First Grade

I can't believe Cameron is in first grade! We were spoiled last year at Machetanz in Palmer. I really wish we were still there. So far, we like Camerons teacher. Cameron says she's funny. I am disappointed in a couple of things, namely the lack of homework, three recesses and the pick up/drop off process. I'm excited to watch Cam grow this year, to see where the year takes us and to follow along as he continues to improve his reading and spelling.

Our summer in pictures

Cousins sharing cupcakes 

Cameron tried his hardest to rescue a chick...
the poor little thing didn't make it though and Cameron was devastated

While in Oregon, Cameron helped Grandma Pat take care of the chickens

Joshua did too!

There was a lamb born in early May and the boys loved holding it!

Joshua got a tick!

We spent lots of time at the splash pads...this time we were with Cousins

Joshua sent pictures to daddy!

He also napped with his Great Grandma Pat

And enjoyed peeing outside! All the time!

Dade was born

Brothers!

The boys spent as much time in the pool as they could

And they loved it!

Joshua developed his own sense of style

Cameron grew up!

Cole blessed Dade

We spent a week in a hotel due to flooding at the Farm

We enjoyed smoky sunsets

We moved into the motorhome on the farm after a week in a hotel room
while the house was being repaired after the flood

We made a huge career change and rather than moving from
Alaska to Washington we moved from Alaska to Idaho

We celebrated Joshuas third birthday three weeks early!

We enjoyed time with family!

And became obsessed with the new baby!

3 kids and 3 adults in a truck for 11 hours!
Our trip to Idaho!

The horse trailer held all of our belongings!

Again, obsessed!

Idaho sunsets are so beautiful

Cole picked a nice three bedroom one bath house for us!
It has a great fenced backyard and garage!

Mr Dade started smiling! 

Dade is here!

I feel as if I fell off the face of the earth. I have so much to update our friends and family on.. I *ALMOST* don't know where to start.....

*Excuse the typos and this is a warning...a labor and birth story follow...the may be too much information shared!*

I will start with: We have a baby!

Dade Olin was born Friday June 21st weighing 6lbs 3 oz and measuring 19 1/2 inches long. I could go on and on about what a great newborn he is--he eats and sleeps like a champ and I feel spoiled because of how much sleep I am getting! Since I'm starting with this I will share the story---

The last several weeks of pregnancy were great. We finished packing, moving and got settled fairly easy. I started seeing my OB here in Medford the second week of May and was so happy with the choice we made for me to finish out my pregnancy here. Because of my blood pressure I was having weekly ultrasounds to watch babies growth and the fluid levels. During a few of these ultrasounds it was noted that Dades right kidney was enlarged. We were assured that it would most likely work it's self out and that it is actually fairly common with boys in-utero. It was something they would keep their eye on and that the pediatrician would need to know but that there was nothing to be done until he was born. Also, around week 35 my fluid levels started to significantly drop. I was now being seen twice a week to keep an eye on my fluid but managed to keep it at a decent level with lots of rest and tons and tons of water! On Monday June 17th I went in for my 37 week check up (technically I was only 36 weeks and 5 days). Dr checked to see if I was making any progress or showing any signs of labor...I was only dilated to 1.5 and to say I was disappointed would be an understatement. He went ahead and stretched my cervix and sent my on my way with instructions to give the little guy his eviction notice. With my blood pressure issues, low fluid levels and the babies enlarged kidney it was time for him to make his way into the world. I left the office cramping and having mild contractions....this lasted for four days!!!!

Thursday June 20th we hosted a carnival for the kids and some friends. The boys had a blast but I was so tired. I hadn't slept the two nights before and woke with a terrible headache. I was definitely still cramping a losing tiny bits of my mucus plug but definitely nothing notable. That evening the boys and rode with Lorie out to Lake Selmac to drop the motor-home off for my sister-in-law. I was definitely having mild contractions but they weren't much different than what I had been having all week long. When we got home I tucked my munchkins into bed and got ready for bed myself. I noticed that I had lost my whole mucus plug and did a small little dance. I was glad that the contractions I was having were actually making headway. I knew that you could lose your plug weeks before baby comes so going into full blown labor wasn't something I was expecting.

