Being Super Good Examples To Our Kids

Well we were revealed to the ward again today. As you may remember from posts past, our little Jacob is way to honest. While out having the baby Jacob answered a question in primary that embarrassed Rick and I. He was asked what was happening in his home today (June 7th) and he replied that his Mommy and Daddy like to argue and that was what was happening. I think that they were looking for door number two in the form of the reply " my new baby brother is being born today". Nope, not our child. Why reply that way. Lets rat out mom and dad!

So, today when a little girl visiting was asked what she liked most, we were informed that Jacob decided to answer for her. He raised his hand and said, "I know what she likes best, she likes to ride bikes with friends" (something Jake did recently so of course it had to be her favorite thing). The little girl said "no, that is not my favorite thing", and then told what she liked best. Any child might be upset that they were wrong in their guess but our child took it to a new level. We were told that following the reply from the little girl Jacob hung his head and quietly said, "aaaaawwwwwweeee. Damn it, Damn it, Damn it! Yep, you read right. He said that in Sunbeams.
Man, we are going t have a talk. His teacher assured us that it was funny and not done mean. He said it to himself as an expression of frustration for being wrong but this is not his first time with that word. It seems to come up in funny situations. He first used it with his Thomas Train as he ordered him "move it Thomas, Damn it!" (-around 2 years old) and then there was the time he used it at our friend Kim's house around 3, and now at 4. I hope to cut that out before we have to deal with it at 5. I am probably the culprit in our house. I don't mean to say that but a stubbed toe, overflowing sink, or at times Jacob blowing zerbets on me as I try to get out the door in time. I need to repent. Our bishop laughed as he was recounted the story after church and I admitted I have been naughty. Luckily there is a chance to make amends. I Will add that to my many prayers of forgiveness for such absolute imperfection on my part. Luckily, I don't have to be perfect. I just don't get to be imperfect on purpose. Hope I get to keep the Primary Presidency calling! Just kidding. Were the most fallible of all of the moms for sure. We just get to be reminded on a weekly basis by our kids that tell too much of the truth!
Our Sunday conversation outside of the Primary room before going in will have to sound something like this: "Remember Jacob, no hitting, spitting, running, poking, gassing, laughing at gas, talking about gas, turning around in your chair, playing with girls hair, talking out of turn, twirling your tie around, taking off your tie and whooshing it around your head, telling embarrassing stories or saying naughty words." Essentially, don't be Jake??? Nah, better yet the Lord has me in there with him so I can just correct each thing as he thinks it up! Gotta love that kid. Never a dull day with my Jacob.

When I Grow Up I Want To Be A...

For years I have wavered on what I should do when I grow up. I have always loved photography and wanted to learn more. I have tried to be artistic in whatever I do, but now as a mom I sure love photographing my kiddos and anything that we enjoy in our day. I think it is what I want to do. Sad that at 30 I have finally made my decision, but I think that the reward of loving my career (something I don't think I would have had with any other choices) will be enough. What do you think?? With formal training, great equipment and media apps, could I go pro someday? Anyone saying no..... You are a hater! Just kidding. Well, here is what I worked on today. I wanted to capture Ricky exactly as he was. Tender, sweet, pure and so angelic. Did I succeed?

I don't just want to do kids. I definitely want to do some of everything (kids, occasions, families, artistic stuff,etc.) Maybe I more of an essence type of free lance work. You know, the kind of photography that captures a moment in time. It could be anything really. I just want to do projects and shoots that sound fun and interesting to me and a client someday. That could be anything really. I have a long way to go, but wish me luck! I will get to go to school in about 2 years. Until then......Lots of practice and work on my own. At least I have a direction now. Thank goodness. I love to have a direction.

