100 MILES

 Shane made a goal to bike 100 miles.  Mike took him on several 10 or 15 mile bike rides.  After Bridget was born and Mike was home, they went on several bike rides, including 22 mile and 25 mile bike rides.  Shane achieved his goal and hit 106 miles!

22 MILE BIKE RIDE

 Shane made a goal to bike 100 miles over the summer.  Mike has been taking him on long bike rides.  Today they went on a long 22 mile bike ride.  I can't believe an 8 year old could bike that far and still have a smile on his face.

COKE AND MENTOS

 Mike has been wanting to show the kids what happens when you add Mentos to Coke.  It didn't squirt as much as he was hoping, but the kids still loved it.

ZOO WITH MIMI

 While Mimi was here we decided to get out and go to the zoo.  Among other things, we went into the lorikeet cage and fed the birds.  Mike, Alex, and Mimi actually had birds land on them to feed.  It was fun to spend time together.

BED INVADERS

 One morning I was slow to get up.  One by one the kids came in to see Bridget and climbed into bed.  Before I knew it, the bed was full of children, and I was forced out.  Children can certainly be an invasive species, but they are sure cute.

HANDMADE ICE CREAM

 When Mimi came to visit for Bridget's birth, Scarlett sent a recipe with her.  Scarlett had made ice cream using a bag of cream inside a bag of ice and wanted to share it with her cousins.  We invited the Skousens over and all of Scarlett's cousins here attempted to make the ice cream.  Sadly, some bags popped and most didn't freeze enough, but it was still a fun activity.

COOL KENZIE

 Kenzie found some sunglasses and thinks she's the bee's knees.

BRIDGET'S BIRTH

 All through the month of May my blood pressure was in the 130s.  I thought it would be high enough to deliver early like I did with McKenzie.  However, I never passed the 140 mark so my doctor didn't want to deliver early.  My labs and non-stress tests were good and there didn't seem to be any complications.  I was hoping to have the baby over Memorial Day weekend but it didn't happen.  Then, I was worried that I would have the baby on Maggie's birthday.  Then I was worried I would have the baby right before or on the day of the temple dedication and wouldn't be able to attend.  Memorial Day, Maggie's birthday, and the temple dedication came and went and no baby.  I had a c-section scheduled for Thursday June 8.  My mom was flying in on June 7.  Since I move slowly when I'm pregnant, I paced myself in getting things ready to go to the hospital: wash clothes and sheets Monday, clean bathrooms Tuesday, grocery shop and packing Wednesday, give birth on Thursday.  Mike was planning on working downtown the few days before the birth so that he could get more done since the kids were home from school and made the house louder.  On Monday morning he decided to work from home instead of going downtown.  That morning I took the girls to run a few errands.  After getting home I had lunch around 1pm and took out the sheets from the dryer.  I took them up to my room and was about to start making beds when I felt some liquid flowing down my legs.  It was just after 2pm.  I thought I was peeing but I couldn't stop it.  Luckily, I was next to the bathroom and jumped into the shower.  I realized that my water had broken.  When the water stopped I changed my pants and under wear and peeked into the office.  Mike was on a conference call and I asked him if he was going to be much longer.  He told his coworker he would call them back and asked what I needed.  I told him my water broke and he was very surprised.  I told him he had about an hour or so and then we needed to go.  I didn't have contractions at that point and still needed to pack.  I also hadn't cleaned the bathroom and would be having guests over.  I quickly cleaned the kids' bathroom so that it was at least presentable for guests.  I then called my friend Nicole.  She had gone to run an errand and left her girls at our house.  Thankfully she didn't have work that week.  I asked how much longer she would be and she said she was on her way back.  I told her my water had broken and asked if she could stay with the kids for a couple days while we were in the hospital.  She said of course.  I then started packing.  All the while I keep having random leaks of water in my pants.  After changing pants and underwear a couple of times I put a hand towel in my underwear.  In the next hour, while I am cleaning an packing, I changed the towel 4 times.  Around 3:30pm I started to have contractions.  Nicole was at our house by that point.  I asked Mike if he was ready and he was just finishing up a few things.  I apologized to Nicole that I wasn't able to make the beds and she said not to worry.  She would make them.  We arrived at the hospital around 4pm.  By that time my contractions were coming every 2-3 minutes.  In the maternity ward they got me checked in.  I was measuring around 3 cm dilated.  I had eaten lunch at 1pm so I had to wait 8 hours before I could have a spinal and c-section.  The only way they would do it before that point was if I was dilated enough that they would need to do a c-section to avoid a vaginal birth.  Considering I have had 4 c-sections, it would be very dangerous for me to have a vaginal delivery at this point.  I was contracting every 2-3 minutes continually and barely caught my breath between contractions before another came.  They couldn't give me any medication because it would make the baby groggy and not able to breath well after birth.  If they stopped my labor it would mean my uterus couldn't contract after birth.  I just had to endure.  Finally, around 5:30pm they measured me again since I had so many contractions and I was already at a 7.  I was far enough that they decided to go ahead with the c-section.  They wheeled me into the OR and got me ready.  I was so relieved to finally get the spinal and not feel the contractions anymore.  At 6:13pm our little girl entered the world.  The doctor said that when she cut open the womb that the baby stuck her hand out as if to greet everyone.  She weighed in at 9#8oz and 21.5 inches long.  We named her Bridget Kristin Farr.  She is so perfect and a sweet baby.  I was so sore and felt like I had done 1000 sit-ups.  On Tuesday, Mike went home and got the kids.  He brought them to the hospital to see the baby.  He then took them out to eat before taking them home and returning to the hospital.  There were no complications and we were able to go home by mid day on Wednesday June 7.  Shortly after we got home Mike went to the airport to pick up my mom.  The kids are constantly asking to hold Bridget and get frustrated that she is always eating or sleeping and they can't hold her as much as they want.

Right before going to the hospital

TEMPLE DEDICATION

 Alex and Shane were old enough and worthy to go to the temple dedication.  We left Maggie and McKenzie with our friend Nicole.  I bought some special handkerchiefs that had embroidered temples for Alex and Shane.  They got a little bored but I asked them if they felt the spirit and they did.  It was special to be at a dedication with my kids.  I was so worried that the baby would come and that I wouldn't be able to go to the dedication.

MAGGIE'S 5TH BIRTHDAY

 Maggie was so excited to turn 5.  She can now use a booster in the car.  She is also old enough to start kindergarten in the fall.  She wanted to go to the zoo with her friend Lucy.  She wanted to go on the carousel and feed the giraffes.  Being pregnant I wasn't up to doing too much, but we at least did what Maggie wanted to do.