What does Christmas with 4 kids look like?

A bit of a blurr....

and....A LOT OF FUN!!!!

Hope you all had an amaizing day celebrating our Saviors birth!

Tori's birthday party

Look who is 5!! tori decorating her cupcake at home after a very busy day!

She had an amazing time with even more amazing friends at the american girl cafe.
but of course couldn't start the day with out getting all of the girls hair done at my favorite salan in San Dimas Platform.

I had just as much fun that day as Tori did!! We started the day at the salon with donuts and OJ, with all of the "little" girls getting their hair done. (Tori, Mia, Mikayla, Lexi) from lt to rt. then we continued on our journey to the American girl store, where we all had lunch together (yumm food), Lexi's mom Ashley joined us (www.kostjuk5.blogspot.com), and Mikaylas mom Kelly joined us, as well as our friend Amoreena (who was so excited for an excuse to go the the American girl store!)
We had an amazing time with friends, and it was a day Tori will always remember, then closed the evening out with dinner at our house with friends and family decorating cupcakes, and eating Tori's favorite yummy spaghetti. Thanks for all that was involved in making her day super special, we love you all!

Special bond

I have always seen that Tara and Mac have had a special little bond going on, but not until recentlly was this moment cought on picture. Sound asleep together.

Tori's first date

My sassy little girl had her very first date tonight. She knew how to do it!! She got her hair done, her makeup done, and her nails done. She got her prettiest dress pressed, and she was ready. (she even wore perfum to smell good). She looked like the princess she is, and she knew it!!
Her date came to the door with a beautiful bouquet filled with pink carnations with a single red rose in the middle. *she decided to take those on the date with her*
There was dinner, and dancing, plus lots of coloring. Infact her date even brought home a picture that her drew for her. She also came home with a new necklace. He treated her like a princess, I think he set a standard. She is upstairs in bed with him right now, she just couldn't get enough of him.

everything had to be perfect. I believe she might have this "diva" thing down I can't get enough of this girl!She is just so beautiful A tear was in my eye when she was getting ready to leave. I guess This is a pretty good guy to go on your first date with!
We love you Tori. Please take tonights date as a standard. You are a princess, and deserve to be treated like one. Just know, when its with anyone else, you dont get to take him to bed with you!

This is why.

This is why when people who dont know Tara very well see her sleeping, they freak...A little blue/pale.
We love her!

All about me!!!

My friend Victoria (Moriahs mom) www.momentswithmoriah.blogspot.com did this survery, and I liked it. So here it is, all about me.

Who was your favorite celebrity as a child? Madonna! What can I say, I was a Material Girl!

What type of pets do you have? 1 dog here, and 1 dog that is due is December that will join us in Feb.

What is your favorite color? diffrent shades of green, I really like most colors except yellow though.

What is most memorable about your high school years? I would say winning CIF for Water Polo when I was only a Junior in H.S. and playing on the boys team. Or swimming in CIF for the first time.

What word describes you best? Willing. If I see a need, I like to help.

What is your greatest accomplishment? There is a ton of accomplishments I am proud of, but I would say my greatest, would be Tara. You never know how strong your faith is until its tested, and I feel I passed the test. I guess all that late bible studying, praying, and reading paid off!

What drives you every day? My Toyota Sequia!! :) ok I guess my family. All of them drive me in diffrent ways. Elijah drives to to get up every morning way before I want to, Tara drives me to get up in the middle of the night (several times), Jake drives me right to the grocery store, and he might just starve to death, Tori drives me to learn to see the beauty in things (everything is beautiful to here), and Jim drives me crazy. Ok, he actually drives to to (cover your eyes mom) fall more madly in love with everyday.

What is your favorite food? Roast beef and Yorkshires are my favorite meal (yummmm) but I would say type is Mexican.

Where do you want to retire? where ever my kids are! I can't imagine them living somewhere else and me here. Is it sad that I am ready for grandkids?

What is your business goal this year? wow! Thats a lot. I think just growing the business in short...but still enjoying everyday with each other.

Where do you like to vacation? I just like vacations. I am pretty happy no matter where I go! I like to camp, fish, cruise, stay at a 4 star hotel etc. As long as I am with the ones I love, its a great vacation!