Oh The Summer Days. What has Jakie been up to. Funny Day Story

(I can't decide if this story is a testimate to Jacobs' undying resilience, or an account of his worst day ever! Read on and let me know what you think:)

So, I have been feeling terrible about being home so much all day, every day that I decided to get out. I met up with a friend of mine that has 2 sweet boys and our plan was for them to ride bikes. Jacob has been earning his bike with good deeds and did not have one yet so Gene lent us a big wheels bike that was just hanging around her house. We went to the park and got all of the bikes out and since there were all normal bikes with training wheels guess which one Jacob did not want to ride! All of the kids ran to saddle up and Jacob ran for my friends little boys bike. It was the one that would have fit him best, but, the little boy wanted to ride it (rightfully so!!). So, Jacob broke down and begged the little boy to let him ride it. As all of the kids rode away I tried to help Jacob on the big wheel bike but there was no fooling Jacob! He knew that it was the only one of it's kind and if no one else wanted to ride it, then neither did he. I helped him try after shaming him into it but unfortunately, the seat was a little too far back for him to ride it comfortably. He decided he was done and just pouted. He chased the youngest boy on the bike telling him that he needed to share and each time I had to lecture him and remind Jake that it was not his bike. Finally, Jacob looked at me and said, "that is it. I am going to pray!" I had wide eyes as I asked what? Yep, I heard right. Apparently, Jacob decided that he was going to go pray to the lord that he would help the kids realize that they were being naughty by not sharing with him and that they would then do so. Off he went to a park bench near the end of the parking lot and he sat there in prayer. After a while, my friends oldest boy finished for a moment on his larger sized bike and Jacob was all over it. He was gleeful as he jumped on and tried to pedal but the bike was about the size of a 7-8 year old rider. It had training wheels but as Jake propelled himself he flew off each time. He cried each time and then got back on. I held the back for him, but after a front flip to the right over the handlebars, I decided he would kill himself on it I had him get off. He sat in sadness for a few minutes and then decided he wanted a snack. I got him one and he wandered around for a few minutes until he met up with my friend that took her dog for a leak. Yeah, a leak. Well, Jake got curious and wandered right over to the tree where the dog was doing his business. Unfortunately for Jacob, he was not aware that a dog lifting his leg on a tree meant that there was a high chance of precipitation (if you know what I mean). Yep, if you just got what I meant, I confirm. Jacob got peed on! His bare left leg was covered in it and my friend and I cracked up. I bet that is something he will never do again! We washed Jacob down and off he went. He decided if he could not ride a bike then he would run faster than all of them. He ran around a hockey rink sized lot so many times I lost count. He rejoiced as each time he beat the bikes and laughed as they pedaled fast, fast, fast, and failed to overcome him. As the day wore on the youngest boy we went with was done riding and Jacob got to ride the little bike that was just his size. He got on that thing and away he went. He must have ridden over 1 hour on it just going in circles. You have not ever seen a happier child! Sure he flew off a few times and rammed a silver trash can, but he had a helmet so I just called out to make sure he was alive each time. He would jump up and say "I'm okay mommy. I don't want to stop!!!!? Each time a little more worried than the next as I am sure he was just waiting for me to yank him off at any second. Well, we did that for a few hours and finally right before going home a little boy came to the play area that had a motorized car (looked like the barbie corvette) and his eyes got huge. He looked at the bike and sadly said, oh, I don't have one of those. I said, nope kid you don't. Don't worry because no one else does or will either. He got the meaning and off he went sure of himself again. Unfortunately, our day ended with Jacob being dragged off of the bike for trying to run over the little boy in the car with a mob of about 6 other bikes. Somehow he thought that it would be fun to play motorized bumper car/bike. I tried to explain that the car had the advantage and could literally run him over, but he just looked at me and said. "I'm just trying to have fun. Why wont you let me have fun!" We packed it up, thanked everyone and had a conversation on the way home about what fun is and how we talk to mommy. He said he was sorry and that the day was fun except for getting peed on. He reminded me that it was naughty of the dog to pee on people and that his dog would not do so some day. I got him an ice cream on the way home to help drown the pee memories. Ahhh, I love this kid. He is such a funny boy but so sweet. Every day is an adventure and I wish I could recount ever story. I figured if you get peed on though, you tell about it! Miss you all! Enjoy the pics of Jacob at play over the last few days. I am experimenting with my camera so they are random, but of a wonderful subject none the less!

Me Just Being An Angel: (this is moms favorite way for me to be... Well this and laughing!)I love To Love "My Baby Ricky":Oh The Hours I Spend Just Being A Silly Boy:

Bike Time Baby!!! I can't wait to get one of my own!

Popsicle Paradise - It is the best part of summer!Bangin Around With A Broom!

