Parker's blessing

We blessed Parker on Nov. 6th in my parents ward. Michael was really nervous but he did a really great job. We had a lot of family there to support us and Danny and Brieghann representing for the Lainhart side. It was nice to see everyone and spend time with the family. It is amazing to have my children blessing in the church and to have a worthy husband who can do it.

Baka Parker

"Hi baka Paker, Hi baka Parker!" This is what Logan is constantly saying to Parker. He is trying to say "baby Parker" but it comes out as "baka Parker" it's pretty cute actually. He loves her so much. The first few days of her life he wasn't really sure about her and was getting pretty jealous that I was spending so much time with her. Now he loves to help, he throws her diapers in the trash, gives her her binkie, and makes sure we all know when she is crying. He is going to be a great big brother. She has been in our lives for 3 weeks and it has been amazing. I feel like she has always been a part of out family and that she makes our family complete (for now.) I couldn't have asked for a better newborn, she is so mellow and easy just like Logan was. I think my parents were secretly hoping that I would get a hellion child like I was but so far they are both great. She only wakes up once a night to nurse then goes straight back to sleep. The only thing that is hard for me is that I still feel very sleep deprived which leaves me with almost no energy for the rest of the day. And of course my 2 yr old is a ball of energy which makes things a little difficult. The first few weeks were hard for me though. The c-section was harder to recover from then last time so I was in a lot of pain. I broke out in this horrible, itchy rash due to the pain killers I was taking so I had to stop taking them and deal with the pain. Then I got a bad cold that lasted for about a week, and lastly I got about 75 (not really, but still) cold sores on my bottom lip due to all the stress I was under. Fortunately most of all that crap has gone away and I m on my way to being back to normal. I love my kids so much and am so grateful to be a mother.

Potty Training

I've been putting off potty training for months, I kept telling myself that he wasn't ready yet but really I was just to lazy to put in the effort. My mom bought me this book a few months back called Potty Training in One Day, so I finally decided to try it. Basically you sit with your child for hours and hours and do nothing but teach him how to use the potty. It took us about 3 hours of sitting in the kitchen with lots of treats until he finally started to get the hang of it. He had a few accidents that day but not as bad as I thought it would be. It's been 3 days and since then he has been doing great. He had one accident yesterday and none today so far. He even will tell me sometimes when he has to go. Although I will not let him out of my sight and am constantly asking him if he needs to go potty. The only downfall has been that he still has yet to go #2 since we have started. So it has been 3 days and he is holding it in because I think he is afraid to go on the potty and doesn't want to go in his underwear. So we are working on it. I am glad he is making such good progress and I am hoping within the next few weeks he will be fully potty trained. Don't know what took me so long, it will be so nice to only have 1 kid in diapers!!!

Parker Michelle Lainhart

SHE'S HERE!!!!

Parker Michelle Lainhart

October 5th, 2011

7lbs 13oz, 20 3/4 in long

tons of dark dark hair

blue eyes(so far)

big "Van Dusen" cheeks

tiny ball of cuteness!!

My sweet little princess has arrived and she is perfect! She is so adorable and honestly just as mellow as Logan was when he was born. She hardly ever cries and she is great at nursing. She wakes up probably twice a night and then goes right back to sleep. Logan is not interested in her at all and is pretty jealous of all the attention she getting, but I am sure with time he will love her as much as we do. The c-section went great although recovery isn't exactly easy. We were in the hospital for 2 days and then we headed down to my moms house so she could help me recover and help out with Logan.. My mom was able to pick up Logan and take him to her house while we were in the hospital which was really helpful. We can't believe that we are now a family of 4 and are feeling so blessed that we have 2 beautiful, healthy children. We are excited to start this new chapter in our lives!

Happy Anniversary!!!

3 years and still going strong. Don't get me wrong we have definitely had our share of ups and downs but I would never change the experiences and the memories that we have shared together. Michael has blessed me with the most amazing son anyone could ask for and a beautiful daughter to be joining our family tomorrow. He makes me laugh, smile, and feel beautiful just the way that I am. He is such a good father and it brings me so much joy to see how much Logan loves him. He has exceeded my expectations in many ways and is becoming the man that I knew he could always be. Before we got married many people were skeptical wondering if I was making the right decision and if he would be able to do the things that he has promised me. Of course when you are making a huge decision in your life you always have worries and doubts but as the years have gone by I am 100% confident that I made the right decision to marry him. In 3 years we have both changed for the better and have had the opportunity to learn and grow together. I know there will be many more rough times in our marriage but I also know that we can get through them. Thank you Michael for all that you do for me and our family. I love you more than words can describe.

