JAMES NATHAN

This is Darcy Case, I am Lisa's friend. I was given a great honor to come and see her new little baby hours after he was born; before he had a name, before Grandma and Grandpa, even before the two excited sisters. I am not saying this to brag and in all honesty I am expecting and hoping that Lisa will write her own birth story in place of these words, so I am saying this to express what an honor I really felt it was to meet this new little boy that has joined the McKnight family.

 

I had the best time visiting with Lisa, no one else was there, Nate had left to pick up his girls, and so we got to visit, marvel at the miracle that birth really is (and how surreal the whole experience is), and I was so happy to hear how wonderful her experience was birthing this baby boy.

Lisa...Congrats, he's beautiful!

 

MY GIRLS

 My girls have gotten along so well lately.

Although the messes have been obscene, it is so nice to hear them make believing together and being friends.

They were building a train in the front room with all their dolls and stuffed animals.

 

There brother will be coming tomorrow.

His induction is schedules for 7:30am.

My parents decided to stay a few more days.

I am so glad.

These girls will be getting a brother soon.

PASSING TIME

I had these scraps of fish fabric my friend Kay had given me.

I thought about making a quilt for Nate out of it for Christmas but I was too tired.

After my mother and I stared at eachother for several days with no end in sight, I suggested we make the quilt. It was only going to take a day. Right.

It only took a little more than a day.

My mother did all the work.

I will frankly admit it.

I thought I had the motivation but I didn't.

My father has been playing with the girls.

They love having grandpa around.

 

 

MORE of the SAME

 I was a hundred percent sure it was the real deal.

Maybe in part because my mother said, "You are past your due date, the next time you have a contraction it will be real labor."

I woke up at 4:00am with some serious contractions.

I drank water and soaked in a hot bath.

They were still coming.

It has been below zero all week.

I thought if I can get out and walk around then my labor will progress.

Knowing how fast I had Madison, the nurses suggested I come to the hospital and walk around when I got close.

I thought it would be a warm place to walk.

I road into town with Nate and told him to drop me off at the hospital.

When my labor progressed and I was ready to be admitted I would text him.

I walked up and down stairs and all over the hospital.

I discoverd a hallway filled with LDS art, which was beautiful.

My contractions got further apart and further apart until I was only having one every hour.

I finally gave up three hours after getting to the hospital and went home.

 

 

 My girls were really disappointed.... but not as much as me.

 They have been having fun with their grandparents, who have to leave tomorrow morning.

We are sad.

I have an appointment with my doctor in the morning.

If I still haven't had my little boy, I will schedule an induction for this weekend.

Too bad my parents will miss it......

CURSE FALSE LABOR

I called my Mother on Wednesday night and swore I was in labor.

After three nights in a row of false labor I was sure it was the real deal.

I even called my friend Barbara and asked if her daughters could spend the night just in case I had to make a mad rush to the hospital like I did with Madison.

I counted contractions all night.

They were progressing and at one time they were six minutes apart.

Then nothing for an hour.

Then they started progressing again.

At 6:00am I took Barbara's girls home.

I felt dumb and apologized.

I know they didn't sleep well.

They were so sweet.

They said it was fine.

 

My contractions kept coming.

My mom called and asked if I was sure I was ready for her to come, knowing she can only take so much time off of work.

I said, "Of course!"

Although my contractions started to fade, I was running off of four nights of no sleep, which had been followed by my daughter being sick for over two weeks.

I wanted my mom!

Certainly, even if they stopped all together I would have this baby before the weekend was over.

 

I called my doctor and changed my appointment for that morning.

I went in fully expecting to be dilated to a 6 and have him say, "Go to the hospital!"

When I got there I was dilated..... to a whopping 0.

Yep, you read that right! 0!

How?

I wanted to cry.

 

Yep. Today is 1/15/2013!

I was due yesterday!

I am still pregnant.

I don't mind being pregnant, but CURSE FALSE LABOR!

I am tired of it.

I never had it with my first two.

It stinks.

FALSE or NOT, it still hurts and plays with your mind.

 

I am just really grateful my mom is still here.

BABY BROTHER

 

Sierra and Madison wanted to help me get ready for the baby.

They helped me wash his carseat and test to see if I set the straps right.

They got their baby doll and put their baby brother's clothes on it.

They put him in the car seat and rocked him.

They put everything they thought he would need inside the carseat, including an outfit, blankets and  three different types of binkies.

Now, we are just waiting.

MICHELLE AND DAD CAME

(My only picture, sadly.)

My sister and my father came to visit on the spur of the moment.

I was so happy to see them.

I think it is the first time Michelle has ever visited me in my married life.