Hunting Rolly-Pollies! 1st Find them themthen make them turn into balls en I examinte them thoroughly and squish them!!! Yep, I'm all boy!Last, I cry about them being dead. "Oh, I had to do it", I say with remorse every time.

Getting Back In Shape!

Well, It is finally here! The time at which I can see what damage was truly done to my body after having a such a huge kid! And the verdict is......... surprisingly, not so bad! I was convinced my whole pregnancy that surgery would be my only option, but my body amazed me. I am not kidding, I was measuring 45 weeks pregnant (yeah, you should only measure 40 ever!) at 38 weeks just before I delivered and I was so swollen that my sandals barely fit. Well, not 14 days later, I fit into my clothes again! My tummy went down almost to flat and all of the water was shed in that first week which means that I now stand here a cool 47 lbs lighter. YAY!!!
Yep, between the baby (almost 11lbs ), all the blood & baby stuff (close to 14 lbs) and then just the water and amniotic fluid (they said it was close to (22lbs). All of that lost over the last 2 weeks and the swelling going down left me looking pretty normal again! I Am thrilled. Don't get me wrong, I have some serious toning and firming exercises to do, but I may not have the 1 year + process ahead of me that I was anticipating. I am setting my sights on December (my b-day) to be in better shape than before Jacob was born. I am almost exactly where I was right before having Ricky so I am hoping that I can achieve my goal that I set.
During the pregnancy the only thing I could stomach was chicken sandwiches from Chick-fil-a, and other crap that I could keep down. It was horrible because I was famished all of the time, but everything tasted like it was made with glue and made me sick when I did eat. Now, miraculously, I don't have much of an appetite at all. I just kinda want something small here and there and that is it. Fast food sicks me out now (thank goodness) so I just have things on hand at home all day that I can eat and that wont set me back. Before pregnancy I kinda followed a great eating plan called the ABS Diet. It was a great plan that incorporated all of my very favorite things are consequently good for you. There is no diet, no menu, no structure, just suggestions on the 12 types of food to eat as often as possible, and suggestions on portion sizes, though over eating on the 12 foods would be tough to do. I do not ever believe in diets because they are generally going to be a fad that ends and then people gain all the weight back and fail, but this was already the way I eat, so with a few modifications (eating more times per day, exercising more regularly, etc) it totally works for me. I figured I would put this out there and let people know how great it works. If you dig it, give it a try and let me know how it works for you. It sure beats boot camp at 4:30am every day and starving on any other plans. If it is done with 3 days of strength training (only about 1/2 hour at a time) and 3 days of cardio (1/2 hour or more at a time) the pounds should just melt away!! The book by David Zinczenko (The ABS DIET) has tons of work out routines that are short, to the point and make a huge difference in building lean muscle that eats the fat for you. Anyway, give it a go if you are interested. I sure am.
I started the eating portion last week and I am full (actually, I have to set reminders to eat every 3 hours or I forget because I am not hungry), I feel energized and good. I get to start the exercise on Saturday which will be 3 weeks after the baby. That was the minimum amount of time Dr. said I could wait to exercise. I cant wait. Swimming 3-4 x's a week and light weights and toning will be 3x's a week to start. Eventually, I would love to add plaits to my regiment and just mix it up often. Those are all of my favorite exercises so I hope I can stick with it. I will give an update as I go if anyone cares.

If you are interested in checking it out, here are the foods that are suggested on the Abs Diet (Again, there are no real recipes, just suggestions. Do with them as you will.)