Who do you admire? This is easy...my mom. My mom is the most amazing person I know! She raised 4 kids, pretty much by herself (my dad traveled about 300 days a year), we lived in Canada, so with us young 4 kids she would do everything on her own, including shoveling snow!! Then when my dad got a job here in the states, she packed up the house, said goodbye to her family, and closest and dearest friends, and went. Not only to another state, but another country. 2500 miles away from her friends and famiy, by herself, with 4 kids. Oh, and did I mention that she is an amazing women of God? And that all of her 4 kids are not only loving God, but serving in ministry? Amazing....

What is your mission? the lost.

If you were invisible, where would you go? I dont understand this...I am a big girl, if I want to go somwhere I will, I dont need to be invisible. What am I suppost to say the boys locker room? OH, but maybe I would follow along with elijah to school one day....

What traits in others are you attracted to? their heart

What is the kindest thing anyone has done for you? so many people stepped up when Tara was in the hospital, they made us meals, they moved us, they watched out kids, It made me see that people really do love others, and the kindness of strangers in amazing.

How do you want to be remembered? that I loved God with all my heart, and that it showed everyday.

What would you do with a million dollars? Give it to Jim and let him decide. I am not good with money...but I think he would pay off the house, and build me a pool....right honey?

If you were on an island, who would you want to be with? Bear Grills. He could get me off the island and back to my family by teaching me what bugs to eat, how to stay warm, built a sheleter, and how to drink my own pee with out dying....
What you dont know who Bear Grills is? he is the ultimate survivor man!!! look him up...google him.

Why?You have a 10 minute speech to give at a high school, what is it about? your character. That if you look back in life at your most memorable moments, it wont be time when your lost your virginity behind the school gym (dont worry, thats not where I lost mine), or prom night your senior year, or even the great school party. It will be your wedding, the birth of your children, watching and listening as your children accept Christ. Prom? I can't even remember what our theme was....

pictures, wow, wasn't as long as I thought!!

This is one of 3 blogs posted today, so keep going down!!
Ok, the random pictures of the last 5 weeks!

Seriouslly how can you get mad at this face?

OH, thats how!! Yes, all this drama because I wouldn't let her take pictures on my camera!

My scary dragon, my perfect Pablo, the finest fairy, and the criple....literally!!

Jim and I going into Cabo, so much fun!!

I also added a video of my shy little Tori girl, that was playing with my phone, found a song, and started dancing. yes, she will be locked up when she is a teenager.

Trying to play catch up!!

ok, I am bad, I know!! Its been 5 weeks since I had a new post! And yes, things have happened, and I did not share with my bloggy friends, or others.
Well, first things first, Jim and I went on a MUCH needed vacation!! Yes, just the 2 of us. We had a great time together going on a cruise to the Mexican Riviera. It was so nice to just be the 2 of us. Infact we were thinking about it, besides our honeymoon (which was just a 3 day Mexico cruise) we have never gone away for this long before by ourself where I was not pregnant or had a kid with us. It was such a fun time. We took lots of naps, (lots of naps....) ate lots of food, swam, shopped, and went on this really cool zip line adventure. Hopefully at some point I can put those pictures onto here, because seriouslly it was amazing! Right now I just can't find the disk...I will have other pictures later, but my photo skills were seriouslly lacking on vacation, as I think I took about 3 pictures....
Tara our little pricesss/pain in the butt was also admitted to the hospital a few days before we left for vacation. She had been running off and on fevers, and was just not getting any better, so she got admitted. Fortunatlly They found the source of infection right before (seriouslly like less then 24 hours) we left on vacation. It was really hard leaving her, but I knew she was in good hands with my sister.
The other munchkins lived it up here at the Carlson pad with Grandpa. They had a great time together, and I am not sure who enjoyed it more, grandpa or the kids. It made us (well, ok mostly me) feel so good comming home to a clean house, clean kids, and smiles on their faces. I felt so good comming home, that I am ready to go again!
So many other things have happend, but I sure can't remember a thing! Its been busy to say the least. Then I was thinking last week, boy I need to blog about this, but didn't know how to start it back up again, so here I am back into blogging, and promising that it wont be this long until I do it agian.
Oh, and the promised pictures are taking their sweet time to download, and with out my cruise naps that I am still used to, I am on no energy, so I will do it tomorrow (or the next day, or perhaps Monday) but they will come!

Indescribable.