She has five kids of her own.

Two were at Disneyland with their grandma.

Three were in Orem with their other grandma.

So, she got to be an Aunt.

Sierra loved playing with her.

She finally got some one-on-one time with her name-sake.

I hope she realized why her name is so special.

(Sierra was named after Michelle. Sierra Michelle.)

I named her after her because I love my sister Michelle so much.

I wanted Sierra to be just like her.

She is so compassionate, sweet, generous, and kind.

She is funny and witty.

She is solid.

I have so many amazing memories of being her little sister.

 

Michelle and I had fun spending time together.

We had pizza and tried to watch Avengers.

We made her famous coconut cupcakes. I think I ate 6 myself.

She played endless rounds of guess-who with Sierra.

She slept in Sierra's bed with her.

She made us the best Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches ever.

She found me a crib on Craigslist and negotiated the price down and picked it up for me.

She picked up a few rugs for the girls room.

My living room has been so much cleaner because the girls have a soft place to play in their own bedroom.

Thank you Michelle for your visit and for being so amazing! I love you.

 

Dad got to hang out with Dr. Nate.

When he wasn't with him he was fixing everything.

My leaky sink.

My leaky tub.

My car's radiator and starter and breaks.

 

Their visit was better than three days at the spa.

 

NEW YEARS

Well, she was up playing all yesterday.

Kay and my Mother both suggested chicken-noodle soup for dinner.

I don't know why I didn't think of it before.

I made a large pot of it.

I got her a small bowl.

She ate every bite.

I was so elated I can't even tell you.

It was like this burden was lifted.

She is better.

She is eating.

Then she started coughing.

She coughed up phlegm.

Then threw up chicken-noodle soup.

All of it!

A moment of happiness followed by a moment of despair.

Rrrrrrr.
Longest winter break of my life!


On a better note.
Sierra and I were talking about New Year's Resolutions.
She didn't know about New Year's Resolutions.
She was so excited.

My Resolutions.
Run the Provo Half Marathon in the Fall.
Read the Old Testament. (I never have been able to get through it. I am 34 it is time.)
Finish my Hexagon Quilt.
Finish Writing something! maybe my children's book.
Play more.
Smile more.

Nate's Resolution.
Go to Yellowstone and Fish.

Sierra's Resolutions
Swim Lessons
Piano Lessons
Go down the slide at the Rec Center.
Read the whole Book of Mormon.
Sew her own Baptism Dress.
Go to Chucky-Cheese
Go to the Beach.



SHE IS ON THE MEND

 She is doing better.

Her fever broke after seven days.

She has a cough now and no real appetite.

She is such a skinny little thing. I wish she would eat more.

She has always been a difficult eater but it has been way worse.

However, she is up playing and laughing with her sister now.

No more laying in bed and that is a blessing.

Welcome back Madison.

A FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MOMENT

 Sierra wanted to buy each of her family members something for Christmas.

I gave her all the change I had in my purse and I took her to thrift store and let her pick out something for everyone.

She got me a little sewing kit.

She got her father a frisbee.

She got her sister a singing turtle.

She wrapped them up and wrote us each a note.

I thought it was so sweet.

The sweetest note was to Madison.

I cherish it.

GOODBYE CHRISTMAS

Maybe it was a little early, but I was done.

I didn't know about cats and Christmas Trees, but apparently they love them.

The cat was constantly attacking the lights and ornaments and by about two days after I put it up it looked like a mess. The ribbons were hanging to the ground the beads were pulled off the branches.

My favorite ornaments were broken.

I would tell Sierra to keep her cat away from the tree.

She would try but the cat was determined.

I was just tired of talking about it and thinking about.

So, down the tree came.

I have had a lot on my mind lately and I was thinking about it as I was disassembling the tree.

Sierra was helping intermittently.

Then she squealed, "Mom, look what I found! What is it?"

An envelope that said, "Merry Christmas!"

We opened it and this is what we saw.

So, who snuck into my house and put a hundred dollars in my tree?

I am not sure.

Maybe I was suppose to find it before Christmas, but with the cat constantly on the attack it fell into the branches.

However, I opened it when I needed to open it.

I was overwhelmed with a feeling that my Father-in-Heaven is aware of me.

He hears and answers prayers even seemingly insignificant ones.

I could go on and on about the miracles we have seen in our lives over the last six months.

I haven't recorded any here.

I guess in part because they are to close to my heart.

However, today I just felt the need to testify of Him.

He lives.

He answers prayers.

He loves us.

He is aware of us.

 

Merry Christmas! Christmas 2012 will live in my heart for a long time.



SICK STILL

She has had a fever for five days.

