Christmas Day 2008

So things will have to be a bit backwards. I am going to blog about Christmas day first because my camera was dead:( So I am going to have to steal so pictures.
I love Christmas, and the traditions we have in my family. When we were younger we all slept downstairs. I remember as a child staying awake all night listening to the floor creaking and wondering if that was Santa. Christmas morning we had to wait for everyone to be awake and we would line up at the bottom of the stairs and take the traditional "stair" picture of all of us in our matching jammas. We would line up oldest to youngest and take the hike up the stairs to see what Santa had brought us. After we were done seeing what Santa had spoiled us with my mom had made a yummy breakfast of pullaparts and breakfast casserole.
This year we were all home. It was so crowded and loud but I loved every second of it. Kenidee was so happy to have her cousins there. I love being with all of my brothers and sisters, we have so much fun together! I can't tell you how many times we gathered to play games and never got around to it and just sat around talking laughing and eating.
Kenidee was so fun this year. She has been walking around the house singing Christmas songs since I got home from the hospital. My mom taught her so many. She loved driving around looking at Christmas lights. She was excited about Santa,(from a distance) and getting gifts and packages in the mail from family in Washington. Every time a package would show up on the door step she would yell presents for me from Mama JUJU! She loved playing with her fisher price nativity. (Everyone with kids should get one) I don’t know if she got the meaning of Christmas but she sure knew who Jesus’ mommy was and daddy, and that the baby slept in the hay. (Thank you silent night.) I can’t wait for next year when she gets it even more. I love being a parent and being able to play a new role in Christmas it is so fun!
We didn’t get a lot of things done that I wanted to do this year do to our early surprise. So Christmas cards are still coming but they will defiantly be very late. I wanted to wait to get pictures until Bennett was here. So we should be doing them soon. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and made many memories.



Christmas from Santa for Kenidee and Bennett
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I loved watching Kenidee reach into her sock it was almost as big as she was.

Kenidee with her new baby doll... I asked her what she named her baby and she told me Ellie (her cousin in Wa. name)



Bennett's First Christmas him with his stash from santa.


Kenidee loved opening gifts... she was so good at it too.

This was Robins favorite gift Kenidee got. A SEAHAWKS Sweatshirt. Thank you Aunt Kari and Uncle Nick.

Hailee my couldn't find a place to sit at my parents house so she made herself comfy on a gift. she is so cute.

Opening Gifts with cousins. She had so much fun.

Yea snow boots they couldn't have come at a better time.


Just wanted you to see that I wasn't kidding when I told you it was crowded at my parents house.


I have to say I was the winner with the gift for my mom and dad. I made my dad a book of his grandkids and my mom a family calender. It made both of them cry... My dad said that his book was the best gift he had gotten. I aqm so glad they loved them

This is a cookie sheet my mom got Kenidee thought it was great to push your face into

Our house is taped and textured! I sure wish we were in it but soon we hope this is our kitchen and family room.

Self Portraits!

I discovered that there were no pictures of me with my kids... so the other day I got ready for the day AMAZING I know. So we took so self portraits. That was difficult but we got a few. Kenidee and I Had a good time....Bennett didn't mind. He is such a good baby, and loves to cuddle. We are so blessed to have such wonderful children. The last few days I have been overwhelmed with greatfulness to my Heavenly Father. I sometimes can't believe that he would send me his sweet children to raise, teach them the gospel and protect them. I am so thankful to have them in my life things just wouldn't seem right without them.

cleaning, christmas dresses, and a sleeping girl

Kenidee helping out with the house work.




Kenidee Dancing in her tights! Robin and I thought it was just so funny. She has such skinny legs.

My friend Alynn gives her girls Christmas dresses the Sunday after thanksgiving, then they can wear them all season. I thought this was a wonderful idea, so I stole it. I searched high and low for a beautiful dress that I didn't have to sale my kidney on the black market to get it. I think it is beautiful, and she looks so cute in brown! The price well lets just say I thought about taking it back but when Kenidee tried it on at my moms and told me she looked like a princess I had to keep it.


Kenidee thinks she does not need naps anymore.... this is how I found her the other night, all straped in.

I have the cutest kids

Things are getting better I still am sore and getting used to 2 kids. My mom comes and helps me out alot. I couldn't do it with out her.
Yesterday my kids just looked so darn cute. I love them both and still can't believe I have 2 perfect kids.
Kenidee loves being a big sister she always wants to give him hugs and kisses. She brings him toys to play with, and trys to make him hold stuffed animals. She is a big helper (when she wants to be)

He is Here!

So things didn't go quite as planned(do they ever) Sunday November 30 Robin and I went to the hospital to do a non stress test, and I had had a headache that wouldn't go away all night. So when I got to the hospital they decided to start me. So Sunday was spent in labor. I was wimpy and got and epidural. That night the nurses would come in and check me every hour. They decided to put me on some oxygen because the baby wasn't doing exactly what they thought he should be.
The next morning The Dr. came in and broke my water and things were coming along nicely. I told Robin to run down and get hims something to eat before anything happens, then called my mom to give her an update of what was going on. while I was on the phone with my mom the nurse came in and told me I need to get my oxygen back on the baby wasn't doing as well as they wanted him ot be doing. Then for some reason she wanted to check me again. I had just been checked and the DR. had just put a monitor on the baby to better read the baby's heart. When she checked me the baby's cord was coming first. I can't remember what it is called. Things from then on happened so fast.
The nurse called for more nursed and told them to go and get the dr. then the next thing I Knew I was being wheeled down the hall for an emergency C section. I called Robin on my cell phone as we were leaving the room to tell him he needed to hurry back up and quickly let him know of the plans.
Things in the operating room were a blur. things were going so fast and things all kind of blurred together. Robin couldn't come in because they were going to put me totally under. I didn't get put all the way under,and robin waited in NICU for our little boy.
I really don't know how much time it took to get him out but it didn't seem like all that long. Soon I heard a baby crying and I got a quick glace of him as they lifted him over the curtain. I just kept praying that the baby was going to be alright and that Robin was going to be okay as well.
So.... Bennett Wayne Markham was born on December 1, three weeks early at 8:08 Am and weighed 8 lbs 4 oz and was 20 inches long. We were so happy he was doing so well. He lungs were developed and never needed help breathing
A few hours later I was in so much pain I couldn't even keep ice down. Things slowly got worse. The Dr. said that some peoples guts are just really sensitive and don't like being touched. My guts don't like it at all they were having a hard time starting up again. So in order for them to heal I needed to get a tube in my nose that went down into my stomach to suck everything out. To give my body some time to heal. All I could do was suck on some ice and swab my mouth with water so it wouldn't get to dry. Another thing they have you do to get better is walking and alot of it. Everyday I could go a little further. I set goals to make it to the nursery so I could hold Bennett. This was the best thing for me. Some days I only made it long enough to the nursery to kiss him and head back because I was in so much pain.
We got to come home yesterday! I am still healing and learning how to handle two kids, and not being able to move how your used to. Kenidee loves having her brother home so far. I can tell it will be a struggle, but she is going to be a great big sister.
I am so thankful for prayers and fasting of family members. I am thankful that I have a husband and a father who have the priesthood, and for a mother who puts her life on hold to take care of me and my daughter. There is no better feeling then knowing that your child is being taken care of. I never had to worry about Kenidee through this whole thing.
Sorry the pictures got all mixed up and I don't want to take the time to fix them. :)