Stressed and Blessed

STRESSED:

Lately I have been feeling a lot of stress about all the upcoming changes in my life. I am worried about Logan and how he will react to another baby. He is literally my best friend and I don't want him to feel like we've replaced him. I am worried about whether or not to have a c-section again or to try a v-back. The annoying thing about military insurance is that I have to see the doctors that they tell me to see not who I want to see. So since we have been living on base I have seen 3 different doctors and have been told 3 different things about how and when I will be having this baby. I know ultimately it is my decision but I want to make sure that I am doing what is right for this baby and for my future children. It sucks living here because we have no friends and no family close by, so if I go into labor I pretty much have no one to call to watch Logan while I am in the hospital. Sure there are ladies in the ward that are willing to help but I don't know most of them so it's hard to think about living my son with someone I don't really know. I really want my mom to be there when I have her but my dad is having surgery on October 3rd which is really close to my due date, so the possibilities of her being able to make it here are really slim. I'm stressed about money and making sure that we get our bills covered every month. Mike works about 10 hours a day and hardly makes enough money to get us by every month. There are a lot of things going on that make me worried and stressed and sometimes I don't think I can handle it.

BLESSED:

With all this stress I still feel truly blessed. I am blessed to have a husband that has a job and is willing to do whatever it takes to take care of our family. I am blessed that my family is healthy and happy and growing. I am grateful to have the gospel that is constant and always there as a source to turn to. I am lucky to have such wonderful family members. My family and Mike's family have always been there for us willing to help us out whenever we need something. I am blessed to have 2 siblings serving missions that are great examples to me and my family. I am blessed to have found a job doing something I love (coaching gymnastics) that is willing to wait for me to have the baby and recover before I start working. I am thankful for a place to live, food on my table, and clothes on my back. I know that life gives us lots of trials and plenty of stress but I also know that I can get through these things when I reflect on the blessings that I have and when I turn to my Savior for help.

Update....

We've been a busy family lately. I am glad to say that my hubby is back with us and it is wonderful. We have moved to Lemoore, CA and are still trying to get settled. We have been here for about 3 weeks and were living in a hotel for the first week while we waited for housing on base to open up. finally we got into a really nice house and we love it. It is a 3 bedroom 2 1/2 bathroom house with a garage and a backyard. The only drawback is that we are still waiting for all our stuff to be moved here from Idaho Falls. The tell us that it should arrive sometime between August 15th and 22nd. So we have been sleeping on a air mattress and living off of the few things that we had packed in or cars. So far life on base is pretty good. Everything you could ever need or want is on base, gas station, grocery store, bowling ally, movie theater, shopping center, pools, and schools. There is a park literally right outside our back yard and a swimming pool across the street. We take Logan to the pool almost every other day. Mikes squadron is still deployed and is supposed to be back sometime in September. So he hasn't done much working since we've been here which has been nice because we've been able to spend time together. Once his squadron gets back who knows what his hours will be. Mr. Logan is the joy and love of my life. He is literally my best friend and I love spending my days with him. He is getting so smart and it amazes me what he has learned. He can say prayers all by himself and is starting to combine 2 or 3 words together. He is still super obsessed with cars and loves watching movies. He is a great kid for the most part and is very easy to handle. As his 2 yr birthday approaches I am getting sad to watch my sweet little boy grow up. It makes me sad that he is not my baby anymore and that he doesn't need me as much as he used to. I am getting nervous about the upcoming arrival of our baby girl and am scared about how he will react to the new family member. I don't want him to be left out and feel like I'm not his anymore. It is going to be difficult to make special time to spend with him but I am going to make that a priority. Just the overall thought of having 2 children scares me to death not to mention the newborn stage again. I will most likely be having her on October 3rd because they do c-sections on Mondays so...a little less that 2 months left to go and I am so anxious to meet her. I'm getting bigger and bigger and more uncomfortable as the days go by. My dad is still completely without hearing and is now patiently waiting to hear when he will be able to have cochlear implant surgery. It makes me really sad for both my mom and dad that they have to go through this. My dad has the most amazing, addictive personality and it seems like with the loss of his hearing he is not the same person. He can't hear my son say "Grandpa" or my mom say " I love you." I am heart broken for both of them and I am just hoping and praying for the best. All in all things are changing and I never know what life will bring us. I am just grateful for health and happiness. Until next time...

lainharts lately...

