my blessing

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We blessed our beutiful girl the past Sunday. Thank you to all that came and showed their support. It meant a lot to our little family :)

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Dustin gave sweet Poppy an incredible blessing. He is a fantastic Father, and as I watched him bless her with so many heartfelt promises, then watch him ever so delicately cradle her in his arms walking back to our seats, my heart was just over flowing with the love I have for him. My husband is so strong, and I feel so loved, and so safe in knowing that he is the Patriarch of our home;

I love you so much honey.. you did a wonderful job on Sunday.

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Your girls are over the moon lucky to have a Daddy like you :)

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First "real" family photo.

Aren't my girlies darling?

(Even with a flash picture I might add!!)

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Brothers of the preisthood.

All the men that stood in on the cirlce...

(take or add a few i think ..... ;) )
...

..

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And now...

be prepared!

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The following are Poppy's official blessing gown photos...

and there are a lot!

I just simply could not chose one, so now you get to see them all!!!
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After I have a baby I always feel like you can finally breath easy once they are blessed. It's there connection to me here on earth. Their blessing is our bind..a ceremony linking this new precious angel to me....her Mama who finally gets her turn with her!

My sweet, sweet Poppy Louise...

I will never, ever grow out of love for you.

Thank you for chosing us.

-mama

Minie Moo...Scary Moo

Last night, us girls were all down stairs enjoying a little lounge time while Dust was upstairs cleaning up the dinner dishes.
Poptart was kicking ever so innocently on a blanket, Minie was piladging through any fateless item that chose to cross her path, and I was just *relaxing (relaxing?? really, who relaxes with an 18 month old in the room?)on the floor next to Popps...(possibly being distracted for the eensiest bit of time by the new season of The Bachelor ;) ) , when out of no where flys a small, yet very powerfull fist of metal snowflake. The dang thing came crashing down on to sweet Poppie's face... a little love smack (if you will) from big sis . Anyway, She OF COURSE started screaming immediately. And I am not talking your run of the mill cry, these were the 40 second wind up doozies, the breath holders, the cries that give us all fare warning, that baby is about to explode.
And explode she did. She turned three shades of purple, and cried SO hard, for SO long that she puked. Meanwhile, Miss Mins thinks this is absolutely hilarious, and just continues to repeat "Baby! Baby! Baby!". Dustin rushed down stairs to save his girls, and found little miss destrution red handed. She was awarded a spanken, and her first trip to time out... "and he meant it!"
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Of course Crazyhorse was forgiven, as truly she didn't have a clue she was hurting Poppy. But honestly!!! The girl is crazy busy, and we are all a little frightened. Poppy is now sporting a pretty good lookin' bruise, and some impressive swelling to boot!
And that ladies and Gentlmen is what we call a 16 month age gap...
we pray that Poppy will make it out of her first year alive :)
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And believe you me... I'v got many more stories where that came from..

Crazy girl...

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I Love you...

And little Miss Popps....

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I love you so much my girl.

You are my main squeeze, and I will always be there to protect you smoosh.

xoxo,

Mama

For Allison....FINALLY!

Robyn and I took this sweet family's photos right after Thanksgiving, and they are just NOW finished...

Allison.. thank you so much for your patience. I know I told you it would be longer than normal, and I so appreciate you understanding!

I wanted to post some type of preview, because I have never shot a family this big, and well yes, I feel like some feat was achieved between this and Poppy's arrival.

I hope you love them Allison. The discs will be to you by the end of the week!

morning happenings...

This is what you would find on any typical morning at my house:

The entire family congregated to our bed (much to Dustin's chagrin) and we all mosey around the mess of slept in comforters, and little girl morning breath to the hohum of some crazy wierd playhouse Disney show plaing in the background.

I love my smooshies...
and I especially love them in the morning
:)



They can be so sweet...
cuddling, sucking binks, and watching some toons.....

................

and then the inevitable happens....

and sweet time abruptly stops

:)

but then we just get right back up on the saddle again, and resume watching Mickey Mouse Club House.

Oh, my sweetsies girls...

I
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L.

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O.
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V.
.

E.

YOU

To whom it might concern...

