Considering the Unthinkable...

If this doesn't give you the heebie jeebies, I don't know what will...

Ok, its not that bad, but it kinda freaked my freak (any Ellen fans out there that caught that?)

So our stuff got in a wreck...old news, right? Well, a few weeks ago, a man called my parents house and left a message saying his stuff was in the wreck as well (the truck was carrying 3 families belongings). We weren't sure how he got my parents' # since the moving company has a privacy policy that prevented them from giving out our phone numbers.

A few days ago, Jared talked to the guy and found out how they got the info.

*edit: Jared pointed out that my previous explanation was a "roadmap" to how to cyber stalk someone. So let's just say my blog was involved in how they found us.*

That scares me. These people had good intentions, but what if someone with bad intentions had done the same thing....

So I am thinking about going private. I HATE private blogs!!!! HATE HATE HATE!!!! I never remember to check them. I hate having to sign in to look at them. I hate signing in just to see that there are no new posts. I just hate them in general.

But I want to be able to post the entire picture to show you my new house, not a cropped version of just us and the front porch (with information on the sign blocked out: )...




...and still feel safe. Not to mention, I have these 2 cuties to look out for:



I don't know. Does anyone know how to allow people to still find my blog even if it is private? Or how to alert people that I have actually posted (so they don't have to sign in for nothing, especially while life is crazy and blogs are sporatic at best)? Maybe how to export my posts to a new blog, and leave this one up to serve those purposes....

What a pickle!!!

Start sending your emails to lindseywstokes@gmail.com if you want to continue reading, just in case. Even if you wonder if I remember you...or if you think I would think you were really random for reading my blog. I blog stalk with the best of them, so don't be shy!

Labor and Delivery

Me 5 days before Tucker arrived!

I was scheduled to be induced on Monday morning, to ensure Jared would be there. I had been walking a few miles a day and continuously running up and down the stairs of my parents' house for about a week trying to get things going. I got my membranes stripped on Thursday, but nothing seemed to change so Friday night we went to dinner around 6.

While we were there, Jared teased me that I just needed a little blast from the past to get labor going (we were eating at Sizzler, where I worked for a couple years). About 10 minutes later, I had a tiny tiny contraction. I had 2 more before we left around 7. When we got home I started doing stairs again. I had a few contractions that were soooo mild I assumed they were nothing. A little after 9 I went to put Kerrigan down for bed, and had a slightly harder contraction. By 9:30 they were getting more frequent, but not very painful.

I had one goal for this time around. I looked HORRIBLE after having Kerrigan, so I wanted to shower, do my hair and makeup before going to the hospital this time. I hopped in the shower and Jared came in to see what he needed to do to get stuff ready to leave, and he realized my contractions were REALLY close together and told me we needed to get to the hospital. I said I needed to finish getting ready but we could go in a half hour. So he tattled on me...literally. My mom came in the bathroom, ordered me out of the shower and told me I was going to the hospital NOW!

We got to the hospital at 10:15 or 10:30. My contractions were every 2 minutes, but still not hurting. I talked to the staff and filled out some paperwork before they took me back. I was between a 5 and 6. I was so excited that I wasn't in pain, and asked for my epidural....thinking how sweet it would be to get it before it started hurting.

Around 11:15 the contractions started getting very painful. I asked where my epidural was, and the lady taking my blood said she needed to send it down to the lab and get the results before I could get it. I wasn't thrilled they waited so long to take the blood since I asked for the epidural an hour before, but what can you do?

By the time the guy came to give it, it was 11:45 I was between 7 and 8 and my contractions were right on top of another. That was the worst part. I get scared when getting the epidural, and I think that combined with all the stress of moving, the moving truck wreck and guilt I had for making Kerrigan a big sister when she is so young. I sat there hunched over, buried my head in the pillow and sobbed. Jared said he has never heard me cry like that, it really shook him up (I kind of think that helped with my winning the name "battle" : )

After the epidural kicked in, we just sat and joked around. I got put on oxygen since his heart rate dropped during the time the contractions were painful. Around midnight I felt pressure so they called the doctor. For some reason he didn't get there for a half hour, so I couldn't push.

