4 teenagers

my little twinners - such similar personalities, and they look very similar!

Adriana turned 13 yesterday, so we are now a household with 4 teenagers.

That sounds a little intimidating.

Adri saved up her paper route money and bought an IPOD touch 5th generation.
It came a week ago, and she's been a little obsessed.
I hope things calm down a bit - she promises they will.
She's just excited about her new toy.
Her favorite part is the camera and the easiness of posting pictures.

Adri's birthday happened to fall on the day Mariah had a clogging competition in Utah.
I took Mariah and was gone the whole day.
Dave took Adri out to lunch.
We didn't have a ton of time to make her birthday special so we decided to celebrate Sunday night (tonight).

We're having a yummy dinner (pesto pasta, homemade french bread, grilled veggies, and a delicious dessert).

Adri will open presents, we will sing to her, and we will celebrate having Adri in our family.

We keep birthdays pretty simple like that, but our kids feel special for the day.

Adri's birth story:

I was really stressed about a few things about this birth:

1)Adriana was due on Akayla's birthday (April 18th), but I didn't want a new baby to overshadow Akayla's special day (she was turning 5 that year and we had a great party planned!)

2)We were in the middle of a 900 sq ft addition on our house, and I DESPERATELY wanted it to be finished by the time she was born.  I didn't want to have paint fumes or all the mess of the addition when I had a new baby to take care of.

3)I had gestational diabetes, and the pregnancy was difficult.  I worried that the labor and delivery would be more difficult also.

4)I also had 3 little kids and didn't know if my mom would be able to come help out after the baby was born.


None of the things that were stressing me out turned out to be a problem though - Adriana was induced 2 days after Akayla's birthday.  Our addition was finished the day we returned from the hospital.  My labor and delivery went very well considering.... (more on that later).  My mom was able to come a few days after Adriana was born to help take care of the kids.

The only frustration I had was at the hospital.
My doctor was a big stinker..... not very warm and friendly.
Since I hated having an epidural, and the last one hadn't worked anyway I was going all natural.....even with pitocin.

At the end (the very worst part) I was in a lot of pain and told him I felt like I needed to be sitting up more.
Adri wasn't coming fast enough, and I thought gravity might help.
He told me it wasn't convenient for him and it was a lot easier if I was lying down.
(One HUGE reason I decided to go to a birthing center after that).
Right after I delivered he said something like "It's a good thing you don't have difficult labors".
I just thought he was so rude.
How dare he say ANYTHING to me when he's NEVER given birth.
A woman giving birth can do or say anything she wants and AS LOUD as she wants!
(I'm a big screamer when I'm pushing..... it honestly helps me so much!!)

He also suggested that 4 was enough children, and that I shouldn't have any more.
Not because I physically couldn't....just because he thought I had too many now.
(I wonder what he would say with my 10th baby!!)

Glad that's over and I never have to deal with him any more!

Adriana was one of the most beautiful babies I've ever seen!
She nursed well right away, and was a big cuddler.
Adriana was only 7 pounds 8 ounces - small for me.
She stayed small.
She didn't reach 20 pounds until she was 2 years old.
She crawled on her bottom - she was too dainty to be on her knees!
She sang all the time, and it was the same tone.
We have so many videos of her flipping through books and singing her one-note song.
She had beautiful big brown eyes, and wispy strawberry blonde hair.
She was a climber (like Landon).  I found her on top of the refrigerator when she was only 18 months old!
She would get herself stuck on top of things that she climbed up on ALL THE TIME!
BUT she was always happy!

She is still always happy, a very willing helper, and excited to try new things.
She loves to laugh and play hard, but she is also incredibly organized and loves the challenge of school.
She works hard to get straight A's, and she practices the piano and viola diligently - without ever being told to.

I couldn't be more pleased with Adriana and the amazing TEENAGER she is - I could handle 10 of them if they were just like her!


good things:
beautiful smiles
fixing up our house
getting enough sleep