and then there were four!

New Year

2012-01-09T20:54:00.001-08:00

We all know how good I am at blogging (NOT!). I've just blogged 1 year in 1 night. Beware of the photo/blog dump. It's hard to jump back in once so much time has passed. I've included snapshots of our 2011 below. I can't believe how fast time goes and how fast kids change. I have considered attemping to keep up this blog as a new year resolution, but I don't know how well that will turn out. I'll do the best I can and see what happens. Happy 2012 Everyone!

Jack's Birthday/Holidays

2012-01-09T20:48:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I almost forgot about my Jack-Jack! He turned 3 years old on November 21st! We had a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme (the kid loves it and doesn't let a day go by without watching at least 1 episode) Our lives wouldn't be the same without this little guy! Love ya Jack-Jack!

It seems like once Halloween is over, the rest of the holidays fly by and before you know it, the New Year has come and gone. We had a great 2011. Our family has been blessed with good health, steady jobs, and wonderful family support. We look forward to this new year and all it has to offer. Hope your holidays were all you hoped for. Happy Be-lated Holidays!!

Family Photo Attempt

2012-01-09T20:35:00.000-08:00

I mentioned before how I get an idea in my head of getting family photos in the fall with all the brilliant colors. We put in a good effort, but the results didn't reflect the effort. I've decided we need a third party. Now I just need to convince my husband and maybe we can get some decent family pictures. I couldn't use any of the ones of us together; but separately- they are pretty good.

Fall Fun/Halloween 2011

2012-01-09T20:18:00.000-08:00

Fall is one of my favorite times of year. I always get this idea in my head to get some awesome family pictures, or pictures of my boys. Well, being the age that they are and my patience level (or lack thereof), it didn't turn out the way I'd hoped. I was able to get a couple of good ones. Some of the Maughan cousins also had some fun carving pumpkins at my sister Kim's house. Uncle Scott and Grandpa set up shop and did back-to-back Jack-o-lanterns. They turned out awesome!
Side note: We didn't have a very eventful Halloween; Jack refused to wear his Elmo costume (which I thought he'd Love) and we ended up trick-or-treating to a few of our neighbors without his costume. Kade was SuperMan but couldn't care less about trick-or-treating. Maybe this year they'll understand it better and get into it.

Late Entry- Maughan Campout July 2011

2012-01-09T20:03:00.000-08:00

I forgot to put in our Maughan "Campout" that we had this summer. We opted to have a BBQ, games, a gigantic family birthday party, and a movie under the stars at my sister Kim's house instead of packing up the camping gear and driving miles out of town somewhere. Having all the in-state Maughans together was lots of fun. We missed Janie and her family and Braden and his wife who live far away. Hopefully we can catch the whole family next time.

Montana Trip August/Sept 2011

2012-01-09T19:37:00.000-08:00

We took our last vacation/road trip for 2011 toward the beginning of fall in August/Sept. We drove up north to Montana; met up with my parents and sister's family and drove up further to Glacier National Park and Whitefish, MT. We were able to see some BEAUTIFUL country and make some lasting memories. Here are the highlights:

Cabin Weekend August 2011

2012-01-09T19:16:00.001-08:00

Our Sister-in-law invited the Stringham family to her family cabin up past Monte Cristo. We enjoyed a weekend of four-wheeling, shooting, puzzles, playing games and canoeing in a lake. Kade started walking on this trip. It was a lot of fun!

Kade turned 1! July 12, 2011

2012-01-09T19:04:00.000-08:00

On July 12th, our sweet little Kader turned 1 year old. We love him so much! Time goes too fast when they're this little!!

Yard Project Summer 2011

2012-01-09T18:54:00.001-08:00

We took a break from vacations through the summer. Mike had a major yard project he wanted to get done. We added curbing to our flower beds and Mike created 2 new spots in our yard for new shrubs/trees to grow. He did such a great job and we are very pleased with the results. Here are some before and after pics.

San Diego May-June 2011

2012-01-09T18:01:00.000-08:00

We were able to take another road trip WAY down south in May. We drove to San Diego to go to Sea World, the Zoo and the Beach. We met up with Grandma & Grandpa Stringham who were there for a Scouting Convention. We had a lot of fun in the sun going to Old Town San Diego, Sea World for 2 days, the Zoo and Coronado Beach.

