Dad's first hair cut

Well guys I really needed a hair cut and Dad offered to cut my hair. He said he would try and cut it first and then if it did not turn out like we would like he would just buzz my head. He was scared and I was scared but we went ahead and did it. I think it turned out quite nicely don't you. I will definitly be cooler then how my hair was before and a lot less annoying. Thanks Dad it is great.

Naomi Photo Shoot

Sorry it's been so long. We didn't have a charged camera when we went to the birthing center. :( But, the student nurse-midwife took pix for us while we were there, and she'll be sending me a CD with all the pix. So more to come.

Here's what Mom & I took today. I just love this little girl! She's really here, and she's really a girl!

I tried to do some nice ones on my bed, but I decided she deserves a real professional photo shoot, so those will be happening soon. :)
Well, for those who haven't heard it, I think I'll post the birth story. It was amazing! So many crazy things happened.
My contractions started around 2:30 am on the 24th, the day after my estimated due date. Crazy in itself, since I was expecting to be a week late. Travis was gone with the boy scouts on a scouting trip, but I knew he had his cell phone! I expected to be laboring for a while before anything major happened, so I hesitated calling him to come home. However, the contractions were consistently 4-7 min apart and intense. I didn't feel I could continue doing that all day, and needed to refocus. So I called Travis and he got home around 4 am, he said the Lord must have been zapping his cell phone, it was almost dead. I tried to soften the intensity of the contractions in the bath tub and enjoyed listening to Travis talk. He let me know, though he'd been so busy preparing his boat, nothing mattered more to him than me, and he would help me get through this. I'll admit, I was upset that he hadn't spent much time "practicing" & "preparing" for this labor with me. But he knew what to do, and did it well. I couldn't have done it without him.
Then we decided to try and sleep a little, both being rather tired. Not to mention Travis' 6 hours of sleep in the last 96 hours. I was able to rest and ease into the contractions with steady, concentrated breath. Though they were getting very strong. I sat up in bed for a while, and liked that position. I kept imagining my breath filling up like a balloon in my stomach, and then floating away as I exhaled. That visualization seemed to work for me. I did eventually find that I could not mentally ignore the stronger contractions. But overall, hypnobirth practice was very helpful for me. Tustin came into our bedroom around this time, and decided he wanted to sleep at the foot of our bed- how funny he wouldn't be seeing us again until Naomi would be in my arms. Around 7am I woke Travis up, I felt we better get ready to go to the birthing center. At one point the pain in my back was so strong, I had to puke from the pain. I know, gross. I had Travis massaging my back, and that helped immensley. We called the midwifrey, and let them know we were on our way.
So, Travis was running around getting some food & clothes ready to bring with us. Mom was put on back massage duty, I was really needing it at this point. :) I then felt I needed to use the restroom. Towards the end I kept feeling I needed to pee, but couldn't get anything out. I think it was because Naomi's head was in the way! I sat on the toilet and my water broke. I thought, "uh oh, my water doesn't usually break until I'm ready to push." I announce the discovey & Travis hurried faster. He began getting things into the van. "No, not the van." I said. "My mom needs it to come visit with the boys," it has all the car seats. I love it when I'm in labor, Travis doesn't argue with me about anything. So in the truck we went! While I waited for Travis to clean out the front seat of his truck, I had a contraction leaning against the bumper. I was feeling the urge to push, and was a bit concerned & began saying "Oh crap, oh crap!!" Thinking, please don't let me lose anything outside on this gravel driveway! Travis heard my concern & asked what was wrong, but I thought I better not cause him to worry, so I didnt' answer. We were finally on our way & Travis quickly sped over the bumpy dirt road. I tried to hold myself up to avoid the shock of the extremely pot-holey road. I know the Lord was cushioning me at this point, I didn't feel a thing.
The birthing center isn't too far away, we left the house at 8am, and drove only a few minutes. We were welcomed by Annika & Caitlynn, the student nurse-midwives, to assist Andrea, the midwife. However, Andrea hadn't arrived yet. I walked straight to the the bathroom and sat on the toilet. Caitlynn began filling the tub, as she knew I wanted a water birth. Travis walked in after me and informed me that we had left all our things in the van! He was suggestingto me that he drive back home to get it, and be back in 5 min. I thought, maybe, but No!! I needed him here. I wasn't sure what was going to happen, but felt he better not leave, that we needed to wait out the next contraction to assess how far I was. So the next contraction began and I felt the unmistakable urge to push!! Caitlynn & Annika heard me grunting & ran in to check on me. Travis asked, "Are you pushing?" I thought of answering, but he quickly figured it out.
Still fully clothed, except for pants, and still sitting on the toilet, I felt the pressure from Naomi's head coming down and out. I couldn't believe this was really happening, that I was already to this point! Naomi's birth was emminent. In just a few moments she would be in my arms. The student nurse-midwives had me stand up after I felt Naomi's head slide quickly out. Next, the body. In just 2 pushes and one contraction, Naomi was born. 8:16 am, beautiful & perfect, into my arms. I was overjoyed, so happy, and gave a laugh/cry, not sure which, as I looked down at her in my arms. She was finally here! And, yes, I checked to make she was really a girl, and she is! I held her close as we walked to the bed. I delivered the placenta there and then the midwife arrived. Andrea was sad she missed it, but Annika & Caitlynn had it under control, they did an amazing job.
7 lb 8oz 21.4 inches
April 24, 2010
The End, or is it?