I thought she was better Christmas morning but then crashed during dinner.

She is still sick.

I pray she gets better soon.

Poor girl.

She just lays in bed and watches shows.

CHRISTMAS DAY

We were spoiled.

We felt loved.

We were overwhelmed.

We were so grateful for all of Santa's little helpers that made this Christmas so special.

I made the girls pajamas. It is still my favorite pattern. 

 Sierra's Fairy tea-party her Grandma McKnight sent.

She lost her pitcher and was distressed all evening about it. I told her that I was certain her grandma would make her another if she wanted her to. She said she would look around a little more and if she couldn't find it she would ask her.

 Nate really wanted to give his daughter a present.

He found this in his box of stuff from his youth.

She was super happy. 

 

Thank you Aunt Jenny for the pillow fight in a bag. Sierra and her Daddy played all morning with it. I think there are pillows all through the house now and smiling faces.

 Sierra and her father put together the Lego set all morning.

She was so happy. They had a lot of fun together.

 Madison loved her animal zoo.

I am sure there will be hours of play ahead of us, thanks for the suggestion Michelle.

My favorite picture.

Look at Sierra's face.

Love it.

 Madison loved her Tinker Bell and changed her outfit several time.

 Sierra said this was her favorite present and her white horse not pictured.

Both came from Santa.

We feel blessed.

Both Madison and Sierra were super excited that Edison remembered them and got them Slinky's.

Madison didn't put this pony down all morning.

She has had an obsession with My Little Pony lately.

She doesn't own any.

Her sister owns a few.

I wouldn't have bought her one because Sierra would be jealous. See picture above.

I am so glad Santa didn't have that reservation.

She was so happy.

 

Both of my girls were so happy and declared it their best Christmas ever.

 

We went over to Brother Bob's house for Christmas dinner.

I brought rolls. They turned out perfectly.

Sister Kay and Brother Chuck got the girls an eductional game and a book and bunch of Disney movies from there DVD collection, that their grand-kids have out grown.

Brother Bob and Sister JoAnn gave the girls two dollars in quarters.

They were so happy.

 

My favorite Christmas moment was when Nate gave Brother Bob a bunch of flies he had tied.

Then he rigged up his line and took him casting on the front lawn.

Brother Bob was all smiles.

He called this moring and said, "Tell Nate thank you for making this old man's Christmas the best Christmas."

 

Truth Brother Bob, you made Nate's Christmas the best Christmas.

It was nice to do something for someone.

Everyone is always doing so many kind things for us, it felt good for him to pay it forward just a little.

CHRISTMAS CARDS

 We made Christmas Cards last night.

This little girl helped me with the art.

 

This morning I woke up and listened to Sierra talk to her Dad.

He was making breakfast.

She was telling him about her dreams last night and about buying her lunch yesterday, which only happens once every six months.

She said, "I got to eat hamburgers and french fries and that was a good day. If I had of bought lunch on another day, I probably would have gotten macaroni and cheese."

It was fun to listen to her ramble on and on without a breath and then listening to Nate say, "Oh, yeah. Hum. Fun. Wow."

I remember when I would tell long winded stories to my Dad.

He would lovingly say, "Condense Lisa."



MADISON is SICK

She has been enjoying pre-school so much.

She begs to do it every day.

My two favorite sites to print from are here and here.

Then I will look up a craft for her to do on line.

Sierra really didn't want to have anything to do with structured learning, so it is fun to have Madison so eager.

 

She is sick today.

Really sick.

She has a temperature.

A croupy cough.

And she sounds like a seventy year old smoker.

It is sad.

 

I hope she gets better soon.

I love her, so much.

It is hard to think that soon, she won't be my baby anymore.

 

My friend Barbara asked if  I was going to give up the Madison voice when this little boy is born.

I told her probably.

I am sure I had a Sierra voice before Madison came along.

In a way it made me sad.

I know she is four but she is my little sweet heart.

 



THIS IS ALL I THINK ABOUT LATELY

Forgive another pregnancy pic, but it is all I think about lately.

3 1/2 more weeks.

He is so busy.

His feet and arms are always stretching.

It feels weird and amazing.

I can't wait to see him face to face.

The girls can't wait either and are constantly asking me when he is going to come out.

 

I am definitely waddling now.

Look out.

My hips hurt.

Getting out of bed hurts.

But, I am so grateful.

I talk to my little man all the time.

Mostly, it is "No, no, no don't move like that, that hurts. Ouch!"

I sometimes sing to him, mostly Christmas songs.

No matter how big I get in pregnancy I still think it is so amazing that, that baby was actually inside me.

Babies are miracles.

I am excited for mine.