South-Eastern Utah Trip April 2011

2012-01-09T17:45:00.000-08:00

We decided to do another Southern Utah trip, this time more of the eastern part. We hit Goblin Valley, 4 Corners, Monument Valley, Newspaper Rock, Arches and Canyonlands again, Hovenweap, Mexican Hat, Twin Rocks and Natural Bridges; also we saw lots and lots of Indian Ruins. We stayed between Monticello and Blanding in April of this year. I think we've covered most of Southern Utah and most of the National Parks in that area.

what Jack does...

2011-02-06T19:03:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been taking pictures of little things that Jack does around the house. Like today; I got out of the shower and found a mountain of my shoes piled on top of each other in my closet. Just my shoes, not Mike's. These little things that my 2 year-old does make me smile and I know I'll forget these before too long. Here are some pictures of what I mean.

2010 Wrap Up...

2011-02-02T14:39:00.000-08:00

So, I'm seriously struggling on keeping my blog up to date with our life... I think time sped up during the last few months of 2010. Even though we're into the 2nd month of the New Year, I figured I'd better include some of our holiday events to wrap up the wonderful 2010 year.
We had Jack's 2nd birthday; Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. Wow. Here are a couple of snapshots of our end of 2010. I don't think we have any pictures of Thanksgiving, bummer. But we loved spending the holidays with our family.

Brothers on New Year's Day 2011

Nativity with Stringham's on Christmas Eve (Jack is a shepherd, Kade is baby Jesus)

Jack the Shepherd
Playing with birthday toys while Kade is asleep on the couch

Happy 2nd Birthday Jack!

playing catch up

2010-11-22T22:46:00.000-08:00

again... I am turning into a bonafide blogger slacker. It's been 2 months since my last post. That's terrible. Here's an update on what's been happening at the Stringham house over the last month.
We took a road trip (Kade's 1st one) down to Moab in mid October and hiked around Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. It was awesome! The weather was cooperative most of the time and it was really good to get away with our boys and enjoy the beautiful sites and weather down there. That's a trip we'll definitely be taking again... hopefully when the boys are old enough to hike on their own :o) We took a ton of pictures; but there's only so much I can post.
Then Halloween crept up on us. We didn't take Jack trick-or-treating because #1 it was pouring rain and #2 he was a royal grumpelstiltskin; aka Mr. Ornery-pants. He did NOT like his costume very much. More specifically, he hated the "hood" or monkey head of his costume. He freaked out every time we tried to make him wear it. We could barely get any good pictures of him. He didn't understand the whole 'trick-or-treat' concept anyway. He just wanted to eat all the candy and got upset when we gave it away to the trick-or-treaters. Hopefully he'll understand better next year.
Then, before we knew it; it was November and Jack's 2nd birthday. Time flies. I can't believe I have a 2 year-old. I'm starting to feel old ;o) Coming soon: Watch for pictures of Jack's birthday happenings.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-22T22:34:00.000-08:00

brothers on Halloween
my little bear cub
the cutest (most grumpy) monkey
ghostbuster!
beautiful halloween rainbow in between the rainstorms

Moab Trip Highlights

2010-11-22T22:25:00.000-08:00

the family in
Canyonlands National Park
at Mesa Arch in
Canyonlands
Landscape Arch in
Arches National Park
Delicate Arch
Delicate Arch Viewpoint

brotherly love... sort of

2010-09-17T22:30:00.000-07:00

I'm not so good at keeping up with this blog. Having 2 little ones takes some adjusting to :o) I had to post these pictures though. Jack is getting better at accepting his big brother status (most days). He'll come up to me when I'm holding Kade and communicate to me that he wants to hold him (Jack doesn't exactly talk yet; just makes some whiny/grunty noises to communicate what he wants). Only- he doesn't really hold him; he wants me to hold Kade on his lap and then he just sits there. It's pretty funny. We managed to get some pictures of them together where Jack isn't crying :o)

look alikes? or not...

2010-07-27T15:16:00.000-07:00

Jack
Kade

I can't decide if this new baby looks like us or not... he definitely looks different than Jack. What do you think?

and now there's 4!