A few weeks ago, I had to amazing opportunity to be there when Jims cousin Brian went from the temperal to the eternal. What was even more amazing then that, was to watch his amazing Wife Jen, watch, and hold his hand, as he entered the presence of our Lord. What true strength this amazing women has. She quoted scripture to him, and herself. She stood strong thru this difficult trial, watching, praying, and strengthening others along the way. What an honor and privledge to not only call her a friend, but family.

My "Really God" moment.

I know, so its not the best picture ever, but hopefully you get the message.

Last week, as I was hurrying trying to get my house ready for people to be staying for Jims cousins surgery, I poured some bleach into my toilet bowl, and was running around doing other things (like anwsering the door, taking care of children etc..) well Tara my big girl helper decided to get Mac some water...from the toilet bowl. Well in bringing the in his bowl to the TV room to give him a sip, needless to say she is only 2 and some fell. Remember the bleach in the water bit? I was mad. Not at her, but myself, and frankly God too. After all I was having some stress. You know just a bit. Well lets just name a few things.

1. bunches of people at my house (where I loved it, its not the same where I get to curl up with my hubby at night watch a bit of tv in my jammies, and not have a bra on til noon if I dont want.)

2. Elijahs brocken leg

3. did I mention I got a speeding ticket on the way to take Elijah to the hospital for his brocken leg?

4. Jims cousin in hospital with Cancer, with your mortality check into overdrive especially since he is the same age as us.

5. Tara and Jacob got sick with really high fevers, and because Tara is Tara, I was very worried we were going to end up in the hospital.

6. My mom was in Canada seeing my aunt and Nanny (it always helps to have my mama here when things happen)

6. just being a mom to 4 kids. homework, school, fights, clean up, laundry, etc. Life doesn't stop just becuase life goes into fast gear.

7. hubby is self employed....and I dont know if you have heard or not, but we are in an economic crisis. Just FYI for anyone who doesn't watch the new, turn on your TV, computer, or talk to anyone.

8. We are getting audited by the IRS next Tuesday. Somthing about charitable giving. I guess IRS doesn't tithe, or believe people who actually do....

9. Jim got admitted to the hopsital for chest pains.

So as you can see the carpet is just a thorn in my side. I mean really, its carpet, but still, its my carpet. Its not like we can afford to re-carpet or do what I really want to do, and put hard wood on my floors.

Well, last night as I was getting my house ready for the weekend (I dont like to clean on the weekend anyways, plus I am at my Womens advance all weekend) and I was vaccuming, I got that bitter feeling in my stomach again when I saw "the spot". Then as I sat down, still bitter I had the God moment. The moment where He speaks to you and says "really? I have saved your daughters life, I have saved you, I have made you a family, I have provided you with a beautiful house in a great neighborhood, I have kept your husband employeed and working where other contractors are literally dropping like flies. do you think I would do that to you? leave you with somthing with such a bad taste in your mouth?" so last night sitting there drinking my cup of tea before bed, I gave it to God. Yes, gave him my spot on the floor. If he can clean my heart, he can clean my spot.

Well this am after giving my spot to him, Jim got a few work calls for Really big projects comming up. Nothing is set it stone yet, but it was my confimation that I needed from God. Even the least of these are His. He loves me and takes care of everything I care about...even my carpet.

Prayers Pretty Please!!

I already know, you dont need to remind me....I am suppost to be putting Taras story on when she got sick on here. I just can't figure out how to copy and paste onto this...its not letting me. If someone knows, please do share!!! Please....
Now to the why the Pretty please Prayers:
Last weekish (seriouslly time is now one big flop now, could even be 2 weeks ago...) Jims cousin Brian was in the ER and was told he had the swine flu...They also did a CT scan on him and determined he had a mass on his Kidney. Well, now as time goes on, the mass on his Kidney, at 13cm big..(yikes) Is Cancer (double yikes). They are also seeing spots on his Lungs, and liver. This is a young healthy man, he is 35 (36 tomorrow) with a beautiful wife (jen) and 2 great kids (Zack and Nate). Tomorrow he is going if for surgery to remove his Kidney. Please say a prayer for him and his family. Jen (his wife) was also admitted to the hospital on Friday for dehydration. As you can be imagine its very hard to take care of yourself while in the midst of a trial. Prayers are appreciate.
Thanks, oh, and dont forget if you know how to copy and post on here let me know......

Boys, and their boyness!

