Here are the baby pictures!!!

She's here!!!

Sorry, no pics yet, but she is here. Baby Gibson made her debut 6 weeks early, October 23rd at 3:54 am

She is 5 pounds 7 ounces, 18.5 inches long and beautiful and doing well. She has lots of hair! We are doing well.

Almost there?

Just a pregnancy update:

I had some serious contractions every 8 minutes yesterday and thought I would be going in to have the baby, but after three hours they stopped.

Today when I went into the doctor I told him about the contractions so he checked me and I am dilated to nearly a 2 and 70% effaced. So he is hoping I at least last until next week when I am 35 weeks. I am trying not to think about, I just keep telling myself I have 6 weeks left. Who knows.

I have usually gained 35-40 pounds by now and I have only gained 14 this time! Wow, that is weird. I guess it is this diabetes diet I am on. Don't worry, the doctor isn't worried, the baby is fine, she is just taking all I have I guess.

Here is a picture of me at 34 weeks.

So not flattering, this computer cam isn't exactly the best way to take a picture. Oh well!

Goats, Hiking, Fire, Singing, Fall Festival, Sister's Day & the ER

My journal would be sad if I didn't post all these things that have been happening. I have been a little behind so this entry is just full of random things, so read on...

4 loves our baby goats. They have really grown a lot and she can't carry them as easily as she used to. These pictures prove it. It is really funny because in one of the pictures you can see the goat saying. "please let me down, I am too big for this!"

Baaaaaaaaaaa!

We decided to give away the mama goat, Sprite, because the kids have gotten so attached to the babies. So yesterday we passed her on to our neighbors so they could have a pal for their other goat. They said they milked her this morning and she has really good milk. They like goats milk and we have no desire to even try it so I think it worked out for them to get a milking goat. 9 was pretty sad to see her go even though it was his idea to pass her on yesterday. He told me this morning, "Mom, I checked on Sprite this morning... like fifteen times. She's OK." He is so cute. He is really happy that we got to keep Pepsi and Squirt. They are a lot of fun to watch. I got some cute little pink collars for them at Walmart on clearance for fifty cents each and it just makes me giggle to see them in them.

Marc and 13 have been hiking a lot lately. Sometimes they get to take my camera with them and get a few good scenery picks. They always go out to see animals and they usually do, but, the pictures of the animals are usually too far away to decipher. So here is a pic from their Conference weekend hike of the beautiful sunrise and snow-tipped mountain side.

Sometimes I have a rough day and I just need some cheering up and my family is there for me. This was after the Priesthood session of Conference. It was very therapeutic sitting around our little backyard fire pit. What is it about just sitting around the mesmerizing flames of a dancing fire that seems to calm a troubled heart? Even after my family left, Marc and I stayed out there until 1am just enjoying the flames and the cool fall air.
Lesson learned: Don't be late to your daughter's All-state Choir performance held at the Tabernacle in Salt Lake City Temple Square. Why? Because even if you are pregnant and drove an hour and a half to get there, they still won't let you in if they are full to capacity, even if there is standing room and seats open. You will then have to film your daughter through the window of the tabernacle. She is the second one in in the green dress. Enjoy! I know I tried...

(sidenote: I did get to go in and stand in the back for their last song. Which was beautiful!)

13 tried out for a specialty choir last year for the 8th grade and made it! This is his first performance. I was really proud of him. He was so excited to wear his new vest and tie that they are required to wear to sing in the choir. I think he felt pretty official.



So this lady had an idea a few years ago to utilize her property for a Fall Festival. She does the whole thing herself. Quite an undertaking. My mom knows her somehow, and she asked us to perform on opening day. There wasn't much of a crowd, but it was still fun. My dad also was there to demonstrate his blacksmithing. 13 and 9 even got to get in there and help him out. My favorite part of the entire day was 9 dancing his little heart out behind us while we sang.

Here I am with my sister, mom and aunt at 33 1/2 weeks singing and loving it!

My dad and 13 working hard in the heat around the fire making miniature horse shoes.

9 even got to turn the crank for the fire and he thought that was pretty cool.

My dad, he looks so cool doing this.


9 with his cousins ready for a picture

4 at one of their cute picture displays.

Jessie and I were interviewed for KBYU news about the festival. I didn't get to see it because I don't have TV reception. But, Jessie and I had a good laugh about how dorky we were. The best part was that Jessie's youngest son was so excited to see himself on TV the next day—try to to think back to cartoon monster movie when the green one-eyed monster is so excited that his arm shows up on TV...