2010-07-27T14:59:00.001-07:00

I am finally getting around to posting about our new little baby boy, Kade. I've put pictures up on facebook; but haven't updated our blog for a while.
Kade Maughan Stringham was born July 12th, 2010 at 8:36am. He weighed 7 lbs 7 oz and was 20 in long. We are so happy he's finally here! Jack is warming up to him... he wasn't too keen on him in the hospital and seemed a little disappointed that we brought him home :O) But he's starting to come around. Here's some pictures of him!

obviously this isn't Kade; but it was a cute picture of Jack... and he really wasn't that excited about being a big brother :o)

Family trip for graduation

2010-07-11T15:03:00.000-07:00

In May, Mike and I had the opportunity to go back east to see my brother graduate from the West Point Military Academy with my family. It was a once in a lifetime experience. The next several posts are pictures of our time at the academy with graduation events and also in the city. It was a lot of fun. Hope you enjoy the pictures!

West Point

2010-07-11T14:50:00.001-07:00

view of the Hudson River from the Library
the family after the parade
with the graduate
Braden in formation
all the graduates of 2010 on the parade field

NYC continued...

2010-07-07T16:53:00.000-07:00

Mike and I ready for my little brother's parade of Cadets at West Point Military Academy
view from our seats of the parade field
My favorite NYC cousins and I in Soho
memorial for 9/11
looking up at the Empire State building

NYC trip & West Point Graduation 2010

2010-07-07T16:28:00.000-07:00

on a tour bus headed uptown in Manhatten
enjoying a Yankees game
the sisters and I in Times Square
across from the temple downtown
at the museum of Natural History

Funny Story!

2010-04-22T19:43:00.000-07:00

Funny Story... I had my in depth ultrasound today to check out all of the baby's organs, take measurements, etc. The great news is that everything looks good! The funny part is that it's a baby BOY that looks so healthy... not a baby girl like we were expecting. So, for the past 9 weeks we've been thinking we were having a little baby girl and today we were suprised to find out that it's a baby boy we'll be having! We hadn't gotten anything girly, so that's a good thing. We had a name and that's it. Now, with this little guy, we have all the clothes and supplies, just not a name. Go figure. We're really excited with this change of events and I'm sure Jack is excited to have a little buddy to play and rough-house with! We just need a name.

Happy Easter!

2010-04-05T15:33:00.000-07:00

Jack still doesn't quite get the whole Easter thing... we had 3 easter egg hunts this year and he still didn't get it. Oh well. He had a good time being outside anyway. We missed you, Megan, Cooper & Hayden. Hope you had a great day! Happy Easter everyone!

aloha!

2010-04-05T13:22:00.000-07:00

Mike & I had an opportunity to go on a trip to Hawaii in March... it was wonderful! Jack spent a week with Grandparents and we took off to one of our last big "hurrah's" before this new baby comes. It was fantastic! A much needed break from busy work and cold weather! Here are a few pictures from our trip... I hope we can go back someday :o)

sunrise from our hotel room

At the Dole plantation
At Pearl Harbor, by the anchor of the USS Arizona.
Sunset at Turtle Bay
Enjoying the sunset
At the Laie Temple
At the Polynesian Cultural Center
different day, beautiful sunset
in front of our hotel at Turtle Bay

excitement!

2010-02-20T21:54:00.000-08:00

We found out last week... we're pretty sure Jack's going to have a little sister! We're so excited!!

Haircut #1

2010-01-27T13:56:00.000-08:00

Jack had his 1st haircut by his dad on Monday... while mom was at work!! He did really well after he had a toy to play with. All of his curls are gone and he looks like a big boy now. No more baby Jack-Jack!
This was taken a couple of months ago... to show the difference.

no more long curls! Look at all the hair on him!

here's the big boy Jack!

Announcement

2010-01-21T12:30:00.000-08:00

The biggest news for 2010 is the addition of a new baby to our family! We are excited for a new baby to come in July. We will find out next month if it's a boy or a girl. Jack doesn't know it yet, but he'll make a great big brother!

Friends

2010-01-21T12:09:00.000-08:00

Our good friends Justin and Katie came to visit the day after Christams. Their little girl is a friend of Jack's. They're finally at an age where they can play together. He was excited to play with somebody his own age!

Holiday Recap

2010-01-21T11:54:00.001-08:00

I've been slacking with the posts for our family!! We enjoyed the Christmas and New Year holidays for 2009 but are ready for all the excitement and events of 2010! Here are some fun updated pictures of Jack over the holidays.
This is Jack's Favorite Christmas gift from Santa this year... it's the only thing he'd play with!
The cutest present ever!
In his Christmas best...

Jack turns 1

2009-11-22T22:06:00.000-08:00

Jack turned 1 on 11.21.09. We had a fun family party with both the Maughan's and the Stringham's. I can't resist comparing how he is now from a year ago.
Here are a few highlights from his first ever birthday party.