1. Nuts:
Almonds, peanuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, pine nuts, avocados, sunflower seeds (raw or very very lightly salted)
Tip: Eat -24 or 2 handfuls per day toward late afternoon.
2. Beans and Legumes:
Soy beans, pinto beans, black beans, green beans, lentils, peas, hummus, edamamme. (not baked or re fried beans).
Tip: Sub black beans for ground beef in meat heavy dishes to eliminate saturated fats and add fiber.
3. Spinach and Other Green Vegetables:
Spinach, broccoli, asparagus, peppers and some lettuce (not iceberg)
Tip: Use olive oil and garlic to make them taste better in dishes.
4. Dairy, Fat Free or Low-Fat:
Milk, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese (not frozen yogurt)
Tip: Drink a glass of 2 percent milk before dinner to help take up some of the room in your stomach. Make and instant desert or post work out pick me up with a scoop of chocolate powder added to a glass of LF milk.
5. Instant Oatmeal, Unsweetened, Unflavored:
Oatmeal and other high fiber cereals. (no high fructose corn syrup or sugar in oatmeal)
Tip: Add a little cooked oatmeal to a smoothie for increased fiber or have oatmeal hot with frozen berries and 1% milk for a good after dinner snack.
6. Eggs:
Eggs, egg whites
Tip: for a quick breakfast: mix two eggs in a bowel and nuke them for 60-90 seconds. (creates instant scrambled eggs.
7. Turkey and Other Lean Meats:
Turkey, Chicken, fish (salmon and tuna are great), shell fish, Canadian bacon, lean steak like extra lean ground beef, tenderloin, London broil and flank steak. (not sausage, bacon, cured meats, ham, fatty cuts of steak).
Tip: Eat flax seed-ground or oil. One teaspoon is loaded with omegas & fibers. Sprinkle in Oatmeal and smoothies daily.
8. Peanut Butter:
Peanut Butter (all natural and sugar free) and almond butter
Tip: Limit yourself to 3 tbsp a day because it is high in fat. A perfect snack is a PB on whole wheat toast with crushed berries.
9. Whole Grain Bread and Cereals:
Whole-grain bread, whole grain cereal, brown rice, whole wheat pretzels, whole wheat pasta and whole grain waffles (great for pre work out sustenance).
(not white bread, bagels, doughnuts, breads labeled as wheat instead of whole wheat).
Tip: Buy whole wheat pasta with fax seed for a double punch of power.
10. Olive Oil:
Olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, sesame oil. (not margarine. Get butter with olive oil & no trans fatty acids)
Tip: drip it on vegetables, salad and rice or baked potato.
11. Extra Protein (Whey) Powder:
Whey powder, ricotta cheese
Tip: Drink a smoothie with whey before a workout. It works better after a work out than after a work out to build muscle.
12. Raspberries and Other Berries:
Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, cranberries, and other fruits like apples. (not jelly)
Tip: Pick blueberries first for the most antioxidants and soluble fiber.
13. Take a Daily multivitamin!!!
14. Drink 8 8oz. glasses of water all day!


Abs Diet Guidelines:
1. Eat each meal about 2-3 hours apart. For Ex:
Breakfast - 8 am
Snack - 11am
Lunch - 1 pm
Snack - 4 pm
Dinner - 6 pm
Snack - 8 pm

2. Make The 12 Abs Diet Power foods listed above the Staple of Your Daily Diet..
Suggestions for Eating before and after work outs for best effect:
-1 hour before or right after (smoothie with protein and carb)
-Load diet with fish, almonds and fortified cereals.
-Try citrus fruits, grapes and grape juice right before your workout.
-Eat slow burning energy whole grain toaster waffles before a work out to keep up energy.
3. Drink Smoothies Regularly:
- Add berries, whey powder, peanut butter, etc. for cravings
-Make them thick but only 8oz per serving for breakfast, as meal substitutes or as a
sack before or after work outs.
4. Stop Counting:
-Don’t count calories, fat, etc.
-Just stick to 1-2 serving sizes per food group
-keep total meal size to a normal plate size.
5. Know what to drink:
-Fat Free Milk, water (total of 8 gl of 8oz per day), and herbal teas.
6. One Meal a Week Forget the Rules and Eat as You Wish.
-it aids in metabolism and helps to satisfy favorite food cravings.

Let me know if you try it and what you think. Wish me luck!

Happy Fathers Day (a little late post)

Well, what can I say hon. I try to tell you at every moment how much we love you and always hope that you feel it on a daily basis. I adore you and always have. Why else would I marry you so quick! I have done lots of good things in my life and our decision to have kids is one of them. I still stand by the fact that marrying you was the best thing I ever did. EVER! I have had many wonderful surprises as we learned to compromise and work as a married unit, but discovering your natural ability to lead and be at father (because of your fathers example) has been one of the sweetest to me. I am so proud to have you as a husband and as Jakie says (and Rickie soon will), I love my daddy! I miss him every time he is not here. You never hear that part because it is said seconds after the van door shuts as we drop you off at work, but since he could speak, that is a sentiment that Jacob has expressed freely. I know that Ricky will feel the same, and I must confess, I miss you all day too. I love our time together as a family and love you so much. Thank you for being the boys best daddy possible.

