Happy Birthday sweet Evelyn!  My sweet little girl is now four years old!  We had a little family birthday party for her yesterday (her birthday).  We had the customary cake, ice cream, and presents.  The big hits of the night were her sturdy magnetic paper dolls frorm Grandma and Grandpa, and her french message board and curtains that I made for her.  She has wanted to make her room fancy like Fancy Nancy, and this is the beginning of the transformation.  Pictures to come soon...

Evelyn is one of the sweetest and most thoughtful 4 year olds that I know!  She always makes sure to share everything with Adalie and Jackson.  If they are not awake she will save some of her treats to give to them as soon as they wake up.  She is always ready with a helping hand and she loves to 'be like Jesus.'  She has learned on her own the joy it brings when she is thoughtful and she helps others.  The other day she came into the kitchen bouncing up and down excited to tell me that she felt very good and warm inside.  I asked her why, and she responded that it was because she was thoughtful and helped Jack first.  She is a joy to have around and she is absolutely in love with Adalie and Jane stories.  Adalie and Jane are best friends who fight monsters such as the candy monster, sock monster, spit up monster, and the bat monster (the list is endless!).  Evelyn loves hearing these stories and she generally gets at least one a day from either Logan or me.  I love seeing Evelyn's imagination growing.  She loves books and anything to do with princesses.  I am proud of our little girl and I can't believe she is growing up so fast!

One sad part of Maren's early arrival is that we had to postpone Evelyn's friend birthday party.  It was planned for Monday afternoon, but we will have to reschedule it for a few weeks down the road. With this pregnancy I learned that the last minute 'to-do' list should be completed the week before delivery!

Here is Maren's Story:

Okay, okay, okay.  I learned my lesson.  Maybe it is a good idea to pack a hospital bag a few weeks before your due date. Maybe not a bag, but at least a list of things that it would be good to throw in the car before leaving.  I did not pack a bag, and I didn't feel like I really needed to.  The hospital provides everything for you- from your clothes (lovely hospital gowns), to diapers for the new baby, to other little hygene necessities for after the baby is delivered.  I also knew that Logan would be going home every day to be with the other kids and he could get anything that I needed.  I knew that we would leave the hospital with a change of clothes for me, clothes for Maren, and her car seat.  Nothing else to worry about right?  When my water broke it would have been nice to have planned ahead to bring the camera and the Kindle Fire computer.  I guess that I still will never understand the people that pack a thousand things that never even get used. 

The birth story-

I have always wondered what it would be like to have my water break... I didn't think I would ever have that chance because I will always have a scheduled C-section a few days before my due date.  I was scheduled to have my C-section on Thursday, February 16th, but Maren decided that she was ready to meet us before that day. 

On February 10th I babysat for the neighbors so that they could go on a date.  Logan was at an Elders Quorum activity.  I took advantage of how well the kids play together and I cleaned like a maniac for 2 1/2 hours.  I have been having pretty debilitating back pain for a while now and on this night I felt great!  When Debbie came to pick up Micah she joked that there was no way that Maren was going to make it to the 16th.  Imagine her surprise when I called her an hour later to come over and watch the kids because my water had broken!

At around 10:30 my water broke, but it wasn't what I had expected, and It took me a while to convince myself that it was the real thing.  I have always wondered about having my water break, and I have always been secretly glad that I wouldn't have to labor through the night and have a newborn without having any sleep.  Both of these became a reality for me.

Debbie arrived and we left for the hospital.  It was confirmed that my water had indeed broke and the doctor said we would have a c-section at precisely 7:00 a.m. the next morning.  He also gave the nurses permission to give me an epidural if I was in pain from contractions.  I ended up getting barely 2 hours of sleep that was interrupted every 15 minutes by contractions.  So much for avoiding a sleepless night the night before!

The c-section was the best one so far. They get easier and easier. This is where the camera would have been nice.  The nurses were very sweet and they took a few pictures of Maren after she was born.  These pictures are on our previous post and they look nothing like our little girl!  I don't even think I would recognize her if I was shown these pictures now!