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We will be blessing our sweet Poppsies this coming Sunday , January 4th.

Our church starts at 9:00 AM, and is located at

464 W Germania

MURRAY , UT 84123

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We would love any and ALL friends to attend this special day with us!!!!

yes... even you, blurkers...

:)

Hope to see you there!!

,

,

(And yes... how cute is she in that photo?? She can't really help it...)

Christmas and a New Year

This holiday was a wonderful one.

We have hardly been home the past couple of weeks, and our insanely messy house is to show for it...

parties, Santa, games, dinners, movies... the list just goes on.

Dust has been lucky enough to have had about 10 days off from work, and we have been taking full advantage. I love this time of year... I love my family and I adore how we all spend it together.

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I am in a bit of a blogging rut... I feel I have lost my "voice" (if you will)..

but mostly I just want to document how grateful I am at this time in my life. I am so blessed. I have two beautiful daughters, and a wonderful, hard working husband. My family is my world.

2008 was a plentiful year...

and 2009 looks to be a good one.

So Merry New Year to everyone...

.

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and happy as I really am...

here's to me NOT having a baby in 09' :)

!!

C U T E ness

we've been busy...

and now i am so far behind with blogging (make that more like everything) i don't even know where to start.

*SIGH*...

the new year is looking to not start out as tidy as i'd had imagined.

oh well

:)

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here's to catching up!!!

silent night

i know.

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there truly is nothing better than a sleeping baby

and lucky me has been blessed with just that.

since about two weeks this little one has been sleeping a six hour stretch at night and i love her all the more for it :) having two kids is busy. i am so often caught up in keeping with a schedule that i forget to just sit back and enjoy my sweet babies.

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sunday morning we were doing our usual pre-church dash , when i happened to notice miss louise snoozing so peacefully on our bed. i was hit so hard with this immense love for her. our sweet little bean was born into a bit of craziness ( much thanks to our eldest ), but for the most part just goes right along with it. she doesn't require much... just feed her, and cuddle her.

even though we were running oh so behind, i couldn't help but stop and take in the joy that she is.

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oh little tootse...

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i love you...

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so.

.

much.

Need a Gift????

Let me help!!!!

I've had a number of people inquiring about oliverminie j., and when I will be booking shoots again. I am in the process of re-working my pricing and packages and antipcipate to be up and running again come January.

However, after many e-mails and phone calls I have decided to offer a holiday gift card for anyone interested... forget giving the ever-so boring clothing item and give a gift that will be remembered.

E-mail me at oliverminiej@gmail.com for details. The gift card will be available at a discounted price from the new January pricing, so call soon... I will only be giving out a limited number!!!!

Happy Holidays!

It's Christmas time...

Is anyone else floored by that?

Maybe it's the no snow thing throwing me off, but sere, how is out most beloved holiday already here??? It feels slightly insane.

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Life is busy with the girls.. lovely, but busy.

I am finally feeling like I can actually handle two children, which let's all just give one big shout of hallelujah because it was a little touch and go for a while there.

Poptart is 4 weeks today and is definately as delicious as she sounds. She is such a good baby... last night she slept 6 hours straight! I know.. who does she think she is??

She makes the most hilarious grunts, and to accompany such cuteness can pass some serious wind... really nice and feminine. And to top it all off she is the number one cuddle bug of the house.. she love, love, LOVES to burrow up to your chest, stick out her frog bum and doze, and is infact doing that this very moment with me. Yummy baby girl....

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Miss Moodles is as crazy as ever. I have no idea where all of this personality of hers came from all of the sudden but I will take it. She toddles around the house like she runs the place (let's be honest.. she does), and wreaks havoc every wobbling step of the way. She also is all of the sudden talking, and attempts to repeat eveything you say. She knows Santa says "Ho, Ho, Ho" yet she insists on growling at every Santa decoration we pass. Most of the time she loves her sister, and would lay and blow zerbers (sp?) on her face all day if I would let her. Dustin is particulary in love with Missy Moo these days as yes, she is all goodness wrapped up in a 17 month old, but also because he has really stepped up with her care giving since Poppy's arrival. She has him wrapped around her finger.