Taekwondo for Joseph

Joseph is taking taekwondo now, and he is doing really good. Jacob and I were both really surprised at how good his form is for a four year old. He looks really cute in his uniform too! Now we just have to work on his attention span!

Picture Update

Woah, I just realized how many pictures I haven't posted yet. And it's a lot.

Here's the birthing center. This is the secondary room, with a huge birthing tub. And Tracker seems to like it.
Here's Tustin checking the heartbeat of the baby inside this manikin pregnant belly, too cute.

Boys cuddling together on the rug. They love it.

Okay, this is the ONLY picture I have of our front wall before I painted it. It's the wall behind the big black filing box, not the wall with the door. Anyway, you can see how it's white behind there.

Here's the after shot! I painted the door too, because it was still the grey it was when we bought it.

Behind the filing box.

Cute Tracker eating one of his many breakfasts.

Okay, you may not believe this, but Trayton took these pictures of me. Ya, I just looked at them again, and had to convince myself he really did take these. Travis wasn't home, and I tried taking pictures of myself, and it didn't work. So I asked Trayton, and he is a pro-fession-nal! :)

I think I must be about 38 wks or so here. I don't remember.

Travis was gone for several weeks in Idaho. He watched his brother Adam, Justin, sister-in-law Katelynn, and sister Emma receive their endowments. Then Justin & Katelynn were sealed that same day. A couple weeks later his sister Emma was married & sealed to her husband, Chris (the 10th). So exciting! And so happy they decided to do it all at the same time. Very convenient! (Ezra & Tim missed their opportunities, I would have come down too...j/k)

Anyway, while there, Great Grampa Keller sent Travis home with the most awesome home made engines & boxcars, complete with wooden animals to choo-choo around! They love them!

Here's Tustin enjoying the train.

Here's my 40wk prego pic. Haha, Tiff! I was able to take a 40 wk pic. You only got up to 39 wk. (this was just for my own consolation I suppose). :)

These were taken this morning, by Mom.

I'm huge!! Everyone chant for Naomi to come out. :)

Here's Tracker and some awesome crocheted snakes Gramma made them at Trayton's request.

Happy Gramma, happy boys! She made straight, curly & rattle snakes

I had to put this one in, though you can't see Tustin's snake. Happy faces. Tracker just got in the way, and I didn't notice.

Hope you enjoyed all the pictures. Soon we'll have baby pictures! I'm guessing Monday.

The boys Smiling for the camera!

