Shopping Adventures

Normally I hate shopping at Wal-Mart, but since we discovered these special shopping carts it's not so bad. Adelaide and I sit next to each other, Maverick sits in the main cart and Rick pushes us all around. It is seriously more like an amusement park ride than a shopping trip... the strange looks from adults and longing looks from their children make it especially entertaining.

Christmas Thoughts

I love this picture. Especially now that I have my own children and realize how holding any baby in your arms feels like such a miracle. I can't imagine what Mary must have felt like holding baby Jesus in her arms.

This Christmas season has really been beautiful for me. I have not decorated my house and sadly don't even have a Christmas tree, but I have felt a change of heart which prompts me to redirect my energy from life's distractions to thinking about Christ more often. This focus motivates me to love others more purely, humble myself to understand and do God's will for me, study his word more often, avoid judgement of others, look for ways to serve others and simply to be grateful for God's gift of the Savior to me. I am most definitely failing at the ideals I just mentioned, but I guess that also makes me feel closer to the Savior, asking daily for his grace and help to be better. I really do feel my Savior's love in all the world around me... through my family relationships, friendships new and old, my beautiful children, all the wonders of nature, and the peace the gospel brings me. I am feeling really blessed and like I've never had it so good.

I hope you are all enjoying this season too, it really is the most wonderful time of the year. ♥

Good Bye Jess!

Jessica left yesterday to be a missionary in Portugal for the next 18 months. I am going to miss her so much but am proud of who she is and the decision she has made to spread the gospel there. Jessica is the most Christlike individual I know, always humble, loving and genuine, and I know that she will positively influence everyone she meets. It was so wonderful having her live with me for a while and I guess now it's time for me to share- be good to her Portugal, I know she'll be good to you!



Last picture together for a while.

In Winter it's a Marshmallow World

It has been dumping snow here lately so today we decided to take Adelaide sledding for her first time. I went down once with her and she yelled "No no no no" the whole time. So we left Adelaide at the top of the hill with sleeping Maverick while we went down a couple of times. She was so grumpy and flailing her arms around (you can see her mittens mid flight in one of the pictures) and kept saying "No no. Home. Please." We made her go down once more with both of us and she still did not like it so we headed home. Maybe next year she'll like it?! If not we'll have to find a babysitter.

Maverick & Mom

Over Thanksgiving weekend my brother Kevin and his wife Rachel were kind enough to snap some pictures of Maverick at one month old. Here are some favorites of Maverick and I:

Puffy Pears

Last night I had pears in my kitchen waiting to be eaten. So I jumped on pinterest for some inspiration and decided to make this:

Basically poached pears wrapped in puff pastry with honey syrup.

They were delicious, easy to make and tasted like winter.

I highly recommend them ♥

Rub A Dub Dub

Can I just say that I love having a newborn in the house again?

Here are a couple pictures of bath time- Maverick is just like Adelaide was and loves the calming water of a bath :)

Maverick's honorary aunt Naomi sent him this funny onesie... love it!

Inspirational to Me

&

"MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone."

- Thomas Merton, "Thoughts in Solitude"

Loves Being a Big Sister

Adelaide is adjusting well to having a new sibling. When Maverick sneezes she exclaims "bless you baby Maverick!" and she kisses and holds him all the time. Sometimes she doesn't like him using "her" blankets (even though usually they aren't hers) and she can get a little jealous of him nursing... I nursed Adelaide for a long time and I explained to her that once the baby came she couldn't nurse anymore. She understands it pretty well now but one day she saw me nursing and wanted to nurse too. I said "no, nursing is for babies and you are a big girl." She thought she could outsmart me and pointed to the side Maverick was on and said "Maverick's milk," and pointed to the other side and said, "my milk." I explained all the milk is for the baby and we've been pretty good ever since. That funny girl makes me laugh.

Here are a few pictures from the day after Maverick was born:

Silly Grandpas

Adelaide just loves her Grandpas! Recently she was lucky enough to have some special visits with them:)

Grandpa lets Adelaide wear anything she wants!

Grandpa brought Adelaide some girly accessories and modeled how they are worn.

Adelaide loved building towers with her Grandpa.

Come visit us again soon!

Happy Halloween

Adelaide was a hot air balloon for Halloween and really got into the trick-or-treating spirit. We started out at a work trick-or-treat party where she got down the basics. Then Rick and Adelaide went out together for more while Maverick and I came home and waited for trick-or-treaters that never came.

Our little hot air balloon.

Rick was a cloud (although was often mistaken for cotton candy).

One of Maverick's first outings in his sling.

Maverick in his Halloween outfit.

Jessica was Miss Judy Little Hands from the SNL Lawrence Welks Show skits. If you aren't familiar please google a couple of them... hilarious.

Maverick's Visitors

This little guy is very loved and has had plenty of family visitors since his long anticipated birth.

Mimi.

Grandpa.

Grandpa and Mimi.

Aunt Jess... technically she lives here and is not a visitor but cute picture, right?

Uncle Eric.

Grandpa.

Mimi.

Grandpa and Mimi.

Grandma.

Uncle Nathan.

Aunt Lanie.

Thanks for all the love!

The Birth of Maverick Wesley

After what seemed like an eternity of waiting I finally seemed to be in real labor. Around noon On Wednesday October 26th after meeting with our midwife Becky and having my membranes swept, taking 1/4 cup of castor oil, and then rotating between black and blue cohosh tincture I was having pretty strong contractions. They weren't really painful but they were crampy... I knew that I was 7cm dilated but that my cervix was still a little thick so with each contraction I told myself to open up and thin out and tried to visualize it.

Once the contractions started getting a little more painful (around 2:30 p.m.) I asked my mom to sit in bed with me and play with my hair while I did deep breathing. I called Rick and he came home just in case this was the real thing. At 3:00 I called Becky and told her they were pretty consistent but not too painful and she said to call her back by 4:00 or sooner if I wanted her to come over. Right around 4:00 they started getting more intense and so I called Becky and we decided she should come over. After I hung up they quickly became even stronger and close together. Becky arrived around 4:20 and she could tell that I was having serious contractions so she worked fast to get everything set up. Another midwife named Dina came over as well. It wasn't long after she got there that I had the sudden urge to push. I pushed about five pushes total while my mom and Jessica massaged my shoulders and gave me support. At 4:51 our baby was born right into Rick's arms: 9lbs 9oz, 22 inches long and a boy! We named him Maverick Wesley Rampton and we are totally in love.

The birth itself seemed like it was never going to happen, but once labor finally hit everything happened really fast. With Adelaide we took lots of pictures and even videotaped the birth; with Maverick we didn't have time for any of that, we didn't even have time to drop off Adelaide at a friend's house (don't worry she didn't watch it or anything, she miraculously slept through it all). I am so grateful that everything went so smoothly and for all the love and support... I am so excited to have this sweet, healthy, strong, perfect baby boy as a part of our family :)

Our first moments with Maverick.

So in love.

Maverick always has his little hands by his face. So cute.

Mimi getting Maverick dressed for the first time.

Proud Daddy.

Adelaide awoke from her nap to a new addition to the family.

Our family of four.

Me and my two babies.

Our midwife Becky with Maverick.

So happy to have this little man in my arms :)

P.S. We had Maverick's check up today with our midwife and after one week he now weighs 10 lbs 3oz... Becky said my milk must be pure cream. We have one big boy on our hands :)