Viking of the Week

Samantha is the Viking of the week!!

Samantha's school is the East Elementary Vikings. This is what the other parents and I have been able to gather from our first graders. When a student is caught helping some one, or doing something nice, or doing an exceptional job of following the rules, they are given a viking. This slip of paper put in a drawing and at the end of the week, they draw a name out. Sam said she had her name entered twice this week. She is very excited about winning. She won a little pack of skittles, a toy, and a certificate for a free hamburger at Burger King. We are so proud of her!!

Rock, Rock

"When Grandmother sits in her big chair she goes
Rock, Rock, Rock, Rock.
But when she sits in her little chair she goes
Rock-ity, Rock-ity, Rock, Rock Rock."

This has been a favorite song of our kids since we started singing it to them while rocking, granted we weren't trying to put them to sleep at the time. Over the years, I have adapted the song to each of them (their name instead of grandmother) and changed the worlds a bit so they don't rock fast when they are small.

When Grandma came to visit when Riley was born, she sat in the rocking recliner many times with JJ (and the girls too) and sang this song to him. He loved it. He would even sing along, singing the "rock, rock" part. He still hasn't forgotten this song. Every time I get in the recliner with Riley, JJ is quick to want to join us, and stands at my legs saying "rock, rock." We even have the baby swig out and JJ walks over to the swing and starts pushing it while singing "rock, rock."

Despite thier faces, the girls still love this song too. There have been several times that I sit in the recliner and two or all of them want to rock with us. What a fun thing that the three of them can share and do together. The girls love it when JJ plays "thier" way and he actually does what they want him to.

Gunfighter Skies 2008

This past weekend Mountain Home Air Force base put on Gunfighter Skies, an even that has an air show and military equipment for civilians and military members and families to come see. It ends with a demonstration from the Air Force Thunderbirds. The last one was in 2005, just a couple weeks after Jamie got back from Iraq. This year, Jamie was had to work the event since he is now in fire prevention. He had to walk around and make sure there were no fire hazards. I was hoping that I would be able to take the kids out there to see the planes flying. I know they would have liked it. But since Jamie had to work the whole weekend, I decided that this was not the best time to get used to wrangling four kids on my own. Also, I thought that Riley wasn't ready for the noise of the planes. So I charged Jamie with the task of taking pictures for me. Here are a few of the pictures he took. He said that the air show was a bit disapointing compared to the one in 2005, not as many things to see and the air demonstartion even had fewer participants. So in all, I am a little glad I didn't go, but would have still liked to have taken the kids.

So here is Jamie standing next to a plane. I want to say it's a C-130, but it has been so ling since we have been at a "heavy" base, that I am forgetting them.


I think this is an Apache.








I think this is the plane that Jamie was is standing next to in the first picture.







The rest of the pictures that Jamie took are of a bunch of older, WWII type planes.

Introducing...

Riley Andrew Mason
10:26 am, September 2, 2008
8lbs 15oz, 21.5 inches

Here's our little guy at the hospital.
Just barely 2 days old. He is trying out his bed and seems to be liking it. You can see the blanket Grandma Roberts made for him, behind him.
Riley had to go in for a weight check the day after we were released. And of course, no matter how hard you try, they always adjust their feeding time to when the appointment is. So after he was weighed, we sat in the waiting room while he ate. He doesn't seem to mind his car seat.
Here's our little guy one day home from the hospital.

Now for our story. Riley was no different from his brother and sisters. No matter how hard we tried, he did not want to come on his own. I was admitted to the clinic (the hospital on base) at 6:30 am, on Sept. 2 to be induced. At 7:30 I was ready to go and they started the IV. Riley must have been waiting on the "OK" from the doctor, because things went fast from there. They uped the meds every half hour and by about 9:15, I was ready for the epidural. They said they would call him in 15 minutes. My water broke a few minutes later. By about 10 I had received my epidural and we were waiting for it to fully take affect, and they were watching my vitals. They asked me if I wanted to lay on my side to be more comfortable. I rolled to my left side and the nurse was trying to find Riley's heartbeat with the monitor. After several minutes of trying we decided to try rolling to my right side to see if we had any better luck. I had just rolled to my side when I got a contraction. I announced that something felt funny, then we heard a "popping" sound. The nurse said sound like some more water, and lifted the sheet to check, and Riley started crying at us. That's right, Riley popped out all on his own!! The doctor was down the hall on her way to checking my progress when she was told Riley had just arrived. We all couldn't believe Riley's entrance and that neither of us had any problems, big or small, from it.

We are both doing well and happy to be home. The girls are very excited to help take care of Riley, maybe a little to excited. I am still trying to figure out what JJ thinks of Riley. He shows a bit of interest in him when he's making noise or when Riley is at his level. And JJ gets very jealous of Riley when I give Riley a bottle.

He's here!!

Riley Andrew Mason arrived to our family at 10:26 am on September 2, 2008. He weighed in at 8lbs 15oz and 21.5 inches long. We are both doing well and are home now. I have a great story to share, and will post it, and pictures soon. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers as we waited his arrival.