Grandma Truesdell's visit...

I realize I'm writing about events backwards... my apologies.
Now let's get onto the important things that really matter...

My mom, otherwise known as Grandma Truesdell to my boys, came to visit the last week in April... she arrived the Friday evening of Easter weekend and stayed with us for just over a week and flew back home to San Diego on the evening of Monday, May 2ND.

We sure did enjoy her company... the main purpose for her visit was to stay and sit the 4 older boys while Spencer was with me at the hospital, delivering Atticus.  We REALLY needed her help that week she arrived--- I was feeling miserable  and kept experiencing HORRIBLE pains/contractions (more on that later in another post) and all of the boys, including Spencer were SICK!  In fact Noah had walking pneumonia but we didn't know that was what it was until the day after Easter, coincidentally the day before my scheduled induction.  The doctor prescribed him some antibiotics and within a week of taking them he was feeling much better.
Grandma's such a great help when she comes to visit--- without me having to ask, she helped wipe snotty noses, changed gross poopy diapers, got the boys showered and dressed in the mornings and dressed in their p.j.'s at night, she read them books, prepared meals and helped feed them, cuddled them, played cars with them, helped make beds, kept Spencer company at night when I decided to go to bed early (as in at 7 o'clock, just after the boys had all gone to bed) and really, she just kept the boys in line and our family functioning that first week I was home from the hospital. It's no small feat, I promise you. I feel extremely fortunate that she's been able to come up to Utah to visit for each one of my deliveries.

 In this picture below all of the boys are seated

listening to some books being read on grandma's computer... 

The program she introduced us to is called Raz-kids...

it's a fantastic program;

our boys have really enjoy using it to read books!

It rained practically the entire time my mom was here--- it even snowed on two separate occasions. We were house bound most of that week... on Saturday the 23RD she went with us over to my in laws home in Orem to watch the boys do their Easter egg hunt with their cousins... later that same day she helped my boys dye their own Easter eggs.  The following day on Easter Sunday, she helped my boys hunt for eggs inside our home and then accompanied all of us to church--- she was also a great help in the kitchen later that same evening when I was running a little behind schedule and hadn't yet made the mashed potatoes for our meal--- she volunteered to make them for me and they were delish! Best potatoes I've had in a long time! Monday the 25TH, while Spencer took all of our sick boys in to the pediatrician's office, my mother joined me at Orem Community Hospital, where in my doctor's office I had my last fetal stress test and an amniocentesis... I wasn't sure how the procedure for the amniocentesis would go or how I'd feel afterwards; my doctor even told me that if things went badly- which was possible- I would have to stay and immediately head over to Labor and Delivery to deliver the baby via C-section, so of course I wanted someone familiar to me there by my bedside during the whole procedure... what a relief it was to know that my mom was there with me.  Things went well with the amniocentesis and fetal stress test, so afterwards we did a little last minute shopping--- I needed to pick up groceries so our fridge and pantry would be stocked for the upcoming week.

On the morning of Tuesday, April 26TH, Spencer and I were awake bright and early, packed and ready to head off to the hospital in Orem for my delivery... we left by 7 to make it there by 7:30... my mom was already up before any of us, getting things ready for when all 4 of the older boys would wake up.  She had her hands pretty full that day; Spencer didn't return home until much, much later that evening around midnight.  My mother stayed at our house and watched Ian and Bentley the following day when Spencer drove back down to Orem to pick me and the new baby, Atticus, up from the hospital... our two other boys, Noah and Cohen, went with Grandma Campbell that afternoon and spent the night at her house. Things were oddly quiet when I arrived home Wednesday afternoon... I suppose naturally things WOULD quiet down when there are just two little kids at home rather than four little kids.  We all relaxed and enjoyed the evening... my mother pampered Bentley and Ian so that their sweet little selves wouldn't feel forgotten about when I was preoccupied with Atticus.  That following morning, on the 28TH, I couldn't sleep so I decided to make use of my time and get up and clean the house--- it needed a good scrub down after everyone had been sick for so long... The 28TH also happened to be my mother and father's wedding anniversary--- I think it was their 39TH???  It was extremely nice of my mom to sacrifice her anniversary for us and be apart from my father--- he surprised her with this beautiful bouquet of red roses he had delivered to our home.

I was actually feeling quite well, so that very evening I took the 3 oldest boys and left Bentley and the baby, Atticus, at home with Spencer; we visited The Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point. The flowers were GORGEOUS! 

The next few days we hung around the house--- just trying to adjust to minor changes with our new addition to the family.  Spencer had to return to work that Friday. so my mom really stepped it up and took over a lot of the responsibilities with the older children... she even took Noah and Ian to preschool that same day for me.  She warded off a lot of our curious visitors... young and old alike... we have a lot of kids in our neighborhood the boys ages and for some reason or other, quite a few of them decided to try and stop by to play that week... we weren't accepting play dates for obvious reasons... and am I the only one who gets annoyed by all of the sisters from Relief Society who call and stop by to see me and the new baby???  Maybe so, but honestly, I hate it.  I don't mind a phone call or two, but when it gets to be a dozen visitors--- it's overwhelming!  I understand the sisters from church are just trying to be helpful and while there are some women from the church who truly appreciate, or may even need meals prepared for them, I'm not one of those women... I had my mother's help along with help from friends and extended family who live near by--- really I just wanted to enjoy time at home alone with my family that first week without having to answer to a dozen inquirers.  

That Sunday, my mom went to church with Spencer and the 3 older boys while I stayed home with Bentley and Atticus. The following day was my mother's last day here so we tried to make the most out of it.  It was a beautiful, gorgeous sunny day, so we took all the boys to the Thanksgiving Point Farm to see the farm animals, after which we grabbed lunch at Sonic and then took the boys  to get hair cuts.

My boys LOVED the time they spent with grandma--- they really ADORE her!  The morning after my mom had gone home, Bentley woke up and before doing anything else, he darted off to Noah's bedroom where he called for grandma--- (that's whose room she had been staying in)--- the door to Noah's room was shut, so after a minute of waiting with no response, he got down on his hands and knees to peek under it--- he discovered she wasn't there so then he went searching for her all through out the house... After 20 minutes of searching, he finally gave up. The poor kid; I think he was the one missing her the most!

I love my mom and like I said before, I'm so extremely lucky she came up to visit and help out with the boys--I think it's fair to say we all wish that she and my dad lived closer so that we could see them more often! I was sad to see her leave yet on the same note, anxious and excited to try holding down the fort with the boys all on my own (with Spencer's help of course once he got home from work!)... since she's left, two words describe life--- I'm surviving!