Broken Camera

At the hospital right as they were getting done washing up Kate, Nate dropped the camera and it broke. It took a while just to get it to work enough to get the pictures that were on there on to his computer. The camera was still under warranty so we did some research and ended up sending it in to see if they could fix it. A week ago we got a brand new camera in the mail. It isn't the same color but it works and I am so glad have it back. I hated our old camera. That was the whole reason we got a new one. So here are a ton of pictures that I didn't get to blog about.

On February 27th Thadd learned to ride a two-wheeler. He did so well. He has worked on turning corners and the day after he started learning, he went on a "park walk" with the neighbor. They just went to all the different parks in the neighborhood.Here is one of Kate with her namesake, Kathryn. I love my Aunt Kathryn and am so glad she let us name our little girl after her. She has ment so much to me through my life and has been a second mom to me and my family.I love this one of the kids seeing Kate for the first time. So cute!These ones are from Norma's birthday. She got a Tinker Bell dress-up chest from Nana and Papa and she just loves it!This is the outfit that we got her from Grandpa and Nana Powell. She just loves to dress up and love skirts that she can twirl in.I hope I can get the ones that my friend Angela put on Facebook from Norma's birthday. Here is one with Norma and Larry. Norma has had kind of a crush on Larry for a very long time. She would do anything for him and I love this one of him teasing her.She loved her cake. She started blowing out the candles as soon as the cake was in front of her. Isn't she cute!This is her in her Puddle Jumpers. She has been talking about playing out in the rain for the last month or so and Cindy, Angela and Larry got her these so she can go play in the rain.This one is just really cute of the baby!And last of all I gave the baby a bath last night. She is starting to like her baths now. Just the first part where I get her wet. When I start washing her is about when she is ready to be done and she really hates the lotion and getting dressed again part but she is just to cute to not put these up of her and her funny faces!Hope you didn't get to bored. But I love these pictures and just had to put them on!

Hall Pass

Thad; "You need a hall pass when you go to the bathroom so you won't get lost."

Norma Sue is F-O-U-R

Norma turned 4 yesterday. She has been looking forward to this day for a while. Every since Tucker's birthday. She has been very cute about it all week long knowing that her birthday was the day after St. Patrick's Day. Although on Sunday she told Nate that the lady that had called her on her "phone" said her birthday was today. She is too smart sometimes.

We sent all the kids to bed the night before and not 5 minutes later Norma called down the stairs, "Is the kitchen decorated yet?" I love that we have started this for birthdays. The kids know just what is coming but they love seeing it all done up just for them.
She could not wait to get to her presents. She was really good about showering before opening presents but not about wearing her new outfit that we got with the birthday money from Grandpa and Nana Powell. (I'll get it on her and send you a picture.)

This is really her only present. We got her a DSI. She is just as into electronics as Tucker is and she was very excited! She said to me later, "Now I don't have to steal the boys DS any more!" Now the challenge is finding games she can play without getting to frustrated.
I love this 4-year-old! She is so sweet and funny and charming and lovable. I love her so much and can't wait to see her grow up! I'm a little nervous for the teen years but I think she will be worth keeping around.

Love you Norma Sue and Happy Birthday!

Sleep

Well I have been so concerned about Kate sleeping so much she helped me with that last night. She just didn't want to sleep. Unless it was on Mommy. I know it is all my fault. I hold her all day while she sleeps and then expect her to sleep in her own bed at night. But look how precious she is! How can you not want to hold her all day! I promise to work on it today so hopefully we can get some sleep tonight. Nate said that for the first little bit he got up and rocked with her. I don't remember him getting up. He said I was snoring. That's been happening a lot lately. :)

It's Love

The kids have been so good with the baby. Maybe not each other, or Mom and Dad for that fact, but the baby they are wonderful with. Thadd is just in love with her. He is always coming up and saying, "Hi Baby Kate!" He is always asking to hold her too! He will hold her forever! He held her while I finished getting dressed the other day and just has been lovely with her.
Norma really could care less. It's a tie between her and the dog who will bug you for the most attention. She is not use to sharing the spot light. She loves her though and is glad she is here. Now she can sit on Mom's lap and not have to worry about sitting around the baby.Tucker is about the same as Norma. He is okay about her and wants to hold her sometimes but other than that not much has changed with him.I asked Norma to help me feed Kate today. We have gone to the bottle. Long and painful story but the bottle it will be so I thought it would be a good time to have one of them help. Thadd was really sad I didn't ask him but I already reassured him that he can feed her one tomorrow. I'm glad Nate thought of getting the camera.
Our good friends Jered and Stephanie came over with their kids today to see the baby and brought me this bouquet. I love it! She said she didn't like to give flowers because you just throw them away and she knows how I love chocolate. I think this is the cutest idea and I might just be doing this for my friends from now on.