Recovery from the c-section has also been much easier aside from the fact that I have three young children and I am not supposed to lift anything heavier than Maren! This has worked pretty well so far with three extra people around to help me. 

Nancy flew up early to help us with the kids.  She arrived on Monday and Greg and Allison arrived on Wednesday (as originally planned).  They have been SO much help!  The kids have barely noticed that I have been MIA because they have Grandma, Grandpa and Allison to play with. 

Maren is a wonderful and sweet little girl!  I have been praying for a while now to be blessed with a baby who does not spit up.  I wondered if such a baby even exists judging from my experience with my previous three.  I have found my answer.  Maren is 9 days old and has only spit more than a teaspoon once in her short life.  Thank you Maren!  I have never experienced life with a newborn without smelling like spit from sunup to sundown.

Maren has settled very well into our family life.  She is a very sweet, quiet baby.  She eats a LOT, sleeps a LOT, and is calm and bright eyed when she is awake.  She has a predictable hour of fussiness in the evening, but other than that is happy. 

Evelyn, Adalie and Jackson are all very loving and sweet with Maren.  I am a very lucky mom.  It is crazy to think that I have FOUR kids!  Four sounds like a much bigger number than three.  It will take some time to get used to, but things are going great so far! 

Bring on the pictures!

 Evelyn, the birthday plate, and that crazy hair!

 Present time!

 Jack loves giving Maren kisses! 

 Oh that hair!

 New bunk beds!  Thanks Jill and Conrad!

 Skyping

 Allison did a great job with Evelyn and Adalie's hair!  I have actually done it a few times since.  Up until this point they have not kept hairstyles in and it was a waste of time to try.  Thanks for teaching them Al!

 I love my nursing cover, but it has been difficult to get Maren set up while still being modest.  Logan invented a new way to hold the cover up!  It worked great.  What you can't see is the large heart balloon attatched to the top and the wrench hanging off the back as a counterbalance.

 The (mostly) hooded people before their walk around the block

 Our FOUR cute kids!

 At the children's museum with Grandma, Grandpa, Allison, and Papa

 More cute hair!  They loved the matching bows.

Bye for now

Introducing the newest member of the Hazard Family!!!

We are excited to announce the birth of Maren McKinley Hazard. Here's my version of the story- I'm sure Rachel will write a more detailed one later on.

Last night Rachel went into labor. Even though Maren wasn't supposed to be delivered until Thursday, we went to the hospital because I've heard that once these things start, well, there's no stopping them. So...

This morning at 7:16 Maren was rudely yanked from the comfort of her mama's belly into the cold, bright, and wonderful world. She weighed 6 pounds and 14 ounces. She was 19.75 inches long. Both her and the mama are doing great.

Here's some pictures- I'm sure there are many, many more to follow in upcoming posts.

Well- yesterday we finally made a decision that will have major implications for our little family. We converted Addy and Jackson's cribs into toddler beds. I know, I know- this conversion is long overdue. It was just so convenient to be able to put them in bed and know that if they wanted out they would at least have to put some major effort into it accompanied by a 4 foot fall to the ground. This proposition was usually enough to keep Jackson pretty well contained (he knows what's good for him). Addy...Not so much. In either case, we finally broke down and decided that they are old enough to handle the freedom. So far it has gone really well, and I have to admit that it was nice that they could get out of bed by themselves this morning instead of screaming for Rachel or I to come and get them.

I'm just worried that it's a slippery slope though. You know- you give an inch and they take a yard. You let them think they are growing up and suddenly they will want to be potty trained, and to be pouring their own milk into their cereal in the morning, and they might even refuse to sit in their car seats at times in favor of the "grown-up chairs" that they see us sitting in. I just don't think I'm prepared for all that. Not with our new baby coming in just a couple of weeks.

...Oh wait- they already do all that stuff. We are in for a ride!

Actually, all three of our kids have been really, really good lately. Addy and Jack are starting to act more grown up, but in good ways. They don't demand nearly as much of our attention as they used to, they are learning how to clean up after themselves, they are able to enjoy more advanced activities like crafts and longer story books, and they are even starting to understand the concept of sharing. Life is good.