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Life is good...our little family is our life, and we are so in love our baby girls.

It might not feel like Christmas quite yet, but it definately feels like the most wonderful time of the year.

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May your days be Merry!

Give THanKs

somehow these are the majority of the only photos i got for the day...

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oh well...

happy thanksgiving.

in Poppy love...

,

that's what i am.

more of this...

to come.

crazy horse

apparently she can open the fridge door now...
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thank you miss mins.
my life just got that much easier

:)

two girls

it's still hard for me to believe these two little loveys are mine.

they are so different....

yet they both are so loved by me...

i just need to know they know that.

.

.

.

i love you my baby girls.

so much.

The stats...

Poppy Louise

November 9, 2008

2:36 pm

7 lbs 6 oz

19 1/2 inches

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Well we are finally coming up for air at the Jackson residence, thus resulting in a little blog updating.

I realized earlier today that I haven't actually given Poppy's birth account, and I really want it documented. So here it goes..

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Sunday, November 9, 2007:

As you all know, I had had it with the whole pregnancy business. I woke up with Minie Sunday morning, and while I was fixing her breakfast I made myself a little castor oil cocktail. I choked it down at about 8:30 am, and then went downstairs. While Minie played I pulled out my very dusty yoga mat, and attempted to practice some moves. Someone had mentioned in a comment on a post that some positions could help flip a posterior baby, and well to be quite honest, I was at the end of my rope.

Whatever...

It worked. By 10:00 am I was having fairely consistent contractions. We put Mins down for her morning nap, and between a warm tub and changing positions the contractions were slowly increasing for about 2 hours.. I was hopefull!! Until they died down at about 11:45 am. I thought that they were over with, and I was very disapointed to say the least. Minie woke up from her nap, and I very depressingly continued to try and get ready for the day. And then out of no where, at about 12:15ish, a DOOZY of a contraction hit. I crumpled to the bed in complete pain, with Minie giggling and trying to crawl on me (apparently she finds me quite humorous in agony), and the contraction would not end. Towards the end of it, I tried to get up off the bed, and I felt a very weird "pop", and then an urge to go.. well... pee. I rushed to the toilet, only to find nothing "gushing" out, and slowly got up. Dustin ran into the bathroom to check on me, and thats when the little squirt of fluid came trickling down my legs. MY WATER BROKE!!!!

I would have been in a complete state of bliss, however another contraction hit, and this one was twice as bad as the last. As if he didn't already know, I yelled to Dustin that it was time to go to the hospital, and everything after that is a bit of a blur. Dustin, in a crazed dash got everything packed and ready, and rushed us all out the door. My contractions were coming on fast and painful, and it turthfully was like a scene from a movie. He sped the whole way to the hospital, I was going crazy from the pain, and Minie was just mimicking all of my screams and gestures in the back... cute, but not so much in the moment. Dustin's parents met us in the hospital parking lot, and literally Dust dropped everything (yes, Minie still in carseat included) on the ground and ran me up to Labor and Delivery.

When we walked in the doors, I was experiencing yet another contraction, and Dustin had to get us checked in. Thank goodness the nurses took me seriously, and when I was finally put in a room things moved fast. We were officially checked into the hospital by about 1:15, and my epidural was placed probably by about 1:45. When I was checked in I was 4 cm dialated, and yes, my water had broken. In the shuffle of everything, Dustin had managed to keep my Mom and sisters in the know, and they all arrived right after I recieced my epidural. The nurse shuffled them all out of the room to place my cathetar, and while she was putting it in she discovered I was completely dialted, and ready to push. WHAT?!?

It took my 19 hours to get to thar point with Minie.. I was shocked. That was at about 2:00 pm.. she left to call my doctor, and 10 minutes later he walked into the room. I started pushing, and it just was so calm, and sooo different than my experience with Minie. I had invited my sisters and Mom to be in on the delivery, and they all came in and were there quietly offering encouragment. After about 4 good rounds of pushing, our beautiful daughter entered the world. It was surreal. I was so aware, and so involved, and she was sooo different than Minie. She cried immediately, and when they placed her on my belly after she was born, it was so incredible to feel her on the outside. Dustin and I stared in disbelief. How could she be here?? After all the waiting, she was here so quick... and I loved her SOO much.