So planned on talking about This...(Tara 2 years ago)

but alas, instead we will talk about this!! Elijah asked if he could go "riding" before dinner tonight. I said sure, just bring your cell phone (sometimes I need to call him and let him know its been an hour come home!) and put your helmet on (of course). So I have spaghetti on per Toris request, and just boiling the water to put the noodles in when the phone rings. I see its Elijah so I anwser, and he is just screaming. I can tell he is hurt, so I ask where he is and he says just go up our steet and turn right. So I get in the car with the other 3 kids and we go searching for elijah. He is not up our street and right so I look around a bit and call him back. (still crying) he said "I don't know where I am, just hurry it hurts" poor kid. I go around for a few more minutes looking and finally find him. (down our street, left, then left again up a steet and right....but what ever) I see right away that his finger is hurt (bent) and that he has some nasty road rash all over. We go home and clean up a bit, and call Jim to see when he will get home. In only about 1/2 hour so we wait for him to come home. At this point I knew we were going into the Urgent care or ER. So Jim gets home and Elijah and I head out. When we get there it is PACKED like I have never seen it. Crazy, and we wait, and wait, about 2 hours in the waiting room. We get backed they get the road rash cleaned up and bandaged, and do exray on his anckle (which both the doc and I agreed most likely just sprained) and his pinky (again doc and I agreed most likely brocken). Well xray is done, and I ask if I can see them. She says no, but she puts them up for the doctor to see when we get back and puts us in our room and I go sneak a peek...my kid! And even I notice the LARGE break on his leg. OOOPS!! So he broke his Fibula, and we see the orthopedic surgeon tomorrow to decide what to do. Oh, and did I mention his finger was fractured as well? An upward fracture? not sure what that means, but just a finger splint will do I guess! OOPS again!!!

So tomorrow, or Wed. I will write about our little princess Tara, and her story (readers diagest version of course). but until then, why am I always in the ER on September 14th!!!

a cup of coffee

Today the middle ones started pre-school. So at 9am I have Elijah, Jake, and Tori and school, and Tara still sleeping. Now I sit by my computer sipping on a fresh cup of vanilla nut coffee. What could be better then that!!
I will be posting another post later about the tales that enspired 2 years ago today, when we were told to say goodbye to our sweet little baby girl Tara.

Taras 2nd birthday!!

This is actually post number 2 for the day, so keep clicking down!!!

This past Saturday we celebrated Tara's 2nd birthday with a Backyard Birthday Bash with Blood Drive!! It was so much fun! USC blood donor center came and took blood from friends, family, and neighbors in honor of our Miracle baby (guess at 2 she is not really a baby anymore) girl! They were able to collect 33 pints of blood!!! We celebrated with a HUGE water slide and bounce house, lots of yummy food (if I do say so myself!!), friends, family, and nieghbors. It was so nice to just hang out with everyone, and have such a good time. Friends came that Jim and I havn't seen since our Wedding, nurses came, even Taras cardiologist came to join in the celebration! Everyone said they had a great time, and I say God bless disposable serving trays!!! not good for the environment, but good on my back for not having to be doing dishes til 3am like last year!!! Here are a few pictures of this years celabration!!

what we did last week.

I am so impressed with how well Mac does with all the kids! Tara just loves on him, and can't wait to hold him, hug him, and ride him....She pulls his ears, checks his teeth out, pulls his tongue, (and his ummm...parts as well...), he is so good, and just loves her back. We love him to pieces, and if anyone has any intrest in getting a dog, highly recomend the Silver Labs. Just soooo good with the kids as you can see by the next few pictures: Seriouslly, I am so impressed at how well he does!! tara giving Mac a hug! We also celebrated daddys birthday on the 2nd, so we made chocolate cake with chocolate frosting!! Here is a picture of daddy eating his birthday cake! (dont mind all the laundry on my dest/chair/everywhere!!) we made lots and lots of cakes!!! WE made 6 for Taras party, plus one for daddys birthday!! chocolate cake for daddys birthday (this is just the chocolate frosting, makes a better picture!) and of course lots of this still....Fortunatlly she is feeling much better now, so they have stopped!