Matthew and his big smile. I love their smiles. It's like they have healing power in their smiles. It is really amazing what kids can do without really trying.
Matthew all smiles. I forgot to take my finger out of the picture. opps. lol
I had to take these pictures of Sam. We just upgraded him to 3T. We need to buy him a belt though. Isn't he sooo cute.
Samuel always puts his hands up when I ask him to take a picture. He loves to make a pose.

My baby boys

I love my little boys. They are so cute! Simeon has been so much fun to have, and he is such a blessing in our lives. I love this picture. It's not a really good one, but this is how he walks around all the time. He holds his hands together behind his back like a little gentleman.

Reminds me of a flower. A baby blanket flower?

It's just John sleeping away. We finally found a way that he likes to sleep. He will sleep all day long like this. Wrapped up tight then stuffed into the carseat with a big blanket wrapped all around. We finally got to sleep last night. This is a child that seriously likes to be cuddled!

Matthew looks so cute in his suit that Aunt Tiffany made for us. Yes it is the same one we used for Samuel. Henry gave a beautiful blessing and several of us bore our testimonies. It was a very emotional and spiritual meeting!

Here are some pictures from Otavio's baptism. It was also a very spiritual meeting. There were so many people there and everyone loves Otavio.

Easter in So Cal!

Sorry this took me so long to post It has just taken me a long time to get around to it. Here are some pictures from our Easter walk to the park down in La Mesa! I had to add this one of Sam trying to hold this huge squirt gun. It was so big he had to lean it against his face. lol!

Gary in his normal position reading on the grass.
The kids had a great time running around finding eggs.
Gramma brought lots of boiled eggs for the grankids to color. they all had a great time.

Smile for the camera!

John Bryson Holt

Weighing in at 8lbs 11oz John Bryson Holt joined the Little Holts after keeping his parents up all night, he is getting started already. Tiffany started feeling contractions at 7:00 pm on the 13th and because he didn't want to share a birthday he was finally born at 6:28 am on the 14th. He is average height for his family at 20" and is being a pretty good little baby up to this point.
The three boys already got together with the hope that now being three they can hold their ground with the girls. Joseph doesn't quite know what to think but mentioned he didn't get to hold the baby we we left after an hour visit with mom on the 14th.


Lizzie can't keep her hands off baby John but she is very soft. This is the first picture with all the Holt kids together. Keeping with the pattern John is unique in appearance but we are waiting to determine resemblance he might have to his siblings. John does look a little like Elizabeth.

Birthday month

Rebekah wanted a real birthday party this year with friends. I of course waited until the last minute to get most everything! And then most of the kids families called at the last minute to say they couldn't make it. Thankfully the one friend that Rebekah really wanted to have come was able to make it! We had a pool party, but it had rained a few days before, and the cover came off the pool with all the wind, so all that cold rain water made the pool freezing! Oh it was cold. All the kids were shivering.

Eating pie on Rebekah's actual birthday. We celebrated it on Saturday. I love pictures of Simeon eating. He always looks so pleased with the world when he is eating.

Me and my huge stomach. And Simi of course! I'm huge. Look, even my toes are fat little things. I can't wait to have this baby...and lose all the weight! Only one more week to go hopefully. I'll take anything less than that too!

Kids FREEZING in the pool. Ava (in the blue suit) was begging for hot chocolate when she got out. It's nearly 80 degrees here! In her defense, the rain really did freeze the pool. It was so nice before that.

Lizzie loves the rafts we got Bekah for her birthday. She is not quite so in love with swimming yet. It makes her pretty nervous. However, she's doing far better than Joseph. He won't hardly get in the pool, and when he does he's terrified. What is up with that?

Rebekah asked for a rainbow cake. It was all white on the outside. Hehe...it was fun to hear all the kids gasp when the saw the inside of the cake. And it was nice to not be decorating the cake for an hour to make it look cool. AND I didn't have to make twenty different color frostings. So nice! And easy.

This boy loves to eat!

The birthday girl

Ava, one of our neighbors and friends from church helping Lizzie with the pinata. That thing was SO heavy! Easter candy was super cheap, and I think I bought a little too much!

Our favorite Joseph

The stash. It was mostly chocolate. I'm sure you can all appreciate that!