Announcing....

Kate Judy McAllister

8 lbs. 11 oz. 19 1/2 inches

October 27, 2008 1:37 pm

We are so happy to welcome our beautiful baby girl! Everything went so well and she is just as sweet as can be. We went to the hospital at 9:30 on Monday morning and the Dr. broke my water at 10:00. I got started on pitocin and got an epidural at about 10:30. I was only dilated to a three and the first two hours were boring and uneventful. At about 1:00 I told Richard to go downstairs and get some lunch- after all, I was only a three and who knew how much longer we might be just sitting and waiting. Of course, not long after he left I started to feel some pain. I forgot that I was in charge of pushing the "gimme more" button for the epidural. The nurse checked me again and I was at a 7. So I called Richard and told him to come right back up. He packed up his lunch that he was just getting started on and came up to help me through about 15 minutes of real pain until the epidural kicked in again. I was shaking quite a bit, but Richards help made it bearable and okay. The Dr. came in and had me push for about 1 minute and she was out! He said it was a "perfect delivery"! She swallowed some meconium, so a respiratory team had to check her out and take her away for about an hour before I could hold her. She had some icky crackles in her lungs, but they have gone away and she is just fine. She is darling as can be and we just love her so much! There is nothing like a newborn...that sweet smell and those amazingly soft cheeks that I kiss at least a hundred times a day! We came home last night and didn't get a whole lot of sleep, but hopefully she will adjust soon and we can get into some rhythm. We love our sweet little girl!

Go Aggies! Go Voice Male! Go Wildcats!

So I was nervous about this weekend, but we made it through Richard being away and we didn't have a baby in his absence! My mom was kind enough to stay with me on Friday night "just in case". Thanks mom! Richard spent Friday and Saturday up at USU for Homecoming and Voice Male recieved the award of Alumni of the Year. They got all the red carpet rolled out, it sounds like. I felt bad I couldn't be there, because it is quite an honor. They attended many events and got to be in the parade and sit in the Presidents box at the Football game and be honored at half-time. I just love USU in the fall and I wish I could have been there. But way to go Voice Male!

I took my kids to go see High School Musical 3 and we all loved it! We had cousins come with us and Emma and Hailey had to wear their cheerleading outfits to get in the spirit of it all! Then later that night I took the kids to a Voice Male concert in Orem. We attended the 7:00 show, but they also had a 9:00 show and Landon stayed for both. He talked me into it and because he is such a good kid, I let him. Needless to say, it was a late, late night. I'm tired and anxious for tomorrow. So many emotions go along with having a baby! But mostly I am uncomfortable and ready to get her out! I can't wait to meet her! My next post will be all baby!

An update...

I know many of you ask often how my Mom is doing, so I think its okay to give the latest update here on my blog. She had yet another series of tests performed over the past two weeks and found out on Tuesday that the cancer has indeed spread. However, the problems in her spine and pelvis are doing well enough that they don't need chemo right now. Finally, she gets a break from chemo after a year and a half. This is a good thing because now she must start on radiation and steroids (which cannot be done at the same time as chemo) for the latest development. Five new tumors. On her brain. I don't like hearing the words cancer, tumors and brain in the same sentance. Now, understand that even in the face of seemingly grim news, she is ever optimistic, always looking on the bright side of life. She is a fighter and is ready for this next battle, convinced she will continue to improve and get stronger each day. She truly is amazing. Most of the time we don't even realize she is sick because she has so much energy and is still "Superwoman" in so many ways. Why can't more people have her wonderful, positive attitude? Oh, the things we fret over that don't even matter. She knows what matters. She is my hero. So what can we do in the meantime? Cherish every moment we have to spend with her, adopt her outlook, support, love and pray for her.

All in a days fun!

Richard, Landon and Daniel went down to Mt. Pleasant on Saturday. Originally they had considered hunting, but horse riding seemed much more fun and worthwhile to the boys. However, on the way down they stopped where my Dad and brothers were hunting just at the perfect moment to see the deer Jake and Jon had just shot. Nice timing! Then they headed to Grandma McAllisters and helped her dry apples for a while. After that they went and rode horses for a while. Landon and Daniel were very proud to have ridden all by themselves without any help from Richard. They absolutely love it. Can you blame them? Emma wasn't feeling to great. She had a slight fever and a sore throat so she and I stayed home and relaxed a bit. But the boys made it back in time to head up to my parents to see cousins (Heather was here from St. George) and go miniature golfing. I took the kids while Richard stayed and mowed the lawn, pulled up the garden and got the yard in shape for winter. It was a long day and we packed in about as much as we possibly could! Fun times! BTW- 7 more days! I'm sooooo ready!