He obviously shares his parents' love of chocolate!
We love you, Jack. Happy 1st Birthday!

New Family Pictures

2009-11-08T17:41:00.001-08:00

I finally convinced Mike to get family pictures taken before Jack grows up too much! We took these pictures out by where we live. Mike just borrowed a tripod and we did our best to get Jack to look at the camera without crying and sticking his fingers in his mouth. We are happy with the way some of them turned out. Here are a few favorites.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-08T17:25:00.001-08:00

Halloween for us this year was kind of nonexistent. Mike & I both had to work. We didn't plan it that way; but that's the way it happened. Poor Jack was orphaned on Halloween day and had lots of fun playing with Grandma & Grandpa Stringham. We dressed him up anyway as an adorable Zebra!
Happy, Smily Zebra!
On the move
The day before, Jack and I carved pumpkins because Mike had to work. We went over to Kim & Richard's house and carved pumpkins with cousins Tate and Cameron. Grandma & Grandpa Maughan came over too and we had a fun time carving masterpiece Jack-o-lanterns... these are the ones I carved.

thoughts on 11 months

2009-10-21T20:40:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I posted... so I thought I'd post a couple of pictures of our happy Jack-Jack. He's 11 months old today. It hardly seems possible that it's been that long. I feel like if I blink or close my eyes too long, I might miss something; it's going so fast! He's crawling all over the place and pulls up to anything stationary.
He's growing like a weed and losing some of his baby fat already!! He's getting more teeth and eating so much. He loves phones, remotes... anything you're holding or doing. He wants in on everything. He jabbers and mimics sounds. He's so fun and happy (most of the time).It's such a fun age! We love you Jack!

9 month statistics

2009-09-02T20:57:00.001-07:00

I can't believe Jack-Jack is already 9 months old! It's crazy how fast the time flies and how fast these little guys grow. Here's the latest on how big our baby boy is. Weight: 18 lbs 12 oz (20th percentile)
Height: 27 in (10th percentile)
Head size: HUGE!
I can't remember exact measurement; but he's in the 89th percentile! Better be one smart kid!

End of Summer

2009-09-02T20:48:00.000-07:00

For our anniversary and for some good old-fashioned fun... we rented waverunners and had enjoyed the last weekend of the summer a couple of weeks ago at Pineview Reservoir. We invited some of our friends to come and enjoy the sunshine and end of summer with us! It was a lot of fun playing in the water and on the beach. Jack wasn't so sure about the sand... he didn't like it much :o) But he did have fun in the little pool that was there; with his new friend, Carson. It was lots of fun... see for yourself!

5 years ago...

2009-08-24T16:55:00.001-07:00

August 20, 2004.
Our 5 year anniversary was last Thursday, 8.20.2009. It's hard to believe it's been 5years already. Time flies when you're having fun! 5 years and counting...

Camping

2009-08-03T21:18:00.000-07:00

Jack had his first camping experience last month... he did great! We went camping for a few days in the Uintah's. We played in the river, went bike riding and relaxed in the cooler weather. It's become a tradition in the Maughan family for the past 4 years... and hopefully many more to come!
Mike's Dam and Canal (he made the dam on the left and dug the canal... he should be an engineer!)
the family inside our tent
A very happy Jack-Jack in his sleeping gear (it was a little chilly at nights)
Our tent (it has a porch)

Independence Day '09

2009-07-13T22:22:00.001-07:00

It was Jack's 1st 4th of July and he loved it! Breakfast at Stringham's, Kaysville Parade, BBQ, Fireworks... phew! What a day!! Here are some highlights from 07.04.09

Mike, Heidi & Jack getting ready for fireworks!! Oh, the anticipation!
the traditional water fight (parade)
waiting for the parade to start!
not really liking the water in the back of Brian's truck
We LOVE the 4th of July!

pictures

2009-06-30T21:32:00.000-07:00

We tried to take some fun pictures of Jack at the park... he wasn't so into it. There was too much to look at. He looked everywhere but at the camera and he would not smile. They didn't turn out quite like I'd hoped. See for yourself how our photo shoot went. What a crazy Jack-Jack!

yard work

2009-06-30T21:21:00.000-07:00

Mike and I were working in the yard the other day. I was trying to help Mike while also trying to keep Jack happy. He had a fun time playing on the porch for a while... then we moved him to the grass to be closer to us. Here's a picture of him supervising our work.

