2 am

This is Oliver at 2 am. He was so awake and being so cute I had to take pictures. I just wanted to take a moment to talk about that sweet time around 2 or 3 am. That is when my babies would wake up to eat. All three of my kids always wake up very happy. You can still wake them up from a dead sleep and they will smile and talk and then go back to bed. Oliver does the same thing. I love those moments in the middle of night when no one else is up, I have had some rest, and the house is still. During those moments I feel like I really get to know my baby. My heart is very full as he smiles and coos. I love the way babies look when they nurse. And although you can't capture that moment on camera, it is a little picture in my head. I just don't think there is anyting sweeter. That image is just a little acorn, to save for later.

Introducing...

...Isabelle, Alexandra and Oliver Karren


I thought I should spend one entry to introduce the kids on my blog, now that I am officially blogging. Plus I needed to show off my new pictures taken by my new favorite photographer in Utah, Jess Bishop (byjess.com).

Isabelle



Isabelle Elaine just turned six the beginning of November. She is such an a amazing little girl. She is so genuine and sweet to everyone she meets. She is a born leader. It is so adorable how quickly she makes friends and she naturally just leads her little friends. She is always so quick to include everyone. Isabelle has always been so talented. She has the most amazing voice with an incredible ability with her pitch and tone. She also has an uncanny ability to memorize anything and everything. She was one of the youngest to be accepted to the piano program at Carnegie Mellon. It is a very good program. The director was so impressed with her musical ability. I'm sure one day she will do something with her talent. But for now I will enjoy the gorgeous voice singing in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Her dancing, singing, conversation, and cuddling just brightens up the house. She really is like a little ray of sunshine. Isabelle is such a strong little spirit. She amazes me everyday and I feel so humble to be her mother.

Alexandra



Alexandra Grace is three years old. She is such a little cuddle bug. I have to admit I will miss when she grows out of holding necks. I have really started to love her affectionate little idiosyncrasies. She sucks her little lip and rubs her hand all around your neck. She loves to cuddle, especially in the morning. She is so funny too. She loves to make jokes and laughs out loud at herself. She loves her sister and her new little brother. Isabelle is her little role model. But Allie is a little more irreverent, and you can't help but love her for it. She loves to get a little messy, but still in her dress-up dress complete with accessories. She reminds me a lot of myself as a little girl. This year has been so fun with her. She misses her sister at school, but we have been able to have a lot of one on one time and I loved it. She is so accommodating and easy going. I told her that I didn't want her to be big, I wanted her to be my little baby. She thought for a second, looked introspective and then sweetly said, "I can be a baby." She is such a sweet little girl.

Oliver



Oliver Benjamin is 1 month old. Already I feel so lucky to have such a pure little spirit in my care. He is such a good little baby. He only cries when he is hungry, but watch out if you don't get it to him right away. That is the only time you see his little temper. He is so mellow compared to the girls. He has been such a little trooper through his difficult entrance into this world. His little spirit is so strong. I love him so much already. It is amazing how quickly they become a part of your heart.

Christmas

Christmas was very low key this year. I actually finished shopping for Christmas by November. I was pretty proud of myself. Good thing too seeing how full our November and beginning of December was. The girls got absolutely everything they could've wanted.

Oliver was so cute in the little hat Uncle Dan gave hime!

I loved having my little family all together for Christmas. Ben actually had 5 days off. It was just a relief to have him there. We had been in survival mode for the last few weeks. We watched "The Nativity" and just hung out and talked with everyone. My mom's tree was amazing. She had an upside down tree dripping wih crystals. With the glow of the tree, the fireplace, the huge windows open to the snow covered mountains, it couldn't have been a more perfect holiday.

Oliver's Blessing

Oliver was blessed on December 23rd in my parent's Alpine ward. The blessing was so touching. We had so many people from our extended family that were able to be there. It really was special to have everyone there. Arlie (Ben's Grandma) held Oliver during the rest of the service which was so wonderful, because we don't get to see her and Chuck very often. My grandma and grandpa were able to be there. And so many more in our family. Thank you all for coming, you make us feel so loved.



Our new and improved family.



Nani & Papa



Nana & Papi



Grandma Arlie



Grandma & Grandpa "Great" Whiting

Daddy Weekends

We left on November 20th and won't be going back to Arizona until the first week in January. Ben has been flying up on the weekends. He has been going all over the country for dental residency programs as well. So, needless to say the girls are so excited when he comes. They have both been having more of a hard time than I anticipated with tears every time he leaves. So, he makes the most of his time with them.


Ben was a great architect and the girls made fabulous designers on the gingerbread house.


From a pint sized snowman to a snow ball fight, the girls had fun in the snow with their daddy.

Little Man

I just thought these were so cute of Oliver. He looks like such a little man!

Baby Oliver Comes Home

The girls simply adore their new brother. They just can't get enough of him.



From his head to his little piggie toes.


Isabelle is so good with him, a little mommy. Alexandra's favorite moment with him so far is when he stretched, his head went back and you oculd see his neck. She gasped and squealed, "He opened his neck!" And her little hand went right on his neck. That's Allie's comfort thing. She holds necks, she likes to rub your neck and suck her bottom lip. We will have to watch that one!