Taras birth story (9-6-07)

For some of my new readers/bloggy friends, I thought I would share Taras birth story since its hilarious. (you know, you can laugh at these things now...)
On Wednesday the 5th I had my normal OBGYN appt. He checked me as normal as I was 37 weeks along (longer then I had kept any of my other kids, I have a very inhospitable womb!). When I say checked, I mean he was IN there, up to his elbow!!! He said I was 4 centimeters, and it would be any day. As any women knows, after they check you, you get some contractions going on, but nothing to bad. I went home, and by noon, I was leaking...stuff. I assumed my water, so I went to the hospital, got checked in by 4, got a nurse, and she said "no, you are just peeing your pants, it happens" "honey, you will know when its your water, you are not even 1 cm dialted, you have weeks to go." SUCK!! I didn't know you could re-gress on dilation....I went home, made dinner for everyone, and walked around with a make shift diaper out of towels, as I was leaking all over the place, literally!!! I gave the kids a bath, and put them into bed like any normal evening.
By 11ish I was trying to go to sleep, but the contractions were just a bit uncomfortable, so I took 2 tylenol and went to bed. At 1130 I was woken up (and woke everyone else up to) with the most uncomfortable contraction. Seriouslly, I was screaming!!! Jim who was already asleep asked if I was ok, and I said "aaah I am in labor, I need to go to the hospital NOW, I NEED DRUGS!!!!!" he said how long how you been in labor "about 10 seconds". Needless to say he wanted me to have more then 1 contraction!! By the second contraction I said "call the sitter, we are going to the hospital NOW" He called the sitter, and by this time I was screaming, banging on the wall, yelling at anyone and everyone, and anxiouslly waiting by the door for the sitter to drive the 15 minutes to my house. By about midnight I told Jim get in the car we are leaving now, I dont care if he is not here!! Needless to say he got there as we were pulling out!! Jim is the most cautious driver known to man, but I made him speed!! He was being so good at first, but it was getting really bad, I was banging on the ceiling, hitting my head on the window anything. At this point, no break between the contractions. I even told jim at one point, "I need to push"!!! As we were getting closer, I told him to call the hospital and tell them to meet us out front with drugs. They asked how long I had been in labor for, and when he told them half an hour, they didn't .....So we pulled up in record time after running every red light, and stop sign with speed. Jim ran in to get someone, and I saw the ER. I was going in, they had drugs and I was going to get them. I was screaming and hunched over "GIVE ME DRUGS!!!" "GIVE ME DRUGS" I was serious. The security guy pushed me thru to the labor side down the hall as I am sure I got stares. As I was walking down the hall I saw a nurse and said "can you give me drugs, anything, I just need drugs, please" I was crying, screaming and begging. No such luck. I get to labor and delivery, and they come get me (I was pretty loud I guess...) and the nurse is telling me to calm down, there is a long way to go. She gives me a cup and a gown, and tells me to get dressed and give her a urine sample. I am screaming for drugs, but she said no pee, no drugs. So I went to the bathroom, and tryed to give a urine sample. I was shaking so bad I couldn't hold the cup. I got Jim to come in to help me and pleaded with him "you need to hold the cup, I keep dropping it, they wont give me drugs til I give them pee". So being the great honey that he is agrees to hold the cup for me. He gets down there, puts his hands there, and without warning, at 12:06 am out pops my little girl!!!!! He catches her, and puts her on the ground, and spins her around trying to un-wrap the cord from her kneck, and pulls the little "help" cord and says calmly "we need some chucks pads and some hemostats in here"
Nurse on the other end "what for sir"
"for the baby"
"what baby"
"the baby my wife just had"
"#%$& WHAT!!!"
Lots of dropping, and words were flying around, but needless to say about 5 nurses were there in about 5 seconds.
They put 1 hemostat on the side where Tara was, and cut the cord, and I sat there on the toilet with the cord in my hand for quite awhile....Lifting it up so I didn't bleed to death. They took the baby, and did what they needed to do with her and I just sat on the toilet screaming still I needed drugs (I felt ripped off!!)
After about 20 minutes they finally come to get me and lay me down on the bed as I am still holding my cord, and I asked Jim to call my mom who was going to be there for the birth. She got there, and the nurses finally called the doctor who arrived about an hour and a half later (yes I am still holding my cord) Needless to say my mom got to see me deliver the placenta, proubably not the same excitment!!!
The doctor FINALLY gave me drugs, and I was a happy girl holding my sweet little 6lb 11oz 19 1/2 inch baby girl with red hair and blue eyes.
She was just absolutely beautiful, and perfect in every way. I counted her fingers and toes, and admired her piercing blue eyes, and her chunky cheeks (yes even at 6lbs she had cheeks on her")I thought she weighed so much more then that she just looked chubby!!
She had perfect little arms, perfect little legs, perfectly round head, and a perfect heart......
Yes, my girl was born with a perfect heart. Undamaged, perfect and whole in every way.
That story will be next week....
Baby girl,
You came into this world like crashing thunder. You supirsed us all with your fiesty little attitude even then. We knew then that we were on your timing, and things were going to be your way or the highway!!! You captured my heart with your sky blue eyes, and your fiesty red hair. You were perfect, and tiny, and I was in love. Little girl, you have been thru some much in your short time here, and I am amazed by your strength. Most people dont go thru this in their lifetime, and you have done it in 2 years, yet you still push on with your fiesty attitude. I can't imagine our family without you, as you bring in a completion that we never had. You tought me how to have patience, you showed us how to pray, You showed us how incredibly generous people and strangers are, and how family unity is so important, but most importantlly you showed us that miracles do happen. I am so proud of you baby, and I am honored that God chose me to be your mom, and its a privledge and an honor everytime you say "mama".
I love you Tara Lorraine.
Mom