*Here is a picture that says it all. Rick has looked like this from the moment either of his boys were born. He is devoted, attentive, excited, enthralled, hands on, and stable. Everything our boys could ever hope for!

P,S.

Thank you to our fathers that contributed to our family (and moms too). What is a daddy without a mommy?? Mom, Dad (both Hutchins and Shumway) We love you both too. Thanks for being great examples that we could learn from on both sides of the family. We love you and wish we could be there to share this day with you both!

Being Big Brother:

BEST BUDDIES! Since the day that we told Jacob that he was going to be a big brother he has been excited. He used to kiss my belly and say "hello baby, it is me, your big brother Jakie". He always asked to kiss my "big sweet belly" and asked for his brother to come each day from about month 7. We told him that the baby was still baking and when he was all done he would come to our house. Somehow this made sense to him and he waited patiently. It was not until he got to the hospital after the baby arrived that he considered that he might have competition. He was a little nervous but still excited to meet his little brother.

Rick said that he asked if we were still going to love him now that the baby was here and of course, our hearts broke. Ricks reply and mine to the subsequent inquiries of our love have always been "of course we love you. How could we ever not love our little Jacob bean"!! Over the last week Jacob has loved the baby with enthusiasm, but privately made inquiry into our love. Usually it was at a time that he wanted something and could not have it. Is he a smart little booger or what. He tries to manipulate us as any smart child would (I sure did with my parents!), but he can only get so far because we know that game. He has acted out a few times in funny ways, but mostly, he just wants our attention. We have tried to shower it on him and love him double. In any case, we sure hope this photo is a sign of the love, bond and friendship that is sure to come!

All in all though, I am surprised. I expected for there to be a major break down or some serious incident in which Jacob freaked out and unleashed repressed feelings. Luckily, that has not been the case. Mostly I just find him kissing, hugging, and cooing at little Ricky. He wants to hold him, laughs when the baby gasses (he does that a lot!!), shrieks when the baby spits up and laughs about all of his little faces. He seems as in love as Rick and I are with the little guy. I cant wait to see the friendship that could form between them. I know that Jacob will be such a good big brother! He has such a true love for babies, mommy, daddy, and of course his new best friend Ricky.

BATH TIME BABY!

This was not his first bath, but he seems to have a routine with them: First, he decides that he does not like being exposed or wet.

Then he realizes that he is getting a nice rub down with warm water and relaxes.

Next he relaxes into the rinse down and rub down with lavender lotion.

Snugly towels and kisses always follow the bath and this is where he gets on board.
Finally, a full belly of warm milk and a buff nap in his towel follow before his diaper and dressing routine. I love the whole routine! If a happy boy napping is the result, It just warms mommy's heart

Good Bye To Grandma Hutchins! We Sure Miss You!

Thank You For All That You Did Grandma (MOM)! I Put You On The Plane And Cried All Of The Way Home. We Are Okay On Our Own, But It Sure Was Nice To Have My Mommy Here! Well, so ends another successful birth/visit from Grandma Hutchins. Last time we had her for 3 weeks but felt lucky to get her for these 2 weeks considering she had to use PTO for it. There will never be anything like your mommy coming to town and attending to your every need. She made beds, cleaned, washed, organized, tended Jake, fixed dinners and just did anything she saw that needed doing. I tried to get her to just relax, but alas, that is not the mission of my mother. She is a doer! She actually seemed to enjoy keeping the house going while I was out of commission and we sure appreciated it. I felt loved, cared for and secure just like I did as a child. Don't worry, the cord is cut, it is just nice to be cared for. Not that Rick does not care for me, I just mean the way a mother cares for her child. Anyway, once again the highlights were:


- sitting and talking (that was about all I was good for considering the situation),
-seeing my mother hold my children, hearing Jacob say that he loves his Grandma Hutchins,
- seeing my mom get uptight as things needed to be done (I always get a kick out of her moments of neurosis)
-watching her face read exhaustion as Jacob smothered her in all of his energy,
-seeing Rick eat properly for the first time in 7 months without having to cook it himself, and of course,
-just getting more time with my momma!