Friday June 21st I woke at 1 am with contractions about 5-7 minutes apart. I timed them for just over and hour. At about 2:30 I called Cole to let him know that I thought this was it and that he might want to think about getting ready and heading our way if he wanted to come home to be with us. Cameron woke around 3 to pee and when standing up to help him to the bathroom I felt a tiny drizzle and thought that I could possibly be leaking fluid. I didn't think to much of it and went ahead and went back to bed. Cole and I talked a few more times and around 5 am I started timing my contractions again. Now they were coming about every 4 minutes. I knew at that point that this was it and that I would be spending my day at the hospital. After feeding the kids breakfast and gathering the last minute hospital bag things I made my way to the hospital per doctors orders! I checked in right at 10 am and was hooked to the monitors immediately. Upon checking, I was still only 1.5 cm but I was leaking fluid so they had to keep me. At 2 the nurse checked me again and I was dilated to 3 cm.

I sat back and relaxed as much as possible while contracting every two minutes...the nurse had told me that before being discharged with baby in the next 24-48 hrs I would have to have watched two different videos. So I went ahead and watched those two videos to get a head start on discharge (being a third-time mom I knew that I wanted out of there as fast as I could once baby arrived). At about 3




pm the nurse came back in to start my IV per doctors orders....by this time the contractions had moved down my legs and I was becoming VERY uncomfortable. I asked if I could go ahead and take advantage of the jetted tub for a while and was told that we'd wait on the IV and take care of that after I was done in the tub. I was in the tub for about 40 minutes when my water broke all the way! *Side note: I've never experienced my water breaking....the doctor has had to break my water during labor with both Cameron and Joshua! So this was a very new experience for me!* Once my water broke I felt as if I wasn't getting any relief during contractions...before they were every two minutes and painful but after they were every two minutes lasting about 1.5 minutes and terribly painful...I knew to expect this and it was with-in about 20 minutes of my water breaking that I asked to be checked again so that I could go ahead and get my epidural. I had discussed with the nurse previously that I wanted to TRY to do with out the epidural but that if the time came and I wanted it then I wanted it! Upon checking I was dilated to 6 cm. I had the most amazing nurse...she gave me the option of getting out of the tub, getting my IV and then getting the epidural....but she KNEW that I could do this and just had a feeling that I was going to fly through the last 4 cm. The thought of getting out of the tub was terrifying so I decided to keep going and see what happens. Within 20 minutes I felt the pressure to push! She checked me again and I was 8-9 cm.

Because I had gone through those last few cm so fast the room wasn't ready to have a baby delivered in :) After checking me the nurse told me I had could wait through two more contractions in the tub but after those two I had to get out. It was then that the on call doctor came in to meet me. He'd be the one delivering the babe and wanted to introduce himself. It was perfect timing, although he didn't know that, as he was able to help get the room set up. I believe I had four more contractions in the tub, stood up and had another, walked to the bed as fast as I could because I was pretty sure the baby was going to fall out on the bathroom floor if I didn't get in bed fast enough....once in bed I dialed Cole's cellphone number (he was stuck in traffic outside of Tacoma) and put it on speakerphone...and then informed the Doctor that if I didn't push I wasn't going to be able to stop the baby from coming on his own...Two minutes later and a total of 1.5 pushes and I was holding my little guy! Cole was on the phone the whole time and his mom was giving him the play by play! Dade came so fast that his skull compacted onto it's self...the different plates overlapped. I was able to hold him for quite a while before they took him to weigh him. He was covered in vernix being only 37 weeks gestation.

Dade Olin 6lbs 3oz 19.5 in long

Once things were cleaned up, I was up moving around pretty quickly! I felt great and was so glad I didn't have to recover from an epidural! The nurse never had a chance to put in the IV before I delivered which posed a problem when it came time to control the bleeding. Being my third baby, I was at higher risk of hemorrhaging. After delivery the doctor order cytotek to help keep the bleeding under control and the nurse was under strict advisement to keep on eye on me. I was blessed with a couple of great nurses....at about 7:30 pm my nurse noticed that my uterus wasn't contracting like it should and was actually filling with blood. She asked me to get up so that I could empty my bladder as that would allow the uterus to release as well. Upon standing I was very dizzy, had to take a minute to catch my breath. I sat in the bathroom and proceeded to pass out. I had passed a clot the size of a football and was most definitely hemorrhaging. I was wheeled back to bed in a wheel chair and given a shot of pitocin to help control the bleeding. At this point, my IV was still not in but the nurse took care of that right away in case the bleeding didn't slow! Slowly it did slow and the IV wasn't needed!