hospitals, parks, and hospitals?

First things first, We had a weekend with my niece and nephew last week.
Why would anyone have 5 carseats in the car, carrying 6 children you ask? (Elijah taking the picture) 5 kids under the age of 4.....Well Sarah my niece at some black berries....turns out she is alergic! So we went off to the doctors office with 6 children where we had to wait about 1 hour (we had no appt...) Needless to say there were lots of tears, lots of duck duck goose, and even more stares. (Mostly at me I am sure, as I was tyring to entertain 6 children any way possible.) We got some medication, and were on our way....until later. When everything started to swell even worse. Poor girl! She is really allergic!!! So Auntie Kat (being the awesome Auntie Kat that I am spent the night in the Urgent care with her, then up til 4:30 am with a cranky girl. Tori and Tyler playing Castle. One of Toris favorite games!! Jake being jake!! what a good big brother!! Tara being the puppy! 2 extra kids joined the crew for a weekend! My nephew Tyler, and niece Sarah (before she got real bad...) not sure what this face is all about!!! but he is still cute! bathroom break! We have spent the summer playing at the parks in the area (mostly the one next door!) Its so convenient to not have to pack up the kids! Plus with the park next door, we always know we are going to get a clean bathroom...well, most of the time! Sometimes the bathroom gets left for last on my list of chores! Priorities!! Every one wants clean Panties, but nobody wants to do laundry!!

kids running at the park with 100 tress (also known as Mills Park, or Pepsi park if you lived in La Verne back in the early 90's!) Last ditch summer picnic before school starts! Yummy In and Out at the park with cousins. Jake swining at the park! Look at those dirty tootsies!! Little princess loves to swing! Just closes her eyes and soaks it all in!! Last but not least, our little love bug/ pain in the neck :) was hospitalized again last week. Its so hard to get this across to people, who ask, Oh, well she is out of the hospital, is she better? Seriouslly if I get that "oh, so she is better now" after comming home from the hospital one more time I might scream!!!!!!!!! (you have been warned!) NO SHE IS NOT BETTER~She has a serious heart problem. One that does not fix itself, and one that there is no surgery to fix. The only way for her heart problem to be fixed is with a transplant, (which equals a new can of worms meaning no she would not be "better" that way either) or God to give her a "transplant" no cutting required!! The fact is when she comes home from our "tune ups" at the hospital, its not because she is better, but the fact is she can be better managed at home, with our "home" germs versus hospital germs. We have monitors, and medications that we do at home, but sometimes, she needs a bit more supportive care, so our hospital stay will not get any less often until the Lord chooses to heal her completely. (any time now Lord, We are ready!!) She has been admitted 17 times now, in the last 23 months. When talking to the nurses and doctors, they thought that was actually pretty low for someone with her medical history, and condition, so she is doing good with only 17 in their eyes. Its hard, its hard on the family, its hard on her, Its not only her that gets admitted, but its one of us parents, and our other 3 munchkins get shifted as well. Its hard on everyone involved. Our families take on way more then they bargined for, with an extra 3 kids, midnight phone calls, and lots of stress! We are greatful for everyone who helps.

But seriouslly, how cute is she! Tara getting an echo.