Ben finally got another man in the house. It was getting a little pink! Oliver looks so much like Ben, but with a little Whiting in him too.

Oliver Benjamin Karren

We are so excited to welcome a baby boy to our family!
Oliver Benjamin Karren
November 24, 2007
7 pounds 7 ounces



We came to Utah November 20th and I went into labor the day after Thanksgiving, November 24th, even though I wasn't due until December 14th. Mom took to the hospital and they gave me a shot to stop the labor. It worked for a couple of hours, just long enough for us to be at James' blessing(Mike & Stef's newest baby). By the end of the blessing I was about 5 minutes apart. Yet, I still went home, thinking it would settle down when I laid down. It soon became aparent I had to go back to the hospital. Oliver came via c-section around 2 am. I had a rocky nauseating c-section and it didn't get much better. Dad had taken the baby and it looked like he needed some work, and then he was taken out. I looked up and saw Ben and Dad looking like this...


I started to panic because I couldn't tell if Dad was telling me everything or waiting till I was stitched back up. I didn't see Oliver for a day and a half after that first picture. His cord had kinked in the birth canal, the blood could go out, but not in, so he had lost a third of his blood supply. His lungs wouldn't inflate, his oxygen was low, and respiratory rate was high. He was basically in shock.

Dad put filled him with fluid, more than they usually do,just to try to get him to the point that his lungs would inflate. He was so swollen, he couldn't open his eyes, but at least he was breathing.

It was a long week in the NICU. After all the other things started to resolve, his bilirubin spiked. Dad figured out that mine and his blood were slightly incompatible and his body was fighting my antibodies. So, we added bili lights to his tubes and cords. He started to pull out of it and we were released a little over a week from his birth.


I feel so lucky and blessed that my dad was there. I really think there was a reason that we couldn't transfer our insurance and that we had to go to Utah for his birth. Because I really don't know what would've happened if my dad wouldn't have been there. I wouldn't have had any pediatrician there because I wasn't considered high risk or anything. And it took quick and aggressive work to get him going. I appreciate you so much Dad and I love you to pieces. Thank you for being the great man and doctor that you are.


When we finally got home, Alexandra came down with a horrible flu bag with constant vomiting all night long. Then one night off. Then Isabelle got it even worse than Alexandra. Then one night off. Then I got it. I really wouldn't have made it if it weren't for my mom. She would come in and bring the baby to me, change sheets, get bowls, and all the wonderful mom things. Poor Ben felt very helpless back in Arizona. Not only did he have to fly back and forth for work, but he had dental residency interviews during it all.

I also have to thank my mom for taking such good care of my kids while I was in the hospital. I really didn't worry about them at all while I was in the hospital. And for anyone that knows how I am with my kids, that is huge. I am a little paranoid and a bit of a control freak. But, she did such a good job that Izzie was actually excited about the plan we put in place in case Ben & I died, that she and Allie would like with Nani & Papa. She actually squealed in delight. Should I be offended? No, I am happy that they would feel so loved and so at home.

By mid December, I finally felt like it was finally kind of normal and I could really start to enjoy my new little man! It was a hard start, but he is worth it.

Aloha!

Isabelle's 6th Birthday Luau


I was hoping that Disneyland would count as Isabelle's Birthday party. But no such luck. She was really set on a luau. Closely approaching my due date, a party seemed daunting. Plus, we really hadn't made friends here yet. We invited second cousins, the girls in her school class, and the girls in her church class. I was ecpecting half but everyone showed up. I don't know if it is because they wanted to get to know us or if they felt sorry for us that we had no friends and had to invite strangers. Either way, we had a really fun party and made lots of new friends.



The girls learned a hula dance and played limbo. They had jeweled body stickers and flowered leis and hair clips, and of course, hula skirts. And the palm tree jump house was a hit.


I made a sand castle cake along with hibiscus cupcakes. Altogether, quite an accoplishemnt for such a pregnant girl. And I didn't even go into labor!

Happy Birthday my little hula girl! I can't believe you are six. You seem so grown up to me, because we talk like friends. But when I see pictures of you I realize you are still my little girl. I love who you are, your kind sweet spirit. You are such a good friend and always bring everyone together. I love you to pieces, Happy Birthday!

The Barbie mustang from Nani, Papa, Mom & Dad was quite a hit. Just like Sharpay from High School Musical!

There's No Place Like Home

Isabelle made an adorable Dorothy complete with red ruby slippers and Toto. Alexandra, better known as Glenda the Good Witch was so excited to be the one to get pink for once. It was a last minute Halloween, but it pulled together!

We went to the park for a Halloween party. There were jumphouses, petting zoos, shows, and food. Jon met us there to play with the girls. The trunk or treat line was super long, but worth the wait for speed trick or treating.





Daddy helped carve the pumpkins. Alexandra was so excited to go pick out her pumpkin. Everytime we passed it she begged to go tothe "Pumpkin Store" that had popped up on the side of the street.

The jack-o-lanterns were very scary!