Cole arrived right around 11:30 pm and was able to meet our little guy! Dade is the most laid back easy going baby I've ever met. He eats, sleeps and poops and rarely cries. We had a few minor issues that have all been resolved and he's as healthy as can be! I feel blessed to be getting several hours of sleep each night and to have a baby who actually sleeps during the day too! Breastfeeding came naturally to him which was also a blessing!

Sweet boy loves to sleep

Cameron loves being a big brother and is a natural!

Being that I'm 4 weeks late posting this I can tell you that he now weighs 7lbs 5oz and his sweet little cheeks have started to fill out! He's still a great eater and sleeper and still rarely cries. The big boys LOVE him and can't get enough of him. He's so laid back that I haven't even pulled out the swing and bouncer for him yet because he's content with out being held. The longest stretch we've gone at night was 8 hrs. He's averaging about 5 hrs a stretch at night and takes a solid 3 hr nap in the middle of the day with a 2 hr morning nap and a 2 hr evening nap. He spend quite a bit of time awake in the mornings and evenings. I love my moby wrap and so does he!

Mr Dade in a milk comma...4 weeks old!

Cole blessed Dade on July 14, 2013

Thoughts, clarification and random thoughts.

I couldn't begin to tell you how many times a day I get asked if I'm excited about the move.

First, let me tell you, this was not planned! During the first week of March, Cole applied for a position at corporate in Utah and was in the top two for the position. The hiring manager chose the other dude and we were both a bit disappointed but knew that ultimately it was out of our hands and what was to be was being. A couple of weeks later Cole was discussing the hiring process with his manager as well as voicing some of his concerns with said process. Cole was reassured that it was nothing to do with him and was told that if he wanted to work in Washington doing what he's doing now he could move "next week". Cole and I spoke about it briefly that same day...actually minutes after it was said and it was vetoed...why move if you aren't "moving up"? I left to pick Cameron up from school and on my way phoned or landlord to express our interest in renewing our lease which would be up at the end of April. This was March 27...the very same day the"joke" was made from Coles manager about moving to Washington. I scheduled our annual inspection with our landlord, walked into the school and picked up Cameron and drove home...when I walked in the door, not even 30 minutes after finishing that conversation with Cole, he told me that he found a 3 bedroom 2 bath house for rent for $900 a month. I asked where, because there was no way he found that her in the area we live. He said, "Washington", And I laughed. Long story short, we talked it over briefly, and came to the conclusion that if we were going to do it now would be the time...I wasn't too far along in my pregnancy that traveling would be difficult and our lease was up in just about 30 days, add to the fact that Cameron gets out of school mid May, it really seemed too perfect. He emailed his manager expressing interest and agreed to the move by the end of the evening. I'm not joking when I say we had no plans of moving when we woke on March 27th but by the time we went to bed that night Cole had agreed to move to Washington.

We've hit tons and tons of bumps in the plan the last 3 weeks. Seriously, for the first week I wasn't even sure where we were going to end up...if we would even end up in Washington. Quite honestly, it could still change. To say the last three weeks have been a roller coaster would be an understatement.

I've sold everything in my home...if you remember, we moved to Alaska with essentials...clothes, diapers, a box of toys. That was it. We've been here two years and have some how managed to turn our empty apartment into a home. We are leaving Alaska with the essentials...clothes, toys, pictures and a carseat for baby Dade. It's the cheapest way to move so far...3,000 miles is a long way to drive a u-haul.

To say I'm excited would be lying. At the end of the day, when the kids and I leave Alaska, we'll be saying good-bye to Cole for an undetermined amount of time. We have a plan, but honestly we are all flying by the seat of our pants on this roller coaster ride. I know that we will see him at the beginning of July when Dade arrives, but if he arrives early, Cole will miss it.

At the end of the day, I'm pulling my 6yr old out of full day kindergarten where he is excelling and changing on a daily basis. I'm turning his life upside down. Yes, kids are resilient and no, in the long term this won't effect him, but it doesn't make it any easier on him or me right now.

There's the fact that we all love Alaska and really don't want to leave!