Our Trip

2009-06-12T23:42:00.000-07:00

I finally put together a slide show highlighting our trip to Canada. It took FOREVER! At least it took me forever ;o) Be prepared for a kajillion photos... I couldn't really take anything out. The whole trip was a highlight!

2009-06-12T23:41:00.001-07:00

pictures

2009-06-01T21:40:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a beautiful vacation in British Columbia, Canada. More pictures will be coming, but since Mike doesn't blog... I wanted to show off his great skills in photography. He takes wonderful pictures... enjoy the beauty of British Columbia and Washington. These are some of my favorites. P.S. the picture behind the title of our blog was taken by Mike in Butchart Gardens, Victoria, B.C. Pretty amazing!

5.21.09

2009-06-01T21:25:00.001-07:00

Time goes by SO quickly! I can't believe Jack is already 6 months old!! He now weighs 16.4 lbs and is 26 inches long! He is very healthy (note the double chin and the chubby cheeks). And if you look closely in this picture... you'll also see a bottom tooth. This tooth was discovered 5 days before his 6 month mark (not by me, happily). I thought I had at least another month before I needed to worry about teeth. Guess not.
It's hard to believe this adorable creature came partly from me.

family outing...

2009-04-29T23:14:00.001-07:00

He's not really into the taking pictures thing...

Weird face here...

He's mostly a happy kid!

not too sure of what's going on...

not so excited about posing for the picture

We were so excited for the warmer weather that we decided to spend some of the day outside... we went for a walk out at the nature conservancy but didn't get too far because of the lame mosquitoes (already!) . Jack loved being outside... and so did we! It was beautiful!

something new!

2009-04-29T23:04:00.000-07:00

We started Jack on rice cereal last week... he wasn't too sure of it to begin with, but he loved it in the end. What a mess! But- oh so good!

New Addition!

2009-04-03T23:32:00.000-07:00

This is the newest addition to our family... our Schwinn 430 Elliptical. We love it so much, it stays in our bedroom where we can watch TV and work out to our heart's content!

4 month stats

2009-03-25T17:26:00.000-07:00

Jack is 4 months old... he's growing so big! He weighs 13.9 lbs and is over 24 inches long. He has really shown some personality and attitude (totally gets that from his Dad!) just kidding! but seriously...

a Jack of all trades... um faces...

2009-03-25T15:55:00.001-07:00

Sunday Best

2009-02-09T16:44:00.000-08:00

This is our handsome Jack in his sunday best... the suit is a little big right now, but we had to try it on him! This particular sunday, he wasn't in his best for long... Jack as a 'knack' for blowing out his pants (for proof, see pictures below... beware, it's not for the faint of heart :o) Grandma Maughan was tending him when he blew (lucky grandma). Maybe this is one of those "stages" he'll grow out of in time (yeah right). Isn't he a stud in that vest??

Cold-ish Outing

2009-02-09T16:01:00.000-08:00

This was one of Jack's first outings in his stroller... of course he slept the whole time because we wrapped him up so tightly with so many layers! We went for a walk around our neighborhood... the skies were clear (no inversion danger) and the weather wasn't totally freezing... we couldn't resist. We want warmer weather so bad!! Mike wanted an excuse to play with Jack's remote control truck (it's not that fun in the house). It's just too bad that groundhog had to see his shadow. We're tired of the snow and are ready for spring. Oh well. Days like this are ok too!

2 months later...

2009-01-22T17:15:00.000-08:00

I'm 2 months and 1 day old. I got my shots today (3 total)... I didn't like it, but I was brave and didn't cry too much! Here's how much I've grown: I'm 11 lbs 4 oz. now and 22 inches long (dad thinks I'm taller than what they measured). So, I'm growing more and more everyday (much to the dismay of my parents). I'm even using the big bathtub now! Like my hat??

One sleepy kid...

2009-01-22T17:06:00.000-08:00

progressive photos

2009-01-22T16:53:00.000-08:00

Here I am, happy and very cute in my car seat!!

Investigating the suspicious noise erupting from my lower half... viewer discretion advised!!
...and this is why... source of suspicious noise found... and it's NOT pretty. It stinks!

But, I'm still so very, very cute!

What to do??

splish splash!!