As he walked in the door, my water broke and it was time to push. 3 pushes later he was here.

Waiting for my epidural. I was having a contraction during the picture....thanks Jared for snapping this so I remember how minor they were!

My cheerleaders...I love that they were able to be there.

And the beautiful end result:

ABOUT TIME!!!!

Gross, I am now one of those people who has a baby, then doesn't blog forever! A pretty hypocritical move on my part, since I HATE when people do that.

After several threatening texts from a very angry Canadian (who will remain unnamed : ) who demanded pictures, I figured I had better fix the situation.

Don't you LOVE LOVE LOVE the cross eyed baby look (as long as they go back to normal, of course!).

Kerrigan is still in love with her brother, I was a little concerned it would disappear once his "newness" had worn off. The infatuation is still going strong, perhaps at times a little too strong (for instance, when she tries to pull him off the couch so she can soothe him when he is crying).

This is her version of holding him. Countless times a day she is begging, "hode im, hode im MOMMY pease!!!!".

Remember this picture, taken at 1 week old:

Well, here is the 1 month old version:

The kid's got some serious chunk going on! He is over 12 lbs already, and his 0-3 month clothes are getting snug (see how tight the NB onesie is on him!). It took K almost 4 months to accomplish what has taken him a mere 6 weeks.

I am basically obsessed with this picture. He gives people the stink eye all the time. It makes me giggle to have a 6 week old glare at me.

He is quite a bit fussier than Kerrigan was, especially in the evenings. Not sure if it is colic, but thank goodness it usually happens after Jared gets home so I have reinforcements (other than Kerrigan pulling him off the couch : )

Fussy or not, he is one sweet boy and I love kissing those ginormous cheeks all day! I haven't taken a picture that has captured one of my favorite features of his....DIMPLES!!! Be still my heart, I am a sucker for dimples!!!!

Let me introduce you to my good friend Ted...as in Phil and Ted's double stroller. I LOVE this and recommend it to anyone who is looking for a double. It is a jogging stroller. It is skinny/agile enough to maneuver in any shopping store aisle. It fits any variation of kids (newborn/toddler, infant/toddler, 2 toddlers, etc.). Basically, heaven on wheels.

Wait, Lindsey, where is Tucker? you may ask. Well, I am glad you did. He is here:

Tucked safely and comfortably under his big sis. Seriously, LOVE IT!!!

We have also been working on operation Independent Kerrigan, which includes potty training (no picture, sorry), drinking from a cup, eating at the table on her own (a new experience since we previously didn't have a table or dining room) and learning to play alone.

2 things to look at: Her first milk mustache and the mess behind her. We FINALLY got the dressers we ordered. With clothing getting put away, and random items finding their place it is finally starting to feel like home here.

The girl LOVES apples. She put this one down in about 5 minutes. Just sat there chomping away until it was gone. I think she even ate the stem.

This is how she colors when it is too cold outside for her liking. Notice the lack of grass. The poor girls outdoor experience is limited to a 10x10 slab of concrete. A problem we plan to address soon with some sod and POSSIBLY a swing set...still trying to convince the husband : )

Don't you feel better now that you are caught up on our lives, I know I do!

The First Week and a Half...

Since I am trying to hurry and get this done while the kids are both asleep, here is our week in many pictures and few words.

As with all newborns, there has been a ton of sleeping...

...with a little bit of awake time during the day (not so much the case at night-but that is slowly improving : )

We have had guests, both planned...

...and SURPRISE!!!

There has been a lot of snuggling:

(Definitely brother and sister, check out their identical noses!)

Perhaps a little too much snuggling, but she LOVES her "baby bruder" so we roll with it:

(look how big she is compared to him, a real eye opener to the fact she is no longer a baby)
And, since we are at my parents' house for the next few weeks, there has been hiking, of course : ) This is the hike we took to celebrate my due date.

What a great 11 days it has been!!!