*Here are a few pictures we got while out for the 2 times we left home.

Mom and I up on Mnt. Washington overlooking the city where the 3 rivers converge.

Mom with the kids at the same point. Wish we got one with Rick in there!!!

Well Momma, we sure miss you and invite you home here with us anytime you want to come. You wont have to take care of us that way hopefully for you, but we would love more time with you whenever you feel like coming to visit. We all love you and appreciate you more than you will ever know! I wish every member could visit and be with us as many of the favorites are favorites of each that we love. Somehow, it is just extra special when it is your momma.

I Just Could Not Resist!!!

We just wanted to share a few of the new little faces that Ricky has made over his short 5 days on this earth. Of course, as you go through, you will see that we could not forget our little Jakie either. He may not be a tiny baby, but he sure is

still cute!

Welcome To The Family Little Ricky!

He is here!! He is finally here. Well, after a long 9 months and years before that of waiting and wanting this little guy to arrive, Richard Jennings Shumway (that will be known as Little Ricky) finally outgrew his mommy. He was delivered 6/7/09 at 10:49am and weighed in at a whopping 10lbs 9oz. See, I was huge!!!!

I was praying on Saturday that Ricky would come within hours of Rick and Jakie getting back from Utah, as I was huge, miserable and in quite a lot of pain. I guessed it was the full moon that did it, but in retrospect it may have been my walking through Sam's and WalMart for hours shopping and trying to get labor started that did it.

My water broke at 3am and we got everyone up, took Jakie to a friends house and headed strait to the hospital. My doctor wanted me there immediately because he knew that this was a big baby and wanted to have the option of a c-section (I suspect). I got to the hospital at about 3:45am and that was almost exactly when the real contractions hit. I was dying as they got me admitted and by the time I was in my delivery room I was miserable. I thought I would be able to handle them better considering I did it for 11 hours with Jakie before an epidural, but nope. I was in full labor and though it took another 6 hours to deliver, the labor moved pretty quick. I got the epidural just in time and thank the lord for medicine. I bow to the ladies that do kids natural. I wish I had the strength but I didn't think that anyone blamed me since the little guy turned out to be not so little.

My doctor took me through the delivery with trepidation fearing that Ricky may not be deliverable without a c-section, but my body did it. I am amazed that I was able to do it now that I know that he was as large as they thought. I figured maybe 9lbs, 5oz. or so. Wrong!! There were some funny/scary moments when the doctor had the head delivered and the shoulders got stuck. He screamed at me to push and then with hysteria screamed for the nurse to get on me and push with me, and said push damn it!!! Yep, he said damn it. I had amazing doctors and I am so glad that we are with his practice. We were famous on the labor unit because we had the largest baby in months and the nurses said that they could pick Ricky out of a crowd because he was by far the larges there.

We got home on the 9th and I have just been recovering. There is a huge difference between delivering a 9lb baby and a 10.9oz baby! I am on the mend though and am actually more comfortable right post delivery than I have been since about month 6. I feel better and aside from minor aches and pains, the joy of having Jakie and Ricky in my arms is overwhelming! I am so grateful for the lord giving us another beautiful, funny, loving and healthy little boy.

I was afraid that after Jacob no one could compare but little Ricky is so much like his big brother in every wonderful way. He eats like a champ, he is calm and sweet, he loves to snuggle, and he seems content to let his big brother kiss and hug him all day. We will see what energy he has as he grows. Jacob got his energy going right at about 6 months and truthfully, I sure hope Ricky is a bundle of energy too. We will take him however he comes though.

Well, Jacob seems happy despite a few moments of concern for the attention shifting, but as we have gotten home and things are a little more normal, and mommy and daddy still hug and kiss him, he seems content and happy that Ricky is part of the family for good.

We feel so blessed and wish we were around to show him off so I will post tons of pictures to the blog often so that no one misses any of the growth of either of the boys. Thanks for the messages and calls, etc. from everyone that has heard already. We sent out picture texts to everyone in our roster on our phones so we hope they got through. If they did not, we will call soon and love you all!