There's also the fact that when we leave next week, I will be 29 weeks pregnant. I have pregnancy induced hypertension and could develop preeclampsia any day. I've been blessed with a great doctor here and am returning to a great doctor in Oregon but it doesn't make the transition and wait as well as moving any easier!

The question is, why? If you aren't excited, if there are so many cons why are you moving? Because it's what we are supposed to do. Heavenly Father has been directing our lives for years. Our move to Alaska was in his time and I truly believe the move this time is in his time. I see his blessings around us on a daily basis. I honestly believe this is what we are supposed to do. I can question it all I want, I can fight it all I want but at the end of the day both Cole and I know that this is it. There are some pros and I know that the pros are what make this bearable and they are what will make it easier to settle down once it's over.

So, I will continue to smile and nod pretending to be excited. I will raise my voice in excitement when I talk with my family. But, I will also continue to shed tears for the solitude we are leaving, for the beauty we are leaving and for the friends we are leaving. I will most definitely cry when I hug and kiss my husband good-bye at the airport...and while I comfort my crying 6yr old after passing through security. I will most likely shed tears as we land in Medford knowing that this chapter in or lives has come to a close and a new one is beginning. The weeks will fly by and we will be reunited as a family...of 5. We will be living in a beautiful state where we won't have negative temperatures in the winter, but will still have some snow. We will be better off, if not for the pay raise, then for the blessings that come from following our father in heaven's plans for our family.

This month's motto: I've done it once, I can do it again!

10 years!

As I was laying here in bed catching up on some blogs before the sand man visits I realized that tomorrow (April 12) marks a very special day for Cole and I.

Cole and I met while rehearsing for the musical grease. We both had supporting roles...I was a pink lady and he was a greaser. I had a huge crush on him and thanks to my best friend he was aware of it. One day he asked for my phone number....but he never called. I dropped a couple hints about hanging out but honestly he was quite the ladies man so there were a couple other girls he was hanging out with at the time.

Long story short he ended up calling one Saturday morning.... April 12, 2003. He asked if I wanted to get some lunch and hang out. This also happened to be closing night of our show. Of course I said yes :-)

Our "date" wasn't really anything special...I remember it like it was yesterday though. We had some lunch at a diner and then walked through a park. We went back to his house because he needed to grab a couple of things before curtain call. We hung out before the show back stage. It was really low key and honestly nothing special.

After the show, after the curtain closed for the last time (really for him it was...he was a senior so it was his last show!) we gathered our belongings and he rode with me to the cast party. It was on the way to the cast party that Cole told me he enjoyed the day we spent together and wanted to do it more often...that he liked me and that he wanted me to be his girlfriend.

Ten years ago we embarked on this journey....I never thought it'd be forever! It's been a crazy ride of fun, sadness, laughter, devotion, trust, unconditional love, heartbreak, strength, lessons, blessings, and adventure. We've had our share of ups and downs...trials and lessons. We've spent nights crying with each other and for each other. We've spent years praying together, praying for good times, praying through hard times. Some of those prayers have been for guidance and in thanks. We've caused each other pain, we've helped each other through pain. For ten years, he's had my back and I've had his.

Although I had no idea that my high school crush would be my forever partner, I sure am glad it worked out that way!

As we embark on yet another journey, I am forever grateful that this journey is with Cole, he's my rock, my partner, my lover, my friend, my children's father, my husband, and the one I count on to follow the promptings that guide us to where Heavenly Father wants us.

It hasn't been easy....it's taken lots of work! All of that work has been and continues to be worth it. I love you, Cole. Thank you for taking care of me, of our children and for being my calm against the storm!

Another adventure?

As most of you know, the Henderson family is getting ready to embark on another adventure! We are making a lateral move within Cole's company. It's a big, giant, scary move though. Moving back to the lower 48 is a catch 22....definitely bitter-sweet. We are looking forward to being closer to family, yet still far enough away for our own sanity. Washington....hmm! The boys and I have a side trip planned for the first couple months of the move, easier to transition with kids if one person settles and the rest follow. Cole will be the one settling again while we play (and I have a baby) and then we will join him at our new home as a family of 5! Thoughts and prayers would be appreciated...we are all struggling with this move even though we know that it is what is necessary, right and supposed to be! The countdown is on....15 days!

Photo dump! March 24-April 6