Well it's been a long month but we're surviving (kind of). Logan and I have been having lots of fun in California but we are ready to be back together with Mike. Logan has changed so much since Mike has seen him last and he will be so proud of the boy he is becoming. Logan us very very into Disney movies especially Cars as I have said before. He will pretty much try to repeat any word that you ask him too, it doesn't always sound right but he is trying. He is a total boy and loves to play outside, go swimming, and play with all cars. He loves going to nursery and I have been told that he is really goo while he is there. He has been a lot better about eating whatever I give him but he defiantly would rather eat candy or treats then anything else. He is starting to get into the terrible two's and loves to throw tantrums and say "NO" to me all the time. I absolutly hate this but I have to keep reminding myself that he is a kid and these things are bound to happen. He is so fun and such a joy to have in my life.

As for me, I have been trying my best to stay busy so that the time goes faster but I have found myself getting lazier and lazier. I am excited to be going to Wymoing in a week to visit Mikes family and to watch his youngest brother graduate from high school. His parents will be moving to China in July so this will be the last time that we get to spend time with them before they go. It is going to be so fun to get out of my parents house and spend time with someone else besides Logan all the time. Plus Mikes mom is very helpful with Logan and loves to spend time with him so it will be great to have someone to help. After a week in Wyoming we will be on our way to Illinois to watch Mike graduate from boot camp! 17 more days and we will be together again as a family. I can't wait to see him! These past couple of months have been much harder than I thought they would be and I've been having a really hard time. I feel like without Mike everything is 10 times harder. I feel like all I am is Logans mom and while I love being Logans mom I never have time for myself and I never get a break. I don't have friends, my parents are ou of town, I don't have a job, I feel like I have nothing. I know I have a lot to be grateful it's just been a really hard time.

I can't wait for my family to be back together. Until then I will keep gettin by day by day.

picture overload

Easter Sunday on which he had a 103 fever

Playing at the beach!

Beach cover in sunscreen

Just hanging out!

He climed in the basket all by himself and loved playing in it

cars, cars, cars!!!

MY SON IS OBSESSED!!! We watch cars everyday
probably 3 times a day. He loves playing with cars, watching
car movies, and calling out every car he sees on the road.
"car car" he says, he loves them. He is truly a boy is every different way!

my hubby

Mike has officially been in boot camp for a little over 3 weeks. I have gotten 2 letters and a phone call!!! He call me yesterday when I was leaving the groomers dropping our pets off. I instantly started crying at the sound of his voice. I could tell he was crying too and it was so nice to hear from him. He sounded good and he said he was learning a lot and doing really good. He got promoted to an E2 and also promoted to #1 district leader of his group. He had 17 cavities (surprise surprise) and he has gotten a few of them filled and he has to get a few root canals soon also. He passed the swimming test which he was really nervous about. He graduates on June 3rd and Logan and I are going to see it. After graduation he goes to schooling in Florida for 3 weeks and then he gets stationed somewhere. Once he is stationed somewhere then we can be with him again. It should be about 2 more months until we get to be together again and I can't wait. It has been so hard to be a way from him and to have to take care of Logan alone. Logan really misses his dad and it makes it even harder to be apart. We both miss him so much and can't wait to see him. I am so proud of him and I know being apart will make us stronger.

bows, dresses, pony tails, pink and barbies....ITS A GIRL!!!

I went to the doctor at my 15 week check up and the doctor did an ultra sound because it was my first appointment through the pregnancy. He checked the sex and said there is a 90% chance that it is a girl. I am SO excited but a little nervous about the 10% that it might be a boy. I have an appointment on May 18th for the official 20 week ultra sounds so that's when we'll know for sure. I have a feeling that it is a girl though because I was a little sicker at the beginning of this pregnancy then I ever was with Logan. I am so excited that it's a girl. I love love love Logan and having a girl is going to be a perfect addition to my family. If it turns out the be a girl we will name her Parker Michelle Lainhart. I love the name but I have gotten mixed reviews from other people. I have already started buying clothes for her in hopes that I will not have to return them. I also had the blood test to check and see if the baby had any syndromes or disabilities and everything came back perfect! The only thing I wished for was that Mike was with me to share the news with.