Tucker Wayne Stokes - August 28, 2010

Baby Tucker arrived at 12:43am (Arizona time) on Saturday, August 28th, 2010 in Flagstaff AZ. His first, but not his last, stats are 6 lbs 15 ounces and measured 20 1/2 inches long. Mother and baby are both doing well and Dad is enjoying the cafeteria food.

Lindsey was loopy as usual when she got her drugs and kept everyone in the room entertained throughout the process. Her first contraction happened at 6:30 pm and he was here a little over 6 hours later.

Thanks family and friends for all of your support as we go through all of these changes in our life!

Quick Update

Sorry about the lack of pictures...I will try to throw a few on here soon.

So far the move has gone well, with the exception of a few minor hiccups. For instance, the luggage rack of our car got ripped off when the truck driver misjudged the height of a tree branch.

There is also the fact that the driver of our moving van ran off the road in PA. We spent a week going through photos to ID our stuff, versus what belonged to the other 3 families who were being moved. Our belongings are scheduled to be in Boise tonight, and tomorrow Jared meets with the insurance adjuster to start the good ole' claims process. Like I said, a minor hiccup : )

We can't complain too much, though...other things have gone much better than anticipated. We are in the process of buying an AMAZING home (after discovering a mortgage would actually be cheaper than renting).

Sidenote to all CT friends: we will be paying less than 1/2 our CT rent for a 4 bed, 2 1/2 bath, 3 car garage home on .25 acres of land. Not bragging (ok, maybe a little), just trying to get you all out here, too : )

Jared's office is coming together nicely. He is currently doing interviews, and is pumped for his doors to open in a few months.

Kerrigan is loving spending time with family. She loves Grandma's attention, adores Orson (and has him wrapped around her finger), can't get enough of Nanee (Janalie) and is smitten with Grandpa.

I also reap the benefits of living with my family, in the form of frequent feet elevation (aka sitting on my big, pregnant tushy), mom's cooking and massages...ahhh, this is definitely the way to spend the last month of pregnancy.

Most importantly, our son will be here in 13 days or less. I can't wait to meet my little gymnast whose rump has been invading my lung space for the past 9 months.

As Nacho Libre would say, "My life is goooooooood!!!!"

32 Weeks

Week 32 was a tough one.

It was the week I realized what this move meant for my little family. It was spent taking care of the last minute details that were forgotten with all of the larger, more obvious plans.

It was spent alone, the 2nd week in a row of Jared being out of town. My time was consumed by a distressed, needy toddler who was missing her daddy (whom she had become used to seeing all day, everyday while he studied).

Sleep was rare (honestly, who sleeps well with a missing spouse) and patience was rarer (if that is even a word).

Then on Tuesday, at the peak of my self pity, I was on the receiving end of the look no woman wants to get from her OB. He explained I was measuring quite small...in fact I hadn't grown at all since my last appointment (2 1/2 weeks prior). He explained if the baby had stopped growing, they would need to do some testing and we would need to postpone moving until we knew what the problem was.

An ultrasound was scheduled for today and I was sent on my way. At that point, I knew I was not in a place where I could worry before knowing if something was actually wrong. I took Kerrigan to get her shots, and the rest of the day was normal.

On Wednesday, Kerrigan's new found neediness was increased by a fever and the never ending list of what still needed to be done was once again put on the back burner.

Last night I finally let doubts creep into my mind. What if something was wrong with the baby? What if he had stopped growing? Why was I having to do this on my own?

Trying to settle my whirling thoughts, I turned to the computer to try to find anything to distract me. I found this video on my cousin's blog:

Wow, hello perspective!!! Thank you for again returning to my life...I have missed you the past few weeks!

So today, I headed to my ultrasound KNOWING everything would be fine! Whatever was supposed to happen would- and I would be a better person because of it!

Farewell Week 32. I am not sad to see you go. You were difficult, but you also strengthened me.

I am excited to start Week 33 knowing my son is growing just fine (he is on track to being MUCH bigger than Kerrigan), and 1 week closer to meeting him. I am thrilled Kerrigan is back to her normal self- well, at least her pre-fever self. I am happily anticipating Jared's return home. I have a renewed confirmation that this move is EXACTLY what our family needs, and it will be amazing!