In this post, I want to highlight Evelyn for a while. She is amazing. As I write this, she is in her room playing by herself for "quiet time." I can hear her singing the song "Nephi's Courage" (from primary)...All three verses! I have never known a kid her age who can memorize things so quickly. Here's another example: We frequently go to the library and bring home new books to read with her. It is not too uncommon that after reading a story to her only once, she will turn around and "read" the book to Addy and Jack almost word for word. It's the same with primary songs- sing it once and she's got it. Now, if only she could figure out how to carry a tune, we might be tempted to put her on American Idol or something. I guess we can't all be good at everything.

In the last paragraph I mentioned books. When it comes to books, there is nothing that she loves quite as much as "Callie Cat, Ice Skater." It is, as one might guess from the title, about a cat named Callie who likes to ice skate. Whenever Evelyn finishes reading this book, she gets up and "ice skates" around the house, jumping and twirling the way Callie does. Well, a couple of weeks ago, Rachel decided to surprise Evelyn and take her ice skating for real at the public outdoor rink in Spokane. Evelyn LOVED it! The whole time she was on the ice she kept talking about how she was just like Callie Cat- and even though she didn't do any jumps, she had a wonderful time. She still talks about her date with Mama whenever we read that story.

Besides books, Evelyn also loves stories and she has a very active imagination. Her favorite ones to are about Addy and Jane, the monster fighting duo. Rachel and I tell her one of these stories at least once a day. So far, among others, they have banished the bat monster, pillow monster, snowman monster, messy monster, blanket monster, tomato monster (although Clifford The Big Red Dog had to help with that one), dirty sock monster, rock monster, sand monster, scissors monster, a Tyrannosaurus Rex, and one grumpy old man from the little town of Post Falls.

Another thing about Evelyn- she is turning into an awesome big sister. The other day, Rachel went downstairs to get Addy and Jack from their naps, only to discover that they had ripped the books that she gave them. She got pretty mad at them, and by the end of it all I think everyone was in tears.

Enter Evelyn-
She went over to Addy and gently explained to her that we can't rip books because Heavenly Father blessed us with nice things. She then explained that we have to take care of our things or He will be sad. Finally, she told Addy to kneel down. "You have to tell Heavenly Father that you are sorry."
Evelyn: Say, "Heavenly Father"
Addy: Heavenly Father
Evelyn: I'm sorry
Addy: I'm sorry
Evelyn: In the name of Jesus Christ, amen
Addy: In mumble mumble Christ, amen

She then followed up in like manner with Jackson.

Here's another fun little story- Last week some friends had invited us over for dinner. Rachel had told Evelyn that we were going, and Evelyn was very excited to be able to go over to her friend's house. Therefore, it came as a hard blow when, at the last minute, they had to cancel. After being sad about it for a little while, Evelyn went over to Addy and tenderly broke the news. "Addy- you need to sit down and look at me for a minute."
She did.
"Addy- you know how we were going over to our friend's house? Well, it looks like we can't do that any more. I know it's sad, but don't worry, okay. We'll play with them another time."
Addy just sort looked at her, but with an expression that somehow seemed appropriate for the gravity of the situation at hand.
"Addy- are you going to be okay?"
To this, Addy responded with her alien voice, "Yea."

Evelyn then went over to Jackson and broke the hard news in similar fashion.

She is such a good sister and I am excited that relationships are developing between siblings. It will be interesting to see how Marin fits into the picture and to watch the interactions between our kids develop even further as they share the common goals of caring for/helping with/competing with/stepping on/cuddling with our new addition to the family.

Well, this post has gone on for a while. I guess it sort of ran away with me. Here are just a couple of pictures. As for us, life continues to be a blessing. Rachel is doing great with the pregnancy (although she is definitely ready for it to be over). I am loving my new job. Kids are as crazy as ever. Things couldn't be better.

Addy definitely takes after my sister, Allison. This is about as close as she comes to "playing" in the snow. Jackson, on the other hand, either wouldn't know or wouldn't care if he was outside in nothing but a diaper. I swear to you, I don't think he is capable of feeling cold. The only problem with him is getting him to come back in the house when it's time to be done. It's funny how kids can be so alike, and yet so different.