2009-01-22T16:46:00.000-08:00

after that... the only thing we could have done was hose this messy kid off. A bath was the next best thing- we didn't even bother to take his onesies off before we landed his dirty bottom in the bathtub!! Oh, the joys of parenthood!!

Jack's Blessing Day, January 4th 2009

2009-01-05T23:03:00.001-08:00

Jack Michael Stringham was blessed on January 4th, 2009. We were able to have most of the family come but were missing my brothers Scott & Braden, and my sister, Janie and her family :o( We were thinking of them and wishing they were here! It was an incredible experience... one I'll never forget. Mike did an amazing job. There's nothing like it in the whole world! It was a very memorable day and we feel blessed to have shared it with our wonderful families who are a huge part of our lives. We both have wonderful families who have supported us and helped us as we are adjusting to our new 'family-hood'. We love you all and are thankful to have you in our lives! Thanks for making this day so special for us!

Holiday Highlights

2009-01-05T21:48:00.000-08:00

Here's the 1st Stringham family picture of 2009!

Happy New Year 2009!!

2008 was a great year for us... we received many great blessings. We moved into a new house, Mike got a new job and we were blessed with a new baby! What a year! We are so grateful for the blessings we received in 2008 and are looking forward to a new, exciting year in 2009! We celebrated the New Year with some of Mike's family by playing Rock Band II and board games at his sister's house. We had a lot of fun rocking out on the drums, guitar, and bass!

Merry Christmas!

This is Jack's first Christmas! Merry Christmas, Jack!

Santa was nice to us this year! We consider a healthy baby boy a GREAT christmas present and couldn't ask for anything else... but he visited anyway and brought lots of good things... check out that monster remote-control truck he brought for Jack. It's a Toyota Tundra with 4 wheel drive!

Jack was ready for the holiday with this festive onesie and shoes/slippers (thanks BriAnne!)

Stringham family on Christmas morning...

We really enjoyed the holidays this year... it was SO nice to be at home and not worry about work schedules and missing family parties! We were able to celebrate with both families. It's so nice having both families so close to each other so we can see our ENTIRE family throughout the holidays! We are blessed with amazing family and are grateful for their love, examples and support... WE LOVE YOU!

Happy Expected Birthday to Jack!

2008-12-09T17:39:00.001-08:00

Today is the day that Jack was originally supposed to arrive... the day that had been circled on all our calendars and the day we'd been planning on since the beginning. But... things don't always happen the way you expect and we are so glad for that! He's now almost 3 weeks old and we are doing very well... with dirty diapers a plenty, feeding around the clock and sleeping when we can. We are adjusting to each other (and the sleep deprivation... oh how I miss sleeping through the night :o) However, he came the day he was supposed to come and for that we are SOOO grateful. Happy Expected Birthday, Jack!

The new Stringham Family

2008-12-05T16:38:00.000-08:00

In my postpartum room!

We're home!

First family picture after surgery... all are a little tired!

Jack, Jack and more Jack

2008-12-05T16:06:00.001-08:00

Hi there!

The littlest and youngest Y fan!

I don't think he's too sure of this birth stuff...

Classic weight picture... 7 lbs 1 oz. He was also 19 inches long!

Fresh from the oven... and not happy about it!

He's Here!

2008-11-29T21:13:00.001-08:00

So, after a little scare, a little labor and a lot of surgery... Jack Michael Stringham made it here safely. I came out of it in good shape too! Our little Jack decided to make his appearance 3 weeks early. Here's the abbreviated story. Really early in the morning of the 21st of November, I woke up and went to the bathroom and found out I was bleeding quite badly. We found a large area of blood on our bed and a lot came out when I used the restroom. I rushed down stairs where Mike was sleeping on the couch (he had fallen asleep on the couch after getting home in the early morning hours from work the night before). After waking Mike, he thought the worst and kind of panicked (really panicked, actually). We tried to stay calm and think good thoughts as I called the hospital to see what we should do. They advised us to go straight to the emergency room. On the car ride over Mike kept asking me if the baby was moving, but I could not feel any movement. We both thought we had possibly lost our baby. We were admitted when we got to the hospital and soon found out that our baby was doing okay, but they were still worried about the bleeding. After the doctor came, he decided to do an ultrasound to find out what was causing the bleeding. It turns out my placenta had torn away from the uterus wall and there was a tear in the placenta. Blood was coming out with each contraction and a large blood clot about the size of a baseball was forming near the baby's head. That is when the doctor decided that we were going to have an emergency C-Section to ensure we get the baby out safely. Within minutes Mike and I were gowned and ready for surgery. My parents made it just before the surgery started and Mike's parents did not make it until after the baby was born. After the emotional rollercoaster that morning, we were very happy to see our healthy son who was delivered at about 9:15am in the morning.