Saturday we all went as sisters, mom and Kirsten's best friend to search for Kirsten's wedding dress. Don't worry, Kirsten, I will not post the pic of your dress so as not to ruin it for everyone, but I do have to post the picture of all of us in front of the Sandwich shop we went to, and us waiting outside one of the dressing rooms. Mom treated us all and it was wonderful. We really had a good time being gone all day shopping for pretty wedding dresses and just laughing about girls things! Thanks sisters for the good times.



Well, I guess the fun couldn't keep going. We were planning on getting together as a family that night for pizza at my mom's house. We were all together because Aaron was carving a pumpkin at the Harvest Festival, and Daniel had work off. But, while we were out shopping I got a call from Marc saying that 4's eye was really goopy and red. I thought it was just a cold or something, so I still figured that we would still be getting together with the family.

One of my good friends just happened to call to have 17 babysit, and I had mentioned to her that we were trying to decide what to do about 4's eye. She just happened to have some eye drop antibiotics—I told her she must have been inspired. Anyway, so we got the drops and I tried to drop a drop in her red, swollen, green weeping eye and as I held her eyelid up her tears started to turn bloody! Right then we rushed her to the ER. I hadn't had time to get the kids dinner and we rushed off putting 17 in charge of the other two. My mom came to the rescue and brought the pizza from the family gathering for the kids to eat.

Well to make a long story short: After three and half long, hungry hours in a room at the ER we were sent home with two antibiotics for her eye for what is called blepharitis. It is worse than pink eye because it affects the eyelids and soft tissue around the eye. That is why it started bleeding when we were trying to put the eye drops in. It is VERY painful, therefore, the night was a really long one. She is doing better today and doesn't look like she was hit in the eye with a baseball bat. Now, I just have to pray that none of the rest of us get this yucky, extremely contagious thing!

He asked me out on a date...

and I said yes.

It isn't very often that my husband calls me from work on a Wednesday and says, "Hay, Rach, do you want to out with me on Saturday?" I was so excited... like I was in high school again. He admitted to me later that he felt like a kid asking me out too. It is funny how after marriage you just say Friday's are date nights and you just go, not really asking each other out or anything—it's just expected.

Well, anyway, Saturday comes and he informs me that he wants to leave at 12:30 and it was 10am at that point and I had a bad night and still hadn't gotten a babysitter for our date because 17 was gone to All State Choir. So I was getting more and more frustrated because no one could babysit and I still wasn't ready... Anyway, we finally decided that 13 could babysit while we were on our date because we just wouldn't be out very long. So at 12:30 I hop into the shower quick and try to get ready really fast so that we can at least leave by 1:00 and still stay close to the schedule that Marc wanted to be on. Well, I am pregnant, and I am ornery, and my hair isn't going and nothing I put on looks good and I really want to look good for this big official date. Marc is standing around waiting for me to get ready and won't leave me alone so that increases the pressure, therefore my hair will not respond to the ongoing pressure and I finally give up and in near tears I storm out with Marc and am trying to get my happy face back on. But, then he informs me that his friend needs him to stop by for something and then I feel my blood boiling. We pull up to the house and he expects me to get out and come with him to the door—I am guessing, at this point, that I am supposed to come with him because this is our official date...

SURPRISE!!!!!!!! comes billowing out of the door as I walk in in front of a hesitant Marc. I look around in shock, as I see me friends and ward members with cheerful faces all staring at me...

Surprise was the last thing I suspected, so Marc did a great job. My dear friends had decided to throw me a surprise baby shower!!!! Wow!!! You know, I don't think I have ever even had a real surprise party! It was so awesome. Although, I felt bad because I was an hour late to my own shower!! Ya, I guess I wasn't getting ready as fast as I thought I was and I really didn't understand why Marc was on this 12:30 schedule thing. Anyway. It was a blast! I had so much fun talking to everyone and I just felt so loved. I couldn't believe that they would throw me a baby shower on my third kid! Wahoo! They even pitched in and got me the coolest stroller ever, the exact one I really wanted!

I have some pictures that my friend, Cari, took for me so I will post them. One of my friends made really cool diaper cake and the ribbon and buttons that decorated it were so cute that I just couldn't waste them so I made some hair bows for baby and a cool barrette for 4. I thought they turned out really well.

I even have a clip of when I first came in to the "surprise" you can tell how unexpected it was for me...

Here is the food, the balloons and some of my friends waiting for me to arrive...