Kate is such a good sleeper. I have been worried that she is sleeping so much. People think I'm crazy that I'm worried about that and I just need to enjoy it but it seems that I'm going to worry about everything with the baby both inside my tummy and out. She is very wide eyed when she is awake too. She just looks around and responds to her Daddy's scruffy kisses more than anything. Calms her right down. No, really it does.

I am so glad she is here and I can't seem to put her down. I love to hold her as much as Thadd and Nate. She is such a good cuddler right now. Just nestles her little head right up into my neck. I love it! I hope it will last long.

Kate is here!

Kathryn Kristine Powell joined our family at 7:25 p.m. March 3, 2010. Wednesday morning Nate and I got to the hospital around 7 am. My doctor had me started on just a little bit of pitocin and by a quarter to 9 she had come in and broke my water. I made it to around 2'o clock before I was ready for an epidural. There were at least 3 other ladies all asking for it at the same time so it took a while for her to get to me. So I was VERY ready when she came. It didn't WORK! I had to wait for almost an hour more before she could come back and re-do it. It was not a fun experience and I don't know how you that go through labor do it without. I have the most respect for you!

Right before 6 p.m. I was at an 8. They had me flip to my other side and a little after 7 I was pushing. It was my fastest labor yet and the quickest delivery. Kate came out wide eyed. She was the littlest, pinkest thing I have every seen! The cord was to short to have her right up on my belly after she was born so Nate had to cut the cord quick so I could hold her.

She weighs a whopping 7 lbs 1 oz! (The picture was a little quick.) My smallest baby by a pound! She is only 18 1/2 inches long too! My last and smallest!

I truly felt everyone's prayers and thoughts! I had been praying for things to go well for so long and was very concerned about having to have another c-section. I know that Heavenly Father heard all the prayers in my behalf. I didn't even need to go on oxygen or have an internal monitor placed on the baby. Her heart rate was amazing through the whole labor and things just worked out. Thank you to everyone!

I have never got to keep my babies so long after their delivery. They didn't come take her til 9 p.m. Which gave the kids plenty of time to come see her and me time to nurse her for the first time. I called my aunt Kathryn (Kate's namesake) to let her know that we had gotten the baby here. She had spent the night to be with the kids and to make sure they got to school. I got to talk to Thadd first and tell him that his sister was here. He was excited and couldn't wait to come see her. Then Norma got on the phone. She is such a doll! I almost couldn't hear Tucker or Kathryn after that because Norma was in the back ground yelling, "My sister's here! Baby Kate is here!"

Kate is such a good baby so far! She hardly cries and really hasn't done much but sleep since she got here. She was very much awake to meet her siblings and after her bath she has just slept. Nate can't put her down. I was teasing him that she was going to be spoiled and he said that I had gotten to hold her for 9 months and now it was his turn. Oh dear! We are going to have one spoiled little princess on our hands if neither one of us can put her down.

We are so blessed to have this baby in our lives. She is very loved already and has made our family complete.

Elder Montag

I just had to post these pictures of my brother Gerald on his mission in New Jersey. We haven't gotten a lot since he did Flat Stanley for Tucker last year and I just love these ones that he sent today. Love ya Gerald and can't wait for you to come home in August!!!

This is so my brother.

Love the missionary Snowman. He said they have gotten 10 inches in the last week there with all the crazy weather going on in the east.

This in the one I am so glad to have a picture of. This is his Armor of God that he made to take with him when they are teaching this lesson. Sometimes he'll wear it, (that's Gerald for you:) ) or if they are teaching a child, they get to wear it. Love it!!!