Stringham's

2008-11-29T21:08:00.001-08:00

Get your own Family Sticker Maker & MySpace Layouts.

2008-11-06T23:29:00.001-08:00

So, my baby is the weight of a honeydew melon... does it look like there's room in my belly for a honeydew melon? Guess so! Just when I thought I was as big as I could get... I still have 5 weeks to go! I'll keep posting the baby bump- let's just see how much more I can expand. The last few weeks are going to be very interesting!!

30 weeks and growing...

2008-10-06T21:34:00.001-07:00

Here's a prego progress picture (nice alliteration, eh?).

I don't know how much more I can expand. Mostly people just stare at my round-ness when they see me nowadays... I don't really cry about it anymore (just kidding); if I don't see you for a while- I change a lot! It's hard to believe the little guy is only about 3 pounds right now. Can't wait 'til he's closer to 7 lbs! Bring it on, kid!

the pouring process...

2008-10-06T21:10:00.000-07:00

This project got started WAY early at about 7:00AM. This is the huge cement pump that pumped the cement over our house into the back yard (scary). What you don't see is the 2 cement trucks waiting down the street and creating a nice road block. Funny thing happened; one of the pipes that works the hydraulics on this pump broke before the pump was fully extended- spewing hydraulic fluid all over the street (nice huh?). The mess is still there (woops!) There was an hour delay while it was getting fixed.

View from the back side...
This is our newly-poured front step...

The finished product... nice to be done!

Patio Project

2008-10-06T20:32:00.000-07:00

Mike finished up a HUGE backyard project about 3 weeks ago... our patio. He had a lot of help from his brothers and Dad. They did all of the prep work for the concrete. It was a BIG project! This shows the progression from dirt, to level gravel and finally to the almost-finished project.

Looks pretty good... at least, we think so! The walkway goes to the front/side of the garage. It took A LOT of work; working until well past dark many, many nights to get this project done. Mike did an excellent job and we are enjoying the fruits of his (and his brothers' and Dad's) labor.

What in the heck is a rutabaga?

2008-08-30T16:04:00.000-07:00

So... interesting fact; apparently this is the size of my baby in weight. I am 25+ weeks along and my boy is the size of a rutabaga. I didn't even know what that was until I went to babycenter.com. This is a rutubaga. Wow. The things you learn! I think I look a lot bigger than this... We went to the Doctor a couple of weeks ago and had an in-depth look at our little boy. He looks pretty good and healthy! According to their measurements, my due date was pushed back a week (bummer). Well... he'll come when he's ready, I guess. Anyway, that's the update for now. I am hoping that the next time I post I will have more pictures of something to show. We'll see!

Baby News!

2008-07-30T19:06:00.000-07:00

IT'S A BOY!!!!!
We found out a couple of weeks ago that we're going to be adding a little boy to this family and we're so excited! It took a long time to find that out because he was being modest with his little legs crossed... but we found what we were looking for in the end! ;O) Well, I'm on the downhill slide of this pregnancy!! I'm over half-way done... CRAZY! Here are some baby bump pictures showing my glamorous "blooming" progress. I also changed my look a little... here are before and after pictures. The first is when I was about 18 weeks along and the next one is 20+ weeks. See the difference 2 weeks makes? Amazing. I just keep 'blossoming' and am not fitting into my clothes anymore. What do you do?
I got tired of my hair, so I cut it off... what do you think?? It's amazing what pregnancy can do to a girl! I've also started to feel him moving around a little... weirdest feeling in the world. It's so fun!

Home Sweet Home

2008-07-10T19:33:00.000-07:00

We love our new Home!! We moved into this home a little over a month and a half ago. We love having a new home to decorate and make our own... it's been fun. It's not fun moving, but the end product is really worth the hassle. The flower pictures are from our flower beds... I love daisies!

Here we are!

2008-07-06T19:20:00.000-07:00

This is us... Mike and Heidi Stringham. I'm new to the blogging world and am learning new things all the time. So, bear with me as I try out things and get going.
As you can see, Mike and I are happily expecting our first baby in December. We don't know if it's a boy or girl yet... so come back to visit soon so you can find out what we're having.