Here is the cute cake Jane made...

Here are the hair things I made.

41

I love my hubby! He turned 41 last week! Oh happy day for him! We just had a little party at home for him because I was sick, so it was small but, it was good!

Marc gives 4 a hug after she sings a solo "Happy Birthday" to him. It was so cute!












Marc, shows us how old he is!







And anyone who knows 9, knows how much he LOVES to blow out candles. Here he is, intently waiting for the opportunity!

Anxiously Engaged!!

My youngest sister is engaged to be married in December! Wahoo! I am so excited for her and I just love her fiancé! Oh the joy!

I LOVE the smile on her face—it couldn't be any bigger!

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Big Boob!

No, I am not talking about the perks of being 32 weeks pregnant...

I am talking about doing the diabetes blood test five times a day. It makes me queazy. I know, I know, it is only a prick but it still gives me the willies to do it. So hats off to all you out there who are diabetic because you are troopers. I am lucky because this won't last my whole life for me (thank goodness).

So I went to the dietician yesterday and got the two-hour low down on diabetes and the food I have to eat, my meal plan, how to test my blood, what my risks are and what the baby's risks are. Hearing all the risks make me a little nervous but, I will just have to do my best and stick with the diet and start getting a little exercise in. I have to test my blood morning and night, and one hour after each meal. I think the hardest part about this, aside from having to poke myself and see my blood all the time, is the fact that I have to really take time to figure out what I can eat so that I can track my carbs, proteins, fats and sodium at every meal—no more grabbing whatever out of the fridge or pantry. It reminds me a lot of the diet I was on last year—so if I can just remember a lot of those habits I should be good.

I go into the Doctor this Thursday and will hear from him how things are going too. We will talk about the baby's size and whether or not I may come early. So the whole plan of me going the full 40 weeks may change a little and maybe I will have this one early just like I did the other two...

Gestational Diabetes?

Are you serious? Aaaaahhh! I really don't want to deal with this, but, the blood test says I have to. I really don't know what this entails, as I am still waiting for the instructions from the dietician they have referred me to. I am hoping that someone out there can just reassure me that it is nothing more than a change in diet and checking my glucose levels all the time. I am trying not to freak out over here. Aaaaahh!

Best Parents EVER!!

OK, I know you all feel the same way about your parents... but, I just have to say it! I really do! I am amazed at what great parents they are and I want to be like them someday!

We went over there on Monday for Family Home Evening. We roasted hotdogs and marshmallows. We had my mom's homemade chile, so we had chile dogs! Mmm! It was so fun to be with the family. My dad even stoked up the fire in his cabin so that he and 13 could finish a blacksmithing project they had started. And to top it off, my mom made homemade caramel apples! Oh, the joy.




Then the next day my mom came with my sister and helped me organize the baby and 4's room and clean the kitchen. My mom loves to serve us. One of the things I most love about her is that she really allows me to be me and kindly reminds me of where I should be and what I should/could do. I admire her. My mom and dad have so much love for me, my kids and my hubby that it just makes my heart swell.

I remember once, I had done something wrong—I really can't even remember what it was—but, I do remember what my dad told me. "Rachael, you have a great name. A name that has always been a good one. Keep that good name. You are the oldest and you are the example for your brothers and sisters. You are the one who will keep that good name for the rest of them." I have never forgotten that bit of advice. In fact, I have told the same thing to both Bryan and 17.

I also remember my mom calling all my friends homes after curfew when I wasn't home yet. (This was before the time of cell phones.) She wouldn't rest until she found me. I remember a few times when my friend's sleepy-eyed parents would come to find me to tell me that my mom had called to tell me to "get home!" I was so thankful that she cared enough about me to track me down and keep my on the right track. Now I wait up anxiously for 17 come home from her outings, remembering all the hours my mom spent waiting up for me.

I just hope that we all, as parents (if we are—and if not this applies to teachers, leaders of youth and all those who have any impact on youth), can love our children enough to let them make their own choices, fall on their face if necessary, but gently pick them back up and still let them face their consequences and always let them know where we stand as their parents. I think too often we allow children to dodge the consequences, blame others for the consequences and then continue making those same mistakes. Even our Heavenly Father allows us to fall. Who do we run to when we do fall? Hopefully it is Him. Who should our children run to when they make mistakes? Hopefully their parents? Let us be able to be strong enough parents to stand up for what is right, even if it means that our children may not like to hear what we have to say. They will always know what we stood for.