Have to brag a little!

I just wanted to give a plug for Voice Males latest album. They just finished it and I believe it will be in stores on Tuesday. It is called Kids Stuff and I think it is superb. I was able to contribute a couple of arrangements to the cause and my kids got to sing on 3 of the tracks. It is all we listen to now and my kids sing at the very top of their lungs to every song on the CD. Its definately a big hit at our house! The guys sound fabulous and I really, really like how it all turned out- it's so much fun. You can listen to samples of the CD on their website at www.voicemalemusic.com - its a fun site, so if you have a minute, check it out!

A little pregnant pampering!

I realized after looking at my calendar that today was the last Monday I would have to myself before the baby. The kids are out of school next Monday and the following Monday is baby day. Mondays have been great because the boys are at school, Emma in preschool and I don't teach piano like I do on Wednesday mornings while Emma is at school. So I thought I'd better take advantage of these precious 2 hours today. Since I can't reach my feet anymore, I decided a pedicure was a great way to spend my time, and let me tell you, it was! The only other time I've had one was at a beauty school and it paled in comparison to this. I was the only one there because it was 10 am and this cute little old chinese lady did it. It was the most comfortable massage chair I could have ever imagined and the bubble foot bath was the perfect temperature- boiling hot, which I love! She massaged my feet and legs for such a nice, long time and it was just so nice and relaxing. And now I have beautiful feet and toes- all ready for delivery. (I always feel better when my toes are painted)! Then I decided I'd better go get a nice pumpkin spice drink from Starbucks to top off my luxurious hour and a half! Only my cute little styrofoam flip flops broke just as I walked into Starbucks so I had to throw them in the garbage! Ultimate barefoot and pregnant. I walked on my tippy toes back out to my car on the freezing asphalt with a smile on my face, a wonderful drink in my hand and the prettiest toes ever!

To be or not to be.....

That is the question! I've been thinking about being induced vs. letting the baby come on her own and the more I consider the pros and cons the better I feel about being induced. You see, if I wait and have another really fast labor (like when Daniel came out within 15 minutes of arriving at the hospital and I felt completely out of control) or a baby in the middle of the night (like Emma) and have to wake someone up in the wee hours, I might not enjoy the experience as much as if I were induced. I like the idea of having everything planned ahead of time and being in a controlled situation. I've never had a baby early, and unless she decides to come early on her own, I'm thinking October 27th is the day! I had an appointment today and everything is moving along nicely and so I went ahead and signed up for the 27th- also because thats the day the Dr. I really like is delivering babies! So that means less than three weeks until we get to have this sweet baby join our family. I'm so excited!

Happy Birthday Emma (and the missing video)

Here is the video that so obnoxiously did not show up in the previous blog. I don't get it. Anyhow, today was Emmas birthday and I can hardly believe she is already four years old. They really do grow up so fast. She was so happy when she woke up and gave us all many hugs and kisses. She was thrilled to pieces with all her presents because she had told me numerous times what she wanted (she always knows exactly what she wants!) and she was delighted to see that I had taken care of her requests! She was the special birthday girl at preschool and then got to come home and ask me every 10 minutes if it was time for her party yet. I gave her the option of going to Build-A-Bear or having a party. She chose the party and I wish she had chosen the Build-A-Bear option. It was just a little party, and only an hour long, but it was a crazy hour with 6 little kiddies! And this very pregnant body of mine should not be doing the Hokey Pokey! Holy Cow! She is our little princess and we just love her so much. She is such a sweet girl and she brings so much joy to our home! Happy Birthday, Emma Jae!

A Sheep Day

I just have to say really quickly, that if you want a good laugh and a funny read, go to seriouslysoblessed.blogspot.com. This girl is hilarious and is totally made-up and gets all the LDS stereotypes spot on. I like reading it and thought you might too.

So last week we let the boys miss half a day of school to go down to Mt. Pleasant and load sheep. They had a blast and Richard loved the fresh air and escape from the busy city life. Here are a couple videos of them having fun!