CHCHCHCH changes......

This month has been full of changes. Starting with my quitting my job. I have coached gymnastics for 8 years at the same gym. I loved my job, loved the girls, and frankly never wanted to leave. But due to things that were said and done to me by my managers I felt that I could not work there and be happy. I was devastated to leave and am still having a hard time coping with the change. Before I had quit my job Mike and I moved from our 3 bedroom apartment in Idaho Falls to a smaller, cheaper 2 bedroom it took us 2 days to move and it was awful, then 2 days later I quit my job and packed up again and I moved to California with my parents. It was a hectic week and something I never want to do again. I was planning on staying in Idaho Falls while Mike was in boot camp but unfortunately it didn't work out. Amoungst all that craziness I had to say goodbye to my best friend and send him off to boot camp. He left on April 6th and it was horrible to say goodbye to him. He was trying to be strong for us but I could tell it was just as hard for him to leave us. So its been about a week and a half since I have seen or talked to him and I am missing him more and more every day. We are only allowed to write letters and if he is lucky he might be able to call once or twice. It is hard coping with all the changes and to take care of Logan all day everyday by myself. Don't get me wrong, I love my son, I'm just used to having help from Mike. I am trying to keep myself busy which is proving to be a hard task because I don't have any friends down here anymore and there's not much to do on a limited budget. I am getting by though. It is sad when Logan calls for his "da da" because he doesn't understand where he is. I show him pictures of Mike everyday and play videos of him so Logan can remember him. To be honest I am sad and lonely, I miss my best friend and I didn't think it would be this hard. I am grateful for my parents and for their support and it is nice to have them to rely on. Hopefully with time it will get better, but for now it sucks!!! Also for those that didn't know, I am pregnant with another baby. We are thrilled and can't wait to find out what it is. I don't know my exact due date because I haven't been to the doctor yet due to insurance reasons, but I am thinking I'm about 15 weeks along. If everything goes well with the insurance I have an appointment on Wednesday and we might be able to find out the sex...I HOPE! Love you all!!!

New Years Resolutions!!!!

So I know we always make New Years resolutions and hardly ever keep them but this year I'm gonna try! Here they are:

Jessica:
-keep the house cleaner
-read to Logan more
-lose weight
-handle money better
-be a better wife and mother

Mike:(these are his that he told me)
-score higher on the asvab
-join navy
-gain weight

Logan:
-get rid of binkies
-learn how to eat with fork and spoon
-no more bottles
-learn more words
-get potty trained

We're excited for 2011!!!!!!

christmas 2010

Christmas this year was AWESOME! It all started the week before christmas we headed up to Star Valley for a day to spend time with Mikes mom and Aunty Joy and cousins since we would be spending Christmas in California. We had lots of fun spending time with Joy and her kids because we never get to see them. Then on Christmas Eve we headed to California to see my family. I was really excited because we hardly ever get to see my family. I got to spend time with a lot of my high school friends and it was a blast! Christams day was so exciting, we all put on a new pj's and waited by the stairs patiently.
Logan had so much fun! It was mostly like his first real Christmas so it was a blast to watch him open gifts and get excited about the presents that he got. Mike and I also got lots of stuff that we wanted and had tons of fun.
The next day I had to take Mike to the airport because he had to leave early to get back to work, which was sad because I wish he was able to come to Mammoth with us. After the airport we headed to my Grandma Connie's in Mammoth/June Lake. We go up there every Christmas and it is one of my favorite things. They had so much snow and it was fun to play with the kids in the snow.


We got to go snowboarding and it was awesome. I felt totally out of shape but I had a great time. After a fun filled week and the Ranch we had to go back to reality. After a 7 hour drive to the airport, a screaming baby on the flight for 2 hours, and a 4 hour drive back home from SLC we finally made it home. All in all it was an awesome Christmas break and it was great to see my family!