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To be a mom for the second time is indecribable. It is nothing like I thought. It feels familar, yet foreign... happy, and sad, and scary, and right.. and well complete. When I saw Minie for the first time I was over-taken with emotion. To know she was the big sister.. to look at her and see her as older, yet know she was my baby only 2 hours ealier. I felt proud, and guilty, and so, so, so much love. I just feel so much love for these two little girls that I have grown. They are both so unique... I am so blessed.

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And that is all I can write right now. Poppy is hungry, and it is late. I could say so much more.. but I have to go be a Mama :).

Things are good... crazy, emotional, scary.. but good.

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One last note.. Robyn was in the room, and so kindly took pictures of the delivery. They turned out incredible. I am so happy I have these pictures to remember this amazing experience with. Take a look at them...

http://robynlamoreaux.blogspot.com/2008/11/welcome-to-world.html

She really did an insanely great job.

Thank you sister. I love you.

And thank you to everyone else who has called and shown their support. We so appreciate it.

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Goodnight

:)

Our newest girl

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Miss. Poppy Louise

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you are just so you...
your own beautiful hair
your own smooshy nose,
your own puppy eyes...
..
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Oh, how we love you baby girl....
Welcome to the world.

Frustration STATION!

**FYI**

This post is completely pregnancy related, so if any of it's content bothers you, please stop reading :)





BLAH!

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That is exactly how I feel right now. Wednesday afternoon I had what was to be my last OB appointment. My doctor told me everything was looking great, and that he would be suprised if I made it through the weekend. To back up his ever-so sure prediction, he gave me one hefty membrane stripping (I warned you) and sent me packing. Well, fast forward to late Wednesday night/early Thursday morning and whatever voodoo good ole' Dr.OB did to me seemed to have worked it's magic. I was in full out labor mode... My contractions were coming on strong, every 2-3 minutes and they REALLY hurt. After about 2 hours of no sleep (due to my not so great method of breathing through the pain.... I want to know who remembers these things?) Dustin thought we should head to the hospital. He didn't need to ask twice.. I am not cut out for labor pain.

So we loaded all our gear and a very tired Minie into the freezing car and drove to the hospital. Once we got there Steve and Alice rescued Minie, and Dustin and I headed up to L&D. At this point I was far from okay with the contractions I was experiencing, and by the time I was taken to a room and checked in I was already bordering insanity. They hooked my up to the monitors, agreed that I was having some decent contractions and said it was just a waiting game... if the contractions were changing my cervix at all, I would stay.. if not I was getting the boot.

**SIGH**

You can guess what went on from there. For over 2 hours I sat, rocked, and walked through terrible contractions. I know it sounds dramatic, but they were intense... and all in my back. But of course, they were doing NOTHING! My nurse wasn't very sympathetic, and couldn't wait to get me out the door. All she could offer me was a shot of morphine in the hip for pain, and a not very inviting invitation back to Labor & Delivery when I was in "real" labor. OHHH... And when I told her invite or not I would be back there soon, I had a scheduled induction set for Monday, she had the nerve to say, "Yeah, well good luck... You and about 50 other women. It doesn't seem likely".
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Yes...
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I hate that woman.

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So here I am back at the ranch, insanely miserable. My contractions did infact die down, but what else do we expect with a massive shot of morphine??? I am getting them just enough to be tediously uncomfortable, and I have just about had it with this whole pregnancy business. Sere.... It just ain't pretty in the end. At this point a bullet in the leg seems more pleasant, and definately a lot quicker. To top things off, my sweet-heart nurse did inform me that she was pretty sure sister-bear here is posterior, and OP babies (as they like to refer to them as) take twice as long.. thatlabor can go on for days. AWESOME... days.
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So let's give one big HOORAH! for me.
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:(

:(

Still no baby.

Why do they (babies in general) act like it's okay to run on their own schedule?

**SIGH**

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In the mean time, here are some photos I have taken of friends/family the past couple of weeks.

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I only associate with beautiful people..

obviously.

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:)