Dr.'s office....

My appointment this morning was set for 9:15 am, however, I did not get in to see him until 11 am. He had to go and do a c-section and from what I overheard it was a pretty scary situation for the mom. I am doing well and so is Piper. I did gain 3 lbs. but the Doc. thinks it is because she finally decided to stretch out and eat more. Or it could be because my dear friends little girl, Keni, put her hand on my tummy and told Piper to keep growing. Thanks Lyndi! ;) My blood pressure is good and I am feeling pretty good. I still have the typical aches and pains but they are the good ones that let you know your body is doing what it needs to.

On behalf of the rolls.... they turned out GREAT! Julie B. the recipe is in the comment section of the last post.

I did it!

In John's family there is a roll recipe that Suzanne used to make when the kids were little. As they have gotten older Jared has been the one deemed to make them for almost every family function. Today I decided I would try and make them for my family's Easter dinner. I used a little bit of freshly ground wheat flour and made double the recipe (John's idea).

Here are some pictures of the girls in their Easter dresses. And yes that is the best of them all for the girls.

I love QUILTING!

Tonight was another quilt club. I LOVE this club! We already have an idea of what our next project is going to be, but right now I am still working on Piper's. Here is the latest picture. I have 2 more times before it is done but Piper will be here before the last class. I have some sweet friends who have volunteered to have a special class for me so I can finish it after Piper arrives.

March Kool Kid

Here is Mallory's latest from preschool:

not yet ... I can count by ordinals ... 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th
almost ... I recognize letters S-V ... needs a little help- but great!
perfect ... I can recite one springtime poem ... WOW!
perfect ... I can recite the Pledge of Allegiance ... WOW!
perfect ... I can recognize different kinds of weather ... WOW!
perfect ... I know parts of a whole ... WOW!

We are very proud of how Mallory is progressing! She has 2 more years of preschool and I know she will love every minute of it! Mal has come a long way since that little 2 year old!

Piper is great!

Another visit to the Dr. today and all is well. My blood pressure was 98/56 and my heart rate 107. I am STILL the same weight I have been the last 4 visits! Who knew grinding your own wheat, making fresh bread with it, and using it in your cooking would be so good for you! I know, I know I sound like a food storage freak, but I am proud of it! I am now learning to use bean flour. YUM! Anyway, all is well and I will be back at the Doc.'s in 2 weeks then I start going every week. Where has the time gone?

Doctor's Appointment

This will be a very short post. I have not gained or lost any weight again this check up. My blood pressure is good and so is my sugar. Piper is head down (the Doc. says) and is very active still. I am feeling the very normal aches and pains of the 3rd trimester. I will see the Dr. in 2 weeks again. We are hoping for Piper to weigh between 7 lbs to under 8 lbs 10 ounces. I don't know if I could handle any bigger (that is emotionally not physically). When they are bigger they don't look like newborns. My favorite time!

Progress

Tonight was quilt club and I love it! I got a lot done today and decided that crazy nine patch is my FAVORITE pattern. It is easy and the rules are sort of thrown out the window. I am even more happy with my fabric choices. These aren't the finished product. I still need to make several more blocks and then square them up. I will keep updating!

Piper's blanket

This will be a short post. For those who wanted to see what colors we have chosen for Piper's blanket here is the picture. I will post updates and I get the blanket going. I missed my last class because John and I went on a date. Those are few and far between!

Baby Update

Wow two posts in the same week I must be getting organized again! I had my Dr.'s appointment today and things are still going well. My blood pressure was a little low but not so much that the Doc. was worried. I didn't gain or lose any weight in the past month so I am VERY proud of myself. The baby is growing but thankfully I am not! :) I am now down to going every two weeks. Piper will be here before we know it and I am so EXCITED! So is Mallory; she can't wait to be a the big helper and take care of Sadie and Piper. What a great big sister!

Can you guess which is Mallory and which is Sadie?

Never too late..

It has been a long week but an exciting one. We are officially moved into our new home and we LOVE it! It is a lot to clean and take care of but it feels like home. Thank you to all that helped move us. I was on the sidelines again because of my ever growing tummy and appreciated all the help from you. I would like to get out official thank you cards but I can't seem to find them. All of the rooms are mostly unpacked and put away except for Piper's room and the office.

I have included pictures of the new house, Mallory, and Sadie. I can't believe how big these girls are getting. It seemed like only yesterday Sadie had the toddler look and now she looks like a little girl. Time goes by so fast!

Happy Valentine's Day

In a little over 90 days we will have another bundle of love in the house. John and I are so grateful for our little family and the blessings we have. There are too many things that I love about John, Mallory, and Sadie that I won't bore you with the HUGE list; I will just say I LOVE YOU ALL! Happy Valentine's Day!

Yes this is an old picture but I LOVE it! Sadie was only 5 months old.

January Kid Kard

Here is Mallory's latest from preschool.

perfect....I know my opposites...WOW!
perfect...I recognize letters H-N....all but N
almost...I can write my name without an example...
almost...I can cut with scissors...
perfect...I know how to take care of my body...mac and cheese, exercise, showers to clean me
not yet...I am brave...she said "NO!"

As you can see Mallory does have some things to work on but is progressing nicely. I can see a big difference in her since she started. Everyday that she gets to go to preschool she can't wait to get there an has a hard time sleeping the night before. I wish I would have had that same excitement towards school.

Doctor's Appointment Update

I had another appointment today and things are going well. I gained one whole pound. WAHOO! Piper's heartbeat was strong and we even heard her with her hiccups. Poor little girl. I get to take the lovely glucose screening test in a couple of weeks. After my next appointment I will go and see him every 2 weeks. I can't believe how fast this pregnancy has gone. I get to start on her crib bedding this week in my quilt club. I will do my best to post pictures as the quilt progresses.

Also on a football note.... Way to go STEELERS!

Happy Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary to my sweetheart! It has been a busy 4 years but they have been great. I am so blessed to have him in my life. He is a good dad and REALLY patient with all my pregnancy craziness. I hope and pray the rest of the years together are this good. I LOVE YOU!

And the decision is?

It has been a week of waiting and praying, but we finally know what house we will live in. We are happy to say that we will be staying in the ward but about a block and a quarter from where we live now. We are so happy! The house has 6 bedrooms and 3 baths. I know I know...it is really big for our little family but it just worked out that way. The landlord is the father of some friends of mine from high school. Our ward boundaries were changed 2 weeks ago so we have a little bit of familiarity and new faces. Plus one of the best things is I can still walk Mallory to preschool on good weather days. The move won't take place until early February which is perfect so I don't have to stress pack. Pictures will come once we sign the lease and get a picture.

A New Home

We are going to be moving fairly soon. We just aren't exactly sure where yet. We have been approved to rent two different houses. We won't know for sure until Thursday at the latest which one we will actually get. With one of the houses we would be renting, we wouldn't have to change wards. With the other one, we would be moving stakes, but to the same ward as a few people we know. I'm excited to have our own place again, without sharing it with others. Not to say that is has been bad living here, just too long with others.

Stay tuned - we will be posting where we end up moving too when we know.

Free Labor

The above pictures are of Mallory (by the car) and Sadie shoveling the driveway. They WANTED to do this! I think it is adorable. They love to help Daddy.

I had another Dr.'s appointment today. I lost another 4 pounds. I have no idea how I am doing this since I feel like I have food in my mouth and stomach all day everyday. Piper's heartbeat is strong and steady. She loves to move and kick mommy.